ND Venus Review
Intro
This review and feature covers the ND Venus from ND Audio. I am new to the ND brand and was approached to check out this latest set a while back. The Venus is a single dynamic driver earphone and can be found in the ultra-budget space coming in at roughly $8-$10. So very low priced. I honestly know almost nothing about ND Audio other than a few sets that they have out in the market. That’s about it. However, I am certainly willing to figure things out the fun way, through listening and spending quality time with every set, one at a time. Again, today I have their Venus and I’m more than happy to report that the Venus is a certified beast in the ultra-budget category. I suppose I need to actually hear the Venus first.
Competition
I have a few sets in mind for some good competition for the Venus but one comes to mind right away. The KZ EDC Pro. I was supposed to review the EDC Pro, but the left side went out on me which was due to my dog deciding to make them a chew toy. So, I bought a second pair just to compare with the Venus. I can tell you right now that the EDC Pro is a bona-fide stud and so I’m very curious how well the two stack up to each other. However, I need to figure out what this set is all about first. So, I think I’ll give it a couple weeks of listening and get back to you all. With that I think I’m ready, see you in a couple weeks. The ND Venus…
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Venus Pros
-Build Quality for an $8 iem
-Design is pretty nice
-Nicely done V-shaped sound
-Deep and fun bass, punchy
-Non-fatiguing yet still energetic enough treble
-Wide stage
-Really a nice V-shaped set for the price
Venus Cons
-Slightly recessed midrange
-I can’t honestly count “Cons” over such a low priced set. No cons here.
-Cheap, but not a cheap sound. Not at all.
Gear used for testing
–iBasso DX240 with Amp8 MK2
Packaging / Accessories
Unboxing
I really don’t have a ton to say here. When conducting a review for an $8 iem I really don’t expect a whole lot. Nor should you. At any rate, the Venus does come in a package and so I’ll explain it. The box is actually quite small with a picture of some gears on the front and some specs on the back. Take off the outer sleeve and inside you’ll see the Venus staring back at you as they are sitting pretty in some plastic holders. Under the earphones is a picture of a Chinese dragon with the words “ND Audio [Enjoy Your Music]” imposed on a small box which houses the accessories. Inside that box you’ll see two baggies. One has the cable inside of it and the other has the eartips. And that’s about it. As one should expect.
Eartips
ND Audio provides three pairs of eartips within the packaging (S, M, L). The provided eartips are made of a gray silicone and come with a narrow bore. Now I don’t really feel these are the best eartips for this set, but they do work just fine. I have the luxury of having so many tips sitting around. I went through many tips but landed in some wide-bore tips which I feel gives percussion a hair more snap and adds some air to the mix. Those eartips are Letshuoer’s blue wide-bore tips. I honestly don’t feel this is a requirement at all and you should be more than good with the included tips.
Cable
Once again for $8 we really shouldn’t expect anything that amazing. That said, ND Audio did add in a black QDC 2-pin style SPC cable that ends with a 3.5 single ended jack. It should be noted that you can purchase the Venus with a mic set as well as a type-c DSP cable. So, it’s up to you but it’s nice to have some options. Anyways, the included cable is pretty thin, as expected but it also doesn’t have much microphonic effects either, so that’s good. Now, I also have the luxury of having many cables lying around. Furthermore, I needed to swap cables due to the fact that I have mostly balanced sources. So, I went with a QDC style Tripowin C8 cable which went nicely with the Venus. Of course, there really isn’t anything wrong with the included cable and it does the job it’s supposed to do.
Build / Design / Internals / Fit
Build / Design
The ND Venus is actually nicely made with an all-hard plastic build. The plastic used is completely transparent which is cool for seeing inside at the driver and such. Now, the Venus comes in four colorways to choose from: blue, black, silver, and green. The set in this review is the black set. However, it’s hardly black. I’d call it light brown with black here and there but who really cares. All the colors are pretty cool looking actually. You’ll notice on the faceplates are some gears which is a neat look. The Venus has QDC style connectors on top and the nozzles are about medium length. Not too short and not too long. Folks, for $8 I am happy with what ND was able to send out to market with this set. It’s nicely built and nice looking.
