This is my first dongle to give my impressions of.
I'm approaching this from the angle of a dongle novice. I have mainly used dongles as a way of using wired iems on my phone and as such I didn't use the HIDIZS XO with any other sources.
First I'd like to thank HIDIZfor sending my the XO for evaluation, they haven't tried to influence my impressions in any way and as such these are my thoughts

Here's what HIDIZS have to say about the XO



DUAL ESS SABRE ES9219C DAC & Independent Crystal Oscillators
Get double the audio performance and the most accurate clocking for both DACs, through the synergy of the Dual ESS SABRE ES9219C DAC chips, and high-precision independent crystal oscillator, for the purest audio experience, and reproduce real music with unprecedented accuracy!Outstanding DAC parameters: 32bit/384kHz PCM, DSD256, +121dB DNR, -114dB THD+N, ultra-low power consumption, high integration, and substantially better performance than previous iterations.Remarks: The above official data is provided by ESS company.

The XO MQA Dongle is only the size of a USB and weighs only 11 grams. Contains two outputs, enough to drive mobile phones, iPads, and PCs. The output power is strong but not excessive, single-ended 78mW+78mW@32Ω / balanced 195mW+195mW@32Ω. The XO MQA Dongle perfectly balances sound quality and battery life.


The XO is not a new product and has been on the market for a couple of years I'm actually reassured by this too many products appear the disappear soon after.

The Dongle I receiveis an attractive rose gold colour, made out of aluminium. I have to say I like the RGB flashing lights a little too much. The light have many different combinations I rather like the rainbow multicolour rendition.


On initial release the dongle was $99 its now retailing for $59 which I think is a fantastic price for the functions available.

On plugging the XO into my phone (Samsung Galaxy S24Ultra) I mistakenly plugged the cable the wrong way round which meant no sound because the HIDIZS logo needs to be plugged into the phone USB-C port.
Once connected I was greated with a very ckean nuetral sound signature, organic in presentation with a rather surprising wide soundstage.
The 3.5mm se connection drive my IMR ACOUSTICS DARK Matter dual DD iems flawlessly giving a very solid bass and smooth mids the soundstage open with good layering.
Next iem I chose to pair was the Mangird Tea a very sensitive iem the delivery was so smooth and satisfying that I think this will be the pairing I will be using in future the combination was all I could wish for when on the go on public transport or out and about. The bass was dynamic with good articulation, the mids were open and sweet with the treble just about perfect for my tastes. The 3.5mm connection was so good that I don't feel the need to use the balanced connection which for me is held back by the old 2.5mm size which would mean I have to use a converter to 4.4mm as all my balanced cables are the larger termination.
The Balanced output does deliver a substantial increase in power delivery for harder to drive iems. The sound quality didn't really sound any different to the 3.5mm se to my ears.

There is full control of the XO via the Hiby app which takes the hassle out of stabbing at the tiny button in the dongle. The app is very easy to use to access the different sound signatures which do change the signature slightly attenuating the treble response. Which one you prefer will be subject to your personal preferences and the iem attached.

Compared to my limited collection of dongle the XO performed admirably easily matching the Hiby FC4 with a similar sound signature. I Discounted comparing the Cayin RU6 as its not a fair comparison due to its r2r configuration and much higher price bracket.

Conclusion
Overall I was very impressed with the HIDIZS XO for its cost and will be using it as my travel companion with my phone and the Mangird Tea for quality music enjoyment on the go.
https://www.hidizs.net/products/hid...BEHxxgQ540SQw93-4dVdw6fyn6Qacenl1xxrV95Nym8uA

I'd just like to say upfront I believe we are all biased when giving our subjective thoughts about IEMs be it a particular type of signature that works with our music library or how an IEM looks and feels in our ears. On the subject of ears everyone's ear anatomy is different and this effects fit and seal which in turn effects the perception of bass response so I recommend finding the right ear tips that suit your ears to get the best of any IEM. I would like to thank HIDIZS for the review sample of the MS3. They didn't ask for any input to my opinion on them and will be seeing this review at the same time as you.

