These made me question everything - Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite

[@Fc-Construct]

A couple extra notes for people first time looking at Chi-Fi: 1. Kiwi Ears is a brand owned by Linsoul. It's their 2nd IEM house brand after the more well-known Thieaudio. The branding names don't really matter here to be honest. 2. You can absolutely run these off something like a $10 Apple USB-C dongle, no need to spend much on a dedicated DAC/amp set-up. Just note that the Apple dongle is limited in power when used on Android phones. 3. The actual driver configuration isn't that important. There are 4 balanced armature (BA) sets that perform much better 16 BA sets. Buy based on sound performance and not the driver set-up.

[@Ashlord]

I actually didn't know about the power limit with the dongle on Androids. That might explain why my wired buds sound a bit distorted. Thanks!

[@Phynix72]

You pretty much turned his review into babbling within just 3 steps. 😂 What's left is, he as an individual likes the product or not. 😅

[@michaelwright2986]

And the Etymotics established a big reputation with just one armature. Kind of reminds me of the jewel wars in mechanical watches.

[@alvianfajar9570]

Agreed on the third one, i don't care if an IEM only have a single dynamic driver, if it's performance justified the price then it's good

[@zodiacfml]

same. I noticed the the trend of increasing drivers since Shure started several years ago. The higher drivers don't translate well to charts and reviews, actually more drivers cause more problems.

[@PL4Y3R_0n3-]

The most disappointing part of watching LTT talk about audio gear is that they’re so inadequately familiar with the hobby that normal things in the industry are magical to them. “Medical grade resin” is literally what almost all IEMs are made of. 8 balanced armature drivers is literally nothing special and means nothing for sound quality. They’re falling for advertising because they literally don’t know better. How can you review something when you’re that outside your depth?

[@Lord.Chadsworth]

Because people who are buying cheap Chinese earphones just want to know how they sound to another person instead of seeing numbers and hearing some armchair audio specialist on the Internet talk about how they're not as good as their £3000 studio headphones. Normal people don't care about that much detail as long as they're good ENOUGH.

[@ssjmonstar]

It's a sponsored video They have talking points they must mention

[@First_Grafter]

​​@@Lord.ChadsworthThey're still $250 so I'd expect a properly researched video

[@linkan7498]

​@@Lord.Chadsworth Exactly

[@Constant__K]

While I don't like sponsored videos like this especially over shitty Chinese crap, I need to point out some things. One, short circuit isn't a review channel it's a first impression/unboxing one. Second, they have talking points to mention being a sponsored video. Finally, the average person doesn't give a flying fucking duck about any audiophile shit you just said. They just want to know the basics. The price, the features, the build quality maybe.

[@favna]

As a European I’m not sure what to think about being on Adam’s shoulder

[@plumokin5535]

This review was the equivalent of going "wow 64 megapixels, that's crazy" without knowing that it doesn't mean anything for phone cameras

[@DanAndreiVladut]

This is an ad... No more useful information than i can get from the product page, clickbait title. This is disappointing.

[@Jj82op]

very obviously it says "sponsored". Were you able to find a person that describes the IEMs, sound and a graph of their results on the page too?

[@noneyabizz8337]

And, the comments are pretty obviously shills

[@FinneasJedidiah]

Hey man, what do you think 'sponsored content' means?

[@homelabsmart7635]

Of course, personal review with comfort and sound description is for sure on the product page. Not to say that LTT would state if they weren't any good. Which the seller wouldn't state on the product page for sure

[@davidlin8214]

knowing Adam we know there’s a million negative things he woulda said about these

[@jusmirtic]

Can you show your frequency response graphs in DF compensated form? Kind of hard to tell what I'm looking at when only seeing the LMG target and trying to reference the 5128 HRTF from memory.

[@ConsecDesign]

FYI, these are not vented, so there will be more isolation, but you can also get more pressure build up, which can be uncomfortable for some

[@SexManNordin]

my current earphones (sennheiser ie300) kinda hurt and i do feel lots of pressure in my ears and it gives me a headache so thanks for saying this this is important for some peopel

[@thomasdanny7717]

Tangzu Tang Sancai eartips can help. These eartips have a texture that can release air pressure.

[@sankha2361]

yeah wish I knew that before buying these. I didnt do my homework. I had to sell them.

[@audacitytheeditor3225]

It would be cool if Adam could come back here and post his impressions of the rest.

[@KentSpain85]

Yes, please.

[@Mishael_Agyei-Boamah]

I use these for FPS gaming solely... They're a joy. Y'all need to step up the IEM video quality though

[@GameTimeWhy]

I see others saying they are good for fps too. What makes them so good for it?

[@brrrserkr]

@@GameTimeWhy Soundstage mostly, you can more accurately pinpoint where in space an enemy is.

[@GameTimeWhy]

@@brrrserkr oh that's really cool. Just clarifying it's the $250usd one you got and not one of the cheaper models?

[@brrrserkr]

@@GameTimeWhy No, I got the Xenns Top. I'm just telling you what aspect of headphones help in games.

[@GameTimeWhy]

@@brrrserkr oh ok. Thanks for the information!

[@SuperReview]

Y'all need a squig site?

[@sidesaladaudio]

Gonna get them all set up

[@snjert8406]

3:41 hey editor! Yes. Sounds like a show where the animated characters are drawn in jaggedy lines instead of smooth curves

[@KaoruSugimura]

Orchestra Lite is one of my two main iems. I use these along with the OH10. The Orchestra Lite has really good forward vocals while the OH10 has more air and warmth. Two very different sound signatures that work great for different types of music and moods. Easy recommendation if you want a quality vocal iem.

[@SomeGuy-qd3li]

This comment contained more info than the vid bruh

[@demimascot]

@@SomeGuy-qd3li this comment was really good but only for us who knows what oh10 is. It's a popular channel - the review is as-should-be-done.

[@christiangarnadi1958]

just wanted to ask. which one is better for pop music? i own OH10 and kinda curious how it comapre to orchestra lite.

[@matsudakodo]

@@SomeGuy-qd3li the vocal forward-ness is in the measurement. Look at the early rise from 800 - 3k

[@matsudakodo]

@@christiangarnadi1958 OH10 is boom-sizzle bass and treble. Stick with Orchestra Lite

[@Noah86]

would these be a good purchase or is there a lower price point set that is better or close to performance

[@Jacob1451_Kapnobatai]

Kiwi-Ears Melody single planar at 80$. Absolutely amazing!

[@snjert8406]

That ending was ... so ADHD fueled, very relatable haha

[@BloodAsp]

If you are going to be testing Chi-Fi, due to the KZ fiasco where they claimed to have any number of armatures in the piece but never even soldered them in, I urge immense discursion. Could you get labs to take a look at this to ensure that each armature is indeed producing sound as wired from the factory?

[@bipbop3121]

Ah, I own a pair of KZs, but wasn't aware of this inconsistency, fraud, as I haven't kept up with audio reviews. No wonder Linsoul has so many brand names, so they can move on from exposure. I knew QC was an area, where the savings were coming from, but didn't know it went that deep.

[@NagisaShiota11]

I really want to see an actual review of the BGVP DM9s. They looked at them in that earlier video where they just said yes to everything, and they said they liked them, why not give them the full treatment?

[@MEHEHEHEME]

Because BGVP hasn't paid them lmao

[@nevmiku]

Did they bash their heads on the keyboard when naming these?

[@calvinyip364]

Their dongle is awesome. Imo. It's freaking cheap too

[@edgarnevarez1270]

Hello, I have a PS5 and I want to purchase the Linsoul Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite, however, I would like to confirm that I would get 100% of the capacity and I would get full adavantage of the IEM's by connecting them to my PS5 controller.

[@StevenConning]

The Quintets are the really interesting ones in my opinion. You get 5 drivers in 4 different types. 2 Balanced Armatures, 1 Dynamic Driver, 1 Piezoelectric and 1 Planar.

[@thinking7181]

when are you gonna review budgiet IEMs like the salnotes zero, moondrop chu IIs, QKZ x HBB. like this is a really big space you're missing out on

[@SwolePapi15]

QKZ x HBB sound good until one of the iems failed. From what I gather online this isn’t an uncommon flaw

[@jasonsong86]

As a chinese man, you can say Chi-fi. There is nothing wrong saying that. It's what it is. It's a fact.

[@Smirnoff5vol]

That beat actually sounds like the Powerpuff girls theme

[@Kumimono]

Chi-fi only has positive connotations to my ears.

[@DarkKnight2037]

from that music substitution, i got a more old school Cartoon Networkvibes, namely PowerPuff girls

[@blueridgeocean]

I just bought the sony wf1000xm5 love them.

[@abukh86]

Review the cheaper ones plz.

[@sterrenbeeld1131]

I bet the video is good. Sadly, I simply can't focus on it, due to the horrible map of Europe on the sweater. Like, what happened to Germany, did it transform back into the Holy Roman Empire?

[@dobrx6199]

Lmao

[@EdwardElric6464]

When you say Harmon curve I don't know what you mean. Harmon has headphone curve which is considered decent or even good, and they have an IEM curve which is V shaped, shouty & widely considered dog shit. So is LMG target curve based on Harmon over-ear curve or do you have an IEM specific curve? If so, is it based on Harmon in-ear curve?

[@ndrs9888]

Yeah, Harmon IEM curve is v shaped, these IEMs follow maybe the bass part but they are definitely more neutral than Harmon. Frankly I feel like this LTT reviewer has some weird and very unusual opinions like he actually recommended the Razer Moray in an earlier video?

[@sidesaladaudio]

This curve is based on the OE target. Since they're using the 5128, they can use the same target for both IE and OE measurments. For other systems using 711 couplers, they may require different targets because IEMs show a trend of under representing the bass and low mids when measured

[@sidesaladaudio]

Kiwi Ears are pretty great. Even the cheaper Cedenza, which is only $30, has one of my favorite build and comfort compared to other IEMs in the same range.

[@pair_of_fins]

How do they compare to Truthear x crinacle zero if youve tried those? Im pretty happy with mine (for the money at least), but am considering the Quartet or maybe the Quintet

[@haiderasim31]

@@pair_of_finsI have the cadenzas too and I chose them over the Truthear ones because they are lighter and cheaper. Very satisfied with them. If you want a truthear IEM, I highly recommend the Truthear Hexa which is slightly more expensive but top tier.

[@sidesaladaudio]

@pair_of_fins Do you mean the original Zero? Or the Zero Red. I prefer them over the original Zero, which I find too shouty, but the Zero Red is really hard to beat. That said, the build of the kiwi ears feels more solid and sits more comfortably in my ears, where as the Zeros are a bit bulky

[@pair_of_fins]

@@sidesaladaudio Yeah i have the original Zero, Ill def consider the Quartet or the Reds then, leaning towards the kiwi ears since I have smaller ears.

[@scorpioassmodeusgtx1811]

@@pair_of_fins The Zero is definitely better, but the Cadenza still beats everything at its own price point and lower.

[@thaophuongvu]

Which one u recommend is great for classical/ orchestra chamber music? Kiwi orchestra, tanchjim origin, simgot EA 1000 fermat, binary acoustic Chopin, kiwi quintet, 7hz timeless.

[@Lead_Foot]

Depending on the seller you can consider chi-fi stuff to have no warranty, often they won't cover shipping and you end up having to go with cheap but extremely slow shipping or fast shipping that is more expensive than the product itself. When you don't get a dud it's an AMAZING deal though.

[@BigBadTitan]

Note about the Graphs' clarity; instead of saying LMG headphone target - which is unclear how bass-y or treble-y you are going for without close attention, I think it would've been more useful to compare to something standard, preferably a flat freq. response. This way, you can easily see that a pair are a bit bass-y in comparison etc., and by how much. Also, the 0 line needs to be more clearer.

[@sidesaladaudio]

Since they're using the 5128, there is no standard target for it at the moment, other than Diffuse Field. Their target (which was made by a separate engineer, not LTT), is essentially a modification of the DF target, so that it more closely resembles the Harman Target, but for their 5128 rig

[@BlackenBurg]

@@sidesaladaudioThe Audio Engineering Society agreed on standards for graphing and measurement techniques years ago. It’s just the LTT people being weird and clueless audiophiles when they include an arbitrary line in their models

[@Blearky]

I'd love to see a comparison for the cadenza. Because 50 $ are for a student like me way more affordable and if the quality is ,I don't know, 20% worse or whatever I'd rather go with them.

