I would like to start with saying thank you to Venture Electronic (VE) and Lee for letting me check out VE the Duke. I’d also like to give a special thank you to my dear friend Tamal who got me in contact with VE in the first place.
The Duke is available from Aliexpress:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Venture-Electronic-VE-DUKE-In-Ear-Earphone/32417283204.html
I’m not in any way affiliated with Venture Electronics.
Short introduction of Venture Electronics:
Venture Electronics (VE) is a small and pretty new company, only three years old.
They’re located in mainland China and have fast become very popular in audiophile circles due to their line of earbuds (Monk, Asura and Zen) which offers excellent value for money.
The Duke is the first IEM that they’ve released so let’s find out how it performs.
About me:
I’m a 43 year old music and sound lover that changed my focus from speakers to headphones and IEM’s about five years ago. At that time I realized that it wasn’t realistic for me to have all the different setups that I wanted and still house a family of four children and a wife so my interest turned first to full sized headphones and later also IEM’s.
My preferences are towards full sized open headphones and I believe that also says something about what kind of sound signature I prefer (large soundstage in all directions, balanced and organic sound).
My music preferences are pretty much all over the place (only excluding classical music, jazz and really heavy metal). My all-time favorite band is Depeche Mode although I also listen to a lot of grunge/indie, singer/songwriter/acoustical stuff as well as the typical top 40 music.
I do not use EQ, ever.
I’m a sucker for value for money on most things in life Head-Fi related stuff is no exception.
Built and accessories:
The VE Duke is a single dynamic driver in ear monitor featuring a 6 mm driver.
The cable is pretty good and seems to be identical to the one used on the A-T CKR series which I’ve got good experience with. It doesn’t look or feel like anything special but in use I find it to be excellent with very little tangling, low on microphonics, soft and flexible. The plug is L-shaped and feels very solid. I would’ve wished for the left/right marking to be more easily visible. The only other thing I’m missing is a chin slider. Thant’s easily solved though by either using the included shirt clip or this way:
The build seems very solid featuring aluminum alloy housings and strain reliefs in the right places.
The accessories pack is very good and includes the following:
3 pairs wide bore silicon tips (S,M,L)
4 pairs narrow bore silicon tips (S,M,L,XL)
2 pairs of triple flange tips
2 pairs of foam tips
1 pair of double flange tips
1 pair of ear hooks
1 shirt clip
1 box to store tips and other accessories
1 Pelican style case to store the Duke in when not in use
1 VE Monk (!)
This is what was included in my package and according to VE it’s also what is included in the retail package. If it turns out to be any changes I’ll edit the review accordingly.
I think the fact that the Duke comes with a free pair of very good sounding earbuds as a part of the accessories says a lot about Venture Electronics as a company and their philosophy, talk about added value!
The Duke is a slightly harder to drive than your average IEM but it still works fine even with my weak (in power) Sony Z3 Compact phone. Isolation is above average.
The specs:
Ergonomics:
The Duke is a really tiny IEM. It’s designed to be used with deep insertion and this is the way I find it to sound the best as well.
I’ve got very narrow ear canals and usually avoid deep fit designs so the first couple of days were quite challenging for me with the Duke. After using it for a while and starting to realize what kind of tips that was the best for it I found three different tips that were very comfortable for me to use with them. During this process I also noticed that the sound that the Duke delivers is highly dependent on the kind of tips used (more about this in the sound section of this review).
By using the Duke with deep insertion the isolation becomes excellent and there’s no need to crank up the volume to enjoy your favorite tunes.
The way they’re designed gives the possibility to use them cable down or over the ears which ever you prefer. There’s no need to switch the channels when wearing them over the ears. I personally found the most comfortable fit by wearing them cable down.
Sound:
I’ve used these as my main IEM for the last two weeks and they’ve played for well over 100 hours. I’ve used them both around the house and when out and about and I haven’t really found any significant weaknesses in the way they’re designed.
I’ve used them with my Sony Xperia Z3 Compact phone (with and without the Elecom LBT-PAR500) as well as the SHOZY Lancea, both by itself and paired with Venture Electronics own amplifier the RunAbout (separate review will come soon).
Demo list:
Mark Knopfler – Sailing to Philadelphia
Røyksopp (Feat.Susanne Sundfør) – Save Me
Ane Brun – These Days
Michael Jackson – Dirty Diana
Metallica – Die Die My Darling
The Peter Malick Group – Immigrant
Eva Cassidy – Songbird
Thomas Dybdahl – A Lovestory
Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why
Celldweller – Unshakeable
Jack Johnson – Better Together
Seinabo Sey – Younger (Kygo remix)
Dire Straits- So Far Away
Passenger – Let Her Go
Lupe Fiasco - Deliver
Morrissey – Earth Is the Loneliest Planet
I find the Duke to perform its best with narrow bore tips which helps to reduce sibilance and makes the bass really tight. My favorite tips are the Ostry OS100 as they offer the perfect combination between airiness and smoothness for my ears and taste.
The overall sound signature is very well balanced and I don’t find the Duke to be neither dark nor particularly bright sounding.
The lows have good extension in the sub-bass region and the quality of the bass is very good. Mid- and upper-bass, while not having the greatest impact, is clean and clear with absolutely no bleed into the midrange. The bass quantity is enough to keep them from sounding thin. These surely are not for bass-heads but I still find the bass sufficient to work with most music genres and the only time I miss a little more impact is with electronic music. From memory the bass on the Duke reminds me a lot of the bass on the FAD Heaven VII’s with a touch more mid-bass presence.
The midrange is slightly forward but still well in balance with the rest of the frequencies. There’s a bit more emphasis on the higher mids/lower treble making female voices sound excellent while the lower amount of upper bass can make male voices lack weight on some recordings compared with IEM’s that have a fuller overall sound. In total the vocal reproduction on both male and female artist is very good though.
The treble extends really well and does not come across as thin sounding. I’d even go as far as saying that it’s one of the most well extended treble reproductions I’ve ever heard. This in combination with the revealing nature of the Duke makes sibilance an issue with some recordings, tips and sources. With the right tips, source and good recordings this is not an issue though.
Make no mistake the Duke is a very revealing IEM with almost surgical precision. If you’re listening to a bad recording or low quality MP3 files the Duke will show that without mercy. The same, as already mentioned, is true regarding sibilance if it’s there in the recording you’re going to hear it. With deep insertion I don’t find it sibilant as long as it’s not there in the original recording just amazingly revealing at natural sounding. The Duke is also naturally quite sensitive to what source you use and does definitely scale with a better one. That being said I find it to have great synergy with my Xperia Z3c phone. The best combo I’ve found so far is the SHOZY Lancea feeding the VE RunAbout, this is an extremely good sounding setup.
Soundstage width is above average for an IEM. Soundstage depth and height are both excellent.
Clarity and micro details is also good while separation is extremely good to my ears. There’s plenty of space between instruments making the Duke a rather relaxed listening although it’s not a warm and smooth sounding IEM. As a matter of fact the separation and instrument positioning is among the strongest parts on the Duke.
So is the Duke an analytical, cold and boring sounding IEM? To me yes, it’s analytical in the way that it's very revealing but I don’t find it particularly cold and certainly not boring sounding. It manages to still stay very musical and engaging in spite of being revealing and realistic in its presentation.
Comparison:
Please note that the comments in the comparison section are not in absolute terms but in comparison between subject A and B. This means (as an example) that if subject A is found to be brighter than subject B it does not necessarily mean that subject B is bright sounding in absolute terms. I hope this makes sense.
Audio-Technica CKR9 vs VE Duke:
Compared to the Duke the CKR9 has similar soundstage in all directions. The CKR9’s has significantly more impact in both sub- and mid-bass. Bass quality is excellent on both but the bigger quantity on the CKR9’s gives them better bass layering. Midrange is equally forward on both but the CKR9’s are more energetic and “in your face” sounding. The CKR9’s can actually sound shouty occasionally compared to the Duke. The Duke has better separation and, being brighter, comes across as being more detailed. They both have excellent treble extension but the CKR9’s is smoother in the top.
