Intro
Contents
Whilst reviewing in-ear monitor from Kiwi Ears a few months ago, we wondered when the brand would come out with a model with 10 balanced armature drivers. Well, here it is: the Orchestra II.
10 BA drivers
In our review of the Astral IEMs from the same brand, we already explained what balanced armature (BA) technology is. Whereas the Astral had 6 BA drivers and 1 dynamic driver, the Kiwi Ears Orchestra II has 10, all BA. This means that there are 10 drivers per side in an earpiece, including cabling and filters.
The Orchestra II is completely transparent, and we can indeed see many tiny metal sticks (the drivers) in a transparent housing, with tiny circuit boards, cabling and tubes leading to the output. Fascinating to see. Much about this top model from Kiwi Ears exudes luxury and completeness. Firstly, in terms of design and finish. On the outside, it has an attractive finish in a kind of honeycomb pattern made of light metal, which goes very well with the transparent finish. The silver-coloured cable is braided, made of OFC copper and approximately 2.5 mm in diameter.
Two boxes of eartips are included, and we can use either a 3.5 mm stereo jack or a 4.4 mm balanced pentaconn connector. Very handy. And there is a nice box included, the kind of box you would put your watch in, with a soft padded cushion-like top and a copper/gold-coloured zip. Love it.
Technology
The website says the following about the technology: Each earphone contains 10 BA drivers for superior frequency range, delivering an immersive listening experience with precise imaging and balanced tonality across all genres of music. The low-frequency subwoofers are engineered to provide a powerful and tight bass response, enhancing the depth of genres like rock, hip-hop, and EDM without distortion.
OK, interesting. But how exactly are those 10 BA drivers distributed? How is the filtering done? Kiwi Ears doesn’t say much more than that a 4-way crossover is used (we suspect sub-low/low to approx. 300Hz, mid, high and ultra-high). When we email the brand contact persons, after some fruitless questioning, we get the answer (freely translated): ‘Just listen and write down what you hear and how you think the Orchestra II sounds. OK?’
And you know what, they’re absolutely right!
So let’s get started with the Kiwi Ears Orchestra II
We first connect the IEMs to the headphone amplifier for a week to break them in. There are special tracks for this purpose (search for burn-in speakers/headphones), but simply putting a playlist on repeat will also do the trick. The point is to get the electronic components working. After a week, everything sounds just a little smoother and more fluid.
This 10BA IEM sounds like a precision instrument right out of the box. We also noticed this when selecting the eartips. We found that we could use different types and sizes. With very well-sealing ones, we are treated to a substantial bass response, such that we can feel the sub-bass. Yes, indeed. With other tips that allow a little more air, we experience a larger soundstage. The degree to which we turn and aim the IEMs also matters.
We have the “tea box” from Campfire with an extensive collection of eartips. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to work seriously with IEMs.