[Mehran]

Hmm ok not too dissimilar to the VE8, seems to be more emphasis placed towards each end of the spectrum. Doesn't tell you a whole lot otherwise as Deezel states that they are very complimentary.

VE8 = Red
VE7 = Green

Then practically graphs don't mean anything If they are complementary, lol.

 

[Damz87]

I'm still waiting for someone to a/b Bravado and Valk...though @Damz87 expressed to me he was somewhat disappointed in the Valk MKii which surprised me given how much I liked the Bravado.

Oh really?! This is interesting... I haven't seen anything about this. @Damz87 are you able to expand on this if you have a minute? I mean, I can get a Bravado MkII pretty cheap atm too so could help saving some pennies.

I had another listen to my Valk Mk2 last night but this time with DX300, and it was sounding quite good. Prior to that, all my Valk Mk2 listening was with the L&P W2.

With the W2 the treble sounds sibilant and the mids are very thin. But with DX300, I heard much smoother treble and more body in the lower mids which balances out the signature pretty well. It still sounds v-shaped, but it’s far less extreme with DX300 compared to W2.

With that said, I still feel there are better options in its price range. I personally would choose Z1R, MEST and Solaris before a Valk Mk2. But if you’re really into V-shaped sigs and you have a warm-ish source/dap, then it’s definitely an enjoyable IEM. The bass is incredibly fun.

 

[Tristy]

I had another listen to my Valk Mk2 last night but this time with DX300, and it was sounding quite good. Prior to that, all my Valk Mk2 listening was with the L&P W2.

With the W2 the treble sounds sibilant and the mids are very thin. But with DX300, I heard much smoother treble and more body in the lower mids which balances out the signature pretty well. It still sounds v-shaped, but it’s far less extreme with DX300 compared to W2.

With that said, I still feel there are better options in its price range. I personally would choose Z1R, MEST and Solaris before a Valk Mk2. But if you’re really into V-shaped sigs and you have a warm-ish source/dap, then it’s definitely an enjoyable IEM. The bass is incredibly fun.

Ahh thanks for your input man, appreciate it. Yeah It is likely that it would either replace the Z1R or Dorado if I were to get it so I think ill just hold my trigger finger and attempt to be content with what I have atm in that case .

 

[Tristy]

Then practically graphs don't mean anything If they are complimentary, lol.

It gives me a rough idea of what segment of the frequency response would be highlighted but little else... and even then, an IEM's staging, note weight etc can all affect a persons perception of what is emphasised anyway... but yeah, a rough guide.

 

[Damz87]

Ahh thanks for your input man, appreciate it. Yeah It is likely that it would either replace the Z1R or Dorado if I were to get it so I think ill just hold my trigger finger and attempt to be content with what I have atm in that case .

Lol I need to do the same but yeah honestly. my opinion would be to wait or at least try and demo it first before buying. It’s a good IEM, but I think the extreme V tuning might be a bit too genre specific.

 

[Precogvision]

VE7 also has my interest, as I haven't really gelled with any of VE's other IEMs. Talking to some friends who have heard the VE7, it's apparently quite different from the VE8 in that it's leaner and brighter. The treble still rolls-off, but it inherently sounds more airy due to the leaner sound signature. However, for those who found VE8 sibilant (I did), I was warned that VE7 might sound even more so.

I agree with Damz that there are better options than the Valkyrie at that price point. For example, the 64 Audio Nio, MEST, and the Sony IER-Z1R are all more balanced. But none of those IEMs are quite as lively as the Valkyrie. If you're into that type of sound, or just plan to pop it in every once in a while to rock out, then I think it has its niche. I disliked the Bravado because it sounded like bass and not much else; the midrange and treble were incredibly distant. As a result, it didn't sound very technical either. I'd hazard that if you like the Bravado, then you probably won't like the Valkyrie, and vice versa. Just thought I'd chime in!

 

[Tristy]

VE7 also has my interest, as I haven't really gelled with any of VE's other IEMs. Talking to some friends who have heard the VE7, it's apparently quite different from the VE8 in that it's leaner and brighter. The treble still rolls-off, but it inherently sounds more airy due to the leaner sound signature. However, for those who found VE8 sibilant (I did), I was warned that VE7 might sound even more so.

I agree with Damz that there are better options than the Valkyrie at that price point. For example, the 64 Audio Nio, MEST, and the Sony IER-Z1R are all more balanced. But none of those IEMs are quite as lively as the Valkyrie. If you're into that type of sound, or just plan to pop it in every once in a while to rock out, then I think it has its niche. I disliked the Bravado because it sounded like bass and not much else; the midrange and treble were incredibly distant. As a result, it didn't sound very technical either. I'd hazard that if you like the Bravado, then you probably won't like the Valkyrie, and vice versa. Just thought I'd chime in!

Appreciate it! Your impressions of the Valk MkII had somewhat piqued my interest in it in the first place... especially seeing as I know that the tuning is generally not your cup of tea. Being a huge bass head and not being averse to large amounts of treble also draws me in, I actually really enjoyed Hero despite the divisive impressions.

The VE7 appeals to that traditional “audiophile” side of me that kinda just likes something that is technical and that I can use for a wide variety of music.

 

[SBranson]

...I disliked the Bravado because it sounded like bass and not much else; the midrange and treble were incredibly distant....

