Short answer: the Kinera Imperial Loki Emerald. It ranks #554 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.8/5, at $3,099; the Kinera Imperial Loki ranks #774, rated 3.6/5, at $3,099. Close enough in price that the sound-quality gap is the deciding factor.
The case for the Kinera Imperial Loki Emerald: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 72 against the Harman target. The catch: Treble about 3 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
Why pick the Kinera Imperial Loki: A twelve driver flagship with a dynamic driver, six balanced armatures, four electrostatic tweeters and a bone conduction driver. The tradeoff: Treble sits about 2.7 dB below target, a dark, relaxed balance.
Buy the Kinera Imperial Loki Emerald. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Kinera Imperial Loki at the same price, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 72 against the Harman target.
Kinera $3,099 eBay
A twelve driver flagship with a dynamic driver, six balanced armatures, four electrostatic tweeters and a bone conduction driver.
Kinera official store $3,099.00 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 Imperial Loki Emerald | Kinera Imperial Loki | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3,099 | $3,099.00 |
| Ranked | #554 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #774 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 72 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 68 (median of 4 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.95 dB standard deviation | 2.09 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.45 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.64 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+2.6 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+2.4 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Quadbrid (1 dynamic + 6 balanced armature + 4 electrostatic + 1 bone conduction) | Quadbrid |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic + 6 x balanced armature + 4 x electrostatic + 1 x bone conduction | 1 x dynamic + 6 x balanced armature + 4 x electrostatic + 1 x bone conduction |
| Impedance | - | 12 ohms |
| Sensitivity | - | 107 dB @ 1kHz |
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 Imperial Loki Emerald from animagus, dl, eliseaudio, hbb and tedthepraimortis; the Kinera Imperial Loki from mmagtech, silicagel, soundignity and tonedeafmonk, all via squig.link.
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