Kinera Imperial Verdandi

Kinera Verdandi

Disclaimer:

I received the Kinera Verdandi as part of a review tour in my country organized by Kinera. I am not associated with Kinera in any way and have no incentive whatsoever to write anything positive or negative about the IEM. The impressions shared in this write-up are based on my usage of the IEM over a week or so. The Kinera Verdandi is available for purchase from their website at the following link:

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

I’d also like to thank Gadgetgod for including me on this tour.



Introduction:

Kinera as a brand needs no introduction. The ChiFi manufacturer makes some of the most gorgeous-looking IEMs. The Verdandi is their latest offering consisting of 2 Knowles BA + 2 Sonion EST + 1 DD + 1 Bone Conduction Driver with an impedance of 14 ohms and sensitivity of 105dB. The IEM costs a whopping 1200 USD, making it one of their premium offerings. For the cable, this time around, they’ve partnered with Flash Acoustics and the IEM comes with a Monocrystalline Copper + High Purity 4N Silver cable with modular 3.5mm SE and 4.4mm BAL termination plugs. The earpieces weigh 7g each, hence they’re surprisingly lightweight in spite of being so huge in size. The IEM comes with a variety of ear tips including Final Type E ear tips, AZLA SednaEarfit Crystal ear tips, Kinera K-07 Balanced ear tips and a pair of Foam ear tips. Since I received an unboxed unit, I won’t be able to talk about the remaining accessories or the unboxing experience.



Given how gorgeous their previous IEMs look, the Verdandi is no exception. The custom-designed resin faceplates are gorgeous and breath taking. I received the black unit and the black earpieces with the contrasting silver cable looked stunning and grabbed my partner’s attention, who is otherwise indifferent to my “toys”. Verdandi is sure to make heads turn should one carry these beauties outdoors. The cable is soft and free of microphonics and complements the IEM both in terms of sound and aesthetics.

For the purpose of this review, I used the Verdandi with the stock cable and Azla Sedna Earfit Crystal eartips. Apart from the Crystal eartips, I liked the IEM with SpinFit Omni eartips. Putting on the Omni eartips was a bit of a challenge though. I also tried the IEM with a few other cables (Dunu Hulk. Effect Audio Code 24, Code 24C, EVO10, Eros S 8W) and liked the pairing with Code 24 the best. My impressions in this review are based on using the IEM with the stock cable and SpinFit Omni eartips. In terms of sources, I tried the IEM with Sony WM1AM2, Questyle CMA18 Portable, Xduoo XD05 Pro (AKM DAC card and Sparkos SS3602 opamps).





Sound Quality:

Although I have tried bone conduction before, the Verdandi has a distinct sound. Perhaps the combination of BCD + DD makes it sound so unique. The bass response is excellent in terms of quality. One can feel the attack here. There is good quantity too, but not the boomy kind that is typically associated with DDs. I can best describe the bass as deep, fast, and crisp. There is terrific rumble and great speed providing a visceral effect and an immersive listening experience. Thankfully there is no bass bleed or muddiness.

Mids are rich and detailed. There is good note weight, and everything sounds natural. There is a sense of richness in the male and female vocals. The mids are extremely clear and even the slightest nuances are conveyed beautifully.

The treble is airy and has some shimmer. There is good sparkle and there is a sense of openness which helps bring out the slightest of details rather beautifully. There is no shout or sibilance in the upper mids / lower treble region and the transition from the midrange to the highs is rather smooth. The treble is crispy yet not so sharp as to pierce through the ears. Overall, there is very good coherence across frequencies and the tonal balance is very good. The tuning is very pleasing and non-fatiguing allowing for long listening sessions.




Soundstage is wide and deep with excellent layering and separation. Complex tracks are rendered rather beautifully. I’d like to share the example of “Maahi Ve (Kaante)” where the synth wave and percussions are beautifully layered and given the distinct bass response of the Verdandi, the track sounds surreal on this IEM. I was able to appreciate the nuances in the vocals while grooving to the hypnotic synth wave. Imaging is precise with good detail retrieval/resolution. The dynamic range is impressive, and the IEM excels in terms of technicalities.




Conclusion:

The Kinera Verdandi has a distinct sound with a rather unique bass response. The IEM excels in terms of technicalities and the tonal balance is very good. The earpieces while being somewhat huge are surprisingly lightweight. This allows for long listening sessions without any fatigue, be it sound-wise or ergonomically.

KINERA VERDANDI- Did she write my fate to get a chance to write about this beauty?
The story of Kinera starts from 2011, when the YuTai Electronic Acoustics was officially established in Dongguan, China. The most notable was their Kinera Nanna in 2019 which got very good reviews everywhere. Now, they have improved upon it and delivered a Nanna 2.0 with great reviews. They now have three lineups under the umbrella- Kinera, Celest, and QOA items. But today, I am getting to review another IEM of theirs due to my fate being decided by one of the Norns - THE KINERA VERDANDI. VERDANDI makes up a trio of Norns (ahem!!! Kinera URD, SKULD) that are described as deciding the fates of people, with my fate being decided by the goddess of the present (aka Verdandi).

