Hello, I’m Alexander, and today we will talk about the brand-new Kefine Delci IEM. Kefine is a relatively new name in our hobby and Delci is the company’s second IEM. But the people behind the brand are veterans of our hobby.
Delci has a 10 mm dynamic driver with DLC+PU diaphragm, fully metal shells, and de-attachable cable. It comes in a medium-sized stylish black box with a sleeve and I must admit, this is one of the best presentations I’ve seen so far in this price bracket.
In the box:
- Kefine Delci In-Ear Monitors
- User manual & warranty card
- A nice carrying case
- De-attachable cable
- 7 pairs of silicone ear tips (one of which comes pre-installed)
- And a QC card
The impedance of Delci is 28 Ohms, and the sensitivity is 108 dB.
🛒Kefine Delci on Amazon
Design & build
The shells of Delci are made of two gunmetal gray parts glued together. The shells also have quite unusual shapes. A small platform protrudes on the faceplate and the Kefine logo is placed there. The IEM also has two pressure vents on the shell’s inner part, next to the channel indication.
The shell has a slightly longer and thick metal nozzle. There is also a beautiful mesh at its end. The nozzle diameter at the widest part is 6 mm. The 2-pin connectors are conveniently located on top of the IEM. While I like the build, the design of the shell is not my cup of tea.
Cable
The cable that comes with this IEM is good. It’s 1.2 meters long. It has metal connectors on both ends, an alloy splitter, and a chin slider. The cable is soft and is low in microphonics. There is a straight 3.5 mm connector on one end and two 0.78mm connectors on the other. While there is nothing fancy about this cable, I will still mention that it’s built better than many other stock cables I have experienced in this price bracket.
Fit & comfort
The IEM has quite an unusual shape, so finding a good seal and fit in my case was a bit challenging. Despite having a long nozzle, the fit is still shallow, so I had to go through different ear tips and even ear tip sizes to achieve a good seal. The stock ear tips worked for me, but in the end, I still ended up using Spinfit CP100+ which provided a better seal and a more comfortable fit in my case. While it’s not the most comfortable pair for me, the fit is still a subjective thing, so it can suit your ears just fine.
Kefine Delci sound impressions
Before we start talking about the sound, please note that all sound impressions in my reviews are completely subjective. You should take them with a grain of salt.
Delci has both low impedance and high sensitivity and you can drive it with ease with many portable sources. But surprisingly, this IEM loves additional power. I started my tests using the iPhone and Apple dongle and it had no problems driving Delci. But using it with a source that can output at least 50mW of power at 32 ohms can yield a better result.
Delci is a U-shaped IEM with a well-pronounced bass, warm lower midrange, recessed upper midrange, and a soft treble which results in a lush and laid-back presentation.
There is a lot of bass here, and it has got a good body and impact. The sub-bass is more dominant in this pair, and there is no clear separation between the sub-bass and the mid-bass. The bass is not bloated and has a good amount of details. EDM tracks sound like they should, and bass heads will be pleased too.
Due to bass bleed, the midrange is warm and also recessed a bit, so the instruments and vocals occasionally take a back seat. The timbre is accurate, and there is enough clarity and energy. The upper midrange is relaxed, linear, and never shouty. I also found the midrange very enjoyable and lush. However, I need to admit that sometimes the midrange feels distant. On the other hand, the upper midrange’s lack of energy can also be beneficial, especially if your music is not recorded very well.
The treble of Delci is soft and relaxed. It lacks a bit of air and sparkle for my personal preference, but such treble compliments the overall relaxed tuning of the IEM. The treble still reveals many details and nuances in the recordings and there are no harsh peaks here either. I would call the treble presentation veiled a bit, so if you are sensitive to treble, Delci can be a safe choice.
The soundstage is below average in width and not very deep. The imaging is good, and the separation of instruments is good too. The detail retrieval is average, but it corresponds to the price bracket. You can easily identify what instruments are playing in the background. The whole presentation feels very coherent and I think we don’t need to be very picky here.
Now a bit about comparisons.
In a highly competitive sub-100 USD bracket, there are a few single dynamic driver IEMs that have caught my attention in the past few years. These are the Dunu Titan S, Moondrop Aria 2, Tin T3 Plus, and Simgot EA500.
Compared to Titan S, Delci is more laid back with much more bass, a less fatiguing upper midrange, and a softer treble. Titan S on the other hand, is a more analytical IEM, though its spicy upper midrange might not suit everyone.
Compared to Moondrop Aria 2, Delci has more bass, a more linear midrange, and a more rounded upper midrange. In the treble department, both pairs are more or less in the same league, but I find the treble on Delci slightly more natural.
Compared to Tin T3 Plus, Delci has a pinch more bass, a more relaxed upper midrange, and a slightly more natural treble. I also liked the texture of the bass on Delci more.
Compared to Simgot EA500 with red filters, Delci has more bass and a more relaxed upper midrange. EA500 is a more lean-sounding IEM, yet it’s slightly more detailed than Delci. However, I still find the treble on EA500 slightly artificial.
While it boils down to personal preference, out of these five IEMs, Delci is the most rounded, coherent, and balanced one, especially if you love bass.
The comfort wise I still prefer Titan S and T3 Plus as they fit my ears much better. But your mileage may vary.
So what do I like about Delci?
- Warm and lush U-shaped sound signature
- Full-bodied bass response
- Relaxed upper midrange with no glare
- Good technical abilities for its price
- Good stock cable
- A nice storage case that can easily hold the IEMs, cable, and a portable dongle DAC/AMP
- And Delci has an excellent price-to-performance ratio
What I didn’t like?
- Stock ear tips are hard to put on
- The fit was still a bit shallow in my case
- And the treble lacks some air and sparkle for my personal preference
I’ve been using Delci for over two weeks as my go-to IEM for music, gaming, and office work and I’m quite impressed. It’s neither a detail-monster nor a king of the midrange. But Kefine did a great job tuning it and Delci is an IEM with a non-fatiguing and lush sound signature with lots of bass. Delci also doesn’t have an upper mid glare that some of its competition is infamous for and as a result, you get a well-tuned & priced IEM. That’s exactly why Delci is now on my list of the best IEMs under $100 that you can buy in 2024.
And that concludes my review for today. If you want to see more content like this, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you for joining me, and until next time, goodbye!
🛒Kefine Delci on Amazon
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