Volk Audio Étoile Review by Josh Chang

11 September 2025 / written by Josh Chan

Disclaimer

The written review is based on loaned demo unit sent from Volk Audio. We thank Volk Audio for allowing us to take this opportunity to conduct our review which is based on my own thoughts and opinion.

A Legendary Masterpiece

Background

Performance isn’t a feature, it’s a starting point. This is a line taken from Volk Audio’s tuning philosophy and one that serves as a basis for their new flagship In-Ear Monitor (IEM) the “Étoile”. Volk audio was born and bread in Atlanta, Georgia, USA in 2025 out of Jack Vang’s unyielding belief that in-ear monitors could be more than tool and that they could become the purest expression of sound itself. Taking his experience from Empire Ears, Jack Vang (Jack) and Volk Audio stand for a new Era in IEMs and a pursuit of absolute precision in sound. To begin this new journey, Jack has teamed up with 5-time grammy award winning producer “Michael Graves” to help tune and master the Étoile’s bespoke 10-driver quadbrid architecture. In this review, we explore what Volk Audio has achieved and how their new flagship IEM, the “Étoile”, takes them to new heights. 

What’s in the Box?

At the time of writing, the Étoile is currently available in 2 variants: The Founders Reserve which is limited to 350 units worldwide and the Standard Edition. The Founders Reserve was used for the review and is priced at USD 3,999. The IEMs come with an adequate amount of accessories with the main items consisting of the “ARC” cable, leather cable tie, 1 set of Volk silicon ear tips, 1 set of Symbio F foam ear tips, a bespoke leather case to store the IEMs, micro fibre cleaning cloth, collector pins and Founders Letter. Personally, I found the included bespoke leather carrying case to be the highlight of the accessories provided due to this excellent finish and high level of craftsmanship. The red suede like finish on the inside of the case definitely exudes a high level of class and prestige. The leather of the case matches that of the Étoile’s faceplates to allow a seamless connection between the two.

Design & Technical Specifications

The Étoile comes in a jet black shell made of German imported Dreve medical-grade resin. It has a glossy coating and is very light weight. The shells are on the larger side and hence it is recommended to try and demo them beforehand. Rest assured, the placement and length of the nozzle more than compensates for the large sized shells and allows the IEM to sit comfortably in the ear during use. In fact, at times, I did not notice or feel the IEMs in my ears whilst listening to them. To finish, the faceplate is covered with Italian imported, Midnight Saffiano Leather and features a 24K Gold-Plated 6061-T6 Aluminum badge with the insignia “Étoile”. Overall, the Étoile has a simple, yet classy look which will appeal to most people. The IEMs themselves have been designed with a large array of drivers to showcase the “house” sound of Volk Audio and Jack’s vision. To achieve this, a 10 driver quadbrid system has been utilised with a 6-way crossover. The drivers include:

·       1× M10 10mm Subwoofer – Sub-Bass, Bass

·       4× Balanced Armatures – Mid, Mid-High

·       4× Electrostatic Drivers – High, Ultra-High

·       1× M8 8mm Magnetostatic Driver – High, Ultra-High

With an impedance rating of 8.8 ohms, the Étoile is quite easy to drive and would be suitable to use with most DAPs and the dongles. For the review, I have paired the Étoile with the Cayin N30LE DAP using high gain settings. This pairing is simply excellent with and without the tube amp setting and is one I would clearly recommend.

The ARC cable provided with the Étoile features a 4.4mm plug, 2-pin connectors and is comprised of the following materials which are wrapped in a 2-wire setup:

·       Solid Core 5N OCC Silver

·       Solid Core 4N Silver

·       Silver-Plated over 6N OCC Copper

·       Gold-Plated over 4N Silver

·       Palladium-Plated over 4N Silver

Aesthetically, the cable’s light gold finish, black and gold Y split and plug match very well with the IEM shells and faceplate. This allows all components of the Étoile to blend well and maintain the luxurious and understated look Volk Audio were looking for. I was quite surprised to see a flagship IEM cable using a 2-wire configuration which has quite thick gauging. However, the cable itself is very soft, supple and lightweight with minimal to no microphonics during use. You can tell that a lot of hard work and effort has gone into designing the cable and the outcome is a cable worthy of being used on Volk Audio’s new flagship IEM.

