Hey there folks,

Today I will be sharing my thoughts about a very special iem, the KB EAR 2020 KS2, and I would like to thank KB EAR and especially Wendy, for sending these out. These were provided to me free of charge for my honest review, and I can't thank KB EAR enough for giving me the opportunity. I have to admit, I was not expecting much, and the outcome was quite surprising.



First off, let me introduce myself. My name is Wes and I am addicted to music and gear that makes it sound good. I favor the musical side of things vs. the analytical, and listen to a wide range of genres. I like a little extra emphasis in the bass and upper mids lower treble, and especially love good bass and vocals. Some of my favorite artist are, Agnes Obel, Beck, Ottmar Liebert, Nora Jones, Rodrigo y Gabriella, Max Cooper, Christian Loffler, Pink Floyd, Stevie Ray Vaughn and many others. So, you can see I listen to Rock, Pop, Acoustic, Jazz, Classic Rock, Blues, and Electronica.

So for this review, I wanted to keep it simple, as there are already a bunch of highly detailed and formal reviews of KS2. The KS2 is a hybrid iem, with 1 DD and 1 BB. The price of this iem is around $25 USD, so it is a very attainable iem for anyone.

Packaging

The packing is simple, clean, and just about perfect for the amount of money.



Build Quality

The iems are a plastic resin and super light weight. The cable is also lightweight, and is all copper with very little memory and mechanical noise. All in all, for $25 USD the build quality is great, and I have no complaints.



Fit and Isolation

The KS2 fit my smallish ears just perfect, and the seal is quite good, lending to really good isolation. The vents for the dynamic driver are on the inner side of the iem, so there is good isolation even on windy days. Overall, I have no complaints.



Bass

The bass is elevated hits hard, digs deep, and has good tactile punch you can feel.

Mids

The mids take a step back, due to the fun V shaped tuning, but are still quite clear and articulated.

Highs

The highs have good extension, but never get harsh, and have just the right amount of sparkle for my taste.

Summary

Overall the KS2 with the stock cable have a very fun, warm and forgiving V shaped sound signature, with an expansive soundstage, and for the money are an outstanding value no doubt. However, where things get interesting is when I changed cables and tried them on my iBasso DX 160. First off, the stock cable is the weak link, and once I put a better cable on them, things balanced out better in the mids and the KS2 jumped to another level of performance. Also, when I hooked them up to the iBasso DX 160 they lost a lot of the fun sound I was hearing, and got a little bright in the upper mids and lower treble. They just sounded off, when connected to my player. So, I hooked them back up to my cell phone, the Samsung Galaxy S10+, and put my favorite silver cable on them, and the magic happened. Connected to my phone, using Quboz HiRez and the Satin Audio Athena 8 wire cable, the sound is warm and smooth, yet dynamic and impactful, with much better balance and clarity in the mids, and the soundstage got deeper and wider. I totally get why KB EAR suggest using the KS2 with a mobile phone and not a player. I am so impressed with how fun these sound, while still being quite capable, that they just became one of my daily drivers. I especially love the KS2, when I go on my daily walk. They have a fun sound, that works well with every genre I throw at them. I can put my playlist on and never have to skip a track because it sounds harsh or irritating, and they sound better from a cell phone, so I don't have to carry 2 devices. So, for those that are interested in an affordable yet capable iem, with a fun sound signature that pairs extremely well with just a mobile phone, I say the KS2 is a must have. I really cant believe how much enjoyment I get from the KS2, for such a small amount of money. Bravo KB EAR!

KS2 and Satin Audio Athena 8 wire


Me with my new favorite combo, for my daily walk.