FiiO LL-RC 2024

A high quality cable upgrade your headphones might deserve

Anyone who has purchased (or even read a review) of a recent FiiO headphone, like the FT5 or FT3 knows that FiiO accessories with those headphones where high quality and really put long-established headphone companies like Hifiman or Focal to shame.

So I was delighted with the opportunity to get early access to FiiO latest headphone cable. This was a great opportunity to use this cable with some of the headphones in my collection and I thought I share my findings.

The 1.5M version is priced at $79 and the 3M version is $99. But I see there is a 6% discount currently on FiiO offical AliExpress store unaffliated link . There is allot more information available about the technical manufacturer process on FiiO
offical product page on FiiO website

When I saw the picture, I originally thought this was the same cable that comes with the FT5 but as you will see in this short review that FiiO have created a much higher quality cable that share some of the great features of the FT5 (and FT3) cable.

I got the 3M version as I felt this cable would be a great alternative to the Hifiman cable that came with the Edition XS and I need a longer cable for that headphone, but I will show some comparisons later in this review with various other headphone cables.

So lets get into the detail:

Retail Box

The LL-RC 2024 cable (which in my opinion is terrible name for an audio accessory) comes in a nice box:

The back of the box:

There is a box inside that box:

and finally opening that box reveals the cable:

Build quality and accessories

So let’s delve into the quality of the cable and how to swap adapters.

The high-quality braided nylon protective sheath is probably the most obvious feature of the cable, providing a nice feel to the cable while providing good protection and a decent bit of flexibility.

The splitter:

The dual 3.5mm connectors: Note: These are TS 3.5mm connectors which provide great compatibility with all headphones that take dual 3.5mm connectors but these are therefore not fully balanced, though the cable itself comes with a 4.4mm balanced adapter.

The one slight problem you might get with these connectors is that size might be too wide for headphones that require deep insertions, for example, I believe some Meze headphones might have a problem with the width of these connectors.

There are instructions in the box as to how to swap connectors:

But maybe I can explain the process with some pictures:

The single-end connector is connected by default:

You unscrew this connection by turning the bottom of the connector:

Once you take out the connector you can see how to align the ‘ridge’ on the 3.5mm or 4.4mm connector to where the white arrow is inside:

Here that white arrow is in more detail:

Once you align the other connection you simple re-screw the connector and you are good to go.

Comparison with other cables

I thought it might be useful to visually compare the LL-RC 2024 to some other cables. For first comparing with the cable that came with FT5 (and I believe the FT3):

As you can see the connections look identicle:

But the LL RC 2024 has a twisted design: And its 21 Gauge rather than the 23 Gauge cable on the FT5, this new cable also has 560 monocrystalline structure Copper wires rather than the 392 in the FT5 (and FT3) cables.

The cable has a gauge of 23AWG.

Here it is compared to another balanced cable, I found that the LL RC 2024 was more flexable that this alternative cable:

Here it is compared to another similar priced cable, you can see the FiiO Cable is thicker and better quality:

Key ’technical’ Features

FiiO provides some details on their website of the process involved to create the LL RC 2024, here is a summary of what I thought were the key features:

Furukawa authentic Monocrystalline copper

I had to look up what “Furukawa authentic monocrystalline copper” really means, but I was impressed, the copper used here is typically used in much more expensive headphone cables costing double the price from brands like Meze.

Four strands comprising 560 wires in total, ensuring robust signal transmission. The Copper is specifically known for its superior conductivity and audio signal integrity.

The certification from Furukawa further assures users of the cable’s pedigree and the authenticity of its materials.

Advanced Manufacturing Techniques

The LL-RC 2024 benefits from an extensive copper wire treatment process, significantly reducing impurities, pores, and grain boundaries. Such attention to detail in material processing underscores FiiO’s commitment to delivering products that exceed audiophile expectations in their price range.

The use of high-quality silver-containing lead-free solder is a testament to this, ensuring minimal signal loss and contributing to a fuller, more transparent sound.

Specifications

Sound profile

I believe once you spend a reasonable amount on a cable you will not hear any sonics difference between cables. But there are still, in my opinion, 3 areas whereone every should verify before assuming they have a quality cable that won’t affect the audio ’experience’:

Impedance of the cable

Potentially a cable can introduce more impedence between the headphone amplifier and the headphone but as you can see given that the LL RC 2024 is a 21 gauge wire. Using this handy guide below:

Shows that even for the longer 3m version of this cable and doing some simple maths work out at insignicant impedance. Because (41 Ohms / ( 1000m * 3m ) => 0.0136 impedance, so this cable with not affect the overall impedance and therefore not change the audio.

Microphonics

Mostly this depends on the material used and how it interacts with your cloths, but the braided material is the best for limiting any sonic unpleasantness by the cable interacting with your cloths.

Cable / Connector build quality

This is where over time cheaper cable can be a let-down, maybe they have limited strands of copper, or they have poor soldering or cheap plastic in their connectors anything that can affect start to weaken in day to day usage. I believe FiiO have made some smart technical choices as outlined above to limit any chance of issues long term with this cable.

Rating

I gave this cable a pragmatic 4-star rating, it’s a quality cable with both 3.5mm and 4.4mm connectors as well high grade copper internals, people pay $1000 for cables, yet this cable will be sonically indistinguishable from those cables.

Conclusion

The FiiO LL-RC 2024 an excellent choice for anyone wanting an upgrade from their stock headphone cable, your headphones deserve a better cable and the LL RC 2024 could be that upgrade.