Close to the Stars

Ratings

Pros

• Powerful bass that is well separated from the midrange, with very good texture, volume and depth.
• Dense, full-bodied, cohesive, smooth and musical midrange.
• Outstanding treble.
• Well-designed modular cable with thick strands.
• Sound that improves the more you use it.
• Highly informative without being an analytical model, quite decisive in terms of micro detail.
• Very good 1DD+6BA hybrid for the price, despite the fierce competition in this range.
• Despite the size of the capsules, the angle of the nozzles and the ergonomics are more than remarkable.

Cons

• The mids and voices are not as transparent or prominent as in the competition.
• The bass is not the fastest.
• The case is not tall enough to store the capsules securely and is difficult to close.
• The capsule is on the large and bulky side, with a somewhat bland exterior design.
• Only one set of silicone tips.

Purchase Link

https://kiwiears.com/products/kiwi-ears-astral

Link to the WEB

https://kiwiears.com

Introduction

With its endless presence in the 2025 showcase, Kiwi Ears aims to fill every category worth its salt in the field of headphones with one of its models. In this case, the name is Kiwi Ears Astral, and it is a hybrid with seven drivers (1DD+6BA). The Astral features a custom dynamic driver with a 10mm bioceramic diaphragm that delivers powerful bass with smooth extension. With carefully tuned attenuation at 300Hz, this proprietary driver integrates seamlessly into the midrange, providing natural and dynamic performance from bass to vocals.
Complementing the subwoofer, Astral features two dual balanced armature midrange drivers and a dual ultra-high frequency tweeter for detailed clarity and a neutral sound profile.
The custom midrange drivers are tuned to 2.8 kHz and adapted to natural hearing and the curvature of the ear, while the modified SWFK tweeter smoothly extends the high frequencies for smooth, natural highs.
The Astral’s signature sound is characterised by powerful 9dB sub-bass that gives way to flat mids, with bright treble peaks that add air and stage presence. A perfect crossover at 300Hz and uniform attenuation up to 15kHz provide neutrality in the mids and wide, airy highs for a surrounding listening experience.
The Astral comes with a modular four-strand cable that incorporates two plugs (3.5mm SE and 4.4mm BAL). It is available in two colours: Yellow or Blue.

Specifications

• Model: Kiwi Ears Astral.
• Driver type: 1 dynamic driver + 6 balanced armatures.
• Frequency response: 10 Hz – 22 kHz.
• Sensitivity: 105 dB (±1).
• Impedance: 23 Ω (±1).
• THD: <1%.
• Cable details: 1.2 metre detachable cable.
• Jack connector: Modular cable with 3.5 mm SE and 4.4 mm BAL plugs.
• Capsule connection type: 2-pin 0.78 mm.
• Starting price: $299.

Packaging

The Kiwi Ears Astral come in a small box, which is now a fairly standard format for the brand’s latest batch of products. Its dimensions are 112x130x67mm. On the front is a large photo of the IEMS capsules on a cream-coloured background that turns yellow towards the black base. Above this black strip, the model name is written in large sand-coloured letters. The brand logo is in the upper right corner. The black strip contains the full model name, description and a QR code that links to the website. On the back, at the top, are the icons for the product’s certifications. Then there is the logo, the model name and its description. Below are the brand and importer details. The specifications are on one side. My model is the Blue. On the other side is a description of the model. After removing the outer cardboard, you can see a completely black box with the logo in silver in the centre. When you lift the box, the capsules are completely embedded in a black foam mould lined with cardboard of the same colour. This layer has a Velcro strip at the top and the silver logo in the lower right corner. In the second layer is the black zippered case with the brand logo in white ink. Inside are the rest of the accessories, which are as follows:

• The two Kiwi Ears Astral capsules.
• A four-strand modular cable with two interchangeable 3.5 mm SE and 4.4 mm BAL plugs.
• A strip with four protective grilles for the IEMS nozzles.
• A set of translucent silicone tips with blue cores, sizes SxMxL.

