KINERA VERDANDI EARPHONES REVIEW
Kinera Verandi earphones are a £1200 set of in-ears that pack a whole load of different driver technology into their design. Oscar Stewart takes a listen for HiFi PiG.
Kinera have been making earphones for a long time now. I’ve listened to quite a few of their models over the years, and this brings me to this review. The Verdandi isn’t a new model; however, it is a staple in their lineup and had an original MSRP of around £1199.00.
Featuring a quad-brid design with 1 x bone conducting driver, 1 x dynamic driver, 2 x balanced armatures and 2 x EST drivers, they are designed to offer a well-balanced yet dynamic listening experience.
BUILD QUALITY AND FEATURES OF THE KINERA VERDANDI
First off, these are gorgeous earphones; they are made from resin and have bits of gold foil and glitter in the resin that glisten at different angles – in the flesh, they look amazing, and their hand-finished nature means every pair will be unique. The matching cable is made by Flash Acoustics and is built to a similarly high standard with monocrystalline and silver cables internally and a durable shield for longevity. The cable uses a standard 2-pin connector and is easily changed; however, I see no point in changing the cable when the stock one is this good – it even has interchangeable connectors on the source end so you can swap between balanced and single-ended.
Design-wise, they have nice rounded edges for improved comfort, and out of the box, they come with an array of ear tips – including Final Type-e, Kinera K-07, Foam, and Azla Crystal. I found myself using Azla Sednafit ear tips personally for the most secure and comfortable fit in my narrow ear canals.
Feature-wise wise they have very low impedance (14 Ohms), and fairly high sensitivity (105dB), meaning you should pair them with a good source that has low output impedance.
Driver-wise, they include 1 x bone conductor, 1 x 6mm dynamic, 2 x Kinera tuned Knowles balanced armatures and 2 x Sonion EST (electrostatic) drivers. The Bone conductor works to enhance the bass region that the 6mm dynamic driver handles, the 2 balanced armatures handle the mid/high frequency range, and the 2 electrostatic drivers handle the high/ultra-high range.
There’s not really a lot of features to talk about when it comes to passive earphones, and if you are looking at these, it’s highly likely you’ll have a good DAP or dongle to use them with. I’ve been using these for a while now, mostly paired with my reference player, the Fiio M15s, using the 4.4mm balanced output.
SOUND QUALITY
Now, the first thing that jumps out at you is how engaging and dynamic these earphones sound; there is a sense of fun to their sound that I will elaborate on later. They are tuned for those who want to enjoy their music, not necessarily for those looking to analyse it.
Opeth’s River, for example, has exceptional detail in the softer guitar intro, and these deliver it with great control and delicacy. The cymbal taps come in with plenty of air and extension, whilst the bass line backs up the low end without overtaking anything. These have what may be called a W-shaped sound, where sub-bass, mids and highs have a subtle emphasis, and when tuned well can sound great when it comes to a more fun sound signature. In this song you have the bone conductor really filling out the sub-bass, adding what a good sub-woofer does to a HiFi system, by giving the sound some impact and a sense you can feel the weight of the bass notes as well as hear them. The midrange is well balanced, and vocals cut through with just the right amount of energy and good overall tonality. The treble isn’t pushed forward; however, the upper treble has a slight lift that creates a sense of air and space that is very pleasant.
Changing the tempo a little, I put on Björk’s One Day. The initial swirling sound effects are exceptionally well placed within the soundstage with plenty of width and height. Her vocals cut through, whilst the pulsating bass beat is allowed to just do its thing. It’s hard to convey just what the low end is like on these; it has such good energy and impact without ever sounding overly boosted or bloated. Those who have the belief that earphones can’t do bass, well, have a listen to these and they might change your mind. They do strong bass without muddying the overall sound. The higher frequency sound effects in this recording are presented with a real crispness, without ever becoming bright. It’s a tactile listening experience, one that has a huge amount of energy and dynamics.
Now for a party tune and The Prodigy’s Spitfire, and once again, the Verdandi show off their stuff. Huge bass drops are handled with utter ease and composure, yet have an impact that hits hard. Everything is well separated within the mix, stereo imaging is fantastic, and you get a well-placed centre image whilst everything swirls around it. These are brilliantly energetic and fun earphones. The great thing is that they can deliver a track like this with raw energy, then go on to some acoustic and sound just as good.
On that note, Green Day’s Wake Me Up When September Ends sounds incredible through the Verdandi, with excellent clarity and air during the intro. You can hear the small nuances, and when the drums kick in, you get that snap of the snare, and the impact from the kick drum really demands your attention. Guitars have energy, vocals are defined, and the cymbals crash with pinpoint accuracy and great extension thanks to those EST drivers.
If you haven’t noticed, I very much enjoy the tuning of the Verdandi, yes, at times I prefer a more neutral sound; however, for day-to-day listening, these really do make listening to music rather enjoyable. It’s that feeling of tactile bass with open and detailed mids and highs that just sounds right. Another thing to note is that, as much as these do very well in the detail retrieval department, they don’t render less than perfect recordings as harsh or unenjoyable; they are slightly forgiving, which makes them a great all-rounder.
Some people won’t appreciate the Verdandis’ raw energy; some may want a more relaxed presentation, and there are plenty of earphones that can deliver that. If you want something upbeat, though, you’ve come to the right place.
One last track to round out this review, and some Bullet For My Valentine with their Take It Out on Me track. This is presented in such an energetic way with the crunching guitars having that gritty and dense sound they need, whilst double kick drum hits are well defined and do not lag behind. You can place each drum hit, both panned guitar effects meet in the middle nicely, and the vocals cut through without sounding shouty. The treble is once again pitch perfect with excellent air and extension, and when the guitar solo hits, it builds to a huge sounding piece of music that does impress.
QUIBBLES
Now, these are not a relaxing-sounding earphone, and they do sound their best when given some music that is engaging. Saying that, if you do listen to things a bit softer, they still deliver a brilliant sound, I just feel they do their best when showing off a little.
The only quibble I have is that the housings are on the larger side and they do not fit my ears that discreetly. I don’t mind, though, as they cram a hell of a lot of tech and different types of drivers into this shell, and they deliver on the sound front.
CONCLUSION
The Kinera Verdandi are a bombastic and enjoyable listen, yet they manage to portray the subtleties in music and recordings with ease. They don’t assault your ears, whilst still managing to pull off some impressive dynamics and extension from top to bottom. The drivers all work together to bring you a sound that is both effortlessly detailed and separated, as well as being engaging and fun.
These are seriously enjoyable to listen to, and as such, should be on your shortlist if you are looking for earphones with a bit of get up and go.
AT A GLANCE
Build Quality And Features:
Top-notch build quality
The replaceable jack on the cable is a neat feature
Sound Quality:
Fun, fun, and more fun
Energetic yet never too edgy, with good control and detail
Value For Money:
Not cheap, but you get a lot of drivers and gorgeous build quality to back up the excellent sound
We Loved:
The fun and energetic sound that has both dynamics and effortless detail
We Didn’t Love So Much:
The shells are a little on the larger side and won’t fit everyone’s ears perfectly
Elevator Pitch Review: If you want a dynamic, punchy, and fun sound signature that can still handle the softer tracks when needed, the Verdandi should serve you well. As always, aim to audition these if they are on your shortlist, they pack a lot of punch and are seriously enjoyable to listen to – the finish is stunning too. A very well-rounded earphone that won’t ever sound boring.
Price: £1199
Oscar Stewart
