KBear Flash
Intro
Hello, this is my full written review of the KBear Flash from the audio brand KBear Audio. The Flash are a 1DD/1BA hybrid iem set in the budget sector and playing ball against a huge amount of well-tuned budget sets. Coming in at a cool $19 to $25 (I’ve come across both prices depending on where you are shopping), the KBear Flash is certainly considered ultra-budget. This is not an easy target price for any brand folks. $20 to $30 is a war zone, with products that truly outclass their price point. This is great for the consumer yet makes life a bit more difficult for the brands. In comes the Flash, right in the wake of an up and down couple years for KBear. I truly feel that a good KBear is good for the hobby, and I only say that because they have made some very popular iems over the course of their history. I hate to say it, but they’ve made some questionable tuning decisions in the recent past and I’m hoping they begin to get some of the wrinkles out.
Tough sell
Being a hybrid 1+1 is a tough sell in the budget scene. Companies don’t want to invest too much in providing proper time, care, and R&D to craft and tune these iems in a manner that defies this sentiment. It’s a tough sell. The balanced armature drivers usually tend to sound a bit metallic with that grainy and edgy timbre in the ultra-budget segment. So, my biggest question is how KBear gets around this with so many heavy hitters in the price point replaying at such a high level. So many one DD or even two DD sets that really sound fantastic. In truth, it’s almost a wonder why any brand would decide to use budget BAs anymore. There are a few successful iems in this regard but for the most part there are those timbre issues or issues with cohesiveness.
A place in my heart
I hate to begin this review with doubt, but I will always give any set the benefit of the doubt. Especially a KBear set as this is a company that has a nice little place in my audio heart. I’ve spent my money on a truck load of KBear iems, especially at the beginning stages of my Chi-fi journey. Sets like the KBear Lark, KBear KS2, KBear Diamond, KBear Believe, etc. etc. Not to mention their TRI sub-brand iems like the the TRI I3, and TRI I3 Pro (which I still love), TRI X-HBB Kai, TRI I4, TRI Star Sea among others. I’ve given this brand a lot of my hard-earned money. I’ve even reviewed a number of their iems in the past like the KBear Rosefinch (Rosefinch Review), the KBear KW1 (KW1 Review), KBear KB01 (KB01 Review), KBear Ink (Ink Review), KBear Ink MK2 (Ink MK2 Review), KBear Storm (Storm Review), KBear Dumpling (Dumpling Review), KBear Qinglong (Qinglong Review) as well as many more reviewed by my partners.
So, as you can see, KBear is right at the cusp of getting it right and becoming that company which rights the ship. Yes, it’s been a bit up and down, but many brands have the same trajectory. I have hope they will begin to once again become that KZ rival in the budget sector and the quality brand that we’ve come to enjoy with their TRI sub-brand. Well, I think I’ve babbled on long enough. Let’s get into this review shall we…. The KBear Flash everyone…
Non-Affiliated Purchasing links:
Flash Pros
-Price
-Fit is great (obviously subjective)
-Look and aesthetic
-Thicker note weight with lush timbre
-This set has a nicely smooth sound
-Bass is heavy for fans of a warmer bass
-Non-Offensive tuning, no odd and crazy peaks
Flash Cons
-Stuffy Bass
-Detail Retrieval isn’t the best
-Treble is a bit dull
-Could use some extension up top
Gear used for testing
Packaging / Accessories
Unboxing
Not much to report in the unboxing. The box is small with an old school pencil drawn picture of the Flash on the cover. Open the box and first you’ll see the Flash earphones in foam cutouts. Lift off that layer and you’ll see the eartips in those ridiculous soft plastic bags. The same goes for the eartips too. Also, under both you’ll see the reading material which comes with the Flash. Nothing crazy but then again, I don’t think anyone would expect anything lavish.
Eartips
The eartips provided in the packaging of the KBear Flash are actually decent compared to the market standard of budget sets. You get six pairs of tips in total. That’s three pairs (S, M, L) of silicone narrow bore tips and three pairs (S, M, L) of some shallow fit wide-bore tips. I didn’t use either for this review as I had a hard time getting a seal. I actually went with the green/gray tips which came with the Aful Performer 5, which are very similar to KBear 07 tips. Now that I’ve said that I have to say this…. KBear! Why in the world are you not adding in your own KBear 07 tips into each and every set of earphones? I’ve said this before in a few different reviews wondering why? I can’t really come up with any logical reason why every set doesn’t have at least three pairs of KBear 07 tips. It isn’t like they’re expensive. Anyways, it’s all good. I made this set work for me and got a good seal and that is all that matters. Plus, I’ve bought so many KBear 07 tips that many sets in my collection have them attached. KBear did a nice job with adding six sets of decent tips and that is good for me and very good for the price. No issue at all.
Cable
The included cable is about what one should expect to receive in a package at this price. KBear provides a black QDC 2-Pin, 4-core, 4N OFC & silver-plated cable which is very tightly braided and ends with a right-angled 3.5 single ended jack. This cable comes either with a mic or without. I never choose mic versions, but some may need them for different purposes. Also, oddly enough, KBear added in two variants or two lengths of this cable. They sell a regular 1.2m cable as well as a 2m cable which comes out to about 6 feet. So, keep that in mind when ordering.
Listen, the cable will do exactly what a cable needs to do. I don’t want you to think you need to swap cables because this one sounds perfectly fine and looks perfectly fine. However, I listen a lot on balanced with most of my sources and so I chose to use a balanced Tripowin C8 cable. I love the look of these two together and there is a small upgrade in sound with a slight bit more power. For any single ended listening I did use the included cable and it worked just fine.
Build / Design / Internals / Fit
Build Quality
The KBear Flash is made with a fully transparent plastic shell. Hard plastic, but plastic, nonetheless. Not bad by any stretch and built relatively well for a set this inexpensive. The faceplate is made using anodized aluminum with an etched design. Really, if this set didn’t have this nicely designed faceplate, then it wouldn’t have fared as well as it does in build quality. It has a nice look. The Flash are reasonably sized, not too big and not very small. The nozzles are of a medium length with roughly a 6mm nozzle width. On top of the earphones are the QDC female 2-pin connector, there’s a couple vents too. Remember we are talking about a set that costs $19 to $20.
Think of all the iems in this price point, not many of them are built like tanks, other than the Blon BL01, KZ ZVX, KZ D-Fi and maybe one or two other brands as well as a few other KZ sets that I can’t think of right now. Mostly they are plastic and sometimes they will have an alloy faceplate, maybe. To be completely fair, this is a good build for the low cost of this earphone. However, when KZ is somehow crafting all metal sets for the same price it doesn’t make me wonder about why KBear is not. It makes me wonder how KZ is able to. At any rate, KBear did a decent job here.
Design
I feel this has a fresh-looking design. The KBear Flash comes in a purple-colored transparent shell with a silver faceplate, a blue transparent shell and silver faceplate, or a clear shell and silver faceplate (my set). It also comes in a clear shell with an all-black faceplate. So, you have your choices there. Each one is stylish with a minimalist and modern design language. You’ll notice a straight line about 2/3rds up the faceplates with “Flash” over it. Also, in the corner on the Faceplate there you’ll see the logo. Nothing groundbreaking, but still cool and classy in appearance.
Internals
KBear went with a 10mm dynamic driver with a PU+PEEK diaphragm material. The DD covers from the bass all the way through the midrange. KBear also used one customized balanced armature driver. This specific BA is said to have both physical as well as electronic frequency division technology which is supposed to help separate elements of a stage better. Not really much more to report because there isn’t much out there to add. I can tell you that the BA is centered in the nozzle, and it doesn’t add screaming treble, so that is good. That’s about it folks.
Fit
The fit is one huge plus with this set as I find they fit my ears extremely well. I had zero issues getting a nice seal so long as I used other tips. When I used the included tips, I didn’t get that seal I wanted. At any rate, no matter what tip I chose I found this set to be lightweight and comfortable in the ear for long periods of time. You don’t have any jagged edges or any uncomfortable areas in the Shells. I don’t know how the fit will be for you, but I imagine most hobbyists won’t have a problem.
