Antlion Audio Kimura Duo

The manufacturer Antlion Audio is known for its innovative headset solutions such as the ModMic USB or ModMic5, which allow microphone-less boom systems to be retrofitted with a microphone boom. In addition, the “Kimura” product line, which has the Kimura microphone cable at its core, caters to the in-ear market.

If you already own good IEMs, then you can also convert them into headsets by purchasing just the microphone cable. There are two versions to choose from, either with MMCX or 2-pin connectors. In addition, the series includes two complete solutions, the Kimura Solo and the Kimura Duo, which are equipped with different transducers. The Solo uses one dynamic driver per side, while the Duo in-ear headset uses dual driver technology that combines a dynamic driver with a balanced-armature driver.

Comfort

The Kimura Duo’s IEM design nestles snugly in the ear and offers fairly good isolation properties. According to the manufacturer, the housings are handmade, cast from resin and neatly polished, allowing the inner workings to be seen. However, putting them in my ears was a bit tedious, as the cable routing behind the ear seemed rather stiff, and the remaining part was apt to get caught in the flexible microphone arm during the fitting process. A little patience and practice were required.

Kimura microphone cable

A special feature of the Kimura microphone cable is the separate connections for the receiver and microphone in the form of two 3.5mm jack plugs, which, according to the manufacturer, ensure low noise and minimal crosstalk. A 3.5mm Y adapter is also supplied for the usual headset connections (TRRS) on computers, laptops, game consoles or mobile devices.

At the other end of the microphone cable, which is two metres long and weighs 27 grams, microphonics effects are noticeable above the splitter in the direction of the IEM connections when it makes contact with the body contact. However, the cable noise can be reduced by using the clip that comes as part of the package. The MMCX connector allows a wide range of IEMs to be used, which is a very practical feature.

However, the Sennheiser IE 100 Pro is not compatible due to the different, longer plug connection, and this is also likely to be the case with the other in-ear monitors from that manufacturer.

Speech quality

The Kimura products use an omnidirectional electret condenser microphone, which, according to the manufacturer, covers a frequency range from 100 Hz to 10 kHz. A mute function has been omitted. In addition, you have to make some concessions for the complete system’s transport case as it is quite small, and this means that the microphone arm had to be bent out of shape to make it fit inside.

However, communication with the Kimura Duo headset was flawless, as the speech intelligibility was excellent. The presentation of your own voice was neither too soft nor too powerful but fell perfectly in between, sounding pleasant and not unnatural. Another advantage was that ambient noises were dampened. Loud background noise limited intelligibility, but at least communication remained possible. Ordinary noise levels hardly affected the quality of the conversation, and this also applied to wind, which was perceived by the person on the other end of the line as a slight whispering in the background.

Sound

The Kimura Duo headset had a very clear, uncluttered sound and, compared to the Kimura Solo, conveyed a much brighter, more open listening impression with a more spacious stage set deeper in the room. The rich bass reproduction could be described as quite spectacular, sounding richer and even more defined than with the other model, especially in the lower ranges. This ensured plenty of listening pleasure, both when listening to music and when playing action-packed games!

Although the midrange didn’t seem quite as present as the lower registers, it was presented very cleanly and expansively, leaving space between individual, well-separated signals. This creates excellent conditions for quickly and reliably locating sounds such as footsteps or gunshots. Even movements in the stereo panorama were comprehensible without difficulty. Furthermore, complex sound collages or arrangements were reproduced with appealing detail and did not seem cramped at all. Voices were also reproduced with a high degree of intelligibility.

A fresh sound impression full of verve was created by the upper-frequency range, and here, the treble reproduction neither fell off nor overshot the mark. There was no feat of harshness or sharpness, even at higher volume levels. Especially since sibilants appeared slightly rounded and were not obtrusive. All in all, this is a successful tuning without any noticeable weak points, even if the bass range appeared quite blaring, but this is something that might suit individual listening habits.