Love them. I’ve been using VSX alongside my Subpac S2. My room is trash so I don’t use my Yamaha HS5s as much as I should. I used to mix in a pair of AKG headphones and got decent results over the years, but since I’ve switched to VSX, my mixes have skyrocketed to be quite frank. The key for me is sticking to one room and one set of monitors in that room, listen to music in there, use VSX systemwide and watch a movie, listen more music, watch mixing tutorials on UA-cam. Get your ears acclimated to the sound and now it’s an amazing reference point, albeit it’s my main reference point at this point. Slightly less immersive experience compared to being in an actual room, but it’s close enough and you get better results because the headphones allow you to hear what an otherwise poorly treated room would hide. And you can do it on a plane, lmao
This comment helped me understand so much... I'm more and more convinced that I should get it. How did you find the comfort, over longer periods of usage? Does it clamp too tight? I'd appreciate the help.
@@tomas_zamba more comfortable than my AKGs, also my V-Modas. Definately the most comfortable pair of cans I own, but I think Beats by Dre has the A class comfort.
@@JayEskarYT hey man, I thought it was all shills preaching before I got them and tried. I then redid a mix I previously released… ended up pulling that song from streaming platforms and replacing it with the new mix. Hope that settles and doubt.
Thank you for your honest and straight forward approach. I was stuck between buying monitors or trying to by-pass that with the VSX. Thank you for giving me info on that but also giving me a strategic perspective on how to use these within a work flow.
Great video. I love my VSX headphones now, but it took about 2 months of on and off listening to get used to them. I actually mix with the VSX and then reference on my monitors so I do it kinda opposite. These are the best portable headphones for travel. Although my favorite headphones are the Neumann NDH30s I'd rather take the VSX when I'm mobile.
@@coldskoolbeatz yeah I experimented with all of them but my favorite ones is the the slate room, Archon, Mike Dean, and the Club I’m still testing the new yellow room
Super appreciate this balanced and honest review. I live in an environment where having a treated sound studio is absolutely out of the question, so having an option that allows me to keep working was the biggest draw for me. I'm picking these up in the next few months, but was really on the fence. This review really helped me come to a decision. Really glad to hear these are good for mixing sbs too. That's long been a pain point for me. Again, really appreciated.
Great review. Currently I'm using my DT770Pro. I should use my HS7, but unfortunately my room isn't ideal. Still wondering if I should go for the VSD Essential ones....
What a great review! Thank you for this. Quick question, if I may: How tight did you find the "Clamping" force on this VSX. I'm looking forward to buy one, but the thing that bothers me the most on my headphones is that it clamps too tight... Can you help me with this info?
Many thanks, hmm I found them to be tighter than my other headphones for sure. Then again it’s not something I’d really thought about until now so they can’t have been too tight 😅
Thanks for a review without all the breathless doting. I'm new to recording and mixing so I wanted a good set of headphones to make up for my utter garbage listening environment. I'm working on some sound treatment and will eventually get the room in shape and get some monitors but during that time I needed something I could rely on for a multi-purpose headphone recording, mixing, listening for educational and pleasure purposes. It seems like these may be a good way to get a feel for other high end headphones (although obviously not the exact profiles, feel, etc.) and well appointed rooms. Recognizing your hesitation I've still ordered a pair. My rep at sweetwater assures me I can return them if they don't work out so I will use them for a while and see if I can get along with them. Thanks again for your work. Liked and subbed.
@@whatsupchicken Hi. I still have them and will probably keep them. For me the build quality was adequate and they are quite a bit more comfortable. The modeling and crosstalk is actually pretty remarkable although not "mind blowing greatest thing I've ever experienced" like so many reviewers have said. I've never been to the rooms in question so I can't say how accurate they are but I've been in cars and clubs and tried other headphones and they seem to be very good approximations of those environments. Certainly good enough to use for my purposes. I hope that helps in some way.
