Tripowin TC-01

Introduction
Tripowin is the Chinese company that specializes in cables and IEMs, the Tripowin TC-01 is the the IEMs that coming out later 2020. Today, I am take a look at the TC-01, the retail price is $49.00USD



Disclaimer
I would like to thanks Lillian from linsoul for given this opportunity, and the review will be based on my honest opinion through the music I listen to.


Package & Accessories
The TC-01 come with the moderate sizes box, there are the brand name, model name and IEMs illustration located at the front cover, whereas the specifications at the rear side of it. After remove the cover, there is the IEMs itself sited in the foam, and the carry case under it after removing the cover which contain the cable and other accessories.








Accessories list:
1 pair x Tripowin TC-01 In Ear Monitor
1 pcs x Detachable Cable with 0.78mm 2 Pin Connector
3 pairs x Silicone Eartips (size S/M/L)
1pcs x Hard Carry Pouch



The accessories come with TC-01 is fairly simple but useful. The hard carry case it come with is well build and feel solid, there is the hand strap on the corner which is detachable.





The TC-01 come with three pair of ear tips in different sizes, which allow the user to get the best fit as well as the sound.



The TC-01 come with the 2 core twisted cable, it has 3.5 mm straight connector in silver metal mirror finished. It features the 0.78mm 2 pin connector with both of L&R/blacks&red to show left and right. The Y-splitter are in silver metal shell in mirror finish as well as the 2 pin connector. There are cable slider in transparency plastic shell finished. It is overall well behave and flexible cable.




Design & Build & Comfort
The TC-01 has small and well ergonomic design. The shell and faceplate are finished in iridescent metal. The Tripowin branded logo sported at the front faceplate, while the vents is next to it. There are no L&R indicators on the IEMs itself, while there are two vents on the rear side of the IEMs respectively. The design on TC-01 is beautiful and definitely stand out in the price point.





The build on the TC-01 are really solid and feel durable. The IEMs are made with three pieces of metal, the nozzles, shell and faceplate. The shell are well rounded with smooth curve. There are no shape edges or glue around the gap of the shell. The filter on nozzle are made with metal to provide the prevent from ear dust. The 0.78mm 2 pin female connectors are tight, and the connector do not have sign of wear and tear after I swapped few times of cable.





The fit on the the TC-01 are really good, thanks to the small and compact design. The nozzles is on the short side, but the shell is thin so it fit in pretty well. The isolation is average, and thanks to the vents there are no pressure build up after a few hours of wearing.






Technical specifications:
Sensitivity: 104dB SPL/mW
Frequency range: 20Hz-20KHz
Impedance: 16ohm
Noise isolation: 26dB


Sound

Paring
I pair up with the stock cable and medium stock tips, and run through my music library on the Fiio M11 and Topping E30.




Overall tonality
The TC-01 has a V shape with slightly warm tonality. It is fun and musical with a fatiguing free presentation.

Bass
The bass is warm and full bodies with slightly thick timbre. The sub bass has above average extension with moderate decay speed.The sub bass has slight more pronounced compare to mid bass. It has above average rumble, with average impact and punch. It has moderate speed with good levels of control. The detail retrieval are pretty well, while the clarity are average.

Mids
The midrange is slightly recessed but well balanced. There are good amount of texture with surprisingly clear tone. The lower midrange has good amount of bodies presented in lush manner. The upper midrange is well emphasis, it is presented in lively yet rich manner. The midrange has a musical presentation with good levels of detail and above average clarity.

Treble
The treble is crisp yet smooth, without any harshness or being too bright. The treble has moderate extended. The lower treble has good amount of energy and brightness with a fatiguing free presentation. The upper treble has above average amount of airiness and average amount of sparkle. The detail retrieval and clarity are average.

Soundstage and imaging
It has above average width with slightly below average depth.
The imaging are slightly above average due to the depth.



Comparison
Kbear Lark ($29USD)

Bass
The sub bass on both extend well and the TC-01 has more quantity. The TC-01 has warmer and fuller presentation compare to cleaner and tighter presentation on Lark. The TC-01 provide slower decay with better dynamic, while the Lark provide tighter and quicker bass response. The TC-01 has more bass impact and rumble, while the Lark hit harder and punchier. The detail retrieval and clarity are slightly better on the Lark.

Mids
The midrange has more neutral and leaner presentation on the Lark, while the TC-01 has warmer with slightly more V shape presentation. The lower midrange has more body with better depth on the TC-01, while the Lark sound cleaner with reduce lushness. The upper midrange has more vividly presentation on Lark, on the other hand, the TC-01 provide more bodies and sound fuller. The detail retrieval and clarity are both pretty well.

Treble
The treble has crisper and brighter on the Lark, while the TC-01 are relatively laid back and smoother. The lower treble has brighter but more sharp presentation on the Lark, while the TC-01 is smoother here. The upper treble has sparkle on the Lark, while the TC-01 has more airiness and sound slightly more open. The detail retrieval and clarity are better on the TC-01.

Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage are slightly wider on the Lark, while the TC-01 has better depth.
The imaging are better on TC-01.


Moondrop SSP ($39USD)

Bass
The sub bass on both extend well and the TC-01 has more quantity. The TC-01 has slightly more warmer and meaty presentation with better texture, while the SSP are relatively slightly cleaner. The bass on TC-01 provide better punch and impact, while the SSP are lack of definition here. The TC-01 has tighter bass with better control. The detail retrieval and clarity are slightly better on TC-01.

Mids
The midrange on both has V-shape type of tuning, both are presented in pretty balance manner. The lower midrange on both sound similar, but the TC-01 has better texture and sound clear. The upper midrange sound less forward on TC-01 with higher transparency levels and better thicker timbre, on the other hand, the SSP provide more forwarded presentation with relatively thinner presentation. The detail retrieval and clarity are slightly better on TC-01.

Treble
The treble on TC-01 are slightly more attacked and extended further, while the SSP are smoother here. The treble has less treble energy cmompare to TC-01, where as the TC-01 has more air and crisp presentation on the top end. The detail retrieval and clarity are better on TC-01.

Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage are pretty similar, but feel more open on TC-01.
The imaging are better on TC-01.


Avara audio Neo+ ($40USD)

Bass
The sub bass both extended. There is slightly more quantity on Neo+, on the other hand, the TC-01 has more mid bass, which lead to warmer tonality. The bass has more texture with slower decay speed on TC-01, while the Neo+ has cleaner tone and quicker decay. There is more rumble on TC-01, where the Neo+ hit harder and it is punchier. The detail retrieval and clarity are better on Neo+.

Mids
The midrange on both are recessed, the Neo+ has cleaner tonality, on the other hand, the TC-01 has warmer and it has more textured. The lower midrange are leaner on Neo+, fuller on TC-01. The upper midrange sound more vividly and engaging on Neo+, where the TC-01 is relatively smoother and laid back. The detail retrieval and clarity is both well done.

Treble
The treble is brighter but peakier on Neo+. The lower treble has more energy, but generally harsher on Neo+, while the TC-01 is slightly smoother here. The upper treble has more sparkle and crispness on Neo+, with more open presentation. The detail retrieval and clarity is better on Neo+.

Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage is wider on Neo+, with same levels of depth.
The imaging is both great.


Hifiman RE-400 ($49USD)

Bass
The RE-400 has close to linear presentation, whereas the TC-01 has more sub bass and bass quantity, overall fuller presentation. The sub bass has better extension on TC-01. The TC-01 has more meaty presentation with better texture, on the other hand, the RE-400 has cleaner and slightly less dynamic bass. The RE-400 has faster decay with a snappy punch, while the bass on TC-01 is slower with better impact and provides harder punch and slam. The detail retrieval and clarity are better on RE-400.

