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Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite: A Personal Orchestra – Pietro’s Take

Kindlefirehditaly

Disclaimer:

After the Kiwi Ears KE4, they chose to send me the Kiwi Orchestra Lite, a model that was released a while ago and has been reviewed numerous times, but which still surprises today for its quality/price ratio. I am very pleased that this brand noticed me due of the quality of the images in my reviews.

This set is particularly noteworthy because it is totally constructed of customized balanced armatures, kiwi ears, and Knowles. A premium blend with extremely promising sonic performance.

However, the review will still be 100% honest and in no way biased.

I’m not an audiophile; I’m just a guy that likes to test out different IEMs and DACs and spends a lot of time listening to music.

So I’m not going to use super technical words to review it, but I will do my best to describe it.

Tech Specs:

Packaging:

Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite packaging

The Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite packaging is not particularly elaborate; I would say very similar to the one on the KE4.

Let’s say that considering the higher price, some better tips could have been included, maybe more suitable for the set. The real problem is that they are all very similar in tips.

In my opinion, the quality of the accessories, apart from the cable, could be slightly higher but the important thing is the sound of the IEM. Rolling tips are always recommended. 

As for the cable, it makes no sense to put a balanced cable on 16 OHM with a sensitivity of 112 dB. You would lose the ability to control the volume precisely and you would almost always have a very high volume.

Design/Build quality:

How much do I love medical-grade resin? So much! At first glance, they vaguely reminded me of the Celest Phoenixcall; the beauty of seeing the drivers and their tubes with the filter towards the nozzle is pure magic. The shape of the shells is perfect; it allows me to use any tips and still find a perfect sealing. The transparent plastic ensures that the Kiwi Orchestra Lite has no secrets; every single BA within are arranged according to the rules of the art; the wiring and crossover are exposed. We can easily see all of the “hardware” and admire the craftsmanship. Three tubes arrive at the nozzle, and we can see the tuning filters used to dampen the drivers.

One thing that is also noticeable after use is the complete absence of ventilation holes, which causes, as you will notice at first use, a pressure effect in the ear canal. They are particular IEMs that require training to be worn correctly and not experience discomfort. We will talk about this later.

Undoubtedly the medical resin IEMs and especially the multi-driver ones have something artistic. Seeing its structure and complexity gives an idea of ​​the work behind it. In terms of aesthetics and shapes they have created an IEM that is both pleasing to the eye and to wear. The nozzle has slightly more compact dimensions than the Celest, if you have a particularly small ear canal you might have some problems.

Tip Rolling:

Tips Rolling

There are some tips that help with the pressure that is created in the ear canal; the ones included are not particularly suitable for the model and are all very similar to each other. In my opinion, the Divinus Velvet or the Tangzu Sancai, which, having a porous or irregular surface, help to release unnecessary internal pressure. In any case, they are IEMs that must be placed on the ear and as soon as you feel that the seal is good, you must stop pushing.

Comfort/Fit:

We can say that the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite are not the most comfortable and easy to wear because they easily create internal pressure. Having to learn to wear them is not for everyone but in terms of comfort, the shell has the right size and they are light. Once you learn how to position them they are extremely comfortable.

Initial sound impression:

At first listen, the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite leaves you speechless. Somehow I am always suspicious of BA drivers because they require a certain skill in tuning to sound good, harmonious, and not artificial, but here the Kiwi Tuners have worked in an excellent way. From the beginning, you notice how the frequency separation is of the highest level and the 3 different tubes deliver all the frequencies to the ear canal in a clean and tidy way.

The amount of details and cleanliness of the sound is something really difficult to describe. The sound is so balanced that all the frequencies seem to be at the same level and perfectly blended by the eardrum. The bass is not like those that the DDs can recreate but the work of the Kiwi Tuners has made sure that the sound tends to warm with a good bass response and also a discrete accent on the sub-bass. What is most impressive are the mid frequencies. The voices are extremely rich in details and very natural and pretty airy. They have that vivid and silky touch that you don’t often hear with BA sets.

I think it’s the first set that I immediately fell in love with. It has an extremely accurate and musical tone that makes you appreciate especially some musical genres where the voices are the protagonists.

Equipment used for testing:

Device:

Software:

DAC:

Final sound impression:

It took me a while to learn how to put them on the first try, that is, insert them and then pull them out and up to eliminate pressure in the canal. At this point, the studio sound experience is ready. As anticipated in the first part, the Kiwi Ears tuners have obtained an excellent result.

