KBEAR Dumpling

The KBEAR Dumplings is literally as budget as it can be, with a low price tag, even lower than the Little Q - For only 12 USD! Usually when you're purchasing something for this price you don't expect much, but then again, anything can happen, so let's give this a sort-of in depth review.

Foreword

1. The following reviews of IEMs will always be based on its own prowess relative to its price. When I say something about an IEM is good or bad, it will always be relative to how much is the retail of it.
2. I will be using DACs relative to the price of the IEM to review them. This is because using high end stuff like the Questyle M15 over-exaggerates the capabilities of the IEM itself.
3. This pair of IEM was sent to me by Keephifi, thank you for that. However, they are in NO WAY influencing this review, hence all the opinions are of my own.

If you are interested in purchasing this pair of IEM, you can do so with these non-affiliated link :
Keephifi : https://keephifi.com/products/kbear-little-q?_pos=1&_sid=c21b7944e&_ss=r
Amazon : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7NGPMM...bDg6Lg7FiXQq6AKZb0ImtkR7WKsVBLmfRIuI0H8bZ4lz4



UNBOXING & ACCESSORIES
Being identical with the KBEAR Little Q, packaging is as simple as it can be. Nothing much I can say but it gets the job done but also does present it to the consumer very well.




BUILD & FIT
The headshells of the KBEAR Dumpling comprises of a metal design in a piston shape, where the outside portion is kind-of a semi-circle, and the nozzle is non-existent, because the other half of the IEM is identical in diameter. Hence, this pair will be having a more proprietary type of eartip to complement the wide body, in which is not very third-party tip friendly. The
non-detachable cables are average and identical to the ones on the Little Q, where it has some memory when winding it up. Nevertheless (again), it gets the job done.



In terms of fit, personally I feel like there is some weird negative pressure created when fitting it, where my eardrums feel like its being pressured. Maybe it might be my ear canals' anatomy problem because most people on the internet and 2 of my friends did said it fits well, but personally, it seals well, but feels uncomfortable Becuase of that pressure thing I mentioned.

SOUND
Source : Foobar 2000 -> JM10 Dongle (Cirrus Logic CS43131) -> S.M.S.L. SH-6 Amplifier -> stock KBEAR Dumpling
COWON Plenue D2 -> stock KBEAR Dumpling




In general, the KBEAR Dumpling is a V-shaped IEM with maybe an ever-so-slightly warmth to it.

BASS
Comparing to the KBear Little Q, the Little Q will have slightly less bass while this one has its low end more elevated throughout

• Subbass has quite a decent amount of presence and good rumble
• Amount of bass is definitely one of those where I would classify this as a "basshead IEM"
• Kick drums will sound thumpy with a quick airy decay to it
• Occasional bass notes sounding rounded and bloaty
• Midbass of the IEM definitely is boosted in this pair, making fast basslines sound more smooth than more staccato
• Overall note definition on this pair is suprisingly good, which might be helped by its technical prowess
• Bass bleed happens occasionally to the mids (only happened if I do not use the DAC and tested on Plenue, your mileage may vary)

MIDS
Vocals :
With more or less the same consensus as I said with my review on the KBEAR Little Q, the vocal presence for a V shape is definitely considered the least recessed from what I've heard.
Little Q has a warmth signature to it, Dumplings will probably sound more neutral and slightly cold for vocals overall

• Male vocals - overall natural tonality, occasionally might be because of the mix that causes it to sound a little cold
• Female vocals - definitely a little more laid back than male vocals, but still quite enjoyable. Sibilance is occasional but its very vocalist dependent (again, J-pop is a good example)

Instruments :

• Personally from my listening, synths would be the special region the Dumplings are good at. They have enough body to make notes hit when they need to but does the presentation well when its just soft modulations like the typical sine wave synth
• Guitars from Polyphia would sound quite aggresive and in-your-face in a good way, and arpeggios are very enjoyable where every note is distinguishable
• Complementing macrodetailed tracks from gutiar ensembles to choirs all present themselves well, fills up the ambience of songs well
• Pianos and violins sound relaxing but in very rare occasions might have a lack of body/ hollow, if you will.

HIGHS

• Treble region has slight warm characteristics to it but does not affect the crispiness of certain elements
• Hi hats might come off sounding a little hot in certain tracks
• Hats, cymbals and rides have decent treble extension for that feel
• Details in this range

TECHNICALITIES
In terms of technicalities, I think the first thing I noticed with this is almost similar with the Little Q, where its imaging and separation, as well as detail retrieval was definitely up there in the ranks for budget IEMs. Having good imaging followed by the amount of detail retrieval especially nearing the upper-mid region makes songs overall sound full and complete.

