Kiwi Ears Dolce (originally posted at avaliasom.com)
Presentation
Hello, friends of AvaliaSom. The one I bring you is the Kiwi Ears Dolce, an earphone that was kindly sent to me by
Linsoul , without any obligation to speak highly about it, just provide my opinions. Xiè xiè, Linsoul!
This IEM costs from 25 USD (or around 30 USD applying the 20% Brazilian taxes in current legislation).
I've already tried some Kiwi Ears products:
Cadenza ,
Quartet ,
Orchestra Lite and now it's Dolce's turn. The list of recent releases from Kiwi Ears is quite extensive, and I admire the work this brand has done, delivering IEMs for different tastes and budgets. And at this time when import tax burdens in Brazil are at prohibitive levels, the cheap Dolce fits like a glove for those who want to get to know Kiwi Ears' work without spending a lot.
The IEM comes with a simple but careful unboxing. What appears to be one of those cigarette box packaging is actually a small rigid box with another glove box on the outside. And this one features the render of the IEM on the front and the Dolce name highlighted on both the back and the side. The internal rigid box is white and features the Kiwi Ears logo.
Inside the rigid box, we have the plastic cradle for the IEMs with a velvety coating, and there is also another smaller box that stores the cable and a spartan kit of good silicone tips in a small bag. The cable is very simple, but well made, made of OCC (oxygen-free copper). The connections are 3.5 mm for the source and 2-pin 0.78 mm for the earphone. There is no case or bag, unfortunately.
The IEM itself is another example of simplicity well done: the plastic faceplate combines blue and black in a gradient, while the shell is entirely made of slightly smoked transparent plastic, with a nozzle made of the same material, allowing you to see the driver and cables on the inside. interior. There is a metal grid with a filter at the tip of the nozzle, in addition to the brand name printed on the shell and the 2-pin connector is popped out.
The sound is generated by a 10 mm dynamic driver with an LDP diaphragm, a combination of LCP (liquid crystal polymer) and LDPE (low density polyethylene).
Comfort
To my ears, the comfort of the Kiwi Ears Dolce was ideal. The phone is very light, has a rounded body and a good length nozzle. I used the size L tips that came with the package and had a great seal, without any discomfort. As it is a ventilated earphone, it does not generate any pressure in the ear canal.
Musical Sound
I tried the IEM on different sources, which are: iPhone SE (my “DAP”), Dell Laptop, Apple Dongle, Truthear Shio, iFi Uno, Cayin RU6 and Topping DX3 Pro+.
By the way, I invite you to check out my headphone test playlist on Spotify . This is a dynamic playlist, and the songs can change at any time, but they will always follow the purpose of presenting all the points I mention in my musical evaluation of the headphones.
Regarding sources, the Kiwi Ears Dolce plays smoothly in any of them, and assimilates the coloring characteristics of each sourcewell. I didn't notice considerable differences in sound in more refined sources when compared to cell phones or laptops, for example.
NOTE: The following notes serve as a comparison parameter only in the price range in which the IEM falls.
- Bass: Level 3/5, Extension 5/5, Speed 4/5, Texture 4/5
The Dolce has already started to impress me in the bass, as they are deliciously controlled and pleasant. Starting with the beautiful extension to the subs, which brought beautiful body to the beats of
“Ambitions Az a Ridah”. Bassheads will miss more bass weight, but I personally found the Dolce's bass sufficient for everything I listened to, and it reminds me well of the
KZ D-Fi in this regard.
In terms of texture, I really like it, and I consider it superior even to the
Cadenza, which brings drier and faster bass, without the body that the Dolce gives to the cellos of an
Apocalyptica, for example. There is also a beautiful presentation of drums in a rock song, and the bass line on tracks like
“Paranoid” appears well, but not prominently.
And just like in most modern drivers, even in cheap IEMs, there is good speed in the kick drums of
Ne Obliviscaris and similar bands. I didn't notice a rush of notes, not even in the most insane moments.
- Midrange: Level 3/5, Presence 4/5, Clarity 4/5, Voices 4/5, Transparency 4/5
The Dolce brings a considerable mid-bass presence, something that brings notable weight to
Geoff Castelucci's voice , as well as portraying very well the lowest notes of a guitar, as in a
“Táxi Lunar” in this version by Mariana Aydar with the Fejuca.
The clarity and transparency of a Portuguese guitar or a mandolin is also notable, just as the IEM also presents Andrea Grauzas' soft voice in a very sweet way. Did the idea to call the phone Dolce come from that?
Jokes aside, this is the best way to define the midrange of this guy: sweetness.
Not even in more analytical sources do Helloween's voice and guitar pass the point, but they don't give you goosebumps either. And when it comes to the more intense female voices, Dolce also appears controlled, and I noticed a discreet sibilance beyond what was expected in
Evanescence's “Hello”, but it didn't bother me.
- Treble: Level 4/5, Brightness 4/5, Airiness 5/5, Extension 5/5, Timbre 3/5
In terms of treble, it can be seen that Kiwi Ears has given a good focus to this range of the spectrum, and the only point that I think it doesn't impress is the timbre, which to me sounds more metallic and thin than ideal.
However, I really like the splash of cymbals, which stand out on any track, including a beautiful extension noted in
“September in Montreal”. Compared to the Truthear Hola, it's as if the Dolce had an extra driver to take care of the high treble.
Listening to a forró (brazilian folk genre), the presence of the triangles among other instruments is very noticeable, while the highest notes of
Lindsey Stirling's violin sound very interesting.
- Technicalities: Sound Stage 4/5, Image 4/5, Layering 2/5, Separation 3/5, Details 3/5, Resolution 3/5
When it comes to technicalities, I'll start by saying how I liked the Dolce stage, even though it's a lateral stage. Listening to
“You and Your Friend” by Dire Straits , we have a very well presented stereo image for the different instruments. As for layering, the presentation of sounds occurs in a practically flat spectrum.
The separation of instruments is average for this price range, as is the level of detail and resolution presented. In other words, although it is not a technical exponent, the Dolce is a very capable phone in this aspect.
Sound in Games
For battle royale games, like
CoD Warzone 2.0 , Dolce is very competent in presenting what happens on the sides, including a good sense of distance, but it lacks precision when the sound emitters are on the diagonals, just in front or right behind. And there is practically no accuracy in different sounds on the vertical axis.
Rating 2.5/5 .
In FPS games like
Valorant , Dolce changes from water to wine. The tuning is ideal for highlighting the sound of opponents' footsteps, and its stereo image matches the game very well. This makes it very easy to identify the location and movement of opponents, even in the most chaotic moments.
Rating 5/5 .
In casual games, like
GTA V , Dolce delivers a good lateral image, but its three-dimensionality is very discreet, which ends up damaging the immersion a little. On the other hand, there is an excellent naturalness to the surrounding sounds.
Rating 3/5.
Finally, in simulation games like
Assetto Corsa , there is a beautiful texture to the sound of the engines, but the Dolce lacks a little in strength. The immersion is good, but there is always the feeling that something is missing.
Rating 4/5.
Sound in Films, Series and Productivity
Dolce's tuning is very interesting for films that feature a lot of dialogue, like
“Scarface”, and proves to be a good companion for documentaries and the like.
I also recommend the Dolce for anyone who needs an earphone for work or study, as it provides a good sound for voices, even lower-pitched or poorly recorded voices, and because it is comfortable, it can be used for hours without any discomfort.
Conclusion
Kiwi is a fruit that brings an ideal proportion of sweetness and acidity to my palate, it's a balance almost like Ying and Yang. And just like the fruit, this cheap representative of Kiwi Ears balances the sonorous flavors, with an exemplary capacity in this price range.
For 25 USD, Dolce enchants, and the longer you keep it in your ears, the more you question why we spend so much on this hobby, if often a little jewel like this can deliver everything we're looking for in our music. preferred.
The
Truthear Hola was, for a long time, my favorite IEM in this input range. Even when the
KZ D-Fi arrived and enchanted me with its resolution, I was in doubt about which of the two was better. But with Dolce, that doubt is over. Today, it is the best cheap option for me, and I recommend it with my eyes closed, and it becomes part of
my list of recommendations.
Big hug!