TRI Starshine

TRI Starshine

Introduction
The Starshines are the most recent In Ear Monitors (IEM) produced by TRI, a sister brand of the KBEAR brand. The earlier models are the TRI I4s, the TRI I3s, the TRI Starlights, and the TRI Starseas.



Disclosure and Note
TRI kindly provided me with a review unit of the Starshines for which I am grateful. In this review, I provide my honest opinion of the TRI Starshines without limitation, nothing I say is given to anyone for approval. All views I express are my views. I am not influenced by anyone, and I am not paid to express any views positive or otherwise.

Form, Fit and Function
The Starshines come in a fairly reasonably sized package in which are: a 2.5mm cable , a hard silvery fabric case, a selection of tips, a cleaning brush, and, as an indication of TRI moving further upmarket, a set of adaptors, 3.5mm single ended, 3.5mm balanced, and 4.4mm balanced, all of which adapt to a 2.5mm plug and all the plugs are angled at 90 degrees. The package I received did not come with a cleaning cloth as the publicity images show, if that matters to anyone reading this review.



The cable is an incredibly soft eight strand weave which is referred to as copper and silver plated mix. The cable feels soft and so malleable it feels more like a jute rope rather than a wire cable and it does not tangle easily.

All the plugs are well made with the 90 degree design which is both practical and effective. You can swap plugs with ease without having to change the cable. I see no difference in quality, practicality or versatility when compared to the Dunu cables with patented plug systems, a couple of which I have.

The TRI Starshines’ hard case is the TRI silvery fabric covered cases, used in the Starlights and Starseas which closes with a nice magnetic clamp. It is capacious enough to carry what you require to pop out the house with your earphones and earphone essentials. In my view, although a reasonable size, it could do with being a bit smaller. Yes, the silvery case does its job and is a good size but I much prefer the KBEAR brown leather case for looks size and feel.

The Starshines’ are a hybrid setup with two Balanced Armature (BA) drivers and dual Sonion Electrostatic (Est) drivers . The Sonion Est drivers are proven to deliver brilliant high frequencies.

There are two different types of Knowles BA drivers used in the TRI Starshines. The 29689 is tuned for mid frequencies, and the 22955 handles the low frequencies, a welcome surprise reproducing BA bass that are exceptionally rich and full!

The shells are made of medical resin. They are transparent below the face plates. The face plates themselves are not transparent and, like the Starseas, have swirls of colour of various shades of blue which merge into earthy brown and whites. The shells are light and feel smooth and seamless, and they are relatively average size compared to the I3 and the starlight shells. For me, they fit incredibly well with very good isolation. I have not seen a vent on either ear piece yet, which could be because they are not required given there is no Dynamic Driver (DD) in this setup. I heard very little sound intrusion with the sound off and while playing music. I have yet to use them in a windy setting, so I cannot comment on how they fare in the wind, but if I am right and there are indeed no vents, wind noise should be minimal.

The face plates patterns appear to be individual, each pattern being slightly different from the other, that means the pattern on your pair are unlikely to look the same as the next pair.

My setup for this review
I paired them with Samsung galaxy note 10 plus and Fiio M11, as my source, and for amplification variably, a Samsung dongle, Fiio BTR5, the HA FEE HA11 and the Littlebear B4X tube dac/amp, mostly balanced 2.5mm and on high gain. For the purposes of this review I used stock tips, mainly, the white tips.



The sound in short
In short if you do not want to read the whole review: They require a lot of power but they are beautifully tuned with the signature being analogue-like to my ears but that is not to mask technicalities. A notch up from the TRI I3 with detailed in highs, mids and beautifully textured weighty bass. Most importantly no details are lost anywhere in the frequency range. To my ears, timbral accuracy of instruments is up there with the best. Initialy I thought sound stage however, is decent but not expansive. However, on some tracks sound stage was huge. All I can say is that there is more to discover with the Starshines. If you love your vinyl-type sound signature, you are in for a treat with the TRI Starshines.

The sound in detail
The sensitivity of the Starshines is a heady 98 dB and impedance is specified as between 33 and 100 Ohm. It follows that these are not easy earphones to drive. I used the HAA FE HA11, which I thought that with 1mW of power (as it is advertised) or the Fiio M11 would pair well with the TRI Starshines.

As it turned out, to my ears, the synergy between the Fiio BTR5 and the TRI Starshines is such a joy. That wonderful analogue sound which is so elegantly reproduced by the TRI Starshines is so well amplified by the BTR5.

The effect of the high sensitivity and low impedance is that you need to crank up the volume. The high volume (not quite loudness) gives the Starshines this massive and energetic sound.

I have to say that the TRI Starshines are so incredibly good with that analogue tuning, so much so that I get the same feeling I had as a child, when listening to my father’s jazz music, through those his big old speakers on Sundays. I just want to kick my slippers off and lie down on the sofa and just let Sunday slowly and gently fad into Monday.

The Starshines are neutral but they take the bias expressed by the music, so the effect is that a track with a heavy bass bias is rendered just like it was intended, the only exception is the added reverberation of the analogue tuning. What you need to consider is that these are extremely high resolution across the frequency range so the detail you get is so revealing of the best and worst in the recording. Any noise in the recording is revealed. Having said all that, I believe the Starshines are more forgiving of poor recordings than the Starlights are of poor recordings.

However, what struck me is the extent to which the treble extends on both ends of the frequency spectrum, bass and treble. The treble extends incredibly well and the bass no less so, while the mids appear to be substantial, lush and coseting, yet forward enough without taking over. These are just remarkable for their ability to give you high notes and incredibly low notes as the track requires but to my ears are not V-shaped.

The sound signature is what makes the difference, they are tuned to have that extra little reverberation which is laced across the top of the frequencies, so that what you hear is the unique analogue sound. To my ears the sound signature is absolutely fantastic.

Instrument separation, Imaging, Stage, and Timbre,
Often you hear the argument that it is rubbish to say earphones sound like full sized speakers, they are just not capable of giving you the perception of “volume and space” as full-sized speakers do. Well shut your eyes with the TRI Starshines in your ears and you will get the nearest you can to earphones sounding like full-sized speakers, to my ears.

The detail cleanliness and clarity further gives the listener the ability to focus on and follow a particular instrument and thus clearly identify and pick out instruments with ease. The perception of being able to locate specific instruments within an imaginary space is therefore further enhanced, but the sound stage did not initially, come across as vast, it appeared to be more intimate, not expansive. This is until I tried a few other tracks. They may have more to reveal.

Timbral accuracy is superb and it is amongst my top 3 earphones for reproducing the true sound of instruments. Further, to my ears, the TRI Starshines reproduce cymbals better than any earphones I have heard to date. Cymbals and high hats are reproduced to a T!

Sound check
You may want to put on your monitors of choice and check out the music using the links.

Bass
The Knowles 22955 delivers the best BA bass I have ever heard, and even more so, its implementation in the Starshines is one of the best bass tuning I have ever heard regardless of the type of driver.
The speed of attack is on point, but the Knowles drivers as tuned here, matches the very best DD bass in the every respect. This is not a brutish thud or slam. We have all heard of an iron fist…..no, not on the Starshine, what you get is the velvet glove, softly delivered, but can be lethal and appears to be infinitely effective. The decay of the bass notes are also delightful without intruding on the mid frequencies.

The mid-bass is not tuned to slam aimlessly, it is tuned to reflect the subtleties of the recording, so with a good recording you get a rich, disciplined and mature bass. What surprises me most is that the timbre of the Knowles BA is as good as any DD bass can deliver, which is why it is on a par with the IMR Aten, which to my ears is the best DD bass I have heard, in bass qualities, such as dynamism (the ability to do soft, loud, hard and subtle bass without difficulty).

The sub-bass feels so satisfying (that betrays my preference for sub-bass) as you are transported to the recording venue and feel the resonance of the instruments as you would in a live setting, it is rich, full and enveloping. The Starshines’ sub-bass drills bass from the deepest darkest depths which the track you are listening to has to offer. Clearly I have not tried every earphone but it will come as no surprise to me if this is the best implementation of bass there is. I believe I am not alone in the view that one of the most exhilarating effects of sub-bass is that feeling that it sucks air away on some notes, the inverse of airiness of treble.

Scary Pockets - I’d rather go blind -
Hauser - Albinoni - Aagio for strings -

Zhao Cong - Moon Light on Spring River:

With thanks to fellow head-fier @Poganin, Moon Light on Spring River is a true sound check for sub-bass. Note the sub-bass at 0.56 seconds and 0.59 is inaudible on some earphones. Many earphones first register the sub-bass at 1 minute and 10 seconds. The sub-bass on the Starshines does not disappoint, you hear it all, while it is reproducing the very detailed highs and mids beautifully as well.

Mids
The Knowles BA renders the mid frequencies effortlessly, so that it is almost on a par, if not on a par with any planar driver for the richness of the mids. Whether you are listening to the piano, saxophones or guitars you get a full and well-rounded mid frequency. I simply cannot fault it, except to say, if you want forward, shouty mids look elsewhere. The mids here are tuned to carry the weight of the mid-bass without sound like an artefact of bass-bleed forcing is way into the mix.

Teddy Swims - I can’t make you love me -

Santana - While my guitar gently weeps -

Peter White - Caravan of dreams -

Treble
There is no doubt that the Sonion tweeters are highly accomplished speakers and their implementation by TRI is a true testament to the person or persons who tune these.

Just fantastic. The detail retrieval across the frequencies are superb, and that is reflected beautifully in the treble.

High notes are just a joy to listen to, and as stated above, there is no hint, to my ears, of strain or sibilance. In fact, it is best described by the TRI marketing team, as exquisite. To my ears, these are of the highest quality.

Check out the cymbals on the Scot Hamilton track, “The Shadow of your smile”, from the album, Ballad for Audiophiles. The notes of the piano and the cymbals decay so beautifully and almost indefinitely.

Schidler’s List OST -
Scott Hamilton - The shadow of your smile - [for Cymbals] -

Cafe del Mar - XIV - Viva Cuba Musica -

Note: Remember, YouTube recordings are not always of the highest quality.

Comparisons to TRI products
I have to say, I am impressed by the range of products. Where do the Starshines fit in the TRI range of products?

I3
I recently went back to listening to the I3s and if I did not have them, I would buy them today, they are still very good today. As previously stated, the sound of the Stashines is analogue, thus reminiscent of the I3s. However, the technicalities are well above the I3. The balance between sub-bass and mid-bass is much more considered and well tuned. Where the TRI I3s have a bias towards sub-bass, in my view, the Starshines have a better balance which means for those who felt that the TRI I3s’ sub-bass was excessive for them, the Starshines will not disappoint. The mid-bass just complements the sub-bass, rather than being dominated by the sub-bass. Do not get me wrong the Starshines have highly potent bass, which is more proportionately distributed to my ears.
The mid frequency on the Starshines is so well tuned that they will give any planer driver a run for their money. There are truly lush, and make any voice, male or female sound full and rich. Musical instruments are rendered beautifully and realistically. Here again an upgrade on the TRI I3s.
Highs, which are often said to lack extension on the I3s is clearly extended, clean and detailed with the Sonion electrostatic drivers, as you would expect from Sonion drivers, they sound like there is nothing missing and are not strained. Just wonderful. The I3s do sound stage better than the Starshines, in my view.

Starseas and Starlights
Well the Starseas and Starlights are bunched together here because they are tuned to be brighter sets which are more analytical than the analogue tuning of the Starshines. I believe the TRI Starseas are so beautifully tuned, they far exceed their price category in quality both for details and clarity, they are simply technically exceptional.

While the Starlights are the jewels in the crown, resolution, resolution, resolution. I am yet to be persuaded that there is anything in any of the three “Stars” which is better value for money. The resolution and clarity of the Starshines are on a par with their siblings, in as far as an analogue tuning allows. Obviously, with the analogue-like tuning the emphasis will be on harmonic representation of your music rather than analytics.

Comparisons to other products

Meze Rai Solo
Arguably, the Rai Solos have been on the market for a while and have had some accolades in that time. unfortunately, when compared to the TRI Starshines, the lack of resolution, the highs which just fall short and the lows which drop off at the mid-bass, but above all, do the Rai Solos do not have the dynamic range and texture of the Starshines. Forgive me the pun, but the Starshines far outshine the Meze Rai Solos to my ears.

IMR Aten
To my ears one of the most beautifully crafted earphones in terms of sonics available. Yes, better than the more costly sibling, Opus Mia, to my ears, and compared to the Starshines, the Aten are just slightly outshone by the Starshines. They both do bass like no other. Here I am talking about bass definition and quality, so that what was recorded with the cello is textured and they both pick up and represent the cello differently from the double bass, so that you hear the instruments as if you were in the room of the recording.

The kick drum reverb is so visceral that it digs down to the darkest depths of your music.…..at the same time the delicate reverb of the cymbals ring on almost endlessly.

That is how beautifully, they both deliver the highs with great detail and clarity It is at the mid frequency that the Starshines pull away from the Aten, even though the Aten is exceptional at rendering beautifully lush mids, to my ears the Atens are just eclipsed by the Starshines in the mid frequencies and of course, cymbals.

Conclusion
The current TRI range, the I4s, the I3s, the Starseas, Starlights and Starshines, places TRI in the rarefied upper echelons of TOTL earphone manufacturers and ought not to be taken for granted simply by virtue of price. These TRI products bring the high-end sound to the market at a lower price, without compromise on sound quality.

Enjoy your music!

PS:
Do bear with me, I know there are those who prefer not to refer to the earphones in the plural, in effect, Starshine(s). If you happen to find my habit irritating, do bear with me. I just cannot refer to shoes as shoe when I mean a pair of shoes, in the same way I see earphones as a pair, hence my reference to them in the plural.

Some might say, but they are bridged by a cable, and I refer you to spectacles, which are also bridged. I only say this here so you understand my view. Ok, enough of this, I want to read your comments on this review, good or bad, I intend to learn from it.

TRI is back at it once again. After making a statement with its flagship Starlight, TRI has introduced a new flagship: Starshine. Not only is Starshine the company’s new flagship, but it’s also cheaper than the Starlight model. It comes with a simpler driver-array that is inferior in quantity, but still remains the quality. TRI is on a wild run, they just released their entry-level Aurora and also announced on Facebook that they are going to have more releases by the end of the year. Either way, let’s dig into where the Starshine shines.

Unboxing Experience


If we are talking about the packaging as a whole, it’s average. This is not where the budget went, which is something I’m happy to say. The Starshine’s box comes in a purple-ish cover that revolves around the galaxy theme. The front features the company’s logo, model name, and a message “Shine like stars, providing exquisite sounds”. Once you slide off the cover, you will be met with a much familiar glittery black box, in which you will find all the goodies.

Formal format of what’s in the box:

1x 2.5mm cable
5x ear-tips (L/M/M/SM/S)
3x angled adaptors (2.5mm to 3.5mm, 2.5mm to 3.5mm Pro, 2.5mm to 4.4mm)
1x cleaning cloth
1x carrying case

Click to expand...

Design

Once again, TRI does not disappoint. We have yet to see the KB Ear company to disappoint with their design. From their least priced IEMs, all the way up to their most expensive, the design is always on point. In the case of Starshine, there is a more nature-like theme going on. The shells on their own are some of the most beautiful I have seen. I’m one of those people who is a fan of resin art in IEMs, and this is one great example of how a good design should look like. Each model is unique with its own resin pattern. Speaking of it, it consists of a glittery brown, blue, and white paint mix. What is nice is that the glitter isn’t everywhere, it’s only in certain parts, and this greatly contributes to the eye-candy final finish. I have to say that they heavily remind me of the most gorgeous headphones on the planet — Rosson Audio RAD-0. Besides the resin art, there is a TRI logo on the faceplate in a shiny finish.

TRI is keeping up with the current trends and opted for 2-pin connectors instead of MMCX connectors that were previously used on the TRI i3. Further supporting this statement, the new i3 Pro appears to feature 2-pin connectors. Much like its bigger brother Starlight, Starshine continues the flagship tradition of utilizing electrostatic drivers. It features a quad-driver setup which consists of 2 BA (Knowles 29689 for the mid-range and Knowles 22955 for the low frequency range) + 2 EST (Sonion). For the comparison sake, Starlight featured 1 DD (CNT) + 2 BA + 4 EST (Sonion 2389).

Starhine’s shell features no vent holes, but doesn’t suffer from any driver flex issues. In similar fashion, its nozzle doesn’t have a lip, but also doesn’t have the problem of ear-tips falling off. Speaking of the nozzle, it is of a soft triangular shape with three large holes. Because there is no grill or mesh below the nozzle, you must make sure to take good care of it. The last thing you want is your ear wax to make its way into the drivers… Yikes!



Build Quality & Cable

The material of choice for the shells is resin. More specifically, they are made of imported German resin that has skin-friendly benefits. Though the shells are made of resin, do not mistake them for resin filled shells — which as the name suggests, are filled with resin inside. Starshine has a hollow resin shell that results in a lightweight design without compromising build quality. It should be mentioned that this is not a small IEM, far from it. It’s a very large in size, so I’m suspecting it would be quite a bit heavier if it had a resin filled housing. But then again, it’s about preference. Some prefer their IEMs heavy and solid, others prefer them light. For a daily driver, I prefer the latter.

The cable is slightly different version of KB EAR’s Rhyme model. It is a high purity 8-core copper and silver mix cable. Whereas the original Rhyme has stainless steel housings, Starshine’s cable has chrome housings. If you ask me, it’d be much better off with the original cable. KB Ear is known for amazing cables, so it is kind of disappointing to not see one of them here. I think chrome and shiny surfaces are the last thing you want on something that will constantly be touched… I dearly love my TRI i3’s but they are fingerprint magnets. If I can send a piece of feedback to TRI, let it be in this part of the review. I don’t mind the 8-core cable, it’s light, flexible, and feels nice. However, I think it would’ve been much, much nicer if we saw the more premium models like the Inspiration series or the Grace series. Both of these models feature outstanding housings, but are also considerably more expensive. If there is one place to use your premium cables, it should be in your flagship models, so I’m looking forward to seeing that in the future. Otherwise, the standard KB Ear Rhyme model would’ve been just fine.

While not directed at Starshine specifically, the trend of using those rounded chin sliders (that don’t really do what they are supposed to) needs to stop. Every time I see one of these, I have the temptation to remove them. Hell, I prefer a cable with no chin slider, unless it stays in place and does what it is supposed to. This is definitely nitpicking, but for example, it would’ve been nice having gone with a chin slider like the on the Diamond.

Comfort & Fit

This is the second time that TRI hit the comfort bullseye. The first was with the i3 (the gigantic shiny IEM). Actually, TRI i3 is similar to the Starshine in a couple of different things. The big shell size is one of them. On the other hand, Starshine has improved the overall fit due to the different nozzle shape & angle. It should also be mentioned that both the TRI i3 and the Starshine protrude from the ear. Weight is where these two go their separate ways.

Starshine is a lightweight IEM, also making it a perfect choice for long listening sessions. Due to their large size, they never fully disappear, but they do disappear in the ear. The ergonomic shape contributes to the comfort because there are no pressure points on the pinna. The only reason why it cannot fully disappear is because there is a subtle pressure point on the tragus.

Bringing up the ergonomic shape once again, I can confidently say that the fit & insertion is deeper than on the TRI i3. However, the isolation is more relaxed than on the TRI i3, which provided a vacuum-like seal. I also want to take the opportunity to tell you that due to its vent-less design, if you do insert it deep and get a tight seal, make sure that you slowly take it out of your ears (opening your mouth/jaw helps a lot). If you aggressively remove the IEMs from your ear, you could very easily damage your ears and get an inflammation. How do I know? It happened to me 3 times in the past, and it is no fun.

Taking the size into consideration, I consider Starshine to be a perfect fit for my ear.

Sound Performance​

Lows

Oh my, is it nice to take rest from head-shaking IEMs and headphones. Don’t get me wrong, I adore any head-fi product that is capable of physical sensation of rumble, but sometimes you just want to focus on the mids and take a step back from the lows. This is what Starshine is to me, an IEM with a balanced lower-frequency response.

Starshine basically screams “Bassheads, be gone!”. As someone who primarily enjoys listening to intense vocals and acoustical, I greatly enjoyed the toned down quantity of lows. This is not to say that it lacks in quantity or quality!

Some may think that the attack & decay are slow due to the lack of dynamic drivers, but that’s not the case… at least for the most part. The attack is very fast and snappy, while decay is slightly slower. For example, on my standard test tracks (“Smoking Mirrors” — Lee Curtiss, “Hydrogen” — MOON), Starshine proved that it is capable of fast attack, but also proved its bass depth quality.

What I was not expecting is to hear the subtle rumble in the introduction of “Do I Wanna Know?” by Arctic Monkeys. If you have read my past work, you know that the majority of headphones and IEMs cannot pull off the depth of the drum kick. In fact, TRI i3 was the first IEM that I heard was capable of pulling it off.

I found the sub-bass response to be quite similar. If you are looking for the physical sensation of rumble, look elsewhere. Like other IEMs with a balanced lower-frequency response, Starshine is able to produce sub-tones in a manner where they are less audible but can still be felt. In comparison to a similar-sounding IEM — HiFiMan RE-800 Silver — Starshine has less quantity which contributes to an overall more balanced bass response. The tracks I used for sub-bass qualities are “Why So Serious?” by Hans Zimmer, “Theme for The Irishman” by Robbie Robertson, and “Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zeppelin. In the last track there is supposed to be a sub-tone on panned to the right, it should be audible at the very beginning on the song. The sub-tone comes from the reverb of the strings that are panned to the far left, however, on Starshine this frequency wasn’t audible.



Mids

Without surprise, my favorite part about this IEM is its mid-range. I’d call this mid-range heaven, but it’s more widely known as a mid-centric sound signature.

What attracted me the most is the full-body of vocals. Thanks to the warm quality, vocals sound lush and can be enjoyed for long periods of time without any signs of fatigue. I could listen to Sia’s and Rosalía’s discography all day long. If I had to to pick two standout tracks from Sia, they would be “Chandelier (Piano Version)” and “Elastic Heart (Piano Version)”. There are a far too many outstanding and less-known Sia’s tracks that I adore, but there is something unique about these piano versions, a raw quality. However, it should be noted that if you are a lover of edge and aggressive vocals, Starshine will probably not satisfy you and you probably want to look for a set of brighter IEMs — like the TRI Starlight.

