I'm a bit late in doing this, but it's been hectic times for me lately.
I was on the Canadian tour before Gasdoc, and am finally getting a few minutes to write into words some point form text based on my experience with VE8 and Elysium
VE8:
Tuning – These are linear, with fantastic bass punch for BA, slightly above neutral midbass for fullness, linear midrange with more accentuation on male voices and a dip for females’ and a rise in the treble to give it quite a nice energy and dynamic in its treble. These are at first listen pretty warm and rich, but the treble also has great clarity and attack, sometimes even sharp. I’d consider these a more neutral iem than what I had up until just last week (U12T).
Fit – Very nicely done ergonomics on a custom-like shell. Easily achieve deep fit with large eartips. Creates a nice vacuum effect the seal is so great.
If I had to recommend one iem as an endgame, for someone who wants a blend of musicality and technicalities, this would be my #1 suggestion.
Everyone talks about the U12T’s treble being amazing, but personally, I find these to sound more sharp and clean, even making U12T sound smoother. U12T is excellent in lower treble, but falters at 8-10kHz and up, whereas VE8 does not. The energy around 8kHZ on VE8 was a bit intense with some recordings, but this is just nitpicking. One other comparison with U12T – many users claim it to be the “best BA bass”, well, I clearly hear superior bass performance on the VE8, it’s certainly more punchy and present, despite not being as boosted in the sub-bass as U12T.
Both iem’s are fantastic, but U12T I believe is showing its age. Now that Vision Ears just announced production of universal models, and that I’ve sold my U12T, I am seriously considering a pair of uniquely designed VE8
Personal score: 9/10
Elysium:
Tuning – Let me get this out of the way. I think these are quite amazing iem’s, but won’t wow you like the VE8 perhaps on immediate listen. I was much more impressed with these iem’s, despite a more “boring tuning”, straight out of the box, as I’ve been listening to a lot of the best totl’s as of late, and immediately was smitten by the quality of its treble. It straight up wipes the floor with all other iem’s not named KSE1500 in my opinion and has got me oh so curious about Erlkonig now. Treble is outstanding, much less peaky and not as sibilant as VE8 (based on other users’ comments, I believe achieving a deep fit/ great seal is the issue with some), midrange is a bit “dull” and is probably its main weakness, and bass is very neutral with great texture and realism. The choice of using DD for mids and BA for bass is interesting but works in creating a very accurate sounds in my opinion. The one nitpick is that I kind of sense the mids being less “Fast” or transparent as other ranges, and that may be due to the DD integration.
Fit – These are one of the best fitting iem’s I’ve ever tried, and more so than VE8. I have a very large ear canal, and it almost feels like these were shaped for my ears. I sense that without a deep fit and tight seal, these may sound more top heavy in sound, as many seem to report; but I really have 0 nitpicks with the treble, which is a first ever with an IEM. Treble is the hardest thing to get right. My other favorites for treble aren't perfect (KSE sometimes brittle, Z1R metallic/ zingy, MEST sharp/ ringy).
I would recommend this to purist, people who listen to a lot of classical and jazz, with busy passages and lots of stringed and brass instruments. I myself listen to a lot of prog rock, electronica and funk, and these are not the best match. These iem’s are definitely more refined and sophisticated, and not all-around players, but they excel at what I’ve described.
This hobby is full of flavors, and not everything works for everyone. But these to me, are very nicely tuned for the critical listener, who wants less color in his sound. I love it.
Personal score: 9.5/10
Thanks again for everything Barra, but now I need to try Erlkonig lol
