Tripowin TP10

This is a IEM that has five professionally balanced armatures per side for a total of ten. Similar to the CCA A10 in many ways.
After coming from a CCA C10 review I found this more expensive IEM lackluster in all but mid details and a little on the bright side with shouty vocals on some tracks also the bass was somewhat lacking, not a shock on all BA earphones but seems the A10 had more of a presentation.

I think that the tuning was intended to be flat for professional use but Tripowin was not able to hit it's mark using the A10 body and drivers.
Isolation is good but only because this is a huge IEM.

This was far from the worst IEM I've tested but hopefully Tripowin comes up with a original design next time, preferably one that I don't have to EQ to enjoy.

TRIPOWIN TP10 REVIEW :



SOUND: 5.5/10
CONSTRUCTION: 8/10
DESIGN: 6/10
ACCESSORIES: 6/10
VALUE: 5.5/10

TRIPOWIN is a new audio company that look very alike CCA company and sell for the moment only one earphones and one (nice) upgrade cable.

This is their story :

‘’OUR STORY :
Established. in 2019, TRIPOWIN is a premium design-minded Hi-Fi audio brand, steam from the passion and dedication to

provide the best-in-class acoustic quality products with budget price, ergonomic design, human-centric music experience.’’

This don’t tell alot so we will judge them from what they produce and proundly sale wich is the TRIPOWIN TP10, a multi driver earphones with 5 balanced armature. Priced at a competitive 70$ price, let’s see if it worth more than your visual attention.

You can buy the TRIPOWIN TP10 for 68.99$ from their official Amazon store HERE

You can buy their excellent C8 cable for 29.99$ HERE

Disclaimer : I’ve been approach by Tripowin to review TP10 and KZ ZS10PRO. I wanna thanks them in advance for accepting my objective unbiased opinion.

SPECS :

Driver: 5 balanced armatures per side

• Impedance: 15 ohms
  
  
• Sensitivity: 98dB/mW
  
  
• Frequency Response: 20Hz to 40kHz

ACCESSORIES, CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN :



Unboxing is deceively similar to KZ or CCA one, with same box and presentation as well as same very minimal accessories, wich is a so so cable and 4 pairs of silicone eartips. At this price range, I would have love a better cable as well as extra memory foam tips.



CONSTRUCTION is well made, it consist of enormous metal + plastic housing that have a metal nozzle similar to KZ ZS10PRO I own. It feel quite sturdy and well crafted.

DESIGN in the other hand isn’t particularly well thinked due to absurdly big and thick housing. If you look at image of product stating this earphones are comfortable, you’ll see its a photoshop montage that stick TP10 cutted up shrinked image on a dude calm dude. To me this is a very serious issue with TP10 wich will make unusable this earphones for lot of people, and the one that will be able to fit them will most likely look ridiculous like me, because the housing with its long but thick nozzle and shape tend to protrude grotesquely from your ears. Eartips can help to some extend to avoid agressive discomfort, but not the one that are included. As well, the 2pin connector are the one that are used with ZS10PRO and ZSN, wich make it innapropriate for easy cable swaping, so, the earhook can make it even harder to achieve a proper fit.

ISOLATION is good due to having giant rock like housing stick in your ears, but its a back vented one, so sound leakage is kind of disastrously loud.

The TRIPOWIN C8 Upgrade cable is very nice, construction is top notch and worth the 30$ investmenté Its a real mixed copper silver plated braide cable. Flexible and well crafted, Tripowin C8 is an high end cable at budget price. The Balanced one I have do improve sound of TP10 to some extend by helping transient response and clarity.



SOUND :



First impressions was a violent shouty mid centric wall of sound that destroy my ears, so I throw this TP10 as far as I can and run away due to survival instinct. To note that I tend to listen to music loud, so, after some days of meditation about doing or not this review, i decide i will give them another chance at lower volume so I can have longer hearing lifespan for real audiophile enjoyment.