Internals
The ND Venus is a single dynamic driver earphone with a “self-developed” double magnetic moving coil and a Polymer diaphragm. I don’t know the size, but I assume it’s a 10 mm driver. Not really much more to report here, other than the fact that the Venus obviously uses some nice drivers. I did notice that ND stated that these drivers are a “new” generation and so they must be upgraded from something. I am sorry that I don’t know more. However, folks this is a very nice sounding earphone, and the drivers are most of the reason for that.
Fit / Comfort
The Venus carries the same style of shell as we’ve seen countless times before and I’m okay with that. The size, the fit, the comfort just works. For me the Venus is very comfortable as it sits perfectly nestled in my ears. Once you find tips which seal for you I would assume this set would fit you too. That said, I obviously don’t “know” this. So very comfortable, not too big, no sharp edges, and the Venus is made using skin friendly plastic resin. Really a nice fit.
Drivability / Pairings
The ND Audio Venus is rated with roughly a 26-ohm impedance and a sensitivity of 105 db’s. What this means is that the Venus is very sensitive. I can easily drive the Venus from any of my sources, even the weak ones. I even used my iPad for quite a while which brought on surprisingly good dynamics. Honestly, I feel that no matter what you have, the Venus will be perfectly fine. Of course, adding a hint more power does tighten things up a bit but don’t fret, you don’t need a ton of amperage to bring this set to its best fidelity. Most certainly a cheap dongle dac will suffice as far as power goes. I would always argue that you should at least try to pick up a decent Dongle Dac with any of your listening. Unless you have an LG phone with a quad dac. Then you are perfectly fine. Plus, certain pairings are better than others.
Pairings
I don’t want to go too hard on this because the Venus really sounds better than fine with most any source tonality. In my collection I have bright sources, and I have warm sources and every tonality in between. I think we go WAY TOO HARD in this hobby with “synergy”. The Venus has good “synergy” with most source tonalities. Of course, there will always be some which pair better per the person listening. Which is what this “pairings” section is all about. I can promise you that there isn’t one source which pairs the best. So, with all that said, just find a decent source that you enjoy. In fact, whatever you have is likely perfectly fine. Don’t worry about “pairing” with the Venus. ND did a nice job with this tuning and keeping it in the warm/neutral tonal coloration, which in my opinion means it’ll go with just about anything. Like any other warm/neural set.
What do you need?
You just need your ears, the Venus, and a source. Does it matter what that source is? Eh… not really. Whatever you have should be good. Be it a smartphone, iPad, iPod, dongle dac, dac/amp, dap… whatever is good. Just enjoy.
Sound Impressions
What’s it sound like?
The ND Audio Venus doesn’t play like an $8 iem. Let’s just get that out of the way. Now, I can tell you straight up that the Venus is a fun sounding set with more energetic than usual macro-dynamics. It’s fun, with a robust and bullish vibrance. Meaning, it’s in your face, without being… “in your face”. If that makes no sense, then I’ll have to try harder. I certainly hear a classic V-shaped sound, on the lusher side, weighted but clean for the bass emphasis. It’s also a smoother sounding set as well. To be perfectly honest I like what I hear in this fun iem. I really mean that folks. ND did a marvelous job crafting a set that will bring an awesomely engaging sound to those who cannot afford the latest and greatest. This makes me very proud to speak on and report. I want you to have good sound and not having a ton of money shouldn’t be the determining factor in that. We all deserve an opportunity to hear something great and sets like the Venus provide everyone that option. Of course, it’s appropriate to keep our expectations in line with the price but I find the Venus to be very nice considering its price. Still, if what you are after is fun in a guilty pleasure type of way, with enough rumble and boom in the bass, and enough energy in the treble to really help you move your feet then I think I have the set for you.
