INTRODUCTION

    Although for the most part I test headsets and headphones when at the office or at home the exact opposite applies for earphones (in-ear monitors/IEMs) which I usually test when I'm either on foot or using public transportation. As a matter of fact, I actively look for such models when I know I'll be soon going someplace without my car and well thanks to the holiday season there were plenty such opportunities in December. The very first in-ear monitor model I had the chance to test was the Orchestra Lite manufactured by one of the relatively new players around, Kiwi Ears.

    At Kiwi Ears, we have a passion for providing our customers with extraordinary audio reproduction. We understand that musicians and studio engineers need the best In-Ear Monitors to ensure that their music and performance is perfect. Our team of dedicated engineers handcraft each unit to make sure that our customers can be confident in what they are listening to. We believe that our products are the key to unlocking the full potential of the music they create.

    The Orchestra Lite IEM is currently available in 5 colors (Clear, Blue, Green, Yellow and Purple - custom design also available by paying extra) and as the name clearly states it's a cut-down version of the award winning Orchestra IEM released back in 2021. Aside the  high-quality medical-grade transparent resin used for the enclosures what mostly stands out about the Orchestra Lite is the 8 Balanced Armatures per earpiece (2 ultra tweeters for highs, 4 mid-range drivers for mids and 2 Knowles subwoofers for lows) with the 3-way passive crossover a combination which delivers in a frequency response of 20Hz-20Khz with 16Ohm impedance, 0.3% total harmonic distortion (THD) and 112dB sensitivity. Kiwi Ears also bundles a 2-pin removable 4-core oxygen free copper cable with the Orchestra Lite, compact hard carrying/storage case and 9 sets of silicon tips for all ear sizes (s/m/l). This is the very first earphone I've received from Kiwi Ears so let's not waste any more time on the intro page.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Kiwi Ears uses a small black box to ship the Orchestra Lite the front of which is taken by a product picture and the color selection.

The product specifications are printed on the left side.

Information about Kiwi Ears and their reps is placed at the rear of the box.

Both earpieces are what you'll see once you open up the box.

Along with the Orchestra Lite in-ear monitors and their 4-core oxygen free copper cable inside the box you'll also find a hard storage/carrying case, 9 sets of silicon tips and a card asking the end user to first read the user manual.

THE ORCHESTRA LITE

By offering a total of 9 sets of silicone ear tips Kiwi Ears should easily cover most people out there.

Thanks to the glossy medical-grade transparent resin even the color used for the fascia looks nice.

Thanks to the transparent resin used here you can actually see the internals of each earpiece (yes, even the sound tubes).

A 2 pin socket is placed at the top of each earpiece.

The average length nozzle is 6.3mm in width and thanks to the design of the tip the ear tips secure well.

Kiwi Ears has bundled a 1.2 meter long 4-core 7N oxygen free copper wire with the Orchestra Lite.

All three plugs are gold plated at as for the cable itself although clearly far from the best out there it's of very good quality.

CONCLUSION

    Kiwi Ears may not be a manufacturer I've known long enough but their Orchestra Lite IEM proved to be better than expected. Design obviously stands out as much as many other resin earphones but not as much as its audio performance since when used with both the M15 and M23 music players by FiiO the Orchestra Lite delivered natural and crisp mids and highs (special emphasis on mids), good overall bass (could be better I guess but this is a BA model after all – if you enjoy rich bass this might not be for you) and a decently detailed soundstage with good instrument separation. Build quality to my surprise is also very good as is noise isolation (as good as possible for an IEM) and the same goes for stability since the Orchestra Lite fit well in my ears. The 4-core 7N oxygen free copper wire is as good as you'd expect for the price of the Orchestra Lite IEM but when swapped with better ones, audio performance obviously improves (although using a cable that costs almost as much as the Orchestra Lite doesn't make much sense). Finally, the bundle may not impress and it's more or less the standard at this price point (and over) but it's always good to see a hard carrying/storage case included.

    Kiwi Ears currently lists their Orchestra Lite for just USD249 (kiwiears.com) a price tag which is more ore less accurate for what you’re getting in return. Overall, I have no complaints from the Orchestra Lite, yes, I’ve heard better audio reproduction from some other models but nowhere close to that price range  and since I really believe Kiwi Ears has created one of the best IEM, I’ve used to date at up to $500 the Golden Award is in order.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Mids & Highs Detail / Clarity (Soundstage)
- Design
- Good Fit / Stability
- 5 Available Colors (Custom Also Available)
- Bundle

CONS

- Bass Levels
- 1 Year Warranty