Verdict
Kefine remove the mark with its Klanar IEM . They ’re prosperous to wear , enjoyable to listen to – especially with neutral - sounding electronics – and easy to repel , and at an low-priced damage too .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
I ’ve find out it said plenty of times that wire headphones are dead , and yet efforts such as Kefine Klanar keep hitting the market .
In fact , the number of people I ’ve seen using cable earphones in the last six months has grown . Wired earphone wo n’t claw back the grocery share that they ’ve lost to more convenienttrue wireless models , but they have n’t disappear either , offering the kind of uninterrupted performance and high - quality sound that wireless earbuds ca n’t always offer , especially for the terms the Klanar sells for .
The Klanar sport planar magnetic engineering at an affordable price , something that ’s become the holy grail of pumped headphones , and they are a goody to listen to .
Design
The Klanar ’s shape is like a teardrop or a guitar picking – whatever it look like , it slot over and into the ear without squabble . It ’s a compliant , lightweight intent ( 12.6 g each ) that feels as if it just “ fits ” . The Letshuoer S12 Pro is another planar magnetic in - earpiece and that ’s more bulky and intemperate in the pinna .
Noise - isolation is upstanding , though you ’ll still be able-bodied to get a line your surroundings fairly well when music is n’t playing . The phone are detachable , though there ’s no mean of swivel the earbuds when they ’re attach – that can sometimes be a decent feature to have if you ’re looking to jiggle the earphones in . That said , the fit feel secure to me .
The cable is a dual - conducting wire pattern made from OFC litz conducting wire ( the brown colour ) and silver - plat copper litz wire ( black ) , which can shape the speech sound by making audio auditory sensation warm and treble quiet .
Accessories include a tough carry case , a chain of mountains of UV ear - bakshis ( from pocket-sized to gravid ) that have heavy holes for a more pellucid sound . There are also silicone ear - tips with smaller hole that emphasise basso more . The cable give the sack in a 3.5 mm or 4.4 mm balanced connection , depending on the version of the Klanar you go for .
Features
The two-dimensional equipment driver inside the Kefine Klanar is 14.5 millimetre in size , which is big for any in - phone . The frequency reaction covers 20Hz – 40kHz , which covers a all-embracing section of what ’s count to be frequency response forHi - Res Audio .
The cable at 1.2 m is just about long enough that it could be used at home with hi - fi separates , but more than likely you ’ll be using the Klanar with portable gadget when you ’re outside the home , and in that linguistic context the cable does n’t often get tangled and when it does it ’s easy to untangle . There ’s no in - argument microphone if you ’re question .
The planar driver boast a PET composite pessary , N55 magnet and customised driver construction to assure that , as far as Kefine is touch , freshwater bass tier are cede more presence than likewise price planar IEMs .
sensibility is rated at 105db , which point they can get fairly loud when pushed . Impedance is a low 16ohms , so the Kefine Klanar are a brace of in - phone that can be easily driven by any electronic source these earpiece are partnered with .
Sound Quality
Kefine discover the Klanar as an in - ear monitor with a sound that ’s “ well - balanced and musical ” , boasting potent basso , lovesome and clear mids , as well as smooth twofold . I distrust that description may change depend on your informant machine ( or amplifier ) – mine is a option of a FiiO M15S portable player andChord Mojo 2 DAC .
And which electronics you partner the Kefine Klanar with is an aspect that I think warrant some consideration . There were times during testing where I was n’t convinced its bass performance was as good as Kefine claimed . listen to Childish Gambino ’s This is America ( TIDAL ) with the FiiO M15S , and the bass miss crusade and a sense of depth .
It was a similar case with System of a Down ’s Chop Suey ! – somewhat more potent but lack a greater sentience of profoundness . With Busta Rhymes ’ tint It , TMGT ’s Higher Ground – on and on , I felt the bass was n’t as hefty as Kefine described it .
