Thinksound in20
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Thinksound in20
Wood has been used for earphones and headphones as long as I can remember but there is a dedicated group that specializes in the wood housing in an earphone that has proven time and time again that wood with the right tuning brings a musical flavor that brings a unique tone and sound for headphones.
Thinksound has been making their award winning wood earphones since 2009 and with the recent COVID crisis seen their doors close for business. As they say, you can’t keep a good man down. Aaron Fouriner is the sound engineer responsible for these classic earphones, and I was very surprised to see a new web site and a new single model on the site being sold. Shortly there after I got contacted by Aaron to hear and review his newest design.
You can order a set and read up on their history here. I would like to thank Aaron for the review sample. These here are my take on his newest earphones from Thinksound.
If you have never owned a properly designed woody earphone. Here is your chance. There are two groups that come to mind when thinking about wood designs. JVC and Thinksound. The difference here is, Thinksound is a western brand based in the US and unlike JVC, Thinksound is a smaller company and only uses eco friendly materials in all their designs. Not to mention will not charge an extravagant amount of money to own a set.
Using a wood housing adds a certain timbre and tone to the sonics that only wood can produce. While simple in looks and design. Thinksound is all about not trying to reinvent the earphone but more so refining and tuning them to their best ability. Warm, smooth full bodied analogue like natural take in presentation the in20 has nothing to do with analyzing your tunes. These sound like speakers in your ears and I mean that in a literal sense. Old school if you will but these earphones are very musical in tuning and then you add that woody timbre and you got yourself a sound quality that is unique and very engaging only to Thinksound.
Build of the in20 is simple in design but functional with a mic/ remote to use on your phones and devices. It is using the tried and true barrel design which perfectly seats one 8mm dynamic in the chamber. That attached cord is permanent which goes against newer conventions but at the same time I can argue this design will prevent connector failure. The cord is kevlar reinforced for strength and durability, soft and pliable, moderate microphonics when worn down and none when worn over the ear. The microphone/remote has a very clear sound tested with my phone finished off with a 45degree angle in a single ended plug. These would make for perfect every day carry out and about earphones. They have decent average isolation properties but due to the ample bass end of the earphones makes for good usability on the go. Conversations comes in nice n clear with absolutely zero distortions or off sound using the included mic.
As far as I can remember hearing my first Thinksound earphone I think Aaron has used the same 8mm dynamic drivers for just about all of his designs. What took me by surprise on this particular unit is that the in20 is literally the best of Thinksound. If you took all of his prior earphones and somehow mashed them together the in20 is what would be the results. I even hear some hints of their last earphone offering the USP1 with its unique rich darker tuning. He has created monitor offerings MS02 and more musical in the Rain earphones. The in20 is somewhere in the middle. The end results of years of tuning, the best of Thinksound all in one and that is what the in20 represents. The looks of the in20 is simple as is the design but it is the sound that wins Aaron and his team at Thinksound the accolades and awards.
Before starting off the sound segment of this review. I would like to give you. Yes you, a homework assignment. Ya nobody likes to get homework but there is a reason why I will start off this sound analysis with homework.
Your homework, when the vaccine is readily available and we start to see a semblance of normal society and you can enter a pool hall or an old bar. You need to hear a jukebox, watch episodes of happy days if you need a reminder of what a Juke box is and you will understand what provided sound for smaller older cafes and smoky pool halls across America.
Throw on some classic tunes. Jimi Hendrix, some Neil Diamond, maybe some old rock like Boston some Zeppelin. That analogue sound and older type recordings are unique to the time period they were recorded in.
What does this have anything to do with the in20? Well that is the best way I can describe the sound of the in20.
It harkens back to the days when sock hops was a thing and your jukebox threw out the latest from Elvis and the Beatles. That old school analogue days were in full swing when I was growing up, you could hang out at the local diners and experience that unique jukebox sound.
I remember we had a local ice cream parlor by our high school that used to have an old Juke box and this was the number one tune at the time.
Aha memories. I can clearly remember what the Juke box looked like that was blaring this tune on a regular basis.
The in20 sounds like a jukebox in your ears. It is as close to that warm musical full bodied sound as your gonna get. In today's digital world a sound that touches that part of our sound history will immediately bring back memories of a simpler time when hanging out with your friends always included music blasting out of your speakers.
Sound analysis was done using my Fiio M15, Shanling M6pro, M5s, M3s, IBasso DX160, Cayin N5ii, Fiio X3ii, and Ibasso PB3, IFI Black Label amps. LG cell phone for microphone testing.
Overall sonic character I would say the in20 will bring you back to the very reason why we all love personal audio. These will bring back a sound that you're gonna recognize. That warm,smooth and inviting well balanced sound has a stage that is ideal for in ears. Wider than deeper or higher. Sound stage images in an oval shape but are presented in a very immersive manner.
Thinksounds greatest hits in the in20 include an ample warm full low end. Smooth analogue like mid band presentation with a treble end that has clean separation, good definition and shimmer. Their former earphones all were consistent in how they threw out sound but the in20 sees a type of sound that will be a crowd pleaser especially for those that had some fond memories of yester years when music was more than just something you heard in your buddies Ford Pinto and his half working cassette deck.
It had soul and passion and you can remember certain events in your life just by hearing an older tune you still love to hear today. These will appeal especially to the old timers and folks that love an engaging warm sound.
Treble is very well tuned and takes equal footing to the mid bands. While the treble lacks a slight bit of air and extension it is represented with very good macro detailing where it sounds complete leaning more toward a smoother yet clean treble note. Treble has a subtle sparkle and has zero glare or grain to the sound. Upper treble has a slight roll off which makes for easier long term listening. This actually works well with more modern treble emphasized EDM music actually. EDM music is the ultimate tester for treble emphasis as synthetic treble notes can clearly fatigue with monitors that have a bit too much treble emphasis. Trance and house music sounds perfect with the in20 with their full bodied note, a spacious stage, big bass and clean clear bell like treble.
Overall I would say treble is smooth, natural, and has a clean tone with the lower treble having the most emphasis vs upper treble. Treble sound even keeled with the mid bands which makes it non fatiguing and adds to the overall sound skewed toward a slight warmth in tone. A natural warmer tone with a very good timbre for vocals and instruments.
The in20 has a classic V shaped sound signature but mid bands comes across with an engaging full note and has good presence even though the mids take a slight step back from the bass end. No thinness and is not distant sounding, Vocals have weight and fullness with the addition of one of the best aspects of the wood design, that woodie timbre. Instruments sound very natural and life-like in fact all stringed instruments have weight represented within the rangy mid bands with a slight warmth in tonality, lower mids has fuller body due to the thick full bass end of the in20. Thinksound earphones don't have the larger pinna gain of the newer style tunings from Chinese manufacturers and as a result, vocals don't sound pushed forward in the mix but has a very natural tonal character for vocals be it male or female. Mids sound as engaging as ever and has very good detail and presence in the in20.
I can tell Aaron likes his bass as I have never heard a Thinksound product with a neutral bass end. Here is where the in20 shares some similarities to the Rain series of earphones he has made in the past. The Rain earphones were all about that full big bold bass and the in20 has this in spades. It sounds equal in emphasis from the mid bass to sub bass regions with a slight roll off from roughly 40 hz down. Due to the boldness of the mid bass, this adds several elements to the sound tuning. That bass warmth for one and it is the type of bass that is similar to the bass you would hear in a live venue. Thick, big and frontal, not the tightest but very punchy and has good texture for them sub notes. Reason why these earphones remind me of them Juke boxes. Bass fans are gonna love the in20s as they won't hold back on them bass notes. It isn’t quite at basshead territory, which allows for the mids and treble to have their space in this sound design.
In getting to know the in20, I am thinking Aaron went for a more crowd pleasing tuning more so than anything analytical or clinical. Its sound tuning and tone is very much like you are listening to vinyl versions of your music. Therefore I do notice the in20 matches up better with more neutral sources vs anything warm. The in20 does well with your compressed library and even better with high res recordings, versatile in its tuning, it is forgiving of lesser recordings and will be a consistent performer for just about all genres.
I have yet to hear a Jukebox playing an old rock tune or a country ballad that didn't have the sound foundation with a solid bass end. Here is why I think the in20 represents a similar sound akin to them old Jukeboxes. It has an older style tone and balancing to the tuning yet has enough technical chops to pull off modern genres like EDM, rock, pop and hip hop to perfection. It is simple my friends, Wood timbre is made for Jazz.
