KBEAR Stellar

These might seem like they’re too cheap to be any good, but don’t judge a book by it’s cover. These easily best all my free apple buds I have lying around over the years. This is a V shaped earbud, and the amazing thing is they have SUB BASS. These will actually shake your ear straight out of a laptop.

The tuning in general is pretty good where the sub bass is the star. Mids are present and not too distant. Male and female vocals come across as good enough. Bass and mid bass are not particularly detailed, but also don't bleed in to the mids too much. Treble is more laid back for V shape, but it still manages to come off a little hot and could be fatiguing for certain ears.

The technicalities aren't great, but you have to remember they are only $4! They do scale to the point where they can appreciate a dedicated dac/amp, but don't expect miracles from there ability to scale.

Fit isn't great with the stock foam cushions, but a larger fluffier one would probably greatly increase comfort and ability to stay in your ear.

As an avid retro gamer, I think these are a solid choice for a Nintendo Switch, 3DS, Vita, PSP & PS4/PS5 controller. The V shaped tuning with sub bass emphasis is a lot of fun in action games.

KBEAR themselves do make a range of IEM's that can best these, but they cost a few times more than the asking price of the Stellar. In fact, I'm shocked that these earbuds even come with a carrying pouch which is a nice touch. For the money, I can't think of anything else that would compete at its price point. These are the perfect throw away IEM's in the sense that if they break in the gym, get lost at the office or go through the wash you can just buy another set or just have a few ready to go in case the first one breaks. In that role these are an excellent choice.

Disclaimer:

I would like to thank @WendyLi of KB Ear for letting me buy the KB Ear Stellar with a very, very generous discount. Rest assured that my impressions written in this review are my own personal thoughts and opinions and in no way influenced by outside parties.

I am not an expert in this hobby nor claim to be an audiophile. I just love listening to music and am fond of writing.

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Introduction:

One of, if not, the fastest growing Chi-Fi company, KB Ear, has released their second budget earbud. This quick rise is mainly due to their drive to not be like the others that keep on releasing sub-par offerings. I see them as a company that has the dedication and passion to their craft, which results in their prominence on the vast Chi-Fi ocean. Their resolve to produce products that offers quality sound on a budget has definitely paid off. Of the recent releases, the Lark and their flagship, Believe were both praised as game changers in their given price point. There is also the soon-to-be-released KS1 – another one of their budget offering. Regarding their earbuds, their first release was the unique and more expensive Knight, which received polarizing views, as they were tuned not like the typical sub-20 buds (they were bright-sounding). They return with the KB Ear Stellar – a cost-friendly earbud that comes in the typical but legendary shell – the MX500. Sensitivity is at 115 dB with an impedance of 30 Ω. It comes in five different colors – red, white (matte), black (matte), blue, and transparent grey which can all be bought with a mic option. These can be found for as low as 2.58 USD and thus, price will play a big factor in this review. Other than the earbud itself, it also comes with a pair of foams and a pouch packed in a paper box. A very nice unboxing experience considering the price.

These were plugged to my phones (Oppo Reno 4 and mainly iPhone 5s) and my laptops (Asus X409 and Macbook Pro ‘15). I still do not have a dedicated DAC/Amp and thus cannot test scalability with more power but I am considering buying a cheap amplifier (Topping NX1s or Walnut V2).



Build and Comfort: Typical MX500 shell. Earbuds in general are very dependent on the ear canal shape of the user on whether it will be comfortable and generate enough seal. Foams are typically used if these fit loose. I personally have not encountered any fit issues with MX500 shells and prefer to use them without foams. The cable that it comes with is definitely better built than the Vidos but isn’t something to write home about. It doesn’t feel flimsy or easily breakable and has a decent strain-relief at the jack. Definitely usable without the fear of damaging the earbud/cable. The mic acts as the splitter - plastic, with buttons for volume and play/pause (there’s also an unknown switch that somehow sucks out the vocals when halfway).


