Tin Audio T2 Pro

Firstly I would like to thank Linsoul for this sample to review, they have had over 50hrs of burn-in before writing this.

Gear Used: iBasso DX200 / Yulong DAART Aquila > T2 Pro (Foam tips)

*disclaimer: This sample was provided for the purpose of writing a review, no incentive was given to write a favourable review. All opinions expressed are my own subjective findings.



Tech Specs:

• Driver: Dynamic 10mm woofer, 6mm tweeter
• Impedance: 16 ohms
• Frequency response: 12 Hz–40 kHz
• Interface: 3.5 mm
• Plug: ⅛ in (3.5 mm) carbon
• Cable: 4.1 ft (1.25 m) 5N OFC silver plating

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/tin-audio-t2-pro

Packaging, Build Quality and Accessories:
The T2 Pro come in the same box as the original T2, it is a small rectangular white box with the name and model on the front. Out from this white box slides a much nice textured blue and cream box which houses the IEM's and accessories. The top of the box flips open to reveal the IEM's in a foam insert, you can also see the 3.5mm jack. Underneath this insert you'll find the rest of the cable and the accessories. I really like the packaging, it's small but feels excellent for the price.



Build quality is similar to the T2, metal housings that feel sturdy and are well finished, along with MMCX detachable cables. The cable is superb, it is flexible and the jack has been improved over the T2. I really like how comfortable and soft the cable is, the jack is metal and has a carbon fibre look, the y-split is metal, and the MMCX connectors feel sturdy. There is no chin slider on the cable, but I didn't find that to be an issue, overall these are really well built.

Accessory wise these are lacking a little, you get pre-installed Medium size foam tips in blue, along with regular silicone single flange tips (S, M and L of both Narrow and Wide bore). Plenty of sizes and enough for most to get a good fit, but there is no carry pouch or jack adaptors. I suppose you cannot complain here for the price when you take into account the build and sound quality.



Comfort and Isolation:
The T2 Pro have an odd shell and fitting, with the MMCX connector exiting towards the front of the housing instead of the back like most. But I have found this to not cause any comfort issues and once you get a good fit they can be worn for long periods without issues. The cable helps a lot with the comfort too.

Isolation is quite average, even with foam tips, this is due to the housing being vented. They are fine for day to day use, but if you are wanting something to block out very noisy commutes there are some better options.



Sound:
Split into the usual categories with a conclusion at the end.

Lows: First off I'll say that even with foam tips, these will not appeal to bass heads at all. However if you appreciate a tight and controlled bass response then you will be impressed by the quality that is on show here. They are not lean down low, and the extension is there, they just don't jump out at you with massive amounts of volume and presence. Articulation is good, and the bass prefers to be there to back up the track without being the centre of attention. They steer clear of muddying up the midrange which is excellent, and kicks are backed up with good punch just not huge volume. Overall a slightly more reserved bass response that values detail and control over volume.

Mids: The lower mids are not warmed by excessive lows which means they come across with incredible detail retrieval, I have to pinch myself to remind myself that these retail for $59.99. I think you would be hard pressed to find a cleaner midrange for this price and under. Vocals are clearly separated and you can hear an impressive amount of detail, guitars come in around them to complete the picture, everything is well layered. The midrange is maybe a tiny bit on the clinical side, but never do they sound wrong or artificial. Electric guitars really excel here, with a nice crisp edge to notes and good power behind them, acoustic guitars could benefit from a tiny bit more body.

Highs: The treble response is quite refined here, they are definitely not laid back and they add a great sense of air to the sound. There is perhaps a hint of metallic tone up top, but overall it is really detailed and refined. You can tell apart different cymbal crashes, and they are not grainy or congested like on many budget offerings. Spatial cues and imaging are very accurate, and the highs are not toned down yet their presentation and tone mean they never become bright.

Soundstaging is very good, there is a good amount of width but not a lot of height. The separation is where these really do well, the layering and air between instruments is excellent, the transient response also means they never become congested.



Conclusion: When putting everything into perspective regarding price vs performance the T2 Pro score very high. They do not have a full bass response, they are definitely tuned to be a little on the more analytical side of sound. But what you get for the price is a very open sound that has great separation and control, along with a beautifully detailed midrange and treble. I am genuinely impressed by the T2 Pro, if you want controlled sound and excellent detail for a low price these are really hard to beat.

