When Alpha & Delta tell me they will lauch a new universal custom using micro drivers, to say I was hysterically excited would be an euphemism: i just cannot wait for it to come out and need to try it ASAP!!!
After harassing Lend Me UR ears about this new model like a kid that piss off his father that is driving for hours to a promising destination: are we arriving soon, enh, daddy, are we?? Instead of answering me: shut up brat! A&D nice staff finally send me the KS3 universal custom!
And, MAN, it worth the wait as well as multiply expactation: the KS3 are phenomenal earphones. Balanced, well tuned, crips and clear.
As seen, the unboxing is extremely nice as well and include LOT of accessories. 4 pairs of high quality foams tips for no extra cost? Yep, you go a 20$ worth of accesories right there. An invicible pelican type of protective case? Yep, another 10$ article here….but you have as well lotta other silicone eartips and most of all the fanciest 8 cores 2 pins cable you can ever dream off! Just this cable, by the way, is sell 90$ on Lend Me UR ears website….so…if the KS3 really sell for around 130$ soon on Indiegogo for crowndfunding, this is what I would call a big bargain just for accessories alone.
But this is just frivolous aspect if we only care about SOUND and IEM construction alone wich, again, is Phenomenal.
This type of resin plastic molding is rarely find in this budget price range, add high quality metal nozzle and you know you have a serious audiophile iem in hands. Simply put, when you take these in your hands you know its durable high quality housing because its really hard to tell this is stick togheter, it really feel like one piece molded universal custom. Other aspect is how good is the grip, even if slippy and organicaly shaped, the housing design is molded for your ears AND your fingers, so you can insert it without every struggling and achieve ultimate comfort. This again, is extremely rare and a proof of how seriously Alpha & Delta designer work on housing shape. There no other universal custom like this AD KS3 and I hope they patent this housing wich is genius workmanship.
So, spectacular is the accessories, spectacular is the construction, spectacular is the design. What about the sound, will it go into spectacular approach as well??
YES is you are an audiophile that care about proper tuning and high fidelity sound that neither sound too unbalanced or too coloured.
NO if you are an immature basshead that is still obsess by V shape sound with extra treble and mids push.
If you love the Alpha Delta D6 as I did, you get something even better with KS3 but a little less treble emphased. D6 offer a mid centric sound while the KS3 is more neutral and smooth sounding. Because even if I adore D6, sometime I find the mids too fowards and treble to bright, here with the KS3, A&D achieve a reference type of tuning, wich will please as much for musician searching a monitor iem than critical audio enthusiast that enjoy mature tuning that isn’t too coloured.
BASS have extra energy in mid bass and fast sub presentation without slow rumble.
MIDS are transparent and in middle of soundstage, have great clarity but soft timbre and never sound sibilant (never never).
TREBLE extension is nice and crisp, number of sound layers we get is very impressive and level of micro details feel effortless. The treble presentation is the masterpiece of KS3.
The KS3 sound natural and musical and feel like the ultimate all arounder, bass is fast and accurate, mids are clear, intimate and well separated and treble is mesmerizing and give plenty of highs sparkle in a crisp never splashy or hissy kind of way.
So, yeah, first impressions are utterly impressive and I will make a proper review next week, so stay tuned and keep an eye open for the lauch of Alpha & Delta KS3 on MASSDROP at they end of this month!!
No Borders Audiophile 