@@whatsupchicken Somehow I deleted my response so here it is again. :) Yes, I'm keeping them. They aren't the greatest thing since sliced bread like some reviewers have seemed to think. They are very good approximations of interesting spaces and other headphones so for my purposes they are just fine. I find them quite comfortable and the build quality is acceptable to me. They aren't tanks, but they aren't flimsy in my opinion. They're just... headphones. The frequency response is exceptional to my admittedly untrained ears. The crosstalk is quite convincing but I don't think I'll ever "forget" that they are headphones. They're just really good at creating space in a way I haven't found anywhere else. Although I will be looking at some of the software solutions mentioned in the review above for comparison. The HUGE variations from room to room in the platinum pack have me asking questions about how professionals do their job, but that's a learning curve issue for me, not anything about the headphones. I think that covers my initial impressions pretty well. I hope that helps in some way.
I’ve been using them for two years and just not impressed. There’s a weird phasey sound while using them I’ve found and I can never get the low end to sound good in metal mixes. I’ll get the bass going with the drums well and then when I bring guitars in it’s just gone. It’s weird. The high end is slates system drives me insane to a point where I over eq it to get rid of it
I'm having trouble with my mix. And I'm thinking of getting vsx but I'm looking for a review to really convinced me to buy them. Thank you for your help. This will help me decide.
I just ordered... and as like you said, I'm going to use them as an extra reference. I live in a 1 bedroom apt and have Adam A7V's (which are great), and 2 great headphones with Little Labs headphone amp. I'm a mastering engineer/producer... curious about them. We'll see! 🙏
After allot of thought, I was thinking of getting VSX, I was wooried about the build quality, Landed up getting the Bayerdynamic 700 and the Solidworks, seems they will last allot lomger, Ironicly I also have the schenheizer hd599 I wasnt happy with there soung but using Solidworks on them has made them amazing, nice review
the good: I don't subscribe to any channels. I've subscribed. Integrity is doing the right thing when no one's looking, check. Your review was thorough and honest as far as I could tell. the bad: nothing from you - but I have glowing-review fatigue from obvious biased and slanted advocates in this world from technology to politics to every corner of everything we could ever want to research. It's not enough just to research, it harder and harder with AI and paid placements to have your BS detector tuned in and accurate. What a world - I know you didn't make it. Ideally you would have emulation software in headphones that would detect paid-reviews and bias (not audio bias), but. . just bias. I assume headphones will never be able to detect disinformation. Thank you for your continued honesty in your channel and cheers to you!
Curious… what version of Sonarworks Sound ID have you? I’m still on 5.72…. Mac OS Ventura. Appreciate your ultra evenhanded, sophisticated presentation. Just subscribed. Cheers.
I have a friend that swore by them and I worked in his studio back in the day. I have been skeptical, but I now live in a home where I put myself in a tiny room where no amount of treatments will make my Genelecs ideal for mixing here. I like the idea of getting some plugins and using my existing headphones (you also got me curious about the Sennheisers). Using FIR to create these different rooms/EQ is limited to mids and highs and I am not sure how low and sub sounds can be accurately modeled to translate. But something I have to contend with acoustically now… I am assuming this tech is FIR based. Maybe there is some other technology now.
For those well “meh” quality listening environments, I recommend something like Sonible’s “True Balance.” And for some help with proper per genre bass balance, Mastering the Mix’s “Bass Room” software. Both are cheap and cheerful, and do a wonderful job.
Subscribed, few minutes into then video as I love the review style. I appreciate the thoughtful and honest feedback and also mellow pacing. No american tv style YELLING Or scooby doo mystery just wait for it...wait For it.... almost... bam!!!! approach. Lol
Thanks for the honest review. Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 for me and I got all the other ones in my professional studio. If you don't want your headphones to make your mixes sound better than they really are (that's not the point, is it?), I hate working with headphones, but every time I do with these in particular, I don't regret it. A friend of mine has the cheapest version (the wired 40) and his sound is "world class". Anyway, after 35 years, you guys might want to take a look at your analyzers and metering 😂
There was a lot hype when the Sonarworks came out and I bought a copy and I was very dissapointed. I get much better mixes without it. So wondering if this is the same in the end. Just another company who wants to make money:-)
Im not a headphone guy - never used them for mixing. But I could use these - if I didn't have Tinnitus. Now, for some reason the headphones makes my tinnitus go crazy most likely due to the psycho acoustic effect. BUT the few times I could use them for a couple of hours the results were very impressive as in the mix translates incredibly well. The produce a very different sound, but its exciting and encourages a different style of mixing you would normally do. I preferred the Mike Dean room as well as the Tesla and club system (electronic Music) I legit thought they were brilliant for that style. If I didnt have tinnitus I would be using them all the time. I tried emulation for my monitors - you all know the names of these systems. Honestly, I got better results using a graphic EQ on my system.
