TRN ST5 Hybrid Universal IEM

The review sample was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for my honest review.
I haven't received monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don't use affiliate links.
The price of the ST5 is $54 and you can order it from Linsoul.

About TRN

The TRN brand is well known among the personal audio community but for anyone who is new to the hobby here are some facts about the company.
The TRN brand belongs to Dongguan Zuodu Acoustic Technology Co., Ltd. A high-tech enterprise engaged in Hi-Fi (High Fidelity) headsets, sports Bluetooth earphones, TWS Bluetooth earphones, and related fields. Now it integrates self-owned brand products, ODM and OEM. Each TRN product has earphone enthusiasts involved in the development process to ensure that it has the best performance and durability.
Each TRN earphone has a different focus. However, to please the ears' obsession with heavy bass, TRN deliberately enhanced the excitement of this part of the low-frequency area! The overall style is relatively deep, efficiently controlling the omnivorous balanced earphones of rock, pop, symphony, and large weaving styles.



TRN ST5

The TRN ST5 is a hybrid, five driver earphone.
One dynamic driver for the bass, two balanced armature for the mids and two for the highs.



Made of rare and rigid material, the beryllium-coated 10mm driver delivers a crisp, fast, and responsive low-end that gives a natural sounding tonality.

TRN ST5 is outfitted with two 30095 tweeters and two 50060 midrange balanced armature drivers.
Full-range sound coverage with a highly-sophisticated electronic crossover circuit for a clear separation across the audio frequency spectrum.



TRN ST5 airflow control helps equalize the internal chamber pressure through a specially-designed vent in front of driver assembly, resulting in a "cleaner" bass response, exceptional image clarity, superb detail retrieval, and a wide soundscape.



You can read more about the TRN ST5 here.

Build quality and fit

The TRN ST5 earshells are precision-milled from aerospace-grade magnesium alloy using a 5-axis CNC machine.
Then they are carefully hand-finished and finally varnished with a multi-layered ceramic coating.
Build quality is excellent, the ST5 has a premium feel which is much better than the $50 price tag would suggest and it is beautiful looking too.



The lightweight earshells have an anatomical, custom-like, shape so they fit easily, but not too tight, offering a very comfortable user experience even after a prolonged time of use while passive noise attenuation is good but not the best.



Cable

The ST5 comes with a detachable, 8-core, high-purity silver-plated oxygen-free copper cable with swappable audio connectors, something very rare at this price point.
The cable comes with three types of plugs (3.5mm - 2.5mm and 4.4mm) which have an aluminum body and they get attached to the cable with a "push and click" system.
This type of plug is good but not as durable and safely locking as the "twist to lock" or "screw" ones.



The cable uses the 0.78mm, 2-pin interface with recessed pin system for better durability.
The fragile pins are well protected inside the housing of the recessed cable connector which is reinforced with an outside metal ring.
Both the plugs and the cable are of high quality while the cable has minimal microphonic noise but it gets easily tangled.
A really impressive cable for $50 earphones.




Accessories

Except for the modular cable you also get 3 pairs of "bass" ear-tips, 3 pairs of "balanced" eartips and 2 foam ear-tips.
Unfortunately there is no carrying case, not even a cheap pouch.



Listening impressions

The earphones were left playing music for more than 100 hours prior to listening tests.
Various sources were used, like the FiiO KA2, Moondrop Dawn and iBasso DX170 among others.
With 22 ohms impedance and a sensitivity of 114dB, the ST5 are easy to drive and you can use them with entry level USB DAC dongles while they scale up to a certain degree but don't expect miracles.



The ST5 is quite balanced and natural sounding with a mild bass emphasis and smooth but not subdued treble.
Listening to the ST5 is a very pleasing experience, the sound signature is likable and easy to the ear without harshness, shouting mids or treble fatigue.
This is an earphone that feels at home with all kinds of music without excelling particularly in something.
There is plenty of bass for EDM stuff, mid-range tuning is well done for vocal centric music while technicalities are up to the task for listening to classical tracks.

Bass extension is good for all types of music, you will be pleased as long as you don't like excessive sub-bass emphasis.
The bass is fast and tight with great resolution and definition for an entry level earphone with good mid-bass clarity and absence of unwanted bloat that could lead into masking.
The texture is rather lean and dry, more descriptive than visceral and while dynamics are represented pretty contrasted there is a certain lack of impact and rumble.

