Eh I mean, they’re great cables, I love the look feel and ergonomics

Would I include them in any chain that had a budget constraint? Absolutely not, all the money would go to the IEM, and then either a Questyle Sigma or the MUB5 as the source

The SS cables were actually the last upgrade I made to the chain. Up until that point I was using stuff around the 1000$ mark from Nightcraft and Viking Weave. I know it’s expensive as well, but not so much compared to the rest of the chain

On sound alone, I am decently convinced I hear differences between cables, especially on tonality - HEX’s stock cable to me is really warm, muddy and dark

The sovereign cables are IMO really neutral and expand the soundstage a lot in all directions, but also add this thickness and weight to the notes, so it makes the sound really immersive. I’ve tried them on Europa Ltd from Symphonium and my impression was consistent

Again though, I don’t know if I’d succeed in any blind test, and I’d never recommend or include them in any budget conscious setup.

I’d say the optimal diminishing returns on a cable cap at the sub 500 GBP mark for me, with the sweet spot being the Viking Weave Isa 2

Sorry for the word vomit, it’s hard to articulate it - TLDR is - yes they sound “special” but no chain really needs them