KBEAR INK--8.8mm DLC Diaphragm Wired In Ear Earphone

KBEar Ink

TOTAL SCORE: 32.5 out of 50


WHO THIS UNIT IS FOR:

• Dirty V-Shape Enjoyers
• People who like microdetails in the upper frequencies
• People who are immune to shout and sibilance
• People who like a well built IEM
• People who want a lot of accessories

WHO THIS UNIT ISN’T FOR:

• People who like a lot of details and wide stage
• People who are sensitive to treble
• People who don’t like recessed and dry-sounding mids
• People that like a lot of bass texture and details
• People who hate thick cables and hefty IEMs

FAVORITE GENRES ON THE SET

• HipHop
• Certain JPOP
• EDM and other electronic music with an emphasis on bass and treble
• R&B

“When the world tells you to change, it pays to be yourself to be different”

With the current state of the budget in-ear market, it really makes one wonder what the future holds for us. It's exciting to see what companies are doing now to keep up with the competition. Whether that would be implementing the newest driver technology or revolutionizing the certain targets that have been around. Others, on the other hand, follow a simpler philosophy. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Will such philosophy prove to stand the test of
tough competition?

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐒:
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘒𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘪 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘳. 𝘌𝘪𝘫𝘪 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦, 𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘌𝘔 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘌𝘔. 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘳; 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦.


SOURCES USED:

• Zishan U1
• Not-by-VE Abigail
• Poco M3

OTHER ACCESSORIES:

• Stock KBEar07 in medium
• Stock cable

TEST TRACKS:
NOTE: The playlist below may contain a mixture of MP3, FLAC and potentially DSD Files

Spotify Playlist:


Document explaining what to look for in each track:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oMa7GPLaqtpnnoR9tixvWI4aK-7tXMyTEZCJAVkIZx0/edit?usp=sharing

According to HifiGo, KBEar is a HiFi earphone brand founded in 2014 by the Chinese company Shenzhen Lingyin Technology Co., Ltd. They were formed by a young team of audiophiles with an aim to design high-fidelity audio earphones and cables at affordable prices. They are known for their quite wide array of products ranging from cables and other accessories to multidriver IEMs. They also have a subbrand named TRI which focuses more on cables.

So far, the only KBEar product I've spent a considerable amount of time with is the KBEar Little Q which I found to be a considerable bullet-in-ear option under the $20 segment. I have heard from other reviewers that KBEar has a house sound that may or may not be for you. So let's find out together whether the KBEar Ink can also be an option in the under $80 segment.


UNBOXING



Before we view the IEMs themselves, let's take a look at the box and its contents

The box comes in a pretty considerable size, coming in at 22 x 11.5 x 4.5 cm. With this size, you’re bound to expect that it would come with a lot of goodies.

Looking at the form and design, the box is covered with a square cardboard sleeve. The top shows the KBEar Logo, a tactile hexagon design, and INK printed on the very right. The sides of the cardboard are plain and the sides are open for access to the box. Under the cardboard sleeve are the necessary details such as the address of KBEar, certifications, and the specs of the IEM and cable

Opening the sleeve reveals the box with a nicely textured design that feels grippy to the touch. On top of the box is KBEar’s logo in gold print while the sides have KBEar’s website printed in the same gold color.

Opening the box splits the box into two pieces. The top cover and the bottom contains the IEMs and the bottom compartment that holds all the unit and the accessories





As I received this unit already opened, my initial experience with the presentation was with the Ink’s inside the leather pouch and the entire top section clean besides the leather pouch. So for aesthetic purposes, I have laid out what I would assume the position of the initial unboxing experience would be.

The box includes a nice-looking faux leather pouch with KBEar’s logo embedded on the middle. Under the leather pouch, the tips, cleaning brush, and cloth are located. In total, there are 8 pairs of silicone buds that come with the unit. There are 3 wide-bored in the SML sizing while the rest seems to be their famous KBEar 07 in S, M, L, and XL sizes. Under that is the warranty card


Overall, the unboxing experience was quite the treat and I would say it has got to be one of the most jam-packed unboxing experiences I’ve had so far. I would go as to say that this is one of the most keepable boxes out of all the IEMs I’ve had so far as it would be a great showpiece to display in your living room or bedroom. The combination of the cardboard sleeve and the minimalist box offers quite a premium presentation. If I were to nitpick, I would say that they could have also used a cardboard or velvet material on the inside of the box to really sell that premium unboxing experience.

BUILD AND FIT: 7 out of 10



Starting with the cable, its technical specifications describe it to be an 8-core OFC silver plated wire of about ~1.2m in length.

The jack comes in 3.5mm and is gold plated with the body painted in black. KBEar’s name is printed on the side with small creases on the sides separating the 3.5mm jack and the jack tail.

This then leads to the quite beautifully braided black 8-core cable that leads to the splitter. The splitter is colored the same black as the jack and has the KBEar logo. It sports a similar crease over the entire splitter similar to the jack. This is also where a pretty standard-looking and feeling circular chin cinch is. The chin cinch thankfully has sections that hug each strand which helps in holding the cable down more efficiently

The wire splits to a 4 core per side that leads to the well-done pre-formed ear hook to the relatively standard-looking 2-pin modules.

Now, to the unit themselves.


KBEar Ink sports a 2.5D arc high transparent epoxy resin faceplate, one-piece molding alloy cavity, and a “precision” brass nozzle.

Observing the units further, the faceplate includes a hexagonal design with a predominantly grey color. Blue lines appear near the outer hexagons and the KBEar name is printed on both sides with a yellow/gold color.

Under the faceplate is the metal shell or “cavity” that is akin to their previous releases, namely the KBEar Believe and Diamond. According to KBear, it was optimized to give full play to the 8.8mm DLC Diaphragm that is at the heart of the Ink. A single vent is located across the sunken 2-pin connector which also has the side indicator printed between the two. The overall shape is on a smoother side as the shell is devoid of fins that other IEMs have to compensate for the shape of the ear. Lastly, we reach the brass nozzle which is a completely separate piece from the shell.



The overall build quality of the KBEar Ink is outstanding. From the cable to the IEM itself, I was completely astonished by how well-built the unit is.

Unsurprisingly coming from KBEar, their cables are robust. They are thick and durable feeling without being too overwhelmingly heavy or stiff. Each strand feels just right without being too thin to compensate for the thicker braid. Speaking of the braid, it feels very smooth and well braided with no visible kinks in both the 8-core and the two 4-core sections. The jack, splitter, and 2-pin connectors are also well made with the small creases offering a better grip when removing and plugging the jack or adjusting the chin cinch. The preformed ear hooks are also comfortable as I never felt any pressure points regardless of how long I wore the Ink.



The IEMs themselves were no slouches either as the combination of a resin faceplate and aluminum shell made it feel very premium to the touch. Holding the Ink for the first time completely shook me, especially coming after the BQEYZ Topaz and the Tangzu Zetian Wu which were primarily using resin material for their shells and metal faceplates. If I’ll be honest, this is one of the most premium feeling IEMs I’ve tried purely for how well built it feels. The fitting is also very good as the absence of the fins allowed for fewer pressure points in my ear. Lastly, the brass nozzle is just the right length and radius for my ears in combination with the included tips (both the wide-bore and KBEar 07). Overall, I have to commend KBear for a very well-made IEM with the KBear Ink. If I were to nitpick, the hexagon design on the faceplate could have definitely been executed better as I found the design to be pretty underwhelming.


Sound: 25.5 out of 40

Sound Signature:

• Bright V-Shaped

Drivability:

• Very easy to drive but makes the treble more bearable and the mids less thin sounding on a powerful source.

Bass: 7 out of 10

• An elevated overall bass section in the frequency
• A good amount of rumble, but not basshead level
• Sufficient midbass kick, but slightly lacks in texture and detail making instruments like bass guitars, cellos, and lower registers of electric guitars sound a bit dull or muffled
• Elevation in the bass slightly bleeds into the lower mids

Pretty traditional v-shaped tuned bass with its entire spectrum boosted significantly enough to affect the rest of the frequencies. Despite the sacrifices it has made to boost that bass, it still doesn’t sound enough for me to be a proper basshead set as the rumble and texture of instruments. Particularly on tracks like Savant’s Witchcraft which usually has a very well-textured and layered bass that you really can both feel and hear, the KBEar Ink does only a decent job of depicting such complexity. Thankfully, it can still make a track like Sustainer by Savant sound dynamic and quite satisfying (possibly thanks to its upper mids emphasis but we’ll get to that later). Overall though, I expected this kind of elevated but somewhat subdued bass quality coming from KBEar, but I would love for them to try something more along the lines of truly a dirty bass. If they were to keep this somewhat smoother, sub-bass-oriented tuning, improvements in detail and quality of the bass speed are definitely needed as I find the bass to have just a sufficient amount of sub-bass for the amount of texture and detail is achieved

Mids: 5 out of 10

• Very dry and recessed overall sounding
• Male vocals are pulled back and occasionally lack body even with the midbass bleed
• Details are very subpar in this region, particularly anything guitar, synths, pianos, and vocal nuance in the lower registers
• Unnaturally forward and borderline shouty upper mids that make female vocals not only sound unnaturally forward and occasionally shrill and shouty

Yikes. I feel as if this had a larger driver, this would be borderline unlistenable and I would have had a bad time reviewing the unit. But thankfully, my shout-exposed ears just managed to hear through this mids of Ink as it was overall unbearable to listen on certain tracks. I will give credit where it’s due if you come from the old KZs, CCAs, or TRNs, this would not be far off from your experiences. But whether you enjoy that is beyond me. Lower mids are distant and unbodied especially on busy tracks while upper mids have an insanely forward presentation that even for someone like me who likes a forward upper mids to make female vocals shine, was way too much. Necry Talkie’s “You Should Head North” which is my primary shout test track was not a good experience as Mossa’s vocals were both dry and scratchy sounding due to her high notes being overly forward and shouty which forces you to lower the volume quite a significant amount when listening to that and the rest of the tracks in their album, “ZOO!!”. Overall, not a good experience. Only saved by the fact that lower mids don’t sound as bloated as I expected them to be and I can get a decent experience with instrumentals and naturally forward male vocals and the details that the upper mids can occasionally offer. Tracks that have the upper mids pulled back sound good with the Ink, especially when synths and electric guitars are concerned as they pull out the microdetails in those instruments.

Treble: 7 out of 10

• Decent extension
• Instances of sibilances that may be unbearable for some
• Surprisingly nice amount of microdetails
• Good amount of headspace and air

As someone who can bear a significant amount of treble, I will say this is almost close to how I like my treble done. Weird to say after absolutely disliking the mids I know. Regardless, I should state that the treble is definitely peaky and sibilant to some tracks that are most likely unbearable for some. Personally, this elevated treble is fine for me. This leads me to the surprisingly good amount of microdetails in the lower to middle treble. This is most likely due to its elevated nature which forces some instruments to be forward and shows pretty great detail. This comes at the cost that it sounds unnatural, but treble heads may enjoy this quality of treble. The air region is sufficient enough for me as there is a sense of headroom that makes pulls some instruments out of your head. Cymbals, hi-hats, and air instruments have a surprisingly nice amount of micro details but may come across as splashy to some. But overall, the treble response may be too hot and intense to some while being just right to people like me. It’s not clean and sibilance is quite frequent, but its hefty microdetail capabilities and a good sense of air make the treble quite enjoyable to listen to particularly on tracks with recessed treble.

