The Orchestra Lite… we’ve been waiting for an IEM to come along like this one for a while, and for $250 dollars, this changes everything! Let’s get inToit!
If you pick up the Orchestra Lite, what you get is a beautiful-built, all-balanced-armature unit- featuring two custom ultra-tweeters, four midrange BA’s, and two large subwoofer drivers for the lows. The crossover and the drivers themselves are visible through the clear resin shell, which utilizes a flush 2-pin connection. The cable these come with is nice and soft, and the included tips all sounded good making very slight adjustments to the sound. I would have liked to have seen a metal chin sinch rather than the plastic one and a modular termination included for balanced power delivery; but these don’t really require any power, yet they are influenced by source tonality. General timbre and note weight are neutral, but comparatively thinner and leaner off something like the 789, dead neutral off the Hiby FC3, or somewhat thickened and warmed off the iFi 6XX Signature amplifier. The shell itself has a very balanced weight to it (neither too heavy nor too light), and size, although somewhat chunky, is less so than something like the Blessing 2. It fits well within my medium-sized ear cavity, and I like the green swirled faceplate that I was sent by Linsoul, but there’s also an option for a swirled iridescent blue if you prefer.
With regard to sound, go back and watch almost any other review of the Blessing 2 by practically any internet parrot artist; I mean “respected reviewer,” and that misinformation will likely be more applicable too, and more informative of, what to expect with the Kiwiears Orchestra Lite. The stage here isn’t notably large, but not overly restricted at the same time. So, the stage is not really the reason to pick up this set. Still, the Kiwiears Orchestra Lite performs technically well within its somewhat constrained soundscape. Separation is deceptively decent, depth reasonably respectable, and image distinction good. Transient reproduction is also relatively natural for an all-BA set. Dynamics are somewhat soft and therefore might be lacking to some, but more acceptable compared to an IEM like the Blessing 2, even though that set has a dynamic driver-driving its’ bass.
So why pick up the Orchestra Lite? Well, off the right source, detail and clarity here are off the charts for $250 dollars. You hear things in recordings with these that only more expensive sets reveal. Even so, this is a bit of a double-edged sword, as the Orchestra Lite does expose impoverished recordings, poor mixes, and track inaccuracies. Nevertheless, these are an excellent entry point to higher fidelity in-ear-monitor sound, and a definite upgrade path from an IEM like the TRI Starsea. The level of clarity here is beyond the Moondrop Kato and closer to the Variations. And when we get to comparison’s we’ll be taking a look at this bad boy in comparison to one of my favorite IEMs: the Final Audio B3... So, stay tuned for that!
If the Orchestra Lite is lacking detail anywhere, it is in the bass; however. This is BA bass… And although its good BA bass, BA bass does often lack some detail and body compared to a dynamic. Still, there is just enough bass quantity and detail here for me to be happy, even if bass heads surely wouldn’t be. The Orchestra Lite kind of chugs along to the beat- providing just enough low-end warmth to add both substance and character. The sub-bass is not overly representative, but the Orchestra Lite did surprise me on certain tracks, and even kept up well with unexpected genres like rap. So it does decently when called upon to do so. Nevertheless, bass guitars could sound thin at times, and I wouldn’t call the bass of the Orchestra Lite overly expressive in either its personality or clarity.
The mid-range is always clear though, and slightly forward in its character; in general, leading to a more intimate observation of the sound. Despite its intimacy, sounds layer atop each other well, and sonics rarely, if ever become cluttered. Distinctiveness of individual sounds is a noteworthy characteristic of the mid-range on the Orchestra Lite, and this includes vocals which are always well-centered in the middle of the sonic landscape- prominently featuring for both male and female voices alike, although certain low-timbred male vocalists suffered on occasion- like Christ Stapleton, who’s voice was not as accessible I would have expected on a number of tracks. Even so, peripheral details were well developed, detailed, and consistently popped out to my ear.
The treble was less consist; however. While it should satisfy most, truth-through-treble seekers might find the Orchestra Lite somewhat lacking in its later treble and air. The upper-end extension, although fairly natural in its presentation, does roll off rather audibly, and the tail of the treble does lack representation exponentially as it extends out past 10K or so. People who find the persona of later treble emphasized sets irritating will likely have little to complain about with the Orchestra Lite, as there is generally enough treble material presented here without ever mistakenly going overboard or over the line with its brilliance. In other words, I never found my ear stretching to listen for additional treble information, but I could have done with some additional air and extension.
In comparison to one of my other favorite IEMs, the Final Audio B3, the Orchestra Lite is more restricted in its soundscape and not nearly as expansive. It’s also a bit more intimate and forward in its character, but more separative in its approach. Detail, resolution and clarity are similar between the two, but micro details appeared to pop out more on the Orchestra Lite, while the B3 was more coherent in its styling. The bass on the B3 was also generally less thin, more full-bodied, and additionally representative across the lower range of the frequency response. General note weight was also a bit more robust despite the B3 having only 2 drivers compared to the Orchestra Lite’s 8. The Orchestra Lite is also more sensitive to both drive and more influenced by amplifier tonal character than the B3 is; changing its tonal character more like a chameleon from the neutral line from source to source.. Both benefit from a bit of power, but the Orchestra Lite’s stage became larger in comparison to itself when being driven by balanced sources, while the general presentation of the B3 was more consistent not matter its source type. So the Orchestra Lite is a bit of a different in its presentation, but at least keeps up with the more expensive set in a number of ways.
Overall, at $250 dollars, the Orchestra Lite is an incredible value for the money. It’s revealing and detailed in a manner that plays like more expensive competition. It may not have the biggest soundstage, and its treble extension may be limited, but it articulates technically well within its provided listening space. And even though I’ve done my best to provide you all with some good images of this set, it’s even prettier to look at in person than it shows up on film, and comes with a nice accessory package to accompany its solid build. At the price, it will most likely be my #1 recommendation for some time, that is until something better comes along. In order to get notified of such a set, make sure to subscribe and click that notification bell in order to get alerted when I upload videos. Subscribing to the channel doesn’t cost you a thing, and it really helps The Neighborhood grow so that I can continue to deliver high quality content to you all. It also really helps this video get distributed to all those that may benefit from it if you like it and watch it completely. Lastly, check out the links in the description below for other Neighborhood access locations, and give me a follow there as well. And with that, I’m out… for now…
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Pick up the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite at: https://www.linsoul.com/products/kiwi-ears-orchestra-lite?variant=43713163002073