HiFi Mai Tai

If CVJ Vivian wasn’t the one for you then maybe the Night Elf will fair better. Released in mid 2024 the CVJ Night Elf has been around a little while and in that time it hasn’t really established its audience. Of course if anime characters just aren’t your thing then you can get either of these two CVJ cocktail without them. Same IEM different fashion statement. But enough on the looks. The HiFi Mai Tai Beach Bar is not about style over substance so lets get to it. Lets get into the Bartender’s CVJ Night Elf Review

CVJ Night Elf Review – The Cocktail:

I purchased the CVJ Night Elf for £23. At this price there aren’t that many triple dynamic driver IEMs. KZ does have a notable option that may be covered at a later date but that’s it really. Depending on what you read the 6mm and 10mm composite dynamic drivers arranged in a dual dynamic driver configuration are responsible for the bass and the 8mm DLC Diamond diaphragm dynamic driver handles everything else. However, this might not be correct and the confusion may be due to the 10mm and 6mm drivers being arranged together.

The rest of the specifications are pretty typical.

Drivers: Composite dual dynamic driver configuration (6mm + 10mm) & 8mm dynamic DLC diamond diaphragm
Frequency: 20 to 40,000 Hz
Impedence: 16 Ω
Sensitivity: 105 dB

CVJ Night Elf Review – The Taste Test Setup:

Few things in life are as certain as the setting sun but my taste test setup is one of them. Its the same as it has been for the past few tests and likely the same as it will be for the next few. I did not try the CVJ Night Elf with alternative eartips and so cannot comment on their sensitivity to eartips.

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

CVJ Night Elf Review – The Non-Audio:

Impressively for IEMs in this price range the CVJ Night Elf is accompanied by a case. The case is nothing special. It is pretty solid but the lid simultaneously has a habit of being hard to remove and keeps falling off. Other than that it uses the same parts as its slightly cheaper sister (CVJ Vivian). Same cable. Same eartips.

On the Style and build front the CVJ Night Elf is partying on the same dance floor as the CVJ Vivian. Both have a style that will loved by some and hated by others. Both seem well made but the artwork feels delicate and doesn’t look like it has much scratch resistance. If you have bought either of these two IEMs for their style then take care to keep that faceplate pristine.

When it comes to comfort the CVJ sisters couldn’t be more different. CVJ Vivian tiny. So small you often forget she is there. The CVJ Night Elf on the other hand is pretty huge and it has a pointed tip and the bottom which can catch uncomfortably on your ear (or atleast it did for me).

Accessories: Just Some Peanuts (Comes with a Case)
Style: Well Liquor (Sure to Divide Opinion)
Build: Hand Wash Only (Don’t Scratch the Paint)
Comfort: Perched on a Bar Stool (Large with a Pointy Bottom)

CVJ Night Elf Review – The Audio:

There is a lot to like about the sound of the CVJ Night Elf but also perhaps nothing that really sticks with you.

There is plenty of bass. It doesn’t slam as hard as recent KZ sets but it doesn’t really rumble either. It lacks any really definition but you may also say there is a balance to it. A little slam and a little rumble. It does sound a lot like the bass of the CVJ Vivian. So its not bad and for the price its probably actually quite good.

The mids are sometimes a little drowned by the bass. They lack any really presence or detail. They are not particularly recessed but as is often the case the V-Shape tuning has pushed the bass and the treble to steal the show. There is a warmth to the CVJ Vivian that can definitely be felt in the mids and in the treble.

The treble is at times really good. But also at times seems to go completely missing. Okay not completely missing. I am being dramatic. But I found sometimes there was a lot of treble that was in your face shouting look at me and sometimes it was hiding trying not to be seen.

The vocals are an interesting one. I thought they were alright and I didn’t have a strong preference between male and female vocals though I know that other reviews have reported them much better for female vocals. I think the prevailing preference for female vocals may be again a result of the IEMs having a warm sound. This warmer sound can make seperating male vocals from the mid frequencies more challenging.

Details were pretty average. The bass and mids lack details whilst the treble is maybe slightly better than average for this price point. But over all its certainly not a detail monster. Far from it.

The sound stage is not huge. It lacks depth but is a pretty normal width/height. Clarity was okay but overall no great sense of space or air.

The Base Spirit (Bass): 80.74 % (Lacks Texture But There Is Loads of It)
The Modifier (Mids): 73.88 % (Not Crystal Clear but Not Bad)
The Sweetener (Treble): 77.99% (Like an Orange. Occasionally Sour but Mostly Sweet)
The Vocals: 76.92 % (Front and Center)
The Garnish (Details): 74.06 % (Not the Sharpest Tool in the Shed)
The Presentation (Technicals): 70.11 % (A Holiday Beach Hut. Fun for a While But Too Small to Live In)

CVJ Night Elf Review – Overall:

Well throughout this review I have been comparing the CVJ Night Elf to the CVJ Vivian. Overall, I gave the CVJ Vivian a higher score but that is mostly down to it being really comfortable. Sound wise the Night Elf is better with both IEMs having similar sound styles. However, I would probably take CVJ Vivian just for the comfort.

Being a multi-dynamic driver IEM comparison to the KZ Decet feels like another fair comparison. But really for me there is no debate here. The KZ Decet is just better. More uncomfortable but better. And if you are a small eared individual thinking ‘yes maybe the KZ Decet is better but I can’t wear it so I’ll get the CVJ Nightelf’ then I am afraid you are also out of luck because the CVJ Night Elf is not a small IEM.

So to summarize this is a warm bass focused IEM that doesn’t sound to bad but equally doesn’t sound great. There are better things within the price range though many of these tend to be less warm and have sharper (for better or for worse) treble. So maybe there is a place for the sound of the CVJ Night Elf. But no matter if not as for some certainly have a place for the CVJ Night Elf in their collection. And so the CVJ Night Elf Review finishes almost as it started. It really is all about fashion.