Sound impressions: Vocals / Soundstage
Volans MK2 creates a unique vocal headroom that resembles a speaker room. While mids are a bit forward from the lows, mids also keep some distance from the face. Traditional hybrid IEMs are usually the opposite of this, as they usually pull in the vocals up close and extruded. Such a presentation may be unusual for those who aren’t used to it – or if it’s simply not your cup of tea.
However, phasing-wise, Volans MK2 plays a very accurate sound that keeps the sound the way it’s supposed to be. Vocals keep a clear and clean clarity, staying harmonious with the music. The soundstage itself is on the average side but the unique headroom that Volans MK2 formulates within the head creates a spatial, multi-layer atmosphere. I believe this is the key element that prevents this IEM from sounding actually “flat”.
More about the vocals…
Vocals are neutral in thickness. However, the vocals are rather condensed in size and don’t really get expansive or large. Volans MK2 works well for pop, jazz, and general music but not for intensive genres – such as hip-hop or rock. I personally do wish the vocals were fuller. On the brighter side, Volans MK2 does a fine job bringing out subtle and gentle airiness to the atmosphere. Vocals have a black-tone background but subtle transparency and airiness are found throughout the mid-range.
These gentle shines serve as refreshments that allow Volans MK2 to create some openness while keeping the sound dark and fatigue-free. Mid-range flows stably and doesn’t cause sibilance or shifts in tone. Vocals are smooth but also pop in texture details, holding a good balance between dry and smooth texture.
Sound impressions: Highs
Highs take a slight step forward than mids and play a clean, neutral tone that is simply pleasant to listen to. There’s nothing unusual or extraordinary with the trebles but just wholesome and nice to listen to. However, the more I try different earphones the more I realize, that it’s actually quite difficult to make trebles that sound just “good”. Or keeping the treble clear and smooth at the same time.
Volans MK2 has a water-like timbre that seamlessly harmonizes the trebles with the lower ranges. The treble quantity is similar to the mids. Highs are pretty good in separation and texture details. There’s good spacing between mids and highs so that the upper frequencies sound like one big lump. Overall, I enjoy Volans MK2’s treble presentation as they are clean yet extremely smooth and non-fatiguing to listen to.
Compared to Astrotec Volans MK1 (Review link)
The soundstage of MK2 is overall larger and more expansive towards the upper-ends. The ceiling feels much higher than MK1 and has an open-ended broadness to the headroom. Speaking of broadness, the mid and treble are also a lot different. The MK2 has unveiled the vocals even further, making the vocals brighter and clearer.
The resolution boost on the upper frequencies is pretty significant. The MK2 also has a better treble extension and reveals more upper-end details. Another major difference is that the mids and highs feel much crispier and tighter than MK1. Lastly, the MK2 has a better bass resolution. Both ultra-lows and upper-lows have better clarity on the MK2.
However, the comparison doesn’t throw MK1 off the boat as there are clear differences in sound signature. While MK2 has priorities in some elements, the MK1 also has its strong points that do better than the MK2. First, Volans MK1 has thicker and warmer upper frequencies that make it even fatigue-free. The vocals are also a bit more fuller in body on the MK1, which is ideal for those who want some more weight and impact to be added to the low-mids.
Compared to Campfire Audio Polaris II (Review link)
Polaris II is stronger in low-end depth whereas Volans MK2 is superior in upper-end wideness. The Polaris II sports a glossier, buttered timbre that involves some coloration and is more V-shaped in tuning. Also, the ultra-low and sub-bass quantities are much stronger on Polaris II.
As for Volans MK2, the sound is overall much more flat with brighter upper-ends. Volans MK2 also carries more air and transparency with a slightly smoother texture. These two IEMs also differ greatly in suitable genres. Volans MK2 plays nicely with general modern music, pop, instrumental, jazz, and classical while Polaris II nails hip-hop, rock, metal, and other intensive genres.
Verdicts
Volans MK2 is an earphone that presents an extreme smoothness that is only possible from a dynamic driver. Due to its distinctive desire for sound tuning, Volans MK2 shows preferences on which genre it plays well with, showing strong points on certain types of music while being the opposite for others.
Music that requires strong and intense damping or fast-paced dynamics isn’t ideal for Volans MK2. However, it plays beautifully well with slower to neutral-paced music, with a focus on smooth vocals and instrumentals. I enjoyed Voalns MK2 while listening to gentle genres and instrumentals, especially jazz and R&B. If you prefer chill, relaxing music, or if you’d like an IEM that is gentle and soothing, Volans MK2 is a worthwhile IEM that will accompany your musical enjoyment.
