KEFINE DELCI

TONALITY: 8.2/10
TECHNICALITIES: 7.8/10
TIMBRE: 8/10
SOUNDSTAGE: 8.5/10
IMAGING: 7.5/10
MUSICALITY (subjective): 8.2/10
CONSTRUCTION: 8.5/10
ACCESSORIES: 8/10
SOUND VALUE: 8.5/10

Kefine is a newcomer IEM company from China that has release a planar IEM call Klanar about 6 months ago and aim budget friendly IEM release that deliver high sound performance value.

Today I will review their second release call Delci.

Priced 60$ right now (msrp:75$), the Delci is a single dynamic driver IEM using a 10mm DLC+PU driver.

Let see in my review if the Delci is competitive enough to worth consideration in over crowded sub-100$ IEM offering.

CONSTRUCTION&ACCESSORIES QUALITY




The construction is all made of CNC aluminum alloy and feels extremely sturdy. The finish is gunmetal and has a pleasant texture, it doesn't seem easily scratchable which is a big plus.
As well, this one piece alloy is very lightweight at only 5.3grams.



On top we have the 2 pin connector, solidly embedded and aligned with the rest of the shell.
The nozzle is angled, and long enough for both shallow and deep fit.
This nozzle is a bit thick but doesn’t create discomfort.
Overall design is sober and elegant, not very colorful and striking to look at but I love low profile IEM too.



The included cable isn’t bad but comes only in the 3.5mm single ended option which is a bummer if most of your audio sources are balanced like me. Cable is a 4 cores braided with 164 copper wires, it's soft and flexible, looks good and feels durable.



As for the packaging, it's a minimalist box with a generous amount of eartips (6 pairs of silicone eartips in 2 models: short and long wide bore). The carrying case is basic quality but it has plenty of space for more than one IEM and 1 cable, which is a plus for compact portability.

All in all, I'm very satisfied with the construction as well as accessories for the price though lack of balanced cable option is a con nowaday.


SOUND IMPRESSIONS



Overall tonality of the Delci can be summarized as warmish U shape with big sub bass boost, mild mid bass boost, smooth upper mids-lower treble boost then mostly lean and dark treble until ultra highs crispness that add brilliance, sparkle and snap to a widely open and airy musicality with wide resonance rumble capacity that stretched headroom.
Electric bass, digital kick, female vocal and metallic high pitch percussions and sound are what get more intensity in tonal balance.
The Delci are near basshead IEM, they aren’t too bright nor too dark and aim for an immersive musicality with plenty of bass juice to bite in. It’s laid back yet near W shape in balance due to this extra upper treble extension that is something rare in sub-100$ IEM, which often lack proper sparkle.

The bass is thunderous in rumble, wide and heavy in slam, but not super speedy or cleanly rounded in mid bass so the kick while having minimum punch can’t compete with more dynamic sub bass, it feel thinner too, but does have this subtle tuck even with acoustic kick, it’s ‘’hidden’’ under bass line release resonance which benefit rumble density and tactility but not the sharpness of presence and positioning.
Bassist specialist then? I think so, electric bass lines are vibrant in texture and grunt and can get their own physical roundness, it magnifies the sense of layering even if as said the kick drum doesn't get the same treatment and isn’t as forwarded in soundscape.
I did enjoy jazz rock trio Autoryno with the Delci, since even if i nitpick kick drum definition perfection, the punch ‘’oomph’’ is there and mix well with more define bass line, it cohabit closely, sometime mixing their impact energy which benefit trip-hop, rap, R&B and soul as well as electronic music.
All in all, the bass is the main highlight of those Delci, but it excels with slower music genres as well as not too complex and busy tracks.

The mids sit between lush and bright, lean way. The female vocal are at risk of sibilance due to a slightly forwards and energetic presence, yet it’s not shouty or too loud, sibilance occur in 5-10 khz range so it’s pass upper mids and this is how instrument and vocal feel clearer too but not perfectly define. Without this extra attack edge, it would lack dynamic in fact so this is a well done balance afterall.
So again, lukewarm territory in term of resolution since it’s a mix of darkness and crispness here, definition edge of sound envelope is a bit messed up, it lack proper contour and has its harmonic more upfront than fundamentals, underlining a lower mid scoop that make instrument thinner and brighter that they naturally are, this is why i can’t say it’s 100% lush, sweet or warm.
Mids sound open and airy, piano has light note weight and clean rendering but lack attack lead definition as if piano was a wind instrument.
Male vocals are a bit thin too, but the presence is bright and clear, it’s not veil nor warm by bass, timbre of Kurt Eiling vocal can feel a bit nasally and harsh. It lacks lower range vibrancy and fullness and focuses more on upper range presence and grain, which benefit intelligibility of lyric but not musicality of the tone.
Female vocal are better and lusher and thicker, Jorja Smith breathy vocal sound very good, presence is wide and upfront yet not shouty or too aggressive.


