[Roscoeiii]

I am fairly new to the IEM hobby and this site, but am absolutely loving this thread, and learning a great deal from the shootout. I recently bought the Vega's, and love them, for some of my music. I really enjoy and respect flinkenick's reviews. I've been a long term home audio hobbyist, and have learned an appropriate skepticism for many reviewers. Finkenick has my trust.
A couple of observations about the Vega. I feel the dynamic driver really benefits percussive instruments, and lower register instruments. Guitar, piano, and cello are reproduced beautifully, with texture and weight. In this spectrum, I find the Vega accomplishes the audio nirvana of warmth with detail. I enjoy the "thickness" of the notes

I find it very successful.
Cheers everyone!

Very well put description!!!

 

[hung031086]

My lovely vega that i sold 2 times is rank #13 lolz. I thought it will be in top 10.

 

[proedros]

nic , so have you decided how are you giving points to those who guess correctly ?

 

[tangents]

nic , so have you decided how are you giving points to those who guess correctly ?

Does anyone still have a chance at getting 5 correct (not necessarily in the right order)?

I can't even remember my guesses

 

[proedros]

all predictions can be seen here , still many people with a 5/5 chance

https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/w...linkenicks-2017-iem-flagship-shootout.834185/

 

[Mimouille]

My modest take on the VE8 : http://headpie.blogspot.jp/2017/05/vision-ears-ve8-brief-review-reviewer.html

 

[Kerouac]

My modest take on the VE8 : http://headpie.blogspot.jp/2017/05/vision-ears-ve8-brief-review-reviewer.html

From what I've read, this one (if it had been a contender) also might have finished in the top 5 of this shootout
Seems to be an impressive monitor. Thanks for the review!

 

[ranfan]

From what I've read, this one (if it had been a contender) also might have finished in the top 5 of this shootout
Seems to be an impressive monitor. Thanks for the review!

It's one of my favourite during CanJam. It's right beside the EE x EA 'Arthur', figuratively, and quite literally.

 

[flinkenick]

I love my Vegas. But considering their unique tuning of the Vegas, I was not surprised. Not to mention how damn good all contenders are.

Also look at the criteria being used to judge, which is also not capturing the unique aspects that characterize DD IEMs. Namely, the dynamics and impact isn't a criteria that is listed.

More surprising is the low score on the bass, which is among the best I've ever heard, in terms of quality of the bass. I'd like to hear more about the rationale behind that score, as the written description in the review seemed to suggest bass that is higher than it was scored.

Sure. So let me start by giving a brief background in my scoring. In Holland, the educational system works with a 1-10 scoring system. With a 6 you've barely made it, a 7 is average, an 8 is good and a 9 is excellent. But there's a sort of uniform hesitance to score a 10, because there's 'always room for improvement'. When I was doing my masters there were a few American exchange students who would get frustrated by teachers' reluctance to score a 10 for essays, even though they felt it was an excellent paper, while in America you'd more easily get an A. As I'm a product of my culture, I too have this built-in resistance to score higher than a 9. I can't help it. I haven't heard the KSE1500, the Obravos, the Audeze planar iems, etc. Maybe they're doing something much better, I can't say. Like I said, there's always room for improvement.

I mentioned a while back that I found a score of 80-84 good for TOTL, 85-89 above average, and 90+ exceptional even by TOTL standards. I scored Vega's bass an 86, so I hardly think that classifies as 'a very low score'. It's higher than the 3 of the 4 other scores.

Vega has the most enhanced (sub)bass in this shootout. There's a reason that most manufacturers choose not to tune with so much bass, and it's not just because they can't. Powerful bass sounds impactful and dynamic, but Vega's grand sub-bass notes can be intrusive in the presentation for people that don't appreciate it. Traditionally bass is supposed to have a more modest role, although a lot of people value a higher quantity. An enhanced bass further affects the stage structure. As its speed and decay isn't very quick, it warms the stage and reduces the airiness, which in turn affects the cleanliness of the separation and transparency. In addition, the resolution of the mid-bass is not very high, or better said, there are others that do better. In the end the scoring is relative to all the contenders.

So the scoring is this:
-intrusiveness of sub-bass notes
-speed
-warmth
-/+mid-bass definition
+naturalness of decay
+impact

From an 'audiophile' perspective I would score it an 84, which is good in its own way. But I gave it 2 extra points for its engaging and unique qualities, totalling an 86; an above average score.

 

[Mimouille]

From what I've read, this one (if it had been a contender) also might have finished in the top 5 of this shootout
Seems to be an impressive monitor. Thanks for the review!

You are welcome. I think they might not appeal to all, but are clearly impressive. Now that I have reached my elder audiophile years, I have begun to judge gear by only one parameter : do I like to listen to music with it? Well I had the VE8 in my ears for 2-3 weeks non stop and they made me happy

 

[seamon]

What!!?? Vega at 13?
Take out 'em pitchforks bois!

 

[noplsestar]

What!!?? Vega at 13?
Take out 'em pitchforks bois!

On the contrary I´m wondering how the Vega made it that far. When I tested them I found that - for me - the bass was sounding "big" but not "right", the mids were just ok and the highs had nothing special. After that listening session I knew that I would no longer pay much attention when a product is hyped.

 

[flinkenick]

Gotta say, love the surprise from people that bought and then sold Vega!

I looked at the predictions a while back. The winners are as following:
-First place: guessed 5 correct, 2 in the right spot.
-Second place: guessed 4 correct, 4 in the right spot.
-There are two third place contenders: 4 correct, 1 in the right spot (the third position correct or the fifth). I can either throw a dice to determine the winner, or award it to the one that guessed the third spot correct. My preference would be a deathmatch option, but I find it hard to predict whether a Toxic cable is worth the effort. So for now I guess the one that guessed third position correct is the easiest option. If you would apply some mathematic formula that would prob be the outcome.

 

[Kerouac]

Gotta say, love the surprise from people that bought and then sold Vega!

I looked at the predictions a while back. The winners are as following:
-First place: guessed 5 correct, 2 in the right spot.
-Second place: guessed 4 correct, 4 in the right spot.
-There are two third place contenders: 4 correct, 1 in the right spot (the third position correct or the fifth). I can either throw a dice to determine the winner, or award it to the one that guessed the third spot correct. My preference would be a deathmatch option, but I find it hard to predict whether a Toxic cable is worth the effort. So for now I guess the one that guessed third position correct is the easiest option. If you would apply some mathematic formula that would prob be the outcome.

A live streamed (so we can all enjoy, with exception of the participants) deathmatch would surely be more fun


But to give the Toxic cable (still a very nice prize!) to the one that predicted #3 right instead of #5 absolutely makes more logic imo.

 

[Wyville]

But to give the Toxic cable (still a very nice prize!) to the one that predicted #3 right instead of #5 absolutely makes more logic imo.

Seems most logical to me too.