@gLer
Smorgasbord!

With such a review from you,
With such low price tag of the KiwiEars Quintet
and the interesting analysis of some Metallica's track (though it's not exactly my favourite music genre, but I went to some gig a bit more than a decade ago in my town, and I can still enjoy some tracks nowadays).
=> I just pulled the trigger on KiwiEars website and I wait to listen to the Quintet as soon as possible with it's enigmatic micro planar driver.

It doesn't seem to be real risky at all, though I am more these last months in a pure Japanese firms like Sony/JVC/Technics mood, as I have left my historical (for a few decades) German mood with firms like Sennheiser/Beyerdynamic/Vision Ears..

@newworld666,
Yes, the review contains promises in a way, on my part. Though I’m 100% sure the Quintet will deliver wherever you are in your geographical positioning. Congratulations!

Mine arrived yesterday & I just tried them.

My initial impressions have not been good, unfortunately... although I've only tried with two samples.

I've tried them with Vangelis' Blade Runner OST - it doesn't sound especially good fortunately - very average. Simgot EA500 sound much better here

Also tried with a film - Ghost Wold. Even worse. The similarly priced AFUL PERFORMER 5 are much, much better here.

I will give them more of a chance, but we're off to a very bad start.

Ill try some more today but I'm not hopeful.

This is just my initial opinion and is subjective.

@Yarbles
I burned my pair in 100 hours.

Same, 100h burn in. @Yarbles what source were you using? Also try tip rolling.

I'm guess I'm going to try this burn in thing.

Honestly, I've always thought it's absolute bollocks... just like cables making a difference.

Same sources I used the aforementioned on -

For film -

Ifi go Blu to my Nvidia Shield Android Box. It connects via LDAC. My AFUL P5s sound fantastic this way. Simgot EA500's terrible for films also.

For music - ifi Hip Dac 2 to my PC or smartphone using Tidal.

@Yarbles
Well......there is always a time to have an open mind, who knows burn-in may do the trick? It can’t hurt. Still mine sounded pretty darn good directly out of the box. The Quintet seems to go with all the sources I tried, even the Apple Dongle. But IEM enjoyment is very subjective, hopefully they will grow on you. Cheers!

Yes I hope they do. Like I said it was a very limited test. 220 USD isn't throwaway money for me.

I've read a lot about burn in & never noticed a difference myself (the difference myself is not a great reference as per with age, you don't notice yourself getting older every month as the increments are so small).

Here's one article out of many that I've read on burn in - I have read some pro burn in articles, but none of them put up a remotely convincing case -

https://www.soundguys.com/headphone-burn-in-isnt-real-17463/

I'll give it a go, but I think my deep rooted & well researched bias may be difficult to get over.

Do you have any good pro burn in articles?

Thanks

@Yarbles
I don’t, but I’m also a cable believer too. Somehow people all over the world can describe parallel influences from cables, but the only test shows slight impedance differences, nothing that would do everything we hear. Some people notice this stuff, some don’t.....really it’s nothing worth arguing over. But I have a feeling in a week you will like the Quintet more.

"it's nothing worth arguing over"

Thank you. The world needs more of this. Some people just think they are the absolute oracle & you're an idiot if you don't agree with them. People need to learn to disagree better.

Already enjoying them more... Erykah Badu's first album, Baduizm, is an all time favourite and they're absolutely shining

Sir where do you put Aful P5, SR5 , Kiwi Orchestra Lite and Final A5000 in reference to the Quintet. I am really really tempted after reading your perceptions. But$220 is a lot for me. I have Aful 5, was considering only one from the other 3.
thanking you
regards

I think it depends what you want.

I have the Orchesta Lite on the way - ONLY for gaming. (I live in Thailand and even with AC on, closed cans can get very hot) as they are well known for their excellent imaging & will provide decent isolation.

I highly doubt I will ever prefer the Quintet to the P5 as an all rounder, but I believe the Quintet can possibly find their place in my collection, but it's too early to say.

I think you should state what your uses/musical genres etc & you'll get better feedback from others in this thread than myself. One thing I will day is that you are after low end of any significance, you're not going to love the Quintet.

I have not tried the others.

Good luck.

@Yarbles,
Don’t know why your saying the low end has no significance? It’s huge, big and meaty.

@Redcarmoose then honestly, I am of the absolute belief that my pair are duds. Even with xbass on my ifi Hip Dac 2 and pushing them deep into my ear (literally pushing them in with my fingers), I am getting VERY little bass. Mid is just about there - sub is all but non existent

The AFUL performer 5 has MUCH more bass & it certainly isn't any kind of basshead IEM. I'm not comparing them to 7hz Legato or Maestro Mini here.

I'm going to contact Linsoul right now & have them returned, checked & replaced.

Yarbles
I would guarantee that, as there were times (with set-ups) where the bass was even almost too much?

@Redcarmoose well it definitely isn't too much! It's really, really bad & the bass sounds not only low, but kinda weird (not distorted - just sort of, empty... like I can hear mid/sub melodies but they are have absolutely no warmth to them at all).

I've mailed Linsoul, will reply to this later once it's solved.

So I’ve ordered the Quintet. Just this past morning actually, after being persuaded by several knowledgeable people on the Headphones dot com Discord server.. but… what @Yarbles has described/experienced has raised some alarm bells for me. You see, I experienced this with the Yume Ultras, Also a $220 iem, with some pedigree and a 1DD 2BA hybrid structure. They were sleepy, gravelly, sandy and sibilant. So disappointing. Even through my own hip dac2, they wouldn’t wake up, smooth over, nor fill out. I burned em in for 60 hours, tried them again, tip rolled, cable swapped, etc. nothing had changed. So I mothballed them. After about 3 weeks of pretending they didn’t exist, I brought them back out a few days ago. I had to try them one more time before I put them up for sale… and…
They’re ALIVE! Why?!?!? I’ll be damned if I know. Keeping them and hoping to avoid the same drama with the Quintet. Thanks for the awesome review, and thanks for listening.
Peace,
Chris

@bassdad8



Don’t worry a bit. I mean do about 100 or so hours of burn-in, anyway. But they will sound great OTB, just smoother and more congealed after burn-in. I haven’t heard everything, but I would say the Quintet is one of the best values under $300.00. I keep testing it and putting the Quintet up against other IEMs, and it never fails to amaze! ? Cheers! My money would be betting you fall in love with it!

Report back!

Couldn't sell mine quick enough. Didn't hate them, but just don't understand what people are hearing that they love so much.

Kiwiears are fantastic at marketing & making pretty little IEMS in high grade design packaging - but I think they're absolutely bang average.

So much better at this price point. I got the KE Orchestra Lite & hated those. Plain ****ing Jane.

Mangird Tea 2 & Aful Performer 5 are both so much better.