The treble is the most impressive part with the bass, it’s plenty crisp and sparkly with an open and airy delivery. Not to imply that Delci are analytical but we have a good amount of micro details that pop up in soundscape with snappy energy.
Folk fans will be spoiled here since acoustic guitar sounds marvelously brilliant and well defined, cohabiting with vocals in an airy scintillating way.
Fine details of metal string pulling or scratching are delivered in ultra HD resolution, making separation of melodic line easier, it avoids too euphonic sustain too so the attack release while thin is clean too.
Some might find it extract unwanted or distracting micro details in instrument texture or percussions range, i’m one of those but mostly for percussions since when their a wide variety of high pitch sound some will be sharper and louder, gaining this metallic brilliance boost that make harder to follow full rhythmic richness, some cymbals lack proper atack lead while other are ultra snappy popping in with more authority and clarity, yet not being always fully restitute. So, in busy rock with plenty of crash cymbals, the air can get noisy with lean shrill resonance and the hit of each cymbal isn’t well felt or perceived.
This is a imprevisible treble response that can make violin attack super edgy and speedy sometimes, but this violin will sound thin and borderline metallic in timbre.
It must be noted that I judge treble without taking the price in account, like I do with EW200 which is superior in this department and I will show why in the comparison section.

The soundstage is quite impressive in term of wideness, it give a vast stereo sound tapestry that don't feel compressed. It's not a very deep and clean spatiality though.

Imaging is just average here, nothing to write about, even percussions are that sharp in positioning. Bass line are easier to position and extract. I would never suggest those for monitoring purpose.



Side Notes

At 28ohm of impedance and 108db of sensitivity, the Delci aren't hardest IEM to drive but benefit from proper amping to get all it's bass goodness as well as soundstage openess.

A balanced source do improve it's imaging and macro dynamic clarity, so in that regard, upgrading cable is legit.

As for eartips, i find wide bore the go to choice.

Since these are a bit warm, it pair better with clean source that have lively dynamic too.

COMPARISONS



VS SIMGOT EW200 (1DD-40$)

EW200 is notably brighter, crisper and more W shaped, it feels more neutral too in an energetic way, suddenly Delci feels more basshead L shape, darker as a whole and sloppier in bass response.

The bass is faster, tighter and more textured and defined in presence with EW200, mid bass is more focused, kick drum is less dark, bass line doesn't veil lower mids as much too. The punch is harder and dryer, while wide and juicier with Delci which has notably more boosted sub bass that offer longer thicker rumble release as well as wider slam. Overall transition in mids is warmer and more prompt to resonance fog that will affect definition sharpness of mid range instruments.

Mids are brighter and more technical, clearer and cleaner, as well as fuller and sharper in presence. Resolution is notably superior in this range (and above), attack is more controlled and I can see people using EW200 for monitoring purposes which I will never do with Delci. Both male and female vocals are less prompt to slight sibilance, they are about as loud but their presence isn’t as wide and diffuse and other instruments are clearer as well as air is cleaner around it. We have more note weight and faster attack control. Upper mids are a bit louder, nearer to shoutyness than smoother yet more sibilant Delci.

Treble is where the Delci has no chance to compete, EW200 is an abnormality in sub-100$ price range and offers notably fuller and more extended treble with faster snappier attack, more articulated, energic and edgy percussions dynamic. We have more micro details, not just random sound info boost, acoustic guitar isn’t just about brilliance, it sound fuller but as sparkly, Delci has more air and greater ultra high spike which feel like one-trick pony when it come to fast busy track with energetic percussions and drum since EW200 will not go as muddy and foggy in macro dynamic.

Soundstage wise, Delci go upper hand here, it’s way wider and taller, and even deeper due to more recessed center stage that have leaner amplitude intensity, so it feels more contemplative while you're in the middle of the jam with the EW200.

If resolution and attack control is from another league with EW200 it means imaging is superior even if it feels more compressed in sound layer, which are closer to each other but brighter and more defined in each sound envelope which doesn’t mix up in resonant diffusion like the darker Delci.

All in all, in term of plain musicality I would be lying to say I prefer EW200, this is due to the fact im both a fan of dense well layered enough rumble, not shouty mids and big soundstage as well as sparkle which Delci deliver, yet in term of plain technical performance the EW200 feel like a 200$ IEM vs a 80$ warm basshead one.

VS ARTTI R1 (3DD-70$)

Those 2 are quite similar in harmanish tonal balance but R1 is more technical sounding, a notch more W shape and crisper in mid range as well as cleaner and more capable in imaging.

The limitation of single DD vs 3DD is real here, it’s more evident with complex busy tracks that need proper macro dynamic layering where the R1 feels from another league.

But it doesn’t mean tonality is more musical, it’s less lush and laid back, thinner and dryer in timbre, less natural and warm in balance.

The bass is rounder, thicker, warmer and punchier with Delci, rumble is more vibrant and lush but separation is less clean. R1 bass is thinner and dryer, lighter in impact but faster in attack and not as prompt to bass bleed, bass lines are cleaner and better articulate too as well as more textured and edgier in definition.

