IKKO consistently creates high-quality and great-sounding IEMs at affordable prices. What’s not to like? The design of the Gems really stands out. Isolation of the Gems OH1S is average compared to other universal IEMs. Playing music at comfortable levels drowns out the low hums of the air conditioner that are otherwise heard through the IEMs. Tips Imaging and soundstage for both devices are pretty good for their price range. Imaging on the Heimdallr ITB03 is exceptional showing better layering and feels more well-composed.

KIMONO展」の広報大使に任命される。拝命を受けてのメッセージとして「2020 年は、東京オリンピックが開催されます。世界中から日本が注目される時でもあります。皆様にもこの機会に、改めて日本の美意識の象徴である「きもの」に触れていただく、そんなお手伝いができたら幸いです。」と発信している（一部抜粋）。 a b c d e f Saiki, Maggie Kinser (1999). "Ikko Tanaka: Once in a Lifetime". Graphis. 55 (321): 22–35. ISSN 0017-3452. Among the 2 tips, I found the foam tips to be more comfortable. The foam tips have a laminated layer which adds to its durability. The foam’s ability to expand and compress also gave a better seal and fit. What’s better is certainly a matter of taste, and they both sound very good, if very different. The Tea command your attention, while the OH10 suit a more easy-listening groove. Their low-end is somewhat intoxicating. The mids are the highlight of the show thanks to the OH2. Both male and female vocals sound silky and without any hint of aggression or artificial metallic tone. Male singers have a slightly weightier presence and stand out a tad more than female voices when singing duets.Wide and dynamic soundstage and imaging can be easily expected with the iKKO Heimdallr ITB03. Imaging is well executed, it neither feels monodirectional nor artificially spaced.

IKKO is a transgender Japanese talent, actress, singer, hair and makeup artist, beauty director and calligrapher. She was born as Toyoda Kazuyuki. The name IKKO comes from a different reading of the kanji that make up her birth name. She is a distant cousin of actor Kora Kengo. Tips are unique in the Gems OH1S as it features a novel oval-shaped nozzle. IKKO is generous to give 2 pairs of each size (S, M, L) of silicone tips and 1 pair of each size of IKKO’s I-Planet foam tips making it a total of 18 tips. In terms of overall sound impressions, the iKKO Heimdallr ITB03 has exceptional clarity and rich timbre replication. I would have to say that the Hidizs XO comes in a close second. Both have a natural midrange presentation, with the Heimdallr ITB03 having a clearer midrange which also reflects more articulation. The iKKO Heimdallr ITB03 comes in both lightning and USB-C cables whereas the Dawn needs a separate USB-C to Lightning Adapter to be usable in iOS devices. Performance Overall, the Heimdallr ITB03 has a more balanced tonality. The Dawn has deeper lows and well-extended highs while the Heimdallr ITB03 pays has more leveled lows and highs. Colorations are very minimal on both devices.

Tech Highlights

Between the Obsidian and now the Gems, I’m sold on what IKKO brings to the table. They’re producing high-quality and unique IEMs that don’t deserve to get lost in the ocean of bland alternatives. The OH1S Gems should be on the radar of anyone looking for IEMs in this price range. Tanaka is also widely recognized for his posters designs for Noh productions and other performances and exhibitions staged in Japan and beyond. He was active in realms of typography, exhibition design, and book design as well, and his publication Japan Style was released in 1980 alongside the Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition of the same name. As a leading figure in postwar Japanese design, Tanaka is also credited with playing a role in the professionalization and expansion of the discipline. IKKO「おなかのお肉…」平服が着物の理由明かす”. 日刊スポーツ.(2019年9月18日) . https://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/201909170001030.html 2020年5月24日閲覧。

The sense of smoothness also extends to certain instruments. Winds like trumpets and clarinets are very pleasant to listen to because the OH2 manages to reproduce them harmoniously, smoothing out their rough edges at the cost of losing some details. However, pianos and electric guitars retain their details intact, with a better-defined texture. Visually, these are very different devices. The TC44A is a T-shaped OTG plug with a DAC chip inside, eliminating the need for cables. The Heimdallr ITB03 is either in a more conventional Dongle-DAC type with a unit + cable form or in a wireless BT steamer. Towards the end of the 16th century, however, their growing numbers and strength caught the attention and concern of the great samurai leaders of the time. Tokugawa Ieyasu worried that sōhei of Mikawa Province would rise up and seize the province. In 1564, his forces, with the help of Jōdo-shū sōhei, defeated the Mikawa Ikkō-ikki in the Battle of Azukizaka.

Packaging & Accessories

Sometimes the new guy just gets things right. It’s nice to have a strong recommendation in this price tier, and the OH10 have the chops to fulfill this role. The material choices are not only unusual, but the OH10 are also staggeringly well made. Copper, titanium, and platinum? Who does that? SmartNewsの新チャンネル「プレビューチャンネル」を見ながら、川口春奈さん、IKKOさん、田中みな実さんの本音トークが止まらない！新TVCM第二弾を3月1日（金）より全国...”. PR TIMES. 2021年12月7日閲覧。 From 1992, she established "Atelier IKKO" and worked as a hair and makeup artist for magazines, TV commercials, and stage performances. In addition to appearing in magazines herself, she also appears on TV, in commercials, in theater, on variety shows and on talk shows. She worked as the exclusive hair and makeup artist for Masataka Itsumi until his death in 1993. The silicon tips have an oval-shaped exterior, complimenting the Gems OH1S’ oval nozzle while the foam tips have a circular exterior. Initially, it was intriguing how a round-shaped tip would fit in the oval nozzle, but the round foam tips took the shape of the nozzle as it was attached. Similar tips such as the Spinfits also fit snuggly in the oval nozzle.

The exterior sports an interesting hammered and almost organic appearing surface, while the body is flatter and more elongated than many other IEMs. The nozzles are fairly short, and there is a prominent lip around the edge for good tip retention. There is one small vent hole on the inside surface near the nozzle. TC44A can supply 50mW of power at 32Ωs while the XO can give a lot more power balanced, with 32mW SE and 125mW balanced @ 32Ωs on 3.5mm SE and 4.4mm balanced respectively. Design

Everyone’s ears are different, so I can’t promise that the OH10 will fit and feel as good in your particular head holes. So there is some risk associated with blindly buying IEMs with this unusually high weight. Internals