Alpha Delta KS100 Bluetooth HiFi IEMs – Single Driver Or Hybrid Are Not The Same
Alpha Delta KS100 is a $100 USD pair of IEMS which can be purchased in multiple colors and in multiple driver configurations. This feels like one of the weirder things I have ever reviewed, as having multiple driver configurations available for the same IEM, same model, can be a bit confusing. There is a slight price difference if you want to get the Hybrid Driver variant, and today we will explore both options and how they compare as well.
Introduction
Alpha & Delta is an entry-level IEM and Earphone designer and their new KS100 is a very affordable option for those who want and need a good portable bluetooth earphone, but don’t want to spend too much, yet would like to have that IEM feeling to the Earphones. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Huge thanks to AD Alpha & Delta for providing the sample for this review, in exchange for my honest opinion.
PROs – Two models, with a good price, each with their own sound but exactly the same casing and design, with a similar comfort.
Cons – No LDAC support, no Package, slow and bloomy bass.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3NTuUsm
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort
The most interesting part about KS100 is the pricing and choice strategy employed by Alpha & Delta, as KS100 is a naming which has two very different IEMS under the same banner. You can pick either the Signle Dyamic Driver option, or the Hybrid option. The sound will be really different, although the two have the same shape and shell. I personally would have chosen two different names for the KS100 Dynamic vs KS100 Hybrid, as it would help customers pick and purchase quite a lot.
For this round, I did not receive the full package, only the charging / transport case and the IEMs inside, so I am not sure if there is any extra included with the official version, but the Earphone shells are made of resin, and they have an ergonomic design which feels more like an in-ear monitor but without the wire.
Alpha Delta implements Bluetooth 5.2 for the connection, supporting aptX, with multipoint support, and they even offer 6 hours of playtime from a single charge, with the case having a large battery inside for an additional 120 hours of battery life. This in theory would mean that you can fully charge the IEMs 20 times using just the case, and my wife does take them to the gym nowadays, as her previous gym Bluetooth IEMs, the Master & Dynamic MW06 GO is now dead, and Master & Dynamic does not really operate anymore. So far, we only charged the KS100 twice in a month, and the IEMs never die on a single charge, but our gym sessions last for two hours, and the phone reports almost 50% battery life at the end, so I would say that the IEMs can survive around 4 hours if used at loud volumes and with aptX, while the case might very well have 20 extra charges.
Call quality is not great, you can hear a lot of handling noise, self noise, and wind noise, while IPX5 Sweat resistance is superb. KS100 will survive multiple drips even on hard surfaces. The Hybrid version has a golden logo and comes with a black charging case, while the Single Dynamic Driver version has a silver logo and comes with a silver / blue charging case.
Even inside of a crowded gym, we have not experienced any signal dropouts and KS100 is reliable and fun to use. My wifey prefers the KS100 or as they are aptly named AD15, as they never fall out of her ears during strenuous activities at the gym.
Sound Quality
Overall Signature – AD15 or the Hybrid version is the one that’s preferable for most users, having a more balanced sound, better resolution and clarity than the Single DD verizon, which is exceedingly bloomy and bassy. This being said, we will explore the Hybrid Version, AD15, as it is already plenty bassy, and low-end dominates the sound and heavily bleeds over everything, being the central element of the sound, but balanced by a sharp and crisp treble thanks to the balanced armature inside. There is a good soundstage and the speed of the two drivers is really different, which gives a very different sound to the roaring bass and the sharp and crisp mid – treble. Maximum volume is very loud, but THD is quite high and audible once you reach higher volumes.
Bass – With a full and lush bottom-end, KS100 is dominated by the bass, it is not just wealthy, but I’d call it a bass dominated by gluttony, it eats parts of the other frequencies, and the dynamic driver overlaps with the balanced armature, so at times a sharp drum pattern that is reproduced by the balanced armature is accompanied by a slow and huge bass, which adds quite a bit of body and bloom to the sound.
Midrange – The midrange is where the crossover between the drivers is supposed to happen, and most of the mid is handled by the balanced armature in the hybrid version, with a fast and detailed midrange. The Dynamic Driver version, or the turquoise one sounds far slower, bloomy and thick, with much less detail and resolution, while the hybrid variant is plenty detailed and has a speedy balanced armature that can produce very quick and snappy drum patterns.
Treble – You’ll hear a sharp and crisp treble with the hybrid version, and a smooth, rolled off treble with the single DD version of the KS100. There is no similarity here and generally I prefer the hybrid version as it can balance out the thick and heavy bass, effectively making the whole IEM a better listen, while the single DD version is a full basshead IEM that has only bass, and everything else rolls off afterwards.
Dynamics / PRaT / Textures – The sound is plenty dynamic, with a strong punch. Texture is sharp, crisp and can be fatiguing wit the hybrid version, while it is slow and bloomy with the single DD version. Both IEMs have so much bass that it can reverberate inside of the head to the point where you feel it in your neck, so I write that at the texture point of the review, it creates a unique presentation for the KS100. Generally, if you like a sharper, more defined texture, the hybrid version offers it much better, while the DD version offers a really smooth and relaxed texture.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – KS100 has a strong point in how they handle volume, they can get loud, and the THD becomes high too, but still acceptable for the price you’re paying. This being said, they do not handle low volumes well, and only at loud volumes the balanced armature balances out the dynamic driver, and it feels like the DD is stuck at max volume even at lower volumes, so bass is much louder compared to the mid and the treble when you reduce the volume. As they’re a gym IEM for me, they can be judged for their loud volume.
Soundstage – There’s a good instrument separation and layering, with more than a forward and a background layer, and even a layer in between, but the staging itself is fairly intimate and narrow. Lateral expansion is equal to the depth projection, KS100 has a rounded sound that plays around your head.
Value and Conclusion
It would be impossible to have a perfect judgment with a product that was sent without the package and just as a bare Bluetooth IEM, but the value is generally good, there are two distinct IEMs in the KS100 series, and each offers a unique sound, with a similar price between them, but not a similar sound.
At the end of the day, if you’re looking for either a more balanced or a heavy and full sound, for a reliable bluetooth IEM with an extremely long battery life, and exceptional build quality, bearing the IEM shape for a BT Earphone, Alpha & Delta KS100 is a strongly recommended purchase, and my wife is indeed using them while progressively getting into acrobat rope jump, so KS100 will stay in your ears even if you’re very active.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3NTuUsm
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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