Kinera Sif

B9Scrambler

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Ergonomic, attractive design – Solid bass-focused tuning
Cons: Slightly sibilant – Midbass can be a bit too heavy
Greetings!

Today we're checking out the Kinera Sif, the Yang to Kinera's Yin (SEED).

Back in 2018 Kinera released the SEED (Yin), one of a two part iems series (Yin and Yang). It was a budget friendly hybrid earphone originally intended to be a replacement for the BD005, though they had completely different signatures and seemed to coexist for a while. I liked the SEED for it's detailed, midrange heavy sound and comfortable, attractive shell. It was fairly priced too coming in at a hair under 50 USD. The Sif (Yang) finally came to fruition midway through 2019 as the second half of this earphone duo, and takes on a very different approach to sound reproduction when compared to the SEED. I'd say it's probably the true spiritual successor to the BD005.

Is the Sif a quality addition to Kinera's modern lineup? Let's find out.

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What I Hear Lower treble on the Sif seems to take on most of the focus giving it good detail and overall clarity, but also a somewhat dry tonality. Upper treble isn't particularly linear either. It feels like there is a small spike then rapid roll off. As a result, the presentation can be inconsistent. It's not always sparkly, and can sometimes be too sharp. Notes can also be somewhat loose and downright splashy on poor quality files. Decay and attack sound nice though, with instruments being fairly accurately represented. There is also a decent amount of air between notes giving the Sif a spacey feel. While I don't think the treble presentation is terrible, improvements could certainly be made. It gets the job done at least.

The midrange is notably more competent with vocals displaying a realistic amount of warmth and weight. Coherency is fantastic with details and words coming out clearly and with strong definition. The upper mid bump and warmth provided by the Sif's elevated midbass make for a presentation that does an equally good job with both male and female vocals. Female vocals sound especially lush and sweet with just the right amount intimacy, at least based on my preferences. Timbre is occasionally thrown off by that upper treble spike, but for the most part I'm quite pleased with it's accuracy.

I haven't heard a Kinera that does bass quite like the Sif. It is well extended and heavily emphasized giving listeners plenty of feedback on the lowest of notes. It is a little on the slow side though, giving notes a very grumbly, lumpy feel. Kinda cool, but also not ideal for rapid notes which just barely avoid blending together. There is plenty of texture on tap keeping the Sif from sounding one-note. Midbass is the main focus though, and it does have a habit of softening the midrange on particularly bassy tracks. At times it can be a little overwhelming, but then I also prefer a more tame bass response, or sub-bass skew, so this presentation isn't in my wheelhouse anyway. I'm sure most are going to love it.

Soundstage is another area in which the Sif excels. Default staging is just beside the head with effects easily breaking off into the distance. Imaging is nice and clean with smooth channel transitions, layering is fairly average, and instrument separation slightly above. It all comes together to provide a fairly dynamic and expressive soundscape that doesn't smother the track.

Overall I'm quite pleased with the Sif. While treble control could be better, feeding it higher quality tracks goes a long way to cleaning things up. The midrange is fairly natural and coherent but the occasional bites of sibilance will bother some. The bass presentation is quite bold for a Kinera and I think will be the selling point for many. It's not quite going to satisfy a diehard basshead, but everyone else that enjoys an elevated low end should find themselves readily bobbing along to their beats.

Compared to a Peer (volumes matched with Dayton Audio iMM-6)

VJJB N30 (29.59 USD): The N30's dual dynamic setup provides a very different listening experience. Treble is exceptionally mellow with not a lot of sparkle to speak of. In terms of energy, the Sif is much more lively. Still, the N30 manages to retain a sound stage that rivals the Sif in width and depth. I'd give it an edge in layering, say it falls behind in imaging, and separates about the same, if not slightly less effectively than the Sif. The N30's midrange is thicker and warmer with a more linear transition from lower to upper. It's not as detailed nor as clear, but doesn't stray into the Sif's occasional sibilance. Bass on the Sif is much more impressive. It digs deeper, hit harder, has more texture, and provides a more clear, crisp image of each note

In terms of build, the N30 certainly looks awesome with it's shiny blue, almost alien face plates. The ability to peer through the shell into the drivers and complicated looking crossover certainly adds to the appeal as well. The Sif is much nicer to actually wear though, with a more natural shape and ear guides that were formed correctly. While I like the N30's cable, the use of uncommon DC connector plugs limit 3rd party cable options.

The N30 is a solid earphone for the price, but the extra 10 USD you'd put towards the Sif is well worth it.

CCA C10 (41.00 USD): Bass presentation between the two is similar with the five driver, hybrid C10 showing slightly better extension, and the Sif being more linear. The Sif provides more texture while the C10 has a bit more kick behind notes. Due to the Sif's upper mid emphasis, it's presentation is perceived as slightly more forward with increased clarity and detail and a more natural, thicker tone. Timbre is a step behind on the C10 having a more metallic, raspy tinge to it. Treble on the C10 is better extended. Neither has a linear presentation with the C10 showing bias towards lower treble while the Sif's upper treble spike takes precedence. The Sif's upper range presentation is tighter, with notes sounding more controlled. The C10 sounds less wide and more in the head than the Sif with less space between notes. The C10's staging has more depth though, giving it an edge in terms of layering and separation. Imaging is similarly good with notes transitioning between channels with decent accuracy.

In terms of build, the Sif is better looking to my eyes, while the C10 feels much more premium thanks to it;s use of dense acrylics and a heavy metal alloy face plate. Their cables are quite similar with the Sif's being slightly thicker and less tangle prone. The C10 has much better strain relief, however, so I expect it would last longer.

