KBear KW1
Intro
Hello, this is my full written review of the KBear KW1, KBear‘s latest bullet style (fixed cable) iem. I have been using the KW1 for many days when out and about and have found them to be quite pleasing. However, I will get into that later, for right now I simply want to say thank you to KBear for their generosity in providing the KW1 for a full review and feature. Thank you very much.
KBear / TRI
KBear/TRI has been in this hobby for quite some time now and have truly cemented themselves into the lore of the Chi-fi universe, or thee… “Audioverse” as I like to call it. They’ve come out with many very well-tuned and beloved iems over the years, and they continue to release iems at a rapid pace. KBear’s sub brand “TRI ”, the more luxury version of the brand, does seem to enjoy more success as the prices begin to rise past $100, but the budget offerings from KBear do just fine in the budget space and even a few past that $100 barrier. Basically, KBear has a firm hand in the market and in my opinion a good KBear is good for the hobby.
Here for a reason
KBear has been somewhat up and down of late in regard to the reception from the audio community over some of their budget earphones. I actually recently (within the past year) reviewed a number of KBear iems. From the ultra-budget KBear Dumpling and KBear Storm to the (+$20) KBear Rosefinch, KBear Quinglong, KBear Ink, and KBear Ink MK2 etc. Each set seemed to be created for specific tuning styles or use cases rather than all-rounder type earphones.
Take the Rosefinch for example, it’s a basshead type replay which had some reviewers giving it bad marks. Yet, for what it was created to be (basshead), the Rosefinch is actually quite good. Everything should be graded to the style and tuning with which it was created to be. I digress, the truth is that KBear is still in this game for a very good reason, by creating affordable iems that always perk up the eyes of hobbyists. They also create unique iems which serve particular tastes and this is a very cool thing amongst a sea of copycats. The KBear KW1 everyone…
KW1 Pros
-Price
-Accessories per the price
-Nice fixed cable (also a con)
-Exceptional build for the price
-Made from Japanese Rosewood
-Absolutely gorgeous
-Big Boi Bass (this set is primarily for bassheads)
-Smooth, warm, and velvet sound
-Completely non-offensive (unless bass offends you)
KW1 Cons
-Fixed cable (for $34 it’d be nice to see removable)
-Too much bass, unless you are a basshead
-Veil covers over the dynamics
-Too dark for some
-Treble could use more energy to uplift the whole frequency
-Treble extension
-Separation of elements
-Details aren’t the best
Gear used for testing
Packaging / Accessories
The KW1 comes packaged in a mostly utilitarian and simple box which resembles many budget iem packages in its price point. I think that, at this price we shouldn’t expect very much. The box which arrived in my mailbox is small and white and has a picture of the KW1 on the cover. Not really much to report and it’s not like there’s even one soul who cares but I’ll do my due diligence. As I opened up the box I actually was surprised because KBear actually added a case with the KW1… I would have never guessed. Anyways inside of the case you’ll find the eartips as well as the KBear KW1 themselves.
Case
What a nice surprise. Well maybe surprise is a stretch. However, I think it’s a nice addition to this set. The KW1 are a gorgeous set of earphones and I’d hate to scratch them up. Anyways, the carrying case is large enough to carry the KW1 and possibly some eartips and if you are really crafty you could. Probably fit a teeny tiny dongle dac. The case is colored gray with a fabric material covering it all the way around with a nice zipper for opening and closing. Truthfully this is a nice carrying case and much more than I’d expect from KBear at the price of $29.
Cable
The cable Is actually a fixed cable, meaning you cannot disconnect it from the KW1. Normally I would be wholly against such a thing, and I still am to a degree but there is something special about the KW1 which helps me to not care so much. Plus, the fixed cable is actually quite nice. KBear doesn’t tell us how many cores the cable has but they do tell us that it is a Silver-plated OFC cable and that’s about it. Honestly, I don’t really need to know much more. The white colored cable is very nice looking and looks aesthetically pleasing to the eye as it contrasts the Rosewood of the KW1 perfectly.
