Sound Impressions
The following sound impressions of the PLUSSOUND VOLTA SE were completed using a mixture of my main source, the Lotoo Paw Gold Touch, and the Questyle CMA18P Dac/Amp.
For the review, I paired the IEMs with the stock cable and Divinus Velvet ear tips, size L.
Summary
The VOLTA SE is no less impressive than the SONORA SE, the older sibling in the flagship lineup. Dropping a few drivers, however, does show up in the end result.
It comes off a bit less “purely technical” in comparison. But the trade-off is musicality, which is honestly the only less-focused piece I felt with SONORA SE. If you lean musical and you care about timbral accuracy on vocals and instruments, VOLTA SE is right there for you.
You get a slightly bigger bass shelf, but it is still detailed and textured. The midrange feels a touch fuller, more emotional, and better extended.
The treble is the calmer part. It does not poke at you, but it also does not make you miss details or shimmer. Overall, it is a different tuning, but it is still seriously impressive.
Technically, I do not feel like anything is missing. The stage feels spacious, separation is strong, and layering is solid.
However, this tuning is not trying to be a technical show-off first. It is clearly pushing the musical side. If you like a warm, full-ish presentation, this one is a delight for sure.
Bass
VOLTA SE’s bass comes in with real authority. It is the kind of low end you notice instantly, not because it is sloppy or overblown, but because it carries actual weight and pressure behind every note.
There is a deep, rumbling foundation that makes the presentation feel grounded, and it gives the low end a satisfying “floor-under-you” effect.
What makes it work is how balanced the bass feels despite the sheer quantity. You get that big, deep rumble, but the punch and body are not missing either. It is punchier and a little warmer than the SONORA SE’s bass, while still retaining a similar character.
Even with that heavy load of bass, it doesn’t smear into the mix or hide detail. Notes are easy to tell apart, even when the track gets busy.
You can follow bass lines without effort, and you hear the little shifts in texture and tone that many bass-forward sets gloss over. There is a clear sense of layering, so it is not just more bass; it is bass with structure.
Attack and decay feel well judged. The hits land with satisfying force, but they do not hang around long enough to blur the next note. That separation keeps the low end feeling tight and tidy, even when the music is asking for a lot of slam.
It is a basshead-leaning presentation in terms of volume and presence. You get the fun, the rumble, and the punch, without the bass turning into a bully.
I am not someone who lives for brain-rattling bass all the time, but I do enjoy it once in a while, and VOLTA SE lands right at that sweet edge of my tolerance.
Midrange
VOLTA SE’s midrange is the part that made me go, “okay… this is very musical.” It has that immediate naturalness that does not need brainpower to appreciate. Vocals come in a bit forward, a bit closer to you.
There is a sweetness there, but it is not syrupy or gooey. and more like the right glow and touch of emotion that makes you lean in.
What I also like is that it is not one of those sets where you push vocals forward, and everything else loses its body. The lower mids have proper meat.
Male vocals are dense, guitars and strings have that roundedness, and pianos do not feel like thin keys in the air. It feels filled in but not congested.
Details come out easily, but it does not have that sharp, etched thing to show you the detail. You hear little stuff naturally. It is more “real” than “microscope.”
And because it is smooth, you do not get that edgy glare when the track gets loud or busy. You can play anything and it just… works. That is the main reason it sucks you in.
There is also enough lift on top in the midrange to keep vocals open and expressive, so it does not sound sleepy or veiled.
Female vocals have that presence and extension, but stay controlled. No shout, no bite, no sudden sharpness. Just a nicely lit midrange that feels warm, detailed, and very easy to live with.
Bottom line: the midrange is music first, and it’s got sugar to hook you. If I am choosing purely on midrange tonality, my preference is clearly for VOLTA SE over SONORA SE.
The SONORA SE feels more reference-leaning to me, a bit more “correct,” but VOLTA SE feels more musical and more emotionally convincing.
Treble
VOLTA SE’s treble is smooth first, flashy never. It does not shove brightness at you to fake a sense of detail, and it does not do that sharp “look how crisp I am” thing either.
Instead, it keeps the top end even and sensible, so you can listen for hours without your ears tightening up. The nice part is that it still resolves very well. Details are there, just served more calmly. You hear details because it is clean and separated, not because it is exaggerated.
