Build/Fit:
The first two pictures below were gratiously provided by patrick of
the copper alloy shell before final plating. This is one of the
hallmarks of the OH-10, so I wanted to show it off. Due to some
proprietary techniques and design of the internal cavity, I won’t be
able to share the inside of the cavity. The Shells are nearly exactly
the same shape and size as that of the OH-1 but heft is dramatically
different. The OH-10 weighs in at a bit over double that of the OH-1.
The .78mm bi-pin connector is slightly elevated above the shell but is
not the hooded type that has become popular of late. Vents exist on the
inner surface behind the nozzle and on the upper surface near the
mid-point of the shell. Nozzles exit the front of the earpiece with an
upward rake and a pronounced lip to hold tips in place (standard T400
tips). The seam between faceplate and shell is not hidden, but polish
is very good with no crisp edges anywhere on the unit and mirror finish
throughout.
Internals:
The OH-10 is powered by a pair of drivers, one. 10mm dynamic and one
balanced armature. The dynamic is a dual diaphragm titanium coated
polymer model, while the balanced armature used is a Knowles 33518.
Worth noting is the copper alloy shell was designed with an acoustic
chamber specifically for this 10mm driver so a lot of work went into
reducing harmonics and producing the best sound possible from the
drivers. I note this as I think the same driver in a different shell
might not show the same level of refinement as a lot of work went into
the pairing of materials. Nominal impedance is listed as 18Ω with a
sensitivity of 106dB/mW. I found the OH-10 to be reasonably well
driven with a phone or a tablet, but it does scale well and detail
improves considerably with a better source. This is a case of scaling
in quality rather than quantity as a phone is capable of powering it
fully.
Cable:
The provided cable is a standard length (1.2m) made with 4 strands of
5N oxygen free silver-plated copper with a black outer coating. From
the 90º Jack, the cable exits through a proper strain relief as a double
twist pattern (two wires paired, then the pairs wrapped). The splitter
is a metal barrel that matches the earpieces closely. Cables exit as
twisted pair but not as tightly as below the splitter. Pre-formed
earhooks are provided without memory wire and terminations are metal
encased (again matching the earpieces) .78mm bi-pin connectors. The
right connector has a red ring around it for quick identification. The
earpieces themselves do not identify R/L but only fit one way so
matching them up is a pretty straight forward proposition. The cable
has a leather cable tie provided that matches the protective mat.
Again, a nice touch to make all the cable parts closely match the
earpieces and accessory kit.
Tips:
There are 2 sets of 3 sizes of tips provided (SML). They are all
silicone, but of two different designs. I found the narrower bore to be
a bit nearer to neutral (not that the OH-10 is ever that) while the
wider bore enhanced bass response mildly. The OH-10 has plenty of bass
for my tastes with the standard tips so I stuck with the narrower tips
for my sound notes and testing. Again your views may vary based on tip
selection.
Sound:
Bass:
The OH-10 starts off with a mildly emphasized and well extended
sub-bass which gives it a satisfying rumble. If you have used the OH-1,
the OH-10 has the same level of control over the bass, with added
umph. Lower mid-bass is mildly emphasized and falls as it moves toward
the mids. Again control is very good and texture is above average.
The OH-10 is best used at lower volumes as the control over the bass
seems to lessen as volumes increase and if listening at above about 80dB
some congestion can appear in more complex tracks. Backing off the
volume a bit restores control and the congestion disappears again.
Some mild-mid bass bleed occurs and while it does not obscure the mids,
it does provide a bit of warmth to the signature.
Mids:
Lower mids are the mildly recessed but not lacking in detail. As we
move up, the mids move forward and female vocals present in front of
their male counterparts as a result. Timbre of electric guitar is
realistic with good growl which makes the OH-10 a fun listen for rock
and classic rock. I found the clarity of the mids to be probably the
most impressive thing about the OH-10. That doesn’t mean I found the
mids to be accentuated the most, just that despite starting out slightly
recessed, the definition and textures are very clean and precise. If
anything, if you could retain the quality of the mids and push the lower
mids just slightly forward it would be near perfect for jazz as well.
Treble:
Lower treble is emphasized but drops fairly rapidly as you move
further up creating a signature that has good clarity while avoiding any
tendency to get strident. The bright tilt makes high hats and snare
with brushes sound particularly clear and realistic which is no easy
task, while cymbals fall just a hair short of sounding lifelike. The
roll-off of the upper treble probably limits the cymbals a bit, but does
also make the OH-10 less fatiguing than many with more high end
emphasis. The most treble sensitive among us may find the OH-10 to be
fatiguing, but for the rest of us, the detail, clarity, and air this
provides will outweigh any aversion to bright signatures (yes, its that
good).
Soundstage / Imaging:
Stage is good sized with a touch more width than depth. I found the
stage was large enough that orchestral pieces were seated properly with
nothing behind that should be next to or vice versa. Imaging is very
good with directional cues and movements being well represented as
well. Layering is good with the caveat that the bass gets a touch
loose as volumes increase and the OH-10 is best listened to at moderate
volumes. I suspect as easy as the OH-10 is to drive, it may well be
overwhelmed by too much power.
Comparisons:
IKKO OH-1 – of course this is the expected comparison.
The OH-10 departs from the OH-1 significantly. While the OH-1 can be
described as mildly mid-centric, the OH-10 is a bigger V shape with more
detail throughout the signature. The OH-1 is a bit more laidback,
while the OH-10 is a bit more aggressive in both attack and decay and
the resultant sound is a bit cleaner and sharper edged as a result.
Shells are almost exactly the same size wise but the materials used on
the OH-10 make it much more solid feeling without feeling heavy or
uncomfortable.
Magaosi K5 – The mid-centric K5 vs the V shaped OH-10. Both are
built very well, cable prefrence goes to the OH-10, and choice of model
is going to be dependent on prefered signature as the two have very
little in common sonically. Extension is better on the low end on the
OH-10, but the K5 has better mids and arguably better treble extension.
Other than price point, these two have little in common.
Moondrop KP – The KP is well established and liked at this price
point and with both sporting polished metal shells, it again is a
natural comparison. Signatures are completely different as the eKP
attempts to be more neutral than the OH-10. The OH-10 has better low
end extension as well as considerably more sub-bass than the KP brings
to the table. The KP has slightly more forward mids. Both have lively
upper mids and lower treble and both roll-off above that and are rather
polite. This is a tough call which speaks well for both models.
Brainwavz b400 – The b400 is way closer to neutral than the
OH-10, but the OH-10 is much more engaging and fun to listen to. Build
quality is night and day different as the 3d printed shell on the b400
is prone to cracking while the shell on the OH-10 looks like it could
take a direct hit from a howitzer with only minimal damage.
IBasso IT-01S – These two again are similar signatures with
different builds. Both have good bass depth and an emphasized bass and
upper-mid/lower treble region. I find the OH-10 has better control at
lower volumes but yields to the IT-01s at higher volumes as the OH-10
becomes slightly loose and the IT-01s comes out of its shadow. The
OH-10 sounds a bit cleaner at normal listening levels when compared to
the IT-01s and has a bit better detail resolution. The IT-01s is
slightly smaller which may be a consideration for some and both are well
constructed and polished although the material used on the 01s is
lighter and less durable.
Thoughts / Conclusion:
Having enjoyed the signature of the OH-1, it probably comes as little
surprise that I really like the OH-10. The tonality is intoxicating
and the detail and texture are very good. It isn’t the best for those
listening at above average volume, but for those that listen at average
or lower volumes, it competes very well with most things in its price
class. It is not as neutral as some, but is much more engaging than
most. Even with higher end models available, I find myself reaching
for the OH-10 when I just want to relax and listen. So far Ikko has two
models and two solid offerings, that’s not an easy thing to do and
shows the level of effort and dedication they are putting into their
products. I can heartily recommend both the OH-1 I previously reviewed
and the OH-10 as both are very solid values. I will also admit to
having IKKO’s facebook page bookmarked so I won’t miss their next
release.
Summary
Pros: very engaging signature, with above average texture and detail
Cons: not a neutral signature, can get a bit loose at high volume.