The KW1 comes in three different connection variations which can be purchased at checkout. One is the 3.5 single ended unit with a straight jack, the other has a usb type c connection and the third has an IOS lightning connector for APPLE devices. Obviously the 3.5 single ended unit comes without an included dac chip such as the other two (type-c, lightning). KBear advertises the dac chips can reproduce a perfect signal from the source yet doesn’t divulge the actual chip being used. On the cable you’ll find the sweet looking mic which is partially clear to see the inside tech. The mic controls everything and actually sounds great for calls, believe it or not. The cable has a quality look and feel as it is nicely pliable and is easily manageable.
A few more things
Real quick, I found the cable does have some microphonics whenever moving around with the KW1 in my ears. Not the biggest issue when playing music but can be bothersome if you are the type who gets bothered by such a thing. I barely even pay attention as I grew up with microphonics on every cheap set I put in my ears as a youngster. Another way to mitigate this issue is to simply water the KW1 over your ears… yes it can easily be done and does help. Another thing worth mentioning real quick is that the cable rolls up.perfectly and doesn’t spring out of control every time I go to store the KW1. This is important and I am happy to report this.
Eartips
Another aspect of the accessories which subtly surprised me is the addition of not just one set of three eartips, but two. The first is a white set of three eartips (S, M, L) with a somewhat flimsier flange and a semi-wide bore. The next is a set of three gray colored eartips (S, M, L) which have a firmer flange and a slightly smaller bore. There isn’t anything special about the tips, but I did try them both out and found that the KW1 doesn’t jive very well with either set. I actually went through my vast cavern of tips and settled on the Tenmak Whirlwind tips. The Whirlwind’s are a shallow fit, firm flanged, firm bore set with a wide bore. I do think that tips play a role in the end result of the sound.
Build / Design / Internals / Fit / Drivability
Build Quality
Looking at the actual build of the KW1 it is very easy to see that KBear made something special which is obviously of fantastic quality. The KW1 is a smaller bullet style iem with a semi-open back rear cavity. KBear states that the production length of each shell takes up to forty days to complete. They also reveal that there is a four-part oiling process as well as grinding which goes on to obviously shape this set. Also, for what it’s worth, KBear advertises that they complete a humidity test, a 2-meter drop test, a negative 0° Celsius cold temperature test, a 60°Celsius high temperature test, a 500N pressure test, and an 800-day life cycle test. Okay that was a mouthful. I have zero idea how in the world they conduct some of these tests, but it sounds good.
The KBear KW1 is made from front to back in Rosewood with gold-colored fittings contrasting the light reddish brown of the Rosewood. The Shells have a high-polished beautiful glossy coat covering the external side of the Shells. KBear states that they also have a darker set using Ebony wood. On the back of the KW1 you’ll notice a semi-open back vent with a golden colored ring around for looks. I don’t know how much of a help this back vent is but KBear did advertise the KW1 as semi-open. Anyways, the KW1 is a durable feeling set with all cable reliefs structured very well, the shell body feels solid and durable, the nozzle is solid too and honestly this looks like a set that will hold up being tossed in a college kids book bag. Great job KBear.
Design
I’m sure you can guess it but the KW1 (in my humble opinion) is one of the most striking bullet style iems I’ve seen in quite some time. Truly a unique and ridiculously charming set of earphones with perfect coloration and a classy design that overshoots its price point pretty easily. This set has this alluring quality which is both handsome and elegant at the same time. One of the more eye-catching and splendid iems I’ve had the pleasure of putting into my ears and all for the low price of McDonald’s for two at $29 US. Please, will someone shake the hands of the men and women who designed this set?! Fantastic job! How dope does one look strolling down the block, jamming to their tunes with these little sirens tempting all the audio geeks out there? To answer that… Um…real dope!
Internals
When choosing a driver and driver material to be used, KBear ended up going with an 8mm LCP (Liquid-Crystal Polymer) single Dynamic Driver. In truth I don’t think they could’ve added anything larger. I think 8mm is nice for this size.
Drivability / Pairing
I find the KBear KW1 needing a touch more amperage than I’d suspect even though they are rated at 16 ohms with a sensitivity of 105 db’s. The KW1 does slightly open up with additional output power from the source but that is simply due to the need for more volume. I think the biggest difference comes from synergy and pairing of sources with the KW1 because of its warm tonality.
Sources
Using an IPad 6th gen. I was able to bring the KW1 to decent volume (80/100) but I did notice technicalities suffer, not that technicalities are the highlight of the KW1 to begin with. The stage is the smallest using this listening method. Jumping up to the IFi Go Blu with its CS43131 dac chip which has a warm, smooth & dynamic sound. I think it is easy to bring the KW1 to volume, but the synergy simply isn’t there for me. Way too warm which makes everything muddy and hazy. I wanted a mobile solution for when I’m out and about with the KW1 and turned to the Qudelix 5k which uses the ES9219C dac chip. The KW1 seems to pair nicely with the 5k as the contrasting tonalities were great for when I’m on my travels or working around the house etc.
Dongle dacs
So, I wanted to also find a dongle dac with some “decent” power and a 3.5 single ended connection that is a bit more analytical or closer to neutral for when I’m just maxin’ n’ relaxin’ and jamming out in my lawn chair. This led me to the Hidizs S9 Pro. This pairing works pretty nice as the S9 Pro (ES9038Q2M dac chip) comes across more snappy and open sounding. Listening with the S9 Pro I was happy to hear a slight breath of air in the sound. I did say slight. However, it also made the KW1 come across as warm yet resolving for the tuning.
DAPS
Jumping up in fidelity and power I have two daps to choose from in the iBasso DX240 with its ES9038Pro dac chip and clean, dynamic, neutralish sound or the Shanling M6 Ultra which uses a AK4493SEQ velvet technology dac chip. With the M6 Ultra the sound is veiled and overcast in a haze using the KW1. The sound simply doesn’t synergize at all. So, turning to the Ibasso Dx240 was the way to go and added more lift and openness while tightening up the low-end. There is such a radical difference that I’d say if you don’t have a clean neutral source then don’t even bother with the KW1. Truthfully these two sounds great together, so much so that this was the unit I conducted most of my review with. Please take that into consideration.
The long drawn out point I’m making is to pair the KW1 with a clean, closer to neutral sounding Dongle Dac at the least. It helps if it’s resolving and decently powered as well. The KW1 will take what you throw at it, but there is a limit to how far they will scale. Mostly it’s the synergy which matters and finding a source that contrasts the warm nature of the KW1. So, to condense all of that into one sentence; the KW1 is harder to drive to good fidelity, so using a decently strong dongle dac will be best, and pair it with a neutral sounding and open sounding source.
Sound Impressions
Note: I did burn the KW1 in for roughly 50 hours prior to critical listening and I honestly didn’t hear any difference. Also, please know that I did all listening with either the iBasso DX240 or the Hidizs S9 Pro which are both more neutral with snappy transient responses and really do well to contrast the warm haze over the KW1’s sound. This is very important.
The KBear KW1 are a warm/dark sounding iem with a smooth veil cast across the entirety of the spectrum. If you aren’t a warm, lush or dark lover, then you should probably not jump on this set. I know quite a few who adore this dark sound but if I’m being honest, it isn’t my favorite, at all. I will always gravitate to a more neutral and open sound.
Pallet Shock!
You have to understand that I have just been listening to the KZ AS24 which is about as neutral as you can get. Then right after, in comes the warm and silk nature of the KW1. Calling it “pallet shock” is an understatement. At first, I thought the midrange was simply a muddy and veiled mess. Which it is to an extent. That is until I pushed through my eye rolling pomposity and actually went through my Playlists.
What I found was a smooth and heavy sound which is actually resolving in its own warm way which is entirely relative to the tuning of course. There is a warm hue cast across the entirety of the midrange and treble which does come across veiled to me. In spite of that, I do believe that this was the idea. This set was made for those with basshead tendancies and I think that KBear achieved that. For all intents and purposes the KBear KW1 sounds great! I have to admit that the KW1 is far from my favorite type of sound and signature but I do find myself enjoying them with the right type of tracks.