Cymbal hits and shimmer come through naturally. They have a proper strike, then a clean trail, without turning splashy. Treble notes also feel a bit fuller, not thinned out into wisps.
That gives instruments like cymbals, hi-hats, strings, and upper harmonics a more complete shape, rather than just a sharp outline.
Separation among the notes is strong. When a track has multiple things happening up top, VOLTA SE keeps them sorted instead of blending them into a single bright layer.
The trade-off is that the very top-end air is a touch muted. You still get openness, but it does not stretch into that ultra-ethereal, endless-air kind of presentation. For this tuning, I actually think it works.
With the bigger bass and that musical, forward midrange, a more restrained treble keeps the whole thing coherent. It stays fun and lively, but it does not tilt into fatigue. The result is a treble that supports the signature instead of trying to steal the show.
Staging & Dynamics
VOLTA SE is not chasing a huge stadium stage. Width is not the headline here. But it still feels spacious because the depth and height are genuinely good.
You get that front-to-back layering that stops everything from piling up in your face, and the vertical room helps the mix breathe. So even if it is not the widest set around, it never feels boxed in.
Layering is one of the stronger parts of the technical package. On complex mixes, you can tell what is meant to sit upfront and what is sitting behind it.
It is not just separation for the sake of “clean.” It helps you follow the arrangement. This is the kind of thing that works well with jazz, live recordings, and anything with subtle positional cues.
Imaging is tight. Each instrument has clear outlines and sits where it is supposed to sit with good confidence. Left-right cues are easy to lock onto.
Dynamics are strong too, especially on the macro side. The low end plays a big role here. When a track swings from calm to loud, VOLTA SE does not blur that jump. Soft passages stay soft, and then the set ramps up quickly when the music asks for it.
It is not just louder; it is more physical and more contrasty. That sense of “impact shift” is what makes it exciting.
Resolution is very good. It is not the most razor-edged, microscope-style set where every tiny detail is pushed forward aggressively.
If anything, it could pop details a bit more incisively. But because the tuning is smooth and musical, the way it presents detail feels natural and easy. You still hear plenty. It just does not shove it at you. And honestly, for long listening, that balance makes a lot of sense.
Synergy
Efficiency
The VOLTA SE has an impedance of 10Ω at 1 kHz and a sensitivity rating of 109 dB/Vrms. It is easy to drive from most sources, from small dongles and smartphones to compact DAPs.
It also scales up nicely, so it can take more power without getting shouty. With a good source, it sounds wide and spacious. The sound stays stable and confident even on desktop amplifiers.
On my Lotoo PAW Gold Touch, it takes more than 35 volume steps to reach a comfortable listening level. I found it pairs better with a neutral-leaning source than a warm one. I would not enjoy a source that pushes the warmth further with the VOLTA SE.
Source Pairings
LPGT is a good match with VOLTA SE as it just lets the tuning do its thing. The presentation stays clean and true to VOLTA SE’s character, and that matters because this set already has plenty of bass on tap. With LPGT, the low-end hits hard and deep, but it stays tight enough that it never turns into a blur.
I genuinely feel that if the source pushes even more bass, VOLTA SE can start tipping into boominess, and that is not what you want.
On LPGT, the bass feels big but still controlled. Texture is easy to catch, bass lines are well separated, and you can follow the notes.
Midrange stays clear and smooth. Vocals come through with good presence, a bit forward and engaging. Treble stays polite but detailed. It does not get sharp, and it does not force detail at you, but you still get clean cymbal strikes and natural shimmer.
The last bit of air is not the main highlight of VOLTA SE anyway, so the LPGT’s clean, controlled approach suits it. Stage width is appreciable, but depth and height come through better.
On the Questyle CMA18P, the character stays in the same general lane, but the whole presentation feels a bit more energized. It still keeps things clean, but you can hear the top end come alive more.
Treble gets a little extra lift and bite, which makes small details pop out better, and that can be a nice match if you want VOLTA SE to sound a touch more open.
The extra power also helps with dynamics, which feel stronger. The stage feels a bit more open overall. CMA18P may not be as detailed as the LPGT, but it is not a night-and-day change.
