The Kiwi Ears Stardust has five drivers per side, one dynamic driver and four balanced armatures, in some really pretty shells. But there’s something wrong with them, and I need to get it off my chest.
Disclaimer: This sample was provided by Linsoul for an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own, based on my experience with the product.
Kiwi Ears Stardust
Accessories
You get a handful of ear tips, all small, very generic and pretty boring. There’s also the typical Kiwi Ears zipper storage case, and a cable that sits in the “not great, not terrible” category. It’s decent enough, but the ear hooks are very aggressive, so I ended up using one of my own for a more stable fit.
Design
The faceplates are eye-catching, with a faceted design that looks like a mosaic of irregular geometric shapes in different shades of teal and turquoise. The facets all catch the light at different angles, which gives them a crystalline, almost gemstone-like look.
I found the shells to be very comfortable and suitable for long listening sessions. The passive noise isolation is about average for this type of pseudo-custom shells.
Sound
I’d call the signature a mild V-shape, or maybe even U-shaped. Sub-bass extension is pretty decent, and I actually really like the bass here. It’s textured, with a nice snappy attack on kick drums. The dynamic driver handling the low end feels responsive and plenty agile, so I’m quite pleased with that part.
The core mid-range is fairly neutral with a touch of coloration for some added warmth. Not a lot to say there.
The upper mid-range is where my problem is. On a lot of music, these just don’t sound right to me. It’s boxy, a bit nasally, shouty and harsh. I’m not exactly sure why, either. The frequency response graph looks fine, with no big peaks that would set off alarms, but something is clearly off.
Maybe it’s a peak around 8 kHz, or something up in the ultra-treble causing trouble. I didn’t run sine sweeps, I just listened. I wore these for one full day at work, and by the end of it I was wishing I’d brought a backup pair. The timbre is wrong, and there’s a weird kind of resonance going on that I found really unpleasant. It just doesn’t gel with me, which is a shame because the IEM itself is gorgeous and comfortable.
Alternatives
There are plenty of better options under $100, like the Kefine Delci (or other Kefine models), the Simgot EW300, the EW200, or even the Tangzu Wan’er. I’d pick any of those over the Stardust, because I honestly found these difficult to listen to.
Verdict
At $100, this one is a no-go for me. Even at $80, I’d still pass. The bass is good and the shells are stunning, but that upper mid-range made them tiring to listen to, and there are too many better IEMs at this price. A real shame given how good that faceplate looks!