Astrotec Vesna Review

Being honest straight out the gate - I have never heard before the brand Astrotec, Nevertheless, its what I personally like about this hobby, constantly exposing myself to new horizons (in this case, new IEMs). So anyways, the Vesna is the contender that Astrotec handed out to beat everyone else in the 20USD range. So how does it fair with other IEMs in this already-saturated entry level pricing group?

Foreword

1. I have been using this pair of IEM for about a total of 5 hours of casual listening + 1 hour of actual listening (doing nothing else) for more specific conclusions for the review

2. I will be using DACs relative to the price of the IEM to review them. This is because using high end stuff like the Questyle M15 over-exaggerates the capabilities of the IEM itself.

DISCLAIMER :

This pair of IEM was sent to me by Keephifi, thank you for that. However, they are in NO WAY influencing this review, hence all the opinions written about this pair of IEM is subjected to no bias and will be honest.

If you are interested in purchasing this pair of IEM, you can do so with the non-affiliated link :

Amazon : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TT9RK1J?

Now with all of that out of the way, let's begin the review.

UNBOXING & ACCESSORIES

The people over Astrotec definitely still tries to cater to the consumer that eventhough you're getting something with a budget price, you're not missing out on a standard proper unboxing. Sliding away the sleeve shows the IEMs being presented in the cutout foam. Removing the cardboard compartment reveals extra accessories inside, which includes a simple pouch, eartips, and also a 3.5mm to USB-C converter. It's not a DAC though, I tested that.

BUILD & FIT

The bullet headshells are made of aluminum with a matte finish, hence making it feel premium yet feels lightweight. The faceplates are also made of aluminum and has a debossed "+" or "x" sign for its own aesthetic purpose. The cables are non detachable (keep in mind for cable rollers) , but does feel premium and does not have that issue where rubbing on it causes noise. The splitter and the 3.5mm jack is made of metal as well, accenting its quality visually and physically.

In terms of fit, the stock eartips do not really create a perfect seal and it feels somewhat slightly off, so I opted for third-party tips. Other than that, the simple cylindrical shape is straight to the point, giving you a straight forward fit.

Overall, feels lightweight and comfortable.

SOUND

Source : Foobar 2000 -> JM10 Dongle (Cirrus Logic CS43131) -> S.M.S.L. SH-6 Amplifier -> Astrotec Vesna with Spinfit CP145 (M size)

In general, the Astrotec Vesna is a more balanced sounding IEM with neutral characteristics and slightly more elevation on the mids.

BASS

one word : lacking

We can say that it's a balanced tuning but I've definitely heard more bass presence and more immersion on the Tripowin Lea

• The decreased amount of bass definitely makes everything in this region sound less impactful, but is more relaxing and increases the details significantly

• Songs with subbass will now have that part replaced with only subtle and the polite rumbles

• Kick drums sound very airy with a less impactful boom

• Fast and tight

• Basslines for some reason will sound very clean due to the lean tuning

• The bassline fron YOASOBI - Into The Night sounds very clear, but with only soft accompaniment of the bass and more of the metallic plucking sound (can I call it gritty?)

• No bass bleed is to be expected

MIDS

Vocals :

tldr : Considering the balanced nature and the elevated mids, it will definitely sound more forward in most cases, but will be slightly bland

Male vocals

• Tom Misch - Geography - Tom definitely sounds very forward, but does not present any aggresiveness in his vocal notes. Most likely due to the mix he might sound slightly hollow (as heard from other IEMs as well

• Stromae - Multitude - sounds strong and very, but yet not in-your-face

• Mac Miller also sounds so much more forward

• Female vocals

  • Lilas Ikuta : overall might sound slightly flat and not lively due to the balanced tuning

  • Aimer : vocals sound less intimate and more laid back, which for my personal preference is not really that on par

  • No signs of sibilance whatsoever

Instruments :

• Piano notes from the mids to uppermids sound strong, intimate, full of character and soul in certain tracks (FKJ - Ylang Ylang, 10 Years Ago, VINCENT ALBUM)

• Violins has their own grasp of showing itself off in the track, an example is from Stromae - Fils de Joie

• Electric guitars from sound pleasant and not aggressive, even with shreds will sound more laid back

• Vocal accompaniments (people singing the melody) definitely sound clear and crisp, with decent decay

• Macro and micro details in the mid and uppermid range have good resolution where everything is presented well with maximum clarity

HIGHS

• Overall treble is more on the smooth side with no instances of sibilance as well, definitely more livelier as well

• Hi hats will sound more forward (eventhough it is at the back as a complement) but still relaxed

• Treble extension for hi-hats and rides are above average

• Sparkly chimes and blings sounds crisp but not too bright

• Synths sounds pleasant, rounded, with no harshness

TECHNICALITIES

After I got past the fact that the bass is lacking, I was genuinely suprised by the detail retrieval and dynamics of this pair. I always use the BL-01 as a standard within this price range to gauge what is called amazing detail retrieval - and to be honest, I think the Astrotecs are even better than the BL-01 in this specific case ever so slightly. The overall presentation of the tracks of the song, the macrodetails accompanying notes of gutiars and pianos, the microdetails and foleys - its just amazing. But then again, we can't really compare a V-shaped to this - but you get what I mean.

Imaging and seperation is also quite good, giving you ease to listen clearly where every single instrument is at which direction

Soundstage is average with decent depth and width , which unfortubately causes the good imaging and seperation, as well as the amount of detail retrieval to make tracks easily sound congested when there is too much going on.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Other than the lacking immersiveness in the low end, the Astrotec Vesna definitely has a reason to be in the market. Its overall performance in its technicalities that push the midrange and treble region definitely deserves a praise. Personally, I would use these to listen to more classical, simple songs with not so much going on.

Again, if you are interested in purchasing the Astrotec Vesna, you can get them at the links down below :

Amazon : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TT9RK1J?