Ourart TI7

Introduction

The Ourart Ti7 are almost revolutionary earbuds, with their shape inspired by sports car wheels and their MMCX connection. The design is unique and its shape very bold, at the limit of comfort and versatility.

All the information I've read previously indicates that the Ti7 are mid-centric earbuds, with good resolution, specific for pop music, vocal styles and relaxed. In addition, there is also talk of their analog sound. What is true in all of this, in my humble opinion?





Specifications

• Driver: 14.2mm custom titanium crystal diaphragm dynamic driver
• Frequency range: 20Hz-25000Hz
• Sensitivity: 118dB
• Impedance: 32 ohm
• Cable: 1.1m
• Jack connector: 3.5mm in L, gold plated
• Type of capsule connection: MMCX

Packaging

The box is almost cubic, dimensions 100x100x75 mm, completely black, with the logo of the brand and letters in silver. Once the cardboard cover is removed, a box lined in shiny black appears. Its upper part is the same as the cardboard cover, but is slightly padded. On the bottom there is a sticker with the specifications and the name of the model.

When the box is opened, the earbuds are embedded in a thick foam mould. They come with donut foam. Cables are also connected. It is a braided black wire of acceptable thickness and robustness. In my case they didn't come with ear guides, which can be seen in the instruction and warranty booklet. The connector is large, in L, of 3.5mm.



All other accessories:

• A zip bag with 4 full black foams.
• A zip bag with 4 black donut foams.
• A zip bag with 4 grey full foams and 4 red donut foams.
• A particular and great clip for the clothes.

The presentation transmits the care and mime with which these spectacular earbuds have been manufactured and presages a sound at their height. The quality of the packaging is excellent, well above the selling price.

The only drawback is, as always and in my opinion, the lack of a rigid transport box.



Construction and Design

The design requires a special mention: the face on which the sound is emitted is reminiscent of an antique car rim. Its large openings give a glimpse of a silver braided cable spiral. Indeed, they are wide car rims and donut foams are their tyres.

No less shocking is the back of the drivers: a completely rectangular box of the same material and color. On the underside are the gold-plated MMCX connections. On the outside, the mark is read in fine black letters.

The ensemble is unique, impressive, spectacular and very daring.

The cable is not at its level, the MMCX connectors coated in black plastic are not to match the refinement of the capsules. At least the Jack connector is saved from this odious comparison.



Adjustment and Ergonomics

The fit and ergonomics are just as bold as the design. The thickness of the capsules does not make it very suitable for all ears. And I think it's the main culprit of its sound, for better or worse.

Thanks to their shape and connection, the Ti7 can be used in a traditional way, downwards or over the ear. Personally, for use over the ear, I recommend cables with guides, as they favor a better fixation of the earbuds in the ears.

As I said, the thickness of the capsules prevents, in my case, an optimal fit and sealing. This is something that does not change, regardless of the position, either traditional or on the ear. This wide shape can also cause some discomfort during long listening sessions.



Sound


Profile

The profile is clearly mid-centric. But it's not the driver's fault, in my opinion, the special shape of the Ti7 totally favors the sound that is perceived: light and colored basses towards the bright side, close and somewhat cold mids, very detailed and enormously open, soft but perceptible trebles.

In this case, although I've always been very skeptical about the burning of the headphones, the overall sound of the Ti7 has improved after hours of burning.



Bass

The consequence of its thick shape, favors the lack of sealing. Thus, the bass are light. The use of different types of foam does not significantly alter the presence of this area. But it can help, as can its use on the ear. In my case and contrary to what other users have read, the use of double foams, or complete foams with doughnuts on top, slightly enhances the lower zone, but more so if the position is on the ear.

The perceived basses are fine, shallow, in my opinion, insufficient for a lover of the lower zone like me. They have a light and soft texture, a very compact body, an extremely fast and dry blow, but reduced. They also lack warmth, rather suffer some cold coloration, which still has a little more depth and generates a sense of hollow sound.

But I refuse to believe that the Ti7 drivers are incapable of providing a more clearly perceptible bass. What you see in the frequency response graph does not indicate that smooth bass. That's why I attribute the lack of forcefulness in this area to the adjustment caused by its design. You just have to peel the capsules out, so that they are more frontal to the ear holes and the farthest part presses more the shell of the ear, to clearly notice the power of its bass. In this way, the sound gets to change a lot and for good.



Mids

However, this is where the capsule design proves particularly successful: the mids are deliciously delicate, clear, very concise and concrete, detailed but sweetly soft. The area is not musically particularly close. But the voices do receive a special treatment, which makes them sound with an almost isolated projection, closer to the listener. They are not warm, on the contrary, they feel slightly cold, fine and subtle, without too much body, but beautiful and enjoyable.

The instruments in the middle zone sound with a declared relaxation, without any aggressiveness or roughness, characteristics that make it extremely suitable for very prolonged listening. The width of the sound, the certain remoteness of its presentation and the moderation at the extremes of the frequency range also help in this sense.



Treble

The treble sounds quite balanced, with no peaks, no stridency, no excessive presence. They are clear but not extremely extensive or sharp, rather soft and with that delicate and sweet look already characteristic of their sound. But even so, they manage to bring a great amount of air and detail to the music, maintaining abundant naturalness and richness of tones.

Finally, it should be noted that there is no trace of wheezing.



Soundstage, Separation

Once conveniently burned, the scene is immense. The opening sensation of the sound is vastly perceptible. If the lower zone were deeper and slightly more emphasized, the three-dimensionality of the sound would reach stellar heights. The speed of the notes gives it a capacity for concretion and detail in the very high sound. The sound is very dry and compact, excellently controlled and executed in a highly precise way.

The space between frequencies is great. The sensation of air is such that there is no congestion, only light in the notes and abyssal darkness between them.

I have not heard other earbuds that produce the same sensation in this section as the wonderful Ti7.

Here is the great attraction of these earbuds, a unique sensation of ethereal and gaseous sound.

The only downside is that so much scene and separation dilutes the music a little, sometimes warning a certain distance, could even become a certain darkness.

As an additional piece of information, the soundstage can be increased using thin foams and higher quality cables.



Comparisons

Ty hi-z HP-150s MKII

The HP-150s are earbuds with a marked V sonority, with present and deep basses, distant voices and crisper highs. They offer a sound almost opposite in profile to the OurArt, starting from a darker and denser presentation, far from the centered, more detailed and relaxed clarity of the Ti7. The sensation of opening, distance even more the profiles, in favor of the Ourart, without the separation is bad in the Ty. But the sound is so clearly inverse, that the comparison is even curious, as far as frequency range is concerned, what one gives, the other not.



Yincrow RW-9

The Yincrow, despite their price, I like them quite a lot. I've enjoyed them a lot, due to their more balanced sound than others. Warm, with a good presence in the bass, a little far away in the middle, but not so much. Voices also warm, with body, halfway between darkness, softness and distance. Treble in general, nuanced, but with a sharp point of joy. The scene is clearly smaller than in Ti7, less clarity, much more presence in the lower zone, more diffuse and closer, without the precision, resolution and detail offered by Ourart. Ti7s are comparatively cooler and more analytical, with a more relaxed presentation and that point of distance that still separates them from the more frontal Yincrow sound. The high mids in the Ti7 feel more emphasized than in the RW-9, so the sound can vary greatly between the two, depending on the musical style reproduced.

In terms of separation and scene the Ti7 are at another level.

Again, many differences between the two profiles to keep the comparison.



Conclusion


The Ouart Ti7 is pure art on stage, both in design and sound. Their unique shapes give them a value superior to their price, due to the sense of exclusivity they produce, along with their level of construction. Their appeal is undeniable and they will probably never go unnoticed. And the question asks itself: Will the sound be at its height? You try to imagine it by its shape and it's really hard to get it right. After a design that could be aggressively sporty, clearly sound sweet, soft, with great opening and soundstage, purely focused on mids, detailed, extreme content and very suitable for prolonged listening. Add to this the possibility of changing the cable, thanks to its MMCX connection and its use over the ear, it is extremely difficult not to succumb to all its charms.

A lot of art!



Sources Used During the Analysis

• F.Audio S1
• Fiio M9
• Burson Audio Playmate

Ratings

• Construction and Design: 95
• Adjustment/Ergonomics: 65
• Accessories: 75
• Bass: 65
• Mids: 95
• Treble: 75
• Separation: 90
• Soundstage: 95
• Quality/Price: 90

Purchase Link

https://penonaudio.com/ourart-ti7.html

You can read my full review in spanish here:

https://hiendportable.com/2019/04/14/ouart-ti7-review/

OurArt is a boutique audio equipment manufacturer. Prior to the TI7, I have only seen MMCX cables of OurArt. Recently they have ventured into earbuds and IEMs. The TI7 is an interesting pair of buds with a completely new housing and a titanium coated driver. The effort that has gone into the design and engineering of these buds is commendable. With MMCX buds catching up pretty fast, the TI7 is offered with MMCX connectors as well.

