Kiwi Ears Aether

Kiwi Ears Aether Review​

The Fulle review can also be found HERE

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Kiwi Ears Aether Review ​

Intro​

Hello, this review and feature covers the Kiwi Ears Aether ($169) from Kiwi Ears Audio. The Aether is actually a planar magnetic driver earphone which houses a massive 15.3 mm driver and features a very striking design. From my vantage point Kiwi Ears is in an absolute tear of late bringing to market unique and smart products which seem to do a solid job of meeting consumer demand, both in design/aesthetic as well as performance. I haven’t actually heard the Aether yet, but tracking says it’s about a day away and I gotta tell you all that I’m pretty pumped up to hear it. We shall see if the Aether is just another planar set stuck in the sea of planar wars iems. Or will the Kiwi Ears Aether buck the trend of copy-cat tunings?

Kiwi Ears ​

This brand is hot folks! Almost like they’ve had this stockpile of wonderfully tuned iems and audio devices just waiting to hit the scene all at once. However, the truth is, they’ve been hot since their conception. I actually just now received the Aether along with a couple other products from Kiwi Ears and I am so smitten folks! I want to shake the hand of every person involved with the creation of their products. Just a job well done! Of course, there is such a thing as the “Honeymoon phase” with all products. However, I think the honeymoon phase is simply a precursor to a happy marriage concerning myself and Kiwi Ears. As long as they care about their products using every resource and every engineering mind at their disposal along with proper R&D… then I think they’ll just keep on rolling. I think we know a legit brand when we see one. No doubt there’s more than a few very solid brands out there too. My praise of Kiwi Ears in no way cancels out what some other great audio brands are doing. However, in a Kiwi Ears review, I’ll stick to the topic, and the topic in the header reads “Kiwi Ears”.

I have the receipts… ​

I say all of these nice words for a reason. Basically, the proof is in the pudding. Everything I’ve owned or reviewed from this brand is a hit. Friends, I cannot begin to explain how much I love the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite (Orchestra Lite Review). I gave that set a very good review, gushed over them. Um… I love them even more today. Truly, sound value at its best. How about the Kiwi Ears Cadenza (Cadenza Review)! A set which very easily competes against any set within its price point in today’s market. I know it because I have them all. The Cadenza was and is… a price to performance beast. I just reviewed the Kiwi Ears Airoso (Airoso Review) and let me tell you, please hear me, it is without question one of, if not thee, best hybrids under $200. Obviously, that is a highly subjective and easily debatable thing to say, but I’m saying it, and I have a stone straight face. One of the Airoso’s biggest competition is Kiwi Ear’s own Kiwi Ears KE4 (KE4 Review). For a different sound signature, it too is right up there with the best that the market has to offer at $200. I’ve reviewed the Kiwi Ears X-Crinacle Singolo (Singolo Review) too. Not my favorite, but a solid set. There’s actually quite a few more of their products I’ve owned as well, but I’ll spare you the links. Also, my partners at Mobileaudiophile.com have also reviewed a number of Kiwi Ears products as well and it seems that each one has a similar theme, a solid product for the money. Centrally, price value, price to performance, and sound value are things you’ll read a lot at Mobileaudiophile.com.

Burn em’ in… ​

Back to the Aether, I have had this set in my ears quite a lot, pre-burn-in. Of course, the Aether has a gargantuan 15.3 mm planar driver and so it definitely needs many hours of burn-in. Not that much needs to change either. However, out of straight up due-diligence I will suffer the wait and put them on the burn-in station. I am eagerly awaiting many hours of critical listening, and I will certainly make that happen soon. With that said, I’ll see you folks in about two weeks. So, without further ado, the Kiwi Ears Aether everyone…

Non-Affiliated Purchasing Links:​

–Kiwi Ears

–Linsoul

–Amazon

–Bloom Audio

Disclaimer:​

I received the Kiwi Ears Aether from Kiwi Ears as a review sample and in exchange I will conduct a full review and feature at Mobileaudiophile.com. I have not received any payment or any other form of compensation for this review. This set is a review sample iem. Kiwi Ears has not requested to pre-read any review and doesn’t have any control over “what” or “when” anything gets published to mobileaudiophile.com. All thoughts within this review are my own, though please take note that I will always have my own biases. This is impossible to get around. I try to be as objective as my subjective self can be. However, this is an opinion piece folks. Thank you to Kiwi Ears, and thanks for reading.

Gear used for testing​

–Ifi Go Blu

–EPZ TP50

–EPZ TP35

–Kiwi Ears Allegro Pro

–Aful SnowyNight

–Shanling H0

–Fiio JM21

–Fiio Q15

–iBasso DX240 with Amp8 MK2

–Shanling M6 Ultra

Packaging / Accessories ​

Unboxing ​

The Kiwi Ears Aether arrived at my home in a fairly large rectangular box (6.5” x 4.5” x 2”) with a pink/purple sleeve covering it and a nice picture of the Aether on the front etc. On the back you won’t see anything of importance but on the side, there are some specs pertaining to the Aether. Take off the sleeve and you find a silver box with “Kiwi Ears” imprinted in the center. Open the box (a ton of suction, not simple) and you’ll see a thin box which holds the Aether’s manual, the QC pass card, and a warranty card. Take out that layer and you’ll see the gorgeous Aether sitting pretty in white foam molds on the top left. Just next to the Aether earphones on the left side is another small box which holds all of the eartips in small baggies separated by the style of tips. There’s also one more box which carries the carrying case. Take out the carrying case, open it up, and you’ll see the cable wrapped up neatly inside. For $169 the unboxing isn’t bad by any stretch. Though, it also isn’t the best we’ve seen. It’s a nice box, almost Apple-esque, or somewhat in the vein of a Tanchjim unboxing. It’s definitely nice. However, not tops in class. Which is fine. Not bad.

Eartips​

So Kiwi Ears provided a total of nine pairs of tips over three different styles of tips (three pairs of each style). The first set (S, M, L) of three tips are black silicone eartips with a narrow bore, somewhat longer, flimsy at the flange, not very rigid at the stem. I am not a fan of those. The next set (S, M, L) of three tips are some white silicone tips which also have a narrow bore, exactly the same size and appearance as the black tips but these have a slightly firmer flange. These aren’t bad tips at all and will be useful for other sets, not for the Aether. The last set (S, M, L) of three tips are a light gray flanged and red stem pair of silicone tips with a semi-wide bore and which have a fairly firm flange and rigid stem. I certainly like the gray/red tips the best, but I definitely wanted to tip roll to find the most suitable eartips per my unique preferences. So, after many eartips tested with the Aether I found that the Hiby WG01 tips easily worked the best for me. Oddly enough, when I reviewed the Airoso I also preferred the WG01 tips. I also really liked the Dunu S&S tips with the Aether, but the WG01 is much more comfortable for me.

Carrying Case ​

The Kiwi Ears Aether comes packaged with a decent carrying case. The case is a black faux leather covered zipper case. It’s a nice enough case for its purpose. It’s actually the same case provided with many of Kiwi Ears iems. I actually just reviewed the Kiwi Ears Airoso, and it is the same case provided with that. At any rate, it’s a decent sized case. Just large enough to fit the Aether and the cable, possibly some extra tips. Inside if the case is lined with some softer fabric along with a mesh pocket as well. Also, the case is a good size if you like to carry it in your pocket. It isn’t going to bulge out too weirdly.

Cable ​

The cable provided is nice looking. I certainly wouldn’t call it a ‘best-in-class’ type of wire or anything, but it’s nice. Now, I do have a small gripe that could be resolved fairly easily for Kiwi Ears… maybe. I really would’ve liked to have seen a modular cable, or at least an option for a 4.4 balanced cable. I feel that Kiwi Ears either slightly missed the boat on this or they already know that you are going to cable swap and so they provide any ole’ cable. Perhaps, to put more money into the earphones themselves. I’m perfectly happy with the latter. I really am. One more thing, with planar magnetic earphones the general rule of thumb is that they need some power to shine. Also, generally, a 4.4 balanced cable will provide the higher output on almost all source devices on the market. Planars need juice folks. So, in that respect I would’ve liked to have seen a 4.4 option at purchasing. Not that the included cable is a bad cable either as it really isn’t bad at all. I just feel that the package would be more complete with a nice-looking modular system. Or the option to go with a 4.4. That’s it. We are so used to seeing modular nice fatty fat cables on plus $150 sets anymore which was a very small let down. No biggie though, the included cable is not bad looking and it does its job just fine. Coincidentally, I said that exact same thing in the Airoso Review.

The included cable​

Okay, I know I just got done expressing my wish for something different but, as far as the included cable is concerned it’s still a very nice wire. I think that “aesthetically” it fits the Aether very well. I am a person who desires my cables to fit the aesthetic of the earphones. With the Aether, I feel that there’s only three to four colors which really jive well with it. So long as the predominant color of the cable is silver, black, or white. In my opinion any of these solid colors will work and you’ll have a dead ringer for a nice aesthetic pairing with the Aether. Thankfully, the included cable is completely blacked-out. It’s a dark glossy black with black fittings (y-split, cable cinch, connectors etc.) and that jet black coloring fits perfectly with the Aether. Plus, the included cable is very pliable, semi-fat, nice braid. Now, I have no idea what material the cable is. I’m assuming it’s a silver-plated copper cable, but I don’t know for sure. I wish I did have that info for you, so forgive me for that. The only info that Kiwi Ears provides is that the cable is a 3.5 single ended cable which terminates with 0.78, 2-pin connectors. Oh, and that it’s detachable. That’s it. At any rate it’s actually a nice cable and so I’m not dishing on Kiwi Ears at all. It makes no microphonic noise, it’s soft, easy to manage, easy to roll up and store, very pliable, and it’s nice to look at too. I simply wish that it was either a nice modular cable, or that the consumer had the option for 4.4 at purchasing. No biggie.

What cable did I use? ​

However, it took me all of about a half a minute to decide that I’m definitely going to cable swap. I went through so many cables folks. Probably about 10 in total. Well, I ended up using two different cables for the review and ultimately landed on one which will stay on the Aether. The first cable is the silver BGVP modular cable that came with the BGVP Melody. You’ll see it in some of the pics. Truly a nice cable. However, the sweetest sound that I heard came from one of my favorite semi-budget aftermarket cables in the Audioverse, the FSIjiangyi SPC 4.4 balanced cable. I’m telling you folks; it is a very special cable which should cost twice as much. At any rate, the sound paired with the Aether is wonderful. The upper mids are brought out so nicely and the bass gains an even tighter expression. I realize that some of you don’t believe in cable tonality changes, but I can assure you, there’s a definite difference. Unless my mind/ears deceived me. Three other budget cables which worked nicely are the Simgot LC7, the KBear Chord 4.4 and the Nicehck IcyMoon 4.4. Still, I also realize that not everyone has the extra money to throw down on a 3rd party cable. Also, the 3.5 single ended cable provided is still pretty decent to look at and it does its job well.

Build / Design / Internals / Fit ​

Build Quality ​

Starting off with the build quality of the Kiwi Ears Aether I feel that it has very nice structural integrity, it’s substantial, and rather large too. Large enough that I should provide the disclaimer that small ears may want to think twice or at least compare with other larger sets to know if they’ll fit you. I don’t have that problem. So, the Aether has what appears to be a 3D printed resin shell, somewhat rounded in its body, smooth everywhere. The faceplates are made with a resin coating over the gorgeously designed centerpiece. Around the resin faceplate is an aluminum border which creates a very nice color contrast. Kiwi Ears made the Aether so that it is a semi-open back design as there’s three smaller vent holes near the back Chamber near the female 2-pin connectors at the top-back of the shells. There’s also another small vent near the nozzles. The nozzles are 6.5mm in width, made of a pretty aluminum, nice eartip ridge for holding them on tightly. Also, the nozzles are medium in length (what’s medium Chris?), not too long nor too short. I wouldn’t say the build is going to wow you, or make you gasp with wonder, but it is a very nice build. I used the word “substantial” because they are definitely substantial in both quality and size. They just feel solid. However, the Aether is also a light earphone and very comfy. If I were a betting man, I’d say that for sure the Aether weighs between 7-10 grams. They just feel nice in the ear. Overall, the build quality is pretty nice.

Design​

I’ve already somewhat explained the design just a moment ago, but I love the look! It is so dope looking with a very unique, very simple design with a classy touch of pizazz. Again…I absolutely love it. Kiwi Ears designs always seem to veer into the simple and minimalist side of the aisle. However, in all of their simple designs they usually have a touch of elegance. Or some distinguishing feature which adds some zest to an otherwise plain Jane design. Well, except for the Kiwi Ears Melody, that’s as plain Jane as it gets. But I digress, the Aether is beautiful, handsome, even elegant, and it has just the right amount of that “zest” that I was just referring to. That zest can be seen in the center of the faceplates under the transparent resin within the aluminum border. You’ll see tiny speckled electric teal and purple glitter slightly/randomly covering a black/stone-gray ribbed design underneath. Okay, I did a bad job explaining that, but you can just look at the pictures. Truly a dope looking set which will look dope whilst walking around the market, bus rides, wherever you go. The design gets an “A” from me, nice job Kiwi Ears artisans and designers.

Internals​

Okay, now we get to the heart of this set. That “heart” is the planar magnetic driver which sits inside the Aether within the acoustic cavity. Friends, when I saw that the Aether was going to feature this driver, I was very happy to see something different. What’s different you ask? Well, the planar inside is a massive 15.3 mm planar driver. Darn near every planar on the market that isn’t a micro-planar runs between 10-14 mm in size. So, to see something this large in a set of in-ear monitors was very cool for me. Surrounding the 15.3 mm driver is an array of N52 neodymium magnets. Beyond the driver, Kiwi Ears states that they upgraded the acoustic chamber. I don’t know “how” they upgraded the chamber, but it’s upgraded, nonetheless. I know that Kiwi Ears gave the Aether an almost semi-open back design. Like I said earlier, the Aether has three side-by-side small backside vents which may explain the upgrade. Anyways, there isn’t much more info that I have on the internal makeup of the Aether. Despite that, 15.3 was all I needed to hear.

Fit / Comfort ​

As far as fit and comfort the Aether is pretty comfortable for me once I get them in my ears and sealed with the right tips. Like I said, the body of the shells are somewhat rounded and fairly large in size and so the beefiness of the shells may be a problem for smaller ears. I can tell you that I don’t have big ears, and the Aether fits me very well. So, take that for what it’s worth. Also, the Aether is not a heavy set of earphones which greatly helps over long listening periods. I would say that so long as you find the perfect eartips for you then the Aether is likely going to fit the majority of hobbyists just fine.

