spent ~2hrs at e1 yesterday trying out the VEs and the 1964s. i think i'll just mention both and copy and paste, since i listened to all at one go so naturally will cross-compare.
first off with the VEs...
started with stage 2, not expecting too much since it's the lowest model. i got a pleasant surprise. it's the sig i like, though i could do with a little more resolution. it has a very nice body and musicality, coupled with a little rolled off snappy treble yet with zero sibilance, i'm enjoying it so much i could just go on forever without getting fatique.
stage 3 thins out a teeny bit while retaining a very nice bass texture and has better resolution and clarity. however i wasn't quite happy with the treble. i felt it sounded a bit flat and artificial compared to the stage 2.
stage 4 is like stage 3 on steroids. didn't like the bass quantity. i felt it's too overwhelming and will easily induce fatique.
basically, in stage 2, i wished for stage 3's clarity and resolution. in stage 3, i wished for stage 2's treble.
comparing with the 1964s....
v3.... it's like a thinner/weaker stage 3. i prefer the v3's treble decay though. it sounded more natural.
v4.... aiyo... didn't like it at all. seems to V sounding. bass quantity too much for me, and upper mids was a tad bright.
v6.... my most preferred 1964 among the 3. it's like a refined v3 with more muscle and body. it's like balancing between the VE stage 2 and 3. the positive is, the VEs seem to be tuned to be sibilance-free. it's very ear-friendly, but when i listened to the v6, it adds back the right sparkle at the right spots which i really liked. the Sses have the kind of shimmer that tickles the ears but didn't breach my threshold to become sibilant.
v6s was not available so didn't get to try that.
overall feel:
the VEs seem to be less airy, and perhaps a little faster treble decay especially with the stage 2. the 1964s seem to be airier and have a more natural treble decay and a nice sparkle.
i did a quick a-b between VE stage 2 and 334/alo sxc-24. 334 has a more emphasized upper mids which makes the vocals open up a bit. i like both and it would be difficult to definitively conclude which one i prefer, although the stage 2 does stand a very good chance. it's a matter of signature, and i really love the stage 2's.
i spent much lesser time with the 1964s so exactly where does the v6 stand among the VE, i think i have to give them another go to have a better feel. just one thing for sure if factoring in VE, the v3 and v4 are confirmed out of my consideration (together with the stage 4).
however, except for v4, i preferred the rest to any of the rooth demos i've tested recently.... the ls4, lsx5, ls6, ls8 and ls8+. i was actually enjoying all the VEs and 1964s (less the v4) but wasn't enjoying any of the rooths at all when i tried them recently. they just sounded a bit off to me. however the pricing difference may suggest some reasonable expectations from the respective models but for this impression i just put pricing aside la.
my overall preference from most preferred:
legend:
> : slight preference
>> : normal degree of preference
>>> : can actually consider out liao
VE stage 2 > 1964 v6 >> VE stage 3 > 1964 v3 > VE stage 4 >>> 1964 v4
source: dx50 fw1.2.2
music: small selection of my usual stuff... olivia ong, maroon 5, stacey kent, bob acri etc. this time in wav, no more mp3