Transition to the mids is even, without getting cloudiness from the bass, there is great level of clarity between the lines, voices and instruments sound well defined with good intonation and articulation.
The timbre is natural, the tonality is believable, even when listening to naturally produced music.
There is plenty of harmonic variety and the texture is not that dry, there is a touch of warmness to the sound while fidelity and resolution are above average.

The treble tuning is safe and easy to the ear, this is not a harsh or bright sounding earphone and users with treble sensitivity are going to love the easy going and fatigue free nature of it.
At the same time detail retrieval and resolution are pretty stellar while the sound is fast and agile without any perceived sluggishness or lack of airiness.

Driver integration is above average, frequency coherency is solid from top to bottom without audible discontinuity at the crossover frequency points.
There is just a touch of a balanced armature timbre, more in the highs than in the mids.

The soundstage is surprisingly airy and spacious with good imaging for an entry level IEM.
It is not that wide or deep and certainly not too holographic but it does very well with positioning accuracy and airiness around the performers without getting congested even with large symphonic works.
Truly enough, I was positively surprised while listening to Schumann's third symphony.



In the end

The TRN ST5 is a positive surprise, a well tuned IEM with a very pleasing and likable sound signature, excellent technicalities for the price that will cater both to the audio enthusiasts and audiophiles on a budget.
Add the great build quality, the comfortable fit and the high quality modular cable and you have a real winner with supreme price for performance ratio.

Test playlist

Copyright - Petros Laskis 2022.

The TRN ST5 have been sent to me by Linsoul for me to test and share my opinions on them. As usual, Linsoul have made absolutely no requests, therefore I will do my best to be as unbiased as always in this review.

You can find a non-affiliate link to the ST5 on Linsoul by visiting the version of this review posted on my blog (link at the end of this rreview).



Intro…

The TRN ST5 are a hybrid set of IEMs that feature a single dynamic driver for the lower ranges, 2 balanced armature drivers for the mid range, along with another 2 balanced armatures for the higher ranges. Currently priced at just under 60€, they fall outside what I would consider the ultra-budget category (the sub 50€ range that I mention often on the blog) but can still be considered an economic set of IEMs nonetheless.

I have to say that when I first listened to the ST5, I was actually surprised by what I heard and was interested in spending more time with them. There are many sets of IEMs that are tuned in a way that is impressive upon first listen but can then become tiring very quickly over longer periods of use. I have to say that, while the ST5 are by no means perfect, I have found them to be something that I can use for extended periods and enjoy them without growing tired. I will give more details in the sound section but as always, let's start off with the presentation.



Presentation…

While the ST5 have a no frills presentation, the contents are actually quite good, except maybe for the lack of a storage/transport case.

Arriving in a white box with an image of the product on the front and a basic diagram of the breakdown of the IEM on the back, we open it to find the IEMs, a cable with interchangeable connectors (more on that in a moment), 6 sets of silicone tips (in two different styles), a set of foam tips and various documentation.

My only complaint would be the lack of a case or at least some kind of storage bag. For me personally it is not an issue as I have plenty of cases (far too many!) available to use but I feel some kind of storage option at this price point should be expected, even if it is only a small drawstring bag to protect them from scratches etc. when placed in a pocket or bag.



Build and aesthetics…

Let's start with the bit that surprised me the most, the cable. The cable is a nicely weaved white cable with black hardware except for the two pin connectors that have a silver accent to match the IEMs. While I find the cable itself to be nice enough, without being spectacular, it is the modular connector system that surprised me.

This is obviously not the first time that I have received a modular cable system with a set of IEMs but I do think that these are the cheapest set of IEMs that have arrived with a cable featuring this. Basically the connector to the source is removable and TRN include a 3.5mm, a 4.4mm and a 2.5mm connector, allowing you to connect them to (almost) any output of your choice. The connector system is a little more rudimentary than some of the higher priced alternatives, as it uses just a simple push on/pull off system but it works well and is something that would cost almost the price of the IEMs themselves if purchased separately from other brands.

As far as the IEMs, they use the common teardrop shape that is found on many models of IEMs and has proved to work well for the vast majority of people. The IEMs are made completely of metal, in a matte silver finish. They have a small, raised, area that sports the TRN logo and have a simple design of circles around this.

I can’t say that they are beautiful IEMs (although beauty is always in the eye of the beholder) but they are not ugly or offensive in any way, to me at least.

The comfort is good for me, which is to be expected seeing that they use a shape and size that has been used many many times before.



Sound…

Some months ago I reviewed the TRN TA1 Max and I found them to be fairly decent performers but with a tuning that did not fit my tastes. I find that the ST5 have a similar tuning with a few tweaks that make them far more enjoyable for me personally, even though they are still not my usual preference in tuning.

Here is a graph of the ST5 in comparison to my preference target, alongside the TA1 Max so you can see what I am referring to:



I am not going to go into comparisons between the two, you can read my full review of the TA1 Max if you would like to know more what I felt about them, but the main differences are around a 10€ difference in price (the ST5 being more expensive) and the ST5 using 1DD+4BA rather than the 1DD+1BA of the TA1 Max. “Better” is something that is very subjective but personally I find the ST5 to perform better and be tuned more to my liking, so let’s focus on the ST5.

Starting off with the subbass, there is enough of it to do a good job with content that relies on the lowest notes. It deals with my usual “Chameleon” test pretty well and while it is not the cleanest of subbass out there, it is more than acceptable. There are times when the rumbling may be a little too much for me personally, being a little too prominent in the lowest of lows but it is a minor complaint and I do not find it unbearable. I actually feel it is more due to the fact that the drive struggles a little with excessive subbass (“Chameleon” being a good example in parts), rather than the actual elevation of the frequencies.

The midbass is a little too elevated for my tastes and I would personally prefer to tame the low end by a few dB in general but the performance is again acceptable, especially with tracks that have a little less presence in the subbass regions, allowing the driver a little more freedom to perform better.

Listening to something like “The Expert” by Yello, the bass has a bit more breathing room and the bass is a little less prominent, although the detail in the bass is still not quite as good as it could be. It is by no means terrible, as I said earlier, I have been using these IEMs and enjoying them, but it still leaves room for improvement.

I don’t know at what point the crossover between the lower ranges of the bass moves into the mids of the BA’s but I do get the feeling that the bass frequencies can sometimes “linger” and roll over a little into the lower mid ranges. It doesn’t seem to affect the lower end of vocals, it is more a case of the lower bass and guitar notes just sneaking into those lower mids and making things seem just not quite as clean as they could be.

The mids themselves are clean and articulate, with the BA’s doing a good job of keeping things coherent and while, again, they are not the most detailed of IEMs in these ranges, I do not find things to be blurred or to suffer throughout the mids.

In the higher mid range, there is a climb starting around 1kHz that peaks around 2kHz and does a decent job of giving presence to vocals and other mid centric instruments. However, I do feel that the presence could have extended just a little more to make things a little cleaner and defined.

Where these differ vastly from the TA1 Max is in the 5kHz peak, which is not present on the ST5 at all. This is something that I am happy about, however, that does leave that 2kHz peak as the only real boost that is trying to give presence in the upper mids.

The upper ranges have good extension, obviously helped by the use of separate BA drivers for these frequencies. The sensation of air is present but… again that lack of a little extra in the upper mids doesn’t really help the treble ranges sound quite as clear as they could.

The soundstage is about on average for a set of IEMs, although I would say that image placement is on the higher side of average. This means that, while they aren’t going to give the sensation of a huge space, they do make the most of the space they work in and make for a pleasant listen.



Isolation is not great, maybe around average for a set of IEMs for this style, but the additional sub and mid bass will do a decent job of combating external noise when listening to music.



Conclusion…

I started off by saying that I enjoyed these IEMs and then it seems that I went on to list a whole lot of things that I feel could be better. I think that looking back on the review, it would be easy to interpret this as a negative review, yet that is not really the sensation that these IEMs give me.

Yes, all of the things I mentioned are points that I feel could be improved upon, yet in general, these are not a bad set of IEMs by any means. I think that these can (and will) be enjoyed by many people. In fact, I am one of the people that has enjoyed them, even if they are not the set I would pick personally.

As always, this review is also available in Spanish both on www.achoreviews.com and on www.youtube.com/achoreviews

All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link

All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

Different than most IEMs that come my way, I asked for the TRN ST5. It grabbed my imagination due to (maybe) being a lower cost BAX. This is how it’s suppose to work, a company makes a flagship TOTL IEM, then takes those ideas and carries them over to lesser priced models. If it all works out you get a taste of the flagship at a value.

