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PlusSound Exo Silver + Gold – Fun’esse

DISCLAIMER: PlusSound provided me with the Exo Silver + Gold in return for my honest opinion. I am not personally affiliated with the company in any way, nor do I receive any monetary rewards for a positive evaluation. The review is as follows.

PlusSound is an American cable manufacturer based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 2012 by Christian Oliver, the company specialises in aftermarket cables, but they’ve since ventured into developing amplifiers, as well as a series of in-ear monitors. PlusSound is unique among its peers in how it presents its products. Instead of separating them by metallic composition, each product category determines how the conductor itself is treated. The Apollonian, Dionysian, Echo and Poetic line-ups all contain different methods of shielding, while the X, Exo, X6 and X8 line-ups feature unshielded cables in their individual wire counts. The user is then free to choose whatever metal composition they’d like – creating an exploratory and customisable shopping experience. Today, we’ll be looking at the Exo Silver + Gold: The 2018 iteration of a PlusSound classic, sporting a thrillingly energetic and surprisingly balanced signature for all to enjoy.

PlusSound Exo Silver + Gold

  • Wire composition: 26 AWG Litz Silver + Gold
  • Default configuration: 4-wire
  • Key feature(s) (if any): Proprietary PS Insulation
  • Price: $349.99
  • Website: www.plussoundaudio.com

Build and Accessories

Even before my first listen, PlusSound’s visual presentation immediately impressed. The Exo Silver + Gold comes in a beautiful, well-thought-out and compact package. While it’s neither as luxurious as Effect Audio’s pricier offerings, nor is it as simple as something PWAudio would provide, Christian has found the perfect balance somewhere in between. Covered all round in a striking matte-black finish, embossed with shimmering PlusSound branding and topped off with a firm magnetic latch, the box simply oozes class. Inside, you’ll find a PlusSound brochure, an elastic band – for your stacked rigs – and the cable itself within a protective plastic wrap. Again, the Exo Silver + Gold was packaged with admirable restraint and excellent finesse. It showcases outstanding attention to detail without going over the top, and it’s a testament to how much care Christian and his team put into their products beyond just performance.

The Exo Silver + Gold comes equipped with PlusSound’s brand new PS Insulation. While my two-year-old Exo Tri-Metal has aged well cosmetically and ergonomically, their latest innovation exhibits obvious improvements on all fronts. Visual transparency is one, displaying the Exo Silver + Gold’s silvery strands with aplomb. They don’t shine as radiantly as Effect Audio’s conductors do, but there’s a lot to love about its more understated and less bling-y look. Ergonomically, the cable warrants another comparison to the Singaporean giant. Effect Audio has been my clear personal frontrunner when it comes to weight, suppleness and pliancy. With PS Insulation, PlusSound is looking to close that lead. The Exo Silver + Gold showcases great flexibility and minimal weight, besting a majority of its competition on looks and feel alone. PS Insulation may prove to be Christian’s ace in the hole – an element usually underrated, but brilliantly effective.

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ABOUT AUTHOR

Deezel

Deezel

Church-boy by day and audio-obsessee by night, Daniel Lesmana’s world revolves around the rhythms and melodies we lovingly call: Music. When he’s not behind a console mixing live for a congregation of thousands, engineering records in a studio environment, or making noise behind a drum set, you’ll find him on his laptop analysing audio gear with fervor and glee. Now a specialist in custom IEMs, cables and full-sized headphones, he’s looking to bring his unique sensibilities - as both an enthusiast and a professional - into the reviewer’s space; a place where no man has gone before.

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8 Responses

  1. Hello,

    If you wanna add body to vocals, the Silver + Gold isn’t what I’d go for. PlusSound’s Tri-Copper would probably perform better in that regard. From what I’ve heard, it has a warm, full sound without sacrificing detail. Alternatively, you could also opt for Effect Audio’s Thor Silver II, which is a thicker-sounding silver cable that adds liveliness and body to the midrange.

    Cheers,
    Daniel

  2. Hey Jon,

    ‘So sorry for my extremely late reply. I’d say air and sparkle are what the Silver + Gold delivers, so it’d definitely be a good bet. I’ll have the flagship Exo Tri-Silver with me soon, so I’ll be able to make that comparison as well.

    ‘Hope this info is still relevant. 🙂

    Cheers,
    Daniel

  3. Hi Deezel,

    Would you say this cable pairs well with Earsonics SEM9. I am looking to mainly to add more body to its vocals which I find somewhat quite in older classic rock recordings.

    Thank you

  4. Hi Deezel, thanks for the great review! Have you tried the Plussound with CA Andromeda? I’m looking for a cable to add a bit of air and sparkle. I recently got the ALO Pure Silver Litz and I wonder if the Exo Silver + Gold would pair better with andromeda.

    Thanks again!
    Jon

  5. I haven’t heard the FIBAE 3 with the No. 5 yet, but I will when I head over to Singapore next week. Please do remind me if you’re still interested. 😀 If you’ll be attending CanJam SG, I can lend you my FIBAE 3 to force-fit. Just let me know via Head-Fi or something where I’m usually more responsive.

    Cheers! 🙂

  6. Thanks for getting back so quickly, Dezeel.

    Good to hear that the F3 and plussound plays nice. Coming from a legacy of the likes of VC1000 and other twfk-based iems, light bass is never an issue for me. Speed, clarity and separation all day long.

    How did the F3 sound on the No.5? I would imagine it’s some kind of timbre-rescuer.

    Thanks for the heads up on Pinky’s upcoming review. I’m not in a rush. After all, I think I’m still three weeks out from the F3. Pity I won’t be able to test the F3 out with different cables at the upcoming canjam though, lest Piotr performs some kind of miracle.

  7. Hi Andrew,

    Thanks so much for your kind words!

    I’m currently listening to the FIBAE 3 with the SIlver + Gold and it’s actually a better pairing than I anticipated. Energy and dynamics excel brilliantly, and the Silver + Gold’s mindful tuning avoids any kind of artificial brightness – it’s a refined and elegant sense of clarity that’s never brittle in any way.

    My only gripe with the combo is the calmer bass. The Silver + Gold makes the upper-midrange the star of the show, and the F3’s excellent sub-bass sounds slightly underwhelming as a result. I think the Silver + Gold would work best with something like the FIBAE 2, though it’s pairing with the F3 – again – fares well too.

    If I may make a suggestion, wait for Pinky’s review that’s coming just before the weekend. I reckon that cable would work better with the FIBAE 3’s oh-so-clean signature. 😉

  8. Hi Deezel

    Great review. Really enjoy your writing.

    I have a Customart Fibae 3 incoming and have been thinking about purchasing a cable for it. I am looking at the Acoustune ARC02, Plussound Silver + Gold X-series and the PWaudio No.5. The silver+gold sounds like it runs parallel to the Fibae 3 and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing (e.g. accentuating the strengths and weaknesses).

    Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

    Thanks in advanced!

    Regards
    Andrew

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