oBravo Cupid Basic
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Bright, Sharp, Technical – oBravo Cupid Planar Magnetic IEMs Review
oBravo Cupid are some nifty IEMs, making the way for Planar Magnetic IEMs. They are priced at 250 GBP or roughly 300 USD, and they promise a Planar Magnetic Tweeter, a Dynamic Driver 16 OHMs of impedance, and 105dB of Sensitivity. They’ll get compared to IEMs similar in price, like the iBasso AM05, Periodic Audio Carbon, and FiiO FA7. It will also get paired with Lotoo Paw S1, FiiO BTR3K, and iBasso DX160.
Introduction
The fun part about oBravo is that although they are not new, they aren’t quite that known yet. This is because although they make excellent products, there are very few local dealers and they end up being overlooked in favor of much better known brands like FiiO. This being said, after having my first interactions with them, I could say that oBravo is reliable, and if you’ll want to have aftermarket support from a company, oBravo will be there for you.
It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with oBravo, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I’d like to thank oBravo for providing the sample for this review, with me being responsible for paying the custom taxes. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in oBravo Cupid find their next music companion.
About me
https://audiophile-heaven.com/p/about.html
Packaging
First things first, let’s get the packaging out of the way:
The package of the Cupid is interesting to say the least. It doesn’t come packaged like most other IEMs out there, and although they used a very small box, they included quite a few extras inside.
The best part is the cable, which looks kinda funny, but works well for you even if you decide to change your source from Balanced to SE. There are actually Comply foam tips, as well as “Unique” Silicone tips too, to help you get the best fit.
What to look for when purchasing a high-end In-Ear Monitor
https://audiophile-heaven.com/p/what-to-lookl.html
Youtube Video
oBravo Cupid Video Review:
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort
The build quality of the Erib, or oBravo Cupid reminds me a lot of the IE800 from Sennheiser, they have a very smooth surface, with a nice overall shape. In fact, the actual fit and ergonomics / comfort have nothing to do with the Ie800 which was straightforward terrible. The Cupid is good, not great, and the only downside to it is the default cable. The cable itself is actually an amazing piece, 2.5mm connector with a 3.5mm Single Ended adapter, but the connectors at the IEM level are way too long and hard, and I almost always will recommend replacing the default cable with something else, even those ~30 USD ones from Aliexpress, to get better comfort. They won’t sound quite as good, but they’ll fit much better.
Be careful though, as not all MMCX cables are compatible with the oBravo ob-MMCX, and mine were too tight to pull out the default cable to say for sure what else fits.
The 16 OHM impedance is a bit on the low side, they are not the easiest to drive and control, but a FiiO BTR5, iBasso DX120 or even a Lotoo Paw S1 will do just fine. Just don’t expect to be driving the Cupid properly from a Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S or any other smartphone any time soon.
The leakage is very low, passive noise isolation high, and especially with foamies, you can get a dream IEM once you replace the cable, so all in all, build and ergonomics are top notch. The oBravo Logo is also beautiful, and I generally liked them.
Sound Quality
If oBravo named it cupid because it’ll make you fall in love, well, that is a good approach. The cupid will make you fall in love, but not thanks to a musical and smooth sound, but thanks to a really bright, technical sound with a lot of detail, resolution, and clarity. Indeed, the sound could be described as bright, because both the bass and the midrange have less quantity than the treble.
This being said, the bass is not lacking in extension, and it can drop as low as 25 Hz, but the general quantity is not very high. It has a natural to quick speed, so it is a perfect match for fast-paced music lovers, but it can stay quiet and slow for those who want to listen to some classical and jazz. The midbass and upper bass have less quantity than they do on most IEMs, so the immediate feeling when putting the Cupid in your ears is that it has a thinner substance than you have expected. The overall tonality is not off though, so they feel tuned properly, just not very substantial in sound.
The midrange is uncolored by the bass, but it is colored by the treble, and the ratio between the lower mids and the upper mids is in the favor of the upper ones. Basically, the Cupid favors very cristaline, ethereal music, piano, violins, acoustic guitars and female voices. It does not favor bass guitars, male voices, or hip-hop at all. I would totally recommend the cupid to listen to classical, jazz, pop, soft music, especially where you want the best definition possible to the voices. The soundstage is also pretty wide and deep, with good instrument separation and layering.
The treble is the curious part, why is it so bright, and how did they manage to make it so bright. Those are good questions, because the driver is a planar magnetic driver, and most planar headphones are quite smooth and warm. The fun part is that the treble is quite wet in character, so slightly sibilant, but it is never metallic or harsh. The whole sound is a bit cold because the treble has a pretty uplifted presence, but the treble also extends nicely, so you never feel claustrophobic or bored with the Cupid.
Comparisons
Based on your requests I selected iBasso AM05, Periodic Audio Carbon, and FiiO FA7 as the main competitors against the Cupid.
All of those have a very different signature, but I wanted to let you know that I heard you and I’m doing my best to deliver the comparisons with the most reputable competitors.
oBravo Erib Cupid vs iBasso AM05 (300 USD vs 300 USD) – The AM05 is the closest IEM that I know to sound like the cupid. This being said, there are some differences too, the AM05 is less splashy, less sibilant, and more concrete in general, with a more practical and tangible impact. The Cupid has a more ethereal approach, and is quicker in general, where AM05 goes for a light and gentle sound. Both are fairly bright and well-suited for classical / jazz / fame voice-centric music. The comfort is great in both, but the cable of AM05 is better, where the overall IEM shape and design of the Cupid is a bit better than that of AM05. The package of AM05 is a bit better.
oBravo Erib Cupid vs FiiO FA7 (300 USD vs USD) – Fa7 is pretty much at the other end of the sonic signature spectrum, compared to the cupid. Fa7 is thick, warm, and as I called it, it does just one thing right. The Cupid is also fairly specialized and choosing between those two will be an easy one, do you like a thick, warm, bassy sound, or do you prefer a clear, wet, detailed, light and snappy sound? If the question is the second, then go for the cupid, and if you’re looking for a smoother and warmer signature, FA7 will be happy to please.
oBravo Erib Cupid vs Periodic Audio Carbon (300 USD vs 400 USD) – Carbon is how Periodic Audio calls their Bass Cannon. This is even more of a cannon than my canon camera, and it has the power to rattle your brains from inside out, almost as much as IMR IEMs can in general. I just like how those two IEMs can be so different, the somewhat V-Shaped signature of BASS CANON of Carbon is either bass or no bass. With the Cupid, you have more space to analyse the overall detail, music layers, certain nuance, but it doesn’t have a lot of bass, and most of the impact is in the upper midrange / treble. You should go with which sounds better for your overall taste / music preference.
Recommended Pairings
Also based on your requests, I selected Lotoo Paw S1, FiiO BTR3K, and DX160 from iBasso to pair the Cupid with.
You can go crazy here, and the Cupid scales quite a bit, so your FiiO M11 PRO, iBasso DX220, Opus #2, and even something like the Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ are all great ways to drive the Cupid, but if you’re planning a listening setup, I generally recommend some balance between the source and the IEM, with the IEM having a higher importance and priority than the source.
oBravo Cupid + FiiO BTR3K (300 USD + USD) – BTR3K is much much better here than the bigger brother, the BTR5. The overall tonal balance is much better with a warmer source, and this where Cupid sounds perfect, paired with something that takes some of that treble off, and gives them a bit more bass, a warmer bass and midrange. This leads to a sound that’s still detailed, crisp, clear, but less fatiguing. The ergonomics of the pair are also insane.
oBravo Cupid + iBasso DX160 (300 USD + USD) – DX160 has both some amazing abilities to EQ, but the default sound is much more concrete with the Cupid than with most entry-level choices, so this is where the baseline would be, at least for me, if I wanted to enjoy the Cupid at the max.
oBravo Cupid + Lotoo Paw S1 (300 USD + 170 USD) – Paw S1 is a tiny DAC/AMP made by Lotoo, and it is amazing in its own right, because it gives you a taste of how the best circuits made by the same company sound like. In fact, that’s not even the main reason I found it to be a good pairing, but because it has EQ profiles, so you can pretty much tone down some of that treble sparkle from the Cupid, making them considerably more enjoyable with a wider selection of music styles.
Value and Conclusion
The price of the cupid is great, you get a resolution that could be worth 500 USD easily, along with good support and a good build quality. You could say that you’re getting two cables, a single ended and a balanced one. Or at least you get the adapter to SE for a balanced cable. At any rate, the value is still great with the Cupid.
The fit will be pretty amazing once you replace the default cable, and it won’t be so bad if you don’t mind the long MMCX connectors. It is an unusual fit, and it didn’t work so well for me personally, but the IEM design and ergonomics was pure heaven.
The sound was unique though, if you’re an adept of resolution, and if you like a lighter, more uplifting, snappy sound, you’ll love the Cupid. It is a very resolute IEM with a ton of detail, and a nicely extended treble, but it is not one bit generic, the flat bass, combined with the ethereal mids surely will present music in a new way for most. It works especially well with classical and female voices, but if you listen to a lot of male-based voices, especially baritone, then there may be other, better options out there for you, even from oBravo.
At the end of this review, the oBravo Cupid is totally worth considering if you like brighter signatures, if you prefer having a quality IEM from Taiwan, and if you price clarity, detail & precision more than a warmer / thicker sound.
Product Link
You can ge the oBravo Cupid from here: http://www.obravoaudio.com/en/products-2/erib/cupid-en/
Full Playlist used for this review
While we listened to considerably more songs than those named in this playlist, those are excellent for identifying certain aspects of the sound, like PRaT, Texturization, Detail, Resolution, Dynamics, Impact, and overall tonality. We recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new most, most of them being rather catchy.
Youtube Playlist
Tidal Playlist
https://listen.tidal.com/playlist/64555551-ec3c-4279-ae44-248fdfcf6c4b
I hope my review is helpful to you!
—
---
Hits: 59,822
oBravo Cupid are some nifty IEMs, making the way for Planar Magnetic IEMs. They are priced at 250 GBP or roughly 300 USD, and they promise a Planar Magnetic Tweeter, a Dynamic Driver 16 OHMs of impedance, and 105dB of Sensitivity. They’ll get compared to IEMs similar in price, like the iBasso AM05, Periodic Audio Carbon, and FiiO FA7. It will also get paired with Lotoo Paw S1, FiiO BTR3K, and iBasso DX160.
Introduction
The fun part about oBravo is that although they are not new, they aren’t quite that known yet. This is because although they make excellent products, there are very few local dealers and they end up being overlooked in favor of much better known brands like FiiO. This being said, after having my first interactions with them, I could say that oBravo is reliable, and if you’ll want to have aftermarket support from a company, oBravo will be there for you.
It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with oBravo, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I’d like to thank oBravo for providing the sample for this review, with me being responsible for paying the custom taxes. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in oBravo Cupid find their next music companion.
