I have been using the
Oriolus 2nd Generation model for a mth+ now, disregarding whether or not you trust my ears/listening opinions but pushing that new toy syndrome fever aside, I don't think it is wrong for me to say that these are some of the best IEMs I have heard so far, and a very highly technically-proficient and musical hybrid model as well (it is based on 1 DD/3 BA with 4-way crossover constructionl so def u would get very different kind of bass undertones/visceral quality compared to kind of bass that you would usually get from yr JH Angies).
James444 from Head-fi who is a regular contributor there IMO who had always shared only truthful reviews/impressions of audio gears without any form of shilling/shady agendas compared to some people on HF that I am aware of, have also commented positively on these pair of IEMs quite recently.
I have not been following the discussions on Head-fi that actively, having only checked back on that post just recently but from I am aware of, another head-fier Marshal Banana who posted on page 7 of that HF thread had also commented previously that when pitted against other models he had owned including the JH13pro, TG334, 846, 335SR, 435, ASG2.5, K10U the Oriolus still stands out and remains as his favourite IEM currently. Personally for me, I think the Oriolus has this excellent rendition and poisonous midrange presentation while at the same time being able to achieve very gd tonal accuracy and detail retrieval quality.
Despite being a hybrid IEM model their strong sense of coherency in terms of bass/midrange response are truly excellent, IMO this area is something that cannot be matched by others in my own plethora of IEM collection under my disposal, although I have also recently gotten a pair of Dita Truth Brass D.Bespoke Edition ard the same time too and enjoyed those very much as well.
The FitEar ToGo 334's MSRP in Japan are actually not that far off from what the Oriolus 2nd Generation costs in Japan, so it is probably only natural that you will see quite abit of discussions on Head-fi comparing these 2 pair of IEMs together. Although I have already mentioned my share of words on the comparison of these 2 IEMs, I will still mention agn that given a 2nd chance of re-purchasing decision btw the TG334 and the Oriolus 2nd Gen, I will prolly pick the latter again for good due to SQ preference.
To be fair to Mr Suyama-san and his staff team halting from their Chiba factory, the TG334 housing shell and nozzle tubing are undeniably of better build quality overall (IIRC most of their housing parts are in-house factory produced and MIJ), I don't think this can be denied by anyone even when I am not a current owner of the TG334's. But the Oriolus' build quality are not considered that shabby too to be frank (also when comparing them to UM's very own japanese line of UIEMs such as the Maverick/Mason/Mavis series, also Oriolus' shell quality reminds me alot of the German In-Ear Stagediver series) and I feel that in terms of sound tuning/FR balance, the Oriolus has got it alot more right for me compared to how the stock version of TG334 paired with 001 cable performed to my ears. (personally didn't quite like how their default stock rendition of its bass were presented, and how its uppermids/treble sounded w/o much bite and sparkle)
Kinda remembered that u had posted a msg sometime ago on that Japan thread a few threads down started by forumer blazin, mentioning that you may drop by Japan for a visit during May. Well just thought that I'll give ya some heads-up, did checked
e-Earphone just recently and noticed they have been OOS for awhile now, backordered by manufacturer with unknown delivery status (納期未定) and this was the same case with
Fujiya-Avic recently from what I'm aware, as Fujiya's stocks were alrdy OOS since early-March as shared by a local bro.
The Oriolus is prolly the only other hybrid IEM model that I know that were sold under japanese market, that have sold very very well and garnered lotsa positive praises from japanese owners alike, apart from the Maverick IEM model by Unique Melody. Under the 満足度 section category (read as manzoku) or commonly translated as "satisfaction ratings" under its Kakaku.com review page, the Oriolus has received full 5-star ratings by all its owners and generally I would say this is typically quite a rare sign for an IEM release that is not released by a domestic well-known manufacturer.
You should be able to get abt 8% off its 124,200 JPY listed pricing if e-Earphone or Fujiya ever replenishes their own stock by May when you make yr trip, however if not you can always preorder from E1PersonalAudio, knowing the guys over at E1 I am sure they will take good care of you too.
