Introduction to the Dekoni Ensemble Review
Dekoni Audio is a critical brand as far as headphone-related accessories go. Suppose you see someone on your local forum who is looking for replacement earpads or other comfort-related accessories. In that case, I can guarantee that 95 times out of 100, Dekoni Audio will be a part of the conversation. After all, they are known for making affordable, widely available, and well-differentiated products to cater to most users’ needs. The Ensemble cables are no different in that regard – modular cables, which you can purchase piece by piece, are Dekoni Audio in a nutshell. High quality presented by the Ensemble represents another trend, which is synonymous with the brand’s DNA.
What even are the Ensemble cables? Well, imagine this – you have two pairs of headphones, one with mini-XLR connectors, and one with 3.5mm connectors. Would be nice to have one cable with all of those available, right? With the Dekoni Ensemble, that’s exactly what you get – one part of the cable has the headphone plugs, the other has the termination you would plug into an amp of choice. Just connect them via the 2.5mm jack hidden inside the splitter. Plug, twist to secure, click, and you’re done. Want to use another connector, either at the headphones or on the amplifier side? Just plug in the module with your desired termination. Simple as that. If you want, you can choose from two design options – a white, metallic braided wire or a blue nylon woven option. One cable (well, technically, a few modules) to rule them all!
Packaging
The unboxing experience here is among the simplest imaginable. Small boxes made of thin cardboard house each module of the cable. No padding, no memorabilia, no love letters, no silica gel snacks. Just the box, the cable, and you. Thankfully, there are large images on the boxes depicting which module is inside, so you know what you’re handling at a glance, instead of having to look for small text somewhere on the side of the box. Praising such simple packaging was quite the test for my creative writing. But to be completely honest, if you have six of those packages to unbox, it’s a very small thing that deserves that very small bit of appreciation.
Design, Build Quality and Tech
The Ensemble cables are not the cutting edge of audio technology – the brand relies on the intelligent use of known solutions instead of trying to reinvent the wheel. What deserves praise, however, is the execution – the splitter is quite sleek despite housing an entire connector, though I think that with some small refinements, it could be made even smaller. Also, at first, I was quite skeptical of the 2.5mm connector being used – wouldn’t it simply unplug at the slightest yank? Well, it doesn’t, thanks to the simple but very effective construction, which has the user twist the connector to lock everything in place.
The build quality is decent, but it’s nothing astronomically amazing. It’s good enough to get the job done, as one should expect from an 80 USD cable. The splitter housing and the connectors are made of plastic with clear L and R distinctions at the headphone connectors, and an MCS (Modular Cable System, which is what Dekoni calls the whole invention) logo at the 4.4mm connector that I’ve been provided with. The cables themselves are flowy and light; they don’t clutter up the desk and don’t remember the shape they spent the last 12 hours in, which is all I would want from a utility-focused cable.
NYLON OR BRAIDED? SOUND AND ERGONOMICS
You may have noticed that so far, I haven’t spent much time talking about the differences between the two available options. That’s because there aren’t as many differences as one may initially think. Despite the design differences, which may suggest to a common audiophile that the braided one would be more expensive, both options cost the same. In fact, every module costs the same, no matter the termination, whether it’s the headphone side or the amp side, or whether you’re going with a nylon version or the braided one.
To be completely honest, I don’t consider this to be a bad thing at all, as the choice is immediately made simple for the customer. As far as the usability of the cables goes, both options are very similar as well. Despite the build of the “wire” itself being different, both options are equally pleasant to use as far as ergonomics go – the cables don’t get in the way of everyday use, even if you tried your best to somehow make a mess on your desk. Sonically, it’s not a performance revolution, though with Hifiman stock cables, it’s apparent that there’s an upgrade of sorts. With both cable options.
The sound differences are very subtle, and I don’t think the decision whether you should get this cable or not should rely purely on the cable’s effect on sound. After all, it’s mostly a convenience product, not meant to flip your headphone system upside down with exotic materials and out-of-this-world finishing touches. If I were to describe the differences in sound, I’d say that during some listening sessions, the treble-intensive instruments stood out quite a bit. The sound is clear and dynamic, as it should be. To be honest, saying that this cable keeps things relatively neutral is quite a compliment. After all, sometimes the wrong cables can bring unwelcome alterations to sound.
Dekoni Ensemble Review – Summary
The Dekoni Ensemble modular cables make for a very interesting product, and I am glad it has reached my desk – the convenience and ease of use here is through the roof, and I can easily see them becoming a staple in my headphone tests. The cables don’t take on weird shapes you may have left them in, are lightweight, and seamlessly adapt to your setup, and how it may change in the future.
More importantly, the Ensemble cables carry on the trend of Dekoni Audio making great quality products in an accessible price range. Despite cables being their less popular offerings, Dekoni still sets the bar high for affordable audio accessories. It’s hard not to give this product a high recommendation despite its simplicity relative to more extravagant cable offerings in the audio space. In fact, I think the simplicity of the construction, combined with its ingenuity, is its strongest suit. Great job!
Highly recommended!
Big thanks to Jackrabbit for providing us with the Dekoni Ensemble for this review. I wasn’t paid or asked to say anything good or bad about this product, all of the above is just my personal, unbiased opinion.