Sound Perfection Rating: 9/10 (odd shape, not a particularly full sound, but incredibly detailed and open)

This sample comes from Linsoul.com. You can find this same review at Simply Audiophile.



Unboxing and first impressions
There’s an impactful presentation here, with an elegant blue box that carries the manuals, the buds, the cable and the tips. The default tips are a pair of foam ones which aren’t the softest ever, but it’s good to find them in such an affordable pair of earphones. You can immediately notice how well these IEMs are built: an all-metal design, with red/blue rings (to indicate the right and left channel and to attach the cable the right way), a good stock braided cable with a massive jack plug (that’s a 3.5 mm gold-plated one), and a good number of tips.

I’ve first tried them with the stock foam tips, which I usually appreciate – the Comply ones or the ones that come with the BGVP DMG are great. I liked them, but the fit wasn’t unfortunately the best for me. I switched to a pair of small silicon tips that came in the box and I found myself more comfortable with them.



Sound
I tested these earphones with the FiiO M7 and the Dodocool DA106 as DAPs, and the Focusrite 2i2 from my MacBook Pro 2012 as a source.

With a long-term use of the FiiO M7, I understood that it’s a DAP that doesn’t help mitigating the sibilance. T2 Pro are very sibilant earphones. So, I didn’t appreciate the synergy between the two; it was strangely better with the DA106, which is a sub-100$ DAP that’s really capable in its sound performance. But the sibilance was still there, even if attenuated. Why? Because all the high frequencies of these IEMs have been raised (that’s the main difference between these and the base T2), and I believe this was absolutely not necessary. Because the treble area became the only negative thing I have to say about the T2 Pro. They lack a bit of bass, but this is a minor issue that I believe was also present in the T2.



What’s good, instead? The detail is very impressing, making them really capable to separate the instruments – for certain kinds of music, this precision makes them better than the BGVP DMG, which are 2 to 3 times more expensive. I liked the dynamics here, I believe there’s some transients’ study behind these earphones, but I think that they had to enhance the bass and not the treble, by updating the T2. I didn’t have a great listening time with these, because the voices are too sibilant, both male and female ones. The harshness of the treble makes them really fatiguing, even by changing the tips – as a user recommended to me. I think I would rather the base T2. Don’t always believe the users: they also recommend closing the vents to improve the bass. Guys, the vents are there because the dynamic driver needs its air to work properly.



Mids are pleasant. I can’t really say how neutral these earphones should have sounded, because of the strange frequency response that came out by enhancing the treble, but I believe that the original idea was having a neutral, slightly V-shaped sound. Mids are, in fact, just a little recessed, but when it comes to hear them it’s a good listening experience. They are the best frequencies that come out of the T2 Pro. Bass is not bad, it’s just undertone. There’s one thing that most audiophiles hate, using the EQ. This is, for me, the case to use it. Try to turn up the bass and down the treble. The electric “work” on the signal helps with the attenuation of the sibilance, too. It won’t be the most hi-fi experience ever – you will never have it with these IEMs – but they become hearable. I think you can use an attenuator like the iFi ones, that’s a more elegant way to improve the sound experience of the T2 Pro.

Soundstage and imaging are pretty believable, with a fairly wide and deep expansion. There are a lot of good things to say about the T2 Pro, but the frequency distribution is not okay, and it’s difficult to give them a high rating. If I had to choose one pair of 50$ to carry with me, I wouldn’t choose these. And it’s a pity, because I love the cable, I love the build quality, I love the industrial look of them.



Conclusions
As you can – unfortunately – read, I can’t really recommend this model. There are better and even cheaper alternatives, and even though I love the design and build quality of the T2 Pro, they aren’t good enough in terms of sound. You do have a great cable for the price, and even the foam tips, but that sibilance and that harshness on the treble make the listening experience too fatiguing and uncomfortable. At least, if you choose to buy them, be sure to use a source that mitigates that large amount of sibilance.

