Fit & Isolation
This is where the Cupid really shines in terms of user experience. It reminds me the older Shure and Westone IEMs. It’s quite tiny compared to many recent IEMs, and it has an ear-friendly shape to provide you a really nice fit. Silicone eartips worked quite well in my case and to me the Cupid is comfortable for long listening periods.
Isolation is also very good but that of course should depend on your ears and eartips. Comply foams are the best bet when it comes the optimum isolation, but I myself found the silicone tips very well for general use. With comply tips Cupid also fits very well, so if you take trains or use buses a lot on your commute, I can safely recommend them.
As a sidenote, a shallower fit worked better for me than a deep, flush fit. I didn’t insert the earphones into my ear canals too much, which provided me a better and more comfortable fit. Your experience might be different, but if you get this IEM, make sure to try different fitting positions.
Sound
The oBravo Cupid is a very good sounding IEM for the asking price. It overall has an impactful low-end with good punch, crisp and clean sounding mids and nicely extended highs. It’s by no means perfect, but it surely is a strong contender for the audiophiles who look for a good entry-level monitor.
Sources used: Sony WM1A, Dethonray DTR1, Chord Hugo.
Obravo Cupid
Bass
The Cupid has a very good bass extension with sharp and strong kick altogether with good decay. The rumble is pretty strong as well, and there’s a really good mid-bass / sub-bass balance. Lows have good definition and control together with good texture. You may find sub-bass being a little too dominant at times, but that will depend on your source and amplification. I don’t think it’s too much, but some people can find the sub-bass area a bit strong.
In terms of separation, there’s no obvious mid-bass bleeding that I could find. It’s very controlled despite the accentuation level, so that allows Cupid to give its clean mid-range to your ears without congestion. I overall found the bass of the Cupid very good and I think it’s one of the best in this price range.
Mids
Mid-range is very clean with good clarity and resolution. As I mentioned, they stay safe from the mid-bass area which is very important especially at these price levels. The transparency in the mid department is really good as well, making the Cupid one of the best I’ve heard around 300 $.
Instrumental separation is Cupid’s other strong suit, giving every element in a song in their spared area. That makes the Cupid quite strong when it comes to imaging. I’m really impressed by its ability to present every instrument with great positioning. However, the Cupid suffers from its tonality to a certain degree. In my opinion the tonality is a bit off and thin at times. The timbre also lacks some body and thickness.
Obravo Cupid
To me, the vocals and intruments – altough being very clear with good resolution – don’t have good body and blood in them. It surely is sharp, crisp and lively when it comes to mid presentation. But I personally think the timbre side is not very ideal. Yet, my words shouldn’t be misunderstood in this part. The Cupid has a great midrange performance for the price. I just wanted more since this is an “oBravo” after all.
Treble
The treble of the Cupid is quite rich, accentuated and clear. Those cymbals are presented to your ears with a fatigue-free apporach but not without a good transparency and crispness. Just like the bass deparment, highs have very good extension. In contrast to mid-range timbre, the treble is not very thin, which was very nice to find.
The treble overall is sharp, sparkling and it feels very natural. It completes the whole sound nicely with good consistency. Highs also have good level of detail with good resolution and transparency. The Cupid certainly performs great in the treble department and I didn’t find a weakness for its asking price.
The review continues on PAGE 3 by clicking here using the page numbers below
Melvin Ong
Agree with everything you wrote. Very well written. It seems to me you have a very new pair. I have the same complain about the timbre initially. But after 50 hours or more, it’s not so bad. Coming from FW01, I find the Cupid’s timbre not that bad. Male vocals even excel more than the FW01. Using with WM1A via 4.4mm. Changing to Spiral Dots+ helps too.
Berkhan
Thanks for the comment Melvin. Good match with WM1A!
Klaus E. Werner
Many thanks!
I’ve been wondering about the comparison with the OH-300 and now everything is clear.
In a couple of weeks the Cupid will be fitted to my Shanling M3s – a 2.5mm balanced output is already there.
Sagar Shah
Any comparison with andromeda? I know it is price difference is more than 2x but still.
Berkhan
I don’t have the Andromeda to compare, sorry.
Kenneth Lee
Can you compare it against the TinHifi P1?
Berkhan
I don’t have that one either.
Feng-wei Yeh
I think you need to burn in it more than 200 hours and then everything will be different. Middle will be better because the bass had been stable after burn in..
steeven
Can you compare it against the FLC8 ?
Berkhan
I only listened to the FLC8s briefly. But from memory I think Obravo is better.
Dilip
Hi ,given the 2 which would you prefer fiio fh7 or the cupid
Berkhan
The Cupid has better bass, the FH7 has better mids Treble-wise the Cupid is a little more aggressive and splashy whilst the FH7 is more easy-going.
The FH7 is more balanced with better overall control. But the Cupid is cheaper 🙂
Dilip
i just bought the T800 and i dont like them ,would the cupid be similar to the T800?
Berkhan
I have no idea for T800.
No hyoju
I’m using Ls200. Personally this model vocal sound good.
Alberto
Hi,
I love IMR R1 Zenith.
How is oBravo compared to my IMR?
I found R1 Zenith clear and very detailed with a VG soundstage.
obravoaudiospain
From 2019 , oBravo audio Spain is also the distributor in Europe
NIHAL
Nice review. Cupid is one of those iems about which you will never get any negative reviews. Loved by one and all.