iKKO - OH10 Obsidian

Ikko oh10 obsidian are a nice/fun set

well that is reassuring to hear, going from the ikko oh10 to the xenns top. Hope they blow me well 😉

While I don't currently commute much, if I'm going somewhere on public transport, I find that I prefer a more v-shaped tuning than usual, with a strong bass especially. I think maybe it helps with background noise, but also in general I prefer a more energetic sort of sound if I'm out and about. My current go-to is the Ikko OH10. I've been looking for an endgame for this use-case and so far, the OH10 is the closest, but not quite perfect. It could do with a couple more dB of bass (without EQ) and a touch less stridency in the treble. I will say though, it's pretty easy to make the OH10 perfect with EQ, it's just something I don't like doing because I'm always listening to different stuff and it's a pain to manage profiles. Plus it encourages never-ending tinkering and tip rolling is bad enough as it is. Some things I was hoping would unseat the OH10 but have not done so include the Aful Explorer and FatFreq Deuce. Some warm/bassy IEMs that I don't like as much for travelling are the QKZ HBB and Letshuoer S08, despite being my #3 and #2 IEMs overall, respectively. The HBB is too laid back. The S08 is let down by its bass, which can be a bit boxy at the best of times, but this gets exaggerated quite a lot when travelling, especially on buses. The Timeless AE is an interesting one in that it sounds perfect for walking around, but as soon as I get on a bus, it suddenly sounds like it has no bass. Been meaning to write a separate post about that one. I think there's something about "planar bass" and acoustic impedance going on there; something to do with the engine noise/vibration from buses. The same thing does not happen with DD bass drivers, regardless of whether they are midbass or subbass focused. I haven't had a chance to compare the Timeless AE, Ikko OH10 and Moondrop Kato on a train, but for a long time the Kato was my go-to for long train journeys. I find the OH10 is a bit ahead of the Kato for bus trips, as it's more v-shaped. I think if I'm going to spend 2-4 hours on a train, I'll still prefer the Kato. I'll also mention my favourite IEM overall which is the Simgot EA1000. It works for everything including travelling, but the Kato and OH10 are both warmer/bassier so those are what I'd normally go to for travelling. If I were travelling, staying hotels, etc., and wanted to take a single IEM for everything, it would be the EA1000.

Not the Wyvern Abyss actually. It looks so much better in photos than it does IRL in most lighting. Without a really strong light source, it just looks black. With a strong light it looks quite glittery and a bit cheap. Still an 8/10 in perfect lighting conditions though. It's hard to say which is my favourite. Some top picks are Aful MagicOne, Ikko OH10, Simgot EA1000 and EPZ Q1.

I find the S08 to be *extremely* tip sensitive. It didn't sound right to me except with one specific tip. I have about 30 or 40 tips and I tried them all. So I'm normally a bit hesitant to recommend it to people, as there's definitely an element of luck involved when it comes to finding the right tips. If I happened to only own 39 instead of 40 tips, I might have hated it. I do find the bass to be a bit of a weak point on the S08, especially compared to my other planars (Artti T10, S12 Pro, Timeless AE). Tips don't really affect the bass as much as they help fix the eargain region, affecting timbre and especially vocal presentation. They do slightly affect the bass level & extension, but that's all. The bass is a bit boxy and lacking texture, which just seems to be down to the way the driver is tuned/damped. But they have such a unique presentation, that's basically the complete opposite of the EA1000, that I don't mind it much normally. The only thing I do find is that if I'm walking outside or on public transport, I need an IEM with fairly strong & authoritative bass, and the S08 doesn't cut it for that. The HBB is too laid back, so my go-to for now is the Ikko OH10. The way I describe the S08 sound (with the right tips) is this. The EA1000 is bright-leaning and sounds very open and spacious. With a live recording, it sounds like you're on stage, a couple of metres away from the band. The S08 on the other hand sounds like you're trapped in a cupboard with the band, with the drums are echoing off the walls and the vocalist singing directly into your face. Vocal timbre sounds completely correct to me, but that was very much one of the reasons I rejected so many eartips. I suspect the reason some people might say the S08 has a lot of bass is because the tuning is quite dark. So that makes them sound both warm and bassy, since everything is relative. But it's actually less upper mids, rather than more bass. It's definitely a thick, warm, bassy sort of sound, but it doesn't have the same bass separation or the speed/texture as the S12/Timeless-style planars. The planar driver speed is still apparent in some ways, but it's more subtle. The main one I notice is the extremely accurate and holographic layering (despite the very small soundstage). That and occasionally it will resolve small details in a way that makes you go "huh".

