Venture Electronics (VE) Monk Plus

REVIEW: Venture Electronics (VE) Monk Plus – The outstanding gets even better!



Website: veclan.com

Technical specifications

  • Driver: 15.4mm dynamic
  • Frequency: 8 Hz – 22 Khz
  • Impedance: 64 ohm
  • Sensitivity: 112dB +/- 5dB (1mW)
  • Plug: 3.5mm gold plated
  • Cable: 1.2m, TPE outer coat, 128 x 0.06 4n ofc copper
  • Weight: ~15g



Price:  $5 ~ $30 + Shipping, depending on the version.




Following photos are for Candy (3.5mm) and Espresso (2.5mm) versions



Design

Like the first Monk and all the VE earbuds, the Plus also adopts the same solid build quality from shells to cable. The design is still the very generic one found on a million of random earbuds, made of all plastic which still seems quite durable.
Cable depends on the version; the Purple and other standard options use a similar cable as the first Monk, which was quite think and tangle free, with now a proper cable slider.
The special Candy version consists of a twisted four strand wires, red/black for right side and blue/black for left. It looks very cool, and also so easy to handle. The plug and y-split have a metal cover, however the cable slider is missing.

The fit is as expected for this standard design. Easy to fit and average in comfort, although they may not sit properly for those with smaller ears. For the so low price there’s nothing to complain about anyway.






 

The outstanding sound from the low price


Like the original Monk model, the new Monk Plus is still the lowest priced product from the VE company and is replacing the previous one. Against the Monk with 32ohm impedance, the Plus is now raised to 64ohm and it’s well noticed when paring it with different sources. The dynamic driver inside has a very well achieved sound tuning, mildly v-shaped, warm and smooth with a some extra bass boost, which is very easy going and fun to listen. It has a pretty versatile signature that makes it an excellent contender – and a total upgrade over stock earbuds included in many phone or budget players.


The low end on the Monk Plus is strong but not too dominant, with a mild mid-bass presence and great thickness in notes, fairly quick and very well controlled. Impact is good and the whole bass sounds very full. Bass bloat is small and safer from overshadowing the midrange, probably due the more forward midrange presentation and the better control and more spacious low-end response. While the not as fast and tight as that of the Auglamour Rx1, Shozy Cygnus or Asura 2, it is more forward and has both greater body and more impact. Overall the low end is well presented and very enjoyable.




Despite its v-shaped sound signature, the midrange is not thin or really recessed.

Not as forward as the lows but well balanced, indeed. A tad laid back maybe but still carries enough energy not to sound dull or veiled. The sense of warmth goes up to the upper mids, keeping very good note thickness. There’s a slight boost at the upper mids and lower treble that gives the Monk Plus an advantage in clarity over the original Monk and Fiio EM3. Clarity is very good and does improve with a more dedicated source. However far from being as impressive as with the more neutral sounding RX1 with its great timbre and accuracy.


Treble on the Monk Plus is the most picky part and the one that really needed a proper burn-in time. At first it showed some unevenness and lack of control; not harsh and not bad for the super low price, but it just gets way much better after some time. The 64ohm impedance makes it less easy to drive, but still well driven from most sources. The highs are again slightly prominent, yet follow the warm and full overall tonality. It’s very competent, smooth and not too laid back, enough to match the V-shaped presentation.  Energy is well present, but nothing at the level of the much brighter Asura 2.0 or the RX-1. Micro detail is really good (too good for simply a $5~10 earbud). Treble extension won’t be the main advantage of the Monk Plus, but an upgrade over the first Monk it surely is and will still beat more expensive sets, nevertheless.



The Monk+ presentation maintains a pretty good sense of depth and width, sounding dynamic and very engaging. In a way it reminds of the Zen 2.0 (at a lesser degree, of course) with its fun and surrounding sound rather than of the Asura 2.0 which is leaner and thinner sounding. The warm and easy going style of the new Monk make it a great all-rounder option and not just for music alone but for movie watching as well.



Value!


It’s really impressive what Venture Electronics had managed to bring to the audio market for just so little money. The first original Monk was quite a surprise, and this new Monk Plus version is even greater still keeping the same ultra low price. Needless to say the Monk+ is worth everything, and even the limited Candy and current Espresso versions with their nicer cable are well worth the extra price.