This do not really change my first impressions, but i discover the TP10 can be slightly more listenable with less agressive music or gentle instrumental. As well, using the upgraded balanced cable help a little overall clarity.



SOUNDSTAGE is average but not stock in your head, its more about widness than deepnest here.

IMAGING is average and do not have a natural spaciality, instrument placement do not sound right and layering is chaotic.

BASS is dry in lower end and lack natural extension Mid bass is bright with just enough fowarded punch to let body and weight give good impact. Timbre and tonality of bass sound artificial but the real problem is sub bass as the track LOCO from Vince Staples show, the kick is well enough bodied and fast, but when the sub synth line appear, wich is suppose to be super bodied, it sound off and annoyingly non transparent.

MID RANGE take about all space it can in TP10 sound presentation and make it for a bright overstocked presenation. Level of clarity is push fowards and messed up, so you have plenty of details showed in a congested shouty way. Thave vocal sound artificial and slightly metallic, it lack body and roundned, wich make them thin and grainy but very fowarded to. More their instrument more the presentation became unbearable and shouty, as well, this problem is accentuated at higher volume wich affect rather bad transient response. Male and female vocal sound as dull.

TREBLE do not extend particularly far, wich is a surprise for a multi BA iem, its smoothed on top but emphased in lower and mid treble where the drop begin. Highs lack sparkle and decay, in fact, do not have any, and percussion, especially cymbals, can souned very splashy and agressive.

SUB BASS : 5.5/10
MID BASS : 7/10
MID RANGE : 6.5/10
TREBLE : 5/10
TIMBRE : 6/10
ATTACK-DECAY : 6/10
SOUNDSTAGE : 6/10
IMAGING : 5/10

COMPARAISONS :



VS AUDIOSENSE T260 (50$) :

The T260 is a dual balanced armature earphones using good quality Knowles drivers, perhaps the TP10 have 5 BA’s but they are of lower grade so let’s see how this two compare.



Construction of both is good for the price, but T260 with in term of comfort and fit as the housing is about 3 times smaller. As well, the included 4 cores SPC cable of T260 is better than braided copper one of TP10.

T260 have notably wider soundstage as well as more natural layering but TP10 have clearer imaging in an artificial manner. It have thicker bass with more weight and faster energic transient response wich make it warmer than dryier TP10, the mid bass is less separated from sub bass than TP10 but this give a more naturally bodied feel. MID RANGE is more organic, with better instrument separation and definition, vocal sound way fuller and more natural than more shouty-dryier-breathy and intimate TP10 one, whole mid range is more balanced and airy and do not stole upper range clarity. I enjoy vocal on T260 even if dynamic range can affect tonality sometime, while i jsut can’t enjoy any signers with the TP10. TREBLE is more extended with T260 and highs have more sparkle and decay, as well it show more micro details in upper range, the TP10 have more texture in timbre but more grain too, while timbre of T260 sound more polished and thicker.

All in all, T260 is sure more musical but slightly warmer and less resolved than artificial sound TP10. T260 have a warm W soundsignature while TP10 have a very foward mid centric one. To me, their no doubt that T260 is a more enjoyable iem as well as better all arounder.



VS TIN AUDIO T3 (70$) :

T3 is a hyrdi dynamic+BA drivers with well balanced slightly V shape soundsignature and good overall clarity and timbre, now lets see how it compare to TP10.

CONSTRUCTION is beautifully crafted with its all metal body and its more comfortable than ggantic TP10. As well, it look more sexy and included stock cable is a nice 8cores copper-silver that do not push you buying an upgrade one.

Soundstage is wider, deeper and taler with a more holographic out of your head feel compared to intimate fowards presentation of TP10. IMAGING being more spacious, we have more space between instrument separation and better sens of placement too, the TP10 compensate this with pushing details fowards but still sound congested.
BASS dig way deeper with the T3, it is rounder and more impactfull with good natural rumble that do not drown mids, punch is slightly softer than TP10 but with better timbre and sens of impact. MID RANGE is jsut a little more recessed than ultra fowarded TP10 but with better timbre, accuracy and separation, its less bright and detailed but more natural and balanced. TREBLE is not the most extended but still extend further than TP10 giving more sparkle and natural decay to high while TP10 overemphased low and mid treble make the highs shouty, metallic, artificial and splashy and micro details drown behing wall of sound.

