Disclaimer
Hello everyone! I have to note that Kiwi Ears sent over the Septet for me to review. I’m not being paid for this, and Kiwi Ears hasn’t tried to steer what I say, set any deadlines, or even asked for a sneak peek at my draft.
Everything you’re about to read comes straight from my own experience and time spent with the Septet. I do my best to stay as fair and objective as possible, but remember, sometimes there is something personal in it, so think of this as one music lover’s take.
Big thanks to Kiwi Ears for the amazing opportunity, and a huge thanks to you for reading and supporting what I do. It really means a lot to me!
Introduction
Recently, Kiwi Ears has been pushing a lot of new products into the market, and today it just so happens I have their seven-driver, quadbrid, five-way-crossover madness in for a review, and that’s exactly what got me excited about the new Septet. Each side is equipped with a 10 mm dynamic woofer, four balanced-armature mids/trebles, a micro-planar tweeter, and a PZT super-tweeter, all stitched together by a five-way crossover with a three-tuning-tubes design. Kiwi Ears says it took them almost two years of tinkering to make all those drivers play nicely together.
What really drew me in is that the shells are vented like an open-back headphone, so they’re supposed to feel more spacious and airy. The price is surprisingly reasonable at $269 USD, and in my opinion, the Septet looks like Kiwi Ears’ most unique player yet.
I love Kiwi Ears products, so I’m heading into this review with high hopes. Time to see if this seven-driver quadbrid actually sings or just shows off on the spec sheet.
Unboxing
The Septet comes in the familiar Kiwi Ears style box: very small and minimalistic design, with just the essentials you need. Sliding the sleeve off and opening it up reveals the IEMs, which are tucked into a dense foam so they don’t rattle around in transit.
Under the foam sits a black, semi-hard carrying case. Inside the case I found the very beautiful, brown, and soft 5N OCC copper cable with the 3.5 mm plug, plus a 4.4 mm balanced one. Kiwi Ears went modular this time, and it feels premium in the hand.
Inside the case, there are also eartips (three sizes of two different silicone styles for a total of six pairs), regular eartips, and wide-bore ones. To be honest, I don’t like these stock tips, because the thing I hate the most about basic eartips is the mold line across them. It’s just very uncomfortable for me; I feel it scratching and tingling my ear, and I can’t stand it. Oh, and there’s also a little user manual. That’s it, no cleaning brush or other extras, but honestly I’d rather they keep the box simple and spend the money on the IEMs themselves.
The shells
First impressions of the shells? Lightweight, full metal with those open-back vents on a copper-looking plate with a grey smoked finish outer shell. In my opinion, it’s tasteful, not shouty, and slick-looking.
Overall, it’s a clean, purposeful unboxing, with nothing over the top, yet everything I actually need is right here and well protected. Time to burn them in and get listening.
Technical Specifications
Specs:
- Driver array:
- 1 × 10 mm dynamic woofer
- 4 × balanced-armature drivers (mid/treble)
- 1 × micro-planar magnetic tweeter
- 1 × PZT super-tweeter
- Crossover: quadbrid, 5-way-crossover with three acoustic tuning tubes
- Frequency response: 8 Hz – 30 kHz
- Impedance: 15 Ω
- Sensitivity: 95 dB @ 1 kHz / mW
- Total harmonic distortion: < 1 % @ 1 kHz
- Rated / max input power: 5 mW / 10 mW
- Connector: 0.78 mm 2-pin
- Cable: 1.2 m (± 5 cm) 5N OCC copper, modular ends (3.5 mm single-ended & 4.4 mm balanced plugs included)
- Shell material: Full metal case with a rear-vented “open-back” style.
- MSRP: $269 USD
Driver layout:
Seven drivers per side and 4 different ones mean Kiwi Ears had to lean on a serious crossover, which ended up being a 5-way crossover and separate three sound tubes. That engineering keeps each driver working in its sweet spot instead of trampling the others. The Septet is also not your typical, easy-to-drive IEM, as it’s quite hard to drive and needs more power in order to truly shine.
Vented shells:
Those tiny rear vents, which looks kinda like planar headphone vents, act like a mini open-back, letting the Septet breathe a bit, and, at least on paper, widening the stage, but at the cost of isolation.
Cable:
Big thumbs-up for the stock cable, which is a 5N OCC copper with swappable 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm terminations. I can jump between single-ended and balanced in seconds, and it is a nice-looking, nicely thick, soft cable that feels very buttery and not too heavy.
Sound Performance
Bass
Kicking things off with “ENTROPYYY” by Lorn, I can feel right away that the Septet isn’t here to flex pure sub-bass muscle. Those really low notes show up, but they don’t shake my brain like a bass-head set would. I’d love a bit more rumble, honestly. What it does give me, though, is speed and texture: every bass drop lands clean, very fast, and never muddies the mix.
Where the Septet punches back is the mid-bass. There’s a tasteful little lift that keeps things warm and prevents the overall tuning from feeling thin. On “The Stage” by Avenged Sevenfold,” Brooks Wackerman’s double-kick runs hit so fine, with great texture and speed, and the bass is so well-controlled that the guitars and vocals stay crystal-clear. I’ve replayed that drum intro a couple of times just to enjoy how tight it sounds.
Mids
Here’s where the trade-off shows. The upper mids are pulled a step back to make room for the treble up top. On Patty Gurdy’s “Grieve No More,” her voice sits a little farther away, and it can feel a bit dull sometimes, but when she gets to those high notes, it truly shines through. The thing is, that dip in the upper mids is what keeps the Septet from turning into a shouty mess once the high notes kick in.
Because there’s good mid-bass body underneath, guitars and lower vocals still keep some weight. Male singers sound full enough, just not front-row. It’s like Kiwi Ears intentionally parked the upper mids at the back so the highs could take the spotlight without everything clashing. I’d prefer them a hair more forward, but I get why they did it.
