[Jitu13]

Thanks! Ordered. 1left
Also I ordered Tri Starsea & KBEar pure sliver cable from KB Ear aliexpress official store, the Kinboofi customized treble BA looks interesting!

Oh, so I was the one who snatched the 3rd, and you caught the 2nd. Who will get the last one, I wonder? The world is indeed small.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Oh, so I was the one who snatched the 3rd, and you caught the 2nd. Who will get the last one, I wonder? The world is indeed small.

Indeed! I usually don’t follow sponsors section but out of whim, and good timing!

 

[WendyLi]

Imagine the rhythm and notes of Neon, which indicates efforts and enthusiasm of dream chasers in cities.
Every ray of light is working hard to be seen.
Good night to the world.

 

[RenEh]

If you're like me and feel the KB Ear KS1 can some times have a little too much treble try this mod inspired by the slater mod for the blon bl03.

You'll need
1x needle or syringe to remove the grill
1x antiseptic wipe something like this

1) Remove the antiseptic wipe from its packaging and leave it on a dry for half an hour on a clean surface.
2) Take off the original grill. I used a syringe to remove it. If you're planning to re-use it just go slow and steady.
3) Cut the antiseptic wipe in to a small rectangle as shown in the photos. We want just enough of it to cover the inner walls of nozzle once when rolled up.
4) Wrap the cut up wipe tightly around a tooth pick as pictured
5) Place the toothpick at the entrance of the iem and gently slide the wipe in to the hole.
6) Expand the wipe with toothpick so that it is hugging the inner walls of the nozzle.
7) Put the grills back on.

This toned down the treble enough for me to not be fatiguing. It also made the mids less recessed/distant. A much more pleasing sound IMO. Still maintains it's airy treble as well.

 

[KnightCaeli]

Just wanted to chime in with an update on my pair of Believes. I'm pretty sure the issue with my right iem is moisture buildup, as I've read it was also an issue with the Diamond which shares the same shell. I sent my pair back in early December to KBEar to have it checked, and just received them back this week. I made the mistake of sending it back without a tracking number, so I had to periodically ask if they made it back to China, but KBEar was pleasant throughout the whole experience. I'm not sure what they did, but the issue still persists: I will lose volume in the right iem within an hour. I'm not sure if my ears are weird, but I've only had a problem once with the left iem, which works well. I'm going to try out this mod, as I love the sound of the Believes:

It's winter here, so time to give the Believe an anti-condensation mod. I was really hoping that having the damper on top of the dust guard would fix the issue of moisture blocking the sound, but this country is just too cold and wet, so if I want to use them outside without random volume losses some reconfiguration is required.

Long term I’d need a replacement for the original dampers anyway as they're going to lose transparency over time, and replacements aren’t included.

4.7mm dust guards and expanded cotton tuning dampers in the links below if anyone’s got the same problem (and wants to avoid channel imbalance issues from DIY foam), I use one of each (densest on top) to get a slightly more bass balanced, warmed up tuning than the original, with what sounds like a modest boost to note weight and clarity, especially at the bottom end. Separation seems slightly improved as well, but that could just be wishful thinking as it was pretty damn good already.



https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32453706088.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.32504c4dBl1ocp

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000505231389.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.32504c4dBl1ocp

 

[Vasarely]

Just wanted to chime in with an update on my pair of Believes. I'm pretty sure the issue with my right iem is moisture buildup, as I've read it was also an issue with the Diamond which shares the same shell. I sent my pair back in early December to KBEar to have it checked, and just received them back this week. I made the mistake of sending it back without a tracking number, so I had to periodically ask if they made it back to China, but KBEar was pleasant throughout the whole experience. I'm not sure what they did, but the issue still persists: I will lose volume in the right iem within an hour. I'm not sure if my ears are weird, but I've only had a problem once with the left iem, which works well. I'm going to try out this mod, as I love the sound of the Believes:

You can resolve the problem easily: (with this device or any other like this)



Or

KBEAR 3 pairs Filter for KBEAR BELIEVE​

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002116577785.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.7ad14c4dXSgusO

 

[Sebulr]

I've been listening to my kbear ks1 this week and I really like them. I've done a direct comparison to the blon bl-03, by ear, and they are tuned pretty much the same as far as I can tell, but are significantly easier to drive. They sound a lot louder for the same sound output. If I have one each ear the sound balance is 40/60 to the blon to make them sound the same level on Poweramp on Android.

