Kinera Celest Phoenixcall 1DD+2BA+2 Micro Planar Drivers IEMs
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Celest Phoenixcall Review
Celest Phoenixcall
Hello, this is my full written review of Celest Audio‘s latest Hybrid iem, the Celest Phoenixcall. Celest is actually a sub-brand of the popular audio company “Kinera” and please trust me; the quality is evident from the moment you pick this set up. Basically, you can spot the lineage right away. There is a certain distinction of virtue, or class in a Kinera set. Almost like a foregone conclusion that the product as a whole carries a level of prestige, without being unaffordable I should add. That’s Kinera to me and thus, this is also what Celest represents to the more affordable branch of Kinera’s lineups. At least this is how I see it. It goes without saying that I was more than happy to receive the Phoenixcall and will do my best to explain this set to the reader today.Kinera
The great audio company “Kinera Audio” was established in 2011 and entered the audio world first as a manufacturer of Drivers for Military Hearing Aids. Kinera holds many patents for different drivers such as Balanced Armatures, Bone Conduction etc. It wasn’t until 2016 that this storied company actually created their first iem, the Kinera BD005. Since then, it has been a constant churning of well-crafted iems. Slowly but surely, Kinera worked their way up to better and better gear to be sold to the audio community. Quickly Kinera gained respect within the field of audio, and I’d say that we are still seeing the same respect throughout the community even today.That quick rise began with the BD005 and then eventually we saw the likes of the Kinera Seeds, Idun, Odin and since that time…the rest is history. In fact, I reviewed the Kinera Hodur recently (Hodur Review) and absolutely enjoyed that set. There have been countless iterations of each set as well as many new iems that topped charts in the audio community since those early days. Within time Kinera became a name synonymous with quality and price to performance. Kinera will always craft a product with a story and a definitive purpose, and every product will be released when it’s ready. Truly I am confident to say that Kinera is one of the better brands of personal audio.
Sub-Brands
During this time of expansion Kinera split off into some very successful sub-brands like Queen of Audio (QOA) & Celest. QOA has had a number of successful sets over the years as well. Now, Celeste (new to the game) has already done very well to make its mark within the hobby, by starting out with the wildly popular Celest Gumiho and one of my absolute favorite iems under $100 the Celest Pandamon (Pandamon Review HERE) which I reviewed last year and gave it very high marks for its beautifully neutral and wholly clean sound. That leads us to the set I am reviewing today.The Phoenixcall came along with some nice buzz in the community, and I have to say that I was more than thrilled to receive this set from the good people of HiFiGo. So, let me quickly say thank you to Lvy as well as HiFiGo for providing the Phoenixcall in exchange for a feature at Mobileaudiophile.com. Thank you.
The Phoenixcall is actually more than just a hybrid set, as it’s actually a “tribrid” iem consisting of one Dynamic Driver, two Balanced Armatures and two Micro-Planar Drivers. I have been taken aback by many factors regarding this gorgeous iem. The look, sound, packaging, the whole nine yards to be honest. However, one of my most favorite aspects of a Kinera/QOA/Celest iem is in their naming schemes…
Phoenixcall
One aspect of a Kinera, QOA, or “Celest” product is that they actually take the time to give their products a certain “theme” if you will. I remember a Facebook message throughout some audio groups in which representatives from Kinera were asking about a name to give this beautiful tribrid. They asked for a name that is associated with hundreds of birds coming home. “Phoenixcall” was obviously the name they chose but it was the sentiment which was refreshing to see. Not only does Kinera give their iems a “personality” or “theme” to align to, but they also tune their iems to this “personality” or “theme”. I absolutely love this. Kinera puts a ton of expertise, knowledge and artistry into their products, to where they aren’t simply audio devices… but functional works of art.Shanhai Jing
Phoenixcall is actually derived from an ancient Chinese myth “The Legends of the Mountain and Seas” aka “Shanhai Jing”. Hopefully I don’t butcher this too badly. This myth is actually a sort-of “encyclopedia” of geographical knowledge as well as a book of short myths, strange creatures, and of medicine etc. It is an ancient book that doesn’t seem to have a reason for its existence. A strange book no doubt.One story within this strange book is actually a scene which Celest describes as a “destined force lurking in the dark” of the forest which called home the families of divine birds. These birds filled the skies all at once as they made their way back to the forest. Quite a grand scene if you use your imagination a bit. Picture a harmonious meeting in the sky. Hear the sounds, the songs, the foreboding grandeur of a momentous convergence such as this. What are the colors? What is the mood? Think of all the variables. Now, bottle that all up and create an iem in the likeness of this mythical occasion. PHEW!! After you are done doing that, tip your hat to the people behind this set…Truly a job well done!
Maybe I’m romanticizing but…
I would hope that other companies would put the same level of care and thought into their audio devices. I would hope that the days of simply assigning some random numbers and letters and then slapping that on a cardboard box and then calling it a name are behind us, but of course that’s unlikely. With that said, I think the consumer should cheer on a company which strives to be more than a quick cash grab. With Kinera, there seems to be a sense of real thought, purpose and care put into not just the name but also the unifying idea and concepts behind the art that they create.Maybe I’m romanticizing this a bit much as that has always been my biggest problem in some people’s eyes. Who knows, maybe it’s one of my best strengths. At any rate, let’s at least recognize the respect and regard that the team behind a set like the Phoenixcall gives to their craft. If it’s me, I’d much rather purchase something that means something to not only the buyer, but to the person who made it as well. So, without further ado…the Celest Phoenixcall…
Purchase Links:
Note: I am in no way in any paid partnership with HiFiGo and never have received any money for my contribution to this review. This is simply a review sample in exchange for honest feedback.
Full Review can also be found here: Celest Phoenixcall
Gear used for testing
–Ifi Go Blu–Hidizs S9 Pro
–Moondrop Dawn 4.4
–iBasso DX240 with Amp8 MK2
–Shanling M6 Ultra
Packaging / Accessories
Quick Unboxing
Upon receiving the Phoenixcall I have to say that I was not expecting so much effort and intricate details placed upon the packaging of this set. I suppose I forgot how well the Gumiho or the Pandamon were meticulously and artistically boxed up. Come to think of it, I should probably involve any other Kinera set that I’ve purchased over the years too. It’s hard not to be at least marginally impressed.First off, the box is gorgeous. Colored in a beautiful purple color with the scene of the birds gathering in the skies on the front cover. A white silhouette outlines the birds in flight with depictions of swirling wind gusts and clouds above. A very serene looking and whimsical type scene which is a giant departure from what us hobbyists are used to. Not that it matters at all as far as the sound (the real reason we purchase) is concerned, but I have to at least respect the effort.
Inside
The box opens up with an elegant magnetic flap. As you Peek into the box, on the left side you’ll find a small rectangular leaflet which describes the story behind the Phoenixcall. Also, right next to that is a sort of a metal charm which Celest calls a “Bookmark” which you can see in the pictures. The bookmark has a scene which embodies the entire theme of the Phoenixcall with a metal cut and hand painted top view of birds flying in a circle pattern.Friends… what level of care and thought does it take to include such additions (beautiful bookmark, gorgeous packaging, leaflet, artistic design etc.), which, are totally impertinent to the actual sound, yet are delicately and skillfully applied to the packaging? Celest didn’t have to add anything. They could’ve simply done what so many audio companies do… Simple box, tips, cable and maybe a carrying case. Celest put care and great thought into something that is completely irrelevant to the audio capabilities of the Phoenixcall. However, I would argue that these touches aren’t irrelevant at all and in my opinion serve the overall aesthetic. In fact, I’d say that these small artistic decorative & ornamental additions are an integral part of the overall theme, and by the way… Celest does a masterful job of presenting that theme.
Moving on, as you look into the contents of the box, you’ll see the gorgeous Phoenixcall earphones presented in all their glory already attached to the cable which wraps underneath and is tucked away in a small black box. Next to that you’ll find a box containing the carrying case as well as the eartips. Really a beautiful packaging and for what it’s worth, great job to the designers and artisans who took part in the whole motif and end result.
Eartips
Celest provides a total of six pairs of quality eartips inside of the packaging, neatly wrapped in those ridiculously annoying plastic bags that we see so often. They include one set (S, M, L) of “Celest C-07 Balanced Tips” which are white silicone tips with a medium-wide bore which are slightly longer for a deeper fit. I think these are comparable in bore size & feel to the KBear 07 tips, not exact but comparable. The other tips (S, M, L) are a gray pair of “Celeste 221 Vocal Tips” which are silicone with a wide-bore and a firm flange and have a shallower fit.
Both sets are very usable for the Phoenixcall and both sets actually make sense and aren’t just random tips thrown into the package for the sake of adding tips. Nice work Celest. Both sets of tips slightly alter the sound. I chose the wide-bore pair as I feel the sound opens up, the treble feels snappier too. This is one of the first times I didn’t have to spend an hour tip rolling. So, for me personally, I do enjoy the Phoenixcall with wide bore tips so not to block any of the nozzle holes at the tip. Obviously, this is just my preference, and I don’t think a smaller bore tip reduces the sound quality, but they do shift the tonality to a degree.
Carrying case
Celest includes a lovely little blue carrying case with the package. It’s rather small. The case is a round case which opens and closes by way of an easy-to-use zipper. Probably just large enough to snuggly fit your precious earphones and cable. That said, it is a very classy case with what feels like faux leather and nice stitching.
I actually think the size is quite nice if you are one to carry your earphones with you in your pocket. I never do this but I’m sure many of you do. The truth is, it’s a nice case that Celest didn’t have to include. I would have been just as wowed without it, but they did the right thing and included one. It is a very nice little addition that fits the overall motif and aesthetic of the package and the utter class of the earphones.
Cable
Oh, the cable! Friends, please trust me when I say that I would never in a million years want any cable with “pink” in it. That is… Until now! The cable is so freaking dope! Just sick! That blue and pink braid fits the earphones to the tee! I really mean every word when I say, “Fantastic job Celest! ”. The included cable is pliable, easy to use, not stiff, not microphonic and completely durable feeling. The cable itself is a 2-Pin, 8-Core, 5N Silver Plated Copper cable which terminates with a 3.5 single ended jack and adorned with stainless steel fittings. Folks, the braiding is so nice as the pink and blue are starkly distinct from each other which to me is very appealing and a perfect addition to the pink and blue earphones. The whole design language has a very trendy yet very ornamental feel to it.
I did have to use a balanced cable for my balanced sources and so I went through many different cables looking for the best pairing. What I landed on was the KBear Chord 4.4. To me it fits the silver lettering of the earphones as it matches the accent colors decently. However, all I really needed was to do its job and that it did. Also, the Phoenixcall does seem to scale to the source as well as additional source power (I’ll cover that later).
Build / Design / Internals / Fit / Drivability
Build
I have to say, I’m normally not taken aback or surprised too often. Much of the time we get run ‘o the mill builds and I’m usually perfectly happy with most any earphone. However, Celest went and totally knocked this build out of the park! Truly! What a nice form, body, and architecture. I haven’t even gotten to the design yet. We are talking about “build quality”. What we have is a completely transparent shell which easily shows the working contents of the Phoenixcall. The build is a beautiful all resin makeup with a durable and solid feel to the. The faceplate is oval shaped, and the shell cavity is a very ergonomically printed structure with deep fitting nozzles. You can easily spot the tube exits at the nozzle as well with four separate holes. Truly a remarkable build and one of my favorites at any price.
Design
This brings me to the actual look of the Phoenixcall. Celest made two different colorways for the Phoenixcall as they decided upon a “Clear” version and a “Reddish/Pink & Blue” version. What a beauty of an iem with a wispy yet resplendent, almost delicately ornate charm. I don’t mean delicate in the build either, more like in the way Celeste conveyed the art depicted on the faceplates. As you can easily see in my pictures, the Phoenixcall is a true piece of art. Meaning, a human or humans, designed this set in an attempt to evoke some sort of emotional response. This set was obviously designed to leave an impression or to wow the consumer. Also, nobody goes to these lengths to create something as lavish in intricate details as the Phoenixcall without taking serious pride in the end result and to how people will react.
Faceplates
I think you have to start with the shining star of the design and that’s the faceplates. They are stunning friends. Underneath a coat of crystal-clear resin, you can see the scene of the divine birds making their way back. There’s a handful of silver silhouette birds appearing in “mid-flight” with miniscule specks of bunched up bluish & purple colored glitter paint which serves as the backdrop. At the top corner of the faceplate is a seemingly deep black void (I’m assuming it is supposed to represent the dark forest) which seems to be where these birds are traveling to.
As I twirl the Phoenixcall in my hands the faceplates will catch the light and with every movement the faceplates light up with different hues of refracted shades of blue. This may not be for everyone; it isn’t the most masculine looking set in the world but for the work and imagination that went into the appearance… I can’t help but think “Job well done”.
Wonderful mistake
Again, the Phoenixcall actually comes in two different colorways. One is the “clear version” and the other is the “reddish pink & blue” set you can see in my pictures. Much to my chagrin, I actually thought I was receiving the clear model, but the pink and blue model showed up at my house. I have to admit I was immediately a bit sour about it until I actually took the earpeices out of the box and looked at them with fresh eyes.Not only is the faceplate awesome looking but the shells are just as great. You can see the neatly laid out drivers inside and clearly see the tubes and the entire inside cavity which is a very cool touch. The design is very creative and different from any set I’ve ever seen, which makes this design kind of bold in a sense. Not everyone will be a fan, for that I’m sure. But for those who can appreciate the creativity I think I can speak for those people and say to Celest… Again, job well done!
Internals
Celest decided to go with a tribrid setup for the Phoenixcall which is not something we often see under $200, let alone under $130. In total the Phoenixcall actually has five drivers per earphone. Celest went with a 7mm strong magnetic coil Dynamic Driver for the low-end, one customized Balanced Armature Driver (10012) for the mid frequencies, one customized Balanced Armature Driver (10021) for the mid-highs and two 6mm flat panel Micro-Planars Drivers to take on the ultra-high areas of the treble. To say that this was an ambitious effort is an understatement. Folks, look at what you are getting for the price, it’s getting ridiculous. The problem with ambitious driver configurations such as this is trying to gather and maintain some sort of coherence between the drivers. As you can plainly see each driver is set with its own sound tube and by all accounts, these are good drivers.
Celest Promotional image
Fit / Isolation
The fit of any earphone is always a very personal & subjective matter. I have zero idea how well the Phoenixcall is going to sit in your ears, but I can tell you how they fit in mine. Perhaps I’m not the best person to relay this info as most earphones fit me, but the Phoenixcall fits me like a glove. In all honesty I don’t know how they wouldn’t fit nicely for the majority of hobbyists either. Celest created a very ergonomic shell design with no rough spots, sharp edges and the Phoenixcall are also very light on the ear so to help with extended listening sessions without any crazy ear fatigue due to weight. One of the benefits of a design such as this is getting very nice isolation as well without much sound leakage too.Drivability
From what I can see the Phoenixcall are pretty easy to drive. Now, I don’t have a smartphone with a 3.5 single ended jack so I can’t tell you how the Phoenixcall will sound with a lower powered device. I can tell you that the Phoenixcall are rated at 32 ohms with a sensitivity of 103 db’s and a supposed frequency response ranging from 20hz-40khz. Using a Bluetooth Dac/Amp such as the IFi Go Blu (CS43131 dac chip) with its very dynamic and slightly warmer tonality worked nicely with the Phoenixcall. Especially when I switched to 4.4 balanced and gave it more juice.Dongle Dacs
Using my Hidizs S9 Pro (ES9038Q2M dac chip), I found it to have plenty of power for the Phoenixcall as they really aren’t difficult to drive to good volume. The pairing was pretty nice between these two as well. The S9 Pro is a warm/neutral sounding dac which is snappy enough to play well attached to the Phoenixcall. However, switching to one of my all-time favorite Dongle Dacs, the Moondrop Dawn 4.4 (also uses a CS43131 dac chip) I truly found an awesome sound and synergy with the Phoenixcall attached. The neutral sounding Dawn, the big power, the dynamic sound was dancing with the Phoenixcall.DAPs
During most critical listening I chose to use the Daps in my possession. That is the more neutral-ish and spirited sound of the iBasso DX240 (ES9038PRO Dac chip, basically eight ES9038Q2M chips) and the warmer, more colored and very resolving Shanling M6 Ultra (AK4493SEQ Flagship). To be honest, the Phoenixcall didn’t exactly sound better with either dap in particular but really does sound great on both. One thing is clear, the Phoenixcall does seem to tighten up with more power and a better skilled source. I think it’s a little more of the latter actually. The Phoenixcall is right at that point where you can either go with a warm source or an analytical source and it won’t hurt you either way. The “Bird” adapts. However, the higher fidelity of your source and the Phoenixcall will reciprocate.The least you need…
At the end of the day, to operate the Phoenixcall it doesn’t take much at all to drive. All you probably need is a decently powered dongle dac at the least. Now, I’m quite positive you’d be able to drive this set off of most smartphones as well. However, you may not get the best sound quality. I would assume if you can afford the Phoenixcall than a cheap and decently powered dongle dac isn’t out of the question.
