MusicMaker TK12

Disclaimer: Before we can continue with this i would like to clarify a couple of things.

First of all, this review is based on personal preferences and impressions and secondly, I have no partnership with any store or sellers.

How I’ve found about this in earphone:

I was after some in-ears that could give me a competent frequency response across the entire range. The majority of the music I listen to are OSTs, electronic music, instrumental, baroque, rock… I’m everywhere to be honest. I’ve always been some sort of a soundstage and bass whore and was willing to find something that fills the bill and boy, I dug a lot at the internet to find these gems and came across a page made to rank the best Chinese iem finds.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/bes...nd-impressions-sharing-reference-list.805930/

And believe me, I’ve read nearly all the reviews available for the items in the list and then found in-ears that matched the characteristics I was after: the MusicMaker ToneKing TK12.

The reviwers described these as excellent for bass, stage and detail. They described these as “huge sound” or whatever this means. That was enough to make me contact Jim from an Aliexpress store called NiceHCK Audio Store and pull the trigger in one of these, so I did and this is what follows…

First of all, the dude is quick to ship his stuff, damn these guys work fast. The shipment took nothing to ship from their store after payment approved.

After about a month of waiting they arrived and I confess I was a little nervous. My multi-driver hybrid experience with Kz’s ZST and ZSR was rather unsettling.

I’ve ordered some Kzs, a FiiO FH1 and the TK12. The Kzs arrived first and from first listen to full burn in they were not what I expected at all. The higher frequencies seemed disconnected from the mids, voices unnatural, cymbals and hi hats on your face… that made me a little afraid that the TK12 would sound similar since they are yet another hybrid chinese IEM right? I couldn’t be more wrong! Let’s go to the arrival first.

Product:

Tk12 arrived and the packaging was modest to say the least.



There are some ear tips, a pouch and that’s it. It’s pretty much just the ear phone, so I expected that every single penny spent would be in the sound and build quality, and I have to say that the build quality is interesting.



The shell seems CNC machined out of an aluminum billet and then anodized. Anodized aluminum makes up for a very, very solid feeling in-earphone as most are plastic. The FiiO FH1 is an example of how well built a plastic sub 100 dollars IEM can be, as it doesn’t feel cheap at all but the Tk is something else. Despite the lack of a product presentation box like the FiiO has the Tk has an above the average build quality. Seem built to last. FH1 is the black IEM in the picture.




But you are here mostly to know how it sounds so here we go…

Overall sound characteristics:

After listening to them for about a week I can say I have a fairly solid impression on how these sound.

The first thing I listened was Ludovido Einaudi’s Primavera, Nuvole Bianche and Dire Straits’ Money for Nothing and Sultans of Swing. I wanted to have a feel of how these handle instruments and vocals but that was just the beginning.

I won’t break this into extensive detail but as I listened to it I had an initial feeling that was somewhat close to my final thoughts. The instruments have separation and the highs are clear and crisp but not anywhere near being bright, there is a great amount of details but they are not on your face. Regardless of what I could think about the instrument separation I couldn’t help thinking about the bass. Primavera gave me an impression of a powerful piano and whenever the recording goes to lower frequencies they respond well and I had the impression that the same applies to the upper bass frequencies. At Money for Nothing the bass drum and bass guitar are never over each other too, they feel like they are coming from different places and well powered. That’s expected for a 100 dollar in-ear however everything feels natural and relaxed. Money for nothing feels especially soothing, the proper bass response working with a less warm signature and a wider stage gives an overall feeling of air. It’s not too dark just relaxed and musical. That’s the bit I wasn’t expecting and I fell in love with this signature. I would call the mids and highs a bit dark in comparison with the other higher end IEMs I’ve tried before but I didn’t find it too dark for my ears. They simply feel equilibrated.

Bass:

To describe its bass response, it is powerful and deep but it never comes out of place, it doesn’t boost lower mids or the lower frequencies from voices or anything else. They are not boosted; it’s like a subwoofer that answers just when it really is intended. Despite the superb bass response the music doesn’t get exhausting even when things get busy given the relaxed mids and highs presentation and the bass not being obnoxious. Everything is right in its place and everything feels musical. Oh dear, money for Nothing! I was in tune with the chill vibe that song has but I wasn’t missing the bass I would get from some bass head stuff. One word? Musical.

But let’s bring those kinds of stuff that have high amounts of bass, just for the sake of fun…

I enjoy my Philips Fidelio L2 sound signature a lot when it comes to electronic music, it has some tiny little flaws here and there but I absolutely love it. Listening to music like Deadmau5’s Imaginary friends is a delight, it feels like the producer used a frequency that matched those headphones well, really well. Imaginary friends is a conjunction of sharp higher frequencies and absurd amounts of sub bass. The Fidelio can really point out where the vibrations are coming from. I can tell that there is a distortion that sounds like two crystal objects vibrating against each other right in the middle of the stage or room since the stage isn’t wide enough. But while they bounce creating these sharp sounds I can feel the sub bass coming from the side walls of the room, like if they were vibrating and flickering. It’s not an exceptionally audible bass, but it’s a bass that is hard to hear, instead you can feel the atmospheric pressure on your ears. That’s the sub bass kicking and sometimes it feels overpowering to my standards, my ears feel hot and I have to crank the volume down a bit and I find it exciting somehow.

With all of that being said, I can say I have standards to meet when it comes to bass. I’m not a bass head, all for excesses, but I like depth, extension.

The Toneking Tk12 gives me a similar impression, it goes deep as well but the L2 seem to kick harder in the sub bass than in its upper bass frequencies while the Tk12 feels more equilibrated than that. Perhaps less power in the sub bass region than the L2 however it still has the kick to make me uncomfortable with this specific song too which means they kick if needed. Don't expect them to boost the real track however.

If i had to describe its bass in shorter sentences i would describe it as a combination of extention, power and control that are hardly seen in anything this price point, it is even harder to find these with the treble it has.

Could it have more control and definition? i think so but i would gladly give up on that extra control just to have these characteristics back. The extended bass is alied to a stage hardly seen in any IEM in the 100 dollars category, i guess i would have to double the price to find this signature elsewhere as i still didn't.
The list of bassy stuff that sounds stellar with this could go forever and ever.
I will make a closer comparisson against a FiiO FH1 further down but i can already tell you; the Tk12 is a keeper. Despite not considering the Tk12 a "bass head" in-ear it still pleases my inner bass maniac enough.

The sum of things:

To close things up, these in-ears are detailed and have an insane ability to reproduce bass. They do not exaggerate; they just have the power to bring up the stuff from the recording. If the producers have put anything in the lows, be sub bass, bass or upper bass, exaggerated or not these will tell you. The sub bass is very cohesive with bass and upper bass. Whenever an earphone can’t deal with upper bass really well bass drums can feel dry or lifeless at some rock recordings depending on the mixing characteristics. But this isn’t the case here. Both are reproduced well.

The mids are detailed but they are not too close to you, if it had closer mids and highs some recordings would feel warmer. I believe I can say it has a little dark signature which gives a feeling of an open sound in certain tracks. I really liked money for nothing and Sultans of Swing. I could listen to them for an entire day. I am listening Dire Straits as I type this.
I've found these in-ears remarkable.

Recommendations:

If you consider buying a set yourself, make yourself a favor and pick the mmcx detachable cables version, these cables can get green over time and you can replace them whenever you feel like. A hundred dollar in-ear with no removable cables are a no go for me but thats an option with these.

What are these good for?

Bass extension and reproducing details in a smooth way without being recessed. For those seeking a wider stage and a cohesive bass response in a 100 bucks iem.

What are these not good for?

Perhaps for people who are after something in the brighter side of things and less bass quantities, those seeking something with a warmer presentation. Those interested in high end product presentation packaging and higher quantity of accessories.