Soundstage, imaging, and separation: 6.5 out of 10

• Good height and depth, but width needs work
• Imaging is a hit or miss depending on the instruments at hand
• Good separation on less complex tracks, but suffers on busier tracks

Its overall technicalities surprised me both in a good way and a bad way. The lower registers were quite disappointing with how details, separation, and staging were handled (with the exception of a decent amount of bass depth) but the upper registers offered an expansive feel (probably due to the treble elevation). I would still say it's about average in its total detail retrieval, but that treble really makes up for its microdetails. Separation is surprisingly nice on synths and guitars are I can quite easily separate those particular instruments, due in part to the recessed mids which makes some songs sound uneven in terms of separation.


COMPARISON:

vs BQEYZ Topaz ($89)

• Topaz sports an almost L-shaped tuning while the Ink is Bright V-Shaped
• Bass texture and quality are better on topaz while Ink offers a smoother, sub-bass-oriented sound
• Mids sounds more bodied and detailed on Topaz without any noticeable peaks while Ink offers a more forward and engaging upper mids (which is essentially a double-edged sword)
• Treble is better extended but also more prone to sibilant on the Ink while the Topaz sounds duller but smoother
• Technicalities are better on the Topaz with better overall detail retrieval, staging, imaging, and separation on all aspects compared to Ink

vs Tin T3+ ($79)

• T3+ is closer to a Harman style tuning compared to Ink’s V-Shape
• T3+ bass is overall smoother and better detailed than Ink
• Mids are also smoother, better body, and less recessed on the T3+ compared to the Ink.
• No shout on the T3+ while still providing good body and forwardness for female vocals compared to Ink
• Treble is better extended but also more sibilant on Ink compared to T3+
• Overall technicalities besides microdetails are better on T3+

VERDICT:



As I personally enjoy a taste of V-Shape myself every once and a while, I found myself to be enjoying the KBEar Ink during my first few hours of listening. But due to the aggressive upper mids and occasionally sibilant treble, I found myself unable to listen to the Ink for long periods of listening. The very dry and recessed mids also make certain genres sound flat and unengaging to listen to, particularly vocal-centric tracks. I was honestly expecting more note weight for how commanding the bass region was, but mid-bass generally lacked authority and detail.

Coming back to my question earlier about whether the philosophy of not fitting with the trends of the time would prove to be sustainable, it would definitely fall to the consumer to judge as to whether their needs align with their needs. KBEar Ink offers a familiar but also aggressive V-Shaped tuning that we have heard years prior while providing accessories that are very generous even for the under $80. But it’s very clear that KBEar will struggle if we’re talking about the just IEMs themselves, I personally think that the Ink is not competitive in terms of technical ability against those that precede it. Regardless, the Ink still provides an option for those who like a nice bass experience and spicy upper mids. If anything, this will at least write itself in ink for being a complete package that offers a lot!

If you're interested to buy the KBEar Ink, you may get buy one through a non-affiliated link to Keephifi
https://keephifi.com/products/kbear-ink

Thank you for taking the time to read my review! Please consider liking and following my Facebook page below if you want to see more audio review content from me. Thank you and have a nice day!

https://www.facebook.com/OB.ODIO

Introduction​

Hello Everyone welcome to my Review. Today we will have the KBEAR INK. I already have experience with the brand and honestly, it surprised me with their releases now with this set it’s a new experience for me. Now, let’s start this review with my exciting emotions and take,

Background about me and personal taste in music.​

I am a student and currently a hobbyist in the world of audio. When it comes to my sound library. I am more in anime songs and jpop artists (but not all jpop artists). To all my fellow anime fans, even otaku or weeb expect me to put anime references in my reviews by using anime music. The KBEAR INK somewhat reminds me of Release the Spyce lol.

Personal Sound Preference​

mid-centric guy. or neutral balanced with an emphasis in the mids. This KBEAR INK does not provide those aspects; I will explain it further in this review.

Disclaimers.​

I would like to thank hifigo and sir Eiji Romero for arranging this Tour
We have different audio perspective and beliefs
The KBEAR INK I have is a tour UNIT
I am a hobbyist and budget reviewer so expect that my take are based on my budget setup
All my reviews are my own, I didn’t gain any monetary reward in this review.

Click to expand...

Sound Signature​

The sound of these pairs is V-Shape according to my ears and sources. Honestly, even if it's V-Shape it feels like not a V-Shape sounding.

Package​

it has a great Package and unboxing experience. The feel for me is very explosive and extraordinary.

inside the box is the following​

• cleaning cloth
• cleaning brush
• IEM leather case
• Eartips package
• paper for instructions and warranty
• 8-core stock cable
• the iem itself

Eartips​

Honestly, I didn’t test all the ear tips. since I have the Eartips that I always use. and one of them is KBEAR O7 eartips and it’s included in the eartips package. The KBEAR 07 I have is bought with my money and I didn’t use the ones in the eartips package.

Cable​

The Stock cable is an 8-Core and honestly, it feels great and is very durable. I am not a cabling expert so I explained it so short lol,

Lows/Bass​

The pair has great bass and is very responsive. It has great punch and attack that bass lovers will like. For some, the bass is very overwhelming but for that. I don't have to say since I enjoyed the bass of this pair. Even though I am a former V-Shape listener, I find this pair to have bass bleed in busy tracks and modern tracks.

MIdrange​

Since the pair is a V-Shape sounding pair. I expected the KBEAR INK to have recessed midrange. after listening to the pair it's not that recessed it is still hearable. Male vocals have that decent power and depth but it's not that forward in the track. female vocals have forward bright and airy. but it has a feel of being forceful. in terms of instruments string instruments like violin it has a sound metallic and glassy while the acoustic guitar sounds dry it lacks brilliance for me.

High range​

it has the sparkle I want in my tracks but I find the sparkle too much making it out of control. In terms of extension, it's decent for me. Treble sensitive might find the treble to be sibilant and peaky. since it has upper mid-peak and it has prominent sibilance in any track

SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING, SEPARATION, DETAILS​

The soundstage is decent. It has average width and space. Imaging it's decent the type is more in stereo setup but in some tracks, it's hard to locate the right placements of instruments and the vocalist. In a band setup explanation sometimes the arrangement is fine at first. but in the long run, it becomes unstable losing momentum, Separation is decent you can somewhat hear the instruments but not clearly the style of it is very congested. Details are somewhat decent macro details are more prominent compared to micro details that are minimal

Closing​

For me, this is a fun set and it has the vibes of a party goer for casual use this will be my other choice of set.

Final Remarks​

• Bass: 3/5
• mids:2.6/5
• highs:2.8/5

Test Tracks​

• chikichikibanban-Queendom[Hi-Res]
• The Queen of white- Date a bullet music [CD-Quality]
• infermata-Spotlight kids[HI-Res]
• Villian Vibes-Amalee and mori calliope. [CD-Quality]
• cha la head cha la- cover by amalee[CD-Quality]
• Gimme X Gimme-Hachioji-P and Giga-P.{Cd-quality]
• Inner Urge-Sumire Uesaka[CD-Quality]
• Round and Round-Merm4id[Hi-Res]
• Life Will Change-Cover by Amalee[CD-Quality]
• Yona Yona Journey / TAKU INOUE & Mori Calliope[Hi-Res]
• Tribes by Victory Worship[CD-Quality]
• For your Purpose by Victory worship,Lee Simon Brown[CD-Quality]

My Testing Audio equipment.​

• Abigail by non-VE
• UAPP-USB Audio Player Pro
• Roon-Music player and streaming software
• ES-Pro 9318-sabre DAC 9318
• OPPO A95- 3.5 headphone jack.

Welcome mates to my another IEM review article and I'll do a product assessment from KBEar, The KBEar Ink.


I did some previous product reviews for KBEar before and I actually like how KBEar prepares a reasonable packaging on their products as they are one of the most generous audio companies when it comes to a number of inclusions. And KBEar Ink is no different as it is loaded with accessories.






KBEar Ink is a single dynamic driver set-up. Its transducer inside is an 8.8mm dynamic driver with Diamond-like carbon diaphragm (DLC) that we all know that delivers a faster fate of vibration to reduce the possible loss of sound transmission and at the same time for less distortion. Some of my favourite single DD IEMs are of DLC diaphragm dynamic drivers so I am aware of how it performs.


The shell housing of KBEar Ink is made of two parts, an aluminium alloy mould on its cavity base and an epoxy resin on its faceplate with very intricate honeycomb design look that gives an assurance to its user that their product is of good quality standard for its build quality and aesthetically-pleasing. The cavity base part of KBEar Ink is somewhat of a matte-finish and it has a vent hole for escaping excess air pressure coming out from its transducer. Like KBEar products, it uses a recessed 2-pin connector that is similar to TFZ's as it is more stable and even sturdier.




As I mentioned a while ago that KBEar Ink has some good bundle inclusions and it was packed in a medium-size packaging box. Its packaging box has a black colour sleeve with print consist of KB Ear logo and the word "INK" at the front and some basic infos of the product like specifications and company address.




Here are the included accessories inside the packaging box:

• KBEar INK IEMs.
• An 8-core litz high purity OFC silver plated black cable.
• A faux-leather IEM storage bag
• Cleaning brush
• Cleaning cloth
• Extra two (2) of black Ear tips of different sizes (small and large)
• 4 pairs of white ear tips of different standard sizes.
• An instruction manual.

With an impedance rating of 16 ohms, KB Ear Ink is an easy to drive as it amplifies well to decent sources like smartphones and tablets. It is loud enough even at 60% of its volume level and it gives a satisfying dynamic sounding experience to its user.


As for tonality, KBEar is more of a V-shaped sound signature as it has a prominent bass, notched midrange and elevated treble. It is somewhat a bright sounding set for a single DD set-up.


Like all my IEM reviews, I will explain what I observe from each part of the audio frequency spectrum.




LOWS/BASS:


This is what I observe on all KBEar products when it comes to its usual tuning and its bass is always boosted. It is punchy and thumpy that makes the overall tuning of KB Ear very enjoyable for casual listening.


It has substantial depth and extension that you will feel its rumbling and roll that defines a good sub bass quantity. Midbass is somehow the most prominent part of mid bass region as it has an adequate texture that gives a more attack of bass kicks to have pounding and sonorous sound, a heavier and broader sound on bass guitar that it has added growl and lastly, a somber and boomy nature of bass baritone vocals.


Due to mid bass boost, I perceive that occurrences of bass bleeds that smudges on the midrange section in some bass-laden tracks. If you are a basshead then you will enjoy this type of tuning.



MIDRANGE:


There is no doubt that this particular part of the frequency range spectrum of KBEar Ink is indeed recessed. Despite that recession it remains to have a sufficient texture that it gives a warm sounding and energetic sound to that gradual rise towards the upper mids.



