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No matter how you look at it, despite the development of the Bluetooth standard, wired headphones remain the only viable solution if you want to enjoy high-quality music without losing any details. Among audiophiles, compact in-ear monitor models (IEMs) are especially popular. Although they were originally designed for professional studio or live performance use due to their ability to deliver sound as close to the original as possible – without distortion or frequency imbalances – more and more regular people are choosing IEM headphones for music listening, thanks to their pure, natural sound. In this review, we’ll take a look at the relatively new multi-driver model, the Kiwi Ears Airoso, which aims to become a bestseller in the budget segment under $150.
Read also: Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite IEM headphones review: Wired, modular, honest
Main features and characteristics of Kiwi Ears Airoso
The headphone’s sound system is hybrid – each Airoso earphone features five drivers: a main dynamic driver with a composite LCP+PU (liquid crystal polymer + polyurethane) diaphragm, complemented by four balanced armature drivers: two for high frequencies and two for ultra-high frequencies. This frequency spectrum division between individual drivers (essentially a hardware crossover) is aimed at achieving the best possible results in terms of detail and sound clarity.
Headphone specifications:
- Impedance: 18Ω
- Sensitivity: 110 dB SPL/mW
- Frequency range: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
- Cable length: 1.2 m (detachable)
- Type of connectors: 3.5mm Jack TRS for connection to a player, 2-pin 0.78mm for connection to headphones
- Weight: 12 g (each headphone)
- Headphone materials: aluminium alloy, titanium front panel and 3D printed plastic body
- Warranty: 1 year
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Price and positioning
The price of the headphones on the official manufacturer’s website is $129.99. This places them in the mid-budget range for Kiwi Ears products, which offers earphones ranging from $20 to $500. Personally, I own the excellent 5-driver model, the Kiwi Ears Quintet (review here), priced at $219, which I really enjoy. In fact, I use this model as a reference in my current collection for comparing sound quality with other headphones. Therefore, I’m quite interested in directly comparing the two Kiwi Ears models, which are externally very similar but differ significantly in their internal configuration.
Read also: Kiwi Ears Quintet Headphones Review: Symphony of Balanced Sound
Kiwi Ears Airoso package
The Kiwi Ears Airoso headphones come in the brand’s typical black cardboard box, with a colorful cover on top featuring key product information and an image of the product.
Opening the box, we find a paper manual, the headphones without cables and ear tips placed in separate holders, and a second box. Inside the second box, there is a high-quality hard case made of eco-leather with a zipper closure.
Inside the case, the cable is packed along with three sets of silicone ear tips in different shapes and firmness – white, black, and gray. Each set contains 3 pairs of in-ear seals in different sizes, totaling 9 pairs of ear tips in the package. Not bad.
Read also: Kiwi Ears Quartet Review: Impressive IEM Headphones With Built-in Tone Switches
Design, materials, build quality
The headphones look solid. For the creation of the Kiwi Ears Airoso, premium materials were chosen, which positively affect both the appearance and the tactile feel of the product. The sound nozzle and grille are made of aluminum, the main body of the headphones is 3D-printed from hypoallergenic black polyester plastic and polished to a perfect smoothness, while the outer plate is made of titanium. The assembly of the product is flawless.
The cable is also of good quality, but by the brand’s standards, it is simple, which is consistent with the price of the headphones under $150. The wires are thin, being a basic copper cable, unlike the silver-plated or gold-plated cables found in more expensive models. The 3.5mm jack is small, made of metal, and black in color, with a gold-plated tip. The cable splitter is metal, while the cable strain relief is plastic. The 2-pin 0.78mm connectors are also metal, with gold-plated contacts.
Read also: OPPO Enco Air3 Pro Review: Mid-budget TWS Earbuds with Premium Sound
Overall, this is a decent entry-level cable, and the key point is that you can upgrade it to a more expensive one if desired. For example, I tried using a thicker silver-plated cable from the Quintet, with the Airoso, which seems to be of higher quality. As expected, the sound character changed slightly, though not drastically.
