Kinera Norn 1DD+4BA IEMs

TONALITY: 8/10
TECHNICALITIES: 8.6/10
CONSTRUCTION: 9/10
SOUND VALUE: 8/10

INTRO

Kinera don't need more introduction, they have solid fan base and are among first chifi audio company to create hybrid IEM. While they did some single dynamic driver earphones, their expertise is with hybrid and tribrid earphones. Their Idun Golden earn my admiration, while the URD was a romantic loving affair, addictive and laid back. Last review ive done of their product is for the Hodur, which offer very bright and energic W shape signature with very impressive micro details delivering.
The story behind my desire to review this Kinera Norn very model was misleading in fact, since I was expecting a basshead earphones due to some graph ive seen, which weren't either accurate or perhaps another version of the NorN (cause yes, Kinera create different version, depending of country ''need'') since these aren't bass monster.

Priced 510$, the NorN is an hybrid with 1 titanium 7mm dynamic driver and 4 knowles balanced armature. Let's see in this review if these can be consider as good mid-tier IEM contender.

SPECS
Impedance
32 Ohms.
Sensitivity
110dB.
Rated Power
3mW.
Distortion
<3%.
Frequency Response Range
5Hz-40kHz
Cable Length
1.2m
Plug
2.5mm Balanced



CONSTRUCTION




Did Kinera ever disappoint in term of construction? Well, not with any of the IEM i've test from them which I can confirm have great durability too, since they all work as new after year of use. The NorN is no exception and the hand made painting as again artsy eye catching masterpiece. Everybody that see them compliment the craftmanship. The housing is made of high quality resin plastic which isn't easy to scratch and can be drop without damage (can't confirm hard hit will not damage drivers inside tough!). For number of driver in it's body, the shell is rather small, but chunky. Its light and very comfortable with above average isolation. 2pin connector are well embeded in the body.



The cable included is of very impressive quality, its an 8 cores-192 strands high purity silver plated cable. Its very smooth and flexible and i find it so good in term of sound transmission that I tend to pair it will all my IEMs now. What's interesting too, is that Kinera include one 2.5mm bal to 3.5mm se adapter and another 2.5mmbal to 4.4mm bal adapter. This is a BIG plus for me, since it can be use with any cable in your collection and avoid you to constantly buy another type of bal mmcx or 2pin or etc cable. This solve my 2.5mm only MMCX cable issue.




Generous you say? Well, the packaging is near overwhelming both in its elegant and beautifull presentation and tremendous amount of accessories we get to cover all possible needs of the consumer. This is to my eyes the packaging and accessories benchmark for Mid-tier IEM of this price range, which alas, seem to be an exception for now among other companies.
So, we have 12 pairs of ear tips, including memory foams and Final E tips (which is great, but not particularly appropriate for these IEM). As said above, the cable is great and the 2 x 2.5mm adapter is a blessing. Leather carrying case is excellent too. Let say this type of unpacking experience sure put a smile on consumer (or reviewer) face. Excellent.

SOUND IMPRESSIONS



The Norn offer a balanced treble focus W shape tonality where mid bass have boosted slam and treble have analytical fullness. These are bright but not too spiky, still, treble sensitive people might find those fatiguing due to their very energic dynamic and important upper mids pina gain. These aren't as agressive as Hodur for ex, but the 4 balanced armature aren't overly damped either, its enough edgy without being screamy or splashy.


To note that this is the kind of IEM that benefit from wide bore ear tips to get proper sound openess, the nozzle is big and have 3 hole, too small tips hole can even block one of them so be carefull with this. For my review I use both Kbear KB07 or basic short wide bore, this tremendously improve soundstage wideness as well as layering and imaging, treble is less boosted and more open too. Worst eartips I try for these are included Final tips, which compress the soundstage and tend to boost treble even more. As well, at 32ohm with 110db sensitivity, i consider the Norn a bit source picky, cleanest is amping and lowest is its impedance output, better it will sound.

Back to the BASS now, if you look at some graph, you might expect super basshead IEM, but it's not the case. The 10db bass boost have more mid bass presence, yet isn't what i would call V shape nor lacking in well rounded punch. It offer authoritative slam with short decay that permit to keep separation from mids clean enough, yet go roll off in high bass-lower mids rather fast. The rumble is more about resonance than thick vibrant extension and we might even have sligth roll off under 40khz. Its not a linear extension, this bass like to hit and add physical fun to an otherwise abrasive signature. The attack is fast but not the most flexible. Definition is good enough, this isn't warm diffuse bass response, its well rounded and resolved with good texture so even acoustic bass line have enough bite in presence. I'm quite impress by the speed of this 7mm dynamic driver as well as how open is the impact, timbre match very well timbre of balanced armature too, so it doesn't feel lacking in cohesion nor being distached. It's not overly focus on sub bass, it's not a Crin tuned IEM nor a Moondrop Aria, this is muscular low end with excited energy, and it doesn't veil mids with resonance. Sure, it's not the most meaty bass neither, but this would have surely mudded the dynamic rendering so I consider this very well balanced. I find the performance very controlled and adding an appealing and versatile punch energy to wide range of music.

As expected, if the NorN is treble centric, the mid range will suffer from sligth recession, especially before upper mid range and let say the brightness boost is without compromise when it begin, yet, their no invasive sibilance or harsness, it's just not a creamy smooth mid range. Presence of instrument is clear and highly resolve, with boosted texture and good transparency, but male vocal are hint thinner and more recessed than female vocal and instrument like piano don't really cut it since it lack proper note weight and fullness. Still, this isn't thin dry cold mids at all, presence of instrument is lively and dynamic, not lean and lifeless. Again, male vocal is clear, with enough texture to it, just less in your face than female vocal so in fact some might prefer them over the latter due to more restrain pina gain. Layering of mid range is exemplary, this doesn't mud as a whole package and let all instrument keep their individual presence. I listen right now to Timber Timbre and its vocal is widely open and just a hint over focus in higher pitch, without problematic timbral imbalance, in fact, it's rather smooth. If i can fault the mids for something it will be note weight, especially for piano, the speed of attack is there but the hit of note lack impact and air. That's something to underline, the NorN aren't very airy sounding, nor very spacious, it's an intimate mid range with effortless resolution and lively presentation. Versatile for near every music style apart solo piano or violin.


The star of the show and widest frequency range to cover, the Treble, is fully boosted and covered up to 10khz here, and while these are bright sounding, i wouldn't say its too agressive since overall treble boost seem rather linear, with nothing too pushed fowards. Percussions are on line with violin or female vocal, their nothing that sound out of place and we have a very generous amount of details and texture nuance. This isn't what I would call a sparkly or airy treble, its crunchy and snappy with good loudness energy. Pumped up in a refined way, with great sens of dynamic and fullness, you don't hear half cook percussions or instrument here, its fully restitute yet not the must sharply define. I would say the Norn are analytical in a colored way, in the definition attack edge is slightly blunted-softed. Highs are vividly fowards and sounds layers are very rich in number, sometime it can even be a bit overwhelming in term of sound info due to lack of air and spaciousness, yet depeding of music track it can be highly immersive, as if you can find new micro details every time you dig in this density of sounds layers. Upper treble up to 15khz is a bit lacking in sharpness-brilliance as said, so this affect sens of openess. The knowles balanced armature do a great job in term of realist timbre, avoiding metallic sheen or grainy harshness. These are energic and well articulated highs, with great sens of immediacy and fast sustain release, not delicate and far from being dark, the treble wake you up and suck you in its urgent musicality.


When it come to spatiality, i would say its not the most open wide and tall, yet have good sens of deepness without being tunnel like. Its a small holographic room fullfill with sound richness, it like being near the stage with 4 speakers on it positioned in inversed U. Their stereo and center stage feel, no spatial zone seem scooped or ackward in placement.

While this doesn't boost space between instrument, it still offer tremendous imaging performance with precise positioning and excellent layering, all within small space without going muddy. Thats surprising and addictive since this proximity with instrument and singer magnify immersivity and immediacy of the music. Again, your very near musicians.

Technical performance of mid-tier IEM should be superior to entry level ones, and this is evident it is here with the Norn. Attack speed is very fast and well control, without long fuzzy sustain or problematic spike. Resolution is high, in a refined way, not overly bright or trying to overly boost clarity with shouty magic. Cohesion between drivers is excellent, you don't feel dynamic driver is whole different color or is distached, it embrace lower mids in a organic way. Still, balanced armature attack edge can be just a hint blunted sometime, which will affect accuracy of definition yet permit to avoid harshness or incontroled resonance. BA have their limit, wtv IEM i try including Campfire Andromeda, proper sense of clean definition always seem to lack a bit of natural sustain-release especially for string or plucked instrument like piano, guitar or violin. Overall technical performance of NorN is on par or above anything in this price range, and will impress those that want to upgrade from Kinera Idun Golden for example.



COMPARISONS
VS KINERA URD (1DD+2BA+2EST-650$)

URD is darker bassier L shape balance with crisper airier upper treble. Bass is more sub bass focus, warmer and looser in attack, which tend to add warmth to mid range. This mid range is denser and more natural in timbre, darker in resolution, lusher in texture and vocal have more upfront and wide presence, female vocal are less prompt to sligth hotness too. Treble is notably more romantic and color, more laid back yet with extra crispness delivered delicately in a airy way from EST driver, this add sens of brilliance that NorN lack as well as extra air, yet micro details are less plenty and attack bite feel more blunted, organic. Timbre is more textured and brighter with the Norn, bit thinner and more transparent too. All technical aspect as superior with NorN apart upper treble snap and decay, imaging is more accurate, resolution is higher, soundstage is a bit less wide and tall but deeper. Attack control of bass is tighter and more speedy and mid range is less blurried too with the NorN.

All in all, these are very different in tonal balance, NorN being brighter and more energic W shape in dynamic as well as more analytical and revealing, while the Urd is a hint bassier with its big warm slam and have a more please timbre as well as safer fatigue free laid back musicality. NorN sounding more technical and vivid, i feel sound benefit is higher with them since it's 150$ cheaper.

VS HISENIOR MEGA5P (1DD+4BA-400$ (often on sale 250$))

What is evident at first listen is how much pina gain in upper mids we have with the NorN, which is brighter and more energic W shape and feel very treble centric compare to lush balanced neutral Mega5P, which have warmer bass, fuller mid range and more natural timbre but darker treble too, here the Norn have edgier attack with more treble snap and sharper resolution. Mega5p have a natural harman target balance while NorN is bassy DF neutral with extra treble extension and boost. Bass separation is better with Norn, cleaner and faster in impact while Mega5p add warmth to timbre and loose a bit of its individuality definition. Mid range is where i prefer the 5P, even if female vocal are a hint more laid back and not as textured, tone is more natural and note weight is heavier too, timbre is denser with more organic timbral balance that doesn't highlight micro details that can distract us like lipsy vocal or breath of violonist. Treble is more agressive and fatiguing with the Norn, making the Mega5p sound very smooth and laid back, yet not lacking in details but sure in sparkle and air, which make NorN sound more airy and open. Again, imaging is sharper with Norn, more precise and clean in separation, while Mega5p have good layering but not very spacious presentation.

All in all, while Mega5p sound nothing like the Urd, i come to same conclusion that NorN sound more technical and analytical, have hint colder tonality and less natural and versatile tone, for vocal and lush thick timbre lover, i'll go Mega5p, for lively energic musicality with generous details quantity, Norn is unbeatable it seem.


VS UNIQUE MELODY 3DT (3DD-350$)

What hit first is how bigger is the sound stage, especially in wideness tallness, after it's how thicker and richer sound layers are presented. The bass quality too impress more than Norn, even if quantity isn't as boosted, its less sub bass resonant, more vibrant, texture and fully rounder. Mids are as high in pina gain boost and quite agressive in upper mids yet thicker and richer in texture details, vocal are more natural and full and note weight is again more felt than Norn, it seem their more lower mids too with 3DT, making male vocal fuller too, so mid range feel less recessed and more balanced. Treble tough is notably more detailed with the Norn, attack is more precise, faster and more edgy in definition. 3DT treble feel like a chunky package and lack proper air and separation between high range instrument, making layering more sticky while better articulated and sharped with the Norn, no doubt that bot treble quality and quantity is better here. This inflict on imaging accuracy, which is superior with the Norn.

All in all, Kinera Norn is technicaly superior and offer a more captivating vividity, yet bass and mids are superior in tone and presence with the 3DT.

CONCLUSION


The Kinera NorN offer a vividly balanced W shape signature with bright but well controled treble and fast and punchy bass. The technical performance are more than decent for the price, with its excellent imaging capacity, great resolution and energic dynamic heft.

