Build Quality and Fit
I had forgotten just how pretty kinera iems look like as I'm reviewing their product after a long time. The design is a bit understated compared to their previous offerings. The cable quality is good and pretty to look at as expected. But this time however I had trouble with the fit. While the shell girth isn't that big and neither is the stem thickness, the sheer height of the shell posed an issue for me. I switched to TangZu Tang Sancai tips which were at hand as they are more flexible and softer. Even then, I did find discomfort after around 15 minutes of use. Your mileage may vary, given that my ears aren't particularly big.
Amp Needs
At 14 ohm, 105dB/mW these are indeed quite low impedance, but the high sensitivity makes it easy to drive. No dedicated amplifier needed for these. However, a good dac is most for headroom.
Sound Quality
These have all possible kinds of drivers inside: DD, BA, Estat, bone conduction. However, the proof is in the pudding. My previous experience with bone conduction drivers have been really negative. And moreover, their efficacy is debatable. I was pleasantly surprised when I tried the verdandi. It is definitely a flavored tuning but it is tuned with intention. Let's tackle the bass first and explore whether the bone conduction driver does anything or not. The answer is, I don't know. The bass quality is really good. It has good quality bass and so is the quantity which is very satisfying. Compared to some other iems that do bass very well, the bass of verdandi has a satisfying enveloping quality to it which increases immersiveness. As if your head is in between a bubble of deep bass. Although I've heard sharper attack from other iems like the IE900. Mids do not draw attention in any way, it feels neutral in terms of presentation and tone. Up until you get to the upper midrange. No this is not the usual Harman target shout fest but there is a peak in the later portion of the upper midrange and lower treble, and it's tastefully done. Surprisingly tastefully done. It reminds me of the Sennheiser HD560s which also had a boost in the same region. It helps unveil the sound more by unmasking the details and overall resolution. It also adds a nice shimmering quality to the sound, but to my ears it's not over done, which is key. I know many people are sensitive to peaks in this region but I'm not one of them, in fact I quite like it.
There is a nice coherence between the mids and treble which feels smooth. There is no lack of air and space in the treble, and it manages to do so without any fatigue or splashiness to it. I would categorize this as an analytical type of sound but without any major flaws in the tuning. Very similar to the HD560s in terms of style.
Conclusion
Looks? Check. Sound? Check. However, given the price is 1200 USD, competition is very stiff!
I had forgotten just how pretty kinera iems look like as I'm reviewing their product after a long time. The design is a bit understated compared to their previous offerings. The cable quality is good and pretty to look at as expected. But this time however I had trouble with the fit. While the shell girth isn't that big and neither is the stem thickness, the sheer height of the shell posed an issue for me. I switched to TangZu Tang Sancai tips which were at hand as they are more flexible and softer. Even then, I did find discomfort after around 15 minutes of use. Your mileage may vary, given that my ears aren't particularly big.
Amp Needs
At 14 ohm, 105dB/mW these are indeed quite low impedance, but the high sensitivity makes it easy to drive. No dedicated amplifier needed for these. However, a good dac is most for headroom.
Sound Quality
These have all possible kinds of drivers inside: DD, BA, Estat, bone conduction. However, the proof is in the pudding. My previous experience with bone conduction drivers have been really negative. And moreover, their efficacy is debatable. I was pleasantly surprised when I tried the verdandi. It is definitely a flavored tuning but it is tuned with intention. Let's tackle the bass first and explore whether the bone conduction driver does anything or not. The answer is, I don't know. The bass quality is really good. It has good quality bass and so is the quantity which is very satisfying. Compared to some other iems that do bass very well, the bass of verdandi has a satisfying enveloping quality to it which increases immersiveness. As if your head is in between a bubble of deep bass. Although I've heard sharper attack from other iems like the IE900. Mids do not draw attention in any way, it feels neutral in terms of presentation and tone. Up until you get to the upper midrange. No this is not the usual Harman target shout fest but there is a peak in the later portion of the upper midrange and lower treble, and it's tastefully done. Surprisingly tastefully done. It reminds me of the Sennheiser HD560s which also had a boost in the same region. It helps unveil the sound more by unmasking the details and overall resolution. It also adds a nice shimmering quality to the sound, but to my ears it's not over done, which is key. I know many people are sensitive to peaks in this region but I'm not one of them, in fact I quite like it.
There is a nice coherence between the mids and treble which feels smooth. There is no lack of air and space in the treble, and it manages to do so without any fatigue or splashiness to it. I would categorize this as an analytical type of sound but without any major flaws in the tuning. Very similar to the HD560s in terms of style.
Conclusion
Looks? Check. Sound? Check. However, given the price is 1200 USD, competition is very stiff!