Softears Volume

About Softears.​

Softears is closely associated with the highly popular Chinese company - Moondrop, as they share a lot of R&D and manufacturing assets while remaining sister companies that run their business independent of each other. As per what I'm told, Softears' CEO was an automobile engineer by education who joined Moondrop after completing his studies. Moondrop's founder, Herbert invested in him to create a no boundaries, no budget restrictions R&D brand, Softears, to see what could be achieved if money was no object. If you haven't noticed, Moondrop's IEMs like Blessing2 and S8 use Softears developed drivers for the reference quality midrange they are particularly known for. We previously reviewed their flagships RS10 and Cerberus in a dual review here and their 5BA reference IEM - Softears RSV here.

The product was sent to me free of charge for the review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Links - Softears Volume ($299, Musicteck)

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Technical Specifications.​

• Driver: 10mm Dynamic + 2 Balanced Armature
  Dynamic diaphragm: PU flexible suspending+beryllium-plated
• Impedance: 5Ω @ 1kHz
• Sensitivity: 123.7dB/Vrms@1kHz
• Effective frequency response: 20- 20kHz (IEC60318-4)
• Frequency range: 8- 40kHz(1/4 inch free field microphone, -5 dB)
• THD:< 1%@ 1kHz
• Shell material: Imported medical resin + Aluminium alloy faceplates

Included in the box.​

• Softears Volume
• 4 core cable
• Eartips - Silicone (SML), Ultra Clear (SML) and Foam (SML)
• Leather case
• User Guide
• Warranty Card
• Cleaning cloth

Volume's package is BIG, much bigger than necessary for an IEM! It does come with very nice goodies though - a very nice premium leather case and 3 different types of SML ear tips (Silicone, Ultraclear and Foam). Ultra-Clear ear tips are similar to Xelastec ear tips.

Build Quality.​

Volume has very attractive royal green translucent shells and aluminium alloy faceplates with the brand name 'Softears' printed on the right shell and 'Volume' on the left. Volume's shells too are made in collaboration with the 3D printing tech company Heygears, like Moondrop Blessing2's. There are no imperfections and the build quality is spectacular for the price. Frankly, I like Volume's shell colour and design much more than Blessing2's.

Cable – Volume comes stock with a really nice black 4 core braided cable with 2-pin connectors and a 3.5mm jack, quite similar to the one that RSV comes with. The cable is fairly supple, has minimal microphonics and pairs really well with Volume aesthetically. It has pre-moulded ear guides and a red ring on the right connector to indicate the right channel.

Case - Volume comes with a very premium looking rectangular leather case which has a magnetic closing mechanism that locks reassuringly. The case is quite roomy on the inside and comfortably fits the IEMs with the cable.

Fit and Comfort.​

Volume's nozzle size is substantially smaller than Blessing2's, so people with smaller ears will probably not face any problems with the fit. For reference, I have medium-large sized ears and the shells have a very nice comfortable fit owing to a very well executed ergonomic semi-custom shell design, particularly with the silicone and foam ear tips. Even though the shells aren't small by any means, they fit and feel like a CIEM in my ears with them. The nozzles are the perfect length and with the right eartips, provide a nice deep insertion fit. The shells have a vent for the dynamic driver right under the 2-pin sockets but isolation is still pretty good because of the snug fit and full resin shells. So, it will work well for commutes and public places with the music playing.

Sound Analysis.​

Summary - Volume has a bass boosted, neutral tending fun signature which complements Moondrop Blessing2's neutral-bright tuning very well. DD has nice organic slam and the overall signature is quite versatile and easy to like. It has a nice 8-9dB bass shelf at 100Hz, neutral lower-midrange presentation, forward upper-midrange with around 10-11dB pinna gain and well balanced exciting treble presentation which makes for a fun and engaging listen. I really like the well sorted stock ear tips; they all fit a bit differently and effect Volume's sound signature slightly differently too. Here are my measurements with different ear tips -



Let's dig in deeper...

Bass - Volume's bass is handled by the 10mm dynamic driver which has a PEEK suspension diaphragm coil with a Beryllium-plated dome structure. Its bass presence depends a bit on the ear tips and fit you go for as it is more present and punchier with the stock silicone ear tips and a bit less with eartips which have a looser fit, like the Moondrop Spring tips. It has a 8-9dB boost which boosts sub-bass the most, followed by mid-bass. That's 2-3dB more sub-bass than Kato and Moondrop S8 and boy does it have rumble for days! I'd classify it more as a bass lover's IEM, not really a bass head IEM per se. It has very natural tonality, fast but organic transients as well as great slam and rumble, most of the stuff we casually expect from a dynamic driver.

Mids - Volume has a very neutral, warm sounding lower-midrange presentation. The pinna gain rise at 1kHz has a slightly lower slope than Kato and Blessing2 as well as primary peak at 3.2kHz instead of Kato and Blessing2's 2.85kHz (as shown in the graph below). The slight dip around 2kHz takes it a bit away from absolute reference natural tonality, but it's not as prominently noticeable as one would expect with all songs. It does reflect more in some and not as much in others. With around 10-11 dB of pinna gain, vocals and instruments have a nice forward presentation, with guitars particularly having excellent definition. Even though Volume's pinna gain graphs more than Blessing2's, it doesn't sound peakier/shoutier because the extra bass boost adds enough warmth and punch, which restricts the 3kHz or the treble from sounding too prominent. Blessing2 still comes across as the brighter of the two.



Treble - Volume's treble response again depends on choice of ear tips, as visible in the second graph in the article. It all depends on the kind of fit you're getting. It comes across brighter with looser fitting eartips like Moondrop Spring tips and warmer with the more snug, deeper fitting eartips like the stock silicone tips. In general, the treble balance is more lower-treble based, with easier mid-treble and upper-treble response. It has enough energy to make for an exciting listen, with good detail retrieval and decent upper-end extension (no perceivable roll-off as such) but isn't the airiest of IEMs, which is generally an expectation from IEMs a segment or two above.

Technical performance - Volume has a very nice engaging soundstage, particular impressive for its price segment. It has a slightly fuller bodied soundstage than Blessing2's leaner and cleaner character, primarily because of more bass presence. Resolution and detail retrieval too are pretty good for its price but the thing I appreciate most is that it resolves and brings out details and nuances without sounding clinical, which the Blessing2 sometimes does, especially at louder volumes. But at the same time, Blessing2 does come across slightly better at detail retrieval and resolving of little nuances in music.

Heads Up! (Role of Source Output Impedance) - One thing to know here is that Volume's bass quantity levels are affected by the source's output impedance. It'll have a 8-9dB bass boost with low impedance sources and get a 2-4dB extra boost with higher impedance sources. It's just something to be aware of! I prefer pairing it with very low output impedance sources.

Comparisons.​

Moondrop Blessing2 - I've already covered a lot about these two in my sound analysis but here it is again for people who would like a condensed form for ease. Let's get one thing squared away right off the bat for people concerned about Volume's pinna gain graphing a bit more than Blessing2's - it doesn't sound peakier than Blessing2 since the extra bass boost adds more than enough warmth and punch, which restricts the 3kHz or the treble from sounding too prominent. Blessing2 is a slightly more clinical take on neutral whereas Volume is a more fun take on the same. Volume has much more sub-bass rumble and slightly more mid-bass than Blessing2. This makes it a great alternative to Blessing2 for people who wanted more bass out of their Blessing2s. They both have similar neutral lower-midrange presentation, a forward upper-midrange presentation and sparkly lower-treble but Volume has a warmer, fuller bodied presentation in comparison. On the other hand, Blessing2 has a sparklier and leaner presentation. Blessing2's 9kHz lower-treble peak is slightly more prominent than Volume's 7.6kHz peak whereas Blessing2 is slightly airier in upper-treble. Blessing2 has a thinner, cleaner and more open soundstage whereas Volume's is a bit fuller - it has similar width boundaries but slightly less depth than Blessing2. Blessing2 has slightly better detail-retrieval and resolution but also comes off brighter in comparison, which can be a double edged sword, especially for the treble sensitive wanting to listen to it at high volume levels.




BGVP DM8 - DM8 has 8BAs and is another IEM from this price segment that has really good performance to price ratio. Sound wise, Volume's bass tuning is more sub-bass focussed whereas DM8's is more mid-bass and upper-bass oriented in comparison. DM8 has good punch and slam but Volume has a more refined/mature bass tuning with stronger rumble. Bass transient presentation is also different - DM8 has slightly quicker attack while Volume has a more organic and natural transient presentation. DM8's 250-400Hz of lower-midrange is slightly fuller whereas Volume's is more neutral in lower-midrange overall. Both have a similarly forward upper-midrange presentation and lower-treble sparkle but DM8 has slightly better, more linear treble presentation post 6kHz with better mid-treble than Volume in comparison. Both have warmer upper-treble and aren't that airy, with Volume being a smidgen better. Volume has a slightly fuller bodied soundstage whereas DM8's is very slightly leaner. Their width and depth boundaries aren't too different. DM8 has slightly better resolution while Volume takes the cake for the more musical and natural tonality.




