Pop quiz time, KB Ear fans! What is a small IEM that ...
- weighs nothing
- fits everyone (with their choice of tips)
- is dirt cheap (!)
- has the power of 5 synchronized Led Zeppelin cover bands playing in a small theater
let's talk a bit here about ...
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KB EAR ST1 <-------
whoa ...
So, like ... nobody ever talks about these. They're mentioned in a couple of budget threads, but KB Ear ST1 seem to get passed up on super budget recommendations. It's a shame, because these barrel drum shaped, single dynamic driver gems have flown under the radar and seem to be frequently confused with the larger TRN ST1, or the GSA ST1. I've burned the KB Ear version in with my E1DA PowerDAC 2.1, and inside of 5 minutes I was already shredding some air guitar.
Cable:
Let's get the only drawback out of the way here: these come with a fixed, non-replaceable cable. For 10.70 euros, including shipping, I really don't mind. The cable is thin and slickly covered in a vinyl coating which has virtually no microphonics that I could tell. Sounds great to me. I'm not a cable enthusiast so this doesn't really bother me.
Tips:
No frills, black silicone wide and shallow bore tips came in SM/MED/LG. No complaints. I have the same generic style tips on my CCA NRA and they do the job well and permit the treble to shine through.
Fitment:
Fit is great since these are small, universal units with a short, fat barrel shape to them. They are a hang-down style wire, not over the ear. I usually have problems with this style (including buds) unless I use large bore tips that exert enough pressure on the ear canal to stay-put while walking or moving about the house. Sitting at my desk was fine with medium tips inserted a bit deeper than most triangular shaped IEM.
Power:
At 18 ohms and 106dB sensitivity, these scale up well with some amplification. They really shine with the PowerDAC (as does everything else that gets plugged into it), but I notice barely any different plugged into my FiiO BTR3k, and the dynamics and volume are still great on my older android phone and out of the 3.5mm on my laptop.
Overall sound:
Like many chifi, there's some mild-to-moderate midbass bloat and ever-so-slightly recessed mids, and very well behaved treble with good amounts of detail. These aren't as vee shaped as I was prepared for, but certainly they would not be mistaken as being bright. The tuning is on the "fun" side but I hesitate to use that term because nothing is really out of sorts. In short ... totally awesome!
Bass:
Right out of the box with no burn-in, the ST1 made it known that these are not just a cheap throw-away pair of headphones. I still had a DAC profile setup for my Heart Mirror with a boosted bass shelf from 20-60 Hz, and the ST1 kicked in with a massive wall of bass. At 8.7mm, the dynamic driver is smaller than the 10mm standard of many chifi IEM, but it has no issues generating enough thump and slam on hard rock and electronic music. Bass texture is on the average side, with speed being a perhaps a bit above average. They seem a bit tighter than my prized CCA C12 or ZAX, and nearly equal those pairs for bass volume. Technicalities are not as good as BA10 or Heart Mirror, as one might expect for an inexpensive unit. Without EQ the bass trips over itself on fast metal. With just the slightest reduction of midbass however everything tightens up and provided a raucous and detailed listen.
Mids & Treble:
I do not own any mids-centric pairs but I know well the awful sound signature having been a Sony V6 and 7506 die-hard for decades. When the bass is thicc like this, it's not really that mids are recessed but it's more that they get stomped on from the mid bass. Just a couple dB tweaking on the EQ cleans this up brilliantly. Male vocals here on Fleet Foxes fantastic track
, Mykonos, pull through with a rich, warm presentation that still provides good detail without any hint of sibilance.
As a treble head I find the upper end to be adequate on a good amp, and just a bit rolled off when using my phone or laptop 3.5mm output. Adding some brilliance back in around 4k and 10k for 1-2 dB worth was all it took to wake these up and present a coherent and detailed upper end that is neither piercing nor fatiguing.
Speaking of which - coherence and dynamics are very good. With a powerful DD in a small metal package - no surprise that these sound on point. There is so much yes in a tiny package. Big drum hits. Soaring horns and synths. Floating vocals.
Soundstage and imaging is a lot better than I'd expected. I think these are a bit wider than Heart Mirror, and I find them to best my beloved CCA NRA by a hair in this department.
Less-than great, but not really a con: clarity and instrument separation is acceptable but they start to show their limitations here on heavy orchestral works. Chamber music, though? Moouuuahhhh - please accept a chef's kiss. Timbre and tonality here is good for strings. Brass horns are missing a bit of edge from the polite treble cutting off upper harmonics, but I'm not sure non-brass players would really care about this. This relaxed presentation is more favorable to the masses, and completely suitable to the product and its intended customer segment. I only notice it on classical pieces, but it's still quite nice with a just touch of EQ. I haven't really found anything that throws them out of sorts. Other pair might be more nuanced technicalities and have spicier timbre to them (looking at you CCA C12 and BA10), but these are perfectly fine for most genres of music.
Closing thoughts:
I'm impressed with such a big sound out of a small package. These are lush, detailed enough for use on the go or falling asleep. The ST1 are a no-brainer pick for travel and commuting. If these had a replaceable cable they would probably last forever as they seem well built of durable materials. Sound isolation from the metal barrels is also quite good. That's it. These'll make ya feel good. Especially when that bass drops.
I bought mine from the official KB Ear store on AliExpress at this link:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002238854753.html
