Hmm, would be interesting to hear some comparisons between the Vega and the Shure SE846. Still trying to decide if I keep them or send them back and look for an alternative...
My Shure 846 MMXC connecter broke last week after three years of ownership. The suggested solution was to replace the entire broken unit, which is a option i am not willing to exercise.
The Vegas to me sound more natural. I have only used the blue filter. Listening to the Shure 846 through a smartphone, on the go, was always enjoyable. The overall signature suited listening to pop music on apps like Spotify very well (especiall with that subwoofer like bass). For classical they sounded okay. I think that like some other BA IEMs, timbre is lacking. Hence it didn't really bring out the best out of rock music as well. Inspite of this, I felt 846 provided incredible value for money. If only the MMXC connectors were more durable. (My units had to under go repairs twice during the period they were covered by warranty, again due to MMCX connector issues. The connection issues stopped after i switched to aftermarket cables.
As for the Vegas, I can't comment on the durability as of yet. As for whether it is a step above the SE846, yes it very much is. Music was enjoyable with the 846. But with the Vegas it's even more so. But to get there, you need a decent source for sure. Playing music from a spotify app from a smartphone, the Vegas sound worse then the 846. However with the poweramp app, the Vega starts to shine, by a significant amount. Once a decent source is attained, the Vegas presentation of music is so much more lifelike. Male vocals, female vocals to me sound right, and certain well recorded live tracks, can provide a hair raising experience.
The bass on the 846, was binary, and you only hear variations in it's intensity. For mid bass (I am not really sure about this), but it completely lacked mid bass, as any bass that you hear was the result of the subbass effect from the low pass filter (someone pls correct me if i am wrong).
If you are gonna use at least power amp (high gain settings, and a abit of eq) on a smartphone, the vegas sound like no other. It may not be as resolving as a multi BA IEM, or have a huge soundstage; but the upsides to the Vegas tonality mentioned on this fourm all hold true to me. The Vegas really need to burn in before you hear their true potential. The retail shop's demo version was not fully burnt in, but i still took a leap of faith on the capability of a DD over BA, and fellow reviewer's feedback. The risk has only led to rewards.
I tried the other products from campfire line-up, and felt that products were placed in the different price tiers appropriately. I found the akt8ie mkii was able to bring out emotions from the music much more easily, and was in half a mind to purchase it instead. However I still think that the Vegas, as a package provide better value. Most importantly it is value for money to me. Currently I am looking around for a value for money DAP/ DAC with Amp to complement the Vegas (any suggestions??, haha).
I think demoing IEMs on a extended basis, with all the right conditions is not a option that is available to quite a number of us. It takes time to appreciate a IEM. My purchase decision was simple, I like quality bass, and BAs even with the low pass filters of the 846, was not doing it for me. Even IEMs like the Empire Ear Zues , did not appeal to me as the bass did not sound natural. I am really happy with this product
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