Vision Ears VE6 X-Control
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Vision Ears VE6xc
Disclaimer:-
The VE6xc was sent to me by Vision Ears as part of a review tour in my country, in exchange for my honest opinion. I am neither paid by nor affiliated with Vision Ears in any way and have no incentive whatsoever, for writing anything positive or negative about the IEM. The views shared in this article are my personal views based on my usage for a week or so. I’d like to thank Amin Karimpour for providing me with an opportunity to review this IEM.
The Germany-based company, Vision Ears, has delivered some premium and well-received IEMs that have been quite popular with audiophiles. I was previously blown away by the performance of their EVE20 and was naturally very excited when I received one of their top-line IEMs, the VE6xc. The VE6xc is a six BA IEM, packed in a resin shell with an impedance of 20 ohms and a sensitivity of 122 dB. The IEM has a 4-way system with 2 balanced armature drivers for bass, 2 for mids, 1 for high mids, and 1 for highs. The USP of the VE6xc (the C stands for control) is the control switch that can be used to change the signature between two Vision Ears’ IEMs, the VE6x1, and VE6x2. This, however, makes it an expensive affair at 1750 euros.
Since the customs charges and duties for a boxed set in India are exorbitant, we requested VE to send us an unboxed unit. Hence, I will not be able to talk about the unboxing experience or the accessories that are included in the retail package. The IEM, however, has a good fit and provides a good seal with the SpinFits ear tips (CP100) that are included in the package. Personally, I prefer foam tips and had used the Dekoni Mercury tips with these.
The cable felt somewhat flimsy and delicate, something that I wouldn’t expect from an IEM in this price range. Another gripe of mine is that the IEM comes with a 3.5mm SE cable. It would be great if Vision Ears could include a balanced cable or a modular cable with different terminations. One thing I’d like to highlight here is that the 2 pin connectors seemed hard to disconnect, which in my opinion is a good thing. The cable is light and is free of microphonics. The unit I received for the review had a customized faceplate that had a glittery finish and looked gorgeous. Vision Ears has a lot of custom faceplate options to choose from and includes the choice of having either a clear cable or a black one. This unit came with a clear cable.
Sound:
Lows
The lows on the VE6xc are quite detailed and are a tad bit warm, especially when compared to the EVE20. The VE6xc scales significantly with amping and this is easily reflected in the bass response. Nonetheless, the VE6xc has tight bass though that requires significant power. The bass seemed somewhat slow and lacked the rumble and depth in comparison to the EVE20.
Mids
Perhaps the highlight of the VE6xc is their performance in the mids section. This is one of the finest and smoothest performers in terms of vocals that I have come across. Both male and female vocals sound delicious. There is a good weight to the notes in this region that makes instruments sound life-like and grand. One could be forgiven for drooling over the vocals, especially since it seems like we’re listening to a live performance. In comparison to the EVE20, the VE6xc is clearly the winner here.
Highs
There is sufficient sparkle in this region and the set provides for an airy experience. The highs are well refined without a hint of sibilance or excessive brightness. The treble is smooth, non-fatiguing, detailed, and well layered. One can truly appreciate the texture and refinement in this region.
Control Switch
The 2 modes and the VE6xc seemed to be different primarily in terms of bass response. One of them is warmer with elevated bass and “fun” sounding. While the other is very linear and well-balanced. I preferred the warmer mode (VE6x1) since the other mode (Ve6x2) was too flat for my taste. Either way, the switch definitely makes a difference and perhaps allows the pair to be suitable for a wider variety of genres.
Other
In terms of dynamics, I personally felt that the EVE20 has a significant upper hand. However, when it comes to layering and instrument separation, the VE6xc is much better. Both of them have a wide soundstage and the VE6xc is definitely the more musical of the two and has a holographic presentation with excellent imaging. Since I listen to a lot of EDM, I felt like the EVE20 was more suitable for my taste. Though someone who enjoys classical music is likely to prefer the VE6xc. In spite of being an all BA IEM, the VE6xc has a really good timbre that is comparable to a dynamic driver.
Conclusion
The VE6xc is a great pair of IEMs but is quite an expensive pair. The high cost makes it hard for me to recommend this IEM, especially since I found the relatively lower-priced EVE20 to be the superior one of the two. It is an excellent IEM for those who love vocals thanks to its exceptional performance in the mids region. Perhaps the novelty of packing 2 IEMs in a single package has elevated the cost, but one could, in my honest opinion, pick either the VE6x1 or VE6x2 based on their preference.
Disclaimer:-
The VE6xc was sent to me by Vision Ears as part of a review tour in my country, in exchange for my honest opinion. I am neither paid by nor affiliated with Vision Ears in any way and have no incentive whatsoever, for writing anything positive or negative about the IEM. The views shared in this article are my personal views based on my usage for a week or so. I’d like to thank Amin Karimpour for providing me with an opportunity to review this IEM.
The Germany-based company, Vision Ears, has delivered some premium and well-received IEMs that have been quite popular with audiophiles. I was previously blown away by the performance of their EVE20 and was naturally very excited when I received one of their top-line IEMs, the VE6xc. The VE6xc is a six BA IEM, packed in a resin shell with an impedance of 20 ohms and a sensitivity of 122 dB. The IEM has a 4-way system with 2 balanced armature drivers for bass, 2 for mids, 1 for high mids, and 1 for highs. The USP of the VE6xc (the C stands for control) is the control switch that can be used to change the signature between two Vision Ears’ IEMs, the VE6x1, and VE6x2. This, however, makes it an expensive affair at 1750 euros.
Since the customs charges and duties for a boxed set in India are exorbitant, we requested VE to send us an unboxed unit. Hence, I will not be able to talk about the unboxing experience or the accessories that are included in the retail package. The IEM, however, has a good fit and provides a good seal with the SpinFits ear tips (CP100) that are included in the package. Personally, I prefer foam tips and had used the Dekoni Mercury tips with these.
The cable felt somewhat flimsy and delicate, something that I wouldn’t expect from an IEM in this price range. Another gripe of mine is that the IEM comes with a 3.5mm SE cable. It would be great if Vision Ears could include a balanced cable or a modular cable with different terminations. One thing I’d like to highlight here is that the 2 pin connectors seemed hard to disconnect, which in my opinion is a good thing. The cable is light and is free of microphonics. The unit I received for the review had a customized faceplate that had a glittery finish and looked gorgeous. Vision Ears has a lot of custom faceplate options to choose from and includes the choice of having either a clear cable or a black one. This unit came with a clear cable.
Sound:
Lows
The lows on the VE6xc are quite detailed and are a tad bit warm, especially when compared to the EVE20. The VE6xc scales significantly with amping and this is easily reflected in the bass response. Nonetheless, the VE6xc has tight bass though that requires significant power. The bass seemed somewhat slow and lacked the rumble and depth in comparison to the EVE20.
Mids
Perhaps the highlight of the VE6xc is their performance in the mids section. This is one of the finest and smoothest performers in terms of vocals that I have come across. Both male and female vocals sound delicious. There is a good weight to the notes in this region that makes instruments sound life-like and grand. One could be forgiven for drooling over the vocals, especially since it seems like we’re listening to a live performance. In comparison to the EVE20, the VE6xc is clearly the winner here.
