Kinera Celest Gumiho

The Celest Gumiho was released back in 2022. Holding a SPD (Square Driver Planar) driver in combination with a BA. This was send in from Kinera Clest under the banner #stillgoodchifi I have to say for for being released for almost 2 years this set for i still think hold some value even today. Even do the the budget segment has ben shifted alot recently. In the last year to even 6 months. But lets dig a little deeper.



Tonality: This set can be used for very special cases, in which that sound is represented in a very natural way and is being placed in space. That is mostly the case in Jazz, Orchestra, Live and studio recordings. It does very well in term off tonality on the organic instruments. I kinda has a filter build separating natural sound and digital synths for some reason it’s very hard to explain in this case. a real recording of a piano feely way more vivid and lively then a digital keyboard or even a played into a computer program.
With Orchestra music I have to make a note as well that everything is played back in a natural way except for the Drums the delivery of the punch that is not there. What makes it kinda unnatural is a weird feeling about them.

Bass: Seb-bass is there, it is evident but not over done to my taste. it has enough ruble and texture without taking some of the details that the midbass can bring to the table. The midbass although being maybe a little boosted to my feeling and slightly bit more prominent. But it stil feel natural and allows room for all the other ranges to be heard still.
Overall the fast in attack and decay are also quick but we are used to that by now from a Planar driver. The agility that it has still for over being 2 years old is still good.

Mids: The lower mids are dipped by not being that forwarded. It’s feels like a V-shape dip. the mids in general doesn’t feel boxed off in anyway what can happen if you put the put the mids to high up. the straight of the guitars where lively good in strength on there own. The old Jazz recordings from before the Volume War are amazing for this set.
The upper mids are very familiar, more forwarded but again not unnatural like a lot of newer and older set can have still. Brass instrument where superb for me no denying that!
Vocals are there, but they don’t reveal themselves in what i mean by that is right in your face vocals. I found female vocals can be harsh at time not always might depend on the mood and tone there singing at. Male vocal got that organic feel back that the midd bass brings for them.

Treble is to be honest my least favorite part of the set. the detail retrieval is okay, not as much air as I liked for a Planar, the Cymbals and the HI-Hats are not over prominent and are properly placed. For me they didn’t over as harsh as even never sets can do that you realize that attack of the Cymbal that overtakes everything.

Soundstage wise it is rather wider than is tall and it goes for the depth that cotribus to the plane for positioning of the instruments. Sometimes it feel like your in that little venue where to do some opera and jazz shows and I kinda like for some reason that small cozy place.
Separation is okay on most frequently in some region might overlap more than i whut liked to be honest. it sometimes feels i’m listening to a Vinyl where they have to combine the bass notes since there is not other way to cut it.

But in all fairness the all said and done. is this a set i can say i can recommend to someone new in 2024 in the hobby. it a tough one it really is. Is 50 usd so we have a lot of decent sets now a days in the range special the last 6 moths. It though it might depend really on the use case of the person. what they kind of music they like and of they like the shell that might be a polarizing thing to be. If the person likes the asectics off the shell. I havn’t seen it redone now. I just can hope that your thinking about wil you enjoy the music.

Coming late to the party, I have taken my time to both give this set some burn-in as well as to mature my ideas after taking a break from them. At first I didn't enjoy them, to later come to conclusions on why I think they have been so valued and have actually grown on me.

Kinera's sub-brand Celest has been working up the ranks with a budget mindset, whilst taking bold risks that so far have done them well. Gumiho is their first iteration on Planar technology, using their own 10mm Square Planar Driver (SPD) design, pairing it with a BA driver, managing to only have 9 Ohms of Impedance, which is quite easy to drive in terms of power. Quite impressive for a 50$ budget IEM.



Onward to what you came here for:

Bass Domain

Definitely the most surprising and intriguing aspect of this set.
Sub-Bass is evident but not overdone. It carries enough rumble without taking detail from the midbass.
The midbass, although being boosted and more prominent, still feels natural and allows room for all other frequencies to be rightfully presented.
Overall agility is above the price bracket: fast attacks, decays are also quick but comparatively not as fast and can become sluggish on naturally long decayed percussion instruments like the bass drums on Brazilian "Forró" music genre, on which will sound it will sound "overcrowded" or congested.
The punch is there but it is no basshead slam.

Midrange

On the lower mids you can still feel a bit of the V-shape dip followed by a not so forwarding mids curve. I am especially sensitive in this area and it leads to the sense of boxyness and veiled percussion (toms, snares, claps). Lower register comping like pianos, acoustic/electric guitars and also male choirs feel on a second plane, less textured less evident, as if you are listening to a live band and these instrument players are positioned behind the lead ones.
This was surprising to me in a good way because I found myself really immersed in live recordings, specially in jazz, modern and old.
The Upper Mids are more familiar, more forward but not unnatural like a lot of 2022 models that followed the trend. Here I have found plucked instruments and brass instruments to be super textured and detailed (harps, steel stringed guitars). These really are a delight. On the other hand, some over the top trumpet blows and guitar solos can sometimes be peaky and disturbing.
Vocals are there, but don't reveal themselves right in your face, nevertheless female's can sound harsh sometimes.
Additionally, you can notice the difference in forwardness of higher pitched snares in detriment to lower pitched snares, in which Hip-Hop can sound punchless if the percussion finds itself more on the lower mid range rather than the upper mid range, so very inconsistent results on this genre, for me.

Treble

I find it the least inviting part of the set. Reasonable detail retrieval, not much air, but gets the job done without fatiguing the ears. Cymbals and hi-hats are properly placed, aren't harsh but also aren't sparkly. There is not much texture to be had on soprano orchestral instruments, they are there, but are lean.
I feel that a bit more presence and air would affect the soundstage more positively, and ultimately contribute to better imaging characteristics.

Tonality

I feel this set was made for specific uses, in which it sounds superbly natural and well placed, and that is in jazz music, both live and studio recordings. It does specially well in terms of tonality on organic instruments, contrasting with the not so natural tonality on digital sounds (digital synths, sampled sounds).
Orchestral music almost sounds exact except for the drums, in which it packs an above average punch making it less natural.
At the start of listening to these, it takes time to understand its tuning. It is very different from the competition, thus becoming interesting and bold, and suits some genres better than others, so it becomes dependent on the user's library.

Technicalities

Soundstage

Rather wider than taller; and has good depth that contributes to that 2 plane positioning of instruments - a closer one and a more distant one. It feels like you are at a small venue concert. This is a very characteristic perk of this set, hence me liking it so much on Jazz and Orchestral Classical music.
It's an immersive experience but you dont get the "outside of the head" feeling you get on sets with bigger soundstage.

Imaging

The Lower Mids and Treble have unimpressive details overall, with not much texture nor separation. The Upper Mids are more detailed in comparison but it is on the Bass domain that you get the best details and textures. Nevertheless separation is only okay on most frequencies, being more evident in the bass domain.
When tracks get busy you can clearly understand you can pinpoint more information on some frequency ranges than others.
Beware this is not a technical/analytical set at all.

Aesthetics

I'm not a fan of the printed art on their units, I think it gives them a toy and cheap vibe. It might be a deal breaker for some people but their blank versions also (without drawings) feel empty or overly simplistic. It's like taking the logo out of a car's front grill - it just feels like something is missing.
This is a very personal aspect, and a minor issue that only some may feel it affects them.

Other Uses

Suitable for immersive gaming including FPS games, but not the best for competitive (still too much bass to be focused on footsteps). Still, it has a good sense of depth and vertical positional audio.

Acceptable use on daily tasks like phone calls or media consumption, yet the timbre is not the most natural.

Final Words:

This set keeps on giving, surprising and being a blow of fresh air among other 50$ sets of its year (2022) and even 2023.
Like the title says, it stands as the perfect Introduction to planar agility while also becoming timeless and unmatched for listening to specific genres like Jazz.
This one will be kept and be referred to a piece of history on IEMs, not by its perfect tuning or technicalities but for a bold move of a company like Celest/Kinera to risk something new and push the envelope on audio gear, allowing us new flavors and means to enjoy the music we love.

Thank you for stopping by,
Miguel

Kinera Celest Gumiho : Amazing Performance for the Price!


Summary:

Launched in late Aug'22, Celest Gumiho is the very 1st Planar IEM from Kinera. It comes with proprietary SPD Planar driver+1BA hybrid architecture and till date has been the most affordable Planar IEM.



Disclaimer: Kinera had sent me a review unit for my impressions & views. The opinions below are based on my experiences with the unit and my own. I have tried to be as comprehensive & comparative as I could be - to give a complete picture to the audience.



Introduction:


Let's quickly dive into what the Celest Gumiho has to offer. In pursuit of better sound for the price, the GUMIHO is a hybrid featuring a newly developed 10mm SPD Planar driver + 1BA. The drivers allow to achieve better bass experience on a planar.

The CELEST GUMIHO is priced at $49




Design & Build:

The CELEST GUMIHO comes with a Plastic shell which is very light and has a comfortable fit on most ears. I have tried it through long audio sessions and it fared very well throughout.

It is described as the following on the website:

Gumiho has a 3D printing shell cavity. With the technique of 3D relief, finely engraved cloud patterns, depicting a lifelike scene of Gumiho stepping on the clouds and riding the wind. Black/silver cavity and high saturation color matching is the main tone. Pure white Gumiho texture as the starting point, golden auspicious cloud texture and red tail of Gumiho pattern are embellished, which fully reflect the Chinese color in the earphone cavity. Bright color matching and unique embossed patterns make the classic nine-tailed fox combine with modern aesthetics and trendy colors. The overall design strives to be simple and can reflect a sense of luxury.
It has unique cavity and smooth contour lines of the earphone shell. With the frosted process, it is carefully crafted, which can see the rigor of ingenuity.

It adopts Kinera new generation of 10*10mm Square Planar Driver for bass. After testing hundreds of driver materials, at last our own planar material & mechanical design was achieved. It breaks through in the low-frequency limit of dynamic driver. With excellent transient response, the low frequency maintains a sense of depth and volume.

Kinera Custom BA Driver is used for high frequency. The sound is delicate and elegant, comfortable and durable. Combination with the middle and low frequency is natural and harmonious.
..




Specifications:


The CELEST GUMIHO comes at $49 price tag and specifications are as below:

https://www.kineraaudio.com/product/celest-gumiho




The Box & Accessories:




The Accessories:

The GUMIHO package now includes…

• One pair of Celest Gumiho In-ear monitors.
• One 3.5mm Silver plated copper + Alloy pure copper cable.
• Six pairs ( 221 & 822 ) of Celest Custom ear tips.
• Storage Bag.
• Clean Brush.
• User Manual.

NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SOUND....

Items Used for this Review:

DAC/AMP & Dongles: @Questyle M15 Dongle DAC/AMP, Cayin C9 Portable Amplifier
Portable Players / Sources : Cayin N8ii, @Questyle QP2R, Lotoo Paw Gold Touch, A&K SP1000M
Streaming Source: QOBUZ



Ear Tips:



I've tried tip-rolling with a variety of tips such as: @Final Audio E series red & black ones, JVC Spiral dots, Spiral Dots+, @SpinFit Eartip CP500, CP155. Out of all of these I have found the AZLA SEDNAFIT to be the best fit for my ears in terms of overall fit, isolation & comfort.

Gaming via Gramr Cable:
The Kinera Gramr cable can be paired with the GUMIHO and that combination makes the IEM ideal for gaming with a boom microphone...



Tracks Used:
The tracks I have used can be found from the below playlist that I have used and generally use for most reviews...





CELEST GUMIHO Sound Impressions in Short:

The BASS:

The GUMIHO comes with good bass performance for the price range and specially for a planar IEM. The sub-bass has details and the mid-bass comes with enough rumble and slam. In tracks like: "Fools Paradise (LP Version) – Donna Lewis" and "Chocolate Chip Trip - Tool" you can feel the bass attack and also hear all the tiny nuances' of the sub-bass.

The MIDS:

The midrange comes with ample texture and clarity in the GUMIHO. There is good amount of muscle and texture and the instruments sound very lively and enjoyable. Vocals are very immersive and both male and female vocals come with ample amount of details and feel very real. Transients are good for a planar. In tracks like: "Anchor - Trace Bundy", "A dog named Freedom – Kinky Friedman" and "Ruby Tuesday – Franco Battiato" it’s really easy to get lost into the music as it comes with ample detailed transients, texture, excellent vocals and details.

The TREBLE:

The treble feels quite engaging without being fatiguing or offensive. The treble performance was quite enjoyable and Cymbals sound very life-like and real in tracks like “Chocolate Chip Trip – Tool”. However, there might be slight loss of details in certain cases - but I guess that is nit-picking.

Treble in tracks like: "Paradise Circus – Massive Attack", "Mambo for Roy – Roy Hargrove” and "Saints and Angels – Sharon Shannon" feel smooth & creamy with the right amount of air and texture and just feels very buttery smooth.


The SOUNDSTAGE:

The Staging capabilities of the GUMIHO is the quite good and above average for price range. It comes with the right amount of width, height, depth and is well defined and just as much as the track requires. Tracks like: “The Secret Drawer – Bela Fleck and the Flecktones” or “She Don’t know – Melody Gardot” or “Bohemian Rhapsody (live aid) – Queen” sound amazing & enjoyable.

Separation & Imaging:

Imaging is quite spot on and location of each instrument can be felt quite clearly on the GUMIHO. Tracks like: “Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) - The Beautiful South “or “Hello Again - Howard Carpendale & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” just shine through. However, the separation is something you feel could be better.



Comparisons:

I was unable to find a suitable comparable IEM in my possession. Hence, I used a slightly higher priced Meze 12 Classic IEM featuring single DD and priced at $65 for the comparison.




CELEST GUMIHO vs MEZE 12 Classic:



Build, Comfort & Features: Both IEMs are well built and comfortable. The Meze comes with a mic but the GUMHO doesn't come by default.

Bass: While the Meze has more prominent Slam in the mid-bass, it clearly lacks the details of the sub-bass region that is found in the GUMIHO. The GUMIHO just has more details & clarity while the slam is not as prominent as Meze. Overall bass performance seems noticeably better on the GUMIHO.

Mids: The midrange on the Meze is quite recessed and lacks details. Vocals lack texture and instruments lack clarity. The GUMIHO comes with significantly better and more textured midrange with better vocal performances.

Treble: The Meze seemed too laid back while the GUMIHO came with much more engaging and enjoyable experience.

Soundstage, Imaging and Separation: The GUMIHO is noticeably better in all 3 aspects.


Conclusion:

The CELEST GUMIHO is a great all-rounder IEM for the price range and an easy recommendation. At this price point you can't ask for more.

Introduction

Believe it or not, the Kinera Celest Gumiho are going to be my first IEMS from this Chinese brand to review. First of all, I was pleased to see that Kinera has its website translated into Spanish and in it you can see all the information about the current models. There is a lot of information about this model in question and I will only write a brief summary, excluding all the driver controversy and the collaboration with Celest. The most important thing is that they use a driver with exclusive technology, it is a square planar driver (SPD, Square Planar Driver) patented by the brand itself. Although it is not a planar like the rest of IEMS, Kinera boasts of its own creation, something that allows it to be priced much lower than the rest. But the Celest Gumiho is a hybrid and also has its own customised BA unit, which is responsible for reproducing the high frequencies. The central design idea is based on the nine-tailed fox in the "Classic of Mountains and Seas". The capsule has been 3D printed and its embossing and engraving has been made possible by this technology. The design goes beyond the capsule itself and the packaging also has the same idea in its representation. Let's take a look at the rest of its features and its musical performance.



Specifications

• Driver Type: 1 SPD 10x10mm driver + 1 BA driver both customised by the brand.
• Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz.
• Sensitivity: 106dB±1dB.
• Impedance: 9Ω.
• Jack Connector: SE 3.5mm gold plated.
• Capsule Connection Type: 2Pin 0.78mm.
• Weight (IEMS + cable): 8.6g + 19.4g.
• Cable Length: 1.25m.

Packaging

The Kinera Celest Gumiho come in an eye-catching rectangular box, the outside of which is a transparent plastic sleeve, decorated with silver tree motifs. Completely well designed so that the inside can be seen, the presentation of the capsules and the idea of the motif - the nine-tailed fox - are enhanced. This is depicted on a kind of metal key ring that comes as an accessory. The packaging measures 141x100x35mm. When you remove the outer sleeve, you can see in detail how both the IEMS and the metallic reproduction of the nine-tailed fox are inserted in a foam mould with a decorated cardboard attached to its surface. Underneath it are the rest of the accessories, in brief:

• The 2 capsules.
• Fox with 9 tails.
• Light-coloured imitation leather bag with engraving of the 9-tailed fox.
• Instruction manual.
• Pure copper alloy + silver plated copper cable with 3.5mm SE gold plated plug.
• Cleaning brush.
• 6 Celest 221 Vocal Eartips (White), sizes SxMxL.
• 6 Celest 822 tips (black), sizes SxMxL.

For the price of the product, the content is quite good. For Westerners, the idea of an image being taken to such an extreme is perhaps a bit exaggerated and superfluous. In this case, the iconography of the 9-tailed fox is very prominent. But it should be respected as such and I am not one to criticise this fact. Apart from this conceptual design, I would have preferred a zipped case. On the positive side, both the cable and the tips have a signature of exclusivity. The cleaning brush is appreciated.



Construction and Design

I can't deny that the design of the capsule is even controversial. There is a choice of 4 finishes: all black, all white, black with the 9-tailed fox embossed motif and white with the same motif. There is also a choice of SE 3.5mm or BAL 4.4mm cable, or both. Other modular cables of higher quality are also available. Although these options increase the price, even the balanced option is more expensive.
The capsule has been 3D printed with a glossy, polished resin, with many rounded areas. The shape of the capsule, it has that crazy point, it's not the 9-tailed fox, can anyone say what it looks like, shamelessly? In Kinera's defence, the shape is not symmetrical, but has a rounded side and a straight side, divided in two, a long side and a shorter side. Yes, fans can criticise this design all they want, but I can tell you that the ergonomics of the whole is superior to other models. And the design is by no means trivial. It could be said that there are two distinct parts, although there is no division between them: the base with the external face and the 2Pin 0.78mm connector and the platform from where the mouthpiece is born. On the edge of the base, on the long flat side, is written "Celest" in a handwritten font and white ink. On the opposite curved edge there are three holes. As if it were a continuous disc, the platform from which the nozzle is tilted is born. It is like a wide, oblique funnel, which dares to emulate the negative ergonomics of our ear canals. The mouthpiece is short and has three levels. From the first step, it only grows a little more than 4mm. The smallest diameter is about 5.5mm. The outermost rim is 6.7mm. It is therefore a short and thick mouthpiece. Even the design of the grille is different: it is a metal plate with petal-shaped holes, slightly spiral-shaped, starting from the centre, in which there is another hole, this time round and much smaller.
The cable is of the Cruella de Vil type, with two white wires and two black wires. It consists of 4 strands, 2 of pure copper alloy and 2 of silver-plated copper. They are protected with soft PVC. Each strand is 1.3mm thick and has 124 strands of 0.05mm. The length is 1.25m, with a 2Pin 0.78mm interface. The plug is 3.5mm SE gold-plated pure copper. All other parts of the cable are aluminium alloy. The plug sleeve is cylindrical and black and reads "Celest" longitudinally, in white letters. The splitter piece is another black cylinder, in the shape of a barrel. The pin is a black, holed sphere made of resin. The connector sleeves are also black cylinders and the plate from which the 2Pins are born has a red colour for the right side and a transparent colour for the left side. Both channels are shaped over the ear. There is a velcro strap to collect the cable.
I insist, the design is neither simple, nor discreet. On the contrary, it is eye-catching and decorated. The shape is also eye-catching and has a "dangerous" external resemblance. But I think the whole should be applauded, both for the effort, for the iconography and for the daring to give a different and striking model.



Adjustment and Ergonomics

As I mentioned, the design of the capsule is by no means trivial. The rounded rim rests on the outer side of our pinna and the mouthpiece slopes towards the canal. You can tell that there is a lot of work behind it to make the fit good, at least for most people. It is true that the mouthpiece could be longer, but its diameter prevents any hint of insertion deeper than the shallow one. The choice of tips can be fun, especially to free the sound from some congestion. I have opted for foam-filled tips, but, on this occasion, I have chosen narrower ones with a larger inner diameter, so that the mouthpiece is as exposed as possible. This type of homemade tips I make are based on the idea of the Symbio Mandarine, but I take the plastic core out of the shaped tips and put it inside various silicone tips. The fit is much more durable, the bass is more pronounced and sensory, due to the greater contact of the tips with the ear canals. Clarity is gained with the diameter of the inner core, which is usually wide to get the best of both worlds, present bass and extra clarity. The result is also noticeable in comfort, in a more occlusive, durable fit and greater isolation. The coupling with the Gumiho is quite optimal, it doesn't move and the fit is very good. I can only point out, as a negative note, that as the hours go by I feel a little discomfort, both with the capsule and the cable.



Sound

Profile

The profile has a rounded W-shape, where the highest peak is in the mid-treble. The bass is accentuated from the LFO's and rides linearly up to almost 100Hz. Then there is a quiet descent towards the 500/600Hz valley. From 1kHz onwards the curve becomes livelier to excite from 2kHz to 4kHz. Then it enters the classic control drop of the first treble and gets a bit out of control between 7kHz and 10kHz, where the BA driver comes into play.
It's a profile that combines a slightly dark and warm edge, with a later sparkle in the treble, which gives it a somewhat unwanted classic BA feel. The first part is dense and rounded, a little diffuse. The control drop in the treble is greater and does not help to bring more sparkle, clarity and luminosity to the whole, becoming subtly opaque and not very detailed.
For these reasons, I recommend pairing with wide-channel tips and cooler sources, unless you want to accentuate the warmer, darker personality of the Kinera Celest Gumiho.



Bass

The lower range of the Gumiho is relatively thick. Its curve is almost linear all the way down to 100Hz, which bodes well for its presence. It also has an appreciable punch, as well as a good sense of depth. But it is true that in terms of agility and decay it is not among the best. That's something that gives it that warmer colour, that fuzzy, more opaque feel to the whole. There is good control and projection in the delivery, but it is focused on the outswing, while the downswing is longer and rounder on the return. The SPD driver is not well suited for pure tone performance, which is also true of the BA drivers. I have experienced sonic anomalies when playing very low frequency pure tones, such as unwelcome distortions, as well as an unnatural sound. It is clear that the Celest Gumiho failed this test, but this is not real music, just pure tone reproduction from 20Hz to 100Hz that I do to test the actual loudness of these frequencies and their response to the stress that this entails. It is also not very suitable for reproducing unfiltered bass, dirty or complex tones, especially if this is mixed with relatively high volume. The driver suffers under these conditions, even showing distortion.
Back to real music, LFOs can sound coloured, offering a higher tone than the real thing, as if the driver wants to escape from the sub-bass reproduction. This prevents the level of depth from being greater, diminishing the physical and sensory sensation of the bass. In this sense, the driver is responsible for overloading the mid-bass, hence this area feels denser, rounder and duller, also with more energy, although it does not give the sensation of much air movement. The result can be more overwhelming, concentrated and less realistic. The sonority is more even and the bass lines are tighter. Likewise, the layered representation is not very layered, due to this tendency to agglutination of tones. Despite all this, the overall bass presence is noticeable and its emphasis dominates the music when it is part of the song. But it is also true that I feel a slight bleed towards the mids, as well as a lack of agility, dynamism, resolution and detail compared to dynamic drivers in the same price range. Presence and punch are not synonymous with quality.



Mids

The bad, or good, thing about being a reviewer is that one has tried many IEMS models before and comparisons can be odious. My first impression with the Celest Gumiho was that it was a darker and warmer set, rounded in the presentation of details and with a less natural touch at both ends. On the one hand, because of what I have explained about the bass, on the other hand, because of the BA driver. But the midrange is more natural in this sense, although it is not free from the darkness, opacity and lack of transparency of the whole. It is not a luminous or ultra-clear midrange. But neither would I say muddy or nasal. Despite the mid-high boost, the sound is not polarised at that point and the overall bass weighs more heavily on the overall tone of the music. Turning to the details, I feel that these are clearly cohesive, and they are infected by the soft character that pervades the whole presentation. They fail to separate themselves and there is a lack of resolution and definition that prevents many of them from being executed with all the finesse and delicacy they need. As such, the level of detail is again coarse and blunt, with little projection. Again, I am back to that fuzzy sounding sensation I have already felt in the bass and although there is no colouring here, nor do the notes coalesce, the level of darkness takes over the background to present it as more opaque and diffuse. I don't want to call this warmth, nor musicality, just that the technical competence of this driver is not the best. And yes, the Gumiho are warm and musical, but it's more due to their smoothness, roundness and bass-heavy tone.
On the positive side, the density of the first part of the mids offers a fuller and more corporeal presence of the male voices than usual. Whereas the female voices suffer from a lack of sparkle and vivacity. In them, warmth and a more organic, smoother presentation prevail. In both cases, the representation is quite good and I only miss a greater projection in its details and nuances to gain in height and extension. In this aspect, the recreation remains at a lower level, with a good proximity, but without the texture being complete, due to a lack of delicacy and level of resolution. Even so, the result is quite enjoyable, although the instrumentation as a whole remains in the middle ground, as far as distance is concerned.



Treble

Initially, the first treble is sunken, which can be seen in the graph. Then, the second half climbs quite a bit, only to fall back into the air zone. I think this tuning detracts from the sound of the Celest Gumiho. I miss the initial spark for the more appropriate recreation of both the vocals and the instruments. There is a smoothing patina throughout the sound and the lack of presence of the first treble makes the sound incomplete and sparse, too soft and warm. Neither the timbre is the most correct, nor the development of the harmonics is progressive. Meanwhile, the highs feel uneven, something that the BA driver does not fix. Perhaps the frequency division has not been the most appropriate, or perhaps such a tuning has been sought, trying to be soft and inoffensive in the first instance, to then generate a flash that is not very coherent. In the end, whether intentional or not, I think the treble tuning contributes to a drier, darker sound.



Soundstage, Separation

The best part of the scene is its width, which I would say is decent. The depth could be better, but the existing tendency in the bass, to agglutinate layers and tones, shortens the projection in this sense. On the other hand, the dryness of the sound and the softness prevent the expansion of notes and a greater sense of height. There is a limited amount of air and the perception of the background is diffuse, generating an approximation between elements that offers that sensation of density, opacity and cohesion. For the same reason, the perception of separation feels limited and is not very visible. On the other hand, laterality is good and the stereo feeling prevails. But the image lacks any three-dimensionality and vaporous feeling. The positioning of the elements is merely good, with no discernible distance between elements sufficient to highlight them individually.



Comparisons

TinHiFi C3

I like to compare similar IEMS to give a realistic weighting of the reviewed set. I know I haven't posted a review of the TinHiFi C3s yet, but I think they are the perfect touchstone for comparison with the Kinera Celest Gumiho. First, because they are the same price, as of today, both cost $49. Second, because their FR shares similarities. But if we start with the design, the differences are big. The capsule shape of the two models has nothing to do with each other. The Gumiho have a special, somewhat daring shape, while the C3 have opted for the classic semi-custom shape that never fails. Although the Gumiho have a more attractive design, the long-term performance, especially in terms of ergonomics and insulation, is superior in the C3. The Kinera fit me quite well, but the C3s are even better in this respect, I get a much more durable and occlusive level of fit and fit, without encountering discomfort as the hours go by.
In terms of packaging, Kinera have done more than their part by adding iconography associated with the model. There is none of that on the C3. The Kinera's come with a leatherette pouch to store the IEMS, a single set of silicone tips and a cleaning brush. The TinHiFi only comes with two sets of silicone tips, nothing else. As for the cable, except for the connectors and the black colour, both are very similar. They are twisted in the same way and have a similar flexibility, although the Kinera is even less rigid. The C3 cable consists of 4 silver-plated strands, while the Kinera has two strands of pure copper and two strands of silver-plated copper. The metal parts of the cable are analogous, with a slightly different design between the two, thicker for the C3, in a dull gold colour. But there is no doubt that there is a common style in both.
In terms of profile, while the Gumiho has a W-curve, the C3s have joined the second V, avoiding the drop in the first treble and assuming a profile much more similar to the Harman Target. They are also slightly cleaner in the bass. But I think the big difference is in the performance of both drivers. Kinera offers a first with its first generation SPD driver, while TinHiFi tackles the umpteenth iteration of dynamic drivers, whose diaphragm uses an LCP composite. It's clear that Kinera has invested in more creative R&D, but in terms of musical performance, the C3s are a cut above. Despite the C3's 32Ω and the Gumiho's 9Ω, the TinHiFi's are more sensitive and sound a little louder at the same output level.
In terms of sound, the first thing that strikes you is the difference in brightness between the two. I have already mentioned that the Gumiho have a dark, muffled and rounded look. The C3s are more normal and natural, not that they are bright either, but they are much more neutral in this respect. The bass is tighter, dryer, more concise, agile, fast and compact in the C3s. In the Gumiho, there is a more rubbery representation and a slower decay, with a more visible and longer recovery. The bass is more dynamic in the C3, its movement is faster, the bass lines are more precise, without smearing. The Gumiho, on the other hand, presents the layers and lines in a more diffuse way, with less resolution.
In the mid-range it's all about definition, level of resolution, timbre and darkness. The Gumiho are more opaque and duller, details are more hidden, everything is warmer and less vivid. Again, the C3s are not a prodigy of clarity or brightness, but everything is more natural. The brightness and sparkle is there and the detail accompanies the voices and instruments all the way through, whereas the Celests only express certain parts of the spectrum. This makes the music richer and more accurate with the C3s, as well as having a more descriptive, nuanced texture. They are also more dynamic, agile and transparent.
In the treble, the omission of the first part in the Gumiho weighs heavily on me, as well as the unevenness in their representation, there is something wrong with them. The exposure is higher in the C3, achieving a longer and more even extension, everything is more in tune and realistic. The execution is finer, more appropriate, sparkling and vivid. The life of the treble is more natural and more accordant, with a more realistic timbre. All of this greatly influences the timbre of the other strips and is a great complement to them. Meanwhile, for the Gumiho it's a drag, adding to the reduced driver performance vs. the TinHiFi's DD.
If we talk about details, the blunter sound of the Gumiho will affect them, being less visible. The amount of treble in the C3s may work in their favour, in part. But it can also be more overwhelming in other respects and may hide micro details of other frequencies. Overall, the C3s offer superior visibility, but this is aided by a driver that offers more resolution and a better profile in this respect. But without being a completely revealing set, but very much in keeping with their price range.
For the price, the scene recreation on the C3s is very good, not that it has stellar separation and a totally dark background, or a sharp and defined separation. But it is very coherent, realistic and natural. There is a good level of depth, a noticeable width, even good height. The notes expand well, with freedom and palpable extension, giving it a certain degree of three-dimensionality. There is good laterality, stereo feel, simple, but visible and flawless positioning.
In the Gumiho, everything is more compact and cohesive. Details do not escape, the presentation is more frontal, with less depth, the scene is narrower and less high. The separation is smaller and the sense of intimacy is more noticeable.



Conclusion

It is clear that Kinera has made a creative effort in the design of the Celest Gumiho. The new, unique SPD driver is a real eye-catcher for the budget-minded enthusiast. And Kinera has created a model that is equally attractive and very much in keeping with its price range.
It is also worth noting that the Gumiho is a hybrid set, consisting of a square planar driver and a BA driver customised by the brand itself. All this suggests that we are in front of a great product, if we evaluate the level of packaging, presentation and iconography used. But the final result depends on the sound. And this sound is peculiar. The presentation is warm, with a tendency towards darkness, rounded and smooth. It is not a very fast driver, nor is it very detailed. In addition to this, there is a somewhat uneven distribution in the treble, which conditions the timbre of the whole. On the other hand, these are IEMS with a good bass performance, musical and inoffensive, in general. Finally, I would also like to highlight the ergonomic design of the Celest Gumiho.
It’s true that we are dealing with the first version of the SPD driver and that a second "full range" version has already been released in the model called Pandamon. But the competition is very tough and if you compare it with some of the IEMS with DD drivers of the moment, the Celest Gumiho are a little bit behind in technical matters. But there will always be fans who like a profile like the one described.



Sources Used During the Analysis

• Aune Flamingo.
• Earmen Angel.
• TempoTec Variations V6.
• Hidizs AP80 PRO-X Red Copper Limited Edition.
• ACMEE MF02s.
• xDuoo XD05 BAL.
• TempoTec Serenade X + iFi Zen Can.

Ratings

• Construction and Design: 85
• Adjustment/Ergonomics: 88
• Accessories: 72
• Bass: 72
• Mids: 80
• Treble: 68
• Separation: 65
• Soundstage: 70
• Quality/Price: 80

Product link

"Gumiho/Kumiho is a malevolent folklore creature from Korea, it is a localised version of a nine-tailed fox that was also prevalent in other East Asian folk tales. It is said that this creature takes the appearance of a beautiful woman to seduce young men to devour its entrails."


Welcome fellow audio enthusiasts to my another review article. I will do a product assessment from another sub-brand of Kinera and this is their first product, The Celest Gumiho.


Celest and the other sister company, QoA (Queen of Audio) are related to Kinera which is also known for their beautifully-crafted IEM resin shells with matured tuning. I've done a review on their IDUN GOLDEN which is now part of my main rotation for my listening session due to its likeable sound signature which really suits my tuning preference.




Celest Gumiho has a hybrid driver set-up consisting of a SPD (square planar driver) and a balanced armature driver. The square planar driver of this set became a talking point in audio community recently due to its idiosyncratic component as it is a dynamic driver in a sense with some principle and functionality of a planar. And as far as I know, Kinera has already patented this driver technology and we will expect that some audio companies might adapt this unique driver tech on their products in the future.


The shells of Kinera Gumiho are made of polycarbonate with a smooth lacquer-like finish. It has a Gumiho print on its faceplate that looks really good for this IEM's theme. It uses a proven 2-pin connector for easy cable replacement. Another feature about this item is it has a decent stock cable for its price range that is made of OFC silver-plated copper in 4-core configuration with 3.5mm termination plug.





As for fitting and comfort, Celest Gumiho sets well into my lug holes without any issues and it does have a good sound isolation for better listening experience.


Like its sisters, Kinera and QOA, Celest Gumiho has a commendable product packaging and with a substantial amount of inclusions.


Here are the following contents inside of the Gumiho:

■ A pair of Celeste Gumiho.

■ Gumiho pendant.

■ Combi-coloured 4-core OFC SPC cable.

■ Cleaning Tool

■ Different types of ear tips with variant sizes and bore sizes.

■ An instruction manual.

■ IEM pouch




As for driveability and amplification, with the tagline "planar" on its drivers, we will speculate promptly the possible power output requirement especially if your device such as smartphone and tablet which has only decent amplification for more common type of transducers like dynamic driver and balanced armature ones. But amazingly, SPD can be driven with decent power amplification but scaling them on better sources like quality DAC/Amps, Celeste Gumiho sound even more fuller with good dynamics.




To determine its tonal profile, Celeste Gumiho has a mild-U shaped sound signature. It has an elevated bass, a neutral and yet tad concave midrange presentation and uplifted treble.


Here are some of my observations on its sound characteristics on its overall sound spectrum.


LOWS/BASS

The bass of this set has an enough thump on it and satisfying depth but it is somewhat lacking in impact at this type of bass will not please the ears of uber-bassheads.

Sub bass on this one is somehow decent given that it has a subtle reverb and rumble. Mid bass is more prominent on this set as it has sufficient texture to give a substantial body on bass-focused instruments such as bass kick, bass guitar and the lowest type of male vocals, bass-baritones. Bass guitar has this sombre and broad sounding on every pluck on its strings, bass kicks seems to have a thudding and sonorous sounding every beat. And bass-baritones have enough power and depth yet it's a bit hollowed in my liking.


MIDRANGE:

Despite its slight recession on the overall sound presentation, Gumiho midrange has ample dynamics with sufficient texture and enough clarity. Male vocals appear to have more grit and volume to give that distinct guttural and power while female vocals has a more transparent tone to give captivating and soothing quality but it lacks being energetic and lively in my opinion.

Instruments in all types seem to exhibit a very natural sound. Guitar sounds in between being buttery and crisp while violin has this lustrous with some hint of metallic sounding. Snare drum has this shuffling and penetrating sound on every strike. Saxophone has this warm and reedy sound. Then the piano tone is leaning towards more of a warmer and rich sound. As a listener who has an inclination on the midrange part, I appreciate the quality of it and how it sounds very organic to my ears.



HIGHS/TREBLE:

Gumiho's treble seems to have some noticeable upper mid peaks that it has some borderline sibilance (probably the BA driver) in some of my test tracks especially in vocals tracking. Then a sudden dip in the presence region which gives me uneven and lethargic treble presentation which is tad less shimmering and laid-back but it gives some sense of smoothness and inoffensive tuning.


It has just a modest amount of air on the brilliance side of the treble region which in my opinion should have more air and harmonics. Cymbals have just enough sparkle and sizzle while hi-hats has the most accurate presentation with its shortened buzzing sound.



SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER PRESENTATION:


If I do some subjective estimation regarding its sound field proportion, it appears to be that it has an average to above average soundstage width, decent height and a good depth of distance on its placement between front and back. Imaging is rather like a typical two-dimensional stereo presentation that I consider as linear. It has decent gaps and spacing between instruments and vocal(s) and layering is rather average that it has basic contrasting and definition of its specific frequency layering within its sonic canvas as if I do some test on more complex, multi-instrumental tracks, Gumiho has a bit of difficulty on processing on this aspect as it elements aren't in order and struggles on its placement within its overall presentation.


Regarding the coherency and performance of its driver. It seems that the implementation of its hybrid drivers in which each transducer handles specific frequency but performance wise, it's rather a tad skew and "desynchronise" in my opinion. Assuredly that the performance of the SPD is pretty nimble to handle transient speeds for attack, precision and decay but the BA driver has this metallic and tinny sounding that gives the sound a bit uneven to my ears. Tonal colour is presented in a more organic manner with a hint of warmth and a discernible "BA timbre".


PEER COMPARISONS:

Since there are limited models of SPD IEMs from other audio companies, I will compare it to KZ's first planar IEM, the PR1 Balanced.


KZ PR1 (Balanced)


◆ When it comes to transducers, KZ is using a miniaturised magnetic planars which has a very similar form factor and performance with the larger planar magnetics found on cans unlike SPD quirky implementation. Like all KZ products, it has just bare bones inclusions that make its overall product presentation uninspiring for an unboxing experience.


◆ As for tuning, KZ PR1 is rather more of typical KZ in house tuning, V-shaped sound signature compare to a more mild U-shape, neutral leaning Gumiho.


◆ Technicalities-wise, due to KZ's planar. It has a superior and well-defined technical performance as it has better soundstage proportion, good layering and more detail retrieval.


To sum up my assessment on Gumiho. Kinera's newest sister did a good job of introducing their first product. Aesthetically unique shell design, generous loads of inclusion, decently good matured tuning and an affordable price. For sure that Celest needs some refinement on the tuning to make it more be even better but one thing in my mind that comes up the most matters, Celest delivers it cleanly and its pleasant tuning will please its listener.




You can check out more about Celest Gumiho HERE.



SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: Celest Gumiho

IMPEDANCE: 9Ω

SENSITIVITY: 106dB

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz – 20KHz

CABLE LENGTH: 1.25M

PIN TYPE: 2-PIN CONNECTOR (0.78MM)

PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm

DRIVER UNIT(S): (1) SQUARE PLANAR DRIVER + (1) BALANCED ARMATURE DRIVER



Some Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)


Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *

Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **

Mountain - Mississippi Queen *

Queen - Killer Queen **

Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*

Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'

Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'

Pearl Jam - Daughter **

Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *

Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*

Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *

New Order - Blue Monday *

The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *

Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *

The Madness- Buggy Trousers *

Metallica - Motorbreath **

Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *

Destiny's Child - Say My Name *

Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *

Mozart - Lacrimosa *

New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *

Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*

Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *

Exciter - Violence and Force *

Diana Krall - Stop This World **

Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*

The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection**

Suzanne Vega – Luka **

Lauren Christy – Steep *




P.S.


I am not affiliated to Celest nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.


Once again, I would like to thank KINERA Facebook page for providing this review unit. I truly appreciate their generosity towards me and other reviewers.

Celest, a name unknown to many, is a sub-brand of Kinera. They debuted in the market with their very first pair of IEMs, the Gumiho. Gumiho has created a lot of noise in the town, not only for its sound performance or affordable price tag but for its unique Planar driver unit. Different from a regular planar, Kinera has developed a special kind of Square-shaped planar magnetic driver. Gumiho features a hybrid configuration housing a 10mm SPD planar driver and a custom-tuned balanced armature driver. Launched officially for 49$, Gumiho has brought a lot of hope for budget IEMs with its new Planar hybrid technology. Let’s begin with my review of the Gumiho today.

Celest Gumiho was provided to me by HiFiGo as a part of a review tour in my country. I would like to thank them for this opportunity, this doesn’t affect my impressions of the pair by any means. You can check more about Gumiho on their website HERE

Build Quality
Gumiho comes in two different color options, Black and White. There are two more variants to the pair, with log and without. The one I have here is the black with logo variant. The triangular-shaped ear shells have the logo of “Gumiho” the nine-tailed fox from the Chinese mythological stories on the face covers. The pair is well-built. With a hard-plastic structure, the shells are lightweight. From the outer look, they might look irregular in shape, but the inner side has an ergonomic build structure that enables a comfortable fit. The shells IMO are compact, which also helps in getting a good, comfortable fit, atleast for me. Coming to the accessories, we have a bunch of ear tips, the stock cable, and a carry pouch. Stock cable looks decent, it has transparent and black outer sheathing, 2-pin connectors, and 3.5mm termination.

Sound Impressions
At the time of this write-up, I have spent around 60-70 hours with the set. I am guessing the pair is perfectly burned in now(as it was also used by a few reviewers before me as well). Being a Planar, Gumiho doesn’t require a lot of power to shine. Obviously, it improves with better sources but works pretty well off with a phone as well. I used it mainly with my Questyle M15. Gumiho has got a neutral to slightly brightish sound tone. The pair delivers good quality, resolution, and technical performance for its price point. The newly-developed SPD driver gives it a fast response throughout the frequency band.

Gumiho reaches deep in the sub-bass region and produces a well-refined sub-bass shelf. Mid-bass is a little elevated, the slams are punchy, quick, and precise. Midrange response is clean and accurate. Vocals at times feel lean, especially female vocals. Male vocals show good heft to them. Instruments are well-separated and precise. They also feel a little lean to my ears. The custom-developed BA delivers a crisp treble response. It’s a little elevated, and adds a little touch of brightness too to the output, at the same time benefitting the output with a lot of details and clarity. Gumiho extends well in the treble region.

Celest Gumiho creates a decently wide 3D soundstage presentation. The width and depth of the soundstage on the Gumiho are extremely good. Imaging and instrument separation are also pretty solid.

Conclusion
Gumiho is a great debutant product from Celest. Sure, it’s not a perfect pair and has got its own set of flaws, but overall a pretty enjoyable set for the price. It’s actually good to see that the Planar driver-based IEMs are getting more and more affordable day by day. Gumiho gives a good taste of planar technology at an affordable price!!

Kinera has come up with a brand-new brand called Celest. Celest will be focusing primarily on budget segment audio in-ear monitors with their debut product Celest Gumiho priced at around 49$. It’s a Planar + BA Hybrid earphone that houses a 10mm SPD driver and a balanced armature driver. SPD stands for Square Planar Driver, which is different from other Planar drivers in the market with a square-shaped driver diaphragm. It’s a full-frequency driver which is complemented by a custom BA driver for Treble region enhancement. This is my own opinion on Celest Gumiho.


Disclaimer:-
Celest Gumiho was provided free of cost as a part of a review tour organized by HiFiGo in India. I have no monetary benefit with this review, neither I am influenced by anyone to write positive or negative about the pair. All thoughts are based on my usage with the pair for about 7 days. I am no professional reviewer, just sharing my thoughts. If interested, you can check out more information on the HiFiGo website from the link below(non-affiliated).

https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-celest-gumiho


Design & Build:-
Just like its new Square-shaped planar driver, the Gumiho has uniquely shaped ear shells. The earpieces have a cone-shaped design with an image of a nine-tailed fox printed on the face covers. According to some mythological stories, this Nine-Tailed Fox is called Gumiho. Celest branding name is printed on the top side of the shells, while the bottom side has got three noticeably big air vents. The entire shell is made up of hard-plastic material. They are lightweight and sit comfortably in my ear with a good seal and good isolation with the pair. It includes a 3.5mm terminated single-ended cable with black and transparent sleeves. Overall, decent build, superb comfort, and good isolation.


Power Requirements:-
Gumiho is quite efficient considering it’s a Planar driver IEM. It ran well off my smartphone and with the Xduoo Link2 Bal, it just gets better.


Sound Impressions:-
Celest itself might be a new name, but the sister brand Kinera has got years of experience in developing earphones. The experience is evident with the Gumiho, as for a debut pair, it sounds wonderful. It has got a precise lower end with fast and deep-diving bass response. It transitions smoothly into the midrange, with good energy in the upper mids. Vocals are upfront and got good texture, and a rich tone. As soon as we get to the treble response, Gumiho delivers a solid performance again with its rich, detailed treble region.


Bass has got an exciting response with the Gumiho. It gives the overall sound a good body with rumbling sub-bass and complements hip-hop tracks with a deep-diving mid-bass response. The lower midrange is a little recessed and a little thin, but as soon as we transition into the upper mids, the presentation gets lively. Vocals have got a rich tone to them, female vocals sometimes sound a little sharp on high volumes, but everything else is good. Instruments have got good separation and clarity. Gumiho shows solid dynamic performance. The soundstage, imaging, and instrument separation are solid. Also, The SPD driver with BA works flawlessly, the pair sounds quite cohesive and rich. Although there are some BA tingling notes in the highs section. But they are more evident on louder listening levels. For normal levels no such issues.


Gumiho has got a good amount of details as well. The new SPD driver has got good speed and creates good resolution as well. The sound image with the Gumiho is quite immersive and enticing. Pretty impressed with the sound performance.


Celest Gumiho Vs Tripowin Olina SE
Compared to Gumiho, Olina SE is more balanced with faster Transitions, a bit less bass, and a more relaxed top end with more details. With Gumiho, you’re getting a solid budget IEM, which is very engaging and fun to listen to. If you want something which does everything right and sounds balanced you can go with Olina and if you want something fun sounding with deep sub-bass then Gumiho is what you should get.


Final Words:-
Celest Gumiho is a great-sounding pair under the $50 mark. The new SPD driver works in its favor and it pairs well with the added BA driver. I enjoyed my time with the pair and personally would recommend the set to people who want to experience, fast, detailed, and precise sound at a budget price. This makes the Gumiho an ideal choice for fast genres of music such as Rock, Pop, and Hip-Hop. Also, it performs well as a gaming earphone too.

Equipment used for testing: ifi Gryphon, Dethonray SG1, ifi Go Bar, ddhifi TC44C and TempoTec V6.
Tidal and Spotify high to master, FLAC, MP3 and DSD files with Hiby, Foobar and Music Bee


The Kinera Celest Gumiho is a new hybrid with 10mm Square Planar Driver + 1BA, the SPL driver is new kind of driver.
Inside the very pretty and ornate package you get the Celeste, tips of different sizes, a money pouch like case, the very well-made cable and a cleaning tool there is also a nine tailed fox charm as well.



Specification:
Plug: 3.5mm
Driver: 1 Planar+1 BA
Interface: 0.78 2pin
Sensitivity: 106db+ 1dB
Wearing Type: In-ear
Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-20kHz
Impedance: 9Ω
Weight (earbuds cable): 8.6g+ 19.4g
Cable length: 1.25m

Getting to build and fit, it's a well-designed IEM, comfortable and good looking, for its cost the build is exceptional. It should be noted the White has shorter nozzles and thus will fit and sound a little different.

Sound wise the Kinera Celeste has a pleasant tonality.

The Sub-Bass extends down deep with a more than adequate punch, it has a fast decay and maintains control while providing good texture and details. Mid-Bass has a little more emphasis, providing a good punch with very good speed.
Mids sound neutral with some warmth and present with a little recession but still have details and body, vocals sound slightly forward with their placement being accurate.
Treble was decently open and airy with details and sparkle; it was smooth and crisp without being overly harsh and normal volumes.

Soundstage: Presents with a wide yet natural field, it is accurate but not super detailed, it has a pleasant smoothness with good separation and clarity.

After thoughts: The Celeste is an under $50 IEM that will and can provide good technicalities and a pleasant non offensive listen with both a neutral and yet fun signature. It is well worth the cost.

(Random fact: A Gumiho is the Korean version of a nine-tailed fox. Legends say that it is a fox that transforms into a human, specifically a woman and wants to become a full human after 1000 years. In some Korean folklore, it is said that in order for a Gumiho to become a “true human”, she is supposed to eat a thousand livers of men within the span of a thousand years.)


Disclaimer:

• This unit was sent to me by Kinera themselves in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. Rest assured that this review will be free from any bias/es as much as possible.
• The following remarks and observations shall be made and owned only by me.
• No monetary compensation is/was involved before, during, and after the period of creation of this review.
• Your mileage may (and always, will) vary.

Burn-in time: 4-8 hours per day, 5 days.

Source/s used:

• Hiby R3 Pro Saber
• Tempotec Sonata HD V
• Venture Electronics MEGATRON
• Non-HiFi smartphone (Infinix Note 12 G96 Samsung Galaxy A6 (2018))
• Local Files via Foobar and Roon, YouTube Music, Deezer, and Qobuz with UAPP.

IEM/Earbud/Setup configuration: medium white semi-translucent eartips, stock cable, any form of EQ or MSEB off, 40-60% volume, low gain, without extra amplification.


Sound signature:

• Some say that the Celest Gumiho sounds neutral, neutral with a bass boost, or even neutral bright to them, which are all correct for me. If we’re being specific, the Gumiho exhibits a good mild u-shaped to my ears. It has the bass whenever the tracks need it, and also has that sparkly treble for treble-oriented tracks.

Lows:

• The lows in this IEM are powerful, but the slam is still quick and clean. Despite having a newly developed driver, the Celest Gumiho managed to exhibit the qualities of a traditional planar driver: quick in decay but keeping its texture. The midbass is a bit more dominant than the subbass, equating to a punchy bass response. Subbass still reaches deep whenever the track calls for it while keeping its composure during my tests with EDM and bass heavy tracks. To me, this would fit a basshead's needs, but if the user seeks a more hefty, thick, slurpy bass response, you may want to look for something else.

Mids:

• This portion of the sound frequency is the most "delicate" region in the Gumiho; its quality and presentation vary depending on what eartips you use. Using the white stock eartips included will make it sound more "correct" than the included opaque gray stock eartips. The lower mids are slightly recessed but are free from any perceivable midbass bleed. With the stock gray eartips installed, it will sound really thin and textureless to my ears. That is why I prefer the white eartips. With the white eartips, the lower mids exhibit good thickness, detail, and position. Sam Smith’s voice did not sound compressed at all, unlike what I experienced with the stock gray eartips. The upper mids are slightly elevated when compared to the lower mids, exhibiting a very good amount of clarity, air, and sparkle. The Gumiho managed to avoid any peaks, pierce, or sibilance during my tests, but I would still say that this has a tinge of brightness to it, and will become more evident when paired with the gray eartips. So, if you are sensitive to upper frequencies, you may want to look for something else, or use foam tips.

Highs:

• Moving on to the treble, it is elevated but not by much, well-extended, and airy. This is also affected when paired with the stock gray ear tips as it sounded “distracting” when paired with the said gray eartip. But with the white stock eartips, it is more airy, soothing, and detailed. Detail retrieval is above average during my tests as it managed to pick up small details easily.

Soundstage, Imaging, and separation:

• The technical performance here in the Gumiho lives up to its name-as sly as a fox. The soundstage is wide with moderate expansion, depth, and height. Separation is the first thing I noticed when using this IEM because it is really excellent and performs admirably when tested on very busy tracks, in my opinion. Imaging is also excellent and leans toward the more precise end of the spectrum, as it was able to render precise positioning of vocals and instruments, particularly in raw and live performances.

Pros:

• All-rounder, non-lacking sound for its price.
• Despite sporting a newly-developed driver, this managed to somehow “fix” or improve both DD and Planar’s shortcomings.
• Fast, impactful bass quality and response.
• “Natural” mids presentation in terms of position, texture, and detail.
• Excellent, extended, airy treble.
• Very good technical performance for its price, particularly on the separation and imaging.
• Very good fit and comfort.
• Great packaging motif. Only few companies and IEM models care about the packaging presentation and Celest is one of them.
• Very good amount of accessories. It even comes with a metal Gumiho bookmark!
• IEM design hits the Celest’s motif and assignment (subjective)

Cons:

• Upper frequencies may sound brighter than usual when paired with the stock grey eartips.
• Instances of a slight BA timbre are perceived on some tracks.
• Mids, especially the lower mids may sound thin and/or recessed when paired with the stock grey tips.
• Fit may be a bit shallow for some people (subjective)

Despite being Celest’s first (technically) product, the Celest Gumiho overall impressed me. From its theme, accessories, fit, and sound quality, the Gumiho is a must-try-and-own IEM for anyone. Its all-rounder sound makes it versatile for any track you use it with, as long as you are setting your standards for what it is worth. Not to mention that its drivers are the first of their kind I have heard of, which makes it a bit of a good risk for the company. Hats off to these companies who always do their best to offer new things to the table!


Pairing recommendation/s:

• Source: The Celest Gumiho is fairly easy to be driven to its full potential. Any dongle, neutral or warm sounding dongle will do.
• Eartips: It all has the eartips you need included but the stock white eartips is recommended. Otherwise, KBEAR 07 eartips and spinfit CP100s are some of the good options.
• Cable is more than enough and really good for the most part, but you can always use your preferred cable.

Thank you for reading!

Non-affiliated link here: https://www.kineraaudio.com/product/celest-gumiho

Additional Photos Here!:

Review Of The Celest Gumiho​

Introduction​

Kinera is well known audio gear company established in China, who have excelled in providing great and very beautiful IEMs and cables. They are found to name most of their IEMs or cables from Nordic mythology. Well, some of their infamous IEMs are the imperial version of nanna, Baldr and Norn with their originals as well. They have a budget segmented line up which includes bd005 pro, SIF and TYR. They have also indulged themselves in very high grade modular cables like Gleipnir, Dromi, Leyding and Ace. Today I will be reviewing another of their budget IEM which was recently released known as The Celest Gumiho.

Disclaimer​

* This unit was sent by Kinera for a review, but still each and every thoughts below mentioned are my personal own thoughts and they are not fiddled with any outside influences. Interested may visit this non-affiliated link.
*I will be referring these IEMs to as 'Gumiho' for the rest of the review.
*And at last I will only be reviewing the ‘Gumiho’ on the basis of their performance, I do not care what these are made of or packaged with when newly purchased unless it affects the sound in any sense what so ever.

Specification​

The Gumiho has a different hybrid setup which is a 10mm SPD (Square Planar driver) and a BA, both in house built drivers by Kinera. The impedance of the drivers is 9 ohms and the sensitivity is 106 dB. The frequency response is from 20Hz - 20kHz.

Sound​

The Gumiho driver implementation is special, and I feel like it altered how I heard them. The higher frequencies are where the timbre of the balance armature is found. My initial impression of the sound was that it had a proper V-shape, but as I continued to listen, I began to notice that it was balanced. The bass is presented dynamically yet with good speed and blunt texture, the mid-range is laid-back with adequate presence in the mix, and the treble is airy and spacious, notably the presentation of the upper treble of the voices doesn't degrade but sound tinny. But the overall presentation do not sound energetic or engaging.

Treble​

The treble is smooth and clean with good space and extension. The upper treble is crisp and detailed yet sounds very smooth. Though I do find a sense of tinny quality which does not degrade and subdues itself into metallic shimmer. Good energy is allowed in the lower treble region, however the elements are not as forward as I anticipated. I cumulated that the nature of the treble is smooth. The vocals present in the upper treble have good shape and body with details and same presentation is heard in the lower treble as well. The female vocals are extensive but sounded metallic in nature in the upper treble while the the same vocals were fuller and crisp in the lower region. The instruments are adequately present and sounds precise. In upper region the instruments were expressive with good space while in the lower region the instruments are ecstatic complementing other elements in the sound. The overall presentation is smooth with crisp vocals and expressive instruments.

Mid Range​

Coming to the mid-range which is relaxed and laid-back sounds non-offensive. The upper mid-range sounds forward in the mix, especially the vocals where they are perceive fuller and vibrant. The instrument share the same presentation but with details becomes shy. The upper-mid range scales greatly with good tonal balance. The lower mid-range lays the foundation to realistic tonality and compliments the upper mid-range, here the vocals and instruments sounds natural with proper note weight and density, however details aren’t described quite nicely. The vocals have a natural perception in the mix whereas the instruments are dull sounding with obliviating presence. The lower mid-range is also affected by the mid bass bleed which gives it weight and body.

Bass​

The bass region is where I have mixed feelings. The bass is quite well done with fast response but booming presentation. The bass clearly sounds like the one I heard on 7hz timeless but with less technical details. The bass emphasis is more on mid bass than the sub bass region. Yes, the mid bass bleeds over the lower mid-range region but doesn’t bloats. The presentation have more thump than punch and slamming sensation than a rumbling one. However the bass does it all. The thick impact and quick resolvability feels very organic and natural. But coming to the texture, the bass doesn’t impress as the exposition of bass is over quantity then quality. But still the tonal balance maintains and sounds lovely and fun. The overall presentation is thick, impactful and fast.

Technical Performance​

The technical performance of Gumiho is quite average for a 50 dollar segment. But notably, the stage, speed and separation is somewhat noteworthy. The resolution is excellent and the details are on par level with its competitors. The only thing that makes me think is that the SPD does what a dynamic driver but with better technicalities if compared to those which I have heard under this price range.

Soundstage, Sound Imaging & Separation​

The stage is wide enough for a spacious presentation, where the sound is more a three dimensional placed, but overall a good wide head-stage. The imaging is not rounded or completely clear and lacks a good perception, though the separation is really great with enough room for the sound elements to breathe.

Speed & Resolution​

The resolution is better than I have heard in this price bracket, where as the detail retrieval is inconsequentially noticeable. The attack of notes are not fast but the resolvability is.

Conclusion​

To conclude, I can recommend Gumiho to those who wants a more affordable Timeless with relaxed tuning over upper mid-range and treble. This fun and balanced sounding IEM is presentative and inexpensive for the features it delivers, I must also add the tinny quality of the BA that can be an issue for some. However I usually prefer neutral with sub bass boost signature, but I can elude away to have some fun time with these.

Sources And Tracks Used​

Sources​

Apple iPhone XS Max
LG G8X
iPad (4th generation)
Apple Dongle Dac
Shanling UA1 Pro
iFi HIPDAC
Venture Electronics Megatron
Apple Lossless
UAPP
Localy stored Flac and Wav Files

Tracks​

Curtis Mayfield - Pusherman
Earth, Wind & Fire - September
Earth, Wind & Fire - Let's Groove
Boston - More Than A Feeling
Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere(Remastered)
Toto - Africa
The Police - Every Breath You Take
George Benson - Affirmation
Daft Punk - Doin' It Right
Daft Punk - Derezzed
Daft Punk - Tron Legacy (End Titles)
GOJIRA - Amazonia
The Mars Volta - Inertiatic ESP
Fergie - Glamorous
50 Cent - In Da Club
Jay Z - Holy Grail
Erbes - Lies
Nitti Gritti - The Loud
Juelz - Inferno

Celest Gumiho is an all-new Planar Hybrid Driver IEM. There are big discussions going around in the community for its planar driver’s authenticity as it is said to feature a newly developed kind of Square-shaped SPD(Square Planar Driver). This new SPD driver here is paired with a custom balanced armature driver. Well, I don’t actually want to dismantle my unit and check the authenticity of the SPD driver, but I surely want to share my impressions and opinions on its sound quality. So why waste any more time, let’s begin with the introduction of Celest first.

Celest is a new name in the market but they are not entirely new. Celest is actually a new sister brand to Kinera. When I first heard the name, I kinda remembered the word “Celestial” from one of my favorite TV Shows. And the brand also named and designed their first ever product related to a celestial being, the Celest Gumiho. Gumiho is a nine-tailed fox from the folklore of East Asia. Here the Gumiho is Celest’s debutant product that brings a new kind of Planar driver onto the table. Both the SPD driver and BA driver in the Gumiho are custom developed by Kinera. The pair is priced at 49$, which makes it one of the cheapest planar IEMs in the market today, Planar Hybrid to be exact!!

A Short Disclaimer:-

I received the Celest Gumiho from HiFiGo as a part of a review tour in my country. I can assure you all the impressions in this blog are completely my own based on my own experience with the pair. I have tested it for a good 2-week period during which I tested it with a bunch of different sources that I will be mentioning in this review. If you want to know about the technical specs or any more information about the Celest Gumiho, refer to the HiFiGo link below or click here(non-affiliated links).

https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-celest-gumiho
You can also read my review on the Gizaudio Website here.

Unboxing & Contents:-

Gumiho gets a beautiful package. The pair comes in a compact package with a transparent outer cover. You can actually see the pair right through the outer cover. There’s also a nine-tailed fox metallic art piece that catches my attention from the packaging. Celest has printed the nine-tailed story along with some technical information about the Gumiho on the back side of the package. Won’t bore you more with package details, you can check it out yourself from the images below.


Package Contents:-

>Celest Gumiho IEMs.

>Metallic art piece.

>Carry pouch with magnetic clasp.

>Stock 3.5mm terminated cable.

>Multiple pairs of silicone ear tips.

>Cleaning brush.

>User guide.

Design & Build Quality:-

Gumiho has got 3D-printed resin ear shells. They are nicely built and have a beautiful nine-tailed fox painted onto their face covers. The shells here have a different triangular shape with a short nozzle. The shells are made up of solid resin material except for the filter on the nozzle which is metallic. There are three vent holes at the bottom of the shells. Celest has printed its name on the top leg of the ear shells as well. All-in-all, pretty compact, lightweight, kinda triangular-shaped ear shells are what we get with the Gumiho. The pair is actually well-built and gives a good in-hand feel. The shells are compact enough to disappear into my ears(I have medium-sized ears). Overall, pretty neat design, a pretty good build.

The included cable is a 4-core cable with 3.5mm termination and 2-pin connectors. It has a silver and black soft outer sheathing and looks good with the pair. The cable is soft and lightweight.

A point of concern here though, since the shells have painted face covers, I fear the paint might chip off or starts to fade off in a few months of usage. But it’s just my assumption, my unit is perfect even after 2 weeks of regular usage.

Fit & Noise Isolation:-

As I mentioned above, Gumiho has compact shells that are small in size and have a lightweight design, It’s a pretty easy-fitting pair. You won’t have to worry much or tip-roll much to find a good fit. I find it to fit me perfectly with SpinFit W1, Azla SednaEarfit Light, and Stock Silicone tips. Once you get a good fit, you will notice the pair isolates you from your surroundings nicely. I was able to use it at the gym where the music is being played on loudspeakers lol.

Driving The Celest Gumiho:-

With the word “Planar”, high-power requirement is usually associated(except in a few recent models). But that’s not the case with the Gumiho here. The pair obviously shines with better sources, but it sounds phenomenal straight out of my MacBook as well that too hardly hitting 50% volume. Although source pairing is important for Gumiho as it responds well to the given sources. Here’s my personal experience.

Celest Gumiho with MacBook Pro M1:-

Pretty good sound but is a little bright as well. While the pair is not fatiguing but I can hear it a little peaky in the treble region. There’s also a tad bit of sibilance here and there in this combination. But easily gets powered here.

Celest Gumiho with HiBy RS2:-

Now we are talking about one of the best combinations for the Gumiho. Gumiho spreads love with the organic and sweet tone of the RS2. The pair sounds pretty good here, with good clarity, good staging, and smoothened treble response. Pretty good combination!!

Shanling M7 with Celest Gumiho:-

Gumiho shows excellent clarity and a rich tone throughout the frequency band with the M7. This is kinda overkilling for the gumiho, but since I have it then why not haha. M7 provides enough juice to the Gumiho to bring the best out of its new SPD driver delivering tight bass and an energetic performance!!

IMO, powering the Gumiho will not be a concern for anyone, but finding the best synergy is important. I would recommend using something like RS2 that tames its treble a bit and presents us with a clean and energetic sound. Shanling M7, & Questyle M15 also sound wonderful with the Gumiho.

Sound Impressions:-

Celest Gumiho makes you groove to the beats of your favorite IEMs with its fun and engaging sound presentation. The pair packs a punch in the lower end, delivering a slamming mid-bass response and a powerful rumble in the sub-bass region. Lower mids are a little recessed but they maintain a good presence in the output. Upper mids are forward delivering good upfront vocals. The Treble region is presented with good energy. It gets sibilant at times, but I still find it to have a nice, lively sound output that complements different genres quite well.

Another attraction of Gumiho’s sound profile will be its soundstage. Gumiho creates an amazing immersive experience for us listeners. The stage is decently wide and has good height and depth too. The only thing will be that with forwarded midrange, some people might feel the vocals too into the face. I personally enjoy the clear and crisp vocals that the Gumiho delivers. Tonally, I would say Gumiho mostly sounds neutral in its tone with a little touch of metallic texture for the instruments. Overall, Celest has tuned the Gumiho pretty well. The pair actually sounds impressive and complements my music with a good lower end, forwarded vocals, energetic treble, and a wide sound field.

Lower-End:-

Gumiho slams nicely. The mid-bass shows a good punch and the sub-bass produces an amazing rumble with the Gumiho. No, it doesn’t sound bass-heavy or bass-focused set, but it surely has a pretty amazing and pretty punchy bass response. The lower end maintains a decent speed and resolution even in busy and fast tracks such as Billie Jean by MJ. When the bass drops in Bad Guy by Billie Eilish, the Gumiho handles it well and presents you with a clean response. It does sound groovy

Midrange:-

The punchy lower end complements a clean midrange. The lower mids are slightly recessed with forwarded upper mids. Vocals are presented upfront with a pretty clean texture and a rich tone. Midrange on the Gumiho actually sounds quite airy. You will find the pair to have good spacing between different instruments and vocalists. Midrange on the Gumiho is musical and fun. Fun because vocals and other instruments are complemented nicely by a groovy lower end hehe.

Although Upper mids might feel too into the face for some listeners. My recommendation for them is to try it with Spin Fit W1 tips or Foamies.

Treble:-

As soon as Gumiho transients into high-frequencies, the pair introduces a good amount of energy and life on the output. The pair extends well in the treble region. It showcases excellent clarity and air in this region. Although you will notice a tad bit of sibilance in the high-frequencies as well. Violins, Mouth organs feel a bit peaky, especially at high volumes. With the Gumiho, Treble region is not a smooth ride. You will be treated to a lot of surprises here. Whether it is good or bad depends on the listeners. I personally don’t find it harsh or fatiguing, but it surely packs a good punch in the treble region as well. For people who are sensitive to bright treble might have to use foam tips or Spin Fit W1 tips.

Technical Performance:-

For 50$, Gumiho packs great technical performance. The pair sounds wonderful with a massive soundstage, crisp instruments, and good imaging capabilities. It’s a good pair for gaming as well, I was using it last night for playing some Overwatch 2 and Valiant hehe.

Some Tracks Tested by Me on Celest Gumiho:-

Hotel California by Eagles(Hell Freezes Over):-

The intro sounds pretty good. Different instruments are nicely detailed with a deep bass hit on the bongo. Even during the busiest moments of this track where we have different instruments, and vocals all at the same time, the Gumiho maintains its clarity. Pretty commendable presentation. Vocals are presented beautifully in this track.

Dark Necessities by RHCP:-

One of my favorite rock tracks. This track has got good speed, Gumiho keeps up with the song presenting every single beat precisely. I personally find Gumiho to be a pretty enjoyable set for rock music. The details are good, the presentation has good speed, and the output has good clarity.

Speak Softly Love by Yao SI Ting:-

What a beauty, absolutely beautiful. This track hits the right spot in my heart giving me goosebumps every time I listen to it. Gumiho presents it beautifully, although the vocals feel a bit sibilant at louder volume levels. But overall an enjoyable presentation.

Celest Gumiho Vs IKKO OH2:-

Recently got a chance to audition the OH2 once again. Even though it's a single dynamic driver IEM, It falls around the same price point as the Celest Gumiho. Let’s find out how these two compare against each other.

>Gumiho feels faster to me in comparison to OH2.

>OH2 shows a more organic tone.

>Vocals feel more lively, and more energetic on the Gumiho.

>Treble performance of Gumiho feels better. OH2 is more relaxed in comparison.

>Bass punch is pretty solid on the Gumiho, more slamming to be precise.

Final Words for Gumiho:-

Gumiho is an outstanding debutant pair from Celest. I agree it’s not flawless, but it surely delivers an amazing experience for its listeners. Gumiho packs amazing clarity, and amazing resolution, and delivers it nicely too. You also don’t need a powerful source and can enjoy the set anywhere you want. If you want a good taste of a Planar IEM but don’t want to break the bank, Celest Gumiho is a good option with good sound and comfortable fit!! Well, that’s about the Celest Gumiho from my side. I hope you guys liked my review, feel free to ask me any questions regarding the Gumiho in the comments section below.

Battle of the 10mm Drivers


In this completely different and never before seen Match-Up, we will test two similarly priced competitors, to battle it out head-to-head, to find-out just which one is best. While the TINHIFI T2 DLC is $59.00, the Kinera Gumiho is $49.00. Each built by known and respected manufactures, each high-profile releases in their own right. Yet each couldn’t be more different. Actually they are total and complete opposites. Why? While they both offer the incredible new technology 10mm drivers, one is a “Planar” (kind-of) and the other a 4th generation Diamond Like Carbon affair. But beyond that, the size and looks couldn’t be more different as one is made of 3D printed resin and one CNC aircraft aluminum. Still when you put them in your ears they are also total opposites. With the Kinera offering a wide soundstage and the T2 offering a more compact yet even response. The Kinera, a mix of contrasts and the T2 a more fluid and linear stance. So won’t you join me in the battle of the drivers, taking place right here, right now, for your reading enjoyment.

https://www.linsoul.com/products/tinhifi-t2-dlc?variant=43419306328281
https://www.linsoul.com/collections/all/products/kinera-gumiho?variant=43354548273369



TINHIFI T2 DLC
Dual 10mm DLC Dynamic Driver In-Ear Earphones

• The Upgraded Version of Classic T2 IEM
• 4th Gen DLC Composite Diaphragm, 10mm Dynamic Driver
• 5N 8-Core Silver-plated 0.78mm 2Pin Cable
• Aviation-grade Aluminum Metal Cavity
• Compact and Neat, Comfortable Wearing

VS

Kinera Gumiho
10mm Square Planar Driver + 1BA IEM

• The Inspiration of Kinera Gumiho
• Shocking Bass, Surprising Tuning
• Detachable Silver-plated+Alloy Copper Cable
• 3D Printed Ergonomic Shell, Comfortable Wearing

The TINHIFI T2 DLC:
I start this review with no prior T2 experience. Thought I do enjoy the TINHIFI P1Max planar, and the TINHIFI Tin Buds 3.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/tinhifi-tin-buds-3-tws-iems.25964/reviews#review-28909
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/ti...sal-in-ear-monitor.25818/reviews#review-28407

It’s safe to say TINHIFI is milking the popularity of the original T2 with many such iterations made. And why not, they created a unique shape and form factor, and I read an incredibly popular tune back in June of 2018. So the question is did they introduce a progressive and mature product today in 2022?

That answer in my eyes is yes and no. Yes, because there is a no nonsense style of build here. Even if you were never aquatinted with the original T2 or any of its siblings over the years, you still can’t deny this IEM looks cool and fits wonderful! For $59.00 it provides a service and all and all seems well made. I especially like the fact that they listened to customers and changed out the MMCX for 2 pin connections. The box experience is just about average for the price with just the necessities provided, but they work and are nice. The IEM itself has a unique way it goes about its moments, in that they stay seated in your ear but then also are incredibly easy to take out (due to the shape). As far as sound goes, in this battle you can’t help but take note of the contrasting abilities of the Kinera! It almost seems like the T2 DLC was another attempt at cashing in on the very first installment of the T2? Yet maybe some may like the more simple and compact replay the T2 DLC offers? Absolutely more reserved, less colorful, and vivid. Yet in a way the two IEMs exist to validate each others existence, being the Yin and Yang of products, you would maybe even be interested in using the two as complementary products. Though mostly I feel the T2 is actually a bore, and isn’t really bringing much to the table that hasn’t already been heard before. Such milk toast performance does have a way of grabbing-you after being well acquainted after awhile, yet then slowly drifts back into nonchalant-ness and Plain Jane Vile. Such a town with seemingly all the people dressed the same, sport coats for the men and dresses for the gals, yet they are all the same color and seem to never talk much or show any style of character or personality?


TINHIFI T2 DLC graphic representation with addition of the original T2 by Fc-Construct.

T2 DLC IEMs
5N 8-core silver-plated cable
5 sets of silicone ear tips
1 set of foam ear tips
Impedance: 16Ω±15%
Sensitivity: 102dB/mW
Frequency range: 12-40000Hz

There is nothing really special about the soundstage, the response finding imaging of instruments to only go to the right or left. The subtle V tuning is shown as incredibly standard flair in the graphic representation here. While mostly aiming at the general purchasing market, offering nothing which stands out or even offering a character of its own. It even seems to shun changes in amplifiers, simply sounding almost the same from every source no mater what I matched it up with? The thing is I’m listening for inspiration, I actually want to really like every IEM I get. I want to bask in the ideas the new IEM brings forth as a way to enjoy music in a correct yet new and slightly different light. Like traveling and meeting new people in a new town. Seeing the sights at a new location far from home. Yet here I’m met with mediocrity to say the least. While the fit is incredible and the T2 DLC seems to portray the music is a natural and correct way, it is the opposite of truly exciting for this listener. While nothing is truly airy in the treble presentation, the volume of treble response is totally adequate. Though I’m probably delusional expecting any true sparkle or air at this price-point? The 10kHz dip is maybe adding to the dullness found here. The notes are present (especially in attack) just not showing much fall-off and are slightly muddled-up. It’s all too safe in the treble department. I wish I could say all this was based on price, but unfortunately I have heard less costly IEMs which sound better. Even the drums seem to hold together for the sake of just getting there, like another attempt at being correct, yet never taking any chances.






With such a critical review I have to ask myself if I have simply become a jaded reviewer, seemingly impossible to please? Have I truly heard one too many headphones? Is this just information overload? Laughingly, no not at all. While the TINHIFI T2 DLC may appeal to various groups, it’s simply too plain for my tastes. It just doesn't offer enough musical involvement to become musically involved. There is very little vividness to be vivid about! In fact, I’m more excited about what simple cable changes do to the sound of other IEMs, bringing the sound more in-line with my personal expectations and preferences than the TINHIFI T2 DLC. Also as you will read-on about, I find the Kinera Gumiho to offer more my style of fun. Such playful contrasts show a vivid picture into my music library, offering true escapism to those who partake in its charms………so without further dillydally……here we go!

The Kinera Gumiho:
Crazy as it sounds, I did most of the listening tests with the $99.50 ISN G4 cable. Now not to short-change the Gumiho, the provided cable was fantastic. Really the sound and quality was first rate. Its just that I access 4.4mm amplification there-for use a 4.4mm most of the time. What I will do is compare the included cable and the 4.4mm cable and when I feel there is a close enough resemblance, then I will make the switch. I simply trying to extract the most excitement and involvement present. Plus who to says buyers won’t purchase, or already have a 4.4mm cable to optimize their experience? Using the Sony Walkman WM1A and my standard (often-used) wide-bore low profile tips, I went to work. Well, I truly shouldn’t call the Kinera Gumiho experience work, as it was my privilege and my joy to review this particular product. While both IEMs in this test ended with 150 hours of burn-in, the Gumiho responded the most, really coming alive with authority. Such traits are pretty-much unheard of in this price bracket. And……it’s not that I blended with the signature, I mean I did do that, but these findings are truly not subjective, but blatant objective truths, that should be enjoyed by everyone regardless of sound signature wants and needs. The Gumiho is so well balanced and entertaining that I have very few, if any rocks ready to throw, so be warned…..you are about to read a style of praise (pretty much) from here on out.

Now the fact that it sits lower on my list of planar IEMs is really used only for perspective. Meaning I have a special love affair with all planar IEMs, and truly the Gumiho would be at the top of the list if it was based on value alone. The LETSHUOER S12 PRO 14.8mm planar driver should arrive any moment to complete this list, yet I have not heard the Timeless 7Hz?

Planar ranking:
S) Moondrop Planar Stellaris $109.99
A) TANGZU ZETIAN WU $149.00
B) RAPTGO HOOK-X $239.00
C) TINHIFI P1 Max $99.00 (on sale)
D) Kinera Celest Gumiho $49.00
E) 7Hz x Crinacle Salnotes Dioko $99.00

The reason why this is a special list is it’s like a list of finalists in the Olympics, where there can be found just different variations of greatness. Such greatness is in direct contrast to other IEMs priced roughly the same, but lacking the planar driver. This popularity and new hype train is for a reason, it’s the sound quality per dollar spent that comes into play. Now while the Gumiho is slightly different than most planar drivers due to the unorthodox make-up of the actual driver, and the addition of a single BA driver for midrange and treble assistance, the Gumiho still represents the texture and fluidity of planar service to your ears. In fact the driver could be looked at as half-planar and half-dynamic in that they have a single sided copper-coil, much like a dynamic driver. Where true planar IEMs have normally one or two magnets on either side of the driver as a flattened out array that then causes the planar magnetic to vibrate only being near it, but not fully attached.

The Gumiho shows what new ideas can be brought to market with a unique shape. The Kinera sub-branding of Celest can be seen emblazoned across one side. A 0.78 2 pin provides cable placement, and looking closer you can see this is a clam-shell design fully 3D printed. There was at the start a plan to offer the Gumiho in 8 different variations. Though due to not being able to get the paint uniformly dry, they chose 4 different variations. 2 with the painting and 2 with-out the painting. One set white, and one set black.

A kumiho or gumiho (Korean: 구미호; Hanja: 九尾狐, literally "nine-tailed fox") is a creature that appears in the folktales on East Asia and legends of Korea

So it’s quite the tale, no pun intended. Anyway, I think the picture looks way better than the all black, but of course all this is highly subjective. First I thought all black was the way to go, but seeing the Gumiho is person is very different than the photographs. It’s kind-of a relief painting which has details above the faceplate. There are two different contrasting textures with the whole 3D printed part being incredibly shinny and the panting more flat. We meet-up with three vents on the side, and before the cable is attached, you can actually see inside the IEM from these holes! Remember though the Gumiho is incredibly small, so you’re not going to see much. But no screens of anything blocking your view. As far as size and placement into your ears, the Gumiho fits superbly and stays very close to your ear, with no weight hanging off. The nozzle is on the shorter size, though I didn’t need specialized length ear-tips and the Gumiho fit with ease, allowing my favorite wide-bore tips to included all the soundstage possible. Also there was no risk of looking for bass energy, so wide bore-tips worked-out in the end splendidly! Being super lightweight at only 4 grams a piece, they end-up unnoticeable. Truly this would be a recommendation for folks that want a big sound but don’t really like things in their ears. They are by far small and the smallest planar in my experience, even tinier than the small TINHIFI P1 Max! And way smaller than the rest of the planar IEMs I have had experience with. The nozzles are tipped with an elaborate tip-ring which goes to hold tips on perfect, combined with a robust fastened nozzle screen ready to go, as seen in the photo.



The box opening experience:
While going all out to charm us with the little extras, the box opening is probably a first for this kind of money at Redcarmoose Labs. A plastic sleeve pulls back to show us a “nine-tailed fox” keychain. A special spring lock bag for your cable, and a nice set of tips included. Looking at the tips they included both three pairs of wide-bore, three pairs of black narrow-bore, and a cleaning brush. Included is a small foldable book too. Yet when you open the box you’re greeted with simply the key chain and IEMs as seen in the photograph.




