Review: Effect Audio Maestro & Virtuoso

Today we’re looking at two of Effect Audio’s latest additions – the Maestro and Virtuoso. They are part of their new Vogue series.

Disclaimer: Effect Audio supplied the cables at no cost. I only had to pay for importing the cables. Headfonia is not affiliated with Effect Audio, however, they are a site advertiser. Many thanks for the generosity and opportunity.

About Effect Audio:

In our corners, Effect Audio doesn’t need an introduction anymore. The boutique cable manufacturer has been around for ten years now and ever since then they have been gaining popularity on a global scale.

Effect Audio is among the most popular cable brands out there, and many enthusiasts trust their products. It’s no surprise that even industry players such as Empire Ears, Jomo Audio or Vision Ears bundle their monitors with Effect Audio cables.

The Ares II is one of their most successful cables, but when it comes to corner stone products, I think the one that has been the most important to Effect Audio is the original Leonidas cable. This one put Effect Audio on the map of all audiophiles.

Last year Effect Audio decided to release a new and improved version of the Leonidas cable – the Leonidas II. It is the first ever cable in the audio industry to use Palladium plated silver. We have reviewed the successor of the original Leonidas last year and were so impressed, that it has been crowned Best Cable 2018.

This year Effect Audio has introduced the new Vogue series. There are three in total, and today we will be looking at two of them. Berkhan will review the remaining cable.

Effect Audio Vogue Series

About Maestro and Virtuoso:

A couple of months ago Effect Audio previewed three prototype cables at Can Jam New York. They showed a copper, a silver plated copper and a silver/copper hybrid cable. Attendees were asked to give feedback and put down an estimation of price.

A little while passed since then, and EA revealed their names and prices. The Vogue Series was introduced. The three cables build Effect Audio’s most affordable line-up of cables. You can find the entire Vogue range here.

New with the Vogue series is the triple-sized design geometry. This basically means Effect Audio uses three different sizes of wires in the cable. The cables also come with their golden ratio dispertion and EA ultra-flexi insulation. This is also used in their higher end line-up. It makes sure that the cables are very soft and flexible.

From what I see on their website, the Vogue series only comes with a 2.5mm balanced jack. You can also only get it for 2-pin or MMCX IEMs.

Maestro

The Maestro is the new entry-level cable. It’s not supposed to replace the Ares II cable by any means. Although the price and materials support that idea.

Maestro is made of four 26AWG UP-OCC copper wires. Since Maestro is the entry-level cable, it comes with the most wallet-friendly price. You can buy it for 99$ from Effect Audio’s online store or one of their retailers.

Virtuoso

Virtuoso is the mid-placed cable in the range. It’s made of UP-OCC silver plated copper. Just like Maestro it’s 26AWG sized.

Priced at 149$ it’s still moderate, and can be bought again directly from EA or their dealers.

Package:

Both cables arrived in a small white box with a close-up shot of the cables on top. Once you managed to open the box, you’ll see the cable lying in a circular cut-out. There’s also a silica pack in there to absorb moisture. That’s it.

For cables of that price you really can’t ask for more.

The review continues on the next page!