Yes, same with the Qudelix 5K
Qudelix5k > btr5.
Better app + SQ + included PEQ = 
Es100 mk2 is also an option. People swear by it but I still need to get one.
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Man my Olina got delayed three times 
Hope it comes in next week 
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Qudelix is a tiny amazing device. The app is awesome and sounds really nice.
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I went with the FiiO but honestly Iâve had my eyes on the 5K for a little while considering itâs created a nice little buzz around these parts. The FiiO does everything I need honestly so I have no real reason to get the 5K.
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You donât. If you happy, donât change a thing.
BTR5 was never loved in this house, I couldnât even explain why at that time (regarding sound).
I will admit, the BTR3K does sound like it smoothens the sound a touch, Iâm not sure how accurate this is but to my ears, at least, thatâs what it sounds like.
Michael Bruce posted on YouTube about changing the olina mesh with Tanchjim Tanya / Oxygen mesh and it made its frequency response graph very close to Oxygen. And he said
In the comments when asked tanya mod vs double damper
Accidentally I bought Olina together with Tanya. Iâll try this Tanya mesh mod later. Has anybody tried this?
Edit: grammar
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Iâll try it out and include it in my review
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After trying the one Tanya damper with Michael on Friday, I want one Olina with dual damper and one with one Tanya. One Tanya is very, very close to my Oxygen which is more mid-centric and not overly warm. I would say if you are sensitive to Oxygenâs gain area, Olina is slightly less intense for me. Where dual damper raised the bass a bit and softened the gain, one Tanya brings you back to classic Oxygen levels and a more mid-centric sound compared to the dual damper bass. Also why I said I want a dual damper version, I am a fan of how that turned out for bassier tracks, more of an everyday carry for me and my playlists.
Also be very careful with placing the new Tanya damper on the inner rim. It needs to sit properly and seal. I use fine point tweezers for removal and placement.
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Tripowin x HBB Olina impressions and comparison with Tanchjim Oxygen (Pt2, based on modded Olina with bonus LETSHUOER S12 comparison)
Context
This is the follow-up to the Pt1 of my impression (https://forum.hifiguides.com/t/tripowin-x-hbb-olina/32347/888), where I compared stock Olina with O2. In Pt2, I am comparing dual mesh mod Olina (modded Olina from now) against the O2. Thanks to Michael Bruce and @paulwasabii for coming up with this mod and sharing the graphs (see below).
Preamble & Source
- Driver configuration: Olina (CNT DD); O2 (CNT DD)
- Source: Qudelix 5k (no EQ), Spotify (highest resolution)
- Cable: Stock 3.5 mm SE for Olina; LETSHUOER S12 stock SE cable for the O2. Note: I used a cable splitter this time so I could rapidly A/B between the two sets
- Eartips: kbear07 (aka AET07) for Olina; stock Aladdin tips for O2
- Test playlist: Mix of jazz, classical, film scores, female & male vocals
- Photos credited to me
Impressions
By this point, much more experienced reviewers than I have compared stock vs modded Olina (e.g., Michael Bruce, @nymz, @paulwasabii, @Tonytex_Teixeira, @tkddans). IMHO, what sets my review apart is that I have a slightly warmer O2 on hand than the others. That being said, my main conclusions echo what has previously been said: modded Olina tames the treble peaks (e.g., female vocals less peaky and violins less metallic) and adds slightly more bass, but at the expense of a tiny amount of sparkle and detail (e.g., cymbals). I'm not very treble peak sensitive, and even stock Olina didn't cause me to wince, but that's also because I don't listen at high volume.
Detailed comparison between modded Olina and the O2
| Modded Olina | O2 |
| 2:20 and 2:55 - more bass than stock but still lacks rumble vs O2 | More bass, more body to notes, more bass extension, more rumble |
| 3:00 - chorus is more present (imaging and layering) than O2 | Â |
| Slightly better resolution: clock ticks more distinct (first 30s and 2:06) | Â |
Â
| Modded Olina | O2 |
| 0:16 - snare(?) drums better imaging and detail than O2 |
Great heavy sounding hits from timpani during the first 13s still more authoritative than modded Olina |
Â
- Modded Olina has bit more mid-bass than stock in first 60s
- Violin still more metallic than O2 (01:00 to 01:30), but better than before and wouldn't say it's timbre is off, just a little more treble focussed than O2
- 01:27 double basses come in, and there's sufficient bass emphasis, while still less rumble than O2. That being said, there's better separation of the double basses in the Olina, so I can hear the bow strokes
Â
|
Modded Olina |
O2 |
| Staging taller and deeper | Still heavier note-weight |
| Higher notes not as thin as stock | Â |
Â
|
Modded Olina |
O2 |
| First 15s, there is a percussive instrument to the far left that is better imaged and better resolved in Olina than O2 | Bass still extends deeper in O2 |
| Better staging than O2 | 01:09 - 01:12 deep subbass synth comes in, and the rumble is better on O2 |
Â
|
Modded Olina |
O2 |
| Vocals no longer peaky, but cymbals have lost some of their sparkle (2 - 2:06) | 2:16-2:26 O2 now has some more evident vocal treble peaks than Olina |
Â
|
Modded Olina |
O2 |
| Saxophone still sounds metallic at 01:06-01:24 | Â |
 [/details]
Bonus comparison between modded Olina and S12
I briefly compared my LETSHUOER S12 (stock cable, modded with Y4 filter on front vent) with modded Olina. Same source as above. Biggest differences:
- Olina soundstage is much taller and deeper, possibly a little bit wider too. You can clearly understand why people say the S12 has width but not much depth or height (and it's supposed to be an improvement over the Timeless!)
