Kinera Imperial Nanna (Pro 2.0) vs Flagship Nanna (1.0) – Hybrid IEM Comparison and Review

Kinera’s Nanna IEM has been updated twice now. The first update was the Nanna Mount, which was the same as the flagship model but with a repainted body. However, some believed the sound somehow ended up being slightly but noticeably different on the Mount. The latest rendition of the Nanna, the Imperial Nanna (or Nanna Pro 2.0) is the official retuning some were perhaps imagining with the Nanna Mount iteration. The Imperial model runs for $949, so it’s not a huge price bump up relative to the already $899 flagship Nanna.

Design, Look, and Feel

The most immediately noticeable difference you’ll see is that the Imperial Nanna’s included cable sports a 4.4mm termination instead of the standard 3.5mm termination on the original model. A 3.5mm and 2.5mm adapter are included with Imperial Nanna, however. The cable on the imperial Nanna is also silver-plated, while the flagship Nanna’s is not. 

In terms of cosmetic differences, the Imperial Nanna has a much bolder look than the more nuanced painting on the original Nanna. The imperial Nanna’s bright blue and red sparkling backing is a sharp contrast to the light glimmer of the dark, purplish original Nanna. Both are beautiful, but certainly two distinctly separate styles. Both share the same comfortable fit and the same impedance and frequency response—60 Ohms / 5Hz to 50kHz. 

Soundstage

I noticed more difference in the frequency response between these two IEMS than I did with their soundstages. The Imperial Nanna felt somewhat wider than the original version, but I can’t make this claim with extreme confidence. All differences between the two were definitely subtle, but this was perhaps the most subtle of them all.  

Lows 

The low end responses of the original and imperial versions feel mostly on par with one another, but the imperial does seem to have slightly more depth. There’s a bit more of a pumping, sometimes booming sensation on the low end of the Imperial. This will be most noticeable on tracks with heavier kicks or baselines etc. of course. Overall, the low end difference took me the longest to notice in terms of variations between the two. 

Mids

The mid range on the imperial feels a bit cleaner and more tame than that of the original. It’s got slightly more cleansing going on in the high mid particularly, while the low mids feel about identical to one another. The more serene midrange on the imperial gives it a somewhat warmer sound than the original, but once again, only by a small margin. 

Highs

This felt to be the most noticeable difference between the two. The high end felt less intense and more purified on the Imperial, while the original felt slightly more sibilant by comparison. The high end on both is very well controlled and defined, but this definition felt more understated in the imperial version and further warmed up.

Overall

These don’t feel distinctively different sonically. Not only does their fundamental sound seem to be the same, but so does the majority of their tuning. Still, the Imperial Nanna does feel altered and lightly improved. Their price difference tells you about what you need to know, you’ll get about $50 of extra improvement with the Imperial Nanna. If this isn’t out of your budget, it’s likely worth getting this elevated “Imperial” version.