Condensed Sound Between the 20’s
So, the bass is very heavy and cleaner than you’d think for a more emphasized bass region. It isn’t too sloppy of a bass for $8. The midrange is pretty smooth with a thicker note weight. Not heavy handed and too thick, and not thin and anemic or dry either. Now, the midrange does have some recession due to the emphasis in the bass and treble, which should be expected. The treble is well established. Certainly, non-fatiguing but lifted enough to bring energy to the mix with decent extension. Detail retrieval isn’t going to blow your mind as the sound definitely sits in the musical side of the aisle. Separation is the same. You won’t get that distinct instrument separation. The stage is actually nicely wide and tall and fills out the sound field. However, depth leaves a bit to be desired. So layering isn’t great. However, for what you are paying the sound is really great. Just a classic V-shaped sound that is very fun and enticing. Obviously, I cannot compare the “good” I hear in this $7-$8 Venus to a $60 set, or a $100 set. It simply doesn’t measure up to those. Well, maybe some. But the point is that the Venus is very good for an ultra-budget iem and I think in terms of ultra-budget… It is very well done. Let’s take a slightly more in depth look at each area of the mix…
Bass Region
The low-end of the ND Venus has some gusto, some meat to it. It’s heavy handed, full, it can boom, and it is borderline basshead at times too. Of course, it can get a hair sloppier than something 5x its cost, but I have to say it is a clean bass for what it is. I’ve heard many sub $10 iems and rarely do I really “enjoy” the sound. Well, through the lens of a sub $10 set, I enjoy the sound. The bass can dig deep with a haptic style sub-bass and is actually pretty tight too for the overall quantity. Really not bad at all. The mid-bass has some good and hearty slam too. Nothing weak at all about this bass, nothing really pillowy either. I hear pretty good note definition for the price as well. I find the transient attack through decay is most certainly more organic, atmospheric and not as quick. More earthy, less concentrated and refined. However, I don’t get too many bloated resonances muddying up the low-end. At least not to a detriment. Now, certain tracks can come across a bit one-noted, but they are in very heavy bass jams. However, any other track with reasonable bass quantity is going to be reciprocated by the Venus. It’ll let you know; you can be sure of that.
Guilty pleasure?
I honestly find the bass region to be one of my favorite attributes about this set in a fun guilty pleasure type of way. The Venus was tuned with a very fun low-end yet not to the point of it becoming a serious problem. There is some definite bass bleed into the midrange as well. Despite that I also don’t find this to be a problem either. Again, a well-tuned low-end that I really feel many folks are going to love.
Nice job!
Kick drums have some weight and do come across pretty thunderous at times and depending on the track you are listening to. Now, you don’t have that concrete density of some more expensive sets, but I cannot complain even for a second of the output. Besides, there’s still a solid foundation and while the density isn’t up to more expensive sets, it’s also not soft at all, or pillowy and I don’t hear fuzz at the crest if every note. There’s still a nice clean edge in this region. Bass guitar has plenty of fullness as well and bass singers carry enough authority and low droning weight to sound authentic. Double bass has just enough of that guttural vibratory goodness as well to impact my music positively and satisfyingly. Nice job ND Audio!
Downsides to the Bass Region
If there was an issue it would be the output here. I mean, what are we really talking about here? This is an $8 iem for crying out loud! There are only so many different tuning choices at these prices. Usually they are more fun sounding, bigger bass sections and they usually can dig deep. What separates the Venus isn’t the output, or even the quality of the bass. But rather the thing which separates the Venus is how the low-end impacts the other frequencies or doesn’t. I suppose it all comes down to how you look at it. Anyways, yes, the bass is slightly larger in quantity but it’s nowhere near bass head and it’s nowhere near truly muddy. However, no doubt there are those who detest a larger bass and so that is something to consider. I think it’s great.
Midrange
Looking at the midrange I feel the Venus just about gets it right. I mean, for a bigger bass section and a slightly more emphasized treble, I don’t hear some huge recession. Yes, they are recessed to a degree, but vocals are still impactful and engaging enough. They aren’t forced into the nether regions of the mix or relegated to the background to the point of sounding muffled or boring. Again, they are actually quite good. Forward enough to sound very present and pleasant. This is a smoother midrange with just the right amount of bass bleed to come across slightly plump without any veil. This is awesome news folks. For $8 you can get a well-tuned set. I feel that the midrange is the bread and butter of any iem and the Venus does not disappoint. Obviously, there are sets which are tuned to be more mid-centric, more vocal-centric, more mid forward. Well, this isn’t that. The Venus is instead trying to be an ultra-budget all-rounder at a low cost, and I think they did a nice job in pulling that off. So, it’s smooth, and details don’t come jumping out at you. Instead, the Venus is propped up (in my mind) for its musicality, or for its ability to capture the listener for an easy listening session. Also, note weight is very nice. Not thin at all and definitely not dry. There’s some moistness there. Now, layering and separation aren’t the calling card of this set either. Again, $8. So please be aware that you aren’t getting some Kilo-Buck killer here.
