Marcus reviews the Vision Ears VE ZEN, a new custom format version of the company’s previous VE10 hybrid dynamic and BA driver universal IEM. It is currently priced at €3,000.00.
Disclaimer: This was sent as a sample in return for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or services. I would like to thank the team at Vision Ears for their support.
Click here to read more about Vision Ears products I have reviewed on Headfonics
Note that this article follows our latest scoring guidelines, which you can read in more detail here.
The Vision Ears VE10 is dead, long live the king, or at least the black sheep flagship of the old VE lineup, along with its custom stalwarts VE2, through to the VE8.
Everything has changed at Vision Ears, not least the nomenclature of their Custom Series lineup, with new names such as VE XCON, VE PRO, and VE PURE replacing them; models you will see reviewed by me very soon.
The €3,000 VE ZEN is the flagship custom model of this revamped series. It directly replaces the VE10, which seems logical, as it was the only universal format IEM in an otherwise all-custom lineup.
And when I mean it directly replaces, it is actually the VE10 in a custom shell. In case you are worried, Vision Ears still retains the VE10 universal format, but is now separated from the custom series and branded the VE ZEN 10th Anniversary Edition.
Features
The premise here is quite simple. Take the winning formula from the VE10 sound signature and bottle it inside an attractive, perfectly fitting custom resin shell, complete with an attractive new design.
And yes, it is the VE10’s hybrid 10 driver combo that gets the nod. That’s a single 8mm dynamic driver combined with an acoustic low-pass and 9 balanced armature drivers, 8 of which are 4 duals and 1 super tweeter.
Using a 5-way crossover, the precise diver configuration is the 8mm dynamic driver for the lows, two dual BAs for the low/mids, a dual for the mids, another for the mid/highs, and the super tweeter for the ultra-highs.
The one significant addition to the VE ZEN’s acoustic design is a pressure relief valve, or PRV for short, which is integrated into the faceplates and is designed to create the correct pressure balance in the shells.
The VE ZEN is rated at 8.4Ω @1kHz with an SPL of 118.6 dB @100mV @1KHz. Like the VE10, this is a relatively sensitive in-ear monitor that should pose no driving issues when paired with dongles and DAPs. No special amplification is required.
Design
With the launch of the updated Custom Line Series, Vision Ears has taken the opportunity to also upgrade a lot of their available design options via a snazzy new website configurator.
There are now no less than 15 shell designs and an incredible 58 face plate options to choose from. This particular VE ZEN sample features a midnight main shell with a translucent, smoky finish, topped with their new Obsidian Gold faceplate.
It’s a very harmonious design, and an approach I always prefer with custom designs. The plate design appears to be set on a similarly smoky base color, so it doesn’t have an awkward two-tone finish, despite the Obsidian Gold design being restricted to the plate surface area.
Looking at the finished article, it is also very similar to what you will see from the online configurator, which is very important considering the cost of the VE ZEN.
The aesthetic consists of a low-profile main body tastefully adorned with a mix of gold and black flakes and completed with the VE Logos on top in gold.
It’s also a design that reminds me a little of the complex fibrous designs from Unique Melody’s MEST MKII finish.
The VE ZEN form factor isn’t huge for a custom design, well, at least not JH Audio Layla or Jolene huge. Since the shells are constructed almost entirely from resin save for the vent, it’s also quite light in weight.
Comfort & Isolation
Along with Unique Melody, Vision’s custom shell comfort levels and precise fittings are world-class.
It’s not just how well the VE ZEN slides into the ear canal, but also the amount of pressure applied to the ear canals to ensure they stay secure and enhance the level of passive isolation.
The VE ZEN nozzles are elongated to the tip as opposed to round, and perhaps slightly to the tall side dimension-wise, though that could simply be my digital scans dictating that final shape.
Whatever the reason, the envelope almost the entire cavity of my ear canal right down to the 2nd bend, creating a supreme level of passive isolation for a hybrid vented design and excellent levels of comfort in the process.
The VE ZEN shells are rock steady, super comfortable, and isolate almost to the level of all-BA non-vented shells.
The recently reviewed UM Maven II Crescent is on par for passive isolation, but to acquire that, the nozzle is even longer, a drum tickler, as I call them. They also weigh a lot more courtesy of those gorgeous titanium shell materials.
Other competing models, such as the FIR Audio Krypton 5, are equally as comfortable, but due to their unique vented driver/shell design, they are less effective in low-frequency passive isolation.
Stock Cable
The VE ZEN’s stock cable is their premium upgrade cable, which has a composition similar to that of the Titan cable that came with the VE10, but finished in a darker smoky tone.
This is a 21AWG silver-plated over 6NOCC copper with a Golden ratio and custom Litz structure geometry that retails for €200 on the Vision Ears website.
This is a 4-wire creation with a slight increase in girth, courtesy of its 21AWG wire size and a softer, cushion-like PVC jacket.
Externally, the VE ZEN stock cable is finished with a 3.5mm plug by default, featuring 0.78mm connectors on the other end, and includes a cyberpunk-themed splitter from the VE10, all finished in black with VE branding. You can also get a 4.4mm termination for an additional €120, which is the version I have here.
This cable handles well with minimal microphonics and memory retention. The braided finish, combined with the soft PVC jacket, gives the cable a nice supple feel in the hand and is not too heavy for daily use.
Packaging & Accessories
I am not too sure if it is because I got an early review sample, but the packaging was for the VE ZEN 10th Anniversary edition with a VE ZEN sticker in the corner.
I understand, however, it’s virtually impossible to create a box that will always replicate the design chosen by the customer, but perhaps a dark outline of a custom shell would be more appropriate.
The inclusion of a set of ear tips along with custom shells provided a brief chuckle, but it does go back to my point that just a little more thought into a bespoke custom version for accessories would help. This is something VE was well known for years ago.
Aside from that, the little magnetic latch leather case is the perfect size for the cable and shells, and it does help that the shells are packed with those popular mesh pouches to keep them safe from damage.
Aside from the case and pouches, you also get your VE ZEN warranty card, a bottle of VE cleaning fluid, and a soft cleaning cloth, all neatly tucked into a clean box presentation display.
Click on page 2 below for my sound impressions and recommended pairings.
