Kiwi Ears Astral Review – Headfonia

Today, we are taking a look at the $299 USD Kiwi Ears Astral Hybrid In-Ear Monitors.

Disclaimer: Linsoul sent us the Astral for this review. As always, I am here to share my honest experience with the product.

Kiwi Ears

I’ve been closely following Kiwi Ears since their early days, and it’s been interesting to see how far they’ve come in such a short time. What started as an unknown brand offering surprisingly good budget IEMs has become a popular name in the audiophile community.

They’ve secured a solid reputation by consistently delivering on three key promises: competitive pricing, smart tuning choices, and solid build quality, in my opinion.

While most of their releases have leaned into safe, mass-appeal tunings, they’ve always felt intentional rather than formulaic. I also noticed that throughout their journey, Kiwi Ears has demonstrated a clear willingness to listen to feedback and adapt, something I would want for more companies in the audio industry.

All of their earphones are sold and fulfilled through Linsoul, and a one-year warranty comes standard, adding peace of mind. Now, let’s see where the new Astral fits in.

Kiwi Ears Astral

The Astral joins Kiwi Ears’ lineup as an upper-mid-tier hybrid priced just below the flagship Orchestra and mid-tier Orchestra Lite.

Priced at $299 USD, it is currently their most advanced hybrid configuration with a 1DD+6BA setup that aims to deliver reference-like tuning.

Unlike some of Kiwi’s offerings aimed towards consumers, such as the Airoso or the KE4, the Astral takes a more balanced approach to tuning. Kiwi Ears is marketing the Astral as a “professional-grade” IEM. Whether it lives up to that promise in real-world listening is what we’ll explore next.

The Astral is available through the Kiwi’s official shop and Linsoul.

Specifications

Drivers: 1DD+6BA Hybrid Configuration

Crossover: 3-Way

Socket: 0.78-2Pin

Housing: Acrylic Resin

Nozzle: Wide, Metal

Cable: 1.2m 4-braid interchangeable – 3.5mm & 4.4mm

Impedance: 16Ω

Sensitivity: 112dB

Packaging & Accessories

The Astral arrives in a fairly compact, nicely designed box. The outer sleeve features the usual Kiwi Ears design, with a clean layout and a product render on the front. Inside, you’ll find a foam-lined interior with a cutout tray for the IEMs. The presentation is functional and tidy, though not flashy.

The accessory set is modest. The included cable uses a 2-pin 0.78mm connector and features a swappable plug system, which is a welcome addition at this price point. Both 3.5mm and 4.4mm plugs are provided, and the adapter mechanism feels reasonably secure during use, even without the usual screw-lock system.

Kiwi Ears doesn’t disclose the cable’s alloy or conductor material, but it looks like a SPC Litz to me. In terms of pliability, it’s not the softest or most tangle-resistant cable I’ve tried in this price range.

The ear tips selection is limited. You only get one set of silicone tips in sizes S, M, and L, and there are no Kiwi-special “Flex” tips, foam tips, double flanges, or other variants. Tiprollers may still want to try their own. I switched to Divinus Wide ear tips instead of the stock ones. However, the tips included are usable and provide a good seal.

There’s also a small, hard-shell, zippered case with a Kiwi Ears logo printed on top. It’s the same case as previous models. It’s compact and durable enough to throw in a bag. It’s not luxurious, but it gets the job done.

Nothing here feels premium, but everything serves its function. The inclusion of both 3.5mm and 4.4mm plugs at this price point adds value to the otherwise limited package.

Design, Build & Fit

The Astral follows the established design language seen across many of Linsoul’s in-house brands, such as ThieAudio and Zigaat, with a shell that’s aesthetically striking and ergonomically contoured. It is available in two variants: one with blue faceplates and another with yellow.

The faceplates feature glowing flakes embedded beneath the faceplate’s clear resin, while the rest of the shell is around 80-percent-opaque black. Since these are hand-made faceplates, the flake patterns vary slightly from unit to unit, giving each pair a unique aesthetic.

The shells are made of skin-friendly, medical-grade resin and are fully 3D-printed before being UV-cured for durability. The finish is smooth and free of imperfections. The housing feels solid and well-built, like other Kiwis I reviewed before. The semi-custom contoured shape helps with the fit, and it offers a familiar in-ear comfort, as with the Orchestra Lite, both being quite comfy for my large ears.

Despite housing a 1DD+6BA configuration, the Astral is surprisingly compact. I would classify it as a medium to medium-large-sized IEM. To understand this better, here’s a comparison of a few popular IEMs: ThieAudio’s Hype 4 and Hype 10 can be labeled as “ML.” An “L” would mean something like the Oriolus Monachaa, and the “M” would be something like the Mega5EST.

In the ear, Astral fits securely and sits almost flush without causing any pressure points. I experienced no discomfort during extended listening sessions.

Passive isolation is excellent, sitting around -30 dB with the Divinus ear tips and 20-25dB with stock silicons for my ears. A single vent is positioned on the back side of each shell behind the dynamic driver. It acts as a dynamic driver ventilation port and possibly also works as a pressure regulator. The nozzle is wide and made of metal, with a defined ridge that holds ear tips securely. I had no trouble using stock silicone or third-party tips.

Overall, the Astral combines solid craftsmanship with a clean aesthetic. Kiwi is usually more expressive visually, so this is one of their stealthier, more understated designs!

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