Kiwi Ears recently introduced the Aether, a ~$150 planar magnetic single-driver in-ear monitor. It’s the company’s first IEM of this type and features an unusually large 15.3mm driver.
The Timeless II ~$229 also launched recently as an upgrade to the well-regarded 7Hz Timeless. Like its predecessor, it is a planar magnetic single-driver IEM. It features a 14.5mm driver.
7HZ TIMELESS II SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver: 14.5mm planar magnetic driver
- Impedance: 15.2 ohms
- Sensitivity: 108 dB/V@1KHz
- Frequency Response: 5-40kHz
- Weight per earbud: 5 g
- Connector type: 0.78 mm 2-pin
- Cable: ca. 1.2 m detachable with interchangeable 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm jacks.
Current price and availability:
- Linsoul: 7hz Timeless II
- Amazon: 7hz Timeless II
KIWI EARS AETHER SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver: 15.3 planar magnetic
- Impedance: 14 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 105dB SPL/mW
- Frequency range: 20Hz-20kHz
- Detachable cable: 120 cm
- Earphone connector type 0.78mm dual pin
- Cable termination 3.5mm TRS jack
Current price and availability:
- Amazon: Kiwi Ears Aether
- Linsoul: Kiwi Ears Aether
BUILD AND COMFORT
Kiwi Ears Aether features a relatively large yet comfortable housing made of medical-grade resin. Its semi-custom shaped shell is complemented by a decorative faceplate.
7Hz Timeless II is made entirely of metal yet remains exceptionally lightweight. Despite its circular decorative face, it is more compact and ergonomically designed than it might appear, and it’s very comfortable to me, at least.
Both feature 0.78mm 2-pin connectors for the detachable cable, which is the most common among IEMs these days.
LISTENING COMPARISONS
Associated equipment:
- Amp: Topping A90
- DAC: RME ADI-2 DAC FS
- Tips: SpinFit CP145
Maple Noise by Greene Serene
This great dynamic improv jazz piece sounds terrific on both earphones. The bass is more pronounced with the Aether, which sounds a bit warmer and more dynamic, the Timeless II is airier but not as full bodied.
Summer 3 Vivaldi Recomposed by Max Richter
The Timeless II sounds excellent—very neutral, detailed, and open. The Aether is slightly different but still airy and detailed. It leans warmer where there’s more emphasis on lower frequencies.
Vicarious by Tool
The Timeless II has a bit less bass, and sounds slightly more technical and neutral, the Aether has a bit more body. Both are very detailed.
Den Gamle Eken by Tingvall Trio
They’re tuned slightly differently—the Timeless II has a more pronounced midrange, while the Aether offers stronger bass. In terms of soundstage and detail retrieval, they’re quite similar.
The Dark Inside of Cabbage by Fire!
They’re very similar here, the Aether again with a bit stronger bass, but that’s all.
As Before by Olga Konkova
They’re very similar.
It Could Be Sweet by Portishead
Again, they’re very similar. Both sound slightly dry.
Hjorten i Regnet by Moskus
Here, the Timeless II comes out as the one with more bass, otherwise very similar.
Almost Like The Blues by Leonard Cohen
The Timeless II has slightly more midrange and vocals, the Aether somewhat stronger bass.
Limit to Your Love by James Blake
Very similar, again.
Sunrise by Norah Jones
The vocals are more pronounced with the Timeless II, the bass slightly more powerful with the Aether.
As I made my way through my playlist, the pattern continued. The sound is very similar most of the time, and when differences do appear, they’re subtle.
WRAPPING IT UP
Sound Signature
The Kiwi Ears Aether and the 7Hz Timeless II share a very similar sound signature, both having a neutral, but slightly warm leaning tuning. I occasionally notice the Aether having a touch more low-end presence, but the difference is subtle and can vary slightly depending on the track due to small differences in their frequency responses. Both handle every genre I’ve tried surprisingly well.
Treble
The treble on both is detailed and airy, without sounding harsh or overly sibilant. They also avoid the glare in the treble and upper mids that’s often found in planar magnetic earphones.
Midrange
The midrange on both is neutral to slightly warm, with excellent clarity and articulation. On some tracks the Timeless II has more pronounced mids, e.g. vocals, than the Aether, but not by much and it varies from track to track whether it is significant.
Bass
Both have impressively detailed and textured bass. The quantity is very similar overall, though it can vary slightly from track to track. The Aether tends to come off as more bass heavy, but not by much, and definitely not always.
Soundstage and Imaging
They both have an open sounding soundstage and great imaging capabilities, also here they are very comparable.
Detail, Dynamics, and Timbre
They’re also very comparable in terms of detail, dynamics, and timbre. Both deliver a high level of detail across the board, with a neutral, natural timbre. Articulation and dynamics are equally impressive on each.
CONCLUSION
In my listening tests, I found the Kiwi Ears Aether and the 7Hz Timeless II to sound very similar. This might vary from setup to setup, as they could respond differently to amplification, the music player, and the choice of ear tips e.g.
Based on my own observations, they sound close to identical in many instances, and otherwise very close. Both are excellent-sounding planar magnetic earphones, with especially detailed bass and a neutral sound signature, free from the glare and edginess often associated with the upper mids and treble of planars.
The most obvious difference lies in the design—they look and feel quite different, though both are very comfortable. The Timeless II is smaller and lighter, but has the larger protruding faceplate that some might not like.
The other significant difference is the price, with the Aether being roughly $60 cheaper. I can strongly recommend both earphones, but if price is your main concern, it’s hard not to recommend the Aether over the Timeless II.
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Current price and availability:
- Linsoul: 7hz Timeless II
- Amazon: 7hz Timeless II
- Amazon: Kiwi Ears Aether
- Linsoul: Kiwi Ears Aether
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