Kinera Celest Pandamon

Kinera Celest Pandamon: short review and comparisons.

I bought this, along with a few other things, during a big 3.3 sale at a local online shopping platform for 23 USD, including shipping, with platform discounts and vouchers applied. This was released in November of 2022, priced at 59 USD, so it has been on the market for 1 year and 4 months at this writing. It is now being sold at a lower price and could be found at 34 USD on my local shopping platforms like Lazada and Shopee.

Kinera is an audiophile company based in China. They are one of the best when it comes to build and sound quality, and they have very good aesthetic designs.



The Kinera Celest Pandamon is an IEM earphone using a unique driver called SPD 2.0, or Square Planar Driver version 2.

The packaging is okay for the price, and the accessories it came with are just ordinary. I've seen better at the 59-dollar price point, but at the 33-dollar price point, where it is priced now, they are good.

The Pandamon is easy to pair with any of my dongle devices, which include the Moondrop Moonriver 2, Moondrop Dawn Pro, and the Hidizs S9 Pro Plus Martha. I used the Hidizs for this review. I also found that among the eartips I tried with this, the Dunu S&S eartips sounded the best, so that's the one I used. I use the Letshuoer modular cable with a 4.4mm balance connection.




The sound signature when used with the Hiidzs S9 Pro Plus Martha, the Dunu S&S eartips, and the Letshour cable is very neutral, flat in frequency response, and non-fatiguing, with a very good subbass extension that can almost be felt, which was unexpected.

The first thing I noticed when it came to sound quality was the sound stage. It is above average for its price. It has good layering and surround sound.

The imaging is great for the price, but it doesn't have the pinpoint accuracy of IEMs, which cost many times more.

The overall technicalities are above average, and it sounds like a classy, warm, and a more expensive set.

When driven to loud volume levels, the sound doesn't get shouty in the upper midrange like most IEMs in this price range do, indicating low distortion. Thumbs up!



Bass:

The bass is flat, neutral, and extended in the sub-bass, with very good texture, details, and control. The balance between sub-bass and mid-bass is perfect for me; the speed is not the best, though. I've heard tighter bass with as much or more sub-bass extension, but they are coming from much more expensive sets.

Midrange:

The mid-range is neutral, with a slight hint of elevation in the upper mid-range, which aids in clarity but doesn't sound offensive or shouty.

Treble:

The treble has above-average macro and micro details; it is delivered with good delicacy and gentleness that are usually found only in good planar IEMs like the Hidizs MP145. It has a very good upper treble extension and is never fatiguing. This is the best treble I've heard at this price range so far. I only wish it had a little more grit and sparkle.



Compared to Moondrop Chu 2 (17 USD):

The Chu 2 (17 USD) is a very popular IEM, and I believe it to be the best-selling moondrop IEM of late.

The Chu2 is a fun but average-sounding IEM at its price range. This is not a fair comparison; I only included it here as a reference point.

The Pandamon is better in every way in terms of sound quality, so if you are looking for a good-sounding budget IEM under 25 dollars, I highly suggest you stretch your budget more to get the Pandamon. The sound quality you gain for the slight price increase is more than worth it.



Compared to Simgot EA500 (65 USD):

The EA500 is a very popular IEM and has been a benchmark in terms of sound quality in its price range for a long time now.

The EA500 sounds brighter and has a leaner bass. It could sound fatiguing on long listening sessions due to its lean overall tonality.

The EA500 has a flat and small sound stage and feels claustrophobic at times, while the Pandamon has a big sound stage, meaning that it feels like you are in a big venue when listening to the Pandamon.

I find the Pandamon to sound better than the EA500.



Compared to Moondrop May (60 USD):

The May is a hybrid of 1 dynamic driver and 1 micro-planar driver with U-shape sound signature. It has more sub-bass and upper-treble sound when used with a 3.5mm or 4.4mm cable. It generally sounds very good, with similar sounding highs. My only minor issue with the May when comparing it to the Pandamon is that I can hear less coherence between the two drivers; it's not obvious and, in fact, sounds negligible when you are listening to it on its own. It only became audible to me when I was comparing them.