Drivability
Mobile Listening
Driving the Flash is an easy task. KBear made sure to create a product that you can reasonably drive from most any source. Rated at 32 ohms and a sensitivity of 108 db’s it is no wonder. I used many different sources during this review. Around the house I went primarily with KBear’s own KBear BT5 (I thought it made sense. Driving was no issue and sounds great, even on AAC audio codec. I also used the Fiio UTWS5 quite a lot outside while pushing snow and such and I had headroom for days. Both devices have low output power, yet the Flash was perfect for them. Obviously, the IFi Go Blu was more than enough as it is a powerhouse Bluetooth device. The pairing wasn’t my favorite as far as synergy, so I went with the Qudelix 5k which is a great mixture of tonalities. Or as great as I could get over bluetooth. I found that the 4.4 balanced Hidizs S9 Pro Plus was actually the best mobile solution I have with this set. The warm/neutral sound of the S9 Pro Plus really helped the Flash to come alive without feeling stuffy.
More juice
I mentioned earlier that the Flash will marginally benefit with a bit more power, though it doesn’t make a world of difference. It perceivably tightens things up and becomes a bit more dynamic in my opinion. I used the Shanling M6 Ultra quite a lot and I do feel a more sonically gifted source does help. This is not a requirement though. The M6 Ultra has upwards of almost 1 watt of power and so while the sound was nice it simply isn’t “needed”. I truly think even a phone could do a fine job at driving the Flash. Granted it does pay off to find some good synergy at which point I would tell you to find a source which is a bit cooler sounding, not as warm to counter the warmth and lack of treble air of the Flash. I would also say that using a more gifted source will help to clean things up a bit and will make a more enjoyable listen.
Sound Impressions
Note: before I write a word about this set, I must first tell you all that I did burn this set in for a good 50 hours prior to critical listening. I must now say that 100% there was a change in the sound, to a degree. I can tell you that it almost tamed the bass a bit in the way that it doesn’t cover over or mask over the mix as much. Some edgy and grainy timbre was all but alleviated after as well. So, I realize some of you don’t believe in burn-in and so I will simply add that these are my opinions and to take them as a grain of salt.
Not bad at all
Like I’ve stated already, the KBear Flash is a slightly warmer sounding set with a fun sound that brings a lot of bass punch and rumbly drone to the table. A nicely done relaxed version of a V-shape. There’s some levity and slight shimmer in the upper midrange as well and some mid-treble lift as well. Also, you will hear a slight lower-mid recession. So, perhaps slightly V-shaped while leaning to the left with warmth. All that said, the KBear Flash is a relaxed and fun tuning. I realize that sounds like two opposing descriptors, but it’s true. I think after spending some time with this set most folks will greatly enjoy it for what it is. A nice set for a first time iem owner, and a nice set if you would like to hear a 1+1 hybrid sound for the first time. It’s a good “out and about” set for just throwing in a bag for walks through the market or going hard at the gym. Not bad at all.
Condensed sound between the 20’s
The bass is big and boosted with quite a lot of rumble and boom. I’d also say it isn’t the nimblest of bass replays but sounds nice for what it is. I don’t think anyone is purchasing this set thinking they are getting the definition of “audiophile”. Bass is big and meaty and syrup thick. The midrange is partially recessed, mainly in the low-mids to mid-mids while the upper-mids have a bit more vibrance to them, a bit more forward, a bit closer to the ear. The midrange mainly has thick and juicy note weight with a warmer complexion throughout due to the encroachment of the low-end into the midrange. The upper-mids certainly have more vibrance to them. The treble is withdrawn… a bit. You don’t have that really brilliant sound up top, but rather a slightly emphasized sound which makes for a completely non-offensive listen every time. Also, I wouldn’t refer to the treble as dark or too warm. Maybe just not extended very far. Furthermore, it is great to see the Flash doesn’t have that metallic BA timbre too. The stage is pretty wide, but most technicalities are average at best for the price. This is a more emotionally attached warm presentation with definite hints of musicality and organic timbre. Not bad at all for a fun sound, an energetic sound, and an easier to listen to sound. Of course, that’s only true if this type of replay agrees with you because it won’t be for everyone.
Bass Region
The bass is big, it’s got rumble for days with a slow-moving atmospheric portrayal of my music with longer decay sustain times and dense and firm fundamental notes. Not perfectly suited for any tracks which benefit from an ultra fast driver. Still, I don’t find this bass to be overtly slow or laggy. Also, the bass most certainly bleeds into the mids which promotes a warm and lush midrange.
