Kinera BD005 Pro

If you prefer a IEM with tight articulate bass and a emphasis on Vocals and highs this one's for you.

I paid for this IEM from Amazon a while ago and was benched for a good year while new ones came. I kept this arround to remind me what a bright IEM sounds like as a reference.

My preference is brighter IEM's that focus on clarity and stage and I am also a unapologetic bass head.

The DB005 Pro does not check all those boxes for me but there are people who will appreciate it.

I used it on the following sources- Hiby WU1 , Shanling UP5 and Hiby R6 2020, Geshelli AKM J2 DAC, Topping A90D and Loxji P20 amps.

Best pairing to bring out the best for me was the AKM DAC the warmer the better. A pure tube amp would excell here.

I used a 300 level filter on nozel but should have used a Olina level 500 to tame the highs. Pure copper cable and I prefer wide bore nozels for stage. I tried tip rolling with spin fit and KBEAR 07 and 08 tips as well as Final E.

Sound profile, and impressions:

On busy tracks bass gets muddy and loses its composure just can't keep up.
At high volumes gets shouty. I like bright but it's too much for me.
If it had bass to balance then that would change the tuning overall but alas it's too shy on that department.

On a rating of 1-10
Sub Bass Quality (5)
Sub Bass Quantity (4)
Mid Bass (4)
Mids / Vocals (8.5)
Highs (4)
Highs with 450 level filter to tame (7)
Staging (3)
Stereo Seperation (3)
Value - Subjective IMHO at current prices and competition at $50+ NOV 2022 (1)

If it was sold say at $15 this should appeal to some with its tuning and build quality who want clarity and non Bass head level bass.

Firstly I would like to thank HiFiGO for sending this sample for me to review.

*disclaimer: This sample was provided for the purpose of writing a review, no incentive was given to write a favourable review. All opinions expressed are my own subjective findings

Gear Used:
Pixel 3a / iBasso DX200 > BD005 Pro (Silicone tips)



Tech Specs:
3D Printed Earpieces
9.2mm Beryllium Diaphragm Dynamic Driver Unit
Custom tuned 30095 series high-frequency BA driver
2-Pin 0.78mm Connectors
Impedance: 26Ω
Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-20kHz
Sensitivity: 108±2dB
Termination Plug: 3.5mm

Packaging, Build Quality and Accessories

The BD005 Pro come in typical Kinera packaging, a nice quality hexagonal box with the model printed on the front and specifications on the back, open up the box and you’ll find the carry case held in a foam insert. The earphones are in the carry case, you also get a user manual and also a card with all of Kinera’s social channels for you to joining their community. These are nice little touches and add to the unboxing experience, especially for the price.

The BD005 Pro are very well built, the 3D printed housings feel really sturdy and the 2-pin sockets and detachable cable are all of great quality too. The cable is the normal black twisted variety with mic and controls for smartphone use, these are designed for portable use and are easily driven from a phone, there is good strain relief and the moulded earhooks are comfortable.

Accessory wise you get a basic clamshell carry case and 3 pairs of silicone tips (S/M/L) – this isn’t a lot to be honest and a few more tips would have been nice. For the price you can’t really complain, but Kinera do only include the essentials with these.

Comfort and Isolation

The BD005 Pro are well designed, the housings are smooth and comfortable in the ear once you settle on the right tips. The cable is soft and falls neatly behind your ears, all in all they are great for daily use and long listening sessions.

Isolation is also good, they are vented so don’t expect sealed BA model levels of isolation, but they block out more than enough outside noise for most daily usage.



Sound

Lows: Being a dual driver hybrid setup you have a single dynamic driver handling the lows/mids and a BA handling the treble, the beryllium driver of the BD005 Pro is very clean and controlled though, whilst still having that dynamic driver tactility. The low end hits with good impact, and digs deep when called for, but it is very articulate and responsive never becoming bloated. The BD005 Pro are tuned to sound quite flat, with some EQ you could easily bring out a little more impact and presence, but I find this tuning to be really enjoyable and it works well with multiple genres. The lows don’t bleed in to the midrange, there is a slight sub-bass lift in the BD005 Pro which adds to the overall sound providing some body and rumble in a subtle way.

Midrange: Due to the lows not bleeding into the midrange, male vocals cut through with excellent presence and clarity, really impressive in this price range. Vocals could perhaps have a tiny bit more warmth to sound a little more natural, but they are not thin or too clinical luckily, there is also really good layering in the midrange which helps with the separation and sense of space. There is a tiny hint of sibilance in the upper midrange, but it isn’t problematic to my ears the lack of excessive warmth is good when it comes to more aggressive music as guitars have the power and edge to cut through the mix without being drowned out. If you enjoy a clean midrange these could be a great option in this price range.

Treble: The single BA driver does a great job up top, these are only $50 so taking that in to account they have a very complete and clean sound for the price. The treble isn’t the most refined, it does sometimes sound a little splashy, but it extends well and the presence is great. There is great energy in the lower treble without becoming too hot for my tastes, you don’t miss out on things in the upper region which is good. These are not dull, but they don’t have an exaggerated sound in any part of the spectrum, which means they are energetic but not too in-your-face.

Soundstaging and Instrument Separation

The BD005 Pro have an above average soundstage for the price, due to the controlled sound they have great air and space whilst still having good intimacy when called for. The soundstage is wider than it is tall, but overall it’s very good.

Separation is a strong point, you can clearly hear every bit of the mix even when it gets complex, Kinera have done a really good job at making these clean, transparent yet also engaging and easy to listen to.



Conclusion

If you are in the market for a cheap but well balanced model with a clean and crisp midrange the BD005 Pro should definitely be on your radar – for $50 they offer up a lot of control and detail for the price. These are not bass heavy, nor are they thin or bright sounding, they have an engaging but nicely balanced sound that is quite unusual at their price point.

Sound Perfection Rating: 7/10 (clean and crisp sound with great build quality and comfort)

Disclaimer : This review is part of the Hifigo Review Tour (https://hifigo.com/)https://hifigo.com/ of the Kinera BD005 Pro. The opinions provided are mine only and have not been influenced in any way

Kinera is a fairly well known brand with good iems (Odin, Norn etc). The BD005 Pro is a budget hybrid iem with 1 DD (Berylium) and a Knowles BA driver.

Package and Build : The Review unit came in a iem case with a set of 3 sized wide bore tips. The shell is acrylic, with a medium-large nozzle. It feels well built and fairly light. So comfort is very good with it. The cable is a stock 3.5 terminated twisted cable with a 2 pin termination into the iem. It can be switched with other aftermarket cables comfortably.

I switched to sony tips for getting the fit right, as well as to tame a little bit of the mid-treble brightness. The iems have excellent sound isolation, helped by a good fit

Sound

While the standard approach to the sound review is through separation of components, I will take a different approach while describing ceratain reference tracks that I use.

Out of the box, the sound stage is wide. Excellent instrument imaging and separation at this pricepoint is a very good positive about the iem. Orchestral pieces sound full. My reference track here is the Danish Orchestra's rendition of the Good Bad and Ugly title track. The instruments felt real and could be identified and layered very well with the iem.

The vocals department has a bit of nitpicks. For the most cases, vocals are nicely forward. However, for certain male vocals, the upper mids do get a bit shouty and harsh. This is also consistent with trumpets getting ahead of others in terms of energy. This is a potential tuning point.

Stringed instruments felt real, very fast decay and impact. The sound does feel cohesive and real, and are not just a bunch of instruments.

Comfortably Numb, Live in Pompei, felt like listening from the stadium. Very nice presence of space. Gilmour's rasping can be heard slightly left of centre, while the instruments and the chorus is in the background. When the electric main guitar rolls in, it is present and slight harsh. Rest of the track is enjoyable, nonetheless.

Closer - Kerala Dust is a track I use to review bass, bass extension and low end speed. The maracas in the start of the track feel real. The background flare is nice. Once the bass section starts off, the beats come on very nicely, without bleeding. The subbass is light, surprising for a 9mm Be driver. The decay feels more like BA. The vocals are clear and well present. There is a slight treble brighness coming through.
However, when I run it through the Corda Quickstep, this is something else altogether. The subbass is more present. The harshness is mostly gone, as I suspected. Amp it folks!

For speed test, I use the Janine Jansen's Vivaldi : Four Seasons as the test album, with 1. Primavera Allegro and L'estate Presto as the test tracks. The instrument attack and decay is very coherent and feels real. The speed is excellent with even the busy sections of both tracks well separated. They are able to present through the details without muddying the instruments. These do justice to well recorded orchestral peices. Some of the high sections do have a little bit of a harshness, especially at the ending of the Presto. Overall, well done indeed.

Conclusion : These are very nice for the pricepoint. I would like to tune the mids and treble a bit to take out some of the harshness. Otherwise, this is an easy buy recommendation. If the harshness is tuned out by the way of amping, this can be 4 or 4.25 rating.

Kinera BD005 pro is an entry level by a Chinese company YuTai . YuTai Electronic Acoustics – has been in the business for more than 10 years now. Based in Dongguan, China, they’ve been designing and supplying drivers for various brands.

The earpieces are lightweight and stylish, made up of 3D printed resin. The glossy faceplate has its brand name Kinera inscribed on it in gold. The faceplate also has gold flakes all over it giving a starry look. The overall design is pretty decent and nice looking fir IEM this range. It is paired a quad Core silver plated wire with 3.5mm jack and a microphone, which is such a pleasant surprise.



Highs:
The treble response is purely relaxing in Kinera. The resolution of highs is good as per price. The high although lack sparkle and those who do not prefer listening to ultra-high frequencies this is the best pair of earpieces. It’s more of a non-fatiguing earpiece. The highs never get sibilant irrespective of which kind of music is played on it.

Mids:
Kinera has neutral sounding Mids. Its V-shaped sound signature emphasizes on bass rather than Mids. Female vocals are natural sounding and transparent. One can find good detailing in Mid range frequencies. Overall, Mids are good enough for fun listening.

Lows:
Kinera's has a surprisingly well defined bass for an IEM this range. Though these are not particularly meant for bassheads but Midbass range has sufficient punch and richness. Recreation of drums is particularly exquisite without sounding too harsh. The sub-bass is not at all muddy and very impactful.

Technicalities:
This has good detailing for an IEM this price. Soundstage and imaging are decent. Soundstage is more in width than in depth. All the aspects are so much in coherence that it feels a liquidly smooth IEM to listen to after a hectic day of work.



Final Verdict:
Kinera is definitely an IEM for a beginner audiophile who wants to enjoy the magic of a single BA driver. But even if one is not a beginner audiophile and after a busy day just wants to relax then as per me this is the perfect IEM; all you need is to plug in this and have a nice Binaural recordings and just enjoy the sweet mid-range with decent imaging and depth. So, in a nutshell If you are looking for sound signature that sooth your mind instead of exciting it, this would be the way to go.

As always, this review is also available in Spanish on my blog and on YouTube, visit achoreviews.com to see it.



The Kinera BD005 Pro have been sent to by HifiGo in exchange for this review. They have not requested anything specific, except for the inclusion of links to their store and the product, however, as always, it is good to be aware of the fact that I have received these IEMs for free.

You can see the links to the BD005 Pro via HifiGo by visiting the version of this review published on my blog or on YouTube.

Intro…

Kinera are a brand that have become well known in the IEM market and have released some very good looking, and well performing, IEMs. The BD005 Pro was released earlier this year and is a budget offering from the brand, coming in at just over 40€ (from HifiGo at the time of writing this review), they are placed well within the sub 50€ category that I like to mention on Acho Reviews.

With a hybrid set up, stated as using a 9.2mm Beryllium Diaphragm Dynamic Driver along with a custom tuned Knowles 30095 series high-frequency BA driver, this is actually my first experience with Kinera and I was interested to see how they fair not only in general but also against some of my favourite sub 50€ sets.



Presentation…

The first break from the norm is the box in which the BD005 Pro arrives. Although it is simple cardboard packaging, the box is hexagonal and stands out from the usual square or rectangular boxes that I am used to receiving with IEMs in this price range. Obviously this doesn’t make them any better (or worse), but it does make them stand out.

Inside the box we receive the IEMs, a cable with an inline microphone (at least in the case of the ones I have received), three sets of silicone tips and a round carrying case (along with the usual documentation).

Again, there is nothing extraordinary about the presentation but they do include enough content to be adequate at their price range.

If I had to complain about the contents, which is not obligatory but I will anyway, it would be about the included tips. The tips are also a break from the norm, being very short and small. I was very curious to see how this shape of tip reacted but unfortunately all the sizes are too small for me to get a correct seal, therefore I have had to use other tips.



Build an aesthetics…

The BD005 Pro uses a 3D printed shell which, in my case, is dark red with gold speckles under the finish, along with Kinera in gold letters. The finish is very smooth and follows a shape that I find to be very comfortable, once they are in I do not feel any discomfort.

I see no apparent flaws in build quality and in general have no complaints about the build or aesthetics. Obviously beauty is in the eye of the beholder but I like the looks and feel that they do not look cheap.

The included cable is also surprisingly good for a cable with inline microphone. To be honest, I don’t receive many IEMs with inline mics and most of the cables that do have them are from KZ. I much prefer the Kinera cable to those included with the KZ models and am happy to have a spare cable with a mic (I always like to keep a spare IEM cable with mic in my bag just in case).



Sound…

As I couldn’t use the included tips, I played around with various options to see which I preferred as far as comfort and sound. To be honest, while there are obvious sound differences, as with all tip changes on IEMs, I didn’t find them to be extreme changes. In the end, I opted for using the Xelastec tips which I find very comfortable and believe they also gave that little extra % to the Kinera’s.

My first impressions of the BD005 Pro was that it was a very safe V shaped tuning, however, after further listening and tests, I find that it is not quite as V shaped as I first thought. Yes, there is the typical recess in the mids in comparison to the lows and highs, but I feel that the lows are not quite as boosted as on many other sets.

I also found that these IEMs benefit from some extra amplification. While the volume they reach from a cell phone or the MW200 is sufficient, I did find that plugging them into the Atom made them seem more alive and background details became more apparent. It’s not like they completely changed but I found that amplification was certainly worth it.

In the subbass regions, I found that there was some roll off when stretching down to the lowest notes, although nothing too bad. Using the track “Chameleon” as a reference, yes there is subass down there but it is not quite as rumbling as it is on so many bass boosted sets. This is not a bad thing in my opinion as the BD005 Pro doesn’t let the subbass take over the whole low end, something that I do not like on many V shaped offerings.

In the mid and high bass regions, there is more presence but it is kept pretty well under control. Bass hits are good and well controlled, although I do feel that some tracks lack a little more power when short and precise bass hits happen. It is by no means bad, and I much prefer it to lack a little power rather than be sloppy and uncontrolled, but when listening to tracks like “No Sanctuary Here” by Marian Herzog feat Chris Jones, you don’t quite feel the hits like you do on some of the other sets I will mention later in the review. The same sensation comes across in “Bury a Friend” but when moving to tracks that use bass guitars instead of electronic bass, the tonality is pleasant and I prefer to have correct tonality over extra slam due to my preferences in music.

In the lower mid range, the transition from the bass is also something I found to be cleaner when using amplification, although this could just be in my brain (as could everything). The transition is clean enough to not feel bloated or as if the bass bleeds over. When listening to tracks such as “The Room” by Ostura, there is enough separation between the drums, bass and guitar in order to appreciate the distinct instruments. The lower mids are actually quite clean and well presented.

In fact, the whole of the midrange is slightly recessed but it is not absent at all. Even though there is a dip in the mids, voices are still present and have a nice touch to them. The midrange is actually very clean, throughout the whole of the mids, and although it does come across as slightly sterile at times, it really isn’t anything to complain about.

Moving up into the higher regions, this is where I usually find fault with IEMs in this price range and unfortunately the BD005 Pro is no exception. It is certainly not the worst, it is far superior to some other treble offerings in its price bracket, but I just find the treble to be a little too boosted, with some harshness and sibilance appearing at times that can be uncomfortable. It is as though this IEM was tuned to be a very V shaped set and then the bass region was reduced but the treble was left as is. This results in a lot of the music that I listen to, simple acoustic and vocals without much bass boost, comes across as a little harsh and anemic.

This is especially the case with songs like “Tears In Heaven” by Eric Clapton or “Sugar (Acoustic)” by Francesco Yates, songs that are basically an acoustic guitar and a voice. In fact, a good demonstration of what I am referring to would be using the track “When The Party’s Over” by Billie Eilish. The first half of the song is basically her voice with very little backing it, this part comes across as harsh, yet when the bass kicks in around 1:57, as the track has such exaggerated bass, it sort of balances the sound out and takes the focus away from that harsh high region. It is not that it disappears, just that you are not as focused on it.

Sibilance can be an issue with these, as I just mentioned. They are not very forgiving in these ranges and tracks like my usual test of “Code Cool” can certainly get a little hot.

Speed and dynamics are actually quite impressive, for an IEM in this price range. The dynamic driver does a good job of keeping up with fast paced music. In fact, the dynamic driver does a very good job in general. The BA is also quite capable, but that is to be expected from a BA, it should be able to keep up with the busy stuff.

As far as soundstage and presentation, well, it’s another IEM in the budget range. It is around average in my opinion. I did get the impression that the sound stage improved with amplification but I believe that it was actually the fact that background details were more present, giving the sensation of a bigger presentation and space. The location and placement of images is decent enough, making songs like “Bubbles” be interesting but they are not presented in a way that wows me.



Comparisons…

I don’t usually include specific comparisons in my reviews as I follow the same procedures throughout all of my reviews so it is easy to check the review of another item to see what I feel about the same part of a different product.

However, it has been a while since I did the “Best Purchases Under 50€” and, although I am not going to do any kind of list, I think it is interesting to view the BD005 Pro against some of my preferred budget sets that have been around for a while now. This involved pulling out some IEMs that I haven’t actually listened to in quite some time.

For the sake of making this comparison quick and easy, I used the same cable on all of the IEMs (except the Tin T2+, which I used the same make and model of cable but with MMCX connectors). I also used the same Xelastec tips for all of them, which I find very comfortable and work well with all of the IEMs listed. I also used FLAC files, played from Foobar, via the Schiit Modi 3 into a JDS Labs Atom amplifier. Therefore, the only differences were the IEMs themselves.

As far as music, to keep it short and clean, I picked 8 tracks from my usual test list, trying to cover various genres. The tracks were:

Brian Bromberg - Elephants on Ice Skates

Sara K. - All Your Love (Turned to Passion)

Alison Krauss - Down to the River to Pray

2Pac - Ambitionz Az A Ridah

Rage Against The Machine - Bombtrack

Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra - La Luna (Binaural)

Marian Herzog feat. Chris Jones - No Sanctuary Here

Trentemoller - Chameleon



KZ ZS10 Pro

The first comparison was with a set of IEMs that I haven’t listened to in a very long time, he KZ ZS10 Pro. While these have been around a long time, they are still mentioned a lot and were actually my main IEMs for live band monitoring for a year or so, with a lot of music listening in between. You can find my original review of them here.

My first listen brought back memories of why I liked and disliked the ZS10 Pro. The details are very good, better than the BD005 Pro in my opinion, but they need a little EQ to sound “correct” when listening to music, something that I did not do in this case. They also have that slight metallic touch to the high end, something that KZ has reduced a lot over the years and the Kinera does not seem to suffer from.

The subbass is more present and boosted on the ZS10 Pro than the BD005 Pro, resulting in much more rumble when listening to “Chameleon”, however, when listening to other tracks that are more acoustical in nature, or even "Bombtrack", I find the ZS10 Pro to be harsher, with the BD005 Pro being more relaxed and a more enjoyable listening experience in my opinion.

If you want detail, then I think that the ZS10 Pro is certainly above the Kinera option but for a more relaxed listen, I would choose the BD005 Pro. The Kinera also need more power to reach the same volume levels and come alive, whereas the ZS10 Pro give a similar response even at really low levels.



Moondrop SSP

While I didn’t go crazy about these IEMs in my review, which you can see here, I did say that they were good and were sort of a guilty pleasure IEM. Over time, this feeling has grown. I find the SSP to be a set of IEMs that has more bass than I would usually choose but that I always enjoy listening to when I am in that mood.

I actually listened to the SSP quite often for some time and they were something I usually kept in my bag as a backup set of IEMs until not too long ago. In comparison to the BD005 Pro, the first thing that stands out is that the SSP need even more power than the Kinera do.

As far as sound, I was surprised to find that I really didn’t find them more bassy than the BD005 Pro. In fact, I found the Kinera to have more of a bass hit and more rumble than the SSP. As far as the rest of the sound, I really like the Moondrop tuning (as you have probably noticed in my other reviews) and the SSP is no exception. I do feel that the BD005 Pro has the edge in the treble, even though it is harsher and can present sibilance, it does have more extension and gives a better sensation of “air” than the SSP.



KZ DQ6

These are a set of IEMs that were a break from the norm for KZ and I found rather impressive, even if they still had flaws, my original review can be found here. The comparison here is between the 3xDD of the DQ6 vs a 1xDD+1xBA of the Kinera.

I forgot to drop the volume level when switching from the BD005 Pro to the DQ6 and it immediately reminded me of how much more efficient these are! I also immediately remembered what I like about these IEMs.

They have better extension in the subbass regions and the bass and mids are also very pleasing to me, especially their tonality. Where the DQ6 fails, or at least is not up to my preferences, is in the treble regions, just like the BD005 Pro. Both sets can be a little hot and sibilant, causing moments of displeasure. I remember that I had to play around with multiple tips on the DQ6 to reduce the sibilance and I guess that the Xelastec were not one of those sets. The extension is again better on the Kinera in the higher regions, with the DQ6 falling a little behind, although the harshness and sibilance is a toss up between the two.

One thing to point out is that when a track is overly bassy in its recording, the DQ6 can get quite overpowering, with a bit too much bass and harsh highs, meaning that for tracks with a V shaped recording, the Kinera do keep them a little more under control (even with the harsh highs).



Tin T2+

The Tin T2+ have been a recommendation of mine in the sub 50€ category since I first tried them, you can see the review here. I find them to be a set of IEMs that adapt very well to different genres, having tons of bass when needed but not seemingly over bassy when the song doesn’t call for it.

As far as the general tuning, I think that the T2+ is still more impressive than the BD005 Pro but I think that the overall tonality, especially in the mids and higher bass regions is much more agreeable on the Kineras.

The T2+ can be much more “in your face” than the BD005 Pro but at the same time, I do find the highs to be smoother. They still have their moments of sibilance and are certainly not perfect but I find them more detailed and more impressive than the BD005 Pro. If you are just wanting a relaxing listen, then the latter are maybe a better bet.



KZ ZAX

Ok, the last set of IEMs are ones that were not inside the sub 50€ range when I reviewed them here but can now be found regularly inside the bracket. I said that the ZAX are the best KZ headphones that I have heard to date and, seeing that I haven’t heard the latest releases, I still maintain that opinion.

The first thing that stands out with the ZAX after listening to the BD005 Pro is the space and openness in comparison. I remember feeling that these were above average in this regard and my opinion has not changed. Listening to “La Luna (Binaural)”, the difference in space is very noticeable between the two models.

Bass I find to be similar between the sets, with the ZAX taking a small step forwards in subbass, with the mids probably falling towards the BD005 Pro as the ZAX can give a sensation of recessed vocals at times, something that I haven’t really noticed with the Kinera. Up in the treble areas, the ZAX is certainly not as harsh as the BD005 Pro, even if it can present some sibilance at times, feeling more balanced.



Conclusion…

This has actually turned into a longer review than I planned but revisiting the sub 50€ IEMs mentioned above has been fun as I don’t always spend much time with them. When I am not spending time with whatever I am in the process of reviewing, I usually opt for using my favourite stuff and don’t spend enough time revisiting previously reviewed items. So really, regardless of what I think of the BD005 Pro, it has been a fun review.

Which leads me to... what do I actually think of the BD005 Pro?

Well, they are certainly not a bad set of IEMs but they are also nothing groundbreaking. I like the looks, the build, the cables, I am also a fan of the tonality and in general of everything from the mid bass through to the high mids, however, I feel that the harshness of the treble and the lack of detail are what really let these IEMs down.

Again, these are not terrible IEMs, they do a lot of things right, it is just that there is a lot of competition in these price ranges lately and it takes something very special to stand out. I think that maybe the BA driver is the weakest link in these IEMs and it is a shame because everything else seems to click together nicely.


www.achoreviews.com

Disclaimer:

The Kinera BD005 Pro has been sent to me by Hifigo as a part of a review circle. I am not working or affiliated to Hifigo and I am not being paid or influenced otherwise to say anything positive or negative about this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Note: Please note that my opinions and ratings are based on price, category, market competition and personal expectations and are subjective in nature.

The Kinera Bd005 pro was priced at 49 USD but is currently available at 45 USD.


Build Quality and comfort

The Bd005 Pro has a good build quality. The hand-crafted 3D printed shells are well built and looks beautiful. The IEM fits well and are not heavy, long listening sessions does not cause any stress on the ears. Bd005pro features a dual driver hybrid setup – 9.2mm beryllium diaphragm dynamic driver paired with custom tuned 30095 series high-frequency BA driver.
The cable is a 2pin 0.78mm high quality 4 core silver plated with 3.5mm termination plug. It is flexible and no microphonics were observed. It also come with a round basic carry case with Kinera logo on it.

Score: 4.5/5

Sources Used

Cayin N6ii (A01) via 3.5mm phone out
Cayin N6ii (A01) Line Out to Pico Power

Sound

The bass has good body, is punchy and has good amount of details. The bass has good quantity to satisfy bass heads but what is interesting is the quality of the bass for the price of the IEM. It is thick and impactful. Bass bleed is noticeable, but I was not really concerned.

Mids are recessed and has decent amount of detail retrieval. Vocals aren’t into our face. There’s a bit of congestion in the mids when the track gets busy.

Highs have decent extension, good amount of details and airiness, atleast for the price, they are pretty good. Some peaks are noticed and can be a point of concern if the source is bright.

Soundstage is fairly decent too, presentation is mostly in the head. Imaging is good and instruments can be positioned in most scenarios, although the music tends to play within the head and the space feels like a mid-sized room.

