Tag Archives: Upgrade

DISCLAIMER: MusicTeck and PW Audio provided me with the Monile in-ear headphone cable in return for my honest opinion. I am not personally affiliated with the companies in any way, nor do I receive any monetary rewards for a positive evaluation. I’d like to thank MusicTeck and PW Audio for their kindness and support. The review is as follows.

PW Audio is an aftermarket cable maker run by its founder and namesake, Peter Wong. The Hong-Kong-based company, though of a more understated, less-publicised niche than your ALO Audio’s or PlusSound’s, have successfully attained an incredible following through raw quality and word-of-mouth. Their offerings often find themselves on the top-ten lists of enthusiasts and reviewers alike. And, they’ve also collaborated with a number of brands as the default cable provider for their flagship in-ears; most recently, the Oriolus Traillii from Japan, the Empire Ears Odin from the U.S. and the Lime Ears Pneuma from Europe. Today, we’re looking at a PW Audio release reminiscent of their classic, cotton-sheathed, high-end cables, but at a more affordable price. PW’s Monile is clean, zingy and vocal-first, with bite and finesse in equal measure.

PW Audio Monile

• Wire composition: 26 AWG copper and 25.5 AWG silver
• Default configuration: 2-wire
• Key feature(s) (if any): Black-cotton shielding, coaxial design
• Price: $551.99
• Website: www.pwaudio.com.hk; shop.musicteck.com

Packaging, Accessories and Build

The Monile arrives in a black, cardboard box with the PW Audio logo printed atop a glossy-white inlay. This has been PW’s standard retail packaging for quite some time now, and I personally think it’s due for an update; for their mid- to higher-tier offerings, especially. Whether it’s a full-fledged update or tiny tweaks like embossing the logo in metallic-gold directly onto the box, for example, I think a premium product like this Monile deserves a more fitting garb. Plus, they’ll look great on store shelves too. Looks aside, I also would’ve liked to see a bit of padding on the box’s interior. But, since there aren’t any heavy or fragile components in there anyway, and the products are all somewhat cushioned by the plastic bags they each come in, it’s not too big an issue. So, again, while not the most elegant packaging in the world, it works nonetheless.

Inside, you’ll find the Monile itself, along with the included accessories. The first is a brick-red, leather cable tie that locks with a snap-button mechanism. It features white stitching around the outside; a nice, clean touch. Then, despite the tie’s overall more rugged, rustic motif, the leather itself is smooth to the touch too. As I’ve always expressed, the inclusion of cable ties with aftermarket cables is virtually mandatory in this day and age. So, kudos to PW Audio for their efforts here.

The second accessory PW have included is a carrying pouch, which, I must say, caught me by quite a surprise because of how premium it looks and feels. It’s constructed out of this black, velvet material, and I think it’s a brilliant callback to the cotton shielding that’s on the Monile’s conductors. It’s even got their PW Audio logo embossed onto the front, which is an incredibly sleek, classy touch. These are the stylings I’d love to see go to their retail packaging in the future. The inside of the pouch is lined with a soft, fabric mesh, which should cushion both the cable and any attached IEMs nicely. Lastly, the pouch can be pulled shut with the side straps. Again, it’s a clean accessory from PW, and a great inclusion for the Monile.

And, lastly, we get to the cable itself, which – as expected – is pretty-flawlessly made. It features PW’s classic, black-cotton shielding popularised by their flagship 1960’s. And, much like it, this gives the Monile a strikingly soft, silky feel, especially when compared to the more plasticky, PVC-based insulation that’s now the norm. Then, the cable’s coaxial design means it house all 4 of its cores within a 2-wire design for even more comfort. There is a difference, though, between the 1960’s and the Monile: Conductor size. The latter has a slightly thicker profile due to its larger wire gauge, and it’s made it a hair heftier and more robust too. I personally prefer this over the 2-wire 1960’s, which can, at times, seem a tad insubstantial. Hopefully, it’ll also stop tiny bends from forming on the IEM side of the Y-split, which I’ve often seen on the 2-wire 1960’s.

