I’m testing the ddHiFi BC125A (Air Ocean) in today’s review. The BC125A is an OCC (Ohno Continuous Casting) silver-plated copper earphone upgrade cable with shielding. It’s priced at $229.
Disclaimer: This sample was provided by ddHifi for an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own based on my experience with the product.
ddHiFi BC125A (Air Ocean)
The BC125A comes in an environmentally-friendly cardboard box. Opening the box reveals the BC125A cable, a PU leather storage case and a manual/warranty card.
Design
The Litz-structured Air Ocean BC125A is seafoam green in colour. It has a 25.6AWG Litz high-purity OCC core with 25.6AWG silver-plated OFC cross shielding all presented in 4 strands.
Unlike ddHiFi’s other cables, the Air Ocean is only available with a 3.5mm termination. Connector options are MMCX, 2-pin 0.78mm, 2-pin QDC and T2 (for Westone MACH series earphones). I chose the T2 connectors so I could pair the cable with my MACH 60 IEM.
The cable components are silver with gold highlights except for the metal chin slider which is all gold. This time around, the Y-splitter looks slightly different and doesn’t have the vertical slits like the previous Air Nyx models.
As we expected, the build quality and attention to detail are top-class. The cross shielding was carefully chosen in lieu of the previous spiral uniform shielding. This cross-Faraday shielding is optimized to highlight vocals and tighten up the background and create a more expressive sound.
The cable handles nicely and doesn’t have any noticeable microphonics. Like most of ddHiFi’s cables, the Air Ocean is slightly thicker than average, which helps reduce tangling. I love the feel of this cable and the way it drapes makes it very comfortable for me to use.
Sound
I chose the T2 connectors for my cable, therefore, all of my testing was done with the Westone MACH 60. The T2 connectors felt great and gave a satisfying tactile ‘click’ when plugged in.
The MACH 60 has a fairly linear sound signature that’s on the warmer side of neutral. It’s already a resolving IEM but the BC125A elevates it even more. The instrument separation with this combo is simply outstanding: the music gets dissected like an exploded diagram but is still presented as a lush, cohesive whole.
With the BC125A, bass notes on the MACH 60 sound more forceful – not any ‘bigger’ but more assertive. There’s an extra level of layering in the lows too, making the distinction between kick drums and bass guitars clearer.
Playing through Michael Kiwakuna’s ‘I’ve Been Dazed’, the BC125A’s true character came to light. At the relatively simple beginning of the track, the vocals are articulate and nuanced. As the track goes on, the guitar on the left is joined by another on the right as well as a choir in the background. Each instrument and voice is easy to distinguish and place within the soundstage. Layers of strings and other instruments are subtly introduced towards the end of the song and the BC125A doesn’t miss a beat, keeping everything precisely in place.
Listening to Gustavo Santaolalla’s “The Last of Us”, the BC125A enriches the tone of the acoustic guitars and increases the depth of the soundstage. The sense of danger with an underlying sense of hope is clearly expressed in a vivid and tidy soundstage. The subtle brush and static noises made me feel as though I might get jumped by an infected at any moment. But hey, at least I’ll know which direction they’re coming from!
Verdict
The ddHiFi BC125A (Air Ocean) cable is a stunningly designed piece of equipment that boasts exceptional durability. While it only comes with a 3.5mm termination, it supports a broad range of connector options to ensure compatibility with your preferred IEMs.
Featuring superior technical performance and an impressive tonal character, the BC125A cable elevates your IEMs’ sound quality to a new level. Although it may seem pricey at first glance, it’s actually a great value considering the quality of materials and craftsmanship involved. This cable not only looks exquisite but also delivers an outstanding audio experience.