While I enjoy both earphones, the C10 never really won me over. It quickly gets boring, an issue I don't have with the Sif. Plus, the Sif's smaller, lighter shells sit better in the ear during long listening sessions and when I'm out being active.

Kinera SEED (49.99 USD): The SEED gets a lot of hate, and I just don't get it. It has the sort of neutral-bright signature that gets wide acclaim elsewhere. Detail is there, timbre is more accurate than a lot of other budget hybrids, and it looks great. Bass compared to the Sif lacks depth and sub-bass emphasis, but has more punch and a hint more texture. Mids on the Sif are similarly tuned with an upper mid bias. Perception is thicker and warmer due to the extra mid-bass on tap, but falls behind the SEED when it comes to clarity and detail. Treble on the SEED rolls of earlier and is notably less prominent in the brilliance region giving it a more relaxed sound. Lower treble is similarly presentation between the two. It's give the SEED the edge in terms of detail and clarity, but it falls behind in terms of sound stage having a more confined, intimate presentation. Imaging is better on the SEED though with channel-to-channel transition being more crisp and accurate.

In terms of build the two are basically the same, though the Sif gets the edge. The Sif's housings are slightly more refined with neater paint. The MMCX ports are better integrated into the design compared to the SEED's 2-pin setup. The cable on the Sif is thinner and less luxurious (most notably the y-split and plug materials), but it wasn't recalled due to a discolouring issue. I miss the SEED's bead-like chin cinch though. That thing was useful.

While I really enjoy both earphones and will continue to think the SEED is underappreciated, I can't help but surrender to the Sif's superior tuning. It has vastly improved sub-bass performance combined with better upper treble and a thicker more natural, if less textured and detailed, sound.

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In The Ear You cannot be blamed for thinking the Sif looks familiar. It's the Yang to the Kinera Seed's Yin after all. The plastic housings have seen some modifications from their time with the Seed, such as the move from piano black to a lovely gloss white. Since the Sif uses a single driver and there is no need for a dual output nozzle, it has been replaced with a more traditional silver nozzle with metal grill. The 2-pin system, for better or worse, has been replaced with MMCX. The plug snap in tightly and while they rotate, there is enough pressure to prevent that from happening freely. Build quality is similar to the Seed with small improvements in the overall finish. The silver paint coating the raised Kinera branding and L/R markings is notably neater on the Sif, a good thing because in white this housing looks even more classy.

The cable has been mostly improved too. It is lighter, more flexible, and has more compact metal hardware. It's all unbranded though, and loses some of the premium air of the SEED's cable. The aggressively shaped preformed ear guides are a little stiffer than I prefer, but they do the job just fine and do not cause any discomfort. The lack of a chin cinch is the only thing missing, and I suppose better strain relief couldn't hurt.

When it comes to comfort the Sif is excellent. The traditional-at-this-point, bean-shaped, low profile design has been tested by time. It conforms wonderfully to the out ear, there are no sharp edges to cause discomfort, and it simply works. The light weight of the mostly plastic design certainly helps as well. Isolation is pretty average, or slightly below. Treating them as ear plugs with the stock tips in place, sound bleeds through pretty easily. There is a small vent on the outside by the Kinera logo, so it makes sense. Compensation for the noise with extra volume when using the Sif in noisy places is something most people will have to do. That or find some third party foam tips which also helps.

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In The Box Kinera is no stranger to style. In the past, their products have almost always featured amazing physical designs or unique, eye-catching packaging. The Sif is no exception. Straight up, the hexagonal shape of the box it arrives in is unlike anything I have seen from another brand. Neither is the intriguing smeary wood-grain, oil paint-like texturing that adorns it. Flip the package over and you find a more standard black panel marked with specifications, an image of the earpieces, a content list, and some social media links.

Lifting off the lid reveals a social media card inviting you to join the Kinera community, a user manual about the size and shape of a standard business card, and under those a Sif branded clam shell carrying case inside which you find the Sif and accessories. In all you get:
  • Kinera Sif earphones​
  • MMCX silver-plated cable​
  • Single flange silicone tips (s/m/l)​
  • Velcro cable tie​
Cool unboxing. Fairly standard but good quality accessories. I'm satisfied.

Final Thoughts Kinera has been playing catch up ever since the H3 was ripped apart by a few key reviewers, at least in the communities I frequent, though it certainly has it's fans (myself included). Despite my positive feelings about the SEED, others didn't quite feel the same way and it too added to the darkness hovering over the brand. While the IDUN started pushing feelings back in the right direction, more was needed.

Kinera's newest budget models like the Sif we reviewed today should go a long way towards quelling naysayers. Like the Tyr, the Sif is a well-tuned earphone that goes punch for punch with other quality examples in the price range. Add to that a comfortable and attractive design, a simple but unique unboxing experience, and a solid accessory kit and the Sif is absolutely worth checking out.

I'm really look forward to seeing what Kinera has in store for us next. Thanks for reading!

