Pros: A warm rich Harman tuning. Well-built and good looking with switches.
It has a good amount of accessories.
The imported resin and rounded shape is very comfortable.
Cons: Its not the most technical IEM, Fun warm tuning may not be for every one.
The package in Nicley decorated. inside is a large variety of tips a good cable and case.
The Quartet themselves are very rounded and are comfortable for long usage, I found the isolation excellent.
SOUND:
The Kiwi-Ears Quartet is a fun, warm sounding V-shaped IEM with a smooth detail and relaxed tuning that goes well with most music.
Bass: The lows on the Kiwi are prominent with the Mid-Bass just a little more so. Bass in general has good Texture, weight and speed. There is a little bleed into the lower mids.
It is sufficient enough to please most Bass loving audiophiles.
Mids: Present rich and thick with warmth and body. It has a slight rescission because of the typical V-shaped signature. Still Mids are full of character and smoothness. I found male vocals to be very pleasant.
Treble: Presents with a good amount of air and a smooth relaxed extension. I found it to b enjoyable for most types of music without any harshness. This is perfect for treble sensitive listeners.
Soundstage: Is accurate and natural in size, it handles some busy recordings well and while not the most technical in nature I think gaming should work well.
Afterthoughts: The KiwiEars Quartet is a well-made and comfortable IEM, it is not a detail monster but rather a super fun and relaxed IEM, I think it appeals to the casual listener for its enjoyable signature. It's like the bigger brother to the Cadenza but just more of the good stuff.
Pros: - All rounder, bassy sound signature on all configurations.
- Lush, smooth, overall sound quality.
- Elevated, thick lows on all configurations
- “Well-placed” mids most of the time.
- Non-fatiguing upper frequencies.
- Clear, detailed treble.
- Average technical performance for its price.
- Very good separation and detail (01 config).
- Excellent fit, isolation, and comfort!
- Smooth yet reliable build quality.
- Visually pleasing aesthetic! (subjective)
- Very good amount of accessories!
- Easy to drive.
- Versatile, intuitive tuning switches.
Cons: - Bass may sound “slow” and may lack texture on some configurations.
- Vocals may sound distant in some configurations.
- Upper frequency peaks are present on the 01 config.
- Technicalities aren't competitive for its asking price (subjective).
- Cable quality and aesthetic would’ve been better for its asking price (subjective)
- Case is on the smaller side and will not fit all of the accessories and IEMs itself in one package.
Kiwi Ears Quartet Review!
Good day! After 5 days of casual and critical listening, here’s my written review for the Kiwi Ears Quartet. Harmony in four!
I don’t read FR graphs. I only use my ears, as how earphones should be used.
Linsoul and Kiwi Ears sent this unit to me in an exchange for an honest, unbiased review. Rest assured that this review will do its best to devoid from any bias/es as much as possible.
The following remarks and observations shall be made and owned only by me.
No monetary compensation is/was involved before, during, and after the period of creation of this review.
Your mileage may (and always, will) vary.
================================================================================================================ Burn-in time: 4-8 hours per day, 5 days.
Source/s used:
-Hiby R3 Pro Saber
-Fosi Audio DS1
-Non-HiFi smartphone (Infinix Note 12 G96), PC.
-Shanling UA1 Plus
-Local Files via Foobar, YouTube Music, Deezer, and Qobuz with UAPP.
IEM/Earbud/Setup configuration: stock medium grey eartips, any form of EQ or MSEB off, 3.5 SE plug, 40-60% volume, low gain and high gain.
================================================================================================================ Additional note here: I will be reviewing the Quartet on its stock configuration first (both switches are on the upper position) then compare it to the other switch configurations later on.
================================================================================================================ Sound signature:
The Kiwi Ears Quartet is a bassy, v-shaped sounding unit that leans to the warmer side of the spectrum. It can be a basshead’s delight and is configurable via its tuning switches.
Quartet’s game is its elevated, chunky bass. It is mainly midbass focused, with sufficient and deep subbass rumble to accompany with. Attack and decay are average and can sound sluggish at times, creating a “bloat” into the mids. Despite being a bassy IEM, it is nowhere near compared to the 7Hz Legato’s bass quantity, which may make or break a basshead’s dream. One thing is for sure though: The bass here on the quartet is very versatile and will cater most tracks used with it, in terms of quantity.
The mids are mildly recessed in this configuration, lush, and exhibit some amounts of midbass bleed. This of course translates to thicker, warmer characteristics in the aforementioned region. There are occasions wherein the vocals may sound a bit distant to my liking, particularly on my busy test tracks. Upper mids are definitely forward, with a good amount of definition, clarity, air, and sparkle. When used with the 01 config, peaks may be apparent on some tracks (more into that later). But for the most part, it is fatigue free to my ears during my tests. However, those ears that are sensitive to higher frequencies may look elsewhere aside from this IEM.
Moving on to the treble, it is a little bit elevated but not as elevated as the IEM’s lows. It is decently extended, airy, and fairly detailed. Most microdetails are audible enough on the Quartet, despite not being a “clinically-tuned” set.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Soundstage, Imaging, and separation:
As for the technical performance, it is average in a nutshell, but could be better in this price point, in my humble opinion. The soundstage is average in terms of width, height, and depth, but never sounded and far from cramped or narrow. Separation is average and will get congested on very busy tracks. Imaging is precise to my liking and can render vocal and instrument positions clearly. It is also precise on most competitive games I used it with.
