A high-quality IEM with an excellent sound signature at a Pragmatic Price

The Kinera Celest Wyvern Qing is a beautifully crafted IEM. Its name is apparently inspired by the legendary Wyvern Qing, one of the Four Celestial Spirits from Chinese mythology. It comes in blue or green and with or without a microphone, mine was the blue without the microphone.

As you will see later in the review, for the price this has an excellent tuning and a pretty high quality shell, but it’s slightly let down by the accessories.

But read on to see if it is the perfect IEM to add to your collection.

Packaging and Accessories

The Kinera Celest Wyvern Qing comes in a small but aesthetically pleasing packaging that reflects its mythological inspiration.

You can read the specifications on the back of the box:

Opening the box up you get some interesting information about Chinese Mythology:

Everything is then stored in a plastic holder:

The eartips are mostly ok - though I ended up not using any of these :

IEM Shells

I was pretty impressed with the IEM Shells, these are far better quality than they look and easily better than say the Truthear Gate or the Salnotes Zero 2, so pretty good in this price range.

So possible you can see in the pictures about that this shell is quite opinionated about your ear shape. There is an extra curve in the shell that did cause me some problems especially with the supplied ear tips, but once I switched to ’longer’ ear tip, I got a good seal and mostly it was fine. But for me, it wasn’t the most stable fit but of course everyone ears are a little different and this might be the perfect fit for your ears.

Just for a quick comparison, here are some of my other recent IEM’s with ‘opinionated’ shells, and maybe you can see that the Qing (in blue) has a slightly different it also has a slightly different angle for the nozzle:

Provided Cable

I have probably been spoilt recently with the quality of the cables provided with these inexpressive IEM so, but I did feel this cable was a little inferior to, for example, the one that comes with the Truthear Gate:

I actually had to pull the left and right sides apart when I took it out of the bag.

Maybe it’s plastic used it its construction, but it’s not great in my opinion:

Even the typical 3.5mm connector end had a very cheap feel to it:

Subjective Listening Experience

In my listening sessions, the Wyvern Qing impressed me with it Harman bass and lower midrange but with a nice vocal-forward tuning which enhanced of my favourite audiophile test tracks.

But let’s get into the details

Bass

Once I had done a bit of ear tip rolling and I had a stable seal, I did find that the Wyvern Qing offered a bass response that is both controlled and precise. The bass is not overly emphasized, providing a clean and well-defined low end that complements rather than overwhelms the overall sound as you would expect for a Harman tuning. On tracks like “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson, the bass remains tight and punchy, adding depth without overshadowing the midrange or treble. This balance allows for an engaging yet non-fatiguing listening experience, making it suitable for various genres.

Midrange

The midrange is the standout feature of the Wyvern Qing for me, with a slightly forward tuning that brings vocals and instruments to the forefront. This makes the IEMs particularly enjoyable for vocal-centric tracks. For instance, in “Someone Like You” by Adele, the vocals are rendered with clarity and emotion, creating an intimate connection with the listener. The forward midrange ensures that details in the vocal performance and instruments are highlighted, providing a rich and engaging sound.

Treble

The treble is reasonable well-extended, offering a sense of air and detail without being harsh or sibilant. The high frequencies are crisp and clear, adding sparkle to the music while maintaining a smooth and refined presentation. In “Hotel California” by Eagles, the treble brings out the shimmer of the cymbals and the intricacies of the guitar work, enhancing the overall listening experience. The treble extension contributes to the IEMs’ ability to reveal fine details in the music.

Soundstage & Imaging

While the soundstage of the Wyvern Qing is typical of this price range, but it is the imaging that truly shines. The IEMs provide precise localization of instruments and vocals, allowing for an accurate placement of elements within the sound field. On tracks like “Bubbles” by Yosi Horikawa, the imaging is impressive, with each sound clearly defined in space. Although the soundstage isn’t particularly wide, the excellent imaging ensures an immersive listening experience, making these IEMs ideal for both music and gaming. Vocals were clear and prominently forward in the mix, making it an excellent choice for genres where vocals are a key focus.

Specifications and Measurements

Frequency Response

So lets start with the frequency response:

You can see as far as bass and most of the frequency response this is very compliant with the Harman target except in upper midrange 1.5K to 3K area where it is exaggerated given that vocal forward sound signature.

Comparing to other similar well tuned and similarly priced IEMs:

You can see that the Wyvern Qing is slightly more forward in that 3K area and a little bit more recessed than the Nuo in treble area but overall very similar to the Truthear Gate. So given the quality of its IEM shells the Kinera Celest Wyvern Qing does offer a great sound signature for its price, though of course the Gate has a much better cable.

Distortion

The Distortion is handled very well for this price:

Even as a percentage, this is minimal distortion ( I measured this at over 100 db ):

Great IEM for EQ but not needed

Given its excellent sound signature, the Qing does not really need EQ (unless it’s your personal preference) but it will take to EQ exceptionally well since it shows it can handle playing extremely loud with little distortion, it has great sensitivty of 105db and its good channel balance.

Rating

While priced very pragmatically especially for the quality of the IEM shell themselves, this IEM offers a slightly vocal-forward tuning that is perfect for those who enjoy a slightly vocal forward presentation.

However, while I really liked the sound signature and I appreciated the build quality of IEM Shells at this price, its opinionated shape did pose some challenges for me in terms of achieving a stable seal while out walking (one of my tests for long term comfort for an IEM). This, coupled with a pretty poor cable and other accessories, led me to rate it at 4 stars instead of 5.

If you plan to use your own cable and ear tips the Kinera Celest Wyvern Qing offers excellent value for money, even 6 months ago this tuning would have cost at least double the price, so I am probably being unfair only giving it 4-stars.

Conclusion

The Wyvern Qing has a very impressive sound signature especially for those who like a vocal forward presentation, that with its excellent bass and good imaging makes it a great IEM at this price. I also think the IEM shell design and craftsmanship are impressive. However, the fit may not be ideal for everyone and the cable was pretty poor though at this price that is a minor quibble.

The Wyvern Qing therefore offers great value at its price point and is a strong contender in the budget IEM category.