KBear Storm ($16)
Intro
Today I am reviewing KBear’s latest ultra-budget segment iem, the “KBear Storm”, courtesy of Keephifi. I’ve actually reviewed quite a few ultra-budget sets of late and was pleased to be asked to check out the Storm. I want to sincerely thank Keephifi for providing the Storm in return for a fair and honest review. Obviously, this doesn’t change any outcome of how I rate the Storm and I wasn’t provoked or coerced in any way to change my speach regarding the Storm. So, thank you. Okay, the KBear Storm…
KBear
KBear is a constant in the “chifi” space. Earphone after earphone and advertisement after advertisement get displayed upon many Facebook group walls every week it seems. I have reviewed a few KBear iems of late, namely the Qinglong, Rosefinch, Dumpling, and the Ink among others and each has their own particular tuning. No two are very much the same. KBear does a great job of appealing to different tuning styles and they always seem to add their own stylish flare to their iems. The Storm for instance has a sleek design which would seem to attract a younger audience and I do feel they have done a good job seeking out fresh designs. With that said, let me put my reviewer hat on and try my best at explaining the KBear Storm…
Purchase the KBear Storm HERE from Keephifi.
Storm Pros
-Price
-Trendy design
-Bass can slam
-Fun sounding iem for the price
-Timbre is not bad at all (warm/natural)
-Fantastic iem for the gym / beater set
-again, price
Storm Cons
-Build Quality
-Stage feels cramped
-Veiled midrange
-Could use more air in the treble region
-Extension up top
-Stuck in a crowded market of well-tuned sets
Gear used
–iBasso DX240 with Amp8 MK2
Packaging
The box as well as the Contents of that box are a very simple and budget affair. For $16 you can rest assured that you will most likely be getting the bare minimum as far as accessories are concerned. Sure, enough this is the case here. The box is a very small one with an outer sleeve which has three different Storm iems in each of the different Storm colorways and each are imposed in line with each other. Take off the sleeve and you are met with the earphones themselves. Under the earphones are two baggies; one baggy is for the eartips and one for the cable. You also get some amazing reading material. That’s about it, pretty basic.
Eartips
For $16 I think KBear went above and beyond what most companies provide with their ultra-budget sets. You are provided six pairs in total, both sets run in Large, Medium, and Small. The first set is a dark gray and fairly common in the industry. These tips have a narrower bore that I don’t think really helps the Storm as far as sonics are concerned. The next pair is a white shallow fit wide-bore set that I think does the Storm better justice. At times during this review, I did switch out for KBear’s own “KBear 07” tips but spent the majority of my time using the included wide bore tips. Both included tip sets have nice rigidity to the flanges and both seals pretty well.
Cable
KBear added a 2-pin Litz braided, 3.5 single ended, 4 core silver cable which terminates with a 90-degree jack. Not a bad cable by any means. Surely it is better than what we used to get at these prices. There aren’t any microphonics that I can hear, and the cable is malleable and easy to deal with. I should add that for any balanced sources I did switch out the included cable with an Fdbro 16 core SPC cable. I found no great difference sonically from cable swapping, except the fact that more power through a balanced source does help.
Build / Design / Internals / Fit
Build Quality
The Storm are a feather-light pair of universal iems made with a hard plastic material and are of a well-constructed budget quality. Plastic covers almost the entirety of the units from the 2 pin connectors all the way up to the nozzles. The nozzles themselves are actually made of brass which is a nice touch. They have a deeper fit with a taper at the base of the nozzle and comes off at an ergonomic angle for a deep fit. I actually had to go an eartip size under what I normally use. I see no misalignments, and everything is free of glue or discrepancies. Truthfully this set is about average in build per the price point. The 2-pin connector is a QDC style connection so if you are going to upgrade this is good info to have.