About me
https://audiophile-heaven.com/p/about.html
Packaging
First things first, let’s get the packaging out of the way:
The package of the Cupid is interesting to say the least. It doesn’t come packaged like most other IEMs out there, and although they used a very small box, they included quite a few extras inside.
The best part is the cable, which looks kinda funny, but works well for you even if you decide to change your source from Balanced to SE. There are actually Comply foam tips, as well as “Unique” Silicone tips too, to help you get the best fit.
What to look for when purchasing a high-end In-Ear Monitor
https://audiophile-heaven.com/p/what-to-lookl.html
Youtube Video
oBravo Cupid Video Review:
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort
The build quality of the Erib, or oBravo Cupid reminds me a lot of the IE800 from Sennheiser, they have a very smooth surface, with a nice overall shape. In fact, the actual fit and ergonomics / comfort have nothing to do with the Ie800 which was straightforward terrible. The Cupid is good, not great, and the only downside to it is the default cable. The cable itself is actually an amazing piece, 2.5mm connector with a 3.5mm Single Ended adapter, but the connectors at the IEM level are way too long and hard, and I almost always will recommend replacing the default cable with something else, even those ~30 USD ones from Aliexpress, to get better comfort. They won’t sound quite as good, but they’ll fit much better.
Be careful though, as not all MMCX cables are compatible with the oBravo ob-MMCX, and mine were too tight to pull out the default cable to say for sure what else fits.
The 16 OHM impedance is a bit on the low side, they are not the easiest to drive and control, but a FiiO BTR5, iBasso DX120 or even a Lotoo Paw S1 will do just fine. Just don’t expect to be driving the Cupid properly from a Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S or any other smartphone any time soon.
The leakage is very low, passive noise isolation high, and especially with foamies, you can get a dream IEM once you replace the cable, so all in all, build and ergonomics are top notch. The oBravo Logo is also beautiful, and I generally liked them.
Sound Quality
If oBravo named it cupid because it’ll make you fall in love, well, that is a good approach. The cupid will make you fall in love, but not thanks to a musical and smooth sound, but thanks to a really bright, technical sound with a lot of detail, resolution, and clarity. Indeed, the sound could be described as bright, because both the bass and the midrange have less quantity than the treble.
This being said, the bass is not lacking in extension, and it can drop as low as 25 Hz, but the general quantity is not very high. It has a natural to quick speed, so it is a perfect match for fast-paced music lovers, but it can stay quiet and slow for those who want to listen to some classical and jazz. The midbass and upper bass have less quantity than they do on most IEMs, so the immediate feeling when putting the Cupid in your ears is that it has a thinner substance than you have expected. The overall tonality is not off though, so they feel tuned properly, just not very substantial in sound.
The midrange is uncolored by the bass, but it is colored by the treble, and the ratio between the lower mids and the upper mids is in the favor of the upper ones. Basically, the Cupid favors very cristaline, ethereal music, piano, violins, acoustic guitars and female voices. It does not favor bass guitars, male voices, or hip-hop at all. I would totally recommend the cupid to listen to classical, jazz, pop, soft music, especially where you want the best definition possible to the voices. The soundstage is also pretty wide and deep, with good instrument separation and layering.
The treble is the curious part, why is it so bright, and how did they manage to make it so bright. Those are good questions, because the driver is a planar magnetic driver, and most planar headphones are quite smooth and warm. The fun part is that the treble is quite wet in character, so slightly sibilant, but it is never metallic or harsh. The whole sound is a bit cold because the treble has a pretty uplifted presence, but the treble also extends nicely, so you never feel claustrophobic or bored with the Cupid.
Comparisons
Based on your requests I selected iBasso AM05, Periodic Audio Carbon, and FiiO FA7 as the main competitors against the Cupid.
All of those have a very different signature, but I wanted to let you know that I heard you and I’m doing my best to deliver the comparisons with the most reputable competitors.
oBravo Erib Cupid vs iBasso AM05 (300 USD vs 300 USD) – The AM05 is the closest IEM that I know to sound like the cupid. This being said, there are some differences too, the AM05 is less splashy, less sibilant, and more concrete in general, with a more practical and tangible impact. The Cupid has a more ethereal approach, and is quicker in general, where AM05 goes for a light and gentle sound. Both are fairly bright and well-suited for classical / jazz / fame voice-centric music. The comfort is great in both, but the cable of AM05 is better, where the overall IEM shape and design of the Cupid is a bit better than that of AM05. The package of AM05 is a bit better.
oBravo Erib Cupid vs FiiO FA7 (300 USD vs USD) – Fa7 is pretty much at the other end of the sonic signature spectrum, compared to the cupid. Fa7 is thick, warm, and as I called it, it does just one thing right. The Cupid is also fairly specialized and choosing between those two will be an easy one, do you like a thick, warm, bassy sound, or do you prefer a clear, wet, detailed, light and snappy sound? If the question is the second, then go for the cupid, and if you’re looking for a smoother and warmer signature, FA7 will be happy to please.
oBravo Erib Cupid vs Periodic Audio Carbon (300 USD vs 400 USD) – Carbon is how Periodic Audio calls their Bass Cannon. This is even more of a cannon than my canon camera, and it has the power to rattle your brains from inside out, almost as much as IMR IEMs can in general. I just like how those two IEMs can be so different, the somewhat V-Shaped signature of BASS CANON of Carbon is either bass or no bass. With the Cupid, you have more space to analyse the overall detail, music layers, certain nuance, but it doesn’t have a lot of bass, and most of the impact is in the upper midrange / treble. You should go with which sounds better for your overall taste / music preference.
Recommended Pairings
Also based on your requests, I selected Lotoo Paw S1, FiiO BTR3K, and DX160 from iBasso to pair the Cupid with.
You can go crazy here, and the Cupid scales quite a bit, so your FiiO M11 PRO, iBasso DX220, Opus #2, and even something like the Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ are all great ways to drive the Cupid, but if you’re planning a listening setup, I generally recommend some balance between the source and the IEM, with the IEM having a higher importance and priority than the source.
oBravo Cupid + FiiO BTR3K (300 USD + USD) – BTR3K is much much better here than the bigger brother, the BTR5. The overall tonal balance is much better with a warmer source, and this where Cupid sounds perfect, paired with something that takes some of that treble off, and gives them a bit more bass, a warmer bass and midrange. This leads to a sound that’s still detailed, crisp, clear, but less fatiguing. The ergonomics of the pair are also insane.
oBravo Cupid + iBasso DX160 (300 USD + USD) – DX160 has both some amazing abilities to EQ, but the default sound is much more concrete with the Cupid than with most entry-level choices, so this is where the baseline would be, at least for me, if I wanted to enjoy the Cupid at the max.
oBravo Cupid + Lotoo Paw S1 (300 USD + 170 USD) – Paw S1 is a tiny DAC/AMP made by Lotoo, and it is amazing in its own right, because it gives you a taste of how the best circuits made by the same company sound like. In fact, that’s not even the main reason I found it to be a good pairing, but because it has EQ profiles, so you can pretty much tone down some of that treble sparkle from the Cupid, making them considerably more enjoyable with a wider selection of music styles.
Value and Conclusion
The price of the cupid is great, you get a resolution that could be worth 500 USD easily, along with good support and a good build quality. You could say that you’re getting two cables, a single ended and a balanced one. Or at least you get the adapter to SE for a balanced cable. At any rate, the value is still great with the Cupid.
The fit will be pretty amazing once you replace the default cable, and it won’t be so bad if you don’t mind the long MMCX connectors. It is an unusual fit, and it didn’t work so well for me personally, but the IEM design and ergonomics was pure heaven.
The sound was unique though, if you’re an adept of resolution, and if you like a lighter, more uplifting, snappy sound, you’ll love the Cupid. It is a very resolute IEM with a ton of detail, and a nicely extended treble, but it is not one bit generic, the flat bass, combined with the ethereal mids surely will present music in a new way for most. It works especially well with classical and female voices, but if you listen to a lot of male-based voices, especially baritone, then there may be other, better options out there for you, even from oBravo.
At the end of this review, the oBravo Cupid is totally worth considering if you like brighter signatures, if you prefer having a quality IEM from Taiwan, and if you price clarity, detail & precision more than a warmer / thicker sound.
Product Link
You can ge the oBravo Cupid from here: http://www.obravoaudio.com/en/products-2/erib/cupid-en/
Full Playlist used for this review
While we listened to considerably more songs than those named in this playlist, those are excellent for identifying certain aspects of the sound, like PRaT, Texturization, Detail, Resolution, Dynamics, Impact, and overall tonality. We recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new most, most of them being rather catchy.
Youtube Playlist
Tidal Playlist
https://listen.tidal.com/playlist/64555551-ec3c-4279-ae44-248fdfcf6c4b
I hope my review is helpful to you!
—
---
Hits: 59,822
TLDR –
The Cupid makes for a highly engaging listen and a truly unique package that’s easily worth more than oBravo’s RRP.
Introduction –
Most will surely be familiar with oBravo, a Taiwanese audio manufacturer who specialises in air-motion transformer (AMT) and planar magnetic drivers (PMD) and whose earphones have been known to stretch into the 5-digit price range. There’s a reason for this, these driver types are immensely difficult to miniaturise and oBravo design and build their driver’s in-house using a patented process. It’s been almost a decade since their first fully formed model was released onto the market and now, we’re seeing that cutting-edge technology filter down to a substantially more attainable price range. Enter the Cupid, a hybrid earphone sporting a custom dynamic driver + planar magnetic tweeter configuration that comes in at a very reasonable £249 asking price. With such a name and legacy, the Cupid competes viciously in one of the most competitive price brackets in the IEM market. You can read more about oBravo and peruse their line-up here and treat yourself to a Cupid here.
Disclaimer –
I would like to thank Danny from oBravo very much for his quick communication and for providing me with the Cupid for the purpose of review. All words are my own and there is no monetary incentive for a positive review. Despite receiving the earphones free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation.
Tech Specs –
Weight: 200g
Technology: Dynamic, Planar Tweeter
Colour: Black Gold
Audio Range: 20Hz~40KHz
Sensitivity: 105dB
Impedance: 16ohms
The Pitch –
DD + PMT with Physical Crossover
The Cupid is a very unique hybrid-driver earphone combining a 6mm dynamic driver (DD) woofer with a 9mm planar magnetic tweeter (PMT). Furthermore, where the vast majority of designs employ circuitry to designate each driver with a frequency range, the Cupid rather utilises acoustics. Usually, this is in the form of a low-pass filter on the DD and maybe a high-pass on the PMT though I would be unable to say as there are no further details on oBravo’s website. Physical cross overs are much harder to tune but can create a more coherent sound with better phase alignment.
For those unfamiliar with the technology, standard dynamic drivers have a diaphragm that pushes air driven by a small central voice coil. Planar magnetic drivers, on the other hand, employ a conductive trace that covers a much larger surface area of the diaphragm. The benefit to this design is that force is exerted equally across the entire surface which means you can employ a lighter, quicker accelerating/decelerating diaphragm material.
