Kiwi Ears Airoso Review
Intro
Hello everyone, this review and feature covers one of the latest iems to come from the good people over at Kiwi Ears named… the Kiwi Ears Airoso ($129). The Airoso comes in with an MSRP of right around $129 (as low as $89 on Amazon US) and comes equipped with five drivers in total. To be exact, the Airoso is a hybrid iem which houses one dynamic driver and four balanced armature drivers. However, I will cover all of that within the review at much greater depth and with a fully entrenched opinion. The truth is, I write these “Intros” (usually) before I even receive the product. It helps with time as my reviews are already very long. The Airoso will be with me in about two days. I’m quite pumped for that. Kiwi Ears is one of those brands which always seems to intrigue me. I always want to know what they’re up to. Please trust, I don’t have that feeling for every brand out there. I simply trust that Kiwi Ears aren’t going to simply bring to market a rinse & repeat copycat tuned iem. Looking up the name “Airoso”, it’s basically a Spanish word meaning “Airy”. I wonder if the namesake of this set has anything to do with the tuning?
Kiwi Ears
So, no doubt I have reason to feel “pumped-up” about this release. However, in general, name a Kiwi Ears product which simply failed. Ya know what, I’ll take this one… Kiwi Ears has yet to make a garbage product. This doesn’t mean that you like and enjoy every product they’ve made. What it means is that at least a large segment of the audio community enjoys their products. I think I can say that with good conviction. Kiwi Ears is just one of those brands which simply gets my juices flowing (so to speak). There’s a few of those types of brands out there, but what Kiwi Ears does is they aren’t afraid to try new things, and they add their own certain ‘spin’ to every product that they create. Basically, a Kiwi Ears product is most definitely… a Kiwi Ears product. A very unique brand and I think we are all fortunate that they have a good foothold in the business.
Quick success
The crazy thing is that Kiwi Ears is not an old brand. In the realm of the audio landscape at large, they’re actually relatively new. Which is wild. I suppose that kind of puts their journey into focus a little bit. I mean, look at some of the successes that they’ve had! Truly monumental smash hits like the Kiwi Ears Cadenza (Cadenza Review), or the amazingly wonderful ‘timbre-King’, the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite (Orchestra Lite Review), the Kiwi Ears Quintet, the Kiwi Ears Quartet (Mahir’s Quartet Review), the Kiwi Ears Melody, the truly wonderful Kiwi Ears KE4 (KE4 Review) too. Among many others. I didn’t even mention the success of the Kiwi Ears Allegro or the Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini. Shoot, I am about to drop a review of the Kiwi Ears Allegro Pro in a few weeks and it’s great. The point is, if it’s a Kiwi Ears product, then it’ll be unique and very well done from front to back.
Competition
Well, I just received the Airoso, and I can confirm right now that it is a very solid set. Knowing that it’ll cost around $129 US shows me that it should be one of the sets at least considered for everyone’s short list within this range. It’s that nice. Now, I’m not giving this set a free pass because there is too much competition to ever do that. We are talking over $100 and its bananas how many truly awesome iems there are in that range. Especially between $100 to $150. Just phenomenal iems. Think about it. The Airoso has to compete with the Simgot SuperMix 4 (SM4 Review), the Fiio FD15 (FD15 Review), the Hiby Yacht 10 (Yacht 10 Review), Dunu Kima 2 (Kima 2 Review), Celest Relentless (Relentless Review), the KZ Sonata (Sonata Review), the BQEYZ Cloud (Cloud Review), the Aful Explorer (Explorer Review), the Hidizs MP145 (MP145 Review), the CCA Hydro (Hydro Review) and that’s just a few. In truth, that list can go on for miles. So no, the Airoso doesn’t get a pass. Despite that comment, no doubt this is a solid set, and I repeat, you should probably put it on your short list. With all that said, I will now send the Airoso to the burn-in station for a few full days and then begin critical listening. Okay, well I think I’m ready to dive in folks. So, without further ado, the Kiwi Ears Airoso…
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Disclaimer:
I received the Kiwi Ears Airoso from Kiwi Ears as a review sample and in exchange I will conduct a full review and feature at Mobileaudiophile.com. I have not received any payment or any other form of compensation for this review. This set is a review sample iem. Kiwi Ears has not requested to pre-read any review and doesn’t have any control over “what” or “when” anything gets published to mobileaudiophile.com. All thoughts within this review are my own, though please take note that I will always have my own biases. This is impossible to get around. I try to be as objective as my subjective self can be. However, this is an opinion piece folks. Thank you to Kiwi Ears, and thanks for reading.
Airoso Pros
-Build Quality is nice (aluminium & titanium)
-Design is simple yet aesthetically pleasing
-The Airoso is a very ergonomic set and should fit most people well
-A very dynamically balanced sound
-The Airoso has big macro-dynamics, energetic, fun
-Deep and palpable bass with a taught and solid slam
-Midrange is very clean, near-natural, well detailed
-The treble is airy, open, impressive control, well extended
-Holographic and immersive stage, good width too
-Detail Retrieval is nice
-Imaging is very well done
Airoso Cons
-Warm, smooth lovers may not dig the energy of this set
-The cable is not the best
-Needs adequate power to get the most out of the Airoso
Gear used for testing
–iBasso DX240 with Amp8 MK2
Packaging / Accessories
Unboxing
The Kiwi Ears Airoso arrived at my home in a fairly small square box predominantly a shade of purple with a picture of the Airoso on the front. Pretty standard but also, not bad Kiwi Ears. I like the name “Airoso” maneuvering between the pictures of the Airoso on the cover. The Kiwi Ears logo is well highlighted at the top left of the box. They are simply nice touches. Anyways, open the box and you’ll see the Airoso chilling in foam cut-outs. Next to the foam piece you’ll find a small black box with the Kiwi Ears logo imprinted on it. Open that box and inside it holds the carrying case. Inside of the case you’ll find three small baggies holding the eartips and you’ll also find the cable. In all honesty, the packaging is pretty standard fare. I wouldn’t say it’s the best unboxing experience in the price point, but also, I don’t buy any iem for the unboxing experience.
Eartips
Kiwi Ears was pretty generous with their eartips that they provide. In total you get nine pairs of eartips over three different styles. I’d say they are fairly useful which is much better than I’m used to. Usually, the eartips are a far-off afterthought. At any rate, there are three sets of three. The first set of three (S M, L) is a black silicone eartip with a semi-wide bore. These tips are pretty flimsy on the flange. I did not like them just because it was very difficult to get a seal. The next set of three (S, M L) are white silicone eartips which also have a semi-wide bore, a pretty rigid stem, and a slightly less flimsy flange. Once again, I simply couldn’t get a good and consistent seal for my ears with these tips. The last set of tips are the style that I went with. These are a gray silicone eartip with a red stem. You get three pairs (S, M, L), once again a semi-wide bore, firm flange, firm and rigid stem and very close to KBear 07 tips yet colored differently. I found these tips work very well for me and sound great with the Airoso. I could’ve gone through every set of eartips in my arsenal, but I think I found the tips that I’ll use in the gray/red Kiwi Ears tips. Really, it’s a nice amount of eartips within the package and I’m sure that between the three styles you will find something which works for you.
Carrying Case
The carrying case which comes packaged with the Kiwi Ears Airoso is a familiar case which I believe has been used for a few other sets in Kiwi Ears lineup. It’s a smaller black case, with a zipper, covered in what appears to be faux leather. It has the Kiwi Ears logo imprinted on the top of the case. It’s a stylish enough inclusion. Nice looking. Inside the case you have the routine mesh pocket on the topside and a soft inner covering to protect your iems from banging around and getting scratched up. I said it’s a “smaller” black case, but really, it’s what I’d call average size. Big enough to house the Airoso with the cable, extra tips too. That’s about it. Possibly a very small dongle dac like the Kiwi Ears Allegro Pro would fit nicely. So, it isn’t huge and very portable. Great for tossing into a bag or into a jacket pocket. Not bad at all.
Cable
Okay, so here I have a slight curiosity about why Kiwi Ears chose the cable that they provide. To be perfectly honest, I think most of you will want to cable swap. I’m just looking out for you all. Not that the included cable doesn’t do its job, because it most certainly does. And, you most certainly don’t have to swap cables either. It just isn’t the most appealing cable I’ve ever seen. Now, in Kiwi Ears promotional material they state that the included cable is “upgradeable”. Well, it’s a 2-pin cable and so yes, you can replace the cable. At any rate, I’m thinking that Kiwi Ears made the decision to keep costs under $130 and they had to provide a more functional cable rather than a nicer looking cable. In truth, I find no problem with this whatsoever. Honestly, I understand it too. I have no information on the cable except that it’s a 3.5 single ended 2-pin cable and that it’s 1.2 M in length. No idea what the material is. At any rate, the cable is a very thin black cable which comes with a twist rather than a braid and terminates in a 3.5 single ended jack. Honestly, it functions perfectly and there’s no functional reason that you’d need to upgrade. Again, it does its job. Also, it’s very lightweight which doesn’t pull on your iems. So functional, but not really aesthetically pleasing.
What did I use?
Folks, I went through just about every cable in my arsenal, which is a decent number of cables. I had a few which seemed to pair well but the cable that I chose in the end was a budget cable, the KBear Chord 4.4. I found the sound paired the best, the look is awesome with the Airoso too. It’s really an awesome cable for this set. I believe the Chord can be bought between $25-$30. It’s a great cable and it looks dope.
Build / Design / Internals / Fit
Build Quality
The Kiwi Ears Airoso is a very nicely built iem. The shell portion is made entirely out of CNC carved lightweight aluminum with what appears to be a glossy black coating. At first, I thought the shell was made of resin but after inspection I realized that it most certainly is not resin but instead a very durable aluminum. The faceplates are actually made using titanium which is a very corrosion resistant alloy. On the faceplate you’ll notice a decent sized vent with a metal mesh grill covering it. There’s also one smaller vent towards the nozzle as well. The nozzle itself is about medium in length, meaning it isn’t so short that you’d need wider shallow fit eartips, nor are the nozzles so long that you need to find smaller tips to reach deeper. It’s a nice fitment in my opinion. The Airoso is a nicely built set folks.
Design
This brings us to the design where I’d say that the Airoso has a pretty cool look. It’s a very simplistic and uniform design. It’s a nice looking iem. The silver titanium faceplates mesh nicely with the black shells. You’ll notice that inside of those faceplates is a raised middle section in the shape of a slot, you could say. I don’t know how else I’d explain it. Of course, you can see my pictures. Anyways, inside of this raised slot reads “Kiwi Ears” in a fancy cursive lettering. Next to the name is that metal mesh covered vent which basically makes for a semi open design. Also, Kiwi Ears used silver colored aluminum on the nozzles which strikes a nice contrast with the Shells. Again, this is a nice-looking set. It looks like it means business yet in a very simplistic manner. I like it.
Internals
Like I said earlier, the Kiwi Ears Airoso comes equipped with one dynamic driver and four balanced armature drivers. To be exact, that’s one dynamic driver (unknown size) with an LCP+PU composite diaphragm. The DD covers both the bass region as well as the midrange. I like the fact that Kiwi Ears has the presence of mind to use the DD to cohesively control both regions. The highs are covered by two customized balanced armature drivers and the ultra-highs are also covered by two customized balanced armature drivers. I have no idea what BA’s are used. There really isn’t a whole lot of info past what I just provided to you, but I’ll update accordingly if I find out. Kiwi Ears also uses a combination of an RC and physical crossover technology. No doubt the crossover does a nice job of providing a very cohesive sound across the mix.
Fit / Comfort
As far as fit goes, I have nothing but good words for the Airoso. The Airoso is a very smooth iem in build, no rough edges, and it’s fatter which enables it to sit perfectly in the ear. No doubt once I got my tip situation under control the fit became truly nice. I could honestly wear this set all day long. Each individual earphone (right/left side) weighs about 12 grams each and the weight is distributed very well. They’re simply a comfortable set. Now, I have no idea if you’ll have the same experience, but I’d be willing to bet that 80% of folks will have zero issues with comfort.
Drivability / Pairings
The Airoso is rated with an impedance of around 15 ohms as well as a sensitivity of about 105 db’s. This undoubtedly means that the Airoso is also fairly sensitive of an iem. I had zero issue getting the Airoso up to good volume levels on a simple smartphone, my iPad, cheap no-name Amazon dongle dacs. I’d also say that the Airoso sounds perfectly fine on less powerful sources. However, like most sets nowadays, the Airoso definitely scales with power. There’s no question about that for me. I feel like the Airoso simple tightened-up after using my dongle dacs on high gain. You really don’t need a tremendous amount of power, but it does yearn for more juice. I feel that my 1-watt daps on medium gain, using the 4.4 connector, easily did the best job, especially the Shanling M6 Ultra. However, you could really use most any dongle dac and be more than fine. So, it’s nice on lesser powerful source devices but certainly reaches its pinnacle sound with more power.
Source Pairing
As far as pairing the Airoso, I personally enjoy a source devices ranging from warm/neutral to neutral in tonal coloration. Which is basically every dac crafted nowadays. There’re some straight warm sources which will add a hair too much warmth for my taste, and there’s most certainly brighter sources which exaggerate the brilliance of this set. I would definitely stray from the bright and analytical style sources. I found the that Kiwi Ears Allegro Pro to fit the Airoso very well tonally. Same with the Aful SnowyNight, EPZ TP50, or the Shanling H0. Actually, who am I kidding, the Airoso sounded great off of almost all of my sources. I do like a hint of warmth which could be provided by many devices nowadays. As far as my collection is concerned, the Shanling M6 Ultra is probably my favorite pairing with this set. Still, I love the Airoso with the Fiio Jm21, the iBasso DX240, or even the Fiio Q15. Each of those are roughly inside of that warm/neutral to neutral tonal color which benefits the Airoso very well. Basically, I don’t think you have to worry too much about what you pair the Airoso with. Just try to make sure it isn’t ultra bright or too warm. I’d say the Airoso is pretty forgiving if you stay within that tonal range.
What should you use?
Like I said, try to get your hands on a nice dongle dac if you can. I realize that not everyone has extra money to spend on a new dongle dac. However, there are some relatively cheap options which are very capable. Really folks, I could list many devices which would fit this set well. Notwithstanding, with the Airoso, using better and more sonically gifted sources will definitelybe rewarded. Better components, better circuitry, better dac chips etc. You’d think that’s an obvious statement but not every set reacts the same. Despite that, the Airoso really does pair nicely with many devices. It’s really quite the chameleon in this way. Just try to find adequate power and you are likely good to go. I should add that if all you have is a smartphone or a less powerful dongle dac than please don’t worry, the Airoso does sound very nice even off of less powerful devices.
Sound Impressions
*Note: I Want to preface this sound portion of this review with a few details about my listening. First, I did burn-in the Kiwi Ears Airoso for about three full days and part of a fourth day. Roughly about 78 hours. I don’t know if that is essential or even if it helps all that much as I didn’t hear a huge difference. Then again, the Airoso didn’t sound as though it needed much out of the box. Also, I listen almost entirely with flac or better files which are stored in my devices. There’s a few mp3’s in my collection as well. The Android music player if my choice is almost always UAPP (USB Audio Player Pro), but I also use Hiby Music from time to time as well.
What’s it sound like?
The Kiwi Ears Airoso is a fairly large departure from the Kiwi Ears KE4. It was honestly something I didn’t expect. I like this about Kiwi Ears. They aren’t scared to change things up. Anyways, the Airoso has a warm/neutral tonal coloration, energetic, great tonal contrast with nice dynamics across the board. It’s a very fun set with moderate levels of controlled energy. Very nice timbre, nice cohesion across the mix, nothing which blatantly offends either. No saw-blade treble or undue and crazy peaks. Just a finely tuned iem that is a pleasure to listen to.
Each 3rd of the mix (condensed)
Now, in a very condensed manner I’ll lay out each 3rd of the mix (bass, mids, treble). If I were to call the Airoso anything I’d say it’s a slight V-shaped to U-shaped set with a definite emphasis down low. The bass hits deep, hard, and has plenty of authority. I don’t hear an intrusive bass to the point that it causes veil. Yet, enough to hit that bass drop that you like with some authority. I’d say the brunt of the low-end emphasis most notably comes from within the sub-bass area. The mids aren’t too recessed as they actually have a somewhat forward nature to them. I’d call them two parts ‘musical’ and one part ‘technically inclined’, with some nice midrange timbre to boot. You have a semi-rich note body with decent density as well. Lastly the treble is certainly emphasized nicely too. The treble is open sounding with some real nice luster, nice details, good note separation. It almost matches the bass shelf and balances wonderfully dynamically with the rest of the mix. In fact, I find the balance overall is quite nice for a more dynamic sound. I love the meaty and dense low-end coupled with the airy and vibrant treble. On top of that, I don’t find that the mids are pushed-back. The midrange still replays vocalists very well. Perhaps not to the degree of a mid-centric or mid-focused set. But very nice, nonetheless. The stage is wide, tall, and has an almost holographic depth to it with better than average layering. Which, by the way, is pretty impressive for a $129 set.
Cake and some icing
The frequency has a certain crispness to it, a slight bite, there is some edge to the sound without coming across coarse or “the bad kind” of abrasive. It’s got a controlled edge to it which features some nice note outlines. However, there’s also some smoothness to the bulk of the sound. The analogy I’d use is that the Airoso is mostly all cake with a touch of icing. Mostly smooth, moist enough in areas too yet very clean around the edges. Granted, areas like the treble and upper mids do have a non-offensive ever-so-slight dryness to them. That said, they also have very nice note definition and above average resolution. Add to that the instrument separation is pretty nice too. It has a grain free and a fuzz free display of the spectrum along with a touch of crisp detail at the crest of most notes (depending on the track). Not quite glass-lined, but pretty well manicured for a more fun sounding set. Furthermore, it isn’t like transients are super-fast either. In my opinion transient attack through decay is actually pretty natural. The bulk of the sound is usually in the midrange and the midrange is controlled by a dynamic driver. So, it’s no wonder why the timbre is nice, transients come and go naturally, and the sound is so cohesive.
Won’t change your life but…
However, don’t get it twisted, the Airoso has a nicely melodic tunefulness. I really feel that Kiwi Ears did a fine job with this tuning. It’s all about dynamics, dynamic contrast, the rousing crescendos, the loud and soft fluctuations of sound, the subtle micro-dynamic volume shifts, the featherlike diminuendos. It’s all there. Now, I’m not saying the Airoso is going to add years to your life, change your life, or bring your life into focus. But… It can replay some music really damn well for $129.
Having said all of those good things, no doubt there will be detractors. It comes with the territory folks. I have friends that are so unbelievably particular that it seems nothing pleases them. You could have an awesome set like the Airoso, and to them… it’s hot garbage. That’s the world of fellow hobbyists whom I write to. The number of personal messages sent my way over what another person feels is correct over my Interpretation of sound is at least marginally laughable, but also, no one is laughing because those messages are true to them. I wouldn’t try to convince them otherwise even if I could. That’s the same as chasing after the wind. A pointless endeavor which leads to moot points. I will do my best to relay what some of those detractors may say. I suppose I went a bit long with this intro into the sound but let’s check out each 3rd of the mix in a bit more detail.
