Disclaimer:
Before the Kefine Klanar launch, I was unaware of this brand. I want to express my gratitude to Collin at Kefine for sending me one of their Klanars for review. As a new brand, they chose to follow the trend of planar drivers and quickly presented a model that used a driver that was exactly the same size as the Hidizs Mp145. With discounts that sometimes fall below $100 USD, the price is extremely competitive and puts it among the least expensive planars available.
However, the review will still be 100% honest and, in no way, biased.
I’m not an audiophile; I’m just a guy that likes to test out different IEMs and DACs and spends a lot of time listening to music.
So I’m not going to use super-technical words to review it, but I will do my best to describe it.
Tech Specs:
- CNC aluminium Shell
- Impedance: 16Ω±15%.
- Sensitivity: 105dB±3dB.
- Frequency Response Range: 20Hz–40kHz
- Connector Type: 2-pin connectors.
- Termination: 3.5mm single-ended or 4.4mm balanced (choose while purchasing).
- Weight: 12.5grams.
- Price: 109 USD full price, 89 USD sale price
Packaging:
The box for the Kefine Klanar is quite simple. I would dare say that the packaging is perhaps a little bulky and that opening the box is not very smooth. Nothing serious.
The range of accessories is good for the price!
- Cable with Silver-Plated Copper and OFC copper wire
- 7 sets of tips: standard and wide bore tips
- Carrying case
Despite all the tips included, which are not bad in quality but very standard, I decided to mount my Divinus Velvet tips directly. I think the stock ones don’t do them justice, especially those with the narrow bore, which makes them lose soundstage, but since we’re talking about a 100 USD IEM, I switched to the Kbear 07, which also does greater justice to the Klanar.
The included cable vaguely resembles the quality of Nicehck or Kbear cables; the same situation applies to the carrying case. Much better than even more expensive headphones.
Design/Build quality:
As you can see from the photos, the design of the Kefine Klanar is very simple and perhaps anonymous. However, if these choices are made to keep the cost low, it is a more than reasonable choice. Furthermore, the materials used are of excellent quality; the shell is CNC machined from aluminum. Inside we find a driver of the same size as the MP145; considering the much more compact dimensions, everything is very solid. I actually think the choice to use a matte finish is excellent; finally, there are no fingerprints. The filter on the nozzle is perhaps the most particular part and is reminiscent of some 7-HZ/Kinera filters. The nozzle has human dimensions and a more than correct angle.
Comfort/Fit:
Compared to the Letshuoer S12 Pro, they are marginally bigger in terms of size, but there are no positioning issues because of the softer earhook and cable. You will surely find the perfect position with both cable and stock tips. As you will see from the photos, they fit well in my ears. Even after several hours, there was no discomfort either in the ear canal or around the ear.
Sound impression:
After having listened to the HIDIZS MP145 and the Letshuorer S12 Pro for a long time, the Kefine Klanar at first seemed to me to be positioned between the 2. The bass has a notable rumble, the timbre is warm, and the vocals are very silky and also warm. I must admit, this is really excellent for my tastes. You can’t hear the typical timbre of planars at all; in fact, the bass makes you think it’s a single DD, but it lacks separation slightly in general when it pushes hard on the bass.
The sound comes tremendously close to the previously mentioned planars. With Klanar, the feeling of a nice warm fleece blanket or duvet in front of a fireplace is guaranteed.
Equipment used for the testing:
Device:
- iMac
- Redmi Note 7 Snapdragon
- Poco M4 Pro Mediatek
Software:
- Foobar2000 24bit 192kHz (iMac)
- Amazon music UHD 24bit 96kHz (Both)
- Tidal Hifi Plus
DAC:
- Less Da1 (AK)
- Less Da2 (AK) Tested on 2.5mm Balanced
- F.audio KS01 (ESS)
- EPZ TP20 (Dual Cirrus)
- Hidizs S9 Pro Plus (ESS)
- EPZ TP30 (ESS)
- Hidizs S9 Pro Tested on 2.5mm Balanced
- Muse M4
My impressions are given using mostly the original accessories included in the box.
Apart from the warmth that the Kefine Klanar gives off in your ears, the other surprising thing is the embarrassing ease with which you can push them with a simple 3.5mm SE output. They have a very high sensitivity, and I must say that they are the first planars that I would recommend, even if you only have a phone. However, if you have a DAC, you will certainly be able to get 100%.
They sounded pretty good out of the box, but I still did about 60 hours of burn-in.
Despite the 100 USD, the quality is very high, but it is a set with a tuning that can appeal to the masses. As an initial choice, they absolutely had to aim for something that everyone would like. Taking the KZ PR2, for example, these sound at least 100 times better and do not necessarily require a DAC to function. Kefine immediately demonstrated that it has the experience to create good-sounding IEMs, and as a first test, they were very good from my point of view.
Tips Rolling?
As always, my advice is to try all the tips you have at home, and if none satisfy you, then buy new ones. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with the Divinus Velvets, which adapt to every IEM I try them on. You can feel the difference quite a bit; the originals are still good, but the important thing is that you find the perfect seal.
Since they just arrived, I decided to try the DUNU S&S as well. Comfort beyond imaginable; its shape didn’t inspire me, but I must say that they are really excellent. They seem to give a little help to the soundstage.
As always, my advice is to try all the tips you have at home, and if none satisfy you, then buy new ones. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with the Divinus Velvets, which adapt to every IEM I try them on. You can feel the difference quite a bit; the originals are still good, but the important thing is that you find the perfect seal. Since the Divinus and DUNU S&S are not the cheapest, I recommend you also look at the Nicehck/Kbear 07.
Cable Rolling?