Male vocals were displayed to have an ample texture to give a more depth and power but they are not presented on a forepart rather than they are on the back or middling. Female vocals shows that have a forward, bright and airy to all types of vocal types from contralto to soprano but it does sometimes give me that leaner, edgy and aggressive one that makes voice quality a bit raspy and shrilly.


As for instruments, strings like acoustic guitar have this crisp and yet somewhat dry sound and violins have that metallic and "glassy" feel for every bow string struck. Percussive like snare and field drums have sharp, bright and hard sound. As for piano, it is leaning towards a brighter tone as it sounds a bit metallic and brilliant.



HIGHS/TREBLE:


As this is one of the prominent emphasis of in general sound of KBEar Ink. It has bright and sheen due to those noticeable peaks on the upper mids to presence treble. Sibilance does really show up on this one and there was some instances of a jarring note that might be an issue to some treble-sensitive individuals.


As for extension and clarity, It has a decent airy and sparkle that cymbals has that shimmer and scintillating sound but sometimes that its gives off a bit too splashy.


Overall, the treble quality is decent but it still needed some improvements.



SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:


This is a bit baffling to me when it comes to this aspect of a comprehensive tuning. Soundstage definitely has an average width, decent depth and good height which I estimate has a proper proportionate sound field. As for imaging, it is as usual stereo panning on an appropriated transition of sound from left to right on how instruments and singers are placed but in some cases it is indistinct I can't clearly define its exact positioning. Separation is decent but layering isn't exactly my ideal on how its frequency layering of each placement of distinct frequent and dynamic of each tone to the overall sonic canvas gives a congested and jumbled sound especially on complex instrumental tracks.


As for coherency due to its single DD set-up, it gives a very cohesive and homogenous performance but I also observed that speed of the driver is more on moderate pace rather than fast compared to most DLCs and it performs more similar to a CNT (Carbon Nanotube) driver.


As for resolution capability, it has decent detail retrieval with good macro dynamic fundamentals that is somewhat impressive for a dynamic driver set. Timbre-wise, it's leaning more on brighter and mellow tone.



PEER COMPARISONS:


Zerest Audio Kagami Plus

• Both are on the same price range but when it comes to packaging and composition of contents, Kagami plus is just a bare bone and too plain compare to the one of the most generous audio companies in the market when it comes to inclusions. Build quality is even better on KBEar INK as it has a combination of aluminium alloy and resin while Kagami plus housing is an ABS plastic that will be problematic in a long run especially if you are in a tropical country.
• Both have distinctive tuning, KBEar INK is more aggressive V-shape tuning while Kagami Plus is more a smoother U-shape sound. Bass is more authoritative on KBEar INK. Mids are more pleasant and sounds more balanced on Kagami Plus but treble extension is better on KBEar INK.
• Technicalities are comparable on both sets from soundstage to imaging but when it comes to resolution capability, KBEar INK is better due to better detail retrieval due to a more sharp and precise definition.

Audiosense AQ0

• As I mentioned, KB Ear is one of the most generous audio companies out there and it also happens that Audiosense is in that category too. AQ0 is a more expensive set compared to KBEar INK. AQ0 is made of high quality resin moulded in a 3D printed process with an eye-pleasing aesthetics while KBEar INK is constructed in a durable composite shell consist of aluminium alloy and resin with also good face plate design so I leave to you this subjective comparison. Stock cable is a bit better on KBEar INK as it has an 8-core and thicker to give a sense of a high quality accessory.
• This is where the aspect where AQ0 tuning is tonally better, it is more refined and more mature tuning as it has more balanced sounding with better bass response, a cleaner and detailed mids and smoother and refined treble quality and even quantity. KBEar INK was simply outclassed on this aspect unless you want a more V-shape sounding IEM.
• Soundstage is even better on AQ0 as it is more spacious and good separation compare to an average width and enough gaps on separation of elements on KB EAR.

To put up my conclusion on KB Ear INK. This set is actually decent given to its price offered to its customer that will be more suitable to budget audio enthusiasts who wants a capable and enjoyable, fun sounding IEM with decent technical capablities.


For sure that in under £82/$100 price range where there are a lot of competitors which also offers other alternative tuning that might sound even better but KBEar INK's main asset to stay relevant on this even tighter audio market was its overall product packaging and presentation with good inclusions of a good quality accessories and a proven "in-house" V-shaped tonality that will give a gratifying and pleasant experience to some casual type listeners who wants a bit better tuning coming out to from a "consumer-grade" tuning for more details and clearer quality.


KB EAR INK is currently price at around £56/US$69.


And also, check out my reviews on other KB Ear products:

• KBEAR KS1
• KBEAR LARK
• KBEAR ROBIN

I hope that you will enjoy reading my content, cheers!



SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: KBEAR INK
IMPEDANCE: 16Ω
SENSITIVITY: 102dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz – 20KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.2M
PIN TYPE: 2-PIN CONNECTOR (0.78mm)
PLUG TYPE: 3.5MM
DRIVER UNIT(S): 1 DYNAMIC DRIVER

Some Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)




Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *

Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **

Mountain - Mississippi Queen *

Queen - Killer Queen **

Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*

Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'

Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'

Pearl Jam - Daughter **

Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *

Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*

Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *

New Order - Blue Monday *

The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *

Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *

The Madness- Buggy Trousers *

Metallica - Motorbreath **

Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *

Destiny's Child - Say My Name *

Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *

Mozart - Lacrimosa *

New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *

Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*

Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *

Exciter - Violence and Force *

Diana Krall - Stop This World **

Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*

Lucretia my Reflection – The Sisters of Mercy **

Suzanne Vega – Luka **


P.S.

I am not affiliated to KBEAR nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.

Once again, I would like to thank Keephifi for providing this review unit, I truly appreciate their generosity towards me and other reviewers.

KBear Ink


⦁ good packaging and presentation

⦁good build quality

⦁decent heft but still comfortable for long sessions

⦁soft cable that transfers no microphonics

⦁3 sets wide bore tip

⦁5 sets narrow bore

⦁filter brush

⦁synthetic leather case

⦁microfiber cloth

The faceplate is stylish while not being too flashy or appearing gaudy, the body features no sharp angles which results in a comfortable fit, I can wear these for long sessions without needing to adjust or remove them. The cable is soft and light and presents no microphonics, the chin slider works perfectly and will stay where you place it. The earhooks sometimes want to sit on top of my ear and not behind them which I expect is a personal issue. I found the yellow included tips fit me the best, I did use them for a few days before switching to my usual foam tips as I generally cannot wear silicone tips without feeling acute discomfort after a few minutes

Lows:
This is an energetic iem, it offers lots of bass. Much more than I would say I normally prefer or rather much more than I am used to. To me the sub bass sounds rich and has decent extension, the mid bass is punchy and can occasionally overpower the singer on particularly busy tracks, but typically feels well controlled in most situations.Songs like the ones listed below really shine because of the qualities mentioned above.CnP - Not YesDon’t Do Math - Not YesTesting - IOAH ft YunhwayBring The Noize - M.I.A

Mids:
The midrange is recessed. Male vocals sound full and natural. When I listen to Queen I feel like the ink does a good job presenting Freddie’s vocals accurately and I notice no offensive characteristics. Female vocals are presented forward in the mix which I appreciate since most of my library features female singers. Listening to some of my favorite Davichi songs, Haeri and Minkyung’s vocals are as sweet as I would expect them to be again I notice no offensive characteristics in the way voices are presented. In a song like Pet - Davichi there is a bassline throughout the song that can feel like it is trying to overpower the singers which is very obvious on the Ink. In Simple Is The Best - Jeong Eun Ji, another song that features noticeable bass parts this is not the case, Eunji is the focus throughout the song.

Highs:
The treble here might be too much for some, in songs with non-ideal mixing like bboom bboom - Momoland the already exaggerated hi-hat becomes unbearable. However on most The Black Dahlia Murder tracks I find the elevated treble a welcome attribute as it really pushes them forward and makes them more easier to notice, they always have really good cymbal work and I appreciate being able to notice it without much effort.





I did all my listening through Spotify using either my galaxy a51 or at my desktop with through my fiio k3.
After spending about two weeks I can say I am decently impressed with the iem, it won't be something I use all the time but when I want something more fun to listen to I will certainly be using this set.

- Disclaimer, the Kbear Ink were provided to me by keephifi free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

KBEAR INK Review


Intro
KBEAR is a brand that most audiophiles/hobbyists in ChiFi should be aware of. This new IEM is a successor to Diamond according to KBEAR. KBEAR Diamond,Believe and Ink they share similar shell design/shape. I have not heard of the other two which is very unfortunate and I hope that I am able to get my hands on them in the near future.

Packaging/Build/Comfort
Packaging and unboxing experience is very good,it came with several sets of eartips,a good looking carrying case,and also a 8 core SPC cable.

INK feels very solid and you can definitely feel the weight when you are holding it in your hand,yet it is very comfortable to wear on your ear. I have no problem wearing them for long listening sessions,I don't feel any discomfort throughout my listening session.



Source
Foobar2k -> Questyle M15 -> KBEAR INK
Foobar2k -> TRI TK2 -> KBEAR INK
Foobar2k -> Moondrop Dawn -> KBEAR INK
Foobar2k -> Onkyo DAC HA200 -> KBEAR INK


Sound
I would describe INK as having a V shaped tuning. The mid range is certainly recessed being a V shaped IEM. This is not to say that being v shaped means that it does not sound good. This is more of a preference rather than good/bad. Tonality is on a slightly brighter side. Bass is thunderous and it does rumble. Timbre is somewhere between cool and warm to me. I have listened to them for about two weeks prior to writing this review

Bass:

• Sub bass has got good rumble and extension,but to my ears,it is nowhere near basshead level
• Mid bass has got good thump and punch,it does occasionally bleeds into the mids as it is not fast enough during complex track
• The bass’s texture is average to my ears,not too thin nor thick

Mids:

• The mid is recessed for sure due to INK being a V shaped IEM
• Vocal positioning is slightly laid back and definitely not intimate
• Male vocal has got good texture and doesn’t sound thin at all
• Female vocal sounds thicker than male,Adele and Kate Bush sounds fantastic on this due to the slight upper mids boost

Highs:

• As expected from a V shaped tuning, this is the spectrum where the treble is also emphasised
• Although it is boosted,but it is not sibilant nor harsh,also not to the extent of what i would call it as smooth
• It has got good extension and detail retrieval is average,some details are hard to pick up but this is purely nitpicking especially at this price point
• Ink has got good amount of air and sparkle to give the sense of “open” sounding,personally i am not a treble sensitive person,so i am okay with this set,i wouldn’t say the same for treble sensitive people as they are quite “hot” on certain track

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is average to my ears,average width and depth,doesn’t sound too in your head
• Imaging is good enough for the price,instruments can be picked up easily,but it does struggle a little when playing back complex track such as Slipknot’s Duality

Driveability

• Very easy to drive,decent volume out of smartphone’s 3.5mm jack
• Doesn’t benefit much from amping
• Does scale with better source,best to pair with slightly warmer dac to smoothen the top end

Comparison (Ikko OH2)

• OH2 is mid centric and warm in general,smooth and laid back
• Sub bass on the OH2 is slightly rolled off and doesn’t rumble that hard compared to INK
• Mid bass on both is pretty similar
• Treble region is where both of them are polar opposite. OH2 is smooth and non fatiguing at all,whereas INK is energetic and might be fatiguing for some
• In terms of soundstage and imaging,both comes pretty close,nothing to shout out
• I would say both OH2 and INK are tuned differently,catering to different audience,technicality wise,they are more or less the same

Final Thoughts
INK is the supposed upgrade/replacement to the predecessor Diamond,unfortunately i have not heard the Diamond before so i can’t compare them.I do like INK and if someone is looking for an energetic set and not treble sensitive,INK it is.

