Effect Audio Signature Series Review

Today we review the Effect Audio Signature Series, a whole new lineup from Singapore.

Disclaimer: I’ve received the Effect Audio Signature series cables in exchange for my honest opinion.

About Effect Audio

Singaporean Effect Audio is one of the most recognizable cable companies in the market. With their relations with other well-known companies, and with their products’ performance as a whole, EA is a reliable manufacturer in terms of aftermarket cables.

Whenever a fellow audiophile asks me about which cable they should get, one of the first brands that come to my mind is Effect Audio. We’ve been reviewing their products since 2014 so it goes a long way. They recently renewed their online website and you can check it out here.

To check out our Effect Audio articles you can click here.

Effect Audio released a new flagship cable last year as well, named Centurion, which brought a lot of fuss because of the price. We reviewed it in August 2021 and I still recommend it to people who have summit-fi gear and have a huge budget for portable audio:

About Signature Series

The new Signature Series from EA consists of 3 new cables. These are named; Ares S, Cadmus and Eros S. The previous entry-level series of Effect Audio was named “Vogue Series”, which also consisted of 3 cables. So EA completely refreshed the entry series, and I think it came out just at the right time.

The highlight of the new series, at least for me, is the fact that EA returned to its previous design and quality elements. Because I think that the Vogue Series was a bit of a step back since the wires were thinner and finishing materials lost some of their qualities, whilst the prices remained similar. This time however the pricing is competitive and quality is improved. Let’s look at the models one by one.

Ares S

The 179$ Ares S is the updated version of the old Ares and Maestro cables, using UP-OCC Copper Litz material once again. It has a 24 AWG 4 Wires configuration. The previous Maestro for example had a 26 AWG gauge, so EA chose to thicken up these cables and for the price tag, I found this quite welcoming.

Cadmus

In its surprising new naming, the Cadmus is also a new version of the old Virtuoso cable. It has UP-OCC Silver Plated Copper Litz material just like the previous one, and the wire gauge is thicker like the Ares S with 24 AWG. The price for the Cadmus is 199$.

Eros S

The star of the new lineup is the Eros S which is priced at 299$. This cable has a similar finish to the Chiron, and seeing/feeling the texture and finishing of a flagship-level cable in an entry-level one is refreshing.

The Eros S has different wiring compared to the other two. It’s a UP-OCC Pure Silver Litz and Pure Copper Litz Hybrid, with 26 AWG 8 Wires. You don’t usually see an 8-wire cable with a price like this.

Design & Quality

The new Effect Audio cables’ strong point is the new design approach. EA chose to go with a minimalistic design with the Vogue Series, but I wasn’t too happy about it since the material quality felt a bit off and the cables lost a bit of appeal.

The new series changed that impression completely and by using high-quality materials, the cables are crafted beautifully. Especially new y-split is the highlight with a perfect geometric design with brushed aluminium material. The new PVC coating is crisper and cleaner, so you can look at the wires almost as if they’re naked. Eros S has a different coating in that regard.

The build quality of the new cables is remarkable, which should be expected from EA. After the flimsy-looking Vogue Series, they now fixed the new series with great quality materials and great finishing. The braiding of the new models has a perfect balance; not loose but not too tight either.

Ergonomics

The cables feel very soft and great in the hand as well as on the ear. The memory wire area is quite thick since these are 24AWG wires on the Ares S and Cadmus. But EA compensated that well enough with a fixed and soft memory wire area. That means you can’t adjust it, which is fine by me because some adjustable memory wires tend to be uncomfortable. This area has a very soft touch to it. The shape of this area is good but I would’ve liked it a bit looser. It should open up with time though.

Of course, after some listening time, you start to feel the weight of the 8-wires of the Eros S around your ears, but it’s kept to a minimum so it won’t ever get too uncomfortable.

Page 2: Packaging, Sound Quality, Conclusion