Kiwi Ears Airoso VS KZ AST

IEM Comparison: Expert & Community Scores Side-by-Side

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Kiwi Ears Airoso and KZ AST use 1DD+4BA and 12BA driver setups respectively. Kiwi Ears Airoso costs $130 while KZ AST costs $130. KZ AST is $0 more expensive. Kiwi Ears Airoso holds a decisive 3.8-point edge in reviewer scores (6.9 vs 3.1). Kiwi Ears Airoso has significantly better mids with a 4-point edge, Kiwi Ears Airoso has significantly better treble with a 3-point edge and Kiwi Ears Airoso has significantly better dynamics with a 5-point edge.

Insights

Metric Kiwi Ears Airoso KZ AST
Bass 6.9 3
Mids 6 2
Treble 5 2
Details 6.9 2
Soundstage 6 3.1
Imaging 6.9 2
Dynamics 7 2
Tonality 7 2.3
Technicalities 6.2 2

Kiwi Ears Airoso Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Z-Reviews
Jays Audio Jaytiss IEMRanking AI

Average Reviewer Score:

6.9

Cautiously Favorable


KZ AST Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Precogvision
Super* Review

Average Reviewer Score:

3.1

Very Poor


Kiwi Ears Airoso User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

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KZ AST User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

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Kiwi Ears Airoso Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

6.4

Gaming Grade

B

KZ AST Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

2.1

Gaming Grade

E+

Kiwi Ears Airoso Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

A-
  • Pleasing tonal balance with good technical control. Minor quirks present but not distracting. Demonstrates decent genre versatility.

Average Technical Grade

B
  • Satisfactory technical performance. Handles basic detail retrieval adequately in most tracks. Maintains reasonable cohesion in simpler arrangements.
Mids B
Good midrange presence with solid clarity. Vocals are clear and instruments have reasonable texture and body.
Treble C+
Decent treble with acceptable extension and detail. Can sound slightly unrefined but avoids being harsh or sibilant.
Dynamics A-
Excellent dynamics with great contrast and speed. Transients are crisp and micro-details are clearly articulated.
Soundstage B
Good soundstage with proper width and depth. Instruments have clear positioning with reasonable front/back placement.
Gaming B
Decent spatial awareness for fundamental positioning. Creates satisfying atmosphere in story-driven games while handling basic directional cues.

KZ AST Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

E+
  • Tonally jarring or fatiguing. Frequency clashes (e.g., piercing treble, bloated bass) make extended listening unpleasant. Poor genre adaptation.

Average Technical Grade

E+
  • Noticeably blurred or congested. Struggles with basic instrument separation; details are lost in simple tracks. Feels "flat" and one-dimensional.
Bass D
Bass is light and underwhelming. While some faint rumble exists, it lacks punch and authority in any meaningful way.
Mids E+
Midrange is thin and hollow with noticeable gaps. Instruments lack body and vocals sound distant and weak.
Treble E+
Treble is noticeably dark and lacking extension. Cymbals lack shimmer and high-frequency details are obscured.
Dynamics E+
Limited dynamic range with poor micro-detail. Subtle volume changes are lost, and transients lack proper attack.
Details E+
Noticeably blurred and lacking definition. Background elements are smeared together and micro-details are inaudible.
Imaging E+
Poor instrument placement with unstable positioning. Instruments drift and lack fixed locations within the sound field.
Gaming E+
Compromised imaging significantly impacts gameplay awareness. Directional cues often lack accuracy or consistency.

Kiwi Ears Airoso Reviews

Reviewed by: Jays Audio

Jays Audio 7 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
A- Tech
A sightly more airy/detailed EW300 with better timbre. Warm leaning all rounder with good dynamic contrast.

Jays Audio original ranking

Jays Audio Youtube Channel
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Price: $129

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Reviewed by: Jaytiss

Jaytiss 7 Reviewer Score
B Tuning
C+ Tech
Rich thick, enjoyable. Benchmark for me. Just epic.

Jaytiss original ranking

Jaytiss Youtube Channel
Mids: B Treble: C+ Dynamics: A- Soundstage: B

Reviewed by: Z-Reviews

Z-Reviews 6.5 * score normalized

Reviewed by: IEMRanking AI

IEMRanking AI 7 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
B+ Tech

The Kiwi Ears Airoso offers a warm, smooth sound signature characterized by a full-bodied bass with satisfying sub-bass rumble and quick decay, though mid-bass impact remains reserved. Its midrange shines with a natural and organic presentation, particularly excelling with female vocals, though some male vocals lack weight. Treble is relaxed and non-fatiguing, providing decent air but lacking sparkle and ultimate detail retrieval.

Comfort is a mixed bag; the lightweight resin shells with CNC aluminum/titanium faceplates are praised by some, but others report significant fit challenges due to the shell shape and nozzle design, requiring tip rolling beyond the included selection. The stock cable is widely criticized as basic and low-quality for the price point, though the detachable 2-pin design allows for upgrades. Soundstage is reasonably spacious but not particularly expansive, with imaging being competent rather than exceptional.


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Price: $129

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KZ AST Reviews

Reviewed by: Super* Review

Super* Review 4* * score normalized

Reviewed by: Precogvision

Precogvision 2.1 Reviewer Score
E+ Tuning
E+ Tech
Sounds like KZ threw a bunch of drivers in a shell and called it a day.

Precogvision original ranking

Precogvision Youtube Channel
Bass: D Mids: E+ Treble: E+ Dynamics: E+ Details: E+ Imaging: E+

Kiwi Ears Airoso User Reviews

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KZ AST User Reviews

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