[AlexxxAA85]

I found the softears uc tips even better than the crystals on the EJ I would try them as well best tips yet!

I'll definitely try to get some and try them out!

 

[ljnew]

SZA has a much more prominent low end focus, whereas Twilight is more balanced but still leans warm. I would say Twilight is more airy in presentation, it reminds me of buds or full size headphones - I think due to the venting used. If seeking big, deep bass - Twilight is not a good choice... it does have good quality bass, but definitely not 'bass head', and way less than SZA.



Twilight has a more analogue signature vs a 'digital' IE600 - sort of like vinyl vs CD in how they present. IE600 extends further on lows and highs, Twilight really shines on the mids and timbre - but ample highs/lows for me, they don't stand out though as much as IE600.

I found the twilight bass can get near basshead levels with the new topping g5 imho. Especially when i switch from my U18s to Twilight. I can feel it in my body. Have you tried the twilight with desktop power?

 

[Fenrir7]

I found the twilight bass can get near basshead levels with the new topping g5 imho. Especially when i switch from my U18s to Twilight. I can feel it in my body. Have you tried the twilight with desktop power?

Wow interesting! Can the Twilight handle busy tracks? If yes, what about the sza?

 

[Ryokan]

Not a fan of the supplied cable (very floppy and insubstantial - though no microphonics). Had to change it when I dropped my player and they sound clearer, unless it's a result of burn in.

After a few hundred hours these sound good, very balanced nothing is boosted to stand out. Sound is smooth and non fatiguing with lovely clean snappy bass.

 

[bgpolyhistor]

So I had multiple opportunities last week to listen to Szayali after 100 hours of burn in. I'm listening at home right now on my desktop setup (Klipsch heritage amplifier, JRiver Media Center).

While on vacation I spent a few days listening to Sza with the Cayin N3Pro, and a few days listening off of the iBasso DX300. I was at the beach and it was very windy most of the week- sitting on the beach and also on the balcony, I decided that Sza blocks wind noise to an entirely sufficient degree. I have sold most of my IEM collection so my only comparisons were the Empire Ears Legend X SE and the UM MEST (OG).

First things first- I consider this a basshead IEM. It has rich and elevated DD bass, with slightly more emphasis on subbass than mid bass. Interestingly, Oriolus has managed to boost the bass without really losing detail- I consider these to be fairly articulate, and didn't miss out on any of the tinier details I look for on my collection of test tracks. There's a little bit of sparkle up top, just enough for me to disagree with the assessment that these have a "dark" sound. The bass is fairly dominant, to be sure, but only listening to the MEST (which I consider pretty bright and crisp sounding) and then switching to the Sza made its sound approach darkness in my opinion. I would simply say the Sza sounds very full and rich to me. That being said, I think the louder bass makes this more suitable for some genres than others, which keeps this iem from being an all-rounder.

It had more energy and proximity in the mids than my LX-SE, especially in the upper mids. Listening to crunchy and distorted electric guitars could occasionally sound slightly harsh to me. I spent a lot of time listening to the album "Origin of Symmetry" (Anniversary Remix) by Muse. On one hand the mids revealed a lot when it came to guitars and male vocals- and when the subbass hit heavy the Sza was able to really show off that hearty DD bass. For songs with a wide range of instruments and a complex sound the SZA did very well. Like the UM MEST, Oriolus managed to achieve a bass boost while still achieving a mostly balanced "W" sound.

Perhaps the most impressive accomplishment in my mind was the imaging/placement of sounds. Very good channel separation and a nice sense of vertical height- these IEM’s can make instruments and voices seem to come from higher or lower- as if you were sitting amongst a band on a multi-tiered stage.

I listened to a lot of older R&B/Soul recordings (Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, etc.) where the recording quality wasn't the best- the bass on these tracks had just a tiny bit of fuzz around it- a little bit of blurriness, as if the bass could have been cleaner and tighter. I couldn't replicate this in every track I listened to though, and I wonder if it had to do in part with the recordings. When listening to the same tracks on the LX SE though, I didn't notice this. To extrapolate on the comparison of those two- I think the LXSE has nearly identical rumble on the subbass to the Sza- but slightly more articulate on the mid bass. On a track like "Quick Musical Doodles" by Two Feet, both models were equals. On more bass guitar dominant tracks such as "What Is Hip?" by Tower of Power and "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield, I think the LX SE had a very slight edge. This is the special edition, mind you- the original Legend X probably has more rumble than the Sza based on what I've read. I would love to compare the two and may bring my SZA to CanJam Chicago for just that reason. I felt like across multiple genres, drums sounded really nice on the Sza- exceptional impact from the bass drum and snare strikes. A nice amount of shimmer to ride and crash cymbals. These can really move some air when the song calls for it.

