Venture Electronics BIE Review

Venture Electronics BIE

Sound – Comparison

 

It’s a shame we don’t have the standard version of the Bonus IE here to compare our unit with, as it with the different cable and single ended termination might sound quite different. It’s also quite a bit cheaper, so it could in fact be very impressive if it sounds anything like this version.

To compare the Bonus IEM with, I have selected three single dynamically driven universal IEMs which are in the same price class: The Meze Audio Rai Solo ($249), the Etymotic ER2SE ($100) and the Akoustyx R-210 ($120). The source for comparison is the Astell&Kern SP2000 and the VE copper cable is being used for all except the Etymotic (different connector, so it’s single ended).

The Meze Audio Rai Solo (with foam tips) doesn’t have the same nice fit as it’s rather heavy and sounds very different. What you notice here first are the upper mids and especially the treble region, which sound more forward. The Rai Solo has light bass and there is little body from lows to highs. Bass itself is tight and fast, but it is very neutral and humble in presence. The vocals here stand out even more than in the Bonus IE. The presentation is nicely airy, spacious and very energetic, but it doesn’t really work well together for me. Matty was surprised with the Rai Solo’s tuning, and so am I.

Venture Electronics BIE

The Akoustyx R-210, on foam tims, is tiny and light and it’s even more comfy than the Bonus IE. The R-210 sounds neutral and balanced/linear. It comes with great clarity, precision and excellent articulation. The R-210 extends really well for just one driver and especially the width, spaciousness and separation are really good. The depth and layering aren’t the R-210’s strongest point, but it’s at the same level as the BIE. Technically I would give the edge to the Akoustyx. It’s also more balanced and linear while it still has great bass, musical mids and energetic treble.

The Etymotic ER2SE out of these is the most neutral and spacious sounding one. The ER2SE’s bass presence is light, though it has great quality. For me personally I prefer a little more bass. Anyway, if you want linearity, clarity and precision in a balanced and flat way, the ER2SE is your IEM. It’s a very different kind of sound compared to the Bonus IE, two IEMs for two very different types of listeners.

Venture Electronics BIE

Conclusion

Venture Electronics stands for quality and value. What they did with the VE Monk got them a lot of fans and success and they have been building on that ever since.

With the BIE aka the Bonus IE(M), they now have a nice follow-up budget IEM. At $20 USD the entry version probably drops as much jaws as the Monk earbud. At $158 with the upgraded cable and copper-like finish, the BIE still is a good value IEM that holds its own against the competition.

If you like a more v-shaped IEM and don’t care about using better/balanced cables, I would suggest starting with the $20 USD standard version of the BIE. For those who like balanced outputs (like me) and who like using nice aftermarket cables, the $158 USD version is the one to look at.

Or you could just get both.

 

4.2/5 - (79 votes)
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Lieven is living in Europe and he's the leader of the gang. He's running Headfonia as a side project next to his full time day job in Digital Marketing & Consultancy. He's a big fan of tube amps and custom inear monitors and has published hundreds of product reviews over the years.

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