Linsoul DUNU KIMA 10mm DLC Dynamic Driver In Ear Earphones with Dual Cavity, Air Flow Control Front, Zinc Alloy Shell, Detachable Litz OCC Silver-plated Cable for Audiophile Musician Stage DJ (KIMA)

Product Information

The Kima aren’t the most spacious or open-sounding IEMs, but they don’t suffer from piercing sibilance or veiled muddiness. They walk that middle line of just bright enough to sound reasonably crisp and lively without extending particularly high into the airier registers. Where to Buy The Kima’s midrange has a warm, bodied tonality courtesy of the bass shelf extending through to the 300 Hz region and early upper mids rise (pinna gain). To balance out the sound, the Kima maintains this level of upper mids energy well into the 5 kHz region. It provides vocal and instrument clarity and prevents the Kima from sounding too bogged down. On the flip side, the bodied nature of the Kima keeps it from sounding shouty. Vocals are nicely positioned - distinctly positioned independent of the other instruments, but not too forward that it steals the spotlight. Acoustic guitars and cellos in particular shine on the Kima with a lushness in the strings. Gritty, moody tones of the electric guitar are emphasized over screaming lead lines. As a whole, I find the Kima’s midrange to be an easy and enjoyable listen. Notes are cleanly defined across the board but not sharply so to maintain a relaxed nature. Dynamic balance, bass/treble​There is a nice balance in the treble region which is proportional to the rise down low. There is enough of a boost up top to keep the overall tonal color in that warm/neutral spot. For example, the Dunu Kima Classic has roughly a 3-5 dB rise above the OG Kima from the presence region through the air region, as well as a small bump in the upper-mids/lower treble. In the same breath, Dunu added anywhere from 3-7 db’s down low. Still the rise in the treble is welcomed and in my opinion is necessary to keep the DKC from sounding too warm for the Kima name. You don’t want a stuffy sound. Not for a “Kima”. The nice thing is that the dynamic balance is good here and the sound is more organic.

Mobile solutions​It was when I began using more powerful sources that I really started to see what the DKC was made of. Even something as mildly powerful as the Fiio UTWS5 was able to really bring upon great mobile sound quality. The embedded AK4332 dac issues a slight warmth and a beefed-up bass region and the DKC followed suit while also coming across pretty clean. Certainly, one of the best true wireless options on the market. Using the IFi Go Blu with its warmer and more lush Cirrus Logic CS43131 dac chip I found the DKC gained a bit more in note weight and vibrance, and macro-dynamics came alive. Especially on 4.4 balanced. Again, they have noticeable similarities from build quality to implementation of transducers, both use DLC diaphragm on their dynamic drivers. The inclusion of T2 DLC is rather spartan compared to KIMA's but it is way more cheaper. KIMA began with an idea - gathering the greatest protectors from the legendary CRIZ FACTION and bringing them under one banner.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

In the mids, there is a surprise for me. I thought that the more emphasised and longer low end was going to influence more the first half of the T4 Plus, however the weight of the higher and longer plateau between mid-high and first treble has more influence. In a way, I find this phase thinner and brighter, whereas in the Kima it is more natural, dense, full and organic, I find its timbre more pleasing to me. The result is a smoother, more mellow sound in the Kima, where nothing feels excited. The T4 Plus, on the other hand, is higher in the treble, which makes it more crisp. While this extension may be welcomed by many, I prefer the musicality of the Kima.