When I started out on this crazy journey into the audiophile world I bought the Hidizs MD4 my first "quality" iem I loved it so much I bought it twice, my step son still uses it today plugged into a Fiio btr5.
When I was contacted over X(twitter) and asked if I wanted to give the MS3 a try, I jumped at the opportunity.
I'm not a follower of graphs and technical jargon so I leave that to the manufacturer

Dual Magnetic Circuits Dual Cavities Dynamic Driver

HIDIZS MS3 HiFi In-Ear Monitors Earphone uses a 10.2mm dynamic driver with dual magnetic circuits and dual cavities independently developed by Hidizs, and its diaphragm is a bio-nanofiber composite diaphragm. The dual magnetic circuits and dual cavities composite diaphragm dynamic driver has higher magnetic induction than the ordinary dynamic driver. Under the action of higher magnetic induction, the diaphragm can obtain additional acoustic energy, thereby improving the transient performance of the dynamic driver and higher energy conversion efficiency. Dual magnetic circuits make the work of the diaphragm more stable. The dual cavities are based on the design of the dual magnetic circuits to form two relatively independent cavities, which brings many advantages such as strong and flexible low-frequency dive, clearer and purer image of the human voice and intermediate frequency. Dual magnetic circuits and dual cavities complement each other like light and shadow, bringing a pleasant acoustic experience.



Features:
- 10.2mm Dual Magnetic Circuit Dual Cavity Dynamic Driver
- Knowles SWFK-31736 Composite Balanced Armature Driver
- Aviation Aluminum Alloy Integral Molding Shell
- Three Hidizs Pneumatic Tuning Filters
- Oxygen-free Copper Multi-conductor Cable with 192 Ultra-small Wires
- Highly Approaching the H-2019 Target Curve, and HIDIZS Art Styles
- "Shark Fin" 0.78mm/2PIN Cable Plug
- Hidizs Customized Storage Bag

available to buy here on the Hiizs webshop

What's in the box? a beautifully designed iem with superb build quality and 3 tuning filters (I used the Red as the others were a little too bright and shouty for me) with a really nice 2pin cable available in 3.5mm SE or 4.4mm balanced termination. Unfortunately there's no case just a synthetic leather pouch a trend I'm not very keen on, I much prefer the rigid cases that give better protection to my valuable iems.

The MS3 2BA+1DD is placed in a very saturated price bracket with strong contenders from single DD and Planar iem's making it difficult to stand out. The MS3 sounds good with a solid bass foundation with forward upper mids and lower treble. Is it a stand out sound signature? No, but its a terrific all round signature that works really we with Pop, Rock and edm. what sets it appart from all the other pretenders is its design language, superb build quality, fit and very nice cable.​

I listened with my collection of DAPs and Dongles

1. Hidizs AP80 ProX
2. Shanling M3X
3. Hiby R6 111
4. Hiby R8
5. Sony ZX507
6. shanling H2
7. Fiio M15
8. Cayin Ru6
9. Hidizs DH80S

I didn't notice any real change in the sound quality with the different sources other than a little warmth from the Sony and Shanling. This is good news as I would say the combination of MS3 and AP 80proX makes a very compelling everyday carry,
The bass while not bass head is satisfying with decent thump and texture reasonable sub-bass extension not reaching the lowest notes the mids are slightly recessed, not thin or warm just smooth. Vocals are well presented perhaps lacking a little detail but fine for pop music overall they give a pleasant playback to most genres. The area which could be an issue for some are the spicey upper mids and lower treble, I personally enjoy a little spice in the area to give a bit of bite to guitars.

Tonality
They have a pleasant slightly warm tone with slightly bright top end

Clarity
One of the high points of this set is the way they present the music with with unveiled clarity not a usual attribute at this price point.

Soundstage
Not one of the widest iems I've heard in the price range but its adequate for the price point

Separation
I was able to follow instruments in most songs without it becoming congested or confused so again decent

some of the music listened to

1. Lorde - Royals
2. Queen - Another one bites the dust
3. Delta Saints - Some times I worry
4. Thin Lizzy - Dancing in the moonlight
5. Adele - Hello
6. Dire Straits - Private investigations
7. Lady Blackbird - Black acid soul
8. Ed Sheeran - Make it rain
9. Santana - Stormy
10. Steely Dan - Black cow

I was neither disappointed or excited by the playback it was just nice. I did find there was a hint of ba timbre at higher volumes but at safe listening volumes it was not a problem.

