KBEAR ALKAID KB03 Review: Worth Your Time And Dollar Signs?

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Greetings mate and Welcome aboard!

Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions, so…

Video Discussion

In this review, we’ll cover the KBEAR Alkaid KB03, a Bone Conduction, Hybrid HiFi IEM purportedly perfect for Gaming.

But is this Balanced Armature Dynamic Driver Earbud worth a purchase for that, + other musical things?

Today we’ll find out, so stick around like scotch tape, and let’s dive in.

All specs, box contents, pricing, and discounts toward the end!

It seems all intelligent manufacturers have been taking advantage of a recent trend in audio. That is, tuning their headphones correctly.

It’s almost unheard of, I’ll tell you HWAT.

Jokes aside, tuning headphones and IEMs isn’t a trend, but it should be.

The problem with consumer audio is that it’s quite the opposite.

Most cheap stuff you’ll find on Amazon or elsewhere just sounds bad.

Poor frequency response, sloppy bass, dog poop resolution, metallic timbre, and wonky tone are just some of the issues that plague this industry.

And these products are treated as the norm. As in, most noobs are none the wiser and believe what they’re buying is good.

Well, it isn’t.

KBEAR’s KB03 is one of the few I’ve tried that buck against this poopy audio plague, and I have to say, I breathed a huge sigh of relief upon listening to it.

Contrary to what some may say, it’s not fun to write or record negative reviews. OK, it can be a little fun, but it’s more fun to talk about something you like. Such is the case with the KB03, an IEM with a Knowles FK High-Frequency Balanced Armature Dynamic Driver.

Known for exceptional clarity and precision, this type of driver captures crisp, detailed highs with impressive resolution and an ultra-fast response, ideal for music with a high density of information. This, according to their website. But does it?

Materials & Aesthetic

Sporting an elegant design with 3D-printed resin covers, a hand-polished finish, and Upgraded Beryllium-Coated Dynamic Drivers, the KB03 will indeed render your tracks with excellent resolution and a good overall tone.

So we’re off to a swell start.

This Harman-type response finds a boost in the subbass, a cut in the mid bass and mud regions around 200-300Hz, a boost in the presence area around 2-3kHz for added clarity of vocals and instruments, and a softened, subdued treble.

This is your basic recipe for success if the goal is enjoyment and proficiency, and this company clearly understands it.

The KB03’s Overall Sound

Playlists: Here and Here and Here!
DACs Used: FiiO KA11
Easy To Drive: Yes, anything more than a KA11 or DS2 and you’re lighting money on fire. Don’t OVERTHINK IT!
Genres: Will work for most anything. I listened primarily to Hip-Hop, Ambient, Jazz, Classical, Indie Pop, and Rock.

Soundwise, there’s punch in the bass without bloat, vocals and instruments sound present and accounted for, and the overall clarity shines through.

You’ll be able to hear a lot more going on in your favorite tracks, and as much as I kind of don’t want to admit it (because I’ve always been a headphone WHORE), a well-tuned IEM like this one does sound better than most headphones in its general price range (and even good to excellent ones in higher brackets).

In addition to spacing and separation receiving clear improvements, transient response is undoubtedly one of the main aspects that elevate a product like this, trickling down to other important components of sound, such as decay and release.

You’ll notice both instruments and voices sound more fully fleshed out, they trail off better, and you can hear the instrument in its entirety.

This also goes hand in hand with timbre; if you can hear, say, a guitar better, you’ll be able to really hone in on its unique tone, i.e., what about it separates itself from a violin, or a flute, or a saxophone, etc.

What makes it a guitar?

Put another way, how it sounds in real life vs. the way it sounds through drivers. This is something I harp on endlessly as one of the hallmark traits of good sound, and IEMs like the KB03 fulfill the requirement, helping to bridge that gap between the reproduction of sound vs. the tangible reality of being in a room with someone while they play.

Of course, no headphone or IEM will ever be able to recreate this reality fully, but the goal is to come as close as possible, and these do a great job of helping you get at least some of the way there.

Frequency Response: Bass & Mid-Range

Additionally, bass frequencies have impact without sounding messy or incoherent.

Dela’s “Orange Sanguine” is a perfect example. The bass pumps nicely and sounds vast and weighty without feeling muddy, bloated, or cheap.

There’s room for the other frequencies to manifest, and while it is a dense, wet, somewhat all-encompassing kick, the low end of the track doesn’t present itself in such a way as to ruin the rest of the beat.

Still, if I had to nitpick or make a suggestion, there’s a needly character about the KB03, and it’s likely due to the narrowed (but still significant) spike right before 200Hz (perhaps around 180 or thereabouts).

I’m not sure this is completely necessary, but it’s not going to ruin anything. It just seems like a strange decision. That said, this is very track-dependent, and their choice to completely cut 200-300Hz makes me want to do backflips.

Put simply, all companies should take note of this strategy. It’s how I EQ bass in my own beats, and it’s something that should be standard with any and every bass, V-shaped, or fun-oriented product.

Just say nope… to mid-bass bloat.

Treble

The debate over brighter treble vs. darker is an ever-raging one, and I’m somewhere in the middle.

As a producer, I understand that boosting this area can add air and clarity (generally the areas around 8k and up), but it’s a delicate balancing act. Too much and your tracks start to sound overly hissy and metallic, too little and there’s no sparkle or energy. Things may just fall flat or lack zip.

I think the KB03’s are just about right, toeing that line nicely, opting for a dip from 6-8kHz and rising back up around 9-10. The dip is to compensate for the mid-range presence, so the rise at 9-10 works fine and provides an acceptable amount of brightness without sibilance.

I have yet to notice sibilance on any track I’ve tested, but I will update this article if anything changes.

Resolution

Another main ingredient to a good listening experience (perhaps THE main one) is, of course, resolution.

In my mind, it’s one of the first things that should jump out at you when evaluating whether or not something sounds good.

After we’ve determined that the frequency response makes the cut (i.e., is either good, great, excellent, and so forth), we can then shift our focus towards resolution. And, if a product is tuned well, good resolution, in the majority of cases, will follow.

How well are instruments and vocals rendered? How detailed are they? How complete do they sound? Incredibly resolving sound can add an almost otherworldly layer of immersion, complexity, and raw emotion to a listening experience.

It helps us identify with the artists and what they’re saying and/or how they’re playing. If I can make out and understand instruments, vocals, and lyrics better, I can relate to the artist and how they’re feeling. The emotions they’re trying to convey.

And the KB03 does a great job here, especially considering its meager price tag.

You’ll start to notice those breathy sounds, whispers, and other strange vocal utterances that can only be heard with a well-tuned IEM that brings them out more fully.

Alayna’s “If You Want My Love” is a great example at 1:28 when she asks the question, “Tell me if you want my love.” Listen to her voice as it reverberates and trails off around 1:33. The decay and release of her vocal inflection is marvelous, adding to the intimacy and closeness you feel toward her.

Gaming Impressions

Coming Soon!

Spoiler: yes, they probably are due to everything in this article but I’m just using this as a stop gap until I write a carefully crafted expose on the merits of KB03 for gaming and take up a little more space than this in the process before getting to bone conduction technology which is now *deep breath*

Bone Conduction Technology

This also likely has quite a bit to due with the strengths outlined.

Bone conduction technology enhances sound by transmitting vibrations directly through the bones of your skull, typically the cheekbones, straight to the inner ear (cochlea).

Instead of sound waves traveling through the outer ear and eardrum, the vibrations bypass those structures entirely. This can make audio clearer in noisy environments, allow people with certain types of hearing loss to hear better, and keep the ear canal open so you can still hear surrounding sounds while listening.

K BEAR claims they improved the bone conduction driver, providing faster and more dynamic feedback. I can’t speak to that as I haven’t tried their KB02, but the KB03’s sound is impressive regardless.

I think Soundstage can be good depending on the track, but don’t expect frequent out-of-your-head moments. It’s more of an occasional thing.

“Night and Morning” from Alina Baraz is a good example of a song with elements that kind of sound like they’re in the room with you, but again, pay attention to how the song was mixed first and foremost.

Many artists purposefully engineer songs to give off the illusion of good Soundstage, so it doesn’t necessarily mean the product in question is also good.

All in all, I would describe this as a slightly larger than head-width sound, with decent depth behind you, not much height, etc.

As good as the KB03 is for its price, I will caution you that the overall sound of these still kind of feels like a product under $100.

In other words, there’s an artificial quality about them that I can’t quite reconcile.

It’s subtle and a bit hard to describe, but imagine an ever-so-tenuous “wooden” aspect to the music in general. It feels like it’s missing a sense of fluidity at times. Perhaps slightly grainy.

It could simply be the track, but I’ve noticed a trend in a number of songs, and I will update this article as I get more time with them.

Overall build seems solid, the IEM feels nice in your hand, and it has a bit of weight to it.

There are 9 sets of tips in total, and I mostly stick to the medium-sized ones. I find these are the most true to the raw sound of the earbuds. The larger tips will add some more bass, while the smallest ones are the most neutral but may portray the sound a bit thin, anemic, lean, and/or lacking body. I pretty much never use them regardless of the product in question.

Comfort is about what you’d expect from an earbud of this caliber; not amazing or anything, but respectable and fine overall. I feel some slight irritation from time to time but it’s nothing to get your panties in a wad over.

Simply plug the 2PIN cables into each side, making sure they wrap around your ears for the correct fitment.

Final Verdict

KBEAR’s KB03 is a well-tuned, excellent-sounding IEM with great transients and awesome resolution for the price. And, with an Impedance of 9.4Ω and a Sensitivity of 101dB/mW, it’s easier to drive than a Bumper car at the local amusement park.

There’s a bit of a wooden character about them, and the spike at approximately 180Hz is a bit strange, but all in all, they’re a great option for roughly $60 and run circles around many other products in or out of their price range.

KBEAR ALKAID KB03

Price: Check Amazon |

>>KEEPHIFI (Use code HOMESTUDIOBASICS for 30% OFF)<<

In The Box

KB03 Earbuds

9 sets of tips

Misc. Literature

Card

Specifications

Brand: KBEAR
Model: KB03
Impedance: (1KHz) 9.4Ω
Sensitivity: 101dB/mW
Drivers: Bone-conduction Drivers+Customized BA+10MM Beryllium-plated Diaphragm DD
FR Range: 20Hz-20kHz
Cable Material: 6N OFC
Plug: 3.5mm
Pin: 0.78mm/2PIN

Well, that’s about it for today my friend! Hope you enjoyed this KBEAR KB03 Review and came away with some valuable insight.

Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!

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