64 Audio Ocean Review: A New Wave of Audiophile Listening

The wait is over: 64 Audio's newest flagship has arrived at the review desks of Audio46. The 64 Audio Ocean has been the talk of the audiophile town since its announcement. 64 Audio already has popular models like the U12t and the U18t that are highly sought after, so the Ocean comes in as one that stands above the rest. What does this $4k IEM sound like? Is it worthy of the flagship title, or do 64 Audio's other models still take center stage? Today, we'll be breaking down all the small details of this in-ear monitor and help you decide if you should take a dive into this Ocean. 

To start, we look at the physical design of the Ocean. 64 Audio keeps the same basic shape for all its IEMs, and the Ocean is no exception. Instead of having a faceplate that adorns the 64 Audio logo, the Ocean has grooves that are slightly non-uniform. It's a subtle, textured design that is effective in making it look like the sand on a beach with the champagne-colored exterior. The aluminum shell has a nice weight to it that makes the Ocean feel luxurious but not overly heavy, so it's comfortable to wear for long listening sessions. Like most other 64 Audio IEMs, you get a selection of compatible eartips included with the Ocean, but the nozzle is a standard size that allows you to use whatever third-party eartips are most comfortable for you. Personally, I found the Ocean very comfortable to wear, and with the Strauss & Wagner Comfortone eartips, they were stable to wear in the ear for long listening sessions. Even those with smaller ears may find these sit very nicely in the ear without needing too much adjustment. 

With this $4k IEM, the sound out of the box is not the only sound you get. Included in the packaging for the Ocean are interchangeable filters. There are 32 possible combinations you can configure, with the back vent filters and stainless steel screens available to change along with the apex modules. This allows you to customize your sound signature to fit exactly the profile your ear prefers, all without having to use external gear or tune with a DAC's EQ. This passive acoustic control is not something you see very often on IEMs, and it makes the Ocean stand out above the rest. 

Speaking of DACs, I paired the Ocean with a couple of different DACs and amplifiers to see what it paired with best. I kept to the portable form factor, using DACs like the A&K HC5 and the iFi GR 2 MT. Both of these were good matches and had great synergy with the Ocean, delivering ample power to get the most out of the in-ear monitors. You don't need to use something overly powerful like a desktop amplifier, but a nice DAC to clean up the signal from the source really helps get clear, detailed sound from the Ocean.

• Color: Champagne Copper
• Material: T6061 Aluminum Shell & Machined Faceplate
• Driver Configuration:
  • 1 tia High Driver
  • 1 High-Mid BA
  • 2 Mid BA
  • 2 Low Cone-to-Cone Isobaric DD
• Frequency Response: 5 Hz – 22 kHz
• Cables: 0.78mm 2-Pin 
  • 24 AWG 4-Core Litz Cable
  • 99 Strands Per Core
  • Silver-Plated UP-OCC Copper
  • 0.29 Ω Total Impedance
• Sensitivity: 103.7 dB/mW @ 1 kHz
• Impedance: 9.5 Ω @ 1 kHz
• Apex Isolation: -10db to -20db

SOUNDSTAGE & IMAGING

For my listening analysis, I decided to stick with the stock tuning and use the reference nozzles and filters. These are the ones 64 Audio puts on the Ocean preemptively, so I based my review on what you get right out of the box. That being said, when I was listening to the 64 Audio Ocean, I was immediately transported. It was a very immersive listening experience, and it had a great sense of horizontal space as well as an intimate detail reproduction. The midrange was the most forward, making the main melodies and vocal lines pop, but the bass extended outwards to make the profile deeper and more three-dimensional. Height in the Ocean's signature was slightly lacking, but there was still good vertical space for frequencies to ring out. I like the width of the sound field and how it gave big orchestras lots of space to separate out. You could pinpoint individual instruments with ease. 

Overall, the Ocean was well-balanced. There is a full bass response paired with bright highs that make the Ocean a pleasure to listen to. With the way everything wraps around you and becomes separated in the wide soundstage, you are fully immersed in your listening without having to do any manual adjustment. The extra filters are great for tuning the profile to your liking, and for those daring enough to, you could even use different filters for each ear. Personally, I liked the reference tuning the most, though the extra bass push from the red +2dB nozzles was a nice touch for some electronic tracks. The standard tuning with the reference nozzles makes the Ocean a great contender for a pair of reference IEMs that musicians and engineers may find useful for their projects. 

BASS FREQUENCIES

The Ocean produces a strong and punchy low-end response. The depth of the sound signature is heard most prominently in this range, where the sub-bass really extends backwards to create a three-dimensional sound. The bass instruments were produced with detail and clarity to make them easily recognizable in the sound signature. You could hear how the bass kept up with the energy of whatever genre was playing, so you felt fully immersed in your listening. The drums slammed and were punchy with attack in hard rock and metal, and were equally complemented by textured string instruments in slower jazz tracks. The Ocean's bass wasn't overwhelming to wash out other instruments in the midrange or treble; instead, it was supporting the frequency response as a whole to be a stable foundation. 

MIDRANGE FREQUENCIES

To put the response of the Ocean's midrange in a few words: forward, detailed, and natural. This range made the Ocean the memorable earphone that it is, producing detailed midrange frequencies that make main melodies and instrumentation stand out. The horizontal space of the soundstage is also heard very clearly in this section, as the instruments separate from each other very distinctly to utilize all the space in the sound field. The vocals were pushed right to the front, making everything else filter around and behind them. Voices were reproduced very naturally and realistically, so the immersive quality of the Ocean was much more noticeable and present. The imaging and spatial detail only enhanced this range to make it perfect for large orchestras and ensembles with various elements. 

TREBLE FREQUENCIES

At the top of the frequency response, we have the treble frequencies. I was afraid the Ocean would sound compressed and hit a shelf at the top end, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it didn't. The soundstage gained a little height, letting frequencies ring out more naturally and dissipate smoothly. The high-end frequencies were bright and airy, coming in with precision that wasn't fatiguing or too sharp to make it overbearing to listen to. This range helped accentuate detail across the frequency range, as all those elements were able to brighten up with the space to grow into the ultra-high range. In electronic music, you could hear those electric ear-candy moments with precise clarity, and it made those tracks more fun to listen to with the Ocean.

What could compete with the 64 Audio Ocean? There aren't many IEMs that hit the $4k mark, but a lot of companies do have their version of a flagship that is worth taking a look at side by side. The two models I looked at to compare to the Ocean were the Noble Audio Kronos and the Final Audio A10000. The Ocean sits in the middle of these two in terms of price, but they all enter the same conversation when it comes to flagship IEMs. 

The Noble Audio Kronos was the first that came to mind when looking at flagship IEMs to go against the Ocean. The Kronos is known for having a particularly large shell with a textured interior. It is a heavier IEM, something that is similarly seen in the Ocean. The sound profile of the Kronos is very bright and super wide, so you are fully immersed in your listening. The Ocean presents a similar wide profile, but balances the bright treble with a strong and grounding bass. This is a quality that the Kronos doesn't have, which puts the Ocean as a better contender for those that want a balanced, reference sound. 

Similarly, the Final Audio A10000 is a lightweight, bright IEM with a shocking single-driver configuration. This bright IEM can be a touch overwhelming for some listeners, but the shell shape is very comfortable for all listeners. Compared to the Ocean, it's a lighter and more comfortable design that will appease those who are sensitive to the feel of their IEMs. In terms of sound profile, those who don't like a very present bass may gravitate towards the A10000, while those who don't like a piercing, forward treble would opt for the Ocean.

64 Audio impresses again with the release of the flagship Ocean. Its balanced signature with precise attention to detail is able to impress even the most discerning audiophiles, allowing you to listen analytically and just for your own enjoyment. The physical design of the IEM gives you premium comfort and flexibility for customization, so you are able to listen exactly how you like with the profile you create yourself. Paired with a nice DAC or portable amplifier, the Ocean is a fantastic audiophile listening experience that any IEM lover would enjoy. 

You can get the 64 Audio Ocean at Audio46.