Conclusion:

Kinera’s BD005 Pro is a beautiful looking iem, that is well made and comes with fairly good accessories for the price. The tonality is fun and unoffensive, has a nice laid back V shaped signature. The looks are enough to justify the price but that’s not just about it, the sound is equally good to be a really good contender in this price range of sub-100$.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

INTRODUCTION:

Kinera has been a big game player in the chi-fi earphone market since 2011 and developed a variety of high end audiophile grade earphones. They have many patents for their custom tuned driver units in the earphone market. In the budget segment they have quite a few earphones like Seed, SIF, BD005, TYR and the latest BD005 Pro which is the successor to their BD005. Now the BD005 Pro is equipped with a hybrid driver system involving the 9.2mm beryllium dynamic driver and their custom tuned BA to deliver the sound. In this review let’s check out whether the BD005 Pro lives up to the name of Beryllium since they mostly sound nicer.



DISCLAIMER:

This unit is given to me as a part of a review tour conducted by the Hifigo Team. I have not been influenced by anyone to manipulate the review in any means and this review is fully based on my opinion and usage pattern. It may vary from person to person and depends upon the source you use.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Driver: 9.2mm Beryllium Diaphragm Dynamic Driver Unit and Custom Tuned 30095 series high frequency BA Driver.

2 pin 0.78mm connectors

Impedance: 26 ohms

Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20 KHz

Sensitivity: 108dB

Termination Plug: 3.5mm

3D Printed Earpieces

DESIGN AND FIT:

The earpieces are designed beautifully by providing them with 3D Printing. The faceplates are hand crafted and are meticulously designed. The faceplate has branding on it which is gold lettered and glitters of gold are spilled over the faceplate. The whole earphone is resin made and feels sturdy in the hand. The overall build quality is nice and the heft of the product gives nice premium feel in the hand.



The 2 pin connector area is nicely flushed along with the body of the earpiece. There is a single pressure vent in the back side of the earpiece.. The nozzle is not very long but due to the custom shaped design the fit is really comfortable and exceptional. They isolate very well but here is the thing, including tips are really horrible. Nothing fits my ears and I just ended up using the third part ear tips. The included tips are barrel shaped and don't fill the ear canal hence sound isolation is not good. The nozzle is covered by mesh and its silver plated.



The included cable is a 4 core silver plated detachable cable which is average in feels. The cable is very sturdy of course but the premium feel is lacking. They are highly prone to tangling and have a sticky texture to the cable. The ear guides are nice and feel comfortable. The surprising thing is they have included a mic in the cable which most of the chi-fi earphones don’t have. The mic quality is average but hey something is better than nothing. The 3.5mm is gold plated and it’s a L shaped jack.

SOUND:

Source: iPhone + FiiO Q3, Apple Lightning 3.5MM Dongle.

The overall sound signature leaned towards bass and it felt like a W shaped sound signature. The bass is plentiful and the custom tuned BA is very good in retrieving the detail well enough. The timbre is not good and the tonality is way out of the park. The tonality is very metallic and not natural. For me if an earphone falls out in the tonality then it’s definitely a no go from my side. Let’s talk about the sound in detail.

BASS:

The bass quantity is very nice, has nice extension in the low end and digs deeper when the sub bass hits. The problem is they are very less resolving and feel congested in the bass region. As these possess beryllium drivers I thought this is going to have some nice bass but it disappointed me. Surprisingly they have a nice texture to the bass

In the bass, apart from the congestion and the lack of resolving tendency it also lacks slam. The mid bass hump made the bass weaker in slam hence the sub bass feels weaker even though they have nice extension and rumble. When playing bass heavy tracks they struggle in the bass region and to mask that lack of resolution they pump up the quantity over the quality.

The beryllium always possesses a faster decay and attack as per my testing but BD005 pro’s attack is slower and the decay is pretty slow. There is no sense of feel when the sub bass notes ends. Overall for casual fun listening these beryllium will satisfy you.

Tracks Used:

1. Bigfoot – MALFNCTION
2. Bad Guy – Billie Eilish
3. Why so Serious – Hans Zimmer

MIDS:

The mids are fine and good but not great. They sound very thin in the mid range; they lack body due to the recessed lower mid. The upper mid are elevated more than the lower mid. The upper mid are uneven in nature and hence there is a hint of graininess.

The guitar strings strike nicer and the drums have nice attack too but they don’t sound natural. They sound slightly plastic. The tonality is way off and has timbre issues. The vocals sound slightly recessed where the female vocals sound more forward than the males. The vocals get very shrill when the volume is increased and gets slightly sibilant especially when the female vocals appear.

I would have preferred a slight boost in the lower mid than the upper mid thus reducing the shrillness and thinness in the mid section.

Tracks used:

1. Cardigan – Taylor Swift
2. For The Good Times – Perry Como
3. Something Happened On The Way To Heaven – Phil Collins

TREBLE:

The treble extension is not great because it was taken care of by the custom tuned BA by Kinera. There is a good amount of air in the high notes and nice separation too. Everything felt fine for the price and suddenly observed the Sibilance which totally destroyed those good impressions over it. The tracks like MOVE YOUR BODY –SIA just makes you scream in sibilance. The BA does a good job in retrieving the detail in the treble region but fails to control the sibilance.

There is also a hint of graininess. They definitely don’t appear smooth and have some treble peaks. The lack of treble extension makes it less enjoyable and rolls off in the upper end earlier.

Tracks Used:

1. Move Your Body – Sia
2. Graffiti – CHVRCHES

TECHNICALITIES:

SOUNDSTAGE: The soundstage is not wide or deep but average. Since the bass feels very congested they don’t give a sense of a big soundstage. They have a good amount of space between the instruments but it's not the widest I have seen.

IMAGING: They are average too. The instruments move nicely from the left to right and have smooth transitions between the channels.

The layering is not good at all. They fall off very badly and due to the lack of resolving and congested nature the layering feels weird and not good overall.



VERDICT:

BD005 Pro, the budget offering from the team Kinera excels in some aspects like the quantity of bass, both bass & treble extension and detail retrieval in the high end but falls off in other aspects like the technicalities, resolution etc. Of course at this price point nothing can be expected to be extraordinary but at least should be able to compete with the other competitors in this price point, but during my testing the BD005 Pro fails. This a strong competitive segment where some great earphones like Tin T2 Plus, HM Heart Mirror etc. are available for covering technicalities and if you want that good resolving bass the Pai Audio DR2 is available.

So for 50USD this doesn’t satisfy me but your mileage may vary. You may like it so it’s better to give this a try before concluding the remarks. For now the Tin T2 Plus and HM Heart mirror are still the contenders to beat in this price point.

INTRODUCTION AND DISCLAIMER:​

The Kinera BD005 Pro is an in-ear monitor (IEM) advertised as using a “custom-tuned 30095 series high-frequency balanced armature (BA)” and a “9.2mm beryllium diaphragm dynamic driver (DD).” The BD005 Pro is available at HiFiGo for $49. I received the BD005 Pro from HiFiGo in exchange for a fair and objective review.

Kinera’s claim that the BD005 Pro uses a beryllium diaphragm dynamic driver is worth parsing given that the BD005 Pro retails for $49, and the typical price of an IEM with a pure beryllium diaphragm DDs is perhaps 20 times that. The KB EAR Believe, which claimed to use a pure beryllium DD at a sub-$100 price, was discontinued due to to the inherent production costs of using the medium. Even then, the Believe came in at roughly double the price of the BD005 Pro. It is much more likely that the BD005 Pro uses a beryllium-coated diaphragm. Based on the driver’s performance and listed dimensions, I suspect that it might be related to the one used in the Shozy Form 1.1, which I reviewed some time ago.

SOURCES:​

I have used the Kinera BD005 Pro with the following sources:

• Hidizs S9
• Qudelix 5K

I have tested these headphones with local FLAC and Spotify Premium. Visit my last.fm page to get an idea of what I listen to.

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES:​

The Kinera BD005 Pro comes in a black hexagonal cardboard box. The box art depicts the BD005 Pro in each of its color variations, and also provides an accurate if overly smoothed frequency response graph for the IEM. Kinera’s contact information and technical specifications for the BD005 Pro are also provided on the back of the box.

In addition to the IEMs themselves and the included detachable 2-pin cable, the BD005 Pro comes with the same stubby black silicone eartips included with the Shozy Form 1.1 (S, M, L), a round semi-rigid zippered case, a user manual written in English and Chinese, and a contact card. The carry case has a synthetic leather exterior embossed with Kinera branding and has a small interior mesh pocket for spare eartips or other accessories.

BUILD QUALITY AND DESIGN:​

The Kinera BD005 Pro has 3D printed resin shells with a pseudo-custom fit. The faceplates have a gold leaf pattern that stands out against the otherwise flat colorway of the IEMs. Kinera’s logo is also printed in gold on both faceplates. The IEMs are otherwise unmarked. There is a visible seam between the shell body and faceplate. The metal nozzles and recessed circular vents on the top face of the shells mirror those on the Shozy Form 1.1.

The 4-strand detachable 2-pin cable includes a single button mic on the right side above the Y-split. The 2-pin connectors have large “L” and “R” indicators printed in white offset slightly from the connecting face. There is strain relief above the L-shaped 3.5mm jack but none at the Y-split. The cable has pre-formed clear plastic earguides without memory wire. There is no chin adjustment slider, and the cable is extremely prone to becoming tangled.

COMFORT, FIT, AND ISOLATION:​

The Kinera BD005 Pro is intended to be worn cable-up. They have a moderate insertion depth. The BD005 is one of the most comfortable IEMs I have ever worn. I did not experience driver flex with the BD005 Pro with the included tips. Isolation is above average.

MEASUREMENTS:​

Measurements of the Kinera BD005 Pro can be found on my expanding squig.link database:

https://bedrock.squig.link/

My measurements are conducted with a Dayton iMM-6 microphone using a vinyl tubing coupler and a calibrated USB sound interface. The measurements use a compensation file derived from relating my raw measurements to published measurements from Crinacle and Antdroid. There is a resonant peak at 8k. Measurements above 10 kHz are not reliable.

SOUND:​

The Kinera BD005 Pro has a mild V-shaped tuning.

The Kinera BD005 Pro’s bass presentation is somewhat congested. Its frequency response is elevated in the sub-bass region and recedes linearly through the lower midrange. There is a fair amount of rumble but limited slam. Analog snare drum hits are less satisfying than I would like in terms of tangible impact. I would have preferred a more sculpted and distinct sub-bass shelf to the middle ground between a sub-bass shelf and a mid-bass hump that many companies seem to be trying to find for their bass tunings. The bass is quick on the attack side but the aforementioned congestion makes decay difficult to discern. It is easy to tell where notes start but harder to tell when they disappear. Bass resolution is average given the price point, but bass texture is quite good.

The Kinera BD005 Pro’s midrange is on the thinner side and possesses less warmth than my ideal. The lower midrange is just too recessed to deliver much in the way of body. The upper midrange is more present but is uneven. There is a healthy amount of ear gain, which gives good intelligibility for male and female vocals without sounding shouty. However, there is too much presence, especially for electronic music. The elevated presence region does give distorted electric guitars a great deal of bite, crunch, and energy. Midrange clarity is excellent overall, but female vocals are more engaging than male vocals. Midrange timbre is a little plasticky, particularly when it comes to analog percussion.

The Kinera BD005 Pro’s treble presentation emphasizes the lower treble and rolls off hard and fast. There is some sparkle but almost no air. While transient delivery seems realistic and not overly splashy, cymbals are a little too far forward and can create harshness. Imaging, instrument separation, and soundstage are all middle of the road.

COMPARISONS:​

Kinera BD005 Pro ($49) vs Shozy Form 1.1 ($74.99)​

Shozy Form 1.1 Review. Sparkling | by Alec | Bedrock Reviews | Medium

SHOZY FORM 1.1 Beryllium Dynamic Hybrid （1DD+1BA）In-ear Earphone — HiFiGo

Given the physical similarities between the Kinera BD005 Pro and the Shozy Form 1.1, I decided to compare the sound between the two. The differences between the two IEMs are largely tonal. The Form 1.1 is a more balanced and pleasant listen. It comes across as warmer even though it has less bass than the BD005 Pro, likely because its upper midrange is less forward than the BD005 Pro’s. There is less of a gap between the lower midrange and the ear gain region on the Form 1.1, which gives male vocals more substance. The Form 1.1 also has a more even, if not less elevated, presence region. The Form 1.1. is a bit easier to drive. The Form 1.1 has a bit more air up top than the BD005 Pro and has a noticeably wider soundstage. It also has slightly better instrument separation. Internal resolution and detail retrieval are comparable between the two. The Form 1.1 has a wider selection of included eartips.

ELEMENTS AND SOURCE PAIRING:​

The Kinera BD005 Pro can be readily driven with modest sources. I did not notice hiss with either of my sources.

CLOSING WORDS:​

Whether the Kinera BD005 Pro and the Shozy Form 1.1 share a common lineage or not, they seem to aim for the same target. However, the Form 1.1’s tuning is better executed and would be worth the additional $25 to me. I do not recommend the Kinera BD005 Pro.

The Kinera BD005 Pro can be purchased below:

Kinera BD005 Pro 3D Printed Hybrid In-Ear Earphone — HiFiGo

If you found this review helpful, please consider checking out my blog at: https://medium.com/bedrock-reviews

Greetings!

Today we're checking out the BD005 Pro, Kinera's update to one of their most popular models from years past.

Kinera is one of those brands that seems to be very hit or miss within the community. They always look great, but their tuning choices often clash in a way that leads to mixed opinions. A love it or hate it affair you could say. More recently, starting with products like the Idun and Tyr, I've noticed a positive shift as Kinera refines their tuning while continuing to build upon their already top tier design choices. The new BD005 Pro takes the brand another huge step in the right direction with a beautiful design, low price, outstanding build quality, and a smart tune that has wide appeal without compromising character.

Despite listening sessions being mingled in with much, much more expensive products like the Dunu ZEN and Campfire Audio Dorado 2020, I've been thoroughly enjoying the set HiFiGo generously sent over for review months ago. In this sub-50 USD price range, the BD005 Pro does some heavy lifting and earns some well-deserved praise. Let's take a closer look, shall we?


What I Hear

Tips: The stock tips are high quality, but just so small. If they work for you, awesome, but if not you'll need to pick up something else. Keep in mind the nozzle diameter is smaller than average so you'll need to pick suitable tips. For my testing I used tips from EarNiNE which provided the same sound but were easier to get a reliable seal with. Since I'm not sure if you can buy those separate anywhere, Final Audio Type E tips fit well and sound almost the same as stock. Spintfit CP100 and CP145 fits, but thanks to the deeper insertion I find they occasionally get stuck in my ear. Sony Hybrids also sound similar to stock, but due to the super soft silicone used tend to pop off and get stuck in the ear. What I'm saying is tip rolling the BD005 Pro is a bit of a pain. As long as you have something with a medium to small bore that grips the small nozzle firmly, you should be fine.

Bass from the BD005 has good extension with a satisfying punch and visceral nature to it. Tossing on Kavinski's “Solli” it does a fantastic job reproducing the deep rumble that permeates the opening scene. With low-end reliant tracks in genres like EDM and Hip Hop, Kinera's little hybrid is a lot of fun. Texturing is plentiful, notes are well-controlled with a snappy attack and realistic decay, and bass bleed isn't something I'd be worried about. The BD005 Pro makes a great showing in the low end and should satisfy fans of quality bass.

The mids are also handled well. With the sort of upper mid boost that is quite common nowadays, vocals remain clear and coherent, unobstructed by the surrounding frequencies. Notes find themselves in that quality middle ground where they're neither thick nor thin which helps highlight the Kinera's good detail retrieval. Where I have an issue with the BD005's mids is sibilance. It tends to exacerbate existing aggression an on tracks that are already mastered hot, such as Aesop Rocks' “Blood Sandwich”, it can be uncomfortable. Compared to other products in the price range, the BD005 also sounds a bit unrefined with a hint of grain that can distract from the otherwise excellent performance.

The BD005's treble performance is overall quite positive. There is a brilliance region bias which gives the presentation sparkle and shimmer without going overboard. Notes for the most part are well controlled with just a hint of splash that usually doesn't detract from the performance. Kinera's 30095 series armature is nice and quick with snappy attack and decay qualities. Detail retrieval is also quite impressive as the BD005 Pro avoids sounding over-smoothed which tends to smear finer nuances. I have no issues using the Kinera for improve jazz passages whose chaos and complexity can weed out lesser products.

Sound stage is where the BD005 Pro falters. Sizing is quite average with an intimate default vocal positioning that pulls in the music. Imaging is fine with smooth channel-to-channel transitions, though I found it to get vague near the edges. This isn't one I'd rely on for games where sound is very important to your performance, but toss movies its way all day. Instrument separation is fine as I never felt the BD005 Pro sounding congested, but when it comes to layering it falls flat, literally. Tracks can lack dynamism and sound too level. The BD005 Pro's lacks the ability to pulls me in and immerses me within my music.

While you might not have gathered it from the above sections, I really do enjoy the BD005 Pro. Sure, it can't physically immerse me in my music like some other gear, but the energy it outputs never fails to entertain. Only when I start directly comparing against other products do its flaws stand out. When used as my sole earphone, I am perfectly happy rolling with the BD005 Pro as my daily driver. The fact that it excels in other areas, like design, build, and comfort, doesn't hurt.

Compared to a Peer (volumes matched with Dayton iMM-6)

TinHiFi T2 Plus (49.99 USD): While bass quantities are very similar between the two, the T2 Plus has an overall flatter, more “reference” style signature. Bass on the T2 is faster, more detailed with improved texturing and better control, though it doesn't provide the same physical feedback and slam thanks to a lighter, more dainty presentation. Leading into the mids the BD005 Pro has a stronger upper mid presence. This keeps vocals from being drowned out by the bass and treble, but it also results in sibilance. Not an issue on the T2 Plus. Timbre, detail, and clarity all go to the T2 Plus. While I find the Kinera quite competitive in it's price range, next to the TinHiFi it sounds a bit unrefined. I found this most apparent in the treble which, while slower, is tighter and smoother out of the T2 Plus. Detail and clarity are mostly on par though. When it comes to staging I find the T2 Plus a step up. It sounds about as deep but quite a bit wider. Vocals in particular are more intimate out of the Kinera giving it a more closed in feel. Imaging is slightly more nuanced and precise on the T2 Plus as well. Instrument separation qualities are similar with the TinhiFi offering a more dynamically layered sound.

Overall I much prefer the T2 Plus thanks to a more refined presentation and improved staging qualities. If you prefer a tune with a strong v-shape, the T2 Plus might come across a bit polite and boring. In that case you'd be much better off sticking with the Kinera. I also think the BD005's design is more attractive and ergonomic.

KZ ZAX (55.00 USD): Bass from the ZAX is bolder, slower, and less well controlled. It makes up for this with more physical punch in mid-bass regions and wobble on sub-bass notes. Texturing is quite similar between the two. Mids from the ZAX provide a bit more warmth giving it an edge with female vocalists and timbre accuracy. The BD005 Pro's mids come across a touch more forward and provide a hint more micro detail and instrument coherency thanks to a tighter, more controlled presentation. Treble on both skews towards the brilliance region with a 7k peak. I find the ZAX comes across a bit more refined thanks to cleaner, more defined notes and a smoother presentation. The Kinera displays a bit of splash. Both are quite quick in the treble with snappy attack and decay. The ZAX comes out ahead with slightly more detail. I would expect the ZAX's open back design to give it a large advantage in terms of sound stage, and to a point this is true. While overall size isn't hugely different with the ZAX sounding mildly wider and deeper, it steps way ahead of the Kinera when it comes to layering. The Kinera sounds flat and lacks the same dynamic ability to move sound within the staging space. Imaging is also sharper and more nuanced from the KZ, and it does a better job of separating individual track elements.

Overall I prefer the ZAX. When on sale, as it was at the time of writing, it would be the one I'd point users to almost every time. At it's regular price of around 80-90 USD...the performance of the Kinera is good enough to make the savings well worth it. Plus, the Kinera looks more elegant and in my experience is more ergonomic and comfortable to wear for long periods.


In The Ear Ever since the H3 I've been very impressed with the effort Kinera puts into making a good looking, well constructed product. At only 49 USD, the BD005 Pro is no exception and a true standout among its peers. As with many modern earphones they are crafted via a 3D printed process, however, unlike many of those products from competing brands you'd never know. The low profile design is smooth and seamless. The metal nozzle fits flawlessly into the design, as do the Shozy-like metal vents installed in the rear of each earpiece. The 2-pin plugs neither protrude nor recess into the top of the shell, resulting in a flush fit when the cable is installed. The face plate draws your attention thanks to Kinera's delicate cursive logo and light-reflecting silver flakes. The design and build quality here wouldn't feel out of place on a product costing two or three times as much. Heck, I can think of one 2,000 USD earphone that could take some pointers from what Kinera is doing here.

The cable is another standout area in my opinion. While it's twisted black sheath may not look like anything special, and quite similar to the cables TRN and TFZ pack in with a number of their products, this one is quite a bit nicer. It is very flexible and quite resistant to mild kinks and bends. Noise transmission from rubbing against you clothing or object is managed extremely well, in part due to the over-ear design and cozy pre-formed ear guides. The compact 90 degree angled jack is well-relieved, though this does not apply to the tiny y-split which has no relief whatsoever. The lack of a chin cinch is also a slightly disappointing omission. It's one I'm willing to accept in this case since the cable is equipped with a microphone which would limit travel and make the effects of a cinch minimal at best. Speaking of the mic, it's pretty good. Construction is nice with a metal shell and a clicky, easy to find button. I used it for a few days of Zoom training and never experienced any issues with my colleagues unable to hear or asking me to repeat statements.

Kinera put a lot of time and effort into the ergonomics of the BD005 Pro, and it shows. The low profile design is very compact, especially compared to similar designs from KZ, TFZ, FiiO, and others, and slots even more naturally into the outer ear. There are no odd protrusions to cause hot spots during long listening sessions. Stability is also fantastic meaning you likely won't need to reseat the earphone regularly when out exercising should you choose to use them for that purpose.

Since the BD005 Pro does a great job of filling the natural curvature of the ear I found isolation slightly above average, even with the ample ventilation provided by those rear-mounted vents. Foam tips kicked things up a notch, which is to be expected. Even so, with silicone tips I could comfortably listen outdoors in noisy environments at my regular, low volumes without the need to raise them.


In The Box The BD005 Pro comes in Kinera's now standard, hexagonal cardboard box. It really makes them stand out from the more traditional packages provided by other brands, and looks nice on display if you're into that. On the front of the lid is the usual branding and model information along with some stylized shots of the earpieces. Flipping to the rear you find specifications, a teensy, tiny frequency response graph, and images of earpieces in the three available colours; Murky Blue, Granite Grey, and Jewel Red. I was sent the grey option which looks really nice, though I definitely have an affinity for the blue. Lifting off the lid you're greeted by a hexagonal card welcoming you to the Kinera community with links on the rear. Beneath is a round, clam shell carrying case in which everything is stored. A neat little touch is recognition of staff members that contributed to the BD005 Pro printed on the inner roof of the lid. In all you get:

• BD005 Pro earphones
• 1.2 meter, 0.78mm 2-pin cable
• Single flange ear tips (s/m/l)
• Clam shell carrying case

Overall an attractive, but very basic unboxing experience. The included case is nice to have and I appreciate that the earpieces were placed in their own bags to avoid being scratched during shipping. The ear tips are a big negative unfortunately. If you're familiar with the Shozy Form 1.1, Form 1.4, or Shozy & Neo CP, you'll recognize these tips. They're all very small and provide a very shallow fit. The largest size can barely create a seal in my ears which usually work just fine with stock medium tips. Be sure to factor in buying some replacement tips when you order these. A link to HiFiGo's fairly priced ear tip selection is included in the disclaimer below.

Final Thoughts Kinera has been on a roll the last couple years with release after release seeing them improve their tuning. The BD005 Pro brings back a well-loved name and does it justice. It is well-tuned with a fun sound that doesn't skimp on much of anything. The sound stage is a bit flat, but other than that the BD005 Pro doesn't have any major knocks against it. Add to a quality tune some gorgeous, well-put together shells that put most products to shame ergonomically, along with a competitive price, and you've got a recipe for success. Based on how the community has received the BD005 Pro so far, I don't think I'm wrong in saying that.

Overall I think this is one of Kinera's most well-rounded and successful releases yet. Anyone who wants one should feel confident in their decision to pick it up.

Thanks for reading!

- B9

Disclaimer A huge thanks to Nappoler with HiFiGO for sending over a sample of the BD005 Pro for the purposes of review, and for being so patient in its release. The thoughts within this review are my own subjective opinions and do not represent HiFiGO, Kinera, or any other entity. At the time of writing the BD005 Pro was retailing for 49 USD: https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-bd005-pro-3d-printed-hybrid-in-ear-earphone

Ear tip Selection: https://hifigo.com/collections/eartips

Specifications

• Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
• Impedance: 16 ohms
• Sensitivity: 108+/- 2dB
• Driver: 9.2mm beryllium coated dynamic + 30095 series high-frequency balanced armature
• Cable: 4 core silver plated, 0.78mm 2-pin

Gear Used For Testing LG G6, FiiO M3 Pro, DDHiFi TC35B, Earstudio HUD100, Earmen TR-Amp, Asus FX53V, TEAC HA-501

Some Test Tunes

Supertramp – Crime of the Century
Slipknot – Vol 3 (The Subliminal Verses)
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
Aesop Rock – The Impossible Kid
King Crimson – Lark's Tongues in Aspic
King Crimson – Starless and Bible Black
Infected Mushroom – Legend of the Black Shawarma
The Prodigy – The Day is My Enemy
Steely Dan – The Royal Scam
Porcupine Tree – Stupid Dreams
Fleetwood Mac – Rumors
Tobacco – screw*d Up Friends

Sometimes prices don't match up with build or sound quality. Most of the time this leaves you feeling disappointed or frustrated but what if there was an IEM that made you feel like you owe the manufacturer more money?


The Kinera Bd005 Pro is a budget friendly IEM at $50usd but should they charge more? Sometimes a budget IEM will "scale" with higher priced source gear, which can increase their value, does the Bd005 Pro do that?

Disclaimer:

HifiGo provided the Kinera Bd005 Pro for review and only asked for an honest review. I wasn't influenced or directed or paid to sway this review one way or another. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Purchase:

HiFiGo: https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-bd005-pro-3d-printed-hybrid-in-ear-earphone

Aliexpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002090493208.html

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YYW5RT5/in+ear+monitors

Linsoul: https://www.linsoul.com/products/kinera-bd005-pro

JVC Spiral Dots: ttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KSJ2P9G/

Specs:

Configuration: (1 Beryllium Coated Dynamic + 1 Knowles 30095 Balanced Armature)
Sensitivity: 108 dB
Impedance: 16 Ohm
Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20000 Khz

Unboxing:

The Kinera Bd005 Pro comes in a small, hexagon box that is both pleasing and simple. I do wish that the writing was a little bit easier on the eyes but it is legible even for these old man eyes.


Lifting off the outer box, on the inside lid you will find a special thanks to some of those involved in designing the Bd004 Pro, this is a nice touch. In the bottom box, there is a good amount of padding with a hexagon cutout that holds a carrying case. You also get some paperwork that gives details on where and how to contact Kinera on the web and a user guide that is easier to read then the box back. The carry case is of standard build for the price point, nothing special here. There is a bit of Kinera branding on the front but nothing special to behold.

Inside the carry case, the amount of contents provided are underwhelming to say the least; 3 pairs of silicone tips (small, medium, large), a cable and the IEM.


This is one of the most basic accessory provisions ever but I will let it slide for the price, as I don't buy an IEM for the accessories.

Build/Design:

The Kinera Bd005 Pro may be limited in accessories but are not limited in build quality, for the price. You can purchase them in 3 different colors, jewel red, murky blue and granite grey. Hifigo asked me which color I preferred for review and I asked for the granite grey. I am impressed with the quality build and light weight of the 3d printed shell.






The faceplate of each shell has the Kinera logo and some gold speckles. The Bd005 Pro doesn't feel cheap at all, this feels better in the hand and ear then most $50 IEM. The curves, dips and lips fit my ear very well. A side note, my wife, who has very small ears and struggles with most IEM fit, except for the Moondrop SSR, found the Bd005 Pro very easy to insert and more comfortable then the SSR.

I have to give credit to Kinera for not cheaping out on the cable. The stock cable is lovely and is way nicer then most in this price bracket. The Bd005 Pro cable is well behaved in every way desired, no tangle, no twisting, controlled ear hooks, soft and smooth and an inline microphone.

Overall, the build quality from the cable to shells is exceptional and well exceeds my expectations for a $50 IEM.

Comfort/Fit:

Even though Kinera only provided one set of silicone tips in 3 different sizes, they picked the right one for the Bd005 Pro. The stock tips are donut shaped, fat, short and wide bored. I really like these tips, which is not what I thought when I first saw them. Comfort that the stock tips provide is exceptional. The isolation is adequate enough for office duty or a walk in the park, these aren't good for public transit or noisy environments. But the tips are on the small side so they may not fit all ear shapes. I had to use the large tips and they were still a bit small for me. The shell of the Bd005 Pro fits me like a glove when paired with the stock tips; I can wear the Bd005 Pro for hours on end. But, I found that using the JVC spiral dots sounded slightly better and offered better seal and comfort.


Sound:

The motto of Kinera is "Make it Clear - Make it Real", does the Kinera Bd005 Pro do that?

Notes:

I didn't test out the inline microphone.

The stock tips are good enough and offer a solid seal and a sound that is pleasing but had a tad too much sizzle in the upper mids and lower treble for my liking. The JVC spiral dot tips that I used helped to tame that sizzle a tad and added in a smidge more seal. All sound impressions are based off usage with the JVC spiral dot tips.


Bass:

The Kinera Bd005 Pro bass is pronounced but not overpowering, detailed and pleasing. There is a fun aspect to the bass but it never dominates so I wouldn't categorize as a basshead IEM. There is good reach into the sub bass and the mid bass has ample impact for my preferences. The Bd005 Pro is more about the details then the impact even though it has good power and punch. For me, this hits the spot of a fun IEM, as I am not a basshead and I prefer details over impact.

Mids:

The mids for the Kinera Bd005 Pro have an airy, clean, slightly warm approach but can sound slightly thin, especially in the lower section. The lower mids have less body then the upper mids but it isn't enough to be a distraction for me. There is an emphasis on details in the mids, just like with the bass. If you like to hear small details from the vocalist or an instrument then the Bd005 Pro will be pleasing to your ears. If you put more emphasis on body and note weight then then you may be somewhat disappointed. Putting the stock tips on brought out more unevenness and they were less cohesive. I find the mids are very pleasing sounding and rank among the best in a v-shape signature for vocals that I have heard, taking the $50 usd price into consideration. Sadly, when boosting the volume to max listening level tolerances the Bd005 Pro will sound somewhat harsh and aggressive in the upper mids. The Bd005 Pro is more pleasing at average to lower listening levels.

Treble:

The Kinera Bd005 Pro treble is interesting. The lower treble section is more dominate then the mid and upper treble, even though there is an okay amount of extension. There is an adequate amount of air with the Bd005 Pro. There is good clarity in the presentation and unless you boost the listening levels the harshness and aggression stay away. The somewhat earlier roll off in the upper treble keeps the Bd005 Pro from shredding the ears all the while still providing adequate room and space without sounding stuffy. For the most part, this is a very well controlled treble even though it is somewhat domineering in presentation, especially in the lower sectors. With the stock tips, the lower treble domination is more evident.

Soundstage/Imaging:

The Kinera Bd005 Pro really impressed me with its the soundstage and imaging capabilities. There is a nice width without sounding artificial. The depth and layering complement the width to provide a pleasing realistic stage. The details, vocals and instruments are easy to place and seat. There is a good sense of accuracy and distance. The Kinera Bd005 Pro is a solid option for gaming and Netflix bingeing.

Detail/Resolution:

The Kinera Bd005 Pro also surprises with the amount of details it provides. Sadly, the resolution of those details is just about average. But, the Bd005 Pro does seem to "scale" with better source gear, more on that in the pairing section. I never was disappointed in the amount of details and the resolution of the portrayed details. It was only at higher volumes that the resolution limitations appeared more prominent. For the price, I am very content with the Bd005 Pro.

Tone/Timbre:

Now the tone and timbre of the Kinera Bd005 Pro is not the most natural and realistic. But it isn't badly off the mark. Most acoustic and string instruments, along with woodwinds will sound very satisfactory. Brass instruments will tend to have a slight metallic twinge and cymbals also will be a bit too splashy at times. I actually don't mind the tone and timbre of the Bd005 Pro and find it very pleasing for the price and for being a v-shape IEM.

Pairings:

xDuoo Link:

A very pleasing experience, solid bass detail and impact, mids were energetic and the treble was sparkling.

NextDrive Spectra X:

Took the Bd005 Pro up a notch with a slight advantage in details, resolution and stage range; all the while keeping the bass detailed and impactful, mids energetic and organic and treble sparkling. This is a sign that the Bd005 Pro "scales" when paired with higher quality source gear.

Sony NW-A105:

This was not a favorite pairing of mine, very surprising. There was a glare and sheen in the mids and treble that was very annoying on each and every song.

Sony NW-WM1a:

Ok this pairing is a bit over the top for sure but wow does it sound good.




This is good proof that the Kinera Bd005 Pro does scale with better source gear and that the Sony NW-WM1a is not selective in gear pairings. Bass has a quality heft to it, mids have nice warm hint and the treble has good clarity and authority. Overall, this is a very pleasing sound that I thoroughly enjoy, even with the exaggerated price tag difference.

Comparisons:

Moondrop SSR:

The Bd005 Pro has the advantage with bass impact and isn't as bright or forward as the SSR. But the SSR has slightly better detail retrieval and resolution, tone and timbre is more natural and realistic. The SSR and Bd005 Pro are similar in soundstage width, depth and layering but the SSR has a small advantage in precision and separation.

Tin Hifi T2:

The Bd005 Pro is more fun sounding and the T2 is more analytical. Tone and timbre is immediately recognized on the T2 as superior in this comparison, the T2 is more natural and realistic. The T2 has the edge in detail retrieval and resolution. The Bd005 Pro has the advantage in bass impact and treble emphasis. The T2 has more accurate note weight and density.

Jade Audio EA1:

The Jade Audio EA1 has a warmer, cohesive and balanced sound, mids are more full and defined, treble has a bit more extension and a little more lift in the top end. The EA1 soundstage is very similar and hard to hear anything that stands out from the Bd005 Pro. Tone and timbre is more natural and realistic on the EA1. Detail retrieval is similar but the slight edge in resolution goes to the EA1.

Overall:

I really like the Kinera Bd005 Pro and think that it is a solid budget option. Is it the best that there is in its price range, not really. Is it the worst that there is in its price, definitely not. There is a lot to like about the BD005 Pro and not too much to dislike. From the solid build and comfort, to the detailed sound, fun and pleasant v-shape signature, deep and wide stage and the "scale" capabilities on higher quality source gear, the Kinera Bd005 Pro offers a good experience on a budget. At times, I feel like the Kinera Bd005 Pro is worthy of a higher price but then I compare it to other gear in the price range and I am brought down to reality, the Kinera Bd005 Pro is priced right where it should be.

YouTube reviews: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgMj7xJ1SDxGqqxZ5l3g_jg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/B4LG7Kqp_7f/?igshid=1pj7fm78gz0h2
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TalkDbs @TalkDbs

DBS Tech Talk research and review process:

Audio Terms and Definitions: https://www.stereophile.com/reference/50/index.html

Recommended Gear:
Meze Empyrean: https://mezeaudio.com/products/meze-empyrean
Hifiman Ananda: https://hifiman.com/products/detail/290
Sennheiser HD600: https://en-us.sennheiser.com/best-audio-headphones-high-end-stereo-hifi-hd-600
Sennheiser HD660s: https://en-us.sennheiser.com/hd-660-s
Meze 99 Classic: https://mezeaudio.com/collections/all/products/meze-99-classics-walnut-gold-wood-headphones
MrSpeakers Ether C (non flow version) https://danclarkaudio.com/
(similar to https://drop.com/buy/drop-mrspeakers-ether-cx-closed-headphones
Meze Rai Penta: https://mezeaudio.com/collections/all/products/rai-penta
Meze Rai Solo: https://mezeaudio.com/products/rai-solo
ADV. M5-12D: https://www.adv-sound.com/collections/pro-audio/products/m5-12d-universal
Tin Hifi T3: https://www.linsoul.com/collections/tin-hifi/products/tinhifi-t3
Tin Hifi T2+: https://www.linsoul.com/collections/tin-hifi/products/tinhifi-t2-plus
Tin Hfi T5: https://www.linsoul.com/products/tin-hifi-t5?_pos=1&_sid=a6d49043d&_ss=r
Moondrop SSR: https://www.moondroplab.com/ssr
Monoprice Monolith THX AAA 788: https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24459
Mytek Liberty: https://mytekdigital.com/hifi/products/liberty-dac/
Soekris DAC1421: https://soekris.modhouseaudio.com/soekris-audiophile-line/dac-1421
Tor Audio Roger: https://toraudio.com/main.html#
Massdrop THX AAA 789:
https://drop.com/buy/drop-thx-aaa-789-linear-amplifier
Grace Design SDAC-B: https://drop.com/buy/drop-grace-design-standard-dac-balanced
Geshelli Labs Enog 2 Pro: https://geshelli.com/shop/ols/products/enog2-pro-dac-metal-case
Geshelli Labs J2: https://geshelli.com/jnog
Geshelli Labs Archel 2: https://geshelli.com/shop/ols/produ...tal-case-b5ca9a41-69ed-4786-98b2-18f72ae911bf
Geshelli Labs Erish: https://geshelli.com/shop/ols/products/erish-balanced

Music recommendations:
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/5bbf80ce-33f3-4222-a1fc-6539a95415d6 (in order of playlist)
Tingvall Trio “Beat” - piano tonality
Sinne Eeg “We’ve Just Begun” - multiple layer soundstage
Molly Johnson “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” - female vocal tone
Leslie Odom Jr. “Under Pressure” - male vocal tone
Eric Clapton “Change the World” - soundstage, layering and placement
Yo Yo Ma “Ecstasy of Gold” - acoustic instrument timbre
Adam Baldych “Spem in Alium” - acoustic instrument timbre
Pain of Salvation “Stress” - percussion balance
Michael Buble “When I Fall in Love” - orchestral dynamics
Patricia Barber “Code Cool” - sibilance check
Christian Scott “New New Orleans” - shouty upper mids
Tool “Chocolate Chip Trip” - imaging
Hans Zimmer “Why So Serious” - sub bass extension
Marcus Miller “No Limit” - bass control
Dave Holland Quartet “Conference Of The Birds”- bass check
Ilhan Eshkeri “47 Ronin”- orchestra and bass dynamics
Hans Zimmer :2049” - sub bass extension
Cher: Believe - sibilance
Stanley Clarke - Passenger 57 main title - percussion, bass, seperation and placement
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra - The Pine of the Appian Way - soundstage, imaging and seperation
Houston Person - You are my Sunshine - tone and timbre

Bd005pro

Good musical low end with good extension

Has that Be coated low end sound

Good treble extension even though it starts to roll off at 10k

Good details in mids and highs

Not harsh or Sibilant , safe tuning

Warm organic V shape sound signature

Clean clear mids

Benefits from small amp or good source

Fun to listen to, musical

Good separation and imaging

Organic mids , piano sounds good

Male and female vocals good

Great blending of dd and ba

Be plated dd sounds great

above average details and imaging

Soundstage is above average width and height

Better ba timbre than average

Sounds even better with pure copper upgrade cable or silver plated depending on the sound signature you’re looking for

Great isolation from outside noises

Good build and looks , solid and comfy

Best 50$ hybrid single dd single ba on market that I know of

Sounds great out of the box and low end improves with 2 days of burn in

Disclaimer:

The Kinera BD005 Pro was provided to me by HiFiGo for the purpose of this review only. All views and impressions in this review are based on my own experience with the pair over a week of evaluation. I am not paid by anyone to write anything positive or negative about the pair.

