Introducing Optimization Elements (OEAudio) Tita. It is powered by single Sonion balanced armature driver. The horn design of Tita enhances energy of sound and the extensiveness of trebles. Tita has a crossover-free design. Sound tuning and adjustments are done by cavity itself.
Unit provided by OEAudio for review. Official Tita BA-1Tiproduct page
Design
The Tita BA-1Ti has a very compact and very well built design. The straight tubular shape may look simple but it is actually more complex. The main body is made of a mix of plastic and metal. The main outer shell is of very solid plastic, semi-translucent that allows to see the inner small armature driver and part of the nozzle. The other half consists of the metal nozzle, made entirely of titanium with the advertised ‘horn’ design. It is very rare to see titanium applied on in-ear monitors, even more at this price range. The nozzle body is installed inside the front half of the plastic shell, while the rear holds the BA unit and its cabling.
At the top of the rear half part is where the exchangeable back covers should be installed, and the Tita includes three different sets. They not just differ in material (and color) but also in the opening port at the back side, which, in theory, should affect the overall sound tuning. Changing the covers is done by unscrewing the small screw placed at the inner lateral side of the earphone. Not the quickest way but yes safe enough as you won’t be losing the covers. The only part of the process that needs extra care is the placement, or alignment, of the tiny dampers that need to be meticulously done, and only reason you won’t be exchanging the shells frequently.
With all the different metal materials the Tita has premium ‘air’ on it. More importantly, with the compact design the fit is very easy and proves to be very comfortable, reminiscent of the Final Audio E series earphones, being much less compromising than tons of ‘over-ear’ shaped IEMs. Isolation is average and quite acceptable with this kind of design.
The included cable continues the good quality and comfortable use as the earphones themselves. Do note that the version here is the one that includes the 2DualOFC cable, sold separately for around U$50. As its name suggests, this is an oxygen-free copper wire cable, which consists of two main strands, one for each channel. Each strand holds two inner wires twisted together as can be seen through the transparent TPU coating. In practice, the cable itself is very lightweight and comfortable to use, and presents no noise when moving around. logically, as it is made for the Tita IEM the cable has no ear hooks installed on it and can be worn easily with the cable down or up around the ears.
Sound Quality
Clearly, the Tita presents a very BA type of sound, though it is similar to the few Sonion based IEMs rather than the many Knowles I’ve tried, and more specifically at the $100~200 range. Ultimately, while the sound may depend on the metal rear shells’ covers applied, the changes are mainly at the low-end area and very slightly affect the rest of the sound.
Other IEMs tried with tuning systems were all hybrid types where the tuning kit altered the lows, mids or highs. On the Tita, probably being a single BA full range earphone, the tuning covers are just much less critical. (Usually on BA drivers the tuning is applied at the nozzle area, affecting the mid/high region; though, on the Sonion driver here it may have some logic to be set at the rear part of the housings and to change the bass balance).
Now, the overall sound is fairly even with a kind of warm tonality on it that gives that extra fullness to the sound, at least as what a single BA can get at this price level. I could not describe the Tita being ‘balanced’ nor it is neutral, but does not put too much emphasis on a very specific region. That said, technicalities are on the average level and the presentation is a bit narrow. Extension on both ends is limited as well; you certainly hear the roll-off at the upper highs and a lack of reach to the sub-bass. But as to compensate, the sound is very smooth, fatigue free with zero treble peaks and no heavy mid-bass lift.
The low-end gives a warm tuning, much more focused on the mid-bass area, rather than the sub-bass which is shy and limited. The mid-bass is punchy, fairly full and well-bodied, but not aggressive. Softer when compared to what many dynamic drivers can provide. Tight but not the cleanest and layering is lacking. It has that kind of fun factor to it with the BA characteristics of being fast, snappy in attack and just short in decay.
Transition from bass to the lower-mids is smooth and clean. The rich and warm tonality is present through the whole midrange giving more body and weight to both vocals and instruments. Balance between low and upper-mid is very even, and it is being more forward than neutral. The use of different covers can add a little bit extra fullness to either the low or high area, highlighting low or upper vocals more, but overall female vocals tend to have better texture and detail on the Tita. Transparency and air are about average; it is more of an intimate and smooth presentation.
Treble is smooth and forgiving. More centered into the low-treble region, while the rest of the upper frequency is limited and quickly rolls-off. It doesn’t sound dark or muddy, but due its laid-back character it can be missing the needed sparkle and energy. The level of detail is decent, though the Tita is not suited for finding micro-details. The positive side is that it is never harsh or sibilant, good for a more relaxed listening.
With the warmer and midrange centered tuning, soundstage is about average at best. Still acceptable if compared to previous single BA I’ve tried at this price point, but quickly loses next to hybrid or single dynamic based sets. Yet, compared to many hybrid/tri-brid IEMs the sound is cohesive having a full-range single driver.
