If you ever thought about a hi-fi earphone replacement cable, I am sure Effect Audio is the brand you have searched first. In the Hi-Fi community, Effect audio has gained trust and appreciation by their extraordinary cables and now Effect Audio is not only a brand, but it’s also a community standard when it comes to earphone replacement cables. My first encounter with effect audio was when I bought their ‘Origin’ cable. Origin was a great affordable cable. Before CanJam SoCal 2019, Effect Audio posted on their Facebook page that some mysterious cable is coming, and later it introduced itself as the Vogue series cables. I would like to thank Effect Audio for sending the Effect audio Vogue – Maestro, Virtuoso & Grandioso cables for review.
Presentation Of Effect audio Vogue Cables
The entire Vogue series cables have been presented in the same way. The presentation is simple and elegant. The cables come inside their own separate 10*10*4 cm (W*L*H) white boxes. Effect audio cables always maintain harmony between aesthetics and quality, the same thing can be seen in their presentation.
The design, presentation of the boxes not only shows the elegance it also keeps the cables intact while shipping. Inside the box, the cable is placed securely inside a foam cavity with a small silica gel packet. No cable tie or carry case has been provided, which I think compromised to keep the price as much as low possible.
Design & Build Quality Of Effect audio Vogue Cables
Vogue is a completely new series and aimed towards the very first hi-fi cable buyers. So this series includes all the possible configurations one can seek. Maestro a totally copper one, Virtuoso an SPC one and Grandioso the hybrid option.
The overall design is much fresh and new. I have previously said, all Effect Audio cables are good examples of design and craftsmanship. The Vogue series also have been carrying out equal craftsmanship and the cables are really beautiful. Now as per Effect Audio they have maintained the ‘Golden Ratio Dispersion’ & ‘Triple-Size Stranded Design’ for this Vogue line-up cable, like their premium cables.
But to a consumer, these technical terms are actually not so important. The only thing matter is how the cable looks and how much it improves the sound? So I am saving my readers time by not grizzling such technical word, interested people can visit Effect Audio’s product page for further technical details.
Vogue cables are hand-braided and machine terminated. Litz wire quality is very good and braiding is just perfect. Gold plated 3.5/2.5/4.4 mm Plugs and MMCX/2 pin connectors are also very high in quality. Good to see that chin slider, Y splitter, and 3.5 mm plugs are not heavy at all.
The overall weight of the cable is very light and manageable. The one side trimmed plugs and connects shells are actually very helpful when holding them and either inserting into the IEM or a DAP.
The ear hook part is also very soft. Overall the quality is very good for such an inexpensive product. One thing I should point out that, though the price difference between these 3 cables is different, no other design improvement can’t be found on expensive options.
IEMs used with Effect audio Vogue Cables in this review
TFZ MY love 3, TANSIO MIRAI TSMR-3 & Fearless Audio S8F.
Source used with Effect audio Vogue Cables
Fiio Q5 + AM3A, Dethonray DTR1 with DD DJ35A.
Tracks/Albums used to Evaluate Effect audio Vogue Cables
- Adele – 25,
- Michael McDonald – Wide Open,
- Wide Open – Michael McDonald
- Eagles – The Very Best Of The Eagles,
- Michael Jackson – Thriller,
- Daft Punk – Random Access Memories,
- Brothers In Arms – Dire Straits,
- Unplugged (1992) – Eric Clapton,
- The Best Of Nina Simone – Nina Simone,
- Sinematic- Robbie Robertson.
Maestro
Among the 3 Vogue cables, Maestro is the most affordable. For just 99$, I think Maestro is one of the best OCC cables anyone can buy right now. Due to its affordable price and superb build quality Vogue Maestro is the best for a beginner too. Now If I say that a replacement cable can drastically improve the sound over stock cable, it could be a far fetched story. But with some good Hi-Res music and a decent IEM, the improvement after using Meastro can be easily noticeable. The more efficient your IEM is, the more fine improvement you can achieve with Maestro.
Specifications
- Connector – 2 pin 0.78 mm flat/ standard or MMCX,
- Termination – 2.5mm, 3.5mm or 4.4 mm,
- 26 AWG,
- UP OCC Copper,
- Golden Ratio Dispersion, Triple-Size Stranded Design
- Woven Kevlar-Infused Multi Stranded Litz,
- EA Ultra-Flexi Insulation,
- Customized EA Plugs and Y-Split,
- Length – 1.25 m,
- Weight – 20 grams approx,
- Resistance – 0.2 ohms approx.
Product Page – Here
Buying Link – Here
Sound
Vogue Maestro is doing what an OCC copper cable should do. Due to its very low end to end resistance, the first thing which is noticeable is a one or two-step volume gain over stock cables. Other than that using Maestro, the lower frequency part has been most affected and improved a lot. More impact on the Mid-bass can be noticed easily. The lower frequency part now has a better grip and weight. Sub-bass rumble is also punchier than before. Overall lower frequency part now has a full-bodied approach.
