tone.texture.soul
100+ Head-Fier
Hey friends! I’ve had two very cool demo IEMs the last few weeks or so, and I wanted to share some impressions. This could be called a mini review even, knowing my penchant for long windedness and details 
They are both more budget minded than my usual fare, the Lime Ears Terra coming in around $1.1k, and the mighty Kiwi Ears KE4 is only $200! They’re both really cool, both all rounders, and for the price, both a very high value. Both of these are demo units and will be sent back - I went through my usual testing and AB phase, but I also spent a good amount of time just enjoying them. The KE4 (which I’ve had bit longer) was on my GoPods for a few weeks actually.
The KE4
This is a new one from Kiwi Ears, a more budget minded brand from China. At $200 this is their second more expensive, but don’t let the price fool you. They sound awesome! I was really, really surprised. After 200hrs the DDs opened up and I was treated to a full on “big-Boy” IEM sound. While the stock cable is 3.5mm, and leaves A LOT to be desired, swap it out for an upgrade cable and you’ll be in for surprise. Pair this thing up with a quality DAP too, and we’re reaching far above the price tier. The tech included, like the isobaric DDs seem to come from an IEM on a totally different level. From the Kiwi Ears website:
The packaging is about what you’d expect for the price. A box with some nice design, a small carrying case, the cable and IEMs. Some basic tips too. As I said, for my uses, the stock cable is basically a throw away piece. I don’t listen to 3.5mm, though I do supposed out of my old iPod Classic it could be cool. All said, I tried the stock cable and immediately swapped it out for my reference testing Astral Acoustics Silver Ref. Immediate upgrade in all aspects, big difference. I do feel perhaps Kiwi could at least offer a balanced cable option. Of course for a $200 IEM it is totally acceptable, especially given the market for this price of IEM. As time moves on though, 3.5mm won’t be used as much in lower end devices, and Daps usually have balanced out. Making the cable balanced is as simple as swapping the plug, so something to think about Kiwi?
The shells are nicely shaped, and the quality seems very good. Black resin shells and metal faceplates give me a sense of quality seemingly the same as Canpur 622B or similar. So that’s saying something. It doesn’t feel like a $200 IEM, and while the stock cable feels thin and cheap, adding an upgrade cable gives great results that also feel quite solid.
How does it sound? KE4 is great! (especially for $200) A bit on the warm side, with good note weight, and a mild V tuning with somewhat recessed mids highlighting the bass and treble. Surprisingly good resolution and details. Stage is nice too, with some decent 3D imaging and surround sound kind of presentation. Of course this isn’t summit level details, but with a good DAP and decent cable you’re getting there for sure. Overall this is a great relaxed all rounder that works with everything. It’s unapologetically smooth and enjoyable, batting far above its price range.
KE4 has, as could be expected from an isobaric dual DD setup, really great bass that has very good texture and punch. Bass is a bit lifted, as are the lower lids which only occasionally could get slightly muddy. This gives the KE4 a nice body and power. Mids are quite good, instrument placement is more to the sides, with nice natural vocals sitting right in the middle. Details seem very good, especially given the price. The Upper mids and treble are nicely resolving, with the clever use of small dip and peaks to make it more relaxed. You can hear micro details quite well, sparkle too, but other parts of the detail range can be smoothed out. I didn’t find it overly distraction or veering the tuning in a strong way, but you know it’s there. Lower treble has a touch of pinna gain, but it’s pretty minor; with most musical styles I find it blends into the mix well adding some detail, only on grainier music like rock and metal does the extra bite feel noticeable. Even then. It’s quite fine. Overall it’s a fantastic IEM with an all day all rounder sound that is very enjoyable and fatigue free. Balanced, fun, engaging and exceptionally good for $200.
Stage is actually fairly wide, and despite the mids feeling a bit distant for my tastes, I forgot quite often I was listening to a very “budget” IEM. Despite dual DDs they are very easy to drive. While I’m not normally a fan of V shaped tunings, the KE4 works very well, and realistically I can’t find a solid complaint about them, given the price. They could be more than triple the price and I’d feel the same. This is my intro to Kiwi Ears and I must say, I am really impressed. As a summit level guy, these sort of shattered my thinking of what an IEM can do for much, much, much less money.