This is not a set for critical listening nor it claimed to be one. Get one,and enjoy it!

*i purchased INK at a subsidised price for the purpose of this review. I am in no way influenced by KBEAR to produce this review. If you are interested in getting a pair.head to the aliexpress store to get one. “Not affiliated
KBEAR INK

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 INK .
I long time not reviewing a Kbear product .I am very excited as I have a opportunity to try out their brands . It driver configuration is 8.8mm DLC DD configuration . it's retails price $69.00



accessories :





Cable :


Eartips :


IEM :


brush :


PACKAGING :the packaging is stylish . faceplate got honeycomb design . The unboxing experience is great too. Inside the box include 3 wide bore eartips ,3 kbear type eartips ,one brush , earphone casing and IEM Itself.

Comfort: Comfort is great. It fits securely in my ears and I dont feel any sort of fatigue after long hours .Isolation also decent with M size wide bore eartips !

Design : stylish honeycomb faceplate design .

PRO:
sweet vocal ,good technicalities ,deep soundstage , good imaging ,decent details ,bass feel good texture.

CONS:
harsh a bit for few people , timbre a bit weird ,stock cable can be better .

BASS: punchy mids bass , less feel sub bass , bass feel soft attack ,bass feel fast , bass feel good texture ,mid bass without bleeding . When I listen Blackpink - bet you wanna i can feel the bass is punchy layering , bass response fast feel soft attack but it's feel less sub bass .

MIDS :forward mids presentation with some sibilance presentation but vocal feel sweet . When I listen Kep1er - Wa Da Da , I can feel the mid is very be mention , it's on forward side and feel sibilance but it's feel sweet .Hope can be smooth a bit It will better .

HIGH :treble feels here is harsh ,ringing but well extended When I listen Kep1er - Wa Da Da I can feel the treble is ringing and well extended ..

SOUNDSTAGE : it is wide and deep , I can feel it's enough space .When I listen BLACKPINK - Lovesick Girl . I can feel behind the music is enough space .

IMAGING : i can pinpoint the instrument and the singer on stage .It has good stereo positioning . it's more 3D image more mention the layering . You can feel the instrument between your ears .

Details :detail retrieval here is about decent ..

VS Kbear Diamond :
Kbear diamond more bassy vocal not so forward and don't feel any sibilance ,Kbear diamond have better timbre but technicalities Kbear INK better ..

Overall if you not treble sensitive looking for sweet vocal presentation and better technicalities IEM , YES go a head for Kbear INK ..

**Noted :Best pair with warm source sound will better ..
4/5 star.
disclaimer : This review done by stock M size wide bore eartips stock cable with Zishan Z2 ..

Interesting buy ? (non-affiliated link)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004207290735.html

Introduction​

KBEAR has been one of the most interesting and growing brands in Chi-Fi in the last years, thanks to the fact that they showed many times they know how to make good stuff.
After the big success of their KBEAR Believe, which were discontinued due to raw materials’ shortage, and of the KBEAR Aurora, the brand is back in the market with a new single DD set: the KBEAR Ink.

Disclaimer: the sample was provided by Keephifi for free in order to write an honest review. I do not represent them in any way and this is not promotional content.
At the time of the review, the KBEAR Ink were sold for around $69 on Keephifi’s webstore.

Technical Specifications​

Configuration → 1DD

• Sensitivity → 111dB
• Impedance → 23.5 Ohm
• Frequency Response → 20 Hz – 40000 Hz
• Cable → 1,25m copper cable with 0,75mm PINs, my sample has a built-in microphone
• Connector type → L-type gold plated 3,5mm jack connector

Packaging​

Basically the same package used for the KBEAR Believe: good presentation and simple layout.

• The KBEAR Ink
• The cable
• A set of 5 KBEAR 07 tips of different sizes
• A set of 3 KBEAR 10 tips
• A pleather carry case
• A small brush for cleaning

Design and Build Quality​

The hive textures of the faceplate recalls to the mind the old KBEAR Lark faceplate which had this kind of painting on their metal faceplate. The shell is practically the same used for KBEAR Believe and Diamond even though sizes are slightly different, even if not by much, and the nozzle and pin connection are very similar as well: KBEAR have already used this shell type and I think they should stick with it as it’s a winning design in my opinion.
Overall, the build quality is great, and I have no complaints in this regard.

Cable​

The included cable is very good: it is braided and sturdy, and it has a chin slider that actually works flawlessly (in fact, I can’t hear any microphonics effect while using the Ink).

Comfort and Isolation​

Comfort is definitely one of the strenghts of this type of shell: the rounded shells with no sharp edges are a sort of “warranty” in terms of comfort when thinking about long listening sessions. As said above, the shape is great and, again, I think this is a winning design from KBEAR.

Sound​

How do these sound?
This is the real reason you’re reading this review (I guess).
[Personal preference: I listen to almost every genre, even though my main preference goes to EDM subgenres. I always like a bit more energy on the bass and on the highs, leading to a personal preference for Y-shaped sound signatures, but if I have to choose, I’d prefer having many different IEMs with various signatures, in order to choose a particular one of them when I want to listen to a specific genre. I love switching between my IEMs so it’s even better if they’re very different from each other.]

TEST GEAR

• DAC: Topping E30
• AMP: Topping L30
• Mobile phones: Poco F2 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
• Dongle: Apple Type-C dongle
• Portable DAPs: Benjie S8/AGPTEK M30B
• Other sources: Presonus AudioBox iONE

Do they need an amp?
No, they don’t. I have also tried them with an amplifier and the improvements were not as big as I was expecting. Definitely an easy to drive set that you can use with your smartphone without any power issue.

Sound signature
The KBEAR Ink are a slightly bright V-Shaped set.

Lows: sub-bass has good extension and packs a fair amount of rumble which is not as aggressive as on other bassheads-focused sets. Bass is punchy, and although not the most speedy it still handles most of the basslines with no particular issues. Texturing is average more or less.
The most impressive thing in the low-end is how the Ink manage to have a pretty forward bass while keeping it tight, clean and far from becoming a serious menace in terms of midrange bleed. In fact it’s pretty rare to find well tuned V-Shaped sets, and even though many don’t like this kind of signature, there are lots of customers that always look for sets like this for the most bass-demanding genres.

Mids: the midrange is recessed and there’s no doubt about it: instruments take a step back and even though their timbre is not bad in terms of tonality, they play a secondary role in the stage. Male vocals’ quantity is satisfying and so is their timbre, and this thanks to the pronounced bass which gives them more warmth and depth. Female vocals are forward in the mix, with a good amount of energy thanks to the upper midrange boost, which on the other hand can make the sound more fatiguing and thin over long listening sessions, moreover when speaking about medium-high listening. Some hints of sibilance in some vocals are not uncommon but they don’t happen very often.

Highs: considering that the Ink are V-Shaped, this is another zone of the spectrum where we can clearly hear some emphasis.
Lower treble has some added presence even though slightly behind the upper-midrange (that still remains the star of the show) and the upper treble has good extension.
Detail retrieval is average for the price, and although I cannot hear even the smallest nuances of the mix, I’d say there is enough detail for most of the consumers. Plus, there is a good amount of air and sparkle that help to give the Ink a better sense of openness. These are NOT for treble sensitive people!

Soundstage is average with every dimension being in a good equilibrium with the others, maybe depth is just slightly behind width. Imaging is also good and in-line with the price,

Some comparisons:
KBEAR Ink vs KBEAR Believe
Yes, I know I had to do this.
Let me first state that Believe and Ink are two different beasts and that I haven’t found any similarity between the two except for the shell, the packaging and the overall aesthetic.
Now, starting from the low-end, the differences already come up very clearly: the Believe has way less sub-bass than the Ink and also a less emphasized bass. On the other hand, the Believe have faster bass and better bass textures, so it’s a more accurate and speedier low-end on its side.
The midrange is more recessed on the Ink while the Believe are U-Shaped with smoother lows-to-mids transition and more forward instruments, that also happen to sound with better layering and articulation. The upper midrange is emphasized on both (I’d say almost on the same level) but the Believe sound thinner and with more occasions of sibilance and hotness in this area even though they are more vivid; male vocals on the other hand are natural on the Believe but they are warmer on the Ink.
Lower treble is slightly more emphasized on the Ink but the Believe still has a slightly metallic timbre in this area that the Ink don’t have, maybe due to the excessive upper-midrange without a counterbalancing sub-bass extension. Upper treble is more emphasized on the Ink while the Believe have a more pronounced roll-off in the highest frequencies. Overall, detail retrieval is better on the Believe, that happen to catch smaller nuances than the Ink.
Soundstage is slightly wider on the Ink but the Believe win both in height and depth. Imaging is also an easy win for the Believe: when comparing the two, the Believe has way better precision in locating instruments or placing even the smallest sounds in the stage.
Cable is different, and although the cable provided with the Believe is technically better, Ink’s cable is less showy and feels slightly sturdier overall.
Speaking about comfort, build quality, packaging and isolation, there are practically no differences apart from the weight (Believe are a bit heavier).
As said above, these are very different and belong to two different price bracket and tiers. Considering that the Believe was discontinued and that you cannot buy them anymore (if not from an owner who wants to sell a used sample), it’s hard to speak about a price comparison. Even though the Ink cannot match Believe’s technicalities, they were tuned carefully and they are less fatiguing than the Believe, and this is a thing to consider.
Plus, remember that the Believe need crazy amplification to sound good, whereas the Ink can be driven (and sound good) by practically almost every device you can think of.

KBEAR Ink vs KBEAR Aurora
Everyone knows Aurora, so why not make another comparison.
There is one big difference here: the Ink lean towards a bright tonality while the Aurora are warmer and Harman-ish.
The Aurora have less sub-bass extension and pack slightly less bass energy when compared to the Ink. The more mature approach of the Aurora means less bleed in the midrange but also less fun for those who listen to EDM and similar genres.
Aurora is generally smoother and the sounds flow through the low-end to the midrange with less perceived recession even though the midrange is indeed recessed, and vocals are characterized by a more intimate and warmer timbre. The Ink, instead, produces more energetic and slightly airier vocals, and if this could seem a better solution it all comes down to personal preference; keep in mind, though, that this also means that Ink can sometimes produce some sibilance here and there, whereas it’s practically absent with the Aurora. Instruments sound warmer and more relaxed on the Aurora while Ink tend to be slightly faster and brighter in some cases.
Treble is pretty different, with the Ink taking the lead in terms of upper treble extension, where the Aurora instead show an evident roll-off. Detail retrieval is not very different though, but the Ink manage to feel more open and is characterized by more sparkle, whereas the aurora is way smoother and more suited for those who are treble-sensitive.
Soundstage is slightly taller on the Ink, with similar width and less depth than on the Aurora. Imaging is on par more or less, and this is a sort of endorsement considering the price difference between the two.
Do note, though, that the Aurora need more power than the Ink, and therefore also scales better than the Ink showing noticeable improvements when amped.
Both are very well built, and while Ink are slightly more comfortable, Aurora have better isolation. Packaging is and cable are very similar and this is another plus for the Ink when looking at their price.
Seems like everything comes down to personal preference here: mature and warm sound (Aurora) vs more fun and brighter sound (Ink). And yes, don’t forget that the Ink are cheaper.