While i would not suggest those for treble sensitive people, let say its notably smoother and less spiky than their more analytical Hodur.
For fans of the Kinera Idun Golden, the NorN would be a logical upgrade.
These are great all arounder and must likely my favorite Kinera IEM i've try yet, it's polar opposite of the URD, which is warmer, daker and bassier.

As well, the NorN construction is marvellous and the very generous amount of accessories will sure impress any consumers.
If your seeking for an energic musicality with crunchy treble, clean mids and tight thumpy bass, the NorN should be on your check list.




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PS: I wanna thanks Kinera for sending me this IEM after i manifest my curiosity about them. I really appreciate their open mind for non-hyper reviewer like me.

You can order the Kinera NorN for 510$ here:https://www.linsoul.com/products/kinera-norn

For more info about Kinera IEM, check their official site here:https://www.kineraaudio.com/product-category/universal-iem

For more honest and diversify audio products reviews, give a read to my No Border Audiophile website HERE.

ASSASSIN ON THE HIGHS
KINERA NORN
by PROblem

Tested at 280€ (used). Could be bought at KINERA OFFICIAL STORE

INTRO & SUMMARY

KINERA has a special place in my heart, when I started on the philia, the VESPER was one of the first over 50€ purchases I made. KINERA is a known brand for making probably one of the best designs on this iems since 2011, developing their own drivers and reaching the TOTL price on a lot of their tribirds. This NORN is in the 500€ bracket fighting to get a place between some furious enemies, going for a hybrid configuration with a spectacular 7mm Dynamic Driver on the bass with 4BA to get the high and mid frequencies. Let's go check it out! & test if the FR graph tells us all about the sound…


DESIGN & BUILD 96%

• The resin capsule, beautifully handmade is one of the best jobs on this bracket, you can feel every detail on the build of this capsule, and the connector its a 2 pin that seems nicely finish, the cable don't have any issues to be connected (problem that I've found in other iems like CLAIRE, STARLIGHT or TEA)
• Special mention deserve the paint job, coronated with the silver word on NORN on the top
• The weight of the capsule is 4.3gr, adequate, you almost no feel you got something on the ears
• With the smallest vent on the top Ive ever seen, KINERA does an exceptional job with the tunneling and channels inside the capsule, splitting every frequency with their own tube, not having any reflection and sounding exceptionality clear, and finishing in 3 different holes to your ears. The diameter of the nozzle is 6.1mm.
• The isolation is topnotch, with a nice pair of tips, nobody is gonna hear what is sounding in your ears. It's not the best to walk around, you are gonna figure out a bus hit you when you would be at the hospital
• The comfort and fit are supreme, probably the only issue is the weight of the cable, but if you aren't sensitive that, this is soft and the lacking of weight make them probably one of the best for long time sessions (talking about fit only)
• The quality of the over 300€ packaging of KINERA (FREYA, URD, NORN…) is really special, the only brands I tried that got that quality in this price bracket are DUNU and FIIO. The case, the accessories provided, a bag of FINAL AUDIO E tips… just superb
• I'm suspicious about the humidity this iems could get inside, the small ventilation and the fit it has, make my ears sweat, so proceed with caution when use

PERFORMANCE & TUNING 81%

• This earphone really scales with nice eq, highs should be more controlled and bass gets a little bit of separation with the K9pro. Same happens with the GRYPHON. Anyways, the BTR3K could move via 2.5mm without issues
• It's more sensitive to the power than the character of the source, so works well with any dac, but If you plug in a DAC like the MATRIX, with problems on the output impedance, the dynamic tends to lose definition.
• With the super-fit of the NORN any tips that gives you a nice isolation works nicely, but my preference as always goes with the KBEAR 07-08 or the FINAL AUDIO E

The first thing you see when checking the FR Graph is the aggressive tuning on the top frequencies, they start soon to be pushed to the top, making this iem look so much more sharp than they really are. They are far to be relaxed, but believe me, the intensity and clarity of the sound without any siblings still surprises me about the job that kinera made on the BA configuration.
The color and tonality of this iem suits perfectly with the colors chosen for the capsule, its vibrant, its red, its like fire and is going to burn you, making the music sound alive and astonishing. It's far to be relaxed, not pushing the bass to the extreme, but the presence low frequencies have, helps to control the fatigue with high frequencies. This is the issue I find with the NORN, the long time sessions could be fatiguing depending on the music you choose, making your ears asking for a rest.



LOWs 84%

• Two steps over neutral, got the tuning necessary to control the other frequencies. A really technical way to present and use a dynamic driver of this characteristics
• Information and texture of the driver is nice, but is not the best for definition of the low frequencies, and tends to bleed a little, little bit
• One of the best bass for dynamic & speed, the rumble & punch are average
• Just say I don't have any driver flex issues, but with this small vent on the top, will be possible if any suffer this problem

MIDs 81%

• Mids and clearly on the front, supported by the high frequencies, and making them one of the stars of the show
• Again KINERA making the BA sound right on voices, sounding relaxed but detailed, the counterpart is the female voices sometimes sounds a little bit thinner that I would like
• The timbre is nice, instruments got insane definition, just a little excess on contrast make the timbre unnatural and over-saturated
• I'll talk about the stage later on the review, but the separation & clarity make this frequencies enjoyable as hell

HIGHs 77%

• Focusing your earphone on top frequencies, is a risky bet, they made an awesome job to give this clarity and detail, but could be aggressive and far to be relaxed
• Air and sparklyness is amazing, probably one of the best thing of this iem
• The ability to resolve and show every part the track is astonishing, maybe is much emphasized than necessary

TECH & STAGE 86%

RESOLUTION 82%

• Layering is nice, every frequency got their own channel, the bass doesn't bleed
• The lack of texture on the bass contrast with the excess of it on the rest frequencies
• Details are awesome, but excess of sparkling

TIMBRE 79%

• The counterpart of the risky tuning that KINERA tried on this earphone, is the excess of coloration/contrast, giving a little bit of metallic? timbre, wich in this segment of price is not good at all
• Not sibilance voices, just a little too much present of the voice on the tracks focused on the singer. Anyways, I could say that some old female artist albums (see recommendation on the last part of the review) sound nice. Can't say the same with new recorded albums
• Instruments are wich get the worse part of the tuning, guitars and cymbals tends to sound too much, not bad, but clearly exaggerated on volume

STAGE 89%

• The airy presentation clearly affects the stage, more horizontal than vertical. Everything sounds around your hear, and they are incredible for gaming
• The sensation of 3D scene, like I said, make them incredible for gaming, also with this tuning, steps and details are really clear

IMAGING 84%

• Ability to separate is average, the quantity of highs and sparkling make difficult to separate so many details
• The stage presents with voice at eye-height, bass is around the scene, some instruments are presented near to the voices, sometimes makes difficult to get a nice presentation

DYNAMICS 82%

• With complex tracks tends to solape sounds, anyways the bass is clean as hell, just got the problem mentioned above
• The recovery is nice, not the best BA implementation from KINERA, but this is part of the risky bet they make here

OUTRO & VALORATION 87%

At the time of this review, the classifieds of this forum got a lot of units of this earphone at the half-price of store price… I can't understand why this underrated gem is there. Maybe the tuning is aggressive on the highs, but give them a chance, do not go so up on the volume, and try to avoid bad (loudness war) recordings. This is one of the more technical iems out there, near to the “audiophiles gems” (CLAIRE & MONARCH) but trying to make the music more exciting, more vibrant, and that’s why is so valuable, because KINERA is trying to make some different… something unique…
Apart from that, the price/performance is nice, the quality of the packaging, the level of design, painting and finish is superior to other earphones costing half of them. Compared to SA6 or CLAIRE, this KINERA is superior in all build aspects. The drivers included on this earphone, are impressive, making the scene detailed, cohesive and nothing sound sibilant. Like I said, probably I’m not so sensitive to high frequencies, but sounds better than looks (including the FR graph)
Just give them a chance, if you are bored from pleasing tuning and calm tuning, and usually listen some old recordings, and want something more vibrant to enjoy your music, just jump on the viking boat.

I really loved to write this review, enjoying music and put all my effort on describe what are the good/bad things of an IEM, thanks to all people that arrive to the end of this review, you can find more information about comparison versus other earphones, and some albums I recommend hearing with this item.

COMPARISONS
As always, we are going to compare versus a similar price range, or just with similar tuning earphone.

Vs. QOA ADONIS

Vs. DUNU EST112

RECOMMENDED ALBUMS
Clicking on the image of the album open the webplayer of TIDAL

Introduction:
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.



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!