Reviewed by andrewchoppa from head-fi

Pros:

Aesthetically pleasing and fun to look at and great packaging!
Build quality suggests a higher price tag
Bone conduction tactility is a nice touch
3 sets of tips for a $69 USD iem is generous
With a new cable, they are new iems........

Cons: The cable...............................read the review - the lowish score has the ability to rise.....
Mids are a tad forward for me but see point 1 of the Cons.........

Product link for reference:

Ok, to start, these look the goods, they’re solid, the purple is exciting. And it’s a quality and physically satisfying build for $69 USD.

These are now Trybrid drivers with an added BA driver, so – 1 BA, 1 DD, 1 Bone Conduction. The KB02s were hybrid.

3 types of tips which is great at this price.

3.5mm cable – oh goodness – it’s thin, flimsy and unfortunately cheap looking. I absolutely understand these are budget iems but do cables make a difference (to me)?? Read on…..

These were sent out by Keep Hifi with the only expectation of an honest review and that’s precisely what I’m providing.

I listened solely on my trusty Fiio M23 which has a very good balanced, dynamic sound with the AKM 4499/4191 Dac chips and I know its signature well.

I listened to all my usual tracks, mixing vocals, instrumental, metal, rock, pop, EDM, and classical.

Prelude/Angry Young Man – Billy Joel
Polyphia – Playing God
Euphoria – Loreen
J.S. Bach – Concerto for Harpsicord, Strings & Continuo No. 1 in D Minor BWV 1052: I Allegro
Free Tibet (Vini Vici Remix) – High Tribe
Eminem – The Real Slim Shady
The Pharoh – Edguy
Everest – Halestorm
Abracabra – Lady Gaga
Take Me Back – Noiseworks
Fooled Again – Pseudo Echo

In pure stock form, with the medium black tips (I tried the grey and white too - they were all pretty similar in my opinion), the sound was good.

Bass was reasonable (on Free Tibet, it was deep and punchy when called for but this track is low low low and slamming and punchy on just about everything!!). It wasn’t muddy or boomy. It didn’t go deep at this stage but had a decent presence for the price.

Mids were slightly forward on some tracks (I’m quite sensitive to accentuated midrange – I’ve always been an unashamed V-Shaper…..).

Vocals on some songs dominated slightly and this was a minor gripe for me. Upper mids and highs were clean, detailed without being sibilant or screechy.

Nothing seemed to bleed into anything else and soundstage was again, decent for the price.

For me, the actual tactility of the bone conductors was, like the KB02s, fun and physical. Touch your ears while you’re playing (ok, I play loud……….) and you get a real “bass thumpy” feeling from the iems. The reverberation inside the shells is a nice palpable touch .

So I guess we are off to a decent start for $69.

At this stage, a solid 3/5.

I remember being very impressed with the KB02s that I reviewed last year, especially for $40 USD.

Now, at $69 USD, was I as impressed?

Well folks, stay with me………….

With the supplied cable…………they’re ok. I’ve already written a solid 3/5.

I’m a headphone guy and I mix and match cables and tinker with things (are we headphone people obsessive compulsive?????) Hmmmmm........

Cable haters watch out………..Of course I joke. Some people feel and hear differences between different cables and some don’t, and that’s ok. The “Snake Oilers” are entitled to their opinions, just as much as the “Believers” are too.

Anyway, I switched out the supplied cable for the stock cable that came with the Ear Accoustic STA-K (review below). Still a 3.5mm but clearly an upgrade.

Was there a difference?

Oh Heck yes!!! Ok, the bass just improved (in both depth and quantity – fuller), the mids relaxed a bit (probably due to the extra bass), the dynamics improved, and so did the fun……..

These really had become new iems.

I have to point out also, that the tactility from the bone conductors improved too. There was more reverberation in the shells when you touched them while listening to music, ie the shaking gained in size/feeling. Hmmmmm…….Scorcery, Jedi mind tricks or just better quality cable components??????

You decide.

I thought “Well this was surprising, I have the Softears RS5 in for review too (coming shortly), I’ll just try their cable in these bad boys as well”.

Well for starters, I nearly blew my ears off as the RS5 are 4.4mm balanced. Wayyyyy louder. Ouch……..

But again, these now sounded even more dynamic, exhibited more impact, and provided more excitement. The difference now between the RS5 cable and the stock cable was huge!

I do have to point out at this stage that better quality cables aren’t going to transform the KB03s into a high end iem but what I can say from my experience, my gear and my ears, is that, changing the cable made a clear sonic upgraded difference for me. They sounded more dynamic with improved (deeper and fuller) bass, a better balanced midrange and were simply just more fun to listen to.

KBEar, I would recommend you keep the 03s as is but just add a better cable. Personally, I would rather pay extra to have a better cable, any day of the week.

The 03s are a 3/5 with stock cable, and jump to a 4/5 (value, accessories, aesthetics too) with an upgraded cable.

Who are these for?? New iem buyers? Sure. Even experienced iem users? Yes, but as long as you change out the cable!

I welcome a new KB04 with upgraded price and upgraded cable………let’s see.