KINERA VERDANDI (link embedded to their site for more details)

TECH SPECS
2 Knowles BA + 2 Sonion EST + 1 DD + 1 Bone Conduction Driver
Impedance: 14 ohm
Sensitivity: 105 dB
Frequency Response: 20Hz-50kHz

Since i got this unit with a cable and case and the iems, i can't say much about the packaging. Please check other reviews for the same.
But i can mention what was present in the box as extras:

• Flash Acoustics Monocrystalline Copper + High Purity 4N Silver Cable
  
• Plug with 3.5mm and 4.4mm
• AZLA SednaEarfit Crystal Eartips
• Final Type E Eartips
• Kinera K-07 Balanced Eartips
• Foam Eartips

DISCLAIMER-

The Kinera Verdandi is part of a review tour organized by A.G., @gadgetgod, and Kinera in my country. The sample belongs to the brand. I had the opportunity to listen to it for 7 days for this review. This review is completely based on my experience with it, and all opinions, positive or negative, are my own and no one else’s. No external factors influence my review; only internal factors like my brain and heart influence it . Please try it yourself, if possible, since we all hear things differently. If you want to purchase it, you can buy it from the official product website from the link- KINERA VERDANDI

SOME CONSIDERATIONS-

SOURCE- laptop on battery with the Qobuz beta app, WASPI exclusive and direct mode being used, and my phone with the Qobuz app set to High Res.
DAC used - PAW S1, no Efx Mode and 4.4 pentaconn cable being used to power them.
AMP – Topping A30s (Burson v5i added) and Xduoo mt 602 with Sylvania 1954 tubes were used to test out whether it was being underpowered and what interactions do I see.

EAR TIPS- used are as follows: I don't remember their other 2 names but if I do I will add them here. But I settled on the CP 100 (red stem) ones as they were the best sounding and fit my ears perfectly.

BUILD-
It feels like a resin build with gold leaf into the shell. These are sturdy but i would avoid falls as much as possible.
One more thing the nozzle is quite big, so be careful while putting eartips.

REVIEW-

Unlike other reviews that I wrote, feedback told me I had been having an exhausting effect. So, taking this feedback in mind, I will try (really try) to keep my review short yet effective at giving you a description of what I am trying to find and portray.
Thus, writing a review pattern will help me be consistent with the reviews and ultimately make them precise.

SUB-BASS AND BASS (brothers)
Angel – Massive attack- This song begins with rumbles; given a good subwoofer, this would cause earthquakes. Two things to note from this song, the interaction with vocals and other instruments and notes decay and attack.

The notes are precise, and the bass hit is impactful, but the rumble is controlled, and each rumble is felt. There is great attack speed and swift decay; it’s not lingering at all, maintaining the clarity of other instruments. The rumble is epic. You would not call this a rumble heavy, but this much is enough to rumble your ears.

Iron- Woodkid- Who isn’t a fan of the Ezio De Auditore, Tunnel – Polo and Pan- Those synth bass hits are something to take care of in the new digital world.

Notes are quite fast and accurate with their delivery and no decay at all. Extensions are subdued a bit to maintain a crisp bass. The individual hits are quite great, they are separate and easily noticeable. The tonality is classic when needed and digital when required. It helps to identify the difference between the bass instruments pretty easily. They don’t invade the mids and reach enough width in the headspace to show their presence.


MIDS, SEPARATION AND LAYERING-

Dream a little Dream of Me- Louis Armstrong- Hear him, you will know why I put it here
Riverside- Agnes Obel- The voice is breathtaking, and there are two vocalists (one is better than two), which also shows the clarity between the voices. Plus, the ending of her words has sssss.

Vocals make or break an iem for me. Without vocals the music isn’t alive (extraordinary music are there). The vocals are quite rich and they reach their height easily in the notes. The vocals are identified easily between both the instruments and the vocalists. The male vocalists have good depth and roughed-up voices are not smoothened. The ssss is suppressed quite a lot. The small nuances are also heard properly without any issues.

Paranoid Android—Radiohead—This involves many instruments, and they are quite different from each other. The mixture lets you check separation, string pulls, tonality, and the interaction between the vocalist's voice and the instruments.

Bohemian Rhapsody- Queen- The piano and the interaction between the strings and the keys are important, given that we have both an electric guitar and a piano going with it.

Notes of the string instruments are quite vibrant and really show the individual plucks of the strings. They reach quite high in the soundstage and have good presence. They have a fast attack, and the extensions don’t linger much in the head-stage. Musical in nature focuses on individuality but coherence is maintained to help with the other instruments. Tonality is very easy to focus on, and it's quite sweet. You won’t find any glare whatsoever, even in the upper-mid range. The energy of the songs is really portrayed well.

