KBEAR KB04 Review (3) – The Big Music
Pros — Dry and punchy bass; soundstage large in all dimensions; good value.
Cons — Upper-midrange forward; not the most natural timbre.
INTRODUCTION
I had forgotten about these. Last autumn a pair of betas arrived and I helped KopiOkaya with tuning and feedback – as always free of charge. At the time, I was loaded with such betas and therefore skeptical whether anybody needed another $30 earphone.
I was wrong. I had not factored in time and the pandemic craze. New releases had become far and few between. So I was happy to hold these in my hands. By now you may have read the other two reviews on this blog and elsewhere. We have offered so far:
KBEAR KB04 review I by Loomis Johnson
KBEAR KB04 review II by Baskingshark
I therefore keep my intro short and dip right into the technical side of things.
SPECIFICATIONS
Drivers: 1BA + 1DD
Impedance: 16 Ohms
Sensitivity: 104db ±3db
Frequency response: 20Hz – 40KHz
Cable type: 0.78mm 2 Pin
Tested at: $26-27
Purchase Link: KBEAR Official Store
Purchase Link: Wooeasy Earphones Store
TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES
My tonal preference and testing practice
The KBEAR KB04’s sound can be characterized as slightly U-shaped with a dry crispness and lively dynamics through the frequency spectrum. The bass is noteworthily tight, punchy, well-carved, dry, crisp with a good extension down below. It is this very solid underbelly (not heard since the Focal Spark) that adds the depth of the soundstage. This low end is fast enough not to bleed into the midrange.
The midrange is energetic (but not overenergized). Voices are well sculptured and could be a bit thicker, however they are attenuated by the overtones emphasized by the upper-midrange peaks. This is still acceptable as the bass is not smothering them from below. The elevated upper midrange adds brightness to the image that is not balanced by the bass because of its speed. Again, nothing bad but this combination “makes” the signature.
Treble is well extended and adds the sparkle to the mix. Out comes a sound that is quite unique in the world of budget earphones with a good transparency and a good depth perception.
The soundstage is amazingly big in all dimensions for such as budget iem. It is reasonably wide, rather deep, and also quite tall. If the sound image was a house, it would be one with strong, solid stone walls. This results in really good spatial cues. The single DD Cambridge Audio SE1 sound shallow compared to the KB04. The timbre is not the most natural, it sounds rather digital. It doesn’t quite sound like analog vinyl, but more like a CD player. But, timbre is good enough for enjoying string quartets and much better than my 2018 KZ hybrid models.
If the KBEAR Diamond or the iBasso IT01 have the suspension of a Lincoln SUV, the KB04 has the suspension of a Honda Civic. Everything nice and tight. Everything good, nothing fantastic.
WHY DO I WANT IT (OR WHY NOT)
The first question what shelf live this iem has in your collection before it migrates into the drawer. Sure, it is cheap but so were the many KZ budget earphones that disappeared quickly and forever in the abyss. The KBEAR KB04 will like not share this fate and will survive the initial hype similar to the Bon BL-03, simply because it is different from the budget bulk even from the mid tier selection, and it sounds good.
In terms of usefulness, I am using it a lot outside the house as the snappy image, crisp note definition, good comfort, and reasonable isolation make the sound pretty impervious against street noise. The other advantage is its small size and flat faceplate: you can lie on your side in bed with these – no problem.
The KBEAR KB04 is not for you if you are seeking strictly organic sound, but you may not find this anyway in the price range other than in the Blon BL-03. You may also void it if you need rich vocals and are overly sensitive to an elevated upper midrange.
WHAT WOULD I DO DIFFERENTLY?
I would have taken out some upper midrange, but since I am the co-tuner, this was hard to do without changing other places in the frequency spectrum. We tuners (we are not the engineers, shut some “whiskey tasters”) had to work with the drivers given, which are not the highest grade – through pretty decent. In comparison, the pair of DDs in the Tanchjim Oxygen cost $80.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
I find the KBEAR KB04 a great earphone particularly for the commute because of its energetic sound (with a solid underbelly and its good imaging). And the shells are small and comfortable and fit me well. A big sound at a small price, what else could we wish for…at least in terms of earphones.
Until next time…keep on listening!
You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.
DISCLAIMER
The review unit was supplied by KBEAR. Thank you very much. It is available from KBEAR Official Store and Wooeasy Earphones Store.
Our generic standard disclaimer.
You find an INDEX of our most relevant technical articles HERE.
FURTHER READING