Recession?
I actually feel that for the price the midrange is nicely melodic and a decent listen. Vocals of both male and female singers sound energetic enough, they actually have decent presence for a recessed V-shaped iem at $8. Without question they are a hint recessed and at times the bass will overshadow the midrange and mask some of those vocals and instruments. So, keep that in mind. However, I really don’t feel the recession seriously impairs vocals from sounding melodic and tuneful. Timbre is also more organic, natural sounding, and the sound as a whole is quite clean considering the tuning. What the Venus midrange isn’t; it’s not shouty (to my sensitivity anyways), it can be sibilant at times but more often than not it isn’t bad, and the sound isn’t overtly grainy or coarse sounding. Folks, for the price I cannot argue. We know we are getting a V-shaped set here, and you know they are going for fun first. That’s bass, and that’s treble. Two peaks with a valley in the middle. Let’s just say the valley is nowhere near as low and forgotten as some sets.
Downsides to the Midrange
I cannot honestly jot down issues in the midrange for this price. Besides, damn near every set in the price point is similarly tuned. Some sets just put it all together better than others within that price point. The Venus is one of them. I can definitely enjoy my sessions with this set and the mids are part of that. The sound has good vibrance yet isn’t shouty, it’s clean enough yet not analytical. It’s definitely a rendition of “musical”. However, the mids are slightly recessed (again, should be expected) and resolution isn’t going to win any awards. Detail retrieval is not going to be amazing, and separation of instruments is not going to feel rounded, distinct either, especially with heavier bass jams. Still, with all of that said, the mids are definitely nice. This is a well-tuned V-shaped sound for a very low cost.
Treble Region
This brings us to the highs. The upper region of the ND Venus is also dynamically balanced enough to offset the bass region fairly well. You get some slight shimmer, some sparkles, and some slight illumination of details in this region. Don’t expect every subtle inflection, finger slide, and every secondary harmonics to rise to the surface, but overall details are not bad by any stretch. Certainly, better than those other sets from other brands with screaming treble full of forced and false resolution which comes at the expense of our ears. The timbre is actually quite good. No oddities or sharpness, no shrillness and very little sibilance. That said, the Venus is certainly not for treble heads. I’d say the treble fits the tuning very well. Like I said, there’s some slight brilliance which shows up adding levity to the entire mix. I do hear some snap to percussion, some vibrant edge to strings too etc. To add to that, extension is decent as well. For instance, there are plenty of discernible Instruments out past 8k and even the secondary harmonics of a cymbal strike come with nice body and don’t come across splashy or tizzy. Perhaps treble notes are slightly less rounded than some sets, but they also don’t come across flat or dull. Which is pretty amazing for this price. Again, we do have to temper our expectations a bit with the Venus. However, I really enjoy how well ND was able to give just the right amount of treble lift to come across slightly energetic.
Downsides to the Treble Region
Of course, not everyone wants a lifted treble. Some only want warm and dark. I do think those folks are in the minority, but they exist. So those people probably won’t dig this V-shaped treble. Also, this isn’t the most refined treble experience, but I think we expect that. It’s simply good for what it is, and I think that has to be enough at this price. Plus, know what you are getting folks. This isn’t some nicely balanced iem. This is FUN! So please be aware of that. That all said, the treble is good. It adds levity to the mix, there’s some brilliance and the stage does become perceivably wider because of this treble emphasis. Not bad.
