Oriveti Lowmaster

Introduction to the Oriveti Lowmaster Review

Man, what a year it has been for the 100-200 USD price bracket when it comes to IEMs. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE loved the Meze Alba, but now we have new Oriveti models on the way, letting the folks at Meze know that they can’t have all the spotlight! If you’re a regular on our website, you’ll see that we’ve covered plenty of Oriveti releases so far, and let me give you a small spoiler – there’s more on the way. So far it feels like Oriveti has been pretty successful in making each of their latest releases punch above their price point, regardless of the budget at hand.

It makes me all the more excited for what’s next in store for Oriveti – how cheap a high-quality product can get – and for how the competition responds. You know what they say – when two quarrel, the third wins, and I’m over here with 3D glasses and popcorn, wearing my jersey with a big ol’ number 3 on the back.

The reviewed Lowmaster is at the frontier of Oriveti’s latest “bleqk” lineup along with its younger brother – the 99 USD Dynabird, which will also be featured on our website down the line. Stay tuned! The main difference between the two, apart from the design of course, is the Lowmaster’s additional 2 balanced armatures to go with the dynamic driver. This 149 USD IEM is quite a complete package and I consider it to be a pretty good opponent to the ever-popular Meze Alba, all differences considered.

High-quality accessories, a pleasant sound signature, and exemplary build quality (even without considering the price) define Oriveti’s new release. We have another case of an IEM doing the absolute most to redefine the performance one might associate with its price bracket, and I’m all there for it.

Packaging

The unboxing experience is simple and elegant, with only the necessary stuff and nothing more. I consider it the only right way to handle the packaging when designing a budget-oriented IEM. Beneath the shiny outside sleeve bearing the product’s name hides a small box, with the brand name and logo embossed on top.

Inside you’ll find a small pouch with a woven fabric outside, and a nice, plushy lining on the inside, within which your Lowmaster IEMs reside alongside the 2-pin cable. You also get a small cardboard box with a ziplock bag full of tips. Included with the set are “bullet” and “bowl” shape silicone tips, in sizes S, M, L and S, M, L, XL respectively. No extra tools, no overly fancy carrying cases or pouches, just the elementary stuff that every IEM needs, befitting a 149 USD product.

Design and Build Quality and Tech

Handling the Oriveti Lowmaster without knowing their price point may leave you clueless, but 149 USD definitely wouldn’t be your first guess. Lowmaster features a medium-sized 3D-printed shell within which lies a carbon fiber faceplate, for some extra sturdiness, I guess. There are absolutely no imperfections within the Lowmaster’s build. The smooth and elegant outer shell could easily make the listener mistake them for something way more expensive.

The cable’s quality seems to tell the same story – its looks and build might remind you of Audeze’s braided black stock cables. I haven’t noticed any microphonic effect when it rubs against my shirt as I walk, which is quite a relief considering how the microphonic effect ends up being the bane of many budget cables’ existence. I could see some manufacturers selling just the included 3,5mm cable at the 149 USD price point, no joke. When making use of it, an immediate replacement is definitely not the first thing that comes to mind. Great job, Oriveti!

The comfort leaves nothing to be desired, but I might be slightly biased here. I’m not exactly comfortable with the extremely deep insertion that you get with some IEMs, and this time, trying the Oriveti Lowmaster on, I was relieved to experience that medium-depth insertion was perfect to ensure a mix of security and proper acoustic isolation.

The materials used to manufacture the Lowmaster are smooth, almost soft-feeling, so no discomfort to be had there either. Some all-metal IEMs tend to have semi-sharp edges sticking out and may get cold when not in use for some time. That is absolutely not the case with the Lowmaster, which features a rounded, user-friendly shape that doesn’t rub you the wrong way during prolonged listening sessions.

I don’t think there is a lot to write home about when it comes to Oriveti Lowmaster’s tech. The driver layout features 2 balanced armatures and a single dynamic driver, with no piezoelectrics, planars or electrostatics to be seen. Once again, such a solution is appropriate for an IEM of the 149 USD price point. Also, not once during my listening sessions have I thought to myself: “damn, I could really use a piezo in there”. Approved.

Sound of the reviewed Oriveti Lowmaster

The descendants of Sherlock Holmes among you might have already guessed what the reviewed Oriveti Lowmaster’s main selling point is, sonically – the bass response. Appropriately, it indeed is the standout aspect of the Oriveti’s sound and is perhaps the main factor why I consider these to be fit to compete with IEMs above the Lowmaster’s price point. The sound signature of those is, I would say, neutral overall with a severe boost in the bass. Keep reading to see why I love that. These IEMs are not at all source-picky – you can get a good sound out of those even from your old Nokia’s headphone jack. When taking those out and about, I’ve resorted to using something that fits the Lowmaster’s budget category, so no, no expensive dongles or summit-fi DAPs. Just me, reviewed Oriveti Lowmaster, and the venerable Apple dongle. Tie your shoelaces, turn Tidal on, and let’s get on with it. 

