Reviews by MDH12AX7
KBEAR KS2
The KS2 is a hybrid IEM with a 10mm Composite Diaphragm dynamic driver producing the low to mid frequencies and a balanced armature for highs.
The shells are polycarbonate which the manufacturer apparently used because it helps quell internal shell resonances. It is light and very comfortable with a metal nozzle that features a prominent lip to retain the tips. No tips left stuck in your ear!
The cable is replacable and works fine though a bit tangle-prone. KBEAR has many beautiful replacement cables available.
Now, about the sound. I must admit upfront that I changed tips early on. There was just a bit more treble than I wanted so I used tips with a smaller bore and now they sound great. I also replaced the cable with a 2.5mm balanced one to use with my Hiby 3 PRO'S balanced out. It didn't make any difference tonally but it benefits from more power from the balanced output. I always replace the cable just for this reason.
The Bass:
The bass is quite powerful and punchy. There is plenty of low/sub bass with a reletively fast attack and a slightly slower decay. This gives you the punch of a kick drum but also caters well to electronic music with sub bass boom tracks. It has massive punch and will produce a physical sensation if turned up. You can feel the bass! It does a good job on most all genres of music, but loves synth bass!
The Mids:
The mids are mildly V-shaped with the bass and treble boosted. This makes it a fun sounding IEM! There is sufficient detail in the mids and there is a prominent lift of the high mids. These are surprisingly revealing when you don't boost the bass and treble on your player too much. Vocals are crisp and intimate.
The Treble:
Treble is most definitely elevated. It does not create sibilance in my experience but will definitely reproduce any sibilance present in the original mix. If its a bit too bright, try using tips with a smaller bore to even things out. I like the sound these make when the treble is tamed slightly. The mids start to really pop out.
The Soundstage:
The soundstage is of about average width and decent depth. The vocals sit right up close while instruments sit back slightly for a nice layering effect.
So, am I happy with the KS2? Yes. I especially like it on electronic music and hard rock.
It has a rounder bass tuning than I am used to, but I really love that on sub bass hits! It will serve me well for electronic music. At this price, it's great!
I would like to thank Jessie for providing the test sample in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks for reading!
The KS2 is a hybrid IEM with a 10mm Composite Diaphragm dynamic driver producing the low to mid frequencies and a balanced armature for highs.
The shells are polycarbonate which the manufacturer apparently used because it helps quell internal shell resonances. It is light and very comfortable with a metal nozzle that features a prominent lip to retain the tips. No tips left stuck in your ear!
The cable is replacable and works fine though a bit tangle-prone. KBEAR has many beautiful replacement cables available.
Now, about the sound. I must admit upfront that I changed tips early on. There was just a bit more treble than I wanted so I used tips with a smaller bore and now they sound great. I also replaced the cable with a 2.5mm balanced one to use with my Hiby 3 PRO'S balanced out. It didn't make any difference tonally but it benefits from more power from the balanced output. I always replace the cable just for this reason.
The Bass:
The bass is quite powerful and punchy. There is plenty of low/sub bass with a reletively fast attack and a slightly slower decay. This gives you the punch of a kick drum but also caters well to electronic music with sub bass boom tracks. It has massive punch and will produce a physical sensation if turned up. You can feel the bass! It does a good job on most all genres of music, but loves synth bass!
The Mids:
The mids are mildly V-shaped with the bass and treble boosted. This makes it a fun sounding IEM! There is sufficient detail in the mids and there is a prominent lift of the high mids. These are surprisingly revealing when you don't boost the bass and treble on your player too much. Vocals are crisp and intimate.
The Treble:
Treble is most definitely elevated. It does not create sibilance in my experience but will definitely reproduce any sibilance present in the original mix. If its a bit too bright, try using tips with a smaller bore to even things out. I like the sound these make when the treble is tamed slightly. The mids start to really pop out.
The Soundstage:
The soundstage is of about average width and decent depth. The vocals sit right up close while instruments sit back slightly for a nice layering effect.
So, am I happy with the KS2? Yes. I especially like it on electronic music and hard rock.
It has a rounder bass tuning than I am used to, but I really love that on sub bass hits! It will serve me well for electronic music. At this price, it's great!
I would like to thank Jessie for providing the test sample in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks for reading!
KZ ZSN PRO X
The ZSN PRO X is a hybrid 2 way earphone with a 10mm dual-magnet dynamic driver for lows and a balanced armature for highs. The shells are made of translucent resin with zinc-alloy faceplates. The gold looks particularly nice! I find these to be very comfortable.
The stock cable is silver plated copper wire and is replaceable or upgradable. Kinboofi has many beautiful cables compatible with these if you want a little bling.
THE SOUND:
I did all the listening on my Hiby R3 pro using all flacs of 16bit 44.1k or better.
These have very powerful and controlled bass that extends deep and hits hard! Kick drums are fast and powerful and electronic music such as hip hop or edm just rocks! Big bass! Don't get me wrong, they are capable of fast punchy bass as well. Good bass control.
The mids are slightly recessed but not to the point that they are lost. They have good detail and they keep up with the bass and treble.
The treble is very crisp and detailed. While boosted, the treble is not siblant. It is bright and clear.
Soundstage is about average.
I listened to many different genres of music and these performed well on all, but I can see fans of electronic music loving these! They are great for bass heavy music!
They also do a great job with metal. Guitars cut through the mix. Double bass kick drums are fast, and powerful with nice cut in the click attack. These would be great workout earphones. High energy! Replacable cable. Light weight and secure fit.
You can't go wrong with these for the money.
I want to thank Kiki from Kinboofi for sending out this sample.
Thanks for reading!
The ZSN PRO X is a hybrid 2 way earphone with a 10mm dual-magnet dynamic driver for lows and a balanced armature for highs. The shells are made of translucent resin with zinc-alloy faceplates. The gold looks particularly nice! I find these to be very comfortable.
The stock cable is silver plated copper wire and is replaceable or upgradable. Kinboofi has many beautiful cables compatible with these if you want a little bling.
THE SOUND:
I did all the listening on my Hiby R3 pro using all flacs of 16bit 44.1k or better.
These have very powerful and controlled bass that extends deep and hits hard! Kick drums are fast and powerful and electronic music such as hip hop or edm just rocks! Big bass! Don't get me wrong, they are capable of fast punchy bass as well. Good bass control.
The mids are slightly recessed but not to the point that they are lost. They have good detail and they keep up with the bass and treble.
The treble is very crisp and detailed. While boosted, the treble is not siblant. It is bright and clear.
Soundstage is about average.
I listened to many different genres of music and these performed well on all, but I can see fans of electronic music loving these! They are great for bass heavy music!
They also do a great job with metal. Guitars cut through the mix. Double bass kick drums are fast, and powerful with nice cut in the click attack. These would be great workout earphones. High energy! Replacable cable. Light weight and secure fit.
You can't go wrong with these for the money.
I want to thank Kiki from Kinboofi for sending out this sample.
Thanks for reading!
Attachments
TINHIFI T2 Plus
The T2 Plus is my first introduction to TinHifi. I was excited to try them after reading so many positive reviews on other TinHifi earphones. I wasn't disappointed!
The packaging is very nice and premium looking. I love the blue and gold theme. These just look and feel high quality.
The body of the earphones is machined from aviation grade aluminum alloy and feels nice to the touch. They have a single well-tuned Nano Creative Dynamic Driver per side. The shells are sleek and fit almost flush in the ear. They are extremely comfortable and I forget they are in sometimes. I really like the organic shape and minimalist design of them.
The Silver Plated cable is quite nice for a stock cable and feels soft and supple with metal MMCX connectors. The clear plastic chin cinch is handy for keeping tangles to a minimum. Just slide the bead up to the MMCX connectors before winding the cable for storage. Cinching the cable up under your chin can help reduce cable noise though I didn't experience any noise.
I did all my listening with my Hiby R3 pro using all flacs, 16bit 44.1k or better.
With many new earphones sporting 5, 6, 7 or more drivers per side, I was excited to try a well engineered single driver earphone. Having only one driver per side eliminates the need for crossover networks to divide the signal between multiple drivers. This eliminates phase issues between the drivers and helps keep the frequency response curve nice and smooth. These have a very natural and balanced sound signature that has no ugly peaks and valleys. They sound very natural and smooth. The low frequencies extend deep and sub bass effects are heard and felt. The bass is fast and accurate but not to the point of sounding cold or sterile. There is enough roundness and fullness to the bass that kick drums and other bass instruments sound powerful and natural. The bass is definitely boosted, but in a good way. There is plenty of deep bass, and upper bass lends warmth to the mids without sounding muddy. I love the way you can hear the sound of the beater striking the kick drums. It has a nice detail without getting too bright and spikey. They just sound natural.
