I got yet another batch of in-ear headphones and earphones today. This time I got the good stuff.
Firs off the cheapest one of the bunch, the VE Monk:
They sound... Quite good actually, they have a clarity to the sound that I did not expect at all. Still there is the inherent lack of lower frequencies bass that most earbuds struggle with. honestly it's a real shame that these are not in-ear headphones, because I truly believe that the drivers are fantastic. They just struggle with getting a seal on the ear like most earbuds do (I can hear a significant difference in sound if I forcefully push them in my ear, but that is truly uncomfortable to say the least), it may just be my ears having an abnormal shape though (doubt it as almost every IEM I try fit with the medium tip straight away). So while the drivers sound really good they are lacking in the basic design aspects. Also I really, really hate earbuds so that might influence my view on these.
Next up is the Tennmak Piano:
Wow do these look classy. I ordered the black version and while I expected a plain glossy plastic casing these are truly unique to look at. The sides are finished in a black metallic flake that really makes them look good. The end tips of the cables are finished with a sort of thicker plastic tube that makes them stick to any shape you bend them to. This is great for those that plan to wear them with the cables on top of their ears, but not so much for people like me who prefer to just have it hanging. The sound on these though is really something, they sound quite balanced and actually manage to have a decent soundstage. The bass is tight and controlled with a fantastic mid-range. These really seem to fit with what I like to hear from my headphones.
Then there is the Tennmak Pro:
They don’t look as fancy as the Piano, but still look quite professional. The cable on these is better than on the piano in my opinion, it still has a tube on the end to make it comfortable to wear over the top of the ears, but it’s far softer. The downside is that it doesn’t stay on top of the ears as well as the one from the Piano does. They are also far more comfortable to wear than the Piano since everything on the housing is rounded off and fits with your ear more ergonomically (the Piano does this well to, but has a flat backside which make them less comfortable). Sound wise these have a more rounded off top than the piano which can sound a bit sharp as times (similar to what I have heard from Sennheiser IEMs). The bas is also more pronounced in these and they handle the lower frequencies better than the Piano, but at the same time it’s less controlled than the Piano does it and not as tight. The mid-range is also quite good, but the Piano does it better. All in all, it makes it a more laid back headphone than the Piano, and probably more suited for the masses. The Piano is better for critical listening though.
That’s it for now. I’m still waiting on the last pair of IEMs from aliexpress (Xiaomi Hybrid), so I’ll post another first impressions post for those when they arrive as well. I’m not sure if people find it useful at all though, but I already did it to 5 pairs now so I might as well see it through to the end.
As for the reviews, I’m going to spend the next month or so really listening to these and get them properly burnt in
. After that I might do a full review for each of them (I figure the more reviews we have the better it is, especially with these lesser known brands).