QOA Mimosa Review
Intro
Hello, today I am featuring the latest from the audio brand QOA (Queen of Audio) named the QOA Mimosa. The Mimosa ($99) is actually a dual driver hybrid iem consisting of one dynamic driver and one micro planar magnetic driver. When I found out about this set, I was kind of stoked. When I think of solid driver pairings (most configurations can work when implemented right) this combination is one which makes sense to me. You have the organic and natural qualities of a DD and the ultra-snappy qualities of the Micro-planar. It just makes sense to me. The DD is the cake, and the micro-planar is the icing on the top. At any rate, this is one reviewer/hobbyist who enjoys any Kinera/QOA/Celest release. I haven’t heard the Mimosa yet as it’s still a couple days away, but I know that there is more to this set. Already there’s an air of something pretty solid. Before I go any further, I want to publicly thank the good people of Kinera (Kinera Thomas) for providing the Mimosa, and in return I will publish a subjective review aimed at helping you all. If it’s good, I’ll review it. If not… well… you’ll never read this.
Kinera/QOA /Celest
I won’t go too long here but folks, I’ve always admired Kinera. Along with Kinera’s sub-brand in Queen of Audio, and Celest Audio. You see, there’s always more to the story with them. I know, beyond the shadow of a doubt that they’ve done their homework, they’ve done the R&D, the leg work, and they are only going to put to market a product that they are proud of. This is why each of these brands rarely have any duds. If any. They are ultra-artistic, very crafty, imaginative, and aren’t scared of innovation. I love that. Kinera/QOA isn’t afraid to go unorthodox, get clever, avant-garde, and push visionary ideas. And guess what? They always seem to nail anything they put their hands, hearts, and minds to. Couple all those descriptors with the fact that they are ultra professional, they have an enormous arsenal of backing, a respected name (even their budget Celest), many highly skilled engineers, virtuosos, and specialists making darn sure that when a product is initially promoted… that it’s also very much ready, complete, and a solid product. I can see why they aren’t scared to give out review units to reviewers. The reason… because they believe in their products. As they should.
Mimosa
Mimosa: a drink of champagne and orange juice. Of course, that’s the North American definition of “Mimosa”. It also is another name for a silk tree, or an Australian Acacia tree with soft featherlike flowers. At least that’s what the Google gods told me. Judging on QOA’s promotional material, I’m thinking they are heavily leaning on the 1st choice, the frou-frou drink, the one my wife prefers. I say all of this because Kinera, QOA, & Celest do something with every release that I admire to no end. That is, they establish a theme for every product, and they embed that theme into the design, the build, and to the tuning. They create products which embody each respective theme, and they do so in the most creative of ways. Maybe I’m easily entertained, amused, or whatever, but in a hobby that so often lacks creativity, with so many products looking more like copy-cats than anything else. I just find it cool that there are brands out there who care enough about their craft, to give “what” they craft… an identity of sorts. However, what QOA does is take it a step further and in my opinion goes to whatever length they need, to impress. That is awesome. That’s care. They care about what they are putting to market enough to impress you with it. There’s no gimmicks in that folks. That’s the furthest thing from throwing spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks. Anyways, I just felt the need to speak on that.
Competition
Obviously, there is a ton of competition in this range. We are talking about the “under $100” price point, which is full to the brim with solid iems vying for your attention. I find that any iem which is to succeed in this price point needs to stand out with at least some unique quality, or, it just has to sound really good. In my opinion, purely conjecture, but most folks around the globe have a spending limit within this under $100 price point. Give or take. Obviously, brands know this and so the around $100 range is always active. I’m talking $75 to $125. Absolutely loaded folks. I repeat this in many reviews because every set that I review is up against the same uphill battle. They already start out with a disadvantage, right out the gate. Usually, it takes me longer in this price range because it is such an important range, and because there are so many variables to consider. I’m beyond curious to see how well the Mimosa stacks up.
A solid set
Well, I just got the Mimosa in and just posted some initial impressions to social media. Friends, remember how I said that any set needs to stand out in this price range to succeed? Well, I think that QOA cracked the code folks because it most certainly has enough of a distinction to make others “possibly” hit the “buy now” button? However, much remains to be seen with the Mimosa and I’ll find out what I can. Okay, well I just put the Mimosa on the burn-in station. I’ll give it about three to five days of constant run-in using my burn-in playlist of pink and white noise, tones and sweeps, along with specific melodies aimed at certain regions. With that said, I’ll see you all in a couple weeks. Till then, the QOA Mimosa everyone….
Non-Affiliated Purchasing Links:
Disclaimer:
I received the QOA Mimosa from Kinera as a review sample and in exchange I will conduct a full review and feature at Mobileaudiophile.com. I have not received any payment or any other form of compensation for this review. This set is a review sample iem. Kinera Audio has not requested to pre-read any review and doesn’t have any control over “what” or “when” anything gets published to mobileaudiophile.com. All thoughts within this review are my own, though please take note that I will always have my own biases. This is impossible to get around. I try to be as objective as my subjective self can be, but this is an opinion piece folks. Thank you to Kinera, and thanks for reading.
