The Kiwi Ears KE4 was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for an honest review. I didn’t receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don’t use affiliate links. The price of the KE4 is $199 and you can buy it from Kiwi Ears online shop or Linsoul.
Kiwi Ears KE4
Kiwi Ears is a small but very active brand that makes high quality in-ear monitors and USB DAC dongles at affordable prices. You can explore their products by reading some of my reviews.
A relatively new model is the KE4, an earphone with an innovative driver configuration that features a dual dynamic driver (2DD) isobaric subwoofer system combined with 2 balanced armature (2BA) full-range and tweeter speakers.
Technical highlights
The brand informs us that the dual custom 10mm dynamic drivers are specifically tuned to focus on sub-bass impact and slam. Additionally, the RAD 33518 BA driver, customized with enhanced ventilation, ensures a seamless integration of bass with the midrange. The inclusion of a Knowles RAD 33518 tweeter delivers pristine, natural-sounding treble with excellent upper-frequency extension.
The KE4 features a 3-way passive crossover system and three independent sound tubes, allowing for the precise separation and blending of the frequencies.
Design, build quality and wearing experience
The ear-shells are made from durable, medical-grade resin in black color with silver painted faceplates that bear a stylish Kiwi Ears logo. A simple yet elegant and beautiful looking design. Build quality is very good, the earpieces are smoothly finished without any visible blemishes.
The KE4 is lightweight and anatomically shaped with a medium length sound tube. The included ear-tips are soft and the overall wearing experience is that of a comfortable earphone that is suitable for extended use.
The size is on the bigger side so the shells are mildly protruding outside the ears but don’t cause any annoyance. Passive noise isolation is also very satisfying despite a small venting hole at the upper part of each earpiece.
Cable and accessories
The package includes a detachable cable, one set of ear-tips in three sizes and a carrying case with a side zipper. At this price range most of the competition now comes with modular cables and a greater variety of ear-tips.
The four-core cable features the 2-pin interface and is terminated with a 3.5mm plug. The cable is well made but it looks a little fragile, it is lightweight but rather thin with inversely thick plugs and splitter that make it look a little odd. It gets easily tangled but it has low microphonic noise.
Sensitivity
With 28Ω of impedance and 102dB of sensitivity, the KE4 is easy to drive and pairs well with entry level DAC dongles like the Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini. However, it scales pretty well and benefits from balanced sources like the FiiO JM21 and the iBasso Nunchaku.
Listening impressions
The Kiwi Ears KE4 has a balanced sound signature with great sub-bass extension, a touch of mid-bass emphasis, neutrally tuned mid-range and a smooth, yet not subdued treble. The overall sonic character is that of a slightly warm and natural sounding earphone that pairs well with most sources and sounds good with all kinds of music. The Kiwi Ears KE4 will please both critical and casual listeners alike, as long as the first are not into a too critical mood and the second not after extreme bass or treble tunings.
The dual DD isobaric subwoofer system is very skilled in producing the first octave down to the lowest notes without sounding dominant over the rest of the frequencies. The bass is punchy and impactful with great physical presence and hefty textures, all while retaining excellent control and strict timing. The low-end is heard as full bodied and weighty with good definition and clarity for the category. The KE4 is both technical and visceral sounding at the same time, a winner combination by any means.
The mid-bass is mildly emphasized but without much deviation from the reference neutrality so it manages to balance between warmth and sufficient tonal precision. The KE4 can sound fun and pleasing with modern tunes and at the same time handle classical music without much loss of tonal accuracy. An ideal all-rounder earphone for people with diverse playlists.
The transition to the mid-range is seamless without any audible masking from the mid-bass. The tuning is neutral without recession and has a touch of upper mid-range emphasis that is not perceived as fatiguing. Voices and instruments are rendered with equal gravity and the audible balance is mostly related to the recording and not the KE4 that is rather uncolored and precise.
More listening impressions
The KE4 is very resolving and clean sounding for the category with refined textures and natural timbre. The sound is musical and engaging with organic elements, good tonal accuracy and plenty of harmonic variety. The Kiwi Ears KE4 is not clinical or boring, it is a melodic and expressive sounding earphone that excels in emotional communication and successfully connects the listener with his favorite music.
The treble is tuned to sound smooth and polite but without sacrificing much in extension and presence. The KE4 is mildly energetic and doesn’t lack in brilliance or detail retrieval but it does so without sounding bright, sharp or analytical.
There is a chance that some users might find it too bland or unexciting for their preferences but most others are going to enjoy its easy going nature and natural timbre. The KE4 does without much metallic or balanced armature artificiality, the sound is lifelike and realistic without splashing or fatiguing elements. The implementation of the drivers is perfect so the KE4 retains texture and tonal coherence, right from the treble down to the bass.
The soundstage is wide and spacious enough but without any significant depth and doesn’t manage to recreate an out of the head feeling. However, it images well and doesn’t sound congested even with the most busy and crowded tracks.
Vs the Kiwi Ears Quintet
With $19 more you can buy the Kiwi Ears Quintet that is a five driver, hybrid IEM that features a diamond-like carbon dynamic (DLC) driver, two balanced armature (BA) drivers, a planar magnetic driver, and a piezoelectric (PZT) bone conductor. Both earphones have pretty much the same shape and weight, and offer a similar level of comfort.
The Quintet is a more technical and tonally accurate version of the KE4 with equally extended sub-bass, less colored mid-bass, slightly emphasized upper mid-range and a more energetic and resolving treble. The Quintet is not as warm and smooth sounding as the KE4, it focuses more on technical precision and transparency but it doesn’t sound clinical. The Kiwi Ears Quintet is better for critical listening while the KE4 is more fun and does well with a greater variety of different music selections.
In the end
The Kiwi Ears KE4 is a very likeable earphone without much negative points. It has a balanced tuning with competitive technicalities and performs really well with every tune you throw at it. It is also well made, beautiful looking and comfortable, the only thing that keeps it short from being perfect is its poor accessory pack.
Still, this isn’t enough to keep it away from ranking as one of the best options within its category for anyone looking for an easy listening, true all-rounder earphone that pairs well with all sources and sounds sublime with all kinds of music.
Copyright – Petros Laskis 2025.
+ Balanced sound signature
+ Sub-bass extension
+ Bass technicalities
+ Melodious mid-range and smooth treble
+ Natural and realistic timbre
+ Excellent tonal and texture consistency
+ Good resolution and refinement
+ Sounds good with everything
+ Easy to drive while it also scales well
+ Very well made and comfortable
- Underwhelming treble technicalities
- Flat soundstage
- Not ideal for critical listening
- Poor accessory pack
- Mediocre cable without option for a 4.4mm plug
- The competition comes with modular cables
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