[HuoYuanJia]

I had a listen of the Erlkönig at the High End Munich show. Shows are never a good place to set impressions into stone. But I did get there with fresh ears minutes after the opening and I didn't listen to any other IEMs/ headphones for a few days before that. My source was the Hugo 2, fed with my usual playlist containing everything (first few tracks male and female vocals, then some Pop, Jazz, Metal, Classical, sibilant tracks, badly recorded tracks, superbly recorded tracks, some MP3s, AAC, DSD and 96/24 - I like to mix it up) and a sine generator. As this was my only source, I have no idea how sensitive they are or if they react to higher output impedance. That is stuff to consider for reviews.

Comfort is great. The weight is heavy. The body doesn't look like it is prone to scratches and I didn't notice any scuffs either. The silver body isn't polished so maybe that helps. After some time I can imagine it will show wear. Below the faceplate the Erlkönig was heavily scratched and also the adjustment screw didn't look all that good anymore. That is probably because it was the demo's 3rd day and I can imagine visitors trying to stab the demo or checking how much pressure it can handle. Not sure, maybe it does scratch super easily. I didn't adjust the screw myself but let VE handle it for me. The faceplate sits very tightly, only held in place by a very strong magnet. I am sure VE thought about this and found a solution, but generally it is not a good idea to create a magnetic field around BA drivers. I hope this will not create any damage over time.

The switches are mostly about bass/ warmth. Level one is the bassiest, four the least. But even level 4 does still have more impact than the Ety ER4 or probably even ProPhile 8. This settings did remind me more of a v-shape, actually, that made voices sound thinner and treble more forward.

Setting 3 is the one I initially preferred. It sounds like a refined VE8, not quite that bassy, flatter but still very musical. Extension on both ends is incredible. The bass has great ground and bottom without noticeable bleeding into the midrange. Doing sine swipes I didn't notice any faults across the frequency spectrum whatsoever. Even with the loud environment I had no problem hearing 15 kHz on the generator so I presume the treble extension is fantastic. Of course there is not a hint of sibilance. Really, really enjoyable.

Since setting 3 already had more than enough bass and warmth for me, I skipped setting 2. I jumped directly to 1. Oh boy... Is VE trying to become Campfire's master? This is at least as much bass as the crazy amounts of CA's Vega or even Atlas. It's seriously painful. The bass is so strong, I did not find it enjoyable at all. It really sounds like a subwoofer that is amped to maximum. However, the signal sounded clean for the short time I listened to it. Maybe setting one is only meant as a showcase of how capable the drivers are and how low their distortion is. But with this setting you could clearly tell that the midrange was heavily impacted and it became quite warm and dull. Did I reference Campfire Atlas yet? Yeah, sounds like that with better treble.

I would imagine that sound engineers or people that are used to working in studio environments would not find a setting that gives them the perfectly neutral flat response. But again, maybe the show environment impacts my impressions and setting 3 or 4 actually is flat. For now I would assume that fans of linearity like the ProPhile 8 will not "upgrade". But on the other hand it will be very difficult to find any fault with the very homogenous and musical setting 3. I also really like the idea of interchangeable faceplates. That way you can match your IEMs with your clothes daily.

*Sorry, no pictures. I accidentally must have hit the ISO dial so all photos shot at the VE booth have maximum ISO which looks like crap on a MFT camera. Yes, I cried.*

BTW, since this thread is not only about VE, rhines custom monitors also had a new monitor. It's called Theta (8th letter of the Greek alphabet). I was quite surprised and did not expect that at all. This is a very good neutral monitor, probably aiming more at professionals than the Erlkönig. It was shown at CanJam and not High End, so the hall should have been quieter but just next to it the Teufel booth was amping their mediocre speakers (at a headphone show, What! Minus 10 points for that!). What a bummer. What I did hear was a tonality somewhere between Erlkönig 3 and 4, the neutral response I was always missing from rhines. It sounded like a spiced up ProPhile 8 with deeper bass and better treble extension. Midrange was spot on to me - up front and accurate. While the Stage 7 had some more warmth and a treble peak, I didn't notice any of that with the Theta. The bass extension improved and the Theta seems to be free from any thickness or bleeding at all. A very spacious sound with a lot more headroom than Felix's monitors usually have.
Directly next to that, Ambient Acoustics showed off some monitors and the prototype AM24 was supposed to be neutral. It sounded nowhere as effortless as the Theta, showed a lower treble emphasis and it didn't have such a musical flow. The AM7 sounded dull and slow in comparison, also. Sadly that's the only direct comparison I have right now.

I have more impressions of StereoPravda, oBravo, Campfire and Dita IEMs, but Erlkönig was probably the one IEM that interested me the most (and which did not disappoint) and coincidentally Theta was the most positive surprise. If you read my reviews you might have noticed that I criticize a lot because I always start with high expectations and then mention the flaws. These two, Erlkönig (3) and Theta were the only two products at the show for with 30mins each weren't enough to bring out the German nagging. To be continued...

 

[Deezel177]

I had a listen of the Erlkönig at the High End Munich show. Shows are never a good place to set impressions into stone. But I did get there with fresh ears minutes after the opening and I didn't listen to any other IEMs/ headphones for a few days before that. My source was the Hugo 2, fed with my usual playlist containing everything (first few tracks male and female vocals, then some Pop, Jazz, Metal, Classical, sibilant tracks, badly recorded tracks, superbly recorded tracks, some MP3s, AAC, DSD and 96/24 - I like to mix it up) and a sine generator. As this was my only source, I have no idea how sensitive they are or if they react to higher output impedance. That is stuff to consider for reviews.

Comfort is great. The weight is heavy. The body doesn't look like it is prone to scratches and I didn't notice any scuffs either. The silver body isn't polished so maybe that helps. After some time I can imagine it will show wear. Below the faceplate the Erlkönig was heavily scratched and also the adjustment screw didn't look all that good anymore. That is probably because it was the demo's 3rd day and I can imagine visitors trying to stab the demo or checking how much pressure it can handle. Not sure, maybe it does scratch super easily. I didn't adjust the screw myself but let VE handle it for me. The faceplate sits very tightly, only held in place by a very strong magnet. I am sure VE thought about this and found a solution, but generally it is not a good idea to create a magnetic field around BA drivers. I hope this will not create any damage over time.

The switches are mostly about bass/ warmth. Level one is the bassiest, four the least. But even level 4 does still have more impact than the Ety ER4 or probably even ProPhile 8. This settings did remind me more of a v-shape, actually, that made voices sound thinner and treble more forward.

Setting 3 is the one I initially preferred. It sounds like a refined VE8, not quite that bassy, flatter but still very musical. Extension on both ends is incredible. The bass has great ground and bottom without noticeable bleeding into the midrange. Doing sine swipes I didn't notice any faults across the frequency spectrum whatsoever. Even with the loud environment I had no problem hearing 15 kHz on the generator so I presume the treble extension is fantastic. Of course there is not a hint of sibilance. Really, really enjoyable.

Since setting 3 already had more than enough bass and warmth for me, I skipped setting 2. I jumped directly to 1. Oh boy... Is VE trying to become Campfire's master? This is at least as much bass as the crazy amounts of CA's Vega or even Atlas. It's seriously painful. The bass is so strong, I did not find it enjoyable at all. It really sounds like a subwoofer that is amped to maximum. However, the signal sounded clean for the short time I listened to it. Maybe setting one is only meant as a showcase of how capable the drivers are and how low their distortion is. But with this setting you could clearly tell that the midrange was heavily impacted and it became quite warm and dull. Did I reference Campfire Atlas yet? Yeah, sounds like that with better treble.

I would imagine that sound engineers or people that are used to working in studio environments would not find a setting that gives them the perfectly neutral flat response. But again, maybe the show environment impacts my impressions and setting 3 or 4 actually is flat. For now I would assume that fans of linearity like the ProPhile 8 will not "upgrade". But on the other hand it will be very difficult to find any fault with the very homogenous and musical setting 3. I also really like the idea of interchangeable faceplates. That way you can match your IEMs with your clothes daily.

*Sorry, no pictures. I accidentally must have hit the ISO dial so all photos shot at the VE booth have maximum ISO which looks like crap on a MFT camera. Yes, I cried.*

BTW, since this thread is not only about VE, rhines custom monitors also had a new monitor. It's called Theta (8th letter of the Greek alphabet). I was quite surprised and did not expect that at all. This is a very good neutral monitor, probably aiming more at professionals than the Erlkönig. It was shown at CanJam and not High End, so the hall should have been quieter but just next to it the Teufel booth was amping their mediocre speakers (at a headphone show, What! Minus 10 points for that!). What a bummer. What I did hear was a tonality somewhere between Erlkönig 3 and 4, the neutral response I was always missing from rhines. It sounded like a spiced up ProPhile 8 with deeper bass and better treble extension. Midrange was spot on to me - up front and accurate. While the Stage 7 had some more warmth and a treble peak, I didn't notice any of that with the Theta. The bass extension improved and the Theta seems to be free from any thickness or bleeding at all. A very spacious sound with a lot more headroom than Felix's monitors usually have.
Directly next to that, Ambient Acoustics showed off some monitors and the prototype AM24 was supposed to be neutral. It sounded nowhere as effortless as the Theta, showed a lower treble emphasis and it didn't have such a musical flow. The AM7 sounded dull and slow in comparison, also. Sadly that's the only direct comparison I have right now.

I have more impressions of StereoPravda, oBravo, Campfire and Dita IEMs, but Erlkönig was probably the one IEM that interested me the most (and which did not disappoint) and coincidentally Theta was the most positive surprise. If you read my reviews you might have noticed that I criticize a lot because I always start with high expectations and then mention the flaws. These two, Erlkönig (3) and Theta were the only two products at the show for with 30mins each weren't enough to bring out the German nagging. To be continued...

Excellent impressions, Klaus! The Theta looks incredibly promising and I'm glad the ultra-expensive Erlkonig wasn't the only highlight of the show (though, I don't expect the Theta to be anywhere near cheap, either ). Although it's commonplace now to think studio professionals would work best with neutral or ultra-flat monitors, I'm one of several who actually enjoy mixing with a slightly warmer transducer. End-to-end extension is an absolute must, but I prefer warmer and more natural-sounding monitors with a linear bass, rather than brighter or cleaner-sounding ones. It's probably because I was a listener first before I was an engineer, so whenever I use - say - the HD800S or my Ocharaku IEMs for mixing, I always end up over-compensating the monitors' leaner nature with extra fullness and bass. The Empire Ears Phantom, the VE8 or the MrSpeakers Aeon Flow Open are more suited to my mixing sensibilities. With that said, there may be more than a few engineers out there who'd appreciate the Erlkonig's extra low-end. That's not at all to discredit your statements, though; just my two cents.

 

[Ultrainferno]

Klaus, the new one from Rhines is actually aimed at the audiophile for the first time, where the other rhines monitors were more for the Pro. At least, that's what Felix told me. But you would know

 

[Ultrainferno]

Excellent impressions, Klaus! The Theta looks incredibly promising and I'm glad the ultra-expensive Erlkonig wasn't the only highlight of the show (though, I don't expect the Theta to be anywhere near cheap, either ).

If I remember well, it will be around €2000. Theta won't be the product name though, it wasn't decided yet according to Rhines last Friday

 

[nick97]

has anyone tried to buy their accessories online? For some reason when I try to buy a case all that pops up is a picture and there's no option to purchase even though the Price Is Right There

 

[HuoYuanJia]

Since setting 3 already had more than enough bass and warmth for me, I skipped setting 2.

Ok, back for round 2. I was asked to revisit VE13 setting 2, so I got my hands on the Erlkönig prototype that was shown before the official reveal (wrapped in black and white paper) for around one hour. Fortunately, the prototype used setting 2. As a reminder: 1 is the bassiest, 4 is the brightest.
First time auditioning, I thought setting 3 had enjoyable weight and balance. So, yes, I think setting 2 is warm and very smooth. Maybe a bit too much even.

Bass reaches very low and is insanely tight in the sub-bass. 30 Hz sine tone builds up strong pressure. The bass has a nice body and sounds very realistic apart from some added quantity. It peaks in the very lows and fades out at maybe 400 Hz so it doesn't feel bloated. It doesn't push into the midrange too much and gives voices enough room to breathe. I can't say the bass sounds thick but it's always present. It does well with rumble, oomph and punch equally. I played a track that has either a recording error or a weird mastering issue with the bass that rumbles (Laila Biali - Yellow, 3:30+). The rattling is extremely present which to me shows that the resolution of the low end is very high. On other Jazz tracks I could physically feel the vibration of the pulled bass strings. The impact is similar to that of a dynamic driver but with much better resolution. I can foretell everybody will love the bass quality.

The midrange on setting 2 is warm, but not too much. I think it is slightly cautious above 1.5 and below 4 kHz so the presence area isn't that forward. That results in a very lush and full presentation. I want to call it romantic and simply fun to listen to. The tuning is reminiscent of the Andromeda (@3 ohms), StageDiver 5 and Gemini, which seems to be the new trend and possibly even a new interpretation of IEM target curves. I have a recording of a piano track that hits very hard in the 6th and 7th octave which can be very difficult to listen to with IEMs - the Erlkönig smoothes it out which helps to lower fatigue. On the downside, the intro of What Kind of Man (by Florence + The Machine) starts with two voices overlaid. Quite a few IEMs will have problems to uncover the second voice behind the girl singing. The VE13-2 also made it very difficult to find it. That's something the PP8 has zero problems with. Also, Michael Jackson's Give In to Me has a recording issue where it cracks every few seconds. Very subtle but easy to make out once you notice it. The Erlkönig completely covered this mistake up. I am not sure if that is good or not. You decide.

The treble shows no sibilance at all. There's overall lower pressure in the transition from mids (maybe 5-7 kHz recessed) but I could not find any treble peak or even unwanted resonance. That helps tremendously with accuracy and resolution. High notes are very tight with very fast decay. I'd say the treble is perceived flat above 7 kHz all the way to 15 kHz. The potential for monitoring is definitely there and maybe some ears will need to experiment with insertion depth or tips. For me, it was immediately spot on. (FYI, because of hygienic reasons I always carry a pouch with personal ear tips with me so I did not try the default tips but MandarinES Symbio W; click for review by @ryanjsoo.) At moderate to low volume the sound cut off at 16.5 kHz for me, depending on the health of your ears it might go higher than that. I found it to be quite airy. I am not sure what kind of drivers VE uses for the Erlkönig, but the extension on both ends is ridiculous! Very impressive.

The soundstage is great and, again, I perceive it as equally deep and wide. The music spans around the listener in a semi-circle. The imaging of single instruments is phenomenal and works well even with the warm tuning. Some minor details in the midrange get masked but in favor of a more forgiving tuning. The precision in the lows and highs is exceptional, though.

Yes, this is a ridiculously expensive IEM. I am only looking at the sonic performance here. I am sure they could have made it cheaper if they did not use Effect Audio cables and fully silver housing. That is for everybody else to decide. I do think either setting 2 or 3 will hit the mark for almost any enthusiastic IEM fan. But unlike others, I do not differentiate between "audiophile", "high-fidelity" and "high-end". And I also don't care what the companies tell me because I let my ears judge. For me, all of the three terms should always pursue the same goal - which is to stay truthful to the recording, e.g. total neutrality, i.e. studio sound. In this regard, the Erlkönig does not provide full transparency like a reference tuning from say ProPhile 8. That does not mean you will get more enjoyment out of the PP8 but in regards to "hifi" it might have a more universal approach.

However, the VE13 could be a new interpretation and very well even a reference for a new era of IEMs that are not tuned by linearity but pure enjoyment. An era that maybe the Andromeda kicked off and now found a new level of perfection. The more I listened to it, the more I enjoyed it. I think setting 3 could be a reason for me to end this hobby; save up and go home satisfied. This monitor does deserve a lot of attention and I am looking forward to more impressions from other users.

 

[flinkenick]

Ok, back for round 2. I was asked to revisit VE13 setting 2, so I got my hands on the Erlkönig prototype that was shown before the official reveal (wrapped in black and white skin) for around one hour. Fortunately, the prototype used setting 2. As a reminder: 1 is the bassiest, 4 is the brightest.
First time auditioning, I thought setting 3 had enjoyable weight and balance. So, yes, I think setting 2 is warm and very smooth. Maybe a bit too much even.

Bass reaches very low and is insanely tight in the sub-bass. 30 Hz sine tone builds up strong pressure. The bass has a nice body and sounds very realistic apart from some added quantity. It peaks in the very lows and fades out at maybe 400 Hz so it doesn't feel bloated. It doesn't push into the midrange too much and gives voices enough room to breathe. I can't say the bass sounds thick but it's always present. It does well with rumble, oomph and punch equally. I played a track that has either a recording error or a weird mastering issue with the bass that rumbles (Laila Biali - Yellow, 3:30+). The rattling is extremely present which to me shows that the resolution of the low end is very high. On other Jazz tracks I could physically feel the vibration of the pulled bass strings. The impact is similar to that of a dynamic driver but with much better resolution. I can foretell everybody will love the bass quality.

The midrange on setting 2 is warm, but not too much. I think it is slightly cautious above 1.5 and below 4 kHz so the presence area isn't that forward. That results in a very lush and full presentation. I want to call it romantic and simply fun to listen to. The tuning is reminiscent of the Andromeda (@3 ohms), StageDiver 5 and Gemini, which seems to be the new trend and possibly even a new interpretation of IEM target curves. I have a recording of a piano track that hits very hard in the 6th and 7th octave which can be very difficult to listen to with IEMs - the Erlkönig smoothes it out which helps to lower fatigue. On the downside, the intro of What Kind of Man (by Florence + The Machine) starts with two voices overlaid. Quite a few IEMs will have problems to uncover the second voice behind the girl singing. The VE13-2 also made it very difficult to find it. That's something the PP8 has zero problems with. Also, Michael Jackson's Give In to Me has a recording issue where it cracks every few seconds. Very subtle but easy to make out once you notice it. The Erlkönig completely covered this mistake up. I am not sure if that is good or not. You decide.

The treble shows no sibilance at all. There's overall lower pressure in the transition from mids (maybe 5-7 kHz recessed) but I could not find any treble peak or even unwanted resonance. That helps tremendously with accuracy and resolution. High notes are very tight with very fast decay. I'd say the treble is perceived flat above 7 kHz all the way to 15 kHz. The potential for monitoring is definitely there and maybe some ears will need to experiment with insertion depth or tips. For me, it was immediately spot on. (FYI, because of hygienic reasons I always carry a pouch with personal ear tips with me so I did not try the default tips but MandarinES Symbio W; click for review by @ryanjsoo.) At moderate to low volume the sound cut off at 16.5 kHz for me, depending on the health of your ears it might go higher than that. I found it to be quite airy. I am not sure what kind of drivers VE uses for the Erlkönig, but the extension on both ends is ridiculous! Very impressive.

The soundstage is great and, again, I perceive it as equally deep and wide. The music spans around the listener in a semi-circle. The imaging of single instruments is phenomenal and works well even with the warm tuning. Some minor details in the midrange get masked but in favor of a more forgiving tuning. The precision in the lows and highs is exceptional, though.

Yes, this is a ridiculously expensive IEM. I am only looking at the sonic performance here. I am sure they could have made it cheaper if they did not use Effect Audio cables and fully silver housing. That is for everybody else to decide. Personally, I still find it difficult to recommend because from memory all the 4 sound signatures are colored. Coloration is always subjective. I do think either setting 2 or 3 will hit the mark for almost any enthusiastic IEM fan. Unlike others, I do not differentiate between "audiophile", "high-fidelity" and "high-end". And I also don't care what the companies tell me because I let my ears judge. For me, all of the three terms should always pursue the same goal - which is to stay truthful to the recording, e.g. total neutrality, i.e. studio sound. In this regard, the Erlkönig does not provide full transparency and I thus actually find it easier to recommend the much cheaper ProPhile 8. That does not mean you will get more enjoyment out of the PP8 but in regards to "hifi" it might have a more universal approach.

However, the VE13 could be a new interpretation and very well even a reference for a new era of IEMs that are not tuned by linearity but pure enjoyment. An era that maybe the Andromeda kicked off and now found a new level of perfection. I think setting 3 could be a reason for me to end this hobby; save up and go home satisfied. This monitor does deserve a lot of attention and I am looking forward to more impressions from other users.

Could you maybe clarify what you mean with 'cautious' between 1.5 - 4 KHz? I'm reading it as a dip between that region since you describe vocals as not being forward, but then you say 5-7 Khz is also recessed, followed by a linear response to 15 khz? I'm prob not understanding it correctly, but a dip followed by another dip doesn't seem to make sense(?) Also since Andro and Gemini also have treble peaks, so I'm not totally getting the comparison..

 

[HuoYuanJia]

Could you maybe clarify what you mean with 'cautious' between 1.5 - 4 KHz? I'm reading it as a dip between that region since you describe vocals as not being forward, but then you say 5-7 Khz is also recessed, followed by a linear response to 15 khz? I'm prob not understanding it correctly, but a dip followed by another dip doesn't seem to make sense(?) Also since Andro and Gemini also have treble peaks, so I'm not totally getting the comparison..

1.5 to 4 kHz is not a dip but also not the full raise of 10+ dB that research targets (Olive-Welti, Hammershoi-Moller) usually ask for. I mentioned a few IEMs that have a very similar characteristic. Actually even the PP8 does not fully reproduce the pressure. This does push vocals to the front as you'd expect from linear speakers. But apparently many consumers do not like this kind of presentation in an IEM even though I consider this to be correct.

4k has the same pressure as 1k, so it's back on track after the "fatiguing" vocal presence range. In comparison, I perceived 5-7 kHz as a mild dip. Pressure rises slowly and homogeneously after 6k. I did not measure it, but I expect the frequency response to be very good and ideal after 7k (no more recession). I did not reference Andromeda or Gemini in the treble. The comparison was exclusive to the midrange.

Maybe I should have said 2-3 kHz and 6k instead.
Edit: Removed sketch to avoid confusion. I’ll send it to you in PM...

 

[catalystcc]

Had a chance to test out Erlkönig at HKAVPE in HK for about 30+ mins with SP1000 cu balanced, I would say this is the ultimate end game iem I've been waiting for a long time.
Pros:
fit perfectly, flush to my ears and very comfortable
adjustable sound signatures
easy to drive with no hiss
extreme details retrieval yet musical, I could listen to this all day without fatiguing
well extended, detailed and smooth high
engaging mid, sweet and emotional for female and male vocals
well layered, tight and controlled hard hitting bass
top notch separation and imaging
Cons:
soundstage not as wide as I prefer like tia fourté
out of this world price
rather mediocre industrial design

To me Erlkönig is a perfect combination of technicality and musicality.

 

[davidmolliere]

After a lot of time with Phantom (current favorite) I have picked the VE8 again and did try the Ares II that came with the Phantom and... I like the pairing as much as the LionHeart, for different reasons. The LionHeart brings more excitement with more sparkle and detail but the Ares II makes the VE8 fuller and more impact down low, as well as an even smoother presentation (perfect for late night sessions) without sacrificing too much detail (but yes, a bit of sparkle) and clarity. I'd be interested in a pairing with the Leonidas, anyone tried it? How is the synergy?

Overall the only thing I am still finding myself yearning for is more sub bass - maybe a cable could help - or else it's the DX200 falling short (ah, I'd love a listen to the SP1000).

Interestingly picking up the VE8 after some time reminded me how great the treble tuning is to my taste : so subtle, refined and well integrated to the musical signature, a real treat!

 

[Wyville]

After a lot of time with Phantom (current favorite) I have picked the VE8 again and did try the Ares II that came with the Phantom and... I like the pairing as much as the LionHeart, for different reasons. The LionHeart brings more excitement with more sparkle and detail but the Ares II makes the VE8 fuller and more impact down low, as well as an even smoother presentation (perfect for late night sessions) without sacrificing too much detail (but yes, a bit of sparkle) and clarity. I'd be interested in a pairing with the Leonidas, anyone tried it? How is the synergy?

