A&K x Volk Audio STELLA: A Limited Edition Audiophile IEM

What happens when two high-end audio companies collaborate on one listening device? Astell & Kern has joined forces with Volk Audio to release a limited-edition in-ear monitor. The STELLA is a 14-driver device that delivers a punch while looking like a star, as it is named. Is this a flagship IEM for audiophiles to acquire? We're analyzing all the details, from build quality to sound signature, to see what the Stella has to offer at its premium $3.9k price point.  

Right when you look at this IEM, you can tell the STELLA lives up to its name. The black and silver color palette makes the IEM look sleek and luxurious. The shell itself is bulkier and hides the main design behind sapphire glass, something we've seen similarly in the Vision Ears PHöNIX Final Edition. For smaller ears, it may be a bit large and could take some getting used to. As someone who prefers smaller IEM shells, I found the STELLA quite comfortable and easy to wear for long periods of time. The weight is not as heavy as it looks; it's actually surprisingly lightweight, so it doesn't feel like a brick in your ear during use. The STELLA comes with an assortment of eartips, so you can take some time to find the optimal comfort for your listening. Even so, the nozzle on the STELLA is a standard size to allow any third-party eartips to be compatible. 

The cable that comes with the STELLA is a black, braided hybrid conductor array that terminates in 4.4mm. This 2-pin cable is easily removable from the STELLA, allowing you to swap out cables with ease should you choose to upgrade or change it to something more compatible with your setup. As far as external gear goes, the STELLA is compatible with a lot of portable DACs and DAPs. Using the Astell & Kern PD5 with the STELLA was a great combination, as the synergy of the Astell & Kern technology made the listening experience smooth and easy. Still, other DACs like the iFi GR 2 and the FiiO QX13 were also popular choices that complemented the signature of the STELLA.

• Model: STELLA
• Driver Configuration:
  • 1 × VOLK M9-R 9 mm Dynamic Driver
  • 5 × Sonion Balanced Armature Drivers
  • 2 × VOLK MP
  • 2 Planar Magnetic Drivers
  • 4 × Sonion Electrostatic Tweeters
• Cable Specs:
  • 23.7 AWG, 4 Core Configuration
  • Hybrid Conductor Array: 5N LCOFC Copper, 4N Silver and 24K Gold
  • 4.4 AEC Balanced Termination
• Materials & Finish:
  • 6061-T6 Aluminum Chassis, Bead-Blasted and Anodized Satin Black 
  • 6061-T6 Aluminum Central Plate, Anodized Satin Black with a Diamond Cut Mirror Finish Face
  • Sapphire Crystal Glass Panel, 9H- 316 Stainless-Steel Faceplate Frame, Mirror Polished 
• CROSSOVER DESIGN: Six-Way
• Components: TBC
• Frequency Response: 10 Hz - 45 kHz
• Sensitivity: 103.8 @ 1 kHz
• Impedance: 7.17 Ω @ 1 kHz

SOUNDSTAGE & IMAGING

After all the specifications are laid out and the look has been thoroughly appreciated, it's time to finally put the STELLA to the listening test. The first thing I noticed in the STELLA was the intimate sound signature. Frequencies were very close together and played off each other quite well, so everything sounded together and harmonious. If you're looking for horizontal separation, you may struggle to find it in the STELLA; instead, you get an immersive, wrap-around profile that expands in depth more than it does horizontally. There isn't a lot of height to this IEM; in fact, it stays rather one-level and keeps everything either deeper or at the same level. Spatialization was heard most in depth as opposed to expanding outwards, and the height stayed pretty consistent no matter the track.

Overall, the signature of the STELLA is on the brighter side. I liked the balance between the low-end instruments and the top-end detail, and it made the signature very engaging as opposed to strictly analytical. You feel like you're in the center of everything when you listen to the STELLA, and it really transports you during your listening sessions. For people looking to escape from reality and get lost in their tracks, the STELLA is a great choice for the engaging dynamics and wrap-around soundstage. The brightness could be a bit piercing for the sensitive ear, but the sub-bass extension becomes a vital and important element of the signature to make it enjoyable for all listeners. 

BASS FREQUENCIES

Many IEMs have great bass response thanks to the good seal you get from a well-fitting eartip. This is true in the STELLA, but not without the addition of a powerful bass response. On top of this effective seal, the STELLA has a very punchy bass that extends well into the sub-bass. The sub-bass extension makes the depth of the sound signature more pronounced. The instrumental reproduction shows off a lot of texture in the low end, revealing details to not make this section muddy or washed out. Compared to the rest of the signature, the bass does take a backseat and lets the other sections of the frequency response take center stage, so you get more attention on timbral detail from bass to treble. In the bass response, you still have punchy dynamics that match the energy of whatever genre you're in, so you can still appreciate a good drumset or bass string moment in your listening. 

MIDRANGE FREQUENCIES

Moving onto the next range, the mids in the STELLA are very forward. It allows those main melodies to take center stage and become the main feature in every genre. You could hear the attention to detail in rock, indie, folk, jazz, and metal tracks with heavy instrumentation to keep track of. Vocals came right to the front and became a standout feature, with everything else filtering around it. With busier tracks, you could really appreciate the depth of the soundstage and how everything layered backwards to create this three-dimensional picture. Elements played off each other quite well to make them all flow together cohesively, still keeping detail to make instruments recognizable. For audiophiles looking for entertainment in their listening, the STELLA's midrange delivers something that they would seriously enjoy. 

TREBLE FREQUENCIES

At the very top of STELLA's frequency range, we have the treble response. This treble response is bright and airy, making the entire signature lighter and easier to listen to. It makes the space of the soundstage much more open, especially giving frequencies vertical height to ring out upwards. A lot of those tails do reach a certain point and cut off a little awkwardly, but the sound reproduction itself was smooth and natural. I was a fan of how sharp a lot of those frequencies sounded, especially in the face of a strong bass paired with good passive sound isolation. It was never overly piercing or overwhelming, nor did it have an attacking sibilance, but it did create space in the top end to make the STELLA feel uncompressed and open. For long listening sessions, this is a greatly appreciated feature that makes you want to pick up the STELLA for your listening. 

Is the Astell & Kern x Volk Audio STELLA worth the purchase? Astell & Kern and Volk Audio created a pretty brilliant in-ear monitor, and for those looking for a big upgrade, it stands as a very good contender. People who like a lot of detail and intimate listening will definitely like the STELLA for their everyday listening. The larger shells may take some time to get to the right comfort level, but with an assortment of eartips and the ability to change to your own personal accessories, you'll be listening at your own comfort level with ease.

You can find IEMs similar to the STELLA at Audio46.