Queen of Audio Vesper IEM Review

With the nature of high-end IEMs becoming more expensive by the day, some that strive for audiophile sounds at a low price could feel left out. Queen of Audio, whose last foray into the world of IEMs, was the Pink Lady, which became popular among audiophile spaces for its high-fidelity sound signature at such a low price. Now with the Vesper, QoA aims to deliver a quality IEM for an even lower rate of just $70. How is QoA able to present such a quality sound for audiophiles for so little expense?  Let’s jump in and see how QoA achieves such a fascinating dichotomy between prestige and affordable. 

What You Get

The Vesper comes in this small, fancy box that resembles something your grandmother would put her jewelry in, and the case, containing most of the contents features the rugged design of a wallet. The materials keep things somewhat straightforward, as the small case carries all the Vespers accessories. In the case, you’ll find the Vesper itself attached to its detachable two-pin 3.5mm cable. The only other items are six pairs of silicone ear tips. There are a few double-sided cards included that contains a spec sheet, social media links, instructions, and QR codes.

Look and Feel 

The jewelry comparison I made about the box also rings true in the aesthetic presentation of the Vesper. QoA has made the housing of the Vesper considerably small compared to some IEMs, looking like they could be a pair of cufflinks. They sport a glossy, galaxy swirl finish available in green and grey, which reminds me of the like of the Noble Sultan except smaller. The other half of the housing is a translucent plastic that reveals some of the inner workings of the Vesper. Combined with the right ear tips, the Vesper is a secure fit that wraps around your ears and confirms a steady click. 

Design

Let’s talk about those parts; you can get a glimpse of while looking at the housing of the Vesper itself. Inside this tiny shell is a 10mm dynamic driver combining a hybrid DD and Knowles BA armature for an enhanced IEM output response. QoA wants to deliver a big sound compact in a rather small casing. The cable quality is also notable, as QoA has provided a silver-plated copper and SPC materials. With this cable, you’ll have limited interruption and low distortion with your audio signal. 

Output 

The Vesper provides a frequency response of 20Hz-20kHz with a sensitivity of 116dB and an impedance of 16 Ohms. 

Soundstage

Compared to other IEM soundstages I’ve heard recently, the Vesper might not sound like anything special, but it still does the job quite well. The stereo field gets represented in an acceptable form. Where the Vesper excels is in its layering, as sound elements burrow deep when needed, and separate giving enough space for instruments to breathe. Spacial imaging receives a subtle portrayal, with some details filling an abundant amount of space in your head, where most of the sound will lie. The Vesper never sweetens the soundstage in any significant way, treading the area outside the shell of the earpiece itself like other IEMs do. However, for this charitable price, this soundstage is excellent and worthy of praise. 

Low End 

A lot of the color the Vesper receive is most present in this range. Bass tones get a smooth boost while still keeping things neat and tidy. You’ll get a pool of clean bass response sitting in your jaw, giving tracks a strong sense of low-end separation and clarity. Hip-hop beats might not reach deep enough, but heavy rock tracks do get a satisfying extra helping of low-end drive that makes breakdown feel explosive.

Mids

The mid-range shows exceptional layering and directness. The superb separation of the highs and lows gives the mids ample room to show off its fidelity, Minus a few notches in the lower mids, most bands stay fairly neutral until we get to the higher mids. There’s a nice boost in the more upper mids that give specific mid-range elements like vocals more subtle details. Some vocal performances had a breathy quality that helped enhance their immersion. Pop vocals will see some great benefits from this range.

Highs

I found the higher frequencies to be a little tight, lacking the width of the mids and especially lows. However, there are still some commendable qualities to this range that shouldn’t go unnoticed. For instance, they do receive ample gain, making specific such as cymbal crashes, and reverb tails crisp and clear. Some ambient qualities receive enhancements but rarely express the spaciousness they seem like they’re supposed to, even if the details are there. There’s still a lot to enjoy about the highs; it just lacks some of the subtle resonances the others have.

Summary

Well, for $70 Queen of Audio’s Vesper is an absolute steal. It has a close sound signature to that of a more prestigious IEM without the pricy nature of some models. Its quite impressive how Queen of Audio was able to pull this off, especially with such a small design, but they’ve done it with few minor flaws. If you’re looking for an affordable IEM with close to audiophile sound qualities, look no further than the Vesper.  

Pros and Cons

Pros: Affordable price, excellent design, colorful timbre

Cons: Tight highs, average soundstage    

Available from Audio 46

MAJORHIFI may get a commission from retail offers.