Sound Analysis

In order to analyse the sound signature of the Étoile, I have utilised the stock silicon ear tips and the Cayin N30LE as a source. No other adjustments were made to the stock set up in order to preserve the Étoile’s “original” sound.

Overall, to my ears, the Étoile has a balanced sound signature with a sub-bass lift and a forward centre and upper mid range. After a few minutes of listening to the Étoile, you will notice that it has a very unique sound signature. It focuses on the fundamentals of music and you can tell that Michael Graves’ influence is being felt throughout the sound especially within its neutral to cool timbre. Every instrument and vocalist is presented in a manner which is precise, evenly spread and with equal emphasis. It is as if every detail of a song or recording is laid out in front of you with the same measure. There is nothing to hide and nothing to shy away from – just a cohesive and harmonious execution of sound. 

Bass

The Étoile’s bass is primarily centred around supporting the overall sound. It is there to ensure that there is enough weight, body and impact of the music being presented. If we divide up the sub and mid bass, it is easy to decipher Jack and Michael’s intent to showcase the bass in a way which is about sufficient quantity with outstanding quality. With that in mind, there is a sub-bass lift meaning that it is more forward compared to the mid-bass which is slightly dialled back. The sub-bass digs deep and provides large amounts of rumble when called upon. The mid-bass is fast, punchy and comes off with excellent levels of detail and texture. Hence, this means there is a fast decay of the mid-bass. The mid-bass provides enough slam and support to the lower and centre mid-range and gives them enough body to allow them to be the central aspect of the sound signature. The mid-bass quantity is not at “bass head” levels, but it is sufficient and only makes you appreciate how bass frequencies can be tuned in a way that emphasizes the quality and texture of the bass. 

Mid-range

One of the central pieces of the sound signature. The midrange is presented in a way where the centre and upper mid-ranges is more forward compared to the lower mid-range. To my ears, the upper mid-range comes off as the most forward frequency of the whole sound signature although it is not harsh or too intrusive.  This is then closely followed by the centre mid-range and together with the upper mid-range, you end up with a mid-range where vocals and medium to higher pitched instruments are at the forefront of the sound. The lower mid-range sits behind the two however it is precisely tuned in combination with the fast and punchy mid-bass which gives the whole midrange a full bodied sound. There is a high level of detail and resolution within the mid-range where strings being plucked from guitars and male and female vocals sound come off with a high level of realism and detail. If I was to describe the mid-range in a few words it would be that they are: lush, harmonious and captivating. 

Treble

The treble is presented in a way which is neutral with a hint of sparkle and excellent extension. The lower treble frequency sits in line with the lower mid-range whereas the centre and upper treble are more forward but in line with the centre and upper mid-range. What you end up with is a very cohesive treble tuning which excellently supports the overall sound signature. There is a hint of sparkle and with an excellent level of extension that results in a high level of resolution and detail. This allows you to hear precisely the details of cymbals crashing and higher pitched instruments. For treble heads out there, the treble is not the forefront of the overall sound signature but there is much to be appreciated from how well it fits into the overall sound. The treble is not fatiguing and there were no issues with regards to sibilance or harshness. 

Timbre

The main centrepiece of the sound signature. The timbre is simply: excellent. It is neutral and leans towards being cool which allows the sound to come off as natural and high resolving. The timbre is something I greatly appreciated and enjoyed as it melded excellently with the presentation of the mid-range. 

Staging & Imaging

Staging and imaging is probably t he “icing on the cake” when it comes to the Étoile’s sound signature. The sound stage is wide and tall and comes off as 3-Dimensional and holographic. The stage itself has a spherical shape where the width and height have equal measure. It is not the widest or tallest stage out there but it does provide a realistic feeling when listening to music. The strength of the soundstage lies in how well the Étoile images and places instruments and vocals across the stage. The imaging is top notch as the Étoile layers the stage accurate excellently with precise placement of instruments and vocals. Simply put, everything is presented in a way where every detail, every aspect and every element of the song is equally presented and emphasised.

