EMG VJ Set

Pickup features: Single coil, active
Impedence or other specs: See www.emginc.com

Model of guitar or bass: MIA Fender Jazz w/ ash body and maple fingerboard
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Jazz, fusion, roots rock
Reason for pickup change: Spending too much time reading pickup reviews on Harmony Central!

Perceived output level: Significantly hotter than stock pickups (obviously - they're active)
Tone: Warm
Sonic evaluation: I've had these pickups installed in my MIA Fender Jazz for about 3 years now and have used them extensively in both live and studio settings. When recording, I always go direct, sometimes right to the board or sometimes through my MXR M-80 DI+. For live playing, I've used both an Ampeg B-100R combo or Ashdown MAG300 head w/ Avatar 2x12 cabinet.
These pups are designed as an active, noiseless reproduction of vintage Fender 60's pickups, and while I never A-B'ed them with one, they sound pretty vintage to me. Emphasis is definitely on the mid-range. They are very warm with very little high-end sparkle, as one other reviewer alluded to. But they are very clear & well defined. I prefer more of a vintage sound, but if you want a super modern pickup, this is not the one.
PROS:
The best thing about these pickups: They are QUIET! And I mean DEAD quiet!! Soloing either pickup produces absolutely no audible 60Hz hum, as you may be used to with passive single coils. If you do a lot of recording, this, combined with the high output, makes the JVs very desirable.
CONS:
One small gripe in the sound department: The string-to-string balance could be a little better, but then again, that's typical for J pups (unless they have the staggered pole pieces). In particular, the E string tends to be a little loud and boomy, more so on the neck pickup than the bridge. The only other gripe I have, also minor, is that the tone capacitor value (can't remember what it is off the top of my head) seems to be a little low. There isn't enough variance between the two extremes.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Great for more traditional tone - with a good preamp you can get more modern sounds as well

Comments: I would say that overall I've been pretty satisfied with theses pickups. Lately I've been jonesing for an onboard pre for my Jazz bass and am considering buying a J-retro to use with the EMGs. I have a feeling this will be a really nice combo. Based on some sound clips I've heard of the J-retro, it can get pretty hi-fi sounding at the extreme settings, so the JV set should temper this somewhat, which suits me perfectly.
One other remark about these pickups that is worth mentioning. The pickup leads do not travel inside the enclosed pickup casing. Rather, they terminate at a 3-pin connector mounted on the actual pickup. This is great for installation, but it makes me a little nervous from a reliability standpoint. Connectors tend to be the weak link. Once while I was practicing, the pickups cut out for a few seconds. I was able to restore sound by pushing down slightly on the neck pickup. I am positive this was caused by a momentary connection loss. Luckily this hasn't happened since.

Pickup features: Single coil active with exposed pole pieces
Impedence or other specs: ???

Model of guitar or bass: Hamer Cruise 2Tek
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: n/a. By the way, position should be "both" but that's not given as an option.
Other pickups on guitar: n/a
Artists using this pickup: Not sure
You musical style(s): Rock, old-school funk/R&B
Reason for pickup change: These pickups came stock in the bass. These did not replace anything.

Perceived output level: Higher than Fender Jazz pickups
Tone: Tons of low end, strong mids, not much treble. TIGHT and focused.
Sonic evaluation: I played these mainly through a GK 700RB and a SWR Goliath Jr.III.
These PUPs have a unique sound to them. TONS of bottom, strong mids, but very shy on the highs. For rock, blues, and traditional jazz, these pickups are in-fucking-credible. With both pickups equally blended, these put out probably the best rock tone I've ever had.
The lows are huge, but the sound through the entire spectrum is tight tight tight. No flabby, boomy lows. I'd never heard definition like this in the low registers. If that's what you dig, I don't think you can beat these.
Now the other side of the coin. First, like I said, not a lot of highs--and the highs you do get can be a little "raw" (true to vintage form). So if you like pretty, crystal highs, these ain't for you (unlike regular EMGs).
Also, you DO NOT get that rubbery, burpy Jaco sound out of the bridge pup. It's simply too "tight" to get that sound. The neck pup frankly doesn't sound that great solo--you have to mix in a generous portion of the bridge pup or it will sound a little too "hollow".
Finally, these are not the best pups if you're Mr. Slaptastic. I got some good slap tones, but regular EMGs are better for slap.
Overall: I'd strongly recommend them if you play mainly rock (prog, metal, etc), blues, country, or "traditional" jazz. If you're into progressive jazz, fusion, solo bass, or anything really "slaptastic", these might not be your best bet.
Ultimately, I ended up replacing mine with DiMarzio Ultra Jazz pups. I miss the sound of the JVs equally blended, but I needed a little more variety.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: I would have kept these except I like to have more flexibility in my sound. These pickups gave me AWESOME tone with both full on, but I was not as happy with them blended differently or soloed.
Like I said, for certain styles and a "one sound" approach, these are tough to beat.