All I can say is:
1) consider Your source gear/amping sound signature in equasion and "add it up" to IEM
2) be sure about Your HEARING response - if You don`t like a bit raised mid-bass (like I do), then KPE is OK and no need to "upgrade".
Imho, KPE mid-bass is not "dry" and has great texture, it is just damn FLAT in mid-bass, which is hard feature to find among most chi-fi IEMs.
Well, my problem with KPE isn't actually its sound but it's the condensation issue and oxidation on the shell that I was getting (atm my KPE is in China for repairing). I guess I'm just unlucky because of the wheater of my country but after-5-10x when you need to stop your favorite song because of that condensation imbalance you just get tired and even though the SQ is superb the annoyance it causes is just bigger.
Also, CoiL, as you've said gear/amping definitely changes the synergy you're getting and I can understand you have found the perfect balance. But... Most of the people aren't using either hardware modified DAPs or custom nozzle grills on KPE so... bear in mind your opinion definitely will vary coming from stock KPE grills and normal DAPs/sources.
It's like If I add micropore tape over the nozzle to tame sibilant highs for some specific IEM and I think strange when someone complains about its sibilance in stock.