Bass Region
The low-end of the Airoso is one of my favorite aspects of this set. Ya know, in every review period I always check bass first. I pick a track from my “Bass Playlist” to hear what the bass is doing. After all, the bass dictates so much of what the final sound will be. Or at least it helps explain the overall sound to a degree. What I hear with the Airoso, is a bass with very solid note density. It can hit those deep bass drops in a very tightly controlled measure of palpable muscle. Not to a basshead level either. But very nice for those who desire an above-moderate bass presence. However, I wouldn’t call it a super full bass as transients are not slow, or laggy. Attack is hard edged, not fuzzy, nothing pillowy, and the decay isn’t excessively pregnant with harmonic resonances. So in that sense bass notes don’t come through overly full and bloated, rather they’re more streamlined. The Airoso low-end doesn’t come across wide in note body either. Notes are pretty tight when a track presents them that way with a more visceral and textured sound. Very nice to my ears. The lows certainly represent an area of focus on this set, but in truth the bass shares the spotlight rather well. Never overshadowing or causing veil and the bass isn’t intrusive into the midrange to the point of muddiness. You have a slight cascading drop off into the midrange which causes far more positives anything else. Really a nice sounding bass region. It’s a fun one.
Sub-Bass
The lowest of the lows commands the spotlight on this set. No doubt the Airoso gets deep, nice extension, very well controlled, not at all sloppy, pretty manicured actually. Notes are sculpted, but voluminous, in a fairly kempt, tight, and distinct manner. Basically, there’s no haze, along with a fairly clean note contours, with a solid delineation between sub and mid-bass regions. I suppose what I’m trying to say is that the sub-bass isn’t a mess. It doesn’t smear the low-end in a deep-toned blur. There’s definition in this region and it can be very satisfying. Of course, those who don’t enjoy a semi-deep and rumbly presentation will most likely not feel the same way that I do, but man… it’s nice. I love how low and guttural the sub-levels can get. Again, not to basshead levels, but deep. Tracks like “Mancey” by Andrew Bird sound deep in a very guttural and full sense as the bass guitar strums with a low droning authority while the rest of the melody dances around with very nice separation. Or “Another Dimension” by Metro Boomin off the “Into the Spiderverse soundtrack”. The sub-levels simply vibrate in a very haptic way. You can hear that nice tactile, heavy and shuddering growl while the rest of the track plays clean and clear simultaneously. Essentially, you can feel the sub-bass with a track like this. Or any track with a more pronounced sub level. I don’t hear anything soft, nothing hollow or pillowy either. Just a nicely balanced emphasis with a good quality to it.
Mid-Bass
Now, the mid-bass comes across slightly less commanding than the sub-levels, but that doesn’t mean that this region doesn’t add some very nice weight to the mix. The mid-bass is actually fairly quick, well defined, and punchy. Mid-bass notes keep a tight but meaty demeanor and also come across with nice texture. I find that this region has plenty of emphasis to bolster stuff like bass guitar, kick drums, etc. However, the mid-bass also isn’t boosted so much that you will hear any bloom or muddiness in the mix. In essence, the Kiwi Ears Airoso’s mid-bass keeps fairly tight reins on its note body. I don’t hear anything which I’d call one-noted, I hear nice enough separation between mid and sub-bass and the mid-bass is well able to take on slightly more complicated bass passages. Within reason. It certainly doesn’t have the speed of a BA or planar, but it does have the solid timbre of a good DD and is tuned in a way that doesn’t promote transient lag. Again, bass guitar has that fullness that a pronounced mid-bass can provide. Tracks like “Groove” by Ray Wylie Hubbard have just that. It’s meaty, dense, full-bodied, but also pretty taught. Also, the kick drums in “Move Along” by The All-American Rejects, or the kick drums in “Glass House” by Kaleo both sounds very robust and gratifyingly stout. You get the hard snap on attack at the crest of the note followed by a cavernous and hollow resonant boom. Of course, both of these tracks have some very heavy kick drums. However, even less intensely recorded tracks feature that heavy yet fairly tight delivery. I’ll say it again; the bass region is one of my favorite aspects of the Airoso.
Downsides to the Bass Region
The first real subjective issue (which some hobbyists will have) is centered around the amount of emphasis that Kiwi Ears afforded this region. Granted, it’s not an overly meaty emphasis, but it’s robust. Not everyone wants a heavy bass. Not everyone wants the low-end to “over saturate” the mix. Of course, the words “over saturate” are highly subjective. I certainly don’t feel that the bass region is egregiously boosted or even close to a problem, but I’m not you. So, don’t say I didn’t at least warn you light bass lovers. Also, in the same breath I would say that flat-out bassheads probably will not enjoy the low-end. Like I said, the bass strikes a nice balance with the rest of the mix, and so it certainly isn’t so boosted that it is a focal point. Not necessarily anyways. Well, in general that is. Obviously, there are tracks which are recorded heavily in this area which will definitely render the bass the focal point. At any rate, no it isn’t basshead. However, the low-end of the Airoso has a very nice balance with not just the rest of the frequency, but also it has a nice balance of quantity and quality. I enjoy it quite a lot.
Midrange
The midrange of the Kiwi Ears Airoso is one of decent presence against an otherwise smooth and even semi rich underlying sound. You have a little bit of crispness to go with that buttery spread of smooth dynamic driver timbre. While the midrange is in no way the crown jewels of the Airoso’s repertoire, it has shown time and time again, to me, over hundreds of tracks that it has solid control, a nice technical display, and enough melodious musicality to add some rhythmic fluidity to my music. The midrange has good resolution, sounds open and spacious, and has enough clean transparency to draw out details and form mostly unsullied note outlines.
Better midrange iems?
That said, the Airoso also doesn’t specialize in its midrange. Not necessarily anyways. Really, to me the Airoso is more about bold energy with a balance. I would not say the Airoso specializes in its vocal delivery or timbre. There’s other ‘mid-centric’ or ‘mid-focused’ iems which are more tailored to present a better or more forward leaning midrange, maybe more organic, possibly less BA influence. While the Airoso is in no way artificial sounding, it also isn’t the most natural as you make your way up the frequency. Please don’t confuse me though as the Airoso’s midrange is definitely more natural than it isn’t and is highly enthralling. Though… you’ll hear some BA timbre squeak through from time to time, but nothing even remotely close to an annoyance for my ears. One of my all-time favorite mid-centric iems (at any price) is the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite. Now that set is tuned in such a way that brings the mids more forward, definitely more organic, but also not as energetic and possibly less enjoyable or engaging for some folks. It all comes down to preferences, as always. In no way am I speaking Ill of the Airoso here, but I want to help you understand what you’re getting. It’s a fun sound, an enticing sound, and positively has its own charm to it.
