Kiwi Ears KE4 HiFi IEMs – Complete Redesign Of Audiophile Origins
Kiwi Ears KE4 is a $199 USD pair of IEMS or In-Ear Monitors with a dual 2DD + 2BA Hybrid Drivers. Today we will study the new KE4 and briefly compare them with other similarly priced IEMS.
Introduction
The new Kiwi Ears KE4 we’re reviewing today is provided by Linsoul, one of the largest, if not the absolute largest Chifi shop in the entire world. Linsoul does an excellent job at both selling, supporting and promoting all the entry-level and high-end audio scene coming from China. We get the best prices, excellent support and quick shipping times with Linsoul, and they are also available on Amazon, Aliexpress and their own website, if you want to open your audio world and explore. 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 Linsoul for providing us with the sample for this review.
PROs – Deep and powerful bass, natural midrange, and an airy, snappy sound. Wide and holographic soundstage with strong contrast and dynamics. Very lightweight and comfortable for longer periods of wear.
Cons – 3.5mm single ended cable.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4fpMKyi
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_okwkQ1l
Build Quality / Aesthetics
Kiwi ears is a company we’ve been exploring for a couple of years now, having launched many popular IEMs, and with the help of Linsoul, those models also reached the right ears. The KE4 model we are reviewing today is a fresh model, starting a new design entirely, as opposed to the Kiwi Ears approach of always refining their older designs, so today we have 2 Dynamic Drivers arranged in an isobaric subwoofer system, combined with two Balanced armatures, one that is full-range and one that is tweeter.
Those drivers include the Kiwi Ears Custom Dynamic Drivers for the bass, kick and sub-bass extension, combined with a RAB 32257 BA driver for a full-range integration, and a separate American Knowles RAD 33517 BA High-End Driver with a brighter and sharper sound. This entire setup should provide a better tonal balance and a signature that Kiwi Ears promotes for everyday listening and purpose, gaming and even audio engineering.
To complement this driver array, Kiwi Ears implemented a 3-Way Crossover in the KE4, together with 3 independent sound tubes, to extract the most out of each driver and not spread nor combine them before your ear canal. The shells are made of medical-grade resin, and are adorned with hand-finished faceplates.
On a more technical level, KE4 has a Sensitivity of 102 dB, with an impedance of 28 OHMs. This means that it is harder to drive than most IEMs, but not sensitive to source noise and will be fairly consistent across multiple sources. The nozzle has a diameter of 6mm, and we have a snazzy transport case included in the package, tighter with some soft and comfortable eartips that I actually can use, liking them better than the ddHiFi ST-35 I typically employ when reviewing IEMs.
Fit / Subjective Usage
The comfort of the Ke4 is superb, they are lightweight, the cable is flexible and does not pose any kind of issue during wear. We have an average passive noise isolation, between 10dB and 20 dB, not very strong, but ambient noise is easily drown out by the music level. You can easily replace the default cable as it is detachable and based on a standard 2-Pin connector.
There is no driver flex and no void effect, as there is plenty of ventilation, and wearing the Ke4 feels really nice. The insertion depth is shallow-medium, and the default eartips are better than 90% of the tips IEMs come with, Kiwi Ears doing an excellent job with making KE4 comfortable.
Sound Quality
Pairings – To test and drive the KE 4 I have paired them with a wide selection of sources, including Dethonray Listening M1, Sparkos Gemini, Creative Sound Blaster G8, Shanling UA6, Astell & Kern Activo P1, HIFIMAN EF400, and iBasso D16. Kiwi Ears KE4 is generally easy to drive and will not eat a lot of power, but because it is single ended in the default factory configuration, you may have to pump the volume higher than you do for IEMs with 4.4mm balanced cables. I am noticing a very faint hissing with most sources, but for the most part the impedance is high enough that you never really hear much hissing with Ke4.
