[golov17]

I agree, but of the three, Zen, KT100 and UU2, have Vsonic, still better.

 

[ULUL]

Quick question for you guys.  I picked up three pairs of the Zen.  Picked up one, was so impressed that I picked up two more. Want to do a quick review - but I must be a bit dense - how do I post a review? 
 
This is my first introduction to buds - its' been an interesting journey. Fit is the greatest challenge for me (and it did not fit my son at all due to his very small ears) but that's true of all buds.  But the sound is just wonderful - long sessions without fatigue and very organic. I'm done with IEMs after discovering the Zen and high quality ear buds except when I'm flying in a plane when I need sound to be sealed out.  Otherwise, love buds!
 
I thank Lee for being the perfect gentleman, and Golov17 who first alerted me to the Zen and quality earbuds in general. 
 
Thanks!
UL

 

[golov17]

 

[rymd]

  Quick question for you guys.  I picked up three pairs of the Zen.  Picked up one, was so impressed that I picked up two more. Want to do a quick review - but I must be a bit dense - how do I post a review? 
 
This is my first introduction to buds - its' been an interesting journey. Fit is the greatest challenge for me (and it did not fit my son at all due to his very small ears) but that's true of all buds.  But the sound is just wonderful - long sessions without fatigue and very organic. I'm done with IEMs after discovering the Zen and high quality ear buds except when I'm flying in a plane when I need sound to be sealed out.  Otherwise, love buds!
 
I thank Lee for being the perfect gentleman, and Golov17 who first alerted me to the Zen and quality earbuds in general. 
 
Thanks!
UL

Just write about it here or in a new topic, or if you really want: http://www.head-fi.org/products/ve-zen
 
And same here. I can't go back to IEMs now. Before all the power value buds at <$20 were competing with my $100-200 IEMs for music time because of they had just enough detail to go with the much preferred earbud sound. But they weren't nearly good enough in certain areas, especially soundstage. The Zen has fixed that though and beyond, probably ending my dozen+ IEM adventure. Now if only the few other high end earbuds were as accessible. Senn is too pricey and I don't even know what Blox is doing.

 

[Expansion]

I understand that they sound good, but why are they so expensive?(Zen)
 
In the end, they look so cheap, and they are chinese, manufactured by who? A handful of people,sent via airmail, no expensive factories, no expensive marketing, no expensive distribution channels, local suppliers, etc.
 
 
What drivers do they use, how come their drivers are 20 times more expensive than the ones from the Monk's?
 
 
I don't know people, these times don't feel right...
It's too hard these days to read real reviews, not all these overhyped ones, that swear that you will receive the audio-nirvana, untill when?  the next chinese boom product?
 
People aren't able to discern between 50$ DACs and 1000$ DACs via A/B tests, and you are asking 120$ for a pair of chinese cheap materials that are supposed to sound good...
 
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/high-end-pc-audio,3733-19.html
 
 
IMO, you should be entitled to ask such prices after you prove yourself against consecrated earbuds, in all aspects, including quality of materials, warranty quality and speed, organizing A/B tests accessible to the general user, etc.
 
I've bought in the past products based on these hypes, and guess what? None was worth the money.
 
IMO, you are not entitled to ask 50-70% of the price of a High-End Sennheiser, even if your headphones are in the same league.
Sennheiser has to pay much more workers, factories, development, marketing, international distribution/warranties, web platforms etc.
 
You did what? Copy the MX500 body, copy the drivers from some highend earbuds, a little bit of tuning here and there, and boom...
120$ headphone that would actually cost 20$ including all your trouble with the "development"...
 
 
Now everybody is going to jump on me to buy whatever I want, and that I'm not forced to buy the overly expensive Zens.
Yeah, I can live with this.
 
What I cannot stand is the fact that the market is filled with too much **** and that if you don't have experience, you'll end up wasting too much of your time trying to figure out who is actually weighting the things right, and who is just eating all that ****, since you cannot compare the products yourself.
 
I want honest reviews, from people with experience, people that have a good overall view on a large portion of the market, people that can weigh all the aspects correctly, especially when I/the others don't have the option to test personally the product.