Tanchjim Prism - Tanchjim Prism too has 1DD+2BA and follows the Harman target the closest out of all the IEMs I've tried in the market with this philosophy of tuning. This here is not that fair a comparison since Prism is priced twice as much as Volume at $600, but since they have the same config and have similar tuning ideologies as companies, I thought I'll write a quick one anyway. Prism has a slightly cleaner presentation with a more open and airier soundstage compared to Volume. It has a signature with more contrast between the frequency bands and as a result, a better sense of separation and layering between bass, midrange and treble. Volume has a fuller bodied and musical presentation in comparison to Prism's. Prism does have a bit more sub-bass and mid-bass but Volume's relatively slightly more intimate presentation makes bass seem more upfront. Lower-midrange is ever so slightly fuller in Volume. Both have a similarly forward upper-midrange presentation with similar pinna gain but Prism has stronger instrument definition. Depending on fit, Prism's upper-midrange can come off peaky if one doesn't have the snuggest fit. Prism has a better balanced treble presentation but also one which is airier and has more mid-treble. Prism has better detail retrieval and resolution but Volume is no slouch and performs quite well for its asking price and segment. Overall, Volume has a more fun and romantic approach to neutral tuning while Prism is a more clarity and detail oriented IEM. Prism does a lot of things better but it is also twice as expensive.

Conclusion.​

Volume is another great addition to Softears' line up as well as the sub-$500 price segment. It hits above its asking price and makes for quite a fun and engaging listen. A bit more mid-treble presence and upper-treble air would've added the icing on the cake and given the +$1k biggies a run for their money, but that's me nitpicking it to bits. Regardless, Volume is one of those IEMs that I can safely recommend as a more fun take on a reference-neutral signature. If that's what you're looking for, definitely give it a shot!

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Gear used for testing and review.​

• DAPs – iBasso DX240 & DX160 | Hiby R6 2020| Lotoo PAW6000
• Laptop – Apple Macbook Pro 15″
• Phone – OnePlus 7 Pro

Artists I like and listen to.​

• Rock - Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, Switchfoot, Imagine Dragons, Daughtry, Green Day, MuteMath, X Ambassadors, Dave Matthews Band, Vertical Horizon, Our Lady Peace, Lifehouse, Fall Out Boy, Breaking Benjamin, Muse, ACDC, Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine, Biffy Clyro, I Am Giant, Normandie, Paramore, Slash & Guns N Roses, 3 Doors Down.
• Pop Rock - John Mayer, Coldplay, Paul McCartney, James Bay, Hunter Hayes, Niall Horan, Keith Urban, The Bros Landreth, Bryan Adams.
• Progressive Rock/Metal - Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson, Karnivool, Tool, Dead Letter Circus, Periphery, Lamb of God.
• Pop/Soft Rock - Ed Sheeran, Adele, Taylor Swift, OneRepublic, The Script, Gavin James, Magic Man, Maroon 5, Bruno Mars, Charlie Puth, Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, Oasis, Panic! At the Disco, TwentyOne Pilots.
• EDM - Chainsmokers, Zedd.

Disclaimer: I received this review unit for free from Softears, thank you very much. This review is based on a mod.

Price: 285 usd

Specifications:

Impedance: 5Ω@ 1kHz

Sensitivity: 123.7dB/Vrms@1kHz

Effective frequency response: 20- 20kHz (IEC60318-4)

Frequency range: 8- 40kHz(1/4 inch free field microphone, -5 dB)

THD:< 1%@ 1kHz

Shell: imported medical resin+aluminum alloy

Driver: 10mm dynamic +2 balanced armature

Dynamic diaphragm: PU flexible suspending+beryllium-plated




Accessories:

S/M/L foam tips

S/M/L narrow bore silicone tips

S/M/L U.C tips (very similar to the Azla Crystals, seems to be included for the earlier buyers of the Volume)

Carry case

Carry bag

Cleaning cloth

Cleaning brush



Cable: Black 4-core cable, measures at 0.39 ohm. Does not have a chin-slider, has metal divider/connectors. Be aware that if you change the cable to a 3rd party cable, it will most likely affect the FR.






