OneDotAudio Hesperus A300 review everyone! There’s always advantages to launching a new lineup of products under the same timeline and one of these advantages is the trickling down of technology from the flagship offering towards its juniors. The OneDotAudio Hesperus A300 takes the trickle down to a full-on physical buildup as part of its distinct identity. What we are more curious about is how does it sound and perform as a standalone model, will the OneDotAudio Hesperus A300 hold its ground or be left in its shambles like the outcome of the famous “Wreck of Hesperus” poem? Let’s get the review going.
The OneDotAudio Hesperus A300 features a triple BA driver configuration with 1 BA driver dedicated to each of the main frequency ranges (Lows, Mids and Highs). It also features a natural stone faceplate which will show unique stone patterns and waves varying from each pair of the Hesperus A300. With a big brother hovering the Hesperus A300, one would wonder how it sounds differently from its sibling and that is what we’ll get deeper into as we go along the review.
The OneDotAudio Hesperus A300 Review unit, priced at $269, was sent in direct by OneDotAudio in exchange for my take on it. No monetary factors were involved in the process. You can check their official site for the OneDot Audio Hesperus A300 for more information or simply more about their brand and their audiophile lineup.
ODA Hesperus Specification sheet:
Sensitivity: 119dB SPL/mW
Impedance: 8 Ω
Frequency response: 20-20000Hz
Noise isolation: 26dB
OneDotAudio Hesperus A300 Packaging and Build Quality
First things first, as the OneDotAudio Hesperus A300 has a somewhat similar accessory set and build quality features, we’ll start referring to it as ODA Hesperus, same treatment we did with the ODA Amarantine. Do note that some parts of the packaging and build quality review will have sections identical to that of the ODA Amarantine to conform for uniformity.
The ODA Hesperus comes in a subdued black matte box with only the One Dot Audio logo, branding, and slogan “Let Music Inspire Life” upfront.
The accessories packaged with the ODA Hesperus include a set of red-bored translucent ear tips (S, M, and L) and a set of black bi-flange ear tips (S, M, and L). A black IEM cleaning tool. Last but not least, the signature pine green One Dot Audio IEM magnetic flip storage box is lined with gray felt fabric on the inside with a small elastic net for ear tips and IEM cleaning tool storage on the upper flap. The same with the ODA Amarantine, the ODA Hesperus is showing that it doesn’t like to be confined into a pouch hence the offering of the same storage box as its sibling. Let’s find on later if the sound profile is also rebellious enough to stray away from the ODA Amarantine.
The ODA Hesperus IEM comes in a resin shell and a natural stone faceplate. The shell and the faceplate are well-built and no noticeable uneven surfaces are present suggesting poor quality control. Gone is the .78mm 2-pin transparent casing of the ODA Amarantine and also its red dot right orientation marker on the ODA Hesperus. They’re banking on someone with $269 for an IEM to be knowledgeable enough how to use a left and right IEM unit. The gold ODA logo is still marked below the .78mm 2-pin connector which might appear VCO to some on first look. A single vent is also present on the topside surface of the shell. The nozzle of the ODA Hesperus is on the shorter side making the need for an ear tip with a firm material necessary. The nozzle also features 3 distinct sound bores.
The ODA Hesperus feels great on the ears and while it leans on the larger size in terms of IEMs, the level of comfort it gives is adequate for those with medium to large ears. Do note that the shell may appear a shade of lighter blue in OneDotAudio’s website photos but they really appear as a darker shade of blue on hand. The ODA Hesperus differs from the ODA Amarantine this around by using a natural stone faceplate instead of the Opal faceplate used on the latter. The natural stone on my OneDotAudio Hesperus A300 review unit appeared just a tad lighter shade of blue which lifts it up to be distinguishable from its dark blue shell.
The included cable with my OneDotAudio Hesperus A300 review unit is a 4-strand copper plated high purity silver and copper cable terminated in 3.5mm. No modularity between 3.5mm and 4.4mm terminations are offered which would have been an awesome addition given its price point. The braiding has a nice tension to it and is consistent throughout the cable making storage easy and hassle-free.
Both the ODA Hesperus and ODA Amarantine has great build quality from the IEM itself to its accessory set and its included stock cable.
OneDotAudio Hesperus A300 Tonality and Isolation
One listen and you’ll know that the ODA Hesperus and the ODA Amarantine has a sibling rivalry going on within them. That is however only mainly due to how they pull a listener towards a certain preference. The ODA Hesperus has a distinct warm sound signature and it creates a somewhat rather stark difference towards the ODA Amarantine with its clear as a sunny day bright sound.
Just like the ODA Amarantine. The ODA Hesperus features a UIEM-styled shell which inherently offers superb isolation and with the included bi-flange ear tips, it just guarantees that isolation is not an issue with this IEM. I opted to use the M-sized bi-flange ear tips for the duration of the review as it gave the most comfortable listening experience and great isolation as well aside from the fact that it assured me that the ODA Hesperus would stay in my ears even when walking or doing some random house/office stuff.
I tested the OneDotAudio Hesperus A300 review unit using the provided medium-sized black bi-flange silicone ear tips. I also used the Sony WM1A (3.02 FW) and the Sony CAS-1 off a Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6H laptop via Foobar2000 v1.4. I used various FLAC files as well which will be mentioned in the review.
Lows
The ODA Hesperus takes its lows front and center and has all of its identity founded on how it handles the low frequency. The same with its sibling, we once again rocked Rage Against The Machine’s Take The Power Back in 16/44 FLAC as our low frequency test track, what the other brother has, the other brother gets. That only goes to its test track though as the ODA Hesperus comes in hard with a punchy sub-bass delivery with a head rocking rumble to it. It does this in a way that is still fast and nimble which showcases how it is so much more in tune with the bassheads that this IEM is meant to share the bed with.
While RATM’s Take The Power Back indeed has some nice low-end sound to them, I just had to whip out Jay-Z’s Tom Ford intro to check and recheck the ODA Hesperus’s low-frequency performance and man do this IEM thump deeply with authority. Mid-bass attacks are delivered in a manner that emphasizes their weight and creates an impression of a tight presentation. One good thing that came about from being launched with its superior sibling was the presence of the particular strength of having a lingering yet enjoyable bass decay.
The overall performance of the low end of the ODA Hesperus which gives out impactful bass drops that doesn’t get shallow and tubby despite handling an abundant amount of low-end frequency tones on busier tracks and still having that lingering decay is a surefire positive experience for bass lovers and also to people like me, the trebleheads.
Midrange
We have already highlighted the main strength and the reason you’d be copping the ODA Hesperus and that’s due to its low end frequency performance. We are now starting the phase where the Hesperus needs to hold its ground towards its other sound frequencies so as to keep the positive momentum it has initially created.
We’ll be rocking Robin Schulz’s Headlights feat for the midrange frequency test. Ilsey in 16/44 FLAC. This track has great midrange to low-end frequency transitions especially its intro which sets us up for a great testing mood. The ODA Hesperus once again benefits greatly from its great low end by rendering the lower midrange energetically and vividly without being overpowering. Female vocals sound comfortably smooth and natural despite having less articulation than its Amarantine sibling but without losing its overall melodic handling of the low-end and midrange frequencies.
The upper midrange of the ODA Hesperus is rendered openly. It has a noticeably uncolored character to it which doesn’t sound lifeless but also not that lively. It leans on the mellow side, making it easy on the ears and great for vocal-centered tracks with loads of upper midrange.
Highs
And then there were the highs. The stage of contention has already been set ever since we have identified the lows as the ODA Hesperus choice of weapon. Let’s see how it goes in the higher frequencies.
Testing the highs of the ODA Hesperus is Angela Bofill’s Still in Love in 16/44 FLAC. The intro comes out sweet and clear. It has once again a soft approach that flowed smoothly from the upper midrange rendering and the coherence with the lower frequency deliveries is commendable. It shows how relaxing the ODA Hesperus can be with its highs.
Reaching the 3:09 timestamp of the mentioned track we are showered with glimpses of superbly rendered treble. It is snappy and precise when it needs to be. Just the right amount of higher frequency tickle. The ODA Amarantine still has more crisp and sharpness to it which overall presents itself as a better option for those who swear by the treble.
Soundstage and Imaging
The ODA Hesperus shares similar characteristics with its sibling, which is evident in the soundstage aspect. It showcases an intimate soundstage that focuses more on depth than width. It has great stage centering, allowing an even easier-to-spot soundstage performance.
Instrument separation is easily discernible and given the ODA Hesperus ability to render distinct timbre only helps its case. Left-to-right and right-to-left instrument sound flow is observable and easy to follow. No noticeable congestion of instrument sound is also present, which counts as a win in the imaging aspect.
OneDotAudio Hesperus A300 Conclusion
The OneDotAudio Hesperus A300 is an overall great IEM with its smooth warm sound. It offers an enjoyable low-end frequency performance which is highlighted by its bass impact power and nimbleness. Both its midrange and treble performance are commendable by providing a complimentary act to give out a coherent-sounding IEM. Its build quality benefits greatly from getting the technology and features from its higher-tier sibling, the Amarantine A500. The ODA Hesperus in the end held its own and has firmly placed its foot on the ground as a great recommendation piece for those who adore the warm sound signature and those who love an energetic yet clean sound presentation.
