[Deezel177]

Awesome. Then, we hear it similarly. I was wondering if you had a chance to hear the EXT yet. How would you compare the EXT to the Phonix?

The strangest thing for me is that even though the Ext and Phonix have completely different driver configurations and technical strengths and weaknesses that they sounded best with the same music in my collection. It was something that I would have never predicted. I think its the tuning especially in the lower mids that is doing it. I kept wanting to compare Phonix to Odin and Traillii, but Phonix is not like Odin at all in its tuning and energy even as it is highly resolving.

My review of the EXT has been done for a couple weeks now. I was just about to do the photoshoot before I caught COVID. So, I'll have the review up by next week, and the comparison against the PHoNIX will be there too.

 

[arijitroy2]

My review of the EXT has been done for a couple weeks now. I was just about to do the photoshoot before I caught COVID. So, I'll have the review up by next week, and the comparison against the PHoNIX will be there too.

Do you compare the Phonix and Jolene too?

 

[Deezel177]

Do you compare the Phonix and Jolene too?

I compared the EXT to the Jolene on my Jolene review, but there obviously won't be a PHoNIX vs. Jolene comparison in an EXT review. That can only happen in a PHoNIX review, which I'll be writing next. But, I don't know if I wanna compare it to the Jolene there, because of how far apart they are in price. I'll probably just post the comparison here when I can get down to writing it.

 

[arijitroy2]

I compared the EXT to the Jolene on my Jolene review, but there obviously won't be a PHoNIX vs. Jolene comparison in an EXT review. That can only happen in a PHoNIX review, which I'll be writing next. But, I don't know if I wanna compare it to the Jolene there, because of how far apart they are in price. I'll probably just post the comparison here when I can get down to writing it.

I mean its too late now, my Phonix came in today but I'll unpack it till I get my XE6 too. I asked because it's interesting to hear someone's impression of the same gear, so I can better understand where you come from!

 

[Frankie D]

Yeah, it’s a 2nd-hand unit. I got to sneak a demo just before they were sold.

My full-on impressions of them will have to wait ‘til I get back home in an hour or two. But, I can say that the demo went pretty much how I expected it to. Some aspects were as superb as I’d read and heard they were, others impressed me more than I thought they would, and a couple were a bit lackluster too.

A part of me also wonders whether or not the Trailli would’ve received the plaudits it did (or at least the idea that it was peerless and worth the price to many) if it came out after the PHoNIX and the EXT. I use those examples specifically because I haven’t heard IEMs like the Mason FS, EVO, the new FiR’s, etc. That’s not to say the Trailli is worse in any way. In my comparison, the Trailli and the PHoNIX traded near-equal blows. I just wonder whether or not the Trailli would’ve been as exalted as it was if it had something to compete with then. I guess that is the point of a constantly-moving industry, but it’s a cool hypothetical to ponder nonetheless.

Well, for me it outperformed the Erlk in many ways and also out performed the Mason FS, so not sure about that. But I will audition and see if I feel the same as you. In direct comparison it makes the Mason sound like there is a very slight veil at times. This is only in direct comparison as I also like the Mason FS.

 

[xenithon]

So the discussion spurred me to sit down and go through my notes to curate, tweak, and try remove as much "owner's bias" as possible.

A couple of notes - I tried both IEMs with both the R8 and the RS6. Whilst I love the vocal sweetness of the latter, I prefer the former overall for its detail, width, and refinement (with both IEMs). I also tried both with the T+A HA200....story for another day (let's just say I really wish I had $9.5k spare).

I listened to a wide range of songs. Did this in a couple of sessions, so as to spread it out and not get as fatigued - like when you are at an airport duty free and you smell 58 different fragrances . I also alternated every few songs between each IEM going first, so it wasn't always Phönix A / Traillii B.

In terms of cables, I used stock on both. In terms of tips, I used the AET07 on the Oriolus as that is my go-to. I experimented with about 7 types of tips with the VE until I settled on the Spiral Dot for comfort, seal, and consistency. I felt it best represented what the IEM has to offer.

Below are the findings of my listening. As always, these views are my own, have not been tampered with, and YMMV. They depict my perception and ultimately my preferences. It's as a spoiler in case you want to skip my a concluding remark. I do want to reiterate again that I generally hate doing A/B testing. It focus on the "doesn't do this as well / missing this" and accentuates characteristics that do not stand out nearly as much in everyday, real-world listening. So, have a few pinches of salt with you when reading below

Spoiler: Phönix vs. Traillii Shootout Notes

Vision Ears Phönix	Oriolus Traillii
Zero 7 – This Fine Social Scene
Big drums at 6s / 9s / 12s in intro don’t have much weight Guitar on the right is very clear, though not extremely wide Chorus line, piano in left is a little light, impacting realism Central vocals set quite far back Second chorus, Sia and backing singers seem to be on the same plane	Intro drums still a little light but extend deeper; the decay is slower and more natural Guitar in the right is wider and piano in the left more distinct, clearer The two voices (male and female) far more distinct Similarly, backing singers in the second chorus are more distinct and set a bit further back
9bach – Pa Bryd y Deui Eto?
Proper thud in drum; very quick decay, does not linger Harp in left and strings in right along with the electronic effects very clear Voice is clear; gobs of detail, very subtly presented Delineation is good and imaging is really great; stage is not very big Pounding drum at 2:24 is present, as with the begging of the song, a swift thud but not much reverb Build up to 3:15 and then drums come in again, quite soft, almost polite	More visceral intro thud with more organic decay Harp and strings are livelier Vocals a bit more forward, not as sharp Stage spreads wider; different elements easier to pick out and follow yet still cohesive Drum at 2:24 hits harder and lingers longer Vocal passage thereafter – accompanying singer to the right a lot clearer, less of an afterthought Build up and climax is powerful and dynamic. Does not feel shackled
Accidentals – Vessel
Voice beautifully clear and smooth, perfect almost Drums that come in around 35s have good rhythm, good thwack, but not weighty. A little inert Bassline is super tuneful, super easy to follow, taut and textured Guitars come in at 1:27, acceptable grunge but no bite. Sounds smoothed over You have two string instruments, one in left and right, at 1:58, but not too wide and a bit “meh”.	Vocals more forward in the stage Guitar sounds more realistic, more distortion effects and less dry, more believable Bassline not as taut / quick; still a great texture More of the breath to the song as a whole Drum really get my head bobbing and toes tapping Second singer far easier to follow Great width and separation
Adele – Lovesong
From 10s on you have strings in left and right. Lovely, realistic timbre. Can visualise the plucking Central vocals are perfectly in the head, imaging incredibly sharp while being super smooth. Instruments kick in around 58s in. Kick drum has limited power. When she sings the drum sort of disappears At around 1:50 the song shifts; that bass is super tight. Lean but delicious. Like a fillet Lots of detail but does not call for attention. Anti-aliased in a way. Violin from around 2:50 somewhat lost.	More of a contrast and dynamic range, from lower to higher volume and power Singer is in my head, can hear the slight imperfections in her voice Kick drum and snare more realistic, deeper thud. Overall, more engaging, emotional. Violin and triangles easier to follow and stand out yet are part of the same stage. Width and layering are immense, and can appreciate the greater stage openness and height. Violin plays a great accompanying role.
Billie Eilish – bellyache
Vocals just in front of acoustic guitar / ukulele. Deep drums at 37s feel a little neutered. Absolutely no sibilance. Super smooth. Thick bassline at 1:09 is midbass centric. Same at 1:27. Tuneful and super quick, but does not get my toe tapping. Can appreciate but does not engage as much,	Voice has more breath. Like a thin layer of wool was removed Bass is deep and remains deep, with better decay and rumble. Bass from 1:27 has so much more life. Vocals spread out and more of a shimmer. Beautiful acoustic guitar from 1:50 that wasn’t discernible in the VE.
Carla Bruni – l’Excessive
Guitar in right not very far out. Acoustic bass does not have enough weight but has terrific texture. Vocals are super sultry, super smoky. Lots of elements and they are homogenous; nothing jumps out at you. Guitar at around 1:30 clear but what seems like handclaps in left are not very audible; too many layers over it.	Wider and bass sounds more real Vocal imaging not as pinpoint sharp. A little more diffuse. A little less smoke Each elements stands proud yet work together, with more energy. Guitar at 1:30 can be followed easier and so too are the handclaps. Better layering overall.
Catt – Patterns
Pianos rendered beautifully, sedate without any sharpness. Handclaps all around me but close to the vocalist; sound reproduced. From around 56s another piano comes in; low notes do not have a lot of weight. All the elements come together into quite an intimate, very polished, and elegant sound.	Handclaps wider, more reverb and space. Less artificial – sound more realistic. Piano has more of a shimmer and the low notes from 56s on sound more appropriately weighty Gets me grooving a lot more Can more discernibly make out the vocalist that joins the lead singer from 1:36, beautiful.
Decemberists – O Valencia!
Drums have good punch but blunted decay. Heard, not felt. Vocals soft yet super delineated, no breathiness or digital artefacts. Drums lack the weight to engage. Chorus at 1:43 is done very well, guitar plucking in right and keyboard / piano in left are melodious.	Drums sound terrific; alternating thud and kick with rumbly decay. Width makes the song sound less compressed. All the elements of the chorus are more discernible, like the piano keys in the left. It’s a real instrument versus just a piano sound.
Dua Lipa – Pretty Please
Electric beat from 20s on so easy to follow. Taut and tuneful. Deeper, punchier drum comes in and has more kick but still feels restricted; fades very quickly. Third chorus around 1:38 has lots of elements that are very tidy and coherent Relaxing….too much so?	Voice not as pin sharp Electronic beat not as taut, can follow but not as fast and tuneful Feels like its extracting more, or at least laying it out better. More three dimensional. Energy, vibey, PRAT for days.
Flo Perlin – Back in Time
Much better suited to this IEM. Vocals from 26s are so beautiful. Haunting with the gentle guitar pluck in the left. The guitar pluck at 50s in the right are a wonderous surprise, not too wide but enough to stand out. Verse from 1:30 with the playoff of guitar plucks and violin, together with singer and backing vocalists, simply beautiful.	Vocals more forward on the stage, like an intimate unplugged performance. More of a spotlight on edges, much bigger sense of space. Vocals not as smooth, but can hear more texture and breathe. The verse with vocals and guitars and violin is beguiling; though not as tidy and clean.
Karen Elson – Pretty Babies
Drum does not have much kick. Width is good, though not amazing, normally quite a wide effect. Vocals recessed a little relative to instruments but beautiful, nonetheless. Verse from 50s lacking drive; vocal separation is good though.	More sub bass audible, and a lot more tactile. Width is incredible as is the height. Echo and reverb give it a true sense of size and space. Vocals delineated on the stage; more forward and edgy but never aggressive. Melodic and moves me more emotionally.
Leyla McCalla – Little Sparrow
Acoustic bass / cellos at 8s not very deep. Cello in right from 40s on or so superbly rendered. All instruments together from around 1:03 is so sweet and tuneful, cohesive, relaxing, terrific timbre. Vocals quite dry.	Bass at 8s is deeper with a longer decay. Wetter, more believable and organic vocals. Cello in right has more texture, can hear the bow on the strings. Instruments are sweet but more engaging.
Lola Marsh – You’re Mine
Claps do not have the edge they should have. Vocals super smooth; this is normally quite sibilant, especially from 42s on with the backing singers, but remains smooth but not smothered. First part of song terrific; from 1:08 with electronic drum and echoey vocals sound quite small and dampened. Bigger drums from 1:38 and the electronic / synth keyboards are lacking vibrancy.	Claps more realistic. Great stage size. Vocals smooth, no sibilance yet brighter edge. Can hear the texture of her voice. Size, size, size. Electronic drum better rendered, and the bigger drum has more power. Keyboard / piano a lot clearer. Even deeper bassline around 1:57 very present, does not get lost or muted.
Ludwig Goransson – The Mandalorian
Space is smaller than I expected. Bass from 48s a little soft; gets better from 58s on. A midbassy bassline that gently rises then falls, and does not punch or thud. Brass instruments lack a little bite, especially around 1:55. From 2:10 the song opens; string instruments are present but a little “meh”.	Echo is rendered better, so stage sounds bigger, like it’s bouncing off and all around an auditorium. Build-up has more intensity and drama. Bass at 48s about the same; 58s bass is deeper and does not fade. Rumble is very good. Great timbre in brass instruments; and when the song unleashes it feels more “orchestral”.
Myrtille – Ramer
This is what this IEM is made for. Vocals are so, so sweet. Bongo drum has enough weight. Shakers in left and right very groovy. Guitar in right from 43s intimate and melodic. From around a minute in there is lovely realism in the strings.	Shaker in right clearer and wider, and bongo has a deeper rumble. Vocals sweet, more of an edge, not quite as smooth, but almost feels more realistic in a way? Not as pinpoint centre either. Guitar in right enticing and sounds as big as the singer, not diminished.
Olivia Rodrigo – happier
Vocals are nice, piano sounds distant, intentionally so, I think. Bassline from 40s has good speed and punch but not particularly deep. Carries on from 1:03….needs more of a punch. Lovely echo around her voice, just lovely.	Piano still a bit distant but clearer. Bassline has more of a presence but does not smother any other sound. Great thwack, great interplay between sustained bass and thud. Feel the emotion in her voice more.
RHCP – She’s Only 18
Electric bass needs more, umm, bass. Electric guitar in right is quite close. Drums need more punch and bite, similar to guitars that come in at 42s. Wrong song for this IEM. Miss that resonance that give drums size and the dirty that gives guitars grunge.	Electric bass still a little light but deeper. Guitar is not hemmed in, beautiful and far wider. Drums have more kick as do guitars bite, can follow their tune better. Still lacking a bit of punch. A good DD would be welcome here.
Rilo Kiley – Moneymaker
Guitar in right is awesome and all the drums work together. Verse from 48s brings everything together, as well as from 1m on with electric guitars. Lovely plucks and flecks of different sounds in both channels, well separated, though a little flat.	Drums and snares feel real. Guitar is wider. Details are clearer; this IEM seems to handle all the elements better. Get more of her indie / grunge like vocals. All the pieces of sonic information are spread out along all three axes, yet very cohesive.
Whitehorse – Tame as the wild ones
Other than missing sub bass, done very well. Song can have a sharp / crystalline edge, but it is softened. Chorus from 55s is just superb. Lovely duet of the singers and guitars accompanying on either side. Lacking a bit of shimmer.	Drums more present as is sub bass rumble. Brighter but still smooth and not sibilant. Width helps this song as there are many elements. Two singers more distinct. Can follow each separately or in unison, with realistic shimmer.

