The OLA lineup had long been TANCHJIM’s mainstay model in the budget segment, until the arrival of the Bunny and Zero Ultima seemed to somewhat overshadow the OLA with the sense of “the student surpassing the master.” We also covered the OLA Bass minor revision, but from today’s perspective, the Bunny—with its similar over-ear fit and DSP support—would be a better choice for most users. It has been years since we last saw an OLA, and when we finally encountered the OLA II at the Chengdu exhibition earlier this year, I noticed that its positioning hadn’t changed dramatically. It no longer offers separate tuning versions, has switched to a hybrid driver configuration, and its default tuning is surprisingly a V-shape—a rarity for TANCHJIM IEMs, which makes it quite refreshing.
Package & Accessories
Of course, the packaging design still follows TANCHJIM’s signature style. However, the outer sleeve no longer displays the product in a straightforward way; instead, it devotes more space to Asano Tanch wearing the OLA II. The layered structure inside the box remains unchanged, and the accessories include six pairs of ear tips and a carrying pouch. The pouch is the same grey velour bag that TANCHJIM includes with its entry-level and mid-range models—reasonably thick but not crush-proof. The OLA II’s form factor doesn’t require much special care anyway, as the unit itself is quite sturdy.
The ear tips come in two types, six pairs in total: three pairs with small bores and three with large bores—again, a standard TANCHJIM offering, so I won’t dwell on it further.
Design, Fit & Acoustic Structure
The design of the OLA II is largely similar to its predecessor, but the details are quite different. First, the anodised metal rear shell: the previous OLA series used a rounded stepped shape similar to that on the Space dongle, whereas the OLA II has reduced that step to the area near the connector socket. This change still makes it instantly recognisable as part of the OLA family, while still incorporating subtle refinements. The faceplate as a whole remains roughly circular and neatly symmetrical. The front housing is made of resin, nested into the metal rear shell, with a matte smoky grey finish that visually matches the gunmetal grey of the rear shell. The build quality is meticulous, with no detectable gaps between the front and rear shells.
The shell is remarkably compact. The OLA series has always centred its design around the dynamic driver—the round shape is the core aesthetic—and the OLA II follows the same principle. The front housing is essentially shaped to match the driver cover, so it only makes contact around the concha cavity, leaving the cymba concha area unobstructed. For smaller ears, the fit is only slightly more substantial than the Bunny’s, but overall it remains comfortable and secure. For those with medium to large ears, the OLA II feels nearly weightless—extremely lightweight. However, due to the slightly thicker shell, it is not as side‑sleeping‑friendly as the Bunny—largely because of the large Helmholtz resonator chamber behind the dynamic driver.
The nozzle is somewhat thick, but with the alignment groove, the included ear tips are easy to install. The inner surface of the shell is ultra‑smooth and incorporates FEA‑based reflection design. There are two vents on the front housing: one is the common vent connected to the dynamic driver cover with internal damping, and the other is subtly tucked into the transition area near the connector socket—making it less likely to be blocked while making use of the extra corner space created by the OLA’s shape. This pressure‑equalisation system is similar to that of the FOLA, and the overall passive isolation is moderate, with no pressure‑equalisation issues. One thing to note: the ear tips included with the OLA II are generally better suited for users with smaller ear canals. If you have wider ear canal openings, consider pairing it with the T‑APB series large‑size ear tips to minimise air leakage.
Design, Fit & Acoustic Structure
The OLA II comes with a silver‑plated copper twisted‑pair cable, featuring a smoky grey matte finish that feels skin‑friendly. The cable is very flexible and lightweight, with only slight self‑tangling. Currently, the OLA II is available in three SKUs: you can choose between 3.5mm single‑ended, 4.4mm balanced, and USB‑C digital versions. The 3.5mm and USB‑C versions come with a Goertek silicon microphone and a single‑button inline remote. The USB‑C version also includes a built‑in DAC and DSP, supporting up to 384kHz / 32‑bit Wave PCM decoding and 48kHz / 24‑bit microphone input ADC. It also supports the TANCHJIM app and the desktop tuning platform, offering an 8‑band PEQ with adjustable frequency and Q values. You can also find different sound mode presets within the app, and we recommend giving them a try. In the community‑shared tunings, you can also find our dedicated preset for the OLA II—just search for “TDS Tuned” to try it out.
The detachable cable system remains based on a 0.78mm 2‑pin male‑pin female‑socket structure, with the pins being slightly longer than standard 2‑pin connectors, which ensures a very secure connection.
In terms of drivers, the OLA II adopts a hybrid configuration of one dynamic and one balanced armature driver. A 10mm dynamic driver based on the DMT5 architecture handles the full frequency range, featuring a dual‑magnet dual‑cavity design, though the diaphragm material hasn’t been detailed. An additional PURE Hi balanced armature driver, positioned inside the nozzle, handles ultra‑high frequency extension. The two drivers are essentially coaxially aligned, which largely eliminates coherence issues and prevents any noticeable instability in imaging.
With an impedance of 30Ω and a sensitivity of 121dB/Vrms, the OLA II is generally an easy‑to‑drive earphone. We recommend opting for the USB‑C version directly, as it removes any concerns about driving power—even this highly integrated digital‑plug cable can drive the OLA II well. If you prefer to pair it separately, entry‑level dongle DACs such as the STAR GATE II or the Shimano should work fine. In terms of tonal pairing, we suggest avoiding sources that are particularly warm‑leaning.
Sound Description
Based on the included large‑bore ear tips, USB‑C stock cable digital drive, and default EQ settings, the power requirements for proper driving are met.
Bass quantity is noticeably on the heavier side, with considerable thickness, though fullness isn’t exaggerated. Elasticity is good, and sub‑bass extension is decent. Attack and decay are moderate, with a fair amount of lingering reverb. The sense of bloom in atmosphere is not excessive, but there is a substantial richness. With the default EQ, the OLA II delivers a very bass‑heavy sound—likely the most bass‑prominent TANCHJIM earphone we’ve heard, even more so than the OLA Bass. The bass is thick and dense. Imaging is also slightly larger than average, though thankfully instruments with fundamentals in the lower midrange don’t lean forward excessively.
In the midrange, vocals are relatively close, with moderate mouth size and a fairly high level of refinement. The presentation emphasises definition of note outlines slightly more than texture. Due to the influence of the bass, vocal thickness isn’t particularly high, but thanks to the upper midrange compensation, it doesn’t get drowned out—though the definition of note outlines does become more prominent. There’s no strong bias toward male or female vocals, and it suits more refined, energetic voices. Grain is relatively fine, and smoothness is reasonably polished. Tonal colouration is minimal, with only a mild touch of engagingness. Laryngeal placement is moderate, while breath sounds are somewhat reduced, giving a more refined and focused character. Mouth sounds are only slightly forward, and sibilance is perceptible but not overly prominent. Overall vocal transparency is fairly high, with a mild touch of added brightness.
For instruments, most with fundamentals in the upper midrange also lean slightly towards definition of note outlines over texture. Among string instruments, the violin, viola, and guitar emphasise a sense of engagement, with bowing and plucking details offering solid performance for the price, and they are relatively prominent. The cello has a thicker, more condensed body, taking up a somewhat larger proportion of the space. Brass instruments have a good sense of presence, and instruments like trumpets that require brightness have a mildly enhanced brilliance. Woodwinds don’t convey a great deal of airiness, with a relatively tight texture. Instrumental harmonics generally have sufficient quantity but don’t feel particularly relaxed. Among percussion, the kick drum has a clearly prominent presence, while the snare decays relatively quickly. Cymbals are on the brighter side, but the sense of metallic harshness or excessive stimulation is not overdone.
Treble brightness is fairly high, with a concentrated and prominent energy distribution overall, though there are no excessive peaks in any single frequency band. Treble extension is decent, with roll‑off that is neither too fast nor too early.
The spatial presentation is of a type where both width and depth are not particularly extended, with clearly defined boundaries. Combined with a moderate sense of “height,” the OLA II presents a slightly oblate spherical space of modest scale. Separation between vocals and instruments is good, and even with bass‑heavy tracks, it avoids the common issue at this price point of V‑shape earphones where the bass completely overwhelms everything else—overall coherence remains solid. Resolution is impressive for the price, with a noticeable emphasis on “analyticalness.” Dynamics are decent, and transient response is respectable.
Genre Versatility
In its default state, the OLA II fares quite well with Western pop, but some early J‑Pop and Mandarin pop may not be as suitable—largely due to the low‑frequency character. After appropriately reducing the bass gain, it becomes a versatile all‑rounder for pop music—which is one of the reasons I recommend the USB‑C version. For Anisong, it is fairly accommodating, especially with its engaging presentation of detailed vocals. In the broader rock and metal categories, some heavier sub‑genres benefit from an enhanced sense of presence; for certain metal styles, the definition of note outlines is quite fitting, though the bass can be a tad too much. For electronic music in general, it delivers a satisfyingly punchy experience. In the acoustic category, jazz atmosphere is particularly interesting. It also suits the appreciation of small‑scale string ensembles. Of course, genre adaptability will vary depending on your PEQ adjustments, so this serves only as a reference for the default setting.
Overall Impression
The OLA II can be considered quite a stylised offering among TANCHJIM’s current earphone lineup. In its default tuning, it heavily emphasises energy at both frequency extremes without crossing into harshness. The prominent bass doesn’t compromise the overall spatial presentation, and the driver quality ensures that its separation remains quite impressive. We recommend going directly for the USB‑C version to experiment with various DSP settings, as this earphone offers plenty of versatility.
KingTsui, TDS Studio.
July 2026
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Source: TDS Audio Experience
