TRI I3

Unboxing
A nice box, fits everything the phone brings with it, my unit I bought used and it didn't come with a case, I usually use a case I already had with me, which comes with the Xinhs cables. Stock tips work great, but not the best for this phone. The stock cable is very honest, it works well

--Construction and ergonomics
The i3 have the configuration of DD (bass), Planar (midrange) and BA (treble), the whole metal body in a very shiny silver color, the earphone without any kind of sharp edges, quite comfortable, it has a median/shallow insertion but isolates well with the right tips, I never had problems with ergonomics even though it's a big iem

--sonority
*I listen to the headphones mostly on the balanced btr5 output (2.5mm) on a silver OCC 6N cable customized by a friend in Brazil, it is important to emphasize the amplifier and the cables as I noticed differences in the sound when changing both the cable and the source, Mainly the source. The tips I used Azla Xelastec and SpinFit CP100, I tested several tips but the best for me were these two

--Bass
The i3 has fatter bass, it has a lot of weight and the bass invades the mids, bringing body and a more pleasant texture, something more "soft". Talking about quantity, it's above neutrality but it's not a basshead, I think the i3pro has even more bass than the i3 og. Talking about the quality of the bass, it's amazing, the bass is played by a dd and has a great extension but it's not the best in the price range, I feel that the s12 for example reaches lower notes than the i3 but how are they totally different implementations, it's not a demerit, because the i3 is a few years old since its release. The bass manages to be quite fast even with a lot of weight, which is incredible, on the impact the i3 is milder, to really hear what the headphone can do you need to hear it in a more powerful amplifier

--Mids
The mids end up being invaded a bit by the bass, but that's not bad, Tri managed to implement this in an exquisite way, the mids have a lot of body and sound full, it's very pleasant to listen to the mids of this headphone and its texture, the voices they sound clean, instruments in the middle region like guitars, they have body but they don't lose their more aggressive texture, as happens in the Audiosense dt200 that doesn't deliver any texture, practically lol (don't curse me, please). The mids definition is great, I don't miss detail, everything I'm supposed to hear I hear, I don't feel like I'm missing anything

--treble
Highs are a step behind the rest, it's definitely not a brilliant headphone, however it is significantly different from the i3pro in that region, the Pro version has much less highs and airiness, the i3 doesn't hide anything, the instruments the timbres extend to the highs, like violins, like flutes, they continue with all their complexity, they lack nothing, they have good ventilation even though they are not the focus of this iem

Tecnicallits in general
The i3 is technically impressive, impressive. A 2020 headphone that still competes equally with headphones in the 150usd range, it plays at the same level as an Olina and an s12, with a different approach, but it doesn't leave anything to be desired, quite the contrary, it impresses, because it has a very well developed sound stage, the 1st headphone that made me understand what "layered sound" is, or "layering", on the i3 I hear the voices in front, guitars behind, bass and drums even further behind, the things literally have layers within the presentation, this is something impressive, because it is easy to distinguish, I already had the LetShouer s12, I have the Tripowin Olina (HBB version) and none of them present the stage in the way of the i3, it really is way above in that regard sound stage. In detail, it doesn't deliver all the details and all the textures of the music like the s12 does, but it doesn't leave anything to be desired, few times do we really want to hear all the details of the music, the s12 for example always shows you everything, but it's quite tiring, the i3 knows how to dose very well and never made me tired

Recommendations
Speaking about amplification, the i3 is not easy to play, it will not play well from the cell phone, even from the FiiO btr5 (240mw) it was not able to play at 100% capacity, only using the Xcan (1000mw, I don't know if it was the dac or the amp itself) the headphone has been transformed, gained more definition, more control in the bass especially the increase in dynamics, gained more impact and seems to lose a little weight but greatly improved the technical prowess, the mids gained more definition and the soundstage just got bigger, it's amazing what this headphone does when it's well powered. It works great from the btr5, but if you want to pull 100% from the i3, you'll need really good fonts

The i3 is a completely forgotten headset that many people don't even know about, but it's a rare gem because it's absurd what this headset does, if you find it and want a warmer and fuller headset, it's a great option, I particularly I prefer more neutral or brighter signatures, but the i3 does it so well, that I have this phone and I can't get rid of it.

Comparisons
i3 og x i3 pro
I3 og sounds more airy, more spacious and more open, it sounds more natural overall, the Pro sounds more basshead and much heavier in the mids, sometimes a little congested

I3 x LetShuoer s12
I3 sounds warmer, fuller and with more body, s12 sounds thin and thin, sometimes with strange timbres, due to the lack of body. S12 has a flat stage, the i3 bathes the s12 in the sound stage and the s12 is much more tiring due to a very strong peak in the high region, where it brings the drum cymbals too far forward and leaving some metallic things. The s12 plays very easily, a conexant dongle can handle the s12 well, the i3 doesn't, it needs a lot of power to show itself. I like to create some songs that the s12 tends to "punish", such as Never Enough by Dream Theater, From the Sky by Gojira and a recording of Mahler Symphonies conducted by Leonard Bernstein, where the s12 makes them much more tiring and boring , the i3 leaves things with more body, great texture and especially a much more developed stage, the s12 always brings cymbals to the front, the i3 always leaves them in the background, where they should be

I3 x Olina HBB
The i3 sounds fuller and heavier than the Olina, Olina is something more energetic/bright and the i3 is something warmer, both are excellent and complement each other perfectly, I have both for that very reason

A brief review. Most important points are already summarized in Pros & Cons.

I have purchased TRI I3 entirely with my own money, so really my own opinion, not a "quasy-nonbiased" one.

The purchase price was ~$120 ($150 Cad) on AE, without any extra coupons, while the price as low as $103-$105 was reported here - a really great deal for I3 given its overall capabilities, in my opinion.

Box/accesories: nothing impressive or very useful for me. The tips were tossed away, I use wide bores. The pouch, while nice, is hardly practically useful. The cable is OK, but I used balanced ones.

So TRI Through was a natural match for a cable (please feel your imaginary accolades how great the match was in accentuating what was needed to accentuate evoking the full power of imagination; or succinctly stating "transparency" of the cable for pragmatically minded).

Now, what is most important to emphasize is that in addition to a good source power, the synergy with the source rendering can be important to get the most of I3, in my experience.

Given I3 warmer, mid- and bass-oriented signature, resolving and crisp sources with unrolled treble worked the best for me, such as Fiio BTR5 and Shanling UA2 DAC with the phone - Sabre implementation ("veiled" velvet AK sound happens to be much less to my liking/preference).
My older Pioneer X30 has a warmer and somewhat treble-smoothened rendering of Sabre that matches well with my all-BA IEMs (naturally, it was the other way around) but does not match as well with TRI I3 for my listening preferences of predominantly classical music that is rarely overwhelming in treble.

Overall, I am really happy with TRI I3 (4.5-5 stars) as a really greatly complementary IEM in my simple collection that will be a part of my primary rotation for its great soundstange and seductive fluent mids.

P. S. Thanks to @ChrisOc & @baskingshark for their competent guidance to select I3

Disclaimer: This review set is a demo set graciously lent to me by a friend from his personal collection. This review is written of my own accord and all thoughts here are my own. For more reviews like this, drop by www.perrivanaudio.com!

This is a review for the TRI I3 IEM, a triple driver earphone. It has a dynamic driver, planar magnetic driver and lastly a balanced armature driver. This is probably one of the cheapest pair of tribrid earphones around. Without further ado, let's dive right into the review.

Accessories and Build Quality (Score: 7.5/10)



The TRI I3 comes in an understated black box, with a simple felt pouch and the two polished IEMs grabbing your attention the moment you open the box. Nothing too fancy and minimal but functional accessories.

The build quality is rather impressive, with an all-metal build and seem to be chrome-plated or polished, similar to the Moondrop KXXS. The large surfaces of shiny silver are unsurprisingly fingerprint and scratch magnets.

The included cable is a twisted 4-core copper cable which looks quite good when paired with the IEMs.



Fit (Score: 6/10)



I struggled with the fit of the TRI I3. This is one of the largest IEMs I have tried and the nozzle was really wide as well. I had trouble finding third-party tips that would fit the earphones and my ear comfortably. The IEMs have significant weight to them too and this weight is apparent when worn. These do manage to stay in the ear when I sit stationary so it's still passable as long as these don't fall out while listening.

Sound (Score: 8.1/10)


Sources Used

• Hiby R5
• Lotoo Paw S1

Albums and Tracks tested with

• Michel Buble - To Be Loved
• Dvorak New World Symphony - Berliner Philharmoniker
• Ragtime broadway Recording
• The Vamps Night & Day (Day Edition)
• Mama Mia Movie Soundtrack
• Sheppard - Animals
• Foster The People Houdini, Next to Me

Bass (Score: 8.5/10)

Trying these IEMs for the first time, the sub-bass really rumbles. The bass has a lot of quantity and there is an apparent sub-bass emphasis. This helps to create a strong yet defined low end without much bloat. The bass has good separation and texture, especially in songs like Foster the People’s “Sit Next to Me”. Bass lovers would definitely be impressed with the quantity and quality of the bass here. People who complained about the TinHiFi P1s lacking in the bass department would certainly be satisfied with the performance on these.

The best thing about the bass is the way it doesn't overshadow the mids or try to steal the stage for itself. A special mention is that snare drums had a nice timbre and impact on the I3s. The bass performance also does improve with decent amplification.

Mids (Score: 8/10)

Lower mids have a good texture, carried over from the bass. Male vocals are a little thrown back and unnaturally softer than the female vocals. However, they are still well-defined and have enough warmth to them. Female vocals manage to remain silky smooth with very nice clarity and tonality.

Upper mids are definitely more pronounced as can be seen from the frequency response. However, it can thin out at times. This is more apparent in trumpet instrumentals, where they can be a little piercing at times.

The TRI I3s aren't the best at detail retrieval and are a more musical IEM. On more crowded tracks, the I3 sometimes shows signs struggle as the sound a little crowded and messy at times.

Treble (Score: 8/10)

Treble is very safe on the TRI I3. It deftly avoids most sibilance. However, the lower treble peaks can be fatiguing when listening at higher volumes for longer durations. Other than that, the TRI I3 demonstrates good upward extension without excessive splashiness and plays a good complementary role to the mids. The treble doesn't have the best detail but is sufficient and sits safely in the "good enough for its price" category of technicalities.

Overall

The soundstage is not especially wide but above average. Imaging is pretty well done and enjoyable overall.

Turning the volume up too much kind of ruins the sound, especially on more powerful sources like the Hiby R5. There is a certain threshold on the TRI I3 where the sound signature transitions from pleasing into aggressively forward and messy. The I3s sounded decent straight from my phone, which was surprising, so users who intend to power it without an audio player or DAC would be delighted with this. This wouldn't have been possible with power-hungry IEMs like the TinHiFi P1. That said, amplification still has a significant impact on the sound.

The I3 is extremely source dependent in the sense that areas like the bass and lower mids certainly benefit from a higher power, however, listening to them at higher volumes would be rather overwhelming. It seems to unlock a different "mode" with the upper mids and lower treble getting shouty and overly "in your face". I especially liked the pairing with the Lotoo Paw S1 DAC, giving it a more organic sound while providing it with sufficient power.

Comparison

VS TinHiFi P1

The TinHiFi P1 is a single planar driver IEM released quite a while back. Right of the bat, it is immediately clear where what is missing on the P1 that the I3 has an abundance of - the bass. To me, the bass on the P1 is not anaemic but quite enough to keep the music enjoyable, especially when properly amped. However, the sub-bass extension on the P1 comes nowhere close to that of the I3. The P1 rolls off really earlier and lacks that bottom end support.

However, the overall tonality and tuning of the P1 are much more laid back, coherent and relaxing than the I3. I enjoy the overall tuning on the P1 more.

Fit isn't great from the P1 either, but its smaller size makes it more manageable and with foam tips, the seal is pretty good. With the foam tips, the treble is also tamed quite a bit on the P1 and I didn't find it tiring.

Conclusion



TRI knew what they wanted to achieve by designing this TRI-brid (haha), using each of the three different drivers to their strengths, with a dynamic driver and a balanced armature to complement the weaknesses of a typical planar driver. The subwoofer performance dynamic driver clearly establishes its presence, something bass lovers would love.

To be perfectly honest, the TRI I3 isn't going to be the best thing ever or even the best planar performance, but considering how difficult it is to execute a successful implementation of a tribrid, TRI does an amazing job at creating a coherent tuning that many would enjoy at such an affordable price. It still has its flaws, such as its detail retrieval and tonal balance is occasionally off, and the presentation of sound can get messy at times. However, it would be unreasonable to expect the world out of such an innovative release at such a price point and the I3 already presents decent value. The biggest issue for me remains to be the fit and comfort of these and the size of my ears makes it hard for me to comfortably enjoy these.