These earbuds can be purchased from Penon Audio, a reliable retailer of boutique earbuds. At the time of this review, these earbuds are retailing at $59.

https://penonaudio.com/ourart-ti7.html

Disclaimer: These earbuds were sent to me as a review sample by Penon Audio.

Build, fit and packaging

The earbuds come in a nice, cardboard box. The box has a nice opening and closing action – similar to watch cases. There is a tiny manual in Chinese. We are also provided with 7 pairs of donut foams an 2 pairs of regular foams and the quality it good as well. There is an interesting, plastic shirt/collar clip too, that I haven’t seen before (Need to explore on how to use them).




The buds themselves are quite interesting – nice metal housing with an open faceplate that seems to give a exposed-driver type look. The buds have MMCX connectors, but I was unable to remove the cable that they came with. Even when my pulling force was good enough to leave some nail marks on the connectors, I was just unable to disconnect the cable. The standard cable looks industrial for a premium looking earbud, especially due to the paint texture on them. A simple, black colored cable would have looked better. The cable has plastic Y-splitter and cable slider; the cable slider works quite well.


The 3.5mm jack is L-shaped and a heavy one too. Looks good though!


The housing is smaller than the MX500 shell that is normally seen on earbuds and they are quite comfortable. The can be worn cable down or cable over ears (as intended by the manufacturer). I like wearing them cable down as I get a better seal that way and the adjustments for fit are more easier.



Foam Matching

Foams are critical to get the right sound out of any earbuds and choice of foam have a greater impact on the sound signature. Foams help with seal and can be used to customize the warmth and bass on offer.

The TI7 comes fitted with donut foams, which I feel offer the best balance for these buds.

Without foams – Due to their smaller size, they don’t give a good seal, which impact bass quantity.

Donut foams – A good balance across the spectrum – adds the right amount of warmth.

Full foams – Same as donuts, but can be a bit miserly on the details of the highs. The donut still has some exposed vents which aid the highs.

Thin foams – Did not try these.


So how does it sound?

Here's the setup for my evaluation - FLACs (16/44.1, 24/48 and 24/96) on my LG G6 with ES9218p DAC SOC or Tidal Hi-Fi played bit perfect through the UAPP player.

From my initial hearing, I found the TI7 presenting a more laidback, relaxed sound signature instead of the energetic signature the is usually seen on most boutique buds. The analogue sounding TI7 does evoke some nostalgia for the interesting buds of the past.

I start the test with Alice Cooper’s Welcome to my Nightmare. The track begins exhibiting a sufficient, but not too wide soundstage offered by the TI7 and some good texture on the bass guitar. What is immediately evident is how relaxed the track sounds – there is a controlled brilliance on the treble, but the lack of extension is immediately discernible. The sound is primarily focused in the mid-range and the highs lack sparkle, but what you also get is a good speed on the bass guitar and cymbals. This track, not being a busy one, is rendered quite well with enough separation – the electric piano at around the 2:45 mark is particularly quite engaging. What I would have preferred is some of that glimmer of the upper mids for the highs as well.

I switch on to the next track, Cold Little Heart by Michael Kiwanuka. This track can get hot on a few IEMs and earbuds that own, but not on the TI7. There are two good bits about this track – the lustrous vocals and the holographic presentation of the nostalgic sounding chorus. While the TI7 does a great job on the vocals and make them sound life-like, the chorus is more two-dimensional and lacks the excitement that I get on other earbuds. Again the mid-centric sound signature is quite evident. While there is enough separation, the lack of treble extension makes it appear as it the airiness is on short supply.

So how does the TI7 handle the alt genre of music?

Enter the synth-pop Fall in Love by Phantogram. The TI7 shows that analogue sounding doesn’t mean that it is quite boring. On the contrary, it can still handle varied genre of music; just not all. On this track, the texture on the bass synth is absolutely delectable (for lack of a better word). Sarah Barthel’s vocals stand-out well and don’t get swallowed by the bass synth, and when there is no bass synth layer, the vocals are exceptional sounding. There is no bass bleed into mids that I could notice. While the track is not quite energetic sounding on the TI7, it still sounds quite good. The only issue I have is that the micro details are hardly present. Change to Get Lucky by Daft Punk, micro details are on short supply here as well and you would need to pump the volume up a bit to find it in the background. But what you will notice is that the speed is quite good in both ends of the spectrum. The bass guitar in this track shines on the TI7 and texture is beautifully rendered.

