Kiwi Ears x HBB Punch IEMs Review – Bass Euphoria Blooms
Kiwi Ears x HBB Punch is a $449 USD pair of IEM In-Ear Monitors with complex 1DD + 2BA + 2EST Driver configuration that promises to deliver the blow, kick, and comically, punch, that you’ve never heard before. Today we review the Kiwi Ears Punch and also compare them with other IEMs including ZiiGaat Luna (379 USD), Xenns Mangird Tea Pro (449 USD) and Dunu Vulkan 2 (359 USD).
Introduction
Linsoul never ceases to amaze me with the IEMS they bring in their offer, and Kiwi Ears Punch is an exceptionally appealing option for bassheads and those who value resolution and low-end extension. Linsoul makes it easy to purchase Chifi IEMs, and they have their products available in multiple outlets, including the main Linsoul website, Aliexpress and Amazon. I usually recommend purchasing from Amazon as there you see the final price you pay, compared to other outlets where the current uncertainty of shipping policies and taxes can complicate things.
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Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/48BbuEi
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3HLKvh5
Build Quality – Design
For a basshead pair of IEMS, I have to admit that Kiwi Ears Punch has just one DD or dynamic driver, which is unusual as we’ve reviewed IEMS with far more drivers to deliver a powerful bass. Still, there are a lot of other factors that can influence the bass delivery of a pair of IEMs, including inner acoustic chambers and design, eartips and many other factors. This is considered by the Kiwi Ears company the most powerful bass in a pair of IEMS that they created so far. This being said, they promise a strong ultratreble extension and a balanced overall tuning.
Punch is the kind of IEM that promises a 15 dB sub bass emphasis and gain over the midrange, thanks to the 10mm composite dynamic driver. Historically, Kiwi ears have delivered a clean and natural midrange, but not an overly bassy sound so far. The top end is delivered by a Dual Sonion EST Driver pair, and this helps Punch have a treble extension up to 40 kHz, and enhanced with the latest Knowles RAB 32257 driver combo, punch offers a full midrange, with open-vented ports for good airflow.
To deliver the whole sound, Punch employs a 3-Way Passive crossover network with dedicated sound tubes for each driver tube, lowering distortion and increasing precision. Cable connection is provided by a common 0.78mm 2-Pin cable connector, and the default cable can be either ended in a 3.5mm SE or 4.4mm balanced connector. For the geek in you, you will have to take into account the 98 dB of SPL, and the 12 OHM impedance, which dictates that Kiwi Ears Punch is rather sensitive to source hissing and background noise, but also is very hard to drive compared to most IEMs.
Fit – Subjective Usage
Kiwi Ears Punch is one of the more comfortable IEMs I have tested to date, really ergonomic, not very heavy, although size is medium, so it works well for my medium ears, but might be big for someone with small ears. There is no driver flex, and it is well isolated from cable handling noise, with no void or popping sound when inserting them.
Wearing comfort is excellent, the resin in the shells is comfortable and helps with the ergonomics of the Punch, it delivers a really clean experience, default eartips are excellent and so is the default cable. Passive noise isolation is good to very good, between 20 dB and 30 dB, while leakage is minimal.
Sound Quality
Pairings – To test the new Kiwi Ears x HBB Punch, I have paired it with a selection of sources, including Rose Technics RT-5000, Dethonray Clarinet, iBasso DX340, Lotoo PAW GT2, FiiO K15, FiiO QX13, and Cayn RU9. Kiwi Ears x HBB Punch is picky with the source, prefers a powerful, smooth sounding source, and despite being called a basshead pair of IEMS, they are barely warm, and in fact, quite balanced. There is that sub bass uplift, but they are not basshead in my book, just a balanced sounding IEM with a potent bass that needs a good source to really bloom in the low end. The sound also changes with a bit of burn-in, a couple of hours, going from really bright and sharp to a bit warmer and bassier.
Something to keep in mind is that Kiwi Ears Punch consumes a lot of power, it prefers medium or low gain and high volume at the source level. This is not unique, but rare, and it is likely caused by a combination of a low-efficiency dynamic driver and crossover.
Overall Signature – I started this review expecting pitch black bleak darkness and bloom, but Kiwi Ears Punch is a fairly balanced sounding pair of IEMs with just extra sub bass, but a controlled mid bass and upper bass, clean and cold sounding midrange, bright and brilliant treble, lots of air, excellent resolution and top notch top end extension. It ain’t nothing that you’d expect from a basshead pair of IEMS, it is an exciting sounding pair of IEMS with excellent control and a crisp sound.
Bass – Starting from the bass, we do get that sub-bass promised kick and extension, but it is very controlled and limited too, so those 15 dB of extra sub are just in the sub, even less than an ultra precise subwoofer, it is pretty faithful to the graph shown on the kiwi ears website, it dies out by 100 Hz, so most of it is right in the sub-bass and by the time you reach the mid bass, it is no uplift or enhancement anymore. Going forward, there’s actually a recess between 200 Hz and 1 kHz, and even up to 2 kHz, which gives the upper bass a recessed presentation, giving music clarity and control, tightness and impact just in the ultra lows. The bass is so little enhanced that after a long pause and eating, when I returned to the computer, I felt as if Punch is one of the most neutral IEMs, feeling which I did not have with truly bassy IEMs like Fir Audio VxV, Moritz Audio Enzo or Punch Audio Martillo.
