Kiwi Ears Halcyon Review: The world’s first MEMS tribrid IEM

The Kiwi Ears Halcyon in-ear monitors take an interesting risk that is unparalleled in this price range. The manufacturer has combined a Dynamic Driver, Balanced Armatures and a MEMS driver in a single in-ear monitor. The abbreviation MEMS stands for Micro-Electromechanical Systems and describes a solid-state technology that (in short) works without traditional acoustic elements such as coils or diaphragms. 5 drivers do their job in the IEMs and at a price starting at 170 euros via Kickstarter – at least for those who are quick to decide. The Kiwi Ears Halcyon test clarifies how the whole thing sounds and whether it’s worth buying.

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Technical specifications of the Kiwi Ears Halcyon

The product	Kiwi Ears Halcyon
Driver construction	1DD + 1 MEMS + 3 BA (2 DEK Custom Balanced Armature drivers + 1 WBFK Custom Balanced Armature driver)
Impedance	29 Ohm
Frequency response	10 Hz – 42,000 Hz
Sensitivity	109 dB
Connection	3.5 mm; 4.4 mm
Cable plug	0.78 mm, 2-pin
Ear tips	6 × pair of silicone ear tips
price	from 170 Euro via Kickstarter

Kiwi Ears Halcyon Review: design and workmanship

The first thing you notice when unpacking is the simple housing. The silver look immediately catches the eye. A purist eye-catcher that doesn’t rely on unnecessary ornamentation, but instead radiates a serious seriousness thanks to the simple, modern CNC-milled aluminum. Kiwi Ears has obviously invested a great deal of care in the finish and design.

The front panel is decorated with a repeating pattern of the letters K and E for Kiwi Ears, the logo and the lettering “Halcyon” can be found on the top next to the 2-pin connector. The rest of the housing is completely smoothly contoured with a textured metal surface. The result looks as if it has been cast from a single mold. No visible seams, no creaking, no cheap plastic anywhere.

The IEMs are made of high-quality aluminum and house 1 dynamic driver, 3 balanced armatures and a MEMS driver. The housing has a remarkably high-quality finish for the price. It is typical for in-ear monitors that the model needs to be assembled first. In this case, this concerns the connection to the cable, which is quite tricky for non-experts for two reasons:

1. The connection of the cable to the 2-pin connector is comparatively stiff so it requires some force
2. Contrary to the instructions, the Halycon have no indication of which is the left and which is the right earphone

But after some experimentation and trial and error, the Kiwi Ears Halcyon are finally ready for use. The long, thick and copper-colored cable leaves a good impression in the test and scores with a high degree of flexibility, which has a positive effect on wearing comfort. What I don’t like about the cable, however, is that it regularly slips over my right ear. But this is very individual, as my ear shape (at least on the right side) is obviously very unique. I have this problem with some IEMs (although not all).

The scope of delivery of the Kiwi Ears Halcyon is also coherent. In addition to a compact carrying case, the manufacturer includes two sets of ear tips in three sizes each, the usual paperwork and a detachable 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm plug, which noticeably increases flexibility. With gold-plated contacts, mind you, so very high quality.

There are also two sets of replacement filters for the driver nozzle. These filters are presumably used to attenuate the high frequencies if necessary. A useful detail for users who want to fine-tune the sound without resorting to third-party earplugs.

Wearing comfort of the Halcyon

Keyword wearing comfort: Compared to most resin IEMs, the Halcyon are noticeably more angular. Nevertheless, the in-ear monitors fit very comfortably in the ear and stay in place for hours on end. I really like that. The shells are comparatively small and light despite the hybrid driver configuration and should fit most ears without any problems. This is an advantage that cannot be taken for granted: many multi-driver IEMs tend to have housings that pinch during longer sessions due to their size. The Halcyon remains comfortable even after hours.

With the right earplugs, a kind of natural noise suppression is created. Even in a comparatively loud bus environment, music can be enjoyed well. If you have sensitive ears or are used to cases with noticeable pressure, the Kiwi Ears Halcyon will come as a pleasant surprise. Very positive.

Sound quality of the Kiwi Ears Halcyon

Sound quality is of course the decisive factor in headphones or earphones and the Kiwi Ears Halcyon in particular do a lot differently here thanks to their driver design. But are they really better? The technical basis: the 10 mm composite cone dynamic driver takes care of the sub-bass for powerful, controlled low bass reproduction. The mids are covered by two DEK Series Custom Balanced Armature drivers and the high frequencies come from a WBFK Series Balanced Armature tweeter in combination with the USound MEMS driver for ultra high frequency resolution. The declared frequency response is 10 Hz to 42,000 Hz, which already marks impressive specifications. And to sum up: the Kiwi Ears Halcyon deliver an amazingly clear, precise and pure sound that is pleasing almost across the board.

Sub-bass and low bass: The Halcyon’s sub-bass is resolutely deep, has presence and delivers a pleasant rumble when the track demands it, usually with a lot of cleanliness and speed. Not a thick or particularly rich bass, but rather agile, with good texture and exactly in its place. The sub-bass has a balanced 8 dB bass boost so that the mid-range remains cleanly accentuated. In practice, this means that if you like bass, you get it without the rest of the frequency spectrum suffering.

Mids: In the mids, the Halcyon plays the card of order and cleanliness. A clear presentation, well-placed instruments and a separation that ensures that everything is transmitted in a pleasantly airy manner. No super warm or dense sound that envelops you. Rather fresh, disciplined and transparent. Female vocals come across particularly well, with good presence and a lively quality. Deep male vocals can lose some of their body compared to warmer alternatives, but still sound extremely good.

High frequencies and MEMS drivers: This is the area that arouses the most curiosity. Yes, there is air, there is detail, there is good extension and a competent sense of openness, but I would have expected a little more in terms of upward brilliance. Of course, the IEMs sound very good here too, but their performance is confident and familiar. You shouldn’t expect a sonic revolution. It should be mentioned that the treble can be a little sharp with certain sources or recordings: On first listen, the treble can sound shrill and overemphasized with the wrong EQ settings – depending on your personal taste. However, this can easily be curbed using an equalizer.

The Kiwi Ears Halcyon are moderately heavy to drive and seem to work better with a lot of power. In conjunction with a USB-C DAC on the smartphone, the IEMs lack a bit of power in my eyes. With a DAC on a PC/notebook or an audio system, however, things look quite different again. The in-ear monitors feel noticeably more comfortable here. What is particularly pleasing is that there is no genre in which the Halcyon particularly shines or performs particularly weakly. Tracks with a lot of bass get a lot of bass. Intense vocals or close harmonies sound exactly as they should. It’s as if the Halcyon has a reserve of power that makes everything sound wonderfully effortless and feels equally at home everywhere.

What I also like is that the passive isolation is extremely good with the right ear inserts. Sure: no active noise suppression, but ambient noise is consistently blocked out, which allows you to immerse yourself even better in the music.

Kiwi Ears Halcyon Review: Conclusion

The Kiwi Ears Halcyon rely on an innovative driver configuration that clearly demonstrates the manufacturer’s claim. MEMS tribrid IEMs in this price range? That simply hasn’t been seen before. Fortunately, the in-ear monitors live up to this claim. Kiwi Ears delivers a product that, with a few exceptions, is convincing across the board. Beautifully finished, lightweight and comfortable to wear, with an almost perfectly neutral studio monitor tuning without excessive emphasis on individual frequency ranges. The bass in particular is surprisingly rich for IEMs (in a positive way).

And yet there are a few points that I don’t like so much. Some of these are subjective, others purely objective: setting up the headphones is a little more complicated than necessary for non-experts, as there is no labeling on the sides and fitting the ear tips is a little tricky. The cable also keeps slipping over my right ear. However, you can’t necessarily blame the Halcyon for this, as I also have this problem with cables from other manufacturers (and once you’ve bought a good cable, you’ll negate this flaw anyway).

The neutral mix makes the Kiwi Ears Halcyon a convincing all-rounder that feels equally at home in all genres. However, those looking for a warm sound image will only be happy to a limited extent. What remains in the end is a successful IEM with a unique driver setup (at least in this price range), which – in my opinion – is absolutely worth the asking price. Especially if you catch the Early Bird offer on Kickstarter.