Introduction

The Original TRI I3s are the second model produced by TRI, a sister brand to KBear. TRI now has a range of five earphones available for sale as at the date of writing. The latest, a new iteration of the I3, being the I3 Pro. The question is, does the I3 Pro differ from the Original I3s? If so, how does the Pro set differ.

The new iteration, the I3 Pros were launched in September 2021 to succeed the Original I3s, the best-selling earphones in TRI's range.

This is probably the most time consuming review I have done to date. One of the reasons for the time it took to complete is that the two sets are incredibly similar. TRI may have intended to make the two sets sound alike, whether perfectly or not, I do not know, but, they are certainly almost identical both visually and sonically. It was a unique experience.

Another unique point is that most readers who are likely to read this review, are highly experienced audio enthusiasts. Even more interestingly, they are likely to own a set of either the Original I3s or I3 Pros or both, so your feedback please.

Note: I have reworked my review of the original I3s into this article primarily because they have (and also my opinion of the Original I3s has) not changed one iota. Therefore, I saw no need to alter what I previously wrote specifically in relation to the Original I3s. The few parts I have not significantly altered is done intentionally, not a short cut!

I have also kept some of the tracks in the sound check and added other tracks so as not to bore those who read my original article. All of which I hope are helpful to the reader of this article.

Original TRI I3
The Original TRI I3s were launched in August of 2019. They have a setup of 3 drivers, one 8 mm Planar Magnetic driver, one 10 mm Dynamic Driver (DD) and a Balanced Armature (BA).


The IEMs came in a small package including a cable, a soft velvety pouch and a selection of tips. However, the Original I3s have now been withdrawn from sale following the launch of the I3 Pros.

The soft velvety pouch which came with the TRI I3 is nice to the touch but as it is a soft pouch, it does not offer much protection for the IEMs.
The TRI I3 has been described as "ear potatoes" due to their size. They look and feel huge initially. They are shiny chrome pieces (which sounds "blingy") but they have a good look and feel. More importantly, despite their size, they fit my ears snugly and comfortably, without much protrusion. Isolation is very good and you get little sound intrusion.

The original cable on the Original I3s looks similar to the Tin P1 cable, which is a loose weave and copper in colour.

The new iteration - TRI I3 Pro
The new iteration, the I3 Pros, were launched in September 2021. We are informed that they use the same 3 drivers as the Original I3s, one 8mm Planar Magnetic driver, one 10 mm DD and a BA.



The I3 Pros come in a medium-sized package including a cable, a faux leather case and a good selection of tips. I bought the TRI I3 from the KBear official Ali Express shop with a generous introductory discount when they were launched. The retail price is $180.

The inclusion of the faux (or are they real) leather case is a good move but surprisingly, the KBear hard faux leather case is used for the first time on TRI products. To my eyes, these cases are very good looking. More importantly, they offer very good protection to the IEMs.

The cable on the I3 Pros is a mid brown cable which looks good, feels soft and is malleable. It definitely looks the part.

Comparison

General - They both appear to be very well built. It is noteworthy at this stage to point out that the Original I3s launched with MMCX cable connection (as on my set) which was later changed to two-pin connection. As far as I am aware on one occasion, the two-pin connection was reported as having fallen out of the casing. This appears to have been a design fault simply because of the fact that the re-design intended for altering the cable connection created another issue, which later became apparent on at least one set. I can only say, I have not heard of any other issues with the build quality or any other quality concerns with the Original I3s. Hopefully that bodes well for the I3 Pros. My Original I3s remain in good condition despite over 18 months of use and abuse.

Visual differences - Now that we have the TRI I3 Pros on the market and the "ear potatoes" are no more, what is obvious is that the Pros are smaller in size and feel less weighty. Though looking at them together, the feeling of déjà vu does not leave you. The Pros are exactly the same gorgeous shiny chrome pieces but smaller, and they also have the same feel as the Original I3s, even down to sounding like marbles when the earpieces (accidentally) hit each other.


More importantly, due to their smaller size, they should fit most ears as they fit my average ears comfortably, without much protrusion. Again, for me, the isolation is very good and I get little external sound intrusion.

The obvious and primary difference is the size, although not obvious at a glance, as already stated. The next difference I found are the vents: on the Original I3s there is a single vent just on the shell beneath the cable connection (when in the cable up position), whereas the I3 Pros have what appears to be four perforations which I take to be vents. Beyond those two visual differences, I do not see any other
During this comparison, I found myself on numerous occasions looking for the telltale signs to differentiate between them. If there were a prize for the perfect iteration with one brief size reduction, the I3 Pros must be there or thereabouts for top prize. However, these are IEMs, which means there is also the effect on the sound to consider.
In short, for those who do not want to read in detail, I am happy to say, both sets are very good and the differences in this comparison are marginal and arguably the sonic difference is almost imperceptible, but I must report that I notice a difference; others might also notice that they are not identical in sound reproduction and the extent of that difference is by a hair's breath. Both these IEMs are incredibly good, if you want to know more read on.

The Sonic Difference

My setup for this review
I paired them with Samsung galaxy note 10 plus and Fiio M11 as my source, and for amplification, variably: SMSL AD18, a Samsung dongle, Fiio BTR5, the HA FEE HA11 and the Littlebear B4X tube dac/amp, mostly balanced 2.5 mm and on high gain.

Method used for comparison
For the purposes of ensuring there is no variation, irrespective of my thoughts on the sonic attributes of cables, I used Dunu DW02 cables on both sets, the only difference being that one set of the DW02 cable is MMCX and the other is two-pin. I also used the same set of eartips, which are the off-white pair installed on the I3 Pros in the package. Thus the aim is to have exactly the same (in as far as QC is consistent) set up right through from source to earpieces, which is where we want to detect differences, if any.



On sonic differences, the first thing to point out is that the new iteration has been made easier to drive. Therefore, the volume difference is noticeable when switching in A/B testing the two sets of I3s.

I previously described the Original TRI I3, as being like speakers stuffed into the ears. My view has not changed, they have the big sound effect, which then gives perception of stage - not any old stage but a grand stage, to my ears. What makes them even better for me is that they scale very well. That was my original assessment and that has not changed: they both scale well.

Both IEMs are clear, detailed and with good separation. Although it must be said that they Original I3s are in their element with amplification, which brings out their full potential. Although easier to drive, the I3 Pros also benefit from good amplification. Just to reiterate the point, that is not to say that they are in any way inferior on a phone, you just get that bit better resolution as you give them more power.

Sound Check
You may want to put on your monitors of choice, useful (to hear your feedback) if you have either the Original I3s or the Pros, and check out the music using the links.

Bass
For me the bass is the backbone of (granted not all, but) most tracks. We usually think of the bass guitar and the kick drum as the source of bass. Yes, on many tracks they are the source of bass and timing (and this relates to the entire drum section) but there are more instruments which deliver bass to a track than we would usually give credit for. The point here is to say we lose a lot if we do not have the definition of bass notes and simply settle for, what is often called, the “slam”. They may not be for everyone but check out at least one minutes of each out.

On both IEMs, bass is delivered as recorded. You do not have a dominant bass tuning which is ever-present. I do not detect bass bleed on either. To my ears, both in terms of quality and quantity, the bass is just where I like it. Mid-bass is beautifully restrained. What does that mean? It simply means to my ears, the mid-bass has been tuned to be slightly less prominent in comparison to the more elevated sub-bass. The effect is that you get a well disciplined mid-bass, there when called for.

As I said in my review of the original I3s, where the recording provides for sub bass, the sub-bass on the TRI I3 feels like REL speakers: visceral bass delivered to your body without bothering with your ears. That rich and solid but tempered REL-type bass is a sublime presentation, in my view. To reiterate, what I stated in my previous I3 review, in contrast to the brutal bass on other so-called bass monitors (speakers, over ear headphones or IEMs) the bass does not attempt to knock you over the head like a thug with a blunt instrument. You know that type of bass that kills every note around it when it hits? That is NOT the bass on the TRI I3, the sub bass and mid bass here is mature, sedate and yet incredibly satisfying. Those who tuned the TRI I3 Pros have managed to capture this presentation of bass perfectly.

The difference between the Original and the Pros is marginal but, for me, the TRI I3 Pros keep the mature sub bass of the original with no alteration. The sub-bass on both the Original I3s and I3 Pros is a velvety, lush, deep and visceral bass. The good quality bass on both sets is well defined in that the notes are clearly discernible one from the other.

Fourplay's album Heartfelt contains a track entitled Chant which contains bass-heavy passages. Bass kicks in virtually at 03 seconds and sub-bass at 0.22. The bass is delivered with such wonderful after taste by way of the decay to every bass note and sprinkled with delicate mids and treble notes it just feels like the musicians are on a huge stage on the Original TRI I3.
The TRI I3 Pros do not disappoint, either. In fact, I find it difficult to differentiate between the two versions of the I3 when it comes to bass. However, there is something different about the TRI I3 and the TRI I3 Pros. The only way I can describe it is that the Original seems a touch more sedate and reassuring in their delivery.