Features:
Dual-Driver Hybrid Configuration
Kinera 10mm SPD (Square Planar Driver)
Kinera Custom Balanced Armature Driver
Silver-plated Copper+Alloy Pure Copper Cable
3D-Printed Ergonomic Cavity Design
0.78mm 2-pin connectors
Comfortable and Ergonomic Shape
Powerful sound performance

Technical Specifications:
Impedance: 9Ω
Sensitivity: 106dB
Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-20kHz
Interface: 0.78mm 2-pin connectors
Termination Plug: 3.5mm
Weight: 8.0 grams (without cable)

The soundstage:
Nice and fairly full bodied. While offering both left to right width, the soundstage goes to provide a front to back too, while sparingly on the top-to-bottom. One of the charms is the bass stage. Seemingly coming out of no-where in rock songs to have these extended bass elements throb in there own living space.

Technicalities:
While offering a W response, the best part of the response is fully delayed reverberation-notes. While natural and pleasant, there is still the BA effect creating a faster and brighter imaging and detail. Such findings goes to contrast the Planar response adding to a style of vividness maybe never found under $50? It’s just like you would guess from looking at the additives, having both a planar personality combined with this brighter and faster BA response. Do they blend? Kind-of and not kind-of, but still this is my style of response none the less, being a better stance all around then what the TINHIFI T2 DLC does even in its best moment. The antithesis really, where the Gumiho is sporting involvement and a looser more musical sound, in contrast to the linear T2 DLC. It’s really noticeable when rock sounds jump and sway and brighter embellishments of lead guitars take hold of the song. Still with that said, the Gumiho is really sporting a heavy lower midrange that lacks pace and definition. Here we probably do better with slower style of classical or movie OSTs, the planar offering a slower moving sway with the large amount of unresolved bass aspects aplenty. Still this is the planar world where these bass characters are more layers than DD images, such a slower moving entity still provides excitement despite the lack of resolution.

The treble:
On the borderline of bright, the steely nature and slight off-timbre can be noted, though all forgiven for the amount of vividness contained. While upper treble starts to jump-up to that that rare area for under $50, there is just a slight gloss of off-timbre encapsulating the full upper response! Still at the price, all is forgiven as this is truly an entertaining experience. Still there is just so much the single BA can pull-off, so what ends up as detail is still only found in a compressed and jumbled-up way.

The midrange:
A boost here gives us nice female and male vocals, yet while making it out of the woodwork, there is still a loss of real texture and refinement. Almost found as transparent, and refraining from being totally real, the vocals somehow just get by. It’s the loss of a full spacial imaging and physicality that once again defines the price-bracket we are living in.

The bass:
My most favorite part of what this IEM does. The love the Gumiho has much to do with the overall balance. That’s right the balance of bass to mids, and the balance of treble to bass….etc, etc. You see, while we are missing much of the resolution found in pricer IEMs, the balance and vividness make way for entertainment. There is sub-bass which can offer a surprise being staged way out left and right, in its own free area creation. While not really defined or textured, it’s still fully fun, despite the lack of any real form of pace. Holding the rhythm hostage with an “I’ll do what I want, when I want attitude” we are at the mercy of such brutish demeanor, yet hold fascination despite the understanding of lack of detail. It’s at these times we realize the pace can be fully ignored, and almost a washout in fast music. While it just seems to be forgiveness, due to the bigness of the gifts presented. This style of response is the full definition of a guilty pleasure. It’s that you love something not for its strengths, but its defects, almost.

Drivability:
While both IEMs are relatively easy to drive, the Gumiho needed something extra like a Dongle instead of a simple phone to really come alive.

Conclusion:
While we are witnessing a battle here, it’s pretty easy to learn who won. While life isn’t always fair, at least there was true star once the dust settled. It’s the discovery of talent in regards to the abilities shown by both, in contrast making those same talents even more noticeable and clearly seen for what they are in the end. On paper the TINHIFI T2 DLC may look like the winner, and this freak of a combo; the Gumiho being a Frankenstein’s Monster (pieced together playback) an outlier, and strange in the world of IEM playback. I still can see the stitches, and hear the two part replay. Yet there is a wonderful dislocation which is the opposite of the T2 DLC’s wholesomeness for the sake of wholesomeness. We want character and bigness even if this monster is slightly out-of-control. The T2 DLC is yesterdays IEM, still clinging to older values and styles. This nine-tailed fox is just what the name implies, a giant swaying thing, not totally in control of itself, yet fun and musical. Do I recommend such displays of vivid fun? What do you think?

With all that said, the question is will you be happy day in and day out with owning the winner here? I can’t tell you, I can only fully document my experiences here. But what I do know is I would be very surprised if anyone would chose the T2 DLC over the Gumiho. Such truths are rarely so evident and clearly seen. The TINHIFI T2 DLC just replays a small window into your music, and with that said, the window has a clarity yet what is seen outside through it seems colorless and boring. The Gumiho offers fun, not just a night of fun, but fun whenever you want it, all day long fun. Not only that, but fun for under $50.00? How great is that?

Get the TINHIFI T2DLC for $59.00 here.
https://www.linsoul.com/products/tinhifi-t2-dlc?variant=43419306328281

Get the Kinera Celest Gumiho for $49.00 here.
https://www.linsoul.com/collections/all/products/kinera-gumiho?variant=43354548273369
Free shipping and one year warranty when you order from Linsoul
Linsoul website: https://www.linsoul.com/
Linsoul Aliexpress Store: https://ddaudio.aliexpress.com/store/2894006
Linsoul USA Amazon Store link: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=merchant-items&me=A267P2DT104U3C

Disclaimer:
I want to thank Kareena of Linsoul for the love and the TINHIFI T2 DLC review sample.

Disclaimer:
I want to thank Kareena of Linsoul for the love and the Kinera Celest Gumiho review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one persons ideas and concepts, your results may vary.


Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cor
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
UA3 Dongle DAC/Amplifier 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Samsung Android smart phone 3.5mm

The TINHIFI T2 DLC Review:
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/tinhifi-t2-dlc.26064/reviews#review-29412

Greetings!

This is a review of the Celest Gumiho, which Kinera Audio have provided me to review.



DISCLAIMER: I WAS PROVIDED THE UNIT IN EXCHANGE FOR A NO-FRILLS, UNBIASED REVIEW. I AM NEITHER PAID NOR COMMISSIONED TO PROVIDE A SKEWED REVIEW.

The Celest Gumiho promises to be the cheapest and most accessible planar IEM in the audio market today. It boasts the proprietary Kinera SPD (Square Planar Driver), which was marketed to be the cheapest option if one wants a planar driver, all without the extra needed power that these require to unlock their full potential. How it was constructed caused a lot of buzz around the audio community, as it raised fundamental questions on what a planar truly is. Debates aside, the Gumiho (including its driver) is a true innovation and revelation in the price bracket it belongs in. Despite some slight subjective tuning and driver woes that it brings to the table, it truly is a mythical sight to behold.

𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙚
$49 (USD)
~₱2800 (PhP)

𝙏𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨
𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱: Kinera “Square Planar Driver” (1) + Kinera Custom Balanced Armature (1)
𝗣𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲: 0.78mm 2-Pin
𝗣𝗹𝘂𝗴 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲: 3.5mm unbalanced
𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: 9 Ω
𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲: 20Hz – 20KHz
𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆: 106dB/Vrms




𝙋𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 (out of 5)

Presentation
Celeste is a budget offshoot brand from Kinera, and it really shows in the packaging. Even in its smaller size (bigger than KZ’s normal packaging though), it demands your full visual attention. The clear acrylic plastic that envelops and protects the contents of the box is adorned with chrome silver prints. These prints are shaped like the clouds you see in a Japanese painting, which really amps up the cohesion that is present in the theming of this IEM. The clear acrylic that surrounds the box also gives the viewer an opportunity to look at the IEM itself that is present inside, which faceplate illustration also gels in with the theme of the package. The back contains the technical specifications of the Gumiho, together with the FR graph. One thing to note also with the packaging is its proud placement of the Kinera SPD “logo” all over the box, that of which I can do without but at the same time, smirk too. They innovated with its creation, and they are always welcome to boast about that whenever they want. Budget IEM manufacturers must take notes on how this one was packaged, because this is how you do it without being too simplistic nor extravagant with your packaging. Kinera really knows how to hype their customers up with well-thought-out packaging with a clean, beautiful graphical layout. I’m glad they carried this over with their budget brand.







Product
We saw a glimpse earlier on how the IEM looked. Sliding the clear acrylic case reveals the Gumiho in its full glory, together with a special inclusion that I will talk about later. The IEM displays its namesake as the main illustration present in its faceplate, all beautifully rendered and shown. It also adopts the art style of Japan with the carefully placed colors and elegant brushstrokes that shape the mythical Gumiho in its mysterious yet powerful glory. You can also get the Gumiho without the illustration in its faceplate, but come on, one will definitely miss out on aesthetic points if one does that. It is also something to note that the faceplate is also shaped in a slightly angular way, which sets it apart from its rounder, softer-edged IEM peers.



Particulars
Together with the IEM at the forefront of the unboxing, a special inclusion was placed. It is in the form of a metal bookmark, in which its shape and illustration mirrors the one that is present on the faceplate, albeit on a larger scale. It is also in a golden chrome color, which is really both a nice eye-candy and a functional bookmark if ever you’re a bookworm like me. This is the first time I saw a bookmark on an IEM package and is a very welcome inclusion instead of the typical waifu stands or the postcards that other companies include as a “special item” inside of their packaging. Included also in the box is its black and white cable, ear tips, and a very nice velvety pouch with Celest’s logo on it. It’s truly a complete package for a $50 IEM, and I’m thankful they did it this way without cheapening out or skimping over the finer details.






𝘽𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙌𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 & 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 (out of 5)

✳ Build Quality
The IEM is entirely made from high quality, glossy plastic. I would’ve preferred a resin build or a much heftier plastic material used for the Gumiho, but this is probably for the best in terms of comfort and price. The paint used for the illustration is something to note, for it is the first I’ve seen this kind of painting technique used in an IEM faceplate. It has this embossed quality to it that has tactile texture when touched, which reeks of high-quality production. I am most impressed by this one, as it ensures that the beautiful gumiho illustration will not fade away over time or experience any paint chipping in any usage conditions. This excellent streak of high quality build continues into the cable, which also follows the theme of well-thought out and produced construction of the entire package. I admit that I am not the most well-versed in terms of cable material and quality, but judging how it feels in the hands, its weight, and its movement when being used, it is a good cable. A REALLY good one.




✳ Comfort
Due to the lighter plastic material of the Gumiho, it weighs virtually nothing when put into the ear. The nice curvatures found in the inner body of the Gumiho also gives it a lot of leeway for a nice fit that skews more into a snug fit rather than a relaxed one. It fits deeper into the ear than your regular IEM mold due to its “thinner” form factor. Though I must admit that it wears down my ear a bit during prolonged periods of use, and I can attribute it to the more angular nature of the faceplate. Due to the thinness of the IEM itself, the faceplate can sometimes hit the inside of my ear, resulting in some pressure points developing in my ear when I use it for extended amounts of time. I cannot speak for everyone though, for we have different ear shapes.




𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 ½ (out of 5)

𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖 𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗗: (𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘍𝘓𝘈𝘊 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵, 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 24𝘣𝘪𝘵/48𝘬𝘏𝘻 𝘰𝘳 24𝘣𝘪𝘵/96𝘬𝘏𝘻)

𝘋𝘢𝘧𝘵 𝘗𝘶𝘯𝘬 - 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘋𝘶𝘢 𝘓𝘪𝘱𝘢 -𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘨𝘪𝘢 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘛𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘦 - 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 & 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘛𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘦 - 𝘌𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘞𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘯 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘰𝘯 - 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘖𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 – 𝘛𝘖𝘛𝘈𝘓 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘖𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 - 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳, 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘶𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘪𝘦𝘴 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘦 - 𝘐𝘯 𝘈𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘦 - 𝘍𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘵 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘚𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱 - 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘚𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱 - 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘖𝘮 - 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘴 - 𝘌𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘋𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘴 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩 - 𝘔𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘗𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘳 - 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘧𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯 - 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘧𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯 - 𝘖𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘶𝘱𝘵 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘒𝘰𝘳𝘯 - 𝘒𝘰𝘳𝘯 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘒𝘰𝘳𝘯 - 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘐𝘴 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘺 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘛𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦 - 𝘕𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘳 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 - 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 - 𝘚𝘺𝘮𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 - 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 - 𝘖𝘯𝘤𝘦 [𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥] (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 - 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘗𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩 - 𝘖𝘱𝘷𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘷𝘳𝘢𝘮 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩 - 𝘐 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘈𝘵 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘴𝘵 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩 – 𝘌𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩 - 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩 – 𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘰𝘥 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩 - 𝘡𝘰𝘴 𝘒𝘪𝘢 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘴 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩 - 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢 - ...𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘭𝘭 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢 - 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘚𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘩 – 𝘛𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘯
𝘚𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘩 - 𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘹 𝘖𝘮𝘦𝘨𝘢

𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗗: 𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘹𝘺 𝘚8+; 𝘍𝘪𝘪𝘰 𝘟3 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘐𝘐𝘐

Signature
The Gumiho presents itself to you as a natural sounding IEM with a bit of a tilt to the warmer side of the spectrum. It stands out as an IEM you can use everyday with its organic and unintrusive sound that anyone in the audiophile hobby can enjoy, no matter what their preferences are. This is what I can subjectively say as an all-rounder sound. Honestly, I can almost point out no stand-out flaws on how the Gumiho was tuned, as it truly is a great IEM that performs at the highest level. Whatever genre or style of music you’re into, this IEM can lay it down for you without any hitches or downfalls. There are only three particular criticisms that I can point out for those who are nitpicky and critical about their sound: the sometimes-finicky/slightly cheap sounding BA (balanced armature) it has, the lack of the “planar sheen” that fans of said technology might crave, and its below average scalability to much more powerful sources. The innovation that Kinera/Celest has done for the Gumiho resulted in it shifting away from the sound from its peers into something wholly unique to its own.
✳ The bass can be described into a single word: impactful. It is full-bodied and well-extended to the deepest depths of the sub-bass frequencies. Although I can say that the Gumiho has a bias for the mid-bass frequencies, it does not overdo it by being excessively punchy to the point that it smacks you in the face. It has that right amount of both sub-bass rumble and mid-bass impact that make it more engaging than your regular IEM release in the price bracket, resulting in an inoffensive fun experience that caters to both balanced users and bassheads. People of the latter preference can use EQ to boost their much-needed frequencies to get their bass fix; the Gumiho is more than capable of doing that.
✳ The midrange both has its pros and cons when it comes to the sound. Its strength definitely lies in the lower to central midrange frequencies due to its warmer presentation. It oozes off an organic and natural presentation, which renders both vocals and voices quite accurately as to what you will hear when a person is singing next to you, just in a hi-fi fashion. It also layers well, resulting in the beautiful preservation of melodies and harmonies that will satisfy those who listen to music for the virtuosity of the singer/s they listen to. Vocal-centric bands such as Alice in Chains never sounded better, as every note sang by Cantrell and Staley/Duvall is presented to the listener in such a pleasant way, you can’t help but smile during listening. But when it pushes past the central midrange area, things start to wobble a bit due to its uneven upper midrange presentation. I suspect this is because of the BA unit used in this hybrid planar setup, which has some notoriety in my books in terms of sounding uneven. This results in female/higher pitched vocals getting unequal and shouty at times: a slightly disappointing aspect in terms of how good it was performing in its lower placed brothers in the frequency spectrum. It is not a dealbreaker, but it hurts the coherency of the overall midrange presentation.
✳ The treble continues the uneven presentation of the upper midrange, but eventually evens out in the latter areas of the frequency. I can say that some of the treble body (the “swish” on cymbals) can be a bit overdone at times, which can sometimes put cymbals on the forefront of its treble performance. Sibilance can be detected at times too, but not to the point that it’s annoying nor distracting. Its balance of the treble frequencies starts at the higher areas, wherein it reigns in the shimmer and gloss in the sound in favor of a laid back, less peaky experience. The moments where this aspect shines are what I like the most about the Gumiho in terms of treble performance because it’s the point wherein it sounds the most cohesive in terms of overall sound. However, the balance eventually falls out in the extreme upper treble frequencies, as it definitely lacks some air to really bring the sound to the next level in my subjective preferences. As described earlier, the “planar sheen” that people come to expect in this type of driver isn’t present in the Gumiho, which is both a welcome yet a vaguely sad exclusion. It is welcome because it wouldn’t really contribute to the cohesion of the overall sound signature of the Gumiho, yet its sad due to the fact that it could’ve used the endless treble extension that the “planar sheen” offers.

