Kinera Idun Golden

Technical Specifications:
Kinera 7mm Titanium Plated Dome PU + 1 Knowles BA + 1 Kinera Customize BA
Impedance: 32 Ohms.
Sensitivity: 112+/- 2 dB.
Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-20kHz.
8 Cores OFC+ OFC with Silver Plated Modular Cable
Plug with 3.5mm , 4.4mm and 6.35mm

Package Contents:
One pair of Kinera Idun Golden ( Idun 2.0 ) in-ear monitors.
One 8 cores OFC+ OFC with silver plated modular cable.
Modular Adapter 4.4mm & 3.5mm
Seven pairs ( K-07 & K-285-02 ) of Kinera Custom ear tips.
Two pairs of Foam tips.
PU Cae with inner velvet protection.
3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter.
User Manual

Looking at the package you can tell this is a premium product.
Inside is a large number of accessories making the unboxing much more exciting.
I personally love the look and fit of these, and the cable is one of the best modular stock cables I've used.

Sound:
The IDUN Golden 2.0
The Bass is tight and fast with great control, it has presence but is far from emphasized.
Mids are well placed and have a nice warmish and organic tone. There are fine details and vocals sound rich and inviting.
Treble has excellent details and is open with a very good extension. There is both micro details and separation but just a little air.
Soundstage is slightly above average but not by much, it does have good accuracy and separation.

Conclusion:
The Kinera IDUN Golden is a well-tuned and beautiful IEM with its own unique charms, strengths and weaknesses.

Kinera golden IDUN 2.0



Kinera golden IDUN 2.0



Prelude:



Kinera golden IDUN 2.0 headphones are a continuation of the great model, which was the first generation IDUNY. This time, however, practically everything has been changed, leaving only a sketch of the predecessor's concept. A new molding was used, the design and fittings inside were changed. Next, the two-way hybrid concept with three transducers has been left, where we have 1x7mm dynamic and 2x balanced armatures, one is custom and the other is original Knowles. The packaging itself has also been changed, giving it a slightly more "mystical charm".

Unboxing:

Unpacking is a real pleasure, the headphones themselves look phenomenal and are made of hand-painted resin. Even the smallest detail was taken care of by adding an excellent quality 8-core spc cable with interchangeable plugs. We have a 4.4mm tip and a classic 3.5mm tip at our disposal, plus a great quality 6.5mm adapter. From my point of view, the common 2.5mm plug is still missing. However, the addition of two sets of vocal and balanced tips and two pairs of foams makes up for it all, and the icing on the cake is the brilliant and well-designed case. All this for $169! I think a lot of companies should learn from kinera when it comes to kit content.

Sound:

Bass: Compared to its predecessor, it is much more refined, more mature and definitely more vivid, it has more sub-bass and is a denser, less skeletal image than its predecessor. Here we have a full and smooth picture of perceptible strong sound. This allows you to literally immerse yourself and relax with music. I like the natural and pleasant accent in the lower registers.

Midrange: The mids are shown in a phenomenal and charming way, they are mesmerizing and the midrange is direct, dense and strong. It's a direct presentation where everything sounds smooth and clear. Separation and aeration have not been forgotten, which gives an excellent spatial presentation.

Treble: Here the focus is on softening and safe tuning, the whole is smooth, but vivid. Full of details, nuances and can delight. This is a safe and very universal tuning. It's obvious someone has been working on it for a long time.



Stage:

The stage in IDUNACH 2.0 is delightful, wide and with excellent depth, which makes them truly versatile headphones.

Summary:

Kinera golden IDUN 2.0 is a completely new quality and a new deal. The design of the well-received headphones has been completely improved and redesigned. A number of significant and significant improvements have been applied, and the headphones themselves not only look amazing, but also sound great, in a light, pleasant and unobtrusive way. At the same time it can be heard that this is a mature and well-thought-out tuning. Therefore, for its price of 169 USD, I consider this model to be excellent and actually they do not have any major disadvantages for me. Considering the excellent insulation and great fit, I can recommend them to anyone who is looking for a universal and pleasant tuning.

Idun, Idunn or Idunna is a Norse Goddess which is correlated with the golden apples that grants immortality to other gods and goddesses. She is a goddess of juvenescence among those who venerated her who were seeking eternal youth. Her tale revolves around her abduction by Thjazi due to the machinations and schemes by Loki that affects the youthfulness of most pantheons in Asgard. (I'm familiar with Norse Mythology, History of Scandinavia and Viking sagas)

It seems that Kinera somehow fixated on Norse mythology with their products as their naming convention on their model items are based on the deities of Norse mythos. I'm actually familiar with the Kinera brand since 2018 and I've tested their Kinera Seed before and my initial impression on it is very unpleasant and leaves me with a cranky face.

After four years of being active on the audio enthusiasts community scene, I have this new set from Kinera due to the insistence of a fellow reviewer and one of my closest mate in the audio community to at least try it out and I finally obliged on his request. (thanks Edz a.k.a. @RemedyMusic )



Kinera Idun/Idunn Golden is a variant of the Kinera Idun which was released in 2018. The difference of these variants appears to be on the implementation of drivers which Idun Golden has upgraded balanced armature drivers, one of them is a Knowles BA driver. Because of the included premium Knowles BA, Idun Golden is almost twice the price of the original Idun.



The transducers implemented on Kinera Idun Golden are two (2) balanced armature drivers and single 7mm titanium-plated with polyurethane diaphragm dynamic driver for bass. Regarding these balanced armatures, the Knowles BA driver that I have mentioned before was implemented in this item is a Knowles RAF-32873 which is a full-range frequency BA and it handles the midrange and a customised Kinera BA (probably a custom Bellsing) for treble range.

We are aware that Kinera products are one of the best lookers out there with their eye-pleasing aesthetic design on its shells and Idun Golden is no different. It shell chassis that encloses the transducers is made of medical-grade resin and it is so light that it really rests well in my lug holes. Its aesthetic design on its faceplate reminds me of a Norse world tree called Yggdrasill. Good thing that Kinera still implemented a 2-pin connector which is more logical and proven to be more durable than other types of connector.



Wearing the Kinera Idun Golden is a pleasurable experience on how it sits well to my concha along with a good passive isolation through insertion to my lug holes from external noise. Certainly that this is one of the UIEM shells that I've encountered that really fit snugly without any hint of discomfort or stress.

Another thing to heed upon Kinera Idun Golden is how they presented their product in a very presentable and orderly manner. The packaging box is of a hexagon shape which also corresponds with some archeological findings of metal works such as brooches and rings in Norse culture in Scandinavia.

Here are the inclusions inside of the packaging box:

● Kinera Idun Golden IEM.
● A cream coloured zippered IEM case.
● 2 pairs of memory foam ear tips.
● 7 pairs of silicone ear tips of different standard sizes.
● 4.4mm termination plug.
● 6.35mm adapter plug.
● A hexagonal-shaped paperwork.
● A Kinera Ace modular cable.



Speaking of Kinera Ace modular, it is an 8-core, 4N OFC silver plated cable. Due to its modular design, you can replace and plug it with another termination plug like 4.4mm balanced beside its 3.5mm TRS termination plug. I was really impressed by its design and you will really feel it with its high quality build on it.

As for driveability, Kinera Idun Golden can be powered with decent power output sources from multimedia devices such smartphones, laptops and tablets. But if you want the best sound experience for this set, feed it with better device sources with quality Hi-fi DACs/amps and it really defines the dynamic and full potential of sound quality of Idun Golden.



Regarding its tonality, Kinera Idun Golden is of a reference-neutral sound signature, it is a type of neutrality which has a more prominent midrange and treble with just a sufficient elevation on the bass region to give a more balanced sound in overall frequency range spectrum. This is actually one of my preferred sound signatures.

Here's my observation of sound characteristics of each frequency range section.

LOWS/BASS:

Due to its reference-neutral sound signature, The bass quality of Kinera Idun Golden is precise, articulate and well-regulated. It gives a really clean and tight bass response that a reference-neutral should sound like.

Sub bass is somehow agreeable that I discerningly hear those reverberations and rumble with a gradual ebbing towards its depth. I can assuredly share my observation on this one due the fact that I listen to some of my favourite synth-pop tracks with sub bass driven instruments like synthesizers, electric drums and some bass guitars.

Midbass is adequately textured that it gives an ample body on bass guitars, bass kicks and bass-baritones vocals. It gives a resonant and enough broad sound of bass guitars, a rumbling and sonorous sound of bass kicks (I'm actually enjoying to listen those detailed bass kicks on Skas and 2-tones tracks here), and lastly, an ample depth and sustaining vocal clarity on bass-baritone which has an enough note weight on them.

Due to a clean bass response, other part frequency ranges have defined its own segmented characteristics and clean delivery that not a hint on bass spillover was detected.

MIDRANGE:

This is absolutely the strength of Idun Golden, its clean, neutral, translucent and detailed with a sufficient amount of texture and warmth to make all instruments and vocals sound very organic and life-like.

If you are already a reader of my previous review articles, Midcentric tuning is one of my preferred tuning and I want vocals and instruments to be presented forward in the sonic canvas and good thing that Idun Golden delivers it. Both male and female vocals work pretty well as it has a dense note weight, a fair reasonable power on male vocals to have that gruff and gravelly to give authoritative delivery in all vocal types and registry especially on tenors and falsettos. Female vocals sound very open and energetic, brimming with details that all I can speak about is that it has a very euphonic, luscious and soothing sound. It really mesmerises my vocal-centric senses after all. Soprano singers indeed have an angelic-like and very provocative articulation.

Instruments on this set sounds especially the strings and woodwinds very natural that some listeners who were used to attuned on sharper and edgy definition as a bit obtuse on their liking. Guitars have a sufficient crisp, good presence and well-defined overtones as its specific tuning of some guitar-laden tracks ( I listened to some Jimmy Hendrix, Jimmy Page of Led Zep, Paul Gilbert of Mr. Big fame and Malmsteen tracks), a vibrant and lively sound of a violin, a velvety sound of saxophone and brilliant to shrill sound of a flute. Percussives also exhibit an organic and well-heeded sound that gives a marked sound of a snare drum to be sharp and cracking, tom drum sounds sonorous and hard hitting and finally the sound of a piano evidently has a vivid and lively sound for every stroke on its keys.

HIGHS/TREBLE:

My initial impression of the treble of Idun Golden is more on the brighter side, with such pristine and quite particularising but there are some significant factors that I'm nitpicking on this one which I will describe later.

It has some inherent peaks on the upper mids to presence region that it will give a whisper of sibilance especially in sibilant-laden tracks but not really my concern as I think it remains restrained not to give any more hisses. Stridency isn't particularly an issue as I don't hear any grating and harsher tones.

For every cymbal strikes that I hear, it gives me that lustrous sound and yet soft soughing as it gives me an impression it has the lack of that snap and crash that I really want. It has even just an average sizzle that give me that unremarkable airiness which I think is just a middling extension. Hi-hats seems pretty accurate as it has this distinct "chicky" sound which I describe as a shortened sizzle.

SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:

Idun Golden has an average to above average soundstage, with equally proportionate depth and height in which it gives a decent headroom on the spatial sound field which give me some holographic feel.

Imaging is fair enough to be creditable that I can locate the placements of instruments and vocals within its perceived spatial points. It has has sufficient gap and separation on each element but layering capabilities isn't one of its technical strengths as its distinct dynamic and layering isn't well-defined on its arrangement but surprisingly despite of that particular issue on layering it doesn't give me a sense of turbulent and congested sound even when I listened to a more complex and instrument tracks which leave me on state of bewilderment.

Resolution capabilities is more of an above average in my rating as it has good detail retrieval and a valid macro-dynamics presentation.

The coherency of its hybrid driver setup with its performance seems to have a very cohesive and solid performance with its good speed, decay and precise attack without any hitches nor distortion. Tonal colour is on natural sound with just a tad of brightness.

PEER COMPARISONS:

See Audio Yume Regular (2021)

● Both have equally beautiful IEM shells, See Audio has a silicone diaphragm dynamic driver with 2 Knowles BA drivers which is similar Idun Golden has titanium coated DD and 2 BA drivers, one Knowles and one "customised" Kinera. They have both good cables but I prefer Kinera's stock cable due its thicker and has an option of modular terminations.

● Despite that they both have neutral tuning, Yume is more of a balanced-neutral and Idun Golden is a reference-neutral set. Yume is more sub bass focus while Idun Golden is mid bass which I really prefer. Mids of both IEMs are equally good mids which gives me a hard choice on choosing between them on which has an advantage. I still prefer the Yume for its more detailed and crystalline sound quality, especially on vocals. Trebles of both sets are eerily similar but I give it to Idun Golden by a hairline due the fact that it has more air than Yume but still not the best when it comes to airy extension.

● Technicalities on both sets are even similar in performance, but Idun Golden has wider soundstage. They even have this sense of holographic feel. Yume is better on the layering aspect.

AUDIOSENSE DT300 (2021)

● Again, both have aesthetically eye pleasing shells, DT300 is a tad hefty compared to lighter Idun Golden. It has an all-BA setup and all of them are Knowles drivers. DT300 uses a durable MMCX connector while Idun Golden has a more sturdy and proven 2-pin connector which I prefer. Both of them are equally generous when it comes to inclusions, Idun Golden has better stock cable while DT300 has a good Pelican-like IEM Case.

● As for tonality, this is where the real clash on both IEMs really matters as to why DT300 has an upper hand over Idun Golden. Both have different approaches on neutrality, DT300 has balanced-neutral with almost uncoloured tonality. Bass is even more well-defined with even more punchy despite that it has a Woofer BA, Midrange is more textured which gives a lusher and even more organic but retain its detail clarity on the DT300 either on vocals and instruments. Treble on this DT300 is more smoother, good details and even has more air. Sibilance on DT300 is absolutely absent.

● Technicalities-wise, Idun Golden stood no chance against the DT300. DT300 has a wider soundstage with equally good height and depth that gives a very spacious headroom with its spatial field, Not even on imaging, separation and even layering capability, DT300 has more accurate on pinpointing the placement of elements on a track whether its instrumentalists or vocalists, it also has a very noticeable spacing and gap of each instruments and very well-arranged placement of respective frequency layering in the mix. As for resolution capability, its up to the listener's preference, a more sharper definition of Idun Golden or a more naturalness of DT300.


To conclude this review, Kinera Idun Golden is a very astonishing good set. With a gorgeous looking shell along with quality inclusions inside the box, a very capable modular cable and a likeable, neutral sounding for people who want to experience a high fidelity sound in a reasonable price, Kinera Idun Golden will be an easy recommendation.

Nonetheless with my preferences, Kinera Idun Golden still needs some refinement when it comes to technical aspects and just a little bit on the treble part. But with its tonally neutral tuning and an enough analytical performance without being too dry and clinical sounding, Kinera Idun Golden will certainly outweigh those particular concerns after all.

Kinera Idun Golden is currently price around US$169/ £149.50.



Interested in purchasing Kinera Idun Golden, Just click HERE

SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: KINERA IDUN GOLDEN
IMPEDANCE: 32Ω
SENSITIVITY: 113dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz – 20KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.25M
PIN TYPE: 2-PIN CONNECTOR (0.78MM)
PLUG TYPE: (MODULAR) 3.5mm, 4.4mm
DRIVER UNIT(S): (1) DYNAMIC DRIVER + (2) BALANCED ARMATURE DRIVER

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

Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *
Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**
Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **
Mountain - Mississippi Queen *
Queen - Killer Queen **
Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'
Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'
Pearl Jam - Daughter **
Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *
Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*
Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *
New Order - Blue Monday *
The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *
The Madness- Buggy Trousers *
Metallica - Motorbreath **
Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *
Destiny's Child - Say My Name *
Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *
Mozart - Lacrimosa *
New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *
Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*
Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *
Exciter - Violence and Force *
Diana Krall - Stop This World **
Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*
The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection**
Suzanne Vega – Luka **
Lauren Christy – Steep *

P.S.

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

Once again, I would like to thank Edz Cuizon a.k.a. RemedyMusic Reviews for lending me this review unit. Please checkout his reviews also, He is one of the most capable and competent audio reviewer out there.

Review Of The Kinera IDUN 2.0 ​

Introduction​

Kinera is well known audio gear company established in China, who have excelled in providing great and very beautiful IEMs and cables. They are found to name most of their IEMs or cables from nordic mythology. Well, some of their infamous IEMs are the imperial version of nanna, baldr, norn,etc and their originals as well. They have a budget segmented line up which includes bd005 pro, SIF and TYR. They have also indulged themselves in modular cables like gleipnir, dromi, leyding and ace which comes with the one I’ll be reviewing and that is the Kinera IDUN 2.0.

Disclaimer​

*Thanks to HiFiGo team as this unit tour has been arranged by HiFiGo, lovely people. And as mentioned in all of my reviews, same goes with this one too and that is, each and every thoughts below mentioned are my personal own thoughts and they are not fiddled with any outside influences. The following link is where you can go and own one for yourself :-

https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-idun-2-0

*I will be referring these IEMs to as 'IDUN' for the rest of the review.
*And at last I will only be reviewing the IDUN on the basis of their performance, I do not care what these are made of or packaged with when newly purchased unless it affects the sound in any sense what so ever.

Specification​

Kinera houses a hybrid configuration which is a 7mm titanium plated dome PU composite high poly fiber suspension dynamic driver, a knowles BA(RAF-32873) and their own kinera customize BA(BTC-30095).The dynamic driver is for lower frequency, the knowles BA is for mid range and the kinera own BA is for high frequency. The impedance is of 32 ohms and sensitivity of 112dB with frequency response from 20hz to 20kHz.

Sound​

Okay so the sound signature of the IDUN 2.0 is mild V-Shape with linear response from bass region. The lower treble and upper mid range is very much forward in the mix, also the upper treble is very well extended and the bass is very controlled with punches and slams.

Treble​

The treble is very exciting and lively, especially the lower treble as it has a lot of energy. Though even after the lower treble being very up front in the mix, I still find it very shimmery with ‘ss’ and ‘tt’. The details are great in this region and it is clean. Weirdly only the vocals sounds recessed, especially the female vocals sounds somewhat lean in the lower treble and these vocals only in the upper treble sounds airy. The male vocals also sounds lean in this region and yet very laid back. In over all vocal presentation the vocals sounds like they have no soul. When it comes to cymbal crashes and snare hits, sounds very vibrant with hints of sibilance here and there. Over all the treble sounds lively and energetic with hints of sibilance.

Mid Range​

When it comes to mid range, the upper mid range is very active and forward in the mix. Sounds very eccentric with average details. The lower mid range sounds recessed and doesn’t come out as warm or full bodied. The vocals whether male or female vocals sounds centric yet very shy of the mix. The vocals doesn’t comes out s they naturally should. The synergy in the upper mid range is very greatly produced but lacks in note weight. Due to recessed mid range instruments sound very soft and blurry. Well in over all presentation, the mid range sounds clean and centric yet recessed and lean.

Bass​

The bass where this sounds a little bit controlled. Yes the bass is very much controlled with enough punch and slam in the bass. The mid bass do bloat over the lower mid range though that still doesn’t make it sound much desirable to listen to due to low intensity of notes. The sub bass doesn’t extend very well but sounds clean. Same goes for the mid bass doesn’t bathe into the mid range. The bass presence is easily felt but does require your attention to feel to submerge into it. The bass in overall presentation is clean very controlled but lacks texture and sounds soft.

Technical Performance​

The technical performance is really average for this IEM, except the soundstage, which is quite not I expected from this IEM. The imaging is not good but separation is okay. Same goes with the speed and resolution where resolution is not at par with any other IEMs I have heard and speed is almost average performing

Soundstage, Sound Imaging & Separation​

The holographic nature is really great and subtle for the price, the soundstage is wide and clean. The imaging on the other hand isn’t the sharpest, I’d rather say very blunt in presentation. The separation is okay performing for the price they’re being offered at.

Speed & Resolution​

The resolution is not that I find this IEM achieved greatly, the detail retrieval is not quite up to the mark if compared to it’s competitors. The attack or decay of notes isn’t the best I have seen in an IEM in this price bracket, I’d say they are average.

Conclusion​

To conclude this review, I really wouldn’t ask you to buy this, but would really like to ask you to try these out, mostly people feel connection with the IEMs tuning and sound profile, and in no sense these are bad sounding nor does it have an offensive sound. Let’s just say these have average performing power with good treble extension and controlled bass in a clean mix. I would at least recommend to try these out for sure.

Sources And Tracks Used​

Sources​

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

Tracks​

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

TONALITY: 8.2/10
TECHNICALITIES: 8.6/10
CONSTRUCTION: 9.5/10
SOUND VALUE: 8.5/10

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KINERA is a chinese earphones company with more than 7 years of experience, so they’ve been around for long and are well known by audio enthusiast. Since their begining, they specialize in Hybrid tuning and have sure evolved in all these years, learning more about tonal balance and psychoacoustic perception. We are far from old days of their first flagship H3, a 1DD+2BA uiem that receive mitigated impressions. Still, my expectation of the IEM i will review today, the Idun Golden, were rather low.
The Kinera Idun Golden is a hybrid using one 7mm titanium plated dynamic driver with 2 balanced armature (1 knowles, 1 kinera custom), it’s priced 170$ and let me reassure you right away, the Golden is nothing like the H3 and offer a way more cohesive tuning.
Let’s see why in this review and if it’s enough to conclude the Idun Golden worth a buy.

CONSTRUCTION​

The Golden have a splendid construction that is both sturdy and comfortable, but most of all, extremely eye catching due to the unique hand paint job made by Kinera artist. We are use to extremely beautifull shell ornamentation, like abstract painting, but this time the design push aesthetic bundaries. Words are useless to describe this type of hypnotizing wonder. So enjoy the picture here:



In term of material, it’s thick medical grade plastic, smooth and very solid, with an organic universal ear canal shape and rather long nozzle. Back shel is flat and overall size is quite small for a multi BA hybrid. 2pin connector is in a small rectangular cavity which i prefer to flat finish which is more prompt to damage 2pin by benting the pins. Body is light, smooth and offer a tight fit that is comfortable and above average in isolation and have zero sound leakage (which is surprising since their a small venting hole at it’s side).


Now when it come to the cable, again it’s very impressive and highly welcome: the Kinera Ace modular cable! Wow, including a 50$ modular cable is such a luxury in this sub-200$ price range, and a good one too which have it’s 3.5 se and 4.4 bal jack included (no 2.5mm). It’s an 8cores silver-plated copper cable, smooth and flexible, yet sturdy and nice looking, perfect match to Golden look. The jack are easy to swap and while their not secure with a screw or mecanism, they never tend to get loose so I prefer this over FIIO LC RC modular cable which is a burden to use unlike the Ace.


And the packaging….we can write a novel about whole packaging presentation since Kinera are know to give great effort in that regard. Let say it’s similar to the Freya boxing and include better accessories. A very generous amount of diversify eartips, 3 pairs of wide bore, 4 pairs of brown silicone and 2 pair of memory foams. A nice looking carrying case. And the marvelous Ace modular cable which is the cherry on top of the cake (even if including the 2.5mm bal jack would have been logical). Very nice.