It’s also worth noting the included case, which looks better than the one with my Quintet. It seems the manufacturer has switched to a new and improved case type for all their products – slightly taller, making it more convenient, and finished with eco-leather instead of nylon fabric, giving it a more premium appearance.
Read also: FiiO FH19 In-Ear Monitors review: Flagship IEMs like no other
Comfort of use
The inner part of the earphone housing has an ergonomic shape that follows the curve of the ear. It’s also worth mentioning again the hypoallergenic material used for the earphones – it’s smooth, very pleasant to the touch, and doesn’t irritate the skin.
The included silicone ear tips are of high quality and soft. The key is to choose the right size to ensure a tight, secure fit while making sure the ear tips aren’t too large and don’t put pressure on the ear canal. The fact that the set comes with a sufficient number of different sizes of ear tips helps achieve this balance, allowing for a comfortable and effective seal.
Overall, I don’t experience any discomfort, even after prolonged use of the Kiwi Ears Airoso. The size of the ear tips fits me perfectly, and the fit in my ears is excellent. Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that the headphones are very light and almost unnoticeable in the ears. The key is to position the headphones properly and route the earphone cables behind the ears – how to do this is explained in the included instructions.
Of course, ergonomics are highly subjective, so I can’t guarantee that the Kiwi Ears Airoso will be comfortable for every user. However, I believe most people will find them comfortable to use, as there aren’t any major issues with their fit.
Kiwi Ears Airoso sound
Now, let’s move on to the main section. Overall, the sound of the Kiwi Ears Airoso is excellent and very well-balanced. It’s somewhat similar to the sound of the Quintet, but there’s a noticeable emphasis on the bass, and the high frequencies are not as pronounced. It’s worth noting that the more expensive model, the Quintet, features two special drivers -a micro-planar one (which delivers clear high frequencies with minimal noise) and a piezoelectric driver (for bone conduction) – both of which are focused on high and ultra-high frequencies. In the case of the Airoso, two pairs of “standard” balanced armature drivers handle these frequencies, and they do a decent job, but the price difference (almost \$100) is reflected in the reproduction of high frequencies, which are not as bright as in the Quintet.
However, putting aside the direct comparison between a $130 model and a $220 one, I really enjoy the sound of the Airoso. I can highlight its natural reproduction of instrumental (non-electronic) music, wide soundstage, and the pronounced sense of “air,” which creates a feeling of the studio’s space. The high frequencies are very well detailed and don’t blend together, with the snare and various cymbals standing out distinctly from other instruments. Acoustic instrumental compositions and live vocals also sound particularly impressive.
Overall, for their price, the Kiwi Ears Airoso offer a very impressive level of sound. However, you might need to invest in a higher-quality cable separately, as the manufacturer seems to have cut costs on this component to keep the overall price down. In other words, the included cable feels a bit mismatched with the quality of the headphones. I was able to confirm this by using a higher-quality cable from a more expensive model, and the difference was noticeable.
Read also: Noble Audio FoKus Mystique TWS Earbuds Review: Half a Kingdom for Quality Sound
Conclusions
If you’re looking for quality in-ear monitor headphones in the $100 range, I can definitely recommend considering the Kiwi Ears Airoso.
In fact, I feel that the quality of these headphones is somewhat higher, but the overall price has been intentionally lowered by the manufacturer by including a basic cable in the package. So, an upgrade in sound is definitely possible – over time, you can purchase a higher-quality cable, and these headphones will truly come to life.
Additionally, thanks to their modular design, you can use the Kiwi Ears Airoso as wireless headphones by purchasing a Bluetooth cable with an adapter and battery that supports lossless codecs like LDAC or aptX. For example, I can recommend this affordable yet high-quality option with a microphone, which will also allow you to answer phone calls while listening to music.
Where to buy
