Introduction
While Astrotec China has been known for their awesome earbuds range, little is known for their in-ears collection that ranges from the midrange Phoenix that houses a single brass dynamic driver and the higher echelon Phoenix that is a hybrid in-ear that has a dual sonion electrostatic drivers with a dynamic driver. There are some reviews out there for these units and so far they are quite well praised and one thing’s for sure they looked dead gorgeous in their design. Astrotec recently has released an entry in-ears named Vesna to add to their collection that they have intensively tuned and designed along with a price tag that is certainly very approachable for users out there. They are certainly the lowest priced product from Astrotec and they come in 2 different varieties, a fixed cable Vesna and a 2 pin replaceable cable, the Vesna EVO. Astrotec claimed they sounded slightly different but had the same design concept. Astrotec has kindly sent us a pair of the normal version of Vesna for an honest review and we are honoured for this opportunity. How will they sound for the low asking price of the Vesna? Will they be competent? We shall find out shall we?
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the Astrotec Vesna;
- Driver: 6mm Dynamic Driver, Japan’s LCP diaphragm 2nd Generation
- Housing : Aircraft Grade Aluminium Alloy Sound Chamber
- Input: 1 mW
- Impedance: 30 OHM
- Cable: High purity OFC Cable 1.2±0.3m
- Max Input: 3mW
- Sensitivity: 102dB/1mw (S.P.L at 1KHz)
- Connector: 3.5mm stereo plug with or without microphone.
- Frequency Response: 5Hz – 22KHz
Retail Price & Where to Get
The Astrotec Vesna can be purchased at Official Astrotec’s Shopee Store, AliExpress Store or directly from their website.
Astrotec Shopee Store : https://invol.co/cl8gh3r
Astrotec AliExpress Store : https://invol.co/cl8gh6e
Astrotec Website : https://astrotecglobal.com
Packaging & Accessories
Being a budget product, the packaging of the Vesna is rather very simple and basic with a small sized hard paper box. Inside they have included 3 pairs of white silicone ear tips varying in size, a cloth bag and to my surprise, they even include a basic USB type C to 3.5mm dongle. Overall, they are packed neatly and basic, but what users usually aim for this product ultimately is their sound and their build quality.
Design
The design of Vesna is a straight forward bullet-style in-ears that has a cross back design in blue with a matte silver coloured body with the left and right indicator printed on the top side. They are very light in weight and very comfortable, suitable for an all day usage. The nozzle is slightly on the long side but they fit like a glove with an easy insertion due to their 3D pinna test that Astrotec conducts to provide a better comfort to most of the users. Front of the nozzle is fitted with a metal mesh to prevent dust from entering. Overall, they are solid and very well designed even though they look simple.
Inside of the Vesna is equipped with a 6mm 2nd generation Liquid Crystal Polymer diaphragm dynamic driver imported from Japan. LCP diaphragms are known for their rigidity and they usually have a great clarity in their sound reproduction.
Cable included is thin high purity oxygen free copper that has a clear sleeve that is soft and flexible that honestly looks quite pretty. They are made with metal plugs and a splitter with a plastic chin slider. Through my experience, usually this type of transparent sleeve will harden after extensive usage, but only time will tell of the durability of this cable.
Gears Used for Comparisons
- FiiO M11Plus LTD
- Questyle M12
- Hidizs S9 Pro
- Beyerdynamics Xelento
- Venture Electronics Bonus IE
- Moondrop Quarks
- Moondrop A8
- TinHifi T3Plus
- KBear Aurora
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The Vesna tone is a flat sounding in-ears that has a mild boost in their high range giving them a slightly brighter sound in their presentation. They are quite well balanced and sound very clear across all frequencies. Coloration is very minimal and they sound quite accurate in their tone. They are not warm nor cold but have the right balance to sound just right in the middle. Being flat sounding, they might sound a little boring but their sound is lifted by their mild boost in the high region giving a livelier sound presentation. Pace of these in-ears is slightly on the slower side but not overly sluggish and they are quite responsive even in fast tracks. Technically they are quite good in their price range especially with their clarity and resolution they are able to churn out.