SOUND IMPRESSIONS​

(gear used for this review: Tri TK2, Questyle M15 and Tempotec E44)
Wow, ok, this is confirm, Kinera have really evolve in tuning balance and while the Golden is nothing like warmer more laid bass U shape URD flagship tribrid I test lately HERE, it sure offer a mature and refined balance that is a big improvment over Freya or their very first mutti BA Hybrid the H3.

Tonality is what I would call bright neutral to smooth analytical, with a focus on energy and clarity yet a sens of balance that keep musicality alert as well. When I say neutral, it can’t mean a flat tonal line, if it was that, nobody would want to listen to it more than a minute. Nope, its an organic yet dynamic and vivid sligth W shape, where bass, mids and highs have upfront presence and high level of clarity. Since treble did dig lotta info and micro details, i conclude it’s near analytical. WHy I say smooth then? Cause we don’t have problematic sibilance, shoutyness in mids nor splashyness or intense harshness in highs even if yes, they are a bit agressive since they are a little boosted.

The bass is all about punch and immediacy as well as textured presence. It isn’t basshead at all, just enough mid bass punch to extract kick drum energy and give this extra hit physicality to music. It’s a bit dry, but not thin or lacking roundness in body. Attack is fast an tight with short decay, it doesn’t move post-attack bloom to the sound nor have vibrant rumble that dig down to 20hz. So, perhaps a bit tame in 20-50hz region and sure not the star of the show. Understated yet competent and clean. Bass have a sens of proximity to mids and highs but in their back, and unlike some inferior hybrid like FIIO FH3, it doesn’t feel distached or boomy. Cello sound great, full in body, fast in articulation and well textured with realist tone, while acoustic bass will lack a bit of linear extension.

If you search for lush wide open and romantically coloured mid range, go somewhere else, here we have more of a ”monitor like” mid range, fowards in presence and definition, fully extract and high in sound info wich it’s quite intensely revealing yet not thin, clinical or artificial sounding. Everything in this range sound full and energic, piano have weight and fast attack with tight sustain, female vocal are fowards, well extract and centered, a hint bright but not sibilant even if i will not say they are smooth. Clarity is high here, sharp too, but not wide in presentation so it feel concentrated yet even busy track doesn’t make them messy or compressed, just very heavy in dynamic resolution. Still, for some listener this might lack warmth and naturalness in timbre. Presentation is technical and not always permissive of bad recording, like monitor do.

The treble is very well balanced yet vivid, so well in fact that some will perhaps not be wow by very high level of details and texture nuance it extract. Percussions sound full here, not half cook, it’s all rounded with good enough control due to short decay. In the other hands, this short decay stole airy treble perception, which will lack sparkle and brilliant snap for some. This is the type of IEM that extract subtle micro details like saxophone blowing texture details, bow rubbing noise on a violin, metal chord texture of a clavichord etc. This sure enrich critical listening pleasure to a point you can listen multiple time to a same track and focus on different level of details or sounds layers. Thing is that even if foward and analytical, the treble doesnt feel unbalanced and this is what highly impress me with the Idun Golden, we are into ”analytical musical” territory, where sound richness is magnify but the tonality is neutral with an authoritative dynamic rendering. Jack of all trade and master of….everything? Not exactly, but not far from this too. If the treble could really extend up to 20khz, this would have been a master of everything but the lack of air affect whole psychoacoustic presentation unfortunately.

The soundstage is just average for the price, this is perhaps achilles’heel of the Golden, not that it’s stock in your head but just don’t feel very open, tall and deep. Spatiality is all about proximity, your at about a meter from your musicians here, yet it doesn’t translate into a immersive blanket of sound due to heterogenous sounds layers richness. Using wide bore ear tips help to add some wideness.

When spatiality feel like a small room, the imaging tend to be bad but it’s not the case here with the Golden, in fact, it’s very capable since both moving sound layers and static isntrument presence are well define and position. Instrument separation might lack wide space between them, yet they are well preserve in their singular definition so i have no difficulties to pin point pianist, drummer and, to a less extend, bassist in a jazz band for ex. Center stage isn’t forgotten too, so it add a hint of holographic rendering too.

COMPARISONS​

VS FIIO FH3 (1DD+2knowles BA-130$)

FH3 is more brigth U shape with leaner mids and slightly crisper highs, it feel very bassy compared to better balanced Golden. I say bright but trebly would be a better term, since texture is quite dark and warm compared to Golden wich have more bite in attack. Biggest diffrence here it’s in how bass is boosted, it have a sloppier boomier warm slam that bloom mids annd make it feel smooten in presence, while in fact it tend to underline bad timbral balance. Tone is off compared to Golden it sound more artificial and foggy in proper definition, so clarity is inferior too with layers of sound acting like extra bloom, in that foggy romantism, suddenly the highs pop up with brilliance and sparkle, extracting micro details in a random way, which isn’t the case for the Golden which extract everything at the near same level with highs that are fuller in restitution, just not tinny piece of metallic percussions for ex.
For the mids, it’s so bad that let say its bot more recessed and bloomy.
Where the FH3 have upper hands it will be in soundstage, it’s wider and even deeper, but in a irrealistic way that poor imaging highlight. Kinera in that regards might be more closed and intimate in its spatiality but we can pin point instrument still, not just vague layers muffled in a foggy whole.
I think it’s clear FH3 can’t compare to these both in technicality and tonality, even if im pretty sure some will prefer bassier warmer FH3 due to more severe and analytical sound approach of superior Kinera Idun Golden.

VS IKKO OH10 (1DD-1knowles BA-170$)

The Ol’but gold OH10 proof again to be a very competent contender against Golden but doesn’t follow same tonal curve than more neutral and well balanced Golden.
OH10 is notably more agressive brightV shape, with a bass of both greater quantity and quality.
This is what demark the OH10 here, it’s superb bass performance, both faster, weigthier and more rumbly and extended than Kinera. It’s fuller, denser in timbre with a more natural and smooth texture too.
Mids are brighter, thinner and more prompt to sibilance and shoutyness at high volume with OH10, it feel more compressed too, more artificial in timbre. This make mid range imaging better layered with the Kinera and overal resolution fuller in sound info.
Treble is more spiky with OH10, adding air and snap in upper highs, underlining it’s crisp V shape signature, which is more excited and fatiguing and more prompt to sibilance and splashyness than Kinera.
Soundstage feel a bit wider and airier with the OH10, but quite stereo as if center stage is scooped so you have a extra sens of deepness too, but unlike Golden, you will not find extra sound layers to dig in.
The layering perception-separation is notably better with the Kinera, and inflict on overall imaging capacity that are superior and not just about bass and treble fake separation.
All in all, their no doubt the dynamic driver of OH10 is superior and offer better bass performance and more appealing quantity, but they fail against Kinera when it come to mids and treble, which is surely due to the use of a single balanced armature against 2 BA for the Kinera Idun Golden. So my conclusion is if you only care about bass performance, go for OH10, but if you want a more versatile and neutral sound rendering with this time better mids-treble performance, go for the Golden!

VS SEEAUDIO YUME (1DD+2 knowles BA-170$)

OK, this is the serious fight here, even if tonal balance wise, they aren’t the same, both this hybrid hit above their price range in term of cohesive balance. Yume is more U shape to mid centric and laid back in dynamic yet have more fowards and wide open mids and vocal. Bass are opposite in their presentation, Yume being more sub bass boosted, warm and heavy in slam while Golden is more punchy mid bass, so Yume seem to lack kick drum presence and hit while Golden seem to lack rumble extension and bass line thickness.
Mids are leaner and more organic smooth with Yume, it tend to be put on front stage while Golden will stay centered in middle stage. Note weight tough, are heavier with the golden as well as micro definition tend to make mid range better layered. Attack is more smoothed in bite with the Yume too, so electric guitar as well as violin have more energy and texture.
For treble, again, Yume choose to soft it more than Golden, so resolution can feel a bit muted on top, while more crisp and textured with the Kinera. Sens of clarity is both more crisp and dynamic in rendering than Yume.
This time, soundstage is wider and deeper with the Kinera and imaging is on par tough a bit more clean and sharp in positioning.
All in all, Yume have been dethroned here, unless you really want the extra sub bass warmth the Kinera Idun Golden is more neutral, better balanced, and have better technical performance as a whole.

CONCLUSION​

The Kinera Idun Golden is a marvellous sounding and looking earphones, with a refined near neutral tonal balance, and high technical performance that hit above their price range.
With it’s vivid, gently bright and highly revealing sound presentation, you are in for a rich and immersive musicality with a hint of monitor like extra excitment.
The Golden take me by surprise, since this type of analytical signature tend to be either too bright or in your face, yet it’s not the case here, it’s maturely balanced and very cohesive in macro-definition with a dense sense of layering that make spatiality fullfill with liveliness.
Think about a hint brighter Rose Technics QT9 MK2S (or Seeaudio Yume upgrade) and your not far from Golden performance, it’s that good and sure worth high recommendation from me!


For 170$, you get alot for your money, including a modular cable and mesmerizing piece of unique art under the IEM form.
Kinera are on a new momentum and I can’t wait for their next release since their achieve now well balanced tuning, should it be warm way for the URD or bright way for the Golden.



——–

PS: I want to thanks Kinera for sending me this review sample, it’s very pleasant to communicate with them and I have no affiliation nor any obligation or compromise to do in my review. As always, these are my 100% honest unbiased subjective impressions.

You can order the Kinera Idun Golden for 170$ from this official seller:https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-idun-2-0

For more diversify and honest audio reviews, give a read to my No Borders Audiophile site HERE.

Kinera Idun Golden (2.0) : Golden Price to Performance Ratio!



Summary:

Launched in Dec’2021, Kinera launched 2nd version of their already popular IEM IDUN as IDUN GOLDEN. The IDUN GOLDEN 2.0 is supposedly a better version of the IDUN original building on the good traits and making the sound performance even better and introducing cable with interchangeable connectors is a very welcomed feature.



Introduction:


Without further lingering into the the background of the IEM let's just jump into the sonic features as mentioned by Kinera on their website.



Listening to the Idun Golden will give you quite an effortless listening experience. The tonality & tuning is on spot this time and gives a very pleasant musical experience.

The Kinera IDUN GOLDEN is priced at $169.




Design & Build:

The IDUN Golden comes in high grade resin shell that is hand-painted and is very lightweight and comfortable. It looks like a piece of jewelry and would be appreciated much specially by people who love hand-painted designs. This effortless lightweight design makes it ideal for all-day listening without any sort of discomfort at all.





Specifications:


The Audeze Euclid comes at $1299 price tag and the specifications are as below:

https://www.kineraaudio.com/product/kinera-idun-golden









The Cable & Accessories:

The Cable:

The Idun Golden comes with a modular 8 Cores OFC+ OFC with Silver Plated Cable with inter-changeable plug system and following plugs: 3.5mm , 4.4mm and 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter.





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


Items Used for this Review:

DAC/AMP & Dongles: @iFi audio Go Blu, Hipdac 2, @Questyle M15 Dongle DAC/AMP, Cayin RU6
Portable Players / Sources : Cayin N8ii, Cayin N6ii with R2R motherboard, @Shanling M3X
Streaming Source: QOBUZ




Ear Tips:



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


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




Pairing Performance with different sources:

Dongle DAC/AMPs:

The IDUN GOLDEN had the best pairing with @Questyle M15 and Cayin RU6 dongles. The @iFi audio Go Blu sounded a bit thin in the midrange and the @iFi audio Hipdac 2 though has been quite good.


Portable Players:

Obviously the IDUN GOLDEN had the best pairing with the Cayin N8ii as that comes with Class-A amplification and a new DAC which is super resolving and not to forget the Nutubes! But that's the $3500 range also and out of reach for most people!

