Oriolus In-Ear Monitors (v2)

INTRODUCTION
 
The Oriolus MKII is one of the IEM's in the TOTL category that is not as popular as the leading brands. Despite the lack of popularity in most regions, the Oriolus MKII is actually very well known in Asia, especially in Japan. The Oriolus is priced at 1050-1100$ internationally, and around 900-1000$ in Asia/Japan.  Below would be my review after 2 weeks of listening with various sources, cables, and listening situations.
 
I apologize in advance for my bad English and grammar. English is not my native tongue and I lack the vocabulary skills and adjectives to review in a technical way 
 
UNBOXING AND PHOTOS
 
The Oriolus MKII comes in a simple yet elegant black box. Inside the box is a black metal case which has a very nice finish and feel to it, a cable pouch, some paper work, and some eartips.
I bought my MKII's secondhand but in almost pristine condition for 600$  (around 10-20hours of use, previous owner got into speakers and kept it in the box for almost a year and decided to sell it ).  Below are some photos of the box and MKII's.
 
The Box:

 
Open Box
 
 

 
 
Close up:
 

 
BUILD/DESIGN:
 
Build:
 
The Oriolus MKII is very similar to MKI in terms of build and design. The housing is sturdy enough for daily use, but should still always be handled with care. Here in Japan the Oriolus is known to be very fragile, because a lot of the owners seem to always crack or break them.
I think the build is still good enough though, it's just that most Japanese audiophiles just don't handle their IEM's very well. (Not generalizing them, but I think most people or foreigner who lives in Japan and is into audio stuff will agree with me) They always handle them like 10$ earbuds, they just stick it in their pocket's and sometimes even sit on them. Most of the second-hand IEM's for sale here in Japan have a lot of scratches, cracks, and broken wires due to that reason.
Anyways, I think the build is still decent, not the best but its good enough. They're also very light for their size. 
 
Design:
 
 The MKII has a very simple yet elegant design. A curvy housing with some golden engravings and a glossy finish. It looks very sleek and gorgeous IMO especially when paired with the PW audio cables, its like you're wearing a piece of jewelry. Most people that see me wearing these always comment about how beautiful they are.
 
FIT/ISOLATION:
 
Fit:
 
Despite their size, which is a little big than normal, the MKII's are actually very comfortable. The seal on my ears are actually also very good, the only universals that sealed very well for me other than the Oriolus would be that Mee audio P1's and the SE846. They're very light and not fatiguing, the beauty of the curved design IMO is that there wouldn't be edges that might hurt your ear while wearing them or while attempting to wear/remove them. They will stick out a bit of your ears due to their size, but its not really bothersome and not that stupidly big compared to the JH series and the iSine's. You might need to do some tip rolling if you want to find the perfect fit, but I think the Oriolus would fit most people great. Below is a photo of me wearing the Oriolus, (For your reference, I'm Filipino with slightly bigger ears and really small earholes)
 

 
Isolation:
 
The MKII's isolation is pretty decent, not the best, but good enough especially when listening at 50% or more. They pretty much block most external noises when you're wearing them and when they're fitted correctly. People who can't get a good enough fit might have different opinions though.
 
IMPEDANCE:
 
The Oriolus are very very easy to drive! These IEM's are so sensitive that they will produce hiss and distortion even at lowgain in some amps, they will sound good even through your phone. But a decent dac/amp would ofcourse obviously take to the next level, I just hate the distortion and hiss though. 
 
 
SOUND:
 
320KBPS, FLAC, Tidal, are used with all of the listening. 
 
Sources: OPPO HA-2SE, iPhone 6, Schiit Magni/Modi V2, Woo Audio WA7, Little DOT MKII, Asus Xonar STU, TSDRENA DAC/AMP, Fiio A3, Fiio X1, AK iRiver
 
First Impression:
 
The MKII's are very musical, when I first put them on, the first thing I noticed is how meaty and lush the mids are. Very similar to the Audeze LCD X in terms of sound signature. Slightly warm, lush mids, okay soundstage, great imaging, and great boomy bass. After hearing a couple of songs, I think that these would probably be the most versatile TOTL IEM, every genre that I listened to sounded great with these, they seem to make any song really fun and energetic. Despite all these, at I wasn't really wowed by the Oriolus yet, I was thinking to myself if they are actually even worth it, even at the price that I bought them for which is a steal. I mean they really sound good, but they don't really do anything special, I'd still pick my IE800's over it which IMO has better soundstage and has better clarity and detail retrieval. I'm a soundstage addict and a treble whore, what may be sibilant to others may sound sparkly to me. This is why I really liked the IE800's, because it's bright, great soundstage, and has very little to none mid bass which gives way to all the micro details in the mids and highs. It might sound thin to others, but this is my personal preference. 
 
