I have appreciated much your video. On head-fi everyone is working for linsoul/penon/hifigo.
Same here they have their promoters.
Maybe they are thinking we are stupid… I see clearly when they are creating hype around the new toy. Wait some month… if no one is talking anymore about that iem… do not buy it.
The only reviewers that I can consider as trustable are: you, Mark(Super Review), Gizaudio and Resolve (and others guys from headphones.c0m as “Listerner” for example).
Have you heard anything that beats the DX340/14/15/16 for you, yet?
I would like to know the same… but for desktop use… something that costs less than dx340.
My desktop Geshelli Labs J3 PRO with Sparkos SS2590 OP-AMPS and Topping A90D Amp beats the AMP14 combo for warmth and smoothness but I prefer and use the DX340 more.
I was thinking other daps. Transportables.
I’m finding Quatio with gold nozzles plus wide bores combined with AMP13 with H2 quite sublime and the 13 only has a few hours on it
Beyond the initial tube ring when plugging 3.5mm into jack I don’t hear any and the noise floor is low enough for my iems to be irrelevant. Stellar card.
Later in the evening. Several times I’ve found myself just staring off with my jaw slack…super glad I decided to grab 13
KEFINE QUATIO
4 Driver hybrid IEM. $129.00 usd.
Sensitivity: 107 dB +/ - 3 dB
Impedance: 32 ohm
Frequency response: 20 Hz - 20K Hz
Driver type: 2DD + 2BA
Dynamic Driver sizes: 10mm & 8mm
Preamble:
Thanks and sincere appreciation go out to Kefine for providing the Quatio review unit.
And thanks also to fellow Canuck Audioholics Tone Deaf Monk and Bennet Kelly for the conversations, support and insights. 
Quatio is Kefine’s first foray into a multi driver hybrid IEM.
Packaging:
Is standard fare, a box, with IEM ear pieces, a cable, some ear tips, a carry case, two additional tuning nozzles, documentation.
What isn’t “standard” is the quantity, and quality, of the included components.
The ear pieces are CNC machined aluminium.
The cable is an above average , modular, 4 strand, silver plated copper offering that includes 3.5 and 4.4mm terminations.
2 qty clear plastic storage boxes containing 6 pair of silicone ear tips in each (total of 12 pair, 4 styles).
The carry case looks, and feels, sturdy and well constructed.
An overall impressive offering.
Pros and Cons:
CNC aluminium shells and faceplates are lightweight, medium sized, and fit my larger ears around mid depth. I get a solid anchor and seal.
Faceplates aren’t exactly eye catching, rather, they have a subtle elegance.
High purity silver plated copper 4 strand, modular, cable is a quality offering.
Metal encased fittings, with a threaded collar to secure the interchangeable terminations firmly in place.
Reasonably flexible and minimal microphonics.
The ear hooks are comfortable, and work well supporting the ear pieces in ear.
Hybrid three way crossover uses both an electronic crossover board, and, 3 physical acoustic tubes.
3 Tuning nozzles to adapt the sound signature to individual preference.
Gold: transparent, neutral, more accurate sound.
Silver: balanced sound profile.
Black: warm and smooth sound response.
10mm DLC diaphragm Dynamic driver is tuned for full range.
8mm PU+ LCP diaphragm Dynamic driver boosts the bass.
2 BA drivers enhance the high end above 5 KHz.
Tuning Nozzles:
Straight forward, and upfront; I’m not a fan of tuning nozzles. I understand and appreciate the concept and purpose, I just don’t care for fiddling with them.
There will not be an in depth sound evaluation on each nozzle here.
Just the brief comments below on each nozzle based on my experience with each of them.
These are 100% personally subjective.
Black - mids sound a bit hollowed out. A somewhat un-natural sounding separation between the upper mid and high frequencies, most notable on cymbals and high hat.
Silver - offers a nicely balanced presentation but I found the openness of the staging becomes more compressed.
Gold - a bit more energetic in the mids and highs and a little tighter on the bass. The smoothest, and most cohesive, presentation of the mids and highs. Which for me, was the most natural, and accurate, sounding mids and highs.
Quatio sounds good on each of the nozzles and I was able to listen to all of them without any part of the tuning becoming an annoyance.
I did have a preference for either the silver or gold nozzles, with the gold nozzle ultimately being my favourite for the more open and spacious staging, and, to my hearing, the most accurate and natural overall presentation.