I think this is the first time I’ve seen a modular cable on Kiwi Ears, and I’m very happy about it because it finally includes a 4.4mm balanced plug. However, for a £300 model, I find a single set of silicone tips very insufficient. Furthermore, although I really like the zippered case, it is not tall enough to safely store capsules as bulky as the Astral ones. This is not the first time this has happened, even though Kiwi Ears has several case models, some of which are taller and allow large capsules to be stored without any problems. On this occasion, they barely fit and it is difficult to close the case. Kiwi Ears needs to improve this simple aspect.

Construction and Design

The Astral capsules are black and made of medical-grade resin. They are black in colour and the outer surface has a glitter pattern in blue/green tones with medium-sized crystals. The brand logo is in silver in the centre. The shape of the outer surface is reminiscent of the African continent and the overall shape of the capsules is semi-custom, medium-large in size, with a thickness to be taken into account. The wide edge features a 0.78mm 2-pin connection interface consisting of a transparent plastic plate containing two gold-plated metal holes. On the other side, there is a large hole lined with a conical metal cover. The inner surface is inscribed with gold letters indicating the model name, the code E-1083 and the channel letter. The shape of this side is also semi-custom with a protrusion on the edge and a wide-base nozzle, not too long, which mounts a two-level metal nozzle. Its total length is 3.5mm, the base has a diameter of 5.1mm and the crown is 6mm. The protective grille is metal with column-shaped holes.
The cable is thick, consisting of four intertwined strands and covered with transparent PVC that allows you to see the coiled conductor. It may be silver-plated copper. This is the first time I have seen Kiwi Ears use a modular cable. The brand has opted for full-size plugs, consisting of a complete, elongated cylinder, slightly depressed in the centre, where the white logo is located. They are metallic and dark in colour. The connection interface is another elongated cylinder with four holes and a guide on the edge. The sleeve is metal and adds length to the plug. When assembled, it is a fairly long plug sleeve, but it is well designed because both connecting and disconnecting require gripping the body of the plug, where the logo is located, as it is long enough for this purpose and thus prevents the modular cable from disconnecting at the plug connection.
The splitter piece is a cylinder with a double bevel, one at each end, half the length of the plug, with a depressed centre and the same colour and material as the rest. The pin is a sectioned plug with a hole inside. It fits the cable very well and holds both sides firmly and securely. The cable has guides on the ear and the 2-pin 0.78 mm gold-plated connector covers follow the same pattern as the rest of the cable parts. These pins are mounted on a black rectangular base and have a dot on one side that indicates both the polarity and the channel. Each plug has a soft plastic protective cover.
In this case, the design of Kiwi Ears is quite classic, with that well-known semi-custom shape, built, tested and effective. My model is blue, but I see that the yellow model is somewhat more eye-catching. It is not a design that looks spectacular, nor is it too distinctive. But it certainly fits the content inside to offer the best result.
I like the cable, which is thicker and modular, with long plug covers so that they have enough body to avoid having to grip the end and disconnect at the modular joint. The only thing I would have preferred to improve the grip is a less smooth surface.

Adjustment and Ergonomics

The capsules are semi-custom shaped in black resin, soft and pleasant to the touch. They are thick, but compact in shape and fit well in the ear. Thanks to their proportions, the inner side adapts well to the external morphology of my ears and the protrusions on the edges do not bother me. This is because the nozzles are short and the silicone tips I have used are the large ones that I usually fill with foam at home. The insertion is superficial and the large size helps to separate the capsules just enough so that the whole thing does not touch my ears more than necessary, without causing discomfort. There is no rotation, the protrusion fits snugly, as I mentioned, thanks to the large tips, and the ear hooks do not bother me, even after hours of use.
The isolation achieved with this capsule-filled tip combination is quite high, and the fit is very durable, optimal for everyday use and use on public transport.

