Kiwi Ears have had a raft of releases recently, the latest one I have here is their Étude, which has a Beryllium DD + 3BA + Vibration Transducer. I’ve tried some bone conductor IEM’s in the past so have a decent idea what to expect, the biggest difference here is the price. The Étude comes in at just $119 USD. Do they have another winner on their hands here? Let’s find out.
Packaging:
The Étude comes in a standard Kiwi Ears box. Nothing flashy, but gets the job done. You get the IEMs (which look really nice, I’m a big fan of the faceplate), a cable terminated in 3.5mm, three sets of silicone ear tips, and a carry case. The cable itself is OK, I’m not the biggest fan of the feel however sound wise I had no concerns. Given its price tag the packaging and inclusions are fine, with the IEMs themselves being the star of the show with their lovely look.
The IEMs are quite large (due to the vibration chamber) and are the oddest shells I’ve ever experienced. Due to the vibration chamber they are quite light for their size and make a reverb sound when you tap them. You get a little bit of that when you put them in your ears too, it’s nothing bad, just interesting and different.
For my listening impressions I paired this up with my L&P W4 dongle for the most part, I did also drive it from my DAPS a little, however given the price point I felt that a dongle was more appropriate. For music I was, as ever, a little all-over the place. From an album point of view King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard was a mainstay, listening to some of their newly released live albums (and their new studio album), along with some Shpongle, Tom Waits, Can, Fall Out Boy, System of a Down, Alexisonfire, Kendrick Lamar, and Nas. On to the sound:
Sound:
Bass:
I was expecting big bass, that wasn’t what I got. What’s here is a bass that has decent depth, OK texture, and a strange/different feel to it. The vibration chamber adds to the physical feel, and is certainly noticeable, with a punch that you feel in your ears on some songs. The vibration chamber (I assume) makes the bass sound a bit larger than normal, larger but not overbearing. I thought this would be a basshead IEM, but that isn’t the case, it’s certainly elevated but spreads out over its stage, with the vibration chamber adding an additional dimension to the sound. It isn’t quite what you get with a normal BC driver either, interesting, fun, and unique! Listening to Eminem – Cleanin’ Out My Closet you get the physical sensation on each beat in the song, making me hear it in a way that I haven’t before on an IEM. All up I was surprised and impressed, the vibration isn’t crazy so people looking for something like the crazy bass headphones that rattle your skull probably wouldn’t be happy, for everyone else I think you’d enjoy it and be quite impressed.
Mids:
This was probably the hardest area to talk to for me. On some tracks I found vocals a little lacking, on others I loved them. What it came down to in the end was, when vocals are there by themselves, I sometimes found them a little distant/odd, once there was vocals and a beat, or some other instrument in the mix, they were great. I’m listening to Halsey (feat. SUGA) – Lilith as I write this and her vocals are near perfect, SUGA sounds a little different with some noticeable reverb in his voice, not bad, just different and interesting. Instruments are similar, you get an interesting presentation of music, when you have some bass there as a background I think this really shines, when you have tracks that are bass light these can sound a little different to what you’d normally get.
Treble:
Nothing crazy here, a little relaxed in its presentation. From the graphs you might think it’s lacking, I don’t think that’s the case, it’s just not in your face. Anyone who is treble sensitive will be fine. It’s not overly airy in the traditional sense, however the vibration chamber and the stage that it opens up, pretty much counters that. It’s a really interesting IEM to listen to, I’ve struggled a little to write about it as the sound it presents is pretty far from normal to my ears.
Technicalities:
Staging is different and good. It’s quite large, the vibration chamber (I assume) creates a stage that extends out in a 3D way. I get a stage that extends out beyond the shells, and a decent depth to the sound. Imaging is not pinpoint, more generalised area. The sound builds up on itself, so while there is some layering it isn’t easy to pick up on, but it is quite a cohesive sounding IEM, producing a fun listening experience.
The last part in technicalities is the vibration chamber, I’ve mentioned it throughout and it really is the star of the show here. It elevates everything about this IEM and makes it worthy of a place in anyone’s collection.
Subjective:
I was taken back by this IEM a little, I wasn’t 100% sure about what to expect but what I got wasn’t close to whatever my expectations were. I enjoyed listening to music on this and was always excited to see what the next track would sound like on them – I don’t often have that feeling for an IEM in this price range, they are generally a variation on a standard tuning. The Étude is different, the vibration chamber is well implemented, it’s extremely well priced, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. If you’re after a one and done in this price range I don’t think this would be my choice, there are some other great sets from Kiwi Ears where you’ll get something more akin to the current standard tuning. As a 2nd set, or 250th set, this is an easy recommendation. The Étude does something different at this price point to everything else out there, and one I think anyone in this hobby would find something to like about – it’s a safe bet.
Overall:
An interesting IEM, with a cool idea that’s been really well implemented. The vibration chamber is not just a gimmick, it takes centre stage for this IEM and elevates it. I hope Kiwi Ears keep innovating, this and the Septet which I recently reviewed are doing something different, at extremely reasonable prices, and I’m glad to be here for the ride. For 119, if you’re in the market for another IEM, give this one a good look, I think you’ll enjoy it!
Summary
| Category | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bass | 4.3/5 | Physical, tactile, not overdone — the vibration adds something special |
| Mids | 3.8/5 | A bit track-dependent; can be distant but shine with backing instrumentation |
| Treble | 3.8/5 | Smooth and relaxed, but lacks some air and sparkle |
| Technicalities | 4.0/5 | Great soundstage, decent detail, fun presentation; imaging is more diffuse |
| Build/Design | 4.3/5 | Gorgeous faceplates, lightweight shells, though large |
| Value | 4.5/5 | For $119, it brings something new and interesting to the table |
| Overall | 4.2/5 | Not a daily driver for everyone, but absolutely worth trying — unique and fun |
Aussie Audiophile 
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