Soundstage
Soundstage of the Vesna is good but not great with a mediocre width and height but they are not boxy instead they have a little air in their soundstage. They are a little intimate in their sound portraying a small room sized sound space with a rather accurate placement. Overall, they are quite good given their low price and do not sound too closed.
Separation and Timbre
As being a single dynamic driver driven, their separation is quite good and the layerings they are able to achieve is very well presented without any congestion or fuzziness present, also, due to their flat sound signature, they are able to sound layered better. Timbre is above average in their accuracy but on the higher end of frequencies, they may sound a little metallic with a certain source but they are very minor and it is just me nitpicking.
Drivability
Rated at 30 ohms, the Vesna is easily driven by any source, be it with your laptop or smartphone, they are able to push out adequate volume. Scalability on the Vesna is good and they sound way better when properly driven. With the dongle that Astrotec supplied, they sound a little thin but when scaled up with a dedicated DAP or DAC/amplifier, they sounded way better with greater details and they gave more body in their sound presentation. They are quite forgiving on the tracks played as low resolution or badly mastered tracks will sound great regardless.
The Bass
Bass of the Vesna is a flat sounding bass without any mid bass lift. They do have a quite good impact and decay in their bass but they are certainly not sufficient for bassheads out there. Though being a flat response bass, they do have a rather pure sounding bass with great clarity and details embedded in them without any bass bleed present in the other frequencies. Bass instruments sounded accurate and very clear providing an organic response without any over colouration in their bass signature. Sub-bass are present enough to make music more enjoyable but they do not extend very deep and sometimes they sounded a little too flat for music like EDM or jazz genres to be enjoyable.
The Mids
Midrange present on the Vesna is again a flat response but they sounded a little forward and there is a focus on the higher end of the midrange making them brighter in their sound presentation. They sounded very clear and clean in their midrange with details very well presented making music sound clear without any veil present. Resolution on the midrange is above average and they are able to make music played quite holographic and lifelike. They have the right balance of warmth without sounding too cold and they are quite accurate in their mid range performance with minimal colouration. Thickness on the other hand is mediocre and they might sound slightly thin sounding on certain music but they are still acceptable as they are bordering on being thin sounding. Vocals presented are better suited for female vocals and they do shine better partly due to their brighter sound signature but male vocals may sound slightly thin at times. Being a flat midrange, emotions they present are rather average at best but they are able to sound natural enough to be enjoyable. Overall, the quality of the midrange here is quite good given the low asking price of the Vesna.
The Highs
The high range of the Vesna is the main attraction in my opinion as they are the stand out frequency in the overall presentation of the Vesna. The high range that the Vesna is able to push out is great in their quantity and quality as well as they are detailed, clear and extend fairly well. They are not spiky or peaky to my taste but users out there who are treble sensitive might want to stay away from the Vesna as they are quite strong in their high frequency. Though being brawny in their highs, they are rather quite smooth sounding with a sparkly roll-off and a little crispness to their high range. Treble on the contrary is accurate but on certain instrumental tracks they do sound a tad bit metallic but in a very small margin but given their price, they are indeed one of the best in the high range treble surpassing their competitors. The high range overall is really good for my taste as I would like the high range to be boosted a little with a great sparkle for a livelier feel in the music.
Comparisons
VS Tanchjim Tanya
Tanchjim’s Tanya is one of my favourite budget in-ears that sounded smooth, thick and inoffensive that cost slightly less than the Vesna along with a premium unboxing that is simply awe inspiring for their asking price.
The High region on the Vesna has the better quantity and quality overall as they are more pronounced and shines better versus the slightly laidback high range in the Tanya. Details and resolution is also better on the Vesna but the Tanya sounded smoother here.
Midrange on the Tanya is thicker and more emotional sounding while the midrange of the Vesna is clearer and more accurate. Resolution in the midrange of Vesna is better and they sounded clearer but they are a bit on the thinner side.
Bass on Tanya is bigger, more thumpy and thicker than the flat bass response of the Vesna. Though the bass on Vesna is clearer and more detailed, the bass on Tanya is more enjoyable for EDM or jazz genres. Sub-bass extension is better on Tanya and they are more present.
