Pros: Fun and Unique Lower End, Great Value

Cons: Niche tuning, Not very versatile across genres, Large Buds, Picky with Source

Driver Setup: Beryllium DD + 3BA + Vibration Transducer

Price: $119

Intro

Disclaimer: The Kiwi Ears Etude was provided to us at no charge courtesy of Kiwi Ears. However, this was done with the understanding that I was to give my honest thoughts and opinions on the Etude. The Kiwi Ears Etude is available for purchase here, should you find yourself interested in a pair, or feel free to use your links.

Kiwi Ears are not done experimenting. In what seems to be a hot streak, they are releasing a tribrid at $119, which in itself is quite enough to pique some interest. However, this is not any ordinary mix of drivers, with the star being what they term as the Kiwi Vibration Transducer (KVT), said to “enhance low-mid acoustics with tactile vibrations”. This is coupled with a 10mm Beryllium-electroplated diaphragm subwoofer, so I can already expect something special in the bass and lower frequencies going into this review.

Accessories

Accessories are similar to what we have come to expect from Kiwi Ears in their recent releases, with a hard zip case and a black cable. There is nothing new, and it has become pretty standard in expectation for Kiwi Ears IEMs at this price range, which I am perfectly alright with.

Build Quality and Fit

With the number and type of drivers they are packing into the Etude, the buds themself are understandably large. This can result in a challenging fit or slight discomfort for small ears. My ears are on the average to slightly below average size, so I can get a decent and secure fit, but for sessions above an hour, it can get a little fatiguing or sore. Design and build quality-wise, no complaints, and Kiwi Ears delivers as usual.

One thing to note is that the bud seems to vibrate with a certain resonance as though it was spring-loaded, so tapping them while they are in your ear can feel a little weird. This is most likely the work of their KVT drivers.

Sound

Sources

• Fiio BTR7
• Aune M1P
• SMSL M200 –> Schiit Magnius

Music listened to

• The Weeknd
• The Carpenters
• keshi
• Kygo
• NEEDTOBREATHE
• The Eagles
• Noah Kahan
• John Mayer
• etc

Bass

The bass on these were certainly designed to be the star of the show of the Etude. I can safely say that Kiwi Ears have achieved what they set out to do. The first thing that stood out to me was how present the bass was, all thanks to the subwoofer and the KVT, which gives it an almost desktop subwoofer vibe to it. Bass is relatively crisp and well textured, and not bloated and muddy. It was still very tastefully done and does not overpower the mids in any way, which makes the Etude a fun yet enjoyable IEM to listen to, especially in genres like EDM and pop.

Mids

The upper mids and vocals are not as forward in the overall tuning, and the lower mids are a little boosted. Vocals can come across as lacking clarity on weaker sources and do perform slightly better with more power, but overall, I still prefer if the vocals are a little more natural and forward, personally. Detail retrieval and separation here can be better, but decent considering the price point of the Etude. I would say the Etude works best in pop, EDM and other “fun” and livelier genres where the energy in the lower mids and bass can inject something new into these tracks, and it becomes a very fun listening experience. Otherwise, on more acoustic songs or ballads, the Etude can sound a little off or unnatural where vocals are the centre stage.

Highs

Treble remains pretty tame and the highs roll off a little, which I am okay with. It has sufficient extension to ensure clarity, detail retrieval, and sparkle. It doesn’t have any odd or offensive peaks and does well to complement the rest of the tuning. Overall, a pretty well-tuned IEM at its price point.

Overall

The tuning is not your usual Harman or warm-neutral one, and it does have a noticeable amount of midrange colouration to it. There is nothing that stands out on the imaging, separation or soundstage. That said, the IEM does seem to perform significantly better on more powerful sources, bringing the mids to life and a little more punch and impact in the lower end on my desktop setup as compared to the Fiio BTR7.

Conclusion

The Etude seems like an experimental piece by Kiwi Ears, and this is the kind of experiments and variation that we love to see in IEMs. This is a great first step in this. I am not too sure about the inner workings of the Vibration Transducer Drivers, but they definitely are doing something very different to the sound, bringing out a completely different experience for certain tracks that I have never experienced before. Kiwi Ears are sure not marketing a gimmick when they say they are delivering an “immersive and true-to-life” listening experience

That said, I think the Etude still remains a little rough around the edges, and while it may be right up the alley of bass lovers, the heavy colouration on the tuning makes the Etude less versatile across different genres than I would have liked, especially for a daily driver. To add on, the Etude seems to be picky with source and the mids and vocal shine better on more powerful sources. On weaker sources, they can come across as a little recessed. The bass comes out punchier and crisper with a more powerful source as well.

Overall Grade: B+

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