When I heard the 1DD/1BA/2 EST TRN BAX, I always wondered what the arraignment would be like if they replaced the expensive Sonion ESTs with BAs for midrange and treble. So here we have it, a $59.80 IEM reminiscent of the $312.88 TRN BAX. And it worked out, while very much resembling the BAX sound, the ST5 bass is actually better bass defined, but the BAX EST treble and Knowles midrange produce better sophistication. If you haven’t heard about the BAX it was TRN’s most expensive IEM to date. A natural evolution of progress to get a bigger and better sound by adding together premium parts. Add an exotic open-back shell and a somewhat giant form factor, the BAX is the stuff of dreams. Some say it sounds bombastic like live music, it’s vivid and forward in a way............to gain a reputation for intense playback! But to me it was an unexpected surprise, one that I will never quite get over, so to have TRN do trickledown engineering and make a baby BAX, I just had to give it a listen!

Sound/build summery:
This section goes over sound quality and build in regards to value. Such concepts are really very easy to describe and become useful to a reader short on time or interest. This encapsulation of the review highlights pertinent concepts which makes understanding (of the TRN ST5) easy.
While well-balanced and generally warm, the pinna gain is figured just slightly south of natural. This fact generates two responses, due to an early gain it de-emphasises the true (correct) lesser energy gain. That, and unnecessarily promotes a forwardness which at times becomes slightly aggressive. While beyond those shortcomings the form-factor and build are incredible. This style of response regardless (of previously mentioned drawbacks) is a pure joy to use. With the selection of 4 BAs, we are greeted with a style of BA timbre. Such tone abnormalities are noticed more by some, less by others, as these concepts are not black-and-white, but more of a neighborhood in tone. Such areas respond differently depending on source, file quality and desired volume used. Would I recommend the TRN ST5? Maybe, as it depends to your individual midrange/treble sensitivity and BA timbre expectations. Finally the bass is just barley sufficient due to the style of midrange and treble focus. If the forwardness was less, the actual bass response would end up sufficient. While it does have an ample amount of mid-bass and upper bass, the lower sub-bass is not in emphasis.

Surprisingly the TRN BAX is a four driver affair and the TRN ST5 is five drivers.



Who is TRN?
Amazingly TRN currently make 10 cables, 4 BT modules and 29 earphones as of today. This is not a list of their history, but currently what is in production. Better have a seat and grab a snack..........

TRN AM1
TRN BA8
TRN BA15
TRN BAX
TRN BT1
TRN CS2
TRN CS3
TRN EMA
TRN EMX
TRN H2
TRN Kirin
TRN MT1
TRN MT1 Pro
TRN M10
TRN ST2
TRN ST5
TRN STM
TRN TA1
TRN TA1 Max
TRN TA2
TRN T300
TRN V10
TRN V20
TRN V30
TRN V90
TRN V90S
TRN VX
TRN VX Pro
TRN X7
TRN BT20 modules
TRN BT20S Pro modules
TRN BT30 modules
TRN BT3S modules
TRN A1-TC cable
TRN A2 cable
TRN A3 cable
TRN T2 cable
TRN T2 Pro cable
TRN T3 Pro cable
TRN T4 cable
TRN T8 cable
TRN TN cable
TRN TX cable

TRN:
Dongguan Zuodu Acoustics Technology Co., Ltd.
The TRN brand belongs to Dongguan Zuodu Acoustic Technology Co., Ltd. A high-tech enterprise engaged in Hi-Fi (High Fidelity) headsets, sports Bluetooth earphones, TWS Bluetooth earphones, and related fields. Now it integrates self-owned brand products, ODM and OEM. Each TRN product has earphone enthusiasts involved in the development process to ensure that it has the best performance and durability.

With TRN owning such broad resources in research and development, manufacturing and logistics, you can only imagine the environment is set-up for progress and improvement. As of late it seems they have gone from strength to greater strength, finally grabbing the respect they rightfully deserve! While I have only had the opportunity to cover three IEMs made by the company..........they are part of this new wave in design and sound quality. TRN is on the upswing, and God only knows what progress the future brings. At the present time I will compare the three TRN headphones I have.

TRN ST5, TRN BAX and TRN TA1 Max Comparisons:

The BAX graphic response




The TRN BAX vs the TRN ST5:
I think this needs to be addressed, as some may wonder if the BAX is really all that? With the TRN ST5 around, how much of the glory will it take away from the BAX? Let me say I spent the better part of an entire day with these two IEMs. At the end of it all there is still a huge difference in what the BAX does. The EST drivers and possibly the single Knowles Balanced Armature work wonders. A bigger soundstage filled with what I would call “breath"............consisting of micro-dynamics in tone. There were even BAX volume differences (with-in notes) which went to further delineate elements of the treble and midrange. Such basics as imaging with the Bax were found to be much farther out in the soundstage filled-in and real. The Bax and this entire tune this.... “new house sound” is slightly controversial. It is aggressive and vivid to a point of alienating a few experts. Some folks enjoy what’s going on and others still question TRN’s ability. This house tune is like any tune, being subjectively liked or disliked depending on who you are. With the above stated, the bass was slightly more focused with the TRN ST5. Laughably, that's not hard to do, as many may know bass definition is not one of the strongpoints of the BAX. It’s not a (BAX) deal breaker for me, but BAX bass kind-of just sits there and has smooth (undefined) edges to the response. A softer (defuse) roundness, though take note, that description has nothing to do with quantity of bass, because that’s still there. The BAX goes and offers more extension into higher places of pitch and imaging, while still offering the refinement of ESTs, the ST5 can't begin to touch…..end of story. The BAX is also one of the lowest cost, if not the least expensive 2X Sonion ESTs on the market. The BAX 29689 Knowles Balanced Armature is no slouch either. In hindsight after all these months the BAX is still special and incredibly hard to beat. While the BAX bass definition is not the IEM's strong point, the rest still makes it an incredible value.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/trn-bax.25781/reviews#review-28294



The TRN ST5 vs the TRN TA1 Max:
Interestingly enough the two are priced almost the same. The Max at $47.00 and the ST5 at $59.80. The TA1 Max comes with a case, the ST5 not. The ST5 cable is a noticeable improvement over the simple cable the Max comes with. While again all three of these IEMs share the TRN house sound, the TRN TA1 Max is slightly simpler in detail. It is just hard to compete with the bigger soundstage and finer nuances brought about by (the ST5’s) 4 BAs. Funny too when changing IEMs a bunch of times, the ST5 form factor seemed to be maybe the best. Not as small as the TA1 Max, which in-turn gave you a comfortable feedback as to ST5 positioning? Where the TA1 Max shell was undefined in the placement and could twirl……….the ST5 went into place like it was made to be there? Surprisingly in hand the TA1 Max and ST5 felt the same weight, though by looking you would guess the TA1 Max to be lower weight? As far as sound goes the TA1 Max is amazing for what it is. The TA1 Max is many people's favorite in its price bracket. Still the ST5 is a continuation of TRN taking things to the next level. Where midrange and treble elements are brought just slightly more forward with the ST5, at the risk of sounding forward. The ST5 offers an expansion and brings about better separation, where life sits closer to home with the TA1 Max. With the TA1 Max being of a simpler process, with 1BA and 1DD............you would think that would bring about better cohesive quality, but simpler is not better in this case. If slightly more airy detail was what you where after, it’s found with the ST5! Some have questioned if the same DD was used for both, and it’s true that they share many of the same attributes, but the enhanced midrange and treble embellishments seem to push mental focus away from ST5 bass concentration. All three IEMs in this test were very close to the same sensitivity with the TA1 Max being the most efficient, all three were very much sharing the same tune, but the driver differences (intrinsically) brought about sonic changes. As good as the TA1 Max is, the ST5 is slightly better at detail, regardless of the slight price differences. When you add the cable and switchable tips…well.......the cable is really special with the ST5. My issue though many are still going to prefer the TRN TA1 Max as the better tune. Simpler yes, but offering a more organic response, both in low-end and in treble. It's almost like the TA1 Max goes about it's day the better rounded performer, not having the clarity of the TRN ST5, but being a better IEM due to that lack of clarity. If you read my TA1 Max review, you can continue to understand where I'm coming from.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/trn-ta1-max-universal-in-ear-monitor.25854/reviews#review-28523

Conclusion of side-by-side tests:
If you already have the TA1 Max, the (detail) sound benefits are there with the ST5, though marginal…..and not as much of a difference as I thought going by memory. It’s always this way, the new IEM equals better sound, until you do serious back-to back tests and truth starts to form. What will make the ST5 a value is if the person really wants the style of midrange and treble it provides? While the TA1 Max doesn't look as fancy in contrast to the ST5, you can't see them when they are in your ears.

