The New Kinera H3 Triple Hybrid IEM
OMG, the printed frequency chart with the downward slope at 12kHz is scaring me away...lol...I have doubts in companies that can't even get their own product's frequency chart right. The H3 sure looks good though...pityMy initial thoughts are:
-sound quality is excellent
-the earphone looks and feels premium
-accessories and carrying case is very nice
-cable is soft and comfortable
-the seal with stock tips are quite impressive
Overall, I am shocked at how good the sound is.
Take a look at these unboxing photos and a photo of the frequency response graph
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This is Steve from Kinera, Thank you so much for opening a thread for the H3, deeply appreciated. We are happy to be here and answer any questions about our products and plans in the future. So if you guys have any questions about it, please feel free to ask me
Hello, what is your warranty and do I have to send it to China for repairs?
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Most IEMs start dropping away after 12 kHz or so - it's normal. And there isn't much above 12 kHz except some harmonics. Frequency chart looks fine to me. I'd wait until people start giving impressions before solely relying on a manufacturers chart for a sonic guide .....
Brooko, I totally agree with you on not relying on a manufacturer's frequency chart but I certainly can hear beyond 12kHz and it certainly makes a lot of difference to me if the sound takes a dive at 12kHz. The second frequency chart by yacobx looks much better but it's not been verified. I think I'll wait for a frequency chart of the H3 from a reliable source before parting with $99. All my favourite IEMs (cheap or expensive) have good high frequency extension because I enjoy the high frequency extension that deliver airy micro details with good extension on the low end plus sweet and detailed mids to balance up everything. It's just my sound signature preference...that's why I love my Dynamic Motion DM200H but that's another story due to it's price difference. On a positive note, the H3 sure looks good and I love the cable too...I'll wait for a reliable frequency chart first before making the final decision.
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I definitely wasn't suggesting anybody (or most people etc) can't hear above 12 kHz. But the drop off occurs after that and once you get into the 14 kHz + range, there simply isn't a lot there except harmonics, and realistically not a lot of those either Its also really hard to measure that area - and you can get a lot of inconsistencies unless you have mega$$$ measurement gear.
My suggestion (as a good personal test) is to use music you know well and an equaliser (preferably banded in 2 kHz increments). You'll need a PC based EQ so that the you're not dynamically changing the volume (as a lot of DAPs do). Get someone to help you. Play the music, turn away from the EQ set-up (so you can't see what happens), and get your assistant to randomly raise or lower the 20 kHz slider, then the 18, then the 16, then the 14.
With real music, played at normal listening volumes, generally most people can't tell the difference until they're approaching the 10-12 kHz range - and often they have to be listening pretty hard to notice it.
So now think where you'll most likely be listening to the IEMs? Portably right? With background noise, and not ideal listening situations. And that is why I suggest testing yourself blind, and finding what your tolerances are. A lot of people will make assumptions on what they think they hear, and they miss out on a lot of options because of it.
Of course you may be someone who hears everything - so completely disregard above Its so hard look at things objectively when we all have very different tolerances, and then there is our brains throwinng a massive filter over everything we hear anyway.
Its also really hard to measure that area - and you can get a lot of inconsistencies unless you have mega$$$ measurement gear.My suggestion (as a good personal test) is to use music you know well and an equaliser (preferably banded in 2 kHz increments). You'll need a PC based EQ so that the you're not dynamically changing the volume (as a lot of DAPs do). Get someone to help you. Play the music, turn away from the EQ set-up (so you can't see what happens), and get your assistant to randomly raise or lower the 20 kHz slider, then the 18, then the 16, then the 14.
With real music, played at normal listening volumes, generally most people can't tell the difference until they're approaching the 10-12 kHz range - and often they have to be listening pretty hard to notice it.
So now think where you'll most likely be listening to the IEMs? Portably right? With background noise, and not ideal listening situations. And that is why I suggest testing yourself blind, and finding what your tolerances are. A lot of people will make assumptions on what they think they hear, and they miss out on a lot of options because of it.
Of course you may be someone who hears everything - so completely disregard above
Its so hard look at things objectively when we all have very different tolerances, and then there is our brains throwinng a massive filter over everything we hear anyway.
TheoS53
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well to make matters worse (as you know very well), our brains often add in completely fabricated things too, lol
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Yep - my signature line pretty accurately records my thoughts on that
Aradea
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Ah you beat me to it!
I've uploaded some frequency response measurements of the H3 (Vibro Veritas with pseudo-IEC-711-calibration and applied diffuse-field target compensation that is currently too strong and subtracts too much level around 3 and 6 kHz but is otherwise pretty accurate), also in comparison with other in-ears: http://frequency-response.blogspot.com/2017/07/Kinera-H3-Frequency-Response.html
Definitely more in-line with the second graph posted by Kinera.
Definitely more in-line with the second graph posted by Kinera.
Audiotistic
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Nice job Chris, thanks! Looks like it's pretty close to the iBasso IT03's
Cya|\|
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I really hope in a honest answer here. As I don't like bright iems, are they subjectively brighter than the etymotic? I see that etymotic have lower highs, yet they are regarded bright by a few people.
I wouldn't dare claim to hear everything at my age but I certainly can hear at least up till 15kHz which is already a bonus at my age...lol. My last resort to salvage a not so good sounding headphone or IEM will be EQ but I'd like to avoid that as much as possible. First of all, you can't boost anything that's not there in the first place and I basically use EQ for frequency correction and I prefer to cut than to boost because boosting a certain frequency to compensate for the deficiency of a certain driver may also introduce unwanted noise. Having said that, there's no perfect headphones or IEMs and that's why we have so many flavors in sound which makes this hobby all the more interesting. Bottom line is whether a certain headphone or IEM is tuned to sound good enough for the paying customer. On top of that, every user has their own sound signature preference and one man's meat can be the other's poison so it's pretty hard to please everybody. Last but not least, what makes HeadFi interesting is that each member can express their honest opinion when they spot something that may be a cause for concern so that everybody is informed before they part with their hard earned cash. By now, we should all understand that our quest for the mystical sound perfection will never end. That's why we're all still here at HeadFiI definitely wasn't suggesting anybody (or most people etc) can't hear above 12 kHz. But the drop off occurs after that and once you get into the 14 kHz + range, there simply isn't a lot there except harmonics, and realistically not a lot of those either
My suggestion (as a good personal test) is to use music you know well and an equaliser (preferably banded in 2 kHz increments). You'll need a PC based EQ so that the you're not dynamically changing the volume (as a lot of DAPs do). Get someone to help you. Play the music, turn away from the EQ set-up (so you can't see what happens), and get your assistant to randomly raise or lower the 20 kHz slider, then the 18, then the 16, then the 14.
With real music, played at normal listening volumes, generally most people can't tell the difference until they're approaching the 10-12 kHz range - and often they have to be listening pretty hard to notice it.
So now think where you'll most likely be listening to the IEMs? Portably right? With background noise, and not ideal listening situations. And that is why I suggest testing yourself blind, and finding what your tolerances are. A lot of people will make assumptions on what they think they hear, and they miss out on a lot of options because of it.
Of course you may be someone who hears everything - so completely disregard above
PS: Brooko, I love your signature line which is very true indeed and thanks to HiFiChris, we now at least have a more informed impression of the Kinera H3 unlike the first frequency chart by Kinera. I truly appreciate HiFiChris' comparison graph with some popular IEMs too. The high frequency of the H3 does not look as bad as the first graph on Kinera's box or manual...but...I'm now a little worried of the frequency bumps and dips here and there...but still not as bad as the 1 More Triple Driver
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