Tanchjim OLA Review – Carnivores Beware

Normally, another $40 single DD wouldn’t elevate my blood pressure. However, Tanchjim’s prior releases like the $180 Oxygen have garnered a lot of acclaim, so when the OLA showed up unexpectedly, I dug in eagerly. 

Elaborately packaged, with extensive marketing materials espousing  particularly baffling gobblygook about “DMT4 architecture” and “FEA finite element analysis;” I do find their slogan “Faithfully Recreating the Original Sound” to be better than most of its ilk.

The aluminum and plastic shells look pedestrian but are extremely lightweight and comfortable, with a flat, compact shape and raked nozzles  that fit snugly within the concha and provide for excellent seal and good isolation. (These would  work well for sleeping).  

I like the silver-plated microphonic-free Litz cable, which has useful memory. Not quite as sensitive as the (126dB) spec would indicate, although they were capably driven with just my LG and I didn’t hear any advantage when paired with a dongle.

Specifications:
Brand | TANCHJIM OLA
Sensitivity | 126dB/Vrms
Impedance | 16± 10%
Frequency range | 7-45kHz
THD | < 0.3%
Driver | 10mm dynamic driver
Cable | 1.25M 3.5- 0.78PIN
Technology | DMT 4
Cable Material | Litz crystal copper silver-plating
Diaphragm material | polymer grapheneModel | OLA
Tested at | $39.99
Purchase Link| SHENZHENAUDIO

While prior Tanchjim releases have generally been touted as warm and Harman-tuned, in the sense of having elevated midbass and upper mids, the OLA were surprisingly bright and bass-shy. To my ears, they aspire to that “Japanese tuning;”  like the Kumitate and Ocharaku I’ve heard they have considerable treble extension and some added energy in the midrange, which notably emphasizes female voices.

Even with the “bass-enhanced” eartips, subbass is conspicuously lacking in impact; such lowend as exists is presented mostly as soft and very lean midbass. Soundstage is fairly rounded and within your head; performers tend to be bunched towards the middle of the stage. They do show considerable microdetail; drumheads and cymbals have good snap. Using foams adds bass texture but not really depth.

The OLA does avoid the coarseness or shrillness of cheap BAs; they are more coherent and truer-to-source than bawdier, bigger-sounding peers like the KZ ZS10P and they have a more natural timbre than the overpraised Tin T2.

These might have considerable appeal to fans of this more “reference” tuning. However, I cannot get past the OLA’s lack of the lower octave—they simply sound incomplete, like well-resolving surround speakers in need of a sub. For the same money, the Blon BL03 or KBEAR KB04 sound weightier and more engaging, if not necessarily more revealing.

Bottom line: not my cup of Sake, though well-designed and not without their sonic virtues.

Disclaimer: Got these unsolicited from SHENZHENAUDIO.

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