Soundstage/Imaging
Both the soundstage and imaging department are affected by the overall warmer approach of the Gumiho. It presents itself very intimately into your ears; instruments are placed right in front of your face and fully divulges in that fact. I can definitely feel a lack of height in the soundstage in the Gumiho, which mileage can very in between the user’s preferences. A narrower and shallower soundstage means that your music definitely hits you much harder than the wider ones but can result in live music being crammed a bit much when presented. Imaging also takes a hit, as the narrower soundstage can limit how instruments are separated from one another. Yes, one can still easily point out the instruments with relative ease during casual listens of relaxed genres. But when it gets complicated, the Gumiho has the tendency to slightly mush the instruments together, resulting in a uniform yet marginally indistinguishable performance.



𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩:
Packaging:
Build Quality & Comfort:
Sound: ½

Get your own Celest Gumiho in the links below: (non-affiliated)
- https://www.kineraaudio.com/product/celest-gumiho
- https://shopee.ph/Celest-Gumiho-Pla...12&xptdk=281ef590-8efe-4c5f-8223-80148217c812

Foreword

1. At the point of this article, my Gumiho has undergone over 180 hours of runtime
2. I don't do measurements, I just describe what I hear, from my own POV
3. My preferred sound tuning, Diffused Field Neutral (Etymotic)
4. The entirety of my impressions was done with my own tips, Misodiko MIX460
5. Ultimately, my reviews are purely subjective and biased to my personal preference in sound

Under the sub branding of Celest, Kinera debuted the Gumiho for the budget IEM consumers. With bold and experimental approach of introducing something they coined as Flat Planar hybrid

The Build


For a sub $50 budget IEM, understandably Celest opted to construct the IEM unit entirely of plastic. The design and ergonomics exhibited a blend of angular front with curved back. Nothing spectacular really, just simple and functional build. Gumiho comes accompanied with twist braided 2 Pins cable of Black/White. Silver-plated Copper + Alloy Pure Copper Cable which looked like twisted candy to my eyes. Again simple affair and I believe the cable itself will prove pliable and robust enough for daily usage.

As for the drivers itself, it has been labeled as Square Planar. I will admit I am not privy to what that actually mean. I know magnetic planars very well, to my knowledge all planars are flat. By the account of Gumiho being a flat driver, well it doesn't sound out of place in my opinion. Planar literally means Flat. Then there's the custom Balanced Armature drivers that serve as upper frequency host, a common practice nowadays for many hybrid IEMs.

Despite being a budget unit, Celest also included two sets of tips, a pouch and a cleaning brush. Not forgetting an ornament of 7 tailed red fox as freebie on the box.

On the aspect of wear, I would say Gumiho proved to be a comfortable set. Being lightweight and compliant to my ear concha, I have no issues wearing it for extended listening sessions up to 4-5 hours at one go. So this is a huge plus and I always value the ergonomic aspect as much as I value the sound itself.

Equipment Used
- Xiaomi Mi 9T
- Sony Xperia X Compact
- Windows 10 with Native USB Drivers
- USB Exclusive Mode with FLAC files
- CEntrance DACport HD
- Cayin RU6
- Ovidius B1
- 7Hz 71
- VE Abigail
- NotByVE Avani
- VE Megatron
- Kinera Leyding Cable

Test Audio Playlist


Sound Impressions
Before I proceed any further, best to clarify that out of the box experience was not an impressive one to say the least. I was taken aback by the thick, syrupy and nasal sound which reminded me of the notorious BLON BL-03. It was slow and uninspiring. Then I tucked my Gumiho away, for Pink Noise burn in sessions for almost 170 hours (practically forgetting it running on loop). I also opted to use my own tips, the Misodiko MIX460 which I have always used on seemingly slow sounding unit to tighten things up. Then, swapped out the cable for my all time favorite of Kinera Leyding. The sound impressions mentioned here will be in this state.

Celest Gumiho is a strong W curved sounding unit. Boosted Lows, Mids and Highs. It is very colored. Making Celest one of the most vibrant planars available now. The dynamic overtones oozes with pronounced sound spectrum.

However, being colored, I must say Gumiho somehow manage to impart good natural undertone to the overall timbre. I suspect this due to the characteristics of the flat planar. It does have that organic touch that magnetic planars are known for. Being on the thicker side of tonal balance, one may even regard Gumiho as a "warm" sounding unit.

Dynamic transients of Gumiho can best be described as smooth with adequate harmony in the manner the presentation of sound flowed. The euphony level being well controlled and somehow imparting a sensation which I find to be as vibrant as would be expected from dynamic drivers.

The Midrange of Gumiho is thick and dense. It can appear borderline nasal especially if the listener is so accustomed to Harman or V curve tuning. The timbre is organic and bold. It takes some time to adjust and once aligned to the listener perspective, the overall Mids I would regard as wholesome pleasing for some genre of music especially Ballad, Jazz and Bluegrass (folk music). However this same thick overtones may prove a bit sizzling for Rock/Metal, where the upper Mids may appear edgy.

Attack and decays of instruments sounded proper to my ears, it is natural as it is believable. Lacking only depth of resolution and micro details - but then we are talking about a budget IEM here. The fact that Gumiho being able to impart realistic tonal balance is already a plus. I have heard a lot worse Mids from IEMs of this price range in the past.

Vocals wise, I will applaud Gumiho for being very competent with both female and male vocalist. Being able to handle Alison Krauss piercing Soprano voice even at her highest peak without any hint of edge distortion and sibilance is something I dearly appreciate. The low and chesty Contralto of Diana Krall being naturally warm (slightly colored) yet pleasing - imparting the emotions needed for Jazz indulgence. The same can be said for handling of Baritone-Tenor of Nick Cave and Morrissey.

Treble of Gumiho is quite sparkly, lively and borderline bright. It has air and good shimmer. However I am a bit worried with how the decays are presented. On some poorly mixed/mastered recordings, it is evident the decays being granular, the timbre being digital-ish metallic/plasticky. The good part, it behaved well enough to avoid being sibilant or offensive.
The key is to use Gumiho on properly Hi-Fi sources, it will not sound good with Lo-Fi, especially Rock/Metal.

Bass of Gumiho is best described as dense and thick. The speed being average. At least from my observation Bass being respectfully tidy despite lacking speed and pace. Midbass is strong and commanding, the presence demands attention. Impact and slam similar to dynamic drivers. Bass texture being amply rich with good sense of depth. Subbass on the other hand, almost as deep as Harman tuned devices. I am impressed with the smooth decays with good sense of seismic sensation. Gumiho will handle all manner of Bass type, be it stringed, percussions or electronic, all handled and projected as how they should be (with some boosting of course). I must mention though, that in some instances of Bass heavy composition, there's minor hint of Midbass almost bleeding into lover Mids, this is where the nasal element will then present itself - but this is not frequent enough to cause for worry.

Technicalities

Technically, Gumiho is fairly respectable. The width and expanse of soundstage felt spacious. The height tall. Spatial projection of sound scape is good too, with holographic placement of instruments easy to track. Separation lines are clean enough with some hint of edge smoothing, layer of tones respecting each other space accordingly.
Imaging and resolution, impressive for a budget unit. Does not appear sloppy at all. Lacking only absolute clinical precision as would be expected of more expensive units.

Speed on the other hand, it is average. The manner of how deft and agile the drivers respond to project the sound being sufficient to avoid the output being muddy or congested. And thus even with the most complex/speedy of sound composition and rendering, Gumiho proved to be quite capable in its own respect.

Scalability
Gumiho is easy to drive. Sounds great with my Xiaomi Mi 9T.
It does scale admirably with power. Sounding absolutely the best when paired with 2 Vrms of Cayin RU6 or 1 Vrms of 7Hz 71. However when paired with even more powerful partners, the likes of VE Megatron or CEntrance DACport HD, the overall sound may prove a bit over the top. Gumiho already a vibrant sounding unit, pumping over 4 Vrms of power into it serve to amplify dense dynamic transients which sounded even more colored. It is enjoyable but I personally prefer the more neutral vibrancy of RU6/7Hz 71 for this particular situation.

Final Words

For a unit costing $49, Celest Gumiho is a fairly exciting IEM for casual use. And thus the perspective of judging this unit must take into account what does the entire package entails. Gumiho ultimately is a good sounding IEM with vibrant and technically competent output. There's cons here and there, but then at this price point it is highly negligible. The Pro outweighs the cons.

Perhaps most important is the need to find the right tips to match the sonic output. Gumiho Celest is among the few of IEMs that's highly tuneable with tips pairing. This would require some effort but once the sweet spot identified, the results will not fail to put smile on our faces.

Gumiho Celest is available via HiFiGo at:
https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-celest-gumiho?variant=43286792831215

Introduction​

Celest may be unknown to many, but in fact it’s just a sister company of Kinera, just like QoA (Queen of Audio). Their first release, the Gumiho, have been part of a drama that was related to the adopted driver technology, even though after some weeks things were clearer and all was way more understandable.
In this review, we’ll see if the Gumiho is something worth considering given its price, or if there are options which are more attractive in their price range.

Disclaimer: the sample was provided by Celest for free in order to write an honest review. I do not represent them in any way and this is not promotional content.
At the time of the review, the Celest Gumiho were sold for $49 on Kinera Audio official website.

Technical Specifications​

• Configuration → 1 SPD (Square Planar Driver™) + 1 BA
• Sensitivity → 106dB
• Impedance → 9 Ohm
• Frequency Response → 20 Hz – 20000 Hz
• Cable → 1,25m silver plated copper cable with 0,78mm PINs, no microphone. It’s possible to buy the Gramr Boom Mic cable separately
• Connector type → Straight gold plated 3,5mm jack connector

Packaging​

The design of the packaging is catchy and it’s evident that Celest is putting a lot of efforts on appearance and story-telling.

• The Celest Gumiho
• The cable
• Two sets of tips: 3 Celest 221 tips, 3 Celest 822 tips
• A storage bag with magnetic closure
• User manual

Design and Build Quality​

The Gumiho are 3D printed, and the overall build quality is good for the price. The faceplate was painted with a nine-taled fox, which was mentioned on the product page, and even though it seems like a very fancy painting from the photos, it’s less showy than one would think.
There are 3 pressure holes on one of the sides and the nozzle is slightly larger than average. Please note that the nozzle is still on the shorter side.

Cable​

The cable is very good: it’s soft to the touch, it’s not prone to tangling and the pre-made hooks are comfortable and don’t lead to discomfort. There is also a chin slider that works flawlessly, which is definitely a plus.

Comfort and Isolation​

Comfort is very good and the shape is well designed, and they fit pretty well in the ears even though the nozzle is fairly short. Using them with aftermarket tips could also improve the overall comfort since the included ones may be too soft for some (specially the white ones).
Isolation is average.

Sound​

How do these sound?
This should be the main reason for reading this reviews.

TEST GEAR

• DAC: Topping E30
• AMP: Topping L30
• Mobile phones: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
• Dongle: Apple Type-C dongle
• Portable DAPs: Benjie S8/AGPTEK M30B
• Other sources: Presonus AudioBox iONE

[DISCLAIMER REGARDING CELEST’S NOVEL TECHNOLOGY: THE SPD (Square Planar Driver)]
Since there has been some drama online, some members of the community just went through this new driver and explored its composition.
It’s pretty easy looking through this story with some patience and willingness to read and/or listen to some explanation, and although an entire article could have been written about this new driver to explain how it works, there are people who have already done it and it’s pointless, at this point, to repeat stuff that people can easily find online.
In this regard, the Youtuber “Akros”, which is a good audio friend that I really trust, has made a video speaking about the Gumiho where he also explains how the SPD works and the explanation is crystal clear.
In order for everyone to understand this kind of technology, you can refer to its video (obviously, kudos to him for this amazing content), that you can find on Youtube, in which he explains the differences between the various types of drivers you can find in nowadays' IEMs with particular focus on the differences between the SPD and a traditional planar driver.



Do they need an amp?
The Gumiho are pretty easy to drive and don’t strictly need an amplifier. When plugged to an amplifier, though, there are some improvements here and there in terms of overall dynamics, and it seems like the bass becomes slightly punchier.
Note that there is a slight distorsion at high volumes so don't push them too much.

Sound signature
The Gumiho are a warm set with slightly boosted lows and forward upper-mids. The overall signature tends to a neutral profile, but there is some recession in the lower midrange and a pinch of boost in the highs that push the Gumiho towards a W-shape .

Lows: sub-bass has good rumble and it’s there when needed. Their extension is not top notch for the price but it’s adequate.
The bass is fast and has good control and tightness, but sometimes it could use slightly more punch in the upper bass. Textures are not excellent but definitely good for the price.
What I like about the bass on the Gumiho is that it focuses on overall quality, without any kind of uncomfortable excess that could ruin the listening experience. It is very “physical”, and the listener can really feel it as it has good depth.
It’s not a basshead low-end for sure, but the Gumiho deliver what’s needed, and they do it very well for almost every genre.

Mids: from the first listen, the Gumiho appeared to have a forward upper midrange and a recessed lower midrange. This didn’t change noticeably even after a lot of sessions so it’s clear it was in the tuner's intentions. By no means this is a bad thing, but one should consider this kind of midrange tuning given the fact that male vocals can lack weight sometimes and female vocals may have a few episodes of sibilance. The timbre in the midrange is influenced by the BA adoption, and sometimes vocals have a sort of BA timbre that many will not like, but in general the midrange is pleasant and well articulated.

Highs: highs are on the bright side, and the Gumiho should be definitely avoided by those who are treble sensitive. There are lots of details and air is not missing, moreover if the wide bore (white) tips are used.
Overall, the treble performance is quite good for the price.

Soundstage is good, also in terms of depth which is usually where IEMs in this price range fall short. Imaging is precise most of the times, except a few cases where things become overly complex for the SPD.

How included tips affect sound
- Wide bore 221 (white) tips: treble is more balanced and also better extended, but it’s also less fatiguing. Vocals are slightly more intimate and low-end is a bit tighter and less pronounced.
- Shallow bore 822 (black) tips: treble is less extended, but also a bit more unnatural. Vocals are less intimate and a bit more laidback and bass is more pronounced.
Wide bore tips make the Gumiho more refined and controlled, with better vocal performance and extension.

​

Some comparisons (tips used for comparisons are the 221 tips):​

- Celest Gumiho vs TangZu Shimin Li -
The two don’t sound very different in terms of tuning, but the Gumiho are brighter and more resolving overall.
The bass is more controlled and faster on the Gumiho, but the Shimin Li have slightly more bass, which gives more weight to male vocals, making them less recessed in the midrange. The Shimin Li stills feel a little more aggressive than Gumiho in the upper midrange. Detail retrieval is noticeably better on the Gumiho.
Technically-speaking, the Gumiho are superior, with better staging and imaging capabilities and better instrument separation.
Build quality is good on both, even though the Shimin Li look and feel more premium look thanks to their metal shells.
The Shimin Li are slightly easier to fit as they have a longer nozzle; Gumiho are not bad in this sense but the short nozzle may be tricky for some.
Isolation is a tad better with the Shimin Li in the ears.
Overall, the Gumiho are way better from a technical standpoint, whereas the Shimin Li bet more on appearance and sound slightly fuller in the lower midrange: this is where personal preferences come in, even though sound-wise the Gumiho are miles ahead.

- Celest Gumiho vs TRI x HBB KAI -
The price between the two is different, but we know that between 50$ and 100$ the price differences are not that relevant.
First of all, the tuning is very different: the Gumiho have a slightly elevated low-end with forward upper midrange and bright treble, whereas the KAI have boosted bass and everything else is relaxed and kinda neutral.
Timbre is also very different, with the Gumiho showing more aggressiveness and incisiveness and the KAI being warmer, smoother and less fatiguing.
The low-end is more present and powerful on the KAI, while the Gumiho focus more on quality, with a faster and more resolving bass.
Lower midrange is more forward on the KAI, whereas the Gumiho are more energetic in the upper-midrange, showing more intimacy but also some episodes of sibilance, which are almost totally absent on the KAI.
Treble is more open and detailed on the Gumiho, that are a lot brighter than the KAI and also more fatiguing, but this is the price to pay for a more resolving upper end.
Soundstage is deeper on the Gumiho whereas the KAI are better in terms of width. Height is not really different with the Gumiho having just a bit more to offer. Gumiho’s imaging is superior and so is the instrument separation.
KAI’s build quality is more premium, but the Gumiho have a pretty unique shell shape. KAI win hands down when it comes to comfort and isolation, thanks to the longer nozzles and the less polarizing shape.
Gumiho’s cable is better overall.
The Gumiho win for technicalities and overall presentation, whereas KAI are much more relaxed and their timbre is more natural and smoother. Personal preferences are crucial in this case.

- Celest Gumiho vs Kinera BD005 Pro -
This comparison could be useful for those who had already tried something from Kinera (BD005 Pro in particular).
The BD005 Pro are more V-shaped whereas the Gumiho are nearer to a neutral-bright profile.
The bass on the Gumiho is more controlled, faster, fuller and more mature on the Gumiho, and the BD005 Pro really feel old in comparison. Midrange is resolved better with clearer instrument separation, and both with male and female vocals the Gumiho perform better. Highs are more detailed on the Gumiho, even though slighty more fatiguing than on the BD005 Pro, which on the other hand miss some air and sparkle.
Technicalities are a free win for the Gumiho, even though the BD005 Pro can still say something when it comes to imaging and soundstage, which are still ok considering their age.
Comfort is on a similar level: the BD005 Pro have a shell wing whereas the Gumiho have shorter nozzles. Both, in this regard, can lead to a few fit issues, but in general they fit well.
Isolation is similar, with the BD005 Pro being just a tad better.
There’s no battle: apart from comfort and isolation, where the two can battle in a sort of head-to-head, the Gumiho are superior in everything else.

Final Thoughts​

The Gumiho are a well done product. Something still needs to be refined and there’s no doubt about it, but the starting point is good, and their novel SPD technology seems to have enough potential to improve and show better performance in future releases (if adopted again).
The Gumiho are not for everyone, both because of their lower midrange thinness and their treble sparkle, but they deliver excellent bass performance and the technicalities are on point for today’s standards, not to mention that the packaging and the accessories are definitely above average for the price.
Thumbs up to Celest for this first release.

The newest "planar" on the market is also the cheapest. Celest (Kinera) Gumiho comes in at only $50, $13 more affordable than the previous cheapest, CCA PLA13. While the PLA13 didn't deliver the anticipated "bang-for-buck" quality, the Gumiho is a different story.....kind of.

You may have noticed I added air quotes around "planar" at the beginning of this article. For those in the know, there's a hot debate in the community right now on whether or not Gumiho's SPD driver is a planar driver. While I have no interest in jumping into this landmine discussion, I will leave some resources at the bottom of this article for those interested.

Of course, a company's trustworthiness is vital, and from that point of view, I do hope the SPD driver is, ultimately, as advertised. However, that's not what this article is about. You're here because you want to know if sinking $50 into this IEM is worth it, and with that in mind, let's break down Gumiho's sound.



Sound Impression

Gumiho has a bass-boosted neutral signature with a touch of warmth. Overall, it's a non-offensive and versatile signature, but it can also be too mellow for those looking for more excitement or the "wow" factor.

Bass

The lower range focuses significantly on the midbass and warm glide down to the lower midrange. This focus adds a sense of "boom" and "slam" to the bass that the majority will find fun and engaging. The warmth also gives more weight to each note and makes the more bassy instruments (male vocals included) sound richer and more full. Some can also describe the lower end as having a "musical" quality, and I won't deny that opinion. Overall this creates a pleasing bass response that's easy to enjoy in most music genres. However, it isn't without some sacrifices.

The main sacrifice here is perceived stage width and details. While I would not call this muddy (not close), there's still a noticeable boom and blunt in mid instruments and vocals. It's ultimately up to preference if that bothers you or not. If you're a bass lover or prefer a warmer signature, this will feel just like home. However, the bass will likely be a slight distraction if you seek a clean midrange recreation.



Midrange

We touched on the lower midrange in the bass section, so we're now moving on to the upper midrange. Gumiho has a vocal forward energy with a dip in the vocal extension range, around 5KHz - 6KHz. The vocalist on Gumiho comes across as centered-stage with decent contrast from the other instruments (pops out from the background well), though plagued by the small boominess mentioned above. The 5KHz-6KHz dip also hurts the overall vocal clarity. This quality is very noticeable in female vocals, with most having an apparent "congested" extension and a lack of life. Now, the midrange on the Gumiho is by no means dead sounding, but it's not very engaging or lively. However, I will note that it's not as noticeable on male vocals. If your library consists of primary female vocals, this issue may bother you more than most. Still, in contrast, you might not even notice the dip if you listen to primarily deeper-sounding male vocalists.

There's a fun way to test this out. If you're listening on your phone or DAP, you can open the EQ page and try bumping up the 5KHz-6KHz region. You'll find that the vocals sound more lively and naturally extending. Of course, the fix won't be accurate, but it should give you an idea of what could have been.

Overall, the midrange has a mellow and laid-back style. It's pleasant and inoffensive for the most part but lacks the energy and clarity to make it truly good. Ultimately, it's a similar midrange goal to the more expensive Dunu Talos and Dioko, but it falls short of being as good as those. Of course, the Gumiho is cheaper, but we'll touch on value towards the end of this article.



Treble

The treble adds a decent sense of note definition but could use a bit more evenness.

The are Gumiho struggles in is the air region. The Gumiho lacks air, making the perceived soundstage feel small or "in your head," you can say.

Side note
The treble is the most significant difference when comparing budget IEMs to higher-end ones. The treble area, as a whole, contributes a lot to what we call "details" and "soundstage." Higher-end IEMs tend to do much better here.

Technical Performance

I already covered many technical performance aspects above, so let's summarize here.

• Reduced clarity caused by the scoop around the 5KHz-6KHz area.
• Smaller perceived stage width and the air due to a slightly boomy midbass and lack of treble air, respectively.
• Note definition is fine overall

Now that all may sound horrible on paper, but let me give you the most important word of the day: "context."

Summary

In the context of $50 IEMs, even with all the shortcomings, the Gumiho performs above average. The tonality is still pleasant, with a decent detail level for the price. While it's not sitting at the top of the food chain any day soon, it's still a viable option for the money.

So the bottom line question is, do I recommend the Celest Gumiho at $50? The answer is yes, but with a caveat. As stated initially, this is more of a bass lover/ warm enthusiast IEM. It has the fun and engaging low end to sound satisfying while being tonally decent in the rest of the range. The warm touch works with most music genres and can be listened to for a long time without fatigue. If that sounds like what you're seeking, the Gumiho is a thumbs up from me. However, if you desire a more neutral option with better vocal clarity, I will point you to Moondrop Chu, 7Hz Zero, and Truthears x Crinacle Zero as the better options.

Kinera "Celest" Gumiho Overall Grade: B-

SPD Driver debate: https://bit.ly/3DWwxBK

REDEFINING THE PLAN-AR
KINERA CELEST GUMIHO
by PROblem



Tested at 50€. Could be bought at KINERA

INTRO & SUMMARY

KINERA, one of the most special brand outhere, which has been developing their own drivers from years ago, comes to the planar market with the most affordable planar driver ever made.
The design of the brand is one of their biggest point. Making beautiful shells and exclusive packages. The GUMIHO, even on the 50$ range, born with that philosophy.Under the "subrand" of CELEST, the GUMIHO is the first try with the new exclusive driver SPD, a 10mm planar square.
Let check it out!


DESIGN & BUILD 87%

• Plastic mold build in two pieces, finish with a 2pin connector
• You can choose between various finish, white or black on glossy or matte finish
  The faceplate is the one that got the details or draw on it. Also, the faceplate is the door that closed the earphone after driver installation
• Lightweight, with a comfort mold, because the lack of weight of the capsule
• 3 Vents on the top part of the earphone. The tourbillon is on the deeper side, and got a special design on the mesh
• Average isolation, no sound leakage
• Thanks to lightweight capsule, the comfort is superb. I’ve got big ears, but the fits seem correct, and the plastic mold help to avoid any inconvenience
• The packaging and accessories are nice. The cable is one of the best on the price range, it looks similar to the one of the old QOA Vesper, only issue is tangle tendency
• On the price range, I can’t remember a launch at this price with all the accessories and presentation it has. Only miss a case, I prefer over the bag

PERFORMANCE & TUNING 87%

• These sound nice from a Dongle, but I would recommend something a little bit powerful, like a BTR7 on high gain from the 3.5 output. Just to get the corrected bass response without going up on the volume. Any dac with High gain mode. Or just something in balanced mode with around 200w power output
• An analytical dac, with nice stage suits perfectly with the warmer presentation
• I’ve using the white open bore tips provided with the earphone, I get a perfect seal and not muffling the bass with them

The tuning is clearly warmer, with lot of body on bass that extends well to the mids. All the frequencies got the ability to give all the texture and info with a musical presentation. Its not the more analytical earphone out there but its clearly on a nice place to get best of both side (musical and analytical)

With the warmer tonality and coloration presentation, the organic and body this driver has, because of the “special build” it has, you are going to find an engaging and musical earphone, with some sibilancies on “S” and “T”

*NOTE: You can check on the HEAD-FI post, the driver is not a normal one, it has another technology that gives a different performance from other planar earphones.



LOWs 88%

• The bass extends all over the frequencies until a little dip before the mids, trying to avoid any bleeds. It has a richer coloration
• More wet than other planar on the market, probably because the type of driver. It’s not a monster detail on the bass section
• With nice dynamics is more on the impact than rumble side, being softly for moments. Its like a Aladdin a little bit technical, without losing the softness

MIDs 84%

• With a important presence on the scene, the mids are not pushed back, having some coloration and being important on the scene
• This kind of presentation make the voice sounds correctly presented, but tends a over-exaggerate the timbre. Male voices got nice timbre thanks to the extension of bass. Female voices sounds nice, being a nice pick for voice-focus tracks on the price bracket
• Not best timbre out there, but definitely, the bass give body than counter the single-BA issues
• I’m still surprised what a BA is capable off

HIGHs 86%

• A little over neutral presentation, that tends to sound more exaggerate with ever turn on the volume knob. It´s not unpleasant, but if you are more on the relaxed or neutral presentation, this pair is exactly the opposite.
• Lot of sparkle, and nice effects around your head
• Over-Average capacity of reveal, is not a monster, but one of the best on the price range
• The setup of the BA is more than capable to show the KINERA firm, making the music alive but with some tendencies to sibilance

TECH & STAGE 81%
RESOLUTION 78%

• Layering is average, a good sense of space between sounds, helped by the good bass representation
• Texture is not the best part of the earphone, having a good quality, but not the performance of other planar alternatives
• The detail retrieval is over-average, the BA is on the sparkle-side so you are going to find info on this one

TIMBRE 75%

• An average coherence representation, tends to be over-colored compared to NEUTRAL-HARMAN
• Male voices are the best on this one, but the female one tends to sibilance a little more
• Piano sounds more empathized that convenience, cords instruments are nice represented

STAGE 78%

• More horizontal than vertical, has a nice elliptic representation
• The feeling of space is nice, feels open for the price bracket

IMAGING 81%

• Not tends to sound congested, is not the airiest presentation, but have a good separation in all sounds
• The mid-frequencies are in the center, bass coming away from thanks to their good extension. Sparkle is more on the side than top

DYNAMICS 83%

• At the first hours, tends to blurrier the tracks, but after some burning it starts to shine, having a nice speed and dynamics
• The recovery is engaging, not being excessively dry and having a good extension at the same the got the energy to come back quickly
• This kind of driver, a new one way to develop a planar driver that gives some new ways to tuning a driver, losing some clarity but getting more body

OUTRO & VALORATION 83%

So, whats the conclusion of this iem? Well, its another KINERA tuning, solid performance, with a lovely bass that got an incredible softness with some nice technical performance. The counterpart is again, the tendency of the brand to get the high frequencies to the limit.

For the price, the level of packaging and the quality of plastic shell is astonishing. Plus, you get a nice cable and nice tips. Compared to other price bracket contender, the GUMIHO destroys them.

Lastly, Have to say, its not a planar like the S12 or TIMELESS, is another kind of driver that got weakness on detail, but sound more natural and comfortable than expensive competitors.

I really loved to write this review, enjoying music and put all my effort on describe what are the good/bad things of an IEM, thanks to all people that arrive to the end of this review, you can find more information about comparison versus other earphones, and some albums I recommend hearing with this item.



COMPARISONS
As always, we are going to compare versus a similar price range, or just with similar tuning earphone.



Vs. SHUOER S12
Vs. TRIPOWIN MELE

General Info (Packaging/Build Quality/Comfort)
Celest is a sister brand from Kinera. Gumiho is their debut IEM which i believe is targeting the entry level market. Gumiho is sporting a SPD (Square Planar Driver) and a single BA (Kinera’s Custom BA) according to the specifications.

The packaging definitely punches above the price point in terms of presentation and bundled accessories. Two types of eartips, wide and narrow bore, a storage pouch with magnetic clasp. The bundled cable is a 4 core silver-plated copper and alloy pure copper which is soft and flexible. The shell is 3D printed hence its very light and no issue with fitting, comfortable to wear for a long period of time.



Equipments/Music App Used For Review

• Macbook Air M2, Apple Music/Tidal
• iFi iDSD Nano Black Label
• Tempotec V6
• iPhone 12 Mini -> Apple Dongle

Sound
Upon first listen, Gumiho is rather bright and it has got the BA/metallic timbre which is very noticeable on the high hats and cymbals. My unit has gone through at least 50 hours of burn in and the highs are a little smoother but they are still on the bright side. The listening impression is done with stock cable and stock narrow bore eartips (M Sized).

Bass

• Bass is fast and controlled but a little lacking in terms of texture
• Listening to Slipknot’s People = crap, the bass is keeping up but lacking a little punch
• Sub bass rumble is there when it is needed, slightly rolled off to my ears, you can feel it on Why So Serious - Hans Zimmer, but you can also tell that it is lacking a little extension

MIds

• The vocal is forward but not to the point where it’s intimate
• Male vocal especially low baritone voice sounded thin, evident on Zhao Peng’s The Moon Represents My Heart, a little warmth here will be better
• Female vocal is alright although i do prefer them to sound a little bit thicker, whereas on Adele’s Easy on Me, it gets a little fatiguing listening to it after a while, a little harsh sounding to my ears (this is on iFi iDSD Nano which is a warm sounding)
• Upper mid is quite energetic as well

Treble

• To my ears, the treble certainly sounds a little emphasised and energetic
• Percussions and cymbals, you can definitely pick them up easily
• No slouch in detail retrieval
• Listening to electronic instruments in EDM track will get very fatigued after a little while
• Good amount of air and good extension

Soundstage/Imaging

• Good soundstage presentation, out of your head kind of feeling
• Wide, and good depth, but a little lacking in terms of height
• Imaging is good for the price, but it does suffers a little on very complex track such as Slipknot’s People = crap, you will struggle a little to pinpoint the instruments, but it's good enough in most of the songs, i’m being critical here

Driveability/Amping

• Gumiho is very easy to drive, you can get decent volume level even out from your smartphone’s 3.5mm jack
• I personally find that it is better suited for warmer source, when using it with my Tempotec V6’s DAP which has a fairly neutral and dynamic profile, it is quite energetic and i wouldn’t say they pair very well (ultimately, different ears interpret sound differently)

FInal Thoughts and suggested improvement/tweak
While the Gumiho does excel in soundstage and imaging, it does have its weaknesses as well, which i have mentioned above, for me, i’d say it is certainly not an all rounder , and picky in terms of genre, it gets very fatigued after a little while for EDM because of the energetic treble. I wouldn’t go as far as saying this is a bad set just because it doesn’t work well with my library.

If you are sensitive to the high like me, you may swap out the stock cable to a pure copper cable and also swap the eartip to Final’s Type E eartip to tame the high and at the same time, it will have better note weights. If you prefer energetic treble and slightly cool tone, you may stick with the stock setup, otherwise, you may try out the tweak i suggested.
At 49$, no doubt it is an interesting offering in terms of the price considering most of the planar offerings are priced a lot higher. The performance of Gumiho is inline with the asking price in my opinion.

*Gumiho is sent to me by Kinera/Celest F.O.C in exchange for this review. I thank them for the opportunity. I am not under any influence nor do I receive any monetary compensation to produce this review.

If you are interested in getting a pair, you may head to Kinera’s official webstore to purchase one
Celest Gumiho - Non Affiliated