Kinera DB005 Pro is not our first encounter with IEMs of this brand. Couple of years ago we were reviewing Seed and Idun models that have scored high in our ranking, although not without some nuances. Since than Kinera has released a number of IEMs, mostly hybrid type, but as we have noticed – done it selectively, less than a dozen, whereas each of the models was thoroughly tested prior to launch and given enough time to settle on the market afterwards. This can be seen from the posts by official Kinera Facebook page – how product information appear prior to the beginning of sales, than it launches and Kinera starts to collect customer feedback in direct and indirect communication and finally followed by the next product according to the current market expectations. The point is that, in contrary to some brands that stamp millions of IEMs, Kinera takes time to come up with another product and also takes user feedback and expectations into account.

BD005 Pro is not new to the market either. Its roots go back to 2017 when initial BD005 IEMs were released and became popular mostly in Asian region. Predecessor was also based on a combination of single DD and BA drivers but was less versatile by its fit. Pro version utilizes much more comfortable shape, retains the structure and replaces older model on sales.

Kinera BD005 Pro specs:

• Dynamic driver: 9.2mm beryllium diaphragm
• Balanced armature driver: 30095 series
• Sensitivity: 108±2dB
• Impedance: 26Ω
• Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz
• Jack: 3.5mm
• Cable connectors: 2pin,0.78mm
• Cable: 4-wires with mic and inline remote
• Cable length: 1.2m

Packaging and design:

Kinera BD005 Pro comes in small pentagon-shaped box which is common across most of Kinera IEMs. Box is pretty small but carries all necessary information – product picture and specifications, brand name and logos, company information and even AFR graph. Box also shows all available color options and clearly states which one is inside.

Inner box compartment is occupied by special foam insert that holds storage case at place. IEMs and its accessories are all located inside this case. Good way to protect all items during transportation and save some space and cost on logistics.

The full set is as following:

• Kinera BD005 Pro IEMs
• Audio cable
• 3 pairs of silicone ear tips
• storage case
• warranty and manual papers

IEM shells look to be made of plastic with resin coating over it that adds a lot to overall look and soft compound feel. Beautiful top cover with Kinera name and particles in gold has also been covered with a layer of resin which would ensure the protection from scratches.

Despite that there is a cover and thanks to such coating – BD005 Pro construction feels unibody and rigid. Shells are semi-transaprent but with our color option (Murky Blue) we can barely see the insides.

Large compensational openings are located on the back edges and additionally protected by aluminum grills. 2pin connector bases are slightly recessed into the shells to add some anti-bending protection. Sound output nozzles are made of aluminum and covered with aluminum filters.

Stock cable has 3.5mm TRRS jack since it is also equipped with mic and one control button. Such cable is good for the everyday use with a smartphone but doesn’t seems to be a proper option when we talk about maximum sound quality and good source equipment. It is better to be replaced with 3.5mm high-quality cable or some balanced options. Although, since BD005 Pro are inexpensive IEMs – looks like Kinera positions it for everyday activities and general user, rather than audiophile listening…

Fit: excellent. We consider such “custom”-like shape to be the best and most universal among all mass production IEMs. DB005 Pro would be comfortable for most of the people and during different activities.

Sound quality:

Tested with: Hidizs AP80 DAP -> xDuoo XD05 Plus DAC/AMP

Lows:

Kinera BD005 Pro dynamic unit is capable of delivering deep bass and punchy midbass with good extension and more than average texturing on of lower end. Bass presence is full and well-contoured but the amount is not astonishing or excessive. Lows can go as deep to make you feel it instead of hearing in bass rich tracks. But we still wouldn’t call DB005 Pro as IEMs for “bassheads” – it is more about extension and slight accentuation rather than huge amount. Midbass in its turn is rich and punchy, recreates drums with excellent expression and articulation. Good overall speed and control and doesn’t sound too bright or harsh.

Mids:

Lower mids are a bit recessed whereas upper mids are slightly accented. Male vocals would sometimes sound thin and distant. Female vocals are brought to front, sound very natural, transparent and emotional. Resolution on mids is decent, amount of details is high. The tonality is on the brighter side as a result of BA unit influence at upper mids range. The result is lively and detailed performance but a bit prone to lisping on female vocals, consequently. Bright instruments would also have this effect, compensated by good level of separation and high clarity of each sound.

