The Stardust comes in the standard Kiwi Ears small package. You get the IEMs (surprise!), a decent cable, two sets of silicone eartips, and a little carry case. There are a few different cable options available, however I received the standard 3.5mm version. The included eartips worked well for me, and I settled on the medium-sized grey tips.
The shells look quite nice and I found them very comfortable for my ears. I had no issues with longer listening sessions and managed a few 4+ hour sessions with these in without any discomfort. The Stardust is a 1DD + 4BA hybrid which Kiwi Ears positions as a warm-neutral set.
For sources I used my MacBook Air along with the L&P W4 dongle. It sounded great from both, and while my impressions are primarily based on the W4, I didn’t notice a significant change in the overall sound between the two.
Music-wise, I’ve been on a bit of a late 90s and early 00s alternative binge, so a lot of Radiohead, Placebo, Deftones, A Perfect Circle and The Flaming Lips was played through the Stardust. I also listened to a large dose of post-rock, along with a decent mix of my more standard test tracks.
Onto the sound!
Bass
The bass sets up the overall sound of the Stardust. It comes across warm, physical and controlled. It doesn’t venture into basshead territory, but it creates a lovely foundation for the rest of the sound signature.
Sub-bass has decent rumble when a track calls for it, with impressive texture and control at this price point. Mid-bass comes across full and smooth. Overall there is decent impact when required, but it never overplays its hand.
This will come through throughout the rest of the impressions, but the Stardust has a more laidback feel to its presentation. I found it extremely easy to listen to, although it does lack a little bit of edginess and energy compared with some other sets in the bass department. Rounded or softer is probably the best way I can explain it. That’s not really a criticism as I love how it sounds, but it’s worth calling out for anyone who wants their bass to hit them in the face.
Mids
Musical, smooth and a little laidback.
Male vocals sound good for the most part, coming across coherent and articulate. I absolutely loved how The Weeknd sounds on these, with his voice having plenty of weight and depth. Chester’s voice on Linkin Park’s BURN IT DOWN also sounds great, but Mike’s voice, which has a little more punch and bite to it, comes across slightly too soft for my liking.
Female vocals were more consistently impressive for me. Halsey, Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and Celine Dion all sounded correct and natural to my ears.
I think Kiwi Ears’ own description of warm-neutral is extremely accurate. The Stardust presents the mids in a smooth, warm way that ends up feeling quite organic and natural.
Nothing here is trying too hard to impress you. Instead, it feels designed to let you put on whatever you want to listen to and have it presented in an easy and pleasing manner.
Treble
As you’d probably expect, the treble complements the rest of the tuning.
You get a presentation that shouldn’t annoy anyone. Sibilance is pretty much non-existent, although that comes at the expense of some of the detail and bite you can get from brighter or more energetic sets.
It can come across a little smooth and dark with some tracks, laidback again being the word that comes to mind, but never to the point where it became an issue for me.
There is enough treble energy here to stop the Stardust becoming boring, but not enough to introduce fatigue. As part of the overall package, I think it works extremely well.
Technicalities
Competent.
Soundstage and imaging are decent for the price point. Placement is accurate enough, although not pin-point precise. The smooth presentation also means that layering can blend together slightly on particularly busy tracks.
It never gets to the point where the track collapses into itself, but this isn’t a sharp analytical instrument where you can easily pick apart every individual component. It’s much more focused on letting you enjoy the music as a whole.
Where I think the Stardust really shines technically is its cohesiveness. If I didn’t know better, there are times where I could almost believe this was a single DD. It has a very harmonious sound to it, and the transition between the different drivers is handled extremely well.
Subjective Thoughts
There is something about the Stardust that I love which doesn’t really come across when I try to dissect it into individual sections.
With the right genres, which I think I lucked out on given my current listening habits, the Stardust absolutely sings.
Post-rock in particular works incredibly well. The bass presentation brings the rumble, the mids sound fantastic with swirling guitars and violins, and then cymbals and percussion come through smoothly in the treble.
This is where I think it really starts to sound more like a single DD. With a lot of hybrid sets, particularly cheaper ones, you can lose that sense of coherence on these kinds of tracks. Different parts of the music can sound slightly disconnected from each other.
The Stardust delivers them in a deliciously coherent manner while still playing to the strengths of the hybrid design, allowing the dynamic driver to really deliver that low-end rumble underneath everything else.
It’s the kind of presentation where I stop thinking about the individual drivers and simply listen to the music, which is probably one of the better compliments I can give it.
Overall
I believe Kiwi Ears have really nailed what they were going for with the Stardust.
It works with just about everything, has enough ability across the board to be a genuine all-rounder, and particularly excels with female vocals and post-rock for my ears.
It’s smooth, warm, cohesive and extremely easy to listen to for long periods. Those looking for a sharper, more aggressive or highly analytical presentation may find it a little too relaxed, but that’s also a large part of what makes the Stardust so enjoyable.
At its price point, it’s an easy recommendation from me.
Scorecard at $77:
| Category | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bass | 4.5/5 | Warm, textured and controlled with good rumble. Slightly rounded attack won’t suit everyone. |
| Mids | 4.0/5 | Organic and natural, with particularly good female vocals. Some punchier male vocals can sound a little soft. |
| Treble | 4.0/5 | Smooth, fatigue-free and well integrated, but sacrifices some bite and fine detail. |
| Technicalities | 4.0/5 | Good stage and imaging for $77, but layering can soften on busy tracks. Excellent driver cohesion. |
| Build/Design | 4.0/5 | Attractive shells, very comfortable, solid accessories and excellent for long sessions. |
| Value | 4.5/5 | A very complete, mature-sounding hybrid at $77 |
| Overall | 4.5/5 | A warm-neutral, cohesive all-rounder that excels when you just want to enjoy the music. Boosted up 0.5 based on my subjective thoughts. |
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