Pineapple Audio Reviews

  Kiwi Ears Astral Review – the Fun, Fast, and Forward Pros:  • Forward, natural-sounding mids with great vocal clarity • Deep subbass with satisfying physicality • Sparkly, extended treble without fatigue • Clean, fast transients and excellent imaging • Clever modular cable design. Cons:  • Midbass lacks weight and impact • Bass can feel a little loose or uncontrolled • Can sound a bit clinical with dry sources • Not for those seeking a warm or lush signature T he Kiwi Ears Astral is what happens when a brand says, “Let’s stop playing it safe and just have some fun.” And fun is exactly what you get. With its 7-driver hybrid setup—one dynamic driver and six balanced armatures—the Astral doesn’t tiptoe around polite tuning choices or try to blend in with the crowd. Instead, it charges in with a bold, energetic sound that’s designed to grab your attention from the very first note. It shares some genetic material with the Septet, sure—but this isn’t just a sequel or a gentle...

  Kiwi Ears Septet : Open-Back Bliss in Your Ears Pros:  • Expansive open-back soundstage • Pinpoint imaging and holographic separation • Balanced, musical tuning with excellent technicals • Clean, deep bass without bloat • Airy, extended treble without harshness • Natural, organic mids Cons:  • Open-back design limits use in noisy environments • Needs a good and powerfull source to shine There are IEMs that sound good. Then there are IEMs that change how you feel about sound. The Kiwi Ears Septet is firmly in the latter category. I wasn’t ready for what this set delivered—and honestly, that’s what makes it special. Kiwi Ears has been releasing solid hits lately with the Aether, Airoso, and Astral, but the Septet? This one’s a whole different beast. Let’s start with the configuration—because honestly, it reads like something dreamed up in an audiophile wet dream: 1 Dynamic Driver, 4 Balanced Armatures, 1 Micro Planar, and 1 PZT driver, all packed into an open-back shell. ...

  Venture Electronics Devastator: Small Dongle, Big Attitude Pros:  Clean, warm, detailed sound Totally quiet, even with sensitive gear Built like a little tank  Affordable, no-nonsense high performance Cons:  For the price. no Cons. When Venture Electronics decided to name their dongle Devastator, they weren’t playing around. I mean, with a name like that, they’re setting the bar pretty high and you'd expect two things: (1) it better hit like a truck, and (2) it better not fall apart if you so much as breathe on it. VE nailed it. The Devastator isn’t just talk; it backs it up with real muscle both in sound and in build. No flimsy plastic, no weak sauce just pure, clean power packed into a body tough enough to survive the chaos of daily life, perfect for people who want legit, high-performance audio without stuffing a brick into their pocket. But first, let me share my journey with Venture Electronics it started a long time ago — back when my descent into the Chi-Fi ...