Kinera Mount Nanna 2.0 Hybrid Electrostatic IEM UPDATED 2/1/21

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again..."

Kinera Nanna 2.0 Pro: Dynamic Driver, 1 x BA, 2 x EST - $949)

Introductions & Disclaimer

Why do I open with this line? - well it's not a slant towards Kinera. I've had the Nanna Pro 2.0 for a few months now, and I must admit, they were sort of parked on a shelf - I made a couple of attempts to listen, and just wasn't enjoying them. Rewind a few months: a representative from Kinera had reached out to me and asked to try one of their products, after some discussion back and forth, we agreed Nanna 2.0. So to get the disclaimer bit out of the way, these were sent at no charge, and with an expectation for honest feedback - and to be honest, I was feeling a bit awkward about the 'honest feedback' bit as they weren't clicking with me at all. During the Christmas break, I decided to give them another try, and this time persevered and rolled quite a few tips... hey presto, voila, eureka: Xelastec to the rescue - interestingly, I've had a love/hate relationship with these tips, and don't often even bother trying them - in this case, I am very glad I did, as they have changed the entire experience with Nanna 2.0, and have become a set I listen to almost every day since, a huge favourite to bring to the office now that working from home is less necessary, and a go-to choice for my morning walk with my dog.

I would like to thank Kinera for the opportunity, and especially Patrick (Kinera Rep) for his highly professional communication style - not only is he a rep for Kinera, but he is absolutely passionate about music, and it is so evident in the many chats we've had over the last few months. He has been patient too on my feedback, with absolutely no pressure. We've had some conversations also about the future direction of the brand, and it seems they have quite a few exciting products up their sleeves, looking forward to hearing more about them in due course.

As always, I like to note that I am not a professional reviewer - just an enthusiast that loves music and technology, and this hobby is a wonderful way to combine both. I do however try my best to convey what I enjoy about a set, and the genres they work well with... and indeed hope this is useful for others!

The Nanna 2.0 Pro is available from various stores, and directly from Kinera HERE

About Kinera

I think most in this hobby will likely have at least heard of Kinera - they do a great job of marketing, and are widely available on a number of well-known online stores. The brand has been on my own radar a while, as coming from a background in consumer electronics, I'm always observing how brands present themselves, sort of in my DNA and as I no longer work in the industry, this hobby allows me to continue enjoying the interaction. Anyway, here is a bit of a background on Kinera from their own website:

The story began in 2011, YuTai Electronic Acoustics was officially established in Dongguan, China. A year ago, we developed the world’s first high resistance 5mm micro dynamic speaker for military hearing aids. In 2013, we began mass manufacturing balanced armature driver and became an internationally and locally renowned supplier of driver. In 2014 till 2015, Yutai Electronic Acoustics has developed a number of patents for various driver technologies such as bone conduction. In 2016, released the first hybrid driver IEM BD005 by “ Kinera “ brand, which became the most competitive entry- level hybrid driver IEM after launch. In 2017, released the second hybrid driver IEM H3, which is based on the sound of the BD005 proofing further refined, with a more outstanding sound and sense of hearing. At the same time, BD005 was rewarded the runner-up in the headphone market of the year by Japan’s leading headphone retailer E-earphone. In 2018, Kinera released a series of product with a symbolic meaning: SEED, IDUN and ODIN were born one after another, and at the end of the year, we launched the IDUN special limited edition 500 sets during the Christmas season, which were sold out within a month before they were launched. In 2019, Kinera released its latest single dynamic driver in-ear monitor, the Kinera Sif. Afterward, later the first EST IEM, the Kinera Nanna was released.


Specifications

• 2 Sonions EST + 1 Mids Sonions BA + 7mm Dynamic Driver
• Impedance: 60 ohms
• Sensitivity: 110dB±2db
• Frequency Response: 5Hz-50kHz
• 6N OCC with Silver Plated Cable

Unboxing & Accessories

The Nanna 2.0 Pro is my first experience of a Kinera product, and it certainly gave me a wonderful sense of first impressions on arrival. The branding is excellent, and the box has a rather unusual hexagon shape. The attention to detail really is top notch - everything from the excellent selection of accessories, to small (but important) things such as how well the cable connects to the IEMs.











Case

A very practical case that allows Nanna and cable to fit securely and without any difficulty taking in or out - I'm often surprised with IEMs how impractical the supplied cases can be, often too big or even too small, Kinera got it spot on here. When going to work, I pop the case in a front pocket of my laptop backpack where it fits neatly and easy to access.



Cable

The supplied cable has a modular system for 3.5mm, 2.5mm, and 4.4mm - very well executed in that it's neat, easy to change, and doesn't accidentally unplug. The cable itself is relatively soft and pliable, and in general I would say of high quality for a stock cable. It's comfortable over the ears, and has very little microphonics and perfect for out walking and general portable use. The 2-pin connectors sit flat on the IEMs, and have an excellent secure fit - a pet hate of mine is stock cables that are meant for a recessed socket, but the IEM doesn't have a recessed socket, I really cannot understand a brand decision to do that... thankfully Kinera again pay attention to these small, but important details.