Minor issue:

Dongle DACs and amps are usually designed to work with a load of 32 ohms. The Pandamon has an impedance of 9 ohms. This means it is a difficult load and is drawing about 4 times the amount of current at a given volume compared to IEMs with a 32 ohm impedance. The issue is that it causes my Hidizs S9 Pro Plus Martha and Moondrop Moonriver 2 to trigger their overcurrent protection and cut off the music when playing at a very loud volume. It doesn't happen to the Moondrop Dawn Pro though, but I can hear it struggle at loud volume levels. I have no issue with my topping G5.

This issue is minor as it only happens at very loud levels that can cause hearing losses when listening for a prolonged period of time. If you are only listening at practically loud volumes, there is no issue.

Pros:

+ Great sound at an affordable price.
+ above-average sound quality for the price.

Cons:

- Slightly difficult to drive.
- The included cable could be better.

If you have a collection of below-25 dollar IEMs and want better sound quality, or if you haven't tried a planar IEM before, then the Pandamon is a good place to start. I highly recommend the Kinera Celest Pandamon.



3-23-2024

Kinera Celest Pandamon : Almost Perfect!



Summary:
Launched in late Nov'22, Pandamon is the latest iteration of Planar driver-based IEM from Kinera. It comes with a proprietary 10mm SPD 2.0 Driver and comes at a very affordable price.



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 Pandamon has to offer. In pursuit of better sound for the price, the PANDAMON comes with a proprietary 10mm SPD 2.0 Driver.
The PANDAMON is priced at $59



Design & Build:

The PANDAMON comes with a Resin shell and a steel faceplate which is surprisingly very comfortable and a perfect fit for most ears. I have tried it through long audio sessions, and it fared very well throughout. It is amongst the most comfortable IEMs in this price range that I have come across.



It is described as the following on the website:

Pandamon earphone shell adopts a new design, using a circular hollow faceplate with a unique sense of mechanical aesthetics. The hollow cavity has a strong sense of three-dimensionality visually, which is a perfect integration with inner mechanical artistry. Pandamon will use resin as shell material, the 3D cavity of pressed texture will be an iconic blend IEM design brilliance.

We have used an enhanced Kinera SPD 2.0™ on Pandamon, providing the following acoustic quality improvements. First overall frequency sensitivity enhanced by 3db to be an even mobile phone friendlier IEM. Second we coupled a BA driver on our first iteration of SPD™ to compliment treble delivery, but SPD 2.0™ is capable to deliver full frequency range, self-sufficient to provide a complete listening experience, eliminating any possible frequency interferences or unwanted acoustic effects. It’s rich texture and relaxed tonality is a perfect partner when you want to enjoy your beloved music during commute or after a long day’s work.

Excellent bass performance with immense texture but transient response, while keeping a certain level of extension and dispersion, providing long listening comfortability; vocals are kept at an optimal distance with enriching thickness, glittered with a velvety treble range. The tuning is finished with good control over sibilance. Overall tuned with a pyramid shaped frequency distribution providing a warm and roomy tonality, thanks to our SPD 2.0™.

Specifications:

The Kinera Celest PANDAMON comes at $59 price tag and specifications are as below:

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

https://www.linsoul.com/products/kinera-pandamon



The Box & Accessories:

The Pandamon package includes…




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
Streaming Source: QOBUZ

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




Pairing Performance with different sources:

The Pandamon had the great pairing with almost each and every dongle/DAC/DAP that I owned.
Best pairing was obviously with @Questyle M15 dongle, LPGT & Cayin N8ii DAPs.
It even paired well with Audirect ATOM 3 Lightning adaptor dongle.



Kinera Celest Pandamon Sound Impressions in Short:

The BASS:

The Pandamon comes with great bass performance for the price range. 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 Pandamon. Midrange is amongst the stronger traits of the Pandamon.
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 SPD2.0 has indeed come far from the initial version of the SPD found in the CELEST GUMIHO. 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”. The treble had much more details than the previous Gumiho. However, it felt like there is still room to improve here.

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 Pandamon 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 Pandamon. Tracks like: “Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) - The Beautiful South “or “Hello Again - Howard Carpendale & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” just shine through. Separation however could be better.



Comparisons:

I was unable to find a suitable comparable IEM in my possession. Hence, I used a higher priced 7Hz Dioko also featuring 14.6mm Planar driver and priced at $99 for the comparison.




Kinera Celest Pandamon vs 7Hz Salnotes Dioko:

Price: Kinera Celest Pandamon costs $59 which is almost half of 7Hz DIOKO. Hence, the Pandamon gets advantage here.

Build, Comfort & Features: Both IEMs are well built and comfortable. The DIOKO comes with heavier shells. Also, the ergonomics of the Pandamon shell makes it a better fit and far more comfortable.

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

Mids: The midrange on the on both IEMs are just great. But the Dioko seemed a tad bit fuller and has more texture.

Treble: The Dioko had better details in the treble region than the Pandamon. But the difference is not big.

Soundstage, Imaging and Separation: The Pandamon and Dioko are almost similar in all 3 aspects. the Dioko is a tad bit better in staging & separation. but this makes the Pandamon a great value for the money.

The Pandamon beats Dioko in terms of build & comfort, however when it comes to sound performance - the Dioko does better.
Point to be noted here is that the gap in sound performance is not as much as the price gap, which makes the Pandamon a better value for the money.





Conclusion:

The Kinera Celest Pandamon is a great all-rounder IEM for the price range and with almost perfect price to performance ratio which makes it easy recommendation. At this price point you can't ask for more.

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Celest Pandamon (by Kinera)

The (Kinera) Celest Pandamon were sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. I have not received any specific requests or comments and will try to be as unbiased and sincere as humanly possible, as usual.

As always, I have left a (non-affiliate) link to the Pandamon via Linsoul on my blog, link at the end of this post.

To avoid being repetetive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews



Intro…

I have to say that when I received the Pandamon, I was rather surprised and had absolutely no idea what to expect. In my normal procedure, I didn’t do any research into the model and had absolutely no idea what they were, except for something with an angry panda on the box (and IEMs).

After finally listening to them for a while (and being quite surprised at what I heard), I finally got around to doing some research. Selling for just under 50€ (at the time of this review) they feature a 10mm square planar driver with an impedance of 9 Ohms and are actually made by Kinera. Linsoul actually shows them as Kinera Pandamon on their site, whereas the box does mention Kinera in one of the contact options but the rest just refers to Celest.

So, now that we know what they are, let’s talk about how they perform.



Presentation…

I can do nothing but give them full marks for originality. The box shows a very angry looking panda, with a transparent window above that lets us see the IEMs in the interior.

Inside the box we find, along with the IEMs, 6x sets of silicone tips (in two types), the cable, a storage pouch (of the type with a spring loaded closure), a cleaning brush/tool, a small booklet and some kind of pendant that also shows the angry panda with a small silver coloured chain that runs to a small plaque at the other end with Celest engraved on it.

The presentation keeps up with the Pandamon theme throughout, even telling the story on the outside of the box.

Again, all I can do is give them points for originality (whether the theme is something I like or not).



Build and aesthetics…

The first thing that obviously jumps out at us is the Pandamon face on the IEMs faceplate. The IEMs are round and the faceplates have a silver metal theme going on, although they are made from plastic. There are openings on the faceplate with mesh behind which make them look rather open, although, as in most cases, they are not as open as the meshing would lead us to believe.

The IEMs are incredibly lightweight and I find them to fit comfortably in my ears, feeling absolutely no fatigue from the fit even after hours and hours of use. The build also seems to be pretty good, with all the small details of the faceplate (which are quite complex) looking well done even upon closer examination.