Source Devices:
I’m on the road and only have access to three source devices. iBasso DX340 and FiiO JM21 DAPs, and Astell and Kern AKHC4 dongle.
Quatio sounds good on all three sources, and all three sources drive the Quatio easily.
The DX340 and AKHC4 dongle are both more resolving source devices, the JM21 adds a touch of warmth.
I chose the warmer FiiO (Jade Audio) JM21, and the gold “transparent” nozzles for the sound evaluation.
Equipment:
Kefine Quatio IEM aged 50+ hours.
Gold nozzles attached.
FiiO JM21 DAP, mid gain, 4.4mm out.
Stock SPC modular cable with 4.4mm termination.
Eletech Baroque wide bore ear tips.
Sound:
Bass has nice texture, and very good sub bass rumble that pulls low.
Mid bass has solid punch, and, there is good definition between sub and mid bass.
Transients on the dynamic drivers is reasonably fast, nice deep rumble when called for, but bass stays in place and doesn’t overwhelm.
The bass is very well done on Quatio.
The 10mm dynamic driver is tasked as a full range driver, and the 8mm dynamic driver assists with boosting the bass presence.
Driver tuning and coherence here is excellent, both drivers work seamlessly in tandem, and deliver a very enjoyable bass experience.
Mids are more elevated using the gold nozzles.
Clarity and detail are very good with no lack of macro, and some micro, detail.
Clean, clear, and accurate with decent spaciousness of stage.
Vocals, both male and female are accurate with a natural tonality.
Highs are crisp and clear with very good micro detail retrieval, sparkle, and air.
The ultra high end is my one nit pick with Quatio, the BA drivers handling the high end decay too quickly for my liking. Most notable on cymbal and high hat strikes, the initial strike is crisp and clear but lacks the full carry through “sizzle” or shimmer expected.
The head stage is nicely open and spacious. Not overly intimate, nor overly immense, just nicely in between.
Width is outside the ears. Height top to bottom is very good. Depth front to rear is very average, but enough to provide a nice head filling listening experience.
Imaging and layering are very good.
Summary:
Kefine drops another well rounded winner on the audio community.
Solid build quality, above average modular cable and accessories, and professional tuning all add up to excellent value with this latest offering.
While I personally am not a fan of tuning nozzles (or switches), it is a bonus to have the option to fine tune Quatio closer to our individual preferences.
At $129.00 usd Quatio is, IMO, reasonably priced based on the overall quality of equipment and accessories offered, and great sound.
Definitely worth a listen.
My music sources:
Qobuz, and, FLAC and DSD files stored on the SD cards of my daps.
My music genre are primarily Rock, Blues, Jazz, Symphonic, Country, Rap, R&B, Pop, Electronic.
Enjoy your music.
Celeste Yaksha – Musical HiFi
Preamble:
Celest is one of the sub-brands of the house of Kinera. They are positioned as a lower-priced but still high-performing member of that house and have a history of producing several interesting and good-sounding products over the last few years.
The Yaksha utilizes a hybrid driver setup consisting of two dynamic drivers, one balanced armature and a single micro-planar driver per side. The drivers are made to play together nicely via a four-way crossover.
The Yaksha is easy to drive, and it is not overly picky when it comes to a source; however, the treble can suffer when not driven adequately. Tip selection is one thing the Yaksha is sensitive to, and I would recommend that time is spent on tip synergy both for achieving a good seal and for sound quality.
Concerning tuning, we have a more or less mild V-shaped signature, which is more balanced than extreme at any end. The sound can be described as a non-fatiguing presentation better suited for non-critical listening.
Read on to find out more.
SPECS:
Drivers: 2xDD + 1xBA + 1 Micro-Planar
Sensitivity: 105dB SPL/mW
Frequency Response: 5Hz – 20kHz
Impedance: 12Ω
Connector: 0.78mm 2-Pin
Build & Fit:
The Celeste Yaksha is a beautiful iem and is fitting for a product from the house of Kinera. Its black resin shells are adorned with attractively designed caps with different colours available.
I did not receive the full retail box but I did have on hand the retail cable and was pleased with both the looks and haptics which I appreciated. From looking at photos online, Celeste has continued with their mastery of retail presentations and user unboxing experiences.
The Yaksha is a larger medium sized iem and fit was never an issue at all even for longer listening sessions. Tip selection for a snug fit and good seal is a must.
