Disclaimer
- Sound evaluation are kept neutral and does not include 3rd party accessories (ie; filters, eartips, cable, irreversible/reversible mods)
- The reviewed IEM is a sponsored unit by Kiwi Ears in exchange for a review. Nevertheless, all opinions remain original ideas of my own, there was zero influence from any 3rd party or external opinions throughout the review.
- No EQ or filter presets were used during the entire sound evaluation.
Overall Rating
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Cons |
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Introduction
While other brands are building more ridiculously powerful and heavy dongles, which some nowadays capable of reaching beyond 500mW in a standard dongle size. There are also brands who went back to its roots of a dongle, prioritizing the essentials such as portability rather than its luxuries. Thus, when we’re talking about the ultra-compact dongle segment, Kiwi Ears, Audirect and ddHiFi always come to mind. Which brings me to today’s review, we’ll be talking about Kiwi Ears and in recent weeks they have announced the new upgrade to the Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini, their first ultra-compact dongle DAC/AMP which till today I still regularly use as my reference DAC.
This time, I’ll be reviewing the Kiwi Ears Allegro Pro which still features the ultra-compact design. But now, it has been updated with the addition of two new amplifier modules providing amplification for the Allegro Pro. That is the ES9603 from ESS Technology. For your information, the ES9603 amp has been featured in some dongles before such as the HiBy FC5 and the more uncommon YongSe BS-1. Apart from that, Kiwi Ears have also implemented digital filters which users can toggle via a button. Hence, I would love to take this opportunity to send my regards to Evelyn, the marketing representative from Kiwi Ears, for offering me an opportunity to review the Allegro Pro.
Packaging and Accessories
Kiwi Ears has given the Allegro Pro a whole new package and presentation compared to the it’s predecessor, the Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini which came barebones in a white printed cardboard box. The graphics looked a lot more flashier and combined with the blueish colour which instantly grabs my attention. To make it more appealing, Kiwi Ears decided to place the outstretched spiky elements taken from their brand logo which I think was a clever move.
In front of the box, we have the illustration of the dongle itself alongside some marketing points and the Kiwi Ears branding. Similarly on the right side of the box displays the functionality of the Allegro Pro, meanwhile on the left side is located the specifications of the dongle. At the back side of the box, are printed the details about the company and there’s also a technical drawing/package drawing of the Allegro Pro.
Similarly to the Allegro Mini, the Pro version does not come with any accessories and only the dongle DAC/AMP itself sits snug inside the foam cutout. So far, I don’t find anything lacking about the presentation considering the price.
Design and Ergonomics
Keeping the same design principle as the previous model, the Allegro Pro still features the ultra-compact design which quickly grows into me. The Allegro Pro now is entirely made using metal compared to the Allegro Mini which uses plastic for the 4.4mm and 3.5mm jack housing, I don’t find it to be lousy or will break anytime soon but the all metal build does certainly appear to be much better in terms of durability and aesthetic value as well.
Comparatively side by side, the Allegro Pro is slightly longer than the Allegro which might be due to the new components inside of the dongle and a tad heavier too but only by a minimal difference. On the face of the dongle, Kiwi Ears has redesigned the notch which made pulling the dongle after use to be much easier compared to the older version. Though I personally don’t have much complaint on the Allegro Mini, nevertheless it was a nice upgraded feature on the Allegro Pro.
On the bottom of the dongle, there is a small button which allows you to scroll between the digital filters. According to Kiwi Ears, there are three colours representing different digital filter options which we’ll talk more about in the features and sound impression. Other than that, the button feels solid when pressed and does not feel mushy or stuck. Compared to the other dongles in the market, I love the shape of the Kiwi Ears Allegro series since it is just a solid piece of rectangular metal dongle which allows me to turn it into a 90° phone stand. I jest, although I myself regularly do it, it’s not recommended or you might bend your charging port.
Features
Despite the Kiwi Ears Allegro Pro is tiny in size, this dongle has come with a bunch of interesting features compared to the previous gen such as;
- One-click Nintendo Switch Compatibility
According to Kiwi Ears, it allows users to use the Allegro Pro through PnP (Plug and Play) without worrying about compatibility issues.
