Oriolus BA300S

amazon Oriolus BA300S reviews

Oriolus is a name that is no stranger to the Audiophile world. It is a trademark of Cyras company, Japan. Starting operation in 2015, Oriolus focused on researching and manufacturing high-end IEMs and Custom headphones, then expanded the range of portable audio equipment such as portable DAC / AMP, music players, or amplifiers for headphones. With the same design and experience, Oriolus products are often not cheap, and the quality is always among the top in the world.
Recently, the company has launched the latest mobile amplifier named Oriolus BA300S. That is a very special Headamp (amply for headphones).

BOXED

Oriolus BA300S comes in a very minimalist black cardboard box. On the face is the Oriolus logo printed in a luxurious glossy emulsion. Below the corner are the words Raosound Studio. The Research and Design Studio for some of Oriolus’s previous successful products, such as DAC / AMP BD-10 CEIBA, Amp BA-10 OAK.

Inside the box, Oriolus BA300S sits neatly in a thick velvet layer; below are the accompanying accessories, including:
1x Balanced 4.4mm 2-pin cable
1x Micro USB charging cable
1x Warranty card
1x User manual
1x Super-adhesive sheet

In addition to the supplied IC cable, you can have two more IC wire options for SE 3.5mm and Balanced 2.5mm sources. These IC wires will be sold separately.
The super adhesive sheet here works quite well on the surface of BA300S and any other surface of the player. The simple task is to make the AMP and the player stick together into one block without obscuring the screen like a traditional elastic band. Quite convenient; however, during use, this sticker is also very easy to catch dust. You can use duct tape to remove dust or wash it away.

DESIGN

Oriolus BA300S has a square and sturdy design. The whole body is made of Aluminum material, CNC is rounded on both sides for a tight grip than the previous DAC / AMP versions of the company. Aluminum is also a material with good thermal conductivity. Because the Oriolus BA300S amplifier circuit uses two electronic lights, it will radiate relatively heat when operating, choosing aluminum to help cool the system and avoid thermal and environmental noise, affecting sound quality.

There will be a few lines of information about the model name of the product on the back. That is also the side to which we attach the sticker.
The tail of the Oriolus BA300S has only a charging port and a small LED hole. When charging, the lamp will light red.

On the front of the Oriolus BA300S, the main highlight is 2 4.4mm Balanced ports with two concentric gold circles. This design reminds me of Sony’s ZX300 or ZX1 players with the 4.4mm Balanced port doing the same. Quite impressive and beautiful. IN, OUT techniques are engraved, sinking relatively easy to see. In the middle is a transparent plastic ON / OFF switch. When turned on, the switch in the ON position will light red. When the battery is low, the red light will start flashing to indicate that you need to charge the Oriolus BA300S battery.

The top of the Oriolus BA300S is probably the best part. There is a small pane that allows you to see two light bulbs as they work.
When you first turn it on, there will be a small red LED light up, indicating the status of the power supply and the start of the lamp, which is also known as the “heart-burning” process. The boot process is complete; the green light will light up, indicating that you can use Oriolus BA300S to play music. The two bulbs will also turn a little red. This interesting thing you will only see on devices that use electronic lights only.

SPECIFICATIONS

Hardware configuration
Tube Type: Dual 6N16B Type Vacuum Tubes
Gain: + 3dB Maximum Output
Power: 350mW (320HM)
Signal to Noise Ratio: -111dB
THD + N: 0.02%
Frequency Range: 10Hz-50KHz (+/- 0.5dB)
Net weight: 165g
Size: 120 x 57 x 16.5mm

In addition to the somewhat unusual appearance, I will have to say a little more about this part so that you can understand why Oriolus BA300S is a very special amplifier.

Oriolus BA300S can be considered one of the first mobile Headamp in the world to design full-Balanced circuits that use electronic light. That has previously only happened on a small number of desktop amps.
As you can see, the Oriolus BA300S has no volume control buttons, no gain boost button, no Bassboost button, or any interactive control keys other than the power switch. It would be weird if this were a semiconductor amplifier when the most basic feature, such as volume, was cut off.

Why is that? To explain this, you need to understand that Oriolus BA300S is a light amplifier. Not only that, but it is also a Balanced amplifier. The entire circuit must be designed separately for each channel, so it is necessary to use two bulbs inside Oriolus BA300S. The lamp amplifier always consumes a huge energy source due to the low lamp performance (due to excessive heat generation). Most of the Oriolus BA300S is occupied by the battery, the circuit, and two 6N16B bulbs. Designing an additional volume cluster will occupy quite a lot of space. The Balanced circuit is especially prone to errors in this volume because the structure of the Balanced circuit is much more complex than the conventional single-end circuit.

Oriolus BA300S decided to cut off this volume; you will adjust the volume directly on your player.

CHEMICALS
During my first experience with Oriolus BA300S, I named it Pandora’s AMP. The reason is that when I first listened to it, like all the music I ever knew, I listened to it passionately on my favorite combo (Campfire Andromeda / Focal Elear) were suddenly different; they were much more amazing. The Oriolus BA300S does not simply amplify the sound; it improves the listening experience markedly. The way the bulb handles sound produces an unmistakably unique color. I left the Oriolus BA300S running for more than 200 hours before writing this review. The player I will use to test most is Sony WM1a and some other devices like Sony A35, Hiby R6. The headset has Focal Elear, Campfire Andromeda, and Campfire Atlas.

Bass range

For Dragonborn, there is a clear improvement in volume. It does not go overboard or too heavy; the bass becomes stronger with each drum, quite excited. A little tail is retained in each instrument, and the bass seems to dissolve more slowly. The bass guitar becomes more soulful, melts well and very naturally. Track Way Down Deep shows the depth in each drum beat, the sense of depth in the track increases, and it also causes the bass band to vibrate a bit longer. Overall, the Oriolus BA300S helps the sub-bass part be expanded, richer in volume, detailed, blocky, warm, and smoother.

Mid-range

The mid-range is airy, the feeling of the distance between the instruments is increased, making the sound more spacious. There is a little press on the mid-range with just enough to make progress. Thicker vocals make the voice feel warm, soulful, and emotional. The sweet sound of the bulb is hard to mix.

Treble strip

It is the sound range that Oriolus BA300S boosts at least, but objectively, it is still enough. The treble shimmer and sparkle with hi-hat or cymbals. In Question Of Lust, the treble was pushed up slightly, especially in the low-treble area, for a wide, crisp, and smooth sound. Overall, this sound strip does not improve as much as the previous two bands, but it still increases the experience of space, brightness, and smoothness.

Soundstage

Oriolus BA300S has made the stage space bigger. This extra space gives a better overall feel of depth, height, and width with appropriate recordings. The area in front and rear can also feel the clear width. That helps you feel the music more relaxed, airy, and more honest.

CONCLUDE

Oriolus BA300S is something quite awesome. A hand-held amp is powerful enough to pull most ears and astonishingly improve sound quality. Like most other amply, Oriolus BA300S also adds to the soundstage and stage space. But what makes the difference of Oriolus BA300S is the added soul, energy, warmth, and affection of the song, thanks to its special light bulb design. Compact the battery life of Oriolus BA300S up to 7 hours continuously, comfortable for you to listen to music anywhere and anytime. Oriolus BA300S can use both Balanced and Unbalanced music sources so that you can take advantage of many of your playback devices with this amp. The operation is super minimalistic because removing all function keys, including the volume, is quite interesting.

where can you get a Oriolus BA300S online

Xtenik Oriolus Ba300s 4.4mm Balanced Headphone amp: Buy it now

Oriolus BA300S JP Version G2 2.5mm+3.5mmGND to 4.4mm, Full Balanced Portable Vacuum Tube Amplifier: Buy it now

Oriolus Portable Headphone Amplifier BA300S JP Version G2 (Black)【Japan Domestic Genuine Products】【Ships from Japan】: Buy it now

Oriolus Portable Balanced Tube Amplifier”BA300S JAPAN Version” (BLACK)【Japan Domestic Genuine Products】【Ships from Japan】: Buy it now

Oriolus Portable Balanced Tube Amplifier”BA300S JAPAN Version” (BLACK)【Japan Domestic Genuine Products】【Ships from Japan】: Buy it now

Oriolus Portable Headphone Amplifier BA300S JP Version G4 (Black)【Japan Domestic Genuine Products】【Ships from Japan】: Buy it now