Build: Resin body and a metal faceplate, essentially identical to the shell of the Moondrop Blessing 2 without the brushed metal faceplate. Due to the big size the weight is also a bit heavier than average.

Fit: Very good in terms of shape for my ears but the size is borderline too big for me and can be an issue for people with similarly small ears.

Comfort: Due to the big shell it is not comfortable for me during 30min-1h+ sessions. The shape itself is quite good for my ears though.

Isolation: Very good, the shell is quite big so that helps in this regard.



MOD: The stock version is way too bright and has too much 3k for me, it can be fixed by putting an Y2 Paper filter (link at the bottom) on top of the BA bore (which houses a Knowles damper). This review is based on this mod.

IMPEDANCE WARNING: Due to the low impedance (and uneven impedance curve), be aware that the output impedance of the amp will affect how the FR is. With lower impedance = less bass and higher impedance = more bass in general.

Setup: Schiit Asgard 3 (low-gain, volume around 8 o´clock), Elecom EHP-CAP20 tips L, stock cable 3.5mm + Y2 Paper Filter on BA bore

Lows: Neutral with some sub-bass boost and impressive extension, quantity is lacking for my preferences, but has pretty good texture and is very clean due to the speed/tightness.

Mid-bass: Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), very clean due to the very tight, fast and low bass quantity, good texture. The (02:55-03:01) section with the chopper is hearable and clean.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), very clean due to the fast and tight bass, quite low quantity but is quite textured.

Sub-bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends very low, although not much rumble and the decay is quite fast. Punch quantity slightly boosted but still pretty low, pretty good texture and it is very fast and tight.

Will Sparks – Sick like that (03:08-03:22), more quantity would be better, but quite good texture and it is clean due to the speed/tightness.

Mids: Very good female vocals, clean and slightly forward, matches very well with “weeb” vocals, like Aimer, ReoNa and REOL. Male vocals on the other hand can lack some warmth and note-weight but is clean and neutral. Good timbre for both vocals and instruments and has good coherency.

Female-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocal tonality is very good, clean and has good timbre, quantity is slightly forward. Instrument tonality could be slightly warmer, but has pretty good timbre/coherency and is clean.

Yuki Hayashi – MightU (01:58-02:55), vocal and instrument tonality are excellent, good timbre and clean.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), slightly shouty and peaky treble.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Crescent (02:07-02:26), shouty and peaky treble, fatiguing.

Male-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality is pretty good as well as timbre and clean.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality needs to be warmer, good timbre, clean and neutral vocals though.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars aren’t sharp, very good tonality and timbre.

Deuce – America (03:03-03:16), not shouty, only slightly fatiguing due to the bright tonality, imaging and separation are excellent.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality lacks some warmth and texture could be better, clean and has decent timbre. Violin tonality, timbre, extension and clarity are very good.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), decent tonality, although a bit too bright (and lacking mid-bass), clean and has good timbre.

Soundstage: Slightly above average width, but pretty good depth.

Tonality: Bright-neutral with a slight sub-bass boost, note-weight is a bit on the thinner side. Good timbre and coherency. Not very versatile for my library but more of a weeb tuning specialist.

Details: Excellent macro and micro-details without much tonality “cheating”.

Instrument Separation: Excellent separation and imaging.

Songs that highlight the IEM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCC6qbAnX00 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngm99aJh7ig https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtXNvoPfO84 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IK6eLTNV1k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6IPdxz24ao https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY9Q-_3Dye8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8J8T09075E

Good genres: Jpop, OST, acoustic/vocal (WEEB TRACKS)

Bad genres: Hip-hop, EDM, R&B

Comparisons:

IEM: Tanchjim Oxygen, Final Audio Type E tips L, cable A6 4.4mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends lower on the Volume but similar rumble. Punch quantity and speed are quite similar but more textured and tighter on the Volume. Slightly better tonality on the Volume but better timbre on the O2.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), a bit cleaner on the Volume due to the tighter bass, more textured on it as well but similar quantity and speed. A bit better tonality on the Volume, better timbre on the O2.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), bass itself is cleaner on the Volume due to the tighter bass (more textured as well) but the O2 has more treble and is brighter overall so it ends up being cleaner on the O2.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocal tonality and timbre are a bit better on the O2, similar detail but cleaner on the O2. Instrument tonality is better on the Volume and more detailed but cleaner and better timbre on the O2.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), shoutier vocals and peakier treble on the O2, more fatiguing.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality and detail are better on the Volume but slightly more forward vocals and cleaner on the O2

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are a bit sharper and brighter on the O2, better timbre though.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, texture and detail are better on the Volume but similar timbre and cleaner on the O2. Violin tonality, timbre and clarity are better on the O2, a bit more detailed and better treble-extension on the Volume.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), better tonality and detail on the Volume, cleaner and slightly better timbre on the O2.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), wider on the O2 but a lot deeper on the Volume. Similar imaging and separation but a bit more detailed on the Volume.

