Vision Ears and Rhines Custom Monitors (formerly Compact Monitors)

[Mimouille]

Now which will be better between Vison Ears VE5 and Rhines Stage 5?

 

[lee730]

You gotta catch'em all Mimou.

 

[angelo898]

Now which will be better between Vison Ears VE5 and Rhines Stage 5?

Doubt anyone will buy both for a direct comparison...

 

[Mimouille]

Doubt anyone will buy both for a direct comparison...

You underestimate some people here...

 

[angelo898]

You underestimate some people here...

I happily look forward to being proven wrong

 

[Mimouille]

I happily look forward to being proven wrong

Well not by me...I will certainly take a plunge on the VE side.

 

[Mython]

I've only been listening for a few minutes, but, to my ears, the 3s are substantially more musical and engaging than the 2s.

 

[tupac0306]

  I've only been listening for a few minutes, but, to my ears, the 3s are substantially more musical and engaging than the 2s.

I think 3S is more engaging, but S2 is more musical with fuller bass and mid presentation.
 
What source you pair them with? I find all 3 demos can sound a bit warm and slow on DAPs. With portable source, I would also say S3 is probably the most accurate one. S2 is slightly on the warmer side. 
 
S4 is colored no matter whether I use DAPs or desktop source.

 

[Mython]

  I think 3S is more engaging, but S2 is more musical with fuller bass and mid presentation.
 
What source you pair them with? I find all 3 demos can sound a bit warm and slow on DAPs. With portable source, I would also say S3 is probably the most accurate one. S2 is slightly on the warmer side. 
 
S4 is colored no matter whether I use DAPs or desktop source.

 
 
Well, owing to my current financial status, I don't have any high-end DAPs, unfortunately (though I seriously want, and intend, to get a Calyx-M the second I can afford one).
 
I never trust my J3 with balanced armatures, as I know, from experience, that it doesn't drive BA designs properly. I'm actually using an old Sony D-777 discman. I never found out what the OI is, but it has a substantially more capable amp section than the J3 and drives UM Miracles pretty well (not perfect, but pretty well) and does a nice job with Noble's N6 UIEM, too. Maybe it could do with being lower OI, but there are no apparent artifacts arising from whatever OI it has (and I know the telltale signs), so Sony did something right with it, back in 1996. It's making very nice music with the Stage 3s, playing Alison Krauss & Union Station's 'New Favourite' CD, as I type this.
 
 
...I'm finding that the S3s offer a clearer window into the music than the S4s or S2s.
 

  .... I would also say S3 is probably the most accurate one.

 
So far, yes, I agree.
 
 
 
....and I'm now starting to quite enjoy the S2s, actually, in spite of my quick initial impressions. I'm not finding them quite as clear or extended as the 3s but there's a bit more 'body' to the sound than with the 3s. However, I feel the S3's still tell you more about what's going on in a recording, if that's what one wants.

 

[superachromat]

  Rhines announced the Stage 5 on Facebook today!
 
 
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=717580564928205&set=a.563977706955159.1073741828.561117580574505&type=1&theater
 
It's not the announcement I expected because I heard a new model with three drivers at their store not long ago. It's basically a Stage 3 with more sub-bass. The overall sound was much smoother and the soundstage appeared deeper and not so in-your-face. It sounded really, really amazing and I am absolutely sure some of you guys will love it.
I actually expected them to announce it already!
 
Unfortunately I haven't heard the Stage 5 yet - I guess I have to pay Felix a visit soon again.

 
Yes, stage 5 is coming! Not much information there on the website or facebook. Anyone knows the price for the upgrading?

 

[eliet6x]

I send an email out to VE, to ask about the stage 5 they responded very quickly and basically said that they would make announcements in about 2 weeks from today, oh and they didn't call it stage 5 so maybe name won't be that

 

[Mimouille]

Hey Mython, any futher thoughts on the demos?

 

[Mython]

  Hey Mython, any further thoughts on the demos?

 
 
Well, I've only just got around to listening to them in earnest, again, this evening (I'll be sending them on soon

), and I'm going to admit that I now feel I was overly-hasty in stating that the D-777 plays nicely with the VEs.
 
Whereas with the Miracle and N6s, all was OK, I'm now finding, when listening to the VEs (especially the S2 and S3) that the treble is not as controlled as I feel it should be. The bassline is still fine with all of them, it's just the treble that's lacking in control and refinement (but only on certain tracks). The most obvious culprit for this would appear to be the D-777 OI, whatever that is, and/or perhaps hinting that the S2 & S3 (and to a slightly lesser extent, the S4) may have a fiendishly low-dipping impedance curve.
 
 
So, I can't provide as accurate an assessment as others, but I do still stand by my sentiments that the S3 sounds the most neutral, and definitely provides the clearest window on midrange and vocals, quite easily besting the S2 and S4 in this regard (I suspect this is more than just a difference in the prominence of the bass and treble in relation to the midrange, but I'd be happy to be proven otherwise). My gut reaction, upon first hearing the S3, was that it was more musical and engaging than the S2, but I have now concluded that the S3's midband is more engaging than the S2 (& the S4), but the S2 is perhaps more easy to tap your foot to (or sing along to, if you're that way inclined!) than the S3.
 
The S4 has noticeably boosted bass (not outrageously, but obviously so). It also seems to have a little more depth to the soundstage than the S2 and S3, although whether this may be due to the boosted bass is tricky to say. I can understand why some customers have requested that the bass level be tuned down a little.
 
Whilst it may lack the technical prowess of its bigger sisters, overall, the S2 seems to be the most amiable and 'musical' (if one listens casually rather than consciously attempting to analyse what is going on), but the S3 shows that the S2 and S4 are (to my ears) lacking a bit in midrange definition.
 
I like all of them, but none of them blows me away.
 
Personally, I don't feel the Stage 4 quite justifies it's very substantial asking price, given that I expect TOTL midrange resolution for that kind of money. In fact, it is surprising how well the S2 stacks up against the S4, considering the approximate $537 price difference (excluding VAT).
 
It's not that the Stage 4 isn't a decent IEM - it most certainly is, but it's just that it lacks (in the midrange) the substantial level of subjective resolution I expect for $1415 (excluding VAT). I'm sat listening to the S4 as I type this, and Mary Chapin Carpenter's 'Rhythm of the Blues' is being reproduced nicely - there is less of the '90 degrees to extreme left/extreme right' treble presentation that BA-based C/IEMs sometimes seem to be guilty of.  I wonder if this may reflect the S4s perhaps being quite well phase-aligned, and that might also, perhaps, explain why these IEMs are non-fatiguing to listen to. Maybe VE used a higher-order crossover (which tends to yield a steeper crossover curve - i.e. less overlap/smearing at the crossover points). My guess is a 3rd-order crossover design.
Whatever the case, if the '5' increases midrange resolution and presence, and levels the bass a little, then it could be one heck of nice, cohesive, CIEM.
 
 
 
 
 
For anyone wishing to dip their toe in the water of high-end BA-based CIEMs, they would be wise to have a listen to the S2 ($878 exc VAT). It has the quality of getting your foot tapping, very easily

 
 
Aside from my source seemingly lacking sufficient control over the treble (again: only on certain tracks), I nonetheless feel confident in remarking that all three of these IEMs have good coherency between their drivers and are pleasantly clean and non-fatiguing to listen to - in fact, 'coherent' and 'non-fatiguing', in particular, kept springing to mind, as I listened to them (someone at VE &/or Rhine certainly seems to know how to design a crossover).
 
They all have an enjoyable fluid presentation and build quality is excellent.
 
My thanks and gratitude to Mim' for including me in the tour, and I shall watch, with great interest, to see how the imminent '5' CIEM is received by the Head-fi community. If only the 5 is tuned relatively 'neutral' it could be excellent... There is a 'naturalness' to the presentation of this S4, as I sit here listening to it, that is let down only by it's apparent 'V-shaped' signature. Whereas some BA-based CIEMs can have a tendency to sound like 'a bunch of seperate drivers all trying to outdo each other', these VE IEMs just sound...well...I'm going to use that word again...'coherent'.
 
A hint at potential greatness, then, which is why I'll be watching the '5' closely.
 
 
.

 

[precsmo]

I revived my stage3 and it is over 200 hour run in now........
The sub bass is really can't satisfy me....
It's also made me can't engaging to the music
Anyway it is a good Ciem, very balance but I just can't feel the "emotion" of the music.

I'm think of upgrading to stage 4 to see whether can be improved, any comment ??
Sorry for my poor English.

Btw, VE told me they will have new flagship to launch in 2 monthsbut they don't tell me what's the signature of it.

Don't do that just yet. I've yet shared my upgraded cable here, I've been busy and seldom reply here recently. But I thoroughly love my Stage 3 with the Plus Sound Audio copper cable,the cheapest range. The changes are day and night especially in the bass department. I've never liked Stage 4 anyway. But this is very personal though. I will share a photo tomorrow.

 

[royalsuen]

Don't do that just yet. I've yet shared my upgraded cable here, I've been busy and seldom reply here recently. But I thoroughly love my Stage 3 with the Plus Sound Audio copper cable,the cheapest range. The changes are day and night especially in the bass department. I've never liked Stage 4 anyway. But this is very personal though. I will share a photo tomorrow.

 
Thank you for your advice....anyway....the upgrade is almost done and will send back to HK soon