Fourplay - "Between the sheets" - "Chant":

Midrange
I make no apologies for my love for a well implemented planar magnetic midrange. You probably love them, too, and that is why you bother to read this. When it comes to the midrange, namely voices and instruments that fall within it, planar magnetic drivers, as opposed to other drivers, for me have that quality to sound which makes it whole and complete without sputtering or stuttering.

Djelem Djelem - I have chosen this track because of the arrangement which allows anyone trying to listen to instrument separation the opportunity to do so with relative ease.

The implementation of the Planar magnetic driver makes the voice of Sandra Sangiao seamlessly whole and full-bodied, without relying on a relic of the DD bass for assistance. The instruments support her voice with clean, clear notes. Each instrument comes to the fore and gives the listener the opportunity to appreciate the clarity of the tuning of the drivers. There is a certain weight which the tuning of the planar magnetic drivers in both sets of the I3s give you. This, in my view, brings the midrange to life; they are tuned so realistically, where you get thin and fragile notes for mids, or bloated mids elsewhere, that they deliver weighty yet nimble mids. This means that whether you are listening to male or female voices, you get a whole, realistic and satisfying rendition of the range of the original voice.

Barcelona Gipsy Klezmer Orchestra. "Djelem Djelem":

Treble
Just as I previously said in the Original I3 review, the TRI I3 treble is delivered without fanfare, just right. Both the I3s’ treble is beautifully done to my ears, they both give you treble to the limit without sibilance. Listening to classical music, jazz and salsa was a joy. These two IEMs do sparkle quite well; in fact, on some tracks it is a very busy sizzle, with no fatigue.

They both present music which is harmonic and give you treble which is neither demanding nor exhausting.

Instrument separation
One of the wonderful features of the Original I3s is the instrument separation. These earphones are amazing at being able to give you a clear indication of the instrument you are listening to, so that effect is that instruments sound distinct one from the other. This is no accident, there are numerous earphones in this price range where the instruments are congealed, even if they attempt to separate the instruments at lower volumes, they fall apart as the volume is increased, especially on busy tracks. Both the Original I3s and the I3 Pros do not suffer the same shortcoming. What both versions of the I3s do is well above their price range, to my ears.

Chuck Magione: "Feels so Good":

Timbral accuracy
Both sets capture the timbre of instruments beautifully. They sound so realistic with every track but virtually come to life with orchestral music where the multiple violins, for example, just seem to sound like one authoritative instrument. I have included a track by Marcus Miller which in essence shows the different styles of bass delivery. I also include a link for drums to show the timbral accuracy of the combination of drivers and tuning.

Marcus Miller bass solo:

Aly N’diaye Rose and Lucas Van Merwjik: Drumix!:

Sound stage
The sound stage on the TRI I3 is just fantastic and feels so realistic. The TRI I3 Pros have managed to capture that wonderful perception of stage and do not disappoint by any means but in comparison with the TRI I3 they fall slightly short.

Listening to Dave Koz "Saxophonic” album - “sounds of the underground" on the TRI I3 is like being dropped on the front line of a battle between instruments with auditory weapons firing from all angles on both sets of TRI I3s. I followed that with Carlos Santana "Nothing at all" - a much calmer track but no less encompassing.

Dave Koz "Saxophonic” album - “sounds of the underground":

Carlos Santana - "Nothing at all":

Dynamism
One of the features I really appreciate on the Original I3s is the ability of the drivers to efficiently present sound in busy passages dynamically. The effect is that you hear passages which are prominent as the instrument or instruments in the fore are usually louder, whilst instruments softly playing in the background are still clearly audible. In short they do dynamism as competently as you would find in much more expensive IEMs. The TRI I3 Pros are no different in their presentation.

Conclusion
In conclusion to this comparison, I have to say these two IEMs are a credit to the TRI tuning team.

Do I think the TRI I3 Pros are a worthy of the mantle of the Original I3s, the answer is, yes, emphatically so.

Do I think they replace the I3s, the answer is, no!

The Original I3s, the ear potatoes, may not be impossible to replace to others, but appear to be impossible to replace to me. As the original design includes huge earpieces, given a reduction in size has acoustic implications, which cannot easily be replaced by vents.

However, the I3 Pros are 98% successful in their attempt to do the impossible. Where does the 98% come from? It is certainly not scientific, rather it is entirely subjective. The fact is, if you ask me specifically where the I3 Pros fall short by 2%, I will say, it may be the size of the ear pieces, or the vents, which may be in place to compensate for the reduction in the size of the earpieces. It may be tuning or the low impedance to make them easier to drive or simply time, and they may in time sound identical when the drivers eventually settle.

The fact is, if I had never heard the Original I3s, I would not be missing that 2% and when I put the I3 Pros in my ears, I cannot tell the difference until I do an A/B test, the I3 Pros are that good. Believe me, I tried hard to find the reason for the difference….that 2% (still within the tolerance for unit variation). All I can say is when I blindly place the
Original TRI I3s in my ears, I am immediately certain (I guess correctly) that I have the Original set in my ears from the sound (not the feel in hand, which is much more difficult to tell) but when I put the I3 Pros in my ears, I am not always certain which set I have in my ears. That to me shows that the TRI I3 Pros are a very good iteration of the exceptional Original I3s.

Just to end this comparison, I let the Saxophonic album run on and this track just captured the magical essence of the ear potatoes for me. I hope it does for you as well. If you are listening to the Original I3s.

Dave Koz "Saxophonic” album - “I believe":

Enjoy Your Music!

Note:
Thank you to @Poganin for giving up so much of his time to proof read this review. Much appreciated!

Intro

The Robin, is a product of the KBEAR brand, a recent release, which is intended to succeed the KBEAR Lark and boy have they done a good job!



Disclosure and Note
A review unit of the KEAR Robins was sent to me (at a nominal price) by KBEAR on the understanding that I would be free to give my honest opinion of these In Ear Monitors.

All opinions are my own with no influence as I avoid reading other reviews of the same item before I have written my review. I make an effort to ensure that I give the reader factual information.

On the issue of the honesty of a reviewer, I say to the reader of this review, you ought to read multiple reviews on any product you want to buy and read the opinions of those who have bought the item. Ask yourself if the reviews you read have given you, a similar opinion compared to what buyers said about the product. If and when you buy the item, you can then decide whether the reviewer is one who shares your taste in earphones and whether their reviews are consistent with what you hear.

For my part I say what I hear and how I hear it. Does, that mean the product would work with your gear? What about your music? Does your music play well on these? I try as much as possible to tell you how the earphones sound to me with the music I refer to here but I may not have the same source equipment as you do.

My setup for this review
I paired the Robins variously with Samsung galaxy note 10 plus and Fiio M11 (both portable)and SMSL AD18 (fixed), as my sources, and for amplification variably, Fiio BTR5, the HA FEE HA11 and the Littlebear B4X tube dac/amp, 2.5mm balanced on high gain. I used Amazon and Apple Music streaming services and local files on Power Amp and UAPP.

Synergy
An important point on the issue of what we each hear is synergy, the equipment I use is listed and if a set of earphones sound horrid on any of my equipment, I say so. Just so you are aware, I believe in the natural strike and decay as you would have with musical instruments live on stage, not representation of music synthesised for speed, so how fast the bass is on earphones is not what I look for, it is how natural the bass is. You often hear the bass is fast, in my view, that usually means the bass is not allowed its full natural decay. I hope that helps you understand what I listen for, and helps you make your decision.

The Robins are quite compliant, they are not fussy depending on the source. Yes, you will get greater greater detail and clarity with the ESS chips and a slightly darker sound on the AKM chips, but on the whole the Robins do not vary wildly from one source equipment to the next.

Form, Fit and Function

The Robins come nicely packed in a sturdy small size box, with the ear pieces displayed and then you have two further boxes, one containing accessories and the other a good quality fabric case.



The physical form of the Robins is a standard smooth kidney shape (without contours which mimic custom IEMs). For my ears the fit is quite comfortable and snug, although a few more contours would have made for a better seal and more secure. I have yet to test isolation outdoors. The zinc alloy face plate is beautifully done and sits on a resin or plastic inner shell. They have a bit of weight and look very good regardless of the colour you choose.

The Robin is a five driver (per ear piece) hybrid, which comes with 1 dynamic driver (DD) and 4 custom Balanced Amateur (BA) drivers. The DD is a 10mm Dual Magnetic circuit dynamic driver. There are two colours available, black and blue, which I presume is homage to the Robin, the bird, which lays blue eggs.