Tips

There are a fantastic selection of tips to include the excellent Final 'Type E' in a wide array of sizes. There is also a selection of foam tips, and two packs of additional stock tips. There should be something here that works for everyone, but as noted earlier, I had some trouble and only more recently went digging in my own collection to find a better fit, and thankfully I did with both Azla Xelestac and SednaEarfit Standards - both of which often rescue me from fit issues! But again, an excellent selection of tips which as I've noted, really highlight the brand attention to detail and overall complete package.



Design and Fit

The shells are I assume made from some form of resin - they are wonderfully smooth, and have a beautiful hand painted finish, which of course makes each of them unique. They are a smallish size, and fit perfectly in my ears with excellent comfort - one of the best I've tried in fact. They are vented, and I have not experienced any pressure build. There is a good level of isolation too, when I'm out walking I can hear traffic around me but not too much of an intrusion to the music - when wearing at home, they pretty much block out everything around me in the house... wife, kids, dog etc





As noted, I really appreciate when a stock cable sits perfectly flush and secure in the IEM - and indeed has a comfortable over-ear loop that holds securely in place.



Listening Impressions

A graph first of all borrowed from the Kinera website as this might be useful for readers to get a general feel for the tuning. Of course how they sound in 'real life' is always quite different, but the graph is a somewhat useful guide.



The Nanna 2.0 in summary is a somewhat bright leaning set, with a lot of energy, excellent clarity and a good sense of balance from low to high. It has very good technical capability, with a reasonable sized soundstage.

Bass

Bass digs quite deep when called for, and has a nice sense of rumble with excellent texture. The mid bass is distinct from sub, and hits with decent authority - kick drums for example have very good impact. Touching on sub bass again, it has plenty of room down low and is rendered with excellent clarity and without any sense of bleed, likewise mid bass. Listening as I type to 'Kong' by Bonobo for example, and the sub rumbles along underneath with great clarity and presence - it has that sense of a sub woofer, but not overly powerful - this is not a bass-head set.

Mids

Excellent clarity, good note weight, plenty of space, and with an overall euphonic delivery - any instruments positioned here have fantastic vibrancy, and even in the most busy tracks I have not encountered any congestion or harshness into the upper mids. Male and female vocals are both well rendered, and tend to sit in-line with instruments, not pushed back or forward in the mix. Timbre is very good, but I have a DD bias here and will always prefer instruments such as strings, piano, brass, wind etc on a dynamic driver.

Treble

The treble via the ESTs is very well executed, and has a really crisp, snappy bite - it allows an excellent sense of air, and wonderful detail retrieval. There are times where I'm close to my own treble tolerance levels, which lead me to turn the volume down a little. While Nanna works well with any of my sources, there are scenarios where a slightly warmer and less energetic source can be a better choice. Also, I'm finding Nanna overall performs better with higher quality recordings - less forgiving of older/inferior recordings... sort of a 'poo in, poo out' scenario...

Technical

Nanna is a very competent set from a technical perspective. It strikes a nice balance of musicality and technicality. The stage has good width out left and right, but not the deepest - I can't count this as a 'con' though, as I find I sometimes prefer a soundstage of this nature - it's not always necessary for it to expand out in every direction. Imaging is very precise and clear - very easy to pinpoint any specific component of a track, and even sort of eyeball where that sound appears within my skull! Tracks with multiple layers are handled with ease, and again positioned well on stage. Resolution is very good, and I keep reminding myself this is a sub $1k set when listening for these various attributes, Nanna does a truly excellent job and delivers with great overall cohesion.




Test Tracks

London Grammar - Missing (vocal, electronic, indie)

I'm a big fan of London Grammar, and pretty much always use at least one track to test an IEM. Vocals here are beautiful - in a perfectly central position, and realistic in terms of my expectations on how I hear them. The instruments spread out with nice width, and plenty of space to be heard in isolation. It sounds nicely balanced, plenty of detail, good emphasis on vocals, and overall a wonderful listening experience.



Boy Harsher - Fate (vocals / synth / EBM)

I was excited to see this on my DAP as I was digging through tracks to test. I've not listened to this album in a while, and have very fond memories of a holiday about 4 years ago where we played this album in the car as we visited various places in the west of Ireland. Nanna does an excellent job here - again vocals are well positioned for my listening preferences, and there is plenty of space for instruments. I would probably prefer some more bass here, as I think this track sounds at it's best when the bass gets a bit more attention - note to self here, make sure to test this track for my next review, the Custom Arts Fibae 5. Synths sound warm and swirl off in both directions on stage, creating a very nice sense of emotional engagement. There are quite a lot of electronic elements at play in this track, and they have an excellent sense of layering on stage - very easy to pick out individually, but also an excellent cohesive whole.



