Kiwi Ears - Septet

Agreed, the Aether is this expressive and emotional sound. I would argue if money isn’t an issue try the Kiwi Ears septet as it’s my favourite out of the Kiwis I’ve tried (ranking in order from best to worst) Septet, Aether/Orchestra, Quintet, anything else, then the Etude as these were seriously muddy imo

Crinicle dusk and theaudio Oracle OG. Are may favorites. But I have many others I still have that I haven't gotten rid of yet. Trn conch is crazy nice with eq. Orchestra lite for gaming, ikko oh10, and recently kiwi septet I have really enjoyed.

Punch Audio Martilo top of the list for me. Rather fond of the Kiwi Ears Septet too.

Septet caught me off guard. I usually go for a warm, rolled off treble sound, but thought I'd give the Septet a go. So glad I did. Love them - tight bass, great mids, airy treble. Give them some power and I think these things really shine.

If it's air and separating you're after, you could take a chance on the Kiwi Ears Septet. The tuning may not be for everyone, but these things are a great technical set. They do require power though, like, lots of power, but on paper the M21 could power them, but can't say for sure. I only use them with a desktop (Fiio K7bt), but i see the M21 has desktop mode. You could also look at the Ziigaat Odyssey, they seem to be a fan favourite "safe" sets. Maybe the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite too.

I brought the S12's first. They were too screechy for me. Then I got the MP145, and thought they sounded really, really good. I then got some Crinacle Zero 2's as a travelling set, they are okay, but, you know, budget, so for me weren't in the same league, but I'd have gotten over it if they went missing or got damaged. Can't really remember what I went for after, but did realise the £200ish area is where the action is for me. It's all about the tunings now. I generally like a "warmer" profile, so the Septet were a bit of a risk, but I love them, in the right circumstances (they're not an out and about set). I'm not sure what advice to give really, graphs don't mean that much to me, they give a clue to the sound, but aren't going to tell you whether you'll like it. I have different sets for different moods, where I am, type of music etc. One and done? That's tough. More than likely the Martilo for it's versatility, but I'm on holiday at the moment and grabbed the KE4. Guess I'm lucky I can return home to the rest of the kit! For the record I use a BTR15 Bluetooth dac or M21 dap when I'm out, and a FIIO K7 as my desktop.

Great review, nice one. It took me a fair few hours for my brain to adjust to the delivery of the sound. So airy and spacious, like the notes glide from left to right. Crazy. They compliment the rather laid back, intimate KE4 and fun Aether nicely. They're my sit back in a quiet place listen.

The Singolo went back, couldn't get on with the fit. The Septet took my brain a fair few hours to adjust to what I was hearing. They are seriously good, got them in now, brighter than what I'm used to, I'm rather treble sensitive, but these things, quite simply WOW.

Should have said, these things want power, like, they are thirsty for juice. They'll shine when given it. Not a low volume listen.

I'd agree with the tuning, it's not what I'd call "for the masses", but don't let that put you off. I generally like a warmer sound, not a fan of bright treble, but I commented earlier that these have the WOW factor for me. It took a while for my brain to adjust to what I was hearing, but yeah, for me, these are great. Tight bass, nice mid range (live those kick drums), and airy treble. Size is similar to the Aether, different shape, no probs with the fit (after some tip rolling). Not used the supplied tips in case I sent them back. Don't think I'll be sending them back!

I have the MP145 too, really good IEM in my view. I'm not sure I'd consider the Septet an upgrade as such. The Septet, in my collection at least (KE4, Dynaquattro, MP145, Arcadia, Aether, Cincotres) is a unique listen that sits alongside these. The tuning is not something I'd usually go for, they are quite bright, but no sibilance, the bass is tight, they sound so airy and spacious to me, unlike the rather intimate sound I'm used too. They need big power to get the best out of them. I think (if you can return them), they're the sort of IEM those curious should try.

Okay, so I haven't seen anyone talking about these little guys. I'm not a reviewer, just another opinionated audiophile. I'll clarify: I got them for $80 (used a $50 gift card and $30 from the LEC), and I also own the Quinets. I've had the Astral, Tea Pro, and Arcanis, which are really good and give the Pilgrims and HBB Punch a run for their money. Keeping it short: they're a bit bright, but not offensively so—the Tea Pros are brighter, making them better for gaming also. They punch way above their weight; the difference from the Quintet is night and day—better timbre, layering and imaging than the other new sets(astral,arcanis,tea pro). But, there's always a but: they're semi-open back, my girlfriend hates hearing them when she's near me, and they're power-hungry—a simple 3.5mm dongle isn't enough for full performance. I think they're a very underrated set that I love; I'm a sucker for underdogs. Which noone is paying attetion to. I'm testing EQs, and so far, they're very capable. The 5-way crossover + driver config makes them pretty unique and lets them compete with sets costing up to $800, I'm totally smitten with the septet, and my MK3s have been grounded since last week. Post your questions. Ill try answer all. I am waiting for the Etude as I have another gift card and the LEC; I will post when I receive them.

Honestly, the Astral's a warmer set, kinda meta/neutral sounding, like any other IEM. The Septet though? Open, airy, refreshing, with amazing detail and harmonics. I can barely hear cymbal hits or the stringing with the big three(Astral, Arcanis, Tea Pro), but the Septet makes them clear and easy to hear. IMO, those extra 1 or 2 crossovers really make it great.

I recommend Kiwi Ears Septet. It's open but doesn't seem to leak badly at all. AND you get the spaciousness of open back giving it an amazing holographic soundstage for an iem. Anyone else have it?

Moondrop kato, i had it, its V shape sound with a great bass sound. Kiwi, and KZ iems are great too However there’s many options at this price range,

im on kiwi ears, no waifu 💀

I am new to this so I did buy the kiwi from lowest range price which is recommended here

So. I started trying to get a bunch of sets to see how much the difference is between the low range and the middle range ( my middle is probably a lot of people’s low range ! ). These are like a quick comment on the sets. (Spoiler : the zero 2s were awesome ) Super mix 4 - perfectly neutral Green dragon - neutral, less dynamic range Black lightning- flat, no dynamic range , uncomfortable fit Zero2 - balanced, touch more silky smooth bass. Hyper comfortable. Kiwi ears - zero2 , bass a bit more direct

I own both and I would have to say the Tea Pros are just all around better for gaming. The Kiwi's were the king for a long time but when I switched to the Tea Pros I was blown away by the upgrade. I'm actually selling my Kiwi's right now. That's how good the Tea pros are.

I play mostly FPS games and everything feels pinpoint accurate. Not to mention the added bass allowing for better audio cues on footsteps. The Kiwi's were a little too high in the treble for my liking and I could never go for long sessions without feeling very fatigued

I love the sound of the Blue 2’s, but I tried the Tangzu Fudu, Kiwis and 7hz - the only reason I’m considering others is because they feel so much better in my ears. But the sound signature has been better on the Truths by far