Now I have my Tripowin Olina with the Carbon Nanotube diagram. Though I suspect, I hope it does well for the hype it created. So let’s start before the hyping cloud the mind.

Box, Tripowin Olina and the Cable

Box is a cool looking box. Design elements are all over the box. But what’s within are slightly meh. Besides storage box for the cable, meshes and the tips, there is nothing else save some documents.

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Olina is the design pattern of Tripowin iems since Mele. Looking mundane and doing their jobs with no fancy design elements.

Cable is nicely braided, dark gray in color. Connectors are thin. Wearing it is easy.

• Brand & Model. Tripowin X HBB Olina.
• Driver. 10mm High Performance Dynamic Driver with Cavity.
• Max RatedPower. 100mW.
• Diaphragm Material. Carbon Nanotube (CNT)
• 32ohm.
• 110dB/mW @1KHz.
• Frequency response range. 10-43KHz.
• THD. ＜ 0.2%@1KHz.

Sound

I am doing this review on flat frequency graphed V30. So it can show me it naked. Timbre is neutral to straightforward dark. Soundstage is almost enveloping at live recordings. Pretty smooth overall. Presentation is bodied and slightly forward. This a two sided blade since some genres request otherwise. We’ll come down on that later. Layering is more than nice. I can hear and seperate the main singer and the vocalist behind. The same goes for multiple layered studio recordings too.

Bass is in where needed. Even though this measured bass, I can’t say the same for the resolution part. While electronic tracks aren’t poor on details, the slam is disappointing in certain moments. I’d expect the bass drop at dubstep to shake my stomach to call that iem pretty strong on bass. Instead, there is only a “bass flavor”. Bass guitars are non detailed pretty smoothed bung bungs in one of the most renowned audiophile benchmark track Jazz at the Pawnshop – Limehouse blues. Plus not that lively in that record too. But when it comes to bands / tracks full of fun, things change. See any blues such as The Nighthawks – Chicken and the Hawk. Roll off of frequencies doesn’t matter at all since overall is more than decent and its layering is very good. But again because some might consider that bass boomy at live recording of Hans Zimmer where everything should shine bright and clear as a diamond at this perfectly auditioned performance. But sorry, this is Olina. You get what you pay. And mid bass thump can occur depending on the group and the track. A fine example of it is RATM – Killing In The Name.

Mid is not shy of coming forward. Vocals too. Considering this alone, it can be carelessly labeled as “Bassier version of HM”. But I’d disagree because the lack of upper mids are not that high in Olina. And not that holographic like HM in my experience. Plus seperation too. It can get blurred at God is An Astronaut’s fast rhymes when the track is on the attack phase of post rock. Although not perfect,

Treble is okay in the first glance.  But concentrating is showing me that high frequencies aren’t able to go higher at least on V30. Plus somewhat lifeless, not in 3d. And extensions not so lingering in the air. I’ll see it’s amped performance later.

Amping Olina

Used my standard amp for iem with budget prices. With Q5K 100mV is enough for the mid-high volume. And this fact is telling me that Olina likes power.
Now the bass is less bumpy and the sound is more open. Treble is more crispy but nevertheless light in size and weight. The timbre is metallic at Hans Zimmer Live in Prague.
Limehouse Blues of the Jazz at the Pawnshop is more listenable for discerning ears but it’s weakness in tonality is hurting live jazz experience. Thus rise in clarity and upper mids and treble isn’t guaranteeing brilliance as the tonality is not that “real”.

Tripowin Olina Review Conclusions

With the rise in clarity, some lower treble and sounstaging, it’s a perfect upgrade over many KZs. Or CCA. Or noname iems. But not even a sidegrade from TRI Meteor, Moondrop Aria2021, Heart Mirror, Reecho Sg01-03 or name anything with a respectable name under $99 tag.
So choose wisely.