IDUN GOLDEN performed superbly on the Cayin N6ii also with all 3 motherboards R01, T01, E02 and my personal preference remains the pairing with the R2R R01 motherboard. It worked really well with @Shanling M3X also and happens to be a great pairing with it.



KINERA IDUN GOLDEN Sound Impressions in Short:

The BASS:

The Bass of the IDUN GOLDEN is just great starting from the small micro details coming from the sub-bass region to the meatier mid-bass considering it's a planar driver based IEM. In tracks like: "Fools Paradise (LP version) – Donna Lewis" and "Chocolate Chip Trip - Tool" you can feel the bass attack and also hear the details of sub-bass.

The MIDS:

The BA driver-based midrange of the IDUN GOLDEN is quite open and natural. The midrange is smooth & musical and the vocals are very immersive and both male and female vocals come with ample amount of details and feel very real. Instruments felt very natural. In tracks like: "Long After You Are Gone - Chris Jones", "A dog named Freedom – Kinky Friedman" and "Ruby Tuesday – Franco Battiato" it’s really easy to get lost into the music as it comes with ample detailed transients, texture, excellent vocals and details.



The TREBLE:

The treble feels just great with a bit of sparkle int the Treble region but not peaky at all - the treble overall is enjoyable and Cymbals sound very life-like and real in tracks like “Totem (live) – GoGo Penguin”.

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


The SOUNDSTAGE:

The Staging capabilities of the IDUN GOLDEN though not extraordinary is just about right. It comes with the right amount of width, height, depth and is well defined. Tracks like: “The Secret Drawer – Bela Fleck and the Flecktones” or “Fluid – Yosi Horikawa” or “Bohemian Rhapsody (live aid) – Queen” sound amazing & enjoyable. This is not amongst the strongest trait of this IEM but not a weakness either.

Imaging & Separation:

The Imaging on the IDUN GOLDEN is spot on with very accurate sense of direction and superb separation for the price. Tracks like: “Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) - The Beautiful South “or “Saints and Angels – Sharon Shannon” just shine through.



Comparisons:

No review is complete without comparisons. So here we are - with the the overly hyped 7hz Timeless as that is something of similar price range.



KINERA IDUN GOLDEN vs 7HZ TIMELESS:

I believe this is something a lot of people will actually be considering while making a purchase, the hybrid Kinera IDUN GOLDEN priced at $169 while the planar based 7hz Timeless is priced at $199. While their architectures are completely different, being similar priced makes them very comparable.



Build & Comfort: Both of these IEMs have great build quality and the IDUN Golden to me feels slightly more comfortable for longer sessions while the Timeless is also good.

Bass: The Bass on the IDUN Golden is based on Dynamic driver and has a much better attack than that of the Timeless. But make no mistake here that the bass on the Timeless is also amongst the best int the $200 range.


Mids: This is where owing to the planar based performance the Timeless takes clear advantage with much more textured and muscular midrange performance than the IDUN Golden. The Idun Golden however has slightly better details coming from it's BAs.

Treble: This is where the Timeless really falls apart with the treble peaks whereas the IDUN Golden shines owing to it's non-peaky treble.


Staging, Imaging & Separation: The performance differences in this department is very vividly visible. While the Timeless has better staging capabilities compared to IDUN Golden, when it comes to imaging & Separation the IDUN Golden is significantly better and specially so in terms of separation.



Conclusion:

The IDUN GOLDEN 2.0 is a great performer and in my opinion amongst specially when compared to the price range it comes in. It is very easy to drive and performs well with just any combination. It is quite comfortable to wear through long listening sessions and that's what makes it an ideal daily driver for people who just want to hear superb sound performances all day, every day.

Kinera Idun Golden in Snowy White color.

I would like to start my review with why I purchased these headphones - this is the appearance. I often walk and with these headphones I began to notice people's attention - many people even compliment and ask what kind of headphones I have because they really look unusual.

Speaking of the kit:

it is extensive and rather rich compared to other manufacturers, let's look at the basics:
1) ear pads, there are 3 types of them: foam, and two types of silicone. Transparent-colored ear cushions suited me the most, because with them sound insulation and landing comfort are higher, cream ear cushions are softer and a little shorter - and they will suit lovers of soft ear cushions. And yes, the higher the sound insulation, the more accurate the sound transmission will be, so, I repeat, my choice is transparent-colored.
2) cable: quite soft, looks to match the color of the headphones. Of the pluses, I can single out interchangeable connectors that hold tightly in the connector. By the way, you can also buy other connectors, for example, from TRN - one connector and one. As a minus(in my case), I can write down the fact that the cable was badly twisted and the heat shrink on the ears turned over, but I quickly fixed it by heating them with a hairdryer.
As for the sound, this cable gives massiveness to the headphones, it is of average quality, and if you need to squeeze the sound out of the headphones, you can buy a graphene cable.
3) the case is compact, but due to the thick cable, the headphones will have to be twisted more carefully, otherwise they will not fit completely. Inside, the case is upholstered with soft fleecy fabric - I have only seen this in expensive headphones.

First sound impressions after unboxing:

From the first seconds, the sound seemed quite bright and light to me: the upper middle was highlighted, which exposed the vocals to be rather rough and sharp. After that, I spent about 30 minutes selecting ear cups and cable to adjust the sound for me. From all my selection, I found out that:
1) headphones are sensitive to ear pads - choose them carefully (in my case, the transparent-colored "M" ones from the kit came up);
2) A standard cable will give you a thicker and richer sound, and if you need to make the sound more sophisticated, then use graphene.



I found the perfect sound balance:

As I said above, be more careful about accessories when setting up headphones, as this will affect (in this case a lot) the sound.
So, my impressions after a long listening:
The sound of the headphones is tuned rather to most genres, because I don’t hear a specific emphasis on any part of the frequencies, which means that the headphones have a near-neutral sound, although the manufacturer himself writes in the booklet for these headphones that the tuning (tuning) is more suitable for popular genres (i.e., this is partly true).

We proceed to each section of the frequency response:

1) Low frequencies are supplied neutrally and dosed, the depth is at an average level, as is the control. The impact is somewhat softened, but on the other hand, it does not pull the accent. Perfect for classic instrumental genres, trance, swing and the like. For electronic genres, the bass might be enough, but I'm sure you'd like a little more.
2) MIDs - they can be from "incredibly transparent and lively" to "horror, turn off the saw!", why? As I said above - the ear pads greatly affect the sound and the first thing that suffers is the mids. With the ideal sound isolation for you, the mid frequencies will also be supplied in a metered amount, they balance between intimacy and a little distance, so you feel good depth of the stage, and the vocals and all the accompaniment will surround you. I repeat the main thing - the mids are very transparent, they also balance in terms of the amount of mass, there is no excessive assertiveness or subtlety, just balance.
3) High frequencies - a custom emitter from an unknown manufacturer is responsible for them, but it does its job well. I'll tell you straight: these high frequencies are not for HF-phobes, because there is a slight accent, no, it is not screaming, not streaking, but it may seem like a lot of them, which will create tiring for some. Also, importantly, the quality of the source will affect the high frequencies, for example, with the QLS361, the high frequencies are gorgeous, I really enjoyed the attenuation and airiness in them, with more affordable players(Cayin N5, Zishan Z4 mod), the high frequencies could slightly rattle and give out small sibilants.


Am I satisfied?!

yes, in addition to good sound, I got aesthetic pleasure from the beauty of the headphones. As for the comparison, most of the headphones will give tuning with an emphasis on some part of the range, right there everything is very neutral and I would even say, neat.
Why didn't I give 5 stars? - headphones have some dependence on the source and I would recommend taking either a slightly dimmed source or a source that controls high frequencies well.
And here is my video - review with detail macro visible the appearance of the headphones

Greetings!

This is a review of the Kinera Idun Golden, which Kinera have provided me to review.

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

The Idun Golden is Kinera's revamp of their popular Idun, which garnered outstanding reviews in the community for its excellent reference sound. This IEM continues and builds upon what its predecessor has established, and some more. It offers an excellent reference-type of sound while preserving some fun tuning decisions. It truly belongs in the upper echelons of the highly-competitive price range it chose to be in, and can hold its own against its higher priced siblings in the Kinera lineup.






𝙋𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜
(Check out its unboxing here: https://fb.watch/cenhGqSrMr/)
- Presentation
This is my first time experiencing an unboxing from Kinera, and oh boy, it does not disappoint. As far as I know, Kinera keeps a consistent unboxing experience for each of their offerings. This ensures that all customers of different budgets can experience the same luxury that is Kinera's packaging, and all for the better. We are presented with a hexagonal box with a beautiful timeglass-like artwork in the front, which can be atributed to the thematical inspiration that the IEM's name can be found. Kinera seems to have taken a massive interest in Norse mythology, as every IEM in their lineup is named after a god/event/point-of-reference in said mythos. The word "IDUN" and "IDUN GOLDEN" are the primary words we see at the front, along with the driver setup that the IEM features (2BA & 1DD). Over at the back, we see the frequency response of the Idun Golden, along with the particulars that it contains. The box unravels through a lid, which separates the box into top and bottom cover. On the back of the top cover, we see a heartwarming thank you from Kinera for purchasing their product. Kinera shows a keen understanding of paying attention to minute details, and that is definitely appreciated in the world of Chi-Fi.



- Product
I cannot say how beautiful this IEM looked upon my first unboxing. The entire IEM looks like an artwork that you see in museums and galleries, my photos would never give justice to how it looks in person. The faceplate's design (blue variant) looks like a tree planted in the snow during a starry night, with a sparkling opal stone at the middle. This theme continues throughout the body of the IEM with splashes of gold and light blue encapsulating the entire shell. I have spent over an hour just admiring how beautiful this faceplate is. In terms of IEM craftsmanship and aesthetics in the entire IEM world, Kinera is undoubtedly the king. Every product they make are little masterpieces of their own, and they keep on innovating to make sure that they stay in top.


- Particulars
We are presented with an accordion-style manual upon unboxing, with one side translated to English and one side in Chinese. Unlike other manuals out there, the manual provides us a background look on the development of the IEM, its design, tuning choices, and backstory on the Norse mythology that inspired the name of the IEM. As I said before, I appreciate small minute stuff that gives attention to details: this manual is no exception. Next up, we are provided with the main accessories: a hard case, extra 6.35mm & 4.4mm (balanced) jacks, and 3 sets of eartip pairs (small bore, narrow bore, and foam). The hard case contains the new cable that Kinera has recently released: one with a modular jack. It offers us an insight on what the jacks are: they can be mixed and matched according to the type of AUX output you have in your respective devices/DAPs/Amps. We are also offered with three types of eartips to cater to your own preferences: narrow bore for a balanced experience (comes in L, M, and S sizes), wide bore for improved vocals (comes in XL, L, M, and S sizes), and a foam tip for an isolating experience (comes in L and M sizes).










𝘽𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙌𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 & 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩
> My praises of the Idun Golden's shell and faceplate design does not go awry in its build quality. The IEM is solidly made with what I can assume is resin. One cannot worry on the beautiful faceplate degrading/scratching over time, as the entire IEM is built as being one solid piece without any notches nor creases. Although I would have preferred a bit more heft in it considering how much resin was used in the creation of the shell, but its just a minor nitpick. The same consistency of build quality carries over to the cable. The excellent quality of materials used in the cable can be easily felt, with each component having an impressive amount of tactile heft to them. I can easily say that this is my favorite cable in my possession. One gripe can be said about the cable: its modular termination. A removable aspect of anything in the world can result in an inevitable loosening over time. The same can be said with the extra jacks included in the Idun Golden, as they have loosened quite a bit from my initial use of it. Don't get me wrong, it still functions well and does not disconnect upon normal usage. But an intended/accidental tugging of the cable can easily disconnect the modular jack from the cable. I wish it had some sort of locking mechanism that really tightens up the connection, specially during rigorous listening sessions (walking, commutes, etc.).
> The Idun Golden can pose quite a challenge comfort-wise upon initial usage. The large footprint of the shell and the unusual angle of the nozzle can be a headache to balance at times. Gladly, Kinera has given us enough tools to solve this. All it needs is patience from the user in the process of tip-rolling the various eartips that they have provided. Once you find the correct size for your unique conchas, it fits like a glove. It also isolates ESPECIALLY WELL, which really blocks out any surrounding noise around you. Its all a matter of finding the tips that suits you.


𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙
(Check out first impressions here: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=133209779262474&id=100077203561922&sfnsn=mo)
𝘔𝘜𝘚𝘐𝘊 𝘜𝘚𝘌𝘋:
𝘋𝘢𝘧𝘵 𝘗𝘶𝘯𝘬 - 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘙𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 - 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘙𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 - 𝘖𝘒 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘦 - 𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘵 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘋𝘶𝘢 𝘓𝘪𝘱𝘢 - 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘨𝘪𝘢 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 - 𝘈 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘈𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘖𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘯 - 𝘈𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘖𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘯 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘎𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘨𝘦 - 𝘎𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘨𝘦 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 - 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘔𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘢𝘩 - 𝘐𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘚𝘯𝘰𝘵 - 𝘎𝘦𝘵 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘣𝘢𝘳 - 𝘖𝘥𝘥 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘵 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
𝘚𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘵 - 𝘞𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘥 (𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮)
- Signature
As mentioned earlier, the Idun Golden continues the reference/neutral sound that its predecessor had it going for. It is an incredibly natural experience, which really follows to the heart Kinera's vision of youth and revitalization. But sometimes, a neutral sound can be a turn off to some as it may seem like a "boring" experience. That does NOT apply to the Idun Golden, as it really sounds fun without sacrificing a natural timbre. As I have said in my first impressions, this is reference sound done right.
> The bass on the Idun Golden is punchy, yet does not overstay its welcome. It has the right amount of bass to really identify it from the rest of the frequencies, likening it to tasting the right amount of salt that can really heighten the taste of a food without sacrificing the intended recipe. It focuses more on mid-bass response with the right smack, which really elevates the rhythm of any song that you put through it. Despite the tasteful bass it has, I might have preferred a bit more sub-bass. Songs with intended rumble (808 kick samples, deeper rumblings of bass instruments) can really lose their depth in the Idun Golden. I have always advocated for the importance of sub-bass as it really brings the bass frequencies home with coherency and impact, but I respect Kinera's decision in making the bass leaner in favor for a cleaner presentation.
> As with all reference/neutral targeted IEMs out there, the Idun Golden shines in its mids response. It sounds full AND clean at the same time, that of which IEM companies have some trouble balancing in their tuning of IEMs. As a musician myself, I appreciate this level of mastery in terms of the tuning of the mids. Using the Idun Golden as a monitoring IEM while recording/tracking/performing is an outstanding experience, one that must be experienced to be believed. It is incredibly smooth, and all vital instruments can be heard with great body and presence. Distorted guitars are full sounding yet does not sound too overpowering, which really is a plus in my rock/metal background. One minor gripe can be found in its presentation of female vocals, that of which can sound thin on some occasions, especially when they hit higher notes. Same can be said for male falsetto vocals. Despite this, I can find almost no faults in the Idun Golden's mid response.
> The treble on the Idun Golden continues the youthful, revitalized sound that the entire response presents. Its tuning skews the entire tonality of the IEM into a sligtly brighter timbre, which really freshens up each listening experience. Cymbal body and sparkle are all present, yet it can sometimes yield a peculiar experience. It has the capability to produce some sibilance in tracks, yet cymbals can sound slightly recessed at times. I won't consider it as a gripe, but an observation that can be attributed to Kinera's intended tuning. The caveat I can personally pick out is its lack of air frequencies, which can really narrow up the lively sound of its treble capabilities. This can be easily fixed by EQ, but it really makes me wish that it had more in that department, especially that it affects what I think of its soundstage capabilities.
- Soundstage
For those looking for an incredibly open soundstage experience, the Idun Golden is not for you. The soundstage is incredibly intimate, with instruments being rendered absolutely in front of the listener. This is complimented by the lack of air frequencies in the treble, which can really closen up the soundstage performance of an IEM. With this, bass frequencies can really be felt despite its leaner nature. Despite the intimate soundstage, imaging is exceptional in the Idun Golden. One can easily pick out the instruments in a song even when it gets incredibly busy (e.g. Progressive Metal tracks), which really gives it more points to budding musicians out there looking for an incredible monitoring IEM.

You can get your own Idun Golden at the link below (non-commissioned link): https://www.kineraaudio.com/product/kinera-idun-golden


VERDICT:
Packaging:
Build Quality & Comfort:
Sound:

𝗚𝗼𝗷𝗶-𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗘𝗤 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:
+3.5db at 93 (1.8Q) - Low Shelf
-1.4db at 124 (3.1Q) - Band Pass
+2.1db at 750 (1.1Q) - Band Pass
+2.5db at 7.14k (4.7Q) - Band Pass
+3.0db at 11.2k (1.7Q) - High Shelf

Kinera IDUN Golden

Disclaimer

The Kinera Idun Golden was sent to me by Hifigo as a part of a review tour in my country in exchange for my honest opinion about the same. I’m in no way affiliated with Kinera or Hifigo and have no incentive whatsoever to write anything positive or negative about the IEM. The views expressed in this write-up are based on my usage of the IEM for a few days. The Kinera IDUN Golden can be purchased from hifigo using the following link:

https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-idun-2-0

Introduction

Kinera is a well-known chi-fi brand that has provided some of the most gorgeous looking and great sounding IEMs in the past. Beautiful aesthetics has been their USP of sorts and the Norse mythology-inspired IDUN Golden is no different. The triple driver hybrid IEM houses 2 Knowles BAs and a 7mm titanium-plated Dome PU DD. The 3D printed resin shell has hand-painted cavities that represent IDUN, the goddess who keeps the gods young and cares for the fruits of youth. The blue and golden color scheme represents the veil of her clothes and her hair, while the gem at the center, represents the fruit of youth that is guarded by Idun. (as per Kinera’s marketing material)

Marketing mumbo-jumbo aside, the IDUN looks beautiful and has a very comfortable and ergonomic shape. The earpieces weigh about 3.9g and are thus designed for comfort and long-term usage. The IEM comes with Kinera’s latest modular cable, aka Kinera Ace, which complements the IEM well both aesthetically and sonically. The cable is an 8 core OFC + silver-plated OFC 0.78mm 2 pin cable with modular terminations and a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter. The unit I received was unboxed and came with a pair of medium tips and 2 terminations (3.5mm SE and 4.4mm Balanced).

The fit of the IEM is excellent and the lightweight resin shells fit snugly providing excellent passive isolation.



Sound Quality

Kinera has gone for a non-offensive tuning with the Idun Golden. The bass is mostly flat with very little presence in the sub-bass region. Most of the lows are focussed on the mid-bass section. This isn’t a bad thing necessarily as the overall tonal coherence is pleasant. There is sufficient punch in the bass and a fair amount of physicality. There is no bass boom or unnatural bloat, thereby resulting in a very organic sound. The IDUN Golden is laidback and is rewarding in the sense that it provides a very analog-sounding and natural sound. It is the kind of IEM that one can use for hours together without any fatigue.

Mids are a tad bit forward and have some good note weight. Vocals, both male and female are pleasant with a slight bit of heft that really brings out the vocal performance of artists. The Idun Golden really brings out the emotion in tracks like “Nasha Hi Nasha Hai (Sukhwinder Singh)” and “Aap Ki Nazron Ne Samjha” (Lata Mangeshkar / Anpadh).




The Idun Golden has a fair amount of extension in the highs. It isn’t overly bright or shouty and the overall presentation of the treble is very well controlled. The Idun Golden does have sparkle but it doesn’t tend to go overboard, thereby avoiding treble fatigue. There are no harsh peaks and since I’m personally treble sensitive, I found the treble to have sufficient sparkle and detail. Some may find the treble lacking in comparison to other Chi-Fi IEMs in this range, but personally, I found it to be just right.

The Idun Golden has a fair amount of width and height when it comes to soundstage, though the presentation is intimate. Imaging and separation were acceptable for the given price point.



Conclusion

The Idun Golden is a fairly engaging set with a very natural and organic sound. It is lightweight, ergonomic, and has a pleasant tuning that makes it ideal for long listening sessions. The tuning is mostly mid-centric, but there is sufficient extension on both ends. Last but not the least, the non-offensive tuning might help preserve the “youth” of your ears, since it avoids treble fatigue and bloated bass.

INTRODUCTION:

Kinera, has been around offering custom iems for its consumers. What makes them standout is their unique and unparalleled effort on aesthetics of their products. Their Norse mythology oriented products is very entertaining to read and the concept alone makes their product worthy for a collector. Though their products, even flagships, has received mixbags of opinion, the Idun Golden is somewhat an eye opener for me. Let me give a short story of Idun.

Idun is the goddess of youth from Aesir. Her husband is the god of poetry, Bragi. The owner of Asgard garden, in charge of rejuvenating apples. She is the daughter of Ivald, the dark dwarf with the most powerful magic in the underground city. She is beautiful and her father cast a spell to keep her young forever.

Idun is unanimously loved by the Aesir gods, and her beauty is also one of the best among the Aesir gods. The goddess of faith, Norn, gave the youth apples from the tree of life to Idun for safekeeping. The Youth Apple is the treasure of Aesir Protoss. It can keep the gods young. It is also called “Idun’s Blessing”, but it must be picked by Idun herself and placed in an ash box before giving it to the gods. Idun was dedicated to guarding the Apple of Youth, and the gods were able to rest assured.


DISCLAIMER:

The Idun golden was sent to me from Kinera, in exchange for this honest review. I am very grateful to Lynn for assisting all the way from their end to mine. They are very accommodating and customer support is one of the best I have encountered.

My opinions here are completely my own. I am NOT in any way influenced by any form of incentive. This is purely my honest, subjective impressions and experience with the gear on hand. I cannot stress more that you should take this as a grain of salt for we have different perception to sound and what we hear. I always try my best to stick with the stock accessories that come with the gear by default. You are free to try other methods such as tip rolling or cable rolling. Below are worth noting before concluding on what I say here:

1. DAP (digital audio player, be it phone, laptop, mobile, or stationary setup)
2. DAC or dongle or any external amp
3. Ear Tips
4. Cables
5. Source of audio file be it offline FLACS or streaming services like Deezer, Apple music, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify and the likes..
6. Your playlist. It matters and is worth to be considered when reading from a reviewer's perspective. It is apparent that you get to know your favorite reviewer and what they are listening to leisurely and critically.

My reviews are more on how music sounds in my ears. The technical stuff like frequency graphs and the physics behind the tech and drivers used, I leave to other reviewers.



SPECIFICATIONS:

Configuration: 1DD (7mm titanium plated dome PU) + 2BA (1xKnowles, 1xKinera customized BA)
Impedance: 32ohms
Sensitivity: 112+/- 2db
Freq response: 20hz - 20khz

PACKAGING:

Apart from Tforce Yuan Li, this is the second audio gear that I unboxed with the same sentiment. The hexagon shaped box is a new touch for me. The design is not short of artistry and well thought-out. To be honest, it does not look like a box of an IEM. It feels like a box of chocolates. Lol.

