Sound Review by Hoshi星

Disclaimer: Ikko has graciously provided us with this sample unit in exchange for an honest review. The views discussed below are a reflection of Project A3's thoughts surrounding the product. The sample has been run-in for at least 50 hours prior to reviewing in order to achieve an accurate representation of the product.

TL;DR

Not Recommended if you like:

"Basshead" IEMs or are looking for something very bass-forward for your next IEM. Neutral/Reference IEMs for mixing, recording, or just everyday listening and that's your taste. IEMS with a deep and secure/highly isolated fit

Recommended if you like:

Fun, engaging IEMs that can work as an all-around IEM. Shallow fitting  IEMs if you have discomfort with ones that go deep in the ear canal. A good deal on resolution and clarity at this price range.

 

 

Pros	Cons
Attractive polished housing Versatile, crowd pleasing tuning Stylish case and accessories Impressive clarity	Heavy housing with shallow fits can cause IEMs to fall off Lackluster and flimsy cable No hard protective case

Shanling M0 | FiiO Q1 Mk II | Hiby R6 | Zorloo ZuperDAC | Massdrop x Cavalli CTH

Genres	Artist	Songs
Live Recordings	Diana Krall	Desperado (Live)
	Natalia Lafourcade	Soledad y El Mar
	Case Lang Veirs	Atomic Number
	Depeche Mode	Question of Lust (Live 1998)
Instrumentals	Max Richter	On the Nature of Daylight
	Santa Esmeralda	Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
	Nils Frahm	Toilet Brushes (Live)
Jazz	Bill Evans	A Waltz for Debbie
	Chet Baker	I'm a Fool to Want You
	Sons of Kemet	Your Queen is Harriet Tubman
	Ryo Fukui	Scenery
Rock	Avenged Sevenfold	Nightmare
	The Stooges	Down On The Street
	Avenged Sevenfold	Unbound (The Wild Ride)
	Guns N’ Roses	Sweet Child O’ Mine
	Ozzy Osbourne	Crazy Train
	Green Day	21 Guns
Classical	Niccolò Paganini	La Campanella (From Violin Concerto No.2 In B Minor)
	Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky	The Year 1812 Solemn Overture
	David Arnold	Independence Day
Pop	Hu Yang-Lin (胡楊林)	Perfume is poisonous (香水有毒)
	Fish Leong (梁靜茹)	Love Song (情歌)
Western Pop	Anamanaguchi	MEOW
	Iamamiwhoami	Chasing Kites
	Algiers	Dispossession
	New Order	Bizzare Love Triangle (Extended Mix)
	Marian Hill	Breathe Into Me
	Tyler, The Creator	EARFQUAKE
	Tones and I	Never Seen the Rain
	Red Hot Chili Peppers	Around the World
ACG	Saori Hayami	オレンジミント (Orange Mint)
	RADWIMPS	前前前世 (Zenzenzenzense)
	RADWIMPS	スパークル(Sparkle)
	DAOKO	Cinderella Step
	Kana Hanazawa	恋愛サーキュレーション (Renai Circulation)

 




 

Sound Signature

Engaging and Fun

The OH10 presents an engaging sound signature, with the tuning skewed towards a V-shape with a bump in the upper mids in what used to be called a J-Style tuning.  Thus there is an ample amount of bass provided coupled with boosted treble frequencies and a relatively more relaxed mid-range but has just a bit of a little boost. It's a crowd-pleasing tuning that doesn't skew too much in the way of either spectrum so that it attracts the most number of people, though some say this could be a rather safe choice, at this price range people prefer something all around as a general use item versus something targeted and niche, and this play into the OH10 very well.

Lows
Pros	A good amount of sub-bass present, percussive rumble is good, decay does not linger. Mid-bass is presented smoothly, ample control at normal volumes. Solid bass articulation and resolution.
Cons	Bass does not have the slam due to reserved mid-bass. If pushed, the driver cannot keep up and starts to distort at higher listening volumes

Mids
Pros	Clean and transparent midrange, with impressive clarity.     Natural timbre, not sacrificing tonality for clarity and transparency.
Cons	Lower midrange more recessed than the upper midrange

Using both these songs to contrast the vocals, you can tell the larger emphasis on the higher-pitched voice of female vocals giving them a slight forwardness that is almost reminiscent of something like my Polaris V1, however, there is a slight of dissonance with the mids that I feel could be bridged better. However, the clarity and transparency still shine through on both songs, so I tend to look past it.

Highs
Pros	Clear and mildly energetic treble. Air and sparkle present, crisp presentation.
Cons	Maybe fatiguing to some. The upper treble is rolled off, somewhat dampens cymbals and other high frequencies.