It also means that at high frequencies PMD’s experience less modal breakup due to the uniform application of force, hence, they provide better extension and lower distortion. Planars are often lauded for their powerful bass response, able to move more air with their larger driven surface. However, as oBravo are working within the limitations of a minute housing, they have instead decided to capitalise on their low-distortion nature to deliver an insightful top-end.
Accessories –
The Cupid comes in clean and space-efficient packaging. Inside the hard box is a foam inlet containing 3 sealed bags of Comply foam tips of varying size alongside a soft pouch with individual compartments for each earpiece to prevent scratches. An adjacent cut-out houses 3 sizes of whirlwind tips and the Cupids themselves. The whirlwind tips are quite intriguing, with reinforced ridging beneath the mushroom tip that provides a stronger seal when inserted deeper in the ear.
A pull-tab provides easy access to a lower compartment containing the 2.5mm balanced cable and Velcro strap. There are actually 3 variants of the Cupid, standard containing just the aforementioned accessories, the prime version including a 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter and ultimate version that contains an additional 4.4mm Pentaconn adapter on top. The adapters are very nicely constructed and have a similar build to the cable’s plug, providing a congruent aesthetic.
Design –
Fundamentally, the Cupid assumes a pod-like over-ear design reminiscent of Shure’s highly acclaimed housings along with all their benefits. That said, where a basic acrylic complexion was to be found there, a defining feature of the Cupid is its dense and lustrous electroplated brass construction that exudes a very premium aura. These earphones are a spectacle; smoothly formed and immaculately finished, creating a play of light and shadow that’s certainly very difficult to capture on camera. Meanwhile, as they’re quite compact and produce a tremendously strong seal, the Cupid’s weight doesn’t feel burdensome in the ear while its density feels thoroughly convincing in the hand. The construction quality certainly belies their asking price.
Rather controversially, oBravo have chosen to implement keyed MMCX connectors. The key prevents swivelling and offers some additional reinforcement, however, those wanting to change the cable will have to modify the plug themselves which will naturally void all manufacturer support. The plugs are also ridiculously long which can cause them to rub on the temples, however, I didn’t experience this issue personally. Still, the cable itself provides a similar impression of quality as the earphones. It’s a 4-wire braided unit with OCC conductors in a Litz geometry. The connectors are metal and the jack reminiscent of Ranko plugs.
Fit & Isolation –
The Cupid is one of the best fitting earphones I’ve tested, compact, low-profile and with a very strong seal. Due to their size, they don’t contact any part of my average-sized outer ears, thereby forming no hotspots over time. As they are very slim and lie flush with the outer ear, they would also be a good choice for side-sleepers so long as the longer MMCX connectors don’t cause discomfort for the listener’s ears. I could spot no obvious vents which reinforces their excellent seal and passive noise isolation.
With foam tips especially, the Cupid would be perfect for frequent travellers and commuters. The upside to this is also their use of a dynamic driver, most of which are vented. The Cupid is an oddity in that it provides a rare combination of full, punchy and extended bass alongside excellent isolation and seal. I found the included whirlwind tips an excellent complement to their design in both sound and seal.
Sound –
Testing Methodology: Arta via IEC 711 coupler to Startech external sound card. Note that 7-9KHz peaks are artefacts of my measurement setup. I also did not hear the channel imbalance in that region in subjective listening. Take this graph with a grain of salt. Measurements besides channel balance are volume matched at 1K.
Tonality –
Every now and then an earphone arrives that challenges my ability to analyse sound and the Cupid is such a model. Fundamentally, this earphone is highly engaging, with a naturally voiced albeit thin, vivid and highly revealing voicing. Technicalities are excellent for the price, no question, and this is brought to the fore through its W-shaped tuning that emphasizes the sub-bass, upper-midrange and middle-treble. As many others have mentioned, the Cupid is such a curious mix of qualities that you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in addition to a great technical achievement. What it isn’t is balanced, linear or orthodox in tuning or staging.
Of note, the design of the Cupid makes it quite flexible in terms of fit. As aforementioned, the sound is tip sensitive, however, the stock whirlwind tips are an excellent companion. Should the user want a slightly tighter low-end, they can upsize and push the tips down so the grill of the nozzle is flush with the tip’s surface. This should also shift the high-frequency peaks slightly higher, but I found it a tad bright and fatiguing. My preferred pairing were the medium tips installed standardly on the lip of the nozzle which provided a bit more body to the sound while tapering off the high-end slightly. I also found the angle of the housings to affect the sound quite noticeably, perhaps due to the nature of the PMT. Pushing the housings deeper and angling the housings back provided slightly more coherent imaging to my ears.
Bass –
Weighty, articulate and with solid pressure in the sub-bass, the Cupid’s low-end has excellent extension and technical qualities. It has moderate emphasis, but not too much in the mid-bass so it isn’t ever-present and overbearing. The tonality is pleasing, with emphasis centred mostly around the sub-bass while refraining from over-extending into muddiness, only enough to provide affirming note fullness. The mid-bass is mildly enhanced, retaining a natural, albeit enlarged bass note presentation. Meanwhile, the upper-bass falls off smoothly into the lower-midrange in order to prevent excessive warmth. The result is a sound that is full with great kick and slam, carrying what I consider to be natural warmth but also minimal tubbiness.
Bloat and muddiness are also kept well at bay by excellent driver control delivering a tight sub-bass and concise, punchy mid-bass. This was most apparent to me when listening to David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream” where the rapid drums around 55s can become confused on slower drivers. It was apparent here, that both attack and decay are quick for a dynamic driver. You don’t get thick, lingering notes, but a tactful and pacey presentation with great definition, texture and kick. The low-end on the Cupid is very dynamic and its emphasized quantity will cater more towards those wanting engagement over perfect balance and linearity. Still, the Cupid will lure in unsuspecting audiophiles and captivate not with huge presence but moderate enhancement and outstanding technicalities.
Mids –
I will admit that personally, I am most sensitive to midrange timbre, which will be informed in part by the bass and treble but ultimately must strike some sort of balance throughout. The Cupid is evidently not balanced in any region, but overall, its vocals aren’t too wonky either. What immediately stands out is a lack of any warmth and diminished midrange body. There’s little upper-bass warmth and a large dip in the lower-midrange before rapidly increasing emphasis to an upper-midrange hump. As such, vocals are brought to the fore but distinctly lack power and density. Nonetheless, they also avoid the fallibilities of most clarity-focussed earphones. They aren’t too intimate for instance, and vocals don’t strike as over-forward nor strident even if they can come across as strained at times.
Evidently, this is not a presentation for those valuing a natural timbre or rich, organic instrumentation. Rather, the Cupid excels with clarity and definition, providing a revealing, delicate and open soundscape. There’s no veil, warmth or density to mire that crystal-clear image while sibilance is a non-issue with sharp 6KHz attenuation providing a very smooth articulation that takes the edge off the Cupid’s clear yet thin vocals. Altogether this weaves a presentation that is highly defined and hyper separated but without stridence or a metallic timbre. To reiterate, the Cupid isn’t especially natural and isn’t precise in its reproduction of albums with differing mastering style, but it never comes across as explicitly wonky either. This is a vivid and engaging presentation first and foremost.
Highs –
The top-end offers a split-character, organic and smooth in the foreground but crisp higher up, all the while upholding excellent clarity, technical qualities and separation throughout. It’s a brighter earphone so those averse to sharpness and crisp instrumentation head warning. It begins with a sharply attenuated lower-treble that saps percussion of any harsh, hard-edged quality before twin peaks in the middle and upper-treble. This grants treble pristine clarity but also results in a thinner instrument body. Higher instruments such as high hats are brought to the fore as are background and micro-details. The foreground, meanwhile, is slightly more laid-back, however, as the PMT provides a very precise attack and concise transient response, the Cupid has fantastic detail retrieval throughout the entire top end; if also further exacerbating the thin character of its presentation.
The tuning is undoubtedly unorthodox, with a bright background and abundant air rather than being aggressive in the foreground. There’s a touch of glare and grain in the background on some tracks that prevents the Cupid from achieving the immaculate, clean and effortless sense of distance rendered by higher-end earphones. Still, there’s excellent extension at play here alongside great resolution. Energy is abundant and there’s even a pleasing amount of sparkle. The Cupid is aggressive and easily one of the most detailed in its price class; it’s certainly very engaging and sheds light on little details that earphones around this price rarely do, if ever. However, in so doing, it also has less focussed and stable imaging than earphones with more orthodox tuning.
Soundstage –
Surely one of the most unique characteristics of this earphone as it is especially track dependent but technically very proficient. In terms of dimensions, the earphone can cast deep and wide, well outside the head in all axis. However, it doesn’t always create such a grand presentation as on some tracks, the background becomes more intimate due to its brightness, creating a more closed in presentation. Depth is always excellent, but not too distant so vocals remain defined and focused. Imaging, however. is a mixed bag.
There’s a sort of dead zone in the middle, vocals are well centred but panning and directional cues only occur to the sides. As transients are clean and sharp, the presentation is almost holographic, but instrument positioning also isn’t quite as precise and organised as one would expect. Additionally, the midrange is highly layered, however, the top end isn’t as the background and foreground lack contrast which can overshadow some fine details. The same can be said for separation which is excellent through the bass and midrange but reduced in the treble due to the lack of contrast and touches of glare that creep in every now and then.
Driveability –
The Cupid has a 16-ohm impedance paired with a higher 105dB sensitivity. I found it required a little more volume than most earphones but it’s easy to drive to high volumes overall. That said, you will want to drive the Cupid from a low impedance source. For instance, comparing between the 1-ohm Shanling M2X and 10-ohm Hiby R6 yielded a slower low-end and the high-end almost disappeared entirely. This smoother sound may suit some listeners, however, so those curious will want to experiment with low-value impedance adapters. Otherwise, the Cupid loves a clean and powerful source, scaling very well. Power is most notable with regards to the bass which gained control on my desktop setup. Meanwhile, the tweeter is a bit more sensitive to hiss, though I didn’t have issue with any of my modern sources.
Comparisons –
Final Audio E5000 ($279): The E5000 is a warmer, smoother earphone. It is noticeably more bass biased, there’s slightly less sub-bass quantity but similarly strong extension. The E5000 has more mid-bass, making it warmer where the Cupid is cleaner but also a touch less linear. Both have excellent control and definition, the Cupid being more agile, the E5000 more natural in decay and voicing. The E5000 has a much fuller and more organic midrange, the Cupid is thinner and more neutral in tone but both are quite smooth up top.
