Kinera URD Tribrid IEMs(2DD+2EST+1DD)

Disclaimer: I purchased the Kinera Imperial URD with my own funds, and this is not a review unit. I did not receive any discounts for writing this review. If you decide to buy this IEM based on my review and find that you disagree with the sound or assessment, that responsibility lies with you. I strongly discourage relying solely on a single review for purchasing decisions in the realm of audio quality, as preferences vary. You should conduct thorough research by exploring platforms such as YouTube, head-fi forums, and various Facebook audiophile groups before making a purchase decision.




My evaluation of the Kinera Imperial URD is based on the modular stock cable provided in the box & Final E-series ear tips also included in the box. Kinera as gone out of their way to provide a generous amount of accessories with the URD, I did not feel the need to purchase any third party cables or tips immediately.

Throughout the review, I utilized the Hiby R6 Gen III DAP as my source, with class A amplification mode turned on. I found the URD to have a good synergy with the neutral tuning of the R6 DAP, while with my Ifi Go Blu (a warm sounding source) it sounded a bit too laid back and bass sounded bloated and muddy.


Sound Evaluation

Tuning: The Kinera Imperial URD has warm-neutral sound signature with a bass boost. Clearly there is more of an emphasis on the bass and mids in its tuning compared to the treble. But you won’t be sacrificing too much technicalities in exchange for this warm and neutral tuning approach. And the URD is extremely musical, it’s designed for a good time rather than analytical precision.

Highs (3.5/5): The treble rolls off early with the URD, it’s not very well extended and leans towards the dark side of the spectrum. There is lack of air and sparkle in the treble region due to the dark tuning, although certain micro details are better extracted in the upper-treble register due to the presence of the EST drivers. But due to the lack of energy, excitement sounds missing in the treble region overall, which makes me wonder the benefit of implementing EST’s in the first place.

Mids (4.5/5): The mids handled by the custom BA driver of the URD present realistic tone and timbre of the instruments. Bass guitars, acoustic and electric guitars, snare drums, violins all sound clear and crisp and can be easily identified in the mix. Female vocals sound particularly euphonic & emotional, while male vocals sound rich from the added warmth coming out of the low end. There is a clear balance between the upper and lower mid-range which many harman-target IEM’s fail to achieve, you won’t be subjected to any artificially boosted upper-mid peaks or shoutyness.

Lows (4.5/5): The low end is managed by dual-diaphragm dynamic drivers so the bass of the URD is generously well extended and very authoritative. Kinera nailed both the quality and the quantity of the bass, the sub bass reaches low to create a nice, deep reverting rumble. The mid bass slams hard with excellent punch and weight. Kickdrums sound fast and punchy, instruments such as bass guitars, bass drum kicks, bass clarinet all sound full-bodied and textured. Both the sub & mid bass have an equally dominating presence and can handle busy tracks really well. Bass performance of the Urd should easily please the more “mature” bass-head.

Technicalities (4/5): Urd has very good technicalities, the resolution is above average with a good amount of detail retrieval. Layering and instrument separation is very good too, I was able to locate the instruments & vocals but not with extreme precession like in some other sub $500 all BA sets. The soundstage can be perceived as 3D & holographic, a very wide and spacious presentation. Overall, for a warm tuned set the URD presents very good technicalities but it isn’t a technical monster and a bit more performance can be expected at this price point.



Comparisons

KINERA URD vs DUNU SA6 MK II:

Treble: Dunu SA6 MK II treble is more well extended and has more air and sparkle at the top end. Even without EST drivers SA6 MK II does a better job highlighting the treble and sound much more energetic without it being too fatiguing or harsh, whereas URD goes for a darker and smoother approach.

Mids: Midrange on the SA6 MKII offers better clarity, is more textured and does highlights the instruments better than the URD. Vocals sound very close, however SA6 MK II sounds a bit more forward, female vocals sound expressive and emotional in both but I will give the edge of male vocals to the URD due to the added warmth which adds more weight and male vocals sound meatier.

Bass: Although SA6 MK II brings the fight to URD with good quantity of bass which is fast and thumping. But it simply can’t compete with the dual dynamic driver of the URD which has more slam, hits harder and has more physicality to it. Bass heads should get the URD and call it a day, it’s that simple.

Technicalities: SA6 MK II offers better resolution and clarity compared to URD, better imaging and layering too. In terms of soundstage width URD takes the win in terms of micro detail retrieval SA6 MK II takes it. I found the timbre of instruments to be more natural and realistic on the URD while the SA6 MKII displayed slight BA timbre.



Conclusion

I would like to keep it simple & short, if you want a fun dynamic sounding IEM without sacrificing too much of technicalities, then Kinera URD will be your cup of tea. It's all about enjoying your music, URD isn't about offering the highest resolution or highlighting micro details and nuances. I think the Kinera URD is an excellent all rounder and can be a potential end-game for many folks. Is it work the asking price? Absolutely, given that Kinera has presented URD as complete package to its customers, you don’t need to go looking for third party cables and tips which I find really refreshing.

Urd is one of the Nornir and She is a sister of Skuld and Verdandi. Along with her sisters, They are collectively known as the goddesses on manifestation of fate in Norse mythology that they ordained the fate and destiny of on both mortals and gods. She holds the events of the past on her spinning thread.

Click to expand...

This is what makes KINERA products even more fascinating as their naming scheme on their models were based on Norse mythology. I did a review before on KINERA Idun Golden and also from its sister company, CELEST Audio.


What I have here is their latest midrange product, The KINERA IMPERIAL URD. IMPERIAL URD has a multi-hybrid drivers set-up consisting of 2 dynamic drivers, 1 balanced armature drivers and 2 "electrostatic"/Electret drivers. The dual dynamic driver has titanium-coated diaphragm in its 8mm dual cavity set-up that handles the low frequencies for better responsiveness on transient speed, consistency and better dynamics performance. The balanced armature is a customised Bellsing 11021 specifically for KINERA's standard, and this particular driver handles the upper mids to the presence part of the treble region which give more texture and detail on vocals and most instruments. Then on the high frequencies, it was handled by Sonion "Electrostatic"/Electret EST65DB01 driver which will give a more sparkle and improve its airy extension of the brilliance part of the treble region.




These drivers were encapsulated in 3D-printed, medical-grade high quality acrylic resin. Its overall aesthetics reminds me of shades of water in a clear, almost pristine river on which has also something to do with Urd's association with water element. Water is also an essential source of Urdarbrunnr's (mystical well) in which Urd have her role on it and it's importance as it was situated under the Yggdrasil. There's a vent hole at the top part of the shell for the outlet for excess air pressure generated from its dynamic drivers. KINERA IMPERIAL URD uses a recessed 2-pin connector which is probably the most stable and durable type of interlocking mechanism on detachables.




The sizes of its shell chassis are on the larger size due to the types of transducers that were implemented inside but it still fits well and wearing them is quite very comfortable without any ear fatigue or soreness. It has a good passive noise isolation as it blocks a substantial amount of noises from the outside due to good sealing within my lug holes.



KINERA also did a good job on including a high quality stock cable on KINERA IMPERIAL URD, not just a high quality stock cable but also a modular one. The cable has interwoven co-axial 6N OCC wires with Silver Plated OCC wires and Gold Plated OCC wires to give a better conductivity on transmitting audio signals. The modular termination plugs have 3.5mm single ended, 2.5mm balanced and 4.4mm balanced for versatility on different output jacks.



As I expected, KINERA will always give the best possible unboxing experience to its customers and also one of the most generous when it comes to inclusions. The box of KINERA IMPERIAL URD is a large, hexagon-shaped one with its beautifully designed print on it. The inclusions are placed in an organised manner.



Here are some of the following contents inside the box:

■ a pair of KINERA IMPERIAL URD IEMs.
■ Modular stock cable
■ 3.5mm SE termination plug adapter.
■ 2.5mm balanced termination plug adapter.
■ 4.4mm balanced termination plug adapter.
■ 2 pairs of foam ear tips of different standard sizes.
■ 3 pairs of KBear silicone ear tips of different standard sizes.
■ 4 pairs of KINERA wide-bored flesh-coloured ear tips of different standard sizes.
■ 5 pairs of Final Type-E narrow-bored black-coloured ear tips of different standard sizes.
■ an oval-shaped IEM storage case.
■ Cleaning tool kit
■ Instruction manual.



With an impedance rating of 20 ohms with a sensitivity rating of 107dB, IMPERIAL URD should be easy to amplify even to devices such as smartphones and tablets as they have decent power output. But putting them on smartphones with high quality DACs like LGs and a dedicated digital audio player with even better DAC/amp with a powerful output will deliver a better amplitude scale to sound even more dynamic and fuller across the frequency range.



Regarding its sound profile, IMPERIAL URD has balanced-neutral tuning which has slightly elevated low frequencies with a fairly neutral midrange to treble frequency ranges to give a very natural and smooth presentation.


LOWS/BASS:

The bass quality of IMPERIAL URD has an ample impact, punchy and yet clean. Both sub bass and mid bass are well-balanced and equally have their own merits to present.

I discerningly felt those reverberating and rumbling sounds coming from sub bass-focus instruments such as synthesisers, drum machines, low-toned bass guitar and a rare instrument like octabass. Mid bass have a good texture to give a well-bodied sound on bass guitars, bass drum kicks and bass-baritone vocals. Bass guitars have its weighty and sombre sound on them for every plucking on its strings while bass drum kicks have a full and thudding sound. Then on bass-baritone vocals have that guttural and well-rounded masculine voice with its heavy and dark timbre as I listen to Barry White, Andrew Eldritch and Peter Steele.



MIDRANGE:

Midrange is probably the strongest asset of KINERA IMPERIAL URD in my opinion, it almost got a perfect score on my standard list when it comes to midrange quality. I'm also a midcentric- type of listener and I can clearly perceive those texture, detail and clarity to give a sweet and euphonic quality on female vocals, a deep, warmth and dazzling sound on male vocals and a very natural and yet depicted accurate sound on instruments.

On different types of male vocals, baritones have their lush and rich tone as I listen to Eddie Vedder and Lenny Kravitz. Countertenors have its light and gleaming quality on them especially on Andrea Scholl on Handel's Ombra Mai Fu, Robert Gift of Fine Young Cannibals and Yannis Papadopoulos of Beast in Black. And then tenor singers like Luciano Pavarotti, Robert Plant and Freddie Mercury have its ringy, brassy and clarity on how they hit their highest note. Meanwhile on female vocals, it gives that distinct smoky and husky sound from their lowest chesty register as I listened to Tracy Chapman and Annie Lennox then on mezzo-sopranos vocals like Andrea Corr and Dolores O'Riordan have those velvety, coppery with deeper and more rounder sound to captivate the ears of vocal lovers. On sopranos type of vocals, it fares better on lyrical and dramatic types to have a silky, light and silvery sound from the likes of Alison Krauss, Mariah Carey and Tarja Turunen but it on coloratura types, I feel that there are some slight inadequacies of being energetic and nspacious to deliver that atmospheric and airy voice but still Imperial Urd is still able to deliver it as it sounds quite ethereal.

On instruments, KINERA IMPERIAL URD perhaps one of the most natural and tonally accurate sounding in some midrange sets that I ever tested. Strings like guitars have this buttery and midrangey sound from either acoustic or even electric ones while violins have a lustrous and eloquent sound of them. Brass instruments like trombones and trumpets have solid, brassy and full sound on them. Woodwinds like saxophones have this sombre, warm and sonorous sound while concert flutes have this rich and mellow sound on them. Percussive like toms have this full, sombre and dark sound, while snare drums have shuffling and hard sound. Piano tones have a warmer and rich sound that reminds me of some German antique pianos.



HIGHS/TREBLE:

It seems that KINERA IMPERIAL URD's treble quality is on a balanced side of tuning as it is neither bright nor too dark sounding to my ears. It is actually very smooth and well-composed on the upper mids to the presence part of treble as I don't hear any peaky and edgy sound that might cause harshness or sibilance but still have a decent amount of detail.

It also has a good amount of air and sparkle as it gives a lustrous sound with sufficient sizzle quantity on cymbals and depicts the faithful sound characteristic of hi-hats with their shortened, buzzing sound.



SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:

The overall dimensions of IMPERIAL URD's sound/speaker stage has an impressive proportion as it has an above average to wide on width size, with excellent height ceiling and good depth on between front to rear as it gives me a moderately spacious head room within my aural sphere.

The imaging capability of IMPERIAL URD is somewhat fair to middling in my opinion as I was only able to perceive the placement of instruments and the singer(s) in a not so precise and pinpoint manner compared to some midrangers to TOTL IEMs that I've tested and reviewed before. And its overall presentation is rather two-dimensional stereo panning but it has good separation of instruments and vocals along with a good layering aspect as each element has its own frequency and dynamic layer tone that were arranged and well-placed within its sonic canvas.

The cohesiveness of its drivers are highly satisfactory as all of its drivers perform efficiently with faster transient response, no distortion and a consistent phasing and coherency of sound output.

Resolution capabilities of this set has a solid and strong fundamentals on macro-dynamics with a decent detail retrieval on how it extracts some details and nuances from an audio track but it isn't sharp on definition to be the most resolving set out there. The timbre quality on IMPERIAL URD is very natural with a hint of warmth on it.



PEER COMPARISONS:


AUDIOSENSE AQ7 INSIGHT:

● Like IMPERIAL URD, AQ7 INSIGHT is also a multi-driver IEM albeit without Sonion "Electrostatic"/Electret driver but it has more quantity and more premium BA drivers. It also has a high quality resin shell chassis and is almost equal to KINERA IMPERIAL URD when it comes to product packaging and quantity of inclusions. The stock cable of AQ7 is decently good but not a modular one.

● As for tonality, AQ7 INSIGHT has "reference-neutral" sound signature as it has a more tighter yet solid bass, a textured yet transparent midrange with better clarity and detail. And then, a crisper and shimmering treble with remarkable sparkling and even more airy on the brilliance part of the treble region. But its tuning might be a bothersome to some treble sensitives folks out there.

● Technical aspects of AQ7 INSIGHT are excellent. From a similar dimensions sizes of sound/speaker stage though AQ7 INSIGHT seems to have a tad wider sound/speaker staging. Better imaging as it has a more 3D-like immersive presentation and I was able to locate the exact location of instruments and vocals accurately. It has even sharper and better resolution on its detail retrieval capability too. Although AQ7 INSIGHT is prone to driver flex.


DUNU SA6 MK.II

● Unlike the KINERA IMPERIAL URD which has a hybrid driver set-up, SA6 MK.II has an all-BA driver configuration with a toggle switch for improving its bass response. Both IEMs have a high quality medical-grade resin shell chassis and they are on par on product presentation and number of inclusions.

● Tuning-wise, SA6 MK.II has two sound profiles, a balanced-neutral and mild U-shaped sound signatures. SA6 MK.II BA bass is quite impressive as it almost mimics the dynamic and solid performance but it won't be able to match a true dynamic driver that IMPERIAL URD has. Both have similar midrange quality as SA6 MK.II's is quite textured but it is more detailed, more energetic and even better clarity to give a more even lively and vibrant sound on female vocals and some instruments. While it has an analogous treble quality with the IMPERIAL URD, SA6 MK.II somehow has a more crisper and more sparkling sound on its brilliance part of the treble region.

● Technical capabilities are quite similar but on resolution capability especially on micro-detail retrieval, SA6 MK.II has more finer and sharper definition. Even imaging capability is even better on SA6 MK.II as I was able to locate the positioning of instruments and vocals in a very pinpoint manner.



As I put up my conclusion on assessing this product. It looks like KINERA takes a different approach on devising this set for the even more competitive portable audio market. Certainly that it is unlikely the most technical performer in the midrange category but with its well-tuned, excellent sound profile and probably one of the most natural sounding IEM that I have encountered in a midrange segment. KINERA IMPERIAL URD has its unique arsenal that can compete with some of the best midranger sets out there. But the big question is, Is it worthy that this set will be recommended to other audio enthusiasts out there? Affirmative it's a yes, if you can afford to purchase this one, I can assuredly that you will not regret buying this set as long as you have similar tuning preference as mine.


KINERA IMPERIAL URD is available to all major audio distributors but here is the link to KINERA's official store, check it out below.


◆ KINERA IMPERIAL URD ◆


And also check out my reviews on other KINERA products and its sister company, CELEST.


● KINERA IDUN GOLDEN

● CELEST GUMIHO

● CELEST PANDAMON





SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: KINERA IMPERIAL URD
IMPEDANCE: 20Ω
SENSITIVITY: 107dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 5Hz – 50KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.25M
PIN TYPE: 2-PIN CONNECTOR (0.78MM)
PLUG TYPE: (MODULAR) 3.5mm, 4.4mm, 2.5mm
DRIVER UNIT(S): (2) DYNAMIC DRIVER + (1) BALANCED ARMATURE DRIVER + (2) ELECTRET DRIVER



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

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



P.S.

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

Kinera Urd is one of the latest tri-brid IEMs from Kinera. It has 2 Sonion EST + 1 Kinera Custom BA + 8mm Dual Dynamic Drivers. I am excited to review this pair since I have high expectations for them and they did not seem to fail.

DISCLAIMER:​

• I am not affiliated with Kinera and have received no monetary compensation for writing this review. This unit is provided by HiFiGo in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

PACKAGING​

The unboxing experience is a wonderful one. I am not a fan of the multiple fonts used on the box, though. The whole package is encased in a hexagonal box with lots of text and random stuff. For $650, a lot of eartips are included, as is a collaboration with Final Audio with 5 pairs of Final eartips. However, the rest of the eartips feel too cheap for a $650 package.

What's inside the box?​

BUILD QUALITY​

No arguments here, the build quality is outstanding. The Urd has a cool and refreshing design that reflects the wonders of the oceans. The cables look sturdy and can take a beating. The modular cables don't feel loose, I can't assure that in the long run, but the plugs look very seamless. As for the eartips, do we even need to doubt the Final E eartips? We all know these have been our go-to budget eartips for their comfort and durability. I can't say for the rest of the eartips. For $650 the rest of the eartips feels very cheap. Could have expected at least an Azla Sednafit replacing the clear KBEAR-like eartips, and a Comply memory foam tips, am I asking for too much? I think I am.

OTHER SHOTS​

Kinera Urd in Hakugei Healer Cable

Kinera Urd's modular plugs

SOUND:​

BASS: The bass has good impact and quantity. The attack and decay are very quick on the uptake but lack sub-bass depth and rumble. The midbass is more defined, with a robust body and subtle punches. The overall bass is very balanced, with no exaggeration or dominance on the lower frequencies. Die-hard bassheads will have to take a pass on these pairs. This would still be a go to pair if you are not that much of a basshead.


MIDS: The mids have excellent resolution, harmony, and details. The synergy between the vocals and instruments offers an almost lifelike and engaging experience. Instruments are exceptional, especially stringed instruments. Seriously, Here Comes The Sun sounded way different than I remember, and the acoustic guitar is very emphasized. The bass guitar is an exception; I can barely feel the bass playing on the same track. Personally, I prefer the female vocals in this pair, as they sound richer in comparison to the male vocals. The Urd smoothly transitions from the upper mids with no harshness and obvious peaks.


TREBLE: Treble is surprisingly inoffensive and laid-back. The big drawback of the treble is that it may be too safe for some, it is lacking in treble energy, so you'll definitely miss all the sheen and sparkle. It doesn't seem to share the same level of coherency between the lower and middle frequencies.


TECHNICALITIES: While IEMs, especially closed back in-ear monitors, don't offer the same openness and space compared to open-back sets, the soundstage of the Urd is wide and a lot more decent than most IEMs in the market. Sounds coming from this pair don't feel congested and float in a specific area. This gives a good sense of space between the vocals and instruments. Details and microdetails are decent despite its safe tuning, and you may hear sounds you've never heard before in a good recording. The Urd can keep you engaged for hours with its almost lifelike tonality. It still suffers from a lack of dynamics and has an overall laid-back presentation. The overall technicalities are not the best, but they are not the worst either.




The Kinera Urd is one of the most excellent and stunning in-ear monitors I've seen in the Chi-Fi market. Most of the things I could say about the Kinera Urd are positive, with fewer negatives. However, with the price of $650, this purchase is no walk in the park for someone like me and then wind up disliking it.

Pros:

• Great soundstage
• Excellent tonality
• Looks bulky, but it's comfortable and surprisingly light
• Lifelike vocals and outstanding emphasis on some stringed instruments
• Has a favorable intimacy with female vocals
• Premium build and a wonderful unboxing experience
• Modular cables

Cons:

• Lower frequencies lack sufficient weight
• Lacking treble energy and clarity
• Expensive

INTRO

“[R]avel porcelain, made by masters in China.” (Masters in China by Priscilla Ahn)

Specs: 2 Sonion ESTs + 2 Titanium Coated Diaphragm Coaxial DD + 1 Kinera Customized 11021 BA



DISCLAIMER: Kinera provided the unit as part of a review tour. All contents, conjectures, and errors herein are my own, sans any bias to the extent possible (everyone has a bias, as is human nature, but that’s another discussion). I am not an expert on the subject matter or a professional reviewer. I’m just an audio enthusiast who loves listening to music; hence my review references songs/tracks. My opinions (and they are just that) should be taken with a grain of salt.

MINI REVIEW


In my first impressions, I harped on the Urds design, aesthetics, and its enjoyable sound signature and tuning—truly a visual and auditory feast. I stand by those initial observations. Now that I’ve spent more time with them let me elaborate:

Gears

As I’m wont, I used the Aune Flamingo Tube Amp DAC as a source playing Apple Music lossless and hi-res tracks to test the Urd. I used only the stock cable and ear tips. This adds credence to my previous post: “you’re getting your money’s worth.” Note that the Final Audio Type E ear tip is difficult to put on the IEMs but is worth the effort, as I will explain below.

I also tried the Urd with several other audio gears to test compatibility and possible synergy. I used the FiiO BTA30 Pro, TRN BT3S Pro, Moondrop Dawn Mini DAC, iFi Go Blu, FiiO M11 Plus, and FiiO Q3.

Accessories & Configuration

One thing I like about this set is that you don’t need to spend more for upgrade cables or ear tips; everything you need is included in the box, as it should be. As mentioned below, the included ear tips and modular cable are enough to get the most out of these IEMs.



This is not your typical IEM tribrid configuration—dual dynamic drivers (usually single) for the lows and single BA (usually in pairs) for the mids; the Sonion ESTs always come in pairs. With 2 dynamic drivers handling the low end and a solitary BA for the mids, some might think that the DDs will overwhelm the single BA. Indeed, some quarters claim that this set’s middle frequency is thin. This is not so in my experience. To my ear, the single BA is doing an excellent job handling the mid-frequency—which should not surprise me as I’m sure many of you are thinking: “Etymotic ER4SR, dude.” I hear you, I hear you. Suffice it to say, Kinera did an excellent job tuning the Urd using just a single BA for the mids.



These are pretty chunky with an extended nozzle, and one would think comfort will be an issue. I compared it with the thickest IEM I have, the KZ AST, and the Urd is a bit wider with a longer nozzle. Like the AST, the Urd is surprisingly comfortable to wear, and the elongated nozzle helps fit and isolation. It is also lighter than the AST, which adds to the wearing comfort level. There’s a single vent that helps relieve pressure and deliver excellent bass replay.



Music & Sound Quality

Listening volume is at a comfortable 65 to 70 on the Aune Flamingo initially at tube mode and (later, I would discover as better) on OpAmp mode, using the excellent Final Type E ear tips (L) playing my go-to first test track Hotel California by the Eagles at 24-bit 192 kHz. The bass, like well-textured chocolate, is so delicious, thick on the cocoa and not the sweetness. What stands out is the physicality of the bass impact thanks to the 2 dynamic drivers pushing air as it replays low frequencies, making the sound quality more palpable compared to planars or BAs. Details are one of the best I’ve heard, with distinctly separate but cohesive instruments. I took particular note of that portion of the track where drummer/vocalist Don Henley performs a soft tap open and close rolling percussion of the high-hats beginning at around 3:29. Some IEMs’ replay of this part is thin with a sonically perceptible break in the cymbal roll before Henley closes the high-hat to end the note. The Urd’s replay is continuous even at the softest part of the roll, indicating that it’s adept at detail retrieval.

The Urd handled the busy live track Foxey Lady (G3 Joes Satriani, Steve Vai, and John Petrucci: Live in Tokyo) pretty well, the sound replay was not overcrowded, and the separation, albeit less, is still there with no diffusion. The live electric guitar replay is a strength, as well as the drums. However, heavy cymbal strikes are still a bit muted and a tad off.

There’s a bit of a different timbre when it comes to bass guitar replay. To my ears, it’s enjoyable, albeit unusual. It’s not a deal breaker since it’s only noticeable in a few tracks like Alice Merton’s No Roots. The bass guitar sounds great in Scary Pockets’ cover of Back to Black featuring Madelyn Grant, particularly the deliciously thick and textured replay starting at 2:07 to 2:38. I suspect the double DDs and excellent tuning are doing their magic there.

The soundstage is wider than most of my IEMs, if not the widest. Hence, vocal harmonies are a bit farther apart and give a different effect in terms of presentation and harmonization. It initially threw me off, but I’ve gotten used to it. I have yet to decide if I prefer it over the replay of my other IEMs. Again, it appears to be track specific and depends on how the song was recorded when comparing Emotion by O’G3NE and Helplessly Hoping by Girl Named Tom. The former track has a narrow presentation and positioning, while the latter is broader with a precise left, right, center, and correct arrangement.

As for treble, the Final Type E ear-tips indeed pulled back some of the sharp edges from the intense electric guitars and cymbals, which I really love but might not sit well with treble heads. I switched to the stock regular silicone tips resulting in a slight treble increase but not much difference in the bass. This might make the high-frequency junkies a little happier. I prefer the smoother treble of the Final Type E, except that it somewhat sacrifices cymbal strikes replay, but again only in specific portions of certain tracks, e.g., at 4:20 of Hotel California.

As mentioned above, I also discovered that switching the Aune Flamingo to OpAmp mode can remedy the somewhat blunted high-frequency range. A more clinical and neutral source appears to cure this “malady” in the Urd’s sound signature. This was later confirmed when I tried them with other gears.

Female vocals (e.g., Norah Jones) are light when needed and powerful where required, again with details to satisfy most except the pickiest of audiophiles. The same goes with Adele’s voice in When We Were Young; the Urd presents her at once distinctly strong and subtle vocals quite nicely. Billie Eilish’s rendition of idontwannabeyouanymore seemed more delicate and hypnotic (if that’s even possible)—her vocals were a lot more textured than my other IEMs’ presentation. Billie’s breathy vocalization is more subtle yet detailed.

I also noticed that the Urd is adept at presenting ethereal tracks and voices: Imogen Heap’s Hide and Seek is as mesmerizing as ever; the slight intake of breaths, soft sighs, and unique vocals are very much detailed but still somewhat relaxed and enjoyable. This is a marvel in tuning, as this much detail retrieval should be fatiguing. Unfortunately, the replay of male vocals is average. They’re not bad, but not outstanding like female vocals.

Speaking of detail retrieval, the Urd presents us with an interestingly unique sound. Considering that it excels in resolution, it differs in precision. Some detail-oriented IEMs will let you hear certain features you’ve missed with other, less capable units. But the Urd ups the ante and presents those details, to my ear, a little bit more precise. The peripheral sounds, instrumentations, and vocals are placed well in the background where they should be but are still clear and detailed, as it were. I’m sure detail and resolution freaks will be thrilled.

I have to talk about sibilance (or lack thereof), particularly when referring to the Urd. With 2 ESTs in this tribrid, one might expect some sibilance in fricative consonant sounds. Treble-sensitive people might shy away from the Urd because of this. I’m happy to report that sibilance is well under control. Even the most notoriously sibilant tracks in my audio test playlist are tamed to my liking (which, again, might not appeal to everyone). I’m a little treble-sensitive, more so after my recent bout with hyperthyroidism. Fortunately, the Urd seems to have that elusive Goldilocks mix of treble response that makes intense cymbal strikes enjoyable and removes the grating on notes and vocals jabbing at my sibilance threshold. Ed Kowalczyk’s S’s and T’s in T.B.D. were surprisingly smooth, which is a feat (unless you’re listening to a really low-res copy of the track, in which case, everything is muted). The Urd also handles the hectic parts of this track well, albeit some instruments, particularly the cymbals, are a bit muffled still. In fairness to the Urd, though, I have yet to find an IEM that can play T.B.D. by Livé starting at 3:29 with refinement and dexterity.

For instrumental and classical music, I used Yo-Yo Ma’s interpretation of Bach’s Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major: a very rich and textured replay of the cello, with finger taps and slides present but not unnaturally forward. The same goes with Alexandre Tharaud playing Franz Schubert’s 4 Impromptus, Op. 90: very satisfying, especially when the lower notes are being played. I can confirm that the Urd can play instrumental and classical music well.

Synergy & Other Observations



The Urd has excellent synergy with the FiiO M11 Plus, which implies that it doesn’t need much power to perform well. There’s not much difference in sound quality from a portable source which means scalability. My other IEMs play noticeably better on the Aune Flamingo Tube Amp and DAC plugged into a MacBook Pro than sourcing from my FiiO M11 Plus or FiiO Q3 plugged into my iPhone.





As I surmised above, the synergy with the FiiO M11 Plus might be partly due to the Urd’s preference for analytical and neutral sources. Hence it plays better on Op Amp mode on the Aune Flamingo and sounds decent on the FiiO BTA30 Pro via LDAC and aptX HD. Sound quality improved when I paired the iFi Go Blu with the BTA30 Pro over LDAC. The Moondrop Dawn Micro DAC seems to add a bit more treble, and the vocals sounded a tad more articulate, perhaps due to the slight boost in the high frequencies.



The Urd benefits from both a good source and high-quality music. It plays DSD files like heaven, e.g., Holly Cole’s cover of Waters of March is as detailed as I’ve heard it played, with all the nuances of her singular voice present and tangible.

CONCLUSION

In a word: ENJOYABLE. The Urd satisfies both analytical listening sessions and relaxed, enjoyable ones. Heck, when I first listened to them, I forgot to go through the typical sequence of test tracks in my audio test playlist—I finished all the tracks without realizing it; that’s how delightful this pair is.

I love the way the Urd played my indie favorites playlist. They sound good across almost all tracks, which speaks to their versatility, considering how eclectic and varied my indie songs are in instrumentation, arrangement, and vocals. Case in point, I really like how it replays Zee Avi’s The Book of Morris Johnson, with the tambourine, rainstick, triangle, and a slew of other odd instruments present and presented well—accurate, natural, and precisely positioned.

This set is highly recommended if your budget permits it. At $650, it’s definitely not cheap, but like I said before, you will get your money’s worth.

P.S.: The Urd expertly plays my naughty playlist too (e.g., Cherry by FLETCHER & Hayley Kiyoko), perhaps because of the type of vocalizations in those tracks—breathy, whispery, ASMR-inducing voices. Very nice!

#Kinera #KineraUrd #MALEAudioReviews

Kinera URD: Enjoyment Guaranteed!



Summary:

Launched in Mar'2022, URD is the latest hybrid IEM from Kinera. They are tri-brids with 2 Sonion EST + 1 Kinera Custom BA + 8mm Double Dynamic Drivers, and promises great musical performance. Based on our impressions, we can confidently say that they have achieved much of what they had promised and more.



Introduction:


Let's quickly dive into the details without making the introduction very lengthy. The URD is a tri-brids with 2 Sonion EST + 1 Kinera Custom BA + 8mm Dual Dynamic Drivers with Titanium Crystal Diaphragm. They come with modular 6N OCC + OCC with Silver Plated + OCC with Gold Plated Cable and interchangeable plugs ( 2.5mm, 3.5mm and 4.4mm).

The Kinera URD is priced at $650.




Design & Build:

The shells look very ergonomic & premium and are 3D printed based on their research to ensure a good and comfortable fit. the face-plates are hand-painted and look awesome.

It is described as the following on the website:
The faceplate is the surface of the lake, 3D printing is used to make a depression in the middle of the faceplate. It’s gradually rising to the edge of the faceplate, total 6 layers. By mixing special pigments of different shades, each layer of structure is separate cast and solidified. Finally present the water surface of the “Well of Urd” that nourishes the World Tree. It goes deep from shallow to deep, becoming deeper and deeper.
The shell is a scene under the calm water: the sun is shining, the lake reflects the looming golden light, the deep water and the floating bubbles make Urd Spring look unpredictable. There is silt in the bottom of the lake, which is the sediment of history. If there is no silt, it will not be able to highlight the clarity of the lake.

URD bass uses titanium crystal diaphragm coaxial double dynamic, through careful tuning, the characteristics of deep diving and fast transient response of this unit are brought into play. The high frequency adopts the Sonion new generation EST65DB01 composite double electrostatic unit to make the treble possess stronger ductility. The mid-range is connected by the BA driver 11021 customized by Kinera.





Specifications:


The Kinera URD comes at $650 price tag and the specifications are as below:

https://www.kineraaudio.com/product/kinera-imperial-urd

and

https://www.linsoul.com/products/kinera-urd





The Box & Accessories:

GRAMR cable can be used for Gaming:

Now in addition to the default cable, Gamers can use the Kinera GRAMR cable ($49) which comes with a boom mic and is ideal for gaming. It has the following properties:

• Material: OFC silver plated
• Braid way: 2 core twist
• Diameter: 2.0mm/core
• Strands: 95 strands of 0.05mm OFC with silver plated + 250D nylon
• Cable skin material: PVC
• Interface: 0.78 2pin / mmcx
• Plug: 4 pin detachable 4.4mm balanced plug / 5 pin detachable 3.5mm CTIA plug
• Plug material: Copper with gold plated
• External metal part: Aluminum alloy anode
• Cable length: 150cm±2cm
• Boom Mic length: 12.7cm
• Microphone patterns: Omnidirectional

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

Items Used for this Review:

DAC/AMP & Dongles: @Questyle M15 Dongle DAC/AMP, Cain C9 Portable Amplifier
Portable Players / Sources : @Questyle QP2R, Cayin N8ii, Lotoo Paw Gold Touch, A&K SP1000M
Streaming Source: QOBUZ



Ear Tips:



I've tried tip-rolling with a variety of tips such as: @Final Audio E series red & black ones, JVC Spiral dots, Spiral Dots+, @SpinFit Eartip W1, CP500, CP155. Out of all of these I have found the Spinfit W1 to be the best fit for my ears in terms of overall fit, isolation & comfort.

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






Pairing Performance with different sources:

Dongle DAC/AMPs:

Kinera URD had the best pairing with @Questyle M15 and Cayin RU6 dongles.
The BEST pairing however came with Cayin C9 + LPGT with Class-A amplification enabled. That just took the performance of the URD to the next level.




Portable Players:

Obviously the URD had the best pairing with the LPGT & specially Cayin N8ii since that comes with Class-A amplification and a new DAC which is super resolving and not to forget the Nutubes! But those are $3500+ range also and out of reach for most people! But it performs well with other players also.



URD Sound Impressions in Short:

The BASS:

The URD has a good overall bass performance. The little nuances and details of the sub-bass region is clearly audible and the mid-bass comes with good amount of body & texture. In fact, I'm quite surprised at the refined bass experience this has been able to pull off with the dual dynamic drivers. Just the right amount of bass that the track requires. tracks like: "Hotel California (Live on MTV 1994) – Eagles" and "Fluid - Yosi Horikawa" you will likely get immersed into the bass finesse.

The MIDS:

The midrange of the URD is quite open and clear with ample amount of texture and details. There's no bass bleed and the midrange is quite muscular and full. Vocals are very immersive and both male and female vocals come with good texture and feel very real. Instruments felt very natural and real with high accuracy and the separation between them is also great. In tracks like: "Anchor - Trace Bundy", "A dog named Freedom – Kinky Friedman" and "Ruby Tuesday – Franco Battiato" it’s really easy to get lost into the music as it comes with ample detailed transients, texture, excellent vocals and details.

The TREBLE:

The Treble is quite energetic & airy coming from the ESTs of the URD but doesn't at any point feel peaky or uncomfortable. It has the right amount of details and texture also and the overall treble performance is therefore very enjoyable.

Treble in tracks like: "Paradise Circus – Massive Attack", "Mambo for Roy – Roy Hargrove” and "Saints and Angels – Sharon Shannon" feel very immersive and enjoyable from the treble perspective.


The SOUNDSTAGE:

The Staging capabilities of the URD is surprisingly good. In fact, it might be amongst the best in the price range. It comes with the right amount of width, height, depth and is well defined and just as much as the track requires. Tracks like: “The Secret Drawer – Bela Fleck and the Flecktones” or “She Don’t know – Melody Gardot” or “Bohemian Rhapsody (live aid) – Queen” sound amazing & enjoyable. This is amongst the strongest trait of this IEM.

Imaging & Timbre:

The Imaging & instrument separation performance on the URD is stellar and sense of location is spot on with high accuracy. The Timbre also feels very life-like and real. Tracks like: “Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) - The Beautiful South “or “Hello Again - Howard Carpendale & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” just shine through.



Comparisons:



KINERA URD vs DUNU SA6:

Please note that the only thing these 2 IEMs have in common is the price range being close. The URD is a Tri-brid whereas the SA6 is BA driver based IEM. Hence, there are some inherent differences owing to different architecture.



Bass: Owing to the dual dynamic driver based refined bass performance of the URD, it gets the preference as the SA6 felt a bit mid-bass centric and also did not have the transients as good as the URD.

Mids: The midrange of the SA6 is amongst it's strengths, but having said that - the URD just sounds more clear and enjoyable mainly owing to the better separation and more more textured midrange.

Treble: This is where the URD really excels and the overall experience is very enjoyable. mind it that the SA6 is also not lacking behind in treble performance, but just not as good as the URD.

Soundstage, Imaging and Separation: The staging on the SA6 is quite wide and above average. The staging on the URD just felt the next level and clearly superior in all aspects.

While I had been doing the comparisons, I had shared the URD experiences with other people and fellow reviewers and most of them had the similar experience with URD like me.



Conclusion:

The URD is quite a performer and I was delighted by the level of refined sound performance this has been able to pull off. A BIG surprise coming from the house of Kinera, and this URD goes far beyond any Kinera performance I had come across earlier.
Given the above facts, people looking to buy within the $600 - 700 range should definitely consider getting this as this hits way beyond it's price and becomes an easy recommendation therefore.

Kinera URD is probably the most beautiful iems I've ever seen

The meaning of URD:
URD is a word related to Norse mythology. URD is one of the Norn who are in charge of fate in Norse mythology, and is also known as the Dís of Death. She is the guardian of the well of fate under the Yggdrasil, which is also known as the URD's well.


Exterior:
Kinera does have made a lot of nice-looking iems, but I will give the best-looking prize to the URD.
The first time I saw the URD, I was completely attracted by how it looks. The turquoise blue and green resin seems to be lake water or possibly spring water, as mentioned before, URD is the guardian of the well of fate.
But I think its whole design should be based on lakes, spindrift and beach. Yes, you can see all the three from the URD.
Through the clear lake, you can see the cliffs layer by layer, which is very mysterious and layered. And the lake extends all the way to the side of the iems, making the iems look more gapless.


Acoustic Design:
It got 5 drivers in each side, and it's tribrid. Many hybrid iems are designed with a vent hole in the front cavity to reduce excessive bass, but the URD doesn't have this design. However, on the contrary, its bass is not much let alone excessive, and it also has a wide enough sound stage. Its no-front-holes design makes its isolation (passive noise reduction) greatly improved.


Sound:
As usual, I will use Sony's ZX505 and FiiO's M11PlusESS to test, they can simulate the performance of iems under normal power and sufficient power. The URD's sound signature is W-shaped. The bass extension is great, the mids are decent, and the highs are well-resolved and not harsh.


Bass: Thanks to the adoption of the dynamic drivers, the bass is very clear, and has a comfortable bass extension. Though the midbass is not reduced, its sound is still not buzzy or boomy. But all these feelings, I can't experience from full BAs iems. I haven't experienced such a comfortable bass response in a long time.

Midrange: Probably because the mids are mostly played by one single BA driver, it didn't impress me too much, but actually, it remains a good resolution and has the right energy so as not to interfere with other frequencies.

Highs: I was worried about its treble when I saw its frequency response graph, because it does not have a 3khz peak. But when I listened to it, all my worries disappeared: its high frequency response was so characteristic, everything is so pleasant. It's great for playing instruments, and the high resolution lets me hear details I've never experienced before. Vocals may be far at times, but everything is so comfortable: smooth and delicate.


Conclusion:
Good sound performance and unique aesthetic design, these are the reasons you should buy it. For the reason you shouldn't buy, I don't have one, oh maybe my wallet will tell me the reason, but the URD is really not that expensive at its own price, so shut up and take my money!

Kinera URD​

Disclaimer​

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

https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-urd-1

Introduction​

The URD is a 650 USD Tribid from Kinera with the following specification:

2 Sonions EST + 2 Titanium Crystal Diaphragm Coaxial DD + 1 Kinera Customize 11021 BA

Impedance: 20 ohm

Sensitivity: 107db±2db

Frequency Response: 5Hz-50kHz

Modular 6N OCC + OCC with Silver Plated + OCC with Gold Plated Cable


The unit I received was a review unit that included the IEM, a modular cable with 2.5mm, 3.5mm, and 4.4mm plugs, 2 types of silicone ear tips, and a cleaning brush. Everything was packed in a blue canvas case that was rather clunky. The stock cable is well built, soft, and free of microphonics.



The earpieces are somewhat large and may be a concern for people with smaller ears. Personally, I found the fit to be quite comfortable. Aesthetically speaking, the blue and white color scheme of the IEM is quite soothing, unlike the Norn or Skuld, which were very flashy.

