HiFi Mai Tai

Many people will buy this IEM without hesitation. They won’t care about my Bartender’s CVJ Vivian Review. They will have taken one look at the face plate, said to themselves ‘yes’ and handed over their money. I suspect a lot of others saw the CVJ Vivian and quickly said ‘no’. But is this IEM more than just a girl on a face plate? Lets find out in the Bartender’s CVJ Vivian Review.

CVJ Vivian Review – The Cocktail:

The CVJ Vivian is a single dynamic driver IEM of typical specs for which I paid £17. At this budget it would be surprising and very concerning should a single dynamic driver have some wacky specs.

Drivers: 10 mm Dual Magnetic Dynamic Driver
Frequency: 20 to 20,000 Hz
Impedence: 22 Ω
Sensitivity: 95 dB

CVJ Vivian Review – The Taste Test Setup:

As ever (whenever possible) I have stuck with my normal setup. Testing with other setups suggests that the Moondrop Dawn Pro 2 might be a little overkill for the CVJ Vivian especially when arranged to make use of the 4.4 mm output. A budget dongle DAC should get the job done here.

DAC/AMP: Moodrop Dawn Pro 2
Cable: 4.4 mm Tripowin Zonie
Eartips: Stock (Silicon)

CVJ Vivian Review – The Non-Audio:

Lets start with the style. There is no escaping it. There is no denying that it is a key part of this IEM’s appeal (or not). But as the divide between the lovers and the haters is so clear I don’t really need to dwell on the style for to long. You know whether you like this or not. I should however mention that there is a ‘plain’ version of this IEM. That’s right you can have the CVJ Vivian without Vivian (I presume the girl is Vivian. If not then who is Vivian?).

The second Non-Audio aspect that is undoubtedly worth mentioning is the comfort. These are really small and really comfortable. I could wear this all day and those with the curse of small ears (an unfortunate outcome of nature for those who pursue the IEM hobby) should have no troubles. Without giving too much away about the sound I think it would be fair to say that the fit is the best feature of these IEMs.

Build wise they feel solid and for their small size not too light. Scratching the art work would be my biggest concern. I don’t think that paintwork is going to survive long with intensive or heavy use. A carrying case would have helped but the accessories package didn’t include one. The stock cable is probably better than is typical for this price range but its not great. It looks good in black with bits of purple but it is thin and flimsy feeling.

Accessories: Drink Only (Nothing Else Worth Talking About)
Style: Well Liquor (Sure to Divide Opinion)
Build: Handwash Only (Don’t Scratch the Paint)
Comfort: Lounging on the Sofas (Perfectly Small)

CVJ Vivian Review – The Audio:

Finally, we make it to the audio. Its time for fashion to take a back seat. Its time to focus on whats most important. The sound.

The CVJ Vivian prioritizes the bass which hits hard and lingers appropriately. There is typically some depth and some texture. Its very enjoyable. Easily the most enjoyable aspect of the sound. I am afraid it gets worse for Vivian from here on (though not really that bad).

The mids can sometimes feel drowned by the bass however the vocals tend to come through fairly well (as I said ‘not that bad’). The treble has some presence and it generally feels like it ‘rises’ above the bass even though the sound stage and imaging is only modest. There are some good details here and these do help generate an engaging sound.

The Base Spirit (Bass): 82.45 % (Hits Hard & the Sting Lingers)
The Modifier (Mids): 68.37 % (Pushed to One Side)
The Sweetener (Treble): 72.82% (Holds Its Own)
The Vocals: 70.71 % (Clear but Shallow Waters)
The Garnish (Details): 70.96 % (Fresh Air With a Touch of Sea Salt)
The Presentation (Technicals): 62.58 % (More Ice-Cream Cart & Less Ice-Cream Parlor)

CVJ Vivian Review – Overall:

The CVJ Vivian may be the first casualty of the KZ Duonic I reviewed recently. For £17 I would be tempted to say the CVJ Vivian is pretty decent but the KZ Duonic is better and is cheaper. Is comparing the CVJ Vivian to the KZ Duonic fair? I think so. In price they are comparable and both have a tuning that prioritizes the bass and the highs. Yes, it be argued that as the KZ Duonic is a hybrid multi-driver it should not be compared to a single dynamic driver. But in a results game, where the only thing that matters is the final score, the KZ Duonic is the winner.

If the style of the CVJ Vivian is calling to you then you can take solace in the fact that your decision was not driven by sound. And actually you can sleep easy knowing that for the price you still got a decent IEM. Maybe that is all you need. But if not then you definitely should keep looking.