Full Review can also be found here: Celest Phoenixcall
Sound Impressions
Note: I want to quickly note that I did give the Phoenixcall about 50 hours of burn in and it actually didn’t do much for the sound except some peaks in the upper treble. They don’t come across nearly as sharp or tinsley as they did prior to burn-in. I went back and forth between devices, single ended and balanced and all my thoughts are my own which were taken from actual hours of listening. Let me begin by saying that the Phoenixcall has impressed me quite a bit. I don’t want to keep my joy over the sound to myself. I was thoroughly curious as to how well Celest/Kinera was going to implement these five drivers. This can go only one of two ways folks and by the language of my first sentence, I think you can imagine my thoughts. I was able to check out both the Gumiho as well as the Pandamon and was truly impressed by both. However, to all of a sudden skip to a five driver tribrid was pretty ambitious. Of course, Kinera has been at this audio game for quite some time.
Musicality
Musical…the Celest Phoenixcall is simply musical. There it is, nuff said, everyone can go home now. In all seriousness, this is what the Phoenixcall is to me, if I were to break this set down into one word. “Musical” covers quite a lot and is a very broad word. This must mean that the Phoenixcall has a nice low-end, an energetic and cohesive midrange with some decent note weight and shimmer. This should also mean that the Phoenixcall has a nice treble region which uplifts the spectrum. Musical can mean a lot of things but what it means to me is this… The Phoenixcall sounds very nice to my ears.Milky transparent
This set is definitely a V-shaped set with a warm tonality and organic type timbre. It’s a rich sound, it’s lush, yet the Phoenixcall also has an almost milky transparency. This is a wholly unique tuning from what we hear in most times today with a larger mid-bass hump among other things I’ll explain later. The sound is anything but laid back yet it’s not ultra energetic either. A happy middle ground that has a very nice tonality and timbre with enough vibrance and musicality to keep things interesting. The sound does have some low-end coloration, recessed low-mids, as well as some upper-midrange color. Is it completely natural? Eh, not perfect. Is it really nice to listen to music with? You betcha!The Phoenixcall is both dynamic and technically sound with some good macro-dynamics as well as nice details for the type of tuning it has. Of course, the Phoenixcall is right smack-dab in the middle of an ocean of good to great iems within the $100 to $150 price point. Like usual, this is the biggest hurdle the Phoenixcall has from being considered a very successful iem, as far as sales goes. There are subjective quarks and supposed issues but that goes without saying. Despite that and probably in spite of that fact, the Phoenixcall is one helluva set with a wonderfully emotionally charged and auditorily expressive sound.
Between the 20’s
The bass is beefed up with nice density that can really slam when it needs to. The Phoenixcall is not for bassheads though, not completely anyways. Not fast like BA bass but pretty compact for its size. The midrange has nice note weight and good presence even though there is a scoop in the mids which dials back male vocals. The mids are actually quite clean and songfully harmonious with a nice spritz of sheen in the upper mids. Listening to the treble I find it has good energy but isn’t the most elevated or forward. It’s nicely detailed but also pretty safe apart from some upper treble energy that can get a bit spicy. The sound in general is easy to digest with rich tones, nice vibrancy and technically the sound doesn’t disappoint. In my opinion of course
Bass Region
The bass region has a very respectable and perfectly cohesive emphasis that doesn’t help in the Phoenixcall’s quest to sound “Gentle & relaxed” like they promoted. Actually, this set BANGS! The Phoenixcall is tuned with a larger emphasis, primarily in the mid-bass, but there’s still plenty of sub-rumble. Now, it isn’t that ultra punchy or snappy type bass, and it isn’t the hardest edged, but it is transient tight for the tuning and the amount of emphasis. I really enjoy how the bass melts into the rest of the mix.Nice for the tuning
It certainly won’t be perfect for everyone as it isn’t the most concrete at note edges, but I’d think most people would love that the bass is very nicely defined and clean with good texture. What I really enjoy is that the bass is really just a nice part of a great whole on this set and not the focal point, apart from bass heavy tracks of course. There is nice note definition and the Phoenixcall hits HARD when the right track comes on. Another thing, it isn’t at all a one noted low end. There is a distinction between sub and mid bass. So, no it isn’t perfect but, it’s kinda perfect for the tuning.Sub-bass
The sub-bass has a nicely deep and resonant growl on a track like “What Happened to Virgil” by Lil Durk. The sub-bass has good mass and is quite solid with a satisfying haptic feel. Like I mentioned earlier, the bass isn’t the type which carries a hard edge or a wet edge, but it is certainly robust and sonorous. I liken it more to a hammer wrapped in cotton. Transient attack-to-release is rapid enough, keeping good control with plenty of tactile energy that adds some nice dimension and structure to the sound.Another track is “Home Sweet Highway” by Ashley Mcbryde. The Phoenixcall provides a ton of authority as the bassline drops yet stays completely distinct from the rest of the melody surrounding it. Like I said, control is good, and the sub-bass stays in its own lane without overtaking anything else in the spectrum.
Mid-bass
The greatest emphasis down low most definitely sounds like it resides in the mid-bass. This is without question. The Phoenixcall offers a good amount of slam yet does so in a very clean manner and never seems to disrupt the integrity of the midrange, but instead impacts it in a positive way. For instance, if you put on the right track like “Andromeda” by The Gorillaz which is a melting pot of other frequencies taking part in the song, I found the bass didn’t muddy up the sound at all. All I heard was clean and heavy bass rhythms that I could feel as well as gear and clean instruments and vocals surrounding that bass.“Mammamia” by Måneskin has some heavy mid bass kick drum activity surrounded by hard metal with very swift and precise conjunctions of different instrumentation and the bass hits fast. I noticed the deftness and dexterity that the 7mm DD was able to attack and release with, all the while there is this sense of solid and bulbous immediacy to the sound. The thing is, it isn’t at all overdone and I don’t hear any distortion or anything flabby or soft. Bass guitar has a deep and meaty drone as seen in “Groove” by Ray Wylie Hubbard. This song rattles with a tight haptic buzz but also has some meat to the sound which is obviously helped by the mid-bass rise.
Downsides to the bass region
As far as issues pertaining to the low-end. There are surely going to be plenty of people who do not enjoy the hefty low-end that the Phoenixcall has. I likened the bass to a hammer wrapped in cotton as it isn’t the most solid at the note outline (at times) and actually is slightly flattened out and not as forward as you’d think. I suppose this has to do with the 7mm driver. One thing I will say is that with more power and at louder volumes I find the 7mm driver comes alive and almost tighten up a bit. Also, bassheads will likely want even more oomph down low.
Midrange
The midrange is a harmonious effort by Celest to create a fun V-shaped set that doesn’t lose out in the midrange. What I don’t hear is some ultra recessed and dull midrange either, even though there is certainly a recession in the low-mids to mid-mids. Due to the mid-bass shelf, we do see a very slight warming of the lower midrange which in my opinion only benefitted male vocals as well as instrumentation, but I’ll get further into that next. The mids are very well separated with very good placement or imaging. The mids have nice coherency between all the different drivers without any glaring tonal shifts. Celest actually provided nice coherency as there is a fairly natural Blanding of the frequency.I think that Celest took a V-shaped sound that has a colored type of approach and made it relatively organic and clean in its timbre. Some areas in the upper-mids come across slightly less natural but I’m not complaining. Transients are swift enough to not feel congested and the sound as a whole is very lush and somehow also pretty transparent. The midrange is also better detailed than most, but I’ll explain that more in a bit. Males sing with authority and gravitas while females are captured very well replaying the breathy nature of some or the powerful ballad of another. Is it perfect? No, it isn’t. There are some sets born and bred for the midrange. Is it very good for a V-shaped set? Yes, it is.
Lower-midrange
Males have the benefit of some added warmth from the low end, yet without the veil which sometimes can be associated with extra warmth. I believe they needed this extra body as there is a recession which pulls back this area of the mix. However, I don’t find the recession here to be much of an issue. In fact, males come across very well bodied with great note definition and actually sound pretty natural to life, in my opinion. Perhaps a hint held back but not attenuated or dull and not misrepresented.“Where I Find God” by Larry Fleet found a home with the Phoenixcall. His voice is naturally edgy with his sharp southern drawl yet stentorian sound. Concurrently, this is exactly how the Phoenixcall renders the sound of his voice. There’s a certain measure of ductile solidity and control as Larry hits those higher chords and his voice doesn’t come across metallic or coarse as with most iems. The extra body and cleanliness help to distinguish the low-mids to where any recession isn’t really a problem at all. Still, if possible, it would be nice if Larry’s voice was a hair more forward.
Low-mids cont.
Dermot Kennedy in the song “Rome” is emotionally gripping and it’s a requirement of an earphone to be able to capture this. You need some weight, you need some warmth, you need a crisp note edge, you need some good presence in the mix, some shimmer for the instrumentation and it’d also be nice to have good separation. The Phoenixcall does a decent enough job of nailing all of those prerequisites but adds some extra depth to the sound as well. It’s very easy to see that the Phoenixcall does pretty nice with male vocalists, whether bass, baritone, tenor and every type in between they really aren’t bad for a V-shaped set.I also love the Phoenixcall on the track “On My Way to You (Live)” by Cody Johnson. His vocal inflections are highlighted with a certain gravity that you can somehow feel. Perhaps in the bass of his undertones. Yet the intonations and cadence in his voice sound naturally structured to me.
Upper-Midrange
Females sound more forward and more vibrant than males. They are uplifted and carry some good energy. Not perfectly natural but very captivating. The Phoenixcall has this cultivated ability to take a breathy singer like Gabrielle Aplin in “Half In Half Out” and replicate it well. She comes across very cleanly and vividly. The Phoenixcall is able to highlight the sensuality or sweetness of a female voice very well.The track “Sensitive” by Megan Trainor can be a hint sharp during the chorus but there is some great and illuminated shimmer, almost a luster to this track. Certainly, there are sets in the price point that specialize in vocals which in my opinion nail down a female voice a bit better, but the Phoenixcall has this all-around ability to represent each area of the mix well while doing a damn fine job of replaying most any female voice.
One thing the Phoenixcall also adds is some spice in the upper midrange that some may be turned off by. For me personally, I don’t find it a problem, but it can sound a bit abrasive on some instruments and voices that hit those ear gain peaks. There is a give and take with any set and this is one area that some may be more susceptible to wincing. Again, I honestly don’t find it too sharp, I feel the Phoenixcall goes right to the ceiling of what is tolerable and stops short of breaking through that floor.
Instruments
As far as instrumentation, these thoughts are greatly generalized. Keep that in mind. A lot of how a set sounds has to do with the actual recording or track, and also what source one is using makes a large difference too. That said, Instruments come across with nice note weight. This helps for piano to sound tuneful and bodied. Strings, for the most part, are actually nicely detailed with good harmonics. Percussion, like snares have a nicely sharp “pang” while the fundamental body of cymbal strikes are nicely rounded on most tracks. Again, these can change track to track, I am generalizing. Anyways, there are some instruments which partake in the upper areas of the midrange which can begin to sound less natural but for the most part I have nothing bad to say.Downsides to the Midrange
In my mind, I think the biggest drawback of the mids would be the upper mid glare. Now, this will not be a problem for many hobbyists, and I only bring it up because it can occur in certain situations and some folks are very sensitive to it. Certainly not the norm. If you fancy a more neutrally tuned midrange than you may have issues with the Phoenixcall. Also, there is a recession in the midrange which effects the low-mids the most but honestly, I didn’t find issue with it. Still, some may think this is a bigger issue. I can tell you that with my library of test tracks it was almost a benefit.Truthfully, I think Celest did a fantastic job with the Phoenixcall midrange. I hear no sibilance at all, nothing at all metallic, without any BA timbre showing up. The sound is lush, weighted and smooth yet decently detailed, resolute and very musical.
Treble Region
The treble region is well executed, and one thing is for sure, Celest did great in blending the customized Balanced Armature with the two Micro-Planars Drivers. Another thing is for sure…those Planars are putting in work! Now, before I go further, I just want to say that the treble is not boosted to the max. There isn’t any forced resolution from any arbitrary lift in this region. The treble actually sounds pretty true to life. For the most part. There is almost a laid-back quality to the treble that I find non-offensive to my ears, all the while representing this region with enough of a lift to bring up the entire spectrum to a degree. Not too boosted and not too boring and dull. Celest did a nice job here folks.Examples…
The treble has a nice crispness to the leading edge at attack when needed and is very well detailed for not being overly boosted. Listening to Billy Strings “Ice Bridges” I am impressed at how speedy the Planar treble can be and how well they keep up. However, they don’t just keep up, they sound good in the process. Billy plays his banjo at breakneck speeds at times and not every set can complete every note and separate those notes, the Phoenixcall can. There is a roundness and punch that the Phoenixcall has up top which really ties a whole track together.In the track “Don’t Say it’s Over” by Gaz Coombes the treble notes have a nicely bodied sound that doesn’t come across unnatural or tizzy at all. I don’t hear any sibilance either. There is a nice sparkle in this track which didn’t require an unnecessary boost. Also, I found the sound to be very melodic to my ears rather than processed sounding. More smooth than crisp but still very well defined on each and every treble note.
Another quality trait up top is the Phoenixcall’s ability to render details and all the micro-minutiae that really can take a track over the top. The resolution up top is very nice mixed with the speed of the drivers definitely helps to boost the macro and micro-details within the treble. Not class leading but very nice, nonetheless.
Downsides of the Treble Region
The treble is, in my humble opinion one of the better aspects of the Celest Phoenixcall. However, nothing in this audio game reaches perfection and thus…there are some subtle subjective issues. First off, there are some timbral issues on some instrumentation in this area. Granted it would take a keen ear to really hear such a thing, especially when casually listening. Also, the Treble could actually use a bit more roundness and structure. Again, these are things that most won’t even think to look for and it is a very picky thing on my part.
Technicalities
Soundstage
The soundstage is well laid out and pretty vast. It certainly isn’t congested or small at all. I found that width is above average as well as height, and the depth of field that the Phoenixcall has is actually quite nice too. There is definitely depth there. Obviously, depth isn’t the easiest thing to figure out all the time. I listen for layering and try to imagine where instruments and elements of a stage are positioned. Going through my tracks I’d say that the Phoenixcall is tuned to have a nice sized stage that won’t disappoint. This is evidenced in the song “Hook” by Blues Traveler. The song fills my entire mindscape from ear to ear with just as good volume at the outstretch of the field of sound as I hear in the center of it.
Separation / Imaging
As far as the ability of the Phoenixcall to separate elements of the stage, such as instrumentation and vocals; the Phoenixcall is very well done within the price point. At least from the sets that I’ve had the pleasure of listening to. I find it very easy to discern every distinct instrument providing the recording I’m listening to is halfway decent. Imaging is the same, very well laid out. Right to left and front to back seems spot-on with nice layering of sounds. There are multiple likely reasons for the Phoenixcall to excel in these areas and part of those reasons is the highly resolving sound, the nice transients and the drivers working so well in tandem to create a well laid out imaginary scene. The only time things begin to blend even slightly is in bass heavy tracks, but even then, it’s rare.Details
Detail retrieval is fantastic in the upper portions of the mix and quite nice in the rest. The sound is clean, separated, open, and pretty quick for having such a warm and smooth V-shaped tuning. Truthfully, so long as you aren’t listening to some bass heavy track then I think you’ll really be impressed with the Phoenixcall and its ability to draw the small stuff to the surface. I pick up tiny details that get missed on other sets. Thumbs up here for sure.
Comparisons
Letshuoer X-Gizaudio Galileo ($109)
Oh, the Galileo! How I have enjoyed you. Truly a wonderful iem at an awesome price which is so very competitive on the market. The Galileo comes equipped with a hybrid setup of 1DD & 1BA. Built decently yet absolutely gorgeous the faceplates on the Galileo are very striking. Yet the build may leave a bit to be desired. Not bad though and good for the price. The Galileo is actually the lovechild of a collaboration effort between Letshuoer and Timmy Vangtan of Gizaudio (YouTube channel). It’s a great set with a more neutral and smoother take on tuning which is very nice to hear.
Differences
Let’s begin with build quality. This is a pretty easy thing to spot, the Phoenixcall is surely the better and more premium built iem of the two. I also happen to think the Phoenixcall is the better-looking set, but it could go either way. Certainly, the Phoenixcall is the more artistically inspired iem. Both sets offer great comfort, and both can be worn for hours with no issue. Now, the Phoenixcall has the warmer yet more resolving sound while the Galileo is less dynamic and closer to neutral.
Bass Region
As we look at the bass region it is pretty evident that the Phoenixcall has much more of a haptic rumble and bass slam. The Phoenixcall simply was tuned with a greater emphasis. The Galileo has a softer note edge and a smoother low end to the Phoenixcall’s robust and decisive low end. The Phoenixcall flat-out hits harder and has a lot better authority to its sound next to the Galileo. Better textured and cleaner.Midrange
The Galileo begins to show it’s worth in this area where the midrange sits more forward as the Galileo almost specializes in vocal delivery. One thing is for sure the Phoenixcall can’t pull off the natural sounding and smooth vocals like Galileo. Galileo is certainly more forward in the low-mids yet with a thinner note body to a degree. The Phoenixcall on the other hand is warmer, thicker and certainly has better note definition. The upper mids have a relaxed sound on the Galileo whereas there is a touch more energy with a more vivacious sound for the Phoenixcall. The Phoenixcall also has a more technical sound in this area. Though, I would say the Galileo has a more tonally accurate upper-midrange.Treble Region
The treble region of both sets is nicely done. Both are more laid back but out of the two the Phoenixcall has the better detailed experience. The Galileo has a smooth treble which glides over the intricate details in my music. This doesn’t make it worse either. It’s just tuned for ease of listening over everything else. The Phoenixcall is snappy, has a bite to it up top and has better definition to notes.Technicalities
As far as stage size I’d give the nod to the Phoenixcall. Slightly wider (but that’s up for debate) about the same in height but the Phoenixcall has the upper hand in depth of field. Separation is better in the Phoenixcall as well with superior imaging. Of course, details also go to the Phoenixcall.In the end
looking at these two iems I find they are very different from each other. I find the Phoenixcall a bit more musical and dynamically charged with larger macro-dynamics, bigger bass, snappier treble. The Galileo is the carefree Sunday morning type listen with vocals that will melt in your mind and nothing overdone. Both are tuned very well but both are also tuned very much different which should attract a different style listener. For me personally,Hidizs MS3 ($169)
The Hidizs MS3 is surely one of the best iems in its price point so long as the tuning fits your preferences. I for one adore this set. I actually reviewed it a couple months ago HERE. However, it is certainly an iem that anyone who is thinking of picking up the Phoenixcall should probably also take a look at. The MS3 is a three driver Hybrid with 1DD & 2BA’s and is an absolute overachiever. The MS3 comes equipped with three different tuning nozzles to change up the sound to your liking. Truly an awesome set.
Differences
As far as build quality is concerned, both sets are built quite differently, and both are equally as impressive. The MS3 has an all-metal design and is built like a tank while the Phoenixcall is all-resin and absolutely solid. Both are fantastic. It all comes down to preferences really. Obviously the Phoenixcall is a bit lighter and the MS3 is a bit heftier. Both sets offer a premium design, premium accessories and both are contenders for anyone’s interest in the price point. Now, the MS3 is about $40 more but close, nonetheless. The MS3 is more Harman tuned while the Phoenixcall is more V-shaped. MS3 is not as warm in tonal color as the Phoenixcall.
Bass Region
Beginning with the bass region I find the Phoenixcall to have more sub-bass rumble & slightly more mid-bass impact and slam. Both sets offer a nicely dense rumble for different genres. Honestly neither are better than the other as both sets offer a clean and dynamic bass. Probably the Phoenixcall has a slight bit less clarity, but it is marginal at best. Phoenixcall certainly is closer to basshead than the MS3. However, both sets can bang, both are rather detailed, and both are not simply “one-noted” affairs.Midrange
The lower mids of the MS3 are more forward compared to the Phoenixcall yet for whatever reason both flavors the sound nicely. I truly don’t know which I like better. The MS3 may be more forward but also, they are thinner here. This flips when speaking of the upper-mids and female vocals which come across a hint more forward on the Phoenixcall. What we have is two different approaches and coincidentally both are truly wonderful tuning options. I’d say the MS3 is a bit more linear across the midrange while the Phoenixcall has a bit more dynamism as well as a thicker note weight. Both are rather well detailed in the mids.Treble Region
The treble of both sets is nicely accentuated and, but the Phoenixcall has the snappier treble with a bit better treble bite. I think the difference between the Planars of the Phoenixcall, and the BAs of the MS3 begins to show its face when a/b comparing them. The Planars are simply faster it seems with a tighter transient attack. The MS3 is smoother up top and a hint less fatiguing. Both have their ways of depicting the upper regions and again, I like em both. I will say that the Phoenixcall has better detail retrieval and is a bit more technically sound. However, the MS3 probably has the more natural timbre.Technicalities
As far as detail retrieval I would hand that to the Celeste Phoenixcall. It simply resolves some of the subtle little things better. Not by some monumental amount though. The Phoenixcall separates elements within the stage better and imaging in my opinion is a bit better on the Phoenixcall. However, I feel both sets offer a more holographic stage that is above average in size.In the end
These are two dope sets friends. If you asked me, I couldn’t tell you which I like better. The Phoenixcall is a bit more auditorily expressive with bigger dynamism and the MS3 is a bit better balanced across the mix. Both sets are very musical. Honestly if you told me that you liked the MS3 better I would understand why. In the same breath, if you told me that you enjoyed the Phoenixcall more… I’d get it. Both are fantastic.
Is it worth the asking price?
This is probably one of the easier questions to answer for me because I believe the Phoenixcall is very much worth the asking price. I’m not saying it’s a kilo-buck buster, but the Phoenixcall is easily worth the $129 that Celest is asking for it. I wouldn’t necessarily say it should compete much higher price points either as it is priced fairly as far as sound is concerned. Still, even with all the competition in the price point… the Phoenixcall seems to excel.Folks, think of all the tribrid iems that sit pretty under $150…I’m waiting. “Surely there are loads of DD/BA/Planar sets that will rival the Phoenixcall”? The truth is, the Phoenixcall is a unique iem that is very good for the price. Yet there are certainly issues with the tuning as it isn’t exactly balanced across the mix and will likely be at least somewhat polarizing to the community. Despite that, it sounds great in my opinion.
The Why
The Phoenixcall is an ultra-unique iem that looks like nothing else in the Audioverse. The theme is genius, along with a design language that is completely fresh, unbelievably dope, and totally clean looking. You get a nice set of accessories with nice tips, a case that is pocketable and one of the better-looking cables in the price range. Really though, my friends…it’s the sound which I feel truly puts this $129 iem within the top heap of its class of competitors. Of course, this is a wholly subjective opinion and statement. Like I said earlier in the review, the Phoenixcall is simply musical, and every other benefit of the tuning is simply icing on the cake. I truly don’t think that you can go wrong with this set for the asking price.
Ratings (0-10)
Note: all ratings are based upon my subjective judgment. These ratings are garnered against either similarly priced sets or with similar driver implementations or styles with the unique parameters of my choosing. In the case of the Celest Phoenixcall ratings below, that would be $100-$150 iems in any driver configuration. Please remember that “ratings” don’t tell the whole story. This leaves out nuance and a number of other qualities which make an iem what it is. A “5” is exactly average and please take into consideration the “lot” of iems these ratings are gathered against. $100 – $150 US is a HUGE scope of iems. My ratings are never the same and each set of ratings tells a different story. Each time you read one of my ratings it will be unique to that review. Basically, I create a Rating that makes sense to me.Aesthetic
-Build Quality: 9.0-Look: 9.9
-Accessories: 9.9
–Overall: 9.6
Sound Rating
-Timbre: 8.5-Bass: 8.9
-Midrange: 8.9
-Treble: 9.5
-Technicalities: 9.5
–Overall: 9.1
Ratings Summary:
To receive a 9.1 overall in sound quality in this loaded price bracket of $100 – $150 US is a pretty big deal. If you read my little note before this section than you know that these ratings are garnered against any iem type or any driver configuration. Obviously, I feel that the Phoenixcall is at the top of the heap as far as iems go in this range. However, there are some questionable judgments on my part. That just goes with the territory though. However, I stand by my ratings as I deliberate for way too long on them. If any of you have read any of my reviews, then you know I hate ratings. They tell nothing of nuance and simply judge portions of a “thing”. But you all seem to like them, I certainly hope you read my “Notes”.Questionable calls…
So, the questionable calls on my part begin with “Timbre”. There are some subtle timbre issues in the upper midrange and parts of the treble. Perhaps they will get worked out with further tips changes or more play time (burn-in/listen-in)? Still, I say that timbre is an 8.5 but in reality, I like the timbre as it is. I would give it a 9.7 for me personally! I like the color; I like the added emphasis. Still, it isn’t completely natural so…8.5.Also “Midrange” gets a lower rating than what I would personally give the Phoenixcall. If this was ‘to me‘ and ‘for me‘, I would give the Phoenixcall a score of over 9.5. I like the middrange and feel that Celest did a remarkable job, but if I’m judging in an audiophile and bland way, I have to give it a lower rating for the recession in the lower Mids. There are sets that specialize in this region that do definitely do it better, so I dropped the midrange score down to 8.9. Folks, I sit for way too long thinking about this mindless stuff and it’s all for you. I hope you feel special! There are other very debatable scores, so I don’t have an issue with anyone who disagrees. In fact, it’d be odd if everyone did agree.
Conclusion
To conclude my full written review of the Celest Phoenixcall I want to thank the store HiFiGo who are so great to work with. They have awesome people, and their catalogue of products is freaking huge! Anyways, thank you to them and thank you to Lvy as well. Also, thank you to anyone who chooses to read any word that I write. You put your trust in me to tell you exactly what I think, and you put your faith in me that I am being honest with my thoughts. This mean a lot to me, and I take pride in keeping my integrity in-tact. So, thanks.However, if you’ve read my words than please get right back on the web and read other thoughts as well. Don’t just stop at me. We are all so very much different friends. We all have different likes and dislikes, different music libraries, different gear (important), different hearing, and we all haven’t been down the same audio journey (most important). What one person thinks and feels is only correct to them, please remember this!! We are individual and human and not even one of us are correct across the board. Even those that you’ve placed on an audio pedestal, they are only correct as far as their own ears and how it’s perceived into their own unique temporal lobe. Thats just the truth.
Take care, stay safe, God Bless
I love to write; it is a fantastic escape for me to spill my thoughts out to you people and with all my heart I simply want to help you out in a purchasing decision. Besides a review unit (sometimes), I get nothing for these reviews’ friends, I am paid nothing as well and wouldn’t accept if I was offered. I do have a good day job and a couple measly dollars isn’t worth my integrity…ever! Well, that’s all that I have to say, please take care, stay safe and always…God Bless!
Ceeluh7
Thank you very much! That was kind man
Introduction
After the Pandamon, which showed noticeable improvements from the previous Gumiho, Celest is back with another product, even though this time the price range is slightly higher and the driver configuration is different. In fact, the Phoenixcall are the first tribrid from Celest and represent a further step forward from their previous sets that adopted their Square Planar Driver technology (here called Flat Panel Driver).Let’s dive into these new babies!
Disclaimer: the Celest Phoenixcall were provided by HiFiGO free of charge as a review sample in order to write some impressions. I do not represent Celest or HiFiGO in any way and this is not promotional content.
At the time of the review, the Celest Phoenixcall were on sale for 129$ at HiFiGO.
Technical Specifications
- Configuration → 1 DD + 2 BA + 2 Micro Planar Drivers (FPD: Flat Panel Driver)
- Sensitivity → 103 dB
- Impedance → 32 Ω
- Frequency Response → 20 Hz – 40000 Hz
- Cable → 1,2m 8-core 5N copper silver-plated cable with 0.78mm 2-PIN connector
- Plug Type → Straight gold plated 3,5mm jack
Packaging
The box shows a lot of care from the designers and the brand, as you can see from the photos, and it contains:- The Celest Phoenixcall
- The cable
- 6 pairs of tips: 3 pairs of Celest 221 and 3 pairs of Celest C-07 tip, of which the 221 are the ones with the widest bore
- The carrying case (even if Celest could have included a slightly bigger case)
- User manual
Design and Build Quality
The Phoenixcall are probably the most stunning IEMs I’ve come across in the last years: they don’t only look very good, they are also built extremely well with a lot of care and no imperfections.
The shell is transparent with a faceplate that shows a lot of birds flock to the phoenixcall: this comes from the ancient Chinese myth “The Legends of Mountain and Seas” and it’s always interesting to see companies referring their IEMs to a sort of “lore” of their mythology.
The faceplate itself appears in different tonalities of blue, purple and aqua-green depending on the point of view, and the fact that everything is smooth and rounded with no sharp edges makes the Phoenixcall even better to the touch.
Celest has done a crazy job with these, really.
Cable
The cable is pretty good even though not the most lightweight. It’s sturdy and stiff (not as stiff as Vesper 2’s cable though) and seems like it will last a long time.The presence of a 2-PIN connector instead of a MMCX connector is also a big thumbs up from me.
Comfort and Isolation
Comfort is awesome: the absence of sharp edges and the well rounded shape make the Phoenixcall very comfortable to wear for long listening sessions. They are not very small, but the way the fit in the ears should bring no issues for most people.Isolation is nothing to write home about but let's say that they are just slightly above average due to the great fit and the fully closed design.
Sound
GEAR USED FOR THE TESTDAC: Topping E30
AMP: Topping L30
Mobile phones: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Dongle: Apple Type-C dongle, Truthear SHIO
Portable DAPs: Benjie S8/AGPTEK M30B
Other sources: Presonus AudioBox iONE
Do they need an amplifier?
The Phoenixcall don’t strictly need an amplifier, but they definitely benefit if amped as they show slightly improved dynamics.
Sound signature
The Phoenixcall are a well tuned V-shaped set with non-fatiguing highs and punchy low-end.
They are very musical and fun oriented and not a neutral set, so be aware of it.
Lows: the lows are boosted but there’s more focus on midbass than on sub-bass. Bass is tight, textures are good and the overall punch and body are satisfying, even though the sub-bass could use a tad more viscerality. They don’t lack sub-bass but sometimes I wish the lowest octaves sounded a very tad louder.
In any case, the technical performance of the bass is no joke: it’s pretty speedy even though textures are portrayed very well and this isn’t something you find everywhere.
Mids: the midrange is recessed, with instruments taking a step back from bass and treble, even though female vocals are still forward thanks to the upper-midrange boost. In fact, the latter come out with a lot of energy and intimacy even though a bit more extension in the upper treble would have made them a bit more natural. Be sure to watch out for the volume, though, since the upper midrange could also become hot for some as far as the volume increases (not for me).
The lower mids are thinner instead, and the direct consequence is that male vocals sound a bit less deep and prominent than female vocals. Acoustic instruments, for the same reason, could lack a bit of naturalness in the lower octaves (i.e. piano and acoustic guitars), while electric guitars and other instruments that usually tend to occupy slightly higher frequencies sound very good.
Last but not least, the layering is very good, and even in tracks with lots of instruments the Phoenixcall are able to portray any layer of instruments and vocals with no particular issues.
Highs: the highs are slightly spicy, but the focus is more on the lower treble than on the upper treble. The treble extension, in fact, could have been slightly better, but I don’t think it’s a bad tuning choice and I still think the treble tuning is actually quite good. In fact, there are lots of details and enough air to keep instruments separated from each other and to give a good rendition of the space.
I don’t think treble sensitive people are gonna have issues with these since it’s the upper midrange that occasionally becomes hot and not really the treble.
Soundstage is spacious even though not the most spacious I have heard on a V-shaped set and it has pretty good depth for the price which is usually something that many IEMs struggle to have. Height and width are also pretty good, I’d say on par with the expectations.
Imaging is very good with precise instrument and vocal positioning on the stage.
Some comparisons
Celest Phoenixcall vs Celest Pandamon
One would think this comparison does not make any sense because of the price difference, but in fact, I’d like to point out a few things about the performance of both products and if it’s worth adding money for the more expensive ones.The two are very different already starting with the design: open back, plastic and cheap shells for the Pandamon, closed back, 3D printed and stunningly designed shells on the Phoenixcall. It’s very clear which one is the more premium set and also the touch and feel of the Phoenixcall would make you pick them as the best ones even while being blindfolded.
The sound is also very different: the Pandamon are neutral with a slightly warm tinge and polite treble, the Phoenixcall are V-shaped, more musical and warmer with more forward bass and upper midrange.
From a technical standpoint, the Pandamon are seriously competitive in their price bracket with great separation and imaging and a pretty speedy bass, but the Phoenixcall are more competent, they have more stage depth and layering and the resolution and detail retrieval capabilities are noticeably superior. From a timbrical perspective, though, one could also prefer the more neutral, linear and more natural response of the Pandamon, but this is very subjective.
Build quality, design, cable, comfort and isolation are better on the Phoenixcall.
The price is way higher but you get a product that competes in a higher bracket and has better technical performance.
Celest Phoenixcall vs KBEAR Aurora
Why the Aurora? Well: the Aurora are comfortable, they have a mild V-shaped signature just like the Pandamon, and they are also very comfortable. Plus, their price was similar to the launch price of the Pheonixcall but has dropped to around $80.To be very brief, the tonality and timbre are more natural on the Aurora, especially when it comes to vocals and acoustic instruments, but the technical performance is way superior on the Phoenixcall: the bass is faster, the layering and separation are better, the soundstage is deeper and the imaging is more precise. I think the driver used in the Aurora is very competent and that is limited by an overly safe tuning, but the Phoenixcall hybrid configuration is giving them an edge that no EQ can compensate for.
Build quality is on a similar level of refinement even though materials are different but the design of the Phoenixcall is truly amazing. Cable and isolation are better on the Phoenixcall whereas comfort is great on both.
Celest Phoenixcall vs KBEAR Believe
The KBEAR Believe are the most technical IEMs I own under 200$, and even though I don’t own many mid-fi IEMs, I have tried some in this bracket and none matches the technical performance of the Believe (when properly amped, for sure).The signature is warmer, more musical on the Phoenixcall with a definitely more tolerable upper midrange. Technical performance, instead, once properly amped, goes to the Believe, which have better resolution and speed other than having more details. The Phoenixcall, however, win when it comes to the overall body and bass punch (not in sub-bass extension as the Believe have better sub-bass extension) since the Believe needed a lot of power and volume to reproduce a fuller bass, and even then the upper midrange is too forward and hot and it’s not counterbalanced by enough bass. This is not to say that the Believe are bad (because they are not, it’s just another kind of signature) but they are definitely less “easy” to keep in the ears for long listening sessions due to the more fatiguing tuning. The Phoenixcall also need less power to shine, and although they benefit from some proper amping they don’t strictly need it.
Build quality and comfort are top notch on both, but the Phoenixcall win when it comes to stock cable, isolation and design.
Final Thoughts
The Phoenixcall are a very good set if we look at the big picture: very good technicalities, a fun and musical tuning and crazy build quality along with a truly unique design.The timbre of some acoustic instruments and vocals could be improved, and the midrange could have been slightly fuller, but if a V-shaped set is what you search for, then these are a very interesting product that I am sure many will like having as a daily driver, especially because they are also easy to drive and extremely comfortable.
I am very happy to see Celest constantly releasing bangers and I cannot wait to try new stuff from them.
Review Of The Celest Phoenixcall
Introduction
The infamous Kinera brand, which is known for its releases like Skuld, Baldr, Nanna, etc., has a sister company called Celest that specializes in making electroacoustic products like IEMs and cables. The Celest also manufactures IEMs that lean more toward the low-cost audiophile market. I have only seen the Celest use flat panel planar drivers out of all the Kinera subbrands. The gumiho and pandamon, their first IEM, were reviewed by me as well. But before I review the Phoenix Call, their recently released flagship IEM, I'd like to clear up a few misunderstandings.
Disclaimer
*Since this unit tour was organised by the beautiful people at HiFiGo, I am grateful to them. And as I've said in all of my evaluations, the same is true for this one: all of the concepts I've expressed below are entirely my own, original ideas that haven't been influenced by anyone else. If interested, go to this link.
*I am not associated with the connection, and I receive no financial assistance from anyone.
*For the remainder of the review, I will refer to these IEMs as "Call."
*I am using different Ear-tips for convenience and better versatility.
*Finally, I will only evaluate the Call based on their performance, even though I will explain how it feels and seems physically and aesthetically.
Specification
Five drivers total—one dynamic, two balanced armature, and two flat micro planar—are housed in the tribid setup of the Call. The 7mm dynamic driver handles low frequencies, the 10012 and 10021 balanced armature drivers handle mid-high frequencies, and the 6mm micro planar drivers handle ultra-high frequencies. All of its drivers are made in-house. The resin-made shells have a stunning appearance and fit my ears perfectly. The faceplate has a lovely sparkly background with silver bold bird patterns, and the left shell is blue in color while the right tone is pinkish-red. And after prolonged use, I didn't feel tired or exhausted. It comes with a 5N 8 core silver-plated copper cable that feels lightweight and matches the color of the IEMs. A straight 3.5mm termination plug completes the 2 pin 0.78mm cable. The IEMs also come with two types of eartips in three different sizes, a carrying case, and a gorgeous metal bookmark, among other extras. In terms of technical details, the sensitivity is 103dB and the impedance is 32 OHms. 20Hz to 40kHz is the range of the frequency response.
After carefully inspecting the IEM, I discovered that one of the drivers is exposed on the right side (Red) of the IEMs but encased on the left (Blue). Despite this, there were no audible changes between the two when I tested them using mono output. I'm not sure if those drivers are even operational or not; an exposed metal component from the driver could possibly be its cap. But because the sound is consistent and the presentation sounds as intended, I wouldn't care.
Sound
A pure V-shaped sound is produced by the Call, forcing the upper frequencies and the bass region to emerge in the mix where the sparkly and clear response is evoked with strong bass impacts in them. I haven't heard this style of tuning in a while. IEMs in this price range typically have a neutral or more equilibrated sound signature.The Call, however, sounds the best in this price range when it comes to V-shape tuning. There are nuances, of course, that I do not particularly enjoy, but the tuning is so fascinating and captivating that I find it impossible to look away. The bass slams and punches hard, and the sound adds sharp, clear notes with a lean quality to them. Let's get more specific.
Treble
Starting with the treble, it appears to be nicely extended and adds good details and clarity to the mix. However, the tuning feels more energizing and in your face, making it difficult to achieve spacious and expansive with smooth response. The notes that stretch far without becoming distorted or disintegrated in the upper treble are detailed and clear, allowing the vocals and instruments to express themselves fully. The entire response will be affected by the vocals' flashy appearance. Both the vocals and the instruments have a lean quality to them. For example, cymbal crashes may sound sparkly and crisp, but they also have a tendency to go too far and introduce offensive sounds that may be sibilant or peaky. The sound is produced with the same details and clarity, but the lower treble feels more energizing and vivid. The vocals create more room around them; for instance, the female vocals sound distinct, blissful, and approachable with air. This makes it possible for the instruments to sound distinct and separate. Overall, the treble region is presented in a clear, detailed, and fuller manner.Mid Range
I feel conflicted about the mid range because it feels surprisingly beautiful and has subtleties that draw attention to every detail, but I also think they lack the warmth and organic response that comes from the notes, whether they are from instruments or vocals. Listening to vocals, especially female vocals, that shine bright and elevated that brings out every detail and doesn't let the drivers stop at producing clearer response out of them makes me feel at peace because the upper mid range sounds so full, airy, and open. The drivers used, I must say, are of very high caliber. In most cases, I find that higher octave vocal notes merge into a single note, but with the Call, the presentation is captivating. Additionally, the instruments support the vocals by holding their exposure with as much detail as is possible. The notes can occasionally sound a little piercing when it comes to bright sounding tracks, but that doesn't take away from my overall impression. The lower mid range gives off an impression that makes me question my love for these; however, with this range, a different narrative emerges. I felt the need to look at the FR graph because the lower mid range feels almost nonexistent in the mix; the warmth or dense notes aren't audible. I discovered that the lower mid range are subdued. The vocals and other instruments are almost audible, but they sound hazy and lose their focus, particularly the bass guitar. The bass notes seem too clean and artificial sounding when listened to while listening to rock and classical tracks. As a result, the mid range's overall response is engrossing, detailed, and yet artificial sounding.
Bass
Oh yes, the bass hits you hard and with a good amount, which I find to be very impressive—not because the quantity makes me jump for joy, but rather because the boom is well-controlled. The bass performs all actions with force, slamming, punching, thumps, and rumbling. The sub bass seems to have more bass emphasis than the mid bass, but since the entire bass range is fully elevated, it doesn't really matter. The big drums kick sounds deep and lows punches hard but when it comes to resonating slams from the bass guitar or double bass the sound is more alive though I do find the response to be too clean. The sub bass extends deep which allows the subtle rumble sensation to flow into the ear canals. When it comes to impacts of punches they are nicely controlled and retract quickly where the slams feels more loose which is how it should be. The bass sounds more embracing and clear as the response is increased and the notes have more presence in the mix. However, when it comes to mid-bass thick notes, I think they are lean and far too clean rather than thick. I would have liked to hear more boom. The texture and details of the bass are also good. As a result, the bass region's overall presentation is powerful, slamming, but too clean.
Technical Performance
The Call's technical performance is actually quite good due to the wide stage, good separation, and sharp imaging, which allows for an exciting response. The ability to retrieve details is superior to that of the majority of IEMs, and notes are resolvable and fast. The Call produces more sharper imaging and better clarity but at the expense of tonality. Most IEMs in this price range improve soundstage and separation with resolution.
Soundstage, Sound Imaging & Separation
The listener can localize the source of the sound because the soundstage is large enough to sound expansive and the note separations are distinct and far apart. The imaging is sharp and clear, possibly the best you can find for the money.
Speed & Resolution
The resolution overall is good but not the best available, and both the micro and macro details produced are very expressive. Additionally, the notes' attack and decay have a rapid pace.
Sound Impressions
Sources
Tempotec V6 - The treble appeared more share- and lean-like while the midrange felt a little more relaxed and composed, but the lower notes still sounded lacking when listening with the V6. The bass appeared more controlled and precise. There were no discernible differences in the technical response. I consider this pairing to be passable but unappealing in this case.
iFi Hipdac -The treble felt more rounded and relaxed while listening on the Hipdac, but the details mostly felt retained. Lower notes were audible, and the mid range appeared more vibrant and forward. Additionally, the bass sounded more organic thanks to thicker notes. I didn't notice any other technical changes, despite the fact that the imaging felt a little flat and the stage was smaller. I'll be honest and say that I like and accept the pairing with the Hipdac.
Tracks
Luna Haruna - Glory days
Luna Haruna - Overfly
Rokudenashi - The Flame of Love
LMYK - 0 (zero)
ORESKABAND - Jitensya
Marina Horiuchi - Mizukagami no Sekai
RADWIMPS - Suzume
Indila - Love Story
Indila - Tourner dans le vide
Earth, Wind & Fire - September
Tom Petty - Free Fallin'
Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Blue Oyester Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper
Guns 'N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine
The Police - Every Breath You Take
Gojira - Amazonia
TV on the radio - Wolf Like Me
Bring Me To The Horizon - Can You Feel My Heart
Bring Me To The Horizon - sTraNgeRs
Avril Lavigne - Dare To Love Me
Travis - Love Will Come Through
Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know
DJ Shadows - Six Days (Remix) [feat. Mos Def]
Lady Gaga - Just Dance
Lil Wayne - Lollipop
Flo Rida - Low
Sebastian Lopez & Flug - Electronic Measures
Federico Mecozzi - Blue (Da Ba Dee)
Wayve - Not Enough
Kai Wachi & TeZATalks - Ghost
NGHTMRE, Zeds Dead & Tori Levett - Shady Intentions
Zeds Dead, DNMO & GG Magree - Save My Grave
Skrillex,Noisia, josh pan & Dylan Brady - Supersonic
Skrillex & Nai Barghouti - Xena
Skrillex, Missy Elliott & Mr. Oizo - RATATA
Kaifi Khalil, Eva B & Wahab Bugti - Kana Yaari
A.R. Rahman, Javed Ali & Mohit Chauhan - Kun Faya Kun
Conclusion
To sum up this review, I'd like to say that I wholeheartedly recommend this IEM to anyone who enjoys a thrilling and captivating response and who prefers fun sound with a kink for female vocals. A person like me who prefers a more neutral sound also fell in love with these, especially for their looks, though I would still advise giving this a listen.
Okcerg
What eartips are those on he last pic?
Avian migration is one of nature's wonderful phenomena as some species of migratory birds are doing some long distance flyway by following some specific travel path either in regular and irregular patterns due to seasonal changes as it is also their indicator for breeding and finding new feeding grounds. The scene of flocks of divine birds that are heeding the call of Fenghuang, the divine nine-headed Phoenix is quite astonishing to visualise on how these birds were doing while they are migrating towards the deep forests of southern mountains. This scene was inscribed in The Classic of Mountains and Seas which was an ancient Chinese myth composed of 18 sections which was allegedly written around the early Han dynasty era.
This is actually my third review on a Celest Audio product, I already introduced the Celest Audio from my previous reviews as they are known to be Kinera and QoA's sister company. Celest Audio takes some inspiration from Chinese mythology as their thematic concept of their products.
Celest Phoenixcall is their latest product as they try to enter the hybrid driver configuration segment. Its transducers consist of three types of drivers; dynamic drivers, balanced armature driver and a newer type of driver, flat panel drivers that simulates the capabilities of a planar without needing more power.
Here's the breakdown on how drivers were implemented. The new generation 7mm dynamic driver will solely handle the low frequencies, the two balanced armature drivers (probably a new generation of Bellsings) handles the midrange up to some parts of the treble region and then a dual flat panel drivers for the ultra-high frequencies. The said configuration of three types of drivers will produce a very potent bass, tonally accurate midrange and then, a smooth and cleae treble response to give an overall natural yet bright sound. These drivers are also connected to acoustic tubes for better passive frequency response.
The drivers are encapsulated in a high quality acrylic resin and it takes a modified UIEM-style shape as its form factor. It has beautifully crafted faceplates with a design of flock of birds on the horizon. It uses a proven 0.78mm 2-pin connector for its detachable mechanism just like all Celest and Kinera products.
Celest also included a good quality cable as its stock part. This cable is an 8-core, 5N silver-plated copper with a metal alloy on its plug jacket with 3.5mm SE termination plug. It's bright colourway seems to match the colours of the shells.
Celest Phoenixcall is quite comfortable to wear into my lugholes as I didn't experience any discomfort issues as it also seals and isolates well from outside noises. I can even use it for long listening sessions.
Like its sister Kinera, Celest Phoenixcall has a remarkable product presentation as it is one of these brands strongest assets. The included accessories were well-organised and some of them are compartmentalised inside the packaging box. The physical packaging box are incredibly gorgeous as it purple-coloured accent is really an eye catcher that could be a good display centrepiece.
Here are the following accessories inside:
■ a pair of Celest Phoenixcall IEM.
■ 8-core stock cable.
■ a circular shape, PU-leather zippered storage case.
■ Three (3) pairs of Celest vocal ear tips in different standard sizes.
■ Three (3) pairs of Celest balanced ear tips in different standard sizes.
■ Metal alloy bookmark/pendant with Fenghuang design.
■ Paperwork like instruction manual and a pamphlet about the product.
Despite the multi-driver layout of the Phoenixcall, this set is actually so easy to amplify that even a smartphone or tablet can give a sufficient power output for fuller and lively sound.
Celest Phoenixcall has a V-shaped sound signature with ample warmth on its tonality. It has elevated lows, a notch midrange and inflated highs.
(This graph was provided by @baskingshark, credits to him)
LOWS/BASS:
Even with elevation on the low frequencies, I don't still consider it as a basshead's preferred bass quantity. It has a very tactile, incisive and thumpy bass response which I consider it as satisfying in my cup of tea. It appears that it is more focused on mid-bass rather than sub-bass as it gives more texture and emphasis on certain bass instruments like viola, bass guitars, bass trumpets and bass kick drums. It also gives some darker pitch on bass-baritone vocals. It also important to share that it has a slight bass smearing across the midrange frequency.
Sub-bass presence is somehow decent as I fairly feel those faint rumbling coming from instruments like synthesisers, octabasses and drum machines. On the mid-bass part, it gives a firmer resolution on some instruments and vocals. Violas have full and rounded sound while bass guitars have earthy and rasping sound from them, and then on bass trumpets have a fuller and somewhat a "chocolate-y" timbre. Then on bass kick drums, it has a menacing and thudding sound for I also tested some extreme metal tracks with insanely fast double bass kicks. On bass-baritones, it has an adequate depth just to give that dusky and dark tone nature of these particular vocals but I feel that it needs more heft and depth to project it in a natural way.
MIDRANGE:
The initial impression when I'm listening to this set, I instantly noticed the recess presentation of its midrange as some instruments and vocals are a bit behind on the audio mix. But due to a tad bass bleeding from the low frequencies, it added some inherent warmth to affect the timbre of some vocals, especially on male vocals like baritones and tenors, female vocals like contralto and low register mezzo-sopranos, and other instruments like strings and brasses.
On male vocals, baritones have a warm and lush tone from them, especially from Eddie Vedder, Rob Halford and Jimi Hendrix, while a steeler and richer tone of a Kavilierbariton vocal like Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Tenors have brassy and ringing ambient from their vocals as l listen to the great three tenors (Pavarotti. Carreras, Domingo). Same with other tenors in modern music genres like Little Richard, Prince and Freddie Mercury. Countertenors have a rather agile and smooth vocal quality. On female vocal types, Contraltos have a sufficient rich but I observe that it has a lack in both dark and deep as they sound a bit lean as I'm particularly familiar with the vocal tone and texture of singers in this vocal category with the likes of Annie Lennox, Anggun and Toni Braxton. Mezzo-sopranos have a velvety and smooth but they have this transparent and hollowness that I noticed it gives less dynamic and engaging sound from the singers like Andrea Corr, Alanis Morisette, Sharon Den Adel and even operatic types like Cecilia Bartoli and Elena Obraztsova. Sopranos somehow fares better on this one as it is very flexible to all soprano types from dramatic to coloratura as they sound pretty energetic and spacious to have that gleaming and silky tone.
On instruments, especially on strings like acoustic guitars, violins and even harp. Guitars have a rather "buttery" tone and lots of overtone which doesn't give that crisp and lingering bright tone that a guitar should sound like as I listen to Scorpion's guitarists, Rudolf Schencker and Matthias Jabs on their respective guitar lines on their seminal tracks like "When The Smoke Is Going Down and "Still Loving You. Violins seem to have a warmer and austere sound as I prefer lively and vibrant sounding ones. Then on the harps, they sound mellow and blurring at the same time. Brass instruments sound quite excellent as trumpets sound full and brilliant, while horns have a warm and velvety sound then on trombones have this intensity and powerful tone. Percussive instruments with the likes of toms, field drums, marimbas and snares, toms have its punchiness and resonant sound, then on field drums, thet have these warm and sombre sound while marimbas have velvety although a bit hollow sounding, and then on snare drums, it has hard and rustling sound from them. On woodwinds, instruments like flutes, saxophones and clarinets, a wafting and mellow tone on the flutes while saxophones and clarinets have these melancholic and soft sounds from them even on different registers. Then on chordophones like pianos, they have a warmer to balanced tone from it.
HIGHS/TREBLE:
The treble response of Phoenixcall is definitely on a brighter side. It has some emphasis and observable boost at the upper midrange to give a definition on percussive attacks and vocal emphasis albeit there are some instances that it might be a little bit discordant and a tad shrilly to the point fatiguing to some treble-sensitives folk. It has a capable presence treble that is able to project some sense of clarity and crispness.
Cymbals have a good amount of glistening and resonant sound of itnwhile the hi-hats have that life-like sound reproduction as they have those those shortened buzzing sound. And Celestas have mellow to bell-like tone from them. It has an ample amount of sparkle and a moderate brilliance airy extension.
SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:
As I estimate its overall sound field dimensions, it has average to above average lateral size while it has a good height reach and depth that gives me a reasonable moderate spatial headroom within my aural sphere.
On imaging projection, it presents me a concave-like, stereo panning as I was able pinpoint the exact location of instruments and vocals with noticeable gaps and spacing and and fairly decent layering as I noticed some layers of instruments tonal dynamics within its sonic canvas.
Cohesiveness of multi-drivers set-up appears to perform pretty well as it micro dynamic driver able to deliver a faster transient response while the other drivers performs pretty well too as it manages to give a tonal detail and harmonics.
It has a competent resolution capabilities as it has quite solid fundamental on notation attacks on macro-dynamics with decently good micro-detail retrieval on how it contrasts the perceived noises from other dynamics to extract some details and nuances from an audio track.
PEER COMPARISONS:
HIDIZS MS3
● This is hybrid driver IEM in a very competitive pricing just like the Phoenixcall. While it takes a more convention hybrid configuration as it has typical 1 dynamic driver and dual balanced armature drivers but it uses a more premium balanced armature drivers which is Knowles and all metal construction for better durabilty. Both have excellent product packaging and quality and quantity amount of inclusions but MS3 take a more utilitarian approach in its overall product presentation.
● As for tonality, MS3 is more versatile due to its detachable nozzles system that you can choose a certain type of sonic profiles from V-shaped to a bright U-shaped. In general it has a more robust and solid bass response, a more natural and tonally correct midrange and a brighter and airier treble (silver filter). Both have similar technical performance but MS3 edges a bit on resolution capabilities.
KIWIEARS QUARTET
● Another comparable set to the Phoenixcall, it has typical hybrid driver set-up as it has dual dynamic driver and dual balanced armature drivers of similar design (I speculate that both BAs of these sets are of Bellsing). But the difference is that it has a tuning switches which I will elaborate it later. Both have similar materials on their shell chassis but QUARTET takes a more traditional UIEM form factor. It also has fairly good product presentation but its stock cable is somewhat a less premium one compare to Phoenixcall's cable.
● As for tonality, despite of its tuning switches, it still has a warmer U-shaped sound signature. It has a more authoritative bass response but an untidy one, too warm midrange that affects the tonal qualities of some vocals and instruments and then, a darker and dull treble response with meagre treble air and sparkle. As for technicalities, it has inferior sound/speaker stage sizes, poor layering capabilities and blunted note definition on micro-details.
This is definitely an innovative approach from Celest Audio as they try to implement new technologies from the advances to technological innovation in portable audio industry and it looks that they aren't afraid to take a risk that they are venture out from their bubble. They want to prove that you can have a tri-brid set-up IEM with impressive product packaging and good quality inclusions at reasonable price.
Despite of some minor issues like inaccuracies on the tonal aspects on instruments and vocals as it sounds either too much and in sparse quality, its competent technical performance will be its leverage and counterweight of those some tonal insufficiencies that the Phoenixcall have. If you want a fun, engaging and relatable sound with gorgeous shells that you can proudly display it, then this is it.
Celest Phoenixcall is now available at HIFIGO, you can check out the provided unaffiliated link down below:
★★CELEST PHOENIXCALL - HIFIGO★★
And also, here's my review on other Celest products:
● CELEST GUMIHO
● CELEST PANDAMON
SPECIFICATION:
MODEL: CELEST PHOENIXCALL
IMPEDANCE: 32Ω
SENSITIVITY: 103dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz – 40KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.2M
PIN TYPE: 2-PIN CONNECTOR (0.78mm)
PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm
DRIVER UNIT(S): (1) DYNAMIC DRIVER + (2) BALANCED ARMATURE DRIVERS + (2) FLAT PANEL DRIVERS
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 *
Ottoman Mehter - Hucum Marsi *
Diana Damrau - Mozart: Die Zauberflöte*
Type O Negative - Black No.1 *
Felix Ayo - Vivaldi: Presto **
Three Tenors - Nessum Dorma *
Mercyful Fate - Witches' Dance *
P.S.
I am not affiliated to CELEST AUDIO 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 send my gratitude to LVY YAN of HIFIGO for providing this review unit. I truly appreciate her generosity and trust towards me and other reviewers.
Introduction:
Kinera Celest is a brand that has been around for quite a while and their IEMs have have always maintained an aura of intrigue. And despite the brand not being as widely known as other brands like Moondrop, fans of their Kinera and Kinera Celest IEMs have seemed to like them quite a bit. The Phoenixcall is the first of their IEMs that I have been able to listen to and going into this, I had very little to go off of as far as what to expect other than pictures and description of the driver config which had me interested.
Disclaimer: Thanks go out to Hifigo for arranging this sample for me to review! These thoughts are my own and I was not incentivized for a positive/negative review.
Build and Accessories:
The Phoenixcall comes in a nice, solid box that includes the following:
• Gold colored metal bookmark - I surprisingly do like how this looks and wouldn't mind using it
• A very nice and well behaved cable with no microphonics
• A small leather, puck-shaped carrying case,
• An assortment of eartips
• The IEMs themselves
It's clear that a lot of thought was put into the packaging and the overall unboxing experience was surprisingly nice.
The IEMs themselves are smaller in size and made of what seems to be high quality resin. Depending on the color you choose the wiring and drivers will be on full display, which is a nice touch, given the unique driver configuration. Build quality is as solid as any nicer resin IEM I've handled and due to the smaller size, I don't think many people will have issues with fit.
Sound:
Overall: The overall sound signature is quite lush and engaging. It's not a very clinical sounding IEM and would be well suited for anyone who thinks the flavor-of-the-month, Harman-inspired, or neutral with bass-boost IEMs are boring and thin sounding. It's a very unique sound that surprisingly works a lot better than expected. The tuning, as far as I know, is unique, and would be a great addition to a growing collection of IEMs.
Bass: Bass is full and well-extended with a lot of physicality and oomph. The Phoenix dishes up a very healthy dose of midbass compared to most if not all of the popular IEMs today and does so in a very refreshing way. I think a lot of manufacturers are afraid of tuning midbass into their IEMs in fear of causing bloat or mud. For this reason, I actually find a lot of popular IEMs to be thin sounding and too clinical. This is not so with the Phoenixcall - bass is authoritative and physical here. But somehow, this doesn't have as huge an effect on mids and clarity as I would have expected from looking at the frequency response.
Mids: Mids aren't necessarily the highlight here but they're not as recessed sounding as one would expect. There is a valley in the frequency response but from what I could tell, most instruments and voices aren't affected by it too much. Both male and female vocals sound fairly natural and full bodied to me, both forward in the mix. And yes, I did mention above that the bass tuning doesn't have as huge an effect on mids and clarity as expected, but there is still a bit of that - but not offensively so.
Upper Mids and Lower Treble: This is where things can get a bit dicey and part of the reason this is a more intense IEM - there is quite a bit of elevation in the upper mids and lower treble and this makes it slightly shouty. Those sensitive to this region may wish to look elsewhere. Another IEM I love, the Elysian x Effect Gaea does something similar here and as much as I love that IEM, I will admit, it's definitely a polarizing tuning. As with the Gaea, I am fine with this tuning but it's not one I can listen to for very long periods of time.
Treble: Treble is decently smooth and tapers off after about 10k. This makes prevents the Phoenixcall from ever being sibilant or sharp. It's definitely on the slightly darker side of things, and this is especially noticeable in contrast to the "upper mid lower treble shelf."
Technicalities: Stage is above average. Imaging is okay. Details and resolution are pretty good for the price. Timbre is surprisingly okay - nothing too wonky to my ears.
Summary:
This new addition to the pantheon of $100-$200 IEMs is well worth a look - it eschews all notions of what is correct (cough* Harman) and does its own thing. Usually when people stray too far off the beaten path, it's in for a rough time - not this time. No, this is not a market defining or breaking IEM. And no it's not going to replace all the Wan'er/Hola/Hexa/Aria/Kato/you name it IEMs many of you already own. But it's not trying to do that. The Phoenixcall set out to do something different and to provide a different flavor to complement tuning/driver configs that have all but flooded the market. While I can't recommend this IEM as a one and only IEM or for someone's first IEM, the Phoenixcall still gets a solid recommendation from me, especially as an addition to a collection to provide either a different tuning or driver configuration.
Celest as we all know is a sub-brand of Kinera. Kinera introduced Celest last year as a subsidiary focusing primarily on the budget segment of in-ear monitors. From the very first day, Celest made a mark as their debutant product(Gumiho) featured a new kind of planar driver(SPD). Which was later upgraded in the second release itself as well(Pandamon). Fast forward to today in 2023, Celest is all-ready with their new release the Phoenixcall. Different from the previous two launches, the new Phoenixcall is an IEM that breaks the 100$ price barrier for Celest with an official retail price of 129.99$. Another thing that’s different with the Phoenixcall is the multi-driver hybrid setup. It is a beast in terms of driver configuration featuring 1DD+2BA+2FPD(Flat Planar Driver) on each side. According to the brand-provided information, this FPD is also called the micro flat planar driver. Enough with the technical jargon, I have the pair for about a week courtesy of a review tour here in India organised by HiFiGo. Let’s dive deep into my impressions of the same.
A Short Disclaimer Before I Begin:-
As mentioned above, I received the Phoenixcall as a part of a review tour in India, I will be forwarding the unit ahead after my review is done. Would like to thank HiFIGo for this review tour here. The impressions, liking or disliking in this review might be biased based on my personal taste in music listening(which is a balanced, U-shaped profile). You can purchase the product from HiFiGo from the links below(non-affiliated links).
Kinera Celest 1DD+2BA+2 Micro Planar Drivers IEMs — HiFiGo
Unboxing, Package, Contents, & More:-
Kinera & its sub-brands know how to make an impact with the packaging itself. YOu get a fairly exquisite package with the Phoenixcall. It’s a purple-coloured package with a faceplate-like bird design on the front along with the name. Inside we have the story of Phoenixcall along with a metallic showpiece kinda thing on the left side. On the right, we have the user guide, the pair itself with the cable. There are a total of 6 pairs of eartips included in the package, three white silicone and three grey silicone with a wide bore. We also have a small round zipper case with the pack. Overall, a really beautiful and eye-catchy packaging, just like the pair itself which I will try to describe in the next section.
Design, Build Quality, Fit, & Isolation:-
I love talking about the design for Kinera and its sub-brand IEMs. Celest Phoenixcall is a beautiful, very beautiful pair with an eye-catching designer hand-painted face cover and an overall compact footprint. The face covers depict the legendary tale of Phoenixcall with an image of birds flying over a glittery sky. The one that I have is a Pink and Blue colour variant, and it looks absolutely beautiful. Its compact footprint makes it easier to wear and provides a comfortable fit. Celest has made a transparent inner cavity design, showcasing the neat driver arrangement underneath the beautiful shells. We can see different acoustic tubes going from the drivers to the nozzle mouth. Each and every single driver is clearly visible through the cavity. Overall, The design of the pair is so very unique and beautiful. My Wife is already eyeing the set for herself, little does she know that this is going on to the review tour ahead. Might have to buy her a pair lol.
The pair has 2-pin 0.78mm connectors placed on the top. Celest bundles the pair with a colourful cable, maybe because my unit is also coloured, basically the cable matches the pink-blue theme with the same coloured outer sleeve. It’s a 3.5mm cable that I got, but it got launched today and now I see it is also available with a 4.4mm variant as well. Cable is soft, and colourful, nothing else fancy about it to mention. Other accessories such as the ear tips are also of decent quality, I personally use the pair with Azla Sednaearfit Light as they fit me better.
Talking about the fit, like I said the pair has a compact footprint. It has an oval-shaped cavity design, that sits comfortably into my ears and provides me with a good level of comfort and isolation. no complaints at all.
Driving the Phoenixcall:-
Phoenixcall can be used easily off any given source, but it loves extra power thrown her way. It works well off my Sony WM1A(with the standard 3.5mm cable) but I need to push the volume to as high as 70/120 on high-gain mode. Using a balanced cable is suggested from my side as I tried one KBEAR cable that I had. The pair runs well off a balanced output, it sounds more open and more dynamic. I noticed similar changes with 3.5mm output as well when I plugged it into my PA10 class A amplifier. To keep things short, you will be able to enjoy the Phoenixcall through a standard USB DAC/AMP(UA3 in my case) or a decent-level music player(WM1A/WM1A MK2 in my case), but to unlock full potential i suggest using the pair with your most powerful source and with a balanced cable.
Sound Quality:-
I have had the pleasure to audition the Celest Gumiho as well as Celest Pandamon in the past. But they both were kind of budget offerings at like a 50$ price point. With the Phoenixcall I have higher expectations because of two main reasons, this is the first time Celest has made something over 100$, and secondly, the highly-equipped driver setup gives me some good vibes. Having loved the Gumiho and Pandamon both, I was kinda excited for the Phoenixcall. And the pair doesn’t disappoint at all. It has a neutral to slightly bright sound signature. The best part is that the Pair produces even the minutest details with utmost ease. It doesn’t feel like struggling or anything, rather we have a set that sounds highly resolving, has a quick, snappy bass response, and a crystal clear midrange. Imaging and instrument positioning is simply lovely. I was testing some rock music last night and the way Phoenixcall retrieved every minute detail, I was simply stumped. The pair actually caught me off-guard with its technical prowess. It’s a technical beast, with excellent, superb, outstanding imaging capabilities for the price point.
Bass/Lower-End:-
Celest has tuned the Phoenixcall with a neutral and smooth lower-end response. It is dynamic and very refined as well. But I can’t call it punchy or slamming, the sub-bass has good rumble, and actually adds a layer of refinement to the lower end. Mid-bass is more on the neutral side with a fast and precise presentation, it hits whenever called upon but doesn’t present a thumping or slamming response all the time. The bass on the Phoenixcall is more about accuracy, refinement, and quickness. Bass notes are rounded and clear.
Midrange/Vocals, Instruments, & More:-
Midrange on the Phoenixcall is slightly recessed especially in the lower mids. Upper mids especially vocals are brought forward in a smooth manner. We have crystal clear, crisp clarity. in the midrange. Vocals and instruments feel detailed and crispy. Tonally, I would say that the pair has a slightly cold/dry tone to the vocals. But they definitely show amazing clarity and resolution. Both male and female vocals have good weight and texture. Instruments are slightly closer to each other, but they don’t feel congested or lack any separation. In fact, instrument separation and crisp definition for different instruments is going to be a huge pro from my side for the Phoenixcall.
Treble/High-Frequencies, Instruments, & More:-
Treble is a strong point on the Phoenixcall. The pair sounds absolutely lovely with a crispy treble definition. Instruments in the high-frequency region are very, very well-defined and showcase great clarity and resolution. Treble is well done, it doesn’t sound sharp or fatiguing, yet it retrieves details nicely. There is no harshness or sibilance present, the pair maintains the true form of the recording. It doesn’t smoothen the edgy notes and presents them in a straight-up raw manner. The airiness in the treble region gets more open with more power, that’s why I love listening to the pair with PA10 in the chain.
Technicalities:-
Celest Phoenixcall is an ultimate technical performer. It has outstanding imaging and layering capabilities. Every instrument is crisp and nicely detailed, and its position can be easily determined on the stage with simple eyes closed. Soundstage is quite big with a good 3D feel to it, hits the perfect balance with appropriate width and depth.
Some Quick Comparison:-
There are not a lot of tribrids that I have recently auditioned around the price of Phoenixcall. But I am also listening to another hybrid IEM set, the CVJ Freedom. Freedom houses a 1DD+4BA driver configuration and has 2 tuning switches as well. Freedom is slightly more attractive in pricing priced at 79.99$ which is apparently quite low in pricing. But since using both of these together, will share a short comparison between these.
>Freedom’s bass is more punchy and dynamic yet lacks the refinement and clarity of Phoenixcall.
>Tonally the midrange on the Phoenixcall has better body and weight, Freedom is a little thinner in comparison.
>Treble and detail level of both pairs is exceptional for their respective price points.
>Freedom’s treble is brighter in comparison.
>Soundstage-wise, Phoenixcall creates more immersion and a more 3D feel.
Final Words:-
100$ to 200$ is a very competitive price bracket, there are many new releases happening in this price bracket, but after spending a great week with the set, I can say that Phoenixcall has its own place and charm in this competitive market. The level of detail, and the level of resolution that the Celest Phoenixcall has is simply outstanding. I have mentioned this thing many times in this review and I won’t shy away from saying this again, the Celest Phoenixcall is a technical monster, delivering the minutest of the details with simple ease. Last but not least, yes the pair has a few things where it can be improved like some added punch and slam to the lower end, and adjusting the tone to be a bit more natural and organic, but apart from that, it’s super hard to find even nitpicks with the sound of the Phoenixcall. Well, that’s all about my review for the Celest Phoenixcall. Now it’s time to tear down the pair and see what’s inside this beautiful set.
Teardown Time:-
I was so excited with the look of the pair being transparent. I could see all the drivers inside. This kinda made me more excited and I contacted my friend to help me open up the pair. P.S. My friend is a professional, he repairs stuff as well, I took his help in unlocking the shells, removing the drivers, and having a good look at them before asking him to pack the set again. First of all, here are a few images of the inner cavity and drivers.
As you can see, there are multiple drivers placed inside. We have a 3D-printed internal structure with a tube going from each driver to the earphone nozzle. The Dual BA drivers are placed closest to the nozzle, then we have two round-shaped FPD Flat Planar Drivers, and then at the farthest corner, we have the DD unit. There’s another venting acoustic tube that is connected to the tube from the dynamic driver. Overall a very neat arrangement is done inside a compact cavity. Celest has done a great job in packing these 5 drivers using their skilful 3D acoustic tube cavity structure. I have tried my best to display different drivers in this teardown separately, but due to our limited expertise in this matter, we did not unlock every single driver to showcase the complete internals.
Hope you guys enjoyed reading this review blog of mine and also this teardown. The pair is packed again and is working fine, it is all ready to go ahead to the next reviewer now which I will ship shortly!! For any further questions related to the Celest Phoenixcall, you can ask me in the comments section below.
A Short Disclaimer Before I Begin:-
As mentioned above, I received the Phoenixcall as a part of a review tour in India, I will be forwarding the unit ahead after my review is done. Would like to thank HiFIGo for this review tour here. The impressions, liking or disliking in this review might be biased based on my personal taste in music listening(which is a balanced, U-shaped profile). You can purchase the product from HiFiGo from the links below(non-affiliated links).
Kinera Celest 1DD+2BA+2 Micro Planar Drivers IEMs — HiFiGo
Unboxing, Package, Contents, & More:-
Kinera & its sub-brands know how to make an impact with the packaging itself. YOu get a fairly exquisite package with the Phoenixcall. It’s a purple-coloured package with a faceplate-like bird design on the front along with the name. Inside we have the story of Phoenixcall along with a metallic showpiece kinda thing on the left side. On the right, we have the user guide, the pair itself with the cable. There are a total of 6 pairs of eartips included in the package, three white silicone and three grey silicone with a wide bore. We also have a small round zipper case with the pack. Overall, a really beautiful and eye-catchy packaging, just like the pair itself which I will try to describe in the next section.
Design, Build Quality, Fit, & Isolation:-
I love talking about the design for Kinera and its sub-brand IEMs. Celest Phoenixcall is a beautiful, very beautiful pair with an eye-catching designer hand-painted face cover and an overall compact footprint. The face covers depict the legendary tale of Phoenixcall with an image of birds flying over a glittery sky. The one that I have is a Pink and Blue colour variant, and it looks absolutely beautiful. Its compact footprint makes it easier to wear and provides a comfortable fit. Celest has made a transparent inner cavity design, showcasing the neat driver arrangement underneath the beautiful shells. We can see different acoustic tubes going from the drivers to the nozzle mouth. Each and every single driver is clearly visible through the cavity. Overall, The design of the pair is so very unique and beautiful. My Wife is already eyeing the set for herself, little does she know that this is going on to the review tour ahead. Might have to buy her a pair lol.
The pair has 2-pin 0.78mm connectors placed on the top. Celest bundles the pair with a colourful cable, maybe because my unit is also coloured, basically the cable matches the pink-blue theme with the same coloured outer sleeve. It’s a 3.5mm cable that I got, but it got launched today and now I see it is also available with a 4.4mm variant as well. Cable is soft, and colourful, nothing else fancy about it to mention. Other accessories such as the ear tips are also of decent quality, I personally use the pair with Azla Sednaearfit Light as they fit me better.
Talking about the fit, like I said the pair has a compact footprint. It has an oval-shaped cavity design, that sits comfortably into my ears and provides me with a good level of comfort and isolation. no complaints at all.
Driving the Phoenixcall:-
Phoenixcall can be used easily off any given source, but it loves extra power thrown her way. It works well off my Sony WM1A(with the standard 3.5mm cable) but I need to push the volume to as high as 70/120 on high-gain mode. Using a balanced cable is suggested from my side as I tried one KBEAR cable that I had. The pair runs well off a balanced output, it sounds more open and more dynamic. I noticed similar changes with 3.5mm output as well when I plugged it into my PA10 class A amplifier. To keep things short, you will be able to enjoy the Phoenixcall through a standard USB DAC/AMP(UA3 in my case) or a decent-level music player(WM1A/WM1A MK2 in my case), but to unlock full potential i suggest using the pair with your most powerful source and with a balanced cable.
Sound Quality:-
I have had the pleasure to audition the Celest Gumiho as well as Celest Pandamon in the past. But they both were kind of budget offerings at like a 50$ price point. With the Phoenixcall I have higher expectations because of two main reasons, this is the first time Celest has made something over 100$, and secondly, the highly-equipped driver setup gives me some good vibes. Having loved the Gumiho and Pandamon both, I was kinda excited for the Phoenixcall. And the pair doesn’t disappoint at all. It has a neutral to slightly bright sound signature. The best part is that the Pair produces even the minutest details with utmost ease. It doesn’t feel like struggling or anything, rather we have a set that sounds highly resolving, has a quick, snappy bass response, and a crystal clear midrange. Imaging and instrument positioning is simply lovely. I was testing some rock music last night and the way Phoenixcall retrieved every minute detail, I was simply stumped. The pair actually caught me off-guard with its technical prowess. It’s a technical beast, with excellent, superb, outstanding imaging capabilities for the price point.
Bass/Lower-End:-
Celest has tuned the Phoenixcall with a neutral and smooth lower-end response. It is dynamic and very refined as well. But I can’t call it punchy or slamming, the sub-bass has good rumble, and actually adds a layer of refinement to the lower end. Mid-bass is more on the neutral side with a fast and precise presentation, it hits whenever called upon but doesn’t present a thumping or slamming response all the time. The bass on the Phoenixcall is more about accuracy, refinement, and quickness. Bass notes are rounded and clear.
Midrange/Vocals, Instruments, & More:-
Midrange on the Phoenixcall is slightly recessed especially in the lower mids. Upper mids especially vocals are brought forward in a smooth manner. We have crystal clear, crisp clarity. in the midrange. Vocals and instruments feel detailed and crispy. Tonally, I would say that the pair has a slightly cold/dry tone to the vocals. But they definitely show amazing clarity and resolution. Both male and female vocals have good weight and texture. Instruments are slightly closer to each other, but they don’t feel congested or lack any separation. In fact, instrument separation and crisp definition for different instruments is going to be a huge pro from my side for the Phoenixcall.
Treble/High-Frequencies, Instruments, & More:-
Treble is a strong point on the Phoenixcall. The pair sounds absolutely lovely with a crispy treble definition. Instruments in the high-frequency region are very, very well-defined and showcase great clarity and resolution. Treble is well done, it doesn’t sound sharp or fatiguing, yet it retrieves details nicely. There is no harshness or sibilance present, the pair maintains the true form of the recording. It doesn’t smoothen the edgy notes and presents them in a straight-up raw manner. The airiness in the treble region gets more open with more power, that’s why I love listening to the pair with PA10 in the chain.
Technicalities:-
Celest Phoenixcall is an ultimate technical performer. It has outstanding imaging and layering capabilities. Every instrument is crisp and nicely detailed, and its position can be easily determined on the stage with simple eyes closed. Soundstage is quite big with a good 3D feel to it, hits the perfect balance with appropriate width and depth.
Some Quick Comparison:-
There are not a lot of tribrids that I have recently auditioned around the price of Phoenixcall. But I am also listening to another hybrid IEM set, the CVJ Freedom. Freedom houses a 1DD+4BA driver configuration and has 2 tuning switches as well. Freedom is slightly more attractive in pricing priced at 79.99$ which is apparently quite low in pricing. But since using both of these together, will share a short comparison between these.
>Freedom’s bass is more punchy and dynamic yet lacks the refinement and clarity of Phoenixcall.
>Tonally the midrange on the Phoenixcall has better body and weight, Freedom is a little thinner in comparison.
>Treble and detail level of both pairs is exceptional for their respective price points.
>Freedom’s treble is brighter in comparison.
>Soundstage-wise, Phoenixcall creates more immersion and a more 3D feel.
Final Words:-
100$ to 200$ is a very competitive price bracket, there are many new releases happening in this price bracket, but after spending a great week with the set, I can say that Phoenixcall has its own place and charm in this competitive market. The level of detail, and the level of resolution that the Celest Phoenixcall has is simply outstanding. I have mentioned this thing many times in this review and I won’t shy away from saying this again, the Celest Phoenixcall is a technical monster, delivering the minutest of the details with simple ease. Last but not least, yes the pair has a few things where it can be improved like some added punch and slam to the lower end, and adjusting the tone to be a bit more natural and organic, but apart from that, it’s super hard to find even nitpicks with the sound of the Phoenixcall. Well, that’s all about my review for the Celest Phoenixcall. Now it’s time to tear down the pair and see what’s inside this beautiful set.
Teardown Time:-
I was so excited with the look of the pair being transparent. I could see all the drivers inside. This kinda made me more excited and I contacted my friend to help me open up the pair. P.S. My friend is a professional, he repairs stuff as well, I took his help in unlocking the shells, removing the drivers, and having a good look at them before asking him to pack the set again. First of all, here are a few images of the inner cavity and drivers.
As you can see, there are multiple drivers placed inside. We have a 3D-printed internal structure with a tube going from each driver to the earphone nozzle. The Dual BA drivers are placed closest to the nozzle, then we have two round-shaped FPD Flat Planar Drivers, and then at the farthest corner, we have the DD unit. There’s another venting acoustic tube that is connected to the tube from the dynamic driver. Overall a very neat arrangement is done inside a compact cavity. Celest has done a great job in packing these 5 drivers using their skilful 3D acoustic tube cavity structure. I have tried my best to display different drivers in this teardown separately, but due to our limited expertise in this matter, we did not unlock every single driver to showcase the complete internals.
Hope you guys enjoyed reading this review blog of mine and also this teardown. The pair is packed again and is working fine, it is all ready to go ahead to the next reviewer now which I will ship shortly!! For any further questions related to the Celest Phoenixcall, you can ask me in the comments section below.
gadgetgod
@o0genesis0o Thanks bro!! An update here, HiFiGo agreed to send me another sample so that the tour can continue. I mean the current unit was also working fine but they preferred sending another one for the tour ahead.
keesue
Very comprehensive and coherent review. The tear down is extremely valuable. Well done.
Sajid Amit
Amazing review
“New Flow”
I’m happy to be giving you this review today of a beautiful iem. I’m currently awaiting a new iems and it’s been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to review something.
First off, this is a review sample that has been sent to me by Hifigo. You can buy it here. This is a non-affiliated link, but I do recommend buying from Hifigo. I’ve bought many things from them and they have treated me very well and kindly. This will not affect my opinion as I will strive to give you a fair and honest review. These words are mine.
Kinera Celest PhoenixCall
Amazon US:
Amazon JP:
aliexpress:
I haven’t listened to anything from Celest but do have their new $3099 Kinera Loki in as of yesterday, and it is magnificent. But the brand has been on my radar for a long time. The Pandamon is one of the most unique iems that I’ve ever seen. So what do I say here, this iem has spice and it has flair. This isn’t neutral in presentation iem, so if you want a neutral iem this isn’t the one that I’d recommend. This is an iem that is special, in that it is the single most badass iem ever. A skull bear with red eyes…. Or whatever that thing is.
I am going to share a larger list that I have of songs that I like in this review. 61+ songs Here
This list is my go to test songs for the first go.
Top 10 Tidal list here:
I listen to a wide variety of music. I pick the songs because of various reasons. But I picture myself locked away like Andy Dufresne from Shawshank blasting music and shut off from the world. It’s a blissful image.
I’m including listening notes here with no EQ to try to get information.
The Marriage of Figaro -The opera song from Shawshank Redemption, terrible recording but fun and gets me in the mood to listen to music. The Celestee pulls this off extremely well, sounds fun and engaging when it usually sounds a bit boring and flat.
O mio Babino caro -This is a modern less operatic version but a song with great female vocals. Female vocals are fantastic on this set. I can’t describe it, but very enjoyable. In shock right now listening to this.
Video Rigoletto - “La donna e mobile” Sung by one of the three Tenors, great song for high-performing male vocals. Pavarotti is the greatest classic singer maybe ever. Fight me! This song with Male vocals sounds pretty good. Not perfect but fun and good.
Iron man - The sound at the beginning is hard to make sound great, great drums, and cymbals, and if done right it feels like an old-school band. Technicals are very strong here and it’s a good sounding iem for this song. The treble is incredible here.
I Will Survive (1981 recording, I like her voice, and the old vocals, the drums, and various natural instruments really make this a favorite for me. Gloria sounds fantastic here, lush and amazing.
There is a light That never goes out - Smiths A classic, I just love it. It’s mellow, and I can tell a lot of the tuning if this song is done right. The lush sound of this song comes out very well on this track. Great space.
Jump I like how the sound effects are in this! This iem sounds fantastic on this track. Holographic and fun. It pops and the technicals really sing here.
Star Child Someone recommended this song to me, and I like how funky it sounds and has nice vocals and a mix of music and things going on. The funk is here on this track, it sounds great and feels great.
Dicke Titten Ramstein The beginning is amazing and the bass hits hard. Great song. I love
rock and metal. The base is a little weak on this set, but still strong. It’s nice but not as great as some other sets that I’ve heard.
Master of Puppets: Very fast song. Helps me determine if the driver can keep up. This is a fast iem, and sounds great. But base drivers are good, but this set isn’t as great as some more expensive sets.
Specification:-
Acoustic Drivers：1DD+2BA+2 Micro Planar drivers（FPD）
Interface: 0.78 2pin
Sensitivity: 103db
Wearing Type: In-Ear
Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-40kHz
Impedance: 32Ω
Weight (earbuds+cable): 9.8g+30g ( ± 0.2g )
Plug: 3.5mm / 4.4mm
Cable length: 1.2m
Shell -
The shells are pretty amazing. They are comfortable and fit easily in my ears. They aren’t too large that they cause pain or too small that I feel they might fall out. Very nice and easy to listent to. They have no major discomfort and look really amazing in Purple and Blue. To be honest, it looks more of dark pink rather than royal purple. But it is very pretty to look at.
Case- This has a normal iem case and it is very nice. I personally use cases often as I want my iems to last longer and this case fits the mold. My only complaint is that it is a little small, but overall it’s fine. Many iems near this price point lack a case or just have a pouch, so It’s solid despite being somewhat small.
Cable- The cable is a bit gaudy but looks beautiful and feels nice in the hand. I personally don’t need a 4.4 mm connection for how I listen to music, so the cable is great and feels premium.
Tip Selection - The iem comes with 6 tips 3 grey and 3 white. I think they add value to it and it is a great presentation.
The Tip selection is also strong. I enjoy it.
Quick-Fire Comparisons
In this section, I'll quickly compare the
Kinera Celest Phoenixcall VS. Hexa ($80)
Overall Tuning: Slight Edge to Hexa
Details: Kinera Celest Phoenixcall
Kinera Celest Phoenixcall VS. Kiwi Ears Quartet ($109)
Overall Tuning: Kinera Celest Phoenixcall
Details: Kinera Celest Phoenixcall
Kinera Celest Phoenixcall VS. Dunu Kima ($109)
Overall Tuning: Tied
Details: Kinera Celest Phoenixcall
Kinera Celest Phoenixcall VS. Rinko ($100)
Overall Tuning: Kinera Celest Phoenixcall
Details: Kinera Celest Phoenixcall
Graph: First let’s get the obvious out of the way.
Look at the birds! I’m going to name you a bunch of birds… and just tell me what these bird names have in common: Verdin, Veery, Varied Thrush, Vermilion Flycatcher, Virginia Rail, Variable Sunbir,, Variegated Fairy-wren, Vaux’s Swift, Velvet Scoter, Venezuelan Flowerpiercer, Verreaux’s Eagle, Village Weaver, Violet-Capped Hummingbird, Volcano Junco, Violet Cuckoo, Varied bunting, Violet-green, Vesper sparrow and Verreaux’s eagle owl. Do you see it, do you get it… it’s a V-Shapped iem! What does that mean, it means that it will have an exaggerated treble and base. I mean look at the design, think of a flock of birds, wouldn’t it make sense this would be a v-shaped iem and not a neutral iem?
Does this fit how I like to listen to music? Not exactly, but I always eq well at least 90% of the time I do. I love my Aful Performer 8, and I EQ it 90% of the time for music. The stock tuning of the Phoenixcall while not my ideal tune, is very good and enjoyable for all the music that I tried for it.
Sound - Final Impressions
This is a very technically sounding iem. Note weight is very good as I listen to songs, and it just sparkles to me. Woa, this is how much keeps coming to me as I listen. I think this is a very strong iem for this price. There isn’t too much at this price point exactly to compare it to. But for it’s price it’s a really like listen. The treble is lush and adds details to things, with technicals being strong in what I listen to.
Recommended EQ: I’ve been messing around with Peace APO as I further level up my audio game. I’ve been enjoying my time with it. This is my current eq for the Phoenixcall. It doesn’t really need EQ, but I definitely would recommend a slight bump to the 400-800 hz range for most listeners.
Preamp: -6.9 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 20 Hz Gain 1.3 dB Q 2.000
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 54 Hz Gain -0.8 dB Q 1.200
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 170 Hz Gain -4.3 dB Q 0.500
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 670 Hz Gain 7.3 dB Q 0.700
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 1500 Hz Gain -5.7 dB Q 2.000
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 4300 Hz Gain -3.5 dB Q 2.000
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 6600 Hz Gain 3.8 dB Q 2.000
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 8500 Hz Gain -8.6 dB Q 2.000
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 12000 Hz Gain 8.5 dB Q 2.000
Filter 10: OFF PK Fc 0 Hz Gain 0.0 dB Q 0.000
Gifting/who is it for: I think this is a nice beautiful iem to gift to someone. This iem sings to me for the design and I love using it on a daily basis. I find it fun and easy to use, and great for many genres of music. The shells are smaller for those who might not like the larger shells. They are beautiful. This also comes in clear and in 4.4mm connections as well for those who want it.
Pairing: I used a Quidelix 5k for mobile, my dongle dac iBasso DC04 for my laptop, and my JDS labs Element III MK2 Boosted for my Desktop PC. Most of my listening was done on my JDS labs Element III MK2 for this particular review.
Summary-
The look and appearance of an iem are important. It can’t be understated that appearance and look is vital to some people. Hifi is somewhat dead as we argue about the lame latest KZ/Headphones.com guys drama (Crin and DMS), the fact is not everyone cares and people just want a cool-looking product. This product also sounds fantastic and is extremely enjoyable, especially at the price. It's not just about a frequency response graph, there are many factors to a great iem.
Having your iems go with your outfit is important to people, and this iem is fire in that regard. Fun is a weird thing. Do you want something fun and unique, or do you want something technical and perfect? This is a piece of art, this is a fantastic iem. This is different as not only is it unique and technical, but has a strong overall sound signature.
As far as sound it is very enjoyable and hit the mark in most songs. I can’t find much at the price range that competes with this iem, but it is very strong overall. I eq a lot and I find this iem has great technicals and is just fantastic. The packaging feel like a 500-dollar plus iem, the cable is supple and nice, and the sound is very enjoyable and competitive for the price.
To quote a friend “We need a new inflow to the hobby, and that’s only attainable by easing/lowering the bars.” Unique iems can interest those who might not be interested by the hobby and this is a fantastic choice. It looks like I’m buying a second one, the wife has stolen my set. XD It is just gorgeous for the price. We need a new flow to the hobby, and an iem maker like this that looks at other factors like style, and presentation is impressive. Not everything has to be brooding and dark. Things can be cute, fun, and colorful.
The Price is $130. It’s strong for this level. It’s packaged like a champion, go buy it. It’s also in the Amazon proper stores so it’ll ship in one or two days to most of the US!
Tuning A
Technical Ability A+
Value Stars
️️️
I’m happy to be giving you this review today of a beautiful iem. I’m currently awaiting a new iems and it’s been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to review something.
First off, this is a review sample that has been sent to me by Hifigo. You can buy it here. This is a non-affiliated link, but I do recommend buying from Hifigo. I’ve bought many things from them and they have treated me very well and kindly. This will not affect my opinion as I will strive to give you a fair and honest review. These words are mine.
Kinera Celest PhoenixCall
Amazon US:
Amazon JP:
aliexpress:
I haven’t listened to anything from Celest but do have their new $3099 Kinera Loki in as of yesterday, and it is magnificent. But the brand has been on my radar for a long time. The Pandamon is one of the most unique iems that I’ve ever seen. So what do I say here, this iem has spice and it has flair. This isn’t neutral in presentation iem, so if you want a neutral iem this isn’t the one that I’d recommend. This is an iem that is special, in that it is the single most badass iem ever. A skull bear with red eyes…. Or whatever that thing is.
I am going to share a larger list that I have of songs that I like in this review. 61+ songs Here
This list is my go to test songs for the first go.
Top 10 Tidal list here:
I listen to a wide variety of music. I pick the songs because of various reasons. But I picture myself locked away like Andy Dufresne from Shawshank blasting music and shut off from the world. It’s a blissful image.
I’m including listening notes here with no EQ to try to get information.
The Marriage of Figaro -The opera song from Shawshank Redemption, terrible recording but fun and gets me in the mood to listen to music. The Celestee pulls this off extremely well, sounds fun and engaging when it usually sounds a bit boring and flat.
O mio Babino caro -This is a modern less operatic version but a song with great female vocals. Female vocals are fantastic on this set. I can’t describe it, but very enjoyable. In shock right now listening to this.
Video Rigoletto - “La donna e mobile” Sung by one of the three Tenors, great song for high-performing male vocals. Pavarotti is the greatest classic singer maybe ever. Fight me! This song with Male vocals sounds pretty good. Not perfect but fun and good.
Iron man - The sound at the beginning is hard to make sound great, great drums, and cymbals, and if done right it feels like an old-school band. Technicals are very strong here and it’s a good sounding iem for this song. The treble is incredible here.
I Will Survive (1981 recording, I like her voice, and the old vocals, the drums, and various natural instruments really make this a favorite for me. Gloria sounds fantastic here, lush and amazing.
There is a light That never goes out - Smiths A classic, I just love it. It’s mellow, and I can tell a lot of the tuning if this song is done right. The lush sound of this song comes out very well on this track. Great space.
Jump I like how the sound effects are in this! This iem sounds fantastic on this track. Holographic and fun. It pops and the technicals really sing here.
Star Child Someone recommended this song to me, and I like how funky it sounds and has nice vocals and a mix of music and things going on. The funk is here on this track, it sounds great and feels great.
Dicke Titten Ramstein The beginning is amazing and the bass hits hard. Great song. I love
rock and metal. The base is a little weak on this set, but still strong. It’s nice but not as great as some other sets that I’ve heard.
Master of Puppets: Very fast song. Helps me determine if the driver can keep up. This is a fast iem, and sounds great. But base drivers are good, but this set isn’t as great as some more expensive sets.
Specification:-
Acoustic Drivers：1DD+2BA+2 Micro Planar drivers（FPD）
Interface: 0.78 2pin
Sensitivity: 103db
Wearing Type: In-Ear
Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-40kHz
Impedance: 32Ω
Weight (earbuds+cable): 9.8g+30g ( ± 0.2g )
Plug: 3.5mm / 4.4mm
Cable length: 1.2m
Shell -
The shells are pretty amazing. They are comfortable and fit easily in my ears. They aren’t too large that they cause pain or too small that I feel they might fall out. Very nice and easy to listent to. They have no major discomfort and look really amazing in Purple and Blue. To be honest, it looks more of dark pink rather than royal purple. But it is very pretty to look at.
Case- This has a normal iem case and it is very nice. I personally use cases often as I want my iems to last longer and this case fits the mold. My only complaint is that it is a little small, but overall it’s fine. Many iems near this price point lack a case or just have a pouch, so It’s solid despite being somewhat small.
Cable- The cable is a bit gaudy but looks beautiful and feels nice in the hand. I personally don’t need a 4.4 mm connection for how I listen to music, so the cable is great and feels premium.
Tip Selection - The iem comes with 6 tips 3 grey and 3 white. I think they add value to it and it is a great presentation.
The Tip selection is also strong. I enjoy it.
Quick-Fire Comparisons
In this section, I'll quickly compare the
Kinera Celest Phoenixcall VS. Hexa ($80)
Overall Tuning: Slight Edge to Hexa
Details: Kinera Celest Phoenixcall
Kinera Celest Phoenixcall VS. Kiwi Ears Quartet ($109)
Overall Tuning: Kinera Celest Phoenixcall
Details: Kinera Celest Phoenixcall
Kinera Celest Phoenixcall VS. Dunu Kima ($109)
Overall Tuning: Tied
Details: Kinera Celest Phoenixcall
Kinera Celest Phoenixcall VS. Rinko ($100)
Overall Tuning: Kinera Celest Phoenixcall
Details: Kinera Celest Phoenixcall
Graph: First let’s get the obvious out of the way.
Look at the birds! I’m going to name you a bunch of birds… and just tell me what these bird names have in common: Verdin, Veery, Varied Thrush, Vermilion Flycatcher, Virginia Rail, Variable Sunbir,, Variegated Fairy-wren, Vaux’s Swift, Velvet Scoter, Venezuelan Flowerpiercer, Verreaux’s Eagle, Village Weaver, Violet-Capped Hummingbird, Volcano Junco, Violet Cuckoo, Varied bunting, Violet-green, Vesper sparrow and Verreaux’s eagle owl. Do you see it, do you get it… it’s a V-Shapped iem! What does that mean, it means that it will have an exaggerated treble and base. I mean look at the design, think of a flock of birds, wouldn’t it make sense this would be a v-shaped iem and not a neutral iem?
Does this fit how I like to listen to music? Not exactly, but I always eq well at least 90% of the time I do. I love my Aful Performer 8, and I EQ it 90% of the time for music. The stock tuning of the Phoenixcall while not my ideal tune, is very good and enjoyable for all the music that I tried for it.
Sound - Final Impressions
This is a very technically sounding iem. Note weight is very good as I listen to songs, and it just sparkles to me. Woa, this is how much keeps coming to me as I listen. I think this is a very strong iem for this price. There isn’t too much at this price point exactly to compare it to. But for it’s price it’s a really like listen. The treble is lush and adds details to things, with technicals being strong in what I listen to.
Recommended EQ: I’ve been messing around with Peace APO as I further level up my audio game. I’ve been enjoying my time with it. This is my current eq for the Phoenixcall. It doesn’t really need EQ, but I definitely would recommend a slight bump to the 400-800 hz range for most listeners.
Preamp: -6.9 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 20 Hz Gain 1.3 dB Q 2.000
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 54 Hz Gain -0.8 dB Q 1.200
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 170 Hz Gain -4.3 dB Q 0.500
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 670 Hz Gain 7.3 dB Q 0.700
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 1500 Hz Gain -5.7 dB Q 2.000
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 4300 Hz Gain -3.5 dB Q 2.000
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 6600 Hz Gain 3.8 dB Q 2.000
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 8500 Hz Gain -8.6 dB Q 2.000
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 12000 Hz Gain 8.5 dB Q 2.000
Filter 10: OFF PK Fc 0 Hz Gain 0.0 dB Q 0.000
Gifting/who is it for: I think this is a nice beautiful iem to gift to someone. This iem sings to me for the design and I love using it on a daily basis. I find it fun and easy to use, and great for many genres of music. The shells are smaller for those who might not like the larger shells. They are beautiful. This also comes in clear and in 4.4mm connections as well for those who want it.
Pairing: I used a Quidelix 5k for mobile, my dongle dac iBasso DC04 for my laptop, and my JDS labs Element III MK2 Boosted for my Desktop PC. Most of my listening was done on my JDS labs Element III MK2 for this particular review.
Summary-
The look and appearance of an iem are important. It can’t be understated that appearance and look is vital to some people. Hifi is somewhat dead as we argue about the lame latest KZ/Headphones.com guys drama (Crin and DMS), the fact is not everyone cares and people just want a cool-looking product. This product also sounds fantastic and is extremely enjoyable, especially at the price. It's not just about a frequency response graph, there are many factors to a great iem.
Having your iems go with your outfit is important to people, and this iem is fire in that regard. Fun is a weird thing. Do you want something fun and unique, or do you want something technical and perfect? This is a piece of art, this is a fantastic iem. This is different as not only is it unique and technical, but has a strong overall sound signature.