Solid acquisition, would 10/10 buy again since this is my kind of sound signature.

FiiO FH1 Quick one week comparison:

It’s a good match against the FiiO FH1. Some quick tests with a couple test songs reveal the strengths on the Tk12’s side. Another great test song is the Apex’s remix of London Elektricity’s Just One Second. The sub bass keeps going up and down in the range while there are female vocals going on. When changing back to the Tk12, there is a noticeable change in the perception of space. Sub bass seems coming from a step back in the stage, there is more air. The FH1 seems to deliver the bass with more power, quantity but the FH1 doesn’t feel rolled off, just warmer. Also seems to be closer to you. Tk12 puts the bass a little farther but it doesn’t lack in quantity to my ears. In fact, it seems more controlled sometimes. There is just more air in some details and I have a more pleasing experience listening to Drum&Bass, electro and orchestral with the Tk12. Rock seems more pleasing to my ears in most cases but I like the FH1 whenever the recording is darker. Having both is not a problem; they complement each other if the listener likes bass. Both of them have it but in different ways.

Skindred’s Nobody is an example of a metal song that sounds more exciting in the FH1 than in the Tk12 to me. But given my main genres this doesn’t happen too often. It’s worth mentioning the Tk12 costs more, about 20 dollars more and it comes with a lot less accessories. For 20 bucks less, the FH1 has more stuff included indeed and quality isn’t lacking. Either for sound or build quality. Sound quality can be relative so lets just stick to personal preferences: I pick the Tk12 more often.

Differences resumed in some lines:

Tk12 has more air between stuff and its bass comes from further away, wider stage while FH1 is more intimate and has a slight bass boost and a pinch in the highs is noticeable sometimes. Both are a respectable choice at their price and both are good choices for those seeking good bass. One is warm, close and bassy. The other feels airy and more natural, not much darker but still. Neither is bright. Both have the bass. The Tk12 feels smoother up there sometimes too.

Bass heads are going to love the FH1, I did also despite not being one but the Tk12 caught me in the stage and relaxed presentation. The combination of bass extension, wider stage and a detailed yet relaxed treble makes for a win to me. I can say that for my specific tastes they are both a success, I just hope both of them last.

English isn’t my mother language so forgive my possible hiccups, including the potato quality pictures; taken with an old iphone.

Test Song List:

Dire Straits - Money for Nothing
Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing
Ludovico Einaudi - Primavera
Ludovico Einaudi - Nuvole Bianche
BT – Suddenly
Claude Debussy - Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
Claude Debussy – Reverie
Rom Di Prisco – Regenerate
Sarah Brightman - Hijo de la luna
London Elektricity - Just One Second (Apex Remix)
Julian Winding - Demon Dance
Haywyre - Memory
Two Steps From Hell - Hypnotica
Deadmau5 – Imaginary Friends
Melosense – Roads & Lights
Eelke kleijn – Before.Now.After
Krakota – Colour The Past Feat. Karina Ramage
Nashville Life Music – All Power

Here some more pictures for you.

 
 Let me first say that I am a hobbyist and am not affiliated with any audio company.

The whole signature of the TK12 / HCK A2 treads the tightrope of not having too little or too much of anything.
Very Slight warmth but not so much as to create a veil. Apart from the enhanced bass it pursues a fairly uncoloured and flat signature.
Using thick notes in the mids and highs to keep up with the massively thick bass notes. These thick notes all over the response steers the TK12 towards a natural sound,
this I would say is the super power of this iem.

 Bass is enhanced and very well controlled. Nicely textured, layered and reaches very low. It only slams when the song calls for it, making it suitable for most music genre's. Fans of BA bass will struggle initially (and maybe forever). For me it has a bit more in quantity than the LZ-A2, I'm not much of a bass head but I love the bass of tk12. The bass would be enough to please a bass head but not enough that it gets too much for the rest of us. As long as you like hybrid or dynamic bass I can't see anyone being offended by the bass quantity because this much bass had better be good and it sure is.

