Geek Wold GK3 Review: Carbon Fiber Goodness

Geek Wold (not to be confused with Geek World) is a brand-new audio company that exploded onto the social media scene a number of weeks ago. Their maiden product, the GK3, is a budget IEM featuring not one, not two, but three dynamic drivers. But can this fledgling brand compete with the already established Chi-Fi titans? Well, let’s find out.

The GK3 is on sale here, for $20.

About My Preferences: Heads up, I’m a person! As such, these words are my opinion, and they are tinged by my personal preferences. While I try to mitigate this as much as possible during my review process, I’d be lying if I said my biases are completely erased. So for you, my readers, keep this in mind:

• My ideal sound signature would be an extended sub-bass with a leveled, but textured, mid-bass.
• I have a mild treble sensitivity.

Source: The GK3 was powered like so:

HTC U11 -> USB-C adapter -> earphones

or

Hidizs AP100 3.5mm out -> FiiO A5 3.5mm out -> earphones

or

HiFiMAN SuperMini -> earphones

or

PC optical out -> HiFiMe SPDIF 9018 Sabre DAC 3.5mm out -> earphones

All music was served as MP3 @320Kbps or as FLAC. As per the manufacturer’s request, I burned the GK3 in for 50 hours. I did not notice any sonic changes after burn-in.

Tech Specs

• Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz
• Impedance: 8 ohms
• Sensitivity: 102 dB
• Cable: 1.2m

Sound Signature

Sonic Overview:

The GK3’s sound signature is warm and energetic. It isn’t concerned with “neutrality” or flatness. Its focus is fun. The midrange is recessed while the lower treble is somewhat emphasized. The upper treble sort of levels off with the lower treble, though it extends fairly far. The mid-bass is prominent and punchy with the sub-bass is slightly less emphasized than it is.

Treble: Songs used: In One Ear, Midnight City, Outlands, Satisfy, Little One, Show Me How To Live (Live at the Quart Festival)

The GK3’s treble is interesting. The lower-treble is fairly notable, imbuing the sound signature with a mild sense of clarity and relative precision. The upper-treble is present as well but doesn’t slope upwards in emphasis like many other traditionally-tuned IEMs would. This is a boon to those who appreciate treble but are sensitive to its emphasis. I found that the GK3 did a fair job of portraying cymbals and high-hats and didn’t struggle too much to resolve the main body of most treble-bound instrumentation. The GK3 also found a way to implement some respectable layering at this price-point given its more fun-centric sound-signature.

Midrange: Songs used: Flagpole Sitta, Jacked Up, I Am The Highway, Dreams, Too Close, Little Black Submarines, In One Ear

The GK3’s midrange recesses towards the 1KHz range but has more heft in the lower-midrange. This gives its overall sound signature a warm, inviting, and relaxing sound signature that’s sure to please listeners looking for a mellow presentation of their music on a budget. Given its price-point, I’m pretty impressed with the GK3’s ability to resolve texturing and layered instrumentation in the midrange. Vocal intelligibility is pretty respectable too. I was able to make out much of the background talking and subtle breathing in the vocals of In One Ear. I actually really enjoy male vocal tonality on the GK3. I was expecting a more messy presentation, but alas, Geek Wold knows their stuff.

Bass: Songs used: Moth, Gold Dust, In For The Kill (Skream Remix), War Pigs (Celldweller Remix)

The most impressive component of the GK3’s sound signature is, in my humble opinion, its bass. The GK3 never struggles to keep up with any of my songs. Even War Pigs, whose bass line is complex, texturally varied, and fast-paced.

The GK3 tows the line between being punchy and overbearing, hardly straying too far from an acceptable balance. It’s a level of restraint that many warmer IEMs at this price-point simply don’t have, and one that I am certainly grateful for.

Packaging / Unboxing

The GK3’s packaging is simple and compact. It gets the job done, no complaints here.

Build

Construction Quality

The GK3’s build is very solid. I wouldn’t have guessed it was a $20 IEM by touch and sight alone. It features an all-plastic shell with a carbon-fiber faceplate. On the carbon fiber, you can find a fine golden ‘geek wold’ logo. It is placed evenly on both the left and right side and there are no visible flaws in the finishing.

The nozzles of the GK3 are below-average in length and have a good lip that prevents any sort of eartip slipping.

Like the rest of the IEM, the GK3’s cable is robust. It features a simple chain-geometry and a tough plastic coating across each strand. The Y-splitter is built out of a thin and light metal and has “Geek Wold’ printed across it. As a very minor aesthetic nitpick, it’d be nice to see the same logo printed on carbon fiber also printed here instead of there just being plain text. The cable is terminated with a 3.5mm jack housed in a tough black plastic. It has plenty of stress relief and doesn’t look to be particularly susceptible to damage or wear.

Comfort

I found the GK3 to be plenty comfortable. In spite of its three dynamic drivers, it has a fairly slim profile and competent ergonomic design. I was able to comfortably wear it for extended periods of time. The ear-guides helped keep the GK3 stable and well-adhered to my head while walking, biking, and jogging.

Accessories

Inside the box you’ll find:

• 2x pairs extra silicone eartips

And honestly, for $20 I don’t expect much more. You already get some very good build-quality and sound characteristics, and that’s got to cost a good amount of money to implement.

Comparisons

1: RevoNext QT2 ($35)

The QT2 is a much more V-shaped IEM than the GK3. Where the GK3 has a warmer midrange, the QT2 has a colder, more neutral one. While the GK3 has phenomenal sub-bass performance and a well-fitted mid-bass, the QT2 has a softer sub-bass and fatter mid-bass. The QT2’s treble is energetic and emphasized while the GK3’s treble is comparatively flat.

2: KZ ZSR ($30)

Compared to the GK3, the ZSR is V-shaped and treble-heavy. It has a much more energetic upper-register and a quicker attack and decay due to its balanced armature driver. The GK3 is comparatively mellow and warm, with a harder and more balanced sub-bass to mid-bass ratio.

Summary

The GK3 is another well-priced option in the budget Chi-Fi arena. Its warm sound signature and solid construction give it a unique character, both in terms of sound and aesthetics. For $20, I can safely say that listeners looking for a no-nonsense, warm IEM will likely find the GK3 suitable for their tastes.

As always, happy listening!