Hardware-wise, PW have gone for a really clean, minimalist aesthetic; dipped fully in chrome-silver. Both the 4.4mm plug and the Y-split sport this hexagonal profile to them, which both looks nice and shows great continuity. This extends even to its cable cinch, which does a good job staying in place; even with fervent head-banging. On the 2-pin connectors, you’ll see black and red stripes for Left and Right, respectively. And, you’ll also get PW Audio branding on the plug and Y-split, as well as Monile and a serial number engraved on the latter. Though I like how crisp this branding looks, I do think there’s a bit of a colour-clash on this Y-split between its black and silver texts. I would’ve liked the PW Audio and Monile logos sit on opposite sides, instead of beside one another. And, the serial number would’ve looked better much smaller too. Still, it’s, again, clean hardware that neither thrills nor harms, whose little weight also adds to the Monile’s comfort along the way.

One last thing I want to mention is the heat shrink applied to both the source and monitor sides of the cable. The former encases a bit of the wire and about half of the 4.4mm plug’s barrel, which, to me, doesn’t look the cleanest. It has a bit of a DIY feel to it as a result, which I think takes away from the Monile’s sleekness. I understand its purpose in aiding rigidity and longevity. I just wish it was better-executed. On the other side of the cable, as per usual with PW, the wires just prior to the 2-pin plugs have been pre-shaped to loop around the ear, and with a pretty sharp arc. In use, I haven’t found them cumbersome or painful, necessary. But, that may not be true for all ear shapes, and they still make in-ears more difficult to insert for me than usual. So, those are things to keep in mind, and aspects PW can hopefully improve on in the future.

Sound Impressions

PW Audio’s Monile is a cable that accentuates vibrancy, energy and air, mostly through midrange elevation and high-end extension. It doesn’t brighten the in-ear’s tone, per se, but it does introduce a peppiness – a zing or bite – that excites the monitor and discourages any sort of laidbacked-ness or lethargy. Transients leap out at you more, so you’ll get more pop from horns, more crackle from snare drums and livelier delivery from vocalists as well. Those sounds will come off bigger too; taking up more room in the soundscape, in exchange for that more musical delivery. Thankfully, though, this Monile is stellar at layering and separation, which ensures each element stays within bounds and have minimal overlap. When it comes to expansion, the Monile isn’t what I’d call grand or vast. It does have a more intimate stage, especially in terms of width. But, again, there’s more than enough tidiness and air there to not sound claustrophobic. So, all in all, this Monile’s general tone to me is open, well-separated and excited, emphasised on midrange bite, and intimate – but tidy – spatially.

To facilitate its clean, airy, yet intimate sound, the Monile’s been given a slightly tighter, less prevalent mid-bass. It’s not a low-end that’ll necessarily bellow, bloom or fill out the stage. I’d say the warmth of the mid-bass would sit just behind the mids on most pairings. But, it’s not a low-end that’s thin or anaemic either. One of the traits I find most impressive about the Monile is that, despite its supporting role, there’s still a great deal of character, body and texture to its mid-bass. You will still get a round tone to kick drums, toms and bass guitars. Then, because of the bass’s high transparency, you’ll hear better separation between them as well. Listening to Oytun Ersan’s Mysterious Maze on 64 Audio’s A18s, there’s a definite distinction between the kick, bass guitar and the rest of the band during the unison parts. Whereas, it was sort of a blend on its stock cable. Lastly, the Monile makes up for its relaxed mid-bass with some sub-bass physicality. Going back to the track, those toms strike with stunning oomph. So, while tight and clean, PW’s Monile isn’t one to lack character down low.

The midrange, I think, is where PW’s Monile performs the majority of its balancing acts, and it more-or-less nails them all on the head. As previously mentioned, it brings presence and bite to snare drums, keys and the like. But, what it lends at the same time is this roundedness to baritone saxophones and electric guitars too. So, whether it’s Snarky Puppy’s brass section or Joe Satriani’s multi-layered solo on Massive, they’ll all come through musically without seeming top- or bottom-heavy. Another quality that’s nearly unique to the Monile is how it manages to sound big and well-separated at the same time. Despite this added saturation and size, instruments, again, rarely spill over into each other, and there’s a great deal of clean air between them too. With an artist like Jacob Collier, for example, you’ll still be able to discern each of his vocal parts, rather than have them all mix into a single wall of sound. Again, my only gripe here would be a slight lack of stereo spread. Brass and string sections aren’t as wide and expansive as I’d like them to be. But, that aside, I think the midrange truly is this Monile’s selling point: Vibrant and clear with heft, but with the tidiness and air to refine that presence as well.

Up high, the Monile doesn’t add as much colour to my ears, apart from providing a black backdrop, so those background details can come clearly through. Without having to sharpen transients or add brightness, nuances like cymbal trails and snare overtones are better-perceived. Then, louder hits like ride bells and hats are made to cut cleaner too. In extension, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of PW’s flagship 1960’s. But, it does exhibit the more coherent, silky and less aggressive tone to my ears, which can make it a better match with leaner-sounding in-ears or smoother-inclined listeners. It’s a top-end that tapers off towards the mid-treble for that natural, uncoloured timbre, but with enough higher-treble content to make space for the midrange as well. Once again, I would love for a touch more stereo spread here. Chime rings, cymbal washes and cymbal taps that echo around the cranium can do heaps for immersion, and I feel the Monile slightly misses out on this here. Otherwise, though, these are highs that nicely cap the Monile, while making space for its musicality too.

Suggested Pairings

The Monile’s intimacy and bite make it a shoo-in for certain demographics of listeners and IEMs. That vibrancy and mass it brings are what make its sound unique, and below are the three main qualities this Monile can add to your earphones:

Immediacy, forwardness and bite, especially along the upper registers: The Monile’s key draw is the zing it brings to the high-mids and treble. While it doesn’t lend crispness or articulation, necessarily, it does hand a certain punch to those regions, which is ideal of your monitors are coming across hazy, unexcited or lethargic. And, it’s all done without shouty-ness too.

Bigger, more radiant-seeming instruments: The Monile also adds size to instruments; lead guitars, keys and the like almost stretching to fill centre-stage. This is a quality I’d want if my in-ears were a tad too cold, analytical or precise. Adding that sort of warmth or glow could go a very long way in injecting musicality, but without too much of a technical compromise.

Looser, more intimate imaging: The quality above leads right into this one. Obviously, instruments being bigger and closer to you shall result in a more intimate, inviting, involving presentation. This is a change that’d work nicely with in-ears that tend to position instruments towards the periphery of their spaces, rather than the middle. Examples that come to mind are DITA Audio’s original Dream and FiR Audio’s universal M5, along with material like slow-jazz tunes or soaring ballads.

At the same time, the Monile’s coloured presentation does stray it away from certain preferences too. It’s definitely not a cable for the analyst, for example. If you hold any of the two aspects below in top regard, the Monile may not be for you:

Tight, precise and crisply-separated instruments: This directly opposes this Monile’s intended response. Large, intimate and slightly-warm instruments naturally discourage clinical precision and crisp separation. Though the Monile does layer and organise admirably, I’d be more inclined to propose PW’s 2-wire 1960s instead, if pin-point precision is what you’re after.

Flagship-class extension: Compared to pricier, flagship-class cables, the Monile can lack that final bit of reach, which limits the definition of its image, as well as the physicality of instruments that reside in the extremes. Sub-bass rumbles aren’t the most visceral in the world, and top-end transparency falls short of – say – PW’s 2-wire 1960s. So, despite the Monile’s capabilities within its price bracket, it’s not a cable I’d pair with an ultra-high-end in-ear, lest it gets slightly bottlenecked.