Right, so, with that out the way....closing thoughts. The VE is a phenomenal IEM, no doubt. I think it is technically very strong, and highly refined. That said, I can't say there are any specific capabilities that I would say are "class leading" or "peerless". So while it is a very consistent and enjoyable listen, ultimately I found Phönix:
- A little too polite, with limited sense of both dynamics and size
- Very smooth though sometimes too much so
- Depth isn't as pronounced as I expected which impacts layering, and to an extent, three dimensionality
- Vocals pristine but not as forward and emotionally engaging

 

[Deezel177]

Well, for me it outperformed the Erlk in many ways and also out performed the Mason FS, so not sure about that. But I will audition and see if I feel the same as you. In direct comparison it makes the Mason sound like there is a very slight veil at times. This is only in direct comparison as I also like the Mason FS.

Yeah, its clarity, resolution and detail weren't the issues at all. My qualms with it were elsewhere. I also never said that the PHoNIX outperformed it, just to be clear. I was just positing the possibility that, had IEMs in or around its league been available at the time, would the Trailli have achieved its mythic, almighty status? And, would its price have been as fervently justified, too? Back then, the Trailli's MSRP being far above other flagships was justified to many, because its performance leapfrogged them all by similar margins. I was simply wondering whether or not that argument would've stood (or been strongly - passionately - fought) had IEMs like the PHoNIX, EXT or the FiR IEMs been there normalising that level of performance. It's just a fun hypothetical that aims to say something about perspective and hindsight. That's all.

Speaking of those impressions, they'll be my next post, so I'll see you on the other side.

So the discussion spurred me to sit down and go through my notes to curate, tweak, and try remove as much "owner's bias" as possible.

A couple of notes - I tried both IEMs with both the R8 and the RS6. Whilst I love the vocal sweetness of the latter, I prefer the former overall for its detail, width, and refinement (with both IEMs). I also tried both with the T+A HA200....story for another day (let's just say I really wish I had $9.5k spare).

I listened to a wide range of songs. Did this in a couple of sessions, so as to spread it out and not get as fatigued - like when you are at an airport duty free and you smell 58 different fragrances . I also alternated every few songs between each IEM going first, so it wasn't always Phönix A / Traillii B.

In terms of cables, I used stock on both. In terms of tips, I used the AET07 on the Oriolus as that is my go-to. I experimented with about 7 types of tips with the VE until I settled on the Spiral Dot for comfort, seal, and consistency. I felt it best represented what the IEM has to offer.

Below are the findings of my listening. As always, these views are my own, have not been tampered with, and YMMV. They depict my perception and ultimately my preferences. It's as a spoiler in case you want to skip my a concluding remark. I do want to reiterate again that I generally hate doing A/B testing. It focus on the "doesn't do this as well / missing this" and accentuates cha.racteristics that do not stand out nearly as much in everyday, real-world listening. So, have a few pinches of salt with you when reading below

Spoiler: Phönix vs. Traillii Shootout Notes

Vision Ears Phönix	Oriolus Traillii
Zero 7 – This Fine Social Scene
Big drums at 6s / 9s / 12s in intro don’t have much weight Guitar on the right is very clear, though not extremely wide Chorus line, piano in left is a little light, impacting realism Central vocals set quite far back Second chorus, Sia and backing singers seem to be on the same plane	Intro drums still a little light but extend deeper; the decay is slower and more natural Guitar in the right is wider and piano in the left more distinct, clearer The two voices (male and female) far more distinct Similarly, backing singers in the second chorus are more distinct and set a bit further back
9bach – Pa Bryd y Deui Eto?
Proper thud in drum; very quick decay, does not linger Harp in left and strings in right along with the electronic effects very clear Voice is clear; gobs of detail, very subtly presented Delineation is good and imaging is really great; stage is not very big Pounding drum at 2:24 is present, as with the begging of the song, a swift thud but not much reverb Build up to 3:15 and then drums come in again, quite soft, almost polite	More visceral intro thud with more organic decay Harp and strings are livelier Vocals a bit more forward, not as sharp Stage spreads wider; different elements easier to pick out and follow yet still cohesive Drum at 2:24 hits harder and lingers longer Vocal passage thereafter – accompanying singer to the right a lot clearer, less of an afterthought Build up and climax is powerful and dynamic. Does not feel shackled
Accidentals – Vessel
Voice beautifully clear and smooth, perfect almost Drums that come in around 35s have good rhythm, good thwack, but not weighty. A little inert Bassline is super tuneful, super easy to follow, taut and textured Guitars come in at 1:27, acceptable grunge but no bite. Sounds smoothed over You have two string instruments, one in left and right, at 1:58, but not too wide and a bit “meh”.	Vocals more forward in the stage Guitar sounds more realistic, more distortion effects and less dry, more believable Bassline not as taut / quick; still a great texture More of the breath to the song as a whole Drum really get my head bobbing and toes tapping Second singer far easier to follow Great width and separation
Adele – Lovesong
From 10s on you have strings in left and right. Lovely, realistic timbre. Can visualise the plucking Central vocals are perfectly in the head, imaging incredibly sharp while being super smooth. Instruments kick in around 58s in. Kick drum has limited power. When she sings the drum sort of disappears At around 1:50 the song shifts; that bass is super tight. Lean but delicious. Like a fillet Lots of detail but does not call for attention. Anti-aliased in a way. Violin from around 2:50 somewhat lost.	More of a contrast and dynamic range, from lower to higher volume and power Singer is in my head, can hear the slight imperfections in her voice Kick drum and snare more realistic, deeper thud. Overall, more engaging, emotional. Violin and triangles easier to follow and stand out yet are part of the same stage. Width and layering are immense, and can appreciate the greater stage openness and height. Violin plays a great accompanying role.
Billie Eilish – bellyache
Vocals just in front of acoustic guitar / ukulele. Deep drums at 37s feel a little neutered. Absolutely no sibilance. Super smooth. Thick bassline at 1:09 is midbass centric. Same at 1:27. Tuneful and super quick, but does not get my toe tapping. Can appreciate but does not engage as much,	Voice has more breath. Like a thin layer of wool was removed Bass is deep and remains deep, with better decay and rumble. Bass from 1:27 has so much more life. Vocals spread out and more of a shimmer. Beautiful acoustic guitar from 1:50 that wasn’t discernible in the VE.
Carla Bruni – l’Excessive
Guitar in right not very far out. Acoustic bass does not have enough weight but has terrific texture. Vocals are super sultry, super smoky. Lots of elements and they are homogenous; nothing jumps out at you. Guitar at around 1:30 clear but what seems like handclaps in left are not very audible; too many layers over it.	Wider and bass sounds more real Vocal imaging not as pinpoint sharp. A little more diffuse. A little less smoke Each elements stands proud yet work together, with more energy. Guitar at 1:30 can be followed easier and so too are the handclaps. Better layering overall.
Catt – Patterns
Pianos rendered beautifully, sedate without any sharpness. Handclaps all around me but close to the vocalist; sound reproduced. From around 56s another piano comes in; low notes do not have a lot of weight. All the elements come together into quite an intimate, very polished, and elegant sound.	Handclaps wider, more reverb and space. Less artificial – sound more realistic. Piano has more of a shimmer and the low notes from 56s on sound more appropriately weighty Gets me grooving a lot more Can more discernibly make out the vocalist that joins the lead singer from 1:36, beautiful.
Decemberists – O Valencia!
Drums have good punch but blunted decay. Heard, not felt. Vocals soft yet super delineated, no breathiness or digital artefacts. Drums lack the weight to engage. Chorus at 1:43 is done very well, guitar plucking in right and keyboard / piano in left are melodious.	Drums sound terrific; alternating thud and kick with rumbly decay. Width makes the song sound less compressed. All the elements of the chorus are more discernible, like the piano keys in the left. It’s a real instrument versus just a piano sound.
Dua Lipa – Pretty Please
Electric beat from 20s on so easy to follow. Taut and tuneful. Deeper, punchier drum comes in and has more kick but still feels restricted; fades very quickly. Third chorus around 1:38 has lots of elements that are very tidy and coherent Relaxing….too much so?	Voice not as pin sharp Electronic beat not as taut, can follow but not as fast and tuneful Feels like its extracting more, or at least laying it out better. More three dimensional. Energy, vibey, PRAT for days.
Flo Perlin – Back in Time
Much better suited to this IEM. Vocals from 26s are so beautiful. Haunting with the gentle guitar pluck in the left. The guitar pluck at 50s in the right are a wonderous surprise, not too wide but enough to stand out. Verse from 1:30 with the playoff of guitar plucks and violin, together with singer and backing vocalists, simply beautiful.	Vocals more forward on the stage, like an intimate unplugged performance. More of a spotlight on edges, much bigger sense of space. Vocals not as smooth, but can hear more texture and breathe. The verse with vocals and guitars and violin is beguiling; though not as tidy and clean.
Karen Elson – Pretty Babies
Drum does not have much kick. Width is good, though not amazing, normally quite a wide effect. Vocals recessed a little relative to instruments but beautiful, nonetheless. Verse from 50s lacking drive; vocal separation is good though.	More sub bass audible, and a lot more tactile. Width is incredible as is the height. Echo and reverb give it a true sense of size and space. Vocals delineated on the stage; more forward and edgy but never aggressive. Melodic and moves me more emotionally.
Leyla McCalla – Little Sparrow
Acoustic bass / cellos at 8s not very deep. Cello in right from 40s on or so superbly rendered. All instruments together from around 1:03 is so sweet and tuneful, cohesive, relaxing, terrific timbre. Vocals quite dry.	Bass at 8s is deeper with a longer decay. Wetter, more believable and organic vocals. Cello in right has more texture, can hear the bow on the strings. Instruments are sweet but more engaging.
Lola Marsh – You’re Mine
Claps do not have the edge they should have. Vocals super smooth; this is normally quite sibilant, especially from 42s on with the backing singers, but remains smooth but not smothered. First part of song terrific; from 1:08 with electronic drum and echoey vocals sound quite small and dampened. Bigger drums from 1:38 and the electronic / synth keyboards are lacking vibrancy.	Claps more realistic. Great stage size. Vocals smooth, no sibilance yet brighter edge. Can hear the texture of her voice. Size, size, size. Electronic drum better rendered, and the bigger drum has more power. Keyboard / piano a lot clearer. Even deeper bassline around 1:57 very present, does not get lost or muted.
Ludwig Goransson – The Mandalorian
Space is smaller than I expected. Bass from 48s a little soft; gets better from 58s on. A midbassy bassline that gently rises then falls, and does not punch or thud. Brass instruments lack a little bite, especially around 1:55. From 2:10 the song opens; string instruments are present but a little “meh”.	Echo is rendered better, so stage sounds bigger, like it’s bouncing off and all around an auditorium. Build-up has more intensity and drama. Bass at 48s about the same; 58s bass is deeper and does not fade. Rumble is very good. Great timbre in brass instruments; and when the song unleashes it feels more “orchestral”.
Myrtille – Ramer
This is what this IEM is made for. Vocals are so, so sweet. Bongo drum has enough weight. Shakers in left and right very groovy. Guitar in right from 43s intimate and melodic. From around a minute in there is lovely realism in the strings.	Shaker in right clearer and wider, and bongo has a deeper rumble. Vocals sweet, more of an edge, not quite as smooth, but almost feels more realistic in a way? Not as pinpoint centre either. Guitar in right enticing and sounds as big as the singer, not diminished.
Olivia Rodrigo – happier
Vocals are nice, piano sounds distant, intentionally so, I think. Bassline from 40s has good speed and punch but not particularly deep. Carries on from 1:03….needs more of a punch. Lovely echo around her voice, just lovely.	Piano still a bit distant but clearer. Bassline has more of a presence but does not smother any other sound. Great thwack, great interplay between sustained bass and thud. Feel the emotion in her voice more.
RHCP – She’s Only 18
Electric bass needs more, umm, bass. Electric guitar in right is quite close. Drums need more punch and bite, similar to guitars that come in at 42s. Wrong song for this IEM. Miss that resonance that give drums size and the dirty that gives guitars grunge.	Electric bass still a little light but deeper. Guitar is not hemmed in, beautiful and far wider. Drums have more kick as do guitars bite, can follow their tune better. Still lacking a bit of punch. A good DD would be welcome here.
Rilo Kiley – Moneymaker
Guitar in right is awesome and all the drums work together. Verse from 48s brings everything together, as well as from 1m on with electric guitars. Lovely plucks and flecks of different sounds in both channels, well separated, though a little flat.	Drums and snares feel real. Guitar is wider. Details are clearer; this IEM seems to handle all the elements better. Get more of her indie / grunge like vocals. All the pieces of sonic information are spread out along all three axes, yet very cohesive.
Whitehorse – Tame as the wild ones
Other than missing sub bass, done very well. Song can have a sharp / crystalline edge, but it is softened. Chorus from 55s is just superb. Lovely duet of the singers and guitars accompanying on either side. Lacking a bit of shimmer.	Drums more present as is sub bass rumble. Brighter but still smooth and not sibilant. Width helps this song as there are many elements. Two singers more distinct. Can follow each separately or in unison, with realistic shimmer.

Right, so, with that out the way....closing thoughts. The VE is a phenomenal IEM, no doubt. I think it is technically very strong, and highly refined. That said, I can't say there are any specific capabilities that I would say are "class leading" or "peerless". So while it is a very consistent and enjoyable listen, ultimately I found it a little too polite, with limited sense of both dynamics and size; very smooth though sometimes too much so; and depth isn't as pronounced as I expected which impacts layering, and to an extent, three dimensionality.

Again, I love the fact that your impressions are - for the most part - incredibly similar to mine, but I see your cons as pros and vice versa. I think our impressions posts back-to-back are the perfect encapsulation of this hobby.

 

[Deezel177]

Alright! So, ‘turns out I had quite a bit to do today, so this took a lot longer than expected to post. But, alas, here we are.

When I first hit Play with the Trailli, I heard the clarity, resolution and space that everyone raved about. As expected, the IEM (like the very best do) has a vanishing transparency to it that lets most of the music through; without bottlenecking it or colouring it too much, which we’ll get to later on. I was a tad surprised that it wasn’t as out-of-head as I imagined. Perhaps, all the praises it’s received set my expectations a bit too high, but it was a strong showing nevertheless.

One thing that surprised me was its larger-than-average note size. I’d always seen the Trailli described as an IEM that was a spatial and precision king, which I thought it’d need smaller, more precise notes to achieve. But, that size helped add to the IEM’s engagement, and it was still capable of achieving that spatial precision through sheer finesse. The Trailli attacks and decays with great cleanliness. Notes come and go without a whisper or smear, which was one of its strongest traits.

Its clean attack also gave it a great deal of - what I’m now calling - surface clarity or surface visualisation. When I hear a singer, for example, the Trailli gives me enough data to picture their face and their mouth movements; certain vowels they’re singing, or certain stresses required to push a note. So, if you’re one to listen to a ton of female vocals, and you want that they’re-singing-right-at-me experience, then that’s a very valuable trait to have. It applies to strings too. The Trailli is one of the best I’ve heard at reproducing violins. The difference between a violinist lightly stroking their bow vs. pushing hard against the string has never been better-shown than on this IEM. The changes in tone, timbre and volume from one to the other is flawlessly-portrayed to my ears, so that’s another instrument I’d say it easily specialises in.

I specifically mention violins and female vocals, though, because the Trailli’s tone is coloured against heavier, lower-pitched sounds. Flutes and trumpets sound great… male vocals, trombones, toms, violas, baritone guitars, etc… not so much. I heard Michael Bublé sing his rendition of L.O.V.E and, by the time he was belting the final chorus, all I could hear was his dry, throaty voice. There’s a lack of support here that, while, at times, is covered by the bass to a degree, simply comes down to a lack of meatiness in the low-to-centre-mids. Combined with the slight etch of the 8kHz (I think) peak, it does those instruments a disservice to my ears. When a tom is struck, I don’t want 70% skin and 30% boom. Cymbals and hi-hats should be more than just the same ticks and splashes too. As with the ODIN, I find the peak masks the true tone of cymbals a tad, but I feel like I’m picky there as a drummer and engineer.

Still, that lightness in the mids - with the mid-treble etch - is where I’d say the Trailli is most coloured, and it’s where I have to dock points for tonal accuracy.

To mention a few more qualities, the bass of the Trailli is very strong (as in, quality-wise). It wins the better-than-a-BA-and-only-slightly-worse-than-a-DD award that the likes of the Trailli has won in my book. I particularly like how they’ve shaped its curve. It has a sub-bass emphasis, which extends a bit into the mid-bass, then trails off just past the warmth region. So, you get that hit of body and thickness down low, but it’s cleanly delivered as well. Where Oriolus have picked their battles there was really impressive to me. Its larger-than-average note size applied here as well, and it was crucial for filling out songs like Sabrina Claudio’s All To You. I can see why it can work with electronica. Its notes are also similar to the PHoNIX’s in that they’re what I’d call 2.5D. They don’t have that 3D physicality, tactility and there-ness that the EXT, for example, has. But, again, ‘better than your usual BA set-up. And, dynamics are as good as a TOTL should be.

vs. the PHoNIX

The first line I wrote when I heard the Trailli and PHoNIX side by side is, “The Trailli is a violin, the PHoNIX is a viola.” In essence, the PHoNIX flips the Trailli’s colourations the other way; a richer, warmer, fuller midrange, smaller notes and a finer, less prickly treble. The PHoNIX’s individual instruments are more lush, so they aren’t as clear-cut or visualised as the Trailli’s. That hearty, analog quality comes from its mid-bass tilt too, while, again, the Trailli leans towards the sub-bass. Dynamically, I feel the PHoNIX is capable of starting smaller. So, an orchestra in its infancy will feel smaller (or it has more room to grow), while the Trailli’s larger notes limit its ability to go this small. But, with string and horn sections, specifically, the Trailli can go bigger and grander than the PHoNIX too. In transition (or the road from soft to loud), the two are equally clear and measured. Lastly, in imaging, the PHoNIX is also a tad less expansive, but its imaging is more specific, due to its smaller, finer notes. So, they’re more-or-less two sides of a similarly vast, resolving and effortlessly-coherent coin.

Brief Conclusion

So, all in all, again, the Trailli was the IEM I expected it to be. It was - in large part - vanishing, transparent and superbly clean. It ticks just about every technical box you could imagine, while over-performing in categories like speed, texturing strings, surface visualisation and low-end BA performance. It offers qualities that no other IEM I’ve heard can. But, it’ll also fall short in categories like midrange heft for vocal support, the bottom-half of percussion and absolutely-faultless treble smoothness. It also doesn’t have the last word in, say, 3D tactility, even though the Trailli edges out those IEMs in other categories too. So, lo and behold… the Trailli, to me, is just like any other IEM with its own pros and cons. It’s just unfortunate that its massive, massive pros are weighed down by an equally-massive price tag, which’ll only get harder and harder to justify as IEMs like the PHoNIX start surfacing. As always, though, that’s a judgement of the IEM, and not those who buy, listen to and/or enjoy it. You’re welcome to love what you love, and you’re welcome to buy what you buy. These are just my thoughts, and I only hope to contribute to the conversation.

 

[mvvRAZ]

So the discussion spurred me to sit down and go through my notes to curate, tweak, and try remove as much "owner's bias" as possible.

A couple of notes - I tried both IEMs with both the R8 and the RS6. Whilst I love the vocal sweetness of the latter, I prefer the former overall for its detail, width, and refinement (with both IEMs). I also tried both with the T+A HA200....story for another day (let's just say I really wish I had $9.5k spare).

I listened to a wide range of songs. Did this in a couple of sessions, so as to spread it out and not get as fatigued - like when you are at an airport duty free and you smell 58 different fragrances . I also alternated every few songs between each IEM going first, so it wasn't always Phönix A / Traillii B.

In terms of cables, I used stock on both. In terms of tips, I used the AET07 on the Oriolus as that is my go-to. I experimented with about 7 types of tips with the VE until I settled on the Spiral Dot for comfort, seal, and consistency. I felt it best represented what the IEM has to offer.

Below are the findings of my listening. As always, these views are my own, have not been tampered with, and YMMV. They depict my perception and ultimately my preferences. It's as a spoiler in case you want to skip my a concluding remark. I do want to reiterate again that I generally hate doing A/B testing. It focus on the "doesn't do this as well / missing this" and accentuates characteristics that do not stand out nearly as much in everyday, real-world listening. So, have a few pinches of salt with you when reading below

Spoiler: Phönix vs. Traillii Shootout Notes

Vision Ears Phönix	Oriolus Traillii
Zero 7 – This Fine Social Scene
Big drums at 6s / 9s / 12s in intro don’t have much weight Guitar on the right is very clear, though not extremely wide Chorus line, piano in left is a little light, impacting realism Central vocals set quite far back Second chorus, Sia and backing singers seem to be on the same plane	Intro drums still a little light but extend deeper; the decay is slower and more natural Guitar in the right is wider and piano in the left more distinct, clearer The two voices (male and female) far more distinct Similarly, backing singers in the second chorus are more distinct and set a bit further back
9bach – Pa Bryd y Deui Eto?
Proper thud in drum; very quick decay, does not linger Harp in left and strings in right along with the electronic effects very clear Voice is clear; gobs of detail, very subtly presented Delineation is good and imaging is really great; stage is not very big Pounding drum at 2:24 is present, as with the begging of the song, a swift thud but not much reverb Build up to 3:15 and then drums come in again, quite soft, almost polite	More visceral intro thud with more organic decay Harp and strings are livelier Vocals a bit more forward, not as sharp Stage spreads wider; different elements easier to pick out and follow yet still cohesive Drum at 2:24 hits harder and lingers longer Vocal passage thereafter – accompanying singer to the right a lot clearer, less of an afterthought Build up and climax is powerful and dynamic. Does not feel shackled
Accidentals – Vessel
Voice beautifully clear and smooth, perfect almost Drums that come in around 35s have good rhythm, good thwack, but not weighty. A little inert Bassline is super tuneful, super easy to follow, taut and textured Guitars come in at 1:27, acceptable grunge but no bite. Sounds smoothed over You have two string instruments, one in left and right, at 1:58, but not too wide and a bit “meh”.	Vocals more forward in the stage Guitar sounds more realistic, more distortion effects and less dry, more believable Bassline not as taut / quick; still a great texture More of the breath to the song as a whole Drum really get my head bobbing and toes tapping Second singer far easier to follow Great width and separation
Adele – Lovesong
From 10s on you have strings in left and right. Lovely, realistic timbre. Can visualise the plucking Central vocals are perfectly in the head, imaging incredibly sharp while being super smooth. Instruments kick in around 58s in. Kick drum has limited power. When she sings the drum sort of disappears At around 1:50 the song shifts; that bass is super tight. Lean but delicious. Like a fillet Lots of detail but does not call for attention. Anti-aliased in a way. Violin from around 2:50 somewhat lost.	More of a contrast and dynamic range, from lower to higher volume and power Singer is in my head, can hear the slight imperfections in her voice Kick drum and snare more realistic, deeper thud. Overall, more engaging, emotional. Violin and triangles easier to follow and stand out yet are part of the same stage. Width and layering are immense, and can appreciate the greater stage openness and height. Violin plays a great accompanying role.
Billie Eilish – bellyache
Vocals just in front of acoustic guitar / ukulele. Deep drums at 37s feel a little neutered. Absolutely no sibilance. Super smooth. Thick bassline at 1:09 is midbass centric. Same at 1:27. Tuneful and super quick, but does not get my toe tapping. Can appreciate but does not engage as much,	Voice has more breath. Like a thin layer of wool was removed Bass is deep and remains deep, with better decay and rumble. Bass from 1:27 has so much more life. Vocals spread out and more of a shimmer. Beautiful acoustic guitar from 1:50 that wasn’t discernible in the VE.
Carla Bruni – l’Excessive
Guitar in right not very far out. Acoustic bass does not have enough weight but has terrific texture. Vocals are super sultry, super smoky. Lots of elements and they are homogenous; nothing jumps out at you. Guitar at around 1:30 clear but what seems like handclaps in left are not very audible; too many layers over it.	Wider and bass sounds more real Vocal imaging not as pinpoint sharp. A little more diffuse. A little less smoke Each elements stands proud yet work together, with more energy. Guitar at 1:30 can be followed easier and so too are the handclaps. Better layering overall.
Catt – Patterns
Pianos rendered beautifully, sedate without any sharpness. Handclaps all around me but close to the vocalist; sound reproduced. From around 56s another piano comes in; low notes do not have a lot of weight. All the elements come together into quite an intimate, very polished, and elegant sound.	Handclaps wider, more reverb and space. Less artificial – sound more realistic. Piano has more of a shimmer and the low notes from 56s on sound more appropriately weighty Gets me grooving a lot more Can more discernibly make out the vocalist that joins the lead singer from 1:36, beautiful.
Decemberists – O Valencia!
Drums have good punch but blunted decay. Heard, not felt. Vocals soft yet super delineated, no breathiness or digital artefacts. Drums lack the weight to engage. Chorus at 1:43 is done very well, guitar plucking in right and keyboard / piano in left are melodious.	Drums sound terrific; alternating thud and kick with rumbly decay. Width makes the song sound less compressed. All the elements of the chorus are more discernible, like the piano keys in the left. It’s a real instrument versus just a piano sound.
Dua Lipa – Pretty Please
Electric beat from 20s on so easy to follow. Taut and tuneful. Deeper, punchier drum comes in and has more kick but still feels restricted; fades very quickly. Third chorus around 1:38 has lots of elements that are very tidy and coherent Relaxing….too much so?	Voice not as pin sharp Electronic beat not as taut, can follow but not as fast and tuneful Feels like its extracting more, or at least laying it out better. More three dimensional. Energy, vibey, PRAT for days.
Flo Perlin – Back in Time
Much better suited to this IEM. Vocals from 26s are so beautiful. Haunting with the gentle guitar pluck in the left. The guitar pluck at 50s in the right are a wonderous surprise, not too wide but enough to stand out. Verse from 1:30 with the playoff of guitar plucks and violin, together with singer and backing vocalists, simply beautiful.	Vocals more forward on the stage, like an intimate unplugged performance. More of a spotlight on edges, much bigger sense of space. Vocals not as smooth, but can hear more texture and breathe. The verse with vocals and guitars and violin is beguiling; though not as tidy and clean.
Karen Elson – Pretty Babies
Drum does not have much kick. Width is good, though not amazing, normally quite a wide effect. Vocals recessed a little relative to instruments but beautiful, nonetheless. Verse from 50s lacking drive; vocal separation is good though.	More sub bass audible, and a lot more tactile. Width is incredible as is the height. Echo and reverb give it a true sense of size and space. Vocals delineated on the stage; more forward and edgy but never aggressive. Melodic and moves me more emotionally.
Leyla McCalla – Little Sparrow
Acoustic bass / cellos at 8s not very deep. Cello in right from 40s on or so superbly rendered. All instruments together from around 1:03 is so sweet and tuneful, cohesive, relaxing, terrific timbre. Vocals quite dry.	Bass at 8s is deeper with a longer decay. Wetter, more believable and organic vocals. Cello in right has more texture, can hear the bow on the strings. Instruments are sweet but more engaging.
Lola Marsh – You’re Mine
Claps do not have the edge they should have. Vocals super smooth; this is normally quite sibilant, especially from 42s on with the backing singers, but remains smooth but not smothered. First part of song terrific; from 1:08 with electronic drum and echoey vocals sound quite small and dampened. Bigger drums from 1:38 and the electronic / synth keyboards are lacking vibrancy.	Claps more realistic. Great stage size. Vocals smooth, no sibilance yet brighter edge. Can hear the texture of her voice. Size, size, size. Electronic drum better rendered, and the bigger drum has more power. Keyboard / piano a lot clearer. Even deeper bassline around 1:57 very present, does not get lost or muted.
Ludwig Goransson – The Mandalorian
Space is smaller than I expected. Bass from 48s a little soft; gets better from 58s on. A midbassy bassline that gently rises then falls, and does not punch or thud. Brass instruments lack a little bite, especially around 1:55. From 2:10 the song opens; string instruments are present but a little “meh”.	Echo is rendered better, so stage sounds bigger, like it’s bouncing off and all around an auditorium. Build-up has more intensity and drama. Bass at 48s about the same; 58s bass is deeper and does not fade. Rumble is very good. Great timbre in brass instruments; and when the song unleashes it feels more “orchestral”.
Myrtille – Ramer
This is what this IEM is made for. Vocals are so, so sweet. Bongo drum has enough weight. Shakers in left and right very groovy. Guitar in right from 43s intimate and melodic. From around a minute in there is lovely realism in the strings.	Shaker in right clearer and wider, and bongo has a deeper rumble. Vocals sweet, more of an edge, not quite as smooth, but almost feels more realistic in a way? Not as pinpoint centre either. Guitar in right enticing and sounds as big as the singer, not diminished.
Olivia Rodrigo – happier
Vocals are nice, piano sounds distant, intentionally so, I think. Bassline from 40s has good speed and punch but not particularly deep. Carries on from 1:03….needs more of a punch. Lovely echo around her voice, just lovely.	Piano still a bit distant but clearer. Bassline has more of a presence but does not smother any other sound. Great thwack, great interplay between sustained bass and thud. Feel the emotion in her voice more.
RHCP – She’s Only 18
Electric bass needs more, umm, bass. Electric guitar in right is quite close. Drums need more punch and bite, similar to guitars that come in at 42s. Wrong song for this IEM. Miss that resonance that give drums size and the dirty that gives guitars grunge.	Electric bass still a little light but deeper. Guitar is not hemmed in, beautiful and far wider. Drums have more kick as do guitars bite, can follow their tune better. Still lacking a bit of punch. A good DD would be welcome here.
Rilo Kiley – Moneymaker
Guitar in right is awesome and all the drums work together. Verse from 48s brings everything together, as well as from 1m on with electric guitars. Lovely plucks and flecks of different sounds in both channels, well separated, though a little flat.	Drums and snares feel real. Guitar is wider. Details are clearer; this IEM seems to handle all the elements better. Get more of her indie / grunge like vocals. All the pieces of sonic information are spread out along all three axes, yet very cohesive.
Whitehorse – Tame as the wild ones
Other than missing sub bass, done very well. Song can have a sharp / crystalline edge, but it is softened. Chorus from 55s is just superb. Lovely duet of the singers and guitars accompanying on either side. Lacking a bit of shimmer.	Drums more present as is sub bass rumble. Brighter but still smooth and not sibilant. Width helps this song as there are many elements. Two singers more distinct. Can follow each separately or in unison, with realistic shimmer.

Right, so, with that out the way....closing thoughts. The VE is a phenomenal IEM, no doubt. I think it is technically very strong, and highly refined. That said, I can't say there are any specific capabilities that I would say are "class leading" or "peerless". So while it is a very consistent and enjoyable listen, ultimately I found it a little too polite, with limited sense of both dynamics and size; very smooth though sometimes too much so; and depth isn't as pronounced as I expected which impacts layering, and to an extent, three dimensionality.

Haven’t tried the Phoenix but that last paragraph is all the reasons why I never felt that natural “push” to listen to the Erl

 

[xenithon]

Again, I love the fact that your impressions are - for the most part - incredibly similar to mine, but I see your cons as pros and vice versa. I think our impressions posts back-to-back are the perfect encapsulation of this hobby.

Could not agree more. As I have often said, one person's "expansive" is another's "unnatural". One person's "bodied" is another's "thick". The beauty is that there are a lot of IEMs on offer and we can select those that talk to our sonic and musical preferences.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Yeah, its clarity, resolution and detail weren't the issues at all. My qualms with it were elsewhere. I also never said that the PHoNIX outperformed it, just to be clear. I was just positing the possibility that, had IEMs in or around its league been available at the time, would the Trailli have achieved its mythic, almighty status? And, would its price have been as fervently justified, too? Back then, the Trailli's MSRP being far above other flagships was justified to many, because its performance leapfrogged them all by similar margins. I was simply wondering whether or not that argument would've stood (or been strongly - passionately - fought) had IEMs like the PHoNIX, EXT or the FiR IEMs been there normalising that level of performance. It's just a fun hypothetical that aims to say something about perspective and hindsight. That's all.

Great point. We all know that the Traillii was over priced. The resale market has proven that. But, the timing was such that it got a lot of attention and therefore people bought in to find out what it was about. If the Bird came out with all of the latest and greatest IEMs, I think it would have gotten lost in the shuffle because it doesn't stand out with any wow factor and the price would turn off most buyers who were willing to take the chance at hearing something that people are raving about when it was the only game in town..

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Haven’t tried the Phoenix but that last paragraph is all the reasons why I never felt that natural “push” to listen to the Erl

the Phonix sounded great and is a TOTL IEM in resolution and quality. But, at the end of the day, it wasn't better in any technical or musical attribute than everything I currently own, so I ranked it lower than I would otherwise and won't be buying it.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Alright! So, ‘turns out I had quite a bit to do today, so this took a lot longer than expected to post. But, alas, here we are.

​

When I first hit Play with the Trailli, I heard the clarity, resolution and space that everyone raved about. As expected, the IEM (like the very best do) has a vanishing transparency to it that lets most of the music through; without bottlenecking it or colouring it too much, which we’ll get to later on. I was a tad surprised that it wasn’t as out-of-head as I imagined. Perhaps, all the praises it’s received set my expectations a bit too high, but it was a strong showing nevertheless.

One thing that surprised me was its larger-than-average note size. I’d always seen the Trailli described as an IEM that was a spatial and precision king, which I thought it’d need smaller, more precise notes to achieve. But, that size helped add to the IEM’s engagement, and it was still capable of achieving that spatial precision through sheer finesse. The Trailli attacks and decays with great cleanliness. Notes come and go without a whisper or smear, which was one of its strongest traits.

Its clean attack also gave it a great deal of - what I’m now calling - surface clarity or surface visualisation. When I hear a singer, for example, the Trailli gives me enough data to picture their face and their mouth movements; certain vowels they’re singing, or certain stresses required to push a note. So, if you’re one to listen to a ton of female vocals, and you want that they’re-singing-right-at-me experience, then that’s a very valuable trait to have. It applies to strings too. The Trailli is one of the best I’ve heard at reproducing violins. The difference between a violinist lightly stroking their bow vs. pushing hard against the string has never been better-shown than on this IEM. The changes in tone, timbre and volume from one to the other is flawlessly-portrayed to my ears, so that’s another instrument I’d say it easily specialises in.

I specifically mention violins and female vocals, though, because Trailli’s tone is coloured against heavier, lower-pitched sounds. Flutes and trumpets sound great… male vocals, trombones, toms, violas, baritone guitars, etc… not so much. I heard Michael Bublé sing his rendition of L.O.V.E and, by the time he was belting the final chorus, all I could hear was his dry, throaty voice. There’s a lack of support here that, while, at times, is covered by the bass to a degree, simply comes down to a lack of meatiness in the low-to-centre-mids. Combined with the slight etch of the 8kHz (I think) peak, it does those instruments a disservice to my ears. When a tom is struck, I don’t want 70% skin and 30% boom. Cymbals and hi-hats should be more than just the same ticks and splashes too. As with the ODIN, I find the peak masks the true tone of cymbals a tad, but I feel like I’m picky there as a drummer and engineer.

Still, that lightness in the mids - with the mid-treble etch - is where I’d say the Trailli is most coloured, and it’s where I have to dock points for tonal accuracy.

To mention a few more qualities, the bass of the Trailli is very strong (as in, quality-wise). It wins the better-than-a-BA-and-only-slightly-worse-than-a-DD award that the likes of the Trailli has won in my book. I particularly like how they’ve shaped its curve. It has a sub-bass emphasis, which extends a bit into the mid-bass, then trails off just past the warmth region. So, you get that hit of body and thickness down low, but it’s cleanly delivered as well. Where Oriolus have picked their battles there was really impressive to me. Its larger-than-average note size applied here as well, and it was crucial for filling out songs like Sabrina Claudio’s All To You. I can see why it can work with electronica. Its notes are also similar to the PHoNIX’s in that they’re what I’d call 2.5D. They don’t have that 3D physicality, tactility and there-ness that the EXT, for example, has. But, again, ‘better than your usual BA set-up. And, dynamics are as good as a TOTL should be.

vs. the PHoNIX

The first line I wrote when I heard the Trailli and PHoNIX side by side is, “The Trailli is a violin, the PHoNIX is a viola.” In essence, the PHoNIX flips the Trailli’s colourations the other way; a richer, warmer, fuller midrange, smaller notes and a finer, less prickly treble. The PHoNIX’s individual instruments are more lush, so they aren’t as clear-cut or visualised as the Trailli’s. That hearty, analog quality comes from its mid-bass tilt too, while, again, the Trailli leans towards the sub-bass. Dynamically, I feel the PHoNIX is capable of starting smaller. So, an orchestra in its infancy will feel smaller (or it has more room to grow), while the Trailli’s larger notes limit its ability to go this small. But, with string and horn sections, specifically, the Trailli can go bigger and grander than the PHoNIX too. In transition (or the road from soft to loud), the two are equally clear and measured. Lastly, in imaging, the PHoNIX is also a tad less expansive, but its imaging is more specific, due to its smaller, finer notes. So, they’re more-or-less two sides of a similarly vast, resolving and effortlessly-coherent coin.

​

Brief Conclusion

So, all in all, again, the Trailli was the IEM I expected it to be. It was - in large part - vanishing, transparent and superbly clean. It ticks just about every technical box you could imagine, while over-performing in categories like speed, texturing strings, surface visualisation and low-end BA performance. It offers qualities that no other IEM I’ve heard can. But, it’ll also fall short in categories like midrange heft for vocal support, the bottom-half of percussion and absolutely-faultless treble smoothness. It also doesn’t have the last word in, say, 3D tactility, even though the Trailli edges out those IEMs in other categories too. So, lo and behold… the Trailli, to me, is just like any other IEM with its own pros and cons. It’s just unfortunate that it’s massive, massive pros are weighed down by an equally-massive price tag, which’ll only get harder and harder to justify as IEMs like the PHoNIX start surfacing. As always, though, that’s a judgement of the IEM, and not those who buy, listen to and/or enjoy it. You’re welcome to love what you love, and you’re welcome to buy what you buy. These are just my thoughts, and I only hope to contribute to the conversation.

excellent review. I love how your describe what you hear.

 

[toaster]

Alright! So, ‘turns out I had quite a bit to do today, so this took a lot longer than expected to post. But, alas, here we are.

​

When I first hit Play with the Trailli, I heard the clarity, resolution and space that everyone raved about. As expected, the IEM (like the very best do) has a vanishing transparency to it that lets most of the music through; without bottlenecking it or colouring it too much, which we’ll get to later on. I was a tad surprised that it wasn’t as out-of-head as I imagined. Perhaps, all the praises it’s received set my expectations a bit too high, but it was a strong showing nevertheless.

One thing that surprised me was its larger-than-average note size. I’d always seen the Trailli described as an IEM that was a spatial and precision king, which I thought it’d need smaller, more precise notes to achieve. But, that size helped add to the IEM’s engagement, and it was still capable of achieving that spatial precision through sheer finesse. The Trailli attacks and decays with great cleanliness. Notes come and go without a whisper or smear, which was one of its strongest traits.

Its clean attack also gave it a great deal of - what I’m now calling - surface clarity or surface visualisation. When I hear a singer, for example, the Trailli gives me enough data to picture their face and their mouth movements; certain vowels they’re singing, or certain stresses required to push a note. So, if you’re one to listen to a ton of female vocals, and you want that they’re-singing-right-at-me experience, then that’s a very valuable trait to have. It applies to strings too. The Trailli is one of the best I’ve heard at reproducing violins. The difference between a violinist lightly stroking their bow vs. pushing hard against the string has never been better-shown than on this IEM. The changes in tone, timbre and volume from one to the other is flawlessly-portrayed to my ears, so that’s another instrument I’d say it easily specialises in.

I specifically mention violins and female vocals, though, because the Trailli’s tone is coloured against heavier, lower-pitched sounds. Flutes and trumpets sound great… male vocals, trombones, toms, violas, baritone guitars, etc… not so much. I heard Michael Bublé sing his rendition of L.O.V.E and, by the time he was belting the final chorus, all I could hear was his dry, throaty voice. There’s a lack of support here that, while, at times, is covered by the bass to a degree, simply comes down to a lack of meatiness in the low-to-centre-mids. Combined with the slight etch of the 8kHz (I think) peak, it does those instruments a disservice to my ears. When a tom is struck, I don’t want 70% skin and 30% boom. Cymbals and hi-hats should be more than just the same ticks and splashes too. As with the ODIN, I find the peak masks the true tone of cymbals a tad, but I feel like I’m picky there as a drummer and engineer.

Still, that lightness in the mids - with the mid-treble etch - is where I’d say the Trailli is most coloured, and it’s where I have to dock points for tonal accuracy.

To mention a few more qualities, the bass of the Trailli is very strong (as in, quality-wise). It wins the better-than-a-BA-and-only-slightly-worse-than-a-DD award that the likes of the Trailli has won in my book. I particularly like how they’ve shaped its curve. It has a sub-bass emphasis, which extends a bit into the mid-bass, then trails off just past the warmth region. So, you get that hit of body and thickness down low, but it’s cleanly delivered as well. Where Oriolus have picked their battles there was really impressive to me. Its larger-than-average note size applied here as well, and it was crucial for filling out songs like Sabrina Claudio’s All To You. I can see why it can work with electronica. Its notes are also similar to the PHoNIX’s in that they’re what I’d call 2.5D. They don’t have that 3D physicality, tactility and there-ness that the EXT, for example, has. But, again, ‘better than your usual BA set-up. And, dynamics are as good as a TOTL should be.

vs. the PHoNIX

The first line I wrote when I heard the Trailli and PHoNIX side by side is, “The Trailli is a violin, the PHoNIX is a viola.” In essence, the PHoNIX flips the Trailli’s colourations the other way; a richer, warmer, fuller midrange, smaller notes and a finer, less prickly treble. The PHoNIX’s individual instruments are more lush, so they aren’t as clear-cut or visualised as the Trailli’s. That hearty, analog quality comes from its mid-bass tilt too, while, again, the Trailli leans towards the sub-bass. Dynamically, I feel the PHoNIX is capable of starting smaller. So, an orchestra in its infancy will feel smaller (or it has more room to grow), while the Trailli’s larger notes limit its ability to go this small. But, with string and horn sections, specifically, the Trailli can go bigger and grander than the PHoNIX too. In transition (or the road from soft to loud), the two are equally clear and measured. Lastly, in imaging, the PHoNIX is also a tad less expansive, but its imaging is more specific, due to its smaller, finer notes. So, they’re more-or-less two sides of a similarly vast, resolving and effortlessly-coherent coin.

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Brief Conclusion

So, all in all, again, the Trailli was the IEM I expected it to be. It was - in large part - vanishing, transparent and superbly clean. It ticks just about every technical box you could imagine, while over-performing in categories like speed, texturing strings, surface visualisation and low-end BA performance. It offers qualities that no other IEM I’ve heard can. But, it’ll also fall short in categories like midrange heft for vocal support, the bottom-half of percussion and absolutely-faultless treble smoothness. It also doesn’t have the last word in, say, 3D tactility, even though the Trailli edges out those IEMs in other categories too. So, lo and behold… the Trailli, to me, is just like any other IEM with its own pros and cons. It’s just unfortunate that its massive, massive pros are weighed down by an equally-massive price tag, which’ll only get harder and harder to justify as IEMs like the PHoNIX start surfacing. As always, though, that’s a judgement of the IEM, and not those who buy, listen to and/or enjoy it. You’re welcome to love what you love, and you’re welcome to buy what you buy. These are just my thoughts, and I only hope to contribute to the conversation.

Great impressions.

If you can, try traillii with orphy (or First Times…haven’t heard it, but imagine it will be similar.)

It’s completely ridiculous in cost and ergonomics, but it adds a surprising amount of body and stage space to the traillii.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Great impressions.

If you can, try traillii with orphy (or First Times…haven’t heard it, but imagine it will be similar.)

It’s completely ridiculous in cost and ergonomics, but it adds a surprising amount of body and stage space to the traillii.

I am weakening. 6 months ago, it would be "hell no" I am not spending that much on a cable. Now, it's, "okay, maybe."