Treble:

DB005 Pro treble is sparky and accented. Full of micro details and articulation with airy and transparent feel to it which forms the bright essence of the tonality. It might become too much at highest volume but stays balanced by other ranges at normal or lower levels. This is probably why warm sources would be more suitable — amount and extension would stay high while the excess of brightness would be eliminated by the source. Anyway, BD005 Pro treble is decent and not so overly emphasized as in some other hybrid models.

Soundstage:

Special demo recordings with precise instrument locations show moderate distance from the center. Stage feels neither too tight, nor too wide. Slower music genres sound good, leaving enough space for each instrument. No revelations here – just a moderate performer.

Sound in overall:

Kinera BD005 Pro sound can be described as V-shaped, tend to brighter and colder side of the tonality, with extended and detailed lower and higher ends, powerful midbass and slightly recessed but emotional mids. Stage size os moderate. Suitable for most of the genres but best to be used with some warmer sources.

Compared to Moondrop SSP:

SSP and DB005 Pro are similarly V-shaped IEMs but the nature of sound derives from the structure… SSPs are dynamic driver-based and adds more body to mids but lack in treble clarity and extension. DB005 Pro, on its turn, handles treble much more delicately, adding much more details but might feel too emotional on mids.

Compared to Kinera Seed:

Seed by Kinera feel much more neutral in signature with no obvious accents or peaks. It is even hard to tell that Seed IEMs are based on BA + DD units. Feels more like linear and less appealing sound of single DD driver or pure BA drivers tuned for monitor use. Consequently, the perception of sharpness, amount of details and textures is also less impressive.

Conclusion:

Kinera BD005 Pro joins very limited squad of inexpensive V-shaped hybrid IEMs with engaging, fatigue-free sound as a result of accurate tuning during conscious development process. The fact that BD005 Pro is a successor to a popular initial model also helped a lot to achieve the maturity and round all edges. Sound is engaging, detailed and bright with all possible disturbing outcomes brought to the minimum. Gorgeous look, decent build quality and nearly perfect shape also add to BD005 Pro overall high score among the competitors. We highly recommend this model for BA signature fans and for those with warm HiRes audio sources who search for the extra clarity and expression on a budget.

Kinera BD005 Pro available at HiFiGO store: LINK

Several days ago we were closely examining Kinera Seed hybrid IEMs while trying to understand brand philosophy, their approach towards sound and input they make to this market. This was the first experience for us with Kinera which showed the maturity of their product and potentially one of the best market options to choose from. Their approach to design interations, invitations to aftersales engagement, careful adoption of the best fit, own R&D for drivers and final audio tuning differ much from many other brands playing on the same ground…

It wouldn’t be a confession to say that we would expect the next level of positive impressions from Kinera more expensive product like IDUN IEMs. Additional 90 bucks — that’s a lot for in-ear headphones taking into consideration all competitive advantages their cheaper model has to offer… So, let’s jump into the world of mid-budget hybrid IEMs in a sturggle to justify such additional expenses!

You can purchase Kinera IDUN in PenonAudio

Kinera IDUN technical specifications:

• Driver type: 2 balanced armature (Kinera) +1 dynamic (Kinera)
• Dynamic driver: 7mm dia., N50 magnet
• Sensitivity: 112 ± 2dB
• Impedance: 32ohm
• Frequency Response Range: 20 — 20000Hz
• Plug Type: 3,5mm, gold-plated, TRS jack
• Cable connection: 2-Pin, 0.78mm
• Shell options: transparent white / Abalone Turquoise

Kinera IDUN cable:

• Wire material: 8 core single crystal copper & silver-plated cable, mixed, twisted
• Plug material: 3.5mm, gold-plated, TRS jack / 2.5mm, gold-plated, balanced, TRRS jack
• Earphone interface: 2-Pin, 0.78mm
• Cable Length: 1.2M

We’ve got the full set of IDUN — IEMs with the corresponding cable. Hope that such pairing would disclose the full sound quality potential. By the way, this is not the most expensive cable in their current lineup — one that is dedicated for Odin model cost a fraction more but not proportionally higher if to compare the cost of IDUN V/S ODIN IEMs. Oh my god… Each audiophile is crazy to only certain extent and each has his personal extreme price limit…. We don’t even try to wonder how $799 ODIN IEMs should sound like… At least we can afford to buy its cable :))))

BTW: did you know that IDUN in Norse mythology is a goddess associated with apples and youth and ODIN is the god of wisdom, poetry, war, death, divination, and magic…? Interesting why Kinera has chosen Norse mythology as a source for product names…

AFR graph:

According to this AFR graph we should have more or less evenly distributed gain across the entire range with slight emphasis on bass and treble portions. Our previous try with Kinera Seed showed more curved graph resulting to the corresponding final impressions that we’ve obtained during our tests… Therefore, judging upon this graph, we tend to believe that IDUN would demonstrate more monitor-like behavior.

Driver elements:

Packaging and box contents:

Best packing we’ve ever seen. PERIOD.

Just look at this beautiful box — excellent in terms of design, printing quality, amount of details, shape and size. Very different to many boring options of other class rivals. Love it!

Box contents don’t disappoint either:

• IDUN IEMs
• 8 pairs of silicone eartips
• cable
• social pages invitation leaflet
• user manual
• aluminum storage case

Adding such aluminum storage case to the bundle was another surprise for us. Top and bottom parts of the case are covered with soft material from inside.

Very good accessory for storing and protecting IEMs from dust and accidental damage.

Design, materials and build quality:

Despite the fact that IDUN IEMs are fully made of plastic — they look gorgeous indeed. Our Abalone Turquoise version has blue transparent base with nacre top where color is shimmering from deep blue to shiny gold. Very hard to describe and even to recreate by the means of a single camera shot. Moreover, top side is covered by thick glossy plastic layer with Kinera brand logo inprint. Everything together creates a spectacular and eye-catching ensemble…

The build quality is so good that we couldn’t even identify separate shell parts if there are such. Looks as if shells are monolithic, molded as a single piece. Output nozzles are protruding directly from the base and do not have any detachable elements. The only openings in the shell are compensation and coupled sound output holes and base for cable pins.

IDUN cable is another piece of art — transparent earguides, black Y-splitter, cable retainer, gold-plated jack with black housing and Kinera logo. It is a mix of crystal and silver-plated copper, twisted throughout the whole length and with 2-Pin, 0.78mm connectors. Besides, despite the absence of left|right indicators it has red|blue pin base that correspond to right|left channels which is clearly stated in the manual. It is a pity that we couldn’t locate the same on the shell of IEMs… This is virtually the only point for improvement. Cable might come in two version — with 2.5mm balanced or 3.5mm standard plug.

IDUN makes a first impression of being large and heavy IEMs in comparison to Seed for instance. But this is only true until trying to wear it — the fit is so great that it is hard to tell which ones are currently in use.

IDUN remind us about some custom made IEMs with perfect fit that might stay almost insensible. Neither they aim to fall out if the appropriate eartips are chosen. Moreover, seems like the first IEMs that would find the best position inside the ears from the first attempt.  Five stars here!!!

Sound quality test:

Testing equipment — Hidizs AP200 DAP, Hidizs AP80 DAP, Hidizs Sonata DH1000 DAC&AMP

Lows and bass:

Deep bass has a good and precise outlines, good amount of details, fast decay and moderate presence. It is located slightly behind but still able to gently envelop the rest of the instruments. Definitely, we wouldn’t claim that IDUN sound bassy, instead they are a bit lacking deep bass amount but this is somewhere on the edge of personal perception and preferences.

Midbass articulation, speed and tightness are at sweet spot. Nothing to complain about here except for a little more sparkling sound peaks due to overall tendency to bright side of tonality. Amount of air seems to be enough to deliver proper expression for drums and layering is perfect to avoid the interference with other sounds. Maybe, larger diameter of dynamic driver or more shell cavity volume responsible for bass portion would provide some additional low notes and hit strength to drum sessions… but again — in case of IDUN this is more about personal perception and choice of eartips rather than tuning of IEMs.

Mids and vocals:

Everything from mids and up really shines here. Details and resolution are on very high level and could be a new benchmark for other IEMs. But not only that… Small recession of mids on the AFR graph is not affecting mids presence or position. We would say that mids are neither brought to front or placed back. Just right where they should be. Voices are clear, very natural, exuberate with details and perceived as a central part of composition. Despite hybrid IEMs nature — no lisping or sibilances are spotted.

Of course, the tonality of IDUN in mids obviously shows that balanced armature drivers are used due to enourmous amount of details and cool tonality coloring but this is inevitable and treated as strength of the corresponding technology.

Treble:

If you want to astonish some newbe with BA or hybrid IEMs sound at its best — let him try Kinera IDUN and put something like Jean Michaelle Jarre — Oxigen II, III, IV on play. Overwhelming amount of resolution and details on treble and upper mids! In opposite to many other less experienced rivals in class — Kinera managed to tune treble so that excess of sharpness doesn’t evolve into unpleasant sparkles. Very crisp and sharp but on the other hand — perfectly controlled and gently served. We didn’t hear a single harsh or annoying peak, just enourmous amount of details and afterglows of each single sound.  Finally, yes, we can say that treble tends to prevail a bit in the whole picture.

Stage and channel separation:

We’ve already mentioned very good layering of all the sounds and separation of instruments. Multiple drivers in gybrid IEMs and their crossovers would extend their ability to spread different frequencies and their desynchronization helps to achieve a good feel of channel separation. Therefore, scene becomes wide, instruments find their right place in the mix… Our beloved binaural recordings show large vertical and horizontal distance between instrument locations mostly typical for full-size headphones.

Sound in overall: 

Kinera IDUN IEMs have very good monitor-like sound with even distribution of gain throughout the entire frequency range. Slight elevation is present at treble portion which adds bright and cool nature to the overall tonality. There is not apparent V-shape or other uneven peaks that makes these IEMs vitrually universal for any music genre or audio source. The strogest side is the capability to deliver very high resolution and amount of details, especially in mids and treble.

Compared to Magaosi K3HD:

Magaosi K3HD are bit less pricy and have only 1 BA driver in addition to 1 dynamic driver. Despite that K3HD compete on par with IDUN in terms of detail and resolution. Magaosi IEMs have more apparent V-shaped tinning, more pronounced deep bass and lows and a bit recessed vocals and mids. They sound a bit warmer and more suitable for slower music genres. Anyway, Kinera IDUN definitely win in terms of treble control, absence of sibilance, more gentle treble delivery and more even AFR characteristics.

Compared to EARNINE EN1J:

EARNINE EN1J are based on a single BA driver. Their sound is mids-oriented and tuned to leave out deep bass and treble. IDUN is a better performer in terms of clarity, brightness and resolution but might learn from EN1J how to incorporate the additional warmth and intimacy of mids while keeping reasonable amount of details compared to many dynamic driver rivals.

Conclusion:

Kinera IDUN already became our favorite hybrid IEMs. Equal gain across AFR and astinishing detail resolution with perfect control in delivery make them a new benchmark for other competitors. Adding here their perfect packing, pleasing design and attaractive finish — what other characteristics of the best product you can think of? Finally, we’ve proven ourselves that IEMs in a higher price segment do bring obvious advatages that are worthy to pay for… Anyway, we are about to open the whole new world of tiny details in our beloved audio compositions, thanks to Kinera IDUN abilities… Wishing you the same!

 You can purchase Kinera IDUN in PenonAudio  

Kinera — not a new player on the IEM market. Many audiophiles or fellow «compassionates»  already familiar with Kinera IEM models and share their thoughts on the most popular internet resources. There are plenty of reviews and comments, mostly positive. Since the establishment in year 2010, along with selling their own end-user products, Kinera also acts as a vendor of BA & dynamic drivers to other manufacturers. Here is some of their background taken from the official website:

«Yutai electronic acoustic research center established in 2010, cooperates with top acoustic research institutions and commits to research and develop new generation of high-tech electronic products.At present,Kinera has obtained 24 patent authorization.

Kinera has a strong R&D team, from research, design, production to sales. commits to bringing the most beautiful sound to the world. With the most enjoyable listening experience, focusing on «quality, sincerity , innovation, win-win» business philosophy, Kinera controls all details, from product development, raw material to produce. All items are strictly complied to European environmental standards (with CE&RoHS certificates).

