Antlion Audio Kimura Review

Antlion Audio prevailed with its fantastic microphone add-on that turned high-end headphones into a top-tier gaming headset, and now it’s aiming to do the same with in-ear monitors. However this time, in addition to creating a mic add-on, Antlion has produced its own set of in-ears with the aim of providing a complete in-ear headset solution. After spending two weeks gaming with them, here is my Antlion Audio Kimura review.

Solo vs. Duo

The Kimura comes in two flavors: the cheaper, red Solo unit, which has a single bass-forward dynamic driver; and the more premium, blue Duo, which has an additional balanced armature for treble clarity.

For those who just want the Kimura Microphone Cable to pair with existing IEMs, Antlion is indeed selling it separately, which is a pretty sweet deal. Antlion is best known for the ModMic that can be paired with almost any headphone and it’s staying true to that.

What’s inside the Kimura box?

The Kimura Solo and Duo share the same generous unboxing experience. Included in the box are the IEMs themselves, the Kimura Microphone Cable, four pairs of eartips (three silicone and one memory foam), one shirt clip, a Y adapter, a hard shell carrying case, and a manual.

Getting set up is as easy as plugging either the dual 3.5 mm jacks into separate headphone and mic ports for a PC setup, or utilizing the Y adapter for consoles like the PS5. 

IEMs for gaming

While I’m new to the world of using in-ear monitors for gaming, I have noticed the trend of more and more gamers turning to IEMs for competitive titles like Warzone 2, Valorant, Escape From Tarkov, and Apex Legends. Antlion has clearly spotted that trend, too, and is aiming to please in the gaming space.

How do the Kimura Solo and Duo hold up in games then? Pretty damn well, actually. Moving from open-back headphones and losing that soundstage was always going to be jarring, but I’m happy to report that both versions of the Kimura boast excellent directionality when it comes to locating enemy footsteps and gunfire. I didn’t feel like I was at a disadvantage as sound positioning was still perfectly accurate.

As for the quality of what I was hearing, both the Solo and Duo have controlled bass that doesn’t get too muddy. Cheaper in-ears can often turn bass into a compressed jumble of indecipherable rumbles, so I’m relieved that the Kimura units avoid this.

High frequencies are more pleasant on the Duo, though I wouldn’t necessarily say the enhancement is worth the additional cost. I found the Solos to work and sound perfectly fine for competitive games, but I suppose the Duos do offer that extra bit of sparkle for those happy to put down the extra dollars.

Antlion Audio Kimura Microphone Cable Test

But what about the microphone? Well, I’m happy to report that the Kimura microphone sounds solid, so long as the user controls their environment. You see, there is no noise cancellation working to cut out background noise, so users will have to either position themselves in an extremely quiet area or take advantage of the noise gates available in Discord, OBS, Nvidia Broadcast, or even some games like Modern Warfare 2.

For those that can put a lid on the background noise, the Kimura Microphone Cable is a great product that will no doubt come in handy for those looking to turn IEMs into a headset. I know a bunch of friends who will be looking into this for multiplayer gaming in VR.

Kimura Duo and Solo review samples provided by Antlion Audio.