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Review: Kiwi Ears Quintet – No Need For A Flashy Face And A Waifu
Easy design and blank sound cover an unique and sophisticated internal.
Kiwi Ears claims the Quintet took virtually a to increase because of the engineering problem of mixing all its motive force varieties – dynamic, planar, piezo, and BA. They consider that the result’s a wholly balanced tone that as it should be displays the most efficient qualities of each and every motive force.
Let’s discover if the Quintet used to be price all their effort and time – and yours as properly.
The Quintet are a very good instance of compromise yielding an above-par all-around performer regardless of now not having any stand-out skill in any space of the frequency vary. The Quintet excel achieve the uncommon aggregate of huge soundstage and exact imaging, with remarkable readability and treble extension of their worth vary. In response to the advanced configuration, hybrid motive force aggregate, sound, and luxury, the Quintet sound a lot more pricey than they’re and are a cast worth.
- Horny and but don’t scream, “Take a look at me!”
- Have compatibility, end, and fittings
- Superb inventory cable
- Comfy for lengthy listening periods
- Inventory tuning is inoffensive, balanced, and with regards to impartial (now not sterile)
- Midrange and treble superiority: element, readability, and airiness are above common on this worth vary
- Soundstage and imaging are a long way above common
- Tuning can have a vast enchantment
- Carry out properly throughout maximum genres
- Crossover implementation is easy, with superb coherence
- No bothersome BA timbre or harshness
- Helpful garage and elevate case
- Extra ear pointers can be liked
- Modest, and now and again missing, bass authority and have an effect on
- The various drivers don’t really stand out of their sound (this can be a just right factor)
- General sound intensity and notice weight are reasonably missing – the Quintet are for individuals who worth element, now not for individuals who desire heat and full-bodied sound signatures
- Grow to be fatiguing at upper volumes
In This Article
Corporate Evaluation
Unboxing and First Impact
Technical Specs
- Taste: In-ear observe
- Drivers: 1 DLC (diamond-like carbon) dynamic, 2 BA (balanced armatures), 1 planar magnetic, and 1 PZT (piezoelectric) bone conductor
- Impedance: 32 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 106 dB/mW
- Frequency Reaction Vary: 20Hz – 30kHz
- Plug Type: 3.5mm gold-plated immediately plug connector
- Pin Sort: 0.78mm 2-pin
- Cable Length and Type: 1.2m (4 toes) high-purity silver-plated OFC (Oxygen-free copper core) twine and pre-shaped ear hooks
- Colour: Silver and black
- Weight: 8g according to IEM (together with ear tip)
Packaging
A broadcast sleeve over a easy black field with a silver Kiwi Ears emblem is shared with their different IEMs. The fundamental and simple theme carries via the entire Quintet bundle.
Within the field
- Kiwi Ears Quintet IEMs
- Oxygen-free silver-plated copper cable
- Six pairs of silicone ear pointers
- Sporting case
Cable
The Quintet’s 1.2m top of the range silver-plated OFC (oxygen-free copper) cable is sexy, feels nice, doesn’t tangle simply, and has sturdy reinforcements in any respect touch issues. Ear hook sheathing is skinny and versatile. The two-pin connection suits completely and is protected. The colour, whilst wealthy, interestingly doesn’t fit the IEMs.
There are 0 microphonics, which is tune to my ears and yours.
Construct & Design
The Quintet joins a steel faceplate to the 3-d-printed resin shell, which is huge sufficient to house the 5 drivers. Whilst they don’t glance small, they tuck into my ears well and don’t stick out.
The construct feels well-made, and the match and end are superb. In line with Kiwi Ears, each and every Quintet unit undergoes meticulous handcrafting, trying out, and pairing. This procedure is meant to make sure that each the left and proper displays ship equivalent sounds, leading to a flawless listening revel in.
The nozzle is of common duration, with a larger-than-average diameter bore. Many ear pointers should stretch a long way to mount appropriately. The nozzles have a lip to protected the ear pointers with a steel acoustic filter out situated on the finish. The our bodies have two small holes, probably to vent force.
Convenience
The Quintet are all-day comfy with out fatigue.
For universal-fit IEMs, the frame form is superb. With the assistance of the ear hooks and a right kind seal, they’re virtually completely situated and balanced.
The integrated ear pointers are other in form and construction, permitting you to select what works right for you. Most effective the black pointers seal properly for me. Not like maximum different IEMs, the Quintet’s sound signature rarely adjustments with other pointers, together with reminiscence foam.
Internals
The Kiwi Ears Quintet makes use of 4 motive force varieties with a complete of five drivers according to facet. Those come with a 10mm DLC (diamond-like carbon) dynamic motive force, 2 Knowles BA drivers, a planar magnetic motive force, and one PZT (piezoelectric) bone conductor.
The Quintet have internals corresponding to an unique sports activities automobile, with a price ticket befitting a circle of relatives sedan.
