[Deferenz]

Here's another question given your excellent impressions and experience with LX and Traillii. Would you say EXT is the best DD-based IEM you've heard to date, for your preferences? (I appreciate you prefer Phõnix, so litmiting it to DDs).

Thanks for the kind words. I wish I could explain things better, but I hope I’ve at least given a flavour of what the Phonix is like.

I had three DDs at the same time in EXT, Trio and LX. Across the three I would say EXT had the best sub bass, although Trio and LX were very close second. I had to go back and forth a few times though before I could make that decision. With mid bass I thought it was close amongst the three and from my notes I could not pick a clear winner. I recall thinking that it would depend on the overall sound you wanted from the IEM i.e. crisp and clean from Trio or warm and fuller from EXT. My wife asked me if I would like an EXT and my answer to her was that if I didn’t have the LX already then I might consider it, so that might tell you my thoughts at that point. So in a round about way I’m probably saying that the DDs on EXT were very good but not necessarily head or shoulders above the other two. From a DD point of view I think I would put these three IEMs in the same bracket.

Of course this is what I hear when I listened to the three. I should point out all the usual caveats and it is quite possible that others may hear things differently to what I do. As I’m starting to realise, there are so many things that go into the mix that generate how we hear things; age, ear shape, tips, insertion & seal, exposure to sound overtime, points of reference, etc etc, that sometimes two people could listen to the same thing and have different experiences.

I would just mention another DD I heard which was the Thummim. I remember being impressed with the bass on this and I gave some thought to selling my LX to help fund one. Unfortunately it has been quite a while since I heard it and so I cannot give a comparison to the EXT.

 

[Deezel177]

As good as the EXT is, I do think VE missed an opportunity to make a brighter sounding iem with its DD mids. BA's suffer from artificial timbre with brighter signatures, which is where the EXT would have a unique edge over them. With darker signatures, it is more difficult to pick up on the plasticky timbre of BAs, so the EXT is competing with many iems that sound amazing even though they have BA's for the mids.

Uhh.. isn't that what the original ELYSIUM is?

 

[SteelerFan58]

Uhh.. isn't that what the original ELYSIUM is?

I was thinking the same thing. Sounds just like a description of the Elysium.

 

[metaljem77]

As good as the EXT is, I do think VE missed an opportunity to make a brighter sounding iem with its DD mids. BA's suffer from artificial timbre with brighter signatures, which is where the EXT would have a unique edge over them. With darker signatures, it is more difficult to pick up on the plasticky timbre of BAs, so the EXT is competing with many iems that sound amazing even though they have BA's for the mids.

I’ll have to respectfully disagree, I think there are already quite a number of brighter IEMs. I feel that EXT is perfect for my tastes and absolutely sublime in its coherence with sufficient bass for a basshead like me. I haven’t been able to find a tuning in an IEM like EXT, so thank you so much VE for this creation.

 

[aaf evo]

I’ll have to respectfully disagree, I think there are already quite a number of brighter IEMs. I feel that EXT is perfect for my tastes and absolutely sublime in its coherence with sufficient bass for a basshead like me. I haven’t been able to find a tuning in an IEM like EXT, so thank you so much VE for this creation.

It is a very unique and addicting IEM, that DD bass is incredible too.

 

[kevin638880]

It is a very unique and addicting IEM, that DD bass is incredible too.

Damn, was hoping you would ship your X to Hong Kong so I can buy it

Ah well, looks like I will be placing an order for the black Phonix very soon, too.

 

[gLer]

Gold Phonix order placed!

Doing some A/B of the EXT v the MEST Indigo, it didn’t quite hit me until I put them side by side how recessed the mid range is on the EXT. Vocals are imaged quite far back, I don’t think this tuning works with a normal BA mid range IEM but that allure around the DD mids of the EXT makes it acceptable, imo.

Recessed like EVO recessed or IE 900 recessed? What confuses me is how some IEMs are described as having forward mids but recessed vocals (not that EXT has forward mids). And despite the 'recessed' vocals are they still clear and resolved?

Thanks for the kind words. I wish I could explain things better, but I hope I’ve at least given a flavour of what the Phonix is like.

