Vortex Nadia
- Added by raylu
- Create date
-
- Tags
- vortext cable
Hello, with the assistance of Andrew and Musicteck I had the great privilege of reviewing the Vortex Nadia available at Musicteck here: https://shop.musicteck.com/collections/vortex-cables
A few notes before we jump into things:
I first came across Vortex cables on my demo of the Nostalgia Audio Durandal and all throughout my cable rolling attempts with this IEM I found nothing that quite brought out the IEM as much as it's stock cable, which for me, is a first. This put Vortex on my radar of cable companies to watch out for as I was very impressed with the technical capabilities and tuning they were able to bring in a "simple" two wire cable. This is likely due to the large amount of unique and albeit rare, in the current market, techniques they used in crafting the cable as well as the tiny details in it's shielding and structure. Needless to say I needed to get my hands on their next big release, which is now the Nadia.
I won't get too deep into all the product details and other specifications surrounding the Nadia's structure, shielding, etc but the Nadia is quite an exotic blend compared to most of Vortex's other line up. Utilizing 2 separate wires for positive and negative cores, the Nadia is compromised of Silver, Gold-Plated Copper, Gold-Plated Silver and Gold-Silver Alloy on the positive side with the negative being Silver and Copper all covered in a Silver-Plated Copper shielding (alongside it's other shielding mechanisms).
I will be comparing the Nadia against several cables, both flagship and those closer in price to it. I believe that testing it against these cables is a fairer comparison than similarly priced cables due to the overall performance which absolutely crushes other cables under the $1k price range. The IEMs used in testing the Nadia were Noble Viking, Nostalgia Tesseract and Camelot. These being my go-to IEMs to test a cable as they are able to quickly allow me to discern the cables sound signature since they are very transparent and susceptible to cable changes.
Build Quality and Ergo:
The Nadia is excellently built and, despite my usual hatred toward paracord sheathed cables, the Nadia remains very flexible and does not retain any strong memory making it difficult to wear or wrap up for storage when you're done using it. It comes equipped standard with ConX Basic (so 2 pin and MMCX connectors available to swap) and a 4.4mm termination. Despite being a larger total AWG (20.6 AWG when all said and done) the cable remains very pliable and flexible and, as stated, without much or any memory when coiled. There are slight microphonics as typically associated with paracord covered cables but they are fairly minimal and mostly only occurred when brushing against a harder surface such as jewelry or a zipper not when simply sliding over your shirt or brushing a desk. The Nadia feels solid with a capable chin cinch that stays well in place when being used without any sliding down or out of position, which is very appreciated. Ear hooks are well done and are stiff without being tough to get around your ear comfortably, some of the better ear hooks I've seen on cables (probably the best I've seen on paracord cables).
Technicals:
Soundstage/Imaging/Resolution/Timbre:
A big surprise for me when first plugging this cable in was just how wide, deep and tall the stage was despite being a two wire cable. Historically in all of my testing the ability for a cable to capture a grander, more holographic, stage was directly proportional to the wire count with gauge being a lesser, secondary, player. The Nadia was able to compete with cables ranging anywhere from double to triple it's price in this area, being comparable to the Cleopatra II Octa, Horus/Cleo and Beat Audio Oslo MKIV. While it doesn't quite reach flagship levels (to be expected, it's a fifth of the price of most flagships) it is close enough that there's no doubt Vortex achieved something great with their geometry and design of this cable.
As stated above, the Nadia presents a holographic stage with well controlled, not overly boomy/bloomy notes but the hint of Copper timbre is present with a slight bloom lingering from the mid bass through the lower mids but despite this, it layers well and has an accurate depiction of instrument/vocal locations without being pin point. The Nadia also errs on the side of copper timbre in it's decay presentation, overall, a lingering note which fans of copper cables will enjoy. My one word description of the Nadia's timbre would be "realistic".
Resolution and separation were also a surprise take-away of the Nadia, the sound is airy and well separated with a very black background which allows notes to pop and fade away into that blackness with a nice contrast. Overall the technical performance of the Nadia is extremely impressive, not only at it's price point, but well above into the 2-3k range of cables.
Ode to Laura (OtL): Despite being full copper vs Nadia's relatively low copper content, the OtL actually has a slightly less copper-toned timbre. The Nadia actually has a blacker background than that of the OtL but the OtL has tighter, faster transients which give a greater sense of resolution from the increased micro-details that are easier to discern comparatively. OTL has a smaller soundstage in terms of width but it is deeper and a greater perception of height from a treble that presents more sparkle and air than the Nadia. Imaging of the OTL is outstanding due to the layering and etched transients but the difference in overall imaging capability is maybe 10 to 15%, and at less than 1/3rd the price, that's quite a feat.
Centurion: This isn't really a fair comparison, as the Centurion once retailed at 5.5k, though now discontinued, while the Nadia is a mere $850. The Centurion is the powerhouse of technical cables, having great extension on both ends of the FR, a massive soundstage in all directions with incredibly precise imaging which is accompanied by class leading resolution. Now, the Nadia still is quite the resolute cable, though not Centurion level but the overall tuning direction is drastically different, with a background blackness that gets within reach of the Centurion but not quite as dark, which for a cable at such a low price is beyond impressive. The two vary greatly in timbre, the Centurion leans very sweet and crisp which utmost clarity in mind (which can at times come off "too clear" for some to sound accurate) where as the Nadia leans for a more rounded and real feeling portrayal.
Cleopatra II Octa: The Cleopatra is still one of the most clarity driven and resolute cables on the market, let alone at it's price range, that remains true in this comparison with the Nadia having great resolution for it's price, 2 wire nature and having copper in the mix (which, for me, typically reduces overall resolution significantly regardless of how good the cable is). The Nadia has a similarly wide, if not slightly wider, soundstage with slightly less height and better overall depth thanks to it's sub bass emphasis vs the cleopatra's mid bass emphasis. Due to the incredible resolution and clarity of the Cleo, it does take the edge in imaging as well, but like the above Centurion comparison, the overall sound signature is so different that one may prefer the Nadia since the technical aspects aren't wildly far out of reach as to sacrifice a tonality one may enjoy more.