Sub-bass
The sub-bass is pretty deep and it grumbles and rumbles. The Flash is able to replay some very dense tracks like “Paradigm” by The Head and Heart with good haptic vibratory reverb. Guttural and sonorous energy is an easy thing to come by for the Flash as it has an elevated attack and slightly prolonged sustain. Great for songs which require that palpable vibration. I don’t want to lead you astray though as there are times that the Flash will come across a bit quicker than others. In the track “Feelin’ the Miles” by The Wilder Blue I was more than impressed by how well the Flash got in and out of every modulation of this bassline. At the same time coming across sounding deep in pitch and textured for the price. Let’s just put it this way, it isn’t the fastest, nor should it be, but it also isn’t the slowest or muddiest. This set is simply tuned to be fun, basshead style, and it isn’t trying to be anything else. Thankfully we still have sets tuned for fun, not worrying about whether every note is met with a crystalline delivery. The sub-bass is nice, but maybe not as separated as some would like. But nice for WHAT IT IS.
Mid-bass
Just like the sub-bass, the mid-bass hits with authority! It bangs hard. I would call it almost equal portions to the sub-bass energy but a bit more juiced in proportion. The mid-bass is heavy, it’s thick and it’s plump in almost all ways folks. This is a mid-bass to play old gangster rap type jams like “Ghetto Dope” from the 5th Ward Boys or Tupac’s “Violent”. The bass hits pretty hard and just reaches basshead levels for me. Then again, what I consider basshead may be completely different than what you consider basshead. We have about a 10db bass shelf rounding out in the mid-bass but the lower energy from the treble does add some more gusto to the low-end. Right under what I refer to as a hard core “Bass-Boi” tuning but definitely basshead nonetheless. “Heavy as the Ocean” by Bush begins with a rumbling, bulbous, grumbling, and growling feast of bass and I think this set adds so much to this song. Truly the bass is very satisfying folks. That is if you enjoy bigger bass.
The mid-bass has a softer leading edge but a dense body. I think of it like a hammer wrapped in a sock. There is also a lot of atmospheres within every mid-bass note. Bass guitar has more than enough fullness and weight to sound authentic. Kick-drums sound booming and hollow as they should. Maybe not the cleanest at the note edge but satisfying if you are a fan of some bass emphasis. Bass singers sound sonorous, edgy and resounding in their authoritativeness.
Downsides to the Bass Region
Obviously, the bass will be too much for many folks. I get it too. I would like a pinch less, or at least better balance throughout the rest of the mix. Maybe more smart treble energy without so much that I can still turn my jams up in volume. However, those who enjoy something that will reverb in their eyeballs may enjoy this set. Also, this is not a fast and nimble bass. You’ll hear some leftovers sustain trailing each fundamental note and it’ll sound a bit boomy and congested at times. That said, KBear had the guts to make something fun. I reviewed the KBear KW1 recently last year and it was a bassheads paradise. KBear isn’t scared to rock the boat and make something for a huge subset of fans which occupy this hobby. I’m not grading this set like it’s an audiophile standard. I’m grading this set for fun level and basshead requirements. Yes, there are “audiophile” downsides or issues, and I’ll talk about them. But there’s also some real nice qualities to this bass elevated sound that isn’t going to break the bank and doesn’t sound like the mainstream muddy messes in Bose or Beats.
Midrange
Most certainly there is a very slight recession in the midrange. It isn’t the most pushed back I’ve ever heard, but this is a V-shaped set and so the midrange simply isn’t the most present portion of the mix. That goes to the bass first and the upper portions of the midrange & lower treble. The mids are very lush and warmly weighted with a rich body to all notes from the low-mids to the mid-mids. Most definitely there is a push of warm energy from the bass which also makes the sound less defined. As you climb the mids from there (upper-mids) they gain some added vibrance from the pinna rise. This is all smooth all the time folks. Perhaps slight grain at times when the volume is pushed a bit more but for the most part things sound nice and relatively coherent for such a small price. I also don’t get any real BA timbre which is a plus. If I were to come up with a few complimentary words to describe the KBear Flash’s mids, the words which come to mind are milky, silky and creamy. In no particular order.