Highs
There is sufficient sparkle in this region and the set provides for an airy experience. The highs are well refined without a hint of sibilance or excessive brightness. The treble is smooth, non-fatiguing, detailed, and well layered. One can truly appreciate the texture and refinement in this region.
Control Switch
The 2 modes and the VE6xc seemed to be different primarily in terms of bass response. One of them is warmer with elevated bass and “fun” sounding. While the other is very linear and well-balanced. I preferred the warmer mode (VE6x1) since the other mode (Ve6x2) was too flat for my taste. Either way, the switch definitely makes a difference and perhaps allows the pair to be suitable for a wider variety of genres.
Other
In terms of dynamics, I personally felt that the EVE20 has a significant upper hand. However, when it comes to layering and instrument separation, the VE6xc is much better. Both of them have a wide soundstage and the VE6xc is definitely the more musical of the two and has a holographic presentation with excellent imaging. Since I listen to a lot of EDM, I felt like the EVE20 was more suitable for my taste. Though someone who enjoys classical music is likely to prefer the VE6xc. In spite of being an all BA IEM, the VE6xc has a really good timbre that is comparable to a dynamic driver.
Conclusion
The VE6xc is a great pair of IEMs but is quite an expensive pair. The high cost makes it hard for me to recommend this IEM, especially since I found the relatively lower-priced EVE20 to be the superior one of the two. It is an excellent IEM for those who love vocals thanks to its exceptional performance in the mids region. Perhaps the novelty of packing 2 IEMs in a single package has elevated the cost, but one could, in my honest opinion, pick either the VE6x1 or VE6x2 based on their preference.
Vision ears VE6XC review
This vision ears VE6XC iem was sent to me as part of a review tour , arranged by vision ears . I m not paid by any one to write anything good or bad. All the expressions are my own.
Specifications
This iem has 6 ba drivers ,2 for lows 2 for mids and 1 for high-mids and 1 for highs in acrylic shell.
Impedance-20ohms and sensitivity is 122db
packaging
This iem is review unit so all accessories not included. Though it came with very good round metal case which is very nice Matt black colour and very solid yet beautiful.iems came with stock cable which I feel could be better for its price point and set of spinfit tips
Fit ,Isolation and comfort
VE6XC is very light weight and comfortable.it has better fit and more mainstream universal type shape if compared to eve20 and slightly smaller shells then eve20 so I guess there shouldn't be any fit issues for most of the users while isolation is very good with stock spinfit tips but spinfit tips creats vacuum effect little bit some time So i used fiio stock tips ,JVC spiral dots and stock spinfits for listening seasons.
Sound Impressions
Lows
This set has all ba setup though I never missed DD bass ever during my listening seasons .it has well extended,very well controlled and tastefully done bass response.it has slightly less impact but more authority in bass region than eve20 .but there is more details in low end .subbass rumble is noticeably more in quantity and deep than eve20 . Reminiscent of some DD cans. Midbass is punchy but not very agressive.bass is slightly warmer than eve20 but slightly felt slower then eve20. Eve20 was tighter and fast in this segment
Mids
Mids are on this set is mind-blowing.very smooth and lush. Vocals are excellent ,thick and with proper weight. Male and female both vocals feels so fresh , very emotional and capable of giving you that special extra ordinary experience. Far more emotional than eve20 . Entire midrange of ve6xc is superior than many other iems out there. You will literally lost in songs while listening this set. Instrumental and electronic, trance music sounds very pleasing. Listening Chinmaya dunsters Fengshui :Eightfold path was an amazing experience on this set
Highs
Treble is sparkly , extended and airy yet smooth. There is proper air in between instruments. It is not felt bright or fatiguing for a nano second. Detail retrieval and refinement is whole another level but in buttery smooth way. Treble is not so energetic not grainy and sibilant for my taste.and I loved it because I'm treble sensitive little bit. In short high frequencies on this set is more refined and resolving then eve 20.
soundstage and imaging
Soundstage is wide enough for an iem though not extra ordinary wide and expansive.but I wudnt consider it intimate though. It is three dimensional with slightly less in width than eve20 but depth is more in ve6xc. Imaging is proper. I m Capable of imagine instruments placement and vocalist's position.gaming and movie watching experience was good on ve6xc but I wud pick eve20 for movie over this
Speed and Dynamics
Ve6xc all ba drivers performs very well in this this segment also but eve20 can easily outperform ve6xc in speed and dynamics but remember eve20 is whole another level beast when we talks about this segment
Tonality and Timbre
Very sweet tonality. It has slightly warmer and pleasing tonality then eve20 .No dreaded BA timbre felt any where over entire spectrum. It is reminiscent of hifiman Ananda + some warmer source like ifi micro black label
Xtra Control aka X control switch
Vison ears makes two versions of ve6 .X1 and X2 .Both versions has similar 6 ba drivers set up but different tuning via crossover settings.The X Control version of ve6 aka ve6xc made for users who wants both variants in one model. Set X control toggle switch in down position for X1 variant and in Up position you will get X2 variant. Interesting ain't ? Let's see what this different positions offers.x1 profile has slightly emphasized bass response in comparison of X2 profile.but in general aspect X1 has just right amount of bass which is my favourite sound signature. In X2 rest of frequency response is almost same apart from slightly emphasized bass. In X2 it is more neutral and flatter frequency response if compared to X1. Pick your poison. Mine is X1 LoL
Conclusion
Vision ears Ve6xc is much more musical than eve20 and fun to listen type iem .it is not boring or analytical by any mean. It is very easy to drive and sensitive though not source picky like other sensitive iems. You can literally run it with any source. It is much more forgiving then moondrop blessings 2. though if there is very bad recordings ve6xc definitely will point it out .I never needed to turn on ie match on my ifi micro idsd black label. This iem can be end game for many audiophile music lovers including me. If we compare eve20 with ve6xc, Eve20 is porsche So ve6xc is mercedes of iems,yeah both are German.I want to say thanx again to Amin from vision ears and suman bro for including me in this Vision ears tour de india danke .
Happy listening.
Gear Used For Audition
1) laptop
2) smart phone
3) dd hifi tc35b
4) fiio btr5
5) ifi micro idsd black label
This vision ears VE6XC iem was sent to me as part of a review tour , arranged by vision ears . I m not paid by any one to write anything good or bad. All the expressions are my own.
Specifications
This iem has 6 ba drivers ,2 for lows 2 for mids and 1 for high-mids and 1 for highs in acrylic shell.
Impedance-20ohms and sensitivity is 122db
packaging
This iem is review unit so all accessories not included. Though it came with very good round metal case which is very nice Matt black colour and very solid yet beautiful.iems came with stock cable which I feel could be better for its price point and set of spinfit tips
Fit ,Isolation and comfort
VE6XC is very light weight and comfortable.it has better fit and more mainstream universal type shape if compared to eve20 and slightly smaller shells then eve20 so I guess there shouldn't be any fit issues for most of the users while isolation is very good with stock spinfit tips but spinfit tips creats vacuum effect little bit some time So i used fiio stock tips ,JVC spiral dots and stock spinfits for listening seasons.
