Hello, everyone. I have lurked for years, now, through more than one pair of earbuds, including the fantastic vocal earbuds, the Klipsch Custom 3s. I am making this post because I decided to pull the trigger on the VSD5S, despite there being no reviews, because I figured that these are an update to the VSD5 earbuds.
Having listened to them for a couple of days now, in multiple locations, including sitting on my by, jogging for 40 minutes, in my car on the way to work, and sitting at my desk when I arrived, I have a decent understanding of the sound.
I do not have the original VSD5 earbuds to compare; however, I think you will be interested, and possibly disappointed, to know that the VSD5S IEMs sound. . . exactly as everyone here has been describing the VSD5!
Starting at the low end, the sub bass is not pronounced, but when it does appear, it is smooth and vibrant. Moving upward, the sub-bass is powerful, quick, punchy and ever-present; it colors every track, making electric guitars buzz and bass guitars slam quickly and disappear equally quickly, creating a lively, detailed sound for us metal-heads.
Moving onto the vocals, it is an area that disappoints, somewhat. When
only vocals are there, or maybe vocals and another instrument like a piano, the vocals are strong, clear and detailed, so that you can hear the singer taking a breath and any endearing imperfections in his voice. Since I listen to power metal, whether a male or female is singing, I get a good dose of highs and lows in the voice, and the treble of these buds makes vocals sparkle in a particular way. Not bad, but I think a more forward mid-range for the vocals and guitars is critical for a powerful, high-quality sound. This is the area in which I am most disappointed.
Finally, the treble which is, just as others have described the VSD5 earbuds, sparkling and prominent, yet somehow it is never sibilant or piercing, irrespective of how loud I crank the volume. This is a pleasant surprise, as although it is clearly treble-heavy, the treble is never overpowering, unwelcome or painful. This is treble done well, and I have no complaints.
Having done an analysis of the sound spectrum, I'd like to give some brief thoughts on other sound qualities.
Soundstage: I don't notice, nor have I ever noticed on any earbuds, a significant soundstage. It all generally sounds like it's in my head with a left, center and right. That being said. . .
. . . Separation: is extremely good. I listen to metal, but not just metal, I listen to
power metal, which in my opinion is the ultimate test for earbuds because at any one time, you might have bass guitar, a kick-bass, two electric guitars, a vocalist and a keyboard all playing simultaneously. If a set is truly high quality, it should be able to reproduce all of these instruments together and still have separation and clarity. To that end, I feel as though the mid-bass doesn't make things muddy, but oddly, it can be
too loud at times, not distorting but simply covering the other instruments! It's not on every track and it's not horrible, but I distinctly recall being annoyed by the mid-bass doing this. Other than that, usually every single instrument is clearly distinguishable from every other instrument, and the details of each instrument is generally good, though I have not yet been amazed. This could simply be an untrained ear, but I consider myself somewhat of a critical listener, regarding music. (Not regarding school!
)
I definitely understand the "airy" sound that people are describing, or I like to call it "effortlessness," like each instrument is being reproduced without any trouble. The instruments appear, hit, and disappear with strength and authority.
As has been mentioned, the cable "guides" for the ears seem ridiculous. Why are they not permanently attached like the Klipsch customs, or why do they not have some sort of seal so that the wire does not slide out? I'm strongly considering just gluing them onto the cable. They're not even that useful, in my opinion, they just look cool so of course I must put them on!