Disclaimer:
Hello readers, Kiwi Ears is increasingly establishing itself as a brand to keep an eye on. The new Kiwi Ears Aether sports a huge 15.3mm planar driver with very low impedance and high sensitivity. Although for a driver like that, I will try a balanced cable to see how it performs. I’m very curious to try it because I think that if the planar driver were to ever manage to match the tonality and bass reproduction of the DDs, they would certainly be definitive.
I am not an audiophile; I am just a guy who enjoys trying out different IEMs and DACs and spending a lot of time listening to music. I belong to the audio enthusiast category.
So I will not use super technical terms to review it, but I will do my best to describe it.
Thanks to Kiwi Ears for providing this review unit.
Tech Specs:
- Sensitivity: 105 dB SPL/mW (at 1 kHz
- Frequency Range: 20Hz-20KHz
- Impedance: 14 Ohm (at 1KHz)
- Driver: 15.3mm Planar x1
- Earphone Jack: 0.78mm / 2Pin
Packaging:
The packaging is very nice; it has a refined look and a modular internal structure. All Kiwi Ears products have a certain care in packaging and you can immediately notice the level of quality of the product purchased.
In each housing, we find some components.
Inside we find:
- Branded hard case
- 3.5mm cable
- Different types of Eartips (Bass, Balanced, and Neutral)
- Manuals and warranty sheets.
I must say that the are many tips, but a particularly premium model is not present. The 3.5mm cable is sufficient since the drivers are very efficient, but you still need to have a worthy amplifier. Using the Fosi K7, I do not feel a lack of power, but a 4.4mm option would definitely be considered.
Design/Build Quality:
The Kiwi Ears Aether has a very minimal design with slightly more elaborate faceplates. The frame of the faceplates seems metallic and has grooves or knurling. The faceplates enclose the brand in plain sight with a background of glittery colors. The shape of the shells, despite the huge driver, is quite normal and develops a bit in thickness. On the shells, there are several ventilation holes for the driver, one placed in the front between the driver and the nozzle, and the others near the cable connection. The size of the nozzle is quite massive, but overall, it is short, and at least in my case, it does not give me problems. They have mostly used resin as the material of the shell. It is not a work of art like the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite, but it is still very beautiful as an IEM.
Initial sound impression:
The biggest surprise of the Kiwi Ears Aether is the ease with which it can be driven despite the 3.5mm cable instead of a balanced 4.4mm cable. In terms of efficiency, the driver is truly surprising as long as you still have a discrete dongle like the Fosi DS2 2024.
As soon as I put them in my ears, I noticed how the speaker effect is actually true. The sound has a particular size that gives you the effect of listening to speakers or at least large over-ear headphones. The promise of a fun but at the same time analytically sound experience is also kept. The music flows precisely but without too many sacrifices; they managed to maintain a full-bodied bass but with a mostly neutral tone, also suitable for slightly more critical listening.
Equipment used for testing:
Device:
- MacOS
- Poco M4 Pro
Software:
- Amazon music UHD 24-bit 96kHz
DAC:
Comfort & Fit:
Despite the generous size, you should have no problems. The Kiwi Ears Aether is thicker than wide so you will have an IEM that sticks out more from your ear. The nozzle seems massive but in reality, it is not excessive. The two shells are very light and if used with the original cable, they make a very comfortable set. I mounted the Eartips Divinus Velvet and EPZ M100.
Tips & Cable Rolling?
As anticipated in the comfort section, I adopted aftermarket eartips. The EPZ M100 silicone ones are perfect for me. I also tried a Nicehck balanced cable, but at least using the Fosi Audio K7, the balanced is not strictly necessary. It is up to you to choose to upgrade the cable, but it is not mandatory.
Final sound impression:
The Kiwi Ears brand is doing a great job, especially in terms of tuning; they know their stuff, and the Kiwi Ears Aether is spot on, and what they promise in the advertising is kept. It is an IEM that manages to be analytical but also fun. The feeling is definitely to have full-size headphones on your ears and not IEMs. They sound good with a good emphasis on the bass, but also that fresh and crystalline touch on the treble. They manage to have an overall analytical sound signature with a touch of fun. It is a great middle ground to keep an IEM on the razor’s edge between being too fun or too serious.
