When In Manila and you’re in search for quality audio cables to upgrade the sound quality of your headphones or in-ear earphones, there are a lot of audiophile grade cable manufacturers now roaming the lot. So many new headphone and in-ear monitor upgrade cables have been springing out the past year, as well as this year. Prices are also rising as new materials and new processes in creating highly conducive cables are churned out. It is becoming harder and harder to believe companies and products truly giving out what they advertise. It is even more difficult to believe that such cable could create a big difference to your audio chain, or maybe just a subconscious trigger in your brain that it does make a big step due to your expense on the product. I’ve encountered numerous numbers of cable types, cable materials and even cryogenically treated cables (Yes, cryo treatment does improve sonic character.) from different manufacturers, cable brands, and even from independent cable makers, or those so-called DIY experts, one of the renowned names in headphone and in-ear monitor upgrade cables is none other than Whiplash Audio.
Whiplash Audio is a company that specializes in manufacturing custom cables for headphones, in-ears, and other high fidelity audio equipments. For the previous years, Whiplash Audio has always been one of the bests, if not the best, in headphone and in-ear earphone cable upgrades. A lot of audiophiles do swear upon their cables. Their name is known all through-out audiophile forums specially for their TWag series cables. The TWag series cable stands for “The Wire Silver”. Ag is the symbol of Silver in the periodic table just to remind those who might have forgotten already. Anyways, Whiplash Audio also has a number of different lines for their custom cables. The most popular is of course, the TWag cable and the TWcu which is the Copper counterpart of the TWag. Upon the release of the TWag V2 and TWcu V2, Whiplash Audio has put a step up to their game once again and made amazing hits in being probably the best in custom cables for headphones and in-ear monitors and earphones.
After the great success of both the TWag/TWcu V1 and V2, Whiplash Audio has created even more improvements over their old formula and created the new V3 cables that promises to give even better transparency, depth from front to back and even more detailed for the TWag V3. Better highs and lows, better weight and wide soundstage for the TWcu V3. The new V3 line is created with 55% more metal, making it a true 24.5awg wire. Oh boy, I can’t tell you how happy I am with my TWag V3 and TWcu V3 Hybrid cable! So let’s start it off!
Build/Design: I got a TWag V3 and TWcu V3 Hybrid custom cable for my Audeze LCD-2 and with 2 adapters enabling me to use them on either 3.5mm inputs, or through balanced which I use with my ALO audio RxMK3 amplifier. I admire the colors of the TWag V3 and TWcu V3 Hyrid cable, it really gives additional accent to the braid and really looks classy and cool. An additional plus point for me regarding the cable, is the fact that it isn’t heavy even with 8 conductor configuration. Usually, other hifi cables trenching into the 8 conductor configuration becomes heavy. Whiplash Audio does a great job with the flexibility of the TWag V3 and TWcu V3 Hybrid. It is very manageable and even lighter than the ALO audio SXC Lariat cable that I also have. I also have custom DIY made cables with 4 and 6 conductors, and surprisingly, the Whiplash TWag V3 and TWcu V3 Hybrid retains a similar weight and manageability even though it has more conductors and better composite material. With the plugs and terminations, the hybrid cable uses Rean mini-XLRs for the LCD-2 and LCD-3 connections. I am guessing that for the Kobiconn termination, they may be using mouser Kobiconn balanced connectors. With the overall build and design, I really do love them! Very light, very manageable, and the color combination is very different from other cable designs. The cable color combination can match with dark or light colored amps, as well as wood or metal headphones. They match really nicely with my Audeze LCD-2. Really love how the cables match my set-up and even my other amplifiers. Let’s face it, better aesthetics is always a bonus point.
Sound Quality: I am at awe. Yes, with those words, I am sure you already know where this is heading right? Well what do you expect? This IS Whiplash Audio and their TWag and TWcu line. If they were to flop on a certain product or line, I predicted that it would be finding difficulty on improving their former TWag V2 and TWcu V2 cables. But it really seems that they’re the master of their craft. The TWag V3 and TWcu V3 has improved over the previous V2 predecessors and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! My main concern regarding my Audeze LCD-2 was the lack of soundstage for my taste. I had a custom cable made out of Nobelle cables, I had the ALO audio SXC Lariat and as well as the BTG-audio 8-strand, and out of all those cables, the Whiplash Audio TWag V3 and TWcu V3 Hybrid really finally gave me the soundstage I have been seeking from my Audeze LCD-2. I also noticed how the instrument separation is incredibly smooth and spot on. I liked the ALO audio SXC Lariat and was mainly using it before, but I noticed how the instrument separation was really good, but the instruments sounded like they were competing with each other for volume. It slightly felt congested. With the Whiplash Audio V3 Hybrid, the soundstage is superb. The soundstage height and width has scaled further than I have imagined it to go using upgrade cables. I believe that this is the effect of the incredible imaging that the TWag V3 can offer, mixed with the soundstage and the body that the TWcu V3 offers. The treble is still giving good cymbal crash, along with better lows control. I love how the bass now packs so much body. I mean, the Audeze LCD-2 is really known for its oozing bass, but man, I can feel the body of the bass as if it is inside my chest even though the quantity is not as crazy as those bass head in-ears that I used to lug around before. The bass quality is superb and the bass control is nothing that I have ever heard or experienced on any other set-up. I also want to give focus on the mids using the Whiplash Audio Hybrid cable. The mids created a more lush and more engaging experience. The body is so full and so realistic that pairing my Audeze LCD-2 with the Whiplash Audio Hybrid cable with my ALO audio PanAm was such an ethereal feel. The slight touch of the lips of Jheena Lodwick singing “For The First Time” on the “Best Audiophile Voices VII” album can be heard as she begins and ends some verses. The mids are so full and so engaging, you can even hear the grand piano key strikes on Maaya Sakamoto’s “Gravity“, brush the wooden body of the grand piano itself. The vocals have become so deceiving and so tempting to just bum the whole day and listen to my entire playlist. I used to experience different kinds of fatigue depending on the cable before. I used to get tired of the treble of silver cables getting too hot, or the bass of copper cables being too impactful. With the Whiplash Audio TWag V3 and TWcu V3 Hybrid, everything was just well balanced and extremely extremely detailed and positioned precisely. The mids had really big and round body, while the bass having well control and good weight. And thank God, treble doesn’t get overly hot to the ears at all!
In the end, it’s true why so many audiophiles do swear upon Whiplash Audio’s cables. They truly remarkable and almost impossible to beat with their TWag and TWcu series cables. My Audeze LCD-2 Whiplash Audio TWag V3 and TWcu V3 Hybrid cable is priced at $560, but getting your own 8 Conductor cable from Whiplash Audio starts as low as $325 depending on cable types, length and termination. Order yours now at the Whiplash Audio website link below!
Whiplash Audio TWag V3 and TWcu V3 Hybrid audiophile cable