Size / Fit / Isolation
The Storm is very lightweight and feels like absolutely nothing in the ear. I also wouldn’t call them uncomfortable either as they aren’t too overly large in size. In fact, it’s actually the contrary in my opinion. I feel the Storm is very comfortable and offers no ear fatigue at all. To that, I received an excellent fit and seal with the Storm. I would say that they have an average ability to block out external noises and there is minimal sound leakage as well.
Design
I quite like the look of the set that I was given. Mine is a smokey black colored set. KBear also sells the Storm in a few other colorways, deep purple, transparent purple and transparent smokey black. The Storm does have a sleek look that is completely transparent and so putting them under the light will reveal the Internals, like the driver and wiring. I suppose the Storm are not too flashy and are simpler aesthetically, but I think they are pretty cool looking.
Internals
KBear chose to go with a single Dynamic Driver with a strong magnet using a PU+PEEK Composite Diaphragm. This driver promises a high-resolution listening experience with high level timbre. I don’t really know what a high level of timbre is, but I’m guessing that KBear believes that the Storm will provide a very natural and organic sound. I suppose we shall see.
Drivability
The Storm is very easy to drive to a good fidelity and auditory joy. I’m quite positive that you will have zero issue driving this set from a simple cell phone. Rated at an impedance of 32-ohms and a sensitivity of 108 decibels, the Storm worked great from a decent Dongle Dac. Using either the IFi Go Blu or the Moondrop Dawn 4.4 on balanced actually did begin to open the Storm up. Separation increased, bass tightened up as well and the perceived stage size increased. The Storm seems to do well with more power, to a point. Using the IBasso DX240 or the Shanling M6 Ultra yielded the best results but anything past medium gain started to cause some issues. So, a decent Dongle Dac will suffice and even better if you have a balanced Dongle dac or dap to drive the Storm.
Quick Sound Impressions
The KBear Storm has a warm tonality with a large emphasis in the mid-bass as well as the upper-mids/lower-treble with a roll-off occurring just past 8k with some sub-par info in the upper-treble. Most certainly we are looking at a fun V-shaped sound signature which is slightly darker sounding and laid back while it hits pretty hard down low.
The Storm has around a 10 dB bass shelf which peaks out in the mid-bass area and slowly rolls-off through the sub-bass. The lower-mids are forward and warm with decent energy but for the most part it does come across a bit veiled with a more laid-back upper midrange for female vocals. The treble is also more reserved, less energy and smooth with some peaks in the lower treble at times. The Storm is a mostly non-offensive set and great for genres like hip-hop, EDM, R&B, among others. Truthfully it does well on many genres.
Bass Region
The KBear Storm most certainly has an elevated low-end which center around the mid-bass and extends pretty far into the lower midrange. There is a slight roll-off of the sub-bass as well. From most graphs we are looking at around a 10 dB bass shelf which hits with deliberate impact. Close to basshead territory.
Sub Bass
The sub-bass has a pretty deep growl and does give a good vibration though not at the level of the mid-bass. I hear a sonorous rumble that does well to bolster the low-end with certain genres which cater to a deeper sub-bass. All in all, it’s not bad. Not the quickest as there is a subtly lingering decay which creates a nice atmosphere. “Paradigm” by The Head and the Heart growls at me nicely.
Mid Bass
The mid-bass is the focal point of the bass region. There is a healthy dose of slam as the Storm hits hard with satisfying bass drops. Kick drums boom with a nicely resounding thud. Honestly, I can’t find anything too troubling with the mid-bass other than it will likely be too much for some. This is a fun tuning and isn’t meant to appeal to audiophile appetites. “Cane Suga” by the Glass Animals begins with this light jingle but soon comes a heavy bass drop… and this is where the Storm shines. The sound is full, quick enough to not sound sloppy and there is enough authority in the sound to get my head bobbing. Leading edges to notes aren’t as concrete as I’d like but for the price I can deal with a layer of fuzz.