Lower-midrange
The low-mids is where we find most male vocalists. I did say most. Anyways, males come across a bit pushed back in the sound field though I wouldn’t necessarily say they sound bad at all. Obviously, you have a bunch of weight from the low-end spill over into the midrange which gives males voices this hearty type of fullness but yet smooth which comes across almost creamy. Males have plenty of authority and when they are supposed to sound masculine, for the most part. Guess what? They sound masculine. Avi Kaplan in “On My Way” is a song with a heavy bass singer and to my ears his voice seems to penetrate with this set in my ears. The weight of his voice kind of makes up for the recession to a degree. Basically, males don’t sound bad at all. Morgan Wallen in “Sand in My Boots” had a nicely clear and smooth inflection to his edgy and coarse southern voice. It actually sounds decent. Maybe not as recessed as this track features only his voice and a piano. Now, instruments in this region will sound pretty cramped at times in more complicated arrangements but for the most part they sound organic with a natural touch of warmth to my music.
Upper-Midrange
The upper-mids come across a slight bit more forward than males with a touch more buoyancy and capped vivaciousness. The upper midrange seems to borrow some levity from the treble, and it comes across pretty nice. There are some very few songs that I’ve encountered some slight shout but those have been few and far in between. For the most part I hear a playback which is not a peaky mess. Of course, the flipside is that you don’t have a huge deposit of shimmer in female vocals or a large sense of sparkly timbre. I truly don’t think this is an issue though because the Flash has enough levity to sound musical but also full and warmly weighted. Listening to Madison Beer on her track “Reckless” her voice has good body to it. Her tone & timbre is close to organic in my mind. She actually sounds very nice folks. “The Window” by the Ratboys features the nice voice of Julia Steiner which comes across rather effervescent for a set priced so low. Again, not ultra shimmery but with decent plumpness to her vocals with nice subdued vibrance. She actually sounds quite nice.
Instruments
Instruments which hang around the midrange have a slightly more natural sound to them, albeit a bit depressed and not as lively as perfectly natural. Of course, this set is $19 to $25 so please keep this in mind. I’ve already stated that bass guitar has a fullness which is nice. Strings in general have a certain heartiness but can come across not as sharp as I’d like at times. Almost too withdrawn. However, the harmonics which come from something like an acoustic guitar is nice. Obviously once you delve into the electric guitar you won’t hear any good separation and, on the Flash, they can come across like a blur. Especially on congested tracks. Percussion does have that hard snap in things like snare hits, but the fundamental tone of cymbal strikes may feel a bit concave from what you may be used to. It isn’t to the point of sounding “Bad” or “off” per se, but simply not as energetic as I’d like. Instruments don’t always have that separated airiness that helps to single them out all the time. Not very defined. Obviously, this can change from recording to recording as well, so keep that in mind. I feel instruments are kind of a mixed bag. Again, $19.
Downsides to the Midrange
For one, the lower-mids do have a slight recession which can turn some folks off. The upper midrange can also form some shout in some tracks as well, although pretty rare. Again, not to a detriment in my mind but it’s there at times so, there’s that. There are some slight coherence issues but for the most part KBear did a nice job of employing a BA into the mix without having any metallic sounding timbre. Another issue is that separation of elements within the stage isn’t very good. Especially in tracks which are a bit more complicated or in tracks which feature a more bass heavy profile. At the end of the day, I can’t say I’m really put off in any way by this within this region. I feel KBear did a decent job tuning the hybrid Flash In a fun and more musical way.
Treble Region
If I’m guessing, I would suppose you all have an idea what I will say about the treble. We have a slightly emphasized sound which has dips in the lower treble and in the presence region which does well to play off the bass saturation of this earphone to a small extent. If you are a fan of a warm sounding bassy set, then this may agree with you. Yes, there is some shimmer and concentrated brilliance in the mid treble but there is also an early roll-off which steals some of the vibrance and luminance from my music.
Relaxed
This is not a set with a lot of treble crunch and bite. It isn’t very elevated in the sense that you are going to hear levity and any real buoyancy to the rest of the mix. It won’t lift the rest of the mix. This is an easygoing and rather mellow treble which comes across with almost no fatigue at all. The treble is simply there when it’s needed and attenuated to a degree when it isn’t. If that makes sense. You won’t find a ton of detail retrieval or good separation up top either. Though there are some details which emerge through in my music. It simply isn’t tuned to bring out the finer stuff. The treble is great if you are the type who likes to listen to your music loud as I certainly do at times. It doesn’t have that sharpness like you do on many budget sets in this price point. I actually like what KBear did here. I feel they hit the target they were going for and it fits the basshead type profile without sounding completely muddy. The Flash is what it is folks. Of course, it isn’t going to be for everyone. Heck, it really isn’t my favorite sound signature, but I do understand what KBear was going for and I’m good with it. Not bad at all.
