Disclaimer: I bought Vetala II Lite from a reseller. This will be as honest a review as it can get. I uphold my morale code to be fair and just. All you can read here will be my own opinion, subject to different factors such as gear used, tracks and what my own ears perceive. I also only write reviews after thoroughly listening to it for a week or more rather than just a day; both casually and critically with reference tracks I'm personally familiar with. For listening, I used standard and no foams. Please be respectful towards the comments section. With all that on the side, let's talk Vetala II Lite.
Price: 16 USD/Php 800
Specifications:
Impedance: 32Ω
Frequency range: 20-20000Hz
Cable: Alum-insulated Oxygen-free Copper (OFC)
Driver diameter: 15.4mm
Gear used:
(Hiby Music) Mi 9T Pro (naked)/Mi 9T Pro > Tempotec Sonata HD Pro w/ 2 Vrms. (Foobar2000) Desktop (naked)
Reference Music:
Sincerity is Scary - The 1975 (FLAC 16bit)
Dream Eyes - Mine, Kosuke Quintet (DSD 128)
Evolution Orange - Earth, Wind & Fire (DSD 128)
Giorgo by Moroder - Daft Punk (DSD256)
Making of a Cyborg - Kenji Kawai (FLAC 24bit)
On the Run - Pink Floyd (FLAC 24bit)
Charlie Wasn't Afraid - Day Din (FLAC 16bit)
Uchiage Hanabi - DAOKO x Kenshi Yonezu (FLAC 24bit)
Upstairs - Psapp (FLAC 16bit)
Grand Escape - RADWIMPS ft. Toko Miura (FLAC 24bit)
Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach - Gorillaz (FLAC 16bit)
Hotel California - The Eagles (WAV 32bit)
Black Rainbows - Hawaii: Part II (FLAC 16bit)
Introduction:
Along with the infamous Korven Orora, I bought Vetala II Lite from a reseller in Facebook. It was posted weeks ago so I thought it was long gone but alas! I managed to snug it. I've only heard of Madcap Music because of their famous "Apparition" earbuds, so I did a little bit of digging and saw that his lineups consists of horror-themed titles such as Spectrum and of course, Vetala. As a big fan of SCP Foundation as well as Lovecraft's monstrous creations, the honorary namesakes sit well for me.
A brief introduction to Madcap Music:
Sir Marco Santos started his journey way back 2018 as we all were, bored. One lazy day he spontaneously decided to pick his feet up and try tinkering with audio gears. Then one day while doing his routine, a pioneer modder from the #lokal scenery took him up as an apprentice. Like most, he started with recabling and retuning of the tried and tested Vido. No branding, nothing; just your daily average sideline. After some time, his mentor praised him for his hardwork and talent until other pioneers from the local diy scenes started to notice his earbuds. It was then he decided to open up Madcap Music to further improve his work and in honor of his mentor.
"Vetala" is from a revenant in Hindu mythology, defined as a knowledgeable, fortune telling paranormal entity dwelling in the undergrounds. Like most of his work, the namesake is themed after various folklore and horror entities in honor of his previous mentor.
Build:
A matte-red painted mx500 shell. Vetala II Lite's shell is made of plastic that is extremely light but durable. Debossed L & R markings can be found at the end of each stem, this makes it easy to find which is which even in low lighting.
Cable is Alum-insulated Oxygen-free copper. This looks like the cables from Tingo TC200 Old but those are heftier and really prone to oxidation. They're slightly stiff and can sometimes fight back when you lay them flat on the ground but a good "over and under" wrap should fix this. It has a gold plated 3.5mm straight plug and a circular plastic ring that's fixated on the right-side cable to help you determine Vetala's ear direction.
Comfort:
Again, any mx500 shell earbuds gives me heat spots after some time, fortunately I can bear with listening to Vetala II Lite because of how light it is. Much like Korven Orora, they don't bother me at all after long listening sessions.