Sound

Profile

The profile of the Kiwi Ears Astral is warm, with powerful sub-bass, present mids and smooth, well-extended highs. It resembles a decreasing W tuning. The sub-bass starts at the highest level of the curve and remains there until the mid-bass, then descends very quickly to create a very clean transition. The midrange has a slight dip, but is fairly flat until reaching a moderate emphasis in the upper midrange. The transition to the treble is delicate and smooth, with moderately energetic treble, but very full and well extended towards the airy range.
Without a doubt, this is a well-balanced profile, in which all ranges are well represented, but based on energetic sub-bass.

Bass

Kiwi Ears highlights that the Astral is characterised by powerful 9dB sub-bass, which gives way to flat mids. My graph corroborates this statement, and it is clear that this profile has been sought and found by the brand in a satisfactory manner. It starts with a powerful, dark, physical, relatively round and well-controlled sub-bass. It is not the fastest or driest bass, but it feels tight in its response. For other IEMS with less power, it is easier to be more contained, dry and fast. But to mitigate a 9dB energy level requires a great effort, which the Astral achieves. Without a doubt, the power is felt, the punch is physical and energetic, generating a good kick that lingers slightly in the air, thanks to the roundness of the mid-bass. This creates a voluminous bass with a very pleasant level of darkness, a good dose of texture and enough darkness to blend with physical depth.
In the very low presence pure tone test, the first note is remarkably powerful, performing quite well and combining a great physical sensation with a subtle undulating character and realistic sound. The best aspect of its performance is that powerful sensory component mixed with a clear sensation of darkness and depth. The test is not perfect due to the slight undulating character that can be perceived, although it is very clean and the BAs do not act in this test, which confirms great filtering and that only the dynamic driver works for the bass. The result is fairly clean performance, with a dark, deep naturalness, tending towards realism, which generates fairly round, voluminous, extended bass with a very pleasant and perceptible rubberiness that you can almost touch, adding a softly rough and sweetened texture.
In the dirty, complex and unfiltered bass test, the Astral proves that this combination of volume, darkness and depth, combined with that rubbery elasticity, is highly controllable and capable of generating a wide, dense, physical and surrounding atmospheric bass. Without such a fast response and rapid decay, the bass lines are somewhat rounded, united by that elasticity that makes them smooth and harmonious. They are not the most precise or marked lines, but they manage very well to maintain control, resolution and effectiveness, without having the best definition of other drivers with less power and more agility. Even so, the bass is never overwhelming, the volume does not overwhelm the listener, and although the bass cloud can become somewhat magmatic, it maintains its shape, with clear but rounded lines and separate, unmixed layers.

Mids

Despite such a muscular, round, voluminous, atmospheric and dense bass, the transition to the midrange is very consistent, careful and clean. This implies outstanding crossover filter performance. The descent into the midrange is almost abrupt, presenting a highly flat valley from 200Hz to 1000Hz. This creates a good physical and corporeal foundation for male voices, but even better for strings and female voices. The instrumentation is very present in the midrange and plays a prominent role, almost more so than the male voices. Despite all this and the warmth of the ensemble, male voices find a good balance between foundation, range, nuances and harmonics. In this way, their representation is very complete, very well defined, extensive and broad. At no point do they sound muffled, but rather develop in a splendid and complex manner. Their presence can vary from an emotional foreground to a more relaxed midground, depending on how low their foundation is. What is clear is that their presence never feels compromised and they are always represented in a very clear, obvious, transparent and clean way, offering a great sense of refinement mixed with smoothness, musicality, resolution and detail. All of this can be extrapolated to the instrumentation, achieving a very dense combo in the central range.
The upper midrange is designed with a smooth, measured and precise gain. This elevation is very well calculated to add transparency, clarity and strength without anything feeling forced, maintaining the smoothness, musicality and fullness of the midrange as a whole, without losing balance, demonstrating that this type of tuning, supported by high-quality drivers and highly effective crossover filters, does not detract from the impression of clarity, nor does it diminish the brightness, let alone the resolution or detail. This is how female voices are warm and natural, with a very restrained brightness, but full of density, life, passion and a touch of sparkle. Without a doubt, this is a mature, complex, highly enjoyable tuning that demonstrates that over-exciting the upper mids is just a trick for lower classes. In the Astral, there are no harshnesses in the midrange and sibilance is neutral, but sparkle and vigour are maintained thanks to excellent treble.

Treble

The upper range of the Astral is characterised by trebles that are more present at first, but measured in energy. Then, that level of power descends very subtly to offer a controlled but effective punch in the air range. There are no gaps or drops in the treble, which is very extensive and complete, but with a controlled level of energy to be smooth, without being piercing, but present enough to sound fine, delicate, subtly incisive, sparkling, even slightly crisp. Without a doubt, the treble has a real level of brightness, which is not nuanced or rounded, but manages to be expressive, highly informative, defined, decisive and delicate. The level of precision, finesse and sparkle of the BA drivers demonstrate their quality and a soundstage that can maintain smoothness mixed with realistic sparkle without the treble needing to be cut back in terms of power. On the other hand, that extra amount of air helps to build a superior harmonic level that is perceived in the environment.

Soundstage, Separation

The bass generates a lot of volume, a pronounced surrounding and deep sensation. But beyond that, the scene does not grow much more, maintaining a wide width and remarkable height, but without reaching a higher expansive level. There are many important elements in the foreground, thanks to very complete and complex mids. But there is also a high level of stratification and positioning of details in multiple layers. The Astral is not an analytical model, but rather smoother and rounder. However, its level of detail is very good, with delicate, fine and informative treble, very capable of generating a very wide level of resolution. Micro detail is easy to observe, as is the positioning in each layer, making it easy to focus on and individualise them when you know where they are.
The separation of the elements is obvious, very clear. There is a very good distance between notes, layers, instruments and voices, nothing feels crowded in the midrange or treble. Only the bass is denser. Despite the smoothness of the tuning, nothing is blurred or dark, but the sound is very transparent, clear and clean, without sounding forced or splattered. The high resolution is evident in complex and complicated passages, as the bass is kept in check and does not intrude on the higher frequencies. All of this results in a very precise positioning of the elements in the soundstage, creating a high-resolution image with a fairly accurate and concise location in the soundstage.