The moment that I was wowed by the Oriolus was when I listened to Kreutzer's Violin Sonata No.9 1st movement. I mean, oh my god it just made the violin sound so alive!  This is when I realized why they're TOTL. Despite my hate for mid bass, and warm signatures, the Oriolus made vocals and violins very musical and lush. I really recommend listening to simple acoustic recordings with the Oriolus, and just see how they transform these simple recording with 2-3 instruments into a very musical fiesta. I also really like the Oriolus with EDM and hip hop, they're still good with classical but they're not as good as an IEM with a reference sound signature. They somehow make classical music too grouped and too boomy and lively. This might be good or bad for some people out there but personally I don't like it. I like to hear the spaces between instruments when listening to classical music, this is why I prefer thinner sounding signatures when listening to classical, because warm and lively signatures make the instruments too meaty to my liking. But recordings with few instruments will really shine on the oriolus, and despite all my negative comments, I think most people would find them exceptionally good and very versatile with most genres. Its just that my listening preference is different.
 
Bass/Lowend:

The MkII's bass is really good, it has a lot of volume to it and is very lively. I could use more sub bass, and I would've loved it if the bass was a little tighter and punchier though. But the bass works really well in combination with the slightly forward mids and warm signature. I find them a little boomy for my preference though, but I think overall the bass is really good.
 
Mids:
 
This is where the Oriolus shines! The MKII's just make the mid frequencies so musical and lush that you just can't stop listening for more. When I first heard acoustic tracks and some violin recordings on the Oriolus, I was really surprised at how they can make simple recordings very fun and engaging to listen to. The mids are slightly forward but not that much, Vocals are also livelier because of this trait.
 
Treble/Highs:
 
The Highs of the Oriolus remind me very much of the Fidelio X2 headphone, it has really great detail, but its just that the warmth and sound signature somehow veils some of the details in the highs. You can still hear the micro details though if you listen very carefully. These IEM's are not sibilant or harsh at all, these are probably the most non fatiguing IEM's I have ever heard.
 
Soundstage:
 
The sound stage is decent, not that really great actually. The IE800's have better width and depth in terms of soundstage. The Soundstage is slightly better than the K10U's  but its nothing to write home about. Like I said earlier, when compared to a headphone, The Oriolus would be equal to an Audeze LCD X, they're pretty similar, its like the Oriolus is the IEM version of the LCD X. The only difference is that the LCD X has better bass, punchier and tighter, not boomy like the Oriolus. Most people say that Oriolus lack in depth but is very wide, IMO they're not wide, they pretty much have the same soundstage as the SE846, maybe just slightly better.
 
 
Imaging/Precision:
 
Despite the not so great soundstage, the imaging is really really good. Much better than most of the TOTL IEM's I've heard. You can really hear where the instruments are and that 3D feel is really awesome! The Imaging is much better than the IE800's and probably on par with the iSine's. 
 
COMPARISONS:
 
IE800 vs Oriolus MKII
 
In my personal opinion, its a tie between these two in terms of overall sound quality. I like the IE800's very much because of my preference, but the Oriolus is just so musical and fun to listen to.
The IE800 has better clarity and detail retrieval. It also has much better soundstage and has a much more open and arier feel to it than the Oriolus. The Oriolus though has better 3d imaging, bass and mids. The oriolus are also much more fun to listen to, and the IE800 might also be harsh to some people because of its treble, but the Oriolus on the other hand won't probably give you problems when it comes to becoming sibilant. I'm still a bit biased over the IE800 and If I were to choose only between the two, I'd still pick the IE800's despite the horrible fit and cable.
 
K10U vs Oriolus MKII
 
Even though the Oriolus might technically be better in every aspect over the K10U, I'd still pick the K10U in this round due to personal preference. These 2 TOTL IEM's have somehow the same objective when it comes to their sound signatures. Non analytical yet still fun and musical. I'd give an edge to the K10U's though because they are somehow brighter and have better detail and treble extension that caters more to my liking and preference. The Oriolus is much more meaty in all sound frequencies and might be more musical, but the K10's have the better speed and clarity.
 
