Okay, here goes on the OK3s.
First, I don't pretend to be an audiophile, just a hobbyist who loves great sound. I've owned more than a dozen phones (all portables, except for the RP21s, which I sold, and the SR-80s, which I kept), but now am down to five pair (SA6s, PK3s, im616s, SR-80s and modded Ksc75s), apart from OEm phones that came with the Zune, Sony A816 and Sansa e270. Mostly, I will be using the SA6s for obvious reasons. It's been a fun ride, testing and trying out all the different styles, makes, etc., but I hope it's over for now.
Along the way, I became a big fan of the Yuins, and have owned the PK1 (didn't need a high end ear bud, since I had the SR-80s for non-isolation listening at home), PK2 and PK3s (the latter twice, but sold the first pair to a friend). I have also recommended Yuins to people who want ear buds and quality sound. Not one has complained about the advice so far.
The OK3s are from Fang at Head-Direct, and not on sale yet. I don't have any idea about pricing, though my guess is they will cost more than the current PK lineup. They came in a small plastic bag, but the OK lineup no doubt will be housed in the same distinct packaging (wooden box, plastic cannister with snap-on top) as the PK lineup.
Physically, the generous OK3 Y-cord is about 59 inches long, nearly 9 inches longer than the PK3 J-cord (which was too short in my view). The OK3 cable also a more rubbery, bounce-back-to-shape type cord, more along the lines of the Denon C700s. The PK3 cord has more of a stiff plastic feel to it.
First, the downside...
The OK3s (and the entire OK lineup, I believe) has been designed as a "convertible" portable phone, offering either canalphone or ear bud design. Sadly, at least so far, I have not been able to get a good seal with the canalphone design. I received an array of tips (s/m/l white standard silicone, and one pair of white biflanges made of the same soft silicone material). And because I used the canalphone design first with the bi-flanges, I initially thought they sounded nice, clean, clear and very detailed. Bass is not overpowering, but certainly present (less than the PK3s, but just a little), and not muddy, messy or overwhelming.
However, I just can't get a good seal, and I tried all the tips. By far, the best fit is with the bi-flanges, but even then, it feels unstable, like they are going to fall out. They are very comfy, though. The bi-flanges work best cause they are the longest, and go deepest into your ears. Sound iso with these tips is fair, pretty much what you get with canalphones. If music is playing, it's okay. But you would not be wearing them for air travel, trains, subways, etc.
I could not even get close to a good seal with the standard silicone canalphone tips.
Not sure why, but I have a theory. Since the standard tips are short and very close to the ear bud face, it may be that the close proximity prevents them from going too deep. With other canal phones I have owned (CX300, C700s, etc.), I could get the tips in pretty deep, mainly because the body of the phones was about the same circumference as the sleeves themselves. Not IEM deep, mind you, but deep enough for a good seal. But I am thinking the flat ear bud base, which extends beyond the rim of the tips, is blocking me from getting them in any deeper.
Frustrated, I tried using a pair of short Shure orange foamies I had from the C700s, but after wrestling with them, I could not get them to fit the removable sound tube. And I have no other foamies (or flanges for that matter), that can fit over the OK3 sound tubes.
So because of the lack of depth, I felt there was, how can I say?, a hollow sound to the OK3s in canalphone mode using standard tips. Using the bi-flanges, the hollowness was not as pronounced, but I could sense that inside was something very good waiting to come out.
Now, if someone can find the right tips - long enough to both go deep AND fit the OK3 sound tube, that might work. Yet, even though the flanges were okay, they didn't deliver the depth and power of the OK3s in their ear bud manifestation.
In a way, the standard tips sort of reminded me of the way the sound came through when I tried those "sound enhancers" that you stick on the surface of an ear bud, trying to turn them into canalphones. I tried two different brands (one cheap, the other relatively expensive), and neither worked. Just not sure the OK "canalphone" thing is gonna work. Again, maybe with a long flange or foam tip, but I could not try with standard Complys or Ety/AL tri-flanges because, as I noted, they do not fit over the OK3 sound tube.
Now, on to the good.
It became quickly obvious when I removed the sound tubes (you just unscrew them, but be careful not to lose them), slipped on some donut pads, and turned on my Zune80 with the OK3s plugged in that they are a step above the PK3s. As you can see from the photos, removing the tubes leaves an expected hole, which as a clear path from the drivers to your ears using the donuts (unlike with most ear buds, which have a perforated surface). I haven't tried full pads.
I used a splitter to switch between the PK3 and OK3s, and the latter take the Yuin dedication to sound quality to the next level. Here are some tracks I listened to during the comparision. I didn't spend a lot of time on it, and that's why the songs are early in the alphabet (using the Zune's "artist" screen).
Soundstage is obvious and wide, comparable to standard phones, but that's the case with the Yuins because of the ear bud design.
Here are some impressions based on a few song samples (OK3s compared to PK3s).
Unamped with the Zune
Angelique Kidjo, Gimme Shelter - OK3's are more refined, cleaner, more sparkling highs, with the PK3s delivering a more prounced "ssssss" sound on the mids and highs (as someone described it, sort of a plasticky treble). Not so with the OK3s. Mids/highs clean, no sibilance or sizzle sounds. The same held true for the rest of the tracks.
Anne-Sophie Von Otter, Brahms Symphony No. 3, Poco Allegretto.
The Arcade Fire, Neon Bible
Average White Band, Pick Up the Pieces.
Beastie Boys, Fight for Your Right to Party.
Bonnie Raitt, Gnawin' on It
The more I listened, the more I favored the OK3s. Not by a wide margin, mind you, but enough to make a difference.
Amped with the Zune
When I moved to the MiniboxE+, the PK3s/OK3s and the Zune, the buds really hit their stride. I left the PtoS switch off, but the bass boost on and crossover switch off.
Some sample tracks...
Bela Fleck, The Message
The Blasters, Daddy Rollin' Stone
Allison Krauss, Baby, Now That I've Found You
Just for variety, I also gave them a listen using the unamped Sony A816, with the EQ set to +2 on clear bass and +1 across the equalizer spectrum (which sounded best to me after trying several other combinations).
As is the case with PK3s (and all Yuins for that matter), the OK3s respond well to EQ (and amping as well). The OK3s, as the PK3s, do not NEED an amp to deliver good sound, or enough volume.
In the end, all I can say is the OK3s are a nice upgrade from the PK3s, but I wouldn't necessarily sell my PK3s for the OK3s. On the flipside, if I wanted to get into the Yuin sound for the first time but didn't want to spend a lot of money, I'd favor the OK3s over the PK3s.
Hope this all makes sense. I didn't bother to compare the OK3s to the im616s, completely different animals. Same with the SA6s. When I did slip the SA6s into the mix, I realized why I am now very happy with them.
For me, the OK3s are a great entry level ear bud (the only great entry level ear bud?), suitable for poker tournaments, city walking, and other situations where outside sounds are important to be able to hear. After all, I already have the IEMs I want for serious isolation and SQ.
Its a great phone and easy to use and its driven my headphones well so far!
To update in depth shortly.
I loved these buds to bits, they were the perfect everyday headphone. Small and light and comfortable and barely protruded past the outside of your ears. I like the fact that no one can really...
