Kinera Freya 2.0

Kinera is one of the longstanding players in the IEM industry. While I'm familiar with products from Kinera’s sister brands Queen of Audio and Celest, Freya 2.0 marks the first time I've spent an extended period of time with a Kinera IEM. There is a lot to discuss about these $269 IEMs, so let’s dive in.

Disclaimers​

The Kinera Freya 2.0 I demoed was a tour unit sent out by Kinera, and I don’t get to keep it at the end of the tour. As I always say, everyone is biased one way or another, so take everything you read with a grain of salt. Also, I will try to be more concise and to the point in my reviews from now on, without worrying about the word count, etc. If you have any questions, please ask me in the comments, and I will try to answer them to the best of my abilities.

Build and Accessories of Kinera Freya 2.0​

Some of you may already know that all of the faceplates of the IEMs from Kinera are hand-painted, and calling them art would be an understatement. The faceplates of Freya 2.0, along with their own Verdandi, are probably the prettiest faceplates I have ever seen. My photos would never do justice to how they look in person.

The shells are made of resin molded to follow common ear contours. They aren’t very comfortable for my small and irregular ears, but other people have reported that they are one of the most comfortable shells out there. Clear resin lets you see the internals, which is a godsend for curious guys like me.



Freya 2.0 comes with a modular cable and 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm terminations. Companies are slowly ditching the 2.5 mm termination, which won’t be missed, I think. Connectors used are 0.78 mm 2-pin. The cable itself is slightly stiff and has some memory, but I didn’t mind it too much.

The box Freya 2.0 comes in has a hexagonal shape in classic Kinera fashion. Apart from the usual information cards, a carrying case, a cleaning brush, and 11 pairs of tips greet you, along with the earpieces, of course. Five of the eartips are highly acclaimed Final Audio Type E ear tips. However, since this was a tour unit, I decided to use my own Spinfit W1 tips.

Sound of Kinera Freya 2.0​

Tonality​

Each part of the frequency spectrum of Freya 2.0 is fine by itself. However, when they come together, there is a lack of coherency and balance. Bass on Freya 2.0 is slightly elevated. It really doesn’t have the impact and definition that some of its competitors have, but most of the time it sounds fine. Subbass doesn’t extend too deep.




Mids are slightly scooped out and, compared to lower treble, overshadowed. Freya 2.0 doesn’t exactly sound cold, but at moderate listening levels, it sounds lean because of the difference between lower mids and lower treble. Other than that, the sound is very clean and crisp.

As you might have already guessed, one of the main problems that throws off the balance in Freya 2.0 is lower treble. It’s emphasized, and while at moderate level it won’t get piercing, to really get into the mood, IEMs demand you to crank up the volume, and then it gets peaky, especially in the 5kHz region. Freya 2.0 also lacks air, which affects overall technicalities negatively.

Technicalities​

Freya 2.0’s technical capability is middling, to say the least, mostly because of its price, but also I know they could have done better with a few adjustments. Lack of air causes the headstage to feel closed in. Imaging is also slightly fuzzy. Timbre is not bad, but there is definitely the unnaturalness that’s attributed to balanced armatures. Details, again, could have been better. The good thing is, Freya 2.0 has improved a lot with equalization, so I can say driver quality is definitely there.

Comparisons​

All comparisons made by volume matching at 500 Hz.

Kinera Freya 2.0 vs Simgot EM6L​

• They have similar bass quantity and impact. EM6L’s subbass extension is slightly better.
• Vocals are more forward and lively on Freya 2.0. Freya also sounds clearer overall.
• They are both bright, but Freya 2.0 emphasizes lower treble and gets harsh and sibilant very easily. It also doesn’t extend well above 10 kHz. EM6L, on the other hand, although again emphasized, is more even throughout the whole treble range and doesn’t get peaky and harsh that often. Treble extension is also much better on EM6L.
• Timbre on Freya 2.0 is better than on EM6L. EM6L’s timbre was my biggest gripe in my earlier review. Although Freya’s timbre is not perfect, maybe because of the quality of the drivers used or the rendition of treble, it sounds more natural than EM6L.
• Technically, EM6L is pretty much superior in all aspects. It’s more detailed, more spacious. Attributes like imaging and layering are also simply better on EM6L.

Kinera Freya 2.0 vs Audiosense AQ4​

• They are total opposites in terms of tonal balance. AQ4 is much bassier and impactful. Although AQ4 doesn’t have the tightest bass, it feels slightly tighter than Freya 2.0 in the lower region despite the elevation it has.
• AQ4 has much better subbass extension.
• AQ4 sounds much thicker and has more note weight. Freya 2.0 sounds cleaner and clearer.
• AQ4 has superb upper mids and lower treble tuning; it never gets shouty, harsh, or sibilant. Freya 2.0, unfortunately, does get harsh. Still, vocals sound livelier on Freya 2.0.
• Lower treble is more elevated on Freya 2.0. The initial attack has more energy, but due to lack of air and extension, the reverb that usually comes after is absent. AQ4 has slightly better treble extension and air.

Conclusion​

It was a pleasure to gaze upon Freya 2.0’s beautiful shells, definitely more than using them for listening, unfortunately. When I didn’t do critical listening, I forgot which IEMs I was listening to, so they aren’t exactly bad and offensive. However, when I started to analyze, shortcomings were hard to ignore, and there are definitely better choices in its price range. Still, even though I have my gripes about the tuning, I would have kept them because of their beauty and the premium feel.

Disclaimer

• Huge thanks to Kinera for providing the opportunity for me to review the Freya 2.0 through a tour However, all thoughts and opinions are my own, and are not influenced in any way.
• Please take this review with only a grain of salt, as everyone's hearing, fit, and gears may differ, so our experience may be different.

Price(MSRP)

• $269

Source(s)

• It is not hard to drive but not exactly super easy either. However, any cx dongle should work fine. When using them on my JM6 Pro, I never have to exceed 40%.
  • FiiO KA13
  • Truthear Shio
  • JCally JM6 Pro

Ear tips

• Dunu S&S

Unboxing and Quick Summary






Packaging

• Kinera Freya 2.0
• Round, hard carrying case
  • Soft to touch, but is a hard case, very premium.
• Premium selection of ear tips.
  • 3 pairs of K-07 balanced silicone ear tips (S, M, L)
    • Looks and feels like a 07 clone, which are pretty decent.
  • 3 pairs of 221 vocal silicone ear tips (S, M, L)
    • Looks and feels like generic silicone ear tips.
  • 5 pairs of Final E ear tips! (SS, S, M, L, LL)
    • One of the most popular ear tips among hobbyists, and they can get quite pricey, so it is an extremely good inclusion in my opinion
• Cleaning brush
• 4.4 modular plug
• Modular Alloy Copper Cable attached with the 3.5 modular plug
  • Excellent stock cable, premium build quality.
  • Comes with interchangeable plugs as well.
  • However, it has a bit of memory, and is not as soft as I would like.
  • Furthermore, ear hooks can be awkward on the ear sometimes.

Build Quality

• Build quality is decent, shell is made out of resin and is very beautiful.
• Very lightweight.

Fit

• Nozzle length and width is slightly above average, but I have no problems with them.
  • Even though it is a resin nozzle, I have no issues with slippery ear tips like Dunu S&S.
• Fits is excellent. Very lightweight and the shell is super comfortable.

Tonality

• Mild V shaped

Bass

• Bass is quite balanced between sub bass and mid bass.
• Very well bodied and textured
• Has decent rumble, slam and impact.
• Not very tight or snappy, bass is on the slow and boomy side.
• Overall, bass is decent, nothing too outstanding but not bad.
• Quantity is a touch more than average, not basshead level yet but is on the warm and bassy side.

Midrange

• Lower midrange has some warmth to it, giving a good amount of weight and lushness to male vocals and some instruments without being muddy bloated.
• Upper midrange is done decently too, being quite energetic so female vocals are forward and lively, but not to the point of being shouty while maintaining good energy to pop off from the warmth.
• Note weight has a nice weight and density to it but not overly heavy.
• Most instruments do sound great without any oddities, timbre is quite natural as well.

Treble

• Treble is overly safe and inoffensive, lacking a lot of energy and sparkle throughout most of the region.
• Rolls off extremely hard from mid treble onwards, so notes and cymbals lack so much incisiveness and bite to it, so much so that they just sound blunt, unengaging and lifeless.
• Extension is also very poorly done, basically killing all sense of airiness.
• Details are pretty much hidden due to how hard the treble is rolled off.

Technicalities

Resolution

• Resolution and detail retrieval is subpar at best, due to lack of sparkle and extension in the treble.

Soundstage

• Soundstage is average in terms of width and depth.
• At least it is not overly closed in but it is on the more intimate side.

Imaging

• Imaging and accuracy also average at best.
• Not really pinpoint accuracy due to it being blunted but still fine.

Separation

• Separation and layering is average as well.
• Instruments and vocals are not clearly separated but it is not very congested on busier tracks.

Conclusion

• I have very mixed feelings about the Freya 2.0
  • In my opinion, it is tuned very decently from bass until the upper midrange, which is quite surprising to me considering that it is from Kinera ... but treble is just way too dark and dull, which throws off the overall balance.
  • I think Kinera is heading towards the right direction in terms of tuning with their recent releases, but I think they have to put in a little more work in order to compete in today's market.
• Overall, I think the Freya 2.0 is an IEM that has decent bass, warm and natural midrange but with overly dull highs and subpar technicalities. It is very hard to recommend especially at this price, but if you are extremely sensitive to treble and want a set to be as inoffensive as possible, then this may be the set for you. Accessory inclusions, aesthetics and comfort is top tier for the price though.

Thanks for reading!

*I would like to thank Kinera for sending the review unit in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are on my own and I will stay unbias throughout the whole review.*​

Background Information:​

Kinera Freya 2.0 uses a four driver hybrid design, it uses a 7mm DD and 3 Knowles Balance Armature. Each IEM shell is carefully hand-painted. The Kinera Freya 2.0 is priced at 269$ and can be purchased through Aliexpress Store or official website.

Packaging:​

The packaging and overall unboxing gives a premium and luxury feel with a beautiful art of the Freya 2.0's faceplate on the box. The artwork on the box is collection worthy as they are very eye-catching and nice to look at in my opinion.

Inside the box includes:

• Kinera Freya 2.0 IEM
• A high quality modular alloy copper cable that is tangle-free, memory-free and quite thick, it feels premium and I don't find a need to change the cable to use the IEM.
• 3.5mm and 4.4mm modular plug
• Generous amount of eartips which includes 5 pairs of Final Type E eartips (Sizes are SS, S, M, L, LL) 3 pairs of Kinera custom wide bore tips (Sizes are S, M, L) and 3 pairs of Kinera custom narrow bore tips (Sizes are S, M, L)
• Premium storage case with a beautiful art and clean white aesthetics.
• Cleaning brush
• User Manual

Build, Fit & Comfort:​

The Kinera Freya 2.0 is very lightweight that weighs only around 3.6g each. The Freya 2.0 shell is about small to medium sized. The Freya 2.0 shell has an ergonomic shape that is very comfortable, fit is excellent and sturdy even with my small ears. Due to its lightweight and comfortable shell, I was able to wear them for a long period of time without any fatigue or any discomfort.

Sound:​

Disclaimer​

Audio is a very subjective hobby which means not everyone will experience exactly the same experience I have based on different ear anatomy and different source is being fed.

Gears used in this review:​

• Fosi Audio DS1 dongle dac
• Moondrop Moonriver 2 dongle dac
• Marantz PM5003 and CD5003
• Kinera's stock cable and Spinfit CP145 eartips

Sound Signature:​

Slightly warm, musical set with spotlight on mids. It has a natural timbre to it and scales well with source. Better pair with a warmer source but still perfectly fine with leaner source. All rounder set but works better with pop music.

Bass:​

• Bass is on the soft side, nice textured good quality bass.
• Adequate amount of bass to support the mids.
• Well extended sub-bass, can get very rumbly whenever the track calls.
• Good punch are able to delivered.
• Bass quantity and quality are able to satisfy pop genre listeners.
• Bass guitars are satisfying with each pluck and drums are on a softer type of bass.

Mids:​

• A little warmth is brought to the set to bring out emotion in tracks.
• Vocals sounded natural and accurate, enough forwardness to bring out vocal energy without overpowering other instruments.
• Female and male vocals both have good note weight, both are able to perform equally well.
• Natural timbre.

Treble:​

• Sparkly, airy and speedy treble, give an overall snappy feeling.
• Smooth and inoffensive treble.
• Not sibilance (after burn in), not sharp/piercing and not fatiguing.
• Micro details are a bit lacking as they can be heard but may not be enough for the given price point, macro details are good.

Technicalities:​

• Soundstage is average but it has an open sound to it, doesn't sound cramped. They are still not bad but could be better at this price point in my opinion.
• Soundstage has good width but not enough depth in my opinion.
• Imaging is also average, more of like a left, center, right type of imaging. Not the most holographic feel IEM and I think could be better at this price point.

Conclusion:​

I think the Freya 2 is a very enjoyable IEM to listen to despite the weakness in detail retrieval and technicalities. The purpose of Freya 2 is to enjoy the music, feel the emotion, enjoy the overall musicality instead of analysing and focusing on the technicalities of the IEM. They are also quite good to use when relax, chill and casual. I would say this IEM is not for people who are looking to have the best technicalities they can get for the price but they are tuned very maturely and safe.

That is the end of my review. Thank you for reading. Cheers!

Here is the link to their Kinera Official Website for Freya 2.0:
Kinera Freya 2.0 Official Website (Non-affiliated)

Here is the link to their Kinera Official Aliexpress Store for Freya 2.0:
Kinera Freya 2.0 Official Aliexpress Store (Non-affiliated)