Introduction
Letshuoer is surely one of the consistent portable audio makers that has been making waves in this audiophile community with their audio products for these past years. 2023 has been a great year for them with waves of successful releases such as the my top pick IEM of the year S15, the DZ4 and the awe inspiring flagship Cadenza 12 that is surely my dream IEM. As a flagship, the Cadenza 12 is packed with a great drivers and a titanium alloy shell that might be a little too expensive for some users out there and to remedy this, Letshuoer has decided to release a lower priced and a continuation of the Cadenza line, the Cadenza 4 that is the flagship inspired IEM that keeps its pedigree of performance and quality in a more reachable price giving everyone a chance a taste of a true virtuoso sound.
A huge thanks to Ivy from Letshuoer audio for this early opportunity to review the Cadenza 4 and I am honestly stoked for this IEM as Letshuoer has been really consistent in producing high quality products that are easy to love. How will they fare with this tightly contested hybrid arena? We shall find out here.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the Cadenza 4;
- Drivers: 10mm beryllium plated dynamic + 2 Knowles balanced armature + 1 Sonion balanced armature
- Impedance: 15 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 102dB
- Frequency Response Range: 20 – 40 khz
- Body : 3D printed matte body in white with anodized aluminium faceplate
- Connectors: 0.78mm standard flush 2 pin at IEM, modular termination at source (3.5mm SE. 2.5mm, 4.4mm balanced)
- Cable: 392 strands of silver plated OCC, 1.25 meter
Retail Price & Where to Get
The Letshuoer Cadenza 4 can be purchased direct from Letshuoer or any other resellers worldwide by the end of March 2024 and the expected price will be around USD 250.
https://letshuoer.net/pages/iem
Packaging & Accessories
The packaging here is similar to the S15 with a small yet very nicely packaged product with a high end product aura that looks futuristic and premium with a drawer on the bottom for the accessories. The package here includes all the necessities like the usual PVC matte round case in black, 9 pairs of eartips in various sizes, a beautiful silver plated modular cable with 3 types of plugs, paperworks that are sealed in an envelope and the IEM itself. Very neatly packaged and well worth the effort.
Design
The design is now a staple from Letshuoer with a matte 3D printed design that started with the DZ4 but the Cadenza 4 seems to have a slightly more ergonomic shape than the previous releases with a superb comfortable fit. Due to the matte finish, there is some isolation lost due to the shell not sticking to the earconcha like a polished resin one does but they still do isolate the sound quite well with this Cadenza 4. The colour selection here is a pearly white colour and simple yet stylish anodized aluminium faceplate with their brand name printed on them along with their model name on the side. The theme here might be a little too plain but I kind of love the sterile theme here as it is an all business kind look and how they perform will be the utmost priority. The Cadenza 4 is equipped with a total of 4 drivers which consist of a single 10mm beryllium coated dynamic driver along with a dual Knowles balanced armature and a Sonion balanced armatures. They are configured in a 3 way crossover which corresponds to the 4 bore hole at the nozzle.
The nozzle is leaning towards a big size around 4.5mm. There is a single vent near the 0.78mm part and they do not possess any driver flex which usually indicates that the dynamic driver are well vented
There are a total of 6 pairs of eartips that consist of 3 balanced eartips in pearl white which have a normal bore hole and 3 vocal pairs of white silicone in a large bore hole all placed neatly in a circular holder that is made from hard paper.
They come with a black matte PVC case in black and they are a twist type of case in a circular body with soft rubber innards.
The Cadenza 4 has a standard flush type of 0.78mm connection that is slightly tight which is great. So far with all of Letshuoer products, their cable has been impeccable in looks and performance but this Cadenza 4 cable may be the best looking cable from them with a similar thick and clear sound. It is made from multi strands of silver plated OCC divided into 4 cores and twisted perfectly. They are slightly stiff but still pliable for everyday usage as they are not too thick. The plugs are an angled modular cable similar to the S15 which is great for a wider range of usage and the 0.78mm has a unique rectangle type of shell in silver.