Lime Ears Terra
Moving to the Terra is quite a step up, coming in at 5 times the price. The Terra is more resolving, more open, more refined. It’s not really fair to compare them AB but such was my time with both of these. The fact that I can include the KE4 in the same sentence is testament enough I feel.
Lime Ears is from Poland, run by the ever funny @emil. He’s such hoot, I always enjoy getting messages from him, he’s so inspired and really enjoys what he does. The Terra is a new one, sporting very light and nicely textured green metal shells adorned with gorgeous opal faceplates that are a Lime Ears signature move. Depending on the angle they go from green and orange, to blue and red, and many combinations in-between. One of the nicest faceplates I’ve seen, they are gorgeous. The Terra is another testament to what can be done for less, with the right knowhow and vigilance. This $1100 IEM has a very top end fit and feel, with a sound to match. From the LE website:
The packaging, as would be expected of an IEM at 5x the price, is quite a bit nicer. Pretty box, custom cardboard sleeves for tips and papers, a nice green leather puck case, and a more expensive stock cable. The puck case is nice, and works well fro daily use. Unfortunately, the stock cable is almost a throw away item for me again. Looks like pure copper, and it sounds ok, but it’s so plasticky I found it hard to use. It coils up when I didn’t want it to. It’s so shiny, instead of imparting a sense of quality, it just feels cheap. It does sport custom hardware in a textured matte gunmetal, grey that is quire nice. I don’t mean to be overly harsh, and given the price of the IEM it’s probably about right, but I once again swapped it out after an hour. First was my Astral Silver Ref, and eventually I was really enjoying it with Beat Audio’s Orbit Saga. Yes, the cables costs as much as 6 of these IEMs, but it’s a very neutral and transparent cable that doesn’t affect the tuning at all, just making it all better. So I am hearing the stock tuning, just the best possible.
One thing to say right off the bat they are pretty chunky. For metal shells they are very light though, so it’s not intrusive. They are very comfortable, with a short nozzle, the shell is simply quite large, enough to stick out of your ears a bit. Also, while the nozzle is shorter, the cylindrical area at the end, where the tip sits, is longer than normal. See in the photos. Meaning, if you use lower profile tips like Baroques, when the tip is fully seated, there is less flexible area at the umbrella end, or even that the metal nozzle can stick out a bit. You can keep the tip a bit further out, but as you wear them it slides down and you have to adjust it each time. I have the same issue with Rhapsodio Supreme V3, which doesn’t have a lip to prevent sliding. The Terra does have a lip, but it’s so long that it can make the fit and comfort a bit of a challenge. Of course if you’re using full size tips it will be less of a problem, or maybe not for your ears, you be the judge.
In many ways the Terra reminds me of the Aroma Jewel, with a more reference and leaner presentation. In fact the more I listened to it, the more I felt this way. Seeing as the Jewel is around $5k this was very surprising to me. I’m not saying it’s on the same level, but I got that feeling on more than one occasion. It has that tight D bass that is on the reserved side quantity wise, but whose punch and texture are awesome. Deep and rumbly, tight, waiting to pounce when called upon. It has very clear and resolving mids, medium to neutral note weight, with a very familiar upper mid peak that adds some energy and bite, and a relaxed upper treble. Speaking of upper mids, while the pinna isn’t aggressively done, and is less bright than Jewel, it does sort of lead the sound signature. Even though it’s subtle enough, it does draw a fair amount of attention. I don’t mean this in a negative way, I know this type of tuning is very popular. It’s very resolving, clean and clear, with nice bite and clarity. Vocals don’t sound shouty or sibilant, it just leans a touch in the clarity over emotion direction. Overall it’s a very impressive sounding IEM, especially for the price.
While I’m not saying you need to use a super expensive cable on this to make it sound good, not at all, I am saying the Terra scales very well, and if you have an extra cable it will probably be better than the stock. Silver Ref, Orbit Saga, a few lower end Rhapsodios I have, all made a nice improvement. And of course, adding a good source with plenty of power is always a good idea. Using stock there is less upper mid bite, but in exchange for that a modest softening of the rest of the spectrum, and a loss of some detail. Bass feels softer and less punchy, mids feel more thin and anemic comparatively. As is the case with all IEMs, singers is king. You’ll certainly enjoy the Terra with stock, I just think you’ll enjoy it much more with a better cable.
In conclusion, Terra is quite amazing for the price, and while $1100 is nothing to scoff at, it’s also pretty low considering the state of IEM pricing at the moment. Terra steps it up nicely, and we’re getting into top level here. If you liked the Aroma Jewel, you should definitely give the Terra a listen, it’s great!
The KE4 is a safe, great all rounder choice, you really can’t go wrong here. I look forward to checking out some other IEMs they make, perhaps something mid focused could be in the future for me!
I wish to thank Lime Ears’ @He_Is_Emil for sending me the demo to try. And thanks to @EvelynZ for the KE4 demo as well.
Thanks for reading friends!
They are both more budget minded than my usual fare, the Lime Ears Terra coming in around $1.1k, and the mighty Kiwi Ears KE4 is only $200! They’re both really cool, both all rounders, and for the price, both a very high value. Both of these are demo units and will be sent back - I went through my usual testing and AB phase, but I also spent a good amount of time just enjoying them. The KE4 (which I’ve had bit longer) was on my GoPods for a few weeks actually.
The KE4
This is a new one from Kiwi Ears, a more budget minded brand from China. At $200 this is their second more expensive, but don’t let the price fool you. They sound awesome! I was really, really surprised. After 200hrs the DDs opened up and I was treated to a full on “big-Boy” IEM sound. While the stock cable is 3.5mm, and leaves A LOT to be desired, swap it out for an upgrade cable and you’ll be in for surprise. Pair this thing up with a quality DAP too, and we’re reaching far above the price tier. The tech included, like the isobaric DDs seem to come from an IEM on a totally different level. From the Kiwi Ears website:
The Kiwi Ears KE4 is a groundbreaking in-ear monitor that starts fresh with a new design,
featuring a 2 Dynamic Driver (2DD) isobaric sub-woofer system combined with 2 Balanced Armature (2BA) full-range and tweeter speakers.
The dual custom 10mm dynamic drivers are specifically tuned to focus on sub-bass impact and slam, making kick drums and bass guitars stand out with remarkable presence. Additionally, the RAD 33518 BA driver, customized with enhanced ventilation, ensures a seamless integration of bass with the midrange, providing lush, textured vocals and instruments. The inclusion of an American-made Knowles RAD 33518 tweeter delivers pristine, natural-sounding treble with excellent upper-frequency extension, resulting in an airy and detailed sound signature.
featuring a 2 Dynamic Driver (2DD) isobaric sub-woofer system combined with 2 Balanced Armature (2BA) full-range and tweeter speakers.
The dual custom 10mm dynamic drivers are specifically tuned to focus on sub-bass impact and slam, making kick drums and bass guitars stand out with remarkable presence. Additionally, the RAD 33518 BA driver, customized with enhanced ventilation, ensures a seamless integration of bass with the midrange, providing lush, textured vocals and instruments. The inclusion of an American-made Knowles RAD 33518 tweeter delivers pristine, natural-sounding treble with excellent upper-frequency extension, resulting in an airy and detailed sound signature.
The packaging is about what you’d expect for the price. A box with some nice design, a small carrying case, the cable and IEMs. Some basic tips too. As I said, for my uses, the stock cable is basically a throw away piece. I don’t listen to 3.5mm, though I do supposed out of my old iPod Classic it could be cool. All said, I tried the stock cable and immediately swapped it out for my reference testing Astral Acoustics Silver Ref. Immediate upgrade in all aspects, big difference. I do feel perhaps Kiwi could at least offer a balanced cable option. Of course for a $200 IEM it is totally acceptable, especially given the market for this price of IEM. As time moves on though, 3.5mm won’t be used as much in lower end devices, and Daps usually have balanced out. Making the cable balanced is as simple as swapping the plug, so something to think about Kiwi?
The shells are nicely shaped, and the quality seems very good. Black resin shells and metal faceplates give me a sense of quality seemingly the same as Canpur 622B or similar. So that’s saying something. It doesn’t feel like a $200 IEM, and while the stock cable feels thin and cheap, adding an upgrade cable gives great results that also feel quite solid.
How does it sound? KE4 is great! (especially for $200) A bit on the warm side, with good note weight, and a mild V tuning with somewhat recessed mids highlighting the bass and treble. Surprisingly good resolution and details. Stage is nice too, with some decent 3D imaging and surround sound kind of presentation. Of course this isn’t summit level details, but with a good DAP and decent cable you’re getting there for sure. Overall this is a great relaxed all rounder that works with everything. It’s unapologetically smooth and enjoyable, batting far above its price range.
KE4 has, as could be expected from an isobaric dual DD setup, really great bass that has very good texture and punch. Bass is a bit lifted, as are the lower lids which only occasionally could get slightly muddy. This gives the KE4 a nice body and power. Mids are quite good, instrument placement is more to the sides, with nice natural vocals sitting right in the middle. Details seem very good, especially given the price. The Upper mids and treble are nicely resolving, with the clever use of small dip and peaks to make it more relaxed. You can hear micro details quite well, sparkle too, but other parts of the detail range can be smoothed out. I didn’t find it overly distraction or veering the tuning in a strong way, but you know it’s there. Lower treble has a touch of pinna gain, but it’s pretty minor; with most musical styles I find it blends into the mix well adding some detail, only on grainier music like rock and metal does the extra bite feel noticeable. Even then. It’s quite fine. Overall it’s a fantastic IEM with an all day all rounder sound that is very enjoyable and fatigue free. Balanced, fun, engaging and exceptionally good for $200.
Stage is actually fairly wide, and despite the mids feeling a bit distant for my tastes, I forgot quite often I was listening to a very “budget” IEM. Despite dual DDs they are very easy to drive. While I’m not normally a fan of V shaped tunings, the KE4 works very well, and realistically I can’t find a solid complaint about them, given the price. They could be more than triple the price and I’d feel the same. This is my intro to Kiwi Ears and I must say, I am really impressed. As a summit level guy, these sort of shattered my thinking of what an IEM can do for much, much, much less money.
Lime Ears Terra
Moving to the Terra is quite a step up, coming in at 5 times the price. The Terra is more resolving, more open, more refined. It’s not really fair to compare them AB but such was my time with both of these. The fact that I can include the KE4 in the same sentence is testament enough I feel.
Lime Ears is from Poland, run by the ever funny @emil. He’s such hoot, I always enjoy getting messages from him, he’s so inspired and really enjoys what he does. The Terra is a new one, sporting very light and nicely textured green metal shells adorned with gorgeous opal faceplates that are a Lime Ears signature move. Depending on the angle they go from green and orange, to blue and red, and many combinations in-between. One of the nicest faceplates I’ve seen, they are gorgeous. The Terra is another testament to what can be done for less, with the right knowhow and vigilance. This $1100 IEM has a very top end fit and feel, with a sound to match. From the LE website:
6 drivers, hybrid construction, four-way crossover
One 7mm Titanium-Diaphragm DD for infra-sub frequencies
Two BAs for low-mid frequencies
Two BAs for mid-high frequencies
One 2023 Knowles RAU New Generation BA for ultra-high frequencies
MAIN FEATURES
TiTE™ Module
HERO Super Tweeter
VariBore™ Acoustic Design
SAAS Core
Polymer Impregnated Synthetic Opal (PISO) Multi-tone Crystalline Bello Opal Faceplate
One 7mm Titanium-Diaphragm DD for infra-sub frequencies
Two BAs for low-mid frequencies
Two BAs for mid-high frequencies
One 2023 Knowles RAU New Generation BA for ultra-high frequencies
MAIN FEATURES
TiTE™ Module
HERO Super Tweeter
VariBore™ Acoustic Design
SAAS Core
Polymer Impregnated Synthetic Opal (PISO) Multi-tone Crystalline Bello Opal Faceplate
The packaging, as would be expected of an IEM at 5x the price, is quite a bit nicer. Pretty box, custom cardboard sleeves for tips and papers, a nice green leather puck case, and a more expensive stock cable. The puck case is nice, and works well fro daily use. Unfortunately, the stock cable is almost a throw away item for me again. Looks like pure copper, and it sounds ok, but it’s so plasticky I found it hard to use. It coils up when I didn’t want it to. It’s so shiny, instead of imparting a sense of quality, it just feels cheap. It does sport custom hardware in a textured matte gunmetal, grey that is quire nice. I don’t mean to be overly harsh, and given the price of the IEM it’s probably about right, but I once again swapped it out after an hour. First was my Astral Silver Ref, and eventually I was really enjoying it with Beat Audio’s Orbit Saga. Yes, the cables costs as much as 6 of these IEMs, but it’s a very neutral and transparent cable that doesn’t affect the tuning at all, just making it all better. So I am hearing the stock tuning, just the best possible.
One thing to say right off the bat they are pretty chunky. For metal shells they are very light though, so it’s not intrusive. They are very comfortable, with a short nozzle, the shell is simply quite large, enough to stick out of your ears a bit. Also, while the nozzle is shorter, the cylindrical area at the end, where the tip sits, is longer than normal. See in the photos. Meaning, if you use lower profile tips like Baroques, when the tip is fully seated, there is less flexible area at the umbrella end, or even that the metal nozzle can stick out a bit. You can keep the tip a bit further out, but as you wear them it slides down and you have to adjust it each time. I have the same issue with Rhapsodio Supreme V3, which doesn’t have a lip to prevent sliding. The Terra does have a lip, but it’s so long that it can make the fit and comfort a bit of a challenge. Of course if you’re using full size tips it will be less of a problem, or maybe not for your ears, you be the judge.
In many ways the Terra reminds me of the Aroma Jewel, with a more reference and leaner presentation. In fact the more I listened to it, the more I felt this way. Seeing as the Jewel is around $5k this was very surprising to me. I’m not saying it’s on the same level, but I got that feeling on more than one occasion. It has that tight D bass that is on the reserved side quantity wise, but whose punch and texture are awesome. Deep and rumbly, tight, waiting to pounce when called upon. It has very clear and resolving mids, medium to neutral note weight, with a very familiar upper mid peak that adds some energy and bite, and a relaxed upper treble. Speaking of upper mids, while the pinna isn’t aggressively done, and is less bright than Jewel, it does sort of lead the sound signature. Even though it’s subtle enough, it does draw a fair amount of attention. I don’t mean this in a negative way, I know this type of tuning is very popular. It’s very resolving, clean and clear, with nice bite and clarity. Vocals don’t sound shouty or sibilant, it just leans a touch in the clarity over emotion direction. Overall it’s a very impressive sounding IEM, especially for the price.
While I’m not saying you need to use a super expensive cable on this to make it sound good, not at all, I am saying the Terra scales very well, and if you have an extra cable it will probably be better than the stock. Silver Ref, Orbit Saga, a few lower end Rhapsodios I have, all made a nice improvement. And of course, adding a good source with plenty of power is always a good idea. Using stock there is less upper mid bite, but in exchange for that a modest softening of the rest of the spectrum, and a loss of some detail. Bass feels softer and less punchy, mids feel more thin and anemic comparatively. As is the case with all IEMs, singers is king. You’ll certainly enjoy the Terra with stock, I just think you’ll enjoy it much more with a better cable.
In conclusion, Terra is quite amazing for the price, and while $1100 is nothing to scoff at, it’s also pretty low considering the state of IEM pricing at the moment. Terra steps it up nicely, and we’re getting into top level here. If you liked the Aroma Jewel, you should definitely give the Terra a listen, it’s great!
The KE4 is a safe, great all rounder choice, you really can’t go wrong here. I look forward to checking out some other IEMs they make, perhaps something mid focused could be in the future for me!
I wish to thank Lime Ears’ @He_Is_Emil for sending me the demo to try. And thanks to @EvelynZ for the KE4 demo as well.
Thanks for reading friends!
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