PACHANKO Aphelion SATA and Ethernet cables

[thuandb]

Prior to using Aphelion cables, I've been happily using PPA red and black SATA, PPA red Ethernet, PACHANKO Refefence back SATA, and most recently THE LINEAR SOLUTIONS (TLS) Ethernet cables.  Out of curiosity, I wanted to check out Chan's latest Aphelion offerings in SATA and Ethernet.  A SATA Aphelion is installed between OS SSD in AudioPC, and an Ethernet Aphelion between AudioPC and controlPC.  After a few months of listening, I'd like to share my impressions on those Aphelion cables.

 

First, let me show the playlist of songs/tracks used for evaluation.  It's a mixture of classical large scale symphonies and concertos in individual movements, classical instrument solos, jazz, pop ballads, Gregorian chants, world music, and anything in between.  Namely, they are:

- Ivan Fisher, Mahler symphony no. 3, DSD 64, movements 1 and 2

- Jazz at the Pawnshop, Late Night, DSD 256

- Anna Fedorova, Rachmaninov, piano concerto no. 2, 2nd movement

- Various songs from Best Audiophile Voices 1 thru 7, XRCD24

-

 

(To be continued)

[thuandb]

- the Wondeful Sounds of Female Vocals, DSD 64

- Norah Jones' Come Away with Me

- Alex Lofoco Beyond

- the Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices

- Benedictine Nuns of Notre-Dame de l'Annonciation

 

With the Aphelion cables installed and run in, the SQ is natural yet detailed.  Well recorded vocals soar in front of and over accompaniments.  There's heightened sense of quieter background helping the spot light beamed to the main performers on stage or in the mix leading to immersive listening experience.  Same can be said about large scale classical works, only in a large proportion.  It's easier to "see" and hear the musical personality and play style of the individual performers whether they're vocalists or instrumentalists.  Due to constraints of my room which tends to flavor width over depth, the setup with Aphelion cables manages to render an extraordinary width AND pretty satisfying depth.

 

Playing high energy, fast, dynamic music such as Alex Lofoco Beyond pleasantly shows off the Aphelion's chameleon nature.  Gone is the relaxed breathy mood, in is the "fast and furious" relentless manner, plus a baddest bass.  Yet the playback still lacks digital edginess, the chalkiness that would otherwise shorten listening sessions.  In other words, the Aphelion cables seem to disappear sonically, not adding or subtract much if any from the music data flow.

 

Once I swapped Aphelion Ethernet cable for the same lenght of TLS, which isn't slouch.  It didn't take me over 2 minutes to listen and decide to put the Aphelion right back.  There is just fluid, juicy musicality with the latter that the TLS, however impressive it has been between Sonore oM and controlPC (a different topic), just doesn't match.  Similarly, the Aphelion cables outperform other prior listed cables in my setup.  

 

I'm well aware of other wonderful cables in the market:  SOtM, JCAT, Sablon, Wireworld, just to name a few.  Each of them has its own set of merits and pricing.

Even PPA is offering a Platinum version of his Ethernet cable.  But for me and for now, PACHANKO Aphelion SATA and Ethernet cables look good, perform reliably, and offer a SQ that satisfyingly natural with decent details to boost.