Venture Electronics Thread

[Narendhiran]

VE Devastator: Rocket Raccoon of the Dongle Universe​

Review In Short:
The Venture Electronics Devastator dongle is a pocket rocket raccoon; it packs the punch to drive almost anything. It shines best with Planar IEMs and power-friendly Headphones.

Like Rocket Racoon, it outperforms when you least expect it.

Pros:

• Build quality
• Ease of use
• Widely compatible (seamless with iOS, Mac, older Android devices, newer Android devices, and Windows as sources while supporting single DDs, hybrids, planar IEMs, and headphones)

Cons:

• Maybe our audiophile expectations from a 20$ dongle

Price - 15$ (3.5 mm) || 20$ (4.4 mm) [I tried the 4.4, extra power -- why not]
Build - Aluminum with copper wire

Specifications- a useful snippet from VE listing.

Disclaimer:
Not a seasoned audiophile, so please take my impressions with a grain of salt (perhaps even several grains).

Thanks to Sandeep from the Audie Geek community for sharing (read gifting) his VE Devastator with me.

It has stayed with me for 3 months now - it has moved to gifting from being just shared. I have no intent on returning it as it has become part of my daily routine. (unless forced )

Gears used:
Source device:

1. Samsung S23
2. Apple MacBook Pro

Music streaming:

1. Apple Music

IEMs & Headphones:

1. Dunu Titan S2
2. Letshouer S12 Pro
3. TSMR Shock
4. Sennheiser HD600

Design & build:

• No frill dongle design.
• Sturdy aluminium build; reinforced connector points is a big plus
• Ample frictioned 4.4 connector; neither loose not super tight
  (I have had dongles where connecting & disconnecting the IEMs/Headphones becomes a hassle)

Cable: One of the best connecting cables for a budget dongle DAC. Flexible & smooth to bend and at the same time durable, it has undergone enough duress.

Stuff it inside the pocket test: Pass -- with flying colors. I have damaged/deformed multiple dongle DACs/ connectors.

About this test: If it isn't obvious, this is just to test my daily usage style, where I stuff my phone and dongle in my jeans pocket while listening on the go.

• Moon drop dawn pro just passes this test.
• Kiwi Allegro Mini passes this test only when L-shaped IEM connectors are used

Sounds:

Overall: VE Devastator is neutral with a mild, warm tilt. Best suited for non-critical, on-the-go listening while delivering the best part of your favorite tracks without any compromises.

Bass: Smooth bass delivery, the quantity it thumps is very good. Bass lines are clear and easy to follow; bass guitars are rendered very well, but on busy tracks, bass hits a little short of the mark, especially with percussive instruments (like tabla).

Vocals: Warm and lush, adds a very good lushness to vocals.

Treble, Details, & Resolution: Details and resolution are present if you listened critically. It is not its strong point- at par with most dongles in this price range.

Pairing & Synergy:
It paired super well with most of my collection,

• Single DD IEMs (Dunu Titan S2)
• Hybrid IEMs (TSMR shock, no hiccups with BCDs)
• Planars (S12 Pro, S12 2024)
• Headphones (HD600- woah, surprisingly good, HD600 had Allegro mini and D07 struggle a bit, while the devastator took strides with ease)

I did not notice any noise issue, even with highly sensitive IEMs in my repertoire (Titan S2).

Verdict (and quick comparison):

VE Devastator is truly a pocket rocket.

Like Rocket Raccoon, it outperforms when you least expect it.


vs Moondrop Dawn Pro:
At 2.5x the price, the Dawn Pro outperforms the VE Devastator, but the Devastator holds its spot.

• The bass is more nuanced and tighter in the Dawn Pro
• Vocals are lusher in Devastator (better, especially when you are listening in to live shows)
• Resolution and layering the Dawn Pro takes the lead with devastator not severely lacking (would call it at par given the price difference)
• VE Devastator wins the portability battle with easy usage when in the pocket.