Cadenza II provided by Kiwi Ears for the purpose of this review.
Refined
The Kiwi Ears Cadenza II are high quality, wired headphones that are excellent at providing well-rounded sound quality, based on my time using them while gaming, listening to podcasts, and music. They are priced at $49.99 and available in two colors: gray and blue. The received the blue model, which are gorgeous. Although, I don’t think you can go wrong with either color. There is a distinct, intricate weave design on the faceplate, which looks great on the aluminum plate.
Technical Specifications
- Driver Configuration: 10mm Titanium Dynamic Driver with KARS 2.0 (Kiwi Acoustic Resonance System).
- Diaphragm Material: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with Titanium Coating.
- Frequency Response Range: 10Hz – 29KHz.
- Sensitivity: 106dB (±1dB) @ 1kHz.
- Impedance: 18Ω (±1Ω).
- Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): <1% (at 1kHz).
- Channel Difference: <1.5dB (at 1kHz).
Sound Spectrum
For my testing, I listened to an assortment of podcasts, played about two hours of Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo, and listened to music by Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam. Across the range of bass, mids, and treble, I’m impressed with the quality of the sound. While I do not listen to bass-heavy music, the games I play do lean towards moments of heavy bass. In which case, I was quite pleased with the performance of the titanium driver in the Cadenza II.
The mid level is where I believe the Cadenza II shines. In this range, vocals sound great. Voices sound natural – not loud and harsh, against the other levels.
Finally, concerning treble, I noticed while listening to acoustic performances that guitar sounds stood out without overwhelming the overall music.
Comfort
I’m a fan of AirPods Pros but I have a soft spot for wired headphones. The reasons are simple: you never have to charge them or pair them to your devices, which may cause prioritization conflicts. But, also, they tend to be much less expensive than wireless earbuds like the AirPods Pros. However, the biggest gripe I have with wired headphones is the cord. They can get tangled and often I have more cord than I need.
In the case of the Cadenza II, Kiwi Ears provides a 4-core, braided cable that is thicker than most cords you’ll find in wired headphones, but also less prone to being tangled up. Additionally, the cord is a more rigid curve where it connects to the earbud, allowing you to wrap the cord around your ear, for added security. Also included with the Cadenza II are six different sizes of in-ear plugs to help you find the perfect balance of security and comfort.
At just $50, the Cadenza II are an easy recommendation for users who want a hassle-free, high quality listening experience.