Kinera Freya 2.0

Disclaimer

• Huge thanks to Kinera for providing the opportunity for me to review the Freya 2.0 through a tour However, all thoughts and opinions are my own, and are not influenced in any way.
• Please take this review with only a grain of salt, as everyone's hearing, fit, and gears may differ, so our experience may be different.

Price(MSRP)

• $269

Source(s)

• It is not hard to drive but not exactly super easy either. However, any cx dongle should work fine. When using them on my JM6 Pro, I never have to exceed 40%.
  • FiiO KA13
  • Truthear Shio
  • JCally JM6 Pro

Ear tips

• Dunu S&S

Unboxing and Quick Summary






Packaging

• Kinera Freya 2.0
• Round, hard carrying case
  • Soft to touch, but is a hard case, very premium.
• Premium selection of ear tips.
  • 3 pairs of K-07 balanced silicone ear tips (S, M, L)
    • Looks and feels like a 07 clone, which are pretty decent.
  • 3 pairs of 221 vocal silicone ear tips (S, M, L)
    • Looks and feels like generic silicone ear tips.
  • 5 pairs of Final E ear tips! (SS, S, M, L, LL)
    • One of the most popular ear tips among hobbyists, and they can get quite pricey, so it is an extremely good inclusion in my opinion
• Cleaning brush
• 4.4 modular plug
• Modular Alloy Copper Cable attached with the 3.5 modular plug
  • Excellent stock cable, premium build quality.
  • Comes with interchangeable plugs as well.
  • However, it has a bit of memory, and is not as soft as I would like.
  • Furthermore, ear hooks can be awkward on the ear sometimes.

Build Quality

• Build quality is decent, shell is made out of resin and is very beautiful.
• Very lightweight.

Fit

• Nozzle length and width is slightly above average, but I have no problems with them.
  • Even though it is a resin nozzle, I have no issues with slippery ear tips like Dunu S&S.
• Fits is excellent. Very lightweight and the shell is super comfortable.

Tonality

• Mild V shaped

Bass

• Bass is quite balanced between sub bass and mid bass.
• Very well bodied and textured
• Has decent rumble, slam and impact.
• Not very tight or snappy, bass is on the slow and boomy side.
• Overall, bass is decent, nothing too outstanding but not bad.
• Quantity is a touch more than average, not basshead level yet but is on the warm and bassy side.

Midrange

• Lower midrange has some warmth to it, giving a good amount of weight and lushness to male vocals and some instruments without being muddy bloated.
• Upper midrange is done decently too, being quite energetic so female vocals are forward and lively, but not to the point of being shouty while maintaining good energy to pop off from the warmth.
• Note weight has a nice weight and density to it but not overly heavy.
• Most instruments do sound great without any oddities, timbre is quite natural as well.

Treble

• Treble is overly safe and inoffensive, lacking a lot of energy and sparkle throughout most of the region.
• Rolls off extremely hard from mid treble onwards, so notes and cymbals lack so much incisiveness and bite to it, so much so that they just sound blunt, unengaging and lifeless.
• Extension is also very poorly done, basically killing all sense of airiness.
• Details are pretty much hidden due to how hard the treble is rolled off.

Technicalities

Resolution

• Resolution and detail retrieval is subpar at best, due to lack of sparkle and extension in the treble.

Soundstage

• Soundstage is average in terms of width and depth.
• At least it is not overly closed in but it is on the more intimate side.

Imaging

• Imaging and accuracy also average at best.
• Not really pinpoint accuracy due to it being blunted but still fine.

Separation

• Separation and layering is average as well.
• Instruments and vocals are not clearly separated but it is not very congested on busier tracks.

Conclusion

• I have very mixed feelings about the Freya 2.0
  • In my opinion, it is tuned very decently from bass until the upper midrange, which is quite surprising to me considering that it is from Kinera ... but treble is just way too dark and dull, which throws off the overall balance.
  • I think Kinera is heading towards the right direction in terms of tuning with their recent releases, but I think they have to put in a little more work in order to compete in today's market.
• Overall, I think the Freya 2.0 is an IEM that has decent bass, warm and natural midrange but with overly dull highs and subpar technicalities. It is very hard to recommend especially at this price, but if you are extremely sensitive to treble and want a set to be as inoffensive as possible, then this may be the set for you. Accessory inclusions, aesthetics and comfort is top tier for the price though.

Thanks for reading!

*I would like to thank Kinera for sending the review unit in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are on my own and I will stay unbias throughout the whole review.*​

Background Information:​

Kinera Freya 2.0 uses a four driver hybrid design, it uses a 7mm DD and 3 Knowles Balance Armature. Each IEM shell is carefully hand-painted. The Kinera Freya 2.0 is priced at 269$ and can be purchased through Aliexpress Store or official website.

Packaging:​

The packaging and overall unboxing gives a premium and luxury feel with a beautiful art of the Freya 2.0's faceplate on the box. The artwork on the box is collection worthy as they are very eye-catching and nice to look at in my opinion.

Inside the box includes:

• Kinera Freya 2.0 IEM
• A high quality modular alloy copper cable that is tangle-free, memory-free and quite thick, it feels premium and I don't find a need to change the cable to use the IEM.
• 3.5mm and 4.4mm modular plug
• Generous amount of eartips which includes 5 pairs of Final Type E eartips (Sizes are SS, S, M, L, LL) 3 pairs of Kinera custom wide bore tips (Sizes are S, M, L) and 3 pairs of Kinera custom narrow bore tips (Sizes are S, M, L)
• Premium storage case with a beautiful art and clean white aesthetics.
• Cleaning brush
• User Manual

Build, Fit & Comfort:​

The Kinera Freya 2.0 is very lightweight that weighs only around 3.6g each. The Freya 2.0 shell is about small to medium sized. The Freya 2.0 shell has an ergonomic shape that is very comfortable, fit is excellent and sturdy even with my small ears. Due to its lightweight and comfortable shell, I was able to wear them for a long period of time without any fatigue or any discomfort.

Sound:​

Disclaimer​

Audio is a very subjective hobby which means not everyone will experience exactly the same experience I have based on different ear anatomy and different source is being fed.

Gears used in this review:​

• Fosi Audio DS1 dongle dac
• Moondrop Moonriver 2 dongle dac
• Marantz PM5003 and CD5003
• Kinera's stock cable and Spinfit CP145 eartips

Sound Signature:​

Slightly warm, musical set with spotlight on mids. It has a natural timbre to it and scales well with source. Better pair with a warmer source but still perfectly fine with leaner source. All rounder set but works better with pop music.

Bass:​

• Bass is on the soft side, nice textured good quality bass.
• Adequate amount of bass to support the mids.
• Well extended sub-bass, can get very rumbly whenever the track calls.
• Good punch are able to delivered.
• Bass quantity and quality are able to satisfy pop genre listeners.
• Bass guitars are satisfying with each pluck and drums are on a softer type of bass.

Mids:​

• A little warmth is brought to the set to bring out emotion in tracks.
• Vocals sounded natural and accurate, enough forwardness to bring out vocal energy without overpowering other instruments.
• Female and male vocals both have good note weight, both are able to perform equally well.
• Natural timbre.