Gears Used for Comparisons
Fiio Q7
Questyle M15
Hiby FC6
FiiO BTR7
Intime Sho DD
Letshuoer S15
Letshuoer DZ4
RHA MA750i
Hiby Lasya
Rose Technics QT9 Mk2
Moondrop A8
Dunu EST112
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The tone of the Letshuoer Cadenza 4 is a neutral-warm, smooth sound that has a balanced tone that possesses great technicalities. It is not your usual Harman tuning but instead a unique thick sound that has all the details and clarity intact along with a fun, relaxing sound signature that is easy to enjoy. They have an open sound that is wide in their dynamics and have a very well tuned sound that is coherent. Timbre here is breathy along with an organic sound that is inoffensive yet never too boring to listen to.
Soundstage
The Cadenza 4 possesses a wide expansive soundstage along with a good height that has a superb 3D holographic presentation with an accurate placement of sound which may suit a wider audience like gaming or movies. They have good air in their presentation that provides an immersive sound experience and coupled with their wider soundstage, it is a treat. They also do have a good sized headroom that actually gives a medium sized room feel even for earphones without any boxy feel.
Separation and Timbre
Separation is surprisingly great for a hybrid driver and the drivers seem to work in unity without any cohesion problem that typically plagues multi driver IEMs and they have a great, wide left and right separation that contributes to a wider dynamic range. Layering is also great as well as no gaps are present in the whole frequency range and they do sound full overall. Timbre here is breathy, velvety and mellow but they still possess a great overall technicality as they are accurate sounding without being sterile or unlively. Also, there isn’t any metallic timbre present here partly due to the high quality balanced armatures being used here.
Drivability
The Cadenza 4 is rated at 15 ohms at 102 dB sensitivity which means they are not too sensitive to pick up noise but they do need some power, not much, a little can go a long way for them to perform to their best. A simple good setup will suffice but a better source that is well amplified with a good source will give the Cadenza 4 some extra details along with some high range brilliance. Source sound matching is tilting a mild towards bright signature gears like a Sabre based source to match with their mellow tone and indeed they do perform superbly with brighter digital audio players. The Cadenza 4 isn’t actually massively revealing in nature as they will not show minor flaws in music evidently but feeding them with some well mastered tracks will increase their overall performance especially in their overall transparency.
The Bass (Low)
The bass that the Cadenza 4 produces is a flat type of bass even though they do have a very mild mid-bass lift but they extend deep with a warm, meaty sound that has the authority when called upon. They do have a decent clarity and details are well presented in a clean, organic manner without any sterile sound. It is surely a fun, boomy but tight bass while still capable of providing a good technical aspect to them that makes them sound good without being too lean. Resolution here is superb with a good textured sound that sounds vivid and full. Transparency here on the bass is average but still acceptable as they do not sound veil nor hazy. Pace on the bass is a mellow type of bass but they can keep up with fast bass tracks like EDM without any issue and in fact, they sound sublime for me with EDM and jazz genre partly due to their deep, clear bass response. These IEM aren’t for a basshead pleasure as they do not have the massive amount of impact or rumble to satisfy them but adequate for dynamic bass lovers as they are natural and organic. Sub-bass here extends deep but has an average but adequate rumble which possesses a clean sub-bass response. Overall, their bass has a great balance of being fun and meaty while still possessing a clean low frequency response that suits a wide audience.
The Mids
Midrange is a warm type neutral with a forward mids that has good intimacy in their sound while having clear and detailed midrange. They have a spacious, open midrange that plays well with their smoothness and it has an accurate placement of sound making them a good performer especially with vocals. They have a mild, thick midrange that has a great organic sound that is enveloping and they perform best with vocals for their depth and lushness but they do at times lack brilliance due to their mellow sound. Macro details here are superb whereas the micro details are good and present in their overall presentation. Resolution is vividly organic with an immersive sound that is detailed and clear providing a realistic, immersive sound experience. While the Cadenza 4 has a clean mids, their transparency here is no slouch as well and they have a clear, accurate sound that a clinical sound lover might find this region great. Coloration here is nearly non-existent but they do sound jovial and sweet with a natural sound suitable for monitoring or clinical listeners. Overall, a warm, thick, lush and sweet midrange that is unique in its own way while possessing a decent technicality.
