Put simply, if you’re wanting a unique set of IEMs that give your ears the space they needs to relish the music, the Kiwi Ears Septets are a must buy. Their airy, detailed, and spacious acoustics are top notch for those who want to work or game. Should you have the additional hardware to push the volume higher, you’ll get some impressive audio results from these IEMs.
When switching from traditional earbuds to in-ear monitors (IEMs), one of the first hurdles a consumer typically encounters is adjusting to the pressure. That is, pressure building up when the IEMs are securely in-place within the consumers’ ear canal. Some of this can be addressed through using slightly different eartips that reduce the suction power while still maintaining decent fit, while others claim to find success in fiddling with their ears when inserting the IEMs. You could also opt into purchasing a pair of open-back IEMs, should you find a good pair.
The Kiwi Ears Septet IEMs are the best open-backed IEMs I have had the pleasure of wearing and using, hands down. It says quite a bit about the state of the open-backed IEM marketplace, sure, but it also means that Kiwi Ears has succeeded in turning a spectacular set of IEMs that exceed expectations and feel amazing to wear for long periods. If you have sensitive ears like me and are looking for a great set of IEMs for long gaming sessions, there’s one set you should consider: The Septets.
I’ve been fortunate to test out quite a bit of audio goodies from the folks at Kiwi Ears, being the Ardor, Ellipse, and Astral (most recently). During those three prior reviewing experiences, Kiwi Ears impressed me with pushing the audio quality without breaking the bank. Fast forward to today, the Septets sounded fantastic right out of the box and improved beyond what I had imagined after I had broken them in after around 60 hours. Yes, they’re over $250, but if you’re already in the market for midrange IEMs, it’s hard to find anything like these under the $300 price point.
Check out the Kiwi Ears Septet from LINSOUL by clicking here! (unaffiliated URL)
Kiwi Ears have constructed the Septet with spacious soundstage in mind. They’ve incorporated a 10mm Dynamic Driver, 4 Balanced Armatures, 1 Micro-Planar, and 1 PZT. That’s 7 drivers in total over four types. Kiwi Ears claims that the Septet’s multi-driver arrangement offer frequency separation, powerful bass, clear mids, and sparkling highs. What they don’t say is that these IEMs offer near-best-in-class trebles for the price point, which is these IEMs’ winning quality.
Opening the box and putting these IEMs together was the only frustrating part of this review process. Like other Kiwi Ears IEMs, the Septets come with a standard pleather carrying case, replacement eartips, and a thick cable. I have no complaints about these accessories – the cable doesn’t tangle and has a nice thickness, the eartips were of decent quality and didn’t feel cheap, and the carrying case was sturdy while being easy to open. My difficulties emerged when attempting to differentiate between the IEMs and which cord they needed, as well as attempting to insert the cords into the IEM shells. For whatever reason, I needed an extreme amount of force to push the small pins into the holes on these IEMs. This was concerning, as the cords’ pins are fragile, and I didn’t want to break them before I even had a chance to hear them. I’m willing to dismiss this concern as an isolated manufacturing issue (I haven’t seen other users report a similar set of concerns), but it was still concerning to encounter this frustration at the start of my review period.
Thankfully, this was the only negative I faced during my review period. Once I got them plugged in and fitted into my ears with the appropriate eartips after some finagling, it was smooth sailing.
Open-backed headsets are unique in that they produce an airy acoustic profile. The semi-open Septets are no exception. When wearing these IEMs, I could hear my voice all the while the music I was listening to had a decent, but not stuffy, audio isolation. Most IEMs aim for total isolation, but the benefit of open-backed IEMs/headsets is how they offer superior spaciousness and audio detail.
The Septets don’t have a traditional “warm” sound profile that many prefer. Instead, these IEMs emphasize airiness and spaciousness over all else.
When it comes to how they handle bass, the Septets stop short of a punchiness that shakes the noggin. Sure, you can feel some of the mid-bass from Major Lazer’s “Lean On,” but it’s not to the extent that the average consumer would prefer. For comparison’s sake, switching from the bass-heavy ZiiGaat Arcanis to the Septets result in a notable difference in the bass feeling thinly textured. Overall, they’re just fine for mid-bass heavy songs but fall short in moving the listener.
The Septet’s mids are unusual in how they end up sounding slightly thin. This is until you hear tracks with cymbals, kickdrums, or high notes. Then, you’ll feel stunned by how the Septets push out audio in a full-bodied manner. The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” comes out as sounding realistic and lively, biting the ears without becoming shrill. I’ve had trouble trying to describe how the Septet handles mids because they walk a fine line in reproducing crisp audio without hurting my eardrums. Regardless, the realism won me over.
Finally, let’s talk treble and soundstage. The Septets are unmatched (in this price point) in achieving a “sparkly” (meaning, emphasized high notes) treble that leans heavily into sounding lively. There’s no harshness whatsoever, meaning that I could enjoy Solji’s “Rains Again” without the instruments sounding shrill or drowning out her voice. If you feel that treble-heavy tracks sound like the singer is screaming, the Septets will prevent that from happening full stop. Their soundstage is impressively airy, too, meaning that it was easy for me to close my eyes and hear instruments in different positions all around me. The soundstage is on-par with what I would expect from IEMs in the ~$500 price point, which is quite impressive as these are under $300 at this time.
At this time, the Septets are my go-to IEMs for most music. Their tuning is pretty niche given their spaciousness and treble, meaning that I wouldn’t necessarily defer to these IEMs as something for “all around” listening. Instead, my ears have thanked me given how they relieve the pressure in my ears while also producing some pretty fantastic audio.
Nowhere on the Septet’s store page nor box does gaming get mentioned as a potential use case. It’s surprising, because when I plugged these IEMs into my DualSense controller to review some games I was shocked by their quality. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised to see them perform at parity with traditional audio, but hearing the 3D sound and enjoying the airiness that these open-backed IEMs provided was delightful. Their detailed trebles meant that gunshots and other usually-harsh effects weren’t piercing my eardrums. Playing a shooter was actually enjoyable.
The Septets have a unique sound signature that may be foreign to the discerning listener. They’re far more airy than anything I’ve tested, and it’s not just because of their open-backs. When I compare these to the Astrals (which I finished reviewing just last month), the Septets aren’t a true “all-around” IEM that can reproduce finer details. The Astrals have a smidge more punch in the bass and are more suitable for noise isolation. However, the Septets shine in producing refreshing audio and ensuring that my ears can “breathe” with the music.
Put simply, if you’re wanting a unique set of IEMs that give your ears the space they needs to relish the music, the Kiwi Ears Septets are a must buy. Their airy, detailed, and spacious acoustics are top notch for those who want to work or game. Should you have the additional hardware to push the volume higher, you’ll get some impressive audio results from these IEMs.
Linsoul provided DigitalChumps with a pair of the Kiwi Ears Septet for the sole purpose of this DigitalChumps review.