Select Comparisons

Elysian Acoustics Annihilator 2023

The Elysian Acoustics Annihilator 2023 (Annihilator) is the flagship IEM of the Elysian Acoustics brand and is priced as USD 2,999. The key difference between the Annihilator and the Étoile lies within the bass and mid-range presentation. The bass of the Annihilator is much more prominent and forward in the overall sound signature compared to the Étoile. The mid-bass in particular has much more emphasis with more quantity, slam and slower decay. This contrasts to the faster and punchier bass of the Étoile. The Étoile focuses more on bass texture and hence comes out on top in this aspect. With regards to the mid-range the Étoile has a much more even and forward mid-range in the overall sound signature. This is mainly due to the fact that the Étoile has a much more balanced sound signature whereas the Annihilator’s forward bass makes the mid-range sit further back in the overall frequency curve. To my ears, the Étoile had the edge when it came to overall quality and resolution of the midrange. Another noticeable difference is within the treble region. The treble on the Annihilator is much more forward especially within the centre and upper treble which comes off as brighter with more sparkle with slightly better extension. In terms of soundstage and imaging, the Étoile has a more holographic and spherical stage compared to the Annihilator which is more of an oval shaped staged.

From a timbre perspective, the Annihilator has a warm timbre which contrasts to the neutral-cool timbre of the Étoile.

Noble Audio Kronos

The Noble Audio Kronos (Kronos) is the latest release from Noble Audio and is priced at USD 4,500. The Kronos has a very enjoyable sound signature with an emphasis on the mid-bass, lower and centre mid-range with excellent details within the treble region. The Étoile differs slightly from the Kronos especially in the bass and mid-range regions. The sub-bass on the Étoile digs deeper with more rumble whereas the mid-bass has less quantity, slam and is punchier in comparison to the Kronos which has more quantity and slam. The mid-range of the Kronos is not as far forward as the mid-range on the Étoile due to the fact that the lower, centre and upper mid-ranges appear to be more linear. The Kronos does have more weight and body in the lower mid-range due to the larger mid-bass presence. Quality and resolution of the mid-range is on par between the two and it comes down to preference on how the centre and upper mid-range is presented. Treble on the Kronos is presented in a similar manner to that of the Étoile where there is a hint of sparkle with excellent extension and detail. The soundstage and imaging qualities between the Kronos and Étoile are very similar with the Kronos having an overall wider and oval shaped stage compared to the more spherical stage on the Étoile. The stage of the Étoile did come off as being more holographic and 3D-like.

From a timbre perspective, the Kronos has a warmer timbre which contrasts to the neutral-cool timbre of the Étoile.

Empire Ears Odin

The Empire Ears Odin (Odin) is a classic. It was the flagship of Empire Ears for many years and was only replaced in 2025 by the Empire Ears Odin Mk II. With that in mind, I kept the Odin in this review because of the similarities the Odin and Étoile share between each other. In simple terms, the Étoile is a more refined and upgraded version of the Odin. There are many similarities and differences between the two. The way in which the bass and mid-range is presented is very similar with a few key differences. Both the Étoile and Odin focuses on the sub-bass lift and use of mid-bass to control the texture with less quantity. However, although the quantity of the mid-bass is similar, the overall quality and resolution is higher on the Étoile. It is also apparent that mid-range of the Étoile was born out of the Odin in the sense that the centre and upper mid-range takes the spotlight however the Étoile has refined that mid-range where the upper mid-range is pulled back and does not come off as bright or as harsh as the Odin can be at times. The Étoile also has the edge when it comes to overall resolution and quality of the mid-range. Treble on the Étoile comes off with less forwardness in the centre and upper treble compared to the Odin which makes it less bright in comparison.

In relation to soundstage and imaging, the Étoile has a more holographic and spherical stage compared to the Odin which is more of an oval shaped staged.

From a timbre perspective, the Odin and Étoile share a very similar timbre which comes off as neutral-cool.

Conclusion

I sit here somewhat amazed and speechless at the achievement that Volk Audio and Jack Vang have achieved with their first flagship IEM. The Volk Audio Étoile is simply the best IEM within the sub USD 3,5000 to USD 4,000 category money can buy at the time of writing this review. The Étoile has a unique sound signature which plays at the strengths of focussing on the fundamentals of music: harmonious and cohesive sound. This is achieved by deploying an excellent bass texture, central mid-range presentation, neutral to cool timbre and holographic staging and imaging. The end result is an IEM worthy of its name and a true representation of a legendary masterpiece for the years to come.

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