But what about strings? Well, they sound like strings… But they are missing some of that depth and “oomph” due to the balanced lower-frequency response, and they are also missing some of that sheen in the upper mid-range due to the present warmth. You win some, you lose some. You can’t have it all. You can’t truly make a warm headphone without the sacrifice of details and edge. Some of the tracks I listened to for the string qualities: “Soldier of Fortune” by Deep Purple, “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin, “Go Insane” by Lindsey Buckingham, “Chain” by Fleetwood Mac, “End of the Game” (album) by Peter Green, “Beyond the Realms of Death” by Judas Priest, “Song of Bangladesh” by Joan Baez.



Highs

When I was very early into this hobby, I formed a misconception that I am treble sensitive. As I’ve become more experience and have gone through various different headphones and IEMs, I realized that I am a treble lover and more than that, a person who naturally prefers a bright sound signature. The main reason I was mislead to believe that I was treble sensitive is due to the erroneous stereotype that bright means piercing. Not only does bright have “nothing” to do with piercing, but it also has nothing to do with sibilant. Both of these terms refer to bad qualities, whereas bright should be associated with good qualities such as sparkle and sheen.

The main difference between piercing/sibilant qualities and sparkle/sheen is that the first two are unpleasant. The latter two are pleasant, though it depends on personal preference. A headphone that sounds peaky isn’t bright, it’s simply sibilant. Imagine listening to some gorgeous vocals and them sounding shouty. People will often use the term “bright” in all of these cases, but I strongly disagree.

With this being said, I noticed that many consider Starshine to be a bright-sounding IEM. While I agree it possesses sheen (a quality of a bright sound signature), it doesn’t necessarily sound bright to my ears.

As reference tracks for treble qualities, I used “Stop Trying to Be God” by Travis Scott, “Portia” by Miles Davis, and “Rocket Man” by Elton John.

In “Stop Trying to Be God” the focus point is Stevie Wonder’s harmonica, which starts right around the 4:44 minute mark and is present till the end of the track. There were sheen qualities present during the peaks, but I don’t think it reaches sparkle levels, which is what makes a headphone/IEM bright in my eyes. It’s a rather smooth bright treble response, never made me squint my eyes or tingle my ears. The same goes for the track “Portia”. Just for clarification purposes, when I say that it doesn’t reach sparkle levels, that should also be a direct indicator that at no point was there the slightest sign of sibilance.

The last track was used because it was referenced by The Headphone List as a track that showcased a [almost] piercing qualities in the hi-hats. Now, I am not mentioning this in a negative way, quite the opposite actually. I value fellow reviewers who take the time to break down a song and the qualities that are present in one. Music references in reviews are a crucial tool that allow both the reader and the listener to use the mentioned reference tracks to listen to the qualities described in the review. For example, when I listening to “Rocket Man”, I couldn’t hear qualities that would be anywhere close to sibilant. Are the hi-hats bright and sharp? Absolutely. However, I don’t think they stick out enough to make them sibilant or in the sparkle range.



Soundstage & Imaging

One of the most prominent characteristics of Starshine is its airy nature. Don’t get me wrong, the soundstage width isn’t the widest out there, but it is above average. What I’m talking about is how “open” these IEMs sounds. The elements in the mix have enough room around them to breathe, allowing you to distinctly tell apart each element in a track. It’s not as though this is audible in few tracks, instead, in just about every track you can hear the airy nature.

Conclusion​

TRI (premium brand of KBEAR) has once again proven that it is capable of manufacturing a product that lives up to its price. While the company made a strong statement of details with its Starlight, Starshine aims to follow the electrostatic route but with a smoother approach.

Though I myself enjoy an even brighter sound signature than the one present in Starshine, I think that its sound signature will satisfy way more people than if TRI went for a brighter approach (like they did for the Starlight).

Besides living up to its price, Starshine is a mid-centric IEM done right. I would heavily recommend these to anyone who is a lover of vocals. They are particularly enjoyable for long listening sessions due to their fatigue-free nature. Whether it’s essy tracks, edgy & aggressive vocals, sharp and bright percussion, Starshine never reaches near sibilance. From my experience, I find the overall upper-end quite smooth and fatigue-free, while the mids incorporate more warmth.

The combination of a balanced low-frequency response, present yet warm mids, and smooth highs is what I believe makes the Starshine a special IEM. It’s certainly a worthy consideration if you are after a mid-centric IEM under $500.

TRI Starshine retails for $499. KeepHiFi's current sale price is $469. You can get it for $422 (10% off) on KeepHiFi's website if you decide to use my code "voja". I am receiving a financial benefit if you decide to use the code. Non-affiliate link: https://keephifi.com/collections/in-ear-earphones/products/tri-starshine-2-electrostatic-drive-2ba-custom-iem

Setup used for testing:
iBasso DX300 + AMP11 MK1
Gain: Mid
Volume: 44 (the loudest I put the volume was 53)
Filter: NOS (D5)

Disclaimer: TRI Starshine has been sent to me free of charge by KeepHiFi. I am being compensated for the publishing of this review to KeepHiFi's website. The review is based on my personal listening experience, it is completely free of any bias from an external force (whether that's online hype, other people's opinion, or the manufacturer itself). I also want to state that I completely based the review on what my ears heard, my experience wasn't affected nor influenced by graphs/measurements. KeepHiFi played no role in the writing of this review (no bias).

I’ve never been a measurement guy, but if there is one time I’d like to put an emphasis on graphs and measurements, it will be now. All credit goes to RikudouGoku, who pointed out the similarity of TRI’s Starshine ($500) and Vision Ears’ Elysium ($3500). From his speculation, the FR of Starshine looks better. Also it’s impossible to overlook the similarity in the driver setup: Starshine (2BA + 2 EST), Elysium (1DD, 1BA, 2EST).

Also, hats off to Crinacle who supplied the graph:

At first​

Let me thank Keephifi. This was a unit Sent from a friend from Keephifi for my honest review and opinion. Though I’ve got it for free, my opinions are honest. Because self-esteem is much more valuable than free earphones. So, this review will focus on my experience and finding of long-term use of TRI Starshine. So, this is actually my self-opinion. Moreover, I'll publish my video review on my youtube channel which is in Bangla. Your opinion may vary to your listening and circumstances. I believe music is a subjective thing and there is a lot to learn and listen to. So your precious opinions and suggestions are cordially appreciated. I learn every day and today I might understand something different. So flood my post's comment section.



Let me introduce myself

The Brand:​

In the budget category, Kbear has been a strong name lately. TRI Audio is their premium counterpart who is actually focusing on $100+ earphones.
We’ve got several IEMs from TRI. I3, Starsea, Starlight are bright stars among them. Today the star of the show is TRI Starshine.

Tech inside:​

This gem is equipped with a hybrid quad-driver configuration. We are getting two Sonion EST drivers and two Knowles BA drivers.
The MRSP of TRI Starshine is $499.

purchase link: https://keephifi.com/collections/tri/products/tri-starshine-2-electrostatic-drive-2ba-custom-iem

Spec:​

• Impedance: 56Ω
• Connector: 0.78mm 2PIN
• Color: blue
• Frequency response range: 20-20kHz
• Sensitivity: 98dB
• Cable material: copper and silver-plated mixed braided cable
• Drive unit: 2 electrostatic Drive+2BA

Included in the box.​

• TRI Starshine
• 2-pin Cable with 2.5mm jack
• 4.4mm and 3.5mm adapters
• Carry case
• Cleaning brush and cloth
• Manual

I am loving that more and more manufacturers are providing balanced cable in the box with interchangeable modules. Though I praise the mechanism of the Dunu cable system more, TRI is no a slouch. The adapters are practical and obviously a step in the right direction.

Design & Build Quality:​

We all will consider that look and sound are both subjective. But I am 98% sure everyone will love the semi-custom look resin shell of TRI Starshine. Why 98%? 2% can complain about resin and what not. In short, it's a great-looking iem. The smoothed out inside and starry, galactic look, the blueish finish has made me mesmerized. The build and design scream its premium and beautiful. It has a perfect size, and its weight is exceptionally less than the acquired look expectation. There is a translucent black bottom where you can see the drivers easily. The Blue colored Swirl design has the TRI logo on top of the faceplate. Nozzles are on the shorter side. So, tip insertion is a key aspect of TRI starshine.

Cable:​

Stock Cable with TRI Starshine is KBEAR’s Rhyme 2-pin Copper and Silver-Plated mixed braided balanced cable. The final termination is a 2.5mm balanced jack. But it adapts 2 quality, right-angled adapters (4.4mm and 3.5mm). Adapters are made outta plastic and metal but I would appreciate a direct 4.4mm cable more. However, I should add that the adapters work perfectly without adding any extra bulk to the cable. With the MSRP I would crave better cable.
But there are no noticeable microphonic. Overall I like the softness of it. It wraps & unwinds like an ideal daily driver. The cable didn’t get tangled much.

Case:​

There is a case inside the box, which is flex leather. I am sure it's not as practical as others in the market. The TRI Starshine barely fits in the case. I have seen the exact same case with TRI Starsea which is a $130 iem. So, we can demand a better case with a half kilo buck priced iem next time.

​

Fitting and Comfort​

I love the shape of you.. Ahemm. I love the shape of TRI Starshine. It has a semi-custom vibe with it. The shell is extra nice & very lightweight. So comfort is not an issue with average to large ears. But we have to admit everyone’s ear anatomy is different. I gave it to more than 4 of my friends who had no issue with the fit. I’ve used stock Kbear tips (white), Final E series, Final e series clear, Sony hybrid, and a few Spinfit models. My experience was best with the Sony hybrid (black), and Final E series. I used it in a 12 hours journey with sony wm1a, which gave me good comfort, above-average isolation, and an enjoyable listening session.

TRI Starshine needs Power:​

This is a power-hungry IEM for sure. So, to get full-bodied dynamic sound, we need to feed Starshine with quality RAW power. I have used it with Sony Wm1a (it needs 100+ gain in the high mode), ifi idsd black label, Cowon Plenue R2, cayin iha-6 etc.
with power, TRI starshine shows its true potential.

Let’s start the main game “SOUND”​

Tips first, I am recommending an upgrade cable and final E tips for better SQ. But I will discuss the stock performance. Inside the box, there are a few different tips available. The white one gave me the most comfort and isolation. You may or may not believe in burn-in but I used it over 2 months, so that’s that.

My go-to gear was Sony wm1a with walkman mod and Cowon Plenue R2 (could manage to push as hard as i would like). On the dac amp side, ifi idsd Black label and Topping D70s/Cayin IHA-6 stack. Among all, I liked the pairing of Wm1a and Starshine most.

BASS:​

Without Wm1a I missed the bass impact a bit with other sources. But paired with wm1a the bass got textured and felt a bit punchier. Overall it was clean, not boosted, texture and separation were there. It certainly lacks the DD impact and dynamics. Nonetheless, notes felt separated. I would crave a bit more impact and a shy boldness there. Its BA bass, so speed attack and decay were reasonable compared to my DUNU SA6. Bass
It extends deep tho, you can feel the sub-bass rumble in “Massive Attack - Angel”. Mid and sub were fairly separated. If you squint your eyes, you can hear a slight mid-bass elevation from the sub. Overall, It offers clean, extended bass with decent speed and attack.

So it will get 4 out of 5 in the Bass section

The MIDS:​

The mids of TRI Starshine is fun. I think it's the most exciting part of these earphones. The lower mids have a bodied presentation where the instrument gets a particular character. Is it neutral? NO!! But it's fun. It has a minor dip in the upper mid-range, so the vocals become polite and gentle, where a lot of iems nowadays get shouty depending on recordings.
Neither the vocals nor the instruments have a forward presentation. To be honest, it's fun. Clean, textured, and enjoyable for a long period of time. There are no prominent peaks in the sound spectrum. It made the sound quite open, instruments got better separation by containing good layering. In fact, I find it better than my DUNU SA6 in that regard.

I will give it 4.5 outta 5

The Treble:​

Treble is kind of the USP of Starshine. It has the EST goodness in it. The lower treble dip removed any unwanted ringing or fatiguing factor. In 8k and above it rises high. Thus Strashine offers energy. The notes in the treble are colorful and the music becomes emotional sometimes. I can see a few treble-sensitive folks might not stand it. But it's not harsh of piercing by any means. It offers sizzliness, sparkle, and air in the treble. If you call it treble-heavy you won't be wrong. Those who are not sensitive to treble, especially the upper treble, will love the energy and musicality it offers.

It offers details as expected. Sparkle makes the drum snare exciting. String instruments get a different yet enjoyable character.

Though the cymbal attack might feel different and sharp, it doesn’t sound colorless or sterile. Overall it's open, energetic where instruments get unique (a bit different than neutral but enjoyable) characteristics.

And tip rolling helps. I used final E-series tips to get more bass impact and comfort.

I will give 4.25 outta 5

Timbre and resolution:​

I find a great clarity with starshine. You will expect to hear good dynamics, little nuances, and the proper texture of every instrument. So, it's Highly resolving. Pairing with warm or natural sources offers a great versatility and musicality to love these earphones more. But Analytical or bright sources may take it to the fatiguing territory. So the resolution is not compromising in any means. But I found the timbre is a bit different. I neither call it natural nor artificial. It's in the middle. The textures are tailored in a way that I can't hate. There is a slight metallicness in the cymbals, string instruments and acoustic guitars, but it's fun and enjoyable regardless.

For resolution 4.5 outta 5
For Timbre 4 outta 5

Soundstage​

Sound Stage is a strength here. It's wider than the other earphones I have tasted in this price range. Though it's not deep enough, the separation is on point. I found space and air between instruments. It's better than DUNU SA6 and

The soundstage will get 4.5 outta 5

Let's Compare it the competition :​

In the market, it will face high competition with Dunu SA6, UM 3DT, thieaudio legacy 9, kinera norn and so on.
I had a DUNU SA6, UM 3DT, and Campfire Holocene currently at my possession to compare and i can say Starshine is better than kinera norn (coz of its poor value for money situation)

So, lets the battle begin…

Vs Dunu SA6​

DUNU SA6 is right around $500-550. It's been my daily driver since March and I love them a lot. I initially heard both of the iem with my Cowon plenue R2 and I loved the presentation of SA6. I sensed TRI Starshine needs more power. When the Sony Wm1a came into the equation, the scene changed 180 degrees.

I found the bass of SA6 is better with boldness and engaging factors. Starshine shines with better mids, overall instrument separation, soundstage, and treble excitement. Then again, SA6 is a bit more versatile and sounds good regardless of the source or power delivery.
So, SA6 can be an easy recommendation for mass audiences. On the other hand, with the proper gear, TRI Starshine is more fun, open and engaging.


On the cosmetic side, the cable of SA6 is a class of its own. The package of Dunu SA6 has better tips.
The build, look, and comfort for both of the iem are similar and comparable. None wins here.

Vs Unique Melody 3DT :​

UM 3DT is a triple DD earphone that comes under $400, especially if deals are found right you can buy one for 300-320 easily.

Bass on the 3DT has better texture and impact. It's bold and fairly fast despite having a DD there. But Starshine has faster bass. In the mids, Starshine wins with the presentation. Because 3DT lacked the emotion and body of mids. It’s forward, sometimes making a few female vocals shouty a bit.
3DT got more treble emphasis than TRI Starshine which might bring fatigue to the listeners. I couldn't manage to hear 3DT for more than 1-hour max.


3DT was fun too. It has a wow factor that may end up ringing in the ear, a tad on the aggressive side. On the other hand, TRI is clean yet enjoyable with energy and fun. I prefer the dynamics of 3DT but the overall presentation of Starshine was more enjoyable to me.

Vs Campfire Holocene​

Recently the campfire brought some newer models to the scene and one of them is the Holocene. It's currently priced at $649 so I compared both of them.

First of all, the Holocene is very source peaky and sensitive. It can sound good, smooth and enjoyable, or rough, edgy, and harsh depending on the source.
In general, the Holocene is on the technical side. It offers a well-balanced sound with a lot of details and clarity. I can mark it as a natural-sounding iem. Sometimes the vocals can be sharp. It's resolving, a sort of studio reference with some audiophile touch to it.

Starshine falls short with resolution, detail, and aggressiveness. But it's polite, power-hungry, and long-term earphones to conclude.

Conclusion :​

At first, I was confused with TRI Starshine against my DUNU SA6. When properly powered and paired with the right gear, Starshine is fun, exciting, and comfortable. The tuning is tastefully done. But it's not for those who hate or are sensitive to the upper treble section. But who are open for fun, energy, and extra sparkle, TRI starshine will treat with openness, wide soundstage, and comfort. I recommend getting final e series tips and copper CEMA cable (i think they are the best bang for the buck) will do justice with TRI Starshine. Besides, you have to have a mid to strong DAP or DAC/AMP to squeeze the best outta it. Neutral and warm sources complement TRI Starshine
I got great results with Sony Wm1a, Hiby R6 pro (adds good energy to the treble section).

So, will I recommend it? I think I will point to a specific group of folks that I mentioned above.

Is the pricing good? Well, it goes down to 450ish during the sale. But I would rather be comfortable with the 400-420 range.


So, what is the overall score?

I would score 4 out 5 generally, but paired with a good source it will raise 4.25 out 5.

Tracks that I have used​

Incubus - Summer Romance
Dimmu Borgir - Dimmu Borgir
Breaking Benjamin - I Will Not Bow
SOAD - Chop Suey, Toxicity
Eminem - Rap God
Metallica - Fuel, master of puppets, enter the sandman
Massive attack - Mezzanine
Fall Out Boy - Immortals
Green Day - Know The Enemy
Skillet - What I Believe
Slipknot - snuff
Tool - Lateralus, Fear inoculum
And a few of my local audio collections. All are at least 16bit FLAC.

TRI Starshine -The STAR performer from TRI

Disclaimer:

This was a loaner unit from a friend for the purpose of an honest review. Everything mentioned in this review are purely my own based on my experiences with the IEM.
I didn't get the full box and hence can only do a short review.

Introduction:

TRI Audio is the Premium brand and sister concern of KBear - who are known for their in-ear monitors in the budget category.
TRI has several IEMs such as TRI I3, Starsea, Starlight and maybe few more more. Today, we will be talking about TRI Starshine.
The Starshine is equipped with a hybrid quad-driver configuration featuring two Sonion EST drivers and two Knowles BA drivers.
TRI Starshine is is priced at $499.

Specifications:

Specifications are as below:

Impedance: 56Ω
Connector: 0.78mm 2PIN
Color: blue
Frequency response range: 20-20kHz
Sensitivity: 98dB
Cable material: copper and silver-plated mixed braided cable
Drive unit: 2 electrostatic Drive+2BA



Design & Build Quality:


Looks are always subjective, but I think these are great-looking IEM, that’s both striking and ergonomic. Though Resin made, these look very nice & premium. The shape of the IEM is nice & very light-weight that and provides a comfortable fit for all listeners. In my experience with the Starshine, the IEMs achieved a good level of comfort. It's just great for long listening sessions.



The Stock Cable:

The cable really nice & durable and comes with inter-changeable connection adapters. Sound-wise also the cable seemed pretty decent.
really nothing to complain about here - all good.

Amp-ing Requirements:

Due to it's high impedance levels, this IEM requires quite a bit of amping to really shine. Amping here is mandatory to get a good performing sound.

NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SOUND....

Items used for this review:

DAC/AMP: Shanling UA2, IFI Micro IDSD Black Label Signature
DAP/Source : Fiio M3 Pro, Laptop & iPad
Streaming Source: QOBUZ

Upgrade Cable: Following upgrade cables used to see how FH5S fares with different types of cables:
- CEMA Electro Acousti 6N OCC + OCC Silver plating 26AWG single crystal copper cable with balanced 2.5mm connector
- DUNU DUW-03 the cable that comes with DUNU SA6

Ear Tips: Final E series Black tips






Tracks Used:
The tracks I have used can be found from the below playlist that I have used and generally use for most reviews...


Let's now talk about the quality of Sound....

The BASS:

Bass felt textured and punchy. These is good texture & air in the bass. While the Bass doesn't contain the details you would expect from a typical Dynamic Driver output... it is still good and not falling short too much really.

The MIDS:

Midrange is a bit less pronounced due to the V-shaped sound of this IEM. Nevertheless, it's not like anything is missing. Mids have good with texture. Vocals sound natural.
However, detail retrieval in the mids section seemed somewhat lower.

The Treble:

Treble seems just great. textured and airy. No peaks found anywhere. its quite textured and detailed - I found the treble to be not fatiguing and enjoyable.

The SOUNDSTAGE:

Soundstage is great for the price both in terms of width and depth. It is amongst the strengths of this IEM. Its better than many others in the same range for sure.

Imaging & Timbre:

Sense of direction is quite good and the sound is quite natural hence I would say that this IEM has good imaging & timbre for the price.
Timbre however is not the best traits and it has BA timbre.

Comparisons :

TRI Starshine vs DUNU SA6 :

The DUNU SA6 comes with slightly higher price tag and is quite a performer. It is a great IEM and very balanced performance in all departments.
Bass: The TRI Starshine has a punchier bass which I personally prefer while the DUNU SA6 comes with more detailed and textured Bass performance.
I much prefer Dynamic Driver based Bass which none of these two IEMs have.
Mids: The DUNU SA6 has much better and textured mids. more detailed and vocals sound a tad but better. But the Starshine is just great too while falling behind the Sa6 here.
Treble: I think in this department the Starshine has a soother Treble performance while the SA6 is just great with details and texture.
Soundstage & Timbre: In terms of soundstage the TRI Starshine beats the SA6 quite handsomely both in terms of width and depth.The AS6 seems to have better imaging while Starshine seems to have equally good timbre.


TRI Starshine vs Unique Melody 3DT :

The Unique Melody 3DTcomes with 3 Dynamic Drivers and slightly lower price tag and tome is the best performer of the 3 IEMs..
Bass: The Unique Melody 3DT has great bass response with good amount of details air & texture. The punch & slam is also there. The Starshine despite a good performer loses out here.
Mids: The Unique Melody 3DT has detailed textured Mids with good vocal performance. The Starshine is just a little bit behind in this department.
Treble: I While neither of tehse 2 IEMs are as detailed as the SA6 - both of them have adequate details and air. The 3DT seemed a tad bit more textured and airy which I prefer.
Soundstage & Timbre: In terms of soundstage the TRI Starshine beats the 3DT by a very narrow margin in terms of width. Depth is slightly better in the 3DT and the Timbre is also slightly better in the 3DT.

Conclusion :
Having said all that - The TRI Starshine to me seemed like the amongst the best performing IEMs from TRI till date. It comes with comprehensive sound performance when amped properly and can easily beat the likes of similar hybrid IEMs like FiiO FH7 which falls into similar category and I have used quite a long time back but couldn't compare as I had sold it off. I think it's going to be great value for money for people who give more weightage to comfort and smoother sound performance.