QDC - Discussion and Impressions Thread

[sxcjack]

Greetings! I recently bought the Anole VX from MusicTeck and I thought I'd share some impressions and comparisons against the U12t.

Sound Impressions(in stock tuning):

The VX follows a "neutral with slight sub-bass boost" frequency response, similar to that of the U12t. Although the bass is not as elevated as the U12t, so overall it feels more balanced and lean. Its drivers consist of 10 BAs and speaking of which, the VX is the most technical IEM I've heard: Resolution is outstanding, transients are extremely fast—almost a little unnatural at times. Notes coming from the VX are very well-defined and controlled, it's as if you are listening at 4K when comparing against other IEMs.

Against the U12t:

• Even though the U12t holds its own in terms of resolution, the VX still manages to out-resolve it by a good bit.
• The U12t is a little smoother and tamed in the lower treble region so it could be less fatiguing for some people. But I still quite prefer the treble on the VX as it does give more clarity to certain instruments. Both have amazing treble extension, but the U12t has more sparkles in the upper treble above 10k.
• Midrange clarity is no contest–the VX is just so detailed in this regard.
• I still think the U12t has better BA bass despite it being more elevated–it just has more texture and more natural decay, whereas the VX's bass is sometimes a little too fast and lean for its own good(still very good BA bass)
• Both IEMs have good soundstage and imaging, but because of the VX's superior resolution, it has a more black background and better image clarity.
• Technically the VX is a more versatile IEM as you can play around with the tuning switches–there are in total 8 different tunings for you to choose.
• For the tangibles, the VX's stock cable puts the U12t to shame–it has better skin feels and it's so much softer. I also prefer the VX's fit as its shape just contours to a human ear better IMO. And we can't ignore how stunning the VX looks, but some might prefer the U12t's understated look.​

Final thoughts:
I'm really glad I pulled the trigger on the VX when it's on sale(by the way, I can't recommend MusicTeck enough as Andrew over there is one of the most patient and helpful people I have met in the audio industry). Frankly speaking, I wasn't a big fan of it when I first got it as I thought the U12t is just as good whilst has better bass. But I've come to realize how technically impressive the VX is and it has now edged out the U12t as my favorite all BA IEM. If you are looking for the most resolving IEM in the game while still maintaining an agreeable tonality, look no further.

 

[fabio19]

I have tried 2 types of spinfit dual flange and some other chifi dual flanges, and a host of other tips. I found the azla sedna to be the best. Due to my shallow ear canal, the azla sedna almost reaches the end of my ear canal anyway. I agree that deep fit for 8SL is important. It doesnt solve the slightly hollowish mids, but man 8SL is still one of the most engaging iems Ive ever heard.

I do like more upper mids but not to the extent of harman or diffuse field lol. Moondrops were too shouty. My preferred mid tonality would be like crinacle X Fearless Dawn without the 4.5k peak. As you can see, U12T does alot right except the upper mids.

I agree with you about tonality over technicality once it reaches a certain point. Missing the right tonality just bothers me so much lol.

Do you think Moondrop in general yells too much about the upper mids?
I bought Faerless S8P and I think it is inferior to Dunu SA6. Or at least I like it less. While BGVP DM8 seems to have more bass and bass in the high mids.
I don't own any Moondrop

 

[eloelo]

Do you think Moondrop in general yells too much about the upper mids?
I bought Faerless S8P and I think it is inferior to Dunu SA6. Or at least I like it less. While BGVP DM8 seems to have more bass and bass in the high mids.
I don't own any Moondrop

Yep Moondrop in general are quite shouty. The S8 has some lower mids to balance with the upper mids I guess, but still shouty. I do like B2 and S8 more than the fearless S8 series though, because the fearless ones feel too thin in the mids. Compared to QDC iems (which are supposedly similar to SA6), the moondrops feel less tight in the mids so you dont get as big of a kick out of vocals, but S8 has a more even treble, which makes it sound more natural, less exciting. If you feel SA6 is edging on too shouty, I'd suggest not to go for the moondrops

 

[fabio19]

Yep Moondrop in general are quite shouty. The S8 has some lower mids to balance with the upper mids I guess, but still shouty. I do like B2 and S8 more than the fearless S8 series though, because the fearless ones feel too thin in the mids. Compared to QDC iems (which are supposedly similar to SA6), the moondrops feel less tight in the mids so you dont get as big of a kick out of vocals, but S8 has a more even treble, which makes it sound more natural, less exciting. If you feel SA6 is edging on too shouty, I'd suggest not to go for the moondrops

you are right ...... In fact besides Tansio Mirai 8 Space, I was also looking at Faerless S10 Genie and S12 Hyper S. From what I read they seem to have fantastic midrange and vocals, with tight and very fast low end. Genie seems to be more balanced than S12 Hyper S which compared to S10 has less bass in the high mids but more sub lows. Thus creating a difference in height.
But they both look very similar .....

