Kiwi Ears Quintet In-Ear Headphones

1DD + 2BA + 1 Planar + 1 PZT In-Ear Monitor

Kiwi Ears Quintet employs 4 driver types, including DLC dynamic driver, 2 balanced armature drivers, planar driver, and piezoelectric driver, delivering high-resolution audio. The new planar tweeter system in Quintet, called MPT (Micro Planar Transducer), provides low-noise, high-output, and crisp treble, enhancing audio resolution and texture. Kiwi Ears developed the MPT driver to address the challenge of achieving high-quality super-tweeters, offering sustained frequencies from 4kHz to 40kHz with natural tonal texture and integration. Quintet provides a balanced tonal character, combining the best qualities of each driver type, with impactful bass, neutral midrange, refined treble, and extended soundstage.

4 Driver Types, 5 Drivers Per Side

Kiwi Ears Quintet uses 4 different types of drivers, including a DLC dynamic driver, 2 balanced armature drivers, a planar driver, and a piezoelectric driver. With a total of 5 drivers per ear, Quintet delivers extremely high-resolution audio comparable to professional studio monitors. A large 10mm DLC driver is chosen for bass due to DLC's high responsiveness and tensile strength, producing impactful bass hits. Two Knowles balanced armature drivers provide natural and resolving midrange, a classic example of why balanced armatures are favored in the industry.

Kiwi Ears Micro Planar Transducer (MPT) Driver

Achieving high-quality super-tweeters has been a challenge in the IEM industry. BA drivers are compact but have lower super-treble extension and are limited in output and tonal quality. EST drivers are difficult to use in multi-driver setups due to their very low output, often overshadowed by other drivers' volume. Additionally, EST drivers sound very metallic at high voltages, leading to unnatural presence. To address this, Kiwi Ears developed a new super-tweeter with a modular size of just 5mm but with a massive output of 118dB. The Kiwi Ears MPT driver can efficiently produce sustained high frequencies from 4kHz to 40kHz. Typical BA or EST drivers gradually weaken in treble output after 8kHz. However, the MPT driver can maintain the same constant sound pressure at 14kHz as at 4kHz or 8kHz. This allows great flexibility in tuning the MPT driver to match other driver types like BA or DD, as their outputs are similar. Furthermore, the MPT driver has a more natural tonal texture than EST or BA drivers, allowing for better integration in the mix.

Balanced Tonal Characteristics

A balanced sound signature is a core belief of Kiwi Ears. Due to the engineering difficulty of combining all driver types, Quintet's development took nearly a year. However, the result is a perfectly balanced tonality that accurately reflects the best qualities of the earphones. The bass is powerful and fast with a 9dB shelf transitioning to flat mids at 300Hz. This mid-bass transition ensures bass guitar notes have a slight warmth in the mid-bass mix but still retain studio monitor-like neutrality in the upper mids. This creates a natural and clean tonality without any muddiness or bloat. The treble peaks precisely at 3kHz to match the acoustic perception of the human ear pinna and gradually decays into the upper treble. As a result, the treble is detailed and sparkly but without any harshness or sibilance. The planar and PZT extend the treble well into 40kHz, resulting in higher resolution, airy ambiance, and soundstage.

Specifications

Drivers: 1 Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) dynamic driver, 2 Balanced Armature (BA) drivers, 1 Planar Magnetic driver, and 1 Piezoelectric (PZT) driver

Cable: 1.2M, premium oxygen-free silver-plated copper wire

Connector: 0.78mm 2-pin