Venture Electronics Azure
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I have been an avid fan of Venture electronics for a while, and most of their stuff I enjoy! But...you can't win them all. Venture electronics (will say VE for now on) has been widely known for their price to performance products, being able to be affordable yet powerful against the competition. The monk plus quite literally captured the hearts of many people, and their earbuds have been a staple for many, many years. However...they have been wanting to take a step into other product types such as IEMs and headphones. Their sources have done well, and I enjoy those, but being in the IEM game, beginning to take an interest in this development myself, finding VE make a new iem was interesting! So I bought one.
My gear/past gear
As mentioned before, I have been a fan of VE stuff for a while. While I am not absolutely crazy for their gears, I will buy their latest when I can. I own the Zen 2.0, Multiple generations of Monks, Monk Go, Monk SM, BIE, BIE Pro, and use to own the Asure 3.0FE. While I dont own it all, I would say I should atleast be able to put my thoughts out there as the more conflicting side.
The Earphone
The VE Azure coming in at 39.80usd if you do not purchase its Vita cable (being an upgraded copper cable) is a single DD iem cast in a resin body. It is lightweight, simple, in a 0.78 2 pin connection and uses a gorgeous blue backplate. What caught me fascinated is that the iem came with no venting at all, and being a single dynamic driver, this was an interesting find to see. Not all DD iems need venting, but it can help. It does somewhat create a vacuum if not placed in my ear correctly due to this.
I did not buy a Vita cable with this earphone, as I have not found any cable to affect frequency response or tonality. While I believe a good cable is worth it, I did not buy one because I also have far too many! I used a copper Nova cable, made by Altalune, and it does fit well with the iem.
Just look at them! So pretty...
The sound
Now, I want to love the sound of this iem, because its neutal bass is very enjoyable. The bass is clean and smooth, being not too thumpy but not weak, and elevated enough to provide an experience to the music that is great. No mud, no distortion, just a nice smooth ride on an ocean wave. But what stops me from fully enjoying...is the treble. Its sharp and harsh to my ears, and while I can use iems that are on the brighter side, this has a lot of brightness, bit too much. It hurts my ears on certain tracks and becomes unenjoyable. I've listened to plenty of songs with this, all day with these in my ears, but while I would love to listen to them longer, that treble is stopping me. Paired with my dx170 ibasso dap, then with a megatron, and in my zendac, it just isn't for me.
Despite my distaste for the treble, is it bad? Maybe not for you, but it is for me. I know some people will absolutely love this kind of treble, sparkle if you will of a Grado headphone.
The vocals on these is one thing I know is not my favourite at all. They feel limp, and fall short on the sound. They are almost distant from the music, and because of the treble being so strong, it makes it too hard to hear. The BIE and BIE Pro? Are much more suitable for my tastes and potentially yours too! They come in with a very powerful, and non distorted bass, with treble that is elevated but not to an extreme. They are V shaped, punchy and fun. And I love a good V shape, but only if done correctly.
This is not a bad iem, theres reasons to love it, but with that harshness in the higher range, I just can't. if it was toned down then I would much love this iem, to a point of it becoming a giant killer. It may even already be a giant killer to some! But for the reasons stated before, it isn't for me.
Venture electronics isn't a group that specialises in IEMs, so I will give them the benefit of them learning these more, but I know for a fact they can learn more to make amazing products. And I do hope they can do for IEMs in the future.
My gear/past gear
As mentioned before, I have been a fan of VE stuff for a while. While I am not absolutely crazy for their gears, I will buy their latest when I can. I own the Zen 2.0, Multiple generations of Monks, Monk Go, Monk SM, BIE, BIE Pro, and use to own the Asure 3.0FE. While I dont own it all, I would say I should atleast be able to put my thoughts out there as the more conflicting side.
The Earphone
The VE Azure coming in at 39.80usd if you do not purchase its Vita cable (being an upgraded copper cable) is a single DD iem cast in a resin body. It is lightweight, simple, in a 0.78 2 pin connection and uses a gorgeous blue backplate. What caught me fascinated is that the iem came with no venting at all, and being a single dynamic driver, this was an interesting find to see. Not all DD iems need venting, but it can help. It does somewhat create a vacuum if not placed in my ear correctly due to this.