Beat Audio Oslo MKIV: The closest in overall price comparison among these cables, the Oslo is a pure silver cable which demonstrates all of what people typically believe silver to sound like, where as the Cleopatra is the outlier of silvers. The Oslo, relative to the Nadia has a wider stage, similar height and depth with overall better imaging quality, but this is the specialty of the Oslo, so it is hard to beat it there, even more expensive cables did not match up to this in my review of it, short of the flagship level cables. In terms of overall build quality, this is the first cable I'd say straight out loses to the Nadia, where the others have an edge in their hardware and overall aesthetics. The Nadia surprisingly is more resolute than the Oslo, I always found the Beat Audio line up to be a bit hazy and sacrificed some resolution to achieve the tonality they were striving for and thus the black background and tuning of Nadia take the win.
Sound Comparison
Bass:
First and foremost, the Nadia is weighted toward the sub bass region, having an impactful punch and kick with a lesser rumble from the mid bass without being overly boosted. This creates a bit of warmth that spills into the mid range giving the notes a well rounded and lightly bloomed edge. Without ever encroaching on making my iems muddy (which was a concern when pairing with Camelot, as Camelot already has a large quantity of mid bass warmth), Nadia is able to bring a smooth lingering decay on top of the light bloom to notes throughout the bass which adds a level of fullness without losing much resolution compared to your typical only copper cable. Transients are on the slower end thanks to the decay and bloom, while I normally shy away from copper cables for this reason, I found the Nadia struck an excellent balance in naturalness without becoming slow/muddled sounding. There is great texture to the bass which is in contrast to the relatively smooth sound of the rest of the FR above it. While the Nadia doesn't have the deepest sub bass extension, it is very good when compared even against drastically higher priced cables and, in my opinion, leading the pack under 1k. As someone who generally tries to pair an IEM to a cable which has a similar sound profile/signature, I believe the Nadia will go well with those of you who have an already bassy IEM which you want just a tad more quantity but more control and accuracy than your standard all copper cable, thanks to the silver and gold-silver alloy included. I can confidently say out of the cables I've owned and demoed in my time, the Nadia will be the best cable to go to for someone wanting sub bass lift under 2k.
Ode to Laura: Both the OtL and the Nadia present similar levels of warmth, and emphasis relative to their sub/mid bass boosts but the OtL provides faster transients with less decay and slightly greater extension. The bass also reaches a bit deeper on the OtL than the Nadia, but as mentioned above in the technicals, this comes at the expense of soundstage width. If choosing solely based on the bass presentation, it would be a tough choice as they both perform at a very high level and it would come down your preferences on stage width, mids and treble (to be discussed shortly!).
Centurion: One of the Centurions trade marks is it's near bottomless extension of the sub bass and slight elevation in quantity. However the Centurion also tightens up the mid bass significantly and perceived quantity is also lower. There's also a significant difference in note weight here, where the Nadia leans toward thicker, heavier notes, the Centurion has a more refined, tight and ethereal sound to it.
Cleopatra II Octa: The Cleo II is far more mid-bass focused than the Nadia, which is more balanced with a Sub bass leaning focus. The Cleopatra has tighter, faster transients than the Nadia and does not sound as full/large. While the Cleopatra II is still a relatively full sounding cable, it doesn't have the additional bloom and decay that the Nadia has, but both present a great black background, leaning slightly in the Nadia's favor (likely due to all the shielding?). While the Nadia is a very dynamic sounding cable, able to present a stark contrast between the lowest lows and the highest highs, I'd say it does not go as low as the Cleo does. If the Cleo is able to go from 0-80%~, the Nadia in comparison is able to do 20%-75%. The Nadia presents great texture added by the sub bass but as is transitions to the mid bass it is less textured than the Cleo which has more rumble than punch, contrasting the Nadia's punch over rumble.
Beat Audio Oslo MKIV: Similar to the Nadia, the Oslo focuses on Sub bass over mid bass, with a very crisp and tight, fast decay as well as quick transients. The bass response of these two couldn't sound more different though, while the Oslo is the epitome of "silver" sound, being fast, extremely punchy and detailed, it lacks the decay that some may look for. This is where the Nadia comes in, retaining the Sub bass focus that the Oslo has but with a much slower decay and a little more mid bass rumble to level things out compared to the ultra focus in sub bass of the Oslo. Both are excellent cables in their own right, but those who typically dislike silver sound can safely pick the Nadia over the Oslo, as despite it's largely silver/silver alloy make up, it brings in that bit of copper tonality that balances the cable out very well.
Mids:
Despite not having a large mid bass lift, the Nadia is able to express a warm lower mid range that is very smooth without losing micro details. The black background is the most apparent here in the lower mids and upper mids as, despite the bloom and decay, guitar riffs cleanly stand out against the vocals which sit very slightly in front of them. Without being recessed sounding, the mids are placed fairly neutrally, definitely not forward (as is my preference) but this allows it to be a much more widely acceptable pairing to cables for the majority of people who are sensitive to upper mid elevations. The Nadia also avoids a major killer of copper cables for me, which is mid bass bleed into the lower mids, in all my tests with any iem and any music despite how heavily elevated they were in mid bass quantity, it was well controlled and kept tucked out of the way of any male vocals. If you're looking for a copper cable with cleaner/clearer mids than that of the typical bloom/bleed stricken copper cables out there, the Nadia is an excellent choice at a great price.
Ode to Laura: While the Ode to Laura is a full copper cable, it exhibits a very ethereal, open, airy and detailed mid range with almost zero bloom. They are tight and controlled which leads to a high amount of micro detail and resolution throughout the mid range and vocals especially. The largest different between these two in their mid presentation comes from the effect of the lower treble on the vocals, which I'll discuss in the next section in further detail. Textural differences are also a wide gap between these two, where the OtL presents a more visceral feel compared to the smoothness of the Nadia. While the Nadia's mids remain neutral, the OtL is lightly pulled back in the mix but still does not become obscured by the mid bass due to the overall control.
Centurion: Centurions mids are clear, resolute and pushed forward, especially upper mids, with the utmost of clarity and detail being the focus alongside a slightly sweetened tonality that keeps vocals smooth but not overly so where they blend together, there is still great separation throughout whereas the Nadia presents a more blended, warmer tonality. Male vocals sound heftier and thicker with the Nadia comparatively, which also carries over into bass guitars that slip into the lower mid range.
Cleopatra II Octa: The Cleopatra is has a strong "analogue" tonality to it's mid range, while being lightly lifted and pushed forward. The Cleo also carries that distinct silver based clarity, tightness and quickness that is present in the bass through the mid range, with a touch of smoothness to remove any harshness from so much resolution and clarity. Both the Nadia and the Cleopatra are a fair bit warmer in their vocals but the Nadia is a touch warmer despite having less mid bass than the Cleo (which is typically attributed to bringing warmth to the lower mids and vocals). The biggest difference between these two is note size, clarity/resolution and timbral warmth. While the cleo takes the lead in clarity and resolution it also has smaller notes that are also less rounded while having slightly more texture than the Nadia.
Beat Audio Oslo MKIV: Both the Oslo and Nadia present a similarly placed mid range, being neutral and not pushed forward or recessed in the mix. While the Nadia is warmer and smoother, the Oslo goes for the exact 180 opposite, being colder and sharp/incisive. One of the things I've noticed with all Beat Audio cables though is a distinct haziness across the mid range and vocals, which is also present here. Due to this haze, the Nadia comes across as more resolute and clearer than the Oslo. Oslo also has more air and space between notes and vocals but has a significantly less black background. Between these two, I drastically preferred the mid range of the Nadia for every IEM I rolled it with which, if you know me and copper cables, is a saying a lot.
Treble:
My typical pain point for any IEM, cable or DAP is the treble presentation. While the Nadia's treble presentation is not lacking detail or extension, for me, it lacks a bit of sparkle. If there was a bit of added sparkle to the Nadia it would balance out some of the darkness and liven up both the mids and bass. While this is my personal preference, I do believe that most will appreciate the treble presentation because they aren't treble-heads like myself. With my personal preferences out of the way though, the treble is reasonably airy and detailed but remains smooth and has no sharpness and any sibilance is smoothed over. The note weight of the bass also carries into the treble, not being as heavy as some other cables out there (like the Sonnet of Adam) but it is certainly not lean. The density of the treble does help to ease the lack of sparkle a bit though, which is a plus in my book but it is a trait I normally shy away from. The darkness and weight of the treble does contribute to the natural tonality the mids are able to obtain so it's a trade off the designers went for, as a lift in treble sparkle would have picked the upper mids forward a bit, which would then impact the bass, so I understand the direction taken. The Nadia presents a very safe but not lacking treble presentation and, like mentioned, will suit the tastes of most listeners.
Ode to Laura: The Ode to Laura comes off with a greater sparkle and greater extension than the Nadia. Both cables present similar levels of air and but the OTL also has a more defined, etched note. Though the OTL has great sparkle and air, it does not sound overly bright or piercing. The "trifecta" of treble is very present on the OTL however, with every cymbal hit being very distinct followed by its crash and reverb, so the clear winner between these two is the OTL for me. The OTL also lacks any warmth or copper timbre in the upper registers that the Nadia does bring to the table. For those with brighter IEMs that you find a little too spicy in the treble, you will want to go with the Nadia.
Centurion: Centurion surpasses the Nadia in treble extension, detail, air and clarity, and like the Ode To Laura, has an extremely present hit, crash and reverb where the Nadia's is a bit more reserved and hidden in some of the note weight. The centurion is also noticeably brighter with much more lower treble sparkle, but without being harsh or sibilant either. The sweetness I mentioned in the mids is carried through to the treble and due to the very natural decay of the centurion, any harshness is more subdued and more micro detail to the sound.
Cleopatra II Octa: The Cleopatra II Octa also retains a slightly smooth treble but has a lot of sparkle to it. This allows the Cleo to be inoffensive but also highly detailed with lots of clarity. The Cleo also has a slightly thicker treble note than other cables in this comparison but still thinner than the Nadia. Similar to the note weight, the Cleo also has a longer decay than others and is also a hair faster decay than the Nadia. Both present a very natural treble response, if you're a person who prefers a slightly brighter, sparklier presentation, I'd lean toward the Cleopatra, but if you are sensitive, or wish to tone down your IEMs sparkle, then the Nadia should be your pick.
Beat Audio Oslo MKIV: Pretty much as far opposite as you can get of the Nadia, the Oslo is bright, sharper, more sparkle and has a thin note weight with fast decay. While the Oslo is brighter, I do find their extension similar. There is also a greater sense of air present in the Oslo's treble than the Nadia, combined with the thinner notes and overall tightness in the presentation, the Oslo comes off as highly detailed where the Nadia sacrifices a little for a darker, smoother and more analogue tone.
Closing:
An up and coming cable company in the ever growing market of aftermarket cables, Vortex is carving themselves a path in affordable and high perfoming cables. I believe the Nadia will be extremely popular as it has excellent technical chops while having a great, inoffensive, tonality which can pair well with many IEMs. If you're in the market for a new cable but don't want to break the bank, then you should definitely check out the Nadia.
If the above sounds like a cable you'd love to get your hands on, don't forget to check out the Musicteck shop at https://shop.musicteck.com/collections/vortex-cables
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed.
A few notes before we jump into things:
I first came across Vortex cables on my demo of the Nostalgia Audio Durandal and all throughout my cable rolling attempts with this IEM I found nothing that quite brought out the IEM as much as it's stock cable, which for me, is a first. This put Vortex on my radar of cable companies to watch out for as I was very impressed with the technical capabilities and tuning they were able to bring in a "simple" two wire cable. This is likely due to the large amount of unique and albeit rare, in the current market, techniques they used in crafting the cable as well as the tiny details in it's shielding and structure. Needless to say I needed to get my hands on their next big release, which is now the Nadia.
I won't get too deep into all the product details and other specifications surrounding the Nadia's structure, shielding, etc but the Nadia is quite an exotic blend compared to most of Vortex's other line up. Utilizing 2 separate wires for positive and negative cores, the Nadia is compromised of Silver, Gold-Plated Copper, Gold-Plated Silver and Gold-Silver Alloy on the positive side with the negative being Silver and Copper all covered in a Silver-Plated Copper shielding (alongside it's other shielding mechanisms).
