User Review VSONIC VSD1S: Kaboom for your buck: The all-rounder prodigy.

VSONIC VSD1S: Kaboom for your buck: The all-rounder prodigy.
This review is delayed, but only because they were a gift to someone. Only recently have I had given them an extended listen. Extended indeed.
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Vsonic needs no introduction as they have, year upon year, released bang for buck IEMs that turn into instant recommendations. That is, until they up the ante again.
This is my first Vsonic IEM and was excited to try it after going through the all favourable reviews on Head-fi and Vsonic’s proclamation: “Baby brother of the famed GR07 series”.

I(unfortunately) have not tried the legendary GR07, which even today, over 3 years after its release, is still widely recommended for its sound and value. I was torn between the HiFiMAN RE400 and the GR07, and decided to give Dr. Fang a chance. A decision that transformed my journey, though I do have a feeling I would have loved the GR07 too. The GR07 has recently been given a boost with the release of the GR07 classic, which is basically identical to the GR07 but at the magic 99$ mark. So, the 99$ market is well catered to. The 50$ bracket had a few players at the time in the form of the Steelseries Flux, Vsonic's own GR02 silver, Sony MH1C, etc.

Enter Vsonic; VSD1 and VSD1S in tow: 90% of the GR07 at 50$. Hype ensued, sustained and bang-for-buck status attained.

There are quite a few reviews that describe in detail, the build, accessories and comfort. I will briefly describe this section and move on to the Sound.

Build, accessories and comfort:
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The plastic housing is light and has a good feel to it, although the comic sans lettering is far from classy. The metal swivel nozzles ooze quality and the cable looks like it can take a beating. I must point out that despite their over-ear appearance, the VSD1/S is equally comfortable worn up/down. The light housing and swivel nozzles contribute hugely. Plus, they include ear-guides for those tricky situations.

A decent number of tips are included with the VSD1S, that will tip roll you into a good fit. I particularly like the Vsonic foam tips. They are denser than comply memory foam tips, but very comfortable. And unlike comply, they do not alter the sound(for me at least). One important thing to note is that the nozzle is thinner that most earphones, ruling out tip swapping from other earphones (unless they have a slim nozzle too)

Microphonics:cable down is below average and non-existent when worn cable up. I observed no driver flex whatsoever.

Sound:
Source: LG G2, Sansa Clip Zip, Asus Ultrabook. The VSD1S is easily driven to ear splitting volumes and respond well to EQ. All tracks were >256kbps.

The overall signature is V shaped. But the V is not drastic and therefore plays well with all genres.
The bass is bumped over neutral with good presence. Not very linear though, with a gradual boost up to the midbass before dropping in the lower mids. The sub-bass is felt at average listening volumes, has a natural decay and is of better quality (read: control) than the mid-bass. The midbass keeps things lively. However the drop in upper mids is more evident as a result.
The mids are not strictly recessed. They sit a row behind the ensemble and are sufficiently accurate and clear. The upper mids are gradually more emphasized (a trend which continues into the treble range). Female vocals are more intelligible than male vocals. In tracks that do not have much midbass presence, the mids really shine through and show how capable the VSD1S midrange is.
Having read reports of sibilance on the GR07, I was pleasantly surprised to note that this wasn't a major issue on the VSD1S and was forgiving enough. Yes, the treble is emphasized, and on occasion does overstep the line, but only when the recording contains stressed ttt’s or shhhh’s. In short, the VSD1S treble is not a deal breaker. On the contrary, it made the IEM more enjoyable.

The soundstage does not leave you wanting, with average depth and above average width. Stereo imaging is convincing and is helped further by high bitrate audio.

This must give you a picture of what makes the VSD1S a great IEM. It is versatile. It has a V shaped sig that has been flattened out a bit, allowing it to handle anything thrown at it with aplomb.
It truly is amazing considering the price-point, and sometimes makes you forget that it costs < 50$.


Now for some subjective drivel:
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I am a self-diagnosed mid-head. Blame HiFiMAN. Also I am slightly treble sensitive, meaning that I am less tolerant to sibilance. I was weary of Vsonic’s trademark sound and wondered if the VSD1S was right for me. But this was meant to be gifted, and who wouldn’t want 90% of the GR07 at 50$. I barely got to listen to them for a few minutes before I had to gift-wrap it. My mind, expecting a V shaped sound with sibilance thrown in was pleasantly surprised. I was intrigued, but sadly they were out of my hands soon thereafter. And over the next months all I heard was “Thank you so much! They sound amazing”. And over the past month I see where that came from and have grown attached to the VSD1S. Rest assured I have stolen it back and replaced the gift with my MH1C.

Am I satisfied? Not entirely (who is though?). The mids irritate me on certain tracks. I usually use the mids to volume match and therefore end up with a volume setting that makes my head sound like a club. If I had to 'fix' the VSD1S, I'd like to pull the midbass back a bit, a very very slight controlled boost in the sub bass, work in some depth to the soundstage.
My RE400 is not allowed to leave the house (build concerns), and this is excellent on the move. They isolate well, are light, and sound spectacular with all my “fun” music. I actually prefer it over the RE400 for certain genres.

Product link(from where I made this purchase): Here
A big thank you to Hifinage for binging Vsonic to India. Shipping was super-fast, decent pricing and pre and post purchase customer care is top notch.

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