it definitely earns its place on the radar. I love that it’s not just about “big bass,” but about being dynamic, textured, and in service of the music.
2 Likes
Ouch 500 dollars
1 Like
Flagship baby, flagship. Just like the previous $300 model was known as 
2 Likes
Too many iems under 400 that have been getting praised. It’s a crazy hobby.
2 Likes
Yeah… I don’t know what to buy at this point… also Hercules Audio Noah is coming in august (380-400 dollars).
3 Likes
It’s true. I want to eventually get something under 400. I don’t think I can see myself spending over that. Will def try and hit up canjam at some point to see what the big time flagships sound like.
It is also interesting how with all these iems you can go down the rabbit hole quickly because some are good for certain genres and others not so much.
3 Likes
I’m having way more fun with 4-5 different sets in the $80-250 range vs 1 or 2 in the $400-500 range.
The Kefine Quatio is legit! Well done. DX340 definitely elevates everything I’ve got…
6 Likes
Variation is the spice of life.
4 Likes
Yeah pricey like the new Hisenior abit overpriced
1 Like
Well on last night’s docket was the Punch Audio Martilo.
Colour me impressed!
This one actually upstaged one of my all time favorites the Xenns Mangird UP and If I am being completely honest for a long chill session I would pick up the Martilo over my Oriolus Szalayi and that’s something huge!
3 Likes
Man those morrillos seem fantastic. So many options available. Think I will narrow it down to a few and see which ones play heavy metal/rock punk the best. 
1 Like
That’s pretty much all I was listening to music wise and loving it but also the Martilo really let me kick back with some jazz as well.
1 Like
And tonight gotta say Kiwi Ears Septet is worthy 
Very unique balanced sound with a open and spacious sound amazing stage and the top end is some of the best ever without getting too dry but giving a very airy and detailed sound.
By far my favorite KiwiEars to date!.
1 Like
Give it a few more hours/days and see if you still like it. I found the stage gets confused/ethereal just a bit too much but does sound pretty cool. I tired of it though…but I can imagine a more refined version of the direction this is headed
2 Likes
The shell’s fine but their logo looks something horrid. Glad to hear it’s such a good set!
1 Like
Preamble:
There are occasions were reviewing an iem is a very involved task. With some of the best I have heard this often was the case. Excellence isn’t often immediately apparent, in particular when having the opportunity to listen to so many earphones. Whether it’s a matter of being jaded or due that infamously fickle audio memory this has been my experience.
Then there are those rare occasions where an iem’s sound is unpretentious and even at first listening makes clear what it is capable of. The Kefine Quatio is one of those earphones that from opening the box and putting them in my ears laid bare it’s refined musical character.
Kefine was founded only in 2022 and released their fist product, a Planar based iem in 2023. The driving force behind the company is to produce products where high quality does not mean high prices. According to their webpage they do this by keeping non-sound related things like simple packaging and omitting unnecessary accessories to a minimum while spending that development budget on the actual iem.
The Quatio is their latest and most ambitious release retailing at $130USD. Driver compliment includes dual dynamic drivers, a 10mm and an 8mm, paired with two balanced armatures. A three-way hybrid crossover, electric and acoustic, keeps everything in check. The Quatio also ships with three sets of tuning nozzles which Kefine describes as Silver (Balanced), Gold (Transparent) and Black (Warm). All sound good by the way. From the company graphs the nozzles have negligible effects on the bass but do influence the midrange on up with each affecting the energy from the mids into the treble, nut not in an aggressive way.
Tuning wise we have a balanced tuning with added bass presence. Overall, it is a safer type of approach with respect to the midrange and treble but done in a pleasing way and not boring by any measure. The added bass lift does not make the Quatio a Basshead iem, but it is clearly present.
The Quatio likes power and can be a reasonably resolving set. It is recommended to pair it with a source that has decent power output and a clean balanced sound. Tip selection is also crucial here as I did find the Quatio is tip sensitive and did my usual tip-rolling to find that perfect synergy. Trust me when I say it is well worth the effort.
**The balanced nozzles were used for the majority of listening impressions unless otherwise indicated.
Read on to find out more.
SPECS:
Drivers: 10mmDD + 8mmDD + 2x Balanced Armatures
Sensitivity: 107dB SPL/mW
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
Impedance: 32Ω
Connector: 0.78mm 2-Pin
Build & Fit:
The Quatio is imho a good looking iem. Basic black shells with a chrome accent are pretty much what the visuals are all about. The shells are adorned with clear Kefine branding. Build quality of the aviation grade aluminum shells is very good and the results are a seamless and solid feel.
I’m a little confused by Kefine’s webpage particularly the statement making it seem that they have put all the budget into the iem itself and not necessarily as much for the packaging and accessories. I have to disagree, in a good way. The retail presentation while plain is elegantly done but when we get inside the box things aren’t as plain. The accessories are well appointed with two clear cases of additional tips each with a different bore size. The stock cable is a definite keeper. It has great haptics and apparent build quality as well as being modular with both 4.4mm and 3.5mm tips provided. The cable also has a screw in locking mechanism which guarantees a secure seated tip. This cable is standout and I wish more manufacturers would pay this much attention in this price range.