Soundstage for this pair, is decent for its price. Maybe one thing that's interesting is that there is more depth to the soundstage than anything else.

FINAL THOUGHTS
In my opinion, I would totally recommend this to people who are finding a pair of decent buds to listen to music. It doesn't even have to be audiophiles, like I can literally recommend these to an average Joe for such an acceptable price.

Personally, would call this the alternate version of the Little Q, where it overall sounds more on the neutral and slight cold-ish side.

Again, if you are interested in purchasing this pair of IEM, you can do so with these non-affiliated link :
Keephifi : https://keephifi.com/products/kbear-little-q?_pos=1&_sid=c21b7944e&_ss=r
Amazon : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7NGPMM...bDg6Lg7FiXQq6AKZb0ImtkR7WKsVBLmfRIuI0H8bZ4lz4

Build & Fitting:
This is a budget category IEM, with fixed cable, simple & small shell. All good and decently built. Despite being in the budget price tag, KBEar Dumplings actually having quite a unique design, where the 6mm DD drivers actually located near end of the nozzle, probably just few millimetre away from the nozzle filters. Talking about the nozzle, there is no flange, and the nozzle diameter is larger then normal IEM. When plugging it into the ear canals, actually, half of the IEM shell do sit inside the ear canals, don’t get me wrong, the fittings are actually quite comfortable, still the general kind of shallow insertion depth.

Sound:
I would say, this IEM is quite fun to listen to, not for analytical kind of listening, it will be quite good for relax listening. The tuning signature is actually quite balanced sounding, with some boost in bass, quite U-shaped kind of signature. The tonality is actually quite correct to my ears, no weirdness. Technicalities might be a big surprise to some, especially in such price range.

Bass:
The bass is obviously boosted. The bass quantity is actually quite fun sounding. Bass quality is actually quite decent, and also quite controlled kind of bass. No muffling into mids, if not, some might perceive it as bass having slight bleeding into mids. Mostly the bass is mid-bass kind of emphasized. I’m not a basshead, and I would say that, this kind of bass quantity & quality are quite tastefully tuned.

Mids:
Despite being tuned as a U-shaped signature, the mids are neither recess nor forward sounding. Vocals are quite intimate sounding, male vocals do sound alright, nothing weird, good tonal balance. Female vocals will be quite sweet sounding. Electric guitars are having enough bites. I would say, this kind of upper mids will be well-cooked kind, controlled, sibilance-free, where some treblehead might needing more from those airs region. Overall, the mids are quite relax kind of safe tuning.

Highs:
The highs here are well-cooked kind too, not too much, not too little. Cymbals, hi-hats wouldn’t crash the listener’s ears, not recess too, quite neutral sounding. I would say, the treble actually having quite good extension too, especially in such budget price tag. Some treblehead might find it dark sounding, especially when the highs actually kind of needing to fight with the boosted lows, thankfully, the bass are actually controlled and didn’t muffled up mids that much, and also having decent tightness and transient speed.

Separation, Soundstage & Layering:
This 6mm DD drivers with unique shell design and near nozzle drivers location, no doubt, the soundstage will be slightly different and unique sounding to our ears. The instrument separation and layering ability actually are surprisingly good. I would say it is above average kind of technicalities.

Conclusion:
I can see that, this IEM actually will be having good attention from audiophile community, due to the unique design, correct tonality, and decent or above average kind of technicalities.

Hello all: Thanks for reading my review.
I share my impressions as I hear them with my ears.

As all our ears are different shapes & sizes so what I hear as bright you might hear as dull and Vise-Versa; just something to be mindful of.
What makes my ears happy as a sound signature is a aggressive U shape in that I love my Bass Sub and Mid Bass love it all; and in quantity.

With the Bass I prefer a faster decay the faster the better as to not bleed into the mids. Imagine the bass of a 5-10" Sub in a small sealed enclosure (My Preference) vs a 12-30" Sub in a big ole ported 3-4th order - Ported enclosure with the fat, tubby, musical kind of bass.
I prefer the fast speedy bass of the Nano Carbon Driver of my LetShuoer EJ07M there are exceptions as I also find the bass of the Bio Diaphragm used in the Yanyin Canon special - has some special sauce like a 8" subwoofer that feels like a 12" Has the slam and some serious sub bass!