Now, onto sound:

These were used with full foams




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Bass – Lots of bass without muddying the sound. Punchy and mid-bass dominant. There is, surprisingly, sub-bass. But don’t expect a rumble. It’s audible and that in itself is a huge compliment for earbuds. It stays fairly controlled, tight and is very engaging. It is also way more textured than my other buds. I’d take this over my other flathead buds (not semi in-ear) if we’re talking about bass.

Mids – If you got used to something with thick/rich and/or forward vocals, the Stellar will seem thinner and slightly recessed at first. However, give them some time on your ears and everything changes. Vocals and instruments are rendered in a much clearer presentation than the others I’ve heard in the same price range (sub-4 USD) which were overshadowed and/or affected too much by the bass, resulting in an overly thick presentation (i.e., Nameless). It’s a bit recessed than the bass and treble, but fortunately, it is placed just right – not too far back nor too forward (MS16 sometimes suffers from this). You also feel the weight of the piano keys. That V-shaped signature does bring its advantages (bass and treble), but in this case, it will be all about preference and what sound you’re looking for.

Treble – There’s a boost in lower treble which helps to give a bit of life and energy to the mix so that it doesn’t sound dull. I won’t advise to use these foam-free. Full foams do help a lot with smoothening the highs without becoming boring (no pierce as well). It isn’t splashy at all and is crisp. There is roll-off as typical of budget buds but that elevation in the lower region does help for those looking for the treble.

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Timbre – Earbuds generally don’t suffer from bad timbre, although I have read of a few exceptions. The KB Ear Stellar reproduces instruments/notes in a realistic/natural way, nothing off-sounding with it.

Soundstage – Average. Not it’s best feature. It reproduces a 3D-like stage, not that wide nor tall nor extended but enough so that it doesn’t sound congested. Considering it’s an earbud, it is better than my budget IEMs/TWS, but is beaten by the MS16 (though an unfair comparison, IMO).

Imaging –Panning sounds do pan from left-to-right but they’re not distinct (IOW, makes your head spin) when you listen to a track with such sounds. Imaging is also not blurry and you’ll easily hear where it’s coming from. Due to that 3D stage, instruments and vocals are placed nicely, not being unnaturally far from your head.

Separation – Gets the job done. I do have to note that it struggles when things get busy – instruments just go over a bit with each other, but nothing extreme. I, however, have not listened to an earbud that does this particularly well, and the Stellar is the best I have right now. For most songs, these will perform fine.

Detail-retrieval – as this is a 2.58 USD bud, I expected as such, which was true most times. It does show some detail, but this will be dependent on the genre/tracks you listen to as well (how bass/treble-heavy it is).


Comparisons:


K’s Nameless (~2 USD)

The Nameless comes in a typical MX500 shell with a very stiff cable. Fun-sounding, with elevated mid bass, borderline muddy or too warm when used with full foam (this one is preference-dependent). The Nameless has more bass quantity than the Stellar but definitely inferior on quality (tightness and texture). The former also has slightly less treble quantity and about the same quality. The bad thing about the Nameless is that if you don’t use EQ (I use @Sam L 's file but for this comparison, left in stock) it will result in an overly warm sound. Vocals/instruments, most of the time, sound thick and quite unnatural, but are more forward compared to the Stellar. Going foamless would definitely help but that is dependent on your ear canal shape (concerning fit and seal). Stellar have better technicalities overall than the Nameless (except for soundstage).

Headroom MS16 (~4 USD)

The MS16 might be the most unique bud for a bag of chips. It has a bell-shaped shell, is true open-back, and has a metal build. I run these foam-free and grill-less. These are definitely more comfortable/fit better than MX500 shells. Compared to the Stellar, the MS16 have inferior bass (destroyed in extension, less in quantity and close, but still inferior in quality) and more relaxed treble. The Stellar also has better extension in both ends of the spectrums. However, the MS16 offers a more relaxed sound, with fuller/richer midrange and the best soundstage and imaging of all my buds. Stellar has slightly better separation and detail-retrieval. This will be dependent on your preference, but I’d say that they are complementary to each other as the MS16 is very track-dependent for it to sound amazing (acoustic/vocals-focused) or just downright bad (mainstream pop/bass-heavy songs).

