Kiwi Ears Belle IEMs Review – Below Entry-Level Budget, Above Average Sound
Kiwi Ears Belle is a $26 USD pair of IEMS In-Ear Monitors with a custom tuned 10mm dynamic driver at the core, and a promised balanced tonal signature.
Introduction
Kiwi Ears has always been a good player, and they always offered prices far below the market for the quality they offer, so it is no surprise that they made the belle with such a low price, yet we will see and hear whether some serious sacrifices were made or whether it is a good affordable pair of IEMs. My journey did start with some earphones from Yamaha and Pioneer, each costing around 25 USD in 2009.
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Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/44frbNM
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c38iraBX
Build Quality – Design
While I have been spoiled by custom engineering and design from Kiwi Ears, having heard their Halcyon and Orchestra II, so now the Belle feels a bit underwhelming, especially as it is so entry-level, but with KE’s DLC dynamic driver at the core, it is a good fit for a budget IEM.
That driver is encased in a CNC Machined Metal FAceplate IEM with a black or transparent resin cavity shell. Inside the case there is no transport case, only the IEMS, cable, manuals and 2 styles of EArtips, each in 3 sizes. You can order the Belle with a simple 3.5mm cable, a 3.5mm cable with a microphone or a Type-C cable with a mic. Technically, Belle has an impedance of 32 OHMs and a SPL of 103 dB, which would make them medium towards slightly hard to drive.
Subjective Usage
Wearing the Belle, I noticed that the cable is a bit springy, but it is of a very good quality, while the shells feel lightweight, the faceplates are of a good quality, and overall they feel well-made.
Belle has a medium fitting, offers a good seal with up to 22 db of passive noise isolation. The IEMs feel a tiny but hollow inside my ears, but they have no driver flex or void.
Sound Quality
Pairings – I have paired the Kiwi Ears Belle with a collection of sources, but as they come with a 3.5mm jack cable, I only have used them with single ended outputs. The source list includes FiiO K17, Argon Audio SA-2 Amplifier Driven by FiiO Warmer R2R, Acer Nitro 18 AI Laptop (with 3.5mm adapters), iBasso Kunlun, FiiO Snowsky Echo DAP, and Luxsin X9.
Belle is easy to drive, fun and small, but it can eat some power both because of the 32 OHM impedance and the somewhat low SPL. They are not sensitive to source noise though, which is very good as most entry-level sources have quite a bit noise.
Overall Signature – Belle has a sweet, warm sound with a strong female vocal presence, good detail and when you first hear them, they instantly sound natural and balanced without a strong distortion.
Bass – Bass starts at around 40 Hz with a strong presence up to 110 Hz, creating a bit of warmth, boom but also punch and impact. Belle prioritizes the warmth for most songs instead of sub-bass punch, creating a warm tuning.
Voicing And Midrange – Kiwi Ears does talk about how they have a 3 kHz peak to balance out the warmth in the bass, and it does have a bit of that, giving female voices strength and presence, but male voices also have a bit of extra oomph to them. In general, belle sounds more euphonic and better with female voices, which are more vivid and personal, while male voices are slightly subdued in comparison.
Treble – Treble extension goes as high as 14 kHz, with a bit of bite. In fact, the overall tonal;ity is as promised, balanced so the treble is not recessed nor too smooth, being just right for rock, pop and even metal and EDM. It is a pleasing treble and has the same speed and character as bass and midrange, which is normal considering that there’s just one dynamic driver singing.
Dynamics And Textures – Texture is a natural towards fast one, with a good amount of edge rounding, it is a bit wet so it is not dry or fatiguing sounding in general. Dynamic range is natural, towards slightly compressed, while resolution is similar to what you can expect to hear usually in the 50 – 70 USD price range, so they over deliver on the resolution and technical aspect.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – You can push the volume up to about 110 dB before the sound starts to struggle to deliver and starts to distort. This being said, before you reach that point, the sound has a similar THD and presentation at all other levels.
Soundstage – Belle has a natural towards intimate soundstage, with a natural separation, edging towards blended rather than highly technical and separated sound.
Value – Conclusion
With the price tag made for ultimate affordability, I feel like Belle over delivers on the sound and comfort, being a good value.
With all of that being said, Kiwi Ears has far more interesting IEMS for sale if you can afford to spend just a bit more. Belle will be perfect if you’re looking for something sweet, warm but with a good resolution for their price.
PROs
- Premium cable and build quality for the price
- High value and good build quality
- Warm and pleasing sound that sounds natural with most songs
- Sweet and gentle female vocals
- Great for pop, EDM and commercial music
- Can work for Emo, Post-Hardocre and metalcore
- Overall a great choice if you’re on a budget
Cons
- Technical resolution is limited compared to other Kiwi EArs IEMS
- Intimate soundstage that blends instruments together
- No transport case included in the package
- Struggles with extreme metal and complex music
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/44frbNM
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c38iraBX
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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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