I spent 25 years in the Audio Industry, building , designing , selling and Installation of high end car audio at first and moved on the home and ultra high end home audio at a few boutique stores. I worked with studios and club for commercial sound and worked with a few speakers manufacturers in design, enclosure construction , crossover builds , and sound evaluation.

As Such here is my take on the: KBEAR Dumpling:
Sources: E1DA SG3, Shanling UP5, Geshelli JNOG J2 with AKM4493 chip.
DAP/TRASPORT: From Lenovo Laptop with Amazon Unlimited UlTRA HD, Hiby R6 2020,Samsung S22 Ultra
Amps: LoxjiP20 tube amp and Topping A90D
Tips Used for Best Result and subjective: Stock: Read Notes Plz.
Cable Used: Non Detachable Stock Cable.
Paid For: YES
Sponsor Provided: KeepHiFi Reembursted me without conditions or expectations on either end.


PRO'S:
- Small & Light
- Comes in Rose Pink ( My Choice ) With or Without Mic.
- Non Fatiguing Sound Signature Can listen to forever
- Super Comfy even for small ears ( Daughter Tested )
- Great For Sleeping In.
- Male Vocals sound meaty and musical.


CON'S:
- Intimate stage ( Does not go wide ,deep or high. ) Like two point sources
- Male vocals can get congested on busy tracks in this case from the lack of balance as it needs more high frequency energy.
- Cable is Non Detachable Cable no complaints on the quality as it seems to tangle free and terminated with a gold plated 3.5mm Single Ended Cable ( Non Balanced )
- EARTIPS - Now here is the big one , the Dumpling comes with 3 sets of different sizes S/M/L as for the tips and they are quite long and accommodate sliding over the entire end of the IEM. The width I measured at 7.25mm huge; and as such it makes tip rolling aftermarket tips a challenge some will work but many others simply not designed to stretch that wide. So really your stuck with provided set.

EVALUATION SCORE FOR SOUND IMPRESSIONS: 1-10 ( 1 Lowest - Poor 10 Highest - Mind Blown )
OVERALL SCORE: Out of possible 130 Points : 51/130 39% Rotten Ears Score
BUILD QUALITY: 5
SUB - BASS Quantity: 9
SUB - BASS Quality: 3
MID - BASS Quality: 4
MID - HIGH Quality: 4
TREBBLE: 2
EXTENTION: 2
SEPERATION: 2
STAGE OVERALL SCORE: 2
- WIDTH: 4
- HEIGHT: 2
- DEPTH: 1
COHERIENCY (Drivers Blend in together) : 4
MACRO DYNAMICS: 2
- (How well does the IEM convey a emotional and skillful use of change of volume in the musical piece your listening to make it interesting and bring a tear to your eye.)
- Elements of good Micro-Dynamics (Drums have the snap and impact your feel in your chest and this was observed to be best achieved with a slower attack on the bass notes to add weight and blend the proper attack relative of the rest of the mix; Also how does the IEM express its ability to replay the song mix in a way you can enjoy the dynamics in different volumes not only with the various different instruments ; but as well as give you a sense of space of whether or not your listening to a live recording or a large , medium, small recording studio.
MICRO DYNAMICS: 2
- (How well does the IEM give you the sense of emotion in the overall relay: Does the emotion of the entire song change tone with verses having various rises? Did the engineer make the choruses feel more powerful?)
SOURCE & RECORDING PLAYBACK QUALITY MAKES A MASSIVE DIFFERECE AND ONLY GOOD IEM'S CAN GET HIGH MARKS ON ABOVE!


MY VALUE SCORE: 10
1-20 ( 1 Nobody Should Buy This - 10 Good Value as over-all package this IEM will appeal to some who will love It - 20 ( SOUND/WALLET/EMOTION/FIT/COMFORT )
- ( My score purely subjective to current selling price and competition at time of review)
SUMMARY FOR : KBEAR Dumpling $15 USD - $20 CDN ( Dec 2022 )
- Although these are not my preferred sound signature - Bass is messy and I like way more sparkel and zip inthe highs.
- That being said as the Dumpling may not be for me and if your listening preference matches mine than the Dumpling is a hard pass.
- But if you want a inexpensive set , don't need or want a detachable cable and are fine with the stocktips then OK.
- If you are looking for a small IEM with a easy to listen to sound. Warmer Male vocals and highs not designed for non treble heads then THIS IS A GOOD ONE TO LOOK AT!
NON AFFILIATED PURCHASE LINK:
KEEPHiFi in-Ear Earbuds-[KBEAR Dumplings] HiFi Earphone, Stereo Wired in Ear Headphones Beautiful Vocals Powerful Resolution Noise Isolating Headsets with HD Microphone (Pink with mic) https://a.co/d/96qV5AU

Hello, I'm Ah Hui aka Mr Wong. I'm a K-pop fan and audiophile from Malaysia.