[@vscythe_]

i have those, i find them better than the aria but short of the zero red

[@Jesse-2531]

I got the kz straight from 🇨🇳 thay are ceap I like them a lot but I am not a professional. And thay got Bluetooth adapters.

[@bipbop3121]

Wow, looks like my reply got deleted. It's not like I had links, weird. Based on my good Linsoul KZ ZS10 experience and reviews, the Cadenzas probably worth the 20ish dollars savings, if not exactly, as good. You might want to also look into TruthEar x Crinnacle Zero Red or similar Cadenza price upcoming 7Hz salnote Zero 2 Other budget considerations Daiso 1.50, Koss or Panasonic ergo fit 10-20. If you have questions, just ask. I'm leaving out the additional details, in hope this won't also get deleted.

[@cliftonchurch6039]

RE: The subtitling at 3:45, no, it's definitely Powerpuff vibes, which was Cartoon Network.

[@scrabblej]

I would love to hear about the other models and see the graphs for them. Not all of us can afford $250 and need a good budget option.

[@careem3463]

Just by kz then

[@memesfromtheforsakenworlwi9218]

​@@careem3463bad idea

[@Mishael_Agyei-Boamah]

Truthear Zero Red is one for you or wait for the upcoming 7Hz Salnotes Zero 2

[@TOM7952]

Then don't watch LTT, their audio reviews are awful.

[@steriftes]

kz dfi switch

[@kozinc]

These look a lot like KZ earphones to me - can anyone tell me how these are different?

[@sidesaladaudio]

Much better built, QC, and tuning. KZ has a lot of issues with their IEMs, and consistency

[@Wild_D]

It's probably made by the same manufacturer

[@epicgamer496]

@@Wild_D these are a lot better

[@bipbop3121]

​@@epicgamer496he's not wrong, they're both Linsoul. The kiwi ear Cadenzas are 4.4 rated vs 4.5 rated linsoul KZ ZS10. Ok, the Cadenzas are cheaper, but in what way is it built better? Linsoul KZs, have been as good as day one, since April 2021. They've held up great. They're not ideal shape for sleeping comfort and there is more expensive stuff with better sound or just different sound profiles that are better fits for other sounds.

[@horizontal120]

START WHIT THE PRICE !!!

[@jdllim]

to the editor: yeah, but more of the powerpuff girls theme

[@azenyr]

Many IEMs from the chinese KZ brand have multiple armature drivers for years. I have ones that have 6 armature drivers per channel plus a normal speaker, all inside them. Cost me around $30. Armature drivers really doesn't mean anything at all

[@Artaxo]

Who is this guy? His voice reminds me of Adam

[@SixonQQ]

Bro got some weight

[@islandboy7271]

Yup, powerpuff girls drum n bass!🔥❤️💪🏽

[@chutcentral]

Adam, lets be honest.... you dont know anything about balanced armature, this morning was the first time you probably ever even heard the term 😂

[@DamienGGW]

I saw the price and my interest went away instantly

[@KevinChristianTheUpright]

We need more adam with audio related video

[@desrize]

really tired of the non audio nerd people doing audio focused short circuit episodes.....

[@rbaezjr]

Can you use the kiwi orchestra on PS5?

[@sunnydelight52978]

I actually have kiwi ears as well. They are very nice to listen to music

[@RicardoJunqueira]

Who's this? What happened to Adam? BRING HIM BACK!

[@killerj309]

yeah, the song kinda gives off nickelodeon vibes, but it reminds me more of the powerpuff girls intro

[@StoryMode180]

Yes, editor, I do feel that nick vibe from that music. Animated action show kinda feel

[@nikkunshu]

Nickelodeon, also Powerpuff girls

[@ogonzalez611]

If yall want another chi-fi I will recommend swans speakers I heard that it's greatest sounding speakers

[@Valandril]

ayo adam stay out of the cookie jar you'll thank me later

[@brun0re1s]

As a Portuguese, I appreciate your sweater

[@advancegeo2986]

i would love to see more Chi-fi reviews in the future, although their headphone game isn't as strong as their IEM game its still super interesting to see many brands try and push competition into these spaces that were once super sparse and dominated by only a few big players

[@eddusii]

Then don't say it, call it budget hi-fi headphones or Chinese hi-fi headphones 0:04 edit: time stamp wrong

[@mattwright6249]

I have the linsoul kz zs10 pros. I wonder if the upgrade to the orchestra lites will be that noticeably better.

[@matsudakodo]

It will have smoother highs but the mids will be better balanced

[@ricenoodles632]

3:38 yes that's the vibe for the ending credits

[@slbowling]

You guys need a good DAP for testing headphones and IEMs. FiiO and Shangling make some good models across the cost spectrum.

[@Medsas]

its alrdy outdated lol, you guys cant keep up with chifi 😂

[@ImLOG4N]

Is the sound isolation good for gigging? Or will I get hearing damage

[@bipbop3121]

Foam tips will help

[@WyattOShea]

Love my orchestra lite. Have been using them since Fresh Reviews did his wallhack tier list on them for gaming and let me tell you they're insanely good for pinpointing the enemies direction and distance/verticality as well as being great for music (I prefer more bass though but they're still awesome for music).

[@ResolveReviews]

A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.

[@homystargunner]

Yes it gives me the nickelodeon vibes during their bumps

[@veiron1]

That man is so goofy. I can't even take him seriously

[@outdawayyy887]

Are this good IEM’s for gaming (Escape from Tarkov?)

[@nox2889]

Yes

[@officialnoria]

I love the Europe map hoodie. Where can I get one?

[@alphapapa4446]

The comment section is evident that the hobby is not for everyone. The rate at which new sets come out with different driver configurations and tuning is so fast that it’s hard to keep up. I can’t really blame the SC team for just giving a surface level breakdown

[@RavP34]

DANKPODSSSSS where are you ?!

[@DEZY-zf4qc]

do they have built in microphone?

[@TexasAllDay]

They sound great but they are very uncomfortable, the feeling of having my ears plugged up is too much.

[@warth45]

lets gooo another audio stuff!!!!

[@moonshot9056]

That jumper is missing Liechtenstein and Andorra.

[@shields2594]

Use them for gaming. Great for FPS.

[@DiegoEleizalde]

sin

[@WyattOShea]

+1 This comment but I'll add that they're great for all types of gaming where you need to pinpoint the exact location and verticality of an enemy :).

[@natetete1379]

Ltt now sponsored by the Chinese. Uhhgg.

[@pmAdministrator]

THANK YOU, for mentioning how you feel about the word 'Chi-Fi'! I've always seen it as a slur myself. I get that this channel is for gamers that use gamer words, but again, thank you. It's good to respect others around us.

[@gloeckle]

what a title.................

[@TheSilent006]

Why don't you guys normalize your target curve more? As it is right now can be a bit misleading for those who dont understand the nature of these measurements. Also it fails to capture the nature of the ERB, especially at higher frequencies.

[@RookieRay]

WOW on sale for 249 down from... 249!!!

[@MayankJairaj]

0:12 bevy is an iem from another brand called Lypertek

[@username_5765]

these are going to be my next iems but what i want to really try is aful performer

[@brrrserkr]

What the fuck is that target?

[@sidesaladaudio]

It's essentially the Harman over ear target, but adapted for the B&K 5128.

[@andreaszweili8593]

I got the Kiwi Ears Cadenza yesterday. I have better headphones and IEMs but for the price ($34) they are very solid.

[@ChaseDuRand]

Is it just me or has this dude gotten slightly bigger in the week or two since we have seen him last? Not trying to be mean but as I would hope my friends would, I hope someone would tell me.

[@lmperioz]

I immediately went "woah wtf" when I saw him. I think it's his sweater, no way he got that much bigger in a week

[@EdenThompson-mc7gn]

dude wtf, commenting this kinda thing is so unwarranted and unnecessary, i know you're not trying to be mean, and commenting on weight isn't exclusively a mean thing, but it's not your job to make comments about that, especially on a random iem review.

[@ChaseDuRand]

@@EdenThompson-mc7gn fair

[@ChaseDuRand]

@@lmperioz probably right

[@Joedad000]

Is that an LTT shirt for some reason? cuz i love it

[@poppipo1222]

I feel like that a review that is sponsored by the creator of the item is completely void and cant be trusted. They look pretty at least

[@NyteStalker89]

The Quartet is SO GOOD FOR ITS PRICE POINT. Competes with my $300USD iems in all regards and are better built

[@Toastie]

please REVIEW THE sonos HEADPHONES when they come out next year

[@Nedlius]

Does anyone know a pair of high quality IEMs that also has a microphone? Maybe that's a stupid question as I'm not heavily involved in the audiophile community, but I use the headphone jack on my phone every day for music, and would love to pair it with high quality IEMs, but if someone calls me, I'd rather be able to just press a button to answer and leave my phone in my pocket. Would love some suggestions if possible.

[@neurokinetik]

You could probably do this with most IEMs by using an aftermarket cable that has a built-in mic.

[@FranciT98]

Any. Or at least any that come with a detachable cable (which is most). The microphone is a part of the cable, not the earphone itself, and so if you find a pair you're interested in, but don't have a microphone option, you can just buy a cable with microphone included.

[@Wild_D]

K2s are the same and they have a version for a few dollars more with an inline mic

[@mokisan]

Hello, Well the reason they don't include microphone is because if I am not wrong they cause some issue in sound transmission and also increases the resistance of the wire too. One of the best thing about modular is you can buy a cheap 2 pin modular cable for under 10-15 usd and use that instead Some suggestions for iem for different price range Around 20 - moondrop chu 2 , tangzu wan'ner, upcoming 7hz salnotes zero 2 and the celest wyvern pro (it comes with a mic and also has a detachable boom mic for 29 on sale for 21 as of writing this comment) Around 50 - simgot ew200, truthear zero, bgvp p05, truhtear hexa (as of writing its on sale for 65) Around 100 - simgot em6l, celest phoenixcall, letshuoer s12 pro (on sale price), truthear nova (on sale price) Around 200 - aful p5 (on sale price), 7hz timeless ae (what I use, on sale for 160 from its usual 260), penon fan 2 (with the mail in discount), simgot ea1000 ( the recent darling of the chi-fi community), dunu falcon ultra There are lot of iem tbh, the 200 range is a very good range. If you want a mic cable, buy a celest ruyi cable and you will get an inline mic and also a boom mic for your gaming and video calls. You can replace that cable with stock cable if you so wish and that cable costs around 30 usd. This was a small crash course, if you have any doubts feel free to ask me here

[@bipbop3121]

A lot of them you can buy with the cable with the inline mic, as a slightly more expensive option than just cable. You can buy cable separately with in line mic, if they aren't selling it with. If you have more complex mic needs, you can get like an antlion mic to use with IEMs.

[@craigdawson7632]

And I thought they came from NZ being called kiwi ears 🤔

[@AlexCheerNZ]

i was so ready to comment new zealand mentioned 😢

[@BurntFaceMan]

forgive me for my ignorance, but are these not just KBears? They look the same.

[@khensationalReviews]

First person Ive ever seen to say that the Orchestra Lite's treble is too crispy for their taste 😂 This is like one of the safest tuned IEMs out there. Orchestra Lite has a relaxed and smooth sound signature.

[@Kithas]

I'd be interested in a review of the AZ-09 adapters, i've really liked mine so far

[@MayankJairaj]

they arent very compatible with kiwi ears line ud need something like the Fiio U-TWS 5 for bluetooth

[@Kithas]

@@MayankJairaj fair, just if they are covering iem stuff it's an interesting product.

[@hassanalrubai7378]

But not the melody?

[@isbestlizard]

Do KiwiEars actually make these things, or just slap their branding on a white box chinese component?

[@djroskedjroske]

Your new ShortCircuit presenter is really cool !!! ;-)

[@MikeGarden]

Oof

[@GreySectoid]

These are probably from the same factory as KZ EDX pro (10$ IEM). Good ad.

[@CaseUnboxingMillionaire]

on first glance i thought it was luke on the thumbnail, lol

[@manuelaj3z116]

us a white man? what means that exactly, because the color of your skin you cant say certain words? or what exactly means

[@ugzz]

NEat.. I duno who this beardless man is though