Kiwi Ears Belle Review: New $30 Budget IEM

Disclaimer: I received this product in exchange for my honest review. The Metalverse is an independent website, and all opinions expressed are our own with no monetary incentive. We thank the team at Kiwi Ears for giving us this opportunity.

Kiwi Ears

Kiwi Ears have become a major name in the budget IEM space, and for good reason. Founded by a team of dedicated audio engineers with a passion for bringing studio-quality sound to the masses, the company has built its reputation on meticulous handcrafting and measurement-based tuning. Their approach focuses on creating professional-grade in-ear monitors without breaking the bank.

The brand has many highly praised releases from the Orchestra series to the Astral, to the impressive budget option–the Cadenza. Each release attempts to push the boundaries of what can be achieved at budget price points.

Introducing the Kiwi Ears Belle

The Kiwi Ears Belle is a single dynamic driver IEM featuring a custom 10mm Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) diaphragm. Priced at approximately $30 USD, it positions itself squarely in the ultra-competitive budget IEM market where models like the 7Hz Zero 2, Tangzu Wan'er, and Moondrop Chu 2 have huge reputations.

What makes the Belle unique is its focus on delivering a warm, bass and mid-forward sound signature with studio-grade technical performance—at least on paper. The option of ordering in either USB-C or 3.5mm cable termination adds versatility rarely seen at this price point, making it appealing for smartphone users or a traditional PC setup.

The Belle's tuning philosophy centers around a precise 3kHz pinna peak designed to balance heavy bass and warm mids, creating an engaging sound profile that prioritizes musical enjoyment over analytical coldness.

Packaging

The Belle comes in a little box featuring a purple background, some branding, and information on the headphone. It’s a nice little package, but of course at $30 no one expects a crazy unboxing experience.

What's in the Box?

• 1 x Kiwi Ears Belle
• 1 x Cable
• 6 x Silicone ear tips (2 small, 2 medium, 2 large)

Accessories

The included ear tips are generic silicone ear tips in small, medium, and large. We found them to fit effectively, but the nozzle is standard size,e so if preferred, third-party ear tips can easily be swapped out.

The cable also feels solid for $30. It has a dual threaded chord with a smooth finish to it. The cable isn't prone to tangling or overly springy, making it an overall good and functional cable for the price.

Build Quality and Design

The Kiwi Ears Belle feels well-built. The IEM features metal faceplates with some small branding that lend a premium aesthetic far beyond what you'd expect from a $30 product. The aesthetic is minimalistic but still looks good. The faceplates feel solid and durable, with a brushed finish that catches light beautifully without being overly flashy.

The shells themselves are made from what appears to be medical-grade resin, keeping the overall weight very light. Each unit is hand-assembled with individually measured and paired drivers to ensure proper channel balance—a level of quality control typically reserved for more expensive offerings.

The nozzles feature dual mesh filters to protect the drivers, and two ventilation holes (one near the connector and one on the back) help with pressure equalization.

Sound Quality

The Belle has a smooth and balanced sound signature that has a lightly elevated bass response and a warm, musical sound. Bass and mids have an emphasis that really shines, while treble is more polite and forgiving.

Bass Response

The Belle's bass is one of the areas this IEM truly shines. The low-end has a good boost to it, delivering deep, punchy bass that rumbles with satisfying impact. Low end comes across with good texture and depth. I wouldn't say these are "bass-head" IEMs, but they have a very enjoyable amount of bass for most music listeners.

The single dynamic driver design helps keep bass response clean and reduces bass bleed and muddiness effectively. The bass decay is good. It won't match the speed and precision of planar drivers or high-end dynamics, but it performs admirably for the price point.

Midrange Performance

The midrange on the Belle is warm and slightly forward, creating an intimate presentation that brings vocals and instruments close to the listener. This tuning choice works especially beautifully for vocal-centric music.

Male vocals, in particular, sound natural and full-bodied thanks to the lower midrange warmth and fullness from the bass. Female vocals maintain good clarity due to the carefully tuned 3kHz pinna peak, which adds bite and presence without tipping into harshness or sibilance.

