Open Brightness

Ratings

Pros

• The profile resembles a META curve but with more treble.
• Wide, separate, and freer sound thanks to its open outer surfaces.
• Modular cable.
• Dark and deep bass quality.
• Very good first midrange, full and rich.
• Smooth upper mids.
• Crisp and exalted treble.
• High level of macro detail.
• Specialized profile.

Cons

• It requires a lot of power to match normal IEMS.
• The treble timbre does not sound very realistic to me.
• The treble feels exaggerated in the midrange, throwing off the transition between the upper midrange and early treble.
• The energy level of the treble should be taken into account for sensitive ears and long listening sessions.
• The sound can be a bit harsh on poorly recorded songs.

Purchase Link

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

Link to the WEB

https://kiwiears.com

Introduction

And the latest model of the season had to be for Kiwi Ears. It seems that behind the Quintet comes the Septet… And that’s the name of the new model: Kiwi Ears Septet. It’s a new quadbrid IEM model that combines seven drivers from four different technologies (dynamic, balanced armature, microplanar, and piezoelectric) to deliver an exceptional audio experience with deep bass, clear mids, and smooth highs. The open design and custom tuning ensure a natural and spacious soundstage for both music lovers and professionals.
The Septet’s 10mm composite dynamic driver delivers deep bass down to 8Hz, providing powerful and clear bass, perfect for a subwoofer-like experience.
The Septet features four balanced armature drivers for precise bass-midrange and midrange-treble frequencies, ensuring studio monitor-like accuracy and minimal distortion.
The Septet features a state-of-the-art microplanar transducer (MPT) driver, which enhances high treble frequencies for unmatched clarity and detail.
The Septet’s updated PZT driver improves texture and clarity in the upper registers, working in harmony with the MPT drivers to refine the overall soundstage.
The Septet’s open design maximizes music playback quality by promoting airflow and improving the overall soundstage.
The Septet is the result of nearly two years of meticulous design, with advanced engineering for optimal sound performance and minimal distortion.
The Septet offers a perfect combination of musical engagement and tonal accuracy, ensuring a smooth and natural listening experience for both amateurs and professionals.
Let’s see if everything the brand says about this new model is in line with my thoughts in this review.

Specifications

• Driver type: 10mm dynamic driver + 4 balanced armatures + 1 microplanar + 1 PZT (open IEM).
• Frequency crossover: 5-way crossover, 3 tuning tubes.
• Nominal power: 5 mW.
• Maximum power: 10 mW.
• Impedance: 15Ω (at 1 kHz).
• Sensitivity: 95 dB SPL/mW (at 1 kHz).
• Frequency response: 8 Hz – 30 kHz.
• Total harmonic distortion: <1% (at 1 kHz).
• Cable: 5N OCC.
• Capsule connection type: 2-pin 0.78 mm.
• Cable length: 1.2 m ± 5 cm.
• Jack connector: 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm interchangeable.
• Starting price: $269.

Packaging

Kiwi Ears continues its presentation style and comes in a medium-sized box with a black base and a pink to red gradient background. Its dimensions are 131x112x68mm. In the upper right corner is the brand logo on a black background, and below it, on a white background, is the product description. In the center of the front, you can see the two capsules in a real photo. Below that is the name, and at the bottom, on the black strip, is the name, driver configuration, and a QR code that links to the website. On the back, at the top, are all the logos of the certifications that the product complies with. Below is the model name and driver configuration. In the center are the brand and importer details. On one side is the driver configuration and its representative icons. On the other side are the product specifications. After lifting the lid, you can see a black box with the brand logo in silver ink. Underneath it is a black foam case lined with black cardboard containing the capsules and the brand logo in silver ink. It also has a fabric strip to lift this layer. On the lower level is the black zippered case and the manual. The complete contents are as follows:

• The two Kiwi Ears Septet capsules.
• A black leatherette case with zipper.
• A modular 5N OCC four-strand cable and two interchangeable 3.5mm SE and 4.4mm BAL plugs.
• A set of black silicone tips with a wide core in sizes SxMxL.
• A set of black silicone tips with a narrow core in sizes SxMxL.
• A user manual.

Kiwi Ears maintains a similar level of accessories, with two sets of fairly basic silicone tips and a modular cable with interchangeable plugs similar to the one included in the Astral model, but with a different conductor. Good for the cable, adequate for the rest of the accessories given the price point of the product.

Construction and Design

Kiwi Ears continues to experiment with various designs. This time, the Septet has an open outer surface with a grille made of horizontal strips. In the center, in the opaque area, is the brand logo. Underneath this open plate, you can see a perforated plate with many copper-brown holes. The capsules are black with a matte surface, and the internal shape reminds me of the capsule of the Canta model, but in matte metal and with shorter nozzles. The external shape is the typical equilateral triangle with very rounded corners. The internal shape is also the classic semi-custom shape, but with almost no protrusion at the edge. The projection of the nozzles is somewhat more restrained. They are integrated into the entire metal body, have a diameter of less than 5.1mm, and an outer crown of 5.8mm. The nozzle grille is metal and perforated. There is a hole at the base of the mouthpiece and another next to the cable connection interface. This interface is completely embedded in the body and consists of the conventional plastic block, which in this case is dark and rectangular, with two gold tubes.
The modular cable has the same metal parts as the Astral model, but in black. It consists of four intertwined brown 5N OCC copper strands and is covered with transparent PVC that allows the conductor to be seen. The plugs are a good size, consisting of a complete, elongated cylinder, slightly depressed in the center, where the white logo is located. 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, in order to connect or disconnect, you have to grip the body of the plug where the logo is, 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 center and the same color 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.
As I said, Kiwi Ears seems to take all its previous designs and mix them together. There is no excessive extravagance in its designs, as they are relatively conventional and very effective models. What stands out most about this model is the open design of the outer shell and the inclusion of a variation of the Astral’s modular cable with another conductor. The rest are conventional accessories from the brand itself, with an inner side that offers nothing new. However, the metal design of the capsules is very well assembled, well built, and durable. The micro-sandblasted matte surface that does not leave fingerprints is appreciated.

Adjustment and Ergonomics

The shape is not quite semi-custom, but has a fairly smooth inner surface that is very pleasant to the touch. The capsules do not feel heavy in the ears and are medium in size, without being too thick. The almost rounded triangular shape fits the ear very well and its medium size maximizes comfort, as does the surface of the metal capsules. The ear hooks are not uncomfortable. With my large foam-filled silicone tips, I get pretty good isolation, fit, and comfort. Kiwi Ears continue to maintain a simple and conventional design, but one that is well-tested and highly effective. Nothing to complain about in this regard.

Sound

Profile

You could say that the Kiwi Ears Septet has a clear U-shaped profile, with enhanced sub-bass, relatively flat mids, controlled upper mids, and excited high frequencies. I searched through my entire collection of IEMS and couldn’t find an FR as similar or as unique as this one, in which the high frequencies are the most notable feature of its profile. Even with so many drivers specialized in treble and ultra-treble, the second half of the treble and the airy part are not that remarkable. I would have preferred a little more extension and a less pronounced initial phase, as it makes the Septet somewhat specialized and not so versatile.
I am not a believer in “burning in,” but I do have to say that the Septet requires a period of adjustment, both physically and mentally, and you have to accept that it is not an all-purpose model unless you are a treble head.