- B9

Disclaimer Thanks to Nappoler with HiFiGo for arranging a sample of the Sif for the purposes of review. The thoughts within this review are my own subjective opinions based on time spent listening with the Sif. They do not represent Kinera, HiFiGo, or any other entity. At the time of writing the Sif retailed for 39.99 USD: https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-Sif-iem-dynamic-with-detachable-mmcx-in-ear-monitors-earphones

Specifications
  • Driver: 10mm SPM dynamic driver​
  • Impedance: 32ohm​
  • Sensitivity: 112dB +/- 1dB​
  • Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz​
Devices Used For Testing LG Q70, Asus FX53V, TEAC HA-501, Periodic Audio Nickle, ifi hip dac, Shanling M0

Some Test Tunes
Supertramp – Crime of the Century
Slipknot – Vol 3 (The Subliminal Verses)
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
Aesop Rock – The Impossible Kid
King Crimson – Lark's Tongues in Aspic
King Crimson – Starless and Bible Black
Infected Mushroom – Legend of the Black Shawarma
The Prodigy – The Day is My Enemy
Steely Dan – The Royal Scam
Porcupine Tree – Stupid Dreams
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Headphones and Coffee

Previously known as Wretched Stare
Pros: Looks , A great musical sounding IEM with smooth bass and comfort.
Cons: Case could be bigger , cable could be better nothing major at this price
First let me get out of the way My Sif came to me Via HiFiGO.com , this in no way ever influences my review because I make it a habit to not write on products I'm going to complain about and see no merit in reviewing.

Packaging is small but adequate and very stylish with its hexagon shape.

Accessories are minimal with a very nice little case that fits the Sif inside and will provide some protection on its travels.

Build quality is light wight and sturdy enough to not worry about it, the IEM consisting of a two part very elegant looking all white shell. the silver cable is above average in quality for this price range.

Comfort is very good IMO having worn these now nonstop for hours in the out side cold and the heat of my gym.
I don't notice them in my ear after the insertion and didn't find myself adjusting them like I have to do often with most pairs.

Sound

Treble is non aggressive and very pleasant without the need for EQ like some other brands that can be very sibilant with certain recordings. There is a nice amount of details up here but remember this is a dynamic driver only so in this respect its doing a great job with the highs that roll off perfectly before any annoying harshness.

Mids are very clear, the have a good presence and timbre The low-mid contains a lot of energy and was pleasant with a surprising clarity and smoothness.

Vocals are excellent with both male and female artist in the many recordings and types of music use for my assessment.
Instrument separation was above average and imaging was better than expected from a single DD IEM.
Soundstage was both accurate in its presentation and wider than average, here its performance was far better than expected with nice depth to it.

Bass the Kinera Sif has a great smoothness to its boom and definitely scales depending on the track being played. I found the Bass and Sub-Bass to have a great power to it without being overly muddy or encroaching upon the mids as a typical V shaped earphone would, this said the Bass has superb control and speed to it.

My conclusion is the Sif is a vast improvement over its predecessor the seed and is a sharp looking IEM that is a under $40 budget bargain, being comfortable. sounding fun and enjoyable with any type of music.
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Johnny Mac

New Head-Fier
Pros: Easy to love warm sound, great packaging and accessory set.
Cons: No design change from the former Kinera Seed.
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A journey always begins with one step and while I have already made reviews more than I have ever imagined I would when I decided to engage in this hobby, it’s nice to come full circle once again with one of the brands that jump-started Audio Realviews.

Kinera was one of these brands. They started way back 2010 and have since released a collection of audiophile offerings topped by their flagship Odin IEM. What we have to realview now though is the Kinera Sif, the Kinera Seeds’ sibling and was designed to follow the Yin-Yang mantra, the Sif strictly comes in white while the Seed exclusively came in black. Shenzhen Audio and Kinera provided the Kinera Sif sample unit in exchange for an honest take on it and no monetary factors were involved. The Kinera Sif is currently priced at $37 and you can grab and check them off the official Shenzhen Audio website.
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The Kinera Sif sports a single 10mm dynamic driver spec’d out with 20Hz to 20kHz Frequency Response, 32Ohm Impedance and 110 dB Sensitivity. The SIF’s sibling, the Kinera Seed was adored as it was despised when it came out and with a much more subdued white colorway, will the Kinera SIF diverge from this mentality altogether? Let’s get on with the realview to find out.

Packaging and Build Quality
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First impressions last, and the Kinera Sif’s packaging and box will delight any consumer that it will get a chance to unpack it off their mails or unbox it when they get home. The choice of going for a unique hexagon box in an almost delectable rocky road ice cream color with the Sif name and Kinera logo upfront was a welcome sight.
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Removing the top cover will immediately show the separate hexagon box for the IEMs themselves which is secured in a black synthetic leather carrying case with the Sif manual on top. Inside this carrying case are a collection (S, M and L) of white translucent silicone ear tips with white wide bores.
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The Kinera Sif is made of plastic all over except for the metal nozzle and grill that is now in silver as compared to the Seed which came in gold and while the Sif and Seed has the same design, the Sif now comes with gold-plated MMCX connections rather the .78mm 2pin connection that came with the Seed. It retains the Kinera logo on the faceplate as well as the single vent and the L and R markings which was the same with the Seed except this time, the logo and markers are in silver. The paint on the logo and the L and R markers on the Seed chipped away after sometime and I hope the Sif’s paint job lasts longer this time around and so far it has. The build doesn’t feel cheap although it is lightweight.
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The Sif’s stock cable has no official specifications but at the looks of it, it’s possibly an SPC cable insulated in clear TPU. It uses round braids that has great tension to each braid but overall renders the cable as not the best for storage as it tangles easily, good thing though is that Kinera has added a velcro strap for cable management and eliminate the tangling issue when storing.
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A cable cinch is also present which works great to tighten the cable for a more secure fit, the cinch comes in clear transparent plastic which the Y-split also employs the same material. The Sif’s stock cable also comes with an over-ear memory guide that ends with a metallic silver-finished housing for the male MMCX connection which is labeled with L and R, the other terminal ends with the same silver-finished housing that has great strain relief that also comes with the same clear transparent plastic and terminates with a gold-plated 3.5mm plug.

