Kiwi Ears recently introduced the Aether, a 150 USD 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 Kiwi Ears KE4 was launched late last year, and is a bit more expensive, normally priced just below 200 USD. It’s a hybrid driver IEM that utilizes a dual 10 mm dynamic driver for the bass, a balanced armature driver for the mids and lower highs, and a dedicated balanced armature tweeter for the highest frequencies.
My Kiwi Ears related reviews can be found here.
KIWI EARS AETHER SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver: 15.3 planar magnetic
- Impedance: 14 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 105 dB/mW
- Frequency range: 20Hz-20kHz
- Detachable cable: 1.2 m
- 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
KIWI EARS KE4 SPECIFICATIONS
- Drivers: 2 dynamic drivers + 2 balanced armature drivers
- Impedance: 28 ohm
- Sensitivity: 102 dB/mW
- Detachable cable length: 1.25M
- Earphone cable connection: 0.78mm 2-pin
- Cable termination: 3.5 mm TRS jack
Current price here:
- Linsoul: Kiwi Ears KE4
- Amazon: Kiwi Ears KE4
BUILD AND COMFORT
The Aether features a relatively large yet comfortable housing made of medical-grade resin. Its semi-custom shaped shell is complemented by a decorative faceplate.
The KE4 is an all-resin shell with baked in faceplate decor. It looks even more “custom”, with a more ergonomically shaped housing that might suit some users better, and others not.
Both feature 0.78mm 2-pin connectors for the detachable cable, which is the most commonly used type among IEMs these days.
LISTENING COMPARISONS
Associated equipment:
- Amp: Topping A90
- DAC: RME ADI-2 DAC FS
- Tips: SpinFit CP100 on KE4, CP145 on the Aether
Jambi by Tool
The Aether is great, but the KE4 comes off as slightly more dynamic and organic sounding, the Aether flatter but tighter.
Smile by Pearl Jam
The Aether sounds flatter, more neutral, with more focus on textures and keeping everything balanced. The KE4 makes vocals and instruments stand out more, but sounds a bit thicker and lusher.
Almost Like The Blues
They’re quite different. The KE4 is thicker and fuller sounding, yet with good separation. The Aether sounds more neutral, with less bass weight and less dynamics.
Spontanious Compositorius by Thomas Agergaard
The KE4 has a richly full-bodied saxophone and natural-sounding bells. The bass is slightly thick but controlled. Switching to the Aether, the saxophone sounds leaner, the bell percussion is drier and crisper, and the bass, though similar in quantity, is more textured.
Mahler’s Symphony No 2 III by Paavo Järvi
Excellent and organic presentation from the KE4 with great timbre and imaging. The Aether is also excellent, it’s even more spacious-sounding here. It’s also a bit drier in terms of timbre and generally somewhat thinner sounding.
Young Vivaldi RV 820 by Modo Antiquo
The KE4 has a warmer, more organic timbre with greater energy and larger dynamic contrasts—it feels more alive. In comparison, the Aether sounds more analytical and restrained.
Maple Noise by Greene Serene
The KE4 has a very dynamic presentation with excellent tonality and impact. The Aether is drier in tonality, slightly less dynamic, a bit brighter, and more analytical.
Rambling Man by Laura Marling
The Aether has a very neutral presentation, while the KE4 brings vocals more forward with a thicker, warmer tonality. It has more energy and sounds more organic, whereas the Aether maintains a more neutral and reserved take on the music.
WRAPPING IT UP
Sound Signature
The general sound signature is quite similar between the two, as Kiwi Ears tends to tune their IEMs consistently. The KE4 has a more present midrange, but otherwise they’re relatively alike. The main difference lies in the presentation style rather than in frequency quantity.
Treble
Treble quantity is quite similar, with no huge variations, but the Aether comes across as slightly brighter and has a drier tonality.
Midrange
The midrange is where they differ most—the KE4 is significantly more pronounced, sounding thicker and lusher. It comes across as more organic, while the Aether feels more analytical.
Bass
Even though the quantity is comparable, the planar magnetic Aether is tighter and more revealing, but I’m quite impressed with how well the KE4 holds up.
Soundstage and Imaging
The soundstage size and imaging capabilities are very comparable, with which one comes out on top varying from track to track.
Detail, Dynamics, and Timbre
The detail level is similar, but the presentation differs. The Aether is more neutral, drier, and analytical, while the KE4 is more organic and subtle. If you want to hear all the details more easily, the Aether would likely be the better choice, as it presents details more upfront.
In terms of dynamics, there’s no competition—the KE4 is consistently better, though the Aether is still good.
The timbre also differs significantly. The Aether is drier and more technical, while the KE4 is fuller, lusher, and more organic.
CONCLUSION
In absolute terms, the difference between these two earphones isn’t enormous, but they offer significantly different takes on presenting music. If you’re looking for more detail and a neutral presentation, the Aether might be the better choice. However, if you prefer a more lush, organic sound with better dynamics and articulation, the KE4 might be more to your liking.
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Current price and availability:
- Amazon: Kiwi Ears Aether
- Linsoul: Kiwi Ears Aether
- Linsoul: Kiwi Ears KE4
- Amazon: Kiwi Ears KE4
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We only get a provision for items that are not returned, so there’s no incentive for us to recommend something that’s not good.
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Amazon: Headphones, IEMs, Headphone Amplifiers, Home Audio or Anything else.
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