Key instruments like grand pianos, etc., are quite grand and have a slightly thicker presentation than the strings, and I Love that. Presence is much bigger on the head stage, with more presence in the width of the stage. Tonality is spot on, and the sweet nature is focused on more. Extensions are more fervent, and this presents the grandeur of the piano.

Separation and layering are really good. The height difference between the notes on the instruments are present but they need to have a bit more room at the top for the notes to expand. It has good depth and also good presence along the front and back of head.



HIGHS-

The Mandalorian—Ludwig Goransson (May be the force be with you)—Focus on the instruments here. They feel like a good orchestra. Even the trumpets feel great.

Sigh- Praful- The usual beginning of the song sets you up instantly with the range of notes and the extension. Then, the drums help with the presence. Wait for the trumpets, and then you will feel it blowing for you.

Notes are reaching good height on the headspace with great separation even within themselves. Tonality is quite good with no harshness of the treble section. The height difference on the notes can be better but I like the musicality maintained. Although the attack is quite fast, the extensions are present, so is the decay. Even trumpets are quite sweet and not a hint of harshness at all. But everything maintains its coherence altogether.

VERDICT-
This is a wonderful set, and i like this the most out of the three norns of Kinera. Its engaging, sweet, and still energetic sound captures the essence of the song. I highly recommend a listen and try out my songs and maybe leave a comment on how to improve.

Kinera Imperial Verdandi Review

Disclaimer

Kinera Imperial Verdandi IEM was provided to me by Kinera, as part of their review tour. I thank them for this opportunity to try and evaluate this beautiful IEM from their stable. I am in no way related to them nor influenced by them. All my impressions are based on my own listening capabilities and the gear used. Imperial Verdandi is priced at 1199$.

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



About

Imperial Verdandi uses a single 6mm dynamic driver for lows, two Knowles BA for mids and highs, two Sonion ESTs for highs and ultra-highs and a single bone conduction driver. It’s rated at 14 ohms and 105db sensitivity. Verdandi comes in two beautiful designs, one in Halo(blue) and the other in Cosmos(black), which is what I got for review. Both look stunning in real life. Photos often don’t do justice to how beautiful and seamless they are made by Kinera. Shells are on the larger side of things, hence fit may be dependent on each person, for me it was good. Fit is very important for the bone conduction driver to do its magic here. Included cable is of very good quality and is made by Flash Acoustics in monocrystalline copper + 4N high purity silver configuration.



Sources Used

I have used my DAP, Cayin N7 as my sole source for the review purposes. Verdandi is a relatively easy to drive IEM, and my N7 had no problem in doing so.

Sound Impressions

Pros

• Excellent Bass, made addictive courtesy the 6mm single dynamic driver and bone conduction driver combo
• Excellent Coherency
• Excellent W-shaped Tuning
• Clear and Natural Mids
• Sparkly and yet non-fatiguing Treble
• Wide Sound Stage
• Excellent Technicalities

Cons

• Shell Size on larger side and fit will be an issue for some, negating BCD’s magic
• Slight Ringing Noise From BCD whenever shells are touched or moved

Bass, is simply superb, visceral and star of the show. Sub bass rumble and feel are excellent. Bass goes very deep and one can feel it all through without any bleed. Verdandi’s mid bass slams harder, making it pure joy to listen to tunes that enjoy such a slam and punch in bass. It’s a mixture of high quality and quantity. Verdandi’s bone conduction driver does an excellent job here in making bass very very addictive. Slight issue with this is that there’s small ringing noises whenever IEM is touched or moved. Nothing major to distract from its excellent bass response.

Mids are very clear, detailed, spacious and natural in its presentation. There’s clear transition from bass to mids without any bleed. Mids are energetic with great extensions. Male vocals sound natural, same goes for female vocals, which sound natural and energetic. Upper mids are very energetic and may sound shouty on some tracks.

The sound stage has very good width and depth. Found no congestion at upper frequencies in complex tracks. Instrument separation is very good, with clear space between each instrument played. Imaging is very good and precise. Technicalities are excellent with very good detail retrieval. Resolution and dynamics are very good for the price. Instrument tone is very natural. Flutes are nicely played with good emotions. Treble has very good extensions. It’s very sparkly and airy. Cymbal strikes are crispy. It’s not fatiguing by any measure. Treble has good details and carry good air all through.

Verdict

Overall, Verdandi is an exceptionally made w-shaped IEM from Kinera. It’s bone conduction driver works perfectly and brings some of the best bass implementations in its price range. Its slam and rumble are top notch and very enjoyable. Verdandi carries its good performance over to mids and treble too. Mids sound lush, energetic and natural. Treble has very good extensions too, making it an airy and spacious listening experience. I fully recommend this IEM to anyone who are interested in an IEM, which performs exceptional in almost all areas.