KBEAR Neon

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Disclaimer:

• KeepHiFi sent over this unit to me in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. Rest assured that the following observations and findings will be away from bias/es as much as possible. (Non-affiliated product link here! Click me!)
• The following remarks and observations shall be made and owned only by me.
• No monetary compensation is/was involved before, during, and after the period of creation of this review.
• Your mileage may (and always, will) vary.

Burn-in time: 5-10 hours per day, 4 days.

Source/s used:

• Hidizs AP80
• Not-By-VE Avani Realtek Dongle
• Zishan U1 USB DAC (AKM Variant)
• Cyberdrive Feather DAC
• Non-HiFi smartphone (realme 5i, Samsung Galaxy On7)
• Local Files via Foobar and Roon, YouTube Music, Deezer, and Qobuz with UAPP.

IEM and configuration: Stock silicone small eartips, stock cable, any form of EQ or MSEB off, 40-60% volume, both high and low gain.

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Sound signature:

• Almost flat. In safer terms, it is neutral-midcentric sounding IEMs. Linear lows presentation, forward mids, and less forward highs when compared to the mids. Easy to be driven properly but scales well with a fairly powerful source (ex. Dongles, DAPs).

Lows:

• Lows are present but far from being a basshead. It is linear as both sub-bass and midbass are at equal levels. Decay leans to the faster side of the spectrum and is very controlled, thumpy, and tight. As a result, the KB Ear Neon is not meant to be enjoyed in very bass-heavy tracks and genres, as it will be lacking a sub-bass rumble and depth like its other sibling/s such as the KS1 and KS2 but the Neon, excels well in control and decay when compared. It is still enjoyable on EDM tracks but it isn’t its forte.

Mids:

• The mids on the Neon are forward in general, unlike most IEMs that exist within the 60USD or under price range. There are no instances of midbass bleed perceived here in this region and yet the lower mids still managed to sound accurately thick, smooth, and detailed. They do not sound distant or thin on most tracks. Upper mids are nearly the same as the lower mids in terms of the level of forwardness, but experience a bit of veil on some tracks especially when underpowered. That experience reminds me of my experience with the TRI Meteor which I have reviewed before when I did not pair it properly within my first hour with it. Instances of sibilance and peaks are not present during my testing period and is a good sign for those people that do not want any harshness to their listening experience.

Highs:

• The treble is also linear to my liking with slightly below average extension. It isn’t rolled off in my experience by any means, but it will be lacking for those people who want that additional presence to the sound. As a result, cymbals may lack that “splash” and “attack” but avoided any pierce or harshness nicely. Detail retrieval is also decent and can present nuances fairly easily.

Soundstage, Imaging, and separation:

• The soundstage is average in terms of expansion. The Neon is quite immersive as well, maybe due to its deep insertion requirement. It can sound wide by making the fit shallow instead of inserting it deep into your ear canal but it will affect the depth, not immersive, and can make the mids pushed back a little bit. Separation is also average with some little congestion on very busy tracks. Imaging is above average and presents vocal and instrument positions with precision.

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Pros:

• Fatigue-free sound
• Midcentric sound signature that is quite rare within and under 60USD.
• Non-fatiguing upper frequencies.
• Controlled, thumpy lows.
• Does not suffer from any “BA Timbre” despite sporting a 1BA Driver.
• No presence of midbass bleed.
• Quite an immersive listening experience.
• Easy to be driven but benefits and scales when paired with a decent source.
• Does not sound thin which is good considering that most 1BA IEMs I know suffer from thinness.
• Very good isolation when fitted properly.

Cons:

• Fit will vary from person to person since it is a bullet type that requires deep insertion to sound good.
• Lack of sub-bass may be experienced on bassy tracks.
• Slight veil on the upper mids is present especially when underpowered.
• Treble might be lacking for those people who want more extended than usual treble response.
• Slight congestion is present on very busy tracks.
• I did not have any problems with the fit and cable, but I think a shirt clip will greatly help distribute the cable weight evenly to avoid microphonics.
• A cable winder would be a great treat (my nitpick).

The KB Ear Neon is most likely inspired by the Etymotic Extended Response (ER) line of IEMs not only in the form factor but also in the sound. It isn’t quite like the Etymotic’s DF-Neutral signature sound by any means, but it is almost as uncolored as how Etymotic IEMs sound. The KB Ear Neon altered things a bit by making the vocals forward and the bass tight, thumpy, and controlled to cater most tracks and even podcasts in your playlist without sounding too “boring” or “technical”. The Neon will be a great delight and will be my recommendation for people who like bullet-type IEMs, wants a “neutral” or “midcentric” sound signature, and do not have any problem with deep insertion in terms of fit and isolation.


Pairing recommendation/s:

• Fairly powerful Warm/neutral sources such as DAPs and DACs
• Start with soft and small eartips and make your way there.
• The cable is already good in terms of weight and durability, but using a shirt clip with it can help reduce microphonics.

Thank you for reading!

Additional Photos:

INTRO:

KBear is a well known IEM maker, this chi-fi brand has a whole lot of IEMs in the budget region. KBear too has a couple of IEMs priced over $100 but they make some of the most capable entry level IEMs. Most of these IEMs are hybrids which always pair a DD with some BA drivers but what I have here is not something KBear usually makes. Neon is an excellent looking IEM, its straight barrel design resembles the more premium Etymotic ER series IEMs but this is different. Housing a single BA driver it steps away from the bassy and boomy shadows of the Hybrid drivers, bringing better accuracy and precision to the table. Available in a variety of colors it is priced at just $50 and should appeal to the accuracy loving bunch.

I would like to thank Mei from Keep Hi-Fi for this review unit.

Get one for yourself from here:

https://keephifi.com/collections/kbear/products/kbear-neon-single-full-frequence-ba-in-ear-headphone



ACCESSORIES AND PACKAGING:

Unlike their cheaper IEMs this gets a more premium unboxing experience. The Neon has a grander looking package with a bit more premium presentation. It ships with a very good looking cable, a spacious case and 6 pair of tips.





BUILD AND CABLE QUALITY:

Neon has a straight barrel shell made out of resin and is very strong and more durable than other expensive acrylic based IEMs. It will survive falls like a champ and will not even complain about it. This is a fairly comfortable IEM but stability is not very good when worn cable down. But when worn cable up the cable takes up the weight and stabilizes it. I find the cable to be excellent too. Its supple and barely has any microphonics to worry about. This is a silver plated copper cable. Neon has a QDC type socket but I don't think this cable will fit the QDC IEMs.





PAIRING WITH SOURCES:

Neon does not need a lot of power to sound good but, but it has a few problems with weaker sources. This $50 IEM with just 14ohm impedance at 1KHZ does not tell the whole truth. Neon needs a good amount of power to sound at its best.

With my Redmi Note 10 Pro it sounds good, clean and clear with good separation and layering but the stage is smaller and notes have some finishing jitter, it sounds a bit agitated too. But when driven out of the Burson Playmate things improve a lot. The stage is much bigger now with better air between instruments and some micro details are clearer. Don't worry if you do not have a lot of power at your disposal, a good dongle will do.

Is it reasonable to invest in a dongle instead of buying a more slightly more expensive IEM? Let's find out.





SOUND QUALITY:

Housing a single BA driver makes things uncomplicated. It has nothing else but details and accuracy in its heart and mind. Unlike other single BA based IEM like Campfire Satsuma and Akoustyx R110, Neon has a more balanced sound. It barely has any flavoring keeping the tonality and timber much closer to natural.

BASS:

Neon does not favor the lower end much while delivering a aptly fuller lower end. The sub bass extension is not as good as $200 IEMs but is very good for a $50 IEM. The mid bass has more volume and fuller notes but it just does not have a lot of weight or energy giving it more accuracy and precision. On the down side, the upper bass is a bit more prominent and can give it a drier and less juicy feel. The decay speed is on the faster side, it does not wait for the notes to gain weight but that give it the precision leading to a cleaner and better defined notes. People are critical about the texture and layered feeling of BA based IEMs, don't expect an evolved layering but it does not lack texture.

MID RANGE:

Neon slightly struggles with the lower end but the mid range is one of the best under $200 for any type of IEM. It just simply does not miss a single note while keeping things calm and clear of any sharpness. This is something really impressive. Both vocals and instruments have excellent transparency. Let it be Dotan or Halsey, they all sound pleasing with impressive texture and definition.

What's surprising is that, when driven out of a good source this IEM has no anomalies with emphasis and note formes. Expensive IEMs like Kinera Norn and even Thieaudio Monarch struggle with this type of consistency. If you like a bit of attack this IEM will provide that but it does not get anywhere close to aggressive. It does not have a lot of definition with fast paced songs like "Halsey - Easier than lying" and that's where this IEM is brought down to its suggested price. It has a well defined upper mids and the extra energy results into more transparent and cleaner notes without pushing the boundaries of comfort.

TREBLE:

This is where this single BA based entry level IEM gives starts to struggle. The lower treble region has the energy of the upper mids delivering very good instrumental clarity. The mid treble region maintains average sparkle and energy as it starts to drop energy. Till this points Neon has good details and clarity. It does struggle with air and $200 level separation. Things get worse from here on. It barely maintains any relevance, restricting its extension.

Am I disappointed? Not at all, this lack of energy gives it a friendlier feeling. Those who do not want to have the sharpness with their music will enjoy it a lot.

STAGE AND IMAGING:

The Neon is not huge with stage. It's just above average and that alright. I was not expecting a lot from it and it doesn't disappoint. Both lower and treble regions take smaller volume while the mid, especially the vocals enjoy the lion's share. It has very good sonicality and is capable of delicate cue placements.

COMPARISONS:

VS Akoustyx R110:

This is the last single BA based IEM I reviewed and it was very good and had a similar sound signature to the Neon. R110 has a more voluminous lower end with slightly slower decay with better sub-bass extension and more gradually fuller mid bass. Its mid range has similar satisfaction and has taller notes. It does not have the extra bit of energy in the lower treble and upper mid region but has slightly more extended treble. Both IEMs have good layering and separation but the R110 does better. Stage size is where the R110 and Neon differ the most. R110 has a 40% bigger stage as its taller and has better depth in the Z-axis. I know this is an unfair comparison but I don't see many BA based IEMs under $100.

VS Campfire Satsuma:

Satsuma is a more fun and engaging IEM. It has the extra bit of pleasing presentation leading to extra cohesion which the Neon does not have. Satsuma brings a lot of lower end grunt, more than the R110. It has the meatier and fuller feel with the punch which the Neon does not have. Mid range is slightly smoother on the Satsuma but has the extra bit of details and resolution too. The biggest difference here is the distinction of fore and background instruments. Satsuma has it cleaner. Treble of both the IEMs are weak but Satsuma still has a hint of sparkle but can that justify the price difference? Nope. It can't. Satsuma has a bigger stage too, nearly 60% bigger as it has better expansion in all the directions.



CONCLUSION:

This is not the best IEM under $150. It does not compete with IEMs like Akoustyx R110 either but guess what, this has some mid range traits that can make IEMs priced more than $500 red with envy. It does not push for higher transparency in the treble region but focuses on mid range squeezing out some of the most enjoyable vocals and instruments under $100.

If you want mid range, if you want an IEM that focuses on vocals, KBear Neon is the only IEM you need.

My first impression of this IEM was that it was thin sounding with no bass or treble sparkle. It’s fair to say I hated them. However, the issue wasn’t the IEM, but the gear I had been using the IEM with.

The sensitivity of this IEM is actually a lot lower than you’d think, and I need to increase the volume a good ~8db more than other IEM’S I own. That is to say, I find these IEM’s need headphone levels of power to truly shine.

This problem is compounded with that fact that this is a pure BA IEM and many BA IEM’s can sound shouty or fatiguing depending on the gear you pair it with.

Test gear that synergized well with the IEM was a THX 789 with volume maxed on low gain and a Dragonfly Red to act as the DAC and volume control with a Mac Mini. I own higher end amps, but the THX 789 has a magic with BA IEM’s and just synergizes better with this particular IEM. The Dragonfly RED was the only DAC with volume controls I have at the moment which the THX needs to sound its best.

With the above gear, this shouty and thin sounding IEM transformed in to a fuller bodied and more neutral sounding one with a emphasis on the upper mids.

This is a mid-centric IEM akin to the HD600 series. Treble doesn’t sparkle at all and there is little to no sub bass, but the mids really shine. I have a drawer full of dozens IEM’s in which many cost many times these do, but if I was looking for a female vocal emphasis and a generally neutral sound, I would reach for these. Faye Wong’s Eyes on Me sound pretty good on the Neon.

These IEM’s do come with a few caveats.

1) The fit is pretty bad. And they need deep, deep insertion. On the plus side, isolation is pretty good.

2) The lack of sub bass and treble means these IEM’s are not for synth or rock genres of music.

3) Sadly, they don’t sound very good out of a phone, laptop or video game console.

With that out of the way, if you can get past the gear requirements female vocals in mostly acoustic music sound really, really good. The Neons are much more detailed than is should be for the price. Isolation is also very good and perfect for work while stationary.

These are hard to recommend to a casual buyer, but if you’re a true head-fier with mountains of gear and a collection of IEM’s, these are a nice one to add to the list.