These IEMs will make you ditch your gaming headset: Oriveti Bleqk Dynabird review

For the best gaming experience in e-sport arena shooters like Valorant and Counter-Strike 2, or in battle royales like Fortnite and Apex Legends, you need accurate sound localization. Gaming IEMs have become a popular pick, with one of the best I have tried being the Oriveti bleqk Dynabird. From the build to the look, it gives off the edgy gamer aesthetic people have come to expect from a gaming product. The Dynabird isn’t a gaming-specific product, but it specifically does very well in competitive gaming scenarios. It’s a great example of an audio-focused product that does far better than what almost every gaming company puts on the market. Oriveti primarily targets the audiophile community with the Dynabird, and for that community, it just slightly misses the mark of being great. Let’s find where else it does well and where it falls apart.

What’s it like to use the Oriveti bleqk Dynabird?

The Oriveti Dynabird has a metal chassis with a dark gun metal sheen. Despite its large round section, it still has that edgy gamer look. After a few weeks of use, the sheen holds up, and there aren’t any noticeable scratches even when the earbuds constantly knock against each other when in my pocket.

There’s an included carry case, but as I mentioned, I ungraciously shove these into my pocket or directly into my bag. The carry case is larger than most pocketable wireless earbud cases and features a mesh divider that lets you carry extra tips if you want.

The included cable is supple and doesn’t tangle easily. There is no inline microphone, though most sweaty competitive gamers already have an external mic; it’s something to keep in mind if you also need one. The cable is detachable and terminated in a 2-pin connector to the earbuds. On the other end is the regular 3.5mm TRS connection.

Hooking the cable behind my ear poses no issues, and the fit in the ears doesn’t have any notable pressure points. I was able to wear the Dynabird for over 6 hours without any issues. One issue I have found is that the paper material tuning filter can become damp and block sound from the drivers. It happens rarely, but becomes common if I wear them even an hour after leaving the bath and drying off. If you have wet ears, this may be something to avoid. Alternatively, you can dry your ears before putting them on.

How does the Oriveti bleqk Dynabird connect?

The Dynabird is terminated in 3.5mm TRS. You don’t need a powerful DAC or Amp to drive the earbuds; I didn’t run into any issues powering them.

How well do the Oriveti bleqk Dynabird block out noise?

There’s only passive noise isolation and no ANC with the Oriveti bleqk Dynabird. I find most rumbling noise of the city around isn’t cut out, but is muffled. The screeching of the commuter trains is no longer painful but still pierces through. Looking at our noise reduction graph, the Dynabird blocks out up to 40 dB of treble and up to 14 dB in the bass regions. The average reduction in noise is 73%.

How do the Oriveti bleqk Dynabird sound?

Where the Dynabird shines is in competitive gaming scenarios. For listening to music, the Oriveti Dynabird is not bad, though it lacks treble and shows a touch of overemphasis in sub-bass.

Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS)

The chart below shows how the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score (MDAQS) algorithm from HEAD acoustics assesses the sound of the Oriveti bleqk Dynabird. The sound quality is rated on a scale from 1.0 (very bad) to 5.0 (very good).

Reviewer’s notes

Editor’s note: this review uses a hover-enabled glossary to describe sound quality based on a consensus vocabulary. You can read about it here.

Objective Measurements

Compared to our preference curve, the sub-bass shows a slight bump, where you’re likely to feel some pressure from kick drum impacts. The bass mostly follows the curve, with a noticeable dip at 125Hz, which can make many people’s voices sound less bassy; this tends to add perceived clarity to most voices. The Oriveti Dynabird is underemphasized in the mids up to 1000Hz. This can lead to a tinny sound when paired with energetic treble; gladly, it’s not a problem with the Dynabird. There are sections in the treble that dip compared to the preference, especially at 11 kHz. This can lead to a drop in perceived brilliance, where crystalline sounds become dull.

How does the Oriveti bleqk Dynabird Sound in Gaming?

When people think of the most important part of audio in competitive games, they tend to focus on accurate sound positioning, but what’s more important is sound separation and isolation. Sound separation becomes more important because sound position doesn’t matter if you miss audio cues, such as an enemy trying to flank you, or a third party coming from behind, despite having the loud and terribly obvious sounds of a firefight going on.

Isolation comes in a close second to keep distractions out of the game. Passive isolation isn’t the best, but it’s always better than nothing. Leaving spatial width and depth last, despite still being important. With accurate spatial width, you’re able to tell the direction of the flanking enemy, making it easier to pre-aim at the location where they’re likely to break cover. This is especially useful in games like Valorant and CS: GO 2. You’ll still have to listen closely, since most people with good game sense won’t move quickly to make only footstep sounds until the last moment. With a good spatial depth, you’ll find it easier to tell how far a firefight is, and the easier it is for you to make decisions on where to go on a map if you’re playing battle royale games such as Apex Legends or Fortnite.

In competitive shooters, I easily separated gunfire, enemy movement, ability cues, and team communication. The bass doesn’t lose rumble, it’s never overbearing, and it doesn’t cover up team communication. The treble doesn’t have any sharp sibilance that can be distracting, and in a full firefight, there’s a lot of painful treble that can cover up other useful information, such as team communications. I find that, despite only having passive isolation, it tends to block out a good chunk of noise, and what does get through isn’t distracting compared to the game’s audio. For spatial depth and width, it’s odd that I can even tell if a sound is coming from behind me with scary accuracy, unlike most IEMs, where you can only tell that it is from behind. It’s even more accurate to the sides and front, to the point I can differentiate sounds above and below me.

The downside is that the ridiculous sound positioning accuracy can be distracting when you’re just playing a cozy game. It’s probably cool if your cozy games are horror-themed. The skittering of creatures feels like they’re crawling in the room around you. Mind you, I don’t like horror games, so I didn’t test it for very long in that scenario.

You would think that in action games, the Dynabird would do well. It does well; there are rumbles in bassy sections, such as explosions or earthquakes, but it’s not skull-rattling. The crack of gunshots doesn’t pierce your ears like it would if you’re right in the middle of the action. It doesn’t feel like you’re completely immersed in the middle of the action.

In dialogue-focused or story-driven games, the Dynabird does well. There’s a good amount of separation, so the dialogue is easy to understand while still enjoying the background music. The background music doesn’t overwhelm the dialogue, even in busy scenes where it tends to get loud during dramatic or tense moments.

Should you buy the Oriveti bleqk Dynabird?

For the most competitive edge, the Oriveti bleqk Dynabird is worth the money. It’s not going to make you an e-sports superstar overnight, but it can help make it easier to take steps into the professional scene. It does very well at providing all the information you need to make accurate decisions with your game sense, from ensuring you can hear team communication in a loud firefight to locating an enemy flank by sound. If you’re into action games, it doesn’t give off the skull-rattling bass or the immersive feeling like you’re directly in the middle of the action. Not that it’s horrible; it’s that there are better options out there.

What should you get instead of the Oriveti bleqk Dynabird?

While the Dynabird does very well in competitive shooters, it doesn’t immerse you in the action. For that, check out the Meze Alba, which is on the opposite end. I wouldn’t recommend them if competitive gaming is your main game, but they put you in the middle of the action. Cars feel like they whoosh past you at incredible speed, earth-shattering events feel earth-shattering with the rumble of bass, and almost every sound feels like it’s happening right in front of you. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a great all-rounder, there’s the Truthear Hexa, which is great if you’re a variety gamer who hops from genre to genre. It doesn’t excel at anything in particular, nor does it fail at anything in particular.

Oriveti bleqk Dynabird review: FAQs