Kiwi Ears Orchestra II may take some time to be liked (conclusion)
Contents
Yes, we are very happy with these in-ears. Although… what bothers us is the sensitivity of the cable. Every contact is audible and it is also transmitted with a lot of “amplification”. We have heard other IEMs where the cable is better insulated from the monitor, which makes a big difference in listening and wearing comfort. Perhaps a different cable would help.
The cable is also a bit short; a contact-sensitive cable is more comfortable to use if the cable runs around the neck. But the cable is too short for that. This is the only criticism we have of these Orchestra IIs from Kiwi Ears.
It is important to note that IEMs take some getting used to. Despite the size of these Orchestra IIs, they can be comfortable, provided you position/align them correctly and choose well-fitting eartips. It is very different from over-ear headphones, and it was quite an experience for us to listen so intensively to this version with 10 drivers. They completely shut out the outside world. The sealing effect is even stronger than active noise cancelling. When they fit properly, we find ourselves in a sound bubble with the “speaker” sitting very deep in the ear. That also takes some getting used to.
Conclusion
10 balanced armature drivers in one housing, 10 on the left and 10 on the right in a 4-way system. The Kiwi Ears Orchestra II sounds... balanced.
With the right eartips, properly inserted and adjusted, we are treated to music. This sounds obvious, but we mean that we heard each piece of music as it was recorded. Grand, intimate, with sharp s's, palpable sub-bass, hi-res, sampled. The grand and intimate sound reminded us of the Nagra demo's on the High End Munich.
The midrange, in which all Kiwi ears models excel, is taken to an even higher level with the Orchestra II. This, combined with the extreme and controlled bass and transparent treble, creates a very complete “ear speaker” with which you can create a parallel audio universe for yourself. Highly recommended, or Alpha Approved.