Treble:​

• Sparkly, airy and speedy treble, give an overall snappy feeling.
• Smooth and inoffensive treble.
• Not sibilance (after burn in), not sharp/piercing and not fatiguing.
• Micro details are a bit lacking as they can be heard but may not be enough for the given price point, macro details are good.

Technicalities:​

• Soundstage is average but it has an open sound to it, doesn't sound cramped. They are still not bad but could be better at this price point in my opinion.
• Soundstage has good width but not enough depth in my opinion.
• Imaging is also average, more of like a left, center, right type of imaging. Not the most holographic feel IEM and I think could be better at this price point.

Conclusion:​

I think the Freya 2 is a very enjoyable IEM to listen to despite the weakness in detail retrieval and technicalities. The purpose of Freya 2 is to enjoy the music, feel the emotion, enjoy the overall musicality instead of analysing and focusing on the technicalities of the IEM. They are also quite good to use when relax, chill and casual. I would say this IEM is not for people who are looking to have the best technicalities they can get for the price but they are tuned very maturely and safe.

That is the end of my review. Thank you for reading. Cheers!

Here is the link to their Kinera Official Website for Freya 2.0:
Kinera Freya 2.0 Official Website (Non-affiliated)

Here is the link to their Kinera Official Aliexpress Store for Freya 2.0:
Kinera Freya 2.0 Official Aliexpress Store (Non-affiliated)

Kinera has kindly supplied the Freya 2 to the Audio Reviews Downunder tour group for honest assessment and reviews.

The Freya 2 is an update on the original and very successful Freya one. It sells for $270 USD. The name comes from Norse mythology. Freya was a goddess of blessings, love, lust, and fertility. A member of the Vanir tribe of deities, Freya shared her people’s penchant for the magical arts of divination. It was Freya who introduced the gods to seidr, a form of magic that allowed practitioners to know and change the future.

Features: - >Four-Driver Hybrid Setup. 3BA+1DD Architecture made up of a 7mm Custom-Developed Dynamic Driver and three Knowles High-Performance BA Drivers. Exclusive Hand-Painted Ear Shells. Three Acoustic Tubes.3+1 Crossover Tuning. Comfortable Resin Material Ear Shells.4-Core Litz Braided Copper Cable. Interchangeable Plugs.3.5mm+4.4mm Plugs. Rich Packaging Design & Solid Set of Accessories.

Tested with

I used wide bore TRN T tips and a 2.5mm balanced NiceCHK cable with my Hib R3 Saber 2022 DAP playing flac files from my music collection. The supplied modular cable is also high quality and I did audition the Freya 2 with a Hidizs DAC.

The Sound.

What are the expectations of a $250-$300 IEM? In the lower echelons of earphones we have bass monsters, V shaped fun machines, Harman tuned inoffensive offerings and competent DD’s and Planars that satisfy most needs at affordable prices. When the IEM is a hybrid of multiple drivers from a renowned company, expectations of something special are created.

When I first listened to the Feya 2 my first thought was that I had never heard this sound signature before. I was beguiled and enchanted by what I was hearing.

Freya 2’s midrange is rather special, with a mild warmth and exceptional clarity. The bass and treble, while not extended, bookend this midrange without overwhelming it, allowing vocals to impress. Vocals are well placed, not too forward and emotion is well conveyed.

The bass is handled by a 7mm Dynamic driver and has that DD speed and punch. The Freya 2 is biased towards a good solid sub bass. The mid bass is a little recessed and snares don’t slap as hard as they could. The sub bass, while adequate is a little rolled off. Bass has a boomy quality on EDM music but is adequate for most genres. It stays out of the way of the rest of the frequencies and equips itself very well.

Treble, like the bass does and adequate job without straying into brightness or sibilance. Like the bass, the highs are just enough to compliment that beautiful midrange. With three BA’s, Kinera could have tuned the IEM to sparkle and shine at the top end but they have chosen to present a more mature and lush sound that is very captivating. The sound still has energy and vibrance.

Soundstage is not extended, giving a more intimate space which I would equate to being in a studio with the artists rather than a stage.

Conclusion

The Kinera Freya 2 is an interesting IEM in that its ability to present a sumptuous and lush musical experience that will keep you listening and coming back for more. It’s not for the analytical listener and it won’t trouble treble sensitive ears. It’s a refined and polished experience that is all about the music.

Summary
To summarize the review “Freya 2.0” is a 270$ hybrid iem from Kinera. This is the sequel to the previous Freya, housing 1DD+ 3BA (Knowles). In terms of build, esthetics and ergonomics, this is built well, looks very gorgeous and fits amazing. Comes with high quality accessories. Talking about sound this has a V shape sound signature/ kinera house sound. Bass and mids is solid but the treble performance is ok, this follows a warm and chill tonality through out. This is very much on the musical side rather than analytical, more suitable towards pop, hiphop genres. Moving on to technicalities, its ok, this did not impress/ disappoint me in any way. To conclude, if you are looking for a good all rounder set with such tonality, this is a good option.



Sound signature: V shape, it has the kinera house sound.

Disclaimer: this unit was borrowed from a friend for this review, thus this review is unbiased and my honest opinion. Thanks to the unnamed friend for lending me this set.

Overview
Kinera Freya 2.0 is a 270$ hybrid iem with a 7mm DD + 3 Knowles BA drivers. It has impedence of 20ohms and sensitivity of 105db.
Talking about Kinera they are one of the most famous audio brands in the ChiFi audio space. They have iems starting from the ultra budget to ultra highend price range. The Freya 2.0 is their sequel to the OG Freya, as the name might suggest. I have owned and tried several Kinera iems in my audio journey, Norn being one of the most notable ones. Getting back to the Freya 2.0, I must say this is amazing.

Packaging/ Box Contents
Unfortunately I do not have the box for this, so I do not have any pictures. This cones with:
Iems itself
Cable with interchangeable terminations
3sets of eartips: 5pair of (full set) Final E eartips, 3pair of vocal eartips, 3pair od balanced eartips
Carrying Case, looks gorgeous
Papers



Build and Design
Let’s get into the Freya 2.0’s build, its quite good price considered. The shells are made of high quality 3d printed resin, with a gradient transparent design. The drivers inside are clearly visible. The faceplate design is immaculate, the shades of blue and silver with glitter create a mesmerizing combination. This is surely one of the best looking in this price. The shells are light weight and are average to small sized. This has the classic semi custom iem shape. Fingerprints or scratches were not an issue in my experience. The 2 pin connector is flush type. The nozzle width is normal and the nozzle length/ insertion is fairly deep. Score: 5/5

Fit and Comfort
Moving on to the fit and comfort section, it is solid. The light weight and small shells sit snug and comfortably in my regular sized ears. They sit flush and stable. Breathability is ok. It is quite comfortable for longr listening sessions. Score: 5/5



Cable
Continuing in the blue and silver aesthetic the cable provides a pleasent visual experience. Kinera makes great cables and this is no exception, in terms of quality is quite nice. This comes with a 4 core alloy copper cable. This uses a 0.78mm 2pin connector and modular terminations. Connectors and the Y split are made of metal and seem ok. There is no audible microphonics. Cable memory is basic, but a bit more softer cable would have been nice. The preformed earhooks are ok, they blend in with the color of the cable and did not cause any skin irritation. Cable weight and thickness is standard. In terms of looks this goes nicely with the color of the iems.

