Comparison.
This testing was done using V with a stock Eletech cable, Azla Origin eartips, and an SP4000 source, with volume matched in every comparison. I usually try to determine the best candidates for comparison from a pool of my IEMs with a similar tuning signature and driver configuration, but I couldn’t decide here. Obviously, the comparison to Macbeth and Mefisto is a must to help you understand how Violetta stacks up against its siblings. But I don’t have any single DD driver IEMs, and the majority of those I have reviewed in the past have been on loan. Besides, the smooth, balanced, natural tonality of V is unlike any other single DD I have heard that has typical bass and treble accentuation. Thus, in this comparison I will be sticking to Forte Ears “family” IEMs.
vs Mefisto – These are two oppositely tuned IEMs. Mefisto has a wider soundstage with L/R separation that almost wraps around, while V with Origin eartips has a naturally rounded expansion. In terms of tuning, Mefisto’s bass is stronger, faster, and punchier, while V is more laid-back and rounder. Their lower mids are very different as well, with Mefisto’s lean, south-of-neutral lower-mid tone vs. V’s fuller-body, north-of-neutral lower-mid tone. Both have a more forward presentation of the mids. Still, the tonality is very different, with Mefisto’s leaner, drier, much more neutral coloring vs. V’s warmer, fuller-bodied, organic tuning. With treble, it’s also a polar opposite: a more relaxed, smoother V tuning vs. the bright, crisp, and highly resolving treble of Mefisto. These two are not just complementary but opposite in every aspect of the tuning.
vs Macbeth – Macbeth’s tuning is like a blend of Mefisto and V. It offers a more rounded soundstage expansion, a bit wider than V’s but not as wide as Mefisto’s. The weight of bass rumble and mid-bass impact is above Mefisto, hitting deeper and stronger, with tight, well-defined control. The lower mids have a similar amount of body to V, not as lean as Mefisto, and the upper mids are very similar to V. I think the lower and upper mids are nearly the same in body, natural detail retrieval, and smoother, musical tonality. When it comes to treble, Macbeth scales up from Mefisto, with greater crunch and more precise definition. If it weren’t for Macbeth’s fuller-body mids, its treble would have been harsher, but they balance each other well. V’s treble is also clear, detailed, and well-defined, but it is scaled down in the lower and mid-treble range, giving it a more relaxed tonality.
Source pair-up.
In each of these source pair-ups, I used a stock Eletech cable and Azla Origin eartips. Also, with 102.9 dB sensitivity and 25ohm impedance, V is relatively easy to drive, unlike some other single DD IEMs. My sound analysis and comparisons were conducted using the SP4000 DAP as the baseline natural source.
w/A&K SP4000 (baseline) – a balanced sound signature, with a clean, neutral, natural tonality; more polite quantity, deep bass, fuller-body textured, detailed mids, clear, resolving, natural treble. And, depending on eartips selection, a rounded, holographic soundstage.
w/Hiby RS8ii – very similar tuning to the SP4k, with a balanced, natural sound, similar bass extension and quantity, fuller-bodied, textured mids, and natural, resolving treble. There was a bit of an improvement in soundstage width and detail retrieval when switching to Turbo mode, with V responding well to the extra power.
w/iBasso DX340Max Ti – huge soundstage expansion, almost wrapping around my head with holographic-level imaging, was the first thing I noticed in this pair-up. Bass gains more mid-bass punch in addition to the textured rumble. Mids are less organic, more revealing, more transparent (less colored), and more detailed, while the treble has a bit more crunch and airiness.
w/L&P P6 Pro – a balanced sound signature with a clean, neutral, natural tonality; still smooth, but a bit more resolving in the mids and with a bit more rumble in the sub-bass. The soundstage was big, expanded, holographic.
w/Cayin N8iii – wide-open, big soundstage expansion with holographic-level imaging. In solid-state, the tuning is cleaner, tighter (especially the bass punch), less colored, and more transparent, with improved detail retrieval. Switching to tubes gave the sound a more relaxed, slightly laid-back presentation, with more texture and coloring in the mids. I actually preferred the Modern tube timbre here, since Classic made the sound a bit too smooth for my taste, while Modern was a good compromise between Solid-State and Classic tubes.
And using some popular USB DAC dongles.
w/L&P W4 – more neutrally balanced bass with slightly less rumble and a bit less colored mids, giving the sound more transparency, but overall, it’s a similar neutral, clear, detailed, natural sound tuning.
w/iBasso DC Elite – this pairing actually reminded me of the 340Max, with the soundstage spreading wider L/R and the bass gaining a bit more mid-bass punch, in addition to the textured rumble. Mids are more revealing and detailed, and the treble has a bit more crunch and airiness.
w/iBasso DC Tonfa – the soundstage expansion remains rounded, with holographic-level imaging. The bass gains more mid-bass punch, similar to Elite, but loses a bit of sub-bass rumble. Mids are clean, clear, smooth, and naturally detailed. The treble is also clean, clear, and detailed.
w/Lotoo S3 – a huge holographic soundstage expansion, with a very clean, balanced, natural tonality. While the majority of sources either skewed the V’s tuning toward a smoother, warmer tonality or toward a more neutral, transparent tuning, here it sounded like a combination of both. The tonality is not colored, pretty neutral, yet it sounded smoother in the mids, with a bit more laid-back presentation. The bass was deep, but with more polite rumble; the punch was articulate, but not as fast in attack; and the treble was clean, crisp, and still with a very natural definition.
w/NiPO A200Pro – I didn’t expect the soundstage to surround me, with some sounds literally coming from behind me, while maintaining a holographic level of imaging. The bass performance reminds me of DC Elite, with a slightly elevated, textured rumble and stronger, punchier, well-articulated mid-bass. Lower mids stay north of neutral but aren’t as thick, and upper mids are very clear, detailed, layered, and still musical and textured; a very interesting combination. Treble is crisp and detailed, with zero harshness or sibilance. I was very surprised by how clear and detailed the treble sounded. Overall, the sound signature shifted more toward a W-shape, with greater emphasis on bass, treble, and mids. This pairing transformed V to the next level.
Conclusion.
Since I discovered Forte Ears over two years ago, it has never ceased to surprise me with its mature design and tuning, especially the variety of tunings across its first two releases, which appeal to different audiophile tastes. As I mentioned before, in today’s competitive and saturated IEM market, it’s impressive to have two back-to-back releases, each generating an overwhelmingly positive buzz, as both Macbeth and Mefisto have so far. This third, Act III release, Violetta, follows the same path while introducing something new. I’m glad to see that Riccardo diversified the tuning, introducing a complementary tonality compared to his previous releases. Honestly, despite the price difference relative to Macbeth and Mefisto, I wouldn’t even put it in a different category; I’d rather consider them sharing the same pedestal. Some people become fixated on analytical performance and micro-detail retrieval as superior to something that sounds more neutral and natural. But it still takes a lot of skill to deliver a natural tuning without making it sound congested or veiled.
Many probably noticed that I don’t review many single Dynamic Driver IEMs because I find the tuning of many doesn’t suit my sound preferences, with harsher treble and a V/U-shaped signature that emphasizes more bass and treble. By contrast, Violetta exceeded my expectations, with a balanced, resolving sound signature and a clean, neutral, natural tonality. The tuning is unique to a single DD design and not just complementary to Forte Ears’ previous releases, but also to many other IEMs in my review collection. But I do have to warn you that eartip selection will be crucial here, given V’s very short nozzle design and the need to control insertion depth. Once you settle on the right set, you will be rewarded with a textured rumble and well-controlled, rounded impact; mids with a rich, fuller-bodied, organic tonality and plenty of natural detail retrieval; natural, relaxed treble with crystal-clear definition; and a rounded soundstage with close-to-holographic imaging. Right now, I’m taking a long break from my revealing IEMs to enjoy every minute of Violetta’s natural, resolving tuning!
