Blur OFC PK150 Wraith (150Ω) Review
Source:
Shanling M8 (LO mode, low gain) > Little Dot 1+ (Mullard M8100 + Burson Audio V6 Vivid)
[Mullard M8100 are a warm tube and have with a nice bass emphasis. The V6 Vivid is an opamp that is great at expanding stage size and has a focus on detail retrieval. I like to think both of these together produce a nice balance of analogue signature, resolution and technicality]
Used with full foams.
Disclaimer: I paid full price for this earbud, with no monetary incentive to write this review.
Burn in: 70hours
Music: world music, jazz, ambient, electronic
Preamble
I’m back again. Drawn in like a moth to the light…
A few months ago I started to hear rumours bubbling of a model in development, inspired by
@WoodyLuvr, that was PK shelled and OFC cabled (i.e. excellent comfort levels). Wong couldn’t share with me all the details as it was a work in progress but did say it was using Japan-sourced 150ohm drivers that weren’t all that easy to come by and had proven hard to implement due to being naturally bright-leaning. He also said the driver had a very realistic portrayal of instruments. When the King of Timbre, Master Wong, says instruments sound realistic, you pay attention! Luckily for Wong, a very humble man who lets his wares speak for themselves, it didn’t take much of a sales pitch beyond this brief conversation to convince me to buy a new Blur earbud. My order went as soon as it was physically possible.
Further information shared by
@WoodyLuvr revealed this model, the Wraith, would sit somewhere between the OFC STE and the PK16 White Face. For those that don’t know me, or are new to the thread (welcome!), the OFC MX64 STE is my favourite Blur model and I consider it close to perfect for my tastes and music library. The MX64 STE is quite forward with its midrange and I find this incredibly enjoyable and non-fatiguing, however, it encourages me to apply a critical ear to listening and while it can be used for passive listening sessions (e.g. while working) I prefer something a little warmer and less forward to pass the hours. The White Face on the other hand is a great set little set for bass-centric music and male vocals in particular but it is almost too warm for the vast majority of my music library and some detail can get lost in the hefty lows. Thus, the prospect of a model that sat between these two was right up my street and niche I wanted to fill.
As further context to this purchase I had recently received the Blur 266 MX150 Retune that I praised as having a very ‘balanced’ and versatile signature with great top to bottom range. I’ll do my best to compare the two at the end of this review.
Fast forward to a few weeks later and the Wraith was haunting my front door; read on to find out if I made the right decision to let the apparition in!
Sound
First impressions – I posted my first impressions earlier this month. Within the first day of listening I could already see this model jostling for top spot with the MX64. I felt it sat in a ‘goldilocks zone’ of critical detail and warmth for long listening. This hasn’t changed. I have only grown to love it more for that reason. It also has other distinguishing features that make it standout from the current Blur line-up.
Bass – midbass focus, peerless timbre, excellent texture, capable of delivering a solid punch, minimal if any rumble
This is probably the top selling point for me. The bass is amazing for instrumental music of any sort with very good texture and a natural attack, sustain and decay with a good thump. Bass quantity here is more than my other Blurs apart from the White Face. When powered properly you can get some real tactility from the driver. There is not much, if any, subbass but it doesn’t detract from the music I listen to which rarely enters those frequencies. For this reason I would recommend the MX150 Retune over the Wraith for those who listen to electronic/pop/ambient primarily. The MX150 reaches deeper but lacks the impact, body and timbral excellence of the Wraith.
Combine the very good texture, near faultless timbre and healthy midbass quantity and the Wraith has some of the most realistic reproduction of percussive music I’ve heard. That includes my current line up of Blurs and IEMs. Drums of all varieties sound spectacular. This alone is worth the price of entry for me.
Mids – warm, forward, good detail, organic, incredible male vocals, good female vocals
The size and placement of the second mountain on the Wraith is great. The mids aren’t as forward as other Blur models I have (especially compared to the OFC MX400 STE and the OFC MX64 STE, and less so the MX150 Retune). The excellent bass performance and midbass focus at the Wraiths foundation shines through here giving the mids a warm hue that sacrifices a degree of detail but things never feel veiled. At the lower end of the mids male vocals have a solid presence with plenty of nuance. Best in class male vocals of the Blurs I’ve heard in fact. Female vocals have good presence and detailing thanks to very good uppermid and treble quantity. They do remain warm and full bodied and I appreciate some people prefer transparency and a light touch to female vocalists. Luckily I’m quite fond of this presentation of vocals as it keeps things analogue and romantic without sacrificing too much in the way of detail. Exactly in line with the ‘passive’ listening slant I wanted to encourage. Vocals and instruments never get shouty and I don’t have issues with some troublesome areas that I use to test for shout – namely some intense choral pieces and some tenor sax.
Treble – excellent definition, precise but never sharp
Despite the warm leaning signature of the Wraith it manages to carry with it plenty of detail in the upper registers. Cymbals and other percussion up top are so good, plenty of shimmer without being splashy. Very natural decay. Everything is there, nothing is missing and it doesn’t feel artificial. There’s a sense of space and air despite the overall warm and forward signature.
@WoodyLuvr did mention that the driver was naturally bright leaning and very detailed and I can see that undercurrent coming through but it’s never enough to break the warm guise of the Wraith.
Technicalities
Staging – soundstage is wide laterally reaching beyond the ear with good height but minimal front to back dimension.
Imaging, Instrument Separation & Layering – Imaging is great with good depth, left-right transitions are graduated with no centre compression. Instrument separation is a bit tight and more intimate than some of the other Blurs, namely the OFC MX400 STE and the OFC MX64 STE.
Timbre
Well deserving of recognition is the PK150 ohm driver timbre. It’s taught and responsive but still organic and everything is made ten times better by the tactility / bass presence the tuning has. I would say with regards to timbre it’s the best driver I’ve heard from the Blur line up, better than the MX64 STE and
possibly slightly ahead of the OFC MX400 STE.
266 MX150 aPs Retune vs OFC PK150 Wraith SE
| Wraith | MX150 Retune |
| Bass* | Midbass
Greater impact
Arguably better ‘quality’ and quantity | Balanced sub & midbass
Less impact |
| Mids* | Less forward
More organic | More forward
Drier |
| Treble | Less air | More air
Drier |
| Soundstage/Imaging* | Elliptical | More spherical
Greater instrument separation |
| Tonality* | Warm | Neutral-warm |
| Timbre | More accurate | Less accurate |
| Resolution / Detail retrieval | Lesser | Slightly greater |
| Strengths | Jazz, Folk, Acoustic, World, Percussion, male vocals*, String quartets | Pop, soundscape, classical
(arguably more versatile), female vocals |
| Listening sessions | Longer sessions | Shorter sessions |
| Listening attention | Passive | More active / critical |
*represents most significant differences
Comment – the differences here are largely in the overall tonality of organic vs slightly dry, technically speaking they are both very good. The tonal difference being largely due to the subbass presence of the MX150 Retune and the hefty midbass presence on the Wraith. Overall timbre of both drivers is of course very good (like most Blur buds).
Conclusion
I love the Wraith. It’s warm, detailed, timbrally impeccable and has good technicalities. It’s perfect for my long listening sessions. It’s important to note that I think this driver needs more power to shine than the MX150 that’s currently on offer from Master Wong. I would say the volume pot sits 20-30% higher and I hear it scaling (tonally and technically) more from desktop amping than the MX150. Give it power and it becomes a big character with a hefty weight to it and I frequently forget I’m listening to earbuds and not headphones. This was quite the contrary to my initial impressions using a lower powered source and where I felt the signature was lightweight and reasonably transparent.
Who do I think this bud is for? It’s perfect for those who enjoy a warm signature but not at the expense of detail and for those who listen to primarily small(er) group instrumental music. It sits a sweet spot for the placement of the midrange too, not distant, but not too forward or invasive. A good place to start if you’re new to Blur buds and unsure where in the Blur mid-centric tunings you should go. It’s for anyone who enjoy percussionists, like Colin Currie as an example, or any music with percussion present (i.e. most!). Listen to Wraith with a good amp and you’ll be treated to an headphone level performance and presence.
The Wraith fills a niche in my earbud rotation and I’m impressed with the PK150 driver, so much so that I’ll be requesting it in future Blur models where there is the option. Master Wong has done it again and he deserves recognition for the effort he has put in bringing this pesky driver to heel (not to mention facing the issue of driver matching that he told me was a particular challenge in this case). I extend my thanks to
@WoodyLuvr for inspiring this model too.
Was I right to let the Wraith in?
Let’s just say this is a haunting I’m more than happy to live with.
