THIEAUDIO ORIGIN REVEW
The Origin is imho the best bassy IEM I’ve heard under $1000. It’s not a basshead set, but it is very fun but still well-balanced, and it’s also the direct upgrade to the Davincis, Hype 4, and the Tea Pros if you like that bassier and fuller take on the meta sound.
SOUND (BASS)
It has a BCD that actually works as you can feel the vibrations in the decay of the notes, and there’s more reverb to the bass versus the BCD on the Bajie; bass notes on the Origin goes deeper, and you feel the bass shake more, if that makes sense, there’s also just a lot more bass which helps with the perception of a fuller and heavier low-end.
However even with a good amount of bass boost the low-end is still very well controlled at the same time in the separation and speed. Even though it’s on the bassier side I’ve had zero issues with layering or bloat or the fear of any bass bleed, the low-end is just very well-controlled but also has the impact to make the sound engaging.
MIDS & VOCALS
Vocals are nicely extended, open, but it’s not going to be the main focus since this isn’t a vocal set and vocals aren’t going to pop out versus something like the RSV for example.
However, midrange detail and separation is well done, around the same as the Oracle MK3s but just with better bass, you feel the reverb more from the low-end, it’s a bit more detailed in the bass notes with more vibration and reverb.
I wouldn’t say it’s a night and day difference because the dual isobaric setup on the MK3s are very good already, but the difference is noticeable, and the overall sound is a lot fuller, and much bassier on the Origin.
TREBLE & SCALING
The treble is also nicely extended without huge peaks and dips, it’s airy, detailed, and cuts through the bass and helps balance out the sound with more energy and detail. There’s definitely a difference in the Sonion ESTs on the Origin versus the PZT ESTs on the Bajie which has more bite and sharpness, whereas the sonions are smoother.
Although, I did run into some fatigue on certain songs with lots of snares and cymbals, for example at the 3:30 mark on Time by Hikaru Utada, when the bass drops and the snares and cymbals come on, the Origin overly highlights the treble region and makes the song sound overly sharp and energetic, whereas it was not this boosted on the Bajie.
It’s fine at mid to lower volumes, but the Origin feels overly sharp and bright in the treble when I try to turn it up, and it hurts the scaling with certain tracks. On the vast majority of songs I tested it’s fine, but just a heads it’s not perfect.
vs MEGA5EST BASS
I would easily take the Origin over the Meag5est BASS as the low-end texture on the Origin is just a tier above it, better tactility and detail, it’s less boomy and smooth, better controlled with the impact still being there but with more reverb and gives you that shaking feeling to the bass.
Scaling aside, where the MEGA5 BASS is smoother on, the Origin just wipes the floor with it when it comes to bass quality while being much more engaging and fun to listen to - it’s less warm and more bassy.
vs SYMPHONIUM TITAN
I would also take the Origins over the Titans as the 5K peak on the Titans does get in the way sometimes when it comes to the snares, and the overall bass reverb and vibration on the Origin just edges the Titans out slightly while being $150 cheaper.
Now, the Titans are more exciting and the vocals do pop out more so if you want something more energetic but still very bassy then the Titans would be a better fit. However, the Titans are a bit leaner in the lower-mids, not as full sounding (not thin though), but the overall bass quality is right up there with the Origin. And if you already own the Titan I don’t think it’s worth buying the Origin since the difference in the low-end isn’t huge, and I would say it’s slight sidegrade.
vs MONARCH MK3 & HYPE 10
As for the Monarch MK3 and Hype 10s those 2 are going to be better balanced, cleaner, with better vocals and mids, more detailed with better layering as they’re not bassy sets. The low-end is still great on those, but just not as bassy, impactful, deep, and reverby as the Origin - the Origin is still the better bass set when it comes to the low-end, but they’re very different tunings.
vs BAJIE EQ
Now, there is actually 1 IEM that I would take over the Origin for the bass… and that is the Bajie, but with EQ. Stock wise the Origin is still better, you’re going to feel the bass shake and vibrate more since it just has more bass and BCD does a better job in the Origin, but after you give the Bajie a bass boost the bigger 14.2mm DD really starts to shine and in-terms of overall impact, firmness, and power to the slam the Bajie just hits harder.
Since both the BCD on the Origin and Bajie starts after 400-500hz, this means in-terms of overall impact the size of the driver still matters a lot more because the BCD targets more of the lower and uppermids which helps with the tactility and transient and not the slam part.
The Origin does still have a bit more reverb and vibration to the decay of the bass, the separation is a bit faster, it’s a little tighter, and if you’re looking for a more balanced bassy sound then the Origin would be better… BUT, if you want something more dynamic that slams harder, if you want that heaviness and impact, and you don’t mind EQing then the Bajie with EQ is the harder more “hard boiled” bass set, as I feel manlier when I listen to it (lol). It’s also $250 cheaper, so, it’s a great option if you’re willing to EQ
CONCLUSION
EQ aside, stock wise, no other bass set under $1K right now is as good as the Origin imho, so if you’re in the market for a bassy set, and you have the cash, give the Origins a shot as you won’t be disappointed.
Thieaudio Origin Final Ranking (MID-VOLUME):
Tonality: S-/S (9/10)
Tech: A+/S- (8/10)
Overall: S- (8.5/10)
Thanks for reading 
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