[Disclaimer]: I received the Olina as a for free giveaway reward in exchange for my honest opinion on it. I own much more expensive IEMs ($700+), so receiving a $100 IEM for free shouldn't sway my opinion much. I am aware of a bass-boosting mod, but I won't be using that as I find the stock bass quantity sufficient.
Music used for evaluation:
- UNIQUE Album by Utsu-P
- Kinjitou Album by Reol
- Guilty Gear Xrd Sign OST
- TSUNAMI by Finana Ryugu
They are all lossless playing from my PC > Foobar2000 WASAPI > Topping E30 + L30 stack.
Build: The Olina has an aluminum body that feels robust yet surprisingly lightweight. The faceplates are The cable is rather thin for my taste, but it's light, non-microphonic, tangle-free, and memory-free.
Accessories:
- 2 sets of S, M, and L wide-bore tips and normal-sized-bore tips (6 pairs in total). The S normal tips will be used to evaluate the Olina.
- Pleather carrying case of decent-ish quality
- A few sets of spare filters
Tonality: Mild V-shape with tasteful yet not overbearing bass boost and a slight lift in the uppermids. This is around the ballpark of my preferred tuning of bass-boosted neutral/mild V-shaped sound. Many who are used to bassier sets may find the Olina to be a little shouty because the uppermids stick out more despite not being that boosted compared to most sets out there due to the tamer bass shelf. This is usual not an issue for me but you'll see...
Bass:
I'm no basshead by any means, so the somewhat conservative bass shelf of the Olina is plenty for my taste and library. It's very tastefully done such that the bass doesn't interfere with other frequencies while getting to shine on its own.
That said, the sub bass has decent punch to it. The mid bass doesn't bleed or boom, and it sounds natural in terms of note weight, not too meaty and not too thin; although, it leans more towards the technical side. Speaking of which, the bass has good detail and separation. Never have I found the Olina to sound congested even on busy tracks (check the UNIQUE album). Outstanding bass performance for $100.
Mids:
Lower mids are the heart and soul of my metalcore library along with mid bass, and the Olina does it very well. Instruments like electric guitars sound clear, present, and powerful just as they should be on "Give me a break" from the GG OST. Similarly to the mid bass, it's also nice and detailed yet never clinical and thin.
Upper mids, however, are somewhat forward and often times overbearing. On "Magnolia Eclair" from GG Ost, the leading guitar is playing the melody and is supposed to sound the most prominent in the mix, and it does so perhaps too much on the Olina. In fact, it just sounds harsh and unnatural.
Note: I can't stand typical V-shape sound because I find them either harsh and unpleasant or fatiguing, and the upper mids on the Olina is just forward enough to cross the line for me.
Treble:
The treble extend past 15kHz at all, but that is to be expected from a single DD. There isn't much to say here other than the treble is non-problematic. It is present but not very prominent, just as I like it. I certainly wouldn't really consider the Olina to be bright or sparkly. There isn't a spike anywhere that would make the Olina sound sharp to me. However, there is a big spike in 12kHz confirmed with a sine sweep. It doesn't bother me, but it might for you.
Note: I might've been spoiled with Sonion EST treble presentation, so maybe I didn't give the Olina enough credit here. At least I don't feel like tearing my ears off because of the Olina's treble like I do with some sets.
Comparison: vs Moondrop KATO
Why the Kato? Because the Olina immediately reminded me of the Kato. They sound very similar and graph very similarly too. However, there's a key difference between them which makes the Kato edge out: timbre. What do I mean by that? Well, the Kato presents sound more naturally with that bit of extra "oomph" in the weight of notes that the Olina simply doesn't which gives the Kato a more authentic sound. This causes the Olina to sound somewhat artificial compared to the Kato.
Now, is comparing an IEM to something nearly double its price fair? Absolutely not. I only brought the Kato up because of how close the Olina got to it, yet still somewhat lacking. If anything, comparing the Olina to the Kato is a big compliment by me, as the Kato is my current go-to for my metal library as my tri-brids are either too bassy or laidback for metal. The Kato doesn't have the same harsh upper mids issue and handle my library like a champ. The Olina got very close but still hasn't quite made it there. However, being half the price, it doesn't have to, and I like where the Chi-Fi market is going with its price:performance ratio improving at a remarkable rate.
Conclusion:
The Olina is a great $100 with a tastefully done mild V-shape sound signature that should please those who are looking for less harsh or fatiguing yet engaging listen while also boosting excellent technical ability. However, it doesn't come without its flaws: the tamer bass shelf emphasizes the upper mids too much. At least in my opinion, listening to my music. This can make the Olina harsh sounding despite its also tame upper mids boost.
On a final note: I've been in this hobby for almost 3 years and tried dozens of IEMs. I'm very particular with how my music should be presented, so I am incredibly nitpicky when it comes to IEMs. Unless you're razor-focused on what kind of sound you like, the Olina should be a no brainer for $100 as a "Mini KATO".