And then I plugged in the Chord Mojo 2 DAC into my laptop computer , using the Klanar alongside theSennheiser IE 200 , and listened to Speakers Corner Quartet ’s Wavelet . The freshwater bass exploded into my ears , described in large terms and with depth that neither the Sennheiser nor the 1More Penta could check .
With Dar - Benn from The Marvels soundtrack there ’s in force gibe and grain to the basso , more so than the Penta . The soundstage is big , the flute described with more ebullience and pizzaz on the Kefine , though its warm tone sacrifices a bar of overall clarity .
The same is true listening to Justice ’s Genesis on Qobuz ( 24 - bit/44.1kHz ) compared to the Sennheiser IE 200 . There ’s more energy fed to the bass voice for a more muscular performance ; and with Busta Rhyme ’s Touch It , the Kefine demonstrate it ’s not just all about the “ wham , bam ” sensation , communicate the bass in a varied manner , whether it ’s with punch or weight . If you like your bass with DOE , the Kefine Klanar provides it in spades .
With Faye Webster ’s Sometimes ( Amazon Music ) eat through the FiiO there ’s a estimable sense of weightiness and definition applied to the track ’s percussion , though it perhaps misses out on describing the crispness of the hitting , trading it for a smoother quality .
That smoothness is apparent listening to Carlos Rafael Rivera ’s soundtrack for Lessons In Chemistry . The Kefine adapts to what ’s asked of it , high frequencies cross-file bright ( enough ) and smoothen rather than too shrill and snappy , while with Menahan Street Band ’s Make the route by Walking , the reproductive memory of treble is sharp but not overbearing .
That ’s further confirmed with a listen to Miles Davis ’ So What : the clarity and insight of the Kefine ’s treble performance brings out the richness and pocket-sized - scale dynamism of the trumpet . partner with the FiiO there ’s a naturalism to the Kefine ’s functioning that impress me .
The imprint I get is one where the Kefine does n’t want to amount across as fatiguing , and it follow . However , treble can sound a footling firmly when the bulk is pushed up .
The soundstage that the IEM depicts is consistently gravid , bold , and energetic in description , as well as being vend ahead to the attender . Its sense of speech rhythm is whole with the beats of GoGo Penguin ’s Raven , though again I finger the 1More Penta are a tighter , astute hear , at least in convey the mid- and upper frequencies .
With Jacob Collier ’s Sky Above , the midrange is give birth clearly with smoothness – I ’m not hearing much colouration with the mids – and back again to Faye Webster ’s Sometimes the same carrying out is repeated , with just an ounce more clarity ( and realism ) than the more steely - sounding 1More harvests .
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Should you buy it?
Energetic bass , open mids and a passably smart treble in a soundstage that feels almost immersive in scale . What ’s not to wish ?
The Kefine Klanar has slew of free energy , but theSennheiser IE 200and 1More Penta ’s less enthusiastic performance provides a counterpoint
Final Thoughts
I ’ve been a bit up and down in reviewing the Kefine Klanar , but I ’ve amount to a fast conclusion about this planar IEM – they ’re a very entertaining listen .
To get the most out of them , you should pair them with electronics that are fairly achromatic in smell . There was a respectable execution press out from the FiiO M15S , but that player ’s measured approach to sea bass was one that I do n’t remember fit out what the Klanar is ultimately going for .
Nonetheless , they do ( finally ) live up to Kefine ’s claims . A comfortable , enjoyable , and easy to force pair of planar in - ear monitors at a relatively affordable price . Check out ourBest Headphoneslist for more option .
Trusted Score
How we test
We prove every set of headphones we go over thoroughly over an extended point of time . We utilise manufacture standard test to compare features properly . We ’ll always tell you what we regain . We never , ever , accept money to refresh a Cartesian product .
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FAQs
There ’s a selection of 3.5 mm SE or 4.4 mm BA ( balanced armature ) with the Kefine , the latter is an available choice for slightly more than the 3.5 millimetre manakin .