[gameguytw]

One of the first three VE6 Xcontrol Buyers
The first diy moder using Mundorf Silver-Gold IEM cable on VE6 Xcontrol come from Taiwan(country on Earth)
 
VE6 Xcontrol demo only can listen at My Ears ,Taichung ,Taiwan(country on Earth)
 
Fitear demo only can listen at JM-PLUS Electronics ,Taipei ,Taiwan(country on Earth)
 
I only can say VE6 Xcontrol = Perfect

 
One of the first three VE6 Xcontrol Buyers
The first diy moder using Mundorf Silver-Gold IEM cable on VE6 Xcontrol come from Taiwan(country on Earth)

 

[yilun]

VE6 Xcontrol is perfect? So u mean it is better than fitear mh335dw?

 

[aLm0sT]

Actually quite a lot of people seem to prefer the VE6 over Roxanne. Wondering if I had a bad fit when I listened to the demo a couple weeks ago, since I wasn't too impressed with it.

 

[tomscy2000]

Just as a heads up to people (you know who you are):
 
I might be able to get an extended listen to the Rhines Stage 5 and possibly other models for a few days.
 
Is there anything people would like me to pay attention to?

 

[tranhieu]

  Just as a heads up to people (you know who you are):
 
I might be able to get an extended listen to the Rhines Stage 5 and possibly other models for a few days.
 
Is there anything people would like me to pay attention to?

If possible please compare them with the Stage 3, especially in terms of treble extension and soundstaging.
 
Oh and a comparison with the FitEar (whatever model you can recall) would be great! 

 

[tomscy2000]

I'll do my best. 

 

[Mython]

  Just as a heads up to people (you know who you are):
 
I might be able to get an extended listen to the Rhines Stage 5 and possibly other models for a few days.
 
Is there anything people would like me to pay attention to?

 

1. Amount of treble extension and bass extension (not so much the quantity - you're experienced, so you know what I mean by extension)
2. How realistic does the treble sound with cymbals
3. How realistic does the bass sound with acoustic instruments like cello, etc.
4. Some idea of your approximate estimation of the freq curve for each setting, please (i.e. neutral, u-shaped, n-shaped, etc.)

 
 
Cheers!

 

[tomscy2000]

   

1. Amount of treble extension and bass extension (not so much the quantity - you're experienced, so you know what I mean by extension)
2. How realistic does the treble sound with cymbals
3. How realistic does the bass sound with acoustic instruments like cello, etc.
4. Some idea of your approximate estimation of the freq curve for each setting, please (i.e. neutral, u-shaped, n-shaped, etc.)

 
I can tell you that now --- I actually listened to it a while ago, though only for a few minutes. Treble and bass extension are very good. To me, the response is mild U-shaped, very reasonable. I really enjoyed the mids --- smooth but detailed. The mid-bass had decent layering, but stayed well-composed and flat. Treble is not harsh, but present. Overall, I feel it has very good balance.
 
I'll try to listen to some cello music --- it's not really my thing, but I've heard many cellos in real life so I know what's up.
 
Quote:

 
FYI, it should be a CI-22955 for the lows, 33AJ007i for the mids, and (likely) DWFK-31785 for the highs. The CI and 3300 are ported into one tube with a 1500 ohm damper, and the (DW?)FK is ported into another tube with a 680 ohm damper. As per the Compact/VE/Rhines design philosophy, the bores are pre-joined into one large chamber, ~3 mm deep.

 

[tranhieu]

   
FYI, it should be a CI-22955 for the lows, 33AJ007i for the mids, and (likely) DWFK-31785 for the highs. The CI and 3300 are ported into one tube with a 1500 ohm damper, and the (DW?)FK is ported into another tube with a 680 ohm damper. As per the Compact/VE/Rhines design philosophy, the bores are pre-joined into one large chamber, ~3 mm deep.

Wao that's too much for me to digest all in one go lol. Thanks a lot, very interesting indeed, though I'm not sure if having the CI & 3300 share the same tube is a good idea. But from your impression they seem to be quite an improvement over the Stage 4.  
 
