Kinera Norn: My Personal Favorite

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 last few years , Kinera has produced a series of exceptions products which include Odin, Idun, Seed, BD005, Idun Deluxe and single dynamic driver SIF.

Norn is the latest jewel in crown. It is a 5 driver(1DD + 4BA) hybrid in-ear monitor with stunning looks and killer design. The ear-pieces are an absolute delight to look at. With a hand crafted design and mirror finish face plate and name NORN etched across it in golden, it looks extremely premium for an entry level IEM. Its lightweight and comfortable on ears due to its acoustic structure. I personally like the fit and the nozzle design which serves very good passive noise cancellation. 

It is bundled with an 8 core-192 strands Silver-plated copper alloy cable with PVC outer insulation. The cable feels sturdy and compliments the shells perfectly in look and feel. The cable is equipped with universal 0.78 mm 2-pin connectors and a balanced 2.5 mm termination plug. The package also comes with one unit each of 2.5mm to 4.4mm and 2.5mm to 3.5mm connector and a very premium looking carry case.

Disclaimer: 

I have received  as part of review circle sent from HifiGo in exchange of honest reviews. All impressions of sound are subjective to my own listening and my sources and is based on my experience with IEMs of similar hardware configurations and price range. One can purchase it from the following link:

Sources:

For this review the unit has been paired to A&K SE100 (ES9038 Pro) and Shanling M6 (AK4495EQ) without any other amplification.

Pros:

1. Musical, Fun and slight V-shaped Tuning 

2. Very Good and Natural Low Frequency Response

3. Crisp and Sparkly Highs

4. Weighted and Full Bodied Notes

5. Very good passive noise isolation as of nozzle design

6. Comfortable and eye-catchy design

Cons:

1. Mids can be recessed/relaxed at times but it's just part of its signature so totally personal preference

Highs: 

The high frequency response in Kinera Norn is excellent. The treble shines out very well and bring out all the micro-dynamics crisp in this region. This is definitely not an IEM for treble sensitive people, I can say that easily just on my initial listening as I am very much treble sensitive person but to me the Norn has tuned just perfectly in this region. The highs extend very efficiently to that particular region where it's just sufficient to give you enough sparkle without causing any harshness of fatigue. The attack and decay is very fast in treble which equally compliments the extensions in bass and gives a very satisfying overall experience. The layering and separation of instruments like cymbals is good and makes them sound very crisp and clear making this IEM very much engaging.

Mids: 

The mid frequency range felt nicely done, there is good resolution and contrast in this region. The notes have a bit of additional weight perhaps due to the presence of the dynamic drivers which delivers an excellent vocals. I felt the mids have taken a hit in this region and this maybe because of slight V shaped tuning but with that said I don’t mean that mids are recessed or overshadowed by other frequency response. The percussions extend very nicely to treble region. The resolution is above average and have good amount of detail and air in them.

Lows: 

Bass the best part of Kinera Norn. The speed, attack and resolution is top notch thanks to the dynamic driver Kinera has deployed. The kick and punch is just perfectly done I must say with no overshoot in any region. The bass extension is very good and helps Norn to get additional weight to the notes. The overall lower frequency spectrum is evenly distributed and despite of any track there is no incoherence felt at any point of time. The rumble at deeper layer of sub bass feels quite natural and full of texture. This is neither a IEM for basshead as nothing here in this region is overdone, nor it is any bass shy IEM. In my personal preference it has managed to hit the perfect tuning spot of bass just the way I like. I really enjoy my favorite album of Enigma on it specially the track "Callas Went Away" which has very nice low frequency transitions and was extremely enjoyable.

Technicalities:

The staging capabilities of Kinera Norn are pretty good. Width is above average and has nice depth to it. There is right amount of glare in the separation which makes every instrument stands out very well. The overall tonality is towards the intimate and airiness suffers a bit as of closed design. 

Final Verdict

In a nutshell, Kinera Norn has been tuned slightly V-shaped keeping consumer audio into account as well along with audiophile audience. The highs are very well done along with the bass response where as mids are tuned bit relaxed. Overall tuning is towards the intimate side with good separation capabilities. The look and feel of the IEM along with its all the accessories is very premium. This is one of the IEMs which got my attention at first glance and not failed to amaze me afterwards. Kudos Kinera, definitely this is going to be my next daily driver soon!