Kiwi Ears Astral VS NiceHCK Rockies

The Kiwi Ears Astral offers a solid build quality with comfortable shells that fit well, featuring a practical nozzle design that holds ear tips securely. The included cable is notably high-quality, featuring a functional chin slider, a sleek bluish-purplish-gray hue, and connectors that are exceptionally easy to swap. While the case is utilitarian and similar to other Kiwi Ears offerings, the overall package is practical and well-appointed.

Sonically, the Astral stands out as a special and highly competitive set at its $299 price point. It delivers a beautifully tuned, balanced tonality that hugs the target curve closely, offering a satisfying amount of bass, well-executed upper mids, and a generally pleasing, non-fatiguing sound. While it may occasionally lean slightly shouty or risk sounding dull on certain tracks compared to more aggressively tuned alternatives, it excels as a refined all-rounder. Its technical performance – including spaciousness, detail retrieval, and rich bass texturing – is impressive for the price, though micro-details and ultimate pristine clarity aren't class-leading.

The Astral trades blows with top competitors like the Performer 7 (slightly darker/richer) and the Volume S (better dynamics but less sub-bass), often coming out ahead for its cohesive balance. It significantly improves upon predecessors like the Kiwi Ears Quartet or Singolo, offering better upper-mid presence and technicalities. Ultimately, it represents a fantastic option for those seeking a well-tuned, balanced IEM, delivering a highly enjoyable and versatile listening experience with minimal faults. For its price, it's exceptionally hard to beat, earning strong marks across the board.

The Kiwi Ears Astral, priced at $299, combines one dynamic driver and six balanced armatures in an exceptionally ergonomic and lightweight 3D printed resin chassis. Comfort is phenomenal, allowing for extended listening sessions exceeding eight hours without discomfort. Available in striking blue or gold faceplates, the Astral impresses immediately with its build and feel.

Tonally, the Astral offers a fantastic, well-balanced V-shaped tuning. It features punchy, airy, and well-separated bass with notable sub-bass rumble that avoids muddying the exceptionally clear and resolving mids. The treble provides very good extension, feeling airy, technical, clean, and fast, contributing to an overall presentation that sounds more expensive than its price tag. While generally excellent, providing too much power can make the upper region slightly spicy with certain intense audio cues. The technical performance – imaging, separation, layering, and micro-detail retrieval – is phenomenal across various music genres.

For competitive gaming, the Astral truly shines, demonstrating holographic imaging and precise depth perception. In Valorant, it excels at differentiating multiple footsteps and gunfire sources with urgency and precise horizontal and vertical placement. It handles chaotic moments in CS2, Apex Legends, and Call of Duty exceptionally well, maintaining clear separation during intense firefights, grenade explosions, and air strikes without becoming fatiguing or overwhelming. Tip selection is crucial for optimal performance, with recommendations leaning towards options like the Azla EarFit Light. Despite including a decent interchangeable cable and silicone tips, third-party tips are suggested. Ultimately, the Kiwi Ears Astral is a fantastic all-rounder, delivering top-tier performance for both music and competitive gaming at its mid-range price point.

Priced at $300, the Kiwi Ears Astral stands as the brand's most expensive IEM, featuring a 10mm dynamic driver and six balanced armatures. The build is notably large and deep, with a design described as "pepper" yellow or more appealing "blue crystal" – though the included accessories are minimal, offering just one set of tips, replacement filters, and an interchangeable connector (3.5mm or 4.4mm). The gunmetal gray four-wire cable earns praise for its quality and flexibility, but the deep connector adds significant length, potentially hindering portability. Simply put, at this price with so little included, the sound must deliver.

And deliver it does. The Astral produces an exceptionally wide and holographic soundstage, achieving impressive "instrument realization" – creating an almost unsettling sense of space where sounds can emerge from above, below, behind, or beside the listener. The tuning is decidedly chill and smooth, prioritizing effortless listening over aggressive detail. The dynamic driver handles frequencies up to 300Hz, providing satisfying warmth and weight to the bass, while the six BAs contribute significantly to the expansive staging and air. This isn't a sound easily found in sub-$100 IEMs; it offers a unique, relaxed presentation reminiscent of far more expensive models, like certain $1,500 Final Audio IEMs known for holographic imaging.

The Kiwi Ears Astral emerges as a strong contender for favorite IEM of the year. While it lacks accessories and its large, somewhat plain design might not win beauty contests, its unique sonic character justifies the $300 price tag. It carves out a niche as a "big wide smooth" option, perfect for extended, fatigue-free listening sessions where the goal is pure enjoyment and astonishment rather than analytical treble scrutiny. It competes favorably with $500+ IEMs known for soundstage, offering a glorious, spacious, and utterly engaging listening experience that makes revisiting tracks a joy. For those seeking a high-end, chill sound with exceptional staging and bass foundation, the Astral is a magnum opus worth serious consideration.

The Kiwi Ears Astral presents a well-rounded, balanced sound signature characterized by a boost in sub-bass and treble air, sharing some DNA with the Meta but offering significant improvements. It delivers a punchier, harder-slamming low end with better texture, making drums feel livelier and more impactful compared to the Meta. The mid-range and vocals are also more forward and less relaxed, creating a fuller sound versus the Meta's brighter, leaner presentation that highlights treble sparkle. While not vocal-centric like the Arcanis, the Astral excels as a true all-rounder.

Technically, the Astral edges out the Meta, offering better bass texture, improved vocal clarity, and slightly more micro-details in the mid-range and treble. Its value is strong at roughly $50 more than the Meta. However, the boosted air region can make the treble sound slightly wispy or fatiguing at higher volumes on very energetic tracks laden with symbols or air, making it best suited for mid-volume listening (around 65 dB). Genre-wise, it shines as an all-rounder at this volume, providing clean, extended, natural vocals, a thumpy low end with good rumble, and extended, airy treble. Compared to the Odyssey, the Astral is cleaner, more detailed, smoother, and airier, working better for mid-centric genres like indie, acoustic, and classical, though the Odyssey scales better at higher volumes and feels fuller for pop, metal, R&B, and hip-hop.

Positioned as a strong contender for the best all-rounder under $300, the Astral is seen as a more complete version of sets like the Pilgrim and Dusk, offering better sub-bass extension, texture, and rumble with less shouty vocals and sizzly treble. It significantly outperforms the Performer 5+2 technically for only $50 more and is a tier above the Kiwi Ears KE4 in clarity and technicalities. While specific alternatives like the EPZ P50, Tanchjim Origin, or Cadenza 4 are better for vocal focus, and sets like the Estrella or Deuce excel for bass, the Astral stands out for its balanced, engaging, and technically proficient performance across most genres at mid-volume. Expecting potential sales around $260, it's heralded as the new all-rounder benchmark under $300, ideal for listeners who want a single versatile IEM where "everything just sounds great."

Unboxing & build land solidly for the price: a genuinely pocketable zip case, three pairs of narrow-bore tips, spare nozzle filters, and a modular 3.5/4.4 cable with a secure push-pull lock. The four-wire cable is soft, low-memory, and only lightly microphonic at the slider. Resin shells are a bit chunky with a short metal nozzle (6.0 mm at the widest) and average isolation, but the seal is stable and the comfort is excellent for long sessions—just not ideal for sleeping due to the slight protrusion.

Tonally, Astral aims for a Meta-style tuning with extra upper-treble air: clean, detailed, and engaging. The bass is sub-bass focused—tight, textured, never boomy—with punchy but restrained mid-bass; quality over quantity, delivering standout rumble and definition (A+ bass quality). Mids are the highlight: clean, forward vocals with natural timbre and strong separation. Lower treble adds clarity without sibilance, while the elevated upper air brings sparkle and space; it can read a touch crisp for sensitive listeners, especially on bright masters or at high volume.

Technicalities impress: excellent imaging, open width, and resolution that surfaces micro-details and locks centers convincingly. Versus Kiwi Ears K4, Astral trades K4’s warmer, fuller mid-bass for tighter bass, clearer vocals, and more air; versus Xenns Tea Pro, Astral offers better bass texture and cleaner, more forward vocals; against ZiiGaat Odyssey, Astral is the more resolving and airy set, while Odyssey feels fuller and more relaxed with tamer upper treble. Recommended for those wanting a detailed all-rounder, Meta-leaning balance, forward mids, and textured sub-bass; not for upper-treble-sensitive listeners or those craving heavy mid-bass and warmth. Final verdict: 4/5, competitive and confidently recommended at its price.

The Kiwi Ears Astral arrives in a package typical for the brand, featuring a resin shell and a metal nozzle. While the design isn't groundbreaking, the build feels sturdy. The included cable is a pleasant surprise, better than expected and features interchangeable terminations. A major highlight is the inclusion of Sancai ear tips, considered valuable accessories at this price point. However, the fit presents some challenges: the shells are notably bulky and chunky, pushing comfort limits for larger ears, and the angled cable hooks can cause sealing issues, though switching to larger tips helps significantly.

Sonically, the Astral delivers a solid bass and mid-range balance. Yet, the standout issue is the treble presentation. It's perceived as quite forward and adds a noticeable digital edginess to the timbre, making details sound overly prominent and somewhat unnatural. While technical performance seems improved over models like the original Wan'er, this treble character overshadows the positives. Initial impressions suggest it falls short of previous Kiwi Ears releases like the Quartet or Singolo, with even the Lush potentially being preferred. The Sancai tips and overall package offer good value, but the tuning needs refinement.

NiceHCK Rockies lands in the ~$500 bracket with a 1DD+2BA+2EST setup and a surprisingly premium package. The hollow resin shell feels solid, with a metal nozzle, slightly recessed 2-pin, good isolation, and comfy fit. The swappable-termination cable is thick, pliant, and lays flat—no chin slider out of the box, but easy to add—and the excellent case and tip kit push the accessories into “above class” territory.

Tonally, Rockies goes for tight, controlled bass and a natural midrange, capped by upper-treble that’s sparkly yet refined—detailed without getting shouty or brittle. The graph reads largely flat with a tasteful treble lift, translating to a clean, clear presentation that stays engaging rather than fatiguing. It comes across as an “instant classic” tuning: lively, airy, but still grounded.

Compared with brand siblings (DB2 too upper-midsy; F1 Pro/NX8 fine but not special), Rockies feels like the step up. Versus peers, it splits the difference: more air and delicacy than RSV MK2 (which is bassier/darker), less sizzle than sets that chase treble for effect, and broadly similar endgame vibes to “good” units of Mega5-EST—variance there being the rub. Net: a high-value pick at its price, worthy of a Gold Star—not a universal “benchmark,” but a sweet, natural, clear listen that many will prefer, especially with the standout accessories.

The NiceHCK Rockies have a balanced tuning with standout treble extension from its ESTs. Vocals are tamer with a cut in the upper mids, trading sparkle-forward presence for a smoother, airier presentation; staging feels more open because bass and vocals sit slightly back, while cymbal decay lingers with a pleasing airiness. Technical performance is very good for the price—punching above many $500–$600 peers—and the unboxing/accessories package adds to the overall value.

Low end is grounded and tidy rather than slammy; texture and separation are solid, but this isn’t for bassheads or those wanting vocal-forward excitement (sets like Top Pro or Volare cover that better). The Rockies excel with rock/metal/indie/classical where the extra air, layering, and controlled upper energy shine; they scale best at mid volumes, and tip rolling should avoid options that over-boost or dull the treble—the stock tips already hit a sweet spot. Net: a confident recommendation at ~$500–$600 for listeners prioritizing treble quality, detail, and spaciousness, with the main trade-off being a more restrained bass and laid-back vocal emphasis.

NiceHCK Rockies lands as a $500 tribrid (1DD+2BA+2EST) that mirrors the Mega5-EST’s tuning with subtle tweaks. The unboxing is generous—three styles of tips (including AET07-style and tacky “medical” silicone), a large puck case, and a swappable 3.5/4.4 screw-lock plug. Build feels premium with a real pietersite stone faceplate; fit is comfortable but shell geometry is generic, so stability depends on tips. The stock cable looks nice but is stiff and, notably, has no chin slider.

Sonically, Rockies follows a tilted diffuse-field / “new meta” balance with slightly less bass and a touch more lower-treble than Mega5-EST—on the order of ~1 dB each way. That shift tightens the low end and improves separation/imaging, making the set feel more technical; however, it also trims warmth and depth, leaving the presentation a bit dry/brittle at times. Bass quality is clean and controlled rather than showy; treble reads clear without obvious harshness on the 711 rig readout, though it can edge lean.

Against peers, Mega5-EST stays the easier, warmer listen with slightly “thuddier” bass, while DUNU’s Brain Dance is the pick for maximum excitement and staging (more clinical up top). Moondrop x Crinacle Dusk (analog use) offers stronger imaging and notably satisfying bass execution at a lower price. Rockies ends up a very good, balanced all-rounder that some will prefer over Mega5-EST for its tidier bass and clarity, but the trade for brightness and dryness is real—final verdict: 3/5.