Tested With
Source: Cayin Ru7, Questyle M15, Fiio btr5, ifi hip dac 2, apple type C dongle.
Eartips: Spinfit W1 (best paring), Final E (2nd best paring), Spintfit cp145, Divinus velvet
Cable: Stock, Kinera Leyding
Music: Tested with versatile genre of music



Sound tonality
Bass
Let’s talk about Freya 2’s bass performance, spoiler: its good, it mantains a satisfactory balance between quality and quantity.
Its bass is handled by 7mm single dynamic driver (1DD). This has that classic dynamic punch, which I personally really like, due to the dynamic driver. Sub bass is a bit more extended compared to the mid bass. Sub bass hit has good body and rumble. Although mid bass is not as forward as sub bass, it does not lack in authority. This has that good physicality factor. A bit more mid bass extension would have been great in my opinion, because lets say in more acoustic tracks mid bass may seem a bit overshadowed by the sub bass. Bass speed is on the faster side. Bass note separation is good and bass texture is decent. This provides a fun/ musical experience without hampering other frequencies. Score: 4/5

Mids
Coming to the mids, its handled by Knowles BA drivers. To summarize the mids performance its natural with a touch of warmth.
Warmth of the bass is carried over the mids. As a whole its natural, lush and there is an upper mid extension giving a bit of energy on top. Bass bleed was present but rather insignificant. Vocals un general is lush specially male vocals. Females vocals are more energetic and crisp. Talking about the instruments, it is slightly pushed back from linear, but still retains decent level of detail. Freya 2.0’s mids has a “dreamy” characteristic. For me the mids is good but I like a more airy and forward midrange. Score: 4/5

Highs
Going over to the treble section of the Freya 2.0 it is musical, chill, fairly detailed.
Treble performance of the Freya 2 is good but nothing impressive.This is more on the softer and laid back side. In terms of detail, its ok, this focuses on macro detail over micro detail. There is lack of air. Level of energy is ok. I did not find any sibilance or harshness in my testing. Lacks in accuracy. Honestly I expected better, Freya 2’s treble quality is not up to the mark considering the price. Score: 3/5

technicalities
Soundstage was intimate, lacked depth
Imaging is average
Dynamics is good enough
Sound separation is average
Resolution is ok



Conclusion
To conclude this is a fantastic all rounder set. This has good build, looks amazing, solid fit/ comfort, decent accessories and overall decent sound. This is a "Jack of all trades, master of none". If you are looking for a well rounded package with such sound, this is a really good option. Props to Kinera.

Here’s my quick disclaimer:
The Kinera Freya 2.0 was sent to me during a review tour organized by Kinera in India. I’d like to express my gratitude to Kinera and thank @SherryLion for including me in this tour. I’m writing this article to share my honest and unbiased opinion of the IEM, based on my usage of Freya 2.0 for about a week. Rest assured, there has been no monetary transaction or influence (or pressure) to write anything positive (or negative) about the IEM.

One can buy the IEM from Kinera’s website via the following link:
https://www.kineraaudio.com/product/kinera-freya-2-0

Introduction:
Kinera Freya 2.0 (or simply KF2 henceforth) is a hybrid IEM with a single 7mm Dynamic Driver (DD) and 3 Knowles Balanced Armature (BA) Drivers. KF2 has an impedance of 20 ohms and a sensitivity of 105 dB/mW, which makes it easy to drive. The IEM comes packaged in a hexagonal box with everything packed quite neatly. There’s a plethora of ear tips neatly arranged in a metal plate that acts as a holder for the ear tips.
Ear tip varieties included in the package:
• 5 sizes of Final Type E tips
• 3 sizes of K-07 balanced tips
• 3 sizes of 221 vocal tips



Strangely though, not all the ear tips get the royal treatment. The final type E ear tips are stuffed in a small pouch inside the storage case. The storage case looks elegant and includes the stock cable apart from the final type E ear tips. The stock cable is a 4-core Litz Braided Copper Alloy Cable with interchangeable terminations. The cable comes fitted with the 3.5mm SE termination plug, while the 4.4mm BAL termination plug is placed separately in the package. Apart from these accessories, Kinera has included a cleaning brush along with some standard documentation and of course the IEMs.



The earpieces are made of resin material and are therefore lightweight. They’re not too large, making them suitable for smaller ears as well. My large ears had no problem accommodating the earpieces, and given the shape and size of the earpieces, I doubt that the fit could be an issue for anyone. In terms of design, Kinera has gone for a classy look with transparent shells that have soft dabs of blue overlayed with some glittery soft color tones. In terms of fit and isolation, the KF2 ensures a comfortable and secure fit with a good seal that blocks out ambient noise. The marketing material speaks a lot about how Freya is associated with a lot of stuff in Norse Mythology like love, beauty, war, and gold. But I’m sorry, I just skipped the whole thing and hence, don’t have much to say about any of that.

Sound Quality:
The KF2 delivers a rich, immersive audio experience. The bass is deep and authoritative making it clear that the KF2 is going for oomph (aka quantity) over nuance (aka quality) when it comes to the lows. The tuning is more mainstream/commercial and emphasizes fun sound. Not that I’m complaining.



But if you’re someone who prefers their bass to be tight and well-textured, then perhaps KF2 may not live up to your expectations. The good thing, however, is that there is no bass bleed, nor does the bass sound muddy or distorted.
The midrange is smooth, allowing vocals to shine with remarkable clarity and detail. The KF2 handles vocals like a champ, delivering the emotion and nuances with perfection.



While some may find the upper mids to be a tad bit screechy, I was able to tame it with tip rolling. The tips that seemed to work best for me were the following:
• AZLA SednaEarfit MAX (in silicon)
• Dekoni Mercury (in memory foam)
• SeeAudio x Zeos Render (although termed as memory foam, IMO they're hybrid ear tips)

The highs are crisp and moderately extended. There is sufficient air with the treble being non fatiguing for the most part.
The soundstage on the KF2 is somewhat intimate with good separation. Nothing extraordinary but pretty much in line with what one would expect from an IEM in this price range. Layering could have been better as the IEMs do seem to show their limitations while handling complex arrangements.


Conclusion:
Kinera has gone for safe tuning with the KF2 that would appeal to most of the mainstream consumers/audiophiles. The IEMs are lightweight, comfortable, and classy looking. The KF2 is a good candidate for longer listening sessions thanks to the comfort and non-fatiguing tuning. If you’re into mid-focused genres like Pop and Bollywood music, then KF2 could be a worthy contender for your next IEM.



However, if you’re an analytical listener, the KF2 may not live up to your expectations.

NOTES:

The Kinera Freya 2 is the 2nd iteration of the well-known Freya. The hybrid driver compliment included a single 7mm dynamic driver and three Knowles balanced armatures per side.