The E5000 has more laid-back vocals while the Cupid is more forward. The E5000 is denser while the Cupid is more open, defined and revealing. The Cupid has a much more aggressive top-end with sharper transients and more detail retrieval throughout. It also isn’t as clean or organised, the E5000 possessing a darker background and more defined layers. Both have excellent soundstage expansion, the Cupid has sharper imaging while the E5000 has more realistic positioning.
Campfire Audio IO ($299): The IO is a more neutral sound overall but possesses a similarly vocal forward character. It has substantially less sub-bass extension but also a similar amount of bass overall, focussing more on the mid and upper-bass instead. As such, the IO is warmer and actually a touch fuller while the Cupid has more weight, rumble and power. The IO has that typical sharper, quicker decaying BA bass where the Cupid decays more naturally delivering more texture and greater dynamics overall. The IO shares a similar midrange presentation too. As its centre midrange is more forward, it is a touch more vocal forward and has more warmth too.
However, it is similarly thin and a bit strained, neither specialising in perfect timbre. Both cater towards high vocal clarity, extension and definition instead. Within the high-end, the IO has a more focussed foreground and a slightly warmer tone while the Cupid has sharper transients with thinner instrumentation but also more resolution and extension. Neither have an especially clean background, but the Cupid has a much larger soundstage, the IO being quite intimate. The IO has slightly more stable imaging while the Cupid has sharper cues and is more holographic.
Periodic Audio Be ($299): Of note, comparison will be to a modded Be (detailed here) which has a more balanced sound than stock. The Be has a more linear low-end with light mid-bass warmth. The Cupid has more sub-bass bias and a bit more extension, delivering a thicker note but also less warmth, it delivers more power while the Be is more natural. Both have similar driver control, the Be has more natural decay and a smoother texture while the Cupid is tighter and quicker decaying, delivering more definition and slightly higher dynamics. The Be is much more linear through the midrange with a very accurate timbre. It’s warmer and fuller but still sufficiently clear. It’s also smoothly articulated and denser, overall, vocals are just as present but larger and more powerful with more life-like representation.
The Cupid has higher clarity and extension, it is more revealing with greater definition and separation. The Cupid has a more aggressive top-end, the Be is smoother in note attack with less concise transients. The Cupid is more detailed too with much better extension and higher resolution, clearly the more resolving top-end. The Be has a warmer treble and more body, slightly more texture in the foreground. It has a cleaner, darker background generating more stable imaging with more defined layers. Meanwhile, the Cupid has a larger soundstage with sharper imaging and higher separation through the bass and midrange especially.
Oriveti OH300($299): Also a W-shaped IEM but substantially smoother in its tuning. Both sport a sub-bass focus paired with a reasonably linear mid-bass and recessed upper-bass for a full yet clean low-end presentation. The Oriveti sounds a bit bassier as its top-end is less forward. The Cupid has slightly higher driver control and quicker decay where the OH300 is a touch smoother and more naturally decaying but also less defined. The OH300 has a slightly more forward vocal range as its emphasis centres mostly around the centre midrange.
It has more lower-midrange quantity with greater body albeit neither are warm in tone, being neutral and clean. The Cupid has higher definition and clarity with more extension, however the OH300 is hardly lacking here, and is noticeably more natural. Both are very smoothly articulated and laid-back in the lower-treble. The Cupid is clearly more detailed in the treble with better extension and micro-detail retrieval. Meanwhile, the OH300 has a much darker, cleaner background so it is a lot more composed, lacking the glare and thin instrument body of the Cupid. The Cupid has a larger soundstage and sharper imaging while the OH300 is more stable and realistic in its positioning with slightly better separation.
Acoustune HS1503AL (~$400): A similar style of sound from a single DD earphone with similar focus on acoustic design. The HS1503AL has a warmer low-end with more linear wide-band emphasis through the low-end, the Cupid being more sub-bass focused. The low-end on the Acoustune is slightly more natural in voicing, driver control is slightly higher on the Acoustune and decay is slightly more natural, it is more dynamic while the Cupid is a touch cleaner and quicker but also with less resolution. The midrange presentation is very similar, the Acoustune has more warmth and body from its low-end and a bit more density in the upper-midrange sounding more orthodox. The Cupid is thinner and more neutrally toned.
It has better extension and sounds slightly more open where the Acoustune sounds more natural while upholding very high clarity and definition. The HS1503AL has a more aggressive foreground and also sports a small middle-treble bump but is much cleaner in the background overall. It has more instrument body and sounds more focussed with better contrast and foreground detail retrieval. The Cupid meanwhile has more sparkle and air but is also a lot thinner, it has slightly better extension and a larger soundstage overall. The Acoustune has more stable imaging representing a more orthodox version of the Cupid’s tuning but also lacking the transient qualities of its PMT.
Verdict –
When you’ve been reviewing audio gear for half a decade you’re never really surprised. Over the years, portable audio has seen maturation not dissimilar to the smartphone industry. There’s no weird and wonderful proof of concepts, it’s been done and now refined, creating a spectrum of what is simply… good, sometimes great. The Cupid is such a surprising rarity, and it sounds different to just about everything else. And yet somehow, it works. Sure, it represents one of oBravo’s most affordable models but it still lies in a price range littered with models punching above their weight. Yet even here, the Cupid is a technical achievement, it is very, very detailed for its asking price and the quality of the low-end is superb; the overall listen, in turn, immensely fun and engaging. Imaging is sharp and holographic but with odd placement. Its design is also unique as you basically never see dynamic driver earphones with a sealed housing, yet alone one this deep-reaching and impactful. If you don’t mind a thin midrange, brighter background and odd cable connectors, the Cupid makes for a highly engaging listen and a truly unique package that’s easily worth more than oBravo’s RRP.
The Cupid is available from on Audio Concierge (International) for £249.00 at the time of writing. I am not affiliated with oBravo or Audio Concierge and receive no earnings from purchases through this link.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed my review, please see my website for more just like it!
Track List –
Adam Neely – thank u, next
David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust
Dire Straits – Communique
Eagles – Hell Freezes Over
Joji – Gimme Love
Lauv – I met you when I was 18
Rich Brian – The Sailor
TALA – boy
The Beach Boys – Surfer Girl
The Weeknd – After Hours
Toploader – A Walk To Remember Music
The Cupid makes for a highly engaging listen and a truly unique package that’s easily worth more than oBravo’s RRP.
Introduction –
Most will surely be familiar with oBravo, a Taiwanese audio manufacturer who specialises in air-motion transformer (AMT) and planar magnetic drivers (PMD) and whose earphones have been known to stretch into the 5-digit price range. There’s a reason for this, these driver types are immensely difficult to miniaturise and oBravo design and build their driver’s in-house using a patented process. It’s been almost a decade since their first fully formed model was released onto the market and now, we’re seeing that cutting-edge technology filter down to a substantially more attainable price range. Enter the Cupid, a hybrid earphone sporting a custom dynamic driver + planar magnetic tweeter configuration that comes in at a very reasonable £249 asking price. With such a name and legacy, the Cupid competes viciously in one of the most competitive price brackets in the IEM market. You can read more about oBravo and peruse their line-up here and treat yourself to a Cupid here.
Disclaimer –
I would like to thank Danny from oBravo very much for his quick communication and for providing me with the Cupid for the purpose of review. All words are my own and there is no monetary incentive for a positive review. Despite receiving the earphones free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation.
Tech Specs –
Weight: 200g
Technology: Dynamic, Planar Tweeter
Colour: Black Gold
Audio Range: 20Hz~40KHz
Sensitivity: 105dB
Impedance: 16ohms
The Pitch –
DD + PMT with Physical Crossover
The Cupid is a very unique hybrid-driver earphone combining a 6mm dynamic driver (DD) woofer with a 9mm planar magnetic tweeter (PMT). Furthermore, where the vast majority of designs employ circuitry to designate each driver with a frequency range, the Cupid rather utilises acoustics. Usually, this is in the form of a low-pass filter on the DD and maybe a high-pass on the PMT though I would be unable to say as there are no further details on oBravo’s website. Physical cross overs are much harder to tune but can create a more coherent sound with better phase alignment.
For those unfamiliar with the technology, standard dynamic drivers have a diaphragm that pushes air driven by a small central voice coil. Planar magnetic drivers, on the other hand, employ a conductive trace that covers a much larger surface area of the diaphragm. The benefit to this design is that force is exerted equally across the entire surface which means you can employ a lighter, quicker accelerating/decelerating diaphragm material.
It also means that at high frequencies PMD’s experience less modal breakup due to the uniform application of force, hence, they provide better extension and lower distortion. Planars are often lauded for their powerful bass response, able to move more air with their larger driven surface. However, as oBravo are working within the limitations of a minute housing, they have instead decided to capitalise on their low-distortion nature to deliver an insightful top-end.
Accessories –
The Cupid comes in clean and space-efficient packaging. Inside the hard box is a foam inlet containing 3 sealed bags of Comply foam tips of varying size alongside a soft pouch with individual compartments for each earpiece to prevent scratches. An adjacent cut-out houses 3 sizes of whirlwind tips and the Cupids themselves. The whirlwind tips are quite intriguing, with reinforced ridging beneath the mushroom tip that provides a stronger seal when inserted deeper in the ear.
A pull-tab provides easy access to a lower compartment containing the 2.5mm balanced cable and Velcro strap. There are actually 3 variants of the Cupid, standard containing just the aforementioned accessories, the prime version including a 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter and ultimate version that contains an additional 4.4mm Pentaconn adapter on top. The adapters are very nicely constructed and have a similar build to the cable’s plug, providing a congruent aesthetic.
Design –
Fundamentally, the Cupid assumes a pod-like over-ear design reminiscent of Shure’s highly acclaimed housings along with all their benefits. That said, where a basic acrylic complexion was to be found there, a defining feature of the Cupid is its dense and lustrous electroplated brass construction that exudes a very premium aura. These earphones are a spectacle; smoothly formed and immaculately finished, creating a play of light and shadow that’s certainly very difficult to capture on camera. Meanwhile, as they’re quite compact and produce a tremendously strong seal, the Cupid’s weight doesn’t feel burdensome in the ear while its density feels thoroughly convincing in the hand. The construction quality certainly belies their asking price.
Rather controversially, oBravo have chosen to implement keyed MMCX connectors. The key prevents swivelling and offers some additional reinforcement, however, those wanting to change the cable will have to modify the plug themselves which will naturally void all manufacturer support. The plugs are also ridiculously long which can cause them to rub on the temples, however, I didn’t experience this issue personally. Still, the cable itself provides a similar impression of quality as the earphones. It’s a 4-wire braided unit with OCC conductors in a Litz geometry. The connectors are metal and the jack reminiscent of Ranko plugs.
Fit & Isolation –
The Cupid is one of the best fitting earphones I’ve tested, compact, low-profile and with a very strong seal. Due to their size, they don’t contact any part of my average-sized outer ears, thereby forming no hotspots over time. As they are very slim and lie flush with the outer ear, they would also be a good choice for side-sleepers so long as the longer MMCX connectors don’t cause discomfort for the listener’s ears. I could spot no obvious vents which reinforces their excellent seal and passive noise isolation.
