OKCSC M1 Review

The OKCSC M1 is an on-ear headphone with a design and with a sound signature clearly inspired by Grado headphones. I know nothing about OKCSC other than they seem to have started by making replacement parts for some well known headphones and obviously decided a few years ago that they could use that knowledge to assemble their own headphone and use some of well known headphones as “inspiration” for their own designs.

m1-marketing.jpg

I purchased these during the Black Friday AliExpress sales mostly after a long chat with a friend who loves his Grado headphones. Not that I thought these would be good but more that I liked the look and thought it might be fun to see how this type of on-ear style feels. At the same time, I also decided to purchase a cheap USB Dongle with PEQ capabilities to play with tuning the m1 to my liking. So, I thought in total for less than $40 it might be a bit of fun.

Read on to find out.

Introduction

This review was born from a casual conversation with a friend about headphones. He’s a longtime Grado fan and loves the unique wooden aesthetic, the comfort and sound signature of his headphones. That discussion led me to explore similar options during the Black Friday sales, and the OKCSC M1 caught my eye, more specifically the $35 sale price.

So what did I get for this purchase

Unboxing and Build Quality

The OKCSC M1 comes in minimalist packaging: IMG_3630.jpg

Inside the box, you’ll find a simple carry bag which given the price I was impressed that it came with: IMG_3631.jpg

Once you open the bag you get: IMG_3632.jpg

The headphones themselves look pretty good: headphone.jpg

But the detachable cable is not the best quality, though at least it is a detachable cable: cables.jpg

Still overall for the money, I am pretty impressed with what you get.

Build Quality

The M1 features a wooden housing that gives it a premium, vintage look. IMG_3846.jpg

The earcups are lightweight and well-crafted, with the wood finish adding a touch of elegance. There is also a satisfying click when you connect the cables: IMG_3641.jpg

The headband is sturdy but lacks sufficient padding, so ultimately not that comfortable: headband.jpg

The extension mechanism is reasonable with slots to allow for larger heads: IMG_3636.jpg

I do like the mixture of wood, metal and plastic in this design: IMG_3635.jpg

Though I did notice my unit has a slight crack in the plastic: IMG_3643 Medium.jpeg

I also noticed that OKCSC advertise that various parts of the headphone can be replaced which I do think is a good idea for long term repairability:

parts.jpg

Comfort and Fit

So obviously as an on-ear headphone, the M1 rests directly on your ears: IMG_3648 Medium.jpeg

And the earpad material itself is not the most comfortable with only a little bit of cushioning for your ears: earpads.jpg

The clamping force is also a bit on the strong side though this did loosen up after a few days.

Note: If you’re used to over-ear headphones, the M1’s on-ear design may take some getting used to and obviously not recommended for isolation.

Here are some measurements of the size of earpads so they do a reasonable job of covering your ears:

IMG_3845.jpg width1.jpg

Leakage and Isolation

One of the biggest downsides of the OKCSC M1 is its poor isolation. Like most open-back or semi-open headphones, the M1 leaks a significant amount of sound. This makes it unsuitable for use in quiet environments or around others, so not that great to use in a working environment (which is a shame because of how nice it looks).

Sound Impressions (Out of the Box)

Out of the box, the OKCSC M1 has a sound signature that can be described as bright and bass-light. Here’s a breakdown:

Bass

The bass is underwhelming. It lacks depth and impact, making the M1 unsuitable for bass-heavy genres like EDM or hip-hop. Sub-bass is almost nonexistent, and even mid-bass feels recessed.

Track Reference: “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish – The bassline lacks the weight and presence it deserves.

Midrange

The midrange is decent, with vocals and acoustic instruments coming through clearly. However, the brightness in the treble can overshadow the mids, making them feel slightly thin.

Track Reference: “Someone Like You” by Adele – Vocals are clear but lack warmth and body.

Treble

The treble is overly emphasized, bordering on harsh. Cymbals and high-pitched instruments can sound piercing, especially at higher volumes.

Track Reference: “Take Five” by The Dave Brubeck Quartet – The treble is too forward, making it fatiguing to listen to.