I'd say the blons have a slightly more refined treble, but it's very hard to tell the difference. They certainly fit better and are easier to drive straight out of a phone. Can't really comment on soundstage as I don't really notice unless I'm REALLY listening hard. Only problem is with them, is I have to listen to them at about 30 percent volume. 80 percent is too loud for me, I dread to think what they be like at 100.

Tldr is these are pretty close to blon-03, but are cheaper, and fit better.

 

[RenEh]

I've been listening to my kbear ks1 this week and I really like them. I've done a direct comparison to the blon bl-03, by ear, and they are tuned pretty much the same as far as I can tell, but are significantly easier to drive. They sound a lot louder for the same sound output. If I have one each ear the sound balance is 40/60 to the blon to make them sound the same level on Poweramp on Android.

I'd say the blons have a slightly more refined treble, but it's very hard to tell the difference. They certainly fit better and are easier to drive straight out of a phone. Can't really comment on soundstage as I don't really notice unless I'm REALLY listening hard. Only problem is with them, is I have to listen to them at about 30 percent volume. 80 percent is too loud for me, I dread to think what they be like at 100.

Tldr is these are pretty close to blon-03, but are cheaper, and fit better.

FYI these required significant break in for me. They sound very different after around 72 hours straight of well above listening volume bass heavy music. Their sensitivity also drops as well.

 

[gersomhy]

FYI these required significant break in for me. They sound very different after around 72 hours straight of well above listening volume bass heavy music. Their sensitivity also drops as well.

i'm agree with you. at first it sound like getting hit by a pillow, then with a bare fist, but now they put gloves on and feel soft. treble sound less splashy and has some airiness to it.

 

[Sebulr]

FYI these required significant break in for me. They sound very different after around 72 hours straight of well above listening volume bass heavy music. Their sensitivity also drops as well.

Interesting, I've never had that happen before.

 

[RenEh]

QRD

MAKE SURE YOU BURN THESE IN!

Who should buy this? If you own a Nintendo Switch buy the KS1 and thank me later. Are you looking for a fun sparkly v shaped iem with good soundstage and impressive resolution for the price? Buy the KS1. Don’t want to buy an amp/dac/aftermarket cables/aftermarket tips buy the KS1. They sound good stock. Sound even better modded, see below.

Who shouldn’t buy these? Like to play on retro consoles i.e. Gameboy Advance or older? Don’t buy these. Are you looking for a more natural and relaxed tone and are willing to trade off resolution then don’t buy these. In the same price bracket, pick up Blon BL-03, but you’ll probably need aftermarket tips and needle to mod them at a minimum. Google mesh mod.

Gear Used For Testing

Amps
Apple Dongle
AudioQuest Dragonfly Red
Massdrop THX 789 (In Singled Ended Only)
Flux FA-12 (In Single Ended Only)

DACs
Schiit Modi 3
Denafrips Ares 2

Cables
Stock Cable
Linsoul HC-08

Tips
Stock Tips
Spinfit CP145

The Good

String instruments sound fantastic. Listen to with these to Father and Son by Cat Stevens. Piano sound great too, shout out to Ru's Piano on youtube.



Scaling

These scale surprisingly well with better dac/amp. Bass tightens up and they can get fairly resolving. In fact, these IEM’s scaled with all of the gear I own. It may sound silly to use a $20 IEM with $2K in gear, but use better and get better out of KS1! Emotion and micro detail is on full display. They still sound good coming out of my MacBook's headphone jack, but it can come off as harsh at times. A better DAC/AMP smoothes out the sound.

Comfort

A safe shape that is more comfortable than the Blon BL-03 for long listening sessions for my ears.

Tips

The tips are a big surprise. They’re fairly comfortable for my ears, and the sizes provided seal nicely for my ears. I found them more comfortable for short listening sessions than the Spinfit cp145’s and they sound better too. Contrast this with what’s included with the BL-03 and it’s a revelation. The BL-03 has completely unusable tips that do not seal well. You’re getting a lot of value with this iem with just the included and very useable tips.

Cable

The included cable is ok. It’s a good step up with what’s included with the Blon BL-03. In that it doesn’t tangle up as easily and has a more comfortable fit around the ear. It is a good cable for free and the right angle 3.5mm connector is awesome for portable gaming.

