Oriolus Products General Discussion Thread
Jul 4, 2021 at 1:37 PM Post #257 of 584
@tgx78 I notice that the NM2+ has risen again in your sig ranking… I know you sold your Isa but offhand how would you compare the two, since they are both noted single DD units?
 
Jul 4, 2021 at 1:48 PM Post #258 of 584
B4085478-532B-4105-9A4D-C75756F8A617.jpeg

stock vs stock, Isabellae is much better tuned
 
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Jul 4, 2021 at 1:50 PM Post #259 of 584
@tgx78 I notice that the NM2+ has risen again in your sig ranking… I know you sold your Isa but offhand how would you compare the two, since they are both noted single DD units?

Wow, you are a person with eagle eyes lol. I put slightly less dampening filter on the NM2+‘s nozzle and newfound such an engaging sound for my preference. I did a brief a/b with the Isabellae and they sounded pretty close albeit Isa’s Mids extracted slightly more details. For my classical music library, they were equally engaging
 
Jul 6, 2021 at 7:35 AM Post #261 of 584
Oriolus Isabellae

First impressions, 1-2hrs listening time, stock tips (wide, shallow bore) & stock cable, Shanling M8 (high gain).


Cable supple and without memory. No issues with fit, very comfortable, despite initial concerns regarding nozzle diameter.

Bass: Well extended, textured, impactful, tight and well controlled.

Comment: Reaches deep enough with a mid-bass focus, rumble may be slightly lacking for electronic genres for my tastes but is perfect for instrumental. The bass has a wonderfully natural touch with plenty of texture to convey the lower frequencies.

Mids: Detailed and warm without grain or shout. Placed forward in the presentation and with vocals sitting about 1-2cm away from the ear

Comment: Bright-leaning, wonderfully expressive midrange. I’m finding it very hard to fault for my tastes. Vocals, instruments of all sorts, very well done.

Treble: Smooth, no sibilance and catching plenty of detail and air without feeling artificially airy and bringing out grain.

Comment: retains the warm cohesion of everything below it, rarely offensive. I’m not a treble head and don’t have great demands in the first place – certainly plenty here for me.

Technicalities:

Staging does not feel restricted, good lateral extension, minimal forward extension, some height to it. Impression is of a 10cm plane around the head. Things do not feel congested, separation is very good, imaging is also very good. Does great with ambient. This is a very snappy DD which helps convey the complexities of busier tracks in my electronic collection.

Comparisons:

Traillii – Isa’s big sister trumps her in technicalities across the board. Isa exceeds Trailli in coherence and timbre. Isa has a lighter touch throughout and conveys nuance in the midrange better. Traillii has much more air but sometimes at the expense of intimacy which I value highly.

BL-03 – The Blon has a cooler approach with the sub-bass focus which I do like but there is a lack of control in the driver with much less detail in mids. Sluggish driver in the 03 limits technicalities. Both equally coherent, but the 03 has a cooler tonality.

BL-A8 (KBear filters) – My newly acquired friend: timbral accuracy with better technicalities than the 03 at the expense of bass quality – a quantity over quality situation. The Isa is much more refined and has far better tuning – as you would expect for the price. The A8 is my go-to fun IEM for electronic where bass texture is less important and I just want to feel the thump

3DT (Tanchjim filters) – I haven’t listened to my 3DT in a while as I may be selling it. From recent memory however, both are technically proficient (maybe 3DT slightly better with instrument separation, maybe due to having 3 drivers?). The 3DT has a more sub-bass emphasis and a cooler, less gracious and more forward mid-range. I would choose Isa for vocals/acoustic many times over. I would still probably choose 3DT for metal/rock for its more ‘exciting’ emphasised bass. Both are very respectable IEMs and I think Isa vs 3DT will be an ongoing debate. I believe there is room for both in a collection and I may yet hold onto the 3DT. However, I do have to give due credit to the tuning of the Isa which is just hands-down more thoughtful and towards my preference.

Conclusion:

Having owned the Traillii I can hear The Old Mans tuning expertise in this set and can appreciate why it may have taken years to produce. I was stunned by Traillii’s effortless expression of whatever I threw at it, it was able to capture the heart of most tracks regardless of genre. The Isabellae feels similarly capable across a wide repertoire of music. While I was left with a lingering need for the timbre of a DD driver in the bass with Traillii, I’m no longer left wanting with the Isa. In very broad terms: timbre, coherency and intimacy is more important to me and I’ve found that here.

If I had to describe Isabellae in a few words it would be ‘grace & refinement’. From the bass to the treble, detail is captured and presented with a tenderness that brings out the emotion and momentum of the music.

I’m looking forward to more burn-in, tip rolling and playing with the Isa + C9!

Edit: Listening to the C9 + Isa I appreciate stage expansion, tighter transients and a more forward midrange than with the M8 alone. This is consistent with other DDs I've tested with C9, but I would say it scales sligthly better than others.

_DSC2065.jpg
_DSC2066.jpg

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_DSC2072.jpg
 
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Jul 6, 2021 at 7:45 AM Post #262 of 584
First impressions, 1-2hrs listening time, stock tips (wide, shallow bore) & stock cable, Shanling M8 (high gain).

Cable supple and without memory. No issues with fit, very comfortable, despite initial concerns regarding nozzle diameter.

Bass: Well extended, textured, impactful, tight and well controlled.

Comment: Reaches deep enough with a mid-bass focus, rumble may be slightly lacking for electronic genres for my tastes but is perfect for instrumental. The bass has a wonderfully natural touch with plenty of texture to convey the lower frequencies.

Mids: Detailed and warm without grain or shout. Placed forward in the presentation and with vocals sitting about 1-2cm away from the ear

Comment: Bright-leaning, wonderfully expressive midrange. I’m finding it very hard to fault for my tastes. Vocals, instruments of all sorts, very well done.

Treble: Smooth, no sibilance and catching plenty of detail and air without feeling artificially air bringing out grain.

Comment: retains the warm cohesion of everything below it, rarely offensive. I’m not a treble head and don’t have great demands in the first place – certainly plenty here for me.

Technicalities:

Staging does not feel restricted, good lateral extension, minimal forward extension, some height to it. Impression is of a 10cm plane around the head. Things do not feel congested, separation is very good, imaging is also very good. Does great with ambient. This is a very snappy DD which helps convey the complexities of busier tracks in my electronic collection.

Comparisons:

Traillii – Isa’s big sister trumps her in technicalities across the board. Isa exceeds Trailli in coherence and timbre. Isa has a lighter touch throughout and conveys nuance in the midrange better. Traillii has much more air but sometimes at the expense of intimacy which I value highly.

BL-03 – The Blon has a cooler approach with the sub-bass focus which I do like but there is a lack of control in the driver with much less detail in mids. Sluggish driver in the 03 limits technicalities. Both equally coherent, but the 03 has a cooler timbre.

BL-A8 (KBear filters) – My newly acquired friend, timbral accuracy with better technicalities than the 03 at the expensive of bass quality – a quantity over quality situation. The Isa is much more refined and has far better tuning – as you would expect for the price. The A8 is my go-to fun IEM for electronic where bass texture is less important and I just want to feel the thump

3DT (Tanchjim filters) – I haven’t listened to my 3DT in a while as I may be selling it. From recent memory however, both are technically proficient (maybe 3DT slightly better with instrument separation, maybe due to having 3 drivers?). The 3DT has a more sub-bass emphasis and a cooler, less gracious and more forward mid-range. I would choose Isa for vocals/acoustic many times over. I would still probably choose 3DT for metal/rock for its more ‘exciting’ emphasised bass. Both are very respectable IEMs and I think Isa vs 3DT will be an ongoing debate. I believe there is room for both in a collection and I may yet hold onto the 3DT. However, I do have to give due credit to the tuning of the Isa which is just hands-down more thoughtful and towards my preference.

Conclusion:

Having owned the Traillii I can hear The Old Mans tuning expertise in this set and can appreciate why it may have taken years to produce. I was stunned by Traillii’s effortless expression of whatever I threw at it, it was able to capture the heart of most tracks regardless of genre. The Isabellae feels similarly capable across a wide repertoire of music. While I was left with a lingering need for the timbre of a DD driver in the bass with Traillii, I’m no longer left wanting with the Isa. In very broad terms: timbre, coherency and intimacy is more important to me and I’ve found that here.

If I had to describe Isabellae in a few words it would be ‘grace & refinement’. From the bass to the treble, detail is captured and presented with a tenderness that brings out emotion and momentum of the music.

I’m looking forward to more burn-in, tip rolling and playing with the Isa + C9!

_DSC2065.jpg_DSC2066.jpg
_DSC2067.jpg
_DSC2072.jpg
Say, can you compare the stage, separation, and imaging between the ISa and 3DT?

Also, does Isa have more midbass emphasis whereas ISA has more subbass emphasis?
 
Jul 6, 2021 at 7:48 AM Post #263 of 584
3DT has more subbass rumble, Isa has a tactile and expressive midbass emphasis.

Haven't had a chance to closely A/B 3DT I'm afraid. Will do at some point in the near future to comment more on technicalities. My immediate impression is that the 3DT carries a masculine energy and Isa the feminine - I can appreciate that's vague, but that's my impression.
 
Jul 6, 2021 at 7:52 AM Post #264 of 584
3DT has more subbass rumble, Isa has a tactile and expressive midbass emphasis.

Haven't had a chance to closely A/B 3DT I'm afraid. Will do at some point in the near future to comment more on technicalities. My immediate impression is that the 3DT carries a masculine energy and Isa the feminine - I can appreciate that's vague, but that's my impression.
Will be looking forward to it.
 
Jul 6, 2021 at 7:55 AM Post #265 of 584
First impressions, 1-2hrs listening time, stock tips (wide, shallow bore) & stock cable, Shanling M8 (high gain).

Cable supple and without memory. No issues with fit, very comfortable, despite initial concerns regarding nozzle diameter.

Bass: Well extended, textured, impactful, tight and well controlled.

Comment: Reaches deep enough with a mid-bass focus, rumble may be slightly lacking for electronic genres for my tastes but is perfect for instrumental. The bass has a wonderfully natural touch with plenty of texture to convey the lower frequencies.

Mids: Detailed and warm without grain or shout. Placed forward in the presentation and with vocals sitting about 1-2cm away from the ear

Comment: Bright-leaning, wonderfully expressive midrange. I’m finding it very hard to fault for my tastes. Vocals, instruments of all sorts, very well done.

Treble: Smooth, no sibilance and catching plenty of detail and air without feeling artificially air bringing out grain.

Comment: retains the warm cohesion of everything below it, rarely offensive. I’m not a treble head and don’t have great demands in the first place – certainly plenty here for me.

Technicalities:

Staging does not feel restricted, good lateral extension, minimal forward extension, some height to it. Impression is of a 10cm plane around the head. Things do not feel congested, separation is very good, imaging is also very good. Does great with ambient. This is a very snappy DD which helps convey the complexities of busier tracks in my electronic collection.

Comparisons:

Traillii – Isa’s big sister trumps her in technicalities across the board. Isa exceeds Trailli in coherence and timbre. Isa has a lighter touch throughout and conveys nuance in the midrange better. Traillii has much more air but sometimes at the expense of intimacy which I value highly.

BL-03 – The Blon has a cooler approach with the sub-bass focus which I do like but there is a lack of control in the driver with much less detail in mids. Sluggish driver in the 03 limits technicalities. Both equally coherent, but the 03 has a cooler tonality.

BL-A8 (KBear filters) – My newly acquired friend, timbral accuracy with better technicalities than the 03 at the expensive of bass quality – a quantity over quality situation. The Isa is much more refined and has far better tuning – as you would expect for the price. The A8 is my go-to fun IEM for electronic where bass texture is less important and I just want to feel the thump

3DT (Tanchjim filters) – I haven’t listened to my 3DT in a while as I may be selling it. From recent memory however, both are technically proficient (maybe 3DT slightly better with instrument separation, maybe due to having 3 drivers?). The 3DT has a more sub-bass emphasis and a cooler, less gracious and more forward mid-range. I would choose Isa for vocals/acoustic many times over. I would still probably choose 3DT for metal/rock for its more ‘exciting’ emphasised bass. Both are very respectable IEMs and I think Isa vs 3DT will be an ongoing debate. I believe there is room for both in a collection and I may yet hold onto the 3DT. However, I do have to give due credit to the tuning of the Isa which is just hands-down more thoughtful and towards my preference.

Conclusion:

Having owned the Traillii I can hear The Old Mans tuning expertise in this set and can appreciate why it may have taken years to produce. I was stunned by Traillii’s effortless expression of whatever I threw at it, it was able to capture the heart of most tracks regardless of genre. The Isabellae feels similarly capable across a wide repertoire of music. While I was left with a lingering need for the timbre of a DD driver in the bass with Traillii, I’m no longer left wanting with the Isa. In very broad terms: timbre, coherency and intimacy is more important to me and I’ve found that here.

If I had to describe Isabellae in a few words it would be ‘grace & refinement’. From the bass to the treble, detail is captured and presented with a tenderness that brings out the emotion and momentum of the music.

I’m looking forward to more burn-in, tip rolling and playing with the Isa + C9!

Great feedback, Thank you very much!
 
Jul 6, 2021 at 7:58 AM Post #266 of 584
Oriolus Isabellae

First impressions, 1-2hrs listening time, stock tips (wide, shallow bore) & stock cable, Shanling M8 (high gain).


Cable supple and without memory. No issues with fit, very comfortable, despite initial concerns regarding nozzle diameter.

