Marcus critiques the Imaginative and prescient Ears VE PRO, a brand new hybrid 8mm dynamic and triple balanced armature driver customized in-ear monitor priced at €1,400.00.
Disclaimer: This was despatched as a pattern in return for my trustworthy opinion. Headfonics is an impartial web site with no affiliate hyperlinks or providers. I wish to thank the staff at Imaginative and prescient Ears for his or her assist.
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Imaginative and prescient Ears VE PRO Evaluate
Abstract
The Imaginative and prescient Ears VE Professional is the candy spot within the firm’s new lineup of customized displays. It mixed technical modernity with a hybrid dynamic and BA tuning, offering wonderful depth and management with an impactful high-contrast vocal presence and refined highs.
Professionals
Balanced tuning with pure energy from the dynamic driver.
Intricate design choices
3D scan to closing shell accuracy is superb.
Cons
Hybrid shell will decrease the extent of passive isolation barely.
Just a few of the displays in Imaginative and prescient Ears’ up to date customized lineup are earlier well-regarded fashions with a couple of tweaks on paper, or have gone from common to customized type, such because the flagship VE ZEN.
Nevertheless, that isn’t the case with the VE PRO, which appears to be a wholly new mannequin, and a hybrid one at that.
It joins the VE ZEN and the soon-to-be-reviewed VE ONE as a trilogy of hybrids, not seen earlier than in what was as soon as an all-BA customized lineup earlier than the refresh.
Priced at €1400, the VE PRO is positioned under the VE PURE and VE XCON and above the VE ONE and is in no way a funds customized monitor. Nevertheless, you do get entry to all the similar wonderful design and choices as their TOTL fashions.
Mixed with a really properly balanced impartial to pure tuning, the VE PRO might effectively be the candy spot for the corporate’s fan base, yearning for a slice of the prolonged lows from the VE ZEN’s dynamic driver, however with out the prolonged price ticket.
Options
The Imaginative and prescient Ears VE PRO is a hybrid 4-driver 4-way crossover customized in-ear monitor. Its exact grouping is a single 8mm for the lows, layered with a BA for the lows and mids.
The mixture of dynamic and BA for the lows shouldn’t be uncommon on this trade, and is configured to deliver the advantages of each the dynamic’s energy and texture with the management and pace of the BA driver. Past is a single BA driver for the mids and one for the highs.
Just like the VE ZEN, the VE PRO makes use of the Imaginative and prescient Ears PRV system, which is brief for strain aid valve.
The PRV is built-in into the VE PRO faceplates and is designed to create the proper strain steadiness within the shells. You’ll discover the VE PRO shell has the identical gold-plated metallic ring because the VE ZEN on the faceplate.
The VE PRO is rated at 6.8Ω for impedance with an SPL of 111.3 dB/mW @1Khz, making it, like virtually each Imaginative and prescient Ears customized Monitor, simple to drive from most dongles and DAPs.
Design
It’s one other darkish and refined design from Imaginative and prescient Ears. I’ve gone by means of quite a lot of the brand new designs they’re providing with this up to date lineup, and the theme appears to be fairly in step with subtlety and discretion being promoted over daring and loud.
Not that you just can not get brilliant, cheery colours, you’ve as much as 58 face plate decisions on the Imaginative and prescient Ears on-line configurator. Relatively, that is extra about my expertise with the brand new signature designs launched with every new mannequin.
This pattern was completed with a mixture of VE’s semi-transparent midnight shell, just like the end of the earlier fashions I acquired, and a brand new Carbon Glow face plate, which is a palette of carbon weaves on a darkish background.
Subjectively, it tasks a midway home aesthetics between the VE ZEN’s louder Obsidian gold (full with a visual PRV worth) and the refined strains of the Copper and Metal Maze plates of my VE PURE and VE XCON samples.
It additionally wants some gentle to really shine. The decrease the ambient illumination, the plainer the end seems. Put a highlight on the plate, and it lights up just like the 4th of July.
The VE PRO type issue is similar as the opposite fashions; compact shells with wonderful construct high quality, a really clean and extremely detailed contouring, and a horn-like nozzle chamber and exit system for the bores.
Consolation & Isolation
I picked up on a really slight thickness distinction between this VE PRO pattern and the VE ZEN, which is the opposite hybrid configured VE customized monitor I lately reviewed.
The knock-on impact of that further thickness is that the VE PRO feels somewhat safer in my ears in comparison with the VE ZEN, however in doing so, it additionally applies somewhat extra strain on the encompassing ear canal.
The VE PRO’s tighter match additionally means the passive isolation is marginally superior to my ZEN pattern. Nevertheless, since each are hybrids, the isolation efficiency degree is under the VE PURE and the VE XCON, which, as all-BA fashions, wouldn’t have any venting of their shells.
As you may anticipate, the precision match means the VE PRO is a really snug customized monitor to put on. It doesn’t use lengthy, slender nozzles to increase very deeply, extra of a medium insertion depth, so the insertion tactile suggestions isn’t terribly unnerving.
The VE PRO’s bulbous horn end on its nozzle additionally acts like a closing seal, stopping inadvertent motion for customers with vigorous existence.
Inventory Cable
My VE PRO pattern didn’t include all commonplace packaging and inventory cable, so I can not provide an excessive amount of perception on the brand new inventory cable and the way it handles relative to the Premium improve cable that comes with the VE ZEN and VE10.
What I can inform you is this can be a new 1.35m inventory cable with a 4-wire 26AWG Litz geometry, and a mixture of 7N Extremely-Excessive Purity Single Crystal Copper and 7N Extremely-Pure Copper Extruded Silver.
