[spkrs01]

  Having just seen a few pictures of completed VE monitors, I think I understand why people keep talking about their "soundstage presentation" --- all of the Stage series monitors merge their sound bores into a single large exit cavity. All people that I know that make CIEMs have told me that their experience has told them that merging sound bores into a single large one helps the soundstage feel more cohesive --- taller, deeper, at the slight expense of width --- I don't know if the tour members have experienced the soundstage being this way.

 
Pretty much so for me, Interesting!
 
Thanks for this.............

 

[Mimouille]

  Lee and Mim, how would you guys compare Stage 4 to SE5way? What I read tells me Stage 4 has more treble emphasis and I think SE5way has more forward mids while both of the monitors have quite nice amount of bass as well as control of it but still you guys have them both (though Stage 4 is demo) maybe you can explain further.

Stage 4 has more mid bass than SE5, wider soundstage, but not more trebble emphasis to my ears.

 

[lee730]

Depending on the seal the V4 does have more bass emphasis than the SE5. The treble doesn't necessarily have more quantity than the SE5 but it is a lot more defined IMO. The SE5 treble will sound a bit boring in comparison. It's just simply some of the best treble I"ve heard on an IEM so far. That's not to say the SE5 treble is bad by any means. But that is how good I think the VE4 treble really is. The SE5 has better bass though. I like the mids on both. The SE5 has more intimate mids overall and can be more harsh on recordings in this area.

 

[precsmo]

   
I just tested out the Stage 3 and I don't like them... The bass is weak on them. Seems to be lacking mid bass and has not much for sub bass. I mean it is well defined but it is lacking impact and weight. This IEM definitely focuses on the mids and treble. Mids being number 1 IMO.... I tried to like it but I really just don't like it. I like the stage 2 a lot more. I consider stage two to be more on the neutral side.

i have a very different impression from yours, either it is your listening preference or it is entirely due to the poor fit of the universal demo tips? I love my Stage 3. It is probable the most expensive CIEM to total of driver BA ratio. But the Stage 3 sounded so good to me, no other CIEMs convince me as much as the 3! I do not find the bass is lacking at all, it is so heavy, so tight, with so much extension of low end bass I was amazed I cannot find any speaker systems are able to make me hear such frequency spectrum! I'm not a bass head, but I prefer a headphone or earphone with plenty enough of bass, else, I don't find enough dynamic in them. Stage 3 has so much bass yet not overwhelming the mid and treble at all! 

 

[rudi0504]

I just really enjoy the treble a lot on the stage 4 followed by the bass. I mean the mids are also really good. I don't consider them recessed either. The treble is just so distinct yet smooth. Not overly smooth and well integrated into the presentation. Bass goes very deep and has a lot of quantity while still remaining controlled. It has a lot of presence/authority. The IEM as a whole is simply more refined than its younger siblings and it has nothing to do with its price. I just like it better of the 3. But I also really like the Stage 2. I'd say the Stage 2 is the most neutral of the three. I consider the Stage 3 the least neutral. But keep in mind with the fit things can really go down hill on the Stage 4. The stage 4 is also picky on what it pairs with. I still found it too bassy on the Triad. It paired really well on the AK120 and T1 amp. I would like to see how these sound when I get my AK120 S mod back from Vinnie .

I still stand by what I said on the Stage 3. I'm listening to them right now and I feel the sub and mid bass is lacking. Just not my cup of tea. But that doesn't mean the quality isn't there. Because it is still very good and well defined. But I like well defined along with impact and weight.

Hi Lee
I am agree with your impression , my favourite is VE stage 4
I like to hear brass music like Dixie land jazz wow is very cool for brass orchestra
I like the bass impact too and speed .
IMO

 

[precsmo]

   
Midrange tonality was easily flatter on the VE2, though they might have a slight V (against diffuse field target, like the K3003), which I usually enjoy. But the VE3 made female singers sound like they'd taken testosterone pills and grown a beard

There was a definite mid/upper bass emphasis that affected the lower mids and masked deep bass. Both the VE2 and VE4 had a bump well below 100Hz (the VE4 more so than the VE2), but the VE3 had a marked bump higher up in the bass range.

to me experience, I personally find that it is extremely hard to judge on one's opinion with a demo CIEM. I strongly believe the fit from the universal tips with each tester yield very very different impression from each other, either very positively or negatively. Or probably every person has just very different listening preference. I definitely love the Stage 3 the most. I didn't have a chance to try the Stage 2, but I found the Stage 3 is definitely much much better to me compare to Stage 4. I couldn't get the same impression as to how so many commented with the Stage 4 that it is an amazing sounding CIEM. I got a very negative impression with the Stage 4, I just do not know why. It was way too boomy to me, the bass were just so heavy, yet poorly defined, with very v shape sounding like many suggest with quite roll off mid and high. However, the Stage 3 demo sounded very close to my final custom set, it was very neutral, extremely high fidality, perfect bass! Of course, my final Stage 3 is way better than the demo, thank god!

 

[lee730]

i found the stage 4 to be too bass heavy with shrill treble with a tight fit. But from what I am told these IEMs are not meant to have a tight fit even in CIEM form. Even with a tight fit I still did not find the Stage 3 to be that good. Just did not like it. I felt the bass is rolled off in both the mid and sub bass. I consider it more towards the bass light side. Even the EX1000 has more bass quantity IMO....

 

[james444]

  i found the stage 4 to be too bass heavy with shrill treble with a tight fit. But from what I am told these IEMs are not meant to have a tight fit even in CIEM form. Even with a tight fit I still did not find the Stage 3 to be that good. Just did not like it. I felt the bass is rolled off in both the mid and sub bass. I consider it more towards the bass light side. Even the EX1000 has more bass quantity IMO....

 
I'm holding back on comments because the demos I heard where different from the ones on tour. Suffice to say my VE3 didn't sound anything like you describe yours.
 
Oh, and afaik bass can only roll off once, either in mid or in sub bass.

 

 

[lee730]

   
I'm holding back on comments because the demos I heard where different from the ones on tour. Suffice to say my VE3 didn't sound anything like you describe yours.
 
Oh, and afaik bass can only roll off once, either in mid or in sub bass.

 

 
The bass is lacking to me in both mid bass and sub bass. It does have slightly more sub bass emphasis than it's mid bass. But I consider both recessed. I find it somewhat bass light.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/210115/what-does-bass-roll-off-mean#post_2528991

 

[james444]

  The bass is lacking to me in both mid bass and sub bass. It does have slightly more sub bass emphasis than it's mid bass. But I consider both recessed. I find it somewhat bass light.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/210115/what-does-bass-roll-off-mean#post_2528991

 
Ah, I see. Well, my understanding of the term is different and more in line with Wikipedia's definition, meaning that (like with a high pass or low cut filter) the frequencies below the roll-off are pretty much inaudible, so there can be no second roll-off. Since you're saying that sub bass has even slightly more emphasis than mid bass, I'd never call the mid bass rolled-off.

 

[lee730]

   
Ah, I see. Well, my understanding of the term is different and more in line with Wikipedia's definition, meaning that (like with a high pass or low cut filter) the frequencies below the roll-off are pretty much inaudible, so there can be no second roll-off. Since you're saying that sub bass has even slightly more emphasis than mid bass, I'd never call the mid bass rolled-off.

 
I feel that part of the frequency for both sub and mid bass are missing so that is why I mention both. Just doesn't sound right to my ears. As I mentioned earlier it sounds bass light to me even compared to the EX1000 which was bordering bass light itself (but in that case it was more so to do with just the quantity). I think in this case it's a little bit more than just the quantity though.... I tried using the bass boost on the Triad and that didn't do the trick either.

 

[Ultrazino]

Handmade by the legend himself - Mr. Reinsch!






Perfection and nothing less. No refit needed. Perfect seal when sleeping and eating, too. I don't think I will put silicone tips into my ear canals anytime soon again. That time is over!

It's a Rhines Stage 3, btw. "Only" 3 drivers, but through the half-transparent housing you can tell that these drivers will not fit into any universal easily.

 

[Mimouille]

Cool design and apparently great build.

 

[Ultrazino]

Cool design and apparently great build.

 
Yes, I am extremely stoked about the build.
When I first considered customs, people steered me away and I crossed some horror stories about the seal breaking when eating or laying on the back. This is definitely not the case. These were extremely comfortable from the start and I am happy that a refit is not necessary.
 
What I enjoy most is that you just put them in and enjoy the sound. No fiddeling around with different tips, varying in depth and size, twisting, turning, modding just to get the sound right. Just one twist and you're good to go.

 

[james444]

   
Yes, I am extremely stoked about the build.
When I first considered customs, people steered me away and I crossed some horror stories about the seal breaking when eating or laying on the back. This is definitely not the case. These were extremely comfortable from the start and I am happy that a refit is not necessary.
 
What I enjoy most is that you just put them in and enjoy the sound. No fiddeling around with different tips, varying in depth and size, twisting, turning, modding just to get the sound right. Just one twist and you're good to go.

 
Congrats, the build looks really great.
 
If they fit you perfectly and don't break the seal when eating, that's testimony to the fact that the impressions have been done correctly. I had the same luck with my UERMs. However, putting my customs in is easily more challenging than just one twist and it's more effort than with universals to get them to slide into place. That probably depends on the form of one's outer ear and size of the shells, as my UERM's fill out the entire concha.
 
Also, the option to change tips and perform mods on universals is a pro and not a con, at least in my book. With customs, you're simply stuck with the sound you get, for better or worse. Glad that yours sound exactly as you hoped for.