My reference points are a IEM Astell & Kern T8iE-Mk2 and a On Ear Grado RS1 (excellent) but both are like comparing a BMW 3Series car to a S-Class Mercedes or above. For the price of this IEM i was expecting something exceptional and i was not disappointed.
Already when receiving and putting the IEM in the ear unimaginable surprises happen. I was not aware of my own ears being modelled after Japanese Ears (new Revelation!) but the Traillii fits from the first moment simply perfect - with the stock eartips. It is not too big, not too small - just perfect, it does not fall out (like the A&K did sometimes). I don't know how Oriolus managed to put 12 drivers in such a rather small confined area and especially with such a light weight - it is amazing to be honest. The built quality is outstanding and as expected for such a price tag - the cable is top notch - nothing can be done better - there is simply nothing to criticise even for the most demanding person.
I listen in one go for 2 hours and frankly speaking - i do not for one second even feel that i am wearing IEM's ! They just seem to disappear, they remain unnoticed and the only thing that remains is perfect music reproduction. There is no tweaking, no itchiness nothing - as I said - we (Europeans at least) seem to have the same ear shape like Japanese for some reason.
Now - to the audio reproduction. I am very passionate about highest quality Audio reproduction and do have a rather top notch Audio system with the best Amps on the market and Speakers of superior quality. This IEM can keep up with it but more so - due to the absolutely astounding sound stage this Traillii produces I can hear details that were hidden so far. Now there is a need to go back to listen to my whole music collection and discover new things. With Traillii I can hear every even minute detail - best test is done with Voice, Piano and Violin - they give the best comparison between natural sound in live environment and reproduction. Traillii simply is performing exceptional from deep deep bass to the top heights. It is simply a joy to listen to i.e. Marcus Miller (bassist) the depth of bass is simply unbelievable for such a small device - and it goes all the way up to the highest triangle sound. It has air and space - an orchestra sits virtually in-front of me - and a band is located precisely from left to right position. My sincere respect for the sound engineer in Oriolus - he really managed to make the outmost possible from this type of reproduction device - with his creation he came as close as anybody can wish to a real live environment experience. Is true, the Oriolus engineers went for the best, without any restrictions or compromises.
On the price level.
Yes they are very expensive and justify second thoughts - but let me put it this way. If I listen every 3 days for 2 hours (usual concert length) to music with Traillii in this exceptional sound quality - it makes 100 listening sessions per year and in 5 years it makes 500 sessions - if you take the 6K price then you arrive at 12 USD per listening session - compared to at least 70 USD ticket price for a concert in a hall (not even possible now under Covid-19) and you have your music available when and where you want. I think this is a very good price vs performance ratio. Sure this is not a real comparison but it puts relative to the price tag nevertheless.
Yes, you can buy cheaper IEM's - my A&K is not bad - and was 1000 USD at the time - but the difference is a few USD per listening session and the pleasure and excitement when indulging in your favourite music justifies this.
I was hesitant, i don't deny - i thought 3 times and read all available evaluations about Traillii and not only can I confirm the testers verdicts (which are glorious) but I absolutely subscribe to my decision to swallow the bullet and pay the price - good things costs - that is a reality in life - and in this time - as absurd as it sounds - the price tag is justified.
I just want to clarify - I am neither working for Oriolus nor any other IEM company - i am an IT Professional in Telecom and listen to music ONLY FOR PLEASURE and enjoyment - so my review reflects my honest opinion and is not by any means influenced by any external views or opinions. And I did write this review because i am happy with my decision, and thought to share it with you.
My thanks though go to Andrew from Musicteck who dared to propose me this IEM and who delivers outstanding customer service.