The Robin comes with detachable cables. The cable in the box is a standard 1.2m braided 4N oxygen free copper cable with a standard 0.78mm 2-pin connection to the ear pieces. At the other end of the cable is a standard 3.5mm gold plated plug. All I can say about the cable is that it is functional and adequate but my advice is get a balanced cable.

The face plate on the Robin is made of zinc alloy, which sits on a transparent resin or plastic shell. They look good and feel sturdy. They are medium sized IEMs, which fit quite comfortably in my ears and look quite good, to my eyes, with bird feather-like or fish scale-like indentations on the metal part of the earpieces, which although different from the Lark, are reminiscent of the Kbear Lark.



The Robins are rather easy to drive with the impedance at 18ohm and 110 decibels of sensitivity. You do not need to amplifier them excessively or at all to get good quality sound out of them. Your smart-phone will be quite adequate.

Prep and Variations from stock for this review

Burn-in - For those ho believe in burn-in. I only burnt them in for abut 24 hours and, at the time, in my view the dual magnetic dynamic driver had settled and produced a good quantity of good quality bass. I thought the drivers had settled, but the story does not end there, read about the tips journey.

Cable - The stock cable is fine for a £40 set of IEMs. Although I think it is useful to know how the IEMs work with everything stock, it is also trying to get the best out of the IEMs. I opted for a balanced cable after using the stock cable for a few days, which was fine but did not do justice to these IEMs. In my view it is worth using a balanced cable to get the true quality of these IEMs, and my review is based on using a balanced cable.

Tips - This was a journey and a half. Usually I stick to stock everything for reviews and then tell the reader what else I used but it was a bit different on this occasion.

After burn-in, I started with the stock silicone tips fitted to the earphones, as they were the only tips I received in the review unit. They sounded bass light for me, so I tried foam tips from the TRI Starlights and they lifted the quantity of the bass. However, burn-in continued showing smaller “improvements” manifesting itself in increased mid-bass quantity, over a week.

I am now back on green Penon silicone tips, to lift the treble a bit. The mid-bass is hard-hitting! Be prepared for your own tips journey.

The sound
In short if you do not want to read the whole review: To my ears, the Robins sound very good. I would go as far as to say they sound as good as IEMs in the $100 range and more.

The dual magnetic dynamic bass is a hard-hitter and the mids and treble are both beautifully presented by the four custom BAs. What more can I say, just read on if you want to know more.

I said in an earlier review that 2021 will be an interesting year for IEMs, if the KS1 were anything to go by. The Robins have kept up the expectations and they are a worthy successor to the KBear Larks.

Sound signature and presentation
The sound can be described as a shallow V-shape with highly prominent bass, mellow mids and sparkly airy treble.

The perception of soundstage is limited, in other words the sense of stage you get is not hugely expansive. However, when it comes to imaging there is a clear and identifiable perception of positioning of instruments within the stage. The imaging is obviously made possible by the clarity and separation of instruments which, to my ears, is better than anything in its price range that I have heard.

Both male and female vocals are smooth and lush without being overshadowed by instruments, as the mids are not excessively recessed. A good solo on the saxophone, or trumpet just bellows clearly and beautifully. Treble on the Robins gives you ample information and detail because of their airiness. Complex guitar solos, piano phrases are clear and detailed, this goes for high hats and cymbals.

Sound check
You may want to put on your monitors of choice and check out the music using the links.

Bass
The sub-bass is present but is less perceptible than you would find on, the Plumes for example. Do not misunderstand me, with the right track sub-bass is perceptible, but the mid-bass is elevated so that you hear more bass than you feel.

Generally, for me the sub-bass is felt as a relic of the bass guitar notes or kick drum impact, rather that at the moment of strike. For my taste the sub-bass could have been given greater presence, but I have to remind myself that the Robins are £40 IEMs. The mid-bass is of very good quality and delivers bass in quality and quantity which makes it easier to forgive the nominal sub-bass or the prominent mid-bass. You just have to beware that you will be hit by some serious mid-bass when playing bass heavy tracks and it has the tendency to overshadow other instruments in some passages. It very much reminds me of the ISN H40 in the extent of the elevation of the mid-bass.

Gregg Karukas - Only You:

This track shows the more sober side of the Robins’ bass. The steady rhythm of bass guitar is delivered with clear distinction in each note and intermittently you get the kick drum hit. Here the Robins show the quality of their bass. Whether you are a fan of the occasional hard hitting bass on the Robins, there is no denying the quality of the bass, the moment it strikes to the natural decay of the notes. I cannot help but enjoy the keyboards as well as the various percussive instruments sprinkled throughout the track.

Mids
The mids on the Robins is quite generous in their elevation for a v-shape, the mids on the Robins stand up quite well without overwhelming the listener. I find the instruments and voices have strong presence here. Female voices are rendered well and male voices no less so.

The bass does bleed into the mid range. However, it can be a question of preference, what I hear is a natural decay of instruments. I think this phenomenon is natural and represents a different sort of tuning compared to the tuning for electronic and pop music which tend to have truncated notes giving the impression of speed. How I hear it is, the note is not allowed to linger and to my ears it is simply more natural. For me that does not represent all listeners and some want to hear what they would hear if they were listening to a group using traditional instruments in a live setting.

Bob James and David Sanborn - Maputo:

This track show the attributes of the Robins in many ways. However, here I have used Maputo to highlight the instruments which generally occupy the mid-range. Specifically the saxophone skills of David Sanborn and piano solos of Bob James. This tracks is delivered smoothly and silk-like by the Robins.

Gregory Porter - Don’t Be A Fool:

I chose this track to illustrate the Robin’s delivery of both the male and female vocals. Despite the prominent bass, the Robin delivers a balanced rendition by Gregory Porter without making his voice sound coloured in any way. The harmony between the male and female voices here is just great, the Robin does this duet justice.

Treble
I love the treble on the Robins for clarity and resolution at this price it must be one of the best. The BAs are referred to as custom BAs. I keep wondering if they use the same BAs as the Starseas.They are seriously good to my ears. As I have said in the past reviews the KBEAR/TRI have got very good in house BAs in the HI-A. The treble is detailed with good separation and clarity.

Comparisons
I have chosen to use similar drivers configuration sets in this comparison. The difficulty is that I do not have 1 DD and multi BA sets in the £50 price range. I have multiple (single and multi) DD sets in that price range.

ISN H40 - 1 DD and 3BAs - The H40s have a beautiful sound and have great technicalities, good sound stage and imaging but like the Robins the mid-bass is, in my view, elevated slightly more than I would prefer, with just perceptible sub-bass, which in turn makes them mid-bass heavy. Although in my view the H40s are marginally ahead of the Robins, sonically, they are not four times ahead of the Robins, the H40s are only just ahead to my ears.

CCZ Plume - 1 DD and 4 BAs - Unfortunately I do not have the CCZ Plumes to hand to compare them, but from memory, the Plumes have more present sub-bass, less elevated mid-bass and are lush in the mid range, and the treble on the Plumes more airy, but at four times the price of the Robins.

Others vaguely in the price range of the Robins are the Tin T4s and Tin T2 Pros and the MT300 (at the reduced price). Apart from the fact that the drivers are different, all those mentioned (apart from the Tin T2 Plus) are more expensive than the Robins, yet the Robins do a good job of matching them in many ways, my only reservation being the elevated mid-bass, which lots of people just adore, if the ISN H40s are anything to go by.

What I am saying here is that the Robins punch well above their price point If you like hard-hitting mid-bass with great technicalities, you would like the Robins very much.

Conclusion
There is no doubt in my mind that the Robins have made a statement to their competitors! These have moved the inexpensive sets closer to the higher priced sets. This is KBEA/TRI showing their tuning skills, again. It remains to be seen if these disrupt the market.

Enjoy your music!

Intro
The Plume are earphones from a brand known as CCZ. They certainly stand out aesthetically. CCZ chose to bring to the market a golden set of earphones, dubbed the Golden Nuggets. Gold is not often a colour choice of most earphone brands, but when gold is the colour chosen it is usually for relatively dearer sets. Irrespective of the aesthetics, what most buyers would want to know is how the Plume present their music. In this review, I will do my best to convey what I hear to you.



Disclosure
I was provided with a review unit of the Plume by KeepHifi, for which I am grateful. In exchange, I provide my honest opinion of the CCZ Plume without limitation, nothing I say is given to anyone for approval. All views I express are my views. I am not influenced by anyone, and I am not paid to express any views positive or otherwise.

Product link: https://keephifi.com/products/ccz-plume

Form, Fit and Function
The contents Plume package is as follows:
The which are:
a selection of ear tips,
a cleaning brush,
a micro fibre cloth,
a set of adaptors, 3.5mm single ended, and 4.4mm balanced,
A cable. The 3.5mm and 4.4mm adapters adapt to a 2.5mm plug which is the plug on the two-pin cable.
A (smells like real) leather mid brown hard case, which has inscriptions (part in Chinese) on it.


