Tripowin x HBB Olina SE

The reviewer, who co-designed the Olina SE, explains that this special edition retunes the original Olina to reduce the 5-6 kHz intensity, making it easier on the ears while retaining the same high-quality driver. He notes the changes also help prevent condensation issues, and he personally finds the SE sounds better with his music library, calling it the best dynamic driver he's been associated with. He acknowledges his bias as a collaborator but recommends it for its technical proficiency and tuning.

The reviewer finds the Tripowin x HBB Olina SE to be a competent but unremarkable budget IEM, essentially a minor revision of the original Olina with a slight reduction in upper-midrange energy. They note it lacks bass impact and a standout character, and suggest alternatives like the Tin HiFi T3 Plus for those shopping in this price range. Overall, it's a safe but underwhelming tuning that doesn't justify an upgrade for existing Olina owners.

The reviewer praises the Olina SE as a refined, ready-made version of the original Olina with its mods applied, delivering a balanced, mid-centric sound with excellent driver-tuning synergy. It retains the 'queen of dynamic drivers' status under $100, offering natural timbre, clear separation, and forgiving upper mids, though it's not for bass or treble heads.

The reviewer compares three Tripowin IEMs and concludes that the Olina SE, despite being the most expensive at $99, is the clear winner. It offers a more balanced, less fatiguing sound with better resolution, imaging, and layering than the cheaper Rhombus, making it worth the extra $20. The Cencibel is dismissed as poor, while the Rhombus is decent but has recessed mids and a narrow soundstage.

The reviewer is highly impressed with the Olina SE, praising its exceptionally balanced tuning and natural sound across various genres. They find the bass neutral, mids well-represented, and treble well-handled, with only minor preferences for more air and slightly better technicalities. They conclude it's the best IEM under $120, preferring it over the P1 Max without EQ.

The reviewer finds the Olina SE to be a refined version of the original Olina, with the problematic 4-6kHz energy tamed down, making it more pleasant to listen to. However, it is essentially the same as a double-damper-modded original Olina, so owners of the modded original need not upgrade. While it excels in technicalities like soundstage and imaging, it still falls short of the Tanchjim Oxygen in overall performance.