I have about 50 IEMs, so it's a fairly long list. But my current favourites are: 1. Simgot EA1000 2. Letshuoer S08 -- currently tied with Ikko OH300 3. QKZ HBB 4. Moondrop Stellaris -- specifically with Dunu Candy tips^[1] 5. Moondrop Kato -- tied with Ikko OH10 (order changes if I'm inside or outside). 6. Dunu Titan S ^[1] Just because these tips work for me doesn't mean they'll work for anyone else - with other tips these are super bright and fatiguing to listen to.

I also love the OH10, but I find the treble can be a touch strident at times. The OH10 is my default "walking around" IEM, but I don't find it the best for listening at home. Sound aside, the fit stability on that thing is amazing. On paper it should be the least comfortable IEM ever, but it's the exact opposite of that. Sadly the OH300 is a totally different shell. The OH300 doesn't have quite the same deep, full-bodied "rounded" bass as the OH10, but it's pretty close; I think it's just got a bit less sub-bass extension. And it does bleed into the mids a touch, but in a way that I quite like as a colouration rather than it being bothersome (this is one place where the S08 is technically ahead, as the mids are a bit cleaner; though the bass isn't necessarily). The OH300 isn't as resolving as the OH10 either, but the treble doesn't bother me as much if I just want to relax for a bit. Where the OH300 is a bit special is, at least to me, it sounds incredibly holographic, especially in terms of depth/layering. I don't get that from the OH10. It's something that previously I'd only heard from the S08. The S08 is a touch more precise in its imaging, but both have a very similar effect, which is to create a very immersive 3D bubble of sound around you, but especially in the centre image rather than pushed out to the sides. They are also both fairly vocal-forward with a lot of bass. So the presentation is quite intimate, although the OH300 is a bit more "normal". I've described the S08 as like being trapped in a cupboard with the band, with the vocalist singing right into your face. The OH300 isn't quite that, but it's also not a super laid-back presentation like the QKZ HBB (which also has some similarities in terms of bass tuning and is another 1DD). In terms of bass quality, the OH10 is the best of these, but the OH300 beats out the more expensive S08, which can sound a bit boxy. Though being a planar, it is very resolving when it comes to things like instrument separation in the bass. The OH300 is a great example of why I like cheap 1DD IEMs. You have it at around $50 and the QKZ HBB at around $15 that really stand out as something unique. I tried the Falcon Ultra and didn't really like it - or more accurately I think it had too many issues for the price. I liked it more than the EA500LM and would have kept it if were priced around that level. Whereas something like the OH300 is very unique and didn't cost much. I actually only bought it on a whim because it was on sale and I thought the faceplate looked cool! When I first got it I listened to it for a few minutes, thought "meh" and put it to one side. It was only a few weeks later when I decided to try some tip rolling and actually listen to it properly that I discovered it's actually really good. Since then I've become more and more addicted to listening to it, to the point where it's been pushing out more expensive sets. Of course just around the time I discovered this and started recommending it to people, it disappeared off Aliexpress.

The S08 doesn't sound like most planars. Haven't heard the MP143, but I do have several others like the Artti T10, S12 Pro and Timeless AE. The S08 is much darker and sounds more like a DD. Planar technicalities come through at times, without the planar timbre. Definitely no spicy treble. My number 1 is the Simgot EA1000. Brighter leaning mild V shape that sounds very open, one of the largest soundstages in an IEM. Completely the opposite sound to the HBB and the S08. I have about 50 IEMs and the S08 is probably the closest to the HBB in terms of the overall "feel", but with the differences I mentioned. I have some other bassy IEMs, but they all have more of a pronounced V rather than a straight warm tuning. For example I prefer the Ikko OH10 for walking outside, as it's more vocal-forward and more resolving, but the treble can get a bit strident at times.