Midrange
Lower-midrange
The midrange is mostly recessed. I also don’t hear much refinement in this area. Sure, male vocals have a warm nature to them from the spill over of the mid-bass, but they don’t have that resolute forward sound that draws me in. “I Walk Alone” by Chase Rice off his newest album, his voice does come across rather clean, but his voice is also pushed back in the field of music as there is a missing energy and fullness that I like to hear. Note weight is on the average side as well.
This is a V-shaped sound and so stuff like male vocals do take the backseat to the bass region. Does this make it bad? Absolutely not. Males simply aren’t very forward and pronounced and don’t carry an authoritative and resolute sound. I found that most tenors will react quite differently as some can come across sharp and more knife edged depending on the singer or track. So, there is a hint of more forward energy as you move up in pitch and tone. Instruments also share in this slightly tweaked sound with a hair more of a warm glaze over the sound.
Upper-midrange
Females come across more shimmery than males yet not shimmery in general. Females are also recessed but have a more defined note definition and more luster than males. “Everything I Didn’t Say” by Ella Henderson begins with her vocals out front and center and her voice should slightly resonate more forward in the sound field. Her voice should be rather melodic but also thick and textured with a hint of shine to it. She has a great voice. However, with the Storm her vocals simply sound further back than usual. Not an issue at all. She doesn’t sound bad on the Storm but simply a hint more attenuated. She comes across clean and with nice resolution but warmer and more laid back than many iems of late.
“Sensitive” by Meghan Trainor on the other hand shows how that pinna gain in the upper midrange might cause a bit of glare as well. Her voice has this knife edged and processed digital sound at the leading edge of her vocals, especially during the chorus. So you get either warm and laid back or mildly peaky and accentuated depending on the track and who’s doing the singing.
Preferences…
This is not a rebuke of the Storm at all, it is a nice sounding earphone, but it may not be everyone’s preference and I don’t think it fits all genres perfectly. This is a fun sounding, B-Boy style tuning with a penchant for big bass riffs, warm and heavy bass drops and an altogether hip-hop style. I think they did a nice job for what KBear was going for. Is it my favorite tuning? Um no. Does the world cater to me and what I like? Again… No.
Also, I don’t want to call the midrange veiled but there is a laid back and warm nature to the midrange which comes across as a veil or a haze over the region. Still, it isn’t bad at all. I love a more vocal centric iem with a nice rise in the bass region but clean and clear vocals. The Storm is not that. Again, is it a badly tuned midrange? For me it isn’t tuned very well. Perhaps not the most detailed and transient quick either and separation can lag a bit on some tracks.
Treble region
The treble region certainly is emphasized in the upper-mid and lower-treble area which can be a hint peaky on some tracks. Yet at the same time there is a slight early roll-off up top. All things considered there is enough of a rise to promote some macro details. The treble is thinner, yet it’s also warm and not as resounding and vibrant as I think it needs to be and gives the entirety of the Storm’s replay a warmer hue. Of course, this gets exaggerated on a warmer and smoother source. Using something like the Moondrop Dawn 4.4 did help offset the warm tuning to a degree.
Secondary harmonics of cymbals and hi-hats have a decent trail-off which proves the Storm does have decent extension past 8k. I simply hear a warmer sheen to such instruments. The treble does come across a bit dry, and thinner, while providing “acceptable” detail retrieval for “such a tuning”. I would like to think that anyone purchasing the KBear Storm wouldn’t exactly be seeking out details in their music. The Storm has a specific type tuning which does well for what it is and at the low cost of $16 you simply cannot go wrong. However, if you like a neutral climate with a more uplifted and lustery treble or a more analytical style than I have some other sets which fit that bill. The treble is certainly laid-back, at times a bit peaky (in the right situation) in the upper-mids & lower-treble, but for the most part is a non-offensive treble.
Technicalities
Soundstage
The stage size of the Storm doesn’t exactly bring upon stadium sized visions but more like a small room. It’s warm, intimate and it’s about what I was expecting. We have seen some pretty impressive ultra-budget iems which do stretch the stage a bit but the Storm is not one of them. A titch below average width, average height as well and not a very deep stage. I don’t say this as a horrible thing either. Nothing about the Storm’s staging is out of whack or not appropriate to the music I am listening to. It simply isn’t as wide or deep as some others as it’s a little more intimate than average per the price point but not horrible.
