KB Ear KB08 Mirage Review
Disclaimer: the Mirage was sent to me by KeepHifi for review. It can be purchased for $169 here.
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The Mirage boasts an eclectic selection of drivers: a 10mm Beryllium-plated dynamic driver for bass, and “warm, engaging vocals;” one midrange BA driver, and two custom treble micro-planar drivers. As such, I was expecting a treble-focused set, but the reality ended up being quite different!
Accessories: 4/5: Tons of tips!
~The Mirage comes in the exact same box style as the $99 Voyages set from the same company and also comes with the same exact canvas zipper case and cleaning cloth.
~You get a decent silver-plated 3.5mm cable, but I upgraded the cable with the ivipQ 162 4.4mm cable.
~You also get large selection of ear tips: four sets of generic silicone tips of slightly varying shapes and bores, and a full set of TRI Clarion tips, which are a perfect comfort and sonic fit for the Mirage! Kudos to KB Ear for including tips that actually are useful!
Accessories: 4/5: Tons of tips!
~The Mirage comes in the exact same box style as the $99 Voyages set from the same company and also comes with the same exact canvas zipper case and cleaning cloth.
~You get a decent silver-plated 3.5mm cable, but I upgraded the cable with the ivipQ 162 4.4mm cable.
~You also get large selection of ear tips: four sets of generic silicone tips of slightly varying shapes and bores, and a full set of TRI Clarion tips, which are a perfect comfort and sonic fit for the Mirage! Kudos to KB Ear for including tips that actually are useful!
Shell design and comfort: 4.5/5: Beautiful and comfy!
~This is seriously an excellent-looking set. The faceplate is delicate and pearlescent, and the clear resin shells are simply stellar. I’m always a huge fan of clear resin shells, and the Mirage is a perfect example!
~And yes, the comfort is far superior to the Mirage’s little brother, the Voyages. Isolation is great as well!
~Basically, this might be the best IEM shell KB Ear has made yet!
~This is seriously an excellent-looking set. The faceplate is delicate and pearlescent, and the clear resin shells are simply stellar. I’m always a huge fan of clear resin shells, and the Mirage is a perfect example!
~And yes, the comfort is far superior to the Mirage’s little brother, the Voyages. Isolation is great as well!
~Basically, this might be the best IEM shell KB Ear has made yet!
Sound Impressions: 4/5: Smooth and organic with moderate treble sparkle.
~The Mirage, contrary to my expectations, is not a treble master, but is rather boasts a rich and dynamic sound with ample mid-bass, polished and warm midrange and vocals, and safe, non-fatiguing treble that has just enough shimmer to prevent me from dismissing this set entirely for being too warm. The full sound is premium but might not excel at fine details and instrument separation.
Let’s start with the treble instead of bass, since it’s the aspect that I feel will be hit or miss, depending on your preference.
Treble: 3.5/5: A gentle shimmer.
~I have not seen a graph yet besides the brand’s graph, but it sounds to me like a section of the mid-treble is reduced, which likely accounts for the Mirage being so anti-sibilant. That graph shows the treble peaking at 2Khz, then sloping down till 8Khz, then one last spike around 9Khz before another gradual roll-off. This tuning results in a smooth treble sound that has just enough sparkle to bring out details, but I feel it could have been slightly brighter and been even better for it.
~But treble-sensitives will be much better off with the Mirage than the Voyages.
~During my testing, however, I felt the treble should have been more dimensional and detailed. But for most cases, there was enough sparkle for my tastes.
Midrange and vocals: 4/5: Rich and melodic!
~The midrange is a key focus of the Mirage. It’s lightly warm, like a balmy spring day, and focused on ambiance and organic tonality, especially for vocals.
~Those looking for ultra-detailed midrange with a high degree of instrument separation should look elsewhere. Even the Voyages does better in this regard in intense musical passages. Now the Mirage doesn’t sound plodding or muddy, it’s just a little more focused on bringing out the warmth and feeling from the music than analyzing it with a microscope.
~Pianos sound so full and realistic on the Mirage and have excellent decay.
~Vocals, as I mentioned already, are forward, rich, and polished; much better than on the Voyages!
Bass: 4/5: A smooth, immersive foundation.