Soundstage and Imaging

The M1 offers a fairly intimate soundstage, with limited width and depth. Imaging is acceptable for the price, but don’t expect pinpoint accuracy in complex tracks.

Track Reference: “Hotel California” (Live) by Eagles – The soundstage feels narrow, with limited separation between instruments.

Specifications and Measurements

These are the offical specifications:

Feature Specification
Style Semi-open Back
Transducer Type Dynamic Driver
Cable Type Dual 3.5mm
Weight 192g (excluding cable)
Driver Diameter 40mm
Impedance 64Ω
Sensitivity 98 dB ± 3 dB
Frequency Response 18 Hz - 18,000 Hz
Color Zebrawood

But, given the EQ I will suggest later, that 98dB is slightly a problem if you play your music loud but also want to EQ this headphone.

Frequency Response:

The frequency response reflects pretty much my subjective opinions, no bass, decent midrange but lots of treble: graph-62.jpg

So, in summary: • A significant treble peak around 6 kHz • A steep roll-off in sub-bass frequencies • A relatively flat midrange

So I thought it might be interesting if I compared this to a typical Grado, so Crinacle has measured a bunch of Grado’s on his Hangouts headphones database: here

graph-61.jpg

So, you can see some similarities in the tuning, but the M1 takes it to an exaggerated level especially in the treble.

Distortion:

Before applying any EQ it can be worth checking out how the headphone handles distortion: L okcsc_m1 Distortion.jpg

And as a percentage: L okcsc_m1 Distortion Perct.jpg

So, the worrying aspect is the bass distortion, for this reason I decided to be careful not to boost the sub-bass with EQ.

EQ and HiMax USB-C Dongle Experience

To address the M1’s shortcomings, I paired it with a $5 Hi0Max (WalkPlay enabled) USB-C dongle that I had also bought specifically when I bought this headphone: withWalkPlay.jpg

and applied the following PEQ settings in the WalkPlay Application: walkplay-app-eq.jpg

These adjustments significantly improve the sound, adding bass and taming the treble a little but I did leave the treble a little boosted as I felt this is part of the appeal of a “grado-inspired” headphone:

With these adjustments, the M1 transforms into a much more balanced headphone: • Bass: Gains weight and presence, making it more enjoyable for bass-heavy tracks. • Treble: Becomes less harsh and more natural, reducing listening fatigue.

graph-63.jpg

While I could have moved it even close to a Harman curve I felt in the spirit of what OKCSC was trying to achieve this would be a better sound signature. It also highlights the potential of theokcsc m1 when paired with a good source and some EQ.

I did measure the distortion with this EQ applied and while still not great, I believe this would be ok under normal listening levels: L okcsc_m1-usb EQ distortion.jpg

Rating

These headphones are a mixed bag: they look great, sound decent for on-ear headphones after some EQ, but fall short in comfort and isolation. If you’re in the market for a budget-friendly Grado-inspired headphone and don’t mind tweaking the sound, the M1 could be worth considering.

So without EQ for me, they earn a 3-star rating, I love how they look but the default sound signature is like a Grado on steroids with even more overly emphasised treble, but with my EQ recommendation and if you are also a fan of comfort of on-ear headphones this could be a great purchase.

So, OKCSC M1 does earn points for its aesthetic appeal, price (especially at the $35 I bought it during the sale), the possibility of easily finding replacement parts, and then it has some good potential with EQ. But ultimately this on-ear headphone experience is not for me. My friend who started me on this quest actually like them but not as much as it original Grados.

Conclusion

The OKCSC M1 is an intriguing budget headphone with a Grado-inspired design and sound signature. While it looks great and has some potential with EQ, its bass-light and treble-heavy tuning make it challenging to enjoy without adjustments. Additionally, the on-ear design and poor isolation may deter some users.

IMG_3852.jpg

Overall, I enjoyed this little experiment and if you’re a fan of Grado-style headphones and are willing to put in some effort to tweak the sound, the M1 can be a fun and affordable addition to your collection. However, for those seeking a more balanced and comfortable listening experience, there are better options available at this price point.