Externally, the brand new VE PRO inventory cable looks as if an improve in comparison with the outdated P1 Tech cables that the older fashions got here with.
The exterior jacket end is considerably just like the unique EXT or Phönix cable design. It has a black (or clear) braided TPE materials, with 2-pin connectors, and matching slimline jack and splitter barrels. There’s additionally a touch of purple right here and there to match the corporate’s colour scheme.
You may select between a balanced 4.4mm or a single-ended 3.5mm termination in the course of the on-line checkout course of, however the 2-pin connectors are mounted.
There’s additionally a reasonably hefty quantity of memory-retentive coating on the terminations to assist form the cable round your ears and hold the shells securely in place.
Based mostly on my expertise with comparable VE cables from the previous few years, this cable ought to be fairly gentle and simple to handle with low microphonic efficiency and reminiscence retention.
Packaging & Equipment
Since my VE PRO pattern got here with out the whole accent lineup you’ll purchase as a buyer, I can solely inform you what you’re going to get based mostly on the suggestions from Imaginative and prescient Ears.
Ideally, you’ll obtain a compact, branded retail field with a really neatly laid out presentation of the equipment, together with a carry case (spherical or sq.) with the inventory cable and CIEMs safely tucked inside.
The remainder of the packaging features a cleansing decide, a 6.35mm adapter (in case you have chosen the three.5mm termination), and a cleansing fabric with an extra bottle of cleansing spray.
Sound Impressions
The next sound impressions of the Imaginative and prescient Ears VE PRO had been accomplished utilizing the Cayin N6iii/R202 combo, the Chord Electronics Mojo 2, and the iBasso DC-Elite dongle DAC.
Abstract
Being the 4th monitor down from the flagship, or one above the entry-level VE ONE, I used to be not anticipating as a lot from the VE PRO in comparison with the high-end fashions.
Nevertheless, save for a barely lowered degree of micro-detail and staging immersion (good day VE ZEN), the VE PRO feels prefer it could possibly be the corporate’s candy spot when it comes to value to efficiency.
The dynamic driver is maybe the star of the present right here. Granted, the mids are ahead, the vocal presence is superb with some welcome distinction, however it’s the management and lack of bass bleed from the VE PRO’s highly effective lows that impresses me essentially the most.
The final two VE critiques, the VE PURE and VE XCON, are each all-BA driver constructions, with numerically superior BA preparations guaranteeing the mids and highs sound refined and clean with improved physique.
Nevertheless, each displays lack the burden and density of the VE PRO bass response, with solely the VE ZEN in a position to out-muscle the supply.
Surprisingly, the VE PRO bass has rather less bloom than the VE ZEN curve, which means bass bleed is lowered, making a extra natural-to-neutral timbre and a few flexibility for style matching.
Most customers will instantly pair the VE PRO with recordings with a robust and deep rhythmic part. It has wonderful staging depth with a balanced 1-4k area that ensures the important thing dramatic or emotional contact factors keep linked with the listener.
Nevertheless, there’s additionally simply sufficient treble and lower-mids dip to inject some crucial distinction and power into the VE PRO’s upper-mids, making it sound extra vibrant than the chilled VE PURE’s efficiency. So it’s not simply in regards to the bass.
Frequency Response
The Imaginative and prescient Ears VE PRO frequency response has a delicate W-shaped tuning with an emphasised however comparatively brief bass-shelf from 20Hz as much as 80Hz earlier than it slowly drops to its lowest level round 700Hz-800Hz.
The drop from the mid-bass to lower-mids is accentuated in comparison with the higher-tier fashions such because the VE PURE and VE ZEN, so much less heat and richness come by means of into the mids.
Consequently, the bass-to-mids separation is noticeable, with much less textured physique within the mids instrumental timbre, relative to the aforementioned fashions.
Nevertheless, the basic frequency, mixed with some welcome distinction within the highs, creates a extra vivid, dynamic efficiency from the VE PRO.
The pinna acquire is boosted, maybe one of many strongest ones within the vary, with a noticeable 1-3k raise pushing vocals and percussion to the fore and performing as a pleasant counter to the bass shelf.
From 4-7k, the VE PRO sounds fairly impartial with not an excessive amount of of a raise right here and extra of an 8-10k peak or emphasis making a treble sheen on the gentler upper-mids that’s comparatively well mannered.
You’ll decide up on some further distinction within the VE PRO’s midrange timbre, nevertheless it avoids sounding sharp or peaky in its supply.
Staging & Dynamics
The VE PRO has some spectacular depth from its dynamic driver, however avoids a heat L-shaped sound courtesy of the dropped upper-bass and lower-mids mixed with the boosted 1-3k vary.
The combination of dynamic and BA produces a barely slower set of lows with a lingering pure decay, and a sooner, drier set of mids and highs.
So the sense of separation between the bass and mids is robust, with sub-bass and vocal performances extra to the fore, complementing one another fairly than competing for area.
The VE PRO shouldn’t be fairly as huge because the VE PURE or as immersive because the VE ZEN. The three BA drivers do an excellent job in preparations, nevertheless it’s not fairly as deep and enveloping because the flagship ZEN.
Nevertheless, for those who discover the chilled positioning of the VE PURE mids, then the VE PRO is likely to be the higher selection because it pushes them entrance and heart with the extra upper-treble distinction producing some welcome bloom and sparkle within the course of.
To that finish, the VE PRO can sound prefer it has a extra attention-grabbing presentation with the managed BA drivers etching out some welcome area and air for every notice to be clearly heard and clearly underpinned by the low-end energy.
Click on on web page 2 under for my really helpful pairings and chosen comparisons.
