Come with me as I share my impressions of the KBEar KW1, KBEar’s latest bullet-style IEM with a beautiful and elegant shell priced at $24. But does the elegance carry over to its sound, or does it hide something more unhinged? Let’s talk about it!
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
- Pretty solid set of inclusions for the price
- Probably one of, if not, the only wooden bullet-style IEM at the price (correct me if I’m wrong)
- Pretty decently made cable with an in-line mic but expectedly microphonic
- The definitive BASSHEAD budget IEM
- Poor technicalities and overall clarity
- The KBEar KW1 features a single 10mm LCP dynamic driver housed in a semi-openback Ebony and Rosewood shell.
NOTE: The set I received was the 3.5mm version. However, there are also type-c and lightning plug options.
KBEar allocated an entire page talking about the shell design of the KW1. It may seem a little excessive, but I can guarantee you that this is probably one of the prettiest bullet-style IEM I’ve seen, probably on par with the Chang’le. If the Chang’le embodied the somewhat oriental styling of China, the KW1 embodies the class and elegance of a finely crafted woodwork. But to expect the same from the sound is foolish as I’d describe the KW1 as the Meze 99 Classics of IEMs as you’d expect it to sound clean and articulate when instead you’re met with a blasphemous amount of bass. I have not heard an IEM this bassy that it legitimately shakes my ears. One of the things I’m very much glad KBEar does is to include at least a protective case with even their cheaper IEMs which, in the KW1’s case, is necessary if you’d like to keep that shell in its beautiful state.
However, the amount of bass in this IEM is definitely not for everyone and not for every genre. As a matter of fact, it’s so damn bassy that the rest of the frequency sounds sunken. Vocals still have a little bit of clarity and treble strikes are still somewhat audible, but they’re all largely sunken in the amount of bass that the KW1 has. Due to this, technical ability is thrown out the window. If you expect clean separation, layering and imaging, don’t. Stage is also quite narrow and I found that there is a little bit of air pressure build up that can make it quite uncomfortable to fit. The is also an issue with the microphonics, but this is to be expected in bullet-style IEMs and can be remedied by wrapping the cable around your ear.
The KW1 is confidently the Meze 99 classic in IEM form. On the outside, it shows itself as a classy, distinguished fellow. But deep down, this is a hard rocker sniffing powder down under. It’s a ludicrous amount of bass, probably too much. But I know for certain that someone out there with a desire for the dirtiest bass will adore this classy beast.
Stay tuned for the full review!
If you would like to order one, consider using the non-affiliated link below: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005913524769.html
If you have any questions or concerns, message me on my Facebook or at obodioreviews@gmail.com
