KIWI EARS Allegro

The KiwiEars Allegro is a simple and budget friendly Dongle-dac with a cool gamepad design. It is made well out of aluminum and has built in volume controls. I would have liked if the game controls worked some features, but they are just for show. The accessories are bare minimal. The included cable is however made well.
The Allegro utilizes the ES9028Q2M DAC chip, and it offers both 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm balanced outputs, with High-resolution audio support: to handle PCM up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD up to DSD256.


Sound opinion:
The Allegro is neutral dongle with good soundstage and details overall. Bass, Midrange, and Treble are all presented well and without elevation. It has low noise and drives sensitive IEM without hissing.
The Dongle is not the most powerful for sure but was able to drive my full-sized headphones to a comfortable level but defiantly not to their potential.



The KiwiEars Allegro is a good dongle for under $70, it may not have a lush signature, but it is true to the original recording and has respectable details.

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Kiwi Ears Allegro

The Kiwi Ears Allegro has been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. Linsoul have not made any requests and I will do my best, as always, to be as unbiased as possible.

You can find a link to the Allegro via Linsoul by visiting the version of this review published on my blog (www.achoreviews.com).

As with all links I publish, it is a non-affiliate link.



Intro…

The Kiwi Ears Allegro is the first dongle from the brand, in fact, I believe it is the first product from the brand outside of IEMs, unless there has been a product I have missed. Priced at just over 50€ (at the time of writing this review), it is quite a cheap and cheerful device that is aimed at those looking for something to power their IEMs. I say this because the specified power output of the Allegro (70mW @ 32Ohms unbalanced and 155mW @ 32 Ohms balanced) is not something that is really aimed at driving more demanding over ear headphones or even some of the hungrier IEMs out there. However, as a source for IEMs, especially those that are similar to Kiwi’s own sets, it is more than enough. In fact, it actually performs better than some other alternatives due to the amplification being totally controlled by the device itself and not the source feeding it.

I used the dongle for some time in the office and then took it with me on a business trip to the US this week, where my only devices were the Kiwi Ears Quintet and a set of Sony Linkbuds S (for when needing ANC) and I can’t say that I have found myself regretting it.

But anyway, let’s take a look at this retro-gaming inspired device and talk about how it does in the budget dongle field.



Presentation…

The packaging and presentation of the Allegro is minimalistic. A simple black box with a lift off lid, showing an outline of the device, the brand logo and the slogan “Live the music”, reveals the dongle sitting inside along with the included cable and a very simple booklet with some specs.

It’s funny that the booklet says “Please read the user manual carefully before use the product. Thanks”, yet there are no instructions in the booklet, just an overview of the specs in multiple languages. It is quite possible that there is a manual to be downloaded somewhere but, if that is the case, there is no mention of it in or on the box (and I haven’t looked online).

Not really anything else to say about the packaging, its very simple, it works and it’s all we need.



Build and aesthetics…

I have been on a bit of a retro-gaming journey lately, picking up a couple of retro handheld devices and emulating some of the “golden oldies”. When I received the Allegro, I was amused to find that it looks like a retro console controller.

Made from metal, the front features a D-Pad and a couple of buttons labelled A and B, with the Kiwi Logo in the top right. The top of the device (controller?) is rounded and has a small recess where two round buttons are located. It is a shame that the front panel buttons are not functional as it would have been a nice touch, but I still find the aesthetics to be cheerful and something different. As always, I praise companies for doing something away from what every other company is doing.

As far as the build quality, it seems to be of very good quality. It certainly got thrown around quite a bit on my transatlantic flights and in the hotel & office, showing no signs of being mistreated.

The included cable is also a nicely built USB-C to USB-C which is made to look like it has two separate cores (which I guess it does). Not sure there is any benefit to this but it does look good.




Functionality…

I already said that the front buttons are not functional, so that just leaves the top buttons, which are used to increase and decrease volume. The volume control is done completely onboard, so there is no change to the source, nor can it be changed by the source when using exclusive modes in things like UAPP. I much prefer this set up.

On one end of the device we get a USB-C connector for data and power, which has proved to not have any issue with Android or Windows, although I can’t comment on iOS.

At the other end we get a 4.4mm balanced output and a 3.5mm unbalanced output, which are pretty self explanatory.

The only other remaining thing is a very small status LED that is located on the back. It is a very strange place to place this LED as I didn’t even realize it was there until I was pulling it out of the IEM case and dropped it (still no sign of abuse ), seeing what looked like a tiny reset hole on the back, the type that you would stick a pin in to reset. As I couldn't think why a reset hole would be needed, I looked a little closer and finally realized it was an LED (plugging it in to confirm). Again, a strange place to put it but it is there.

That is it as far as functionality, there are no presets, gain levels or filters, so it really is a simple device.





Sound…

The Alegro uses a ES9028Q2M DAC chip which is something that I haven’t come across in a device before, at least as far as I am aware. I know that Audiophonics uses this in one of their DACs for the Raspberry Pi but I haven’t tried it and, as I just said, I don’t know of any other devices that use it. Maybe some telephones?

Anyway, that is what Kiwi have chosen and, as always, I feel that the implementation is always more important than the actual chip itself. In this case, Kiwi seem to have done a decent job of making a good sounding device for a very reasonable price.

If I were to label the overall sound signature, I would say it is aiming more toward the analytical side of things. More towards cool than warm. Although it is not too analytical, not enough to not be enjoyable, at least to my ears.

