Kiwi Cadenza IEM

Keiko · September 2023

Anyone got a pair of these? I've heard some really good reviews about them and decided to buy a pair for myself. Sometimes I like to listen quietly late at night, but sometimes the weather is just too warm here for over-the-ear headphones. Also when ripping vinyl and having to monitor with full size headphones it just too hot and uncomfortable.

From what I've researched, these have an almost flat frequency response and described to have a nice, laid back tone, but still very detailed & balanced. This is actually my first pair of IEMs and I do like the form on these. I have a pair of JVC Marshmellows which are just OK, but still a bit thin IMO. So for 35.00 bucks plus a -3.00 coupon and free shipping, why not? If I don't like 'em, I can return them. I was just curious if anyone here had a pair of these and wanted to share your thoughts. Regardless, I'll find out tomorrow and might be back to post my impressions.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKT8GBK4?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Aloha

msg · September 2023

Interesting, Mike. Which color did you get?
I'm loosely looking for a new set to try out.

Are these the type that you wear with the wire up and around your ear?

msg · September 2023

From one of the reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Insane value, great sound quality, very nice build quality
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2022

The Cadenza has good tuning out of the box, but can benefit from a bit of EQ to have a fuller sound, with more bass quantity and extension.

These are really easy to drive, so you can just plug them into a source without an amp. Lows, mids, highs, soundstage, isolation, details, imaging, are all above average in my opinion.

The nozzle is pretty wide, so it takes a bit of struggle to install the large selection of included silicon tips.

Replace the included eartips with SpinFit CP360 for the best fit and seal, boosting the sound quality further. Make sure to plug the cable in as shown in the picture, with the gold lettering on the left side, facing outwards.

The resin that the shell is made out of is very smooth and high quality; looks great as well.

The braided cable is not cheap-feeling, doesn't tangle, and doesn't have annoying microphonics when it rubs against clothing or your body.

Overall, the build quality of the Cadenza is very solid, but lightweight and comfortable to wear for extended listening sessions.

I'm more impressed with the Cadenza than most of my IEM collection, a lot of which costs many times more than the Cadenza, since it costs only $35 but performs and feels/looks like an IEM that's much more expensive. This thing competes with IEMs hundreds of dollars more expensive and have much better technical prowess. The only thing it's missing is a carrying case or pouch, but I don't expect it to include extras like a good case at this price range. I store my IEMs in Pelican cases anyway, so it's not a big deal to me.

This is the perfect entry point into Chi-Fi IEM world.

Keiko · September 2023

msg wrote: »

Interesting, Mike. Which color did you get?
I'm loosely looking for a new set to try out.

Are these the type that you wear with the wire up and around your ear?

I bought the purple ones. Nice marble design made from some sort of polymer resin. These things are nearly weightless and you barely feel them at all. They come with an assorted set of plug/pads and are comfy while wearing. Not fatiguing at all during my listening to them today and sound quality was top shelf IMO.

Yes, these are wired as you can see and are looped at the end if you want to wrap 'em around your ear. I prefer to let them hang loosely. The cable itself also feels to be good quality and won't tangle. No mic for anyone wondering about that, but there is a slider for adjusting.

I was impressed by these and let Janey take 'em for a ride. She likes Tears for Fears and she sampled a track from Sounds from the Big Chair, flac ripped from the MoFi CD. I wasn't sure if she was going to give them back and we'll likely be picking up another pair for her.

The cable is a tad short, only 45inches, but there are upgrades in length and quality available. Out of the box these are still very capable and quite nice. I was listening to my recently ripped Cars debut from the Rhino High Fidelity release and some of the little subtleties in the music were much clearer. These things throw a huge sound stage across and have decent depth too. Ya can't go wrong for the price of these. Miles better than an ordinary pair of ear buds.

My main reason for getting these was for when I'm ripping my records. I do have a couple of really nice headphones. A pair of Yammies RH5MA which cover the ear only and my JVC HARX700 full size. These are both nice, they're comfortable to wear, but just when the weather's warm it gets too hot for them.

msg · September 2023

Ah nice! So you got 'em today.

So, for wearing and letting them just hang, do they have a shirt clip or something to take the weight of the cable off of pulling them from your ears?

I've never experienced any kind of imaging, stage or depth with any headphones or earbuds!

I thoroughly enjoy the Bose QC-35ii and NC700 for over-ear, but yeah, I hear ya on hot. And those Zazz Smartbuds are what I use during the day at work, but I'm curious to try something else.

I might give these a shot for something more discrete.

Glad to hear you like them. Those reviews looked pretty good - seemed to surprise a lot of people, comparing them against higher priced stuff.

I hate having to pick a color. Analysis paralysis.
Blue is safe. Red is look at me, I will eff you up, Green maybe for when I can wear crunchy clothes. Purple will get me beat up. Only Kama'aina have the chill to pull off the purple...

I might given 'em a shot this weekend. I gotta catch up on some tools and materials and parts orders here soon, and maybe I can slide a pair of them in.

What're you thinking about the longer cable thing?

Lastly, what are you running them on? From your stereo system, or your .flac rips saved to a Smartphone? I always wondered about those Fiio things and those little mobile earbud amps you samwich with your phone, but never had one. Not sure I'd realize any meaningful gains

Do you use Audacity for your .flac captures from your records?

Keiko wrote: »

Yes, these are wired as you can see and are looped at the end if you want to wrap 'em around your ear. I prefer to let them hang loosely.

I was impressed by these and let Janey take 'em for a ride. She likes Tears for Fears and she sampled a track from Sounds from the Big Chair, flac ripped from the MoFi CD. I wasn't sure if she was going to give them back and we'll likely be picking up another pair for her.

The cable is a tad short, only 45inches, but there are upgrades in length and quality available.

Haha, hey, those are mines!

I've tried that over and around the ear thing before. it feels weird. and if I'm wearing my glasses at work, or my sunglasses, it's weird.

Keiko · September 2023

The marbling color is pretty subtle and I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. I just decided on purple because of a review I watched and thought they looked pretty cool. After you mentioned it in your first post, I started wearing them around the ear, but letting the wire hang doesn't interfere with anything and these are so light it doesn't matter.

I was surprised as to how good these sound. The sound stage is just as I described and on good recordings these shine. Most buds I've had are just 2 dimensional, but these are different. Haven't decided or given much thought to upgrading the cable yet, but I'll post a link below to show some of offerings I found already.

Thus far I've tried these with my MacBook Pro, my Galaxy Tab 8 and currently listening now with an old, deactivated Samsung Galaxy Note 5 that I use strictly for accessing my NAS. I don't have any portable DACs, just using the internal one inside the devices and they all sound fine. I know it could be better though, but I plan on using these mostly for ripping vinyl via my MacBook which has a decent, tho not the best sound card already installed. I rip most of the time at 96/24, but I can capture audio up to 192k if I choose. Yep! I use audacity and several iZotope plugins I have available to clean up the audio when necessary.

"Only Kama'aina have the chill to pull off the purple..."

LMBO! You're a funny guy Scott. I suggest Nerd Blue for you. The green is very nice and thinking this one for my Janey girl. It mimics the characteristics of jade a little bit. The red looks more burgundy to me, but might just be from the images I've seen. My eyesight isn't the best these days either. Again, I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

If you decide to pull the trigger on a pair, be sure to hit the coupon button for -3.00 off. Two day shipping is free for Prime Members.

Cables: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=cadenza+iem+cable+upgrade&crid=2QFQWYHMA34W7&sprefix=cadenza+iem+cable+upgrade,aps,182&ref=nb_sb_noss

msg · October 2023

Keiko wrote: »

"Only Kama'aina have the chill to pull off the purple..."

LMBO! You're a funny guy Scott. I suggest Nerd Blue for you. The green is very nice and thinking this one for my Janey girl. It mimics the characteristics of jade a little bit. The red looks more burgundy to me, but might just be from the images I've seen. My eyesight isn't the best these days either. Again, I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

If you decide to pull the trigger on a pair, be sure to hit the coupon button for -3.00 off. Two day shipping is free for Prime Members

Had to re-up some of my Chinazon items stock and t'rew in a set of these. I really wanted to go with the Kama'ain purple, but I just knew I'd feel like a poser - Nerd Blue it is! yeah, I own it. But... if they had orange, I'd've gone that route.

Good heads up on the $3 discount coupon! Curious to check these things out.

Keiko · October 2023

msg wrote: »

Keiko wrote: »

"Only Kama'aina have the chill to pull off the purple..."

LMBO! You're a funny guy Scott. I suggest Nerd Blue for you. The green is very nice and thinking this one for my Janey girl. It mimics the characteristics of jade a little bit. The red looks more burgundy to me, but might just be from the images I've seen. My eyesight isn't the best these days either. Again, I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

If you decide to pull the trigger on a pair, be sure to hit the coupon button for -3.00 off. Two day shipping is free for Prime Members

Had to re-up some of my Chinazon items stock and t'rew in a set of these. I really wanted to go with the Kama'ain purple, but I just knew I'd feel like a poser - Nerd Blue it is! yeah, I own it. But... if they had orange, I'd've gone that route.

Good heads up on the $3 discount coupon! Curious to check these things out.

I think you'll like them. I just bought a Tripowin Zonie cable to upgrade the stock one that came with it. Haven't listened yet, but the build quality and feel are much better. This cable is supposed to sound better, so we'll see.

Now that I've gotten interested in IEMs, I want to check out some other offerings. Not about to go crazy on 'em. Some of these things can go up into the hundreds/thousands of dollars and there's just no way I'd spend that much on any IEM. I'm going to keep it budget friendly and choose maybe a couple more pairs.

These are supposed to be really good and I might try them later on down the road. Not sure which color scheme I'd go with. Th shell is all metal construction and these weigh in more.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS6W1KPH/ref=twister_B0BS6WXK8G?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

These are supposed to be good too. Stainless steel faceplate, 5 driver design.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DK2N5G3/ref=twister_B07QKX28XR?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Keiko · October 2023

Scott, the stock cable will get ya listening, but after having a chance to sample to the Zonie, I recommend you snag yourself one of these. The effect with this cable was a more open and airy soundstage and little bit more controlled bass. The cable is a bit thicker and has rubber texturized feeling to them. Very nice metal connections and a metal slider for cable management. The build quality is quite impressive. I chose the moss colored one, but there are several different colors for whatever suits you. Don't forget to apply the $2.00 coupon if you decide to get 'em.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Z6Y3HHV/ref=twister_B07ZQC6B9D?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

The C8 is supposed to be even better, but for the Candenza's, the Zonie's work just fine and are definite step up. These only come in one color and a $4.00 coupon you can apply if you wanna try these instead. The Zonie's look better too IMO.

https://www.amazon.com/TRIPOWIN-Braided-Earphone-Replacement-Connector/dp/B07SSBDPCX?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1

Keiko · October 2023

Avoid the KZ brand of IEMs. Just learned something dark about their products and I'm steering clear of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4NXCgNbBCk

Keiko · October 2023

https://www.headphonesty.com/2022/03/kz-fake-multi-driver-iem-scandal/#KZ_Company_Overview

msg · October 2023

Just received my Nerd Blue®™ Kiwi Cadenza IEMs this afternoon.

First impressions - I was like dub-tee-eff, Mike, these things suck! Strident and no bass! Meghan Trainor was scowling at me. I felt so emasculated.

I know how earbuds work though, and knew that part of this was about choosing the correct size ear tips. I typically go medium, but with these, large worked best.

Second was fitting. These are my first pair where the wire goes up over the ear. I did try it once with some Shure ones years back, and hated them and returned. I quite like it with these though, and no issues with comfort while I'm wearing my glasses, either.

So, re: fitting - first inclination is to really push them in with a little twist to get a good seal, you know? But when I did that, counter to expectation, bass was reduced - essentially non-present.

I removed them and -followed the instructions-, fitting them straight in horizontally with a very slight twist once seated to angle the cable tip and wrap the wire over ear. Now, inserted at a more relaxed and moderate depth, that bass presence appeared.

Not bad so far. Clear, clean, articulate, detailed. Pretty well balanced with, at current time, maybe slight bias to mids and upper range, though not harsh.

I'm rolling through some of my test tracks, and they pass for bass presence on Spiritualized's Sway at around the 3min mark when the bass comes in. Some really sweet stereo play at 2:40 - 3:00, btw.

Mike - do you find these take some time to open up and break in? I feel like I noticed a difference even within the first 15 minutes.

I feel like these things are almost sweetening by the minute now, though I acknowledge that some of this is my ears acclimating as well. Definitely perform well at moderate to low volume, which I like. It's not necessary to crank them.

Kneejerk impression on first fit was that they don't seem to isolate quite as well as the Zagg SmartBuds I've been using, however, I'd need to seriously A/B them to be sure.

Lastly, Mike, you recommended the cable upgrade. I'm going to roll with these for a couple of weeks as is, and likely order the cable. Additionally, I read in one of the reviews, that the reviewer was recommending tip-rolling.

This guy mentions he likes some others better, but I've not looked at the brands or cost or the areas he's said one beats out another.

After you got the Kiwis and started looking into others, I can see now how you'd get drawn into these sub-$50 IEMs. I'm already curious myself.

Based on this review information below, in addition to the cable, I'm also going to look into ear tips. I've read similar on over-ear headphones, like replacing OE with Dekoni for tuning and comfort. I do not find the OE ear tips with the Kiwis to be mushy, though. The reviewer makes a good case for matching the eartip bore with the IEM bore, and I did noticed that these ear tips were tighter than others to install, and appeared a bit stretched and slightly deformed. I think this is a good point.

Stock ear tips (3 variations x 3 sizes) all with normal bore size, which doesn’t really match with nozzle outlet size…which means with default stock ear tips, you will have sound interference of ear tip. Wide bore ear tips may save the sound outlet uninterrupted. SpinFit W1, Softears UC, AZLA Zelastec Crystal Clear may fit for single dynamic.

--Tips Roll:
I couldn’t stand mushy sound with default ear tips, tried several and found Unique Melody’s Blue Core (extra wide bore, with bass boosting soft black thin silicones, but solid bore barrel) is a good match.

Timbre now feels more natural.

Dear Kiwi Ears:
Match your stock ear tip bore size with nozzle outlet unless you absolutely need the ear tip to timbre sound right. lack of “hifi” consciousness for stock ear tips will not leave a good impression upon box opening.

Source: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R25LKR141WEFRF/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0BKT8N1Z9

Liking them so far. Extremely comfortable so I can see why you've been wearing them around so much. Surprisingly, really enjoying the over-ear wire. Microphonics, like you mentioned are minimal with the stock cable. This is surprising at this price-point.

Time to go do chores and get ready for the morning with my new IEMs

msg · October 2023

No doubt about it - these things are definitely opening up beautifully.

Keiko · October 2023

Sent ya an email. Glad you like them. I've been reading a little bit about tip rolling also, but have no idea where to begin on better ones. Right now I'm using the gray/orange core tips that were included. I tried the black & white one's, but the gray tips give me a better seal. And yes, the more you use these the better they get. I quess they're a lot like any speaker and need some time to break in. Upgrading the cable is a very noticeable improvement. Let me know what you find out on the tips and make a recommendation. Like I said, I don't even know where to begin there.

Keiko · October 2023

Did a search and haven't found anything about the Unique Melody Blue Core ear tips the reviewer mentions. Let me know what you find, if anything Scott.

Edit: Doing a little more digging on ear tips and WoW! Some of these things cost more than the IEM's themselves. I'm looking more into this one trying to find out if it's a good match.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078RF1YLY?noLL=1&askMessage=GENERIC_ERROR#Ask

msg · October 2023

Yeah, I'll do some more digging. The guy in that review seems deep into IEMs. I check over at head-fi as well and post back if I can find anything.

