Currently, I'm testing EarAcoustic VSA-MAX earphones. It is designed more likely to be the jewelry to wear when one is on a listening adventure. The company, EarAcoustic, emphasizes the importance of VSA—a short form, allegedly standing for Vocal Sweetness Amplified. The "MAX" line attempts to maximize this concept to its ultimate extremes. Priced at $150 to $170, it comes with an impressive 11.4mm titanium diaphragm dynamic driver with a case that resembles "Liquid Silver" surrounding it. It boasts to deliver a "Dark Night Hunting" performance, just making female voices sound like "angels" or "sirens" to our ears. Let’s see if it’s a heavenly choir or just a high-pitched scream.
EarAcoustic VSA-MAX Review
I previously posted my detailed thoughts on VSA- V1 which has almost the same tuning as the EarAcoustic VSA-MAX. But stop! Things are not like copy-paste style; they are somewhat very close in their tuning. But the MAX has a more refined tuning than the V1. Especially in high-frequency areas. It is smoother and more extended when it comes to treble. And for that reason, the other part of the tuning comes out more boldly than that of V1.
You can’t say it’s ‘balanced’; it still stays a bit bright (in my personal taste), but I find the bass section is a bit bold here. Female vocals remain shiny and powerful in a very sweet way. If you are someone like me who is sensitive to treble, you may roll ear tips to tame it a little bit. I will cover this in the ‘Cable & Tip rolling’ part of this review.
DISCLAIMER
EarAcoustic was kind enough to send me the EarAcoustic VSA-MAX to review. I am not affiliated with EarAcoustic, and of course, I was not asked for any copy-checking before publishing. All opinions shared in this ‘EarAcoustic VSA-MAX review’ are my subjective thoughts.
One thing more: The review is based on my personal experience and what I hear using different sources. Your experience may vary because of personal preference and physical differences like the shape and depth of the ear canal.
For your personal purchase, checkout EarAcoustic for their fantastic products and promotions (non-affiliated link).
GEAR USED
● DAP: Cowon Planue R2, Cayin N3 Ultra, Hiby RS2, Hiby R4, Snowsky Echo Mini, F.Audio M20.
● DAC/AMP: xDuoo MT-604, Fosi Audio GR40, Hiby FD5, KAEI Design TAP2, ifi Hip DAC 2, xDuoo XD-05 Plus (with MUSES 8820 OP-Amp), Cayin RU6, Cayin RU7, iBasso DC04 Pro, Dunu DTC 480, Fosi Audio DS-1, Celest CD-10, Celest CD-20, Hiby FC05, Hiby FD03, Hidizs SD8 Pro Robin, Moondrop Dawn Pro.
● Smart Device: Poco X3, Xiaomi MiPad 5.
● Files: Tidal, Spotify, local Hi-Res FLAC & DSD files.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
● Driver: 11.4mm Full-Amplitude Titanium Diaphragm DD
● Frequency response: 5Hz – 40kHz
● Impedance: 32Ω
● Sensitivity: 108 dB
● Cable: 408-core Litz OCC + Silver-Plated Mix
● Pin Type: 2pin, 0.78mm
● Cable Length: 1.2m
● Plug Type: 3.5mm/ 4.4mm (interchangeable)
WHAT’S IN THE BOX
● VSA MAX IEMs
● Interchangeable OCC Cable
● 3.5mm, 4.4mm plugs
● 3 pairs of normal bore silicon tips (S/M/L) & 3 pairs of wide bore silicon tips (S/M/L)
● PU Leather carrying case
● User Manual
UNBOXING EXPERIENCE
Same as the VSA-V1 you can say. So, I will skip this part.
BUILD & DESIGN
They are build to last and build like tanks! In my opinion, this is the strongest point of MAX. These shells are CNC machined out of an aluminum magnesium alloy. They are polished to a mirror finish and feels extremely premium. The look of “Void Silver Stalker” is sleek, fluid, seamless and does not have any edges. The venting system is very well incorporated. It looks like a solid piece of metal that would survive a nuclear winter (ha ha ha ha). It is absolutely the king of fingerprint magnets. I swear, I look at it, and smudge appeared. If you are OCD about having your gear look pristine, you should carry a microfiber cloth with you.
FIT & COMFORT
Despite its appearance as a heavy metal pebble, the ergonomics are surprisingly good. The inner side is shaped to conform to the concha nicely, and the nozzle is at a natural angle. Once in place, they also block out the noise of the café patrons surrounding me quite nicely. The weight is really noticeable and they are not “disappear in your ear” lightweight kinda IEM. Additionally, on a chilly morning, putting these in is a bit of a shock to the ears because the metal is ice cold until it is warmed by the body.
SOUND IMPRESSIONS
The tuning is a very distinct V shape to W shape with a very specific focus on clarity and upper midrange response. It’s not trying to be a warm, analog hug; it’s a digital, high-res scenario. It’s clean, fast, and exciting. The clarity is very surprising for a single dynamic driver. It’s lifting the “veil” off the sound, as you’d expect from a lot of budget IEMs. Everything is crisp and defined.
Here is the frequency graph (by Practiphile):
Let’s dive deep…
SUB-BASS
The extension is deep indeed. Summoned to duty, that 11.4mm driver can move some serious air. You feel the rumble in the back of your throat with Limit to Your Love, for example. It’s very clean, with the low end firmly in its place, like it always is with the VSA-MAX. This is a quality over quantity kind of affair, to be sure. There’s no sense of the kind of omnipresent rumble that the bass enthusiast craves. If the music doesn’t specifically feature deep bass, the MAX won’t create it for you. It stays polite until provoked.
MID-BASS
This is where the punch lives. The mid-bass is fast, tight, and tactile. Kick drums have that “thud” sound that is strong and decays fast. It moves the rhythm section forward with authority. In my very personal opinion, it’s missing some warmth. Because the driver is so fast, due to that titanium diaphragm, bass notes do not linger. This gives bass guitars less of that lush, groovy sound, making them sound more “percussive” than “melodic.” If you love preciousness over boom sound, then you will love it.
VOCALS
MALE
Male vocals are reproduced with crystal-clear precision. You can easily make out every articulation, every breath. Nothing is slurred or soggy. They are recessed, taking a back seat to everything else. Deep baritones like Leonard Cohen are a little lighter than you’d imagine, a little younger. They lack that full-bodied richness.
FEMALE
This is the essence of the VSA promise in action. The female vocal parts are pushed forward, sound intimate, and sound fantastic in their vividness. There is a definite joy to be had from an artist such as Adele, a Korean Pop artist, where the vocal parts are pushed forward, shimmering in a crystal clear way. There is a delicate balance, however, where, depending on how bright a given mix is, female vocal parts can sound sibilant, even “shouty.” There is a definite risk of ear fatigue, however, if turned up too high.
INSTRUMENTS SEPARATION
The separation is stellar, though, for this price range. The VSA-MAX somehow makes space for every instrument. There are no bleed-ins of drums into synths, even in busy arrangements. There are moments when it sounds too separated, as though band members are in different rooms. There’s a lack of that ‘band sound’ or ‘band glue.’ That’s because it’s so analytical in its approach.
TREBLE
It has an extended treble that is airy. There is plenty of sparkle here. The cymbals have a good crash, and you can hear plenty of “micro-detail.” This is usually reserved for balanced armatures. It has a “titanium timbre.” There is a metallic sheen to the treble. The hi hats can sound a bit splashy, and on bad mastering, the treble can sound unforgiving.
SOUNDSTAGE
The width is impressive. The sounds stretch out nicely to the left and the right. That is nice. The depth is lacking. The music is presented as a “wall of sound” in front of you. There is no sense of it being a holographic 3D space. You don’t hear sounds coming from behind the vocals, or far in front of the vocals.
TECHNICALITIES
Dynamics: Macro-dynamics are punchy. The dynamic contrast between the soft verses and the explosive choruses is dealt with beautifully. The driver has plenty of headroom. The micro-dynamics, to be honest, are somewhat overshadowed by the brightness. Small changes in the dynamic levels can be lost in the general dynamic presentation.
Speed: This is a speed demon. The titanium driver starts and stops on a dime. It plays complex metal tracks and rapid drumming with ease. The decay is almost clinical in its speed. It also never allows the notes to breathe naturally, and it gives acoustic instruments a bit of a synthetic feel.
Analytics (Detail Retrieval): It picks up things you never knew were there. You can hear background noises, noises from chairs, lip smacks, etc. It forces this stuff on you. You never knew it was there, but it forces it in your face. It’s distracting to enjoy the music.
SOURCES
It’s reasonably efficient, too, at 32 ohms and 110dB, so it’ll work well off a phone dongle. That said, it also upscales well. Pairing: it’s worth stressing that it’s best not to pair this amplifier with a bright or analytical source, such as an ESS chip in a dongle. That makes it too sharp. What it really benefits from is a warm source, such as an R2R or tube amplifier, to control that treble and give it some midrange weight.
CABLE & TIP ROLLING
The stock cable is of high quality, and especially the modular design makes it more versatile. Though it’s a bit stiff in my opinion, you don’t need to upgrade it. The supplied ear tips are good quality, but they didn’t seal properly to my ears due to the heavy shell. I tried various tips to have a good fit and to tame down the upper frequencies a bit. In that case, Final E black tips played a good role, though they made the stage a bit narrow. But the Azla Max did a great job in terms of fit, comfort, and treble taming. You can also try some good-quality foam tips.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Ear Acoustic VSA-MAX is a statement piece. It’s loud, it’s shiny, and it’s unapologetically energetic. If you are a ‘treble-head,’ or you just can’t get enough female vocals and need every detail of every song you listen to, then this is a great option that blows well past its weight class. The build quality is worth the price of admission by itself. But if you are sensitive to high frequencies or you need a warm, relaxing, ‘analog’-style sound, then this may just be too much for you. It’s a wild ride, and while it’s a great technical piece for the money, just make sure you can handle the bite.
WHATEVER YOU’RE THINKIN’ OF BUYING—DAC, DAP, IEM, HEADPHONE, AMP, WHATEVER—JUST MAKE SURE YOU GIVE IT A DEMO RUN FIRST. TRY IT OUT, LISTEN TO IT WITH YOUR OWN TRACKS. SERIOUSLY, ONE QUICK AUDITION CAN SAVE YOU A BUNCH OF MONEY AND REGRET LATER ON.
AUDIO TESTING PREFERENCES
I desperately love the music from the 60s to 90s era. Music was alive then. The genre I love most is ROCK ‘N ROLL. Though Jazz, Blues, Metal, Disco, Pop is also my favorite genres. I have a collection of albums with high dynamic recording. Most of the time I teste audio gears with those albums to understand sonic capability of the specific gear. If you have tidal subscription, you may click here to get the playlist.
You are welcome to read other reviews by SONIC MANTRA.