I can’t say it is my favourite dongle ever but I also can’t bring myself to complain about it. As I mentioned above, this, paired with the Quintet, was the only device I took with me for my trip and I used it exclusively (except when opting to use ANC to try and disconnect for a while on the flight back). During this time I did not find myself irritated or feeling like I was missing anything at all. It does a great job of bringing out the details in the Quintet without making them seem tiring, which I have found with some other “analytical” sources in the past, due to the already almost “analytical” nature of the IEMs.

I also found it to pair very nicely with the Kiwi Ears Cadenza. The Cadenza, as I have said many times in the past, are a set of ultra budget IEMs that I really enjoy and the pairing with the Allegro gives you a very enjoyable portable system for less than 80€.

If I had to choose, I would say that it pairs slightly better with sets that have a little warmth to them, such as the Cadenza or the Zero 2, but without the being overly warm This seems to give a little more focus to the details of said sets but without ever losing the focus of their signature. Although, as said with the Quintet, even more analytical sets don’t sound bad on the Allegro, I would just refrain from sets that are bright in their tuning as things may get a little thin at times.



Conclusion…

I really like the Kiwi Ears Allegro for just over 50€. It is not my favourite dongle, nor is it a ground breaking experience, but it is cheap and cheerful and will power most IEMs no problem, while doing a decent job.

I would probably recommend this to those who want a no frills budget dongle to power their IEMs and are not sure which way to turn. Yes, there are dongles that bring out more details, others that bring a warmer presentation, others that have more features, but in general, at the 50€ price point, I don’t think the Allegro is inferior to any of the competition around it.

I think I will end up using it paired with a retro handheld, not because I need it but because it looks so cool doing so

__
As always, this review is also available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)

Kiwi Ears Allegro
ES9038Q2M
$60

Before I start this review, let me thank Linsoul for sending the Kiwi Ears Allegro in for review,
rest assured, my review is 100% my own personal opinion.

You can get this dongle here :
https://www.linsoul.com/products/kiwiears-allegro

Unboxing
Build Quality
The build quality of Kiwi Ears Allegro is actually excellent, its made from aluminum, and the design is inspired by retro controller, which is a nice touch because it looks unique compared to other dongle on the market.


Power
Rated at 70mw SE, 155mw Balanced @32ohm.
It has enough power to push Sennheiser HD600 to a reasonably loud listening level, though the bass control is not the best I've heard but its decent.
So if you're planning to use this with your IEM, I don't think there will be any problem at all regarding output power.

Battery Consumption
Plugged in to my Redmi Note 13Pro Plus 5G, it drains 1% around every 7 minutes.

Balanced VS Single Ended
Obviously with balanced you get more power, though I do notice somehow the separation and stage size is a bit better with balanced connection. Tonality of both are the same.

Sound
Neutral

Bass : the Allegro has a tight bass presentation, its not highlighting any bass frequency, it is completely neutral.
Though if i must nitpick, Allegro bass presentation is not the deepest that I've heard (compared to more premium dongle / DAP which is kinda expected)

Midrange : Clarity ! When I compared the Allegro to other sources such as the Hidizs S9 Pro Plus Martha, I can feel the Allegro has some highlights on the upper midrange area, making the overall sound much more lively.
Its not much but its noticeable when you do an A-B comparison.

Treble : Sparkly highs, and extended.
Presented in analytical manners probably due to the ESS chip used on the Allegro.

Technicalities
“Good” for $60

Stage : Good
It is decently wide, obviously much more wider than your smartphone or lets say basic budget dongle.
The Allegro also can render stage layering pretty well

Imaging : Good
Lets say if your IEM can do holographic presentation, the Allegro won't limit its potential, but if your IEM can't do holographical, don't expect any miracles from the Allegro to make your IEM suddenly sounds holographical.

Detail Retrieval : Very Good
It has that ESS Sabre analytical sound presentation, for the price actually the Allegro has a “Very Good“ detail retrieval on all frequency (low – highs) though for sure its not the most detailed dongle ever, but even challenging higher price bracket, I can still say the Allegro detail retrieval is “Good”.

Separation & Positioning : Good
It can dissect sounds pretty well actually.
You can easily separate and pinpoint which sound is coming from and I've tested this using the single ended connector with my trusty cheap Moondrop Chu 2, so that says a lot, no problem and complaint at all for the separation & positioning from me.

Comparison

Hidizs S9 Pro Plus Martha ($79 - $90)
It has same ES9038Q2M chip, but does it have any differences?

Actually YES.
The Allegro tonality is somewhat has more clarity and more lively presentation compared to the Martha, I'm not sure if its because of the filters used or different amp / component they used. Because on the Martha, overall tonality is much more neutral, rather than having slight clarity boost on the upper midrange like Allegro.

Technicality wise, Martha beats Allegro on its detail retrieval, Martha simply shows more micro details compared to the Allegro, but that doesn't mean Allegro is bad in any way, the Allegro is simply just cheaper compared to the Martha and thats why on the detail retrieval section of my review, I said even compared to higher price bracket dongle, the Allegro can stand its ground, and I can say the detail retrieval is still “Good”.

One thing the Martha missing is independent volume control, the Allegro has it.

Conclusion

So, is the $60 Kiwi Ears Allegro worth your money?
Yeah of course, the Allegro is one of the better value dongle available on the market right now.

It offers very good build quality, retro controller inspired design, independent volume control and good technicalities for its price.

Thanks for reaching this far,

Just in case you're Indonesian or understand Bahasa Indonesia, you can watch video version of this review here


-littlenezt.