Isolation:
These are earbuds, don't expect too much.
Sounds:
I won't lie, my initial impressions weren't good. The moment I got them, I fit them right on my ears and thought it was too bright and edgy for my liking. Even with foams, I can't listen to it and after thirty minutes; decided to wrap things up. I wore them again after some time for the upcoming review, I fired up The 1975's Sincerity is Scary and the bad taste it gave to me a few weeks ago was completely turned upside-down. Oh yes it's still sibilant and bright, but those cymbal strikes are so good that I let those cons slide. In-depth review below:
Lows:
They're good. If you're looking for really rumbly, monster-like earbuds; this won't be the best for you but if what you're into is a good sounding, well rounded lows that does not smear over any frequencies, then Vetala II Lite should be up your alley. They have decent texture, only hampered by lack of extension and quick bass decay. When tuning in to Day Din's Charlie Wasn't Afraid, you can feel the punch and texture, making it a pleasing listening experience. I personally think that the lack of note weight adds a bit to Vetala's character, because it's done with no expense to timbre. As evidence, listening to Black Rainbows of Hawaii Part II showcases male vocals with warmth but not heavy, which means that mid-bass roll off is done properly and not over-extended. There are some earbuds that'll make you ask "that's it?" Vetala II Lite isn't one of them.
Midrange:
Vetala II Lite showcases both sides of the coin. On a positive note, they have articulate and transparent vocal transients. Listening to Uchiage Hanabi by DAOKO x Kenshi Yonezu, both male and female vocals have natural sounding timbre. DAOKO portrays intimate and rich sounding voice whilst Kenshi's solo creates a thick, warm-sounding vocals that serenades you with musicality. However, like most transparent sounding earbuds, the biggest problem is how it transitions towards the presence region (4khz-6khz); and the answer? decent. Unlike Moondrop Shiro-yuki, which sounds metallic, Vetala doesn't exhibit the same mistreatment but pose an edgy presentation to midrange notes which might appear sharp to some. Perhaps the biggest weakness to its midrange is the "shouty" female vocals which may make treble-sensitive individuals squirm. Regardless, I still find Vetala's midrange above average and likeable, even more than my TC200 Old.
Treble:
The most intoxicating part of Vetala II Lite is how it presents treble. When I listened to these again, I picked Sincerity is Scary by the 1975 just for the heck of it and was surprised at how well those hi-hats & cymbal strikes sound. Initial attack is well presented, and they sound natural to my ears. Cymbals are crisp, and decay is just impeccable. They are also micro-detail capable, a good pair for treble-appreciation. Albeit the praise, when listening to highs with Blues & Jazz such as tracks like Work 1 and Dream Eyes by Mine, Kosuke Quintet; there's sibilance which might be fatiguing when listening after some time so do take these into consideration. Highs may appear untamed, a causal to midrange's transition towards lower treble. Upper treble (Air) is tastefully curved down, creating a sense of shimmer towards percussive instruments. If you're looking for a well-defined, sparkly pair of buds, you don't need to look further than Vetala II Lite.
Soundstage:
Quick Note: Soundstage is a highly subjective spectrum of audio. Different factors such as how the track was recorded or if it was properly mastered, plays a crucial role in identifying soundstage. Please take everything with a grain of ajinomoto seasoning.
Above-average and wide. Vetala II Lite has really good left & right panning as evidence when listening to On The Run by Pink Floyd, you can clearly hear the slow transition from east to west accompanied by a decent amount of depth. Height is also present but needs more extension to be considered immersive.
Layering and Separation:
As most earbuds that has accented highs, layering & separation of Vetalas are better than most. For a price of $16, you get more than what you paid for. When complex tracks such as Metropolis Part I of Dream Theatre is played, instrument separation is good and you can clearly hear which is which. Not to mention layering between different percussive and string instruments are clearly defined. Though I could use more separation in between midrange frequencies and presence region, they are still undoubtedly good for the price.
Comparisons:
Quick disclaimer: Comparisons are made with my own preference and bias, solely based on experience. My ears are my own. Whether you take this as a compliment, a constructive criticism or dismiss it entirely is up to you.
Vido Red: Winner (Vetala II Lite) The budget champions are still very respectable and I will always recommend them as first entry-level earbuds to those who want to dip their feet in the audio world without breaking the bank. Vido takes the throne for bass with its note weight, clarity and tight punch but Vetala is the winner on overall tonality and musicality. Vetala slaps Vido's cheeks with better presentation of treble, not to mention a much more captivating midrange when compared to Vido Red's linear and lackluster vocal transients. Separation and soundstage is a lot better with Vetala II Lite due to Vido's congestion and bloated lows. Go for #lokal with this one.
VE Monks Plus: Winner (Vetala II Lite) Still arguably a really good price to performance ratio, the VE Monks Plus is a reminder that good sounding buds don't need an expensive price tag. When comparing these iconic pair to Vetala II Lite, you can cleary tell the difference at how they differ in midrange and highs. The Monks Plus have forward sounding mids, but the transition to lower treble leaves room for improvement as some notes may sound nasal and edgy. Highs are sparkly and crispy but also grainy. Vetala II Lite, just like Monks Plus; sounds intimate with slight sharpness on treble. However unlike the Monks, Vetala has good musicality, its midrange is presented with rich and lush texture, despite it being shouty on some tracks. Vetala's treble also feels way more tamed as compared to Monks's. Our challenger is just better overall
Qianyun Qian39: Winner (Qianyun Qian39) Overall tonality, Qianyun's Qian39 takes the cake. There is just something musical about Qian39 that gives you the "grab a coffee and work" kind of vibes. Warm but smooth, these sleep buds provide an entertaining casual listening experience, it won't pierce anything nor will it give you fatigue after an hour of listening. Bass is delightful and perfectly timed, despite lacking in depth; they proved to be a solid contender for true hi-res budget audio. Vetala II Lite still won't lose that easily, they also have serenading mids but way more transparent when compared to Qian39. Treble presentation is better for our challenger because of the natural sounding cymbal strikes and sparkle. However, what gives Qian39 the winning crown is its well-presented bass, a non fatiguing; smooth tonality and of course the unexplainable feeling of lightness.
Tingo TC200 Old: Winner (Vetala II Lite due to preference) A very interesting fight indeed but let's get straight to the point. Vetala II Lite wins because I personally prefer it more than TC200. Vetala to me, has better mids and highs but at the cost of sibilance and sharpness. Tingo TC200's midrange is transparent and raspy whilst Vetala has thicker and much more intimate vocals, they both sound good but Vetala's presentation just hit a better spot for me. Sadly, this also results in shouty vocals. I also prefer Vetala's lows, they are warmer and packs more punch than TC200's bouncy bass. The reason why I put Vetala II Lite as 3.5 in sound quality is because its strengths comes with a plethora of weakness as well. Unlike Tingo which doesn't sound shouty to me, Vetala's forward midrange comes of as edgy but clearer. Our challenger also has crisp sounding percussive instruments but is unhinged when it comes to control, smearing upper midrange with cymbal strikes. But if you ask me which one I actually want to listen to more, I'd pick Vetala II Lite without a doubt.
Conclusions:
Marco Santos made a really good pair of entry-level earbuds. Without a doubt, these can compete above its price range and can put a nail in the coffin when pitted against other lower priced ones. The details are just way above its price point, not to mention the comfort you feel due to it being so remarkably light. Will I recommend them? Yes, if you're a treblehead and don't mind a little bit of sibilance and shoutyness, go for this as I personally think they will satisfy you. But if you're really treble-sensitive and find certain treble peaks too sharp, you can pass on this one.
Want to get one? you can reach him by clicking the link:
Madcap Music