 The mids are nicely detailed but not so much they become overly analytical or grainy. They draw attention to themselves and are involving as mids should but are not smoothed over or too distracting.
They are very clear and very thick sounding so they don't get swamped by the bass.

 The highs also play the balancing game and go the easy listening route by rolling off to avoid any sibilance or harshness at just the right point.
While remaining detailed and still shimmer nicely.
 
 Soundstage is very big, deep and especially wide everything is spaced out nicely and never sounds distant. Resolution and separation are excellent and compete with the H-300.

 I can listen to Cat Stevens then something heavy like S.O.A.D. with these no problem. As the bass does not get in the way of Cat Stevens.
The iems on the whole are fantastic and do more things right than any IEM I've heard.
 

 
Compared to T-Peos H300
 The A2 is a touch warmer than the cold h300. Nearly keeps up with micro details is very slightly wider but not as tall. Notes are quite a bit thicker with A2 which makes it harder to keep up with H-300's detail level. It's treble is rolled off earlier than H300 but just about every iem ever made is. A2's treble rolls off just where it remains polite but almost keeps up with the quality of h300's top end while being way thicker. Bass is noticeably bigger and could be called a little looser with A2 compared to the super tight and also amazing bass of h300. With the H300 I get caught up listening to the clinical presentation, listening to micro details, attack and decay etc. A2's have a more natural sound and are a more relaxing but still involving listen.
 

Compared to the LZ-A2
 Wider stage, thicker, less congested, cleaner, cooler, brighter, less coloured better extension, 
 

 
Size comparison of LZ-A2, TK12 and T-Peos H-300

Also Known as the HCK A2
 
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2015-New-HCK-A2-Dynamically-And-BA-3-Unit-Headphone-HIFI-Fever-In-Ear-Earphone-As/32574853976.html
 
Introduction: While Browsing Aliexpress I checked in with one of my most trusted sellers Teresa Liu at her store: S. Hckexin. I was surprised to see these earphones here Advertised as the HCK A2 as I had found them a few weeks Earlier on Tao Bao as Musicmaker by Mr. Z  TK12. Regardless, I purchased them from Teresa as Fast as my credit card could process, especially looking at the specs, and Mr. Z's reputation as a designer. (The Graph for Frequency response is insane). Not that I put a whole lot of credence in Graphs, (my ears tell me other things that graphs don't), but it sure makes it interesting.
 
Disclaimer: I am a hobbyist only.I am NOT affiliated with any sellers or manufacturers for items that may be used in my review, nor am I provided with any samples for endorsement or reviews. I purchase all of my own gear. These reviews reflect my personal opinions and should not be used as a basis for purchase. As I am sensitive to higher frequencies, your impressions may vary from my own. I will try to offer comparisons as long as I have something similar both in price and construction to compare. If however at any time I am provided a sample for review I will disclose this fact immediately on a disclaimer.
 
As you can see they arrived without packaging, What you see is what you get, plus quite a few extra Pairs of silicone eartips I believe S,M,L in white and Pink and a medium pair of Smoke:


I'm seeing a case that looks familiar somehow....
 



a couple solo pics of them one light one with flash, against the comforter on our bed. BTW: it's 60 degrees outside in Detroit
 


As You can see I wasted no time Rolling tips and liking my trusted Auvios which apparently I should have cleaned before I took this shot.
 


A shot of the nicely done plug, Y splitter and Higher Grade silver plated cable.
 
Specifications:  They are available using the link to the seller posted at the top of the page
 
Construction:  These are a Hybrid of 1 dynamic driver plus 2 Balanced Armatures. They appear to be made out of Enameled or powder coated Aluminum, with a grommet like standoff / access hole for the Cabling in the Body, which the cable itself appears to be of a higher quality silver coated stranding type. ODDLY enough there is no apparent porting of any kind on the body or nozzle area. The cable Y's a nicely finished and detailed splitter and junctions at that point to the main cable which terminates in a straight plug finished the same as the splitter. Even with the Small standoffs from the body the whole presentation is one of Durability and excellent construction. BTW these IEMs bear the Musicmaker Logo on the rear of the Housings.
 
Source Details:  For this particular review I used my Fiio X3 both amped and unamped through a Fiio E12 Mont Blanc portable amp and a Schiit Audio Vali headphone amp. Line out from source to both amps. My Files are all at Least 320kbps to 96khz high resolution files. I used this source in all comparisons.
 
Source Material:
 
The following is a list of songs that I used in this review. some I use all the time, some less frequently. They all contain some type of frequency, Detail, or EQ that make them suitable for reference.
 
Ai Takekawa-- Beyond the Moon (original version)
Emma Lock-- Never Fear (extended Version)
Dire Straits-- Sultans of swing
Eric Clapton-- For Your Love
Justine Suissa --- On A good Day
SOAK--- Immigrant Song
John Mayer-- Slow dancing in a burning room
Vivaldi--- SPRING (Four seasons)
J.G. Bryson-- Let the Pipes Play (Full pipe organ album 1st cut)
Johnny Lang -- Give me up / Red light
Lee Ritenour-- Six string theory (Full album 1st cut)
Keb Mo'-- Everything I need
 
Sound Details:
 
What can I say? It was love at initial listen. They have the OVERALL dark side that I prefer in an EQ, BUT are anything but dark. They are a tad coarser sounding than the highly refined sound of the DQSM. The Bass is huge. I Mean HUGE. It renders the whole SQ of these as being Massive. Giving Credit where Credit is Due I think Sub bass on the DQSM is more controlled and maybe a Skitch more extended into the nether regions. It's a close call.  On some material you think it's the HCK then the next it's the DQSM with better extension. The Mids are RIGHT There. Simply Perfect, as is the Treble. The treble BTW is quite extended but never dry or harsh, spikey or sibilant. the graph shows these as near Flat, certainly reduced Bass and Treble. Like I said once before, I don't rely on graphs. my ears tell me differently about the HCK A2
 
Personally these IEMs are hand's-down my favorite. On a side note: (Simply because I'm nuts), I read on several reviews about the 5 driver musicmaker model needing 350 Hours of burn in to reach full potential. That being said I've now returned these HCK A2 back to the Burner to cook for another 100 hours or so...
 
I wouldn't want them at LESS than full potential, after all....
 
Bass: Just massive, It's there when it's present in the source material. Controlled and tight, slightly lacking the definition of the DQSM, but never bloated or bleeding into other frequencies.
 
Mids: Female or Male Vocals, Guitar work, micro details? This is about as good as it Gets.
 
Treble: I like it. As they burned in the Treble frequencies came out a little. For My ears PERFECT. They stopped just short of Bright, and Have super detail without being etched.
 
General Sound Quality: Superb. Btw: did I mention IT'S MASSIVE?
 
 
Comparisons:
 
Unfortunately the only other phone that I have in this price Range and Performance level is the DQSM. So Go with what You Know:
 
HCK A2 v.s. DQSM  I find these two polar opposites in most respects. The DQSM IS BRIGHT (Maybe just a tad too much for my own personal taste), and extremely Refined. Similar to a CIEM quality of refinement. The HCK A2 is coarser, darker and appeals to my baser instincts. I'd say they are equals in detail and micro detail, the soundstage on the HCK is larger. Both 'phones are a cut above the Pack, with the DQSM being thinner and the HCK A2 as being well....MASSIVE.
 
As a side note I really didn't find any appreciable difference between the two IEMs in EQ or Sound Quality switching the E12 or Vali as the amp source.
 
You really should make it a point to acquire BOTH of these IEMs for your collection. Sort of a Yin / Yang thing.
 
 
Conclusion: A well made earphone that simply rocketed to my favorite. It Punches WAY ABOVE its price point. I LOVE this thing.