Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored review. A friend kindly loaned me the Kiwi Ears Cadenza IEM for a week. After spending time with it, both through listening and measurement, I found it to be quite impressive and wanted to share my one-week experience.
In its price range, the Kiwi Ears Cadenza stands out as a solid all-rounder. It features a well-tuned V-shaped sound signature that leans toward the Harman target. The most striking aspect of its sound is the clarity, but it’s the bass that truly steals the show. The Cadenza delivers impressive detail and clarity, paired with outstanding bass performance.
As expected with V-shaped tuning, the midrange is recessed—just slightly more than I’d prefer. I would have appreciated a fuller, warmer midrange. This recessed midrange, combined with the high level of clarity, can lead to listening fatigue, especially with high-energy recordings at high listening volume. The overall sound presentation is forward, lively, and energetic. While this brings music to life, it can be borderline aggressive depending on the recording.
During my time with the Cadenza, I found myself gravitating more toward instrumental and classical music more than vocal. The IEM appears to use a high-quality dynamic driver—transients are fast and snappy, and detail retrieval is excellent. Vocals sound good but slightly recessed in the lower mids. To me, the bass is the highlight: deep, clean, tight, and punchy with just the right amount of power without overwhelming the rest of the frequency range.
I need to mention that I didn't use the stock ear tips. The stock white ear tips sounds pretty bad, very thin sounding bass, like the seal was leaking. I used generic cheap ear tips with 3.8mm bore diameter for measurement, and later on I prefer to use the DUNU Candy ear tips.
Comfort-wise, I had no issues. I found the fit to be quite good, and using smaller bore ear tips like the DUNU Candy helped tame the treble slightly (-0.7 dB at around 7.3kHz).
Comparison
When compared to one of my favorite sub $50 IEMs, the Kefine Klean, I slightly prefer the Klean’s warmer and more balanced tonality. It’s less V-shaped and easier to recommend as a general-purpose IEM. However, the Cadenza offers superior bass quality, detail, and clarity—provided you don’t mind the recessed mids. Both are excellent in their own ways. The Cadenza can be fatiguing with high-energy music at louder volumes, while the Klean is smoother and better suited for longer listening sessions. If you value clarity and detail, the Kiwi Ears Cadenza might be the better choice.
Subjective Scoring
Treble: 7/10
Although not exactly a brightly tuned IEM, but the lower treble is somewhat emphasized, which might not suit treble-sensitive listeners. While the upper treble isn’t particularly extended, leading to average perceived airiness and spaciousness. The overall treble presentation is lively and sparkly, and so far I had no issues with sibilance, which is well-controlled.
Mids: 7/10
The mids are crystal clear but slightly recessed, lacking some warmth and body. Vocals, particularly female vocals, can sound a bit too forward due to the emphasis in the upper mids. Male vocals, affected by recessed lower mids, can sound rather thin. That said, the timbre is natural and free from unpleasant coloration.
Bass: 9/10
The bass is excellent—definitely the strongest aspect of the Cadenza's tuning. The level is just right. It strikes a great balance between sub-bass and mid-bass, delivering depth, punch, and texture without bleeding into the mids. It aligns well with Harman-style tuning and sounds clean and controlled.
Clarity, Transparency, Detail, & Spaciousness: 8/10
Dynamic & Liveliness: 8/10
Subjective sound quality score: 7.8/10
Do I like it? - YES
Value in sub $50 category: Excellent
Recommendation: Recommended as an All-rounder IEM
Graphs:
Left and Right drivers compared to Harman Target:
Average frequency response compared to Kefine Klean and EITC-2021 (my target curve):
Left Driver THD at 94 dB SPL:
Right Driver THD at 94 dB SPL:
Impedance 20Hz - 20kHz:
In its price range, the Kiwi Ears Cadenza stands out as a solid all-rounder. It features a well-tuned V-shaped sound signature that leans toward the Harman target. The most striking aspect of its sound is the clarity, but it’s the bass that truly steals the show. The Cadenza delivers impressive detail and clarity, paired with outstanding bass performance.
As expected with V-shaped tuning, the midrange is recessed—just slightly more than I’d prefer. I would have appreciated a fuller, warmer midrange. This recessed midrange, combined with the high level of clarity, can lead to listening fatigue, especially with high-energy recordings at high listening volume. The overall sound presentation is forward, lively, and energetic. While this brings music to life, it can be borderline aggressive depending on the recording.
During my time with the Cadenza, I found myself gravitating more toward instrumental and classical music more than vocal. The IEM appears to use a high-quality dynamic driver—transients are fast and snappy, and detail retrieval is excellent. Vocals sound good but slightly recessed in the lower mids. To me, the bass is the highlight: deep, clean, tight, and punchy with just the right amount of power without overwhelming the rest of the frequency range.
I need to mention that I didn't use the stock ear tips. The stock white ear tips sounds pretty bad, very thin sounding bass, like the seal was leaking. I used generic cheap ear tips with 3.8mm bore diameter for measurement, and later on I prefer to use the DUNU Candy ear tips.
Comfort-wise, I had no issues. I found the fit to be quite good, and using smaller bore ear tips like the DUNU Candy helped tame the treble slightly (-0.7 dB at around 7.3kHz).
Comparison
When compared to one of my favorite sub $50 IEMs, the Kefine Klean, I slightly prefer the Klean’s warmer and more balanced tonality. It’s less V-shaped and easier to recommend as a general-purpose IEM. However, the Cadenza offers superior bass quality, detail, and clarity—provided you don’t mind the recessed mids. Both are excellent in their own ways. The Cadenza can be fatiguing with high-energy music at louder volumes, while the Klean is smoother and better suited for longer listening sessions. If you value clarity and detail, the Kiwi Ears Cadenza might be the better choice.
Subjective Scoring
Treble: 7/10
Although not exactly a brightly tuned IEM, but the lower treble is somewhat emphasized, which might not suit treble-sensitive listeners. While the upper treble isn’t particularly extended, leading to average perceived airiness and spaciousness. The overall treble presentation is lively and sparkly, and so far I had no issues with sibilance, which is well-controlled.
Mids: 7/10
The mids are crystal clear but slightly recessed, lacking some warmth and body. Vocals, particularly female vocals, can sound a bit too forward due to the emphasis in the upper mids. Male vocals, affected by recessed lower mids, can sound rather thin. That said, the timbre is natural and free from unpleasant coloration.
Bass: 9/10
The bass is excellent—definitely the strongest aspect of the Cadenza's tuning. The level is just right. It strikes a great balance between sub-bass and mid-bass, delivering depth, punch, and texture without bleeding into the mids. It aligns well with Harman-style tuning and sounds clean and controlled.
Clarity, Transparency, Detail, & Spaciousness: 8/10
Dynamic & Liveliness: 8/10
Subjective sound quality score: 7.8/10
Do I like it? - YES
Value in sub $50 category: Excellent
Recommendation: Recommended as an All-rounder IEM
Graphs:
Left and Right drivers compared to Harman Target:
Average frequency response compared to Kefine Klean and EITC-2021 (my target curve):
Left Driver THD at 94 dB SPL:
Right Driver THD at 94 dB SPL:
Impedance 20Hz - 20kHz:
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