Delivery time: approx. 1-2 weeks

Szalayi II — Product details

The Szalayi II builds on the distinctive character of the original Szalayi and refines it where it matters most.

The Szalayi II is not about forcing technical resolution or bass impact for their own sake. It delivers a full-bodied bass foundation without letting vocals or individual instruments get lost in the soundstage, while preserving the natural coherence that made the original Szalayi remarkably seamless for a multi-driver design. Background quietness, vocal presence, sub-bass extension, and the balance and smoothness of the upper mids and treble have been refined even further.

Instrument contours are precise and articulate, while each note retains natural warmth and a gentle roundedness. Fine details stand out clearly without the presentation veering into clinical analysis.

This is the signature Oriolus sound: rich, immersive, and designed for true musical enjoyment rather than a mere technical showcase.

The Szalayi legacy, refined

At Oriolus, our sound philosophy follows a simple principle: listening to music should bring genuine pleasure. Within this philosophy, every Oriolus product develops its own distinctive sonic identity. The original Szalayi earned widespread acclaim in Japan and internationally for its dense, authoritative bass, full-bodied vocals, natural harmonic texture, and spatial presentation that vividly conveyed both individual instruments and the space and air between them.

For the Szalayi II, we fundamentally redesigned the interplay between the individual drivers, the crossover, and the overall acoustic architecture. The result is even sharper vocal definition, more convincing spatial imaging, and a noticeably richer bass structure.

Three driver technologies, one cohesive sound

The Szalayi II features a tribrid configuration: a 14 mm planar magnetic driver, a 10 mm dynamic driver, and a balanced armature driver, precisely tuned to make the most of each technology's unique strengths.

This combination prevents uncontrolled bloom and muddy mids, allowing speech and vocal articulation to unfold naturally. Even fine high-frequency information is fully preserved, lending added clarity and openness to the rich, full-bodied sound.

Vocals remain clearly defined and distinct, while the low frequencies—the foundation of the music—are given both depth and physical presence. Frequency ranges that can easily cause fatigue are carefully kept in check.

Vocals remain precisely separated from the accompaniment. The bass reaches deep without sounding loose or bloated. The highs are smooth and easy on the ears, while retaining their fine details and textures.

With its deep-reaching bass foundation and richly textured mids, the Szalayi II is particularly well suited to music genres driven by rhythm, groove, and emotional weight: hip-hop, R&B, soul, and related genres.

Key frequency response tuning decisions

A frequency response chart alone does not determine a headphone’s final sound.

The Szalayi II was tuned by considering the entire acoustic system: driver behavior, crossover characteristics, sound guides, internal enclosure volume, and fit in the ear. Through repeated measurements and critical listening tests, every element was refined until the desired balance was achieved.

Greater vocal presence and clearer articulation

The range around 1 kHz, which is crucial for vocal presence and intelligibility, was deliberately given a slight boost. As a result, vocals emerge naturally from the soundscape without being overshadowed by the instruments.

The goal was not simply to make vocals louder. Instead, the tuning makes it easier to perceive vowel and consonant shapes, subtle breaths, and the fine nuances of articulation. With female vocals and intimate acoustic performances, the tuning creates a special sense of closeness—as if the artist were standing a little nearer to you.

Even against the Szalayi II’s substantial low-frequency foundation, vocals remain firmly focused and present in the soundstage, retaining their body and definition. Female vocals open up with added airiness and extension; male voices gain chest resonance and foundation, while articulation remains stable even at higher volumes. Piano and guitar melodies stand out with comparable clarity, without artificially sharpened attacks.

For vocal-focused genres such as pop, R&B, and soul, this tuning makes the interplay between vocals and accompaniment effortless to follow, allowing the emotional center of the performance to come through clearly.

Sub-bass depth and physical air volume without mid-bass bloat

Rather than simply increasing the perceived amount of bass, the Szalayi II focuses on the lowest audible frequencies, between approximately 20 and 50 Hz. This enhances the sense of physical air movement beneath the music and gives the presentation impressive scale and stability.

The energy of kick drums and large percussion instruments, the spaciousness of a concert hall, the deep thrust of synthesizer bass, and the atmosphere of live events are reproduced with natural depth.

By avoiding excessive emphasis in the upper and mid-bass, the Szalayi II delivers a remarkable foundation without sacrificing openness or definition. The result is bass that sounds deep and controlled—not merely loud.

Natural definition and spatial depth with reduced listening fatigue

The 3 to 5 kHz frequency range, where the human ear is particularly sensitive to harshness and aggression, has been carefully controlled.

As a result, the Szalayi II preserves a high level of detail and clarity, but with noticeably less glare, harshness, and listening fatigue. Female voices retain their natural contours and textures without sounding shrill. With violins and acoustic guitars, the sound emphasizes not only the initial attack of the strings but also the instrument body’s resonance and natural wood character. Wind instruments, cymbals, and hi-hats retain their impact and metallic decay, while remaining pleasant and relaxing even during long listening sessions.

Ergonomic housing design for all-day comfort and consistent acoustics

The redesigned housings are individually handcrafted from high-quality resin from Germany.

Despite accommodating a large 14 mm planar driver and a 10 mm dynamic driver, the housing’s internal structure provides exactly the acoustic volume each driver needs, while its ergonomic outer shape follows the natural contours of the ear. The housing geometry and fit were perfected through iterative refinements to ensure a stable, comfortable fit even after hours of continuous use.

A secure, even fit also helps create an optimal acoustic seal, allowing the Szalayi II to retain its carefully tuned tonality without slipping.

The housings come in a vibrant Mandarin Orange (Tangerine Orange), giving the design a modern, fresh touch. The color also has traditional significance in Chinese culture: the character for orange, 橙 (chéng), is pronounced the same as 成 (chéng), meaning success and achievement — a visual expression of energy that suits musical dedication.

High-purity copper cable with dual shielding

The Szalayi II comes with a newly developed balanced cable featuring highly compatible recessed CIEM 2-pin connectors.

Made with high-purity copper conductors and featuring dual-layer shielding, the cable remains flexible and easy to handle while effectively shielding against external electrical interference. The result is a stable, precisely focused soundstage that ideally complements the acoustic performance of the Szalayi II.

Specifications