Sound Impressions: Low-range / Bass
Let’s now talk about the sound. OH700VB has a balanced w-shaped sound signature that emphasizes smooth transition and musical enjoyment. The bass is meaty and bold, giving quite a full body for the low ends. OH700VB doesn’t get the bass rumbles bombastic or aggressive but instead has a neat, calm presentation. With a bass quantity of those that are slightly v-shaped, the bass generates enough power to offer engaging dynamics but not to the point of being basshead level.
Alongside, what I love about OH700VB’s bass is the heavy weightiness I could feel from the bass. The bass thuds sound like they’re extracting the response from the ultra lows to give those realistic, vibrating rumbles. The ultra-lows and upper lows have even thickness and keep a steady nuance across the range to keep the lows leveled. Overall, the bass found a good balance between smoothness and clarity. The bass is meaty and creamy but doesn’t give away the clear basslines.
Sound Impressions: Mid-range / Vocals
Mids can be summarized as “sweet airiness”. While not artificially detached from the lows, mids take a generous step forward and keep themselves prominent with a sweet, airy timbre. Vocals are full-bodied but with good layering and separation, making itself ideal for both male and female vocals; male vocals sound rich and powerful while female vocals sound articulated.
The vocals also have great tonal accuracy with a very consistent flow. The upper mids don’t get hot or sibilant but only get slightly crispy in texture. It’s not strong enough to get the texture metallic or sibilant, though those who are strictly into extra smooth sound may want to keep it in mind. However, those who are used to general hybrid sounds should tune in just fine with OH700VB. Overall, the vocals are well-leveled and offer an excellent tuning. OH700VB shows great transparency for the vocals to be crystal-clear while retaining a natural atmosphere.
Sound Impressions: Highs, Soundstage
Compared to the low-mids, highs are simmered down in quantity and play more of a complimentary role for the lower ranges. That doesn’t mean it’s lacking in presence or details, however. OH700VB’s trebles are pleasing to listen to, as they show plenty of technicality and resolution that is most importantly comfortable to listen to. Multi-driver IEMs tend to have greater details and resolution yet they are prone to making the ears fatigued quicker, as music info flies in from all directions. In another expression, there’s just too much singing going on from one earphone (which is also why many prefer single drivers or hybrids with fewer drivers).
Perhaps Oriveti has paid quite some attention to making this IEM sound “universal” with accurate phasing, as OV700VB sounds very coherent and natural. Trebles don’t over-highlight the sound to be extra analytical or technical but focus more on the musical harmony. Great crisps and sparkles are spread among a smooth surface, which is an ideal tuning for those who like fatigue-free trebles. As for the soundstage, OH700VB creates a spatial headroom that expands large and full. It’s particularly good at retrieving depth than height, though OH700VB’s staging still has a high enough roof. The soundstage is also wide sideways, overall creating a well-balanced 3D headroom.
Compared to Kinera Urd
Urd is relatively calmer in dynamics with a darker, warmer timbre. The texture smoothness is stronger on Urd, as well as sounding more organic on the vocals. Meanwhile, OH700VB has a wider, fuller sound with stronger liveliness. The vocals are airier and brighter, with more opened-up trebles. The vocals are slightly metallic compared to Urd, yet those who are used to hybrid IEMs wouldn’t find it an issue.
The bass of both IEMs are similar in quantity but with some tuning differences; Urd sounds more condensed and thicker in density. Urd’s bass is also darker in brightness and calmer in dynamics. As for OH700VB’s bass, it has lesser density but is more expansive and revealing, as well as being more bombastic. Overall, Urd proposes a smooth, v-shaped tuning while OH700VB has a strong W-shaped sound signature.
Compared to Oriveti OV800
Utilizing 8BA drivers, the OV800 is another flagship IEM by Oriveti that is priced similarly to the OH700VB. These two are pretty similar in sound tuning in that they have a nicely balanced, w-shaped sound signature. However, they’re still different. The OV800 has a more analytical nature. The vocals are crispier and airier with more shine on the trebles.
Meanwhile, OH700VB visibly reveals the characteristics of a dynamic driver’s full, smooth, and natural tone. The bass response shows a significant difference, providing deeper ultra-low extension and low-mid body. The OH700VB also involves more bass reverbs, presenting a more musical tone while OV800 desires a snappier and more agile bass response.
Classic Hybrid Done Nicely
If you were let down that the OH700VB doesn’t use the newer formats of drivers like EST or bone conductors, listening to these may think twice about the bias you may have with traditional BA+DD hybrid earphones being inferior to those with all sorts of drivers combined in one. With a classic hybrid setup, the OH700VB is a powerful, affordable flagship IEM that will serve as an endgame under $1k.
Listening to OH700VB was thoroughly enjoyable as these have great musical dynamics that aren’t overwhelming – a very attractive trait that I’ve experienced from their Primacy IEM back in the day. The OH700VB provides a stellar bass response accompanied by smooth yet clear mids and highs, a sound that could be enjoyed by most without polarizing in taste.