Short answer: the Yanyin Mahina. It ranks #388 of 450 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.0/5, at $551.65; the Kinera Skuld ranks #411, rated 2.7/5, at $550. The price gap is small enough that the sound-quality ranking should decide it.
What the Yanyin Mahina does well: A seven driver hybrid with a 10mm dynamic woofer, four balanced armatures and two electrostatic tweeters, tuned dark and relaxed for listeners who dislike bright treble. The tradeoff: Squig.link measurements show presence about 7.3 dB below target with a 10.3 dB dip near 5.4 kHz, so vocals, strings and percussion lose clarity and attack.
What the Kinera Skuld does well: Five balanced armatures and 120 dB sensitivity mean it reaches loud levels easily from a phone. The catch: Hobbyist measurements on squig.link show the presence region about 7.5 dB under target with a 9.7 dB dip near 5.5 kHz, which makes vocals and guitars recessed and dull.
Buy the Yanyin Mahina. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $1.65 you would save on the Kinera Skuld does not close the gap.
Want more options? Browse the full Headphones rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Yanyin Mahina | Kinera Skuld | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $551.65 | $550.00 |
| Ranked | #388 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones | #411 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 62 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) | 58 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.78 dB standard deviation | 3.57 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.05 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.15 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 4 balanced armature + 2 electrostatic) | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 4 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic | 5 x balanced armature |
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 23 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 118 dB | 120 dB |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 50kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 5Hz - 50kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | No |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-2.8 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-5.4 dB at 30 Hz) |
Related Headphone Comparisons
How Yanyin Mahina compares with other leading options:
- Shanling ME700 vs Yanyin Mahina
- HiBy Crystal 6 vs Yanyin Mahina
- Fatfreq Reference Pro SE vs Yanyin Mahina
- Yanyin Mahina vs FiiO FA9
- Shanling ME700 vs Kinera Skuld
Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 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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The Two Headphones In Full
Yanyin Mahina: $551.65 Linsoul eBay
Pros: A seven driver hybrid with a 10mm dynamic woofer, four balanced armatures and two electrostatic tweeters, tuned dark and relaxed for listeners who dislike bright treble. From 60 Hz to 1 kHz it sits within half a decibel of target, so bass and lower mids sound even and natural. At 118 dB sensitivity it plays loud from any phone. It rates above the Audio-Technica ATH-CK2000Ti for less money and matches the InEar StageDiver SD5 for considerably less.
Cons: Squig.link measurements show presence about 7.3 dB below target with a 10.3 dB dip near 5.4 kHz, so vocals, strings and percussion lose clarity and attack. Sub-bass sits about 2.5 dB under target below 60 Hz, softening rumble. The HiBy Crystal 6 earns the same rating for less money.
Full Yanyin Mahina review and specifications →
| Released | Aug 2022 (4 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.78 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 4 balanced armature + 2 electrostatic) |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 4 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 50kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 62 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 118 dB |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-2.8 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.05 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -4.8 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -1.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 4,493 Hz | +4.7 dB | 0.21 |
| Peak | 213 Hz | -2.9 dB | 0.77 |
| Peak | 1,633 Hz | -6.5 dB | 1.15 |
| Peak | 9,800 Hz | -0.2 dB | 1.87 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -3.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 74 Hz | +0.7 dB | 1.64 |
| Peak | 4,343 Hz | -1.8 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 7,760 Hz | +1.3 dB | 2.43 |
| Peak | 132 Hz | -0.5 dB | 2.19 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Kinera Skuld: $550.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: Five balanced armatures and 120 dB sensitivity mean it reaches loud levels easily from a phone. Bass and low mids sit within about 1 dB of target, giving a full, warm midrange that suits listeners who prefer a dark, relaxed sound. The closed in-ear design isolates well from outside noise.
Cons: Hobbyist measurements on squig.link show the presence region about 7.5 dB under target with a 9.7 dB dip near 5.5 kHz, which makes vocals and guitars recessed and dull. Sub-bass also falls about 4 dB short, so electronic music lacks rumble. The FiiO FA9 carries a higher rating for less money.
Full Kinera Skuld review and specifications →
| Released | Jun 2021 (5 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 3.57 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 5 x balanced armature |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 50kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 58 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 23 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 120 dB |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-5.4 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.15 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -5.9 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +5.2 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 9,986 Hz | +5.8 dB | 0.19 |
| Peak | 151 Hz | -3.5 dB | 0.39 |
| Peak | 1,435 Hz | -5.0 dB | 2.04 |
| Peak | 3,102 Hz | -3.4 dB | 4.12 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -4.3 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 697 Hz | +0.5 dB | 1.91 |
| Peak | 294 Hz | -0.3 dB | 1.56 |
| Peak | 4,766 Hz | -1.5 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,372 Hz | +1.6 dB | 5.99 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons