Dunu Kima 2's Review - A good change!

General Info/Build//Comfort

Dunu is a company that prioritises quality over quantity, which can be seen in their products. They take quality seriously and often can be seen in their products. The Kima 2 is no exception, the build quality, the bundled accessories, and also the packaging.

Kima 2 build quality is solid, the housing is made out of stainless steel and the finishing is matte which i personally quite adore because it will not get micro scratches easily. 

The unboxing experience is very good, the bundled cable comes with an interchangeable plug and it looks very high quality.

In terms of comfort, the Kima 2’s shell is not too big nor too small, and it sits very well inside my ears with good isolation and I do not have any discomfort for long listening sessions. However, a certain part of the shell does have some protruding edges when you are holding the unit, but it does not affect the comfort when it is in ear.

Gears used for this review

• Questyle M18i

• Dunu DTC800

• Dunu Kima 2 stock cable and Eartips

Foreword

My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far 

Sound Impression

To my ears, Kima sounds quite neutral with a slight mid bass boost. Do take into consideration that my perception of neutrality might be different from how others perceive neutral, hence my review is subjective and I describe what i hear with my gears.

Kima is slightly warm and quite balanced across the spectrum. Listening is done using stock eartips (Dunu’s new SS eartips) and also stock cable. Tonality, they sound correct and very natural, note weights are quite good and doesn’t sound thin across all the frequency range
Let’s take a look at the break down across the frequency range:

Bass

• Kima 2’s presentation on the lower spectrum is definitely not basshead’s preference, however, it does exhibit a quality presentation in terms of control, speed, and also note weight. Quantity is also just right to my ears

• Speed is good and it is able to handle Slipknot’s track very well, doesn’t sound muddy nor bloated in People = Shit and also Duality

• The sub bass does rumble when the track calls for it, lacking a little extension, but to me it is sufficient to enjoy EDM (of course your mileage might differ due to your preference and perception on bass)

• The bass has good note weight to it and also good texture, it doesn’t sound loose or veil, good quality bass in my opinion

Mids

• I find that Kima 2 midrange is the star of the show, it is clean and lush sounding, forward sounding, vocal and the instruments are well separated and doesn’t overlap each other

• Vocal positioning is forward but not the kind where it’s in your face

• Both male and female has got good texture and warmth to it, never once they sounded thin, i really like how it is done

• The bass doesn’t bleed into the mids and they’re very well separated

• The pinna gain starts at around 2k and peaked at around 2.5/3k, it gives female vocal a little bit of extra boost, but it never sounded harsh and remained in the safe “zone”

Treble

• Kima’s treble has enough energy and it is very pleasant to listen to. It is never harsh nor sibilant

• It is detailed enough but not being overly analytical, so if you are looking for something very analytical, Kima 2 is not for you

• Good amount of air and also presence, but overall it is more on the safer side

• Nothing much to complain about the treble as it is not overly energetic nor dark

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is rather average, not intimate nor too out of your head, more like 2D-ish to my ears (eartips can also affect the soundstage in a way)

• Imaging is rather good for the price point, but not spectacular, instruments can be pinpointed easily even on busy tracks

Driveability

• Kima 2 is very easy to drive, even straight out of my Macbook Air M2’s 3.5mm jack, i am able to get decent volume out of it, and good dynamics from it

• Kima however does scale with better source of course, plugging it into my desktop setup with Class A amplification, the sound just kinda open up and i get slightly bigger soundstage out of it, and also better control on the bass as well as a slight energy boost on the treble

Comparison ( Vs Simgot EA500LM)

• Compared to EA500LM, the Simgot’s offering is a more dynamic set with swappable nozzles

• Simgot’s tuning usually has a slight boost on the upper mid range which can be fatiguing for some who are sensitive in this region

• Bass is speedier on the EA500LM, but Kima 2 has a slightly better texture for bass

• Mids are forward vs Kima 2 has a slightly more laid back Mids

• Treble on EA500LM has more energy compared to Kima 2

• Technicalities are slightly better on the EA500LM

Final Thoughts 

Overall Kima 2 is a very solid product in my opinion, there isn’t much to fault it because it is a set where i can just take out and enjoy the music and forget about everything else, not analyzing the track, just drowning myself in the music. Kima 2 is able to deliver that. Definitely recommending Kima 2, but if you are a basshead or someone who seeks a very analytical set, then Kima 2 is not for you.

*This set is sent over by Dunu F.O.C in exchange for this review, I thank them for the opportunity. All thoughts are of my own and I am not under any influence nor do I receive any monetary compensation for this review.

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