Good for what it is…
That’s where the knocks end though because I find the cohesion between frequency divisions is great with the taught and somewhat faster bass doing a nice job of matching the speed of the BA’s. Really, the Airoso is good in its transitions with an almost feathered-in gradation from the low-mids to the mid-mids, and from the mids to the upper midrange and so-on. Nothing sounds out of whack or disjointed at all. Also, note weight is a very nice ‘semi-rich’ style adding some weight from the low-end bleeding through in a very controlled manner. Now, note body isn’t super thick and lush, such as you’ll find with the Kiwi Ears KE4 for example. The Airoso is slightly leaner, less clogged between notes, more refined, more dexterous, and technically more proficient. Certainly not what I’d call thin, not overtly dry, and definitely not analytical or papery. Somewhere in the middle I’d say. I can say with confidence that the Airoso has some nice body to notes without bringing too wide of a presence to those notes and keeping a more streamlined note profile. I enjoy that the Airoso’s midrange seems to magnify the sense of clarity adding extra edge to midrange instruments along with great imaging capabilities. Vocals and instruments are quite nice too as they come across fairly naturally. Vocals are also arranged dead center in the sound field. The mids have a nice tonal contrast with expressive macro-dynamics, while at the same time keeping solid note separation and a pretty clean presentation.
Lower-Midrange
The lower-midrange of the Kiwi Ears Airoso comes across warm/neutral to my ears with an ever-so-slight lean towards the warm. I can hear the meager weight of the bass as it just coats this region with a touch of added plumpness or additional note body. Male vocalists come across nicely too. I like the presence of male vocals. They aren’t so recessed that they come across dull or distant to my ears. Take the track “Ordinary” by Alex Warren. His voice has so much character with the Airoso. His voice is forward, pronounced, with a peppering of subtle energy to emphasize the inflections in the tone of his voice. Again, his voice is not subdued at all. Not even a little bit folks. Beyond that, his voice also comes through smooth in body with solid density. The instrumentation surrounding him is full of sparkle, the piano sounds shimmery, the bass has depth, and each instrument is very well separated. Another male singer is David Draiman of Disturbed in the monumentally awesome effort he put into the track “The Sound of Silence”. Just an amazing vocal display folks. At any rate, the Airoso has the meat, the prominence and the gravelly bass infusion to adequately capture his voice. There’re many sets which can do this track justice (full disclosure), but I cannot take anything away from how well the Airoso performs. Just wonderful.
Not as authentic?
On the other hand, higher pitched males tend to thin out a bit. For instance, singers like Noah Kahan in the track “Stick Season” will begin to get a hair scratchy at the crest of his notes, maybe less authoritative (of course, his voice isn’t authoritative) too. Simply not as natural as lower toned male voices. Not in any way bad, but simply not as authentic to my ears. However, folks I could come up with minor cons for every set. And please trust me, this is very much a minor offense. I actually found that male vocals sound pretty great. Way more often than not I enjoyed the sound in this region. Nice job Kiwi Ears.
Upper-Midrange
The upper mids are more forward (as one should expect) with a somewhat more scintillating and perky sound than the low-mids. Brighter, more enthusiastic. Though the pinna rise rarely ever becomes strident to my ears. Upper midrange notes tend to sound more distinguished or more prominent against the backdrop of most tracks. You could take darn near every female voice which has any semblance of sweet-toned vibrance, and they will come across forward and under very nice control. The upper midrange (in general) exhibits some definite upper midrange liveliness. You’ll hear some zestiness which comes across as fun and engaging, never sloppy, and never to the point of sounding outright artificial. Though, it may come across as glare to those sensitive to it. No doubt Kiwi Ears added plenty of energetic life to this otherwise smooth midrange. It has enough levity to sound airy, to sound open, to sound lively, yet not so lifted that I need to turn my volume down. If that makes sense to you. Kiwi Ears brings you right to that breaking point of where shimmer turns to sharpness… but stops just short. Again, maybe too much for some and possibly not the most natural sound, yet for some reason I really enjoy the fun spirit of this set. This vivacious sound helps in many regards. It adds snap to percussive instruments. Strings like guitar or violin have that satisfying subtle abrasiveness and great harmonics. Woodwinds generally sound anywhere from delicate, nuanced, and textured, to silvery and even resounding at times. Also, most upper-mid notes come across with a very taught leading edge along with some crunch and a nicely contoured note outline while the natural decay helps those last subtle harmonic details shine through.
Female vocalists
The upper mids are owned by female vocalists. Yeah, there’s some males too, but for the most part this is where females reside. It is very few and far in between that the sprightliness of the upper midrange comes across as too boosted. In my opinion, females on the Airoso always sound distinct and forward. The vibrance somehow isn’t overly lustrous and to my ears it helps more than it hurts. Rhiannon Giddens sings “Who are you Dreaming of” and folks she sounds positively delectable. The tone of her voice with the Airoso is really great. There’s moistness to her voice and enough light buoyancy to every smooth intonation that her voice comes across really remarkable. No doubt she always sounds remarkable, but even more so with the Airoso’s airy but also dense note delivery. Each note that she sings is very much emotionally tilted, romantic, and somehow very inviting. Another track is “Lacy” by Olivia Rodrigo. Her voice is so soft and flowery yet in such a haunting sense. Again, the emotion isn’t lost on the Airoso. I could do this for many female lead vocals. Yes, there are the occasional tracks which can exhibit some slight BA timbre, but for the most part the sound is what I’d call an energetic form of organic.
Downsides to the Midrange
There’re a few downsides which may push some listeners away. First, you have to like an energetic and fun sound. If you don’t dig that, then maybe keep looking. The Airoso certainly has an enthusiastic playback of my music. Warm and dark lovers or thick and lush lovers may not entirely enjoy this set. The midrange is such an important area of the mix encapsulating the majority of the information within a track. If the mids are off, everything’s off, for most people. Except possibly for bassheads. But I digress. No doubt there will be some folks who simply won’t want something as aggressive in this region as the Airoso can be. I totally understand this thinking and this preference. Especially if you are coming from a warmer and richer sound like the Aful Explorer, Kiwi Ears KE4, etc. Another possible issue is with the timbre as it isn’t quite organic. It’s a vibrant form of organic yet just boosted in its luster a bit. I would never call the Airoso “artificial” either. It’s not that. Maybe just a hair too much glowing radiance to call it natural. Also, you’ll hear some slight BA timbre creep in from time to time. I mentioned that this is not an annoyance to me, and I mean that. I’ve heard straight BA timbre sets and the Airoso barely presents it in an obvious manner. Lastly, straight-up analytical-heads will want to keep looking. The Airoso is not a clinical or analytical sounding set. Those who love dry, ultra transparent, and perfectly precise detail monsters iems will not get what they crave for here. Yes, the Airoso is solid technically, but there’s too much fluid musicality for some of those folks, I would think.
Pretty nice midrange
Airoso is one of those iems which is very energetic, very fun, very rambunctious and expressive in its dynamics. Those tried-and-true audiophiles who place maturity over all else may want to keep looking. However, if you can handle a bit more energy than I can tell you that the Airoso has a pretty nice midrange.
Treble Region
Now we get to the treble region. The place where most of this resplendent energy originates from. Kiwi Ears had all the intention to create a sound which favors pleasureful amusement. As I alluded to earlier, the Airoso has a healthy lift within the treble region which adds enough levity to the mix to add an airy and uplifted presence. It’s brilliant, very open, very clean and the Airoso’s treble has some pretty good resolution too. This region is certainly one of the focal points of this set as the treble sits somewhat forward with a drier tactility to most notes. I generally hear nice separation of instrumentation and vocals with a clean imaging portrayal. The treble is textured, good body to notes (albeit somewhat dry), has a nice bite as well and I don’t find the sound too aggressive. Especially after I’ve gotten used to the Airoso. Honestly, the treble doesn’t sound forced as I don’t hear any real forced resolution to my ears. Timbre is pretty nice. Certainly, there’s some hints of BA timbre, but for the most part the treble region is definitely a bright form of natural.
Nice, for the style
If you enjoy a sparkly treble with enough controlled shimmer and vibrancy to provide a nice contrast to the low-end weight, then you’ll probably enjoy what Kiwi Ears was able to do. Once again, I enjoy the fact that the treble is boosted to a degree, it’s a non-safe approach with plenty of air, but it never comes across too sharp, too glaring and too harsh. Like I said earlier, Kiwi Ears took the shimmer and shine right to the brink of sharpness and stopped just short. It’s a nicely tuned treble if you ask me. For the style, that is. Of course it won’t be for everyone, but of course… what is?
Transitions & Peaks
Kiwi Ears did a great job of blending or transitioning the midrange into the lower treble in a way that sounds reasonably natural and unforced. Again, nothing disjointed to my ears. The Airoso’s treble doesn’t sound partitioned off from the rest of the mix. It’s feathered in nicely. You have a dip in the lower treble between 4k-8k, which helps to stave off some of the sibilance. Yet there’s another peak at roughly 9k within the mid-treble which does add some presence and spunk to the sound. There may be some of you sensitive to that area of the mix, but I find it to be a nice addition to the tuning.
Extension
Also, the treble has decent enough extension into the upper treble. Perhaps it isn’t as extended and full of vigor as some sets, but the extension is good enough to help the secondary harmonics of a cymbal strike come across with solid enough timbre. They’re energetic without the splashiness that we hear so often. For instance, in the track “In Bloom” by Nirvana, the cymbals which begin this track are well pronounced and have a nice tight decay to their notes without the prolonged splashy harmonics. You don’t have any of the annoying tinsley or chimey treble tizz to my ears. This will be important to some of you I’m sure and others… not so much. So yeah, the upper treble extension is decent as I hear plenty of info past 10k when I’m actually paying attention to it.
Speedy Treble
This is also a faster treble which is pretty well able to take on more complicated treble tracks. Within reason as there are some tracks which are simply far too chaotic and chock full of smeared treble that no set can manage them well. However, the Airoso does a very nice job in a track like “Evil Twin” by Lindsey Stirling. Every note is precise, they sound bodied, timbre isn’t too far off, they have some crunch to notes along with solid crispness. But the Airoso can keep up with this track without blending sounds. Really some decent separation. Another track is “Magnetic Fields, Pt. 1” by Jean Michel Jarre. This is a track I only use in my treble testing playlist, and it’s riddled with treble activity coming from all sides. The Airoso handles this one beautifully, never sounding discordant or strident and the Airoso has just enough resplendent glow to provide a very fun and gleaming sound. Add to that the crisp nature of each note which comes across sharp, yet in a good way. Satisfyingly edgy, pinpoint in its note definition with pretty nice control for a non-treble-head type of set. I gotta say, if a slightly more energetic treble is your bag, then maybe check out the talented Airoso.
Downsides to the Treble Region
Well, for starters, anyone who detests a slightly more brilliant sounding treble… will probably not enjoy the Airoso’s emphasis in this region. I know so many folks who only enjoy warmer and more rolled-off treble displays. Lately we’ve seen more tunings which feature a less vibrant treble region, and they have gotten some pretty good praise. Sets like the Kiwi Ears KE4 for instance, the Dunu X-Gizaudio DaVinci, and on and on. However, Kiwi Ears set out to try something a bit different than simply matching other popular tunings within the market. Truth be told, I really like the decision. I like the vibrant and energetic style from time to time. It’s a nice flavor to add to a collection. What’s great is that the Airoso isn’t just a bright, dry, and thin sounding set. It also has plenty of low-end weight to easily counter the treble. The result is a pretty nice dynamic balance. The treble definitely won’t please those warm & dark lovers, but it’ll please anyone who desires to hear a brilliant treble with good technical chops, nice detail retrieval, nice separation, nice transient attack through decay, some crunch, some bite, and even decent enough extension. Having said all of that, I don’t want you thinking the treble is some extremely bright sound chock full of screaming sharpness. It’s definitely not that. Again, it’s somewhat bright with a nice balance. It’s honestly pretty well done.
Technicalities
Soundstage
The soundstage of the Kiwi Ears Airoso is one of its better qualities. Granted, this set is loaded with good qualities. The stage has good width, not class leading, but very good. You have good extension up top and good extension down low which does tend to add the perception of a wider stage. The Airoso also has a fairly tall stage too. However, the depth is what begins to make this stage presentation stand out as it comes across almost 3D to my ears with its very nice psycho-acoustic rendering. This depth along with the Airoso’s overall cleanliness really does provide some very good layering of sound. Now, the stage isn’t one which sounds like a stadium in front of the listener. It is a hair more forward. While I wouldn’t call the stage “intimate”, I would say that it isn’t some cavernous and chasmic grandiose stage either. What it is to me is a well laid out stage. Again, almost holographic. All things considered, the Airoso has a very nice soundstage.
Separation / Imaging
The Airoso has a keen ability to separate instruments and vocalists with precision. I feel that sound separation is quite good. While the Airoso in no way has class leading technical abilities, it is good almost across the board. I said earlier it’s one part technical and two parts musical and I stand by that. However, there is an analytical or reference quality to this wholly un-reference sounding set. It’s simply clean, black background, tight note delivery, good resolution, wide stage, tall stage, deep stage, and the Airoso has a decent dynamic balance. All of these attributes add up to create a nice separation of elements within an imaginary stage. Imaging is also pretty darn nice. I don’t hear any issues with sound field placement of instrumentation and vocals are always dead center. Well, unless a recording positions them off to the side. But those tracks are weird and don’t count… Lol. Anyways, the only caveat is with bass dominant music and some highly congested tracks. Some of the heavier bass tracks will obviously mask certain sounds and skills of the Airoso. But that’s to be expected.
Detail Retrieval
I can honestly take everything I said about separation and imaging and walk right into detail retrieval with mostly the same verbiage. Again, clean sound, high resolution, slightly larger stage, tight note delivery, plus the sound has plenty of air to it. To my ears the Kiwi Ears Airoso has above average detail retrieval. Now, “above average” can mean a lot of things. I don’t place the Airoso with the top sets in its class for detail retrieval simply because it isn’t that analytically tuned, ultra-airy, wonderfully clinical sound which brings even the smallest bits of minutiae to the surface. The Airoso is way too melodic and dynamic for that. However, the quality of the drivers and the more pristine representation of a dynamic sound helps to do an “above average” job in this regard. I am very impressed by the Airoso and the many ways that it holds its own against the very best that $100 to $150 has to offer.
Comparisons
Celest Relentless ($129)
The first set that I chose to compare with the Kiwi Ears Airoso is a very well received iem from 2024 named the Celest Relentless (Relentless Review). The Relentless is a 7-driver hybrid iem consisting of one 8mm dynamic driver and six custom balanced armature drivers. Friends, no doubt about it that the Celest Relentless is certainly one of the best hybrid iems under $150 and certainly makes sense to compare here. I gave the Relentless great marks and was very impressed by how well it handles the spectrum. A great tuning, a great unboxing, and just an overall pleasing iem. Let’s check out some of the differences.
Differences
To begin, the Airoso is built to a more stringent standard in my eyes as it’s made using all alloy materials while the Relentless is simply a nicely crafted 3D printed all resin set. I think it goes without saying that the all-alloy set is probably the more durable. Especially single Kiwi Ears used aluminium and titanium. Both materials are very much corrosion resistant. However, the design is a different story. The Relentless is an art piece in my mind. The design is just gorgeous. That all blue resin with the galaxy themed paint covering the faceplates is very nice to look at. Now, the Airoso is nothing to sneeze at either. It’s just simpler, more minimalist. I don’t think one is necessarily better looking than the other, but they are massively different in this regard. As far as the unboxing goes, the Relentless certainly wins out. Better experience altogether. Much better modular cable, better eartips too and it’s simply a more extravagantly designed unboxing. Celest is known for that though.
Sound Differences
To begin, the Relentless is even more V-shaped and slightly brighter than the Airoso is. To me the Airoso is smoother and with a closer to realistic timbre. However, these are tight margins of difference. Both sets are very fun, very dynamically expressive, and both carry more contrasted macro-dynamics. Now, the Airoso has a tighter, slightly better extended and better-defined bass region. The Relentless is no slouch at all but its bass is a slight bit more atmospheric. The Airoso has a touch more impact. The lower midrange of the Airoso is more forward to a slight degree with better body to notes. The Relentless is more forward and brighter in the upper mids while the Airoso keeps a tighter control over that region. Both sets have nice detail retrieval in this area, but the Airoso simply has a more convincing sound. It’s better for vocals, instruments sound closer to organic too. Also, the Relentless has a greater tendency to produce some shout as well. Looking at the treble differences, the Relentless is much brighter, slightly better resolution to my ears while the Airoso has better note control and also note definition. At times the Relentless can exhibit some treble sheen and can also have a touch more sibilance as well. Technically, the Airoso and the Relentless are very nice. I’d say detail retrieval is a toss-up however, the Relentless probably edges the Airoso out. Instrument separation is great on both sets, so is imaging. Though when it comes to soundstage, the Airoso simply has a more holographic sense about it. Better depth, better layering of sounds too and the stage in general sounds more immersive. Both are fine sets, but the Airoso looks to be the better buy at $129 for me.
Final thoughts on this comparison
Like I said, both sets are fine iems at $129. In fact, you really can’t go wrong if the sound signatures seem like they suit you. Both are easily top ten hybrids in their price range for most folks. Probably higher even. This comparison really comes down to what you enjoy. The Relentless is a hair more analytical while the Airoso has a more fluid sound. Better musicality. Still, the Relentless is a fun V-shaped set with a very vigorous sound. For me, the Airoso is the better set, but I’m not you either. You may think differently.
Simgot SuperMix 4 ($149)
Oh, the Supermix 4 (SM4), how special you are. I reviewed the SM4 (SM4 Review) last year at some point and for quite some time I felt that it was the best hybrid under $200. Yes, it’s that good. That said, it certainly didn’t come across that good to everyone. There were definitely some mixed feelings in the community. I hold firm on that though, easily one of the best “under $200” hybrid iems. So, the SM4 is a four driver quad-brid iem which houses one 10mm dynamic driver, one balanced armature driver, one piezoelectric driver, and one planar driver. I don’t know about you but to have a set that complex under $200 is quite impressive. Truly a standout set. I have sung this sets praises ever since my review and will likely continue to do so.
Differences
For one, the SM4 comes in about $20 more expensive than the Airoso. Although, how Simgot kept the price so low is beyond me. Anyways, the Airoso is certainly built better than the SM4. You have the aluminum / titanium of the Airoso against the resin of the SM4. Both are built nice enough, but the Airoso is obviously more durable. As far as design, both iems are understated and very simple. I do favor the Airoso here, but many folks love the simplicity of the SM4’s design. Again, the Airoso has a total of five drivers to the SM4’s four driver quad-brid setup. I would say for sure that the unboxing experience of the SM4 is a bit better. You get a better cable, better case and the eartips are a squash.
Sound Differences
To start, the Airoso is slightly warmer, slightly more organic in its timbre, and has the more authentic take on my music library. Both are nice, but the Airoso has the edge there. The SM4 is a bit brighter, more crisp, more edgy while the Airoso has that nice smoothness to it. The low-end of the Airoso hits deeper, denser, more haptic in its rumble, and more impact. Both sets have reasonably tight bass replays though. The Airoso simply has more of an emphasis. The midrange of the Airoso sounds a hair more forward, slightly less sprightly too. Once again, the Airoso has a touch better and more realistic midrange timbre while the SM4 has slightly better detail retrieval. The treble of the SM4 has a tad more brilliance, but also better crunch, note body, better bite, and in almost all ways the SM4’s treble wins out here. The way Simgot tuned this treble is flat-out awesome at the price. Now detail retrieval is almost a wash but the SM4 does have slightly better illuminated details. Separation is about the same, Imaging too. However, the Airoso has that nice stage. Better width, better depth and better layering of sounds. Both the SM4 and the Airoso have their own charm about them. Truly two of the best iems featuring multiple drivers under $150.
Final thoughts on this comparison
I love them both. I couldn’t choose which I like better if I tried. Both sets create a solid standard for any other brand to try to replicate. To be honest, whatever set I had in my ears during testing was the set I liked better. Just two awesome iems. Having said that, this is about you and finding the set which fits your specific preferences. Also remember, the SM4 costs $20 more, which just may be the deciding factor for you.
Is it worth the asking price?