KBEAR Ink vs Blon BL-A8 Prometheus
Yes, the Blon BL-A8 Prometheus got overlooked by many, and maybe for good reasons, but how do they stack up against the Ink? Well, bad news for the Prometheus: the KBEAR Ink are better.
BL-A8 are overall more bloated: they have more sub-bass and bass, but also less texture and a slower driver overall which introduces bleed in the midrange, a thing that does not happen on the Ink.
The midrange itself is more “closed in” with worse layering and less resolving ability, and vocals are characterized by an excessive sense of warmth that makes them a lot less engaging than on the Ink, which instead reproduces them in a more natural way while keeping them forward and energetic.
Treble is emphasized on both but Ink have more upper end extension, more details and guarantee a more open feeling.
Soundstage is higher and slightly deeper on the Ink, with similar width, and imaging is better on the Ink, thanks to their more open and less congested sound.
Build quality is good on both products, isolation is a tiny bit better on the BL-A8 and comfort is much better with the Ink. Ink’s cable is also better, and they come with more tips and better packaging too.
Again, there’s really no battle here: the Prometheus just dramatically loses due to their “cheaper” and more congested sound.

Final Thoughts​

The guys in KBEAR know their stuff and the KBEAR Ink are another proof of this.
Even though the Ink don’t pack top notch technicalities or details to distinguish themselves from other competitors, they’re a properly tuned bassy IEM that will definitely suit those who search for a well done V-shaped set in the sub-100$ bracket, and they also come with a good set of accessories and tips.
I think it’s gonna be a hard fight for them considering nowadays’ market (with the presence of Titan S, Aria, T3 Plus and their respective popularity and success) but I am confident they’re gonna find their space in it.

TONALITY:7.5/10
TECHNICALITIES: 8/10
CONSTRUCTION: 9/10
SOUND VALUE: 8/10

KBEAR is a chinese audio earphones company that as been around for about 5 year and create popular IEM like the KBear Meteor and Lark Hybrid as well as older single dynamic IEM like Kbear Diamond. They have a sister company call TRI as well.
Today I will review their latest release, the Kbear INK, a single DD IEM using a 8.8mm Diamond-like-carbon diaphragm (DLC) driver. It’s priced 70$ and thinked to be the follow hope of well acclaim Kbear Diamond which was as well using a DLC DD and priced 70$.
Let see in this review what kind of sound value the INK can offer to us.

CONSTRUCTION​

KBear are known for above average construction quality that doesn’t reflect it’s low price, and this is exact same construction quality than the Diamond that we get, and it’s very welcome since it’s incredible good looking as well as extremely sturdy and durable (i still own my Diamond which work perfectly and feel invincible).
All thick metal, with mate black paint and double glass back plate with a beautifull design. No plastic part apart for 2pin connector which feel ultra durable too. Shell front shape have an angled long nozzle, which is a bit big so if you have small ear canal this might be only cause possible for discomfort, which isn’t the case for be and the fit is tight and secure yet comfortable for long time listening too.



When it come to cable, we have a 8 cores copper silver plated cable of very good quality, again hitting above what we would expect at this price range. This cable is very similar to the one included with UM Mext for example. It doesn’t justify urgent upgrade.

Now for Packaging, its an elegant box with generous number of accessories, all of them being of great quality again questionning us about 70$ price tag possibility for this whole package. We have 9pairs of silicone eartips including the excellent KB07 wide bore, we have a cleaning brush and a nice magnetic leather carrying case, which i really find excellent. Oh, and not shown on the pic their a cleaning clothe too, to keep shiny the glass back plate. Very high value package for sure, and highly appreciated!

SOUND IMPRESSIONS​

(gear used for this review: Ibasso DX90, Questyle M15, Xduoo Link2 Bal, TRI TK2)

The INK offer a bright balanced V shape tonality, with resonant thumpy bass, bright mids with hint of extra upper mids grip and crunchy treble. The clarity is boosted here as well as bass impact, while the mid range is thinner and leaner but not thicken nor overly blurried by bass boost.

The INK timbre keep a good sens of transparency, though it’s a bit grainy-fuzzy in texture which tend to extract extra noise in specific region.Timbre is hit or miss in term of naturalness depending of instruments, vocal especially lack hint of warmth and density as well as any instrument to be honnest. Timbre is thin and bright.
The bass have an agressive resonant hit, but not a lot of thickness to this hit. It have alot of thumping to it, club like thumping but without cranked sub woofer rumble. Attack is rather fast too but not the most controlled. Still, we are in near basshead territory here, with a sens of clarity that is rarely achieve in a fun sounding IEM, so the guilty please part here isn’t about warm veil since the bass bloom is very minimal and doesn’t swallow whole mid and treble in it’s tight slam with extra decay. I would not call this type of bass to be well rounded, it’s excited in it’s attack, mid bass and lower treble is what is the most boosted, as typical chifi V shape but with a capable driver to compensate problematic mess. Simply put, while decent in speed for fast electronic like IDM, the bass is more about quantity than quality since texture and overall well sculpted definition is a bit shouty in presentation. Its more about sustain hit than a lead-attack-decay well articulated and flexible hit. But it’s not all bad, it’s basshead low end and not always previsible or versatile but when its paired with right music, you can have an excellent sound experience, like with the track ”Obvious” from Sinead Harnett, where the bass thump is well controlled, very heavy in punch with a thick sub bass line that doesn’t mix too much even if its more foward than the kick, and the vocal stay upfront since female vocal are quite clear, this really feel like the INK was tuned listening to this very track, excellent result!

As a mids lover, V shape IEM are always hit or miss and in both way never perfect and fully restitute…unless basshead W shape trick. A good example of single DD intense V shape with enjoyable mids are the Final E5000, and they aren’t bright. Bright V shape tend to cancel euphonic possibilities in tuning, and like the KBear Diamond, the INK suffer from dryish thin mids, perhaps even more so in fact since it’s even brighter than the Diamond. Let say mid range is all about upper mids extra presence here, and not too bad in that regard since sibilance is minimal even if sometime present. Female vocal sound fowards and quite good most of the time, though they lack a bit of warmth and breathyness, high pitch singer will sound fuller than male or female singer with lot of low harmonic or breathyness need. Note weight is light, making piano cold sounding and a bit distant, so that plus lack of bass flexibility make it not a good choice for jazz piano trio. Bass bloom do occur and make the mids slightly blurry, especially in proper definition sculpting and instrument separation.
Now for the Treble, it’s hit or miss again, like whole INK tonality result are a bit black and white ink when it come to drawing properly your music. These a bright and a hint sparkly , which i appreciate, it give a sens of openess to the overall sound. Timbre is slightly metallic tough which is problematic for instrument like violin, which sound tonaly off, thin and dry. Texture is a bit scooped, this is where issue will come from since it affect definition edge and can feel a bit shouty sometime. As well, we do encounter slight splashyness at high volume, not in a invasive way though. Percussions at higher range can have good snap if their no after decay needed the result can add speed to overal perception. Micro details are average, nor dark or analytical, it will extract some and left some other in the shadow. I can’t say this treble is clean, especially in busy track, but it’s sharp enough to make the sound feel clear even if sometime forced.

The soundstage improve alot with wide bore ear tips like Moondrop Spring, it become wide and tall but lack deepness or an holographic sens to it.

The imaging is above average, but more their bass more it become dark and hard to precisely spot instrument, in busy track too it will be hard, with simple music or folk it can be decent since the highs are easier to pin point than mids and low.

COMPARISONS​

VS KBEAR DIAMOND

I really love these IEM and feel they are so underatted, like the Kbear KB04, 2 IEM tuned by the talented Larry Fulton. If my expectation about the INK was very high, it’s due to the fact i was thinking it would be a Diamond upgrade, solving some brightness issue as well as slight tonal imbalance in treble. But it isn’t the case, Diamond being more refined and balanced and less all-in bright V shape.
The bass might be less boosted and thumpy, yet it’s fuller, rounder and more naturally extended, making if more versatile and less boomy-resonant. Mids too feel fuller and more accurate in tone, note weight is higher too, making piano listenable. INK treble deliver more micro details, it’s more airy and open too, more sparkly and resonant, it doesn’t mix in whole spectrum like the Diamond and seem to extend further, thus the extra air and brilliance. And this is where the Diamond will be inferior, in soundstage and imaging, another issue of this IEM is the compressed soundstage and fowards presentation as a whole. Spatiality of the INK is more open wide-tall-deep, imaging have more space for proper separation.
All in all, i would say INK is technically superior than the Diamond but inferior in tuning cohesion and balance.

VS MOONDROP ARIA

So, another budget champ, the Aria. It’s not similar in tonality here, well, its more balanced U shape to harman neutral so both sub bass and mids are more upfront and overall cohesion is notably more organic and natural. Timbre wise Aria isn’t perfect and INK underline this, since it’s a hint similar in dryness-thinness but still more dense and with better timbral balance and realist rendering that doesn’t affect tone of instrument negatively. Bass is less boosted, yet have fuller warmer slam and better quality, it extend lower and offer a more linear less resonant extension. Resolution is less bloomy too. Mids are notably fuller in presence and weightier in impact, wider in presence as if piano was half restitute with the INK, this is the biggest difference here. For treble, Aria is smoother, less spiky and agressive, and deliver as much or more micro details but in an effortless more laid back way. Lower treble is more boosted with the INK, delivering a more abrasive treble yet less airy and sparkly than Aria.
Here, Aria is superior both technically and tonaly, their just zero doubt about this, but their zero doubt it’s less basshead too and perhaps more boring for some fun factor seeking listener.

VS TINHIFI T3plus

Then we have the overhyped king, T3plus, that in fact have a similar V shape signature, with more smoothen upper mids and overall better energic balance so it feel more W shape than the bassier Ink. INK bass have less rumble and thick slam but more fowards resonance and boom, yet thinner lower mid and a higher sens of ”boosted clarity”. I’m a bit ashame to say the T3plus grow on me when i compare them to the Ink, its just about cohesive balance here which is better. Mids are fuller and more natural too, not as centered and recessed. This make female vocal and high harmonic instrument more fowards in presence with the Ink. We can say that INK is overall clearer crisper even if bass hit can add sligth transparent bloom-resonance to the spatiality, which perhaps confirm very average technicalities of T3plus again, since it’s imaging lack space between instrument and feel more compressed and fuzzy, treble is less airy and more crunchy too.
All in all, im not a fan of both here, but the T3plus tonal balance is better, timbre is thicker and more texture, tone more natural and note weight are heavier, while INK seem like a Basshead iem compared to it due to more boosted bass and more thin mids as well as crisper brighter treble.

CONCLUSION​

As a fan of the older Kbear Diamond, i was expecting a big upgrade in sound with the INK and apart a sens of more open spatiality with added near basshead level bass boost, it’s more of a sidegrade for a fun signature or downgrade in term of cohesive tonal balance.
While not bad, the INK is a fun sounding bassy earphones with big resonant slam and crisp V shape approach. Its a return to old chifi tuning, yet not invade by sibilance or too agressive.
Ear tips choice will greatly inflict on sound rendering too.
While not the most versatile and not suggested for classical, jazz and complex busy music, the INK do well with R&B, Soul, Pop, Rap and most electronic music.
All in all, these aren’t made for my tonal balance preference but might please those who crave for resonant thumping bass. Aka headbanger and Bassheads.
To each their own guilty pleasure!



—–
PS: I wanna thanks KEEPHIFI for sending me this review sample. I’m not affiliated or compensate for this review but greatly appreciate full freedom of thoughs i have with this audio distributor. So, thanks for that too.
You can buy the Kbear INK for 70$ directly from their store here: https://keephifi.com/products/kbear-ink

For more honnest reviews of diversify audio products, give a read to my No Borders Audiophile blog HERE.

Design and Build Quality

INK follows the exact same design and build of the original Diamond. The only difference would be the color of the shell. INK has a black anodized shell, while the Diamond had a green-ish anodized shell. The nozzle is still in a golden polished finish, and the faceplate is still resin-like.

To make it a long story short, it’s still has the good old well-built and lightweight qualities.



Lows

Like the good old Diamond model, INK retains a good bass response. Not only that, but if doesn’t suffer from the lack of sub-bass that was present in the Diamond. The KBEAR team took the tuning seriously and make sure to implement improvement in the new model. They certainly took their time with it, which is apparent when you listen to the new model.

Full-body bass, moderate slam, and fast attack & decay are how I would characterize INK’s bass qualities. It doesn’t necessarily provide the depth that some more expensive models would in the bass region, but it certainly stands its ground in terms of bass qualities. Qualities such as full-body bass, fast attack and decay are present in Lee Curtiss’ “Smoking Mirrors”. Fast attack is even more audible on a track such as MOON’s “Hydrogen”. In both of these tracks its apparent that INK has responsive bass.

For sub-bass, while it doesn’t possess the presence in Arctic Monkey’s “Do I Wanna Know?”, it is certainly capable of producing sub-bass tones. Not only is it capable of producing sub-bass tones, but it’s also capable of rumble — something that the Diamond was lacking of. Per usual, my standard test track for sub-bass and rumble was “Why So Serious?” by Hans Zimmer. Another track where the sub-bass is present is in the deeper cello notes in the “Theme for The Irishman” by Robert Robertson.

In summary, it is a major improvement over the old Diamond. The mid-bass is well-defined, the sub-bass is good enough and INK is capable of producing rumble.

Mids

Upside down. Why do I say this? In my opinion, the mids are the exact opposite of the mids of the Diamond, which had good timbre when it came to instruments but had unnatural vocals. INK has very natural and “transparent” vocals, but has a not-on-point timbre when it comes to instruments. Strings that is, strings aren’t what I’d call natural-sounding. The key part that’s missing to make the strings sound natural is what is usually the case with the majority of IEMs, and that’s the bottom-end. It’s the subtle lower sub-tone that contributes to the timbre of stringed instruments. This is most audible in acoustic stringed instruments. Essentially, without the bottom-end, a pluck doesn’t sound or feel like a pluck.

Let’s talk about vocals for a minute. From memory, Diamond’s vocals were far from pleasant, and to even say that INK’s vocals are a major improvement would be an understatement. It’s a night and day difference. I would go as far to say that INK has a forward presentation of vocals, and that’s quite apparent when it comes to more aggressive vocalists like Sia.

One thing about the mid-range that stuck out to me (no pun intended) is that it’s kind of aggressive, meaning it’s leaning towards the brighter side of the spectrum. It’s not shouty to the point the previous model (Diamond) was, but it is still audible that the upper-end of the mid-range is sharp.



Highs

To my surprise, the highs aren’t as sharp as I thought they would be. INK’s highs would be in the sheen zone (sibilance>sparkle>sheen).

This is apparent in my standard test tracks. Mouth harmonica is a great instrument to listen to treble qualities, and that’s why I use Miles Davis’ “Portia” and Travis Scott’s “Stop Trying to Be God” (outro in which Stevie Wonder’s mouth harmonica is present). In both of these tracks I noticed that at no point does the treble cross the sheen quality.

Percussion-wise, I found the treble to be a little underwhelming. The best way to put it, there isn’t enough “energy”. It’s not as though it’s missing a whole lot, it’s only by a small amount. For example, percussion present in the introduction of Dire Straits’ “Brothers in Arms” is a perfect example of this. Another example of this is the percussion present in the outro of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” .

Conclusion​

INK is a major improvement over the original Diamond model. If Diamond wasn’t my cup of tea, then INK is exactly the opposite. It has an improved bass response, finally a listenable mid-range, and has just enough of the top-end to make it sound lively enough. No, it’s not the most detailed IEM out there. No, it doesn’t have exceptional soundstage. No, it will not blow you away with its separation capabilities. But, it is good enough in all of those. I don’t find it to be below average. What it is is a refined version of the original Diamond.

KBear Ink ($69)​

As I was anticipating receiving the KBear Ink, I couldn’t help myself but to look at some spoilers from fellow reviewers. I really wanted to see a frequency response chart and see how these measured against the Kbear Diamond (no longer available). To be perfectly honest this is something that I never do. The reason is that I don’t want my thoughts tainted at all. It is very easy to start searching for what others are hearing and not what I hear.

Ihappened across a few reviews that weren’t exactly singing the praises of this single dynamic iem. It was after I actually had the Ink in my ears that I remembered… We are all very different, aren’t we? In fact, while the Ink have areas that could use some work, the whole of the sound replays much differently to me. I kind of like Kbear’s newest iem. I guess my thoughts won’t be tainted after all.

KBear is a very well-known Chi-fi brand. Known for many budget level iems that always seemed to play well against the competition. Even their mid-tier $150+ iems have been somewhat sought out in the past. Namely the KBear Believe, Aurora and their sister companies’ TRI I3, I3 Pro and I4. These guys have been at it for awhile and have been very successful relative to their adversaries.

This is not a history lesson on one of the better known Chi-fi brands. Rather a review of one of their newer iems in the sub $100 price range. That set is called the…umm…”Ink”? Listen people… I don’t name these iems, I just listen to them. But I would suggest from here on out that KBear employ me to offer some different names. That offer goes out to all Chi-fi companies by the way. You know where to find me. I am a naming specialist actually, heh, I even named a couple humans and even some four legged friends.

The KBear Ink is the newest of the KBear lineup and I purchased this set from Amazon US for $69.



Gear Used

–Ifi Go Blu

–Fiio KA3

–Ibasso DX240 w/ Amp 8 Mk2

–Zooaux Dongle Dac




KBear gives a decent Unboxing. Nothing ultra-generous but not sparse either. It comes with #6 pairs of KBear 07 tips and #3 pairs of wide bore tips. Wound tightly and stuffed in a plastic bag is the cable. A black 8 core Silver Plated OFC cable to be exact. The cable feels like a good quality addition and is pliable and soft. On display when opening the box, you will see the nice faux leather case. It is the same KBear case we have seen for a number of TRI / KBear products. Because the Ink’s faceplates are fingerprint magnets, Kbear added a nice cleaning cloth. Last but certainly not least within the packaging is a cleaning brush, which…nobody on planet earth has ever actually used. The packaging as a whole is not bad at all, certainly better than what comes with most iems at the price point.

(Kbear Ink packaging and accessories below)





The Ink has great build quality and are very sharp looking in my opinion. The shells are compact with a metal housing and an almost glass feeling faceplate. Probably some harder resin. The shells are very close in size and look to the Popular “Believe” and “Diamond” iems mentioned earlier. Also close not just in size but design as well. Sporting a slick faceplate with the honeycomb pattern that we have seen before and slight blue accents within the design. These feel as though they are built very well.

The nozzle is made out of stainless steel which is plated in a gold color. Obviously these are not adorned with actual gold, they look like it though. It’s a nice touch. At the end of the Ink nozzle rests the well made filter mesh grill to keep out dust and earwax. We also know that filter mesh do participate at least slightly in the overall tuning as well. The Ink are tough looking, no doubt. Apparently KBear doesn’t need me for design help.

Within the price point the Ink fared well for build quality against the competition. Very sturdy and clean looking. Even minimalist I would say. Again, the Faceplate is a great touch with the slight blue accents peeking through some of the honeycombs. We have seen some very well built iems in the $50-100 price point of late and surely the Ink does not disappoint next to any of the others.




After roughly 50 hrs of burn-in time, I checked multiple times for changes. I can say for sure that the Ink does benefit from this exercise. Just figured I should add that little tid-bit.

The Ink definitely have that “KBear House Sound”. Beefed up bass and energetic upper half of the mix. V-shaped and fun. Not the most natural or organic but the Ink do lean more to the natural side of things. Without question the Ink have a genealogy that is being improved upon. Warmer than neutral in the lower half with cooler upper half. A decent mix that meshes well for a pretty cohesive V-shape.

I never got to spend too much time with the KBear Diamond but the Ink have that same sort of spirited replay that walks that youthful line. Not that age has anything to do with preference but KBear certainly know how to tune for mass appeal.

The bass is bigger. The Mids ever so slightly drawn back while still sounding engaging enough. Upper mids and treble are boosted and counter the bass for a movement inducing replay. Granted there are flaws with the Ink. In fact, depending on your subjective taste these may just be the last set you’d ever want in your ears. That said, if an intriguing and vibrant sound is your bag… maybe those flaws aren’t that big a deal.



(Above Images: Kbear Promotional Images)


The Ink are easy to drive. Rated at 16 ohms and 102 DB sensitivity the Ink sound good on lower powered sources. I had zero issue using my Zooaux Dongle Dac.

Bumping up to a balanced cable (Tripowin Altea), attached to the Fiio KA3 did notice a more dynamic sound. A titch more open in presentation. The Ka3 seems like a good home for the Ink. Next, I jumped to the Ibasso Dx240 using Amp8 Mk2 on medium gain. As long as I don’t crank it up super high… It sounds great. I could argue that the DX240 just has better internals which aids the replay but in truth…a decent powered Dongle Dac should suffice.





The bass hits hard and with relative control. It’s not often that budget iems have a bass that is big in volume while remaining tight enough. So, relative to the size of bass… the Ink are in control down low. Keep in mind that while the low end is on the bigger side of the things, I still have heard better note weight in this area with other iems.


The mid bass has good presence in the mix as well. There is a hearty slam in this area which can also be very satisfying. The mid bass is punchy and there are clean edges to the notes here. I wouldn’t go so far as to say this is a bass-head iem. I would say that bass-heads can still have fun with the Ink.

There is a nice unity between the sub and mid bass on the Ink. Both give off good haptic vibration with nice attack to notes and appropriate decay with nice edges. There isn’t anything hollow or pillowy. You won’t hear anything sterile or dry. There’s nothing too muddy or bloated either. I didn’t hear those fuzzy drum hits at all. Instead, there is good control on the Ink and for fans of this style I think you’ll love what the Ink has to offer. Attack is pretty fast and decay is clean, and the texture is evident.

There are some obvious cons with a bigger Bass. First, this sound really is not for everyone or every genre. This isn’t the quickest bass, nor would I expect it to be. Again, considering the size of the low end, the speed isn’t bad, but these can’t keep up with everything you throw at them. Also, you have to consider there will be some loss of precision on the Ink in the low end.


KBear did what they could with the midrange considering the V-shaped tuning. There is a fullness to male vocals brought on by the slope from the bass to mids. Males have good presence from what I hear. Not perfectly natural but not noticeably unnatural either. Pianos and certain drums also sound great to me in this area. They sound forward and have good energy.

Moving to the mid-mids there is an audible recession here. This recession is not anything which takes away from the music but it’s there. Certainly, if comparing to a more forward midrange of other iems you will notice this. The Ink is a true V-shaped set, and this slightly drawn back display just goes with the territory. Take that into consideration when looking into the Ink. It’s not bad but again… it’s there. If you are used to a more vocal forward iem for instance, the recession may be more noticable.

From the mid-mids quickly climbing upwards into the upper midrange; there is a pretty steep rise, and it is evident when you listen. Especially pre-burn-in, these had a very sharp glare to me. While I could still stand to listen, it just wasn’t my cup o’ tea at first. So, I decided to let the Ink burn in a bit and that definitely smoothed things out in this region. Also switching to Final E Tips or Spinfit Tips helped to bring down some glare.

The mid-mids start at a deeper recession and then rise to the upper mids quite quickly. Female vocals for the most part sound more forward to me because of this rise. They also sound quite a bit shinier and bright depending on the singer. I hear tight edges to notes and the perception of details starts to come out here. While females have decent presence, they can also sound thinner. There is most certainly a tonality shift at this point while still remaining cohesive to me.


The treble has good extension and is more forward in the mix. Instruments which play in this area do have a sheen to them but nothing metallic or too edgy and nothing grainy. More like shimmery and sparkly. Cymbals don’t have that odd splashy sound. I would say there is a good slope in the treble roll off leaving out nothing in a track. Again, the Kbear Ink extend farely well up top.

The Ink do a good job of countering the low end with the extended and more forward treble region. I think it is a necessity in a set like this which wouldn’t be the most balanced in totality without this forwardness of the treble. What I mean by balance is more like a counter weight to the low end. Much needed levity to the heft in the bass. What this treble does is shift the tonal character of the Ink to give it a less warm or dark sound by boosting the top end. Adding just enough air to bring the Ink that much closer to neutral.

There is great energy throughout the treble. Granted it isn’t perfectly natural all the time, but I still hear nice quality highs that seem to just make sense in the big picture.

Along with good energy I hear decent control as well. However, these can also trend a little too bright for treble sensitive listeners in conducive scenarios. In other words, I do hear a glare from time to time in tracks which induce these sounds. Just another thing to keep in mind. All things considered the treble has good energy that is a needed element. Again, this may not be for everyone.




The Ink has an average soundstage to me. This is not a bad thing at all. The stage fits this iem just fine. I hear an average width, some decent depth as well. Nothing grandiose or massive either way. Perhaps the Ink is slightly more intimate in sound. I don’t see this as a minus though. Also, while these may be a bit more intimate, they aren’t congested or narrow. I find them to have the right ratio of width, depth and height to create the illusion of a proper space.





Imaging is okay as well. You can hear where instruments are coming from and where vocals are staged as well. These will not blow you away, but at the same time nothing will turn you away either. The theme should have been “appropriate” for the Ink. Maybe not the most ringing endorsement. However, when deciding what iem to purchase this may be a good piece of information. The imaging is appropriate, it won’t wow you yet at the same time you aren’t really missing anything.

Instruments for the most part have enough space to be separate while keeping their placement. These aren’t the highest resolution iem in the world and the stage isn’t the biggest, but they get the job done. Left and right imaging is very good. Depth imaging is also sufficient. Like when trying to discern instrument placement or pieces in a band from front to back.

I did notice some congestion on tracks which have alot going on in them. Like some of the imaging chops can be blurred a bit. This is after all, a true V-shaped single DD, and a budget one at that. The Ink can’t compete with well-done hybrid iems, one should probably expect as much. With a V-shape such as this, in this price point, it just caters to some bottleneck at times. Things can get a little bit blurry. Nothing that will always be noticed, espescially during simple casual listening. There are certainly Single DD’s (at this price) that can handle this type of stress with ease. However, those in ears are also much more balanced in approach across the spectrum… among other things.


Back row left to right: Tripowin TC-01 / KZ ZAS / Moondrop Aria / Tripowin X-HBB Olina



Tripowin TC-01 ($39-$49)

The Tripowin TC-01 are a phenomenal iem under $50. Some refer to these as a ‘Heart Mirror’ with low end. I agree. For the price these are hard to beat. They are a single Dynamic Driver. To be precise it is a 10 mm Silicon-coated Polyurethane Diaphragm Driver.

The TC-01s have a very similar tonality with a similar V-shaped approach. However, the TC-01 doesn’t sound so V-shaped when music is playing. Both sets sound a sliver warm of neutral. Both lean more natural than not and both of these iems share a similar soundstage. The TC-01 may edge out the Ink a bit in width but also the TC-01 has a sliver less note weight. I do believe the TC-01 has a slightly more detail-oriented approach.

The bass shows off a little more on the Ink with similar attack and decay. Texture is easier to interpret on the Ink as well. The Ink are better extended in the deepest of the lows while the TC-01 has a bit more of a mid-bass hump. Not by much. The low end is similar between the two. I’d give the edge to the Ink personally. Key word: “personally”.

I got to say the rest of the mix is very close. Granted the TC-01 is a bit more forward sounding in the whole midrange. Details may be a bit better on the TC-01 as well. It’s actually quite hard to discern.

TC-01 is a fantastic value at $20-$30 less than the price of the Ink. Though for me, right now, I would take the Ink…this too is up for debate within myself. The Ink may have slightly worse resolution, but they are also a bit more fun and energetic. I can feel the bass more on the Ink and the bass drops are cleaner. For me there is just more weight and impact across the mix on the Ink, but I am really splitting hairs. In fact, right now I say the Ink but once I put the TC-01 in my ears…things could change.



KZ ZAS ($68)

The KZ ZAS is an 8 Driver Hybrid, 1 DD and 7 Balanced Armatures in total. I really try to keep comparisons within similar driver counts and styles. Yet what landed the ZAS in my comparison with the Ink was the similar fun and energetic tuning and also it is in the same price point. The ZAS is really pushing the limits on a cohesive replay within the budget sector and with this many drivers. There is just something Ive always enjoyed about this set. Anyways, enough about that…how does the ZAS do against the Ink?

The first thing I notice is the Ink definitely have a more natural tilted sound. The Ink has a more elevated upper mid to treble area which in turn fends off that warmer tonality leaving an airier presentation. The Zas roll off a bit sooner in the upper treble with much less upper midrange boost. Music just sounds truer to life with the Ink. Also, the Ink has a more weighty and realistic note weight to me.

A similarity between the two is the bass replay. That similarity is both have a bigger and impactful low end. Both sets count on the low end for a fun sound. Both can hit really hard, and both can do it with relative speed in the bass area. I’ve always enjoyed this aspect of the ZAS, and they still do not disappoint. The ZAS do have a more in quantity even if the Graph of these two align closely.

The ZAS just has more oomph, more haptic buzz and bigger bass drops. Still, I do like the overall tonality and timbre of the Ink’s bass just as well. Both units provide decent texture to the low end, I just feel the Ink has more distinctive separation in this area between sub and mid bass as well as instruments and even lower male vocals. While the ZAS is absolutely no slouch and sound great, I just have to give this one to the Ink.

From the midrange and on through the treble, the Ink are again more natural. Somehow the Ink seem to have even better resolution at times. Maybe it’s the more cohesive replay from the Ink’s single DD and the airier sound that gives me this impression. The Zas is more forward sounding to me through the mids and also has a slight fuzz at the outtro of notes at times. Maybe even a hint of a metallic BA sound as well. This gives the Ink a slightly wider and deeper sound with better clarity to me and perhaps a bit more organic.

Moondrop Aria ($79)

The legendary Aria. The staple of so many under $100 top 5 lists. The Aria is a single DD iem with an LCP Diaphragm driver and a Harman type tuning. The Aria is renowned for having a smooth and easy listening sound. Nothing even approaching peaky will be heard on the Aria. I am sure many would like to know any differences there are between these two.

Both of these sets are tuned a bit differently from one another. The Aria is a much more balanced iem with a smoother replay as a whole. I could easily listen to the Aria for longer periods without any fatigue setting in. The Ink is quite a bit edgier in delivery with a much more elevated bass and upper mid to treble region. The differences between V-shape and Harman tunings are on display here and truthfully it all comes down to preference.

Like I stated, the bass on the Ink is bigger. There is more of a visceral boom with the Ink, whereas the Aria is a bit more pillowy while still representing the low end well. Don’t get me wrong I miss nothing with the Aria in the low end, but if I’m after a more fun sound I’d certainly reach for the Ink. This doesn’t mean the Aria is worse because I do think that the majority of my listening would be occupied by the Aria between the two over time.

The Aria has a tiny bit wider soundscape with better resolution and better imaging. Nothing is too exaggerated on the Aria as all frequencies play very well with each other. Vocals, both male and female sound more natural and better represented on the Aria also. I hear a slightly cleaner sound listening with the Aria and I think that kind of sends this comparison over the top for me.

Not that the Ink are any worse, like I said this is a preference thing. Trust me when I say that you will enjoy the Ink much more than the Aria if you are after a more fun and energetic sound. Or if you really dig some good and bigger bass. The Ink present a V-shape pretty darn well at the price point. One thing the Ink have over the Aria is note density and extension both in the low end and top end of the frequency response.

Take your pick. Whatever your mood is… you have two great choices here. For myself the Aria edges out the Ink, but I do enjoy them both.

Tripowin X-HBB Olina ($99) (Double filter vent Mod)

The last and final comparison with the Kbear Ink is the Tripowin Olina. The newest hype train iem which I personally feel has lived up to that hype. The Olina was born out of the combined efforts of YouTube personality and reviewer Hawaiian Bad Boy of “Bad Guy Good Audio” (BGGAR) and Tripowin. Tripowin seems to not make mistakes and really puts out quality at any price tag.

The Olina was a highly anticipated iem and is one of my favorites under $200. The Olina has a 10 mm Carbon Nanotube (CNT) Dynamic Driver housed within its shells. It has been said that this driver is the exact driver used in the Tanchjim Oxygen, another huge success. Priced at only $99 the Olina are considered a budget iem but truthfully, I stack them against a few price tiers higher.