Mids now have more space and sound less harsh, especially in the upper mids. Vocals are now completely soft and transparent. This softness gradually leads to the Higher frequency part and a smooth and sparkling treble can be noticed with Maestro. Instrument separation is better now and an increase in the sound stage is also there. So if your existing IEM is suffering from loose bass or sounding harsh, you can easily choose Meastro over the stock cable.
Virtuoso
SPC cables are very common in the market and most of them are trash. Poor material choice and impurity results even degradation in sound. Someone rightly said, ‘All that glitters is not gold’. I have Effect Audio Origin SPC cable and without any doubt, it’s a fantastic SPC cable. Virtuoso is priced higher than Maestro, which is acceptable because of its silver plating. Now let’s see how it’s performing so far.
Specifications
- Connector – 2 pin 0.78 mm flat/ standard or MMCX,
- Termination – 2.5mm, 3.5mm or 4.4 mm,
- 26 AWG,
- UP OCC Copper Silver Plated,
- Golden Ratio Dispersion, Triple-Size Stranded Design
- Woven Kevlar-Infused Multi Stranded Litz,
- EA Ultra-Flexi Insulation,
- Customized EA Plugs and Y-Split,
- Length – 1.25 m,
- Weight – 20 grams approx,
- Resistance – 0.1 ohms approx.
Product Page – Here
Buying Link – Here
Sound
From my past experiences, I have seen that the good SPC cables usually reduce lower frequency impact and add more sparkle to the highs. Vogue Virtuoso is doing something different here. Over the stock cable still, a push in lower frequency part is clearly noticeable but not that much like Maestro. I am very much liking the changes Virtuoso made. If I am not wrong now the speed and accuracy of lower frequency are now increased too.
Virtuoso is also adding more clarity and sharpness in the Mids. More texture and timbre all over the mid-range, which is mind-blowing. Male and female vocals are now more lively than before. When comes to highs, Virtuoso has been adding some glare but still, harshness is not there. Instrument separation is much better in comparison with stock cables. The sound stage where Virtuoso just steals my heart. With Virtuoso the added holographic soundstage is overwhelming. The Virtuoso with Fearless Audio S8F is too bright for me but with TANSIO MIRAI TSMR-3 the paring is very good.
Grandioso
It is the most expensive and nicest looking cable in the Vogue line up. Grandioso is a hybrid cable, a mix of OCC Copper and OCC Silver plated copper. Usually, I like hybrid cables the most due to their balanced sound improvement. Before Grandioso, I was using ISN Audio H16 and after using Grandioso I can say that hybrids cables are the safest and suitable cable upgrade, one should go without any hesitation. Let’s talk further about Grandioso.
Specifications
- Connector – 2 pin 0.78 mm flat/ standard or MMCX,
- Termination – 2.5mm, 3.5mm or 4.4 mm,
- 26 AWG,
- UP OCC Copper Silver Plated & UP OCC Copper Hybrid.
- Golden Ratio Dispersion, Triple-Size Stranded Design
- Woven Kevlar-Infused Multi Stranded Litz,
- EA Ultra-Flexi Insulation,
- Customized EA Plugs and Y-Split,
- Length – 1.25 m,
- Weight – 20 grams approx,
- Resistance – 0.2 ohms approx.
Product Page – Here
Buying Link – Here
Sound
Inside a hybrid cable most of the time OCC Copper wires are connected to the ground/ – and SPC wires to the analog data line. In Grandioso it’s hard to tell which configuration has been applied because the plug is machine terminated and the plug cannot be opened. Whatever the configuration inside, its doing its job exactly like a hybrid cable.
Grandioso is not only a physical blend of Maestro & Virtuoso but also a mix of Maestro & Virtuoso’s sonic improvements. The lower frequency part is properly elevated with speed and accuracy, this added warmth and texture is fun to listen too. The mid-range is transparent and packed with clarity and details. It also brought the smallest details and the entire track is now on another level. Like the song ‘Ten Long Years’ by B. B. King.
The most interesting part is the higher frequency part. The added sparkle is something I really enjoyed a lot. When comes to treble most of the listeners avoid extended treble due to their harshness but with this one there is no such harshness and the sweet and sparkling treble is outstanding. It also maintained the 3D soundstage like Virtuoso and have become overall the best in this lineup.
Conclusion
Personally, I am a big fan of budget cables so Vogue Maestro is my personal favorite but when comes to performance both Virtuoso and Grandoso actually justify their prices. Virtuoso is ideal when your existing IEM is lacking the higher frequency part but Grandioso is a champion.
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.