Soundstage on Tanya is wider and slightly taller. Airiness on both is quite similar with a roomy feel
VS Moondrop Quarks
Quarks by Moondrop is certainly the best price versus performance in-ears of 2021 in my opinion. With their low asking that is half the price of the Vesna, you will be greeted by a harman curved tuning along with a miniature design that is certainly eye-catching.
Highs on the Vesna is more pronounced and has a better sparkle versus the neutral high range of the Quarks. Details and clarity on both is very similar but crispness on the Vesna is better.
Midrange in Quarks is thicker and smoother but details on the midrange of the Vesna is better. Clarity on the Vesna is also better and they sounded more lively here. Midrange on the Quarks is more emotional but the Vesna sounded cleaner and clearer.
Bass in the Quarks has the edge in their impact but lacks details that are present in Vesna. Clarity on the bass in the Vesna is better and extends better. Sub-bass on the other hand extends better in the Quarks.
Soundstage of the Vesna is wider and taller with a more roomy feel to it.
VS Venture Electronics Bonus IE
The budget in-ears by the infamous Venture Electronics that has a bassy sound signature while still able to retain a great sound overall. They are priced similarly but the Vesna looked a little better in their design.
Bass on the BIE is certainly more impactful and extends deeper than the Vesna. Sub-bass on the BIE is simply awesome if you are a basshead. Details and clarity on the Vesna is better but lack the energy versus the BIE.
Midrange on Vesna has the edge of sounding clearer and more detailed than the BIE as their strong bass response might sound too overpowered. Thickness is almost the same but the Vesna sounded a little more forward with better resolution.
High range on the Vesna had better quantity and quality as they sounded more refined. The Vesna also sounded more lively and sparkly. Details and clarity is also better on the Vesna but in a small margin
Soundstage in the BIE is taller but width is quite similar.
Synergy
FiiO M11Plus LTD
The now rare M11Plus LTD that is equipped with a pair of now discontinued AKM4497eq DAC chips and a pair of THX amplifier modules that are almost sold out worldwide and they are a great smooth sounding player that is packed with features. Bass on this pairing is great as they make the bass sound deeper and have more thump to it while retaining their quality in their details. Midrange has a slight improvement in their thickness and they sounded more emotional to my ears. Details on the midrange also sounded more polished and more balanced. High range with these combos sounded smoother and they are toned down a little giving a smoother listening. Details and clarity in the high range remain the same but the timbre sounded more organic. Soundstage has improved in their width and height making them sound more spacious. Overall, they are a great combination and they really bring the sound of Vesna to another level.
Questyle M12
The M12 from Questyle Korea is certainly my favourite ultra portable dongle that supports most mainstream files including MQA and they have a patented current mode amplification that sounds sublime. Bass has a sharper attack and they sounded clearer with an extended sub-bass response. Midrange sounded cleaner and their details were more pronounced but their thickness remained the same. Vocals here have better emotions. High range sounded smoother but they are slightly stronger in their quantity. Highs with this pairing sparkled more and sounded more crisp. Soundstage sounded more or less the same to my ears. Overall, they are my go-to pairing for the Vesna in terms of portability.
Who Is It For?
Are you a fan of flat sounding in-ears that are great in their clarity and resolution that would not burn a hole in your wallet? Astrotec Vesna might be your answer. They are indeed a performer when it comes to their clarity, resolution and pureness in their price bracket. For basshead out there, the Vesna will fall short in their bass quantity but they do excel in their bass purity and for treble lovers, the Vesna might be the in-ears for you.
Final words
The Astrotec Vesna may be the cheapest offering from them but they are certainly no slouch in their performance in their price range. They are able to sound different than the current usual Harman tuning while still able to have a great sound and they certainly punch above their asking price. Though they might sound a little too flat or thin and occasionally sounded a little closed, they are compensated with a boost in their treble region giving a livelier feel to the music played. With their pure sounding bass and clear midrange coupled, they are indeed very well tuned possessing great potential when properly driven. If users want a Vesna with a replaceable cable, they can go for the Vesna EVO with a slight bump in price. Overall, Astrotec has certainly created a flat sounding budget in-ears that gives users a sneak peak of what they are able to do at a low price even without a usual tuning. A great job nonetheless from Astrotec. Two thumbs up.
I would rate this product a solid 4 and half stars over 5 stars.
