Sound of Alida: The General Profile
Alida is an all-rounder cable that desires an overall boost in performance rather than targeting a single aspect. The first change of sound I hear through Alida is the sweet, cheerful timbre. Alida upbrings the vocal tones while adding noticeable depth. Speaking of depth, the bass also gets quite a significant improvement. The bass feels fuller in the body with thicker colors. This makes the bass stand out more clearly and strongly, though it’s a different feel than those that simply boost the bass quantity.
Alida keeps the bass clean and neat, not interfering with the mid-range. It’s common for a cable to be considered bass-heavy when it strengthens depth and bass presentation. However, Alida is a different kind as it also brings airy mid-highs and cleanliness. Mids and highs gain a creamy texture that makes the surface smooth, yet the texture grain is nicely displayed at the same time. A subtle shine and airiness are abundant throughout the upper-ends. Overall, Alida’s tuning is very well-balanced, making it an ideal match with various IEMs.
Matched with Astell&Kern Zero 2 (Review link)
Astell&Kern Zero 2 is an earphone that offers a pure reference tuning that focuses on tonal accuracy and clear textures. Some may find the sound to be a tad grainy or lacking a weighty punch on the lower ends. In such cases, Alida pairs beautifully with the Zero 2. Alida tunes up the texture to be smoother though not smudging away the technical details, keeping the sound just as clear. It’s more that the grains got more refined and leveled. The crisp and slightly dry nuance of Zero 2 is what allows these IEMs to have blatant accuracy in texture details, and Alida respects these characteristics while making the sound richer and silky smooth.
Another reason why this pairing is nice is because of the timbre. As said, Zero 2 has a pure, strict-neutral timbre for accuracy, and Alida seamlessly adds a bit of flavor and richness. The sound still brings out a highly neutral tone but is now added with a touch of sweetness, making Zero 2 more enjoyable to listen to. Lastly, lows and mids gain depth and thickness in color. Quantity remains similar to the original but the lower-ends are now better presented and the sound is kept just as tight. Alida adds weight and depth to make the sound more impactful and dynamic.
Matched with Unique Melody Maven
Let’s now talk about one of my favorite Unique Melody earphones, the Maven. It’s been some period since this one was released – but Maven is still one finest flagship IEMs that treat my ears. However, one downside is that the stock cable doesn’t do one better for Maven. Pairing Alida with Maven not only matches in color but also works nicely in performance.
One of Maven’s charms is the full-bodied richness that sparkles details throughout the headroom, though some may find the cleanliness to be a tad lacking. The first sonic difference is that the overall sound gets organized. The background got darker and quieter, making the music stand out clearer. Alida brings these loose ends tighter, making the music even fuller and richer in tone, while offering better separation and control throughout the spectrum. The crisps and sparkles are crispier but still fatigue-free as they were. Alongside, the lows and mids also gain deeper depth and natural flow to the tone, making the bass and vocals sound more breathable and lively.
Compared to Vortex Seraphina
Compared to Seraphina, the little brother of Vortex cables, Alida has a more balanced, matured, and less v-shaped sound signature while bringing out just as clear and deep-nuanced tone. While Seraphina prefers to give an extra boost in sub-bass quantity, Alida keeps the bass better controlled in quantity and focuses on the leveled and texture resolution. Although I’d say Alida is fairly superior in overall performance, though bass portion would be more of a matter of preference. The mid-highs sound more lush and rich. Alida also has a slightly better resolution and reverb details for the mid-highs. But then again, make sure to consider the price and sound signature difference.
Carefully boasts with Golden Silver Bliss
Although Alida is priced lower than Vortex Lavinia, the sonic charms and level of tuning are no lesser in quality. Alida is a cable that has infused itself with the good properties of gold and silver materials. The warm and deep low-end extension and airy, transparent upper frequencies will bring an overall boost in performance.
Vortex Alida would be a fine match with most of the IEMs, especially for multi-driver IEMs as Alida lets each driver better stand out in characteristics while keeping the harmony. Although Alida has a calm, sedated grey look on the outside, the inner golden silver wires boast your IEMs with lush resolution and beautifully charming timbre.
