Kiwi Ears Orchestra II IEM Review
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 famili...[Read More]
Punch Audio Portazo IEM Review
Happy New Year! We hope that you have had a fabulous break and a great time setting up your new audio, visual, and gaming peripherals. We sure did! In our 2025 Holiday Gift Guide, head honcho and Elgato aficionado Nathan included the ZIIGAT Crescents as some of the best audio experiences he has had to date. In conversations with him outside of DigitalChumps work, he’s expressed great pleasure in b...[Read More]
Kiwi Ears Septet IEM Review
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 othe...[Read More]
Kiwi Ears Astral In-Ear Monitors Review
It’s not often that a pair of in-ear monitors makes me do a triple take when using them. Not a double take, but a triple. Think of a time when you were trying out two separate items of the same type, but different brands. My triple take with the Kiwi Ears Astral occurred when I was using them for quite a while and then switching to another set of IEMs that I won’t name here. When I switched away f...[Read More]
Linsoul ZiiGaat Arcanis IEM Review
Back when I reviewed the Linsoul ZiiGaat Lush IEMs, I found myself wanting something…just a bit more. The pair of IEMs made most, if not all, music sound great, but I wanted my music to feel more lively, more punchy…more real. This is not a knock against the pair of IEMs – this is a reminder that a pair of IEMs that have been tuned to a neutral profile will be middle of the road. Then, I put on th...[Read More]
Linsoul ZiiGaat Lush IEM Review
When I think of lush-sounding audio, I think of easy listening. Perhaps something cushy, broad, or even warm. Neutral, possibly. Maybe even smooth. It’s not often I hear the phrase “lush” thrown around as something to describe an audio product, but when I do, I cannot help but consider the designer to be making a very bold move. The ZiiGaat Lush lives up to its name in multiple ways. Naming this p...[Read More]
Kiwi Ears Ardor Bluetooth Headphones with ANC Review
It’s not often I see premium noise-cancelling features on a ~$100 headset, especially one that is moderately comfortable. The $100-and-under category of headphones, earbuds, and headsets often involve compromises that make the listening experience lackluster. I get it, in the name of affordability, compromises have to be made, but those compromises are often not worth it. It looks like Kiwi Ears h...[Read More]
Kiwi Ears Ellipse Headphone Review
Once upon a time in the early 2010s, I owned a pair of Sony MDR-XB500 headphones. I owned those headphones for nearly a decade, being my daily drivers because of their supreme comfort, excellent bass, and relatively wide soundstage for $70 (at the time). They were my favorite headphones because of their comfort – I wore them for hours while playing PS3, on my computer, and on my portable consoles ...[Read More]
Linsoul ZiiGaat x Fresh Reviews Arete IEM Review
In the high-fidelity audio world, wired earphones are the norm. Although Bluetooth audio has improved over the past decade, using in-ear monitors (IEMs) with a standalone digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is one of the best ways to fine-tune audio. I’m sure you’ve seen some streamers of late using IEMs instead of traditional headsets, too, so don’t think that IEMs are just for HiFi audio. What if ...[Read More]