Calfredo826
100+ Head-Fier
The sub bass and treble on these are in a class of their own. Highly impressive set.Those faceplates are
And with DMP, it doesn’t get much better
The sub bass and treble on these are in a class of their own. Highly impressive set.Those faceplates are
And with DMP, it doesn’t get much better
Hey, everyone. Earlier today, I was graced by the arrival of the much, much-awaited Vision Ears EXT. I've spent the past few hours listening intently to them, and here are my thoughts on the in-ear so far:
The first obvious change over the original is the EXT’s elevated low-end, now also powered by a 9.2mm dynamic driver. I recall worries, back when the EXT wasn’t even announced, that augmenting the OG ELYSIUM’s bass would take away from its headlining midrange. Now, I believe those concerns are - to a large degree - untrue. There is a change in the midrange (and the tonality overall) for sure, but not to its detriment; at least, in my opinion. What the low-end change does is give the midrange a much meatier, earthier support, which, to my ears, translates to power and weight. When a vocalist belts, the force - the oomph - coming from their diaphragm and chest are amplified. Whereas, the OG had a lighter, wispier, more effortless quality to its vocal presentation.
If I had to give a rough analogy, the OG ELYSIUM is 19-era Adele singing Chasing Pavements, while the new EXT is 25’s Adele crooning A Million Years Ago. They both have the same quality and clarity to them, but the EXT delivers it with a richer, more mature timbre. To my relief, that aged quality doesn’t translate at all to a veil or wooliness. Again, that gorgeously-textured, evocative midrange is still front-and-centre. It’s just a bit earthier and rooted now. If you’re the type of person to prefer lighter, floatier vocals apparating in the middle of the headspace, you may prefer the OG’s tonality more. But, if you like your vocals with more weight, more impact and more chutzpah, then the EXT is simply a level above.
Now, when it comes to that woofer’s own individual merits, I think it’s one of the most memorable bottom-ends I’ve heard since Empire’s Weapon IX drivers. I don’t mean they’re of the same ilk, necessarily. What I mean is that they both have this character (or flavour) to them that elevates them above the general DD sound. It’s what I personally feel tends to lack on FiR or 64’s DD-equipped in-ears, for example. There’s a certain physicality, texture and slam to this one that keeps it from fading into the background and sounding generic after a while. I was certain of this as soon as I heard Lady Blackbird’s Fix It, and I got chills simply from the low-end coming from the piano’s sustain pedal. Not even the keys; the sustain pedal.
That record’s one of the best-engineered, most stirring records I’ve heard in a while, by the way. Give it a go.
That chill also comes from the EXT’s much denser, more solid, more tactile notes, compared to the OG. As I mentioned a couple times in the past, the ELYSIUM can come off a bit wispy or insubstantial when not powered optimally. Instruments don’t always feel weighted or corporeal. There’s a certain floaty quality I alluded to earlier. The EXT gets rid of the issue completely, to my ears. Instruments on it feel physical and there, for lack of a better word, and that’s true across both my LPGT and my N6ii Ti. And, with DDs fuelling both the lows and mids, I feel that quality here even exceeds that of a properly-powered OG. Aside from the lows, I believe this is the EXT’s most notable change over its predecessor.
Up top, I personally don’t feel the treble’s rolled-off or lacking at all. The OG comes off airier because of its leaner low-end. But, in terms of raw extension, headroom and micro-detail retrieval, the EXT definitely goes tit-for-tat. I initially gave it a go with the default Sedna tips, and I noticed a mid-treble bump around 7-8kHz. I felt it created a slight gap between it and the upper-mids, causing the latter to sound a bit recessed. But, once I switched to the SpinFit’s, that bump vanished, and I immediately heard a much more linear, even-sounding tonality. I’d say upper-treble energy is equal on both, actually. You get the same amount of openness and air. You just get a bit more mid-treble articulation and bite from the Sedna’s.
So, three-or-so hours in, I have to say that I’m personally as in love with the VE EXT as I was with the OG a few years ago. I feel it perfectly addressed any and all shortcomings it once had, and it even went above-and-beyond in certain areas like the timbre and power of the low-end. That, in particular, made this feel like a true successor to me, rather than patchwork or a minor update; again, like a singer ageing and maturing their technique. However, in that vein, just like fans of singers can have their preferred eras, there will inevitably be changes that won’t be universally liked. But, hey, that’s what options are for, and I’m glad that both ELYSIUMs - for the time being - are here to stay.
I’ll be running them in further before I get to work on the full review, and I look forward to reading more impressions around these parts as well. Cheers!
I was actually pretty surprised by how nice the stock cable is. It's not too dissimilar from the ELYSIUM's, but it's got this matte-black sheathing to it, so it doesn't have the plasticky, PVC-ish feel the OG's had. All of the hardware's been finished with a matte-black as well, so it's a uniform look. The plug, in particular, doesn't have the stock Oyaide barrel the OG's did. Instead, it's been engraved with VE's logo in a hex/X pattern, which runs through all the accessories you get with the EXT as well.Oh dear @Deezel177 - I really thought it make it through the year having been un-enticed by any of the new releases. But dear heavens if you didn’t just describe the type of IEM I’d love to add to the collection as my partner in crime for the bird.