Tonality
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The Kinera Sif has been marketed to have been “tuned to a warm, smooth and bassy kind of sound” which was a supposed direct opposite over its Seed sibling. I have done the recommended 30-hour burn-in period(for those that believe it) and have honestly even exceeded it. The Kinera Sif overall gave out an overall warm tonality with emphasis on the sub bass and lower midrange frequencies and a soft approach towards the midrange and the higher frequencies. I was tempted to use full foams for the Sif as it gave the best isolation for my ears however I opted to go with the provided medium-sized white translucent silicone ear tips for the duration of the reaview as well as the Sony A46HN music player crunching out various 16/44 FLAC files which would be mentioned along the realview.

Lows
The lows of the Kinera Sif is where the magic happens. I called on Foo Fighter’s to belt out their My Hero track in 16/44 FLAC and right off the bat the Sif showed that it can give the low-end goodies that most bass heads love, the bass sounded deep but with not much power and a soft thump that lingers long. The sub bass performance isn’t weak in its delivery but not too powerful as well, just the right grip with a slow decay. Bass lovers that prefer a lingering feel on the low-end will enjoy the Sif.

Midrange
Fleetwood Mac’s Sara in 16/44 FLAC graced the midrange test of the Kinera Sif and it rendered the vocals to sound full and clear, coming out at an easily distinguishable aspect. The lower midrange performance complimented the lingering bass feel to exude a more relaxing sound. Upper midrange performance sounded soft and with moderate attack on the various instrumental tones. The Sif can lull you to just chill and let go with its midrange sound.

Highs
Things starts to slow down for the Sif when it reached the higher frequency test. Ed Sheeran came to the after party and rocked his Galway Girl track in 16/44 FLAC. Guitar strums came out with great clarity and definition. Treble doesn’t peak at best and as a treble head myself, it made me long for more and maybe even just a tinge of sparkle would be lovely. All was cool though as harsh peaks didn’t rear its head on the Sif. The Sif would be getting more ear time with how the highs are tuned and its less fatiguing sound.

Soundstage and Imaging
The vent on the faceplate of the Sif works and it made the soundstage less intimate than I have expected it to be. Instrumental tones has more focus on width than depth, there is average detail retrieval and imaging were average as well as the left to right and right to left panning. Layering was mediocre at best too but taking into account how the instruments and spacing were still observable gave the Sif a single thumbs up if not two.

Conclusion
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At its price point of $37 and based on how the overall relaxing warm sound of the Sif was delivered, it’s hard not to recommend it. It has a refreshing and clearly out of its price point packaging with a complete set of accessories (for an entry-level IEM). Its silhouette and design language might not be a new thing since we have seen this in the Seed, it still makes the Sif an aesthetically better looking IEM than most of its under $40 peers.

FastAndClean

Previously known as presata
Pros: great deep soundstage, surprisingly good imaging for the price, small comfortable design, good little package, cheep
Cons: aggressive lower treble spikes, lack of density to the mids , the bass sound empty, bad cable
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source for the review - Sabaj DA3

Songs used for the review
Jim Keltner - Improvisation
Eric Clapton - My father's Eyes
Nah Youn Sun - My Favorite Things
Inception - Dream Collapsing
Steve Strauss - Youngstown
Stimulus Timbre - Expression
Diana Krall – Let's Fall in Love
Trevor Jones - Clear The Tracks!
The DALI CD - Zhao Cong , Moonlight on Spring River
Baba-Yaga, for orchestra, Op. 56
Rebecca Pidgeon - Grandmother
Sara K - Maritime
Trevor Jones - Promentory
Patricia Barber - Regular Pleasures
Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits - Your Latest Trick
Dave Brubeck - Take Five
Marcin Przybylowicz - Go Back Whence You Came
James Horner - Going After Newt
Hans Zimmer - Dream Is Collapsing
Hans Zimmer - Molossus
Harry Gregson - Emergency Launch
Shpongle - Shpongle Spores
Dizzy Gillespie - Could it Be You
Dominik Eulberg - Bjorn Borkenkafer
Trentemoller - The Forest
Kryptic Minds And Leon Switch - Ocean Blue
Nirvana - MTV Unplugged In New York (Album)
Xiomara Laugart - Tears and Rumba (2015) [192-24](Album)
Xiomara Laugart (2006) Xiomara (24-96)(Album)
Xiomara Laugart (2010) La Voz (24-88)(Album)
Jed Palmer - Upgrade (2018)(Album)
Plug_-_Drum_'N'_Bass_For_Papa-2CD-1997-FLAC(Album)
Jon Hopkins - Insides (2009)(Album)
Eric Serra - Lucy (2014) [flac](Album)

specs
Driver: 1 x 10 mm Dynamic Driver

Impedance: 32 ohms

Frequency response: 20 – 20,000 Hz

Sensitivity: 110 dB

Connector: MMCX

Packaging
card box with carrying case inside, silver plated cable, 3 pairs of silicone eartips
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Build, fit and comfort
The build of the earphone is good, plastic but well put together, the cable has very tight connectors, i was loosing the sound from the right earpiece, also the ear-hooks are too tight for me and it was unpleasant to wear them with that cable
fit and comfort with aftermarket cable is very good, they are small and ergonomic

Isolation
is about average

Overall sound signature.
Kind of colored in a strange way, boosted mid bass with lower mid dip, forward upper midrange and lower to middle treble with roll of after that

Bass
Has a bump in the mid bass, sub bass is there but lower in level.
The bass notes can sound a little bit thick because of that but the control is good, it has tight hits but the decay is a little bit lingering after that.
The strange thing about the bass is that it sounds empty, is not visceral despite the good extension, on kick drums the bass lack that deep tight visceral hit compared to Moondrop Kanas for example.
A little bit blurred overall but tight at the same time, very strange bass response.

Mids
The midrange lack presence in the lower part, it has a wide dip there.
That makes the mids thin sounding with a lack of body, at the same time the upper midrange is boosted.
For that reason the contrast between lower and upper mids is larger and that makes the mid tone even worse.
Lack of body with aggressive upper mids.

Treble
The treble is boosted in the lower to middle part, if i have to guess i would say 7-8khz, after that it has another emphasis at around 10-11khz.
The treble sound like it is pointy and aggressive, it can really attack you with the wrong track.
Uneven sounding and thin, overall not very good.

Soundstage and imaging.
the soundstage has good width but the most impressive part is the dept, it is going deep into the track, the imaging is very good coming from all directions. Overall very impressive for the price.

Conclusion

not good
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Wiljen

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: fantastic soundstage, succeeds in its design goals of adding more bass and mids to previous model.
Cons: Build quality is only average
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I was asked to review the SIF by Steve at Kinera Audio and happily agreed as I have enjoyed several of Kinera’s other offerings to date. The SIF is a single dynamic driver that fits in the budget segment with a suggested retail of just under $40 US. For more information or to purchase the SIF, check out Kinera’s Facebook Page. Again, thanks to Steve for the opportunity to review the SIF and I hope to get to review additonal Kinera models in the future. Between the H3, idun, and Seed, I have enjoyed their products so far. Maybe one day the Odin will be on my plate, but so far, that one has been above my budget limit.



Unboxing / Accessories:

The Sif arrived packaged in a hexagon lift top box. I certainly have to give Kinera style points for the packaging as the graphics, design and detail do not hint at a $37 in-ear. The rear of the box has a complete set of specs including package contents as well as technical (nice touch). Overall a very retail oriented package and very eye-catching. Lifting the top, reveals a small clamshell case with SIF on the top sitting on foam padding and the warranty card. The rest of the goodies are hiding inside the case, the earpieces, cable, and 3 sets of tips round out the package. At first, this may seem a bit spartan in the way of accessories, but keeping the price point in mind, the inclusion of a case and a cable tie is fairly uncommon.

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Build/Fit:

Those who have or have auditioned the Kinera SEED will recognize the shells immediately as they are either exactly alike or so slightly altered as to be identical in my eye with the exception of the color. The shells are two piece white plastic with the seam running between inner and outer portions along the mid-line of the mmcx conector. What has changed is the nozzles which are polished metal with a different grill, a forward rake, and a slightly different length than the SEED. Nozzles have a pronounced lip to retain tips. The seams can be seen easily and felt with a fingernail, but are very uniform and do not distract substantially from the aesthetic. MMCX connectors are tight and well fitted with L/R marking on the side of the shell next to the connector. Comfort is quite good as the shells are mid-sized and shaped to sit deeply in the ear. I found little or no tendency to shift during exercise partially due to the shape and partially due to the over-ear cable. Again, if the Seed fits well for you, I’d expect the SIF to do equally well. Some tip rolling may be needed to find the best fit as for me a tip half way between the small and large sizes (Shure Olive M) was about the best.

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Internals:

Kinera uses a single 10mm dynamic driver rated at 32Ω with a rated sensitivity of 110 dB/mW, so it would be easy to assume this is roughly the same 10mm dynamic we have seen used in a lot of earphones for years now. While the specs are similar to the tried and true 10mm dynamics of previous generations of products, the SIF uses a new PET driver to stiffen and lighten the diaphragm which translates into a faster response time with less driver flex. The changes made to the driver were in direct response to feedback from the Seed and a note to that effect can be seen on the inside of the box lid. I found the SIF easy to drive from both smartphone and tablet with plenty of body. It does scale some with a bit more power, bit is not lacking when run directly from a lower powered source.



Cable:

The cable provided is well made with a 4 wire double twist up to the splitter, and twisted pair to the mmcx connectors. The jack, splitter, and connectors are all polished metal while the cable itself is silver/white. Terminations are a striaght TRS 3.5mm jack at the south end, and pre-formed earhooks with well labeled mmcx at the north. Cable flexibility is quite good with little tendency to micro-phonics. A cable tie is also provided for keeping them from tangles when not in use although I didnt find the cable to be particularly tangle prone even when not using it.

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Sound:

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The SIF is an interesting earphone to review, because it was created in direct response to the feedback from its sibling the SEED. I liked the SEED more than some others did, but will readily admit that it had opportunities for improvements. Perhaps most interesting, is Kinera aimed at building an improved SEED, and lowered the price point at the same time. This is something consumers should be happy about and a trend the industry in general could learn from. Kudos to Kinera for not doubling the price simply because you could. The most often leveled criticism of the SEED was that its lower mids were a bit sucked out and it was a bit bass lite. (On the first point I agree, on the 2nd not so much). Kinera did recommend a burn-in period of at least 30 hours, and while I remain skeptical of how much change this really induces, I did follow their procedure before starting on my listening notes.



Bass:

Well starting at the bottom end, I can say Kinera definitely listened to the crowd that wanted more bass impact. Sub-bass is good in both quantity and depth and reasonably tight considering its price point. Mid-bass is big, but again reasonably well controlled so not overly boomy or thick. Mid-bass has good texture and speed with slightly slow decay adding a bit of warmth. There is some bass bleed into the lower mids that makes the lower mids a bit fuller and warmer, but not so much as to mask a lot of the details. If the SEED was a bit too light in the lows for you, the SIF will indeed cure that while not getting it way ahead of the rest of the signature.