I find them both very comfortable.
The Duke is harder to drive.
Isolation is much better on the Duke.
Trinity Delta vs VE Duke:
Compared to the Duke the Delta’s has significantly more mid- and upper bass impact. The bass is also slower. The midrange is slightly forward on both. The Delta’s are smoother and fuller sounding while the Duke has better clarity and micro details and also offers a better soundstage in all directions. The midrange on the Delta’s is thicker and male voices have more weight. Treble extension is better on the Duke but the Delta’s has a smoother top end.
The Duke is a much better fit and more comfortable for my ears.
They’re both slightly harder than average to drive.
Isolation is much better on the Duke.
Dunu Titan 1 vs VE Duke
These two actually share quite a bit of their overall signature. Compared to the Duke the Titan 1 has a bit more sub-bass impact and also more impact on the mid-bass. Soundstage width is pretty similar on the two while the Duke has better soundstage depth and height. Clarity and details are on par but the midrange on the Duke is more forward. The Duke also has better layering and separation while the Titans have more a more energetic and airy presentation. Overall the Duke sounds slightly fuller in the higher frequencies while the Titans got a bit fuller lower end.
Although they’ve got totally different fit they‘re both very comfortable.
They’re both slightly harder than average to.
Due to the half in ear design on the Titan 1 the Dukes isolates a lot better.
Summary:
To sum up the Duke I’d say it’s a natural and revealing sounding IEM that still manages to stay very musical. Many times during the period with them leading to this review I’ve got lost in the music forgetting what I was doing and I’ve also got goose bumps while listening to them on multiple occasions. To me that’s all what this hobby is about and the best sign of an excellent performer.
Add to this excellent build quality, great ergonomics, very good isolation and one of the best accessories packages I’ve ever seen and the Duke is a very easy recommendation to anyone looking for an excellent performing IEM at a crazy value for what it delivers.
When Lee at Venture Electronics says that "keeping it real is our simple slogan” I wholeheartedly believe him.
The Duke is available from Aliexpress:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Venture-Electronic-VE-DUKE-In-Ear-Earphone/32417283204.html
I’m not in any way affiliated with Venture Electronics.
Short introduction of Venture Electronics:
Venture Electronics (VE) is a small and pretty new company, only three years old.
They’re located in mainland China and have fast become very popular in audiophile circles due to their line of earbuds (Monk, Asura and Zen) which offers excellent value for money.
The Duke is the first IEM that they’ve released so let’s find out how it performs.
About me:
I’m a 43 year old music and sound lover that changed my focus from speakers to headphones and IEM’s about five years ago. At that time I realized that it wasn’t realistic for me to have all the different setups that I wanted and still house a family of four children and a wife so my interest turned first to full sized headphones and later also IEM’s.
My preferences are towards full sized open headphones and I believe that also says something about what kind of sound signature I prefer (large soundstage in all directions, balanced and organic sound).
My music preferences are pretty much all over the place (only excluding classical music, jazz and really heavy metal). My all-time favorite band is Depeche Mode although I also listen to a lot of grunge/indie, singer/songwriter/acoustical stuff as well as the typical top 40 music.
I do not use EQ, ever.
I’m a sucker for value for money on most things in life Head-Fi related stuff is no exception.
Built and accessories:
The VE Duke is a single dynamic driver in ear monitor featuring a 6 mm driver.
The cable is pretty good and seems to be identical to the one used on the A-T CKR series which I’ve got good experience with. It doesn’t look or feel like anything special but in use I find it to be excellent with very little tangling, low on microphonics, soft and flexible. The plug is L-shaped and feels very solid. I would’ve wished for the left/right marking to be more easily visible. The only other thing I’m missing is a chin slider. Thant’s easily solved though by either using the included shirt clip or this way:
The build seems very solid featuring aluminum alloy housings and strain reliefs in the right places.
