Tripowin x HBB Olina impressions and comparison with Tanchjim Oxygen (Pt2, based on modded Olina with bonus LETSHUOER S12 comparison)
Context
This is the follow-up to the Pt1 of my impression (
https://forum.hifiguides.com/t/tripowin-x-hbb-olina/32347/888), where I compared stock Olina with O2. In Pt2, I am comparing dual mesh mod Olina (modded Olina from now) against the O2. Thanks to Michael Bruce and Paul Wasabii for coming up with this mod and sharing the graphs (see below).
Preamble & Source
- Driver configuration: Olina (CNT DD); O2 (CNT DD)
- Source: Qudelix 5k (no EQ), Spotify (highest resolution)
- Cable: Stock 3.5 mm SE for Olina; LETSHUOER S12 stock SE cable for the O2. Note: I used a cable splitter this time so I could rapidly A/B between the two sets
- Eartips: kbear07 (aka AET07) for Olina; stock Aladdin tips for O2
- Test playlist: Mix of jazz, classical, film scores, female & male vocals
- Photos credited to me
Impressions
By this point, much more experienced reviewers than I have compared stock vs modded Olina (e.g., Michael Bruce,
@nymz,
@paulwasabii, @Tonytex_Teixeira,
@tkddans ). IMHO, what sets my review apart is that I have a slightly warmer O2 on hand than the others. That being said, my main conclusions echo what has previously been said: modded Olina tames the treble peaks (e.g., female vocals less peaky and violins less metallic) and adds slightly more bass, but at the expense of a tiny amount of sparkle and detail (e.g., cymbals). I'm not very treble peak sensitive, and even stock Olina didn't cause me to wince, but that's also because I don't listen at high volume.
Detailed comparison between modded Olina and the O2
Mountains, from Interstellar OST [Hans Zimmer]
| Modded Olina | O2 |
| 2:20 and 2:55 - more bass than stock but still lacks rumble vs O2 | More bass, more body to notes, more bass extension, more rumble |
| 3:00 - chorus is more present (imaging and layering) than O2 | |
| Slightly better resolution: clock ticks more distinct (first 30s and 2:06) | |
Mombasa, from Inception OST [Hans Zimmer]
| Modded Olina | O2 |
| 0:16 - snare(?) drums better imaging and detail than O2 | Great heavy sounding hits from timpani during the first 13s still more authoritative than modded Olina |
Winter 1, from Recomposed By Max Richter: Vivaldi, The Four Seasons
- Modded Olina has bit more mid-bass than stock in first 60s
- Violin still more metallic than O2 (01:00 to 01:30), but better than before and wouldn't say it's timbre is off, just a little more treble focussed than O2
- 01:27 double basses come in, and there's sufficient bass emphasis, while still less rumble than O2. That being said, there's better separation of the double basses in the Olina, so I can hear the bow strokes
TAL, from similar & different [dal:um]; note I recently heard this live
| Modded Olina | O2 |
| Staging taller and deeper | Still heavier note-weight |
| Higher notes not as thin as stock | |
Nowicaresomemore, from Day/Night [Parcels]
| Modded Olina | O2 |
| First 15s, there is a percussive instrument to the far left that is better imaged and better resolved in Olina than O2 | Bass still extends deeper in O2 |
| Better staging than O2 | 01:09 - 01:12 deep subbass synth comes in, and the rumble is better on O2 |
My Same, from 19 [Adele]
| Modded Olina | O2 |
| Vocals no longer peaky, but cymbals have lost some of their sparkle (2 - 2:06) | 2:16-2:26 O2 now has some more evident vocal treble peaks than Olina |
Stay Home, from Feast [PYJÆN]
| Modded Olina | O2 |
| Saxophone still sounds metallic at 01:06-01:24 | |
Bonus comparison between modded Olina and S12
I briefly compared my LETSHUOER S12 (stock cable, modded with Y4 filter on front vent) with modded Olina. Same source as above. Biggest differences:
- Olina soundstage is much taller and deeper, possibly a little bit wider too. You can clearly understand why people say the S12 has width but not much depth or height (and it's supposed to be an improvement over the Timeless!)
- Olina is almost as resolving as the S12
- Notes almost sound faster (faster tempo) with the S12, but that's just an artefact of the fast decay from the planar driver. It's interesting because I prefer DD bass because it has more note-weight and more natural sound, but in busy tracks, the planar driver helps to differentiate notes more clearly with no bleed.
- My modded S12 has much more mid-bass than Olina, although Olina has more sub-bass
Conclusion
At this point, I can confidently say that
the modded Olina does the following better than the O2: better staging (often wider, taller, and deeper, but this is track dependent. See details below); at times more resolving (likely helped by better staging as well). On the other hand, the
O2 still has better rumble and bass texture. I honestly don't have a preference between modded and stock Olina, because the mod didn't change the bass enough to match my O2. I am not saying that I prefer the O2 over the Olina - at this point, they really are comparable, and it comes down to preference: do I want a musical and warm set to use today (pick O2), or do I want to my head to be wrapped in music (pick Olina)? Now, I emphasise this again, my O2 seems to be a tad warmer set than others, so it could really be the case that some pick the Olina over the O2 due to its superior staging. I would still whole-heartedly recommend the Olina to anyone looking to purchase a single DD set, and would only recommend the O2 if they want the aesthetics, the nice weight to the IEMs, and possibly more bass.
As always, thanks for reading, and happy listening