Bass

According to the brand itself: The Septet uses a high-performance 10mm composite dynamic driver, specifically designed to boost sub-bass and bass frequencies. This large diaphragm driver stands out for producing deep bass, similar to that of a subwoofer, down to 8 Hz, offering unmatched rumble and depth. It is clear that “unmatched” is somewhat exaggerated. But it is true that the bass performance is quite good. In the very low frequency pure tone test, the Septet starts by playing the first pure tone of 20Hz with a slight undulating character, darkness, depth, and a remarkable physical and sensory component. As the frequencies increase, the color remains dark, as does the feeling of depth and physical presence, but it is still accompanied by a slight undulating character that is more or less clear and perceptible, which slightly detracts from the excellence of the performance in this test. However, this does not detract from the fact that the actual performance is very good and that this subtle undulating character is not felt when reproducing real bass tones rather than pure, fixed frequencies. The Septet’s bass is deep, powerful, pronounced, with weight, darkness, punch, and presence. It is not the darkest, nor the deepest, nor the most powerful, but it combines these characteristics in a way that blends them with remarkable technical skill. The bass hits are fast, with hardly any decay, and disappear quickly from the environment. When the bass drums are agile, the Septet adjusts to the speed, sounding compact, tight, dynamic, and natural. Its weight in the mid-bass is not excessive, which allows it to not linger too long in the environment, freeing up volume and remaining more physical than audible, which is an advantage in terms of its sonority and the coloration of the range, as well as the intrusion of the mids.
In the dirty, complex, and unfiltered bass test, the Septet demonstrates its full range of capabilities in terms of resolution, sound, precision, control, and speed. The Septet’s bass is very adept in these types of complicated situations and is capable of handling the dirtiest passages with outstanding naturalness and control. The dirty bass lines sound realistic, without the need to draw them with other tones or color them, but maintaining a sense of depth, darkness, and realism necessary for the naturalness of the music. The generation of layers is precise, the movements are fast and tight, without a loss of control or excess power. The bass has a good amount of rubberiness and elasticity to feel natural, but it is also tight enough that the dirtiest bass drums and the hardest, poorly recorded lines are reproduced with a very high level of fidelity. Well done.

Mids

The midrange begins with a subtle emphasis at the lower end, which promotes lower voices and adds warmth to the mids, but completely avoids any muddy feeling that one might expect. The midrange dip is slight and remains mostly flat, while the upper mids have a slight rise that becomes more pronounced as the treble kicks in. This is how the midrange feels like a U shifted towards the treble. And that is something that can be appreciated in those deeper male voices, which combine a powerful, deep, and quite sensory base with brilliant details and nuances, bordering on sibilance. Its center is wide, full, and sustained enough to avoid any hollowness and maintain the level of presence to my liking. Although a less saturated treble level would have kept the result more organic, neutral, and analog. The result is a fairly complete, representative, and present first half of the midrange, but with flashes that highlight details and certain roughness, without forgetting a good level of airy density due to the open character of the Septet. It’s true, this aspect is very important; the open outer face helps to deflate the sound and release the most condensed music. I’ve tried it with my most claustrophobic songs, and the Septet has proven to be very effective at infusing space, separation, and air between the notes, which is pleasant and very appropriate in many situations.
The upper midrange feels controlled and helps to close off a fairly complete and present central range. It can only be affected when recordings have fairly present high frequencies, where the sound can be enhanced in its nuances and macro details, generating a more vivid, splattered, somewhat penetrating, slightly rough, and sharp sensation. It is clear that the second half of the midrange is affected by the initial sparkle of the treble, showing itself to be incipient and marked in sounds such as clapping, clicks, and hissing. These are occasions when the edges have more presence than the body and midrange. In many situations, everything is under control, in others the sound is more incisive, even becoming tiring for those who prefer a softer, more neutral and natural sound, less forced and sparkling. But it is also true that brands can cater to the tastes and needs of other types of ears. And that is where the Septet can stand out with its specialized tuning.

