TTPOD T2-E
 
Introduction
Today I’m going to be looking at the TTPOD T2-E, one of the cheapest triple driver hybrid headphones on the market, and an update to the somewhat disappointing TTPOD T2.
 
Price Paid: $89.99
 
Specifications:
-Brand: TTPOD
-Model: T2-E
-Drivers: 10mm “nano vibrating” dynamic driver + Knowles ED-29689 dual balanced armature unit
-Sensitivity: 105db @ 1khz
-Impedance: 12 ohms
-Frequency Response: 8-26khz
(Specifications from in-package pamphlet)
 
Packaging:
The packaging included was quite nice, with a large black two piece cardboard box.  The earpieces are located on the right when opening the package and the included silicon tips and case are on the right.  Not quite a premium feel but more than good enough for the price range.




 
Accessories:
-3 sets wide bore silicon tips (SML), 3 sets narrow bore silicon tips (SML)
-1 set foam tips (sealed, M)
-Soft spring-clasp carrying case
-Over ear guides
-Instructional/informational pamphlet and warranty card
 
Similar to the packaging the accessory pack is reasonable for the price but not outstanding.  The silicon tips are of good quality and the over ear guides are definitely a nice inclusion.  The case isn’t anything special but functional.  I would’ve liked to have seen a shirt clip included.
 

 
Build Quality
Build quality is generally good but has some notable deficiencies.  The earpieces, splitter and plug housing are all plastic and well shaped though molding seams were very obvious on the earpieces.  The wiring has no specifications stated in the pamphlet so I’ve no idea if it’s an OFC or silver cable.
 
The earpieces are quite attractive in my estimation, made of a transparent plastic (available in black, grey, blue and purple) that shows off the circuit board for the crossover and the drivers inside.  I’m not a huge fan of the lettering on the outside of the earpieces as I think they detract from the overall looks but it’s hardly a deal breaker.  Strain reliefs aren’t particularly long but flexible.  Transient issues with driver flex were noted, especially in the left earpiece.  This was quite surprising as the earpieces are vented on the inside (ear-facing) portion of the earpiece.


 
The splitter and plug housing are glossy black plastic and very small.  There is a short (too short) strain relief on the plug but none whatsoever on the splitter.  The wire terminates in a very low profile straight plug, which is gold plated.  A little bit disappointing to be missing strain reliefs at this price point.

 

 


 
The cable is a a little bit schizophrenic.  Below the y-split the cable is great - a 4-wire braided design that is soft, flexible and well done.  Above the y-split the cable is twisted and covered in a plastic sheathing of some type (TPE I would assume).  This half isn’t nearly as well behaved, being somewhat stiff and it had a propensity for coming out of place behind my ears without the ear guides in place.  Also, again, no cable cinch, which would’ve helped with the slightly unruly cables.
 
Comfort, Isolation, Microphonics
Comfort is generally excellent.  The earpieces, while somewhat on the large side, are smooth on the inside and the nozzles are ergonomically angled with a moderate insertion depth.  They are also very light, being made of transparent plastic.  These headphones are meant for over ear wear only.
 
Isolation is good.  The nozzles are of moderate insertion depth and the only vents are on the inner facing portion of the earpieces and thus somewhat shielded from outside noise.  Isolation can be improved by using the included foam tips.
 
Microphonics are generally very good given that the headphones are meant to be worn over ear, but I found that the ear guides could transit a bit of noise with a lot of movement.
 
Sound Quality
Between burn-in and listening the TTPOD has some 50 hours on it right now.  No noticeable changes were observed.
 
Sources used: Sansa Clip (Rockboxed), Nexus 5, Nexus 5 + Fiio E06k, Gigabyte Z97X-UD3H (Realtek 1150 codec) through rear headphone amplifier, Z97X-UD3H + Fiio E10k.
 
The TTPOD is rather easy to drive and I didn’t notice any difference using an amplifier.  Most critical listening was done through my Nexus 5.
 
General Signature
The general signature of the TTPOD can be described as strongly v-shaped with a heavy bass focus.  Unfortunately, clarity and detail retrieval were somewhat lacking overall, especially in the midrange, due to some seriously bad bass bloat.  I did some EQ’ing with the TTPOD and I’ll post some general thoughts on this after the sound quality descriptions.
 
Bass
Bass is strongly enhanced, but the enhancement is much more in the mid-bass than the sub-bass and thus carries a lot of impact.  Unfortunately decay times are somewhat high and combining this with the mid-bass hump (~250hz) the TTPOD comes across as very bloated and boomy with poor bass control overall.  Extension is good, maintaining detail down to the limits though it can be difficult to discern with the substantial mid-bass enhancement.
 
Midrange
The bass bloat has the unfortunate effect of veiling the midrange, especially the lower portion.  Detail retrieval is also somewhat lacking, falling behind other hybrid headphones as well as the better dynamics in my collection.  Male voices, in particular, tend to be pushed way back in to the mix and the midrange in general tends to feel a bit “smoothed over”.  Female voices and high pitched male voices tend to fare a little bit better in terms of clarity, but they have their own set of problems.
 
Treble
The TTPOD starts to pick up emphasis in the lower treble section, adding a little bit of perceived clarity.  Unfortunately, the boost in the 4-8khz region also leads to a mess of sibilance, with both higher pitched voices and cymbal shots becoming harsh.  I was unable to completely tame this treble harshness with tip rolling, though I found that uncored foam tips (ex. JVC marshmallow) can decrease the harshness somewhat at the cost of increasing the perception of the already bloated bass.  Detail retrieval is again somewhat disappointing, though extension is generally good.
 
Sound Stage
The T2-E has goodly sized sound stage, with nice width and depth.  Instrumental placement and imaging is generally good but the heavily v-shaped signature and smoothed out response makes separation poor.
 
Equalization
I have found that the T2-E takes equalization fairly well.  The best combination I could find was a 5.5db cut centered around 250hz and a 4db cut centered around 6khz.  This drastically reduced the mid-bass hump and removed some of the veiling from the midrange, and removed the greater portion of sibilance.  At this point the headphones are... decent, but still not great.  The entire sound signature still feels a little bit too smoothed over and generally lacking in detail for this price range.
 
Conclusion
After the lacklustre performance of the original T2, TTPOD made a commitment to take another shot at re-tuning the IEM for better performance.  I applaud this, I really do - the commitment to improve products due to customer feedback is an important attribute for any successful company.
 
After saying all that, my ultimate conclusion is that they failed miserably in presenting an improved product.  The T2-E is boomy, sibilant and overall lacking in detail.  Aggressive EQ-ing can iron out some of the wrinkles in the overall tuning but it can’t make up for the poor detail retrieval in the mid and high range.  Ultimately, the T2-E ends up losing out to not only hybrids at cheaper or similar price ranges, but also the cleaner sounding dynamics such as the Hifiman RE-400, JVC FXT-90, Vsonic GR07 Classic or Macaw GT100/GT100s.
 
My recommendation?  Skip this one.  There are better products out there.
 
Pros: Accessory Pack, Packaging, Design
Cons: Poor tuning, Uneven Build Quality, Lacking in Detail
 
Selected Comparison
 
Hifiman RE-400
The Hifiman is much flatter than the sculpted response of the T2-E with much less bass and somewhat less treble.  The Hifiman has much better control of it’s bass, though lacking in bass impact compared with the large mid-bass hump of the TTPOD.  One of the advantages of this situation is that the RE-400’s midrange is substantially more forward and clearer.  The RE-400 is also much better behaved than the TTPOD in the treble with no harshness.  The RE-400 also has much better detail retrieval overall.  Soundstaging between the two IEMs is similar but the RE-400 has better instrumental separation due to being much cleaner and more detailed.
 
Vsonic GR07 Classic
Again, the Vsonic is much flatter than the T2-E in the bass.  The Vsonic lacks a mid-bass hump and is missing much of the impact but the detail and texture of the bass is superior.  Similar to the RE-400 the lack of a mid-bass hump gives the Vsonics much better midrange clarity.  Treble on the Vsonic can be a little bit harsh but is actually better behaved than the TTPOD, with much less sibilance and better detail.  Soundstage sizes are similar, but the Vsonic pulls ahead with better instrumental separation and over the TTPOD.
 
Bette 8mm Hybrid
Coming in at less than one half the price of the T2-E, the Bette really shouldn’t be able to compete but it most certainly does.  The T2-E has better absolute bass extension but the quality is better on the Bette - it’s better textured, more detailed and much better controlled.  Oddly enough, even with a substantial boost EQ’d in the Bette still holds these advantages over the TTPOD.  The midrange is substantially cleaner on the Bette than the TTPOD, especially with the mild upper mid boost and lack of veiling on the former.  Treble is much smoother on the Bette with no harshness or sibilance to be found, but still maintains better detail retrieval with similar extension.  The soundstage is larger on the TTPOD but again the general lack of detail gives the Bette a leg up in terms of instrumental separation.

Bette 1+1 Hybrid IEMs
 
Introduction
Today I’m looking at a value priced 1+1 Hybrid purchased from ToBetter on Amazon.  The “Bette” hybrid is a 1 BA + 1 Dynamic hybrid IEM that costs under $40 but still produces excellent sound quality and manages to punch way, way above it’s price point.
 
Price Paid: $36.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01000UNYM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00
 
Specifications
- Brand: Bette
- Driver Unit: 8mm Dynamic Driver + Balanced Armature Unit
- Impedance: 16 OHM
- Frequency Response: 8 Hz-26000 Hz
- Sensitivity: 115 dB/1mw
- Plug: 3.5mm Stereo Gold-plated plug
- Cable length: 1.22m
(Specifications from the Amazon webpage)
 
Packaging
Err, well, there wasn’t any included.  The IEMs showed up in a small black EVA foam case with tips and then wrapped in bubble wrap.  Given the price I’ve no problems with this - it’s pretty clear that the money went towards the IEMs and not the packaging.
 

 
 
Accessories
1x Hybrid Dual Driver Headphone
1x Carry Case
3x Ear Buds Set
(Specifications from the Amazon webpage)
 
There were actually four sets of ear buds included in the package, not three.  All the sets are short flange, medium bore tips and are of decent quality.  Sizes included are 1 x Small, 2 x Medium and 1 x Large.  The case is good, if a rather standard semi-rigid EVA foam case, suitable for both transport and storage.  The accessory pack is very basic but at the price point I’m quite happy - the case is the most important to me.  A pair of ear guides and perhaps a shirt clip would’ve been appreciated but aren’t necessary.
 
Build Quality
Overall build quality is very good.  The ear pieces, splitter and plug are made of machined aluminum.  Strain reliefs are present all round, though the reliefs on the (somewhat small) splitter are internal rather than external but rubber plugs can be seen on close inspection.
 
The earpieces are a standard straight barrel form-factor and on the smallish side.  There are some sharp edges present on the earpieces but I noticed no comfort issues.  The strain reliefs are long and flexible and don’t in any way interfere with cable up wear.  Anodization is clean and well-executed.  The L and R markings are embossed on the strain reliefs and can be difficult to see at times.  Driver flex is non-existent.

 
 
The splitter and plug are both made of machined aluminum and rather small.  Strain reliefs are present on both but somewhat short.  The plug is very low profile and has knurling on the body for ease of grip, but is straight (rather than a 90 or 45 degree plug, which I prefer).


 
 
The cable merits some attention - though somewhat stiff and a little bit “sticky” it is highly resistant to tangling while still easy to use and move.  It is of an internally twisted design with a translucent PU sheath and looks quite good.  There was a slight memory effect that lingered for the first day or so but it is all but gone now.  The one thing missing that I would’ve liked to see is a cable cinch, and I’m unsure of why companies continue to do this especially since the Bette doesn’t have a microphone.
 
Comfort, Isolation, Microphonics
Comfort is overall excellent, helped in no small part by the small, light earpieces and somewhat shallow fit.  There are some sharp edges present on the earpieces but they do not contact my ears at all.  Those with small ears and steeply angled ear canals may experience some issues but I would imagine that the vast majority of users will have no fitment problems.  The cables are a touch stiff but manageable.  Over ear wear is possible even with the long-ish strain reliefs though the lack of a cable cinch can be a problem.
 
Isolation is moderate given the short insertion depth and small rear vent.  This can be improved with longer tips or foam tips but I didn’t find it to be necessary in most instances.  The Bettes are relatively forgiving with different sized tips.
 
Microphonics are low cable down and non-existent cable up.
 
Sound Quality
Between burn-in and listening the Bette’s have some 50 hours on them right now.  No noticeable changes were observed.
 
Sources used: Sansa Clip (Rockboxed), Nexus 5, Nexus 5 + Fiio E06k, Gigabyte Z97X-UD3H (Realtek 1150 codec) through rear headphone amplifier, Z97X-UD3H + Fiio E10k.
 
The Bette is rather easy to drive and I didn’t notice any difference using an amplifier.  Most critical listening was done through my Nexus 5.
 
General Signature
The general signature of the Bette hybrids can be described as mildly V-shaped with a slight treble tilt.  Overall the sound signature is extremely enjoyable and the tonality can be described as coherent and natural.  Clarity is excellent throughout the entire range with the exception of the extreme low extension where the Bettes lose a touch of texture.
 
Experience with other hybrid headphones has shown that tuning a BA + Dynamic headphone, especially at the low end of the market, can be very difficult.  Given the extraordinarily low price of these headphones I’m absolutely astonished at just how well it is tuned.
 
It is possible to do some mechanical tuning on the Bette Hybrids.  Blocking the rear vent doesn't seem to do much, I suspect that it's a depressurizer rather than a tuning vent.  However, there is a small, nozzle-mounted vent.  Blocking off this vent with a piece of blu-tak or tape increases the base response at the expense of making the soundstage a bit smaller.  Mid and high range frequencies are unaffected as far as I can tell.
 
Bass
Bass is punchy, well defined and well controlled though lacking overall impact.  Bottom end extension is very good though it lacks some texture at the extremes.  There is a slight emphasis to the bass but it’s more in the sub-bass rather than mid-bass region, which contributes to the somewhat linear nature.  The Bette takes EQ very well and even with a substantial boost in the low regions (>250hz) bass is very well controlled.
 
Midrange
The midrange is beautiful, smooth, detailed and intimate.  Both male and female voices are rendered extremely well, and the lack of a mid-bass boost ensure that no veiling occurs.  The midrange is a little bit thicker and smoother compared to non-hybrid BA sets but the clarity is still very good.  There is a little bit of emphasis in the upper edges of the midrange that gives electric guitars a characteristic “bite” but is not harsh at all.  Detail retrieval is excellent through the midrange without sounding too thin.
 
Treble
Treble is smooth, detailed and well extended.  Even though the headphones have a slightly bright tonality the treble is extremely well-behaved - little to no harshness is present and sibilance is non-existant.  Some sparkle is present but not a huge amount.  Treble extension is very good and retains detail and texture to the limits.
 
Sound Stage
The Bette’s have a medium sized sound stage.  There is good width but only moderate depth and height.  Instrumental separation and placement are good, and overall imaging as well as centering are excellent.  Vocals are on the intimate side.
 
Conclusion
Cheap, well made and they sound great, what else could you want?  Seriously, at $36.99 these were a steal.
 
If there was one thing I would compliment above all else is the tuning.  The OEM behind these headphones took the time to tune them so that the BA and dynamic drivers presented a coherent and well integrated sound signature and did so in a way that allowed the drivers themselves to work to their full potential.  Take that and add the technical capability of the drivers, the well made and well designed headphones and in my book, you get a heck of a winner.
 
Pros:  Coherent sound signature, good clarity and detail, build quality, comfort
Cons: Minimal accessory pack, no packaging, no cable cinch
 
 
Select Comparisons
 
Macaw GT100S (Silver Reference Nozzle)
The Bette’s have more enhanced bass compared to the flatter and thinner Macaw and give up some clarity and detail retrieval in the midrange and treble.  That said, the difference between the two is not as much as one might think.  The Bette’s are slightly smoother overall and the treble “splashiness” that can occur in the Macaw isn’t an issue with the Bette even though the actual amount of treble is similar between the two.  The soundstage is much larger on the Macaw and instrumental separation is better but the Bette’s have slightly better imaging.  Vocals also sound more intimate on the Bette compared to the Macaw, which I found distancing overall.
 
JVC FXT90
The JVCs are more V-shaped, with more bass and treble and a more pushed back midrange.  The Bette’s have slightly better control in bass due to lacking a mid-bass hump and the treble harshness in the JVC is all but nonexistent.  Clarity and detail retrieval are very similar between the two headphones, but the Bette has better treble control over all and a clearer midrange.  The sound stage of the JVC is again somewhat larger than the Bette, but the comparison is much closer here than with the Macaw.  I also preferred the tonality of the Bette compared to the JVC, which seemed much more natural to me while the JVC could come across as very metallic.
 
Maxell DBA-700
The Maxell DBA-700 is another 1+1 hybrid with an 8mm dynamic and single BA.  With the strength of the US dollar and the relative weakness of the Japanese Yen the Bette and the Maxell cost more or less the same amount.  The Bette betters the Maxell in every way here - it’s not even close.  Better bass, better treble, better clarity, better extension at both ends.  The midrange on both ‘phones is surprisingly similar but the Bette pulls ahead again here with better detail.  Soundstage is a dead win for the Bette here, it’s not even close.
 
OM Audio Inearpeace
The OM Audio is the first truly “good” hybrid headset I ever heard and remains the basis of comparison to most of my headphone collection.  The OM has a larger mid-bass hump and more bass overall but still retains excellent control.  The midrange is slightly pushed back compared to the Bette but clarity and detail in the mid and high ranges are very similar.  The OM has a larger sound stage but imaging on the Bette is better.
 
ADDIEMs
The Bette and Apple have similar bass and midrange amounts, and the Bette has a touch more treble.  The Bette has better quality bass, maintaining better texture and note separation at the extremes of the frequency range.  Midranges are very similar in terms of clarity but the Bette’s are a touch smoother and thicker though no less lacking in detail compared to the thinner sounding ADDIEMs.  The Bette’s have a minor boost in the high-mid/low-treble ranges and sound somewhat brighter than the flatter Apples, but again, no harshness is present.  The Bette’s also have the advantage in terms of soundstage - they sound wider and deeper than the more closed-in Apple IEMs while maintaining excellent imaging and instrumental separation.