Tech aside the Freya2 has to me one of the more attractive sets I have seen. Looks can only get you so far though, in fact not very far as here it’s all about the sound.

The sound signature of the Freya2 is balanced with a slight bass emphasis. I’ll just put this out there now. The Freya2 is more suited for casual listening or chillaxing as opposed to critical listening. It has a presentation that will not offend and generally offers lush mid forward sonics.

The Freya2 is also easy to drive but can be source dependant. I found a more neutral source worked best, but a warmer source also did well.

Read on to find how the Kinera Freya 2 performed.

SPECS:

7mm DD + 3 Knowles BA
Impedance: 20 ohm
Sensitivity: 105 dB
Frequency Response: 20Hz-50kHz
Alloy Copper Cable
Plug with 3.5mm and 4.4mm
Final Type E eartips x 5 ( SS/S/M/L/LL )
K-07 balanced eartips x 3 ( S/M/L )
221 vocal eartips x 3 ( S/M/L )



BUILD, FIT & QUALITY:

The Freya2 is a beautiful looking iem. Build quality follows suit as well. The transparent shells are adorned with an elegant blue and silver faceplate that exudes class.

The iem I had for this review is a loaner so it did not come with the retail box and accessories. A quick google search showed that much like other Kinera releases, the Freya2 has a retail presentation befitting its asking price. The quality of the included accessories is also of a high standard.







SOUND:

BASS:

The Freya2 has bass that goes deep and favors weight over slam and impact. Sub-bass is more of a focus than mid-bass here. Delivered by a driver that measures just 7mm, the bass can be quite impressive at times. This was heard in “Stella” by A Guy Called Gerald. The thickness of the bass notes was notable. This was heard again on “Angel” by Massive Attack with its weighty nature clearly heard.

The bass though can also be heard as sacrificing smoothness for detail and texturing. On “Circumstance” by Wayman Tisdale for example, the bass is distinct yet lacked the detail and separation recently heard in a few other sets. Still the bass follows the overall “Lush” presentation offered by the Freya2.


MIDRANGE:

The Midrange is the Freya2’s bread and butter. It is a midrange that is more lush than smooth with elevated upper mids. The Freya2 is not a detail monster but offers sonics that do favor macro over micro details.

Vocals, both male and female, are slightly recessed with good clarity. One thing I noticed is how the Freya2 is less forgiving on tracks with questionable recording quality. On “Sweet Love” by Anita Baker, some mild hardness was noted. This may be a function of a touch of BA timbre creeping in but nevertheless it was heard. Instrument separation was also not class leading but the midrange does not sound claustrophobic by any means, just not as open as some recent sets in this price range.

On quality recordings the true lush nature of the Freya2 was more apparent. “He’s a carioca” by Eden Atwood highlighted the Freya2’s mellow nature sounding clean yet somewhat reserved. There was no hardness nor harshness noted and this really reinforced the need to feed the Freya2 with quality recordings to get the best sound it can deliver. On quality recordings the Freya2 opened up quite a bit and seemed to breathe much easier.

Timbre is a mixed bag and at times a hint of BA timbre was present combined with a hint of compression. Of course this was more easily heard on tracks with acoustic instruments such as The Robert Glaspers Trios’ track “No Worries”. Transients were reproduced well with a sharp attack and organic falloff.

TREBLE:

The treble of the Kinera Freya2 is moderately extended with a definite falloff up top. Treble is tuned to be safer and was missing a measure of air and sparkle as compared to the class leaders. Details also definitely leaned towards macro over micro.

Treble refinement also falls behind and this is heard on the cymbal work in “No Worries” by the Robert Glasper Trio. The intensity was there but lacked a clean delivery, even sounding splashy at times with a hint of BA timbre. On less treble demanding tracks such as “Change Your Mind” by Moonchild, the lush delivery heard in the rest of the frequency range was evident.



IMAGING & SOUNDSTAGE:

The Kinera Freya2 throws up a more intimate than expansive sound stage. Width and height take the lead over depth with instrument placement being stable.



CONCLUSION:

The Kinera Freya2 is an interesting beast in that while not class leading in any aspect when critical listening, still satisfies when a casual listening session is the goal.

There is a line being drawn between those sets that excel when critical listening and those that just do better when listening to music. The Freya2 falls in the latter category.

KINERA Freya 2.0 REVIEW​

Introduction: -

Freya 2.0 is a hybrid In-ear monitor from the popular IEM brand from China, Kinera. The same brand produces some of the class-leading and popular IEMs such as Imperial Loki, Baldr, Nanna and so on. They have their sister brands operating in the same market Celest Audio and QOA (Queen of Audio). Freya 2.0 consists of three Balanced armature drivers and one dynamic driver. Three Knowles BA for highs and Mids frequency and One 7mm dynamic driver for handling low frequencies. Kinera Freya 2.0 comes with a 2-pin Copper Alloy cable and can be terminated as per your needs as it’s modular to 3.5mm and 4.4mm. The item consists of three variants of silicone ear tips, two sets from Kinera, and another set from Final Audio and its fan favourite Type-E. For our review, we would be using the Final Audio Type-E tips as we believe it sounds best with them. Kinera Freya 2.0 retails for 269 US$.



Specifications: -

• Driver Configuration: 1 Dynamic Driver + 3 Balanced Armature (Knowles)
• Impedance: 20Ω ± 10%
• Freq Response: 20Hz-50Khz
• Sensitivity: 105dB/mW
• Cable: Copper Alloy Cable
• Plug: Modular with 3.5mm and 4.4mm

Disclaimer: -

The review tour for Kinera Freya 2.0 was arranged by Kinera and @SherryLion in India. We are thankful to them for the opportunity. However, the review reflects our honest opinion.

Packaging & Accessories: -

The Freya 2.0 comes in a beautiful large box, inside of it we have the IEM carry case consisting of the cable, the IEMs, the Sets of Tips in a metal frame, a 4.4mm Plug and a cleaning brush. It comes with a Copper Alloy modular cable. Lastly, it comes with the Final Audio Type-E silicone ear tips which can be found inside the carry case also.





IEM Build & Design: -

The Freya 2.0 comes in a transparent resin shell with a beautiful faceplate with blue, cyan, and silver accents. It employs varying shades of colour overlay, creating a play of light and shadow that gives it a unique artistic ambience and an exquisite appearance. The inside of the IEMs is fully visible. The design is ergonomic, and we found no problem using it for longer sessions. The balanced armature drivers are placed directly on the nozzle and the dynamic driver is placed behind and it is connected to the nozzle with a longer tube.




Sound Analysis: -

Credits: @Soundcheck39

• Tonality: - This is our first encounter with the brand Kinera. The sound of Freya 2.0 is Flat and unexciting from lows to highs. The bass doesn’t split to the mids. Highs are not that airy, and lack of brilliance is very much observed. The overall tonality is improved with warm sources.

• Lows: - Kinera Freya 2.0 has a 7mm dynamic driver for handling bass. The bass takes a lead in quantity rather than quality. The mid-bass is lacking texture here. For testing bass, we made use of Nakshatram by Jean du Voyage’s offline FLAC file and the Weekend’s Wasted Times. The single 7mm dd is used as it results in faster takeoff along but the balance is not there. The bass doesn’t hit hard. Where the sub-bass is better comparatively and fun. The transient response is seen in the dynamic driver.

• Mids: - Mids are one of the shining aspects of Freya 2.0. The Kinera Freya 2.0 makes use of Knowles BA for the mids. The Knowles are a popular brand for BA manufacturing. We are happy to see that the BA is not showing its typical timbre. For testing mids, we’ve listened to “Thriller” by Michael Jackson and Skyfall by Adele through Apple Music. For the first try, we really thought of a recessed mids but things got clear with different sources. We can say the female vocals sound very good, full-bodied, and definitely better than male vocals. The gentle brightness in the upper mids resulting this.

• Highs: - The highs are not airy, rather dry in Kinera Freya 2.0. The treble is not clean. While listening to “In Your Eyes” from the Weekend the saxophone doesn’t really shine which should be due to the lack of upper treble. It lacks brilliance and is sometimes dull. However, things were improved when the IEMs paired with sources like Dethonray DTR1+. The cymbals have the right sparkle, and bright and glistening sound with it.

• Soundstage & Imaging: - The soundstage of the Kinera Freya 2.0 is intimate. The soundstage is decently wide but not so deep. Micro details are not so nicely pronounced. The layering is not at all good. Instruments have no air and clean space between them. Freya 2’s detail retrieval capacity is average and not the best in its price category. The imaging is just average at best. When listening to Yosi Horikawa’s “Swashers” the congestion is too much.

• Synergy: - After trying it with different sources (Astell and Kern SP1000m, Dethonray DTR1+, Pegasus SG1 Gold, Aune M1p, Aune Yuki and iFi Hip DAC 3) sometimes it works well with warm Musical sources, sometimes with Analytical. With neutral sources like Aune M1p, it doesn’t show emotions in vocals which is a fairly strong area of this IEM. At Aural Café we strongly believe in source matching and here we overall recommend using warm sources with Freya 2.0.

Conclusion: -

The thing we liked about Selective Sources+ Freya 2.0 is its vocal performance. It is a strong point for this IEM. With good powerful sources like Dethonray Pegasus SG1 Gold, the dynamic driver powers up hence the overall presentation looks a lot better and smoother. The build quality of the IEMs is also splendid. The thing which we didn’t like is its lack of dynamics, limited technicality, and subpar layering. So, we would end this review by saying that if you love genre-specific (In this case, vocal-heavy) music it could be a choice. But in the ever-evolving market and too much competition in the specific price range it is hard to survive for this IEM.

Non-Affiliated Link: -
- https://www.kineraaudio.com/product/kinera-freya-2-0
- https://www.linsoul.com/products/kinera-freya-2-0
- https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-freya-2-0

Review Of The Kinera Freya 2.0​

Introduction​

I've just recently tested products from Kinera or its subsidiary brand Celest, which I find to be the most satisfactory.It reminds me of Kinera, yet I firmly think that sincere effort pays off when one works hard.This Chinese firm has a large fan base of audiophiles who enjoy their products, whether they are their exquisite cables or their exquisite IEMs, which, although they may not seem useful, are actually quite useful.Already, their IDUN 2.0, Nannas, and Nannas 2.1 have satisfied me. Once more, I had the honor of reviewing their most recent product, the Kinera Freya 2.0, a distinctive update to the stunning IEM Freya. But first, I'd want to make certain disclosures before we move forward.

Disclaimer​

*Since this unit was sent by the kindful people at Kinera, 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, visit 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 “Freya.”
*I am using different Ear-tips for convenience and better versatility.
*Finally, I will only evaluate the Freya based on their performance, even though I will explain how it feels and seems physically and aesthetically.

Specification​

Three balanced armatures plus a dynamic driver make up the multi-driver arrangement housed in the Freya. The three balanced armature drivers are Knowles balanced armatures, and the dynamic driver in use is a 7mm tailored driver. As previously mentioned, the shells have an incredibly beautiful appearance. The transparent body of the shell is complemented by a faceplate that has a cool, collected blue hue with glittery patches to add even more sparkle. The shells feel incredibly light and small in the hands, making them among my most comfortable recent purchases. No weariness or uneasiness is felt after listening to it for extended periods of time, indicating that the isolation is good and the fit and comfort are ideal. The 16 core/7 strand gold plated copper Litz cable that is included with the IEMs includes an interchangeable 3.5mm and 4.4mm connector on one end and a two pin connection on the other. Five pairs of final type e eartips, three pairs of K-07 balanced eartips, three pairs of 221 voice eartips, a cleaning tool, and a matching travel box are among the other accessories included in the set. Regarding the technical details, the sensitivity is 105dB and the impedance is 20 Ohms. The range of the frequency response is 20 Hz–20 kHz.

Sound​

The Freya's sound is a genuine V-shape tuning that mimics the Kinera's house sound. This tuning is done with consideration for the lower treble, a highly revealing upper mid range, and a well-controlled and clear bass. It's one of the greatest quality assurances I've heard of for this price range; it's straightforward, well-detailed, and entertaining. It's not like the king in any price range, and it doesn't seem like it wants to be, but I think Kinera is catering to those who enjoy a V-shaped sound and their fans, who are their devotees. The freya partially fits my preference as an audiophile who likes a neutral sound with a sub bass boost sound signature, which is why I find them to be interesting, illuminating, and fun to listen to. IEMs in this price range that I have tested include Quintet, Yvain, Flacon Pro, and many more, and I can tell that this one has a distinct sound than those. Either the midrange or the treble sounds better in some situations. Thus, let us ascertain in further depth.

Treble​

Yes, the upper extension is not what one may expect from an IEM, which is more air and presence in the mix, but I think the lower treble brings out a good level of details which provides for a clear presentation and a sense of clarity in the mix. I know that many people may not look at it the same way that I do, but I think this tuning makes the sound more spicy and engaging.Above 11–12k, when all the chimes and high octave sounds reverberate and create a vast sound, the energy is a little darker, but Freya gives the notes a more forceful quality to bring out every little aspect of the music.Therefore, without going overboard, let me add say that it's not like the extension or air are missing. Because the voices and instruments are mixed so forwardly and energetically, I find the lower treble to be both thrilling and captivating. Sharp and detailed notes in the voice highlight a light exposure, and the instruments stand out in the mix and enhance the vocal performance. The notes' colorful qualities make for an engaging encounter. As a result, the treble region's overall presentation is lively, captivating, and forceful.

Mid Range​

Since I find the notes to have nice weight and the tones to be genuinely good and revealing, I find the mid range to be virtually perfect for my tastes. This section, which sounds bright and energizing, conveys both the amount and quality of notes. It closes in a forward-leaning manner toward the main stage. The expressive nature of the tuning, which causes you to shake your head in response to the sound, feels refreshing, even though it makes you yearn for the days when IEMs had a more V-shaped sound rather than a balanced or neutral tone that followed target responses. With a greater emphasis on the weight and depth of the notes, the upper mid range has the same vitality as the lower treble and offers the same tonal qualities. This section's voices and instrumentation fill your perception with details and push them forward considerably more. On the other hand, the lower mid range looks muffled, which sometimes makes the notes in the upper frequencies seem sibilant, especially the female vocal notes. This is especially noticeable on bright songs when the instrument also becomes heard in addition to the vocals.The overall sound is more hollow, and the instruments don't sound very presentable. Although the presentation is unaffected, additional meat in the lower mid range would have made the tonal body seem more authentic and natural. When listening to bright music, the mid range region's overall mix presentation sounds upfront, detailed, and clear, but it may also be a little stinging.

Bass​

When it comes to the bass, it works you up, draws your attention to the lower frequencies, and enhances your enjoyment of the music by pumping you with powerful thumps and punches. In my opinion, the bass is really well-done as it produces powerful deep notes while keeping the mid- and sub-basses sufficiently high for control. The punches have a forceful presentation that resolves fast, and the mid bass is similarly sharp. The focus is in the sub bass zone, which reaches deep enough to cause rumbling in the ear canals. Speaking about the mid bass, it has adequate presence to provide explosive booms and thumps, enabling a more realistic and natural approach in the mix. The notes have high quality as well; they sound textured and resolve swiftly. Because of the reduced lower mid range, the presence of this bass response doesn't affect the upper frequencies or throw off the entire response; the mid bass doesn't seep into the lower mid range. Overall, the bass area is presented in a powerful, pounding, yet controlled manner.

Technical Performance​

It's either the best or the worst, but to be honest, I think its technical abilities are mediocre because the sound is neither excellent nor terrible, as far as I'm concerned. The soundstage appears to be kind of big, yet the image is among the best available, etc. When I contrast it with other sets, such as Performer 5 or Quintet, I see that each one has varying degrees of technical proficiency, with one being strong in certain areas and the other strong in others. Let's talk about this in greater depth.

Soundstage, Sound Imaging & Separation​

The soundstage is average, with more of the stage to the left and right than in front, and I don't think there is enough depth. Compared to other IEMs in this price range, the surrounding environment feels closer. The notes sound more vivid, while the imaging is crisp and clear around the Yvain's caliber. The separation and soundstage are similar in that I was able to identify the source of the sound even if the notes are far apart and not very unique.

Speed & Resolution​

The attack and decay of the notes are well-paced, and the resolution is outstanding. The details are excellent, with both macro and micro aspects being expressive and illuminating.

Sound Impressions ​

Sources​

Sony WM1A - The first thing I noticed when listening to the WM1A was that the white noise was audible, like I was listening to a record. As I turned up the level, I also heard a ticking sound at each bar. Perhaps this is a problem specific to my device, as I didn't experience this when using the V6. Even yet, the similar sound did aid in the tuning, giving it a more relaxed and fluid tone. In the same way that the instruments brought forth more tonally rich notes, the vocals seemed less forceful or lean. There was not the occasional perceptible sibilance. For someone like myself who favors a neutral with sub bass boost tuning like the Freya, the bass sounded powerful, and the entire presentation added a sense of air in the mix. I adore how well it pairs with my WM1A.

Tempotec V6 - When paired with the V6, the freya's vitality reverberates with it, enhancing the mix's clarity and transcperancy. The sound becomes crisper and clearer, resulting in a more expressive presentation. The vocals seem more open and free of clustering as the mid range is more noticeable than the bass, which also aids in the separation. The punchiness of the bass is heavier than the thumps and is more controlled. The craftsmanship is reassuring to me when combined with the V6.

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​

In conclusion, I believe that the Kinera Freya 2.0 is a fitting replacement for the original Freya, bringing with it the colors and pride of the Kinera house. Its captivating tuning and artistic execution make it an extremely promising device. While not providing a great deal of detail, the Freya 2.0 creates a V-shaped sound where the lower treble and upper mid range sounds exciting and the bass thumping feeds you fun and adrenaline, making it an enjoyable experience. If you prefer such an exhilarating sound, I would definitely recommend this IEM. It's an experience that shouldn't be forgotten.

TONALITY: 7.8/10
TECHNICALITIES: 7.5/10
TIMBRE: 8.2/10
SOUNDSTAGE: 7.5/10
IMAGING: 7/10
CONSTRUCTION: 9/10
ACCESSORIES: 9/10
SOUND VALUE: 7/10

INTRO

Kinera don't need lenghty presentation, it's an IEM company from China that has been around for about 10 years.
They specialize in hybrid IEM of all price range but what demark them for other IEM company is the great care to IEM design which are hand painted and very artsy.
Today I will review the Kinera Freya 2.0 which is suppose to be an upgrade in term of tonal balance compared to older Freya.

Priced 269$, the Freya is a hybrid IEM using 1x7mm dynamic driver for lows and 3BAs for mids and highs (knowles and custom).

Let see in this review if the Freya 2.0 is not just good looking but good sounding too.


CONSTRUCTION&ACCESSORIES



The construction is all made of high grade resin plastic that is thick and feel ultra sturdy. The design is very beautifull and hand painted mean each pair are unique. Sure, the glossy sparkly decorative pattern doesn't exactly match my virility but i have nothing against magnifiing my feminin side either.

The housing is transparent too, so you can admire internal as well as confirm the drivers are indeed tubed properly.

The nozzle is rather big and not very long so it's not adequate fo deep fit, as seen their 4 holes so be aware to not block any of them with too small ear tips nozzle like the one included from Final audio (strange choice).

2pin connector aren't recessed so it mean its versatile for alot of 2pin cable yet that you most be cautious to don't bent the 2pin when connecting it and be sure its well allignated with female 2pin.



The included cable is good enough, it's a all copper modular cable with 3.5mm and 4.4mm plug. It warm a bit the sound so it's not the one i use the most with this already warmish IEM.



The packaging is splendid like always with Kinera presentation is of great important and each unboxing experience is unique.
Accessories are generous, apart the cable we have 5 set of Final eartips, 3 set of balanced silicone eartips and 3 set of vocal silicone ear tips.
We have a very beautifull carying case. and a cleaning tool.

All in all, accessories and construction are very good.


SOUND IMPRESSIONS



The tonality of Freya 2 seem aimed for pop and follow a quite common V to U shape ground where we have boosted and warm mid bass, slight sub bass roll off, gently lifted upper mids and bright lean treble that have hint of crunch and texture extra grain but notable roll off and lack of sparkle and air after 10khz.

Yes, we are in bassy punchy warm territory with energic mids and treble that are safe enough to avoid harsh shoutyness but not buttery smooth either.

The bass is all about chunky warm round punch that favor weight and density of impact over wide resonant slam or cleanly balanced well controlled extension. It’s not a bass with big enveloping head room and it’s quite opaque and euphonic in texture.
The sub bass extension is rolled off and compressed, which make the ‘’OOOOOOMPH’’ lack a couple of O in it’s rumble release. Bass line are hit or miss, depending of type of kick used and the fundamental of it’s impact which can mix up and had it’s dynamic push, in this case it will warm and even make muddy bass line, while if in recording sub bass is louder it will overshawod acoustic kick drum.
The double bass can sound a bit boomy in attack, followed by a thin and dry extension.
This is why I feel the Freya are tuned for pop, since it struggle with acoustic recording as well as loudness differentiation of acoustic instrument in live environement.
But their exception, since the bass coloring tonality is beneficial for niche instrument like the cello ,which sound wide and lush in presence, vibrant and quite charming.
It’s more about elasticity and transient speed of bass that it’s lacking, which affect negatively whole technical performance of the Freya.
With R&B, Soul and Rap, the guilty pleasure is rewarding, but in R&B we often have big sub bass line and I don’t find them juicy, dense and tactile enough.
It really feel Freya search it’s own identity in term of bass presentation, hesitate between big sub or mid bass boost and compromise both while magnifying sens of round impact in a lush but imprevisible way. Their more quantity than quality, it’s neither super rumbly or tight hard punchy, it boom in a round warm way and complement the V shape dynamic smoothly, without any awe.

The mid range is gently bright with a hint of lushness and warmth, it’s not thin nor lean, we have good amount of upper mids energy that put forwards female vocal more than male vocal, yet avoid problematic shoutyness or sibilance, but I can’t promise that listener with pinna gain sensitivity do safest bet with the Freya.
It’s not buttery smooth and I sometime encounter suddenly loud peak in soprano female vocal.
A sign it’s not 100% lush is the fact saxophone doesn’t sound very pleasant with the Freya, the presence is brighten and compressed, it doesn’t blossom naturaly in they air and feel shooted by BA in a unilateral way. Timbre is dry and quite boosted in texture too, which doesn’t happen with female vocal nor piano.
The piano sound quite good especially in lower range, but has a warm definition edge so it’s hard to pin point each note in fast passage. Note weight is well felt though, and timbre is dense and pleasant.
The sound layering is good enough to perceive ‘’idea’’ of other instrument but fail to keep it’s readibility and articulation with fast busy track like all jazz-rock albums from Elephant 9 sound hazy and abstract with bass and percussion dominating macro dynamic.
In other words, the mid range doesn’t sound very open nor crisp, do have bass warrm sticked in the background and goes hazier and hazier more you add instrument into it, especially energic instrument.

As for the treble, their not a lot to write about. It’s safely bright and boost texture of high pitch sound and instrument, we have few spike in upper mids and the freqency zone that extract main percussions like the snare and clap are louder and snappier than cymbals.
It’s a bit dry too in timbre, in the sens their no sparkle or brilliance to be found and highs lack natural extension.
Those aren’t thin sounding though, nor trebly or very harsh. We have enough crunchyness for minimal abrasivity in attack lead of violin or electric guitar.
This isn’t cleanest or most refined treble, definition of percussions is a bit euphonic and noisy.
Acoustic guitar feel a bit scooped-damped in string pulling attack snap as well as densify in body and blurred-dryed in release.
Again, the Freya 2 don’t excell with whatever real acoustic instrument I throw at it, I can go on with clavichord and harp but will underline even more lack of brilliance, sparkle and harmony coherency.
Let’s just say those are ‘’master of none, jack of all trade’’ highs and you will not be impress by the resolution it deliver as well as number of micro details it can extract.

Soundstage is rather intimate, wider and taller than deeper and it can go depth-less when bass occur.

Imaging is OK at best when their no bass and it's all instrumental...but center stage instrument like piano will feel more recessed than percussion....so it's not realistic and i would never suggest those for monitoring.


Side Notes:

Even if it's an hybrid, the Kinera 2.0 do need a bit of power to open up since it have rather low sensitivity of 105db and 20ohm of impedance. But it's capricious about amping due to BA sensitivity to impedance gain, so be cautious about that. I would say they need a minimum of 50mW or even 100mW.

Then the ear tips choice is very important, as noted, Final eatips nozzle is to small and will compress and mess up the sound, it will block some hole of the nozzle too. Worst ear tips for this IEM. It seem to had sibilance too. I just don't get the choice of adding these but with small nozzle Final E tips are great so it worth keeping them! Their wider bore that are more adequate included. But i suggest short wide bore or Penon Fan2 blue wide bore ear tips (the one i use the most)



COMPARISONS



VS PENON DOME (1DD+3BAs-350$)

The Dome is warmer, lusher, smoother, more balanced and clean sounding as well as just slightly bassier, with notably greater bass performance.
It’s evident all drivers used are superior here, both in attack control and timbre micro distortion. The 2 sonion BA dealing with mid range deliver lusher and more natural mids, with more realistic and less rough tone and wider better rounded presence of each instrument. Upper mids are more butter and liquid in edge, it melt like honey in the ears and offer way more musical female vocal as well as fuller bodied male vocal.
The DD too is next level compared to Freya, it extend deeper with greater headroom slam free of problematic resonance so sub is thicker as well as kick drum and mid bass more rounded and bodied, attack speed is faster and more controled and layered is cleaner, so the bass is more separate with mids. Freya sound quite boomy and muddy compared to Dome even if it doesn’t rumble as much and offer as fun and muscular impact.
The treble of both these IEM is a bit dark, but again, Dome is more refined and better balanced though it lack air too as well as sparkle we don’t have texture or tone imbalance and the snare isn’t jumpin at you as much. It follow more evenlyn the tuning target it aim, which is notably more versatile.
The soundstage is notably wider and taller but about same depth.
Imaging is a bit cleaner and while resolution is less bright and can feel smoother, transparency is superior and layering separation don’t mix their energy togheter as much, so with some effort the listener can find more instrument positioning than with Freya that will go too messy in busy music.

All in all I think it’s evident whoe the winner is here. Tonality is more natural and balanced as well as smoother and more immersive with Dome and technical performance even if not magnify with treble boost are superior in attack control, macro dynamic rendering, bass extension and sound layering articulation and readibility.

VS HIDIZS MS5 (1DD-4knowles BA-400$)

Ok, it’s evident the MS5 is more technical as well as more bassy.
Tonality is more vivid, bright and W shape.
Bass have thinner and wide slam with more rumble resonance, it’s less muddy and better layered and overall cleaner but less tactile and chunky so even more U shape than warmer U shape of Freya2.
Mids are thinner, shoutier, dryer, brighter and more sibilant with the MS5, it sound more open and airy and it’s better resolve but timbre is plain wrong, while thicker and less spiky in texture with the Freya2.
Treble is notably more extended, snappier, cleaner and airier with MS5, percussions are upfront and more unbalanced but add extra micro details which is higher with MS5 but overall balance is more wonky to out of wack.
Soundstage is wider, taller and deeper with the MS5, bit hall like with recessed front stage while moe intimate and hazy with Freya2.
Imaging while non realistic is crisper and overall clearer for instrument separation, sure the percussions aren’t suppose to be in front of singer but it’s how life goes with MS5!

All in all, tonality is notably better balanced with Freya2 while technical performance is superior with MS5.


