Almost one and a half years ago I started my IEM journey. Many sets have come and gone, bought and sold along the way but one golden nugget remains the Venture Electronics SIE. I've bought and sold many sets at all different price points. The ones I love have been nestled away into my collection, the ones I disliked sold. There have been plenty of love and hate relationships along the way, no doubt about that. As I continue to perfect my search for IEM’s that fit my style and tonality, I continue to go back to one single DD. That Set is the Venture Electronics SIE.
The Golden Child of “Bass and Chill.” The VE SIE has been on the market for a for a couple of years now. Around the time I purchased the VE SIE I was on the lookout for bass heavy IEM’s. My first purchase was the iKKO OH10s Sapphire Mirage. Because of the heavy shell of the OH10S the fitment put pressure on my inner ear causing extreme discomfort, so I sold it off. If I'm not comfortable I'm not happy, plain and simple. So, my search continued. While reading forums around the web, I ran into a post of this golden god like looking IEM. What the hell is that I thought to myself? All Gold? At first, I absolutely despised it, but also found myself drawn to it. There was this perpetual force gravitating me to it. I needed to know more about those golden looking gems. As I continue reading the article I get to the sound section and it's explained as warm, bassy, and analog. Holy S WORD! Have I found what I’ve been looking for? I may just have.


“It's all about the Bass and The Movement” In the words of Minnesota's very own, Atmosphere. VE SIE is all about the bass. It hits hard, growls deeply, and is very present in the mix. The bass is very enveloping, full and warm. It may not be the tightest, fastest, or cleanest. The lows of the SIE are not the most dynamic either. Fun, super engaging is what the bass of the SIE represents. After all that's what this set is all about, FUN! If you, like me, grew up with vintage stereos then SIE will take you down an old nostalgic road. I believe this set was designed to capture the essence of analog sound. DID THEY EVER! This is not a Bass head IEM, although I have read many people call it that. To me it is not. The bass lays it on heavy but does not rattle your chest. The SIE’s bass is more round and organic sounding than tight and technical. This set is mid bass over sub-bass so if your music library consists of Classic Rock, Hard Rock and a mix of old school hip hop this set is amazing for that. Listening to Metalica's Black album On the SIE takes me back to my childhood of hearing the album for the first time. Yes, it also sounds great with Old School hip hop as well. The SIE is all about the bass.


“It's so mid man!”. The midrange of SIE is one of its strong traits. The timber is well done and natural. It's not perfect because it has a very warm blanket of sound across all frequencies and is great for treble sensitive people out there. Vocals sit slightly recessed in the mix and are clear and present. The SIE has a very home stereo like presentation that's holographic and out of your head. Instruments such as guitars and strings are clear, clean, and well extended. The SIE is tuned to be a very Mid-Centric set. Drums and cymbals never overtake the rest of the frequencies and sound natural with great timber. The Mid’s can get lost in busy tracks due to the presence of the Low end and can become overtaken by the bass at times. This is more due to its tuning choice and not necessarily the driver's capabilities. The middle range is very well done for almost all styles of music, but I wouldn't recommend The SIE for Classical or Speed Metal with the likes of Cattle Decapitation. The SIE can just go plain blurry, this is not a technical set so look elsewhere. The SIE does better with less technical and more separated and musical tracks. It's not that you can't listen to those styles of music on the SIE you most definitely can, but you will be missing out on certain details in the listening experience. When listening to albums like Geese: 3d Country, Midlake: For the Sake of Bethel woods, Charles Owens Trio, and even Justice: Hyperdrama just to name a few albums where the SIE shines!



“Taking the High Road!” The High Frequencies of the SIE are fast and well extended and hypnotic so if you're like me and love the crunch and bite of electric guitar this set does it so damn well. Smashing pumpkins Quiet from the album Siamese dreams sounds its best “to me” on the SIE. The highs have just enough crunch and bite while maintaining its warm analog profile without getting too warm to create a delightful listen. I find the SIE great for Grunge and 90’s Metal music. The Highs are very well done for a set that has fun and analog tuning. Still to this day I'm in love with the bite and treble extension for electric guitars and stringed instruments of the SIE. It never gets sibilant or harsh to me, it sits just right. Well done Venture Electronics, well done! Acoustic sets such as Alice in Chains unplugged is where the SIE is right at home. The SIE has this sense of warmth with just the right snap in the treble and snare hits and sounds correct and trail off naturally. Drum cymbals sound natural as well and never become sibilant. Cymbal crashes are perfectly extended and never trail off too quickly giving the SIE a very open and well-balanced sound to the drums. The SIE has some of the best treble extensions I've heard in their price range. The entire MTV unplugged collection through the SIE is an analog orgasmic treat to the ears.


“Wrap it up already!” With so many sets on the horizon in the world of IEM’s I would have to say the SIE is my definitive pick for fun, engaging, bassy analog fun in the 100 US dollar range. So, if you like me are not a fan of bright/technical and just want to enjoy the music, this set to me is still the gatekeeper of single DD’s. The Venture Eletronic SIE beats out the Kefine Delci and Simgot Ea500LM by a big margin for my taste and preference. With the right tracks it transports me to an analog world so many years behind me when life was much simpler and free from adulting. The VE SIE is a trip down memory lane. If analog sound is your jam, then the SIE is the crunchy peanut butter to complete your delicious analog PB and J sandwich. The VE SIE is easily 4.5 out of 5 Stars for its price and tuning choice.

My Review of the Hidizs S9 Pro+ Martha (89.00 MSRP) review has been the works for quite some time now. But goals sometime shift when the weather warms up and the snow begins to melt, “Suns out, guns out” as they say. Spring came early this time around which is great for us Midwestern Americans. We can finally come out of the comfort of our homes without the hassle of putting two pairs of everything on to say warm outdoors in these cold winter months. So, finally after some outdoor fun and bicycling I’m heading back to my desk to type up my no hold barred review Of the Hidizs S9 Pro Martha.
First off, I would like to thank Hidizs for sending this review unit to me for my keeping. I assure you this won’t anyway infringe on my opinion of this DAC. I think it makes me less biased really, I don’t feel as if I’m attached to it because I didn’t spend my own hard earn doe. So, in typical Justin fashion I’m going into this gun’s blazing. Let’s start with the technical stuff of the Hidizs S9Pro Martha I found from the Hidizs website. The S9 Pro Martha was named after the Last messenger Pigeon that is now extinct. Not going to go into the backstory but it’s a great read if you ever get the time, I recommend it. Lets start with the specs!

Technical jargon:
· The Hidizs S9 Pro Martha Sports a DAC chip ES9038Q2M
· 32bit/768kHz PCM sampling rate and ensures perfect sound reproduction with high signal-to-noise ratio of up to 128dB and ultra-low THD+N of -120dB.
· 138mW+138mW@32Ω 3.5mm SE /180mW+180mW@32Ω 4.4mm BAL
· 6 filter options with on-the-fly selection by pressing both volume buttons, you can cycle through the six filters with color changing RGB light on the front panel.
· Low Noise, Low Distortion In the SE PO (3.5mm) output, distortion is as low as 0.0019%, while the balanced BAL (4.4mm) achieves an ultra-low distortion of 0.0008%. The Signal-to-Noise Ratio is 123dB/120dB, and separation reaches 75dB/115dB.
· Compatibility for Windows, Mac OS, iPad OS, Android, iOS, and Harmony OS.

Features: 6 Digital Filter Options
Fist off there is no High gain/Low gain settings or independent volume controls, your source will control the volume output. The volume steps are 1 to 100. The ES9038Q2M does offer six filter pulse response effects (PCM FILTER IMPULSE RESPONSE), By simultaneously pressing both volume buttons, you can cycle through the six filter effects. My favorite filter is the Blue because it sounds the most natural and clean to me. I used the Green filter for my review because it’s the standard filter that’s toggled every time you plug it in. To be perfectly honest I really didn’t miss high gain and low gain with the Pro Martha because it has just enough power for planer drivers and DD’s. I was never left wanting more or less power for the IEM’s I own. The Pro Martha might struggle with your bigger, high ohm overhead cans with only 180 mW on tap. I had zero trouble powering my IEM collection. 4.4 balanced does sound more dynamic and open then 3.5. So balanced to me is the way to go, but 3.5 is just fine. If 3.5 is all you have on hand. I do recommend upgrading your cable 4.4 when you get the chance but it’s not necessary if you choose not to.

Sound profiles:
· Green: PCM 44.1/48/88.2/96(kHz), anodizing fast roll-off (Default Filter). Vocals are slightly forward, and high frequencies are extended with reduced resonance
· Red: PCM 352.8/384(kHz), linear phase fast roll-off. Enhanced analytical capabilities, delivering a clean and crisp sound
· Blue: PCM 176.4/192(kHz), linear phase slow roll-off. Enriched harmonics, full low frequencies, and natural reverb
· Yellow: DSD 64/128, minimum phase fast roll-off. Balanced and moderate sound
· Purple: DSD 256/512, minimum phase slow roll-off. Clean sound with a forward position
· White: PCM 705.6/768(kHz), hybrid fast roll-off. Soft and smooth sound with enhanced detail

What’s In The Box?
The Hidizs S9 Pro Martha Comes in a small plastic box in a cardboard slipcover much like the MP145 just on a smaller scale. Inside the box is the Pro Martha, a short USB cable (male C to C) and A style USB C to An adapter for connection to your PC or tablet. Also included in the box is instructions and a SN card. It’s a nice little storage box but its durability is questionable and was just designed for shipping/storage not long-term on-the-go use.

The S9 Pro Martha itself is made from a quality grade C and C cut aluminum housing and features clear plastic front and back faceplates. The S9 Pro Martha only has two buttons that serve as volume buttons and “multi-function” when both are compressed simultaneously (Filter selection). The volume buttons have a nice premium clicky feel to them, so you know when they have been engaged. The buttons themselves are bit loose in the shells housing to my liking. Hidizs could have had tighter tolerances between the shell and the housing for a more premium feel. I’ve read other reviewers say the Marthas faceplates are glass. Sorry guys and gals but this is NOT made from glass! The faceplates scratch way too easy in order to be glass. The Pro Martha also would have been heavier if it were made from glass. The takeaway of it not being made of glass is it scratches easily but the durability is much more rugged it being made of plastic. It’s a sharp looking little unit. The Hidizs logo on the front panel has RGB lighting and is always lit up green unless switching filters. I didn’t find it too bright for use at night like I did the Aful Snowy Night. Did I mention how tiny this thing is?! At 2 1/8th inches long, 1 inch wide, and only ½ inch thick this thing is so small and pocketable. It does gets slightly warm like most DAC’s when in use so nothing out of the norm there.
If you’re looking for a small pocketable powerhouse for on the go, then this is it. The USB Port feels good, not to loose, not to tight, so nothing out of the ordinary there. The included cable is short, and I mean short! At just over 5 inches long it great for your phone but you may want something longer for your PC. It looks like something Batman would have connected to his Bat phone and I mean this in a good way. It’s a very sleek, blacked out unit. Everything is black besides the very welcomed gold plated 4.4 balanced output. I really like the look of the S9 Pro Martha and genuinely think it’s a nice sleek looking little unit. Enough about the aesthetics Justin! How does this thing sound?
Electric Ear Hole Test: How the Hell does it sound Dude!? (30+hrs of ear hole time)




The S9 pro Martha carries bright/neutral, warmish sound profile. As I type up this section of my review, I have the S9 Pro Martha pumping out some Diamond Head “Am I evil” running 4.4 balanced with my Hidizs MP145 Planer IEM’s. I’m playing some Hi-Res Metal Masters off Qobuz from my PC. Let me tell you this, It's nothing short of impressive! You “may” or “may not” know this, but I’m a big Metal Head by heart. Being a Metal Head I’m always in the search for great “mid bass punch”. SO, let’s start off with the Bass.

BASS: By the power of the gods, the Martha delivers great quantity of mid bass punch and sub bass rumble! It's not the most dynamic or tactile but it upmost delivers and is just north of neutral. I would consider it a little “bass boosted”. This isn’t a good or bad thing it just makes a little more musical and fun sounding. The Martha brings the bass! It may not the most dynamic bass, but it’s well done and very engaging.The S9 Pro Martha can come off as little dry sounding to me compared to my Fiio KA17 and Aune Yuki, two other DAC’s I own. The Martha has a nice touch of warmth to it. This tuning makes it a little more musical and not so boring and dead neutral.

The treble is very well done and has zero sibilance that became tiring to me after long listening sessions. The S9 Pro Martha has plenty of micro and macro details in the treble and highs for its price range. For its price point I have no complaints about the treble and high range side of the spectrum, it’s very well controlled. The treble never sounds too rolled off or lacking in extension and technicalities, but the treble can come off as edgy from time to time with the green filter selected. Form a single chip its “damn good” if you ask me. The six different digital filters are a nice touch if you want to change up its sound to more of your liking.

The midrange is right where it should be and has a nice balance. Vocals are not too “in your face” and the middle frequency has a nice balance in the sound spectrum. The midrange of the Pro Martha has never left me wanting for more or wanting or less. The middle, low, and high range are very well done and strike a nice balanced for all styles of music.
The Staging and Imaging align well within its price range. I can't say its average because I’m not really sure what average is or how to gauge it. What I do know is that s it’s not as wide as the Fiio KA17 or Aune Yuki. But the rest of the stage seems right on par depth and height wise with as mentioned. The stage really depends on the IEM. I will say this that the imaging and stage is on point, and nothing ever sounds overly congested or compressed. It has nice height, width, and depth and every instrument is right where it should be.



Like I said before the S9 Pro Martha is a little dry and edgy sounding to me, so as a neutral and natural lover this wouldn’t be my first choice for a DAC and my preferences. I wish Hidizs would have made it just a wee bit more lush sounding, but then again, who the hell am I? For a single chip the S9 pro Martha sure sings and it's an impressive feat. Its neutral/bright, slightly warm sound signature is a joy to listen to and I really enjoyed its paring the most with the Hidizs MP145. The MP145 paired better than my Thieaudio Hype 4, SIVGA Nightingale, Simgot EA1000, and EA500 LM. Not that the others were bad, far from it. The MP145 just seemed to open more and the added a nice mid bass punch to the bass that was more the welcome. With my music library of mainly rock and Metal the S9 Pro Martha was right on point.

Conclusion:
The Hidizs S9 Pro Martha is a micro powerhouse which I recommend if you’re on the lookout for a small affordable pocketable DAC for on the go and in the one-hundred-dollar range. It boasts neutral/bright, slightly warm/dry sound profile. It has a great mid bass punch and sub bass presence. Its technicalities ar on point while staying musical and fun. I give the Hidizs S9 Pro Martha 4 out of 5 rating for its great compact design and well implemented DAC chip. On the negative side it’s a little dry and edgy sounding to my liking. Not bad Hidizs, not bad at all! Fly free Martha over this crowded digital sea.
4/5

Hidizs S9 Pro+ Martha Affiliate link: