Intro
Venture Electronics also known as VEclan.com is a passionate China based audiophile company led by Wild Lee and they are known for game changing products such as the infamous Monk series earbuds and they have redefined the way earbuds sounded and presented in a price as low as USD5. They are also known for producing in-ear monitors such as VE Duke, VE Biggies/Smalls and their flagship Grand Duke. Besides that, they also produce amplifiers that are available in a budget line such as the Odyssey HD USB C DAC/amp, the RunAbout portable amplifiers line and higher end ones such as the Defiant Amplifier as well as the Electrostatic Headphones amplifier, The Enterprise. All of their products have been well praised for their superb performance and the high-quality build standards that showcase their commitments in making value audio product throughout the years. Wild Lee from VEclan.com has sent us their latest second generation in-ear monitors, the Bonus in-Ear or BIE for short, in exchange for an honest review. The BIE is an entry earphone of Venture Electronics and they carry the company’s statement that a low price does not equates to poor quality and today we shall find out how the BIE fairs in today’s stacked market of budget earphones.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start, here are the specifications of the Bonus in-Ear;
- Impedance: 32 ohms
- Headphone sensitivity: 115db
- Frequency range: 17-22000Hz
- Size (diameter of shell): 10mm Driver: 10mm Dynamic Driver (N52+)
- Shell: Aluminum Alloy – matte finish
- Interface: 3.5mm
- Cable Length: 1.2m Cable: 99.99% OFC 4x32x0.06mm
- Headphone plug type: Straight PLUG
- Whether with Mic and remote: Optional
Retail Price & Where To Get
The Venture Electronic’s BIE can be bought at :
Official Venture Electronics Shopee
Official Venture Electronics AliExpress
Official Store Venture Electronics
Packaging & Accessories
Packaging arrived is simply just a Venture Electronics fabric hard case and 3 pairs of ear-tips included as they believe that grand packaging does not means that it is a good product and with this way, they are able to push down the price of the product further. With this, all focus is pushed toward producing a better product and I do agree with this statement as the end product does matters the most in buying an audiophile product.
Design
The BIE is a classic bullet barrel style of earphones that is made from aluminium. It is very light in weight and feels very solid as they are well built and they are built to last. For this classic barrel design comfort is very good and be worn ear-down or over the ear. At the back of the earphone, we will find a vent hole that is used for increasing the soundstage and bass response of the BIE. Driver flex is present but not a severe one like those found in Ibasso’s IT01 and they are acceptable in my usage.
Cable of the BIE is a basic non-removable cable with a chin slider similar to those found in Monk Plus earbuds. Though a better braided cable is more presentable, the cable is lasting as my Monk plus earbuds has survived years of usage without breaking. On the front of the BIE is a solid metal net meshing to prevent dust from entering. The nozzle of the BIE is rather short and the ridge of the nozzle used for holding the ear-tips in place is at the middle making tips rolling a little picky.
Gears Used for Comparisons
- Fiio Q5 with AM3D module
- RHA L1 Dacamp
- Avani/ZUMEE ALC5686 USB C dongle
- Venture Electronics Odyssey HD USB C Dongle
- Moondrop Quarks
- Blon A8
- Tanchjim Tanya
- HZ Sound Heart Mirror
Song list
Tone and Presentation
The BIE has a slight V shape and they are warm in their sound presentation where the bass and treble are slightly emphasized. The bass has a big quantity with a huge sub-bass presence and they go deep. It has a high degree of clarity even with its big bass but resolution is just acceptable. Being a V shaped warm earphone, the mids are slightly recessed and treble has a great quantity without sounding harsh or shouty. It is very well tuned for bass heads and audiophiles alike as it gives a very unique experience in the music portrayed also, they sounded very musical and fun. This earphone is not for the purist audio lovers but for those wanted more fun in their music without sacrificing any sound quality.
Soundstage
BIE soundstage is fairly good as it gives a decent width and height to the music played. Due to the BIE’s huge bass, they tend to give a more intimate sound to their presentation but I do find the soundstage is pretty good and does sounds bigger than their competitors. Vocal’s placement is very good and they sounded right in front of you. Instruments placing sounded tonally correct with a lot of head room. Though it’s a little intimate, they possess an airy presentation giving music a big room feel to it. For the price, the soundstage is adequate and they give an enjoyable experience by being intimate and airy at the same time.
Separation and Timbre
Separation and timbre of the BIE is decent and it does not sound veil by any means. As being a single dynamic driver, everything sounded very coherent. Everything sounded thick and full of emotion without any muddiness and separation is the BIE strong criteria. Though it lacks performance in their micro detailing, it still sounded very clear with instruments and vocals. I can easily pick out instruments in classical music and vocals sounded very well layered even on busy tracks.
Drivability
Rated at a standard 32ohms with a 115db sensitivity, the BIE is easily driven with any source. With a decent DAC/amp, it scales up pretty well and it gives more resolution and detailing even with a simple dongle like the VE Odyssey HD for example. They are not picky with sources and they sounded great even with smartphones or laptops. I would stay away from bass-oriented DAC/amps as they might make the bass overpowering.
The Bass (Low)
The bass the BIE produces is jaw-dropping. It is big, boomy, deep and impact is very obvious without sounding veiled. They are very well tuned and they push out the bass with great authority along with a deep sub-bass performance that is packed with details. Though being boomy, no muddiness or veiling present in their bass presentation and they sounded very accurate. Some users might find it over-powering but I find it to be very enjoyable and it is a bold move from VE to provide such a unique tuning. With pure sounding earphones getting more common, VE has took the road less taken with this tuning and I find it very fun to listen to especially on jazz, hip-hop or EDM based music. It is a bass beast and bass-head will surely love this earphone.
The Mids
Mid performance on the BIE is slightly recessed and there is a slight emphasis on the mids to highs region giving the BIE a little push in their clarity. Details are decent in the mids but I do feel it lacks the micro details in their performance here. Macro detailing on the other hand sounded very clear and vocals sounded sweet with great emotions. The mids sounded vibrant, warm and smooth without any harshness or bleeding from the big bass the BIE offers. It is quite energetic and warm with a slight aggression in their midrange presentation without sounding too recessed or hollow.
The Highs
High range on the BIE has a slight emphasis to it being a V shaped earphone. It has great details and clarity present here without sounding harsh. A well burned in BIE sounded smooth and not shouty in their presentation. It is crisp and has a little sparkling signature in their treble giving an energetic vibe in the music played. It is a very enjoyable experience and it sounded quite airy in their highs. The treble emphasis making the BIE leaning towards a brighter side and it pairs well with the big bass it provides. Performance here is fairly good with decent air and details without sounding too peaky or hissy. Sibilant is slightly present but not apparent to the point that it causes fatigue. Overall, I do find the treble performance suits my taste as they are energetic and fun to listen to.
Comparisons
VS Tanchjim Tanya
Tanchjim entry budget earphone that sounded very smooth with a thick bass and laid-back sound profile. Clarity and resolution are better on the BIE. The BIE has a greater volume of bass and has a deeper sub-bass than the Tanya. Bass clarity is slightly better on the BIE and the bass on Tanya sounded more controlled. Mids on the Tanya has a better presence than the slight recessed mids of BIE but resolution in the mids of BIE is a tad better. Highs of the BIE is more present and forward than the more relaxed highs of Tanya. Soundstage on Tanya is slightly better with a better depth and height.
VS HZ Sound Heart Mirror
A well-loved earphone for their neutrality and high-resolution sound it provides coupled with a good price. The bass performance of the BIE obliterates the bass light sound of the Heart Mirror. BIE bass has a better body and impact versus the neutral bass of the Heart Mirror. Though the bass on the Heart Mirror is more accurate, it lacks the body and sounded less lively than the BIE. Mids performance of the Heart Mirror is better in their clarity, resolution and sounded more balanced. Highs on the Heart Mirror is smoother while the BIE highs is more energetic and has a better sparkle in their performance. Soundstage on the Heart Mirror is wider and slightly taller than the BIE. The Heart Mirror has a more accurate sound signature while the BIE is more fun and energetic.
VS Moondrop Quarks
The ultra-budget earphones, high-performance entry-level earphones from Moondrop, the Quarks. Being a harman target tuned earphones, the performance of the Quarks is better and more balanced but lacks the enjoyment found in the BIE. Bass on the BIE is bigger and better than the leaner bass of the Quarks. Mids on the Quarks is better with more forwardness and it has a better transparency. Highs on the Quarks sounded slightly peakier and at times a little shouty versus the smoother sparkling highs of the BIE. Soundstage on the BIE is better with better heights and width against the more intimate soundstage of the Quarks. Overall, the BIE sounded more fun and the Quarks sounded more accurate.
Source synergy
FiiO Q5 with AM3D THX amp module
FiiO’s DAC/amp coupled with a THX amp module. Clarity and details are pushed up a level. Mids sounded less recessed and more forward in their presentation with added details. Micro detailing has a better presence especially in the mids region. Highs sounded leaner on this setup but still retain a crisp sparkle. Bass on the other hand remain mostly the same but sounded more controlled and tighter. Soundstage on this setup is good as it widens up and gave a better height in their performance.
RHA L1 DacAmp
One of the only treble and bass adjustable DAC/Amp by RHA. With this setup I would turn the knob of the bass to be -1 and treble to stay at 1. With this setup, bass is more controlled and tighter with a more balanced signature. Sub-bass remains deep and impactful but with greater clarity. Mids thickens and has a better micro-detailing in their presentation. Highs remains sharp and sparkly with a smoother sound profile. Soundstage is bigger and has a deeper and wider performance. With this pairing, the BIE sounded sublime.
Avani/ XUMEE USB C dongle
A well received USD10 dongle that VE helped to bring in for Asia’ market. It houses an ALC5686 Realtek chip and sounded fairly neutral with great dynamics. Bass on this setup sounded a little more aggressive but still very controlled with added details. Mids has a better presence and thickness in the BIE. Resolution is also better with but the mids still sounded a little recessed. Clarity is better with this dongle and highs sounded more polished in their presentation. Soundstage sounded almost the same but vocals placement sounded more in front of you. Overall, a decent pairing for the low price.
VE Odyssey HD USB C dongle
The well-tuned and greatly implemented ALC4042 dongle by VE themselves and I do feel it is the best ALC4042 based dongle in the market both in sound and built quality. Bass on the BIE is more controlled and sounded smoother overall also retaining the high-quality bass of the BIE. Mids on this setup is one of the best pairings for the BIE in my opinion as they sounded more forward, thicker and has better details in their presentation of the BIE. Highs on the BIE sounded more polished and they sounded less sibilant than before. Highs also retained its crisp sparkle and performed better. Soundstage has a better depth and width making it sounded more accurate and holographic. Overall, a good pairing making BIE a more refined earphone and being ultra-portable as well.
Who Is It For?
The BIE managed to sound unique with its V-shaped tuning and voluminous bass. Bass-heads will surely find these earphones to be adequate and audiophiles, like me, will find these earphones very enjoyable as they sound just simply fun. Audio purist will find these earphones to be lacking as they lack in micro details and the bass is overwhelming at times. The BIE in my opinion is more for the enjoyment of the music played rather than to be critically listened to.
Final words
With the budget-oriented earphones arena, the BIE manage to stand out with their bold and very well implemented V-shaped sound signature. I do feel that the low asking price of this earphones is spot-on and they sounded very unique with their big quality and quantity bass presented without any bleeding to the midrange. Though their midrange sounded a little recessed but it manages to hold its quality with good clarity and details. The BIE sound slightly congested with busy tracks partly due to its big bass but I do feel that it is acceptable as they sounded very fun. Build of the BIE is very good for the price but the slight driver flex and middle nozzle ridge might be a problem for others. Overall, the BIE is now one of my go-to everyday carry work earphones and they are great.
I would rate this product a 
(4 / 5)
