OK guys, so after burning my V6-Stages in for over 30+ hours, I decided it was a good time for a better test. I don't think it makes a huge difference to burn them in or not, but maybe it's just me. Anyways, here goes:
Equipment used:
1964 Ears V6-Stage
MacBook Pro Mid-2009
Songs used:
Open Your Ears CD (Head-Fi reference HD tracks)
Track 1 - Midrange Tonality (The Persuasions - Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of)
All the vocals sound even-leveled, maybe the lower (bass vocal) is emphasised just a bit. Almost sounds like they are standing around you, singing. The stereo imaging is amazing.
Track 2 - Low-level resolution (Jazz Side of the Moon - Money)
The subtleties of drum hits reverbing the church are noticeable. The low keys of the organ are very organic, so is the brass. Great placement of instruments in the stereo imaging.
Track 3 - Transparency (John Hammond - Get Behind the Mule)
The highs aren’t too aggressive, although very well presented. The vocal has a strong presence and is centered in the dead middle. The recording is extremely clear, the strumming is very well defined.
Track 4 - Visceral Impact (Babatunde Olatunji - Sare Tete Wa)
The combination of bass and all the drums with the percussion present a very groovy experience. The bass guitar melts just over the drums to give a soft accompainment. The vocals are put more in the background, they melt with music very well.
Track 5 - Out-Of-Head imaging (I-Ching - Gadamaylin)
The track presents the opportunity to experience the true imaging possibilities of the V6-Stages. The levels of distance are presented extremely well, it’s a real 3D imaging test. Given a 3D matrix, you could easily define where in space a specific instrument/sound is located. The bass that comes in after a minute is a little too loud.
Track 6 - Center Focus (Rebecca Pidgeon - Texas Ranger)
The vocal is in the dead centre, nicely supported by the fiddle on the right and the banjo on the left. The dynamics of the voice are very noticeable.
Track 7 - Palpable Detail and Texture (David Chesky - Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra, Movement 3)
The clapping seems very natural with plenty of room’s reverb. The complicated composition is a demanding listening material but rewarding. The instrument separation is very good and even at times when a lot of instruments are playing, if you make an effort, you can distinguish between them very easily.
Track 8 - Rhythm (Monty Alexander - Hajji Baba)
The groove at 1:50 brings together the musicianship of the drummer, bassist and pianist and gives a grooving and driving ride throughout the rest of the song. The bass during the last 45 seconds of the track feels very warm and soft.
Track 9 - Spatial Depth (Best of Chesky - Percussion Imaging Test)
A fantastic test when Richard Crooks plays drums at different lengths from the mic. The mic is picking up the dynamics of the playing very well and this can be heard with the V6S very well. The reverb really starts to be noticed when Richard’s playing 9 feet from the mic. Amazing test, which once again confirms the realism of the imaging capabilities of the V6-Stages.
Track 10 - Depth (The Conga Kings - Tumbao De Tamborito)
The percussion is split over the whole stereo spectre, while the sax is in the centre. The bass is pushed back a bit.
Track 11 - Bass Extension (Dr. Chesky - Heartbeat)
This test starts with 50 Hz heartbeat, that will get your head (and body) pumping. The lower frequencies really depend on the listener’s ability to hear 20 Hz, but it is definitely there.
12 - Bass (Billy Burnette - Everything is Broken)
This track is intended to test the bass clarity and definition. With V6-Stages, you can define the instruments very easily and also the difference between the bass drum and the bass guitar. The bass drum doesn’t have the tone quality of the bass guitar, so it’s not too difficult to figure it out, but you do need good earphones to do that. And the V6-Stages do it like nobody’s business.
