VE Runabout Amp

When my good friend Tamal contacted me about trying the Venture Electronics Zen earbud, I didn’t take him seriously at first. Not being a fan of earbuds I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I discovered is that not only is the Zen is the real deal, I also discovered that Venture Electronics is a company that is set out to become one of the next manufacturers of high quality audiophile products. Venture Electronics needs to be taken seriously, and I’m fairly confident their vision will become a reality as they release new products. Today I will be reviewing one of them in the Runabout portable amplifier.

The next couple of anticipated releases after the initial breakout and popularity of the VE Zen, Asura and Monk is the Duke (in-ear monitor) and the Runabout amplifier. Rumor has it that Venture Electronics also has other products in the works. I’m excited to see what these products are and look forward to getting my hands on them to have and review.

The Runabout is Venture Electronic’s first attempt at a portable amplifier and it’s a good one. The Item arrived in bubble wrap and without retail packaging. I received just the amplifier along with some earbud accessories Lee and I discussed prior to the package being mailed. By the way, thank you once again for the opportunity Lee!

The Runabout comes in a black casing approximately the same size as a couple smartphones stacked on top of each other. Honestly there is nothing flashy about the unit. It has a very sturdy feel to the device and a slightly generic look to it. From left to right the front of the unit has an analog volume pot, a 3.5mm output jack, a High/Low Gain switch, A 3.5mm input jack, and a green power indicator light. the front panel is held together by four hex screws that attach at each corner.

The back of the unit from left to right has a 15V DC input, a fairly heavy duty On/Off switch, and the “RUNABOUT” logo along with their web address. Here is a link to check out their site:

The bottom of the amplifier is attached by four metal screws that attach at all four corners of the bottom of the unit. they can be unscrewed with bare hands. This is done deliberately to give access to the battery compartment.

The Runabout runs off of a nine volt battery and I assume the 15V DC plug on the back of the unit if need be. The nine volt battery port can be accessed by unscrewing all four screws and taking the back plate off. The port for the battery fits very snug and almost awkwardly. Putting the rear plate back on was tedious and I had to be careful not to strip the screws when putting them back in. Unfortunately, the 15V plug did not come with the device and I was not able to confirm this functionality.

The Runabout has a very impressive sound that works with both power hungry full size cans (in High Gain) and sensitive earphones (in Low Gain). Although I did get a very faint his with sensitive IEMs I found it satisfactory and not overdone as long as you are aware of the sensitivity when using the analog volume pot. The analog volume pot is very touchy even in low gain with sensitive gears. Also note that the sensitivity I describe is even further accentuated when hooking this amp up to an already powerful source.

One of the things I really enjoyed about the runabout was its ability to elude just about all electromagnetic interference. Because of this I could use the Runabout with just about any wifi device, smartphone or DAP I wanted to without picking up digital noise.

The amp delivers clean power and sound. I would say that the Runabout sound is very natural and spacious, delivering an equal amount of timbre and detail. The Runabout sounds phenomenal in high gain with their Zen earbuds.  I also like the Runabout with my Audio Technica M-50 and AKG K7XX. For in-ears the Runabout pairs very well with my Macaw GT100S, and last but definitely not least is the VE Duke. I found the Runabout and Duke to be a spectacular combinations that gives a sense of realism that is very enjoyable.

The Runabout has just a touch less driving power than the Cayin C5, and to my ears a touch more than the Fiio E18. Sound wise I would say that it has a similar midrange and treble presentation to the Cayin C5 but with a bit less colored low end. The Runabout has slightly more spacious sound than the Fiio E18 from what I hear.

The Runabout offers a “less is more approach” with its design, which I appreciate more and more as a product trait the more I review personal audio products. Rather than tinker with lots of digital displays, scroll wheels, micro USB inputs for DAC function and charging, bass boosts and many other features, you simply pop a battery in, plug it in, turn it on and choose between high and low gain. With all that said, not only is it a minimalistic design, it sounds just as good, if not better than products that offer all the extra bells and whistles.

Moving forward, I would hope that the Runabout provides some rubber feet for the bottom and a 15V DC power supply. That would allow this to be more desktop friendly without having to shop for these products. Some elastic bands for rig stacking and a short male to male 3.5mm interconnect would also be a nice touch. Maybe with the next product they could also try to slim down the thickness of the amplifier to make it more pocket friendly. A less generic and more attractive and eye catching design might also help set themselves apart from other amplifiers.

All in all the VE Runabout is another fantastic product that delivers high quality audio that will impress many. If this was my only portable amplifier I wouldn’t feel like I was missing out on much. The Runabout is a sturdy built amplifier that doesn’t need charging. Aside from switching the battery every once in a great while, and deciding what gain to use, the Runabout is a hassle free portable amplifier that will compliment any source with a 3.5mm output jack.