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to KBear for Sending me this review unit and giving me the opportunity to review the Kbear dumpling .
This is my few time working with kbear I remember my first time reviewing their IEM called Kbear Diamond .thanks again to them sending me their IEM to me .I'm very excited to review this .











PACKAGING :
Simple and small size box . Inside consists of the kbear Dumpling, few eartips ,operating manual . The unboxing experience is about average.

Configuration of IEM : 6mm Composite Diaphragm configuration.

Price of IEM : US 15.99 from kbear official store .

Comfort: Comfort is great. Fitment is great too ..Suggest play around eartips to giving better fitment .

Design : bullet and metal feel design .

PRO:
details retrieval decent ,narrow and deep soundstage , punchy layered bass , sweet vocal present , treble well extended .
CONS:
treble clarity about average , bad BA timbre , male vocal bleeding

**Disclaimer : This reviews done by using IFI idsd nano black label with stock eartips
BASS: The bass here is feel punchy , deep rumbly and layered . When I listen to STAYC - Beautiful monster ,I can feel the sub bass is deep ,rumbly ,layered ..

MIDS : forward mids present ,sweet present of female vocal .When i listen to this Female Vocal track called STAYC - I LIKE IT . I really enjoy the vocal present on here as it is forward , sweet present here .However I feel slightly sibilance .How about male vocal ? male vocal is bleeding when I listen sabia - angel ..

High :treble well extended but the timbre is about average

SOUNDSTAGE : it is deep and narrow when I listen sabia angel I can feel the soundstage is deep and narrow but not enough space present

IMAGING : it's about decent .When I listen to Sabia - angle i can pinpoit the guitar on left and right side , the singer centered on stage with great stereo positioning .

Details : detail retrieval here is about average When I listen to some tracks, I can't pick up on the micro-details.

Overall i can recommend this IEM if you prefer casual listen if you accept bad treble clarity ..

interesting ?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004779380896.html
4 / 5 star .

KBear Dumpling ($18)​

The KBear Dumpling (Silver version no mic) came to me from the good people of KBear as a review sample and I am very grateful for that. Without question this fact does not affect my integrity at all. Of course, I will always perform a fair review and speak on exactly what I hear. The Black version with the mic I purchased just for review purposes off of Amazon US.

The Dumpling is a tiny little set of iems which came at the same time as the Rosefinch which I am reviewing aswell. Kbear is doing some things right in my opinion. They aren’t trying to please everyone lately. Which I consider a good thing. I don’t know if this is by design or not. KBear is creating iems with specific targets which perform pretty nice for what they are. Again, today I am reviewing the Dumpling. An extremely small set of bullet style (#smalleargang) fixed cable iems with a completely catchy look to them. The Dumpling pack a good punch within this tiny shell and look pretty nice too. Let’s take a look.

Gear used
–Shanling UA2
–Fiio Btr7
–Ibasso DX240 w/ Amp8 MK2

Kbear Dumpling Full Review

Packaging​

Nothing too crazy to report here. The packaging consists of a small box which houses the fixed cable earphones (Dumpling) and a few pairs of the specialty tips. That’s about it. I’m happy about it.

[IMG alt="This picture is of what you will recieve inside the box of the KBear Dumpling. This is all of the contents within the packaging.
"]https://mltcbgwbnckx.i.optimole.com/w:auto/h:auto/q:mauto/f:avif/https://i0.wp.com/mobileaudiophile.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/20221014_162530.jpg?resize=1024,1024&is-pending-load=1#038;ssl=1[/IMG]

Build/Durability/Design/Look/Fit ​

Build/Durability ​

The actual build quality is average. KBear made the Dumpling with an all-metal design for a very well-constructed Shell and nozzle. The only thing which gives me pause is there is no relief for the cable entering the earphones which could be a place of failure down the road. I see no other design issues as far as build quality goes. This set should be as durable as we treat them. This is more of a “toss in a bag and go” type of set and so I don’t anticipate them lasting forever.