Mids:

Lower mids follow from the mid-bass and then begin to back off as you move up the spectrum. In comparison to the SEED, lower mids are much more present, without being over-stated and guitar and male vocals seem much more in line with upper range vocals rather than sitting behind them as they did at times on the SEED. Upper mids are still pushed a bit forward which brings a bit of extra energy to vocals and does make the SIF a good option for female vocals as well. Those who are extremely sensitive to sibilance may find that the SIF does not completely eliminate it, but in fairness it doesn’t accentuate what is recorded on the track either. I found the SIF did a good job of reproducing sibilance if it was in the recording, but not creating it where it hadnt previously existed. I was really pleased with Rock/Pop with the SIF as it handles the smaller orchestration particularly well and electric guitar is well presented. I found timbre to be slightly unnatural for acoustic guitar at times as it came across a bit grainy.



Treble:

Lower treble is pushed forward and gives good energy and detail without getting strident and I was able to listen for extended periods without significant fatigue. Detail level is on par with most in its price range, but should not be compared with iems substantially above that range as its limitations become more evident when you put it up against higher end BA and multi-driver designs. Air and sparkle are good (again, not earth-shatteringly so, but good) and cymbals are believable if not perfectly rendered (which is near impossible for any iem to be wholly honest and one reason it is always in my test list). Roll-off is pronounced above 12kHz, but that leaves enough room below it to remove any hint of veil.



Soundstage / Imaging:

Soundstage is the single best feature of the SIF. Stage depth is fantastic at its price point and above average even when compared to other models up to the $200 mark. Stage width is also good if not quite as cavernous as the depth and the SIF even manages to give a sense of height in the mix. One of my normal tricks is closing my eyes and trying to seat the instruments on the stage in my head while playing orchestral pieces (I love Dvorzak for this). The SIF images very well with most instruments being placed correctly and cleanly next to their neighbors. Layering is also better than expected at this price range and overall the SIF comes off as a much more expensive device when listening to stage and imaging characteristics. The thing that brings the SIF back to earth is that it still suffers from the same thing all single drivers do, as tracks get busier, it can struggle to keep up. In fairness, it takes a lot to make the SIF mis-step in this regard and I would rate it as above average, but it is possible to break it down and get a bit more grit and mud, especially in the mid-bass and lower-mids as tracks get exceptionally complex.



Thoughts / Conclusion:

First off, I think Kinera achieved their stated goal of creating an improved SEED. It checked every box based on the criticisms of the previous model. To top that off they did so while reducing the price by $12. That certainly bucks the trend.

On its own merits, the SIF is a very good earphone at its price point and particularly so for those who prefer to use their in-ears run directly from a smartphone or tablet. The SIF doesn’t need external amplification to provide a rich, warm, full signature with good musicality. A lot of in-ears will work when run directly from a phone, few are truly at their best. The SIF is one of those rare models that really delivers its full payload, even when resource limited.

I find the tonality to be similar to the Simgot EM1 although the EM1 has a little more treble energy and the SIF a bit larger stage. Those who are particularly treble sensitive will probably prefer the SIF as will those looking for a budget in ear with good stage and imaging. The SIF’s stage size is the best I have heard in the sub-$100 segment to date.

Overall, a very listenable, well mannered, in ear that is not particularly source sensitive, and wont break the bank. These would be great travel companions for that canoe trip where you don’t want to risk your CIEMs, great for students or those with limited budgets who still want good sound, and good for those who have a habit of leaving them in a pocket as they go through the wash and don’t want to risk doing so with more pricy models.

The SIF is one of the better spends below the $40 price point and an easy recommendation.

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thelittleaudiophile

New Head-Fier
Pros: - Excellent Value for money
- Good Sound Signature that many can accept
- Comfortable with a tried and true design
- Detachable cable
Cons: - Build quality slightly underwhelming
- Some 3rd party tips do not work well
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Specifications:

Driver: 1 x 10 mm Dynamic Driver

Impedance: 32 ohms

Frequency response: 20 – 20,000 Hz

Sensitivity: 110 dB

Connector: MMCX

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Kinera in any way and they sent the Sif over as a review unit. Kinera has not influenced me to say anything good or bad about the product and all opinions are mine and mine alone.

Before I start, I would like to give a big thank you to Steve and Kinera for the excellent communication and for providing us with the opportunity to review the Sif.

Links to Kinera’s Facebook page are available HERE!

Review by: “Charlie” from The Little Audiophile

Kinera Sif Retail Price (at time of writing): US$37 (SG$50)

TLA Score

Physical Attributes
Comfort: 10/10
Durability: 6/10
Ease of Wearing: 7/10
Noise Isolation: 6/10
Microphonics: 9/10
Value for Money: 10/10

Sonic Attributes
Bass: 10/10
Mids: 8/10
Trebles: 8/10
Sound Stage: 9/10
Separation & Imaging: 9/10
Source Matchability: 9/10


If you are into personal audio, the name “Kinera” should be no stranger to you. Remember the Idun that made waves not too long ago? Yeap, that was Kinera’s doing. Today we will be looking at the Kinera Sif, which is the Yang (light) in contrast to the Yin (dark), that is Kinera Seed. Coming in at just under 50 USD, it is one of the most affordable entries in Kinera’s lineup.