~Bass response is definitely mid-bass forward, delivering the smooth warmth to the midrange, but is almost entirely free of muddiness. The bass is quite clean and detailed while providing pleasing eardrum pressure!
~The sub-bass, however, is not left behind. It extends cleanly down deep and is not lost in the mix. That being said, sometimes it sounds rolled-off and I could definitely use more sub-authority!
~Bass textures and details are quite good as well. Maybe not the most detailed I’ve ever heard, but I think KB Ear was trying to balance detail with organic tonality.
~The Mirage, contrary to my expectations, is not a treble master, but is rather boasts a rich and dynamic sound with ample mid-bass, polished and warm midrange and vocals, and safe, non-fatiguing treble that has just enough shimmer to prevent me from dismissing this set entirely for being too warm. The full sound is premium but might not excel at fine details and instrument separation.
Let’s start with the treble instead of bass, since it’s the aspect that I feel will be hit or miss, depending on your preference.
Treble: 3.5/5: A gentle shimmer.
~I have not seen a graph yet besides the brand’s graph, but it sounds to me like a section of the mid-treble is reduced, which likely accounts for the Mirage being so anti-sibilant. That graph shows the treble peaking at 2Khz, then sloping down till 8Khz, then one last spike around 9Khz before another gradual roll-off. This tuning results in a smooth treble sound that has just enough sparkle to bring out details, but I feel it could have been slightly brighter and been even better for it.
~But treble-sensitives will be much better off with the Mirage than the Voyages.
~During my testing, however, I felt the treble should have been more dimensional and detailed. But for most cases, there was enough sparkle for my tastes.
Midrange and vocals: 4/5: Rich and melodic!
~The midrange is a key focus of the Mirage. It’s lightly warm, like a balmy spring day, and focused on ambiance and organic tonality, especially for vocals.
~Those looking for ultra-detailed midrange with a high degree of instrument separation should look elsewhere. Even the Voyages does better in this regard in intense musical passages. Now the Mirage doesn’t sound plodding or muddy, it’s just a little more focused on bringing out the warmth and feeling from the music than analyzing it with a microscope.
~Pianos sound so full and realistic on the Mirage and have excellent decay.
~Vocals, as I mentioned already, are forward, rich, and polished; much better than on the Voyages!
Bass: 4/5: A smooth, immersive foundation.
~Bass response is definitely mid-bass forward, delivering the smooth warmth to the midrange, but is almost entirely free of muddiness. The bass is quite clean and detailed while providing pleasing eardrum pressure!
~The sub-bass, however, is not left behind. It extends cleanly down deep and is not lost in the mix. That being said, sometimes it sounds rolled-off and I could definitely use more sub-authority!
~Bass textures and details are quite good as well. Maybe not the most detailed I’ve ever heard, but I think KB Ear was trying to balance detail with organic tonality.
Soundstage: 4/5: dive into the MUSIC!
~The soundstage of the Mirage is more about immersion and enveloping waves of music rather than ultra-detailed and expansive staging.
~The lush, powerful sound of the Mirage is simply engaging and surrounds you with high-quality sound.
~The soundstage of the Mirage is more about immersion and enveloping waves of music rather than ultra-detailed and expansive staging.
~The lush, powerful sound of the Mirage is simply engaging and surrounds you with high-quality sound.
COMPARISONS
VS KB Ear SR-8 Voyages: TIE?
~1DD, 3BA: $99.
~I’ve spent much of this review already mentioning the Mirage’s sister release, the Voyages, and how the two compare.
~Simply put, the Mirage sounds more refined and smoother while the Voyages has a bit more of that old school BA hybrid sound, with a bit more clarity during complex music passages.
~I slightly like the Mirage better, but the difference is minimal, and the added clarity of the Voyages is helpful in many cases, so I’m still calling it a tie. They are complimentary sets.
VS CCZ CZ10: WIN!
~1DD 4BA: $50.
~And again, this budget dynamo is more my sonic style than the suave Mirage.
~The mid-bass and mids are definitely fuller on the Mirage, and the treble is more polished as well.
~So while the CZ10 is a fantastic set, I think in this case, I’m liking the polished Mirage a little better because the vocals are so good!
VS CCA Trio: TIE!
~3DD: about $20, sold out.
~This budget BEAST brings tough competition to any IEM battle. The Trio has a bit more of an open soundstage than the Mirage.
~The Mirage’s vocals and treble are smoother, but the Trio’s are certainly very good as well. The Trio has about the perfect blend of treble clarity and incision while just skirting the edge of sibilance or harshness. The Trio has a little better treble air, but the Mirage sounds more natural in that regard.
~The Mirage sounds more refined, that’s for sure, but the Trio’s versatility with tuning switches makes this a tie for me!
VS 7Hz Elua Ultra: WIN.
~2DD: $30.
~Right away, I’m finding the treble on the Elua Ultra to be a little crispier and barely edging into sibilance, but it does make the music sound open and HiFi.
~The Mirage is clearly less of a V-tuning, with fuller mids and vocals and slightly more mid-bass punch.
~The Elua Ultra is an unsung budget hero set, in my opinion, and you absolutely do not hear the price disparity between these two sets.
~However, the Mirage still sounds more premium and polished all-around, so it takes the win here.
~EarAcoustic STA-K: TIE.
~2DD: $49.
~Another budget dual DD powerhouse here. Both these sets are about organic, mid-bass power and refined yet still airy treble.
~The STA-K has better note detail and separation on busy rock tracks. (That’s the main downside of the Mirage… it’s not a detail king.)
~The bass and soundstage on these are comparable, while the treble on the STA-K is more my style. I know in my scores spreadsheet, the STA-K got a full ten points lower score, but I was still using the Hiby R4 back then rather than the more powerful Fiio K7bt, and the STA-K sounds SO good from the K7. I’m calling a tie here.
VS Simgot EW300: WIN.
~1DD, 1 Planar, 1PZT: ~$70
~The Mirage has more impactful bass for sure, while the EW300 has more incisive treble and slightly better details.
~The Mirage sounds more polished and premium, so it’s a winner here. But it’s also over twice the price!
VS TRN Shell: TIE.
~3DD, 1 microplanar: $60.
~The Shell has more incisive treble and cleaner definition to the bass, and a very vivid soundstage.
~These are again, complimentary sets, and the Shell is so incredibly impressive for the price, I must call another tie.
VS Kiwi Ears Etude: Lose.
~1DD, 3BA, 1 Bone Conduction driver: $120.
~The Etude is a warm, thick set that, like the Mirage, focusses on organic midrange while still maintaining detailed treble. The Mirage’s treble is slightly smoother here.
~The Etude is simply a more exiting set. It’s dynamic and punchy, and has amazing soundstage. The Mirage might have slightly better polish in the treble, but I think I like the Etude’s slightly more vivid treble better. The Mirage sounds a little polite in comparison.
And finally, VS the KB Ear KB16 Cepheus: LOSE, barely.
~2DD, 6BA: ~$160.
~The KB16’s isobaric dual DD bass is slightly tighter, and the soundstage is a little more immersive.
~But the Mirage’s treble is sweeter and so refined, and has less of that BA edginess that is more apparent when you A-B these two sets.
~These two sets are very close in price and performance. I think the KB16 is a better all-rounder though with its slightly more dynamic sound and better bass.
Trying the Mirage on the Zikman Seine 4.4mm cable!
~Ok, so in short, the Seine cable brings added clarity and incision to the entire frequency response. Bass is tighter and treble is clearer. But the 163 cable plays to the Mirage's strengths, and it looks better, so I will be keeping the Seine on the Kiwi Ears Aether.
CONCLUSION
I’ve never heard a set quite like the Mirage, and it definitely is shaking up my collection with its suave sound that tricks your into accepting a smoother tonality vs a more detailed, vibrant sound. It has an amazing, premium shell, and is super comfortable with the included tips.
I do not think the Mirage replaces the KB16 as KB Ear’s flagship set, but it rather is a complimentary set. The Mirage’s microplanar treble is incredibly sweet as a bell, but I don’t feel the bass is tight enough to give this $160 set a top-tier rating. And I think that’s okay, because the Mirage is clearly more of a specialist tuning that focusses on organic tonality over vivid detail. I definitely recommend the set but just know that it isn’t going to sound like many other popular sets, especially that price range.