I will be comparing the Nadia against several cables, both flagship and those closer in price to it. I believe that testing it against these cables is a fairer comparison than similarly priced cables due to the overall performance which absolutely crushes other cables under the $1k price range. The IEMs used in testing the Nadia were Noble Viking, Nostalgia Tesseract and Camelot. These being my go-to IEMs to test a cable as they are able to quickly allow me to discern the cables sound signature since they are very transparent and susceptible to cable changes.
Build Quality and Ergo:
The Nadia is excellently built and, despite my usual hatred toward paracord sheathed cables, the Nadia remains very flexible and does not retain any strong memory making it difficult to wear or wrap up for storage when you're done using it. It comes equipped standard with ConX Basic (so 2 pin and MMCX connectors available to swap) and a 4.4mm termination. Despite being a larger total AWG (20.6 AWG when all said and done) the cable remains very pliable and flexible and, as stated, without much or any memory when coiled. There are slight microphonics as typically associated with paracord covered cables but they are fairly minimal and mostly only occurred when brushing against a harder surface such as jewelry or a zipper not when simply sliding over your shirt or brushing a desk. The Nadia feels solid with a capable chin cinch that stays well in place when being used without any sliding down or out of position, which is very appreciated. Ear hooks are well done and are stiff without being tough to get around your ear comfortably, some of the better ear hooks I've seen on cables (probably the best I've seen on paracord cables).
Technicals:
Soundstage/Imaging/Resolution/Timbre:
A big surprise for me when first plugging this cable in was just how wide, deep and tall the stage was despite being a two wire cable. Historically in all of my testing the ability for a cable to capture a grander, more holographic, stage was directly proportional to the wire count with gauge being a lesser, secondary, player. The Nadia was able to compete with cables ranging anywhere from double to triple it's price in this area, being comparable to the Cleopatra II Octa, Horus/Cleo and Beat Audio Oslo MKIV. While it doesn't quite reach flagship levels (to be expected, it's a fifth of the price of most flagships) it is close enough that there's no doubt Vortex achieved something great with their geometry and design of this cable.
As stated above, the Nadia presents a holographic stage with well controlled, not overly boomy/bloomy notes but the hint of Copper timbre is present with a slight bloom lingering from the mid bass through the lower mids but despite this, it layers well and has an accurate depiction of instrument/vocal locations without being pin point. The Nadia also errs on the side of copper timbre in it's decay presentation, overall, a lingering note which fans of copper cables will enjoy. My one word description of the Nadia's timbre would be "realistic".
Resolution and separation were also a surprise take-away of the Nadia, the sound is airy and well separated with a very black background which allows notes to pop and fade away into that blackness with a nice contrast. Overall the technical performance of the Nadia is extremely impressive, not only at it's price point, but well above into the 2-3k range of cables.
Ode to Laura (OtL): Despite being full copper vs Nadia's relatively low copper content, the OtL actually has a slightly less copper-toned timbre. The Nadia actually has a blacker background than that of the OtL but the OtL has tighter, faster transients which give a greater sense of resolution from the increased micro-details that are easier to discern comparatively. OTL has a smaller soundstage in terms of width but it is deeper and a greater perception of height from a treble that presents more sparkle and air than the Nadia. Imaging of the OTL is outstanding due to the layering and etched transients but the difference in overall imaging capability is maybe 10 to 15%, and at less than 1/3rd the price, that's quite a feat.
Centurion: This isn't really a fair comparison, as the Centurion once retailed at 5.5k, though now discontinued, while the Nadia is a mere $850. The Centurion is the powerhouse of technical cables, having great extension on both ends of the FR, a massive soundstage in all directions with incredibly precise imaging which is accompanied by class leading resolution. Now, the Nadia still is quite the resolute cable, though not Centurion level but the overall tuning direction is drastically different, with a background blackness that gets within reach of the Centurion but not quite as dark, which for a cable at such a low price is beyond impressive. The two vary greatly in timbre, the Centurion leans very sweet and crisp which utmost clarity in mind (which can at times come off "too clear" for some to sound accurate) where as the Nadia leans for a more rounded and real feeling portrayal.
Cleopatra II Octa: The Cleopatra is still one of the most clarity driven and resolute cables on the market, let alone at it's price range, that remains true in this comparison with the Nadia having great resolution for it's price, 2 wire nature and having copper in the mix (which, for me, typically reduces overall resolution significantly regardless of how good the cable is). The Nadia has a similarly wide, if not slightly wider, soundstage with slightly less height and better overall depth thanks to it's sub bass emphasis vs the cleopatra's mid bass emphasis. Due to the incredible resolution and clarity of the Cleo, it does take the edge in imaging as well, but like the above Centurion comparison, the overall sound signature is so different that one may prefer the Nadia since the technical aspects aren't wildly far out of reach as to sacrifice a tonality one may enjoy more.
Beat Audio Oslo MKIV: The closest in overall price comparison among these cables, the Oslo is a pure silver cable which demonstrates all of what people typically believe silver to sound like, where as the Cleopatra is the outlier of silvers. The Oslo, relative to the Nadia has a wider stage, similar height and depth with overall better imaging quality, but this is the specialty of the Oslo, so it is hard to beat it there, even more expensive cables did not match up to this in my review of it, short of the flagship level cables. In terms of overall build quality, this is the first cable I'd say straight out loses to the Nadia, where the others have an edge in their hardware and overall aesthetics. The Nadia surprisingly is more resolute than the Oslo, I always found the Beat Audio line up to be a bit hazy and sacrificed some resolution to achieve the tonality they were striving for and thus the black background and tuning of Nadia take the win.