- Dual ES9603 operating amplifiers
The Allegro Pro now features two ES9603 amplifier modules which allows it to power from efficient, up till moderately demanding IEMs and headphones. Based on my testing, the Allegro Pro indeed boasts a much higher driveability when compared to the Allegro Mini. To give an idea, a single volume increase on the Allegro Pro was equivalent to three or four volume increase on the Allegro Mini.
- Digital filters
The button located under the Allegro Pro allows users to access three types of digital filters which are individually colour coded. Such as the Game Mode (blue), Music Mode (red) and Theater Mode (green) by pressing it repeatedly. Users could also turn the feature off by pressing the button till the indicator does not light up and the dongle will work in its normal state as I could confirm with one of the representatives from Kiwi Ears.
Specifications
- DAC Chip: Custom high-performance DAC
- Operational Amplifiers: 2 x ES9603
- THD+N: < 0.006% (@32 Ohms)
- Output Power (3.5mm): 68mW @ 32 Ohms (THD+N <1%)
- Output Power (4.4mm): 170mW @ 32 Ohms (THD+N <1%)
- SNR: ≥113dB (@32 Ohms, A-Weighted)
- Frequency Response: 20Hz – 40kHz
- Supported Formats: PCM (up to 32bit/384kHz), DSD (DSD128, DSD64)
- Indicator Lights:
- Blue: Game Mode
- Red: Music Mode
- Green: Theater Mode
- Input Interface: USB-C
- Output Interfaces: 3.5mm single-ended, 4.4mm balanced
Sound Evaluation
Sound evaluation was done by pairing the Kiwi Ears Allegro Pro with my reference in-ear, Audio Technica ATH-IM02. Alongside other IEMs to see whether there are possible sonic changes or effects caused by the source to my IEMs. Hence, resulting in a shorter narrative compared to my usual sound evaluation to other equipment. This is a purely subjective opinion, based on what I hear and experience as well as my bias.
Moving onto the sound evaluation, the Kiwi Ears Allegro Pro was very much a similar sounding device with its neutral with a slightly bright timbre and dry tone especially in the midrange. Although that being said, there are some noticeable changes and refinement when compared head to head with the Allegro Mini. I do have to note that, the Allegro Pro when plugged with a sensitive pair of IEMs such as my ATH-IM02
Based on my listening, the Allegro Pro now delivers a much flatter, cleaner and livelier presentation which focuses more towards delivering resolving sound compared to the Allegro Mini which was slightly more on the musical side. Bass was slightly more tighter, punches slightly harder but with shorter transients on the Allegro Pro. Midrange still slightly has that dry tonality similarly to its predecessor but the Allegro Pro somewhat accentuates the mids and upper-mids, bringing it forward with greater clarity by a noticeable difference. So when switching back and forth between the two, I always noticed that the Allegro Mini sounded a tad recessed compared to the Allegro Pro.
I also heard some difference in the treble region on the Allegro Pro, such as a crisper, livelier sound and slightly more treble presence in the top-end especially when paired with warmer IEMs such as the final B3. However, all that said the Allegro Pro does not accentuate any aspects of technicalities apart from resolution which is the main difference between the Allegro Mini. Hence, if you think the Allegro Mini was not resolving enough to highlight the small nuances and low-level details inside your music, then the Allegro Pro is the suitable replacement. Other than that, the Allegro Pro slightly reduces dynamic range which was quite noticeable to my ears especially on dynamic-driver IEMs.
The Allegro Pro as I mentioned came with three different filter settings such as the Game mode, Music mode and lastly Theater mode. To be completely honest, I could not hear any huge differences between each of the filter settings, if there was indeed any difference the sonic changes would be so small that only when listened in a totally quiet environment and having a pair of sensitive ears would justify it. For example, I could not hear any audible difference between Game mode and Music mode. However, when switched to Theater mode, I could hear my IEMs sounded slightly recessed in the upper-mids and slightly smooth in the treble but yet again, the changes are so subtle it wouldn’t make any night and day difference. That said, I prefer it turned off for most of the time.