With foam tips especially, the Cupid would be perfect for frequent travellers and commuters. The upside to this is also their use of a dynamic driver, most of which are vented. The Cupid is an oddity in that it provides a rare combination of full, punchy and extended bass alongside excellent isolation and seal. I found the included whirlwind tips an excellent complement to their design in both sound and seal.
Sound –
Testing Methodology: Arta via IEC 711 coupler to Startech external sound card. Note that 7-9KHz peaks are artefacts of my measurement setup. I also did not hear the channel imbalance in that region in subjective listening. Take this graph with a grain of salt. Measurements besides channel balance are volume matched at 1K.
Tonality –
Every now and then an earphone arrives that challenges my ability to analyse sound and the Cupid is such a model. Fundamentally, this earphone is highly engaging, with a naturally voiced albeit thin, vivid and highly revealing voicing. Technicalities are excellent for the price, no question, and this is brought to the fore through its W-shaped tuning that emphasizes the sub-bass, upper-midrange and middle-treble. As many others have mentioned, the Cupid is such a curious mix of qualities that you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in addition to a great technical achievement. What it isn’t is balanced, linear or orthodox in tuning or staging.
Of note, the design of the Cupid makes it quite flexible in terms of fit. As aforementioned, the sound is tip sensitive, however, the stock whirlwind tips are an excellent companion. Should the user want a slightly tighter low-end, they can upsize and push the tips down so the grill of the nozzle is flush with the tip’s surface. This should also shift the high-frequency peaks slightly higher, but I found it a tad bright and fatiguing. My preferred pairing were the medium tips installed standardly on the lip of the nozzle which provided a bit more body to the sound while tapering off the high-end slightly. I also found the angle of the housings to affect the sound quite noticeably, perhaps due to the nature of the PMT. Pushing the housings deeper and angling the housings back provided slightly more coherent imaging to my ears.
Bass –
Weighty, articulate and with solid pressure in the sub-bass, the Cupid’s low-end has excellent extension and technical qualities. It has moderate emphasis, but not too much in the mid-bass so it isn’t ever-present and overbearing. The tonality is pleasing, with emphasis centred mostly around the sub-bass while refraining from over-extending into muddiness, only enough to provide affirming note fullness. The mid-bass is mildly enhanced, retaining a natural, albeit enlarged bass note presentation. Meanwhile, the upper-bass falls off smoothly into the lower-midrange in order to prevent excessive warmth. The result is a sound that is full with great kick and slam, carrying what I consider to be natural warmth but also minimal tubbiness.
Bloat and muddiness are also kept well at bay by excellent driver control delivering a tight sub-bass and concise, punchy mid-bass. This was most apparent to me when listening to David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream” where the rapid drums around 55s can become confused on slower drivers. It was apparent here, that both attack and decay are quick for a dynamic driver. You don’t get thick, lingering notes, but a tactful and pacey presentation with great definition, texture and kick. The low-end on the Cupid is very dynamic and its emphasized quantity will cater more towards those wanting engagement over perfect balance and linearity. Still, the Cupid will lure in unsuspecting audiophiles and captivate not with huge presence but moderate enhancement and outstanding technicalities.
Mids –
I will admit that personally, I am most sensitive to midrange timbre, which will be informed in part by the bass and treble but ultimately must strike some sort of balance throughout. The Cupid is evidently not balanced in any region, but overall, its vocals aren’t too wonky either. What immediately stands out is a lack of any warmth and diminished midrange body. There’s little upper-bass warmth and a large dip in the lower-midrange before rapidly increasing emphasis to an upper-midrange hump. As such, vocals are brought to the fore but distinctly lack power and density. Nonetheless, they also avoid the fallibilities of most clarity-focussed earphones. They aren’t too intimate for instance, and vocals don’t strike as over-forward nor strident even if they can come across as strained at times.
Evidently, this is not a presentation for those valuing a natural timbre or rich, organic instrumentation. Rather, the Cupid excels with clarity and definition, providing a revealing, delicate and open soundscape. There’s no veil, warmth or density to mire that crystal-clear image while sibilance is a non-issue with sharp 6KHz attenuation providing a very smooth articulation that takes the edge off the Cupid’s clear yet thin vocals. Altogether this weaves a presentation that is highly defined and hyper separated but without stridence or a metallic timbre. To reiterate, the Cupid isn’t especially natural and isn’t precise in its reproduction of albums with differing mastering style, but it never comes across as explicitly wonky either. This is a vivid and engaging presentation first and foremost.
Highs –
The top-end offers a split-character, organic and smooth in the foreground but crisp higher up, all the while upholding excellent clarity, technical qualities and separation throughout. It’s a brighter earphone so those averse to sharpness and crisp instrumentation head warning. It begins with a sharply attenuated lower-treble that saps percussion of any harsh, hard-edged quality before twin peaks in the middle and upper-treble. This grants treble pristine clarity but also results in a thinner instrument body. Higher instruments such as high hats are brought to the fore as are background and micro-details. The foreground, meanwhile, is slightly more laid-back, however, as the PMT provides a very precise attack and concise transient response, the Cupid has fantastic detail retrieval throughout the entire top end; if also further exacerbating the thin character of its presentation.
The tuning is undoubtedly unorthodox, with a bright background and abundant air rather than being aggressive in the foreground. There’s a touch of glare and grain in the background on some tracks that prevents the Cupid from achieving the immaculate, clean and effortless sense of distance rendered by higher-end earphones. Still, there’s excellent extension at play here alongside great resolution. Energy is abundant and there’s even a pleasing amount of sparkle. The Cupid is aggressive and easily one of the most detailed in its price class; it’s certainly very engaging and sheds light on little details that earphones around this price rarely do, if ever. However, in so doing, it also has less focussed and stable imaging than earphones with more orthodox tuning.
Soundstage –
Surely one of the most unique characteristics of this earphone as it is especially track dependent but technically very proficient. In terms of dimensions, the earphone can cast deep and wide, well outside the head in all axis. However, it doesn’t always create such a grand presentation as on some tracks, the background becomes more intimate due to its brightness, creating a more closed in presentation. Depth is always excellent, but not too distant so vocals remain defined and focused. Imaging, however. is a mixed bag.
There’s a sort of dead zone in the middle, vocals are well centred but panning and directional cues only occur to the sides. As transients are clean and sharp, the presentation is almost holographic, but instrument positioning also isn’t quite as precise and organised as one would expect. Additionally, the midrange is highly layered, however, the top end isn’t as the background and foreground lack contrast which can overshadow some fine details. The same can be said for separation which is excellent through the bass and midrange but reduced in the treble due to the lack of contrast and touches of glare that creep in every now and then.
Driveability –
The Cupid has a 16-ohm impedance paired with a higher 105dB sensitivity. I found it required a little more volume than most earphones but it’s easy to drive to high volumes overall. That said, you will want to drive the Cupid from a low impedance source. For instance, comparing between the 1-ohm Shanling M2X and 10-ohm Hiby R6 yielded a slower low-end and the high-end almost disappeared entirely. This smoother sound may suit some listeners, however, so those curious will want to experiment with low-value impedance adapters. Otherwise, the Cupid loves a clean and powerful source, scaling very well. Power is most notable with regards to the bass which gained control on my desktop setup. Meanwhile, the tweeter is a bit more sensitive to hiss, though I didn’t have issue with any of my modern sources.
Comparisons –
Final Audio E5000 ($279): The E5000 is a warmer, smoother earphone. It is noticeably more bass biased, there’s slightly less sub-bass quantity but similarly strong extension. The E5000 has more mid-bass, making it warmer where the Cupid is cleaner but also a touch less linear. Both have excellent control and definition, the Cupid being more agile, the E5000 more natural in decay and voicing. The E5000 has a much fuller and more organic midrange, the Cupid is thinner and more neutral in tone but both are quite smooth up top.
The E5000 has more laid-back vocals while the Cupid is more forward. The E5000 is denser while the Cupid is more open, defined and revealing. The Cupid has a much more aggressive top-end with sharper transients and more detail retrieval throughout. It also isn’t as clean or organised, the E5000 possessing a darker background and more defined layers. Both have excellent soundstage expansion, the Cupid has sharper imaging while the E5000 has more realistic positioning.
Campfire Audio IO ($299): The IO is a more neutral sound overall but possesses a similarly vocal forward character. It has substantially less sub-bass extension but also a similar amount of bass overall, focussing more on the mid and upper-bass instead. As such, the IO is warmer and actually a touch fuller while the Cupid has more weight, rumble and power. The IO has that typical sharper, quicker decaying BA bass where the Cupid decays more naturally delivering more texture and greater dynamics overall. The IO shares a similar midrange presentation too. As its centre midrange is more forward, it is a touch more vocal forward and has more warmth too.
However, it is similarly thin and a bit strained, neither specialising in perfect timbre. Both cater towards high vocal clarity, extension and definition instead. Within the high-end, the IO has a more focussed foreground and a slightly warmer tone while the Cupid has sharper transients with thinner instrumentation but also more resolution and extension. Neither have an especially clean background, but the Cupid has a much larger soundstage, the IO being quite intimate. The IO has slightly more stable imaging while the Cupid has sharper cues and is more holographic.
Periodic Audio Be ($299): Of note, comparison will be to a modded Be (detailed here) which has a more balanced sound than stock. The Be has a more linear low-end with light mid-bass warmth. The Cupid has more sub-bass bias and a bit more extension, delivering a thicker note but also less warmth, it delivers more power while the Be is more natural. Both have similar driver control, the Be has more natural decay and a smoother texture while the Cupid is tighter and quicker decaying, delivering more definition and slightly higher dynamics. The Be is much more linear through the midrange with a very accurate timbre. It’s warmer and fuller but still sufficiently clear. It’s also smoothly articulated and denser, overall, vocals are just as present but larger and more powerful with more life-like representation.
The Cupid has higher clarity and extension, it is more revealing with greater definition and separation. The Cupid has a more aggressive top-end, the Be is smoother in note attack with less concise transients. The Cupid is more detailed too with much better extension and higher resolution, clearly the more resolving top-end. The Be has a warmer treble and more body, slightly more texture in the foreground. It has a cleaner, darker background generating more stable imaging with more defined layers. Meanwhile, the Cupid has a larger soundstage with sharper imaging and higher separation through the bass and midrange especially.
Oriveti OH300($299): Also a W-shaped IEM but substantially smoother in its tuning. Both sport a sub-bass focus paired with a reasonably linear mid-bass and recessed upper-bass for a full yet clean low-end presentation. The Oriveti sounds a bit bassier as its top-end is less forward. The Cupid has slightly higher driver control and quicker decay where the OH300 is a touch smoother and more naturally decaying but also less defined. The OH300 has a slightly more forward vocal range as its emphasis centres mostly around the centre midrange.
It has more lower-midrange quantity with greater body albeit neither are warm in tone, being neutral and clean. The Cupid has higher definition and clarity with more extension, however the OH300 is hardly lacking here, and is noticeably more natural. Both are very smoothly articulated and laid-back in the lower-treble. The Cupid is clearly more detailed in the treble with better extension and micro-detail retrieval. Meanwhile, the OH300 has a much darker, cleaner background so it is a lot more composed, lacking the glare and thin instrument body of the Cupid. The Cupid has a larger soundstage and sharper imaging while the OH300 is more stable and realistic in its positioning with slightly better separation.
Acoustune HS1503AL (~$400): A similar style of sound from a single DD earphone with similar focus on acoustic design. The HS1503AL has a warmer low-end with more linear wide-band emphasis through the low-end, the Cupid being more sub-bass focused. The low-end on the Acoustune is slightly more natural in voicing, driver control is slightly higher on the Acoustune and decay is slightly more natural, it is more dynamic while the Cupid is a touch cleaner and quicker but also with less resolution. The midrange presentation is very similar, the Acoustune has more warmth and body from its low-end and a bit more density in the upper-midrange sounding more orthodox. The Cupid is thinner and more neutrally toned.
It has better extension and sounds slightly more open where the Acoustune sounds more natural while upholding very high clarity and definition. The HS1503AL has a more aggressive foreground and also sports a small middle-treble bump but is much cleaner in the background overall. It has more instrument body and sounds more focussed with better contrast and foreground detail retrieval. The Cupid meanwhile has more sparkle and air but is also a lot thinner, it has slightly better extension and a larger soundstage overall. The Acoustune has more stable imaging representing a more orthodox version of the Cupid’s tuning but also lacking the transient qualities of its PMT.
Verdict –
When you’ve been reviewing audio gear for half a decade you’re never really surprised. Over the years, portable audio has seen maturation not dissimilar to the smartphone industry. There’s no weird and wonderful proof of concepts, it’s been done and now refined, creating a spectrum of what is simply… good, sometimes great. The Cupid is such a surprising rarity, and it sounds different to just about everything else. And yet somehow, it works. Sure, it represents one of oBravo’s most affordable models but it still lies in a price range littered with models punching above their weight. Yet even here, the Cupid is a technical achievement, it is very, very detailed for its asking price and the quality of the low-end is superb; the overall listen, in turn, immensely fun and engaging. Imaging is sharp and holographic but with odd placement. Its design is also unique as you basically never see dynamic driver earphones with a sealed housing, yet alone one this deep-reaching and impactful. If you don’t mind a thin midrange, brighter background and odd cable connectors, the Cupid makes for a highly engaging listen and a truly unique package that’s easily worth more than oBravo’s RRP.
The Cupid is available from on Audio Concierge (International) for £249.00 at the time of writing. I am not affiliated with oBravo or Audio Concierge and receive no earnings from purchases through this link.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed my review, please see my website for more just like it!
Track List –
Adam Neely – thank u, next
David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust
Dire Straits – Communique
Eagles – Hell Freezes Over
Joji – Gimme Love
Lauv – I met you when I was 18
Rich Brian – The Sailor
TALA – boy
The Beach Boys – Surfer Girl
The Weeknd – After Hours
Toploader – A Walk To Remember Music
oBravo Cupid (Basic Edition) Review
SOUND: 8.5/10
ACCESSORIES: 7/10
CONSTRUCTION: 8.5/10
DESIGN: 7.5/10
VALUE: 8.5/10
If David, Obravo founder, has to describe is company in one sentence it would be in this very words: ‘’It is a Taiwanese high-end earphone brand founded by a middle-aged boy who is brave enough to pursue his dream. ‘’ But it’s sure more complicated than this and needs indeed lot of boldness and perseverance to achieve it’s unique sound vision.
Since 2006 Obravo struggle to produce a unique sound experience that is more similar to high-end speakers than closed headphones or earphones. This vision is more about how the sound will be perceived in it’s soundscape and how it shouldn’t sound stocked in your head, but out of it as if you were in a listening room fulfill with high-end tower speakers.
For this, David test multiple of drivers technology, but find its holy grail only by developing its own. This explains in part why most of its long earphones and headphones line up use either patented planar magnetic driver or special Air motion transformer (AMT) tweeters as well as diverse type of dynamic drivers.
Mostly active in high-end audio, Obravo wasn’t really appropriate for more budget-oriented audiophile aiming for high sound value. This all change in 2019 with the launch of oBravo Cupid, a dual planar magnetic and dynamic drivers earphones selling for 350$. But today, I will review the Basic version, which is the very same Cupid earphones without the fancy balanced silver-plated copper Litz cable and adapters.
But how much cost the Basic version then? Well, as little as 200$, wich sure represent the insanely accessible price for such high-end technology and housing construction.
Like the standard version, the Cupid Basic use an 8mm planar magnetic tweeter alongside of a 6mm neodymium dynamic driver. In fact, it's extactly same earphones apart from cable and accessories. To say my expectation was utterly high for this promising earphones would be lying, and this is due to conflictual reviews that I read about them. We can be certain of only one thing about the Cupid: they let nobody indifferent.
Indeed, my listening story with them was a roller coaster, and rolling into Cupid sound is one hell of a fun ride!
Let’s see in this very critical review if the Obravo Cupid Basic worth more than a fast listen.
The oBravo Cupid Basic can be bought directly from AudioConcierge SHOP.
More info about oBravo products can be found on their official WEBSITE.
DISCLAIMER: I wanna thanks Phil from Audioconcierge for sending me this review sample free of charge. I contact him after having read conflictual reviews about the Cupid that makes me curious about its sound profile. I’m in no way affiliated to oBravo and fully independent in my reviewing work.
UNBOXING
As expected, the unboxing experience is well…..Basic! Just a small box with minimal accessories. While I expected to have this Basic cable, I didn’t expect to as so few eartips. We know eartips is cheap, but we know too that it can have a drastic impact on proper sound rendering, just including a more diversify eartips choice could improve the Cupid Basic experience.
CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN
Yes, the Cupid is gorgeous looking, the black gold coating of its housing is as much eye appealing than durable, the shape is oval and organic and promises a secure fit. Sure, the nozzle is long and thick but has an angled shape that helps a good fit too. The whole construction is simple yet elegant, housing is 2 pieces of thick high-quality metal put together. Level of sturdiness look very high, you can drop this multiple time and it will never get broken, just perhaps scratched but even that looks not that easy to achieve. When it comes to mmcx connector, you are happy to see their high quality too, they are made of gold plated metal and connect tightly to the included OFC mmcx cable….but this is when you discover it uses Obravo proprietary mmcx connector too, which is a bummer for mmcx cable collector like me. Is it really for better connectivity or to make consumer dependant of Obravo cables, which are quite costly to say the least? I think it’s both of this answer, but still, it’s not good news. I wish all audio companies stick with either mmcx or 2pin connector, to not make things more complicated or pricier for their consumers. If every audio company follows oBravo example, our audiophile life will be doomed by cables monopoly. Sorry for being a drama queen here, but yeah, it really frustrated me to be stock with basic cable of Basic edition.
About this cable, it’s a beautifully named ‘’Ohno Continuous Casting (OCC) braided cable terminated with a gold plated 3.5mm jack’’, but it does not say the number of copper cores we have in there and looking at how thin it is, it sure hasn’t a lot. Connectors and jacks are of nice quality, but I’m still a little afraid about the durability of such a delicate looking cable. Well, i guess it’s your punishment for the 150$ discount you got over other Cupid version.
Comfort is very nice, but must not be confused with the right fitting. As the Cupid has a long thick nozzle, using long ear tips isn’t suggested as it will perhaps make your ears canal sure du to the inner pressure. Like with the TinHIFI P1, I use similar wide-bore eartips with a not long nozzle. The seal should be not too deep, this will offer higher comfort as well as a more open and balanced sound.
I consider the Obravo Cupid as very capricious about eartips pairing, so it should be in your top priority to find the perfect one. With wrong eartips, sound can be either boomy, trebly or lacking in soundstage.
Driveability of planar earphones are infamous for being hard to drive, though it’s not the case with the Cupid compared to harder to drive TinHIFI P1, the Cupid are still capricious about audio source pairing. Both Impedance output and signal to noise ratio is extremely important. You will want lower Impedance output and higher SNR possible otherwise it can hiss or sound unbalanced. I got a very good result with my Tempotec HD PRO, wich isn’t more high-end source but has a very high SNR of 128db, with this dac-amp, treble was less forwards and overall sound was smoother.
SOUND IMPRESSIONS
Gear used: Ibasso DX90, Xduoo X20, Xduoo XD-05plus, FIIO BTR5, Tempotec HD PRO
My first out-of-the-box impressions of the Cupid were a mixed one, while I was impressed by overall resolution, clarity, and details retrieval of its vivid sound presentation, I feel there was something wrong about the tonality. Depending on music genre, the bass too was a little too boomy to my taste. So, I begin by giving the Cupid proper burnin of 30H as well as playing with eartips. This do improve both bass response and treble, wich became more balanced with rest of the spectrum. Still, the tonal balance was a little strange as well as the timbre of some instruments and voice. The planar driver used in the Cupid act as if he was used for the whole treble response and the dynamic for low to mid or lower mids. Coming from TinHIFI P1, the Cupid sound less natural and transparent, more like if it was an hybrid BA+DD than DD+ Planar. On the other hand, level of clarity and the vivid imaging it offers at such a price is nothing less than breathtaking, we can’t have everything but I sure consider the Cupid to deliver in spectacular wow effect.
TONALITY is a hint dry and bright, but smooth in the definition. It has a slight metallic taste too it in the high range that can tend to make sound artificial some instruments. Male vocal can sound a little boxy while female one can sound a little shouty. The piano can sound thin while the violin can sound slightly strident.
TIMBRE is on the thin transparent side except for bass which is very thick and opaque. Texture can sound dulled, lacking in natural grain.
CLARITY is very high, especially in the treble region. In lower and mid-mid-range it feels tamed and darker compared to the higher range, so the woodwind instrument will be affected tonally as well as lower range piano and male vocals. Still, we are in near analytical clarity level here, and it makes the listen very exciting and revealing.
SOUNDSTAGE is quite wide but has good tallness and deepness too, If I can compare it to something, it would be a hall like but with a sense of being in the middle of it. It’s both airy and out of your head with a good holographic feel to it. It’s the Cupid highlight with imaging and clarity.
IMAGING is sharply presented with the Cupid, while it does have a revealing bright sound, the macro resolution is better than micro-definition of instrumentation which tends to feel slightly unbalanced, so you have no difficulty to pinpoint the singer, bass, snare or percussions which have more presence than some other more nuanced (or complex) sound layers added together in a more recessed way. It’s vivid, yet intensely layered and alive. Cupid extracts all it can at an impressive speed, sometimes it’s near too much.
BASS is fast, thick and weighty, but lack transparency and long natural extension. Sub tend to swallow mid-high bass definition and give a heavy thumping presentation that lack refinement but sure not impact. Timbre is rather dry and opaque. Though the bass is beefy, it’s far from sounding juicy or liquid, due to an aggressive presentation that is too much in a hurry to jump at you. Acoustic bass will sound wrong due to lack of natural extension, synth sub-bass will sound thick and well articulate, slap bass will sound very clear but a little too bright as well. For electronic, rock, pop, rap and R&B, the Cupid offers a very talented bass presentation with good separation from mid-range, keeping overall clarity intact while adding extra punchy liveliness to the music.
MID RANGE is very clear and offers plenty of details even if most of its energy come from the upper mids-lower treble. It’s not very warm or thick, and tonality is a hint unbalanced. The attack is impressively fast even if not super weighty, piano note attack is very fast but the impact feels little tamed, especially in lower and mid mids range. Instrument like saxophone suffer from this recessed mids area and have a thin presentation that lacks natural timbre. Male vocal is hit or miss, while female vocal tends to jump more at you in a bright way. We aren’t in lush, full and well rounded mid-range presentation, more in a rough high resolution one, that feel sometimes too rushed in its desire to impress you. Anyway, this particular rendering has the advantage of keeping clarity very high, so the vocal sound always well centered and separated from another instrument. As I get use to its unique tonality, I tend to like more and more the audacious mid range technicalities.
TREBLE is the more emphasized region after bass, and to me, it’s the best part too. Lower treble from around 3khz to 7khz is very forwards, sometimes a little too aggressive, and after it relaxes until 9khz to 12khz rounded peak that adds brilliance and a sense of airiness to the overall sound. The level of details that Cupid digs is near overwhelming in upper highs, but due to the use of planar driver it never mixes together or distorts with unwanted resonance. As well, it isn’t intensely harsh or trebly even if yes, I would not suggest the Cupid to treble sensitive people. Let’s say it: the Cupid are vivid analytical earphones that boost micro details for the better or the worst. Percussions are insanely resolved and delivered at supreme speed, sometimes it can distract from another instrument, especially with jazz, but with electronics it can offer intense satisfaction. I tend to like this type of sharp energic treble especially when it got a high level of agility like this.
-QUANTITY – -QUALITY-
LOWER BASS: 8.5/10 LOWER BASS: 7.5
MID-HIGH BASS: 8/10 MID-HIGH BASS: 8/10
MID RANGE: 7/10 MID RANGE: 7/10
LOWER TREBLE: 8.5/10 LOWER TREBLE: 7.5/10
MID TREBLE: 7.5/10 MID TREBLE: 8/10
HIGH TREBLE: 9/10 HIGH TREBLE: 8/10
TIMBRE: 7/10 TIMBRE: 7.5/10
SOUNDSTAGE: 8.5/10 SOUNDSTAGE: 9/10
ATTACK-DECAY: 8.5/10 ATTACK-DECAY: 8/10
IMAGING: 8/10 IMAGING: 8.5/10
COMPARISONS
VS TINHIFI P1 (160$):
The P1 being a single Planar driver, it cannot compete in term of bass impact against the dynamic driver of hybrid planar Cupid. Though it lacks impact and weight for proper dynamic presentation, the P1 has a more natural and balanced sound nonetheless. The Cupid has a more V shape aggressive presentation and struggles to balance bass thump by over pushing upper mids region, while the P1 offers a more natural and emphasized midrange and treble that feel cohesive and laid back. In the end, bass sound perhaps more recessed, but more articulate too. Mid-range is more hollow with the oBravo and have more peaky upper mids which tend to make vocal sometimes shouty or boxy. With the P1 it’s flat and balanced, it’s smooth, transparent and tonally right. The vocal does not sound at you like the oBravo, but offer richer timbre and more natural tonality. Treble is more forwarded with the oBravo, as well as more sharply detailed and snappy, the P1 is delicate and relaxed with smoother and fuller thighs.
All in all, the Obravo is more V shape and vivid sounding while the P1 is more mid centric, lush, laid back and natural sounding.
VS AUDIOSENSE T800 (300$):
The T800 uses 8 Knowles balanced armature per side, let’s see how one of my favorite earphones compare against the Cupid.
The biggest difference that hit me is in terms of timbre, the T800 is way thicker and warmer which is very evident in mid-range and lower treble where the cupid sound bright and thinner.
The soundstage is slightly wider and more holographic with T800, while it’s more airy and deeper with the Cupid. Imaging is presented in a more layered way with the T800, which tends to extract instrument from all frequencies range equally while the Cupid is more about treble and bass imaging, keeping the mids hide behind, still, it gives the illusion Cupid have better imaging due to more space between instrument.
Bass is weightier, warmer and thicker with the T800, making it even more bassy than the Cupid which has less good separation between bass and mids as well as dryer timbre. Tough bass is more boosted, it feels more balanced with the rest of the spectrum while the Cupid has a less natural bass transition. Mid-range is where the T800 really outclass the Cupid, everything sound fuller and more natural in this range, should it be wind instrument that sounds overly thin with Cupid or vocal that sound too bright and tonally unpredictable. Vocal has more presence and wideness, while Cupid delivers a more intimate presentation that tends to separate vocal from instruments with more space. Now, the treble of T800 sound fuller and more balanced than Cupid which concentrates most of its energy in upper highs, this makes the T800 less trebly but less sparkly too, it gives us the impressions the Cupid is more analytical and percussions are crisper with more resonance.
While the T800 is better both technically and tonally, it’s warmer and less vivid and airy sounding than the Cupid.
CONCLUSION
oBravo unique approach to sound tuning sure is a demonstration of musical vision bravado. It does not make a compromise by trying to tune it too safe or laid back, which can lead to boring sound too. No, it boldly offers a muscular yet vivid sound presentation that isn’t faint of heart about the lively treble response.
The Cupid is both fascinating and spectacular to listen too, and while I wouldn’t suggest it for classical music that need pristine tonality and timbre, it do extremely well for anything else even if vocal is not the best in class for it’s price range.
With its razor-sharp imaging, fast thumping bass, vivid treble, and grand soundstage, the Obravo Cupid offers an unforgettable sound experience that sounds like nothing else on the overcrowded earphones market. The founder of Obravo achieve its sound experience dream with the Cupid, which is to give high-end speakers in big room sound impressions deliver trough planar hybrid earphones, and he makes it available to the mass with an extremely competitive price tag.
If you like single planar earphones but feel it lack bass, the Cupid is for you, if you like V shape sound with a high level of clarity and details, the Cupid is for you, if your a treble head, this is for you. Only people I would not suggest the Cupid is those that are either very sensible about instruments timbre or higher range treble. Nonetheless, it’s slight imperfection, I learn to really love the Obravo Cupid for what it offers: a vivid holographic sound experience that wakes you up and keeps your curiosity alive.
......
For full review version (more pics) as well as other reviews, please give a look at my audio blog HERE
SOUND: 8.5/10
ACCESSORIES: 7/10
CONSTRUCTION: 8.5/10
DESIGN: 7.5/10
VALUE: 8.5/10
If David, Obravo founder, has to describe is company in one sentence it would be in this very words: ‘’It is a Taiwanese high-end earphone brand founded by a middle-aged boy who is brave enough to pursue his dream. ‘’ But it’s sure more complicated than this and needs indeed lot of boldness and perseverance to achieve it’s unique sound vision.
Since 2006 Obravo struggle to produce a unique sound experience that is more similar to high-end speakers than closed headphones or earphones. This vision is more about how the sound will be perceived in it’s soundscape and how it shouldn’t sound stocked in your head, but out of it as if you were in a listening room fulfill with high-end tower speakers.
For this, David test multiple of drivers technology, but find its holy grail only by developing its own. This explains in part why most of its long earphones and headphones line up use either patented planar magnetic driver or special Air motion transformer (AMT) tweeters as well as diverse type of dynamic drivers.
Mostly active in high-end audio, Obravo wasn’t really appropriate for more budget-oriented audiophile aiming for high sound value. This all change in 2019 with the launch of oBravo Cupid, a dual planar magnetic and dynamic drivers earphones selling for 350$. But today, I will review the Basic version, which is the very same Cupid earphones without the fancy balanced silver-plated copper Litz cable and adapters.
But how much cost the Basic version then? Well, as little as 200$, wich sure represent the insanely accessible price for such high-end technology and housing construction.
Like the standard version, the Cupid Basic use an 8mm planar magnetic tweeter alongside of a 6mm neodymium dynamic driver. In fact, it's extactly same earphones apart from cable and accessories. To say my expectation was utterly high for this promising earphones would be lying, and this is due to conflictual reviews that I read about them. We can be certain of only one thing about the Cupid: they let nobody indifferent.
Indeed, my listening story with them was a roller coaster, and rolling into Cupid sound is one hell of a fun ride!
Let’s see in this very critical review if the Obravo Cupid Basic worth more than a fast listen.
The oBravo Cupid Basic can be bought directly from AudioConcierge SHOP.
More info about oBravo products can be found on their official WEBSITE.
DISCLAIMER: I wanna thanks Phil from Audioconcierge for sending me this review sample free of charge. I contact him after having read conflictual reviews about the Cupid that makes me curious about its sound profile. I’m in no way affiliated to oBravo and fully independent in my reviewing work.
UNBOXING
As expected, the unboxing experience is well…..Basic! Just a small box with minimal accessories. While I expected to have this Basic cable, I didn’t expect to as so few eartips. We know eartips is cheap, but we know too that it can have a drastic impact on proper sound rendering, just including a more diversify eartips choice could improve the Cupid Basic experience.
CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN
Yes, the Cupid is gorgeous looking, the black gold coating of its housing is as much eye appealing than durable, the shape is oval and organic and promises a secure fit. Sure, the nozzle is long and thick but has an angled shape that helps a good fit too. The whole construction is simple yet elegant, housing is 2 pieces of thick high-quality metal put together. Level of sturdiness look very high, you can drop this multiple time and it will never get broken, just perhaps scratched but even that looks not that easy to achieve. When it comes to mmcx connector, you are happy to see their high quality too, they are made of gold plated metal and connect tightly to the included OFC mmcx cable….but this is when you discover it uses Obravo proprietary mmcx connector too, which is a bummer for mmcx cable collector like me. Is it really for better connectivity or to make consumer dependant of Obravo cables, which are quite costly to say the least? I think it’s both of this answer, but still, it’s not good news. I wish all audio companies stick with either mmcx or 2pin connector, to not make things more complicated or pricier for their consumers. If every audio company follows oBravo example, our audiophile life will be doomed by cables monopoly. Sorry for being a drama queen here, but yeah, it really frustrated me to be stock with basic cable of Basic edition.
About this cable, it’s a beautifully named ‘’Ohno Continuous Casting (OCC) braided cable terminated with a gold plated 3.5mm jack’’, but it does not say the number of copper cores we have in there and looking at how thin it is, it sure hasn’t a lot. Connectors and jacks are of nice quality, but I’m still a little afraid about the durability of such a delicate looking cable. Well, i guess it’s your punishment for the 150$ discount you got over other Cupid version.
Comfort is very nice, but must not be confused with the right fitting. As the Cupid has a long thick nozzle, using long ear tips isn’t suggested as it will perhaps make your ears canal sure du to the inner pressure. Like with the TinHIFI P1, I use similar wide-bore eartips with a not long nozzle. The seal should be not too deep, this will offer higher comfort as well as a more open and balanced sound.
I consider the Obravo Cupid as very capricious about eartips pairing, so it should be in your top priority to find the perfect one. With wrong eartips, sound can be either boomy, trebly or lacking in soundstage.
Driveability of planar earphones are infamous for being hard to drive, though it’s not the case with the Cupid compared to harder to drive TinHIFI P1, the Cupid are still capricious about audio source pairing. Both Impedance output and signal to noise ratio is extremely important. You will want lower Impedance output and higher SNR possible otherwise it can hiss or sound unbalanced. I got a very good result with my Tempotec HD PRO, wich isn’t more high-end source but has a very high SNR of 128db, with this dac-amp, treble was less forwards and overall sound was smoother.
SOUND IMPRESSIONS
Gear used: Ibasso DX90, Xduoo X20, Xduoo XD-05plus, FIIO BTR5, Tempotec HD PRO
My first out-of-the-box impressions of the Cupid were a mixed one, while I was impressed by overall resolution, clarity, and details retrieval of its vivid sound presentation, I feel there was something wrong about the tonality. Depending on music genre, the bass too was a little too boomy to my taste. So, I begin by giving the Cupid proper burnin of 30H as well as playing with eartips. This do improve both bass response and treble, wich became more balanced with rest of the spectrum. Still, the tonal balance was a little strange as well as the timbre of some instruments and voice. The planar driver used in the Cupid act as if he was used for the whole treble response and the dynamic for low to mid or lower mids. Coming from TinHIFI P1, the Cupid sound less natural and transparent, more like if it was an hybrid BA+DD than DD+ Planar. On the other hand, level of clarity and the vivid imaging it offers at such a price is nothing less than breathtaking, we can’t have everything but I sure consider the Cupid to deliver in spectacular wow effect.
TONALITY is a hint dry and bright, but smooth in the definition. It has a slight metallic taste too it in the high range that can tend to make sound artificial some instruments. Male vocal can sound a little boxy while female one can sound a little shouty. The piano can sound thin while the violin can sound slightly strident.
TIMBRE is on the thin transparent side except for bass which is very thick and opaque. Texture can sound dulled, lacking in natural grain.
CLARITY is very high, especially in the treble region. In lower and mid-mid-range it feels tamed and darker compared to the higher range, so the woodwind instrument will be affected tonally as well as lower range piano and male vocals. Still, we are in near analytical clarity level here, and it makes the listen very exciting and revealing.
SOUNDSTAGE is quite wide but has good tallness and deepness too, If I can compare it to something, it would be a hall like but with a sense of being in the middle of it. It’s both airy and out of your head with a good holographic feel to it. It’s the Cupid highlight with imaging and clarity.
IMAGING is sharply presented with the Cupid, while it does have a revealing bright sound, the macro resolution is better than micro-definition of instrumentation which tends to feel slightly unbalanced, so you have no difficulty to pinpoint the singer, bass, snare or percussions which have more presence than some other more nuanced (or complex) sound layers added together in a more recessed way. It’s vivid, yet intensely layered and alive. Cupid extracts all it can at an impressive speed, sometimes it’s near too much.
BASS is fast, thick and weighty, but lack transparency and long natural extension. Sub tend to swallow mid-high bass definition and give a heavy thumping presentation that lack refinement but sure not impact. Timbre is rather dry and opaque. Though the bass is beefy, it’s far from sounding juicy or liquid, due to an aggressive presentation that is too much in a hurry to jump at you. Acoustic bass will sound wrong due to lack of natural extension, synth sub-bass will sound thick and well articulate, slap bass will sound very clear but a little too bright as well. For electronic, rock, pop, rap and R&B, the Cupid offers a very talented bass presentation with good separation from mid-range, keeping overall clarity intact while adding extra punchy liveliness to the music.
MID RANGE is very clear and offers plenty of details even if most of its energy come from the upper mids-lower treble. It’s not very warm or thick, and tonality is a hint unbalanced. The attack is impressively fast even if not super weighty, piano note attack is very fast but the impact feels little tamed, especially in lower and mid mids range. Instrument like saxophone suffer from this recessed mids area and have a thin presentation that lacks natural timbre. Male vocal is hit or miss, while female vocal tends to jump more at you in a bright way. We aren’t in lush, full and well rounded mid-range presentation, more in a rough high resolution one, that feel sometimes too rushed in its desire to impress you. Anyway, this particular rendering has the advantage of keeping clarity very high, so the vocal sound always well centered and separated from another instrument. As I get use to its unique tonality, I tend to like more and more the audacious mid range technicalities.
TREBLE is the more emphasized region after bass, and to me, it’s the best part too. Lower treble from around 3khz to 7khz is very forwards, sometimes a little too aggressive, and after it relaxes until 9khz to 12khz rounded peak that adds brilliance and a sense of airiness to the overall sound. The level of details that Cupid digs is near overwhelming in upper highs, but due to the use of planar driver it never mixes together or distorts with unwanted resonance. As well, it isn’t intensely harsh or trebly even if yes, I would not suggest the Cupid to treble sensitive people. Let’s say it: the Cupid are vivid analytical earphones that boost micro details for the better or the worst. Percussions are insanely resolved and delivered at supreme speed, sometimes it can distract from another instrument, especially with jazz, but with electronics it can offer intense satisfaction. I tend to like this type of sharp energic treble especially when it got a high level of agility like this.
-QUANTITY – -QUALITY-
LOWER BASS: 8.5/10 LOWER BASS: 7.5
MID-HIGH BASS: 8/10 MID-HIGH BASS: 8/10
MID RANGE: 7/10 MID RANGE: 7/10
LOWER TREBLE: 8.5/10 LOWER TREBLE: 7.5/10
MID TREBLE: 7.5/10 MID TREBLE: 8/10
HIGH TREBLE: 9/10 HIGH TREBLE: 8/10
TIMBRE: 7/10 TIMBRE: 7.5/10
SOUNDSTAGE: 8.5/10 SOUNDSTAGE: 9/10
ATTACK-DECAY: 8.5/10 ATTACK-DECAY: 8/10
IMAGING: 8/10 IMAGING: 8.5/10
COMPARISONS
VS TINHIFI P1 (160$):
The P1 being a single Planar driver, it cannot compete in term of bass impact against the dynamic driver of hybrid planar Cupid. Though it lacks impact and weight for proper dynamic presentation, the P1 has a more natural and balanced sound nonetheless. The Cupid has a more V shape aggressive presentation and struggles to balance bass thump by over pushing upper mids region, while the P1 offers a more natural and emphasized midrange and treble that feel cohesive and laid back. In the end, bass sound perhaps more recessed, but more articulate too. Mid-range is more hollow with the oBravo and have more peaky upper mids which tend to make vocal sometimes shouty or boxy. With the P1 it’s flat and balanced, it’s smooth, transparent and tonally right. The vocal does not sound at you like the oBravo, but offer richer timbre and more natural tonality. Treble is more forwarded with the oBravo, as well as more sharply detailed and snappy, the P1 is delicate and relaxed with smoother and fuller thighs.
All in all, the Obravo is more V shape and vivid sounding while the P1 is more mid centric, lush, laid back and natural sounding.
VS AUDIOSENSE T800 (300$):
The T800 uses 8 Knowles balanced armature per side, let’s see how one of my favorite earphones compare against the Cupid.
The biggest difference that hit me is in terms of timbre, the T800 is way thicker and warmer which is very evident in mid-range and lower treble where the cupid sound bright and thinner.
The soundstage is slightly wider and more holographic with T800, while it’s more airy and deeper with the Cupid. Imaging is presented in a more layered way with the T800, which tends to extract instrument from all frequencies range equally while the Cupid is more about treble and bass imaging, keeping the mids hide behind, still, it gives the illusion Cupid have better imaging due to more space between instrument.
Bass is weightier, warmer and thicker with the T800, making it even more bassy than the Cupid which has less good separation between bass and mids as well as dryer timbre. Tough bass is more boosted, it feels more balanced with the rest of the spectrum while the Cupid has a less natural bass transition. Mid-range is where the T800 really outclass the Cupid, everything sound fuller and more natural in this range, should it be wind instrument that sounds overly thin with Cupid or vocal that sound too bright and tonally unpredictable. Vocal has more presence and wideness, while Cupid delivers a more intimate presentation that tends to separate vocal from instruments with more space. Now, the treble of T800 sound fuller and more balanced than Cupid which concentrates most of its energy in upper highs, this makes the T800 less trebly but less sparkly too, it gives us the impressions the Cupid is more analytical and percussions are crisper with more resonance.
While the T800 is better both technically and tonally, it’s warmer and less vivid and airy sounding than the Cupid.
CONCLUSION
oBravo unique approach to sound tuning sure is a demonstration of musical vision bravado. It does not make a compromise by trying to tune it too safe or laid back, which can lead to boring sound too. No, it boldly offers a muscular yet vivid sound presentation that isn’t faint of heart about the lively treble response.
The Cupid is both fascinating and spectacular to listen too, and while I wouldn’t suggest it for classical music that need pristine tonality and timbre, it do extremely well for anything else even if vocal is not the best in class for it’s price range.
With its razor-sharp imaging, fast thumping bass, vivid treble, and grand soundstage, the Obravo Cupid offers an unforgettable sound experience that sounds like nothing else on the overcrowded earphones market. The founder of Obravo achieve its sound experience dream with the Cupid, which is to give high-end speakers in big room sound impressions deliver trough planar hybrid earphones, and he makes it available to the mass with an extremely competitive price tag.
If you like single planar earphones but feel it lack bass, the Cupid is for you, if you like V shape sound with a high level of clarity and details, the Cupid is for you, if your a treble head, this is for you. Only people I would not suggest the Cupid is those that are either very sensible about instruments timbre or higher range treble. Nonetheless, it’s slight imperfection, I learn to really love the Obravo Cupid for what it offers: a vivid holographic sound experience that wakes you up and keeps your curiosity alive.
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For full review version (more pics) as well as other reviews, please give a look at my audio blog HERE
Kal El
Hi! Great review! Do you suggest it for metal music? I mostly listen to prog metal (Tool, Haken, Opeth, and Trivium are examples).
Thank you!
Thank you!