Harv, while my use case isn't in the centre of the Venn diagram, it may still have some utility for some of your viewers. I'm a voiceover artist and podcast editor, and I mix exclusively in headphones (Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros for recording and livestreaming, DT 990 Pros for editing/mixing, both 250 ohm). I picked up the Waves NX Virtual Mix Room plug-in to see if it would raise my listening game for podcast clients. And while the plug-in still sits on my master bus, I never turn it on. I tried it for a bit, and it did blow my mind - "f**k, I'm in the room!" - but I was so used to how my headphones work and what that means to my clients' work, I never got used to using the plug-in and now it just collects digital dust. The thing is, my podcast editing clients are really happy with what I provide them now, and changing my "environment" might, at best, giv me a few inches, or maybe yards, when I'm already in the end zone. Does that make sense?
Enjoy guys, let me know your thoughts 👍🏻
Love them. I’ve been using VSX alongside my Subpac S2. My room is trash so I don’t use my Yamaha HS5s as much as I should. I used to mix in a pair of AKG headphones and got decent results over the years, but since I’ve switched to VSX, my mixes have skyrocketed to be quite frank. The key for me is sticking to one room and one set of monitors in that room, listen to music in there, use VSX systemwide and watch a movie, listen more music, watch mixing tutorials on UA-cam. Get your ears acclimated to the sound and now it’s an amazing reference point, albeit it’s my main reference point at this point. Slightly less immersive experience compared to being in an actual room, but it’s close enough and you get better results because the headphones allow you to hear what an otherwise poorly treated room would hide. And you can do it on a plane, lmao
This comment helped me understand so much... I'm more and more convinced that I should get it.
How did you find the comfort, over longer periods of usage?
Does it clamp too tight?
I'd appreciate the help.
bro its crazy to read this because I literally have a SubPac s2 and Akgs right now but I feel like its time for me to switch gears...
@@tomas_zamba more comfortable than my AKGs, also my V-Modas. Definately the most comfortable pair of cans I own, but I think Beats by Dre has the A class comfort.
@@JayEskarYT hey man, I thought it was all shills preaching before I got them and tried. I then redid a mix I previously released… ended up pulling that song from streaming platforms and replacing it with the new mix. Hope that settles and doubt.
What room and monitors are using most?
Thank you for your honest and straight forward approach. I was stuck between buying monitors or trying to by-pass that with the VSX. Thank you for giving me info on that but also giving me a strategic perspective on how to use these within a work flow.
Great video. I love my VSX headphones now, but it took about 2 months of on and off listening to get used to them. I actually mix with the VSX and then reference on my monitors so I do it kinda opposite. These are the best portable headphones for travel. Although my favorite headphones are the Neumann NDH30s I'd rather take the VSX when I'm mobile.
That’s funny, I just reviewed the NDH-30s. I agree, sooo good!
@@HarvVideoAudioStuff Oh nice I'll check it out. I'm going to be reviewing them soon as well.
Do you use any of the room emulations, and did you buy Essentials or Platinum?
@@coldskoolbeatz yeah I experimented with all of them but my favorite ones is the the slate room, Archon, Mike Dean, and the Club I’m still testing the new yellow room
@@jacksp8de 💯
Super appreciate this balanced and honest review. I live in an environment where having a treated sound studio is absolutely out of the question, so having an option that allows me to keep working was the biggest draw for me. I'm picking these up in the next few months, but was really on the fence. This review really helped me come to a decision. Really glad to hear these are good for mixing sbs too. That's long been a pain point for me. Again, really appreciated.
Great review. Currently I'm using my DT770Pro. I should use my HS7, but unfortunately my room isn't ideal. Still wondering if I should go for the VSD Essential ones....
What a great review! Thank you for this.
Quick question, if I may: How tight did you find the "Clamping" force on this VSX. I'm looking forward to buy one, but the thing that bothers me the most on my headphones is that it clamps too tight...
Can you help me with this info?
Many thanks, hmm I found them to be tighter than my other headphones for sure. Then again it’s not something I’d really thought about until now so they can’t have been too tight 😅
😂 Got u…
Once again, thank you for the review 🙏🏾
I do find them a little tight, but I like them.
Appreciate the great review.
What a fantastic video, probably the best VSX review! Keep up the good work.
Thanks for a review without all the breathless doting. I'm new to recording and mixing so I wanted a good set of headphones to make up for my utter garbage listening environment. I'm working on some sound treatment and will eventually get the room in shape and get some monitors but during that time I needed something I could rely on for a multi-purpose headphone recording, mixing, listening for educational and pleasure purposes.
It seems like these may be a good way to get a feel for other high end headphones (although obviously not the exact profiles, feel, etc.) and well appointed rooms.
Recognizing your hesitation I've still ordered a pair. My rep at sweetwater assures me I can return them if they don't work out so I will use them for a while and see if I can get along with them. Thanks again for your work. Liked and subbed.
Many thanks, hope they do the trick! I did a video more recently comparing vsx with sonarworks and dearVR Mix which is worth a watch too 👍🏻
Hi, did you keep them? How is/was your experience?
@@whatsupchicken Hi. I still have them and will probably keep them. For me the build quality was adequate and they are quite a bit more comfortable. The modeling and crosstalk is actually pretty remarkable although not "mind blowing greatest thing I've ever experienced" like so many reviewers have said. I've never been to the rooms in question so I can't say how accurate they are but I've been in cars and clubs and tried other headphones and they seem to be very good approximations of those environments. Certainly good enough to use for my purposes. I hope that helps in some way.
@@whatsupchicken Somehow I deleted my response so here it is again. :) Yes, I'm keeping them. They aren't the greatest thing since sliced bread like some reviewers have seemed to think. They are very good approximations of interesting spaces and other headphones so for my purposes they are just fine.
I find them quite comfortable and the build quality is acceptable to me. They aren't tanks, but they aren't flimsy in my opinion. They're just... headphones.
The frequency response is exceptional to my admittedly untrained ears.
The crosstalk is quite convincing but I don't think I'll ever "forget" that they are headphones. They're just really good at creating space in a way I haven't found anywhere else. Although I will be looking at some of the software solutions mentioned in the review above for comparison.
The HUGE variations from room to room in the platinum pack have me asking questions about how professionals do their job, but that's a learning curve issue for me, not anything about the headphones.
I think that covers my initial impressions pretty well. I hope that helps in some way.
I’ve been using them for two years and just not impressed. There’s a weird phasey sound while using them I’ve found and I can never get the low end to sound good in metal mixes. I’ll get the bass going with the drums well and then when I bring guitars in it’s just gone. It’s weird. The high end is slates system drives me insane to a point where I over eq it to get rid of it
Thank you. Very well presented and informative. Thank you for the Logic-Imaging -Binaural Processing consideration.
What’s the difference between the vsx essential and platinum? Are they the same headphones with different spaces or different headphones? Thanks
It’s just the software license, the headphones are the same 😬
I'm having trouble with my mix. And I'm thinking of getting vsx but I'm looking for a review to really convinced me to buy them. Thank you for your help. This will help me decide.
Headphones to check: Sennheiser HD 560S. Liked them more then HD 650.
I agree! Best Buy has them used for under $100 right now too!
Great review. I'm curious to know What problems you were having with vsx and neural dsp plugins?
I had terrible latency using the neural standalone software and vsx system wide regardless of the settings
I just ordered... and as like you said, I'm going to use them as an extra reference. I live in a 1 bedroom apt and have Adam A7V's (which are great), and 2 great headphones with Little Labs headphone amp. I'm a mastering engineer/producer... curious about them. We'll see! 🙏
After allot of thought, I was thinking of getting VSX, I was wooried about the build quality, Landed up getting the Bayerdynamic 700 and the Solidworks, seems they will last allot lomger, Ironicly I also have the schenheizer hd599 I wasnt happy with there soung but using Solidworks on them has made them amazing, nice review
Great review! Different approach. Thank you!
Excellent video. Very helpful!
the good: I don't subscribe to any channels. I've subscribed. Integrity is doing the right thing when no one's looking, check. Your review was thorough and honest as far as I could tell. the bad: nothing from you - but I have glowing-review fatigue from obvious biased and slanted advocates in this world from technology to politics to every corner of everything we could ever want to research. It's not enough just to research, it harder and harder with AI and paid placements to have your BS detector tuned in and accurate. What a world - I know you didn't make it. Ideally you would have emulation software in headphones that would detect paid-reviews and bias (not audio bias), but. . just bias. I assume headphones will never be able to detect disinformation. Thank you for your continued honesty in your channel and cheers to you!
Curious… what version of Sonarworks Sound ID have you? I’m still on 5.72…. Mac OS Ventura. Appreciate your ultra evenhanded, sophisticated presentation. Just subscribed. Cheers.
Awesome video. Thank you so much for this.
I have a friend that swore by them and I worked in his studio back in the day. I have been skeptical, but I now live in a home where I put myself in a tiny room where no amount of treatments will make my Genelecs ideal for mixing here. I like the idea of getting some plugins and using my existing headphones (you also got me curious about the Sennheisers). Using FIR to create these different rooms/EQ is limited to mids and highs and I am not sure how low and sub sounds can be accurately modeled to translate. But something I have to contend with acoustically now… I am assuming this tech is FIR based. Maybe there is some other technology now.
For those well “meh” quality listening environments, I recommend something like Sonible’s “True Balance.” And for some help with proper per genre bass balance, Mastering the Mix’s “Bass Room” software. Both are cheap and cheerful, and do a wonderful job.
Subscribed, few minutes into then video as I love the review style. I appreciate the thoughtful and honest feedback and also mellow pacing. No american tv style YELLING Or scooby doo mystery just wait for it...wait For it.... almost... bam!!!! approach. Lol
Many thanks 🙏🏻
Thanks for the honest review. Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 for me and I got all the other ones in my professional studio. If you don't want your headphones to make your mixes sound better than they really are (that's not the point, is it?), I hate working with headphones, but every time I do with these in particular, I don't regret it. A friend of mine has the cheapest version (the wired 40) and his sound is "world class". Anyway, after 35 years, you guys might want to take a look at your analyzers and metering 😂
I have the same headphones as you with the Sonarworks software and was considering getting the vsx especially for the low end refrencing
There was a lot hype when the Sonarworks came out and I bought a copy and I was very dissapointed. I get much better mixes without it. So wondering if this is the same in the end. Just another company who wants to make money:-)
Damn capitalism eh? 😄 I’m still using sonarworks regularly, although I find it’s best used as reference rather than left on all the time
You really talk with such confidence it almost made it seem like you know what you're talking about congrats
Respect 🫡💯
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Would be to many options for me.
Im not a headphone guy - never used them for mixing. But I could use these - if I didn't have Tinnitus. Now, for some reason the headphones makes my tinnitus go crazy most likely due to the psycho acoustic effect. BUT the few times I could use them for a couple of hours the results were very impressive as in the mix translates incredibly well. The produce a very different sound, but its exciting and encourages a different style of mixing you would normally do. I preferred the Mike Dean room as well as the Tesla and club system (electronic Music) I legit thought they were brilliant for that style. If I didnt have tinnitus I would be using them all the time. I tried emulation for my monitors - you all know the names of these systems. Honestly, I got better results using a graphic EQ on my system.
Olson Prairie
Harv, while my use case isn't in the centre of the Venn diagram, it may still have some utility for some of your viewers. I'm a voiceover artist and podcast editor, and I mix exclusively in headphones (Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros for recording and livestreaming, DT 990 Pros for editing/mixing, both 250 ohm). I picked up the Waves NX Virtual Mix Room plug-in to see if it would raise my listening game for podcast clients. And while the plug-in still sits on my master bus, I never turn it on. I tried it for a bit, and it did blow my mind - "f**k, I'm in the room!" - but I was so used to how my headphones work and what that means to my clients' work, I never got used to using the plug-in and now it just collects digital dust. The thing is, my podcast editing clients are really happy with what I provide them now, and changing my "environment" might, at best, giv me a few inches, or maybe yards, when I'm already in the end zone. Does that make sense?
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