Treble

The Septet uses a dynamic driver for bass, four BA drivers for bass-midrange and midrange-treble, and two specific drivers for treble and ultra-treble: a PZT (piezoelectric) driver and an MPT (micro planar) driver. This clearly shows that special emphasis has been placed on the treble, but the sparkle is framed in the initial phase, while the energy level deflates as it moves into the air zone. However, this can be controlled with the right tips. Foam tips can absorb some of the treble energy and neutralize it. On the other hand, other types of silicone tips can maintain the level of that energy towards the mid-high frequencies, generating a more extensive sound in the high frequencies and also a more clearly brilliant sound, more than my frequency response graph can show, because it should be noted that I usually use the same foam tips for all my measurements, which generates more nuanced high frequencies and less resonance around 8Khz.
Be that as it may, it is clear that the treble range is remarkable in terms of presence, clearly on par with Treble-Heads. The treble is the Septet’s strong point, achieved by combining these two specific treble drivers. The sound is somewhat affected by the use of these drivers, and the treble is perceived in accordance with that combined sound: the treble is striking, crisp, yet quite dry, with sharp, penetrating, energetic, concrete, and tactile edges. It has a slightly digital feel, with that original CD timbre. But it also feels fast, extended, powerful, marked, revealing, and resplendent, generating a gaseous sensation enhanced by the open character of the IEMS. Anyone who encounters the Septet should know what its treble is like, because it may not be as versatile for all tracks, and some songs may be affected by this way of executing the treble, as well as by its energy level.
Finally, it should be noted that its air extension goes beyond the audible range.

Soundstage, Separation

The Kiwi Ears Septet are precise, highly informative, and analytical. Their open and sharp character creates a pleasant ambient, holographic, surrounding, gaseous, and, above all, volatile sensation. The bass is deep, but its open character frees it from any density, also lightening the volume. As a result, that sense of depth feels somewhat limited in favor of a more expansive sound, but one that is not too big or wide due to that physical restriction at the base of the sound. Despite this, the bass has weight and power, but is slightly out of balance with the energy level of the high end.
The macro detail is remarkable, very pronounced, while the micro detail feels very well represented by the high level of resolution of the whole. However, it also feels minimized by the distance between the overexposure of the macro detail and those minor details. To put it more clearly, the presence of macro detail is not proportional to the presence of micro detail, despite the analytical capacity of the set. This can lead to a level of overexposure to nuances that can detract from the musicality and realism of the music, as well as exposing the most sensitive ears to a level of constant demand and energy.
The positioning of the elements is precise, as is their environmental location. The sound is separate, marked, silent between elements, and sufficiently dark in the background. The Septet has all the attributes of brilliant and specialized analytical multirivers, with the added bonus of its open outer faces that enhance qualities such as the soundstage, the feeling of air, and separation.

Comparisons

Simgot EA1000 Red

The rival of the Kiwi Ears Septet is one of the brilliant IEMS in my collection, the Simgot EA1000 with its red nozzle. I like to compare IEMS with similar frequency responses, but in this case I haven’t found anything similar in my collection. That’s a good thing for Kiwi Ears because it has created something different, but it also has a slightly negative connotation, because it can also mean that it has a very specific or specialized profile. Be that as it may, the Simgot EA1000 are IEMS with a starting price of $250 that feature a 2nd generation 10mm dual magnet, dual cavity DMDC™ dynamic driver plus a 6mm passive radiator. The cable is high-purity silver-plated OFC in a Litz structure. It is undoubtedly a great cable and beautiful, but somewhat stiff compared to the flexibility of the Septet’s 4 female connectors. Furthermore, the cable is not modular. The presentation of the EA1000 is very careful, in my opinion superior to that of the Septet. I also like the design of the EA1000 capsules better, as well as their construction, although the shiny surface is something I prefer to avoid. The comfort of the EA1000 is very good, but finding suitable tips can be a bit more complex. The Septet, with a more generic but more effective design, are a little more comfortable and offer less difficulty, at least for me, when it comes to choosing the optimal tips to get the best sound performance.
In terms of sound, the EA1000 follows the SIMGOT-Classic reference curve, whose sub-bass is somewhat neutral, more emphasized in the mid-bass and with a more significant horn gain. The Septet has a higher sub-bass, less mid-bass, a clearly more relaxed pinna gain, and treble with a similar energy level and even tuning. The EA1000s are easy to move, while the Septets need a powerhouse behind them. The differences in volume between the two are very large.
In reality, the sound of the two is not similar. The Septets are neutral with a heavier, darker, and more prominent sub-bass, until the treble kicks in, which is their most predominant feature. But the mids are clearly more neutral.
The bass of the Septet has more weight, punch, strength, and power. It is also darker and deeper, but lingers in the ears a little longer. The bass of the EA1000 is more technical, faster, with less decay, but it is also drier, with less texture, slightly more color, less depth, and not too dark. It is a more technical and neutral bass. It performs very well in the pure tone test (it is not as sensory or physical as the Septet, but it has hardly any wave character) and in the dirty, complex, and unfiltered bass test, thanks to its technical ability.
In the midrange, there is a noticeable difference between the neutrality and better balance of the Septet and the obvious elevation of the upper mids of the EA1000. There is much more clarity, but also much more excitement in the EA1000, achieving a lively and energetic sound. But it also achieves superior informative and analytical capabilities. The Septet is smoother, but feels punctuated by striking highs, although the average energy level of the midrange is considerably more moderate. The weight per note is finer in the EA1000, creating a feeling of superior speed. In reality, the EA1000 is an analytical IEMS with high resolution and technical skill, but its sound contains too much energy for relaxed listening. The Septet also has a good amount of technical skill, but its more relaxed sound in the midrange moderates the energy level, making them more bearable, even comparatively darker, but supported by a treble end at the same level or even higher.
The treble of the EA1000 has the excitation level of the upper midrange, which is like carrying an extra backpack. On the other hand, the Septet begins its energy boost there. Overall, the treble is more isolated in the music. Despite being a dynamic driver, the treble of the EA1000 is full of speed, precision, energy, power, expressiveness, definition, and resolution. Its notes are fine and thin, capable of generating a very expressive, eloquent, sparkling, and crisp high range. But they also have a more realistic and natural feel than the Septet. On the other hand, the sound and timbre of the Septet is different, and that’s where the different drivers of each model come into play. Everyone can find their taste or preference in each of them.
The EA1000’s soundstage feels volatile and very airy. The separation and distance between notes reveals a spacious and wide soundstage, which enjoys very good height and even three-dimensionality. Without quite wrapping around the head, it has a very good surrounding feel, thanks to its extension. It lacks some depth in favor of width, laterality, and stereo feel. The Septet is deeper and feels more open. The vivid, sprinkled notes of the EA1000 feel very close. Meanwhile, the Septet’s sense of openness creates a more expansive soundstage that has more lateral and depth reach, with a more oval and extensive shape.
The finesse of the EA1000 seems to allow for more distance between elements, but only slightly.
At the micro-detail level, the same thing happens with both IEMS: despite the great analytical capacity of both models, the macro detail takes precedence over the micro detail, covering it up, even though you can feel it is there.

Conclusion

Kiwi Ears is committed to covering a wide range of options with its extensive product line. The new Kiwi Ears Septet seems to be an evolution of the Quintet, but with two additional drivers. The Quintet was already a quad-driver, but Kiwi Ears has added two more BAs to make the midrange more complete. It could be that the Septet is an evolution of the Quintet, with the Astral’s bass and midrange profile, but with treble evolved from the Quintet. This results in a new and more specialized frequency response. Not content with that, the brand has opened up the outer faces of the IEMS to generate a freer and wider sound, as well as adding the modular cable from the excellent Astral, all at a slightly lower price ($269).
Those who have found that there are currently many IEMS with relatively “boring” META-oriented profiles will find the Septet to be just what they need. But beware! You’ll have to plug them into a source with plenty of power.

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.