Link to my review and measurement index thread where one can also find a full review overview, more information about myself as well as my general-ish audio and review manifesto: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/956208/
I only give full stars. My ranking/scoring system does not necessarily follow the norm and is about as follows:
5 stars: The product is very good and received the "highly recommended" award from me.
4 stars: The product is very good and received the "recommended" award from me.
3 stars: The product is good/very good, but not outstanding/special enough to get any of my two awards. ["Thumbs Up"]
2 stars: The product is only about average or even somewhat below that and somewhat flawed/flawed in some areas. [neither "Thumbs Up" nor "Thumbs Down"]
1 star: The product is bad/severely flawed to outright bad. ["Thumbs Down"]
ORIVETI O400
Source:
Review sample.
Miscellaneous:
ORIVETI’s second BA-only in-ears.
Very nice unboxing experience (except for that the cardboard box was somewhat difficult to open); nicely arranged accessories and a wide range of different ear tip styles (various single-flange silicone tips including AZLA tips, double-flange silicone tips, foam tips and double-flange tips).
High quality, premium appearing round storage/carrying case manufactured from genuine leather and with beautiful red stitching and padded interior; however I wouldn’t mind if it were just slightly more spacious and were even better protected against moisture and dust getting in (as the lid does not really close hermetically, which is something that unfortunately most boutique-styled IEM cases that place form/aesthetics over ultimate protection and function have in common, but after all it’s still a better and more protective case than the one from my Campfire Audio Andromeda or Logitech/Ultimate Ears UE900).
Excellent, flawless build quality.
I really like that one can see the drivers, acoustic tubing, filters, wiring and crossover network through the shells.
Really nice smoke blue translucent colour scheme; can appear a bit purple-ish in some lighting situations.
Beautiful cable; I really like its visual appearance.
Eight conductors that are braided below and above the y-splitter. Premium looking plug, connectors, y-splitter and chin-slider.
Very soft and supple; very high quality.
2-pin connectors.
Four BA drivers per side; four acoustic ways; quad-bore design.
Sound:
Largest included black single-flange silicone ear tips (same type as those that were already installed).
Tonality:
Fairly neutral midrange and treble with nicely integrated sub-bass elevation. Harman-oriented, if you will, but with less strongly boosted bass (therefore more oriented around the Harman over-ear target).
The mids and highs generally follow the diffuse-field target quite well, with somewhat less level around 2 kHz wherefore the presence range is not intrusive but rather somewhat relaxed sounding. Level is back at neutral in quantity at 3 kHz and 4 kHz, with a mild but not narrow dip around 5 kHz, and neutral quantity right above that again towards 9 kHz, with a very mild, rather broad elevation around 7.5 kHz, wherefore the tuning is ultimately very slightly on the v-shaped/mildly loudness-compensated side to my ears. The level around 10 kHz is just a bit in the background again when listening to sine sweeps and therefore ultimately takes just a little bit of sharpness/splashiness from overtones and cymbals without making them sound dark at all, just to come back to neutral again already at 11 kHz and subsequently above that.
Super treble extension is good past 16 kHz.
Listening to sine sweeps generally shows a smooth treble presentation (that, for most parts, sounds fairly natural with music as well), with neither of the dips seeming to be placed in the positions where they are coming in as sudden, narrow or strongly recessed but generally quite mildly recessed, wherefore the highs, while ultimately not 100% flat and linear, sound mostly natural and clear together with the mild 7.5 kHz lift that is overall really just a notch above neutral in quantity, yet at the same time are not offensive or sharp but have a slightly milder character, but one shouldn’t be fooled into thinking that the O400 were inoffensive and forgiving with badly mixed/mastered tracks that have exaggerations in the high frequency range, since ultimately their upper-end neutrality (and “mercilessness”) above 3 kHz is not too far away from Etymotic’s in-ears, but in the end just a bit more “forgiving” in comparison, combined with a milder, more relaxed presence range presentation (“natural neutral/relaxed neutral” on the ORIVETI compared to Etymotic’s “no compromise flat studio neutral” approach in the upper midrange/presence range). If there’s anything to criticise about the highs’ reproduction, it’s that the O400s’ appears ultimately just a notch less authentic and refined compared to Etymotic’s in-ears that sound even more authentic and refined to my ears in terms treble tuning when it comes to my ears; but even though the ORIVETI are ultimately a tad below Etymotic’s products in this area to my ears, they are nonetheless among the best in-ears especially in their price range in this regard.
