Of course, our sound preferences are quite subjective. Upon listening to this and the other cords I tried, someone else might feel differently. In my system, the EAR stock cord laid back the perspective a bit and helped make the music sound more spacious, relaxing and enjoyable, while retaining excellent detail, imaging and dynamics. The others tipped the balance a bit more toward vivid detail, which for me can sometimes come across as less realistic or more high fi-ish.