I could wear them for hours with no discomfort or fatigue and never felt the need to turn them down or give my ears a rest. It may appear that I'm not impressed by the MS3 but that's not the case I found that as a companion on walks and traveling on public transport with the Hidizs AP80 ProX they were the perfect pocketable solution, Infinitely better than the multitude of TWS on the market. They're not built for critical listening just enjoying some tunes especially on the move.
For the money asked, I think they are worth a listen especially if you want iems built to stand up to day to day rigours of life on the move while looking stylish and sounding pretty darn good especially for Harman fans.

I'd just like to say upfront I believe we are all biased when giving our subjective thoughts about IEMs be it a particular type of signature that works with our music library or how an IEM looks and feels in our ears. On the subject of ears everyone's ear anatomy is different and this effects fit and seal which in turn effects the perception of bass response so I recommend finding the right ear tips that suit your ears to get the best of any IEM.

The Oriveti OD200, which I bought for full asking price of $199, introduced me to the brand with a bang! So I thought it was time to see what else they had to offer and see if lightning could strike in the same place twice.

Disclaimer
Oriveti was kind enough to send me a sample set of OH700VB (variable bass) to review. I am not affiliated with Oriveti and of course was not asked for any copy checking before publishing, they are seeing this the same time as you. All pictures taken be me or taken from the Oriveti website. ALL opinions shared in this review are my subjective thoughts.
Make sure to research any iem before you buy!

The OH700VB retails at $699 and are available for purchase from their website see the non affiliated link below

Oriveti website click here

I more than happy to say that the OH700VB a 1DD +6ba did not disappoint! A superb example of a V shaped IEM done right.

I'm getting a little head of myself as per usual I'm going to leave all the technical details to Oriveti so this is what they have to say


"Hybrid IEMs are always popular in the audio industry because they combine the strengths of different driver technologies to produce a more balanced and detailed sound. The use of multiple drivers allows for a wider frequency range and better separation between different frequencies, resulting in a more natural and immersive listening experience.

From the 1st ORIVETI model, PRIMACY, which is 2+1 hybrid IEM. We keep developing the Hybrid model. OH700VB is based on the idea of creating a hybrid IEM that offers the best of both worlds. By combining six balanced armature drivers with a dynamic driver, OH700VB is able to deliver a rich and detailed sound with excellent clarity and accuracy across the entire frequency spectrum.

The mini switch on the faceplates allows users to switch between two sound tunings, giving them the flexibility to choose the sound signature to their liking

Precise Airhole for Internal Air Control The stainless airhole was designed to control the OH700VB Internal Air Flow precisely at the top of OH700VB. So that can provide the perfect sound for the users.

OH700VB combines 6 balanced armature drivers ( 2 for high, 4 for mid) and a dynamic driver (for low), all drivers are selected, designed and screened for the best sound. As a result, OH700VB delivers a rich and detailed sound with excellent clarity and accuracy across the entire frequency spectrum.

Specification
Driver: Exclusive 6BA driver (2 for high, 4 for mid) + 10mm Dynamic Driver (for low)
Impedance: 12 Ohm
Frequency Response: 20 - 20000Hz
Sensitivity: 112+-3dB/mW, 1000Hz
Distortion: <1%
Plug: Gold-plated 3.5mm Stereo / 2.5mm balanced / 4.4mm balanced Plug
Package Includes
OH700VB Earphone body - 1pair
2 Pin Detachable Cable with 2.5mm balanced, 4.4mm balanced, 3.5mm stereo plugs - 1pc
Genuine Leather Carrying Case - 1pc
S, M, L Silicone Tips - 2pairs per size
S, M, L Foam tips - 1 pair per size

Cleaning Tool - 1pc"

Back to me.
The OH700VB (Variable Bass) are very well constructed of resin with beautiful faceplates (see photos) a medium sized shell that fit my ears very comfortably for hours on end.

The included ear tips didn't really work with my ears seal wise so I ended up using Sedna earfit light large they are a large bore tip which worked well, Dinius Velvets also worked well but they slightly softened the dynamics. The include cable is the same cable that comes with the OD200 with changeable terminations. I'm not a huge fan of non locking terminations as I tend tug on the cable separating them mid song. While I used this cable for evaluation purposes I upgraded to a fixed 4.4mm bespoke copper/silver hybrid from CLAN Audio for long listening sessions. This was purely for aesthetic and practicality reasons due to my clumsy cable handling.