The cable is a beautifully two strand spiral weave covered with dark brown fabric sheathed which is referred to as a 6N single crystal copper cable. It is soft and easily malleable. I use a similar cable (not woven) on my Blon B20 headphones, and I instinctively run my fingers on the cable while I listen to music because they just feel nice and soothing. I find myself doing the same with the Plume cable.

The leather hard case is capacious enough to carry a few things on the move, your earphones and you have a choice of about seven ear tips and the two adapters. In my view, the case is very nice looking and is a reasonable size and should meet the needs of most.

The golden ear pieces are said to have been designed with a large full metal dual cavity to enhance the sound. They are honed from Aluminium. I must say they fit snuggly in my ears with no need for adjustment once they are in my ears. They also isolate quite well, cutting out, what I guess to be a good 70% of external sound with no music, and with music, even at low volume most usual sounds are excluded. The ear pieces feel quite light, unobtrusive and most importantly almost unnoticeably comfortable for the wearer.
On the other hand for the external observer, the golden nuggets are clearly not discreet. My usual preference is for the more subtle adornments and in my view the more ostentatious and loud adornments should be used sparingly by earphone manufacturers. A spec of gold goes a long way in a calm but well tailored attire, whereas a huge and loud glob of gold or silver screams, LOOK AT ME! I also find that the more subtle the presentation the less effect time has on it. As you can imagine from your old photographs, the impression of something dated clearly stands out, especially if it is loud. Having said all that, where does the Plume fit in the subtle-to-loud spectrum? In my view, the design in terms of the shape, is very well executed. In terms of the colour scheme, the insertion of the closely knit black mesh on the face plate and the use of the dark brown fabric sheathed cable together act as a foil to considerably tone down a potentially blingy set of earphones.



Although I do not believe the earphone world needs another name which is an “alphabet soup”, the name of the brand is generally, not our reason for buying the earphones, instead it is the sound and reputation of the brand which attract us to the earphones, but I have to say the use of the name CCZ in crafting the logo and the fact that the logo is etched onto the earphones presents very well, in my opinion. Altogether, I would say well done for design. They feel solid, let’s hope they stand up to the test of time both in terms of their the choice of colour and build.


The Plume are a hybrid set with a 10mm Dynamic Driver (DD) and four Balanced Armature (BA) drivers. The DD is a dual magnetic driver which is intended to make the the DD fast and responsive. There are two different sorts of BAs both customized by CCZ, the CCZ IF-A for the mid-high frequencies and the CCZ HI-A for high frequencies. In my view they have accomplished their goal. The Plume is a very well tuned set, in my view, with an emphasis on reproduction of musical stage.

My setup for this review
I paired them with Samsung galaxy note 10 plus and Fiio M11 (both portable)and SMSL AD18 (fixed), as my sources, and for amplification variably, Fiio BTR5, the HA FEE HA11 and the Littlebear B4X tube dac/amp, 2.5mm balanced on high gain.

Synergy
I have to say that the Plume is a fussy set for pairing. The Plume are very easy to drive and do not require an awful lot of power. However, you get different presentation depending on the source. On the M11 the Plume sounded good without much fanfare. On the Littlebear the mid-bass was quite prominent but the mids and highs receded quite a lot, in short awful. On the HA11 all frequencies were well presented, except the mid-bass which was more bloated (although not bad quality) than on the Fiio BTR5 and the SMSL AD18. The Fiio BTR5 sounded magnificent and brought out a well balanced sound and so did the SMSL AD18.

The Plume are quite revealing of badly recorded and mastered tracks, in fact they are unforgiving on poorly recorded tracks to my ears.

The sound in short
In short if you do not want to read the whole review: The look, feel, fit and build quality appear to be quite good. These being a new set of earphones from CCZ, only time will tell about build quality. In terms of sound quality, the Plume are beautifully tuned set with the signature being highly expansive and revealing sound. However, they are fussy both on poorly recorded tracks and with some gear. When equipment and track are well aligned, your details are presented with distinction on the mids and highs and your bass is very well defined both for mid bass and sub-bass, to my ears. The mids and highs very well presented. To my ears, what stands out on the Plume are the imaging, layering and sound stage. The sound is big and enveloping with superb detail retrieval and resolution to reveal all. It seems a lot of effort has been made to tone down sibilance in the treble, that in effect tames the treble extension a touch, which for some is a good thing and for others not such a good thing.

The sound in detail
The Plumes are easy to drive and consequently come across as quite loud but that is not to say they are shouty.

The Plume presents with cleanliness of sound, instrument separation and stage. The HI-A having been used on by TRI on the Starseas is proof of their detail retrieval and precision. The IF-A appears to be a driver from the same stable and they definitely excel as do their sibling, the HI-A. Add to that the dual magnetic DD and you get a very interesting and highly resolving instrument of sound reproduction to my ears.

The sound is grand, it just takes you and wraps you in your music giving the perception of a wide stage but listen out for a particular instrument and it stands out clearly. You cannot help but notice each of the notes as they are delivered.

The sub-bass gives you a weighty feeling to notes outside the human hearing register without dominating. The mid-bass has great texture and presents highly responsive fast,to my ears, but measured and realistic.
Sound check
You may want to put on your monitors of choice and check out the music using the links.

Bass
The sub-bass quality is sublime, reminiscent of the TRI I3 to my ears. It is well defined so that a double bass, bass guitar and kick drum give you a good sub-bass sensation. The instruments characteristics are not lost in the weight and definition of the bass even when inaudible. However, in terms of quantity of sub-bass, my ears tell me the TRI I3 have slightly more to give in visceral bass. Sub-bass is more a potent relic of the instruments at the moment the key is struck and/or the decay of that instrument, rather than tuned to focus on the sub-bass which would give more impact. In my view it is not a bad thing at all.
To my ears the mid-bass has a similar quality in that it does not slam so much as to dampen the quality of the mid-bass or cause the bass to spill over into the mids. Here the quantity is also sufficient but, again it not quite give you the quantity you will find in say the TRI I3. I have to say it has been well done so that it is well restrained, in my view.

Chris Jones - Long After You Are Gone:


Peter White - Bueno Funk:


Long after you are gone, the words are poignant and may evoke lots of thought, but in the context of this review I want you to focus on the solid bed of sub-bass.

As a composition of music, particularly music with words this meaningful, the sub-bass represents a huge bed of comforting sub-bass to envelope and cosset you. At 0.16 seconds, the sub-bass rolls in and gently takes you through those meaningful words.

Mids
The IF-A mids are pleasant and well rounded, again the emphasis appears to be the expanse. The mid range gives you a lot of information, given the efficient layering the mids are clearly detailed with enough weight to make voices both clear and yet retrained. I have to say, although a piano gives you the full range of the sound spectrum, many piano compositions are not rendered well if the earphones are either bass biased or treble biased. It is the measured approach the Plume tuning has taken which makes them so beautiful to listen to a piano pieces, guitars and voices.

Papa Wemba - Maria Valencia:


Melody Gardot - Baby I’m a Fool:


Euge Groove - A Summer Night’s Dream:


Granted, not only are live recording not the best recordings, but also YouTube may not give you the best quality, but here Papa Wemba and his musicians attempt to make you join in. Yes, we all do not understand the language, but we all understand the rhythm, even if it is not your style of music just let your hair down, that is what the Plume do with their presentation of music.

Treble
Again, the HI-A drivers show their worth in the Plume. I am not a treble-fiend and as I have discovered by those who are treble intolerant, my level of tolerance for treble is high compared to theirs.
Does that mean I sit perfectly in the middle between the treble-fiend and the treble intolerant? All I can say to those who read my reviews is your views are appreciated. I can only tell you what I hear.

We are here for the Plume, so what do the tweeters sound like. This is where I refer to the graph, which shows a obvious attempt to tame the highs. In my view the restraint of the treble was successful, I think there is neither too much nor too little sparkle here. As usual it is a question for the individual but if I fall in the middle for treble tolerance, that is a good compromise.

Guitara Azul - Tre Lagimas :


Massenet - Meditation from Thais- Perfomed by Nicola Benedetti:


The charming layers of guitar work is enchantingly on display in the Guitarra Azul track, Tre Lagmas. While the bass line is held steadily, you then have strumming in the background rhythm section, then beautifully Spanish Flamenco style guitar plucking. Don’t miss the percussion instruments peppering their way throughout the track. That is my point, the Plume present to you the stage, there is plenty detail but the focus is to present you with atmosphere and when you close your eyes the Plume take you places.

Comparisons
Here are a few earphones compared to the Plume.

Starseas
I compare the Plume to the Starseas primarily because they both use the HI-A drivers for the highs. However, I have to say the two earphones implement HI-A differently. Whereas the Starseas do not hold back in highlighting the extreme highs the HI-A can deliver, the Plume show the drivers as restrained but competent. Arguably, not going for the extreme satisfies a lot more tastes. However, on balance the Starseas to me are rather special and are exceptional, these are very close sets which present music differently.

