[Charliemotta]

  I don't know if Lee would like to answer my questions, but I really would like to know how deep is he with the creation of the drivers he uses?
Are those drivers outsourced? If so does he have a say about different sound aspects he wants from them and they create it? Or he gets to pick the ones he like? Or he actually creates them?
Knowing it would certainly for me at least, give an idea of what kind of sound presentation he likes and how VE will progress. A fact that will surely influence further purchase decisions from many users around here.

Not mine...

 

[ebrian]

  Just saying it again to all the newcomers to earbuds to avoid confusion, you won't get the bass you are getting while pushing them against your ears. It isn't supposed to be like that. Those are earbuds, as long as they are sitting comfortably in your ear and you get a decent seal with foams that's it. The monk have a good amount of bass to overcome the problematic sealing properties of earbuds. Earbuds are kinda open IEMs, like open headphones against vs closed ones.
Now you can always try to adjust it and try to get a better seal with various methods but it is no in ear monitor with fully sealing properties. 

 
Could you define/explain what kind of "seal" we can expect from earbuds?  Perhaps you mean a different word?

 

[ForceMajeure]

   
Could you define/explain what kind of "seal" we can expect from earbuds?  Perhaps you mean a different word?

What I mean by "seal" there, is not the same seal as you get in IEM where you create a air tight blocking by having the tip inserted in your ear canal.

 
 
A good fitting earbud is one that sits in you ear behind the Tragus, Intertragic Incisure, Antitragus and slightly touching the end of the Crus of the Helix. Without making you having discomfort issues.
The foam on the earbuds helps creating a tighter fit with those parts of your outer ear thus helping the bass response a bit. Unfortunately because of this anatomy you cannot get a fully air tight block because you can not completely create a 100% seal with the back of the Crus of the Helix, (what actually can be experienced by pressing strongly the buds toward your ear). 
Some buds cover make the buds seal ala yurbuds which is  a tighter seal kinda IEM seal but not always as good as an IEM seal...And sometimes those cover changes the mids and trebles responce not in a favorable way.

 

[Luis2u4u]

I don't know if this is the best place to ask that, but here it goes: I want to buy an amp or an mp3 player but I do not know what to choose. I want to use it with my VE Monk earbuds. Please give me an advice based on price/quality ratio, but something cheap please. Should I use an amp or it would be better to use an mp3 player? I have a Xiaomi MI4I smartphone, it has poor sound quality output, I think. A portable amp will make a difference when connected to it? Or an mp3 player would be better?
 
I see that FIIO A3 is a very affordable amp, for $60 or maybe, or Topping NX1, which is cheaper. And for an mp3 player the Fiio M3 looks nice and cheap. Will any of these have enough power and quality for Monk? Or if I will ever upgrade to ZEN 2.0, are these OK? Or maybe you know a better mp3 player or amp for $70 max.
 
Thanks a lot.

 

[ozkan]

  I don't know if this is the best place to ask that, but here it goes: I want to buy an amp or an mp3 player but I do not know what to choose. I want to use it with my VE Monk earbuds. Please give me an advice based on price/quality ratio, but something cheap please. Should I use an amp or it would be better to use an mp3 player? I have a Xiaomi MI4I smartphone, it has poor sound quality output, I think. A portable amp will make a difference when connected to it? Or an mp3 player would be better?
 
I see that FIIO A3 is a very affordable amp, for $60 or maybe, or Topping NX1, which is cheaper. And for an mp3 player the Fiio M3 looks nice and cheap. Will any of these have enough power and quality for Monk? Or if I will ever upgrade to ZEN 2.0, are these OK? Or maybe you know a better mp3 player or amp for $70 max.
 
Thanks a lot.

 
 Get the Newsmy A33. A perfect match! 

 

[Raketen]

  I don't know if this is the best place to ask that, but here it goes: I want to buy an amp or an mp3 player but I do not know what to choose. I want to use it with my VE Monk earbuds. Please give me an advice based on price/quality ratio, but something cheap please. Should I use an amp or it would be better to use an mp3 player? I have a Xiaomi MI4I smartphone, it has poor sound quality output, I think. A portable amp will make a difference when connected to it? Or an mp3 player would be better?
 
I see that FIIO A3 is a very affordable amp, for $60 or maybe, or Topping NX1, which is cheaper. And for an mp3 player the Fiio M3 looks nice and cheap. Will any of these have enough power and quality for Monk? Or if I will ever upgrade to ZEN 2.0, are these OK? Or maybe you know a better mp3 player or amp for $70 max.
 
Thanks a lot.

xDuoo x2 maybe? I haven't heard either but it's got good marks for everything but UI, kinda like the M3 lol (no volume buttons 

) . There's always the trusty Sansa Clip+ or Zip- my rockboxed Clip+ can drive the Zen 2 reasonably at like -15 (guess they are fairly sensitive), though definitely does not sound as good as my dac/amp.

 

[vapman]

I got a FiiO X1 recently, i'm enjoying it very much with my Monks as well as all my other earbuds & IEMs & non power starved headphones

 
 
I prefer it to the iPod Video and Sansa Clips.
 
I was interested in the Xduoo but no EQ was a killer for me.

 

[golov17]

I don't know if this is the best place to ask that, but here it goes: I want to buy an amp or an mp3 player but I do not know what to choose. I want to use it with my VE Monk earbuds. Please give me an advice based on price/quality ratio, but something cheap please. Should I use an amp or it would be better to use an mp3 player? I have a Xiaomi MI4I smartphone, it has poor sound quality output, I think. A portable amp will make a difference when connected to it? Or an mp3 player would be better?

I see that FIIO A3 is a very affordable amp, for $60 or maybe, or Topping NX1, which is cheaper. And for an mp3 player the Fiio M3 looks nice and cheap. Will any of these have enough power and quality for Monk? Or if I will ever upgrade to ZEN 2.0, are these OK? Or maybe you know a better mp3 player or amp for $70 max.

Thanks a lot.

for better SQ Colorfly ck4, for small sizes Newsmy g1, IMHO

Spoiler

 

[capnjack]

If it was me I'd include the xDuoo x2 in your list of reasonably priced players. To me it's a cracking little player that I paid £26 for.

 

[Havo42]

I hate to be that guy but I have to ask, when is the Monk coming back in stock? Or, any hoarders here willing to sell me a pair or two?

 

[golov17]

After 7 jan on Aliexpress

 

[vyskovej]

Waiting for the Monks! They should arrive some time in january

 

[vyskovej]

Are the VE Monk comparable to Blox earbuds? (BE3, M2C) Does anyone know?

 

[Saoshyant]

My Monks should be arriving on Thursday, hopefully sooner

 

[capnjack]

Mine will be with me this week hopefully.