Kiwi Ears Airoso

Thanks to Linsoul for a review unit, all thoughts are my own. I’ve spent a week with these as my daily drivers. I have 124 IEMs, and 109 full-size headphones from budget sets to TOTL so have experience across many price points and listen to a lot of music. Rating is based on its price point, not as an overall.

Introduction

Kiwi Ears has a lot of sets, I’ve been along for the journey owning nearly all of their sets except for the original Orchestra (I want to pick this up one day), so when the Airoso popped up I was keen to try it out! Positioned in the sub-$150 bracket, the Airoso is a 1DD + 4 BA hybrid. Having spent ample time with this set, I’m eager to share my comprehensive impressions.

Unboxing Experience

The Airoso arrives in standard Kiwi Ears packaging. Upon opening, you’re greeted with the IEMs themselves, securely nestled alongside a selection of silicone ear tips in various sizes and a black carrying case adorned with the Kiwi Ears logo – I prefer the new style of case that they have to the older canvas one. The eartips are OK, I like the black ones best, but I have a large collection of tips and ended up using my trusty Final E tips.

Design & Build Quality

These look really nice for the price, I quite like the look of the faceplate with the vent on it (assumedly for the DD and to release pressure). The branding on the faceplate isn’t too big. They fit in my ears quite well and they use the standard 0.78mm 2 pin connectors (flush, not recessed).

Cable

The stock cable doesn’t look the best however sound-wise it’s perfectly fine. It doesn’t tangle which is good! There are plenty of cheap upgrade options if you want something different but it did the job for me.

Test Rig

I tested these on my numerous devices from simple dongles through to my higher end DAPs (Sony 1M2, L&P P6Pro 10ae / E7). They scale a bit with better devices but work fine out of a dongle. For the purpose of the review, given pairing with a high-end DAP is unlikely to be the standard use case, I used the HiBy R4.

Sound Impressions

Bass:
Sub-bass is OK, you get a little bit of rumble, nothing crazy, it is well textured.
Mid-bass is good, listening to TOOL on these I wasn’t left wanting much. Perhaps a touch elevated, but I like that. Quite a satisfying listen.

Mids:
Slightly warm, decent detail. Vocals sound great, they have enough weight behind them to make them enjoyable. I’ve been using ‘Fortnight’ by Taylor Swift as a test track recently and her vocals come across really well on this set over the bass line that the track has. For male vocals you don’t get quite the same separation that you do with female vocals, they still sound good however they’re not lifted out like female vocals. Overall, for the price, really good.

Treble:
Treble frequencies are crisp and extend well, contributing to an airy (I had to put this word in given they’re called Airoso :)) and spacious soundstage. There’s a sparkle that adds excitement to the listening experience, enhancing the perception of detail and resolution. Importantly, the treble remains smooth and avoids the pitfalls of sibilance, even on tracks that are prone to it. No issues with long listening sessions at all.

Soundstage & Imaging

One of the standout attributes of the Airoso is its expansive soundstage, which surpasses expectations for an IEM in this price range. The width and depth create a three-dimensional listening environment, allowing instruments and vocals to occupy distinct spaces. Imaging is good for its price bracket—not pinpoint—and similar instruments can blur a little compared to kilobuck sets, but we’re talking about a sub-$150 set and it does well.

Subjective Thoughts

I really like this set at this price point, I’ve already recommended it to a friend who bought a set and is enjoying it. There are a lot of options around this price-point and depending on what genre you like my recommendations may change. For me this set excels with metal and lush female vocals (or higher-pitched male vocals), and does well across the board – there wasn’t a genre I disliked on them. An easy recommendation at its price.

Conclusion

The Kiwi Ears Airoso is a great new entry in the crowded sub-$150 IEM market. It combines good build quality with a lively, engaging sound signature that punches above its weight for some genres and holds its own with others. There is a sense of musicality here that makes you want to reach for the next track, and then the next. It isn’t a detail monster but rather invites you in with warmth, energy, and a well-judged sense of balance to its sound. Often when I’m reviewing sets—particularly some cheaper ones—I need to have a break from them, but the Airoso held my interest for the week, often surprising me with what it can deliver.

Recommended.

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Scorecard

Category	Score (/5)	Notes
Bass	4.2	Good mid-bass punch, textured sub-bass. Not basshead-tier but satisfying.
Mids	4.4	Warm and enjoyable. Female vocals shine, male vocals slightly less distinct.
Treble	4.5	Airy and smooth with nice sparkle. No fatigue, no sibilance.
Soundstage	4.6	Impressively wide and immersive for the price. One of its strengths.
Imaging	4.1	Decent—some congestion on complex tracks but expected at this price.
Build & Fit	4.5	Lightweight, well-fitting shells. Faceplate looks nice, feels durable.
Value	4.7	Strong performer under $150. Easy to recommend.

Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5