Fit and Comfort

Seen above is the right channel of the I\OAudio VOLARE placed into an artificial ear mold with the included size M IO-TW45 silicone ear tip installed. I have average-sized ears, and the ear mold above represents my own experiences well enough as a proxy. Size M silicone tips are my go-to for testing, since foam tips are not included by some brands, and I found these tips to work plenty fine in terms of achieving a consistent seal as well as measuring how I hear the IEMs too. The IO-TT55 has slightly narrower bores and were actually sounding better, but they ended up being less comfortable over time so I went back to the IO-TW45 tips for the rest of my testing. As seen in the photo above, the VOLARE is relatively large owing to the driver configuration and will likely jut out of your ears. The good news is the ergonomic shape and the nozzle design is likely to still make for a comfortable and secure fit for most people, at least those who are okay with the 6.6 mm ear canal width at the very end. I had no problems using the VOLARE for 2–3 hours at a time with the large vent on the side also helping prevent any pressure build-up in the ears. The cable comes out at an angle already and the pre-formed ear hooks are flexible enough to not be a both for me once installed. The cable chin slider also works as expected so it can provide more support and help ensure the IEMs remain firmly in place even if you end up moving around. The resin shells weigh ~6 g per side and there isn't any physical fatigue from weight either.

Audio Performance

Audio Hardware

As of the time I write this review, there is no product page or any online description available for the VOLARE. I would not be surprised to see useful information and other illustrations about the driver configuration used here once the product is launched but in the meantime I can only go by what is on the product box/manual. We know the I\OAudio VOLARE is a tribrid in that it uses three different types of drivers. In this case, it happens to be 1 dynamic driver + 4 balanced armature drivers + 4 electrostatic tweeters (ESTs) in a 3-way crossover. The use of four EST drivers has become increasingly more popular compared to sets that had two per side when IEMs first started using them. Part of this is because only Sonion ESTs seem to be widely accepted by IEM brands and they are among the most expensive drivers on the market. EST drivers also happen to be typically less sensitive than others meaning you would need more than one to get their allocated frequencies to be within the desired loudness as the other frequencies handled by different drivers. This, coupled with a more mature production process, is why we have been seeing 4, 6, even 8 EST drivers per side now. As you can imagine, this brings with it an increased cost too. The four EST drivers here are responsible for the highs with the mids catered to by the four custom full-range BA drivers and the lower frequencies are handled by an 8 mm dynamic driver using a hybrid silicone surround and wood (biocellulose, probably) diaphragm. With the 4 ESTs needing integrated energizers and a 3-way crossover involved, the VOLARE is slightly harder to drive than typical IEMs with a low impedance of 4.8 Ω (@1 kHz) and low sensitivity of 121 dB/Vrms that converts to ~98 dB/mW, thus making it more current-hungry too. A decent portable DAC/amp is plenty though, you don't need to go overboard with more powerful gear.

Frequency Measurement and Listening

I will mention that I have a general preference for a warm-neutral signature with a slightly elevated bass, smooth treble range, detailed mids, and good tonal separation. I also generally prefer instrumental music over vocals, with favored genres including jazz and classical music.


Our reproducible testing methodology begins with a calibrated IEC711 audio coupler/artificial ear that IEMs can feed into enough for decent isolation. The audio coupler feeds into a USB sound card, which in turn goes to a laptop that has ARTA and REW running and the earphones connected to the laptop through a capable and transparent DAC/amp—I used the Questyle M15 here. I begin with an impulse measurement to test for signal fidelity, calibrate the sound card and channel output, account for floor noise, and finally test the frequency response of each channel separately. Octave smoothing is at the 1/12th setting, which nets a good balance of detail and noise not being identified as useful data. Also, the default tuning was used for testing, and no app-based settings were chosen unless specifically mentioned. Each sample of interest is tested thrice with separate mounts to account for any fit issues, and an average is taken of the three individual measurements for statistical accuracy. For IEMs, I am also using the appropriate ear mold fitted to the audio coupler for a separate test to compare how the IEMs fare when installed in a pinna geometry instead of just the audio coupler. The raw data is then exported from REW and plotted in OriginPro for easier comparison.


I know it might be hard to focus on anything else but that bass shelf but let's hold off long enough so I can get some disclaimers out of the way. The IEC711 is such that you can't really compare these results with most other test setups, especially those using a head and torso simulator (HATS). The raw dB numbers are also quite contingent on the set volume, gain levels, and sensitivity of the system. What is more useful information is how the left and right channels work across the rated frequency response in the I\OAudio VOLARE. The left channel was separately tested from the right one, and colored differently for contrast. I did my best to ensure an identical fit for both inside the IEC711 orifice, so note how the two channels are practically identical across the entire useful 20 Hz to 20 kHz range! Keep in mind that resonance peak matching at 8 kHz can introduce some measurement artifacts and, as it stands, I did not notice any channel imbalance in the ears despite what the tiny discrepancies in these measurements might suggest. Measurements taken after 50 hours of testing, which included these playing a mix of various songs as well as white or pink noise and sine sweeps, showed no difference. There was no perceived burn-in effect thus, and none was measurable, either. The response with the anthropomorphic pinna in place matched the ideal scenario in the coupler relatively well, and here too I need to point out the insertion depth can change how the resonance peak and frequency response thereafter behaves even with the fact that these couplers aren't the most accurate in this range. I could have forced the IEMs in the artificial ear further in to get closer to the coupler measurements, but realistically it comes down to the ear tips used and how deep a fit you can achieve in your actual ears. This is a specifically chosen review unit though, so please keep that in mind as it may have undergone more stringent quality checks.