Sound Comparison
Bass:
First and foremost, the Nadia is weighted toward the sub bass region, having an impactful punch and kick with a lesser rumble from the mid bass without being overly boosted. This creates a bit of warmth that spills into the mid range giving the notes a well rounded and lightly bloomed edge. Without ever encroaching on making my iems muddy (which was a concern when pairing with Camelot, as Camelot already has a large quantity of mid bass warmth), Nadia is able to bring a smooth lingering decay on top of the light bloom to notes throughout the bass which adds a level of fullness without losing much resolution compared to your typical only copper cable. Transients are on the slower end thanks to the decay and bloom, while I normally shy away from copper cables for this reason, I found the Nadia struck an excellent balance in naturalness without becoming slow/muddled sounding. There is great texture to the bass which is in contrast to the relatively smooth sound of the rest of the FR above it. While the Nadia doesn't have the deepest sub bass extension, it is very good when compared even against drastically higher priced cables and, in my opinion, leading the pack under 1k. As someone who generally tries to pair an IEM to a cable which has a similar sound profile/signature, I believe the Nadia will go well with those of you who have an already bassy IEM which you want just a tad more quantity but more control and accuracy than your standard all copper cable, thanks to the silver and gold-silver alloy included. I can confidently say out of the cables I've owned and demoed in my time, the Nadia will be the best cable to go to for someone wanting sub bass lift under 2k.
Ode to Laura: Both the OtL and the Nadia present similar levels of warmth, and emphasis relative to their sub/mid bass boosts but the OtL provides faster transients with less decay and slightly greater extension. The bass also reaches a bit deeper on the OtL than the Nadia, but as mentioned above in the technicals, this comes at the expense of soundstage width. If choosing solely based on the bass presentation, it would be a tough choice as they both perform at a very high level and it would come down your preferences on stage width, mids and treble (to be discussed shortly!).
Centurion: One of the Centurions trade marks is it's near bottomless extension of the sub bass and slight elevation in quantity. However the Centurion also tightens up the mid bass significantly and perceived quantity is also lower. There's also a significant difference in note weight here, where the Nadia leans toward thicker, heavier notes, the Centurion has a more refined, tight and ethereal sound to it.
Cleopatra II Octa: The Cleo II is far more mid-bass focused than the Nadia, which is more balanced with a Sub bass leaning focus. The Cleopatra has tighter, faster transients than the Nadia and does not sound as full/large. While the Cleopatra II is still a relatively full sounding cable, it doesn't have the additional bloom and decay that the Nadia has, but both present a great black background, leaning slightly in the Nadia's favor (likely due to all the shielding?). While the Nadia is a very dynamic sounding cable, able to present a stark contrast between the lowest lows and the highest highs, I'd say it does not go as low as the Cleo does. If the Cleo is able to go from 0-80%~, the Nadia in comparison is able to do 20%-75%. The Nadia presents great texture added by the sub bass but as is transitions to the mid bass it is less textured than the Cleo which has more rumble than punch, contrasting the Nadia's punch over rumble.
Beat Audio Oslo MKIV: Similar to the Nadia, the Oslo focuses on Sub bass over mid bass, with a very crisp and tight, fast decay as well as quick transients. The bass response of these two couldn't sound more different though, while the Oslo is the epitome of "silver" sound, being fast, extremely punchy and detailed, it lacks the decay that some may look for. This is where the Nadia comes in, retaining the Sub bass focus that the Oslo has but with a much slower decay and a little more mid bass rumble to level things out compared to the ultra focus in sub bass of the Oslo. Both are excellent cables in their own right, but those who typically dislike silver sound can safely pick the Nadia over the Oslo, as despite it's largely silver/silver alloy make up, it brings in that bit of copper tonality that balances the cable out very well.
Mids:
Despite not having a large mid bass lift, the Nadia is able to express a warm lower mid range that is very smooth without losing micro details. The black background is the most apparent here in the lower mids and upper mids as, despite the bloom and decay, guitar riffs cleanly stand out against the vocals which sit very slightly in front of them. Without being recessed sounding, the mids are placed fairly neutrally, definitely not forward (as is my preference) but this allows it to be a much more widely acceptable pairing to cables for the majority of people who are sensitive to upper mid elevations. The Nadia also avoids a major killer of copper cables for me, which is mid bass bleed into the lower mids, in all my tests with any iem and any music despite how heavily elevated they were in mid bass quantity, it was well controlled and kept tucked out of the way of any male vocals. If you're looking for a copper cable with cleaner/clearer mids than that of the typical bloom/bleed stricken copper cables out there, the Nadia is an excellent choice at a great price.
Ode to Laura: While the Ode to Laura is a full copper cable, it exhibits a very ethereal, open, airy and detailed mid range with almost zero bloom. They are tight and controlled which leads to a high amount of micro detail and resolution throughout the mid range and vocals especially. The largest different between these two in their mid presentation comes from the effect of the lower treble on the vocals, which I'll discuss in the next section in further detail. Textural differences are also a wide gap between these two, where the OtL presents a more visceral feel compared to the smoothness of the Nadia. While the Nadia's mids remain neutral, the OtL is lightly pulled back in the mix but still does not become obscured by the mid bass due to the overall control.
Centurion: Centurions mids are clear, resolute and pushed forward, especially upper mids, with the utmost of clarity and detail being the focus alongside a slightly sweetened tonality that keeps vocals smooth but not overly so where they blend together, there is still great separation throughout whereas the Nadia presents a more blended, warmer tonality. Male vocals sound heftier and thicker with the Nadia comparatively, which also carries over into bass guitars that slip into the lower mid range.
Cleopatra II Octa: The Cleopatra is has a strong "analogue" tonality to it's mid range, while being lightly lifted and pushed forward. The Cleo also carries that distinct silver based clarity, tightness and quickness that is present in the bass through the mid range, with a touch of smoothness to remove any harshness from so much resolution and clarity. Both the Nadia and the Cleopatra are a fair bit warmer in their vocals but the Nadia is a touch warmer despite having less mid bass than the Cleo (which is typically attributed to bringing warmth to the lower mids and vocals). The biggest difference between these two is note size, clarity/resolution and timbral warmth. While the cleo takes the lead in clarity and resolution it also has smaller notes that are also less rounded while having slightly more texture than the Nadia.
Beat Audio Oslo MKIV: Both the Oslo and Nadia present a similarly placed mid range, being neutral and not pushed forward or recessed in the mix. While the Nadia is warmer and smoother, the Oslo goes for the exact 180 opposite, being colder and sharp/incisive. One of the things I've noticed with all Beat Audio cables though is a distinct haziness across the mid range and vocals, which is also present here. Due to this haze, the Nadia comes across as more resolute and clearer than the Oslo. Oslo also has more air and space between notes and vocals but has a significantly less black background. Between these two, I drastically preferred the mid range of the Nadia for every IEM I rolled it with which, if you know me and copper cables, is a saying a lot.
Treble:
My typical pain point for any IEM, cable or DAP is the treble presentation. While the Nadia's treble presentation is not lacking detail or extension, for me, it lacks a bit of sparkle. If there was a bit of added sparkle to the Nadia it would balance out some of the darkness and liven up both the mids and bass. While this is my personal preference, I do believe that most will appreciate the treble presentation because they aren't treble-heads like myself. With my personal preferences out of the way though, the treble is reasonably airy and detailed but remains smooth and has no sharpness and any sibilance is smoothed over. The note weight of the bass also carries into the treble, not being as heavy as some other cables out there (like the Sonnet of Adam) but it is certainly not lean. The density of the treble does help to ease the lack of sparkle a bit though, which is a plus in my book but it is a trait I normally shy away from. The darkness and weight of the treble does contribute to the natural tonality the mids are able to obtain so it's a trade off the designers went for, as a lift in treble sparkle would have picked the upper mids forward a bit, which would then impact the bass, so I understand the direction taken. The Nadia presents a very safe but not lacking treble presentation and, like mentioned, will suit the tastes of most listeners.
Ode to Laura: The Ode to Laura comes off with a greater sparkle and greater extension than the Nadia. Both cables present similar levels of air and but the OTL also has a more defined, etched note. Though the OTL has great sparkle and air, it does not sound overly bright or piercing. The "trifecta" of treble is very present on the OTL however, with every cymbal hit being very distinct followed by its crash and reverb, so the clear winner between these two is the OTL for me. The OTL also lacks any warmth or copper timbre in the upper registers that the Nadia does bring to the table. For those with brighter IEMs that you find a little too spicy in the treble, you will want to go with the Nadia.
Centurion: Centurion surpasses the Nadia in treble extension, detail, air and clarity, and like the Ode To Laura, has an extremely present hit, crash and reverb where the Nadia's is a bit more reserved and hidden in some of the note weight. The centurion is also noticeably brighter with much more lower treble sparkle, but without being harsh or sibilant either. The sweetness I mentioned in the mids is carried through to the treble and due to the very natural decay of the centurion, any harshness is more subdued and more micro detail to the sound.
Cleopatra II Octa: The Cleopatra II Octa also retains a slightly smooth treble but has a lot of sparkle to it. This allows the Cleo to be inoffensive but also highly detailed with lots of clarity. The Cleo also has a slightly thicker treble note than other cables in this comparison but still thinner than the Nadia. Similar to the note weight, the Cleo also has a longer decay than others and is also a hair faster decay than the Nadia. Both present a very natural treble response, if you're a person who prefers a slightly brighter, sparklier presentation, I'd lean toward the Cleopatra, but if you are sensitive, or wish to tone down your IEMs sparkle, then the Nadia should be your pick.
Beat Audio Oslo MKIV: Pretty much as far opposite as you can get of the Nadia, the Oslo is bright, sharper, more sparkle and has a thin note weight with fast decay. While the Oslo is brighter, I do find their extension similar. There is also a greater sense of air present in the Oslo's treble than the Nadia, combined with the thinner notes and overall tightness in the presentation, the Oslo comes off as highly detailed where the Nadia sacrifices a little for a darker, smoother and more analogue tone.
Closing:
An up and coming cable company in the ever growing market of aftermarket cables, Vortex is carving themselves a path in affordable and high perfoming cables. I believe the Nadia will be extremely popular as it has excellent technical chops while having a great, inoffensive, tonality which can pair well with many IEMs. If you're in the market for a new cable but don't want to break the bank, then you should definitely check out the Nadia.
If the above sounds like a cable you'd love to get your hands on, don't forget to check out the Musicteck shop at https://shop.musicteck.com/collections/vortex-cables
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed.
Disclaimer: Vortex Nadia was a review sample from MusicTeck in return for my honest review. You can purchase Vortex Nadia from there.
About Vortex
From the Vortex website: Vortex, a Hong Kong-based brand, has always upheld the principle of "affordable luxury." To ensure the quality of our cables, we have put considerable effort into their structure and material selection, as well as the design of the packaging and accessories. Vortex aims to provide customers with high-quality upgraded cables at an affordable price without compromising on quality.
My personal experience with Vortex started in 2023 when I tried their previous flagship, Lavinia. Thanks to my friend Raylu, I went through their entire line-up then. I concluded that their house sound signature is neutral, uncolored, and balanced, emphasizing the soundstage and details. The common problem with their cables was not sound-related but the design. None of their cables have a slider. However, it is no longer the case for Nadia.
Hardware
Nadia applies the classic design. The triangle cyberpunk-ish Y-splitter stands out, as always. The flat slider sits on the top and fits the whole design language very well. The lightweight hardware doesn’t affect the comfort, and you won’t feel the hardware is drooping at the bottom. On the IEM end, Nadia uses ConX technology and comes with ConX basic.
Sleeve, Shielding and Ergonomics
The previous generation Vortex cables are relatively stiffy. It is understandable cause all their cables are shielded, to be more specific, multi-layer shielded. However, Nadia is a lot softer than the previous releases, and more importantly, it now has an even more advanced shielding technology–Shielded Twisted Pair Plus (STP+). The STP+, in short, is that Vortex uses different shielding materials for various wire materials. The new structure not only benefits the sound quality but also provides better ergonomics. You can find more introduction about STP+ from MusicTeck’s website:https://shop.musicteck.com/products/vortex-nadia-iem-cable?_pos=1&_sid=b31837f93&_ss=r
Now, let’s go to the most important part: pairing and sound.
Pairing and Sound
The cable, stands alone, does not have “sound” per se. However, testing the cable with different IEMs can roughly conclude the sound signature of the cable. Hence, I started to test the synergy between Nadia and Macbeth/Mentor/Alter Ego, trying to conclude Nadia's signature and whether it may guide your cable rolling.
With Macbeth
The Eletech stock cable is not bad at all. As a matter of fact, I tested multiple thousands of dollars with Macbeth and found the stock cable still sounds the most natural to my ears. Nadia provides tighter and faster bass slams to Macbeth, giving leaner imaging at the end. The mid-range becomes more neutral, and the upper-mid is a bit flatter than the stock cable. The treble has more air filled in, making the sound more open and transparent.
