Oriolus Szalayi Review: Comfortable Clarity
If you’re an IEM enthusiast, Oriolus is a brand that is hard to be unheard of. They’ve been in the in-ear industry for quite some time producing quality IEMs ranging from budget to ultra-high-end models. We’ve reviewed the most affordable product Oriolus Finschi before and recently dealt with Oriolus Traillii JP and Traillii Ti. The Traillii series is truly a summit-fi level IEM, yet it’s also true that they are extremely demanding in pricing.
Let’s now talk about one of Oriolus IEMs that are within the more accessible price range. Today we have Oriolus Szalayi, the premium tier IEM sitting below the summit-fi, end-game models. Szalayi is a tribrid earphone utilizing planar+DD+BA configuration, as well as being the first Oriolus IEM to be using a planar driver. Szalayi is priced at $899.
The Packaging
Szalayi comes in with a neat, compact box. Once removing the silvery sleeve reveal the packaging box. Szalayi comes with 4 pairs of single-flanged silicone tips, 1 pair of double-flanged silicone tips, 2 pairs of foam tips, a cleaning tool, a cable clip, and a warranty card. Szalayi isn’t included with a carrying case which is a bit of a downside. The eartips are made in good quality with good variation in sizes. The cable clip allows the cable to stay attached to your shirt, preventing the cables from dangling around or causing possible microphonics.
Beautiful Blue Earpieces
Szalayi features a tribrid configuration for the drivers, utilizing a 14mm planar magnetic driver for the mids, a 10mm dynamic driver for the lows, and a high-performance custom BA for the highs. A 14mm driver is quite massive for an IEM, as even those with large drivers usually only go up to 12mm. Oriolus claims the diaphragm is as thin as 2µm for precise sensitivity, and the drivers are then enclosed in a solid brass chamber.
Oriolus IEMs tend to have large and short nozzles and Szalayi is no exception. Fitting-wise, Szalayi is fairly decent. It’s not the most snug-fitting IEM since the use of large drivers, though Szalayi didn’t cause me problems achieving a secure, comfortable fit. However, I had to use eartips that were half-size larger than my usual, and I suggest you try the same. The nozzle diameter is about T500, making it compatible with most eartips, but narrow tips such as Final E-type or SpinFit may need trickier. Szalayi uses standard 0.78mm 2pin connectors.
Szalayi has an eye-captivating blue hue for the shells with blue sparkly faceplates. The design somewhat reminds me of Aroma Audio Jewel. The deep blue shells are transparent to reveal the inside structure of the in-ear. There’s a vent on the faceplate to relieve the air pressure. One thing to note is that the China version has a bird logo on one side of the faceplate whereas the Japan version has Oriolus logos on both sides. Both the CN and JP versions are identical otherwise.
Stock Cable
The stock cable is made of silver-plated OFC wires finished with fabric shieldings. It’s a very pliable and light material that would barely cause any microphonics or resistance. The wires are braided in a twist form which further reduces the chance of having the cable being caught on to your shirt. The Y-split and connectors on both ends are finished with metal parts. The plug is fixed as a 4.4mm balanced output.
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