I do think that tip choice plays a small part in opening the upper regions up a hair and more than anything source helps. I’ve said it a few times, if you only have a smoother, warm, low-end heavy source then I wouldn’t even try to pick up the KW1. This set absolutely needs a cooler sounding source to break up some of the warmth as it really makes a big difference. Going from the M6 Ultra to the DX240 made a nice swing to the sound for example.
Sound
Without question the KW1 is an L-shaped iem which carries a heavy low-end presence. The low-end hits deep and is greatly emphasized against the rest of the mix. The bass can mask over other frequencies but for those who enjoy that bigger bass, I’d say you may have found a nice set in the KW1. The KW1 is almost all bass to my ears and that extends across the spectrum almost encapsulating everything in.
The midrange hosts nicely weighted and smooth sounding male vocals which are helped in this aspect by the bass overflow into the midrange. The upper mids are completely non-fatiguing yet still present a nicely bodied female vocal with good presence. Also, females come across smooth and warm and without any sparkles or shimmer, yet the upper mids still have enough energy to represent instruments or any other info which resides in the region.
The treble is actually decently extended and at the same time non-offensive to the core. The KW1 could certainly use some treble punch as well as some brilliance up top. With good amperage and a clean source, the KW1 has a velvet type of resolve which can bring upon some macro details though nobody should purchase this set for its detail retrieval. The stage is more intimate yet there is good fullness of the stage.
Bass Region
BASS BOIS ARISE! The KBear KW1 is a bona-fide basshead set which takes any track and finds the bass within pulling out any semblance of low-end activity and then exaggerating those sounds. The KW1 has bass that tickles your eyelids and itches your ears. Truthfully this set brings me back to 1998 in my Hoopty Wagon with the seat waaaay back, one hand on the wheel, Outkast, 2pac, Wutang Clan or The Geto Boys etc. spilling out the windows. This is what the KW1 is to me. It’s a certified BASS BANGER that is unapologetically forthright in its purpose, unreserved in its specialty, and flat-out unambiguous in its one-sided dominance of the bass region. It hears you audiophiles complaining but guess what… the KBear KW1 doesn’t care. In fact, I may have heard it laugh right in the face of your disgust.
Sub-bass
The sub-bass comes across robust, big, and booming with a dense and tactile rumble that has pretty good speed considering the emphasis down low. The sub-bass has a reverberant guttural quality that has a haptically tactile sound which is slower yet palpable on attack with a quicker decay. That said, it isn’t flabby or wooly at all. It’s a nicely deft sub-bass that is very satisfying in the right genres. “Groove” by Ray Wylie Hubbard proves this right away as there is a dirty and sonorously abrasive bassline to begin this track, and the KW1 seems meant for it. Basically, the sub-bass goes deep and gets it! This is for fans of bass and for the most part… those fans alone.
Mid-bass
The mid-bass packs a big slam yet is less emphasized than the sub-bass region. Certainly, the KW1 are living up to the basshead type of replay as there is around a 13 dB rise on the bass shelf at the sub-bass area and slowly glides down the mid-bass (at least the product graph from KBear shows this). Songs like “Never Imagined” by Lil Durk have an authoritative bass drop that stays in good control considering the prominence that the bass carries in the mix. The mid bass replays bass guitar with some serious meat to the sound, kick drums boom and bass drops flex with this set.
The KW1 is a basshead style earphone as most of the frequency priority lies in the low-end range. Remember, KBear isn’t trying to create some audiophile high fidelity masterpiece to curb your hi-res standards. They told us what this set was about and didn’t deviate. The KW1 is about feet moving, toe tapping, and head bobbing bass. So, I am constantly reminding myself that this is the vein with which I am judging the KBear KW1.
Downsides to the bass region
The biggest drawback of a bass like this is that… well… it has a bass like this. It isn’t for everyone. Straight up. The bass casts a shadow over the entire mix which kind of sucks the air out of the music. I do know many friends who will totally enjoy this sound as it’s kind of a throwback to some sets of old. Still, this is not what most hobbyists would go for as there is almost too much warmth without a contrasting high end to liven the tonal color to make the KW1 brighter and airier and in effect more exciting and clean. The bass is the culprit and the bass is the hero depending on your subjective likes and dislikes.
Midrange
There is a warmth across the midrange which renders every note and every leading edge with a smoothness that almost “feels” like velvet. Listening with the iBasso DX240 the KW1 comes across with nice depth to the sound and nice macro-dynamics yet with a softer note outline which can be appealing. It’s downy-soft, satin like, and cottony. Every hard edge has been polished and buffed down to a smooth glide. However, in that feathery display of sound it also comes across cleanly, believe it or not. No, it isn’t pristine and squeaky clean like a neutral set with a fast driver and tight transients. It’s a different kind of clean. Like transparent oil which finds the path of least resistance there is some resolving ability here.
Lower-midrange
Male vocals aren’t going to wow you with their ability to sound natural. Nor will they excite you with their energy and note definition. However, there is decent resolution in the warmer setting. The KW1 is all smooth, all the time. No hard edges, nothing knife edged, and detail retrieval isn’t the KW1’s superpower, at all. The KW1 excels at fatigue free listening, and the warmth you hear is a cozy pillow yet somehow is uniform in its replay. Foy Vance in “Time Stand Still” sounds moist and full. His voice isn’t as chiseled as with most sets, but it comes across caked in a more humid and wetted way with a robustness that is easy to digest. Males altogether are recessed but still hold nice presence, even with the veil hovering over the sound.
Upper-Midrange
Females sound a bit more forward than males with better energy and slightly less warmth overall. “Everything I Didn’t Say” by Ella Henderson sounds lovely. There isn’t any shimmer or sparkle to be heard but her voice has enough of a vitality to come across measured and charismatic with a highly emotional twist to the song listening on the KW1.
Now, some songs do sound too laid back for me as I like females to have that sweet glistening shimmer within their vocal expression. I’m sure some may dig this a lot but it isn’t my favorite. I’d say the saving grace is in the non-abrasive, non-offensive, and emotional nature the KW1 has along with good note weight throughout. To be 100% transparent, I will not spend a ton of time listening on this set past this review but female vocals do have an alluring quality which sounds inviting to me after listening for a long time and adjusting my brain to it. I did find “John Wick” to be a very fun movie to watch with the KW1 in my ears.
Both instruments & vocals will not come across naturally. There is just too much of a warm veil over the sound to call it organic. However, this doesn’t make it necessarily bad. There is just a bit too much color that skews the sound to call it natural. However, you will hear nothing even close to sibilant, nothing thin, nothing grating and piercing and certainly you won’t hear anything shrill. Just don’t expect open and airy and natural. Do expect a smooth and velvet like sound with meaty vocals and soothing female vocals.
Downsides to the midrange
Really quick, the midrange is sometimes presented as though the sound is in a canopy or inside of a box. Depending on the track of course. Oddly enough the sound grew on me and there is a resolving quality in its replay. Still, I feel like the low-end covers and filters out much of the air and separation. However, KBear was going for a dynamically bass induced sound, I’d say they nailed that part of it for sure. For the price and for the demographic I would wholeheartedly say that the Mids are probably right on target. Make no mistake though, this is not a high-fidelity sound that is detail oriented.
Treble
The treble region is emphasized to a degree, but the bass shelf sits atop the loudest portion of the treble range by a good 7-8 db’s (taken from the product graph). Anyways, this is simply not enough to add any real vitality and vivaciousness to the sound. The treble actually has some extension past 10k however it simply isn’t elevated to the degree that there is any uplift in the tonal color of the KW1. The pendulum never swings to the cooler side… at all. There is a lack of brilliance and shine as it feels like I’m missing some energy, dynamism, and timbral qualities within my music. In reality I’m just hearing a much calmer version, warmer and easier on the ears. I will say it over and over again that these qualities do not make this a bad sounding iem… Just different. It’s a warm lovers paradise.
More on the treble
Again, the treble is completely non-offensive, completely safe, and 1000% peak-free which are both redeeming qualities. Sibilance won’t show through to annoy your senses and there isn’t that splashy type of treble which so often is the case around these prices. Now, whether those qualities are enough to sell you on the treble range of the KW1 is subjective to you. I hear a cleanliness to the sound that comes through on lesser complicated tracks up top, but it isn’t clean in a traditional sense. There is a clean outline to notes in this area, yet they come across slow on attack and decay a bit quicker. Also, there’s no graininess or artificial artifacts cluttering up the sound. That said, Treble Heads will want nothing to do with the KW1, at all. In fact, this set is the antithesis of what a treble head would go for.
Safe and calm
The KW1 has a warm punch to the treble and good body to instrumentation with no abrasive roughness to the sound. Kinda like riding on a wave in an ocean of silk. Okay that may be going too far but you get the idea. Instruments like percussion don’t have that snappy pang or harmonic sparkle to them. Violin doesn’t have its abrasive zing and piano doesn’t have its dense ring. Basically, most secondary harmonics in this region are muted a bit. Still, there is fantastic body and presence which comes across as full sounding.
Obviously, the instrument timbre isn’t really organic, but it does come across very easy to digest and listen to for long periods. It’s a safe treble throughout. I say all of that, but details can still be heard in the upper treble as there are some macro-details which show through. I do have to add though, if details are what you are purchasing this set for, well, you may not get the return on investment you may have otherwise imagined.
Downsides to the treble
I feel like I’ve laid it all out there already. The downside is that this is not a balanced sounding iem, in fact it’s not even V-shaped. This is a treble that can barely make it off the couch. Is that a downside? I suppose it all comes down to what you enjoy.
Technicalities
Soundstage
The soundstage is an intimate affair. Yet it’s also a full stage. I have sound all around my periphery. It’s sound which reaches high and low and stretches wide while the elements of a stage seem cupped around me, yet all of it sounds pretty close. So, to say it more concise… It’s big and full, but also intimate. Does that make sense? I hope so because there aren’t a whole lot of ways to say it. I will say this as a redeeming element to the stage of the KW1, the stage suits the tuning and nothing feels “off” or out of place to my ears.
Separation / Imaging
Separation is one aspect of the KW1’s repertoire which isn’t as defined as one may like. Despite that, anyone purchasing the KW1 isn’t doing so because the separation of instrumentation is top notch. I don’t want to give the wrong impression though because separation of elements in an imaginary stage on the KW1 are also… Not bad. The problem is, in my opinion, the smooth nature of the sound and soft note definition seems to blend a little bit. There isn’t that clean and distinct definition which you could find on some more technically adept iems. Again, nobody purchasing the KW1 is worried about the separation of instrumentation. No sir. People buying the KW1 simply want to know that the bass’ll hit hard and deep while maintaining some aspect of musicality.
Imaging on the other hand is quite good as the KW1 is able to partition off elements of a stage pretty well for the tuning. Left to right seems well placed and distinct enough as well as front to back instruments and voices. Yes, things do tend to have a blurry between the lines but the actual placement of where this Instruments take form sounds authentically reproduced.
Details
Details aren’t where the KW1 shines. That said, the KW1 does bring upon some semblance of macro-details within parts of the treble region. Of course, there is masking happening with a pumped-up bass and you simply will miss some of the minutiae within a song because of this fact. It’s that simple. Depending on the track you may or may not get decent details. On acoustic jams you will actually find the KW1 picks up even the finer details. Of course, there isn’t a whole lot of low-end in most acoustic songs. To contrast that, in more complicated tracks it sounds more like a mishmash of sounds to a degree.
Comparison
KBear Rosefinch ($24)
The KBear Rosefinch was a set that I reviewed earlier last year I believe (Rosefinch review here). To be perfectly honest there isn’t a whole lot sonically which differentiates the two sets. They sound remarkably similar. I do believe they serve the same audiences and demographics. Both L-shaped and both are basshead iems and both have that silky smooth warmth with nice note weight. I will make this fast because there isn’t much which sets these two apart.
Bass Region
The Rosefinch and the KW1 quite literally share almost identical bass regions. I would say that the KW1 is a bit tighter and also a bit heavier in the slam area. I find the Rosefinch to be a touch softer whereas the KW1 has just a little bit more rumble. The KW1 sounds a bit better textured as well.
Midrange
The only difference I can find is the Rosefinch may be a hair more forward in the Midrange while the KW1 has the slightest of hairs better resolution. Both sets have a creamy sound on both male and female vocals and both sets do have a slight veil or blanket of warmth covering all the air in every track.
Treble Region
The only difference I can find is the extension of the KW1’s treble is a bit better as I hear less attenuated info past 8k than on the Rosefinch. Perhaps the KW1 has slightly more snap to the treble but I’m splitting hairs. Truthfully, these two sound very similar in every regard to me.
I chose the Rosefinch to compare with the KW1 because it is made by the same company, shares much of the same tuning philosophy and is a definite upgrade in terms of look and build. I find the Rosefinch to be more versatile in some aspects as they have a detachable cable, whereas the KW1 has a fixed cable. Either set will quench any basshead thirst and either set is good for long listening sessions. I think the KW1 is a slight bit more resolving.
Is it worth the asking price?
Coming in at roughly $29 US the KBear KW1 has a pretty polarizing sound that one would likely either really enjoy, or really not enjoy. I’d say, for those who are only in this space and reading this review who enjoy a basshead style L-shaped sound then this set is well worth the price, without question. However, if you are into anything else then I’d say that the KW1 probably isn’t the set for you and maybe not worth the $29 asking price.
Competition
You have to take into account the many competing iems which hover around the $20 to $35 price point. There are some very heavy hitters. The Kiwi Ears Cadenza (Cadenza Review), QKZ X-HBB (X-HBB review), the KZ D-Fi (KZ D-Fi review), KZ ZVX (KZ ZVX Review), Reecho SG-01 Ova, Astrotec Vesna Evo and that’s just to name a few. Yes I know there are many I forgot to name. Any of those sets that I just mentioned are around the same price point and will outperform the KW1 in almost every metric besides bass quantity and quality per the quantity. Those sets have a balance to them which simply outshines the KW1. Still, for those who enjoy pure bass and want to hear that bass in their feet then the KW1 is an easy recommendation at this price.
The KW1 is really in a tough spot, but it actually has some great selling points. First, they are some of the prettiest looking bullet style earphones that I’ve ever seen. Second, the build is second to none with all wooden shells. In all truth they are almost a fashion statement. Third, the bass is done very well in terms of pure basshead style replay. On top of that the KW1 has a great cable and controls and even comes with a decent carrying case. Lastly, this sound is so soothing friends. It’s silky smooth to the core and has tremendous note weight and presence in that warmer setting. So, it’s a subjective question for you, the reader. This one could go either way.
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. In the case of the KBear KW1 ratings below, that would be $20-$35 iems in any 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” is exactly average and please take into consideration the “lot” of iems these ratings are gathered against. $20-$35 US is a small pool in the grand scheme of things and so seeing ratings above a “9” is understandable.
Aesthetic
-Build Quality: 10.0
-Design: 10.0
-Accessories: 9.5
Overall: 9.8🔥🔥🔥
Sound Rating
-Timbre: 6.0
-Bass: 9.9
-Midrange: 6.8
-Treble: 5.9
-Technicalities: 5.0
-Fun Factor: 9.7
Overall: 7.2
Conclusion
To conclude my full written review of the KBear KW1 I want to again thank KBear for providing this unique budget basshead iem in exchange for a feature at the website as well as a review. I also would like to thank you, the reader, for clicking the link. Every time that link gets activated it is good for the website, so I thank you very much.
Please check out other thoughts on the KW1. We are all very much different and it will pay to read, listen or watch other perspectives regarding the KW1. Don’t simply count on my thoughts as I may have a wildly different take then the next guy. Also, we don’t all have the same libraries of music, likes and dislikes, even hearing abilities. It’ll help you out to make a more educated purchasing decision. Please stay as safe as possible and take care… God Bless.
