Effect Audio Ares S II 8-Wire Cable Review

The Ares S II 8 Wire is an Effect Audio cable from its Signature Series II, listed at $199 with a choice of 2.5mm, 3.5mm or 4.4mm plugs. The page's specification section names Single Material Litz, Dual Variant QuantumCopper and EPO Pro 26 AWG 8 Wires, plus a ConX 2-pin connection by default and a rhodium plated brass straight plug. The page text gives no cable length.

Specifications

Options and pricing

Three options are listed at $199 each, all orderable when the page was read: Ares S II 8W-2.5mm, Ares S II 8W-3.5mm and Ares S II 8W-4.4mm. The names give the plug size, and the specification section gives the connection as ConX 2-pin (Default) with an EA Standard Rhodium Plated Brass Straight Type Plug. The page text does not describe the ConX system itself.

How it compares

The Effect Audio Signature Series II Ares S II x Cadmus II (A x C II) Earphone Cable is from $249.90 and its spec reads 26AWG 8-Wire High-Purity Upgrade Cable for IEMs, the same 26AWG and 8-wire count as this $199 listing. The Effect Audio Signature Series ARES S 8 Wires Earphone Cable is $237.15 and its spec reads ConX-ready with 2-Pin connector included. The Effect Audio Signature Series Cadmus Lite 4 Wires Earphone Cable is $149 at 24AWG 4 Wires. The Ares S II suits buyers who want an 8-wire, 26 AWG cable at $199; the Cadmus Lite suits a smaller budget at 4 wires.

Shipping, returns and warranty

HiFiGO sells from hifigo.com and says every order leaves its warehouse in China, usually 1-3 business days after it is placed, and says its delivery times are estimates, not promises. Its shipping policy gives the United States 1-2 weeks (about 10 days on average) by Priority and 6-10 days by Premium, both with duties and taxes prepaid by the store; Canada 2-3 weeks; the United Kingdom 1-2 weeks; and Australia 10-15 days. Express couriers (DHL, UPS, FedEx) take 3-7 days, but then the buyer pays any duties and taxes. No shipping page names New Zealand, PO boxes are not accepted, and the free-shipping thresholds differ between the store's own pages, so check the cart. One of its two shipping pages adds that a lost parcel on an order above $50 gets only a 50% refund. A US buyer reported a $40 tariff charge in August 2025, after which HiFiGO said it had added a customs notice at checkout.

Read the return terms before you order. The homepage advertises 7-day returns. Both of HiFiGO's policy pages offer a 7-day dead-on-arrival cover (a replacement or a full refund, with the return postage refunded) and also describe 30-day returns, but a request made 7 to 30 days after delivery loses 30% of the MSRP as a restocking fee (10% more if the packaging is incomplete), plus shipping both ways and duties, and the FAQ on the same pages says there is no refund or exchange once 7 days have passed. One version recommends reselling an opened product locally. Custom IEMs and custom cables cannot be returned, no return address is published, and buyers describe sending items back to China.

Cables and adapters get three months of warranty from the order date, against one year for DACs, amps and IEMs; a note on the same page also excludes cables from returns for hygiene reasons, while the FAQ says a cable can come back in its original condition. HiFiGO decides between repair and replacement and the buyer pays the shipping. Claims go to [email protected], the only contact the store lists: its pages name no company, street address or phone.

On Trustpilot, HiFiGO had 4.6 out of 5 from 378 reviews when we checked on 2026-10-28 (91% five-star, 5% one-star), and it had replied to about 75% of negative reviews; Trustpilot notes the store has not invited customers to review recently. The one-star reviews mostly concern the short return window and the deductions on returns, items listed in stock that turned out back-ordered, slow email support and a tariff charge on a US delivery in 2025. HiFiGO says its products are genuine and come in the brands' retail packaging; it does not claim to be an authorized dealer.