Budget single-DD IEMs are on the rise lately, and KBEar decided to join the party as well with the KS1. This time they’ve ditched the way-overused “Balanced armature driver in the nozzle” bit and I am glad they went that route.
Let’s see if the KS1 has what it takes to stand its ground.
Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. Wendy Li of KBEar was kind enough to send the unit. Disclaimer
This review originally appeared on my blog.
Sources used: LG G7, Sony NW-A55
Price, while reviewed: ~13 euros. Can be bought from
KBEar’s AliExpress store.
Build: The KBEar KS1 has a rather generic build with a white/black ABS housing and a gold metal nozzle. There are two vents on the inner-side of the IEM. The faceplate design is rather simplistic. 2-pin ports are slightly recessed but not completely so, thus making it more suitable for TFZ-type connectors. The shell quality is good for the price though the seams are quite visible.
All in all, good build quality that falls short of excellence.
4/5
Accessories: The KS1 comes with a bunch of tips and a super-tangly, thin, nightmarish cable. The cable has to be the worst part of the package since it manages to tangle itself up if you even look at it wrong. I’d recommend one of those budget upgrade cables if you plan on to use the KS1.
As for the tips, they were fine for me though some failed to get a good seal. I will recommend KZ Starlines if you’re having some fit trouble.
3/5
Comfort: Given the pseudo-custom shell design and its lightweight nature, the KBEar KS1 is very comfortable to wear. Isolation is decent with stock tips and excellent with Final E-type tips.
4/5
Driver Setup: The KS1 uses a
dual-magnetic circuit dual-cavity dynamic driver with a PET diaphragm. The former ensures Tesla level of magnetic flux whereas the latter boosts bass frequencies. For a budget device this is a fairly interesting driver setup indeed.
All sound impressions were done with the stock cable and tips.
Sound: The presentation of the KBEar KS1 mostly leans towards the low frequencies and exhibits a warm, V-shaped tuning, though treble is mostly kept in control.
The bass here is voluminous and definitely the star of the show with large, thick bass notes. Couple with that the slower decay and you get a sub-bass-oriented presentation that caters well to modern bassy genres. Sub-bass frequencies extend until 25Hz though the sub-sonic rumble is missing to some degree. That being said, sudden bass drops still have the
punch they need, though it’s somewhat flabby due to the slower driver. Moreover, bass texture is lacking even compared to the price bracket.
Given a V-shaped response, many would assume the midrange to be overly recessed which fortunately isn’t the case at all. Male vocals do take the back seat but they aren’t drowned out. Female vocals are even more up-front and the midrange in general has a good timbre, thanks to the mids peaking ~2.5Khz. There’s no shoutiness whatsoever. Acoustic instruments sound fine though the undertones seem to get more focus due to the bass heavy tuning. Finer details like the subtle plucks of strings are lost.
Finally, the treble is inoffensive. It’s just there to make sure that things don’t sound overly dark but it takes the furthest seat in the entire presentation. Cymbals hits sound muted, they easily smear into each other, and there is hints of splashiness despite the recessed treble. It doesn’t draw much attention to it, but when you pay attention to the treble — it’s not good in terms of resolution/timbre.
Soundstage is decently wide, stage depth is lacking. Imaging is basically left and right, no center-imaging to speak of. Ordinal imaging also suffers. Dynamics sound compressed, so large swings in volume aren’t portrayed well, neither are minute gradations in volume.
Overall, the sound is competent if unremarkable and will cater well to those who need a bassy signature.
Bass: 3.5/5
Mids: 4/5
Treble: 2.5/5
Imaging/Separation: 2.5/5
Staging: 3/5
Dynamics/Speed: 2/5
Amping/Source requirements: The KBEar KS1 is very easy to drive, no specific amping needed.
Select Comparisons
vs Rock Obsidian ($10): Rock Obsidian is another single-dynamic offering and goes for a “darker” signature than the KBEar KS1. It does have more refined treble and the lower-mids are quite lush, making them sound engaging/inviting in certain genres. The bass focus also shifts towards mid-bass rather than sub-bass though this may vary upon tip change.
Soundstage is deeper on the Obsidian, imaging is also more accurate. It does require above-average amping to sound its best which is kinda odd for such a budget offering. As for the rest, the housing is metal which is definitely a step up from KS1’s plastic housing, but the cable is non-replaceable and even worse than the KS1 cable so there’s that.
For my money, I’d likely pick the Obsidian given a good amp in stow. However, for driving with regular phones and due to the flexibility that the detachable cable offers, KS1 will be a more practical purchase.
vs KZ ZST X ($15): KZ ZST X offers a similar shell design and has a slightly better stock cable/tips. However, the ZST X timbre is definitely more “artificial” in tone and the treble has more instances of splash than the ZST X. Staging is similar on both though the ZST X has an edge in imaging.
The ZST X is a fun sounding IEM but due to the BA+DD config it sounds less coherent than the KS1. If you’re not too particular about coherency issues/timbre I think the ZST X is a good option. Otherwise, KS1 is the better pick.
Conclusion
Single dynamic drivers are going through a resurgence and the KBEar KS1 is testament to that. It’s build decently, is good to go in stock format, and it sounds pretty good for the price. In the end it’s the price that’s the most attractive part of the KS1. The bang-for-buck factor is good enough to ignore the mundane treble response, below-average imaging, and overzealous at times sub-bass.
On a simlar note, I am glad KBEar went with the single-driver route instead of stuffing the nozzle with a cheap, unrefined BA driver. Less can be more after all.
