There was a time when spending around $50 on a pair of in-ear monitors meant accepting some pretty obvious compromises. Maybe the bass was bloated, the highs were harsh, the cable felt disposable, or the whole thing simply looked and felt cheap. That isn't really the case anymore.

I've spent the past couple of weeks listening to the new Kiwi Ears Cadenza II, a $49.99 single-dynamic-driver IEM that sits firmly in budget territory but doesn't sound or feel particularly cheap. I've also been listening to the new Kiwi Ears x B_Media Chorus at the same time, which turned out to be a useful reference point because it costs just $39.99.

After switching between them repeatedly, the Cadenza II impressed me for a pretty simple reason: it sounds remarkably clean for $50. It's not perfect, and interestingly, it's not actually my favorite of the two. But that's more about my personal preference for a warmer sound than anything the Cadenza II does wrong.

A $50 IEM That Doesn't Feel Like One

The Cadenza II keeps things relatively simple internally. Kiwi Ears uses a single 10mm dynamic driver with a titanium-coated PET diaphragm along with its KARS 2.0 acoustic system.

Kiwi Ears says KARS 2.0 is designed to provide an 8dB sub-bass boost that cuts off at 200Hz, allowing the Cadenza II to produce meaningful low-frequency output without letting that energy bleed excessively into the rest of the frequency range. The IEM is rated at 18 ohms with a sensitivity of 106dB, so this isn't something that demands a big desktop headphone amplifier to get moving.

There's also a detachable 0.78mm two-pin cable, which I always appreciate on inexpensive IEMs. If you damage a cable, you aren't throwing away the entire set. Visually, these don't really scream "$50 earphones," either. The Cadenza II has a polycarbonate composite shell with a CNC-machined aluminum faceplate, and the overall presentation is considerably nicer than what I would have expected from budget IEMs not that many years ago. That's becoming a recurring theme with inexpensive audio gear: cheap doesn't necessarily look cheap anymore or even that it sounds cheap.

The Cadenza II's Strength Is Clarity

The thing I noticed most while actually listening wasn't huge bass or some artificially exaggerated soundstage. It was clarity.

The Cadenza II has a clean presentation, particularly through the upper frequencies. Vocals come through nicely, smaller details are relatively easy to pick out, and the highs have enough presence to make the sound feel lively without pushing the IEM into something I'd describe as overly analytical.

That's an important distinction. I've heard inexpensive headphones and IEMs attempt to create the impression of detail simply by throwing a bunch of energy into the upper frequencies. Sometimes that works for the first five minutes. Then you realize they're bright, thin and exhausting. I didn't get that impression from the Cadenza II.

There's still enough happening down low to keep music from sounding lifeless. The bass is controlled rather than absent, and Kiwi Ears' tuning gives the Cadenza II a pretty balanced overall presentation. But if you ask me what stands out about these after living with them, it's still those cleaner, clearer highs.

Comparing the Cadenza II With the Kiwi Ears Chorus

This is where things got interesting. I happened to be testing the Kiwi Ears x B_Media Chorus alongside the Cadenza II, and the Chorus costs about $10 less. It uses a single Diamond-Like Carbon dynamic driver and is deliberately tuned by Kiwi Ears and B_Media toward a warmer, more bass-forward presentation. Kiwi Ears specifies a 10dB sub-bass emphasis for the Chorus, versus the 8dB sub-bass tuning it describes for the Cadenza II's KARS 2.0 system.

And I could hear the difference. Switching to the Chorus gives me a little more low-end presence and an overall warmer presentation. Switching back to the Cadenza II cleans things up, particularly toward the top.

Neither one destroys the other. In fact, they're really close. I kept going back and forth expecting one of them to eventually establish itself as the obviously better IEM. That never happened. Instead, I became more convinced that these are simply two different interpretations of what a good inexpensive IEM should sound like.

The Chorus is the one I'd choose for warmth and a little extra low-end weight. The Cadenza II is the one I'd choose for clarity and cleaner highs.

And I Actually Prefer the Cheaper Chorus

Here's the funny part. After all that listening, I slightly prefer the $39.99 Chorus. That's not because I think it's technically superior to the Cadenza II. My preference comes down almost entirely to tuning. I generally like a slightly warmer sound. Give me a little more low-end presence without turning everything into a bass-heavy mess and I'm usually pretty happy. That's where the Chorus lands for me.

But someone else could listen to these exact same two IEMs and immediately choose the Cadenza II. If you tend to prioritize vocals, upper-frequency clarity and a cleaner overall presentation, I'd actually point you toward the Cadenza II instead. You're spending another $10, but you're not really buying a "better" IEM. You're buying a different flavor of a very similar level of performance, and at this price, I think that's a compliment to both of them.

Build Quality Is Another Cadenza II Strength

The Cadenza II also makes a good case for itself outside of sound quality. Its shell has a more substantial feel than I'd expect at $50, and the aluminum faceplate gives it enough visual personality without going completely overboard. Kiwi Ears also includes a 1.2-meter single-crystal copper detachable cable and six pairs of ear tips across three sizes. Interestingly, Kiwi Ears currently lists both a traditional 3.5mm version and a USB-C-with-microphone option, so you're not necessarily stuck using a dongle with a modern phone.

The Chorus is considerably lighter and has its own attractive metal faceplate, but there's something about the Cadenza II that feels a little more substantial. If I were choosing solely based on presentation and construction, I'd give the Cadenza II the advantage. Fortunately, that's not how I choose IEMs.

Budget IEMs Have Gotten Ridiculously Good

That's probably my biggest takeaway from reviewing the Cadenza II. We're talking about a $49.99 IEM with a titanium-coated dynamic driver, detachable cable, attractive construction and sound quality good enough that my biggest criticism basically comes down to "I personally like slightly more warmth."

That's not much of a criticism. There's always another level in audio. Spend more money and you can find better drivers, more sophisticated multi-driver arrangements, different materials and increasingly elaborate tuning. But the Cadenza II reinforces something I've been noticing across inexpensive audio products: the point of diminishing returns is moving downward. You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars just to get enjoyable sound anymore.

Final Thoughts

The Kiwi Ears Cadenza II is an easy IEM to recommend at $50. Its biggest strength is its clean presentation. The highs have impressive clarity for the money, the bass stays controlled, the build feels considerably nicer than its price suggests, and nothing about the experience immediately gives away that you're listening to an inexpensive IEM.