Downsides to the Treble Region
If I were to call out some downsides, I feel the obvious one is lack of brilliance and really just a lack of treble energy altogether. Of course, I don’t feel this is a huge loss per the tuning. Also, many folks really enjoy this type of laid-back expression of the upper regions. I just feel it’s a matter of preference and what you enjoy. You don’t have a very detailed treble region and the extension up top is not going to wow anyone. Secondary harmonics of cymbals strikes are definitely subdued, and you just don’t have that “icing on the cake” type of treble energy. Again, not bad… The Flash is what it is.
Technicalities
Soundstage
Beginning with the soundstage, what I hear is a nicely wide stage which is slightly above average. Granted, I don’t know what “average” is so, just know that the width seems better than most sets in the price point. Certainly, outside my ears to a small degree. The height isn’t anything to write your parents about, but it seems fine. The issue I have is in the depth of field. I don’t get that deeper stage which would otherwise help in providing a more 3D template to listen to my music. Again, we shouldn’t expect the world from a set which costs as little as the Flash and so even mentioning this is kind of not fair. In the grand scheme of things, I don’t hear anything awful concerning the stage. It simply isn’t some massive sized soundscape within my mind. Not bad at all.
Separation / Imaging
The Flash’s ability to separate elements of a stage leaves a lot to be desired. This is a thick sound, seemingly slower transients, depth isn’t the best and there is certainly a tilt towards the bass. Each of these attributes helps the Flash to feel slightly cramped. Instruments can sound smoothed a bit. Not horrible by any stretch though, and most tracks are just fine for casual listening. Honestly, for a budget iem which is tuned for in a fun way, the Flash is actually pretty good. It simply won’t blow your mind. Congested tracks sound congested. Complicated tracks will come across a bit more blurred. The same goes for imaging and layering. Neither attribute is bad, but they aren’t outright good either. Which, by the way…is fine. This set is musical over technical through and through. First off, the depth of field is not perfect and so layering front to back is a bit flatter sounding. Left to right is a much better and perfectly fine on most tracks. I feel any song that has a lot of moving parts and different instruments playing at the same time, or bass boosted songs may possibly begin to congest the sound field a bit leaving the imaging a bit harder to delineate. However, the tonality is very nice with a musicality which is fun for the price point. Who needs perfect technicalities anyways. Don’t answer that.
Details
As far as detail retrieval, this is another attribute of the Flash which does much better on simpler tracks. For the most part I’d say that details are average for a $19 to $25 iem. No, it isn’t a detail king…nor should it be. This is a fun tuning folks. Bass boosted with a ton of mid-bass bump & bleed. The sound is thick, juicy, emotional even. This is not tuned to be a transparent sounding set. More like compressed dynamics. It won’t draw distinct and fine lines between instruments and vocals. Especially on bass boosted tracks. Then again, nobody is probably listening for the finest details on these types of tracks either. So, once more the answer I’d give about details on the Flash is “average”. Not bad at all, but also the Flash isn’t going to blow anyone’s mind either. Pretty nice for a fun tuning so long as you have a simple and clean recording. Once you add in more elements to a song, all bets are off. Conclusion; not a detail monster.
Ratings (0-10)
Note: all ratings are based upon my subjective judgment. These ratings are garnered against either similarly priced sets or with similar driver implementations or styles with the unique parameters of my choosing. In the case of the KBear Flash ratings below, that would be $15-$30 iems of any driver configuration. Please remember that “ratings” don’t tell the whole story. This leaves out nuance and a number of other qualities which make an iem what it is. A “5-6” is roughly average and please take into consideration the “lot” of iems these ratings are gathered against. $15-$30 US is a decent sized scope of iems and so seeing a 9 should probably be pretty special. My ratings are never the same and each set of ratings tells a different story. Each time you read one of my ratings it will be unique to that review. Basically, I create a Rating that makes sense to me and hopefully to the reader.
Aesthetic
–Build Quality: 7.7 Built well but nothing out of the ordinary.
–Look: 9.3 Very nice-looking set.
–Accessories: – – Accessories don’t matter at this price
–Overall: 8.5
Sound Rating
–Timbre: 9.3 The timbre and tonality are excellent.
–Bass: 8.4 Large basshead style.
–Midrange: 7.8 Nice for casual listening.