This song enters with tizzy cymbal crashes and synths, both highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the treble presentation. The beginning highlights the sparkle and energy of the treble fully showing how it isn't one that is a dark tuning, however, there is just the mildest sibilance at the very end of the cymbal crashes not enough to be disconcerting and splashy treble will be at it's most uncomfortable for treble sensitive folk. But at the same time, you can fully appreciate the air and crispness of the OH10 with the song.

Soundstage
Pros	Good width that is apparent in spaciously recorded tracks. Decent depth, nothing that stands out as confined. Spatial recognition is good
Cons	Layering and definition start to falter once the volume gets pushed up.

In A Question of Lust, the complex and layered instrumentation of the live version shines, as with many live recordings where the bass doesn't endlessly reverberate against itself the OH10 doesn't end up congested and let's the inherent technical capability of the IEM shine, it also isn't prone to the aforementioned con due to the fact that it's a relatively complex but somewhat relaxed song.

Separation
Pros	The resolving capabilities mean the separation in most tracks is good. The reserved upper bass doesn't intrude or cloud the signature.
Cons	Louder volumes lead to losing that aspect as the drivers seem unable to keep up.

Here we have a "dirtier" recording a track that has a bunch of different segments from a relatively simpler start but tends to slightly ramp up as the song goes, especially towards the guitar solo portion.

Here  as long as volumes are reasonable the Ikko performs well with the guitars and shouty vocals of the song more complementary over fighting over each other while the bass drum and bass line play the sidelines supporting the entire exchange.

Musicality
Pros	Highly musical and engaging tuning overall. Bass brings the rhythm to the party. The good tonality and detail round out the package.
Cons	The dampened upper treble somewhat limits the potential of the OH10 The lower mids could use a boost to really fill in the W signature and round out the mids.

Here is a mostly synth fueled J-Pop track the Ikko performs capably and musicality shines and the bass beat serves as the backbone of the song with just enough impact to keep things moving along, and the tuning really shows with the vocals cutting through most of the mids, as shown by the upper mids favored tuning. The tones and chimes that go along aren't lost due to the fact that the Ikko has sufficient clarity to bring to the table, and this allows the fun pop song to shine well.

Comparison Chart
How we compare: We chose other similarly priced earphones or similar offerings from the same brand that Project A3 has reviewed in the past, to ensure that we remain as impartial as possible in our comparisons.
	Ikko OH10	NS5 Mk-II (Natural)	Tipsy Dunmer Pro
Suggested Retail Price	$199	$199	$189
Driver Configuration	1BA+1DD Hybrid	1 DD	2BA+1DD Hybrid
Scalability	Source improvements give slight improvements in control of the low end.	Source improvements give a better bass response.	Source improvements lead to tighter treble control
Fitting	Shallow fit with heavy shells.	Standard length nozzle with a somewhat flat main shell	Basic UIEM shape that is semi molded around the ear shapes
Comfort	Comfortable but prone to falling out of the ears. Also heavy.	Light, unobtrusive, low profile shell. Preferable for those who listen in their sleep.	Light shell, higher profile than others but no obvious discomfort.
Sound Signature	Slightly W-shape with emphasis on upper mids. (J-Style tuning)	"Balanced" with an emphasis on the midrange	Conservative V-shaped tuning.
Lows	Smooth, unobtrusive, but still boosted particularly the sub-bass. More reserved midbass.	Reserved but still present, just enough to give depth but not basshead at all. There is a bass enhanced version available.	Slightly above neutral, with a good slam and a boost along the midbass.
Mids	Upper mids are favored, lending to more intimate and forward female vocals. Clean overall.	The shining aspect of the NS 5 MK II, great reproduction, lively mids that engage the listener, vocals and instruments shine through.	Reserved among the three, plays a supporting role to the energetic bass and treble.
Highs	Mildy energetic, and clear. Upper treble has a roll off likely to prevent being overtly tizzy.	With good air and sparkle, not as forward as the mids but adds to the pleasant signature as well as the sense of clarity.	Boost in the treble gives energy that might turn some people off, but all in all balances out well enough.
Soundstage	Good width but depth not outstanding. Spatial recognition is good.	Good width, okay depth. Nothing particularly notable.	Notably wide as well as deep.
Separation	Good separation in most tracks due to clarity. Can get congested once the volume gets increased.	Clean and clear, the NS5 has very impressive separation with very little problems when it comes to discerning track elements.	The relaxed mids lend to a natural presentation that is capable and accurate as long as the other frequencies don’t overpower it.
Remarks	J-Shaped tuning tries to give the best all around performance trying to sacrifice as little as possible. Jack of all trades.	The most balanced of the three, providing those who are after one of the best mid-treble combinations at the price bracket.	Classic V-shaped tuning that provides good energy and a fun listen.

 


Be sure to follow Project A3 on Facebook for more reviews*.