Mimosa Pros
-Nice all-resin build, light, obviously well made
-Both design styles are gorgeous, very artistic, creative
-Comfort (for me) is one of the best
-Accessories are very nice for under $100
-Great cable
-Warm, rich, and organic timbre. Very smooth
-Deep, palpable and textured bass region
-Smooth and lush midrange with milky vocals
-Very well extended and energetic treble
-Soundstage is intimate, but also very wide and deep. Nice for the price
-Imaging
Mimosa Cons
-This much bass (12db shelf) may be too much for some hobbyists
-Not for analytical lovers, neutral, or bright lovers
-Not the most technically astute iem under $100
-Treble can become fatiguing with the right tracks
-Simply put; not everyone enjoys a rich and smooth sound
Gear used for testing
–iBasso DX240 with Amp8 MK2
Packaging / Accessories
Unboxing
The QOA Mimosa arrived at my door in a medium sized white box with the name “Mimosa” written elegantly in cursive lettering with the “QOA” logo in the top left of the outer sleeve. It’s a nicely designed cover sleeve, simple, not too much going on. Take off the sleeve and you’ll see an all-black box with QOA imposed in the center in gold lettering. Once you take off the box top and you’ll be met with both the carrying case as well as the Mimosa earphones sitting lovely within foam cut-outs. Take out the box and open it up and you’ll find the eartips and cable. That’s about it. Believe it or not, this is actually a fairly nice unboxing as all of the accessories make sense and are of good quality. Nothing is just randomly thrown into the packaging. Anyways, not bad QOA.
Eartips
So, QOA provides six pairs of eartips in total. That’s two different styles of tips and three pairs each. The first set is a dark gray silicone eartips with an orange I eternal stem. These are literally the exact same as old school Fiio bass tips. Or, they are identical in size, shape, bore size, and feel to the KBear 07 tips. Really great tips for any collection folks. You get three pairs (S, M, L) of these tips. They have a firm flange; very rigid stem and they are a semi-wide bore eartip. Again, very nice tips. Next QOA added in three pairs (S, M, L) of white silicone eartips with a purple stem. These tips are equally awesome, made with a firm flange, very rigid stem and come with a wide-bore. In my opinion these tips are the best to use with the Mimosa. I feel that the wide-bore helps to add a sense of air to the sound and subtly reduce the bass veracity. Then again, I used both styles of tips and enjoyed both a lot. However, for the majority of critical listening I did decide upon the wide bores. This was nice as it was one of the few times that I didn’t need to tip roll and happily used the included eartips. Of course, there are many different 3rd party tips which work wonderfully for the Mimosa. I can tell you right now that Divinus Velvet Wide Bore tips are a great pairing. At any rate, nice work QOA once again. You added in eartips which make sense! Thank you! I was so happy to see that they didn’t add in narrow bore eartips. It shows they know exactly what they are doing.
Carrying Case
QOA did supply a carrying case to the packaging as well. The case is a small, black, faux leather zipper case and is nice to see added in here. One thing for certain, I definitely don’t feel it’s a given to see carrying cases included under $100. So, it’s nice to see. Anyways, the carrying case is not huge. Probably big enough to fit the Mimosa and the cable. Kind of perfect actually if you like putting the case into your front pocket. I feel it’s just small enough for that. The case’s zipper actually works, imagine that! I don’t have much more to say, but it’s a nice inclusion.
Cable
Now we get to the cable provided within the packaging and I am impressed. Really a gorgeous white (almost metallic white) cable with what appears to be high polished stainless-steel fittings (Y-split, termination housing, 2-pins) attached and very elegant, very classy, and very well paired aesthetically with the Mimosa. Whether you choose either color of the Mimosa, the white cable will pair well. As white does. To be exact, the cable is a 2-pin, 2-core,5N oxygen-free copper cable with silver-plating and a copper termination. You can pick this set up with either 3.5 or 4.4 terminations. Thankfully I have the 4.4 balanced cable with my set. Folks, for under $100, this cable is an absolute BALLER. Such a nice look with the Mimosa. So, I didn’t go crazy trying out different cables or cable materials. I’m sure I will when the review period is complete. Until then, I think this cable is a very nice accessory and certainly a “Pro” of this set. You don’t always get a good cable folks, it’s just the truth. So often I’m wondering “What these brands are doing! “. QOA knows that one of the most important aspects of every earphone is the cable. We want nice, we want pliable, plump, and we want a nice aesthetic color contrast. Also, we love when the brand thinks about the material that the cable is made of and how that material fits the overall sound. Is that too much to ask? QOA knows, nice work.
Build / Design / Internals / Fit
Build Quality
The QOA Mimosa is and all-resin iem, built by way of 3D printing and feels very solid in hand. As does any resin set. I suppose there is nothing structurally which separates the Mimosa from other resin iems other than the fact that one of the colors you can purchase (wood-brown) actually has pinecone incorporated into the build. I’ll cover that in the next section though. As far as the build is concerned, it’s very nicely done. The Mimosa has nothing but smooth and rounded corners, nothing jagged or sharp. Another nice touch is that the Mimosa is a very light iem. Not as light as something like the Kefine Delci, or the Shanling Tino, but very lightweight. I’m telling you, over long periods of listening this will make a difference. It’s also not a big iem either. Just large enough to fit both drivers and that’s about it. Now, the nozzles are roughly about 6mm in width and medium length. Maybe a titch past average. They fit very nicely. Also, the Mimosa does have one tiny rear vent. This is just another solidly built iem by QOA.
Design
As far as the actual look and aesthetic of the QOA Mimosa, it is simply stunning. I mean it folks. When I twirl this set around in the light it is a beautiful iem. So, the QOA Mimosa comes in two colorways, “Woodgrain Brown” and “Dusky Purple”. The woodgrain brown model is actually made using pinecone which is resin covered along with other swirling colors. The QOA Adonis New also incorporated pinecone in their shell design, and I couldn’t have been happier with the design of that set. You can see the pieces of pinecone wood intermixed with dark blue resin. Just gorgeous. Next, the Dusky Purple is a beautifully hand painted iem which has a purple undercoat and sparkling little “stars” across the faceplate area. Both sets have a very classy “Mimosa” written in cursive lettering across the center of the faceplates. Usually I wouldn’t like that, but for these designs it looks so nice. Folks, both versions are very nicely crafted with imaginative designs which could only come from people who have an artistic flair and creativity. It’s just QOA doing what QOA does. Gorgeous.
Internals
As far as the driver configuration of the QOA Mimosa, they added in one dynamic driver paired with one micro planar driver. To be exact, that is one full frequency 10 mm Dynamic Driver controlling the lows, mids, and highs, as well as one 6 mm micro planar covering the ultra-highs. It’s basically a single dynamic driver with a micro planar to enhance the treble bite and bring upon some good extension and air to the sound. At least, I believe this was the thought process. From what I can tell, with many hours of listening to the Mimosa, is that the drivers are very capable. Now, I don’t know what material was used for the DD, and I really don’t have many of the details about either driver other than what is in Kinera/QOA promotional material. So, if I learn more, I will certainly update this review.
Fit / Comfort
This is another area where the Mimosa shines. The comfort of this set is easily one of the tops within the price point for me. I have been wearing these iems for days folks. For my ear shape the Mimosa simply fits wonderfully. Of course, I say this a lot…not many earphones don’t fit nicely. However, I think the difference here is the weight. The Mimosa is a very lite earphone which is so very helpful for longer listening sessions. For what it’s worth, I always have iems in my ears and very few sets feel as nice as the Mimosa. That said, I don’t have any way of knowing how this set will fit you, but I’d be willing to bet that the great majority of people will feel the same way that I do. There’s nothing sharp, jagged, or coarse anywhere in the Shells. The nozzle isn’t too intrusive, too long, or too wide. They are simply nice.
Drivability / Pairings
Source Output
The Queen of Audio Mimosa comes in with an impedance of roughly about 32 ohms, and a sensitivity of about 102 dbs. This translates to a fairly sensitive earphone which can be used with relatively weaker sources. I was able to use a few of those no name dongle dacs that I purchased a few years ago when we were going through the whole “dongle madness”. Now, I only ever use them momentarily for testing purposes and the Mimosa passed with flying colors. The same can be said for my iPad. I had plenty of headroom in volume. So yes, the Mimosa can be used with weaker sources. Having said that, I most definitely feel that more power will do well to scale your listening experience with this set. The dynamic driver and micro planar seem to be seething for more output. Thus, I found that there was a pretty substantial difference when using weaker or more powerful sources. Now, I don’t think you need to go crazy. I’d say (best guess) that at the least it’s a good idea to provide the Mimosa with at least a reasonably powerful dongle dac with better Internals. The Mimosa will reward you.
At any rate, I’m just guessing but I’d say try to give the Mimosa with at least 75mW @32ohms. For your info, that’s about every dongle dac on the planet past $25. Using my daps (Shanling M6 Ultra, iBasso DX240) I went with medium gain and the sound really came alive. The treble gained control; the bass tightened. Now, I say this for most iems, but I do feel the difference is a hint more with the Mimosa. Although, I’d also say that even with weaker sources the Mimosa still sounds very smooth and very fun.
Source pairing
When it comes to source tonality, I personally enjoy any source which isn’t too warm, or one which leans ultra bright. If you’ve been paying attention, not many dongle dacs hit the market with a strictly warm or strictly colder/brighter sound influence. Most dongle dacs, dac/amps, daps are right around warm/neutral to neutral. More than anything, I don’t feel that the Mimosa enjoys strictly warm devices. For instance, the Roseselsa RS9039 (RS9039 Review), is one of those sources which just didn’t seem to pair very well. This is all subjective though and truthfully, I think we make way too much of source pairing in this hobby. Still, that doesn’t mean it isn’t important. I found that any of my sources with good output and have a warm/neutral tonal color worked the best. Though, my neutral sources sounded nice too. What I really feel is that any very talented source will bring out the best in the Mimosa (yes, I am captain obvious) and will provide the best listening experience. My favorite pairing was with the Shanling M6 Ultra (warm/neutral and wholly resolving). However, even my neutral sources like the iBasso DX240 and the Fiio Q15 sounded fantastic. What you don’t want is any source device which will exaggerate the upper treble frequency. On the flipside, I also don’t like any source which will push more warmth into the sound. This adds unneeded veil (which some may enjoy) to the sound and simply makes my listening experience a bit too murky.
What do you need?
I’d say that if Purchasing the Mimosa puts you at the top of your budget then I would try to get a cheap dongle dac with at least marginal output that isn’t tonally too bright or overtly warm. It is extremely easy to stay within those parameters. Also, there’s too many dongle dacs which fall within those parameters out in the market. However, most certainly the Mimosa will reward you for using better sources, with better circuitry, better amping too. The nice thing is that the Mimosa is fairly sensitive and so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a device to pair with it.
Sound Impressions
*Note: I just want to preface the sound portion of this review with a few things. I gave the Mimosa four full days of burn in. Of course, I don’t truly know if this helped or not and I’m not comfortable enough to tell you one way or another. I would think that it did, but I just didn’t have a good enough memory pre-burn-in to say one way or the other. Full disclosure. Also, I use flac or better music files which are stored in my devices for all listening. I primarily use UAPP (USB Audio Player Pro) for my music player, yet I also use Hiby Music for some dongle dacs as well as Poweramp from time to time.
How does it sound?
Without question the QOA Mimosa comes across velvety warm with a smoother underbody yet a nice and tinsley upper treble influence adds slight glazing of crispness and tinsley highlights to the sound when needed. I would call this a slight V-shaped sound signature yet wouldn’t argue if you wanted to call it a U-shaped sound with a sub-bass boost. The Mimosa definitely carries a bright but not overwhelming treble and an emphasized foundational style bass region. I’d best describe the Mimosa as musical, through-and-through. The sound is slightly softer in presence yet with very good density to notes and a thick and lush note weight along with a naturally textured timbre. However, those thick and lush notes are crested with a sheen of detailed and very clean treble influence. I liken it to a warm cake just out of the oven and a slight layer of icing on the top. Again, the Mimosa is a smooth sounding iem which hugs the ear like a warm blanket while note outlines are crested with some rewarding brilliance and energy when a track calls for it (most tracks).
Condensed Sound between the 20’s
In my opinion the Mimosa has a very warm and full bass region with a sub-bass focus but still a very robust mid-bass. Notes aren’t too wide; there’s a certain rigidity and compactness to each bass note as well. Not the fastest bass, but not slow “per the emphasis” either. Very organic, atmospheric, yet defined fairly well. The midrange is warm/neutral, milky, syrupy, and with very nice clarity for a smoother sound. Most certainly it’s a laid-back and easy midrange which doesn’t persuade your ears to hear every last detail. Some may want a bit more energy out of the mids but I found the Mimosa to have a very pleasing tonality and timbre which isn’t so colored that they sound dull or veiled. The low mids are caked in fullness while the upper-mids bring a bit more energy and sprightliness. The treble region provides a nice contrast to the bass adding some glitter to the top end. It’s a brilliant and fairly airy treble which layers an otherwise warm sounding set. The treble is nicely detailed, has good treble bite, and is very fast in attack and decay. Like I said, “icing on the warm cake”. Generally, details aren’t going to pop out at you like an analytical style tuning, but I promise you’ll be surprised at the resolving ability of the Mimosa. Now, instrument separation is not it’s fortay but the clarity is nice, transients are somewhat compact & concentrated enough to come across clean. The soundstage is big, wide, and deep with fantastic imaging and a holographic euphonic style soundscape.
Baby Adonis-New
Truly a cool sounding iem and a nice departure from some other sets out there. In fact, the Mimosa is very much similar in sound to QOA’s amazing QOA Adonis New (Adonis New Review). That’s a very good thing. I absolutely adore the Adonis New for its refreshing departure from the Harman onslaught that we’ve heard the last five years. While we’ve seen warmer tilted iems of late, there aren’t many which perform this tonal color well. Especially at lower prices. Thankfully, I find both set’s overall sound is very similar in almost all ways. The only thing which may catch some folks is tracks with heavy and chaotic treble emphasis as you can get some glare and sharpness at times up top with the Mimosa which you may not get from the Adonis New. Also, tracks which display a mega ton of bass activity are going to sound… well… kinda like they have a mega ton of bass activity. This tuning is one which can be very polarizing in my opinion. No doubt, you’ll either love it (like me), or not. Let’s do a deep dive into the sound shall we.
Bass Region
Once again, the bass region of the QOA Mimosa is its bedrock, its foundation, its fundamental cornerstone that all other areas of the mix are at least mildly influenced by. In my humble opinion, the Mimosa is just under basshead levels of intensity. I only say that because while the bass is the foundation, it isn’t the primary focus. Also, while the Mimosa can flat-out bang, that bass usually doesn’t ravel and convolute other areas of the mix, to a fault. Also, I just don’t get that sense. The other areas of the mix are too well laid-out for me to slap a label on the Mimosa and pigeonhole it as a bass monster. Yes, it can be that, but also, it’s so much more than that.
Big… yet taut
The low-end is pretty heavily emphasized with a 12-13 dB bass shelf peaking at around the sub-bass level and immediately gliding downward through the mid-bass, finally leveling out around 700 hz. There’s some serious convexity in the shelf and a steep slope which looks like I could ski down. Bass notes generally have a full-bodied presence and enough gusto to infuse a bass heavy track with reciprocating energy. I think a key attribute of the Mimosa is that even in the face of that bigger bass energy, the Mimosa is not sloppy. The bass doesn’t have an overly wide presence and somehow isn’t always a one-noted affair. Granted, there are most certainly tracks which will make me a liar. With that much emphasis, obviously the Mimosa wasn’t tuned to be that ultra-tight, perfectly defined, quick-punchy and peppy style bass. I’d say that in general, the low-end may be big and weighted… yet it’s also fairly taut, it’s sizable… yet steely and dense. I’d agree that note edges are slightly softer, less glass lined and plusher. But they are also compacted, nicely agile, and reasonably textured. It’s a fun one, friends! QOA made sure that this “fun” Bass doesn’t wreak havoc all throughout the mix. Now, it’s certainly more atmospheric, very much hefty/organic. Yet in the same breath (depending on the track) transients aren’t super slow either. It toes-the-line, just under basshead, but shipshape for such an emphasis.
Sub-bass
The sub level bass is where the majority of the assertiveness comes from though the mi-bass is anything but polite, it is definitely less weighted. I’ll tell you what though, the sub-bass gets flat-out guttural, in every sense of the word. This driver is able to reach low in register with a very palpable, haptic, and vibration-laden drone when any track even hints at it. Unquestionably the sub-bass runs deep with a very fun and very satisfying rumble. This is a physical sub-bass which can be felt in a track like “Heavy is the Ocean” by Bush. This track begins with a very low droning rumble and slowly progresses to the main verse. I found that the Mimosa rewarded my ears on this one with a tangible and textured thunder down low. Having said that, you should know that on a track such as this, with a very heavy rumble you’ll notice some masking of the subtle details, to an extent. I don’t think you can get around this on a track which presents a big and physical bass when listening with a set of iems that yearns to be physical. That said, the Mimosa runs deep folks. Still, it’s taut enough, very well controlled, agile enough, and dexterous enough to maneuver around those intricate basslines fairly well. Within reason of course.
Mid-bass
Like I said, the mid-bass doesn’t have as heavy a swell in emphasis as the sub-bass region. However, the mid-bass has plenty of weight for most any genre. QOA did a nice job of keeping this area relatively clean and not so overbearing. I’m quite sure they were looking out for the midrange, making sure it doesn’t come across too muddled & murky. Actually, I find the mid-bass does still provide a solid slam and enough fullness cooperating with the sub-bass to give bass guitars that heavy growl. Very satisfying. Kick-drums come across booming and with some veracity. Tracks such as “Matter of Fact” by Collective Soul have a hardy kick drum. The Mimosa has enough bullish oomph and snap on attack to make the kick-drum sound very gratifying. To be honest, there’s nothing weak about this mid-bass folks. It hits hard and fairly fast too. I find it can keep up with speedier bass passages better than I would’ve thought and does so with some intensity. Like I said, bass guitars can flat-out grumble and drone with an appropriate fullness. I also find the mid-bass is great for any hip-hop bass drops too. For instance, “WTFYM” by Future & Metro Boomin’ carries a very authoritative drop. Very heavy, whilst not completely masking the rest of the mix. No this isn’t the type of clean bass which will define every last detail. However, for a set with so much presence in this region I find that QOA did a great job of making it as tidy as possible.
Downsides to the Bass Region
The biggest drawback of a larger bass region is that it simply won’t come across as pristine or well defined as a more peppy and zippy bass. Bass is a very important region which can do a lot of masking with the right amount of emphasis and the right track. Without question the Mimosa can and will mask over some frequencies, at least to a degree. You can’t get around this. I will say that QOA did a marvelous job of creating distinctions between the low-end and the midrange for instance. I don’t feel that the bass encroaches to the point of mud. In truth, I find the Mimosa to be very clean per the quantity. It doesn’t have loads of floating resonances clouding the mix. It also isn’t so emphasized that it causes veil either. Folks, the bass is pretty awesome on this set. I downplayed that a little bit but there’s no denying that the low-end on the Mimosa is very well tuned, using a very solid driver. Great Job here QOA!
Midrange
Now, the midrange is not as recessed as I would’ve thought, to the ear. It’s an organic, earthy type of midrange with a very dense and natural timbre. A lot of coloring of the mids is happening as they come across very smooth, buttery, and almost euphonic. Vocals are centered, very intimate, harmonic, lush, and has a natural texture to vocals. Of course, the Mimosa’s midrange is not the most energetic, and macro-dynamics aren’t going to jump out at you. The lower midrange especially doesn’t have loads of sprightly energy and sparkle though the upper-mids remedy that a bit with more liveliness, and vibrance. Transients aren’t too slow, perceivably swift enough, not too much harmonic/resonant lag. Really, the Mimosa certainly has some very nice redeeming qualities. I suppose it’s all about what you are looking for in an iem. For one, musicality is one of the Mimosa’s calling cards folks. Needless to say, musicality is one of the QOA Adonis New’s best features as well. You have this forward style milky sound in the mids. It’s liquid through and through, with a very fluid style. Details are probably average to above average as a whole as well with decent separation, and very good imaging and spatial cues. However, technicalities are not what the Mimosa hangs its hat on, and I don’t suspect many folks would be purchasing this set for those abilities. It’s a musicality-first iem which just so happens to be pretty nice technically in this range.
The midrange has a forward and rather rich sound, yet I find that the bass is kept enough at bay to preserve the clarity of some vocalists. To an extent as there is certainly coloration happening. Yet not to a fault. In my opinion, it’s a very nice midrange.
Instruments (heavily condensed)
Instruments will certainly come across a bit heavier in sound yet there is most definitely some treble energy which casts a nice tinsley touch to the crest of notes as well as some harmonics. Percussion does have some solid snap at attack which comes directly from the micro planar doing its thing up top. It’s really a cool dichotomy between the two drivers. There’s a coherent contrast between the two as both drivers work in tandem adding their own sway to the sound as a whole. Instruments are helped on many fronts. Cymbals generally have that nice “chisk” followed by a non-splashy secondary harmonic. Strings have just enough energy and edge to them. For the most part. Violin can be downright silvery, yet also with a full note weight. I could keep on going with different instruments, but I’m sure you get the picture. Obviously, there are some downsides to different instruments as well, especially in faster tracks where the sound can blend a bit. Bass heavy tracks don’t help in this regard either. However, I’m very happy with how well QOA tuned this lusher sounding set. Just enough crispness, just enough added detail at the crest of most notes too.
Lower-midrange
The low-mids present male vocals with a softer cadence at the crest of a note yet each note also has plenty of lushness. Again, not as pushed back or recessed as I would’ve thought. In my opinion male vocalists are generally closer to the listener than not. Males have a certain boldness to their voices provided by the warmth cast upon this region from the bass. Some may want a bit more energy out of the low-mids but I find that they fit the overall scheme of the tuning nicely. While detail retrieval is not class leading, I do find that detail retrieval is not abysmal either. It’s actually pretty nice for a thicker, smoother and warmer sound as note definition is also pretty solid. Instruments pay off for this. I find piano to come across very tuneful, full bodied too. In fact, many instruments follow this same trajectory. Fuller body, less intense but more organic. Male vocalists too. Take a singer like Zach Bryan in “Pain, Sweet, Pain”. His voice simply comes across naturally. Naturally weighted, natural in timbre too. Perhaps he could use a hint more vibrance, but all things considered I love that his vocals are somewhat forward, well highlighted against the rest of the mix with a feeling of good authority. Yes, they are a hair toned-down, but also very harmonious. I could say this about so many male singers too. Now, males who reside in a slightly higher register will have a bit more energy, like Noah Kahan in “Stick Season”.
Upper-Midrange
This brings us to the upper-mids where you’ll hear more of a shimmery presence, more forward, and simply more energy borrowed from the treble region. Personally, I feel the upper midrange does a wonderful job of replaying female vocalists. Very silky, fluid, and buttery, yet also just a smidgen of sparkle as well. Not as thickly weighted as the low-mids, more like lean-lush, better note separation, more resolute as well. Actually, detail retrieval is quite good around this region as the sound is pretty transparent. I really like the natural note weight here as well as the nice timbre. Females have a very clear and clean sound while displaying a very moist sound as well. You don’t hear a ton of crispness, but it is there when needed. However, I would mostly characterize the upper-mids as smoother than anything else. This really hits the sweet spot with a singer like Norah Jones and her raspy, wispy and totally feathery voice. Listening to “Come Away with Me” is a close my eyes moment. Another is Lady GaGa in “Always Remember Us This Way”. Her voice just plays right into the Mimosa’s strengths in the midrange. Such a nice pairing. Really, females come across very well on the Mimosa.
Downsides to the Midrange
The downsides would be that the Mimosa is not an analytical style earphone. Anyone looking for an ultra-hi-res, very resolving sound would be somewhat let down. Better said, I just don’t think those who desire a more clinical presentation would be down with the Mimosa. Granted, I also feel that most folks would know that by now (if you’ve read this far), and I’d assume anyone still reading has at least a marginal affection for a warmer, more melodic, and musical display of the mix. But you never know. So, the Mimosa is not the most detailed iem in its price point, instrument separation is not class leading, and the transient response is not to the skill of some other sets made for those purposes. Again, it also fares very well in those technical aspects for the tuning. Without question the Mimosa carries a more earthy type of organic sound. There certainly is some sprightly energy, especially in the upper midrange but for the most part you have to really enjoy this buttery style. I think it’s great and it doesn’t take me long at all to get into this style within my head space. All in all, QOA did a very nice job tuning the mids.
Treble Region
As far as the treble is concerned, I love the contrast between the dynamic driver and the micro-planar up top. The DD handles the highs while the micro-planar handles the ultra-highs and they do so in a very symphonious manner at times. In fact, the treble is actually very well extended and pretty brilliant as well. I’m giving you a fair warning that this is certainly a brighter treble. The wild thing is that it is never overcooked to my ears. It really all just fits, very well too. QOA tuned just the right amount of extra clarity up top without the sound coming across forced. It’s a highly resolute treble that carries a lot of good bite to notes. You have the solid and dense note body from the DD and the final touches from the planar. Again, a very nice contrast providing a talented treble region from an analytical/technical perspective. Having said that, the treble is not the most authentic as far as timbre is concerned, yet I have zero issues enjoying what I’m hearing at all. Also, it isn’t unnatural either. Certainly nothing off-putting to my ears. With that said, I easily hear nice micro details, good separation, and a very crisp and precise treble out of the Mimosa. Beyond those points, the treble is elevated enough to provide some air, some openness to the sound. It’s elevated enough to bring some levity and enough to counter the fuller style bass.
Examples
Listening to the track “Eye of the Untold Her” by Lindsey Stirling is an experience as the entire Melody has this nicely beefy note body and fullness to the sound with a very euphonic 3d style replay. However, it’s the treble which caps it all off as each note has a very distinct outline, very clean & relatively fast too. She plays fast, very much exact as she meanders through this track and there’s a ton of treble activity. Or Jean Michel Jarre in his track “Magnetic Fields, Pt. 1”. This is another song which has loads of electric/digital treble action happening. The Mimosa hits every note very definitively, in a transparent manner, plenty of treble punch and even some haptic feel to each note. Now, I need to say that of course the Mimosa is not some treble head’s dream. Certainly, the Mimosa isn’t tuned to create a focus in this region. I find the treble region to be a good supporting actor with some nice abilities. Let’s put it this way; the treble is much better than I would’ve thought. Also, this is a $99 iem here, so, we should temper our expectations a little bit. It’s nice, but not top class. Still, for a musical sounding set to have those last little touches of treble energy providing the icing to the metaphorical cake, is pretty nice to hear.
Extension
Like I said a little bit earlier, the extension into the upper treble is solid too. You definitely don’t miss out on any info past 8k, and you get some nicely rendered harmonics out there as well. I spoke briefly on cymbals earlier, but I’ll reemphasize that the Mimosa has a nice way of replaying them without any real splash or mashed-up treble tizz. Also, I don’t hear that metallic style timbre either, which is definitely something one should worry about with a micro-planar involved. I think that QOA did a solid job of adding enough luster to the top end without going overboard and not forcing that treble down our throats. As a whole, the treble fits the tuning well.
Downsides to the Treble Region
One issue that some may have is for those warm and dark lovers who enjoy a much more rolled off style treble region. I feel the Mimosa will be too bright for those types. There are instances in the treble region where they can get a hint sharp up top. Granted, those instances are few and far in between, but they exist. There is also the tiniest but if sibilance which rears its head from time to time. However, not enough for me to label it as a “con”. To be honest, it’s not easy coming up with real issues in this region as I feel that the treble only enhances this set. Like I said, maybe it’ll be a bit too bright for some. Also, treble heads probably won’t be beating down any market doors to get to this set. The treble is not one which falls into the “treble head” camp. Again, just a nice supporting actor which makes the overall sound better. My opinion of course.
Technicalities
Soundstage
The soundstage is a very nice bright spot for this set. The Mimosa carries a mostly holographic style soundstage which isn’t the norm for a $99 iem. It has very nice width of stage, with solid extension both in the sub-bass as well as the upper treble. However, the sound field in front of the listener is fairly intimate and close. Having said that, the intimate sound is pretty expansive. Again, good width, great height, and some very nice front to back depth.That depth provides some nice layering of sounds as well. It’s just a very well-drawn-out stage with some psycho-acoustically composed trickery which makes it sound almost 3D within my mindscape. For a $99 set, the Mimosa has a very nice sized and nicely devised soundstage.
Separation
As far as instrument separation, the Mimosa is probably what I’d call average, though there’s no quantifiable way to examine that. Other than average is what makes sense to me. It just is. You have a richer sound, fuller, lush note body, average transients, more organic, earthy sounding. This is not at all an analytically tuned iem folks. You shouldn’t expect amazing instrument separation. Furthermore, I am so glad it isn’t that. I love the musical nature of the Mimosa and would hate to see it lose its charm over a hair better note separation. We take these attributes too far anyways in this hobby. Even with what I’d call “average”, it’s still pretty damn good. Also, some tracks will replay much better than others in this regard and it’s just not an exact science how anyone determines something which can only be subjectively “perceived”. It’s all crapshoot folks. Still, in my mind the Mimosa has an average ability to sharply separate instruments and voices. Which is not a bad thing.
Imaging
This brings us to another solid area for the QOA Mimosa, that being imaging. This is one set which has absolutely no issue placing elements within the imaginary stage inside of my head. Especially due to the fact that the Mimosa has very nice depth of stage. This depth helps tremendously to add certain layers to my music. Of course, not every track will replay the same. That shouldn’t go unsaid. However, on average the Mimosa does a good job at distinguishing those front to back layers with rounded notes, and dimensionality. Left to right is spot on as well. Certainly, the Mimosa’s imaging capabilities are a strong “pro” in my mind. One more thing which I should also make of is that in bass heavy tracks or with very congested tracks the Mimosa’s separation and imaging may not be as easy to differentiate. This is probably obvious to many of you, but I have to at least speak on it.
Detail Retrieval
I would probably call the Mimosa average in detail retrieval at times and above average in other times. I have a hard time saying average though, because so often the Mimosa does an effective job of bringing the subtleties to the surface. In fact, there have been many moments where the Mimosa is flat out impressive at illuminating micro details, and with other tracks it’ll go the other way. It really all depends on the track. I mean, think about it, you have a warmer, smoother style sound, pretty lush, less fine-lined note execution. However, you also have an airy style treble, a tidy treble and upper mids, very clean across the board, nice clarity as a whole. Add all of these areas up and I feel that you get about average detail retrieval when all is said and done. Which is a very good thing to be for a smoother style sound. QOA did a fine job with the Mimosa.
Is it a good purchase at its price?
This is a loaded question folks. It could go either way depending on your taste. I’m assuming that anyone who desires an ultra-peppy, clean, sterile, clinical, and analytically inclined sound has already stopped reading. I’m assuming that all we have left is folks who desire the heavier low-end, the musical approach, the richer sound lovers. For those people in the latter, I cannot tell you fast enough that the Mimosa is most certainly a fantastic purchase at $99. Truly a special iem for those who desire a more fun, more bass heavy, and a more musical sound. I have had a great time reviewing this set and trying not to coat this review in praise. While the Mimosa certainly has its issues, the benefits far outweigh any of the slight subjective qualms that I have. However, you have to enjoy this style of tuning (I know, I’m Captain Obvious). You have to desire something a bit more full, fun, and organic.
The Why…
Because the Queen of Audio Mimosa is a wonderfully built iem with an even more wonderful design. Light as can be, smooth surrounding, and two of the most unique and cool faceplates that you’ll find under $100. I mean, c’mon folks, pinecone infused wood covered faceplates in the “Woodgrain Brown” colorway. Also, the “Dusky Purple” is gorgeous in any way that you turn it. Just a slick looking iem no matter the style that you choose. Furthermore, the Mimosa is a well accessorized set which includes a very nice cable for an under $100 iem. I think QOA hit a homerun on this one for its design and build while certainly striking a powerful chord with the tuning. The deep and weighted bass is heavy, infectious in its veracity and slam while keeping tight reigns on the note definition. For a large quantity it’s a clean sound down low. Next, the midrange is so milky and dreamy, it’s forward and as musical as you can get for a $99 iem. Lastly the treble is bright, detailed, energetic, and very well extended without causing huge amounts of undue fatigue. Another key feature of the tuning is the soundstage and its 3d style holographic sound field. This leads way to very nice imaging and layering. Really nice sounding unit folks that’s easily worth the cost of ownership.
Ratings (0-10)
Note: all ratings are based upon my subjective judgment. These ratings are garnered against either similarly priced sets or with similar driver implementations or styles with the unique parameters of my choosing. In the case of the QOA Mimosa ratings below, that would be $75-$125 earphones of any driver configuration. Please remember that “ratings” don’t tell the whole story. This leaves out nuance and a number of other qualities which make an iem what it is. A “5-6” is roughly average and please take into consideration the “lot” of iems these ratings are gathered against. $75-$125 is a very large sized scope of iems. So, It should be noteworthy to see a rating above a “9.0”. My ratings are never the same and each set of ratings tells a different story. Each time you read one of my ratings will be unique to that review. Basically, I create a Rating that makes sense to me.
Aesthetic
–Build Quality: 8.7 Nice resin build, very light.
–Look: 9.6 Love the look of this set.
–Fit/Comfort: 9.2 Fit and comfort is very good for me.
–Accessories: 9.0 One of the best under $100.
–Overall: 9.1🔥🔥
Sound Rating
–Timbre: 9.4 Organic and clean.
–Bass: 9.3 Punchy, textured, very deep.
–Midrange: 8.9 Natural, nice note density, melodic.
–Treble: 8.9 Nicely detailed, good extension.
–Technicalities: 8.2 Nice per the musical tuning.
–Musicality: 9.6 Musical thru-and-thru.
–Overall: 9.0🔥🔥🔥
Ratings Summary:
I rated the QOA Mimosa against any and all iems of any driver configuration between the prices of $75 and $125. It was an easy choice and obvious range due to the $99 cost of the Mimosa. I feel it’s not out of the question for those folks looking to purchase a $100 iem to jump up to $125 or down to $75. That said, there are a multitude of iems falling into these parameters. I have about 15 in front of me and each are solid sets. Please remember that I haven’t heard (with my ears) every iem within this price range and so you may not want to put much weight to these ratings. Granted, I’ve heard a lot of them. However, I much rather would be honest with you all that these are very shaky ratings based on what I have in my collection and what I have heard well enough to know like the back of my hand. So, grains of salt. Still, at the end of the day, I don’t feel I am very far off on these ratings either. Feel free to skip past this section.
Explain Yourself!!
I gave the Mimosa a very high score of a “9.0” overall in sound ratings and I would do the same 100 times out of 100. Yes there are higher rated sets too. However, I feel the Mimosa would be much higher rated had I rated/compared them against warm/bassy iems only. Perhaps that’s what I should’ve done. I say that because going against any and all iems within that range drastically drops stuff like “Technicalities”, “Treble”, and even the “Midrange” scores. Had I rated against only bassy and warm sets the overall sound rating would be closer to a “9.7” or “9.8”, easily. However, there are a couple ratings which may need some explanation. Namely the “Technicalities” rating. How in the world could I give the Mimosa a score of “8.2” when detail retrieval is just above average, separation is average too? Well, the saving grace of the Mimosa’s Tech scores comes from its imaging abilities as well as its wonderful soundstage.
Other than Technicalities, the “Treble” rating could go either way. I gave it a “8.9” but in all reality that could’ve been a bit higher. The only slight issue is the sharpness which occurs every so often. Other than that, the treble is very well done, great control too. At any rate, those two scores are the only somewhat questionable scores, while the rest I feel are pretty cut n’ dry. Honestly, the Mimosa is a fine set folks and deserves such high ratings, in my opinion.
Final thoughts on the QOA Mimosa before I conclude
This is the part of the review in which I either personally recommend the set I’m reviewing, or I don’t. However, I’m fairly positive that you all know how I feel by now. Listen folks, the Mimosa is most certainly going to serve anyone who desires that hard, strong, palpable bass yet doesn’t need any of the mudd which usually comes with a bigger bass section. I really feel that the Mimosa is almost a baby Adonis New yet with a slightly more energetic and talented treble region. I feel that for $99 you cannot go wrong here and once again QOA knocked it out of the park. Friends, I give each and every one of you my absolute honesty and I can tell you that without a shadow of a doubt, the QOA Mimosa is a very well-done hybrid iem. The driver configuration is very unique, but also very well implemented. I feel that QOA got the very most out of the dynamic driver and the micro-planar, using each driver to their strengths. In fact, I’d say that the Mimosa is a complete testament to Kinera/QOA’s expertise and knowledge. The bonus is that we reap the benefit. At the end of the day, I feel the Mimosa is great per the type of tuning. No, it won’t be for everyone, and it will be slightly polarizing for others, but if you are down with a warm, bassy set with a forward midrange and some very sprightly treble, look no further, QOA did a helluva job folks. I absolutely recommend the Mimosa.
Conclusion
To conclude my full written review of the QOA Mimosa, I first want to thank the awesome people of Kinera and Kinera Thomas for providing the Mimosa for review. It has been an absolute blast getting to know this set and I am more than happy to feature it at Mobileaudiophile.com. Folks, Kinera/QOA have been so very easy to work with. Never have they ever asked me to speak in any certain way of their products and never have they requested to reread any review. I love that they provide their products and live with the results. Of course, most of their products are quite good. At any rate, it has been my pleasure. Thanks again.
I also want to thank you, the reader, for clicking the link to check out my thoughts. As honest as I can be, we hope this review and any other reviews at Mobileaudiophile.com are of some help to you. This is our greatest hope folks. So, thank you, it is because of you that our website is live. Thank you.
Other perspectives
Please listen to, watch, or read other thoughts covering the Mimosa. It will certainly be a benefit to you. Don’t simply rely on my words and my thoughts. We (reviewers) are all so very different. The next guy may absolutely love this set, and ya know what… they’re right, and the guy next to him may totally dislike this set and also, they’re right too. This is a hobby where every opinion is always correct. It’s all subjective and personal to the person listening. So please do yourself a favor and check out other perspectives. Please don’t simply read this review and take it for gospel. Get other opinions and you’ll be better off for it. Okay, that’s about all I have. Please take good care, stay as safe as possible and always… God Bless!
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