You can buy Kinera BD005 Pro from HiFiGO from the link below.

https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-...d-in-ear-earphone?_pos=4&_sid=ae7e0e394&_ss=r





The Kinera BD005 Pro is a cute-looking IEM that has an eye-catching 3D printed shell which gives it a premium look that appears a lot more expensive than its suggested retail price of 49 USD. It is very comfortable in terms of fit and the warm sound makes it an excellent choice for anyone who is looking for a budget IEM that can be used for hours together without any kind of fatigue or discomfort.

The IEM has a hybrid configuration that includes a 9.2mm dynamic driver (with beryllium coating) and a balanced armature (30095 Custom BA). The BD005 Pro is very easy to drive thanks to its 108 db/mw sensitivity and low impedance of just 16 ohms. The IEM uses a 0.78mm 2-pin connector which means it is easy to swap cables. The cable included in the package is a 4 core 4N high purity Oxygen Free Copper cable with a 3.5mm SE termination. For the purpose of this review, however, I had used a TRN T3 2.5mm balanced cable and the FiiO UTWS-3 (TWS adapter).





Sound

Bass

The BD005 Pro provides adequate bass in the sub-bass and mid-bass regions with sufficient punchiness and boom. I was unable to get a proper seal with the stock tips as my ears are rather large, hence I tried a variety of tips and found the SpinFit CP220 M2 (silicon) and Flare Audio Universal Foam tips (memory foam) to be good for these. The flare audio tips especially provided a good seal and punchy bass. At the given price point, it is hard to complain about the bass, both in terms of quantity and quality. The BD005 Pro is not an IEM that would please bass heads.



Mids

The BD005 Pro is slightly V-shaped in terms of the sound signature. The mids are rather neutral, though they tend to be pushed back as compared to the bass and treble. The lower mids tend to thaw into the mid-bass region. This in my opinion is not due to "bass bleed", but simply because of the V-shaped tuning that tends to emphasize the bass over the mids. That being said, the notes have sufficient weight and don’t sound thin or suppressed. In terms of female vocals, I was pleasantly surprised by the BD005 Pro, since it wasn’t shouty or sibilant as several budget Chi-Fi options tend to be.

Treble

Probably the only area where the BD005 Pro could use some improvement is the treble. There’s a noticeable loss in this region with treble extensions being virtually non-existent. Although, this is not uncommon at this price point.

Psycho-acoustics

The soundstage is mediocre and the separation is average at best. This, however, is expected from an IEM in this price range. In terms of details, the treble is considerably rolled off, therefore, making it more suitable for mainstream users.




Conclusion

All in all, the Kinera BD005 Pro has a lot going in its favour, thanks to its low price, great fit, very comfortable and a non-fatiguing sound signature. I’d definitely recommend these to anyone who is interested in purchasing a fun-sounding budget IEM that can be used for hours together without any kind of fatigue or discomfort.

For more reviews, check us out at: www.perrivanaudio.com
Driver Setup: 1 Dynamic Driver + 1 Balanced Armature
Price: 33 USD

Intro ​

Disclaimer: Disclaimer: This review set was graciously lent to me by a friend and the review is written of my own accord.

While most of you might know, Kinera Audio launched QoA in December 2020 and we managed to get our hands on the Vesper, which was the last hybrid set we reviewed. Now with Kinera themselves launching a new hybrid model that was priced at a much more competitive point, how will the BD005 Pro perform? Let us take a look!

Accessories and Build Quality (Score: 5.5/10)​

The Kinera BD005 Pro comes in a hexagonal box and the package comes with a set of ear tips, the IEM itself, a carrying case, and a detachable mic cable. Although nothing fancy, they covered all the necessities for a decent package. I do feel that the ear tips were not what I would expect, it is rather small like what you see with most TWS earphones. It is nothing big, but based on my experience with the BD005 Pro, I would prefer a more conventional design of the ear tips. The cable design is very common in the world of chi-fi as if they are all using the same OEM manufacturer with minor tunings in design to brand themselves.

Fit (Score: 8.0/10)​

Fit wise, the BD005 Pro excels and it was really comfortable when wearing them over longer periods and I did not felt that my ears were stretched out or tired. The relatively ergonomic design did smooth out most of the contact points with my ears which is probably why I felt really comfortable with them attached to my ears. Seal wise, I felt that the ear tips had something to do with it where I couldn't get that perfect seal sometimes but I guess it is due to the ear tips being smaller.

Sound (Overall Score: 7/10)​

I would describe the sound to be rather warm with less aggressive highs as compared to other conventional V-shaped offerings. We were unable to graph the frequency response of the BD005 Pro, my apologies.

Sources used

• Ibasso DX120
• iPhone XR
• Atom DAC and AMP

Music and Albums listened with

• Alan Walker
• Billie Eilish – When we all fall asleep, where do we go?
• Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture
• Cigarettes After Sex
• One Republic – Dreaming Out Loud
• Keane – Fears and Hopes
• Nino Rota – The Godfather OST
• Fedde Le Grand – Cinematic
• ARTY
• Halo 1 & 2 OST
• Czardas
• Lauv
• Scary Pockets
• Hans Zimmer
• Aladdin OST

Bass (Score: 8.0/10)
The midbass has a good punch to it as well as being impactful when listening to modern pop works. Similarly, its sub-bass lines are clear and steer clear from being muddy or mashed up while providing good meaty response and that is the best part about the BD005 Pro in my opinion. Although the overall response is quite authoritative with some texture and depth, its separation and layering are not as defined as what one would describe as perfect bass.
It is definitely one of those IEMs that have above-average bass qualities in the price bracket where it is quite emphasised but in a positive way that satisfies most listeners and put them in delight.

Mids (Score: 6.0/10)
I find the lower mids to be taking a somewhat backstage here which makes male voices underpowered when compared to its bass response. However, its upper mids have that boost to give that sense of energy and clarity but it causes female vocals to sometimes get shouty which isn’t a huge bummer to me but felt that it could be tamed a little more. I felt that the mids on this unit was rather boring but it still manages to tiptoe along the thin line of sounding wonky and off which is a good sign and something that any make and model should achieve.

Treble (Score: 6.5/10)
The treble on the BD005 Pro sounds rather rolled-off with cymbals and percussive sparkles dimmed. It also does not have much "airiness" which is part and parcel of the overall tuning stance with the BD005 Pro. Although sometimes it sounds slightly unrefined and splashy which is hard to avoid as seen in many budget offerings, it does not cause any fatigue at all. A very good track to showcase that trait was me listening to percussive heavy intros such as "Friend like me" from Aladdin which I do not experience fatigue at all.
Although the experience was rather okay, do not expect a resolving and shimmery response with the BD005 Pro but on the other hand, the unit is fatigue-free which might be suitable for those sensitive to treble.

Overall
Its layering and separation capabilities are somewhat average with its soundstage sounding rather closed. Its imaging is decent as I was able to discern between instruments and placements rather easily. Its overall tuning was set to be rather warm with less aggressive highs which may appeal to the typical consumer but not for those who are looking for that sparkle and energy. I just want to conclude its sound with the point that technical abilities aren't the BD005 Pro's forte but its tuning should be its main selling point.

Conclusion​

The BD005 Pro is a good bassy and non-aggressive budget hybrid pick that has my attention due to its fit and design. It has a pretty sick value proposition which includes nice design choice, fit, and a safe-yet-fun tuning that can give you that bass boost that satisfies your cravings. To conclude this review, I can describe the BD005 Pro as "tastefully emphasised bass with fatigue-free experience that you can relax with".

Build & Fit
It would be a surprise if a Kinera IEM wasn't the looker. The Bd005 Pro is quite the looker if I am honest. The 3d Printed shell is similar to a semi custom fit, which translates to it fitting like a glove in my ear. Blissful comfort for me.
The faceplate has a "glassy" glossy finish to it, and indeed for the 49$ you pay for this, you are surely getting more than your worth at least when it comes to looks.
The cable is of the generic kind, which isn't to say that it is bad, just that there are better cables coming in stock form with other IEMs, but surely none of them are eyecandy like the BD005 Pro.
A feature to note is that the stock tips are quite shallow, even the largest size, which might pose some seal issues with big ears.
Finally, the best feature of all has to be the mic in the cable. THANK YOU! Why don't brands offer mic cables? It's basically a necessity. The mic cable means it's a dream to use it outside on the streets. I do wish it had volume controls as well,
but I guess I am getting ahead of myself in a world where mic cables are probably rarer than a hen's tooth.



Amp Needs
16 ohm @ 108dB/mW, i.e, no portable amp needed. Plug them in your phone and enjoy. These are extremely easy to drive. But 108dB/mW is quite sensitive as well. So do not plug this into noisy sources as it will surely pick up noise.



Sound

Lows
The bass is surprisingly clean and punchy, and more noticeably it decays fast! Never thought I'd find good bass in such a budget offering.
In it's price point, bass information is fine and not worth complaining. Impact is controlled, and it is slightly forward in comparison. You buy these for their bass performance on the budget.



Mids
The presentation of the mids are not exactly to my personal preference. The lower mids tend to get overshadowed by the bass. I find the entire midrange to sound a bit closed off and muted, but at it's price point
this isn't much of a concern. Vocal performance is good for the price range, but not the best I have heard. They appear slightly darker than they should be although with enough surface detail retained. That slight dark tilt is more noticeable on female vocals.
On the plus side this tuning can work well with genres that are badly recorded or compressed, avoiding the shoutiness in the mids that come with them.



Highs
There is a substantial roll off in the highs which result in an overall warm and dark tone. Good for treble sensitive people. For my tastes, it is a bit too dark. There isn't much detail and information to be extracted off this region due to it's tuning but
you get a very laid back experience that doesn't even come close to being fatiguing. Sibilance control is good for the price. The mid-treble region has just south of "just enough" presence in my opinion.
I can see this type of tuning work out for certain genres that don't take advantage of active treble.



Soundstage, Imaging and Dynamics.
Soundstage and Imaging is quite good actually. It is noticeably better than the Blon BL03 and the Tin T2. The imaging is very precise for a 49$ IEM. The stage has more width than depth but it is also above average, wider than most of the popular IEMs in this price class.
Dynamics are a bit lacking due to the laid back tuning.

Detail Retrieval and Resolution
These aren't the most resolving IEMs because of the slight closed off nature in the midrange, you don't get much spatial information in the music. When it comes to detail retrieval, these do a good job when it comes to surface level detail.



Conclusion
At 49$ this is the new kid in town, but there is serious competition to face from the likes of Tin T2/T2+, Blon BL03, Sony MH755. The BD005 Pro handily beats them in the soundstage and imaging department while the BD005 Pro has a considerably warmer and darker tonality than them. This type of tuning will appeal to a subset of the audience and complement genres that take advantage of bass.

Kinera BD 005 Pro ($49): Well, what do we have here?

3.75 stars overall



BD005

HiFiGo BD005 Pro link

I was contacted by Nappoler at HiFiGo to see if I was interested in reviewing the Kinera BD005 Pro. I have reviewed several Kinera IEM’s in the past a appreciate the company’s willingness to tinker with a model until it works the way they see fit. In addition to this, the looks often are among the best out there. So, knowing all of this I accepted his gracious offering. As per all, the Kinera is known to be a review unit and I have (nor have I made) any financial gain in the review or from the unscrupulous selling of the unit, which to this day is still really uncool. All that is asked is an open, honest review and it is understood that the unit may be asked back for or to send on to another reviewer. Until then, the BD005 Pro is mine to keep.



Specs:

• 3D Printed Earpieces.
• 9.2mm Beryllium Diaphragm Dynamic Driver Unit.
• Custom tuned 30095 series high-frequency BA driver.
• 2-Pin 0.78mm Connectors.
• Impedance: 26Ω.
• Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-20kHz.
• Sensitivity: 108±2dB.
• Termination Plug: 3.5mm.

Features:-

>3D Printed Earpieces.
>9.2mm Beryllium Diaphragm Dynamic Driver Unit.
>Custom tuned 30095 series high-frequency BA driver.
>2-Pin 0.78mm Connectors.
>Impedance: 26Ω.
>Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-20kHz.
>Sensitivity: 108±2dB.
>Termination Plug: 3.5mm.


In the Box:

Kinera BD005 Pro
4-core 2-pin (0.78mm) cable
3 sets of silicon tips (s, m, l)
Round zippered case
Community card
Contact card



Gear used/tested:

CCA C10 Pro ($49)
CCA C10

Shanling M0
HiBy R3 Pro Saber
HiBy R5s


Songlist:

Joey Alexander-Warna album and others
Mark Knopfler-Laughs And Jokes And Drinks And Smokes
Santana w/ Mana- Corazon Espinado
twenty one pilots album, Trench
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Big Head Todd & The Monsters-Beautiful World
Mark Knopfler-Down The Road Wherever
Elton John-yep, still good, still cool
Tidal MQA


Unboxing:

Kinera moved to a sextagonal-shaped box some time ago. Smaller in design and with very nice graphics, the environmentalist in me approves. Laden with all three of the three possible colors options on the front, and their familiar cursive font you are drawn to explore the top from edge to edge. The back has the ubiquitous specifications, a graph and product information as well as pictures of the three choices side by side. Tastefully done overall and much appreciated that none of the graphics scream at you in technicolor yawn (look it up).

Taking the lid off you are presented with the round zippered case tucked nicely into a form fitting soft foam blanket. On top of that are the two cards mentioned above. Unzipping the case, you are met with the BD005 Pro and the tips. Simple, straightforward and much appreciated again in the subtlety. The color that arrived is called Murky Blue and of the three, I like it the most.



Internals:

Over the years Kinera has tried many variations on driver configuration running the gamut from a single Dd to many BA’s. The BF005 Pro comes with a single 9.2mm Beryllium coated dynamic driver and a single 30095 Knowles balanced armature. I will not debate whether the dd is coated or not. It does not really matter to me as long as the sound is good. With a 3D printed shell as well to optimize the sound chamber, the quality is good and on par with other Kinera offerings.

Combined with the 108-dB sensitivity and a 16-ohm rating, the BDP is easy to drive no matter the source.


Build/Fit/Finish:

With a 3D printed shell, a choice of three colors for the faceplate (to match the shell), and a small, short silver nozzle the BD005 Pro has a somewhat customized look to it. Add in the “fin,” which helps hold the unit in place and one could easily be forgiven for mistaking this to be a custom unit. The Murky Blue looks quite stunning in the right light, with an almost midnight blue look to it, and the flakes of gold look like stars in the night as a result.

With a vent hole in the back of silver insert-type, the look is broken only by said vent hole and the short nozzle. This is just about if not the shortest nozzle I have seen on an IEM, and as a result the included tips are extremely shallow as a result. I am not happy with them, but when using other tips, the chamber is pulled too far from my ear canal and as a result, sound suffers. I am still working through tips to find the best fit/sound. Finding something with as wide of a bore, which does not hinder the sound has been a challenge. Settling on the large Final Type-E tips (yes even though they moved the sound a bit further out) gave me the best response. My suggestion is to throw the existing tips away.

The cable is a tightly wound silver-plated copper wired cable shod in black plastic. It lays nicely and does not tangle. With a right-angled jack the cable does look like any you would find from a Smartphone given or similarly priced IEM. The over ear guide sheath of clear plastic is supple and not stiff, and also lays nicely. This is a very good fitting cable, and you could easily change to another cable if needed.

The construction for this price is very good, and quality of the materials is very good as well.



Sound:

At this price you consider pretty much two things: 1. The competition, and 2. Whether you are spending too much/not enough. Going with #1 first, there are literally a ton of options at this price. I have another at the exact same price (compared below); and that is simply two of the plethora available. To say the market is flooded or full would be the proverbial understatement. #2 is more of a personal decision. On some of the forums, there seems to be a price point or rather a stigma against items above $25usd. Everyone loves a bargain, true; but what of those who have fulfilled their obligations at that price and want to move up market? I myself am guilty of this upon re-entering the portable audio world some years ago. I found the $50usd price as my first “benchmark,” but then quickly moved to $100 after reading some reviews. I enjoyed both levels, and (unfortunately for my bank account) moved WELL beyond that price into the stratosphere. Some will never do that for reasons I won’t get into other than personal choice or other. I would never fault anyone for stopping and honestly am jealous of those with such restraint. So, at the $50usd price point, you have options, and can certainly fulfill your needs and desires to the taste of your flavor.

The BD005 Pro (BDP, henceforth) is another iteration of a Kinera at a reasonable price. Above this and you get into the lower end of mid-fi so to compete here it must be good. And I would state that overall the BDP is good for the price, and as such a worthy consideration for those who prefer a slightly richer, and warmer signature. The combination of the dual driver technology may seem to limit the appeal and what can be heard, but not here. When you consider that some manufacturers are using single DD’s in their flagships, the combination here is much appreciated. I do like the sound quality emanating from the BDP and do consider it worthy of the range.

The bass qualities while not mind boggling are a worthy addition to the signature with a broad depth and a richness, which is quite fitting at the price. Quick of note as well, the signature while not bone crunching provides a solid foundation from which to move upward. There is a desire for more depth or a more impactful bass to me, but that should not be taken as a slight of what the BDP provides, but rather my personal tastes. Solid but unspectacular would be a good description.



With a V-shaped signature to me one might think that the mids are withdrawn or moved to the back. I would say that is not the case, but rather they are a bit subdued and not wanting to intrude. Guitar work comes across as succinct and present. Not spectacular or vibrant beyond your dreams or price, but rather present and pleasing, while not wanting to intrude upon the overall character. Decent would be close to an apt descriptor, but that might be an insult. Amiable would better describe it to me. And of character I do like as well. Playing Damian Marley’s Here We Go, which can become a grating song on the wrong listening devices, the sound is almost strident up top. Almost. But that is the nature of his work, there is a push up top, which can interfere with the mids to me. Add in a slight bleed from the upper bass area into the lower-mids and the sound seems to be a bit behind. This does not mean it is bad, but a good description would be smooth. Male vocals are present in good detail, but not like some such as the comparison below. Not bad mind you, but they seem to be a bit behind the overall character.

Using the above-mentioned song, to me treble can become a bit grating. Not overly pungent or overly shadowing the other aspects, but I do have to be careful with the volume. Moving on to the next song Nail Pon Cross, I find the treble good, with good weight and volume, again seemingly smoother with a bit of roll off. Volume has to be cared for again, but less so than the song before. This makes the uppers to me song dependent and with a roll off that I find not offensive. Those who value succinct and staccato-like treble may need to look elsewhere. This is not unpleasant, just not as detailed and oriented towards that smooth character instead. Personally, I prefer smooth over strident.



Soundstage/Imaging/Layering:

Wider than deep, there seems to be a loss of depth from the soundstage as a result. Moving to me towards the more intimate, this isn’t all bad and on Hotel California you get that sense of intimacy and a personal song sung into your ear by Don Henley. I like this sense of placement and sometimes prefer this to cavernous. Music dependent, this may not be the best for orchestral movements. It works for guitar work and rock, though.

Imaging is good, with an easily discernible placement of instruments. Not the most distinct but based upon the tuning not meant to me. Again, this bodes towards an overall smoothing of the texture. As a result, layering comes across like that layer cake where each layer bleeds into the next. It still tastes fine, but the distinctness of each layer is harder to come by. Moving on to the New Kid In Town, and the combination of the above “tactics” works to provide me with a smooth textured laid-back presentation. This can still rock, but in a more subdued manner. Here this combination works with the song seamlessly. I find this song particularly suiting to the tuning of the BDP. What this does for the segment is present a fairly detailed signature that happens to be of laid-back smoother textured nature, which seemingly goes against many at this price. I applaud the updating of this according to other reviews of the original I read in advance.


Comparison:

Kinera BD005 Pro ($49) v CCA C10 Pro ($49):

The other at this price of which I mentioned above, the C10P makes abundantly clear it does NOT favor a laid-back signature. More in tune with ChiFi of old and a more in-your-face sound signature instead, it presents itself as the dance queen of the party compared to the dude sitting on the couch pleasantly drinking instead. On Life In The Fast Lane, the song comes across as punchy and forward compared to the Kinera. This song is meant to rock, and in the C10P it does just that. Without the bass punch of the BDP though, you are left with a bit of desire to the overall character. Detail retrieval is better in the CCA as well. But that is to be expected due to the smoothed nature of the Kinera.

It would be silly to choose one as a favorite they vary so much in character. You could easily justify both, using the CCA to drive you up on your commute in the morning, and the Kinera to settle you down on that train ride home, such are the differences. Need a pick me up? CCA. Need to chill? Kinera.


Kinera BD005 Pro ($49) v CCA C10:

Thrown in more to see how far the CCA had come, while I find the original C10 pleasant, it sits more in tune with the KZ mode of loud and almost obnoxious, which some do prefer. The C10P almost bridges that gap, making you realize why you like the CCA brand in the first place. Why? Because it comes across as a mature KZ/TRN tuning and I prefer that to either of the other two. This is more an exercise in how far tuning has come in the last 2-3 years, and the trials in which Kinera has pained itself trying to find a niche while pleasing its fan base.



Finale:

Finishing my Eagles-tour reunion, I play Wasted Time. I do not find my time wasted though, as the song provides what I like about the BDP. Mellow in tune the song is, and the Kinera provides for that with aplomb. Not the best. Not the worst, but present and accounted for with enough to like that it should be a choice in the $50usd price range. A fellow reviewer commented how the Pro was a maturity of the original BD005. Not hearing the original, I will take his word for it. And I do trust his judgement.

The BD005 Pro is indeed mature compared to others in this segment, and if you are tired of those in this price, which seem to scream at you like those annoying Vroom commercials; then consider the BD005 Pro the alternative to buying a car at the lot. The self-centered enjoyable, laid back method to pleasing your purchase and it is worth it to me.

I thank Nappoler and HiFiGo for the review sample, the Kinera BD005 Pro is indeed an adulthood of the original.

Kinera DB005 Pro is not our first encounter with IEMs of this brand. Couple of years ago we were reviewing Seed and Idun models that have scored high in our ranking, although not without some nuances. Since than Kinera has released a number of IEMs, mostly hybrid type, but as we have noticed – done it selectively, less than a dozen, whereas each of the models was thoroughly tested prior to launch and given enough time to settle on the market afterwards. This can be seen from the posts by official Kinera Facebook page – how product information appear prior to the beginning of sales, than it launches and Kinera starts to collect customer feedback in direct and indirect communication and finally followed by the next product according to the current market expectations. The point is that, in contrary to some brands that stamp millions of IEMs, Kinera takes time to come up with another product and also takes user feedback and expectations into account.



BD005 Pro is not new to the market either. Its roots go back to 2017 when initial BD005 IEMs were released and became popular mostly in Asian region. Predecessor was also based on a combination of single DD and BA drivers but was less versatile by its fit. Pro version utilizes much more comfortable shape, retains the structure and replaces older model on sales.

Kinera BD005 Pro specs:

• Dynamic driver: 9.2mm beryllium diaphragm
• Balanced armature driver: 30095 series
• Sensitivity: 108±2dB
• Impedance: 26Ω
• Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz
• Jack: 3.5mm
• Cable connectors: 2pin,0.78mm
• Cable: 4-wires with mic and inline remote
• Cable length: 1.2m

Packaging and design:

Kinera BD005 Pro comes in small pentagon-shaped box which is common across most of Kinera IEMs. Box is pretty small but carries all necessary information – product picture and specifications, brand name and logos, company information and even AFR graph. Box also shows all available color options and clearly states which one is inside.



Inner box compartment is occupied by special foam insert that holds storage case at place. IEMs and its accessories are all located inside this case. Good way to protect all items during transportation and save some space and cost on logistics.



The full set is as following:

• Kinera BD005 Pro IEMs
• Audio cable
• 3 pairs of silicone ear tips
• storage case
• warranty and manual papers

IEM shells look to be made of plastic with resin coating over it that adds a lot to overall look and soft compound feel. Beautiful top cover with Kinera name and particles in gold has also been covered with a layer of resin which would ensure the protection from scratches.



Despite that there is a cover and thanks to such coating – BD005 Pro construction feels unibody and rigid. Shells are semi-transaprent but with our color option (Murky Blue) we can barely see the insides.



Large compensational openings are located on the back edges and additionally protected by aluminum grills. 2pin connector bases are slightly recessed into the shells to add some anti-bending protection. Sound output nozzles are made of aluminum and covered with aluminum filters.



Stock cable has 3.5mm TRRS jack since it is also equipped with mic and one control button. Such cable is good for the everyday use with a smartphone but doesn’t seems to be a proper option when we talk about maximum sound quality and good source equipment. It is better to be replaced with 3.5mm high-quality cable or some balanced options. Although, since BD005 Pro are inexpensive IEMs – looks like Kinera positions it for everyday activities and general user, rather than audiophile listening…



Fit: excellent. We consider such “custom”-like shape to be the best and most universal among all mass production IEMs. DB005 Pro would be comfortable for most of the people and during different activities.

