August 19, 2021

Review Ikko OH1s hybrid headphones

The widest stage and transparency: a review of the updated version of the hybrid headphones Ikko OH1s

Probably all music lovers interested in this topic have heard about the Ikko OH1 headphones. Indeed, it was a very interesting model in its price segment. Over time, for some reason, they completely forgot about it and the Ikko company decided to re-release this hit of past years. In the new edition, we installed an updated carbon fiber speaker and the same Knowles 33518 branded reinforcing radiator. So what happened in the end? - this is what we have to figure out today.

Specifications
  • Emitters: dynamic 10 mm. (carbon) + Knowles 33518
  • Connector: MMCX
  • Frequency range: 20 Hz - 40 kHz
  • Sensitivity: 109 dB / mW
  • Impedance: 32 Ohm
  • Cable resistance: 0.298 ohm
  • Packaging and equipment

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The packaging of Ikko products, as always, pleases with a moderately bright cartoon dust jacket with a photo of the internal structure and a description of the main advantages of the model.

The packaging of Ikko products, as always, pleases with a moderately bright cartoon dust jacket with a photo of the internal structure and a description of the main advantages of the model.

Packaging and equipment

The packaging of Ikko products, as always, pleases with a moderately bright cartoon dust jacket with a photo of the internal structure and a description of the main advantages of the model.

Under it we meet a more strict box with an alternative model name: Gems.

The kit included a set of documentation, a branded cufflink with a fox, a nice tactile bag for carrying headphones and two sets of ear pads of different sizes. Some of them are classic "silicone", and the second, the so-called "tangerine". That is, there is silicone on top, and a foam base inside. A very curious approach, I have not personally met such nozzles from Ikko.

The cable of the model is very similar to what was in the first version of the headphones. Quite dense, pleasant to the touch, with a resistance equal to 0.298 Ohm.

Design / Ergonomics

The connection is carried out on the still popular MMCX connectors. The cups snap off quite easily, so you can be sure of their quality.

Headphone cases have a very interesting structure. Their outer side is covered with a metal plate with a stone texture and a small compensation hole at the top.

From the inside, they are also metal, with an oval (Onkio style) sound guide and a main compensation hole over 10 mm. dynamic driver. The sound guide, of course, is covered with a metal mesh and has a special side for better retention of the ear pads. So, between these two plates, a wave of purple plastic insert passes. In my opinion, it looks very cool.

The model is very modest in size, which makes it suitable even for children or young girls. The OH1s fit perfectly into my ears: comfortable and with an excellent level of passive sound insulation.

Here I want to warn you about the largest burdock nozzles. With them, the soundproofing is so-so, everything else is just stunning.

Measurements

The impulse at the lugs is quite standard, but the distortions have some peculiarities. Everywhere, except for the 5 kHz region, their peak values ​​reach about 0.8%. Which, in fact, is great. However, in the 5 kHz region, they grow by more than 16%, which may well affect the perception of this range. That is, there may be dirt and this is sad. I made more than 20 measurements, the picture is the same everywhere.

The discrepancies between the channels are also surprising, at the bottom the difference reaches almost 4 dB. Which may well be recorded by our hearing.

The difference between the various ear pads is not significant here.

The phase behaves exactly in accordance with the frequency response, and the attenuation is 30 and 60 dB. are somewhere between 70 and 100 ms.

The frequency response, on the other hand, suspiciously strongly copies the so-called Harman curve: almost linear bass and such a good selection in the intelligibility areas. The only thing is that a peak at 9.5 kHz was added to us here. to enhance the detail.

Sound

In terms of sound, the heroes of the review very much reminded me of the TinHiFi T5 dynamic headphones. Everything is so clean and detailed here. However, OH1s have their own peculiarity in serving, they just incredibly expand the scene. Someone will say, hurray, finally. But along with the stage, the whole sound is stretched as well. So, in the TinHiFi T5, vocals are correctly positioned in the center, and in the OH1s it sounds like it sounds from everywhere. As if we were listening not to the vocalist, but to the echo reflected from many walls. The effect is certainly curious, but the perception of the scene as a whole collapses. And the sound is endowed with incredible lightness and airiness.

I tried these headphones with many players and stationary DACs - the picture was the same everywhere: just an endless space of sound, without its pronounced sources. At the same time, replacing silicone tips with tangerines only enhances this effect. Switching here and there Ikko OH1s and, for example, TFZ My Love 4, the first thing you feel is how much the stage is already in TFZ and at the same time how much more natural the TFZ sound is.

In terms of positioning, I would like to call the heroes of the review vocal headphones, but personally I don't think so. This is strictly contraindicated for vocalists. It's more of a spatial headphone, ambient. I think this kind of music will suit them best. You can listen to something else in them, but only according to your mood. These are definitely not the main headphones, rather for work, so that nothing distracts and does not fix attention.

Although, let's give it credit, the bass is felt here, it is quite deep and very textured, the middle is softened, with great detail, and the high ones are well tidied up so that nothing whistles, does not cut or cut. Such a velvety, very discharged sound. Chilling them is really great or, as I said, for the background. And this does not depend at all on the level or on the class of the source. The ears are like that by themselves. And this clearly identifies them among a variety of other models.

conclusions

As a result, the hybrid in-ear headphones Ikko OH1s surprise right from the very beginning of the box: a very interesting selection of ear cushions, an amazingly unusual design of the cups and a very airy sound, without specific fixation of sound sources. In the minuses, we also add quite serious distortions in the 5 kHz region. and tangible discrepancies between the channels on the sub part.

As a second or third headphone, the model is simply excellent. I liked working in them and just dreaming; for the specific process of listening and evaluating music, they, in my opinion, are poorly applicable. This most almost endless scene leaves its imprints on the construction of the sound canvas and the perception of the musical material as such. It turned out very easy, airy, but somehow shapeless. For the background, the ears are simply excellent, I personally do not see any other strategy for using them.

If you were looking for something unusual with an incredible scene width - this is it. As the main headphones, I would recommend, for example, their own Ikko OH10 or OH1 of the old model.

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