SOUND:
Bass:
The Kefine Quatio has a definite sub-bass lift with all the power and slam I’m betting most listeners could ask for. All that power without control would be a disaster and this is where the Quatio shines. The bass has great rich tone with noticeably good snap and responsiveness to temper its power. Mid-bass does fall behind the sub-bass on sheer power but it does present with much of the characteristics of the lower region. At times though the mid-bass was overshadowed by the sub-bass but this was track dependant.
The tuning nozzles did have an effect on the mid-bass to lower midrange transition with the smoothest transition heard using the black “Warm” set and a more separated sound heard with the gold “Transparent” nozzles. I found that while the Gold (Transparent) nozzles did tend the better balance out the mids/treble with sub-bass, it did at times lead to some loss of note weight in the lower midrange. This is all a personal preference and all nozzles did actually sound quite good with noticeable but not earth moving changes to the sound.
Back to bass, the Quatio offers up a powerful low end with ample control. Bass transients were standout on this iem. There is a round & thick dimensionality to the lower registers that is not all that common. The bass actually has depth to it. Nicely done.
Midrange:
The Quatio’s three nozzles affect the sound from the midrange up but what stays the same is clarity and linear nature of the mids. While the black nozzles lead to the weightiest sonics, for long listening sessions with different genres of music I still preferred the silver balanced nozzles for the comparatively extra treble lift and consequently slightly more open sound. The gold nozzles added presence lift but at the expense of some midrange note weight, once again, a personal preference. At no time was there any harshness heard regardless of nozzle used.
Vocals, are slightly recessed and with both male and female are heard to be natural with good texturing. With the black nozzle male vocals take on added depth and a chestier presentation. With the silver (Balanced) nozzles details in the vocals are even more apparent. The raspiness of a vocalist or even their breathing is easily heard at times. IMHO, the bast tuning filter in terms of overall balance is the silver one, but depending on genre your mileage may vary.
One thing I noticed early on was how sharp and decisive transients and dynamics are presented. This great transient response capability really stands out on the Quatio and both keeps the mids from sounding too safe as well as adding to the organic playback.
Layering and separation were good but not necessarily class leading, still no sense of a constrained sound was noticed. Timbre was quite good but is altered depending on nozzle choice.
With the added flexibility of the tuning nozzles, and spoiler alert I am not usually a fan of tuning switches or nozzles, Kefine has made sure that the basic clean and open midrange does not change irrespective of which a user chooses.
Treble:
The treble is relatively extended and balanced with adequate quantities of sparkle and air. It is a treble that does not call attention to itself yet is not lacking in presence.
Detail retrieval in the treble is quite good and this was heard on the cymbal work on the “Double Booked” album by the Robert Glasper Trio. Treble dynamics are impressive with a forceful leading edge but a quick decay afterwards. This is a natural sounding treble with some rolloff in the upper reaches heard but not detracting from the musical enjoyment.
IMAGING & SOUNDSTAGE:
Soundstage is moderately sized with good quantities of width, height and depth. Imaging is precise and distinct. The standout transient response allows the Quatio to handle even busier track well, staying composed at all times and never sounding closed in in the least.
The Quatico seems to be following a trend of the better sets that I have heard recently in presenting a soundstage that is spacious but natural without one dimension overshadowing the other. This makes for a more immersive experience in my opinion.
VERSUS:
-Kiwi Ears Etude-
The Kiwi Ears Etude is an interesting set which includes a KVT or vibrating transducer as opposed to the usual bone conductor driver.
Bass on the Etude has more of an atypical reverb feel, both have good power and slam while the Etude falls behind the Quatio in terms of transient response and overall definition.
With respect to the midrange while the Etude has an uncanny ability to lay bare the texture of a vocalist overall, the Quatio, while being tuned somewhat safer, is just more organic.
Treble is interesting as the Etude does have more sparkle but in terms of absolute detail retrieval, the Quatio does better.
CONCLUSION:
Kefine should be vey proud of the Quatio. The sum of the parts if greater than the whole and this holds true of the Quatio. From the retail presentation to the standout sound Kefine have a real winner here.
On offer is a mature, organic sound with the added flexibility of the tuning nozzles if that floats your boat. In its price range and even somewhat above, I can think of very few compelling competitors when the whole sonic package is considered.
The Kefine Quatio gets a definite recommendation.
5 Likes
Yeah let’s give them more feedback on this and I guarantee that changes next round Kefine is a company that seems to listen to its fan base.
I Talk about going to hit 5000 Subs, my Start and my Journey and where I think the state and health of the ChiFi Audio Hobby is right now!
3 Likes
Watched the video man and I agree on many of your points…being leaned on by companies and manufacturers to give a positive review or the supply line will be cut off is a thing for real. Cables, sources (op-amps) do make a difference 
. Head-Fi does contain some really nice and knowledgable folk (forum wise) but that’s all offset by it’s fully paid grifters, shills and 
’s in their review threads.
As for HFG’s being toxic that’s something I don’t understand, yes all reviewers have their cliques and followers as you do. Being a reviewer yourself I’m not sure it’s wise or constructive to read or listen to other reviewers threads or reviews, this surely is counterproductive to any thoughts you have regarding the state of the hobby or particular set 
My advice to you is just carry on doing your thing and worry less about things you can’t control, which kinda sums up this hobby and life 
8 Likes