Overall the only thing I am still finding myself yearning for is more sub bass - maybe a cable could help - or else it's the DX200 falling short (ah, I'd love a listen to the SP1000).

Interestingly picking up the VE8 after some time reminded me how great the treble tuning is to my taste : so subtle, refined and well integrated to the musical signature, a real treat!

I should not have read that... [dreams of VE8]

 

[davidmolliere]

I should not have read that... [dreams of VE8]

I feel you, there are a lot of things I (or rather my wallet) wished I hadn't read either

 

[Wyville]

I feel you, there are a lot of things I (or rather my wallet) wished I hadn't read either

Reading that reminded me of how much I liked the VE8 and that those would make an excellent compliment to the Phantom. At least I can consider myself lucky I don't have a fetish for silver because I would not know where to begin to explain the Erlkönig to my wife.

@Deezel177 Will you swing by Euphoria when the Erlkönig get there? Would love to hear your thoughts on the final product. (No pressure! )

 

[Deezel177]

After a lot of time with Phantom (current favorite) I have picked the VE8 again and did try the Ares II that came with the Phantom and... I like the pairing as much as the LionHeart, for different reasons. The LionHeart brings more excitement with more sparkle and detail but the Ares II makes the VE8 fuller and more impact down low, as well as an even smoother presentation (perfect for late night sessions) without sacrificing too much detail (but yes, a bit of sparkle) and clarity. I'd be interested in a pairing with the Leonidas, anyone tried it? How is the synergy?

Overall the only thing I am still finding myself yearning for is more sub bass - maybe a cable could help - or else it's the DX200 falling short (ah, I'd love a listen to the SP1000).

Interestingly picking up the VE8 after some time reminded me how great the treble tuning is to my taste : so subtle, refined and well integrated to the musical signature, a real treat!

Funnily enough, Music Sanctuary recently handed me the Han Sound Audio Aegis for review. I was listening to it through the Jomo Audio Haka, and I've been extremely impressed by the results. There's a palpable increase in energy and dynamics through bumps along the sub- and (especially) mid-bass, as well as the lower-treble. However, increased presence in the upper-midrange prevents vocals and instruments from getting drowned out by this vibrant sense of contrast - so the IEM still maintains adequate linearity for longer listening - and the lower-treble frequency it accentuates is smooth and well-controlled; early listening suggests 5kHz, though I'd need more testing with more IEMs to confirm. If you want more impact at the extremes whilst maintaining the VE8's smooth and un-aggressive musicality, the Aegis might be worth considering.

Reading that reminded me of how much I liked the VE8 and that those would make an excellent compliment to the Phantom. At least I can consider myself lucky I don't have a fetish for silver because I would not know where to begin to explain the Erlkönig to my wife.

@Deezel177 Will you swing by Euphoria when the Erlkönig get there? Would love to hear your thoughts on the final product. (No pressure! )

Eric was very keen on inviting me, but unfortunately, I won't be able to make it to Singapore by the time of its official launch. A little birdie did tell me that Taiwan's My IEM store is currently loaning their Erlkonig unit to a retailer in Singapore, but I'd rather spend my last two days here with my family, if Head-Fi doesn't mind. If I may speak for myself, I think I've done enough to deserve a short break. Not too long, though; that Jomo Audio launch post isn't gonna write itself.

 

[davidmolliere]

Funnily enough, Music Sanctuary recently handed me the Han Sound Audio Aegis for review. I was listening to it through the Jomo Audio Haka, and I've been extremely impressed by the results. There's a palpable increase in energy and dynamics through bumps along the sub- and (especially) mid-bass, as well as the lower-treble. However, increased presence in the upper-midrange prevents vocals and instruments from getting drowned out by this vibrant sense of contrast - so the IEM still maintains adequate linearity for longer listening - and the lower-treble frequency it accentuates is smooth and well-controlled; early listening suggests 5kHz, though I'd need more testing with more IEMs to confirm. If you want more impact at the extremes whilst maintaining the VE8's smooth and un-aggressive musicality, the Aegis might be worth considering.

Thanks @Deezel177 for the detailed insight into this cable I didn't know
This might be what I am looking for indeed, I'll add this on my list