Pros:
- Balanced and detailed
- well built
- can handle almost any genre
- above par soundstage and imaging
- good instrument separation
- punchy bass, not overwhelming,
- treble is not harsh. not fatiguing in long listening
- well built
- can handle almost any genre
- above par soundstage and imaging
- good instrument separation
- punchy bass, not overwhelming,
- treble is not harsh. not fatiguing in long listening
Cons:
- cables can be improved
- pin connector cannot be abused, seems fragile
- large nozzle which can be a problem for some ears
- shallow fit, not to deep in ears. adjustment will be there if you are coming from other iems
- pin connector cannot be abused, seems fragile
- large nozzle which can be a problem for some ears
- shallow fit, not to deep in ears. adjustment will be there if you are coming from other iems
INTRO:
I think it is safe to start this review with a background about me. This is my FIRST EVER review and it is worth mentioning Eiji Zerstorer Romero for pushing me to do this. He is a reputable reviewer and his personal blog on this IEM made me take a leap of faith. and oh boy, up till now, I'm in love with what i'm hearing. Carrying on..
I'm a pianist, sax player, musical director (sometimes) / arranger. I have loved music since 7 years old, and i grew up with my dad, who constantly play music through HiFi equipments. I can't remember the brand names but you can say, i have a sense of what sounds good. I listen mostly to jazz, fusion, rock alternative, pop, retro, reggae, bossanova, latin, ethnic, gospel and this is because as a pro musician, we should be versatile/flexible on genres we listen to. So i will be reviewing this from a musician's perspective. Moving on...
THE KC2 IN A NUTSHELL:
This IEM is truly what they say it is. It is not hyped as other IEM and actually often underrated. Owners of KC2's call it "The Gatekeeper" for it keeps you from side grading, and falling down the "rabbit hole". Many had removed many IEM's from their electronic carts when they heard KC2 and didn't waste anymore time on other IEM on this level. Though KC2's sound signature is somewhat appreciated by a particular range of listeners, it has made it's way on par with its rivals up to 100$ and above.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
I just got these 2 days ago, and i have been listening to it almost all day. and here are my impressions so far.
-- well built shells. unlike my KZ ES4's which are made of plastic. These are light metal and can handle falls
-- Detailed sound. Balanced.
-- not boomy, so clearly not for bass heads. but bass presence is there.
-- I was a bit concerned on the cables because they are thin in someway compare to some IEM's i have used before.
-- Sound signature is warm, neutralish,
-- easy to drive
-- soundstage, imaging, and instrument separation are amazing
This review will not be very technical but rather aims to give you a testimonial as a musician. This review will be very helpful if you are a singer, intrumentalist, musician, recording artist and anyone who makes or produce music for a living. Don't worry, i will not tell you to stop reading if you are not one of the things i mentioned above. Pls do join me as you read along.
This review will be mainly divided into 3 parts from here on out.
SOUND
FITTING
BUILD
Let's talk about the BASS.
If you are a bass head, this will not probably for you. i'm not saying that KC2 suffers from lack of bass, definitely the rumble and presence of bass is there, it's just bass here is PUNCHY and has more ATTACK. As an analytical listener, too much bass that bleeds to mids and trebles is a turn off. I like my bass to be present and felt. Actually I do love bass. I even play bass on my keyboard on times a bass player is not available. I just don't like too much of it that it brings down the details. So bass is here guys, and it is here to stay. And it punches.
On to TREBLES.
Before i had these, i was coming from a bright neutral HP (headphones). Namely the Samson SR850. I bought those for mixing my self made tracks that i make for my wife. She is a singer btw. And to be honest, it is sometimes fatiguing to listen to because those cans has a Treble boost. It sounds so thin sometimes that it pierces my hearing. Even my wife complained about it when she put them on. the KC2 has a treble roll off, but to my surprise, that roll off doesn't take any details off. I'm here to tell you, if you're a guitar player, piano, horns, or just want to hear the instruments that are in the 4k-10k frequencies, they are present here. You have the details here in a NOT fatiguing way.