DUNU Kima Classic is a redesigned variant of the award-winning DUNU Kima. At a fair glance, the pair looks just like Kima in a new color scheme, but the sound of the Kima Classic brings a new, fresh flavor to the listeners. DUNU has readjusted the tuning of the pair to deliver a more pronounced lower-end, more lively treble, and a cleaner midrange response. While the shell shape is kept the same, the new Kima Classic has got a wonderful new Classic Coffee Grey color theme. The cable has been designed to match the smokey look of the pair!! Kima was a wonderful set, Kima Classic brings a breath of fresh air to the lineup with a new tuning profile!! The treble is, perhaps unsurprisingly, fairly restrained and likely won’t cause even the most treble-sensitive listeners any concern. As the upper midrange transitions into the higher frequencies, there continues to be enough presence to remain articulate, but nothing jumps out. The profile of the T4 Plus is less balanced. While the Kima's move in a narrower range, the T4 Plus have a more emphasised bass throughout their range, even in the sub-bass. The mid-high plateau is higher and more extended, also the treble. The amount of air is similar. The T4 Plus have a more excited profile, more sparkle up top and more bass down low. The midrange, except for the amount of body in its first half, maintains the amount. But they are clearly influenced by the neighbouring bands. It's clear that Dunu knows how to bring a new model to market and attract attention. But to get to that point it has been necessary to build a good reputation. And, moreover, to maintain it. The hardest thing is always to maintain a status. But of course, with models like the Kima, that's the best way to prove it.Dongle dacs​This part of my scaling up of sources is when the hi-res qualification within the DKC begins to show its face. Using the Hidizs S9 Pro on balanced, the sound brings the DKC right up to its peak in output power thirst. What’s best is how the DKC reacts to the ES9238Q2M dac chip and the tuning of the highly resolving S9 Pro. They sound lovely together. However, as far as dongle dacs are concerned, I found the Moondrop Dawn 4.4 to be superior as the sound has such a nice and clean sound, but also a punchy and dynamic presentation. The Dawn uses the same CS43131 dac as the Go Blu, but the tuning is much different. The DKC really jives with this type of analytical, crisp, punchy and detailed sound and the DKC’s balance throughout the spectrum plays very nice with the balance of the Dawn 4.4.

Continuing on from the boosted upper midrange, the lower treble has a peak around the 5 - 6 kHz region, and it rolls off thereafter. This adds resolution and clarity, without much sibilance or fatigue. The upper treble is hence relatively smooth, with not much splashiness in cymbals and high-hats, but as a result, the Kima Classic isn't the most airy set. The Kima are rated at 32 ohms impedance and 108 dB sensitivity, making them easy to drive from most portable sources. They work fine powered from the lowly Apple 3.5mm adapter, and dongle amplifiers add a bit of sonic flavor rather than any required power. Now when it comes it bass the story of the bass response between the OG Kima and Classic changes, where the emphasis of the bass is more towards mid sub bass and low mid bass in the OG Kima, the bass emphasis is in the whole sub bass region mostly below 50 Hz in the Classic. The sub bass extension is much more deeper and stronger than the OG Kima, the punches hits you harder and rumble sensation is more prominent and strong. The mid bass is also improved with its slam more emphasised and thump are more rigorous yet still the control and the texture and details seems to be at the same caliber as the OG Kima. So all in all the bass region sounds more powerful and emphasised in the sub bass region with the mid bass sounds more prominent in the mix. CONCLUDING REMARKS​The Dunu Kima are competent in terms of tuning, come with excellent accesories, have a great build, and the price is not too absurd. It's not easy to make the treble sound easy, without missing anything. Well, maybe some people would prefer a more prominent crunch, a higher sparkle or a thinner or more penetrating sound. None of that will be here and that won't mean that the treble will be overly clipped. Looking at the graph it might seem so, but the result proves otherwise. True, the treble is on the safe side of any tuning, but it is descriptive enough that it doesn't feel thin or meagre. They are soft, but with enough expressiveness to give the sound realism and extension. Perhaps the limit may be in the air range. But the best thing is that this tuning allows the whole to feel balanced and natural, with just enough brightness and little or nothing to be missed. I look at the graph and I am surprised: the tuning has been clever in this section to complement the rest of the ranges excellently.

Midrange Instruments​For the most part instruments come across well defined. This is a V-shaped iem and the midrange is smoother than sharp. Resolution is nice for a V-shape, but isn’t perfect, and this can cause a few minor clarity issues as far as instrumentation is concerned. For the most part though, instruments all sound organic and pretty darn clean. I heard, that the thing I should be choosing IEMs based on the graph, but I have no idea what I am looking for in the graph.

Dunu haGoverning Law - This contract shall be governed and construed per the laws of the People's Republic of China. Buyer agrees that competent courts in the People's Republic of China shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any legal action concerning this contract. In the event of any dispute related to this contract, the prevailing party shall be entitled to reasonable attorney's fee and costs. FAQs How can I Request a Warranty replacement or repair? Certainly that for a midcentric like me, KIMA seems the pass in flying colours on how it sounds so balanced and well-delineated for a single DD.