The Kiwi Ears Belle is a budget-friendly in-ear monitor (IEM) built around a single 10 mm dynamic driver with a DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) diaphragm. It was released in early 2026, priced at around 29 USD.
The Kiwi Ears Cadenza II was also released in early 2026. It’s the successor of the popular original Cadenza. It uses a 10 mm dynamic driver with a titanium-coated diaphragm, and it’s priced a step up from the Belle, at 49 USD.
KIWI EARS CADENZA II SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver: 10 mm dynamic
- Diaphragm: PET with Titanium Coating
- Impedance: 18 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 106dB
- Frequency Response Range: 10Hz–29KHz
- THD < 1%
- Cable: 1.2m, Single-Crystal Copper
- Cable connector: 0.78mm 2-pin
- Termination plug: 3.5mm
Current price and availability:
- Amazon: Kiwi Ears Cadenza II
- Linsoul : Kiwi Ears Cadenza II
- Kiwi Ears: Cadenza II
KIWI EARS BELLE SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver: 10 mm dynamic,
- Diaphragm: DLC
- Sensitivity: 103dB (±1dB) @ 1kHz
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
- THD < 0.1%
- Cable: silver plated OFC-copper
- 0.78mm 2-pin cable connectors
- 3.5 mm cable termination
- Colours: Black or Silver
- Cable options:
- Standard 3.5mm cable
- Cable with Mic 3.5mm
- USB-C with Mic.
Current price and availability:
- Kiwi Ears: Belle
- Linsoul: Kiwi Ears Belle
- Amazon: Kiwi Ears Belle
BUILD AND DESIGN
The Kiwi Ears Belle and Cadenza II are both mainly built from polymer materials. The Belle uses standard resin, while the Cadenza II uses polycarbonate, which is more sturdy. Both feature a decorative metal faceplate.
Both are compact, but the Belle is even smaller than the Cadenza II. Some may find its size appealingly minimal, while others might find it too small to handle comfortably. Anyway, I find that they both sit comfortably in my ears.
The Belle comes with an attractive, thin silver cable made from silver-plated OFC (oxygen-free copper). The Cadenza II includes a more basic-looking thin black cable made from OFC. Both use the standard 0.78mm connectors and terminate in a straight 3.5mm unbalanced jack.
COMPARISONS
Associated equipment:
- Amplifier: Topping A90
- DAC: RME ADI-2 DAC FS
New Life Baby Paris by Mala
The Cadenza II and the Belle are very similar in sound. Both are crisp yet smooth with great bass, though the Belle has more bass presence and feels more impactful in the lows, while the Cadenza II is generally a touch smoother overall.
The Hidden Camera by Photek
The Belle has more bass and sounds a touch crisper, while the Cadenza II is more neutral and a bit smoother.
Daddy Lessons by Beyonce
The Belle has significantly more bass presence, and also sounds more dynamic with better instrument separation. The Cadenza II brings vocals more into focus here though.
Limit to Your Love by James Blake
Here, the bass presence is more similar, but the Belle is tighter and better in quality. The Cadenza II has slightly warmer, smoother vocals that are relatively more present.
The Tunnel by Tord Gustavsen Trio
The Belle sounds great, with crisp and textured percussion, a dynamic and tight presentation overall. The Cadenza II has more relative midrange presence, with less prominent bass. That said, they are more similar than different.
Rocket Man by Bob James Trio
The Belle sounds tighter and snappier with better instrument separation, though the difference is not dramatic, and both sound very good.
Aura by Bicep
In this bass-heavy electronic track, the Belle is again the bassier of the two, though not by much here. The two are generally very similar.
Like Suicide by Soundgarden
The Belle has great bass and good instrument separation. The Cadenza II has similar bass presence here, and sounds similar in general. Both do a good job on this track; it can be a bit challenging.
Bullet in the Head by Rage Against the Machine
The Cadenza II sounds great, dynamic and smooth with punchy bass. However, the Belle has even punchier bass and slightly better instrument separation.
Sunrise by Norah Jones
Here, the Cadenza II feels more natural and delivers better-sounding vocals. The Belle is not far behind, but in this track the Cadenza II offers better separation and feels more organic.
Rambling Man by Laura Marling
This also sounds a bit better with the Cadenza II, with vocals that are suitably more forward. The differences are small in the big scale of things, however.
Young Vivaldi by Modo Antiquo
The Cadenza II and Belle render the strings quite similarly, but the Cadenza II has a gentler and smoother timbre, while the Belle is slightly more textured and forward. It is not a big difference, more a subtle shift in character.
Summer 3 Vivaldi Recomposed by Max Richter
Again similar but not identical. The Belle may have a touch better instrument separation, while the Cadenza II has slightly sweeter strings.
WRAPPING IT UP
Sound Signature
Both the Belle and Cadenza II have a nicely balanced, quite neutral sound signature with a bass lift that is necessary for things to sound natural. The Belle has a touch more of that lift in general, though it is not apparent on all tracks.
When doing comparisons like this, it is easy to make things appear more different than they really are. These IEMs are very similar, more than anything they are very close siblings.
Treble
The treble is very similar between the two. It is present and nicely crisp, but never sharp or piercing. Detail retrieval is decent and on par with each other.
Midrange
The midrange is very similar, but the Cadenza II tends to be a bit more forward and sweeter, while the Belle is a touch more textured and recessed. Again, the differences are minor.
Bass
The bass is mostly very similar, but when there is a difference, the Belle has more power and slightly better quality.
Soundstage and Imaging
Soundstage and imaging are mostly very similar, though the Belle on some tracks offers better instrument separation.
Detail, Dynamics, and Timbre
The general detail level is very similar, but when there is a difference the Belle tends to have the upper hand, especially in the bass, while the Cadenza II may offer more nuance in the mids on some tracks.
Dynamics are also very similar in general, but on certain tracks the Belle has stronger dynamics.
The timbre is mostly very similar. They do not have identical frequency response curves, so there are small variations that depend somewhat on the track. Treble timbre is very similar, the midrange can be a bit sweeter and smoother on the Cadenza II, and more textured on the Belle. The bass is often both richer and tighter with the Belle.
CONCLUSION
The Kiwi Ears Belle and Cadenza II are remarkably close siblings, and either makes for an excellent budget IEM.
The Belle edges ahead on some tracks with more bass power, better dynamics, and slightly superior instrument separation, while the Cadenza II on certain tracks offers sweeter, more forward mids and a smoother overall presentation.
But more than anything, they sound very close. On my setup with my playlist, I do not think the price gap between them can be justified. The Belle offers exceptional value at 30 USD, while the Cadenza II feels more in line with what to expect at 50 USD these days
That said, even though the differences are mostly subtle, you may find one more suitable for your music and listening preferences than the other.
Both are recommended.
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- Kiwi Ears: Belle
- Linsoul: Kiwi Ears Belle
- Amazon: Kiwi Ears Belle
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- Amazon: Kiwi Ears Cadenza II
- Linsoul : Kiwi Ears Cadenza II
- Kiwi Ears: Cadenza II
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