Regarding the tuning cover shells, they do not provide any real impact to the frequency response. The stainless steel and brass are pretty much identical. On a very critical listening, the brass cover may sound a tad warmer/fuller, but I found that paired with different sources it is even harder to tell them apart. Physically, the brass has a wider opening at the back, but even so it doesn’t add a significant gain to the low end or extra air to the upper region. The aluminum is the one that presents a very slight drop on the bass/mid-bass region. Instead, trying different ear tips will give more positive results and those who can try some quick mods, may play with the installed dampers to improve the sound even further.
I would love to thank Oeaudio for sending me the tita ba1ti for review . I was interested in hearing sonion ba driver as my gut feeling told me that they'll be a much better sounding ba versus the usual Knowles ba we all are accustomed to. Once I saw this tita ba1ti and that it had a sonion ba I quickly jumped on to contacting oeauduo to get a review unit. Plus I love titanium housing and this as well 8s the first ba iem to incorporate titanium that I saw as well as different material damper to change sound tone .
Build :
Top notch build for this iem as it's made from titanium and also has removable cables as well.the cable is a special copper that is in a balanced configuration as in that the right cable isn't touching the left one and both side is shielded from one another.
Sound:
Stainless steel damper(silver :most open)
Bass: bass Is thick and dark and midbass with this damper is a tad to much that it'll bleed in the mids.
Mids: very thick and has a slight veil from the bass bleed from bright open back.
Treble :the most subbed treble , not enough sparkle heard.
Coppercopper color and less open)
Bass : tighter and cleaner then the stainless steel damper . Speed is there and not slow like the stainless steel damper.
Mids: has a balanced tonal midrange which isn't thick or thin. Has a great weight to the vocals and texture is soso.
Treble : heard and has good amount of sparkle. Clear enough and not subbed like the stainless steel damper.
Aluminumblack fully closed )
Bass:the flattest bass of all the damper , barely felt but what's there is tight.
Mids : cleanest of the bunch with still warmth available and clarity which is heard .
Treble : brightest one but not harsh at all, much better then the rest damper .
Soundstage: (all damper):
The soundstage remains same with all the damper , which it is wider then deep . Height is also not tall just about right.
Conclusion:
I am very glad that I was able to try out a sonion ba iem that has titanium housing and I would love to thank Oeaudio for the chance to review the tita ba1ti.
Pros: » Small form factor
» Innovative exchangeable back cover design
» Accurate bass
» Emotional mids
» Neutral and uncolored sound signature
» High quality stock cable
» Easily driven
Cons: » Early roll-off in highs
» Complicated and tedious to change back cover
Disclaimer
Thank you, Yang, from Optimization Elements (OE) Audio for sending me the Tita in exchange for my honest opinions. I am not affiliated with the company and no incentive will be given for a positive review. Here is my review.
Then I noticed MusicTeck listed new OE Audio adapters and decided to give them a try. Never heard of this company before, Optimization Elements, but they turned out to be the best I have tried so far.
I reviewed their cable - 2DualOFC in 2019 and Yang sent me their latest in-ear monitors (IEMs), Tita for review purposes recently. Powered by single Sonion balanced armature driver, I am anticipated to experience Tita because there are plenty of single BA IEMs in the market but only a few did it right.Will Tita join the force of being a pair of "right-sounding" single BA IEMs? We will check it out in this article!
Unboxing
Here's my unboxing video for OEAudio Tita:
Here are the accessories in the box:
3 exchangeable back cover for Tita
Screw driver (to remove and install the screw for back cover)
Screws (secure back cover)
3 pairs of silicone ear tips (S,M and L)
OEAudio 2DualOFC stock cable
Soft storage pouch
The box of OEAudio Tita
Specifications are listed on the back of the box
Opening the box
Exchangeable back cover design
Provided storage pouch
Stock cable
Technical Specification
Frequency response: 20-16000Hz
Sensitivity@500Hz: 106dBSPL/mVA
Impedance@500Hz: 6Ohm
Cable: 2DualOFC
Cable termination: 3.5mm unbalanced terminated with MMCX connector
Cable length: 1.2m
Build Chassis
When I first opened the box, Tita reminds me of Final Audio IEMs design - simplistic piston design. The outer shell is made of plastic. However, the inner core of the IEMs is actually crafted by titanium. The core extends all the way to the nozzle. According to OEAudio, titanium is an ideal sound material for its outstanding resonance features.
Tita has a horn nozzle design which enhances energy of sound and the extensiveness of trebles, based on OEAudio's introduction.There is no crossover implemented in Tita. Sound adjustments are done by the cavity itself and the Titanium horn which introduces less distortion and unleashes the potential of the driver itself.
Tita comes with three set of exchangeable back cover for the IEMs shell: stainless steel, brass and aluminium. Each of them will factor a different sound signature to Tita. I will introduce them in detailed later in the sound analysis section.
Shell of OEAudio Tita
MMCX plug
A "naked" Tita
Cable
The overall texture of this cable is soft and supple. A stiff cable could be a deal-breaker and I am glad that OEAudio took this into consideration. I like the plug particularly. It is sturdy and durable based on physical appearance. There is a logo engraved on the plug. There is no ear guide at the connector.