Imaging is surprisingly very good considering this complete sound is coming from a single 8mm dynamic. Thinksound bucks the notion that you don’t need more drivers to have your sound be complete. In fact I own IEMs with 14 drivers in them that don't sound as complete as this one 8 mm speaker does for the in20.
The in20 has the type of sound that lets you enjoy your music chilling out at a cafe sipping on your coffee during a rainstorm. It will remind you of more simpler days when you and your friends used to hang out at lesser establishments. This is exactly the type of sound you need to get back to them memories.
In conclusion. I will end with a simple note to the folks that read this particular review. It is the small companies that need our support and I will say Thinksound this year has seen its doors close with a surprising new start that had me completely surprised to see them back on their feet. The virus this year has wreaked havoc on every sector of our economy including the smaller headphone company. If what I described in this review appeals to you. Give Thinksound a try and for the younger crowd if you want to hear what a more traditional western tuned woody earphone sound like that is what you're gonna get with the new in20 and in doing so you will be supporting one of the good guys in the industry. With that I leave this tune for the sound man that has tuned these earphones and continues to bless the masses with his talent.
Good luck Aaron and I hope your company comes out of this one and sees a fresh new start.
Wood has been used for earphones and headphones as long as I can remember but there is a dedicated group that specializes in the wood housing in an earphone that has proven time and time again that wood with the right tuning brings a musical flavor that brings a unique tone and sound for headphones.
Thinksound has been making their award winning wood earphones since 2009 and with the recent COVID crisis seen their doors close for business. As they say, you can’t keep a good man down. Aaron Fouriner is the sound engineer responsible for these classic earphones, and I was very surprised to see a new web site and a new single model on the site being sold. Shortly there after I got contacted by Aaron to hear and review his newest design.
You can order a set and read up on their history here. I would like to thank Aaron for the review sample. These here are my take on his newest earphones from Thinksound.
If you have never owned a properly designed woody earphone. Here is your chance. There are two groups that come to mind when thinking about wood designs. JVC and Thinksound. The difference here is, Thinksound is a western brand based in the US and unlike JVC, Thinksound is a smaller company and only uses eco friendly materials in all their designs. Not to mention will not charge an extravagant amount of money to own a set.
Using a wood housing adds a certain timbre and tone to the sonics that only wood can produce. While simple in looks and design. Thinksound is all about not trying to reinvent the earphone but more so refining and tuning them to their best ability. Warm, smooth full bodied analogue like natural take in presentation the in20 has nothing to do with analyzing your tunes. These sound like speakers in your ears and I mean that in a literal sense. Old school if you will but these earphones are very musical in tuning and then you add that woody timbre and you got yourself a sound quality that is unique and very engaging only to Thinksound.
Build of the in20 is simple in design but functional with a mic/ remote to use on your phones and devices. It is using the tried and true barrel design which perfectly seats one 8mm dynamic in the chamber. That attached cord is permanent which goes against newer conventions but at the same time I can argue this design will prevent connector failure. The cord is kevlar reinforced for strength and durability, soft and pliable, moderate microphonics when worn down and none when worn over the ear. The microphone/remote has a very clear sound tested with my phone finished off with a 45degree angle in a single ended plug. These would make for perfect every day carry out and about earphones. They have decent average isolation properties but due to the ample bass end of the earphones makes for good usability on the go. Conversations comes in nice n clear with absolutely zero distortions or off sound using the included mic.
As far as I can remember hearing my first Thinksound earphone I think Aaron has used the same 8mm dynamic drivers for just about all of his designs. What took me by surprise on this particular unit is that the in20 is literally the best of Thinksound. If you took all of his prior earphones and somehow mashed them together the in20 is what would be the results. I even hear some hints of their last earphone offering the USP1 with its unique rich darker tuning. He has created monitor offerings MS02 and more musical in the Rain earphones. The in20 is somewhere in the middle. The end results of years of tuning, the best of Thinksound all in one and that is what the in20 represents. The looks of the in20 is simple as is the design but it is the sound that wins Aaron and his team at Thinksound the accolades and awards.
Before starting off the sound segment of this review. I would like to give you. Yes you, a homework assignment. Ya nobody likes to get homework but there is a reason why I will start off this sound analysis with homework.
Your homework, when the vaccine is readily available and we start to see a semblance of normal society and you can enter a pool hall or an old bar. You need to hear a jukebox, watch episodes of happy days if you need a reminder of what a Juke box is and you will understand what provided sound for smaller older cafes and smoky pool halls across America.
Throw on some classic tunes. Jimi Hendrix, some Neil Diamond, maybe some old rock like Boston some Zeppelin. That analogue sound and older type recordings are unique to the time period they were recorded in.
What does this have anything to do with the in20? Well that is the best way I can describe the sound of the in20.
It harkens back to the days when sock hops was a thing and your jukebox threw out the latest from Elvis and the Beatles. That old school analogue days were in full swing when I was growing up, you could hang out at the local diners and experience that unique jukebox sound.
I remember we had a local ice cream parlor by our high school that used to have an old Juke box and this was the number one tune at the time.
Aha memories. I can clearly remember what the Juke box looked like that was blaring this tune on a regular basis.
The in20 sounds like a jukebox in your ears. It is as close to that warm musical full bodied sound as your gonna get. In today's digital world a sound that touches that part of our sound history will immediately bring back memories of a simpler time when hanging out with your friends always included music blasting out of your speakers.
Sound analysis was done using my Fiio M15, Shanling M6pro, M5s, M3s, IBasso DX160, Cayin N5ii, Fiio X3ii, and Ibasso PB3, IFI Black Label amps. LG cell phone for microphone testing.
Overall sonic character I would say the in20 will bring you back to the very reason why we all love personal audio. These will bring back a sound that you're gonna recognize. That warm,smooth and inviting well balanced sound has a stage that is ideal for in ears. Wider than deeper or higher. Sound stage images in an oval shape but are presented in a very immersive manner.
Thinksounds greatest hits in the in20 include an ample warm full low end. Smooth analogue like mid band presentation with a treble end that has clean separation, good definition and shimmer. Their former earphones all were consistent in how they threw out sound but the in20 sees a type of sound that will be a crowd pleaser especially for those that had some fond memories of yester years when music was more than just something you heard in your buddies Ford Pinto and his half working cassette deck.
It had soul and passion and you can remember certain events in your life just by hearing an older tune you still love to hear today. These will appeal especially to the old timers and folks that love an engaging warm sound.
Treble is very well tuned and takes equal footing to the mid bands. While the treble lacks a slight bit of air and extension it is represented with very good macro detailing where it sounds complete leaning more toward a smoother yet clean treble note. Treble has a subtle sparkle and has zero glare or grain to the sound. Upper treble has a slight roll off which makes for easier long term listening. This actually works well with more modern treble emphasized EDM music actually. EDM music is the ultimate tester for treble emphasis as synthetic treble notes can clearly fatigue with monitors that have a bit too much treble emphasis. Trance and house music sounds perfect with the in20 with their full bodied note, a spacious stage, big bass and clean clear bell like treble.
Overall I would say treble is smooth, natural, and has a clean tone with the lower treble having the most emphasis vs upper treble. Treble sound even keeled with the mid bands which makes it non fatiguing and adds to the overall sound skewed toward a slight warmth in tone. A natural warmer tone with a very good timbre for vocals and instruments.
The in20 has a classic V shaped sound signature but mid bands comes across with an engaging full note and has good presence even though the mids take a slight step back from the bass end. No thinness and is not distant sounding, Vocals have weight and fullness with the addition of one of the best aspects of the wood design, that woodie timbre. Instruments sound very natural and life-like in fact all stringed instruments have weight represented within the rangy mid bands with a slight warmth in tonality, lower mids has fuller body due to the thick full bass end of the in20. Thinksound earphones don't have the larger pinna gain of the newer style tunings from Chinese manufacturers and as a result, vocals don't sound pushed forward in the mix but has a very natural tonal character for vocals be it male or female. Mids sound as engaging as ever and has very good detail and presence in the in20.
I can tell Aaron likes his bass as I have never heard a Thinksound product with a neutral bass end. Here is where the in20 shares some similarities to the Rain series of earphones he has made in the past. The Rain earphones were all about that full big bold bass and the in20 has this in spades. It sounds equal in emphasis from the mid bass to sub bass regions with a slight roll off from roughly 40 hz down. Due to the boldness of the mid bass, this adds several elements to the sound tuning. That bass warmth for one and it is the type of bass that is similar to the bass you would hear in a live venue. Thick, big and frontal, not the tightest but very punchy and has good texture for them sub notes. Reason why these earphones remind me of them Juke boxes. Bass fans are gonna love the in20s as they won't hold back on them bass notes. It isn’t quite at basshead territory, which allows for the mids and treble to have their space in this sound design.
In getting to know the in20, I am thinking Aaron went for a more crowd pleasing tuning more so than anything analytical or clinical. Its sound tuning and tone is very much like you are listening to vinyl versions of your music. Therefore I do notice the in20 matches up better with more neutral sources vs anything warm. The in20 does well with your compressed library and even better with high res recordings, versatile in its tuning, it is forgiving of lesser recordings and will be a consistent performer for just about all genres.
I have yet to hear a Jukebox playing an old rock tune or a country ballad that didn't have the sound foundation with a solid bass end. Here is why I think the in20 represents a similar sound akin to them old Jukeboxes. It has an older style tone and balancing to the tuning yet has enough technical chops to pull off modern genres like EDM, rock, pop and hip hop to perfection. It is simple my friends, Wood timbre is made for Jazz.
Imaging is surprisingly very good considering this complete sound is coming from a single 8mm dynamic. Thinksound bucks the notion that you don’t need more drivers to have your sound be complete. In fact I own IEMs with 14 drivers in them that don't sound as complete as this one 8 mm speaker does for the in20.
The in20 has the type of sound that lets you enjoy your music chilling out at a cafe sipping on your coffee during a rainstorm. It will remind you of more simpler days when you and your friends used to hang out at lesser establishments. This is exactly the type of sound you need to get back to them memories.
In conclusion. I will end with a simple note to the folks that read this particular review. It is the small companies that need our support and I will say Thinksound this year has seen its doors close with a surprising new start that had me completely surprised to see them back on their feet. The virus this year has wreaked havoc on every sector of our economy including the smaller headphone company. If what I described in this review appeals to you. Give Thinksound a try and for the younger crowd if you want to hear what a more traditional western tuned woody earphone sound like that is what you're gonna get with the new in20 and in doing so you will be supporting one of the good guys in the industry. With that I leave this tune for the sound man that has tuned these earphones and continues to bless the masses with his talent.
Good luck Aaron and I hope your company comes out of this one and sees a fresh new start.
Lurk650
Anymore comparison to the Rain? I have a pair of Rain2, sitting in a drawer. Rarely use them as the clarity just isn't there for me but I do love the woodie timbre
Thinksound in20 Review - Long Term Review
Intro
For those who are not aware of who thinksound is,a snippet from thinksound’s website will probably give you an idea of who they are and why sustainability.
“thinksound began in 2009 with one mission: help people hear music the way it's meant to be heard. Founder and industry-leading audio engineer, Aaron Fournier, dedicated himself to creating audio products that truly respect the art and craft of music professionals. He wanted every thinksound product to sound amazing, look good, feel comfortable, be priced fairly and produced responsibly.
Not a lot has changed since then. We're still relentless about achieving our mission and you can still count on us to develop new and better ways to bring our signature sound to your ears. "Good enough" just doesn't cut it for us and, honestly, it shouldn't for you either. So the next time you're shopping for personal or home audio, start with the sound.”
Packaging
In20 came in rather simple packaging, a small paper box containing all the essentials, eartips, foam tips, a cloth type earphone storage pouch, and in20 itself. Given being sustainable is one of their missions, this is totally understandable.
Build/Comfort
The housing of in20 is part aluminium and part walnut housing to give a distinctive sound to its character. Overall it is very light and very comfortable to wear for long listening sessions.
I prefer to use it with smaller eartips and insert deeper into my ear canal(I will explain why in the sound section).
Source
Ibasso DX160 -> in20
Foobar 2k -> Sony PHA-2A -> in20
Iphone 12 Mini -> Apple Lightning Dongle -> in20
Sound
I am using S sized eartips for deeper insertion. Why? Well, on medium sized eartips, i find in20’s mid bass is too much to my taste and it seems to over power everything and too much warmth. This is solely my experience and everyone’s ear canal is different so your mileage might vary, for me S size and deep insertion works for me, so be sure to try various size to see which one suits you the most.
Back to the sound, in20 is warm and v shaped sounding to my ears. It is generally a very enjoyable pair of earphones to listen to. Laid back, fun sounding and it has got a unique sounding timbre to it, possibly something to do with the walnut housing.
Bass
Mids
Treble
Soundstage/Imaging
Soundstage on in20 is big, doesn’t feel like the music only plays in your head but it kind of expands more, wide but slightly lacking in terms of depth. Imaging is very good, the instruments can be pinpointed accurately and separation is also very good, on some busy track like Slipknot’s duality, all the instruments are well layered and doesn’t sound like they are attempting to overpower each other.
Driveability and Amping
In20 is very easy to drive, it can be driven even off a smartphone with acceptable listening volume. However it does scale with better source of course, cleaner sounding and more controls on all three frequency ranges.
Hooking in20 into my portable class A amp, in20 sounded completely different. The bass is a lot more controlled and tighter. A lot more details are being revealed on the top end as well, It is a completely different beast when amped.
Final Thoughts
So, who should get in20? Let me put it this way, in20 is not a set intended for critical listening and I believe thinksound never marketed it as such a set. In20 in general is a laid back and fun sounding earphone where you just put them on and enjoy your music.
There are some genres where they really excel at due to their tuning and tonality, oldies in particular, at least to me, i enjoyed listening to Leonard Cohen, Elvis, and Marvin Gaye’s classic track on it; it's just so immersive. One genre where I personally think it doesn’t excel at is Metal due to the bass being slightly slower and causing the bass to sound a little boomy.
Judging by the sound itself, in20 is worth 4/5, if the price can be brought down a little lower, i believe it will do well in terms of sales. At 149$, the price is indeed a little steep to some.
The purchase link for in20 as follows if you are interested in purchasing a pair for yourself. Show them some support as it is a small company which produces good quality products.
Thinksound in20
*I received in20 from thinksound in exchange for this review. I only covered the shipping cost and custom duties. However my opinions and review are not influenced by thinksound in any way. Many thanks to Mark for arranging this.
Intro
For those who are not aware of who thinksound is,a snippet from thinksound’s website will probably give you an idea of who they are and why sustainability.
“thinksound began in 2009 with one mission: help people hear music the way it's meant to be heard. Founder and industry-leading audio engineer, Aaron Fournier, dedicated himself to creating audio products that truly respect the art and craft of music professionals. He wanted every thinksound product to sound amazing, look good, feel comfortable, be priced fairly and produced responsibly.
Not a lot has changed since then. We're still relentless about achieving our mission and you can still count on us to develop new and better ways to bring our signature sound to your ears. "Good enough" just doesn't cut it for us and, honestly, it shouldn't for you either. So the next time you're shopping for personal or home audio, start with the sound.”
Packaging
In20 came in rather simple packaging, a small paper box containing all the essentials, eartips, foam tips, a cloth type earphone storage pouch, and in20 itself. Given being sustainable is one of their missions, this is totally understandable.
Build/Comfort
The housing of in20 is part aluminium and part walnut housing to give a distinctive sound to its character. Overall it is very light and very comfortable to wear for long listening sessions.
I prefer to use it with smaller eartips and insert deeper into my ear canal(I will explain why in the sound section).
Source
Ibasso DX160 -> in20
Foobar 2k -> Sony PHA-2A -> in20
Iphone 12 Mini -> Apple Lightning Dongle -> in20
Sound
I am using S sized eartips for deeper insertion. Why? Well, on medium sized eartips, i find in20’s mid bass is too much to my taste and it seems to over power everything and too much warmth. This is solely my experience and everyone’s ear canal is different so your mileage might vary, for me S size and deep insertion works for me, so be sure to try various size to see which one suits you the most.
Back to the sound, in20 is warm and v shaped sounding to my ears. It is generally a very enjoyable pair of earphones to listen to. Laid back, fun sounding and it has got a unique sounding timbre to it, possibly something to do with the walnut housing.
Bass
- In20 definitely doesn’t lack bass quantity, however, the bass is not some low quality bass where it sounds bloated and muddy. Bass is generally fast enough and have good slams to it
- Sub-bass is also emphasised to my ears, however the quantity is tuned to give a certain level of “fun”, it's not bass head kind of bass i would say
- Bass doesn’t bleed into the mids
Mids
- I would start by describing the mids as lush and thick. It is warm and smooth, very analog sounding to me
- It has got a unique sounding timbre to it, not sure how to put it into words, but it’s definitely something to do with the walnut housing of it
- Vocal sounded a little recess given in20 bearing a v-shaped tuning
- Male and female vocal has a good body to it, doesn’t sound lean and dry
Treble
- The treble on in20 is smooth and not at all sounded emphasized, it is not harsh nor anywhere near the level of being sibilant
- Good amount of details in this range
- Cymbal sounds a little muted, not as energetic as it intend to sound
- Smooth sounding in general
Soundstage/Imaging
Soundstage on in20 is big, doesn’t feel like the music only plays in your head but it kind of expands more, wide but slightly lacking in terms of depth. Imaging is very good, the instruments can be pinpointed accurately and separation is also very good, on some busy track like Slipknot’s duality, all the instruments are well layered and doesn’t sound like they are attempting to overpower each other.
Driveability and Amping
In20 is very easy to drive, it can be driven even off a smartphone with acceptable listening volume. However it does scale with better source of course, cleaner sounding and more controls on all three frequency ranges.
Hooking in20 into my portable class A amp, in20 sounded completely different. The bass is a lot more controlled and tighter. A lot more details are being revealed on the top end as well, It is a completely different beast when amped.
Final Thoughts
So, who should get in20? Let me put it this way, in20 is not a set intended for critical listening and I believe thinksound never marketed it as such a set. In20 in general is a laid back and fun sounding earphone where you just put them on and enjoy your music.
There are some genres where they really excel at due to their tuning and tonality, oldies in particular, at least to me, i enjoyed listening to Leonard Cohen, Elvis, and Marvin Gaye’s classic track on it; it's just so immersive. One genre where I personally think it doesn’t excel at is Metal due to the bass being slightly slower and causing the bass to sound a little boomy.
Judging by the sound itself, in20 is worth 4/5, if the price can be brought down a little lower, i believe it will do well in terms of sales. At 149$, the price is indeed a little steep to some.
The purchase link for in20 as follows if you are interested in purchasing a pair for yourself. Show them some support as it is a small company which produces good quality products.
Thinksound in20
*I received in20 from thinksound in exchange for this review. I only covered the shipping cost and custom duties. However my opinions and review are not influenced by thinksound in any way. Many thanks to Mark for arranging this.
Packaging is minimal inside is the IN20, tips and a pouch for storage. The build is rather simple and pure a metal front and wooden back. The tried-and-true bullet shape is usually comfortable and fits all ears well.
I found good isolation and comfort with the stock tips. The cable is sturdy and while tangling is a possibility with this type it's not overly a problem. I like the aesthetically pleasing design of these even if it's very similar to Symphonized DRM it still looks premium, in my opinion nothing beats the look of fine wooden headphones.
Sound impressions: Relaxed warm V-shape
Bass: Is impactful and prominent, the Sub-Bass slams with both quality and quantity. Mid-Bass has plenty of power and control. The Bass is tuned to extend deep but does have a fast decay keeping it from being overpowering.
Mids: The Midrange is defiantly rich and lower Mids have a warmth to them as well as smooth presentation, both male and female vocals sound full and only a slight recession from the V-shaped is heard.
Treble: The Highs are more towards the smooth side with decent details but lack energy and sparkle. treble sensitive should be pleased with it.
Soundstage ETC: Soundstage has above average width but is a little less deep than it is wide. Imaging is accurate and separation is good as well.
Conclusion: The in20 is a great set of earphones for the casual listener, they are an environmentally responsible company, and the stylish design is timeless. In my opinion they are a fun relaxed in ear that is great for certain types of music.
Nicely done, D and it should have been front page-Friday through Monday material here from the off...