SE846 vs Oriolus MKII
 
The Oriolus MKII is like the roided version of the SE846, The SE846 has punchier bass, but the in terms of overall quality the bass on the MKII's is much much better.I'd say the MKII's are like 15% better than the SE846. The MKII's are definitely better than the SE846, but if you already own the SE846, I wouldn't recommend upgrading to the MKII's unless you really have no concern with budget. 
 
iSine10/20 vs Oriolus MKII
 
No contest, hands down to the iSine's especially when paired with the cipher cable. It's very wrong to compare the iSine's to normal IEM"s anyways, they have an open design, they're like open back headphones.They're  really good, the only thing that can beat them in the IEM realm would probably be the Layla's, although I cannot comment further on that yet because I only heard the Laylas for 15minutes tops, I would need more listening time. So the iSine's are still the best IEM I've ever heard so far in terms of overall sound quality. The isolation and leakage is **** though, which pretty much beats the general purpose of using IEM's in the first place.
 
CONCLUSION:
 
The Oriolus MKII is a great buy if you're considering taking the next step into the realm of TOTL IEM's. Probably the best value too because you can buy these used for around 700-800$ which is pretty cheap considering the prices of other TOTL IEM's. They're very good with almost every genre and make every song very musical and engaging. I know I had a lot of negative comments about it, but that is mainly due to my listening preference. And despite my dislike for warm signatures, these IEM's actually made me think twice. They will just draw you in and let you feel music.
 
I would be keeping the Oriolus MKII's for now in my collection, I'd use them and swap them with my daily drivers whenever I want to listen to different genres that are best suited with it. 
I'd probably sell them down the road if I get tired of them or if I find a better IEM to add into my collection. 
 
If you have any questions feel free to hit the comments below!

 
IEMs with hybrid configurations (ones that combine both dynamic drivers and balanced armatures) are getting more and more popular these days, and my first review of a hybrid is none other than the Oriolus mk2, which is already highly acclaimed in the audiophile community. 

I first came across the Oriolus over a year ago when it was still in its first iteration – my friend @prismstorm had told me about this new hybrid thing that people in Hong Kong had started going crazy over, with comments like “strange chaotic soundstage”. The first version was an inconspicuous deep blue blob without any sign of branding on it. I remember being intrigued by it, as it was not one of the big brands, had an interesting background of being some sort of joint effort between Chinese and Japanese companies, and also had the (then) somewhat rarer hybrid dynamic driver and balanced armature configuration. Over a year later, after having tried IEMs of all different prices and designs to see if I could find the same quality of the Oriolus and failing to find anything better, here I am with this review.

Unboxing, Accessories & Specs

As I am based in Hong Kong, the version I obtained was the Chinese version of the product. The sleeve for the packaging box is a little kitschy, what with the Chinese calligraphy and birds illustration, but removing it will reveal the understated but elegant black and gold signature look of the Oriolus on the box. The cylindrical earphone case is made out of black aluminium and while it’ll serve great as a sturdy and protective container at home, it’s heavy weight and the screw on lid doesn’t make it very convenient for on the go usage.





 

 

 

Driver Configuration (per side)	1 x 10mm Dynamic Driver 3 x Balanced Armature Drivers
Sensitivity	114 dB/mW
Impedance	16Ω
Cable	1.2m braided copper cable
Accessories	Aluminium earphone case Cleaning cloth Cable Clip Eartip cleaner 1 x Foam tips (M size) 4 x Silicon tips (XS, S, M, L)

 
The package  also comes with an eartip cleaner, a cable clip, and a set of tips with a range of sizes. I thought it was funny that they provided a tiny eartip – it just barely covers the nozzle. The white foam tips feel a little stiffer than the Complys that I’m used to, and as usual, muddy up the sound a little. I settled for the L size tips for a comfortable fit with a good seal.
 

