KBEAR S1 Bluetooth V5.0 aptX HD earphone cable (2PIN/TFZ/MMCX)
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KBEAR has been catering to the budget audiophile segment for quite some time and the S1 bluetooth cable is another product of theirs which does exactly what it aims for - nothing more, nothing less.
KeepHifi offered me this review sample for an honest review.
Here's their store link for reference: KBEAR Official Store link for S1
Packaging and fit
The packaging is pretty simple but presented well - the key items are the cable itself and the micro-USB charging cable.
Also, the cable has multiple connection options - MMCX, 0.78 mm 2-pin and TFZ 0.78 mm 2-pin. I received the TFZ option which is a perfect fit for the KBEAR KS2 – the company does offer this IEM along with the cable as an option, so no wonder it fits perfectly. Surprisingly, I was also able to use it
Convenience
Heads up - This is going to be the most critical section of the whole review!
The device has controls on the right side which include a play, volume + and volume – buttons. The microphone is housed between the play and – buttons. The right side houses the Qualcomm QCC3040 chip.
Pressing and holding the play button turns the device on and off, while long pressing when the device is off takes it to pairing mode. The S1 cable can be connected to 2 devices at the same time and switching between the two devices is easy.
The left side houses the 120 mAh battery and hence the case on the left side is heavier than the right.
While I do not have any reservations about the neck band style Bluetooth devices, the battery and control housing is what I have a problem with – these jump up and down when using this device for a running session, especially the left side. This causes unwanted microphonics which can make listening to music while on a run a pretty sub-par experience. This hampers the biggest convenience of wireless devices.
Sound
The cable has enough power to drive most IEMs – I tried with KBEAR KS2 and Thieaudio Clarivoyance.
The thing which is noticeable immediately on sensitive IEMs like the KS2 is that there is a noticeable hiss when you pause music and also during quiet passages in songs. Setting your phone Bluetooth output volume to max while reducing the volume on the cable does help alleviate this to some extent, but still very noticeable.
With the Clairvoyance, which is not as sensitive as the KS2, the hiss is better contained, though present.
Other than this particular annoyance, I did not notice any other issues from sound perspective – when connected in aptX HD mode on my phone and streaming lossless from Tidal, I was able to get sufficient details. The soundstage width and depth were almost the same I get with wires, in the case of Clairvoyance, which is definitely appreciable at this price point.
Call quality
The call quality is decent; the microphone pics up voice quite well. The background noise is controlled to some extent, but I would not be using it for taking calls when I’m outside on a windy day.
Conclusion
At $27, the KBEAR S1 does what basic Bluetooth cables are supposed to offer, while aptX HD can accommodate a certain level of critical listening. However, the battery and controls casing hamper it from being a true budget all-rounder of a Bluetooth cable. Hence, my rating of 3.5 out of 5 for the KBEAR S1
KeepHifi offered me this review sample for an honest review.
Here's their store link for reference: KBEAR Official Store link for S1
Packaging and fit
The packaging is pretty simple but presented well - the key items are the cable itself and the micro-USB charging cable.
Also, the cable has multiple connection options - MMCX, 0.78 mm 2-pin and TFZ 0.78 mm 2-pin. I received the TFZ option which is a perfect fit for the KBEAR KS2 – the company does offer this IEM along with the cable as an option, so no wonder it fits perfectly. Surprisingly, I was also able to use it
Convenience
Heads up - This is going to be the most critical section of the whole review!
The device has controls on the right side which include a play, volume + and volume – buttons. The microphone is housed between the play and – buttons. The right side houses the Qualcomm QCC3040 chip.
Pressing and holding the play button turns the device on and off, while long pressing when the device is off takes it to pairing mode. The S1 cable can be connected to 2 devices at the same time and switching between the two devices is easy.
The left side houses the 120 mAh battery and hence the case on the left side is heavier than the right.
While I do not have any reservations about the neck band style Bluetooth devices, the battery and control housing is what I have a problem with – these jump up and down when using this device for a running session, especially the left side. This causes unwanted microphonics which can make listening to music while on a run a pretty sub-par experience. This hampers the biggest convenience of wireless devices.
Sound
The cable has enough power to drive most IEMs – I tried with KBEAR KS2 and Thieaudio Clarivoyance.
The thing which is noticeable immediately on sensitive IEMs like the KS2 is that there is a noticeable hiss when you pause music and also during quiet passages in songs. Setting your phone Bluetooth output volume to max while reducing the volume on the cable does help alleviate this to some extent, but still very noticeable.
With the Clairvoyance, which is not as sensitive as the KS2, the hiss is better contained, though present.
Other than this particular annoyance, I did not notice any other issues from sound perspective – when connected in aptX HD mode on my phone and streaming lossless from Tidal, I was able to get sufficient details. The soundstage width and depth were almost the same I get with wires, in the case of Clairvoyance, which is definitely appreciable at this price point.
Call quality
The call quality is decent; the microphone pics up voice quite well. The background noise is controlled to some extent, but I would not be using it for taking calls when I’m outside on a windy day.
Conclusion
At $27, the KBEAR S1 does what basic Bluetooth cables are supposed to offer, while aptX HD can accommodate a certain level of critical listening. However, the battery and controls casing hamper it from being a true budget all-rounder of a Bluetooth cable. Hence, my rating of 3.5 out of 5 for the KBEAR S1
Basmitokay
i just bought this, and still waiting for shipment from china. can't wait to try this