Select Comparisons

DITA Audio OSLO (USD 580)

The Monile and OSLO sport pretty similar, mostly uncoloured tonalities, but delivered in two different ways. The Monile’s a more direct, articulate-sounding cable, which propels notes with higher energy and punch, while the OSLO’s transients throughout the frequency range are a hair more relaxed; airy. Down low, for example, the OSLO has the warmer, bigger-sounding lows, but the Monile’s jab harder. Kick drums thwack with more force on the latter, and the same goes for bass plucks as well. Though the frequencies in question aren’t necessarily lifted on the Monile, they do hit harder. Now, where the Monile does inch a tad forward would be the high-mids and lower-treble. Trumpets and guitars, hi-hats and cymbals all come off slightly brighter, slightly crisper and slightly more vibrant too. This’ll fit your IEM more if you feel it’s lacking a bit of immediacy or bite. Conversely, the OSLO edges the Monile out in end-to-end extension. You’ll hear a more physical rumble and tighter spatial cues on this OSLO, as well as a slightly more stable, defined image. But, to me, those technical differences don’t outweigh the dynamic ones, so, as always, the choice would depend on what you’ll need for your in-ear.

Eletech Socrates (USD 699)

Eletech’s Socrates, like the Monile, is a conductor with energy, immediacy and punch packed within a compact, yet tidily-organised space. Where the two ultimately diverge is how they distribute that energy throughout their frequency charts. A lot of the Monile’s bigness lies further up the range, with a ton of body given to its high-mids and highs. On Nathan and Noah East’s rendition of Over the Rainbow, for example, the Monile will emphasise the rightmost keys of the piano, along with the higher registers of the string section. By comparison, the Socrates comes off more balanced. Those lower, more bass-y bellows and grunts of the piano have as much presence and weight as the higher notes, and the violas are as key in the orchestra as the violins. This Socrates’ upper registers are tighter than the Monile’s too; not as radiant or wet. This compactness grants more precise imaging, and it allows more air to flow throughout the image as well. But, PW’s Monile then delivers the more resonant, inviting profile as a result, so these will be the trade-offs you’ll have to decide between.

PW Audio 2-wire 1960s (USD 999)

Comparing this Monile to its spiritual sibling, let’s say, there’re immediately differences heard in presentation. The 2-wire 1960s has tighter, quicker-sounding notes cased within an airier, more defined stage, which hands it the more expansive and more precise sound of the two. Much of that has to do with its stronger upper-end extension, and it’s what gifts this cable a palpably deeper image as well. By comparison, the Monile is a more intimate-sounding cable, where instruments are not only positioned further upfront, but they’re looser as well; bigger in size with an aura of warmth around them. It’s especially true in the midrange, where the Monile’s guitars and snare drums come off more saturated. This 2-wire 1960s’ are far airier and more precise by comparison, but more distant-sounding as well. So, like the Socrates, I’d shout-out the Monile for intimacy and soul, while the 2-wire 1960s is great for precision, stereo separation and a more surround sound feel. Lastly, in terms of resolution and texture, you’d be able to hear the finer details on the 2-wire 1960s. The backdrop’s cleaner too. But, when highlighting individuals in simpler, more acoustic arrangements, I do prefer the Monile’s intimacy.

Verdict

PW Audio’s Monile is an upgrade cable that delivers vibrance, musicality and size without ever becoming brash or loud. It imbues instruments with bigness and bite; breathing life into monitors you may’ve found nonchalant or lethargic. It adds airiness and resolution where it can. And, it provides a fairly neutral, well-balanced tonality that’ll suit the vast majority of in-ears, as long as you won’t mind a midrange with bite. Now, against pricier options, this Monile may not quite reach the same heights in stage expansion, stereo separation or top-end extension. But, within the price range, and with its strong ergonomics and feel to boot, I feel it remains a unique option for its exuberance and intimacy, yet executed with finesse.

PW Audio’s Monile is available for purchase now on MusicTeck.com, and it’s currently a part of their Black Friday Sale. Click the following link for their promo price list.

The post PW Audio Monile: Colour Me Bold – An In-Ear Monitor Cable Review first appeared on The Headphone List.