- Olina is almost as resolving as the S12
- Notes almost sound faster (faster tempo) with the S12, but that's just an artefact of the fast decay from the planar driver. It's interesting because I prefer DD bass because it has more note-weight and more natural sound, but in busy tracks, the planar driver helps to differentiate notes more clearly with no bleed.
- My modded S12 has much more mid-bass than Olina, although Olina has more sub-bass
Conclusion
At this point, I can confidently say that the modded Olina does the following better than the O2: better staging (often wider, taller, and deeper, but this is track dependent. See details below); at times more resolving (likely helped by better staging as well). On the other hand, the O2 still has better rumble and bass texture.
I honestly donât have a preference between modded and stock Olina, because the mod didnât change the bass enough to match my O2. I am not saying that I prefer the O2 over the Olina - at this point, they really are comparable, and it comes down to preference: do I want a musical and warm set to use today (pick O2), or do I want to my head to be wrapped in music (pick Olina)? Now, I emphasise this again, my O2 seems to be a tad warmer set than others, so it could really be the case that some pick the Olina over the O2 due to its superior staging.
I would still whole-heartedly recommend the Olina to anyone looking to purchase a single DD set, and would only recommend the O2 if they want the aesthetics, the nice weight to the IEMs, and possibly more bass.
As always, thanks for reading, and happy listening :)
23 Likes
Nice write-up! Winter 1, My Same and the Zimmer tracks are always on my playlists
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Great review! Waiting for pt3: Tanya mesh mod. 
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What eartips did you use for modded Olina?
Iâve tried rolling eartips and cables. In the end, I went back to stock eartips and cables. Stock cables give a more detailed sound, guitar distortion and friction on instruments is more audible than my Jelly Cable which makes the sound too smooth. Background instruments are also more audible. I use a large stock wide bore, this is perfect for me. Soundstage and 3d stage better than the all of the narrow bore eartips, vocals are intimate and engaging but very balance, natural, and fun sounding. Very Comfortable for Long Listening. Maybe this is the end game IEM for me, maybe not yet.
The disadvantages when using wide bore eartips, itâs easy for condensation to occur in the nozzle, maybe due to an increase in the temperature of the driver when playing music and it could also be due to the resonance effect of the sound emitted and then bumping into the temperature of the ear canal, resulting in water vapor. But it doesnât matter to me even though I always have to clean it with a tissue or let it sit for a while.
Letâs wait for the next product offered by tripowin and other brands that can provide sound tuning like this olina mod at an affordable price. But the driver must be a CNT Driver.
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Remember I said Iâm looking forward to hear a non reviewerâs opinion?
Well I take my word back ⊠you definitely are a reviewer and a very good one at that !!
It was very clean, straight forward and classy. And great photos to back it up. Well done mate
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kbear07 is a regular bore (according to Tweaking Tips - A Simplified Guide To IEM Silicone Eartips UPDATED 2024-03-01 âą Music For The Masses).
Sorry to hear about your condensation issues - I fortunately do not have any issues so far.
Iâve tried it. Still, i prefer the large wide bore eartips, more rumble/punchy sounding, richer and wider stage than the kbear 07 and all of the narrow bore eartips. This is the only iem i enjoy without having to upgrade cable or use aftermarket eartips. Maybe Iâll try Azla Sedna on the next time
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if you have the money get qudelix 5k new full price (as it is impossible to find used at a decent price due to itâs success), else buy es100 used for half the price, donât buy btr5 because on btr5 the equalizer does not work in usb dac mode or LDAC (the only 2 modes we care about) , sold my btr5 now have es100 because EQ is a more efficient solution to sculpt sound to our liking rather than play with tips rolling or modding
Hows the batery life? I might grab one in the future, but im now trying to get the R2R dac. My q5k was bought used and the batery life is not the best anymore.