At the back is a summary of Idun’s specifications. Once you slide the top box, you will be greeted by a very nice document. Here is the contents of the said document. (Both in English and Chinese)

Credit to Chief Engineer Aron Yu
Credit to tuning team
Credit to shell designer Cynthia
Special mentions
Story of Idun
Tuning concept
Shell design
Earphone specification
Frequency response chart
Package list
Social media links
Warranty info

Below this document is all the inclusions.

Natural finish pouch (which i honestly adore) though a bit small and crampy for the Idun and cables to fit in. I can suggest a thicker dimension so the IEMs will not be prone to pressure when put on a bag. As a musician, occasional abuse on travel comes with the territory.

Inside the pouch is the modular cable, light blue in color. This is really a treat, mates. I believe this is the Kinera Ace cable and is retailed for 39usd.

On the same level you will find on the left a 4.4mm adapter, on the right a 3.5mm female to 6.35mm male adapter which I think is specifically for a musician’s need to plug into their instruments.

A pair of Kinera Idun Golden in-ear monitors. To elaborate its design:

blue and gold gilt powder is applied to Idun’s cavity. Golden part is Idun’s hair, and the blue part is the veil of her clothes. The Tree of life is easily recognized and on its roots, you will find the Kinera logo, which symbolizes Kinera’s re-creation. At the center is a red Opal gem, and as you can safely assume, the fruit of youth, the apples.

Below the IEMs are the eartips. Here’s a detailed description
• 3 pairs of silicon tips in S, M, L sizes. Namely K-07 balanced ear tips. Red, teal, and yellow in color.
• 3 pairs of K-285-02 vocal eartips. Wide bored. Skin tone colour.
• 2 pairs of foam ear tips.

And that’s it for the unboxing. For a more visual approach, I will update the youtube video review here soon.

Now let us dive into how Idun sounds..

LOWS:

Ok.. the lows here are the closest to neutral that I’ve heard so far. It is still elevated but ever so slightly. If I claimed in my previous reviews that an IEM is neutralish, I take it back. The lows of Idun are THE neutralish. It took me atleast a day or two to let this sink in to me. Rumble is available if the track calls for it, but it decays quickly. Has a good sub bass extension but not on a brain shaking level. Mid bass is the star of the show here and has excellent control. Quick and punchy in nature which I personally prefer. No Limit by Marcus Miller is a good test track for mid bass and Idun delivered effortlessly. Listening to Alan Parson’s Project and The Doobie Brothers, the drum kicks, toms, and bass guitars are faithfully neutralish and I’m pretty sure this will be dead flat to those used to elevated lows. Take the Power Back by RATM is an enjoyable track to listen to with Idun in the rock genre. The drum kicks that usually get buried when all the elements come in, push through the whole track. Linkin Park, on the other hand, sounded really dead flat in the lows department.

The DD driver handles the lows here and it never was out of sync with the two BA drivers. Good coherency here.

Conclusively, the lows here are not for bassheads. If you are into neutrality, the lows of Idun will appeal to you. Moreover, lows here are very very clean, quick and I did not sense any bleeds to other frequencies. A warning though, it is not for everyone. A lot will find this quite boring especially for the consumer market taste.


MIDS:

The midrange is handled by a BA driver namely Knowles RAF-32873. This is not my first encounter with Knowles drivers, but this is my first IEM added to my collection with Knowles. We all know Knowles is a premium BA and it did deliver midrange exceptionally. Instruments that are intended to be forward are indeed forward. Vocals, male or female, are forward 95% of the time. It is not as rich or lush as my other IEMs, but the forwardness and natural presentation is the name of the game here. Now BA drivers have a tendency to be less organic. But Idun’s midrange is quite organic and natural. Beat by Tingvall Trio, my reference track for piano, bass and percussion tone and timbre, still sounded very realistic. I listen to a wide range of jazz and acoustic tracks and Idun never let me down.

Based on the graph, there is an elevation on 8khz but surprisingly, no upper mids sibilance here. A track that I always use for mid range shoutiness is New new orleans by Christian Scott. His trumpet will sound very shouty for those upper mids sensitive. Idun still passed the sibilance test in this range, but near to borderline intensity.

Conclusively, midrange here has a leaner presentation compared to my other IEMs like Bqeyz Autumn, but is presented in a neutral way and more forward manner and no hint of being unnatural.


TREBLES:

Trebles are handled by Kinera custom BA BTC-30095. What I always look for treble is it should be sibilance free and have a certain sense of openness and air. Being treble sensitive, I have a peculiar taste in treble. Idun, satisfied me in this department. The Bqeyz Autumn is another IEM that I really like when it comes to treble. Idun is less bright compared to Autumn yet did not sound veiled to me. Treble heads might look for more here, but for me, Idun’s trebles are just right. Revealing micro details effortlessly and having very good clarity and transparency. Cymbal strikes never felt shouty and harsh. However, on some brass sections, like Earth, Wind and Fire, it lacked impact and punch. Another trusty track to test hot treble that I used is Believe by Cher and yet again, Idun passed the sibilance test.

Conclusively, to some, trebles here might be lacking for some, but for me, it is just right up my alley. Sitting just right in my preference. Not shouty or harsh, and not veiled for female vocals or cymbal strikes to sound dull and lifeless. To open up the trebles more, the wide bore ear tips are a welcome option to consider.


FIT & ISOLATION

Comfortability is one factor I always give emphasis to. In a week, I perform 4 times that require me to wear IEMs for long durations. Idun is very accomodating to wear, no physical pain at all. I even nap for 1-2 hours with it plugged to my ears.

Isolation is very good and shuts off outside noise effectively. I really can’t say how many decibels is reduced when Idun is worn, but isolation is very decent. It effectively protects my hearing from the loud playing of my band on stage. This is one aspect that Idun beats my currently most favored IEM, the Bqeyz Autumn.

Seal is quite a bit tricky on my part. I can clearly remember I had this dilemma with Seeaudio Bravery that I had to find the right angle for the proper sound presentation. I am not sure which to blame but I think it has to do with the anatomy of my ears or the angle of the nozzles. Nonetheless as cumbersome as it is, it was not an annoying hindrance on my end.


TECHNICALITIES:

Now I am a technical guy. I guess it comes with my nature being a pro musician. To start off, Kinera claims that this set is for musicians. Read on and find out..

Stage is one aspect that I struggle to address. Because compared to earbuds and headphones, IEMs has the most limited soundstage. Putting it simply, if you have auditioned Bqeyz Autumn, the two have almost the same head space. And that means Idun has a desirable space of head room. Did not feel cramped or narrow yet did not feel spacious.

Imaging is very very capable on this set. Never have I struggled to pinpoint elements and instruments. Everything is very easy to follow from vocals, pianos, drum kicks, guitars, bass guitars, bells, chimes, organs and an endless list of elements. With this, separation is very important to me and Idun performs way above average. To be honest, it impressed me beyond what I expected. I always look for what every musician is doing in a track, specially on jazz, as I tend to analyze their playing style and harmonies and incorporate them in my own style. Idun just made me appreciate more what is going on in my music. A notorious track for testing imaging is Chocolate Chip Trip by Tool, and Idun passed with flying colors. The elements that go around the stage do not give a 3 blob effect. And the drums are very precise and quick! Which proves the speed of the drivers here has adequate speed and will not let you down on your busy tracks. Idun will keep up.

Detail retrieval is very capable too! Same with resolution. My test track for this is You are my Sunshine by Houston Person. It is a solo bass track, and Idun presented all the micro details and nuances with ease. Harmonics, string vibrations, the plucking of the player itself and the wood itself is audible. I am in awe as I’m listening to the track while I write this. It is as if the bass player is playing in front of me. Isn’t that what we all look for in this hobby? Kudos to Kinera for Idun.

MONITORING:

This is an additional note and I tried this particularly on my weekly livestream. Because of Idun’s neutral nature, I can clearly hear with good transparency all my bandmates were playing. Though what I hear almost depends how the sound guy will mix my monitoring, still I had a satisfying experience with Idun as monitoring. Nobody overpower anybody in our jam and my playing always pushes thru the mix. Conclusively, Idun is a very capable partner for a musician on stage, on livestreams and other purposes.

SOURCES AND GEARS:

LG V30 hifi dac (high impedance mode)
Hiby Music player
UAPP app (USB Audio Player Pro)
Tidal Masters subscription
offline FLACS
Hidizs AP80 pro
Deezer Hifi subscription

The AP80pro was mainly used for this review.

Here are some tracks I usually listen to when reviewing:

That’s the way of the World by EWF
Africa by TOTO
The Girl in the Other Room by Diana Kral
Balmorhea album All is wild, All is Silent
Sila by Sud
Smooth Escape by D’Sound
Never too Much by Luther Vandross
P.Y.T by Michael Jackson
Ain’t no Sunshine by Eva Cassidy
Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC
Another one bites the Dust by Queen
Good times bad times by Edie Brickell
Alice in Wonderland by Bill Evans
Ain’t it Fun by Paramore
Redefine by Incubus
Far Away by Nickelback
Lovesong by Adele
Lingus by Snarky Puppy
Harvest for the World by Vanessa Williams
Love Bites by Def Leppard
No Such Thing by John Mayer
As by Stevie Wonder
Whip Appeal by Babyface
Ain’t Nobody by Chaka Khan
Futures by Prep
Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
Every Summertime by NIKI
SADE tracks
AC/DC tracks
Queen tracks


And many more… I always listen to High resolution format, being the least quality 16bit/44khz FLACS be it offline or online.

VERDICT:

When Idun was on its way, I did not expect much. I am quite impressed by how much it punches way above its asking price. If you have been following me, I am somewhere in between being an audiophile and a musician. Both roles has different needs and factors that I look for in an audio gear. Idun delivered its purpose and I am very much happy with this Kinera product, being it the first, moreover for its capability for me as a musician. It is very constructive on my end.

The sound signature is not for everyone. Bass heads, stay away from this one. Treble heads might still want more out of this. But if you are into details, separation, imaging and adequate driver speed, with tone and timbre that is not compromised, the Idun is worthy of your collection.

I have a personal search for neutrality, and I can safely say that Idun is not yet there. Not with the league such as the Etymotics when it comes to neutrality. But Idun gave me a sweet prelude to that search. My search is not yet over, but I am glad that Idun gave me the right direction for that.

So if you are a mature listener, and the joy of hearing what every element is doing in a track, giving you a clean, close neutral sound that does not give you compromised tone and timbre, this is definitely for you.

It might not be as lushful or rich in sound as my other IEMs like Bqeyz Autumn, Tforce Yuan li, or T3plus, but Idun’s fresh apples appealed to me. To think of it, Idun represents youth, but I am here telling you it is for mature listening. I guess the concept is the apples give the gods a fresh start, keeping them young. Thus, giving my ears a fresh perspective, reminding me of neutrality and away from colorizations. It is a unique refresher for me and an enlightenment.

Once again, I thank Kinera for sending these to me, and giving me a chance to review one of their products. Special mention to Lynn for always checking up on me. Stay tuned for the video review, and as my wife invested in some camera gears, we will be doing some new b-rolls for this product.

Cheers and see you on the next one! Friendly reminder, your mileage will most likely vary.

Disclaimer:

The Kinera Idun 2.0 has been sent to me by Hifigo as a part of a review circle. I am not working or affiliated to Hifigo and I am not being paid or influenced otherwise to say anything positive or negative about this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Note: Please note that my opinions and ratings are based on price, category, market competition and personal expectations and are subjective in nature.

If you are interested you can purchase it from here – link.


