Tin Hifi (formerly Tin Audio) is the company whose reputation was established when they introduced the T2 model a couple of years ago. This dual dynamic driver earphone (10mm + 6mm) bucked the trend of affordable IEMs with V-shaped signatures, instead presenting a neutral and well-balanced sound, and was (and is) very successful. The T3 follows this philosophy. After releasing the T2Pro, which displayed a much more prominent upper register, Tin Hifi have produced their first hybrid model, the T3, which features a 10mm “coaxial dual vibration” dynamic driver paired with a balanced armature from Knowles. This new design addresses the criticisms levelled at the T2 Pro but at the same time incorporates some of the qualities which made the original T2 so popular.
The T3 comes luxuriously packaged in a similar way to the T2, but the box is slightly larger and has a different finish. There is a white outer sleeve with two windows showing the IEMs. Removing this reveals a blue box resembling a book in faux leather and fabric with a large rectangular window displaying the earpieces. Included in the package are three sets of wide-bore silicone tips, three sets of narrow-bore silicon tips and two sets of white foam tips, one of which is pre-fitted to the earpieces. The supplied cable has an MMCX interface and is of very high quality, being a 5N OFC braided type with an 8-core gold and silver interlaced pattern. The straight 3.5mm plug has a carbon fibre finish and there is a clear spherical bobble which acts as a chin slider. The Y-split is furnished with a chunky metal block bearing the Tin Hifi logo. A carrying case is not supplied.
The earpieces themselves are beautifully constructed from CNC machined aluminium and have a similar cylindrical shape to that of the T2, but have a raised bezel on the rear surface. The barrels themselves have a two-tone appearance with a brushed metal and contrasting matt finish. There is a small pinhole vent at the bottom of the nozzle and another similar vent on the top centre of the rear bezel. The presentation and build quality is certainly very impressive.
The earphones were left burning in for 72 hours before testing and included tracks of white and pink noise, glide tones and other audio conditioning tracks. The principal equipment used was a Hifi Walker H2 DAP and Fiio A5 amplifier, via line-out. I have never got on with foam tips so fitted my go-to JVC Spiral Dots. Their wide bore and domed profile ensured a good seal. Rotating the MMCX connectors enabled a snug, secure and comfortable fit.
I was immediately struck by the cleanliness and transparency of the T3s. The resolution and detail provided by the Knowles BA was certainly impressive and showed great refinement. Transient attack was fast and impactful and although the overall balance was neutral, there was plenty of life and vitality to the sound. Sensitivity was very good, with acceptable volume achieved with various sources, including three different DAPs and a smartphone. In more detail:
Bass
The bass displayed a very linear profile with good extension. From sub-bass to the midrange there was no undue emphasis, resulting in a very natural presentation with great clarity and resolution. Sub-bass depth was excellent and displayed good texture. Leon Boellman’s spectacular “Suite Gothique”, performed by Gerard Brooks at St Ouen, Rouen was a perfect example. The powerful pedal notes formed a perfect foundation for this grand French organ piece with the reverberation of the cathedral acoustic beautifully rendered. The bass synths in Labi Siffre’s “Something inside so Strong” delivered the same power with great transient attack and superb depth and impact, and at the same time allowing his soulful vocals to soar over the top in emotional fashion. There was no mid-bass lift which therefore resulted in a very pure and clean atmosphere in this part of the spectrum.
Mids
The midrange continued this theme of linearity, and, allied to the excellent separation, layering and detail on show here, it allowed the music to really breathe. It was as though the whole soundstage had been washed clean by clear water and a cool breeze. Instruments had natural and authentic timbre. Al Stewart’s “Midas Shadow” from his seminal album “Year of the Cat” was full of detail and all the different aspects of Alan Parsons’s wonderful production could be appreciated. The electric piano solo in the instrumental break was beautifully reproduced and the delicate light touch of Al Stewart’s vocals contrasted well with the instrumental accompaniment. In fact, I enjoyed this track so much that I listened to the whole album when originally just intending to use this one track as an example! Andreas Vollenweider is a master of the electric harp. His productions are complex and full of detail and the T3 really excelled here. In “Pace Verde” each string of the harp was clear and well-defined. The multi-instrumental accompaniment with ethnic percussion had clarity and life and the rhythmic qualities of the performance were excitingly presented.