Technicalities
First off, the soundstage is actually quite wide. Certainly wider than average for the price. Depth isn’t the greatest though so don’t expect the best layering of sounds. Detail retrieval is not the best. You have a bigger bass section which does bleed into the mids. This makes the sound less streamlined, less airy and less resolute. The low-end can also mask over certain areas of the mix as well at times. All that said, I’d still say the Venus is average in illuminating details. Whatever “average” is. Ya know, so much is determined by the music you listen to, the source you use and some other variables as well. So when I say average I just mean… Not bad. Separation of instruments and voices is the same. Not at all bad but the Venus won’t force you to zero in on every distinct and clean line, or every single note. Imaging is about average as well. I can tell you this, the Venus is not some deep and perfectly layered set. It’s not that. Especially when a track gets a bit more complicated. However, I usually don’t have much issue spotting where instruments and voices are placed. They just aren’t glass lined and as clearly imaged as some more expensive sets. As you should expect from a musically tuned $8 V-shaped iem. I still maintain it is very good for the price.
Comparisons
KZ EDC Pro ($13)
I was going through different sets for comparison, and I actually have about 15 different sets which land in the $5-$15 range. However, I only had one that was really relevant in the KZ EDC Pro. Now, I was going to review the EDC Pro but like I said earlier in the review, my dog decided it was a chew toy. So, I picked another set up on Amazon specifically for this comparison. At any rate the KZ EDC Pro. Is a single dynamic driver earphone with what I believe is a 10 mm DD and I don’t know off-hand what the driver material is. At any rate it is their latest variation of the EDC series and in my opinion it’s their best. Let’s see what the differences are.
Differences
So, the build is pretty much on par with each other between the Venus and EDC Pro. Both made of plastic resin, both fairly hardy and seemingly durable enough. The size and shape are very much comparable between the two. Both are relatively ergonomic as well. I like the design of both sets and I’m not really partial to either. Perhaps I like the Venus a touch more, but both are nice for the asking price. Yet, the Venus feels slightly lighter. I do actually like the KZ included cable and tips a bit more but I’m splitting hairs with that statement for sure. Both sets scale a hair with more power, and both are among the best in their relative price points.
Sound Differences
To begin, the Venus has deeper and more authoritative bass. The EDC Pro is a hint less V-shaped and slightly more balanced than the Venus. I find that both sets are nicely smooth, and neither is a technical marvel. Both sets lean musical, and both are made more for fun. Both are a version of a V-shaped and both have emphasized bass. The midrange of the EDC Pro is less recessed and a hair better for vocals. However, the Venus is a hair more energetic, especially towards the upper mids. So, it’s really a question of what you prefer. The treble of the EDC Pro is ever-so-slightly less brilliant, less extended as well, and a hair more relaxed in general. Understand that these are very small differences here. Both are actually quite similar. I would say that the EDC Pro has better control of the treble range with slightly more body to notes. Both have nice treble regions for the price though. Technically the EDC Pro offers details a hair better just because of the increased bass presence in the Venus. Again, subtle differences. I do feel the stage sounds wider on the Venus.
Further thoughts on this comparison
At the end of the day the differences between these two sets are very small folks. Honestly, each one is fun, well-tuned, closer to organic timbre. Of course, the Venus has a tinge more color to it while the EDC Pro is probably closer to natural. However, both sets are very well done for such a cheap price.
Ratings (0-10)
Note: all ratings are based upon my subjective judgment. These ratings are garnered against either similarly priced sets or with similar driver implementations or styles with the unique parameters of my choosing. In the case of the ND Venus ratings below, that would be $5-$15 iems of any driver configuration. Please remember that “ratings” don’t tell the whole story. This leaves out nuance and a number of other qualities which make an iem what it is. A “5-6” is roughly average and please take into consideration the “lot” of iems these ratings are gathered against. $5-$15 US iems are a fairly large sized scope of iems. So, seeing a rating above a “9.0” should mean something. My ratings are never the same and each set of ratings tells a different story. Each time you read one of my ratings will be unique to that review. Basically, I create a Rating that makes sense to me.
Aesthetic
–Build Quality: 9.0 Not bad for $8.
–Look: 9.4 Cool looking design.
–Fit/Comfort: 9.6 Fit and comfort is great for me.
–Accessories: – – Accessories don’t matter at this price.
–Overall: 9.3🔥🔥🔥
Sound Rating
–Timbre: 9.2 Timbre is nice for a V-shaped budget set.
–Bass: 9.5 Big, extended, deep, it slams.
–Midrange: 8.5 Recessed but good note weight, musical.
–Treble: 9.1 Non-Offensive, yet pretty clean, extended.
–Technicalities: 6.8 Technicalities aren’t its strong suit.
–Musicality: 9.5 Musicality is very good.
–Overall: 8.8🔥🔥
Ratings Summary:
I’m not going to explain myself about these ratings above. Usually, I do for all of my reviews, but for an $8 iem I just don’t think the risk is very high if I get things wrong. I believe I got it right folks. I measured the Venus against any and all iems between the price of $5 and $15 US. That’s a larger scope than you may realize. I said in my review that I had about 15 sets in that range. Well, after the fact I found about 7 more. So, I busted all out and did my best to hear them all and rank them accordingly in each category. It usually takes me a good long bit, but I enjoy it. What I don’t enjoy is the fact that I have to rate anything… at all. I don’t believe that ratings are true indicators of how good or not good a set is. I really don’t trust anyone else’s ratings and I don’t think you should put a huge amount of stock in mine. So, I would take the above ratings with a grain of salt. Ratings never last, 6 months at the longest and they don’t speak of nuances and gray areas at all. Coincidentally, life is full of nuance and the gray stuff.
Is it worth the asking price?
This is an easy question to answer. The Venus costs less than it takes to purchase a hamburger, fries, and a coke at McDonald’s. Of course it’s worth it. In fact, I don’t even know why I’m keeping this section in this review. To be completely honest, I don’t know many other under $10 iems that are flat-out better than the Venus. If we are talking about V-shaped iems. I really don’t think there are any other that are leagues above this set. Now, you may be able to find older sets which were more expensive at one time marked down which may perform better… maybe. Now I’m not going to go through all the reasons as to why the Venus is worth the $8 to own. I think it’s pretty obvious. Just a very good starter set. If you like bass, if you like to jam out and you don’t need to hear every last detail. The Venus is a musical and fun set folks. Another thing, the Venus is a great “throw em’ in a backpack” type of set. A good set to not worry about while cutting the grass, doing chores, going running, and a thousand other activities. Honestly, for the price I cannot think of any reason this set wouldn’t be worth the $8 it takes to own it.
Conclusion
To conclude my full written review and feature of the ND Venus, I first have to thank the good people of ND-Audio for providing the Venus in exchange for a full review at Mobileaudiophile.com. Friends, it has been a pleasure discovering another very low priced iem that most anyone can afford. This is so very valuable to the great majority of our world. I know we like the expensive units, we like the flashy toys, the next big thing. I know because I too love more expensive sets. However, reviewing an $8 iem is not beneath me. Far from it actually. After all, is this hobby not about music? We all deserve to hear music in a satisfying way folks. Heck, there most certainly was a time when all I could afford was ultra-budget, and at that time if there was an ND Venus in the market, I would’ve been the happiest person around. Anyone can afford this set! So, how nice is it that the Venus actually sounds very great too. Again, if you enjoy a bigger bass, a fun sound, good energy and fairly clean to boot, then the ND Venus may be a set to put on your short list.
And thank you
Also, I thank you, the reader for taking your time to read this review. It means everything to myself and my partners at Mobileaudiophile.com. More clicks help tremendously as well as the amount of time you spend on our site. Without question, our goal is to help you make a purchasing decision. On top of that I know every member of mobileaudiophile.com loves to write about our passion. We do hope our opinions help you every time you click the link. So, thank you very much.
Other perspectives
As with every review I must ask that you please take some time to also check out other opinions on this set. Not everyone is going to agree with me. That’s just the truth. These are subjective thoughts folks. They are mine, for me. Yes, they are my absolute truth, but I definitely think it’s worth your while to listen, read, or watch other reviews of the Venus. With that said, I think I’m done. Please take good care, stay as safe as possible and always… God Bless!