Is this a music choice thing? Or maybe a source thing or just our ears because I do not get that at all.. The first Bravado would get buried in bass and with the wrong source I even got that with the LX but what I like about this new bass driver is that the bass comes in strong but completely stays in it’s lane and the mids and highs aren’t occluded at all. Sure they are somewhat recessed but I’d hardly say distant.., more like sitting back as few rows compared to the Elysium.
I know our impressions of things are different but it always surprises me how much.

 

[Precogvision]

Is this a music choice thing? Or maybe a source thing or just our ears because I do not get that at all.. The first Bravado would get buried in bass and with the wrong source I even got that with the LX but what I like about this new bass driver is that the bass comes in strong but completely stays in it’s lane and the mids and highs aren’t occluded at all. Sure they are somewhat recessed but I’d hardly say distant.., more like sitting back as few rows compared to the Elysium.
I know our impressions of things are different but it always surprises me how much.

That's a fair question! I would say music choice has more to do with whether one enjoys or dislikes the overall sound signature of an IEM. As for sources, I couldn't say. Some people seem to hear huge differences, others don't. I'm in the latter. That in mind, it's probably more to do with a difference of hearing.

Particularly of importance is what we (as individuals) perceive as neutral. I believe you’ve owned the Moondrop B2. For the sake of argument, then, let’s say that Person A considered that neutral. Then let’s say Person B considered the B2 Dusk, which has more bass and a less upper-midrange oriented tuning, as neutral. For Person A, the Bravado would sound incredibly bassy and distant. But for Person B, who perceived a more bassy and less upper-midrange oriented IEM as neutral from the outset, these differences would not be as pronounced! You can see that if you have a baseline for what you perceive as neutral, it also helps considerably in answering what accounts for these differences.

An even simpler explanation for these differences might be how we define what we're hearing. You noted that the Bravado does sound recessed to you. Your recessed, then, might be my interpretation of distant, as they more or less mean something similar.

 

[chickenmcnug]

I like anything that dips in the upper mids.

You should really try the Thummim one day.

 

[Mehran]

You should really try the Thummim one day.

I think not.
I don't know what the hell I've done, I bought all these flagships one after the other. Now it has to stop.Now I should enjoy them before I get sick of IEMs and music in general. Lol

 

[DanielListening]

It’s a dangerous game.

Music first.

 

[SBranson]

That's a fair question! I would say music choice has more to do with whether one enjoys or dislikes the overall sound signature of an IEM. As for sources, I couldn't say. Some people seem to hear huge differences, others don't. I'm in the latter. That in mind, it's probably more to do with a difference of hearing.

Particularly of importance is what we (as individuals) perceive as neutral. I believe you’ve owned the Moondrop B2. For the sake of argument, then, let’s say that Person A considered that neutral. Then let’s say Person B considered the B2 Dusk, which has more bass and a less upper-midrange oriented tuning, as neutral. For Person A, the Bravado would sound incredibly bassy and distant. But for Person B, who perceived a more bassy and less upper-midrange oriented IEM as neutral from the outset, these differences would not be as pronounced! You can see that if you have a baseline for what you perceive as neutral, it also helps considerably in answering what accounts for these differences.

An even simpler explanation for these differences might be how we define what we're hearing. You noted that the Bravado does sound recessed to you. Your recessed, then, might be my interpretation of distant, as they more or less mean something similar.

It’s not so much the relative similarity of “recessed” vs “distant” more your use of the qualifier “incredibly”... and “bass and not much else”..
I’m not sure if hyperbole is a style or if you really hear it like this because my experience is very different from what I understand your words to mean.

Anyway, we all hear differently..
As they say, “whatever floats your boat.”

 

[ranfan]

Yes, I really enjoy the Nio's tuning and DD bass but if I had one "complaint," it'd be the somewhat relaxed / smooth treble. It's actually a positive attribute on harsher, somewhat poorly recorded albums (which is quite common with black metal), but on albums that are well mastered / mixed, the upper mid range and treble sometimes seems to lack bite with guitars and cymbal crashes. My thought being that adding a V shaped IEM to compliment the L shaped Nio would give me a nice change-of-pace by adding more bite and sparkle to that region, while still retaining the impactful bass that I like so much.

I saw your impressions on the Isa and it certainly piqued my interest. At $600 it seems like a great performer. For single DD IEMs, my personal experience is limited to just the BLON BL-03 and the NF Audio NM2+. The BLON is a relatively fun listen and is surprisingly well tuned, but it's a far cry from the SA6 and Nio in terms of sheer technical ability (obviously). The NM2+ is quite resolving, especially for it's low price, but it's VERY fatiguing and the Chi-Fi tuning does not agree with my ears or the music I listen to.

Any sibilance or fatigue with the Isa's treble?

I see. Then in that case, the 3DT ($299 right now) might be a good alternative too. It has that v-like tuning with lean mids and some lift in the upper. Quite contrary to the Nio, which sounds smoother and warmer in comparison. The 3DT is pretty good too regardless of price.

No sibilance to my ears, and the bass wasn't fatiguing. It has this high quality inexcessive quantity tuning that I like. Not that it's few, it's still above average in quantity. And for its size it's very well defined and felt substantial. Unlike some BA bass, which focuses on size but lacking definition, which made them sounded wooly by comparison. The treble has a slight lift in the 7-8kHz region, and depending on your source and personal sensitivity it may come across as fatiguing. But it's not excessively lifted

 

[DanielListening]

I am borrowing @SBranson ’s UM 3DTs with a white filter with holes mod.

This IEM is unreal. Definitely less refined in some areas but it isn’t offensive.