Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
Among the 2 tips, I found the foam tips to be more comfortable. The foam tips have a laminated layer which adds to its durability. The foam’s ability to expand and compress also gave a better seal and fit. The Ibasso DX150 (AMP6) is known to have a natural sound signature with a warm tonality. Paired with the Gems, treble has a good extension, however, the lows are still lean for my taste. The OH300 are well tuned U shape IEM, it has linear and clean bass, with good amount of bodies yet fairly neutral midrange, the treble extended well without fatiguing. The OH10 “Obsidian” has been hanging on our Wall of Excellence for a while, mainly triggered by Alberto, who had written a glowing review. He characterizes the OH10 sensibly and exhaustively so that there is not much room for things to add. The OH500 are mildly U shape IEM, it has deep and well controlled bass, with warm and full bodies midrange, and mildly and detail treble.
While flailing about for proper alliterative text, I typed “ the rumble down under.” This led me to Google it to see if this is an actual saying. It turns out that this turn of phrase was the name of a great video game level that I haven’t played for a decade or so. I hereby commit to adding this saying to the current common vernacular.Overall, I’ve recorded a super-fun and wildly engaging sound signature, they have one of the lowest THD I’ve recorded so far, a fast driver recovery, a clean spectrogram and a smooth waterfall. Does very well in the bass and technicalities department but not so much in the midrange and the treble. NM2+ treble is more forward and has added density making it very accurate and precise but brighter in tone. The NF Audio IEM has more accurate imaging and a holographic albeit smaller soundstage, in part, due to it’s lighter bass and crisper treble. OH10 would be better suited for those who like a fuller bass response and smoother treble. Conclusion I am absolutely in awe of all the little details the IEM reproduce. Listening to some of my all time favorite albums and I am hearing things I have never heard before. My daughter and son now also own same. It’s all in the deets!
The NF Audio NM2+ is a single dynamic driver earphone designed as a professional stage in-ear monitor for performers but it’s also great for music listening. The NM2+ has less sub-bass emphasis and a punchy mid-bass that’s more similar to the OH10. The midrange is where the fun starts to happen. Especially in the lower mids, there is some uplift that makes the sound warm-ish and musical. There’s a good amount of detail, a wide stage, and a really excellent instrument separation for the Obsidian. I would call the sound analytical for the most part, as in the middle of the midrange, there is a slight dip, and after it the upper midrange starts to rise again, and that keeps on going forward in the treble. Stringed instruments, trumpets, and classical instruments in general are presented so darn well, they are better than on most 500 USD IEMs. I don’t know how, but the size, distance to the listener, texture, realism is absolutely spot on for those instruments. I’ve been testing Obsidian with Dethklok and their entire album Doomstar Requiem. Obsidian actually renders finer details and micro-details in an excellent fashion, with the upper midrange being fun enough for the sound. Guitar solos are natural with good textures and a colorful , vivid presentation. The outer nozzle is having a diameter of 5.7 mm – it’s basically the standard sized nozzle and you can easily use your growing ear-tip collection. The nozzle depth is at about 4mm in length, it’s a bit shorter, but I didn’t have issues using third-party tips as Comply, Spin-Fit and double-flange silicone tips. Those 2-pin connectors are buried deep in their copper shells and you will need to apply a higher force to detach that cable. I think that 2-pin connectors are less comfortable long-term since the cable is not spinning around how it does with MMCX connectors, but it’s a much sturdier connection that resists a much longer time period. The W40 are U shape sounding IEM with fairly neutral timbre, it has tight and well controlled bass, with well balanced and slightly warm midrange, and fatiguing free treble. Music transitions smoothly into the midrange, with no unnatural bumps or dips. Vocals and instruments take a more dominant position in the mix as they aren’t being upstaged by a boosted bass section. Things sound smooth, clear, and well defined, with a moderately intimate presentation.
It was pleasing to know that even small USB-C dongles and portable Bluetooth gizmos were able to awake subterranean bass notes in no time, OH10 were always engaging and hard smalling no matter the source, yep, I’ve heavily head-banged even out of a smartphone. The shape is almost identical to that of the OH1 and has the same dimpled faceplate effect. This time around the shells are gunmetal grey in colour. Due to the brass alloy materials, the housings have some heft to them and are a bit heavier than average. In fact, they are significantly heavier than the OH1 which has an almost identical shell shape.
I don’t know if it was on purpose or not, but its frequency response feels a lot like the Harman Curve, that so many IEM manufacturers are using nowadays as the gold standard when it comes to tuning. I beg to differ, Harman Curve is fun short term, several minutes later I start missing the upper midrange presence and the lost details that were sacrificed just to get this exact tuning. Nothing is wrong about it, normal people (read non-audiophiles) like it anyway. Estos son mis audífonos favoritos por su coherencia tonal, sobre todo que entrega una gran textura en la zona baja y su imagen sónica inmersiva que aumenta si lo amplifico con fuentes balanceadas. Es un audífono para disfrutar la musical. No es un audífono analítico y esto en un principio no me gusto, pero ahora lo agradezco ya que no me fatiga al tener largas escuchas. Es para sacar sonrisas por como te muestra la musical. Ikko designed an IEM with a rather uninspired name for the presentation, as Obsidian does not necessarily explain the whole story, and the price of 160 USD is way lower than the quality I am hearing from the OH10. The main comparisons will be with Optimisation Elements Tita, BQEYZ Spring 2, BGVP Art Magic VG4. How do you make a gem shine? You polish it. More and more, until you achieve a beautiful and deep luster. That same level of care and polish is evident in the IKKO Gems. From their physical design to their refined sound signature, the Gems really do shine. The Gems really are gems! Nope, they aren’t for bass-heads. Those folks need to move on and go buy the Obsidian. But for anyone looking for a more neutral and analytical sound signature, the Gems will provide all that they could want.Superbly end-to-end calibrated signature. An all-rounder if there is one (and I don’t believe in all-rounders). Everyone’s ears are different, so I can’t promise that the OH10 will fit and feel as good in your particular head holes. So there is some risk associated with blindly buying IEMs with this unusually high weight. Internals What’s better is certainly a matter of taste, and they both sound very good, if very different. The Tea command your attention, while the OH10 suit a more easy-listening groove. Their low-end is somewhat intoxicating. As I don’t have many V-shaped earphones which I hold in high esteem in the same price range as the OH10 Obsidian, I’m going to compare them to other popular earphones in the same price range:
Great Deal 
New Comment