TANCHJIM OLA II

Most reviewers describe a warm-leaning, mildly V-shaped tuning — bass-forward, with energetic upper mids and treble — and like it, while noting it is a clear break from Tanchjim's usual neutral, vocal-first sound. Labels range from 'warm and laid-back' to 'energetic V' to 'W-shaped'. A minority dislike the stock tuning outright: too much mid-bass weight, vocals pushed back, and on the DSP cable a default preset that some find worse than the analog version.

“The OLA II has a very enjoyable warm-leaning, mildly V-shaped tuning.”

Pragmatic Audio

“Default DSP is not good. Vocal presence suffers, too much mid-bass boom, too weighty in presentation, and unnatural timbre of instruments.”

TechWhirlUlt, r/iems

Sources split. Most hear an impactful, well-controlled mid-bass — the set's signature — that suits rock, pop and EDM. About a third find the same mid-bass too much: boomy or soft-edged, bleeding into the lower mids and masking detail on busy tracks, with less sub-bass rumble than the quantity suggests. Both camps describe the measured shape: a mid-bass hump over a sub-bass shelf that sits below target. Seal matters — a shallow fit thins the bass noticeably.

Sources split. A majority find vocals clear, natural and articulate — female voices especially, helped by the upper-mid energy — and the Japanese reviewers single out vocal density. A sizeable minority hear the midrange as the casualty of the V: vocals sitting behind the bass, male voices and instruments a little lean, and on the DSP default preset a missing presence region.

Sources split three ways. Nearly half like the treble's air and extension but warn that it turns spicy or sharp at higher volume, with the wide-bore stock tips or with a shallow fit — snares, cymbals and 's' sounds bite. About a third simply call it a highlight: extended, airy and detailed for the price. A smaller group hears it as smooth and non-fatiguing, some of them to the point of lacking sparkle.

Sources split. A slight majority hear a typical budget-sized stage — fine width, limited depth and height, close rather than expansive; a few call it congested. The rest find it wider than expected for the price, even holographic, and one reviewer says it opens up with a stronger source. Most agree it is wider than it is deep.

The strongest point of agreement. Reviewers repeatedly rank its imaging and separation among the best at the price — precise placement that gamers praise and instruments that stay easy to follow on busy tracks. The few dissenters find separation ordinary when the bass is heavy, and one critic thinks the cheaper Bunny images better.

“More impressive is the imaging: individual instruments occupy convincing positions and remain relatively easy to follow when the arrangement becomes busy.”

Pragmatic Audio

“Excellent and distinctive imaging, punching well above its price tier”

Sam Reviews, Head-Fi

Good for the price rather than exceptional. Some reviewers praise its transparency and detail retrieval; others find resolution unremarkable, with micro-detail masked by the mid-bass on dense tracks. Nobody claims it out-resolves its class by a wide margin.

“Remarkable imaging and detail retrieval”

lostintimbre, Head-Fi

“The resolution is not something remarkable.”

Hifi Juegos, Head-Fi

Few reviewers address it directly. Those who do describe a fast, punchy dynamic driver; one owner finds the drivers less decisive than the best at the price, and a few say it doesn't scale well with volume.

“Fast, punchy dynamic driver delivering a well-controlled, engaging bassline.”

GoldenJoe, Head-Fi

Mostly praised: the shell is small and light and sits in the ear without pressure, so many reviewers wear it for hours. The catch is the nozzle — about 6.3 mm at the lip, wide for so small a shell — and the round shell has nothing to lock it in place, so fit depends on the tips. Small-eared reviewers and several Japanese owners found it hard to seat, and one owner finds the cable's ear hooks uncomfortable.

“The shell is genuinely compact for a hybrid design, and that shows up directly in wearing comfort”

Pragmatic Audio

“Wide 6.3mm nozzle for its shell size and can limit tip choice and may not suit smaller ears”

Ori73, Head-Fi

Generally rated solid for the price: a machined aluminium faceplate over a translucent resin/PC body, neatly joined, and a stock cable most reviewers like. Dissent comes from those who expected more at ~$57 — a shell that feels plasticky or not premium — and from the long-pinned Tanchjim 2-pin sockets, which limit aftermarket cables.

“The front housing is resin with a matte smoky-grey finish, nested into a metal rear shell, and the two materials meet with no visible gap.”

Pragmatic Audio

“Shell feels very cheaply built.”

teluguaudiophile, Head-Fi

“Uses Tanchjim's proprietary extended 2-pin connector design, limiting aftermarket cable options.”

GoldenJoe, Head-Fi

Average at best. Most reviewers call isolation average or below, blaming the vented shell and shallow-ish fit; a couple found the stock tips sealed well enough for the street.

“Isolation on these is quite poor, just like the bunny dsp due to the large front vent.”

MetalDeep, Head-Fi

Most reviewers rate it strong value — a hybrid with a good cable and, on the USB-C version, a working 8-band PEQ for under $60. The dissent is about competition and expectations: critics would pick a Kefine Klean SV, Kiwi Ears or Simgot set instead, Indian reviewers find the local price a stretch, and one owner of the original OLA sees no reason to upgrade.

“For the combination of comfort and adjustable tuning, this is my favourite value proposition among the Tanchjim IEMs I have reviewed.”

Pragmatic Audio

“I would not ideally choose the Tanchjim over these options.”

TechWhirlUlt, r/iems