They have managed to give the 16BA a natural, rich, and even slightly warm sound. The studio monitoring experience is there and I think that even some professionals can easily appreciate them. Often similar IEMs are unable to give warmth to the notes; in fact, more commonly, a DD is inserted into the pairing. What surprises me most is how the treble has been expertly limited so as to almost never experience any peaks. They are particularly soft and well-resonated, even if perhaps they could have been pushed further and brought in more air.

With the right positioning, the isolation from external noise is good enough to isolate you almost completely at very low listening volume.

I had the pleasure of extending listening sessions to more than 4 consecutive hours and I only felt the discomfort in my ears once I removed them. Perhaps the Divinus Velvet are not the most comfortable for the Orchestra Lite but they help considerably with the pressure on the ear canal.

Bass

You should not expect bass reproduction as you are used to with dynamic drivers. The BAs, no matter how hard they try, cannot reach the quality and ability to reproduce low frequencies. I must say that as far as I am concerned, it is definitely not a set for bassheads but the two BAs responsible for the bass work very precisely and quickly.

The perception also varies a lot based on the tips and the depth of insertion but I stopped at the Divinus Velvet tips which help considerably in positioning and not having excessive pressure in the ear canal. The warmth of the sound timbre starts from the bass and takes shape in the mid-bass. Within the limit of the bass that can be reproduced by the BAs, Kiwi Ears still obtained a very natural response with also a discrete extension (always very delicate) of the sub-bass. Overall, they are very natural and pleasant without anything too “booming.”.

Mids

The mids have a really remarkable complexity—complex but tidy. I could say the highlight of the set. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a set so rich and vital on the mids; the voices are an explosion of details; they are there in front of you together with the musical instruments with a naturalness and accuracy that leaves you speechless. Honestly, their tone seems very accurate to me but what is surprising is how the sounds do not mix together but are separated as if cut with precision but in the end amalgamated in an orderly way. Every favorite track with this set will surely sound much better, especially for the mids that are the real protagonists.

Treble

This was the part that worries me the most. The BA drivers are terrible if not expertly filtered. Fortunately, Kiwi Ears has not exaggerated; even if it may seem that they lack a bit of air, I assure you that they are fine like this. The risk of finding yourself with harsh and sibilant trebles is very high. As far as I’m concerned, if you want something more, just connect them to DACs that tend to be a bit brighter than some Cirrus. The macro and micro details are there but some extra sparkle is missing.

Soundstage and Imaging:

The Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite surprises more for the precision and sharpness of the image than for the soundstage. The latter is perhaps a little too average; we can say that we have a precise positioning of each single sound and also that separation is at a high level. The soundstage is quite intimate; the sound goes a little beyond the ears but personally, I like it.

Image is one of the most precise I’ve ever heard from a BA set. I think the credit also goes to the extremely balanced tuning where each driver is precisely controlled by a passive crossover. You will notice the cleanliness of the sound at first listen, along the entire spectrum it is as if there was a “UHD” filter on what you are listening to.

Fast Comparison:

Since this is my first full BA set of a certain level, it is not easy for me to make comparisons with other similar models. But what I can assure you is that it sounds much better than less complex and easy-to-tune IEMs.

Vs. Kiwi Ears KE4

Kiwi Ears KE4

If you consider that we are in the same price range, you can immediately appreciate the qualities of the planar driver. Honestly, planar drivers are completely losing the artificial timbre and even the bass is becoming more and more similar to that of the DD. The result you get from a single planar driver is often superior to using multiple drivers. The Leetshuoer S12 2024 ED is extremely versatile and suitable for different musical genres.

Vs. Hidizs MS5

Hidizs MS5

The Hidizs MS5 is an IEM that has stayed with me; it marks the beginning of these reviews. The emotional bond is high but I must admit that its trebles are sometimes a bit extreme. The bass comes from a DD and has a completely different fullness. Tuning much less natural and neutral. They are two IEMs that share almost nothing. However, if I had to choose a model in particular, the Kiwi Ears are much more suitable for prolonged listening, both for comfort and less aggressive tuning.

Conclusion:

I am happy that Kiwi Ears sent me a model that is not recent; with the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite, I was able to understand the potential of this brand, which is truly high. They certainly have valid tuning personnel but this set, even without ventilation holes, sounds excellent. I have never had a set of completely BA drivers so capable but even speaking of hybrid IEMs, only some planars come close to the performance of this model. They does not fully adapt to all musical genres; we know that bass is sometimes required in abundance, but if you listen to R&B, Jazz, Pop, or any of its subspecies, you will notice how they can express themselves. Honestly, now all the positive reviews I have seen make sense.

In addition, I also leave you the reviews made by my fellow hobbyists below: Orchestra Lite Reviews

9/10

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Pros: 

Cons: 

Where to buy?

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