Sound Impressions
Lows
This set has all ba setup though I never missed DD bass ever during my listening seasons .it has well extended,very well controlled and tastefully done bass response.it has slightly less impact but more authority in bass region than eve20 .but there is more details in low end .subbass rumble is noticeably more in quantity and deep than eve20 . Reminiscent of some DD cans. Midbass is punchy but not very agressive.bass is slightly warmer than eve20 but slightly felt slower then eve20. Eve20 was tighter and fast in this segment
Mids
Mids are on this set is mind-blowing.very smooth and lush. Vocals are excellent ,thick and with proper weight. Male and female both vocals feels so fresh , very emotional and capable of giving you that special extra ordinary experience. Far more emotional than eve20 . Entire midrange of ve6xc is superior than many other iems out there. You will literally lost in songs while listening this set. Instrumental and electronic, trance music sounds very pleasing. Listening Chinmaya dunsters Fengshui :Eightfold path was an amazing experience on this set
Highs
Treble is sparkly , extended and airy yet smooth. There is proper air in between instruments. It is not felt bright or fatiguing for a nano second. Detail retrieval and refinement is whole another level but in buttery smooth way. Treble is not so energetic not grainy and sibilant for my taste.and I loved it because I'm treble sensitive little bit. In short high frequencies on this set is more refined and resolving then eve 20.
soundstage and imaging
Soundstage is wide enough for an iem though not extra ordinary wide and expansive.but I wudnt consider it intimate though. It is three dimensional with slightly less in width than eve20 but depth is more in ve6xc. Imaging is proper. I m Capable of imagine instruments placement and vocalist's position.gaming and movie watching experience was good on ve6xc but I wud pick eve20 for movie over this
Speed and Dynamics
Ve6xc all ba drivers performs very well in this this segment also but eve20 can easily outperform ve6xc in speed and dynamics but remember eve20 is whole another level beast when we talks about this segment
Tonality and Timbre
Very sweet tonality. It has slightly warmer and pleasing tonality then eve20 .No dreaded BA timbre felt any where over entire spectrum. It is reminiscent of hifiman Ananda + some warmer source like ifi micro black label
Xtra Control aka X control switch
Vison ears makes two versions of ve6 .X1 and X2 .Both versions has similar 6 ba drivers set up but different tuning via crossover settings.The X Control version of ve6 aka ve6xc made for users who wants both variants in one model. Set X control toggle switch in down position for X1 variant and in Up position you will get X2 variant. Interesting ain't ? Let's see what this different positions offers.x1 profile has slightly emphasized bass response in comparison of X2 profile.but in general aspect X1 has just right amount of bass which is my favourite sound signature. In X2 rest of frequency response is almost same apart from slightly emphasized bass. In X2 it is more neutral and flatter frequency response if compared to X1. Pick your poison. Mine is X1 LoL
Conclusion
Vision ears Ve6xc is much more musical than eve20 and fun to listen type iem .it is not boring or analytical by any mean. It is very easy to drive and sensitive though not source picky like other sensitive iems. You can literally run it with any source. It is much more forgiving then moondrop blessings 2. though if there is very bad recordings ve6xc definitely will point it out .I never needed to turn on ie match on my ifi micro idsd black label. This iem can be end game for many audiophile music lovers including me. If we compare eve20 with ve6xc, Eve20 is porsche So ve6xc is mercedes of iems,yeah both are German.I want to say thanx again to Amin from vision ears and suman bro for including me in this Vision ears tour de india danke .
Happy listening.
Gear Used For Audition
1) laptop
2) smart phone
3) dd hifi tc35b
4) fiio btr5
5) ifi micro idsd black label
Attachments
Disclaimer: The VE6 XC was received as a part of the Vision Ears review tour. There is no compensation in cash or kind for the review. The views expressed are solely mine. YMMV
The Vision Ears 6 XC was one half of the Vision Ears tour (EVE20 was the other IEM). It came in a simple oversized zipper case with a pair of stock tips. This review shall focus on the sound (no fluff, yay).
Technicals
. 6 BA drivers on each side doing duties
. 2 pin SE ended cables. Stock cable is very thin and light, and remids me of the old Westone 3 cables. Very robust and not prone to tangles, with memory wires/sleeve for around the ear wear.
- Tone switch on the faceplate is an interesting addition to switch the tonality from a warm sounding iem to a neutral sounding iem.
Markings on the shell includes a possible manufacturing date (16-09/20) in this case.
Beauty shots - These look gorgeous. There is a nice marbled reflective faceplate with gold, pink, purpleand blue highlights that is mesmerising in good light. This along can keep people entertained for a while.
The shells are similar to the EVE20, filled in near completely The shells are translucent and the drivers and the connections are clearly visible from the outside.
Another view of the colors
Overview
The VE 6XC is a 6 BA IEM from Vision Ears. The shells are filled acrylic, and this makes the IEM to be lightweight, both during carry as well as listening.
The tone control switch is placed on the faceplate, as opposed to the side in case of other iems. This allows for changing the tone while the IEM is in use. Very utilitarian, imho. The tone switch can switch the iem into 2 different sounding modes. The warm mode (which I prefer with this iem) and the neutral mode.
Fit
The fit is a little of an issue without the right tips. The stock tips creates a vaccuum pressure that can get painful very quickly. I rolled tips and found the Tennmak Whirlwind work well for me.
I have a relatively small concha and the IEM is on the slightly larger size for long term comfort.
The Sound
The Warm mode - This mode makes the IEM very fun sounding and forgiving. It is very enjoyable on almost all genres of music, except ones requiring very fast response. They are perfect for vocals, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, classic rock, EDM etc. The sound is very smooth, decent stage, with excellent imaging. The stage is 2D and that of a medium sized room. There is a lack of depth though. The texture is very good across the board, be it bass, mids or treble. Both male and female vocals sound great.
The bass is very reminiscent of the focal clear, in terms of quality (not quantity). It is very full sounding, inspite of being all BA.
Micro detail retrieval is excellent, often hearing brushing of the hand against the guitar strings or the bow of a violin touching the strings before play
However, at the end of the day, when you settle in after a tiring day, these are perfect to put on and listen in. Very soothing.
The Neutral mode - This mode makes the sound a little less bassy, and keeps the rest of the spectrum as is. All details are present and the same stage, detail and imaging persists. This could be a useful mode for analytical listening for all but the busiest of tracks.
Song impressions
Source - Hiby R5, Laptop -> Dragonfly Red, FxAudio Dac X6, Saphire amp, Xduoo XD05 with Burson V5, LG V30+ on Tidal master, Hifi and Spotify premium, Youtube premium
Being a sensitive IEM, these could run out of any device without much trouble. Infact I had to drop the volume to single digits on the DFR on tidal. These dont need amping and using an amp does not change things much.
Iron Maiden - Wicker Man - This is a fairy fast metal track that I use to test for sibilance or tonal imbalance. Bruce's vocal range tests any headphone or iem very well. Good microdetail pickup, strange metallic clanking in the background can be made out clearly (Tidal 2015- Remaster) - this is probably an issue with the remaster. Well spotted by the iem
Janine Jansen - Vivaldi: The Four Seasons - La Primavera - 1. Allegro - Excellent sounding with the the bass mode. Cello/double bass has authority. Great microdetail pickup (violin bow noise starting 0:33 - 1:05). Cellos are beautifully rendered. Fast violin sections from 1:44 overlap, and the note separation is lost in the fast sections.