I did not buy a Vita cable with this earphone, as I have not found any cable to affect frequency response or tonality. While I believe a good cable is worth it, I did not buy one because I also have far too many! I used a copper Nova cable, made by Altalune, and it does fit well with the iem.
Just look at them! So pretty...
The sound
Now, I want to love the sound of this iem, because its neutal bass is very enjoyable. The bass is clean and smooth, being not too thumpy but not weak, and elevated enough to provide an experience to the music that is great. No mud, no distortion, just a nice smooth ride on an ocean wave. But what stops me from fully enjoying...is the treble. Its sharp and harsh to my ears, and while I can use iems that are on the brighter side, this has a lot of brightness, bit too much. It hurts my ears on certain tracks and becomes unenjoyable. I've listened to plenty of songs with this, all day with these in my ears, but while I would love to listen to them longer, that treble is stopping me. Paired with my dx170 ibasso dap, then with a megatron, and in my zendac, it just isn't for me.
Despite my distaste for the treble, is it bad? Maybe not for you, but it is for me. I know some people will absolutely love this kind of treble, sparkle if you will of a Grado headphone.
The vocals on these is one thing I know is not my favourite at all. They feel limp, and fall short on the sound. They are almost distant from the music, and because of the treble being so strong, it makes it too hard to hear. The BIE and BIE Pro? Are much more suitable for my tastes and potentially yours too! They come in with a very powerful, and non distorted bass, with treble that is elevated but not to an extreme. They are V shaped, punchy and fun. And I love a good V shape, but only if done correctly.
This is not a bad iem, theres reasons to love it, but with that harshness in the higher range, I just can't. if it was toned down then I would much love this iem, to a point of it becoming a giant killer. It may even already be a giant killer to some! But for the reasons stated before, it isn't for me.
Venture electronics isn't a group that specialises in IEMs, so I will give them the benefit of them learning these more, but I know for a fact they can learn more to make amazing products. And I do hope they can do for IEMs in the future.
Venture Electronics Azure
Foreword
The Build
Priced at $39, nothing much to talk about really. The IEM shells itself being the central focus of the entire package. Made of acrylic and adorned with Azure Blue fascia gradient - it is simply beautiful in its own way. Super lightweight and unassuming. Inside, a pair of VE tuned Dynamic Drivers (I have no idea what size). What I do know this one showed 16 Ohm of impedance on my Digital Multimeter, and seemingly with high sensitivity as well probably at 105db.
Azure comes accompanied with a VE own SPC cable terminated in 0.78 two pins configuration. The very same type of cable used for their popular Monk+ SPC. Then there's a pair of rubber silicone tips and lastly a simple blue pouch to keep them all in.
Trying to keep the cost low, VE intentionally packaged Azure as frugal as it is. Frankly I didn't even bothered to try the stock rubber tips. They don't do justice to what Azure has to offer - in terms of sound quality. And I will talk more about the cable too, later.
Being very lightweight, Azure is an easy IEM to wear. The ergonomic shells felt very welcoming to my ear cavities. I have no issues wearing it for hours on end, even falling asleep a few times with the Azure still pumping music to my ears. I would say that the Azure is almost as comfy as my all time favorite the Kinera Idun Golden, both similar in some ways with the shell design.
Equipment Used
Timbre, Tonality & Dynamics:
VE Azure, decidedly is a very good representation of Venture Electronic signature tuning. Of which they normally are not obsessed with graphs or measurements - they actually use their ears to tune. For someone like me who came from the analogue era of tapes and vinyl, I can appreciate this sound philosophy. VE Azure will not attempt to sound "Hi-Fi" as would the tons of IEMs released nowadays. The signature analogue and organic timbre oozes freely from the get go. Dynamics being gracefully smooth end to end, it is vibrant and fun, yet concise enough to not shun technicalities. Tonal wise, it sounds like the good old headphones of well burned in Grado SR60 (Azure with less energetic/bright highs and wider sound). I would even say Azure reminded me a lot of VE own Monk+ sound in many ways. It is almost like having Monk+ SPC converted into IEM form factor - the difference being, Azure offers better resolution and dynamics coherence with neater transients.
Tonal balance is quite admirable too, especially if the listener is the type that appreciates a more organic tone over pristine surgical attack. Which means, Azure by this reckoning is not prone to being edgy at all, absolutely free from digital bias or Pinna Glare.
