Short introduction
Alpha & Delta is a Singaporean IEM brand under the Lend Me Ur Ears umbrella, best known for their neutrally-tuned D6 model. The KS3 is their newest microdriver (dynamic) model, now available under crowdfunding at Indiegogo.
I first heard the KS3 prototype while I was back in Singapore late last year and expressed some interest in it. After they’ve finalised the details, LMUE have sent me a final production model (with some aesthetic flaws but still 100% there sonically) for evaluation. Let’s see if my early impressions hold up.
First impressions
Some miscellaneous comments on the tangibles:
- Pseudo-custom shell is very comfortable and makes pretty good sleeping IEMs for my ears.
- 8-core cable is similar (probably identical) to the one used in the D6.
- My KS3 came wired out-of-phase. I had to intentionally flip the polarity of one of the 2-pin channels to keep it in-phase.
Sound-wise, it’s a bit of a downgrade compared to what I heard last year, but that’s all in the past and irrelevant now. The KS3 is somewhat flat and balanced, aiming for an odd variation of diffuse field that doesn’t really work to my ears.
It’s not particularly technical, in fact it’s pretty significantly below average in terms of sheer resolution and detail within its price bracket. Tonality is fine but not exactly carrying the IEM either.
Don’t really see the KS3 excelling based on sonic merits alone. Not going to make any strong statements before my full review is done, but so far I’m not exactly impressed.
And of course, the measurements:
