The V-shaped sonic signature might be looked at weirdly by many in the audiophile space, but it’s the most popular type of sound tuning and audible on most mainstream audio products for a pretty good reason - it suits most popular genres and listening habits. The HeadphoneZone x Oriveti Blackbird promises exactly this, offering budding audiophiles a headset that will agree with contemporary listening, adapt to most tracks, and not force a drastic change in listening habits.
The sonic signature is tuned to suit most popular genres including electronic and hip hop, and that’s what I tended to listen to during my time with the HeadphoneZone x Oriveti Blackbird. Starting with early 2000s house music classic What I Say by Kaskade, which gave the Blackbird a showcase its capabilities. For one, it’s rather loud (paired with the HPZ x ddHiFi DAC), achieving loud levels at just the 50 percent volume mark.
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The sound itself is bass-forward as promised, giving the background beat of What I Say a fair amount of punch. That said, it’s not rumbling or overly aggressive, leaving plenty of room for the rest of the track to be heard clearly. Vocals in particular felt sharp and distinct, while the refined and tight attack of the lows understandably drew much of the attention.
With fast, upbeat tracks, the multi-driver setup on the HPZ x Oriveti Blackbird really shows its pace and poise. Bad Boy by Yung Bae showed that the Blackbird is very capable of handling busy and quick-tempo tracks, while All The People In The World by Safri Duo once again showcased the Blackbird’s impressive handling of the lows without forgetting about the rest of the track. It’s a detailed and enjoyable sound that fits in with the expectations here.