Budget banger! The $35 Op.22 earphone has 2 sound profiles, both great

It didn't take me long to realise that there is nothing inherently impressive in the price of an IEM or headphone. I’ve tested $50 IEMs and $5,000 IEMs, and though the build quality and driver specs closely correlate with the price you pay, I've found a higher price does not always mean better sound.

That's good news for me, because it means I can get excited about IEMs and headphones of all price points. The different combinations of design, value and sound are all that matter. But the price of the OoopusX Op.22 bucks that trend – at $35 it is one of the most important things about this IEM, and in combination with offering us two sound profiles, I think it's one of the best value IEMs on the market today.

Sound profile

Overall, this is not the best neutral tuning I've heard, and it's not the best bass-boosted tuning I've heard. But for the price of a haircut, you get a standard tuning that's aimed at neutral, with a little extra bite around the upper midrange that brings more edge to electric guitars and vocals. And with the bass boost dialled in… well, you get a shed load of bass added to that otherwise neutral profile – around 7dB of it! It's a bombastic tuning that's well suited to EDM and hip hop, though it can feel like an unwanted guest on more paired back tracks. But that’s the beauty of it – if it’s not fitting a track, just twist the dials and you’re back to the clean, clear neutral.

Bass: It's a shame that the Op.22 has a bass boost setting, really. It inherently makes the stock bass tuning seem tame in comparison. But I think the 'neutral' bass setting is really good. It's definitely sub-bass focussed, and doesn't have loads of thwack in the mid/upper bass region, but there's detail to be had here nevertheless. Yes, it's a touch lean, even brittle at times. But it does a good job.

The bass boost setting is balls out a basshead tuning, and when I'm in the mood, it's a lot of fun for specific bass-focussed music. However, there are some trade-offs for this mega-bass. First is the bass detail that you had with the neutral tuning gets a little fuzzy with the bass boost. String bass and kick drum of Parliament's Give up the Funk still hits hard, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't feel crowded and stuffy... I feel this is much better suited to EDM and on a more contrasting track like K-Lone's slk, the electronic bass fills up the space beautifully, and sounds great.

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Midrange: The lower midrange of the Op.22 is natural and 'normal' sounding, and though that may sound like a criticism, it's the opposite. The IEM market is full of wonky-sounding sets that go for striking sound profiles, that either end up fatiguing or sounding deeply unnatural. The Op.22's midrange frequencies offer a natural tone that allows all instruments to sound as they do in real life. And that's actually a really great thing for IEMs from $35 all the way to $100.

The upper midrange is where I have issue with the Op.22. Running a tone sweep, my first pain point is around 3.3kHz, then 4.2kHz. This translates as instruments having more edge to them – more bite to guitars and woodwind instruments, and a spotlight shining on vocals in general. I can totally see this being OK for some people, but for me, it's a heavy handed way to elevate vocals.

However, if I have issue with the midrange, I can't say the same for the treble. Though I've seen some reviewers describe it as dark, I think the treble of the Op.22 is smooth and forgiving. My No 1 treble test track is Lucinda William's Sweet Old World, as it was clearly mixed and mastered by someone old who had lost hearing in the higher frequencies. It's bright!

And yet on the Op.22, it's far from sibilant, far from bright, and instead presents the track with subtlety without losing the sense of detail. When you add to that the bass boost mode, the upper midrange edge is rounded off, and you get an even smoother presentation. Now, these are broad strokes, and not the most subtle of alterations... but did I mention that this is only $35?!

Price, value, competition

Vs Moondrop Space Travel 2

The OoopusX Op.22 sells for $35, and is 100% worth every penny of it. It actually stands toe to toe with IEMs like the Truthear Hexa that retail for $90.

However, the two IEMs that I want to compare it to are the $30 TWS Moondrop Space Travel 2 and the $450 Kiwi Ears x HDD Punch.

First the Space Travel 2. I think this is a good comparison because it's the same price, goes for a similar sound profile, but there are differences. First, the Space Travel 2 comes with an app with parametric EQ! That's kind of crazy, and gives the user (theoretically) limitless tunings to enjoy... that puts the Op.22's dual tunings to shame!

However, based on the neutral-style tuning that both go for, the Space Travel doesn't have that problematic 3kHz for me, while still offering similarly smooth treble. Having said all that, I can totally see someone warming to the more vocal-forward take of the Op.22. For bass, there's not much in it.

Unfortunately, this is all by the by, as I have real fitting issues with the Space Travel 2, and find it really hard to consistently get a good seal with them – an issue I simply don't have with the Op.22. For that alone, I'd recommend the Op.22 over the Space Travel 2 (unless you have better fitting luck that I).

Vs Kiwi Ears HDD Punch

When comparing the $35 Op.22 (in bass mode) with the famous basshead, $450 Kiwi Ears HDD Punch, you'd be forgiven to expect a total wipe out, with the more pricey IEM decimating the affordable set with sheer wads of bass... and that's exactly what happens, but not to the extent you'd think.

First of all, the Punch offers a fuller sub-bass than the Op.22, and there's more mid bass. But it's not just a matter of quantity. The bass is a guest of honour with the Punch, not an overbearing gate-crasher. There's texture, punch (no shit!) and a healthy dose of quantity. And while the latter is to the expense of the midrange detail, as I'm presuming that you'll be using the Punch to listen to hip hop and EDM, I don't think that matters so much.

The Op.22's bass, although sizeable, sounds a little more transparent compared to the Punch. The mega bass is there, for sure, but it's not the controlled wild beast rendered in high definition as with the Punch. It lacks a little detail and body.

This comparison is not to direct you to buy the Punch over the Op.22. They're not in the same price or quality range. However, I thought it would be fun to show that, although the Op.22 can't compete with the $450 basshead set, for $35 it does pretty damn well. And for a 12th of the price, you can get a basshead set that does a half decent version of what the Punch does, plus another neutral, balanced tuning.

Should you buy it?

If you like music and you want to explore different tunings, then yes, you should absolutely buy the OoopusX Op.22 IEM.

You get a good neutral tuning that will impress you, especially if you're coming from more V-shaped (elevated bass and treble) commercial headphones. It doesn't stuff bloated bass down your throat, as with so many (nearly all?!) other IEMs under $50, and instead aims for balance and clarity (even if things get a little edgy in the upper mids).

But more than that, you can switch a dial and get a bunch of bloated bass stuffed down your throat, should you wish.

This is an excellent, affordable IEM for people starting out in the audiophile hobby, and for that it gets a strong recommendation from me.