 
I haven’t really been convinced that different cables make an audible or significant difference (if they did, testing would reveal difference in peaks or dips if cables could change the frequency response or THD, etc.). Nonetheless, I’m perfectly fine with commenting on the durability, aesthetics, and ergonomics of cables. The Oriolus comes with a braided copper cable with a slightly showy looking golden 2-pin connector which are labeled L and R. Being triple-braided and sleeved in clear plastic, it’s slightly on the thick side from the bulky metal L-shaped 3.5mm plug all the way to where the cable splits in two, where at this point it transitions to become a thinner and more flexible single braided cable to the earphones. It also has thin metal wires at the 2-pin connector end which serve as adjustable memory wire and help to secure the earphones around your ears. It’s thicker than your average earphone cable so while it’s a little on the stiff side, it’s not difficult to work with and also doesn’t tangle much, which is helpful. Microphonics with this stock cable is great – I typically don’t hear much microphonics, and I walk around and commute with them all the time.

Build, Design & Isolation

The Oriolus is large. People with small ears, I’m sorry to say you probably won’t be able to use this fantastic IEM. I’m very fortunate to have it fit just right for my ears – it’s a really snug fit for me. What can you do – they had to fit a big 10mm dynamic driver and 3 balanced armatures into one tiny enclosure. Its amorphous blob shape is comfortable to wear despite it’s size. Once you get it in though, it sits securely and doesn’t feel like it will fall out. At the narrow tip of the outer facing side is a bass port which helps with bass response as pressure can be released outwards, allowing the dynamic driver to flex with more ease. At the same time, this will cause the noise isolation to suffer and while it’s not horrible, the Oriolus isn’t really the best at isolation due to its hybrid design.
 

 

 

 
In terms of build quality and design, it’s flashy without being too much so. The golden accents of the “Oriolus” text stands out from the deep glossy black acrylic body, but not excessively so that it’s gaudy. It’s a classy looking package that doesn’t scream for attention. The glossy black acrylic which is supposed to have been upgraded to a German source in the mk2 feels very solid, so you won’t have to worry about it breaking apart or cracking from the slightest pressure.

Sound

The Oriolus’ sound signature is currently my favourite and has secured its place in my top 10 IEMs for sure. With its hybrid configuration, it has an effortlessly natural presentation of music as far as IEMs go (which are physically limited by the the fact that they go straight into our ears). The Oriolus presents a wide soundstage, with a little more width than height, and overall has a warm sound signature to it with a slightly relaxed bass response but energetic mids and highs.

 

 
Despite having tried shedloads of different earphones, the thing that always stood out and brought me back to the Oriolus was its sublime combination of natural, warm sounding bass combined with amazing detail retrieval up high. The 10mm dynamic driver takes care of all the bass frequencies with a laidback yet controlled attitude in a way that it can pound out plenty of low reaching sub-bass when it needs to. Trance and dubstep lovers will no doubt be satisfied with the quality of the bass here – I tested it with Porter Robinson’s Spitfire and it definitely goes deep. However, it is most definitely not at the level of a full on bass cannon style of tuning, where bass is turned up to 11 and overwhelms everything else for bass impact. In general, Oriolus’ bass sounds like it hits from outside of the ears – oftentimes sounding like its coming from behind my head. There’s plenty of sub-bass rumble coming from afar and a slightly more forward mid-bass impact. Listening to The Helix Nebula’s Convalescence showcases the Oriolus’s excellent separation as bass tones still sound succinctly textured and have a slight bite to them even in the most robust passages of their progressive metal soundscape, revealing details that full on basshead earphones will obscure with their more brash reproduction of the low frequencies. After seeing this teardown photo from Musica Acoustics’ Instagram, I’m wondering if the large physical size of the Oriolus with the dynamic driver positioned way at the back has helped to create this sense of depth in the bass frequencies.

The Oriolus continues to present a rather warm and full sound as it extends up towards the mids, and although I enjoy this tuning which really helps give a sense of weight and body to things like guitars as they chug along in rock tunes, some may find it a little veiled and muddy. I actually reconsidered getting the Oriolus when I demoed it right after using the Westone 4R, which has the typical clean, smooth and controlled Westone house sound. In the end, I picked the Oriolus as it was a little more warm and chaotic in a way that was especially pleasant to listen to in live tracks and was overall more to my liking.
 

