Cross post from the Oriolus General Discussion Thread
An Oriolus Impression Shootout: Traillii, Isabellae, Crassirostris
Comparing all three with the same songs back to back to back. Using a Cayin N6ii DAP WITH R01 “R2R” module. All stock cables and stock large tips. Traillii (the bird) and Isabellae (Isa) terminated with 4.4 and Crassirostris (Crassi) with 3.5
I don’t really have reference tracks. I used songs that I’m currently very engaged with across a variety of genres. i.e. classical, jazz, vocal, r&b, world, and rock.
While taking extensive notes with each track, a common thread emerged. Very similar to what has already been stated about Traillii and Isa. Crassi however being fairly new with few impressions. So I will try and do my best to break down the differences and similarities as they were all tuned by “the old man”! Each tuning is remarkable in its own way. I believe all three have a place in my collection. I was skeptical due to the Traillii being soooo good at everything, however the Isa and Crassi do have some unique specialties that the Traillii can spread to far out. More on that later.
I will say that with all three of these monitors, you do not need a deep fit. They are extremely comfortable and non fatiguing. I also want to point out that Isa and Crassi are still burning in.
I’ll start off with The
Court Jester Crassi. Well because he has a few tricks up his sleeves. It’s been stated that crassi is flat, neutral and not fun. I can agree with one part of this. It’s definitely a neutral tuning but I do not hear it as flat and I am having a lot fun with it due to the hybrid with DD driver configuration.(coming from only having Traillii for 6months) However I have found that I can’t stop listening to the Crassi with Classical music. It seems almost made for this genre. Which made me extremely and happily surprised. I’ve been on the hunt for a classical monitor. A few times I forgot I was supposed to switch Monitors and three tracks in…Whoops….that tells me I was very much absorbed into the music. So I would have to go back to the first track and listen again as to compare the other two iems.
The overall tonality of the Crassi is neutral with good separation and air in the upper frequencies but still smooth. A single DD taking care of the Low end and in a very balanced way. There is depth, control, layers and texture to the bass. It’s about split even for mid bass and sub bass presence to my ears. The old man really knows how to tune. This is not a bass head IEM at all. The mids are slightly pushed back especially in correlation to the Isa. This is not a problem for me however with the music I mainly listen to, as it creates a less in your head experience. The soundstage width is above average, bettering the Odin from my memory. However the Crassi does lack some depth. Some tracks give a smidgen of that Traillii soundstage magic, feeling it all around the head. Track dependent however.
There is def a BA timbre with piano music especially. Crassi has a quick decay and fast transients that make it sound more dynamic than the Isa. It resolves well. Although in very busy tracks, can be a tad incoherent. But that is to be expected in a hybrid. Layering is really good to my ears. With any of the tracks I tested I haven’t heard where it suffered or lacked. However there is driver flex. If you are sensitive to this, it’s worth mentioning.
I will say that The Crassi to me seems like a specialist. As if it was made for classical and chamber music. This is where he really shines. (Also with well produced pop and R&B) Hence the court jester title. From my reading the best monitor for classical is one that is super coherent, highly resolving, with a wide soundstage, hence a lot of single DD’s that excel here. So I was shocked to hear this hybrid replay classical better than any monitor I’ve come across thus far. Traillii indeed is the better monitor (almost perfect tonal balance) but I prefer the more neutral sound of Crassi for classical. Isa is a different iem all together and I’m having a hard time comparing them because of that. With Jazz music, the Crassi is dynamic and technical while still drawing me into the music. One stand out is cymbal strikes. See Milt Jackson’s version of Caravan. They are perfectly balanced on Crassi. Again harkening to the tuning genius of “the old man” The difference of staging with Crassi compared to Isa and Traillii is that Traillii is in a large music hall, sitting in the middle of the hall. The Isa is as if you are on stage next to the performers and Crassi is a smaller venue a few rows back.
I’ve always had a fascination with classical music but the Crassi has made me fall deeper into adoration with this emotionally engaging music. Which is quite the conundrum that it sounds best with a neutral set of monitors.
The classical tracks I used for comparison are as follows:
Ester Magi and the Estonian National Orchestra-vesper
Krystian Zimmerman-Beethoven compete piano concertos-Allegro Con Brio
Scott Yoo-Metamorphosen- serious song, a lament for string orchestra
Janos Starker-Bach/suites for solo cello-Allemande
Edit:
I almost ended my review and decided to try some of my recent favorite modern high res Pop and R&B tracks (not something I listen to often) and the Crassi excels here as well. Actually it’s Great. Tracks sound full and engaging, getting the fullness of the DD to come out and play. I don’t listen to EDM, but I can see Crassi excelling here as well. Im not sure if anyone will remember when Thieaudio released the Monarch and Clairvoyance iems and the hype involved there…well the Crassi takes the best of both of those; expounds on and balances it all out with an exceptionally mature tuning. Im also getting some Odin vibes without that upper mid spike and full on assault of the senses.
Next up
Princess Isabellae
I save this and Traillii for last because they will be the hardest to write about as all the impressions and reviews thus far have hit the nail on the proverbial head. So I’m unsure what I can really add without sounding redundant. I’ll give it a go and so be it if it’s been said before!
These are amazing monitors, period.
End of impressions.
Nah just kidding.
Miss Isa is such a darling. She is refined, upright and knows how to have a good time.
My kind of lady.
Like all have said here, the tonality of Isa is nothing short of brilliant. The timbre of acoustic instruments is awe inspiring. Anything acoustic, I.e. guitar, bass, drums, cello, violin, piano, etc. Listening again to Milt Jackson’s-Caravan, the upright bass is just perfect. You can hear the layers in the bass as he scales the fretboard. You can hear Janos Starker taking breathes in-between sections. Breathtaking in its most simple form.
