Kinera Freya Review

Sound

 

The Kinera Freya has a great sound performance for the price. If you don’t have the budget to go with the Nanna model, you can get the Freya for a fraction of the price and you can be very happy with it. This aggressive price bracket will result in very well for Kinera in my opinion. The IEM sounds like a leaner version of the Nanna with less coloration and body in the mid-range, and less quantity in the bass region with a flatter approach. The overall presentation is close to neutral with very good resolution and transparency.

Bass

Lows are impactful and generous, but it’s of course not on the same level as Nanna’s dynamic driver. It is more focused around mid-bass but you have a nicely controlled and textured bass for this price. The speed here is satisfying and the bass overall is not muddy or boomy. So it has nice decay and good recovery overall.

There’s no mid-bass hump here, but it’s dissipating a little too much in its own area which is actually OK for me compared to more expensive offerings in the market. This is the case with bass focused tracks, otherwise, it’s not that much of an issue. The sub-bass area doesn’t have the definition, slam, and kick as the dynamic drivers give though.

Overall I found the bass tuning to be pretty well and it’s I think an all-rounder. You can enjoy Freya’s bass from Jazz, Classical and Alternative to Pop, RnB, and EDM. However, if you ask my opinion, I would say that it suits more to Jazz, Classic Rock, and Classical than popular and mainstream genres.

Mids

Mids are well defined and well-tuned in terms of tonality. The instruments sound breathy, the vocals sound lively and engaging. The distance in the stage is very good and it does not produce the mids in your face. Yet, it still has great definition and liveliness together with good transparency. The note size is not that big but the timbre is neutral and realistic with the Freya, but not that musical.

The resolution in this area is very nice for a 250$ IEM. Mids have good detail, nice timbre, and a good amount of air in terms of instrument reproduction. However, while the tonality is acceptable in this price range, I found it a bit tinny and cold to some point. The mids could’ve been a bit warmer with more body. Thankfully there’s good transparency and definition so, despite the tonality issues, the mids are still good as a whole.

Treble

Treble is of course not on the same level as the Nanna but it’s still very impressive. The extension is well done and treble resolution is quite nice. There’s plenty of articulation and air. I think high frequencies are the best part about the Freya because it’s not easy to find this type of extension and articulation with sub-300$ earphones.

You gave good energy and brightness here as well as good transparency. Treble detail is good and highs overall are clean and crisp. I think the lower treble region is a bit boosted to improve overall clarity feeling, but the good part is that it’s not aggressive. The treble is under control and it’s not fatiguing.

Yet, you might find yourself a bit bored after a long listening session because Freya is a bit cold and bright in some cases. It all comes down to the preferences here. If you’re after a highly musical IEM with great body and warmth, then this is not the best option.

The review continues on PAGE 3 with technical performance and comparisons.

4.5/5 - (35 votes)
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A keen audiophile and hobby photographer, Berkhan is after absolute perfection. Whether it is a full-frame camera or a custom in-ear, his standpoint persists. He tries to keep his photography enthusiasm at the same level as audio. Sometimes photography wins, sometimes his love for music takes over and he puts that camera aside. Simplistic expressions of sound in his reviews are the way to go for him. He enjoys a fine single malt along with his favourite Jazz recordings.

3 Comments

  • Reply October 22, 2020

    Adrian

    Before i start there are 2 version of freya, the pre-production one with warmer sound signature and the mass production one which you will receive should you order one right now with brighter sound signature. i dont know which version this guy reviewing but as an owner of freya since august im obliged to make this thing right and prevent disappointment of future owners. this review, either the reviewer is so incapable or he just review the preproduction one (you can ask the kinera yourself if you dont believe me).

    the bass, while i agree there are no mid bass hump, but it bleeds like crazy. i know the bass quantity wasn’t that much, but for every time the song call for it, the bass always find a way to ruin the whole song and bleed to mid. i know it sounds weird, but when the song doesn’t require any bass presence, the mid just running clearly just fine that you wont expect the bass would be this catasthropic.

    the upper mid is also crazy, as it using 2 knowles BA on mid frequency and 1 cheap custom BA on high frequency the result is very crazy, while the mid is pretty decent and sounded very clear with good clarity because it runs by Knowless BA, the upper mid region and above is very dry and piercing, it coming from a treble head who use Campfire IO as a daily driver. The treble, while i crave for a more extended high frequency, upper mid region sounded so dry and hella piercing.

    I can feel Kinera so desprate to control the Dynamic driver so it doesn’t produce mid bass hump, but their solution to it just producing very weird bass that bleed at a certain part of the song. Since they give a lot of gimmick and excellent IEM shell, they seemed like going out of budget and push in some random cheap ass BA to run the high frequency, not only it sounds so incoherent and very rough transition from mid to high freq, it also sound very dry and piercing. not to mention you can feel the imbalance tonality quality on mid and high frequency, while the mid sounds so detail and reproducing instrument very well, but upper mid region just sucks, i mean theoretically drier sound should have better dynamic range.

    Also, the Type C DAC dongle has compatibility issue, tried to connect it to Samsung Note 9, Galaxy A50 and Redmi Note 9pro, everything came to no avail. I also tried it to plug it to Asus and Surface laptop and they don’t respond at all. i know it just a marketing gimmick, but please throw something useable on it.

    • Reply October 23, 2020

      Berkhan

      Hello Adrian.

      I appreaciate your take on this one. I don’t think I have the pre-production version since it doesn’t sound warm whatsoever. As I stated in the review it sounds bright, neutral and even cold sometimes. However, may I ask what sources did you use it with?

      There’s a little bleed in the bass but I don’t agree that it’s on a crazy level. It’s just a bit loose and it dissipates a bit too much just like I remarked in the review. Again, the source plays a role here.

      It doesn’t sound piercing or aggressive to me. While I agree that it’s bright and open, I don’t think it’s uncontrolled. This also comes down to your source device.

      The Type C dongle works fine with my Xiaomi phone.

  • Reply January 31, 2022

    Adalberto

    Adrian,

    This is a reply to an old comment-hope you are well after all the world has been through.

    I also have and enjoy the Campfire IO. I can see how back then you found the IO so superior if you got used to the IO’s unique signature. It has a bit of mids, then a bit of a “hollow” space, and finally wonderful treble and extension.

    I agree with Mr Berkhan in this review and reply above. My model is also a retail version. It is not ultra bright, or crazy whatsoever. I most certainly believe that you may need to find a better fit and tips for your ears. For my taste-which may be very different than yours-the stock clear/white tips or AZLA Crystal tips are “better” than the good , final E tips provided by Kinera. A relatively shallow insertion also works better *for me*-with some tips, a deep insertion, while possible, can sound overly upper-middy, and this is a model that already excels in this area. While the Crystal tips are well-known for mids, they actually “add” extended bass and a bit of treble extension, balancing the tonality without reducing its wonderful midrange.

    The Freya are a wonderful sounding set of IEMs beyond its superb aesthetics. Very beguiling tonal signature, addictive, and extremely good with instruments such as the violin. Please try it and make up your own mind if you have not already. Often “famous” or well-known reviewers can put too many biases in listener’s minds-for better or worse.

    My only caveat about the Freya is that if you dislike upper mids and must at all times have a tonal signature with more relaxed mids-if you find even the mildest mid-emphasis as “shouty”-these may not be the best match for you. But they sound quite “high-end” for the relatively affordable price. I love it, and am also a treble-head that did not find any issues with the upper mids and treble, but some people are used to way warmer or darker tonalities. The Freya does not follow a Harman curve, but I agree with Mr. Berkhan it is similar to-in my case-the ER4SR, with a bit more natural bass and a bit of spice on the mids. More neutral than “fun”, but also with its own, quite beautiful tonal flavor.

    Be well. Hope this comment finds everyone healthy and happy.

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