Mids is darker and lusher with the Delci, vocals are less brightened in presence, smoother and creamier more colorful in timbre, male vocals are less bright and thin. vocal and instrument has wider but less edgy presence, timbre is more natural and upper mids less spiky with Delci. R1 has more open spatiality and clean crisper mids as well as more transparent layering, it’s less euphonic and prompt to macro muddyness

Treble is where Delci can’t compete since we have a whole DD for this task the R1 is way crisper and more detailed, airier even if both these IEMs can deliver sparkle. R1 percussions are better extracted and snappier in attack, we don't lose sound info as much as darker Delci. Treble sensitive people will find Delci safer too.

Soundstage is wider with Delci while it's notably deeper and taller and airier with R1.

Imaging and sound layering is from another league with R1, no competition here, even fast busy tracks keep their macro dynamic articulated and don't mix their sound layers easily unlike Delci that show its transient limitation.

All in all, i come to similar conclusion with R1 than i do for EW200, the Delci musicality is more natural and balance, bass is thicker and lusher and more pleasant as well as mids are more focused on vocals which are smoother and wider in lush presence with Delci, but technical performance can’t compete with 3DDs here even with an overall similar U shape tonal balance.


CONCLUSION



The Kefine Delci are a very pleasant sounding IEM, one of few well balanced warm U shapes I've heard under 100$. It would be the logical upgrade to something like Blon Z300, KBear Rosefinch or CCA CRA+.

Sure, these are no end games in terms of technical performance, but I've heard way worse and the sound signature isn’t technical in the first place. It aims for a smooth laid back bassy musicality which is very well achieved here.

If you like bass and rumble as well as lush warm vocals and need some sparkle on top, I think Delci is a very safe bet. Just the fact I'm underwhelmed 99% of the time by lack of sparkle on top and these deliver some is a big deal, due to keeping balance gently bright and not aggressive too.

All in all, Kefine is more than Fine and their second release confirms they know how to tune IEM since the Klanar is a very musical IEM too with similar tonality, slightly superior in technical performance due to the use of a planar driver.

Recommended!




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PS: I want to thanks Kefine for sending me the Delci. As well as for their patience because i took more than one month to accept this reviewing task. This was due to overwhelming suggestion from other audiophile buddies which are legit. I'm happy to have enjoy this budget IEM which I have zero affiliation with nor zero $ compensation (i don't resell IEMs 99% of time).

You can buy the Delci for 52$ here (non affiliated link and cleaned from cookies): https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806495115861.html

Kefine is a new audio brand out of China that have launched a couple products to market. This review will take a look at their dynamic driver IEM, the Delci. The product was provided directly from Kefine for reviewing.

The Delci features a 10mm Polyurethane + Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) driver within aluminum gunmetal gray shells. The product is $59 and available on various online retailers.

The product also comes with a very nice cable that is a 4-wire braid mixing 2 wires of light copper with 2 wires of dark brown color that gives the cable a bit of a unique and luxurious look. The connectors are all aluminum and match the IEM shells, while terminating in 3.5mm stereo jack and 2-pin connectors.

Sound Impressions​

Kefine went with a very warm and balanced tuning choice with the Delci and its tuned quite well, with a fairly smooth and lifted bass range through the mids. The upper mid-range and treble are very easy to listen to, but there is a small peak in the mid-treble that only sometimes peeks out to be sharp on some cymbal attacks. Overall, the tuning is very nicely done and can be considered a gentle V-shaped tuning.




The low end is quite punchy with good impact. The dynamics are quite lively on Daft Punk's Fragments of Time, and surprisingly handles this track very well. Cymbals don't sound too bright and the busy passages are well controlled as is the bass section. The Delci's texturing may not be the best here, but it's really great for a budget IEM.

On a rock track like Vatican by Laterns on the Lake, the haunting lead vocals come across very clear and the echoes of Hazel Wilde's voice as it disappears in the background whisper away on the Delci. Again, I am very impressed with how smooth and engaging this IEM sounds with this track. Like on Daft Punk, the drumming from Radiohead's Phil Selway is punchy, and provides a good kick when needed.

I also tried a bit of piano jazz with the Delci, listening to the live recording of Bill Laurance Trio at Ronnie Scott's. On "The Good Things", the IEM was able to handle all the most intense parts with Laurance's piano melodies in full swing, and the electric bass guitar strumming heavily and drums on high octane. Kick drums are heavy on this track and the Delci had great impact when they struck. The soundstage felt more intimate overall, like I was sitting in the front of the show, but surprisingly did not feel like it was overwhelmed with poor separation here.

Final Thoughts​

The Delci is a great single DD IEM from Kefine. It's tuned very well to my preferences, and works well with all the genres I threw at it. I am pretty impressed with the sound for the low price of just $59, and this easily becomes one of my recommendations at this price point. If I were to change anything with it, I'd consider lowering the treble slightly after 7KHz to reduce it for those who are more sensitive to brightness, but overall this tuning works well.