The Kiwi Ears Airoso has an MSRP of $129 and in my mind, it is a fantastic price for this set. I’m not going to beat around the bush on this one. There’s no point, you all should at least have a slightly good idea about how I feel after reading this review. Friends, the Airoso is undoubtedly a stellar iem. Five years ago, this set would’ve cost much-much more. The hobby has simply blown up. Better gear began hitting the market to the point that there is now heavy competition in every price point. Of course, for you there should be some underlying caveats with this set. Like, can you afford the Airoso? If not, there are some very solid hybrids for cheaper prices. $129 is a fortune for so many people across this earth. Not everyone has the disposable income to drop on a $129 set of iems. Next, does the sound signature even fit your tuning preferences? It may not. Just because something sounds great to me, doesn’t mean it’ll sound great to you. This is true across the hobby. Every review I complete I will afterwards see other perspectives from other people who are polar opposite of me and what I hear in a set. The same goes for the consumer. However, to answer this question I have to answer for myself. The answer (which I’ve already stated) is most definitely the Airoso is worth every last penny. It’s a great buy folks.
The Why…
Because the build is substantial and very solid, very durable. Kiwi Ears went the extra mile and used both aluminum (shell), and titanium (faceplates) in their build. Friends not only is this set built wonderfully, but it’s also relatively light and totally ergonomic. Another partial reason why it’s worth the price is because of its understated and minimalist sleek design. Some may argue that this is a not a good reason why any set is worth its price, but I feel that design has at least some sway with prospective buyers. Anyways, Kiwi Ears wasn’t trying to blow your mind with the look here. They went the route of class with the Airoso. They gave it a classy, austere, courtly, and stylish design. However, it’s always about the sound when answering this question. Friends, the Airoso is simply a fun set with mature intentions. Very well controlled, very clean, technically savvy too. The bass is deep and it’s robust, bullish even, but also lithesome and dense. It’s spry, it’s very well defined and it has some nice impact as well. The midrange is a wonderful mixture of musical and technical with nice timbre, an energetic sound, big macro-dynamics, and the Airoso is very dynamic and expressive, which ultimately makes it very engaging to my ears. The treble is crisp, has some crunch, decent extension, and has a nicely resolving sound. All technical attributes like detail retrieval, instrument separation, sound field imaging, layering and transient responses all point to a technically adept iem. However, there’s also a strong musical fluidity and rhythmic quality to the tuning as well. Again, a fun sounding set with mature intentions.
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 Kiwi Ears Airoso ratings below, that would be $100-$150 earphones 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. $100-$150 earphones of any driver configuration are a fairly large sized scope of iems. So, it should be something special to see a rating above a “9.0”. My ratings are never the same and each set of ratings tells a different story. Each time you read one of my ratings will be unique to that review. Basically, I create a Rating that makes sense to me.
Aesthetic
–Build Quality: 9.2 Wonderfully built.
–Look: 9.0 Class look and design.
–Fit/Comfort: 9.2 Fit and comfort is very good for me.
–Accessories: 7.5 Decent unboxing.
–Overall: 8.7🔥
Sound Rating
–Timbre: 8.9 Bright/natural
–Bass: 9.5 Speedy, authoritative, textured, impactful.
–Midrange: 9.0 Nice musical/technical sound.
–Treble: 9.4 Brilliant, resolute, nice bite & crunch.
–Technicalities: 9.2 Performs admirably.
–Musicality: 9.0 Nice musicality per the tuning.
–Overall: 9.2🔥🔥🔥
Ratings Summary:
This is one set of ratings which I feel requires almost no explaining. I rated the Kiwi Ears Airoso against any set of any driver configuration between the price of $100 and $150 US that I have in my possession or know and understand like the back of my hand. I will not rate a set against anything I haven’t heard (who does that?) and I do hope that you take these ratings with a grain of salt. Friends, I complain about them (ratings). I reluctantly and grudgingly complete these ratings as well. Full disclosure. I don’t think they help you very much and I’m truly hoping that none of you base buying decisions off of them. Each rating will likely need updating in about 3 to 6 months as well. I never update them, ever. These ratings are time sensitive folks. In this hobby new iems come in like the rain in a rain forest. Finally, ratings don’t provide any nuance whatsoever folks. I’ve almost never finished a Rating and thought “That explains everything”. Actually, ratings explain nothing and skew the consumer’s view. Okay, I got that off my chest, moving on.
How I do it…
Again, I rated the Kiwi Ears Airoso against any driver configuration iem between $100 and $150. The nice thing is that I have almost all of the good sets in this range at my disposal. There’s a few that I don’t, however, so please keep that in mind. As much as I don’t feel that ratings help, I actually really enjoy this process. It gives me an excuse to re-hear some iems which have been collecting dust, and it is the best way of rating that I’ve seen. Literally have the sets you are comparing and rating against in ear. I use different tracks particular to each rating and go through every single set that I have in that range. No, I do not listen to the full song, just enough to get a good idea and good judgements.
Explain Yourself!!
So, I really don’t feel that I have much explaining which needs done with this set. Really. I suppose that some bassheads would not give the Airoso a super lofty “9.5”. I’m not a true basshead. So, there’s that. Another rating area which may get some scrutiny would be the “9.0” midrange score. I could see folks saying that the Airoso deserves a higher score, and I could see some folks saying that my rating is too high. Those who desire a warm, rich, and even more musical approach likely wouldn’t give the Airoso a score that high. I gave it a “9.0” simply because it is very good across the board in the midrange. However, there are simply better midrange sets. Sets like the Dunu Kima 2, the Fiio FD15, the Hiby Yacht 10, and a few others that I rated higher. I actually feel I went low on “Musicality” and I realize that now, after the fact. Too bad, can’t change it. Lastly, I’m sure that some folks will think I’m nuts for the “Timbre” rating. Guys and gals, what can I say? I’m just me. I hear what I hear, and I speak what I hear to you. Simple as that. Ratings are locked in.
Conclusion
To conclude my full review and feature of the Kiwi Ears Airoso, I have to first thank the wonderful folks over at Kiwi Ears for providing the Airoso. I am very thankful and also very impressed Kiwi Ears. Thank you for being a stand-up brand. Also, thanks go out to you, the reader, who decided to use your free time to check out my thoughts. This means the world to us at Mobileaudiophile.com. Truly it does. Every click matters folks. So, thank you very much.
Other Perspectives
Now that you’ve read my words about the Kiwi Ears Airoso, I really want you to go read other people’s opinions. Like I say in every review; we are all different. Each and every one of us has the capability of being completely different. Different likes and dislikes, different music libraries, different source devices, different hearing abilities, and we haven’t all been down the same road in audio which greatly affects how we view some products. So please take the time to check out other thoughts as it is of the utmost importance that you get your purchase right. Beyond that, I think I’m finished friends. I hope you are all doing well, stay as safe as possible and always… God Bless!!