KBEAR Qinglong Review – Into The Mystic
The $60 KBEAR Qinglong is a haptically and optically appealing single DD iem…that lacks sonic inspiration.
PROS
- Great build quality and haptic
- Good timbre
CONS
- Uninspiring, incohesive sound
- Loveless tuning
In this Article
The KBEAR Qinglong was kindly provided by the manufacturer for my analysis – and I thank them for that. You can get it from the KBEAR Official Store.
Introduction
KBEAR are currently deeply invested in Chinese mythology. Qinglong, the Azure Dragon, is one of the Dragon Gods, one of the highest deities. It is also one of the four symbols, which the inclined reader knows from the Led Zeppelin IV album.
The other three symbols are the Black Tortoise, the Vermillion Bird, and the White Tiger. These symbols have multiple meanings in Chinese mythology – and describing them would go too far here.
Specifications KBEAR Qinglong
Drivers: PU+PEEK double-layer composite diaphragm Impedance: 32 Ω Sensitivity: 108 dB/mW @ 1 kHz Frequency Range: 10-40,000 Hz Cable/Connector/plug: 4-core 5N silver-plated wire/2pin 0.78 mm/3.5 mm plug Tested at: $61 Product Page/Purchase Link: KBEAR Official Store |
Physical Things and Usability
The package features the earpieces, eartips, cable, storage case…and additional cleaning brush and microfibre cloth. Nice! The earpieces are of highest quality, made of polished aluminum, and very similar to the the Moondrop KATO’s (at almost three times the price). The cable is pliable with rugged metal connectors – and optically good average. Works well.
Comfort and fit are good, isolation could be better – for my ears.
Tonality and Technicalities
| Equipment used: MacBook Air | Earstudio HUD 100 |
The Qinglong’s sound is not bad, looking at it superficially: decent single DD timbre, V-shape…but but but… After a few minutes, the Qinglong shows its true face: it lacks PRAT and its tuning is from yesteryear (that isolated midrange mountain between 2.5 and 4.5 kHz).
Bass is on the weaker side with relatively little kick, but there is an ok sub-bass rumble. Kick is soft and bass lacks focus and composure, which leads to a somewhat fuzzy mid bass. The bass may congest the lower midrange.
Vocals are much recessed, lean, and they can be sharp (that midrange mountain in the frequency response…again) and borderline nasal. Higher guitar notes are on the verge of being shouty – but not quite. And then there is this weird drop off from 4.5 kHz on moving cymbals and high violin notes into the background.
So we get a little agile bass covering somewhat bright, lean vocals. Voices are way too thin for my taste. Upper midrange is only borderline shouty. We get a sharp rolloff in the lower treble that puts cymbals behind the bass. Somehow, the whole image lacks fine tuning and cohesion.
I am rather critical, as I have tested tens of such half-baked iems. The newbie reviewer may be more satisfied with the Qinglong.
As to the technicalities: the fuzzy mid bass narrows and congests the stage, which is average in less bassy tracks. Timbre is good, separation and layering are actually ok, too. Overall, tonality and technicalities combined are not more than just acceptable, but nothing special.
My criticism is that there is no cohesion, no PRAT, which makes my listening experience somewhere between boring and painful.
Higher guitar notes are on the verge of being shouty – but not quite. And then there is this weird drop off from 4.5 kHz on moving cymbals and high violin notes into the background.
Concluding Remarks
The KBEAR Quinlong are not per se bad but simply uninspiring to the trained ear. They are just another <$100 iem with great build and good looks – and mediocre sound. Tuning is simply lagging – and the competition is not sleeping either. There’s more to product design than just looks.
And that’s it for me with reviewing cheap gear. I’ll leave it to the juniors!
Until next time…keep on listening!
