Ikko has proved to be an interesting brand to follow. They’ve released some good products that never venture too far into pricy territory. You can see Ikko in more markets than IEMs, but IEMs are still their main focus. Their latest is one of the most inexpensive IEMs they’ve offered, with the fifty-dollar Lumina OH300. Is it more than a cheap, budget-friendly IEM option?
What You Get
- A pair of IKKO OH300
- Oxygen-Free Copper Cable
- 6 pairs of silicone ear tips (S, M, L)
- Instructions
Look & Feel
You can always expect a good design with Ikko, and the Lumina is unique for this price range. While the shell and cavity appear like your standard budget fare, the front plate is what’s going to stick out the most. It’s made from photochromic glass, which is meant to protect the internal circuit components from harmful UV rays. This shows off the inner circuitry of the Lumina, which results in an alluring aesthetic. Comfort-wise, the Lumina should cause no issue. They sit naturally in your concha and cause little to no fatigue.
Design
Inside the Lumina is a 10mm liquid crystal dynamic driver that is operated by Ikko’s built-in tuning board. It has a low impedance of 32 Ohms and can be driven from any 3.5mm headphone jack.
Soundstage
For what they are, the Lumina has an impressive soundstage. Its stereo field expands with plenty of width and never thins out the further it goes. While mostly linear, some nice depth is added to the imaging helped by great separation. Different sound elements have a clear distance between them, adding air and precision to the soundstage. Layering helps stack similarly placed performances in front of and behind each other for some depth, but articulation can vary depending on how busy the mix is.
Low End
Ikko knows what you want to hear in this range, and delivers it. There is a considerable bass depth to the Lumina that is quite surprising. It provides a thick tone that has a rich surface. There’s a strong bloom to it that emphasizes a grand vibration. You never get any bloat from the bass, as it sections itself off into a jawline resonance. Great vibrations are felt, and the impact comes together in an engrossing fashion. It will call attention to itself often but still leave a lot of room for the mids to breathe in.
Mids
While some midrange elements are missing some body to it, there’s enough here to keep the sound signature satisfying. I found that the low and upper mids were heavily emphasized, and while it led to some good results, it left a veil in the fundamental regions. Piano keys were a bit soft and had a bit of trouble defining themselves while other instruments were at play. However, vocals appear very life-like, and added some much-needed realism to this frequency response.
Highs
There are some nice details to be had here, and the timbre overall is pretty natural. Nothing overly bright or piercing appears here, but they don’t have any detailed coloration either. While they might be lacking in texture, the Lumina does a good job keeping the response intact, never feeling like something is missing. The highs are relaxed but still show a clear timbre with a present surface. Even with a roll-off, there is still some height to enjoy here, with the potential of some soft sibilance with the right performance.
Summary
For what it is, the Lumina is very worth it. There are a lot of good fifty-dollar IEMs out there, but not with a soundstage and bass this rich. Add in a neat aesthetic concept, and a comfortable fit, and these are a fine pair of simple earphones anyone can enjoy.
Pros | Cons |
|
|
The Ikko Lumina OH300 is available at Audio46.
Compare the ranking of various headphones, earbuds and in-ear monitors using our tools.
Discuss this, and much more, over on our forum.
---MAJORHIFI may receive commissions from retail offers.