The massive 10mm DLC motive force purposes because the subwoofer because of DLC’s excessive responsiveness and tensile energy. DLC is meant to supply impactful bass with rapid decay speeds. I’ll have extra to mention about this within the sound phase.
Kiwi Ears evolved a new planar tweeter device within the Quintet known as MPT (Micro Planar Transducers), designed to ship low noise, excessive output, and crisp treble, bettering audio answer and texture.
The new tweeters function vintage planar magnetic motive force circuitry with a smaller 5mm footprint. They’re able to generating sustained treble frequencies from 4kHz to 40kHz. Those drivers have a particularly low noise ground and an astounding output capability of 118 dB. The piezoelectric motive force delivers ultra-treble microdetail and air.
Kiwi Ears Quintet Sound
For analysis, I pay attention to an ideal number of tune via a large number of assets, together with:
The Quintet are simple to force, with an impedance of 32 ohms and a excessive sensitivity of 106 dB. Insertion intensity is common and can yield common passive sound isolation with adequately seated and sealed ear pointers.
A balanced sound signature is a core trust at Kiwi Ears. The Quintet are designed to supply this, combining the most efficient qualities of each and every motive force kind. Kiwi Ears aimed for impactful bass, impartial higher mids, detailed treble, and a longer soundstage.
On their website online, Kiwi Ears supplies intensive element at the drivers, their impact at the sound signature, and their definition of steadiness. My ears inform me they got here shut, and there isn’t an excessive amount of advertising hyperbole.
On account of the complexity of the driving force combine, I proceed to be shocked by means of the Quintet’s easy transitions and excessive coherence, a defining function of superb implementation. Kiwi Ears merchandise exude competence. The crew unquestionably turns out to understand what they’re aiming for. They hit the objective with the Quintet.
For this assessment, I visited the next artists and their house places:
An enchanting assortment from a number of continents, those various musical productions vary in ethnic origins, musical kinds, and explorations in audio.
Bass
Bass reaction, velocity, and rot are competent, with just right texture and musicality. The volume is ok for many genres excluding for digital and bass-heavy tune. In spite of the just about perfect-for-me frequency reaction graph and Kiwi Ears’ statement that the dynamic motive force is subwoofer-like, I don’t listen or really feel it sufficient, irrespective of ear pointers.
Whilst musical and well-controlled, the dynamic motive force lacks the low-frequency grunt and have an effect on I anticipated.
The bass extension is there. It’s simply now not as provide and entire appropriately, growing the sense that the Quintet are at all times ethereal sounding. The drift into mid-bass and midrange is superb, with out a notable infringement. There’s no distortion till I press the drivers with EQ changes.
Midrange
The midrange and the treble are the celebrities of the Quintet display, sounding transparent and herbal with just right timbre. There’s no sense that the mids are tucked, recessed, or veiled. Vocal-centric and instrumental tune sounds unbelievable.
The Quintet excel at portraying the appearance of a giant and broad soundstage, most likely because of a novel tuning of the mids and higher mids, plus the bodily house control throughout the our bodies and the huge tubes. In spite of this, the middle imaging is exact.
Treble
Kiwi Ears states that the treble as it should be peaks at 3kHz to check the acoustic belief of the human ear’s pinna, with a steady decay into the higher treble. The Quintet’s aggregate of high-frequency drivers is superbly transparent and composed, with excessive element and crisp readability. They’re revealing and rival IEMs in a considerably upper worth bracket.
Because of this, there are tradeoffs. The primary is that the volume of element and readability can turn out to be fatiguing, particularly at upper volumes, turning into reasonably tough of your consideration. You could in finding this exhilarating or laborious – or each.
The second one tradeoff is that the Quintet every so often offers me the influence of lighter notice weight and will lack the intimacy of different IEMs designed with a special goal. The excessive element and airiness of the treble exaggerate this statement.
The place to Purchase
Conclusion
The Quintet deserve consideration for his or her technical prowess and reward for his or her execution. They’re a very good instance of compromise yielding an above-par all-around performer regardless of now not having any stand-out skill in any space of the frequency vary.
The Quintet excel achieve the uncommon aggregate of huge soundstage and exact imaging, with remarkable readability and treble extension of their worth vary. In response to the advanced configuration, hybrid motive force aggregate, sound, and luxury, the Quintet sound a lot more pricey than they’re and are a cast worth.
For me, the Quintet are an fulfillment and a show of Kiwi Ears’ talents in R&D, experimentation, and execution. I’ve a stoop that the complexity of the Quintet are each a technical take a look at case and a marketplace take a look at.
I’m intrigued that the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite IEM is in a identical worth bracket, with 8 BA drivers/facet (complete assessment coming quickly). I be expecting Kiwi Ear’s studying and generation will probably be shared with long term IEMs. I unquestionably hope so. Both means, the Quintet are just right sufficient to not be in a rush. Smartly executed!
Allow 48h for review and removal.