Letshuoer Cadenza 12 Review

This is my first experience listening to a Letshuoer IEM. Rather than starting with their cheaper IEMs, I decided to dive straight into their flagship model, the Cadenza 12, to see what the company could ultimately deliver. Selling at over $2K, can this relatively small brand produce a high-end IEM that competes with the likes of 64 Audio and Empire Ears?

In the Box

• 9 pairs of ear tips (foam and hybrid included)
• Cable
• 2.5, 3.5 and 4.4mm Connectors
• Leather Earphone Case
• A very elaborate copper plate
• Accessories Box
• Cleaning cloth
• Product Literature
• Warranty Card
• User Manual

Look and Feel

The very ergonomic Cadenza 12 not only sits smoothly and securely in the ear, it’s also a pleasure to hold. While not heavy, the shells feel very solid, thanks to the titanium alloy design, which provides a high level strength that’s also low in density. The earbuds also look beautiful in their smoothness and simplicity. And the metal is so polished that I could see my reflection in the shells. 

Design

For its flagship design, Letshuoer has employed twelve drivers with six way crossover design. The drivers include Sonion mid-woofers, mid-tweeters, and super-tweeters, in addition to a Knowles composite tweeter and 10mm dynamic. The stock cable has a 6N copper/silver hybrid weave design. And for this review I paired the Cadenza 12 (4.4mm termination) with my trusty Astell & Kern AK HC2 DAC dongle, which provided more than enough power.

Sound Impressions

Soundstage

The soundstage is one of my favorite qualities of the Cadenza 12. It may not strike one as being particularly grand in scale, but the generous spacing between instruments makes for spectacular imaging. Even the heaviest mixes show fantastic separation, with placement along the stereo field revealing a level of precision that matches some of the priciest IEMs on the market. It’s the kind of soundstage where even the most distant instruments retain the same resolution and richness as those closer to the ear. And this gives the soundscape ample color and dimension. 

Low-End

You can expect a powerful, yet tasteful bass response. While not overly prominent in the mix, it certainly does justice to pop, electronica and rock tracks. The sub-bass frequencies are also ever present, though they may not reach the rumble of sub-heavy IEMs, like the Empire Ear series. The low end is notably clean, never straying into the higher frequencies or showing any sign of bloat. The level of clarity is also noteworthy, and vocals in the low-end reveal details I don't often hear, even when listening to similarly priced IEMs. At the same time, the overall profile presents a nice balance between texture and smoothness. 

Mids

Although the higher mids take slight precedence over the low-mids, the balance avoids feeling too skewed. But you will notice, for example, that snares which fall in upper-mids hit harder than those that sit in the lower-half of this range. And the profile does get quite snappy and lively as we move up treble section. Guitars in the upper half also have attention-grabbing presence and definition. And given the skillful articulation and clean layering, even busy acoustic mixes reveal fantastic resolution and tidy spacing between instruments.

Highs

While the highest frequencies are never offensive when peppered throughout the mix, tracks that focus on high-treble solos can feel a little piercing and grating at times. I found that when instruments like violins and trumpets hit their peaks, I had to turn the volume down a notch. So, the brightness only protrudes on certain tracks. And on the flip side, vocals in this range generally feel super smooth and refined, lending a pleasurable fluidity to the sound profile.

Summary

The Cadenza 12 displays significant skill. The incredibly colorful soundstage alone is reason to love these IEMs, and the impressive resolution seems to warrant the price tag. Those who tend to listen to a lot of classical and jazz may want consider the bright peak frequencies before taking the plunge. But for audiophiles who generally stick to genres like folk, pop, rock or electronica, the Cadenza 12 will prove to be a thoroughly satiating listening experience. And for sure, the Cadenza 12 can easily compete with the more famous high-end IEM models on the market.

You can find the Letshuoer Cadenza 12 at Audio 46.