Overall Signature – Kiwi Ears always had odd signatures and their popularity has been a bit of a mystery to me, because none of their IEMs sounded that natural. They did get the details, punch and kick right though, so it is surprising to hear the first full V-Shaped or rather U-Shaped sounding IEM from them. KE4 has a really powerful sub-bass, a fairly neutral upper bass and midrange, and a bright, sharp treble, with excellent detail revealing ability, and clarity. Ke4 is the best IEM Kiwi Ears made so far, and the easiest to recommend to everyone, it sounds natural, thick in the lows, and sharp in the highs, basically a good balance of everything for someone who wants a powerful and engaging sound with no midrange coloration.
Bass – Starting with a deep and lush sub-bass, you can hear the point of crossover quite clearly, as KE4 does have a very powerful, bloomy and impactful sub-bass, which ends abruptly where the cutoff frequency point is, at around 80 Hz. This means that there is zero veil in the sound, but you can most definitely hear a powerful kick, deep punch, and a sub-low presentation that will emphasize and give contrast to EDM, Dubstep and Electronic music in general. Even with Technical Death Metal and bands like Queen Kona, you hear a strong reverberation and punch from the drums and kick, bass guitar is easily audible in most rock music, giving it substance, weight and volume.
Midrange – The most surprising part by far is how natural, airy and snappy the midrange sounds, especially knowing it is handled by just one full-range balanced armature driver. There’s a good sense of space to music, instrument separation is fairly average, but the detail revealing ability of the KE4 is great. You can hear the guitars, voices, and every aspect of music independently, with good contrast between voices and instruments. Music is also presented in multiple layers, with the most forward layering being where the middle generally is, as Ke4 is a more laid-back and relaxed IEM in the middle. There’s a good sense of smoothness to all instruments, as Ke4 cannot be fatiguing even with some of the harshest and distorted sounding rock and metal.
Treble – To complement the deep bass, Kiwi Ears used a fairly powerful tweeter Balanced Armature which presents music with a strong air and crisp, powerful treble. The high-end extends up to 20 kHz, you hear a lot of air and sharpness in music, and most of Ke4’s resolution can be heard in the treble, which creating a strong contrast relative to the bass generates one of the most impressive V-Shaped signatures available in the entry-level price range.
Dynamics – KE4 sounds very dynamic and has a strong contrast between elements. Thanks to its full and deep bass, and bright treble, it has an engaging and impressive signature that always keeps you on your toes and gives you a thrill. The midrange is much flatter than the bass and the treble, being less exciting and more laid back / relaxed.
PRaT / Textures – Kiwi ears used to have fairly sharp and edgy textures with most of their previous models, but KE4 gets smooth, laid back and relaxed textures which are not offensive and free of grain. There’s a smooth presentation to all music, and Ke4 will generally behave nicely even with the sharpest music you may have. This being said, it has a rather quick speed, so most music is airy and snappy rather than bloomy and heavy.
Volume Control – We get a good volume control, the distortion at high and very high volumes is audible, but not very high. The sonic character changes slightly with the volume, and the sound is more balanced at lower and medium volume, and becomes more extremely V-Shaped and U-Shaped even at higher volumes. This being said, the overall tone of KE4 is most enjoyable at loud and very loud volumes.
Soundstage – We get a fairly wide soundstage with an average instrument separation, so most music is fairly blended together, which is to be expected as it is all produced by a full-range balanced armature, but you will get a separate character, separate presence and speed to bass and treble, yet most instruments are presented combined and blended together. There’s a strong sense of width, and with bassy music also a strong sense of depth.
Value and Conclusion
With a price point of 199 USD, Kiwi Ears KE4 has a fair bit of competition, this range being a hot topic right now, but compared to most other Kiwi Ears Models that I reviewed in the past, including Quintet, Quartet and Orchestra Lite, Ke4 sounds the most natural in the midrange, has the best resolution, deepest bass and is generally the most enjoyable one. The transport case is a nice bonus, but the single ended cable is a bit disappointing as most sources today come with a better 4.4mm balanced output.
At the end of the day, KE4 is an engaging and fun sounding IEM, with a contrasty, strong bass, and a bright, sharp treble, strong detail revealing ability for the price point, and it is generally a good contender for those who want a high-quality V-Shaped or U-Shaped sounding entry-level IEM.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4fpMKyi
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_okwkQ1l
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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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