As far as sound it is very enjoyable and hit the mark in most songs. I can’t find much at the price range that competes with this iem, but it is very strong overall. I eq a lot and I find this iem has great technicals and is just fantastic. The packaging feel like a 500-dollar plus iem, the cable is supple and nice, and the sound is very enjoyable and competitive for the price.
To quote a friend “We need a new inflow to the hobby, and that’s only attainable by easing/lowering the bars.” Unique iems can interest those who might not be interested by the hobby and this is a fantastic choice. It looks like I’m buying a second one, the wife has stolen my set. XD It is just gorgeous for the price. We need a new flow to the hobby, and an iem maker like this that looks at other factors like style, and presentation is impressive. Not everything has to be brooding and dark. Things can be cute, fun, and colorful.
The Price is $130. It’s strong for this level. It’s packaged like a champion, go buy it. It’s also in the Amazon proper stores so it’ll ship in one or two days to most of the US!
Tuning A
Technical Ability A+
Value Stars
️️️
Jaytiss
I really like it. I am surprised how nice it is.
bixby
I see you also reviewed the Simgot Em6L- Care to offer any comparison?
Jaytiss
@bixby It is close as they are both great at the price. Sonically the tuning of the Simgot sm6l is a bit better, but technically and with resolution the Phoenixcall edges it out very slightly. If you don't mind the QDC connection maybe go with the Simgot, if you prefer a 2-pin and a better unboxing experience the Phoenixcall wins. Simgot is packaged as a 110-dollar iem should be and is not bad, but bland by any means. Phoenixcall is packaged like a 400-dollar plus iem, It's magnificent. Depends on what you want and if you like the design of one or the other. For the price both are great values and I give 3 stars for value. I mean I just ordered the Monarck MK3 with the 150-dollar upgrade for the Disco plates. So to get the beauty and unboxing experience of the Phoenixcall for 130 is mindblowing.
DISCLAIMER
I would like to thank Kinera/HIFIGO for furnishing this unit.
The Celest Phoenix Call can be gotten here (no affiliate links): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CDGLZKKK/kinera+celest+phoenixcall/ or https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-celest-phoenixcall
SPECIFICATIONS
ACCESSORIES
Other than the IEM, these are included:
- 3 pairs of white Celest 221 "vocal" silicone ear tips (S/M/L)
- 3 pairs of grey Celest C-07 silicone ear tips (S/M/L)
- cable
- semi-rigid carrying case
- metal bookmark and poem
The packaging is really polished and elegant. We have some poetry, and even a metal bookmark of phoenixes. Waifus are so yesterday!!
The Phoenix Call takes its inspiration from an ancient Chinese folklore book titled the "Classic of Mountains and Seas" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_of_Mountains_and_Seas). In one of the stories inside this tome, there is a scene where hundreds of mythical birds flocked together to fly home.
Indeed, we see this avian motif on the packaging and bookmark, within the poetry, and even on the shell of the IEMs.
Back on point, the array of accessories are pretty generous, perhaps other than the lack of foam tips or a modular cable, but that is nitpicking.
We have 2 variants of silicone tips. The Celest 221 "vocal" tips - in white - boost treble and upper mids. The C-07 grey tips are more balanced, with less treble emphasis and a bigger and deeper bass. Do tip-roll to see what suits your sonic preferences.
A psychedelically coloured 8-core 5N copper silver-plated cable is included. During ordering, one can opt for a 3.5 mm or 4.4 mm termination. This cable is not just a pretty thing, it is very practical - being well-braided with minimal microphonics. There's a chin cinch for added grip. 2-pin cables are always favoured in my book, as MMCX ones may fail with repeated cable swaps.
Lastly, we have a round semi-rigid zipper case. It is quite tough externally, but lined internally with a soft material and some webbing, to protect the contents.
The rest of this review was done with the stock cable and stock grey tips. No aftermarket accessories were used, so as not to add any confounders to the sound.
BUILD/COMFORT
Fashioned from resin, the left earpiece is coloured blue, whereas the right side is coloured red. The faceplates feature the aforementioned flock of birds motif flying back to their nest. They are a real looker, and my wife who usually hates IEMs actually came to take a look, and said she "wouldn't mind trying it". Actually, after she did, I had difficulty claiming the IEM back to do this review haha.
The shells are quite light and the inner aspects of the chassis do not have any weird protrusions to poke the ears. Initially, I had a bit of discomfort due to the longer nozzle with smaller eartips, but once I used a size larger tip, ergonomics seemed quite decent for longer listening sessions. So tip-rolling is once again essential for fit.
I did not find any driver flex on my pair. As per most vented IEMs, isolation is average, but this IEM should still be usable outdoors.
INTERNALS
The Phoenix Call sports an uncommon 1 DD + 2 BA + 2 FPD setup.
One can see the various drivers in all their glory through the transparent resin shells. I'm also glad to report that the BAs are not just dumped in the nozzle, but Kinera has specially designed them to be linked to the nozzles via acoustic tubes. This definitely aids in the sonics, and as we will read later below, this IEM is quite good in soundstage for this reason.
The 7 mm DD settles the bass, while the 2 BAs handle the midrange and lower treble respectively. Lastly, we have a FPD (flat planar driver) for the upper treble. This FPD is similar in concept to a microplanar driver, but is not a real larger planar driver.
DRIVABILITY
I tested the Phoenix Call with the following sources:
- Apple dongle
- Cayin RU7
- Colorfly CDA M1 DAC/AMP dongle
- Creative Sound Blaster X5
- E1DA DAC/AMP dongle
- Hiby R3 Pro Saber 2022 DAP
- Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 amp
- Khadas Tone Board -> Topping L30 amp
- Questyle M15 DAC/AMP dongle
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One Neutral Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW WM1A DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Smartphone
This IEM is relatively easy to drive. Amplification is not 100% required, but it will scale better with juice.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
Graph of the Celest Phoenix Call via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler artefact peak.
Tonally, the Celest Phoenix Call is V-shaped, and this is quite consumer friendly in tuning.
This IEM is mid-bass focused. The mid-bass hits with a big thump in bassy tracks, and is just a level or two shy of true basshead badness. There's some sub-bass roll-off and just a slight tickle of rumble. In terms of quality, bass speed is fast, with good texturing. There's some slight mid-bass bleed, but this is inevitable with the huge bass on tap.
As per the V-shaped profile, the lower midrange is recessed and thin, mid-lovers might seek more heft in this region. The upper mids have about 8 - 9 dB ear gain, and vocals are definitely forwards in the mix. I am quite sensitive to this region, and I would say the upper mids are not too overzealous, but are at the edge of spiciness. At louder volumes (Fletcher Munson curve), this region can get hot, but at low to moderate volumes, it is quite okay. The upper mids can also be tamed with eartip rolling, in addition to different sources, not to mention hearing health/ear anatomy may play a part in how this region is perceived.
The Phoenix Call's lower treble continues on from the boosted upper midrange. Extension of treble is quite decent, with moderate air and sparkle. Sibilance is quite controlled, and nothing sounds splashy or majorly fatiguing here.
When it comes to technicalities, the Phoenix Call performs very well. Soundstage is deep and high, with above average width. We have good micro-detailing and resolution, with instrument separation and imaging done well.
Unfortunately, timbral accuracy is an area of weakness in the treble and midrange (probably the regions handled by the BAs and microplanar driver). Vocals are a bit thin, and acoustic instruments like brass and woodwinds lack heft and natural note weight - so this IEM may not be the best option for timbre freaks or those that listen to predominantly jazz or classical genres.
COMPARISONS
I currently only have a similar priced IEM in the TRI I3 that has a kindred config with a DD + BA + microplanar setup to the Phoenix Call.
The original TRI I3 is a 1 DD + 1 BA + 1 planar/microplanar, that has very huge shells. The shells are heavy and this may cause discomfort with longer listening sessions. It also has MMCX connectors, and on one side of my TRI I3, the MMCX is a bit loose. The I3 is also harder to drive.
The TRI I3 has a taller and deeper soundstage, but has inferior soundstage width. The I3 is also weaker in instrument separation and imaging. Tonally, the I3 has more sub-bass, but the bass isn't as tight as on the Phoenix Call. There is some sibilance and splashiness in the lower treble on the I3 too, though it has a tinge better timbre.
CONCLUSIONS
The Phoenix Call sports a unique DD + BA + microplanar/FPD configuration. The packaging and aesthetics are truly breathtaking, with robust build and decent fit. Additionally, this IEM is easy to drive, and amplification is not really required. In a sea of over-used waifus, Kinera has thoughtfully utilized a sophisticated bird motif packaging to reflect on its ancient Chinese roots, incorporating a fabled poem from ancient texts.
Tonally, the Phoenix Call has a V-shaped consumer friendly signature, with a huge mid-bass thump to bring a lot of "fun" to the table. Technically, this IEM is no slouch too, with soundstage and resolution being a highlight.
Nothing is perfect though, the timbre and midrange has flaws, and folks who prioritize these areas should look elsewhere. Having said that, this IEM does well in most other departments, and may even make a nice gift in view of the alluring design and consumer friendly signature.
I would like to thank Kinera/HIFIGO for furnishing this unit.
The Celest Phoenix Call can be gotten here (no affiliate links): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CDGLZKKK/kinera+celest+phoenixcall/ or https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-celest-phoenixcall
SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver configuration: 1 x 7 mm DD + 2 x 10021 and 10012 BA + 2 x 6 mm flat panel driver (FPD)
- Impedance: 32 Ohms
- Frequency response: 20 Hz - 40 kHz
- Sensitivity: 103
- Cable: 0.78 mm, 2-pin, 3.5 mm or 4.4 mm termination available. 8-core 5N copper silver-plated cable
- Tested at $129.99 USD
ACCESSORIES
Other than the IEM, these are included:
- 3 pairs of white Celest 221 "vocal" silicone ear tips (S/M/L)
- 3 pairs of grey Celest C-07 silicone ear tips (S/M/L)
- cable
- semi-rigid carrying case
- metal bookmark and poem
The packaging is really polished and elegant. We have some poetry, and even a metal bookmark of phoenixes. Waifus are so yesterday!!
The Phoenix Call takes its inspiration from an ancient Chinese folklore book titled the "Classic of Mountains and Seas" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_of_Mountains_and_Seas). In one of the stories inside this tome, there is a scene where hundreds of mythical birds flocked together to fly home.
Indeed, we see this avian motif on the packaging and bookmark, within the poetry, and even on the shell of the IEMs.
Back on point, the array of accessories are pretty generous, perhaps other than the lack of foam tips or a modular cable, but that is nitpicking.
We have 2 variants of silicone tips. The Celest 221 "vocal" tips - in white - boost treble and upper mids. The C-07 grey tips are more balanced, with less treble emphasis and a bigger and deeper bass. Do tip-roll to see what suits your sonic preferences.
A psychedelically coloured 8-core 5N copper silver-plated cable is included. During ordering, one can opt for a 3.5 mm or 4.4 mm termination. This cable is not just a pretty thing, it is very practical - being well-braided with minimal microphonics. There's a chin cinch for added grip. 2-pin cables are always favoured in my book, as MMCX ones may fail with repeated cable swaps.
Lastly, we have a round semi-rigid zipper case. It is quite tough externally, but lined internally with a soft material and some webbing, to protect the contents.
The rest of this review was done with the stock cable and stock grey tips. No aftermarket accessories were used, so as not to add any confounders to the sound.
BUILD/COMFORT
Fashioned from resin, the left earpiece is coloured blue, whereas the right side is coloured red. The faceplates feature the aforementioned flock of birds motif flying back to their nest. They are a real looker, and my wife who usually hates IEMs actually came to take a look, and said she "wouldn't mind trying it". Actually, after she did, I had difficulty claiming the IEM back to do this review haha.
The shells are quite light and the inner aspects of the chassis do not have any weird protrusions to poke the ears. Initially, I had a bit of discomfort due to the longer nozzle with smaller eartips, but once I used a size larger tip, ergonomics seemed quite decent for longer listening sessions. So tip-rolling is once again essential for fit.
I did not find any driver flex on my pair. As per most vented IEMs, isolation is average, but this IEM should still be usable outdoors.
INTERNALS
The Phoenix Call sports an uncommon 1 DD + 2 BA + 2 FPD setup.
One can see the various drivers in all their glory through the transparent resin shells. I'm also glad to report that the BAs are not just dumped in the nozzle, but Kinera has specially designed them to be linked to the nozzles via acoustic tubes. This definitely aids in the sonics, and as we will read later below, this IEM is quite good in soundstage for this reason.
The 7 mm DD settles the bass, while the 2 BAs handle the midrange and lower treble respectively. Lastly, we have a FPD (flat planar driver) for the upper treble. This FPD is similar in concept to a microplanar driver, but is not a real larger planar driver.
DRIVABILITY
I tested the Phoenix Call with the following sources:
- Apple dongle
- Cayin RU7
- Colorfly CDA M1 DAC/AMP dongle
- Creative Sound Blaster X5
- E1DA DAC/AMP dongle
- Hiby R3 Pro Saber 2022 DAP
- Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 amp
- Khadas Tone Board -> Topping L30 amp
- Questyle M15 DAC/AMP dongle
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One Neutral Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW WM1A DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Smartphone
This IEM is relatively easy to drive. Amplification is not 100% required, but it will scale better with juice.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
Graph of the Celest Phoenix Call via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler artefact peak.
Tonally, the Celest Phoenix Call is V-shaped, and this is quite consumer friendly in tuning.
This IEM is mid-bass focused. The mid-bass hits with a big thump in bassy tracks, and is just a level or two shy of true basshead badness. There's some sub-bass roll-off and just a slight tickle of rumble. In terms of quality, bass speed is fast, with good texturing. There's some slight mid-bass bleed, but this is inevitable with the huge bass on tap.
As per the V-shaped profile, the lower midrange is recessed and thin, mid-lovers might seek more heft in this region. The upper mids have about 8 - 9 dB ear gain, and vocals are definitely forwards in the mix. I am quite sensitive to this region, and I would say the upper mids are not too overzealous, but are at the edge of spiciness. At louder volumes (Fletcher Munson curve), this region can get hot, but at low to moderate volumes, it is quite okay. The upper mids can also be tamed with eartip rolling, in addition to different sources, not to mention hearing health/ear anatomy may play a part in how this region is perceived.
The Phoenix Call's lower treble continues on from the boosted upper midrange. Extension of treble is quite decent, with moderate air and sparkle. Sibilance is quite controlled, and nothing sounds splashy or majorly fatiguing here.
When it comes to technicalities, the Phoenix Call performs very well. Soundstage is deep and high, with above average width. We have good micro-detailing and resolution, with instrument separation and imaging done well.
Unfortunately, timbral accuracy is an area of weakness in the treble and midrange (probably the regions handled by the BAs and microplanar driver). Vocals are a bit thin, and acoustic instruments like brass and woodwinds lack heft and natural note weight - so this IEM may not be the best option for timbre freaks or those that listen to predominantly jazz or classical genres.
COMPARISONS
I currently only have a similar priced IEM in the TRI I3 that has a kindred config with a DD + BA + microplanar setup to the Phoenix Call.
The original TRI I3 is a 1 DD + 1 BA + 1 planar/microplanar, that has very huge shells. The shells are heavy and this may cause discomfort with longer listening sessions. It also has MMCX connectors, and on one side of my TRI I3, the MMCX is a bit loose. The I3 is also harder to drive.
The TRI I3 has a taller and deeper soundstage, but has inferior soundstage width. The I3 is also weaker in instrument separation and imaging. Tonally, the I3 has more sub-bass, but the bass isn't as tight as on the Phoenix Call. There is some sibilance and splashiness in the lower treble on the I3 too, though it has a tinge better timbre.
CONCLUSIONS
The Phoenix Call sports a unique DD + BA + microplanar/FPD configuration. The packaging and aesthetics are truly breathtaking, with robust build and decent fit. Additionally, this IEM is easy to drive, and amplification is not really required. In a sea of over-used waifus, Kinera has thoughtfully utilized a sophisticated bird motif packaging to reflect on its ancient Chinese roots, incorporating a fabled poem from ancient texts.
Tonally, the Phoenix Call has a V-shaped consumer friendly signature, with a huge mid-bass thump to bring a lot of "fun" to the table. Technically, this IEM is no slouch too, with soundstage and resolution being a highlight.
Nothing is perfect though, the timbre and midrange has flaws, and folks who prioritize these areas should look elsewhere. Having said that, this IEM does well in most other departments, and may even make a nice gift in view of the alluring design and consumer friendly signature.