As far as build quality- these are well made and aesthetically pleasing iem's. I am not a cable guy, but I find the stock cable to be particularly sturdy at the connection points. The cable is also extremely pliable, with no noticeable microphonics. They are physically large- I was limited to around an hour of listening before the discomfort became bothersome. I wear size medium ear tips and had an audiologist tell me my ears were on the smaller side, so just be aware if you're considering these that they may be an uncomfortable fit if you're a smaller individual, but should be fine if you're a big boy. The nozzles are PHAT. I used Xelastics and I imagined them squealing in protest while I struggled to stretch them over the Sza's portly nozzles.

At the end of the day, I would say the Sza is a fun IEM- not a flat or analytical tuning. They do provide basshead level of bass, but in my opinion its tastefully done and not excessive. I do think they perform well relative to the price. I am wondering if they might possibly be considered a more affordable baby brother to the EE Legend X or even the Sony IER-Z1R based on tuning- but I would have to listen to all three together to say. The only downside to the Sza that I can see is the large shell size and very wide nozzles- but I don't think either is a deal breaker.

 

[AlexxxAA85]

So I had multiple opportunities last week to listen to Szayali after 100 hours of burn in. I'm listening at home right now on my desktop setup (Klipsch heritage amplifier, JRiver Media Center).

While on vacation I spent a few days listening to Sza with the Cayin N3Pro, and a few days listening off of the iBasso DX300. I was at the beach and it was very windy most of the week- sitting on the beach and also on the balcony, I decided that Sza blocks wind noise to an entirely sufficient degree. I have sold most of my IEM collection so my only comparisons were the Empire Ears Legend X SE and the UM MEST (OG).

First things first- I consider this a basshead IEM. It has rich and elevated DD bass, with slightly more emphasis on subbass than mid bass. Interestingly, Oriolus has managed to boost the bass without really losing detail- I consider these to be fairly articulate, and didn't miss out on any of the tinier details I look for on my collection of test tracks. There's a little bit of sparkle up top, just enough for me to disagree with the assessment that these have a "dark" sound. The bass is fairly dominant, to be sure, but only listening to the MEST (which I consider pretty bright and crisp sounding) and then switching to the Sza made its sound approach darkness in my opinion. I would simply say the Sza sounds very full and rich to me. That being said, I think the louder bass makes this more suitable for some genres than others, which keeps this iem from being an all-rounder.

It had more energy and proximity in the mids than my LX-SE, especially in the upper mids. Listening to crunchy and distorted electric guitars could occasionally sound slightly harsh to me. I spent a lot of time listening to the album "Origin of Symmetry" (Anniversary Remix) by Muse. On one hand the mids revealed a lot when it came to guitars and male vocals- and when the subbass hit heavy the Sza was able to really show off that hearty DD bass. For songs with a wide range of instruments and a complex sound the SZA did very well. Like the UM MEST, Oriolus managed to achieve a bass boost while still achieving a mostly balanced "W" sound.

Perhaps the most impressive accomplishment in my mind was the imaging/placement of sounds. Very good channel separation and a nice sense of vertical height- these IEM’s can make instruments and voices seem to come from higher or lower- as if you were sitting amongst a band on a multi-tiered stage.

I listened to a lot of older R&B/Soul recordings (Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, etc.) where the recording quality wasn't the best- the bass on these tracks had just a tiny bit of fuzz around it- a little bit of blurriness, as if the bass could have been cleaner and tighter. I couldn't replicate this in every track I listened to though, and I wonder if it had to do in part with the recordings. When listening to the same tracks on the LX SE though, I didn't notice this. To extrapolate on the comparison of those two- I think the LXSE has nearly identical rumble on the subbass to the Sza- but slightly more articulate on the mid bass. On a track like "Quick Musical Doodles" by Two Feet, both models were equals. On more bass guitar dominant tracks such as "What Is Hip?" by Tower of Power and "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield, I think the LX SE had a very slight edge. This is the special edition, mind you- the original Legend X probably has more rumble than the Sza based on what I've read. I would love to compare the two and may bring my SZA to CanJam Chicago for just that reason. I felt like across multiple genres, drums sounded really nice on the Sza- exceptional impact from the bass drum and snare strikes. A nice amount of shimmer to ride and crash cymbals. These can really move some air when the song calls for it.

As far as build quality- these are well made and aesthetically pleasing iem's. I am not a cable guy, but I find the stock cable to be particularly sturdy at the connection points. The cable is also extremely pliable, with no noticeable microphonics. They are physically large- I was limited to around an hour of listening before the discomfort became bothersome. I wear size medium ear tips and had an audiologist tell me my ears were on the smaller side, so just be aware if you're considering these that they may be an uncomfortable fit if you're a smaller individual, but should be fine if you're a big boy. The nozzles are PHAT. I used Xelastics and I imagined them squealing in protest while I struggled to stretch them over the Sza's portly nozzles.

At the end of the day, I would say the Sza is a fun IEM- not a flat or analytical tuning. They do provide basshead level of bass, but in my opinion its tastefully done and not excessive. I do think they perform well relative to the price. I am wondering if they might possibly be considered a more affordable baby brother to the EE Legend X or even the Sony IER-Z1R based on tuning- but I would have to listen to all three together to say. The only downside to the Sza that I can see is the large shell size and very wide nozzles- but I don't think either is a deal breaker.

Great review! And i agree with everything you said. You should definitely post it in the review section for the Szalayi!

 

[szore]

So I had multiple opportunities last week to listen to Szayali after 100 hours of burn in. I'm listening at home right now on my desktop setup (Klipsch heritage amplifier, JRiver Media Center).

While on vacation I spent a few days listening to Sza with the Cayin N3Pro, and a few days listening off of the iBasso DX300. I was at the beach and it was very windy most of the week- sitting on the beach and also on the balcony, I decided that Sza blocks wind noise to an entirely sufficient degree. I have sold most of my IEM collection so my only comparisons were the Empire Ears Legend X SE and the UM MEST (OG).

First things first- I consider this a basshead IEM. It has rich and elevated DD bass, with slightly more emphasis on subbass than mid bass. Interestingly, Oriolus has managed to boost the bass without really losing detail- I consider these to be fairly articulate, and didn't miss out on any of the tinier details I look for on my collection of test tracks. There's a little bit of sparkle up top, just enough for me to disagree with the assessment that these have a "dark" sound. The bass is fairly dominant, to be sure, but only listening to the MEST (which I consider pretty bright and crisp sounding) and then switching to the Sza made its sound approach darkness in my opinion. I would simply say the Sza sounds very full and rich to me. That being said, I think the louder bass makes this more suitable for some genres than others, which keeps this iem from being an all-rounder.

It had more energy and proximity in the mids than my LX-SE, especially in the upper mids. Listening to crunchy and distorted electric guitars could occasionally sound slightly harsh to me. I spent a lot of time listening to the album "Origin of Symmetry" (Anniversary Remix) by Muse. On one hand the mids revealed a lot when it came to guitars and male vocals- and when the subbass hit heavy the Sza was able to really show off that hearty DD bass. For songs with a wide range of instruments and a complex sound the SZA did very well. Like the UM MEST, Oriolus managed to achieve a bass boost while still achieving a mostly balanced "W" sound.

Perhaps the most impressive accomplishment in my mind was the imaging/placement of sounds. Very good channel separation and a nice sense of vertical height- these IEM’s can make instruments and voices seem to come from higher or lower- as if you were sitting amongst a band on a multi-tiered stage.

I listened to a lot of older R&B/Soul recordings (Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, etc.) where the recording quality wasn't the best- the bass on these tracks had just a tiny bit of fuzz around it- a little bit of blurriness, as if the bass could have been cleaner and tighter. I couldn't replicate this in every track I listened to though, and I wonder if it had to do in part with the recordings. When listening to the same tracks on the LX SE though, I didn't notice this. To extrapolate on the comparison of those two- I think the LXSE has nearly identical rumble on the subbass to the Sza- but slightly more articulate on the mid bass. On a track like "Quick Musical Doodles" by Two Feet, both models were equals. On more bass guitar dominant tracks such as "What Is Hip?" by Tower of Power and "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield, I think the LX SE had a very slight edge. This is the special edition, mind you- the original Legend X probably has more rumble than the Sza based on what I've read. I would love to compare the two and may bring my SZA to CanJam Chicago for just that reason. I felt like across multiple genres, drums sounded really nice on the Sza- exceptional impact from the bass drum and snare strikes. A nice amount of shimmer to ride and crash cymbals. These can really move some air when the song calls for it.