Janine Jansen - Vivaldi: The Four Seasons - Léstate : Presto - Outdone by the speed of instruments. The soundscape is mostly mushy in this fast track. Cellos/double bass again sound great. Very Focal Clear like bass in terms of quality.
Lady Labyrinth - Eniaudi Live - 2D imaging. There is no depth to the space. Detail retrieval is good, with width and height is above average. Some strings sound excessively loud
November Rain - GNR - Vocals sound distant. Good stage width and height.
The Lonely Shepherd - Zamfir - Pan pipes sound realistic. Wide stage.
James Blunt - You're Beautiful - Good stage. A guitar plays only on the right side, for most of the song.
Yosi Horikawa - Bubbles - excellent stage and positioning. Faster background into the track gets a little fuzziness.
Comparisons
vs EVE20 - EVE20 is at a lower price range than the VE6XC. The detail retrieval is very similar between the two. The EVE20 has very quick transitions and is able to stay focussed on fast tracks. The VE6XC does get a little fuzzy on the fast pieces, but without distortion. The stage of the EVE20 is massively wide, while it is an adequately large room with the VE6XC. The bass is a lot more fun with the VE6XC.
vs UM Martian - The Martian is a hybrid iem from Unique Melody (2DD and 2 BA), but in the same tonal ball park. Hence I selected it for comparison. Inspite of the DD on the Martian, the bass on the VE6XC was more engaging and fun. I had a lot of fun with 80s pop and classic rock track alike. The Martian does not however suffer with fast music and is able to reproduce the tracks accurately. The soundstage is 3D with good depth too. Hence I would place them on equal levels with each having their strength areas.
Conclusion
The VE6XC is a fun sounding IEM that is well built and is capable of reproducing micro details in a stellar fashion. While there is a proliferation of multi-driver iems, the VE6XC is an easy recommend for the sound signature alone.
P.S: I would like to thank Amin Karimpour and VE for the tour, and shoutout to Suman for arranging the tour
The Vision Ears 6 XC was one half of the Vision Ears tour (EVE20 was the other IEM). It came in a simple oversized zipper case with a pair of stock tips. This review shall focus on the sound (no fluff, yay).
Technicals
. 6 BA drivers on each side doing duties
. 2 pin SE ended cables. Stock cable is very thin and light, and remids me of the old Westone 3 cables. Very robust and not prone to tangles, with memory wires/sleeve for around the ear wear.
- Tone switch on the faceplate is an interesting addition to switch the tonality from a warm sounding iem to a neutral sounding iem.
Markings on the shell includes a possible manufacturing date (16-09/20) in this case.
Beauty shots - These look gorgeous. There is a nice marbled reflective faceplate with gold, pink, purpleand blue highlights that is mesmerising in good light. This along can keep people entertained for a while.
The shells are similar to the EVE20, filled in near completely The shells are translucent and the drivers and the connections are clearly visible from the outside.
Another view of the colors
Overview
The VE 6XC is a 6 BA IEM from Vision Ears. The shells are filled acrylic, and this makes the IEM to be lightweight, both during carry as well as listening.
The tone control switch is placed on the faceplate, as opposed to the side in case of other iems. This allows for changing the tone while the IEM is in use. Very utilitarian, imho. The tone switch can switch the iem into 2 different sounding modes. The warm mode (which I prefer with this iem) and the neutral mode.
Fit
The fit is a little of an issue without the right tips. The stock tips creates a vaccuum pressure that can get painful very quickly. I rolled tips and found the Tennmak Whirlwind work well for me.
I have a relatively small concha and the IEM is on the slightly larger size for long term comfort.
The Sound
The Warm mode - This mode makes the IEM very fun sounding and forgiving. It is very enjoyable on almost all genres of music, except ones requiring very fast response. They are perfect for vocals, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, classic rock, EDM etc. The sound is very smooth, decent stage, with excellent imaging. The stage is 2D and that of a medium sized room. There is a lack of depth though. The texture is very good across the board, be it bass, mids or treble. Both male and female vocals sound great.
The bass is very reminiscent of the focal clear, in terms of quality (not quantity). It is very full sounding, inspite of being all BA.
Micro detail retrieval is excellent, often hearing brushing of the hand against the guitar strings or the bow of a violin touching the strings before play
However, at the end of the day, when you settle in after a tiring day, these are perfect to put on and listen in. Very soothing.
The Neutral mode - This mode makes the sound a little less bassy, and keeps the rest of the spectrum as is. All details are present and the same stage, detail and imaging persists. This could be a useful mode for analytical listening for all but the busiest of tracks.
Song impressions
Source - Hiby R5, Laptop -> Dragonfly Red, FxAudio Dac X6, Saphire amp, Xduoo XD05 with Burson V5, LG V30+ on Tidal master, Hifi and Spotify premium, Youtube premium
Being a sensitive IEM, these could run out of any device without much trouble. Infact I had to drop the volume to single digits on the DFR on tidal. These dont need amping and using an amp does not change things much.
Iron Maiden - Wicker Man - This is a fairy fast metal track that I use to test for sibilance or tonal imbalance. Bruce's vocal range tests any headphone or iem very well. Good microdetail pickup, strange metallic clanking in the background can be made out clearly (Tidal 2015- Remaster) - this is probably an issue with the remaster. Well spotted by the iem
Janine Jansen - Vivaldi: The Four Seasons - La Primavera - 1. Allegro - Excellent sounding with the the bass mode. Cello/double bass has authority. Great microdetail pickup (violin bow noise starting 0:33 - 1:05). Cellos are beautifully rendered. Fast violin sections from 1:44 overlap, and the note separation is lost in the fast sections.
Janine Jansen - Vivaldi: The Four Seasons - Léstate : Presto - Outdone by the speed of instruments. The soundscape is mostly mushy in this fast track. Cellos/double bass again sound great. Very Focal Clear like bass in terms of quality.
Lady Labyrinth - Eniaudi Live - 2D imaging. There is no depth to the space. Detail retrieval is good, with width and height is above average. Some strings sound excessively loud
November Rain - GNR - Vocals sound distant. Good stage width and height.
The Lonely Shepherd - Zamfir - Pan pipes sound realistic. Wide stage.
James Blunt - You're Beautiful - Good stage. A guitar plays only on the right side, for most of the song.
Yosi Horikawa - Bubbles - excellent stage and positioning. Faster background into the track gets a little fuzziness.
Comparisons
vs EVE20 - EVE20 is at a lower price range than the VE6XC. The detail retrieval is very similar between the two. The EVE20 has very quick transitions and is able to stay focussed on fast tracks. The VE6XC does get a little fuzzy on the fast pieces, but without distortion. The stage of the EVE20 is massively wide, while it is an adequately large room with the VE6XC. The bass is a lot more fun with the VE6XC.
vs UM Martian - The Martian is a hybrid iem from Unique Melody (2DD and 2 BA), but in the same tonal ball park. Hence I selected it for comparison. Inspite of the DD on the Martian, the bass on the VE6XC was more engaging and fun. I had a lot of fun with 80s pop and classic rock track alike. The Martian does not however suffer with fast music and is able to reproduce the tracks accurately. The soundstage is 3D with good depth too. Hence I would place them on equal levels with each having their strength areas.
