Not only is the Ikko OH1 sleek looking and comfortable, it’s also got a great sound to boot, powered by a 10mm dynamic driver and Knowles balanced armature driver. And, it’s only 139USD!

We’d like to thank Xtenik Audio Online Store, an online audio shop, for providing us with the Ikko OH1 for review. It can be bought for 139 USD over at Xtenik Audio.

Shenzhen never fails to produce excellent budget IEMs, and this is just another great product from the region. If you’re new to the portable audio world, just know that China produces some really affordable but solid products!

Contents

1.Specs
2.Packaging & Accessories
3.Design & Ergonomics
4.Detailed Sound Review
5.Measurements
6.Summary

Specifications

Driver Type 10mm dynamic + Knowles BA
Frequency Response 10–40,000 Hz
Sensitivity 106dB
Impedance18 Ω
CableHigh-purity oxygen-free copper-plated 5N silver-plated 1.2m 2-pin 0.78mm
Plug3.5mm L-plug

Packaging & Accessories

In terms of packaging, the Ikko hits all the checkboxes – a nice braided cable, a good variety of silicon tips, and a little soft fabric carrying case.

All of the items comes neatly packaged in a nice cardboard box which reminded me of the packaging for smartphones these days. The foam pieces fit together nicely to form a secure holder for all the items.

There are 2 sets of tips, Vocal and Balanced – I opted for the Balanced in my testing.

Don’t forget to take out the carrying case as the cable is inside!

Design & Ergonomics

The Ikko OH1 is extremely comfortable – probably one of the best fitting IEMs I’ve tried, comparable to the snugness of InEar StageDivers. Despite having 2 vents for the dynamic driver (one on the inside face and one on the top face), isolation is really good thanks to the deep fit. Not only is it comfortable, it’s also got a pretty cool design with organic, faceted bumps on the outside face that gives it a shimmery quality under light.

It also has plastic ear hooks, but they are pre-bent into its curved form and do not have a metal wire inside that you can bend to adjust. Fortunately, they are very comfortable to wear and provide an extra feeling of security to an already snug fit, so there is probably no need to adjust it.

The cable is very similar to the one used in the DUNU Falcon-C; a very comfortable gun metal coloured cable that starts off with 4 braids and splits into 2 each towards the earphones. It’s very soft and pliable, but just like my experience with the DUNU, it’s also extremely prone to tangling up because of how soft it is, which also means it’s difficult to untangle.

Overall, the design, build quality, and ergonomics of the Ikko OH1 are really impressive and deserving of its slightly higher price tag in the budget segment.

Detailed Sound Analysis

(Using balanced tips)
The Ikko comes in at a price of 139.99 USD. You might think that’s a bit much for it’s supposed budget categorization and with just 1 dynamic 1 balanced armature driver, people may scoff – but it’s totally worth it and here’s why.

The Ikko OH1 shines when it comes to bass response. Impact is very robust, going very deep with a solid, medium-high amount of impact in subbass regions. I was very impressed with the quality of the dynamic driver that is reproducing the bass as it brings out good textural details throughout the lower frequencies. There’s just a good sense of firmness and presence about it, which doesn’t overpower over frequencies too much either.

Lower mids are where the Ikko OH1 falters slightly. A combination of it being a little recessed and also sounding a little thin, and my guess is this region is where the dynamic driver hands things over to the balanced armature hence a bit of contrast between the robustness of the low end and the relative thinness of mids along with a difference in timbre. Despite sounding a little thin, it’s still quite decently resolved – not muddy or artificial sounding. When comparing male to female vocals, the Ikko OH1 undoubtedly does better with female vocals as the mid-upper mid region seems more well resolved than lower mids.

There’s a good amount of high frequency volume too, deftly handled by the balanced armature driver. Even at piercingly loud volumes, the driver is able to resolve the high frequencies without introducing any harsh sibilance into the mix. Detail retrieval is excellent, especially with a good sense of positioning and separation from other frequencies.

Excellent medium-wide soundstage that doesn’t sound artificial, with more width than height. imaging is quite good for this price range too. The Overall tuning is a musical, engaging sounding IEM with excellent bass, average mids and good highs with decent resolution throughout. This may seem a little hyperbolic, but as someone who has used the Oriolus MK2 as his daily driver for years, the Ikko OH1 could totally serve as an excellent budget version of the Oriolus. Just to be clear – it’s not a 1:1 match, but the overall combination of decent soundstage, robust bass, and warm engaging sound very much reminds me of the Oriolus.

Measurements

Summary

Pros

  • Beautiful design
  • Decent build quality
  • Amazing sound quality and tuning for the price

Cons

  • Really tangly cable
  • Vocals can sound a little thin

When I saw the “high” price tag of 139 USD, I was unsure what to expect at first. Would this be just another okay ChiFi product, priced higher because of its nice build quality? After trying it out, I can say for sure that the Ikko OH1 is definitely one of the more impressive ChiFi offerings I’ve had the chance to try recently, and with the way it has a similar tuning to the Oriolus I immediately fell in love with it. The excellent design also helps to give an A+ budget IEM experience, and I highly recommend this to listeners who enjoy an overall warm sound signature with solid (but not bass cannon) bass, with a nice soundstage and gentle highs. The Ikko lacks slightly in vocals, so I find it perfect fit for more instrumental tracks.