What do they sound like?
Around the hifi forums I've heard the description "Fun" in relation to this IEM, to me, fun means the iem I reach for, when I want to really enjoy my music. Something that releases the full scope of what the artist created in the studio. The OH700VB certainly does that with that special something that was at the centre of the OD200s USP Placing you in the music, even though they don't remotely share the same sound signature. The OH700VB is unabashedly a V signature with big bass in both of its switch configurations the bass is textured, dynamic and layered, digging out details on songs I've not heard before. I'm used to IEMs exposing details in the mids and treble to have it in the bass region is a first. Hybrids can have coherence issues the OH700VB sounds like a single driver no trace of Ba timbre just everything working together as one.

Graph from Tone Deaf Monk.

Now V signatures usually mean recession in the mids, this is where Oriveti's masterful tuning comes into play. Vocals don't take a step back they are there front and centre with instruments placed exactly where they should be showing impressive depth to the stage with natural unforced width. What do I mean by unforced width? Some IEMs give an impression of super wide stage which sounds unnatural throwing instrument placement off.

The mids are natural and organic slightly warm with just enough edge to add excitement to vocals and guitars causing me to be drawn into the music, A very engaging musical experience.

The Transition from upper mids to lower treble is smooth completely sibilance free, even with Whitesnake's Still of the night, a song that is the ultimate sibilance test for any IEM.
While the overall signature is slightly dark there's still lots of detail. The upper treble has a pleasing amount of air and sparkle, without straying into fatigue levels.

The timbre of drums, strings, guitars and brass instruments is sublimely natural. Vocals both male and female are reproduced with every delicate nuance exposed, if a voice has gravel you feel it. Pure female vocals like Montserrat Caballé are imbued with emotion and sweet rounded clarity making an overall very satisfying vocals experience.


When it comes to switches on IEMs I'm not usually a fan as they are fiddly, awkward to change, often with little or no effect. The implementation here is super easy to use, want a touch more bass? easy just flick the faceplate mounted switch with your finger and the bass elevation is applied and this bass hits hard. with the switch in the up/off position it gains extra energy and definition. It has more air between instruments. Bass gets tighter and slightly less punchy. Making it a detail oriented IEM with good dynamics. I found myself using the switches to adjust the sound signature to suit the production of albums I was listening to while the IEMs were in my ears. No need to break off from listening, marvellous!

The sound signature as a whole is of big bass with clear clean mids with a little edge and smooth treble, an overall holographic feeling of immersion in the music.

When I'm evaluating IEMs I have a play list of roughly 100 songs of mixed genres. With the OH700VB I found myself listening to songs then hitting pause to go find the album to listen to it in its entirety just loosing myself in the music. I found they worked across most genres both smooth and aggressive.

Muse - 2nd Law album sounded Immensely grandiose with thunderous bass the guitars and vocals cutting through to great effect.

Lorde - Royals with its throbbing and droning subass was vibrating my head like being close to floor standing speaker her crystalline voice dancing sibilance free above just magnificent!

Joni Mitchell - Blue was a lovely intimate rendition the acoustic guitar particularly sounding detailed with the strings resonances from pluck to the decaying of the notes perfect. Joni's vocals can sound a bit shrill on lesser iems not here the roundness to her upper register was very pleasing.

Steely Dan's - Aja, one of the best produced albums in my opinion was just perfect, hi-hats and cymbals were natural with excellent decay staging was the best I've heard with good height, depth and width enabling me to pick out each instrument with precision.

Peter Gabriel - live album with the New Blood Orchestra. The full orchestra reproduced with amazing clarity and separation really placing me front and centre of the stage with strings floating around outside my head Gabriel's voice intimate detailed always perfectly placed.

Lady Black Bird - Blackbird the subtleties of the interplay between vocals and instruments are played to such a high standard that it became intoxicating the space around each component of the song really placed me in the room. Another example of listening to one song leading me to put the whole album on. Black acid Soul is superb Acid jazz/soul mix produced and mastered to perfection and the OH700VB really makes the most of it.

Iron Maiden -Rhyme of the ancient Mariner - boy the dynamics of this track are amazing and are reproduced with pin point accuracy , I did not perceive any congestion in the guitars, bass and drums Bruce's vocals were on point and unveiled just good headbanging fun

The Oriveti OH700VB is very easy to drive and I had no issues using them with Daps, Dongles even with my Sony Xperia 1 mk4 phone using the 3.5mm headphone jack.

