Kinera BD005 Pro Review – Sleepy Beauty

Pros

Beautiful shells, light and well fitting.
Good isolation.
Safe non fatiguing tuning, coherent V shape set.
Easy to drive.
2 pin connector – generally better lifespan than MMCX.

Cons:

Notes may have a lack of bite/edge definition (may be pro or con depending on personal taste).
Technicalities not class leading.
Roll off at higher treble may not appeal to trebleheads, but this is not that fatiguing as such.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Kinera BD005 Pro is a beautiful jack of all trades, sporting a rather coherent warmish V shaped tuning that is safe for the upper frequencies (compared to the usual CHIFI tuning). Other than looks, it scores above average points in most areas, but doesn’t have a particular department that it truly excels at to stand out in the ultra cut throat budget CHIFI market segment.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver configuration: 1 DD (9.2 mm) + 1 BA
• Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz
• Impedance: 16 Ohms
• Sensitivity: 108 ± 2 dB
• Cable: 2 pin 0.78 mm
• Purchase link: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001870377067.html
• Tested at $49 USD

ACCESSORIES

Other than the IEM, the Kinera BD005 packaging comes with:

• 4 core 4 N High purity oxygen free copper cable (in built mic) – seems there isn’t a choice for a non mic cable. I generally don’t really like mics in the cable as they may be a potential source of failure down the line, not to mention sometimes they may add resistance, but I appreciate that some may like the mic for calls and meetings. The cable doesn’t have a chin cinch though, but is quite usable sonically, and is leagues better than the usual TRN or KZ stock cables.
• Eartips (S/M/L) – the stock silicone eartips come in a short nozzle config, so you might wanna tip roll to aftermarket tips depending on fit.
• Semi rigid carrying case.

For the purposes of this review, the stock cable and tips were used.

BUILD/COMFORT

Kinera gear are generally well known for having beautiful shells/designs and nice packaging, and the Kinera BD005 Pro is no exception. The resin shells are indeed very beautiful. In terms of ergonomics, they are very light, comfortable and well fitting. They actually look and feel like semi customs. The shells are on the larger side in terms of size, but I have used them for hours with no discomfort.

I didn’t find any driver flex for myself (but YMMV as this is somewhat dependent on ear anatomy and types of ear tips used). I liked that the Kinera BD005 Pro came with a 2 pin connector as they generally have better life span than MMCX types, for those who do frequent cable rolling.

ISOLATION

The Kinera BD005 Pro has good isolation, I quite like it as a transit IEM as such, though it won’t beat pure BA unvented types in this department.

DRIVABILITY

I tested the Kinera BD005 Pro with a Khadas Tone Board -> Topping L30 amp (thankfully the L30 didn’t blow up for this review LOL), smartphone, Shanling Q1 DAP, Tempotec Sonata HD Pro, ESS ES9280C PRO DAC/AMP, and a Khadas Tone Board -> Fiio A3 Amp. The Kinera BD 005 Pro is relatively easy to drive, and amping is not generally required. Though amping can increase dynamics, soundstage and perhaps microdetails a tinge.

SOUND & TECHNICALITIES

The Kinera BD005 Pro sports a rather balanced warmish V shaped tuning that is safe for the upper frequencies (compared to the usual CHIFI tuning). I’ve owned a few Kinera gear in the past and the general consensus in audio forums is that for the Kinera house sound, they are on the brighter (and more fatiguing) side, so this Kinera BD005 Pro’s tuning is rather atypical for a Kinera.

Technically, the Kinera BD005 Pro has above average details and imaging. Clarity and instrument separation are about average. Note weight is on the thicker side, and the notes do have a lack of edge definition/bite, so this might be a pro or con depending on personal preference. It results in a smoother and less fatiguing presentation, but those that want some crunch/bite in vocals and guitars might need to look elsewhere. Soundstage is above average in width/height, but not too deep, music can at times get congested with complex riffs or competing instrumentation. So to summarize, the technical performance of the Kinera BD005 Pro is above average at this price range, but not classleading in this aspect.

Timbre of acoustic instruments does have a slight BA timbre, so it won’t beat a well tuned pure DD setup in the timbre department for acoustic instrument realism. But I would say the Kinera BD005 Pro still has better instrumental timbre than most garden variety TRN and KZ hybrids, and it should be an all rounder for most genres of music.

Bass:

Midbass of the Kinera BD005 Pro is of more quantity than subbass, with midbass north of neutral, but not at basshead levels. Bass is a tinge on the slower side, with a mild midbass bleed and average texturing/details. The note weight is a bit thick and nebulous. Some folks may not like the midbass quality as such, but I liked that it added some warmth to the lower mids. The bass may smear in some fast bass movements and hence bass quality isn’t the tightest compared to comparatively priced competitors in the same price bracket. The subbass rumble is quite good like in well tuned DD sets, though subbass extension is not the absolute deepest, but will definitely not be absent from subbass focused tracks.

Mids:

Lower mids are mildly recessed, but are thick and coloured. As per the mid bass, some may not like the fuller lower mids, so YMMV. Mids details and texture are average but not class leading. Upper mids are boosted but are not as harsh as some CHIFI counterparts, so this is quite an atypical Kinera tuning per se. As per the Fletcher Munson curve, the upper mids can get hot if the volume is pumped up a lot, or on poorly recorded material, but by and large, it is a very safe upper mids. Notes have a lack of bite/edge definition in the mids, so this can be a love it or hate it kind of thing especially when it comes to guitar crunch and vocal bites.

Treble:

Lower treble is boosted as per the upper mids. There’s a dip around the 6 kHz area, and thereafter the upper treble extends once again (though upper treble extension is not the greatest). For me, this is a rather safe upper treble, but trebleheads will probably want a bit more air and sparkle. Sibilance is mild. Cymbals are not as splashy as some budget CHIFI. As per the mids, notes have a lack of bite/edge definition, and whether one likes this is down to your personal preference.

COMPARISONS

As per comparing oranges to oranges, I left out single DD types as they have different pros and cons among the transducer types:

KBEAR Lark (1BA + 1 DD; $29 USD)

The KBEAR Lark we will discuss here is the newer retuned version (not the 4 kHz boosted older version). The KBEAR Lark has a neutralish bright tuning and is not as warm as the Kinera BD005 Pro in terms of tuning. The upper treble on the KBEAR Lark extends more and is brighter and airier but can be more fatiguing and sibliant. Note weight is noticeably thinner on the KBEAR Lark and acoustic instrumental timbre is a tinge poorer on the KBEAR Lark.

Bass is tighter on the KBEAR Lark, and the KBEAR Lark has a bigger soundstage and better clarity.

The KBEAR Lark has poorer isolation.

I would consider these 2 sets to be complimentary sidegrades, it depends if you want a thicker and warmer sound (Kinera BD005 Pro), versus a more neutralish bright and thinner sound (KBEAR Lark). Both sets are very well accessorized and look beautiful externally, hence they will make good gifts for beginners to this hobby.

KZ ZS10 Pro (4 BA + 1 DD; $35 USD)

The venerable KZ ZS10 Pro is more V shaped, with hotter upper mids and more midbass thump (quantity). The KZ ZS10 Pro has poorer isolation, poorer accessories and poorer instrumental timbre.

In terms of technicalities, the KZ ZS10 Pro is slightly better in soundstage, details, instrument separation, clarity and details, but this hotter upper mids/lower treble area can make it more fatiguing for treble sensitive folks, compared to the smoother Kinera BD005 Pro.

TRN V90S (5 BA + 1 DD; $43 USD)

The TRN V90S is also V shaped, and has a tighter bass than the Kinera BD005 Pro. The upper mids on the TRN V90S are also smooth when compared to the Kinera BD005 Pro, however, the TRN V90S has greater treble extension and can be more sibilant and fatiguing in the higher treble. Note weight is thinner and tonality is more analytical on the TRN V90S.

The TRN V90S has poorer isolation, poorer accessories and poorer instrumental timbre. Technicalities are slightly better on the TRN V90S.

CONCLUSIONS

The Kinera BD005 Pro is a beautiful jack of all trades, sporting a rather balanced warmish V shaped tuning that is safe for the upper frequencies (compared to the usual CHIFI tuning). For a budget hybrid, other than looks, it scores above average points in most areas (eg timbre, technicalities, tonality), but doesn’t have a particular area that it truly excels at. And at this cut throat budget price bracket, that makes it quite hard to stand out from the extremely stiff competition (eg there are some sets that excel at timbre, though at the expense of technicalities, and vice versa).

Nevertheless, the Kinera BD005 Pro would be an all rounder for most genres, and the note weight is thick and tonality is generally quite good and non fatiguing. Coupled with the beautiful shells and packaging, it would make a good introductory set to those who are new to this hobby (though recalcitrant CHIFI addicts will probably have something better in their inventory).

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DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank the Yaotiger HIFI Audio Store for providing this review set at a discount. The Kinera BD005 Pro can be gotten here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001870377067.html

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