Kinera Skuld: Fine Aged Scotch

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. Skuld is the latest jewel in crown. It is a 5 BA driver in-ear monitor with stunning looks and killer design.

It is interesting to know that Skuld takes its name from Norse mythology, in which is means "Goddess of the Future" whose job is to decide fates of people. Kinera left no stone untuned to ensure that the packaging and presentation of Skuld reflects grandeur  of its name. The ear-pieces are an absolute delight to look at. The hand painted faceplate is absolutely stunning with its blue and green patterns, shimmering golden dots fill the blackish background behind this pattern, resulting the feel with a nicely lit night sky. The magnificence of this design increases manifold with the name "skuld" etched across this faceplate in golden.  Its lightweight and comfortable on ears due to its acoustic structure. 

It is bundled with an 8 core-192 strands Silver-plated copper alloy cable with soft 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).

Pros:

1. Neutral and buttery smooth tuning

2. Sweet non fatiguing treble

3. Weighted dreamy mid-range

4. Neutralish bass response

5. Very good height and depth

6. Gorgeous looks and premium feel

Cons:

1. Soundstage width somehow felt limited

2. Resolution is average

3. Sub bass can be felt bit shy at times.

Highs: 

Treble has been tuned fantastically in Skuld, the highs has good extension in them but they are extremely relaxing, buttery smooth with no unwanted peaks or harshness in them. These are just perfect for the ones who are treble sensitive. The lower treble has again done very well making female vocals and the instruments sound fuller. One can feel a darker side in mid and upper treble region, and its again depends on personal preferences. To me it's just perfect the way it has been tuned and I really loved listening to it.

Mids: 

The mids are very tastefully done and has a feel of relaxation to them. It has that dreamy factor which indulges the listener to another level. It's more of a unique signature of its own. The male vocals carry nice weight in them. The female vocals sounds as good as the male vocals, They have nice texture and decay. Jazz music just fantastic on it. 

Lows: 

The bass on Skuld is on the neutralish side. The mid bass is bit more focused as compared to the sub bass. The sub bass has a minor presence factor but yes in some tracks a decent rumble is present. There is not bleed into mids at all. Bass control is again buttery smooth and blends into nice transitions. 

Technicalities: 

Soundstage is above average, Its stereo but well extended. The soundstage is not much wide but the depth and the height its very good giving more of a grandeur presentation specially to the jazz and orchestral music. It has above average imaging and very nice layering to it.  The sense of direction is average. The micro-details and resolution is also average. The transitions are smooth and precise. 

Final Verdict: 

Kinera Skuld looks gorgeous and comes with all the premium accessories. At this price point if one has to go for all BA setup, I would say they are worth the money. It has the most smooth tuning I have heard at this price point. The highs are sweet, mids are dreamy and bass response is just smooth just like fine aged scotch. There are definitely not meant as studio monitors as of average resolution and micro dynamics but for a relaxing lounge type of experience one craves after an hectic day at work to help you sleep or meditate with its buttery smooth grandeur presentation.