Introduction
As the Chi-fi segment becomes stronger and stronger by the day, more valued champions are born each day with great performance and a price to match their counterparts. Budget Chinese audio products have been on a roll lately with their great value tagging along with their performance that gives established brands a run for their money. Tripowin has always been the underdog in the audio industry, but lately with their awesome releases and also with the collaboration with the famed reviewer, Hawaii Bad Boy AKA HBB, they have been making waves with their amazing releases. With current collaboration releases such as Mele, they have been known for their bold tuning and with the help of HBB, they are able to garner great feedback from users and reviewers for being acoustically good for their price range. Tripowin recently sought the help of HBB in tuning their latest flagship release aptly named the Olina that HBB intended to tune in honour one of his favourite in-ears, the classic Tanchjim Oxygen. Red Ape Headphones Store has kindly given us the opportunity to review the all new Olina in exchange for honest feedback and we truly appreciate the opportunity given. How will the all new flagship Olina fare amongst the tight and saturated market of chi-fi with their asking price? We shall find out with this review.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the Tripowin Olina;
- Drivers: 10mm Carbon Nanotube (CNT) dynamic driver
- Impedance (Ohm): 32 Ω
- Sensitivity (dB): 110 dB/mW
- Frequency Response (Hz): 10 Hz – 43 kHz
- Removable Cable with 2-pin 0.78mm
- Cable: 4 core Ohno continuous casting copper cable
- Source Plug: 3.5 mm TRS, single-ended
- Solid aluminium housing with marble theme faceplate.
Retail Price & Where To Get
Get TRIPOWIN X HBB Olina at Red Ape – Headphone Store for only RM429.00.
Purchase Link :
Shopee Red Ape – Headphone Store : https://invol.co/clai4bq
Packaging & Accessories
The packaging of the sizewise is normal for their price with a medium sized box with all the information printed. Inside we are welcomed with a premium feel of a flagship product that impressed me to be honest. The in-ear faceplate has a rare gem look along with the high quality leather case for display upon unboxing do look expensive. Though they are simple, they certainly do possess an aura of a premium product. Inside we will find 6 pairs of eartips with a wide bore and a small bore with 4 different sizes, 5 pairs of nozzle filters, an OCC 4 core cable that has a grey colour that matches the in-ears theme. The cable has a 3.5mm termination and has a metal y-splitter that has a HBB logo embossed on it. Overall, they are packaged quite well and feel uber premium for the price paid.
Design
The design of the Olina is similar to the Mele with an oval shaped aluminium alloy metal shell with a grey paint along with a resin faceplate that has a marble design underneath. They are quite light in weight and feel very solid in hand. Comfort is amazing and they are great even for long listening sessions.
The package includes 3 pairs of eartips with a wider bore for clarity and 3 pairs with a smaller bore for a tighter bass response.
The Olina is equipped with a 10mm dynamic driver and they are a carbon nanotube type of driver with a specially tuned cavity for a better audio response.
The cable included is a 1.2 metre, 3.5mm 4 core OCC cable with a 2 pin 0.78mm plug on the earphone side that has a grey coloured theme matching the earphones. They are soft and sounded a little warmish when tested with my other in-ears. Overall, the cable seems a little weak in their audio matching with the Olina and I do recommend an upgrade 4.4mm balanced for this in-ears.
Gears Used for Comparisons
FiiO M17
Questyle M12
FiiO KA3
Intime Kira
JH Audio JH13V2 Pro
Tforce Yuanli
HZsound Heart Mirror
Dunu SA3
Blon A8
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The tone of the Olina i would describe it as a warm, energetic sounding in-ears with a mild U shaped sound that has great bass response along with adequate details embedded into their performance. It is slightly on the dark side of the sound spectrum while still able to push a decent clarity across-the-board and they do sound quite airy especially on their bass region. They have a good amount of fun vibes along with a respectable dynamic performance that sounds organic.
Soundstage
Soundstage that the Olina pushes out is quite airy and wide but they do lack a good height in their sound. They are able to sound quite deep in their low end making instruments sound more organic and soulful. Realism in their soundstage is good and they are able to give a holographic type of 3D soundstage that is suitable even for gaming usage. Headroom that they possess is average sized but they do not sound closed by any means.
Separation and Timbre
Seperation for a dynamic driver is usually great without any congestion and the Olina truly excels at this department as they are able to sound in harmony with the whole sound spectrum coherently sounding as one. Instruments sounded very natural without any haziness or fuzziness and they have great layering in their presentation. Timbre on the Olina is great as well as they are able to sound just right without sounding too dull or too intense, producing a true organic sound signature that is very enjoyable.
Drivability
Rated at 32 ohm with a 110db sensitivity, they are quite easy to drive but they really do need a good setup in order to perform at their best. Simple setup like a basic dongle wouldn’t suffice and they do sound a little on the dull side. With a great dongle or a good DAC/amplifier, their dynamics has increased to another level that is just way better as the Olina really does scale up very well with amplification. They are quite forgiving in their nature as they are not really picky on the type of files played and even low bitrate files will sound good as well.
The Bass (Low)
Bass on the Olina is the star of the show here with a great slam presence but still able to have all the details intact. They are quite strong in their presentation but surely not overpowering to the point that it bleeds to the other frequency. Clarity of the bass is mediocre at best but they are clear nonetheless without any haziness or congestion. Mid-bass on the Olina has a slight bump and they sounded very full. The bass response is slightly on the loose side and I do hope that it was tighter. Sub-bass extension is above average and they extend pretty deep giving out an energetic sound in their response. Overall, I do find the bass is quite good in their performance as they are a full sounding bass without any bleed and they are quite pleasing to listen to but to me, they are slightly loose in their slam.
