HBB hitting a milly, and we hitting 100K, it’s a good day guys Appreciate ya’ll
Congrats on 100k
Thank you brother Congrats to you too Chris
Finished my review on ZiiGaat x Jays Audio ESTRELLA , a really solid collaboration between the two. Is it the $1000 claim, dont thing so. Would be more realistic to say $500, and under this price bracket its one of the better hybrids available. Can read why in my review, and thanks @VIVIDICI_111 for arranging the review unit.
Now it is shipped to some more to try it
Appreciate the review
I’ll have to A/B it with the Hype 4s again But here’s my experience with the Hype 4s, and I’m not writing this to say you’re right or wrong or try to disregard your opinion, just sharing my perspective:
Based on my previous testing I noticed that the Estrella is more resolving/detailed than the Hype 4s given that they use very similar drivers (quality wise), but now the Estrella has an added uppermids/treble boost which gives it more clarity tuning wise.
Drivers wise, the Sonion mid drivers (used in the Hype 4s) also tends to over smoothen things versus Knowles which has more “bite” to the transients, so the Hype 4 with the Sonions should have the opposite effect of being more resolving, it should make the Hype 4s smoother, which they are based on my experience as well as Joyce’s as she mentioned the Estrella is more detailed than the Hype 4 in her review… hmmm interesting!
Also, I don’t think it’s marketing Hype if it does trade blows with $500+ IEMs as many reviewers have mentioned I wish you could’ve tried the tape mod, but anyhow, thanks for the write-up and the awesome pictures!
Tbh I never read about what different BA models do, also I want to stay without bias having read to much beforehand.
Specially when listening to fast and busy metal music it sounds overall more smooth and less clear on Estrella.vs Hype 4, might also be why it’s sounds slower.
But this isn’t always a bad thing as its more pleasant to listen to, and it’s a great set I will miss when it’s away now.
Ranked it Very Good, if my ranking reflected price to performance the ESTRELLA would get a close to full score
Gotcha. Appreciate the feedback. You should try the tape mod! It decreases the bass and should fix that, although I know that you don’t listen to anything that isn’t stock hahaha
I’ll promise give it a go after @trouble have shipped it back, but I’m also a little basshead and don’t want less
Oof, tough decisions then I feel you lol, Hype 4s do be slamming nice in the bass. I think the less treble makes the low-end more forward, and definitely still a fantastic set for bass
Yeah, I’ve found the Hype 4 to probably be faster/more detailed on that end but Estrella to be a bit slower which appeals more to a musical (to me) sense.
Same I think, if I could only own one it would be Estrella as I find it more musical
Kiwi Ears CANTA Review (1DD + 2 PLANAR):
THE KIWI IS BACK with the CANTA, and this thing has a lot of detail, maybe even too much… It’s got 2 Planars and 1 DD, and yes it’s not going to be as natural as a DD, but… I kinda dig it?
SOUND
While other companies have been shifting towards a tamer uppermids and treble tuning in their planars to make it feel less planarish, Kiwiears on the hand decided to do the opposite and lean heavily into the planarness. Which means, you’re either going to love the shimmer, or be turned off by its energy. Because the Cantas have a lot of treble air and detail, and depending on how loud you listen and your library, you’ll either love them or think they’re doing too much.
TIMBRE & TREBLE
Tech wise they have one of the best detail and resolution under $100, and if you’re a treblehead, you’re going to like these. Cymbal strikes have that extra shimmer, sparkle and extension and air in the decay, very splashy without being too sharp and peaky. It’s not a high volume set because of the extra boosted treble, but if you listen at a normal volume you’ll be fine, well, kinda, depending on the song.
Although the Canta doesn’t feel “natural” when you compare it to a DD it’s also not bad, it simply just has a different color and style to the sound. The overall timbre again is going to feel lighter and have more of a shimmery presentation to them. Now, some might find these to be too much in the uppermids and treble as the Canta follows the Harman 3K but then also boosts the 8-15K region… And I agree to a certain extent that in more energetic genres like kpop and jpop it will get fatiguing and just too much energy.
Songs like Buttery by Loona and Say it by Yorushika are going to come off as bright and hot in the vocals and you’ll need to turn them down to a lower volume. However, on slower tracks this type of tuning actually works, and is very enjoyable because of the 5K dip. Acoustics, indie, piano ballads, and instrumentals sound airy and sparkly without being hot and fatiguing, and it definitely brings a different vibe to the song. It makes the track feel more open and adds that shimmer, which depending on one’s preferences may very well be a hit to some people.
POTENTIAL ISSUES
However, you do miss some information in the 5-6K region - there is masking when it comes to consonants and some bluntness to the attacks on some instruments, as well as vocals can feel a bit incomplete, although it’s not too noticeable because the 3K is filled in as well as the elevated treble afterwards that brings back the air and extension that was missing - unless you’re a trained listener, or A/B it back and forth you’re not gonna notice it too much.
BASS & VOCALS
Separation on the other hand is a strong point of the Canta, the drivers are very quick in its transients allowing for great layering, and these definitely favour female vocals more, giving them that extra air and sparkle to the final extension while remaining not thin and shrill sounding unlike the Oracle MK2s for example. Male artists on the other hand can sound a bit too light, soft, and a little weak, they’re not the most powerful and heavy when it comes to the note weight.
Low-end wise the bass is tight, well-controlled, and fast in its attack and decay, again separation is very solid with zero bleeding and coloring, but, the bass can be a little light to some people. Overall I would say the low-end does its job, it’s not the most heaviest or thickest in its noteweight or slam since the impact is again, on the tamer side, but it doesn’t get in the way of the treble which is what the main focus of the Canta is.
vs EW300
Compared to the EW300 the Canta is brighter and airier but not in the sharp kind of way like the EW200 (well, depending on your unit). It’s got that shimmer, but without the metallic peakiness. Vocals overall feel lighter with more of a shimmer to them, whereas the EW300 with the red or pink nozzles will feel more traditional and accurate in its noteweight and presentation. The EW300 will feel closer to you whereas the Canta feels more pushed back with more detail and air in the treble, and separation wise I’d give the slight edge to the Canta as well as overall resolution and detail.
However the trade-off is the Canta does feel planarish, in a good way, but the EW300 will still sound more natural in its timbre as well as having a much deeper and heavier slam in the low-end, more natural male vocals, and just overall better balanced and would be my pick if you want an all-rounder, whereas the Canta is more niche in its tuning and demographic.
vs EA500LM
The Canta is actually more similar to the EA500LM which also has a bright sound signature (again depending on the unit you get), but the difference is the LM is more energetic and in your face with a heavier low-end thickness and body, whereas the Canta is more laid back and airy but still bright leaning. So, if you want a bright leaning set with better bass, go for the LM, but if you want something more chill and shimmery, go for the Canta since detail and resolution wise they’re around the same and comes down more to unit variation than anything else.
vs Planars
Versus some planars like the T10, F1 PRO, KLANAR, S12, the Canta is going to have a very similar light timbre to them but even more air and treble detail now. It’s definitely bright, but I wouldn’t say it’s stabbing like BAs from early KZs, just brighter. However, if you already found those to be borderline too much but still want a planar, then something like the S08 would be the better pick as it’s the least planar out of all the planars and a more natural and smoother listen.
vs Others
Compared to the Xuan NV the XUAN NV has a neutral clean tuning with a lot less air and sparkliness and shimmer, less energetic, safer, more natural and balanced, whereas the Canta is going to be brighter, lighter, more lively with better detail and resolution.
Versus some warmer sets like the Titan S2, Magic One, and the Pink nozzle on the EW300, Canta will have better treble detail and air, more lively, note-weight is lighter, it’s better at mid-volume, whereas the others will scale better with more natural timbre, and a thicker low-end and male vocals.
And as for the Explorer these 2 are complete opposites, Explorer is a darker set that scales like crazy, much more immersive and personal, whereas the Canta is a mid to lower volume set that’s more laid back, bright, and airy with better detail.
CONCLUSION
Even though the Canta isn’t going to float everyone’s boat, I do still think it’s a nice addition and a set that stands out from the rest… for better, or for worse.
Here are the final rankings:
Tuning: A- (6/10)
Tech: A (7/10)
Overall: A- (6/10)
I’m probably going to have mine posted by this weekend.
Spoiler alert for the meme I made and am adding in there.
Coming from someone who also really likes the Dusk, too.
LMAO
Just curious, but is it customary for Americans to butcher any word that isn’t of English origin?