The midrange follows a tuning that could be considered “natural neutral” as the lower mids are completely flat without any hint of warmth thanks to the brilliantly integrated low bass boost, with a subsequently flat central midrange and, compared to Etymotic standards and what I perceive when listening to sine sweeps, an upper midrange/presence range that is recessed moderately enough to place voices a bit further away from the listener, thus making them somewhat less intimate, yet present enough to not making brighter voices and lower voices’ overtones appear as recessed or dark but correct. Thankfully to this, the midrange tuning and timbre is reproduced correctly to my ears even in the presence range.
In my opinion, while the O400s’ midrange and treble are already tuned well and sound natural as well as coherent, the “star of the show” when it comes to tuning is clearly the bass, and I’d go as far to writing that this is the best sub-bass elevation that I have ever heard from any in-ears so far.
Listening to sine sweeps, I hear the bass’ elevation as starting to climb around 500 Hz, and it reaches its climax nicely low around 30 Hz (with a lift of around 7 dB compared to diffuse-field standards), with already a bit of punch in the upper bass around 100 Hz, but the “main action” is definitely happening in the lower midbass and actual sub-bass, with a fantastically implemented elevation that nicely stays out of the fundamental range and therefore really just accentuates the true bass without adding any warmth to the sound or colouring the mids.
Therefore, and as 200 Hz are about in-line with 1 kHz, bleeding of the bass into the midrange is avoided completely and instead it stays nicely out of it with adding just the slightest possible hint of warmth to the low fundamental range.
All in all, one can definitely say that the O400 are tremendously well-tuned in-ears with an extremely good integration of a mild loudness compensation/mild v-shape with the lows’ climax sitting nicely low in the true sub-bass, and in terms of a true sub-bass-only focus, the ORIVETI manage to place the focus on the actual sub-bass even more than the Etymotic ER2XR, my Shure SE846 and my Earsonics ES3.
Due to the way they are tuned, they also sound largely neutral/”natural neutral” most of the time since the moderate bass elevation is placed nicely low and really only shows its presence when the recording/track reaches this low.
On a personal note, I am undeniably still quite impressed by just how well the lows are tuned (as a really nice and quite addictive addition to the rest of the entire frequency range that sounds natural as well).
Frequency Response:
ER-4S-Compensation
ProPhile 8-Compensation
Resolution:
When it comes to technical performance, it can generally said that the O400 are definitely and, if one can say so, quite easily worth the price.
These in-ears’ bass character is really interesting and ultimately just great – the lows have got a somewhat dynamic-driver like body and rumble but BA-like speed and control (there is no muddiness or softness even in demanding and fast passages/tracks) wherefore they reproduce a controlled, tight punch with a clean and fast decay, yet punches feel dynamic and have got some sort of almost tactile vibrations wherefore the bass sounds natural and is highly involving; it just feels “right”.
Speech intelligibility is really high for this price range, and the general resolution and level of transparency in the midrange are high as well.
When it comes to high notes, the O400 don’t disappoint either but feature a high level of details and remain clean sounding even in busy and fast passages of the music.
Especially noteworthy is the generally clean and precise separation across the entire frequency range that is definitely a major contributor to the ORIVETI sounding very controlled, resolving and clean even with fast, dense and busy music.
Soundstage:
The O400s’ imaginary soundstage shows no congestion and sounds quite open and spacious to my ears (not NocturnaL Audio Atlantis/Ultimate Ears Reference Monitors/Campfire Audio Andromeda tier in terms of size and openness, but still very good; it expands further than the space between my ears and is ultimately perceived as somewhat larger than the Etymotic ER2XRs’ soundstage that doesn’t appear small to my ears either but is in fact the largest soundstage among all Etymotic ER series in-ears). Since the in-ears don’t sound flat but manage to layer well, the virtual room sounds three-dimensional and therefore very authentic to me; ultimately the soundstage is just a bit more on the oval than round side to my ears.
Thankfully the imaging is really precise and the ORIVETIs’ soundstage also handles very fast, dense, complex and demanding music material tremendously well without losing much control even when pushed to the limits by the music.
Especially these in-ears’ very clean spatial separation is really noteworthy as their imaging ability is really clean and precise, with the “empty space” between and around instruments/tonal elements being reproduced very accurately without any blur.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Comparisons:
Etymotic ER2XR:
Both in-ears’ tuning direction is generally quite comparable.
The ER2XR are elevated a bit stronger in the sub-bass and bass in general, and have therefore got a bit more upper bass punch and somewhat more warmth in the low fundamental range in comparison.
The O400 have got the less intimate/more relaxed midrange presentation (voices are less placed less closely to the listener on the O400 and appear closer to the listener/more intimate/direct on the ER2XR) while both in-ears’ midrange timbre is similar.
The ER2XR have got the slightly more even/refined treble tuning to my ears when listening to music and thus sometimes slightly more realistic treble response/high note timbre in direct comparison; the treble tuning is generally comparable with the exception being in the upper highs where the O400 are slightly brighter than the Etymotic in comparison.
The O400 feature the slightly better separation in general.
They have also got the somewhat higher transparency and resolution.
Treble details are about comparable but the ORIVETI are ultimately still a bit ahead here as well, especially in fast passages.
The sub-bass reproduction is cleaner on the O400 whereas the ER-2XRs’ is a bit soft in comparison; the ORIVETI are generally a bit tighter/faster in the lows.
In terms of soundstage size, I hear the O400s’ as appearing a bit wider and generally somewhat larger than the ER2XRs’.
The imaging is somewhat more precise on the ORIVETI that have also got the better instrument separation in comparison.
Earsonics ES3:
Both in-ears’ bass elevation starts about similarly, but the difference is that the ES3, while they also avoid any lower midrange warmth just like the O400, have got the stronger elevation in the upper bass as well as midbass wherefore they are ultimately tuned a bit bassier/punchier than the ORIVETI that really mainly concentrate their elevation on the true sub-bass (that’s also a little stronger elevated on the ES3, although just slightly).
The O400 have got the more linear upper midrange and treble tuning (wherefore they sound more realistic) whereas the ES3 have a more recessed upper midrange and middle treble and a brighter upper treble elevation.
Bass control, tightness and details are higher on the O400.
The same goes for the midrange where the ORIVETI sound more transparent and resolve better.
This is also true for the O400s’ treble whose resolution is higher and features the cleaner note separation.
The note separation is generally cleaner and superior on the O400.
The O400s’ soundstage a bit larger to my ears.
The spatial separation and imaging are also somewhat more precise on the ORIVETI (especially the ability to portray “empty space” around and between tonal elements; their soundstage also remains better controlled in fast and busy passages).
NocturnaL Audio Atlantis:
The Atlantis have got the thicker, warmer lower fundamental range and bass with a punchy upper bass and strong midbass whereas the O400 are tuned without any lower fundamental range warmth and slightly higher quantity in the lowest possible sub-bass, while otherwise the Atlantis are audibly bassier in the low midbass and upper sub-bass in comparison.
The middle treble is a bit brighter on the O400; otherwise their highs are quite comparable although Atlantis have ultimately got the somewhat more refined sounding treble response to my ears.
The Atlantis’ bass is tighter and faster.
Likewise they also feature the generally somewhat higher transparency and resolution and also even somewhat cleaner separation.
The Atlantis’ soundstage appears larger to my ears and also even somewhat more precise imaging.
Shure SE846 (white “Treble” Filters):
Both in-ears’ tuning direction is generally quite comparable.
The SE846 have got somewhat more upper bass quantity in comparison wherefore it’s reproduced punchier; as their bass radiates comparatively more into the lower fundamental range than the O400s’ that are more “sub-bass-only-focused” with pretty much no fundamental range warmth, the Shure have got a bit of warmth in the low fundamental range while the ORIVETI truly limit their elevation in the lows to nothing but the actual low bass.
Both have got comparable lower midbass and sub-bass quantity, while the O400 are actually even slightly more elevated in the true sub-bass which is audible in the rarer cases when the audio material really extends this low.
Both in-ears’ midrange tuning is comparable.
Extension in the super treble is easily won by the ORIVETI as the Shure simply start to roll off far too early and thus lack treble overtones. Maybe as a result of this, but also generally, the O400 have got the more correct midrange and treble timbre to my ears whereas the SE846 appear somewhat artificial, especially with their treble that appears as the decay and reverb were lacking (which is definitely a result of their at best mediocre treble extension).
As for tuning, the O400 are slightly brighter in the upper highs before the super treble where the Shure are more or less lacking.
In terms of technical performance, the Shure have a bass that is generally a bit tighter and features the comparatively higher control as well as details in the lows. Sub-bass control is almost similarly good, but the SE846 are again just slightly ahead here.
The O400 have got the slightly higher speech intelligibility to my ears whereas the SE846 have got ultimately the overall very slightly higher midrange transparency and fine details/”true” resolution in this area in direct comparison (their midrange detail presentation appears minimally more “effortless” to me).
Treble resolution and separation is clearly higher on the O400.
When it comes to separation in general, the ORIVETI are generally audibly better which gives them an audible advantage over the Shure in busy and fast passages as well as dense arrangements, as except for the bass where the Shure have definitely got an advantage in terms of control and quality, the O400 are ahead in the rest of the frequency spectrum when it comes to control and separation, and they therefore just sound generally audibly cleaner.
To my ears, the O400s’ perceived soundstage is larger.
The ORIVETI also feature the cleaner imaging and sharper instrument separation in comparison, and their reproduction of “empty space” around and between tonal elements appears also cleaner as well as more effortless.
Conclusion:
Highly Recommended.
Excellent tuning with a truly fantastic integration of the moderate bass elevation that really only concentrates on the lowest registers and doesn’t add any warmth to the fundamental range, natural and realistic midrange reproduction, as well as cohesive (although ultimately a notch below Etymotic’s in-ears’ treble response) and realistically tuned treble that is ultimately set to be just a notch on the brighter side in the upper highs.
Combined with the technical performance that is excellent in the in-ears price range and even generally very good and highly competitive, with especially the high control and excellent note and instrument separation as well as three-dimensional and therefore authentic soundstage being worthy of note, the O400 represent such a great overall package and even place them clearly among the upper range of my personally favourite IEMs for recreational music listening.
Photos:
I only give full stars. My ranking/scoring system does not necessarily follow the norm and is about as follows:
5 stars: The product is very good and received the "highly recommended" award from me.
4 stars: The product is very good and received the "recommended" award from me.
3 stars: The product is good/very good, but not outstanding/special enough to get any of my two awards. ["Thumbs Up"]
2 stars: The product is only about average or even somewhat below that and somewhat flawed/flawed in some areas. [neither "Thumbs Up" nor "Thumbs Down"]
1 star: The product is bad/severely flawed to outright bad. ["Thumbs Down"]
ORIVETI O400
Source:
Review sample.
Miscellaneous:
ORIVETI’s second BA-only in-ears.
Very nice unboxing experience (except for that the cardboard box was somewhat difficult to open); nicely arranged accessories and a wide range of different ear tip styles (various single-flange silicone tips including AZLA tips, double-flange silicone tips, foam tips and double-flange tips).
High quality, premium appearing round storage/carrying case manufactured from genuine leather and with beautiful red stitching and padded interior; however I wouldn’t mind if it were just slightly more spacious and were even better protected against moisture and dust getting in (as the lid does not really close hermetically, which is something that unfortunately most boutique-styled IEM cases that place form/aesthetics over ultimate protection and function have in common, but after all it’s still a better and more protective case than the one from my Campfire Audio Andromeda or Logitech/Ultimate Ears UE900).
Excellent, flawless build quality.
I really like that one can see the drivers, acoustic tubing, filters, wiring and crossover network through the shells.
Really nice smoke blue translucent colour scheme; can appear a bit purple-ish in some lighting situations.
Beautiful cable; I really like its visual appearance.
Eight conductors that are braided below and above the y-splitter. Premium looking plug, connectors, y-splitter and chin-slider.
Very soft and supple; very high quality.
2-pin connectors.
Four BA drivers per side; four acoustic ways; quad-bore design.
Sound:
Largest included black single-flange silicone ear tips (same type as those that were already installed).