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Drivability ​

Output Power ​

The Kiwi Ears Aether is a fairly sensitive planar magnetic set. Then again, most planars nowadays are fairly sensitive. To be exact, the Aether is rated with an impedance of just 14 ohms and a sensitivity of about 105 dB SPL/mW (@1kHz). Basically, the Aether can be played with even sensitive sources. I used my old Android phone, my iPad, and a no name Amazon dongle dac (super weak output) and the Aether was able to get to nice volume on each. However, the Aether wants and desires greater power like a cold glass of water in the desert my friends. You should feed it. Just like most any planar magnetic earphone that I’ve owned or reviewed, the Aether comes alive and reaches its full potential with good output power. What do I mean by good output? Well, for me, it wasn’t until I put the Aether in the EPZ TP50 on high gain that I started to hear the Aether ramp-up its dynamics, tighten in certain areas etc. Even more so when I attached the Aether to my daps and larger dac/amps like the Fiio JM21, iBasso DX240, Shanling M6 Ultra, Fiio Q15 etc. Having said all of that, to my ears you could easily find great enjoyment out of the Aether with a decently powerful dongle dac. You don’t need a huge desktop power supply to wake up the Aether. Maybe 100-150 mW @16 ohms. Of course that’s on the low-end, but it isn’t that weaker sources cannot bring the Aether to volume because they most certainly can. It’s about the fluid and emphatic dynamics which seem to come through clearer when using more output and better sources.

Source Pairing ​

One thing I love about the Kiwi Ears Aether is how easily it adapts to different source tonalities. The Aether naturally comes across carrying a closer to neutral sound with a touch of low-end warmth, and so finding a suitable source to pair with it is quite easy. The only type of source tonality I didn’t enjoy was with brighter sources. That’s it. The Aether is so well balanced tonally and doesn’t have any one area stealing the focus in my opinion. So, there’s not a whole lot to have exaggerated (bright, warm, sharp, muddy) one way or the other from source devices. That’s not to say that any source will fit your particular preferences, but in general the Aether is tuned in such a way that many devices seem to work very well when attached. I used a lot of source devices, as per usual. My favorite source that I used is my Shanling M6 Ultra which comes across highly resolving but also warm/neutral with a less enthusiastic upper end of the spectrum. However, the neutral iBasso DX240, the slightly warm/neutral Fiio Q15 and even the neutral Fiio JM21 all helped the Aether to sound very nice. With all that said, I prefer a source with a touch of warmth with this set.

What do you need? ​

I would spring for a decent Dongle Dac with sufficient power if you want to begin getting the most from the Aether. Believe me it’s worth it. Truly a special iem when paired well tonality-wise and when powered well. However, don’t fret too much over pairing or “synergy” as the Aether does well attached to many devices.

Sound Impressions ​

*Note: before I dive into the sound portion of this review, I have a few things to speak on. First, I did burn in the Aether for roughly about four days, maybe a hair longer. Next, I used Hiby WG01 eartips for best seal, comfort, and perceived sound quality. Also, I listen mainly with flac or better files stored on my devices, I rarely stream my music. The Android music player that I use in my devices is almost always UAPP (USB Audio Player Pro). However, I do at times use Hiby Music Player as well.

How does it sound? ​

Friends, the Kiwi Ears Aether is truly a special iem. I’m not going to beat around the bush here. Let’s just take the guesswork out of it. Without question the Aether is one of the best planar magnetic earphones that my ears have heard. The entire spectrum is complete, balanced very well, with no one area taking the brunt of the focus from any other area. Nothing stands out in that way. Instead, it’s the entire tonal body (spectrum) as a whole which works cohesively to bring a very mature sound, a very fun sound, a very dynamically expressive sound, a very technically inclined sound, and a sound with very nice timbral qualities. I am simply smitten folks. Ever since I first put the Aether in my ears and hit play… It was love at first listen. Okay, I may have taken that a hair too far. Plus, like anything the Aether does have some slight “subjective” issues, or, “preferential” issues which some consumers may have. With that said, folks this set is one of the most complete planar magnetic earphones that I’ve heard.

Tell me more… ​

So, the Kiwi Ears Aether comes across as predominantly neutral with a nice layer of warmth. A little bass region weight provides just enough warmth to observe a semi-rich note body. Which by the way is nice to hear from the Aether. This means that it’s lean enough to not clog the lines between instruments, less hanging fat, and it’s rich enough to provide some added weight, some authority, some machismo. Then again, it’s also not so lean that it comes across frail, weak, dry, or papery. It’s semi-rich, it’s what a balanced sound should have. Now, as far as sound signature, I’d say the Aether lines up anywhere from a slight V-shaped sound signature to a U-shaped sound signature. I suppose if you put a squirt gun to my head, I’d say it leans closer to U-shaped. The reason that I say that is because while the Aether does have a lifted bass region and an equally boosted treble region, it also has a somewhat forward midrange. Well, it certainly isn’t recessed or distant. However, these “sound signatures” are all subjectively labeled and clearly, they can be different for everyone. As in, what you think is “forward” may not be “forward” to me. At any rate, it’s probably best described as U-shaped in my opinion.

Timbre ​

Another nice aspect of the Aether is its very nice timbre for a planar earphone. I can (at times) hear an ever-so-slight planar tinge to it, but in a very organic and natural way. If that makes sense to you. What I don’t hear is that edgy, electric/metallic fuzz which usually lines the crest of most planar notes. The Aether simply sounds refreshing in that way. There’s been a few other planar sets which exhibit this type of solid timbre in different ways. Sets like the Letshuoer S08 (S08 Review), the Letshuoer S12 2024 Edition (S12 2024 Review), as well as the Letshuoer S15 (S15 Review). Basically, you get all the benefits of a good planar driver without the coarse note delivery of most planars. Add to that the nice dynamic and tonal balance that the Aether has and what you end up with is a very finely tuned iem. The Aether has enough air to the sound to create a sense of space, a feeling of openness, yet not so much to sound thin or artificial to my ears. While the Aether isn’t as tonally and timbrally correct as some dynamic drivers, I gotta say, it’s pretty close. So not perfectly natural, but natural enough for me to think “Damn, that’s some nice timbre!”.

All about Balance… ​

Planar, or no planar, it’s a very well-tuned set. Its nicely smooth underbody and fundamental tone is featured across the spectrum. Yet the Aether also has good crispness and crunch as well. This helps tremendously for different instruments to add that hard clanging snap, that clean edge which so many instruments need to sound authentic. The good kind of edginess. When a track displays such a thing, that is. Add to that the awesome technical ability of the Aether. I hear very good detail retrieval with very high resolution, good separation of elements within the sound field, wonderful imaging, and I hear a massive stage with plenty of depth and good layering for a planar set of earphones. Technically, the Aether is on point, no doubt about it. What makes this set so nice is how musically gifted it is in the face of that very good technical ability. The whole story of this set is one of balance. Balance tonally, dynamically, in its texture, its note body, and even balance in how it’s portrayed. You could call this set a technical beast and in the same sentence say it’s a fluid, rhythmic, and musical dynamo. Actually, nobody says “dynamo”, but you get the gist. It’s all about balance. You could also say that the Aether represents what some would consider a benchmark type sound, dare I say a… reference sound for an under $200 planar. Shoot, for an under $300 planar. Yes, it is that good in my personal opinion.

Bass Region ​

The low-end of the Kiwi Ears Aether has a very tight and fairly rigid rumble which has very solid extension into the lowest of lows. I find this planar bass to be highly capable of producing some above moderate impact with a very satisfying result. The Aether has a very hard-edged attack with a nicely dense feel to the low-end. Now, this isn’t an overly boosted range to the point that it’d please those bass-bois amongst us, but the bass hits with some good authority providing a very healthy slam and a nice hard impact. Now, the bass won’t exactly give you the palpable and hard driving depth of a dynamic driver, but it is surely very close. The Aether’s bass is a very detailed, well defined, layered, and it’s a very tight bass that doesn’t quite have the organic resonance of a dynamic driver either. However, I take absolutely nothing away from what Kiwi Ears was able to accomplish with this tuning. Let’s put it this way, the low-end has enough weight to be satisfying but it isn’t so emphasized that it’ll cause further issues anywhere else. This is quality over quantity without lacking quantity. It’s rigid, it’s dense enough, it’s fast enough for complicated bass passages, and it is a very ductile and agile low-end as well. Very good for a planar magnetic in-ear.

Sub-Bass ​

The lowest of the lows reaches deep and has solid extension. The Aether provides a fairly meaty rumble without mudding up the mix in any way. Like I said, it’s just-above-moderate in actual emphasis and likely won’t appeal to heavy bass head folks, but it still has enough of a low droning growl to give a nice haptic feedback. Very nice actually. Nice enough that the casual listener will probably not be able to distinguish the difference between this planar and a dynamic driver. For real, if it wasn’t for the speed and agility of this planar bass then I’d say there’s really not a huge difference. You still have some nice vibratory goodness in the sublevels of the bass and the Aether can reach a fairly deep-toned and rotund rumble. The sub-bass is very well textured with precise note outlines, nothing soft, nothing fuzzy, nothing which I would ever consider as pillowy. I definitely enjoy the depth of the bass in the track “Angel” from Massive Attack. Is deep, reverberant, heavy enough. Or the track “Violent” by Tupac, another real haptic and textured display of a meaty track. Again, not bass head, but substantial. Not earth shaking, but bulbous in a bulbous track. Basically, when a track calls for it, the Aether will reciprocate with a clean and tidy version of the artist’s intent. Supposing we know the artist’s intent.

Mid-Bass ​

Making our way into the mid-bass brings on much of the same verbiage as I used in the sublevels on the Aether. When a track calls for it the Aether will rise to the occasion with a very definitive and acute slam accompanied by very nice surface texture to each note. Well, that’s if the recording offers such texture. At any rate, I hear a solid impact for drums, a pointed attack on snares, tight and resolved bass drops, fullness in bass guitars, along with a deft and generally spry note body. There isn’t some bullish and overtly wide bass presence in the Aether’s mid-bass either. The mid-bass doesn’t obscure the mix. It’s actually quite the opposite as the Aether comes across with a more nuanced approach, a great balance too. Tracks like “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams offer that speedy, authoritative, and nuanced sound that the Aether thrives with. Another track which showcases the Aether’s skill level to the max is “Higher Ground” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Beginning with a hard edged and abrasive bass guitar the Aether growls right through with enough guttural depth. However, as the drums kick in the Aether handles the simultaneous bass sections perfectly and without losing clarity or dynamics. Beyond that, the mid-bass does bleed slightly into the midrange yet not to a detriment in my opinion. Really very nice folks.

Downsides to the Bass Region ​

I’d say that those folks who simply love that earthy and resonant bass of a full sounding dynamic driver will likely not enjoy the clean lined approach of the Aether. Like hearing the bass drop in “Ultimate” by Denzel Curry. The harmonics sound a hair clipped with its cleaner style. Some folks love that lingering buzz in their music. I totally understand it too. I’m talking about those sets which provide an actual atmospheric type of bass. The only other subjective qualms which some particular folks may have is those people who truly detest any bass interference or bass influence in their music. There are moments where the Aether’s low-end may slightly mask some instrumentation and the bass does bleed into the midrange too. I suppose those folks who only like a crystal-clear midrange untouched by the warmth of the low-end may be somewhat put-off with the Aether. To be honest, I feel the bass bleed only enhances the listening experience for me. Certainly not something which I feel needs changed. However, I’m not you though.

Midrange​

To me the midrange is one of very good clarity, subtle warmth, smoothness and the crisp ability to hit a clean note edge in a precise manner. I wouldn’t call the midrange the crown jewel of the Aether, but it certainly isn’t a problem either. In fact, I’m impressed as the mids on this set have that semi-rich note body coupled with a highly technical presentation. These are usually two adverse words which usually would cancel one or the other out, at least to a degree. A lot has to do with the Aether’s very clean and tight transient response and well-defined note delivery along with a very kinetic, very agile, very nimble ability to maneuver around even complex music with relative ease. Of course, there’s some caveats to that, but for the most part the Aether definitely has that fast-twitch response to dynamic volume changes, and even the micro-dynamics to effectively help reproduce the subtleties within my music very well. It can stop at the drop of a dime and accelerate in an instant (so to speak), all the while keeping a good hold of its musicality and not losing the emotion of a track. Which brings me to what I enjoy most about the midrange; the constant knack for being able to convey (through tonal and melodic goodness) the liquid, cadenced, and fluid feeling of my music whilst not coming across too warm, veiled, & blunted. The coexistent technical & musical sweet spot that the Aether seems to reproduce is not bad at all for a planar at this price.

Better midrange sets? ​

Now, having said all of that, there are definitely iems under, at, or slightly above the price of the Aether which specialize in the midrange and certainly replay this area of the mix with better authenticity. Is authenticity what we are always after? Perhaps. If so, no doubt I have plenty in my collection which have more of a midrange focus, more organic midrange timbre, even more liquid vocals, more exclusively tuned to this region. For what it’s worth I adore solid midrange sets. However, those sets “usually” have certain “exceptions” which must be made to pull off those awesome midrange displays. There are some outliers, some unicorns if you will, which hold onto a nicely balanced sound altogether and don’t seem to lack as much at the edges of the spectrum. This is where I’d say that the Aether kind of does it all pretty darn nicely. Maybe the Aether is a “Jack of all trades, master of none” type of sound, but I think it’s more than that. Instruments & vocalists are actually sitting somewhat forward, definitely not recessed and there’s a nice dynamic contrast in this region with some nice energy and presence too. As I said, the note body is semi-rich, not thin, dry, or anemic sounding. Notes have some density, some mass to them, or some palpable texture while also having a well layered stage, a very airy and an open stage, and a decent roundness to notes as well. Still, you will hear the faintest tinges of planar timbre squeak through at times. But that’s where the issues stop.

Lower-Midrange​

The lower-mids are not pushed back or distant which is the case all too often. I’d actually say they are somewhat close to the listener without calling them “forward” leaning. I’d say male voices are roughly on the same plane forward/backward to instruments, perhaps a hair closer. It must have something to do with the clear definition outlining most notes along with the subtly richer body to those notes. “Heaven Without You” by Alex Warren shows this to an extent. His voice is smooth, while the acoustic guitar strumming along has a very crisp sparkle to it. The nice thing here is that his voice is tonally on-point, and he isn’t distant to the listener. His voice also has that good presence that I was talking about. The slight warmth drawn into male voices from the spill-over from the bass region brings some semblance of authority or command to the intonations in those voices. Max McNown sings “A Lot More Free” with his harmoniously raspy voice and the Aether does a nice job of focusing the sound on his voice. Once again, I hear a very emotionally gratifying sound from this region as Max’s vocals have the slight oomph and solid timbral qualities. I certainly wouldn’t say that the Aether specializes in male vocals, but I have yet to hear any male sound downright off, bad, or even subpar. In truth, some males come across flat-out awesome.

Upper-Midrange ​

The upper-mids are more energetic as per usual. I hear a nice shimmer in this region as there’s certainly an upper-mid boost without anything coming across shouty or harsh. They’re also more forward in the sound field and very well highlighted against the mix. This type of forwardness definitely pays off for any female voices as well as instruments. I like that the upper-mids have a certain fluid moistness. There’s a smoothness to vocalists and instrumentation as well. I find the upper-mids to be very well detailed, fast transients, and still a solid note body and denseness. Again, very nice for females. The track “Set Sail (Prometheus & Eros)” by Lake Street Dive really drives this point home when I hear Rachael Price‘s voice harmonizes with such a sweet boldness. Her voice is stout, but melodic, it’s crisp and also so very resolute against the backdrop of the melody surrounding her. Rarely do I ever hear any touches of planar style metallic timbre but instead hear a very natural sound more than anything. Like Sia in the track “I Forgive You”, her voice is absolutely profoundly resounding. I listen to this track in every review to check for that edgy abrasiveness that will either sound far too coarse, or it can sound whetted and cleanly sharp. Her voice has this ever-present rasp and hoarseness that will always come across ridiculously rich, dulcet, and honeyed. No doubt the Aether does her voice sweet justice without all the negative side effects that can accompany a voice such as hers.

Instruments​

Guys and gals, I honestly find almost no real issues with any instruments as the sound is so well tuned within this midrange. You have very nice timbre along with a very resolving sound. Every last little harmonic is heard effortlessly with the Aether in my ears. You also have enough sparkle to add some clean and pointed snap to percussion. Especially listening to a nice snare. That hard and visceral “pap” comes through very precisely. Or the fundamental tone and body of a cymbal strike which usually sound full and not too pronounced or splashy. Strings generally come across wonderfully edgy and sweet toned with that silvery type of viscosity to strings. That goes for guitar, violin, etc. I honestly don’t enjoy going through random instruments only because every track can replay them differently. However, in the most general of ways I can say that I don’t hear anything which is tonally off-putting, too sharp, too analytically dry, nothing too thin, and I don’t really hear anything which is artificial sounding. Forgive me if this isn’t the best explanation of how instruments come through on this set, but I have been impressed from the jump with the Aether and constantly I’m enjoying myself lost in my music.

Downsides to the Midrange​

If I were to point out issues that some folks may have, I’d first say that those people who want a thick, warm, rich, and less energetic sound may not be completely taken with the sound of the Aether’s midrange. Not that the Aether isn’t “rich” either, because they certainly are in a less lush/warm sense. The dynamism of each note and the clarity of each note almost provides that semi-rich sound. Like I said earlier there’s density to the Aether’s semi-rich note body. But the Aether isn’t that lush type of bass infused, top-end rolled-off sound which carries that nice and inviting subtle veil over the sound. Sort of like the Kiwi Ears KE4. The Aether has an airy sound, great separation, nothing stuffy at all, and a very nice vibrance to the sound. I’d also say those folks who only want the most pristine sound with zero bass influence. I know plenty of people who only love detail beasts where “thin” is a “pro”. There are the faintest touches of planar timbre at times too. Again, nothing which I ever pay attention to but if I’m listening for it I’ll hear it. Of course, those moments are very few and far in between.

Treble Region ​

I absolutely enjoy the treble on this set folks. I hear a very dexterously articulate sound up top while with extremely good control over this area of the mix. Every transient attack through sustain is met with precision coupled with solid dynamics. The treble has some nicely capped veracity that never seems to extend past the point of shrillness to my ears. It’s got awesome note control and tonal control. I feel that the treble region has a very nice emphasis which keeps a near perfect balance with the bass, both in dynamics and tone. I wouldn’t call the treble region anywhere near bright, though it does carry some brilliance. You have a very nice and edgy bite when a track calls for it with enough sparkle and resplendency to offer my music the “cherry-on-the-top” that I desire so much. Timbre is also very nice folks. Nothing is over-saturated with the Aether’s treble, and it isn’t dark, rolled off, or strident in piercing sharpness, at all. The treble really comes across pretty naturally for me. Also, it seems that nothing is too complicated for this treble. Every track is met with clean lined, glass-lined, and fine-lined control. I’m just so impressed that a set can resolve so well with such distinction.

Extension ​

I also hear a very nice and extended upper treble which provides plenty of air and controlled radiance to the sound of this set. This air region lift is very nicely emphasized as it isn’t taken to the extreme like we hear so often, but it’s kept to a tonally accurate degree. For the most part anyways. Let’s put it this way, the extension and lift at the top end doesn’t produce that splashy sound from the secondary harmonics of a cymbal strike and I don’t ever recall hearing any sheened out treble glare. It’s such a tasteful lift, a tasteful extension. Again, the treble is boosted and extended just enough to provide air across the treble. That air and moderate openness extends down through the midrange. Like I mentioned, the treble in general is lifted enough to counter the low-end quite well. However, back to the point of this paragraph, the treble extension adds width to the stage and provides plenty of info past 10k. Please understand that this isn’t an artificially enhanced increase in the upper treble either. I find the tuning to be very calculated and perfectly measured to extend the cohesion of the entire frequency range in a very proportionally weighted manner.

Do expect…​

I still wouldn’t refer to the treble as a treble-head’s dream, however. I don’t think the Aether’s treble region is boosted enough for that. Also, don’t expect some well-tuned Sonion EST type treble either. Do expect a very well controlled region with better than adequate crunch and crispness that helps very nicely to define the smooth underlying sound across the region. Expect a well layered treble region with great note separation and distinct note outlines. Do expect very clean details that don’t sound forced. And I’d expect to hear a very nuanced and articulate treble that never sounds overbearing, tizzy, too shiny, and it never really sounds artificial. Those are things to expect. I think I enjoy what I’m hearing so much because the Aether simply has some treble punch to it, some snap, it isn’t dull, it isn’t flat, and it isn’t smoothed over at the crest of each note. Yet it is smooth. Friends, for $169 this treble region is quite awesome.

Downsides to the Treble Region ​

If I were to pick apart the treble I could say a lot of things, but I’m not in this to pick anything apart. I’m in this to realistically explain what I hear and hopefully these very generalized “downsides” that I always jot down help you in some way. I think of the person who loves that creamy overall sound which features a rolled-off and non-intense treble region. Those folks do exist and there are a lot of them. Having said that, the thing about the Aether is that it is barely brilliant. It is in no way “rolled off”, but it isn’t bright either. I’m telling you; it is very well measured folks. Very calculated in how Kiwi Ears doled out the emphasis across the mix to come across with a solid tonal and dynamic balance (yes, I realize I’ve said that a few hundred times). However, I don’t think that the Aether has the type of treble that those dark treble lovers would ever really desire. Especially for those folks who are overly sensitive. Again, they exist, and again, there’s a lot of them. The other type who probably wouldn’t be completely thrilled with this region is true treble heads. I’d much sooner point them to the Simgot ET142 and a handful of others which have an actual focus in the treble region. Having said that, I don’t think that the ET142 has a “better” treble. But I’ll save that for later. For me personally, I wouldn’t change a thing with this top-end tuning. I feel that Kiwi Ears are truly showing off their skills very well and I’d love to give everyone involved with the end product a good pat on the back. Nice work.

Technicalities ​

Soundstage​

One thing which stood out to me early on with the Kiwi Ears Aether is that it has a very nice and open soundstage. Good in all directions. The Aether has very nice width, decent enough height, but the Aether has better depth than I’m used to hearing in planar iems. Well, in any iems. To put it more expressively, the Aether presents an almost holographic stage. I know that we say that a lot, but the Aether truly does have some nice front to back delineation of the sound field with a darn near 3D sense to it. Of course, a lot depends on the type of music you listen to, your source plays a part, quality of the recording makes a difference too. But friends, the Aether most certainly has a very nicely rendered soundstage. In my opinion anyways. One of the larger soundstage presentations from a planar that I’ve heard. The S15 from Letshuoer has a nice stage, the Hidizs MP145 no doubt has a great stage, and so does the S12 2024 from Letshuoer. However, the Aether seems to eclipse them all by slight margins. Basically, it’s a nice soundstage, it isn’t stuffy, isn’t congested, and it won’t compress the sound of your music.

Separation / Imaging ​

Another solid aspect of the Kiwi Ears Aether is its ability to render and separate multiple elements and moving parts within that nice stage. I wouldn’t say the Aether is class leading in this regard, but it has a very clean sound almost across the board and each note is rendered with nice definition. Transients are tight, the stage is wide and open, and the sound has very nice resolution too. What it boils down to is a set with better than average instrument separation. Imaging follows the same trajectory and then some. Folks, the imaging ability and the layering ability of this set are very nice to my ears. I simply don’t have anything really bad to say about the technical aspects concerning the Aether. Perhaps, maybe, on some tracks with loads of heavy bass you’ll hear some masking, some tightening of the sound field. I think that should probably be expected though.

Detail Retrieval ​

I’ve said many times within this review that detail retrieval is certainly above the average for this price point. I wouldn’t refer to the Aether as a detail-oriented set just because it does have a fair amount of smoothly rendered musicality. Yet I would say that details emerge rather easily within my music. There’s really not very much which will get blurred-out or masked-over with the Aether. Those clean and quick transients, airy sound, solid note separation, and relative transparency certainly favor hearing the subtle and finer details in music. Without question the Aether is far above the average under $200.

Comparisons ​

Simgot ET142 ($219)​

The Simgot ET142 (ET142 Review) came to market just a couple months ago and instantly became a solid planar iem competing for your dollar. I found the ET142 to be a truly special iem which specializes in the technical aspects of music listening. Simgot used a 12.5 mm planar magnetic driver, ultra-thin diaphragm housed within a dual sided magnet array. The ET142 is a bona-fide stud and beloved by many, however, there are certainly those who do not enjoy what Simgot created in this set. Let’s check out some differences between these two well regarded planar magnetic earphones.

Differences ​

To begin, the unboxing with the ET142 is undoubtedly better. They simply offer so many awesome accessories. Not to mention their very own Simgot LC7 modular cable, as well as four different sets of tuning nozzles, and ten pairs of eartips. Not that the Aether’s unboxing is bad at all but the ET142 does out compete here. The Aether is a hair larger, but both are fairly big in size. I find the Aether to be comfier for me too. Also, the ET142 are much heavier. As far as build, the ET142 is made entirely with stainless steel while the Aether is made entirely out of light 3D printed resin. Both are very durable and will not corrode. I suppose it’s up to you concerning what set looks better. I honestly love both designs. Both are very unique, and both meet that classy and sleek moniker. Like I said, the ET142 does have tuning nozzles which add some sound value. Though it’s argued that only two of those nozzles are worth their weight. One other thing which is great to see in the ET142 is that Simgot made sure to add in tuning foams to further dial in the sound to fit your preferences. I think that is great. Though the Aether doesn’t need all of that, it’s good just as it is. One more thing, the Aether cost $50 less than the ET142 and so that is one huge thing to consider.

Sound Differences ​

As far as the sound, the ET142 is definitely the brighter, more analytical, drier, and more technically sound iem of the two. Not to take anything away from the Aether either as it is very good technically. However, the Aether is also the richer and more musical of the two. Slightly warmer and not even close to as sharp or shouty as the ET142 can be (especially with a couple of those nozzles). No doubt the Aether is the more organic, natural and earthy sounding set with more tonally correct timbre. Now, the bass region of the Aether reaches deeper, more haptic, more guttural while the ET142 is tighter and better defined by a small degree. That said, the Aether comes across with more impact, more punch, and it is simply closer to a DD style low-end. The midrange of the ET142 is a hair closer, less authentic in timbre, more clinical in its approach. The Aether is simply more melodic, more musically gifted and much less chance for shout or glare. The treble of the ET142 can go from wildly bright and fatiguing to bright and very well controlled. That said, the Aether trumps the ET142 with its very clean treble which never seems to offend while still coming across with nicer bite, better dynamics, note body, and just as good extension with less splash. Not taking anything away from the ET142 because for what it is, it’s absolutely awesome and I love it. But man, the Aether is special. Lastly, the ET142 is better detailed, equal in sound separation, while the Aether wins on imaging, layering, and has a more massive stage with a more holographic sense to it.

Final thoughts on this comparison ​

What can I say, we have two different flavors. Like Cherry and Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream battling it out. No doubt this is a definite preference battle. Meaning, you’ll know right away which one aligns with your taste. Both sets offer an incredibly solid take on both sound signatures and tuning styles. I think for me; I’d take the Aether every day of the week. That is, until I want to really hear some fine details or listen to some ridiculously complicated tracks. I should also add that the ET142 is not without musicality either. There’s a reason why so many folks adore that set. Still, the Aether definitely fits my particular and subjective preference a hair better.

Letshuoer S15 ($259)​

This brings us to the planar which I thought was the best on the market for quite some time, the Letshuoer S15 (S15 Review). Without question it is a wonderfully tuned iem with its very large 14.8 mm planar magnetic driver and Letshuoer’s expertise with this type of driver. The S15 was really the 1st planar that I felt had all the great qualities of a planar yet without the issues that a planar can have. I still feel that the S15 is a highly underrated planar iem. Which by the way has gone way down in price all the way to $259. Still, it’s almost $100 more than the Aether. Let’s check out some differences.

Sound Differences ​

Both iems are very well tuned and both display wonderful timbre for planar magnetic earphones. Now, the S15 comes across a bit warmer, richer, and tonally less dynamic with less of a dynamic contrast. I find the macro-dynamics of the Aether are a bit more vibrant. By a small margin. Honestly, these two aren’t very far off from each other tonally. The bass of the Aether is better extended, more weighted, yet also somehow better defined, more nuanced even. Not that the S15 has anything to be shy about as its mid-bass does carry slightly more impact and slam. Again, small margins here. The midrange of the S15 is slightly less energetic, warmer, milkier and lusher. Though, the Aether is semi-rich with better midrange separation, better detail retrieval, and just as a holographic of a sound field. I’d say the S15 probably fits a more traditionally musical sound, but that’s definitely up for debate. The Aether has more sparkle, it’s much airier, and simply has the more vibrant sound. Neither is prone to shout. The treble of the Aether is simply better to my ears. Almost across the board. Better defined, better bite, it has more treble punch, it’s more brilliant and airier, and it comes across with better extension. Technically, these two sets are very close, but the Aether does win out to my ears. Its less rich sound opens up cleaner lines to define instrumentation and vocalists. It has better details, both are awesome with their imaging capabilities, and both sound layered. However, the Aether has a touch more of a 3D style sound and a wider stage. Again, I love these two iems also. Truly awesome sets.

Final thoughts on this comparison ​

To finish this comparison, I’d just like to express that the Aether once again is simply a more complete set, more versatile, and better balanced. Coupled with the fact that technically the Aether seems to win out. Now, the S15 definitely has that richer and warmer presence with a more “musical” presentation, but man that Aether is awesome folks. That said, I could definitely see some folks much more enjoying the S15. In fact, some days I enjoy it more. I suppose it just comes down to my mood, maybe it’d be the same for you.

Is it worth the asking price? ​

Idon’t even want to dignify this question with an answer. However, out of ridiculous due-diligence I will humor both you and I. Friends, please hear me. Or at least pretend. Folks, the Kiwi Ears Aether should cost more. There I said it. I feel like it’s an absolute steal for $169. Especially with the other more expensive planar sets in the market. The only other “almost comparable steal” (I said “ALMOST”) is the Letshuoer S08 (S08 Review) and possibly the Letshuoer S12 2024 Edition (S12 2024 Edition Review). However, what the Aether is able to provide is one of the more balanced and more clinically inclined iems juxtaposed with as much slightly warm musicality as it has under $200. At least that’s how I see it. Like I said earlier in this review, the Kiwi Ears Aether is all about balance, and that balance (among many notable sonic features) is pretty much what sets it apart against the sea of competition.

The Why… ​

Because the Kiwi Ears Aether is decently packaged with a nice enough unboxing for the cost. Good enough for $169 anyways. Also, the build and design are both robust and striking. You have a very light earphone for the size which also helps it to be one of the more comfortable iems I’ve used in a while. You just got to get them sealed and you’re in business. But that look! The faceplates are one of the more gorgeous and artistic designs within the price point. Kiwi Ears absolutely knocked it out of the park as far as I’m concerned. There’s no way you walk through any market without folks wanting to know what is in your ears. FLAT-OUT DOPE! However, it’s always about the thing that we all wanted to know. Is the Aether a good buy for our hard-earned money when it comes to the sound? Wonderful question that you didn’t ask, let me explain why the Aether is most certainly worth the cost in a very condensed way. Friends, the balance, the pinpoint accuracy, the swift but dynamic transients, the macro-dynamic expression, the controlled vibrance, the deep textured bass, melodic mids, and great treble all coincide to form a fantastic sounding iem. I didn’t even mention the massive and semi holographic stage, the detail retrieval, nice layering and separation of instruments. It’s simply a complete package and a very versatile iem which knows no genre that it can’t replay in a quality manner. I am very pleased with this set and find no way on earth it isn’t worth the cost. Yes, it’s definitely worth the $169 that Kiwi Ears is asking.

Ratings (0-10)​

Note: all ratings are based upon my subjective judgment. These ratings are garnered against either similarly priced sets or with similar driver implementations or styles with the unique parameters of my choosing. In the case of the Kiwi Ears Aether ratings below, that would be $100-$250 planar magnetic earphones. Please remember that “ratings” don’t tell the whole story. This leaves out nuance and a number of other qualities which make an iem what it is. A “5-6” is roughly average and please take into consideration the “lot” of iems these ratings are gathered against. $100-$250 planar earphones don’t represent a huge amount of iems. So, it isn’t out of the question to see a rating above a “9.0”. My ratings are never the same and each set of ratings tells a different story. Each time you read one of my ratings will be unique to that review. Basically, I create a Rating that makes sense to me.

Aesthetic ​

–Build Quality: 9.3 All-resin, built very well.

–Look: 9.6 Gorgeous.

–Fit/Comfort: 9.2 Fit and comfort is very good for me.

–Accessories: 8.5 Nice unboxing at the price.

–Overall: 9.2

Sound Rating​

–Timbre: 9.8 One of the more natural planars.

–Bass: 9.7 Speedy, authoritative, textured, impactful.

–Midrange: 9.3 Nice musical/technical sound.

–Treble: 9.7 Great control, resolute, nice bite & crunch.

–Technicalities: 9.3 Very solid technically.

–Musicality: 9.0 Nice musicality per the tuning.

–Overall: 9.5

Ratings Summary:​

To summarize my ratings from the Kiwi Ears Aether Review I first want to point out the parameters of this ratings session. These ratings were not against any and all iems. That’d make no sense and isn’t helpful. These ratings were against all planars between the prices of $100 and $250. I went that route because most of the time anyone looking to buy a planar set of earphones are usually “only” looking to buy a planar set of earphones. So, the Aether is $169 and therefore it made sense to me to start as low as $100 and stretch the cost up to $250 on the high end. Which may be a bit too high for some. Especially if $169 is at the top of your budget. That all said, the Aether is rated extremely high. I have just about every solid planar in this price point “on-hand” and “in-ear” to perform this ratings period. However, I no longer have older sets like the 7hz Timeless, the Timeless 2, nor do I have the TangZu X-HBB Wu Heyday. I feel like I have all the rest. I suppose there are a couple I’m not thinking of. However, the point is, I was effectively able to compare these sets with the Aether and here I have jotted down the results. Take them for a grain of salt, please.

Explain Yourself!! ​

Okay, I realize how high I put the “Timbre” rating. Yes, I gave the Aether a “9.8”. It was either the Aether or the Letshuoer S12 2024 Edition which took top dibs in the timbre department. I gave them both a “9.8” against the field. They both deserve it. Maybe I’m still in the honeymoon phase and possibly I’ll regret that rating, but I doubt it. The timbre is great for a planar. Also, I gave the Aether a super lofty “Bass” rating of “9.7”. I could see some folks thinking I went too high. Seriously though, side by side with these other planars the Aether simply sounded the best to me. The last rating which some may disagree with is the “Treble” rating. I once again gave the Aether an extremely high “9.7” which I feel it deserves. Still, no doubt in my mind one of you is going to message me saying “Dude, you gave it a 9.7 but you also said that treble heads won’t entirely like it”. I did say that, and I won’t take any of it back. Yes, the treble isn’t boosted to the stars but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a very high-quality treble amongst other planars. I feel the treble is one of the Aether’s most inviting and engaging qualities. The other ratings are what they are. This is a solid set folks.

One more thing… ​

One more thing, please, please, read the little “*Note” at the top under the header of this section. I’ll repeat for the 3rd time what I rated this set against. I said, I’m rating the Aether against all PLANAR earphones between $100 and $250. People always come at me asking how I rate something one way or another when they haven’t even read the stipulations of that rating. At least a couple of you will ask me how the Aether got a “9.5” overall against all iems. It’ll happen, and that’s okay, I’m not mad atcha. It’s funnier than anything else.

Conclusion ​

To conclude my full review and feature of the Kiwi Ears Aether, I have to extend a huge thank you to the good people of Kiwi Ears, and Evelyn in particular. Thank you very much! Truly, Kiwi Ears is most certainly one of the brands to watch. There’s a handful of very solid audio brands which are primarily budget oriented which truly compete well and constantly craft and create unique and complete products. No doubt Kiwi Ears is one of those brands. I also want to thank you, the reader, for clicking the link and visiting mobileaudiophile.com. You are the reason that we do what we do, and you are the reason that our website keeps growing. All of us thank you very much.

Other Perspectives ​

You’ve just read my full review of the Kiwi Ears Aether so now I hope you will go and check out other opinions of this set. I can only speak for myself folks. We are all so very different in how we perceive our music through these products. Each of us have our own very particular tastes, different gear, different likes and dislikes, different music libraries and about a hundred other variables which differ from one person to another. It would only serve you better to read, watch, or listen to other reviews from other reviewers. There are so many talented and quality review people who also want to direct you to a product which works for you. Beyond that, I’m done folks. I hope each and every one of you take good care, stay as safe as possible and always… God Bless!!

Unboxing Experience
The Kiwi Ears Aether comes packaged in a sleek, sleeved box. The outer sleeve displays an image of the IEMs alongside some key technical specifications. Inside, you'll find a refined, minimalistic silver box adorned with the subtle ‘Kiwi Ears’ logo, embossed on the foiled cardboard. Upon opening, you're greeted by the earphones themselves, accompanied by two silver boxes containing the carrying case, which holds the 3.5 mm cable, and a separate box with three different types of ear tips, each in three sizes. The carrying case, while undoubtedly high quality, is on the smaller side, offering just enough space for the IEMs, cable, and spare ear tips. As for the ear tips, made from silicone, they did their job but didn't seem to enhance either fit or sound significantly. A bit more variety in tip materials—perhaps foam tips or narrower and wider bore options—would have been a welcome touch.



Build Quality
The construction of the Aether’s ear pieces is solid, crafted from medical-grade resin, with a durable feel. The nozzles are made from metal, measuring a substantial 6.5 mm in diameter at the lip, making them quite large compared to other models. On the shells, there are three exhaust holes, plus another near the nozzle. The 2-pin connector is non-recessed and placed adjacent to these holes. While the left connector fit snugly and easily allowed me to detach the cable, the right connector was an entirely different experience. The resistance when inserting the cable was so high that I had to apply significant force, and when it came time to remove it, the connector was so tightly stuck that it caused the cable to tear right above the connector. The remaining part of the connector stayed lodged in the earphone shell, requiring pliers to remove. Thankfully, I didn’t damage the earphones themselves, but the experience left a bad taste, especially considering the quality of the included cable.

Disclaimer: I am in talks with Linsoul to resolve this issue. Nonetheless, my first impressions for the Aether remain negative in this regard.



Fit and Comfort
Comfort-wise, the Aether is a bit of a mixed bag. While I did eventually get a proper seal, the included ear tips weren’t the best fit for me. The smooth inner surface of the shells means there's minimal additional support, which caused some discomfort after extended listening sessions. The shells are also quite thick, preventing a flush fit in the ear, and leaving them to protrude. The IEMs rely primarily on the nozzle's fit and the cable's over-ear design to stay in place, which led to some fatigue during longer listening periods.

Sound Performance
The overall sound signature of the Kiwi Ears Aether is neutral with a slight bass boost. True to planar driver designs, it excels in technical performance, but there are some areas that could use improvement.

• Bass
  The bass performance is swift and highly resolving, but it lacks the depth and texture that dynamic drivers can deliver. Sub-bass is somewhat lacking, and the tactile impact that bass enthusiasts crave isn’t present. That being said, the Aether handles busy, bass-heavy tracks with remarkable clarity, maintaining intricate details even in complex passages. However, the bass does bleed into the lower mids, creating muddiness, particularly in male vocals.
• Midrange
  The Aether’s midrange suffers from this same bass bleed, leading to a lack of clarity. Vocals, especially male, are pushed back in the mix and sound veiled or unnatural. Female vocals also face issues, but this is due to a dip in the upper midrange and lower treble. While instrument reproduction is good, the midrange as a whole feels lacking in emotional engagement and musicality, with vocals particularly suffering from a distant, lifeless sound.
• Treble
  Treble is often a weak spot for planar drivers, but the Aether manages to avoid the harsh metallic peaks that plagued earlier models. The treble is smooth, well-controlled, and non-fatiguing in most tracks, although some occasional harshness between 8-10 kHz can lead to a few shrill moments. Still, it is generally an improvement over older planar designs and offers excellent detail retrieval, contributing to an overall more refined sound.
• Soundstage and Resolution
  The Aether’s soundstage, unfortunately, doesn’t impress. While stereo separation is decent, the overall stage feels narrow, and it’s challenging to place individual instruments on a well-defined stage. The IEMs lack the spatial depth and immersion of more holographic soundstages, particularly in live recordings. However, the temporal resolution of the Aether is outstanding. No matter how dense the track, the Aether excels in maintaining clarity and keeping up with intricate details, making it a true benchmark for resolution in this price range.

Conclusion
The Kiwi Ears Aether has a lot of potential, but it ultimately falls short in a few critical areas. The build quality issues—especially the cable and tight connectors—left me questioning the long-term durability of the set. Comfort is another issue, as the shells aren’t the most ergonomic for extended use. The sound signature, while offering excellent detail and resolution, is lacking in engagement, especially for vocals. Bass lovers will also find the Aether wanting, as it lacks the deep, tactile impact that dynamic drivers provide. Despite these flaws, the Aether shines in its technical ability to render details, but it’s not enough to make it a standout in a crowded market. It’s a capable IEM, but one with too many compromises to be highly recommended.

Hi to y'all, this is my first review here on Head-fi, i loved the process between receiving the set for the first time and testing it as it is.

Disclaimer:
The IEM was provided by Linsoul, and I’m more than glad to try it so thanks to them for the opportunity to test this set; the opinions and impressions are on my own.



My bias/tuning preferences:
My target is something including the JM-1 (new meta) target with a bass boost and a low and pinna gain little boost for gaining more male vocals and presence in that part, so is something like a Neutral with a bass boost tuning, I like some sub/bass and not so much mid bass, but plenty to feel the bass thump and kick, is nice to have some wide and depth to enjoy live recordings and a holographic capability in the soundstage to ubicate all the instruments and enjoy the microdetails included in music, so yeah, I dig a natural timbre with some coloring in the bass but enjoy technical capabilities.

My usual music genres to go is Rock (Indie, Alt, Hard, Classic, Progressive, and other sub genres), Metal (Alt, Prog, Extreme, Death, Melodic, Core, Deathcore, etc), Hip Hop, sometimes Pop, Salsa, Classic music, and dig some other genres as an audiophile.

I don’t believe in audiophile myths like burn-in, so I previously used to put some pink noise before trying IEMs for the first time, but now I’m using IEMs OOTB (Out of the box) and enjoying them as it is, I believe and can confirm eartips and sources can change the overall experience you can have with an IEM, so a nice synergy between your transducer, your ears, your tastes and your source is a must to fully enjoy an IEM IMHO.


Introduction:
The Kiwi Ears Aether is the new big launch and pioneer; a big planar driver in-ear monitor by Kiwi Ears. The Aether’s promotion is as a balanced but pretty technical and fun IEM, with a more than impressive 15.3 mm planar driver config, delivering a natural timbre, plenty of bass and a detailed experience who fits into the new reference in the market and excels at it, an opportunity for audiophiles and beginners in the hobby alike to enjoy what the best Planar in the market (March of 2025) can deliver.

The Kiwi Ears Aether is priced at 169.99 USD, and you can get it at Linsoul.

Sources used:
Dunu DTC 480 (my main source), Venture Electronics ODO, Tanchjim space lite, a dongle dac from TRN (the chip is KT Micro), and my phone, an old Xiaomi Mi Note 10 pro with an internal dac/amp from ESS Sabre.

Services used:
My local files (mp3 320 kbps, flac, other formats), YouTube music, Spotify, tidal. No equalization was used in the test of the IEM.

Here's a breakdown of its technical specifications:
• Driver Configuration:
o 15.3mm Large Planar Driver
• Frequency Response: 20Hz–20kHz
• Impedance: 14Ω
• Sensitivity: 105dB
• Connector Type: 0.78mm 2-Pin
• Cable Length: 1.2m ± 3cm
• Jack Type: 3.5mm


Packaging (What’s in the box):
• The IEMs itself, with a big size, but with my mid-sized ears with good comfort into my ears to long listening sessions, nice and beautiful built shell, the nozzle is mid-sized aswell, and its not heavy, so is not fatiguing in the ear.
• 3 bags of eartips, with 3 different sizes each, the black is for more bass, the gray with red center is for a balanced profile, and the white ones are for treble.
• Cable, is a 4 core, black cable with a 3.5mm single ended jack. I think just enough for the IEMs.
• Case: A nice fake-leather and sturdy case with the brand logo. Similar in size to the one included on the Artti T10.

Eartips and cable used for test:

I changed the stock balanced eartips for my favorite ones, the Penon Liqueur Orange for keeping the stock profile and improving the tuning a little. Also, i changed the cable to a GY-19 Devil’s eye with 4.4mm balanced jack for giving to the IEMs all the power it needed.

Pros:
• Plenty of bass shelf, and is a DD bass!, is no basshead IEM by any means, but is some quality and quantity bass here! the sub and mid bass is incredible fast, defined and resolving.
• The mid bass bleeds enough in this IEM and take a nice and enjoyable lower mid dip without losing that lower mids addition to the bass kick and noteweight into the instruments, the pinna gain is excellent, the male vocals are forwarded, sometimes I founded in spicy treble tracks to have a little of thin in those vocals, but this not a bad thing at all, the 2-4khz region is well putted in place, the presence is so noticeable, female vocals and certain instrumentals are pushed a little backwards, is not a dealbreaker to me, but have that in notice that 4khz “dip”.
• The treble is really crisp and with certain tracks not so sibilant, with enough upper highs to feel al the plates and cymbals in the drums, but is not a high-volume set, in certain spicy tracks (Looking for Somebody to love by the 1975, Sugar/Tzu by black midi, (O)rdinary by Avenged SevenFold) you have to lower a little the volume knob to not feel a sharp treble and enjoy the music.
• An interesting fact with this IEM, the planar timbre is almost not noticeable, so you can expect the planar known treble extension but with no metallic timbre to enjoy the so enjoyable tonality of this Aether.
• Technicalities: Is punching way above in this department, is very airy and it feels like an open pair of cans!, very wide and depth soundstage, excellent imaging and the macro and microdetails is plenty to find new details and things in your ‘old’ music and critical listening, but I think is a IEM to just sit and enjoy as it is…
• The noteweight is a delight, not so much but plenty to feel all the instruments in your brain, the natural and enjoyable timbre it has is to highlight, and for me this is a WOW factor in consideration to enjoy the music at its fullest. I can put things like The New Sound by Geordie Greep or the new Sadist’s Something to Pierce, I can feel the music is very well produced and full of details, with zero congestion even with busy tracks.
• The shell is not heavy at all, it has a mid-sized nozzle, so comfortable, the seal it makes in the ears is perfect (of course with the perfect match of eartips, your mileage may vary), and is zero fatiguing for long listening sessions.
• Very easy to drive, no matter being a big planar IEM, I can drive it at a perfect good volume with my humble phone ess sabre dac/amp. But as any planar driver, if you want it to shine at its max potential you really need a good source (the dtc480 delivers 150 mW in its 4.4mm balanced output, is plenty to crank the volume to the max).

Cons:
• Is a 169.99 USD IEM with an enough package to enjoy it at stock without problems, but I changed the eartips and cable because I want to bring all its qualities and sincerely, I expected a better package in pair with the price of the IEM (who is not cheap).
• That strange 4khz “dip” I founded in the graph and listening to the set makes some instruments and female vocals feeling a little backwards and veiled.
• The sometimes-thin male vocals… Is not very noticeable but maybe is not for all tastes.
• Is a mid-high volume set, if you are treble sensitive maybe you can lower the volume a little to enjoy the Aether, because at high volumes is kind of sibilant and fatiguing to my mild tolerance to treble spicyness.

Comparisons:

Kiwi Ears Aether vs. TRN Jaws:
The TRN Jaws, is a 129.99 USD MSRP IEM, I recently reviewed, with a similar tuning and not so equal MSRP, but I have to give the Jaws the prize as one of my top IEMs currently in my collection, compared to the Aether, the Jaws have less bass quantity, but the quality and extension is better, the lower mids are better in the Aether, but the pinna gain and 2-4khz part in the Jaws is perhaps better, with more presence and zero thin vocals, both male and female vocals are more forwarded, the treble is curiously a little less sibilant in my ears at high volumes than the Aether, and the technicals are a win for the Jaws, but in the overall tuning, the Aether is a more enjoyable set for more persons, not only us technical-heads because of a more natural timbre and more musicality.

Kiwi Ears Aether vs. Simgot Supermix 4:
The Supermix 4 is a 150 USD MSRP iem (usually you can get it for less) with a very different tuning because the SM4 is pure Harman 2019, meanwhile Aether is a JM-1 tuning with a nice bass boost and other spices, but similar MSRP, the bass quantity in the Sm4 is better, but I have to give the Aether the victory in this case, the quality and sensation in the Aether is superior, the lower mids in the Sm4 are less enjoyable, the pinna gain and the rest of the tuning is better in the Aether, is more clean, resolving and crisp, less sibilant at mid-high volumes, definitely the Sm4 is starting to show its age, was previously my top IEM and my previous point of reference talking about IEMs!, now is dethroned by the Jaws and now this Aether, I’m not enjoying the Sm4 as before having this last iem who is delivering me a sound more of my style and tastes.

Kiwi Ears Aether vs. Artti t10:
The Artti T10 is a 75 USD MSRP IEM (Usually you can find it for 50 ish USD) is praised as one of the best planar drivers IEM for less than 50 usd in the actual market. It is crisp, bassy, clean, with plenty of soundstage and treble sparkle, lots of air and openness. But come on, it is obvious the Aether excels the T10 in all cases, the bass have less quantity but more quality and presence, the lower-mids and pinna gain are best in place, the noteweight is equally noticeable, the highs are more in place and better extended in the Aether, but with the T10 you can crank more the volume with a less sibilant highs.

Kiwi Ears Aether vs. ND Planet:
(the yolo comparison):
The ND Planet is the new cheapie by ND, at a humble 17 USD MSRP is the new entry by ND to the budget market, with a more than capable 12 mm dynamic driver, it is clean, crisp, with plenty of sub and midbass, more than the Aether, and funny enough, a similar tuning to the Aether but with a less “premium” driver resulting in a pretty fun and technical cheapie, but with that weird early upper treble dip in the Planet, only eq can fix that lack of treble extension to even try to taste what a better driver and tuning does in the Aether, you can’t expect miracles on the ND but is nice to hear similar vibes in a “reference” IEM and in a budget one.

Final score: 4.0/5.
The Kiwi Ears Aether is an exciting, fun, musical, natural, very resolving and a technical marvel, so easily driven with a lots of sources, who punches way above its range, with a tuning who can be the beginning of a trend of IEMs who are forwarded to wider audiences, is an excellent product by Kiwi Ears who maybe is not up to the hype but is by no doubts a market pioneer who I’m more than pleased in trying and adding to my collection. I’m putting my seal of quality and recommendation for it for audiophiles and newbies in the hobby. Go Aether!

Kiwi Ears Aether

Another capable set from Kiwi!

Pro:
- Warm, fast bassline.
- Good vocal expression.
- Well articulated treble response.
- Micro-detail layering is above average.
- Good dynamic-range.
- Good balance between analytical & musical.
- Suited treble sensitive folks.
- Almost zero planar timbre
- Great value.

Cons:
- A hint of micro-grain on vocal transient.
- Higher pitched vocal lacks last bit of extension.
- Female vocal may sound a tad too thick.
- Stage-dimension is not the most spacious.
- Potential bass-bloat on certain pairings.
- Treble lacks air presence.
- No 4.4 BAL plug in 2025?
- The shell is on the large side.

[MY PERSONAL HEAD-FI GRADING]
1 ★ - Appalling! please avoid this!
2 ★★ Subpar offering, there are better options out there!
3 ★★★ Decent with some caveats! Not a bad pick!
4 ★★★★ Not perfect but solid choice ! This should be in your shortlist. A nice addition to your collection.
5 ★★★★★ One the best in class! You should go right ahead & buy one! A must have!


Kiwi Ears Aether 4★★★★
Driver Configuration : 15.3mm Large Planar
MSRP : $169.99

▓▒░ SOUND-SIGNATURE ░▒▓
To put it simple. It has a warm, mild V-shaped tuning.

▓▒░ BASS/LOW-ENDSOUND ░▒▓
- It has a tasteful amount of bass-shelf. Like most planar drivers, the bass is fast and detailed, but the overall impact leans towards the softer side.

- The lowest range of bass frequencies is often heard rather than felt. With its quick attack and decay, the subwoofer-like rumble or the vibration feel from bass heavy music is lacking the final touch of sustain and pressure. The sub-bass just don't tingle your ears like a proper dynamic-driver would do.

- Thankfully, the mid-bass elements have greater substance which makes up for it. It feels thicker and fuller. The tempo is slightly slower with a hint looseness edge. The notes offer a slightly heavier, more percussive quality to them while providing warmth and fullness that it needs. Kick-drums and tombs have this soft yet deep "thud". The drum strike has good depth to the slam, while the bass guitar has a clear and defined tone. Ghetto bass replay has a decent bounce while bass-drop and bass distortion elements maintain a decent clarity.

- It is not the tightest nor the cleanest bassline. There's a noticeable bass-bleed onto the lower-midrange which can makes vocal sounds fatter. On certain pairing, there is a hint of bass bloat, but it is not overwhelming.

- Despite the critical take, this has got to be one the very few planar sets that can come close to the bass performance of a well-implemented dynamic driver.

▓▒░ MID-RANGE /VOCAL ░▒▓
- Vocal intimacy isn’t its primary focus, as vocals are slightly pushed back in the mix. However, they never sound too thin, dry, or overly recessed.

- The overspilled mid/upper bass presence somewhat impacts its clarity and transparency. Even so, it manages to capture subtle nuances and textures reasonably well. Mid-range separation is average at best, with vocals and instruments blending together when the mix gets busy.

- The added warmth from the lows ensures that vocals and instruments sound smooth, lush, rich, and pleasing to the ear.

- The dynamic range is generally good, though not outstanding. The elements of rise and fall in volumes is well captured, offering vocal and instruments a good sense of expressions and emotions while not playing it too safe. Piano taps, violin strums, guitar plucks, and flute whistles all have a more rounded attack, yet maintain a natural note weight, sustain, and extension that make them distinct yet soothing to listen to.

- However it is not all perfect. At times, chesty male vocals (baritones), cellos, brass instrument, organ that lives on the lower region of the mid-range sound slightly distant. While high-pitch female vocals may come across a tad too husky. The higher range of vocals just missing a certain breathy quality that can make them feel ethereal.

- Depending on the track, there may be a hint of vocal grain at the tail end of the voice.

- If correctness or less coloured mid-range is what you're after, this is may not be the right choice. However, vocal enthusiasts might still find it enjoyable, as it doesn’t have any unpleasant tonal qualities.

▓▒░ TREBLE/HIGHS ░▒▓
- The warm hues coming from the lows, makes the treble sounds darker than the measurements suggest. But it is not too dark and dingy. The lower to mid treble region do still carry enough brilliance to avoid sounding dull. Air extension is more subdue, which nerfs some of that airiness and openness to stage.

- Though it doesn't have the most well-filled out treble, the response remains fairly smooth, steering away from any sort of peaks, harshness, sibilance, or shout. And from a planar driver standpoint, there is almost zero sharpness or metallic sheen is heard which is impressive.

- The treble detail isn’t the crispiest or most pronounced, but the smoothness allows the highs to come through naturally without feeling forced, making it more comfortable for treble-sensitive listeners.

- Cymbals and hi-hats, though has less prominence, showcase a remarkable timbral accuracy, capturing their delicate high-end shimmer. Similarly, the drum snares maintain a crisp yet smooth, high-pitched rattle. The glockenspiel retains its bell-like dings. Synthetic noise like electronic zings, rings, buzzes, as well as electric guitars, come through with a more rounded edge and acceptable bite.

- Having tuned not to impress treble-heads, there is one minor issue: On some recordings, there's a hint of subtle grains in the treble, which may or may not be noticeable. Aside from that, there is no deal breaking issues.

✧ ════ •TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE• ════ ✧
- The HEAD-STAGE of the Aether isn’t particularly wide, and the headroom is not very tall, but it offers a decent sense of depth. The background isn’t particularly dark either.

- IMAGING AND SPATIAL CUES seem to be one of its weaker points. While the image is large and accurate, it doesn’t stand out with vivid clarity. It feels a bit blurry compared to some of its competitors.

- INSTRUMENT SEPARATION is good, though not exceptional. Due to the relatively small stage dimensions, the space between elements isn’t the most generous. However, its speed ensures great consistency in maintaining the boundaries of each sound.

- In the grand scheme of things, the DETAIL-HANDLING is above average. But in planar game, it is not the absolute best.

- As mentioned, the DYNAMIC RANGE is near lifelike, making your music feel alive and never boring.

- When it comes to TONE AND TIMBRE, the Aether is one of the few planars that doesn’t exhibit the typical “planar timbre.” There’s no metallic sheen or sharpness in the upper-mids or lower treble. The attack is softer, but the natural decay and sustain make up for it, resulting in a sound that’s both fast, smooth, and warm.

- Thanks to its warm, smooth nature, you can still crank up the VOLUME higher than usual, at least with my current setup and test tracks.

- This 15.3MM PLANAR DRIVER is truly capable, and I believe there’s still room for further improvement.

✧ ════ •POTENTIAL SYNERGY/TWEAKS• ════ ✧
EARTIPS: The stock eartips are decent, but my preferred choice is the SPINFIT CP100 (Non-Plus). Not only are they more comfortable, but they also enhance vocal intimacy. The only downside is that they can cause bass bloat. In such cases, switching to wider-bore tips is a good solution.
Options like Moondrop Spring Tips, Corier Alloy, or Divinus wide bore eartips work well for this.

DAC/AMP: Fortunately, it’s not difficult to drive and performs well even with the Kiwi Allegro Pro. Personally, I find it scales better with a higher-quality amp that has a neutral, less warm coloration. It’s best to avoid pairing it with anything that emphasizes mid-bass.

✧ ════ •BUILD/ PACKAGING/COMFORT• ════ ✧
- The shell is solidly built, lightweight, and doesn’t feel cheap, featuring a beautiful purple glittering faceplate. However, it is on the bulkier side, so those with smaller ears might need to do tip-rolling for optimal comfort.

- The unboxing experience is fairly standard. It comes with a small carry case, a few sets of eartips, and a 3.5mm SE cable. And surprisingly, there's no 4.4mm balanced plug option available in 2025!


QUICK HEAD-2-HEAD
vs Kiwi Ears Airoso/Stock 3.5SE Cable/Spinfit CP100 (M)
- The AIROSO has a neutral balance tuning with a bright tilt, while the AETHER features a warmer, V-shaped sound.

- The bass on the AIROSO is quicker, deeper, punchier, and more visceral overall. And not to mention, AIROSO’s bass control is a step above. In contrast, the AETHER has a warmer, boomier, and loosened response. Its sounds is fatter, bigger, with a slightly slower attack and decay. When it comes to bass detailing, AETHER takes the lead.

- The AIROSO is more mid-centric of the two, with vocals taking up a larger space on the stage. The separation between vocals and background elements is clearer, up to a certain threshold. Meanwhile, the AETHER has a softer focus on vocal reproduction.

- The vocals and instruments on the AETHER sound more natural and lifelike, with greater liveliness and expressiveness. It does a better job of highlighting subtle nuances and textures, including reverb and overtones. However, the AIROSO’S vocals are cleaner and clearer, without the occasional graininess that can sometimes appear on the AETHER.

- The AIROSO has superior treble extension, giving it a more airy and open sound. Overall, it sounds clearer, and cleaner compared to the AETHER.

- The AIROSO has a wider, more open soundstage and darker background while the AETHER offers a slight edge in perceived depth.

- The AIROSO has sharper imaging and spatial cues, while the AETHER presents a larger image.

- On simpler tracks, the AIROSO can separate its elements more clearly than the Aether. However, on more complex tracks, like rock, metal, or orchestral music, the AETHER'S planar speed allows it to maintain more consistent separation while present additional layers in the music.

- The AETHER is more resolving, with micro-details presented in more layers.

- Not only is the AETHER more dynamic, but its tone and timbre also sound more natural. From end to end the notes feels more complete and better defined. Despite its softer attack, the sustain and decay are more accurate. To the contrary, on the AIROSO, some notes may fade a bit too quickly.

- The AIROSO’S has a smaller shell. And cheaper to own as well.

- Both are easy to drive. Just that the AETHER requires a smidge more power.

- Both of have nigh identical packing and accessories.

“ To my ears the Airoso has better tuning. It sounds more balance and has greater extension on both ends. But it is the Aether that will capture the hearts of many audiophiles. Its more dynamic, its more technical and the overall timbre just sounds slightly more natural.”
.
◤FINAL THOUGHTS◢
Another homerun from Kiwi Ears. I love seeing them improvise their product at more affordable prices. With the Aehter, it has made "Planar War" more competitive than it has ever been. Other than the 7hz Timeless II, the Aether might just be my 2nd favourite planar to date. But do bear in mind, as good as people claimed it to be, it is not flawless.

========================================================================

【SOURCE & GEARS】
● Native FLAC Files [44.1Khz 16bits-96Khz 24bits]
● Foobar2000 [ROG Strix G814JVR (2024)] [USB C Thunderbolt]
● Samsung S24 Ultra [as my DAP phone][ App- Foobar2000]
● Tanchjim SPACE/LUNA Asano Tanch / xDuoo Link2BAL / Kiwi Ears Allegro Pro
● INNTAK HIFI OTG Type C to Type C
● Eartips : Spinfit CP100 (M)
● Stock Cable 3.5MM Single Ended.
========================================================================

【PLAYLIST／TEST-TRACKS】​

1977 Fleetwood Mac - Dreams ★
1982 Chicago – Hard to say I'm sorry. ★
2003 NARUTO Original Soundtrack I – Wakiagaru Toushi ★
2008 K.will (케이윌) – 소원 (Great King Sejong OST Part.1)
2009 Maksim – Exodus
2010 Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou (OST) – Kokoro no Oku De Ha
2012 Imagine Dragons – Night Visions - Demons ★
2014 Grabbitz – Here with you now. ★
2014 BoA – MASAYUME CHASING
2014 Hyolyn – 안녕 Good bye ★
2015 KOKIA – I Found You ★
2015 K MISSING KINGS (OST) - New Kings
2016 K RETURN OF KINGS (OST) - Return of Kings
2016 K RETURN OF KINGS (OST) - If you die.
2017 Berry Goodman – Zutto (ずっと) ★
2017 SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:mizuki – ViEW
2017 Namie Amuro – Hope
2019 K SEVEN STORIES (OST) - In Pursuit Of
2019 K SEVEN STORIES (OST) - Lost Small World
2019 Blade & Soul (OST) – Half-Moon Lake
2019 CAROLE & TUESDAY VOCAL COLLECTION Vol.1 – Light a Fire ★
2020 Paradox Live Opening Show (1st E.P) – BAE – BaNG!!! ★
2020 Paradox Live Opening Show (1st E.P) – cozmez – Where They At ★
2020 倖田來未 (Kumi Koda) – GET NAKED (Kiyoshi Sugo Remix)
2020 倖田來未 (Kumi Koda) – again (MATZ Remix)
2020 premiere fleurs – プリンシパル
2020 Love Live! Nijigasaki – 朝香果林 (Karin Asaka) – VIVID WORLD ★
2020 Fujii Kaze – へでもねーよ”／Hedemo Ne-YoSeishun Sick
2020 King Gnu – 三文小説 ／Sanmon Shosetsu ★
2021 OWV – Fifth Season ★
2021 加藤 ミリヤ (Miliyah) feat. Yoshida Brothers – この夢が醒めるまで ★
2021 Aoi Teshima – ただいま★
2021 Official髭男dism – Cry Baby
2021 Chanmin BIJIN 美人 – Morning Mood
2021 門脇更紗 (Sarasa Kadowaki) – きれいだ
2021 Mirei Touyama – 美忘録
2021 SELECTION PROJECT Vol.1 – Only one yell -天沢灯ソロver.- ★
2022 Belle (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Million Miles Away (ENG vers.)
2022 rei (E-girls) – Dark Hero.
2022 rei (E-girls) – IDNY
2022 I can fly (Special Edition) – Bleecker Chrome - You will shine ★
2022 I can fly (Special Edition) – YOSHIKI EZAKI x Bleecker Chrome - UP ★
2022 BEAST TAMER (OST) – じんわり感じている幸せ
2022 Ado – 会いたくて
2022 Ado – 踊
2023 La prière – Sweet Dreams ★
2023 Bungou Stray Dogs 4th Season ED – Luck Life – しるし★
2023 UMAMUSUME PRETTY DERBY - Hat on your Head!
2023 Anna – 花のように (Hana no You ni)
2023 riria. – 貴方の側に (Anata no Soba ni)
2024 Dungeon Meshi OP – BUMP OF CHICKEN – Sleep Walking Orchestra
2024 Ernie Zakri, Ade Govinda - Masing Masing ★
2024 Paradox Live THE ANIMATION OST – 25 幻影武雷管 - Trauma ★
2024 Bartender Kami no Glass OP – Takaya Kawasaki – Stardust Memory ★
2024 Maou no Ore ga Dorei Elf ED – Sayaka Yamamoto – Blue Star
2024 Spice and Wolf Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf OP – Hana Hope – Tabi no Yukue/ Destination of the journey
2024 Tonari no Youkai-san ED – Aoi Kubo – Iro no Naka (風媒花)
2024 Sayounara Ryuusei, Konnichiwa Jinsei OP – LUN8 – Together Forever
2024 Sayounara Ryuusei, Konnichiwa Jinsei ED – EverdreaM – 君と見た景色
2024 Natsume Yuujinchou Shichi ED – Toshiki Kondo – こまりわらい (Komariwarai)
2024 Hololive FLOW GLOW – FG ROADSTER ★
2025 Ameku Takao no Suiri Karte ED – The Gospellers – will be fine feat. Anly ★
2025 A-Rank Party wo Ridatsu shita Ore wa OP – L.E.I. – Enter ★
2025 Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou S3 ED2 – iScream – Metamorphosis
2025 Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon S2 OP – Riria. – Shiawase na Yakusoku. ★
2025 ONE OK ROCK – DETOX (Japan & International ver) – This Can’t Be Us ★
2025 Татьяна Куртукова - _ MATUSHKA ULTRAFUNK (REMIX BY. Satirin) (SLOWED) ★

★ Main-Test-Tracks/ A glimpse of what listen to 90% of the of time.


Do take my words for what it’s worth. Afterall, I am just one man. ╮(╯▽╰)╭

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! HAVE A GOOD DAY WHEREVER YOU ARE! TAKE CARE!

Disclaimer:
- This unit is sent to by Kiwi Ears (@EvelynZ ) . Thank you so much for making this review possible.

Where to buy?


If you like me to review your gears, please do send me a message! I'll try to respond ASAP!


EXTRA PHOTOS

The Kiwi ears Aether 15.3mm Planar Universal IEM
Redcarmoose Labs March 1st, 2025


The X Factor:
So in many ways judging IEMs in performance is like a new contestant on the X factor reality television show. It is the abilities of reproducing tone and timbre, the correctness of tuning which at times will catapult the new IEM in question into resulting stardom.

Now guess what, you may end with personal results here (after you buy the Aether) which fall into one of two categories. The first category is the resulting IEM benchmark status. This means that you perceive the Aether as literally the very best Planar IEM to ever be made. Or……..number two, that you still value the Aether as a winner and great value regardless of where you place it. You still win here, also Kiwi ears win because they sell another IEM and solidify their epic status as a manufacturer of products.

I will level with you:
Due to the amazing completeness of the Aether, due to the stage placement, and due to this reference tune the Aether does I was 20 feet off the ground when I heard it. I was shocked! I had read no prior reference as to quality, as I was the first person to report of the Aether in the Head-Fi community. Sure my first impressions are embarrassing for me, but they are real and a highlight of 2025 so far. It is just when you have this perfect mixture of great technicalities in effortless detail, a tight and controlled bass, and an overall subtle warmth…..you can’t say no!

The Aether never becomes too muddy or boring……seemingly walking that line of greatness. This must be a combination of build ingredients; the resin build, the 15.3mm Planar size. And of course the tune. The fact that the Aether simply puts out the biggest Planar stage I have ever heard, then it completes that stage by creating realistic center elements that are all accounted for. It is this homogenized characteristic that means the sound response is apparently complete with no notes too forward or behind. This is combined with only a dash of Planar timbre, which means we have sound quality success across the board……..that is why it is a benchmark when you add the technical abilities.

Technical ability:
Here we are in 2025 and no other similarly priced IEM this year has made such a grand technical statement. It is funny because people read my first impressions and purchased the Aether to prove me wrong, with the chance the Aether could be as good as I say it is, providing those same people with ample extra win! Fast transients due to giant multi-layers of N52 neodymium magnets. These magnets take control of this massive 15.3mm driver and take away muddiness or slowness in response. An enormous stage simply because the sound is generated from a bigger point source. And finally details, I’m not sure why there are such good details, except when you generate so much stage room for the information to be perceived, it is! These details come about in a slightly smooth note-weighty way where effortless is the name of the game.

Tone and timbre:
It is probably safe to say Planar off-timbre is a thing of the past, at least with the Aether it is. Sure there could be found a taste of Planar timbre but it is never distracting. Here the tone arrives from clean subwoofer focused bass, never approaching into the midrange. A smooth midrange and comfortable treble vocal approach.



Package:

Music:

Timestamps only pertain to digital file, not video.
Gdanian
Induction
Shield Emitter (feat. Tineidae)
44.1kHz - 24bit

Here I’m doing the music section before the side-by-sides as a change. Truth to be told the Aether has had 5 days of constant burn-in and during that time already side-by-side compared with many different IEMs. I have a good feel for what exactly the Aether is, so why not check-out some tunes? Here I’m using the SIMGOT AUDIO LC7 modular cable in 4.4mm, the new SIMGOT AUDIO wide-bore ear-tips (pictured later in this review) and the Sony WM1A DAP with MrWalkman’s firmware. This will also be the same equipment I later use to do all the side-by-sides.

Shield Emitter (feat. Tineidae):
Here the song really found me, or just the luck of randomness, here we are gifted with the perfect idea of music for the Aether. There are some chimes at the 09:00 mark which are found and replayed, showing this subtle but accurate metallic twinkle! Now at the same time-mark we realize that it is the contrast of light and dark that has us captivated, that also at the 09:00 mark the sub-bass is present. At 00:15 the Blade Runner synth takes hold, and does it ever. Meaning grabbing your emotions due to bringing this event that much closer and bigger……….we are now in the grasp of a home theater experience, one with reference tone and abilities far beyond the simple $169.99 asking price. It is that we can hear the reverberations of this synth, the texture of it, the soul is encountered here………plus accurate positioning inside the stage.

Where this is the Bass Ambient sub-genre of the Ambient Music genre, but the bass is controlled and well defined. Now sure I have heard multi-BA set-ups that get a tinge more treble and treble itemization here, but that is not what the Aether is about. No, the magic is the overall cohesiveness that just won’t stop………..

Finally at 01:28 those small metallic treble artifacts have now in increased in event, seemly a multitude of sounds….right before a climax, yet here the sounds are heard, and not as separated as some Hybrids, except the smoother overall tone still makes those metallic sounds natural……..just not as bright as with some IEMs.

At 01:38 all heck breaks loose are we are now witnessing the full-on big breakfast of events. Yep, they are throwing all the musical gear at us, into sonic overload. And the thing is the Aether is going along with the program, showcasing the extra added stage found (surprisingly) newly discovered in the song………………………it goes on and on (the song descriptions) but I will stop here. Lol



Timestamps only pertain to digital file, not video.
Ghost
Hunter’s Moon
From Halloween Kills OST
44.1khz - 24bit
Here we are in the presence of a perfectly recorded rock number. It was this exact song that showed me at the start what we are dealing with! The Aether is huge in replay of this electric guitar. That the very very first note you hear is a string resonance, and that resonance is left to continue with new pickings flowing a-top! That stage and that separation, the detail here, that in-fact this is not only dramatic, it is close to perfect to my ears?

The fact that we have a closeness to the guitar, it almost allows me to name the brand of guitar, that is what this single experience is about. There are subtle added phase effects to the signal, and a beautiful multitrack dual of right to left and center positioning, that due to these N52 magnets, allows for found transients to show their stuff! Finally at 00:04 the drums and vocals make their opening statement. Boom!

In contrast to the last song, we now have an analogue bass showcasing the natural thump, and even gaining clacks of detail! It is the fact that all-is-one with the Aether. That no one instrument is overpowering another resulting in an even, complete and correct response.

Vocals, piano and drums:
The way this song is mixed there becomes an authoritative and tight drum addition, then the vocals are heard. Here we can note the slight millisecond delay of left to right, we hear the clacking of bass guitar amid the middle positioning. I would not call the tune vocal centric, but due to how competent the overall tune is, vocals of both male and female are well represented. The magic found is how the piano filigree makes it way outside into the extra stage 00:22-00:23……….remarkable!


Not an IEM the Aether is for bassheads.......though for me perfect.


Side-by-sides:
Left to right top row: The SIMGOT AUDIO ET142 (Hybrid 12.5mm Planar and separate PZT driver) and the TANGZU ZETIAN WU (14.5mm Planar)

Left to right bottom row: Kiwi ears Airoso (Hybrid 1DD and 4BA) and the Kiwi ears Aether (15.3mm Planar)

The SIMGOT AUDIO ET142:
The Kiwi ears Aether offers a slightly bigger and more homogenous stage, meaning the ET142 is doing a bigger more contrasty idea of upper midrange and treble, and placing it further into the outskirts of the stage in more contrast formed........but the lower extremities are not as full and clear as what the Aether does on a regular basis.



SIMGOT AUDIO ET142 v Kiwi ears Aether:
To where in over all first impressions and second impressions and third impressions go back and forth.........after the IEM changes..............

The Aether is offering a bigger image generation and promoting those images into both more forwardness and even backwardness, resulting in a more uniform idea, simply better in the end.

Peace!
Peace, I'm just reporting as I hear the two! Where the Aether is simply effortless in how it walks....................That the Planar is the Kiwi ears idea of sound provider tone is more uniform because only coming from a single driver, yet large, only one driver. There is very little worry about the actual response of this 15.3mm getting slow or somehow too much from bass, due to size. Meaning the magnets here have complete control over the Aether transients and the bass......................tight and controlled. So imagine both a more homogenous stage, with subtle extra Aether notes all having room to exist, yet they are also bigger (in size) than the ET142, which just by that nature makes them clearer, and yet somehow connected to this cohesiveness at hand. Where the Aether has tiny little details, not sheets of sound like older planar ideas! And due to this Aether forwardness makes the whole shebang that much more of a joy!



The TANGZU ZETIAN WU:
It was a strange coincidence, like many coincidences that have been presented in this review, but after I took the original IEM group photo for this review, a member posted that his Wu had just failed and he wanted a new Planar. I explained that I would do a comparison in this review!

Here I’m choosing the Wu as it is also a big planar at 14.5mm, but more than that, from all the Planar reviews I have written the Wu was a stand-out performer holding many attributes that I come to Planar builds for. The note-weight, the tactile bass, the cohesiveness.

The WU:
Interestingly the TINHIFI “Big Panda” P1 Planar was one of the very first Planar I ever tried along with the legendary Raptgo HOOK-X, the HOOK-X being a Planar and PZT just like the ET142. Anyway, the P1 Big Panda is slightly low on bass to begin with, being the Big Panda is really a vocal Planar. So you can only imagine my surprise at how after multiple days of burn-in the P1 became both smoother and held extra bass additives. So really this was my start of understanding burn-in for Planar and why the Aether has 5 days of burn-in. The Wu held this extra warmth, even at the start, this thickness that made it special. Let’s see how the two compare?

Wow!
There is that WU magic that spellbound me for so many years when it first came out. And the funny thing about IEM reviews is no matter how long you have done them, you’re always learning. Here the WU comes off not as big at the start, of course you could have already guessed this. Though inside of that WU over-all thinness (and the WU was never thin?) there is less separation, less projection of sonic imaging and less space, having them generated closer together. There may actually be more WU bass (than Aether) activity, yet it gets neutralized by the bigger and clearer Aether bass. So once again we are experiencing the Aether as simply more linear in response with bigger stage technicalities……..like 2X as much…….lol.



The Kiwi ears Airoso:
This is the new Hybrid kid on the block, and even though I received the Airoso a day before the Aether, the Aether jumped ahead due to TOTL sound and drama! That is no way to introduce a new IEM, but it is what it is. Now the thing is the Airoso has been put on the back burner for a bit as I caressed and loved the Aether.

And you know how it goes right, when you go back to your old girlfriend (later) she shows you truth and honesty and you forget the very reasons you left here in the first place.

And with the Airoso that is exactly what happened. Where the Airoso is noticeably smaller at just 5 grams each, the Aether (it seems ) is twice as big at 7 grams each! Not really, this is Head-Fi I have to be careful of the jokes I make! Though the very first thing you notice is how both IEMs hold the Kiwi ears house sound. Yep, those guys in charge of tuning are using the same blueprint for success. Except there is the intrinsic nature of the drivers. Meaning no matter what we do, it is hard to subtract the BA tone and the Planar tone from each respected IEM. Plus we don’t really want to, we like that each IEM made represents its components, especially if tuned well and holding technicalities representative of such build (driver) characteristics.

Airoso:
So on first notice is the BAs. That in fact there are better technicalities in how the stage is positioned, in how BAs make this brighter and a more faster transitional example.

Except Aether Note weight, the lovely Planar note-weight! Hello! The airy Airoso doesn't quite get there!

BAs are a thin sheet of metal, Planar IEMs are a giant sheet! But to simplify this comparison, the Airoso became way, way better than I remember it in comparison to be. Meaning the Aether and Airoso go head to head in many ways. First off there is a segregated Airoso bass, a bass that holds this analog roundness and shape. Though here it is the actual upper midrange which is getting all the Airoso attention. These accolades come because for the first time in this review I am home once more. Home enjoying the BA Hybrid timbre…….but beyond that the imaging is even thinner yet faster, yet also not holding the taste of Planar tone, except it does hold the BA timbre. This BA timbre is not in any way distracting, but there nonetheless. The most I could say about the Airoso is that it is doing a lot of sound per $ spent. To where you can tell that they got the idea for the faceplate from the Sound Rhyme SR9, and while the faceplate of the SR9 is wood, and the Airoso is titanium, it is the air-vent which makes them look the same. But bringing up the SR9, the Airoso has a better upper midrange that holds this pure and natural tone, and maybe this is partially from the crossover network? As the Airoso is known for this advanced crossover design? Whatever the results are from (maybe the custom BAs) the Airoso can do no wrong, and truly another next level product that just arrived from Kiwi ears!

The Aether:

Build:
Yes we have extra-size, but not really extra-weight at only 7 grams. A perimeter aluminum ring and nozzle end, the Aether showcases 4 vents, three of which are under the faceplate, and one on the back. Sure this IEM is big, there is no getting around that, but it is not heavy and the nozzle length seems to be correct. Correct because I can use shallow donut ear-tip and the Aether fits me perfectly. The nozzle is 6.4mm in diameter and holds on tips like no tomorrow, with ear-tips never coming off inside your ear.


Cable:
There has been a little fuss over this cable in the community. Mostly I believe the Head-Fi members are getting new giant aftermarket cables and think every manufacturer should include a large audiophile cable with their IEM. When I was guilty of such thoughts myself, only to then start to really look at the included cable, then try the 3.5mm included cable. To be honest the different 4.4mm cables I have on hand access a different amplifier in the Sony WM1A which is more powerful and different sounding. Do you realize I used the word different 3 times in one sentence! That using the included 3.5mm cable works fine holding zero cable noise and a great overall feel. Taking the set-up over to a Samsung cellphone we are gifted with pretty much the same overall sound, only not as loud or enveloping. While sure I see folks using the Aether during the day on their cellphones then transferring over to witness the up-scale on an audiophile DAP or desktop at home. While the right 2Pin is color coded, probably the only minus is the fact of the chin-cinch being a plastic ball, as opposed to the aluminum ball chin-cinch of comparable priced cables and IEM combos. Each ear-hook is subtle and effective, and really for out and about any physical cable thinness is really an attribute, making the Aether and cable combo work fine.


Bonus side-by-side:
You thought we were finished with side-by-sides, only at the last minute I was asked how the Kiwi ears Aether would compare to the new 7Hz Timeless II Planar IEM. Coming in at $229.00 and 14.5 mm of Planar ability, the Timeless II was my most favorite Planar ever……..the word is “was”! Where the Timeless II and Aether are using the LC7 cable in 4.4mm termination, WM1A has MrWalkman's firmware, and I'm using the regular gold ear-nozzles on the Timeless II.

Also: The new SIMGOT AUDIO black donuts!



7Hz Timeless II verses the Kiwi ears Aether:
So to describe the two it took about 4 back and forth movements/changes to really get a hold mentally of how the two are different. As questions started with the first side-by-sides were later answered after multiple back-and-forths. It was determined that the Timeless II is just slightly smaller in stage size, this Timeless II stage size is accented with actual instruments that are amazingly more forward and attempting to be clearer, only the Aether is walking ahead nonchalantly giving bigger stage presence, except holding larger slightly set-back imaging, holding maybe a tad less contrasts, actually yes..............

The Aether is doing less contrasts, except the images are bigger and slightly softer......but this softness is in no way disrupting the experience here. So yes, they are very close in abilities here................... up until the Aether...........the Timeless II was my favorite Planar, but the Aether inches ahead offering a slightly smoother idea. The Aether offers more real fall-out of creations, making it seem both more homogeneous in instrument/vocal levels, at the same time slightly more laid back in positioning, which results in the positioning being more cohesive than the Timeless II. Again these differences are super small, but real.

Still if someone just bought the 7Hz Timeless II it may be that the differences are so small that it does not warrant the purchase of this new IEM? This would have to be a personal buying decision.

Still how the Aether is................is special and yes, better than the Timeless II. More friendly, less contrasts except offering a bigger stage with elements more at the same level, both IEMs exhibit the same slight Planar tone, but if you have the Timeless II, you already know we are at the point of this Planar timbre being a forgotten issue, not the issue it was a few years ago. It is maybe there, maybe not.........and I love that.

The tightness and carefulness of the Timeless II bass is again replayed in the Aether and the ability of both IEMs to gain a fast pace, offering no bass clutter falling into the midrange........is also my favorite aspect of both IEMs!

Where the Aether is 7 grams, the Timeless II is 6 grams, but way smaller. The Timeless II represents a more metal idea of chamber resonance, where the Aether is mostly resin which has a different vibrational and resonance personality. And this is how they differ when compared back to back. The Timeless II is more up-front and clear, holding greater contrasts, yet the Aether is bigger staged, with a slightly more reverberated idea, which in turn comes off slightly softer, yet more homogenized.



Conclusion:
Well, haven’t I said enough? The Kiwi ears Aether is one of my most favorite IEMs of all time. The Kiwi ears Aether sets a new benchmark in sound value for other manufacturers to target. The Kiwi ears Aether scales upwards into comparable sound equal to much more expensive IEMs in my collection. And after hearing of over 200 IEMs in my history, I knew there was something special about the Aether from the get-go, and I feel you will too!

$169.99
https://kiwiears.com/products/kiwi-ears-aether
https://www.linsoul.com/products/kiwi-ears-aether

Linsoul website: https://www.linsoul.com
Linsoul Aliexpress Store: https://ddaudio.aliexpress.com/store/2894006
Linsoul USA Amazon Store link: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=merchant-items&me=A267P2DT104U3C

Disclaimer:
The Kiwi ears Aether Universal IEM has had a total of 5 days of burn-in.

Disclaimer:
I would like to thank Evelyn Zhou of Kiwi ears for the love and the Kiwi ears Aether review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman’s Firmware 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman’s Firmware 4.4mm balanced
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03 in 4.4mm balanced
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
Samsung Phone 3.5mm
HiBy R3 II DAP 4.4mm
ifi Go blu Bluetooth Amplifier and DAC 4.4mm
ifi hip dac 3 Amplifier and DAC 4.4mm

Kiwi Ears Aether



Introduction & Disclaimer

Every few years, a new technology, piece of equipment, or device appears within the high-end audio space that shakes things up and leaves a watershed moment on headphone history.
In 1979 it was the STAX SR-Lamdba; the first headphone to ever offer something actually resembling linear tonal response.
In 1989, Sony proved that high end audio wasn't limited to open back design with the very much closed-back MDR-R10.
In 1991, Sennheiser established the legendary comfortable middle-ground benchmark and the foundation of the HD600 series, the HD580 Precision.

Now, I don't have the clairvoyance to predict whether the Aether will go down in history, spawn a legacy or change the audio industry forever, but I think it damn well should.
This may well be the most important IEM yet made.

This sample was sent by Kiwi Ears for the purpose of this review.
Website + Specs - https://kiwiears.com/products/kiwi-ears-aether

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Build, Design & Aesthetics

Kiwi Ears has opted for a more rounded design for the 3D-printed resin shells of the Aether, adorned with milled aluminium and glittery resin faceplates.
The housings feature metal nozzles (6.4mm), one ear-side vent, and 3 forward facing vents. Despite the extra venting, I didn't notice any interference from wind, but neither did I find these any less isolating than the average IEM, which was at least a welcome relief.
I didn't have any problem with the ergonomics, however they don't provide the most snug fit either. I think as long as you're not adverse to larger housings, these should provide a relatively easy wearing experience.


