[Ziomatwix]

Man, that just makes me more hype. I was actually suppose to wait till the end of the year to get them, but then Germany won the world cup and I just had to get it early. You know.

 

[Ziomatwix]

I got my earphones and a DX-90
 
The iBasso was burning in since Monday, the sound quality from the VE6 is so worth that 2 month wait.

 

[yiokuan]

I got my earphones and a DX-90

The iBasso was burning in since Monday, the sound quality from the VE6 is so worth that 2 month wait.

Zio man, glad to hear that you like it. You'll enjoy it even more after the 200hrs. IMO, a very scalable earpiece besides clarify and precison.

 

[boyd seabiscuit]

do either of them do promo often? I may wanna get my hands dirty

 

[qingjingyaxuan]

my rhines stage5

 

[soullinker20]

my rhines stage5

any impressions?
still waiting for mine xD

 

[boyd seabiscuit]

  my rhines stage5

the faceplate looks as thick as JH, what's the purpose for that thick?

 

[Nabil]

any impressions?
still waiting for mine xD

I received my Stage 5 a few weeks ago. I am not a reviewer (can't describe in detail what I am hearing/sound) but I will give some random thoughts and impressions.
 
First, the ordering (I ordered directly since they do not have dealers in USA) was a pleasure, email correspondence with all the details I needed and my questions answered quickly. Turnaround time was about 4 weeks plus shipping time so excellent. Fit and finish is perfect.
 
First thing to notice is the great bass on these. There is high quantity accompanied by great quality. It goes deep and one can almost feel the impact of the bass as well as hear how great it is. Lots of details and texture still present in the bass. It is at this time my favorite BA based CIEM as far as bass goes.
 
It does not muddy up the mids and the highs which are on the warm/lush side which is what I like (some may prefer brighter IEMs, I really like the warm signature these ones have without being dull). As advertised the result is for me so far complete absence of any sibilance.
 
I had read (probably in this thread) the the stage series of CIEMs do not have as wide a sound stage as other CIEMs. I found that they have a very good sound stage that does not fall short of other top CIEMs like the K10.
 
I really also like the cable they came with. Very supple and also the memory wire is covered by rubber like material instead of the usual plastic like material. I found that this made them very much more flexible and better suited for use with eyeglasses. When I moved my head and they rub against my glasses they do not generate as much friction and noise than the plastic covered memory wires.
 
One final note: I think, more than other CIEMs, proper insertion/angle is critical. My left ear is always harder to fit and I always (with IEMs from different makes) have to be careful on insertion and twist. So with these it is important for me for my left ear to make sure after I insert them to give a good twist backwards and then the sound opens up better.
 
I think these should be on the list of anyone looking for TOTL CIEMs unless you like neutral sound with flat bass which these are not.

 

[Ultrainferno]

I'm still waiting for my Rhines Stage 5, I heard the demo a few weeks ago and immediately ordered one. It's actually the first Rhines I really like, I always found them to miss body and the 5 is just perfect with great bass and good highs. Can't wait to get it.
 
Edit: I just saw Headfonia published a Vision Ears VE6 Xcontrol review: http://www.headfonia.com/vision-ears-ve6-xcontrol

 

[soullinker20]

got it already and been giving them burn in

instrument separation and vocals are superb on these
soundstage is big but not as big as roxanne

 

[VisceriousZERO]

I just got my Rhines Stage 5s last week and I'm burning them in (even if a buddy already helped me burn them in 100h). Hope to compare with the Noble K10.

 

[malifact]

So I've been given the opportunity to demo the Vision Ears VE6 and the Rhines Customs Stage 5. I'm happy to post a comparison if anyone is interested in reading.
 
I do have a question for those who purchased the VE6.  How does the actual CIEM differ to the demo unit?

 

[malifact]

So I’ve had the opportunity to demo some of the Rhines Customs and Vision Ears products.  Here are my brief thoughts on the ones I tried. I’m not very good at describing sound and so apologies in advance for this attempt:
 
Stage 2
This was the biggest surprise, as it sounds really good for a dual-driver IEM.  It has a fairly clear and lively sound with a decent amount of weight.  I especially like how clearly vocals were presented.  I think where it shows its limitations is with songs where there is a lot going on in the production and then they can sound rather congested.  However, I think these are a decent entry level CIEM and an engaging listen.
 
Stage 4
Probably my least favourite out of the ones I tried.  The bass had a decent kick to it which was great for pop and RnB and the treble is nice and smooth.  Where I felt the Stage 4 is lacking is in the vocals.  I felt that they sounded quite veiled compared to the Stage 2.  I couldn’t recommend it for genres where vocals are important such as ballads or jazz.  The Stage 4 reminded me of my Fischer Amps FA-4E- XBs in a lot of ways and I want a CIEM with a different sound.
 
