ELETECH SOCRATES - REVIEW

A Musically Engaging Sound!

Eletech— Element Technology—is a Singapore based company founded by Eric Chong and Wang, that takes a collaborative and unconventional approach to developing its IEM cables. This approach combines an historical analysis of both the successes and pitfalls of previous cable designs, a multifaceted examination of material science, cable geometry, and metals conductivity, as well as monitoring the constant feedback from symbiotic manufacturers (IEM, DAP), distributors, and consumers.

The Eletech cables from the “Fortitude ($199)” to the “Socrates ($699)” to the “Iliad ($1,799) are to a one beautifully constructed, well designed, of premium quality materials, which range from copper to silver to gold to palladium, and each must pass stringent quality control checks, before they are considered marketable.

The Eletech cables came to my awareness, most recently, when I was asked to review several of their upper-tier cables—Socrates, Plato, and Iliad. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been burning-in the cables in preparation for analysis and a subsequent review of each for AudioKey Reviews.

This review will focus on the Eletech Socrates cable ferreting out its strengths and weaknesses as a stand alone and then in comparison to its siblings—the Plato and the Iliad cables.

REFRAIN: Unlike most reviews, this review will be non-sequential, as it will start with how the equipment actually sounds and not the process of physically “undressing” it and/or laying out its various accoutrement, specifications, etc. Think of this review then, as a  non-linear movie—Memento, Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, etc—that, likewise, starts at the end and winds its way to the beginning.

The Sound

In terms of tonality the Eletech Socrates offers the proverbial copper sound—good body, detail, warmth across the midrange, good weight along the bottom end—while also providing fairly good resolution, extended treble, sparkle and air, for a decidedly nice balance. Though on some tracks the treble could get a wee bit bright/hot. This will, of course, be media quality and equipment dependent. 

The Socrates’ soundstage is deep, nicely wide, though certainly not the widest, even at its price point, though it has good height and positioning cues. Transparency is good and there is a decidedly black-quiet background from which notes arise quite nicely, though it is by no means the quietest.

The Eletech Socrates cable for the purposes of this review was paired with the MMR Thummin which was powered by the DX220/AMP-1 Mk II via its 2.5mm balanced headphone out.

Bass 

As a test track for bass across each of the three Eletech cables—Socrates, Plato, Iliad—Massive Attack’s Angel (Mezzanine, Virgin) was used. The Socrates cable delivered a deep, weighty, ‘thumping!’ bass with the MMR Thummin, which is itself a bass monster. Bass Heads will, no doubt, find the Socrates to their liking. Their IEMs will either ‘rock the house’ or ‘rock it more than they had previously.’ The Socrates also provided fairly good texture and detail across the bass region. And while there was good note separation it was not spectacular. 

Midrange

Joan Shelly’s song Wild Indifference (Joan Shelly, No Quarter) was used as a test track for the various Eletech cables. The midrange of the Socrates, as mentioned briefly above, inspires a good amount of warmth with much better resolution than one would expect for a copper cable. Shelly’s voice is forward in the mix nicely fleshed out, warm, never thin, though there are moments of the slightest degree of opacity with regard to the microdynamics of Shelly’s singing. And the tambourine which appears on this tract at 1:45 is, decidedly in the head (not in the room) and does not fully rise above the noise floor, as it is not fully resolved.

Treble+ 

The test track for treble across each of the Eletech cables was Patricia Barber’s Invitation (Night Club, Blue Note/Premonition Records). As mentioned in the DX220 AMP1 MkII review this track is rich with high-hats, ride cymbals, and crash cymbal hits which generate a great deal of middle and upper treble energy. It can be a “thumbs down” track for the non-resolving or the bright, wherein “Cshhhchsshhh” is what is mostly generated across the sound field. While the Socrates handled itself well, where much higher priced cables could not, full resolution and an efficient sorting of microdynamics were not granted to every strike or brushing of the cymbals or the high-hat. Though, perhaps, the MMR Thummin may in part be responsible as it carries a rather rich treble signature, that seems to resolve much better with the Eletech Plato Cable (silver).