Kinera produce balance armature drivers and earphones, which have been popular since it launch in 2012.  With high quality, excellent service, Kinera products have been sold to Europe, America and Southeast Asia and win reputation from our customers. Now, Kinera is developing hybrid dynamic-balanced armature earphone,  to lead the music trend of world.»

This is the first time for us to deal with Kinera brand and to understand what they have to offer in the most modern market niche of hybrid IEMs at under $50 price range. In this review we would examine Kinera Seeds hybrid IEMs and try to compare it to their class rivals. Note that according to Kinera — Seed are the 2nd generation of BD005 IEMs that they have started their story with…

You can purchase Kinera Seed at PenonAudio store

• Drivers: 1 dynamic driver + 1 balanced armature driver
• Sensitivity: 108 ± 2db
• Impedance: 17Ohm
• Dynamic Driver Diameter: 8mm
• Frequency Response: 20 — 20000Hz
• Plug Type: 3.5mm
• Connectors: 0.78mm, 2-pin (detachable)
• Cable: 1.2m, silver-plated copper wire, 6-core
• Cable options: with mic and remote control, without mic and remote control

AFR graph:

According to this graph Kinera Seed should have some V-shaped sound with a slight tendency to overemhasize on midbass and treble. Pretty common situation for hybrid IEMs… But this dosn’t tell anything about such aspects as tonality, coloration or resolution of the sound which we are about to find out.

Build structure:

Seed IEMs are using 1 x 8mm dynamic driver with N50 magnet and 1 x Kinera own BA driver that claimed to have an extent up to 24kHz and low amount of distortion.

Packaging and box contents:

People behind Kinera brand definitely know how to draw the attention to their product and build the first impression… No matter the budget, packaging is almost perfect — very neat boxes with lots of technical details, brand name and product name inprints, good design graphics, social pages invitation and «thank you» leaflets.

This is the first time we see so much efforts and investments spent to envolve a customer into further relationships with the brand.

Box contents are great:

• Kinera Seed IEMs
• cable
• 3 pairs of silicone eartips (S/M/L size)
• protective pouch
• social pages leaflet
• detailed user manual

Again, wanted to emphasize Kinera efforts to deliver much of the details about their product to the end user. Never seen such detailed IEMs user manual before — plenty of infromation about company, product, technical structure, AFR, cable, background story, ect. This is a must for any IEMs with sophisticated technical design but only few companies would do the same. Customer always likes some additional background for the current investment. (Moreover, the whole audiophile segment is based on stories, fairy tales and legends  )  Good for Kinera and shame on other brands…

Materials and build quality:

Seed are made of glossy black plastic with gold brand logo and side indicators molded and additional model and brand name grey inprints on the inner part.

Output nozzle is also painted in gold with interesting two separate output holes instead of regular protective grill/filter (not detachable, though). Cable ports are 2-pin 0.78mm type with very tight openings.

Crafting is great, all elements are perfectly aligned, no signs of any movement or free play, no sounds when excessive squeezing force is applied.

We’ve got black cable with the mic and in-line remote. Although there is not much of the infromation about it — we think that it is very similar to white cable option. It is 1.2m, 2 sets of 3 x AWG28 silver-plated oxigen-free copper wire (+ a pair for mic function) twisted from IEMs connectors down to audio source plug.

It also features transparent tube ear guides, Y-splitter and retainer, wire bending protection and gold-plated 3.5mm plug.  The only problem in this cable is that it doesn’t have sides indicators apart from red / blue pin base which correspond to right / left channel. This might be tricky for a newbe to align everything correctly.

Kinera Seed fit is perfect. Thanks to the shape, eartips choice and ear guides — they are very comfortable to wear — hold tight even when excercising, not producing any sounds and perfectly cutting outer noise. We would say that Seed are one of the best IEMs so far in this regard. You can spend much time wearing those with no signs of fatigue or pain.

In-line remote:

Works as expected. Tried to use it with Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X smartphone. Volume buttons do the corresponding job and play|pause button would also advance tracks on double clicks.

Sound quality tests:

Source equipment: Hidizs AP200 DAP, Hidizs AP80 DAP, Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X smartphone. 

Lows and bass:

Definitely not for deep bass lovers which is virtually absent here. The most of the emphasis is made on midbass section with moderate amount of resolution here. There are obvious boundaries with fast decay but even this section lacks some room and air to create a full power for punchy delivery. Despite of good articulation and speed, drums sound a bit thin as for our liking. Good news are that there is some good layering and different instruments would not mix into one blurred sound. In overall, there is a feeling as if 8mm dynamic driver that is responsible for bass delivery has been placed far behind in the shell or doesn’t have enough cavity volume to gain the full power.

Mids and vocals:

Despite the fact that mids are hanging slightly behind — they have the highest amount of details and resoltuion. Even if Seed show V-shape on AFR graph — mids and vocals sound naturally and play a main role in the overall tonality. Again, we would say that vocals sound a bit cool and thin to our liking but it is definitely mids-oriented IEMs for getting the most of different genres like pop or lounge. Besides, female vocals would not tend to shout at certain ranges and there was no lisping. Upper mids are perfectly controlled and delivered gently and accurately.

Treble:

Very peculiar experience here — usually inexpensive hybrid IEMs would suffer from lots of sibilances and oversaturated clarity on treble due to the quality of BA drivers which would eventually lead to much of irritation during long listening sessions. It is not a case here. Instead, Kinera tuned Seed so that treble feels very soft and balanced to mids. There is no sparkling feel or excessive sharpness — just a good and gentle presence. This reminds us of another good pair of much more expensive IEMs — Earnine EN1J… Anyway, thanks to Kinera for doing a great job on selecting a proper BA driver for Seed IEMs instead of forcing customer to bleed…  Still some drawbacks of further tuning comes into play — treble also lacks the amount of details that we would expect from hybrid IEMs. So, let’s say that this section sounds good, has a good presence and gentle delivery but just a moderate resolution.

Soundstage and channel separation:

The lovely feel of slightly desynchronized BA and dynamic drivers is present here which extends overall channel separation and layering. Instruments have their appropriate place in the mix, vocals are clearly defined, everything sounds disctinctly.

Stage width and depth are moderate, binaural recordings lack some additional distance on horizontal and vertical planes.

Sound in overall:

Kinera Seed have slightly V-shaped, tube-like sound with a tendency to bright side. Their tuning is mostly suitable for mids-oriented music genres and vocals. Those IEMs might be called more or less well balanced across the entire range, except for the low bass portion. Sound is straight and thin which is suitable for most of the modern music with high compressor impact.

Background noise is moderate — slightly elevated due to low impedance but kept reasonably low by additional tuning and lowering treble.

Comparison to Shozy Zero:

Shozy Zero is a bit higher priced rival with single dynamic driver. The sound they produce has more deep bass presence and more thick and airy mids. At the same time treble is not so clean. In overall, Shozy Zero sound warmer and richer, only loosing some details on highs. Such IEMs would be better for slow and old classic rock, jazz or blues but fall short in case of modern pop.

Comparison to Dawnwood ST08:

Another higher prices dynamic driver rival. Dawnwood ST08 are great IEMs with very balanced AFR delivery. A clear winner in midbass section in terms of a punchy delivery but lack the resolution in mids and more prone to sibilances on treble in comparison to Kinera Seed. In overall — sound more naturally for any types of music genres with more thickness in sound. Although, have less comfortable fit. 

Conclusion:  

Some controversial conclusion it would be (like Master Yoda used to say)… The strongest sides of Kinera Seed are the box contents, design, build quality, excellent fit and good representation of mids toghether with great attempt to balance treble to the rest of AFR.

If it would deliver more bass and resolution throughout the entire range — this would become one of the best products…

We think that Seed are good and worthy to try in case of such musical preferences as popular music and other modern genres. At least we have already agreed that even modern compressed rock sounds better with Kinera Seed rather than some more expensive rivals based on single dynamic driver. Therefore, while making the same decision — mind the most preferred genre.

Finally, Kinera Seed are definitely a better option to start with in comparison to cheaper, less balanced and more roughly tuned hybrid rivals like KZ (many series) which would sound more harsh right from the start.

You can purchase Kinera Seed at PenonAudio store