Introduction, build quality and comfort

Kinera IDUN Golden is the latest upgraded model of their classic IDUN triple driver hybrid pair of in-ear monitors. The Idun 2.0 has a good build quality. The shells are hand painted in blue with white as base colour. On the face plate the background in blue in colour with beautiful golden imprints on it that looks like hair of Idun (the Goddess of Youth in Norse Myths). Idun 2.0 has a triple driver hybrid setup, 7mm custom dynamic driver with a Knowles RAF-32873 full ranged BA and an in-house developed BTC-30095 high-frequency BA on each sides. The drivers are arranged together in a three-way frequency crossover where the dynamic driver handles the lower end, the Knowles BA produces rich midrange and the custom BA driver delivers a smooth high-frequency response. The tuning of the pair is professionally adjusted for complementing different genres of music with a high-resolution crisp sound.

The cable is a 8-core OFC + Silver-Plated OFC cable. The cable has 25 strands of 0.05mm Silver-plated OFC wires and 25 strands of 0.06mm OFC wires with PVC outer insulation. It has 0.78mm 2-pin connectors and swappable termination plug system with 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm single ended termination plugs. The cable seemed to be of good quality and no microphonics were observed. It comes with a beautiful PU leather sipper case and several pairs of tips.

Score for build quality and package: 8/10


Sources Used

Cayin N6ii (R01) via 4.4mm phone out

PhiDeca Dac + Sapphire amp

Sound

The bass has a flat nature, with decent amount of punch and details. I found the sub bass lacking in quantity hence the sub bass rumble is not noticeable in tracks. Although for most music the bass is still quite good and seemed adequate in quantity. Mids sounded pretty good and natural. The presentation is pretty clean and appropriately forward with slightly more emphasis on upper mids than lower mids. This may sound a little thin on neutral to bright setups but on warm setups it sounded pretty good. The treble is detailed and I didn’t observe any peaks. I would have loved a bit more sparkle and extension considering it has a separate BA for high frequencies. Nevertheless, the treble sounded nice and clean without being harsh.

Soundstage has pretty decent width and height. The presentation seemed more towards intimate to me. Imaging and separation was good and the Idun shined on Jazz, Western Classical and orchestral music and performed well for hip-hop, pop and electronic music.

Score: 8/10

Conclusion

The Idun priced at 169 USD is well built beautiful looking IEM that comes with premium accessories and sounds pretty good too. The signature is fairly inoffensive and performs well enough for its price. I recommend it for any genres except for busy tracks where a little more air would have helped.

Overall rating: 8/10

INTRODUCTION:

Kinera, one of the highly praised audio brands based out of China is known for its great craftsmanship in its product lineup and for their unique sound quality. The Norn is the most favourite IEM that i have tried and it belongs to the house Kinera. The Idun being their hybrid IEM with 1 DD (Titanium Composite) and 2 BA has entered the market to increase the competition in the price segment of under 200 USD and let's check out does this really fare in this competition.



DISCLAIMER:

This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by HiFiGo. The whole views are based on my observation with this product and based on my pairings with it hence it might differ from person to person.

If you are interested in purchasing this gen then click on this unaffiliated link: https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-idun-2-0

SPECIFICATIONS:

Kinera 7mm Titanium Plated Dome PU + 1 Knowles BA + 1 Kinera Customize BA

Impedance: 32 Ohms.

Sensitivity: 112+/- 2 dB.

Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-20kHz.

8 Cores OFC with Silver Plated Modular Cable

Plug with 3.5mm , 4.4mm and 6.35mm

DESIGN AND FIT:

The Idun has that unique looking faceplate where it has that golden branches with that colourful gem in the center with branding running along the side with that unique white, blue colour tint combining all those details gives this earpiece a sexy and attractive design ever in an earpiece.

The whole construction is made out of hard resin and is based on a semi custom shell design. The connector is a 2 pin which is good and nicely recessed. The nozzle doesn't have any lips for securing the eartips but thankfully the provided eartips are tight enough to seat in the nozzle area and does provide excellent seal and fit.



The stock cable is one of the best in terms of looks and in hand feel. They have that nice bi coloured braided cable with metal connector area and a metal splitter and chin slider. The case provided along with the package looks gorgeous too where it's a hard shell case with wood texture on the outside and soft lining on the inside.

SOUND:

The sound profile of the Idun is more on a neutral to flat side. The main focus here is the upper midrange and treble section, the bass here is more on an analytical side rather than fun aspect. Technicalities are pretty great in the Idun and in this dissection of audio aspects you will see them in detail.

BASS:

The bass in the Idun is pretty flat to neutral. Here the bass is tuned to focus more on a technical aspect by compromising the fun factor. Both the sub and the mid bass are not emphasised at all hence they are portrayed out flat.

SUB BASS: The extension is poor hence the rumble can't be experienced here. The reach is poor and the weight is on the thinner side. The bass has excellent control and speed thus the separation and clarity in the bass region feels excellent in the Idun. Heavy bassheads out there should stay away from this since it lacks the rumble completely in trade off for the excellent separation and clarity.

MID BASS: The mid bass follows the same trend as that of the sub bass. Lacks the weight and attacks. The body in the bass region feels pretty lighter hence the fullness can't be seen here. Rather the bass feels more controlled and well separated. In common both the sub and the mid bass region possess excellent technicalities by compromising the fun.

Overall the bass is flat, controlled, no bloat, clean and well clarity oriented. The attack, weight, and fullness are lacking in the Idun even though a single DD is present in the Idun. Even though the Idun is pretty strong in the technical aspect of the bass the added fun could have brought some life to the Idun and hope in the next iteration they solve it.

1. Bigfoot – Malfnktion
2. Mountains – Hans Zimmer

MID RANGE:

The mid range is tuned pretty well here and since the mid bass is lean the midrange feels more open and the mid bass bloat is completely absent here. The lower mid however suffers due to that leaner mid bass hence the lower mid has that thinner notes and lacks the body. The lower mid range in the Idun doesn't feel like there is a presence of a dynamic driver. The upper midrange has that slight more emphasis hence the vocals might sound hotter occasionally and that too with some specific tracks.

The piano notes and the kick drums have that nice presentation and in whole the instruments in the track are cleanly portrayed out without any sort of compression. The staging being very good in terms of size the presentation feels grand enough. The separation, clarity and separation in the midrange feels very transparent.

Overall the mid range in the Idun is more on a transparent side with excellent resolution, clarity, detail retrieval and separation while compromising on the lower mid weight, upper mid occasional hotness.

The tonality of the Idun is more on a neutral side with no added colouration and while timbre remains to be natural too without any sort of metallic taste even though there is the presence of BA which is quite interesting.

1. Blowers Daughter – Damien Rice
2. Sexual Healing – Marvin Gaye

TREBLE:

The treble in the Idun is very nicely executed, same as that of the mid range. The extension of the top end is neatly done without any early roll off. The air it possesses is huge hence the separation and presentation feels grand enough in the treble section.

The brilliance and shimmer in the top end feels top of the line. With bright flavour on the top the Idun still manages to avoid the sibilance at all cost yet by delivering some impressive detail retrieval and resolution. The percussion instruments sound very natural and the whole frequency section feels combined and delivers a nice coherent sound even though they have that BA in them.

The cymbal crashes and the electric guitar strings have that natural strike and the decay is very precise. The splash of the percussion instruments do sound more realistic and natural.

The sibilance is not observed in the treble section and they are kept under control even while replaying sibilant prone tracks.

1. Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits
2. Something Happened On The Way To Heaven – Phil Collins

TECHNICALITIES:

STAGING: The staging is pretty good in the Idun where the width and the height correlated with each other. They are not the biggest in terms of stage but the presentation feels grand and spacious overall. The intimate sensation is not felt here thus the staging feels wide enough to create a lively experience.

IMAGING AND LAYERING: The imaging is pretty good here where the instruments placement is more or less precise with excellent layering capability. The channel sweep felt nice and smooth. Even while replaying some of the complex tracks the Idun was capable of portraying out nice imaging and layering and this is due to that nice clean bass response and lesser mid bass bloat.

Detail retrieval, resolution and track separation are above average for the price and it's pretty impressive in fact. The Multi BA does play a nice role in bringing out some excellent technical aspects out of the Idun.

VERDICT:

Idun, the latest offering from the house of Kinera is a well rounded neutral package. The neutral heads out there! Its your item to be picked up! The Idun has that nice neutral sound profile yet with that engaging and lively sound experience and also don’t forget that this has one of the best designed faceplates!

The bass being on the neutral side thus provides some excellent clarity, separation and technical aspect. The mid range is another string aspect of this earphone where it has that unique natural tonality with precise timbre. The staging being wide enough does provide that spacious and grand presentation. The treble has a very good extension thus providing some great shimmer and brilliance in the top end.

The design is very gorgeous where that faceplate looks stunning and it's definitely an eye -catching figure for sure. The golden coloured tree branches alongside that colourful gem in the center with cool white and blue tint gives the earpiece a stunning look overall.

Overall the Idun is a neutral masterpiece with striking design language and TRANSPARENT SOUND out there in the market!

Disclaimer : The Kinera Idun 2 was sent by Hifigo as a part of a review tour but all thoughts and opinions are my own. you can purchase the Idun 2 here.

Build And Fit
Starting a kinera review is the same old same old, me complimenting the looks of the earphone. And this time it shall be the same. It is jewelry for your ears. It comes with the 4pin modular cable system which in my opinion should be the standard for any earphone. You get the 4.4mm,3.5mm,2.5mm adaptors for easy swapping. The silver plated OFC cable is a gorgeous blue and white weave that is also supple. The blue has a neon-y glow to it when light bounces off it. Nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to fit; it fits me snug. Due to the snug fit, it cancels out a lot of ambient noise passively.



Amp Needs
32 ohm, 112dB/mW. Based on my experience, no dedicated amplifier is needed for the Idun 2.

Sound Quality
Based on my experience reviewing Kinera earphones, I think with each new release they are improving in overall sound quality. Idun 2, although struck with some small niggles, sounds quite good overall. It has a "W shaped" tonality which is quite obvious the moment you put it on. The bass is deep with linear extension down low. It has got just the right amount of impact and punch and as a result the entire bottom end is fleshed out. The correct word to describe the low end would be..."juicy". There is no sign of bloat in the bass, so detail retrieval is also not hampered. I wouldn't call the Idun 2 uber-resolving, but I hear no micro details being glossed over at any point of time. Part of the reason why the Idun 2 sounds satisfying is the midrange. It is forward (but not overly so) with thick lower midrange. Vocal performance is the best I have heard yet from a Kinera earphone. Vocal timbre is natural for both male and female vocalists except for its slight touch of extra thickness, which I love. The real and possible only niggle for me would be the upper midrange- lower treble tuning. Idun 2 while not being sibilant by nature, is considerably prone to it. If your music is sibilant itself, Idun 2exaggerates it. I have found this to be true in case of female vocalists and high pitched male vocalists as well; if the recording has intimate and raspy vocals, you will hear the "S's" and "T's" being overemphasized. But the emphasis seems to be in a narrow band region because during most of my music listening there was no trace of it. This treble tuning also adds a layer of sheen to the overall music, making it a touch nasal. Up top there is air and open-ness, which leads to the entire treble region being very "present" and active. Hence my conclusion of it being "W shaped". The tuning which prioritizes all of bass, midrange and treble usually will come across as aggressive to some and it is the same in this case. I would not call Idun 2 fatiguing, but it surely demands an active listen. It isn't something you can lie back and relax to. There aren't very many earphones I have come across with tuning akin to the Idun 2, and I feel the overall result is quite good.
Spaciousness and instrument separation is sufficient but the image specificity is a bit fuzzy.





Conclusion
I would pick Idun 2 over the much more expensive Norn. Idun 2's tuning is uncommon but nicely implemented. It has a W shaped tuning that gives you a toe-tapping experience.

Also known as Idun 2.0

Foreword​

This unit was sent to me by HiFiGo for review purposes
At the time of this article, I have spent over 300 hours on my Idun Golden with regular daily usage
I don’t do measurements, my impressions are purely subjective from a user perspective
Check Out Kinera Idun Golden here: https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-idun-2-0

The Build​

Kinera Idun Golden is a beauty. Majestically elegant from the packaging to the IEMs unit itself. Hand painted resin shells will not fail to impress with strong accent of Norse motifs, a reference to Goddess of Youth, Iduna. What impresses me even more is how ergonomically comfortable this Idun Golden is to my ears. So very lightweight and wearing it all day long does not impart any hint of fatigue to my ear cavities. It is beautiful as it is practical. Holding the IEMs in my hands I can clearly see the amount of details done to make this possible. It would not be too extreme for me to declare that Idun Golden is the most comfortable IEM that I have ever worn, alongside my personal longtime favorite of Shure KSE1500.

Technically, Idun Golden is a Triple Hybrid. Two Balanced Armatures and a single Titanium Plated Dome PU dynamic driver. The BA being Knowles RAF-32873 for Mids, and Kinera own custom BTC-30095 for the Highs. Tuned with an impedance of 32 Ohm, 112db of sensitivity, it suggests that the Idun Gold is fairly easy to drive (but is it?).

Equally beautiful, the inclusion of Kinera ACE cable. Fully modular with all three sizes of 2.5mm BAL, 4.4mm BAL and 3.5mm SE included. Kinera even included a separate 6.3mm adapter for use with bigger devices, that’s very thoughtful on their side. Kinera ACE is an OFC+OFC with silver plating, constructed in Litz formation of 8 cores 3-dimensional braid. It is as exquisitely elegant to match the overall theme of Idun Golden. Sonically tuned to complement the intended sound appreciation as well. The cable itself is quite robust as it is flexible.

Icing on the cake, inclusion of tips selection for varied preferences and usage. I am especially happy with the stock foam tips. Made things easier for me to not fumbling out for aftermarket tips, as I can’t seem to be able to wear silicone tips these days. They just don’t sound right to my ears. Foam tips that came with Idun Golden, they are slow rebound and gloss skinned, which means they seal really good and does not impart any discomfort to sensitive skins (mine being a bit on the dry). Paired with foam tips, I get great isolation and mileage for extensive usage. I even fell asleep numerous times with Idun Golden still pumping music to my ears. That’s how comfortable it is to me.

Last but not least, a simple box to keep them all stored properly. Useful for travels and outdoors.

Equipment Used
The entirety of my impressions done with the following audio gears:

• CEntrance DACport HD (4.1 Vrms, 775mW Single Ended 3.5mm)
• Cayin RU6 (2 Vrms, 4.4mm BAL)
• Lotoo PAW S2 (2 Vrms, 4.4mm BAL)
• HiBy FC5 (2 Vrms, 4.4mm BAL)
• iFi ZEN DAC V2 + ZEN Can (15.1 Vrms, 4.4mm BAL)
• Avani (1 Vrms, 3.5mm SE)
• Abigail (1 Vrms, 3.5mm SE)
• Sony Xperia X Compact (USB 2.0 host)
• LG V50 ThinQ (USB 2.0 host & 3.5mm SE direct)

Sources

• FLAC Files & Tidal Masters
• Windows 10 Foobar 2000, YouTube Music for Lo-Fi
• UAPP with USB Bitperfect mode

Sound Impressions​

Timbre, Tonality & Dynamics​

Kinera Idun Golden is tuned with appreciation for natural and organic timbral presentation. No matter which partners I paired it with, natural organic theme is evident and audible. What this means, Idun Golden does not sound unnaturally bright, nor does it sounded sluggishly bassy. Idun Golden is audibly tuned to be closer to neutral sound curve with welcoming presence to Mids, of which I have found to be one of the strongest appeal for Idun Golden overall sound signature. Dynamics handling decidedly, non-euphonic and non-offensive. It is amply vibrant as it is matured sounding, analogue-ish bias with preferences for subtle fluidity on technical aspects.

In lay man’s term, Kinera Idun Golden is a very musical IEM, supposedly designed for musicians and people that actually make and play music. I can tell from the get-go that Idun Golden is not for analytical listening. Those preferring something highly resolving, bright or outright analytical will likely find Idun Golden not their cup of tea. But for those who just want to enjoy music, less analysis, then Idun Golden has that element in spades.

Despite primarily being musical, I have found that the handling of dynamics transients of Idun Golden to be quite impressive. The flow of which frequency ranges being traversed and presented, there’s harmony and cohesion. It does not offer pronounced edge or aggressive attack; the demeanor is subtle and polished – smooth.

Being well versed to BA timbre, being a lifetime user of Etymotic ER4S since 2006, I know how edgy BA setups are natively. Some people just can’t tolerate Balanced Armatures timbre altogether. Idun Golden, despite predominantly being BA equipped, does not sound like a typical BA to my ears. I like it a lot.

Mids​

The strength of Idun Golden is the Mids. With the current trend of tuning towards Harman Curve, I have found many IEMs to struggle a bit with Mids presentation. Idun Golden evidently does not seem to follow that trajectory. I am hearing Mids that is richly textured and detailed. The density of note weight feels right and believable. It is not unnaturally warm or edgy. It has natural bias that keep things organic sounding. Especially true for stringed instruments. Be it guitars, banjos, violins or even cello, I am hearing realistic tone and pronounced roundedness to the imaging, the flow of notes harmonic as it is natural. But does this mean, Idun Golden is Mids intimate? Not really, the placement of Mids is sensibly positioned to not splash everything upfront. What is certain, it is not recessed as how would be observed from many V sounding unit. Percussions and electronics being equally realistic, with attack and vibrancy not being overcooked.

Vocals, now this is where the real deal is. For one, Idun Golden striking great with Alison Krauss, my all-time favorite Soprano artist. Her piercing, boyish and peaky vocals can be quite annoying if the listening devices are anything than less competent. What I am hearing, Alison’s vocals being sweetly lush and smooth, addictive. Even at the crescendos, when she gave it all, Idun Golden was able to handle the super peaky passages without any hint of upper Mids sibilance. Just give a listen to “A Living Prayer” by Alison Krauss with Idun Golden and you will understand what I am rambling about.

Diana Krall and Sinne Eeg, Idun Golden equally amazing with the presentation of Contralto type of vocals, of which it is deep, commanding, and intimate. The essence for enjoying Jazz, to me it needed a good balance of organic warmth and density, textured yet not overly done note weight. Idun Golden excels at this. Switching to the male side, the same can be said of Baritone type of vocals. In my case it is Morrissey and Nick Cave. Both with very chesty and commanding presence to the vocals. Idun Golden was able to present all these faithfully to the intended nature – imparting good sense of emotions amidst musicality.

Treble​

Idun Golden is not for Trebleheads. Let’s just make it clear upfront. The presentation of Treble is well controlled that it will have zero chances to be sibilant or glaringly bright. For someone who appreciate exceedingly extended Treble, Idun Golden will be perceived as rolled-off and muted. However, to my ears, there’s ample extensions and details in the Treble region, perhaps the texture being a bit shy to what I normally prefer. The overall theme for Treble is subtle as it is smooth. Idun Golden does exhibit good sense of airy sparkle and shimmer. Most important to me, it does not sounded lean or outright metallic. One thing that is certain, Treble performances of Idun Golden largely depends on how competent the driving source is. With anything that is below 1 Vrms, I can say the projection of Treble is just about 70% of what Idun Golden truly capable of. A different story when driven well at the mark of 2 Vrms and over. Shines the best when paired with my iFi ZEN Stack (15.1 Vrms), DACport HD, RU6 and PAW S2. So, to get the best and more pronounced Treble performances of Idun Golden, best to pair it with something powerful.

All in all, Idun Golden is modest with Treble. This sort of tuning will be at home for extended listening sessions as it will not induce Treble fatigue.

Bass​

Much similar to Treble. Idun Golden apparently not for Bassheads too. The tuning for Bass responses focuses on prompt attack and smooth decays. However, I must applaud Idun Golden for being very generous with great Bass textures and density. Bass note weight far from being heavy or commanding, it is as subtle as it can be without being withdrawn. Mid-Bass appeared to have just enough vibrancy to instill euphonic sense of excitement, it has solid body to it. Sub-Bass equally modest yet audible with smooth sensation and realistic decays. What is important to me, none of the Bass frequencies will attempt to overshadow anything. I have been so used to Diffused Field Neutral Bass responses and what I am hearing from Idun Golden is definitely richer than the likes of Etymotic ER4SR, not as flat or subdued. But Idun Golden will pale if compared against the prowess of Sony, Fostex or Beyerdynamic Bass performances. Again, very similar to Treble, Idun Golden Bass performances will just get better with upscaling of power. I mentioned great textures and depth, this is only audibly evident with 2 Vrms of power and above. The most engaging Bass responses I get from the pairing with Lotoo PAW S2, it actually shocked me to hear such refined textures, extension, and resolution of Bass of which wasn’t present when paired with my low powered devices.

Technicalities​

Moderate is the best description I would label to Idun Golden when it comes to technicalities. The Soundstage however deserve commendation for being wide and spacious, not as tall but it has good depth to compensate. Due to overall theme of Idun Golden being musically smooth, imaging and resolution does not appear to be clinical or analytical. The imaging is clean as it is well defined, however the resolution does not have knife edged sharpness. What is great, Idun Golden remained highly transparent and neutral. It has the ability to project the strengths (and weaknesses) of paired sources. On the aspect of details, macro details not an issue. However micro details will only start to shine when paired with competent and powerful partners. I don’t get much micros details from Idun Golden when paired with Avani or Abigail, nor does LG V50 ThinQ. Different story with the rest of my gears, DACport HD and RU6 proved to be the most technically competent partner for Idun Golden.

Spatial staging and placement are as holographic as it can be expected of an IEM of this pedigree. Layers cleanly defined and non-intrusive to one another. There’s good speed and coherence in dynamic transients handling to keep pace even with the most complex of passages – again largely depending on the source’s competency as well.

Scalability​

I have mentioned this a few times. Idun Golden despite being just 32 Ohm and with 112db of sensitivity, seems to really shine when subjected to upscaled power. I like this. While already sounding great with the pair of Avani or Abigail, Idun Golden primarily sounds musical and entertaining, great for casual music indulgence. And things get really good when Idun Golden is subjected to more power. As noted above, the performances of Treble and Bass improved significantly with good 2 Vrms partners. What I am hearing, better definition of textures and dynamic crispness, while remaining smooth at the same time. Not forgetting better headroom too.

Final Words​

All has been said, it is clear Kinera Idun Golden is not a jack of all trade. Idun Golden is a device intended to convey musical experiences for music enjoyment, Idun Golden excels with tonal and timbre balance that is pleasurable as it is natural sounding. Not a device to be used to analyze sound. From this perspective, I have found that Idun Golden is an IEM that takes time to develop a connection to the user. It does not have that WOW element from the get-go. But with regular usage, the elegance of subtleties will then begin to present itself in spades. I appreciate Idun Golden for being highly organic and smooth, I appreciate the musical enjoyment that can be had for extended usage, I have spent over 6 hours in single sessions using Idun Golden regularly. Despite being not a highly analytical device, I think the time I spent with my Idun Golden proved that the charm of the Goddess of Rejuvenation, Iduna, has captured my heart.



EDIT: 26 May 2022. After almost half a year, I find myself using this Idun Golden more and more, regularly, daily. The fact is, I have yet to find an IEM that offers such great balance. In the larger picture, Idun Golden is simply a great unit deserving more merit. It is a definite 5 Stars for me.