Bass: Well extended, textured, impactful, tight and well controlled.

Comment: Reaches deep enough with a mid-bass focus, rumble may be slightly lacking for electronic genres for my tastes but is perfect for instrumental. The bass has a wonderfully natural touch with plenty of texture to convey the lower frequencies.

Mids: Detailed and warm without grain or shout. Placed forward in the presentation and with vocals sitting about 1-2cm away from the ear

Comment: Bright-leaning, wonderfully expressive midrange. I’m finding it very hard to fault for my tastes. Vocals, instruments of all sorts, very well done.

Treble: Smooth, no sibilance and catching plenty of detail and air without feeling artificially airy and bringing out grain.

Comment: retains the warm cohesion of everything below it, rarely offensive. I’m not a treble head and don’t have great demands in the first place – certainly plenty here for me.

Technicalities:

Staging does not feel restricted, good lateral extension, minimal forward extension, some height to it. Impression is of a 10cm plane around the head. Things do not feel congested, separation is very good, imaging is also very good. Does great with ambient. This is a very snappy DD which helps convey the complexities of busier tracks in my electronic collection.

Comparisons:

Traillii – Isa’s big sister trumps her in technicalities across the board. Isa exceeds Trailli in coherence and timbre. Isa has a lighter touch throughout and conveys nuance in the midrange better. Traillii has much more air but sometimes at the expense of intimacy which I value highly.

BL-03 – The Blon has a cooler approach with the sub-bass focus which I do like but there is a lack of control in the driver with much less detail in mids. Sluggish driver in the 03 limits technicalities. Both equally coherent, but the 03 has a cooler tonality.

BL-A8 (KBear filters) – My newly acquired friend, timbral accuracy with better technicalities than the 03 at the expensive of bass quality – a quantity over quality situation. The Isa is much more refined and has far better tuning – as you would expect for the price. The A8 is my go-to fun IEM for electronic where bass texture is less important and I just want to feel the thump

3DT (Tanchjim filters) – I haven’t listened to my 3DT in a while as I may be selling it. From recent memory however, both are technically proficient (maybe 3DT slightly better with instrument separation, maybe due to having 3 drivers?). The 3DT has a more sub-bass emphasis and a cooler, less gracious and more forward mid-range. I would choose Isa for vocals/acoustic many times over. I would still probably choose 3DT for metal/rock for its more ‘exciting’ emphasised bass. Both are very respectable IEMs and I think Isa vs 3DT will be an ongoing debate. I believe there is room for both in a collection and I may yet hold onto the 3DT. However, I do have to give due credit to the tuning of the Isa which is just hands-down more thoughtful and towards my preference.

Conclusion:

Having owned the Traillii I can hear The Old Mans tuning expertise in this set and can appreciate why it may have taken years to produce. I was stunned by Traillii’s effortless expression of whatever I threw at it, it was able to capture the heart of most tracks regardless of genre. The Isabellae feels similarly capable across a wide repertoire of music. While I was left with a lingering need for the timbre of a DD driver in the bass with Traillii, I’m no longer left wanting with the Isa. In very broad terms: timbre, coherency and intimacy is more important to me and I’ve found that here.

If I had to describe Isabellae in a few words it would be ‘grace & refinement’. From the bass to the treble, detail is captured and presented with a tenderness that brings out the emotion and momentum of the music.

I’m looking forward to more burn-in, tip rolling and playing with the Isa + C9!

_DSC2065.jpg_DSC2066.jpg
_DSC2067.jpg
_DSC2072.jpg
Early adopter. Mine is still at least a week away (DHL express) to Australia.

The review is glowing. And very much looking forward to it. Thank you! Would be interested in how adaptable the Isabellae is to various sources but from what I'm reading, it appears it will pair very well with my Fiio M11 Pro as much as the SP2k/Hugo2/other sources. And I imagine the C9 will open it up nicely and impart it's usual musicality.
 
Jul 6, 2021 at 8:19 AM Post #267 of 584
Early adopter. Mine is still at least a week away (DHL express) to Australia.

The review is glowing. And very much looking forward to it. Thank you! Would be interested in how adaptable the Isabellae is to various sources but from what I'm reading, it appears it will pair very well with my Fiio M11 Pro as much as the SP2k/Hugo2/other sources. And I imagine the C9 will open it up nicely and impart it's usual musicality.

I hope it gets to you safely!

There's really very little to grumble about at the price - Oriolus tuning with single DD coherence and timbre. I'll be hooking it up to the C9 in a few hours and see what happens :)

Edit: I don't think it will be very dependent but I personally would want to pair with a warmer source as it does lean to the brighter side. The synergy of the M8 in this pairing its focus on bass texture - a whole lot of information is conveyed :D
 
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Jul 6, 2021 at 8:24 AM Post #268 of 584
Oriolus Isabellae

First impressions, 1-2hrs listening time, stock tips (wide, shallow bore) & stock cable, Shanling M8 (high gain).


Cable supple and without memory. No issues with fit, very comfortable, despite initial concerns regarding nozzle diameter.

Bass: Well extended, textured, impactful, tight and well controlled.

Comment: Reaches deep enough with a mid-bass focus, rumble may be slightly lacking for electronic genres for my tastes but is perfect for instrumental. The bass has a wonderfully natural touch with plenty of texture to convey the lower frequencies.

Mids: Detailed and warm without grain or shout. Placed forward in the presentation and with vocals sitting about 1-2cm away from the ear

Comment: Bright-leaning, wonderfully expressive midrange. I’m finding it very hard to fault for my tastes. Vocals, instruments of all sorts, very well done.

Treble: Smooth, no sibilance and catching plenty of detail and air without feeling artificially airy and bringing out grain.

Comment: retains the warm cohesion of everything below it, rarely offensive. I’m not a treble head and don’t have great demands in the first place – certainly plenty here for me.

Technicalities:

Staging does not feel restricted, good lateral extension, minimal forward extension, some height to it. Impression is of a 10cm plane around the head. Things do not feel congested, separation is very good, imaging is also very good. Does great with ambient. This is a very snappy DD which helps convey the complexities of busier tracks in my electronic collection.

Comparisons:

Traillii – Isa’s big sister trumps her in technicalities across the board. Isa exceeds Trailli in coherence and timbre. Isa has a lighter touch throughout and conveys nuance in the midrange better. Traillii has much more air but sometimes at the expense of intimacy which I value highly.

BL-03 – The Blon has a cooler approach with the sub-bass focus which I do like but there is a lack of control in the driver with much less detail in mids. Sluggish driver in the 03 limits technicalities. Both equally coherent, but the 03 has a cooler tonality.

BL-A8 (KBear filters) – My newly acquired friend, timbral accuracy with better technicalities than the 03 at the expensive of bass quality – a quantity over quality situation. The Isa is much more refined and has far better tuning – as you would expect for the price. The A8 is my go-to fun IEM for electronic where bass texture is less important and I just want to feel the thump

3DT (Tanchjim filters) – I haven’t listened to my 3DT in a while as I may be selling it. From recent memory however, both are technically proficient (maybe 3DT slightly better with instrument separation, maybe due to having 3 drivers?). The 3DT has a more sub-bass emphasis and a cooler, less gracious and more forward mid-range. I would choose Isa for vocals/acoustic many times over. I would still probably choose 3DT for metal/rock for its more ‘exciting’ emphasised bass. Both are very respectable IEMs and I think Isa vs 3DT will be an ongoing debate. I believe there is room for both in a collection and I may yet hold onto the 3DT. However, I do have to give due credit to the tuning of the Isa which is just hands-down more thoughtful and towards my preference.

Conclusion:

Having owned the Traillii I can hear The Old Mans tuning expertise in this set and can appreciate why it may have taken years to produce. I was stunned by Traillii’s effortless expression of whatever I threw at it, it was able to capture the heart of most tracks regardless of genre. The Isabellae feels similarly capable across a wide repertoire of music. While I was left with a lingering need for the timbre of a DD driver in the bass with Traillii, I’m no longer left wanting with the Isa. In very broad terms: timbre, coherency and intimacy is more important to me and I’ve found that here.

If I had to describe Isabellae in a few words it would be ‘grace & refinement’. From the bass to the treble, detail is captured and presented with a tenderness that brings out the emotion and momentum of the music.

I’m looking forward to more burn-in, tip rolling and playing with the Isa + C9!




Great impressions thanks for sharing!

Edit: Great pics too!

It seems you're enjoying the "baby bird" as much as me, and for similar reasons...looking forward to more impressions :)
 
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Jul 6, 2021 at 8:26 AM Post #269 of 584
Jul 6, 2021 at 8:59 AM Post #270 of 584
Thank you, @tgx78 and @ranfan for the earlier impressions - they were very useful!
Thanks for sharing your impressions :) Wonderfully captured into words. The 'feminine' description sounds right to me as well. They sound gentle and graceful. Both clear and warm, an uncommon meticulous tuning. Whereas the Traillii, to my ears sounded more technical with its vast stage and high resolution, not to mention far bidirectional reach. Suiting the more 'masculine' character description. Both inventions came from the same mind. Yet they differ and contrast one another in most traits
 

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