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Kinera H3 Review – Sensation(al)

Introduction –

Kinera is yet another up and coming Chi-Fi manufacturer who, until now, have yet to really produce a runaway hit. To my knowledge, they have only one in-ear under their belt, the BD005, which was well received amongst a small group of enthusiasts but failed to really capture the iem market like other in-ears from TFZ, Magaosi/Audbos and even Simgot. So it came as a surprise when their newest earphone, the H3, blew up on social media. With an immensely prospective triple hybrid driver setup combined with a very reasonable $100 USD asking price, the H3 almost instantly became one of the most talked about, sought after earphones on the net.

Though I’m not one to be swayed by common perceptions, after all, budget hybrid earphones are nothing we haven’t seen before from manufacturers like 1More, Xiaomi and Magaosi. And in many ways, the H3’s reception very much reflected that of the K3 Pro with early impressions comparing them favourably to more expensive models and the same amount of ecstatic excitement orbiting every teaser post on social media. With that said, let’s see how good the H3 really is.

 

 

Disclaimer –

I would like to thank Steve from Kinera Audio very much for his quick communication and for providing me with the H3 for the purpose of review. All words are my own and there is no monetary incentive for a positive review. Despite receiving the earphones free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation.

 

Accessories –

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While they aren’t quite as lavishly packaged as the K3 HD and Simgot earphones, the H3 nonetheless has a much nicer unboxing than most Chi-fi earphones. They come packaged within a textured hard box with gold print denoting the brand and model. The box magnetically latches open to reveal the hard case, flight adapter and ¼” adapter within foam.

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The case is on the larger side and is similar to units included with Shozy products, it is protective and adequately stores the earphones and accessories in addition to a small DAP though portability is not ideal.

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Inside the case is the H3 and 3 pairs of Sony hybrid style ear tips. The tips are very comfortable and mimic the superb fit and seal offered by the authentic Sony’s. While a few of them had offset stems, I didn’t find this to noticeably affect fit and they are otherwise well moulded. I’m a huge fan of the Sony Hybrid tips and unsurprisingly, Kinera’s imitation tips provided much the same experience with comfort and seal.

Next Page: Design

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ABOUT AUTHOR

Ryan Soo

Ryan Soo

Avid writer, passionate photographer and sleep-deprived medical student, Ryan has an ongoing desire to bring quality products to the regular reader.

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14 Responses

  1. Hi William,

    The H3 is a lot bassier and has better extension than the Mini 2. The MIni 2 has a far more linear midrange where the H3 has more clarity but also sounds quite thin and laid-back. The H3 has a more pronounced lower treble, it’s well-detailed but not realistic. The Mini 2 extends a bit further and has greater detail retrieval though it also isn’t as crisp. The H3 has a larger soundstage.

    I only have a pre-production SEED at the moment, I’m told it’s brighter than the retail model. I think the H3 holds a notable advantage in end to end extension and technicality and I don’t find either especially balanced. Also keen for the NUT 😉

    Cheers,
    Ryan.

  2. How do these compare against the Rose Mini 2?

    And if you could, could you try out the new Kinera Seed? They ‘apparently’ offer similar performance to the h3 with a more balanced tuning at half the price!

    Thanks!

    P.S. Still waiting for Kinera NUT 🙁

  3. Hi Shaan,

    Apologies for my late response! The issue with their brightness, the H3 in particular, is that it is a very narrow spike in their tuning that compromises texture and realism. The King is better, it’s not quite as aggressive as the H3 and will be familiar if you already own the EX1. That said, its midrange is notably more forward but it is also considerably more balanced overall. I haven’t had a chance to try the Ostry!

    Cheers,
    Ryan.

  4. Sorry, that was another reviewer! I have numerous sources though and none will do a lot to curb the H3’s brightness but of course, a brighter source is not recommended.

  5. Hello, friend. Didn’t you listen to cayin n3 N3 kinera? will not be with this player, too much high frequencies?

  6. Hi Ryan,
    Looking for a new iem around 100 usd. I’ve shortlisted to tfz king and kinera h3. I am worried about both of their aggressive tuning. Can you compare the brightness to something like fiio ex1?
    Btw, have you tried the new ostry kc09?

  7. Great to hear Jeff, tips definitely aren’t placebo, some can have huge effects, the SImgot EN700 Bass being a notable example that actually uses the included tips to provide different tonalities. Nice tip on the ear guides too, will definitely give that a go on a few of my earphones.

  8. Thanks for the review, I snagged some H3’s mostly based on it and am really enjoying them, they’ve replaced my Fidelio S2’s at this point.

    I did have a bit of an issue where the ear loop for the right ear was angled the same direction as the left ear, so while the loop was nice and snug against my head on the left side it was angling out away from my head on the right, which didn’t feel too secure and got a bit annoying. A little heat and some bending mostly fixed that though.

    I also found that the SpinFit tips did improve the sound for me, as the bass sounds a little beefier to my ears with them. (I don’t think it’s a placebo affect) They also seem to stay on the nozzle as well as the stock eartips did, but the H3’s are a bit easier to take out of my ears than they were with the stock tips, which is another bonus.

  9. Ah I apologize I completely skimmed over the Drivability section of your review! Can someone please delete these comments? Thanks!

  10. Awesome review Ryan. Based on your review it seems like the Kinera H3 will be a wonderful choice for my next IEM. Based on some small searching, it seems like IEMs in general have little difficulty being driven by smartphones, but the impedance of these Kineras (48) comapred to the Pinnacle P1 (50) seem really similar, and some reviewers have had difficulty driving the P1s with only a phone. So, can the iPhone 7 (not plus) power these IEMs with the adapter? Thanks again for your help and great reviews! Can’t wait to see more.

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