Kiwi Ears - Astral

OP... don't get rid of your Astral. Someone else mentioned it already...but it's a lack.of reference that has you second guessing. EQ (parametric EQ) is a good tool. It can help you fine tune the sound of the IEM to your liking. But...the IEM should sound good to you out of the box. HD550...hmmm... just go for the legend. Save for the HD600. I wrote down my experiences and things I learned as a beginner [Posted here](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/u2D7CWFQw9) Go and find all the reviews you can on the Astral. Listen to the terminologies and try to associate what you hear from the Astral. Then pick up a budget set or two (if you want to learn) watch those reviews from the same reviewer. See if you can hear what they are hearing...and establish a frame of reference. Hope that makes sense. Outside of that...you picked a really good IEM. Stick with it. HD

honestly only issue with this model is that the Daybreak exists... it sounds great but daybreak kinda ruins its value proposition. however I think kiwi ears can circumvent this by updating the latter batches with better eartips and better case. its a great IEM; kiwi ears's magnum opus.

I have been using the Astral for 1 week now, and I thought I could share my thoughts about it. ( I am not an audiophile but I have been enjoying learning and exploring audio for about a two years now, so take my rookie description with a grain of salt. Other gear I use: Ziigaat Odyssey, Focal Hadenys, Zero red, dt990pro) Tested with: JCALLY JM20 Pro, apple dongle, stack of SMSL-SU1 + MT602, Qobuz lossless. **Box accessories:** Disappointing just like Ziigaat, not enough eartips, but the cable quality is good with interchangeable terminations. **Comfort:** The nozzle size doesn't bother me, so comfortable. The shell size however does interfere with small ears and honestly idk how to make it not hurt besides using long foam tips that keep the shell far a little bit. **Sound:** First thing you will notice when you wear them is the sparkles on the top end. Even if some reviewers complained about the 15k peak, I personally enjoy it, and my ear is not sensitive in that region. I also got used to it after few days now I can't live without that air. The low treble is also smooth and doesn’t hurt as much in terms of hi-hats and snares compared to the Odyssey. The lower mids dip is a little noticeable, with vocals feeling a little recessed than what I’m used to with the Odyssey, but that was a sacrifice for cleaner separation on the Astral, I assume? Because this is the first IEM that I can genuinely tell the separation between bass and mids, each driver is doing its thing inside the shell perfectly. The mid-bass lacks punch, and I really wish this pair had a nice punch for HipHop music. And lastly, the sub-bass is textured, rumbly, and I love it. It could be seen as a bit muddy for some people, especially with foam tips, but not me. **Stage / Imaging:** definitely noticeable airiness in the soundstage, not the most open but very impressive, and I may sound like Im glazing here but the imaging is the best I heard, I can close my eye and track enemies steps in games. **Technicalities:** So the overall timbre of the astral would have sounded more natural without that 15k peak + if the sub bass was more chill, at the same time these parts add flavor to this signature so idk how to feel about it. Also no glaze but I had moments when I heard things for the first time in the mix, I like the fact that I can listen to these at any volume and they will still perform great, however I can also tell that the Astral is source dependent. with the JCALLY JM20 Pro it sounds a little more v-shaped, unlike my stack that lays everything down separately. **Gaming:** Best Iems I tried for Valorant hands down, you might need to eq the sub bass but the overall imaging and telling sound queues is top tier, clean presentation for gaming, I am stuck in Ascendent fyi. **Pros:** great stage and imaging for the price, great separation and drivers implementation, few Iems can manage providing the clean airy sound while keeping a high quality bass at this price range. overall best bang for your buck at 299$ **Cons:** shell design can be uncomfortable for some ears, few accessories, bass lacks Punch, Vocals a little recessed. **Conclusion:** Overall clean presentation that's worth the 299$ for a flavory all arounder set, and an esports gear for precise gaming experience. **Rating:** 8/10 just cuz I like a punchier bass and a more comfy shell design. Feel free to ask anything in the comments.

I had the 990 pros for a year, it's hard to beat it for gaming and valorant at it's price. But the Astral honestly has more detail and way better, but u have to get used to the iems plug feeling in your ear compared to the airy open back dts. And if ur on a budget get the Hexa for 75$ and call it a day.

The Astral are slightly better than the Horizon for gaming based on Fresh Reviews opinion and some others. I also disagree with (any IEM does gaming) cuz I own the astral and it's the best gaming set I've tried compared to budget hybrids. For music however I haven't tried Horizon yet but I assume it lacks bass punch, and it's aimed for detail and brightness. As bro said bellow you should wait, if you can't get the Astral imo.

Kiwi ears astral if you're mainly for gaming, it's cheaper than the alternatives and definitely not worse

Both but probably Pure.

Soundstage the Horizon and the Arete stand out, the Top Pro and Astral are good as well. Imaging, many of them are really good, not ranking them but these are the ones that comes to mind for imaging. The P7, the Astral, the Dusk, the Horizon, Studio 4 and the Top Pro

Yes, the Astral is amazing

I tried the Monarch, it sounds really nice but honestly the difference between the Top Pro and The MK4 in terms sound quality wasn’t worth the huge difference in price. Diminishing return is at its peak once you reach the $500 mark.

I love the P7, it’s definitely in my top5, you can listen to any genre on them. If I’m to recommend an IEM for someone who has never tried one, it would be the P7 or the Astral. Go for it and you won’t regret

Going to disagree hard with this take. Astrals are awful in the upper treble (that insane spike is real and sounds horrible on cymbals). I literally had to apply like a 10db cut to to make it through tracks that weren't already mastered to cut those upper air frequencies. Punch on the other hand is dead neutral outside the bass region. And the ESTs being subtly used vs. overemphasized is one of the most natural implementations I've heard. Martilo's treble has major issues too. HBB just said those were the better value because he's trying to play good guy greg and not piss off his audience (or linsoul), he did the same thing when linsoul dropped odyssey right after his Arcadia collab and said it was better.

I'm definitely sensitive to any unnatural spikes, I will say once I EQ'd that the Astrals did sound great. But since the Punch can be had on sale for $350 and you're getting legit ESTs at that price (and no need to EQ for me at least) it was a no brainer. That said, if you're older than 35-40 (treble sensitivity in the air region declines dramatically by age) or only listen to well-engineered modern music, there's a strong chance you may not even notice the spike on the Astrals as anything more than light hiss.

Astrals have rather good bass line already. What are you missing. First try changing tips, because some tips can amplify sub and mid-bass well. I don’t think kiwi ears punch are better over all (sure punch may be better, but rest is sloppy) At the lower price and equal sound I believe you should look at Punch Audio Martilo (not sure how it compares to kiwi ears punch, but check, should be equally good for 110$ less (25% is big))

I use my Astrals with tips that are combined foamy central part and tacky silicon cone, it cuts the treble while providing best seal = better low end response But I’m treble sensitive comparing to others so I figured other people would be happy with Astrals treble

Kiwi Ears Astrals are phenomenal

so, 6 months later, i pick these up because i wanted to see if i could find something that are 560s levels of imaging and have some soundstage. The astral are iem that i can finally say headphones arent needed anymore. imaging is on point, to boot its tune really good. its v shape sure but done really well.

Had a couple of people DM me asking for some recommendations on anything good to look at during the Prime Deal Days. So instead of copying and pasting the same text a bunch of times. Figured I would just make a post, and farm some of those fake internet points, so I can tell my imaginary friends people on the internet think I'm cool. So, couple things first, NONE of these product links are affiliate links. I am no ones bitch. No one pays me to say this. All recommendations I make, are on products I OWN! I am not graph sniffing and guessing. Same as above applies...I dont get free shit. So this is LITERALLY my money doing the talking. Biggest thing to remember is this...DONT BUY INTO FOMO!!! You DONT need new IEM's! OK?! Buy within your means! Dont see a sales sticker and think its a good deal. A LOT of products on Amazon jump in price, only to be put on "sale". Always double check an Amazon price tracking site to make sure its an actual good deal, and not just some marketing bullshit. Hell, they had a 20% off "Flash Sale" on the Astral when the sale started. The flash sale ended, and an hour later, it was $24% off. How many people got suckered into the Flash Sale, and didnt even realize they could have saved an extra $15? Answer: Too Many. The best rule when buying is this: if it isn't discounted 20% or more. It's not a deal. 10-15% coupons and deals happen ALL YEAR ROUND! So dont get suckered in by a big red SALE tag, and click buy. Look at the discount percentage. Under 20%, shit. Over 20%, is probably a good buy, but remember to double check that price tracker first to make sure it isnt a swindle. And last but not least, and this goes back to the FOMO, there are still a BUNCH of sales to come before the end of the year. Prime Day, 11/11, Black Friday, Boxing Day, etc. etc. So there will be PLENTY more opportunities to buy things later this year for as good, nearly as good, or maybe even better prices. So dont feel like you will miss out. There will always be another sale. There may be some gems out there, but dont panic buy. With all that said...lets get to it. ----- Easily the biggest deal on Amazon right now, **Kiwi Ears Astral - 24% off - $227.24** https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F37H5F71/ Simply put, its the best IEM value at under $250. Period. I would say its 95% of the Tea Pro. A slightly more bright/neutral option to the Tea Pros warm/neutral presentation. The Tea Pro does extract a little more texture and nuance, but at this price, you are talking about a $130 difference. Its also a more neutral and tonality to something like the Hype2, which can come off almost feeling V Shaped, with its more authoritative bass impact. Overall, the Astral is a great set. This is the lowest price its ever been. Absolute quality set for people who like a variety of music. https://audioamigo.squig.link/?share=Kiwi_Ears_Astral,Xenns_Mangird_Tea_Pro,Thieaudio_Hype_2 ----- Second best deal, IMHO, **Pula PA02 - 32% off - $128.52** Want a AFUL Performer 5? Cant afford $175? Well, this is your answer. The PA02 trades blows with the performer 5, and i kinda like the P5 more than the P5+2. The PA02 has a little more sub bass emphasis, and extends a little further than the P5 as well. Which makes it a nice option right in between the P5 and P5+2. The musicality and warmth of the P5, with the airiness of the P5+2, but without the all resin nozzles, or the micro planar glare some people dont like on the P5+2. Honestly, this is an absolute steal of an IEM for this price. Im tempted to buy another pair, because...damn, under $150 for this kind of performance is crazy. Yes, the cable could be better. Yes the tips could be more premium. But for this price. Who cares. You will have plenty left over if you want to upgrade later. https://atechreviews.squig.link/?share=Harman_2019_Target,PULA_PA02,AFUL_Performer_5 ----- At the lowest price i have seen it in a while, **ZiiGaat Odyssey - 25% off - $171.75** https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHZ755GD/ The Odyssey really doesnt need an introduction or an explanation. Its a softened interpretation of the JM-1 "meta tune", and pulls down the upper mids, and softens up the sub bass a little, and rolls off the treble past 15k. Its gives a much more balanced tonality than the KE4, with less sub bass slam, and that makes for fuller feeling mids. Again, great all arounder for any genre of music. One of the better sets under $200. https://audioamigo.squig.link/?share=Ziigaat_Odyssey,Kiwi_Ears_KE4 ----- Honorable Mention goes to the ** ZiiGaat x Hangout.Audio: Odyssey 2 - 20% Off - $199.20** https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLK2NRPY/ This is a borderline deal for me, and normally i wouldnt include it. But this set is new enough that to be on ANY sale, is a bargain. To be on a 20% off sale, almost unheard of. This is a great set at $200. Metal shell. Great modular cable. Excellent tips selection. And a quality carrying case. This is even MORE "meta tuning" than the Odyssey. But if you thought that the Crinear Daybreak had too much upper mids, and was too vocal forward. Or the Odyssey or KE4 had too much treble extension, but not enough vocal presence, than this would be a perfect choice for you. And with the all metal shell, it should hold up well long term as well. https://atechreviews.squig.link/?share=ZiiGaat_x_Hangout_Audio_Odyssey_2,ZiiGaat_Odyssey,CrinEar_Daybreak,Kiwi_Ears_KE4 ----- Many peoples best IEM of 2024 **AFUL Performer 5+2 - 20% - 191.99** Again, another IEM that needs little introduction. Much beloved by everyone. Amazing detail and texture, easy on the ears (some people do find the upper treble extension from the micro planars a little bright, be warned), hard to find better technicalities and detail retrieval under $200. AFUL has a very unique approach to tuning that i find super refreshing, and doesnt really adhere to any target curve but their own. Great vocal emphasis, tight bass presentation. Can place most any genre well. Superb fit and finish. Great cable. The only downside is the tips, and thats because of the smooth resin nozzle. I much prefer the Spinfint W1 on the 5+2, not only do i think they sound better, but they fit snug on the nozzle. At this price, adding the W1 is easy to stomach. The P5+2 hasnt gone on sale but a couple of times. Usually only 10-15%. Cant talk about the P5+2 without its older brother **AFUL Performer 5 - 20% off - $175.99** Often unfairly overshadowed by the 5+2, the Performer 5 is, to me, the more musical of the Performer series. It is not quite as exacting as the P5+2 in the technicalities. And the bass is not near as tactile as the double DD 5+2, but that slightly slower bass response makes the bass feel just that little but more rich and creamy. It also brings the vocals a little more forward by having a slightly higher upper mids rise in the Pina Gain region, and the treble carries a more flatter that the P5, but not quite as far. So you lose some of that air and sparkle, for a little more presence, and playfulness. And the comfort...top notch. One of the easiest sets to disappear in my ears. Like the 5+2, highly recommend some SpinFits. CP145 pairs well with the P5, along with the W1 and Neo. Likewise, you can just buy the PA02, because it is just too good of a deal. My ears like the P5 better. $35 better??? That's tough. https://audioamigo.squig.link/?share=AFUL_Performer_5,AFUL_Performer_7 ----- **ZiiGaat Lush - ~20% off - 136.04/143.20** (Depending on colorway) This is a super flat, super neutral IEM, with jsut enough tweak upwards at either end to make things a little mroe lively. Very much Meta Tuned, but a very reserved approach top it. Great for studio monitoring, and mixing. If bigger V or U shaped sets arent your thing. This is a good alternative. Much better than the graphs would have you believe. https://audioamigo.squig.link/?share=Ziigaat_Odyssey,Ziigaat_Lush ----- Honorable Mention goes to the **DUNU X Koto Ito - 20% off - $171.99** Full disclosure, I DO NOT OWN the Ito, but i have spent some time listening to it. And I think its the best basshead IEM under $200. If the price point of the Punch Audio Martillo is a little steep, this is a fantastic alternative. I think it gets about 80% of the way to the Martillo. Obviously it isnt as resolving, or as tactful int he bass. But it offers a level of competency at this price point that little else can in the basshead segment. It does well with vocals, balances sound in an engaging V shaped presentation, and was an impressive surprise. Like the Odyssey 2, 10% off for an IEM this new is almost unheard of. Which makes it a great deal. https://atechreviews.squig.link/?share=DUNU_x_KOTO_ITO,Punch_Audio_Martilo ----- If you love your Bunny, but want something better, **Tanchjim Fission - 20% off - $103.99** This is a fantastic set for $100. If you have the Bunny, but want more of everything, this is it. Amazing driver, comes with a modular cable, and plenty of tips and tuning accessories (maybe too many). The most important inclusion in the set, however, is the USB adapter on the modular cable, that you