The Mids
Midrange on the Olina is a warm neutral mids that is slightly recessed but still able to blend in well with the other frequency. They have a thickness that gives more body to the music played and gives vocals a hint of organic sweetness in their presentation. Clarity is superb with everything sounded clear as day with all the details intact. Vocal performance is sublime as they do not sound dry, instead they sounded natural, intimate and lush on male or female vocals. Resolution is also superb with great realism and they are able to handle busy tracks like metal or EDM with ease. Macro details are great but micro details on the other hand are average at best. Overall, the midrange present here is quite good for the price paid and they do sound pretty alluring especially on vocals.
The Highs
Being an U shaped sounding in-ears, the high range is slightly boosted and they do sound a little strong but they do not sound harsh nor peaky to my ears, instead, they are quite smooth overall possessing great sparkly sound that is quite satisfying. Clarity in the high range is good with everything sounded intact without any fuzziness. They are quite energetic in their presentation with great air in their treble along with a decent extension. Treble at times might sound a little intense but they are still accurate overall. The high range is a little aggressive but still quite enjoyable as they give music a little kick of fun.
Comparisons
VS Tforce Yuan Li
Tforce, now known as Tang Zu, is a new chi-fi company and the Yuan Li is their debut in this arena. They are very much favoured for their impeccable build along with a great sound that has been a staple in the community at their price range. They are very well balanced in-ears that sounded bright and packed with details. Yuan Li costs slightly more than Olina and both are equipped with a single dynamic driver.
High region of the Yuan Li sounded sweeter and smoother overall. Quantity of the high range on the Yuan Li is bigger and it extends better. Clarity here is on par with each other but the Yuan Li has a better sparkling sound to it. Olina high range has the edge of being more natural.
Midrange of the Olina sounded thicker and lusher. Yuan Li midrange sounded brighter and clearer. Yuan Li midrange has a more forward approach to their presentation and they sounded more energetic than the Olina.
Bass quantity on the Olina is more apparent and they extend better especially on the sub-bass region. Slam on the Yuan Li is tighter and they decays better than the Olina. Bass clarity on the Yuan Li is a step better than Olina.
Soundstage on the Olina is slightly wider than the Yuanli and they have a better headroom overall.
VS Tanchjim Oxygen
The legendary Tanchjim Oxygen has been a true single dynamic driver classic. They have been a staple in the audiophile community with their balanced sound signature that possesses one of the best bass responses in their price category. The Olina has been tuned to mimic the sound of the Oxygen as they are the favourite in-ears of HBB but they do sound slightly different with the Olina being a little more towards a mild U shaped sound.
High region on the Olina has a bigger quantity while the Oxygen high range sounds smoother and extends further. Details on the high range are on par but the Oxygen sounded lusher.
Midrange of the Oxygen has a more balanced approach to them and they sounded a little thicker with more micro details embedded. Vocals on the Oxygen has the edge of sounding more soulful and organic
Bass on both of these units is rather similar with their authoritative and qualitative bass that truly works well with a lot of genres. The difference is the Oxygen bass has a tighter and more solid performance overall while the sub-bass extension on the Olina extends deeper
Soundstage in the Olina sounded a little wider than the Oxygen by a small margin. Overall, I do find their signature to be similar but the Oxygen sounded more refined in all aspects.
Synergy
FiiO M17
The pinnacle of FiiO’s DAP, the M17, a beast when it comes to driving power and they are packed with high end features. They have a wide range of gain levels that will suit most gears. The bass the M17 is able to give the Olina is outstanding as they sounded more tight and possessed a more solid slam. Details are also better than before along with a greater extension in the sub-bass region. Midrange sounded more neutral and clearer overall with vocals sounding more lush and organic. High range stayed the same but it extended more and sounded smoother overall with added clarity to make the Olina sound more pleasant to listen to. Soundstage indeed is where they improve the most as the Olina possess a greater expansion in width and height making them wider sounding than usual. Overall, the Olina certainly need an extra juice to make them sing and perform above their price range.
Questyle M12
The Questyle M12 is a miniature dongle DAC/amplifier that sounded really sublime as they are very well built with Questyle’s signature direct current amplification. They are a neutral to bright sounding device for a portable usage. Bass on the Olina has a slight decrease in quantity but in terms of quality, they sounded a little tighter and clearer overall. Sub-bass extension remains the same but it extends slightly deeper. Midrange has taken a more forward path with great neutrality, making the Olina sound clearer and less recessed. Highs had been increased by a little but they remained smooth and clear. Sparkle on the Olina sounded sweeter and more enjoyable with better extension on them. Soundstage stayed mostly the same on this pairing. Overall, I do find they complement each other well, making the Olina sound more energetic and fun.
Who Is It For?
For those who love the Tanchjim Oxygen, the Olina is a cheaper version of it and they do sound similar. For vocals, the Olina certainly shine and they sounded quite organic. They have a strong bass and treble presence suitable for a fun listening while being accurate enough for a critical listening. For details freaks, this may not suffice as they are tuned more for an enjoyable experience.
Final words
Tripowin has certainly gone through a phenomenal phase by releasing some great in-ears that sound great with a price that is accessible to a lot of users out there and the Olina is one of them. Through discussions and plannings with HBB, they are able to churn out an in-ears that performs similar to the Tanchjim Oxygen. Though they still perform behind the Oxygen, they cost half of the asking price of the Oxygen. They sounded very fun with a great neutrality that certainly matches their price tag. Build is impeccable, comfort is great and they look amazing as well. The downside is I do find that the bass is a little loose and the midrange has a slightly recessed sound but they are indeed worth their price tag with the performance they are able to bring to the table. Job well done Tripowin.
I would rate this product a solid 4 over 5 stars