 
Where the Oriolus really sings is its mid-high region. I don’t have any measurement data to back me up on this, but to me it sounds like there’s at least a slight peak somewhere around the 2-4k Hz frequency range. Whatever it is, the Oriolus has an amazing clarity and more forward presence in the upper range of vocals, guitar solos are rendered loud and clear, and snare drum impact is impeccably snappy and well textured. Combined with the deft rendition of the other frequencies, it reproduces complex passages with clarity and really shows the Oriolus’ prowess at great instrumental separation. The mid-highs are very clear and energetic thanks to the strength of balanced armature drivers in this frequency range. Vocal volume is heightened so that singers really take a centre stage in the head and have a bit of an edge to them that’s never unpleasant, but really lets the listener acutely admire every breath and enunciation. Despite the exceptional separation of this region, I sometimes find myself yearning for a tad more low end fullness to vocals, but I think that the Oriolus has found a good middle ground between a full bodied and sparkly sound. This goes for the top end as well, which has great extension but leans towards a smoother rather than harsh and bright presentation.

Comparisons

Shure 846
The Oriolus and 846 not only share similar prices, but also have a somewhat similar sound tuning. Both have a strong bass presence and lush mids, but in the 846’s case the bass impact is a little tighter and has more slam while the Oriolus has a more natural dynamic driver sound with more decay. The Shure also has more low-mid presence while having less sparkly highs and also a narrower soundstage than the Oriolus.

Campfire Audio Andromeda
Two very different beasts – the Andromeda presents everything with a focus on clarity and control and has incredible high frequency extension, while the Oriolus is more lively and has more focus on the low end. Andromeda’s bass is lean, clean, and very tight, while the Oriolus is a little more loose and has a bigger and warmer presence.



Final thoughts

I personally can’t find much fault with this IEM apart from maybe wanting a slightly tighter bass sometimes and fuller vocals. If pressed for an answer, I’ll comment that maybe it’s a little more sensitive than your average earphone – it’ll occasionally pick up weird noises from my OnePlus X, and is a little sensitive in that mid-high region, making it sound a little harsh depending on the music. However, I can get a cleaner signal out of the FiiO E07K when I’m not on the move so that’s not really the Oriolus’ fault. Going for 800USD (I got it for cheaper), it’s not chump change either, but in the current state of the market it’s in my humble opinion the best bang for your buck at this price point for the quality you get, and I would highly recommend this earphone to anyone with ears big enough.

 

This review was originally written for AccessibleAudio
All photos by @alffla

  
 
First of all, I would like to thank Dimitri Trush, CEO of the MusicaAcoustics for providing me review sample of Oriolus in exchange of my honest opinion.
 
 
Oriolus’ official website: http://www.mini-audio.com/ or http://www.oriolus.jp/
MusicaAcoustics website: http://www.musicaacoustics.com/
 
Testing Equipment
*Cowon Plenue P1
*Oriolus Stock Cable
 
So, what is Oriolus?
Well.. A bird. Yup, a bird. Known as "genus Oriolus" or "orioles"
I strongly believe that this particular bird is brand's muse. Just like this bird, Oriolus mk II is vivid, polite and smooth.
Some of you may think that Oriolus belongs to iBasso, some of you think that it belongs to Mini-Audio.. or Cyras Inc.. Well, I honestly don’t know who created Oriolus.
Let's put aside that and get to things that really matter!
First of all, I hope this little review of mine aid you with your grand quest of finding the "perfect" iem. I have listened over 200 earphones to this date, and I am still searching for it.. Yup. It is not an easy task to be an audiophile..
I can almost see you scrolling down for sound impressions. Let's cover few things first!
 
BUILD QUALITY | FIT | ISOLATION
Oriolus is a well-built acrylic earphone. It has a great finish. It also stays very secure in my ears. I am using ortofon and spinfit tips. Both sound and fit great to my ears.
It has a short and wide nozzle. 3 sound bore configuration each side.
Isolation is also good. Not InEar SD-2/3/4 vacuum kind of good, but good. On par with K10UA.
 
ACCESSORIES
It comes with:
4 pair silicone tips.
1 pair comply tips.
1 cable management tool
1 cleaning tool
1 cable attacher (to prevent microphonics)
The cable it comes with is fantastic. It's three strands look strong and well-built. Plus it looks way better than common stock cables. Kudos to creators of Oriolus in this regard.

SOUND IMPRESSIONS
Let me divide this whole thing into few sections.
 
Sound Signature
Honestly, it’s quite hard to give it a specific label. It is very balanced across the spectrum. Don't get me wrong it is absolutely not ER4 kind of balanced. It has a great bass response, it has great mid energy and it has delightfully polite highs. It is a great allrounder. Coherency is the key apparently.
Resolution is on par with JH Angie, U12, TG334..  (K10UA, SEM9, are 1 step ahead of oriolus in this matter)
Tonality In general, Oriolus feels pretty natural. Stringed instruments and brass instruments have a realistic tone. Percussion instruments are a bit warmer than usual.
 
Low Freqs
Rumblin' Tumblin' all day long. You feel the dynamic driver's whack effect very well. Oriolus has a lush, fulfilling bass response. I am not talking about a extreme basshead pleaser here, the kind of bass that would make you tap your toes, move your legs..
Long story short, lows of Oriolus hit hard, they can keep up with relatively fast paced genres, they have just the right amount of air in them and they also have great depth.
All because of the good ol' DD.
 
Mid Freqs
I've been disappointed one too many times in this section to be honest. I had iems that I absolutely adored highs and lows but not the mids..  Mid region has always been the most tricky one. As for Oriolus, I must say I am very impressed. Region is completely under control with good amount of detail. Mids are vivid, beefy, articulate. Vocals are a bit forward but not intimate like the K10. Upper mid region is again, very controlled and refined. Cymbals and hihats never go sibilant and never gets sharp. I really must congratulate creators of Oriolus about this. Female vocals “shine bright like a diamond” (pun intended)
 
High Freqs
Again, like the rest of the spectrum, they are very controlled. No out of place shining, no sharp ear hurting forever extending treble. Just good amount of energy, just good amount of resolution, just good amount of extension. Simply put, highs are effortless. They're there. Just when you need them. Crash/Ride Cymbals, Picollos, Saxs, Snares all very present and very well defined. Highs are gentle and delicate.
 
Soundstage | Layering | Separation
Soundstage is not extra wide, tall or deep. Just enough to have a great instrument separation and good amount of space between the instruments. Great instrument separation gives you the impression of 3D staging very well. Of course, cohesiveness across frequencies greatly help Oriolus in this regard. However, stage depth is not great. Don't get me wrong, it is good but there are better options.
 
Dynamism | PRaT (Pace, Rhythm and Timing)
Oriolus is not a particularly fast earphone like S-EM9. But It is fast enough. It doesn’t feel congested while listening to fast paced genres like speed metal, thrash metal, fast paced EDM songs.. It can surely keep up and satisfy the demanding audiophile.


 
Short Comparisons
 
vs. Noble K10UA
K10 is more intimate, it's mids have higher resolution and they're even more effortless. K10 is emotional whereas Oriolus is distant(Not laid back). K10's upper mid frequencies and high frequencies are definitely wilder and can be a problem at high volumes. Oriolus’ Bass region is similar, both have enough to keep you happy.
 
vs. Earsonics S-EM9
S-EM9's treble is refined, detailed, energetic and fast. S-EM9 is dynamically superior, even more energetic and fast. Hell, it is the fastest monitor I've ever listened to this date and Oriolus competes with it just fine. As for mids and lows, S-EM9’s bass extends deeper and it is a bit more impactful. Both monitors’ mids are meaty and detailed.
 
vs. Lear LCM BD4.2
Lear is brighter than Oriolus. It's notes are lighter, more transparent.
Lear’s bass is on par with Oriolus but it feels a lot slower.
Listening to Metal and other fast paced genres with Lear is quite tiring.
Oriolus is much more easy going in this regard because of the tamed upper mids.
Handles congestion a lot better than Lear.
 
vs. FitEar TG334
TG334’s presentation is similar. However Oriolus feels airier.
Oriolus is even more coherent than TG334.
Oriolus’ treble is more refined and detailed compared to TG334.
Low frequencies of Oriolus feels tighter.
Oriolus freq regions are living in a complete harmony whereas TG334’s mids can sometimes isolate themselves from rest of the spectrum.
HOWEVER, FitEar's vocal presentation is more emotional. I can understand why it has so many fans all over the world.

vs. Earsonics Velvet
Tonality-wise, Velvet feels a bit artificial compared to Oriolus.
Velvet's bass extends deeper and have greater impact.
Oriolus' mids are meaty whereas Velvet feels flimsy.
Treble is similar, resolution is almost the same.
Velvet feels airier but it also lacks body.
 
End Words
Oriolus is coherent and versatile. These traits are what makes Oriolus a great all-rounder.
Oriolus sounds a lot better than those just under it in cost, yet compares closely to those that are much more expensive.
 

 
Thank you very much for reading!