I had three DDs at the same time in EXT, Trio and LX. Across the three I would say EXT had the best sub bass, although Trio and LX were very close second. I had to go back and forth a few times though before I could make that decision. With mid bass I thought it was close amongst the three and from my notes I could not pick a clear winner. I recall thinking that it would depend on the overall sound you wanted from the IEM i.e. crisp and clean from Trio or warm and fuller from EXT. My wife asked me if I would like an EXT and my answer to her was that if I didn’t have the LX already then I might consider it, so that might tell you my thoughts at that point. So in a round about way I’m probably saying that the DDs on EXT were very good but not necessarily head or shoulders above the other two. From a DD point of view I think I would put these three IEMs in the same bracket.

Of course this is what I hear when I listened to the three. I should point out all the usual caveats and it is quite possible that others may hear things differently to what I do. As I’m starting to realise, there are so many things that go into the mix that generate how we hear things; age, ear shape, tips, insertion & seal, exposure to sound overtime, points of reference, etc etc, that sometimes two people could listen to the same thing and have different experiences.

I would just mention another DD I heard which was the Thummim. I remember being impressed with the bass on this and I gave some thought to selling my LX to help fund one. Unfortunately it has been quite a while since I heard it and so I cannot give a comparison to the EXT.

Thanks for this, gives me a good idea of where the EXT sits in the pantheon. Would you say it has similar or better technicalities to LX and Trio (both being excellent themselves)? And by that I mean stage size, imaging, resolution and separation mainly.

Uhh.. isn't that what the original ELYSIUM is?

My thoughts exactly. It doesn't sound like EXT is a dark IEM from what I've read, but definitely not bright, which would be my preference 100% of the time. If I wanted brighter or lighter, seems the original Elysium would fit that bill, which is why so many people (who didn't gel with that) asked for an Elysium with fuller/DD bass.

 

[aaf evo]

Recessed like EVO recessed or IE 900 recessed? What confuses me is how some IEMs are described as having forward mids but recessed vocals (not that EXT has forward mids). And despite the 'recessed' vocals are they still clear and resolved?

Thanks for this, gives me a good idea of where the EXT sits in the pantheon. Would you say it has similar or better technicalities to LX and Trio (both being excellent themselves)? And by that I mean stage size, imaging, resolution and separation mainly.

My thoughts exactly. It doesn't sound like EXT is a dark IEM from what I've read, but definitely not bright, which would be my preference 100% of the time. If I wanted brighter or lighter, seems the original Elysium would fit that bill, which is why so many people (who didn't gel with that) asked for an Elysium with fuller/DD bass.

Recessed as in the positioning of the mid range. It still sounds “normal” but it’s just pulled back, so not like the IE900 which literally recessed the upper mid range in the tuning.

 

[gLer]

Recessed as in the positioning of the mid range. It still sounds “normal” but it’s just pulled back, so not like the IE900 which literally recessed the upper mid range in the tuning.

Ok thanks, that's helpful. Do you think this slight pullback helps with stage size?

 

[aaf evo]

Ok thanks, that's helpful. Do you think this slight pullback helps with stage size?

I would say it helps make the EXT sound a bit more spacious but the soundstage on EXT isn't really anything special in general.

 

[gLer]

I would say it helps make the EXT sound a bit more spacious but the soundstage on EXT isn't really anything special in general.

As long as it's not cramped or 'intimate' and matches or exceeds IE 900/LX, I'm good. I wouldn't expect Traillii/Fourte-level stage with the fuller, warmer sound EXT is going for.

 

[kevin638880]

Gold or black Phonix...
Hate preordering tho, especially when this costs 4k with no ETA in sight.

decisions decisions

 

[korvin12]

Gold or black Phonix...
Hate preordering tho, especially when this costs 4k with no ETA in sight.

decisions decisions

Gold+1, every1 says the gold looks nicer than the black, ( I ordered the black too) My pre order was way back in late august til now, my dealer says my order belongs to the 1st batch but I guess they haven even clear that batch yet

 

[ooOOoo]

…perhaps, the gold one will have a warmer sound signature in comparison to the black one…

 

[Deferenz]

Thanks for this, gives me a good idea of where the EXT sits in the pantheon. Would you say it has similar or better technicalities to LX and Trio (both being excellent themselves)? And by that I mean stage size, imaging, resolution and separation mainly.

I thought it had better technicalities than the Trio but similar to the LX.