Overall: The Volume is the better iem in terms of tonality and technicalities, O2 is the brighter iem and is even more of a specialist whereas the Volume is more versatile in what it can play.



IEM: Moondrop Blessing 2, Spinfits CP145 tips L, stock cable 3.5mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends a lot lower and rumbles a lot more on the Volume. Punch quantity is higher and a lot more textured on the Volume but faster and tighter on the B2. Tonality and timbre are much better on the Volume.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), a bit more quantity on the Volume but a lot more textured on it, faster and tighter on the B2 and cleaner. Much better timbre and tonality on the Volume.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), a bit more quantity on the Volume and a lot more textured on it, cleaner and a bit more detailed on the B2 due to the faster and tighter bass.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), Vocals are cleaner, a bit more forward and a bit more detailed on the B2 but much better tonality and timbre is leagues ahead on the Volume. Instrument tonality and timbre are much better on the Volume, cleaner and a bit more detailed on the B2 though.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), vocals are very slightly shoutier on the B2 and treble is sharper on it.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality and timbre are leagues ahead on the Volume, similar vocal quantity but cleaner and a bit more detailed on the B2.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), similar tonality but better timbre on the Volume, more fatiguing on the B2 due to the brighter tonality.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, timbre and texture are a lot better on the Volume, cleaner and a bit more detailed on the B2. Violin tonality, detail, clarity and treble-extension are better on the B2 but a lot better timbre on the Volume.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), Better tonality and timbre on the Volume, cleaner and more detailed on the B2.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), a bit wider on the B2 but a lot deeper and more holographic on the Volume. Imaging is better o the Volume while separation and detail are better on the B2. Timbre and coherency are leagues ahead on the Volume.

Overall: The Volume is the better tuned and has better timbre/coherency with a big edge in soundstage over the B2. Volume is the better iem for my library.



IEM: Dunu Titan S, stock tips L, stock cable 3.5mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends lower and rumbles more on the Volume. Punch quantity is a bit higher on the Volume and is much more textured, faster and tighter. More tonally correct on the Volume with a bit better timbre on the Titan S.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), similar quantity, but more textured on the Volume and a bit tighter and faster as well as cleaner and more detailed. More tonally correct on the Volume, a bit better timbre on the Titan S.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), very similar tonality but more textured, cleaner and more detailed on the Volume.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), Very similar tonality but cleaner, more detailed and a bit more forward vocals on the Volume while timbre is a bit better on the Titan S. Instrument tonality is slightly warmer (better) on the Volume, cleaner and more detailed but better timbre on the Titan S.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), a bit shoutier and a bit peakier treble on the Titan S.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), Very similar vocal and instrument tonality but cleaner and much more detailed on the Volume. Timbre is a bit better on the Titan S.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are extremely similar in tonality, but a bit better timbre on the Titan S while it is more detailed and cleaner on the Volume.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality and timbre are extremely similar but more textured, cleaner and more detailed on the Volume. Violin tonality, texture, treble-extension, detail and clarity are much better on the Volume while timbre is better on the Titan S.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), Better tonality, detail and clarity on the Volume, better timbre on the Titan S.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), a lot wider and much deeper on the Volume. Imaging, separation and detail are much better on the Volume. Better timbre on the Titan S.

Overall: The Volume (MODDED) is the true upgrade to the Titans S. If you got the Titan S and want the upgrade, this is it.



Conclusion: Get this ONLY if you are willing to use a simple, cheap and risk-free mod to tame the 3k peak and if you do, it is an excellent iem aimed at the so called “weeb” tuning. Forget about it in stock unless you are a treble-head or love elevated 3k area. Do be aware of the FR changes if you use it on an amp with a different output impedance than the amps I use (Asgard 3/Atom). As the very low impedance and non-flat impedance curve on the Volume is causing it to be susceptive to FR changes due to differing OI on amps.

Graph:

MOD MATERIAL: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002584285688.html

Cable source:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...zTm4ei7HEfP8AI1zxswrMw2ho/edit#gid=1801072063

Reference/test songs: