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Pros
- What a looker!
- Great comfort
- Clean, neutral-warm sound
- Excellent detail retrieval
- Decent stage and resolution
- Non fatiguing
- The unmatchable Dunu package
- Anime themed if that’s your thing
Cons
- I needed tip rolling to get the right seal and fit
- Bass is not for basshead
Tech specs
- Architecture – Single Dynamic Driver – Diamond-Like-Carbon Composite Dome Diaphragm
- Impedance – 20 Ohm
- Sensitivity – 108 dB/mW
Sources
- Fiio M33
- Snowsky Disc
- VE devastator pro max
- Musehifi M3 Ultra
About me/biases
I don’t like sibilance and comfort is key.
Disclaimers
None – I bought the Kima 2 Raven and this is purely my unbridled opinion.
Unboxing, physical characteristics and comfort
Dunu never ceases to impress. From the time I used the S&S and Candy Tips and bought my first Titan s2, I have been super impressed with how much they are able to pack into the box. The Kima 2 Raven edition is no different. A pouch for the IEM heads, a lovely modular cable – silver-plated monocrystalline copper, carry case, more tips that I know what to do with but definitely the S & S and Candy, vocal and atmospheric tips, and a very nice stand of the anime character. Now I wish I followed anime enough to elaborate on the character but alas, I don’t.
The Kima 2 is a heavy IEM since it’s built out of stainless steel and not a 3D printed resin or machined aluminium. The Raven Teal edition is a matte black bit of gorgeousness with one side that has Kima 2 written on it and the other “Criz Faction”. This also fits beautifully in my ears and thus makes the weight seem negligible even on long sessions. The nozzles are about 5mm with a 6mm flange and can handle most tips with a little wiggle and allow for a good insertion. My personal favorites with this are the Candy tips, and the Sancai Balanced.
The cable is pliable and not prone to microphonics like the Dunu lyre mini and comes with the special modular coupling system that Dunu is famous for.
Overall, a pleasing looking, extremely comfortable set of earphones with a great set of accessories that we have honestly grown to expect from this manufacturer.
Sound
The overarching description, the TLDR if you will, of the Kima 2 sound, is neutral, and if you really insist, neutral-warm.
That being said, this merits a good breakdown.
The low-end is all about quality with the Kima 2. This is not a basshead IEM by any stretch of imagination but the notes carry weight and authority. The single dynamic driver does not lead to low end bloat that bleeds into mids. On Angel by Massive Attack, the deep sub bass rumble is replaced by a clarity of the note played and while it does not fill the space between your ears with the resonating hum it allows for the drone to be heard clearly and the kick drums hold their own place in the mix. The bass on Wanna be Startin’ Somethin’ is tight and has a short decay. Again note weight and clarity are supreme with the emphasis being on the character and timbre rather than the size of the bass sound. On Lingus by Snarky Puppy, which is a great track for almost every frequency and separation analysis, both the synthesizer bass and the electric bass sound controlled, restrained and clear.
The mid bass has a slight extension into the lower mids, more to give baritone and tenor voices and instruments a little uplift rather than overpower them. Male vocals are not recessed and at the same time not pushed all the way forward. The timbre here is accurate and on tracks like Waiting on the World to Change, the cover by Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’, the voices come through clean and not in your face and the difference in characte r in the voices of the legends is not lost in the mix. Female vocals shine beautifully in the upper mids – Susan Tedeschi’s voice in Midnight in Harlem and Come See About Me by the Tedeschi Trucks Band occupies the same band as Derek Trucks’ slide guitar and both sound well-separated and equally enjoyable. Tracy Chapman’s voice in both Fast Car and Talkin’ About a Revolution at times hovers on the edge of being shouty to my ears but doesn’t cross over to the dark side.
The treble is where, for me, this IEM really shines. And by shines I mean it is controlled, and not even slightly sibilant and still brings out the details. Snare hits, hi-hats and cymbals sound natural and do not pierce my eardrums. There are definitely IEMs with more air in the high end but to me the implementation and tuning is what allows me to listen for hours and not feel overwhelmed or fatigued.
Staging, Imaging and resolution
The stage can be best described as decent. It is not holographic or cinematic. On both Africa by Toto and the Hell Freezes Over version of Hotel California by Eagles, the depth and width of the stage could be better, though comparing this with open headphones is hardly fair. Recordings of small jazz ensembles sound intimate without sounding lije they are playing inside my head. The imaging, instrument separation and resolution are excellent with no significant bleed. The ghost notes of Jeff Poccaro’s Rosanna Shuffle are not shrouded in the mix, and the orchestral arrangement of Lingus (again) by Snarky Puppy is explicitly heard.
This IEM sits somewhere in the middle. It does not aim to please anyone and offends even fewer listeners. It is not an overly enjoyable ‘V’, and bassheads and EDM lovers would be left wanting more. The gentle ‘U’ tuning with some blunting of the treble end of things leads it to perform well with most other genres. It is resolving without being analytical, great for long sessions without any fatigue, and comfortable enough to be a keeper for me. As always your mileage may vary but I would recommend this every time and at its price point of sub $100 on Hifigo (as of writing this review) it’s a 10/10 buy.