Congrats copy cat, LOL>.... I got the mini silver wings, but I get daily compliments on the looks of mind (same color and faceplate). They are crazy beautiful in person. As YOU know, even your pics don't do them justice. So happy for you. Please share thoughts as you go. I want to hear how the cable change makes a differences once you burn them in.
Again, kudos to you for posting pics of what I had picked in the website builder but dropped as it didn’t look half as good there, otherwise I wouldn’t have changed it
To be fair they’re probably not as dashingly stunning as my VE8, but it has nothing to do with Empire just well, good wood faceplates rock
Then again, as good as they look they sound greater
They’re obviously not burned in just 7 hours on the clock but... since you ask about cables : switching from Ares II to LionHeart brings a lot to the table, for staters clarity and transparency is well, just another league. The Phantom sound way clearer mostly due to the lowers mids being less forward and bottom end extension is better to my ears. Treble are better defined.
The most unexpected aspect of the sound is bass extension, I found what I am lacking on the VE8 there. I expected good bass extension but reading
@flinkenick comparison to the SE5U I would not have assumed what I think is great bass extension and good slam (at least I get quite a kick out of it). Apparently it will get better with burn in from all the comments... Second is how full they sound, while not being overly warm and remaining so clear and transparent.
If I had to sum it up I’d say the Phantom just sound “right” it’s balance in the best sense of the word, you can see the yin and yang in the tuning (winks to
@flinkenick there). Of course the words neutral warm are not inadequate to describe the sound signature but I’d say it’s not totally adequate if you think in terms of the listening experience : the Phantom to me sound very lively, walking the fine line to never get too lively, while at the same time never too serious but sure are lively AND serious. I’d say they very much reach the goal of disappearing in favor of the music : it is the star of the show, you get absorbed by it.
The only thing is I found some hints of sibilance but ever so slight and it’s probably due to the burn in not being complete.
I need to get through burn in for further impressions, but I am a very happy camper...
Although the alternative is the VE8...
Well, I need more time to do side by side comparison but it’s more a choice of tuning philosophies than X better than Y.
The VE8 is frankly on the fun side with boosted mid bass, exciting trebles and beautiful mids. I has amazing PRaT, with a high toe tapping factor. At the same time its ability for separation is contrasting with what you can expect from its sound signature, making it a very unique combination.
The Phantom - I dare say - is still on the fun side, just much more reasonably so. Where the VE8 grabs your attention even with the quieter of music, the Phantom feel more true to the character of the track or the music genre. It also feels more coherent, separation on the VE8 can be uncanny (and a guilty pleasure nonetheless). The aspect where the Phantom is more fun is the kick you get out of the sub bass, it really kicks and is one key toe tapping factor over the VE8.
Now as for similarities : both the VE8 and Phantom are full bodied and organic and I’d say soundstage is fairly similar (maybe the Phantom has the edge there especially depth wise, I need more careful A/B).