[feverfive]

Yeah, I was going to buy the IE 900 within a couple months (depending on availability) anyway, but reading between the lines of the couple @gLer initial thoughts I saw + a PM exchange I had with another head-fi'er pushed me to order earlier this week. This is the closest thing to "early adoption" I've engaged in for quite some time. I am really looking forward to reading something more formal from @gLer concerning this set.

 

[mvvRAZ]

Yeah, I was going to buy the IE 900 within a couple months (depending on availability) anyway, but reading between the lines of the couple @gLer initial thoughts I saw + a PM exchange I had with another head-fi'er pushed me to order earlier this week. This is the closest thing to "early adoption" I've engaged in for quite some time. I am really looking forward to reading something more formal from @gLer concerning this set.

Do share impressions when you get them, I’m quite interested myself!

 

[ian91]

I'm feeling bad for the Traillii and the stick its getting for having plastic shells...

Oriolus have clearly been very space efficient with drivers and have gone further, taking weight into account in their choice of material. I prefer a lighter touch in the ear as it helps me get lost in the music. Personally, shell composition is of little importance to me as I take good care of my tech and provided they deliver the music well, that's the main thing, and Traillii certainly does that.

 

[mashuto]

I'm feeling bad for the Traillii and the stick its getting for having plastic shells...

Oriolus have clearly been very space efficient with drivers and have gone further, taking weight into account in their choice of material. I prefer a lighter touch in the ear as it helps me get lost in the music. Personally, shell composition is of little importance to me as I take good care of my tech and provided they deliver the music well, that's the main thing, and Traillii certainly does that.

I mean, it's just hard for some of us to imagine where the price is coming from. From the drivers, to the shell, even including the cable, it doesnt seem like it should command such a price. Which just kind of leaves how they tuned it. Still hard to fathom the price for some of us just based on that, as good as it might be.

But why feel bad? Those who have been interested enough seem to think the sound is worth the price of admission regardless of what the shell is made of, and it's certainly made enough of a splash here to put oriolus on our collective radars. I think they are likely doing ok for themselves.

 

[gLer]

I mean, it's just hard for some of us to imagine where the price is coming from. From the drivers, to the shell, even including the cable, it doesnt seem like it should command such a price. Which just kind of leaves how they tuned it. Still hard to fathom the price for some of us just based on that, as good as it might be.

But why feel bad? Those who have been interested enough seem to think the sound is worth the price of admission regardless of what the shell is made of, and it's certainly made enough of a splash here to put oriolus on our collective radars. I think they are likely doing ok for themselves.

I think I've heard only two people 'complain' about the Bird being made of 'plastic' (actually high-grade resin, but who's checking), and neither of them own one. So there's that.

 

[Vitaly2017]

Traillii cable is $2000 retail, so that gets you close to the $6K asking price with your $3500 'plastic' budget. That said, if you're looking for an out and about, rough and tumble IEM, I agree, Traillii is probably not ideal. I definitely wouldn't take it out the house!

@Liberatus there are lots of suggestions here but one glaring ommision: Sennheiser IE900. It ticks all your boxes, and if Traillii sound is the benchmark recommendation, may I suggest you give the IE900 a demo. You might think at $1300 it doesn't play on the same field as the 'big boys', but trust me and trust your ears.

Good luck with the search!

Ie900 is an awesome bass canon and I recc it more then noirs noirs bass is wayyy too strong maybe I am not a bass head? I think its too much. Dont have that feeling with ie900

 

[gLer]

Ie900 is an awesome bass canon and I recc it more then noirs noirs bass is wayyy too strong maybe I am not a bass head? I think its too much. Dont have that feeling with ie900

Noir has too much midbass. It makes the sound too thick for my liking, and makes it necessary for the treble to be tuned to high to break though the drone. That's just the way I hear it, and it's not the case for every track, it those with plenty of midbass emphasis to start with.

The IE900 is not a bass canon to my ears, but then I do love my bass. What it has is incredibly visceral bass that also manages to be perfectly controlled, never too thick, always punchy and only there when called on. I'll go as far as to say it has the best single-DD bass I've ever heard, and the second best bass I've heard in any IEM to date (the first being Legend X of course).

 

[ian91]

I mean, it's just hard for some of us to imagine where the price is coming from. From the drivers, to the shell, even including the cable, it doesnt seem like it should command such a price. Which just kind of leaves how they tuned it. Still hard to fathom the price for some of us just based on that, as good as it might be.

But why feel bad? Those who have been interested enough seem to think the sound is worth the price of admission regardless of what the shell is made of, and it's certainly made enough of a splash here to put oriolus on our collective radars. I think they are likely doing ok for themselves.

Good point. They're doing well for themselves. I guess what I'm trying to express is that for me the shell design factors very little into my purchase decision. What does matter is driver tuning and implementation, that's what clearly takes time and effort. As for commanding the price, it all depends on how you value (and evaluate) that tuning - what are you willing to pay and what are your financial priorities? (rhetorical question). I was happy to part with equipment that was not working for me to fund the Traillii.

I'm left wanting very little now. For me, life feels too short and music too sweet not to invest in a summit level product that is a great all-rounder. I hope to be with it for years to come.

The best thing about the IEM world is the choice on offer, everyone has the opportunity to hear great music! The second best part of the IEM world is experimenting and hearing other peoples experiences along the way.

 

[Vitaly2017]

Noir has too much midbass. It makes the sound too thick for my liking, and makes it necessary for the treble to be tuned to high to break though the drone. That's just the way I hear it, and it's not the case for every track, it those with plenty of midbass emphasis to start with.

The IE900 is not a bass canon to my ears, but then I do love my bass. What it has is incredibly visceral bass that also manages to be perfectly controlled, never too thick, always punchy and only there when called on. I'll go as far as to say it has the best single-DD bass I've ever heard, and the second best bass I've heard in any IEM to date (the first being Legend X of course).

I really like JH LoLa bass, it has the unique DD for mids and sub bass with a BA which is probably a never seen combination in other iems. The result is a clean bass with tremendous detail and precision. Plus you got that DD decay crave in the upper bass

 

[twister6]

I mean, it's just hard for some of us to imagine where the price is coming from. From the drivers, to the shell, even including the cable, it doesnt seem like it should command such a price. Which just kind of leaves how they tuned it. Still hard to fathom the price for some of us just based on that, as good as it might be.

But why feel bad? Those who have been interested enough seem to think the sound is worth the price of admission regardless of what the shell is made of, and it's certainly made enough of a splash here to put oriolus on our collective radars. I think they are likely doing ok for themselves.

If we start going by bill-of-material (BOM) cost, many IEMs won't make sense. In general, DD drivers cost about $0.50, BA drivers cost about $3-$5, EST drivers cost about $10, and Sonion BC drivers probably cost as much as EST or less.

 

[mashuto]

I think I've heard only two people 'complain' about the Bird being made of 'plastic' (actually high-grade resin, but who's checking), and neither of them own one. So there's that.

I didnt think anyone was really complaining (I know you put it in quotes). Just that the price has been an issue and for the price, especially combined with the driver config and the whole package, some might expect a more premium shell. I happen to agree. If I was paying that price I would ideally want a premium shell as part of the package.

Good point. They're doing well for themselves. I guess what I'm trying to express is that for me the shell design factors very little into my purchase decision. What does matter is driver tuning and implementation, that's what clearly takes time and effort. As for commanding the price, it all depends on how you value (and evaluate) that tuning - what are you willing to pay and what are your financial priorities? (rhetorical question). I was happy to part with equipment that was not working for me to fund the Traillii.

I'm left wanting very little now. For me, life feels too short and music too sweet not to invest in a summit level product that is a great all-rounder. I hope to be with it for years to come.

The best thing about the IEM world is the choice on offer, everyone has the opportunity to hear great music! The second best part of the IEM world is experimenting and hearing other peoples experiences along the way.

Yea totally fine. Some people care first and foremost about sound and the rest is inconsequential. Others want the sound, but the shell and the whole package are important too for some people, especially once you start factoring in price.

If we start going by bill-of-material (BOM) cost, many IEMs won't make sense. In general, DD drivers cost about $0.50, BA drivers cost about $3-$5, EST drivers cost about $10, and Sonion BC drivers probably cost as much as EST or less.

Oh I get that too. But I was talking more about perceived value. And while I haven't heard it. I still find it incredibly difficult to accept the price point on sound alone. I have a hard time imagining the sound commands that price. The perceived value (to me) would be much higher if in addition to the sound there was a premium shell too. That's all I was getting at. I know if we were going specifically on part cost, all of these iems would be so overpriced that we would be stupid for ever buying anything more than something like a blon bl03.

I could be completely wrong. Maybe the sound along commands the price. It's just hard to imagine when even my high end stuff barely seems to be worth the premiums I am already paying over stuff much cheaper.

 

[RTodd]

Good point. They're doing well for themselves. I guess what I'm trying to express is that for me the shell design factors very little into my purchase decision. What does matter is driver tuning and implementation, that's what clearly takes time and effort. As for commanding the price, it all depends on how you value (and evaluate) that tuning - what are you willing to pay and what are your financial priorities? (rhetorical question). I was happy to part with equipment that was not working for me to fund the Traillii.

I'm left wanting very little now. For me, life feels too short and music too sweet not to invest in a summit level product that is a great all-rounder. I hope to be with it for years to come.

The best thing about the IEM world is the choice on offer, everyone has the opportunity to hear great music! The second best part of the IEM world is experimenting and hearing other peoples experiences along the way.

Exactly how I feel, plus I like the clear shells when they are not in my ear I look inside and wonder.

Oriolus managed to keep them small and extremely comfortable.

I used a magnification scope where I could see the surface and it is very very smooth, the scratches you can only see under magnification are minimal.

We are paying for a specialized product, the artisanal time that went into making a set of these is likely a higher cost factor than the components.

 

[Liberatus]

Tuning alone isn't a lasting factor unfortunately. More and more mass production will make "tuning" not a valid only point. Check Blon. How can they do that sound that cheap? Because materials is very cheap, and when you mass produce you're going to run across odds that you hit on a really good tuning. A spray and pray will still return a result eventually especially when more & more robotics remove human factor and automatic tuning processes can be output much quicker.

In no way do i see "artisan" in the Oriolus. I see the opposite, i see tuning only, if it was artisan then the shell, the tuning, the cable, the packaging, the customer support, etc. All of these have to be unique and particular for it to be artisan. That's why you go to an artisan, because they create "art" which isn't replicatable by others because it's the art that person/brand puts out that makes them distinct.

But even that isn't vastly important to me, what's most important is just durability, and i do not agree with any of the high prices IEMs being acrylic or resin or plastic. It just shouldn't be, if other companies can factor in a hardshell into their pricing, then how can you not? Why would you not? It's an extra budget saver but then you charge $6k, so there's not much of an excuse. There's room for a durable shell. And those who don't care about the shell, fine, but i say your resin will crack over time just purely with age. And you paid $6k for a product that has a short lifespan. Even beyond just age cracking, you have to always be super careful and mindful and limit their use - this means you're paying a high price for a product that has limited viability and use, it's "portability" is limited to very enclosed & protective environments. So you bought less available use, for a higher price. Sure maybe you baby gear and don't care about using it more then sitting at home, but i say products should just be built to last, especially if you charge high end pricing. Durability is honorable, caring about the lifespan of your product and that your customers will be able to use your product without fault for a long lifespan. We as westerners have lost the care for durability for cheapness, but now we pay artisan prices for low end durability too. Which is interesting.

Maybe you do baby your gear, but would it be great if you could feel more comfortable that your $6k investment was protected? I think you're arguing from the wrong perspective, for the price you paid you can certainly have durability included, so instead of saying you're fine without it, which means you'll never get it, you should want it as a customer. Why not feel better knowing your gear will last and you don't have to be crazy protective. Also - to me - IEMs are MEANT for portability. Staying at home, isolated, barely moving about or using them - doesn't sound very portable to me.

 

[ian91]

Tuning alone isn't a lasting factor unfortunately. More and more mass production will make "tuning" not a valid only point. Check Blon. How can they do that sound that cheap? Because materials is very cheap, and when you mass produce you're going to run across odds that you hit on a really good tuning. A spray and pray will still return a result eventually especially when more & more robotics remove human factor and automatic tuning processes can be output much quicker.

