Kiwi Ears - Cadenza II

2 is a huge upgrade over the 1. They sound so natural and pleasing to the ear, whereas the 2 sounded very anemic and recessed.

Awesome review, these are a significant upgrade to the original! To me Cadenza 1 sounded very thin and recessed in the mid range and the lower treble is kind of peaky and artificial sounding. A good budget set when it came out but has been power crept by the competitive market.

Kiwi Ears Cadenza 2 - a very natural and pleasant sounding IEM that's well tuned across the frequency range. A great budget pick for gaming and movies cause of its balanced tuning and capable technicalities.

Not going to lie the Cadenza II aren't bad with being neutral with really good bass and soundstage.

|**Price**|$50| |:-|:-| |**Driver**|Single Dynamic — Titanium-coated PET diaphragm| |**Acoustic Tech**|KARS 2.0 (Kiwi Acoustic Response System)| |**Freq. Response**|20Hz – 20kHz| |**Cable**|1.2m detachable 2-pin 0.78mm, single-crystal OFC| |**Connector**|3.5mm single-ended| Disclaimer: I received this product free from Linsoul in return for my honest review **First Impressions** The packaging is minimal, which I don't mind at this price point. **What's in the box:** the IEMs, a single-crystal OFC cable, three pairs of standard silicone tips (S/M/L), and three pairs of wide-bore tips (S/M/L). No case (which stings a little at $50) but the IEMs themselves don't feel cheap. The shells have a smooth, almost velvety texture that looks clean and understated. Not the plasticky budget look you might expect. The cable is decent, but tangled on me a few times early on. **Sound: Overview** The Cadenza II is warm-leaning neutral. Think balanced and musical rather than clinical or bass-forward. It's not going to blow your mind with excitement on first listen, but it's the kind of tuning you can wear for hours without wanting to rip the IEMs out. After extended time with it, I kept reaching for it over more aggressive-sounding alternatives. **Bass** Moderate and well-controlled. There's a slight sub-bass lift that gives kick drums and bass guitars a sense of weight without turning into a one-note rumble. The titanium-coated diaphragm handles fast transients well — bass notes hit and decay quickly, which keeps the low-mids from getting muddy. On Daft Punk's *Get Lucky* the bass guitar sits cleanly under the vocals without bleeding up. Bass heads, fair warning: this isn't going to scratch that itch. But for most genres, I found it to be enough. **Mids** This is where the Cadenza II earns its keep. The midrange has a subtle warmth that makes both male and female vocals sound natural and intimate without pushing them to the point of being "shouty." Guitars have real body, pianos have weight, and there's minimal artificial coloration. Listened to Gnarls Barkley *Crazy* and the vocals locked me in immediately — forward, present, not fatiguing. The upper mids around 3kHz are tuned carefully enough that I didn't notice any edge or harshness, even after 2+ hour sessions. **Treble** Smooth and controlled. Cymbals shimmer without piercing, hi-hats have presence without becoming sharp. If you're treble-sensitive, this is an easy recommendation. I never once reached for the volume knob because something bit at my ears. The trade-off is that you're not getting a ton of air or sparkle in the extreme upper registers. Analytical listeners who want that ultra-detailed, airy presentation will find the treble a bit polite. I found it comfortable and well-suited to longer listening, which to me is a win. **Soundstage & Imaging** Above average width for a budget IEM, but don't expect a holographic experience. The stage is mostly left-right rather than three-dimensional. Depth and height are decent but not remarkable. Imaging is accurate enough to follow individual instruments on moderately complex tracks. I could easily place guitar, bass, and vocals without any confusion, but on more dense arrangements, it can start to feel slightly compressed (as many IEMS in this price range do). **Detail & Dynamics** Detail retrieval punches above its price class. You'll catch subtle vocal nuances and instrument layering that cheaper IEMs smear into a blur. Macro dynamics (the difference between loud and quiet passages) come through well. Micro-details in busy mixes are where it starts to show its budget DNA, but honestly, for $50, I wasn't expecting more. **Comfort & Build** The polycarbonate shells are genuinely lightweight — after 2+ hours, I often forgot I was wearing them. The ergonomic shape seated naturally in my medium-sized ears without any pressure points or hotspots. The wide-bore tips are the move here; they improved both fit and sound over the standard tips. Isolation is average (\~30dB high-freq). There's a vent that prevents the pressure/suction feeling you get with some sealed IEMs, which I appreciated. **Amping** Doesn't need anything special. Runs fine off a phone or laptop. I tested it through a basic dongle DAC, and the difference over a phone jack was marginal. It's not particularly picky about its source, which makes it a genuinely portable option for everyday use. That said, if you're running it through a dedicated DAC/amp, it does tighten up slightly, but chasing that at this price tier is optional, not necessary. **vs. Kiwi Ears Cadenza (Original, $35)** The original uses a beryllium-coated diaphragm and 3D-printed resin shells. The Cadenza II moves to a titanium-coated PET driver and polycarbonate shells, which feel more durable. Sound-wise, the Cadenza II is cleaner with less mid-bass bleed and slightly better detail and timbre. It's not a night-and-day upgrade — the original is still a solid pick if you can find it cheaper — but for a $15 difference, the Cadenza II is the better buy in my book. **Who Should Buy This / Who Should Skip** **Buy if:** You want a balanced, fatigue-free IEM that works across genres—especially if rock, acoustic, jazz, or vocal music is your main diet. Great for long sessions, great for newer listeners, great as a "daily driver". **Skip if:** You need serious bass impact and physicality. Or if you're chasing maximum treble extension and micro-detail. There are tunings at this price that do those things better. They just cost you in other areas. **Verdict** The Cadenza II is a genuinely mature-sounding IEM at $50. It's warm without being muddy, detailed without being harsh, and comfortable enough to wear for hours without complaint. You can read my more [in-depth review here.](https://www.themetalverse.net/kiwi-ears-cadenza-ii-review/) Happy to answer questions below. Curious to hear others' thoughts who have tried these!