Tonality:
Fairly neutral midrange and treble with nicely integrated sub-bass elevation. Harman-oriented, if you will, but with less strongly boosted bass (therefore more oriented around the Harman over-ear target).
The mids and highs generally follow the diffuse-field target quite well, with somewhat less level around 2 kHz wherefore the presence range is not intrusive but rather somewhat relaxed sounding. Level is back at neutral in quantity at 3 kHz and 4 kHz, with a mild but not narrow dip around 5 kHz, and neutral quantity right above that again towards 9 kHz, with a very mild, rather broad elevation around 7.5 kHz, wherefore the tuning is ultimately very slightly on the v-shaped/mildly loudness-compensated side to my ears. The level around 10 kHz is just a bit in the background again when listening to sine sweeps and therefore ultimately takes just a little bit of sharpness/splashiness from overtones and cymbals without making them sound dark at all, just to come back to neutral again already at 11 kHz and subsequently above that.
Super treble extension is good past 16 kHz.
Listening to sine sweeps generally shows a smooth treble presentation (that, for most parts, sounds fairly natural with music as well), with neither of the dips seeming to be placed in the positions where they are coming in as sudden, narrow or strongly recessed but generally quite mildly recessed, wherefore the highs, while ultimately not 100% flat and linear, sound mostly natural and clear together with the mild 7.5 kHz lift that is overall really just a notch above neutral in quantity, yet at the same time are not offensive or sharp but have a slightly milder character, but one shouldn’t be fooled into thinking that the O400 were inoffensive and forgiving with badly mixed/mastered tracks that have exaggerations in the high frequency range, since ultimately their upper-end neutrality (and “mercilessness”) above 3 kHz is not too far away from Etymotic’s in-ears, but in the end just a bit more “forgiving” in comparison, combined with a milder, more relaxed presence range presentation (“natural neutral/relaxed neutral” on the ORIVETI compared to Etymotic’s “no compromise flat studio neutral” approach in the upper midrange/presence range). If there’s anything to criticise about the highs’ reproduction, it’s that the O400s’ appears ultimately just a notch less authentic and refined compared to Etymotic’s in-ears that sound even more authentic and refined to my ears in terms treble tuning when it comes to my ears; but even though the ORIVETI are ultimately a tad below Etymotic’s products in this area to my ears, they are nonetheless among the best in-ears especially in their price range in this regard.
The midrange follows a tuning that could be considered “natural neutral” as the lower mids are completely flat without any hint of warmth thanks to the brilliantly integrated low bass boost, with a subsequently flat central midrange and, compared to Etymotic standards and what I perceive when listening to sine sweeps, an upper midrange/presence range that is recessed moderately enough to place voices a bit further away from the listener, thus making them somewhat less intimate, yet present enough to not making brighter voices and lower voices’ overtones appear as recessed or dark but correct. Thankfully to this, the midrange tuning and timbre is reproduced correctly to my ears even in the presence range.
In my opinion, while the O400s’ midrange and treble are already tuned well and sound natural as well as coherent, the “star of the show” when it comes to tuning is clearly the bass, and I’d go as far to writing that this is the best sub-bass elevation that I have ever heard from any in-ears so far.
Listening to sine sweeps, I hear the bass’ elevation as starting to climb around 500 Hz, and it reaches its climax nicely low around 30 Hz (with a lift of around 7 dB compared to diffuse-field standards), with already a bit of punch in the upper bass around 100 Hz, but the “main action” is definitely happening in the lower midbass and actual sub-bass, with a fantastically implemented elevation that nicely stays out of the fundamental range and therefore really just accentuates the true bass without adding any warmth to the sound or colouring the mids.
Therefore, and as 200 Hz are about in-line with 1 kHz, bleeding of the bass into the midrange is avoided completely and instead it stays nicely out of it with adding just the slightest possible hint of warmth to the low fundamental range.
All in all, one can definitely say that the O400 are tremendously well-tuned in-ears with an extremely good integration of a mild loudness compensation/mild v-shape with the lows’ climax sitting nicely low in the true sub-bass, and in terms of a true sub-bass-only focus, the ORIVETI manage to place the focus on the actual sub-bass even more than the Etymotic ER2XR, my Shure SE846 and my Earsonics ES3.
Due to the way they are tuned, they also sound largely neutral/”natural neutral” most of the time since the moderate bass elevation is placed nicely low and really only shows its presence when the recording/track reaches this low.
On a personal note, I am undeniably still quite impressed by just how well the lows are tuned (as a really nice and quite addictive addition to the rest of the entire frequency range that sounds natural as well).
Frequency Response:
ER-4S-Compensation
ProPhile 8-Compensation
Resolution:
When it comes to technical performance, it can generally said that the O400 are definitely and, if one can say so, quite easily worth the price.
These in-ears’ bass character is really interesting and ultimately just great – the lows have got a somewhat dynamic-driver like body and rumble but BA-like speed and control (there is no muddiness or softness even in demanding and fast passages/tracks) wherefore they reproduce a controlled, tight punch with a clean and fast decay, yet punches feel dynamic and have got some sort of almost tactile vibrations wherefore the bass sounds natural and is highly involving; it just feels “right”.
Speech intelligibility is really high for this price range, and the general resolution and level of transparency in the midrange are high as well.
When it comes to high notes, the O400 don’t disappoint either but feature a high level of details and remain clean sounding even in busy and fast passages of the music.
Especially noteworthy is the generally clean and precise separation across the entire frequency range that is definitely a major contributor to the ORIVETI sounding very controlled, resolving and clean even with fast, dense and busy music.
Soundstage:
The O400s’ imaginary soundstage shows no congestion and sounds quite open and spacious to my ears (not NocturnaL Audio Atlantis/Ultimate Ears Reference Monitors/Campfire Audio Andromeda tier in terms of size and openness, but still very good; it expands further than the space between my ears and is ultimately perceived as somewhat larger than the Etymotic ER2XRs’ soundstage that doesn’t appear small to my ears either but is in fact the largest soundstage among all Etymotic ER series in-ears). Since the in-ears don’t sound flat but manage to layer well, the virtual room sounds three-dimensional and therefore very authentic to me; ultimately the soundstage is just a bit more on the oval than round side to my ears.
Thankfully the imaging is really precise and the ORIVETIs’ soundstage also handles very fast, dense, complex and demanding music material tremendously well without losing much control even when pushed to the limits by the music.
Especially these in-ears’ very clean spatial separation is really noteworthy as their imaging ability is really clean and precise, with the “empty space” between and around instruments/tonal elements being reproduced very accurately without any blur.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Comparisons:
Etymotic ER2XR:
Both in-ears’ tuning direction is generally quite comparable.
The ER2XR are elevated a bit stronger in the sub-bass and bass in general, and have therefore got a bit more upper bass punch and somewhat more warmth in the low fundamental range in comparison.
The O400 have got the less intimate/more relaxed midrange presentation (voices are less placed less closely to the listener on the O400 and appear closer to the listener/more intimate/direct on the ER2XR) while both in-ears’ midrange timbre is similar.
The ER2XR have got the slightly more even/refined treble tuning to my ears when listening to music and thus sometimes slightly more realistic treble response/high note timbre in direct comparison; the treble tuning is generally comparable with the exception being in the upper highs where the O400 are slightly brighter than the Etymotic in comparison.
The O400 feature the slightly better separation in general.
They have also got the somewhat higher transparency and resolution.
Treble details are about comparable but the ORIVETI are ultimately still a bit ahead here as well, especially in fast passages.
The sub-bass reproduction is cleaner on the O400 whereas the ER-2XRs’ is a bit soft in comparison; the ORIVETI are generally a bit tighter/faster in the lows.
In terms of soundstage size, I hear the O400s’ as appearing a bit wider and generally somewhat larger than the ER2XRs’.
The imaging is somewhat more precise on the ORIVETI that have also got the better instrument separation in comparison.
Earsonics ES3:
Both in-ears’ bass elevation starts about similarly, but the difference is that the ES3, while they also avoid any lower midrange warmth just like the O400, have got the stronger elevation in the upper bass as well as midbass wherefore they are ultimately tuned a bit bassier/punchier than the ORIVETI that really mainly concentrate their elevation on the true sub-bass (that’s also a little stronger elevated on the ES3, although just slightly).
The O400 have got the more linear upper midrange and treble tuning (wherefore they sound more realistic) whereas the ES3 have a more recessed upper midrange and middle treble and a brighter upper treble elevation.
Bass control, tightness and details are higher on the O400.
The same goes for the midrange where the ORIVETI sound more transparent and resolve better.
This is also true for the O400s’ treble whose resolution is higher and features the cleaner note separation.
The note separation is generally cleaner and superior on the O400.
The O400s’ soundstage a bit larger to my ears.
The spatial separation and imaging are also somewhat more precise on the ORIVETI (especially the ability to portray “empty space” around and between tonal elements; their soundstage also remains better controlled in fast and busy passages).
NocturnaL Audio Atlantis:
The Atlantis have got the thicker, warmer lower fundamental range and bass with a punchy upper bass and strong midbass whereas the O400 are tuned without any lower fundamental range warmth and slightly higher quantity in the lowest possible sub-bass, while otherwise the Atlantis are audibly bassier in the low midbass and upper sub-bass in comparison.
The middle treble is a bit brighter on the O400; otherwise their highs are quite comparable although Atlantis have ultimately got the somewhat more refined sounding treble response to my ears.
The Atlantis’ bass is tighter and faster.
Likewise they also feature the generally somewhat higher transparency and resolution and also even somewhat cleaner separation.
The Atlantis’ soundstage appears larger to my ears and also even somewhat more precise imaging.
Shure SE846 (white “Treble” Filters):
Both in-ears’ tuning direction is generally quite comparable.
The SE846 have got somewhat more upper bass quantity in comparison wherefore it’s reproduced punchier; as their bass radiates comparatively more into the lower fundamental range than the O400s’ that are more “sub-bass-only-focused” with pretty much no fundamental range warmth, the Shure have got a bit of warmth in the low fundamental range while the ORIVETI truly limit their elevation in the lows to nothing but the actual low bass.
Both have got comparable lower midbass and sub-bass quantity, while the O400 are actually even slightly more elevated in the true sub-bass which is audible in the rarer cases when the audio material really extends this low.
Both in-ears’ midrange tuning is comparable.
Extension in the super treble is easily won by the ORIVETI as the Shure simply start to roll off far too early and thus lack treble overtones. Maybe as a result of this, but also generally, the O400 have got the more correct midrange and treble timbre to my ears whereas the SE846 appear somewhat artificial, especially with their treble that appears as the decay and reverb were lacking (which is definitely a result of their at best mediocre treble extension).
As for tuning, the O400 are slightly brighter in the upper highs before the super treble where the Shure are more or less lacking.
In terms of technical performance, the Shure have a bass that is generally a bit tighter and features the comparatively higher control as well as details in the lows. Sub-bass control is almost similarly good, but the SE846 are again just slightly ahead here.
The O400 have got the slightly higher speech intelligibility to my ears whereas the SE846 have got ultimately the overall very slightly higher midrange transparency and fine details/”true” resolution in this area in direct comparison (their midrange detail presentation appears minimally more “effortless” to me).
Treble resolution and separation is clearly higher on the O400.
When it comes to separation in general, the ORIVETI are generally audibly better which gives them an audible advantage over the Shure in busy and fast passages as well as dense arrangements, as except for the bass where the Shure have definitely got an advantage in terms of control and quality, the O400 are ahead in the rest of the frequency spectrum when it comes to control and separation, and they therefore just sound generally audibly cleaner.
To my ears, the O400s’ perceived soundstage is larger.
The ORIVETI also feature the cleaner imaging and sharper instrument separation in comparison, and their reproduction of “empty space” around and between tonal elements appears also cleaner as well as more effortless.
Conclusion:
Highly Recommended.
Excellent tuning with a truly fantastic integration of the moderate bass elevation that really only concentrates on the lowest registers and doesn’t add any warmth to the fundamental range, natural and realistic midrange reproduction, as well as cohesive (although ultimately a notch below Etymotic’s in-ears’ treble response) and realistically tuned treble that is ultimately set to be just a notch on the brighter side in the upper highs.
Combined with the technical performance that is excellent in the in-ears price range and even generally very good and highly competitive, with especially the high control and excellent note and instrument separation as well as three-dimensional and therefore authentic soundstage being worthy of note, the O400 represent such a great overall package and even place them clearly among the upper range of my personally favourite IEMs for recreational music listening.
Photos: