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I’ve long clung to the idea that I’m an audiophile, even though I don’t typically spend thousands of dollars on headphones or speakers, and I do occasionally enjoy lossless audio. True audiophiles will probably deny my home Sonos system and penchant for AirPods (primarily the Pro and Max), but I think I generally place a higher importance on getting good sound. Singularity’s oni earbuds, which are the first earbuds on the market to utilize cutting-edge MEMS (Micro-Electromechanical System) speaker technology, have shown me that there is no perceived difference in different types of audio on different playback devices that I’ve been experiencing before. Was there, it faded. Compared to what’s actually possible – for the price.
the basics
The design of the Singularity ONI will be familiar to those who have used in-ear monitors before – they consist of two core buds, which work in tandem with a fully removable audio cable, and a variety of ear tip options. However, you’ll notice that the buds themselves look and feel very solid, which is a combination of their physical design and materials: each bud is made of Grade 5 titanium (which you may recognize from Apple’s latest iPhone 15 Pro), Polished to a mirror finish.
The outer surface of the oni Buds also has vents for ventilation, which the company says results in you feeling less pressure when using the noise-isolating buds, as well as less sweat and earwax accumulation. However, the vents don’t stop the buds from being excellent at blocking out background noise with a proper ear tip fit.
Image Credit: singularity industry
What’s going on inside the earbuds is the real technological innovation here, impressive considering each bud has a casing in its own right. The use of Provides the ability to. Distortion or noise in the signal, even at loud volumes.
The Singularity ONI comes with a wrapped cable, which has a 4.4mm balanced audio connector and a series of different sized memory foam tips. It also includes a handy rugged carrying case and a mesh travel pouch. All of it is $1,500 – certainly expensive, but somewhat mild when you really start looking at the entire spectrum of hi-fi audio equipment.
However, when considering the price, it’s important to understand that to properly use the oni Buds, you’ll need a DAC that specifically supports xMEMS technology – and right now that means the iFi IDSD Diablo X, A $1,099 add-on means your entry-level price to experience xMEM Portable Audio right now is $2,599.
Display
Now that you’re properly shocked, let me tell you what you’re paying for. As mentioned above, although I generally like to think of myself as someone who appreciates good audio, I’ve also traditionally been skeptical of the more extreme of the audiophile gear spectrum. What kind of returns do you get for your money at the upper end. Singularity ONI has me reconsidering that position.
Image Credit: singularity industry
Using the oni means plugging in via the Diablo X, which has an internal battery but which can also be connected to constant power via USB-C. It is also meant to be a service that supports lossless audio and decoding through the codecs supported by Diablo X. Luckily the DAC supports a wide range of decoding, including PCM and DSD, but if you really want to experience what it can do, I’d also recommend having a Tidal subscription and using their on desktop computer operating systems. Using MQA quality playback.
Once all those pieces were in place, I found that the audio experience was completely different from anything I was used to – in terms of quality, clarity, soundstage and presence, the Singularity ONI blew me away. Gave. For comparison, it was no different from the experience of making the jump from 720p SDR to 4K HDR video: especially on classical recordings and others where a lot of attention is paid to specific mixing and generating very deliberate environments, the impact of the use is greater. The Oni were loud and immediately clear versus other high-end headsets backed by traditional speaker technology.
You’ll also see benefits from using lossless playback in other apps, including Apple Music, and even through Tidal and other apps on Android, but in my experience the most significant difference is the MQA quality of the music when using Tidal. Had to be mastered specifically. On a Mac. This actually describes a very general setup for the relatively narrow market at which the Singularity ONI and iFi Diablo X are aimed.
ground level
Singularity has a relatively high bar for entry into ONI, including the pure cost, as well as the relative clunkiness of the physical setup (as opposed to, say, simply plugging in some headphones) and the requirements when it comes to actually streaming service specifics. Get appreciable benefits. However, once you get past that standard, the benefits are dramatic and undeniable.
xMEMS is still a fairly new technology when it comes to consumer speaker applications, but this debut serves as a great technical demo for what’s possible, with the hope that later efforts will expand its use and This will help bring down costs so more people can experience its benefits. , with less complex requirements to implement it. If you’re a serious audiophile with money to spend and want a state-of-the-art experience, this is a worthwhile effort and expense.