–Treble: 6.1 Good body but rolled-off
–Technicalities: 6.4 Musical over technical.
–Musicality: 9.4 A very musical and fun sound.
–Overall: 7.9🔥
Ratings Summary:
In my opinion, the ratings above somewhat speak for themselves. I feel the only real questionable rating may be the bass. I only say that because bass can be rated for its “quality” just as well as for “quantity”. Especially in a set deemed “Basshead”. Obviously in a basshead set you kind of have to skew the ratings towards how much bass and how clean is it for the amount and quantity. I actually really dig this bass for many genres. No, it isn’t the cleanest or most pure “Bass-Fi” type of low-end but for $19-$25 it is very nice. I gave this set an “8.4”. I delved over this rating for longer than I care to admit. Between $15 and $30 and all driver configurations I think an “8.4” is justified, maybe a bit low to be honest. The highest rating I gave the Flash was a “9.4” in musicality. Now, I just added this rating (I wish I added it sooner) and of all the metrics to judge the Flash I feel that this is the one redeeming area that would possibly prompt people to go and purchase this set. It is musical over technical and a very easy listen. Perfect for casually jamming out to your favorite tunes.
Is it worth the asking price?
The $20 question… Is the KBear Flash worth the $19 to $25-ish that KBear is asking for it. Listen folks, this is a set that will only be worth this to those who enjoy this type of sound signature. For me, in my life, I don’t need a set like this. However, this doesn’t mean it isn’t worth every penny. The Flash will perfectly suit a vast number of hobbyists and their preferred listening style. Now, there is an ocean of sets surrounding the Flash which replay bass at a high level. Heck, even their own KBear KW1 (KW1 Review) is a monster basshead set which directly competes. Granted I’d take the Flash every day of the week, but the sentiment remains. The QKZ X-HBB is another quality big bass banger that I gave very high marks at the time. Of course, in the entire realm of sound signatures there is a whole host of sets better technically, cleaner, much more balanced and so if you are more in line with a more balanced set, well…. the Flash is probably not for you, and it probably isn’t worth the money. However, I feel it is a no brainer if you enjoy this type of sound. KBear did a good job. Truth is, after you spend some good quality time with the Flash it really began to grow on me. It is a very easy listen and is very satisfying for a budget set.
The Why…
The reason the KBear Flash is worth every penny of the $19 they are asking is because it is fine looking set for one. That faceplate is dope. Flat out. It’s a good looking iem to have in your ears strolling down the road jamming out with. However, always it comes down to the sound. The Flash has a very musical take on a bass heavy sound. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. Is it perfect for whom it may be for? Absolutely. The timbre comes across nicely organic and warm with great note weight and body. No definition isn’t the picture of cleanliness, but it isn’t a hazy and veiled mess either. Which is saying something for a bass heavy sound. Friends, this set BANGS! It hits hard but it also doesn’t lose all composure and become an utterly muddy mess. The midrange is actually very nice with great vocals. The treble is very easy going and won’t cause even a second of fatigue yet is also pronounced enough to add at least some levity to the mix. You can also turn this set up and jam out without any distortion or odd upper-mid and treble glare or metallic timbre. I feel KBear did a nice job. No, it isn’t audiophile hi-res quality, but it is quality, and it is fun and for the price, you can’t lose folks!
Conclusion
To conclude my full written review of the KBear Flash I must first thank the good people of KBear for sending this set out to me in exchange for a feature at mobilaudiophile.com. I have been offered nothing in exchange for this review. This is a sample iem. KBear has not offered any payment and I am not affiliated with the brand in any way either. Again, thank you KBear. I have always had an affinity for KBear as they are one of the brands which started me down this long journey and so I am always rooting for them. They have never asked to read any review prior to publishing. They’ve never asked me to skew my words or tilt my review in the favor of their products either. This is a requirement for me and the mobileaudiophile.com. Thankfully, KBear believes in their products and lets the chips fall where they may. Thank you.
Other perspectives
Once again, I have to implore you all to please go right now and check out other thoughts and perspectives concerning the KBear Flash. It will only be beneficial for you to listen to, watch, or read other reviews so that you may make a more informed decision. I never want to lead any of you astray and knowing that you are satisfied with your purchase is the best thing that I ever hear. So please check out other thoughts on this budget set. I think I’m done folks. Take good care, stay as safe as possible and always…God Bless!
