Verdict
Kumitate Lab’s NEXT 5 line-up carries three of the most exciting in-ear monitors in the mid-tier market today. Similar to brands like Custom Art or Advanced Acousticwerkes, they bring excellent innovation to an admirably accessible price tag – sacrificing neither build quality nor customer service along the way. Ito-san’s custom IEMs are some of the cleanest and most beautiful I’ve ever seen, and the universal demos I’ve been loaned echo that sentiment uproariously.
The trio carry their own unique signatures, only similar in how coherent, expansive and tonally lovable they are. The Corona joins the Empire Ears Phantom and the 64Audio A6t as one of my favourite pro-vocal IEMs, the Meteo has its sights set on the Lime Ears Model X as my go-to rock out customs, and the Sirius finds time as a monitoring piece both at home and behind the console. For years, many have considered Kumitate Lab an immensely underrated brand in the industry, but I think that ends today. The NEXT 5 is an outstanding prospect deserved of everyone’s consideration.
Photo courtesy of Kumitate Lab