ISN Audio is a new player in HI-Fi cable market but already gained popularity with their 8 core cables. I have tried both of their S8 and H8 cables before.  S8 cable surprised me by its price and quality. S8 cable is now my personal favorite under 50$ mark. Few days ago ISN Audio launched their 16 core cable version and today for review I got ISN Audio C16 model.

Specifications Of ISN Audio C16

• Connector – 2 pin 0.78mm or MMCX,
• Termination – 2.5mm / 3.5mm / 4.4 MM,
• Material – Single Crystal Copper,
• Number of cores – 16 shares, single share is 19 cores, a total of 16 × 19.
• Cable length – 1.2M,
• Weight – 55 grams approx,
• Resistance – 0.4 ohms (Test instrument – Sigma Electronics 53C micro ohms meter) .

Buying Link – Here

IEMs used with ISN Audio C16 Origin in this review

Fiio FH5 , Anew U1 & BGVP DM6.

Presentation, Design & Build Quality

Same 120mm x 75 mm X 40 mm blue box (Like their 8 core cable boxes) with transparent window and all specifications printed backside of the box. As it’s a 16 core cable no doubt its heavy. Good thing is those 16 core cables are beautifully braided. From 3.5 mm plug to Y splitter its machine braided and after that hand braided. C16 is a medium soft cable with very solid 3.5 mm plug. That chin slider is a bit tight and no memory ear hook is there near MMCX plugs. MMCX connectors are very high in quality and overall C16 is a very good looking shinny copper cable. Only a cable tie is missing.

Sound

Hi-fi cables and their effects over stock cable always depend on your chain. Those improvements are very subtle and need quality music with at least some decent gears. The very first noticeable thing with ISN Audio C16 is 1 or 2 step gain boost due to its low end to end resistance.

Sonically lower frequency part is highly benefited with C16. Now bass is more punchy and less boomy, C16 added some rumble on sub-bass too. C16 added more body to Mids and feels thicker than before. No such improvement in higher frequency area though. Overall more clarity is there in tracks than before but no such impact on soundstage.

Conclusion

The only drawback of ISN Audio C16 cable is its weight if you can manage it with its weight and thickness then C16 can really improve bass and Mids of your existing IEMs. Personally I don’t have any problem with thick cables as all my current IEMS are over the ear type so C16 is highly recommended from my side.

Palash

Graphic Designer by Profession, and Music is my hobby. Can’t recall when I had started digging the Audiophile rabbit hole, but this Website was created in 2019 to showcase my passion for music. I am not an Audiophile, I call myself a Music Enthusiasts and my goal is to pass that enthusiasm to my readers.