I absolutely won’t tell you that it’s worth changing the cable because you won’t hear any differences. Unless there were major quality issues with the previous cable, every new cable practically makes no difference at all. Though the 3.5mm termination that the Kefine Klanar came with is more than sufficient to produce a pleasing sound, if you must purchase them, I suggest going with the balanced cable. As soon as I connected the first cable I had—a 2.5mm Hidiz Balanced cable—the sound opened up and I could hear a higher level of refinement in the low end. We can observe how the driver benefits dynamically from having a larger juice reserve. I advise getting the 4.4mm version of the Klanar if you must order it and already own DACs with balanced outputs.
Bass
The bass is fast, chunky, and really rumbly. I wouldn’t call them bass-heads, but they come remarkably close to that category. If the track requires it and if you turn up the volume, your eardrum bounces together with the driver membrane. The rumble is noticeably emphasized, amplifying the warmth of the tuning. However, it lacks a bit of resolution and separation in some cases. I think the emphasis is a bit extreme, and on complex tracks, it loses some detail, but the result is extremely fun!
Mids
I must say that this is one of the best vocal IEMs I have ever used; the vocals are really great and really stand out on every track. Although they are slightly overwhelmed by the low frequencies, they still manage to stand out without appearing too recessed. The warmth and vibrancy of both male and female voices are remarkable. You can almost feel their breath because they are so dense, silky, and sinuous. The Klanar experience is unique among other competitors because of the depth with which the voices are rendered.
To my ears, even musical instruments have a very authentic and natural tone. You lose a little bit of finishing on somewhat complex tracks, but I see that opinions on this quality drop vary from tips with a wide hole to ones with a narrow one.
Treble
On the high frequencies, they were very cautious. The highs certainly don’t tire you, but at the same time, they cause you to lose a bit of macro and micro details. Let’s be clear: nothing serious! If they had been slightly brighter, perhaps they would have become more similar to the Letshuorer S12 Pro. Despite having retained its definition and airiness, it is above average thanks to the use of the planar driver. All peaks are rounded in a harmonious way, and even if something more could have been achieved, I have to admit that I like the result.
Soundstage and Imaging
The soundstage of the Kefine Klanar manages to become large, much wider, and more articulated than the Letshuoer S12 Pro. Here, the sounds give depth, especially the bass. The image could probably be sharper and clearer; sometimes there is slight confusion as to where the sounds are coming from, especially in the presence of bass rumble. But it’s still average and maybe even slightly better.
Comparison:
The Letshuoer S12 Pro is decidedly brighter and more energetic, which could annoy the more sensitive. Even the perception of airiness and brilliance makes macro and micro details stand out more easily than on the Klanar. Klanar has a quieter and less artificial tone. The soundstage seems to be smaller on the S12 Pro.
As for comfort, the Klanar cable is much softer, and the ear-hook doesn’t tend to resist and can be positioned better.
The Klanar requires less power to shine properly; in fact, he only needs 3 volume levels with the Hidizs S9 Pro Plus on iMac; it’s practically a monster of efficiency.
vs Hidizs MP145
I think the architecture and ventilation system of the Hidizs MP145 are slightly superior; despite the same size driver, the way they sound may seem similar from the graphics, but we have superior layering, imaging, and definition. The soundstage is even bigger and deeper. They sound different due to the solutions adopted internally. The bass is less punchy but, at the same time, has a greater dimension, texture, and an almost 360-degree impact without loading the ear canal with pressure. For my personal taste, they remain on the throne.
Conclusion:
From a new brand, I certainly wouldn’t have expected such a good result on the first try. I am very happy that I had the opportunity to try the Kefine Klanar. Kefine is definitely a brand to consider! What would I change in the future? My advice is to reduce the size of the package, which is very large, improve its opening, and also include fewer tips but with similar quality to the Kbear 07.
The manual is not necessary in paper form; digital format using a QR is also fine; the same goes for the guarantee, but I would include a physical sheet for QC. Personally, if you are looking for warm planar IEMs at an affordable price, these are definitely excellent. I probably like them more than the Letshuoer S12 Pro, and for being the first IEM from an unknown brand, it’s an excellent result. The Klanar adapts excellently to rap, R&B, pop, and EDM music.
Final setup:
The postman delivered the Nicehck balanced cable and the Tri Clarion Tips from Aliexpress “Choice” section while I was completing the review. I believe I have accomplished the best possible result by fitting both of them onto the Klanar. Obviously, the balanced cable opens up the dynamics a bit; the Tri Clarion, on the other hand, despite the 3 USD paid, has tips with a huge hole (perfect for the Hidizs MP145 nozzle). They seem to smooth out the bass by giving it some air in the treble region. Excellent purchase!
To summarize briefly, a planar IEM with V-shape tuning is very well made, with a full-bodied bass with a nice rumble, mids with the correct tone and thickness, and a very smooth treble (perhaps a little too much for some ears).
Congratulations to Kefine for immediately managing to make an excellent IEM.
8.6/10
Pros:
- Solid build quality
- Quite good isolation
- Nice flexible and light cable
- Lush vocals
- Good bass rumble and slam
- Stringed instruments got some nice weight
- Planar V-Shape
- Wide soundstage
- Great price
- Super easy to drive on 3.5SE (slightly better on Balanced)
Cons:
- Packaging needs improvement (Not important)
- Missing manuals and QC/warranty cards
- Quite anonymous design (not really a cons)
- Needs better tips
- Slightly Driver flex sometimes (same as MP145)
- Lacking treble sparkles and airs (there could be more but gets better on balanced cable and better tips)
Where to buy?
International:
Linsoul Store
Hifigo Store
AliExpress:
Aliexpress Sellers
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