KB Ear SR-8 Voyages Review
Dislaimer: the Voyages was sent to me by KeepHiFi for review. They may be purchased for $99 here.
Dislaimer: the Voyages was sent to me by KeepHiFi for review. They may be purchased for $99 here.
35% off purchasing link: https://keephifi.com/discount/sr-8%2520blog?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Fkbear-voyages-sr-8-1dd-3ba-hybrid-hifi-in-ear-earphones-iem-headphonesAfter being much impressed by the KB16 Cepheus from KB Ear, I was interested to see how the company pulls off a budget hybrid set with exactly half the drivers.
The Voyages is equipped with an 8mm liquid silicone DD, dual custom midrange BAs, and one custom BA tweeter per side.
Accessories: 4/5: A generous assortment!
~The Voyages comes in a sturdy magnetic box; always a nice touch because those types of boxes are great to reuse for other purposes.
~You get a small, zippered canvas case that seems well-built.
~You get a semi-premium stock cable with a 3.5mm termination and decent metal hardware. Since I almost exclusively use 4.4mm audio jacks though, I swapped the cable for the Yongse Danube cable for testing.
~You also get three sets of ear tips: one normal 07-style, a cheap set of narrow bore tips, and a set of pale blue narrow bore tips that are more premium. I’ve never seen these tips before, and they look great!
~Lastly, you get a cleaning cloth.
The Voyages is equipped with an 8mm liquid silicone DD, dual custom midrange BAs, and one custom BA tweeter per side.
Accessories: 4/5: A generous assortment!
~The Voyages comes in a sturdy magnetic box; always a nice touch because those types of boxes are great to reuse for other purposes.
~You get a small, zippered canvas case that seems well-built.
~You get a semi-premium stock cable with a 3.5mm termination and decent metal hardware. Since I almost exclusively use 4.4mm audio jacks though, I swapped the cable for the Yongse Danube cable for testing.
~You also get three sets of ear tips: one normal 07-style, a cheap set of narrow bore tips, and a set of pale blue narrow bore tips that are more premium. I’ve never seen these tips before, and they look great!
~Lastly, you get a cleaning cloth.
Shell design and comfort: 3.5/5: Pretty but awkward nozzle angle [for me.]
~Yes, the faceplates are a shimmery dark blue, with hints of green. It’s a color I rarely encounter in IEMs, and I haven’t yet found a blue cable that properly matches it.
~The resin shells are smooth, but the nozzle angle doesn’t work for me with almost any ear tips. Luckily, I found the Spinfit Neo tips work amazingly for me.
~Yes, the faceplates are a shimmery dark blue, with hints of green. It’s a color I rarely encounter in IEMs, and I haven’t yet found a blue cable that properly matches it.
~The resin shells are smooth, but the nozzle angle doesn’t work for me with almost any ear tips. Luckily, I found the Spinfit Neo tips work amazingly for me.
Sound Impressions: 4/5: It's good but doesn't push boundaries.
~The Voyages will not be the most exciting or versatile IEM you’ve heard, but it has a true mainstay quality to it that makes it a good beginner IEM, but can at times impress seasoned audiophiles.
Bass: 3.5/5: Cleanly organic and slightly restrained.
~The Voyages is not a bassy IEM, but it isn’t lacking to the point I’m turned off.
~The bass is quite clean and snappy, and never interferes in the midrange, yet there’s enough mid-bass for notes to sound full and properly weighted.
~The mid-bass can properly slam and slap when needed.
~The sub-bass could be a little more elevated for my tastes. But it doesn’t seem too rolled-off. It can express deep bass tones clearly but doesn’t boost them to a “fun” level. (Very subjective opinion! For many people, the bass is probably the perfect balanced amount, but for me, a little more authority would bring the bass to a solid 4/5 for me.)
Midrange and vocals: 4/5: Surprisingly enjoyable organic presentation.
~The midrange is clean, clear of mud, yet has emotion and proper note weight. Note textures are expressive and at times, almost holographic.
~Instrument separation is shockingly good for the price, and this can pull off intense rock passages with aplomb.
~Vocals, however, are not quite amazing for me. Sometimes they sound a bit recessed in the mix. I would prefer vocals to be more forward and expressive. I also think they could be richer, as they sound somewhat thin at times.
Treble: 4/5: Crystalline yet non-fatiguing.
~The treble has a shimmery BA quality to it that I personally adore. It brings proper bite and sparkle to the notes that I require from IEMs, or else I’d consider them to have lackluster, spineless treble.
~However, the Voyages’ treble is expertly-tuned to eliminate practically all sibilance in vocals. Also, the upper treble is not harsh or metallic.
~There’s enough treble air for a natural sound, although being a borderline treble-head, I’d prefer a bit more of that sweet treble extension at times. But this is honestly a minor nit-pick.
Soundstage: 4.5/5: Surprising and intimately orbital.
~As I was listening to my music, I was noticing notes emphasized in the soundstage in ways that I’ve never heard before. I wouldn’t say the soundstage is extremely orbital or vast, but it’s presenting music in a way that makes it sound like you’re in the middle of an intimate assortment of instruments, and you’re hearing separation and details in a tight circle around your head.
~Honestly, for a budget 1+3 driver setup, the Voyages is really impressive with its soundstage, instrument separation, and details.
~I’m especially noticing the bass staging to be excellent and gives a holographic effect to the music.
~The Voyages will not be the most exciting or versatile IEM you’ve heard, but it has a true mainstay quality to it that makes it a good beginner IEM, but can at times impress seasoned audiophiles.
Bass: 3.5/5: Cleanly organic and slightly restrained.
~The Voyages is not a bassy IEM, but it isn’t lacking to the point I’m turned off.
~The bass is quite clean and snappy, and never interferes in the midrange, yet there’s enough mid-bass for notes to sound full and properly weighted.
~The mid-bass can properly slam and slap when needed.
~The sub-bass could be a little more elevated for my tastes. But it doesn’t seem too rolled-off. It can express deep bass tones clearly but doesn’t boost them to a “fun” level. (Very subjective opinion! For many people, the bass is probably the perfect balanced amount, but for me, a little more authority would bring the bass to a solid 4/5 for me.)
Midrange and vocals: 4/5: Surprisingly enjoyable organic presentation.
~The midrange is clean, clear of mud, yet has emotion and proper note weight. Note textures are expressive and at times, almost holographic.
~Instrument separation is shockingly good for the price, and this can pull off intense rock passages with aplomb.
~Vocals, however, are not quite amazing for me. Sometimes they sound a bit recessed in the mix. I would prefer vocals to be more forward and expressive. I also think they could be richer, as they sound somewhat thin at times.
Treble: 4/5: Crystalline yet non-fatiguing.
~The treble has a shimmery BA quality to it that I personally adore. It brings proper bite and sparkle to the notes that I require from IEMs, or else I’d consider them to have lackluster, spineless treble.
~However, the Voyages’ treble is expertly-tuned to eliminate practically all sibilance in vocals. Also, the upper treble is not harsh or metallic.
~There’s enough treble air for a natural sound, although being a borderline treble-head, I’d prefer a bit more of that sweet treble extension at times. But this is honestly a minor nit-pick.
Soundstage: 4.5/5: Surprising and intimately orbital.
~As I was listening to my music, I was noticing notes emphasized in the soundstage in ways that I’ve never heard before. I wouldn’t say the soundstage is extremely orbital or vast, but it’s presenting music in a way that makes it sound like you’re in the middle of an intimate assortment of instruments, and you’re hearing separation and details in a tight circle around your head.
~Honestly, for a budget 1+3 driver setup, the Voyages is really impressive with its soundstage, instrument separation, and details.
~I’m especially noticing the bass staging to be excellent and gives a holographic effect to the music.
COMPARISONS
I have so many hybrid sets, I cannot realistically compare them all, but I picked out a few relevant ones and if you want to see any other comparisons, just comment below!
~VS KB Ear KB08 Mirage: TIE?
~Obviously, I’m going to compare these two new KB Ear sets! The Mirage is $70 more expensive, and has a larger DD, and has 2 microplanars for treble instead of normal BAs.
~The Mirage is definitely a more comfortable fit.
~The Mirage has a warmer, more organic tonality overall, with safer treble. The mid-bass is also more present, as are the vocals. Specifically, the vocals on the Voyages sound a bit thinner in tonality.
~Soundstage is quite impressive on both sets, but the Mirage’s warmer tonality gives it a more immersive feel.
~Honestly, both sets have an equal level of pros and cons, and the Mirage is only slightly better, but not for all genres as its midrange isn’t as detailed as the Voyages.
VS CCZ CZ10: LOSE.
~This $50 1DD 4BA set is one of the best budget hybrids of all time. Can the Voyages compete?!
~Vocals are more forward on the CZ10, but the overall tonality is slightly brighter.
~The CZ10 is more an old-school ChiFi V-tuning. It has crisper highs, and more solid sub-bass punch, all while not sounding too unnatural or sibilant. The Voyages is a little more laid-back.
~Note textures, especially lower treble, are better on the CZ10. More precise and exciting.
~Unless you really dislike a V-tuning, I’d say the CZ10 is the obvious pick here especially considering the price difference.
VS XINHS HS01: Lose, barely.
~The HS01 is another 1DD 4BA set that usually can be had for around $75. It seems to be somewhat of a hidden gem.
~Sonically, these two sets are roughly similar. The HS01 has clearly more forward vocals, but the Voyages I think has slightly more refined lower mids. They don’t sound the same, but it’s a bit hard to pinpoint the differences.
~The HS01 seems to have more precise note edges, although the Voyages’ bass might be slightly tighter.
~If I had to choose one, it would be the HS01. The shell shape is more comfortable for me! Also, the treble is more to my liking.
VS KZ ZS12 Pro 2: WIN, barely.
~This $60 1DD 5BA set is the most recent iteration of KZ’s ZS line that I’ve been following since the ancient ZS1!
~The ZS12 2.0 is a very pristine set, but sadly still suffers from sibilance, a problem the Voyages does NOT have at all. The ZS12’s treble is much more extended but sound thin in comparison.
~These two sets are complimentary, and if it weren’t for the sibilance, I’d pick the ZS12 because it sounds more open and airy, but here, I must pick the Voyages.
VS ZiSin Vermilion Flame: TIE?!
~This is a 1DD 2BA set that retails around $110. Is this slightly pricier option with less drivers better than the Voyages?
~The Flame is a very smooth, refined tuning, but could do better in treble details. The Voyages has brighter, slightly more brittle treble tonality.
~The Flame’s vocals are lusher and just nicer all-around.
~For just three drivers, the Flame’s soundstage is quite impressive, and rivals the Voyages’ easily.
~Both sets have merits and drawbacks… If forced to pick, in many cases, I’d probably still pick the Vermilion Flame. Somehow it sounds slightly more premium.
VS TRN Shell: LOSE!
~The $60 3DD 1MP set is one of the very best budget banger sets of all time. Can the pricier Voyages compete?
~In a word, No. The Shell is easily the most formidable budget set of all time. It’s more dynamic, has deeper bass, has better note textures and edges, more 3D soundstage…
~The Voyages might have slightly better polish on the mid-treble, but honestly, the Shell is better in almost all ways.
VS KB Ear KB16 Cepheus: Lose, barely.
~KB Ear’s flagship set: 2DD 6BA. Usually priced around $160. Does the Voyages even come close?!
~For starters, the shell on the KB16 is nicer, and far more comfortable for me.
~These two I think are surprisingly similar, with obviously the edge being given to the KB16 with its superior driver setup.
~The KB16 has better treble air and is a bit brighter in the vocals.
~The KB16 has better microdetails with instruments.
~The KB16’s soundstage is a little deeper and dynamic.
CONCLUSION
I know this review might seem like a negative one. It’s not. The Voyages is a GOOD set. I am just not sure it does enough to stand out from the crowded “budget premium” segment.
But if you want a simple 1+3 hybrid sound with excellent detail and separation, and good, balanced tuning, maybe the Voyages is the right pick for you!