I like the S08 a lot, but it's quite tip-sensitive and the bass quality isn't the best for its price. It lacks detail/texture, especially compared to S12-like planars. It's a warm, dark sound with very intimate soundstage. More of a relaxing set than a high-volume, high-energy set. I don't rate the Explorer all that highly because the eargain makes vocals sound veiled, but they are also quite sibilant. That only gets worse with more volume. So far I haven't found any eartips that fix it. Other than that it's really good though and definitely the sort of tuning that would scale well were not for the sibilance, which may not be a problem for some. Haven't heard the Odyssey. I haven't found the perfect set for this purpose yet. The closest I have is the Ikko OH10, which is my main walking-around IEM. It's not perfect though as the treble can be a bit strident (with some sibilance too, though less than the Explorer). It's easily fixed with EQ and it can be fun to stick a 10dB bass shelf on as well, but for the most part I prefer not to EQ, so I'm still looking for something with no flaws. I bought the Explorer hoping that would be it, but was disappointed. I prefer the OH10 because while I do notice the flaws, but they don't bother me as much. On the budget end the QKZ HBB scales really well. The only reason that's not my walking-around IEM instead of the OH10 is for that use-case I prefer a bit more vocal forwardness. The HBB has set-back vocals, but very natural timbre (albeit the overall tuning is definitely warm & bassy, so *everything* sounds a bit warmed-up). The Ikko OH300 is a really nice mid-budget set as well (sometimes goes on sale for around $40 which is a bargain IMO). It's somewhere in between the OH10, HBB and S08. Bass is punchier than the S08, imaging is more holographic than the other two (close to S08 just not quite as sharp), less strident than the OH10 and more vocal-forward than the HBB. It can't compete with higher-end sets on resolution though, that's where it shows it's a budget set. It also can't quite get to the same levels of bass quality as the OH10, which is deep, rounded, punchy and textured all at the same time (with the right tips anyway; it can be a bit slow/muddy with the wrong ones).

The S08 actually doesn't really suffer from planar timbre and if you can get the right tip match, it's probably the best one out of these for what you want. The bass is a bit of a nitpick and rules it out for me as a walking-around set, but it's still my #2 favourite IEM, even with all the caveating. The driver is it's very resolving despite the dark tuning. So it doesn't sound in-your-face detailed like the S12 Pro and the like, but the detail is mostly still there, just a bit more subtle. It has a tendency to surprise you now and then with how resolving it is, because you forget it's a planar. It also doesn't have that metallic treble sheen that you get from the Timeless, S12 and all the others from the "planar wars" era. AFAIK the only other one in the same category of heavily-damped planars is the Artti T10 Pro, but I haven't heard that one myself and IDK how it compares or if it's less tip-sensitive. IDK about the Odyssey, but I'd check out [Paul Wasabii's review](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHX0_qR7LNc) if you haven't already. I'm a bit sceptical of some of the Ziigaat hype, but Paul is generally very reliable, albeit his presentation can be a bit dry and hard to follow at times. Also his point about impedance is good to know if you're considering it, as you'll want to check the specs of your DAC/amp.

If you want *clean* bass stay away from the Fudu and the Legato. They're both quite muddy. The cleanest sounding one I have is the Ikko OH10, but I suspect some of the newer hybrids like the Ziigaat whichever-one-is-the-bassy-one might be as good or better. The OH10 certainly isn't perfect & has a bit of a coherency mismatch between the slower bass driver and faster BA, although that seems to improve over time (maybe driver run-in is real, maybe it's something else). You also have the Aful Explorer which is very good in the bass and treble, but I find that it makes vocals sound a bit muffled and sibilant at the same time, due to the reduced eargain, with relatively more 5kHz than 2-3kHz. That's the kind of thing that can sometimes be fixed with eartips and they might match your HRTF better than mine, but I tried just about all 50 tips in my collection and couldn't get them sounding right. Probably the best option if you do get a good HRTF match though, as they're technically excellent - just the eargain tuning does not work for me at all. Also if you like the EW200 you could try the EA500LM. It's pretty much a direct upgrade: similar tuning but much better driver & shell.