Everything sounds more “balanced” to my ears. Bass and Treble elevations are reduced by a bit. Some may even say that this sounds “relaxed” when personally heard. Mids are less recessed in this configuration. The rest are more or less the same.
“01” config
This configuration is my personal favorite as this tames down the bass by a bit and elevates the upper frequencies more, creating a “neutral-bright” sound signature. The bloat and midbass bleed is minimal and at times even gone during my tests, and the technicalities improved significantly. However, this configuration also introduces more upper frequency peaks in exchange for an airier and vocal-forward presentation.
“10” config
This sounds warmer compared to the rest of the configurations. Everything sounds more thicker and less airy when compared to the other frequencies.
Among all of the Kiwi Ears IEMs I’ve tried, the Quartet is by far the most “fun” and all rounder in terms of overall sound quality. Its bass, warm, engaging sound characteristic will definitely cater most genres and most ears paired with it. This may not be the first IEM to recommend to everyone, but it sure is one of my recommendations if you want a fun, bassy, versatile sound profiles.
Pairing recommendation/s:
Source: This sounds just fine when plugged straight to a phone, but is vastly better when used with a proper source.
Eartips: The eartips are alright and enough for the most part. You may always use your preferred eartips.
Cable gets the job done, but quite lacks in visual and durability for its asking price, in my opinion. You may always use your preferred cable.
Cons: -Not The Most Technicality Capable IEM (nitpick)
Kiwi Ears Quartet
2DD (Isobaric) + 2BA
$109
Before I start this review, first off, Thank you Linsoul for sending me the Kiwi Ears Quartet, rest assured, my review is 100% my own personal opinion.
Build Quality
The IEM itself is made from medical grade resin, I believe that it is a hollow resin since the Quartet is practically weight nothing at all, It is beautifully made with care and my unit doesn't even have any bubble or imperfection on the body.
It also has a tuning switches that controls the upper mid area - treble
As for the cable, its pretty supple and light weight, it is functional 3.5mm stock cable, nothing special really.
Comfort is pretty good on this set, despite its large shell size
Sound :
Tested using : iFi Go Blu, Hidizs AP80 PRO-X, Stock Cable, Stock Eartips
Music is mostly from Apple Music Lossless and Offline FLAC Files
Genre : J-POP, J-Rock, Anisong, Rock, EDM, RAP, Jazz, Metal
Switches Configurations : ON - ON
Tonality in general, the Quartet is Bass Boosted Neutral and very musical.
Bass here is more focused on the mid-bass area, it has a pretty generous bass shelf, sounds authoritative, full, and dominant. It is certainly a bass centric IEM for sure.
Bass speed is not that speedy but not slow either, it still can be used for genre such as Metal but IMHO it is not ideal for double pedal.
The bass tuning is more suitable for genre like Rock, POP, RnB, RAP, EDM, Electronic, and Jazz.
Midrange is well tuned, it has a reference type midrange that can be controlled via tuning switches, the midrange is also free from mid-bass bleed.
The midrange here is certainly not the main star of the show, it is more like a complementary for the bass.
Vocal and Instrument is also rendered in a thick and lush presentation.
Treble on this set is smooth, not the most extended treble, musical, and again, it is not the main star of the show here.
Technicalities :
Stage for the price bracket of $109, is above average, shape is symmetrical in width and depth.
Imaging is "almost holographic" I'd like to describe the Imaging on the Quartet to be 2.5D, it certainly not only sound coming out from the IEM, but it is not on the "pop-up" type kind of sound either.
Separation - Positioning is also above average especially for a bass centric IEM.
I can easily separate what instruments and vocal and locate its position.
The Kiwi Ears Quartet stage - imaging - positioning - separation is also very good for gaming (tested on Valorant)
Detail Retrieval is decent, not the best bot certainly not bad either.
Comparation
Hidizs MS3
The MS3 is more tuned towards Harman Target albeit not true Harman.
MS3 presents sound in a more analytical way.
The bass presentation on MS3 is more leaner and has more punch rather than full bodied boom boom type bass if that make sense at all, hahaha !
Treble is also more sparkly on the MS3.
Technicalities is better on the MS3 thanks to its analytical type presentation.
Truthear Hexa
Cheaper than both MS3 and Quartet, It has more neutral with sub-bass boost type of sound, Hexa main focus is on the midrange and vocal, treble is also smooth on Hexa, technicalities is very close, though I must give the edge to Hexa due to its better treble definition.
Conclusion
Kiwi Ears Quartet is one of the well tuned bass centric IEM for sure, it presents sound in a very musical way that makes you want to nod your head without getting distracted by micro detailing and lots of micro informations.
If you like BASS and just want to enjoy and relax (or party?) to your music, the Quartet in my subjective opinion is very recommended
If you want the most detailed or technical prowess from an IEM, the Quartet might not be for you.
again, thank you Linsoul for sending me the Quartet for this review.
just in case you're Indonesian or understand Bahasa Indonesia, you can watch my video review of the Quartet below
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