Vortex Audio Lavinia Review – All Natural

Sound –

The Lavinia uses an exotic conductor mix and with that, it becomes difficult to envision what kind of sound to expect. Vortex Audio promises extended treble and bass set to a dark background. I’d say that this is what the cable delivers. I found a consistent theme among my pairings included a slightly more weighted sub-bass with greater pressurization and a slight increase in sparkle and overall note definition. It’s a pleasant tonality that is clean, mild and likeable. As with the Eddie Square, I don’t find the overall sound changes to be as pronounced as on other boutique cables. This is both a pro and a con as some of those cables can product odd imaging. At the same time, those wanting that instant wow factor may be left wanting and I will say I did expect a bit more of that pizzazz on a flagship product.

Bass –

True to the marketing, the Lavinia succesfully draws out a more extended, weighted sub-bass and it also introduces a tighter and more defined note presentation. This means the low end remains well organised despite a slight increase in overall presence. Notes are slightly emboldened due to an increase in sub-bass pressure and volume. However, it isn’t the most aggressive low-end nor the bassiest cable I’ve tested. The mid-bass has a subtle warmth to it that contributes more to a sense of richness or grandness but not to the extent that I would label the Lavinia as a warm cable overall. Rather than dynamics stealing the show, to me this is a cable that focuses on weight and texture.

Part of this comes down to the technical aspects. The cable when paired with a good hybrid or DD IEM delivers solid weight and sub-bass presence but not the most aggressive and assertive attack. At the same time, decay is quick and definition is increased meaning fine textures are drawn out of the mix. Complex tracks sound organised and delineated. While there is some increase in dynamics, the Lavinia doesn’t strike me as a rhythm-focused cable as something like the Eletech Socrates would. Accordingly, if you want power and slam, this isn’t the cable for you. The Lavinia is about introducing a subtle increase in rumble and weight alognside a general step up in technical performance.

Mids –

As aforementioned, the Lavinia isn’t the most overtly coloured cable which enhances the versatility of its pairings. The midrange to me is one of the highlights of this cable despite not being so overtly advertised. Chiefly, the Lavinia provides an enriched, enlarged vocal presence with excellent power and liquidity. The midrange benefits from minimal tonal colouration on behalf of the subtle and sub-bass focused low-end. There’s good presence in the lower midrange upholding coherence and note body. Above, a slight centre-midrange bump and neutral upper-midrange imbue said size and power.

Male vocals sound well-defined and avoid bass colouration and fuzz while female vocals are the star of the show being large, glossy and highly resolved. At the same time, articulation is a touch smooth which takes the edge off whilst reducing sibilance and intensity. It’s a great selection of qualities, being naturally voiced and noticeably more resolving than standard out of the box OFC cables. Indeed, sometimes less is more and what sets the Lavinia aside from something like the cheaper Eddie is the noticeable increase in resolving power, enabling the midrange to pop more. It sounds more vivid but no brighter. Positioning is about neutral, but the voicing is made smoother and more robust.

Highs –

The top-end will be hit and miss depending on your priorities. As with many other high-end boutique cables, I won’t lambast a smoother presentation as high-end IEMs tend to skew bright in their pursuit of absolute resolution, often making darker cable pairings a good idea. The Lavinia exemplifies this with its smooth low and mid treble regions. Notes are slightly thin as a result and less incisive but are still clearly expressed in summary due to an uptick of upper-treble presence. Fine detail in the foreground can take a slight hit due to the smoother onset of notes. There is less bite and crispness on display relative to most cables and the similarly smooth mid-treble doesn’t do much to redeem this either. At the same time, don’t mistake a smooth sound for one that is lacking in detail. There is a notable jump in sparkle set to a strong overall top octave extension. This results in a thinner note body but also a convincing sense of energy and micro detail.  

Due to said thinness there is some loss of texture relative to most decent copper-based cables. This is especially prevalent with cymbals which can sound slightly splashier if lacking the brightness to fatigue and mire. In return, the listener is granted an immaculately clean background and overall complete lack of fatigue and intensity. It’s an interesting combination between sparkle and nuance alongside smoothness and darkness. The Lavinia is a unique option suitable for those wanting sparkle and holography without introducing additional brightness. It brings out the best in the technical performance of the accompanying IEM while maximizing listenability during long listening sessions.

Soundstage –

Due to the increase in extension and sparkle, the Lavinia produces a moderate increase in width. At the same time, depth tends to be more intimate as vocals are slightly more potent. They are nonetheless, well centered and highly focused. Imaging is traditional and accurate. The cable presents a good layering performance that isn’t hyper-delineated but provides a nice spread across a vast space. This creates a more immersive and holographic image altogether when paired with the increase in sparkle. Separation is just mediocre due to the smoother note presentation and slight increase in note size. Accordingly, though the cable serves to improve bass definition and midrange resolution, it balances out the increase in note size over maximizing these qualities.

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