King Dream Chromatic Harmonica

Very nice instrument. New to using a chromatic harmonica. Find having the round holes in the mouthpiece a lot easier than the square ones. Good tones.

There were a lot of things that I could not do before I bought the King Dream Chromatic harmonica. Now there are a lot more. I’m enjoying my ‘voyage of discovery’.

The reviews listings here are meant to be for the Easttop KING DREAM harmonica but these reviews seem also to cover reviews of the Easttop FORERUNNER. They are in fact two quite different instruments so I am going to review each in turn. The King Dream is a 12 hole VALVED harmonica. This means that theoretically when you blow or draw a note, nearby notes are blocked by a strip or double strip of thin plastic. This makes the note you are playing less prone to leakage and therefore the note is easier to play, requiring less "wasted" breath. The King Dream is a good sounding instrument and is decently in tune, but like nearly all valved harmonicas some notes get "stuck" when the plastic valves do not lift due to excessive moisture. The King Dream is TWICE as expensive as the Easttop Forerunner because it has valves. I give the King Dream 4 stars, but if you are unlucky enough to get multiple stuck valves you will need patience in adjusting them, in which case this instrument maybe worth only 3 stars. But apart from any valve problems this instrument, though not quite up to semi-pro Hohner standards, is pretty good. The Easttop FORERUNNER is also a 12 hole chromatic harmonica but it does not have valves, which explains why it is half the price of the other instrument. However this is the only valveless harmonica I have tried that performs as though it did have valves. In other words there is almost no leakage even without the windsavers/valves closing and opening according to which note you play. It is just about the most leak-free valveless harmonica available at its very affordable price. But - and you might be more lucky in this regard, my iForerunner is quite badly out of tune on 3 notes: 1st Octave A (flat), 2nd Octave C (very sharp) and the next blown C (slightly flat). This means you have to constantly adjust your technique as you play, which is a pain. You can adjust tuning of each reed if you know what you are doing, either by playing differently, or shaving material from the reed, but nevertheless it is a pity that this particular instrument was not thoroughly checked by Easttop's quality control department before shipping. It is likely that other examples are perfectly in tune in which case I was unlucky. So in summary, the reviews in this section refer to 2 different instruments. Many of the reviews here clearly refer to the valveless Easttop Forerunner and others refer to the Easttop King dream WITH valves.

Nothing to dislike recommend

I like that I can get all notes when required, just takes more practise.

Good quality

I am a beginner. With no education in music. The only love I have is for the classical Indian music. I bought this instrument on an experimental basis. But my personal learning from the past is that never invest in a cheap equipment when you want to learn anything new. (In my case I want to limit my excuses if I am unsuccessful - and hence it allows me to give my 100%). Meaning, this is not the cheapest harmonicas out there, but if you can afford, this is a great harmonica to learn all tricks of the trade that you need to. Of course you further upgrade when you start playing at professional level. King dream feels great in hand. Looks very elegant. Very smooth in functioning. Sounds just perfect (see Caution 1 below). Caution 1: After using for a couple of weeks, the sound from 1-2 holes starting sounding unexpected. Upon research I found that this is normal with any harmonica, even the most expensive ones. You just need to take some precautions and at the same time keep maintaining it he harmonica yourself to keep it in right order. Caution 2: When searching for king dream on Amazon, I found a ‘duplicate’ version as well. Please be careful about not buying that instead.

Thanks

The harmonica came in bad condition. Looks used as there are dust and also no cleaning clothes

Review: I wasn’t sure what to expect at this price, but this harmonica really surprised me. From the moment I picked it up, it felt solid and well-made! The weight and finish give it that “quality instrument” vibe, and the sound backs it up. It’s genuinely fun to play. Notes come out clear and bright, with a nice warmth that makes even simple tunes sound good. The reeds respond quickly, so you don’t have to fight to get the sound you want. I’ve tried a few beginner harmonicas before, and this one feels like a step up in both craftsmanship and tone. Whether you’re just starting out or want something reliable to keep around, this harmonica delivers. Great sound, easy to play, and feels like a quality instrument in your hands. Highly recommend!

The King Dream harmonica is very easy to play because its light on the lungs. Its quick response slide action allows playing nuances of difficult songs too. A smooth mouth piece and good looks make it a very good buy. A professional level harmonica. If price could be brought down it will surely have more clientale. These days prices of harmonicas have been unreasonably escalated, in fact one could buy a motorcycle at the cost of some higher range harmonicas. So lets spread music in the world by giving musicians a good deal.