Today, we’re looking at the new $199 USD OD200 IEMs from Oriveti.
Disclaimer: Oriveti supplied us with the OD200 for this review. As always, I am here to write about my honest experience with the product.
ORIVETI
Oriveti crafts high-performance audio products renowned for their innovative designs and excellent value. This Hong Kong-based company, founded in 2015, draws on its team’s deep audio industry experience to push the boundaries of sound design.
My first encounter with Oriveti was in 2016, through their “Primacy” IEMs, which impressed me with its three-driver setup, excellent tonal balance, and cohesive sound signature. Since then, I have kept a close eye on Oriveti, and here at Headfonia, we have reviewed some of their past offerings.
We recently took a dive into the OD100, and it was a fantastic experience. It won our award with flying colors. Incredible performance, easily offering four times its value. You can check its review here:
You can find Oriveti’s official Facebook page here and their Instagram through this link.
Oriveti OD200
The Oriveti OD200 is a single dynamic driver in-ear monitor with some impressive acoustic tricks up its sleeve. The driver is a 9.8 mm wide, beryllium-coated, full-range dynamic driver with an impedance of 16 ohms. The OD200 features the DAD technology, which stands for Dedicated Airflow Distribution, an acoustic design that aims to optimize airflow within the earphone’s housing. Let’s take a look at why this is important and how it works.
Dynamic drivers in in-ear monitors rely heavily on air and airflow because their mechanism involves pushing air to produce sound. These drivers work like small speakers, using a diaphragm that moves in response to electrical signals, creating sound waves by displacing air. Efficient air movement is crucial, particularly for generating robust bass frequencies, as these require moving larger volumes of air. Additionally, many dynamic drivers feature vents to help regulate air pressure inside the housing, ensuring the diaphragm moves freely for consistent sound quality. The ear seal also plays a significant role; a tight seal enhances bass by trapping air and increasing sound pressure, whereas a poor seal can diminish sound quality by allowing air to escape.
Oriveti’s Dedicated Airflow Distribution (DAD) design in its earphones significantly improves both airflow management. The system uses a special tube that connects the front and rear acoustic chambers, creating a dedicated airflow path. This configuration allows for more controlled and efficient air movement within the earphone housing, which is critical to the dynamic performance of the driver.
The tube’s role is to allow a greater volume of air to flow smoothly between these chambers, which is essential for the free and precise movement of the dynamic driver’s diaphragm. This increased airflow allows the cone to respond more accurately. The front chamber bore is designed to balance the internal and external pressures, ensuring stability and preventing any distortion caused by pressure imbalances, while the rear chamber bore plays a pivotal role by providing the necessary space for air to support the unrestricted movement of the diaphragm. The OD200 is available for 199 USD through Oriveti.
Specs & Highlights
Driver: Custom Be-Coated 9.8mm FR Dynamic Driver
Impedance: 16 Ohm
Frequency Response: 20 – 20000Hz
Sensitivity: 105+-3dB/mW, 1000Hz
Distortion: 0.08%
Cable: 8-Core Silver Plated Copper Cable with Flexible Jacket with 3.5/4.4/2.5 interchangeable plugs.
Packaging & Accessories
The OD200 arrives in a hefty square cardboard box with a deep green design. The outer sleeve features a detailed diagram of the earphones on the front and comprehensive specifications on the back. Removing the sleeve reveals a striking black cardboard box with a subtle wood grain finish, a surprising attention to detail from Oriveti, particularly at this price point.
The box’s drawer-style opening provides a premium unboxing experience that’s rare in this price range. Typically, earphones in this category come with lackluster accessories, but the OD200 is a welcome exception. Inside, you’ll find a round black colored faux leather case with contrasting green stitching, an 8-core cable, and a drawer filled with ear tips.
The round case is cleverly designed to accommodate both a small USB DAC/AMP and the OD200, secured with a snap fastener. Its fabric-lined interior ensures the safety of its contents.
Oriveti provides eight pairs of ear tips with the OD200. Three pairs resemble RHA’s Dual Density tips, which are designed to emphasize bass frequencies. The black set features a smoother texture and wider bore for a more balanced sound signature. Additionally, a few foam tips are included for those prioritizing noise isolation. Personally, I found the black wide-bore tips offered the most balanced and enjoyable listening experience.
As the final touch, the OD200 comes with a remarkably supple 8-core silver-plated copper cable. It’s one of the best-designed cables I’ve encountered in a package, especially ergonomics-wise. The cable features a brushed zinc-colored Y-splitter, 0.78mm 2-pin connectors, and interchangeable plugs. This increasingly popular system allows for effortless switching between 3.5mm, 4.4mm, and 2.5mm terminations. A cleaning tool and two extra sets of nozzles, each offering a slightly different sound tuning compared to the stock nozzles, are also included.
The Oriveti OD200 exceeded my expectations for packaging and accessories at its $199 price point.
Design & Build Quality
The Oriveti OD200 is a testament to impeccable craftsmanship, showcasing a robust and elegant design that punches maybe four times above its price bracket. We have encountered IEMs less impressive, build-quality-wise, around the 1k$ bracket. The OD200 comes with a CNC-milled metal chassis, finished in anodized dark. The precision in machining is flawless, with no visible errors, making the build quality one of the standout features of these IEMs. The ORIVETI brand name is milled onto one of the faceplates, while the other sports the Oriveti’s beautiful logo. The chassis itself is constructed from a three-piece aluminum. The nozzle section is removable, but users cannot access the faceplate and what’s behind it despite the clear joint/merge lines.
The OD200 features interchangeable nozzles, allowing users to customize the tuning, and Oriveti offers two different nozzle options. Examining the shell closely, one can easily spot Dedicated Airflow Distribution (DAD) system vents. There’s a horizontal wide vent on the side of the faceplate, a dot-shaped vent just near it, and a large vent equipped with a filter facing towards the front. These vents not only help with the audio quality, they effectively prevent driver flex and ear pressure build-up.
Despite its robust construction, the earphones can be labeled as medium-sized, making them suitable for a wide range of ear shapes and sizes. A protrusion on the inner-facing shell fits snugly into the wearer’s cymba, enhancing fit stability and comfort. Overall, the OD200s are built like a tank and are one of the most durable and well-assembled IEMs I’ve encountered in my 10+ year audio journey. Impressive!
The review continues on Page Two, after the click HERE or by using the jump below.
Page 1: Oriveti, OD200, Packaging & Accessories, Design & Build Quality
Page 2: Sound Impressions, Technical Capability, Comparison, Last Words
Hoang Pham
Which DAPs would you recommend?