Mids
The midrange is leaner and tuned neutral on the RE-400, while the TC-01 has C shape sound signature. The lower midrange has more depth and sound fuller on the TC-01, while the RE-400 has linear presentation. The upper midrange sound more forwarded but smoother on the TC-01, on the other hand, the RE-400 sound brighter and more vividly. The detail retrieval and clarity are both well done.

Treble
The treble is brighter but peaky-er on RE-400, while they TC-01 has smoother and slightly laid back presentation. The lower treble has slightly brighter and shaper presentation on RE-400, while the TC-01 is relatively less bright. The upper treble has more airiness and sparkle on the TC-01, while the RE-400 slightly roll off here. The detail retrieval and clarity are fairly comparable.

Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage is wider and deeper on the TC-01.
The imaging is in the same levels.


Trn V90s ($49USD)

Sound
The tonality is almost identical here, so I won’t do the full comparison. The bass has less quantity and sound slightly cleaner and tighter on the V90s. The midrange and treble tuned really close, but the TC-01 has better timbre and texture, while the V90s has unforgivable BA timbre and more peaky/harsh treble. The detail retrieval and clarity are better on V90s. The soundstage and imaging is pretty similar as well.


Tin Hifi T2 Plus ($54USD)

Bass
The sub bass has better extension on the TC-01. There are more sub bass and bass quantity on the TC-01 also. The bass has more meaty and fuller presentation on the TC-01, while the T2 Plus has better cleaner presentation. The bass has more rumble and impact on TC-01, whereas the T2 Plus has tighter and snappy-er bass. The detail retrieval and clarity are better on T2 Plus.

Mids
The midrange has mostly neutral and leaner presentation on the T2 Plus, on the other hand, the TC-01 sound warmer and more recessed. The lower midrange has more bodies and sound fuller on TC-01, while T2 Plus are more linear and cleaner. The upper midrange sound more forwarded and engaging on TC-01, where the T2 Plus sound more laid back and fuller. The detail retrieval and clarity are both well done.

Treble
The treble are slightly brighter and crisper on the TC-01, while the T2 plus more rounded and laid back. The TC-01 has more lower treble energy, on the other hand, the T2 Plus is smoother. The upper treble has more crisp definition on Tc-01, where the T2 Plus has more sparkle. The detail retrieval and clarity are better on TC-01.

Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage are slightly deeper on TC-01, while the width are similar.
The imaging are better on TC-01.




Conclusion
The Tripowin TC-01 are overall really well tuned V shape IEMs, which high standard of build quality. The TC-01 provides warm and musical sound, without being fatiguing, and really surprisingly the detail retrieval and clarity are outstanding for this price range. The TC-01 is definitely the class leading IEMs for this price range. Thank you for reading, and Happy Listening!!

Tripowin official website: https://www.tripowin.com
Tripowin TC-01 product page: https://www.linsoul.com/products/tripowin-tc-01

Disclaimer and introduction

To be honest I wasn't aware of the Tripowin brand until Linsoul suggested that I should review TC-01 and oh boy I was glad that they did.

The TC-01 was kindly provided free of charge and as always I am going to share my subjective and honest evaluation of it.

The Tripowin is a Linsoul exclusive brand and the TC-01 is a budget in-ear monitor that costs $49.
You can get it directly from Linsoul - https://www.linsoul.com/collections/tripowin/products/tripowin-tc-01?sca_ref=674901.cTrnEkOCqr



Technical

The TC-01 is Tripowin's first dynamic driver earphone, which is built with a 10mm large size dynamic driver.
The driver is a diaphragm with silicon coated on PU.
This is an advanced and superb technique to present a favorable sound quality.
The housing is a semi open design with one venting port at the back of it.
The TC-01 is rated at 16Ω with a sensitivity of 104dB SPL/mW.



Housing and fit

The housing is made from mirror polished metal and it is available in pure silver and silver with purple accents.
The mirror surface is shiny under the light and it is very beautiful with a modern and minimal design.
Build quality is top notch and the TC-01 looks very sturdy and able to withstand everyday use.
The Tripowin logo is printed at the faceplate but there are no left and right markings.



The shape is designed based on the ears anatomy to best fit the majority of the users.
It is very small and discreet with a snug and perfect fit.
The TC-01 is very lightweight and extremely comfortable so we used it for an extended period of time without any hint of discomfort.
Passive noise attenuation is very good and above average.



Cable

Tripowin is a brand with rich experience in manufacturing professional HiFi cables.
For example the Zonie, C8 and Nucool that are quite popular among the community.
Thus the TC-01 comes with a 1.2m detachable 0.78mm-2Pin cable not only for durability but also for functionality.
You can either change it for a new one or upgrade it for a better one.
The cable is a braided design with two strands per channel ending in a 3.5mm plug.
Build quality is very good and the connectors plug firmly.
Our only complaint is that the cable is a little bit smelly.



Accessories

Despite being a $49 the package includes 3 pairs of silicone eartips and a good quality hard carrying case.
Moreover a hanger is included for the case so that you can hang it on your bag or anywhere you want.



Sound impressions

The TC-01 is readily enjoyable from mobile phones but our listening tests dictated that at least an entry level dac/amp is needed to get the most out of it.
Since this is a $49 iem it felt natural to test it with budget options like the iBasso DC03 , FiiO BTR3K and SoundMAGIC A30.

Give the TC-01 a few minutes of listening time and you will be immediately surprised by it's immensely appealing sound signature which is quite easy for the ear and very enjoyable with all musical genres.

It is a tastefully done V shaped tuning following more or less the Harman Target and it resembles very much the FiiO FD5 tuning.

The TC-01 is a fast and agile sounding iem with good overall clarity that can pass all the needed information.
It is not a lean presentation but you can't call it very full bodied either with an acceptable decay that is a bit faster than the ideal.



Bass is well extended to the sub domain with the whole region tuned with an extra emphasis above the target curve.
This is not an overly bass heavy iem and it will please audiophile purists and heavy users alike.
It has a good body to it and a quite tight presentation with satisfying clarity and adept layering.
There is a certain amount of masking so in heavy loaded passages some instruments/notes might get lost in the whole.
Dynamics are good although they lack in ultimate slam and due to the small and hollow housing we can't hear reverb and echo as we would like to.

Mids are well balanced and clear although a touch restrained but still have enough dedicated space to let them shine.
Voices breathe well and sound very realistic but don't expect them to be the star of the show.

Highs are cleverly extended to aid with clarity and separation but without sounding overly boosted or hyped to become harsh and annoying.
Listening is fatigue free and detail retrieval is very satisfying for an entry level iem and can challenge a lot of higher priced rivals.
Timbre is quite good but there are certain elements of a metallic aftertaste to them while they do sound a little coarse compared to higher priced rivals.
Another thing that should be noted is that the louder you push the listening levels the brighter will sound especially if it is underpowered so as noted above a basic dac/amp is mandatory.

The TC-01 soundstage is surprisingly above average regarding it's width with enough air and good space allocation.
Placing is more or the less accurate with correct positioning cues but there are no such things as depth layering or 3d sounding effects.

At the end

Color us impressed and very happy for reviewing the Tripowin TC-01 as it is a surprisingly good sounding iem not to be expected at this price point.
This is the budget friendly audiophiles dream with a performance not to be expected and as that we are very happy to crown the TC-01 the King of the category reigning supreme and not that far apart from higher priced rivals.

The awarded rating reflects price to performance ratio.

Qobuz testing playlist - http://open.qobuz.com/playlist/5669033

Copyright - Laskis Petros 2021

Firstly I would like to thank Linsoul for sending me this sample to review.

*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

Gear Used:
iBasso DX200 > TC-01



Tech Specs:
Mode: Tripowin TC-01
Sensitivity: 104dB SPL/mW
Frequency range: 20Hz-20KHz
Impedance: 16ohm
Noise isolation: 26dB
Cable length: 1.2m
Plug: 3.5mm
Connector: 0.78mm-2Pin

Tripowin TC-01

Packaging, Build Quality and Accessories:

The TC-01 comes in a pretty plain black cardboard box, on the back is some technical info along with a frequency graph, that's it. Lift the front of the box off and you'll find the earphones held neatly in a foam insert, with a box of accessories underneath it. The packaging really is very basic, but for the price I can't really complain.

The build quality feels great, the cable has good strain relief and a solid feeling jack, theres a cable cinch which is handy as the y-splitter is quite far down the cable. The 2-pin connectors fit into the earphones securely, and the earphones themselves have a metal housing that is well finished and looks great in person. I know the mirror finish might not appeal to everyone, but I personally think it looks great, although they do show up scratches easily of course.

Accessory wise you get a hard clamshell type case and 3 sizes of tips (S, M and L). Personally I always find more tips are always welcome, so they are lacking a little here. Most people buying this kind of IEM won't want to shell out more for extra tips, so having more included would be nice.

Comfort and Isolation:

The TC-01 have a smooth and rounded housing and the nozzles are placed at a good angle, this meant I got a good fit quite easily once I have selected the correct tips for my canals. The cable is soft and contributes to the comfortable fit of these, I had no issues with wearing them for long periods.

Isolation is actually very good on the TC-01, they are vented on the inner part and due to this the isolation is still high enough for use on public transport and general travelling. They easily blocked out my loud typing on a keyboard and work great on general walks into town.



Sound:

Lows: The lows on the TC-01 are tight and articulate, these are not a warm and bassy IEM, instead they aim for a crisp and clean sound but with just the right amount of everything. They aren't lacking down low but what they have is quality over quantity, there's body and sub-bass extension when needed but they prefer a more technical approach and enjoy complex tracks to really show off what they are capable of. You never lose track of the beat, bass kicks have authority along with control, and bass guitars are articulate and easy to pinpoint. These really can output an impressive amount of bass, with a slight sub-bass focus, if the recording calls for it. Those who favour quality over quantity will definitely be surprised how good the bass is for their $50 price point.

Midrange: Here I'm going to reference Ed Sheeran, a couple of tracks came on when testing the TC-01 and I was taken aback at how true to the recording the TC-01 can sound. The bass beat was always there yet didn't bleed into the midrange, Ed's vocals come across with excellent tonality and detail retrieval, little details are there yet all in an incredibly coherent presentation. When vocal centric tracks come on the TC-01 happily show you what they are capable of, really bringing out the emotion in the artists voice. If there is one slight drawback, there is a bit of sibilance in the upper midrange during certain tracks, but only the most treble sensitive would find these at all fatiguing.

Highs: The treble can sometimes be a little splashy but there's lots of energy up top that helps keep these sounding fairly well balanced. As stated in the section about the midrange, there is a little sibilance at times, and the low treble does have some extra energy injected which makes the sound quite engaging but to some these may be a little sharp at times. They roll off a little early, and there isn't a lot of air, but there is good detail and they don't come across too metallic or unnatural.

The soundstaging isn't huge and the centre image is quite forward and focussed however there is great separation and this makes up for the slightly smaller stage. You can't have everything for such a low price.



Conclusion:

The TC-01 are another gem in the chi-fi range, these are extremely engaging and an energetic listen, they are not warm or smooth and laid back. However they present a nicely balanced sound signature that's got great coherency and also accurate tonality. The TC-01 are genuinely impressive for $50 and get my recommendation.

Sound Perfection Rating: 9/10 (can't go wrong for the price, detailed coherent and fun backed up by technical prowess and a comfortable fit)