Sound quality:

Tested with: Hidizs AP80 DAP -> xDuoo XD05 Plus DAC/AMP



Lows:

Kinera BD005 Pro dynamic unit is capable of delivering deep bass and punchy midbass with good extension and more than average texturing on of lower end. Bass presence is full and well-contoured but the amount is not astonishing or excessive. Lows can go as deep to make you feel it instead of hearing in bass rich tracks. But we still wouldn’t call DB005 Pro as IEMs for “bassheads” – it is more about extension and slight accentuation rather than huge amount. Midbass in its turn is rich and punchy, recreates drums with excellent expression and articulation. Good overall speed and control and doesn’t sound too bright or harsh.



Mids:

Lower mids are a bit recessed whereas upper mids are slightly accented. Male vocals would sometimes sound thin and distant. Female vocals are brought to front, sound very natural, transparent and emotional. Resolution on mids is decent, amount of details is high. The tonality is on the brighter side as a result of BA unit influence at upper mids range. The result is lively and detailed performance but a bit prone to lisping on female vocals, consequently. Bright instruments would also have this effect, compensated by good level of separation and high clarity of each sound.



Treble:

DB005 Pro treble is sparky and accented. Full of micro details and articulation with airy and transparent feel to it which forms the bright essence of the tonality. It might become too much at highest volume but stays balanced by other ranges at normal or lower levels. This is probably why warm sources would be more suitable — amount and extension would stay high while the excess of brightness would be eliminated by the source. Anyway, BD005 Pro treble is decent and not so overly emphasized as in some other hybrid models.



Soundstage:

Special demo recordings with precise instrument locations show moderate distance from the center. Stage feels neither too tight, nor too wide. Slower music genres sound good, leaving enough space for each instrument. No revelations here – just a moderate performer.



Sound in overall:

Kinera BD005 Pro sound can be described as V-shaped, tend to brighter and colder side of the tonality, with extended and detailed lower and higher ends, powerful midbass and slightly recessed but emotional mids. Stage size os moderate. Suitable for most of the genres but best to be used with some warmer sources.



Compared to Moondrop SSP:

SSP and DB005 Pro are similarly V-shaped IEMs but the nature of sound derives from the structure… SSPs are dynamic driver-based and adds more body to mids but lack in treble clarity and extension. DB005 Pro, on its turn, handles treble much more delicately, adding much more details but might feel too emotional on mids.



Compared to Kinera Seed:

Seed by Kinera feel much more neutral in signature with no obvious accents or peaks. It is even hard to tell that Seed IEMs are based on BA + DD units. Feels more like linear and less appealing sound of single DD driver or pure BA drivers tuned for monitor use. Consequently, the perception of sharpness, amount of details and textures is also less impressive.



Conclusion:

Kinera BD005 Pro joins very limited squad of inexpensive V-shaped hybrid IEMs with engaging, fatigue-free sound as a result of accurate tuning during conscious development process. The fact that BD005 Pro is a successor to a popular initial model also helped a lot to achieve the maturity and round all edges. Sound is engaging, detailed and bright with all possible disturbing outcomes brought to the minimum. Gorgeous look, decent build quality and nearly perfect shape also add to BD005 Pro overall high score among the competitors. We highly recommend this model for BA signature fans and for those with warm HiRes audio sources who search for the extra clarity and expression on a budget.

Kinera BD005 Pro available at HiFiGO store: LINK

My thanks to HiFiGo for the sample to test.

https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-bd005-pro-3d-printed-hybrid-in-ear-earphone


The Bd005 pro is in that familiar Kinera hexagon shape box and comes with a case similar to the Sif, inside I found some different size tips and a cable with a microphone, great for taking a call in the middle of use but I generally change the cable after the testing is done and began experimenting with cable and tip rolling. The accessories are of good quality and should make most people happy considering this is such a beautiful budget IEM.



I liked that the shell was protected in travel by plastic covers its a nice touch especially on something this price.
Comfort was way above average , to my ears they fit well with the medium tips put on, I found the default was a little small for me. The shape of the shell allows for a long listening session as does the tuning.

Sound:
Simply put the Bd005 is a Vshape signature made for a fun listen but it still has some good details to it.
Bass has a good punchiness to it Mid Bass is speedy and clear Sub-Bass can get deep depending on the recording and sources your using, the DD performs as would be expected providing a good balanced Sub-Bass and punchy Mid-Bass with control.

Mids are warm and robust with clarity vocals seem forward but the mids in general have that typical recession Vshapes have to a certain degree. Upper Mids are slightly boosted but this is only more noticed with bad recordings, for the most part Mids are good for a fun listen.

Treble: Is polite but its not without some sparkle at the top just not a whole bunch, the lower end seems a bit more boosted combined with the upper Mids it can seem bright at times but Bass is there to remind me its more twords the V signature than anything else.
Soundstage and imaging was above average but not overly wide compared to other IEMs in this price, I would consider it good and nature sounding with enough details.
Conclusion: The Kinera Bd005 is a interesting and safe tuned Vshape with compatibility for many different types of music, The shell is both beautiful and comfortable. I think it will be a hit with most people as a all a rounder IEM.

DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank the Yaotiger HIFI Audio Store for providing this review set at a discount. The Kinera BD005 Pro can be gotten here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001870377067.html


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Kinera BD005 Pro is a beautiful jack of all trades, sporting a rather coherent warmish V shaped tuning that is safe for the upper frequencies (compared to the usual CHIFI tuning). Other than looks, it scores above average points in most areas, but doesn’t have a particular department that it truly excels at to stand out in the ultra cut throat budget CHIFI market segment.


SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver configuration: 1 DD (9.2 mm) + 1 BA
• Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz
• Impedance: 16 Ohms
• Sensitivity: 108 ± 2 dB
• Cable: 2 pin 0.78 mm
• Tested at $49 USD

ACCESSORIES



Other than the IEM, the Kinera BD005 packaging comes with:

• 4 core 4 N High purity oxygen free copper cable (in built mic) – seems there isn’t a choice for a non mic cable. I generally don’t really like mics in the cable as they may be a potential source of failure down the line, not to mention sometimes they may add resistance, but I appreciate that some may like the mic for calls and meetings. The cable doesn’t have a chin cinch though, but is quite usable sonically, and is leagues better than the usual TRN or KZ stock cables.
• Eartips (S/M/L) – the stock silicone eartips come in a short nozzle config, so you might wanna tip roll to aftermarket tips depending on fit.
• Semi rigid carrying case.

For the purposes of this review, the stock cable and tips were used.


BUILD/COMFORT

Kinera gear are generally well known for having beautiful shells/designs and nice packaging, and the Kinera BD005 Pro is no exception. The resin shells are indeed very beautiful. In terms of ergonomics, they are very light, comfortable and well fitting. They actually look and feel like semi customs. The shells are on the larger side in terms of size, but I have used them for hours with no discomfort.

I didn’t find any driver flex for myself (but YMMV as this is somewhat dependent on ear anatomy and types of ear tips used). I liked that the Kinera BD005 Pro came with a 2 pin connector as they generally have better life span than MMCX types, for those who do frequent cable rolling.


ISOLATION

The Kinera BD005 Pro has good isolation, I quite like it as a transit IEM as such, though it won’t beat pure BA unvented types in this department.


DRIVABILITY

I tested the Kinera BD005 Pro with a Khadas Tone Board -> Topping L30 amp (thankfully the L30 didn’t blow up for this review LOL), smartphone, Shanling Q1 DAP, Tempotec Sonata HD Pro, ESS ES9280C PRO DAC/AMP, and a Khadas Tone Board -> Fiio A3 Amp. The Kinera BD 005 Pro is relatively easy to drive, and amping is not generally required. Though amping can increase dynamics, soundstage and perhaps microdetails a tinge.


SOUND & TECHNICALITIES

The Kinera BD005 Pro sports a rather balanced warmish V shaped tuning that is safe for the upper frequencies (compared to the usual CHIFI tuning). I’ve owned a few Kinera gear in the past and the general consensus in audio forums is that for the Kinera house sound, they are on the brighter (and more fatiguing) side, so this Kinera BD005 Pro’s tuning is rather atypical for a Kinera.

Technically, the Kinera BD005 Pro has above average details and imaging. Clarity and instrument separation are about average. Note weight is on the thicker side, and the notes do have a lack of edge definition/bite, so this might be a pro or con depending on personal preference. It results in a smoother and less fatiguing presentation, but those that want some crunch/bite in vocals and guitars might need to look elsewhere. Soundstage is above average in width/height, but not too deep, music can at times get congested with complex riffs or competing instrumentation. So to summarize, the technical performance of the Kinera BD005 Pro is above average at this price range, but not classleading in this aspect.

Timbre of acoustic instruments does have a slight BA timbre, so it won’t beat a well tuned pure DD setup in the timbre department for acoustic instrument realism. But I would say the Kinera BD005 Pro still has better instrumental timbre than most garden variety TRN and KZ hybrids, and it should be an all rounder for most genres of music.


Bass:
Midbass of the Kinera BD005 Pro is of more quantity than subbass, with midbass north of neutral, but not at basshead levels. Bass is a tinge on the slower side, with a mild midbass bleed and average texturing/details. The note weight is a bit thick and nebulous. Some folks may not like the midbass quality as such, but I liked that it added some warmth to the lower mids. The bass may smear in some fast bass movements and hence bass quality isn’t the tightest compared to comparatively priced competitors in the same price bracket. The subbass rumble is quite good like in well tuned DD sets, though subbass extension is not the absolute deepest, but will definitely not be absent from subbass focused tracks.


Mids:
Lower mids are mildly recessed, but are thick and coloured. As per the mid bass, some may not like the fuller lower mids, so YMMV. Mids details and texture are average but not class leading. Upper mids are boosted but are not as harsh as some CHIFI counterparts, so this is quite an atypical Kinera tuning per se. As per the Fletcher Munson curve, the upper mids can get hot if the volume is pumped up a lot, or on poorly recorded material, but by and large, it is a very safe upper mids. Notes have a lack of bite/edge definition in the mids, so this can be a love it or hate it kind of thing especially when it comes to guitar crunch and vocal bites.


Treble:
Lower treble is boosted as per the upper mids. There’s a dip around the 6 kHz area, and thereafter the upper treble extends once again (though upper treble extension is not the greatest). For me, this is a rather safe upper treble, but trebleheads will probably want a bit more air and sparkle. Sibilance is mild. Cymbals are not as splashy as some budget CHIFI. As per the mids, notes have a lack of bite/edge definition, and whether one likes this is down to your personal preference.


COMPARISONS

As per comparing oranges to oranges, I left out single DD types as they have different pros and cons among the transducer types:


KBEAR Lark (1BA + 1 DD; $29 USD)
The KBEAR Lark we will discuss here is the newer retuned version (not the 4 kHz boosted older version). The KBEAR Lark has a neutralish bright tuning and is not as warm as the Kinera BD005 Pro in terms of tuning. The upper treble on the KBEAR Lark extends more and is brighter and airier but can be more fatiguing and sibliant. Note weight is noticeably thinner on the KBEAR Lark and acoustic instrumental timbre is a tinge poorer on the KBEAR Lark.

Bass is tighter on the KBEAR Lark, and the KBEAR Lark has a bigger soundstage and better clarity.

The KBEAR Lark has poorer isolation.

I would consider these 2 sets to be complimentary sidegrades, it depends if you want a thicker and warmer sound (Kinera BD005 Pro), versus a more neutralish bright and thinner sound (KBEAR Lark). Both sets are very well accessorized and look beautiful externally, hence they will make good gifts for beginners to this hobby.


KZ ZS10 Pro (4 BA + 1 DD; $35 USD)
The venerable KZ ZS10 Pro is more V shaped, with hotter upper mids and more midbass thump (quantity). The KZ ZS10 Pro has poorer isolation, poorer accessories and poorer instrumental timbre.

In terms of technicalities, the KZ ZS10 Pro is slightly better in soundstage, details, instrument separation, clarity and details, but this hotter upper mids/lower treble area can make it more fatiguing for treble sensitive folks, compared to the smoother Kinera BD005 Pro.


TRN V90S (5 BA + 1 DD; $43 USD)
The TRN V90S is also V shaped, and has a tighter bass than the Kinera BD005 Pro. The upper mids on the TRN V90S are also smooth when compared to the Kinera BD005 Pro, however, the TRN V90S has greater treble extension and can be more sibilant and fatiguing in the higher treble. Note weight is thinner and tonality is more analytical on the TRN V90S.

The TRN V90S has poorer isolation, poorer accessories and poorer instrumental timbre. Technicalities are slightly better on the TRN V90S.


CONCLUSIONS

The Kinera BD005 Pro is a beautiful jack of all trades, sporting a rather balanced warmish V shaped tuning that is safe for the upper frequencies (compared to the usual CHIFI tuning). For a budget hybrid, other than looks, it scores above average points in most areas (eg timbre, technicalities, tonality), but doesn’t have a particular area that it truly excels at. And at this cut throat budget price bracket, that makes it quite hard to stand out from the extremely stiff competition (eg there are some sets that excel at timbre, though at the expense of technicalities, and vice versa).

Nevertheless, the Kinera BD005 Pro would be an all rounder for most genres, and the note weight is thick and tonality is generally quite good and non fatiguing. Coupled with the beautiful shells and packaging, it would make a good introductory set to those who are new to this hobby (though recalcitrant CHIFI addicts will probably have something better in their inventory).