The lack of extension at the lower end of the spectrum is quite noticeable on tracks like Don’t by Ed Sheeran and All or Nothing by Wyclef Jean and Naughty Boy. On the former, the TI7 can draw blanks on certain bass notes and appear that the sound is slightly inconsistent. But they have enough oomph for the bass on tracks like All of Nothing; may not be satisfactory to bass-heads and even borderline bass-heads, but it’s all about bass quality on the TI7 – ample texture and a fast attack.

What about metal-heads about whom reviewers hardly speak of?

This one is certainly not for you folks. I don’t listen to hardcore metal, but do engage in some progressive metal and some alt-metal, time and again. Tune on to Uprising by Muse, there is no uprising in the energy levels offered by the TI7. If this was the first time I were to hear this track, I would have stopped half-way around. The Cockroach King by Haken is rendered much better than the previous track, but the snare drums on both tracks don’t exhibit the raw, lively percussive sound that they offer. The over-driven guitar, on this track, is not something the TI7 is comfortable with. What sounds great is the piano at around the 2:50 mark. The TI7 can handle some varied genres of music, but they are certainly not for all genres, and definitely not for metal-heads.

The TI7 is technically sound, for the most part. The layering on tracks like Madness by Muse and Caribbean Blue by Enya are rendered decently. Sadly, the layers lack the dynamism on the latter and do not engage me. On the former, the layers are rendered better, but I would have preferred them to be separated more. On simpler tracks like Tiny Monsters by Puscifer, the layering is much better rendered. Also, this track having most of its sound in the “unextended” range of the spectrum, sounds pretty good on the TI7.



Conclusion
The OurArt TI7 is a great attempt at offering good technical performance at an affordable price. While, its analogue, mid-centric sound signature may not suit all genres of music, they can still get a smile on your face for most chartbusters that people usually listen to.

These are the perfect pair of buds for work and sleep, due to the comfort and non-fatiguing sound they offer; after all you need good hearing to listen more.

Specifications

• Drive: 14.2mm, custom titanium crystal diaphragm dynamic driver
• Frequency response: 20Hz~25000Hz
• Sensitivity: 118dB
• Impedance: 32 ohm
• Cable: 1.1m, MMCX Detachable

Price: U$D 59, from PenonAudio

Accessories: Various foam pads in different colors and clip.


Design

The Ti7 are very well built, with all metal thick shells and fairly heavier than the usual earbuds. The outer part of the housings’ body has a peculiar square shape with rather sharp edges that, despite the compact design, can still present fit and comfort issues. The Ti7 feature detachable cables and the MMCX sockets really stand out. These are probably among the best made MMCX socket to be found. The connection is standard, however the MMCX plugs attach very tightly to the earpieces and can be very difficult to detach without applying some force.

The stock cable itself is of very good quality as well, consisting of 4 twisted wires, and terminated in a sturdy L-shape 3.5mm plug. The cable is also very soft and easy to handle.

The Ti7 are advertised as meant to fit both cable ways, straight down or over-ear. Personally, it was only possible to use them cable down as any other earbud. Comfort is average due the extra weight and sharp design.


Sound

Compared to the many new earbuds going around lately, the Ti7 take back to the old sound style found on small earbuds some years ago. The overall sound is less wide in terms of stage and has more midrange focus, with a more traditional bass response for this earphone form factor.

While many earbuds can bring strong lows, wide stage and extended highs, the Ti7 signature is fairly mid-centered, with a thick and rich texture that starts slowly from the mid and upper bass. The sub-bass is rolled-off is comparison and the mid-bass, while full, doesn’t carry too much impact and rumble. Layering is decent, though the main priority seems to give a warmer presentation than a powerful low-end response.

Midrange has a strong presence and a bit more forward over the rest of the presentation. It is rich and fairly sweet, which works better with voices rather than with instruments where separation and air is more needed. Female vocals may have a very little more highlight due the extra lower treble energy that mixes into the upper mids.

Treble is more focused at the lower region with less extension and smoother higher treble. Sibilance is not really an issue, though it is missing some refinement and tonality. Detail is good but with a smoother, laid-back presentation. Stage is kind of narrow due the limited extension on both ends; even with extra amplification the improvements are not too high.

As for drivability, the Ti7 is less efficient than the rated specs may suggest. Volume matching is almost the same than with the HE 150Pro or Asura 2.0 with their 150ohm impedance, asking around the 50/100 volume steps from both the Aune M1s (high gain) and Xduoo X10 DAPs.


Overall, these Ourart earbuds have a very tough design with outstanding detachable connection for such a price. They can present some potential comfort issues with the sharp form a more conventional mid-centered and vocals focused sound presentation.