The Kiwi Ears Orchestra II are a stellar set of IEMs for listeners who want vocal magic and instrumental separation over all else. Thanks to their detail and isolation, it’s a top-tier reference monitor. Some details may feel sharp and some bass may feel less-than-preferable, but their accuracy and placement make it a must-have for folks who love most genres. They capture musical nuances to impressive degrees.
A few weeks ago, I alluded to notion of having two LINSOUL IEMs (in-ear monitors) to review to kick off the year. I’m back to now cover the Kiwi Ears Orchestra II after testing them for the past few weeks as I played everything from Guilty Gear -STRIVE-, Expedition 33, Cult of the Lamb, League of Legends, Borderlands 4, and some other games that I can talk about soon™!
I’m relatively familiar with the Kiwi Ears brand. Last year, I reviewed their Allegro Pro, Ardor, Astral, Ellipse, and Septet products and was quite thrilled with what they provided at their individual price points. Even at the lower end of the price spectrum, Kiwi Ears makes very little compromises by ensuring that their audio products punch above their price point. I appreciate how they’ve taken steps to offer affordable IEMs alongside their premium options, as it ensures that multiple types of consumers can enjoy the audio chocolate that only IEMs can provide.
In-ear monitors (IEMs) are a massive step up from your average wired headphones. The critical mass of IEMs outperform Bluetooth earbuds/headphones by leaps and bounds thanks to their custom tuning and build quality. Sure, IEMs are generally less convenient given their wired nature, but they unlock amazing audio experiences that make you hear the music as it should be heard. Of course, the higher tier of IEMs will blow you away, but you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars for an amazing set of IEMs. You can spend the same amount as you would spend on a set of AirPods on something that makes every song just…pop.
Check out the Kiwi Ears Orchestra II from LINSOUL’s store by clicking here! (non-affiliated URL)
Kiwi Ears has positioned the Orchestra II as ideal for music lovers, musicians, and gamers because of its superior noise isolation and balanced tonality across genres. It includes 10 balanced armature drivers in each ear that provides unmatched tonal accuracy across all frequencies. Frankly, they’re underselling the musical accuracy and clarity of the Orchestra II. The Kiwi Ears Orchestra II are the most balanced IEMs I’ve reviewed to date. They’re great for easy listening but even better for the discerning ear who wants to hear the finer details present in one’s favorite songs.
Let’s start with what’s in the box. The Orchestra II come with a solidly strong carrying case and massive assortment of accessories. The leatherette carrying case is surprisingly large, perhaps the largest and strongest carrying case I’ve used. The case is spacious enough to comfortably house the IEMs, their cords, along with both sets (yes, there are two sets!) of eartips in their individual plastic cases. The shape of the case is ergonomic enough to easily fit in my backpack without getting lost nor taking up too much space. The two additional sets of silicone eartips vary by size and nozzle type. While the sizes are standard (small, medium, large), the nozzle differences vary by strength. I had no trouble finding an eartip that was most comfortable for my ears – I didn’t need to resort to using my favorite set of third party eartips that I occasionally use when stress testing IEMs. The transparent and silver braided cable is surprisingly thick and high-quality. When wrapping and unwrapping the cord for transit,
Frankly, LINSOUL/Kiwi Ears should have accessories of this quality and variety across all of their IEMs going forward. Having this degree of variety and quality assures me that these IEMs are worth their price point and lacking the need for third-party accessories. If IEMs feel this great out of the box, I feel better about keeping them around for the long term.
Moving onto the individual IEMs, I’m generally pleased with the size of the Orchestra II. The IEMs’ acrylic shells are larger than most IEMs, but they fit naturally in my ears. I don’t have super small ears, but I don’t think that those with smaller ears will feel like these IEMs are uncomfortable. I loved the transparent shells that showed the innards of the IEMs alongside a nicely textured plate. They have a premium aesthetic that feels appropriate given their pricetag.
Now onto the important part: How do they sound? Kiwi Ears claims that the Orchestra II are tuned for transparency, minimizing distortion and producing accurate details. From my testing, the custom balanced armature drivers put in some excellent work in making songs of just about every genre sound detailed, layered, and crisp.
The Orchestra II produces clean and precise bass, far from overwhelming or the traditional overemphasized punch of popular earbuds. These are not IEMs for bassheads. Instead, for consumers like me who want to feel an “accurate” amount of bass in line with the rest of the instrumentals, the Orchestra II produce just enough thump without feeling overwhelming while still appreciating the bigger beats. I don’t have the original Orchestra I IEMS, but it looks like the bass was improved from the previous generation based on how other folks discussed the original models.
Trebles are produced with a high degree of details, even down to the smallest instrumental elements that I have missed during prior listens. The Orchestra II makes songs feel open because of how instruments can breathe. There’s no muffle to be had when listening to music. Higher-pitched sounds, such as some female vocalists and shrill instruments, feel somewhat overrepresented but still sound great.
In the midrange territory, vocals sound natural, lifelike, and present. When listening to Adele’s songs it sounded like she was standing a few feet in front of me. Vocals were distinct from other sounds, as well, making it so that I could appreciate vocalists alongside the background instruments without things blending together. Best yet, instruments (as is the case with orchestral music) felt like they were placed in different positions, almost making music feel alive and surreal.
During my review period, I happened to be playing Expedition 33. I felt compelled to use the Orchestra IIs given that Expedition 33 has a stellar orchestral soundtrack comprised of acoustics, symphonic arrangements, along with some vocals. I made a very smart decision doing so, as the Orchestra IIs brought out the hauntingly beautiful details of the operatic tracks. The classical tracks contained plucky and diverse motifs that emphasized the emotions being pulled out across the story beats. In “Lumiére,” the individual guitar notes could be discerned and appreciated while the rest of the string instruments remained sharp. There was no instrumental muddling at all.
Frankly, it was the best way to enjoy Expedition 33 and its amazing soundtrack. You don’t have to be a fan of orchestral music to get the most out of the Orchestra II, though. Across just about every genre I tested, the Orchestra II performed exceptionally well and brought out incredible details in every song. Do I wish that there was some more bass? Not really. I’d rather these IEMs bring out the finer details so I can enjoy the artists’ intent. I can listen to my lively/club music with another pair.
The Kiwi Ears Orchestra II are a stellar set of IEMs for listeners who want vocal magic and instrumental separation over all else. Thanks to their detail and isolation, it’s a top-tier reference monitor. Some details may feel sharp and some bass may feel less-than-preferable, but their accuracy and placement make it a must-have for folks who love most genres. They capture musical nuances to impressive degrees.