With Multiverse Mentor
MM is my favorite IEM for pop, rock, RnB, and most vocals. The top-tier speed, dynamic, and forward mids make MM so special for these genres. However, the stock cable, despite being a high-tier PW, the mid bass is a bit boomy and too warm for some tracks. With Nadia, the bass remains punchy but become noticeably faster and less boomy. The mid-range is leaner and less colored, which helps more details pop out. The transition from mids to treble is smoother and more linear. I also noticed the soundstage becomes wider with Nadia.
With Alter Ego
Alter Ego was very sensitive to the cables. I bought Eclipse for Alter Ego based on MusicTeck’s recommendation. In comparison, Nadia has a tighter, more articulate bass and punchier texture. The mids sound more neutral and with improved clarity. The vocal presence sounds more apparent and clearer. The lower treble has more excitement and sparkles, which makes the whole presentation brighter and more vivid.
“Sound Signature”
After testing Nadia and comparing it with different stock cables, I found there are several unique sound signatures that make Nadia stand out. First would be its soundstage. With all three IEMs that I have tested, Nadia is able to stretch out the soundstage width and improve the separation. I found imaging becomes more precise and clearer. Second would be the bass. Nadia is able to produce a tighter, deeper bass by reducing the excessive bass decay around 80hz to 150hz. It is more noticeable with Mentor and Macbeth, coincidentally both of them have BA bass. In the end, Nadia will also shift the energy from the upper-mid to the lower-treble a bit. For some IEMs, it is a welcome feature like Alter Ego, which makes the sound livelier instead of being too safe. For Mentor, not so much, because it makes the upper-mid sounds a bit flat and removes some colors in the upper frequency.
Comparison
I don’t have many cables at Nadia’s price point, so I borrowed Liquid Links Venom for review purposes.
Nadia vs LL Venom
Nadia is tuned very neutral and fast, with just a touch of warmth to prevent being overly analytical. Venom, on the other hand, is a lot warmer and full of juice but tends to be a bit slow. With Macbeth, Venom sounds closer to the stock cable but gives more weight to the sound. Nadia sounds more neutral, more controlled, and faster.
With Mentor, Venom made the bass slower, giving more bass decay. The mids sounds fuller and lusher with more rounded edges. The treble is smoother, with a dark but glorious color at the top. Nadia has cleaner, brighter imaging. The timbre is less colored but has more details and sounds more transparent. Nadia brings in more air to the treble and has a wider soundstage.
Nadia vs Astral Eclipse
Eclipse is a pure silver cable with a copper timbre. It reminds me a lot of Effect Audio Cleopatra Octa. With Alter Ego, Eclipse makes the lower end a touch warmer and fuller. The sub-bass becomes more impactful, and the treble is smoother and creamier. The mid is revealing and lively. The mid-to-treble extension is slower compared to Nadia. Nadia makes the imaging slimmer and more precise. The bass reaches deeper and has a tighter texture. The mids sound clean and clear. The upper-mid sounds crispy combined with more pronounced lower-treble sparkles make the upper frequency sound more engaging.
Conclusion
Nadia has a neutral, balanced, and lively sound. It does not color the IEMs that much like Venom or even Eclipse. It maintains the majority of the original timbre of the IEMs but brings in a little more air and crispness to the sound. Meanwhile, the soundstage is noticeably extended, especially in terms of width, with every IEM I have tested. At ~$1000 price range, Nadia makes noticeable technical improvements to the sound. In my personal opinion, it filled the blank at this price point, being a neural-reference cable. $849 isn’t a small amount of money, but considering the quality and the audio benefits you can get from Nadia, it is an amazing deal. Previously I thought LL Venom and Astral Acoustics Eclipse have capped the thousand-bucks IEM cable market, but now the challenger is here!
About Vortex
From the Vortex website: Vortex, a Hong Kong-based brand, has always upheld the principle of "affordable luxury." To ensure the quality of our cables, we have put considerable effort into their structure and material selection, as well as the design of the packaging and accessories. Vortex aims to provide customers with high-quality upgraded cables at an affordable price without compromising on quality.
My personal experience with Vortex started in 2023 when I tried their previous flagship, Lavinia. Thanks to my friend Raylu, I went through their entire line-up then. I concluded that their house sound signature is neutral, uncolored, and balanced, emphasizing the soundstage and details. The common problem with their cables was not sound-related but the design. None of their cables have a slider. However, it is no longer the case for Nadia.
Hardware
Nadia applies the classic design. The triangle cyberpunk-ish Y-splitter stands out, as always. The flat slider sits on the top and fits the whole design language very well. The lightweight hardware doesn’t affect the comfort, and you won’t feel the hardware is drooping at the bottom. On the IEM end, Nadia uses ConX technology and comes with ConX basic.
Sleeve, Shielding and Ergonomics
The previous generation Vortex cables are relatively stiffy. It is understandable cause all their cables are shielded, to be more specific, multi-layer shielded. However, Nadia is a lot softer than the previous releases, and more importantly, it now has an even more advanced shielding technology–Shielded Twisted Pair Plus (STP+). The STP+, in short, is that Vortex uses different shielding materials for various wire materials. The new structure not only benefits the sound quality but also provides better ergonomics. You can find more introduction about STP+ from MusicTeck’s website:https://shop.musicteck.com/products/vortex-nadia-iem-cable?_pos=1&_sid=b31837f93&_ss=r
Now, let’s go to the most important part: pairing and sound.
Pairing and Sound
The cable, stands alone, does not have “sound” per se. However, testing the cable with different IEMs can roughly conclude the sound signature of the cable. Hence, I started to test the synergy between Nadia and Macbeth/Mentor/Alter Ego, trying to conclude Nadia's signature and whether it may guide your cable rolling.
With Macbeth
The Eletech stock cable is not bad at all. As a matter of fact, I tested multiple thousands of dollars with Macbeth and found the stock cable still sounds the most natural to my ears. Nadia provides tighter and faster bass slams to Macbeth, giving leaner imaging at the end. The mid-range becomes more neutral, and the upper-mid is a bit flatter than the stock cable. The treble has more air filled in, making the sound more open and transparent.