I saved the best for last. MIDS
I will tell you now upfront, if you love vocals, or if you are a singer by profession, and need to analyze vocals critically, this is the best part of KC2's. These babies are mid centric. I guess this is the reason that even though we have a treble roll off, the details was maintained. I'm still in awe how a mid centric sound signature managed not to sound BOXY or HONKY TONKY. I can't more emphasize how good the mids are in these IEM. If you have tried a Shure IEM and loved it, I'm pretty SHURE you will love the mids here. (see what i did there hahahaha)
on to FITTING
So far, KC2's fitting is ok with me. I can't say its perfect for my ears, but as long as they don't fall off my ears while i'm on the move, i'm fine. but if you are going to use this for jogging, there are other IEM's out there for that purpose. KC2 are not it. I did changed to small tips though. But many users, are strongly suggesting to get tip upgrades for this. Some to tips to look out for are Spiraldots, Tanchjim, and Final Type E. Personally, i'm thinking of upgrading tips soon.
how about the BUILD?
The shell itself is well built. It is metallic, and will endure falls. My ES4 opened like an oyster after a few falls, and now only a tape is holding it and extending its life. The build of the cables specially near the drivers, concerns me. it feels they will snap anytime. Again, a cable upgrade is STRONGLY recommended here. 8 core will suffice.
CONCLUSION/VERDICT
At the time i was buying this, the BLON03 was hyped on fire! I was gonna settle for BLON coz it's cheaper, but i did not like the fact that i purchased something out of hype. And I have no regrets here, though i don't own a BLON, i'm truly madly in love with my KC2's right now. If you are an analytical listener, love details, and vocals, there in none on par with KC2 at this price range. If you are concern bass won't be enough for you, well that depends on how bass hungry you are. IF you don'y have a dac/amp, you don't need one for these baby. They are very easy to drive. I totally recommend this to a fellow musician, whatever genre he/she listens to. You have my word for it. For bass heads, there are more options out there, but KC2 is not deprived of bass.
Here are the gears i used to test KC2:
DAP: iphone 7 plus with Apple dongle
Music Source: Apple music, Deezer HIFI, offline ALAC files, (converted from flac), courtesy of Eiji Romero.
TRACKS:
When You Say Nothing At All - Allison Krauss (deezer hifi)
Plastic Love - Friday Night Plans and Mariya Takeuchi
In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins - flac converted to ALAC
How You Remind Me - Nickelback - flac converted to ALAC
All the Things You are - Ella Fizgerald - flac converted to ALAC
I think it is safe to start this review with a background about me. This is my FIRST EVER review and it is worth mentioning Eiji Zerstorer Romero for pushing me to do this. He is a reputable reviewer and his personal blog on this IEM made me take a leap of faith. and oh boy, up till now, I'm in love with what i'm hearing. Carrying on..
I'm a pianist, sax player, musical director (sometimes) / arranger. I have loved music since 7 years old, and i grew up with my dad, who constantly play music through HiFi equipments. I can't remember the brand names but you can say, i have a sense of what sounds good. I listen mostly to jazz, fusion, rock alternative, pop, retro, reggae, bossanova, latin, ethnic, gospel and this is because as a pro musician, we should be versatile/flexible on genres we listen to. So i will be reviewing this from a musician's perspective. Moving on...
THE KC2 IN A NUTSHELL:
This IEM is truly what they say it is. It is not hyped as other IEM and actually often underrated. Owners of KC2's call it "The Gatekeeper" for it keeps you from side grading, and falling down the "rabbit hole". Many had removed many IEM's from their electronic carts when they heard KC2 and didn't waste anymore time on other IEM on this level. Though KC2's sound signature is somewhat appreciated by a particular range of listeners, it has made it's way on par with its rivals up to 100$ and above.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
I just got these 2 days ago, and i have been listening to it almost all day. and here are my impressions so far.
-- well built shells. unlike my KZ ES4's which are made of plastic. These are light metal and can handle falls
-- Detailed sound. Balanced.
-- not boomy, so clearly not for bass heads. but bass presence is there.
-- I was a bit concerned on the cables because they are thin in someway compare to some IEM's i have used before.
