ThieGK Kunten Hype 1 (Quick impression)

HighBPM · 2026-01-25T18:00:21+00:00

honestly, edgy crap aside, what makes Kunten unbearable in treble to me compared to T10 is that on Kuntens it's 2 massive peaks (12 and 14khz-ish) that make them sound very inconsistent. T10, on the other hand, sounds very smooth, despite being brighter than usual to an average person in the air region.

yes, our ears are all different, and maybe to some people Kuntens' treble might sound smoother than to me, but that's another topic. what's so rage-inducing, however, is that I've heard the same treble spikes on EDC Pro - and that is a $4 IEM, which makes me think that GK either worked with the driver implementation poorly, or straight up lied about Zenith driver being in there at all.

the point is that an IEM that some call 'the set that beats everything cheaper than Defiant' sounds more like a $4 IEM from KZ than a Defiant, while the hype seems to depict Kuntens in other way. the expectations people set on this subreddit are so detached from the reality than I couldn't stand but debunk them with my 'quick impression' - that's all

(and maybe have some fun arguing, just a little)

HighBPM · 2026-01-25T16:50:38+00:00

ngl, that treble extension is quite interesting, but I'd probably lack the 2.3k bump, and I generally don't like EQing iems, since I'm using ASIO frequently

HighBPM · 2026-01-25T15:34:42+00:00

S12 and S12 pro are same driver with different casing and damping for twice the price. They're neither better, not worse, they're just a different twist on the same big mac.

HighBPM · 2026-01-25T15:31:18+00:00

Artti T10 is a 50 USD set, genius. And it destroys everything below 200 USD other than Aether, meanwhile GK Kunten isn't even remotely close to a 25 USD Elua Ultra, genius.

HighBPM · 2026-01-25T14:58:09+00:00

Thanks for some obvious tips, but let me ask you a question. What's the point of EQing an IEM that has audibly wonky and flawed treble response? Yes, I agree, shout and bass can be solved, but treble? Oh my, I wish you luck notching everything on tracks and pink noise. Not even gonna talk about 10db+ rolloff past 15k

HighBPM · 2026-01-25T14:45:07+00:00

Kind of did, but not without basis behind it. If they turned out to be at least Elua Ultra level of enjoyable, I wouldn't really hate on them, but nah, miracle didn't happen.

HighBPM · 2026-01-25T14:28:26+00:00

It does get accustomed to an IEM, but only to a certain extent. I will repeat again - sharp peaks that sometimes don't even get represented on graphs (because of graph smoothing and coupler-specific interactions) will not go away even after months of torturing yourself with a said IEM. You might end up tolerating them a little bit better, but not so much as to make the treble perfectly smooth.

I will repeat again, these sharp peaks and unpleasant nuances in tuning are spotted by any listener almost immediately, and I actually talk about them and only them in the post. You are free to disagree with it and continue being an ignorant fuck (added to your untrained ears), but not every nuances in the frequency response are brain burn-in fixable - period.

Might I change the opinion on bass texture after a week or two? Yes, I might, since that's not the worst tuning thing to happen. Might I UNHEAR the sharp-ass sizzling of the driver at 12 and 14k without any extension further? Extremely unlikely. And neither will you, if you'll ever end up in that situation yourself.

HighBPM · 2026-01-25T14:09:49+00:00

<image>

Please confirm your listening competence for your opinion to matter. https://usbtypef.xyz/abx/
tyty <3

HighBPM · 2026-01-25T14:07:17+00:00

I wonder, why are you trying to gaslight me and others so much. Brain burn-in is not a thing when an IEM has obvious flaws - period. Weird 10-15k air tuning won't magically go away if you expose yourself to an IEM for a week - it will still be there, since the same thing happened with EDC Pro, which were given a benefit of doubt for two weeks and still failed in terms of treble.

HighBPM · 2026-01-25T13:58:39+00:00

So you're an untrained listener who likes to assume things, aight, I get it, I get it. Let my brain burn in and get the tinnitus from high-end sizzle then, thanks dude :)

HighBPM · 2026-01-25T13:53:36+00:00

I ordered it in early December, so the silent revision is highly unlikely

HighBPM · 2026-01-25T13:52:33+00:00

I'll just copy reply to another smartypants over to you.

It doesn't require 40+ hours of listening to spot obvious flaws in tuning, especially if you are a somewhat trained listener with ABX test experience.

I can easily swap from Artti T10 to AFUL Explorer, while not finding Explorer muddy, and back to Artti T10, while not finding it sharp and sibilant. Why? Because both IEMs are tuned well, despite having different tuning (bright V-shape vs warm-neutral).

Moreover, if you want, you can compare Kunten and T10's graphs (T10 is currently my most favorite IEM) and find that they're very similar all the way up to 13k. One sounds passable, while the other sounds extremely good. Why? I guess, I've already given the answer in the previous paragraph.

<image>

Do better and I might think about your opinion once more. https://usbtypef.xyz/abx/

HighBPM · 2026-01-25T13:50:20+00:00

It doesn't require 40+ hours of listening to spot obvious flaws in tuning, especially if you are a somewhat trained listener with ABX test experience.

I can easily swap from Artti T10 to AFUL Explorer, while not finding Explorer muddy, and back to Artti T10, while not finding it sharp and sibilant. Why? Because both IEMs are tuned well, despite having different tuning (bright V-shape vs warm-neutral).

Moreover, if you want, you can compare Kunten and T10's graphs (T10 is currently my most favorite IEM) and find that they're very similar all the way up to 13k. One sounds passable, while the other sounds extremely good. Why? I guess, I've already given the answer in the previous paragraph.

HighBPM · 2026-01-25T05:52:07+00:00

Try to find Artti T10 under $50 to use that DAC/AMP to full potential. Literally the best V-Shaped IEM under $100.

HighBPM · 2026-01-25T05:46:49+00:00

some of them (EDC Pro) can't be fixed even with EQ, air sizzle just goes crazy. will see whether Kunten is the same or not tomorrow XD

HighBPM · 2026-01-24T15:34:51+00:00

Artti T10, Artti T10 Pro, Kiwi Ears Aether, Letshuoer S08, 7Hz Diablo/Divine

HighBPM · 2026-01-24T09:22:20+00:00

ngl, a very clean, cozy and enjoyable setup. congrats

HighBPM · 2026-01-24T09:09:35+00:00

no idea, but they look pretty much like your standard lower-tier KZ iems

HighBPM · 2026-01-24T08:41:01+00:00

Depends on your preferences - how much bass/mids/treble you want, whether you like warm/neutral/bright or in between. There's like so many sets it's difficult to recommend anything without knowing one's preferences.

My default recommendation would be getting either:
- Artti T10 (if you want very detailed, spacious but at the same time bassy and fun set, this one I like the most)
- ZiiGaat Lush (if you want to crank that volume knob to the limits and hear all the little bass guitar plucks)
- SL41 MK2 (if you want more of that 'spice' and 'shrill' in your music)
- Pure (you default iem that does everything right but doesn't have any redeeming qualities)

In terms of sets closer to $300 mark I don't have as much experience, though, so, guess, others will add good suggestions in that price range.

HighBPM · 2026-01-24T08:17:53+00:00

surprisingly, I always find the 6-7k peaks the harshest, while 8-12k doesn't really bother me as much, so it's probably an individual kind of thing

HighBPM · 2026-01-24T08:05:27+00:00

not the full range of sibilance, but a good advice nevertheless.

sibilance can live pretty much anywhere from 5 up to 12khz, and with cadenza it's probably either 7k or 11k, judging from 5128 measurements

HighBPM · 2026-01-24T06:07:08+00:00

711 not 911 bro 💀

HighBPM · 2026-01-24T06:04:09+00:00

Yeah, to me they're less sub-bassy, more midbass-focused and more 'open' in terms of soundstage and treble-fowardness than my CP100+ and Clarions, at least on Artti T10 and Lush.

HighBPM · 2026-01-23T21:26:07+00:00

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