Housed within the shells are one of the largest planar drivers ever produced for a closed-type in ear monitor out of China, at 15.3mm.
They are also sensitive enough to be driven directly from a smartphone without the assistance of a dongle DAC amplifier.

The cable is fantastic.
It's pliable, doesn't retain memory and fits the aesthetic.

It’s also thicker than average, so it doesn’t tangle as easily as even the KE4 cable.
The new and improved carry case arrives in a timely manner for the first new IEMs of 2025 and the cherry on top is the inclusion of 3 different sets of tips to ensure the best fit is found.

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The Sound

So how does it sound?
There is only one way to describe the way my ears hear this IEM.

It is a reference model.

I hate to use such an overly abused term, but every so often, it's important to re-establish personal or public benchmarks that the masses vastly agree upon.
Sometimes there are headphones that absolutely deserve such attention but simply fall out of the mainstream due to lack of interest, bad marketing or one bad review from a prolific journalist.
I hope this won't be one such case, as for the first time in my life I find myself listening to an In Ear Monitor that not only presents audio without any one singular frequency or tonal band reaching out for attention or shying away, but does so without making significant compromise.



It feels like for once, the marketing team actually didn’t lie.
This is what Kiwi Ears had to say about the Aether - “Its studio-tuned sound signature provides a clean sub-bass response, flat midrange, and a natural treble peak for clear, balanced audio.”
I can only fully agree.

For lack of a better word, the Aether sounds neutral, but not in the way the AKG K612 Pro or Hifiman Susvara sounds neutral and sucks all the joy out of the music.
The Aether serves up every single part of the music on equal terms with just a hint of smoothness and an uncommonly large soundstage.
It just sounds right.


(measured on miniDSP EARS, so treble is unnaturally emphasised in the graph)

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Comparisons

Kiwi Ears KE4
The darling of the so-called meta-tuning pales against the uncontaminated purity reproduced by the Aether. The upper mid-range and treble particularly suffers from some unwanted tonal characteristics that some might describe as BA timbre, with a slightly plastic quality.


Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite
The Orchestra Lite continues to wow me with it’s slightly holographic imaging and seductively hyper-realistic presentation of midrange, but we know it’s not a reference tuning.
The Aether more than confirms this.


Hifiman HE-500
The Aether reminds me most of the qualities I enjoy with my personal reference headphone, a modified Hifiman HE-500.
In fact switching between the two, I detect only an incremental increase in warmth in my HE-500, which I should mention is also modified, so it is more linear, a touch warmer and with smoother treble than a stock HE-500.
The uncanniness of overall timbre and tonality between these two is ridiculous, with the Aether falling only slightly behind, where treble sounds like cymbals are incrementally darker and weightier than the HE-500.

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Conclusions
In a time where truly high-end personal audio has never been so competitive, expensive, and littered with some quite frankly laughably bad offerings, the Kiwi Ears Aether is an oasis of sanity.

At $169 this is truly the first ‘people's reference IEM’ not hindered by poor build quality, awkward design decisions or restricted imaging and soundstage, and I believe it will become a benchmark for many IEM enthusiasts.



I really wonder if the big companies are ever going to respond, because the Chinese IEM industry overtook the consumer portion around 15 years ago and have been doing nothing but sprinting ahead ever since and now it seems they can’t keep up.

As a final footnote, I feel like I need to add that these are just my opinions and you don't have to agree with them.
There are also people out there who actually enjoy the DT990 Pro and the B+W P9, so while enjoyers of these obviously inferior headphones () might not quite be the Aether's target audience, anyone who appreciates the kind of truly rare neutral tunings offered by a select few high-end planars, a handful of electrostatics and even fewer dynamic headphones, then the Aether should be one for serious consideration at any starting budget.

The Aether receives my absolute fullest recommendation.



- For the watchers -

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Kiwi Ears Aether Review: Next Plane of Existence​

Kiwi Ears Raises the Bar for… Everyone​

Kiwi Ears is the in-house brand for popular ChiFi (Chinese HiFi) retailer Linsoul. They’ve released a lot of IEMs since inception, many of which have become well-known crowd-favorites in the HiFi community. They were among the first on the scene to build planar-driver hybrid IEMs, and while those products had some room for improvement, that didn’t dissuade Kiwi Ears from continuing to explore the technology. Today we’re taking a look at Kiwi Ears’ newest and most robust planar-driver IEM. Featuring a massive 15.3mm planar driver and promising uncompromising studio-grade performance, the Aether has caught the attention of a lot of folks. But, does it perform in line with its promises? Let’s find out!

You can find the Aether for sale at Linsoul for $170.

About My Preferences: This review is a subjective assessment and is therefore tinged by my personal preferences. While I try to mitigate this as much as possible during my review process, I’d be lying if I said my biases are completely erased. So for you, my readers, keep this in mind:

• My ideal sound signature would be one with competent sub-bass, a textured mid-bass, a slightly warm midrange, and an extended treble.
• I have mild treble sensitivity.

Testing equipment and standards can be found here.

Tech Specs​

• Driver: 15.3mm neodynium planar driver
• Cable: 0.78mm detachable w/ 3.5mm termination
• Impedance: 14 ohms
• Sensitivity: 105db SPL/mW
• Frequency Response: 20Hz-20KHz

Sound Signature​

Sonic Overview:​

The Aether features open, airy, reference-style tuning. Its treble is well-extended and organic. Its midrange is neutral, with slight emphasis in the 2–3KHz range to bring out instrumental and vocal details. Its bass is extended, though not emphasized much. There’s a slight 1–2db lift in the mid-bass that provides solid lower-register articulation that carries out to the 20Hz range. The Aether’s studio-grade tuning allows it to express a wide soundstage with excellent depth and laying. Its new 15.3mm driver delivers excellent planar-driver timbre with all of the usual psycho-acoustic properties you’d associate with a high-quality planar driver.

Sonic Breakdown:​

Treble: Songs used: In One Ear, Midnight City, Outlands, Satisfy, Little One, Show Me How To Live (Live at the Quart Festival), Bittersweet Symphony

The Aether is one of those IEMs that, for most people, will make you say “wow, I’ve never heard that in this song before!”. That’s in no small part a feature of the Aether’s incredibly transparent and articulate treble. The Aether’s upper-register is genuinely reminiscent of full-sized planar headphones in that its spares no effort in providing maximum speed and near-flawless control. It isn’t just detailed, either. The Aether’s treble is even and organic, almost never sounding too hot, sharp, or over-blown.

This isn’t all smoke and hype — you can look into my past writing to see that I rarely get swept up in marketing-driven excitement. It doesn’t really matter what track you throw at the Aether as it will resolve it well. Tracks like Bittersweet Symphony represent but a trivial challenge for the Aether’s massive drivers. The song’s beautiful cacophony of string instrumentation and percussion is carefully, surgically even, layered by the Aether. Gone is the impenetrable wall of treble noise found with lesser IEMs — instead listeners are presented with a proper symphony.

The lonely electric synth lines of Midnight City cut through its bleak, dark background with precision and intent. The Aether’s incredible attack and decay speeds complement the echo-filled vibes of M83’s performance, truly delivering a faithful reproduction of their legendary track. This song is one that is easy to get wrong, and many planar IEMs I’ve tested sounded sharp at the edges of the synth effects. The Aether is free from sharpness and hotness which is a boon to treble-sensitive listeners like me.

Midrange: Songs used: Flagpole Sitta, Jacked Up, I Am The Highway, Dreams, Too Close, Little Black Submarines, Bohemian Rhapsody, Cash Machine, Chasm

As with its treble, the Aether’s midrange is incredibly detailed and evenly-toned. This is an IEM with a truly “perceived neutral” midrange that refuses to play favorites. Jacked Up’s wide assortment of instruments do a good job of exercising the Aether’s midrange muscles. The track’s vocals are highly intelligible, with almost every inflection in delivery captured by the Aether’s drivers. The tracks two pianos clamor together in the background, each sitting in their own distinct spot on the sound stage. Each note springs into existence with clarity and precision and fades out organically. Percussion is likewise rendered impressively; drum slams and kicks are remarkably distinct and well-bodied.

I had anticipated that the Aether’s reference-style tuning would make Flagpole Sitta and its dry-mastered ilk a boring listen, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. The Aether so rigorously captures detail that the track becomes rich in tone and texture, not simple warmth. This style-agnostic prowess gives the Aether a special place in my rotation and is a major part of why I like it so much.

Bass: Songs used: Moth, Gold Dust, In For The Kill (Skream Remix), War Pigs (Celldweller Remix), Feeling Like The End

The Aether’s bass is slightly emphasized, with a mild 1–2db lift over its lower midrange. This gives the Aether a solid lower register with the occasional capacity for punch and rumble. For a reference-tuned IEM, this quantity of bass is plenty. It adds much needed weight and substance to tracks and does a great job at minimizing dryness. Even electronic music is well-served by this tuning. Sure, it might be more fun to crank the bass, but the Aether doesn’t sound flat nor anemic. From the perspective of a critical listener, the Aether does bass extraordinarily well, even for fat dubstep drops.

I often write about bass “shape” and “control”. These are concepts that ultimately boil down to how precisely the IEMs driver(s) can produce bass and how well the acoustic cavity minimizes distortion and decay. The Aether’s bass is extremely quick and precise. Its healthy portioning combined with its speed makes it, at this price, uniquely adept at resolving subtle bass queues. Its precision allows it render nearly-tactile effects. For example, the Aether resolves Joji’s bass element in Feeling Like The End at 0:52 with a seemingly physical exhale. This is extremely subtle effect that is easy to miss outside of critical listening, but wow, I wasn’t anticipating such an affordable IEM to possess this level of technical ability. In fact, none of my other IEMs could replicate this sensation.

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Packaging / Unboxing​

Kiwi Ears usually sticks to fairly basic packaging for their IEMs, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Aether’s has a more-premium look and feel. Each surface below the outer-sheathe makes excellent use of a semi-textured, partially-reflective silver cardboard. It does a good job of emulating the look of brushed aluminum/stainless steel.

Build​

Construction Quality​

The faceplates on the Aether are down-right gorgeous. Every inch of the Aether’s shells, apart from its nozzles is made out of plastic — but that doesn’t make it look or feel “un-premium”.



The Aether’s nozzles are, mercifully, made out of metal. They are a little above-average in depth and size. Below the nozzle’s lip sits a metal perforated debris filter. The filter sits securely and looks to be capable of repelling most dust, dirt, and viscous fluids. The top-face of the Aether’s shells houses a the IEMs 2-pin sockets and primary vent. Be aware that the primary vent is large and can very easily accumulate finger/skin oils, dirt, or (rain) water.



I was hoping that the Aether would come with a cable similar to the Orchestra Lite, but alas, we get a simple, but well-designed, black plastic cable. It features 0.78mm 2-pin connectors housed in a standard black shell, a black-plastic Y-splitter, and a 3.5mm termination housed in a black metal shell.

Power​

The Aether’s impedance is rated at a shockingly low 14ohms. That puts its squarely in “easy to drive” territory, especially when combined with its incredibly reasonable sensitivity. Apple’s USB-C adapter is more that capable of driving the Aether at, or near, full quality. Meze’s Alba dongle is likewise plenty powerful. The Aether had zero hiss and a very dark noise floor on all sources I tested, so even pedestrian 3.5mm sources should work well.

Comfort​

Disclaimer: comfort is a highly individual metric — no two people will have the same experience.

By virtue of the Aether’s massive planar driver, it also has large shells. They’re of average ergonomic design and not too hard for me to wear for extended listening sessions. I highly recommend experimenting with ear variety of eartip, and perhaps some aftermarket ones, to get as strong of a passive seal as possible.

Accessories​

Inside the box you’ll find:

• 1x semi-hard carrying case
• 1x 3.5mm cable
• 9x pairs of silicone eartips

The eartips that Kiwi Ears include in the box are serviceable, but not great. In fact, one eartip I tried to apply actually tore while placing it on the Aether’s nozzle. Thankfully I have plenty of spares, but its an irritating experience nonetheless.

The Aether’s case is fairly standard, though it is larger than the one that came with my previous Kiwi Ears IEMs by a smidge. A slightly roomier case would have been great considering I always carry the Aether with a USB-C adapter.

Comparisons​

1: NFAcous NM20 ($120)

The NM20 is another “reference-style” IEM, though it features a single dynamic driver instead of a planar driver. It also comes in at nearly $50 cheaper, making it noticeably more affordable. The NM20 has smaller shells, a better-looking and feeling cable, and a better-fitting case. The Aether’s ergonomics may be worse, but it posses undeniably superior technical capabilities. Its soundstage is wider, treble more extended, bass more precise; there’s a laundry list of performance advantages.

From a purely analytical perspective, the Aether is the better tool for mastering, studio work, etc. That said, the NM20’s bassier, more V-shaped sound signature may appeal to those who want a somewhat more-mainstream tuning. Its superior ergonomics may also sway an potential buyer, particularly if he/she is sensitive to the bump in price for the Aether.

2: BQEYZ Frost ($180)

BQEYZ’s Frost is a very unique IEM that brings non-standard tuning to the table. It is slightly more expensive than the Aether and packs a better cable, aluminum + glass shells, and a larger carrying case. Its ergonomics are similar to the Aether’s, though the added weight of aluminum does tire the back of the ear faster. BQEYZ’s included eartips are more comfortable for me and seal better than the standard Kiwi Ears assortment that was included with the Aether.

Sound-wise, both IEMs possess serious technical chops. The Frost does a great job at unifying its flat, warm, midrange with a sparkly and robust treble. It has an intensely organic lower register that is slightly more emphasized than the Aether. The Aether, by comparison, is a cooler, more analytical IEM. Its treble is more even and further extended, while its midrange is far more neutral and lacking the Frost’s signature warmth. In terms of sound staging, both IEMs are great performers with the Aether pulling ahead in both depth and width.

Conclusion​

The Aether raises the bar for the entire IEM industry. It represents a tectonic shift in what consumers can expect in both tonal purity and technical prowess per dollar. The fact that Kiwi Ears is selling the Aether for a mere $170 should do well to light a fire under both Eastern and Western brands. The Aether’s capacity to resolve detail eclipses many much more expensive IEMs both old and new alike. While not everyone wants an analytical IEM, those who are willing to give reference-style tuning simply cannot go wrong with the Aether.

Who This is For​

• Audiophiles who want reference-grade sound
• Listeners who enjoy neutral sound signatures
• Planar-driver enthusiasts

Who This isn’t For​

• Bassheads
• Listeners with small ears
• Those who crave warm sound signatures

As always, happy listening!