Highs
This is the Septet’s party trick. The treble is bright, airy, and super-detailed, but somehow it doesn’t get nasty or piercing. On big cinematic tracks like “Gravity” by Steven Price and “Night of The End” by Kohta Yamamoto, the shimmer on strings and the vocals just floats with tons of air, crazy extension, and a sweet, natural-sounding decay.
Back to Patty Gurdy: when she climbs into those high notes near the end of “Grieve No More,” the Septet absolutely nails that lift. Goosebumps every single time. I have to admit, sometimes I had to lower the volume because it started to get a bit fatiguing for me, but that top-end sparkle stays smooth, with no hissing S’s and no sharp peaks.
Technicalities
The soundstage is wide for an IEM, really bigger than your normal IEM. On “Rust” by Hans Zimmer & David Fleming, I can pick out drums far left, horns dead-center, and eerie metallic hits drifting off to the right. Imaging is good enough that I can close my eyes and picture where stuff is happening.
Separation and detail are strong, too. Even in “The Stage,” every cymbal crash and background riff keeps its own lane. I never feel like the Septet is smearing busy passages together. Resolution is, really, in my opinion, on par with higher-end flagships, and for a $269 set, it’s truly impressive.
Overall, the Septet gives me a bright, spacious listen with quick, tasty bass and sparkling highs that steal the show. It’s not a perfect all-rounder, but when I’m in the mood for detail, speed, and a big airy stage, this thing gives me that.
Comparison
Septet vs. AFUL Performer 7 (P7) ($239)
Switching back and forth between the Septet and AFUL’s Performer 7, the biggest thing I feel is the overall tone shift: the P7 leans darker and smoother, while the Septet sounds breezier and brighter. The P7’s bass feels a hair quicker, but the Septet’s mid-bass lands with a firmer, punchier thud, so kick drums have more physical pop. Vocals sit closer on the P7, giving male and female voices that cozy, up-front warmth, whereas the Septet keeps the upper mids a step back to leave room for all that treble sparkle. Up top, the Septet simply shines, with cymbals trailing off with extra shimmer and extension, and compared to the P7, it makes the P7 feel a bit veiled when I swap back to it. If I’m settling in for a laid-back, no-fatigue session, the P7 still wins, but for air, detail, and a bigger sense of space, the Septet is way more exciting.
Septet vs. Kiwi Ears Astral ($299)
Comparing the Septet to Kiwi Ears’ own Astral feels like lining up two siblings with different personalities. The Astral clearly reaches lower and hits harder in the sub-bass—“ENTROPYYY” by Lorn actually rumbles and shakes my brain (maybe I feel so because the Astral is a better sealer). Astral pushes vocals forward, so Patty Gurdy’s voice on “Grieve No More” sounds more intimate and lively, whereas the Septet’s recessed upper mids leave vocals a notch farther back but open the door for brighter treble. That means the Septet can get a bit more fatiguing on some sibilant recordings, while the Astral stays smoother and easier on the ears during long sessions. The flip side is staging: the Septet spreads instruments wider, but it also leaks in some outside noises and the music I’m listening to into the environment, so it’s less useful in public places, something the Astral handles with ease.
Septet vs. Rose Technics QT-X ($340)
The battle with Rose Technics’ QT-X is all about fun. The QT-X rocks a pretty classic V-shape: big low-end slam and crisp highs, with mids sunk back in the mix. That means electronic music hits harder than on the Septet, but male vocals in particular can feel a bit dry. The Septet still has a mid-bass bump for warmth, yet its bass is cleaner and less boomy, letting guitars and vocals stay clearer even when a track gets busy. Treble is where they diverge most: QT-X rolls off earlier, so it gives sparkle without much air, while the Septet keeps climbing, letting cymbals and strings hang in the air with a longer decay. Add in the Septet’s wider stage and better layer separation, and it feels more refined—even if it can’t match the QT-X’s sheer “fun” sound. If I want to listen to electronic music, the QT-X does it for me, but for lighter, brighter detail with real space to breathe, the Septet takes the lead.
Conclusion
After a solid couple of weeks with the Septet, I feel like I know exactly where it fits in my collection. This thing lives for sparkle and space: the airy treble, probably that semi-open shell, and the wide stage all work together to make everything sound bigger than an IEM usually can. It’s not perfect—sub-bass lovers will want more rumble, vocal lovers might find the upper mids a bit too laid-back, and the open vents mean that it’s not really meant for public places. But when I’m at my desk or on the couch and I want detail, speed, and a bright, lively presentation that doesn’t turn harsh, the Septet hits the spot. Add the swappable plug, beautiful and soft OCC cable, comfortable lightweight shells, and a fair $269 price tag for what it brings, and Kiwi Ears has cooked up a pretty compelling “specialist” set. It won’t replace my darker, warmer IEMs or balanced IEMs like the Astral, but when I’m in the mood for air, sparkle, and a roomy stage, the Septet is the one I reach for, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
Pros
- Quality full metal shells.
- Pretty small shell size for its specs, and it makes them very comfortable for me.
- Very wide and airy stage.
- Bright, detailed treble that reaches high without getting harsh for me.
- Snappy bass punch keeps the tuning warm but never bloated.
- Lightweight, very high quality, and soft with a swappable-plug OCC cable.
- Great instrument separation, detail, and layering at this price.
Cons
- Sub-bass doesn’t rumble as deep as I’d like.
- Recessed upper mids can leave vocals sounding a bit dull.
- They can get a bit fatiguing after some time.
- Vents leak sound both ways, so isolation is poor on the go.
- Needs a bit more juice than a phone alone to really open up.