Comparisons

Yanyin Canon Pro 11

The Kiwi Ears Astral are not alone with this 1DD+6BA configuration; there is clear competition. They compete with the Yanyin Canon Pro, which has a starting price of $399, compared to $299 for the Astral. That’s definitely an extra $100, and it remains to be seen whether that difference is worth it or not.
In terms of shape and design, they are similar, but the Yanyin capsule is smaller and more rounded on the inside, so its ergonomics are superior. I also find its design more attractive on the outside, with the Astral being more nondescript.
In terms of accessories, it is clear that Kiwi Ears has cut back on them, with only one set of silicone tips compared to two from Yanyin. The Astral’s modular cable is no better than the fixed-tip cable, but you can choose between three different Yanyin cable ends. The Astral’s classic case is too small to store such large capsules, while Yanyin has got it right and includes a large, round leather case.
The Yanyin Canon Pro has two switches per capsule to modify the profile and impedance of the set. It has a similar profile in position 11 with more bass, but the rest is lighter in the low range. Even so, it does not reach the 9dB of the Astral, although it is also slightly more subtle in energy in the upper mids and highs. In position 11, it is slightly more sensitive than the Astral.
The bass of the Astral is slightly higher, with a little more darkness and volume, it is more elastic and a little slower, with a slower decay. The Yanyin is faster and more concise, somewhat more precise.
The performance in the very low frequency pure tone test is very similar, with more power felt in the Astral, but a subtle improvement, with less wave character in the Canon Pro. The sound, timbre, execution and performance in this test in both IEMS is quite similar, more than I expected.
In the dirty, complex and unfiltered bass test, it is noticeable that the Yanyin’s control is more suitable for reproducing and maintaining these complicated passages. There is a noticeable tendency towards less power and more control. The Astral generates a darker and also deeper bass, which gives it a more pleasant colour. But the Canon Pro are more technical and controlled.
The midrange graph for both models is very similar. However, the Canon Pro headphones offer slightly more light and clarity, while the Astral headphones are a little darker and warmer. The male voices are brighter in the Canon Pro headphones, sounding more vivid and even a little closer. The sound of the Astral is more relaxed, rounder, with a denser and more physical base, with less pronounced vocal details and fewer edges. The Canon Pro seem more analytical. The greater density and body is also maintained in the upper mids, and female voices are rendered in this way in the Astral, with a very predominant presence, gaining clarity in this respect. However, the Canon Pro also have that sparkle and brightness in female voices that makes them more striking and a little more natural and open.
There is a difference in tone between the two models. Those who prefer more light should choose the Yanyin, while those looking for a warmer, denser and more corporeal sound should choose the Astral.
I find the high end of the Astral to be better resolved than the treble of the Canon Pro. It sounds more natural, with finer, less nuanced, more projected, extensive and airy treble than the softened Canon Pro. That control and energy cutback in the Canon Pro makes its treble less realistic and penalises it compared to a sound that was perfect up to this range. However, the Astral has hit the nail on the head in this upper range and there is a clear winner in this band.
In complex high-frequency passages, there is a clear improvement in the Astral’s resolution and definition. Its better-represented high range gives it extra clarity and definition in this regard, achieving a more airy soundstage. However, the separation in the midrange is clearer in the Canon Pro, as well as in the bass, where the technical specifications are superior. If the micro detail is in the mid and low ranges, the Canon Pro will represent it more obviously. On the other hand, for all the high-frequency micro detail, the Astral will be superior. That does not mean that the Astral does not have that detail; on the contrary, it does represent it, but not as obviously. However, given the difference in price and profile, this technical capability of the Astral is very admirable.
The Canon Pro headphones can be very good for vocals, which is their speciality, bringing the vocals to the fore and making them predominant.
The Astral’s soundstage is deeper, but also denser. The sound is more transparent, a little more sparkling and expansive on the Canon Pro, with a better sense of openness, extension, airiness and height than on the Astral, where everything seems a little more subdued and cohesive, as well as less technical. These same characteristics make the image more precise in the Yanyin Canon Pro, but without losing sight of the warm, expressive character of the Astral for $100 less.

Conclusion

It may seem that a brand that is being so enormously productive with the launch of new products is monopolising and flooding the market with mediocre models. But many of its models are clearly very well thought out and competent. This includes the Kiwi Ears Astral, a hybrid set with a pretentious hybrid combination of 1DD+6BA, with a sub-bass raised to 9dB and superior treble within a mature and warm tuning, for only $299. Well, people will think that it is not exactly a cheap model, but the more expensive competition is not entirely better.
The Astral is based on a powerful and elevated bass foundation. It is not technically the fastest or most accurate, but it is deep, voluminous, dense, and has the texture, strength, and character that bass lovers will enjoy. The midrange is warm, slightly dark, but surprisingly expressive, informative, and rich, being dense and cohesive, yet smooth and musical. The big surprise is in the high range, where Kiwi Ears has managed to hit the nail on the head with expressive, striking, fine and delicate treble that extends into the airy range without sounding nuanced or dark. They have the sparkle and brightness that suits my taste and are crisp when needed without sounding excessive. And this does not seem like an easy task.
On the other hand, the brand has included a modular cable that is an improvement over previous models, listening to the vast majority who appreciate a good standard cable.

Sources Used During the Analysis

• iFi GO bar Kensei.
• EPZ TP50.
• Burson Audio Playmate 2.
• Aune X8 XVIII Magic DAC + OpAmp Sparkos Labs SS3602 + ifi ZEN CAN 3.
• Tempotec MARCH V.
• Tempotec V3 Blaze.