KBEAR Diamond Review (2) – More Fun in the New World
KBEAR Diamond—nicely packaged and rich-feeling for the $79 tab, with well-engineered aluminum and carbon fiber headshells and a good-quality silver cable and a particularly nice leather case reminiscent of the Simgots. Shells are heavy, which renders them less comfortable for long sessions, although fit and isolation are pretty good. Easy to drive with my LG V50; bass broadens and deepens with more powerful sources.
These register as neutral to slightly-bright and U-shaped, with a fairly weighty (but not exaggerated) note texture. Presentation is somewhat relaxed, as opposed to the adrenalized quality of most of its hybrid peers; the KBEAR Diamond steers clear of harshness or stridency and remains smoothish throughout. Those who like the clarity of the similarly positioned NX7 but found the high end too hot will dig these.
The KBEAR Diamond shows a fairly wide but linear soundstage, with limited height and depth but good space between instruments and estimable imaging; busy instrumental passages are sorted out convincingly (The BQEYZ Spring 1, by comparison presents a wider, more enveloping stage but less precise imaging). Low end is deep but not throbbing and presented mostly as well-sculpted subbass; some midbass texture is missing for my tastes but there is no visible smearing or bleed into the higher frequencies—despite the ultimate lack of visceral impact these worked well for hard rock and other bass-heavy genres. Mids are slightly recessed, as if the singer is a few steps behind the other players, but tonally accurate and euphonic.
Well-extended treble nicely balances detail and smoothness; these don’t have the snap and quick attack of good BAs but also avoid sounding shouty or clinical. Compared to conventional DDs like the Moondrop Kanas Pro or 9Tail, the KBEAR Diamond presents tighter bass and more high-end information but sounds more digital and less organic and uncolored, although the the KBEAR Diamond trumps lower-priced players like the TRN BA-5 or KZ ZSX in terms of treble refinement. Coherence throughout the spectrum is seamless, and there are no odd peaks or dips.
More? You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.
Even in the topsy-turvy world of Chi-Fi, the KBEAR Diamond belies its pricetag—it looks and sounds like a much pricier piece. Stepping up to the $150 class might get you a more holographic stage and/or a little more natural-sounding high end; the KBEAR Diamond also lacks the “wow” factor of the more energetic, hyper-revealing NiceHCK NX7, but the differences aren’t huge, and these are ultimately difficult to criticize.
Disclaimer: these were unexpectedly sent unsolicited to me by Wooeasy Earphones Store. They are available for $79 HERE.
More…
Jürgen’s Review Of The KBEAR Diamond
Christophe’s Review Of The KBEAR Diamond
Modding the KBEAR Diamond (flattening the V) by Biodegraded
First Impression: KBEAR Diamond vs. Moondrop Kanas Pro Edition (KPE)
Second Impression: KBEAR Diamond vs. BLON BL-03
Tuning The KBEAR Diamond – A Killer Earphone Ready To Go!
KBEAR Diamond レビュー-ダイヤモンドは永遠に!
Our Favourite Earphones Of 2019
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We have a least on more review of the KBEAR Diamond by Biodegraded coming soon.
Hi there.
Nice review.
I already ordered mine.
Loomis, are you used with headphones, right? If Diamond were and headphone, which one it would be?