qdc Anole VX

—About myself
===START OF INTRODUCTION ===
—Background
Audio equipment reviewer with over 20year+ of experience in headphones/earphones/IEM/DAP, initially motivated by:
Sennheiser | AKG | Westone| Sony | Bose | JVC | JBL


—Imprinted instruments timbre
Drums (TAMA & Zildjian cymbals) | Guitar (Gibson Les Paul & Marshall Amp) | Piano (Yamaha)

—Bio
After spending a decade with full-size headphones, and home audio speakers, I shifted my main listening environment to IEM. Of which, I have over 100 personal inventories —not loaner or review units—purchased with my hobby budget

—On mobile
I enjoyed Lexus’s Mark Levinson system and moved to Mercedes AMG’s Burmester 4D System

—Affiliation
Under the penalty of perjury of United States of America, 28 U.S.C. § 1746, I’m neither affiliated with any sellers/stores/makers, nor given review sample or paid for this review.

I purchased Anole VX from MusicTeck at my own will with my own disposable income, for purely my personal entertainment purpose.

=====END OF INTRODUCTION=====


—Out of the Box initial Impression
At the beginning I wasn’t so impressed, the sound was a bit off tone and foggy. Then I noticed it was my sealing problem & high impedance mode on the DAP. After some try&errors, here is my take:

-Non-exhausting yet sovereign technicalities , a philosophy of subtractions, I found Asian beauty within

-crazy high coherence, be it sound coordination, focusing, vector and momentum, dynamic range presentation. Layering and texturing, hard to imagine this is 10 driver package!

-out of head presentation, as far as I know only IEM could do this besides VX is Mest MKII and Softears RSV, VX handles it better

I can’t imagine how qdc managed to balance this pleasant tuning vs technicalities. Usually tonality and technicalities trades off, not the case for Anole VX.

My guess is reduced 6k concha gain and some dip on third harmonics of pinna gain around 12-13khz that makes the tonality very pleasant.

—Owner’s Impression after 2 years with VX

If you further push VX with V-tuned cable, although it will divert VX away from its neutral L shaped tuning (the DUNU Studio SA6 copied this as a mini-VX), surely VX doesn’t have latest toy Sonion EST, but it has higher layering and articulating capabilities than, say Monarch.

The bass also with stock tuning does sound rather normal BA one, but once you matched a good amp and proper cable with wide bore and bass resonating ear tips (CP360, UC, M1), you will notice BA bass can knock your head just like those LCP/Planar dynamic ones.

VS DUNU Studio SA6:
Tonality wise both are tuned almost same, VX has a tad more impact for bass than SA6.
How ever when it comes to resolution and technical aspect, VX and SA6 belongs to different domain.

I love both IEMs, and have both as my personal IEMs. But in my honest opinion, SA6 and VX are two completely different IEMs.

- SA6 is “sophisticatedly tuned great sounding IEM good for all genre daily use IEM”, if representing SA6 as a car, I would like to address it as Porsche 911 Turbo S with state of the art V6 turbo engine.

- Anole VX is “tuned by genius, harp like beautifully sounding luxurious beast, with another dimension level of detail articulation, finesse presentation, it totally scales depending on who/what drives the VX”, if I was asked to address Anole VX as a car, I would refer VX as

Lamborghini Sesto Elemento (V10)​

Both IEM and their Car avatar shares similarities (not edgy, smooth, nicely designed), but at the bottom line VX and SA6 is two different ones. SA6 is a supercar, and VX is a hypercar.

Scalability:
Yes, VX’s potential is hard to reach, the better DAP/audio source, recording quality you have the better illustration VX renders, especially VX renders dynamic range very well.

I thought L&P W2 is a good enough DAC to play with most of IEMs, but VX tells “No. the imaging is flat on W2”, so whether thats good or bad,

VX is spec-hungry.
You will notice VX’s true potential on Nürburgring Nordschleife —the most toughest race track as a spec-proof ground of Sportscar, Hypercars —than on public roads.

Final Thoughts:
-best tonal balance between analytical and musical
-spec beast that requires the better and better DAP/Source, it’s highly scalable
-if you are not planning to invest in DAP/Sourcing environment, SA6 ($around 5-600USD) shall handle the job, SA6 has bass-lower mid boosting EQ switch


-if you are looking a budget option of VX, Tri Starsea(around $100USD) is a little spiced up version of VX with 2 EQ switches, a baby-VX. Or if in car, Starsea will be Subaru Imprezza with 2.0L “boxer” flat-four.
(Anole VX and Tri Starsea)

Disclaimer : The QDC Anole VX was sent by ConceptKart as a part of a review tour but all thoughts and opinions are my own. You can purchase the Anole VX here.

Build and Fit
This might come off as a surprise but I do not quite dig the design of Anole VX. It is a bit too chintzy for my taste, as it is overly glittery. Not to mention the shells are massive. If you have small ears then fit must be considered as it was a bit painful after long listening sessions. The cable quality is good although nothing special. However the case is lovely, as must be expected of something that costs this much.



Amp Needs
At 17 ohm, 110dB/mW there is no need for an external amplifier.

Sound Quality
I will be judging the sound quality without taking into context the pricetag. So if you are a value oriented buyer who wants value for money in their purchases, look away. We both know there is absolutely no reason why an earphone or headphone should cost this much. Also, the following analysis has been made with the tuning switches turned off. To sum up in short, Anole VX sounds really uncolored with just a touch of warmth to tame the badly recorded stuff. It has great timbre and tonality throughout, where nothing feels pushed back or forward...it just is. Although it undoubtedly has the "BA sound" where the presentation is kind of smooth. Which is expected as it has 10BA inside. Anole VX is also effortlessly detailed and resolving. This is real resolution and not something that is achieved by bumping up the top end, because the top end in the Anole VX is natural and slightly rolled off. This results in a sound that is just slightly warm and quite mature. You can confidently throw even the crappiest recording at it and it will turn it into something plesant without homogenizing everything.
The only noticeable drawback is that due to its smoother presentation, punchy and busy music might come off as lacking a bit of energy and dynamics. This also includes bassy music where one would come to expect more punch and heft and more texture. But it is what it is. It trades that last ounce of detail in the bass for some excellent rendition of vocals and detail in the midrange. Lots of texture here.




Conclusion
The Anole VX is an iconic earphone and its sound quality is definitely high end. Really mature sound that doesnt seek too much attention while performing very admirably.

INTRODUCTION:

QDC, the brand based out of China is a well renowned brand among the Audiophiles and it's a very premium brand involving some seriously premium grade of IEM’s. The Anole VX is their latest product in their premium lineup and today in this review i have got hands on this premium product to check out its magic in this audiophile industry. Let’s check out this review.



SPECIFICATIONS:

Sensitivity : 110-113dB SPL/mW

Frequency response :10 Hz-20000 Hz

Impedance:15-19Ω

DCR：15-19Ω

Armature units: 10 micro balanced armature

Noise isolation: 26dB

Monitor plug: 3.5mm(1/8") connector

Cable: optional

Technical feature:3 sound channels, 3 crossover,natural restoring, superb music quality

DISCLAIMER:

This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by the team CONCEPT KART and thanks to them for adding me in their group. The whole views are based on my pairing and sources with the product hence it might differ from person to person.

DESIGN AND FIT:

The design of the Anole is pretty neat and elegant. The whole construction is made out of resin but it feels very premium and has good heft on the hands. The colour scheme is based on silver and has that nice glittery effect on the whole body surface.

The branding is done in a subtle manner and has a sturdy QDC connection. The whole shape is based on a custom shell shape hence the fit and the seal that you are getting out of this ITEM is really nice. The earpiece might appear bigger since it accommodates all the BA drivers inside them but when it comes to comfort they are top notch in that area.



The provided stock cable is very premium with good supple texture on the hands and has a nice malleable ear hook that adapts well on the ears.

SOUND:

The sound of the Anole is more of a neutral side oriented. The excellent aspect of this earphone is the faster dynamics and micro details. The pair always mesmerises me with these two aspects and this is the first time I have fallen in love with that BA bass presence. The vocals being very natural and that clean and airy midrange is a big positive of this earphone. The treble is very detailed enough without being harsh over the ears. Let’s check out in detail in the following sections.

The whole impression of this sound is based on turning on all the switches hence it might differ from your setup of the earphone.

BASS:

First of all, it's an all BA IEM and considering this I thought the bass is gonna be the weakest aspect of this ITEM since most of the BA bass are weaker in terms of weight compared to the Dynamic ones. This time the Anole surprised me with its impressive bass presence.

First the sub bass here makes quite a bit of noticeable rumble and the mid bass has a nice presence without being too bloated out. The whole bass response is well articulated without being too much. The amount is just adequate with great speed and dynamics. The BA is known for its impressive speed and that's been shown here where the attack and decay of the bass is faster here. Even then the bass notes leave a nice impression after its disappearance.

The note's weight is impressive where the tracks appear fuller and nicer. The separation and clarity in the low end is on point while the texture is very nice without any sort of graininess. Since the speed of the bass is quite faster the micro details from the low end are brought out really nicely without struggling out. The whole bass experience felt like it was coming out of a Dynamic Driver.

Overall the bass is rich in quantity, full bodied, textured, faster and brings out all the micro details and clarity as much as possible. First time hearing that impressive speedy bass along with those weighty notes! Those kick drums sound sweeter leaving a nice impression in your ears even after the notes disappear.



MID RANGE:

The midrange in the Anole is pretty clean and airy for the most part. The vocal placement is done pretty neat and forward thus the vocals don't appear to be recessed. The instruments placement feels precise; the space in between the instruments feels slightly congested out due to that intimate stage presence.

The overall presentation feels nice and airy but the more forward positioning of the vocals and the instruments made the sense of stage a pretty intimate. The layering and the imaging are pretty nice in this Anole making this unit a price worthy. The piano notes and the acoustic guitar strings have that nice string pluck and the note weights. The note weights are pretty fuller even though the mid bass is not that emphasized. A very clean midrange overall with a nice amount of air in the presentation.

The detail retrieval and track separation in the mid range is very good and well executed. Those micro details are brought out really well without any issues. The tonality is pretty neutral and it's one of the most neutral tones that I have ever seen. Despite the use of the BA’s the tonality is not metallic at all which is pretty unique. The timbre of the instruments appeared pretty neutral and there is not a hint of metallic taste in the overall listening sessions.

Overall the midrange is well executed in this Anole where they feel more airy with nice micro detail retrieval and dynamics. The tonality appeared pretty neutral and despite the presence of BA they have done a pretty great job by avoiding a good amount of BA tone.



TREBLE:

The treble in the Anole is well extended with a nice presence of brilliance and shimmer in the top end giving a nice energetic overall listen. The upper and the lower treble section are equally emphasized giving a nice sparkle in the top end.

The percussion instruments and the cymbal crashes appeared well executed with nice attack and decay. They sound nice and sharp without being too harsh on the ears. The trumpets sound well and with a good tone overall. The electric guitar strings have that nice tone and strum giving the listen a nice lively experience.

The sibilance is kept under control thus the harshness is devoid of this product. The detail retrieval in the treble section is brought out really well. Good amount of air is present in the treble section thus providing a nice grand presentation. The timbre of the instruments also kept in the neutral stage making this a very versatile product in the QDC lineup.



TECHNICALITIES:

STAGING: The staging of the Anole is the weakest aspect where it's intimate in terms of positioning since the instruments and the vocals are brought out to the forward most position. Both the height and the width is in the smaller spectrum hence the presentation slightly feels smaller rather than too grand.

IMAGING AND LAYERING: These two aspects are really good since the bass here is well matured and audiophile grade. The mid bass being very clean the midrange felt even more clearer hence the imaging and the layering are spot on. The instruments are precisely placed out hence even when the complex tracks are played out the positioning can be done by the listener precisely.

The channel sweep and the transient response felt very smooth and had that spatial positioning to be very nice and realistic.

The separation and the detail retrieval in the Anole is pretty great and if not it's the best that I have tried in my audiophile journey. Those micro details and the dynamics are brought out really well.

VERDICT:

Anole VX, the latest flagship offering from the house of QDC is a well executed package and a must buy one if you have that bunch of cash in your hands. Being a flagship means it must tick all the boxes and in that terms the Anole does tick all the boxes making a well executed package in the market among the competitors.

The design is stellar and following that the seal and the fit that you are getting from this masterpiece is great. The striking glittery design and the custom shell shape which gives a nice seal in the ears is a great positive of this product.

Coming to the sound, the product is made to sound the best and beat the rest! The configuration is all BA and for adding the versatility they have given tuning switches to configure to your liking. The sound is pretty neutral with nice tonality across the board. Despite being an all BA product the tonality and timbre that they deliver here is a masterpiece for sure.

The bass is faster, controlled, textured and just replicated that of the dynamic bass but with even more expertise in the speed and dynamics. The midrange is pretty clean and clear without compromising on the micro detail retrieval and the track separation. The treble is kept well extended giving the percussion instruments a life and well energetic listen overall.

The technical aspect of this earphone is stellar especially the layering and imaging while the staging can be a bit intimate but overall a well executed product for sure. The Anole VX is totally a PREMIUMNESS REDEFINED product in the marker=t and if you are searching for a flagship grade sound with a nice premium feel then this is the one to get for sure.