Review by Mhark Jhoshua Q. Torres
Thank you Linsoul Audio for letting us give our honest take towards the Tin Audio T2 pro. Given that the review unit is from Linsoul audio and is free of charge, it doesn’t affect the honesty and integrity of this review.

Linsoul Audio Online Stores:
Amazon : https://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&me=A267P2DT104U3C&page=1
Direct store: https://www.linsoul.com

The Company

Tin audio is a chi-fi contender that appeared last Q1 of 2018, their first IEM was Tin Audio T1 (based on what I’ve read) and it was followed by the T2s which became a lot more popular in comparison to the T1. Their IEMs are known for being bass anemic, since they are tuning their products into a neutral sound signature despite the use of all DD. “Tin Audio is committed to deliver an uncommonly refined tuning.” this is what they said in their Facebook page and based on what I’ve heard from the T2 pro, the statement is legit!

The Tin Audio T2 Pro

The T2 Pro is made out of metal that makes the overall feel to be premium and reliable, in fact I’ve been using the T2 Pro as my daily driver for a month and they never disappoint in terms of solidness and sound quality. The nozzle is a bit short, the filter is fine, and there are two vents per side one facing the ears and one at the face plate. The T2 Pro is the successor of the T2, Tin Audio said that the build and treble issues has been resolve in this unit. Other Technical Specification are as follow:

• Driver: Dynamic 10mm woofer, 6mm tweeter
• Impedance: 16 ohms
• Frequency response: 12 Hz–40 kHz
• Interface: 3.5 mm
• Plug: ⅛ in (3.5 mm) carbon
• Cable: 4.1 ft (1.25 m) 5N OFC silver plating MMCX Connection

Packaging

The packaging of the T2 Pro is rather simple, the white box is relatively small making me think that the tips would be 4 pairs at max. The blue leather box contains everything from manual to tips, there is no carrying case included which is normal under the Php 3000 (50-70 USD) price tag, but it would be better including a carrying case just like TFZ T2 Galaxy and Series 2. The blue foam tips is the one you’ll get OOTB but it is huge for my ears to fit, good thing that Tin audio included 9 pairs of extra tips for tip rolling. Lastly the cable feels a bit cheap since I have the TFZ T2 Galaxy as a point of comparison which delivers a really nice looking cable but nonetheless a SPC with nice robust 3.5 mm jack is already forgivable.

Fit and Comfort


The T2 pro is made out of metal and there are few sharp edges unlike other IEMs that has CIEM-ish build therefore the fit of the T2 Pro is sub par in comparison to other IEMs in this price tier (eg. TFZ lineup and Shozy Hibiki). The isolation of T2 Pros is very dependent with the tips used, the nozzle is short hence the insertion is shallow.

Sound
I love IEMs with midcentric to flat sound signature as I really love listening to vocals rather than instruments. My genre ranges from heavy rock, alternative rock, pop rock, acoustic, pop, jazz and folk. Majority of my test tracks are in 16 bit – 44 khz and 24 bit – 48 khz FLAC file and here is the list of my commom test tracks.

1. Reese Lansangan – For the Fickle (background, female vocals and upper mids)
2. Foo Fighters – Bridge Burning (Imaging, Layering, Coherence, Sub bass and Mid bass, Mids, Treble)
3. LANY – Thick And Thin (Mid Bass, Mids)
4. Ed Sheeran – Dive (Mid bass, Lower Mids)
5. Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why (Upper Mids and Instruments)
6. Paramore – Hard Times (Imaging, Layering, Coherence, Sub bass and Mid bass, Mids, Treble)
7. Radiohead – Life in a Glasshouse (Imaging Layering, Bass, Instruments, Lower mids, Treble)
8. Passenger – Coins in a Fountain (Mid bass, Layering, Imaging, Instruments, Lower mids, Treble)
9. Tori Kelly – Hollow (Background, Upper mids)
10. Ariana Grande – Raindrops (Background, Upper mids)

Bass
Sub bass has moderate quantity and depth, the extension is good enough while the quality and texture is nice, the rumbles are rendered nicely without sounding too smooth nor muddy. The positioning is on the neutral side, it is linear, the decay is fast as well. The mid bass is tight and rounded, it doesn’t pack that much of punch nor it has a mid bass hump, it is actually the opposite as some may even refer it as “bass anemic”. The mid bass has decent body and weight, good texture and pretty resolving as well. It is still placed neutrally and doesn’t have any noticeable humps or dips, it is quick making the overall presentation less congested. The bass of t2 pro is far from bass head level so skip this iem if you are searching for some ear pounding bass.

Mids

The lower mids packs just the right amount of body for it not to sound too thin or shrill, it doesn’t have the lushy presentation but instead it boasts good clarity and transparency. It is slightly forward as compared to the bass but is not a mid forward iem, i believe that the lower mids is still placed neutrally here but it is a bit too lean to give extreme justice for some male vocalist like Dave Grohl. The upper mids sometimes shouty, at some peculiar tracks the upper mids sound a bit sibilant. The upper mids is sweet and a bit more forward than the bass and lower mids, it offers top notch transparency for the price. Guitar strums sound realistic too. This iem is best for acoustic genres which is full of vocals and guitar strums, Reese Lansangan sounded angelic with the T2 pro.

Treble
The treble of the T2 Pro is borderline of bright, they never sounded hot for me. The sparkle is very enjoyable in most occasion, but there are tracks that the treble sounds a bit harsh and too aggressive. The extension definitely outclass the likes of T2 Galaxy and Shozy Hibiki Mk2, it presents the treble in a defined manner. The decay is pretty quick too, the texture and resolution is great for the price as well. The treble share the same positioning as the upper mids, luckily the airyness added a good sense of width, height and depth making the overall sound stage to be spacious.

Sound Stage and Resolution
The sound stage of the T2 pro is commendable for the price range it belongs, listening to live tracks is very enjoyable since the height, depth and width are all above decent. The sound stage isn’t something “monstrous” but it expands naturally whenever it is needed. None of the three major frequency sounded smooth nor muddy in the T2 pro, from sub bass to treble the texture and details are nicely rendered and is very audible. Separation is above decent while the layering is just decent, nothing special here.

Synergy and Sound Signature
T2 Pro’s sound signature ranges from neutral to bright, the bass is linear and clinical and just enough to give a taste of thump in your tracks. The mids is placed close to neutral as well while the treble seems to have some peaks in few tracks I’ve tested. The treble might sound aggressive for some but for me they are not harsh at least for most tracks that I’m listening to.

Cayin N5iis

Cayin N5iis is a neutral-slightly bright and transparent sounding DAP, mids sounds lean, bass is flat and does not have any coloration, and treble is a bit more prominent than the bass. The T2 sounded clinical when using the N5iis, the background is silent and the treble became a bit more upfront. The texture of sub bass is very good and same goes to the mids and treble, lastly the sound stage is wider and more natural here. I would suggest this pair for those who are not that treble sensitive since the treble of T2 pro here is truly transparent, but if not it is more recommended to find a warm sounding DAP to have a better synergy.

Smartphone (Huawei Mate 10)

The Huawei Mate 10 has a sound signature of neutral-bright, sound quality is not on par with the N5iis, noise floor is a bit high. The bass lost its extension and texture, the mid bass became smoother and less impactful. The lower mids became thinner and smooth reducing the texture of the mids, the upper mids still sounds sweet and a bit forward. Lastly the treble is well extended while the presentation is less airy and detailed. The T2 pro can be easily powered by smartphones but the potential will not be maximized, the bass quantity will further be reduced but the overall sound quality is already enjoyable.

Comparison
The sound signature of T2 galaxy ranges from L shaped to warm and smooth in comparison to neutral-bright sound signature of the T2 Pro.

Conclusion

The Tin Audio T2 Pro features generous set of tips, above decent set of cable, sturdy metallic shell to take daily beating, and a great overall sound quality. The Bass is well textured and has good depth while being placed neutrally, though the quantity is a bit lacking. The mids is approached in textured and detailed manner with nice transparency in it, the lower mids might sound a bit thin for some but the upper mids sounds magnificent, it is sibilant at some few tracks. The treble is well extended, airy and resolving but it is harsh at times, it gives a nice sense of depth, width and height. The T2 Pro is a very nice starter IEM for the hobby, and I easily recommend this pair!