Open Audio Alkaid 8 BA IEMs Review

Open Audio's Alkaid is an all-balanced-armature in-ear monitor with eight drivers on each side, which the page says come from Sonion and Knowles. The page lists it at $826.32 and shows a crossed-out $939 beside that price. The page text gives no impedance, sensitivity or frequency-range figure, so what it states includes the driver count, an OCC cable and a choice of 3.5mm, 2.5mm or 4.4mm termination that it says is made while purchasing.

Specifications

Options and pricing

The store lists one option, Alkaid, at $826.32, and the page shows a crossed-out price of $939 next to it; it was orderable when the page was read. The page text says the earphones are available with 3.5mm, 2.5mm or 4.4mm termination, chosen while purchasing, but the option list read for this review shows only the single Alkaid option, so the page text does not show where that choice is made. The page names a high-purity OCC cable and gives no cable length or connector type.

How it compares

The SeeAudio Neko 6BA IEMs are listed at $799.99 with six balanced armature drivers, against eight here at $826.32. The Moondrop Armature Art 12 is listed at $799.99 and its name gives 12 balanced armature drivers. The Colorfly Quintet costs $899.99 and mixes one dynamic driver with four armatures, per its name. The Alkaid suits buyers who want an eight-armature design with a 2.5mm option; the Neko and the Art 12 are both listed below the Alkaid's $826.32.

Shipping, returns and warranty

HiFiGO sells from hifigo.com and says every order leaves its warehouse in China, usually 1-3 business days after it is placed, and says its delivery times are estimates, not promises. Its shipping policy gives the United States 1-2 weeks (about 10 days on average) by Priority and 6-10 days by Premium, both with duties and taxes prepaid by the store; Canada 2-3 weeks; the United Kingdom 1-2 weeks; and Australia 10-15 days. Express couriers (DHL, UPS, FedEx) take 3-7 days, but then the buyer pays any duties and taxes. No shipping page names New Zealand, PO boxes are not accepted, and the free-shipping thresholds differ between the store's own pages, so check the cart. One of its two shipping pages adds that a lost parcel on an order above $50 gets only a 50% refund. A US buyer reported a $40 tariff charge in August 2025, after which HiFiGO said it had added a customs notice at checkout.

Read the return terms before you order. The homepage advertises 7-day returns. Both of HiFiGO's policy pages offer a 7-day dead-on-arrival cover (a replacement or a full refund, with the return postage refunded) and also describe 30-day returns, but a request made 7 to 30 days after delivery loses 30% of the MSRP as a restocking fee (10% more if the packaging is incomplete), plus shipping both ways and duties, and the FAQ on the same pages says there is no refund or exchange once 7 days have passed. One version recommends reselling an opened product locally. Custom IEMs and custom cables cannot be returned, no return address is published, and buyers describe sending items back to China.

HiFiGO's warranty runs one year from the order date for parts and labor; its policy names desktop DACs and amps, IEMs and dongles at one year and gives cables and adapters three months. HiFiGO decides between repair and replacement, the buyer pays the shipping, and faulty items go back for service, not for a refund. Claims go to [email protected], the only contact the store lists: its pages name no company, street address or phone, and its terms are governed by the laws of China.

On Trustpilot, HiFiGO had 4.6 out of 5 from 378 reviews when we checked on 2026-10-28 (91% five-star, 5% one-star), and it had replied to about 75% of negative reviews; Trustpilot notes the store has not invited customers to review recently. The one-star reviews mostly concern the short return window and the deductions on returns, items listed in stock that turned out back-ordered, slow email support and a tariff charge on a US delivery in 2025. HiFiGO says its products are genuine and come in the brands' retail packaging; it does not claim to be an authorized dealer.