Tip rolling​

After my usual ritual of tip rolling, I decided to proceed with the Flare Audio Universal memory foam ear tips for the Kinera URD. Other tips that I tried the IEM with (and eliminated) are:

• Sony Triple Comfort (EP-TC50) – Too boomy.
• JVC Spiral Dots SF (EPFX11) aka mushroom tips – Kills the bass, and elevates treble.
• Flare Universal – Lays good emphasis on the bass, making it sound natural for the most part. Doesn’t de-emphasize the treble either. Pretty much transparent in terms of passing the sound from the IEM to the ears.
• JVC Spiral Dots ++ (EPFX10) – Almost as good as Dekoni Universal, but the bass quantity was less
• Dekoni Mercury – Same as Spiral Dots ++
• Flare Audiophile – Similar to the mushroom tips, but with better bass presence
• Tennmak Whirlwind: Similar to the Spiral Dots SF (EP-FX11), aka mushroom tips, but the soundstage wasn’t as wide as the mushroom tips.

Sound Quality​

The good thing about the Kinera Urd is that it has a very laid back and inoffensive tuning. It has a smooth timbre and notes seem to be mostly rounded, therefore not having any harsh spikes or aggression. While the bass has good texture and detail, it lacks physicality. Basically, good quality but not much in terms of quantity. The mids are organic for the most part and vocals, both male and female, sound quite natural. Here again, I felt that the Urd sounded quite lean. Notes seemed to lack heft and felt very rounded. The treble on the URD is well detailed yet inoffensive. Considering that URD has 2 Sonion EST drivers, I was expecting the IEM to be bright, but that isn’t the case. The treble has been turned down thereby eliminating any harshness and achieving good tonal coherence.

The URD scores high on technicality, especially considering the price point. The stage is sufficiently wide, while the Layering and Imaging are very good. The resolution/details are excellent. Even on a busy track like Chitta Ve (Udta Punjab), I could hear every layer and note clearly.

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Conclusion​

The URD is the kind of IEM one can listen to for hours together, thanks to its inoffensive tuning and lightweight shells. The IEM is soothing, both in terms of sound and aesthetics. The Urd could do with some more heft in the bass and slightly thicker notes. Nonetheless, the tonal coherence and resolution of the URD are excellent.

Thanks to Hifigo (https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-urd-1) and gadgetgod (https://www.head-fi.org/members/gadgetgod.528602/) for organising the review tour of the Kinera Imperial Urd.

The Urd comes with the following specifications

• 2 Sonions EST + 2 Titanium Crystal Diaphragm Coaxial DD + 1 Kinera Customize 11021 BA
• Impedance: 20 ohm
• Sensitivity: 107db±2db
• Frequency Response: 5Hz-50kHz
• Modular 6N OCC + OCC with Silver Plated + OCC with Gold Plated Cable

BUILD AND ACCESSORIES​

The review unit came in a blue canvas case with adequate space for the iems and the adapters. The unit also came with excellent cables with replaceable connectors, with the selection of 2.5, 3. and 4.4mm terminations. The cable is nice and soft with low to no microphonics. The cables terminate in a 2-pin connection into the iems. The units came with a selection of 2 silicon tips and a cleaning brush.

FIT​

The Urd shell is on the bigger side. When worn, it does jutt out of the ears, looking a bit comical. The blue shade on the shell is beautiful and has a very nice shimmer in the light. It looks very nice overall. I was afraid of the fit of the iems, as I have small ears. The Urd had absolutely no problems with the fit, thanks to its medium sized nozzles. The nozzles are slightly long and help with the comfort. There was no pain experienced despite long listening sessions.

SOURCE - SONY CD WALKMAN (D-NF420)​

I dug opened my vintage Sony CD Walkman and put a battery in it. And the damn thing worked beautifully after a decade and a half of non-use! Sony take a bow! The sound output from the Walkman is incredible and gave me a very good reason to break out my old CDs collecting dust. Hence, for this review I use my CD collection, so no links, sorry!

TRACK SELECTION​

Pink Floyd - Time (Dark side of the Moon)
The Clocks at the start have the same wake up impact, as I heard it for the first time. The clocks are positioned super accurately, with the westminster chime finishing the clock part. The beginning of the next section with the deep guitar and percussions is absolutely enveloping. I could be standing right in the middle of a concert! Guitars are placed left and right, with the Gilmour in the center and the drums are layered at the back. The backing vocals are also coming from the back of the singer. The distortion guitar can be literally felt. I havent felt this much connection with the music in iems, apart from the EX1000, Qdc Gemini and the z1r. I just want to close my eyes and just immerse in the music. Stage width is good, as well as the depth. The height is average with this track. All details are present, vocals are brilliant. The grittiness in the voice is very nice.

Eric Clapton - Unplugged - Tears in Heaven
The Urd does something magical with strings. What a match with the acoustic guitars on this track. Each pluck with its nuances, brushes, can be heard very cleary. I have a front row seat in the audience with this track, very close to the stage. The space is very good, with Clapton sometimes hitting the highs with a bit of energy. Layering is spot on, as is the imaging. The soft female backing vocals comes across very delicately, complementing Clapton's vocals. When the audience roars and claps, is when you are brought back to the stage. The immersion is unreal. I want to listen to more tracks. Will come back later for more reviews!

Carmina Burana - O Fortuna (from the OST of The Doors)
I next picked up the OST of The Doors movie (it is what it is!), and track 10 is O Fortuna. This is one song to play during Ragnarok/Judgement Day kind of scenarios. And boy does the Urd do justice to the track. The chorus starts off grandly, proceeding to the light movement, building up to its crescendo, with the large drums kicking in like cannon fire. And it feels like it. The tension build up is incredible. If you have a huge task that you need to accomplish, or face a serious hill climb, I recommend the O Fortuna track, especially from the Urd. The sense of balance is very good. It sounds like a very good pair of full sized headphones. The cymbal strikes at the end of the track, feel real with its recoil. Very nice!

The Best of Bob Marley & the Wailers - Is this Love
One of my all time favorite tracks, the song is so groovy right through. The guitars sound so crisp and in place, with cow bells used on both sides of the stage, with Marley's voice at dead centre. The drumsticks on the cowbells sound real and pointed. Again, I just want to close my eyes and listen. There is a lot of instruments, trumpets, tuba etc in the background, that meld with Marley crooning out the belter track. Thoroughly immersive again.

Deep Purple 30: Very best of - Child in Time (25th anniversary remaster)
Another of my all time favorite tracks, one of the magical ones to get lost in for a long time (especially on the Live in Tokyo album). The vocals are in front, with the moog/synth on the right. The cymbal strikes again feel real.. like really real. The building crescendo with the howling/screaming, makes you want to join in. This track has one of the best guitar solos of all times, with incredible improvs in every live play. The guitar is slightly left off centre. Even in the faster sections, there is no muddiness. Incredible EST implementation here. I think the best of CD mastering has a little bit of mastering issue with treble peaks for a little bit of the guitar solo. Even with the slight glare in the mastering, the music is very cohesive and comes together very well.

Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing (Money for Nothing - West germany print)
This is one of the better mastered albums around. The main guitar, rhythms guitar, cymbals, vocals, everything is so beautifully rendered. There is enough space between the instruments, with excellent articulation, speed and timbre. Difficult to listen without keeping my eyes closed. This is definitely an iem made for listening to music in its entireity. With Knopfler's main guitar bang centre of the stage, the other instruments are spread around, with a front of the stage presentation. Personal concerts galore! The drums, when coming front, sound very realistic among the other instruments. Bass guitar is heard through the track in cohesion again!

P.S:
I wanted to put in more review tracks, but damn, the Urd just wants me to close my eyes and listen. So thats what I will do!

COMPARISONS​

Mangird Tea
The Teas are priced slightly lower than the Urd, but with a different configuration from the Urd. In the stock form, the bass is harder hitting, and the treble has traces of sibilance. The Urd, on the other had, has a slightly lesser bass impact, with almost a DF neutral bass response. The treble is also a little more forgiving than the Tea.

BGVP DM8
The DM8 is an all BA (8 drivers per side) unit, that does things quite well. The bass has a slight BA timbre, but is compensated for with good fitting tips. All other areas are very good, with excellent articulation of treble and slightly laidback mids. The biggest sore point on the DM8 for me is the fit. The nozzles are massive. The Urd in comparison has no such issues and sits very well in my ears, with no discomfort for long term listening sessions.

QDC Gemini
I am comparing Fiats with Ferraris here, but hear me out. The QDC Gemini is the best balanced iems that are not single DD, that I have put in my ears. It is supremely comfortable and easy to drive. The balance in sound is the best I have heard, full stop. The Urd, comes quite close to reproducing the balance, with a slightly lesser amount of detail. The balance is in the same ballpark. Both immerse you in the music very well. (Single DDs are my choice of poison and the better ones are exceptional, with better immersion and organic tonality)

CONCLUSIONS​

The Urd is not your analytical monster, or the defining benchmark for detail. However, it does convey all the details in the music in a very cohesive and balanced manner. It is, for me, a thoroughly enjoyable iem, that makes you enjoy the music. I thoroughly enjoyed the iems and found them to be a lot more enjoyable than a few other iems I have heard in the recent past. I will highly recommend them if you are after magical string reproduction, vocals and realistic tonality.

TONALITY: 8.8/10
TECHNICALITIES: 8.2/10
CONSTRUCTION: 9/10
SOUND VALUE: 7.8/10

Kinera is a Chinese company specializing in hybrid earphones and also known for its great care in the aesthetic design of these. Having had the chance to test their other mid-range model such as the Freya, I can tell you that their sumptuous design is a real treat for the eyes, as for the ears, the Freya lacked softness and organicity in the musicality for my taste. But Kinera is also known for its evolution in tuning target.
Today I will review their last Trybrid IEM, the URD, which is a Dual titanium crystal diaphragm DD+2 sonions electrostatic drivers (EST)+1 balanced armature drivers IEM selling for 650$usd. Yes, this is a very exotic drivers implementation, and the biggest question for me here is this one: will it sound correct in tonal and timbral balance or artificially heterogeneous? Let see in this review what I will conclude!

CONSTRUCTION​

Kinera is obsessed with the aesthetics of their IEMs, sometimes it makes you wonder if they dreams of being jeweller. Each time I have a Kinera IEM in my hands, it seems precious, almost inappropriate for my social class, it impresses the eyes and mystifies it. They scream: contemplated me, without being bling bling or caricatural. Kinera has taste, Kinera has the talent of a goldsmith to spare. And here, it’s pushed to its paroxysm, in a subtle way, like the sound that these URDs deliver.

(not my pic, official Kinera pic which show whats hide under the thick paint)
For the shell, Kinera used 3D printing to sculpt a lake landscape in relief, but then they used resin paint to round it all off and used the shadow play of these geographical reliefs. Some will never know that this in-ear shell is a crazy sculpture of aesthetic refinement, but one thing is certain: their eye will be hypnotized by their beauty. The result is a smooth shell with an organic shape inspired by the auditory canal on the front, and by a rounded relief landscape on the back hiding well its 6 stepped layers descending towards this dark and fascinating lake. The shell is quite large but its nozzle is long enough for safe and comfortable insertion. In the end, despite their elegant beauty, I don’t know what I look like when I put on the URDs. If I touch, I feel that they are protruding. I also know that they are comfortable but capricious compared to the chosen tips, which greatly influences the sound projection. In terms of durability, they seem really well built, this thick double-layer resin plastic is both light and solid, the 2pin connectors are also varnished and very well fitted into the shell. Everything seems solid, and I’m happy that the 2pin connectors are not loose at all like some other IEMs in this price range which I will keep secret (except in the reviews of course!).


Now, on the accessory side, we have everything, a very generous pile of tips including Final Audio, a good quality protective case and above all a good quality modular cable. This one is gold-silver plated on copper, with OCC copper in its center. It’s a lightweight, flexible cable with a smooth, mellow tone without overdrive or transmission instability. But above all, it is modular, so you have 3.5 se, 2.5 bal and 4.4 bal jacks. I admit to being addicted to this cable and using it with lots of IEMs. What a treat!

SOUND IMPRESSIONS​

(audio source for this review: Tri TK2, Tempotec E44 and HD V, Ibasso DX90, SMSL SU9+SH9)

TONALITY​

First, Kinera may surprise you with an atypical approach to sound balance that opts for a cohesive softness, a syrupy and natural timbre, a roundness without aggressiveness or roughness as well as a marked elevation of the sub-basses. We are diametrically opposed to their house signature which is more aggressive and analytical like the Freya which leans much more towards the W balance than in a balanced U signature like the URD. So here I would characterize the L-shaped signature tending towards warm neutrality with bass boost. What surprises here is the organic cohesion, without marked dissociation of frequencies and with a surprisingly homogeneous timbre for a tribrid EMI.
No, the treble that electro static transducers deliver doesn’t sound artificial, detached or over-emphasized, but they only extract some nuance in micro-detail as well as add shine and snappy attack speed at the top of the spectrum. The result is a warmly balanced, dense, relaxed and smooth tonality with anything but thin timbre, which offers great versatility for various musical styles as well as great permissiveness for drier or amateur recordings.

TIMBRE

That’s what struck me first: the softness of timbre and its aerial body. Not being a fan of the Freya or H3 timbre, I feared something dry or aggressively textured, which is not the case at all here. Natural, dense, nuanced in color and slightly softened in texture grain, the URDs are among the smoothest, most organic and downright euphonic IEMs I’ve heard to date. Here, we have both density and velvety transparency, without over emphasis of the high harmonics which could come to destabilize the timbral balance, but a little sfumato of the harmonic basses which adds a touch of beneficial warmth.

The BASS has a good physicality and hits heavily slamming but nicely because it doesn’t spill too much on the mids and in fact gives a good sitting to the lower mids, which benefits the male vocals which are full, thick and present. Let’s put it simply, URD loves sub-bass and emphasizes this section with a marked but not boomy rise. Still, the URDs could well appeal to more mature repressed bassheads due to an organic and full low end that remains balanced in the strike. The rumble of the sub-basses is thick, heavy, vibrating more than resonant, it’s meaty and charming which remains in its place behind the mids which sometimes can seem a little stuck over the humming and opaque presentation of the basses layer. Yes, opaque because the extension is not the most linear, the texture is rather warm because the relief of the bass physicality is more assertive than its transparent natural resonance. The kick drum is a little darkened and less defined in its impact. This is again due to a muted texture which affects the kick drum’s defining angles as well as its abrasiveness and bite on impact. Warm, with a heavy fall although a little soft, the bass is easy to appreciate but not technically flawless, especially in terms of clarity, precision and separation. This will do better with instrument like synth bass, digital kick, cello than slap bass, toms that or acoustic bass that need both texture grip and natural resonance. Still, what a nice buttery guilty pleasure!

The MIDS are well defined in their physical presence which is wide and dense in timbre, the rendering is natural and without offense in the attack which favors the weight of the impact drop rather than the sharpness of the harmonic sustain. The rendering is full and fleshy and very versatile, the male vocals being full with a natural tone as well as the female vocals having more emphasis from the low harmonics which adds an appealing syrupy and breathy roundness to their presence. In fact, everything sounds good but nothing jumps out at you, the rendering of the piano is almost perfect because the weight of the notes is there, but the definition is not the sharpest to allow precise articulation, it remains in a fluffy set and sweet, not too dark but not very airy or clean either. In the end, I prefer this tactile presentation of the piano register to something more dry and clinical which would make each note pass like a textured but disembodied image. Let’s say that the asserted lack of textures will be more problematic for an electric guitar than a piano or violin. This type of soft, polished and well separated mid range in their layers of physical presence benefits wind instruments, the saxophone having a very convincing rendering, airy but dense and rich in texture this time in a non-forced and balanced way in the timbres.

The HIGHS are arguably the most exotic aspect of URDs, thanks to the well-filtered implementation of sonion electrostatic transducers, which might confuse those expecting ultra-high definition with super analytical and incisive highs. Here, we are in compromise, in a desire for an immersive organic balance and just enough aerial and brilliant highs to add spice to the listening. It’s delicate but without speed limit, therefore, certain micro details are better extracted than others, without it seeming obvious, and their separation has more freedom than the bass and midrange which are more opaque and homogeneous in their dynamics of amplitudes. What is surprising is that despite the sharper and more airy aspect of the high treble, it never sounds dangerously unbalanced or offbeat, even if the bass embraces the mids more by stealing air from them in separation on the way, and leaves intact the crispness of the treble say between 8khz and 12khz, because I would not go so far as to say that the high frequency range extends up to 20khz in a linear fashion. In fact, the top of the spectrum is quite limited in presence and not very round or textured, even a little metallic but with softness, without stridency or aggressiveness. For example, the violin sounds really good, full and natural in tone, with a nicely articulated and flexible layer of presence, but little or no bite in the attack, here it baffles me to enjoy this instrument so much with such a presentation subdued and rounded in its defining corners. For the electric guitar, it becomes more problematic and the presence is muffled, set back, diffused in the affirmation of its attack. And what about the harpsichord except that it has a really different treatment from the piano, this time it lacks density, roundness and weight, but has excellent definition and incredible attack speed, as if it were exclusively the electrostatic transducer that took care of it. In fact, I highly appreciate the harpsichord, even though it sounds like it’s coming from another IEM pair I listen to.

TECHNICALITIES​

Let’s start by pointing out that it seems like Kinera has gone to great lengths for tonal balance and musicality that’s accessible, easy to like and even safe in its choice of approach, for something so comfortable and natural in its sound rendering that no one will want to flee and will be in spite of themselves immersed in a flow of unique and fluffy acoustic projection, dense and rich in colors, without assault of instrumental presence on steroid.
So the approach is not to opt for short-lived spectacular artifices by amplifying the musculature of technical performances or their singularity in terms of quantitative mechanics. How confusing eh! To say that the URDs do not push the technical emphasis of their sound and opt for a coherent whole of harmony! And so, these performances, to a certain degree, are diminished, yes. And I would say it all comes from the choice of warm and hushed dynamic transducer, generously embracing that romantic tonality. Because DD flavor is central and even vital to URDs. And if I fix on his case i’ll judge that he is quite clumsy in the end, it is his ”flaws” that charm us here in the end, because a perfect high fidelity musicality might make us cold and distant who knows.
In short, the general attack speed is fast, but tenuous in its impact and definition. This felt the whole thing a bit. Beautifully in fact.
But let’s stop talking about aesthetics and be harshly critical here: no, the technical performance isn’t spectacular, the sound imagery isn’t very precise, the definition lacks contours, the high frequencies aren’t that revealing. The URDs use the technicalities of each of its transducers like a chef uses his spices, and it is here that we must applaud the gustatory talent. Because as much nothing impresses, nothing disappoints either, the details, there are generously and their extraction is epicurean, treble with well-dosed pepper, bass with very buttery weight, mediums with very sweet clarity. Kinera’s approach is quite different from headphones such as UM MEST Mk2 or Campfire Andromeda, here we are in the guilty pleasure zone but never devoid of refined flavors. The spatiality is vast, wide and high, with a holographic and layered rendering of organic sonic richness, the timbre, mechanically inimitable, is soft, cohesive and immersive, it embraces the listener, and the more technical aspect is delivered by fast, detailed and crisp treble, what more could you ask for if you have the means, this epicurian pleasure is not so guilty in the end.

COMPARISONS​

VS FIIO FH7 (1DD+4BA=500$)

Well, these two earphones have absolutely nothing in common, the FH7 being much more aggressive with a W-shaped balance and a more energetic and bright attack. The URDs seem very dark next to them but also less tiring for the ears, it’s a real slap in the face listening to the FH7s which almost makes you wince as if you were invaded by tweeters pushed into the gain. The bass is faster and more controlled with the FH7, the strike is more authoritative and the texture more advanced, the technical quality is superior but the cohesion more artificial and detached. The mediums are thinner, dryer and more abrasive, the resolution is higher and more generous in detail, the texture more grainy and the vocals more centered in the contained opening, on the other hand, the male vocals are less meaty and rather artificial. The attack weight is not as round and heavy as the URDs and the sibilance is more present with the FH7s. The highs follow the same rendering, more aggressive and analytical, also more saturated, dry and garish. The sparkling brilliance of the highs is more pronounced with the URDs as is the resonance less cut.
Musically speaking, URDs are more charming and won’t get tired with long listening, also the spatiality is wider and taller and less deep tunneling than FH7s. The timbre is much more natural and dense with URDs. Technically, the bass of the FH7 is superior, but for the rest, it’s fairly equal although the high is perhaps faster and controlled with the URDs although less frontal.

VS DITA TWINS FEALTY (1DD-1300$)

At twice the price of URDs, DITAs are again very different tonally. It’s more sharp and aggressive, tending to take the opposite path of URDs with an inverted L curve, ie flat bass and high mids and highs emphasis. So, if the URDs are all about attack weight, soft tonal balance and timbre density, the Fealty are all about amplified resolution, detailed texture and clean bass just enough to give kick drum presence. The body is what the Fealty sound lacks the most, it is compensated by the texture which singles out its presence in broad strokes. So, the resolution is certainly higher, the spatiality more open and airy and the richness of details more diversified. The female vocals are notably more put forward, the transparency of timbre is higher which influences a more precise and spacious sound separation. Here, what is surprising is that technically DITA seems superior, and yes with a single dynamic transducer the attack speed is faster but it spoils quite quickly compared to URDs which tend to offer a more holographic and layered rendering in sound layers, therefore, even if the resolution is lower, the rendering will be less compressed, messy or distorted in the dynamics for more complex or faster passages.
To my ears, URD is a much more pleasant listen in term of musicality.

VS UNIQUE MELODY 3DT (3xDD=400$)

Well, it seems that no other IEM has a tone similar to these URDs, again here it is more bright, dry and aggressive, more boosted in the upper mids and highs as well as the mids bass. Signature in energic V against a soft L which seems very U with the URDs now. The fact remains that here it’s less destabilizing as a difference, perhaps because of a fairly holographic rendering and fairly dense timbres that the 3 dynamic transducers provide for the musicality. These timbres are more textured and will benefit from the attack of violins or electric guitar which suddenly seems muffled with URDs. For the bass, it’s flatter and cleaner in the extension compared to the URDs, but it’s rounder and more textured and better separated too, I can also follow the bass lines and kick drum better than the URDs which darken their definition but offers more thickness and resonance width of strike. The mids are a little thinner with the 3DTs, but more aggressive in presence. The highs have more crunch, biting, abrasiveness and deliver more generously the grain of the textures and number of micro details. The URDs again have more delicate and shimmering highs, but not as full and rich, as if certain sonic information was clouded or distilled into a more seamless and liquid whole.
Hum, it would be lying to say that the URDs are superior here, because the 3DTs are well balanced and quite fleshy in tone, with superior technicality in resolution and dynamic variance. Musically, it’s certainly more aggressive (including a bit of sibilance), but not too garish or disastrous, therefore very pleasant although less ready for long contemplative listening than the URDs.

CONCLUSION​

Why do I still have the Kinera URDs in my ears at this moment of conclusion? Because they really charms me. Also because their sound immersion is not dangerous to me aurally, it cuddle me like a mother. I feel in a warm cocoon with the URDs, a cocoon vast in space and comfort, the warm organic tone here is really hard not to like.
Even when I force technical judgement, it comes down to the fact that the Kinera URDs deliver a cohesive sound, technically understated and refined, open and natural with a versatile and full vocal rendition.
URDs emphasize immersive and contemplative musicality, which can follow you for an entire day without you realizing it. Is it rare? Yes. And precious. But it can also be subjective depending on your psychoacoustic approach which will ultimately decide what charm your ears.
The fact remains that Kinera here has demonstrated an unparalleled sensitivity to tonal balance which opens the musical doors to those who favor smooth tonality, natural sound timbre and physical weight rendering of acoustic dynamics.
Greatly fascinating tuning!

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PS: I want to thanks Kinera for providing me this demo sample for my review. I’m not affiliated to this company nor have any pressure from them to write a positive review. They will read this review once published. I keep my independance of judgment 100% intact as always.

You can order the Kinera Urd for 650$ from this authorized seller:https://www.linsoul.com/products/kinera-urd
Check official Kinera website for more info about their products here:https://www.kineraaudio.com/fr/

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For more honest reviews of diversify audio products, give a read to my No Borders Audiophile blog HERE.

Thanks to Hifigo for providing the review unit of Kinera URD as a part of review your, below impressions are my personal views and what I hear off the URD. It can be purchased from the below link
https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-urd-1


The iem comes in a nice blue padded box with a supple and modular cable with all regular connectors. I got to try them with Final Audio E tips and the fit was really good for an iem which is bit on the bigger side. The resin shells are artisan and have a very unique finish, possibly one of the best I’ve seen in an iem.
Technically the URD is a tribrid, the latest fad in iems. Dynamic driver for bass, BA for mids and EST for treble. I normally don’t prefer hybrid iems as it’s really difficult to tune them to sound coherent, very few hybrids sound good and URD is good coherency wise. Tonally it comes as a warm iem, don’t hear any peaks and unevenness and sound is smooth. The leading edges are ‘rounded’ and not sharp as in few BA iems Ive tried. Bass done by a DD is fairly resolving and has pretty good impact, extension is also pretty deep. Mids are clean and have enough nuances in vocals to keep you engaged. Treble has decent extension though URD is not the most detailed iem in this price range.
Stage isn’t large maybe ear to ear and height is restricted. Separation and spatial cues are good within the limited stage. As I said earlier the treble is a bit recessed so you may feel some details missing. Dynamics are okay, contrast when there’s a sudden volume change isn’t that immediate. Can say it’s a laid back sounding iem.
So who’s this iem for? If you want a musical sounding iem and not after a neutral/bright iem it’s a good option. It’s not the most resolving iem, at the same time not a V shaped consumer centric tuning. It’s a balanced tuning with a bit of shelved down treble which makes for a easy listen.

Disclaimer : The unit was provided as a part of a review tour by Hifigo but all thoughts and opinions are my own. You can purchase it here.

Build & Fit
The design, structure and hence the fitting of the Urd is very similar to the norn so I will not be going into too much detail about it (you can check my review of Norn on headfi). The shell is on the bigger side and thus results in a tighter fit for smaller ears.
However, the fit is snug and is more or less comfortable in the long run. Seems like the design of each kinera earphone keeps on improving with each iteration. The cable is soft and comes with the interchangeable plugs (which must be mandatory in my books!)



Amp Needs
At 20ohm, 107dB/mW the Urd does not need a dedicated amplifier. But given the high resolution of this earphone, pairing with a good quality source is of course recommended.



Sound Quality
Just like the design, it seems like kinera is taking big steps forward with each iteration of their earphones. Urd is no doubt superior to every kinera earphone I have tried to this day (namely Norn, Skuld etc). On first listen the Urd might appear a bit bland or boring but that is bound to change on further listen as the Urd's tonality is very polite and timbre very real. Not only is the timbre and tonality really commendable but so is the resolution. Every nuance and texture changes in each instrument is portrayed effortlessly and confidently, and it fails to falter even in busy tracks! No doubt Urd has some nice resolution. Coming back to the polite tonality, I hear the commonly phrased "BA timbre" where transients are smoothed and rounded. This also affects bass quantity and slam. While the bass is very good in terms of quality (i.e detail, texture, speed), I felt it lacked a bit of oomph. But hey, can't have it all I guess. Midrange is so clear and uncolored that it almost felt like taking me one step closer to the music. Unfortunately, the one drawback of the Urd (although hard to catch) is its upper midrange. There seems to be a very narrow emphasis in some frequency of this region which just pops up in sharp or bad recordings, and it sticks out like a sore thumb. The redeeming factor is that it doens't show up often in most music. This to me feels like biting a raisin on a nicely baked plain cake. The high frequencies draw no attention in any way or form, and is hard to even dissect and analyze given the coherence and uncolored nature of the tuning. The image that the Urd provides has good specificity and sufficient spaciousness. The image isn't too spacious though.




Conclusion
The urd is undoubtedly the best earphone to come out of Kinera (yet!) and the difference in performance compared to the rest of their lineup is substantial. I would classify the Urd as a really sophisticated and capable earphone. If it didn't have that slight narrow band emphasis somewhere in the upper midrange, the Urd would have been a real game changer.

INTRODUCTION:

Kinera, the brand known for its impressive wide range of products in the IEM lineup has released its new product namely the URD. The brand has a unique design language and the sound signature which was seen in the Norn and the Skuld. To continue their legacy the URD has been released to the market and in this review let's check out how it sounds.



SPECIFICATIONS:

• 2 Sonions EST + 2 Titanium Crystal Diaphragm Coaxial DD + 1 Kinera Customize 11021 BA
• Impedance: 20 ohm
• Sensitivity: 107db±2db
• Frequency Response: 5Hz-50kHz
• Modular 6N OCC + OCC with Silver Plated + OCC with Gold Plated Cable
• Plug with 2.5mm, 3.5mm and 4.4mm

DISCLAIMER:

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

If you are interested in purchasing this unit then without any hesitation proceed via this unaffiliated link: https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-urd-1

DESIGN AND FIT:

The design of the URD is the same as that of the Norn and Skuld but now with some different colour patterns. The green colour has been used now with some depth effect on the faceplate creating a nice 3D look. The whole construction is made out of Resin but feels sturdy and premium in the hands. The shell is on the bigger side since it accommodates all the three different types of drivers inside them. The shell is custom shell shaped hence the fit and seal in my ears are just perfect.

The provided cable is very premium and has that nice gold and silver patterned texture with nice flexible ear hooks. The nozzle is pretty wide enough thus the eartips selection will not be a versatile option. The termination of the plus is customisable where the ends are interchangeable which is a pretty neat addition in the package. The different termination plugs are also included in the package too!



The provided case is very premium in quality and matches the colour of the IEM itself. The case has an external locking mechanism with a nice faux leather finish and great stitching.

SOUND:

The sound profile of the URD is a pretty balanced sound profile with some nice and needed bass boost. The mid range is kept pretty neat and clean without any modification while the treble has been tuned to sound smoother and less fatiguing but without compromising on the detail retrieval of the IEM itself. Let’s check out in detail in the following sections.

LOW END:

The bass in the URD is just sublime. The bass is pretty authoritative with excellent control and weight. Both the sub and the mid bass presence is just perfect where the rumble from the sub bass can be felt adequately and the mid bass punch and slam can be experienced greatly without any congestion or subdue.

Both the quality and the quantity is just on spot with no excess. The sub bass and the mid bass are elevated at the same level making the whole bass experience a pleasurable one. The sub bass reaches nice and deep with good extension and creates that nice satisfying rumble. The mid bass has excellent quantity with great punch and weight. The slam is authoritative and strong. The kick drums have a nice attack and decay.

The separation and the clarity in the low end is impressive while the texture of the low end is also kept excellent where there is no noticeable grainy texture instead they appear smooth and clean. The overall tonality is kept natural hence the whole bass experience felt three dimensional and ethereal. The decay of the bass is on an adequate side thus the bass presence can be felt even after the notes disappeared making a well rounded bass head approved experience. 10/10 for the bass !



MID RANGE:

The mid range in the URD is just sublime like that of the Bass where the presentation feels nice and grand. One can easily say the initial impression after listening to this is that it has one of the biggest stages in this price range. The staging both in terms of width and height feels bigger creating a nice sense of space. The instruments are nicely placed while the vocals are placed nicely in the forward position.

No sort of congestion or compression is seen in the midrange of the URD. The whole presentation feels wide and bigger. If not, it's slightly bigger than the OH10, the stage monster. The tonality is kept natural which is a pretty big plus point of this product. The timbre of the instruments is also natural with no sort of colouring.

The piano notes and the acoustic guitar strings felt pretty natural making each pluck of the strings clearly audible with no artificial sense. The layering of the instruments felt extremely good due to that bigger sense of space. Both the upper and the lower midrange is boosted adequately making them sound more clearer and the female vocals have the nice crisp tone while the male vocals have that nice fullness that carries along from the mid bass presence. Overall the midrange is fuller yet very clearer and well separated making this a great pair of midrange sounding one.



TREBLE:

The treble in the URD is detailed enough for the most part yet they are non fatiguing! Pretty interesting tuning from the house of Kinera. The treble has that nice shimmer and sparkle in the top end making those details easily come out of each and every tracks. The cymbal crashes sound absolutely brilliant with great attack and decay which is very precise.

The electric guitar strings and the trumpets sound great with nice tone and attack. They sound nice and sharper with sparkle in the top end yet the sound is very offensive and non fatiguing. The upper treble is kept under control to avoid that harshness while the lower treble presence has nice energy in the top end making the treble sounds nice and bright enough for the energetic listen.

The instrument separation and clarity in the top end is pretty amazing for the extension they are at. They are tuned smoother yet brings out all the essential details out of the tracks. The percussion instruments especially have that nice tone and sparkle in the top end. The track sounds full of energy and nothing is subdued out. One of the best treble presence i have felt recently since this has all the qualities for a great treble presence. Has nice detail retrieval with non fatiguing smoother listening overall.

TECHNICALITIES:

STAGING: It's big! That's the first impression anyone would say after the initial listen with this IEM. The height and the width are just amazingly big while the depth is also pretty deeper due to that nice big bass. The bigger sense of space also led to that nice instrument placement and the vocal presentation. Everything is nicely spreaded out with a great grand presentation overall. One of the biggest stages in this price range for sure.

IMAGING: The imaging is precise with accurate placement of the instruments and the notes. The channel sweep feels smooth and the transition from one channel to the other feels organised and clean providing some nice theatrical experience. Even when complex tracks are played out the instruments are neatly laid out before you.

LAYERING: The layering feels extremely well with great presentation. Due to that bigger stage and the nice forward placement of the midrange everything feels nicely presented with precise layering effect.

Detail retrieval and the separation are top notch providing some serious level of details for the price. Overall I'm pretty impressed with the technicalities of this product making this a well worthy one to purchase.



VERDICT:

IMPERIAL URD, the latest offering from the house of Kinera became my favourite product after listening to this for the past few days. The brand never forgets to satisfy their customer by providing some serious sound out of their product. Their previous iteration Norn was my favourite product until I started listening to this gem!

URD ticks all the boxes of how a product should be. From the aspect of the sound to the design language it's just perfect. The URD has a striking design where the faceplate has that unique green coloured depth effect creating design language. The whole construction is made out of resin but feels very premium and worth long lasting in hands. The bigger shell and the ergonomically shaped shell helps in attaining that excellent fit and seal. Even the accessories that are included with the product are very premium, especially the cable and the case.

The sound is the ultimate star show here. A pretty balanced one with nice bass boost, melodious midrange and the energetic treble presence. The bass is weighty yet has that impressive control and texture taken care of by the Titanium plated Coaxial DD while that sparkly treble is taken care of by the impressive EST drivers. The melodious midrange is taken care of by the customised BA creating a nice Tribrid experience overall.

The technicalities are especially excellent in this product. You are getting the biggest staging, impressive layering and precise imaging capability in this price range which is more than what you ask from the product!

Overall the URD is a LEAGUE ABOVE product from the already awesome Norn. Both these products are extremely good for the price and if you are in the market to purchase a well rounded earphone in the price range of around 600-700 usd then go nowhere and land straight on the KINERA URD!

Disclaimer:
The unit has been sent to me by Hifigo as a part of a review circle. I am not working or affiliated to Hifigo or Kinera and I am not being paid or influenced otherwise to say anything positive or negative about this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Note: Please note that my opinions and ratings are based on price, category, market competition and personal expectations and are subjective in nature.

Introduction
Kinera, a well-known brand among audiophiles, have brought us the Urd which is a tribrid IEM. It is a 5 driver IEM in 2DD + 1BA + 2EST configuration in each side. It features dual Sonion EST drivers, 8mm titanium crystal diaphragm coaxial double dynamic drivers, and a single high-performance Kinera custom balanced armature unit. These drivers are arranged and adjusted in a three-way frequency crossover. Urd is currently available at Hifigo for USD 585.00. Here’s the link.


Build Quality and comfort
The shells of the URD are beautifully made, the faceplate is one of a kind to feature first ever 3D printed sculpted faceplates. As like most of Kinera’s IEMs, Urd looks stunning and has a lot of going in for the design. In one of the side, Kinera is etched and on the other side Urd is etched in gold. The shells are towards the larger size but had a snug fit on my medium or small sized ears.
Urd is bundled with a hybrid 6N OCC Copper cores, Silver-plated OCC cores and Gold-plated OCC cores high purity wires cable. It has 2pin 0.78mm connectors and comes with 3.5mm, 2.5mm and 4.4mm interchangeable termination plug system. The cable feels sturdy, decently soft and comfortable and no microphonics observed. In fact its really well made cable that looks and sounds premium.
The fabric finish case also looks quite beautiful and keeps with the bluish theme of the Urd.
Score: 9/10



Sources
Cayin N6ii with R01
Cayin N6ii with A01
Cayin N6ii with A01 LO to Pico Power
Phi DecaDac with Sapphire

Lows
Lows are where we are starting and lows are where URD does a great job. The dual DD setup presents textured and detailed impactful bass. There’s nice rumble too and sub bass is detailed too. The has good quantity but not overpowering, it adds an overall fullness to the sound signature without meddling with the mids.
Score: 9/10

Mids
Mids on the Urd are as good as the lows. It is well detailed, natural and smooth. Vocals are appropriately forward and not being on our face yet being naturally intimate. Urd has one of the most beautiful mids I have heard. I didn’t observe any peaks. Strings and piano tones sound clean and natural. The tonal weight is really good, and like I mentioned earlier, full bodied.
Score: 9.5/10

Highs
Treble in Urd takes a slight backstep, with slightly lesser energy and emphasis. It has this relaxed yet detailed nature and has decent extension. But I did notice the roll off at the top end. I felt a certain lack of airiness in the top end. Although the highs are not exactly as per my preference as I like a bit of energy and extension, but people looking for warm presentation or people who are treble sensitive would certainly love this IEM.
Score: 8.5/5

Soundstage, Imaging, Separation
Urd’s soundstage has good width and height. The imaging is good too and layering seemed quite good. I didn’t experience any congestion. The soundstage has this nice extensive feel with each instruments, vocals projecting from each of their distinct position in the space.
8.5/10

Conclusion:
I didn’t feel anything lacking and the overall presentation seemed spot on to the kind of tuning Kinera was trying to achieve with this IEM - something relaxed and intimate but not congested, warm and lush. I feel this IEM is particularly not lacking anything and justifies the price. Urd has a premium look and premium well refined sound too.

Overall rating: 9/10

Kinera is a well known audio brand famous for its very good-sounding IEMs. They always name their IEMs referring to the figurines in Norse mythology. They have been on a spree of producing exceptionally well build, good-looking and exception sounding IEMs like Skuld, Odin, Idun, Seed, BD005, Idun Deluxe etc. where URD is their latest offering.

URD is another beautiful looking IEM from Kinera having shades of Blue & Green on top of attractive white face-plate.
It again uses naming convention based on Norse Mythology which is also reflected in its Design. URD is one of the Norns in Norse mythology, the beings who shaped fate in the first place & has a well right under the world tree Yggdrasil known as the Well of URD. Kinera URD depict the surface of "Well of URD" with its shades of blue & green via 3D printing. This design goes to the sides showing how much the well goes deep, becoming deeper and deeper. And this is all upon a calming White colour which is in contrast to blue shades and all together just looks a sight to behold.



URD bass uses titanium crystal diaphragm coaxial double dynamic. The high frequency adopts the Sonion new generation EST65DB01 composite double electrostatic unit. The mid-range is connected by the dynamic driver 11021 customized by Kinera. It comes with a Modular 6N OCC + OCC with Silver Plated + OCC with Gold Plated Cable & multiple Plugs with 2.5mm, 3.5mm and 4.4mm. It also has different Ear-tips which changes the sound characteristics along with a cleaning brush with all packaged in a lovely blue storage case.

Before I proceed further, I would like to thanks Kinera Audio to involve me in the ongoing review-tour handled by HifiGo. You can get the Kinera URD by clicking here. https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-urd-1 . I would like to inform that this is not sponsored nor has been paid by Kinera or HifiGo or anyone else. All impressions mentioned below reflects my personal experience with Kinera URD.

The Mids are beautiful, Vocal be it Female or Male comes with a sublimity & elegance which will make you fall for the sound. I really loved the voice of female singers coming from URD. Spanish singer ROSALÍA was just fantastic & one can hear subtle details in her voice. There was something special about her album Motomami on URD. Middle part of the track G3 N15 shows how powerful URD can become when it comes to Dynamics. Details pop-out especially on the lower mids, transparency is great but its not the most adept in terms of transparency when compared with other IEMs in the price range. Treble is detailed and extended with sonic beauty that it never becomes piercing or harsh, at-least for the multitude of songs & ost I heard via it. You can feel the movement of Air. For some it may lack the sparkle & treble-energy for many but it has excellent details in this region without being harshed. Bass is good, well-balanced & controlled. It doesn't blend with Mids which is a good part, the decay & attack is controlled & smooth. It lacks a just a bit on the texture as well as sub-bass but is good in bringing out details in it. The Voice of Enigma & Principles of Lust from Enigma was clean & magical & very well layered. Bass came out well & was never over-powering. It comes out good on most of the tracks but sometimes on other feels a bit lacking.



Presentation is another strength of URD. Sound-stage is well rounded, a full circle around with a great depth which it uses nicely for layering as well as a nice width & good height. Layering & Imaging is also excellent. The over-all sound is pure, smooth & organic with a very good weight on the mid-range & nice resolution. URD sounded very well on Vivo X60 pro mobile. Its pairing with Fiio E17 wasn't very good , details were there but over-all sound wasn't & esp. presentation was a odd one. Height was lost considerably. With iFI ICan it was great , the most improvement part in overall sound & transparency was in the bass department. Basically if you pair this IEM with a good quality Dac/Amp it will shine well, it all depends on the pairing as it is with all audio products. Good part is that is sounded amazingly well directly from smart-phone.