Kiwi Ears Cadenza 2 with Kiwi Ears Flex tips. $45, the best budget iem. Wide stage and great imaging. Nothing is better at this price range. Neutral, balanced tuning 

Great review! I have cadenza 2 and agree with most of your impressions.  Cadenza 2 is mostly neutral tuning, so everything sounds correct. For $45 I can’t think of anything that is better right now. I prefer wide bore tips and deep fit. Kiwi ears Flex tips also make it even more balanced sounding. 

I don't game so I can't speak to that piece but I own the Kiwi Ears Cadenza and they are super comfortable and sound great for the price.

I am very sorry to say this but GK kunten is probably your best choice. I've tested out different ones and I own 3. My first purchase was the Kiwi Cadenza's I've owned them for over a year, I love using them for vocals (examples: Wave to earth, laufey, and soft type of music) I recently bought the GK kunten, and its just a fun IEM to use. Its good without eq and I use it in the gym. I'm not afraid about it getting dirty or wearing out since its just cheap (6 USD in my country). I love using it in the gym because of its bass it slams my ears even at half volume. So my takeaway is it really depends on what you're gonna use it for, I switch around on what to use everyday but the only problem I have is the inclusions. GK kunten inclusions suck, the wires also suck, so I would suggest just buying it then get a good wire and eartips since they change how it sounds.

How are these so good?!?! I was using Sony wh1000mx4 for 5 years... Then a couple of months ago I found out about IEMs. I went and tested all of Noble and Kinera IEMs up to 3000$+. I wanted to like something to buy something but I didn't like anything. Then I saw everyone recommending Cadenza. 35$? I just blindly bought them. No expectations, I would just give them away to my kid if I didn't need them. Heck no, I'm not giving them away now. I'll just buy him another set. And my wife also because she wanted to take mine after listening XD. Why so good? Why so much better then 300$ Sony and a bunch of more expensive stets? And How? I mean I'm really curious how did they do it? What should I try next? And it has a bunch of black, white, and grey-red tips. What's the difference?

Tangzu wan'er 2, they go excellently with my hiby r1, the kiwi ears cadenza seem to be another great option.

Appreciate the tldr rec for the Cadenzas, ordered a pair to check them out.

They sound fine. My ears are not really compatible with IEMs tho

My ears get sweaty and itchy if I leave things in for too long

Everybody talking about everything but nobody … nobody is suggesting you to check the iem rankings on thus community …. Which is pretty great …. Its KIWI EARS CADENZA … thank me later … it is best iem regarded under 50 dollars

I dont want to force your buying decision : Though I had wanger S.G , kefine klean , chu 2 and kiwi ears cadenza …. Chu 2 and kiwi ear cadenza are great … why you ask that metallic shell iems are not placed at the top … because they absorb moushire and can maybe end of clogging one of the sides in long run ( if you dont of take a good care of iem ) but kiwi ears cadenza are absolutely steal at 35 bucks