-- Sound signature is warm, neutralish,
-- easy to drive
-- soundstage, imaging, and instrument separation are amazing
This review will not be very technical but rather aims to give you a testimonial as a musician. This review will be very helpful if you are a singer, intrumentalist, musician, recording artist and anyone who makes or produce music for a living. Don't worry, i will not tell you to stop reading if you are not one of the things i mentioned above. Pls do join me as you read along.
This review will be mainly divided into 3 parts from here on out.
SOUND
FITTING
BUILD
Let's talk about the BASS.
If you are a bass head, this will not probably for you. i'm not saying that KC2 suffers from lack of bass, definitely the rumble and presence of bass is there, it's just bass here is PUNCHY and has more ATTACK. As an analytical listener, too much bass that bleeds to mids and trebles is a turn off. I like my bass to be present and felt. Actually I do love bass. I even play bass on my keyboard on times a bass player is not available. I just don't like too much of it that it brings down the details. So bass is here guys, and it is here to stay. And it punches.
On to TREBLES.
Before i had these, i was coming from a bright neutral HP (headphones). Namely the Samson SR850. I bought those for mixing my self made tracks that i make for my wife. She is a singer btw. And to be honest, it is sometimes fatiguing to listen to because those cans has a Treble boost. It sounds so thin sometimes that it pierces my hearing. Even my wife complained about it when she put them on. the KC2 has a treble roll off, but to my surprise, that roll off doesn't take any details off. I'm here to tell you, if you're a guitar player, piano, horns, or just want to hear the instruments that are in the 4k-10k frequencies, they are present here. You have the details here in a NOT fatiguing way.
I saved the best for last. MIDS
I will tell you now upfront, if you love vocals, or if you are a singer by profession, and need to analyze vocals critically, this is the best part of KC2's. These babies are mid centric. I guess this is the reason that even though we have a treble roll off, the details was maintained. I'm still in awe how a mid centric sound signature managed not to sound BOXY or HONKY TONKY. I can't more emphasize how good the mids are in these IEM. If you have tried a Shure IEM and loved it, I'm pretty SHURE you will love the mids here. (see what i did there hahahaha)
on to FITTING
So far, KC2's fitting is ok with me. I can't say its perfect for my ears, but as long as they don't fall off my ears while i'm on the move, i'm fine. but if you are going to use this for jogging, there are other IEM's out there for that purpose. KC2 are not it. I did changed to small tips though. But many users, are strongly suggesting to get tip upgrades for this. Some to tips to look out for are Spiraldots, Tanchjim, and Final Type E. Personally, i'm thinking of upgrading tips soon.
how about the BUILD?
The shell itself is well built. It is metallic, and will endure falls. My ES4 opened like an oyster after a few falls, and now only a tape is holding it and extending its life. The build of the cables specially near the drivers, concerns me. it feels they will snap anytime. Again, a cable upgrade is STRONGLY recommended here. 8 core will suffice.
CONCLUSION/VERDICT
At the time i was buying this, the BLON03 was hyped on fire! I was gonna settle for BLON coz it's cheaper, but i did not like the fact that i purchased something out of hype. And I have no regrets here, though i don't own a BLON, i'm truly madly in love with my KC2's right now. If you are an analytical listener, love details, and vocals, there in none on par with KC2 at this price range. If you are concern bass won't be enough for you, well that depends on how bass hungry you are. IF you don'y have a dac/amp, you don't need one for these baby. They are very easy to drive. I totally recommend this to a fellow musician, whatever genre he/she listens to. You have my word for it. For bass heads, there are more options out there, but KC2 is not deprived of bass.
Here are the gears i used to test KC2:
DAP: iphone 7 plus with Apple dongle
Music Source: Apple music, Deezer HIFI, offline ALAC files, (converted from flac), courtesy of Eiji Romero.
TRACKS:
When You Say Nothing At All - Allison Krauss (deezer hifi)
Plastic Love - Friday Night Plans and Mariya Takeuchi
In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins - flac converted to ALAC
How You Remind Me - Nickelback - flac converted to ALAC
All the Things You are - Ella Fizgerald - flac converted to ALAC
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