Brambles - In The Androgynous Dark (modern classical)

A really beautiful track from a wonderful work of modern classical genius. It is simple, elegant, and wonderfully captivating on Nanna - and while I did previously note my preference for DDs for instruments of this nature, it is fair to say it's a nitpick in many ways as I can comfortably close my eyes and just get lost in this track. The clarity I've previously mentioned is absolutely key for me in tracks like this - a pristine delivery of each instrument, with excellent distinction, Nanna absolutely delivers here and definitely a set I can comfortably recommend for this genre.



Idles - I'm Scum (punk)

This is always one of my curve-ball tracks that can really challenge an IEM. It's fast, it is very high energy and the peak moments can become a bit difficult for some sets. Unfortunately Nanna didn't do so well here, the climatic moments with percussion and guitars hitting their peaks just sound too harsh, and I would really struggle to keep listening, unless lowered to a volume where it becomes no longer enjoyable for lack of presence.



Blocks & Escher - Vigil (drum and bass)

Another one of my tougher test genres, this time Drum & Bass. Not quite as challening as the previous track, but I would prefer a bit less energy up top for this track and likely D&B in general. The snares are fast paced and hard hitting, becoming a bit too harsh for me - I can tolerate it unlike the previous track, but I would be far less inclined to reach for Nanna when listening to this genre.



The 7th Plain - Excalibur's Radar (IDM, ambient techno)

Most who listen to techno over the years will likely have heard of Luke Slater - he is a legend of the genre, going right back to the early 90s. I own pretty much everything he has ever produced, and cherish his work these days as the '7th Plain' the most as it's of a more subdued, relaxed, melodic nature - more fitting to my stage of life, where I no longer hit the dancefloor for pounding techno, but do listen still from time-to-time Incidentally, his recordings as the 7th Plain actually date back to the 90s, and I would argue were quite ahead of their time and quite unique - they sit in an ambient techno camp, so that being slower tempo, and designed more to listen and relax. Anyway, a bit of a waffle there - this track works very well on Nanna, there are lots of intricate details that if you focus attention, you can easily zoom in on them individually and get a great feel for the musical mastery of Mr. Slater - complex percussion that sits a bit back in the mix, wonderful melodic synths and a generally captivating listen.



Esmerine - Translator's Clos I & II (world, instrumental, modern classical)

Spectacular album - multiple instruments and recorded in Instanbul with guest musicians, that Turkish flavour very evident. This is a relativy high energy track, with quite a lot going on at times and definitely a good test for an IEMs ability to keep up, and not fall intro a trap of congestion - while still allowing individual instruments to have a space on stage. It sounds dramatic and absolutely exciting on Nanna, posing absolutely no challenge for the multiple drivers to keep up. I've include part 1 & 2 of track below, as I listened to both for the review.





Conclusion

A key take-away from my experience with the Nanna 2.0 is absolutely the need to make sure I try numerous tips - not only from a fit perspective, as in this case I did feel with some tips that the fit was fine, but the sound was not - only when I eventually tried the Xelastecs didn't everything finally fall into place, and the Nanna shot up to a set I listen to almost every day, ahead of sets considerable more expensive. In my opinon, Nanna punches above it's weight, and offers excellent value in terms of a sub $1k set - compare it with some of the kilobuck sets, and of course it will fall short, but I would argue that it certainly does not fall short to the tune of the difference in cost that exists between some of these sets, and a sort of 'case closed' situation for me in terms of some of the best evidence I've secured on the topic of diminishing returns. I know Kinera have higher-end sets on the way, and I will be very curious to hear how they stack up having experienced what they can do at this lower price segment. There are numerous boxes ticked with Nanna that Kinera deserve high praise for: they sound wonderful, great comfort, excellent selection of accessories, and an overall fantastic attention to detail - it is clear to me that Kinera are a brand that deserve more attention.

I’ve been super happy and lucky to have a decent range of upper $700 plus IEMs on hand to review and tribrids are slowly becoming my new favorite type of IEM. I heard about the Kinera Nanna Pro(2.0) a while back and always wanted to check it out but I’m happy to say I finally got a chance to listen to it. The Nanna uses a 7mm dynamic driver, one balanced armature and 2 electrostatic drivers. The Nanna Pro comes in at $949 here in the states.

Quick shoutout to Andrew from Bloom Audio for sending the Nanna Pro to test and review. While I always appreciate the chance to test and review products sent in from manufacturers, it never affects the rating of my reviews.

The Nanna Pro can be picked up from Bloom at their website below.
https://bloomaudio.com/collections/kinera/products/kinera-imperial-nanna-2-0

Onto the review of the Kinera Nanna Pro! My personal preference is a hybrid/tribrid IEM where I get good hitting bass and have a detailed treble with decent mids. When it comes to an over ear headphone I prefer a spacious sound with a deep low end, the mids to be more forward and the highs to be a little bright with some sparkle. I listen to a lot of genres but I hover in the classic rock, blues and edm music with some rap here and there.

Gear Used​

IPhone 12 pro with headphone adapter, Aune BU2, iFi Go Blu, SMSL SU-9 feeding the SP400 amp. Weiss DAC

Looks and fit​

I think this is a fairly good looking IEM. I don’t like IEMs that don’t have some type of lip at the end of the nozzle but I was able to get some snug fitting tips on to counter them falling off inside my ear. I’m a little hit or miss on the faceplate design, this however is a super subjective opinion. I would take this faceplate design over a boring plain metal faceplate however. The Nanna is a little smaller than some of the more recent IEMs I’ve reviewed recently but it should fit most people's ears just fine.

Isolation​

The isolation is rather good on the Nanna Pro. For a hybrid it still has a breathing hole for the DD driver but it doesn’t let much sound in from the outside world. So good passive isolation. It does however leak sound more than I expected from an mostly sealed IEM. In a quiet room you can definitely expect people to hear what you’re listening to, so probably not a good option for those going on plane trips or use at night next to someone else trying to sleep.

Packaging and accessories​

Inside the box we get a decent chunk of accessories. The box is beautifully designed and when you pull the top off you get a little brochure going over the company and Nanna. Under that we get a bunch of Final E tips, some wide bore in house tips and some foams. We also get a carrying case, a few different adapters to use 3.5mm and 2.5mm. I think this is a fine assortment of accessories. I will admit I’m spoiled by the accessories DUNU includes with their audio gear so I might sound a little bummed by the accessories we do get here.


SIDE NOTE: I had heard that Bloom Audio sent kit kats with their packages but I was super surprised my review unit came with kit kats in the box. It tasted really good and I think it’s a small but really cool little thing Bloom does. Thanks for the treat!

Sound(overall)​

These final impressions were done off a mix of the iFi GO blu and the SMSL SU-9 connected to the SMSL SP400. These are what the Kinera Nanna Pro sounded like to my ears. This was also using the regular CP100 eartips from spinfit. Things like ear tip selection and DAC/amp selection will produce different results and impressions vs what my ears hear on my specific gear.

Seeing a tribrid design, I was expecting a harder hitting bass than what I ended up hearing. The bass is fairly well controlled but it goes for a less impactful sound and more detailed presentation down low. It reaches down low pretty well, the DD sounds really fast as well. It just lacks a bit of that extra dynamic slam/impact I would like from a hybrid personally. The mids are really wonderful however and this is where the star of the show really starts to show up. The lower mids are well defined if not a little boring for my ears. The rest of the mids and upper mids/lower treble really come alive for me though. The vocals sound really good and lifelike with no harsh details or sibilance. This was the one thing that always stuck out while listening to the Nanna Pro. While the vocals are super detailed, they have just the right amount of sweetness that keeps things from sounding shrill or clinical. The treble does have a bit of bite that gives instruments a little extra sparkle and detail. I would say this is a fairly tamed treble however and it doesn’t come through with the best detail retrieval, at least past the lower treble. It’s definitely a warm treble but I personally think it works well with having a big focus on mids and vocals. I really like the way Kinera handled the tuning with the Nanna Pro.

Soundstage/Imaging​

Soundstage is a little more closed in with a decent width but a below average depth. I think this really helps with vocals but this is far from a “big” stage. I prefer wider and deeper stages on IEMs but I like the tuning so it gets a pass here. The imaging was fairly good since everything is intimate stage wise. It’s easy to pick out things with what width we get. Those looking for a holographic stage/image will wanna look elsewhere.

Stock cable​

Stock cable is fairly nice and it comes stock with a 4.4mm pentaconn connector. I thought the basic silver was a nice and relaxed look. I also like the softer rubber feel of the cable. It never got caught on anything and I had no issues with microphonics. This is a standard silver plated wire. I don’t cable roll as much these days on review units as I don’t have time to include my thoughts on cable sound differences but I wouldn’t change the stock cable unless you want something different looks wise or wish to simply play around with cable rolling.

Tip rolling​

I hated all the stock tips that came with the Nanna Pro. The Final E tips are a really nice included accessory but I felt they made the Nanna a little too warm and muffled at times. The stock wide bore tips made the bass sound too lean as well. I ended up using a set of standard CP100 tips from Spinfit. The Spinfit tips are usually the main set of tips I use with everything I personally have or review. The CP100 got me what I felt was the ideal tuning for the Nanna Pro. Definitely play around with tip rolling when picking up this IEM.

IEM comparisons​

Symphonium Helios​

I’m gonna be lazy and paste the comparison from the Helios review I did below.

“The Nanna is still fresh to me but I really like the clarity and details I get out of the mids and throughout the treble. The lows are much better on the Helios but the Helios is really good at being an “all rounder” to my ears. The Nanna is very detailed when it comes to vocals and the lower-mid treble. This set is really nice with certain genres but not so much for a daily IEM that works well with everything I listen too. I can’t really say which is better. I think the detail retrieval goes to the Nanna but the Helios does the lows and mids better and the staging is much wider and deeper on the Helios vs the Nanna. Go with the Nanna if you listen to mostly rock, anything with vocals and music with a big focus on instruments.”

THIEAUDIO Clairvoyance​

The Clairs come in just a little less in terms of cost than the Nanna Pro. The two IEMs go for a different tuning however. The Clair is my favorite IEM so while I have some bias and what I would consider the best tips and cable suited for me, the Nanna does some things better. The Clair does low end impact better but doesn’t do vocals anywhere near as well as the Nanna. The Clair has a better treble over the Nanna with more detail retrieval. Though the Nanna does lower treble much better which gives it a better detail in most instruments. The Clair goes for a more “all rounder” tuning to my ears while the Nanna feels like an IEM that has a specific tuning and purpose. Which is better? I’m not sure there is a clear winner as I feel the Nanna does better as a genre specific IEM. I would choose the Clairvoyance as the everything IEM and the Nanna Pro for when I want some vocal bliss.

Amping Combinations​

iFi Go blu​

The Go blu is my favorite portable DAC/amp at the moment for the small size and nice sound quality it pushes out. Without using any of iFi’s hardware EQ features, the Go blu does well at keeping the nanna sounding smooth and decently detailed. There was a little more bite in the upper mids and lower treble that was a little much at times but I could easily balance it out by turning on the iFi xBASS that balanced out the extra energy by having a bit more focus on the bass and subass. The xSPACE was a bit too much for my tastes and I ended up only using xBASS most of the time.

SMSL SU-9/SP400​

This being my go to setup for all the gear I test and use means my thoughts here will match what I wrote in the sound section of my review. The most noticeable difference over the cheaper DAC/amp stacks and portable source gear was the speed overall. Everything felt like it had more energy though I still didn’t quite get the low end thumps I would prefer from other tribrids. Staging was a little wider but depth still felt about the same as the lower cost source gear. I think you could get away with something like a standard desktop DAC/amp, DAP or portable DAC/amp just fine.

Weiss DAC​

The Weiss DAC is a crazy expensive DAC/amp combo that really brought out the best and worst in all the gear I paired to it. The Nanna Pro managed to survive without sounding too harsh and the biggest difference I heard was the top end energy increase that gave the Nanna a little better detail retrieval. The bass was still a little on the lean side for me but there was indeed better detail and texture down low. The Mids stayed the same but the special soundstage that the Weiss DAC produced really made the vocals sound like someone was singing to you and it just felt more magical overall. The Nanna can definitely scale a bit but I think a normal portable source or desktop source would work just fine.

Overall thoughts​

I really like the way the Nanna Pro sounds and while I still wish it had a little more impact in the sub bass, I found the vocals to be the star of the show for me. I do believe this is more of a “compliment IEM” or “genre specific IEM” but I don’t think someone who is just getting into the near $1k IEM market would hate using these as a daily IEM for everything. I will be giving the Nanna Pro(2.0) a recommendation. This is assuming you can get down with its tuning. Those looking for a better all rounder would probably do better with the Symphonium Helios or maybe take a step down and go with the THIEAUDIO Clairvoyance/Monarch. Thanks for reading!

Kinera Nanna 2.0 ($949): A flagship worthy of inclusion?

4.25 stars

Imperial Nanna


Audio46

Intro: Coming off a few tours of late, I find myself realizing how lucky I am. Some of the gear, which has come across my palette of late has been flat out fantastic. Some pretty good. But you get the sense that when an audio company, whether it be manufacturer or seller, sends their wares out you can be assured they will be pretty good. Some of late I almost lament that I cannot purchase for I do not “need” them, only mere want. I am thankful for Audio46 sending the unit out on tour, otherwise I probably would not have had the chance to audition this.

As for Kinera, it seems they have struggled to compete by changing their IEM's and "house sound" with every model, never settling long enough, even when users/reviewers were pleased with said signature. The iDun was quite acceptable to me, but Kinera went and changed it for the worse. Some of the later offerings were just plain bad. I won't sugarcoat it. They were awful of tune and of sound. But the Imperial Nanna 2.0 seems to put Kinera back on the map of acceptability and works on muscling into the forefront. Details are really quite good, with appropriate bass thump and presence, without bloom. It seems that Kinera may finally be settling onto something here...



Specs:

• Four Driver Hybrid Setup, including one 7mm Dynamic Driver, one Balanced Armature Driver and two Electrostatic Drivers.
• Impedance:- 60 ohms
• Sensitivity:- 110dB at 0.3mW
• Frequency Response:- 5Hz-50kHz
• 2-Pin 0.78mm 6N OCC with silver plated

In The Box:

• Nanna 2.0 IEM
• Tips: 5 sets-Final E, 6 sets-silicon, 2 sets-foam (Comply-like)
• Cable: 6N OCC& OCC, silver plated
• User Manual
• Cleaning tool
• 4.4bal to 2.5bal adapter, 4.4bal to 3.5se adapter
• Magnetic (p)leather case

Gear Used/Compared:

Empire Ears Hero ($1349)
Fir Audio VxV ($999)
Cayin Fantasy ($799)
Dunu SA6 ($549)

Shanling M6 Pro
Cayin N6ii (E01 mother board)
MacBook Pro/XDuoo XA-10


Songs:

Peter Frampton
Alex Fox
Pink Floyd
Buena Vista Social Club
Elton John
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Shane Hennessy
Jeff Beck
Dave Matthews


Unboxing:

Kinera has always gone their own way with regard to the unboxing experience. Settling quite often on a sextagonal-shaped case, the lidded case is large. One would associate this with premium. The front hints at some color schemes (actually mirroring my Dunu SA6...), with gold lettering, while the back is complete with highlights (in well seen light gray I might add...other companies should take note...) of the unit, a “frequency graph,” specs, box inclusion and included associations with other manufacturers such as Sonion and Final.

Taking off the lid, you are met with a three-piece sextagonal history manual. It is like opening a Tetris piece, but does not quite fit down into the box, over the foam inserts. On that, you can read the history of the name and about the technology used within the Nanna. Inside the lower section you have a soft foam insert, which has corresponding cut outs for the pleather case, IEM’s, tips, cleaning tool, and adapters. An interesting take on the unboxing and box, but that is how Kinera rolls.

With a name patterned after the Norse god who lost her husband, Nanna sacrificed herself, coming back as a scarlet mountain in the Nordic skyline, blazingly looking up under the north lights waiting for Baldr’s return. One can rightly assume this is the origin of the Aurora Borealis, otherwise known as the northern lights. Interesting history, so the Imperial Nanna 2.0 better sound good.



Technicals:

Using a four-driver hybrid setup, including one 7mm Dynamic Driver, one Balanced Armature Driver and two Electrostatic Drivers, the Nanna follows the path of the mountain; hiding herself in the darkest parts of the mountains. To me this equates well to the darker, rich sound emanating from within the Imperial Nanna, yet again following her mythological heritage. The Sonion EST65DA01 is a dual paired micro driver electrostat super tweeter responsible for the treble. Using this dizygotic cartridge pair for low symmetric distortion, which allows the extension of the highs. It works.

The mids are handled by the Sonion 26A008/5 BA, which is claimed to be similar to a Knowles branded mid BA. Promoting high resolution characteristics and a touch more warmth than the Knowles, the Sonion does its job giving good clarity and warmth at the same time. The lows are handled by an in-house 7mm custom dynamic driver made with a PU composite high polymer set up. According to Kinera, the high amount of polymer yields better tension, giving better bass response. This makes sense as the better held the dynamic driver is in place, the less it inhibits the sound radiating from it. Put this all together and you get what Kinera hopes is a pleasing overall experience.


Build/Fit/Finish:

Acrylic shells are the norm now, along with 3D printed shells. Some look good and work, others have not, and those companies should really be ashamed of their QC. Kinera is not one of those. From the off, Kinera’s build quality has been top notch. It continues here as one would hope with a flagship. Made of a single shell, with ornate faceplate, the Imperial version (or Mount Imperial) looks fine in the dark black shell, with a single vent hole out the back. The coloration of the faceplate is tasteful, sparkly and yet not garish at all. The Mount nomenclature is the actual name for the coloration, hence some misunderstanding out there with regard to naming and such. Hence, the “official name” is the Kinera Mount Imperial Nanna 2.0. I shall continue with either Nanna 2.0 or N2.

The nozzle is longer than some and took a good bit of effort to mount the foam tips or silicon for that matter. I’d rather it be a bit harder than not, as one model of late I actually got the tip stuck in my ear for a good five minutes...That larger bore of nozzle does hinder a bit of comfort when using foam tips, but after the foam “complies” with the shape of my ear, I could listen in near-effortless fashion for a good bit of time. The N2 does stick out from my ear more than I would like.

The cable is an OCC silver-plated copper as mentioned above, and of 2-strand only.



Sound:

Summary:

*About 3 of the last four IEM's I have reviewed have had bass bloom, which hindered overall sound quality, even if I did like them. The Nanna presents this bass “bleed” well. Mids are a bit too far forward for my taste, but I am in my first 20 min of listening, so take that as you may...and the treble presentation is indeed a breath of fresh air. Extension and detail without sibilance or gratiness. Kinera hit the sweet spot up top.

Up front, I am impressed with the tuning of the Nanna 2.0. Some note this is a smoothed version of the original, with a bit less bite or vibrancy up top. Extension is quite good up top, but without being bitey or grating. Extension lends to a very good sense of space and air, and thus soundstage. Peter Frampton’s Georgia On My Mind is a case in point where you get an expansive sound as the piano seems to come from one far end and the other instruments the opposite side. Not disconnected but tied together nicely with an excellent sense of space. Mids come across as clean and clear with a bit of a push in the lower mids to me. This can tend to override those excellent treble notes a bit by pushing them to the side or back a bit; but this isn’t the case. Bass, rather sub-bass is strong as witnessed by another Frampton song from the album Frampton Forgets The Words, Avalon. The thump of bass drum is real and something I have not heard from another at this level in a good bit. Tied together, even with a bit of bass bloom into those already forward lower mids plays nicely making for a richness, which comes across as smooth rather than too thick. Just as others have described. Warm and rich, but with detail this is the best tuning yet for a Kinera in my opinion.

More:

As mentioned, the bass comes across as near-thumpy, but with good control, not great. But that bit of looseness, a faster attack than decay, aids in presenting that smooth sound, setting the foundation for a thoroughly satisfying sound. Play a bass rich song, and you get good control. Dave Matthew’s Dodo is known for its beginning bass note as the song fades in. On some IEM’s this can come across as almost distorted, or robotic. Not here as the electric notes build to that foundation of which I speak. That bleed into the lower mids while giving a smooth signature can come across as a bit confuddling. Not the cleanest of presentation here, but comparatively well to the others in this category. I would call it a bit of depth or soul or feeling. Instead of just being present and accounted for, the bass note sets its signature for you. I appreciate that in this tuning.

Others have mentioned that the mids come across as frontal or near frontal in attack, but not in a bad way. I would tend to agree mostly. I do find that brighter songs, such as when a guitar is going through its licks, the sound can be a bit overwhelming. I liken this to my tendency to not tolerate bright forward signatures. Plus, this is not nearly as frontal as some of late (mentioned below). On Bittersweet (Live) from BHT&TM, Todd’s vocals are simply sumptuous. Toned perfectly to me and presented with that bit of vibrancy mentioned, but not hindering my pleasure. His vocal presentation is strong and taut, but deep and rich at the same time. The N2 vocal presentation represents that quite well. Only occasionally does one hear a hint of sibilance, and to me that comes from the recording and his vocals (yes those are upper notes but come across here to me).

Speaking of that upper end, the treble notes come across with that extension, which can often lead to sibilance and harshness of presentation. Not so here, as that extension is presented cleanly and without sibilance (except for the aforementioned vocals, above). Cymbal hits sound striking and real. No artificiality such as others here have. This extension leads to an expanding of space, which to me nullifies that somewhat overly bright tendency. Again, this is only to me, YMMV. This is among the better treble notes I have heard and as sensitive as I am if I can tolerate it, then it is really pretty good.

Soundstage is expansive in all three directions, but not so overly great as to give no tie to all the notes. All is tied together and the N2 has among the best soundstage I have heard of late. It really is grand. This leads to excellent instrumentation & layering as each note can be easily separated without being disjointed. Placing of instruments while grand also give very good spatial representation, lending to excellent detail. Clarity is thus quite good as well. I am amazed as how many I have heard of late are all quite good at the above-mentioned items, but the Kinera could be the best I have heard in quite some time.



Comparison:

Kinera Nanna 2.0 ($949) v Empire Ears Hero ($1349):

Empire Ears models are legendary for their bass reproduction, and I personally consider them the best out there for sheer quantity coupled with quality. The Hero uses the new W9+, in duality of course. There is no denying the Hero has spectacular bass, trouncing the Nanna 2.0 in depth and presentation. But once we get into the mids, it gets interesting. While both promote crisp vocal treatment, the Hero has a tendency to “overpromote” those mid tones. I agree with Ryan Soo who called them overly bright, too much so. I agree, even though I purchased one. On less mid-prominent songs though, the Hero is a fantastic unit. As clean, clear and crisp as it gets.

This overly bright signature does carry into the treble range, further deteriorating what to me is a superb sound. Mind you with the right genre, as in less techno, EDM, etc. the Hero is superb. On guitar works such as Frampton’s Reckoner (quickly becoming a favorite album, you need to listen to it), his work is of the sort you might find in a Fantasy song around the movie Avatar. Such is his sublime playing, that you cannot do anything but enjoy it. On the Hero, it is fantastic. On the Nanna 2.0 it is smoother, but still wonderful. This would come down to whether you want orgasmic bass, with mids, which can be too much; or a smoother overall presentation, with very good control. Both are worth a look if the budget affords.


Kinera Nanna 2.0 ($949) v Fir Audio VxV ($999):

The VxV came on the heels of the excellent quartet of the Fir M-series. I was already smitten with the M5. So much so, that I almost purchased and M3 or M4 (quite acceptable to me it would have been). But then the VxV came along, and I thought, “holy buckets, this is the ‘affordable’ model?!” I really think they missed a point by not making that opaque outline glow in the dark. That would have been bitch’n. Anyway, the VxV sent me down the road to what exactly a TOTL must have or provide to the listener in order for their appetite to be satiated. Excellent bass, wonderful vocals and treble, which does not grate or bite too much. If I had the “need” for another, of the five Fir mentioned above, it would be the VxV that comes home and lays with me. It provides 75% of the M5 at 35% of the cost. And to me this is what makes a TOTL special, truly special.

Comparatively, the Nanna 2.0 is again a bit smoother, with good extension. The VxV can also hit the high end, and with a bit better control, but the soundstage on the Kinera is actually better, allowing for a bit more space between the notes making up for that “lack of control.” The VxV is a bit more clinical of note (not analytical or dry, but precise), where the Kinera is deeper, smoother and more laid back. Both are pretty much remarkable in their own characteristics and to “choose” a winner would be like choosing a BMW M5 over an Audi RS6. I’d be happy with either.


Kinera Nanna 2.0 ($949) v Cayin Fantasy ($799):

The Fantasy came and went about a month ago. It was quite stunning in look, and to me it still backed that up with good, solid sound. A bit too much up high, and a bit weak down low, it matches the Hero in detail presentation. This is a very precise IEM in tonality. If you desire or need accuracy of sound, including placement, then the Fantasy would be the choice. But that smooth signature of the Kinera keeps growing on me, even at the difference of price. Mind you, the Fantasy to me is a very, very good offering, providing quality of soundstage, placement, airiness and overall sound, but it falls behind the Kinera in my overall ranking, due to the smooth texture of sound, which fits my listening more. As per usual, your mileage may vary.


Kinera Nanna 2.0 ($949) v Dunu SA6 ($549):

Not really a fair fight due to the price, but the SA6 as mentioned in other reviews is an excellent example, which furthered Dunu’s technology. I love the interchangeable jacks and it makes for an easy solution if you desire excellent sound. I still find the presentation of the SA6 stunning. To think that a model, which is essentially mid-fi can come with a tunable sound (flick the switch on the side), and multiple jacks is astounding. Not quite the sub bass as the Kinera, and clean, non-analytical sound from the mids; the SA6 still provides me with excellent listening. There is an upper mid push, which can taint the overall quality, bringing the mids further forward than the Nanna 2.0 even. The treble thankfully does not suffer, but that mid sound is too far forward to me on most songs. Lifted and pushed, it colors and otherwise very good sound. Turning the switch off does help alleviate this a bit, but you lose the sumptuousness of the bass presentation as a result. A fair trade, and still one of the benchmarks (to me) at this price, but otherwise falling behind the Nanna 2.0.


Finale:

I will admit that based upon the last few examples from Kinera I thought, 1. They are still struggling to find their “identity,” and 2. Would this be yet another higher-end product from Kinera with high hopes dashed? My hope was neither and that this would be a good product.

Kinera “settled” for a western-based signature on the Imperial Mount Nanna 2.0, with a warmth to it, complementing the smooth richness of texture and laid-back signature. It is no secret that I prefer this signature, with gobs of bass as well. The Nanna 2.0 hit all of those marks, except for the gobs of bass. It has very, very good bass with sufficient thump on songs to make its place well known. It also presents an open and airy, but not light signature, which promotes this sound even further. The highs are brilliant in transition from the mids and presentation. Not too high, not too low, but with excellent extension aiding this end. The mids are pushed a bit too far forward for me, but only slightly. Especially when compared to something like I did above with the Hero or SA6. In fact, if I could transfer the mids from the Nanna 2.0 into the Hero, it would be spot on perfect for me.

The transition continues from the sub bass to the mids, with that bit of bloom I talked about earlier, but this helps to keep the signature smooth with good texture and depth. Not muddy, bit depth of texture. Think Lake Superior water quality versus the Missouri River and that while being an overexaggerating response, gets the point across. Those first 20 minutes of listening turned into a frantic week of trying to squeeze as much listening time into the Kinera as possible. Sometimes I do so begrudgingly to garner a full impact upon the sound. Here it was for pure pleasure and the verbiage scribed here. This is one damn fine unit, and I really hope Kinera has hit its stride with this one. I’m pleading with you: don’t change it. Leave it alone. Walk away and grab a beer or scotch or something. The job is done with this one. Move on to another model.

I finish this written garble listening to Frampton’s Reckoner again and again. Such sweet guitar work and the support that reminds you this song would be just as home in a Jason Bourne movie as he gets away once again, as much as “just a song.” I thank Audio46 for yet another stellar audition in something I most likely would not have had the chance. And to @Kinera: leave the Mount Imperial Nanna 2.0 alone!!! Let it sell itself, and it will.