TSMR-6
The TSMR line of earphones by Tansio Mirai a hard working group of professionals that make high quality, high value IEMs presents with a line of all BA IEMs in their TSMR line up. I got the opportunity to evaluate and review most of their line up and most recently their TSMR-6. The 6 number indicates how many BAs are in the familiar housing design of the TSMR-6. TSMR-6 now incorporates a mix of Knowles and Sonion BAs. Looking into the shell you get 2x knowles 29689, composite multi Sonion 33AJP007I BAs and composite multi 33AJ007I/9 BAs. You're getting premium speakers in every TSMR earphone. Tansio Mirai as far as I can tell does not cut corners in any of their designs and all include the ability to add a few dbs of sonic enhancements in the bass mids and treble with their 3 switches on the back of the shells. It seems whenever someone comes up with a good idea for audio. Others follow and while Tansio Mirai might not have been the first but I am now seeing more and more companies follow suit with tuning switches. More than just a gimmick. The switches do matter. More on that later.
Times have changed with competition at an all time high. It makes sense to make your dollars count. The craftsmanship that goes into each and every offering be it the TSMR-2 to the 6 model I am reviewing today is clearly evident. Failure rate simply does not exist on the interwebs for any TSMR earphone and you can be assured you're getting what you pay for in all their earphone models. This being said, how does the 6 models fare? Truth be told I have yet to hear any of the TSMR earphones that is not good. In fact I find their sound tuning to be meticulous and very enjoyable in each iteration. With each iteration of he TSMR line we see a jump in sonic enhancements. While more drivers don’t necessarily mean more sound. What your getting in the TSMR-6 most definitely shows a jump in sonics from the previous models.
All BA designs when made correct has a place in the earphone enthusiast’s collection. It is well known that some of the top earphones in the industry use all BA designs. Whether you're a fan of BA sound or not. It has to be said there is something special about the all BA design that is unique. Maybe due to the sonic presentation with an effortless ability to have music come at you in all directions with a better enhanced spatial layered quality to it. Good multi BAs designs have their place and the TSMR-6 is an ideal earphone in this regard. Having the widest and the best sound separation out of all the TSMR earphones I have tested and reviewed thus far. The TSMR-6 is for the enthusiast that wants a premium reference type sound. I feel these were designed with a flagship like tuning and one that was centered around detail as a foundation for the sonics.
TSMR-6 was provided for the purpose of a review. I would like to thank Tansio Mirai for the sample and would like to say I am grateful for the opportunity to learn about their line up. This read is how I feel about the TSMR-6 and I will just come out and say. I haven’t heard a TSMR earphone I didn't like. All of them are good to great and that is a testament to how good these phones are. If you're in the market for an all BA earphone. TSMR earphones are all made extremely well and are more than competitive for what they represent.
The TSMR-6 makes a jump to a new type of more premium packaging with a new cable. Included in their packaging is a new semi hard zip up square case. Functional with good space to provide protection for your phones. Also included is a more premium cable that was not included with their TSMR-4 pro. The new cable upgrade consists of an 8 core oxygen free copper plated in silver. All TSMR phones come in a 2 pin .78mm configuration. I appreciate that all the TSMR phones are easy to swap cables and have the more secure 2 pin design..
The TSMR-6 looks stunning in person. What looks like coffee brown swirls on the shells make the TSMR-6 look more premium. This is just one design out of many you can choose for the sells when ordering from Penon audio here. Also the 6 models can be ordered in custom form. The general shape of the phones are exactly the same as the previous models with the same 3 switches. What has changed from the 2 model all the way up to the 6? The number of BAs used for one and the tuning that goes along with each upgrade. TSMR-6 now incorporates a mix of premium Knowles and Sonion BAs.
Sound evaluation was done using my sources: Fiio M15, Shanling M5s, M3s, IBasso DX160 and the IFI Black label.
Each TSMR earphone all have a foundation of a balanced signature but the 6 is the first one where I can detect a more of that higher end reference tuning meaning at its foundation the detail level of the phones are clearly evident vs the previous efforts. The balance switch or number 2 from the 1,2,3 switches come out of the box turned up. Out of the box the clarity and detail was upfront and center. Upper mids lower treble has more emphasis on the TSMR-6 more so than any of the previous TSMR phones from my audition.The balanced tuning now incorporates enhanced imaging, better sound separation, details with a wider more vivid stage. The tuning incorporates an upper mid. Lower treble emphasis with a more neutral take on the rest of the sonics. Natural instruments and vocals sounds superb with just about all the TSMR earphones but the 6 model I feel specializes in it.
Treble duties are done by two BAs. Treble is clean and detailed with very good extension. Every detail in the upper registers comes through even more so on these than any other TSMR earphone before it. Main focus seems to be lower treble vs upper treble. Treble energy seems to be a bit more forward than the rest of the signature. To the detriment of the sonics being a touch clinical and a bit analytical in nature. Of all the switches that never get touched on the TSMR earphones are in fact the treble switch. I have yet to hear any of the TSMR phones lacking or too rolled off in the treble region and the 6 is no different.
The 3 switched to the on position adds roughly 2dbs of treble emphasis. More treble emphasis would be a bit much in my estimation but for treble guys at least this is an option. This being said since there are two BAs working in unison to portray the region there is not a treble note or detail you will miss on the treble front and this leads the sonics to have a very detailed presentation. If you're looking for a monitor that will mask or smooth your treble detail a touch for the ease of listening. These will not be for you. However due to the exacting detail you get in all regions of the sonics. The TSMR6 will be well suited for monitoring and studio use. Listening to Stan Getz percussive instrumentiation sounds superb with a roomy cristaline high hat notes that ride in the background of his tracks. Micro detailing is among the best of the TSMR line in the 6 model. Metal guitars seem to have extra crunch and lingers a touch due to the ample emphasis in the region. Splash symbols tend to have a wetness about the sonics again due to that ample emphasis.
Overall sonic presentation of the TSMR-6 is spacious with a very nicely defined imaging with an emphasis on detail retrieval in mind. Vocals sound spectacular be it female or male vocals due to the upper mid emphasis. I know there are studio monitors that will cost you much more to get this type of reference level vocal clarity so for folks that actually have vocal performances in mind these will make for not only great music listening but more so even better for studio and performance use. The composite Sonion BAs here has great ability in the mids region and much like how the treble is portrayed the definition is outstanding for all things mid range. Guitar and stringed instruments come alive with every effect of the recording and these have no issues picking up slight to full on detailed effects. Overall I would say the strength of the TSMR line of earphones are in their mid ranges and the 6 model minus perhaps the Zodiac will be the tops in this regard. A clean tone is perceived throughout the sonics and this is due to the upper mid emphasis. Cohesion is also a very strong aspect of these earphones. No disjointed weirdness on any of their iems. You get your mids coming at you from all directions and that is always a sign of a well tuned multi BA IEM. Much like most referenced tuned IEMs the tonality overall slightly leans toward a cooler side. These earphones are all about a highly resolving portrayal of your music.
Bass tonality is surprisingly very accurate and real sounding. I know many have a view of BA bass be it good or bad but the quality of the bass end of the TSMR-6 does not suffer. In fact the tone of the bass end of your tracks be it synthetic or natural sounds exactly like it should. I can tell the bass BAs here again using Sonion drivers have very good ability and if you didn’t know these were using BAs as a foundation for the bass you're gonna have a hard time figuring out they are very good BAs doing bass duties. Sure it doesn't have the same rumble of an equivalent higher end dynamic but it is damn close and that was very surprising to me. The most effective switch that enhances and has an effect to the base sound profile happens to the be the number 1 switch which is the bass switch. Adding 3dbs of mostly mid bass and emphasis in the region when the bass end is this accurate this is not a bad thing. With the 1 switch on here is where using the TSMR-6 outdoors pays off. Ambient noise from outside environments are known to drown out the bass end of earphones so adding a bit of emphasis while out and about is always welcomed. Bass always stays in place when using a TSMR phone and that bit of enhancement does make a difference.
You get an agile, speedy, articulate bass end that BAs are known for. It is hard to top the speed of the BA bass and it shows on these. The TSMR-6 earphones are versatile in that regard. These are extreme for metal, jazz, blues, rock and pop. Versatile for bass genres too like hiphop and reggae with the bass switch on. I feel orchestral and classical lovers would love these due to their high levels of detail and instrument separation. Stringed instruments in particular sound spectacular on these. So while this presentation of sonic portrayal might not be the absolute when it comes to musicality, it more than makes up for it with its spacious clean precision and imaging. Again for someone that loves their detailed presentation, you're gonna get that with the TSMR-6.
I have learned to appreciate little details in my music and in conjunction with a good source the TSMR-6 gets you lost in your music. Due to the highly resolving nature of the sonics on the TSMR-6 I feel it did better with a more fuller warm bodied source like my Shanling M5s and Fiio M15, vs more neutral sources Shanling M3s and Ibasso DX160. Sounds wonderful amplified using my black label. Using more neutral sources makes the TSMR-6 sound more analytical than it has to be. A little note about the stock cable. Here is where I will give props to Tansio Mirai. The new stock SPC cable is a very good match on the TSMR-6. No real need to cable roll but if you do have some higher end copper cables those will match up very well due to the highly resolving nature of the TSMR-6. Copper cables will warm up the tonality of the TSMR-6 a touch giving even better balancing to the sonics.
So how does the TSMR-6 ramp up in quality vs the previous earphones?
TSMR-2= Well balanced, great intro phone from Tansio Mirai that gives you an excellent idea of how Tansio Mirai tunes their earphones. Good value, musical with a unique tall stage.
TSMR-3 pro= The best value Tansio Mirai earphones has better sound separation, detail and better balanced than the TSMR-2. Using 3 BAs these have better definition with a slightly wider and deeper stage but still retain that taller sound of the TSMR-2.
TSMR-4 pro= Slightly wider stage vs the previous models and more detailed in the treble region with slightly better imaging. Bass is also better defined. I would give the nod to the TSMR-3 pro for sheer value and I feel TSMR-4pro is only a slight improvement but most definitely worth the improvements if that matters to you.
TSMR-6= Reference quality detail and sound separation with the widest stage. Best imaging out of the previous line with the best accurate quality bass. Best bass tone as well. Widest stage out of the previous phones it sacrifices some musicality for a more analytical type tuning. If detail and precision is your jam these are excellent for dissecting your music and therefore will make for perfect studio monitors.
So in the end. If you're in the market to find a monitor that is both suited for sound accuracy and want to hear details from your music. The TSMR-6 is very proficient in this regard. You gotta remember these are tuned for reference so they make for excellent vocal and instrument details. Their ability to pick off macro and micro details are commendable with a resolving quality that is akin to much higher end monitors. If these qualities of a high end in ears is to your liking, I feel the TSMR-6 is a great example of what can be achieved using 6 very good speakers in your earphones. The ability to isolate up to 26dbs of passive isolation will be well suited for noisy environments as well as studio monitoring use. Tansio Mirai has done it again. As always thanks for reading. Always use a mask when you're around other people and be safe and healthy so you can enjoy your music.
The TSMR line of earphones by Tansio Mirai a hard working group of professionals that make high quality, high value IEMs presents with a line of all BA IEMs in their TSMR line up. I got the opportunity to evaluate and review most of their line up and most recently their TSMR-6. The 6 number indicates how many BAs are in the familiar housing design of the TSMR-6. TSMR-6 now incorporates a mix of Knowles and Sonion BAs. Looking into the shell you get 2x knowles 29689, composite multi Sonion 33AJP007I BAs and composite multi 33AJ007I/9 BAs. You're getting premium speakers in every TSMR earphone. Tansio Mirai as far as I can tell does not cut corners in any of their designs and all include the ability to add a few dbs of sonic enhancements in the bass mids and treble with their 3 switches on the back of the shells. It seems whenever someone comes up with a good idea for audio. Others follow and while Tansio Mirai might not have been the first but I am now seeing more and more companies follow suit with tuning switches. More than just a gimmick. The switches do matter. More on that later.
Times have changed with competition at an all time high. It makes sense to make your dollars count. The craftsmanship that goes into each and every offering be it the TSMR-2 to the 6 model I am reviewing today is clearly evident. Failure rate simply does not exist on the interwebs for any TSMR earphone and you can be assured you're getting what you pay for in all their earphone models. This being said, how does the 6 models fare? Truth be told I have yet to hear any of the TSMR earphones that is not good. In fact I find their sound tuning to be meticulous and very enjoyable in each iteration. With each iteration of he TSMR line we see a jump in sonic enhancements. While more drivers don’t necessarily mean more sound. What your getting in the TSMR-6 most definitely shows a jump in sonics from the previous models.
All BA designs when made correct has a place in the earphone enthusiast’s collection. It is well known that some of the top earphones in the industry use all BA designs. Whether you're a fan of BA sound or not. It has to be said there is something special about the all BA design that is unique. Maybe due to the sonic presentation with an effortless ability to have music come at you in all directions with a better enhanced spatial layered quality to it. Good multi BAs designs have their place and the TSMR-6 is an ideal earphone in this regard. Having the widest and the best sound separation out of all the TSMR earphones I have tested and reviewed thus far. The TSMR-6 is for the enthusiast that wants a premium reference type sound. I feel these were designed with a flagship like tuning and one that was centered around detail as a foundation for the sonics.
TSMR-6 was provided for the purpose of a review. I would like to thank Tansio Mirai for the sample and would like to say I am grateful for the opportunity to learn about their line up. This read is how I feel about the TSMR-6 and I will just come out and say. I haven’t heard a TSMR earphone I didn't like. All of them are good to great and that is a testament to how good these phones are. If you're in the market for an all BA earphone. TSMR earphones are all made extremely well and are more than competitive for what they represent.
The TSMR-6 makes a jump to a new type of more premium packaging with a new cable. Included in their packaging is a new semi hard zip up square case. Functional with good space to provide protection for your phones. Also included is a more premium cable that was not included with their TSMR-4 pro. The new cable upgrade consists of an 8 core oxygen free copper plated in silver. All TSMR phones come in a 2 pin .78mm configuration. I appreciate that all the TSMR phones are easy to swap cables and have the more secure 2 pin design..
The TSMR-6 looks stunning in person. What looks like coffee brown swirls on the shells make the TSMR-6 look more premium. This is just one design out of many you can choose for the sells when ordering from Penon audio here. Also the 6 models can be ordered in custom form. The general shape of the phones are exactly the same as the previous models with the same 3 switches. What has changed from the 2 model all the way up to the 6? The number of BAs used for one and the tuning that goes along with each upgrade. TSMR-6 now incorporates a mix of premium Knowles and Sonion BAs.
Sound evaluation was done using my sources: Fiio M15, Shanling M5s, M3s, IBasso DX160 and the IFI Black label.
Each TSMR earphone all have a foundation of a balanced signature but the 6 is the first one where I can detect a more of that higher end reference tuning meaning at its foundation the detail level of the phones are clearly evident vs the previous efforts. The balance switch or number 2 from the 1,2,3 switches come out of the box turned up. Out of the box the clarity and detail was upfront and center. Upper mids lower treble has more emphasis on the TSMR-6 more so than any of the previous TSMR phones from my audition.The balanced tuning now incorporates enhanced imaging, better sound separation, details with a wider more vivid stage. The tuning incorporates an upper mid. Lower treble emphasis with a more neutral take on the rest of the sonics. Natural instruments and vocals sounds superb with just about all the TSMR earphones but the 6 model I feel specializes in it.
Treble duties are done by two BAs. Treble is clean and detailed with very good extension. Every detail in the upper registers comes through even more so on these than any other TSMR earphone before it. Main focus seems to be lower treble vs upper treble. Treble energy seems to be a bit more forward than the rest of the signature. To the detriment of the sonics being a touch clinical and a bit analytical in nature. Of all the switches that never get touched on the TSMR earphones are in fact the treble switch. I have yet to hear any of the TSMR phones lacking or too rolled off in the treble region and the 6 is no different.
The 3 switched to the on position adds roughly 2dbs of treble emphasis. More treble emphasis would be a bit much in my estimation but for treble guys at least this is an option. This being said since there are two BAs working in unison to portray the region there is not a treble note or detail you will miss on the treble front and this leads the sonics to have a very detailed presentation. If you're looking for a monitor that will mask or smooth your treble detail a touch for the ease of listening. These will not be for you. However due to the exacting detail you get in all regions of the sonics. The TSMR6 will be well suited for monitoring and studio use. Listening to Stan Getz percussive instrumentiation sounds superb with a roomy cristaline high hat notes that ride in the background of his tracks. Micro detailing is among the best of the TSMR line in the 6 model. Metal guitars seem to have extra crunch and lingers a touch due to the ample emphasis in the region. Splash symbols tend to have a wetness about the sonics again due to that ample emphasis.
Overall sonic presentation of the TSMR-6 is spacious with a very nicely defined imaging with an emphasis on detail retrieval in mind. Vocals sound spectacular be it female or male vocals due to the upper mid emphasis. I know there are studio monitors that will cost you much more to get this type of reference level vocal clarity so for folks that actually have vocal performances in mind these will make for not only great music listening but more so even better for studio and performance use. The composite Sonion BAs here has great ability in the mids region and much like how the treble is portrayed the definition is outstanding for all things mid range. Guitar and stringed instruments come alive with every effect of the recording and these have no issues picking up slight to full on detailed effects. Overall I would say the strength of the TSMR line of earphones are in their mid ranges and the 6 model minus perhaps the Zodiac will be the tops in this regard. A clean tone is perceived throughout the sonics and this is due to the upper mid emphasis. Cohesion is also a very strong aspect of these earphones. No disjointed weirdness on any of their iems. You get your mids coming at you from all directions and that is always a sign of a well tuned multi BA IEM. Much like most referenced tuned IEMs the tonality overall slightly leans toward a cooler side. These earphones are all about a highly resolving portrayal of your music.
Bass tonality is surprisingly very accurate and real sounding. I know many have a view of BA bass be it good or bad but the quality of the bass end of the TSMR-6 does not suffer. In fact the tone of the bass end of your tracks be it synthetic or natural sounds exactly like it should. I can tell the bass BAs here again using Sonion drivers have very good ability and if you didn’t know these were using BAs as a foundation for the bass you're gonna have a hard time figuring out they are very good BAs doing bass duties. Sure it doesn't have the same rumble of an equivalent higher end dynamic but it is damn close and that was very surprising to me. The most effective switch that enhances and has an effect to the base sound profile happens to the be the number 1 switch which is the bass switch. Adding 3dbs of mostly mid bass and emphasis in the region when the bass end is this accurate this is not a bad thing. With the 1 switch on here is where using the TSMR-6 outdoors pays off. Ambient noise from outside environments are known to drown out the bass end of earphones so adding a bit of emphasis while out and about is always welcomed. Bass always stays in place when using a TSMR phone and that bit of enhancement does make a difference.
You get an agile, speedy, articulate bass end that BAs are known for. It is hard to top the speed of the BA bass and it shows on these. The TSMR-6 earphones are versatile in that regard. These are extreme for metal, jazz, blues, rock and pop. Versatile for bass genres too like hiphop and reggae with the bass switch on. I feel orchestral and classical lovers would love these due to their high levels of detail and instrument separation. Stringed instruments in particular sound spectacular on these. So while this presentation of sonic portrayal might not be the absolute when it comes to musicality, it more than makes up for it with its spacious clean precision and imaging. Again for someone that loves their detailed presentation, you're gonna get that with the TSMR-6.
I have learned to appreciate little details in my music and in conjunction with a good source the TSMR-6 gets you lost in your music. Due to the highly resolving nature of the sonics on the TSMR-6 I feel it did better with a more fuller warm bodied source like my Shanling M5s and Fiio M15, vs more neutral sources Shanling M3s and Ibasso DX160. Sounds wonderful amplified using my black label. Using more neutral sources makes the TSMR-6 sound more analytical than it has to be. A little note about the stock cable. Here is where I will give props to Tansio Mirai. The new stock SPC cable is a very good match on the TSMR-6. No real need to cable roll but if you do have some higher end copper cables those will match up very well due to the highly resolving nature of the TSMR-6. Copper cables will warm up the tonality of the TSMR-6 a touch giving even better balancing to the sonics.
So how does the TSMR-6 ramp up in quality vs the previous earphones?
TSMR-2= Well balanced, great intro phone from Tansio Mirai that gives you an excellent idea of how Tansio Mirai tunes their earphones. Good value, musical with a unique tall stage.
TSMR-3 pro= The best value Tansio Mirai earphones has better sound separation, detail and better balanced than the TSMR-2. Using 3 BAs these have better definition with a slightly wider and deeper stage but still retain that taller sound of the TSMR-2.
TSMR-4 pro= Slightly wider stage vs the previous models and more detailed in the treble region with slightly better imaging. Bass is also better defined. I would give the nod to the TSMR-3 pro for sheer value and I feel TSMR-4pro is only a slight improvement but most definitely worth the improvements if that matters to you.
TSMR-6= Reference quality detail and sound separation with the widest stage. Best imaging out of the previous line with the best accurate quality bass. Best bass tone as well. Widest stage out of the previous phones it sacrifices some musicality for a more analytical type tuning. If detail and precision is your jam these are excellent for dissecting your music and therefore will make for perfect studio monitors.
So in the end. If you're in the market to find a monitor that is both suited for sound accuracy and want to hear details from your music. The TSMR-6 is very proficient in this regard. You gotta remember these are tuned for reference so they make for excellent vocal and instrument details. Their ability to pick off macro and micro details are commendable with a resolving quality that is akin to much higher end monitors. If these qualities of a high end in ears is to your liking, I feel the TSMR-6 is a great example of what can be achieved using 6 very good speakers in your earphones. The ability to isolate up to 26dbs of passive isolation will be well suited for noisy environments as well as studio monitoring use. Tansio Mirai has done it again. As always thanks for reading. Always use a mask when you're around other people and be safe and healthy so you can enjoy your music.