Fragrance comparison

Cacophony vs China Affair

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 8 Nov 2026 92 ratings analysed

Cacophony

Parfums Vintage

4.1226 votes

Rank #20,874 CitrusAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

63%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

China Affair

Alexandria Fragrances

4.1466 votes

Rank #25,356 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

China Affair takes 4 of 7 categories.

Cacophony
Choose it for a citrus and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
China Affair
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Cacophony3/7

China Affair4/7

Ratings & consensus: China Affair
Community sentiment: China Affair
Longevity: Cacophony
Sillage & projection: Cacophony
Value for money: China Affair
Versatility: China Affair
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Cacophony

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

CacophonyParfums Vintage

China AffairAlexandria Fragrances

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.12/ 5 · 26 votes

Have 29%Had 6%Want 65%

4.14/ 5 · 66 votes

Have 45%Had 13%Want 42%

Category winnerChina AffairRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

58%Love

19%Like

0%Ok

23%Dislike

0%Hate

26 votes

50%Love

29%Like

7%Ok

13%Dislike

2%Hate

56 votes

Category winnerChina AffairMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityCacophony

SillageCacophony

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value75

Category winnerChina AffairBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

amber92%

fresh spicy84%

warm spicy77%

patchouli69%

sweet61%

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

citrus77%

patchouli69%

balsamic61%

Scent match63%Closely related · both amber, citrus and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top30 to 45 minutes

BergamotNeroliBitter Orange

Heart3 to 5 hours

PatchouliRoseIrisJasmine

Base6 to 8 hours

White ChocolateOlibanumBenzoinMuskVanilla

Top

CitrusesBitter OrangeNeroli

Heart

PatchouliRoseJasmineOrris

Base

BenzoinWhite ChocolateIncenseWoody NotesAmberMuskOlibanum

InformationalShared notesNeroli, Bitter Orange, Patchouli and Rose. Durations are only published for Cacophony, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring80

Summer20

Fall100

Winter100

Day70

Night100

Spring87

Summer30

Fall100

Winter100

Day91

Night100

Category winnerChina AffairMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men17

Unisex83

Women0

Men15

Unisex60

Women25

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,874

PerfumerDamien Stammers

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#25,356

PerfumerHany Hafez

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerCacophonyHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cacophony by Parfums Vintage presents an assertive contrast between brisk citrus and rich, earthy sweetness. The fragrance opens with sharp bergamot, bitter orange, and neroli before revealing an intense core of earthy patchouli, powdery iris, rose, and jasmine. As it dries down, the scent settles into a sweet, resino…

Reviews →

China Affair is an amber, patchouli, and incense fragrance brightened by bitter orange and neroli. It opens sharper and more citrusy than the base suggests, then settles into a warm, resinous, slightly powdery drydown with white chocolate adding a soft sweet touch. It suits buyers who enjoy rich oriental styles with s…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Cacophony or China Affair?

China Affair takes 4 of 7 categories. Cacophony is rated 4.12/5 from 26 votes; China Affair is rated 4.14/5 from 66 votes. Choose Cacophony for a citrus and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose China Affair for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Cacophony or China Affair?

They last about the same: Cacophony 74/100, China Affair 73/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Cacophony or China Affair?

Cacophony projects furthest (Cacophony 73/100, China Affair 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cacophony and China Affair smell similar?

Closely related: a 63% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, citrus and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Neroli, Bitter Orange, Patchouli and Rose.

Is Cacophony or China Affair better for summer or winter?

For summer, China Affair is the stronger pick. For winter, Cacophony is the stronger pick. Cacophony suits evening wear; China Affair suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cacophony and China Affair?

Cacophony has top notes of Bergamot, Neroli and Bitter Orange, heart notes of Patchouli, Rose, Iris and Jasmine, a base of White Chocolate, Olibanum, Benzoin and Musk. China Affair has top notes of Citruses, Bitter Orange and Neroli, heart notes of Patchouli, Rose, Jasmine and Orris, a base of Benzoin, White Chocolate, Incense and Woody Notes.