TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Letshuoer Cadenza 4
The Cadenza 4 have been sent to me directly by Letshuoer for me to try them out and share my opinions in this review. Letshuoer have not made any specific comments or requests and I will do my best, as always, to be as unbiased in this review as possible.
You can find the official page for the Cadenza 4 here: LETSHUOER Cadenza4 wired IEM Hifi earphones Beryllium coated DD BA hyb – letshuoer
As with all links I share, this is a non-affiliate link.
To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
The Cadenza 12 was released as both the flagship IEM of the brand and the first in what was said to be a series of IEMs, the Cadenza. This was early in 2023, with a prototype making its rounds at Canjam quite a few month before that. While I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with the Cadenza 12, I did get to try it out and I have to say that it was my favourite IEM from the brand, although a little bright.
A year later, Letshuoer presents us with the second IEM in the Cadenza line up, this time at a much more affordable level (for most of us), priced at under $250, or $229 for those who pre-ordered, which is around 230€, that is a rather large difference from the 2000€ price tag of the flagship model. While the Cadenza 12 featured 12 drivers, the Cadenza 4 coincidentally (or not) features 4 drivers, that are a dynamic driver plus 3x balanced armature drivers.
So, let’s take a look at what we are getting from the brand for the much more pocket friendly price point of their new model.
Presentation…
The packaging and contents of the Cadenza 4 are certainly nothing to complain about in the price range, in fact, they are very similar to the presentation of the S15 that I reviewed not long ago and comes in at almost $100 more expensive.
The same grey outer sleeve, featuring just the make and model, with some basic specs on the back, slides away to reveal an even simpler flip top box in the same colour with “Letshuoer - Sound Alive” on the top in small white letter. This outer packaging is simple and elegant.
The flip top box is held closed with magnets and opens in the same “jewelry box” type way as that of the S15. There is a top layer, covered by a grey card envelop containing the user manual and other documentation, which is removed to reveal the IEMs sitting underneath.
The bottom half of the box is a slide out drawer accessed from the front that contains the rest of the accessories, which are a black screw top storage/transport case, the cable with interchangeable connectors, 2.5mm, 3.5mm & 4.4mm connectors for the cable and the disc style tip holder containing “balanced” and “vocal” tips, 3 sets of each.
The only real difference between the presentation of the Cadenza 4 and the S15 is the colour of the cable and the colour of the “vocal” ear tips, which are grey rather than blue.
I have nothing but praise for the presentation and accessories included with the Cadenza 4, making it a nice box opening experience and giving a feeling of a set that has been cared for.
Build and aesthetics…
While the Cadenza 4 do share a similar shape to the Cadenza 12, this is as far as the similarities go in build. Where the flagship is a completely metal shell, the Cadenza 4 opts for a 3D printed shell with a CNC machined faceplate in aluminium with a matte finish. The shells are white which leads to a very elegant looking set of IEMs that are not overly shouty but look, and feel, to be of good quality.
The 3D printed shell also helps to reduce weight, with the Cadenza 4 being a very lightweight and comfortable IEM, at least in my ears.
The included cable, stated as being a 392 strand silver plated copper, matches the aesthetics of the IEMs, with white and matte aluminium hardware that also matches the aesthetics. While I am someone who prefers fabric covered cable personally, there is no doubt that the included cable is of good quality and, as it includes all the termination options you may need, it is a perfect match for the IEMs.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
I am not going to make any comparisons in sound between the two Cadenza models as, on one hand, they are in totally different leagues, and on the other, I only briefly listened to the 12 in show conditions last year, so I cannot faithfully make any comparisons.
I will say that this is the 5th set of Letshuoer IEMs that I have reviewed, having tried a fair few more, and that each of their models has a different flavour to it, none of which I have hated. In fact, I have quite liked them and the Cadenza 4 is no exception. In fact, it may actually be my favourite tuning from the brand yet. It is certainly not perfect, to me at least, but the issues that I do find are fairly small and are lost in the overall performance of the IEM.
Anyway, I am getting ahead of myself, so lets go through my usual steps and start off looking at the graph in comparison to my personal preference target:
Before getting into the specifics, let me say that I found that I preferred the “Vocal” tips (the grey ones) for the Cadenza 4 and those are what I have been using for my detailed listening in this review. There is a sensation of more bass with the “Balanced” option but I found that the bass with the “Vocal” tips was plenty for my tastes.
In the subbass range and focusing first on “Chameleon”, there is enough rumble in the lower frequencies to appreciate the madness of this track, with a nice deep extension. However, the subbass is clean and not really boosted too much (enough for my tastes but maybe not enough for others that prefer more rumble), keeping this articulate a giving a very nice presentation of these lower ranges.
With “No Sanctuary Here”, which is not as overpowering in the subbass department, I find a very nice balance between subbass and midbass, with no real emphasis on either of them, with the low end of this song sounding very clear and decisive.
Moving into the midbass zone and using my midbass fatigue track “Crazy”, there is no sensation of the low end reverb becoming overpowering. It is noticeably there but does not hijack any of the surrounding frequencies, allowing the guitar to present those low end notes without becoming overly boomy.
While the midbass may be a little lower in quantity than many will expect, I find that it is really well balanced and does not give the sensation of missing any warmth in bass guitars, such as in “Elephants on Ice Skates” or in older rock tracks that usually benefit from a bit of extra warmth, such as “Whole Lotta Love”, where the bass guitar has a tonality to it that I find both pleasing and correct, at least to my ears.
Throughout the whole of the bass zone, details are good and I find they get even better as we move into the midrange of the Cadenza 4. In very simple tracks, such as “Happens To The Heart”, the details of the track, such as the breathing and slight vibration of instruments, are easily appreciated while the vocals remain full. In busier tracks, such as “The Room” by Ostura, the Cadenza seemingly keep up without any issues, again letting the details of each instrument shine through but without them being overly upfront.
As we climb into the upper mids, there is plenty or presence for both vocals and instruments, although some tracks can come across a little harsh in this recording. For example, “Crazy” that I mentioned earlier, can have a little too much emphasis on the vocals of Daniella Andrade and even a slight hint of sibilance. This is reduced by switching to the balanced tips, which moves the emphasis away slightly and places it a bit more on the lower ranges. However, it is not terribly harsh, unless you are someone sensitive to the 2.5 to 3.5k region, and I personally prefer the response of the “Vocal” tips.
As we move into the higher regions, there is a nice sensation of air and extension which maintains sibilance in tracks like “Code Cool” at a point I would consider neutral. In other words, it does not add or subtract sibilance to/from Patricia Barber.
The treble extension may not be the most extended treble out there but Letshuoer have done a good job of balancing the treble, allowing it to sound open and airy without sounding overly emphasized, harsh or too bright.
I already said that details are good throughout the whole range and this is added to a nice sensation of space between layers of vocals and instruments, as in the recording of “Strange Fruit”, where background details are noticeable and spacing between the vocal layers are well defined.
I wouldn’t say that the soundstage of the Cadenza 4 is huge but there is definitely enough room for instruments to spread out, although I find that in “La Luna”, the rear left guitar is pushed slightly more left and less back than on other sets. This doesn’t make for a worse presentation of the track, just different.
Conclusion…
The Letshuoer Cadenza 4 are a very impressive set of IEMs. As I mentioned earlier in the review, they may even be my favourite set from the brand so far. There are certain tracks that can become a little hot in the upper mids with the “Vocal” tips but this can be remedied quite well with the “Balanced” tips. I found that I could enjoy them even more with a couple of other aftermarket tips but I usually don’t go into aftermarket accessories in my reviews and try to focus on the included.
For the 230€ price point, you are getting a nicely built set of IEMs, that sounds good, performs well and is also presented in a way that I would say is above the majority of the competition in packaging and accessories.
These probably won’t be the correct choice for those looking for a bassy set of IEMs but for those who are looking for a good, balanced and well performing set of all-rounders, the Cadenza 4 are a very good candidate.
As always, this review is also available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