The Wrappings and Accessories

The Eletech Socrates’s containing box is in the form and likeness of book with a light tan “book cover” wrapped around a white containing box. The face of the box features an illustration of a bust of Socrates, the cable’s namesake, with his name written below.

Like a book, the cover opens and then lays out with its “spine” separating from the now exposed inner compartment. This compartment houses a beautifully designed, round, red leather carrying case, as embedded in a form-fitting foam cutout. Above the carrying case is a metal badge which bears the name of the included cable and its product category, which in this case is “The School of Athens.”

The packaging is well designed and evokes a familiar, classical feel, via its book-like design and when opened presents a clean, rich, minimalist layout. 

Design—Look and Feel and Choice

Within the leather carrying case is the Socrates cable. The Socrates cable is itself wrapped within a beautiful black jacket, with a two-tone, black and copper Y-connect and a matching 2.5mm balanced connector.

The design of the Eletech Socrates’s is eye-catching and beautifully done and all fashioned elements—Y-connect, connector, and two-pin connectors—speak to a rich elegance. The Socrates is a light and flexible cable by all measures.

The Socrates in terms of connector options comes as a 2.5mm balanced or 3.5mm single-ended or a 4.4mm balanced option. Customers may also choose for their IEM connection the 2-pin, MMCX, UE/qdc, FitEar, or JH Audio 4-pin connector. 

The Specifications

4-Wire, 24 AWG

Flawless Monocrystal Bespoke 7N OCC Copper

Maximus Efficiency Strand Geometry; Kevlar Infused

Cryogenically Treated

Eletech Bespoke Solder

Eletech Customised Y-Split and Connectors

FlexiMax Insulation

Comparison

Eletech Plato

The Plato does not deliver the kind of ‘thumping’ bass that the Socrates delivers. What it does is bring greater refinement, resolution, and better staging than the Socrates across the entire frequency spectrum. Notes as a result are more defined, tighter, and more accurate with regard to tone and timbre and the overall harmonic signature than the Socrates.

Eletech Iliad

The Iliad relative to the Socrates is a great deal more refined, provides for greater depth of soundstage, and is more coherent across the entire frequency spectrum. Tone and timbre and more organic and richer in the closest approximation to the actual instruments, far above both its siblings, and the Iliad helps to provide a black-quiet background far above the Socrates.

Conclusion

The Eletech Socrates is a decidedly competent cable that will provide an engaging musical jaunt across one’s library of music, while also rendering more than a goodly amount of resolution, weight, air, a thumping bass, and a very quiet background. Further, it is beautifully packaged and constructed with excellent attention to detail and aesthetics. 

Music—Qobuz, Tidal exclusively

Alexander Tharaud—Tharaud Plays Rachmaninoff
Omar Sosa—Ballads, Calma
Patricia Barber—Verse
Rickie Lee Jones—Pop Pop
Sade—Lovers Live
Sheku Kannah Mason—Inspiration
Tracey Chapman—Where You Live
Olafur Arnalds—Island Songs
Melody Gardot—My One and Only Thrill
Melody Gardot—My Worrisome Heart
Eiji Oue—Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances
Hilary Hahn—Tchaikovsky 
Mechell Ndegeocello—Bitter
Maxwell—Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite
Sarah Jarosh—Undercurrent
Igor Stravinsky—Stravinsky: Le sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring)
Annie-Sophie Mutter—Mendelssohn, Brahms: Violin Concertos
London Grammar—If You Wait
Stevie Wonder—Innervisions 
Marvin Gaye—What’s Going On
Miles Davis—Kind of Blue
Jóhann Jóhannsson—Orphée
Dave Holland—Emerald Tears
Gidon Kremer, Daniil Trifonov, Giedre Dirvanauskaite—Preghiera/Rachmaninov Piano Trios

Ancillary Equipment

Meze Empyrean
Rosson Audio RAD-0
OBravo EAMT-2C IEMs
Final Sonorous III
FiiO FH5
AudioQuest Cobalt
AudioQuest Red
AudioQuest Black
AudioQuest Dragon Tail
Samsung S10
Apple X iPhone

The Company

Element Technology Pte Ltd
16 Shaw Road, #01-04, 
367954, Singapore
+65 82003584 (Eric)