In no way do i see "artisan" in the Oriolus. I see the opposite, i see tuning only, if it was artisan then the shell, the tuning, the cable, the packaging, the customer support, etc. All of these have to be unique and particular for it to be artisan. That's why you go to an artisan, because they create "art" which isn't replicatable by others because it's the art that person/brand puts out that makes them distinct.

But even that isn't vastly important to me, what's most important is just durability, and i do not agree with any of the high prices IEMs being acrylic or resin or plastic. It just shouldn't be, if other companies can factor in a hardshell into their pricing, then how can you not? Why would you not? It's an extra budget saver but then you charge $6k, so there's not much of an excuse. There's room for a durable shell. And those who don't care about the shell, fine, but i say your resin will crack over time just purely with age. And you paid $6k for a product that has a short lifespan. Even beyond just age cracking, you have to always be super careful and mindful and limit their use - this means you're paying a high price for a product that has limited viability and use, it's "portability" is limited to very enclosed & protective environments. So you bought less available use, for a higher price. Sure maybe you baby gear and don't care about using it more then sitting at home, but i say products should just be built to last, especially if you charge high end pricing. Durability is honorable, caring about the lifespan of your product and that your customers will be able to use your product without fault for a long lifespan. We as westerners have lost the care for durability for cheapness, but now we pay artisan prices for low end durability too. Which is interesting.

Maybe you do baby your gear, but would it be great if you could feel more comfortable that your $6k investment was protected? I think you're arguing from the wrong perspective, for the price you paid you can certainly have durability included, so instead of saying you're fine without it, which means you'll never get it, you should want it as a customer. Why not feel better knowing your gear will last and you don't have to be crazy protective. Also - to me - IEMs are MEANT for portability. Staying at home, isolated, barely moving about or using them - doesn't sound very portable to me.

Interesting perspective. My Traillii comes with me places, so it's used in a portable fashion without issue.

I'd like to look into photopolymer and how it ages in more detail. Do you, or anyone else for that matter, have any sources of information on this?

 

[bluestorm1992]

Tuning alone isn't a lasting factor unfortunately. More and more mass production will make "tuning" not a valid only point. Check Blon. How can they do that sound that cheap? Because materials is very cheap, and when you mass produce you're going to run across odds that you hit on a really good tuning. A spray and pray will still return a result eventually especially when more & more robotics remove human factor and automatic tuning processes can be output much quicker.

In no way do i see "artisan" in the Oriolus. I see the opposite, i see tuning only, if it was artisan then the shell, the tuning, the cable, the packaging, the customer support, etc. All of these have to be unique and particular for it to be artisan. That's why you go to an artisan, because they create "art" which isn't replicatable by others because it's the art that person/brand puts out that makes them distinct.

But even that isn't vastly important to me, what's most important is just durability, and i do not agree with any of the high prices IEMs being acrylic or resin or plastic. It just shouldn't be, if other companies can factor in a hardshell into their pricing, then how can you not? Why would you not? It's an extra budget saver but then you charge $6k, so there's not much of an excuse. There's room for a durable shell. And those who don't care about the shell, fine, but i say your resin will crack over time just purely with age. And you paid $6k for a product that has a short lifespan. Even beyond just age cracking, you have to always be super careful and mindful and limit their use - this means you're paying a high price for a product that has limited viability and use, it's "portability" is limited to very enclosed & protective environments. So you bought less available use, for a higher price. Sure maybe you baby gear and don't care about using it more then sitting at home, but i say products should just be built to last, especially if you charge high end pricing. Durability is honorable, caring about the lifespan of your product and that your customers will be able to use your product without fault for a long lifespan. We as westerners have lost the care for durability for cheapness, but now we pay artisan prices for low end durability too. Which is interesting.

Maybe you do baby your gear, but would it be great if you could feel more comfortable that your $6k investment was protected? I think you're arguing from the wrong perspective, for the price you paid you can certainly have durability included, so instead of saying you're fine without it, which means you'll never get it, you should want it as a customer. Why not feel better knowing your gear will last and you don't have to be crazy protective. Also - to me - IEMs are MEANT for portability. Staying at home, isolated, barely moving about or using them - doesn't sound very portable to me.

Sounds to me that you should be one of the customers for the first batch of UM FS.