BASS

Let’s address the elephant in the room because the elephant is exceptionally large this time. The Lowmaster shocks with its performance in terms of low registry reproduction. If you want to test all facets of the bass reproduction at once, in one track, look no further than “Violence” by Andy Stott. At one point, apart from the mesmerizing female vocals and droning sounds giving the track an aura of mystery, a full-on bass assault happens, with the dynamic driver being absolutely dragged through the wringer to reproduce thundering drum hits and seismic rumbles at the same time, while somehow separating all of that from the rest of the sounds. All of that with snappiness, extension, and texture on full display. I must say, the tested Oriveti Lowmaster passes this test with flying colors. But raw technical performance is not the bass’ only strong suit.

Want something more natural? A proper departure from Andy Stott’s synthetic bass comes in the form of “Damaged Goods” by IDLES, once again providing a mix of punchy, snappy bass hits on a tactile, textured background of a bass guitar. The reproduction is very dynamic and engaging, but there’s another thing I love – the naturality. It’s a great mix of technical performance and a natural presentation. You won’t find any artificial flavoring in the bass, because the presentation is not overly sharp. It’s sharp enough to be satisfying though, and that’s what matters the most. This deadly combination is precisely why I’ve enjoyed running those through their paces so much. Another thing to mention – among the bass’ mighty performance, I wouldn’t ever consider it to be overbearing, or for it to take away from other parts of the sound signature. 

MIDRANGE

The midrange’s standout quality is the technical performance. I don’t consider it to be overly colored, or the sound signature to be at all midrange-focused. If the track calls for it, sure, but the bass is surely more attention-seeking. I was surprised to hear how much detail is being pushed, both in lower and upper mids. The textured voices heard in tracks like “Walking on Both Sides” by the severely underrated Pink Turns Blue gain a boost to their realism, perhaps thanks to the bass working in tandem with the lower mids to provide a detailed, technical texture reproduction. 

The neutrality of the sound presents itself in the case of the upper mids as well. Billie Eilish’s vocals in “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” are slightly recessed compared to the kick drums, but are presented with appropriate clarity and detail, which lend themselves to a natural, pleasant, and relaxing presentation. The mids are layered well, with no convolution or mess to be heard if you’re listening to tracks with a rich cast of instruments. Once again, the Lowmaster impresses with the price-performance ratio brought to the table. 

TREBLE

My favorite thing about the treble is how well it collaborates with the mids to present a balanced, cohesive performance. The case here is similar to what it was with the mids – the treble is slightly recessed compared to the bass, letting the effervescent low registry response shine with all its might. The Strokes’ “The Adults Are Talking” includes lively hi-hats and cymbals that help give the track an overall fun and engaging pace, and here, they tie in well with the midrange’s simultaneous neutrality and naturality. The Lowmaster is by no means a bright IEM and such nature makes it more forgiving towards recordings with lesser mastering, as you won’t find any sibilance or overt sharpness no matter how hard you look. The Oriveti Lowmaster doesn’t omit the nature of the highs, however, so don’t be surprised if the recordings with more metallic or tinny highs sound exactly like that. 

I wouldn’t call the treble the most interesting or captivating aspect of the sound. From your very first encounter with the reviewed Oriveti Lowmaster, you’re conditioned to pay special attention to the bass, and that is something that the treble is well-tuned for as well. It doesn’t distract you from the bass’ mighty hits and rumbles because it never gets too hot or too sparkly. That is not to say that they are not dynamic though – while we’re with The Strokes, “Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus” also features a whole host of percussive highs, and their dynamic nature allows for some exceptional separation at the price point. This kind of performance puts the Oriveti Lowmaster smack-dab in the middle in terms of the sound signature – I wouldn’t call it dark, but I wouldn’t call it bright either.  If, however, you prefer a more shiny sound signature with more lively upper registries, you may need to look for it elsewhere, or just bump it up using EQ. Here, the highs do their job properly, giving the listener an overall impression of a cohesive performance. This earns Oriveti another point.

SOUNDSTAGE

Reviewed Oriveti Lowmaster’s soundstage is decent. It wraps around the listener’s head, allowing for some space to stretch in between the instruments. It is not, however, the most spacious. I would consider the soundstage’s depth to be the IEM’s weak point. Wow, finally something, huh? Well, the Lowmaster’s staging still has some things going for it though. Thanks to the amazing dynamics in most departments, coupled with good separation, the stage holds its marbles even during the more complicated musical passages. The imaging is quite decent as well, with no jumble or confusion present. Unless your recordings are beyond saving. I also haven’t experienced any claustrophobic sensations either. Tested Oriveti Lowmaster strikes a good balance between the sound’s scale and its sources’ distance from the listener, resulting in an enjoyable performance. The music doesn’t get too in-your-face, but it doesn’t feel like listening to a concert from the parking lot either.

Pairings

For some of the testing of the reviewed Oriveti Lowmaster, I picked something humble that doesn’t excel in its price point – the Apple dongle. In a way, it is also a test for the Lowmaster – not every IEM performs well when paired with a lower-end source of amplification. The Lowmaster did not disappoint, however, providing an adequate performance even with such a pairing. The most important thing about it was that the technical performance didn’t fall apart. If that’s the case with the Apple dongle, then you can be sure that the Lowmaster is going to sing no matter the source you plug it into.

That doesn’t mean that the Oriveti Lowmaster doesn’t scale with the quality and quantity of amplification. Plugging it into something like the Luxury & Precision W2 gave a slight boost to the technical performance – both the bass and the cymbal hits became slightly snappier and faster, but not overly so. The stage seemed to clear up a little bit as well. As is the case with the W2, there was no coloration applied, but the technical performance boost was indeed present. This shows that there is a certain benefit to be had when upgrading your pairing with the Lowmaster, but I’m certain that you don’t need to go above and beyond to make them shine – a midrange dongle, like something from the KA series by FiiO or UA series by Shanling will do the job well.

Comparisons

Ladies and gentlemen, that’s a bout for the ages here. The precedent that speaks for Meze Alba’s popularity the most is the fact that Meze literally ran out of them, and they can’t keep up with the production, so the Alba is hard to get your hands on now. The price-to-performance ratio is absolutely through the roof with those, from the accessories to the sonic performance. Name another audio manufacturer that includes a dongle DAC with their budget IEMs. Hard to come up with, huh? The Alba also excels in build quality, taking some notes from the Advar and improving upon that by switching the MMCX connector to a 2-pin connector. 

Okay, I’m done with the introduction of the Lowmaster’s opponent. To be completely frank, I think the Lowmaster is a worthy opponent for the Alba’s immense popularity. The sound signatures contrast in the lows, with the Alba being more of a balanced performer in comparison to the bass-focused Lowmaster, but I wouldn’t exactly say that there is a huge gap in aspects like the technical performance between those two. Sure, the Alba excels in clarity, detail, and dynamics for the price point, but those are also points in which the Lowmaster shines, while simply executing them in a different manner.

Which one should you pick? Simple! If you prefer a more fun, punchy, and engaging sound signature, you can easily go for the Lowmaster, and I’m 100% sure that you won’t be missing out on the Alba, as great as it is. Also, be wary of the shortage of the Alba globally. If you need an IEM right now, the choice is obvious. Take into account the dongle DAC as well, and consider how much you really need it. Both will be a solid option no matter what you go with.

Oriveti Lowmaster trades blows with the Alba, with both of them having their own standout features that make them great, growing far beyond the limitations of the budget. Which IEM will get the Ear Fidelity’s budget IEM of the year award? Will it be the balanced and elegant Alba or the punchy and flamboyant Lowmaster? Or will it be completely something else? Find out in the next episode of Dragon Ball Z… To Be Continued…

Oriveti Lowmaster Review – Summary

I think it’s no overstatement that the Lowmaster adds its two cents to the discussion of how far can the budget IEM sector be pushed. It displays a fun, yet technical and somewhat balanced sound signature, that lovers of more prominent lows are going to award with the utmost appreciation. At 149 USD it’s hard to find any notable flaws of the Lowmaster, the only one coming to mind being the depth of the stage. Even that, however, is made up for by other technical facets of the staging and a cohesive, engaging, and versatile sound signature. 

If elegant and high-quality accessories, great build quality, comfort, an enjoyable sound signature, and an absolute banger of price-to-performance ratio are something that you’re after, at 149 USD the Lowmaster is a worthy contender, and it’s definitely a solution you shouldn’t look past, whether the Alba is in stock or not. Oriveti once again shows that IEMs below 1000 USD are their absolute forte at both ends of the price spectrum. Great job on creating something that’s surely worthy of the “budget IEM of the year” discussion.

Highly Recommended.