– Stunning Budget Audio
The NICEHCK Yuandao Tears and Kiwi Ears Belle are both single dynamic driver IEMs sitting just below 30 USD.
The Tears is made of plastic and comes with a fairly simplistic cable. The Belle looks and feels more luxurious, with a more premium build and design. That said, the Tears is lighter and may suit your needs better depending on your preferences. Both are optionally available with microphone and USB-C cables.
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
NICEHCK Yuandao TEARS SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver: 10mm dynamic single driver
- Dual-Magnet Dual-Chamber tech
- Impedance: 20 Ohms @ 1 kHz
- Sensitivity: 127 dB/Vrms @ 1 kHz
- Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
- Silver plated OFC (oxygen-free copper) cable
- Cable connector: 0.78mm 2-Pin
- Colour: Black or white
- Cable options:
- Standard 3.5mm cable
- Cable with Mic 3.5mm
- USB-C with Mic.
Current price and availability:
- AliExpress: NICEHCK Tears
- Amazon: NICEHCK Tears
COMPARISONS
Associated equipment:
- Amplifier: Topping A90
- DAC: RME ADI-2 DAC FS
På Nye Eventyr by Maridalen
Both are very good and very similar in character, though the Belle has a somewhat stronger bass presence.
Summer Tabou by Renaudin and Cahours
Both are great: snappy and dynamic, with a natural tonal balance.
Teardrop by Massive Attack
Again, very similar. The Belle has a stronger and somewhat better quality bass, the midrange is more present with the Tears.
Soft Stud by Black Belt Eagle Scout
On this really nice indie rock album, the two remain very similar in character. The Tears leans a little more towards the mid-range, while the Belle delivers stronger and tighter bass. The Belle also edges ahead with slightly better instrument separation.
Stay by Marta del Grandi
The Tears offers beautiful, natural vocals. The Belle again has more bass and better separation, but the vocals on the Tears are more convincing. It is not a large difference, but it is significant enough.
Valentine by Bill Frisell
Again, the Belle has more bass, slightly stronger dynamics and better separation, while the Tears has a more pronounced and better-balanced mid-range.
Re-Melt by Tord Gustavsen Trio
Same difference as above – both are very good.
Spontaneous Compositorius by Thomas Agergard
Treble is very similar, though the Belle is a touch sharper and the Tears somewhat smoother. The mid-range is also smoother on the Tears, while the Belle has stronger bass and better separation. The Tears is the better-balanced and more neutral of the two, while the Belle comes across as marginally stronger on a technical level.
Summer 3 Vivaldi Recomposed by Max Richter
The Tears has excellent tonality, though it is not as technically capable as the Belle. It offers a smoother and better-balanced mid-range, while the Belle is a bit crisper with darker mids.
Young Vivaldi by Modo Antiquo
The Belle is crisper and sharper with better separation. The Tears is smoother again.
Vicarious by Tool
The Belle sounds great, with rich bass and full-bodied yet crisp guitar riffs. The Tears is not too different, though the bass is not as strong and the separation less tight, and it remains a touch smoother.
WRAPPING IT UP
Sound Signature
The Tears is very neutral and present. The Belle has more bass and a slightly crisper treble, making it more V-shaped in comparison, though just moderately so. It also remains quite well balanced and broadly speaking quite neutral.
Treble
The treble quality is pretty similar but the Belle tends to be a bit crisper, and also slightly more detailed.
Midrange
The mid-range is very natural and present with the Tears, the Belle has a slightly recessed mid-range in comparison – although it’s not very withdrawn in absolute terms.
Bass
The Tears offers smooth, well-balanced bass that is good for the price, but the Belle is stronger and tighter and of better quality.
Soundstage and Imaging
Soundstage size is fairly similar between the two, but the Belle offers stronger instrument separation, which translates to better imaging.
Detail, Dynamics, and Timbre
Generally the detail level is fairly similar, but when differences do emerge, the Belle edges ahead. The Belle is also stronger in terms of dynamics, though the smoothness of the Tears is certainly no poor alternative and might be preferable.
Timbre is more neutral and the mid-range feels more natural with the Tears. The Belle is certainly quite close, but brings a livelier bass and crisper treble to the table.
AMPLIFICATION
I won’t do much in the way of amplifier comparisons here, but it is worth noting that the Tears requires considerably less power to reach the same volume on my desktop amplifier. This may or may not be relevant to you, but the Tears is extraordinarily easy to drive, whereas the Belle is more typical in this regard, but still not a particularly demanding load.
Anyway, I will address this further in the dedicated reviews of each IEM.
CONCLUSION
The NICEHCK Tears and Kiwi Ears Belle are both excellent IEMs costing below $30. The Belle certainly looks more expensive and feels more like a premium product, while the Tears is lighter and simpler in appearance.
In terms of sound, the Tears is more neutral and mid-range focused with a smoother delivery, while the Belle has more bass and crisper highs, along with a slightly stronger technical performance overall.
I can easily recommend both.
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- Kiwi Ears: Belle
- Linsoul: Kiwi Ears Belle
- Amazon: Kiwi Ears Belle
- AliExpress: NICEHCK Tears
- Amazon: NICEHCK Tears
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