Treble
After many found the treble of the T2 Pro over-bright, Tin Hifi substituted a Knowles BA for the 6mm treble driver in the older model, and it is clear that this was a very good decision. After any initial harshness and sibilance had disappeared during an extended burn-in period, the treble became fluid, open and expressive. Displaying superb detail rivalling the CCA C16 and yet retaining a lively immediate sound reminiscent of the KZ ZS7, the T3 walked a perfect line between neutrality and entertainment. The Knowles driver showed its class with a clean, airy delivery and a refined quality not found in inexpensive proprietary BAs. The intricate percussive elements in David Wahler’s “Kyoto Mist” from the album “Antiquus” had terrific impact and life. Detail, delicacy and timbre were all on offer and the track was full of verve and energy. Mark Dwane’s “Siren’s Song” from his “Archives 2” CD has numerous electronic effects spread all over the soundstage. These were reproduced cleanly and clearly with subtle details not noticed before becoming apparent. The excellent clarity really allowed the female vocals to stand out from the accompaniment. Isao Tomita’s interpretation of Grieg’s “Solveig’s Song” was superb. Dramatic string arpeggios swept the music along in superb fashion with a real sense of power and foreboding, producing a real spine-tingling result.
Soundstage
Although not the largest soundstage I have heard, the detail, layering and separation mentioned above gave the impression of a more expansive image. Instrumental positioning in classical music was very good, the imaging in Liadov’s “Enchanted Lake” conducted by Charles Gerhardt being particularly notable. Bass trombones and horns floated at an attractive distance with excellent timbre. Closing your eyes, you could imagine yourself in the concert hall with the orchestra spread out before you. The recorded ambience on this piece came over very well, with a believable hall acoustic and the stereo imaging was very precise in this track. In Chris Spheeris’s “Andalu” from his wonderful “Desires of the Heart”, the sense of space was palpable, with height, width and depth all clearly delineated, the guitar and piano seeming to float above the arrangement of bass, drums and percussion.
Conclusion
Tin Hifi’s first hybrid model is an unqualified success. It has an accurate, neutral character whilst still having a lively, entertaining presentation normally found in IEMs with a V-shaped sound profile. Detail, separation and layering are all first-class, and the sound has a lovely open quality, excelling in each part of the audio spectrum. Beautifully presented, and with excellent build quality (including a superb cable) there is little or nothing to criticise. especially at the price, which, for this level of performance, is very reasonable. With its dual-driver configuration, it produces a sound quality exceeding that produced by some more complex and expensive multi-driver models, which is quite an achievement. The Knowles BA certainly shows its class here, underlining the importance of using quality drive units. If you are looking for an IEM capable of reproducing music accurately and entertainingly irrespective of genre, then look no further.
The T3 comes luxuriously packaged in a similar way to the T2, but the box is slightly larger and has a different finish. There is a white outer sleeve with two windows showing the IEMs. Removing this reveals a blue box resembling a book in faux leather and fabric with a large rectangular window displaying the earpieces. Included in the package are three sets of wide-bore silicone tips, three sets of narrow-bore silicon tips and two sets of white foam tips, one of which is pre-fitted to the earpieces. The supplied cable has an MMCX interface and is of very high quality, being a 5N OFC braided type with an 8-core gold and silver interlaced pattern. The straight 3.5mm plug has a carbon fibre finish and there is a clear spherical bobble which acts as a chin slider. The Y-split is furnished with a chunky metal block bearing the Tin Hifi logo. A carrying case is not supplied.
The earpieces themselves are beautifully constructed from CNC machined aluminium and have a similar cylindrical shape to that of the T2, but have a raised bezel on the rear surface. The barrels themselves have a two-tone appearance with a brushed metal and contrasting matt finish. There is a small pinhole vent at the bottom of the nozzle and another similar vent on the top centre of the rear bezel. The presentation and build quality is certainly very impressive.
The earphones were left burning in for 72 hours before testing and included tracks of white and pink noise, glide tones and other audio conditioning tracks. The principal equipment used was a Hifi Walker H2 DAP and Fiio A5 amplifier, via line-out. I have never got on with foam tips so fitted my go-to JVC Spiral Dots. Their wide bore and domed profile ensured a good seal. Rotating the MMCX connectors enabled a snug, secure and comfortable fit.
I was immediately struck by the cleanliness and transparency of the T3s. The resolution and detail provided by the Knowles BA was certainly impressive and showed great refinement. Transient attack was fast and impactful and although the overall balance was neutral, there was plenty of life and vitality to the sound. Sensitivity was very good, with acceptable volume achieved with various sources, including three different DAPs and a smartphone. In more detail:
Bass
The bass displayed a very linear profile with good extension. From sub-bass to the midrange there was no undue emphasis, resulting in a very natural presentation with great clarity and resolution. Sub-bass depth was excellent and displayed good texture. Leon Boellman’s spectacular “Suite Gothique”, performed by Gerard Brooks at St Ouen, Rouen was a perfect example. The powerful pedal notes formed a perfect foundation for this grand French organ piece with the reverberation of the cathedral acoustic beautifully rendered. The bass synths in Labi Siffre’s “Something inside so Strong” delivered the same power with great transient attack and superb depth and impact, and at the same time allowing his soulful vocals to soar over the top in emotional fashion. There was no mid-bass lift which therefore resulted in a very pure and clean atmosphere in this part of the spectrum.
Mids
The midrange continued this theme of linearity, and, allied to the excellent separation, layering and detail on show here, it allowed the music to really breathe. It was as though the whole soundstage had been washed clean by clear water and a cool breeze. Instruments had natural and authentic timbre. Al Stewart’s “Midas Shadow” from his seminal album “Year of the Cat” was full of detail and all the different aspects of Alan Parsons’s wonderful production could be appreciated. The electric piano solo in the instrumental break was beautifully reproduced and the delicate light touch of Al Stewart’s vocals contrasted well with the instrumental accompaniment. In fact, I enjoyed this track so much that I listened to the whole album when originally just intending to use this one track as an example! Andreas Vollenweider is a master of the electric harp. His productions are complex and full of detail and the T3 really excelled here. In “Pace Verde” each string of the harp was clear and well-defined. The multi-instrumental accompaniment with ethnic percussion had clarity and life and the rhythmic qualities of the performance were excitingly presented.
Treble
After many found the treble of the T2 Pro over-bright, Tin Hifi substituted a Knowles BA for the 6mm treble driver in the older model, and it is clear that this was a very good decision. After any initial harshness and sibilance had disappeared during an extended burn-in period, the treble became fluid, open and expressive. Displaying superb detail rivalling the CCA C16 and yet retaining a lively immediate sound reminiscent of the KZ ZS7, the T3 walked a perfect line between neutrality and entertainment. The Knowles driver showed its class with a clean, airy delivery and a refined quality not found in inexpensive proprietary BAs. The intricate percussive elements in David Wahler’s “Kyoto Mist” from the album “Antiquus” had terrific impact and life. Detail, delicacy and timbre were all on offer and the track was full of verve and energy. Mark Dwane’s “Siren’s Song” from his “Archives 2” CD has numerous electronic effects spread all over the soundstage. These were reproduced cleanly and clearly with subtle details not noticed before becoming apparent. The excellent clarity really allowed the female vocals to stand out from the accompaniment. Isao Tomita’s interpretation of Grieg’s “Solveig’s Song” was superb. Dramatic string arpeggios swept the music along in superb fashion with a real sense of power and foreboding, producing a real spine-tingling result.
Soundstage
Although not the largest soundstage I have heard, the detail, layering and separation mentioned above gave the impression of a more expansive image. Instrumental positioning in classical music was very good, the imaging in Liadov’s “Enchanted Lake” conducted by Charles Gerhardt being particularly notable. Bass trombones and horns floated at an attractive distance with excellent timbre. Closing your eyes, you could imagine yourself in the concert hall with the orchestra spread out before you. The recorded ambience on this piece came over very well, with a believable hall acoustic and the stereo imaging was very precise in this track. In Chris Spheeris’s “Andalu” from his wonderful “Desires of the Heart”, the sense of space was palpable, with height, width and depth all clearly delineated, the guitar and piano seeming to float above the arrangement of bass, drums and percussion.
Conclusion
Tin Hifi’s first hybrid model is an unqualified success. It has an accurate, neutral character whilst still having a lively, entertaining presentation normally found in IEMs with a V-shaped sound profile. Detail, separation and layering are all first-class, and the sound has a lovely open quality, excelling in each part of the audio spectrum. Beautifully presented, and with excellent build quality (including a superb cable) there is little or nothing to criticise. especially at the price, which, for this level of performance, is very reasonable. With its dual-driver configuration, it produces a sound quality exceeding that produced by some more complex and expensive multi-driver models, which is quite an achievement. The Knowles BA certainly shows its class here, underlining the importance of using quality drive units. If you are looking for an IEM capable of reproducing music accurately and entertainingly irrespective of genre, then look no further.