The mids are the star of the show. They are smooth and silky while still having excellent detail. I can hear details in tracks that I didn't know existed. Acoustic instruments sound woody and detailed with lots of harmonic overtones. Its suprizing how much detail you hear even without the massive high mid peak that often plagues earphones that have balanced armatures. The dynamic driver is balanced and full of detail and texture.
High frequencies are bright, but not siblant. There is no harshness or ice-pick peaks. They are not overly bright so the mids shine through. I like these!
Soundstage is about average. Boosting the treble can give these a more spacious sound but the mids can get pushed back in the process if you overdo it. I like the tuning. They just sound natural and organic, not hyped and brash. That describes these earphones well. They are beautifully balanced and have detail everywhere. These sound smooth and even. They just sound real. They sound good with all genres of music but really shine on mixes with acoustic instruments. Classical sounds great! Pure and honest. They are not overly hyped or bass/treble boosted excessively. They are balanced.
Obviously, I love these things!
Also, Kinboofi is always great to deal with and I want to thank Kiki for sending out this review sample.
Thanks for reading! Hope this helps you find the right earphones.
The T2 Plus is my first introduction to TinHifi. I was excited to try them after reading so many positive reviews on other TinHifi earphones. I wasn't disappointed!
The packaging is very nice and premium looking. I love the blue and gold theme. These just look and feel high quality.
The body of the earphones is machined from aviation grade aluminum alloy and feels nice to the touch. They have a single well-tuned Nano Creative Dynamic Driver per side. The shells are sleek and fit almost flush in the ear. They are extremely comfortable and I forget they are in sometimes. I really like the organic shape and minimalist design of them.
The Silver Plated cable is quite nice for a stock cable and feels soft and supple with metal MMCX connectors. The clear plastic chin cinch is handy for keeping tangles to a minimum. Just slide the bead up to the MMCX connectors before winding the cable for storage. Cinching the cable up under your chin can help reduce cable noise though I didn't experience any noise.
I did all my listening with my Hiby R3 pro using all flacs, 16bit 44.1k or better.
With many new earphones sporting 5, 6, 7 or more drivers per side, I was excited to try a well engineered single driver earphone. Having only one driver per side eliminates the need for crossover networks to divide the signal between multiple drivers. This eliminates phase issues between the drivers and helps keep the frequency response curve nice and smooth. These have a very natural and balanced sound signature that has no ugly peaks and valleys. They sound very natural and smooth. The low frequencies extend deep and sub bass effects are heard and felt. The bass is fast and accurate but not to the point of sounding cold or sterile. There is enough roundness and fullness to the bass that kick drums and other bass instruments sound powerful and natural. The bass is definitely boosted, but in a good way. There is plenty of deep bass, and upper bass lends warmth to the mids without sounding muddy. I love the way you can hear the sound of the beater striking the kick drums. It has a nice detail without getting too bright and spikey. They just sound natural.
The mids are the star of the show. They are smooth and silky while still having excellent detail. I can hear details in tracks that I didn't know existed. Acoustic instruments sound woody and detailed with lots of harmonic overtones. Its suprizing how much detail you hear even without the massive high mid peak that often plagues earphones that have balanced armatures. The dynamic driver is balanced and full of detail and texture.
High frequencies are bright, but not siblant. There is no harshness or ice-pick peaks. They are not overly bright so the mids shine through. I like these!
Soundstage is about average. Boosting the treble can give these a more spacious sound but the mids can get pushed back in the process if you overdo it. I like the tuning. They just sound natural and organic, not hyped and brash. That describes these earphones well. They are beautifully balanced and have detail everywhere. These sound smooth and even. They just sound real. They sound good with all genres of music but really shine on mixes with acoustic instruments. Classical sounds great! Pure and honest. They are not overly hyped or bass/treble boosted excessively. They are balanced.
Obviously, I love these things!
Also, Kinboofi is always great to deal with and I want to thank Kiki for sending out this review sample.
Thanks for reading! Hope this helps you find the right earphones.
Attachments
First, I would like to thank Jade Audio for sending out the the EA3 free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
I did all the listening on my Hiby R3 Pro. Source files are all FLAC 16bit, 44.1k or better.
CONSTRUCTION
The EA3 is a hybrid iem with a massive 13.6mm polymer diaphragm dynamic driver and a genuine Knowles 33518 balanced armature for high frequencies. With this driver combo I expected robust bass response and smooth, detailed mids and highs and I was not disappointed. More on this later.....
The shells are blue plastic with beautiful celluloid guitar pick material inside bearing the Jade Audio logo. They are very light and all day comfortable. I like that Jade Audio tried something different in the design of the shells. I play guitar, so this appeals to me. The cable is very nice! I love the look and feel of it.
BASS
With the huge 13.6mm drivers, I expected potent, but slow bass. I was only half right. The bass is powerful alright but is very well controlled. Kick drums are mighty and fast and deep. It is not a bass-head iem, but it will be enough for all but the most avid bass-heads. I like it! Good sub bass extension.
MIDS
Mids are smooth, detailed and not hugely recessed. It is a V shaped signature but not overly so. Again, I like it! Vocals and guitars sound detailed and smooth with just enough edge to cut through the mix. Low mids are full but not bloated, yielding full, powerful male vocals and thick, chunky guitars.
TREBLE
I have heard some reviews describing the treble as sibilant. I disagree. Yes, the treble is elevated but it isn't sibient in my experience. I just Installed tips with a slightly smaller bore and turned down the treble by a couple decibels and it's great. The detail from that Knowles ba is nicely detailed and silky. Just adj your eq if they are too bright for your taste. They are smooth, but they will not mask any sibilance that is on the recording. If it's there, you will hear it, good or bad.
SOUNDSTAGE
With all that treble detail, the stage is nice and wide with average depth. I love the air around voices. There is a good sense of space and individual instruments can easily be picked out. Acoustic instruments sound wonderful.
COMMENTS
I really enjoy these with classic rock and other thick, powerful mixes in particular though, they are enjoyable with most all music types. They bring out a lot of details that I was missing before. They are very easy to drive even with modest source equipment. I am very impressed with the EA3 and I look forward to more from Jade Audio/Fiio in the future. To build such a nice iem with an actual Knowles driver at this price is impressive. I am a fan!
I did all the listening on my Hiby R3 Pro. Source files are all FLAC 16bit, 44.1k or better.
CONSTRUCTION
The EA3 is a hybrid iem with a massive 13.6mm polymer diaphragm dynamic driver and a genuine Knowles 33518 balanced armature for high frequencies. With this driver combo I expected robust bass response and smooth, detailed mids and highs and I was not disappointed. More on this later.....
The shells are blue plastic with beautiful celluloid guitar pick material inside bearing the Jade Audio logo. They are very light and all day comfortable. I like that Jade Audio tried something different in the design of the shells. I play guitar, so this appeals to me. The cable is very nice! I love the look and feel of it.
BASS
With the huge 13.6mm drivers, I expected potent, but slow bass. I was only half right. The bass is powerful alright but is very well controlled. Kick drums are mighty and fast and deep. It is not a bass-head iem, but it will be enough for all but the most avid bass-heads. I like it! Good sub bass extension.
MIDS
Mids are smooth, detailed and not hugely recessed. It is a V shaped signature but not overly so. Again, I like it! Vocals and guitars sound detailed and smooth with just enough edge to cut through the mix. Low mids are full but not bloated, yielding full, powerful male vocals and thick, chunky guitars.
TREBLE
I have heard some reviews describing the treble as sibilant. I disagree. Yes, the treble is elevated but it isn't sibient in my experience. I just Installed tips with a slightly smaller bore and turned down the treble by a couple decibels and it's great. The detail from that Knowles ba is nicely detailed and silky. Just adj your eq if they are too bright for your taste. They are smooth, but they will not mask any sibilance that is on the recording. If it's there, you will hear it, good or bad.
SOUNDSTAGE
With all that treble detail, the stage is nice and wide with average depth. I love the air around voices. There is a good sense of space and individual instruments can easily be picked out. Acoustic instruments sound wonderful.
COMMENTS
I really enjoy these with classic rock and other thick, powerful mixes in particular though, they are enjoyable with most all music types. They bring out a lot of details that I was missing before. They are very easy to drive even with modest source equipment. I am very impressed with the EA3 and I look forward to more from Jade Audio/Fiio in the future. To build such a nice iem with an actual Knowles driver at this price is impressive. I am a fan!
iBo0m
Nice review 
How's the isolation in the public transport and such?
How's the isolation in the public transport and such?
First, I would like to thank Kiki from Kinboofi for sending out the TRN BA5 in exchange for an honest review.
I did all the listening on my Hiby R3. Source files are all FLAC 16bit, 44.1k or better.
CONSTRUCTION
The BA5 is an all balanced armature iem from TRN. It contains 3 30095 balanced armatures for high frequencies, one 29689 balanced armature for midrange frequencies, and one surprisingly mighty 22955 balanced armature for bass frequencies.
The shells are all metal, similar to the new TRN V90, though the BA5 has a stylized face plate with flat surfaces and a vent in the center. I have no idea if the vent is functional or just for looks. Most balanced armatures don't require vents, but there are a few out there that can benefit from one. The shells feel good in the hand, giving a feeling of quality not found in plastic shells. The nozzles are metal and feature a prominent lip so, no tips left behind in your ear. The cable is the standard TRN cable which is nice for a stock cable and seems sturdy. It utilizes the new QDC connector that ensures a robust connection and is less prone to breakage. Comfort is all day good!
BASS
The BA5 has a surprising, robust bass response, especially considering it uses a balanced armature bass driver. To me, it actually sounds like a well tuned dynamic driver albeit, with the faster, more controlled sound of a balanced armature. Very nice! These actually extend pretty deep and have nice, fast slam on the mid bass. Kick drums are fast, deep and powerful. There is no bleeding into the mids. These are really well tuned bass drivers! All but hardcore bass heads should be happy.
MIDS
Mids are smooth, detailed and not recessed. Vocals and guitars sound wholesome and natural. Low mids are just right, yielding full, powerful male vocals and thick, punchy guitars. Stringed instruments have a nice, woody timbre to them. There is a small peak around 4.5kHz that gives edge and cut to vocals and is just shy of sibilance. I had initially switched to large bore tips, but going back to the narrower bore stock tips actually smoothed out the upper mids while maintaining clarity in the vocals.
TREBLE
Treble is smooth and detailed. It is bright, but not excessively so. There is nice air up top. I enjoy the lack of sibilance. Good detail and nice air without any grain or metallic ringing.
SOUNDSTAGE
The stage is wider than deep and is just above average in size. It's not super closed in, and I love the air around voices and instruments. There is a good sense of space and individual instruments can easily be picked out. Acoustic instruments sound wonderful.
COMMENTS
I really enjoy airy, less dense mixes with these, though I can reccomend them for most types of music. They will even cover genres with deep electronic bass though, if you boost sub bass frequencies too much, you will distort the woofer. Anybody who wants more bass would do well to try TRN's V90 as it has massive sub bass. The BA5 is easy to drive even with modest sources. My Samsung Galaxy Note 9 drives them just fine though they have more authority when fed from a source with a bit more power. It is easy to recommend the BA5 to anyone as it sounds very good on most any type of music. I can see metal fans liking these as the bass is fast enough to keep up with double kick drums and not turn to mud.
Well done TRN!
Thank you Kiki from Kinboofi for the review sample and thanks for reading!
Here is the link to purchase the TRN BA5 from Kinboofi's Amazon store.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZR8NFHZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_c9g5Db0KN6637
I did all the listening on my Hiby R3. Source files are all FLAC 16bit, 44.1k or better.
CONSTRUCTION
The BA5 is an all balanced armature iem from TRN. It contains 3 30095 balanced armatures for high frequencies, one 29689 balanced armature for midrange frequencies, and one surprisingly mighty 22955 balanced armature for bass frequencies.
The shells are all metal, similar to the new TRN V90, though the BA5 has a stylized face plate with flat surfaces and a vent in the center. I have no idea if the vent is functional or just for looks. Most balanced armatures don't require vents, but there are a few out there that can benefit from one. The shells feel good in the hand, giving a feeling of quality not found in plastic shells. The nozzles are metal and feature a prominent lip so, no tips left behind in your ear. The cable is the standard TRN cable which is nice for a stock cable and seems sturdy. It utilizes the new QDC connector that ensures a robust connection and is less prone to breakage. Comfort is all day good!
BASS
The BA5 has a surprising, robust bass response, especially considering it uses a balanced armature bass driver. To me, it actually sounds like a well tuned dynamic driver albeit, with the faster, more controlled sound of a balanced armature. Very nice! These actually extend pretty deep and have nice, fast slam on the mid bass. Kick drums are fast, deep and powerful. There is no bleeding into the mids. These are really well tuned bass drivers! All but hardcore bass heads should be happy.
MIDS
Mids are smooth, detailed and not recessed. Vocals and guitars sound wholesome and natural. Low mids are just right, yielding full, powerful male vocals and thick, punchy guitars. Stringed instruments have a nice, woody timbre to them. There is a small peak around 4.5kHz that gives edge and cut to vocals and is just shy of sibilance. I had initially switched to large bore tips, but going back to the narrower bore stock tips actually smoothed out the upper mids while maintaining clarity in the vocals.
TREBLE
Treble is smooth and detailed. It is bright, but not excessively so. There is nice air up top. I enjoy the lack of sibilance. Good detail and nice air without any grain or metallic ringing.
SOUNDSTAGE
The stage is wider than deep and is just above average in size. It's not super closed in, and I love the air around voices and instruments. There is a good sense of space and individual instruments can easily be picked out. Acoustic instruments sound wonderful.
COMMENTS
I really enjoy airy, less dense mixes with these, though I can reccomend them for most types of music. They will even cover genres with deep electronic bass though, if you boost sub bass frequencies too much, you will distort the woofer. Anybody who wants more bass would do well to try TRN's V90 as it has massive sub bass. The BA5 is easy to drive even with modest sources. My Samsung Galaxy Note 9 drives them just fine though they have more authority when fed from a source with a bit more power. It is easy to recommend the BA5 to anyone as it sounds very good on most any type of music. I can see metal fans liking these as the bass is fast enough to keep up with double kick drums and not turn to mud.
Well done TRN!
Thank you Kiki from Kinboofi for the review sample and thanks for reading!
Here is the link to purchase the TRN BA5 from Kinboofi's Amazon store.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZR8NFHZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_c9g5Db0KN6637
Attachments
KipNix
Concise and unbiased review. Thanks.
First, I would like to thank Kiki from Kinboofi for graciously sending out the V90 in exchange for an honest review. Kiki also included a very nice 8 core cable with a balanced, 2.5mm plug.
I did all the listening on my Hiby R3 in balanced mode, using the upgrade cable from Kiki. Source files are all FLAC 16bit, 44.1k or better.
CONSTRUCTION
The TRN V90 is the follow up from the popular V80 and is a more upscale product all around. The shells are CNC machined from solid aluminum and feature a nice, matte black finish. The iems have a reassuring weight to them and feel premium in the hand. Seams are very tight and the shape of the shells is rounded with no hard edges or sharp points. Comfort is excellent. I replaced the stock tips with red and white, solely to make left and right easier to identify in low light. The stock cable is decent and sturdy but, I do all my listening in balanced mode so Kiki graciously sent out a beautiful 8 core cable with a 2.5mm balanced connector. This cable is soft and supple and looks great. I will include a link to both products at the end of this review.
BASS
The V90 bass is very powerful yet has sufficient control to work with most genres of music. It has very good low frequency extension and adds a visceral, tactile sub bass to tracks that require it. It can be subtle and polite and work for jazz, country, or rock, but its strength is in its power and deep bass rumble. EDM, hip hop, and other bass heavy styles are where the V90 bass excels. The bass is capable of being reserved and subtle, but I always find myself looking for bass centric songs to unleash these on. Fun!
MIDS
Mids are smooth and slightly lean in the lower range. They have good detail and good timbre and guitars and vocals sound slightly intimate and personal sounding. There is good detail here, but it doesn't shout at you like some others. For example, the KZ ZSX has more detail but sometimes it is too "in your face" to let you relax. The TRN V90 is more relaxed and smooth.
TREBLE
I am happy to report that the treble is much improved over the V80. It is smooth and detailed and along with the bass, seems to get a bit more attention. I enjoy the air up top and the lack of sibilance. There is a bit of a peak in the lower treble that helps vocals cut through but doesn't overdo it. Good detail and nice air. Smooth operator.
SOUNDSTAGE
Soundstage is probably the V90's weakest link though it's not bad. The stage is wider than deep but is just average in size. It's not super closed in, but it does make vocal performances sound intimate and close. I enjoy it on most generas but electronic music is where it shines. It's very good for EDM, and rap. That's not to say I don't enjoy it on other styles, but I just seem to crave the powerful sub bass and crisp treble on these.
Comments:
The V90 is easy to drive, even with modest sources. My Samsung Galaxy Note 9 drives them just fine though they have more authority when fed from a source with a bit more power.
I thoroughly enjoy the V90's and the beautiful cable. I highly recommend both.
Kinboofi is excellent to work with as always!
Here are links to purchase the V90 and the upgrade cable from Kinboofi's Amazon store. Thank you for reading!
V90: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XYQ1DT8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qBj0DbA6VY7WG
Cable: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GQZ7BZ9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_0wj0Db2AV1MES
I did all the listening on my Hiby R3 in balanced mode, using the upgrade cable from Kiki. Source files are all FLAC 16bit, 44.1k or better.
CONSTRUCTION
The TRN V90 is the follow up from the popular V80 and is a more upscale product all around. The shells are CNC machined from solid aluminum and feature a nice, matte black finish. The iems have a reassuring weight to them and feel premium in the hand. Seams are very tight and the shape of the shells is rounded with no hard edges or sharp points. Comfort is excellent. I replaced the stock tips with red and white, solely to make left and right easier to identify in low light. The stock cable is decent and sturdy but, I do all my listening in balanced mode so Kiki graciously sent out a beautiful 8 core cable with a 2.5mm balanced connector. This cable is soft and supple and looks great. I will include a link to both products at the end of this review.
BASS
The V90 bass is very powerful yet has sufficient control to work with most genres of music. It has very good low frequency extension and adds a visceral, tactile sub bass to tracks that require it. It can be subtle and polite and work for jazz, country, or rock, but its strength is in its power and deep bass rumble. EDM, hip hop, and other bass heavy styles are where the V90 bass excels. The bass is capable of being reserved and subtle, but I always find myself looking for bass centric songs to unleash these on. Fun!
MIDS
Mids are smooth and slightly lean in the lower range. They have good detail and good timbre and guitars and vocals sound slightly intimate and personal sounding. There is good detail here, but it doesn't shout at you like some others. For example, the KZ ZSX has more detail but sometimes it is too "in your face" to let you relax. The TRN V90 is more relaxed and smooth.
TREBLE
I am happy to report that the treble is much improved over the V80. It is smooth and detailed and along with the bass, seems to get a bit more attention. I enjoy the air up top and the lack of sibilance. There is a bit of a peak in the lower treble that helps vocals cut through but doesn't overdo it. Good detail and nice air. Smooth operator.
SOUNDSTAGE
Soundstage is probably the V90's weakest link though it's not bad. The stage is wider than deep but is just average in size. It's not super closed in, but it does make vocal performances sound intimate and close. I enjoy it on most generas but electronic music is where it shines. It's very good for EDM, and rap. That's not to say I don't enjoy it on other styles, but I just seem to crave the powerful sub bass and crisp treble on these.
Comments:
The V90 is easy to drive, even with modest sources. My Samsung Galaxy Note 9 drives them just fine though they have more authority when fed from a source with a bit more power.
I thoroughly enjoy the V90's and the beautiful cable. I highly recommend both.
Kinboofi is excellent to work with as always!
Here are links to purchase the V90 and the upgrade cable from Kinboofi's Amazon store. Thank you for reading!
V90: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XYQ1DT8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qBj0DbA6VY7WG
Cable: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GQZ7BZ9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_0wj0Db2AV1MES
First, I would like to thank KiKi from Kinboofi for graciously sending the I4's in exchange for an honest review.
I had previously never heard of TRI and was excited to try them out.
The TRI I4 is a new hybrid 2-way iem featuring a 10mm biocellulose dynamic driver to handle the low frequencies and a single Knowles balanced armature for mid and high frequencies. The shells are CNC machined out of aluminum alloy and they look and feel high quality with a reassuring weight and excellent comfort. The cable is very nice for a stock cable and attaches via mmcx connectors. There is a good selection of included tips, but I changed them out with red and blue tips solely because it makes it easier to tell right from left in low light. I always do this so, this had nothing to do with tip performance. Also inside the box, was a very soft velvet pouch. Nice!
My testing was done using FLAC's at 16bit/44.1k or higher played on my Hiby R3. The I4's sounded good on my Samsung Galaxy Note 9 but did scale a bit with more powerful sources.
Bass
Bass response is definitely elevated leaning more heavily on sub bass but still elevated to a lesser extent at the upper bass. Low end extension is very good and offers up a tight subwoofer sounding kick drum that is nice and fast and well defined. Upper bass is less accentuated but has good slam and polite, non bloated response. I especially enjoy its speed and definition. Bass overall, is tastefully presented and doesn't bleed into the lower mids. The bass is powerful and capable of producing a nice fat electronic bass for hip hop or edm but it is probably a bit too polite for true bass heads. The rest of us will approve.
Mids
Mids are slightly recessed but not enough to make vocals sound weak. There is excellent detail without sounding too aggressive or edgy. Female vocals sound great with nice air and no hint of upper mid sibilance. Male vocals are a tiny bit lean but I really like them. If more low mids are desired, they respond well to eq though I was happy as is. Electric guitars have good detail and nice girth. Some may wish for a bit more grit from them when listening to metal but, again, I enjoyed them as is. A boost around 3k on your eq will give you more edge if desired.
Treble
Upper mids and treble are smooth and non offensive. No sibilance anywhere. These are a departure from other iems in its price range likely owing to the use of a Knowles driver. There is plenty of air and sparkle but they are not overly aggressive and have no ugly peaks or valleys. Cymbals are rendered with a delicacy and control that is addictive. There is zero grain or glare.
Sound Signature
I would call the sound signature a mild V shape but not to the point that mids are buried. My biggest take away is of a very even and controlled sound with excellent timbre. They just sound very natural and wholesome.
Sound Stage
The soundstage is of slightly above average width and with decent depth. Individual individual instruments are easy to pick out and place on the stage. Boosting the treble a bit can make the width appear bigger but can overshadow the mids if boosting too much.
Music Genres
I enjoy the I4 with pretty much any genre but it excels at music with less density where the detailed mids shine giving a good sense of space and reverb tails sound sublime. Acoustic instruments such as guitar, violin, cello and even banjo sound stellar. You can hear the woodiness and texture of the instruments very well. Nice! Classic rock, jazz, and country will all be well reproduced. I enjoy electronic music with these, but they will not supply the long bass boom and treble hype that some expect. This is a good trade off in my opinion as they never get strident or fatiguing. I enjoy listening to "Slash with Myles Kennedy and the Co-Conspiritors", but often find the vocals to be quite sibient and even the kick drums have a sharp pointy sound. The I4 smoothes out the peaks and makes the mix sound ideal with powerful, fast kick drums, thick chunky guitars and a reasonably wide soundstage. The lack of sibilance makes these my go-to pair.
Comparison
I have been listening to my KZ ZSX a lot lately and they are the perfect counter point to the I4. The KZ is slightly more efficient but, the I4 is easily driven from modest sources. Both sets have powerful bass but the ZSX has more grunt and slightly slower decay. Mids are slightly more recessed on the ZSX but have more aggressive detail and more grit. Treble in the ZSX is much more aggressive, but stops just short of too much. There is more air and naturally a wider stage that works well on genres that need more hype and excitement. The I4 is no slouch here but, it is less aggressive.
If you listen to edm, metal or hip hop often, you might prefer the KZ but it's not a deal breaker. They make a great 1-2 punch in my opinion.
Conclusion
If you have read this far, it's clear that I like the I4 very much. I have no reservations recommending them to anyone and they will continue to get a lot of playtime in my daily rotation going forward. I can't wait to try other products from TRI as they become available.
