Introduction
Since there isn't too much info out there on the Tripowin Olina SE, I figured it would be helpful to add a review here.
I'm going to skip the packaging etc...and just focus on the main factors: sound, fit/comfort, and comparison.
I was perfectly happy with the sound sig and performance of the Etymotic ER4SE, but I needed an IEM that I could use for extended amounts of time during work as I found myself in an environment with quite a bit of noise (construction, loud neighbors). Unfortunately, the ER4SE's fit is horrible for long hours. With all these new IEMS in the low $ range, I decided to give the Olina SE a shot after trying the Moondrop Chu & Dunu Titan S for a bit.
Fit/Comfort
This is one area of the Olina SE that I think could be better. The nozzle is quite shallow which means that without just the right tips, it's difficult to keep a good seal. Add to it the fact that the IEM is quite vented, getting the kind of isolation one would have with the ER4SR triple flange is not possible. Luckily, one of the grey tips in the package fit perfectly for me. I tried a slew of other tips, none of which worked. The cable is excellent in delivering a clear, unfiltered sound, but the earhook is a joke. It won't stay tucked in behind my ear and floats around which drives me crazy. I will most certainly upgrade the cable at some point.
General Sound
The mids are very clean and well represented, but it is missing a bit of heft in the 1-2k region. That leaves vocals and guitars feeling a bit weak. I call it delicate because it's not as if something is missing in those regions with mid recessed IEMs. That frequency range is there, it's just not as elevated as the region just above (3k-4k) which makes the overall sound feel somewhat light. The bass and treble are more present than neutral, and just a hair above my preference. There's great extension on both ends, and that provides a level of detail that I just have not experienced in sub $100 IEMS (not even the Etys even though they have better mids).
Bass
There's a good amount of sub bass, but the mid bass is not as impactful as I had hoped. It kinda feels like rather than the bass having clarity and complexity, there's just a bass shelf EQ'ed in to lift everything below 250hz. The quantity is there, but I wish it were a bit clearer or more textured. To me, it feels somewhat spongy if that makes sense. It's not bad in any way, but I don't find it to necessarily wow me in its character. However, with regard to tuning, it's very pleasant and provides the bass detail that is needed for so much music out there nowadays (pop, hiphop, electronica). The bass stays out of the mids for the most part although I personally prefer the shelf to start below 175hz. I know a lot of people like the warmth that the 250k region adds to vocals, but for me, it just sounds like a veil is put on if it exceeds a certain point. It's not a big deal as I almost always EQ this region lower (even for the ER4SRs). Given this preference, I am actually planning to start saving up for the Moondrop Variations.
Mids
As I described earlier, the mids are very clean. They're neither recessed nor shouty and the details are pretty much all there. Some of the bass adds warmth (more like smoke than bloat). I think many will like this because it lends the mids a relaxed quality vs. the more analytical tonality which you get from studio monitors. Usually any trespassing of the bass into the mids bothers me to no end but on the Olina, it's quite acceptible. Again, I EQ the 250 region down a few dbs, and that does the trick. On the other hand, while the 3-5k region is slightly elevated to match the bass/treble, the 1-2k region stays flat. That results in a more airy sound that can lack punch for some. I EQ this area up a hair and the IEMs respond very well to that. Thankfully the Olina SE responds beautifully to subtle EQ.
Treble
Treble is well extended and present. There's a nice sparkle to the sound and quite a lot of detail, but nothing that is offensive. I do wish that the upper treble region would be slightly less elevated (to allow the mids to shine a bit more), but it's not enough to bother me. I EQ 10k+ down a hair so that I can get what I want.
Soundstage
Soundstage is decent for IEMs. Obviously much better than the Etys. Because there is a lot of "air" to the tonality, things feel separated enough so as to avoid any kind of congestion in terms of placement.
Imaging
It's generally very good. Clean separation between instruments. However, when tracks get busy, it does feel quite imbalanced in that the bass & treble regions feel louder than the mids. If I'm engineering live sound, I would be adding appropriate compression so that at the crescendo, things remain balanced and the power of vocals come through with all the instruments saturating in a balanced blend. With the Olina SE, it feels like there's no compression at all at the louder sections of songs which can crowd out vocals. That's not so great in that it can leave emotional parts of the tracks somewhat flat. It's less apparent on studio recordings of solo artists (Adele, let's say), but with bigger bands & complex arrangements, I find it quite distracting.
Comparisons
Dunu Titan S
Titan S is an excellent IEM. It has more weight in the mids and also the mid bass. Everything feels much punchier with the Titan S, and I find that I prefer it for things like hip hop and Kpop. What I don't like about the Titan S is that the upper region of treble is a bit too in your face and that the mid bass is slightly too forward. The Olina SE has a more gradual lift from the mid bass to sub bass region, and it sounds cleaner overall. The upper treble region, while just as clear and present, isn't as forward as the Titan S, and I much prefer that. there's also an earlier ramp down in the upper mids from 3k to 6k on the Titan S which makes vocals feel more punchy yet lacking detail. The Olina SE has a similar boost to vocal region, but with more detail, and I find it to be more accurate and natural. Only if the Olina SE had slightly more in the 1-2k range, it would be perfect in the mids. Needless to say, if you have to choose between the Titan S and the Olina, I say go with the Olina SE. It's just a much more refined IEM vs the Titan S for just $20 more.
Etymotic ER4SR
The ER4SR is a different IEM. In terms of technical performance, I don't find the Olina SE to be lacking very much which is a huge claim actually. The ER4SR when I bought it was in the mid $200, so the gap in price is massive. If I could choose between the two, I would actually choose the Olina SE because of the comfort. However in terms of pure sound performance, the ER4SR is better because of just how good its representation of the midrange comes across. However, when I want extended comfort and a more present bass, the Etys just can't cut it. Having these two is perfect for me depending on the mood I'm in, and I would say that they are the perfect compliment to each other.
Moondrop CHU
It's insane that the CHUs are just $20. I think I would've gladly kept the CHUs if they had 2 things: 1) a replacement cable because the stock cable is just an absolute piece of garbage lol. 2) The upper mids/treble drove me nuts because of its timbre and quantity. Vocals sounded unnatural and cymbals would grate at me on most tracks. However, if the CHUs fixed those two problems, I would actually not mind just owning them instead of the Olina SE. Yeah, the Olina SE is slightly better in terms of technical performance, imaging, etc, but the CHUs with the two fixes would be, I don't know, 95% of what you'd get from the Olina SE? If you do have the CHUs, like it, and want to upgrade, wow, would the Olina SE be the choice for you. Skip everything else in the similar price range and get the Olina SE.
Salnotes Zero
In terms of tuning, the Zeros are even better than the CHUs. I loved it. However, the timbre sounded insanely cheap to me - as if the sound was bouncing around a cardboard box before hitting my eardrums. And for that reason I had to give them away after just a few days of listening. If you have the Zero, just go and get the Olina SE haha. The quality of sound will make you realize why there's a difference in price despite similarities in tuning.
Conclusion
I really appreciated the youtube reviewers input on my decisions to buy these. There really are so many IEMs out there with this type of tuning. I had to choose between the Olina SE and the Kima (which I haven't yet tried), but I'm glad that I went this route. Maybe the Kima is better, but because of how I felt about the Titan S, I'm leaning toward the idea that I'd prefer the Olina SE even if it's just for the 4-6k region being more present. I hope my review here helps fill some of the gaps that are missing in the other reviews and helps you in your IEM purchase decision!