CONCLUSION



The Kinera Freya 2.0 are fun and lush sounding hybrid that don't excell at anything but deliver pleasant vocal and have a unique artsy look which Cynthia should be pround of.

It's a bit of a step down from QOA Aviation both in term of tonality and technicalities, which make me a bit dubious to suggest them.

For these, i would say the consumer should be giving lot of credit to the design work to find proper value in it's buy.

Kinera wasn't very inspire for this release I feel, and it's one more to add in overcrownded ChiFi IEM market. But at least it exist like a piece of art you can admire, again, this should be in top priority for this buy. If not, go for QOA Gimlet which certainly offer greater sound value.

Half-recommended!

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PS: I want to thanks Kinera for sending me this review sample. As always, i don't participate to affiliation program, don't have adds sponsors on my site nor favor any companies I collab with. Those are just my subjective audio impressions.

You can order the Kinera Freya 2.0 directly from official store here:
https://www.kineraaudio.com/product/kinera-freya-2-0

Introduction!
Hello friends!
Today we’ll talk about beautiful and good-sounding headphones from the company Kinera, I think most of you are already familiar with it, and this is their new model called Freya 2.0 worth $269.
And they come in one of the best boxes that I have seen in terms of their design, it really looks very cool and it immediately becomes clear that the product in front of us is really worthwhile, on the front part there is a Kinera company logo at the top, and the name of the Freya 2.0 model is also written here, and there is the inscription love and beauty at my command, and yes, this phrase carries a really great meaning and you will find out why later!

Well, at the back, as always, the technical specifications are indicated, and here it is also written what is included in the package, and there is also a QR-code here to verify the authenticity of the product, which is also important, and 3 armature drivers from Knowles and 1 dynamic driver 7mm are responsible for the sound here, and the sensitivity of the headphones is 105dB and they received an impedance of 20ohms.

Let's take a look at what's included!
And the first thing that greets us here is this very large manual!

Here the story is told about the creation and inspiration of Freya 2.0 about the sound setup itself, and here there is also a graph of the frequency response of headphones and cable parameters.



Well, there is also this interesting letter from Cynthia, she is the artist and designer of this model Freya 2.0, and in her eyes these headphones are something more than just a product, Freya is the goddess of love and Scandinavian mythology associated with femininity and spring, so the color of this model was I chose blue to convey all this beauty to you.

Well, this is what the headphones themselves look like and they are made of medical smooth resin, and you can really look at them for a very long time, and they were really very accurately described by Cynthia, they look very beautiful, such a pleasant blue shade complemented by such iridescent shiny particles made to look like gold.

And on the left earphone they have the inscription Kinera and on the right one Freya, and they also got a standard 2-pin connector, and one acoustic hole that is located here, and as you noticed, the inside of the case is transparent so we can see absolutely the entire bunch of drivers, and the nozzle here is quite elongated and has three holes.

Ergonomics and convenience.
Well, with the fit and ergonomics, everything is in order here, they fit perfectly in the ears, very tightly and provide good sound insulation.
Accessories.
Well, as you noticed, friends, there is really a very rich set here, let's start with this good set of ear pads that are fixed in such a convenient organizer, and here next to the right you can find a brush for cleaning the headphones, and an adapter for the cable to a balanced 4.4 connector!

Well, that’s not all, friends, in a beautiful and strong case with the inscription kinera, there is such an excellent and rare set of ear pads final type E with their manual, and there are really ear pads for every taste and color and size, and I think you can choose them without any problems suitable for yourself.

Well, this is what an excellent complete 4-core cable looks like, with 2-pin connectors for connecting to headphones and a removable connector from 3.5 to 4.4 jack, it is fixed very securely, and in general I liked the cable, and there is no point in changing it no, it has conveniently shaped hooks, it practically doesn’t get tangled, and, you see, it looks very good.

How do these headphones sound?
Well, now friends, let’s talk about the most important thing, namely the sound of this model!
And here’s what their frequency response graph looks like and how they are configured in my opinion, it’s quite good and familiar, there is still a sufficient amount of bass with a light and neat entry into the mids and a smooth flow into the upper mids, with very neat highs.

Low Frequencies :
Well, now let’s start with an analysis of their low frequencies, which are felt from the first listen as very solid, deep with good punch in the mid-bass, and smooth decay with moderately transparent textural elaboration, although it is worth saying that the bass in them is delivered quite warmly,and despite this, there are no problems with the transmission of harmonics, distortion in guitars and saturation in bass, there is no such thing that the bass sounds monotonous and homogeneous, on the contrary, I liked that kick is very clearly allocated to attack and is separated from the bass, which they can do and convey not every headphone.
Mid Frequencies :
Well, the mids in these headphones are presented as very smooth and neat, without excessive harshness and brightness in the vocal part, since the bass and upper mids are on par here, and I immediately liked this familiar presentation, which has a good feeling of warmth and good moderate transparency that is, tonally they are warm and even reminded me of the Canon 2 headphones, there is also the same drive and musicality that I liked and remembered there.
But both male and female vocals in Freya 2 sound very rich and well-developed with good resolution and with a sufficiently large amount of air, which definitely had a positive effect on this range and significantly helped to open up the vocal part and instruments so as not to sound dully closed and dark.
And the drums here are neatly emphasized in the mix, they don't come forward and don't try to take too much attention in the music, they're quite neat and neutral, with well-defined transients, and when they hit they don't have any sibilant emphasis that might irritate you.
And of course, the instruments included in this range also sound very full, rich and natural, with excellent well-developed timbres, with fairly high resolution and detail without any reinforcement overtones or problems.
High Frequencies :
Well, at high frequencies, the Kinera Freya 2.0 immediately notices a very neutral, calm and smooth approach to tuning with good moderate detail and with that same warm presentation, slightly softened at the edges, with correct technicality and excellent shine at the cymbals
they don’t take much attention here, but just carefully complement the composition without being too intrusive; they don’t have any harsh or metallic coloring.
And it’s definitely worth saying that you won’t find any resonances in these headphones, since one of the advantages is that they are not very demanding on recording quality and clearly do not go into harsh analytics and transparency, so even in heavy metal or rock music with a lot of dirty instruments overloaded with distortion, these headphones still produce this area very carefully and pleasantly to the ear, not allowing you to pay attention to any recording problems in the composition you are listening to.
Well, it’s also worth noting a fairly good bias in micro and macro details, so all the percussion and different sounds will be like the palm of your hand, and undoubtedly there are very long tails from reverberation effects that do not end very abruptly, on the contrary have a very long continuation.
Stage and stereo panorama :
With the sound stage and stereo panorama, everything is in perfect order here, the scene is formed correctly, and the images are drawn quite clearly and in detail, there are no problems with their localization, and the depth is at a good, vigorous level in terms of elaboration.
My conclusion on these headphones :
Kinera freya 2.0 turned out to be very beautiful headphones with a rich set of components, and no less beautiful sound with a very warm, neat, pleasant presentation that you will definitely remember for a long time.
Link where you can buy them!
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006175898822.html
Kinera Official Website: https://www.kineraaudio.com/product/kinera-freya-2-0
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