Introduction

Another day, another new audio brand out of China. Job security for full-time audio reviewers must be quite high with all the products coming out every day! Ovidius is a brand so new there is no website yet, at least not a global one. There isn't even a logo, which is why I used one on the product box we will see shortly. As far as I can tell, it launched in Q2 this year with the Ovidius B1 portable DAC/amp and has since put out an in-ear monitor as well as a set of over-ear headphones. We test the former today, the RX-100 (Qin Armour), and thanks to Linsoul for providing a review sample to TechPowerUp.


The current pair of Ovidius headphones and earphones follow a clear theme for the design—armor. The headphones take inspiration from medieval Chinese chariots and warhorse combat armor, and are named accordingly, too. The IEMs, also aptly named RX-100 (Qin Armour), adopt the design from the Terracotta army sculptures more popular in museums and even as wax statues in different regions, which in itself helped historians better understand the armors employed by Qin dynasty soldiers. Ovidius wants to use these symbols of war in a manner of peace, especially as you relax and listen to music with their products. It's quite a stretch marketing-wise. Let's dig deeper into the practical aspects of these IEMs in this review which begins with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

As far as I can tell, Linsoul is the only place selling the Ovidius RX-100 at this time. In the absence of a first-party web store or even website, we begin with the product packaging that is on the larger side of average for IEMs. Ovidius is using a two-part packaging with an outer sleeve in white over a black inner box. On the front of the sleeve is the company and product name along with a render of the driver hardware inside. Some salient features are also found in the bottom-left corner, with "秦甲" in the bottom right poor SEO at work since Google and Baidu both lead you to the novel first and Qin soldiers second. On the back is another useful render, one I will use later in the review to detail the composition of the IEMs itself. We also find technical specifications in both English and Mandarin here.


The inner box is more tame by comparison. We now also see where I got the logo image from. The marketing tag line continues here, albeit in bad English from what no doubt makes more sense in Mandarin. It opens up from the bottom akin to a gift box, with some information on the underside about the accessories and a wax paper sheet teasing the contents inside. Ovidius is going with a two-layer unboxing approach, both utilizing thick foam sheets with a cardboard cover that marks the individual items. The IEMs are seen right away, held snugly inside the cutouts. In fact, snug might be an understatement for most of these since removing all the accessories simply with your fingers is quite difficult—the cutouts are too deep and tight.

On the right is a clip to secure the cable to your shirt or collar should you be wearing it on the front rather than the back, which could reduce cable microphonics. There are also two weird female 3.5 mm single-ended to male 2.5/4.5 mm balanced adapters. I did not want to risk ruining my sound card or the IEMs with a power overload from a balanced source output to the IEMs, as can be the case this way. There is a reason you only see female balanced to male single-ended adapters. I have asked Linsoul about this, but have not heard back yet. As it stands, I would not recommend using these adapters. Get a separate cable with modular connectors instead, such as the Kinera Leyding we saw recently.


Four sets of silicone ear tips are included, which come marked clearly in sizes ranging from SS to L. This means the Ovidius RX-100 is one of the few catering to tiny ear canals, but I would have still liked to see foam tips as well. These are not the best silicone tips by any means—the outer flange is quite soft, so tip rolling might be a decent idea if the fit isn't good enough with the stock tips.


The bottom layer houses two compartments with a cardboard box on the left matching the outer box. It opens up to reveal the IEM cable, which we will examine in more detail on the next page. On the right comes the case, and I have to say it is the most unique case for IEMs I have seen in terms of art and design. The actual composition isn't unique, but uses substantially thick and dense tanned hide. The cover is then separately stitched onto the back, where we see the Ovidius marking etched in, and it is the star of the show with what looks and feels like dark black leather that has been embossed with patterns to make it seem like a royal emblem. Adding to the "mystique" is the centerpiece—a plastic ring shaped like a shield with a blue stone, again out of plastic, in the middle finishing the look. The case is kept closed by a strap going around the ring, and there are two foam sheets inside to retain the shape during transit. There is plenty of room inside for the IEMs with the cable and all other accessories. In fact, I used this case when testing the Ovidius RX-100 with the Qudelix-5K also thrown in. Build quality is quite good, though it would have been nice had Ovidius snipped off the excess stitching at the top.