Vocals are the best I have ever heard. (I’m sorry Traillii). Roberta Flack’s-Just Like a Woman is simply sublime. As if she is singing only to me. Damien Rice- I don’t want to change you. The acoustic timbre of his guitar is natural and real. You can hear each string reverberate. And his voice is the best I’ve heard it EVER. I don’t really know how to describe it other than it sounds real and natural and not replayed.
This is my first time hearing a single DD. I’ve always read about the stellar coherence with them. And I now understand. It’s completely addictive. I don’t want to stop listening to them. I listened to an entire album and didn’t even realize it because I was enjoying it too much to pay attention to every little detail. **I didn’t use this album for my comparisons.**
Okay enough gloating over this fine lady. Let get into the details.
Soundstage is intimate- less wide than Crassi and def less than Traillii. But this is not a downfall. Because when I’m listening I do not notice this as a fault. The music does not feel in my head. I feel connected to whatever I’m listening to. Isa sucks you into her sweet vortex of ooey gooey goodness Timbre, Texture and Tonality. Adorning you with a balance of coherency across the spectrum. She may not be as technical or resolving as her counterparts but what she lacks she makes up in spades of emotion.
I have said about the Traillii that it’s lower register piano timbre is blunted or if the piano is pushed back in the mix. Which bothers me with some of my very favorite jazz tracks such as Oscar Peterson’s -Maria. His Piano is a little further back in the recording and with Isa, his piano sounds as it should, it’s hits, rises and has a good decay, the note is not blunted or let go for too long. Perfect tuning here. Traillii blunts his piano on this track and now I cannot ever not hear that. One more thing that has been said in every review/impression is that Isa is Mid Bass forward, with very little sub bass presence. This is not an issue for me as it pairs perfectly for my main music taste. However I’m not sure how well you would like it if you want the rumble and texture.
Bill Evans Sunday at the Village Vanguard-All of you(take 2) followed by Jade Visions(take 2) recorded days before legendary bass player Scott LaFaro died tragically. The upright bass here is unlike I have ever heard it before. You can hear his hand snap and slap and pluck the strings, you can feel it. It’s layered, rich and deep, taught and tight with a heaviness that feels weightless. Intoxicating. Another track that shows off the instrument prowess of the Princess Isa, is Brandee Younger- Somewhere different. She is a harp player and one of the best I’ve heard. About 2:05 into the track some reverb comes in and it envelopes you. Even though an intimate monitor, this part of the track was a “WOAH, WHAT THE!?!” Moment! The treble stays smooth and the bass never booms or blooms into the mids. The mids are my favorite part of this iem and I would say it’s mid focused. It doesn’t sound quite neutral to me. It’s definitely on the warm side.
I will say that I did not prefer Isa with classical. It plays well but it’s too warm for orchestra in my opinion.
The Bird! The Queen Traillii
Radiance, Awe and Immersion. The allure is real, like a sirens call. The poetic love of Traillii and her now legacy will continue and live on through all of us that have had the great pleasure of her acquaintance. I myself am quite obliged and honored to be in this royal court of the trinity. With Traillii firmly
In the top.
I can’t really say much that I haven’t already said about her or that others have emphatically praised her for. It is the single most balanced and tonally correct monitor I have ever heard. Remarkable timbre coming from an all BA Set. If I did not know it was, I would not be able to Guess it was.
The natural 360 soundstage is head scratching. The way the treble sparkles and never fatigues, pushing air around every single nuance in the FR. Creating a beautiful sense of space, without any loss of resolution, detail, layering, dynamics or coherency. It’s absolutely stunning how this monitor Has been tuned. It’s a master stroke. You can hear it! This is indeed a Master of his craft at the top of his game. I don’t always prefer the Traillii as I sometimes appreciate a more intimate sound especially with jazz trio when the band IMO should be heard intimately. Three musicians basically huddled together-a wide soundstage doesn’t seem natural in this setting to my ears. I prefer the intimacy with Isabellae and how it overtakes me with emotion and a warm blanket like feeling. Not to say it’s veiled. Just a comparison to how a warm blanket feels when it’s cold. It’s an emotional response. One that Traillii has given me on multiple occasions with different music and now Isabellae is giving me the same just in a different way. But just because I prefer some things over Traillii does not take away from its masterful tuning. One that I will never rid nor tire of.
The most beautiful aspect of this shootout is that I can hear the DNA of “the old man” in all three monitors. His heart and soul is in these. It’s palpable! And as
@Rockwell75 would say..that “Oriolus Magic”
Shout out to
@RTodd for pushing me to write this up for all of you. And for great music rec’s
@MusicTeck for the being the best. And to Andrew for having the most genuine and authentic customer service I’ve ever experienced. Thanks to him I own all of these, all paid for by myself including the dap and module.
Tracks listened to for comparison but not mentioned in the review as follows
Neil Young-Ambulance blues
L’Rain-find it
Nat King Cole- if I may
Charles Owens Trio- If 6 was 9
Milt Jackson-Sunflower
Anouar Brahem-astounding eyes of Rita
Tool- the pot
Why so serious?- Hans Zimmerman
Gary Burton-straight up and down
Greentea Peng-dingaling
Carla Bruni-L’excessive
Celeste-both sides of the moon
Ester Magi- bukoolika
Ilhan Erashin- freedom
Laura Mvula- got me
Against All Logic-this old house is all I have
Eloise-who’s she
Puma Blue-Already Falling
El Michels Affair- Walk with me
Ghost Creek- June
Erika de Casier-Someone to chill with
Dawn Richard-Nostalgia
I know it doesn't help you. I think it will be better for you to think of what you don't like about U12t and see if Traillii covers your need/improvement over U12t.