Separation / Imaging
During the course of my listening with the Storm I noticed that its ability to separate elements in a stage is pretty good, to an extent. When listening to a more congested track the Storm did blend the sound quite a bit. This is not a surprise as most budget sets take on the same results. However, less intensive music will replay very nicely with a well partitioned off sound image.
Imaging kind of follows the same trajectory. Not bad but also not really great either. The depth of layering is not the vastest and the stage is a hair more confined and so naturally imaging and layering take a hit. Still, at the end of the day this is average. As it should be. You’d have to be paying attention to hear the difference and most likely anyone who picks this set up probably isn’t too worried about spatial cues.
Details
The Storm has some issues when presenting details, namely the tuning. Like I said earlier, if you are purchasing the KBear Storm for its ability to present the subtleties within a track, well, I’d say you didn’t read any reviews. This is not that type of tuning. With that said, resolution is pretty nice, driver speed isn’t horrible either which does present a decently resolute replay within a warmer canvas. This translates to decent macro details. However, the really fine stuff, the finer details, the micro-details, the stuff that gets looked for in critical listening has a bit harder time being illuminated to the surface. This should not be a surprise. The Storm is tuned in a fun, bass emphasized and non-offensive way.
Is the Storm worth the asking price?
This is an easy yes. Of course, it is. This set costs $16 and is a good change of pace ultra-budget iem that can be used when you just want that BASS! For some people this set will be a no brainer and for others it will never find a place within their collection.
The Storm is truly a preference driven buy if you ask me. It is not balanced across the mix but what it gives a person is a colored head-bobbing listen that is great for the right situations and for some very popular genres nowadays. I realize that most of this review seems to contradict my resounding “yes” to the worth. That is because I have to put on my reviewer hat and judge this set on its auditory abilities across the board. However, I think that KBear was actually very successful in producing an earphone that does what it was supposed to do. If I was judging this set for its ability to make my toes tap… It would get some high marks for $16!!
Ratings per price point- ($10-$25)
*All ratings are judged by the price point listed above and all are very much subjective to my taste. Please keep in mind that a “5.0” is exactly average per the price point.
Aesthetic
Build: 7.5 Build Quality per the price point
Design/Style: 8.5 Cosmetic/Aesthetic look & appeal
Overall: 8.0
Sonics
Timbre: 7.3 Timbre & tonality
Bass: 8.5 Bass quality per the price point
Midrange: 6.5 Midrange replay as a whole
Treble: 6.0 Treble replay as a whole
Technicalities: 6.0 Stage/details/Imaging/separation
P2P: 8.5 Price to performance
Overall: 7.1
Conclusion
Well, there you have it, I just reviewed a budget friendly iem that has its place amongst the loaded sea of budget iems. A 7.1 rating in the “Sonics” category isn’t horrible at all. Let me remind you that these are all my subjectively objective thoughts which may not align with your own. The whole point of these reviews is to help the buyer make a decision and to give me the opportunity to write about what I love.
One more thing, please read, listen to, or watch other reviews so you can make a better educated decision. Within the vastness of the audio’verse $16 is considered ultra-budget however, $16 may not be a lot to some people but to a whole lot of people that is a ton of money to spend on a hobby. Most people who are on hard times don’t have the luxury of “hobby” money. So let’s try to get it right. Not everyone has the same likes and dislikes, audio gear for listening, hearing and not all of us have been down the same audio journey, which makes a huge difference in how we review a product.
I want to again thank Keephifi for providing this set to me, I am truly grateful. I also want to thank anyone who decided to read any word that I write about the Storm. Each and every review takes quite a bit of time and I do hope that it helps at least someone in making a purchasing decision. Thanks for reading, take care everyone and stay safe.