As far as build quality- these are well made and aesthetically pleasing iem's. I am not a cable guy, but I find the stock cable to be particularly sturdy at the connection points. The cable is also extremely pliable, with no noticeable microphonics. They are physically large- I was limited to around an hour of listening before the discomfort became bothersome. I wear size medium ear tips and had an audiologist tell me my ears were on the smaller side, so just be aware if you're considering these that they may be an uncomfortable fit if you're a smaller individual, but should be fine if you're a big boy. The nozzles are PHAT. I used Xelastics and I imagined them squealing in protest while I struggled to stretch them over the Sza's portly nozzles.

At the end of the day, I would say the Sza is a fun IEM- not a flat or analytical tuning. They do provide basshead level of bass, but in my opinion its tastefully done and not excessive. I do think they perform well relative to the price. I am wondering if they might possibly be considered a more affordable baby brother to the EE Legend X or even the Sony IER-Z1R based on tuning- but I would have to listen to all three together to say. The only downside to the Sza that I can see is the large shell size and very wide nozzles- but I don't think either is a deal breaker.

Nice review. My set has over 400 hours and there is no 'harshness' that I can hear, I'm wondering why you are hearing that in the upper mids. In fact the mids for me are rich and bold and very clear.

 

[Edon]

Hi Guys.

You dont have a problem with fit because of this short nozzle? I'm planning to buy Shalayi but I'm a little worried about it.

 

[bgpolyhistor]

Nice review. My set has over 400 hours and there is no 'harshness' that I can hear, I'm wondering why you are hearing that in the upper mids. In fact the mids for me are rich and bold and very clear.

It may be as simple as my hearing- I’m sensitive to higher frequencies. My ear goes to the bass first, I also play bass guitar. That’s why I have owned predominantly basshead products, and why I elaborate the most on that frequency. My ears are skewed toward bass heavy tunings, so when I find one that still manages good detail retrieval that’s the best of both worlds in my mind. Of course the genre I was listening to made a difference- I didn’t hear anything harsh on all tracks.

All I can say is, I did experience mild listening fatigue after a while with the Sza, and I think it was partially due to sound and partially due to the large fit. In fairness, I also eventually experience fatigue with the MEST, and not only have I kept them for years, I’ve never heard anyone else call them fatiguing in reviews.

I think the Sza is just a very intense experience.

 

[szore]

It may be as simple as my hearing- I’m sensitive to higher frequencies. My ear goes to the bass first, I also play bass guitar. That’s why I have owned predominantly basshead products, and why I elaborate the most on that frequency. My ears are skewed toward bass heavy tunings, so when I find one that still manages good detail retrieval that’s the best of both worlds in my mind. Of course the genre I was listening to made a difference- I didn’t hear anything harsh on all tracks.

All I can say is, I did experience mild listening fatigue after a while with the Sza, and I think it was partially due to sound and partially due to the large fit. In fairness, I also eventually experience fatigue with the MEST, and not only have I kept them for years, I’ve never heard anyone else call them fatiguing in reviews.

I think the Sza is just a very intense experience.

I think maybe you need to burn them in some more.

 

[Ryokan]

Hi Guys.

You dont have a problem with fit because of this short nozzle? I'm planning to buy Shalayi but I'm a little worried about it.

The Andromeda OG have a short nozzle and although the fit was ok they did sometimes fall out and I think they would benefit greatly from the longer one on the Ara. Compared to those Szalayi is fine for me and the stock tips work well, they're one of the better fitting iem's I've owned. They're not fit and forget though like Westone W60's.

 

[szore]

Hi Guys.

You dont have a problem with fit because of this short nozzle? I'm planning to buy Shalayi but I'm a little worried about it.

I have no problems with fit. I use JVC Spiral Dot tips and the fit is rock solid, and I have largish ears.

 

[McCol]

I've enjoyed my time with the SZA but theyt are now up for sale

https://www.head-fi.org/classifieds/oriolus-szalayi.35985/

 

[Virtu Fortuna]

We review the Szalayi today on Headfonia!

https://www.headfonia.com/oriolus-szalayi-review/

 

[kylooski]

Hi All,

happy to joined the Szalayi's family. I have one question regarding built quality. In my left earphone when I touch/press it I can loudly hear a click like a shell is not properly built or something. Does any of you have a similar issue ?