They pretty much sounded good with all my sources, but they really came alive with a good source especially with the Sony Nw-WM1A where the synergy was strong. When using brighter sources I found myself using the tuning switches to boost the bass and add a little warmth to great effect. This is not an iem that needs an expensive source but it does scale impressively. When used with the Cayin RU6 and my phone I was in heaven it was such a lovely analogue hifi rendering of my music I listened till the battery drained out of my phone.

I'm not a fan of analytical sounding IEMs that force details into your ears like a photograph with HDR and sharpening set at max a decidedly digital representation. I'm more Vinyl on a turntable, Leica manual focus, sumptuous colours on kodak colour gold film, kinda guy, where if you look really close all the details are there but it's the whole image you appreciate rather than just how sharp it is. The OH700VB gives me this feeling no matter which source I use.

Sources used:
IBasso dx170
Shanling H5
Shanling M6 Ultra
Sony Zx507
Sony Nw-WM1A
HiBy R6 111
HiBy R8
HiBy RS2
CAYIN N3PRO
CAYIN RU6
IFI GO BLUE
FIIO BTR7

FIIO M15

Comparisons to other IEMs

I don't own many quality hybrids but my favourite till now has always been the Fiio FH9 also a 1DD 6ba configuration.

The FH9 has a different tuning, the bass is not quite as quick the bass quantity is similar, with less texture and detail the OH700VB sounds more "full". The mids on the OH700VB are sweeter with just that extra level of detail, the sense of engagement that is lacking in the FH9 (something I wasn't aware of before) the treble is more coherent with the OH700VB, less "apart" from the mids with more air, a more holographic experience. The decay of cymbals and hi-hats was pretty much perfect to my ears. the OH700VB is a level above the FH9.

My next comparison is not really fair. The IMR Acoustics Titan a 1DD + Quad estats + Bone Condction which retailed at £1800 Inc Tax.
The amazing thing that shocked me was the OH700VB kept up with bass and mids only losing out on treble extension where the Titan pulled away by a good 10%. The bass on the Titan is amazing, detailed and textured but didn't have the quantity exhibited by the OH700VB which also has just a touch more extention into the subass. The Oriveti tuning of mids is masterful on both the OD200 and OH700VB there's just something organic and wonderfully anologue yet very detailed with excellent resolution. This is also something the Titan excels at making the mids a draw any differences would be about taste rather than one being better than the other.
Considering the price point of the OH700VB I think its a win for Oriveti!

Conclusion

I might seem over effusive about the OH700VB spouting hyperbole but these iems took me on an emotional Rollercoaster in a similar way the OD200 did. While having a very different sound signature I would argue they are great companion sets where its worth having both. I can see some people preferring OD200 and vice versa. Whatever Oriveti was doing in the few years they've been away its been very much worth the wait. If you are in the market for an IEM with a balanced analogue organic sound with big bass and have the budget I recommend you find a way to get to listen to them. Another hearty recommendation from me!

My usual disclaimer I'm not an analytical measurement guru or a golden eared audiophile. I'm just an old biker who has a ridiculously large music collection and is searching for the best ways to listen to it and share my findings with the community.

The Oriveti OD200 is that rare beast, an iem that for me, connects with an emotional response.

Before I get ahead of myself

I'll give you what Oriveti have to say about the OD200 and the technical details including a graph from Oriveti (personally I don't look at graphs)



(Graph and photo from Oriveti website)

OD200 Design Concept: Air control is a critical factor in the acoustic design of dynamic driver earphones. It doesn't matter how good the drivers are. If you can't control the airflow, you won't get a good sound. The OD200 is a revolutionary IEM with industry-leading air control technology. It features a new patent-pending Dedicated Airflow Distribution (DAD) design based on years of experience designing dynamic driver earphones. It provides an intense and enjoyable sound created by the most controlled airflow. The CNC-milled metal ergonomic design housing ensures comfortable wearing, product durability, and a premium feel. The British Racing Green color adds a touch of elegance and style to the OD200. OD200 also comes exchangeable nozzle, multiple connector options, and variety of eartips etc. It offers a complete package for an exceptional listening experience.




Features:

Patent-Pending Dedicated Airflow Distribution (DAD) Design Redefines the Sound

Solid CNC Milled Metal Body

Ergonomic Earbuds Body for Comfortable Wearing

Detachable 2 Pin Cable with Modular Plug (3.5mm Stereo, 2.5mm Balanced, 4.4mm Balanced)

Variety of Tips

Driver: Exclusive Be-Coated 9.8mm Dynamic Driver

Impedance: 16 Ohm

Frequency Response: 20 - 20000Hz

Sensitivity: 108+-3dB/mW, 1000Hz

Distortion: 0.08%

Plug: Gold-plated 3.5mm Stereo / 2.5mm balanced / 4.4mm balanced Plug

Package Includes:

OD200 Earphone body - 1pair

Exchangeable Nozzles - 1pair

2 Pin Detachable Cable with 2.5mm balanced, 4.4mm balanced, 3.5mm stereo plugs - 1pc

Genuine Leather Carrying Case - 1pc

S, M, L Silicone Tips - 2pairs per size

S, M, L Foam tips - 1 pair per size

Cleaning tool


Now all the technical details and Oriveti's promotional descriptions are out of the way, I can talk about how this $199 iem blew me away!

When I assess an iem I ignore the $ cost so in my reviews/impressions it's either a great iem or not there's no "good for its price range" caveats.

Why the above statement, well, because the OD200 is a Unicorn iem (using the silver filters, the black raised the upper mids and lower treble to shouty levels) . In that its tuned specifically for me(not really) every time I put them in my ears I have an emotional response, a connection to the music.
I'm in the room with the musicians. The size of the room/space is rendered perfectly I can even tell how close and in what position I am to the musicians. There's space around each instrument. The music just flows over me. Many iems give amazing details, fantastic psychoacoustic staging and great timbre. The Oriveti special sauce is a tangible tactile 3D holographic presentation of music. This is not a set for being analytical, for dissecting each kilohertz of frequency range. No this iem is for experiencing music.


The tuning filters:

Black - Resolving, detailed shouty

Silver- more bass no shouty mids just quite frankly better.

Bass the overall sound is velvet rich, thick, lush with clean airy details. The bass is textured, dynamic with surprisingly detailed nuances. Drum skins when struck, the initial stick against skin is then followed by the dynamic flow of the sound created, just supremely satisfying. The bass while thick doesn't encroach on the Mids which are clean, detailed and smooth.


Mids are organic, natural, with a timbre so perfect it's like the vocalists male or female are there in the room with you. I swear I felt Lorde's breath against my ear while listening to Royals no sibilance just breathy clear vocals

Treble is well rounded with zero sibilance just musical with enough sparkle to balance the thick dynamics of the bass. Cymbals sound natural with just the correct decay.

When testing iem I play Dire Straits Private investigations at 4min 50sec the guitar slashes across the underlying instruments it should be aggressive, sharp and dynamic. On some iems it is dulled which brakes my involvement with the music. No such worries with the OD200 it's renders the guitars with a realistic kerrang of the guitar strings being slashed with the amplifiers distortion shaping the notes.

Another moment I look out for is at 4min 41sec a window is broken the sound of the glass breaking on the OD200 is beautifully rendered and sounds like glass breaking with a satisfying sparkle as the shards fall .


The OD200 is small exquisitely built, comfortable but very tip sensitive getting the perfect seal is important I settled on the SednaEarfit light size large. The Divinis Velvet tips were a close second. Conversely TRI Clarion and DUNU SS tips neutered the bass.

What music did I listen to?

Tracks as follows:

Delta Saints- Sometimes I worry

Lorde- ROYALS

KOVACS- Child of sin

Brothers Osbourne- Slow your roll

Kool and the gang- Get down on it

New Model army & Sinfonia- Isolation

Santana- Dealer/Spanish Rose

Hall and Oats- She's Gone

Steely Dan- Black Cow

Shawn Mullins- Anchored in you (Souls core revival)

Silksonic- Leave the door open

Simon and Garfunkel- Sonds of silence (sibilance monster)

Sinéad O'connor- nothing compares to you

Iron Maiden- Rime of the ancient Mariner

White buffalo- The woods

PRINCE- When doves cry

Michael Jackson- Billy Jean

Stevie Wonder- living for the city

Issac Hayes- Never can say goodbye

Big Boi- kill Jill

Jack Johnson- Better Together

Lady Blackbird- Black Bird

Jane's Addiction- Jane says

Steve Vai -Bad Horsie

DIRE STRAITS- Private Investigations

Sting- English man in

Metallica- For whom the bells toll

RAMMSTEIN - Du Hast

Adele- Hello

Its safe to say that the OD200 plays well across most genres I don't know about classical or ambient music as I don't listen to those genres but the tracks above which have orchestras performing with them sounded great .