Instrument timbre falls on the warm side of neutral. Guitars have weight and resonance, pianos sound rich rather than sparkly, and string instruments carry a pleasing fullness. This slight warm coloration here adds to the musical enjoyment, but won't be fully neutral. Detail retrieval in the mids is respectable. Micro-details are present but can be slightly overshadowed by the elevated bass on busy tracks.

Treble

The treble on the Belle takes a smoothed-out, non-fatiguing approach. The upper frequencies extend nicely but lack some of the sparkle and air of brighter-tuned competitors.

This more forgiving treble tuning makes the Belle incredibly easy to listen to for extended periods—there's virtually no sibilance or harshness, even on poorly mastered tracks. However, treble-heads and detail enthusiasts may find this approach too polite. The natural treble curvature does highlight micro-details present in the song, but has a more relaxed rather than energetic treble response.

Upper treble extension is modest, meaning the sense of air and openness isn't as pronounced as some might prefer. The presentation feels more intimate and closed-in rather than spacious and airy. At the price, though, the treble performs well and will outshine many other options still.

Technical Performance

Timbre on the Belle leans warm and natural, though the bass emphasis does color the overall tonal balance. Instruments sound convincing and musical rather than analytical or reference-y. The DLC diaphragm contributes to the transient response, helping notes start and stop with reasonable speed despite the warmer tuning.

Soundstage is around average being relatively intimate with modest width, depth, and height. Live recordings and tracks with spatial cues won't expand dramatically beyond the confines of your head. The intimacy feels engaging and natural, but won't match the soundstage on pricier sets.

Imaging is great for the budget, instruments can be separated clearly in most mixes, although busier tracks may feel slightly congested–this is normal for the price range, though.

For gaming and cinema use, the Belle performs well. Directional audio cues are identifiable, though competitive gamers seeking maximum positional accuracy might prefer a brighter, more technically-focused tuning.

These headphones are also very easy to drive, I tested the type-C termination and there was plenty of volume, with us not even needing to go up past half volume during mobile use to get sufficient volume.

Comfort and Isolation

The Belle excels in the comfort department. The lightweight resin shells combined with the contoured ergonomics create an IEM that practically disappears during use. Even after several hours of use, there's minimal fatigue or pressure buildup. The size of the shell is slightly smaller than the Cadenza, making this a low-profile fit that fits securely in your ear.

Isolation is good but not outstanding—typical for vented IEMs in this price bracket. The dual venting system helps with pressure equalization and driver performance, but does allow some ambient noise to seep in. For most use cases, the Belle should provide enough isolation.

The included ear tips provided a good fit for me, with six pairs total (small, medium, large in both black and transparent varieties). However, they're fairly generic silicone tips, and some may find aftermarket options like SpinFit, Final E, or Divinus Velvet can improve both comfort and sound quality—particularly tightening up the bass response.

Final Verdict

The Kiwi Ears Belle shows great value in the ultra-competitive budget IEM market. It carves out its niche by offering warm, bass and mid-forward tuning with good technical performance for under $30. The inclusion of both USB-C and 3.5mm cable options adds versatility that competitors don't usually match at this price.

With a warm tuning that has deep, exciting bass, smooth and clear mids, and a forgiving treble, The Belle sacrifices some treble brightness for excellent bass and mid character while still feeling natural and mostly balanced.

Costing just $30, the Kiwi Ears Belle makes very few compromises and performs very well for its cost. These headphones are fun to listen to, with a musical and engaging sound signature that is pleasant. Overall, the Kiwi Ears Belle is a great option in the sub $50 IEM market and offers a compelling alternative to other options in the price bracket.

Technical Specifications

• Driver Configuration: Single 10mm Dynamic Driver with Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) diaphragm
• Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz
• Impedance: 32Ω (±1Ω)
• Sensitivity: 103dB (±1dB) @ 1kHz
• Cable Options: USB-C or 3.5mm (choose at purchase)
• Connector Type: 0.78mm 2-pin
• Build Material: CNC-machined metal faceplates, medical-grade resin shells

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