Kinera URD as its looks, is also elegant when it comes to sound, a very well balanced sound. URD has its strength in its technicality & its strength alone makes up for its faults which for some user could be in the form of expecting treble sparkle/energy & deep sub-bass. With the kind of quality sound involving a blissful tuning is a form of art which Kinera URD has & is not easily found in many of the IEMs in the market.

Introduction:
Kinera is a brand of YuTai Electronic Acoustics, that has been in the business for more than 10 years now. Based in Dongguan, China, YuTai is a pioneer in 'Bone Conduction' technology. In the last few years, Kinera has produced a series of exceptions products which include Odin, Idun, Seed, BD005, Idun Deluxe, and single dynamic driver SIF.

URD is the latest jewel in the crown. It is a 5 driver(2DD +1BA + 2 Sonion EST) tribrid in-ear monitor with stunning looks and killer design. The earpieces are an absolute delight to look at. The faceplate is particularly striking with a pattern that creates an illusion of depth. This blue pattern on a marble white shell with 'Kinera' and 'URD' etched in golden, gives this IEM an extraordinary look and a feel of some sort of aquamarine landscape. It's lightweight but a little too big. The nozzle design is not straight and can be hit or miss in terms of fit.



It is bundled with an impressive 6N OCC Copper cores, Silver-plated OCC cores, and gold-plated OCC wire cores cable. The cable feels sturdy and compliments the shells perfectly in look and feel. The cable is equipped with swappable plug types along with 3 fittings - 3.5mm SE, 2.5mm balanced, and 4.4mm balanced. The package also comes with a gorgeous fabric finish blue carry case that compliments the overall looks and feel of the product.



Disclaimer:
I have received as part of the review circle sent from Hifigo in exchange for honest reviews. All impressions of sound are subjective to my listening and my sources and are based on my experience with IEMs of similar hardware configurations and price range. One can purchase the following IEM at:
https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-urd-1

Sources:
For this review, the unit has been paired to A&K SE200 and Hiby RS6 without any other amplification using balanced out.



Highs:
The treble region in URD is managed by dual EST drivers but it was indeed a surprise that the overall feel of the treble region was relaxing and smooth but very well extended. I personally love this kind of tuning and thus enjoyed this aspect of URD a lot. But for some people there might be a miss of sparkle in this region. There is no miss in details of any kind, the cymbals and other bells and whistles sound very well, and not at any point of time it becomes exhausting or harsh.



Mids:
The mid-range is well managed by BA drivers and is presented in a smooth and detailed manner. Overall mids sound musical and balanced. There is a hint of warmness in vocals that makes it sound even more melodious. I personally loved both male and female vocal presentations on it. The instruments in the mid-region like pianos, guitars, and violins sounded full of details but nevertheless very much smooth and relaxing.



Lows:
The low range is managed by dual-diaphragm dynamic drivers, as a result of which URD is able to produce a decent bass rumble. The bass impact is full of texture and details. The sub-bass also has a nice presentation to it. The bass is deep that can satisfy the craving easily and it's presented in a very controlled manner. Not even at a single point in time, the dual-driver lose the control to make it feel bloated or overwhelming in terms of bass response.



Technicalities:
The overall technical performance of URD is very good, there is a decent soundstage with above-average height and width. The depth and separation are also very good. The detailing and microdynamics are also very well defined and go very well with the soothing tonality of the IEM.



Final Verdict:
In a nutshell, Kinera URD is an IEM that is very good-looking and has very nice smooth tuning to it. The only downside for me was its wavy large nozzle design that started causing a bit of pain in the ears over a short period of time, which I think can be further resolved using some tip rolling, unluckily I was a bit short of time and was traveling while listening to URD so was not able to test different tips on it. I loved the overall warmish and musical tonality of it. I would definitely recommend URD if one is a bit treble sensitive and looking for a multi-driver IEM with EST drivers.

Kinera has got a good rep in the market for its premium collection of In-ear monitors. They have received many awards for their beautiful craftsmanship too. Most of their in-ear monitors have got rich hand-painted ear cavities. Previously, I have tried a few of their products including the Norn, Skuld, IDUN Golden, and the TYR. I find most of their IEMs to perform quite good with Norn being my favorite for its fun and engaging sound signature. Today what I have with me is the latest from Kinera, The Kinera Imperial URD. Without wasting any time, Let’s begin with the review of the URD today.

Disclaimer:-

I received the URD from HiFiGo as a part of a review tour a few days back. All impressions made in this blog are completely my own based on my own usage of the URD over the past week. These impressions might be influenced by my personal preference for the sound that is balanced with a slight boost in the sub-bass region. A huge shout out to the HiFiGo Team for organizing this tour of Kinera URD, you can buy it from their website from the link below or by clicking here.
https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-urd-1
About Kinera URD:-

URD houses a five-driver tribrid driver configuration featuring 2 EST+2DD+1BA drivers on each side. Similar to other IEMs by Kinera, the URD features beautiful hand-painted ear cavities. It is their third tribrid IEM after the flagship Baldr and the mid-fi Nanna. But unlike those, the URD has an attractive price tag of 650$. Kinera also follows its tradition of naming and designing its IEMs based on Norse Mythology characters with the URD. URD is actually a part of Norn, the three sisters of fate. Remember the Skuld, As per the Norse Myths, Skuld is the youngest among the three goddesses. URD is the oldest among them, She is the incharge of the past and also a goddess of death. She is a guardian of a sacred fountain under the world tree, that fountain is also known as Well of Urd. The chief designer and tuning team at Kinera took inspiration from the story of URD in terms of both designing and tuning the pair.

Design & Build Quality:-

Spectacular feels like a less word here. You can just look at the stunning hand-painted ear cavities of Kinera URD and I am sure you will go out of words to explain its beauty. Every time I try a Kinera product, I feel like how can they improve on the design of this, the next time they have outdone themselves with an even better looking one. I remember when I tried the Norn, I was like “WOW this is beautiful”, but then I tried Skuld which in my opinion is still one of their best design in IEMs. Then I saw the URD this time, fully blown away in terms of looks. The beautiful resin cavities have a combination of shades of Turquoise blue and Green filled at the face cover area. I said “filled” here because quite literally Kinera designed the pair like the “Well of URD” with an endless bottom. From what I understand they 3D printed a cavity with a beveled design on the face covers and then professional designers fill the face cover with Turquoise Blue and Green color combinations. Entire shell is made up of white resin material in a unibody design.

The right earpiece has URD printed at the center of the faceplate and the left earpiece has the Kinera branding logo at the center. The shells are slightly large here. Kinera sticks to 0.78mm two-pin connectors. There’s a vent located at the side of the URD ear cavities. In terms of design, like I said before Kinera has outdone itself with the dedicated design of URD.

Fit & Isolation:-

The ear cavities here are slightly big than regular Resin cavities. They are identically big as the Norn, so people with small ears might get issues in getting the perfect comfortable fit. For me, I have medium-sized ears, I had no issues in getting a good seal and comfort. With the stock tips(Final Audio Type E), the fit is good but I find the sound to get an extra punch in the lower end, So I use wide bore tips from my collection.

Power Requirements For URD:-

URD runs well off a regular smartphone but to bring out the best of its capabilities it takes a decent digital audio player or USB DAC/AMP. I tested the pair with my Redmi Note 10 Pro, the pair sounds decent at best. It lacks extensions at both ends, but just give it a hi-res audio player like the Shanling M3X and enjoy an amazing experience. I personally used it with Astell & Kern SE100 and Luxury & Precision W2. Both of which powered it adequately showing excellent dynamics.

Sound Impressions:-

Kinera URD has a musical presentation with a fast lower-end, melodious midrange, and smoothly-detailed treble frequency response. Lower end shows good texture to the bass. The pair utilizes the two Dynamic drivers well, I don’t know the exact frequency division, but I am sure the lower-end utilizes one as it has the punch, slam, and speed of a dynamic driver. Midrange shows good character, vocals are warmer than neutral. They sound very melodious and charming. Treble region is nicely-detailed, has good resolution, and doesn’t get offensive or bright at all.

URD has a smoothly tuned W-shape sound profile. The dynamics with the URD, like Staging and Layering, are very good. Stage is beautiful, it’s wide, it has got good depths too where different Instruments are presented in a nicely-layered manner. There are some flaws with the sound performance of the URD, They might be a personal preference to me. First and foremost, the sound image is created closer to the listener. I mean, the pair has a sense of intimacy due to the forward sound image. Even though the stage has got good width, the pair sound immersive and closer to us. Secondly, this is a nitpick(and honestly me comparing it with IEMs twice its price range), Treble could use some more air. It’s not congested, but instruments sound closer to each other. Having used several other IEMs from Kinera(Two from a similar price bracket), I would say Kinera has tuned the URD very well. It’s the best of them I have listened to date. (I have not heard the flagships Nanna or Baldr but have experience with Norn and Skuld).

Lower-End:-

As I mentioned earlier, URD utilizes its dynamic drivers very well. The lower end has got good punch and slam. Earlier to URD, I was using two IEMs, Sony IER M9 and Campfire Audio Andromeda, both of these are full BA sets. Upon putting the URD into my ears, I instantly fell in love with the bass response of the URD(Let me tell you, M9 despite being BA has very good bass). The pair has good control in the lower end, it sounds fuller with a pretty good tonal heft to instruments such as Cello, Bass guitars, and more. The bass response with URD goes deep, you don’t have to increase the volume to feel the punch here, it’s right there hitting you with every single bass drop. One can feel the sub-bass rumble going deep, mid-bass leaves a pounding impression on your chest with bass-heavy tracks. Don’t get me wrong here, It’s not overpowering, but very very well-tuned bass with the URD. I loved the Norn for its bass response, this right here in my hands is a true upgrade over that.

Tracks Tested:-

>DUB With Power by Puscifer.

>Walla Walla by Glass Animals.

>Change Your Mind by LCD Soundsystem-American Dream.

>Just Give Me A Reason by P!Nk.

>Prelude to War from Battlestar 2 OST.

>As We Fall by Klergy.

>Oceans by Evanescence.

Midrange:-

URD has a musical and melodious midrange tuning. Vocals are full-bodied with a pretty clean presentation. Vocals are forward in their presentation but in a safe manner. They don’t sound shouty or too into the face, they are just closer to the listener creating a sense of intimacy. The texture of vocals here is better than what we had on the Norn or Skuld. Though there is a noticeable BA timbre in Vocals that might bother some listeners. If you are someone who loves vocal-centric music, I can assure URD will be your lovey-dovey the first day itself. There are good details with acoustic instruments too, just listen to the Hotel California By Eagles(Hell Freezes Over) and you will love the brilliant details the pair retrieves in the starting intro of the song. Good thing here is that instruments such as Piano, Acoustic guitars, have got a good tonal weight to them. They sound natural and clean.

Tracks Tested:-

>You and Whose Army by Radiohead.

>Ragpicker’s Dream by Mark Knopfler.

>Hotel California By Eagles(Hell Freezes Over).

>Animals Were Gone by Damien Rice.

>Starving(Acoustic) by ZEDD.

>Your Biggest Mistake by Elle Goulding.

Treble:-

I am mostly impressed by URD by its treble response. May be due to the fact that my previous experience with Kinera always needed something in the Treble region, but this one feels very very improved now. There is no harshness, no sibilance(even my favorite Norn had a bit of sibilance here or there). It sounds nicely detailed, has good control, doesn’t sound too into the face, and shows good clarity too. Only thing that could be improved here, would be that It needs a little bit more air in the treble region. Instruments sound pretty close to each other. I said nitpicking here mainly because as I stated earlier I was comparing it to the IEMs priced twice its price(Sony M9 and CA Ara).

Tracks Tested:-

>United We Are by Hardwell.

>Hate Me by Blue October.

>Billie Jean by Michael Jackson.

>Sultans Of Swing by Dire Straits.

>Starry Eyes by The Weeknd.

Dynamics:-

URD shows pretty dope dynamics in its sound. It has a nicely layered presentation on a wide and deep sound stage. The stage also has a good sense of Height, a very beautiful 3D soundstage feeling I would say. Imaging and layering of instruments is very good, even in complex tracks such as Bohemian Rhapsody by Queens or Dark Necessities by RHCP, you can position instruments quite well. Binaural tracks by Yosi Horikawa are also a pretty good listen with the URD.

Kinera URD Vs Kinera Norn:-

Not exactly a match in driver configuration but closely priced IEMs by Kinera. Norn I auditioned it last year, I liked it for its fun and engaging sound. It has a five-driver hybrid config featuring 1DD and 4 BA drivers per side. The new URD has a five-driver tribrid config housing 2EST+2DD+1BA on each side. Here are my thoughts between these two(impressions from my previously written review of Norn and image from my collection).

>URD has got a better punch in the lower end.

>Midrange sounds a little bit warmer on the URD, Norn might be more natural in this aspect.

>Treble response has better separation and extension with the URD.

>Norn had more intimacy with narrower stage, URD has a wider soundstage but the feeling of intimacy is still here.

I know it feels like I am praising a lot on the URD here, but I just feel it's a huge improvement over Norn here.

Kinera URD Vs Thieaudio Monarch MK2:-

Something comparable in driver configuration here(both tribrids) but there is a bit of an extra difference in their price point. Monarch MK2 has a price point of 1000$, 350$ above the URD. It has a 1DD+6BA+2EST config per side. Here are my thoughts on these two.

>URD has got better punch in the lower end, Tones and instruments have a nice weight to them.

>Monarch MK2 here sounds lean to me(both with the same source SE100).

>Midrange with the URD is more forward, Monarch MK2 feels slightly distant here.

>URD feels more on the intimate side, Monarch MK2 feels wider and deeper.

>Monarch MK2 takes a leap ahead in its treble. It has the air and also has a tad bit more resolution in the treble.

>Tonally, Monarch MK2 has a slightly brighter touch while the URD has a sense of warmth and richness to its sound.

Having said that, Both the IEMs are pretty good but they both will cater to people with different preferences. I, for one like the warmth of URD, also the Punch in its sound adds a sense of fun and engagement here. Monarch MK2 on the other hand sounds wider and cleaner but has a leaner body for vocals and instruments in comparison which I personally don't prefer.

Final Words:-

URD is a step in the right direction from Kinera I would say. It provides an impressive sound performance while looking great too. It has some flaws of its own, mainly the Treble could use extra air if we compare it with IEMs of this league(primarily Monarch MK1). Though I noticed the URD sound airier when amped. Other issues like BA Timbre, Intimate image are just me being nitpicky about the pair, Kinera has actually done a great job in both designing and tuning the URD. Well, that’s all I have to say about the Kinera URD, I would again like to thank HiFiGo for organizing this tour for the URD. Hope you guys like this write-up of mine. Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments section below.

Disclaimer
I have been provided this unit of Kinera URD by Hifigo as part of a local review circle, in return of my honest and unbiased impressions. I am not paid to write anything for or against the product therefore what I am sharing are my impressions based on my preference of music and source gear used. You may click HERE to find more about the URD and/or to purchase the same.

Product Features & Tech Specs

• Five-driver Tribrid configuration per side - Dual Sonion EST drivers + High-Performance Balanced Armature driver + Titanium-Crystal Diaphragm Coaxial double dynamic driver
• 3D Printed Stereoscopic Faceplates
• Interchangeable termination plugs, with 0.78mm 2-pin connectors
• Impedance: 20Ω
• Sensitivity: 107dB±2dB

Introduction
This is my first time trying a Kinera IEM. URD is rather an interesting name and I later learnt that it has a spiritual reference as per Norse Mythology, you can read more about it on the product page. The review unit I received came without the retail packaging, however in a lovely looking and well-built case that secures the IEM & Cable nicely. The stock cable seems well built and looks premium that comes with interchangeable plugs. Personally, I am a fan of cables that come with swappable plugs as it makes them versatile and ready to be used with almost any source without worrying about interconnects.




Build & Fit
The URD is beautiful looking IEM with raisin body that has 3D printed faceplates and handmade design. even though the shells are slightly bigger and stick out of the ears, it is very lightweight and will not bother anyone in my opinion. with the Final E tips, the overall fit is safe and secure. Although the nozzle is slightly bigger for my ears, I did not have any issues wearing them for few hours.



Sound Impressions
So, I plugged the URD into my AK Kann Alpha and my first reaction was - WOW!!

Lows: The bass on URD is amazingly clean and there is no bloat whatsoever. Sub-bass goes deep and is very well controlled. I believe the sub bass extension could have been better but perhaps the makers wanted to play safe here to avoid losing control and letting is overpower or bleed into other frequencies.

Mids: Mid-range on the URD is very well balanced and full of details. The vocals, although not very warm or lush, are very satisfying and right for my taste. Interestingly I found the mids slightly recessed at times, but on extended listening I realized it is more to do with specific tracks than to do anything with how the midrange is tuned on the URD.

Highs: The treble region on the URD, in my opinion, can be the key factor for someone to buy this IEM or decide against it. I found the treble on URD fairly resolving, but it lacks the sparkle and could have been airier. For my taste, it sounds rather congested overall and could have been more open. Somehow the treble region does not seem to complement the coherency presented by the lower and mid-range, which makes the overall sound rather smooth and laid back and not very energetic. This is not necessarily a terrible thing though and is entirely based on personal preference

Conclusion: Kinera URD, in this price range, can perhaps just be the IEM to choose for someone who prefers fatigue free easy listening without missing out on the details and fun factor this may just be the IEM to choose; however for someone who is a treble-head and likes more energy in treble region, may want to try the URD before making a purchase decision. Overall, it is a great value for money given the ask price and I would highly recommend this to anyone looking to explore hybrid IEMs without burning a hole too deep in the pockets.

I was provided this with unit by hifigo in exchange of my honest review. I won't be getting into the product specs as the same can be found at the below given link :-

https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-urd-1

Source - DAPs - Astell and Kern Alpha Balanced 4.4. and Sp2000 cu Single Ended
AMP - Vorzuge Pure 2 plus


Let's get straight to the sound

Bass - "Doobey" and "Beqaboo" both from Gehraiyaan OST - the URD diplayed excellent bass lines, excellent depth and the bass rumbles pretty decently with good definition. It seems to be a bit controlled considering 2 DD are being used as bass cannons, but I guess the balance that this is asking for could've been disturbed if those 2 were allowed to rip things apart. Compared to say an Andro, the sub bass is better (in extension, rumble and linearity too), but andro scores in terms of definition. It seems to me that there isn't much bloat either in its pairing, especially with Alpha, which again helps the vocals to sound much clearer, when transitioning into the mids.



Mids - "Ae ajnabi" from Dil se and "Agar tum saath ho" from Tamaasha - pretty good tonal weight, the notes overall sound clear. The male vocals sound decently emotive and meaty, but they do lack the depth/baritone slightly, compared to say an M9, but still good enough to hold on to my attention. Female vocals are poised perfectly for my taste, with pretty good texture and intensity/energy. My preference has largely been inclined towards slightly v-shaped signature which goes well with the kind of music I hear. One may find this to be slightly recessed in the mids, but I find it to be perfectly balanced, which is why my opinion has to be taken with a grain of salt, due to my above mentioned preference.

Treble - "Ghoomar" from Padmaavat - a bit disappointed with the treble I must say, this is exactly the URD falls slightly short of scoring an absolute winner in their arsenal. The energy that is carried throughout the bass and the midrange seems lost to me once it passes above the upper mids. The sparkle and the air is a bit paler, and it just lacks energy in the upper treble reaches, and the texture too lacks a bit which overall gives me a feeling that the driver performing the treble duties is probably looking for more juice but the lack of it is forcing it to behave in certain way, which isn't pleasant. The resolution is there, it's just the presence that seems to be lacking in the far upper reaches. The situation does improve a bit when I added my Pure 2 plus amp, and made it sound overall bigger, better separated and airier. But then when one is looking to drive it through the portable devices without stacking, they should probably be mindful of this.

Technicalities - "Jitthu Theme" from PETTA OST- The stage seemed fairly spread out in all the directions, hence ensuring a good holographic presentation. The detailing, resolution, separation, layering and imaging together combine very well to give that perception of great clarity where you can pin point every instrument in the mix and place them precisely. I won't comment on the coherence of the hybrids overall as barring the Z1R, which is probably the only hybrid iem that I've found to be decently coherent, every other hybrid iem that I've tried, seem to suffer from incoherence in presentation/timbre/balance. But that honestly doesn't stop from making them sound fun and engaging, which is what this Kinera URD is too.

Conclusion - I'd still pick this over the Andro as I prefer the sub bass and the upper mids presentation on these over the Andros. The stage on the Andros is still superior, but this iem, for the price it is offered at, does an good job in terms of value for money, giving some other entry level high end iems, namely Andros, Sony ier M9 and AAW ASH, a run for their money, when it comes to areas like resolution, detailing and, BASS. If I were looking at budget hybrid, I guess I wouldn't be hesitant to pick this one up. Pretty good iem and great value for the price that is being charged, is what I'd like to conclude with.

Introduction:
A new year, a new Kinera to join the fray, with a fresh set of driver combination. And I must say, it is a looker indeed! Just like its predecessor Norn, it has got a similar, if not better, breathtaking visual appeal that captivates the attention instantly. I will not go into details of the history of the name and all, as those can be easily found on other websites. I got the chance to audition and review it thanks to Hifigo.



Technical Specifications:
Drivers: Titanium-Crystal Diaphragm Coaxial double dynamic driver + High-Performance Balanced Armature driver + Dual Sonion EST drivers
Crossover: 3-Way
Impedance: 20Ω.
Sensitivity: 107dB±2dB.
Rated Power: 3mW.
Frequency Response Range: 5Hz-50kHz.
THD+N: <2%(1kHz, 100dB SPL).
Connector: 0.78mm 2-pin connectors.
Cable: 6N OCC Copper cores, Silver-plated OCC cores, and gold-plated OCC wire cores

Disclaimer: I was loaned this iem for a limited time as a part of a review tour managed by Hifigo in exchange for my honest impressions. The impressions recorded below are completely my own and not biased by any manner. The purchase link of the iem is as below:
https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-urd-1

Accessories:
The unit came in its carrying case with the cable and 1 set of Final-E type eartips. The carrying case looks quite premium with its fabric outer shell and Kinera written on top. The cable looks quite mesmerising with the gold and silver stripes. What’s more, the cable is of swappable plug type, and 3 plugs are supplied alongwith - 3.5 mm SE, 2.5 mm balanced, 4.4 mm balanced. That’s a whole lotta option for anyone out there. The tips that were provided with the package were the Final-E type tips, so no idea if other tips were also provided. I did not tip roll.



Build and Fit:
As already mentioned, the all resin body looks stunning to say the least, and has somewhat of a perception of depth on the faceplate. Moreover, on the sides, the aquamarine parts sparkle under light that looks absolutely stunning. The shell size is not too big, but quite thick and it sticks out of the ear. With the provided tips the fit was quite secure. There is a bit of a vacuum build up inside the ear though, which can be a bit disconcerting in the beginning, but after a while the feeling goes away.

Source:
Shanling M3X, Balanced Out, High Gain.
L&P W2, Balanced Out, High Gain

Sound:
The first term that came to my mind regarding Urd was that it was very safely tuned, while keeping focus on not to wash away the details. The tonality was obviously warm, a bit beyond my preference but that is not necessarily a bad thing. The one positive aspect of its tuning is that it is a very comfortable sounding iem which will not make you miss out on the technicalities a whole lot also.



As the specs say, the Low range is handled by a dual diaphragm Dynamic Driver. Anyone would expect that it will pack a solid punch in the low frequencies with deep subbass. However, to my ears, that was not the case. Now, it can be that the pairings were at play, but even then, the innate characteristics of the driver cannot change that drastically by change of source that will completely transform to being juicy from dry. The subbass of Urd is a bit too early rolled off to my ears, which allows you to listen to the subbass rumbles and reverbs, but does not allow you to really feel it. Midbass slams are definitely punchy, however, the rather controlled subbass does not add enough body to the midbass notes to feel lively or tactile. On the other hand, this also guarantees a very clean bass with easily perceivable textures and details.
A point to note here - the satisfaction level of bass also changes depending upon the instrument being played. For example:
The kickdrums in Metallica - The Four Horsemen sound good enough - fast and punchy while not taking up the centre stage. But, the same cannot be said of the bass drums in Battlestar Galactica Season 2 OST - Prelude To War or the subbass rumbles in The Dark Knight - Why So Serious: The pressure and reverbs were not present in satisfactory quantities.

The BA driver handles the Mid range rather well, in my opinion. If the BA timbre can be overlooked, the notes it produces are detailed enough while devoid of any unnecessary peaks. A rather smooth yet crisp midrange that can work for almost anyone without much offense. Musicality is well preserved here. The added warmth makes listening to male vocals a pleasure. However, the female vocals may seem a bit too warm to have that euphonic touch to them, but nevertheless, that is not a deal breaker and they still sound sweet enough. Trying to remain as neutral as possible while ignoring my obvious bias towards DD timbre, I can say that the lower midrange has struck a balance between having sufficient body not to sound too lean, while maintaining adequate amount of crispness to provide excellent separation as well. The upper midrange is tuned rather safely while smoothing down the peaks to provide the most comfortable experience.
Snare drums and guitars (both acoustic and electric) sound crisp and clear and very easily identifiable in the mix. Bass guitars may lack a bit of body, but do not sound particularly weak. Cellos sound distinct and present in the mix without being excessively fat. However, with the smoothness comes a caveat - the midrange lacks any kind of bite. It does not really grab your attention or make you feel engaged - but that is completely a case of personal preference.
Some test tracks:
Battlestar Galactica Season 2 OST - Prelude To War
Eluveitie - Inis Mona
Evanescence - Imaginary
Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah
Yao Si Ting - Scarborough Fair

What surprised me was how the EST driver handled the High range. I had my previous run in with EST drivers in TSMR Land, and the high frequencies were exceptionally energetic there with brilliant extension. Moreover, Land had a dedicated BA driver for handling the high frequencies along with the ESTs. Here, however, as claimed by Kinera, the High range is solely controlled by the 2 EST drivers themselves. I was expecting a rather sparkling high range with plenty of energy…but was a bit surprised when I was presented with a rather smooth sounding one. It seems as if the EST drivers are dutifully following the midrange BA driver - no peaks or harshness throughout the spectrum, while still sounding crisp enough to provide above average separation. Cymbal hits do not get splashy or piercing at any moment. The tonality is also a bit on the warmer side, and hence the excitement may sound missing from the treble region, which may or may not be an issue depending upon preferences. Extension is decent enough that the ride cymbals in the background do not sound muted.
The drawbacks of the treble of Urd has to be the missing sparkles and a bit of air between the notes, but that’s all. Personally, such a safely tuned treble response is not at all up my alley, but I am trying to keep this review as less emotional as possible.
Some test tracks:
Eluveitie - Inis Mona
Steven Wilson - Pariah
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California

Urd does not skimp on Technicalities, but does not particularly excel either. Given the very controlled low range, a well separated smooth mid range, and a similarly smooth yet extended high range, it manages to create a very open sounding atmosphere with above average imaging. The stage is unmistakably tall, and the height is a bit more compared to the width and depth, so it sounded a bit odd to my ears at times. However, there is one aspect of Urd that I did not like at all - and that is the dynamics. Yes, micro-dynamics were good enough, but the macro-dynamics was considerably compromised in my opinion by way of the too safe tuning. There simply is not enough life to the music, the dynamic nature is meticulously avoided to obtain a rather laid back presentation. It was definitely intentional, and I do not want to put it down because of that simply because it does not suit my particular preference.



Conclusion:
I would like to finally take the liberty here to be a bit more emotional than purely objective. Does the Urd suit my preference? No. Urd lacks that visceral and tactile low range, the authoritative and gritty, full-bodied midrange, and a sparkling energetic high range. Urd is the total opposite of that. It is not a very dynamic sounding iem, the notes do not bite enough, the engagement factor is missing, the overall sound is so safe that it’s borderline dull! I could not connect to the music emotionally at all. However, I can understand that for someone who is looking for precisely these aspects in a iem, Urd can be a very nice choice. For me, it was a hard pass.