ISN H40 (unmodified)
As I have been reminded by a Head-Fier, The driver combination in the Plume is similar to the diver combination in the H40s. The H40s have a huge following and many love the tuning. The Plume does not have the bass impact in the H40s style, to me the excessive mid-bass tuning of the H40s, which overshadows the sub-bass and much else is where, in my view the H40 falls short. That is not to say the H40s are not good earphones, no, I like so much about them. The plume on the other hand rather seeks to present different aspects of the music, more the emphasis on layering, imaging and stage. There is the argument that where imaging is good, the stage is truncated, not on the Plume, which manage to do both well. The Plume makes music expansive. Whereas the H40s marginally display a lot more detail and resolution with a huge dose of bass.

MT 300
The drivers used on the MT 300 are TDK electrostatics for highs and they are very well done, they are smooth and provide detailed highs. The bass and mids are also quite good on the MT300s. However, they are just edged by the Plume in all frequencies to my ears.

Conclusion
The Plume are a very well implemented set, some may think the Plume is a safe set but I think those will be people wanting the extreme ends of the reproduction of their music, more bass kick or extended treble. It strikes me that the aim was to make a beautiful earphones that just allow the music space while highlighting the instruments in that I believe CCZ succeeded. Go back and listen to each of the tracks for expansive stage and for those who buy the Plumes, then listen again when you get a set of Plumes.

Enjoy your music!

TRI Starshine

Introduction
The Starshines are the most recent In Ear Monitors (IEM) produced by TRI, a sister brand of the KBEAR brand. The earlier models are the TRI I4s, the TRI I3s, the TRI Starlights, and the TRI Starseas.



Disclosure and Note
TRI kindly provided me with a review unit of the Starshines for which I am grateful. In this review, I provide my honest opinion of the TRI Starshines without limitation, nothing I say is given to anyone for approval. All views I express are my views. I am not influenced by anyone, and I am not paid to express any views positive or otherwise.

Form, Fit and Function
The Starshines come in a fairly reasonably sized package in which are: a 2.5mm cable , a hard silvery fabric case, a selection of tips, a cleaning brush, and, as an indication of TRI moving further upmarket, a set of adaptors, 3.5mm single ended, 3.5mm balanced, and 4.4mm balanced, all of which adapt to a 2.5mm plug and all the plugs are angled at 90 degrees. The package I received did not come with a cleaning cloth as the publicity images show, if that matters to anyone reading this review.



The cable is an incredibly soft eight strand weave which is referred to as copper and silver plated mix. The cable feels soft and so malleable it feels more like a jute rope rather than a wire cable and it does not tangle easily.

All the plugs are well made with the 90 degree design which is both practical and effective. You can swap plugs with ease without having to change the cable. I see no difference in quality, practicality or versatility when compared to the Dunu cables with patented plug systems, a couple of which I have.

The TRI Starshines’ hard case is the TRI silvery fabric covered cases, used in the Starlights and Starseas which closes with a nice magnetic clamp. It is capacious enough to carry what you require to pop out the house with your earphones and earphone essentials. In my view, although a reasonable size, it could do with being a bit smaller. Yes, the silvery case does its job and is a good size but I much prefer the KBEAR brown leather case for looks size and feel.

The Starshines’ are a hybrid setup with two Balanced Armature (BA) drivers and dual Sonion Electrostatic (Est) drivers . The Sonion Est drivers are proven to deliver brilliant high frequencies.

There are two different types of Knowles BA drivers used in the TRI Starshines. The 29689 is tuned for mid frequencies, and the 22955 handles the low frequencies, a welcome surprise reproducing BA bass that are exceptionally rich and full!

The shells are made of medical resin. They are transparent below the face plates. The face plates themselves are not transparent and, like the Starseas, have swirls of colour of various shades of blue which merge into earthy brown and whites. The shells are light and feel smooth and seamless, and they are relatively average size compared to the I3 and the starlight shells. For me, they fit incredibly well with very good isolation. I have not seen a vent on either ear piece yet, which could be because they are not required given there is no Dynamic Driver (DD) in this setup. I heard very little sound intrusion with the sound off and while playing music. I have yet to use them in a windy setting, so I cannot comment on how they fare in the wind, but if I am right and there are indeed no vents, wind noise should be minimal.

The face plates patterns appear to be individual, each pattern being slightly different from the other, that means the pattern on your pair are unlikely to look the same as the next pair.

My setup for this review
I paired them with Samsung galaxy note 10 plus and Fiio M11, as my source, and for amplification variably, a Samsung dongle, Fiio BTR5, the HA FEE HA11 and the Littlebear B4X tube dac/amp, mostly balanced 2.5mm and on high gain. For the purposes of this review I used stock tips, mainly, the white tips.



The sound in short
In short if you do not want to read the whole review: They require a lot of power but they are beautifully tuned with the signature being analogue-like to my ears but that is not to mask technicalities. A notch up from the TRI I3 with detailed in highs, mids and beautifully textured weighty bass. Most importantly no details are lost anywhere in the frequency range. To my ears, timbral accuracy of instruments is up there with the best. Initialy I thought sound stage however, is decent but not expansive. However, on some tracks sound stage was huge. All I can say is that there is more to discover with the Starshines. If you love your vinyl-type sound signature, you are in for a treat with the TRI Starshines.

The sound in detail
The sensitivity of the Starshines is a heady 98 dB and impedance is specified as between 33 and 100 Ohm. It follows that these are not easy earphones to drive. I used the HAA FE HA11, which I thought that with 1mW of power (as it is advertised) or the Fiio M11 would pair well with the TRI Starshines.

As it turned out, to my ears, the synergy between the Fiio BTR5 and the TRI Starshines is such a joy. That wonderful analogue sound which is so elegantly reproduced by the TRI Starshines is so well amplified by the BTR5.

The effect of the high sensitivity and low impedance is that you need to crank up the volume. The high volume (not quite loudness) gives the Starshines this massive and energetic sound.

I have to say that the TRI Starshines are so incredibly good with that analogue tuning, so much so that I get the same feeling I had as a child, when listening to my father’s jazz music, through those his big old speakers on Sundays. I just want to kick my slippers off and lie down on the sofa and just let Sunday slowly and gently fad into Monday.

The Starshines are neutral but they take the bias expressed by the music, so the effect is that a track with a heavy bass bias is rendered just like it was intended, the only exception is the added reverberation of the analogue tuning. What you need to consider is that these are extremely high resolution across the frequency range so the detail you get is so revealing of the best and worst in the recording. Any noise in the recording is revealed. Having said all that, I believe the Starshines are more forgiving of poor recordings than the Starlights are of poor recordings.

However, what struck me is the extent to which the treble extends on both ends of the frequency spectrum, bass and treble. The treble extends incredibly well and the bass no less so, while the mids appear to be substantial, lush and coseting, yet forward enough without taking over. These are just remarkable for their ability to give you high notes and incredibly low notes as the track requires but to my ears are not V-shaped.

The sound signature is what makes the difference, they are tuned to have that extra little reverberation which is laced across the top of the frequencies, so that what you hear is the unique analogue sound. To my ears the sound signature is absolutely fantastic.

Instrument separation, Imaging, Stage, and Timbre,
Often you hear the argument that it is rubbish to say earphones sound like full sized speakers, they are just not capable of giving you the perception of “volume and space” as full-sized speakers do. Well shut your eyes with the TRI Starshines in your ears and you will get the nearest you can to earphones sounding like full-sized speakers, to my ears.

The detail cleanliness and clarity further gives the listener the ability to focus on and follow a particular instrument and thus clearly identify and pick out instruments with ease. The perception of being able to locate specific instruments within an imaginary space is therefore further enhanced, but the sound stage did not initially, come across as vast, it appeared to be more intimate, not expansive. This is until I tried a few other tracks. They may have more to reveal.

Timbral accuracy is superb and it is amongst my top 3 earphones for reproducing the true sound of instruments. Further, to my ears, the TRI Starshines reproduce cymbals better than any earphones I have heard to date. Cymbals and high hats are reproduced to a T!

Sound check
You may want to put on your monitors of choice and check out the music using the links.

Bass
The Knowles 22955 delivers the best BA bass I have ever heard, and even more so, its implementation in the Starshines is one of the best bass tuning I have ever heard regardless of the type of driver.
The speed of attack is on point, but the Knowles drivers as tuned here, matches the very best DD bass in the every respect. This is not a brutish thud or slam. We have all heard of an iron fist…..no, not on the Starshine, what you get is the velvet glove, softly delivered, but can be lethal and appears to be infinitely effective. The decay of the bass notes are also delightful without intruding on the mid frequencies.

The mid-bass is not tuned to slam aimlessly, it is tuned to reflect the subtleties of the recording, so with a good recording you get a rich, disciplined and mature bass. What surprises me most is that the timbre of the Knowles BA is as good as any DD bass can deliver, which is why it is on a par with the IMR Aten, which to my ears is the best DD bass I have heard, in bass qualities, such as dynamism (the ability to do soft, loud, hard and subtle bass without difficulty).

The sub-bass feels so satisfying (that betrays my preference for sub-bass) as you are transported to the recording venue and feel the resonance of the instruments as you would in a live setting, it is rich, full and enveloping. The Starshines’ sub-bass drills bass from the deepest darkest depths which the track you are listening to has to offer. Clearly I have not tried every earphone but it will come as no surprise to me if this is the best implementation of bass there is. I believe I am not alone in the view that one of the most exhilarating effects of sub-bass is that feeling that it sucks air away on some notes, the inverse of airiness of treble.

Scary Pockets - I’d rather go blind -
Hauser - Albinoni - Aagio for strings -

Zhao Cong - Moon Light on Spring River:

With thanks to fellow head-fier @Poganin, Moon Light on Spring River is a true sound check for sub-bass. Note the sub-bass at 0.56 seconds and 0.59 is inaudible on some earphones. Many earphones first register the sub-bass at 1 minute and 10 seconds. The sub-bass on the Starshines does not disappoint, you hear it all, while it is reproducing the very detailed highs and mids beautifully as well.

Mids
The Knowles BA renders the mid frequencies effortlessly, so that it is almost on a par, if not on a par with any planar driver for the richness of the mids. Whether you are listening to the piano, saxophones or guitars you get a full and well-rounded mid frequency. I simply cannot fault it, except to say, if you want forward, shouty mids look elsewhere. The mids here are tuned to carry the weight of the mid-bass without sound like an artefact of bass-bleed forcing is way into the mix.

Teddy Swims - I can’t make you love me -

Santana - While my guitar gently weeps -

Peter White - Caravan of dreams -

Treble
There is no doubt that the Sonion tweeters are highly accomplished speakers and their implementation by TRI is a true testament to the person or persons who tune these.

Just fantastic. The detail retrieval across the frequencies are superb, and that is reflected beautifully in the treble.

High notes are just a joy to listen to, and as stated above, there is no hint, to my ears, of strain or sibilance. In fact, it is best described by the TRI marketing team, as exquisite. To my ears, these are of the highest quality.

Check out the cymbals on the Scot Hamilton track, “The Shadow of your smile”, from the album, Ballad for Audiophiles. The notes of the piano and the cymbals decay so beautifully and almost indefinitely.

Schidler’s List OST -
Scott Hamilton - The shadow of your smile - [for Cymbals] -

Cafe del Mar - XIV - Viva Cuba Musica -

Note: Remember, YouTube recordings are not always of the highest quality.

Comparisons to TRI products
I have to say, I am impressed by the range of products. Where do the Starshines fit in the TRI range of products?

I3
I recently went back to listening to the I3s and if I did not have them, I would buy them today, they are still very good today. As previously stated, the sound of the Stashines is analogue, thus reminiscent of the I3s. However, the technicalities are well above the I3. The balance between sub-bass and mid-bass is much more considered and well tuned. Where the TRI I3s have a bias towards sub-bass, in my view, the Starshines have a better balance which means for those who felt that the TRI I3s’ sub-bass was excessive for them, the Starshines will not disappoint. The mid-bass just complements the sub-bass, rather than being dominated by the sub-bass. Do not get me wrong the Starshines have highly potent bass, which is more proportionately distributed to my ears.
The mid frequency on the Starshines is so well tuned that they will give any planer driver a run for their money. There are truly lush, and make any voice, male or female sound full and rich. Musical instruments are rendered beautifully and realistically. Here again an upgrade on the TRI I3s.
Highs, which are often said to lack extension on the I3s is clearly extended, clean and detailed with the Sonion electrostatic drivers, as you would expect from Sonion drivers, they sound like there is nothing missing and are not strained. Just wonderful. The I3s do sound stage better than the Starshines, in my view.

Starseas and Starlights
Well the Starseas and Starlights are bunched together here because they are tuned to be brighter sets which are more analytical than the analogue tuning of the Starshines. I believe the TRI Starseas are so beautifully tuned, they far exceed their price category in quality both for details and clarity, they are simply technically exceptional.

While the Starlights are the jewels in the crown, resolution, resolution, resolution. I am yet to be persuaded that there is anything in any of the three “Stars” which is better value for money. The resolution and clarity of the Starshines are on a par with their siblings, in as far as an analogue tuning allows. Obviously, with the analogue-like tuning the emphasis will be on harmonic representation of your music rather than analytics.

Comparisons to other products

Meze Rai Solo
Arguably, the Rai Solos have been on the market for a while and have had some accolades in that time. unfortunately, when compared to the TRI Starshines, the lack of resolution, the highs which just fall short and the lows which drop off at the mid-bass, but above all, do the Rai Solos do not have the dynamic range and texture of the Starshines. Forgive me the pun, but the Starshines far outshine the Meze Rai Solos to my ears.

IMR Aten
To my ears one of the most beautifully crafted earphones in terms of sonics available. Yes, better than the more costly sibling, Opus Mia, to my ears, and compared to the Starshines, the Aten are just slightly outshone by the Starshines. They both do bass like no other. Here I am talking about bass definition and quality, so that what was recorded with the cello is textured and they both pick up and represent the cello differently from the double bass, so that you hear the instruments as if you were in the room of the recording.

The kick drum reverb is so visceral that it digs down to the darkest depths of your music.…..at the same time the delicate reverb of the cymbals ring on almost endlessly.

That is how beautifully, they both deliver the highs with great detail and clarity It is at the mid frequency that the Starshines pull away from the Aten, even though the Aten is exceptional at rendering beautifully lush mids, to my ears the Atens are just eclipsed by the Starshines in the mid frequencies and of course, cymbals.

Conclusion
The current TRI range, the I4s, the I3s, the Starseas, Starlights and Starshines, places TRI in the rarefied upper echelons of TOTL earphone manufacturers and ought not to be taken for granted simply by virtue of price. These TRI products bring the high-end sound to the market at a lower price, without compromise on sound quality.

Enjoy your music!

PS:
Do bear with me, I know there are those who prefer not to refer to the earphones in the plural, in effect, Starshine(s). If you happen to find my habit irritating, do bear with me. I just cannot refer to shoes as shoe when I mean a pair of shoes, in the same way I see earphones as a pair, hence my reference to them in the plural.

Some might say, but they are bridged by a cable, and I refer you to spectacles, which are also bridged. I only say this here so you understand my view. Ok, enough of this, I want to read your comments on this review, good or bad, I intend to learn from it.

Disclosure
A review unit of the KEAR KS1 was sent to me (at a nominal price) by KBEAR on the understanding that I would be free to give my honest opinion of these In Ear Monitors.

The usual retail price of KS1 is in the region of £14 - £18 and obviously lower during sales.

All opinions are my own with no influence as I avoid reading other reviews of the same item before I have written my review. I make an effort to ensure that I give the reader factual information.

Intro
The KS1, a product of the KBEAR brand, is a recent release, not to be confused with the KS2, which has been on the market for a while now.
My setup for this review
I paired them with Samsung galaxy note 10 plus and Fiio M11, as my source, and for amplification variably, a Samsung dongle, Fiio BTR5 and the Littlebear B4X "pseudo tube" DAC/Amp, mostly balanced 2.5mm on high gain. I also used the Fiio Music Player Application, but primarily the PowerAmp v.3 Music Player Application plus YouTube Music Application, Amazon, Idagio (for classical music) and Soundcloud streaming Application.

Form, Fit and Function
The physical form of the KS1 is a standard smooth IEM shape (without contours which mimic custom IEMs). They are light in weight and look very good regardless of the colour you choose.

I like the contrast between the black cable end on the white buds, while the black sets have a nice sheen to them. For my ears the fit is quite comfortable and fairly snug.

Although, I have to say, I imagine their isolation of external sounds may not be exceptional. I have not had the opportunity to test the isolation with current lock-down in the UK. However, for everyday use it has been very good at isolating everyday sounds.

The KS1 has a Dual Magnetic circuit dynamic driver. The KS1 comes with detachable cables. The cable in the box is the standard 1.2m braided 4N pure copper cable with a secure TFZ 0.78mm 2-pin connection to the ear pieces. At the other end of the cable is a standard 3.5mm gold plated plug. Of course, you have the option of a microphone on the cable, although I opted to get the uninterrupted cable (no microphone).

The KS1 are rather easy to drive with the impedance at 16ohm and 109 decibels of sensitivity. You do not need to amplifier them excessively or at all to get good quality sound out of them. Your smart-phone will do the trick.

The sound
In short if you do not want to read the whole review: The KS1 impressed me because they give this wonderful impression of a sense of space. What do I mean by the sense of space? The sound produced by these IEMs is one that appears to be wide and coming from all around you, rather than two small ear pieces. They are V shaped giving good sub and mid bass, which to my ears is fast, the mids are recessed but give you clear presence so as not to feel you lack information in the mid spectrum of the frequency range.

I must say, if this is what we get for budget IEMs in 2021, this will be an interesting year for IEMs. They are impressive to my ears at under £13 to £14 in the current Ali Express sale. These are analogue type sound with the emphasis being on the harmonic rather than the analytical.

Bass
The sub-bass feels full in terms of sonic quality in that they sound well-rounded, but you do not feel a huge mass of sub-bass, rather the sub-bass is present rather than prominent.

The mid-bass is more emphasised and for me it is the quality of the bass which stands out, it does not overwhelm, so that it is not thumpy or lumpy, it is smooth and relaxing.

The fact that these are dynamic divers mean that they represent the sound of instruments in a natural and realistic manner.

Jonny Guitar Watson - Ain’t that a bitch:

Sufficient but not excessive bass, is how I perceive the bass on the KS1. On this track, there is the potential of ear damage on some monitors. This track can be presented as heavy and invasive bass but not on the KS1 to my ears, it is well-mannered with good quality.

Mids
The dynamic driver gives you a recessed but very well presented mid-range. You will not get a shouty mid range here….BUT….. I have to warn that these are easy to drive which means that you can blast your ears out out with the volume you generate from these earphones.

That is not to say, at reasonable volume levels, you will have a shouty presentation of the mids, because they are not tuned to focus on the mid range, to my ears.

Bob Baldwin - Lately:

The track starts with a smooth piano piece on a Yamaha which is mesmerising. Incredibly beautifully presented by the KS1. The advantage of of the KS1 to my ears, is that because they are so easy to drive, if you want more of a mid range focused track like this, you just increase the volume and you get nothing less than a forward presentation of the mids.

Clearly, it goes without saying that if the track is focused on other frequencies, your mids will not be the focus. However, on tracks like this track, Baldwin’s version of Stevie Wonder’s Lately, the volume just brings his piano work to the fore.

The Fairfieldfield Four - These Bones:

These are four Acappelo singers with a DEEEP voice baritone. The presentation by the KS1 is a healthy does of a good voice, which sounds realistic and satisfying to my ears.

Treble
The treble on the KS1 is not shy, it is clear and present, as you would expect from a V-shaped IEM set. The treble is not only present, it is detailed with good separation and clarity.

The treble is also enhanced by the wide sense of space which the tuning of the KS1 gives one. The presentation being analogue type harmonic tuning, gives you the sense of being surrounded by the music, quite expansive and enveloping.

Stan Getz and Charlie Bird Jazz Samba - Quincy Jones, Big Band Bossa Nova:

I have linked to the full album because, for those who like this type of music, it is worth listening to.

This track just puts you there, in amongst the bossa nova big band, with the sound coming from every angle. The detail is not lost, the KS1 does not use big surround sound to hide the lack of detail. You still get good clarity and separation of instruments.

Conclusion
I keep wondering, if this is what we get at the sub £20 range in 2021, what will we get at the £1000 range. I am not by any means saying these are better than £1000 sets, what I am saying is that this puses up the quality we get at this price range so much that it appears to squeeze the ranges above. Is the market ready for the bunch-up?

I suspect it will be an interesting year for IEMs.

How would we justify the cost as we go higher up the price range. I am intrigued and looking forward to what IEMs we get in 2021.

Enjoy your music!

TRI I4 Review

Disclosure
I believe it is my duty to disclose to readers whether the item I am reviewing is bought, loaned or given to me to review. Where I say nothing relating to whether or not the item is a review unit, it is because I paid for the item which I am reviewing.
In the case of the I4, I was given a review unit (at a nominal price) by TRI on the understanding that I would be free to give my honest opinion of the I4.

All opinions are my own with no influence as I avoid reading other reviews of the same item before I have written my review. I make an effort to ensure that I give the reader factual information.

Intro
The TRI I4 is the first In Ear Monitor (IEM) made under the brand name, TRI, a sub-brand of the KBEAR brand. The later models are the TRI I3, the TRI Starlight and the TRI Starsea.

As with all TRI IEMs, thus far, the I4 is a hybrid, a two-driver hybrid to be precise with one Knowles Balanced Armature (BA) driver and a Composite Dynamic Driver (DD). The price is currently hovering at the 70 USD mark.

Form, Fit and Function
The TI I4 comes with a black two strand cable which has angled MMCX on one end and on the other end the I4 cable has an angled 3.5 singled ended plug. They also come with a velvety pouch, and a selection of tips. There are two colour variants for the heart-shaped outer aluminium casing of the IEM, a mid metallic blue and a bronze/brown colour, which was my choice. The casing is small in size, feels, they come with two pin-hole vents and a TRI logo which appears to have been laid on the shells. They sound marble-like just as the TRI I3s do when the ear pieces hit each other, I love the sound of marbles, but I try to avoid my precious IEMs getting damaged in any way I can, so it is a rare event. They are much smaller than the I3s with the size more olive-like than “ear potatoes” size but the similarity in feel between the I4 and the I3 is clearly noticeable but the similarities are not limited to look and feel.

For me, and I would imagine for most, the small shells fit incredibly well with the effect that the isolation is good. Despite one vent being placed directly underneath (when fitted) each ear piece, I heard very little sound intrusion either with my music playing, I heard a bit of sound from outside with the sound off but it is quite good, probably cutting out 70% to 75% of external sound, obviously much more with music playing. I cannot comment on how they fare in the wind.

My setup for this review
I paired them with Samsung galaxy note 10 plus and Fiio M11, as my source, and for amplification variably, a Samsung dongle, Fiio BTR5 and the Littlebear B4X "pseudo tube" dac/amp, mostly balanced 2.5mm on high gain. I also used the Fiio music player app, but primarily the PowerAmp v.3 music player app plus YouTube music app, Amazon, Idagio (for classical music) and Soundcloud streaming app.

My test variation from stock
I initially used the stock cable and tips but I felt I could get more out of the TRI I4, so I opted to use the cable from the Tin Audio, T2 plus and the Misodiko silicone sheathed foam tips. My view is that if TRI had introduced the I4 today, they would not have chosen the stock cable.

I have to say at this point that I3s are so very easy to drive, and although as stated above, I did some cable and tip rolling, I did not feel the need to listen at high volume.

The sound
In short if you do not want to read the whole review: The I4s are very good baby I3s, with an analogue like the I3s. Unlike the I3s the I4s have tube-like sound. Quite detailed in highs, mids and bass. The similarity in the analogue sound signature between the I4s and the I3s is noticeable, especially in that mature bass, so well implemented. The differences are that the I4 laced across all frequencies with a “sprightly tone”, which sounds similar to the distortion (but not discordant distortion) a tube amp adds to music. These are clearly unique despite their similarity with the I3s. Another stand out feature for me is the imaging and stage at this price.

Bass
To understand the tuning of the bass, think of the bass of I3s laced with a fizzy tube sound. In essence for me the I4s bass is big bass, rich and full, done right. The mid-bass tuning is measured with a healthy dose of sub-bass without loss of detail. For me even though the bass is fast, it does not have the feel of fast bass which sounds thin and lack the fullness or body you would want, for example, in a good orchestral piece or other instrumental rendition. When I first heard the I4s I immediately recognised the pedigree the I3s inherited. This is rich, mature bass, that hits hard when required to but does not seek to knock you over with every not….just mature! Unlike the Starlights and Starseas, the bass bias is unapologetically obvious and ever-present, this makes them a fun set.

Henrik Freischlader - I Loved Another Woman:

Listening to this track shows the dynamic range of these IEMs. Whilst you get a good and powerful bass impact, it is just so well rounded bass, so that you do not feel assaulted. These IEMs give you such a good dynamic range, that you hear as much detail in the bass at the same time you hear details in the triangle and the guitar high notes, all at the same time and distinctly audible.

You also get great stage and imaging, and instrument separation which puts these IEMs way beyond their price range.

Kyama - Long After You Are Gone:

Mids
The BA delivers mid treble beautifully, although not forward, you get a good amount of the emphasis to enjoy vocals, guitars, piano and saxophones with feeling you have to alter the volume or even use the equaliser to alter any track due to recessed mids. Yes, in comparison to the I3s, the mids are not as lush, but the BA mids in the I4s stand proudly on their own and give me plenty of joy.

Nicolas Cole - Snap:

The track starts with a smooth piece which is effectively the refrain. Your ears are then massaged by a saxophone gently coming all calmly underpinned by a steady and drum rhythm and sprinkling of high hats , cymbals and other percussive instruments. The I4s bubbly spriteliness just handles this track so beautifully, as it does many tracks.

Earl Klugh - Calypso Getaway:

Ed Sheeran - Andrea Bocelli - Perfect Symphony:

High Treble
You would have thought like its sibling, the I3s, the I4s would hold back on the highs but although, not focused on the highs, it does not hold anything back. Of course the tuning does not go as far as to make these V shaped. This is definitely U-shaped and gives you such clarity, nothing at all is lost. What sets these apart is the I4s keep that bubbly laced tones right through the frequencies, so you get a certain additional sparkle at the top

Tim Bowman - Soul Dreams:

This track gives us a further example of the dynamic range of the I4s. This track holds a steady bass rhythm as its backbone, and then the instruments are a huge range giving you a great sensation. The I4s again take the full range in their stride and the highs are so fulfilling, not too high yet missing nothing at all. Good pop and fizz, crackle and tingle.

Frederic Chopin - Nocturne in E-Flat Major, Op. 9, No.2:

Conclusion
The I4s do not have the planar mids of the I3s, nor do they have the ESTs the Starlights have or the new TRI BA found in the Starseas. Nonetheless, do not let the £50 or $68 price fol you. The tuning is so well done, that you hear details in the treble that go well beyond the price range, while delivering mature bass, full and detailed. The dynamics are superb and so is the stage, as one headfier said, it is almost holographic. All the time infusing the fizz of a tube amplifier in your ears.

Another fellow headfier said to me, he can imagine, “a little old man” sitting somewhere in the TRI offices, carefully poring and pondering over every detail of the tuning of TRI IEMs. Apologies, if you are that person (the tuner of TRI IEMs) and you are neither male nor old. This just denotes an experienced, patient and efficient person doing a job with dedication. I am sure for the headfier (who said that) made his statement as an indication of our appreciation of your work. To come up with four superbly tuned IEMs, each with distinction in what they do, yet uniquely differ from each other, is remarkable and worthy of praise indeed.

Enjoy your music!

Links
AliExpress:
￡51.77 21%OFF | TRI I4 1BA+1DD Hybrid in Ear Earphone Running Sport Technology HIFI earplug with 3.5mm MMCX Earbud
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mtaqpTJ

Also available on Amazon.

In the Starlight, TRI released its version of the recently fashionable Tribrid earphones which incorporate Sonion Electrostatic (EST) drivers. These are now competing with an increasing number of players offering EST drivers, but the various offerings are by no means inexpensive. The Starlight falls at the lower price range of the recent EST fad.

The IEMS come in a medium sized package including, a cable, a hard case and a wide selection of tips.

The cable is nice and soft, ends in a 3.5mm plug, which is connected to the ear pieces by 2 pin. The cable does not tangle easily. The TRI Starlight’s hard case is similar to the Tin T4 case but instead of a PU leather covering its covering is a grey/silvery cloth which closes with a nice magnetic clamp.
The TRI Starlight IEMs are made of, what they call, medical grade hybrid resin shells.

They are made to order, what choices the buyer has is not immediately clear because there were no alternative face plates, no choice of 2 pin or MMCX was offered. What “custom” definitely means is that you have to wait 5 to 7 days for IEMs to be made. Your IEMs will be made only after you make our order and they cannot be returned after your order is complete. I was also able to specifically request, no logo or any inscription on my IEMs.

The ear pieces look very good with smoky transparent lower shells and dark face plate with specks of gold, each face plate with a unique subtle pattern. They are not small but not too big either, they are approximately the size of the TRI I3, which, for my ears, fit snugly and comfortably and flush. I have no issues with isolation which is very good.

Technicalities
The TRI Starlight comes with 3 types of drivers, one 10mm Carbon NanoTube (CNT) Dynamic Driver, two Balanced Amature (BA) drivers and 4 EST drivers, each pair with a minute external amplifier, that makes it 7 drivers per side. These are fed through to 3 channels out of the spout to your ears.

The 2 Balanced Amatures are also made by Sonion and serve to deliver the mid treble with a huge range covering male and female voices quite effectively.
The Sonion electrostatic tweeters are for the are, as I understand it, 2 tweeters and 2 super tweeters.

Impdence is 12Omh plus/minus 20% and sensitivity is 12db plus/minus 3db.

The sound
In short, these are absolutely superb in sub-bass, mid-bass, mid treble, highs and super-highs. Read on if you want my more detailed view on the Starlights.

The sound signature of the Starlights is more reference or monitoring than tuned with any frequency bias.

My view is that the highs stand out but it is not because it is tuned to give greater prominence to the highs and super highs. Mids are gloriously subtle, not shouty and instruments registering notes in the mid range frequency give you clean and beautiful sound.

The mid-bass is fast and deep. However, there appears to be some elevation or prominence in the sub-bass than on the TRI I3 (where the recording offers sub-bass) which I absolutely love.

I am not treble intolerant, so I cannot say that those who are treble sensitive will not be affected by the plentiful detail delivered by the mid and high treble drivers.

The Starlight drivers are so competent, that the detail they deliver are pin-point and precise but also those details do not take away from the harmony, so you can enjoy a relaxing time with them. Yes, they will work on your phone with a dongle, and even better with a bit more amplification, but they are at their best with greater amplification.

What blew me away was using them on my SMSL AD18 dac/amp. Although not the most powerful headphone amplifier, these are IEMs and the AD18 gave plenty power and made the Starlight deliver beautiful high quality sound. For the purposes of the review, I did not use EQ.
You may want to put on your monitors of choice and check out the music using the links.

Bass
Bass on the Starlight is as recorded, in other words, the mid-bass is not prominent or elevated. It is not boosted. What was mixed in the mastering of the track is what you get. In essence the bass is both visceral and provides mid-bass which is dependent on the recording so does not appear to be boosted and sub-bass which is deep and rich in texture.

Chris Standring - Sneaky -

Chuck Loeb - Rock With You -

Ronny Jordan - Laidback -

Jeff Lober -

Mids
The Sonion BAs deliver mid treble with such subtlety you will feel like you are enveloped in the most cosseting chair. The mids are lush and sublime, no voice or instrument sounds over-done.

Count Basic - Joy and Pain -

The sublime voice of Rebecca Ferguson, is delivered with such aplomb, it is just divine. In my view the reason is quite simply the Sonion BA drivers are highly competent and may have been tuned specifically for a huge range of voices without excess.

Rebecca Ferguson - Nothing’s Real But Love -

Dave Koz - Sound of the underground -

This is where the TRI Starlights deliver their masterpiece. I have never heard better highs. The top end sparkle brings out notes of which I had not previously taken note (pun unintended but apt).

The timbral accuracy [credit to @IEMusic for the term, "timbral accuracy"] is so vivid. Cymbals, High hats, the lightest string on a guitar, violins all have such magnificent realism but also become more noticeable for their musical contribution. The triangle sounds so good on the Starlights, I now see the humble triangle in a new light. A bit ironic that you have to shell out on more expensive (although not the most expensive) IEMs to hear what may be the most inexpensive instrument on stage at its glorious best.

Listening to Cafe Del Mar 14 is an indication of what I found with these IEMs, where the recording warrants it.

“Viva Cuba Musica” begins with the picking of guitar strings and the Trumpet belts in, all the time you have various percussion instruments giving you shimmering sounds up top. At the end of the track, all of this goodness comes to an abrupt halt…..but…..the resonance of the tingling instruments continue to ring in your ears for a few seconds more. I have heard this track in other IEMs but the sparkle is special on these, then at the abrupt end the resonance in your ears sound so good and they appear to linger on a bit longer than on other IEMs as they fad away. It is like the after taste of good food, you do not want to spoil it....just enjoy it a bit longer.

Cafe del Mar - XIV - Viva Cuba Musica -

Again on to the next track “Sentosa” Starts with traffic noise, cars, helicopter and siren. This is followed by the sound of water, then piano notes, then shimmering percussion, then the drum kicks in with a calm, heartbeat rhythm, although this is not a track with a particular harmonic thread, it certainly gives you lots of calm instrumental nourishment for the soul.

Sentosa -

The final track, “I Believe” begins with an easy saxophone and more sizzling and tingling goodness. The TRI Starlights bring out all of the tracks, and listening is just divine.

I Believe -

Imaging and Sound stage
The imaging and sound stage on the TRI Starlight is brilliant, delivering a wide sound stage. It feels like nothing is missing. Yet the Starlight is so relaxed and harmonic, yet detailed. In tandem with the fantastic imaging you have the perception of a wide stage.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the TRI Starlights are sublime to my the ears and in my honest belief, the Starlights are near perfection with one caveat, which is that they may not be for those who are treble sensitive, but they are certainly for those who like details with distinct highs, sublime mids and good rich bass. Why do I say, they are near perfection when I could not possibly have heard every In Ear Monitors? Just my opinion and maybe someone else will confirm my view in the near future.

Enjoy your music!