So as TLDR the STA-K is a budget slight V-Shaped iem with decent bass punch, warm mids and dark treble Being a reviewer I try to give my subjective opinions on iems, in the hobby at the moment 95% of iems released at the moment are good a solid 4 stars in their price segment so the differences between great iems and good iems is all about the nuances. All reviews are based on a single point in time for the reviewer next week an iem can come along and make a mockery of your previous judgement.
The STA-K is a collaboration between EarAcoustic and Keepfi to add to the already huge selection of EarAcoustic releases this year. This one is at the budget end of the smorgasbord of options from EarAcoustics and only available from Keephifi its less of an artistic masterpiece compared SPA series but still attractive. The shell is smaller for start and more suited for smaller ears. With a clear resin/plastic shell and a flashy faceplate, the sound signature is a musical V shape with fun dynamic attack and reasonably natural timbre for its price.
The Dual Dynamic Drivers are well balanced with a good midbass attack and decent Subbass not the deepest presentation but good enough for under $50 I've reviewed quite a few of the EarAcoustic SPA and VSA models and throughly enjoyed them all the difference between those and the STA-K is while they are excellent examples of signatures that challenge your senses with distinctive tuning choices they will appeal to some but not all listening. They forge a path with no apologies.
The STA-K will not offend anyone its a solid little iem that is almost workmanlike in its approach. They just play your music in a pleasant way. They fit extremely comfortably weigh nothing, look attractive and dont cost a fortune. When I started to really listen they have the attributes that all Dynamic Driver iems have and Dynamic Drivers are my favourite type of drivers they are cohesive with no jarring transitions between frequency ranges sound natural and musical.
STA-K is the not a flagship its a budget iem and in today's incredibly competitive market its got upper midtable sonic abilities in its price range. If it was released a couple of years ago I would be raving about it but the hobby has and is moving at an incredible pace. Which is a shame as I think the STA-K is a worthy purchase as I commuting partner without worrying about losing or breaking on your journey. The small shell is very well built with the pretty faceplates exude a premium appearance, as usual for me the incuded eartips did not fit my large ear canals so careful selection of eartips is needed to get a comfortable fit I settled on Divinis Velvet tips for a very comfortable fit with good seal so I could enjoy the sound they produce to its full effect.
I'd just like to say upfront I believe we are all biased when giving our subjective thoughts about IEMs and earbuds be it a particular type of signature that works with our music library or how they look and feel in our ears. On the subject of ears everyone's ear anatomy is different and this effects fit and seal which in turn effects the perception of bass response so I recommend finding the right ear tips or foams that suit your ears to get the best of any earphone.
My review star ratings are linked to the price range of the iem eg a 5 star review of a $100 iem is not equal to one of a $500 iem. I’m and audio enthusiast with a collection of over 300 iems, 30 different sources with a music collection that numbers over 100,000 tracks and 18 flathead buds I share my impressions as a way to share my enthusiasm for the hobby I approach from the premise of music first technology 2nd, what does this mean? For me the technicalities are not of prime importance but does the music move me with this particular iem. I’m a connoisseur of many different sound signatures. The only prerequisite is musicality I’m not a fan of analytical cold playback. My scale of success when it comes to evaluating earphones is; do I get goosebumps when they playback my favourite tunes. There are many good earphones but do they give me goosebumps?
Unfortunately I have a draw full of just good earphones.I want the earphone that I reach for without thinking because I instinctively know it will bring the thrill I’m seeking from my music.
The STA-K have a boosted bass that commanding with good texture and some technicalities a pleasant presentation while being free of any unnatural tone, timbre, the bass is not boomy, it digs deepish in the subbass region while also supplying enough mid bass slam with some texture and detail making drums, electronic bass instrumets exciting and engaging. I'm a closet Basshead and I was reasonably satisfied with the bass provided,
Now I know there are those who don’t believe in burn in of earphones, all I’m going to say is, I burn in all my earphones with the STA-K I didn’t hear any shift in the signature they were good to go straight out of the box .
DisclaimerKeepfi.com was kind enough to send me a sample of the STA-K I am not affiliated with Keepfi.com or EarAcoustic and of course was not asked for any copy checking before publishing, they are seeing this the same time as you. All pictures taken be me or sourced from the Keepfi.com website . ALL opinions shared in this review are my subjective thoughts.
The STA-K iems can only be purchased direct from the Keepfi.com website
https://keephifi.com/collections/in...rphones-twice-the-immersion-twice-the-emotion
Make sure to research any earphone before you buy! What do they sound like?
The bass is boosted present with enough sub bass to dig deep for bass driven tracks and midbass to give that extra bit of slam. The included cable is about what you expect for a sub $50 set a good enough quailty cable with a choice of 3.5mm or USB-C for those who want a direct connection to their phone.
Bass
there's a noticeable boosting in quantity but there's enough air to balance out the signature. The mids are warm, dense with a smooth transition from the bass, there is a very pleasing body to males vocals the timbre is natural. Male vocals sound really good, very smooth . Female vocals are slightly husky and a little recessed but still pleasant. Treble and upper mids are rolled off this is a quite dark iem definitely great for treble sensitive listeners The timbre and tactility of drums, strings, guitars and brass instruments are quite natural all instruments find their own place. Overall tge STA-K work across All genres in my library and are very forgiving of poorly produced and recorded music.
When I'm evaluating iems I have a play list of roughly 100 songs of mixed genres. With STA-K I didn’t find any annoying peaks or unusual tone artifacts they sounded natural and relaxed
Some of the music Selections I evaluated the STA-K with Shawn Mullins - Apocalyptic BluesThis track really shows the strength of the STA-K Bass with warm mids and treble this tune with its anologue instruments inc guitars drums, bass and Salvation Army band , the staging shines the layering coming through well and Mullins vocals having good weight.
Led Zepplin - Since i've been loving youThe ultimate slow burning power blues song with its live in the studio production is rendered well from Bonham's iconic drum sound strong and powerful to Plant's sublime vocals dripping with emotion and clarity. Jimmy Page's arguably finest guitar solo has extra note weight which is not unpleasant, overall a fun playback
White Buffalo - The Woods -this is one starts with a lush strings which the STA-K played with a pleasant warmth . Jake Smiths rich baritone vocals were on point the song slowly builds with new instruments being introduced as this slow ballad pics up pace Jake's authorative vocals stays front and centre with depth, as the song becomes a multi-layered wall of sound the VSA-MAX keeps the big production in control avoiding any congestion.
BROTHERS OSBOURNE – Slow your rollThe sound of waves lapping at the beach shoreline before the exquisite instrumentation starts this is where I could do with bit more treble air. The instrumetal layering and rich baritone vocals are good just lacking a little headroom that a boost in the upper mids and treble would add. I appreciate this is a little nitpicking at it $50 price level.
The STA-K is easy to drive iem I had no issues using them with my , Daps, Dongles in getting loud enough, the dynamics and open sound was present with all sources the texture and layering they are capable of was available for all to some degree.They sounded best with nuetral sources. This is an iem that doesn’t necessarily need a powerful source but it does scale with the bass getting tighter with more details and texture.
I'm not a fan of analytical sounding IEMs/earphones that force details into your ears like a photograph with HDR and sharpening set at max a decidedly digital representation. I'm more Vinyl on a turntable, Leica manual focus, sumptuous colours on kodak colour gold film, kinda guy, where if you look really close all the details are there but it's the whole image you appreciate rather than just how sharp it is.
Sources used:
Onix Waltz XM10
FIIO JM21
Shanling H5
Cayin N3 Ultra
Cayin N7
Sony NW-WM1Z
Fiio BTR17
Kaei TAP1 pro
When using my different sources I did favour the more nuetral ones the best synergy was with the Fiio JM21
Comparisons
my comparistheiem is the Earacoustic STA Pro A Dual Dynamic Driver iem that also has a beautiful shell the STA-Pro has dual PET drivers where the STA-K has one PET and a Beryllium-plated driver. When comparing the 2 iems i found the STA-PRO to have a little more treble extension than the STA-K which in itself lowered my perception of the bass quantity. The mids were also not quite as dense on the STA-PRO. Both iems were multi Genre agnostic playing everthing with a good level of fun and engagement. To chose between the two would be all about how much treble you want to experience
Conclusion
The STA-K are a fun V shaped signature that can be used for hours without any fatigue. They are not a groundbreaking iem they are a solid, comfortable, attractive iem with the abilty to make your music sound good while out and about or traveling to and from work. They would also make a great first set for young listeners to introduce them to the joys of wired earphones. Recommend if you are looking for a sold all round that won't break the bank.