The Bad

Packaging was adequate in that it will likely protect the IEM’s, but that’s it. I don’t care much for fancy packaging as I think that money is better spent on the IEM’s themselves, so this is fine by me.

Isolation is only ok. You're going to hear the outside at low volume.

The Ugly

The sound out of the box is… bad! These need 72 hours of burn in with very bass heavy music at loud volume. If you ever want to experience the magic of burn in, buy these IEM’s!

Sound Impressions

Highs

Detailed, crisp and a little airy. If you’re using these IEM’s for video chatting, you’ll be surprised at how clear and in the room voices sound. Consequently, soundstage is much, much better than the Blon BL03. If you’re looking for positional cues from IEM in this price range this is a great choice.

Mids

The mid range can come off as a little distant and thus not as natural compared to the Blon BL03, but detail is good. Main issue is that on very busy tracks, think jpop with synth and classical instruments at the same time, the mid-range can get muddled. Perfect for less busy tracks with string instruments or piano.

Lows

Bass is slightly elevated in a fun way, but it’s still more nuanced than a stock Blon BL03. Sub bass rumble was very enjoyable for movies and games.

For Gaming

Gear Used

Nintendo Gameboy Color - KS1 picks up slight noise due to sensitivity less of an issue with the less sensitive Blon BL-03.

Nintendo Gameboy Advance - KS1’s are too sensitive and pick up a lot of hiss. Mine is IPS screen modded so YMMV

New Nintendo 3DS XL - Powered well with volume to spare. Treble is nicely detailed without being too fatiguing. Very spacious sounding.

Nintendo 2DS XL - Sounds similar, but not as good as the N3DSXL. Less volume to spare as well. Treble is a bit peaky and not as spacious.

Nintendo Switch – This is the reason to own these IEM’s! Very, very detailed coming out of the Switch with volume to spare and a black background and good dynamics. If you have a switch, just BUY THE KS1!

Sony PSP powered well of headphone jack, but treble can be a bit peaky

Sony PS Vita – Lots of volume to spare, very dynamic sounding and not fatiguing. Just awesome for the Persona dancing games.

iPad (Remote Play) - Sounds good out of the apple dongle or the older 3.5mm jack. Can get fatiguing for long sessions, 2+ hours of music, but great for games/Netflix.

Want EVEN MORE Performance out of the KS1? Use spinfit CP145 tips and mod following this guide for smoother but still detailed treble and a more present mid range. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/kb-ear-audio-impressions-thread.912673/post-16297103

In stock form the KS1 bests the Blon BL-03 in most areas except for natural and relaxed tone. If you don't want to mess around with mods, tip rolling or cable switching, just buy the KS1 over the Blon BL-03. If you intend to mod the Blon BL-03 or the KB Ear KS1 it's a much tougher fight with tone winning on the Blon BL-03, and detail winning out on the KB Ear KS1.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Just received Lark and posted an impression here. Pretty much impressed with the tuning and interested to have 4K version as well.

@WendyLi Is there really an official "Lark 4k"? If so any measurements of both original Lark and 4K? And any links of where to purchase 4K? I saw a couple of reviewers posted aliexpress KBEar official store, nad keephifi store, but I'm not very certain it's original or 4k.

 

[WendyLi]

Just received Lark and posted an impression here. Pretty much impressed with the tuning and interested to have 4K version as well.

@WendyLi Is there really an official "Lark 4k"? If so any measurements of both original Lark and 4K? And any links of where to purchase 4K? I saw a couple of reviewers posted aliexpress KBEar official store, nad keephifi store, but I'm not very certain it's original or 4k.

Hi friend, the only difference between 4k and non-4k is the tuning. We stopped to sell the 4k version from the end of Oct.. Where did you buy the Lark? Which store? When?

Maybe you can ask the store seller for a check.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Hi friend, the only difference between 4k and non-4k is the tuning. We stopped to sell the 4k version from the end of Oct.. Where did you buy the Lark? Which store? When?

Maybe you can ask the store seller for a check.

Thanks, I got it the today from a dealer named H HifiHear from Amazon US, will check with the dealer. But meanwhile I also placed a new stock from KeepHifi, it says 2020 Lark, so that’s the non-4k I assume? Which one got higher peak around 4k?

 

[WendyLi]

How gorgeous it is!!