Firstly I would like to thank Queen of Audio for sending me these samples, I actually won the Pink Lady in a competition a while back and they sent me the Vesper as well.
*disclaimer: This sample was provided for the purpose of writing a review, no incentive was given to write a favourable review. All opinions expressed are my own subjective findings
Gear Used:
PC > JDS Labs Element II > Vesper / Pink Lady (silicone tips)
iBasso DX200 > Vesper / Pink Lady (silicone tips)
Info:
http://www.qoa-audio.com/QoA-Vesper
http://www.qoa-audio.com/QoA-Pink-Lady
Packaging, Build Quality and Accessories:
Both IEM’s come in small black boxes that are both neat and easy to open, they do a good job protecting the IEM’s during shipping along with being informative. You get the product name and driver config on the front, and specs on the back of the box. The IEM’s are securely held in their case, which is held in a foam insert, again it’s quite basic packaging but it does the job and there is less waste which I appreciate.
The build quality of both models is excellent, they are both made out of some form of plastic resin with very attractive faceplates. The Vesper I have is green and has a green shimmery faceplate, whilst the Pink Lady is purple with an almost mother of pearl kind of effect on it’s purple faceplate. The housings are very well finished, the Vesper comes with a 4-core silver plated cable with good strain relief and thickness, the Pink Lady comes with an 8-core silver plated cable that again has good strain relief but the cores are slightly thinner (overall thickness is good though).
Accessory wise they are both similar, the Vesper having a square brown leather-like case with 2 different single flange silicone tips in S, M and L. The Pink Lady comes with a round leather-like case, again with 2 different types of single flange silicone tips in S, M and L, but they also come with a set of M foam tips. All the tips fit securely on the nozzles of each IEM which is good as they are smooth nozzles without much of a lip.
Comfort and Isolation:
The Vesper is physically smaller than the Pink Lady, and the fit is very good – the smooth housing is comfortable once you find the right size tips and they have a medium insertion depth. The cable has soft moulded ear-hooks which work well and don’t cause any discomfort.
The Pink Lady have a slightly larger housing, and it took some time to get a good fit, but I found that a deeper insertion depth made them slot in to my ears better and they held tightly after that. Again they have a soft moulded ear-hooks which help.
Both are very comfortable once you find the right tips, but the Vesper is a little easier to use and get a good fit with due to their smaller size.
Both IEM’s are hybrid designs, and both are vented, which means they have similar levels of isolation. They isolate more than enough for casual everyday use, and would work well on public transport, but they don’t quite reach the levels of fully sealed BA models for example.
Sound:
Vesper
Bass: The low end on the Vesper is very engaging yet also controlled and well in line with the rest of the spectrum. Billie Eilish is my go to bass torture test and the Vesper pass with flying colours – there is impact from the mid-bass yet also nice linear extension down to the lower octaves and you can hear and feel the sub-bass rumble without it sounding bloated. Articulation is good and the low end whilst not super fast is good enough to keep up with most genres.
Midrange: The Vesper pull out a lot of detail from the midrange but without making them sound mid-centric at all. Vocals cut through the mix with only a tiny hint of warmth from the bass, this gives them a tiny bit of added body but they remain largely tonally accurate. Depending on the genre, the Vesper can bring out the grit and distortion from heavy rock tracks, to the subtle fingerpicking of acoustic guitars without missing a beat. Female vocals have a slight sweetness to them, there isn’t a boosted upper-midrange to bring out unwanted sibilance, however they are not robbed of the lower treble energy either.
Treble: The treble is delicately presented on the Vesper, whilst always remaining present and audible. There is good tonality and air up top, but it isn’t pushed forwards, nor does the treble ever sound artificial. They extend well and roll off gently, there is a smoothness to the top end that is pleasing without making them sound veiled or dark. There is enough energy to bring out cymbal crashes, but without making you wince, snares remain snappy and tight sounding.
The Vesper have a really easy going sound signature that is sure to be a hit with a lot of people. They lend their hand to most genres, and have a well balanced but also engaging signature, with detail aplenty and good instrument separation. The soundstage isn’t huge, but there is good space between layers, and coherency is high overall – the two drivers work in excellent harmony here. There is a lot to like about the Vesper, especially for the price, they may lack the slight refinement of costlier models, but they do an admirable job of getting close for a fraction of the price.
Pink Lady
Bass: The bass presentation on the Pink Lady is very similar to the Vesper, with a good balance between impact, body and extension. The bass never becomes the focus, but it is always audible and gives a solid foundation. I think the extension here should be praised like on the Vesper, it digs deep into the sub-bass without noticeable roll-off. The Vesper bass sounds a little fuller, whereas the Pink Lady sounds a tiny bit quicker and tighter.
Midrange: The Pink Lady are a little more U-shaped in their overall sound, but this is mainly due to a more present and sparkly treble presentation. There is no noticeable warmth from the bass on the Pink Lady, instead it is very clean, and pushed wider into the overall soundstage. There is great detail retrieval from the midrange on the Pink Lady, luckily they just about steer clear of becoming fatiguing, however there is a slight hint of sibilance at times.
Treble: The treble on the Pink Lady is energetic and slightly lifted in quantity making the overall sound signature slightly U-shaped. The lower treble is fairly well behaved and doesn’t induce any real fatigue but there is a lift in the upper treble that is quite noticeable and means they don’t roll-off too early. Luckily the tonality and presentation is good which means they don’t come across as bright or fatiguing.
The Pink Lady have a very mild U-shaped sound signature that is quite smooth and reserved overall with only a slight hint of sibilance in the upper midrange. These seem to fair better with softer music, and are not the most engaging earphones to listen to. They have good articulation and detail retrieval overall but lack a bit of bite.
Conclusion:
Both models are very well made, fit well and come with a good set of accessories. Overall the Vesper is excellent value for money with an even handed, and engaging sound that easily plays well with most genres. The Pink Lady on the other hand is technically better with superior air and detail retrieval, however I also found them to be quite safe and not as engaging. So it will all come down to taste at the end of the day, but Queen Of Audio are a brand to watch out for, as they are doing some excellent IEM’s at low prices.
Sound Perfection Rating:
Vesper – 8/10 (great all-rounder with a balanced yet enjoyable sound)
Pink Lady – 7/10 (controlled yet detailed v-shaped sound signature)