A year on, do the Kiwi Ears KE4 earphones still deserve the New Meta crown?

When the Kiwi Ears KE4 were released in August 2024 for $200, they were hailed as a great example of the New Meta sound profile. That may sound a little wanky, but it's basically a new tuning target for in-ear monitors (IEMs) based on a more advanced understanding of what the majority of listeners actually like in audio, as measured with the latest tech.

Cool story, but what does that actually mean in regards to the KE4s? Well, compared to the previous tuning gold standard, the Harman target, that means a more neutral, balanced sound profile, with a focus on fuller mids, less-ear-piercing treble, and a chilled out bass. Well, two out of three ain't bad.

So, do the KE4s nail the New Meta brief, and are they worth a slot on my list of the best budget audiophile headphones at their $200 asking price a year after release? I fired them up to find out...

The New Meta explained

To understand the New Meta sound profile you need to understand the standardised Harman Target that it's pitting itself against. The Harman Target has an elevated bass shelf that falls into decreasing lower-mids, on to a dip in the central mids, then moving to a peak at the upper mids, then a good whack of higher treble frequencies before sloping down.

The New Meta profile – also known as JM-1 DF – flattens that elevated lower bass, which continues into a more level upper bass, then into a beefed up mid range. Then there’s the standard peak at the upper mids/lower treble followed by a less accentuated treble. The result is a far more neutral sound compared to Harman. It’s more relaxed, but as the KE4 proves, that doesn’t mean it can’t be detailed. Here are the JM-1 and Harman targets over each other.

Sound profile

Overall the Kiwi Ears KE4s are a bassy take on the New Meta tuning, with a sprinkle of spice added to the upper treble (if you can hear it) – and I think they're a brilliant set. An easy listen with exceptional mids, relaxed treble (for the most part), and a bass that I got on with just fine, at $200 the KE4 is very easy to recommend. They offer a super-welcoming sound, and they're also very comfortable. The KE4s are great all-rounders.

The bass is a problem area for some reviewers of the KE4. For me, it's nowhere near being a deal breaker, and though I get some of the criticism, I like the bass. The KE4s keep the elevated bass of the Harman target, but with the rest of the New Meta tuning. The result is a fuller and thicker lower end, somehow not pulling focus from the mids. They really do have a good thud in the lower bass! Mark William Lewis’ Pleasure is Everything starts with a bass kick drum that feels like it’s moving something in between my ears. In a good way.

There is less of a distinction between the lower sub bass and upper bass, and on some tracks the result is a little boomy, fuzzy even, and not that textured. Again, that's fine with me, but if you're looking for excellent, tight, textured bass, it may not be for you...

The mids are the KE4’s party trick – even with the slightly bloomy bass, the mids remain detailed and balanced, with crisp to mellow timbre. Going through my vocal-heavy test tracks, and the whole first Crosby, Stills and Nash album, the KE4s do all those richly layered vocals justice, while not pushing them so forward as to make them boxy, nasal or thin.

Now, some critics such as Zeos over at In-ear Fetish, have called the sound of the KE4 boring. And I get what he's saying. The KE4s are not super exciting, but I wouldn't call them boring. The mids are too upfront to be boring. Also, they may not have the most textured bass, but as long as the mids remain unmolested, it's not something that bothers me. And that's before you get to the detail and balance of the (mainly) non-fatiguing treble. Speaking of which...

The treble is my kind of treble. I only got into the audiophile world of headphones and IEMs this year, and though I'm fully committed to having my mind blown with as many amazing sets as possible – regardless of the price – one thing from my commercial cans-only life still persists. I hear what many call neutral as a little cold, a little bright. And though I love a pair of properly neutral headphones, like the HEDDphone D1, I'm still drawn to warmth and ever-so-slightly dark. Call it cozy! It's why I'd take the Sennheiser HD650s over the HD600s.

That means that some neutral IEMs will often seem piercing to me with some songs. That's just not the case with the KE4s. I have two go-to songs that I test treble with – Grateful Dead's Unbroken Chain, and Michael Jackson's Billie Jean. The first has this utterly insane piercing tone that plays in and out of the otherwise perfectly mixed song. It's bizarre, and on a neutral pair of IEMs, it's unbearable. Billie Jean was mixed really bright – the snare, the high hat, the shaker – it's piercing.

With the KE4s, the brightness is still there, but it's far more measured, and though there is a peak in the higher treble, that just doesn't get to me (it might to you, os be aware). Sure Billie Jean still cuts straight to it, but it doesn't seem as glaring as with most other IEMs I've tried. That floating acidic fly that usually buzzes in to ruin The Dead's anthem actually seems like a balanced addition to the mix. In both cases, the KE4 is the equivalent of popping a couple valium. It takes the edge right off.

Detail and imaging is pretty good with the KE4. Because of the warmth of the sound, and the more relaxed lower treble, you don't get that detail that often comes with the spotlight of aggressive lower and mid treble. But there is good imaging – the positioning and separation of instruments and voices – sometimes with slightly fuzzy edges.

Comfort, build, specs

I've been using the KE4s as my primary IEM for a couple of weeks now, wearing it at my home office, on my commute, and in my work office. And not once have I found them to be uncomfortable. They're really easy to wear for several hours on end, and that's definitely not the case for all IEMs.

The KE4s are built from a 3D-printed resin, with a smooth finish, that is pretty finger-print resistant, but more importantly just shaped in a way that fit my ears well.

The KE4s have two dynamic drivers and two balanced armatures, with a 0.78mm 2-pin detachable cable. Coming with 28Ω impedance and 102 dB sensitivity, they're easy to drive. Although I played them at my desk through a Mojo Chord 2, and a Fosi DS2 when on the move, I also played it straight from my MacBook Air (M4), and it sounded just as good. Basically, this IEM is good to go whether you have fancy DAC/Amps or not.

Price, value & competition

The $200 price range is incredibly competitive for IEMs, but the KE4 offers a warm, mid-focused, biddy biddy bass bottom that is incredibly listenable. It rocks with all genres, so I'd call it an allrounder, but it's also specifically good for fans of mids, so I think it's unique enough to justify its price. The KE4 gets a thumbs up for price and value from me.

Competition: Around the same price you can get the Sivga Nightingale Pros, which to my eyes are a step back as far as aesthetics, and to my ears offer an even more tamed treble. I'm not a fan of the plastic-looking wood finish in headphones or IEMs, but the Pros are petite and a good fit. Quibbles aside, it is a good planar magnetic IEM, with a similar mid range to the KE4, but with added upper mids, and far less bass. They released in Nov 2025, and retail at $269, but I've seen them as low as $220.

For another alternative, you don't have to look further than the KE4's older brother, the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite. Again, they're $50 more at $250, and they came out in 2023, but with 8 balanced armatures, they are a premium, detailed, and clean IEM that's super popular for a reason. They offer better imaging than the KE4s, but will sound a lot leaner, as they don't have as much bass. It's a neutral bright IEM alternative.

Should you buy?

The KE4 is ideal if you like a warmer sound, that really concentrates on mid detail, and that doesn't want to shred your ears with sparkly treble (if you ignore that 10k + peak, which my ears naturally seem to do).

Oh, and if you like big ass bass... No, it's not the commercial-can kind of bass that destroys all in its path. In fact, the KE4 manages the mid-forward signature regardless of its bloomy bass. But there be bass, nonetheless. I didn't have a problem with it, but many audiophile critics have, so consider that.

So, does a bassy New Meta IEM sound good to you? I really like the KE4 and think it's a fine way to spend $200, even a year+ after its original release.