While Kiwi Ears is a relatively newcomer to the Chi-Fi scene, it has begun making waves with the well-regarded Orchestra IEM. Recently, the company has recently released the Kiwi Ears Quartet, a hybrid IEM boasting a 2DD+2BA driver setup for only US$109.00 (~ RM499).
Table of Contents
Kiwi Ears Quartet – Specifications
| Driver | 2 X 10mm titanium diaphragm driver (isobaric) 2 X custom balance armature driver |
| Connector | 0.78 pin |
| Sensitivity | 110db APL/mW |
| Impedance | 32ohm |
| Frequency Response Range | 20Hz-20kHz |
| Effective Frequency Response | 20Hz-20kHz |
| Material | Earbuds – Medical-grade resin Cable – Oxygen-free silver-plated copper cable |
| Cable Length | 1.2m |
What’s in the Box?
- Kiwi Ears Quartet
- Cable
- Carrying case
- Silicone ear tips
- Tuning switch pin
- User guide
Design
The Kiwi Ears Quartet has an all resin construction molded into one piece for each earbud, which the company claims to be medical grade. The shape is a bit odd for an IEM, resembling more like high end custom molded IEMs which adds a touch of premium-ness to it.
You can only get them in glossy marbled purple finish. Each earbud has two tuning switches marked 1 and 2 at the top, allowing you to adjust the bass and midrange/treble respectively.
The included cable feels decently made with heat-shrink wrapped ear hooks, though I find the texture to be a tad rough. Also, there are no markings on the sockets to indicate which side it’s supposed to be on even though its stated in the user guide.
Audio Quality
Tonality
Kiwi Ears has marketed the quartet as a bass-centric pair of IEMs, relying on dual dynamic drivers for the subwoofers, while the dual balanced armature drivers handle the mids and highs. As a result, the Kiwi Ears Quartet has a pronounced V-shape sound signature to it and leans a bit to the warm side, making it a versatile IEM for most music genres.
Tuning wise, the bass sounded punchy and tight without muddying the midrange. Kick drums and basslines have a commanding presence, making it a joy to listen to if you like EDMs and metal music. The midrange, while less presented sounded pleasant with crisp and warm vocals. Treble performance is quite gentle, and behaves smoothly without any hints of harshness. It is elevated for sure, but not as much as the bass. All in all, while they sounded fun out of the box, needless to say if you want a neutral sounding IEM, you should look elsewhere.
If you don’t care much about neutrality, yet find the bass to be overbearing, you can tame it down a notch using the tuning switches. By default, both tuning switches were left on, but I find the sweet spot to be at the “01” position (0 being off, and 1 being on). In this configuration, the subwoofer and mid-bass sounded more controlled, allowing the midrange and treble to have better presentation. This is just my preference and your mileage may vary, so feel free to adjust the tuning switches to your liking.
Technical Performance
At this price range, technical performance isn’t the Kiwi Ears Quartet’s strong suit. Sound stage is not wide by any means, but its not narrow to the point of sounding like everything is muddled together either. Depth is decent, with sufficient separation between the foreground and background especially in the “01” configuration. Speaking of separation, it is not bad either, though the earbuds may struggle to separate instruments in orchestral tracks.
Comfort
Despite the oddball shape, the Kiwi Ears Quartet is a comfortable pair of IEMs to wear for long hours. They are lightweight, and fits snugly into my ear canals thanks to the abundance of ear tip options.
Final Verdict
4 / 5The Kiwi Ears Quartet is a pair of hybrid IEMs that offer bass-heads a fun yet surprisingly versatile sound.
Overall, I enjoyed my time with the Kiwi Ears Quartet. If you can forgive its bass-centric nature, so-so technical performance, and am willing to experiment with its tuning, you can get lots of fun and versatility out of this pair of earbuds.
For more information, please visit the official product page here.
Where to buy: Linsoul.com
