KB EAR ORMOSIA: Tantalising and Audibly Good
Ormosia is a type of legume plant which is endemic to East Asia and it has many sub variants forms from large shrubs to a full grown tree. Here in my country, we have a native Ormosia tree and with its fruits and leaves, we use it as some sort of folk medicine.
We are all familiar with the KB Ear's naming convention on their product based on gemstones or birds but this time they choose a name from a tree or shrub.
What I have here is a new product from KB Ear and its model name is a namesake connected to the tree that I mentioned at the start. This is KB Ear Ormosia, it is a hybrid driver set-up IEM consisting of a single dynamic driver and a custom balanced armature driver. It is housed in an aluminium alloy to provide a better built and protection to its inner components. KB Ear decided to uses a MMCX-connector on this unit which is quite different compared to their usual recessed 2-pin connector probably due to a very unconventional contour of its shell. The design of the shell is so versatile that you can wear them in either a falling cable earbud style or an in ear style which cable is situated behind in your ears.
Fitting seems decent that it sits well into my lug holes but it is more on a shallow side. Passive sound isolation doesn't block well the external noise coming from the outside surroundings. Comfortability is good as I don't feel any soreness and pressure to my lug holes.
As expected for a KB Ear , I usually give high praise to them on how they generously gives some included accessories on their packaging on their products. The box is medium-sized with a red Cheongsam dress in the black background printed at the front.
Here some included accessories inside of KB Ear Ormosia:
A pair of KB Ear Ormosia IEMs.
A 4-core SPC cable with an L-shape 3.5mm termination plug.
A hard bound brown IEM leatherette case.
5 pairs of eartips in different standard sizes and bore sizes.
A cloth clipper.
A basic instruction manual.
KB Ear Ormosia is an easy to drive set as it already amplifies well on decent sources but putting them in a very good source with better DAC/amps seems to further improve the overall sound quality on this set. Most of my sources are of good quality that I don't see a problem to properly power up these sets.
As for tonality, KB is a mild U-shaped sounding with an ample warmness in both bass and mids with smooth transition through treble region to make it more engaging sounding
LOWS/BASS:
Bass seems to be prominent on KB Ear Ormosia,definitely not an authoritative and deep one but it has a sufficient thump and impact. It's bass region is almost equally distributed in both sub bass and mid bass but later seems to be more elevated as I discerningly hearing those rumbles but mid bass has an ample texture that it doesn't sound lean.
Bass kicks have enough thudding but are still a bit softer to be resonant, bass guitar has that somber and yet mellow sound and bass-baritones vocals seem to have a rasping and gruff but still lacking that depth that I want.
I also sense some occasional bass bleed on mids due to prominence of a midbass. Furthermore, it remains to deliver a decent bass quality response.
MIDRANGE
Instruments like strings seem to be more on warmer sounding especially on acoustic guitar sounds more on between being dark to "buttery". Violins have this sound on being more solemn and lustrous. As for percussive like snares and field drums shares almost same sound characteristic of being shuffling and less hard hitting and somber. Horns sound being mellow and a tad muffled one. And lastly, pianos sounds a luscious and warmer tone.
Overall, the quality of mids on this one are passable enough to my midcentric bias ears.
HIGHS/TREBLE:
The treble register on this set seems to have a very smooth and pleasant one. Upper mid to presence treble have those lucid transitions of peaks and scoops to deliver a non-sibilant and strident sound. Clarity is just decent but nothing spectacular. But still, Good job on this one, KB Ear.
Cymbal strikes appears to have a sufficient shimmer and crispness but extension seems to be more of average, I wish that there are some more to add more air and harmonics.
SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:
Overall soundstage appears to be decently proportionate on its spatial sound field, average to above average on wideness, has a decent height and average depth. Imaging is decent as I can pinpoint the location of instruments in a typical binaural, stereo manner but not the most accurate one as I find it a bit indistinct to my finical ears. Separation and layering is quite satifactory has an enough gap spacing and a distinction of each frequency profile is noticeable and define its arrangement.
Detail retrieval and clarity aspect is on more transparent sounding rather than being a detailed one. Coherency of drivers performs decently, transients speed more on moderate pace rather than being speedy and it still delivers a very cohesive delivery without being sound "out of phase". Timbre is definitely on a warmer side given the overall tonal quality on how it was tuned.
PEER COMPARISONS:
KB EAR ROBIN
Both cousins have the same driver set-up, but KB Ear Robin has more BA drivers and yet way more cheaper. Shells of Robin is more of an standard Chi-fi UIEM design in a 2-pin connector compare to a more circular and rounded shell Ormosia (this is actually reminds me of a BLON 03 but eay better fitting) and uses a MMCX connector.
Here is a category where both IEMs respective tuning is way different on one another, Robin is a way more v-shaped sounding compared to a u-shaped sound type of Ormosia. And Robin has a more noticeable sibilance and somehow a bit more textured.
Technicalities seems to be similar on both Robin and Ormosia ranging from soundstage to timbre quality.
AMBIENT DYNAMICS LYNDALE
Both have identical set-up, a single Dynamic driver and one balanced armature driver. The materials of both IEMs are different as Ormosia is of a metal build , circular IEM housing while Lyndale is made of high quality resin shell. Fitting and comfort is superior on Lyndale as it is one of the best IEM in my collection when it comes to fitting. Connection choices of both IEMs is contrasting, MMCX connector on Ormosia and 2-pin connector on Lyndale. Surely that Lyndale has better inclusions than Ormosia but it is way more expensive.
As for tonality, both displayed a warm U-shape tuning but Lyndale is a bit better tuning set. From a cleaner and punchy bass response to a treble extension, Lyndale takes it all.
Technical aspects of both device perform similarly. Above average soundstage, decent imaging and separation but Lyndale somehow has a better detail retrieval.
As I conclude my review in KB Ear Ormosia, to whom will I recommend this set? Not for more experienced audio enthusiast who want a more "audiophile" quality tuning as KB Ear Ormosia doesn't fit its requirements. Definitely not for neutral heads as it was way too warm and coloured on their hearing perception. I can certainly recommending this set to a more casual listener who wants a more fun, engaging and lively with a very balanced sounding one.
KB Ear Ormosia is now available to all e-commerce platform and for the best delivery service, you can check it out on Keephifi with the link here.
KB Ear Ormosia pricing is currently around US$93/£81.
SPECIFICATION:
MODEL: KB EAR ORMOSIA
IMPEDANCE: 16Ω
SENSITIVITY: 105dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz – 20KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.2M
PIN TYPE: MMCX CONNECTOR
PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm
DRIVER UNIT(S): (1) DYNAMIC DRIVER + (1) BALANCED ARMATURE DRIVER
PROS:
• Well-balanced U-shaped sounding that will be versatile to most known genre.
• Very light metal alloy shell for durability and less hefty to wear.
• Just have an ample warmness on bass to mids to have sufficient texture note weight.
• Smooth treble delivery.
• Very versatile on wearing this set either an earbud style or a typical in ear monitor style.
• Like all KB Ear products, good quality inclusions
CONS:
• It’s MMCX connector is a bit of concern.
• Some of its technical abilities is just average given that you can find some competitors with better technicalities at the same price range or even lower.
• Detail retrieval isn’t its strongest asset for a hybrid set.
Some Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)
Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *
Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**
Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **
Mountain - Mississippi Queen *
Queen - Killer Queen **
Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'
Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'
Pearl Jam - Daughter **
Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *
Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*
Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *
New Order - Blue Monday *
The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *
The Madness- Buggy Trousers *
Metallica - Motorbreath **
Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *
Destiny's Child - Say My Name *
Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *
Mozart - Lacrimosa *
New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *
Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*
Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *
Exciter - Violence and Force *
Diana Krall - Stop This World **
Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*
The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection**
Suzanne Vega – Luka **
Lauren Christy – Steep *
P.S.
I am not affiliated to KB EAR nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.
Once again, I would like to thank KEEPHIFI for providing this review unit, I truly appreciate on their generosity towards me and other reviewers.
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