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
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.