Btw is it the demo unit you listened to? If I remember correctly VS's demoes don't have their tubing shallowly terminated, unlike their custom counterparts.

 

[tomscy2000]

  Wao that's too much for me to digest all in one go lol. Thanks a lot, very interesting indeed, though I'm not sure if having the CI & 3300 share the same tube is a good idea. But from your impression they seem to be quite an improvement over the Stage 4. Btw is it the demo unit you listened to? If I remember correctly VS's demoes don't have their tubing shallowly terminated, unlike their custom counterparts.

 
Yes; it's a demo unit, so it's tough to accurately gauge treble (but I did use bi-flange tips), but I didn't hear the tell-tale WBFK ringing, so that's why I think it's the DWFK rather than the SWFK. Too hard to read the numbering from the way the drivers were placed. The CI might be either heavily electrically dampened, or run in reverse phase, or both. The response was pretty tight to my ears. Looks like Rhines insists on using the bell design even for its demo units.

 

[superachromat]

  Just as a heads up to people (you know who you are):
 
I might be able to get an extended listen to the Rhines Stage 5 and possibly other models for a few days.
 
Is there anything people would like me to pay attention to?

 
 
Perhaps, how is the Stage 5 comparing to the 4?

 

[tomscy2000]

  Perhaps, how is the Stage 5 comparing to the 4?

 
Haven't heard the Stage 4 --- only the 5 thus far. But people who have heard both have told me that the 5 is better balanced. Rhines is apparently set to release a Stage 4U, which is a more neutral variant of the Stage 4 that they never released back when they were still Compact Monitors. Haven't heard it yet, though. I haven't heard anything other than the Stage 5 yet.

 

[superachromat]

   
Haven't heard the Stage 4 --- only the 5 thus far. But people who have heard both have told me that the 5 is better balanced. Rhines is apparently set to release a Stage 4U, which is a more neutral variant of the Stage 4 that they never released back when they were still Compact Monitors. Haven't heard it yet, though. I haven't heard anything other than the Stage 5 yet.

 
Thanks. I am looking for something with more vocal / mid presence. Hopefully, the 5 is the answer.

 

[soullinker20]

@tomscy

Thanks for your impressions!! Would You say that the u shapeness is very close to 1p2?

@superachromat

I dont think a mild u shape will fill in your needs when it comes to more vocal presence, perhaps 335 or k10

 

[tomscy2000]

Some more notes...
 

  If possible please compare them with the Stage 3, especially in terms of treble extension and soundstaging.

 
From a simple listen (no FR sweeps), the Stage 5 is appreciably better in terms of extension to my ears. The soundstage feels wider to me. It has the same kind of forward projection of vocals as the Stage 3, but is quite a bit more neutral-sounding across the hearing-sensitive 600-5k mid-band region.
 
BTW, the Rhines Stage 3 might sound different from whatever you heard, because I noticed it uses new generation woofers (looks the same as a CI, but is a different family and model number)
 

  Thanks. I am looking for something with more vocal / mid presence. Hopefully, the 5 is the answer.

 

  Perhaps, how is the Stage 5 comparing to the 4?

 
The Stage 4 is pretty warm to my ears. Of the CIEMs and CIEM demos that I've heard, the Stage 4 sounds most to me like the UE18, except with a slightly less delicate treble sparkle, but less scooped mids. Similar mid-bass signature. The Stage 4U, has more sub-bass emphasis and more midrange emphasis, including better mid-high presence. The Stage 5 sounds more even; more of a Stage 2 type of sound, but with a better, more three dimensional soundstage and better forward projection.
 
To me, the Stage 4U sounds more similar to the Stage 4, and that makes sense, considering they probably use a similar driver setup. However, the 4U can feel slightly dry, whereas the 5 feels a bit more alive.
 

  @tomscy  Thanks for your impressions!! Would You say that the u shapeness is very close to 1p2?

 
I would say it's less U-shaped than the 1Plus2 --- it doesn't quite have the visceral bass feeling of the 1Plus2, but is more refined and less peaky in the treble.