I\O Audio Volare IEM Review – High Fashion, Low Impedance to Bliss
In this Article
INTRO
I\O Audio Volare introduces itself as a new brand IEM priced in what I consider flagship territory at $599 although that price bracket keeps shifting ever slightly upwards as brands try to dig deeper into audiophile pockets. The logo design at first glance looks like No (I\O) Audio, but do not despair as these are true spectacles for ear enjoyment.
Elevated velvety quick bass with unrestrained midrange and gorgeous accentuated treble lifts the spirits and makes listening so enjoyable. To classify this as just another Harman tune would be doing a disservice to the I\O Audio Volare, its closer to diffuse field with sub-bass boost. This is another set that can easily ruin your experience with constant mid-price or budget earphones side-grades. Ignorance would no longer be bliss.
COMFORT / ISOLATION
The universal semi-custom shell of the I\O Audio Volare is large and protruding. It lacks a nub to grab the antihelix and as a result fits semi loose in the Cymba concha area. The BGVP DM9 and Moondrop Blessing Dusk 2 both have this extra nub to aide in stabilization. having said that, passive isolation is still pretty good at attenuation.
PACKAGE CONTENTS
In typical premium packaging fashion, the I\O Audio comes nestled inside an oversized cube, easy shipping be damned. It opens like a jewelry box, or also reminds me of my Snap-On tool box with the folding cover that neatly hides the unsuspected drawers full of “tools” and accessories.
The huge leather case sits atop 3 drawers of accessories, first one filled with the 8 core braided cable that must be connected to the earphones. I get the sense we are dressing up the earphones as we go. Very high fashion experience, and not to be skipped the 4 connections options, 3 plug screw-on ends in 2.5mm balanced, 4.4mm balanced, 3.5mm traditional single-ended. The screw on mechanism is a nice addition, except the sharp edges of the prongs also feel fragile even though they are metal.
Drawer two reveals 5 different sets of eartips, non-descript other than some model numbers that must have some sort of meaning to designers or engineers with a short letter designation followed by a two digit number.
Drawer three showcases the manual and the 6.35mm adapter that did not fit into the first drawer. Normally in typical arrogance I would discard the manual, but I wanted to see if they described the eartips. Unfortunately no verbiage existed to highlight the differences. We will have to use our imagination.
The I\O Volare eartip physical description is as follows, all have flimsy or soft outer shells:
- IO-TW45 = Wide nozzle, thick full length stem that is squishy providing some absorption of pressure
- IO-TW43 = Wider nozzle, thinner but firm stem, the eartip is physically longer
- IO-TT55 = Thinner nozzle, thinner full length stem with a stop midway to reduce exit diameter and prevent eartips from slipping past designed placement, and has the same length and shape as the TW43.
- IO-ST50 = Medium nozzle diameter with a recess around the exit , thin full length soft stem
- IO-F49 = Smooth texture hard firmness, slow rebound foam in a U shape
Good news is that all the I\O Audio Volare eartips are easy to attach and do not slide off. The TT55 tames some extra treble energy and adds some mid-bass grunt. TW45 lets more air through in the upper treble and lets the bass breath a sigh of relief feeling less constrained. The difference between the TW45 and TW43 is minor, but I sense extra tightness in the bass punch with the TW45.
The ST50 eartips increase the upper midrange awareness while softening the treble. They were too firm for my tastes, and put extra pressure on my ears. Sizing down did not help as one ear would not seal. Regardless they cleaned up the treble and provided an even cleaner resolution for the upper treble zing.
Apparently there are name brand shells, and the I\O Audio Volare chose to use 3D printed medical grade resin shells made by Heygears. They tout tight tolerance levels and precision, and the engraved looking faceplate design nestled below a clear polished top coat is unique and striking accentuated by the metallic speckle paint.
Inside the IO Audio Volare we find a hybrid tri-way 8mm dynamic BA, EST configuration. Weirdly they call out a 4 way electronic, 3 way physical crossover. There are two physical resistive dampers installed in the openings that I can see, and one exit appears unimpeded. If I had to guess the 4-way electronic crossover is split between the dynamic, one for each pair of BA drivers, and then the EST drivers.
The 8mm dynamic is a blend of silica gel suspension and birch wood dome to deliver a warm and inviting bass experience. The BA drivers are claimed to improve timbre matching which is odd, because most folks in our circle will have you believe BA’s are not known for their timbre qualities, but instead their resolving and efficiency capabilities. The EST cover that dynamic and extended top end that some of us crave if our hearing still supports it.
The 8 core cable with its soft and pliable braid flexibility feels premium, nearly 8.5 out of 10 thinking of all the cables I have seen over the years. Instead of a pedestrian left of right connection marking, sticking to brand on point left is marked by an “I” and right by an “O” on both plug and shell. In case you miss the subtlety of these markings, they also put a red o-ring for the right pin connection. The chin slide is more for decoration than usability, it takes great effort to wrestle it up or down the cable.
Tested with SMSL SU-9+HO100, SMSL DO400, LG G8, HIDIZS S8 Pro, Hidizs S9 Pro Plus.
SOUND
The I\O Audio Volare is a difficult load in that it might trip up high voltage amps and dongles due to the low impedance, however I did not have issues with anything not powering them. It seems the bass required good current output and some dongles sounded underpowered despite being rated with plenty of power for 32 ohms earphones. The SMSL DO400 really extracted every ounce of goodness, and I lost some of that control and clarity with the lower powered dongles.
The super low impedance was rated at 4.8 ohms, but I actually measured around 3.3 ohms for the bass region, the lowest I have ever seen. I have never seen a headphone amp/dongle specifying power at < 16-32 ohms, so we are in uncharted territory. Nothing shut down, however I cannot help but wonder if current limiting kicks in at some point.
Bass is luscious and velvety with proper snap and low end fullness. The smaller driver has good control and while still giving plenty of haptic rumble without tickling or feeling over pressured. I\O Audio claims their dynamic driver is able to cut distortion in half. In comparison to what exactly we do not know, but from what I do know it sounds delicate and clean nonetheless. The Yellowjackets Angelina stand-up bass blooms tightly while the piano keys can also be distinctively felt as if someone is playing in the room.
The trumpet sounds lifelike and standouts out in front as you can tell the piano and bass are further back. Cymbal hits and rendered with every tink and shimmer. Everything with lots of high frequency content just shines and sounds controlled and resolution is phenomenal. Pink Panther by Henry Machini is an utter delight with all the triangle strikes sounding real unique and not washed out. Cymbal work and hi hats are rendered in high definition without sounding too damped or too sharp.
I have to agree with I\O audio’s own description of bright and smooth timbre at high frequencies. EST drivers are my new favorite for treble reproduction, and while the full design is ultimately responsible for the final product, my two favorite treble reproduction IEMS both utilize them. It displaces anything I have that contains planar drivers.
Midrange is not to be forgotten, I applaud the staging placement of the midrange as nothing sounds too forward and the entire stage is presented at a favorable distance from the listener. The I\O Audio Volare provides vocal exceptionalism with plenty of spacing. While some earphones can sound a bit dull and lifeless through the mid section, the I\O Audio Volare delivers angelic luscious female voices and the raw nature of Johnny Cash in his later years. You can almost feel yourself wanting to take breaths along with the signer.
Presence and upper treble is delicate and extremely resolving, compared to the excellent and similarly technical BGVP DM9, it feels much tamer throughout. While bright by some comparisons it never feels overdone. I could listen to this for hours and not feel overwhelmed with the information presented. The BGVP DM9 on the other hand is a detail monster, with the Volare delivering an equally detailed rendition, just further out. The diffuse field of the Volare helps to push staging back while the DM9 feels like a nearfield experience.
When switching back and forth between the BGVP DM9 and I\O Audio Volare, it is clear how much more energy the DM9 presents, almost with magnifying glass forwardness, yet neither sounds different in terms of resolution. It really comes down to how much quantity you prefer.
The I\O Audio Volare actually tracks more closely with the Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk, but with a sprinkle of extra air and extension. The Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk sounds less energetic if I can call it that despite more brilliance.
I mentioned earlier IEMs such the I\O Audio Volare are fully capable of destroying tolerance for budget IEMs, one of those reasons is going that extra mile to nail down PRAT. You easily find yourself immersed in not just background music, but instead getting lost listening for hours. I found myself digging out older songs not heard in a while to see how it wrings out the far depths of what might be trapped in the recording.
PARTING WORDS
Purchases like an I\O Audio Volare are something that give you pause as it’s a fairly big chunk of change and should not be taken lightly. I mean 15-20 years ago Sennheisers at $500 were considered flagship, current big brand ANC wireless are at this price tier. Here we are today, $400-500 is still considered flagship, and above this price tier we are talking boutique flagship or where big brands are courting luxury consumers, and individuality.
While the absurdity of huge carrying cases, and jewelry like packaging alike makes them rather annoying, the idea is to invoke an emotion with the user that these stand above the fray. I would prefer to have a higher quality set of eartips with them since I struggled with finding a good seal on my left ear.
The I\O Audio Volare will still be on my wall of fame for the year, due to the pleasant tuning, great bass reproduction with resolution and treble clarity to match the right amount of emotion to make these engaging over and over. Just make sure to have something powerful to drive them with to extract full bass control potential.
Disclaimer: I\O Audio sent these free of charge from SHENZHENAUDIO and we appreciate the opportunity to experience new brands and products. You can buy it here. My slowness in putting these words on screen is in sharp contrast to how fast we will soon be replaced by AI.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Pliable and premium feeling Cable | Extreme low impedance makes them source dependent |
| Wide assortment of accessories | Flimsy eartips with deep insertion, troublesome combo |
| Sweet resolute treble | Sharp edges on plug connector can get caught on things in pockets or scratch things |
| Full Bass with a hint of fullness | Case is too large for simple travel, primary home storage or bag placement |
| Stage Depth | Chin slider snugness makes it more of a decoration or an exercise in patience. |
| Resolving | |
I\O AUDIO VOLARE SPECIFICATIONS
I\O Audio Volare Driver Units:
1x 8mm Customized Dynamic Driver+
4x Customized Full Range Balanced Driver+
4x Imported Denmark SONIC EST Driver
Diaphragm Material (DD): Silicon Rubber + Wood Dome
Frequency-crossover Structure: 4Way Electronic (3Way Physical)
THD: THD@1kHz<1% (94dB)
Sensitivity: 121dB/ Vrms (@1kHz)
Impedance: 4.8Ω±10% (@1kHz)
FR Range: 10Hz – 40kHz (IEC61094, Free Field)
Effective FR Range: 20Hz – 20kHz (IEC60318-4, -3dB)
Cable Material: 8-Strand Oxygen-free Copper Silver-plated
Tested at: $599
GRAPHS
- Volare Left vs Right
- Volare Eartip Comparison
- Volare vs BGVP DM9 vs Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk
- Impedance Plot
DISCLAIMER
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