SOUND:
Bass:
The Yaksha has bass that goes moderately deep with a lively mid-bass presence. Bass power is ample, when called for, with moderate slam in the sub-bass. Bass has improved energy is more precise in the mid-bass with better snap and impact than down deep. There is a warmth to the bass that is pleasing but what is lacking here is texturing and detail which is ok but not class leading.
Midrange:
The midrange has again a nice warmth to it with a controlled pinna gain which adds a touch of liveliness. One hand giveth and one taketh away, and while there is good clarity, there is also a lack of overall resolution and detail. This at times leads to the mids sounding more hifi than organic which can hurt the listener’s emotional involvement in the music. Layering and separation are also ok, but not class-leading.
Female vocals do sound more energetic as compared to male and here again, the Yaksha is easy to listen to when not in critical mode. Male vocals come across fine with good authority, but compared to female vocals lack the equivalent level of texturing and energy. There is also occasionally some glare heard in the region where the upper midrange flows into the lower treble.
Timbre, while not class-leading, was good. Transients did have a softer leading edge but a mostly natural falloff.
The Yaksha has a midrange presentation tailor-made for non-critical listening with an easy tone and sonics. When being critical, one can find faults, but just chilling and listening to some fine music it is a good experience.
Treble:
The treble is relatively extended and balanced with adequate quantities of sparkle and air. It is a treble tuned to complement the rest of the frequency range as opposed to making its own statement.
Detail retrieval is better than that of the midrange but the treble can sound a little subdued at times. Very occasionally, there was a metallic tone heard on that rare track that did become distracting. That being said, the majority of the time this was not usually heard.
IMAGING & SOUNDSTAGE:
The soundstage is moderately sized with decent width and to a lesser but still audible extent depth and height. The Yaksha does not sound constrained, and imaging within that soundstage is stable. On busier tracks, the Yaksha’s average layering still manages to hold its own, staying away from the “Wall Of Sound” effect that lesser earphones project when things get busy. The different note elements still manage to carve out their individual space. Considering the overall headspace, I would rate the Yaksha as above average.
VERSUS:
-Kiwi Ears Airoso-
The $130 Kiwi Ears Airoso is another set like the Yaksha that may not be the top of its class with respect to critical listening but does better than most concerning casual listening or just chillaxing and taking in some tunes.
Comparatively, the Airoso offers up a dryer presentation yet is still musical. The Airoso has better sub-bass control yet may fall slightly behind the Yaksha with respect to low-end power. In the mids, the Yaksha enjoys better note weight yet the Airoso has an airier sound. Treble energy is a win for the Airoso, with both displaying good treble detail.
-QOA Mimosa-
The $138 Queen of Audio Mimosa is from another member of the House of Kinera. Compared to the Yaksha the Mimosa has a more vibrant sound top to bottom with superior bass detail and snap. This carries over to the midrange where the Mimosa comparatively displays a midrange with more life and clarity than the Yaksha including greater detail retrieval. Note weight is where the Yaksha fights back besting its housemate with a thicker tone. In the treble, the Mimosa for some may have too much energy, which is in stark contrast to the Yaksha which depending on the track may be faulted as sounding somewhat dark. Needless to say, the Mimosa has ample air and sparkle with both having a resolving treble with good detail.
-Kefine Quatio-
The $130 Quatio has a more pronounced sub-bass with better control and speed. Mid-bass has a comparable impact being better defined with the Quatio. In the mids, both offer good note weight with the Quatio offering a slightly more balanced musical sound. In the treble, the Quatio does not have as much extension as the Yaksha, but both trade blows on detail retrieval as well as sparkle and air.
Where the Quatio enjoys a unanimous victory is in its transient response. The Quatio excels at relaying transients in even the most difficult percussive elements. Despite its “safe” tuning, this makes the music feel more alive. I would reach for the Kefine Quatio first between these two iem.
CONCLUSION:
The Celeste Yaksha is overall a good iem. It has on offer a complete sound I am sure will satisfy many listeners. In my time with it, I did find that its sonics presentation was more “HiFi” than “Organic” which did delay my getting absorbed into the music. I started listening to it after some standout earphones so it was a tough battle.
Still, while it wasn’t always my speed, as I craved something more organic and engaging, I can see how some may be smitten by the sound of the Celeste Yaksha.
This is one is a looker!
Great write-up! Interesting how the Yaksha trades some detail for an easy, relaxed listen. From your notes, do you feel it holds its own against other hybrids in the price range, or does it fall behind in technicalities compared to competitors?
I believe that it does hold its own but doesn’t do anything special to separate itself from the middle of the pack.