Midrange – That recess in the upper bass continues to the lower midrange, which makes Kiwi Ears Punch a bright, cold and even analytical sounding pair of IEMs. there’s more presence for female voices, and higher sounding male voices, but given the sub bass emphasis, it all balances out to a neutral, controlled and clean sound that is quite universal, works well for rock, metal, EDM, Pop, and most music styles, minus classical and orchestral where this presentation in particular does not create a rich sound.
Treble – With great extension comes great responsibility, and Kiwi Ears x HBB has extension promised up to 40 kHz, but that extension falls off and dies really quickly above 18 kHz. There’s a fluctuation of about 5dB up and down above 5 kHz, but you don’t notice it much, and for the most part the treble of the Punch sounds balanced, kinda neutral, cold and airy. You can expect the treble amount to fall off incredibly fast above 15 kHz, only to then peak again at 18 kHz, to give it some kind of whiplash effect for air and soundstage merit.
Dynamics And Textures – Kiwi Ears Punch has a different texture level for each driver set, sub bass is quick, tight and somewhat sloppy kick and punch, but then the extension of that driver ends abruptly at 150 Hz, and the whole sound is just incredibly fast, somewhat dry, revealing after it. Dynamics are on the compressy end of things, not very dynamic, and instead you get a wall of sound effect that works well for rock, metal, pop, EDM and most new, commercial music. To give you some examples, I tried most of my library with the Punch, but the band that sounds best with them is Dope, especially the No Regrets album from 2009.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – Kiwi Ears Punch sounds far more bassy and powerful louder, and it gets shy and neutral at low volumes. As I mentioned earlier on, this is due to both the low efficiency of the dynamic driver and likely power to frequency response curve of the crossover. Basically, you will get a more basshead experience if you push a high volume into the Punch.
Soundstage – At most levels, Kiwi Ears Punch has an excellent instrument separation and clarity, with exceptional layering, but within a fairly natural soundstage. Stage does not extend a lot in any direction, it is natural, but it stays really well defined within that natural bound.
Comparisons
Kiwi Ears x HBB Punch vs ZiiGaat Luna (449 USD vs 379 USD) – Luna is an exceptional IEM but it has a very similar build and shape to the Punch, down to the level where I see them as equal. Sonically, Luna is super neutral, crisp and allows voices to always be central but with good extension both ways. This is incredibly similar to what the Punch does, but Punch pulls back on the male voices, and has a clear bias towards enhancing female voices and sub bass, creating a more v-Shaped signature, while Luna sounds more linear, neutral and less colored in general. Soundstage size is similar, instrument separation is similar, I would pick Punch for less male voices, more sub-bass and more treble, and less midrange, and pick ZiiGaat Luna for a very similar resolution, clarity, but more midrange and more vocal presence.
Kiwi Ears x HBB Punch vs Xenns Mangird Tea Pro (449 USD vs 449 USD) – Tea Pro is also made of resin and it looks really nice in person, but Punch looks a bit better. Cable quality is better on the Tea Pro, but comfort is a bit better on the Punch, which is a bit lighter, a bit smaller and has better overall sealing / fitting / eartips. Sonically, Tea Pro is the first Mangird IEM that has some bass and some punch, but Kiwi Ears Punch sounds quite a bit more powerful in the sub bass, but more neutral in the mid bass and the upper bass. Treble is more sparkly, more brilliant on the Punch, while Tea Pro is smoother, and a bit more rolled off in the treble in general. Soundstage is similar in size, but Punch has a more defined instrument separation.
Kiwi Ears x HBB Punch vs Dunu Vulkan 2 (449 USD vs 359 USD) – Dunu Vulkan 2 is made of metal, and it has a thicker cable that is more springy, but feels more secure too. Vulakn 2 is heavier, has a larger shell and works better for medium and large ears, compared to Punch which works equally well for smaller and larger ears too. Dunu has a modular cable which is better value than the classic cable of the Punch. Sonically, you need to have a good eartip set for Vulca2, as Punch comes with high-end tips and works by default. Vulkan2 sounds brighter, more open, larger, but with a crisp resolution and vivid layering. To be fair, the two IEMS sound almost the same, they are super similar, the biggest difference is actually that Vulkan 2 is a bit more V-Shaped, more exaggerated both ways, it has a bit more bass, more sub-bass, more warmth, but also more treble sparkle. Punch is more balanced, more neutral and more reserved. Soundstage is smaller for Punch, while Vulkan2 has a wider soundstage and a better instrument separation.
Value and Conclusion
Overall, Kiwi Ears x HBB Punch is one of the highest value IEMs if you appreciate a strong sub bass, but want the balanced, clean and resolving tuning Kiwi Ears usually delivers. While it isn’t necessarily a basshead IEMs in the traditional warm, bloomy and dark sounding way, it is excellent for most listeners and an excellent universal pair of IEMs.
At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a universal pair of IEMS with excellent comfort, a strong sub bass, but balanced sound otherwise, no driver flex, and if you have at least a medium quality DAC AMP or DAP, you will really enjoy the Kiwi Ears x HBB Punch and the experience they deliver.
PROs
- Incredible clarity and resolution
- Strong and punchy bass
- Comfortable and made really well
- Beautiful shells
- High quality for the cable
- Transport case included in the package
- Good overall deal, good price performance ratio
- Excellent instrument separation
Cons
- For the marketing that it is basshead, it is very balanced and not the most bassy of IEMS, just mildly strong in the sub-bass with a limited warmth and bass quantity
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/48BbuEi
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3HLKvh5
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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