Short answer: a tie on sound quality. Both are rated 3.6/5 (#703 and #721 of 1291 in-ear headphones) at nearly the same price ($129.99 vs $127.99), so choose on features and fit.
The case for the Kinera Celest Phoenixcall: The median of 16 hobbyist measurements gives it a solid Harman preference score of 69 with a 2.38 dB spread. The catch: A 6.1 dB peak near 1.5 kHz can make cymbals and sibilance sound sharp.
What the TRN Whale Shark does well: A warm, bassy hybrid in-ear with three dynamic drivers and a planar, bass 3.3 dB above target and upper mids almost on target. The tradeoff: A 6.3 dB dip near 6.1 kHz followed by a 6.5 dB peak near 8.1 kHz makes cymbals and sibilance uneven, and air above 10 kHz runs 4.6 dB hot for an extra sharp shimmer.
Buy the Kinera Celest Phoenixcall or the TRN Whale Shark on features: they are rated the same for sound quality at close to the same price.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
The median of 16 hobbyist measurements gives it a solid Harman preference score of 69 with a 2.38 dB spread.
Amazon $129.99 eBay
A warm, bassy hybrid in-ear with three dynamic drivers and a planar, bass 3.3 dB above target and upper mids almost on target.
Amazon $127.99 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Kinera Celest Phoenixcall | TRN Whale Shark | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $129.99 | $127.99 |
| Ranked | #703 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #721 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Tribrid | Hybrid (3 dynamic + 1 planar magnetic) |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic + 2 x balanced armature + 2 x 6mm planar | 3 x dynamic + 1 x planar magnetic |
| Impedance | 32 ohms | 16 ohms |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 10Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 0 lbs (9.8 g) | - |
| Harman Preference Score | 69 (median of 16 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 69 (median of 8 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.38 dB standard deviation | 2.41 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.06 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.39 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.1 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.9 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Sensitivity | - | 110 dB SPL/mW |
Frequency Response Compared
Both headphones’ measurements overlaid on the Harman target. Above the target sounds louder in that range, below it quieter. Each curve is the median of several independent measurements, shifted so its 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB, so only the tuning is compared.
Measurement data: the Kinera Celest Phoenixcall from aftersound, arn, audioamigo, eliseaudio, hoods, isaiahse, jaytiss, koi, mmagtech, nymz, pw, theaudiostore, therollo9, timmyv, tonedeafmonk and treblewellxtended; the TRN Whale Shark from atechreviews, audioamigo, dvewlsh, eplv, jaytiss, musicafe, soundcheck39 and tonedeafmonk, all via squig.link.
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