There's quite a broad range. For example: * Aful MagicOne - pretty, but not overdone * Ikko OH10 - good looking, nature-based & reserved * 7Hz Timeless, Timeless AE, Simgot EA500 - minimalist * Tin C2, Dunu Titan S (black/red version), Truthear Hexa/Pure - industrial There's a whole load in the middle that are just random swirly colours which has become the default low-effort design. Something like the Thieaudio Legacy 2 does that well IMO because its just one colour with a bit of texture, not all the colours, all at once. If you want a plain black cable, look at the KBear ST12. There's lots of options out there. I notice the stock cables often don't match the IEMs very well, and intentionally or not, this most likely helps sell a lot of aftermarket cables.

Funny, I had the oh10 as my 1st iem, you shall be blown haha

Love switching it up with IEMs too. Found that rabbit hole a couple years ago and scooped a Moondrop Starfield, Ikko OH10, Final Audio A4000 and Fiio FH5, all with their own unique traits I enjoy. But currently looking at getting a higher end IEM and selling one or two of these. The Blessing line seems legendary at this point. I haven't heard any but there's so many dang options out there it's hard to choose.

*** NOTE: Specifically looking for feedback from people who have had/tried/appreciated the exact IEMs I have and what upgrade(s) were worthwhile to you. *** Here you see my modest collection: - Final Audio A4000 - (love it’s fit and huge soundstage) - Fiio FH5 - (love it’s big punchy bass and full sound) - Moondrop Starfield - (love it’s neutrality and natural sound) - Ikko OH10 - (bass bass bass) Curious to hear advice from anyone who also upgraded from any of these. These are all slightly older IEMs and I’ve been thinking about upgrading. Preferably, what does more or less exactly what these do, but better? I’m fully aware of diminishing returns and I’m overall happy with what I have, just in a place now where I can upgrade and want to if it’s a sizable jump. What do you love now more than these?

I've been using the Thieaudio Hype 2 for a while now, which is a few gens outdated but works well. I also enjoyed using the Ikko OH10 (I think that's the correct model number, anyway).

I can really recommend the Ziigaat Cincotres. Nice emphasis on the kick drum and bass guitar. I also think that they are relatively relaxed to listen to, the highs are not too emphasized. Longer listening sessions with badly mixed metal are also possible. I mostly listen to European power metal, thrash metal and sometimes black metal or heavy metal. By the way, I also have the Ikko OH10. I like a V shaped soundprofile, but admittedly they are very energetic and anything but relaxed

My first was the Ikko Oh10. I don't use them anymore because one side got damaged.

Crinicle dusk and theaudio Oracle OG. Are may favorites. But I have many others I still have that I haven't gotten rid of yet. Trn conch is crazy nice with eq. Orchestra lite for gaming, ikko oh10, and recently kiwi septet I have really enjoyed.

(amongst the iems have I owned) s tier: kiwi ears ke 4 and truthear hexa a+ tier: Ikko OH10, Pula PA02, Shuoer s12 pro, Sennheiser ie200, Kefine Delci, Dunu Titan S OG a tier: Dunu Titan s2, Tanchjim One, pre revision CCA CRA+ A- tier: Binary Chopin, Tangzu Waner Studio, KZ PR2 pre revision, Tripowin Olina SE B+ tier: Kiwi Ears Quintet, Tangzu Xuan Ji, Simgot EW 200, Truthear Gate and Hola, Tangzu Wan'er SG B tier: Moondrop Chu 2 and OG, KZ EDA Balanced, Kiwi Ears Quartet, Moondrop Aria Snow, FiiO Jade Audio JH3, Tripowin Lea B- tier: 7hz zero OG, Truthear Zero Blue, Whizzer BS1 C tier: KZ CRN D tier: Moondrop Quarks honorable mentions: Koss KSC75 in A minus, Porta Pro in B, Moondrop Space Travel in B-, Galaxy Buds Plus and 2 in A minus along with Airpods Pro Gen 1, and Galaxy Buds 2 Pro in A plus.