We get to see a lot of brands raise 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 highly resolving V shaped IEMs. What I have here with me is an evolution of their Quartet, housing similar set of drivers this IEM promises much better tonal accuracy, imaging and details in comparison.
I am talking about the latest IEM from Kiwi Ears, KE4. It houses 2 DD in isobaric setup and mids and highs have their own single BA drivers. Priced at just $200, it promises a lot. The best thing is its lack of negative sides. No IEM in this whole world can please everyone but this IEM has the abilities to fend off most of the negativities. Let’s find out what we are getting from this quad driver IEM.
I will like to thank Kiwi Ears for this unit.
UNBOXING AND ACCESSORIES:
Unboxing is fairly straight forward. Lift the upper cover, we have the earpieces stiffed in cardboard while the accessories and cable are placed inside the carry case under it, nothing fancy. What I don’t like are the fact that this $200 IEM ships with a case that looks super cheap and the cable too is nothing to brag about. Here is my unobxing video.
BUILD QUALITY AND ERGONOMICS:
There isn’t a lot of info about the build but they have used medical grade Resin shell. I like this glossy black shell design and the silver back plate with silver logo adds a bit of mystery to the design. We get a semi custom type shell with its proper wing design and nicely rounded edges giving comfortable fit inside the ear. This shell offers very good grip, excellent stability too. Another thing that helps is the lighter weight. It barely has any heft to it and thanks to its slightly smaller size it will fit most ears without any issues. There is little to no pressure on the ear and it’s longer than average nozzle helps with extra stability. It has a small vent on the shell to let the DDs breathe. No issues with the nozzle size either, it doesn’t feel uncomfortable or thick inside the ear.
CABLE:
KE4 ships with the exact cable that comes with Quintet and while it’s pairing with the Quintet was bad, KE4 pairing isn’t unpleasant, in fact I like the way KE4 sounds with the stock cable, smooth, relaxed with excellent bass performance and superb tonality. Kiwi Ears has not mentioned anything about the cable but I guess it’s a copper cable.
This 4 core cable is well behaved, supple, soft and decent looking too. One down side is the 3.5mm jack and Y splitters are heavy thanks to the metal jackets. I am a bit disappointed though, nearly every brand has modular cable for their IEMs in this price range but with KE4 we don’t even have the luxury to opt for a 4.4mm termination. I will definitely like to see slightly premium looking cables and modular design with future Kiwi Ear IEMs.
PAIRING WITH SOURCES:
I tried a handful of sources with this and I didn’t have any issues with any of them. KE4 is loud and doesn’t need much power to extract the best out of it. I was able to drive it easily with a mid range dongles like Hidizs S8 pro without a lot to be desired. I even used my mobile phone and it didn’t had any problems with that either. I believe it will pair exceptionally well with gaming console and Laptops too. Use an okay source and this IEM has no issues working around it. It doesn’t whine or screech either, that’s just is not in the nature of this beautiful sounding IEM.
SOUND QUALITY:
I had the Quartet a while ago and if you think the KE4 is similar, you are not wrong. They a similar setup inside but KE4 has better drivers and uses isobaric DD setup. BA drivers are improved too. It uses separate BA drivers for mids and highs and has a 3 way cross system. Both have a bassy output, that shouldn’t surprise anyone but unlike the Quartet, KE4 doesn’t have any tuning switches. Quartet is very good with tonality and timber but KE4 takes the accuracy and cohesion to another level and is better with the treble extension and definition too.
KE4 has a warmish presentation with fuller, calmer, resolving and well defined notes. The most impressive thing is the balance of the things, when deep punchy and meaty bass, well balanced mid range, natural timber, very good treble and a big stage come together they deliver one of the most capable sound quality under $300.
I am using Hidizs S8 pro, Hip DAC 2 as sources and stock tips for this review.
BASS:
I love the way this bass can be clean and textured notes yet when it hits, notes are deep and powerful. We get one of the best sub-bass extension and rumble with very good body and presence. I will like to give a bit of emphasis to the rumbles, it’s superb, not hard or over done and have some of the best definition and resolution while moving aptly strong air. Mid bass is not prominent and it has no mid bass hump to worry about. We get high quality layered, textured and defined notes. Thankfully the upper bass notes are not sacrificed for the sake of ever-present soft cushy bass notes but these aren’t absent either, exhibiting above average technicalities. When the track has sub-bass rumble and mid bass hits, KE4 puts one of the deepest punches and plenty of heft behind the note. The best thing is, notes are not just about the quantity but it’s the quality that makes them stand out. Area of impact is big, so are the volume and the note move in and upward, steering clear of any interference. Decay is a bit on the slower side though, it’s not as slow as the Quartet but has bigger body and juicier precipitation than the Quintet.
MIDS:
KE4 delivers one of the most delicate and tonally accurate mid range under $300 while maintaining very good clarity and definition. Interestingly, KE4 is not V shaped, it’s a reasonably balanced IEM with an L shaped signature. Unlike others, KE4 portrays male vocals vividly. It delivers excellent grunts with the gust and air behind them while being aptly full and tall. Female vocals too sound very good and accurate but might lack a bit of finishing energy and height. Both male and female vocals have class leading texture too. Above everything else, it’s the cohesive, reverb and decay giving KE4 a theatre like experience. It slightly dials down the energy of instruments around the vocals but maintain very good definition and clarity. Instruments have very good finishing definition is with nice energy, giving them a lively and engaging presentation. They are not blunt and the bite is enough to grab attention but do not induce discomfort. Yes, the most subtle of details aren’t as transparent or clear as the Falcon Ultra but this IEM so engaging and cohesive that I didn’t feel like KE4 is not doing something It is supposed to. We get good contrast of back and foreground instruments. There is barely any upper mid peaks or sharpness to worry about either.
HIGHS:
Man.. I know I know that one just can’t forget the treble and I am critical about highs too and I have slammed a handful of IEMs for being dark but guess what, this is an IEM that has so much going for it that I will not hold any grudges if it doesn’t nail the treble. And yet, it nearly nails the treble, much better than other bass focused IEMs that tend to deliver sharp and thinner notes. KE4 is not thin or sharp yet aptly lively, agile and on the calmer smoother side. It has very good extension too, better than ISN Neo 5 and on par with ISN H60. It’s not the quantity or quality but the technically sound behavior which impressed me, yet the quality is nothing one should complain about given that this is a warm and bassy sounding IEM. We get very good layering and separation with very good amount of air better instruments. KE4 does sound slightly darker in the upper treble region but it doesn’t lose relevance or clarity. I do not mind the lack of excellence here, this IEM is already excellent everywhere else.
STAGE AND IMAGING:
One thing that sets KE4 apart from the competition is the stage and imaging. This stage is much bigger than the competition and brings in soothing transient effects with good amount of air between instruments. We get a well rounded stage with very good height width and above average Z-axis presence. KE4 has a class leading stereo imaging. Most of the vocals generate inside the head and end out of it. Bass notes hit and move in up, giving a unique kind of experience. Some mid range and most of treble notes find themselves placed totally out of the head and the good thing is it doesn’t lack flexibility.
Sonics as I mentioned earlier are very good with excellent background presence and transient effects. Yes, the contrast and separation of back and foreground instruments isn’t the best but its still is above average.
COMPARISON:
VS QoA Adonis New:
Adonis new has one DD and is slightly cheaper too but comes with a much better set of accessories and its cable is modular too. Can the KE4 come out on top? Let’s find out!!
VS Thieaudio Hype 2:
This too is a high quality hybrid IEM with similar setup too. It’s dual BA dual DD sound interesting but it’s not a bassy IEM. What is has is extra depth and rumble than Falcon Ultra but the KE4 is in a different level. What Hype 2 does better is tighter mid bass and slightly better dynamics and offers better control.
Mid range is a bit cleaner with slightly better transparency and finishing energy with the. Vocals tonality of KE4 is more cohesive and pleasing with slightly fuller body and better texture. Hype 2’s tonal accuracy is decent but KE4 is exceptional. Highs are very much similar too with similar extension but Hype 2 has slightly more lively, airy and agile notes. Stage is bigger and more evenly distributed with the Hype 2 and has slightly better back and foreground contrast.
VS Quintet:
One more driver, slightly more expensive, totally different signature is what Quintet offers. It isn’t a bassy IEM and lacks a bit of sub-bass extension while the mid bass is slightly tighter and delivers better dynamics and lacks a bit of texture. Mid range is where the Quintet can sound a bit unnatural and thin, especially at the upper mids but vocals are decent but the tonal accuracy of KE4 is just in a different level. Highs are where the Quintet shows its excellence with more air and better clarity across the spectrum. It can sound slightly splashy though.
Overall, Quintet is a more v shaped and detailed IEM which isn’t warm or full sounding and not as consistent or uniform as the KE4.
CONCLUSION:
Woh, what a pleasant sounding IEM!! It is one of the most cohesive, aptly detailed yet aggression free and tonally accurate IEMs under $500. It’s not a very serious sounding IEM but it’s jolly and giggly while performing above average with everything I threw at it and it nails the bass and excels with vocals too. It does have a bit of smoothness across the spectrum which helps with longer listening sessions. Stage too is wide and open with pleasing sonics. Highs aren’t the most detailed but its still is airy and open with very good extension and clarity.
If you are a bass head and want something with excellent tonality, texture, smooth and full notes without any unnecessary sharpness, no need to look beyond the KE4.