Here is the average frequency response for both channels of the I\OAudio VOLARE plotted against my personal target taken from VSG.squig.link, which also gives you an idea of my personal preferences to better correlate any possible biases. The tuning of a set of headphones or earphones does not have to match my target as long as it is tuned with some direction, makes sense, and is executed well. After all, no one set will appeal to everyone, and having different options is what makes this hobby so interesting and hard to quantify. This is in addition to a second graph comparing it to the Harman 2019 in-ear target as well as a third graph using a newer target that's based on a more scientific methodology involving a -10 dB tilt (-1 dB/octave) applied to the diffuse field target for the newer, more reliable B&K 5128 but then compensated for my exact 711 coupler instead. Do scroll down to the targets in my database linked above and see the new 5128 section to the left where you can click on the yellow question mark for a brief primer. The bottom line is this target is closer to what many people are likely to prefer out of IEMs and headphones alike. I have chosen to plot this graph with the frequency response normalized/compensated to the target to make it easier to see how the VOLARE is tuned—U-shaped, slightly recessed mids, fairly controlled treble. In fact, I deliberately added the Harman target curve here because the VOLARE effectively addresses two of the issues I have with said target in the form of lean mid-bass and shouty upper mids.

Noting that the coupler resonance being matched to 8 kHz has exaggerated the 4-6 kHz region slightly, my biggest takeaway here is that the VOLARE is competently tuned and, for once, doesn't try to immediately murder my ears with elevated treble that most IEMs with EST drivers have done. In fact, this is the most controlled EST treble of any set I have listened to in a long, long time. Given how this is from four EST drivers, I was fearing something far different, so I will immediately give props to I\OAudio for not doing the easy thing and just pushing the highs up more just because the drivers can handle it and also because of the unnecessary trend of EST driver IEMs being expected to have ample treble extension. Isolated by itself, the upper treble may seem somewhat lean and this could perhaps also cause a sense of decreased resolution comparatively, but when you look at the entire frequency response it becomes obvious that this makes for a more balanced tuning. In fact, it also helps keep the bass output to a more appreciated level too while still allowing me to take in harps, strings, cymbal hits, and piano key harmonics well enough. The highs are a highlight of the VOLARE's sound signature for me given this also continues in the lower treble too. There is accuracy without going overboard in soundstage and resolution, although this can take some time to realize and thus the VOLARE may end up feeling tame initially. I encourage listeners to try the set for 15+ min before judging whether it does the job for you or not.

The VOLARE seems to go for a warm tuning with a ~12 dB bass shelf from 600 Hz going down. Depending on the ear tips used, it can go from a punchy and impactful bass to not being a hard hitting set despite extending all the way down to 20 Hz. As such, do make sure to tip-roll in case you are not feeling the striking impact behind the bass notes. Despite this potential subjectiveness, I will give credit to the VOLARE being able to consistently put out leading and trailing ends of tones with good contrast to where there is a good dynamic range throughout in addition to being detailed. Classic rock music works better here than metal, and I'd also say the VOLARE is better suited for pop and jazz over country and hip-hop music too. MostVocals, as with pretty much all instrument classes, sound accurate although the mids being slightly recessed take away from this. I do recommend filling it out via EQ since it can also help those who found the lower treble to be a bit too much. At the same time, some may take offense to certain female artists sounding slightly nasal or overly forward. This is a result of the upper mids and ear gain peaking earlier than what new research suggests being neutral to the vast majority of listeners. I personally prefer this tuning with my classical and orchestral music library though. Don't expect a grand soundstage here as everything was confined to my head, and timbre still felt slightly off with brass instruments in particular—perhaps the BA drivers chosen and their implementation could be tweaked in the next set.


Direct comparisons to the I\OAudio VOLARE would likely be other tribrid sets that use 4 ESTs per side given how they tend to be a significant portion of the IEM cost. As it turns out, the VOLARE is the least expensive of such sets that I know of and by a big margin too. The FiiO FX15 costs $150 more and uses a 1 DD/1 BA/4 EST configuration with subjectively worse tuning. It does try to offer a similar value proposition with the included accessories but ultimately does not deliver where it actually matters while costing more. Other sets which are competently tuned and best the VOLARE technically, such as the ThieAudio Prestige LTD, cost over twice as much and even so could be a bit aggressive in the higher frequencies. The ThieAudio Oracle MKII (1 DD/2 BA/2 EST) is another tribrid that is much closer to the pricing of the VOLARE but again fails hard on the sound front to where people would not shy away from saying this was one of the biggest misses from ThieAudio in recent times. Then there's the XENNS UP with its 1 DD/4 BA/2 EST configuration costing $100 more and I personally thought this went too far down in the highs to where it came off dark and less detailed to me, but I know several people adore it and I do see why. It has a bassier presentation and hits harder in the lows too. But ultimately the driver type and count is less important than how they are used. The single DD DUNU ZEN PRO can be found often on sale for a similar price as the VOLARE and also is likely to please bass lovers more with its highly impactful rendition but ends up having poor treble extension by comparison to the VOLARE which also has a higher amount of bass if you prioritize that. The end result of all these comparisons is the VOLARE is definitely my preferred set of the lot and by a decent margin too.