A lot of brands raising their heads every year but only a handful of them successfully leave their mark and Kiwi Ears is one of them. They are new to the scene but they feel a lot more seasoned. They don’t have heavyweight IEMs in the $1000+ range but their list of IEMs are interesting and cater to a wide range of consumers. I have heard a handful of IEMs from Kiwi Ears, I liked the Quintet, I loved the Quartet too and the Canta is something I will recommend to anyone looking for a highly resolving V shaped IEMs while the Melody is for those looking for a smooth and balanced output.
We usually do not expect IEM makers to jump into headphones but they eventually do and Kiwi Ears has just introduced a handful of their headphones starting with the Division, priced at just $50 this is an excellent headphone for those who are looking for one in budget.
I will like to thank Kiwi Ears for this unit.
Get one from here:
UNBOXING AND ACCESSORIES:
Open the cardboard box and we have a headphone and the cables in front of us. We get two cables though none is a balanced one but both are useful. There is a quarter inch adaptor that can be used with desktop amps. I would have liked a carry pouch since this headphone can fold and would have made it much easier to carry around but that’s an afterthought for a budget product.
BUILD QUALITY:
This headphone looks decent but the build quality is average. It has mostly plastic in it and the only metal part it has are the headband insert. I would have given this a good, passing marks but it’s squeaky and a bit clunky so, yes, it’s not badly build but isn’t very good either. The good thing is the earpads are comfortable and the headband doesn’t exert much pressure on the head but lacks enough cushioning and can feel a bit stiff after a while. Cables are good too. I like the mic cable, that’s a nice touch to this headphone, giving it an extra edge over the competition while the telephone cable has the flexibility to be used with PCs and laptops. Unlike most headphones targeted towards audiophiles this one can fold flat and into the headband and can be easily carried around in a small backpack too.
CABLES:
We usually do not see two cables with budget headphones but here we get two high quality cables. The short one is with Mic and is perfect for gaming and taking calls while the longer 3M telephone cable is perfect for binge watching while not disturbing others. Quality of these cables isn’t the best, they are slightly bouncy and can feel a bit memory prone too but that’s okay, given the budget nature of the headphone.
SOUND QUALITY:
I have worked on a lot of Kiwi Ears IEMs but this is my first headphone from them I have no problem in adapting to it. Just like their IEMs this headphone too has little to no annoying factor to it. Sound wise it has nothing that says that it’s a budget headphone. It’s got the bass body, nice punch, V shaped signature with natural vocals, and good enough highs that doesn’t sound tiring or overly smooth. It’s something I expect more abd more brands to do but Kiwi Ears have got this right.
It has a fatigue free signature with a bit of warmth across the spectrum, yes, the upper mids and lower treble can be slightly more transparent but that can’t be helped because if those too were ironed out, this HP would have sounded dull and lifeless.
PAIRING WITH SOURCES:
Okay so.. this is a budget headphone and spending a lot in a source for this sounds bad and this HP doesn’t ask for a lot either. It has a 40mm DD with an SPL of 98db and just 32 ohm resistance making it fairly easy to drive out of a mobile phone. Yes, if you already have something good for it, it will respond reciprocally but if you don’t have anything, it will not scream or screech out of discomfort. I used with my Infinix GT10 pro and the output was fairly loud and clean. No unnatural suppression or lack of definition when compared to the output with the TP20 pro and Fosi DS2.
BASS:
I have had a lot of Kiwi Ears IEMs. They have a variety to tuning and their bass can be super tight and clean like it’s with the Melody and can be loose and slow like it’s with the Quartet yet I didn’t thought that we will get something with a bassy signature but this HP is a bass powerhouse. It’s not like its mindlessly bassy but when it hits, it stays a hit. It’s a bit on the slower side but it’s not lacking definition or resolution and delivers layered and textured notes.
We get very good sub-bass extension and rumbles too. It moves very good amount of air too. Mid bass has one of the biggest area of impact and these notes do not have issues with weight distribution either so they sound full all around. It has the vigor yet doesn’t sideline dynamics. Upper bass too isn’t ignored as this driver can easily hit reasonably clean notes.
MIDS :
Being a bassy headphone, one might expect this budget headphone to mess the mids a bit up that’s far from true. Infact I love it’s slightly mellow yet aptly powerful vocals. Yes, this does exhibits it’s W shaped signature as the instruments around the vocals are lacking a bit of transparency and finishing definition too. They are a bit too smooth and dull.
Vocals thought are very good. They have very good depth and most importantly have excellent texture. It’s still is on the smoother, fuller and warmer side but both male and female vocals enjoy decent sharpness and finishing energy when needed. I love the slower and cohesive vocal decay, giving a more grippy and emotional presentation. If you expect accuracy and precision, this isn’t trying to deliver that.
It barely has any bite or aggression to be worried about but yes, the upper mid is a bit more energetic and transparent than rest of the spectrum.
HIGHS :
Let me be frank here, this isn’t the best highs one can get by a good margin but I shouldn’t complain either. It is okay at best. We don’t have enough extension or sparkle. It isn’t lively or clean enough. It’s just there, a bit muffled up with below par separation and layering. The only saving grace is the lower treble energy and transparency. It’s a bit too smooth and thick otherwise.
This is the weak link of this wholesome and fun sounding headphone. It’s a bassy, warm and smooth sounding headphone and it reasonably keeps the high in low priority.
STAGING AND IMAGING:
This isn’t bad at all, we get a tall stage that has decent width and good Z-axis depth too. We have most of the instruments placed near the head but it can place a few cues further when needed. I love the imaging though, it can place notes one over another without much issues but they lack proper definition and clarity. It practically has little to no air between instruments. Sonics though aren’t very well defined have very good feel and movements. We get a nice, reverby decay which sounds engaging. It’s a jolly and giggly sounding headphone and this staging isn’t trying to do anything different.
CABLE CHANGE:
Okay, so let’s be clear here, the stock cable isn’t bad but I thought what if I change the cable and guess what, I used the 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable from the Ath-R70 and the quality changed and how!!
My god, this doesn’t sound like a $50 HP anymore!! It started to sound like a $100 HP with high quality definition and clarity across the spectrum with much better control over bass body and a bit faster decay. It helps with it’s dynamics too. Treble has better air between instruments but still lacks the extension and energy yet it’s much better than the stock cable.
CONCLUSION:
Oh I love this budget headphone, it as the fun and musical quotient to it which makes it an excellent recommendation for the average users who doesn’t want to spend much on a good headphone. If you want a good looking, nice, natural and relaxed sounding headphone without carrying anything heavy to drive it, get the Kiwi Ears Division. If you are a critical listener or want to use it for studio use this might not be for you.
So, this is it, enjoy your music guys!! Cheers!!