Design/Look​

I love the design of the Dumpling. These have a very striking and cool appearance to me. Just all together unique. I love that they created something so tiny yet so clean looking. You can wear the Dumpling over the ear or hanging down but obviously this set was made to be cable down. The metal shell is so very small yet looks so sleek and slick looking.

The Kbear Dumpling comes in both Silver and Black colorways. I purchased the black version (w/mic) for review purposes along with the silver review unit given to me by KBear. The nozzles aren’t typical as in 99.9% of all earphones. This is simply the shell and nozzle all in one plane. They were able to do this due to the very narrow size of the set and the tiny 6mm driver housed within. This makes the nozzle a BIT large. Of course, the tips also have to have a very wide stem to accommodate the nozzle. Here’s to hoping the included tips work for you. They fit me just fine thankfully.

What’s inside​

The Kbear Dumpling employs a 6mm “Peptide Dome” Composite Diaphragm Single Dynamic Driver. This shell is very miniscule and so a 6mm really is the largest KBear could do before they completely have to change up the design.

Cable​

The one knock on the KBear Dumpling (really isn’t a horrible con) is the fact that this set has a non-detachable fixed cable. I have no real issue with it though as I know who this set is for, and what it is. I find the cable is perfectly fine. The cable itself is a pure copper wire covered in a thick black coating which in my opinion makes for a fantastic feeling cable. I hate…EHEMM…I detest… a cable that won’t wrap up nicely. Hate it! What I enjoy is this excellent feeling smooth cable and the ease with which it wraps up for safe keeping. A well-made cable for the most part. Feels smooth and soft and it is pliable and honestly feels better than it should.

Another slight knock is what I already highlighted, that is, there is no relief where the cable goes into the earphones themselves. I would probably go gentle on this area if possible.

Fit​

The fit is fantastic for me. In fact, I find it difficult that anyone would not get a decent seal and good fit. Unless of course the nozzle is too much for a smaller ear. However, you’d have to have extremely small ear holes for this to be an issue. All subjective but I think I speak for the collective on this one fellas…. the fit is nice.

Another great thing about the fit is, the Kbear Dumpling is nice for sleeping. At least for my ears they are nice for laying on my side and dozing off without any issue.

Drivability ​

The Dumpling is easy to drive from most any source. If you are part of the 1% of people who actually have a 3.5 input on your mobile phone, then I believe you will be happy here. This set is rated at 32 ohms and a sensitivity of 118 db.’s so driving this set shouldn’t be a problem. Whether I listened on my IPad 2018, Shanling UA2, Fiio Btr7 or Ibasso Dx240 I had zero issue. I also don’t think a more powerful source really upgrades the sound quality. The Dumpling really is a nice set of cheap in ears for a student or a throw in the bag set to not have to worry about. Drivability is no issue.

Quick Sound Impressions​

The Dumpling has a warmer than neutral tonality with a very smooth and non-fatiguing delivery. No real rough edges at all. The midrange is recessed in a typical V-shaped style. The treble has nice extension and even a decent emphasis out in the highest of highs. Details aren’t going to amaze yet the Dumpling isn’t completely devoid of them. For a quick impression I’d say the Dumpling has a nice V-shaped sound for the money KBear is asking.

​

Bass​

I enjoy the fact that KBear chose to give the Dumpling some thump, some beef in the low end. I really think this is a good decision based on who this set would likely attract in the market. College kids, school agers who need a cheap set of in-ears. The bass is full and rotund, and I think is the focal point of the Dumpling.

The bass is very well extended and rumbly in the lowest of lows. The sub-bass reaches deep but the Dumpling doesn’t have the most haptic feeling or physicality in the bass region. The mid-bass has plenty of boom infused slam and even has some punch to it. Hip-hop will play well on the Dumpling among other genres which cater to a boosted low end. There is good energy in the lows, but it isn’t the most detail oriented or layered bass regions either. There is a soft note edge for the most part. I’d also have to say that the mid-bass does bleed-over a bit into the Mids. For the price the low end is fun and has a bunch of oomph yet falls short of bass-head levels for me. This is a bass for the masses… in classes.

Midrange​

Low-mids​

The midrange is bolstered and thickened by some carry over from the bass as males have a hefty warmth to them while clarity slightly suffers a bit. The low-mids have a nice enough presence to them in the midst of a recession in this region. Yes, there is an emphasis from the bass to a degree but there is also a slight lack of clarity to my ear. Note weight is nice as there is definitely a fullness to the sound.

Females in the upper-mids​

Females have good energy but without much shine and eloquence. Almost as though the low end is affecting the upper-mids as well by casting a bit of a veiled sound and not allowing females to shimmer with clarity. Instruments seem to take on the same expression as the rest of the midrange. For the asking price the mids aren’t even close to bad but there are iems in the price point which seem to specialize in this area.

There are some fantastic positives, however. First, you won’t hear any sibilance at all. Second, the greater majority of the Dumpling’s playback is non-fatiguing and mostly easy listening. You won’t get glared out too often with the Dumpling. Third, this is only an $18 iem! At this price it sounds just fine.

Treble​

The treble is extended well enough into the air region with information coming in pretty clear in the upper treble. There is an emphasis in the mid-treble as well as the highest areas of the frequency to add a bit of life up top. Yet, for the most part there is a rather restrained upper 3rd of the mix. I’d say the treble really isn’t too bad and makes for another easy listening and fatigue free sound which caters to long sessions among other things. Again, no sibilance caused from the treble and for the most part the sound is smooth and polite. Not bad at all.

The only real issue with the treble is what sounds like a lack in the presence region and looking at a graph recently it appears that is the case. This does dull the sound a bit but truthfully, this set is probably exactly what KBear tuned it to be; easy going, fatigue free and born and bred for some thumpy and long listening sessions.

Technicalities​

Technically speaking the Dumpling won’t deliver the most detailed playback on planet earth, but is anyone expecting that. For the price and bracket the Dumpling resides in they are average. Details come through best in the treble area I’d say. Soundstage is more closed in, width and height seem average and there is a small amount of depth as well. Imaging actually isn’t too bad which rides the coattails of the decent separation of elements on the imaginary stage. Average all the way around. By the way, average is good for $18.

​

Conclusion​

To conclude this review, I want to cast all doubt aside that this set isn’t a decent to good option for what it is for. It is a very slick looking and very comfortable little iem. The Dumpling is perfect for sleeping, long listening sessions, schoolwork, movies & videos and simply just tossing it in a bag and moving throughout your day. We have to understand as reviewers what the intent was for the product under review. If we don’t then we can easily miss-characterize and cast shade through the lenses of what it is that we intend for the product to be. I just think this is a mistake and all too often we see it.

Who is the Dumpling for? ​

Make zero mistakes. The Dumpling is not some audiophile born masterpiece created for us to pick apart through a hyper-zoomed lens. This set is for the kids who just need an iem which won’t kill their wallet. This set is for those who cannot afford higher tier stuff and who enjoy a tuning meant for mass appeal and big bass. There are many people who this is for. Who it isn’t for is… Mr. Audiophile. Ain’t for you dude. Honestly, the Dumpling is a very well-done iem for a low budget, fixed cable, worn down, extremely comfortable and very uniquely styled fun little set. I’d say that KBear nailed this one!

Of course, KBear could spend more time and resources dialing in the tuning to draw it a bit closer to a higher sonic standard. However, I can promise that my 17-year-old son is not going to dig some audiophile tuning… not gonna happen folks. He wants beefed up bass and something easy to keep in his pocket… that’s it. Also, the tuning and the package is right where it should be priced at. The Dumpling isn’t “punching above their price” in sonics, but as a whole package they are certainly worth the asking price.

Don’t just take my word for it… ​

I hope you won’t take my word for it alone. Please take in other thoughts and reviews before making a purchasing decision. This is the most subjective and personal of hobbies and I implore you to get to know reviewers and their tastes, their libraries and their gear. We are all different, thank God for that. With that said, I want to thank anyone who chose to read any word that I write. I put a lot of time into my reviews and really enjoy sharing my thoughts with all you awesome people. Please take good care and stay safe everyone.

Disclaimer:

• Keephifi sent this unit to me in an exchange for an honest, unbiased review. Rest assured that this review will be free from any bias/es as much as possible.

• 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, 5 days.

Source/s used:

• Hiby R3 Pro Saber
• VE MEGATRON USB DAC
• Tempotec Sonata HD V
• Cyberdrive Feather DAC
• Non-HiFi smartphone (Infinix Note 12 G96, Samsung Galaxy A6 (2018)
• Local Files via Foobar and Roon, YouTube Music, Deezer, and Qobuz with UAPP.

IEM/Earbud/Setup configuration: Stock large eartips, stock cable, any form of EQ or MSEB off, 40-60% volume, both high and low gain, with and without extra amplification.

==============================================================================
Sound signature:

• The KBEAR Dumpling shares the same warm-v/u shaped sound signature just like what you’ll hear with its sibling, the Little Q. However, this sounds better in some aspects, particularly in its technical and treble performance.

Lows:

• The lows here are elevated, maybe more or less elevated than the Little Q, but not as elevated when compared to the Rosefinch. Still, I can still say that this can satisfy bassheads on a budget as it really packs the punch and rumble needed for EDM and bass heavy tracks. Being subbass dominant, some people may find the bass a bit soft to their liking. However, the Dumpling made up for it by presenting the bass with an average decay.

Mids:

• As for the mids, the Dumpling exhibits recession, with some midbass bleed, making the vocals sound thicker than usual but not to the point that they are muddy or muffled. Male vocals and instruments still have good definition, but with added thickness. Upper mids here are a bit elevated when compared to the lower mids, with good clarity, air and sparkle. The Dumpling avoided any peaks, sibilance, or harshness present here, making it enjoyable for long listening sessions, or even when sleeping (yes, I have slept with these on for three nights as I write this review).

Treble:

• The treble is slightly elevated here, and extends quite better than the Little Q, which also adds a bit of energy. Despite being not as relaxed when compared to the Little Q, this still is smooth and non fatiguing. Detail retrieval is average and can present the majority of the details clearly and sufficient. Still, I wouldn’t call this a detail monster or a “heart mirror in a bullet form” since this is geared towards longer listening sessions, commutes, and sleeping, apparently.

Technicalities:

• The soundstage is average, with above average expansion, depending on the track played and paired. It is wider than deep and has good height for its price. Separation is average and may experience some difficulties managing very busy tracks. Imaging is also more accurate than precise as it presents vocal and instrumental positioning clearly.

Pros:

• A more mature and better sounding Little Q.
• All-rounder sound signature.
• Elevated, fairly controlled lows.
• Lush, thick mids.
• Non-fatiguing treble.
• Good technical performance for its price.
• Sturdy, well-built build quality (can literally carry a container full of water according to their promotional video).
• Non-bulky, comfortable fit.
• Decent set of eartips.

Cons:

• There is a midbass bleed that is evident on very busy tracks.
• Since the IEM itself is literally the nozzle, some eartips may not fit the Dumpling when ear tip-rolling.
• A pouch/shirt clip/chin slider would be a treat for everybody (my nitpick)

The KBEAR Dumpling really shows how an IEM can sound really good and cater the masses for a very affordable price. This IEM improves most of the Little Q’s shortcomings and puts in a quite unique, bullet-type form factor. I mean, the IEM itself is literally the nozzle. I find myself using these whenever I just want to listen to music casually, watch movies, listen to podcasts, to sleep, or even play games on my phone. Sometimes I also use this whenever I am too lazy to use my Etymotic ER3SE. I’m not saying that this is an alternative for the ER3SE (obviously), but I just love how it makes up for it by being very reliable, especially when going to places when isolation is really needed.


Pairing recommendation/s:

• Source: The KBEAR Dumpling is very easy to drive. Your smartphone or any dongle is more than enough for this IEM.

• Eartips: The eartips included are more than fine for most use-case scenarios. However, the nozzle (or the IEM itself) is quite big and may not fit most aftermaket eartips. I find KBEAR’s own 07 eartips fits it really well, or maybe the TRI Clarion (I haven’t tested it though, I am just basing on the official photos, so proceed in your own risk).

Thank you for reading!

Non-affiliated link here!: https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-Kbear.../dp/B0B9Y14PWC/

Additional Photos Here:

The KBear Dumpling like the Little Q comes in a tiny box with simple graphics and a few tips of various sizes, the tips are good quality, and the cable is sturdy and thick considering how small these are. Isolation was far better than average, and comfort was as well.

Sound: The Dumpling isn't as warm as the Q but still has good Bass. Bass is punchy yet controlled and Mid-Bass just hits a little harder than Sub. Mids are forward and have a fair number of details, they sound natural and thick, the treble is above average but stays within a comfortable range. soundstage is adequate and has good imaging. It's hard to find fault with this budget IEM, it has a rich and moderately detailed signature and for the cost I find it to be pretty good.