Whenever mentioning beautiful headphones at cheap prices, audiophiles often think of products from the Queen of Audio brands such as Verper, Margarita, Adonis, or Barbados Sunrise, … General characteristics of these headphones That is, they all have an eye-catching appearance, have sweet sound, and are named after a famous cocktail. To continue this tradition, QoA recently added a new product to its headset collection, the Kinera QoA Gimlet.
In addition to its excellent design and smooth sound quality, Gimlet is also a headset with the most beautiful packaging in its segment. Right now, let’s come to a detailed review of QoA’s latest headphones.
Packaging and accessories
Whether in the high-end or entry-level segment, QoA packages its products inside a cardboard box with a very eye-catching design. Kinera QoA Gimlet is no exception. It must be admitted that in the same price range, no competitor has a beautiful cardboard box like Gimlet.
Covering the outside of the cardboard box are eye-catching green patterns. Interspersed with that is the QoA logo, the product name “Gimlet” modified according to the artistic style and information about the driver system inside the headset. It’s no exaggeration to say that Gimlet’s cardboard box looks like a work of painting. To give users more information about Gimlet, the manufacturer has printed the detailed technical specifications table and audio frequency chart of the headset on the back.
Neatly placed inside the cardboard box will be:
Pair of Kinera QoA Gimlet headphones
1 cable
3 pairs of white silicone ear tips
3 pairs of blue silicone ear tips
1 zippered storage box
User manual & business card
HiFiGo QoA Gimlet 10mm Dynamic Driver in-Ear Monitors, LCP Diaphgram in-Ear IEMs Earphone (White): Buy it now
キューオーエー(QoA) Gimlet: Buy it now
Table of Contents
Design and wearing experience
Every headphone produced by the Queen of Audio brand takes its name from a famous cocktail. Gimlet is the name of the classic cocktail with the typical sweet and sour flavor of orange, tangerine, and juniper. Just like the Gimlet cocktail, the Kinera QoA Gimlet headset has eye-catching colors and an extremely attractive appearance.
Covering the outside of the headset’s housing is a glossy paint layer and users will have 2 color options for the Gimlet: emerald green and pearl white. To increase color contrast, Gimlet’s faceplate will have a shiny copper color. Prominent on the faceplate will be Queen of Audio’s signature QoA logo. No matter what version, Gimlet still has an attractive beauty.
Not only does it have beautiful colors, but Kinera QoA Gimlet also has extremely good finishing. The entire housing of the headset is made from zinc alloy which is light in weight, highly durable, and resistant to corrosion. The housing with a soft rounded shape helps Gimlet easily fit the listener’s ears without causing an uncomfortable feeling of tightness in the ears. Gimlet has a built-in filter section that limits dust and dirt from getting inside the headset. The gold plating of the sound pipe also somewhat adds elegance to the headset.
To both increase comfort when wearing the Gimlet on the ear and regulate the pressure inside the headset, QoA has arranged 2 vents on the housing of the headset. One hole is located near the sound pipe, and the other hole is located on the side.
Included with the Kinera QoA Gimlet is a high-quality cable with a wire core made of silver-plated OFC copper. The cable uses a 0.78mm 2-pin connector and a 3.5mm Single-edged jack. If you want, you can completely disassemble and upgrade the cable. Practical experience shows that Gimlet’s cables possess good anti-tangle properties and are highly durable due to the use of a twisted braid structure.
There are 2 types of stock tips for users to choose from and they slightly affect the sound quality of Gimlet. The pair of white tips give a neutral and slightly bright sound. Meanwhile, the pair of blue tips give a deeper and warmer sound.
Driver configuration and sound quality
Hidden inside the eye-catching housing of the Kinera QoA Gimlet is a 10mm dynamic driver cluster with an LCP-shaped speaker membrane. Equipping the dynamic driver with a powerful magnetic circuit and high-quality voice coil allows for improved performance and reduced signal distortion to very low levels. In terms of parameters, Gimlet operates at an impedance of 32Ohm, has a sensitivity of 108dB, and a frequency response range of 20Hz – 20kHz. Thus, users can completely plug Gimlet into a smartphone or laptop, etc. However, using it with dongle models such as Avani, Moondrop Click or iFi Go Link will help the bass range sound better. Techniques such as soundstage and imaging are handled better.
Gimlet is QoA tuned in a U-shaped format with a slightly enhanced bass range and significantly increased energy in the mid/treble ranges. Although not focusing too much on sub-bass, Gimlet still possesses a clear, powerful bass range and has good response speed. Good control allows the bass range to not overwhelm the mid-range, which helps the vocals and instruments have a more realistic timbre.
What makes Gimlet a valuable headset is that the mid-range is excellently presented. In the entry-level segment, very few headphones have vocals that are as close to the listener as Gimlet. The most attractive part is the warm and energetic female vocal. The instrumental part will move back a bit and leave some space for the vocal part. Thanks to that, listeners can fully enjoy every detail of the music.
Kinera QoA Gimlet has a treble range that is not too harsh but not too gentle either. The amount is just enough to give the treble sound good detail and is less likely to cause annoying sib sounds. The soundstage creates a balance between depth and height, while the width is expanded to the sides to a moderate degree. Highly accurate audio imaging and good layering capabilities allow Gimlet to handle highly complex music well.
Compare
Vs Kinera Celest Gumiho
Both of these in-ear headphones have a very impressive design and good build quality. But the Kinera QoA Gimlet feels much more premium due to its metal housing covered with glossy paint. The ear fit is equal, but the soundproofing ability on the Gimlet will be a bit better.
Moving on to sound quality, the two headphones both possess distinct advantages. Kinera Celest Gumiho has a more natural-sounding bass range and a more flexible response speed. With Gimlet, the bass has a better texture and is neatly done. The sub-bass on both headphones does not have good rumble, but the clean level is very high. When moving to the mid-range, Gimlet has the low mid part moving more forward. Meanwhile, the upper midsection on both headphones has increased volume, but the Gimlet has better control.
Gimlet has a male vocal that sounds deeper. The mid-range instruments have better separation than the Gumiho, but the Gimlet has better timbre. The treble on Gumiho has better sharpness and a little more volume. Gimlet with a safe approach will help the treble range sound quieter and rarely create unpleasant sib sounds.
Talking about the technical part, Gumiho proved to be superior to Gimlet by possessing the ability to set up the stage, and the sound, and the ability to separate instruments better. But as mentioned above, Gumiho’s timbre is not as good as Gimlet’s.
Vs KZ ZAS
While Kinera QoA Gimlet has a youthful and colorful appearance, KZ ZAS has a more elegant and luxurious appearance. The ergonomic shape helps the ZAS provide a slightly better wearing experience than the Gimlet.
In terms of sound quality, the sub-bass on the ZAS has a better presence and is more emphasized, but the Gimlet has a faster response speed and higher purity. Because the mid-range is more forward, Gimlet’s vocals sound closer. The upper mid and treble strips on the ZAS have better ventilation, making listening more comfortable. With Gimlet, sound has better detail and sharpness. Although it does not cause sibilance, Gimlet’s treble sound still causes a bit of discomfort for those with sensitive ears.
The soundstage on the ZAS is more spacious, but the soundstage staged by Gimlet has better depth and height. The audio image on Gimlet has higher accuracy and the ability to separate layers is also more detailed.
With charm from both design and sound quality, Kinera QoA Gimlet easily leaves a deep impression in the hearts of music lovers. If you are someone who loves listening to music while enjoying a cocktail, don’t miss experiencing Gimlet.