Recently, Kiwi Ears launched the Septet along with the Astral, two new models that are slightly more expensive than the previous 2023 “junior flagship”, the 249 USD Orchestra Lite. I’ve compared the Astral and the Septet here.
The Septet is an open-back IEM with four different driver types—making it a quadbrid. It features a 10mm dynamic driver for the bass, four balanced armatures handling the low mids to the mid-treble range, and a micro planar transducer (MPT) acting as the high-frequency tweeter. A piezoelectric transducer (PZT) works alongside the planar to add texture and clarity in the upper registers.
The Kiwi Orchestra Lite is more straightforward. It features 8 custom-balanced armature drivers. These are set up like this: Two ultra tweeters for the treble, four midrange balanced armature drivers for the mids, and two subwoofer drivers for the lows. The Orchestra Lite utilizes a three-way passive crossover. It is essentially a new version of the original Orchestra with a less cost-intensive design and more efficient drivers.
KIWI EARS SEPTET SPECIFICATIONS
- Type: Open Back IEM
- Drivers: 10mm Dynamic Driver + 4 Balanced Armatures + 1 Micro-Planar + 1 PZT
- Impedance: 15 Ohm
- Sensitivity: 95dB mW
- Distortion: THD <1%
- Crossover: 5-way crossover, 3 tuning tubes
- Cable: 1.2 m, 5N OCC
- Cable connector: 0.78mm 2 Pin
- Termination plug: 3.5mm & 4.4mm Interchangeable
Current price and availability:
- Kiwi Ears: Septet
- Linsoul: Kiwi Ears Septet
- Amazon: Kiwi Ears Septet
KIWI EARS ORCHESTRA LITE SPECIFICATIONS
- Drivers: 8 balanced armature drivers:
- Setup: 2 Knowles BA for bass, 4 Kiwi Ears Customized BA for midrange, 2 x Kiwi Ears Customized BA tweeters.
- Impedance: 18 ohms
- Sensitivity: 112dB
- Detachable Cable: 1.2 m oxygen-free silver-plated copper
- IEM cable socket 0.78mm 2 Pin
- Cable termination plug 3.5mm single-ended
Current price and availability:
- Linsoul: Orchestra Lite
- Amazon: Orchestra Lite
BUILD AND COMFORT
The Orchestra Lite features a universal custom-fit all-resin shell with three visible tube holes, while the Septet has a lightweight metal construction with an open-back grille faceplate design.
The Septet includes Kiwi Ears’ new interchangeable cable termination plugs (3.5mm and 4.4mm), whereas the Orchestra Lite comes with a fixed 3.5mm jack—though this may change if Kiwi Ears updates its cable in the future.
COMPARISONS
Associated equipment:
- Amplifier: Topping A90
- DAC: RME ADI-2 DAC FS
Jambi by Tool
The Orchestra Lite has a much thicker and denser presentation, with each tone carrying more weight. The Septet, by contrast, has a more airy delivery.
Smile by Pearl Jam
The bass weight is equal. The Septet is crisper and thinner sounding in the mids and highs, while the Orchestra Lite offers fuller, warmer mids and softer highs.
Almost Like The Blues by Leonard Cohen
Nice balanced, textured bass, textured vocals, and slightly crisp percussion from the Septet. The Orchestra Lite is thicker, darker, and warmer. Detail is rounder but still very present.
Black Crow by Cassandra Wilson
Very spacious yet with a warm tonality from the Orchestra Lite. The Septet is also very spacious, but thinner with less weight. Detail level is similar, but the Septet has better microdynamics and articulation; it is crisper and more textured sounding.
It Could Be Sweet by Portishead
The Septet has more bass, while the Orchestra Lite is more balanced and neutral. The Septet’s mids are slightly crisper and drier, but overall the two earphones sound quite similar.
Escape Route by Boris Blank
Again, they’re not very different, but the Orchestra Lite has a thicker tonality, while the Septet has more bass yet thinner-sounding mids and highs.
Mahler’s Symphony No 2 III by Paavo Järvi
They have quite different timbre, though they are otherwise quite similar in detail reproduction, imaging, and dynamics. The Septet, however, feels more effortless, with a slightly darker tonality. While the Orchestra Lite is excellent on its own, it can sound slightly nasal and be strident when directly compared to the Septet. That said, it doesn’t take long for your brain to adjust—both are wonderful.
Young Vivaldi by Modo Antiquo
Here, the difference in tonality and timbre is even more obvious. The Orchestra Lite sounds much more nasal, which is a sign of a more energetic upper midrange. It’s a bit challenging going back and forth to determine which sounds more natural, but I prefer the Septet—it’s a bit darker yet very nicely textured.
WRAPPING IT UP
Sound Signature
In absolute terms, they both have quite neutral and similar sound signatures, but in direct comparison, the Septet has a bit more bass, darker mids, and slightly crisper highs.
Treble
I find the treble to sound very detailed on both, but slightly more nuanced, crisper, and airier with the Septet. That said, the Septet certainly isn’t aggressively bright.
Midrange
The Orchestra Lite has a thicker midrange sound but still remains very detailed. The Septet is darker, yet more brittle and textured. How different they sound depends on the track—sometimes quite similar, other times, like with some string music, they are very different, with the Orchestra Lite sounding more nasal and strident, the Septet darker and more polite.
Bass
In terms of bass quality, they are pretty much the same, but the Septet has more bass quantity. The Orchestra Lite sounds more neutral.
Soundstage and Imaging
They are pretty much the same in soundstage size and imaging capabilities, though they still sound a bit different. The Orchestra Lite sounds thicker yet spacious, while the Septet is thinner and more brittle sounding.
Detail, Dynamics, and Timbre
I find the general detail level to be quite similar, with the Septet slightly better. The delivery of detail differs: the Septet is more textured and crisp, while the Orchestra Lite is bolder and more rounded. Dynamics are on par. The timbre varies notably, especially in the mids and highs—the Septet is darker yet crisper, with more articulate texture, while the Orchestra Lite is bolder but occasionally a bit nasal and strident on e.g. strings. I’ve never thought of the Orchestra Lite as nasal before; it’s a comparison effect that your brain quickly adjusts to.
CONCLUSION
The Septet and the Orchestra Lite are similarly priced IEMs that perform equally well but sound quite different. The Septet offers more texture and a slightly crisper sound with darker mids, while the Orchestra Lite delivers a bold yet nuanced presentation that I really like.
Personally, I enjoy both very much, and it’s hard for me to recommend one over the other.
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- Kiwi Ears: Septet
- Linsoul: Kiwi Ears Septet
- Amazon: Kiwi Ears Septet
- Linsoul: Orchestra Lite
- Amazon: Orchestra Lite
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