Thanks for the insights! Been looking at potentially the Plussound copper+ cable at some point but impressions with EXT are scarce.
Vision Ears and Rhines Custom Monitors (formerly Compact Monitors)
- Thread starter Mimouille
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I did try the copper+ cable with EXT. From my vague recollection, I preferred First Times with EXT due to the micro detail retrieval, which I wanted to optimise with EXT’s capabilities. I found Copper+ to be good with VE8 too, nice warm sounds and non-fatiguing. If you want me to pair copper+ with EXT again, I could do it later and we can take this discussion via PM
DanielListening
1000+ Head-Fier
Listening to the Phönix after an extended listen with the EXT.
The EXT does so much right with folk, rock, electronic, ambient, modern rock, indie, glitch pop, and more. It is an all rounder to be sure. It even sounds good with classical music.
Just started listening to the new release “aubades” by Jean-Michel Blais for a second time but now with the Phönix.
This is night and day. The Phönix does such a better job with music like this. Instrument separation, tone, timbre, getting the sound reproduced, dynamics, precision and more. This is amazing. Much easier to tell what an instrument is, your never guessing
or
?
or
?
These are evidently very different IEMs. Both excellent, both with different “Visions” if you will. Haha.
Next time to listen to the “eviction sessions” by Jean-Michel Blais.
The EXT does so much right with folk, rock, electronic, ambient, modern rock, indie, glitch pop, and more. It is an all rounder to be sure. It even sounds good with classical music.
Just started listening to the new release “aubades” by Jean-Michel Blais for a second time but now with the Phönix.
This is night and day. The Phönix does such a better job with music like this. Instrument separation, tone, timbre, getting the sound reproduced, dynamics, precision and more. This is amazing. Much easier to tell what an instrument is, your never guessing
or?or?These are evidently very different IEMs. Both excellent, both with different “Visions” if you will. Haha.
Next time to listen to the “eviction sessions” by Jean-Michel Blais.
Listening to the Phönix after an extended listen with the EXT.
The EXT does so much right with folk, rock, electronic, ambient, modern rock, indie, glitch pop, and more. It is an all rounder to be sure. It even sounds good with classical music.
Just started listening to the new release “aubades” by Jean-Michel Blais for a second time but now with the Phönix.
This is night and day. The Phönix does such a better job with music like this. Instrument separation, tone, timbre, getting the sound reproduced, dynamics, precision and more. This is amazing. Much easier to tell what an instrument is, your never guessing
These are evidently very different IEMs. Both excellent, both with different “Visions” if you will. Haha.
Next time to listen to the “eviction sessions” by Jean-Michel Blais.
Thanks Daniel, you've just introduced me to a new artist. Beautiful stuff - listening to murmures now and this is exactly the type of music Phönix was made for in my opinion. Looking forward to listening to more from this artist.
Nice to hear. Detail, separation, imaging are what define TOTL for me. It can have a great timbre, be 'musical' etc, if it doesn't excel at technical performance it's not TOTL imo.This is night and day. The Phönix does such a better job with music like this. Instrument separation, tone, timbre, getting the sound reproduced, dynamics, precision and more. This is amazing. Much easier to tell what an instrument is, your never guessing
I agree, though it doesn't always have to be the best at all three to be TOTL - but it does have to be excellent. A shortcoming in any of these, and I'll include stage as well, for me, takes an IEM down a notch from TOTL. Excellent technicalities also justify the price gap between good and great IEMs for me.
Listening to Phönix and EXT, while EXT is a notch or two down from Phönix technically, it's still excellent and what I consider TOTL.
DanielListening
1000+ Head-Fier
The Phönix is a concert hall. It is so vast. The soundstage is the least constrained soundstage I have ever heard.
It does remind me of a concert hall. Plush red velvet seats. Maybe it is the carbon fiber? Do they use sound tubes?
It images so very well within this concert hall.
It does remind me of a concert hall. Plush red velvet seats. Maybe it is the carbon fiber? Do they use sound tubes?
It images so very well within this concert hall.
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Marshall95
100+ Head-Fier
Hello everyone! After months of contemplating, I've just finally purchased the EXT! Will be receiving it in a few days. I can't wait to share my thoughts here. I have a feeling I'm never going to let it go. Btw I did demo both the Phönix and the EXT and the EXT's bass was just absolutely phenomenal in comparison. It felt like medium rare Wagyu steak. I only spent a few minutes with them and I was convinced that the EXT was the one for me. Will be taking and posting the beauty shots once it's here.
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Sound~Patriot
500+ Head-Fier
Good choice
...but it depends on the music genre you prefer. While the EXT is a beast when i comes to IDM, EDM, Pop, Hip-Hop or Electronic (!) i prefer the Elysium (f.e.) for Classics, Instrumental and Songwriter. Probably the Phönix would be a better pick as well if you prefer the last mentioned genres.I guess to be prepared for all genres you need both
....... i guess i need both.
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Marshall95
100+ Head-Fier
Oh for sure. I agree with you on that, I mostly listen to Hip Hop so it was between the EXT and the IE 900 for me, ultimately I chose the EXT because the IE 900 felt tiny in my ear. It's so small I don't get it. I like some body on my IEM both musically and physically, that's EXT. And the Phönix's bass was just not doing it for me.Good choice
newworld666
Headphoneus Supremus
I decided to keep both .. IE900 is so tiny and easy to tune a bit to be the perfect IEM to be used lying down. Actually, my EXT is being served by vision ears, but it's a real step up high mids and high frequency without needing to tune the frequency response with some PEQ... almost perfect as it is.
Unfortunately, I would say, to find proper tips, are in both case, is really tricky, a real challenge to do !!! but, when it's done
!!!!
I think the phrase you used there is perfect: “Least constrained.” It’s one thing to have a large stage, but it’s another achievement completely to have instruments feel free and open within that stage. It’s this elegance and ease that I highlighted most on my first impressions, and I suspect it’ll be the same on my full review as well.
As far as I know, the Erlkonig and the PHoNIX use sound tubes. And, they’re both closed systems (i.e. no special acoustic chambers, AFAIK), so the shell material won’t affect the sound notable, if at all. So, it’s just good ol’ tuning that’s achieved that sound.
For those who have Genesis and EXT, I’m curious of what you think of this pairing. I’m currently experimenting with this pairing and it’s pretty delicious to me. Bass impact is deepened without adversely impacting the treble. I don’t find mids recessed but it may be just my preference in this respect since I can be overly sensitive to mids
Someone in the "Get Hyped for Vision Ears" thread that MusicTeck started when Phonix and EXT were released posted the question whether or not the Phonix bass was the Erlkonig setting number 2 or not. Here is my response to him. I have included it hear since this thread is more active than that one:
Yes the bass BA is similar to setting 2. But the final sound is different as explained below by Marcel and Oliver from the "Bob" interview in my review. https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/vision-ears-phönix-iem.25667/reviews#review-27762
I copied two questions below from the interview that have to do with bass. One of the questions made the final cut for the review and the other was left off since it was a more specific Erlkonig question that Bob had the nerve to ask after numerous Kölsch beers while hanging out with Marcel and Oliver in Köln.
Bob: I am still very interested in the Phonix bass. You have stated that the Phonix bass is based off the Erlkonig bass on setting number 2. The bass of the Phonix is more impactful and shares sub and mid bass duties well. The Erlkonig bass on 2 has more of a mid bass slant. Is this difference due to a bigger stage on the Phonix?
VE: The bass drivers are exactly the same as with the EK and only a small change was made on the crossover to improve the performance. Because as soon as you improve the highs due to a new driver, the old balance is lost, so you need to adjust the other parts to get back everything into balance.
Bob: This is a sidenote question that has nothing to do with Phonix. Was the Erlkonig tuned on number 2 or number 3? And then after it was tuned on one of those were the other numbers/frequency bumps added for variety of sound? Or did you go into the Erlkonig project with 4 distinct sounds in mind?
VE: I cannot tell exactly because the development process of the ERLKöNIG was a big journey and the first prototypes were adjusted again and again. Sometimes because we thought its necessary to adjust something and sometimes we had to change something due to the shell or other reasons that force you to find a compromise. The first prototype had only one tuning and I think it was close to tuning no. 2 because from our taste, this is a good and still powerful balance. The idea of using a switch was quite early in the developing process and we had these distinctive sounds in mind already as an idea. So, yes, position no.2 was the bass sound from which we developed the the other sound signatures.
Yes the bass BA is similar to setting 2. But the final sound is different as explained below by Marcel and Oliver from the "Bob" interview in my review. https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/vision-ears-phönix-iem.25667/reviews#review-27762
I copied two questions below from the interview that have to do with bass. One of the questions made the final cut for the review and the other was left off since it was a more specific Erlkonig question that Bob had the nerve to ask after numerous Kölsch beers while hanging out with Marcel and Oliver in Köln.
Bob: I am still very interested in the Phonix bass. You have stated that the Phonix bass is based off the Erlkonig bass on setting number 2. The bass of the Phonix is more impactful and shares sub and mid bass duties well. The Erlkonig bass on 2 has more of a mid bass slant. Is this difference due to a bigger stage on the Phonix?
VE: The bass drivers are exactly the same as with the EK and only a small change was made on the crossover to improve the performance. Because as soon as you improve the highs due to a new driver, the old balance is lost, so you need to adjust the other parts to get back everything into balance.
Bob: This is a sidenote question that has nothing to do with Phonix. Was the Erlkonig tuned on number 2 or number 3? And then after it was tuned on one of those were the other numbers/frequency bumps added for variety of sound? Or did you go into the Erlkonig project with 4 distinct sounds in mind?
VE: I cannot tell exactly because the development process of the ERLKöNIG was a big journey and the first prototypes were adjusted again and again. Sometimes because we thought its necessary to adjust something and sometimes we had to change something due to the shell or other reasons that force you to find a compromise. The first prototype had only one tuning and I think it was close to tuning no. 2 because from our taste, this is a good and still powerful balance. The idea of using a switch was quite early in the developing process and we had these distinctive sounds in mind already as an idea. So, yes, position no.2 was the bass sound from which we developed the the other sound signatures.
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