Ranking:

Stellar >= MS16 > Nameless >> Red Vido

*I had the Red Vido (had because I damaged the drivers while recabling) and hated them mainly because I bought the Nameless at the same time, which was better in every way for 0.30 USD more. It sounded too congested, vocals were much more recessed and I didn’t like the bass one bit (exaggerated; drowning). Maybe I just got a bad unit. Never went into buying another pair.

**Both the Nameless and MS16 appear louder than the Stellar at the same volume due to the more forward midrange/vocals (MS16 and Nameless) and more bass quantity (Nameless).







***I LOVE where the mic is positioned (at splitter). Very easy to reach and ergonomic to use. All buttons work on Android and iOS, but not on my Windows laptop or Macbook Pro. I don’t know if this is caused by a setting on my laptops.



Conclusion:

For 2.58 USD, this is the only earbud I’ve listened to that works with mainstream pop, and for every genre for that matter. The others I have/had either suffer from little or too much bass quantity (specifically mid-bass). It’s the only bud I’ve listened to that doesn’t make me miss the bass from IEMs. With the very cheap price, you get the highly moddable MX500 shell and a V-shaped sound signature - textured bass and clean mids with decent technicalities for an earbud. It also doesn’t need recabling as the cable is serviceable as is. The mic is also very usable and is placed nicely - it has a play/pause button and volume control (there’s also another switch that somehow sucks the vocals which I don’t know the function of). You can nitpick a few things here and there like the slightly recessed vocals (personal preference), average soundstage and distortion at really higher volumes, but it is important to consider how cheap these are. And if there’s something better out there, at what cost? Twice the price? That’s a lot of money when you’re living on the other side of the world.




Important: There have been reported units that heavily distort at higher volumes. I only get them when I turn on Replay Gain on Poweramp at 16 dB, 70/100 volume (Reno 4). But I don’t listen at that loudness and even when I max out the volume on my iPhone 5s, I don’t get any distortion. Maybe a bit, but barely noticeable.



****If you have other questions/concerns with the buds mentioned, feel free to message me****

Introduction

The world of headphones does not stop and there are more and more products that generate great sound at the best price. And there's probably no better way to do that than with Earbuds. Ever since the VE Monk came on the market, with its ridiculous price, something broke, for the sake of audio enthusiasts. Now, it is very easy to find many earbuds that want to reach the open path, improving the sound. This is the case with two very similar earbuds, so much so, that at first I thought they were clones, looking at their specifications and drivers. Luckily, they are not. Even one is cheaper than the other. KBEAR has released some earbuds with the classic MX500 capsule, whose price during Black Friday is 3 euros. Previously, NiceHCK released a very similar model, whose price in this special week, is around 4 euros. In this little review I'm going to try to discover their differences.



Disclaimer

KBEAR, (thanks to @WendyLi) and NiceHCK, have offered me both earbuds, in exchange for writing my humble opinion about them. I want to make it clear that all my opinions written in this review have not been conditioned by this fact, nor will I ever write anything that I do not really think or feel here. I will only write about my personal opinion in relation to the revised product.



Specifications KBEAR Stellar

• Driver type: 15.4mm Dynamic Driver with Japanese PPS diaphragm
• Frequency Response: 20Hz- 20kHz
• Sensitivity: 115±3dB
• Impedance: 30Ω
• Jack connector: Straight 3.5mm
• Cable length: 1.2m
• Material of the capsule: ABS imported from Japan
• Capsule type MX500.
• Available in red, black, blue, white and transparent black. Optional microphone.

Specifications NiceHCK Traceless

• Driver type: 15.4mm Dynamic Driver with Japanese PET diaphragm
• Frequency Response: 20Hz- 20kHz
• Sensitivity: 115±3dB
• Impedance: 32Ω
• Jack connector: Straight 3.5mm
• Cable length: 1.2m
• Capsule type MX500.
• Available in red, black, blue, white and red-blue transparent. Optional microphone.

Packaging

I received two KBEAR Stellar. The first pair came with the same presentation as the NiceHCH, a simple sealed plastic bag. One side is opaque, the other transparent. On the KBEAR, the opaque side is white, on the NiceHCK, silver. Each headset comes with a complete pair of foams. Nothing else.
But on the second pair of Stellar, they came in a very faint pink cardboard box. Its dimensions are 160x77x18mm. On the main side is the logo of the brand, the model and a small description. Underneath are 5 real photos of all the colours in which you can choose these Stellar. On the back side are written the specifications. Inside it comes a plastic blister in which the earbuds are encased, as well as the classic KBEAR cloth bag for storage and a pair of black foams. It's a bit strange that at first they came without a box and then with one. Another thing that has caught my attention is that from the AliExpress purchase website, you can see that there is even another, newer presentation, where the box is smaller and a little thicker.
On the other hand, looking at the web, the sensitivity of the Stellar is 115±3dB and in the box I received it says 106±2dB. I have spoken to WendyLi from KBEAR and she has assured me that the correct value is 115±3dB and that in the next batch, they will correct it on the box, as well as improving the information provided. So the cardboard packaging will remain.
Be that as it may, it seems that the Stellar, although cheaper, will definitely come in a cardboard box, instead of a simple plastic bag. They also come with a bag for storage, which for the price seems incredible.



Construction and Design

The two models are virtually identical, and both feature the same classic MX500 capsule. Even the colours are very similar, with slight variations in tone: blue, white, red and black. The different models are the transparent black for the Stellar and the transparent blue-red for the Traceless. The cable is almost the same, the KBEAR is matt and the NiceHCK is slightly brighter. Both have the same length, but in the Traceless, their splitter piece is a few centimetres closer to the capsules. On the other hand, the jacks are identical.
KBEAR's specifications indicate that they are made of ABS material imported from Japan. Nothing is indicated by NiceHCK, but this is not something that can be detected by the naked eye: both headphones appear to be equally strong and of the same construction quality.



Adjustment and Ergonomics

At this point I can comment little on the ergonomics and fit of the MX500 capsules. For my taste they are somewhat large, but they fit more tightly because they insert better. In the long run, I find them a little more annoying than the other models. I think this type of capsule encourages a greater presence in the lower area, perhaps due to the greater contact and the possibility of mounting larger drivers.



Sound



Profile

The profile of the KBEAR Stellar looks like a slight warm V, with emphasis on the mid-bass and treble. The NiceHCK is more balanced, with a more linear low end, fuller and more present mids, but with more controlled treble.



Bass

Mid-bass predominates on the Stellar, over the Traceless. Texture and speed are similar, but the punch is somewhat greater in the KBEAR. The Traceless have a more linear and deeper bass, but the incidence of low end in the Stellar is higher. This makes the lower range denser, a bit darker and a slightly cloudier. The bass incidence in the Traceless is more neutral in the sound, without implying its absence, far from it. There is more power and a somewhat more punchy punch in the Stellar, a more controlled and respectful, yet energetic and vivid expression in the Traceless. Those who like their bass a little more emphasised would choose the KBEARs. But the low end of the Traceless has more than enough to satisfy most bass lovers. In addition, the linearity of their low end provides a cleaner and clearer sound, where better details and planes can be distinguished, as opposed to the density and thickness in the mid-bass of the Stellar.



Mids

I can't say that both earbuds are characterised by high mid-range clarity. And it is common in this area to find that the relationship between the ergonomics of the capsules, their shape, their fit and the use of the full foams in the earbuds, do not favour the light in the mid-range. On the Stellar, however, this area is more cloudy, offering less definition, a little more distance and a more diffuse resolution. There is more light in the Traceless, a characteristic that is easily felt, not an overwhelming difference in vocals, but somewhat more noticeable when the range presents a richer instrumentation. The incidence of bass in the Stellar drags a slight trace of darkness and the greater hollowness in the upper mids does not help them to take off, remaining more insipid and less developed, not very explicit, a little more distant comparatively speaking. In this way, the more V-shaped profile of the KBEARs is more prominent, which is a disadvantage compared to the NiceHCKs.
On the other hand, the level of resolution and detail in the mid-range has a clear tendency towards softness and musicality in the two earbuds, without either being characterised by a definition worthy of note, or an analytical capacity that gives them a clear qualitative increase. Although, it is true that the Traceless have more sparkle and more dynamics in this range, something that provides more life, proximity, realism and naturalness to their sound. In this way, I could say that the NiceHCKs have a more accurate tonality and timbre, less warm and more neutral, with a profile that allows us to enjoy more of the central range, within a slightly more natural approach.



Treble

The treble starts out deceptively high on the Traceless, as its clarity in the mid-range is perceptible all the way to the treble. However, the first phase in both earbuds is very similar and not very prominent in the overall sound. Then, the later emphasis on the Stellar favours its high range. As a good V-earbud, its profile on this occasion benefits its presence and perception. It is thus easier to isolate the high notes in the Stellar, and even to follow them further, thanks to their greater extension and amount of air. On the other hand, in the Traceless, these notes remain more controlled or even more hidden, which qualifies their execution and limits their superior development. Their brightness is closer to neutrality, without their range, both in extension and sparkle, providing a more noticeable crunch and a fuller or more complete sensation. Something that, on the other hand, appears more incipiently in the Stellar, but without dazzling.
Neither of the two earbuds is characterised by a very detailed or defined high end, but rather offer a reduced version of the real thing in this range. It is clear that this area is the most complex to execute, for earbuds of this price and features. The KBEARs do a better job of resolving this range, though it is more susceptible to sibilance than the NiceHCKs.



Soundstage, Separation

The soundstage depends very much on the sensations produced in both earbuds. The KBEARs, with their V-profile, bring the bass and treble closer together and move the centre area further away. In this way they provide a more triangular sound stage, which narrows the closer you get. The NiceHCKs are more balanced and their soundstage has a more realistic distribution with more height, but also flatter. There is a gain in width, but a loss of the superior depth found in the Stellar. Instrumentation performs better in the Traceless, lacking the slight haze of the KBEARs in their mid-range, and gaining its position in space by having a point of greater separation. In this way, the location of the elements is more focused and more easily glimpsed, recreating an acceptable, proportionate image, capable of keeping a minimum distance between the elements.
In the Stellar, the powerful low area and the higher amount of air offers a slightly more three-dimensional, but less wide scene. It is more spectacular at times, but its central area has more congestion. This is why at times, the width of the Traceless stands out over the Stellar, while in other situations, the greater three-dimensionality of the Stellar is the more prevalent feature.
Although neither are experts in instrumental positioning, nor in the precise placement of elements, the soundstage of both is not extremely tight; but one misses more clarity and cleanness in sound overall.



Conclusion

Both KBEAR Stellar and NiceHCK Traceless do not pretend to be a revolution, but an attempt to prove that you can offer a great sound at a minimal price. KBEAR tries it with a V approach, NiceHCK with a more homogeneous and smoother sound in the high end. The Stellar is closer to the classic bass drum and cymbal, offering a good treble extension. The Traceless have a more all-round profile, where the bass and mids are very well represented and the treble is sufficient. They even have a very good sound stage for their ridiculous price, being earbuds suitable for any situation: watching TV, series, films, plugging them into the mobile phone and, above all, listening to music with good quality and clarity. The Stellar are also good for all this, even offering a more three-dimensional and surprising scene in this sense, but their sound feels a bit more polarised, but also more spectacular.
I must confess that, at first, I thought the Stellar and the Traceless would have a very similar sound, as many of their characteristics are very similar. Fortunately, this was not the case, but they are two inexpensive earbuds with a different profile, allowing the user to choose the one he/she likes the most. Or why not! Buy both, as they can easily complement each other and the price is still very low. What more could you ask for?



Sources Used During the Analysis

• Burson Audio Playmate
• xDuoo XP-2Pro
• E1DA #9038D
• Earmen Sparrow

You can read the full review in Spanish here