Look forward to further impressions as they come along. In the meantime, how is the stock cable? And how is the fit? I generally like moderate to shallow fit and believe the VE’s tend to be quite a deep fit with long stems?
I think MusicTeck should be getting theirs very soon, considering VE just shipped a whole bunch to retailers and reviewers. Alex got his a couple days ago, and he and MusicTeck are pretty much neighbours. Their website also says the estimated shipping date is end of September 2021, so it's very likely.Yeah I’m pretty sure I’m going to blind buy the EXT. I just wish we knew when resellers were getting them. I don’t feel like paying for another IEM with no definite release date yet.
Hey, everyone. Earlier today, I was graced by the arrival of the much, much-awaited Vision Ears EXT. I've spent the past few hours listening intently to them, and here are my thoughts on the in-ear so far:
The first obvious change over the original is the EXT’s elevated low-end, now also powered by a 9.2mm dynamic driver. I recall worries, back when the EXT wasn’t even announced, that augmenting the OG ELYSIUM’s bass would take away from its headlining midrange. Now, I believe those concerns are - to a large degree - untrue. There is a change in the midrange (and the tonality overall) for sure, but not to its detriment; at least, in my opinion. What the low-end change does is give the midrange a much meatier, earthier support, which, to my ears, translates to power and weight. When a vocalist belts, the force - the oomph - coming from their diaphragm and chest are amplified. Whereas, the OG had a lighter, wispier, more effortless quality to its vocal presentation.
If I had to give a rough analogy, the OG ELYSIUM is 19-era Adele singing Chasing Pavements, while the new EXT is 25’s Adele crooning A Million Years Ago. They both have the same quality and clarity to them, but the EXT delivers it with a richer, more mature timbre. To my relief, that aged quality doesn’t translate at all to a veil or wooliness. Again, that gorgeously-textured, evocative midrange is still front-and-centre. It’s just a bit earthier and rooted now. If you’re the type of person to prefer lighter, floatier vocals apparating in the middle of the headspace, you may prefer the OG’s tonality more. But, if you like your vocals with more weight, more impact and more chutzpah, then the EXT is simply a level above.
Now, when it comes to that woofer’s own individual merits, I think it’s one of the most memorable bottom-ends I’ve heard since Empire’s Weapon IX drivers. I don’t mean they’re of the same ilk, necessarily. What I mean is that they both have this character (or flavour) to them that elevates them above the general DD sound. It’s what I personally feel tends to lack on FiR or 64’s DD-equipped in-ears, for example. There’s a certain physicality, texture and slam to this one that keeps it from fading into the background and sounding generic after a while. I was certain of this as soon as I heard Lady Blackbird’s Fix It, and I got chills simply from the low-end coming from the piano’s sustain pedal. Not even the keys; the sustain pedal.
That record’s one of the best-engineered, most stirring records I’ve heard in a while, by the way. Give it a go.
That chill also comes from the EXT’s much denser, more solid, more tactile notes, compared to the OG. As I mentioned a couple times in the past, the ELYSIUM can come off a bit wispy or insubstantial when not powered optimally. Instruments don’t always feel weighted or corporeal. There’s a certain floaty quality I alluded to earlier. The EXT gets rid of the issue completely, to my ears. Instruments on it feel physical and there, for lack of a better word, and that’s true across both my LPGT and my N6ii Ti. And, with DDs fuelling both the lows and mids, I feel that quality here even exceeds that of a properly-powered OG. Aside from the lows, I believe this is the EXT’s most notable change over its predecessor.
Up top, I personally don’t feel the treble’s rolled-off or lacking at all. The OG comes off airier because of its leaner low-end. But, in terms of raw extension, headroom and micro-detail retrieval, the EXT definitely goes tit-for-tat. I initially gave it a go with the default Sedna tips, and I noticed a mid-treble bump around 7-8kHz. I felt it created a slight gap between it and the upper-mids, causing the latter to sound a bit recessed. But, once I switched to the SpinFit’s, that bump vanished, and I immediately heard a much more linear, even-sounding tonality. I’d say upper-treble energy is equal on both, actually. You get the same amount of openness and air. You just get a bit more mid-treble articulation and bite from the Sedna’s.
So, three-or-so hours in, I have to say that I’m personally as in love with the VE EXT as I was with the OG a few years ago. I feel it perfectly addressed any and all shortcomings it once had, and it even went above-and-beyond in certain areas like the timbre and power of the low-end. That, in particular, made this feel like a true successor to me, rather than patchwork or a minor update; again, like a singer ageing and maturing their technique. However, in that vein, just like fans of singers can have their preferred eras, there will inevitably be changes that won’t be universally liked. But, hey, that’s what options are for, and I’m glad that both ELYSIUMs - for the time being - are here to stay.
I’ll be running them in further before I get to work on the full review, and I look forward to reading more impressions around these parts as well. Cheers!
Yeah, I am listening right now, actually. And it's not even close to what I normally listen to. Just a great release.Great impressions, def more excited for this one now.
and I LOVE THAT ALBUM! Been listening non stop on repeat since it was released. It sounds sublime with Isabellae and rhapsodio eden. Can’t wait to hear it with EXT!
Hey, everyone. Earlier today, I was graced by the arrival of the much, much-awaited Vision Ears EXT. I've spent the past few hours listening intently to them, and here are my thoughts on the in-ear so far:
The first obvious change over the original is the EXT’s elevated low-end, now also powered by a 9.2mm dynamic driver. I recall worries, back when the EXT wasn’t even announced, that augmenting the OG ELYSIUM’s bass would take away from its headlining midrange. Now, I believe those concerns are - to a large degree - untrue. There is a change in the midrange (and the tonality overall) for sure, but not to its detriment; at least, in my opinion. What the low-end change does is give the midrange a much meatier, earthier support, which, to my ears, translates to power and weight. When a vocalist belts, the force - the oomph - coming from their diaphragm and chest are amplified. Whereas, the OG had a lighter, wispier, more effortless quality to its vocal presentation.
If I had to give a rough analogy, the OG ELYSIUM is 19-era Adele singing Chasing Pavements, while the new EXT is 25’s Adele crooning A Million Years Ago. They both have the same quality and clarity to them, but the EXT delivers it with a richer, more mature timbre. To my relief, that aged quality doesn’t translate at all to a veil or wooliness. Again, that gorgeously-textured, evocative midrange is still front-and-centre. It’s just a bit earthier and rooted now. If you’re the type of person to prefer lighter, floatier vocals apparating in the middle of the headspace, you may prefer the OG’s tonality more. But, if you like your vocals with more weight, more impact and more chutzpah, then the EXT is simply a level above.
Now, when it comes to that woofer’s own individual merits, I think it’s one of the most memorable bottom-ends I’ve heard since Empire’s Weapon IX drivers. I don’t mean they’re of the same ilk, necessarily. What I mean is that they both have this character (or flavour) to them that elevates them above the general DD sound. It’s what I personally feel tends to lack on FiR or 64’s DD-equipped in-ears, for example. There’s a certain physicality, texture and slam to this one that keeps it from fading into the background and sounding generic after a while. I was certain of this as soon as I heard Lady Blackbird’s Fix It, and I got chills simply from the low-end coming from the piano’s sustain pedal. Not even the keys; the sustain pedal.
That record’s one of the best-engineered, most stirring records I’ve heard in a while, by the way. Give it a go.
That chill also comes from the EXT’s much denser, more solid, more tactile notes, compared to the OG. As I mentioned a couple times in the past, the ELYSIUM can come off a bit wispy or insubstantial when not powered optimally. Instruments don’t always feel weighted or corporeal. There’s a certain floaty quality I alluded to earlier. The EXT gets rid of the issue completely, to my ears. Instruments on it feel physical and there, for lack of a better word, and that’s true across both my LPGT and my N6ii Ti. And, with DDs fuelling both the lows and mids, I feel that quality here even exceeds that of a properly-powered OG. Aside from the lows, I believe this is the EXT’s most notable change over its predecessor.
Up top, I personally don’t feel the treble’s rolled-off or lacking at all. The OG comes off airier because of its leaner low-end. But, in terms of raw extension, headroom and micro-detail retrieval, the EXT definitely goes tit-for-tat. I initially gave it a go with the default Sedna tips, and I noticed a mid-treble bump around 7-8kHz. I felt it created a slight gap between it and the upper-mids, causing the latter to sound a bit recessed. But, once I switched to the SpinFit’s, that bump vanished, and I immediately heard a much more linear, even-sounding tonality. I’d say upper-treble energy is equal on both, actually. You get the same amount of openness and air. You just get a bit more mid-treble articulation and bite from the Sedna’s.
So, three-or-so hours in, I have to say that I’m personally as in love with the VE EXT as I was with the OG a few years ago. I feel it perfectly addressed any and all shortcomings it once had, and it even went above-and-beyond in certain areas like the timbre and power of the low-end. That, in particular, made this feel like a true successor to me, rather than patchwork or a minor update; again, like a singer ageing and maturing their technique. However, in that vein, just like fans of singers can have their preferred eras, there will inevitably be changes that won’t be universally liked. But, hey, that’s what options are for, and I’m glad that both ELYSIUMs - for the time being - are here to stay.
I’ll be running them in further before I get to work on the full review, and I look forward to reading more impressions around these parts as well. Cheers!
@twister6, any chance of posting impressions here for those of us who aren't on FB?
I was hoping that the EXT would be more mids focused than I am seeing from the initial impressions. I am wondering if there is too much overlap between EVO and EXT.Great to hear impressions of EXT, I love single DDs so absolutely intrigued as to what a double with ESTs will sound like... it'll be a toss up of EVO vs EXT for my next!
lol, i went ahead and did. from VEs post it should be every week or so after the demo units were shipped. just depends on how many each weekYeah I’m pretty sure I’m going to blind buy the EXT. I just wish we knew when resellers were getting them. I don’t feel like paying for another IEM with no definite release date yet.