Synergy Pairing
- Kiwi Ears Airoso
A good pairing although the Kiwi Ears Airoso was already a brighter yet still smooth version of the previous Kiwi Ears KE4. However, the addition of the Allegro Pro allows the bass on the Airoso to be much tighter and punches harder when compared to driven through the Allegro Mini. Vocals and upper-midrange harmonics are slightly brought forward with better resolution and clarity while still sounding quite natural. Treble became slightly a bit more crisper and lingers slightly slower through this pairing. I could not hear much of a difference or change from a technical aspect other than the Airoso gained just a tad more resolution.
- final B3
The previous Allegro Mini was a good pairing with my final B3, hence I thought the Allegro Pro would serve as an upgrade. Based on my listening, the Allegro Pro enhances the low-end quality from the B3, rumbles are much more present with the subtle textures are much defined. Other than that, the Allegro Pro does also bring more presence, clarity and resolution especially in the midrange and treble. However, there are some harshness I could hear in the upper-mids which can be quite intense to my ears. Additionally, the B3 lost a bit of its lushness in the lower-mids, so when combined with the accentuated upper-mid it created this dry and slightly coarse texture, which occasionally could be quite unbearable especially with vocal tracks.
- NiceHCK B80
So far I have been enjoying the smooth, lush sounding B80 and have been quite regularly getting some play time other than my IEMs. In short, the B80 was a great pairing with the Allegro Pro due to the resolving nature of the dongle, I could now hear much more details and resolution coming from the B80. Lower-mids sounded a tad less warm, however it remained forward, sweet and lush. Plus, I could hear much more clarity, especially when speaking of vocals and stringed instruments.
Comparison(s)
- MUSEHIFI M3 II
Overall, the M3 II was much more intimate sounding dongle and warmer in terms of timbre and tonality, hence it accentuates bass quantity in contrast to the Allegro Pro which has a brighter tonality. Additionally, M3 II appears to have warmer, thicker midrange however, slightly more recessed compared to the Allegro Pro. Trebles were also much more laid-back, less detailed and smoother when compared to the Allegro Pro. That said, in terms of resolution both dongles are very much equal and capable of delivering a clean presentation with very good clarity, however the Allegro Pro does have a higher noise floor when paired with much more sensitive IEMs.
- Venture Electronics Odo
Both have a pretty similar amount of amplification, perhaps slightly louder on the Allegro Pro. Nevertheless, the VE Odo was a much warmer, laid-back sounding dongle compared to the Allegro Pro. Low-end has more quantity especially in the mid-bass but not as clean and resolving as the Allegro Pro. Midrange sounded much more natural and organic on the Odo, vocals also sounded much thicker and richer on the Odo combined with the smoothness hence, the upper-mid does not feel as intense as in the Allegro Pro. Similarly, as with the other frequencies, the Odo does not accentuate treble unlike the Allegro Pro. It was much smoother and overall inoffensive, less resolving which does also translate to a slight loss in detail retrieval and a tad splashy in my opinion.
Purchasing Links and Where to Get?
- Kiwi Ears Official Website (non-affiliated)
Conclusion
To conclude, Kiwi Ears has done a great job with the Allegro Pro by upgrading the amp modules to a much more powerful dual ES9603 while still keeping the sound signature of the previous model. As it definitely allows the Allegro Pro to be able to provide more than sufficient amplification to power demanding IEMs, such as planar magnetic drivers which have become more common among the latest IEMs. The ultra-compact design not only allows the Allegro Pro to be highly transportable, but also unobtrusive when plugged to your portable devices likewise to its predecessor the Allegro Mini.
However, the Allegro Pro does not exist without its flaw as I mentioned that the digital filters do not bring any audible sonic difference among all three modes. In my opinion, Kiwi Ears might’ve been better opt for a bass enhancement implementation switch such as in iFi devices which they refer as XBass. Apart from that, the upgraded amp modules have also appeared to introduce an even higher noise floor when playing music. Hence, I wouldn’t recommend users to pair the Allegro Pro with sensitive IEMs. Nevertheless, I would still recommend the Kiwi Ears Allegro Pro if you’re looking for a powerful ultra-compact source. That delivers a neutral, clean and resolving source especially for efficient headphones and moderately demanding IEMs without burning a hole in your pocket. With that marks the end of my impressions of the Kiwi Ears Allegro Pro and I will see you in the next review!