Though bringing all three together again truly reinforced the abilities of the BAX. The (strange) vague sloppy bass matched with the bass bounce at hand almost reminded me of the DUNU VULKAN? I don’t mean to get sidetracked……….if anything TRN is sticking with their (new) house sound. They perfected it with the BAX, but the BAX is big and doesn’t quite have the natural fit of the ST5. And the TRN ST5 doesn't have the natural tone of the TRN TA1 Max! While all three sound close to the same, the TA1 Max has a slight analogue feel simply due to the harmonic complexity left out. Where the ST5 was intense and vivid out of the box, 100 hours of burn-in seemed to flesh-out and texture the bass, but the top-end and midrange stayed almost the same? I went into this test thinking I would find one that would offer a drastically different sound, when really they are tuned closely the same. Any differences between the three happen due to just being the results of what happens when you put 4 BAs in place. The two 50060 midrange balanced armature drivers and two 30095 high-frequency balanced armature drivers are separated in frequency with a three way crossover, sending the lows to the 10mm beryllium-coated Dynamic.

Sound:

The TRN ST5 graphic response

Treble:
Probably of any area in the response the treble gets concern. Being the overall response personality is on the bright side, you have to wonder if the TRN ST5 would be everyones cup of tea? After trying a number of sources I landed on the TA desktop as being the darkest. The Sony 1Z had too bright a top end, and really the midcentric Sony WM1A was fine, having a slightly rolled-off treble in relation to the midrange. The included cable and tips were always used, as in practice, there really wasn’t much resources left to attenuate the force! These are almost treble head style, and 100 hours of burn-in had an effect, it just seemed to broaden the bass response in size, but the treble wasn’t smoothed out exactly. If you were wondering what brighter and highly technical monster was out there for $59.80 this is it. Also I found at the last minute in this review, that the Shanling UA3 was the Dongle made in heaven for the TRN ST5, more on that at the end of review!

KZ ZS10 PRO X $39.00
https://www.linsoul.com/collections/all/products/kz-zs10-pro-x?variant=43295301566681

Though keep in mind, word on the street says the KZ KZ ZS10 PRO X is slightly smoother and has the wanted treble/midrange attenuation preferred by some. Also at only $39.00, it has the value beat as well. Still I have yet to hear the KZ ZS10 PRO X, with my sample arriving any day. While there will be no direct comparison in this review, the KZ ZS10 PRO X will have a direct battle between the TRN ST5 in the following KZ ZS10 PRO X review posted on Head-Fi.

With that out of the way, there will maybe be many that prefer the TRN ST5 sound. It’s highly detailed and a fantastic bargain for what it is. Though such environment in treble means volume levels need to be adjusted down just slightly, in my uses. If you had your fill of single full-range DD response and were looking to hear separation and delineation of upper elements in focus, here it is! These are a sophisticated and dexterous affair leaving nothing out. Yet included is a slight treble steely timbre that just goes with the bright-lights and neon signs blazing in this part of town. It’s a double-edge style of affair, as many are going to be tearing-up, not due to pain, but due to a lifting of a vail. Such a spectacle has it’s merits, though I guess only for a select few, and not your everyday guy on the street. There is a balance here, it’s just the TRN ST5 is treble focused in its true nature. Such stance means we are gifted with giant broad cymbal crashes and delight at the full-on texture of everything. With such a bright light shining down a microscopic vision starts to emerge as to placement of all constituents. It is in this world that even the midrange (vocals) and bass “pace” gets secondary focus.

Bass:
The bass relays an average (for price ratio) detail. While not focusing on extreme levels of sub-bass, the mid bass and upper bass are well represented.

Compared to BAX bass:
While I eluded to the Bass being defused in my BAX review in the proceeding months after the review my ideas about the BAX bass became slightly more solidified. Don’t get me wrong, I love the BAX, and recommend it fully, it’s just bass definition is not one of its strong points. Here (with the ST5) the bass while present, still takes a backseat to the mids and treble. And truly, I wonder what would have taken place with added bass, would it have made a difference? Other IEMs will challenge the Bass/Treble balance by having more of a Bass tilt, yet in the end, the ST5 just is what it is. Such fantastic Bass textures are fully heard, they are just not the focus presented. Keep in mind too (in relation to the grand scheme of things) I lean more towards darker/bass fuller signatures.

Midrange:
Wonderfull vocal ability is found. But take note of the pre 2K energy, this goes to style the midrange tone, along with the drop in the 3K area affords the midrange heard. With such values vocals are well placed, though not as forward as you would expect with this style of tune. While yes, the vocals do sit in relief in the mix, they are just slightly blunted in all they could ultimately be.



The TRN ST5:

• Five-driver Hybrid configuration
• Beryllium-coated 10mm dual-magnet Dynamic driver
• Four high-performance balanced armature drivers
• Aviation-grade magnesium-alloy ear shells
• Three-way frequency crossover
• Precisely designed acoustic structure with pressure release valve
• High-purity 8-core silver-plated OFC cable with swappable termination
• Detachable plugs (3.5mm, 2.5mm, 4.4mm)

Specifications:

• Impedance: 22Ω.
• Frequency response range: 20Hz-20kHz.
• Sensitivity: 114dB.
• Connector type: 2-pin
• Termination: 2.5mm+3.5mm+4.4mm

Afterthought/last minute source joining:
Special synergy seemed to take place with the Shanling UA3 Dongle. Here the slightly laidback attitude of the UA3 meshed lovely with all elements of the ST5. Such favors took place due to the complete yet polished treble combined with the full/warmer bass response. Truly this was a last minute surprise that made me realize that at times the attempt by sources to get full-detail can be surpassed by simply musicality and balances. Where a laidback source can be fully utilized to add balance to a slightly forward IEM. Honestly this combo accomplishes the sound design aspect-goals of TRN when making the ST5, while at the same time providing just enough detail and pace for musicality to occur. Such well roundedness acted to create an environment of increased usability into listening to all genres and music file qualities. Such dynamics in sound response can't be guessed, but only come about through application. No one could have guessed how good the Shanling UA3 would be, surly just by looking at it you would not have guessed. But that's synergy, it's in a way random and 1/2 way foreseeable. The ultimate test is arrived at through listening for long periods where the elements of bass and treble seem to fall away, and all you're left with is musical interaction.

$109.00, only here the combination is magic!
https://www.linsoul.com/products/shanling-ua3

Conclusion:
The shape and design of the TRN ST5 becomes one of my favorite aspects of almost any release this year! Middle size, perfect nozzle length and gold metal lips seem hold tips on wonderfully. The smooth magnesium-alloy ear shells are ergonomically shaped and become a joy to use. TRN really outdid themselves with the included extras, providing a truly nice cable and interchangeable plug system. While not providing any style of case, they put the money into build quality, sound, included cable and a wide assortment of ear-tips you can actually use. This is strict competition to the KZ ZS10 PRO X! Both Chinese IEM builders swing with maximum resources to include a 5 driver Hybrid IEM at an unheard of value-price. Truly it’s amazing when you think this level of sound used to cost a thousand back in 2013! Realize that TRN is ramping-up the quality control and build design...........previously unable to use such exquisite materials in practice. It is through economy of scale that such realities exist, building the ST5 in mass quantities means that (almost) everyone wins. They win (more) if they blend with the sound signature at hand. Such a tune offers incredible detail at the cost of being just slightly treble forward, and the reduced bass emphasis goes to focus the treble that much more. Is the TRN ST5 for everyone, probably not, though for those that embrace this style of response the ST5 will become a prized possession, even if it didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Such abilities were only a dream a few short years ago, and amazingly a reality in this day and age.


Get them here $59.80
https://www.linsoul.com/products/trn-st5
Free shipping and one year warranty when you order from Linsoul

Linsoul website: https://www.linsoul.com/
Linsoul Aliexpress Store: https://ddaudio.aliexpress.com/store/2894006
Linsoul USA Amazon Store link: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=merchant-items&me=A267P2DT104U3C


Disclaimer:
These thoughts and ideas are of one individual, your results may vary.

Disclaimer:
I would like to thank Kareena Tang from Linsoul for the opportunity to review the TRN ST5 IEM.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
Shanling UA3 Dongle 4.4mm