Vortex Audio Lavinia Review – All Natural

Pros –

Attractive design and unboxing, Excellent build quality, Liquid vocals, Balanced tonality, Well defined bass, Effect Audio ConX Connectors

Cons –

Stage isn’t the largest, No outstanding qualities, Visually similar to other Vortex Cables

Verdict –

Lavinia is mildly coloured and provides a healthy technical jump. While it subtly subtracts from wow factor, this simultaneously makes it a great choice for those valuing authenticity.

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About Vortex Audio –

Vortex Audio is a boutique cable brand from Hong Kong founded in 2018. Since, the brand has gained a lot of popularity and recognition within the domestic market and have now made an effort to break into the international market through MusicTeck. Vortex sources their conductors both internationally and locally, using only the best in their designs. In addition, their cables all sport a unique shielded design with fabric sheathing to aid performance and durability. Vortex also use Effect Audio’s ConX system for enhanced versatility. The ethos of the company is underpinned by “affordable luxury” and this is reflected in the pricing of their lineup.

Introduction –

The Lavinia is the current flagship of Vortex Cable’s C.F.S series, all of which are united by their colourful fabric-clad designs. The Lavinia sets itself aside from the rest of Vortex’s lineup due to its unique tonal direction. At its heart lies Taiwanese Pure Silver, gold-plated copper and palladium-plated silver conductors. Effect Audio’s ConX is supported and the cable sports handsome metal Vortex hardware that gives the cable a high-end look and feel. To suit is a captivating orange and black woven jacket denoting that this is the flagship of Vortex Audio’s lineup.

The Lavinia is available for $759 USD. You can read more about the cable and customise a unit for yourself here!

Disclaimer –

I would like to thank Oscar and Justin very much for reaching out to organise a review of the C.F.S cables. All words are my own and there is no monetary incentive for a positive review. Despite receiving the cables free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation.

Contents –

• Page 1: Intro, Unboxing, Design
• Page 2: Sound Breakdown
• Page 3: Comparisons & Verdict

Behind the Design –

Shielded Twisted Pair

Like many cables, each conductor has independent insulation and the positive and negative wires are twisted to reduce interference and noise in addition to improving rejection of external EMI. The Lavinia has a 20.4 AWG thickness and contains a combination of 4N pure silver, gold-plated OCC copper, gold-plated 4N silver and palladium-plated 4N silver conductors from Taiwan. In addition, it has silver-plated 5N OFC shielding.

Japanese NUC Air-Injection Technology

Air injection is used between the insulation and outer polyethylene skin around the core of the cable. This gives the insulation a 25% air content that offers a lower dielectric constant than PTFE – meaning superior insulating ability. I saw this tech many years ago from Audio Genetics Air cable but the Vortex implementation is far more conservative and therefore, doesn’t affect the ergonomics.

Composite Insulation Damping

Vortex implements a damping layer within each cable that resists external vibrations and microphonic noise. Though it adds considerable difficulty to manufacturing and is difficult to accommodate within a slender diameter suitable for IEMs, Vortex reasons it contributes to the excellent background cleanliness they were able to achieve.

Effect Audio ConX

Introduced by Effect Audio, ConX is a modular threaded connector system that permits the user to change the IEM connector making the cable compatible with a wider range of IEMs. EA promises a long service life and reliable sound transmission. MMCX, Ear Connector, A2DC, and IPX are all supported though only 2-pin and MMCX are included with the Lavinia.

Unboxing –

Vortex provides one of the best unboxing experiences I’ve experienced from an audio product and the entire experience feels both premium and professional. Vortex’s cables all have the same packaging and that’s not a bad thing. There’s a black card outer box protecting a soft touch hard case with silver embossed print. The hard case opens up to reveal a soft leather mat that protects the contents and can be used after as a wrist rest or small mouse pad should you choose.

A laser-cut foam inlet holds the cable, warranty card and leather carrying case snugly. The cable comes with a brown leather push-button organizer strap that contributes further to the impression of a well-outfit product. Effect Audio’s ConX system is adopted by all of Vortex’s cables and the company includes both MMCX and 2-pin which are by far the most popular standards on the market. Overall, a stunning experience with lots of added flourishes and a thoughtful inclusion of accessories.

Design –

As with the unboxing, Vortex’s cables all sport a similar design language that gives their lineup a distinct identity alongside clearly delineating between each individual models. Uniting their cables are custom designed and milled alloy Vortex connectors and internally braided wires with a soft and compliant fabric jacket. The colour scheme differs from model to model yet all offer familiar in-hand feel and dimensions. The Lavinia definitely stands out as the company’s flagship and sporting a striking orange and black weave.

The IEM connectors sport Effect Audio’s ConX system meaning the cable will be compatible with a wide range of IEM connector systems. The y splitter has a triangular design and offers greater complexity with a three-dimensional cutout on the rear, contrasting to the cheaper Eddie. The plug has a gunmetal grey colour scheme with a geometric milled pattern that provides grip for similar ease of manipulation.

The actual wires are supple, smoothly textured and compliant. The fabric sheath is a tighter fit than on many competitors which translates towards a slight springiness but also more streamlined dimensions. Despite this, they still coil with ease and microphonic noise is minimal, aided by the over-ear fit style. The pre-moulded ear guides impress with a comfortable and well-fitting shape and tangle resistance is excellent too. Despite a slight simplification of the formula, the Eddie is a stunning cable in both look and feel. It feels just as premium as pricier competitors if still shy of the complexity and flourish offered by market leaders.

Next Page: Sound Breakdown