So how would I describe the sound curve of Azure? I would say Azure offers mild hint of U curve. I can hear pronounced lower frequencies elevation which is higher than what I consider neutral. Almost Harman-ish sort of tuning with equally smooth Higher frequencies. But knowing VE so well, they probably just threw the feel good element and just nail the best sound they can squeeze out of what's available to them. No rocket science really, it's meant to be a budget $39 IEM anyway.
Mids
Azure offers modest yet naturally realistic sounding Mids. The staging being mindful to not present itself too forward as compared to the likes of VE ZEN earbuds. It sounds quite natural really, with smooth transition of attack to decays offering believable organic tone. Instruments sounded as how they should be, the Piano of Diana Krall smooth and elegant, never edgy. The guitars of Union Station, twangy and solid - with no hint of adverse warming coloration. Being critical, I would say that the likes of Etymotic ER4SR, ER2XR and Shure KSE1500 offers much better Mids texture and density, more energy - but then they also cost a LOT more than Azure.
What I do admire of Azure, of how great it sounds with my favorite Jazz of Diana Krall and Sinne Eeg, it is smooth and lush yet still polished enough to not sound fuzzy - their vocals concise and chesty - imparting emotions as how it should be. Azure also performed admirably projecting the piercing Soprano singing of Alison Krauss, no chance of her boyish vocals to sound sibilant - thanks to well controlled upper Mids that is free from unnatural brightness. On the other side of the spectrum, Azure performed equally great with male vocals of Nick Cave and Morrissey, both being dominant with Baritone voices. Commanding, chesty and deep, Azure presented them gracefully again with that smooth transients of Mids
Treble
Thankfully, Azure are not tuned to be outright bright sounding unit. Treble general theme being smooth yet sparkly. I can clearly hear polished extended decays indicating good handling of micro details - especially with miniscule cymbal splashes. While at it, the tone remained realistic - never a hint of being plasticky or metallic. Perhaps I wish the energy and vibrancy to be slightly more as would be heard from VE own legendary Duke (now discontinued) - an IEM which I consider peerless with Treble performances within the ChiFi segment. But being less energetic also means Azure are less likely to induce Treble fatigue for extended listening sessions. A point of critic I would point out, if I am to nitpick, would be the resolution of Treble imaging, I feel that the lines are biased towards smoothness a bit more of which in turn it also sacrifice some precision in separation lines - not a deal breaker really, considering this is a budget IEM after all. So comparing Azure against the likes of Etymotic ER4SR and ER2XR, it was evident to me this lack of surgical Treble precision.
Bass
I am not a Basshead, but I will admit I am enjoying some great Bass responses from this Azure. Supposedly VE tuned Azure to be less Bassy than the VE BIE, but it is still bassy for my taste. After all I am a zealot of Diffused Field Neutral sound. Enough of that, Azure has some of the most subtle yet pleasing Sub-Bass responses I have listened to so far. Yes it is subtle, but by all means not lacking with texture, extension and details. Mid-Bass offers that lovable classic Dynamic Drivers vibe - strong yet clean. The sort of Mid-Bass performances I hear normally from the likes of Beyerdynamic DT880 or Fostex T40RP MK3, perhaps not as dense as the headphones, but close enough. Mid-Bass never attempt to overwhelm lower Mids or Sub-Bass. There's harmony between the transitions - as evidently exhibited by the layered bass performances of Russian Circles "Harper Lewis" and Enigma "Return to Innocence". Smooth Mid-Bass attack and disperse gracefully with equally smooth decays that embodies subtle seismic responses. Azure Bass performances somehow manage to remain modest yet admirable at the same time - in the end I can't really complain for something that is supposedly a budget IEM.
Azure Bass feels at home practically with any genres, be it Modern Jazz, EDM, Rock, Metal, Shoegazing or Pop, that versatile adaptability is just commendable.
Technicalities
Let's just say, Azure is amply competent with technicalities. The most prominent, wide and spacious soundstage for an IEM - especially single DD. There's good sense of space and air to the overall staging. Overall the sound presentation is big and open.