THE BOX
I wasn’t expecting to receive any packages that Friday when unexpectedly, a deliveryman showed up, handed a package over to me. Curious, I caressed it a little without opening it up, I determined the package was of a hexagonal shape.

“It’s the Kinera, no question”.

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I actually really like the packaging style that Kinera has chosen for their more recent IEMs. Albeit coming in at vastly different prices, the Odin, Idun and Sif all share the same hexagonal packaging that slides off elegantly when the box is suspended by the top lid.

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Kinera sure knows a thing or two about first impressions!

Inside, you will find some documentation, a semi-hard carrying case, 3 sets of ear-tips and the Sif itself with a velcro cable-manager attached to it. Pretty standard stuff.

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No complaints about the packaging or spread of accessories here.

BUILD AND DESIGN
Housing
The Sif is finished in a glossy white plastic housing that is extremely lightweight. It essentially has a similar shell shape as the Kinera SEED before it, albeit the different nozzle and colour availability.

The plastic on the Sif does not feel especially thick, it is reminiscent of the plastic used on the KZ ZSR that I personally own. The Sif is better put together though. I have no reason to believe that the Kinera Sif would break under normal use, although I would suggest taking extra precautions not to drop these from a height.

There are some rough edges at the seams where the faceplate joins the inner face. Knowing that the Idun and Odin do not have this problem leads me to assume that Kinera is trying to keep the cost down with this IEM, which in turn translates to a lower retail price at the consumer end.

The nozzle and grille on the Sif are made of metal. I support this design philosophy as the chrome colour of the nozzle does contrast nicely with the white housing of the Sif, apart from improving its strength and durability in the nozzle region. One gripe I have with the nozzle shape is the sloped design of the nozzle. Some 3rd party tips tend to slide down the nozzle, especially if the central tube is not rigid enough.

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Yes, the cable is removable on the Sif, and similar to the Seed, the Sif also employs the MMCX connection standard. Having owned multiple MMCX equipped IEMs, I can quite easily discern that the MMCX is manufactured with a high tolerance. It has some give and certain 3rd party cables does wobble slightly in the MMCX jack. There was, however, no cutting out of sound when the cable was adjusted around its socket. On the stock cable, no wobble or looseness was detected, which is honestly pretty intriguing.

Thinking about it, at a significantly higher price point, the Acoustune line of IEMs do exhibit the exact same wobbly-connector characteristic so I guess I’ll give these a break.

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Overall, I would say that the Sif’s build quality is average at best. The thin plastic and wobbly connector do not particularly inspire a high degree of confidence in its durability, but again for its 37USD price tag, it’s fine.

Cable
The cable that Kinera ships with is a 4-wire 1.2 m Silver-Plated Copper cable which is tightly and evenly machine braided. The overall cable leans toward being on the thinner side and as such is extra supple. As mentioned, it locks securely on the main housing with no wobble. The 3.5 mm jack is minute. Real tiny. This jack should work well with those thick phone cases that are becoming so common these days.

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Microphonics are virtually non-existent with this IEM thanks to its soft and supple cable that does not transmit vibrational noise up into the IEMs.

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One thing about the Sif’s cable that I absolutely love is the aggressively curved shape-retaining ear hooks as shown below. No, the cable does not feature a memory wire, if that’s your thing. This aggressive curve contours tightly to the back of the ear which, to me at least, gives the perception of a more secure fit. It is a small detail, but an appreciated one nonetheless.

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COMFORT AND FIT
The Sif is pretty much up there in terms of wearing comfort. The design resembles that of the Shure SE series of IEMs. Tried and true for the past 5 odd years or so, Kinera has taken the safe route with the design of the Sif, and Seed before it. I have absolutely no complaints about discomfort or pain when wearing this IEM. None.

I went crazy one day an I had these on for about 4 hours continuously – No discomfort whatsoever.

One minor gripe I have about the Sif is the ear tip compatibility. I won’t take any points away from this as it isn’t inherently a negative, but you are pretty much inclined to use hard-stem ear tips with this IEM. To start, the ear tips that Kinera provide are exactly that – hard stemmed. They fit well, but, when switching over to something like the Final Audio Type E ear tip or Spinfits even, they seem to angle really weirdly in the inner ear. I do get a “balanced” left and right isolation, however.

That leads us nicely onto noise isolation I guess. How do these isolate? Honestly, not as good as I expected. Looking at the SE215, HEM1 and EDC which shares a relatively similar housing to the Sif, the noise isolation of the formers outclass that of the Sif.

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With that said, considering the Sif against an IEM of any shape, noise isolation is just about average – the seal is quite airy and when commuting on Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), I can quite easily pick up low levels of environmental and ambient noise in my immediate area. Looking at the Sif’s design, there are two small outward facing holes which I believe is for air to move around the dynamic driver. I think this is the source of the slightly decreased isolation. It shouldn’t be a deal breaker for most though!

SOUND QUALITY
Sound Quality was tested on my Opus 1 DAP

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According to Kinera, the Sif sports a single 10 mm SPM Complex Diaphgram Driver which in other words, is basically a dynamic driver to oversimplify things. Kinera recommends at least a 30-hour burn-in period is needed for the sound to settle. On my end, I did as they recommended and yes, there was a sonic difference. Most notably, the upper mids smoothened out and the bass tightened up a tad.

Especially on more budget-friendly IEMs, I usually don’t buy into the 10 mm… 13mm… 1000mm nuclear-powered, sub-atomic blah blah blah driver that companies too often slap onto their packaging, for the sake of appealing to the masses.

The Sif here is different. For just 37 USD, what Kinera has done here is magic. I’m sure they have coated the Sif’s drivers with fairy dust or unicorn poopoo because these little guys can easily rival IEMs twice, or even thrice it’s price. I’m not even exaggerating.

Soundstage, Separation and Imaging
When properly run, the soundstage on this IEM can be pretty phenomenal. An example of this is with the track “Wandering” by Yosi Horikawa. The song starts off progressively and in the first 20 seconds, the sound footsteps and birds chirping in the distance reach out very far with a good sense of air, space, and realism. That said, the Sif is capable of replicating soundstage from very near in to very far out. Interestingly, the Sif is able to replicate depth and height pretty well. Going back to the track “Wandering”, I can quite easily discern that the two groups of birds were chirping to my rear left and right at an elevated height. I can easily tell they were perched on a tree.

I guess this brings us nicely to the accuracy in the positioning of entities in the soundstage. Yes, it is again pretty good in this regard. I can pinpoint where each sound is coming from in the soundstage to a couple of degrees.

Separation on the Sif is good stuff. I think the airiness in the seal and spaciousness in the soundstage helps to clear up any congestion and compression between the instruments and vocals. A good example of this would be on the track “The Freedom Song” by Jason Mraz. At the beginning of the song, the bongos, guitars and vocals are presented as individual entities in the mix. Hit the 40-second mark, snares, drums and other instruments kick in and again remain pretty much uncongested and well separated. That said, the Sif can handle more complex tracks with ease.

Sound Signature
The Sif is warm sounding IEM with a mid-bass and upper-mid emphasis. Having the Sif as my daily driver for about 2 weeks straight, I found it very hard to find any faults in the sound signature or tuning. Considering the price, I would even go on to say that the tuning is damn near perfect.

Bass
Sub-bass is very well extended. An example here would be in the track “I Like Me Better" by Lauv. This song is basically sub-bass galore and the Sif is fully capable of presenting the energy of every sub-bass hit. It was quite a treat for me!

Mid-bass is again simply delicious. It is very slightly more emphasized over the sub-bass and is super energetic and impactful with minimal bleeding into the mids. Bass has good speed and decays appropriately quickly, making way for the next notes to come without interfering with them. It also does not muddy the lower mids

Bass, in general, has very good resolution and is very well balanced with the mids and trebles. It is perhaps my favourite thing about the IEM.

Mids
Mids on the Sif have a forward presentation. Male and female vocals are in no way recessed with this IEM – just the way I like it! When taking something like “Don’t Know Why” by Norah Jones, her vocals are represented perfectly with the instrument. Her vocals also come off as being very natural with good texture and a touch of graininess.

“Hot-plugging” around the KZ ZSR, iBasso IT01 and Sif on the same track, I found that the ZSR came off as slightly sharp and slightly thin sounding while the IT01 presented her vocals in a slightly recessed manner and was noticeably muddier in contrast to the Sif. I.e. to say, I liked the presentation of the Sif best.

The same thing can be said for male vocals. IMO, they are just a hair more emphasized as compared to their female counterpart, while still remaining natural. I think this presentation also really allows the emotions of the singer to come through.

Instruments in this frequency have good speed and impact. Guitars on the track “Give Me A Moment” by J.S. Ondara are wonderfully crunchy and clean, albeit being less emphasized in contrast to his vocals.

In the upper-mids, some mild sibilance would surface on “essy” tracks. It is nowhere near unbearable of off-putting though. I would consider myself moderately sensitive to sibilance, and to put things into perspective, the track “New Face” actually sounds fine with the Sif at normal listening volumes.

Trebles
Lastly, trebles on the Sif are quite detailed with a good amount of resolution. Micro-details are not the most obvious when compared to some of my balanced armature IEMs, but for the price and dynamic driver configuration, it is one of the better ones in this regard.

I believe there are some peaks in the lower trebles, but the mid and upper trebles are pretty smooth. Treble extension is also pretty good, although, at the very highest end of the treble at or around the 16,000 Hz range, it really starts to dip. For reference, I have a hearing range of about 14 – 22,000Hz.

Overall, an unoffensive presentation and harshness is very well restrained.

CONCLUSION
So, who is this IEM for? Simply put, I would pretty much recommend these to anyone looking for a 50 dollar IEM. I mean, the value that Kinera brings to the table with the Sif is just incredible. It is unfazed by almost all genres that I have thrown at it.

Now, this is just my personal preference and you might disagree with me, but, I would actually choose the Sif over the very popular Tin Audio T2, iBasso IT01 and Shure SE215 any day. It is more fun sounding than the T2, cleaner and less veiled than the IT01 and simply more detailed than the SE215.

Today, Kinera has proven that value, a single dynamic driver and quality can, in fact, come together, with proper research and careful tuning. It is just so hard to fault the Sif here apart from its slightly uninspiring build quality and average noise isolation. That said, if those flaws aren’t absolutely critical to you, I would truly and wholeheartedly recommend these IEMs.

Head over to thelittleaudiophile.wordpress.com for more reviews!
cyh03176
cyh03176
I concur. I actually demoed this just now after I demoed the 64 Audio tia Fourte. If I am just using a smartphone, there is little difference between the two. I am not here to argue with anyone, you can do demo them yourself.
thelittleaudiophile
thelittleaudiophile
@cyh03176 Glad to see that you like the IEM too! I am really taken aback by what Kinera has done here. I've actually let one of my audio-enthusiast friends try this little guy. For some reason, he has not seen or heard of this IEM and has thus had no context of the Sif's price lol. The priced he guessed was... let's just say wayyy above the Sif's actual price. He was pretty shocked when I revealed the retail price to him XD
M
mickey568
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