When it comes to synergy with sources, I was particularly enamoured with the Hiby R6 GEN iii it was a marriage made in heaven. The perfect balance between bass dynamics with depth and airy details.

The OD200 is not difficult to drive but it does scale with power adding a smidge more bass dynamics and a touch more air.

The only source I didn't like when using was the Hiby RS2 which somehow made the OD200 sound congested in the mids.

Sources used:

IBasso dx170

Shanling H5

Shanling M6 Ultra

Sony Zx507

Sony Nw-WM1A

HiBy R6 111

HiBy R8

HiBy RS2

CAYIN N3PRO

CAYIN RU6

IFI GO BLUE

FIIO BTR7

FIIO M15



Comparisons with other DD iems.


Best is a word I tend not use, it's such a subjective area YMMV, what I will say is that the OD200 has quickly become a favourite alongside my much more expensive DD iems such as the Meze Advar with which they share an organic sense of space and clarity, with detail retrieval and layering that is excellent, the low-end is impactful, fast and realistic on both i just prefer the OD200 extra touch of atmosphere.


IKKO OH5 ASGARD
Has its own unique timbre and tonal balance that I really enjoy but its transients and details are no match for the OD200 which has a superior sub bass and more open mids with more distinct layering and detail retrieval

Now DD iems I consider to be equals in my collection that do something better but all have little idiosyncrasies that stop them being perfect for me :
Dunu Zen
FiiO FD7
Sennheiser IE600
Acoustune HS 1655 CU

Don't get me wrong I love the above selection of quite pricy DD audiophile ear jewellery.

The thing that amazes me most about the OD200 is that it has an ability to faultlessly place me in the music rather than just hear it and that for me is unique. Which is all the more impressive at the price of $199.

I unreservedly recommend you try them out.

They can be purchased here HiFi Dynamic Drivers in Ear Monitors (oriveti.com)

I buy pretty much all my iems so my review is 100% my subjective opinion not influenced by anyone else.

I'm a guy who wants to like what he's bought and will put the work into finding the best synergy to make an iem work for me.

My scoring system is as follows

1. Meh
2.Average
3.Good
4. Incredible

(With space within this to wiggle)

Spoiler alert: The Quintet are upper Good nudging Incredible with the right synergistic components.

I think a warm dap is essential the Shanling M6 Ultra, Sony Nw-WM1A sound superb. Hidiz Ap80 pro X and iBasso dx160 were murderous making me rip the Quintet from my ears.

A nice good quality copper cable to nudge the warmth I used not too expensive £30 off
Ali. FENGRU 610 Core Litz Type6 Pure Copper Silver Plated 2Pin 0.78 Upgrade Cable

The final and most important the correct tips

The Kiwi Ears Quintet utilizes 4 different types of drivers, consisting of :
1 Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) dynamic driver,
2 balanced armature (BA) drivers,
1 planar magnetic driver,
1 piezoelectric (PZT) bone conductor.
With a total of 5 drivers per each ear, hence the name.
So what do they sound like?

To simplify... All the DETAILS! with adequate bass (tips dependant) Do you want here everything that's going on in your music for £200 instead of paying silly money then the Quintet is your answer.

Now let's not get ahead of ourselves, this isn't the iem for everyone.

I favour a warm bass heavy signature with a lush midrange and lively treble and the Quintet are not this.

I can still enjoy a good 4 hour session with the Quintet and appreciate their very much above average technical performance with slightly thin mid range and lower treble.

The clarity of the music is supreme to the point if you're listening to poorly recorded mastered music they can make you wince as its all layed bare.

So earlier I made reference to tips this is really important

I tried loades of different tips before I was satisfied with the bass and trebleI. I really didn't like wide bore(my usual first choice on any iem) tips, the bass was anemic the treble bordering on murder treble the whole signature was thin and sharp.

I have large ear canals so I struggle to find big tips needed to seal correctly. The saviour to my woes?

The black Final E tips. Everything fell into place balancing out the frequencies perfectly to the point I kind of fell in love with the Quintet and it's unveiling qualities, the way they dig into the music, present space between instruments in a wonderful expansive stage where you can pick out positioning of individual instruments.

The really detailed treble without sibilance is a marvel.

The bass is not the star of the show it is balanced has a good sub bass presence while a sufficiently textured mid bass. It gives a clean, precise and incisive bass response that is quite well-separated from the other frequencies it has OK subase and decent midbase attack, it can come over slightly hollow but it's a minor quibble when taken as a whole with the rest of the frequency range.

The Quintet unboxing is minimalist to say the least. You get iems and OK 3.5mm copper cable and a zip up case (it's small and pocketable) and some inadequate silicone tips. All the money went in the iems and it shows.

You might read this and think I don't really love the Quintet. I really do appreciate the things it's good at and in the right mood with the right music it incredible.

I'm not a professional reviewer, just an enthusiastic amateur who KZ contacted over FB and asked if I would like to try out some of their iems. I didn't really know anything about the company, other than what I'd read and watched on YouTube which was less than complimentary. Well the KZ redemption arc starts here with this market changing (spoiler alert) Planar. What's the difference between this and the current crop of Planars 7hz Timeless, Dunu Talos, Letshouer S12 etc.
the answer... A cable and a carry case and for just $40.

Disclaimer I'm not a technical reviewer I don't read graphs, I just stick them in my ears and listen

This is a review sample sent to me for my honest opinion by KZ they have not given me any instructions on what to say and will not be getting prior approval so they are reading this with you.

Now I've not listened to any KZ iems before as I normally steer clear of the budget level. I have however owned HBB collaborations so had a preconceived of the sound signature.

The box the PR2 comes in is tiny, containing the iems, cable and some tips. The iems are attractive, well built shells with clear plastic allowing full view of the large full frequency 13.2 Planar Magnetic Driver with a double sided (7+7) array of N52 magnets.

I have rather large ears so rarely use included eartips so I attached the spinfit cp100 from my collection. the PR2 needs power and I mean lots of power.

I listened to the the PR2 for 2 weeks using a 4.4mm balanced copper cable with a variety of my sources: Dongles such as the ifi go blu, Cayin RU6 ad Hiby FC4 kind of manage to drive them but don't unleash their full potential for that I needed to dig out my most powerful DAPs, the Cayin N3pro and Hiby R8.




The Hiby R8 with its Turbo mode at high gain helped the PR2 climb to the level and in some cases surpass the much more expensive planars on the market. The special sauce is in the tuning which is just astonishing at this price point, HBB guided the process so we have sweet fast bass, extension is good into the lows and the bass replays very well with most genres, Classic Rock, Funk, EDM, Pop etc. Not exactly Dynamic Driver bass, but very good planar bass that comes close to my favourite DD bass.

Mids
Male vocals are forward not recessed and have good energy. Timbre is natural,. Male voices have plenty of presence and a good sense of tone and timbre for a planar. Female vocals are equally well presented with a smooth none harsh delivery.

Treble
For a planar the treble is safe just enough to feel airy with no harsh peaks never coming across as hot just servicing the music.


Music listen to:
Alannah Myles - Black velvet
Dire Straights - Private Investigations
Hall and Oats - She's gone
Lorde - Royals
Muse - Supremacy
The White Buffalo - The woods
T Rex - 20th Century boy
Brothers Osbourne - Slow your roll
Lady Blackbird - Black acid soul
Marc Cohn and the
Blind Boys of Alabama - Baby King
Cat Stevens - Hard headed woman
Iron Maiden - run to the hills
Chic - Good times
Clutch - Book of bad decisions
Coolio - Gangsta's paradise
2Pac - Ambition is a ridah
Peter Gabriel - In your eyes (New blood Orchestral version)
YES - Roundabout

Conclusion:
If you are looking for a slightly warm U shaped planar with good technicalities and decent sound stage and don't mind cable swapping the KZ x Hbb PR2 is a superb option, nothing comes close in the price bracket and the $100 to $200 planars should be worried especially the 7hz timeless which started this revolution but now looks over priced in comparison.