Has anyone here by any chance tried out the Aëdle VK-X? All codecs supported, an AKM chip inside, best in class construction with real leather and machined aluminum, SQ to easily beat $300+ wired headphones, assembled in France. I am not being chauvinistic here, if anything them being French was a turn-off, but the VK-X are just crazy impressive. In spite of a bevy of issues at launch they feel and sound like very high-end boutique headphones, and actually retailed for $600+, but I got a ridiculously good deal by pre-ordering them before the Indiegogo was officially launched.
Problem is, Aëdle sadly closed shop a month ago... leaving me stranded for the time being with a VK-X that has one ear-cup de-magnetized.
Aëdle did the same thing Dali seem to have done, which is turning the expectations for BT sound on their head, going for clarity instead of a mainstream bassy sound. I tried out the Sony XM3 and was pleasantly surprised that the bass bump was accompanied by a push for detail in the upper registers, quite unlike the earlier iteration I’d auditioned. Still not the most controlled sound overall, but good. Technically a step behind the VK-X though.
I usually like a forward bass with sub presence, but Aëdle’s emphasis on lower treble makes for a fascinating listen. Fatiguing, as is the fit, somewhere between on- and over-ear. But wonderfully insightful, and proof that the issue with BT ‘phones lies in the under-performing decoding and amp section, not with the codecs which are perfectly capable of delivering material indistinguishable from FLAC (and higher if you believe in high-resolution).
I like what you guys are writing about the IO sounding better wired, but also regret that wireless use brushes against limitations and hampers the headphones’ absolute capabilities. From what I gather Dali use the Qualcomm chip’s built-in DAC/amp, but the IO deserve better.
So yeah, anyone with experience of the VK-X?
Also, those of you guys who found the IO a tad too light in the bass, which headphones do you like instead? How are the Technics F50/70?
I hope someone will be able to tell us whether the IO-4 rather resemble the 6’s sound with or without ANC. I can’t really use ANC, already with efficient passive isolation I run the risk of getting run over by a bus every time I cross a Paris street.