This is a piece of good news for me because ear guides are a disaster to me as a myopia sufferer.
The stock cable
MMCX connector
3.5mm unbalanced TRS jack
Fit and Isolation
With the small shell, Tita is able to provide deep insertion for most of the users, no matter how big or small are your ears. With the large stock ear tips, it blocks out most of the external noise from entering the ear canal with music on. Do note that the passive noise cancellation is dependent on the back covers used. Stainless steel and brass are having slightly weaker passive noise cancellation due to the open-back design.
Sound Analysis Sound Signature
Each of the back cover will factor a different sound signature to Tita. Stainless steel has an open back design with a small hole at the back. This yields a balanced and ‘calm’ style of sound, a tighter bass and a swift treble.
Stainless steel back cover with a small opening
Brass is a material with augmented resonance. The brass back cover has an open back with a bigger back hole has compared to stainless steel, resulting in a warmer tone of bass, a looser sound style, and a gentle voice performance. it has greater extensiveness of treble.
Brass back cover
Brass back cover is having a bigger opening at the back as compared to stainless steel
Aluminium back cover has a close back design which has the most active sound among all three back covers. It has augmented and energetic bass which make it suitable for tracks and recordings with stronger rhythm.
Aluminium back cover
Closed back cover
Soundstage
The soundstage of Tita is above average. It has good width and depth to handle complicated genres like rock bands. During the reviewing period, I do not face any congestions. The layering in complicated tracks have been done well by Tita - I still cannot believe this can be done on a pair of single BA powered IEMs.
Tita with Lotoo Paw 5000 MKII
Lows
The lows of the Tita extend deep; it rumbles in the sub-bass and maintains excellent control when moving to the mid-bass. It has a very high quality bass as a pair of IEMs with only single BA. The speed is average. The bass has some warmth and rich texture. These two factors yield a natural sound that doesn’t come close to being analytical.
With stainless steel back cover on, the bass is well-controlled with a slightly faster decay. This makes Tita a good monitoring IEMs with this back cover. If you need more warmth, brass back cover got your back. The bass is boosted slightly with a slower decay. The sound signature turns warmer and more analogue.
For pop lovers, I would recommend the aluminium cover. The bass is boosted like brass back cover but with good control like stainless steel. This keep the bass in the dedicated frequency region, without bleeding towards the mids.
Tita with iBasso DX220
Tita with iBasso DX220
Mids
If you read my previous reviews, you will understand how much I appreciate good mids. I am a Mandopop and Cantopop lover. Good vocals are essential for me. What does“good mids” mean to me? The texture needs to be thick enough. What do I mean?
Texture is how the vocals and other mid frequency instruments are combined in a composition, thus determining the overall presentation of the mids in a piece.
This is very tricky because the vocals become too honky when the texture is too thick. When the vocals are too thin, they lose the spotlight. The stage will be taken over by other frequency regions.
The Tita has a good grasp on texture. The mids are rich, thick, and juicy. It has sufficient air and space in the mids to make the vocalists sound lively. I particularly like the mids from the stainless steel back cover - airy and spacious. I always get a crystal clear vocals from this pairing. The mids is very firm and well-penetrated.
Tita with Lotoo Paw S1
Highs
The treble can be shy sometimes. It is not always energetic. It can sit in any tracks without any issues. The treble synchronises in a balanced manner with the rest of the spectrum. It gives the overall presentation a sufficient amount of air and space. Nonetheless, the treble is not airiest but it coexist flawlessly with the mids and lows.
The highs do not have the best extension but it is sufficient to make the sound sparkle. The highs start to roll-off at around 10kHz on the frequency response curve, which could be unacceptable for some treble lovers. The highs sound smooth, without any sense of piercing to the ears. This could be a saviour for those who have lower treble tolerance.
Perhaps OEAudio should start to pursue Hi-Res certification to motivate them to push the frequency response to 40 kHz. This might extend the high extension and mitigate early roll-off issues.
Verdict
The OEAudio Tita is a good start for OEAudio. It ticked numbers of boxes to be a pair of outstanding IEMs - small form factor with well-controlled bass and transparent mids. I think this strength can be used by OEAudio for their advertising of the Tita. The tuning showed maturity of OEAudio in this industry despite this is their first IEMs. I am looking forward to their future releases.
OEAudio's Tita is retailing at USD$169. You can purchase it from OEAudio official website. With the launch of Tita, it’s time for OEAudio to gather feedback for this IEM attempt and plan for their next release.
Nice review, although not many reviews out there yet yours is welcomed...Greetings, what would a comparable sound signature wise with a little more extension in the treble region? Thank you.
Thank you @LostnAmerica . If you want something close to this with a little more extension in treble, I would recommend perhaps BQEYZ Spring 1 or Final Audio E4000.
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copper color and less open)
