So I got them today. I would say they are definitely an experience. Previously I was using Punch Audio's as my top Basshead IEMs, and they are fantastic for the price. There are some clear differences though, with the Origin's being better in every area to my ear, though not always by that much. All review below is with the Fiio M21, no EQ, tracks from Tidal at highest setting.
Edit: I forgot to add... The Origin is a very big IEM. The Portazo was already my largest, and the Origin is probably about 40% larger. 95% of that is greater depth, it's the exact same shape if you look at the faceplate side, and almost the exact size from that perspective... But then it just stick WAY further out of your ear with a very deep body. So not for people with small ears or who don't want the attention such an IEM might bring.
Squiglink's for reference:
[https://eliseaudio.squig.link/?share=IEF\_Comp\_Target,ThieAudio\_Origin](https://eliseaudio.squig.link/?share=IEF_Comp_Target,ThieAudio_Origin)
[https://pw.squig.link/?share=IEF\_Comp\_Target,Punch\_Audio\_Portazo](https://pw.squig.link/?share=IEF_Comp_Target,Punch_Audio_Portazo)
When comparing them (and consider that the Portazo is really good in every way, bass, voices, and treble, so we are comparing at a high level here), when it comes to the Origin, the sub bass has a bit more presence and is clearly cleaner. Both of them feel very full in the sub bass, but the Origin's slightly less overwhelm the rest of the song, which was a minor problem with the Portazo's on some songs.
The mid bass is where the Origin's really stand out though. When you have really punchy mid-bass songs the Portazo's give you a more physical experience than other non-bass IEMs, but the Origin's hit a fair amount harder in those moments. It's a just a more physical and visceral experience. It is also cleaner. The Portazo's are already pretty clean for bass heavy IEMs, but the Origins raise that another level, making muddiness a complete non-concern, even at very high volumes with super active bass tracks. The main thing though is the physical presence just being more impactful.. It's the real experiential difference from other IEM's (but I don't want to oversell, it's not going to change your life or something).
The vocal ranges are great with the Origin. As hinted before, the bass is so clean on the Origins that they don't overwhelm the vocals at all, especially given that ultimately the vocals ranges don't actually fall that far below the bass frequencies, and in addition stay pretty flat giving similar presence to all vocals.
Trebles of course are also strong as you can probably tell from the squiglink. No drop off like you see with cheaper IEMs, and not overwhelmed by the bass or vocals so you can hear them clearly. For instance the finger snaps on "bad guy" disappear a bit on the Portazo... They are clearly there, but they don't stand out at all. They are noticeably crisper and clearer on the Origin, there is just more energy that adds something to the track.
The soundstage is very good, just what you would expect from a high end IEM. The sibilance could be better controlled, but it is still pretty good. The track I chose is impossible to clean up entirely, but the Origin's handled it about as well as you could realistically hope for. Better than most of my cheaper IEMs.
No surprise, these are fantastic IEMs. Are they truly worth the price difference over the Portazo's? Honestly, probably not.... The Portazo's will do a great job, and anyone with them shouldn't feel like they are missing out on a great bass-head experience. But are they also clearly better, and giving you more that if you have the money and want to have the best possible bass experience for under $1000... They might be the best (I haven't tried them all obviously, so I can't say).
A few songs I listened to:
Turn It Up - Armin Van Buren
bad guy - Billie Eilish
Clarity - Zedd, Foxes
Born Slippy (Nuxx) - Underworld
Sail - Awolnation
Tom Tom - Holy Fuck
Gimme Chocolate - BABYMETAL
Chemical Bond - Rezz, Deathpact
Backseat Freestyle - Kendrick Lamar
Magnolia - Playboi Carti
Mask Off - Future
Killing Moon - Roman Remains
Bubbles - Yosi Horikawa (soundstage)
Junkyard Entrance - Marilyn Mazar (soundstage)
Code Cool - Patrice Barber (Sibilance testing)
Punch Audio Portazo. Arguably (and it's ALWAYS arguably with IEM's) the best bass forward IEM's under $200.
I have them and listened to a bit of Playboi Carti and Future with them, and the bass definitely hit hard without overwhelming the vocals or treble, and didn't really get muddy.
I don't know exactly what you are truly looking for, and I don't listen to this music normally, but I like other kinds of bass-heavy music myself, and tend to want more bass from my music in general. The Portazo's are definitely my top IEM's under $200 for good bass right out of the box and I think they would do the job for you.
Side note: I listened to the same songs with some of my other IEM's and the Portazo's definitely sounded best for this kind of music to me.
Some tips:
1, Get a good seal, stock tips are often good enough, but you most likely will need to buy third party tips of various sizes to see what works for you. Most people will swear by tips like Penon Orange, Dunu S&S and Spinfit W1.
2, Some IEMs need wide bore tips to let through all frequencies, while some need small bore tips to accentuate the bass and calm the treble. You'll have to see what you prefer depending on how treble sensitive you are and how the IEM graph looks like. For example my Ounch Audio Portazo really sounds bright (too much treble) if I use a wide bore tip, but when I use a smaller bore tip like Penon Orange or the included foam tips, suddenly it's one of the best IEMs in my collection. The eartips are crucial and make all the difference.
3, You will eventually get a new set of IEMs, and you will have to base the new purchase on some factors.
Did you like the sound of the Aful Explorer? Then get a similarly tuned IEM, or take a gamble and try something new. I loved my Explorers, then switched to other stuff and loved it more, so now I gave the Explorers to my little cousin because I wasn't wearing them anymore. Some people have different IEMs for different genres. I for example love the Ziigaat Arete for gaming and PC use, Punch Audio Portazo for classical music, low frequency heavy music and sound stage, and Ziigaat Odyssey 2 and soon Aful 5+2 for commuting and all kinds of music.
4, Use AliExpress, it will save you a ton of money on things like eartips, DACs and more. With their coins system I just have to login every day through a phone widget and claim daily coins, then I can use them to cut the cost of what I buy, every day the discounts change so I can sometimes find a pair of eartips for like 60% off and build my collection for much less than on Linsoul.
Some tips:
1, Get a good seal, stock tips are often good enough, but you most likely will need to buy third party tips of various sizes to see what works for you. Most people will swear by tips like Penon Orange, Dunu S&S and Spinfit W1.
2, Some IEMs need wide bore tips to let through all frequencies, while some need small bore tips to accentuate the bass and calm the treble. You'll have to see what you prefer depending on how treble sensitive you are and how the IEM graph looks like. For example my Ounch Audio Portazo really sounds bright (too much treble) if I use a wide bore tip, but when I use a smaller bore tip like Penon Orange or the included foam tips, suddenly it's one of the best IEMs in my collection. The eartips are crucial and make all the difference.
3, You will eventually get a new set of IEMs, and you will have to base the new purchase on some factors.
Did you like the sound of the Aful Explorer? Then get a similarly tuned IEM, or take a gamble and try something new. I loved my Explorers, then switched to other stuff and loved it more, so now I gave the Explorers to my little cousin because I wasn't wearing them anymore. Some people have different IEMs for different genres. I for example love the Ziigaat Arete for gaming and PC use, Punch Audio Portazo for classical music, low frequency heavy music and sound stage, and Ziigaat Odyssey 2 and soon Aful 5+2 for commuting and all kinds of music.
4, Use AliExpress, it will save you a ton of money on things like eartips, DACs and more. With their coins system I just have to login every day through a phone widget and claim daily coins, then I can use them to cut the cost of what I buy, every day the discounts change so I can sometimes find a pair of eartips for like 60% off and build my collection for much less than on Linsoul.
I like Portazo and this Punch Audio thingy in general aesthetic and sound-wise. I wonder what linsoul would release under this name next, other than that everything is kinda same for me
Here is my review of the Punch Audio Portazo. When I first heard it, I was honestly surprised by how light the bass sounded, especially knowing the Portazo features a +15dB bass boost.
I later discovered this is because the +15dB boost is concentrated almost entirely in the sub-bass region. The songs I initially used to test the Portazo—mostly classic rock and vocal-oriented pop—contained almost no sub-bass frequencies.
However, when I tested them with Hip-Hop and EDM (such as Daft Punk and Frank Ocean), the deep sub-bass truly came to life. A sub-bass boost, rather than a mid-bass boost, is more effective at maintaining clarity throughout the midrange. Instead of a punchy "slam," the Portazo delivers a deep "thud" in those tracks.
In summary, I believe the Portazo is one of the most technical "basshead" sets available. It maintains overall clarity despite the massive bass shelf, and the soundstage is impressively accurate thanks to the planar drivers.
That said, if you primarily listen to older recordings or songs with minimal sub-bass, you won't experience the Portazo's full potential. In those cases, it will sound very similar to a standard Harman-tuned set.
arentol
