DISCLAIMER: Vision Ears provided me with the VE7 in return for my honest opinion. I am not personally affiliated with the company in any way, nor do I receive any monetary rewards for a positive evaluation. I’d like to thank Vision Ears for their kindness and support. The review is as follows.
Vision Ears is a name many in the industry associate with craftsmanship, precision and finesse, and that’s rightly so. The German brand have consistently produced monitors that look and feel as lavish as they sound, and it’s garnered them a great deal of praise throughout the community. We recently covered their 6-driver EVE20, which, among a sea of hybrid designs and alien driver tech, made the best of balanced armatures through sheer tuning. And, today, Vision Ears aim to repeat that feat with their new VE7: An all-BA, 7-driver IEM that shines solely through coherence, balance and technique.
Vision Ears VE7
- Driver count: Seven balanced-armature drivers
- Impedance: 12Ω @ 1kHz
- Sensitivity: 116dB @ 1mW @ 1kHz
- Key feature(s) (if any): N/A
- Available form factor(s): Universal and custom acrylic IEMs
- Price: €1850
- Website: www.vision-ears.de
Packaging and Accessories
As far as unboxings go, the VE7’s is as classy and clean as always. Since I last reviewed one of their non-flagship customs, VE have actually updated the packaging to now include this black, cardboard enclosure. It does make the package look a lot more premium, especially with all its details throughout. The metallic VE print on top actually has a holographic effect to it, which glimmers green when hit with light. And, the glossy VE pattern on the side pops stunningly against the matte-black too, while remaining subtle and sleek all the while. As usual, packaging is one instant masterclass from Vision Ears.
The box opens via a magnetic latch, where you’ll continue to find tiny details like Handcrafted in Cologne and a drawing of the cityscape in gloss-black on the inside of the lid; again, gorgeous touches that’ll add to the unboxing. Moving onto the contents, you’ll see a signed, personalised greeting card from Vision Ears thanking you for your purchase. Then, beneath it is the VE7’s included case, as well as a bottle of VE’s cleaning solution. It’s all supported by plain cardboard. Foam likely would’ve looked and felt better for me here. But, in the end, it isn’t necessary, given the padding already inside that case.
This VE7’s metallic case is incredibly rigid, as it always is. And, it’s roomier than your usual puck cases are too, which will allow it to carry the accessories we’ll list later on. VE have actually omitted the metallic clasp and equipped this case with a magnetic sealing system instead. I think either will hold up perfectly well. The finishing on this case isn’t the cleanest in the world, though. The paint job isn’t flawless, and there are a couple glue marks here and there too. But, considering it’s a case that’s going to suffer lots of wear-and-tear anyway, they’re negligible flaws to me. Finally, while mine here is blank, you’re free to engrave whatever artwork you want on your case when you get your VE7. It’s what I did for my VE6XC, and you could even request complex graphics like comic book or manga spreads, which VE have previously done in the past.
The accessories inside the case include the following:
1x VE sticker
1x VE badge
1x 1/4” adapter
1x microfibre cloth
2x sets of desiccant
1x instruction manual
1x in-ear cleaning tool
1x leather carrying pouch
To me, this is about as complete as an accessory set can truly get. VE, as usual, go above-and-beyond for the extras, and they include tons here that a lot of brands should really learn from. I particularly appreciate how well-illustrated and in-depth the manual is, and I love the look and feel of this pouch too. The fact that it seals with a magnetic clasp is a bonus. All in all, VE aced packaging and accessories like they always have, and I’d love to see more efforts like this industry-wide.
Customisation, Build and Fit
Vision Ears make customisation a breeze with the their online configurator. It’s in the style of Custom Art or Empire Ears’ designers, which utilise 2D renders, rather than 3D models like JH Audio’s widget, or real-life photography like 64 Audio’s tool. But, it should nevertheless give you a very good representation if what your IEMs will eventually look like. And, they let you upload your own custom artwork onto their previews too. In terms of options, Vision Ears offer quite a selection:
16 transparent shells and faceplates
14 wood faceplates
15 sparkle faceplates
22 special faceplates (which include abalones, carbon fibres, pearls, etc.)
14 mirror faceplates
5 premium faceplates (which includes the VE7’s signature Fire Blaze design)
Beyond those options, you can then engrave your own artwork in an array of colours or add one of Vision Ears’ metallic logos, which come in 5 different shades as well. For my unit, Vision Ears applied this VE7’s signature design, which you’ll see on all the VE7’s universals. I personally love the look a ton. The contrasts between all the oranges, blues and greens are incredibly exciting, and the holography of the faceplate is striking too. To me, the one let-down here is the Fire Blaze faceplate comes at an extra €65-per-side for the custom VE7. It’s meant to be its signature faceplate, so I would’ve loved to see it offered as a free bonus. But, at the same time, it’s a material that likely isn’t cheap on VE’s part, so it is what it is.
The exact same moulds used to build my VE6XC and my ELYSIUM were used to build my VE7, so the fit on this CIEM is as superb as always. The canals on them are also trimmed slightly shorter, which feels more comfortable to me. Vision Ears tend to trim their customs a bit sleeker, so they aren’t as bulky as, say, 64 Audio or JH Audio’s CIEMs, which tend to press outward slightly. These more so just fill your ears, but they do so very smoothly, and very precisely too. In terms of build, Vision Ears, again, continue their flawless streak. The faceplates seal seamlessly, and everything from 2-pin connector to canal is machined just as precisely. Then, finally, lacquerwork on them is perfect too; not a rough edge or blotch in sight.
The post Vision Ears VE7: The Control Room – A Custom In-Ear Monitor Review first appeared on The Headphone List.