Perhaps the only point of weakness for Azure technically would be the precision of imaging and resolution. It is not exactly blurry or blunt edged, but I feel that the smoothness has imparted some dampening that masked the layering. Nonetheless Azure is clean enough to not sounding congested even when subjected to highly complex composition, thanks to the the agility of the DD which exhibited good speed to resolve in timely manner. It is transparent as it is amply detailed.
Last but not least, I am quite surprised that Azure seems to be good with holographic spatial staging, normally single DD does not behave this way. Normally single DD IEMs will exhibit strong affinity towards traditional Left/Right projection.
Scalability
Being 16 Ohm, Azure can be easily driven even with my weak Sony Xperia X Compact. I would say the sound is satisfying enough for casual use. But to get the best of Azure, power is needed. While the volume levels will remain low when paired with powerful DAC/Amps, Azure can truly benefit from high mW of those sources. The open and big sound that I described above, are the results of power coming from the likes of CEntrance DACport HD, MUSE M3, Cayin RU6 and Ovidius B1. However oddly, VE Megatron does not seem to offer much width of soundstage as would be heard from those dongles. What they do share in common, they all sounded rich and expansive with dynamic range, the deep and extensive Bass responses with good details are evident when power is applied. Azure will not become shouty or edgy with all the power subjected.
Final Words
I make this simple, I am pleasantly surprised to find a $39 Azure to sound as great as it is. HOWEVER, there's caveat. All the things that I said above are not Azure in stock form. Azure will not sound as good with silicone tips, there will be unsavory reverbs or resonance which will be totally gone with the usage of good slow rebound foam tips. Then the cable, while it is generally okay, true potential of Azure are only evident when paired with better quality OFC/SPC cables. Azure seems to be quite responsive to variants of cables and I have been getting great results with VE premium cables of Standard DI Copper and SDIC Lite, or TACables Amber. By just simply swapping those cables, I am hearing improvements of upper frequency sparkle and transparency, with good sense of rich dense dynamic transients across the entire range. VE can be excused for not equipping Azure with better cables or tips with the stock package, they want to keep the entry price low, but I would say the interest to own Azure should be accompanied by the keenness to tweak it a bit - especially if you already have existing premium cables in hand.
Ultimately, VE Azure is a special sort of IEM. The tuning generally geared towards emitting something that is fun and traditionally faithful to the old-school sound of the analogue era. Those expecting Hi-Fi sound would likely find Azure less appealing. For myself, I am thoroughly enjoying my Azure end to end, that smooth organic and natural sound appeal to my senses.
VE Azure is a "seasonal" release which VE will put on sale on batches, it is not always available as VE focus more on Earbuds and High End DAC/Amps
Foreword
- At the point of this article, my Azure has undergone over 300 hours of burn in and approximately 100 hours of actual listening.
- I don't do measurements, I just describe what I hear, from my own POV
- I don't use EQ
- The entirety of my impressions was done with my own Foam Tips
- Ultimately, my reviews are purely subjective and biased to my personal preference in sound
The Build
Priced at $39, nothing much to talk about really. The IEM shells itself being the central focus of the entire package. Made of acrylic and adorned with Azure Blue fascia gradient - it is simply beautiful in its own way. Super lightweight and unassuming. Inside, a pair of VE tuned Dynamic Drivers (I have no idea what size). What I do know this one showed 16 Ohm of impedance on my Digital Multimeter, and seemingly with high sensitivity as well probably at 105db.
Azure comes accompanied with a VE own SPC cable terminated in 0.78 two pins configuration. The very same type of cable used for their popular Monk+ SPC. Then there's a pair of rubber silicone tips and lastly a simple blue pouch to keep them all in.
Trying to keep the cost low, VE intentionally packaged Azure as frugal as it is. Frankly I didn't even bothered to try the stock rubber tips. They don't do justice to what Azure has to offer - in terms of sound quality. And I will talk more about the cable too, later.
Being very lightweight, Azure is an easy IEM to wear. The ergonomic shells felt very welcoming to my ear cavities. I have no issues wearing it for hours on end, even falling asleep a few times with the Azure still pumping music to my ears. I would say that the Azure is almost as comfy as my all time favorite the Kinera Idun Golden, both similar in some ways with the shell design.
Equipment Used
- Xiaomi Mi 9T (3.5mm SE and USB Port)
- Sony Xperia X Compact (3.5mm SE and USB Port)
- Windows 10 with Native USB Drivers
- HiBy Audio Player USB Exclusive Mode with FLAC files
- CEntrance DACport HD
- Cayin RU6
- Questyle M15
- Ovidius B1
- NotByVE Avani
- VE Megatron
- MUSE HiFi M1
- MUSE HiFi M3
Timbre, Tonality & Dynamics:
VE Azure, decidedly is a very good representation of Venture Electronic signature tuning. Of which they normally are not obsessed with graphs or measurements - they actually use their ears to tune. For someone like me who came from the analogue era of tapes and vinyl, I can appreciate this sound philosophy. VE Azure will not attempt to sound "Hi-Fi" as would the tons of IEMs released nowadays. The signature analogue and organic timbre oozes freely from the get go. Dynamics being gracefully smooth end to end, it is vibrant and fun, yet concise enough to not shun technicalities. Tonal wise, it sounds like the good old headphones of well burned in Grado SR60 (Azure with less energetic/bright highs and wider sound). I would even say Azure reminded me a lot of VE own Monk+ sound in many ways. It is almost like having Monk+ SPC converted into IEM form factor - the difference being, Azure offers better resolution and dynamics coherence with neater transients.
Tonal balance is quite admirable too, especially if the listener is the type that appreciates a more organic tone over pristine surgical attack. Which means, Azure by this reckoning is not prone to being edgy at all, absolutely free from digital bias or Pinna Glare.
So how would I describe the sound curve of Azure? I would say Azure offers mild hint of U curve. I can hear pronounced lower frequencies elevation which is higher than what I consider neutral. Almost Harman-ish sort of tuning with equally smooth Higher frequencies. But knowing VE so well, they probably just threw the feel good element and just nail the best sound they can squeeze out of what's available to them. No rocket science really, it's meant to be a budget $39 IEM anyway.
Mids
Azure offers modest yet naturally realistic sounding Mids. The staging being mindful to not present itself too forward as compared to the likes of VE ZEN earbuds. It sounds quite natural really, with smooth transition of attack to decays offering believable organic tone. Instruments sounded as how they should be, the Piano of Diana Krall smooth and elegant, never edgy. The guitars of Union Station, twangy and solid - with no hint of adverse warming coloration. Being critical, I would say that the likes of Etymotic ER4SR, ER2XR and Shure KSE1500 offers much better Mids texture and density, more energy - but then they also cost a LOT more than Azure.
What I do admire of Azure, of how great it sounds with my favorite Jazz of Diana Krall and Sinne Eeg, it is smooth and lush yet still polished enough to not sound fuzzy - their vocals concise and chesty - imparting emotions as how it should be. Azure also performed admirably projecting the piercing Soprano singing of Alison Krauss, no chance of her boyish vocals to sound sibilant - thanks to well controlled upper Mids that is free from unnatural brightness. On the other side of the spectrum, Azure performed equally great with male vocals of Nick Cave and Morrissey, both being dominant with Baritone voices. Commanding, chesty and deep, Azure presented them gracefully again with that smooth transients of Mids
Treble
Thankfully, Azure are not tuned to be outright bright sounding unit. Treble general theme being smooth yet sparkly. I can clearly hear polished extended decays indicating good handling of micro details - especially with miniscule cymbal splashes. While at it, the tone remained realistic - never a hint of being plasticky or metallic. Perhaps I wish the energy and vibrancy to be slightly more as would be heard from VE own legendary Duke (now discontinued) - an IEM which I consider peerless with Treble performances within the ChiFi segment. But being less energetic also means Azure are less likely to induce Treble fatigue for extended listening sessions. A point of critic I would point out, if I am to nitpick, would be the resolution of Treble imaging, I feel that the lines are biased towards smoothness a bit more of which in turn it also sacrifice some precision in separation lines - not a deal breaker really, considering this is a budget IEM after all. So comparing Azure against the likes of Etymotic ER4SR and ER2XR, it was evident to me this lack of surgical Treble precision.
Bass
I am not a Basshead, but I will admit I am enjoying some great Bass responses from this Azure. Supposedly VE tuned Azure to be less Bassy than the VE BIE, but it is still bassy for my taste. After all I am a zealot of Diffused Field Neutral sound. Enough of that, Azure has some of the most subtle yet pleasing Sub-Bass responses I have listened to so far. Yes it is subtle, but by all means not lacking with texture, extension and details. Mid-Bass offers that lovable classic Dynamic Drivers vibe - strong yet clean. The sort of Mid-Bass performances I hear normally from the likes of Beyerdynamic DT880 or Fostex T40RP MK3, perhaps not as dense as the headphones, but close enough. Mid-Bass never attempt to overwhelm lower Mids or Sub-Bass. There's harmony between the transitions - as evidently exhibited by the layered bass performances of Russian Circles "Harper Lewis" and Enigma "Return to Innocence". Smooth Mid-Bass attack and disperse gracefully with equally smooth decays that embodies subtle seismic responses. Azure Bass performances somehow manage to remain modest yet admirable at the same time - in the end I can't really complain for something that is supposedly a budget IEM.
Azure Bass feels at home practically with any genres, be it Modern Jazz, EDM, Rock, Metal, Shoegazing or Pop, that versatile adaptability is just commendable.
Technicalities
Let's just say, Azure is amply competent with technicalities. The most prominent, wide and spacious soundstage for an IEM - especially single DD. There's good sense of space and air to the overall staging. Overall the sound presentation is big and open.
Perhaps the only point of weakness for Azure technically would be the precision of imaging and resolution. It is not exactly blurry or blunt edged, but I feel that the smoothness has imparted some dampening that masked the layering. Nonetheless Azure is clean enough to not sounding congested even when subjected to highly complex composition, thanks to the the agility of the DD which exhibited good speed to resolve in timely manner. It is transparent as it is amply detailed.
Last but not least, I am quite surprised that Azure seems to be good with holographic spatial staging, normally single DD does not behave this way. Normally single DD IEMs will exhibit strong affinity towards traditional Left/Right projection.
Scalability
Being 16 Ohm, Azure can be easily driven even with my weak Sony Xperia X Compact. I would say the sound is satisfying enough for casual use. But to get the best of Azure, power is needed. While the volume levels will remain low when paired with powerful DAC/Amps, Azure can truly benefit from high mW of those sources. The open and big sound that I described above, are the results of power coming from the likes of CEntrance DACport HD, MUSE M3, Cayin RU6 and Ovidius B1. However oddly, VE Megatron does not seem to offer much width of soundstage as would be heard from those dongles. What they do share in common, they all sounded rich and expansive with dynamic range, the deep and extensive Bass responses with good details are evident when power is applied. Azure will not become shouty or edgy with all the power subjected.
Final Words
I make this simple, I am pleasantly surprised to find a $39 Azure to sound as great as it is. HOWEVER, there's caveat. All the things that I said above are not Azure in stock form. Azure will not sound as good with silicone tips, there will be unsavory reverbs or resonance which will be totally gone with the usage of good slow rebound foam tips. Then the cable, while it is generally okay, true potential of Azure are only evident when paired with better quality OFC/SPC cables. Azure seems to be quite responsive to variants of cables and I have been getting great results with VE premium cables of Standard DI Copper and SDIC Lite, or TACables Amber. By just simply swapping those cables, I am hearing improvements of upper frequency sparkle and transparency, with good sense of rich dense dynamic transients across the entire range. VE can be excused for not equipping Azure with better cables or tips with the stock package, they want to keep the entry price low, but I would say the interest to own Azure should be accompanied by the keenness to tweak it a bit - especially if you already have existing premium cables in hand.
Ultimately, VE Azure is a special sort of IEM. The tuning generally geared towards emitting something that is fun and traditionally faithful to the old-school sound of the analogue era. Those expecting Hi-Fi sound would likely find Azure less appealing. For myself, I am thoroughly enjoying my Azure end to end, that smooth organic and natural sound appeal to my senses.
VE Azure is a "seasonal" release which VE will put on sale on batches, it is not always available as VE focus more on Earbuds and High End DAC/Amps
OspreyAndy
@sfrsfr Heart Mirror offers more energy and a lot brighter sounding, very V tuned typical of DD tuning. Azure is comparable to Tripowin Olina, except that I have sold my Olina in favor of Azure. Both Olina and Azure being better unit than the Heart Mirror, at least from my perspective
OspreyAndy
@PKTK I would not be surprised if the shells are OEM. Normal practices in China to use common shells to house whatever you want to put inside. Just like the popular use of E500 shells for DIY earbud makers