Conclusion
The VE6XC is a fun sounding IEM that is well built and is capable of reproducing micro details in a stellar fashion. While there is a proliferation of multi-driver iems, the VE6XC is an easy recommend for the sound signature alone.
P.S: I would like to thank Amin Karimpour and VE for the tour, and shoutout to Suman for arranging the tour
VISION EARS is a small and owner driven company in the heart of cologne/Germany. They are well known in the audiophile community and other sound enthusiast communities and have been making iems (mostly customs) for the past decade. The Best thing, their office is always open for people to try out their iem which is big + in my book. Given my interaction and the wonderful nature of one of their Owners, @AminKarimpour , I am awed by the humble nature and friendliness of the person. His dedication and fast response to any questions I had during the review tour, I am have become a fan of him. Their VE Premium line which includes the EVE 20 and ELYSIUM and their VE custom line consisting of VE2-8 (now having Universal options too) have created a great deal of name and fame for their wonderful Sound Signature and looks.
DISCLAIMER- Today I am getting to review the VE 6XC- Vision Ears 6 X-control. This has been provided to me by Vision Ears in exchange for my honest opinion for which I am grateful to both Vision Ears, Amin Karimpour and @suman134 for including me in this tour.
VE 6XC- Vision Ears 6 X-control (Wish I could write this in purple)
VE 6XC- It encompasses two different iems all together with a switch on its faceplate. Its two different iems VE 6X1 and X2 in one iem (A proverb here- “One arrow two targets”) and for the first time for me, the switch makes a good enough difference between two sound signatures.
TECHNICAL DATA-
Driver count of Six balanced-armature drivers- 2 x Bass; 2 x Mids; 1 x High Mids; 1 x Highs
Impedance: 20Ω @ 1kHz
Sensitivity: 122dB @ 1mW
A SWITCH - Two switchable signatures via the XControl switch system (X1 and X2)
PRICE- 1750- € for universal and 1950 € for custom.
UNBOXING EXPERIENCE-
Now given the price of this iem and the atrocious Indian customs (which we still had to pay) this was sent in a small packet and a M size Spinfit tips.
On opening the packet, I am greeted with carry case- written VE all on top of it and Zip puller with wonderful rubber VE written on it.
Opening the carry case -
A beautiful looking IEM which has Purple Vinyl faceplate filled with those golden and purple small foils or something really small pieces of painted aluminium (seems like purple looks like a fav colour of VE, I like purple too MY PC CASE has purple lights ha-ha).
Attached is a thin 4 strand black plastic coated 3.5mm cable and a black stock ear tips of M size.
Inside the case- I also found a pair of M size Spinfit ear tips.( forgot the pic
)
BUILD & FIT-
The iem seems to be built of a bluish tinted transparent acrylic shell with the lovely golden and purple foil filled Vinyl face plate.
All the BA drivers can be seen through easily and No R/L written on the iem. The manufacturing date is written on the IEM – IN RED ON RIGHT IEM AND IN WHITE ON LEFT IEM denoting R and L iem. The attention to detail is so mind blowing; wow!!
Weight of the iem- It is really non-existent. Its light as a feather. There’s a switch on the front of face plate and really satisfying click when switching on the iem.
Nozzle- Its 0.9cm long from the body and has a diameter of 0.6cm. It has no grill and has a two-hole design. It has those machined cut marks on the nozzle head really adds to the reality of the iem.
Connectors- Now these are two pin connectors but these are so tight that I could not open them at all haha. Hair dryer did not do the trick too. I don’t want to break them so did not use any force at all (May the Force be with you- You will need it to remove the 2pin connectors
).
Coming on to the cable- The cable is 4 strand, black soft plastic-coated ending on a 3.5mm connector. The cable is soft, non-microphonic and really vanishes with the iem (has the weight of hair haha). The connectors are 2pin and have a small red circle and a small blue circle on either of them to indicate right side and left sides connectors respectively.
Now the cable is all good but given the price of this iem, I would want a little thicker cable that would add a certain degree of confidence and yes a easy to open 2pin connector haha.
FIT- Now this iem had kinda avg fit for my small-medium size ears. I achieved perfect fit with using M sized tips but somehow was not comfortable for my ears. I could wear it for only 1-2 hours max and then my ears would ache.
Since they got CIEM version I would highly suggest to go for it.
POWAH REQUIRED- Even if you blow on it, it will play music haha
. Its really easy to drive even phones are sufficient to drive it easily.
NOTE- This IEM is used with
NOW COMING ON TO THE SOUND OF THE VE 6 XControl.
BASS AND SUB BASS-
DARKER SIDE- JONNY LANG- Feel the kick bass drum in just below the vocals- punchy, accurate and enough tight with a slight reverb to add a realism to it. The snares are perfect, accurate and the wonderful extension at the end makes it more natural aka excellent timbre. Cymbals felt more hard like a steel plate being hit not too sharp but having enough energy to it, fast and just had a good thick sound and Hi- Hats were just awesome that you can hear the plates crashing hitting on to each other and having that reverb feel to it, much better to listen to and perfect extension so as to no overtake any other instrument (used Dream Theater-"Pull me under" for last two).. In other words, the Bass is really tight with slow decay, good timbre and really awesome thick tonality. It is voluminous, punchy and good extension in to the upper ends of the bass segment but there is no bleed to mids. Bass notes are thick throughout, its good thick not too thick for my taste. The notes have really the perfect depth, dynamics and imaging of the drum instruments present and for me “It’s really perfect” (compared this is FOCAL CLEAR FOR PLACEMENT OF INSTRUMENTS AND IMAGING).
In another word it’s just too goood in low end ... Still, it’s not bass head level though... Ohh I forgot bass guitars are awesome too. They have excellent timbre and tonality that I haven’t heard in any iem yet (Am I listening to an iem/ a Band Group I forget sometimes haha).
SUBASS- NYCTERIS- HANS ZIMMER AND JAMES NEWTON HOWARD – From 0.30min the simple hits of the synth and the timbre from it is really good. Then the 1:37min the further hits and the slow receding sound makes it awesome song to test your sub-bass and bass atmospheric feel here.
Subbass is great, its well extended to the lower end, has textured feel, has a slower decay and really good dynamics. It’s well defined in the notes from beginning to the end but sometimes the excessive thickness kinda gets mixed with the end. It’s great with above tracks and does have that surrounding feel but not the rumble feeling.
HERE COMES THE ESSENCE OF THE SWITCH- Now bringing the switch towards the front, add a energetic rumble that moves you. It adds a slower decay to the bass and more lingering presence. There is lot of added warmth really nicely done since it doesn’t bleed in to the mids. There is more bass presence here which makes it feel a little bit too much but that rumble led me to choose this haha (Since I am in a good mood to party haha). There are more changes added which is gonna be later on in this review (Patience-bears fruit or learn from DUNU – ZEN
)
MIDS-
VOCALS:-
1) MALE VOCALS-
NOW USING THE SWITCH- This adds more thickness to the vocals and add a good amount of timbre/ reverb to the instruments (especially guitars and piano). On tracks like EARTH SONG- MICHEAL JACKSON- the added warmth in the vocals and the instruments reverb feel really good. The slight forwardness to the vocals also feels really good.
2) FEMALE VOCALS-
SUPER SAIYAN MODE ON (AKA SWITCH ON FOR THOSE WHO DON’T WATCH ANIME)- Just add warmth and power to the vocals that’s what I feel. Its much more forward in presence and the added reverb not just to the voice but also the instruments feel real live music type essence. The trumpets and all feel more realistic and the violin strings add that lingering presence which feel epic.
MIDS- HUNTING GIRL-JETHRO TULL; THE WOLF AND THE MOON-BRUNUHVILLE; BONFIRE HEART-JAMES BLUNT; LA BELLE ISLE-GEORGE DAVIDSON; HOTEL CALIFORNIA (LIVE ON MTV)-EAGLES – These are few of the tracks I tried for testing the mids of this iem. The mids have a forward sound signature and have a thicker presence than any iem I have tried. They are dynamic, well textured, thick and have that beautiful timbre and presence that can fill anyone’s heart.
The lower mids have a higher presence compared to the higher mids and this is well felt from George Davidson’s excellent piano play. Now I won’t say the higher mids are any bad but they feel a tad less thick than the lower mids and have an excellent well detailed texture. The string instruments have excellent timbre and a little slow decay which makes them feel real and guitars especially acoustic guitars benefit from this. The violin is also one where the slow decay makes them feel more realistic. The only thing I miss from this iem is the air in the instruments which portray a sense of space around them. They are well separated nonetheless. This given a BA iem has the BA timbre to them which is not bad in any sense but must be mentioned.
The wind instruments consisting of flute, trumpets etc have a sense of wholeness to them and are not at all sharp and smooth all over. They also show a bit of air when being played but not enough to give them an edge. The overall energy is great but I would have loved to see more energetic presence to the overall signature of the upper mids and lower treble. Notes here are well extended towards the lower treble and have a dynamic feel to them. They have a full-bodied beginning till the end of the notes where they linger for some time and give that definition of presence or atmospheric feel to them. The ends of the notes are also well defined that make this iem super resolving.
TOO BORED HERES ONE WARM EYECANDY
TREBLE-
STEAMBREATHER – MASTODON; CIGARETTES IN THE THEATER - TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB and DO IT AGAIN- STEELY DAN- I use these tracks extensively to test the treble tonal accuracy, positioning, speed and separation.
The treble is really detailed and defined in a smooth manner. The tonality is thick and timbre is excellent . The lower treble is more / less similarly in volume or loudness as upper mids , but there's a clear differentiation between their respective positions with mids being more forward. It though lacks enough airiness to satisfy me but that's going for personal preference. The treble extension is really good extending well into the higher frequencies. The lingering decay though is excellent albeit is a little more than what I prefer. The crispiness of the treble is what's missing I felt like. It needs a bit more energy here. The timbre is excellent and the added reverb really helps to make it feel more energetic. The best thing is that there's no added brightness be it Death metal tracks or even electrifying Rock songs , everything just glides smoothly like butter.
IMAGING, SEPARATION AND RESOLUTION- BUBBLE/ LETTER - YOSHI HORIKAWA AND TOOLS -CHOCOLATE CHIP TRIP- These are excellent tracks to check for checking the cue placement of different things and also the Separation.
The number of times I have looked around to hear the marble balls or the gong in the above tracks just says everything. It has a great placement of instruments and the directional cues for each is very easy to pin point. The separation is also top notch. Each of the gong, the marble hits , the tings and the rest even though all going on at the same time , its really easy to separate them. Even each note separation is nicely brought through. Albeit in some fast tracks especially with multiple instruments in the mids the slower decay kinda made it feel a little more congested. But then this is very rare instance and very few tracks showed this. One such example is Paranoid or 15step - Radiohead .
Resolution of this iem is on another level all together and helps a lot in busy tracks . Every hit , small flurry gets registered and easily heard without even looking for it. Every detail of guitar hits , piano strikes , lips smack etc comes through and makes this one of the most resolving iem I have ever ever tried. Hence making it easier to listen to songs with lower volume too. But this has an side effect you can't use it for longer periods of time, makes you feel fatigued at least I did after 2 hours of continuous listening. But then one should not listen to songs for so long in a continuous manner.
SWITCHING ON TO THE CHEAT MODE- The bass definition in busy bass heavy tracks takes a hit, it becomes a bit bloated for my taste. The texture , detail , imaging etc remains the same but the added warmth takes the treble down a bit too. It doesn't affect it much but it makes a bit less energetic but adds more reverb to compensate. I would stay away from the switch if you would be listening to electronic music with lots of bass and fast paced nature of the track.
STAGE- It's not a very wide iem , not too tall either but the depth perception is pretty good. By any means this is not an narrow iem , it extends just beyond your ears and goes deep near your chin , but the tallness is limited. It's a mid foreword signature iem period .
MOVIE WATCHING EXPERIENCE- This I discovered suddenly when I switched on YouTube too see the BANE escape scene from the plane. The amount of details retrieved with the excellent tonality wew what an amazing experience. What I felt missing was the rumble in the airplane rotors and a holographic feel with the sound surrounding you. The midbass from bomb blasts were excellent and the subass was also really good but still didn't win me over. The voice was very easy to hear and understand too . What an experience all together
. I went on to watch the entire movie (Hence the small paragraph here, in this review).
COMPARISONS-
VS UM MEST MEST MKII
PROS OF VE6XC-
PROS OF MEST MKII-
VERDICT- This is a really musical iem with excellent details, resolution and imaging. The amount of notes thickness and ability to run off any source is a plus in my book. But the addition of the switch is a choice to make it more warm and thick , which is sometimes good and sometimes not great. I really love this iem and given if I haven’t heard many similarly priced iems this is the one of the best I have heard.
If you love thick tonality, slow punchy bass, great timbre, a mid-forwards presentation and can manage with a little small soundstage this iem is for you.
Now why just a 4.5/5- Cable, price and the tips is something VE needs to work upon.
DISCLAIMER- Today I am getting to review the VE 6XC- Vision Ears 6 X-control. This has been provided to me by Vision Ears in exchange for my honest opinion for which I am grateful to both Vision Ears, Amin Karimpour and @suman134 for including me in this tour.
VE 6XC- Vision Ears 6 X-control (Wish I could write this in purple)
VE 6XC- It encompasses two different iems all together with a switch on its faceplate. Its two different iems VE 6X1 and X2 in one iem (A proverb here- “One arrow two targets”) and for the first time for me, the switch makes a good enough difference between two sound signatures.
TECHNICAL DATA-
Driver count of Six balanced-armature drivers- 2 x Bass; 2 x Mids; 1 x High Mids; 1 x Highs
Impedance: 20Ω @ 1kHz
Sensitivity: 122dB @ 1mW
A SWITCH - Two switchable signatures via the XControl switch system (X1 and X2)
PRICE- 1750- € for universal and 1950 € for custom.
UNBOXING EXPERIENCE-
Now given the price of this iem and the atrocious Indian customs (which we still had to pay) this was sent in a small packet and a M size Spinfit tips.
On opening the packet, I am greeted with carry case- written VE all on top of it and Zip puller with wonderful rubber VE written on it.
Opening the carry case -
A beautiful looking IEM which has Purple Vinyl faceplate filled with those golden and purple small foils or something really small pieces of painted aluminium (seems like purple looks like a fav colour of VE, I like purple too MY PC CASE has purple lights ha-ha).
Attached is a thin 4 strand black plastic coated 3.5mm cable and a black stock ear tips of M size.
Inside the case- I also found a pair of M size Spinfit ear tips.( forgot the pic
)BUILD & FIT-
The iem seems to be built of a bluish tinted transparent acrylic shell with the lovely golden and purple foil filled Vinyl face plate.
All the BA drivers can be seen through easily and No R/L written on the iem. The manufacturing date is written on the IEM – IN RED ON RIGHT IEM AND IN WHITE ON LEFT IEM denoting R and L iem. The attention to detail is so mind blowing; wow!!
Weight of the iem- It is really non-existent. Its light as a feather. There’s a switch on the front of face plate and really satisfying click when switching on the iem.
Nozzle- Its 0.9cm long from the body and has a diameter of 0.6cm. It has no grill and has a two-hole design. It has those machined cut marks on the nozzle head really adds to the reality of the iem.
Connectors- Now these are two pin connectors but these are so tight that I could not open them at all haha. Hair dryer did not do the trick too. I don’t want to break them so did not use any force at all (May the Force be with you- You will need it to remove the 2pin connectors
).
Coming on to the cable- The cable is 4 strand, black soft plastic-coated ending on a 3.5mm connector. The cable is soft, non-microphonic and really vanishes with the iem (has the weight of hair haha). The connectors are 2pin and have a small red circle and a small blue circle on either of them to indicate right side and left sides connectors respectively.
Now the cable is all good but given the price of this iem, I would want a little thicker cable that would add a certain degree of confidence and yes a easy to open 2pin connector haha.
FIT- Now this iem had kinda avg fit for my small-medium size ears. I achieved perfect fit with using M sized tips but somehow was not comfortable for my ears. I could wear it for only 1-2 hours max and then my ears would ache.
Since they got CIEM version I would highly suggest to go for it.
POWAH REQUIRED- Even if you blow on it, it will play music haha
. Its really easy to drive even phones are sufficient to drive it easily.NOTE- This IEM is used with
- N6ii and T01 module for portable on chair listening experience for the most part of the review.
- On desktop- D50 and A30s (Burson V5i D) and N6ii with A30s and Burson playmate 2 has been used.
- Sometimes LG G8x as phone source.
- With soft stock tips of SHOZY POLA and BGVP E01 and W01 Tips and reverse KZ starline. The best for me was Reverse KZ starline and W01 tips. Spinfits did not fit me with this iem well enough.
NOW COMING ON TO THE SOUND OF THE VE 6 XControl.
BASS AND SUB BASS-
DARKER SIDE- JONNY LANG- Feel the kick bass drum in just below the vocals- punchy, accurate and enough tight with a slight reverb to add a realism to it. The snares are perfect, accurate and the wonderful extension at the end makes it more natural aka excellent timbre. Cymbals felt more hard like a steel plate being hit not too sharp but having enough energy to it, fast and just had a good thick sound and Hi- Hats were just awesome that you can hear the plates crashing hitting on to each other and having that reverb feel to it, much better to listen to and perfect extension so as to no overtake any other instrument (used Dream Theater-"Pull me under" for last two).. In other words, the Bass is really tight with slow decay, good timbre and really awesome thick tonality. It is voluminous, punchy and good extension in to the upper ends of the bass segment but there is no bleed to mids. Bass notes are thick throughout, its good thick not too thick for my taste. The notes have really the perfect depth, dynamics and imaging of the drum instruments present and for me “It’s really perfect” (compared this is FOCAL CLEAR FOR PLACEMENT OF INSTRUMENTS AND IMAGING).
In another word it’s just too goood in low end ... Still, it’s not bass head level though... Ohh I forgot bass guitars are awesome too. They have excellent timbre and tonality that I haven’t heard in any iem yet (Am I listening to an iem/ a Band Group I forget sometimes haha).
SUBASS- NYCTERIS- HANS ZIMMER AND JAMES NEWTON HOWARD – From 0.30min the simple hits of the synth and the timbre from it is really good. Then the 1:37min the further hits and the slow receding sound makes it awesome song to test your sub-bass and bass atmospheric feel here.
Subbass is great, its well extended to the lower end, has textured feel, has a slower decay and really good dynamics. It’s well defined in the notes from beginning to the end but sometimes the excessive thickness kinda gets mixed with the end. It’s great with above tracks and does have that surrounding feel but not the rumble feeling.
HERE COMES THE ESSENCE OF THE SWITCH- Now bringing the switch towards the front, add a energetic rumble that moves you. It adds a slower decay to the bass and more lingering presence. There is lot of added warmth really nicely done since it doesn’t bleed in to the mids. There is more bass presence here which makes it feel a little bit too much but that rumble led me to choose this haha (Since I am in a good mood to party haha). There are more changes added which is gonna be later on in this review (Patience-bears fruit or learn from DUNU – ZEN
)MIDS-
VOCALS:-
1) MALE VOCALS-
- 1) FLY ME TO THE MOON !!- FRANK SINATRA (I am waiting to go to MARS before I die, GO DO IT ELON HEHE) -The starting drums and then the voice coming suddenly from 0:08min, feel the clarity and presence of his voice with the little roughness. It’s really thick like how would hear Frank on the stage. It carries the thickness from the start of his voice to the end with slight extension when he ends it. It feels so textured that it can be felt when the IEM (aka Frank says) to your ear “I Love You”. But the trumpets and other instruments that come up from 0.57min don’t affect the vocals at all, the vocals are still shining through with enough presence and separation, Enjoy the rest of the song its great without any vocals till 1:42 min..
- 2) WHIRLWIND - SAM RYDER- This vocalist has a less thick voice but more extension. More air in his voice and the accompanying bass really adds to the essence of the song and also shows that the bass is really nicely separated form the mids. The thicker presence of the vocals really helps in producing the emotions of the vocals. The extension he creates while saying “WHIRRRRRRRRRLLLLWIND” really sounds great and his soul comes through there. Something to note here is there’s no sibilance with the s or other consonants. What I would love here is more air in his voice which I kinda missed that I felt on the speakers and Focal clear but this is being preference now rather than being a disadvantage.
NOW USING THE SWITCH- This adds more thickness to the vocals and add a good amount of timbre/ reverb to the instruments (especially guitars and piano). On tracks like EARTH SONG- MICHEAL JACKSON- the added warmth in the vocals and the instruments reverb feel really good. The slight forwardness to the vocals also feels really good.
2) FEMALE VOCALS-
- SKYFALL-ADELE – A Fav of mine, the excellent reverb that you hear in her voice starting at 0.32 min, with the piano in the mid-right side makes me a fan of this iem. The texture in her voice, the balance of the words and the slight roughness in here voice is all felt and runs through your heart like an arrow. The sudden thickness that she imparts is voluminously felt in this iem and this feels really great. Add the drum plate slow strikes with the sticks on the beginning changing to right side from left at 0.58min and also the instrument at left side (can’t recognize it though XD) and then the whole song hits with all the instruments, WOW!! What a feel, I forgot to even analyse the voice haha (This has happened 4 times now). The change in the pitch of the voice is imparted with precision and felt wonderful and so easy to listen to that I loved it. The whole time I was able to hear all instruments with enough separation from the vocals-WOW JUST WOW !! I am a fan of this iem ...Now I did feel a teeny meeny bit of sibilance in her voice but given the recording I would love to hear this sibilance for more realty feel rather than not having to feel it.
- Now to check sibilance I bring this next song – MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS-RENEE OLSTEAD- This vocalist has really sibilant voice but really lean and beautiful voice. This shows that even some of my iems that I thought which had no sibilance, has some sss to them. This iem has similar sibilance to my focal clear so I think this much is enough to add a certain type of realism to the song. The airiness of the voice is easily felt here and more in line of how much I like it.
SUPER SAIYAN MODE ON (AKA SWITCH ON FOR THOSE WHO DON’T WATCH ANIME)- Just add warmth and power to the vocals that’s what I feel. Its much more forward in presence and the added reverb not just to the voice but also the instruments feel real live music type essence. The trumpets and all feel more realistic and the violin strings add that lingering presence which feel epic.
MIDS- HUNTING GIRL-JETHRO TULL; THE WOLF AND THE MOON-BRUNUHVILLE; BONFIRE HEART-JAMES BLUNT; LA BELLE ISLE-GEORGE DAVIDSON; HOTEL CALIFORNIA (LIVE ON MTV)-EAGLES – These are few of the tracks I tried for testing the mids of this iem. The mids have a forward sound signature and have a thicker presence than any iem I have tried. They are dynamic, well textured, thick and have that beautiful timbre and presence that can fill anyone’s heart.
The lower mids have a higher presence compared to the higher mids and this is well felt from George Davidson’s excellent piano play. Now I won’t say the higher mids are any bad but they feel a tad less thick than the lower mids and have an excellent well detailed texture. The string instruments have excellent timbre and a little slow decay which makes them feel real and guitars especially acoustic guitars benefit from this. The violin is also one where the slow decay makes them feel more realistic. The only thing I miss from this iem is the air in the instruments which portray a sense of space around them. They are well separated nonetheless. This given a BA iem has the BA timbre to them which is not bad in any sense but must be mentioned.
The wind instruments consisting of flute, trumpets etc have a sense of wholeness to them and are not at all sharp and smooth all over. They also show a bit of air when being played but not enough to give them an edge. The overall energy is great but I would have loved to see more energetic presence to the overall signature of the upper mids and lower treble. Notes here are well extended towards the lower treble and have a dynamic feel to them. They have a full-bodied beginning till the end of the notes where they linger for some time and give that definition of presence or atmospheric feel to them. The ends of the notes are also well defined that make this iem super resolving.
TOO BORED HERES ONE WARM EYECANDY
TREBLE-
STEAMBREATHER – MASTODON; CIGARETTES IN THE THEATER - TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB and DO IT AGAIN- STEELY DAN- I use these tracks extensively to test the treble tonal accuracy, positioning, speed and separation.
The treble is really detailed and defined in a smooth manner. The tonality is thick and timbre is excellent . The lower treble is more / less similarly in volume or loudness as upper mids , but there's a clear differentiation between their respective positions with mids being more forward. It though lacks enough airiness to satisfy me but that's going for personal preference. The treble extension is really good extending well into the higher frequencies. The lingering decay though is excellent albeit is a little more than what I prefer. The crispiness of the treble is what's missing I felt like. It needs a bit more energy here. The timbre is excellent and the added reverb really helps to make it feel more energetic. The best thing is that there's no added brightness be it Death metal tracks or even electrifying Rock songs , everything just glides smoothly like butter.
IMAGING, SEPARATION AND RESOLUTION- BUBBLE/ LETTER - YOSHI HORIKAWA AND TOOLS -CHOCOLATE CHIP TRIP- These are excellent tracks to check for checking the cue placement of different things and also the Separation.
The number of times I have looked around to hear the marble balls or the gong in the above tracks just says everything. It has a great placement of instruments and the directional cues for each is very easy to pin point. The separation is also top notch. Each of the gong, the marble hits , the tings and the rest even though all going on at the same time , its really easy to separate them. Even each note separation is nicely brought through. Albeit in some fast tracks especially with multiple instruments in the mids the slower decay kinda made it feel a little more congested. But then this is very rare instance and very few tracks showed this. One such example is Paranoid or 15step - Radiohead .
Resolution of this iem is on another level all together and helps a lot in busy tracks . Every hit , small flurry gets registered and easily heard without even looking for it. Every detail of guitar hits , piano strikes , lips smack etc comes through and makes this one of the most resolving iem I have ever ever tried. Hence making it easier to listen to songs with lower volume too. But this has an side effect you can't use it for longer periods of time, makes you feel fatigued at least I did after 2 hours of continuous listening. But then one should not listen to songs for so long in a continuous manner
.SWITCHING ON TO THE CHEAT MODE- The bass definition in busy bass heavy tracks takes a hit, it becomes a bit bloated for my taste. The texture , detail , imaging etc remains the same but the added warmth takes the treble down a bit too. It doesn't affect it much but it makes a bit less energetic but adds more reverb to compensate. I would stay away from the switch if you would be listening to electronic music with lots of bass and fast paced nature of the track.
STAGE- It's not a very wide iem , not too tall either but the depth perception is pretty good. By any means this is not an narrow iem , it extends just beyond your ears and goes deep near your chin , but the tallness is limited. It's a mid foreword signature iem period .
MOVIE WATCHING EXPERIENCE- This I discovered suddenly when I switched on YouTube too see the BANE escape scene from the plane. The amount of details retrieved with the excellent tonality wew what an amazing experience. What I felt missing was the rumble in the airplane rotors and a holographic feel with the sound surrounding you. The midbass from bomb blasts were excellent and the subass was also really good but still didn't win me over. The voice was very easy to hear and understand too . What an experience all together
. I went on to watch the entire movie (Hence the small paragraph here, in this review).COMPARISONS-
VS UM MEST MEST MKII
PROS OF VE6XC-
- THICK TONALITY
- WIDER AND DEEPER SOUNDSTAGE
- GREAT BA TIMBRE
- SWITCH ADDS FLAVOR
- VOCALS ARE LUSH
- BETTER DYNAMIC FEEL
- SMOOTH TREBLE
- LESS SIBLIANT IN COMPARISON
PROS OF MEST MKII-
- TALLER SOUNDSTAGE
- BETTER SUBBASS
- MIDBASS MORE PUNCHY
- MORE AIRY
- MORE ENERGETIC TREBLE
- BETTER FIT FOR ME
VERDICT- This is a really musical iem with excellent details, resolution and imaging. The amount of notes thickness and ability to run off any source is a plus in my book. But the addition of the switch is a choice to make it more warm and thick , which is sometimes good and sometimes not great. I really love this iem and given if I haven’t heard many similarly priced iems this is the one of the best I have heard.
If you love thick tonality, slow punchy bass, great timbre, a mid-forwards presentation and can manage with a little small soundstage this iem is for you.
Now why just a 4.5/5- Cable, price and the tips is something VE needs to work upon.
Attachments
eclein
Thanks for the review but honestly the price is ridiculous. I find pricing lately way to high from so many companies, 6 BA’s with a switch for over 2K USD is not close to reasonable to me but I could be wrong, thanks again for your thoughts!
SHOOTINGTECHIE
Pricing has gone way too high , with tech becoming better I thought this would decrease the pricing , but alas to no avail , hopefully VE finds a way 
, I have high hopes for them
, I have high hopes for them