Ever since my two-year favorite earbuds broke, I have been looking for affordable hi-fi earbuds. I’ve asked recommendation from the Headphones and Earphones Enthusiast Philippines (HEEP) Facebook Group. A majority of them recommended VE Monk Plus. So I decided to give it a shot. I bought mine from Mr. Jonjon Manlapaz. Since I was really excited to try it out, I asked him if he could deliver it to me via GrabExpress since their physical store is very near our place and I couldn’t really go out today. I bought the cheapest one, no mic version, priced at Php 250.00. I’ve been using it for about a few hours now and here’s my thoughts about it:
Design and Quality
Since this is a collaboration between Venture Electronics and HEEP to come up with a Monk Plus Limited Philippine Edition, the colors is like our Filipino flag. The earbuds is color red and blue, while the foam included is white and yellow. What I like about it since it’s color red and blue, it’s very easy to remember and distinguish which is for the left and right ear. I’m very particular with wearing the earbuds according to its label so this is a plus for me. Also, it’s nice to be able to show patriotism just by using these earbuds.
It doesn’t look premium but the sound quality is impressive given the price. The design looks like those cheap earbuds priced at Php 20.00 – Php 50.00. It’s quite shocking that this is a hi-fi capable earbuds. You can really not judge something by how it looks. As for the wire, it looks pretty durable than those you see being sold along the streets. On normal care and diligence, it will probably last about a year. My last hi-fi earbuds, from Flash Plus 2, lasted for two years.
It’s surprisingly comfy and fits just right on my ear. I still prefer the smaller earbuds though, but the music quality is great, so I am satisfied with it.
Sound Quality
Played some songs with 320 kbps music quality on my iPod Classic 5th Gen. Works fine on normal songs and equalizer is set to normal. I tried Mask Off by Future and set the equalizer on bass boost with full volume, it becomes a bit messy. But it is still better that other expensive but non hi-fi earbuds. Even better than most earphones that’s included in the package when you purchase a smartphone and better than those branded and headsets that I’ve used whose price range is around Php 999.00 – Php1,500.00. It can almost be at par with my Flash Plus 2 earbuds. I’ve been using it for about a few hours, so far these are what I’ve noticed about its quality.
Price
It’s truly bang for the buck. VE Monk Plus is formerly priced at Php 500.00. But even at Php 500.00, I believe it’s pretty affordable. Given the music quality, for Php 250.00, it’s almost a giveaway.
Conclusion
Overall, it’s not bad for Php 250.00. It’s great for starters and it works great on my iPod Classic. The VE Monk Plus is perfect for those who have a very tight budget but looking forward to a great quality hi-fi capable earbuds.
Price: 10/10
Design: 7/10
Music Quality: 9/10
Overall: 8.7/10. The Lifestyle Avenue HIGHLY recommends VE Monk Plus.
Disclaimer: The reviewer is not an audiophile but it’s from someone who’s just after some good quality music.
For orders, I ordered mine from Mr. Jonjon Malapaz of Urban Audiophile
Shopee: https://shopee.ph/Ve-monk-Pinoy-Edition-i.12762969.378148217
Facebook: https://facebook.com/manlapazj13
Store Address: Urban Audiophile, 2nd Floor, MRT Shaw Station, Mandaluyong City, Philippines.
Contact Number: +63 998 974 7824
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