Rhines Customs Stage 5
I was a bit disappointed with the Stage 5.  On the one hand it has a very good amount of detail and separation and the bass and treble both extend far without being too much.  However, I felt there was something lacking in the sound, perhaps in the mid-range.  There were just certain songs that needed more energy and I felt the Stage 2 was more engaging in this area.  The Stage 5 reminded me of the JH Audio 13 PROs, which also left me slightly underwhelmed.  The way I can describe it is a pleasant listen rather than an engaging one.
 
Vision Ears VE6 X-Control
Probably my favourite out of all the demos.  The X1 mode is great for songs that need more bass and a more forward sound.  Whereas the X2 has a more neutral sound that is less fatiguing.  I do prefer the X1 mode as I like a more upfront sound and certain genres like pop and RnB sound better with the enhanced sub-bass.  However, I can imagine the X2 would be a better fit for those who like a less aggressive sound with less emphasis on one or more areas.
 
What I really liked with both modes was the balance between clarity and weight.  I’ve tried a lot of CIEMs that I felt had too much weight which clouded the music and vocals and others that sounded too thin.  The balance for me was just right with the VE6.  Detail and separation are also very good, although I wouldn’t say this is an analytical earphone that picks out every micro detail.
 
There are two things that make me hesitant about the VE6.  Firstly, I feel I would need to get the X-Control version and that is somewhat out of my budget now due to recent circumstances.  Secondly, if they had two switches (one for the bass and one for the mids), I would be willing to go over my budget.  There were certain tracks where I wanted the enhanced sub-bass, but without the vocals pushed forward and vice versa.
 
Edit: After some further listening, I've decider I prefer the Stage 4 to Stage 5. There is something about the way vocals are presented with the Stage 5 that I don't like.

 

[VisceriousZERO]

So I’ve had the opportunity to demo some of the Rhines Customs and Vision Ears products.  Here are my brief thoughts on the ones I tried. I’m not very good at describing sound and so apologies in advance for this attempt:

Stage 2
This was the biggest surprise, as it sounds really good for a dual-driver IEM.  It has a fairly clear and lively sound with a decent amount of weight.  I especially like how clearly vocals were presented.  I think where it shows its limitations is with songs where there is a lot going on in the production and then they can sound rather congested.  However, I think these are a decent entry level CIEM and an engaging listen.

Stage 4
Probably my least favourite out of the ones I tried.  The bass had a decent kick to it which was great for pop and RnB and the treble is nice and smooth.  Where I felt the Stage 4 is lacking is in the vocals.  I felt that they sounded quite veiled compared to the Stage 2.  I couldn’t recommend it for genres where vocals are important such as ballads or jazz.  The Stage 4 reminded me of my Fischer Amps FA-4E- XBs in a lot of ways and I want a CIEM with a different sound.

Rhines Customs Stage 5
I was a bit disappointed with the Stage 5.  On the one hand it has a very good amount of detail and separation and the bass and treble both extend far without being too much.  However, I felt there was something lacking in the sound, perhaps in the mid-range.  There were just certain songs that needed more energy and I felt the Stage 2 was more engaging in this area.  The Stage 5 reminded me of the JH Audio 13 PROs, which also left me slightly underwhelmed.  The way I can describe it is a pleasant listen rather than an engaging one.

Vision Ears VE6 X-Control
Probably my favourite out of all the demos.  The X1 mode is great for songs that need more bass and a more forward sound.  Whereas the X2 has a more neutral sound that is less fatiguing.  I do prefer the X1 mode as I like a more upfront sound and certain genres like pop and RnB sound better with the enhanced sub-bass.  However, I can imagine the X2 would be a better fit for those who like a less aggressive sound with less emphasis on one or more areas.

What I really liked with both modes was the balance between clarity and weight.  I’ve tried a lot of CIEMs that I felt had too much weight which clouded the music and vocals and others that sounded too thin.  The balance for me was just right with the VE6.  Detail and separation are also very good, although I wouldn’t say this is an analytical earphone that picks out every micro detail.

There are two things that make me hesitant about the VE6.  Firstly, I feel I would need to get the X-Control version and that is somewhat out of my budget now due to recent circumstances.  Secondly, if they had two switches (one for the bass and one for the mids), I would be willing to go over my budget.  There were certain tracks where I wanted the enhanced sub-bass, but without the vocals pushed forward and vice versa.

Edit: After some further listening, I've decider I prefer the Stage 4 to Stage 5. There is something about the way vocals are presented with the Stage 5 that I don't like.

I placed an order for the VE6X so I can compare with my Custom Stage 5 and 4

 

[VisceriousZERO]

Here I am testing my Stage 5 and 4s and I really notice that I'm missing the mids of my Noble K10 but the highs and lows of the Stage 5 are very very convincing. I've resorted to just listening to my Stage 5 and 4 this week so I can properly review them.