can connect to the Tanchjim App to get full DSP functionality with. Giving you a ton of tuning options and preferences. This is basically an Origin for $100, with DSP. Great build quality, great looking IEM. https://atechreviews.squig.link/?share=Harman_2019_Target,Tanchjim_Fission_(Nozzle_S_Switch_Default),Tanchjim_Fission_DSP_(Popular),Tanchjim_Origin_Nozzle_L ----- Just pretend it doesnt have Zeos face on it, **Juzear Defiant - 20% off - $79.99** How do you make the best IEM at $100 better? You make it less than $100. Great all arounder. Fantastic sound signature. A set that is right at home with something like the PA02 tonality wise. Obviously the PA02 has better quality drivers in it, and does a much better job at bass tactility, and overall detail. But for $80...a freaking STEAL! Absolute banger of a first IEM. Only downside is that the cable, while nice, does not wear well (it gets plasticy), and the BA configuration can cause some pressure build up. Some people have it worse than others with this set. I am sensitive to pressure build up, and id didnt bother me too much. But some people hate it. https://atechreviews.squig.link/?share=Harman_2019_Target,PULA_PA02,Juzear_x_Z_Reviews_Defiant ----- **Tangzu Xuan Nv - 20% off - $63.20** This is such a rad little set. Dual DD. Warm tuning. Good vocal representation. Soft DD treble presentation with no harshness. Great air and extension. Comes with a nice set of Tang Sencai Wide Bore and Standard tips. Overall a fantastic little IEM with a cool design, that i think gets overlooked way too much as a first time buyers IEM. And a nice upgrade for someone coming from the Wan'er. At $60, i think it represents a good value. I would buy this over the EW300, any day. https://audioamigo.squig.link/?share=Tangzu_x_HBB_Xuan_Nv,Simgot_EW300_STD_Gold,Tangzu_Wan_Er_S.G. ----- And now for something you have likely NEVER heard of **Jialai Carat - 50% Off Coupon - $29.99** (after coupon at checkout) This is a cool ass little IEM. 10mm Titanium metalized DLC diaphragm. All metal CNC shell. Super small! If you have tiny ears, this will fit. Guaranteed. Good little accessories package and tip selection. Cable isnt bad either. So what the hell is a "Jialai"...no idea. But they are a sub brand of NiceHCK, and this is their first IEM release under the brand name. I think this IEM is actually worth every penny of a $50 price tag. I think it is a FANTASTIC alternative to the Kefine Klean, and is actually better built, and has a better driver. I dont expect this IEM to stick around long term. I feel like it might go the way of Soratune, because it jsut never got off the ground in terms of market recognition. But I'm telling you about it, and for $30...what have you got to lose? https://cqtek.squig.link/?share=JIALAI_Carat,Kefine_Klean_Silver ----- Some non-IEM things... **AZLA SendaEarFit Crystal - 20% off - $25.60** https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09B78F5C1/ These come onsale only a couple times a year. Great matte liquid silicone ear tips. One of my favorites. Lots of other AZLA tips are onsla,e so be sure to click around. **Kiwi Ears Flex Tips - 30% Off - $10.49** https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXXC8BQ3/ This is a soft silicone ear tip, with a flex joint barrel like a SpinFit. Great for IEM's like the KE4 or Astral that like a deeper fit, and have a little treble zing at the top. These help to tame that a bit, and unlike the Spinfits, these can get a deep fit without really gripping onto your inner ear, and the flex joint angles them nicely into your ear canal. Its a shape these tips dont get more praise. They are fantastic. And this price makes them accessable enough to be worth trying. ----- And finally, i wanted to end on a "Deal not a deal" like i was talking about above. The Ziigaat Luna. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F99M49W8/ This IEM is labeled at "25% off" at $285. And it shows the MSRP of $379. The Luna has never sold for 379 on the street. Its been between $325, and $350. So, at best, youre only looking at 15% off of actual street pricing for the IEM, which isnt fantastic. Yes it is the first time it has been below $300. Which is great. But its not the best deal you could get, despite what they are trying to sell you. And this is where the price checkers really come in handy. Hope this helped some of you find some deals. And if anyone else finds something they think is of good value, post it up for everyone else to see. And remember, you dont need it jsut because its there. Shop smart people.