I can't believe I am typing this but the I\OAudio VOLARE is actually worthy of being considered as a value proposition and offering good bang for your buck even at a whopping $600. These are traits I usually associate with products that cost under $100, so this is a very impressive debut for a new brand. The unboxing experience and high quality accessories are such that, when SHENZHENAUDIO started teasing the VOLARE with some photos online last week, people speculated this is likely to be a multi-kilobuck set costing ~$1500-2000 perhaps, especially with the driver configuration involving four expensive Sonion ESTs per side. It is with this added context that I feel comfortable making my argument about the VOLARE offering good value thus, and it does so by not really compromising on the sound either—FiiO comes to mind here with its $400+ sets that have great first impressions too but then end up disappointing more often than not when you actually listen to them.

So you end up with a set of accessories here that rivals many flagship IEMs and the shells + faceplates don't look out of place either in that comparison. I appreciate I\OAudio shying away from using a female mascot with associated artwork in trying to make the VOLARE appeal to a more niche audience, even if that is more likely to get people talking about it. Instead, we have a monochrome set that still shines—literally and figuratively—and should be more approachable to a global audience, especially those who are likely to afford a $600 set of IEMs in the first place. A competent tuning which is fairly safe is probably also the right move here for a debut product, and it executes this without sounding like a $100 set either thankfully. In particular, the treble presentation is a strong highlight for me as this is a set I will refer to often when it comes to what a good EST treble execution should be like. Having a comfortable and secure fit with a good seal is the cherry on top allowing me to enjoy my music library with the VOLARE for hours on end. That said, this is not a perfect set by any means. Bass impact is more tip-dependent than I would have liked and, combined with the tuning, this may make the VOLARE feel too safe initially. I am also not sure about the BA drivers used, or at least their implementation, with some instrument classes sounding better and more natural than others. The other cons are highly dependent on the user so overall the pros outweigh the cons significantly. Congratulations to I\OAudio for entering the crowded IEM market with a bang as the VOLARE wins a well-deserved recommendation.