The accessories pack is very good and includes the following:
3 pairs wide bore silicon tips (S,M,L)
4 pairs narrow bore silicon tips (S,M,L,XL)
2 pairs of triple flange tips
2 pairs of foam tips
1 pair of double flange tips
1 pair of ear hooks
1 shirt clip
1 box to store tips and other accessories
1 Pelican style case to store the Duke in when not in use
1 VE Monk (!)
This is what was included in my package and according to VE it’s also what is included in the retail package. If it turns out to be any changes I’ll edit the review accordingly.
I think the fact that the Duke comes with a free pair of very good sounding earbuds as a part of the accessories says a lot about Venture Electronics as a company and their philosophy, talk about added value!
The Duke is a slightly harder to drive than your average IEM but it still works fine even with my weak (in power) Sony Z3 Compact phone. Isolation is above average.
The specs:
Housing | Aluminum alloy |
Driver Unit | Dynamic 6mm |
Frequenzy range | 12Hz-28KHz |
Sensitivity | 101 dB |
Impedance | 16 Ohms |
Cable lenght | 1.2m |
Ergonomics:
The Duke is a really tiny IEM. It’s designed to be used with deep insertion and this is the way I find it to sound the best as well.
I’ve got very narrow ear canals and usually avoid deep fit designs so the first couple of days were quite challenging for me with the Duke. After using it for a while and starting to realize what kind of tips that was the best for it I found three different tips that were very comfortable for me to use with them. During this process I also noticed that the sound that the Duke delivers is highly dependent on the kind of tips used (more about this in the sound section of this review).
By using the Duke with deep insertion the isolation becomes excellent and there’s no need to crank up the volume to enjoy your favorite tunes.
The way they’re designed gives the possibility to use them cable down or over the ears which ever you prefer. There’s no need to switch the channels when wearing them over the ears. I personally found the most comfortable fit by wearing them cable down.
Sound:
I’ve used these as my main IEM for the last two weeks and they’ve played for well over 100 hours. I’ve used them both around the house and when out and about and I haven’t really found any significant weaknesses in the way they’re designed.
I’ve used them with my Sony Xperia Z3 Compact phone (with and without the Elecom LBT-PAR500) as well as the SHOZY Lancea, both by itself and paired with Venture Electronics own amplifier the RunAbout (separate review will come soon).
Demo list:
Mark Knopfler – Sailing to Philadelphia
Røyksopp (Feat.Susanne Sundfør) – Save Me
Ane Brun – These Days
Michael Jackson – Dirty Diana
Metallica – Die Die My Darling
The Peter Malick Group – Immigrant
Eva Cassidy – Songbird
Thomas Dybdahl – A Lovestory
Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why
Celldweller – Unshakeable
Jack Johnson – Better Together
Seinabo Sey – Younger (Kygo remix)
Dire Straits- So Far Away
Passenger – Let Her Go
Lupe Fiasco - Deliver
Morrissey – Earth Is the Loneliest Planet
I find the Duke to perform its best with narrow bore tips which helps to reduce sibilance and makes the bass really tight. My favorite tips are the Ostry OS100 as they offer the perfect combination between airiness and smoothness for my ears and taste.
The overall sound signature is very well balanced and I don’t find the Duke to be neither dark nor particularly bright sounding.
The lows have good extension in the sub-bass region and the quality of the bass is very good. Mid- and upper-bass, while not having the greatest impact, is clean and clear with absolutely no bleed into the midrange. The bass quantity is enough to keep them from sounding thin. These surely are not for bass-heads but I still find the bass sufficient to work with most music genres and the only time I miss a little more impact is with electronic music. From memory the bass on the Duke reminds me a lot of the bass on the FAD Heaven VII’s with a touch more mid-bass presence.
The midrange is slightly forward but still well in balance with the rest of the frequencies. There’s a bit more emphasis on the higher mids/lower treble making female voices sound excellent while the lower amount of upper bass can make male voices lack weight on some recordings compared with IEM’s that have a fuller overall sound. In total the vocal reproduction on both male and female artist is very good though.
The treble extends really well and does not come across as thin sounding. I’d even go as far as saying that it’s one of the most well extended treble reproductions I’ve ever heard. This in combination with the revealing nature of the Duke makes sibilance an issue with some recordings, tips and sources. With the right tips, source and good recordings this is not an issue though.
Make no mistake the Duke is a very revealing IEM with almost surgical precision. If you’re listening to a bad recording or low quality MP3 files the Duke will show that without mercy. The same, as already mentioned, is true regarding sibilance if it’s there in the recording you’re going to hear it. With deep insertion I don’t find it sibilant as long as it’s not there in the original recording just amazingly revealing at natural sounding. The Duke is also naturally quite sensitive to what source you use and does definitely scale with a better one. That being said I find it to have great synergy with my Xperia Z3c phone. The best combo I’ve found so far is the SHOZY Lancea feeding the VE RunAbout, this is an extremely good sounding setup.
Soundstage width is above average for an IEM. Soundstage depth and height are both excellent.
Clarity and micro details is also good while separation is extremely good to my ears. There’s plenty of space between instruments making the Duke a rather relaxed listening although it’s not a warm and smooth sounding IEM. As a matter of fact the separation and instrument positioning is among the strongest parts on the Duke.
So is the Duke an analytical, cold and boring sounding IEM? To me yes, it’s analytical in the way that it's very revealing but I don’t find it particularly cold and certainly not boring sounding. It manages to still stay very musical and engaging in spite of being revealing and realistic in its presentation.
Comparison:
Please note that the comments in the comparison section are not in absolute terms but in comparison between subject A and B. This means (as an example) that if subject A is found to be brighter than subject B it does not necessarily mean that subject B is bright sounding in absolute terms. I hope this makes sense.
Audio-Technica CKR9 vs VE Duke:
Compared to the Duke the CKR9 has similar soundstage in all directions. The CKR9’s has significantly more impact in both sub- and mid-bass. Bass quality is excellent on both but the bigger quantity on the CKR9’s gives them better bass layering. Midrange is equally forward on both but the CKR9’s are more energetic and “in your face” sounding. The CKR9’s can actually sound shouty occasionally compared to the Duke. The Duke has better separation and, being brighter, comes across as being more detailed. They both have excellent treble extension but the CKR9’s is smoother in the top.
I find them both very comfortable.
The Duke is harder to drive.
Isolation is much better on the Duke.
Trinity Delta vs VE Duke:
Compared to the Duke the Delta’s has significantly more mid- and upper bass impact. The bass is also slower. The midrange is slightly forward on both. The Delta’s are smoother and fuller sounding while the Duke has better clarity and micro details and also offers a better soundstage in all directions. The midrange on the Delta’s is thicker and male voices have more weight. Treble extension is better on the Duke but the Delta’s has a smoother top end.
The Duke is a much better fit and more comfortable for my ears.
They’re both slightly harder than average to drive.
Isolation is much better on the Duke.
Dunu Titan 1 vs VE Duke
These two actually share quite a bit of their overall signature. Compared to the Duke the Titan 1 has a bit more sub-bass impact and also more impact on the mid-bass. Soundstage width is pretty similar on the two while the Duke has better soundstage depth and height. Clarity and details are on par but the midrange on the Duke is more forward. The Duke also has better layering and separation while the Titans have more a more energetic and airy presentation. Overall the Duke sounds slightly fuller in the higher frequencies while the Titans got a bit fuller lower end.
Although they’ve got totally different fit they‘re both very comfortable.
They’re both slightly harder than average to.
Due to the half in ear design on the Titan 1 the Dukes isolates a lot better.
Summary:
To sum up the Duke I’d say it’s a natural and revealing sounding IEM that still manages to stay very musical. Many times during the period with them leading to this review I’ve got lost in the music forgetting what I was doing and I’ve also got goose bumps while listening to them on multiple occasions. To me that’s all what this hobby is about and the best sign of an excellent performer.
Add to this excellent build quality, great ergonomics, very good isolation and one of the best accessories packages I’ve ever seen and the Duke is a very easy recommendation to anyone looking for an excellent performing IEM at a crazy value for what it delivers.
When Lee at Venture Electronics says that "keeping it real is our simple slogan” I wholeheartedly believe him.
And yes, these little gems does indeed offer an excellent value.