[FenderP]

I wonder if your sonic issues are wired vs. wireless. I loved the sound wired and noticed no issues when I had them.

Part of me hopes in a few years they do a v2 that just works all around because they were lovely.

 

[Jwm91]

Very pleased

 

[monsieurfromag3]

Hey everyone, got my serviced VK-X back last Friday. Took them for a spin and was reminded:
A. They look bloody amazing
B. They sound bloody great
with that lower-treble emphasis that I'm not used to with my other gear, seems like it should make me want to turn the volume down, actually does the opposite because I want to suck in all the wonderful detail. That's a wireless prowess.

The battery LED now stays on all charging long, with a color code indicating if it's below 10% (that status is blink-and-you'll-miss-it), 10 to 30%, 30 to 90%, or fully charged. I received via e-mail an amended instructions leaflet with typically candid notes from Aëdle letting you know the voltage cut-off for the battery and other tidbits you can't do anything with but enjoy being let in on all the same.

Some of us, those with the most egregious battery problems, are apparently stuck with continuous-current chips, which explains the perpetual discharging even when they are turned off. The original provider won't replace them, presumably it's the same guy who messed up the passive mode and a royal c*nt that I hope goes out of business and soon. Aëdle are sourcing replacement chips but won't receive them before October. At which point I'll return mine to the workshop. Those of you with fast discharging VK-Xs should definitely get in touch with Aëdle to figure things out.

Haven't tested the corrected ANC, will chime back when I have.

 

[WBJM]

OK, thought it was about time I wrote something here as well. I got my VK-Xs back from servicing about a month ago and have been using them almost daily ever since so I've got some mileage on them now. When I first got them back in april they had problems with buzzing but all that is fixed now and I must say the Aëdle guys have been great to deal with.

This is what they fixed: (CTRL+C from their e-mail)
- Electronic stability checked
- No more wheezing sound
- ANC improvement
- Flash of the latest software that improves battery life

So what do I think about them? Well, they're great! They look and sound amazing. Sure, there are some caveats such as the earpads falling off forcing me to go buy hot glue to reattach them and the battery discharging when leaving them unused for a couple of days. Hopefully this will be fixed later in downloadable firmware or sending them in for servicing again.

But when fully charged the battery literally last for days (depending on how much you use them obviously). And don't expect the ANC to cancel all frequencies - only the motor/mechanic hum/drone of a subway or plane. I have tried it out during two four hour flights and I'm pleased with how they work. The passive isolation + the ANC made it possible to listen to low key piano music without too much disturbing background noise.

When using the USB-C <-> 3,5mm cable and listening to them from an external DAC such as the Dragonfly Black or even though my MacBook, they sound even better than using them playing via BT. So good that they are the only ones I use at home nowadays.

If I were to buy new headphones today I might have looked into the new M&D MW65. But from my experience no other portable BT headphones compete with the Aëdle VK-Xs when it comes to looks and sound.

All in all, an expensive pair of headphones that look and sound great! I'll hold on to my VK-Xs for sure.

 

[Lopsy1]

My Aedle VK-X black 1 month old is up for trade vs DAPs like dx200, qp1r or headphones/IEMs in the 500-1000$+ category.

They sound and look
great but i have Mobius and wireless inears which i use more atm.

Are they still available for trade?
Best regards

 

[WBJM]

Does anyone know what's up with Aëdle? They haven't updated their website for several months - the VK-X preorder still says July/Aug delivery etc.

OT: I still use my VK-Xs daily and I'm still happy with them!

 

[Monsieur Sans Honte]

Does anyone know what's up with Aëdle? They haven't updated their website for several months - the VK-X preorder still says July/Aug delivery etc.

OT: I still use my VK-Xs daily and I'm still happy with them!

I spoke with them a few days ago to enquire about repairs, so they're still active.

 

[monsieurfromag3]

I spoke with them a few days ago to enquire about repairs, so they're still active.

Indeed the workshop is active; they offered me to drop by with my unit - one of the cups is demagnetized...

 

[WBJM]

You guys sure? The website is down now.

 

[monsieurfromag3]

You guys sure? The website is down now.

And they aren’t replying to my e-mails anymore...

 

[Monsieur Sans Honte]

Bad news everyone:
https://www.societe.com/societe/aedle-534520325.html
This URL lists Aëdle's current status as Simplified judicial liquidation as of October 8th 2019.

From a French legal site, I found this:

Simplified liquidation

For small cases, that is where the debtor's assets include no immovable property and where:

• the debtor has hired no more than one employee during the six months prior to the commencement of the proceedings and its sales turnover is equal or less than €300,000, or
• the debtor has hired between one and five employees and its sales turnover is between €300,000 and €750,000

a simplified liquidation procedure will apply, with the main following consequences:

• the creditors’ claims are not verified as a whole. Only wage claims and the claims that can be paid out of the company’s available assets are verified
• the liquidator has more flexibility to sell the debtor’s property
• the whole liquidation process must be completed within six months, extendible for three additional months

It looks like the company has gone bankrupt. No updates on any of their social media channels or their Indiegogo page, where - somewhat worryingly - they are still taking orders, despite complaints and queries going unanswered.

I think all of us that have outstanding issues with our VK-X headphones may be left high and dry...

You may be able to make a warranty claim if you paid by credit card. Unfortunately, after 45 days you're SOL if you used PayPal, as I did--both they and your credit card company will wash their hands of any responsibility.

I should have bought a pair of Master & Dynamic MW65, but I stuck with aëdle because of previous VK products.

A very expensive and painful lesson learned. No more crowdfunded products for me.

 

[Jwm91]

I mentioned in my earlier post "Very Pleased" but that was because I had written my legitimate thoughts on the product and thought while trying to get the refund they may read it and trace it back to me, so I edited.

I really feel for these guys, they were fantastic people, really polite, really helpful and just seriously commited to their craft.

Unfortunately it looks like they bit off more than they could chew. I would have much preferred to wait another year with clear cut communication and the guys saying at the get go to not expect delivery for 2 years rather than a tighter 1, due to the need for extensive research and development required to create a product that would match that price tag.

These headphones oozed quality. They felt great, they were machined to perfection, they sounded unbelievable. They didn't work, the VK-1 & 2 were amazing, so we know that these guys can produce a great product, but they needed more time, and with that more time, if we all agreed to it from the beginning, I'm sure they would have had less returns.

The bluetooth antenna in my pair gave a high pitch squeal. The ANC performance was poor, if at all there. I think very due to the lack of passive isolation with the pads not creating any seal around the ear. The battery died even with being turned off and with full charge. They couldn't be played in passive without any battery. There were problems and I really wish they figured these out before sending these out because god damn I loved them even with these problems, they just sounded, looked and were built great.

I wish Baptiste, Lucas & co all the best, and really hope they make a return, because they were absolutely fantastic guys, and I could completely understand the pressure on them, even taking 4 or so months to get my return. I want to own a piece they make one day because they have the ability to make a great pair, I just hope they don't get the same hype they did this time, and get orders that a team of 5 can actually handle.

 

[Monsieur Sans Honte]

I mentioned in my earlier post "Very Pleased" but that was because I had written my legitimate thoughts on the product and thought while trying to get the refund they may read it and trace it back to me, so I edited.

I really feel for these guys, they were fantastic people, really polite, really helpful and just seriously commited to their craft.

Unfortunately it looks like they bit off more than they could chew. I would have much preferred to wait another year with clear cut communication and the guys saying at the get go to not expect delivery for 2 years rather than a tighter 1, due to the need for extensive research and development required to create a product that would match that price tag.

These headphones oozed quality. They felt great, they were machined to perfection, they sounded unbelievable. They didn't work, the VK-1 & 2 were amazing, so we know that these guys can produce a great product, but they needed more time, and with that more time, if we all agreed to it from the beginning, I'm sure they would have had less returns.

The bluetooth antenna in my pair gave a high pitch squeal. The ANC performance was poor, if at all there. I think very due to the lack of passive isolation with the pads not creating any seal around the ear. The battery died even with being turned off and with full charge. They couldn't be played in passive without any battery. There were problems and I really wish they figured these out before sending these out because god damn I loved them even with these problems, they just sounded, looked and were built great.

I wish Baptiste, Lucas & co all the best, and really hope they make a return, because they were absolutely fantastic guys, and I could completely understand the pressure on them, even taking 4 or so months to get my return. I want to own a piece they make one day because they have the ability to make a great pair, I just hope they don't get the same hype they did this time, and get orders that a team of 5 can actually handle.

For the most part, I agree. I have a few pairs of their previous headphones, and although I had problems with the cables and jacks, aëdle were always helpful with repairs. I had hoped with a wireless pair, all the problems would be eliminated.

The VK-X is a beautifully designed product, but I think aëdle's downfall lies in being screwed by their component suppliers who provided them with substandard parts and then refused to acknowledge their culpability. I won't mention any place by name, but I think you can guess where these components came from.
Because of the resulting faults, returns piled up, orders dried up and this is the result.

I know that aëdle were open and transparent about the development process and issues they faced, but it's cold comfort when I have effectively wasted over €1000 on two severely flawed pairs of headphones. Also the deafening silence from them and the fact that they appear to be continuing to take money on indiegogo worries me greatly.

I hope I'm wrong and they come back able to take care of all our issues. I won't complain about looking like a fool, and I'll be the first to apologise. But that's only wishful thinking at this point.

 

[FenderP]

Given this development, I'm thankful I was able to return them and got my money back. It's a shame, because I think their heart was in the right place. Goes to show that you're one bad business decision away from problems.

 

[shield07]

Really sad to see them go. They made great products, but it looks like they were a little bit too ambitious. Wireless ANC is really hard to do, especially for a company of less than ten people. I hope my pair doesn't break too soon. They must have lost a lot of money seeing that they had a stock capital of 42 million euros.