Kiwi Ears Dolce Review

I’ve become a big fan of Kiwi Ears ever since Linsoul featured one of their models at CanJam NYC. And much like wine, I think if we blindfolded a bunch audiophiles and made them do an AB test between a Kiwi Ears model and something much higher-priced, there would be some embarrassment and confusion to follow. But what happens when we get dirt cheap? Will Kiwi Ears wow us again with their $25 Dolce, or are we asking for too much? 

What’s in the Box?

• Kiwi Ears Dolce
• 3 Sizes Silicone Tips
• Quality Control Card

Look and Feel

In terms of aesthetic design, the Dolce looks attractive enough, though the build quality makes it seem appropriately priced. It’s a very simple transparent resin shell with a shady blue, matte faceplate. The fit was perfectly comfortable for me with good sound isolation, but I rarely run into problems with ill-fitting IEMs.

Design

The Dolce sports a good ol’ fashioned single 10mm dynamic driver under the hood. Sometimes simple is best, and that seems to be the case here. The cable is made with OCC copper and employs a 2-pin connection with a 3.5mm termination. It’s not the most solid cable I’ve ever seen, but, of course, easily replaceable if you want to soup up these IEMs.

Specifications

Soundstage

Although perfectly sufficient for the price, the soundstage was perhaps the least impressive element of the Dolce’s sound signature. And if anything gives away this IEM’s $25 price point, it’s the relatively compact stage, which doesn’t match sense of scale or dimension I experienced with the Quartet and Quintet. While there’s some decent height here (not much depth to speak of), instrument placement feels less than precise, especially as the imaging extends further from the ear.

Low-End

Unlike some of the pricier Kiwi Ears models, the Dolce presents a more moderate low-end. That’s not to say you won’t get the bass-fix you need; you’ll still hear solid bass presence and punch, but it doesn’t take up the entire stage. In fact, I prefer this tuning to the above mentioned models. The bass is natural and tight, yet still satisfying, offering all the right impact to genres like pop, hip-hop and EDM. At the same time, acoustic instruments in the low-end sound natural/uncolored, even if the level of detail is less than striking. And unlike the Quartet, there’s a very clear break between the low-end and higher frequencies. Nothing sounds veiled or muddy.

Mids

The lower-mids are recessed in favor of the upper mids. As such, you’ll shed some of the body of the mix, while gaining tons of extra snap and vocal presence. Guitars, vocals and percussion in the upper-mids offer a close-up, intimate feel. So, folk music or any female vocal-centric tracks sound great on the Dolce. But if you love a super meaty, lush or comprehensive sound, the Dolce may not be your cup go tea. With respect to clarity, the level of separation was impressive for this price point. Even in the lower-midrange where things can potentially get cloudy, intricate elements like guitar strums sounded clean and well delineated.

Highs

The high frequencies are on the brighter side. There’s tons of sparkle up here, and percussion and vocals sound luminescent. There’s also a leanness to the sound as we creep up the treble, bringing an intricate flavor to strings and other acoustic instruments in this range. Surprisingly, despite the treble extension, I never ran into any discomfort or peakiness.

Final Verdict

In terms of tuning, I like the Dolce more than $100 Quintet. But the somewhat limited soundstage and lack of incredible transparency gives away the Dolce as being a fantastic budget-friendly option rather than a freak overachiever. Still, the overall profile is clean, crisp, brilliant and lively, which is already saying a lot for $25 earbuds. Is the Dolce a unicorn in a field of horses? Maybe not. But is a great bang for you buck? No question.