Venture Electronics SMT (Slim Metal Ti)

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Disclaimer:

• I don’t read FR graphs. I only use my ears, as earphones should be used.
• Venture Electronics sent this unit to me in an exchange for an honest review. Rest assured that this review will do its best to devoid from any bias/es as much as possible.
• The following remarks and observations shall be made and owned only by me.
• No monetary compensation is/was involved before, during, and after the period of creation of this review.
• Your mileage may (and always, will) vary.

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Burn-in time: 4-8 hours per day, 5 days.

Source/s used:

• - Non-HiFi smartphone (Infinix Note 12 G96), PC.
• - Tanchjim Space DAC
• - Fosi Audio SK02 USB DAC
• - Venture Electronics Odo USB DAC
• - Venture Electronics Devastator USB DAC
• - Snowsky Echo Mini DAP
• - Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini DAC
• - Rose Technics RS9039 USB DAC
• - DDHiFi TC35M2 USB DAC
• - Aiwa XP-V710C CD Player (12 sec. EASS)
• - FiiO DM13 CD Player
• - Local Files via Foobar, YouTube Music, Deezer, and Qobuz with UAPP.

IEM/Earbud/Setup configuration: Stock orange donut earbud foams, any form of EQ or MSEB off, 40-60% volume.

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Sound signature:

• The Venture Electronics Slim Metal Ti, in my humble opinion, is the most “refined” and “well-composed” flathead earbuds among the “Slim” lineup I have heard. It exhibits a neutral, nearly transparent sound character, with a noticeable mild bass bump on the SMT.

Lows:

• I can confidently say that this region has the most noticeable refinement compared to its older sibling, the Monk SM. When compared to the SM, this has more bass quality and chunk, but maturely done, adding a bit of thickness on both subbass and midbass in an equal level. Do take note however, this is by no means a basshead flathead earbuds. Even when paired with the VE Devastator (which by far has the best pairing with the SMT), it did add a bit of bass and warmth, but I still will not consider it as a basshead flathead earbud. This remark by no means that the SMT is underwhelming in this region, far from it, in all honesty. The bass here in the SMT is punchy, well-controlled, and only shows whenever the track requires it. This also means that it is faster in attack and decay, and never smeared any frequencies.

Mids:

• Venture Electronics sure loves their mids, particularly the vocals, and it shows here in the SMT. The mids on this set are very open, neutral, and very detailed for what it is worth. There is a warmth here in the lower mids, but it is subtle and won’t be noticed most of the time until a male vocal, or an instrument in this region shows up. It is a good thing in my opinion because it keeps the overall sound clean without sounding too technical and dry. Upper frequencies are ever so slightly elevated, particularly on the female vocals. There aren’t any unnatural sibilance of harshness here in this region, which is also a solid improvement over the previous Monk SM, since the SMT can now be enjoyed by a wider range of ears, in terms of sensitivity. Aside from its comfy fit, this character in this region helped a lot in keeping me not distracted during my 8-hour work since I usually use earbuds for long periods.

Treble:

• This region is definitely more neutral, and less bright when compared to the Monk SM while keeping its extension and air. Just like the upper mids, there aren’t any unnatural sibilance or harshness in this region as well, but due to its sound character, some very sensitive ears may find this a bit “too sparkly” to what they prefer, just like those people who found the Monk SL a bit bright to their liking. Otherwise, most people will find its treble neutral at most, with some instances of it being “relaxed” in energy. Detail retrieval is above average for this asking price and will render nuances with ease.

Soundstage, Imaging and Separation:

• The technical performance here in the SMT is noticeably improved when compared to the SM, particularly on the layering and separation. It is more incisive and well-layered due to the overall sound’s less-aggressive upper frequencies. The soundstage is spacious and as wide as ever, and the imaging is still precise and renders vocal and instrument placement accurately.

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Other flathead earbud comparisons!

VS VE Monk Plus 7th Edition

• The MP7 leans to the warmer, balanced side of the spectrum, while the VE Monk SMT leans to the more neutral, “less colored” side. The bass is definitely thicker and chunkier on the MP7, but it is a bit slower when compared to the SMT. Technical performance is also better on the SMT, but it is a bit unfair to compare these two because their respective retail prices are too far from each other.

VS VE Monk SL

• In my own humble opinion, the VE Monk SL is the predecessor to the SMT, in terms of the overall experience that you’ll get on the SL. This also means that the SL is a bit leaner, less refined,more colored, and less wider than the SMT. Don’t get me wrong, the Monk SL is a very capable flathead earbuds on its own, but the SMT is definitely the upgrade to the SL.

VS DUNU Alpha 3

• These two flathead earbuds, in all honesty, are trading blows with each other. They are toe-to-toe and I can confidently say that you won’t be making any huge mistake picking one over the other. The VE Monk SMT aims for a more grandeur, neutral, clean sound approach, while the DUNU Alpha 3 presents itself in a very immersive, versatile sound quality, due to its soundstage height and depth. If we’re being practical, the VE Monk SMT is definitely the better choice here since it is nearly the same in overall quality when compared to the DUNU Alpha 3, but cheaper.

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Pros:

• Currently the widest, neutral sounding flathead earbuds under 50 USD!
• Neutral, open sound character!
• Punchy, detailed midbass response!
• Open, detailed mids!
• Well-extended, non-fatiguing upper frequencies!
• Wide, spacious soundstage!
• One of the “best” technical performance I’ve heard in an earbud under 100 USD!
• Excellent fit and comfort!
• Very good amount and quality of accessories!
• Fairly easy to drive!

Cons:

• There aren’t any negatives that I can write down here that aren’t involving any personal preferences (e.g. not for bassheads, not for those people who are accustomed to IEM fit, etc etc) for its asking price.

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The Venture Electronics Slim Metal Ti is easily one of the best flathead earbuds I can wholeheartedly recommend if you are looking for a neutral-sounding earbuds under 50 USD! I can confidently say that there aren’t any negative findings that I can pinpoint for its asking price that aren’t bounded within one’s preferences, like those usual “not for bassheads” or “does not have the IEM bass” type of findings you see in other reviews, because let’s face it, earbuds work differently compared to IEMs, hence it is very tricky for a flathead earbuds to recreate an “IEM type of bass”. But if you are a flathead earbuds enthusiast, or someone who prefers flathead earbuds over IEMs most of the time, you will find the Monk SMT as one of the most refined and spacious earbuds you can purchase under 50, or even 100 USD. Despite the flathead earbud market isn’t as aggressive and as frequent in numbers when compared to the IEM space, the differences and improvements of each flathead earbuds here in this context are very significant and one’s overall experience. To my ears, I find those earbuds that I had before that are within the 100 USD range years ago are nearly the same in sound quality when compared to these earbuds within 50 USD, which is still shocking to me. This is a must to me as an enjoyer of neutrality, Venture Electronics!
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Pairing recommendations:

• Source: Among all of the dongles that Venture Electronics have sent to me, the Devastator pairs the best here with the SMT, as it adds a bit of warmth and body to the sound. You can still use your preferred, 2VRMs USB DAC.
• Earbud foams: I had no problems using the earbud foams included with the Monk SMT. You may still use your preferred earbud foams.

Thank you for reading!


Non-affiliated links here:

• https://shopee.ph/Venture-Electroni...1?sp_atk=16b0a50d-30fb-4696-ac98-298a61fcbd3a

Additional Photos Here: