Thank you, I’m quite stoked, hearing that you listen to heavy metal as well and that EXT did not disappoint in that regard.EXT Initial Impressions
I received the EXT a couple of days ago and started listening extensively to get some clear impressions. Immediately it was clear that this is not just an upgraded Elysium, it is at a whole new level.
Here are some early thoughts:
I hope to have more thoughts soon and will be putting together an official review as this IEM is that good. My initial impressions video should be up in the next week as well. Hope this gives you something to think about while we wait for the tour to start.
- Elysium Comparison: For those that remember, I am a huge fan of the Elysium feeling that it has the best mids I have ever heard in a CIEM. It is my strict goto CIEM when I am in the mood for vocals or any mid focused genre for that signing directly to me goodness that only it delivers. The largest criticism for the ELY was that the bass was toned down to bring out those mids in the Universal that most were listening to. This was not the case with the custom version that I am listening to as the bass is more reminiscent of the VE8 universal bass...significant and fun. Therefore, we all thought that the EXT was simply applying bass to the ELY signature to cure that complaint. This is not the case - the EXT is simply at another level and offers a different signature. Yes, the EXT has the mid-lush DNA of the ELY, but it offer texturing and resolution end-to-end taking this IEM to another class of player. It is closer in signature to my Fir M5 than the VE8 as Raz suggested. The VE8 is more lush and fun while the EXT is a resolution monster at new levels of texture.
- Burn In: At first listen, I was a little worried about the bass as it was more than I was expecting - almost too much. It took a few hours for my ears to catch up and the dual dynamic drivers to loosen up to become more coherent before I started to hear things the way they were supposed to be heard. With 2 hours of burn in, the bass switched from all the time to only when called for. The treble started to shine and the resolution started to pop as the soundstage widened.
- Dat Bass: I need more time, but this is some of the best bass I have ever heard. The sub and mid bass do not step on each other at all. This bass is fast and remarkably quiet for dynamic drivers. The sub goes away on oldest that don't drop that low only showing off the midbass. The sub is dead quite when it is not called for. however, you put on EDM or bass-heavy music, and WOW! This offers quite the versatility in the wide-ranging genres that I like to listen to. My typical listening is all genres (except country...yuk) all mixed up playing randomly for a very stark contrast. I can jump from piano or guitar solos to heavy metal and this IEM does so in strides. But when I put on my bass junky music, that sub comes out to play.
- ESTs: Again, the ESTs do not come across as bright like they have in other implementations. They are much more BA-like but with superior detail, and this time a bit of sparkle. What I mean is that the highs do not stand on their own, they are more integrated in the rest of the frequency range drawing out textures.
- Mids: While these are absolutely mids done right offering intimate vocal detail, this presentation is not just about the singer, it is about the entire performance. The vocalist may be in your face staring down at you while singing, but you can clearly hear the dual lead guitarists right behind him strumming in rhythm and yes, you hear both and don't confuse the two guitarists as one.
- Power/Scaling: Yes, this IEM requires higher volumes to obtain normal listening levels - I am doubling my volumes to get there. However, the EXT scales down nicely sounding wonderful on my iPhone - no problem, just higher volumes. However, I have to be careful in my volumes not to go too high as it can get fatiguing if I overdo it as I tend to do. That said, this is a wonderful low volume performer with the bass out of this world even at low volumes. I guess the lesson here is that the volume is adjusted to higher than normal to get the sound levels you are used to but this doesn't cause issue, just adds to the dynamics. I will need more time with my better gear to hear how well it scales up. Most of my focus has been on the go with my iPhone and Sony WM1a which is rocking my world.
- Fit: This is quite a small universal IEM considering hosting two dual dynamic drivers and 4 ESTs. It is smaller in person than you might expect something like the VE8 in size. My ELY is much larger as a custom. That being said, this is perfectly shaped for my ear getting a custom-like fit which is unheard of for my weird shipped inner ear. The stems are larger than normal getting a great grip on my tips and even have a ledge to hold them tight so these tips are going nowhere. When inserting these, they almost get sucked up inside my ear for a perfect seal. I have not had this experience before with any universal. I could go jogging with these without them shaking lose or having to fix the fit from bouncing around...unheard of. These IEMs are also surprisingly light. Obviously aluminum as they disappear into my ear canal without any fatigue. This is by far, the best universal fitting IEM I have ever tried.
- Tour: We do not have our tour kits yet. I am hoping we get them soon. However, we have out tour thead up for signups so please follow the link in my signature if you are interested in hearing them on your own.
- Phonix: Nope, the Phonix has not arrived in Phoenix yet so no impressions for you at this point.