 

[Xinlisupreme]

@fabio19 a friend ( @Owludio ) told me moondrop S8 is quite similan to iBasso IT07, but S8 has less bass... having IT07 S8 would be great for you.

 

[Leviathant]

Greetings! I recently bought the Anole VX from MusicTeck and I thought I'd share some impressions and comparisons against the U12t.

Sound Impressions(in stock tuning):

The VX follows a "neutral with slight sub-bass boost" frequency response, similar to that of the U12t. Although the bass is not as elevated as the U12t, so overall it feels more balanced and lean. Its drivers consist of 10 BAs and speaking of which, the VX is the most technical IEM I've heard: Resolution is outstanding, transients are extremely fast—almost a little unnatural at times. Notes coming from the VX are very well-defined and controlled, it's as if you are listening at 4K when comparing against other IEMs.

Against the U12t:

• Even though the U12t holds its own in terms of resolution, the VX still manages to out-resolve it by a good bit.
• The U12t is a little smoother and tamed in the lower treble region so it could be less fatiguing for some people. But I still quite prefer the treble on the VX as it does give more clarity to certain instruments. Both have amazing treble extension, but the U12t has more sparkles in the upper treble above 10k.
• Midrange clarity is no contest–the VX is just so detailed in this regard.
• I still think the U12t has better BA bass despite it being more elevated–it just has more texture and more natural decay, whereas the VX's bass is sometimes a little too fast and lean for its own good(still very good BA bass)
• Both IEMs have good soundstage and imaging, but because of the VX's superior resolution, it has a more black background and better image clarity.
• Technically the VX is a more versatile IEM as you can play around with the tuning switches–there are in total 8 different tunings for you to choose.
• For the tangibles, the VX's stock cable puts the U12t to shame–it has better skin feels and it's so much softer. I also prefer the VX's fit as its shape just contours to a human ear better IMO. And we can't ignore how stunning the VX looks, but some might prefer the U12t's understated look.​

Final thoughts:
I'm really glad I pulled the trigger on the VX when it's on sale(by the way, I can't recommend MusicTeck enough as Andrew over there is one of the most patient and helpful people I have met in the audio industry). Frankly speaking, I wasn't a big fan of it when I first got it as I thought the U12t is just as good whilst has better bass. But I've come to realize how technically impressive the VX is and it has now edged out the U12t as my favorite all BA IEM. If you are looking for the most resolving IEM in the game while still maintaining an agreeable tonality, look no further.

Thanks for the impressions; very useful. I see you favour the bass of U12t over the VX in stock position, for reasons that include a ‘leanness’ of the VX’s bass. How do you find flicking the bass switch on compares vs the U12t’s bass? Does this fair better than VX stock bass to your preferences?

 

[fabio19]

@fabio19 a friend ( @Owludio ) told me moondrop S8 is quite similan to iBasso IT07, but S8 has less bass... having IT07 S8 would be great for you.

My thought (unsupported by ratings ......) is that I think qualitatively that Tansio Mirai is superior to Moondrop S8. But I can obviously be wrong.

 

[Owludio]

@fabio19 a friend ( @Owludio ) told me moondrop S8 is quite similan to iBasso IT07, but S8 has less bass... having IT07 S8 would be great for you.

Thanks to pulling me back to this thread that I try to avoid. I was here only to learn about Dmagic 3D but now, when Euclid is out...

I need to clarify something about Moondrop S8: I don't find it to be shouty, especially compared to Blessing2.
In fact, it07 is more shouty than S8 and also can occasionally be a little sibilant because it walks the thin line of maximally engaging sound and as such, can be less forgiving to some recordings. None of that is in S8. It makes vocals more distant with wider stage and more laid back presentation.

Does anyone own(or heard) both Dmagic 3d and mentioned above?
I need to direct $1300 toward Euclid, but Dmagic is so well-designed. Graph suggests that it might be more aggressive on upper-mid-lover-treble area. It looks like it's not going to be sibilant but may be more shouty than Blessing2.

 

[fabio19]

Thanks to pulling me back to this thread that I try to avoid. I was here only to learn about Dmagic 3D but now, when Euclid is out...

I need to clarify something about Moondrop S8: I don't find it to be shouty, especially compared to Blessing2.
In fact, it07 is more shouty than S8 and also can occasionally be a little sibilant because it walks the thin line of maximally engaging sound and as such, can be less forgiving to some recordings. None of that is in S8. It makes vocals more distant with wider stage and more laid back presentation.

Does anyone own(or heard) both Dmagic 3d and mentioned above?
I need to direct $1300 toward Euclid, but Dmagic is so well-designed. Graph suggests that it might be more aggressive on upper-mid-lover-treble area. It looks like it's not going to be sibilant but may be more shouty than Blessing2.

".................None of this is in S8. Makes voices more distant with a wider stage and more relaxed presentation ..."

Is S8 more open than IT07?

 

[eloelo]

Thanks to pulling me back to this thread that I try to avoid. I was here only to learn about Dmagic 3D but now, when Euclid is out...

I need to clarify something about Moondrop S8: I don't find it to be shouty, especially compared to Blessing2.
In fact, it07 is more shouty than S8 and also can occasionally be a little sibilant because it walks the thin line of maximally engaging sound and as such, can be less forgiving to some recordings. None of that is in S8. It makes vocals more distant with wider stage and more laid back presentation.

Does anyone own(or heard) both Dmagic 3d and mentioned above?
I need to direct $1300 toward Euclid, but Dmagic is so well-designed. Graph suggests that it might be more aggressive on upper-mid-lover-treble area. It looks like it's not going to be sibilant but may be more shouty than Blessing2.

i tried dmagic before. It is more shouty than B2 and is actually shrill sounding. I love my vocals alot and there was disappointingly no wetness in its sound. It sounds quite thin and anemic in the mids. Based on the graph I didnt expect it to be like this lol. It's saving grace is it has pretty tightish bass and I've heard reviewer Toranku say it has decent treble extension for a pure DD iem.

As for S8, I personally can tolerate the shoutiness because its larger stage making vocals more distant. When A/Bing beside B2 it sounds more "expensive" and refined.

 

[jwbrent]

i tried dmagic before. It is more shouty than B2 and is actually shrill sounding. I love my vocals alot and there was disappointingly no wetness in its sound. It sounds quite thin and anemic in the mids. Based on the graph I didnt expect it to be like this lol. It's saving grace is it has pretty tightish bass and I've heard reviewer Toranku say it has decent treble extension for a pure DD iem.

As for S8, I personally can tolerate the shoutiness because its larger stage making vocals more distant. When A/Bing beside B2 it sounds more "expensive" and refined.

I agree on the S8.

 

[sxcjack]

Thanks for the impressions; very useful. I see you favour the bass of U12t over the VX in stock position, for reasons that include a ‘leanness’ of the VX’s bass. How do you find flicking the bass switch on compares vs the U12t’s bass? Does this fair better than VX stock bass to your preferences?

I just turned the bass switch on for the first time, and yeah the bass had more body and weight and rumble–definitely more than the U12t. But the bass did bleed into the mids and everything sounded less resolving and slightly more congested as a result, kinda reminded me of my Legend X. I wish the bass switch would elevate the bass to a more agreeable amount like on the U12t.

 

[jwbrent]

I just turned the bass switch on for the first time, and yeah the bass had more body and weight and rumble–definitely more than the U12t. But the bass did bleed into the mids and everything sounded less resolving and slightly more congested as a result, kinda reminded me of my Legend X. I wish the bass switch would elevate the bass to a more agreeable amount like on the U12t.

I find the bass boost too much, so I don’t use it. You should try, though, playing with the mid and treble switches with bass on to help balance the sound, you may find a combo that works for you.

 

[Frankie D]

I find the bass boost too much, so I don’t use it. You should try, though, playing with the mid and treble switches with bass on to help balance the sound, you may find a combo that works for you.

Some folks liked them all on! I leave them all off, but it was initially fun playing around with them.

 

[sxcjack]

I find the bass boost too much, so I don’t use it. You should try, though, playing with the mid and treble switches with bass on to help balance the sound, you may find a combo that works for you.

Thanks for the suggestions. Maybe it’s just me but I quite like the sound with only the treble switch on, even though I understand the stock treble energy is already too much for some people. The VX made me realize maybe I’m not that into bass after all haha.