The Highs
High range has a flat tone with a velvety smooth, mellow high range with a slow roll off at the end producing a very well extended range along with an airy presentation. They do possess a great amount of details and top class clarity along with a lively presence which blends well with their overall presentation. The highs here are indeed an inoffensive high range but still have a great presence in their sparkle with a crispness that is very enjoyable, playing well with almost every genre you throw at it. Resolution here is great as they are vivid without any haziness and they are naturally sounding free of any balanced armature metallic timbre. Due to their mellowness here, they aren’t for strong enough for treble head users, instead they are for users who wanted something unique as this type of high range is quite rare as they are laid-back but still very present while being clean and clear, similar to the legendary Sennheiser HD650 high range which I am pretty fond of. Sibilance here is almost non-existent and they aren’t hissy nor shouty which is great for an extended listening session as they do not incur any fatigue. Treble here is on a neutral side as they are mellow and have some intensity to them without sounding dark suiting a wide range of music. In general, the high range here has a distinctive sound but still very capable and presents a high range that is not usually found in your usual tuning of IEMs nowadays which is refreshing
Comparisons
VS Letshuoer S15
The Letshuoer S15 is my favourite IEM from them and they are one of the best planar driven IEM in the market right now with an energetic, fun yet technically superb and which is kind of similar with the Cadenza 4 but both of them are different in their own way. The S15 does cost slightly more than the Cadenza 4 and both of them have a different design but with the same superb packaging.
High range
Highs on the S15 have the edge in their volume and bite with a livelier presence along with a crisper, sparkly high range while the Cadenza 4 have a smoother, cleaner high range. Details and clarity is better on the S15 and extension on the Cadenza 4 is better with an airier presentation.
Midrange
The Cadenza 4 has a thicker, warmer, more forward midrange while the S15 has a more balanced midrange that possesses more space. Resolution wise are similar but the S15 has better transparency and clarity. Vocals on the S15 sound good on male and female for their extra brilliance while the Cadenza 4 is more suited for male vocals for their darker, deeper midrange.
Bass
Bass on S15 has the bigger presence along with a more authoritative impact versus the leaner, flat bass of the Cadenza 4. Sub-bass on both dives deep but the amount of rumble on the S15 is more evident. Details and clarity on the Cadenza is slightly better with a more forgiving bass amount.
Soundstage
The soundstage on both is similar in width and height. Headroom on the S15 is bigger but both sound very airy.
VS Rose Technics QT9 Mk2
The rarely mentioned QT9 Mk2 from Rose Technics is a very capable mild V shaped hybrid that is one of my go to hybrids ever since they were launched. They are equipped with 4 balanced armatures with a single dynamic and priced slightly lower than the Cadenza 4.
High region
The highs of the QT9 Mk2 has a mild edge of being more sparkly and livelier but the Cadenza sounded way smoother with a more natural presentation. Details and clarity on the Cadenza 4 surprisingly sounded better but in a small margin. Extension and air is better on the Cadenza 4.
Midrange
Midrange on the Cadenza 4 has a thicker, warmer and more forward presentation versus the slightly recessed mids of the QT9 Mk2. Due to the thick sound of the Cadenza 4, the QT9 Mk2 mids sounded a little more open but they are both spacious. Resolution on the Cadenza 4 is better while transparency on the QT9 Mk2 sounded clearer.
Bass
The amount of bass in QT9 Mk2 has a bigger presence due to their boosted mid bass lift and they have a more textured bass. The Cadenza 4 has a more accurate and organic bass that extends deeper and they have better details retrieving capabilities. Sub-bass amount is bigger on the QT9 Mk2 but the Cadenza 4 extends deeper and they sound airier.
Soundstage
Soundstage height is similar but depth is better on the Cadenza 4 with a similar big headroom size and both have a good air presence.
Synergy
Questyle M15
The Questyle M15 is my favourite portable DAC/amplifier with Questyle’s signature direct current amplification and they are a neutral to bright sounding device suitable for a portable usage. The M15 does possess a great extension on both ends displaying none of the usual Sabre chip glare.
Bass sounded clearer and tighter with details and clarity presented in a more transparent feel. The bass has better texturing capabilities that makes the overall bass more capable of handling fast tracks. Sub-bass depth and amount remained mostly the same but they do sound cleaner and clearer overall.
Midrange possesses better transparency producing a more vivid sound while retaining the warmth and their clarity. Vocals sound cleaner and more balanced with a livelier sound along with a cleaner overall midrange.
High range has a slight increase in their treble intensity and has better sparkle with a crisper high range along with a more airy feel. Details and clarity is better as they do add some brightness here.
Soundstage has seen improved width and height with the same size headroom.
FiiO Q7
The Q7 is still a beast of a transportable DAC amplifier in 2024 and they are the flagship in the Q series in FiiO. They are equipped with a single Sabre ES9038pro dac chip along with dual THX 788+ boasting a 3000 mw power with the DC adapter. They have a bright to warm sound that has tons of power to drive any IEMs and most of the headphones around.
Bass increased in texture, tighter, faster and they have an increase in their overall amount that still sound controlled. They have a cleaner, clearer sub-bass extension with a slightly deeper rumble. Details and clarity has a slight increase and they sound airier with an overall cleaner bass response.
Midrange has a slightly brighter tone along with a more transparent sound making the midrange a more technical one. They sounded cleaner and micro details are more evident while macro details sound clearer. The midrange also does sound more spacious with some air added and a more accurate placement.
Highs has a better sparkle and has a better extension along with a crisper sound. Details and clarity stayed the same but they sound slightly livelier. They are still very smooth and the Q7 added more bite into the Cadenza 4.
Soundstage height and width is better with a wider, airier sound overall.
Who Is It For?
The Cadenza 4 is for audio connoisseurs and users that have the need for a more unique sound that has a supreme smooth, warm, organic tone but still possesses the essence of a high quality IEM. They are indeed a warm and slightly bright IEM that plays well with most genres but for treble heads, this might not suit them. They are also suitable for those who want an immersive sound along with a wide dynamic frequency range even for gaming and movies. Bassheads may find the flat bass unappealing but for bass purist lovers, they are great for their organic yet capable bass. For monitoring purposes they are actually great for their accuracy.
Final words
Although one might see the Cadenza 4 as a lesser flagship option, I can assure you that lesser isn’t the word for it as the Cadenza 4 is a very capable IEM that has a rarely heard of tuning that has a buttery smooth, organic warm sound that is captivating with a surprisingly solid overall technicalities mainly in their clarity and detail retrieving competency. They are a refreshing take on a high end IEM with their relaxed feel that immerse oneself into the music played rather than focusing on the gears on hand which is what audio listening is about. Yes they aren’t clinically or transparent enough for purists, but this Cadenza 4 isn’t about that agendas, it is about music enjoyment. Great start of the year 2024 for Letshuoer and keeping a solid record of great releases.
I would rate this product 4 and a half stars over 5 stars
- Superb build quality
- Ergonomic, comfy matte shell
- Fully accessories
- Amazing modular cable
- Wide frequency range with superb cohesion
- Warm, organic timbre
- Decent overall clarity
- Great musicality
- Above average detail retrieval
- Accurate bass amount and deep response
- Good sub-bass depth
- Thick, lush midrange
- Good resolution
- Smooth, inoffensive high range
- Laid-back treble with crisp sparkle
- Good overall technicalities
- Wide soundstage width with a holographic sound
- Treble too lean for some (subjective)
- High range brilliance a little lacking
- Bass a little flat or polite
- Not for bassheads nor treble heads
- Competitive price range