Bass
The bass has been well studied; also, thanks to the decidedly large driver, it has no problems simulating a bass that could be as close as possible to a DD. However, there is more speed, but they managed to work well on the decay, which is more realistic than other planar drivers. I would not define it as the caveman bass of the Hidizs MP145, but they still obtained an excellent result, in some aspects even more realistic. The sub-bass also works well, giving satisfaction.
Mids
The mids are very analytical with a vaguely funny note. The tone is neutral/bright with no strange but frothy colorations, just a very light timbre that tends slightly towards cold. I think it’s simply the influence that the treble has on the mids.
It seems to me a set where the male voices stand out more than the female ones. It’s quite rare, but in this case, in some tracks, they seem to have a little more energy. I forgot that the voices are positioned forward, but not too much. They are very pleasant. Musical instruments also sound very natural and rich. I found no weaknesses as there is no loss of detail in terms of thickness or extension.
Treble
A non-extreme extension that does not tire during long sessions. Planars already have a high propensity for macro and micro details, so there is no need to push them to the extreme. If you want, you could add something using an equalizer, but they are more for relaxed listening sessions.
Soundstage and Imaging:
The easiest comparison that comes to me is with the Hidizs MP145 (first version), which has an extremely deep bass that seems infinite and contributes to a truly large soundstage. The Kiwi Ears Aether instead seems to be equally surprising, but the perception is different. At least I feel that the driver is huge and a sound more common to open-back over-ears is developed.
Comparison:
The comparison between planar IEMs is getting interesting. I think this is the largest planar driver I’ve been able to try in such a small enclosure.
However, bigger is not always better. In this case, the driver is also surprising for its efficiency despite the 3.5mm SE cable. I am not sure if other models are as good without a lot of power. I think they are the most impressive of those I have compared them to.
vs Hidizs MP145
The Hidizs MP145 remains, in my opinion, one of the most impressive, also in terms of general construction quality. Undoubtedly, the planar drivers are undergoing improvements every month that passes. Their ability to reproduce bass as close as possible to that of the DD and have a less and less artificial tone. The MP145 was already at very advanced levels, also, thanks to the internal structure with particular ventilation, still giving satisfaction even if less analytical than the Kiwi Ears Aether. They are both outstanding and closer to something over-ear.
vs Letshuoer S12 2024 ED & S15
If until now there were no direct rivals of the S12 2024 ED or the S15, I would say that the Kiwi Ears Aether is very similar. The S12 was very bright and does not compete directly with them, but the more recent ones are still planar IEMs. In the case of Letshuoer, it is more cautious on the bass but more pushed on the highs with usually high extensions. They are two slightly different typologies, but I must say that the Kiwi Ears is a good compromise.
Conclusion:
Kiwi Ears is working very well despite the different models released in a short time. I’m a bit late with my reviews, and I don’t like to rush them. I’ve had the Kiwi Ears Aether for a while now, but I haven’t had time to complete the review sooner, and I’m sorry. I should have brought this review in at least 2 weeks ago. The Kiwi Ears Aether is a truly fantastic IEM; the planar driver is expertly tuned, and what is promised is kept. There is a bit of hype here and there, but I don’t think I’ve read a lot of reviews about it, but it is definitely an IEM to take into consideration. Having both an analytical and fun tone allows you to enjoy your music without giving up on thick notes and full-bodied bass. For the price asked, it is absolutely to taking into consideration.
8.8/10
Pros:
- Good build quality
- Nice modular packaging
- Analytical / Fun
- Nice Bass & Sub-bass extension
- Great imagining & soundstage
- Big soundstage
- Over-ear full-size headphone feeling
- Forwarded Mids
- Pretty easy to drive
Cons:
- Tips can be fewer but of better quality
- Balanced cable option