To be honest, I am not a fan of the aesthetics of the Pandamon, I don’t think I would find myself wearing these out in public, just not my style. Yet, again, they are definitely original and may be much more appealing to a different (younger?) audience.

The included cable is also decent, although I am not really a fan of the plasticy finish of it. The connectors are metal and the cable is comfortable and non-tangly (which is a word that I am sure doesn’t exist), it is just that outside material that doesn’t appeal to me.



Sound…

All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)

As I said, when I started listening to the Pandamon, I didn’t know what to expect. I guess my mind automatically thought they would be some sort of V shaped tuning aimed at the masses, based on the aesthetics (preconceived opinions are always there, no matter how we try to avoid them), but they are certainly not that. In fact, they present a tuning that I am quite fond of.

Here is the usual graph comparison between them and my personal preference target:



We can see on paper that they are not that far away from my preferences, which doesn’t automatically mean that I will like them but I do find that I have enjoyed listening to them.

Starting with the subbass, these are definitely not IEMs that are aimed at giving you a lot in these lower ranges. They are rather calm in the subbass region, without any additional boost in comparison to the mid bass. “Chameleon” can come across as a little thin in the low end, even to my tastes (being someone who is by no means a bass head). This doesn’t mean the subbass is bad, just that it is not really that present.

Moving into the midbass, it is again not something that is going to appeal to those who like a boosted low end. The low end is quite calm in general. The performance of the planar driver is decent and all notes in the midbass are clearly defined but Ido thing that some people will find it lacking some warmth for their tastes. Listening to “Smooth Operator”, the bass guitar is very clear but does not really have a lot of “body” to it.

This does make vocals, like Sam Smith in “HIM”, take a step forwards and the piano take a little bit of a background role. This can be very enjoyable for those moments when you want the vocals to take the front stage but I wouldn’t recommend these to those who want to listen to things like EDM with a nice bass presence. Again, the bass is very clear and is not missing, it just doesn’t have the body and warmth that many other sets do.

Towards the top of the midrange, there is quite a smooth climb to the main presence point just over 2kHz and this forms part of that extra step forwards in vocals that I just mentioned. For example, “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay” places Sara Bareilles very upfront. I do find this very enjoyable for a lot of my vocal centric music yet, for something more rock orientated, such as “Bombtrack”, it can place a lot of emphasis on the midrange of the guitar.

The treble range is quite smooth and while there isn’t a huge amount of air, the overall sound signature does make things seem a little more present in these ranges. Sibilance is pretty well controlled, without things coming across as harsh in these upper ranges.

Details are not great although the tuning does help with being able to appreciate those that are there. By this I mean that the Pandamon are not going to suddenly reveal things never heard before but at the same time, they never come across as overly blunt in this regard. Specifically focusing on certain background details that I know are there, they can be heard on the Pandamon but they don’t jump out at you.

Soundstage is another of those that I find to be around average with image placement being good but certainly not pin point. Separation of the layers in vocals in “Strange Fruit” is acceptable but I wouldn’t say it is amazing.



Isolation is quite a way below average but as I said earlier in the review, I can’t see me going out in public with these IEMs anyway, so noise shouldn’t be an issue



Conclusion…

I have been pleasantly surprised by the Pandamon, they certainly aren’t what I thought they were going to be when I first opened them. The sound signature is something that gets close to my preferences and although I would like a little more in the low end (which is something I don’t say often), in general they are a nicely balanced set of IEMs for those who want a more “neutral” sound.

The details are not the best but they are not bad either and the overall presentation of the IEMs is something that I find non-offensive and fairly well done. Yes, there are points that can be improved but that is usually the case with most IEMs.

I am not a fan of the aesthetics but that is obviously something very personal. I am just not one for wearing cartoon characters, I guess I am more of the boring type for that kind of thing.

They are certainly something different and it is always refreshing to see things on my desk that break away from the routine, whether I like them or not. In this case, I have enjoyed listening to them.

______
As always, this review is also available in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)

All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link

All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation