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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-23 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• KZ AS24 — biggest strength: twelve balanced armature drivers per side plus two tuning boards with eight levels of adjustment, so you can re-voice the low, mid, high and ultra-high bands yourself.
• KZ AS24 — biggest trade-off: all-BA designs live or die by fit and tip choice, and a 20-ohm load asks more of your source than a simple plug-and-play set.
• Linsoul Kiwi Ears Astral — biggest strength: a 10mm bioceramic dynamic driver handles sub-bass while custom balanced armatures cover mids and treble, giving a coherent hybrid sound with a 9dB sub-bass shelf.
• Linsoul Kiwi Ears Astral — biggest trade-off: it's a fixed tuning with no onboard adjustment, so if you don't like the signature you're changing tips or cables, not switches.
• For the tinkerer and stage player who wants control → KZ AS24.
• For the mixing engineer and accuracy-first listener who wants one honest tuning → Linsoul Kiwi Ears Astral.
The KZ AS24 is a pure balanced armature design, and it doesn't hide it: twelve BA units per ear, split across low, mid and high frequency groups with proper crossover work. The pitch is separation and detail — a smooth, ductile treble, a solid midrange, and bass that stays powerful without smearing into everything above it. In my opinion that's the classic all-BA character, and it's exactly what people chasing "audiophile" detail are usually after.
What makes it genuinely unusual is the tuning. There are two tuning boards, one in each ear, giving you eight levels of adjustment across four bands — ultra-high, high, medium and low. That's not a gimmick for a spec sheet; it means you can dial in more low end for commuting, flatten things out for critical listening, or lift the treble for acoustic material, all without buying a second pair. The trident reed design and the DLP 3D-printed one-piece shell are there to keep that tuning stable and the internal sound tubes accurate.
Linsoul Kiwi Ears Astral: Who It's For
The Astral takes the opposite approach: one carefully judged tuning, executed with a hybrid driver stack. A 10mm in-house bioceramic diaphragm dynamic driver handles the bottom end, with a 9dB sub-bass shelf that rolls off at 300Hz so the transition into the mids stays smooth rather than disjointed. Then custom midrange balanced armatures keep vocals and instruments tonally correct, with a 2.8kHz pinna compensation curve that's meant to mirror how the human ear actually perceives sound. A modified SWFK balanced armature tweeter covers the top, extending past 15kHz without harshness.
That combination is why I'd point mixing engineers and podcasters at it. The stated goal is faithful, studio-monitor-like reproduction, and the design backs that up — neutral mids, controlled bass, and a treble peak that's deliberate rather than splashy. If your job or hobby is hearing what's actually in the recording, a single well-tuned signature is often more useful than a switchable one, because you're not second-guessing which setting is "right."
Buy it if you record, mix, game or just want one set that sounds correct with everything. The 3D-printed resin shell with the black gold-sprinkled faceplate is built for long sessions, and at 23 ohms and 105dB sensitivity it's easy to drive from a phone or laptop. Skip it if you want to tweak the sound yourself — there are no tuning switches here, and noise control is listed as none, so isolation is down to fit.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for on-the-fly tuning → KZ AS24. Eight levels across four bands is unmatched here.
• Best for sub-bass depth → Linsoul Kiwi Ears Astral. A dedicated 10mm bioceramic dynamic driver with a 9dB sub-bass shelf beats what all-BA bass typically delivers.
• Best for detail and separation → KZ AS24. Twelve BA units per side with dedicated crossovers is built for layering.
• Best for stage and monitoring work → KZ AS24. Tune to the room, swap cables as needed.
• Best for mixing, mastering and podcasting → Linsoul Kiwi Ears Astral. One reference signature, no fiddling.
• Best for long listening sessions → Linsoul Kiwi Ears Astral. The resin shell and rounded fit are made for marathon sessions.
• Best for cable flexibility → KZ AS24. The detachable 2-pin system takes mic, Bluetooth or upgrade cables.
• Easiest to drive from a phone → Linsoul Kiwi Ears Astral. 105dB sensitivity and 23 ohms is friendlier than the tuning version's 20–50 ohms.
If I had to pick one for most audiophiles, I'd buy the Linsoul Kiwi Ears Astral. The hybrid driver setup, the 2.8kHz tuning target and the smooth sub-bass shelf give you a sound that's correct with almost any genre, and it's forgiving of whatever you plug it into. That said, if you're the type who wants to own the tuning rather than accept it, the KZ AS24 is the more interesting purchase — twelve BA drivers and eight adjustment levels is a lot of control for the money. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since both sit in the budget-to-mid IEM space where value shifts fast.
what is the best headphones for audiophiles
There's no single answer, but for a hybrid that prioritizes accuracy, I'd point to the Linsoul Kiwi Ears Astral. For detail and user-adjustable tuning, the KZ AS24 is my pick. Both are wired in-ear monitors with 3.5mm jacks.
what are the best headphones for audiophiles
Look at driver design first. The KZ AS24 uses twelve balanced armatures per side with two tuning boards, while the Astral uses a 1DD+6BA hybrid with a 10mm bioceramic dynamic driver. In my opinion the Astral suits purists and the AS24 suits tinkerers.
what are the best wireless headphones for audiophiles
Neither of these is wireless. The KZ AS24 is wired with a 3.5mm plug, though its detachable 2-pin connector lets you fit a Bluetooth cable. The Linsoul Kiwi Ears Astral is wired only, with no wireless option listed.
what are the best bluetooth headphones for audiophiles
If Bluetooth is a must, the KZ AS24 is the only one of the two that can get there, via a third-party Bluetooth cable on its 2-pin connector. The Astral requires a wired connection, so it isn't a Bluetooth pick at all.
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See also: Linsoul Kiwi Ears Cadenza vs Tonies Headphones, StreamEye Rode NTH-100 vs Linsoul Kiwi Ears Aether, BASN MMCX Triple Driver vs Linsoul Kiwi Ears Cadenza