Vision Ears
Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany · founded 2013
A luxury-tier boutique CIEM house often compared to premium lifestyle brands (TAG Heuer/BMW analogies appear in reviews) for its build, packaging, and pricing. Founder Marcel Schoenen was previously the lead singer/guitarist of German folk-metal band Suidakra; both founders trained at an earlier German in-ear pioneer before starting Vision Ears in 2013. The company is a founding member of the In-Ear Monitor International Trade Organization.
Vision Ears is a boutique German manufacturer of high-end custom (CIEM) and universal in-ear monitors, handcrafted in Cologne for professional musicians and audiophiles. Founded in 2013 by Marcel Schoenen and Amin Karimpour, two veterans of the German in-ear industry, the brand is known for meticulous craftsmanship, multi-driver balanced-armature and hybrid/tribrid designs, luxury finishing, and a build-to-order configurator. It positions itself at the premium/summit end of the personal-audio market.
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At a glance
- Type
- Manufacturer
- Founder
- Marcel Schoenen and Amin Karimpour
- Founded
- 2013
- Headquarters
- Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
- Price range
- Summit-fi
- Makes / sells
- custom in-ear monitors (CIEM), universal in-ear monitors, hearing protection, accessories
- Known for
- multi-balanced-armature CIEMs, tribrid IEMs (BA + dynamic + electrostatic), custom-fit builds and configurator, luxury artwork/finishing, stage-oriented monitoring for touring musicians
- Website
- vision-ears.de
Notable products
- VE8 — Flagship 8-balanced-armature custom IEM; one of the brand's signature and most acclaimed models (older lineup)
- Elysium — Tribrid design pairing balanced armature, a midrange dynamic driver, and a Sonion electrostatic tweeter
- EXT / EXT MK II — 'Elysium Extended'; quasi-custom universal-fit tribrid, later revised as EXT MK II which remains in the current premium line
- PHONIX Final Edition — Limited premium-line flagship in the current lineup
- VE PRO / VE ONE / VE PURE / VE XCON / VE ZEN — Current custom-line models
Sources: Vision Ears official website · NorthData corporate registry - Vision Ears GmbH, Cologne (HRB 91414) · Headfonics - Business In Audio: Vision Ears · Headphonesty - Review: Vision Ears VE8 · The Headphone List - Vision Ears EXT review