Dude, I'm having one of those music liste Ing sessions where I know I need to go to sleep, but don't want to stop checking stuff out. These things are ridiculous and not just "for the money". I think I'll get that Zonies cable on order tomorrow to have for the weekend.

I take back my earlier note about the Zagg Smartbuds seeming to isolate better. The Kiwis almost exhibit a noise canceling effect in blocking noise from a fan I had running.

I made one tweak on my phone - slight EQ adjustment to bias bass slightly. Mids and highs still have smooth, articulate presence, no apparent congestion. Bass slightly more present. Nice flow and decay. These things are ridiculous.

Also curious - I did a wind check with a fan since I noticed that the IEMs are low profile as they sit in the ear, so I'm wondering how they'll work riding my bike. Other earbuds were too noisy die to aero profile, and would require high volume to counter the wind. Not good for ear health.
I know this is a contentious subject among cyclists, headphones creating unsafe condition. I understand and appreciate the perspective of those who don't ride with headphones. In the neighborhood or off road, soundtrack contributes to the ride experience for me.
Damn near spiritual when the conditions are just right. Low Fall or Winter sun, winding down the ride at a place to take in a sweet sunset with the tunes to accompany.

rooftop59 · October 2023

I really hate having something's tips shoved into my ears...but hey, if that's what you're into, rock on, brothers!

msg · October 2023

You just gotta practice good tip hygiene, and be selective. Try a few different tips, see what you like. You get used to it, and after a while you can hardly tell you got tips in there.

ken brydson · October 2023

msg wrote: »

You just gotta practice good tip hygiene, and be selective. Try a few different tips, see what you like. You get used to it, and after a while you can hardly tell you got tips in there.

So many jokes in there....🤣

rooftop59 · October 2023

msg wrote: »

You just gotta practice good tip hygiene, and be selective. Try a few different tips, see what you like. You get used to it, and after a while you can hardly tell you got tips in there.

Eh, I've experimented and found the tips that work the best. I can tolerate them for awhile, and then I'm like, get these damn things out of my hole!

msg · October 2023

Well, no wonder! You're not supposed to go that kind of DP.

Viking64 · October 2023

Filth.

msg · October 2023

Jealous

msg · October 2023

@Keiko - I ordered the first Zonies cable. $20 with the coupon. Should be here Saturday. I skimmed the reviews quickly on the next one up, but some people reported breakdown and turning green within a year. Didn't have time to really dig into the reviews further, nor read much on the 20-Zonies, but going on your recommendation.

I was hatin' it this morning, being up so late liste Ing to music. Haven't done that in a while. But one other thing I learned - these Kiwis are low profile, as mentioned. This makes them comfortable to wear for going to sleep. All other earbuds or IEMs I've tried stuck out too far, and were uncomfortable with ear-side down.

This is good for either music, or if you've ever tried binaural beats programs for relaxation or sleep.

msg · October 2023

In case anyone is interested in binaural beats, I started a separate thread with some info so as not to potentially derail this one with off-topic info.

My experience with these IEMs includes use with a binaural beats app, and I was wondering if anyone else used these apps/tracks, and what their experiences/thoughts are.
https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/199278/anyone-use-listen-to-binaural-beats/

Keiko · October 2023

rooftop59 wrote: »

msg wrote: »

You just gotta practice good tip hygiene, and be selective. Try a few different tips, see what you like. You get used to it, and after a while you can hardly tell you got tips in there.

Eh, I've experimented and found the tips that work the best. I can tolerate them for awhile, and then I'm like, get these damn things out of my hole!

Are you using the correct hole? It's very important to use the right ones.

Keiko · November 2023

Black Friday deal extended for the Hidizs MS1 Galaxy IEMs. I've seen some good reviews on these and for 14.00 bucks & free shipping, I doubt you could go wrong.

https://hidizs-store.myshopify.com/products/hidizs-ms1-galaxy-dynamic-driver-in-ear-monitors?_pos=1&_sid=7e6f3f99c&_ss=r

Kiwi Cadenza IEM

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