 

[golov17]

Who makes you to buy? You created and put into production at least something? Go cry somewhere else, troll.

 

[Expansion]

I haven't created, but at least I haven't copied and modified here and there and then charged 100$+ for it.
 
This is an open forum, I think that I'm allowed to demand some answers here.
 
Answers for questions like: "What makes it so expensive compared to a 12$ Mrice E100?"
 
I think that the manufacturer of Zen's should cut open a pair of Mrice E100 and a pair of Zen's and explain what makes it 10 time more expensive.

 

[golov17]

You can buy for yourself, cut and compare. Then tell us. And suddenly, we will understand that this terrible headphones. ®Sarkazm

 

[golov17]

But seriously, we are looking for advantages, not disadvantages. The glass is half full, but for you, half empty. Calm down. Here all people are adults, their labor to earn money and spend it on something that pleases them. IMHO.

 

[golov17]

I just take the Zen, turn "Jennifer Warnes - Rock You Gently", and .. oh my god, amazing music pours into my ears and into the soul through the amazing Zen. You should try it. If that money can buy, I am willing to pay more. IMHO.

 

[mochill]

Zen is quality and e100 is quantity . Mostly all earbud under $100 is quantity and not really on par to higher level earbuds

 

[fleasbaby]

  I haven't created, but at least I haven't copied and modified here and there and then charged 100$+ for it.
 
This is an open forum, I think that I'm allowed to demand some answers here.
 
Answers for questions like: "What makes it so expensive compared to a 12$ Mrice E100?"
 
I think that the manufacturer of Zen's should cut open a pair of Mrice E100 and a pair of Zen's and explain what makes it 10 time more expensive.

 
...you bring up great points. In all honesty though, I don't think any manufacturer will ever open up a cheaper competitor's product next to their own and explain exactly why theirs is superior. Even Grado, whose headphones are an exercise is design simplicity, still hold back details on who exactly makes their drivers and the differences between the drivers in their different models. They also do not share their wood treatments, cable sources, etc, etc. These are trade secrets that a market segment is willing to pay a premium to enjoy.
 
VE is the same. Their trade secrets are their "secret sauce", their key to a unique product. There is a market segment willing to pay to hear these. That market segment ensures that VE can continue to survive and innovate.
 
In an ideal, anarchist's society everyone would have no trade secrets and all technologies would be laid bare for anyone to utilize. Manufacturers wouldn't have to rely on being innovative to differentiate themselves in the market, drive sales of their product and thereby survive. With 3D printing and the increasing ease with which information is shared, maybe we are driving towards a utopian society along those lines. Personally I would love it...that isn't today though, and it wouldn't be that perfect utopian society if everyone was forced to participate in it to their detriment.
 
The bottom line is, sadly, that old cliche: "If you don't like it, or can't stomach the price, don't buy it..."

 

[Expansion]

mochill, Zen would be also about quantity if it wasn't that expensive. And about the quality, besides the sound, do you see quality?
I see cheap, very cheap.. look at that crappy cable.. I haven't seen cables looking that cheap for a while...
 
 
"I've discovered that fastening better that bolt from a 10$ copied design, would yield better results, now I'm going to charge you 100$ for this improvement."
 
I find this unfair, and sadly, nowadays, a large number of businesses work by performing such kind of speculations.
 
fleasbaby, yes, you are right. Now I realize that my chances of getting some explanations are rather slim.
 
 
 
I've checked the high end model from Sennheiser, MX985, and the lowest price, in my country, Romania, is exactly 110$.
A headphone that is built with metal, inspires quality, has palpable warranty and was built according to some international regulations for the materials( not in some unknown backyard).
 
 

 

[mochill]

The cable is high quality feel , the housing is generic and sound quality in high-end.

 

[mochill]

Compare it to blox which looks like $10 earbuds but the definitely doesn't sound lil it ...the Zen is in its own league being natural organic and very open without masking any details. Don't think of it as a detail and analytical monster which it is not but an analogue sound .