Vortex + Vita (Venture Electronics)
Well, damn. I haven’t been this excited since I got the Vortex. What an aptly named pair.
I thought the Vortex was sorted with the OS849. I’ve said it before, the OS849 is plenty fun - rich, lush mids, excellent dynamics - and a superb match with the Vortex sonically.
But the only way to describe Vita is, it brings the Vortex to life. When it never even sounded dead to begin with.
Imaging, separation and layering all get a boost. That alone is well worth the price of admission. Instruments and musicians are more vividly situated on the stage. Mids are sweeter, clearer, more vivid. I hear more detail in recordings, instruments sitting low in the mix, crowd atmosphere. More stick energy. Everything feels snappier, timbrally more accurate. Just breathtaking. Especially with live recordings. I almost don’t care what I’m listening to anymore. Just letting it play straight through albums for hours.
As a bonus, the Vita cable is soft, supple, lighter, thinner and altogether more portable than the OS849. And it coils well and doesn’t feel like it’s going to tangle.
Oh and the price? $70. It seems folks of late have been discovering Vortex cable pairings that they love. But if by any chance anyone is still undecided or exploring options, the Vita is an insane steal.
I’m just rambling now but I have a hunch it will pair well with the other Penons as well and I mean to try that out at some point… when I manage to separate them from the Vortex, that is.
Might help to remove Vortex from ears first…
| SDIC | Vita |
| Sub bass extends deeper More control, layering & resolution Darker background | More shimmer Comes across as livelier, more engaging |
Question for a point of clarification: In your + and - you give a pro to a good soundstage width and above average depth, but describe the presentation as intimate. Those characteristics are incongruous in my mind. Your description of the soundstage reads as more average; Neither intimate, nor expansive. How do you find a soundstage wide and deep, but intimate at the same time?From Day 1, I have been amazed by Vortex, and with time it has grown into an absolute fondness. Vortex is irreplaceable for me now. Read below to find out my full impression:
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/penon-vortex.25936/review/29273/
Often it depends on which part of the FR - for example singers close by, but rumbles or the tinkling of bells far out.
To me, that's more about the imaging and layering. In my opinion, the soundstage is consistent: It is the space in which you can hear sound. What the sound does inside of that area is, where you locate the sound in that space is not the same thing.
@rattlingblanketwoman has pointed out correctly. I have heard a lot of iems which has the midrange distant, thereby creating a very good depth, but often felt flat because the treble felt at a same plane with the midrange. In case of Vortex, the treble definitely does not feel to be in a same plane with the midrange, the midrange was forward which created an intimate presentation, but the treble was placed at a respectable distance to induce the feeling of an above average depth.
TBH, the only upgrades Vortex needs are a bit more space between the notes, and a bit more stage height. And BAM! One of the Best DD IEMs ever!
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