Celest Pandamon 2.0 - Sapphire In-ear Jewelry

 3.5⭐️

+ Fast and agile driver

+ Very little planar timbre

+ Clear, forward vocals

+ Sibilant free

+ Beautiful, small shells

- Bass light

- Can present as cold/sterile/emotionless 

- Not a "fun" tuning

- Stock cable a bit stiff

thaslaya's star rating system:

☆☆☆☆☆ - Fantastic!

☆☆☆☆ - Recommended

☆☆☆ - There are buyers but not for me

☆☆ - Can't see the appeal

☆ - Product is a failure

Disclaimer: 

This set was provided by Kinera in exchange for my honest and impartial review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Here is the non-affiliated product link: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005485611549.html

Gear used: 

●LG v30+

●Samsung Galaxy s22 Ultra

●Samsung dongle

●Hiby FC4

●iFi GO bar Kensei

Source:

●Listening was done through Amazon Music HD or Ultra HD.

Introduction:

Kinera is a brand that has been around for awhile and most of their offerings are in the mid to hi-fi budget tiers. I have not been able to demo any of their sets as of yet but one of the things they are known for is their incredibly beautiful shells. Celest was created as a more budget focused sub-company of Kinera. Most of Celest's releases fall in the <$100 price bracket. Their newest offering is the Pandamon 2.0, a revamp and retune of the original Pandamon from 2022. The new version features Celest's Square planar driver (SPD) 2.0 and a much friendlier, mature aestetic. The MSRP is $59 but they can be found on sale around $43 through Kinera's store on AliExpress. Let's see how this new, refreshed planar stacks up in the busy budget market.

Build, fit, ergonomics:

The unboxing of the Pandamon 2.0 is simple but satisfactory for a set around $50. The box is adorned with some nice artwork. Upon opening it, the earphones and their case can be found nestled comfortably in the foam cutouts. The first thing that catches the eye is the beautiful shells. With the Pandamon 2.0, Celest has wisely opted to update the shell aestetic from the original. The new version ditches the crazed panda for a mature, jewel-like design available in either blue or black. Last year I was interested in purchasing the original Pandamon, but to be honest, the cartoonish panda on the shell was a big turn off. For the 2.0, I opted for the blue and it's a very attractive sapphire color. The design is eye catching and much less polarizing than the original Pandamon. The iems themselves are very lightweight but don't feel fragile. They are small and fit should not be an issue for most. The included cable is a white/silver color that compliments the shells well. It's available in either 3.5 or 4.4mm termination and i always like give credit to companies that offer a choice. It's a serviceable enough cable but does feel a bit cheap and slightly stiff to me. There are 6 pairs of tips provided, 3 are the standard affair and the other 3 are a bit shorter with a wider bore. I wasn't able to get a great, longterm seal with the stock tips so I opted to use my favorite Penon Liqueurs. The carrying case is a nice inclusion. It's small, very pocketable, branded, and soft to the touch. Any case at this price is a welcome addition but this one is particularly great.

Sound impressions:

The Pandamon 2.0 has an elevated midrange with a mostly neutral and tame bass and treble response. The 3D imaging is very nice and one of the highlights of this set. The soundstage is a bit narrow to my ear with the sound projecting just outside the head. I think more extension in the bass and treble would help lend to a wider and deeper stage. The planar drivers are fast and tactile with good attack and quick decay. They do well to keep up with complicated tracks and don't get bogged down. Detail retrieval is good for the price but not the best in this tier. Instrument and vocal timbre are reproduced well and accurately, if not a bit lean and emotionless. The note weight is on the thinner side but not overtly so. The drivers do take to EQ very well if that's your thing (I personally don't use EQ very often as I prefer to hear the true nature of the iem).

●Lows - The bass is present but also feels subdued. The sub bass can extend deep when pushed but it doesnt hit as hard as I'd like. It's fast and articulate but the quantity, texture, and slam is lacking for me. In tracks with double kick bass, I can clearly hear each hit but it didnt create a satisfying rumble. I think this may be a product of the decay being too fast. It's like the presence of each note dies out too quickly to build into a true low end response. This could be part of the characteristic of the planar driver. If that's your bass preference then it will sound good to your ears. Bassheads will definitely need to look elsewhere.

●Mids - This is where the tuning is focused the most. Vocals are clear and concise but do come across a bit dry/cold/clinical. They are mostly uncolored and lifelike in their presentation but are a bit too thin for me to really enjoy them. I find myself missing that vocal character, emotion, and warmth that I crave. Because the upper mids are boosted, they come across as unnatural and lead to somewhat of a "forced clarity ". I think the Pandamon 2.0 will please those that like their vocals forward and uncolored but I personally prefer a warmer and smoother midrange.

●Highs - The treble is mostly subdued to make room for the elevated upper midrange. There is a bit of air and sparkle but it does feel sort of muted. To the Pandamon 2.0s credit I don't hear any sibilance or shrillness. Snares and cymbol crashes are clear and bright but still inoffensive. There's not a lot to be said about the treble here other than it's polite and subdued. Trebleheads keep looking because there isn't really much here for you.

Summary:

The Celest Pandamon 2.0 is a very capable set and I think that it's competitively priced. Regrettably, it's best features and qualities are things that don't really appeal to me personally. The SPD 2.0 has a fast bass response, clear note separation, and great imaging. My issues are more with the tuning. The subdued bass quantity leaves me wanting and the elevated upper midrange and vocals can come across a bit cold and emotionless. The treble is actually good for me since I am sensitive to sibilance and I didn't hear any, although the extension could be better. So who is the Pandamon 2.0 for? I think it'd be a great set for those craving a more neutral bass and treble presentation in favor of elevated mids. Perhaps it could benefit vocal purists that prefer a less colored midrange. The fast attack and quick decay might be good for music mixing and gaming, although these aren't really in my wheelhouse so take with a big grain of salt. This is not a bad set by any means and I can still appreciate them for what they offer. Unfortunately, it's just that what they do offer doesn't really fall within my personal preferences. I will say that Celest should be proud of what they have created. I truly do believe there is an audience out there that will enjoy the Pandamon 2.0 and I can recommend them if my description lines up with your preferences.