Kefine Klanar Review

There have been a few planar IEMs that have come out that I’ve been impressed by. Letshuoer, Ratpgo, and other brands have made efforts to make these designs affordable for the masses, and now a new brand has stepped up to offer something similar. I’ve never listened to anything from Kefine before, but they have a $119 dollar IEM called the Klanar that looks very interesting. Let’s see if it can make a splash.

What You Get

• Klanar earphone
• Hard carrying case
• UV ear tip in size L/M/S  (With big holes for transparent sound)
• Silicone ear tip in size L/M/S (With small holes for more bass)

Look & Feel

The Klanar has a clean design that isn’t the most eye-catching but has a good structure. It has a universal in-ear shape that a lot of IEMs come with, and the Klanar still feels small and easy to wear. It’s a simple design but has a refined construction thanks to its CNC aluminum alloy shell.

Design

Underneath its shell is a 14.5mm planar magnetic driver. The diaphragm uses an N52 magnet to achieve more fine-tuning. Even though they’re planar IEMs, you don’t need that much power to drive them, but I would recommend some form of external DAC for a clean output.

Soundstage

Planar IEMs can mean a lot when it comes to soundstage and imaging. Some of them tend to give you a wider sound, and better depth than what some dynamic drivers are capable of. This is true for the Klanar, as the performance impresses with its scope. The stereo image spans from left to right with a lot of space in between. It feels competently organized and comprehensive to the point of having very admirable spatial accuracy. Everything appears precisely in the stereo field, communicating an identifiable sonic environment for the sounds to come together. The specific sound elements are given room to breathe but still have an inward dimension to them. Its layers aren’t hard to decipher, but don’t quite come out in the open. However, you get some strong airiness in the imaging, and it makes for its own immersive qualities.

Low End

This bass is easy to be gripped by, as it features a good amount of detail for the price. While it doesn’t feature much body, the rumble of the timbre is still very present. It deploys a solid foundation that surprises you with its sub-bass extension. With this response, the Klanar establishes some respectable depth but lacks some impact on the surface. You’ll find some good punch depending on the track, but its tone is inconsistent. Certain frequencies lack thickness but supply good lift for your music.

Mids

While the midrange frequencies are given a ton of room to breathe, some elements can come off as a bit thin. You’ll get some great clarity though, as the response is super concise and balanced. There’s more shape to the upper-mids than the low-mids, and it gives the sound signature some crisp textures. Vocals receive the liveliest display, but other instruments can come across with a lush response as well.

Highs

The highs stay present and well-controlled. They contain a light sizzle and come across as delicate and airy. There’s a good waft of detail here but is shy to bring out significant gain in the frequency range. Like a lot of the sound signatures, the highs can be a bit thin, but they retain their texture and do a good job establishing height.

Summary

Kefine gives you a good first impression with the Klanar. They’re a pair of affordable IEMs that do a good job of giving you some unmistakably planar qualities, like their spaciousness and clarity. It’s not always the most impactful response, but it offers more than enough for the price, and it’s easy to be engaged by.

The Kefine Klanar is available at Audio46.