With Multiverse Mentor
MM is my favorite IEM for pop, rock, RnB, and most vocals. The top-tier speed, dynamic, and forward mids make MM so special for these genres. However, the stock cable, despite being a high-tier PW, the mid bass is a bit boomy and too warm for some tracks. With Nadia, the bass remains punchy but become noticeably faster and less boomy. The mid-range is leaner and less colored, which helps more details pop out. The transition from mids to treble is smoother and more linear. I also noticed the soundstage becomes wider with Nadia.
With Alter Ego
Alter Ego was very sensitive to the cables. I bought Eclipse for Alter Ego based on MusicTeck’s recommendation. In comparison, Nadia has a tighter, more articulate bass and punchier texture. The mids sound more neutral and with improved clarity. The vocal presence sounds more apparent and clearer. The lower treble has more excitement and sparkles, which makes the whole presentation brighter and more vivid.
“Sound Signature”
After testing Nadia and comparing it with different stock cables, I found there are several unique sound signatures that make Nadia stand out. First would be its soundstage. With all three IEMs that I have tested, Nadia is able to stretch out the soundstage width and improve the separation. I found imaging becomes more precise and clearer. Second would be the bass. Nadia is able to produce a tighter, deeper bass by reducing the excessive bass decay around 80hz to 150hz. It is more noticeable with Mentor and Macbeth, coincidentally both of them have BA bass. In the end, Nadia will also shift the energy from the upper-mid to the lower-treble a bit. For some IEMs, it is a welcome feature like Alter Ego, which makes the sound livelier instead of being too safe. For Mentor, not so much, because it makes the upper-mid sounds a bit flat and removes some colors in the upper frequency.
Comparison
I don’t have many cables at Nadia’s price point, so I borrowed Liquid Links Venom for review purposes.
Nadia vs LL Venom
Nadia is tuned very neutral and fast, with just a touch of warmth to prevent being overly analytical. Venom, on the other hand, is a lot warmer and full of juice but tends to be a bit slow. With Macbeth, Venom sounds closer to the stock cable but gives more weight to the sound. Nadia sounds more neutral, more controlled, and faster.
With Mentor, Venom made the bass slower, giving more bass decay. The mids sounds fuller and lusher with more rounded edges. The treble is smoother, with a dark but glorious color at the top. Nadia has cleaner, brighter imaging. The timbre is less colored but has more details and sounds more transparent. Nadia brings in more air to the treble and has a wider soundstage.
Nadia vs Astral Eclipse
Eclipse is a pure silver cable with a copper timbre. It reminds me a lot of Effect Audio Cleopatra Octa. With Alter Ego, Eclipse makes the lower end a touch warmer and fuller. The sub-bass becomes more impactful, and the treble is smoother and creamier. The mid is revealing and lively. The mid-to-treble extension is slower compared to Nadia. Nadia makes the imaging slimmer and more precise. The bass reaches deeper and has a tighter texture. The mids sound clean and clear. The upper-mid sounds crispy combined with more pronounced lower-treble sparkles make the upper frequency sound more engaging.
Conclusion
Nadia has a neutral, balanced, and lively sound. It does not color the IEMs that much like Venom or even Eclipse. It maintains the majority of the original timbre of the IEMs but brings in a little more air and crispness to the sound. Meanwhile, the soundstage is noticeably extended, especially in terms of width, with every IEM I have tested. At ~$1000 price range, Nadia makes noticeable technical improvements to the sound. In my personal opinion, it filled the blank at this price point, being a neural-reference cable. $849 isn’t a small amount of money, but considering the quality and the audio benefits you can get from Nadia, it is an amazing deal. Previously I thought LL Venom and Astral Acoustics Eclipse have capped the thousand-bucks IEM cable market, but now the challenger is here!
The listening experience of the Nadia line is not like previous Vortex cables, which often had slightly less transparency in the high frequencies. This time, the cable is very balanced and maintains a dark background while still delivering the metallic timbre of the alloy cables, though it does not completely follow the taste of high-end pure copper or silver cables. However, I find this cable to be excellent for everyday use. I must honestly say I wasn’t so excited about the arrival of this cable, especially after seeing its similar appearance. Although the cable itself is quite beautiful, looking at the same type of cable for a long time, despite color changes, can still be somewhat tiring. But, as expected, the sound quality does not lie.
This time, I paired it with the Elysian X (a limited flagship) and a new brand yet to be launched, Satin Silk, giving me a whole new appreciation for this cable. It offers excellent dynamics and healthy spherical imaging, providing a very good experience. It’s not overly thick like Lavinia (which is only suitable for dynamic IEMs) but maintains a high-frequency extension like Eliana (though slightly less dynamic). Considering the price under $900, I think it has reached the limits of what can be achieved at this price point. Satin and X are both dynamic IEM types, so there is no major conflict in use, and they can also control some overly booming frequencies, making the overall headphones more balanced. Especially on the Satin Silk, it can display flat high-frequency details while controlling slightly booming lows, ensuring that the overall sound isn’t overwhelmed by any frequency range. This IEM is expected to launch before New York Canjam, so please look forward to it, as it’s the highlight of this Dallas exhibition and currently my favorite hybrid flat-panel IEM!
Consumer habits and levels vary by location. In North America, in-ear consumer groups are somewhat more extreme. Usually, players who own super-flagship IEMs will choose matching price point cables, and while Vortex Cable’s workmanship and sound quality are better than many brands, their pricing strategy doesn't always align perfectly with North American users. Generally, mid-priced cables can’t perform as excellently and thoroughly as Vortex does, so many users tend to skip this price range and go directly for flagship cables. I can only say that this cable has indeed brought me quite a surprise, at least in terms of sound quality it has achieved more balance than before, which I think is quite appealing to people who like to listen to classical, string, and acoustic music. I am looking forward to the next generation of Eliana next year, and I am very hopeful that Vortex Cables can produce an even higher-spec flagship cable, especially with so much technology at their disposal, I believe a high-end flagship would meet the public’s expectations.
Again, thanks for your time, I hope you enjoy my short impression on Nadia.
