Yuin OK1 - review and comparisons.

[kostalex]

Update 7

Part 4 - canal phone mode

The idea of convertible earbud is great. I really hoped for OK1 to be an ultimate solution - earbud and canal phone the same time. I hate to say that, but current implementation is useless.

1) It is incomfortable, because the tube with eartips is centered. There was more comfortable solution from Sony where ear tips were located at the front edge of the earbuds. Sony EX-90 was not convertible, though. It did not isolate also and its SQ is not even close to OK1.


2) There is no isolation. I tried different tips, including biflanges and UE foams. I jammed them into my ears with no luck. The back of OK1 is open, so there is no isolation to talk about.

3) The better seal you reach, the worse sound you get. I reached the best seal with UE foams and pretty good seal with biflanges. Most of the highs died, while the rest sound false. Bass became boomy. CX300 or JVC Marshmallow sound better in comparison.

If you don't seal the ears with OK1s ear tips, then its sound is quite close to earbud mode, just slightly worse. But why to use the tips at all? I have the only so-so answer. You may hook OK1 eartips into your ears to provide more stable fit. It will better keep its position and less likely to fall out if you are jogging, f.e.

Sorry.

[Philimon]

A great review kostalex. In-depth as any review I have read on head-fi.

I know a lot of people on head-fi really like Yuin earbuds, so I wonder why this thread is not seeing a lot more posts on such a hot topic. Maybe it is because your review is so informative that no questions are necessary? I just need more of a consensus about the SQ of OK1s from other experienced head-fiers (like yourself kostalex) before I pay extra cash for OK1s instead of settling for PK1s.

[kostalex]

Thanks, Philimon.

[Jim15]

So when do the OK series go on sale?

[kostalex]

Originally Posted by Jim15

So when do the OK series go on sale?

I do not know. Ask Nankai.

[kostalex]

Update 8:

Pics and build

OK1 has a hole covered with a tiny grill. Screw a tube with an eartip into this hole to convert earbud into canal phone.



Top left: OK1 with donut foam (left) and with eartip attached (right). Bottom left: PK1. Bottom right: OK2 (same build as OK1) without foam (left) and with tube attached (right). Top right: different eartips.



OK1 is built the same as PK1: very simple and solid. OK1 is slightly deeper. It has a new cord which is covered with something like rubber instead of plastic. I hope, it will keep its flexibility at a cold weather better than PK1s cord did.

[NajoBB]

Great review kostalex. After almost 2 years of exclusive in-ear usage I'm considering earbuds. Maybe I'll try PK1 because they sound really interesting, especially for the price.

[kostalex]

Update:

OK1 vs Audio-Technica ATH-CM700

CM700 is a very good earbud, surpassed only by PK1 before, see more in my Review of the 7 best earbuds.
OK1 wins CM700 by a good margin:

• CM700 sounds flat, dry, shrill, ringing.
• OK1 sounds 3D, warm, smooth and mellow, muffled but detailed.

OK1 vs Etymotic ER-4P

At first I tried to compare OK1 vs ER-4S. Immediately I found that it is not fair comparison, so I shifted to ER-4P. The comparison results are:

OK1 has more bass weight, ER-4P goes deeper.
OK1 vocals seems to sound more natural, ER-4P vocals are a bit dryish.
OK1 highs are much softer, which is a matter of taste rather than an advantage.
OK1s sound is dark and veiled in comparison. ER-4P easily beats OK1 in terms of transparency and instrument separation.
OK1 sounds more open and has wider soundstage.
Details are on par, but ER-4P sounds smoother.

I consider ER-4P to be a better can, while OK1 is pretty close.

Based on my memories, OK1 surpass ER-6i, Shure E4c, Westone UM2.

[kostalex]

Update

More opinions

My GF

Year ago, my GF compared PK1 and CM700 and choose CM700 as her earphones. She hated PK1 for its "unbearable bass". Now she compared CM700 and OK1 and found OK1 to be a better can:
OK1 sound is 3D, fuller, better balanced, a bit muffled but more detailed. OK1 conveys emotions better.
CM700 sounds flat, too ringing with very agressive highs.
Her only but important complain was "OK1 sounds underamped straight from iPod".

My daughter

She prefers PK1 to OK1. She confirms that OK1 is more refined, but she finds PK1s sound to be more pleasant. I asked her to evaluate the differencies step by step. The results are exactly the same as mine so I do not post them here. She gave the following descriptions:
PK1 - vocals are more neutral, forward, with long decay.
OK1 - vocals are slightly dry and distant, more detailed.
PK1 highs are stronger, OK1 are softer.
PK1 bass is deeper, OK1 is faster and tighter.
PK1 sound is reverberating, with longer decay, musical, pleasant, more integral.
OK1 sound is fast, analitical, detailed and precise.

[kostalex]

I've completed review! Last addition:

OK1 to many

I divide all the cans I listened into 3 classes - Hi-Fi, Mid-Fi and Low-Fi. I divide each class further with 3 levels. So there are my ratings:

H1 HD650, W5000, SR-404
H2 Denon D2000, AKG 701, W1000, ER-4S, E500, E530
H3 DT880, ER-4P
M1 DT990, AD1000, K501, Ergo 2, UM2, OK1
M2 DT770, SR225, HD595, AD900, K271, MDR-F1, E4c, PK1
M3 AD700, HD555, HD280, DT660, SR80, ER-6i, CM700
L1 iGrado, A900, HD485, K181, E3c, UE 5 EB
L2 PortaPro, PX100, DT231, K81, D-Jays
L3 KSC-75, SportaPro, PXC 250, K27i, UE 3, E2c, CX300, Marshmallow, PK2

Performance: Terrific. OK1 certainly takes top place in Mid-Fi category and almost intrudes into the Hi-Fi category. This is terrific performance for earbud! Probably, some synergetic amp may even get it further, into Hi-Fi.

Value: Incredible. Imagine a very good can (say DT880), which is small enough to get it anywhere and comfortable enough to disappear. It provides a quality sound along with this unusual feeling "Look, ma, no headphone!".

[smith]

Fantastic review, well done......can you do one for the OK2 please.........

[kostalex]

Yes, OK2 review is coming.

[kostalex]

I've just completed Yuin OK2 review.

[kostalex]

Originally Posted by b0dhi

It's curious how phones that have deeper bass are always described as being "slower" than cans that don't have bass that goes as deep, even though deeper bass is, by definition, slower.

Not always. My D2000 and ER-4S go deeper than PK1 and I can not call any of them "slow".

[Jim15]

BUT WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO BE RELEASED?? I have a pair of pk1 and I think they are very good! The only thing I want for my portable rig are a pair of OK1's. A few weeks has turned into a couple of months. I can't hardly wait...but I am.
Jim Coleman