All the elevated treble energy remains restrained and smooth, so the Gems shine without too much sizzle. Where to Buy The IKKO OH10 Obsidian uses a hybrid driver configuration with a single dynamic driver, which has a 10 mm diameter and is made of titanium, plus a Knowles 33518 balanced armature. IKKO targets a signature with quite a steep “V” shape, with an accent on mid-bass on one side and upper midrange and lower treble on the other. These are not a bass-boosted pair of IEMs, and they impart an impressive level of clarity and coherence. Thankfully, the Gems do this without all-too-common unpleasantly harsh-sounding peakiness and remain natural and fairly smooth throughout the audible frequency range. I don’t consider them recessed, nor bass-light, rather I hear their tuning as more neutral and flat, without being too sterile for enjoyment. IKKO Gems frequency response graph as measured on a IEC 603118-4 compliant occluded ear simulator (OES). Bass

The cables are thin and light enough to not cause microphonics. It is also comfortable around the ear giving an illusion as if it’s not there. A chin slider is also found to make the cable extra secure when moving around. As always, I listened to a random assortment of whatever caught my interest and primarily paired the OH10 with my main portable rig of a Chord Mojo mated to a Hidizs AP80 Pro DAP. The IKKO OH10 frequency response graph as measured on a IEC 603118-4 compliant occluded ear simulator (OES). Bass There’s no sibilance or stridency, despite the treble being fairly lively and upfront. OH10 finds a good balance between quantity and restraint and is able to produce a natural timbre. It doesn’t make the tonality too bright but is still crisp enough to create air and some degree of sparkle. SoundstageThere is no point in giving some music examples, as I will be arriving at the same conclusion that OH10 is clean, detailed and undistorted if you don’t go overboard with the volume. Take a look at their RAW FR measurement. As you can see, their driver matching is pretty good, but not excellent. There is a deviation in the bass and a much smaller one in the upper treble. I have re-inserted them several times in the test rig and I’ve got exactly the same set of measurements, meaning that there is indeed a small deviation or about 1.5 dB in the sub-bass region.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply Did you like the review? Let me know! Please note that you should write in English, as comments in other languages will be deleted. Thank you! The midrange is where the fun starts to happen. Especially in the lower mids, there is some uplift that makes the sound warm-ish and musical. There’s a good amount of detail, a wide stage, and a really excellent instrument separation for the Obsidian. I would call the sound analytical for the most part, as in the middle of the midrange, there is a slight dip, and after it the upper midrange starts to rise again, and that keeps on going forward in the treble. Stringed instruments, trumpets, and classical instruments in general are presented so darn well, they are better than on most 500 USD IEMs. I don’t know how, but the size, distance to the listener, texture, realism is absolutely spot on for those instruments. I’ve been testing Obsidian with Dethklok and their entire album Doomstar Requiem. Obsidian actually renders finer details and micro-details in an excellent fashion, with the upper midrange being fun enough for the sound. Guitar solos are natural with good textures and a colorful , vivid presentation.Lift off the foam and you’ll discover an envelope containing the manual and a customer service card. Underneath are nine pairs of ear tips, another box containing the cable, and an unusual leatherette storage case. In the box Their waterfall can be described as smooth and gentle, it is good in here, the only thing that bothers is a spike at 12 kHz. It if bothers you too, it can be tamed with a parametric EQ, or with a simple one from your software music player.

With an impedance of 18 Ohms and a sensitivity of 106 dB/mW, the OH10 can be fairly easily driven by almost any portable device, but the driver’s fidelity and resolution do seem to benefit from a high-quality source. IKKO OH10 Sound The sheer number of ear tips included with the Gems is impressive and can likely be attributed to the unusual oval-shaped nozzles on the IEMs. While the foam tips are standard round-shaped versions (albeit quite short), all the silicone tips are longer and oval-shaped.The OH10 is a dual-driver (1DD+1BA) in-ear monitor with a titanium-coated copper alloy housing. Since I was really impressed by the previous OH1 model, I was really looking forward to testing the OH10. Read on to find out how it performs! A technology enthusiast since he was a kid, Alberto is not overly attracted by novelties for the sake of themselves, he’s indeed not a compulsive gear roller, and is interested in understanding why and how a given piece of equipment produces better or worse results. His articles are about sharing his experience with the hope that it may be useful to others on the same quest. Sometimes the new guy just gets things right. It’s nice to have a strong recommendation in this price tier, and the OH10 have the chops to fulfill this role. The material choices are not only unusual, but the OH10 are also staggeringly well made. Copper, titanium, and platinum? Who does that? The 2-pin connector housings, Y-split and right-angled plug are all matching aluminium. The cable handles and drapes well with minimal microphonics. Overall, it’s a decent cable but is slightly underwhelming for an IEM in this price range. Sound