The first difference that I hear between the Ink and the Olina is resolution. The Olina are simply cleaner which helps to illuminate the details within the soundscape. Even next to some hybrid units the Olina can have an easy time getting the best of them in this area.

This is a tough comparison because these are two different tuning types. The Olina have more of a balance to the spectrum whereas the Ink are V-shaped and more pronounced in areas. The Olina somewhat walk the Harman line and carry a more mature type of sound, while the Ink are more of a fun and guilty pleasure.

Bass is bigger on the Ink. Much more robust in quantity. The Ink have alot more thump. However, the Olina are much tighter and tidier. The Olina are alot cleaner in the bass and they still pack a great and realistic punch. The Olina are more natural up and down the mix and most certainly in the low end. Also, the Olina has better texture in my opinion.

The Olina midrange is more forward and a bit more intimate. Vocals come across more natural with the Olina. Also, the Olina have better details, separation, layering and a more emotional replay in the midrange. The Mids happen to be one of the casualties of a V-shaped tuning within the KBear Ink. Please know that this doesn’t condemn the midrange of the Ink but rather shows just how well the Olina handles the midrange.

The Olina also have a wider stage with much better depth and almost a 3d presentation. The Ink are not bad here and in my opinion are around average at the price point.


Kbear Ink with the Tripowin Altea Balanced Cable


To conclude this review of the Kbear Ink I just want to say that these have succeeded. They aren’t perfect by any stretch, but I feel they accomplished what Kbear set out to do. Now I may be assuming things, but I feel the Ink are the successor to the much-loved Diamond. If this is true, I can say that Kbear has made a solid effort.

Are these worthy of your hard-earned money? I obviously cannot answer that but next to the current crop of under $100 V-shaped iems I think they can go toe to toe with all of them. It may come down to style and looks verse the others out there, in which case the Ink are very slick looking. The Ink are priced at a good spot and Kbear aren’t seeming too overly greedy here. I’d say that if you are in the market for a fun and energetic sound and your budget is under $100…the Ink may be for you.

I want to say thank you to anyone who have read this far. Please take the time to enjoy what these audio devices are created to do…make music. After all…music is what it’s all about. Take good care everyone.

I was a big fan of the Diamond and Believe and the INK in my opinion carries on that same build and quality I expect for the upper line of KBEAR and TRI products. A generous amount of tips, a cleaner, the same pouch as the others and all at less cost is a big selling point of this IEM. The INK is made solid and great looking, and no weird shape or uncomfortable edges make it great for an all-day listening session.

Sound: V-shaped warm pleasant

Bass: Is powerful and controlled. It offers a smile inducing Sub-Bass rumble with a decent speed Mid-Bass punch here.
The good extension will impress all but the most decerning Bass Heads, this of course will depend on the tips used. Bass boosted music however can get a little fatiguing after some time.

Mids: Are as expected with a V-shaped IEM Vocals are very forward and mids in general are slightly recessed towards to lower and can get hotter up the top end when more volume is introduced. This also can be tamed with tips and wasn't too much of a problem for me. Still defiantly not for the critical listening crowd and the Mid-Head listener.

Treble: Has presence and has a decent extension, though some details are smoothed over. It's not going to for treble- heads but still sounds well enough to be enjoyed as long as it's on poor recordings.

Soundstage: Is decently wide and of mostly equal depth etc, imaging is fairly good and accurate, it above average and while not the most open it works for this signature.

Conclusion: This is a fun sounding IEM is dynamic and should please those who are looking for such, people looking for critical and more technical IEM look elsewhere. This one is more a party than study group. MoonDrop tips work well here.

DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank KBEAR for providing this review unit. The KBEAR Ink can be gotten here (no affiliate links): https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004207290735.html



SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver configuration: 8.8mm dynamic driver utilizing Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) diaphragm
• Frequency response: 20 Hz – 40000 Hz
• Impedance: 16 Ohms
• Sensitivity: 102 dB (no units provided)
• Cable: 2 pin, 0.78 mm 8-core oxygen-free copper silver-plated cable
• Tested at $69 USD

ACCESSORIES

Other than the IEM, these are included:

- Cable
- 8 pairs of eartips
- Cleaning cloth
- Cleaning brush
- Leatherette case



The accessories are pretty generous for the price, definitely have seen worse in similarly priced competitors.

The leatherette case is quite standard fair for KBEAR budget/midrange gear, it is classy and sturdy, and locks with a magnetic clasp.



The cable is an 8-core oxygen-free copper silver-plated cable, it is Litz braided, of moderate thickness with minimal microphonics. It is quite usable sonically. I liked that the cable comes with a 2 pin config, as at the budget segment, they are generally more durable than MMCX, especially with frequent cable changes.




With regards to the ear tips, there appear to be 2 variants, one is grey with a red nozzle, whereas the other type is white. The grey ones have a wider bore and tend to boost the upper frequencies, whereas the white ones are narrower at the bore and boost the bass for me. YMMV, as eartips are very individual due to our different ear anatomies. Do explore the various tips on offer to see what suits you.


BUILD/COMFORT

The Ink is made of solid metal and is built like a tank. It is on the heavier side as such, but comfort and fitting are excellent. I've used it for hours without much issue. The Ink shares a similar housing shape/design as the KBEAR predecessors the Diamond and the BElieve, so those that have tried these 2 models before should know what to expect when it comes to fit.



I didn’t find any driver flex during usage, YMMV once more, as this is dependent on ear anatomy and type of tips used.


ISOLATION

Isolation is above average on the ink, it is perfectly usable outdoors, but don't be expecting unvented BA type isolation.


DRIVABILITY

I tested the KBEAR Ink with:
- Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 amp
- Khadas Tone Board -> Topping L30 amp
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One Neutral Mod)
- Questyle M15 DAC/AMP dongle
- E1DA DAC/AMP dongle
- Colorfly CDA M1 DAC/AMP dongle
- Tempotec Sonata HD Pro dongle (BHD firmware)
- Smartphone

The Ink can be driven from lower powered sources, but scales with amplification. Dynamics, soundstage and micro-details improve with juice, as does bass tightness.


SOUND & TECHNICALITIES

The KBEAR Ink sports a fun bassy V-shaped signature.


Graph of the Ink via IEC711 compliant coupler. The 8 kHz area is a coupler artefact peak.

As stated above, the bass levels may differ depending on whether the wide or narrow bore tips used, but suffice to say, the Ink is just a level shy of absolute basshead levels, and is well suited for bass-forward music genres, eg hip hop, EDM. Mid-bass hits hard and the sub-bass extends very well with a big jaw rattling rumble on sub-bass focused tracks.

In terms of bass quality, the bass has moderate speed with above average texturing. Considering the copious amounts of bass on offer, there is surprisingly not that much mid-bass bleed.

The lower midrange of the Ink is quite recessed, as per the V-shaped tuning. Mid-lovers might have to look elsewhere as male vocals may sound a bit distant. The upper midrange has almost 15 dB pinna gain, but the Ink is actually not that shouty due to the big bass balancing out the upper mids (see saw effect). Vocals are pushed forward, but the Ink balances a very fine line of being forward without being too fatiguing or harsh at moderate volumes. However, at louder volumes (Fletcher Munson curve), the upper mids may get shouty, and of course upper midrange glare is dependent on hearing health, tips used and ear anatomy (pinna gain).

The lower treble continues on from the boosted upper mids and thereafter extends moderately well. Air is decent, with just mild occasions of sibilance, though the treble isn't the most detailed.

In terms of technicalities, soundstage is above average in depth, height and width. Imaging is good and distinct, though perhaps micro-details, clarity and instrument separation are bang average for a budget single DD set; the Ink is not a very technical or analytical set as such, but one that is more musical and fun. Timbre is generally quite natural for acoustic instruments, though the boosted bass and depressed lower midrange may colour the timbre slightly for instruments with their fundamental frequencies in these areas.


COMPARISONS

Comparisons were made with similarly priced single DD sets. BA/hybrids were left out of the equation as the different transducers have their pros and cons.

KBEAR Diamond

Graph of the KBEAR Ink versus Diamond via IEC711 compliant coupler. The 8 kHz area is a coupler artefact peak.

The KBEAR Diamond was the predecessor of the Ink, and both sport V-shaped bassy tunings with a similar shell housing.

The Diamond has a less boosted upper midrange and hence sounds comparatively more laid back in tuning, whereas the Ink is more in-your-face with the music. In technicalities, the Diamond is a step behind, with poorer soundstage, imaging and instrument separation.

So while tonality and graphs are similar, the younger brother upstart Ink is a bit more technical and aggressive, compared to the more composed and calm Diamond older brother.


Tin HIFI T3 Plus

The Tin T3 Plus has a mild V-shaped tuning, and is less V-shaped than the Ink. The T3 Plus has less bass quantities, but unfortunately the bass on the Tin T3 Plus isn't as tight and textured, and sounds one-noted at times.

Midrange is lusher on the T3 Plus, though its note weight is slightly thinner. In terms of technical performance, the T3 Plus has a tinge inferior imaging, though it has a slightly better clarity and soundstage.


HZSound Heart Mirror

The Heart Mirror is neutral bright and has a linear bass compared to the much bassier Ink. Upper mids are more boosted on the Ink but the Heart Mirror has more air, sparkle and treble extension.

Note weight is noticeably thinner on the Heart Mirror, and soundstage is markedly more intimate on the the Heart Mirror. Though, the Heart Mirror makes up for the inferior soundstage by having superior imaging, micro-details, clarity and instrument separation. The Heart Mirror is much more analytical and technical, but it sounds a bit flat for bass forward music due to the lack of bass, compared to the Ink, which brings more fun to the table.


Moondrop Aria

The Aria is more neutral than the V-shaped Ink. The Aria has a thinner note weight and worse technicalities (imaging, soundstage, instrument separation), but the Aria is better for mid-range lovers in view of the less midrange recession.

The Aria have a more natural and balanced tonality, with the Aria coming across as more laid back and less aggressive than the Ink. Conversely, the Ink is more fun and bassy, so they bring different things to the table.

The Aria has multiple QC complaints of the paint chipping or bubbling off the housing and the Ink's shells are built like a tank and look much sturdier. However, the Aria come with a waifuu anime packaging, LOL that may be the clincher on which IEM to buy haha.


CONCLUSIONS

The KBEAR Ink is a fun head-banging bassy V-shaped set. Build and accessories are good, and bass is the star of the show; the great bass extension and rumble complement bass forward music genres well.



The Ink performs average for most departments, it is kind of a jack of all trades for a budget V-shaped set, though midrange and neutral lovers might want to consider alternatives, due to the recessed lower midrange and boosted bass (respectively). Those sensitive to upper midrange glare might also need to look elsewhere though.

A second issue is that technicalities are middling and the competition for the sub $100 single DD bracket is very tough. Will the Ink still be talked about in a few months' time? Especially since multiple IEMs come out on a weekly basis! Being average is kind of a death sentence in today's competitive CHIFI market, so I'm not too confident of this IEM being talked about in a few weeks' time.