Comparisons –
See Audio Bravery $279): The Bravery is a far more coloured in-ear though, unfortunately, I did not have the more comparable Yume on hand. The Bravery, nonetheless, is a fun earphone. It has more perceived bass than the Volume with a noticeably warmer voicing. The Volume has a deeper-extending and more weighted sub-bass with a noticeably cleaner, tighter mid-bass above. The Bravery has a fuller punch and is slightly more textured and responsive despite having less separation. The midrange is more forward on the Volume and has a brighter character. The Bravery picks up more colouration from its bass and its midrange itself is quite coloured too.
Altogether, it has warm, full-bodied and high-contrast expression with simultaneous lift to clarity and articulation. The Volume sounds more natural and linear, but the Bravery is more engaging for those preferring a warmer, glossier and more laid-back vocal presentation. The treble response is sharper and more coloured once again on the Bravery and it has a bit more mid-treble bias. While its transient response is even sharper than on the Volume, it does sound rather thin and perhaps over-sharpened. The Volume has more note body and texture, sounding more faithful in general while the Bravery is crisper and more energetic with slightly better extension. The Bravery also has a wider soundstage but the Volume has noticeably sharper imaging which makes it a more complex sounding in-ear overall.
Fiio FD5 ($300): The Volume and FD5 measure strikingly similarly with the chief difference being a bit more bass warmth on the FD5 and a hair more treble presence on the Volume. The FD5 appears to have slightly more bass overall while the Volume sounds tighter and cleaner. The FD5 has a more weighted sub-bass slam and a more pressurised attack altogether making it the more fun and dynamic performer. Meanwhile, the Volume is quicker decaying giving it a slight edge on separation and detail retrieval. Similar qualities extend to the midrange which is almost identically tuned on both but carries over qualities from the bass.
This means the FD5 carries a bit more warmth and body giving it a more forgiving quality while the Volume is slightly thinner and clearer with greater definition and vibrancy. The FD5 sounds a hair more laid-back giving it a light u-shaped character. It sounds slightly more articulate and glossier by comparison while the Volume has more of a vocal focus. The FD5 has a slightly more isolated lower-treble bump while the Volume sounds a hair more even and well-bodied. The Volume has a slightly more detailed, defined note presentation while the FD5 has a bit more headroom. The FD5 has a larger stage in all axes owing to its semi-open design. The Volume meanwhile has sharper imaging and better separation.
Moondrop Blessing 2 ($320): The Blessing 2 is the earphone to beat around this asking price and has been a staple recommendation since its release. Compared to the Volume, the design is showing some age as the cheaper Soft Ears model proves to be slightly superior in terms of technical performance. The tuning is a matter of preference, however, as the Blessing 2 is still slightly more balanced to my ears. It has a slightly warmer bass and a slightly more coherent midrange. On the flip side, its upper-midrange has a bit more shoutiness and its lower treble is thinner.
The Volume has slightly less bass overall but a better-quality bass with greater definition and quicker decay. Similarly, the midrange is slightly more revealing, one step thinner and one step more vocal forward. Yet, these are counteracted by upticks in density and lower-treble smoothness and higher resolving power. The treble is slightly more defined on the Volume with a little more body and air. The Blessing 2 retrieves a hair more fine detail and layers better. The Volume has a rounder stage with better separation while the B2 is wider with slightly more immersive imaging.
Soft Ears RSV ($730): The RSV is a slightly more balanced monitor and, despite an all-BA setup, provides a powerful and robust bass. The Volume has a bit more sub-bass pressure and rumble at the very bottom but the RSV hits harder with a far more assertive attack and punch. The RSV has s slightly thicker and more present bass while the Volumes is cleaner. The RSV has better bass definition and is much more textured and responsive. The midrange is slightly more present on the Volume and it has a thinner, more revealing character. The RSV is a touch more articulate but has greater body and a hint more warmth that makes it sound more refined and forgiving. The Volume has greater clarity and separation in return, but also lacks the same linearity.
The RSV has a better treble response in general. Its treble is slightly more present but more linear too. It has more initial bite and a faster, more defined note presentation. Treble is noticeably more complex and separated on complex passages. The RSV has more note body and texture too. It extends much better delivering more background detail retrieval and headroom. This gives it a larger soundstage and more layered, immersive imaging too. However, the overall experience is not exceedingly dissimilar between the two tonally, it is primarily small refinements here alongside a healthy technical bump that justifies the higher asking price making the RSV the better all-rounder.
Verdict –
Much like the Blessing 2 when it was first released, the greatest accolade I can appoint the Volume is that it made me forget I was listening to a $285 earphone. It’s balanced, beautiful and technically accomplished across the board leaving little room for complaint. As usual, a lack of weakness shouldn’t be mistaken for the best performance in all aspects as this is simply not the case. Soft Ear’s own RSV for instance handily outdoes the Volume in terms of detail retrieval. And yet, the hybrid driver setup does provide many merits as does the new, more comfortable design. I should note that those wanting absolute linearity may still enjoy the B2 more due to its more coherent nature. However, the Volume does manage to be a little more engaging without sacrificing much in the way of timbral accuracy or tonal transparency which is no small feat – especially for such an affordable in-ear. Indeed, it lacks the sub-bass power, sparkling highs and wide-open soundstage of a high-end IEM, however, the Volume is a disgustingly strong proposition at its asking price.
The Volume is available from HiFiGO (International) for $285 USD at the time of writing. I am not affiliated with HiFiGO or Soft Ears and make no earnings from purchases through these links.
Track List –
Billie Eilish – dont smile at me
Bob Seger – Night Moves
Courtney Barnett – Rae Street
Cream – Wheels of Fire
Dire Straits – Communique
Dirty Loops – Next To You
Eagles – Hotel California
Elton John – Honky Chateau
Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
H.E.R – I Used To Know Her
Jasen – BYE
John Mayer – Continuum
Kanye West – Ye
Missy Higgins – The Sound of White
Radiohead – OK Computer
TALA – ain’t leavin` without you
The Beatles – Abbey Road
The weeknd – After Hours
Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride
