Hisenior T4 (2023)

TONALITY: 9/10
TECHNICALITIES: 8.5/10
TIMBRE: 9/10
SOUNDSTAGE: 7.5/10
IMAGING: 8/10
MUSICALITY: 9/10
CONSTRUCTION: 9/10
ACCESSORIES: 10/10
SOUND VALUE: 9/10

Intro

Hisenior is an experienced IEM maker from China that specialize in Custom In-ear and UIEM for musician, stage monitoring and audiophile.
This company has about 10 years of experience and is well known among musicians but a bit more obscure for headfier and audiophile.
This will most likely change in 2024 because they plan to diversify even more their sound signature offering with their ‘’Wild-Nature’’ series that focus on different musical experiences.

Personally, I discovered Hisenior 4 years ago when I bought the T2 classic, a 2 knowles BA marvel that still holds its ground today as the best dual BA under 100$ (not for bass head or treble head). The pair I own was excellent for monitoring and unfortunately they never get the acclaim they deserve.

Today I will review the big brother of T2 which is a 4 knowles BA IEM with 2 tuning switches called T4.

Priced 199$, the T4 uses 1 BA woofer for bass, 2 BA for mids and 1 BA for treble with a 3 way integrated crossover. It promises a natural and balanced sound inspired by harman target, but I can already confirm to you it has nothing to do with the Moondrop, Simgot or Thieaudio harman reference target.

It has 2 switches that either add bass or treble, offering 4 different tonal balances.

Let's see in this review if this IEM offers good sound value, performance and musicality.


CONSTRUCTION&ACCESSORIES


The construction of T4 is made of high quality resin plastic that is just slightly transparent so you can perceive the drivers when putting IEM in front of light.
The housing has 2 parts, both with richly colored plastic. The back plate has a mixed white and blue painting pattern that is eye catchy. The texture of plastic is smooth, if it feels thick and durable.
The size is surprisingly small and has a long ‘’ear canal shaped’’ nozzle with a metal nozzle end that is both thinked for shallow or deep fit.
There are no venting holes so the isolation is excellent.
The 2 pin female connector is flat and not recessed, but not put on curvy housing shape so it’s easy to connect it securely, as well it’s tight but not to the point of being worrisome.
At the side we have the 2 tuning switch which can only be turn on-off with a tool, i find this counter intuitive even if extremely common, while i would not want as loose and big switch as the Oriveti OH700VB, i’m sure it’s possible to create secure switch that we can turn at least with our nails. This will permit greater freedom on the go since sometime i want extra bass or treble for different music and don’t tend to bring mini tool with me…ok, in fact, when it happen i seek a small sharp rock on the ground, sometime even nail or screw, but we can’t bet on luck like this.



Then we are spoiled with a great modular cable that is surely worth 30$ or more, it’s very similar to Tacables obsidian but with 3 modular plugs (3.5mm single ended and 2.5mm-4.4mm balanced). I don’t have much info about the core material, but this is a 4 average thick strand and surely a silver plated copper of great quality since I don’t feel the urge to take a higher end cable from my 100 cables collection. The plug has a ring to screw the plug so there is zero risk it gets disconnected randomly like most other modular cables without securize plugs, this is quite a big plus and while the mechanism is similar to Fiio modular cable, it has better grip and construction.



Then the unboxing while minimal in presentation is more than maximalist generosity, this is incredible and pushes the price value even higher.
Let’s begin with the superior carrying case which is ultra sturdy and well built, and a must have for IEMs owners. It’s a pelican like case with very thick plastic, and pouch with zip inside it for accessories and plenty of space for 2 cables and some extra IEM, it’s waterproof and shockproof and Hisenior sells it for 30$ on their site, which is already an honest price.
But if you add this with the cable, the IEM alone might cost 140$.
Then we have 14 pairs of ear tips (!), 4 models of silicone eartips (wide and shorter bore) and 2 pairs of medium foam eartips.
We have a Feebas sticker, a cleaning cloth, a pin tool for switch and a cable holder clamp of great quality.
Yes, this is overwhelming in a good way and I can’t rave enough about the carrying case!

All in all extremely satisfying accessories and great quality construction of IEM, cable and carrying case.

SOUND IMPRESSIONS



Due to 4 tuning choices of the switch, the tonality of T4 is multi faced and can go from warm bassy V shape to gently bright neutral, all with a mid range focus and thick macro dynamic.
Whatever the switch choice, you get a smooth balance free of harsh spikes.
If you are familiar with Final E series IEMs, think about the E4000 and E1000 in terms of balanced tonality that sit between fun and mature musicality that favor tone fullness before texture presence brightness.

These kinds of IEMs are hard to tune without going either too warm and muddy or dark and dull, but this is the ‘’tour de force’’ of Hisenior here and it does justify the use of both 4BA configuration and 4 tuning choice to fully achieve a versatile sound and performance.

This isn’t an analytical IEM, nor a particularly technical sounding one, it’s one that grows on you in terms of richness of colors and immersivity of wide sound layers that are well articulated around the listener, capturing him into a cozy harmonic cocoon that is hard to depart from.

The 4 tuning switch choice are as follow:

2 down is the balanced tonality, which has leaner and more neutral and clean musicality, but less fun and energetic too.

1down2up is called vocal tonality, this is the one with most energetic and upfront upper mids-lower treble presence, which indeed make the vocals brighter as well as instruments like saxophone and violin more focused and less warmed by bass.

1up2down is for extra bass, it has the warmer-darker tonality and vocal aren’t recessed though less clean and gain in fullness and lushness, we got about a 2 decibel bass boost, which is concentrate in mid-bass thump, a creamy, weighty fast bass that is highly addictive.

Both switch up is called soundstage but doesn’t sound as open as Bass switch to my ears, it’s the most dynamic sounding and the treble is more crunchy.

In all honesty, all tuning choices sound good to my ears but we don’t have extremely different sound sig, their no 10db bass boost that will make one choice bass head, nor sudden treble extension that will add a lot of air and sparkle and transform the T4 into an analytical beast.
It’s subtle fine tuning to achieve perfect versatility of a stock tuning that is all about organic cohesive balance in the first place.



The bass has its own BA woofer which is tubed individually to permit a good layering with concentrated resonance that will not overly bleed over the mids.
It can go from gently punchy and well textured mid bass to thick and thumpy warm round impact depending if bass boost is on. Personally, I prefer when it’s on a par for classical and folk music, but anything that needs proper punch needs this extra ‘’oomph’’ that is fast, creamy and well layered.
As expected with BA, the sub bass is roll off and don't offer a long rumble release, the mid bass can offer vibrant slam and bass line can be well articulated in tone but not very clear nor very textured in presence, lowest pitch will sound a be ‘’one toned’’ too. But this doesn’t mean bassline and kick drum goes muddy, nope, the attack is too fast and thigh for this, it’s just warmed in definition edge, so you have both bassline and kick drum warm in their singular release, yet physically well rounded and layered.
The limitation in extension is mostly problematic for instruments like acoustic double bass or infra bass rendering which don’t dig it’s sustain deep and lean enough, I would not suggest T4 for rap trap or Drum & Bass, while for jazz it will go without bass boost.
I feel the bass switch is thinked for soul, trip hop, R&B, pop and rap.
With tracks from Pip Millet, Jorja Smith, Moonchild we are in pure lush bassy thumpy pleasure that is all sweetness without feeling too guilty pleasure thanks to good macro dynamic rendering of 4 BAs, non recessed mids and either super smooth or more crunchy treble if you had treble boost or not.
From cello to kick drum, everything sound lush and thick, with plenty of impact weight, the tone is natural, not thin or dry and only drawback would be the euphonic definition of the well rounded presence, it’s not sharp or crisp in bit, it slip behind the mid range with an hazy presence that can either thicken lower mid range or stay leaner and more transparent depending of tuning choice.
In terms of multi BA IEMs, it’s among the best bass implementations and quite similar to 64 audio U18T which have creamy chunky mid bass punch with sub bass roll off and hazy texture and definition too.
But unlike U18T, the T4 can go from lean technical bass to this oh so delicious warm thumpy flavor. Afterall, switch play with impedance of drivers, and U18T is only venting port change (apex module), something we can achieve at home with a piece of tape.

The mid range is the best part of the show for me and a pure bliss for female vocalist lovers . It’s thick and lush and very focused though warm in resolution and more about color of timbre, as it will sound if you are near the instrument or vocalist. It embraces the listener instead of pulling him far away to be able to read center stage with monitor-like precision.
Their plenty of lower mid range, which means breathiness of the vocalist will be boosted, adding creamy lushness to vocal presence which is smoothly upfront and wide and enveloping in presence.
It’s the type of mids that can give goose bumps and talk more to the soul than the brain.
Laid back yet highly pleasant in buttery tone, the instruments are fully bodied with an organic layering that feel effortless even if not edgy in attack.
Don’t expect a highly transparent and open presentation, it’s intimate and focused, you’re into the music not a spectator of it. Add this to luscious punchy bass and the pleasure can trigger eargasm fastly.
The piano has good note weight with a vibrant release that blossoms roundly, you don’t have long natural resonance so it’s a bit hard to know which pedal or not is pressed by the pianist. It is edge free, tone is full and presence smoothen.
The saxophone too has this creamy appealing presence, fully bodied and wide, with upfront focus.
You might be afraid that with this softed attack bite the layering would be messy and all stick together in an overly dark way, but that’s what is fascinating with T4: it isn’t, thanks to 4 balanced armature that permit effortless yet non monitor like layering.
This is a fatigue free captivating mid range with magnify tone lushness and intimate, close instruments surrounding. Nailing this cohesive lushness with 4 BA’s is a tour de force in it’s own, boosting musical appeal of main instrument and vocal and making all other IEMs sound distant, thin or too bright. Impressionistic and colorful, the T4 mids kiss you, you can’t overseen it and its main attention is its musical appeal.

Then we should expect some trade off to achieve this mid centric goodness, but it doesn’t mean we got a plain dull treble. Well, I will definitely not suggest T4 for hardcore treble head, but as a fan of good quality highs, I find it refined and organically balanced.
Lot of multi-BA IEM can feel detached at high frequency. In fact, even with a graph I can see exact BA treble bumps of badly tuned IEM, it feels like it’s just thrown there to wow you with a non-sense resolution boost.
The T4 takes the opposite path, which explains why they remind me of Final E4000, which is all but trebly or analytical.
It’s a full sounding treble, percussions are thick and realist and don’t have long or splashy releasy, we have warm snap to it that prove they are speedy but not sharpen, in fact they are damped in spike, not very brilliant or sparkly.
For some, including me, it will lack air, clean snap and sparkle, at first it annoys me then I find it pleasant due to all fully rounded is tonal balance and non distracting are percussions or micro details.
Then for acoustic guitar, it will lack a bit of attack lead bite and snap, but tone is full, notes are open and dense in release, yet I was surprised to struggle discerning piano and single note guitar in some jazz tracks, when both play similar loudness. This is proof that attack lead can help to discern an instrument, piano being hitting a hammer on string while guitar is pulling-stroking string. This is very common with BA .
Nonetheless, the treble deliver rich amount of sound info, some micro details, and fast percussions don’t go out of whack when speedy, they just don’t attract attention, so for lazy listener it will lack vividity and micro details, but I can hear fine details of violin and never feel anything is lacking apart brilliance and clean resonance of high pitch instruments like harp.
All in all, a safe and charming treble that doesn't sound detached, wonky or treble. It’s buttery and sibilance and spike free.

The soundstage isn’t massive with those, it has average wideness and good tallness, but lacks depth and doesn't feel crisp or clean nor airy or open. It’s an intimate cocoon that sticks around your head like a bubble, you're in the middle of music, the vocalist is 1 meter of you in center stage while percussions are a bit more stereo.

This means the T4 isn't thinked for monitoring, though I can see stage musicians like singer, saxophonists using those. It's not sharp in separation, nor very easy to position instruments since they are close to each other. It’s not sounding like a concert all for sure but the layering is well articulate and don't go muddy even if instrument presence is warm.


SIDE NOTES

At 19ohm of impedance and 115db of sensitivity, the T4 are easy to drive and don't benefit from amping gain. In fact, they prefer cleaner crisper source.

The stock cable is good enough, but you can improve clarity and imaging using higher end one like Simgot LC7.

These are sensitive to ear tips and to get fully open spatiality I use wide bore one, like KBear KB07.

The T4 aren't that capricious for a multi-BA IEM and can be driven properly with just a phone.


COMPARISONS



VS Hisenior Okavango (1DD+6BA-300$)

The Oka is more U-shaped and slightly brighter on top.
The bass has more slam headroom, deeper extension and leaner overall punch, with less mid bass rounded impact. The sub bass is less roll off and more focused and detailed than T4 too. T4 has a chunkier and punchier mid bass punch, warmer, more vibrant and compressed bass line too.

Mids are a bit more upper mids boosted, a notch thinner and less thick and natural than more mid centric sounding T4, which offer smoother lusher female vocals that are perhaps less transparent but more bodied, wider and notably more sugary and appealing to my ears.
Treble is more textured with Oka, it’s more extended and extracts a greater amount of micro details. Percussions can feel less well balanced as overall smoother, more buttery and darker treble of T4 which is less prompt to fatigue or lack of warm versatility.

Soundstage is notably wider and deeper with Oka slightly taller with T4 which sound less ‘’hall like’’.
In terms of technicalities, T4 is less well resolved and imaging is inferior due to more opaque sound layers mixing together in a thick macro dynamic. Attack control seems a bit superior though, less prompt to splashing or unwanted resonance. Oka has 7 drivers but I don’t think all BAs are as good as the 4 high end BAs used in T4.

Ultimately I enjoy the smoother and better balanced musicality of T4, timbre is denser and sweeter, I'm not distracted by anything ‘’bad sound info’’ like texture grip, but overall technicalities are inferior, especially in both bass and treble extension.
Tuning wise, and sound value wise, T4 stays the big winner for me.


VS HIDIZS MD4 (4BA-190$)

MD4 is notably brighter and thinner with a wonky W shape sounding compared to smoother mid centric more bassy L shape of T4.

Bass is dryer, more hard, thumpy and edgy, less attached to mids and treble, more artificial and even more rolled off in sub bass, which is replaced by strange boxy resonance and noisy bass line presence.

Mids are notably more shouty, brighter and edgy, vocals are unbearable while highly addictive and emotional with T4, resolution is more boosted as well as sense of transparency, tone-timbre is off while lush and natural with T4 which is sibilance free unlike MD4.

Treble is all over the place with the MD4, it’s notably more aggressive, spiky and percussions are more splashy. Acoustic guitar is more snappy. Overall treble of T4 is better balanced, thicker and less analytical.

Soundstage is wider and taller with T4, deeper with MD4, like a tunnel.

Imaging…both are on par but for different reason, firstly because they are average in that regard, then MD4 is too noisy and full of confusing sound info so positioning is very unrealistic and messy, thigh highs instrument are easier to pinpoint in this mess, then for T4, it’s darker in resolution and less edgy in definition cutting, yet i struggle less to position sound layer unless extremely fast and complex music which in both case I will struggle. Ok, MD4 is so bad I'll give it to T4 here too.

Time to conclude this since I can’t take more! I think it’s evident MD4 is shamefully inferior both in tonality and technicalities even if it tries to boost the latter in terms of cheap wow effect that will ultimately just damn your hearing or sanity.

CONCLUSION

The Hisenior T4 are extremely addictive in terms of smooth, mellow and mid centric musicality, organically balanced.
If you are afraid the T4 offers artificial tonality or BA timbre, don't because it’s among the most natural sounding multi-BA I've ever heard, like a darker smoother 64 audio U18T with more intimate and focused vocals.

The T4 are special IEM that will not appeal to treble head or bass head yet please a wide range of listeners due to its permissive fatigue free nature.

Yet it doesn't lack anything dynamic wise, we have round punch, lush mids and smooth but fast and snappy treble within an overall creamy macro dynamic that is free of distracting treble sharpness of intense bass boom.

It’s rare I'm a fan that much of a safe tuning, since if I seek in my head, the first IEM that comes to my mind are the Simgot EW100 that I wasn’t a fan of. This was due to technical limitations of single DD in terms of macro dynamic articulation and sound layering, which are above average with T4.

I would suggest those first and foremost for lush timbre and vocal lover, as well as mid centric audiophile. If you are sensitive to treble harshness and tend to dislike thin mids and bass, the T4 will be among the safest choices under 200$.

It’s one of those humble IEm that offer both mature and fun tonality depending on switch choice, and if favor tone correctness before analytical resolution or extremist tuning balance.

As well, for T2 owners, this is a very different beast that is worth the buy as both an upgrade technically and side grade tonaly, richer, warmer and bassier than its sibling.

The T4 confirms why I always believe in Hisenior potential and such smoothly cohesive tuning with 4 balanced armature is a tour de force in its own right. If you seek for intimate musicality instead of energetic technicalities, the sweet T4 will stick in your ears like honey.

Very highly recommended for those that don’t seek in-your-face wow effect!






—---------------------------------------------


PS: I want to thanks Hisenior for sending me this review sample. Unlike the T2 I paid 50% of the price 4 years ago, I just pay shipping fees for the T4. Should I pay full, half the price or zero $, this will not inflict on my sound impressions since after 400 IEMs mostly free samples, and none of them being resold, nothing can inflict on my passionate subjectivist audio impressions. I’m addicted to IEMs and Music, not $.


You can order the Hisenior T4 for 199$ here (there a coupon code available for 20$ off which i think work for the T4): https://www.hisenior-iem.com/products/t4universal?variant=40719937699876

Review Of The HiSenior T4 Febos​

Introduction​

A company I recently learned about has developed a large number of electro acoustic goods, especially in ear monitors priced between $100 and $600. This Chinese-based manufacturer has developed IEMs with dynamic driver, balance armature, and EST drivers. The IEM lineup includes the T2, T4, MEGA5P Ultra, Okavango, Mega5-EST, and FE8. The firm also has a cable line and a case to provide. I just had the opportunity to test out the Hisenior T4 to see whether they are indeed a wonderful price. But, before I share my results, I'd want to clarify a few points.

Disclaimer​

*Since this unit tour was organised by the generous people at HiSenior Audio, I am grateful to them. And as I've said in all of my evaluations, the same is true for this one: all of the concepts I've expressed below are entirely my own, original ideas that haven't been influenced by anyone else. If interested, go to this link.
*I am not associated with the connection, and I receive no financial assistance from anyone.
*For the remainder of the review, I will refer to these IEMs as “T4.”
*I am using different Ear-tips for convenience and better versatility.
*Finally, I will only evaluate the T4 based on their performance, even though I will explain how it feels and seems physically and aesthetically.

Specification​

The T4 features four balanced armature configurations (Knowles and Sonion) that are all incorporated with a three-way crossover for the necessary tuning. The shells are composed of EGGAR resin, which feels lightweight and comfy. Both the faceplate and the shell have a nice color tone. The faceplate features febos etched on both sides. The shells feature an ergonomic design that does not cause discomfort even after wearing them for an extended period of time; nevertheless, for those who want a vacuum seal with no air escaping between the nozzle and the ear canal, this shell lacks an air pressure release outlet. The IEM also includes two tuning switches, allowing for four alternative tunings, which will be explained later. The cable that comes with the IEM is a 4-strand OCC cable, however the review device I received had a different cable. The cable that initially came with the T4 features a two-pin connector on one end and a 4.4mm straight termination plug on the other. Other accessories include 8 pairs of silicon eartips in various sizes, 2 pairs of foam eartips, a cleaning cloth, a cable clip, and a switch adjust pin. Technical parameters include an impedance of 19 Ohms and a sensitivity of 115dB. The frequency response ranges from 20Hz to 20kHz, with a total harmonic distortion of 0.5%.

Sound​

The T4's response is well-balanced, with a forward midrange and a great warm presence in the lower frequencies. Because it is an all-BA IEM, I believe the note quality is more genuine, with a tonally precise response free of harshness or sibilance. The reaction is fluid and relaxing, rather than violent. It is not the first time I have heard an all-BA IEM sound this fantastic tonally, but given the price, the T4 is an outstanding performance. The notes suffer slightly from retrieval and resolution because IEMs such as HiBy Yvain or EA1000 provide a more complex and clear presentation. Before proceeding, I'd want to clarify that the review was conducted using them in the standard tuning. Let us go further to learn more about the sound.




***Standard tuning***

Treble​

While listening to the treble region, I noticed that the response is pleasantly stretched with a smooth and coherent response that never bursts out in your face, allowing vocalists and instruments in the midrange region to sound vibrant and natural without being overly forward in the mix. I do notice some odd tuning, where metal and pop music elicit a gloomy response while classical and slow-sounding tracks seem appealing. The upper treble is extensive and smooth, with good details that do not sound harsh; the vocals and instruments sound linear, extending far and wide, making it sound fuller; however, I find the quality and quantity of the EA1000 or quintet to be more resolved and cohesive than the T4. The lower treble sounds more prominent while still allowing for a decent richness in the notes of the singers, but the instrument's notes suffer slightly, with some viewing it as tonally correct and others as excessively forgiving in the detail region. However, the smooth reaction makes it sound quite relaxing to listen to. As a result, the overall presentation of the treble area is smooth, consistent, and enjoyable to listen to.

Mid Range​

When it comes to the mid range, the response is upfront but not as personal or near to your impression of the stage. I feel the placement of the voices and instruments makes it sound a bit more open and broad, which aids in its refinement and effectiveness. The upper midrange resonates with the lower treble and generates the same energy, but with warmer sounds and greater focus on notes in the mix. The voices and instruments sound more spread out than upfront, which aids in achieving clear vocals and complementing instrumentation. The balance is ideal for someone who enjoys a good, rich response with no metallic or harsh sounds. The lower midrange is one of the reasons for such a natural and rich response, as the note weight and density are not as heavy as I expected, but the notes have a good clean response with variable note outcomes ranging from wobbly to clean, making the lower midrange sound a valuable region. As a result, the mid range area is presented in a lively, open, and appealing manner.

Bass​

In terms of bass, I have a love-hate relationship with it. The reason for this is that it helps add reality and nice tone to the higher frequencies, but it also lacks qualities and integrity. The region has no distinct focus, however I find the moderate bass presence to be more noticeable. The sub bass extension is adequate, and the punches have a nice effective presence, but it does not seem like it holds after impact. The same can be stated about the mid bass region, although the slams are more pleasing because the assault is gentle. It must be because I prefer a cleaner response than a warm response. The warmth extends into the lower midrange, allowing for a meatier response. The effects of the strikes and impacts are not given more prominence, since they would have resulted in an extremely puffy and bloated reaction. I feel it falls somewhere between a clearer and a booming response. The notes are crisp and detailed, although other IEMs in this price range sound better. Overall, the bass area sounds warm, velvety, and pleasurable to listen to.

Technical Performance​

In terms of technical performance, the T4 performs admirably, competing with, if not outperforming, other IEMs in this price range. Let me explain more fully.

Soundstage, Sound Imaging & Separation​

The staging and arrangement of the notes make the response seem vast but not completely surround-sounding. The image is clear and rather crisp, although it might have been better. The gap between the notes is excellent since it helps identify where the sound is originating from.

Speed & Resolution​

The resolution is high, and the macro elements are well revealed in the mix; however, the micro details are not as prominent, although they are frequently heard. The attack and decay times for an all BA IEM are sluggish, but this makes the sound more tonally rich and pleasing, however the decay is not particularly rapid to resolve.

Sound Impressions ​

Tuning Switches ​

Bass+: In this setup, the bass becomes more prominent throughout the mix, which mixes with the midrange but also overshadows it when powerful bass enters the mix. The coherence between the energy of the region is not felt with this design, but it sounds more V-shaped and enjoyable to listen to.



Vocal+: In this setup, the treble sounds airier and more expansive, with more detail to provide. The notes sound more polished, rich, and open. The response sounds better and crisper, making for a fascinating presentation.



Soundstage+: In this configuration, the response sounds similar to the Vocals+ setup, but with a more chaotic version as the details come across more intimately and the lower treble sound more energetic, but it does not contribute much to one's preferred sounds.

Sources​

Sony WM1A - While listening to T4 with the WM1A, the response seemed more holographic and immersive. The treble seemed the same but with more focus without moving any notes forward, and the midrange sounded a bit more forward with lighter note weight, which helped balance out the lower and upper midrange, making it sound cohesive and silky. The bass sounds large rather than warm.



Tempotec V6 - While listening to T4 with the V6, the response felt more transparent, with the treble and midrange sounding clearer and more upfront, indicating a close reception. The bass is more detailed yet lifeless. The sound is clean and straightforward in terms of intensity and strength.

Tracks​

Luna Haruna - Glory days
Luna Haruna - Overfly
Rokudenashi - The Flame of Love
LMYK - 0 (zero)
ORESKABAND - Jitensya
Marina Horiuchi - Mizukagami no Sekai
RADWIMPS - Suzume
Indila - Love Story
Indila - Tourner dans le vide
Earth, Wind & Fire - September
Tom Petty - Free Fallin'
Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Blue Oyester Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper
Guns 'N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine
The Police - Every Breath You Take
Gojira - Amazonia
TV on the radio - Wolf Like Me
Bring Me To The Horizon - Can You Feel My Heart
Bring Me To The Horizon - sTraNgeRs
Avril Lavigne - Dare To Love Me
Travis - Love Will Come Through
Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know
DJ Shadows - Six Days (Remix) [feat. Mos Def]
Lady Gaga - Just Dance
Lil Wayne - Lollipop
Flo Rida - Low
Sebastian Lopez & Flug - Electronic Measures
Federico Mecozzi - Blue (Da Ba Dee)
Wayve - Not Enough
Kai Wachi & TeZATalks - Ghost
NGHTMRE, Zeds Dead & Tori Levett - Shady Intentions
Zeds Dead, DNMO & GG Magree - Save My Grave
Skrillex, Noisia, josh pan & Dylan Brady - Supersonic
Skrillex & Nai Barghouti - Xena
Skrillex, Missy Elliott & Mr. Oizo - RATATA
Kaifi Khalil, Eva B & Wahab Bugti - Kana Yaari
A.R. Rahman, Javed Ali & Mohit Chauhan - Kun Faya Kun

Conclusion​

To summarize my review, I believe the HiSenior T4 is a more gratifying and enjoyable IEM to listen to, with an abundance of details and clarity throughout the mix, and the greatest part is that it is tonally appealing to listen to. Those who don't like metallic or BA timbres will particularly love them. As a result, I wholeheartedly endorse them.

Hisenior T4 the smooth performer

Disclaimer

The T4 is my second IEM from Hisenior, I bought it with my own money with a review discount. All impressions are my own subjective thoughts, after having used T4 for some weeks.
This is also a very subjective hobby where everything from experience, anatomy or age will affect what we hear. Also keep in mind that it is easy to use bold words when talking about differences, while it may be perceived as a small change for you. While I can perceive something as natural sounding, I do believe we can never get a perfect performance similar to what is achieved live.

Ranking System:
1 Very bad or unlistenable
2 Listenable but not good
3 Average
4 Very good
5 Exceptional or having a special sauce



About me and my gear used for the review

My audio preference is neutral with increased low end, mids can be forward but not too much. I can also handle some treble spikes if it is not excessive. I am a believer in having different tuned IEMs for different genres or moods instead of chasing the single perfect one.
Main music genres I listen to are Metal, Electronica, Jazz, Indy rock/metal, R&B, Pop. I am a music lover, and can also listen to almost all the genres out there. I have been into music gear since the mid 90s, gifted some big speakers at an early age. Then moved more and more into headphones with the Koss Porta Pro and a Sony Discman and Minidisc.

I have also tried playing many instruments over the years from piano to sax and have a feel for what's a natural tone, but not the biggest patience in learning to play. My wife has also played many instruments from string to wind instruments and also piano.

My current standard in Headphones is ZMF Verite and Beyerdynamic T1 G2.

My current favorites in IEMs are AüR Audio Neon Pro, Sound Rhyme DTE900 and 634ears Miroak-II. The NEON Pro has 10 BAs, and has a near perfect tonality for me on the brighter side. DTE900 is a tribrid with 1+4+4 config, tuned W shape being energetic and lush. Miroak-II is my faovorite single DD, it has a warm and bassy sound that is also very natural sounding.

Gear used in the main rig is Topping E70 DAC together with the Topping A90 Discrete headphone Amp. I also have a Schiit Lokuis I can swap in if I want to do a little analogue EQ.
Portable gear used during the review is HIBY R6 Pro 2, Penon Tail, FIIO BTR7.
I have a good range of cables from Clan Audio, Penon, NiceHCK, XINHS, DUNU, Effect Audio and Gladiator Cables.





Who is Hisenior

https://www.hisenior-iem.com/

I heard about Hisenior for the first time last year, and heard praise about their Mega5P hybrid IEM. Found it to be excellent for the money when I had it on loan from a friend, had a natural and good tonality. Great built and felt better than what they asked for, the market has changed and more and more hybrids have entered.
So it's good to see that the new Okavango is priced nicely according to specs also, even if the market is flooded with hybrids now.

Hisenior as I understand has been making IEMs for a good time, but aimed for the professional market. This is also why they offer IEMs in the CIEM versions, the new models have options for both CIEM and universal design.



So what is the T4

The T4 is a BA IEM with 4 balanced armatures and 3 crossovers, priced at 199 usd. It can also be purchased with a custom designed shell and faceplate for 249 usd, and if you want a CIEM shell it is 299 usd.

The T4 is part of their T series, this as I understand is marketed for both audiophiles and artists.

Resin shell that is made with nice curves similar to CIEM models, nozzle is in the metal style seen on many IEMs lately. Combination makes it close to perfect in comfort, it also has a vent helping with pressure. There are also tuning switches with one affecting the bass amount while the other is for treble extension.

You get some nice accessories, also their hard case for storage. Plenty of tips to get you going, and the modular cable is excellent with only one downside being that the modular part is not the most secure.

https://www.hisenior-iem.com/products/t4universal




Timbre

First off, what is Timbre?
From the Wikipedia:
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) Acoustical Terminology definition 12.09 of timbre describes it as "that attribute of auditory sensation which enables a listener to judge that two nonidentical sounds, similarly presented and having the same loudness and pitch, are dissimilar", adding, "Timbre depends primarily upon the frequency spectrum, although it also depends upon the sound pressure and the temporal characteristics of the sound"

First minutes of trying a new set of gear, what I always listen to is how natural and musical it sounds. Much of this goes down to how I perceive the Timbre.

Main comparison is with both switches up so called Soundstage+, I also find the other positions okay. But for me personally the added bass and treble extension is perfect in Soundstage+.

The T4 sound is very much like the measurements show, a warm and forgiving sound.

The low end has this thick and warm bass tonality, it goes into the mids making both instruments and vocals thicken. The pinna gain raises slowly and is not elevated much, but it's also not veiled making it lack presence. The high range is well extended and airy without being sharp or sibilant, it's much more airy than what I expected for a 200 usd BA IEM.

Going to use the ranges here in review:




Taken from ToneDeafMonk



Details and soundstage

The T4 is not the most resolving set, but due to the nature of BA already being quite resolving the T4 is above most dynamic driver IEMs in this aspect. It lack a little in low range, but this is often true on most BA sets.

Soundstage is average, I don't particularly find it large or closed in. More or less just follow the music and how it's portrayed. Imaging capability is pretty good, very nice 3D stage only lacking some depth nuances forward.

Bass

The T4 has BA bass, but I find it surprisingly good at this price point. I rate it as good in the low end as Supernova and SA6, maybe they have a small amount more detail in the bass. But it's really close, and I actually find the T4 has a more convincing bass slam than them.

There is more focus on the mid bass than sub bass, it doesn't mean that it lacks sub bass rumble. But the sub bass is not as prominent as the mid bass thickness.

Mids

The mids on T4 is just liquid gold, I truly love having smooth and warm vocals on T4. Females are better than males, but I very often find this true on most BA sets. Male are also nice, but I often favor the DD dynamics on them.
Females have more forward sound to them in thickness, so if you are one who needs super clean and thin females this is not for you. I most often like it more forward, so here T4 is excellent.

Instruments with strings also sound warm and full, drums have a nice kick to them. Cymbals have a good bite without any glare, same for brass instruments.

I just had the Supernova on loan and it had problems with sibilance on many female voices, especially in asian music. And I would pick T4 every day over it for female vocals.

Treble

The resolving and smooth sound of the upper range is perfect, keeping it more musical and pleasing. Also have a fair amount of air that doesn't feel forced and fake, just good natural air.
The T4 has an amount of lower treble where music has lots of presence and detail without being sibilant, but it also doesn't mask sibilant music.



Synergies

A small part about what gear I have been enjoying the most with the Okavango.

Most of my listening has been done with HIBY R6 Pro 2 and Topping E70/A90 Discrete, my favorite pairing being R6P2.

Tips has been a mixed thing, I found all my usual tips to work well. Favorite is perhaps the Tangzu Sancai, as they are so comfortable and sound full.

Cables I am very neutral on in beliefs, I have tried both expensive cables from Effect Audio and cheap brands from China. I don't really find it to improve or change with cables, so my pairing has mostly been with the stock cable that is excellent.




Music

I will just talk about some of the music I like, the music I use here are some of my reference tracks and also just some I like. When I am listening to music and not evaluating, I prefer to listen to whole albums. When comparing T4 to other sets I have used the tracks listed here and more.

This time I will have more vocal centric albums than usual as its something T4 excel at.



Eivør - Slør

Eivør is a Faroese singer-songwriter and actress, who got her on my radar since a friend from Island listened to her. This particular song also has an English version, but the original captures more emotion and nuances. Even If I don't understand much of the language.

About the dark time of the year on Faroe Islands. For people who live up in the north we are used to cold and long winters where almost no sun comes up, Eivør loves the dark and airy feeling of this time. Slør literally means ¨veil¨ as in the dark veiled land.

Amount of emotion and nuances in her voice can be enjoyed to its fullest on T4 as it captures it so perfectly, the focus on her vocals with T4 is perfect. The added instruments just add to the magical atmosphere. Its not that the T4 does something super special, but it also does nothing wrong here. Perhaps the soundstage is very deep here, and the T4 can not show it as its more on the small side.



Agnes Obel - The Curse

The Danish singer Agnes Obel is also a great part of my review process since has a beautiful voice. She also often uses both real instruments and electronic elements mixing it all together to atmospheric and emotional music.

The Curse have both string instruments like cello and piano, and of course also her voice.
The warm and dark feeling is very perfect on T4, the T4 makes both her and the cello parts come alive. Both in her voice and the string parts there is lots of detail, even so I do sometimes lack a little dynamic element. While doing this review I have listened to this alot on dynamic drivers through earbuds and headphones, and BA can not touch the realism of a DD.

But I'm way too harsh here, as T4 really does nothing wrong. And my critic can be more since im biased towards dynamic drivers.



Billie Elish - No Time To Die


The theme song for the James Bond movie No Time To Die.
Billie Eilish is the vocalist, the Orchestral part is done by Hans Zimmer Orchestra and produced by Finneas O'Connell and Stephen Lipson. It has a high production quality and is more than good enough to evaluate vocals and dynamics.

Billie Eilish was only 17 years old here and the youngest ever in a James Bond theme song, she was praised by Hans for having an intimate and emotional voice.
The track starts slow with just a subtle piano and gets even more slow when Billie enters, she sings carefully with lots of emotion. And crescendos up more and more over the course of the track, also why I say it has great dynamic range here.

The T4 has a very natural sound to the piano, and it has a mid forward sound that let the Piano be clear and nuanced. And this obviously also goes for the vocal part, T4 shows every throb and change in her voice. There is good breathiness in her voice that is not dampened by too much presence reduction in the upper mids.

The part where it is intense has much more instruments playing, and it doesn't sound congested or anything. Just an open and airy sound, while she is very centered in the image the rest has a very good depth into the stage. Under the climax of the track, Billie can be slightly sibilant on some IEMs while T4 rides just on the edge.





Fink - Trouble’s What You’re In - Live from Union Chapel, London

Incredibly nice live recording, Fink has an amazing voice. The simple but nuanced track has very few instruments, but the harmony of it all is very special and full sounding. I used this track and album on my recent review for a dynamic driver IEM the EA1000, and is suiting here also due teh comparison.

The T4 has great texture and body to his voice, and also very resolving showing his vibrato or breathyness. Drumming and guitar together with his voice has a sort of euphonic warm presentation, very addictive. This is also very matching with how the T4 is in its tonality, drums lack a little kick to them.



Korn - Falling Away from Me

Been years since I listened to Korn, I loved it in my teens. What I have found is that the style they have is quite aggressive and also often sound bad on high resolving audio gear, especially if on the bright tonality side. Korn is Nu Metal, their songs often inspired by bullying and other tough stuff.

Falling away has a nice thick bass kick at the start, and to my surprise the T4 sounds very satisfying and full on it. And when the rest starts it gets quite hectic, but T4 remains more or less fatigue free. This also goes for the rest of the parts being more intense through the song.

Jonathan’s voice has just the right amount of forwardness suiting the music, sets with less mids sound thin to me. The T4 upper mids are smooth and forgiving, this helps the track not get fatigued. But it's also not too safe sounding where it sounds lackluster and lacks energy. The mids do make the sound be more full and thick, so if you are one who needs super clean and clear sound T4 is not that.



Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder, Kamasi Washington - From My heart and My Soul

Terrace Martin has some great releases within the jazz or jazz hop genre, this is no exception and is a superb album and track. He has a nice voice and has an old school vibe, like a 90s hip hop sound blended with jazz. The track is very bass heavy with a thicker mid presentation.

This track does deserve a dynamic driver for its bass, there is something about the decay that sounds slightly off on BA sets. That includes T4 and also more high end models like Neon Pro and Supernova. It's not to say it sounds bad, as the thump does sound good and some would maybe not notice if they are not used to the album or track with other sets.

The drum kit and synth all have good resolving capability with the T4, it has a slightly smoother sound to it. Overall very pleasing, and this part of T4 being smooth and warm in the mids suit the track very well. The vocals are also pretty good and satisfying, and even if its BA I like the amount of lushness T4 provides.



The Comet is Coming - Birth of Creation

Nu jazz from London, a group consisting of King Shabaka on sax, Danalogue on keyboard and Betamax on drums. This album is special and has been in my listening rotation since it came out, the track Birth of Creation is one of the best tracks on the album.

Sax is played with finesse and has a mellow and dark sound, almost like a voice singing. The drums gave a nice mix of sparkling cymbals, hits and nice kicks. While the keyboard makes this more of a mix between electronica and jazz, it's a cool track with a story being told.

Here I don't mind at all having just an all BA, this is actually a track where the more even tonality the better. So all BA or just single DD wins my heart every time.

The sax is very nuanced and detailed, and the smoother part of T4 helps making it more pleasing overall. While it might lack some bite if you want a more forward brass sound, the bass played is excellent and is both detailed and fun. Overall I find the T4 to replay the track very good, as its just in the middle where it smooth some of the more intense jazz elements while keeping detailed enough where it's not veiled.



Ahab - The Isle

Ahab is a German funeral doom metal band, an extreme sub genre of death metal. Doom funeral metal is a slow type of metal often very thick sounding, and it always sounds wrong on lean IEMs for me. This album is based upon the 1907 horror book The Boats of the ¨Glen Carrig¨ by William Hope Hodgson.

The soft start is magical, and if you don't know what type of album it is you would have been shocked later. The electric guitar is clear and magical and the bass is giving a great atmospheric vibe, his vocal drags you in with lyrics telling a story.
The T4's more warm tonality is well suited to music like this, giving great body to drums and guitars. And as BA it is both detailed and forward without any fatiguing tendency on any part.
Both the signing at start is detailed and full, and the growling later is very detailed and clean. So it's easier to hear what he sings through the growling.



Merkaba - Perception 2022 Remaster

I am a big fan of electronic music, and having a good body giving soul to the rhythm is important for me. There is not much to analyze in this track except how the resolution is, and how much I like it all.

The T4 delivers a warm and thick full bodied sound, and as for how good BA bass can be it's up there close with other regarded sets like SA6 and Supernova. I have no problem recommending T4 for electronica, and often the BA can suit more fast paced electronica. Not that this song is slow, and even here it's very pleasing. But there is one caveat and that is sub bass, there is much more mid bass focus than sub. Not that it lacks sub bass, but it's more neutral while mid bass is more forward.



Gidge - Quasar

I am a lover of ambient electronica that is more on the musical side, this track is exactly that. Outside of having been taken by the vocal capability of the T4 I have also been addicted to ambient music on T4.

I always prefer dynamic drivers for electronica, but for some reason this album and also the track suit T4 perfectly. The forward mid bass and also lush warm mids make it such enjoyable and full sounding.



Comparisons

I had no other BA sets within this price range, so instead I decided to use the recent release from Simgot EA1000 Fermat priced around the same and is highly praised. And also my reference IEM that shows have good all BA can be, the AüR Audio Neon Pro.



Simgot EA1000 Fermat

The EA1000 is the newest IEM from Simgot, it has 1 Dynamic Driver and 1 Passive radiator. It sits at the same price point as the T4 and also provides similar tuning on measurement, even if they sound quite different in real life.

EA1000 being more aggressive in its presence with super clear sound, and T4 appear warmer and more soothing.
The EA1000 has more aggressive upper mids, it also is more resolving than T4. This also has its downside as EA1000 can be tiresome on some music, example being the track Slør being tiresome on EA1000 and soothing on T4. Soundstage is also slightly larger on EA1000, but the difference is not that far off from each other.

The EA1000 has a metal build instead of resin like T4, EA1000 also uses a more universal type of shell that doesn't sit as ergonomic.
If we look at comfort the T4 is much better than EA1000, the nozzle is short and the body of the shell is rather awkward to use. This might be since I have a larger ear, and people with smaller ears or less deep ear canal where the tip sits. Stock cable is better from Hisenior as its more malleable to your ear, while the most pretty is from Simgot. Tips and accessories are great on both sets.

The low end on EA1000 is superb with great texture and resolution, one of the better DD presentations of bass. It only lacks some in its mid bass amount and slam, but this is also down to preference. Both are equally fast sounding, but the EA1000 is more convincing on natural decay. It also shows slightly more sub bass than T4, the amount of mid bass and slam is more on T4.
Male vocals are lusher and more emotional on T4, on EA1000 they are slightly colder and neutral. Female vocals are also similar, you trade more airy and clear vocals on EA1000 with the lush and smooth vocals on T4. But if we listen to details on vocals and instruments more is visible in the audio picture on EA1000. The upper mids on EA1000 are more forward and can appear tiresome or even metallic on certain music, this is much smoother and better on T4. But this is also down to preference.

The high range is great on both sets, small victory to T4 being more airy. But the biggest treble difference is that the T4 has a more soothing treble sound, and EA1000 can be too bright and it all comes down to its more resolving driver.



AüR Audio Neon Pro

The AüR Audio Neon Pro is a more high end IEM priced around 700 usd, it has 10BA per side of high quality. It's also my reference set for how good BA can be, my favorite set for metal music.

Both have similar build quality in the resin, and form factor also being very similar. Neon Pro does have a larger shell and fit even more like a CIEM, also due to the nozzle being angled and perfect for me. But then it's the ear pressure, I have no problems on the Neon Pro. I know that many others have had problems since NP does not have any venting, the T4 on the other hand have vented holes to remove pressure.
The Neon Pro has U-tonality, meaning that bass and treble being forward while mid range being more neutral. The Neon Pro is also a set that is highly resolving with forward upper mids, but even so remains not sharp or sibilant.

The T4 is the warmest sounding of the two, with more bass and mid focus. Neon Pro has more of a balanced reference sound. Using Neon Pro with switch OFF/DOWN and T4 with both switches ON/UP, in this position they are more similar in bass amount and upper treble.

Starting with the low end, this is a clear win to Neon Pro. It has better sub bass texture and extension, when music asks for sub bass rumble it delivers conveniently even if its BA. Mid bass slam is good on both sets, but Neon Pro slam harder. And if its string instruments playing the bass you hear some more nuances in everything, is it day and night? No. But it's still a different playing field, but this is also to be expected. For me the IEMs using 4 Sonion BAs does something extra that the other sets using only 2 lack, this also goes for other sets from Dunu, Symphonium and more.

Midrange is good on both sets and here there is less difference in quality, Neon pro still has more resolution but the difference is less. Biggest difference here is on tonality, T4 has thicker and also smoother midrange. Neon Pro is more clear, and also more reference sounding.
Male vocal is very similar on both sets, its females and instruments you hear more change on.
So on most brighter instruments you hear clearer and more resolving sound, same for females being extra airy with more clarity. Even so I might prefer the smooth and thicker way of T4 more.

Both have high quality midrange, Neon Pro just have a small edge on the resolving part due to both the tuning and the drivers used. Some of this due to the early pina gain raise on Neon Pro that is also fairly elevated, T4 is the direct opposite raising slower and being less elevated.

The highs are also well extended on both sets, slightly more energy on Neon Pro. So if you're sensitive to treble, the T4 might be better for you. But the quality is almost as good on both sets, I find that NP has a slight edge here also. But this says something about the T4 being able to give NP competition.

Soundstage is very large on Neon Pro with great depth and layering, whereas T4 sounds smaller in comparison.

I'm still impressed how well the T4 far against the Neon Pro with so much less drivers and cost, both are superb sets and complementary to each other.

The spider chart is slightly exaggerated on some points to show differences.





Conclusion

The Hisenior T4 delivered more than expected, it is one of my favorite BA sets. The timbre is excellent and makes music joyful.

Sometimes you get a new model and expectations are huge, then when trying them for the first time you feel let-down. This is exactly the opposite, I was not expecting to be this impressed by the modest 4BA of T4. I have heard all BA sets before with few drivers, but they have always had a higher price than this. Looking at both tuning and build quality this is a bargain in the IEM market.

You do not get a beast of IEM with thunderous bass and resolution showing every fault in every recording, what you get is pure musicality. The T4 delivers a smooth and warm experience, doesn't really matter genre it delivers enjoyment in whatever you play.
The forward midbass and lush mids are one of its strengths, making music full sounding. Pair this with the forgiving upper midrange and well extended treble, warm sound without having any veil. The formula is excellent and is why I love it so much. I am more than happy with my purchase, and I like it so much I might consider getting it in CIEM.

And a word about the rating of 4, as mentioned in the disclaimer means very good. If I look at how good I find this at its price value its a clear 5 star for me.