All in all, T3 is more balanced, have good controled bass, have better timbre, more transparency, better clarity and spacility wich make it sound from another more refined league than brigther, fowards, faster and more agressive TP10.


CONCLUSION :



TRIPOWIN TP10 is a first attempt from an obscure (?) chinese company that should have begin implementing less balanced armature to perfect their tuning capabilities. My theory is that its from the same manufacture than CCA A10 but tuned by somebody that have hearing issue with vocal, so this explain that perhaps he do not hear properly how insanely fowards, shouty and agressive is the whole mid range.

We have with TP10 a great example of ‘’too much is like not enough’’, because their too much balanced armature in the body even if its super big, when we look closer, about 1/4 of housing space isn’t used, and perhaps the crossover boards explain why spacial acoustic isn’t take into account for proper sound engineering.

All in all, I hope this company will try to improve and listen from other negatives impressions than mine to create something WAY better than this, should it be in term of fitting ergonomic, sound balance, bass, mid range musicality, timbre, imaging, treble, attack (etc). In other word, I just can’t recommend these amateurish earphones to anyone with the exception of people with mid range hearing loss.

In other hand, I really enjoy the upgrade TRIPOWIN C8 cable they make and recommend it to anyone searching high quality 8cores braided silver+copper foil cable for the KZ ZSN, ZS10PRO and the like.

Hello, Welcome to another Review! (Compared at the price of 69$)



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PREAMBLE

TRIPOWIN? Never heard of it, did you?

It seems like we are going to get to known this new brand then. They establish themselves as “a brand born with creativeness, that has never stopped his journey in pursing ultimate high quality earbuds for audiophiles” Well, it sounds like a good aim. Fact is, anyone that takes a good glance at their design, promotional material or box, are immediately able to tell that these guys are some kind of a KZ affiliated brand. Our TP10 is especially close to the CCA A10, or KZ ASseries. The internal design also looks similar, as it is the cables. The tuning however, have a very particular character, making the TP10 a unique offer, if compared to KZ as10 and previous models. Let’s check it out.


-
DISCLAIMER

This earphone is a review unit kindly given by Linsoul in exchange of a honest review of the earphone they sell. Linsoul is a Chinese seller and distributor of IEMs, there aren't any financial incentive on this review besides the product itself that can and will be kept with me. I personally guarantee to the reader my honest and objective review, where I will try to pass my objective impressions as clear as possible, giving the reader the chance to evaluate the product by itself. I particularly INVITE the reader to be as critical as possible on my writing.


Links:

- TP10 AMAZON
- LINSOUL SITE

CONFIG



The Tripowin is a full BA earphone equipped with 5 - probably bellsing, balanced armatures.

-22955 Low Frequency*1

-29689 Mid Frequency*2

-30095 High Frequency*2



The sound travels through a three channel sound guide that’s printed in 3d and the frequencies are divided on a crossover PCB board.

The IEM has a very solid resin shell, with a deep insertion and above average isolation from outside noise. Its design is focused on a good isolation from outside world, which is fundamental for a good result in bass response. The feeling in the ear is exactly the same as you got on a KZ AS06, for example. I like it, as the pure BA configuration guarantee the passive noise attenuation very well, in this particular model, the great isolation offers a decent amount of bass response and impact.



The resin made shell is equipped with a glossy aluminum faceplate that gives a nice visual feeling. Right and left is written on the piece, indicating the side of which one. The shell is slight big and very light, it pressures my ear a little bit and can starts to hurt after a while. Not much more than any other deep insertion IEM though.

The over ear design couples very nicely with the pre-molded ear hooks inserted on the cable, it “hugs” the ear in a very comfortable manner, being very superior to the moldable ones. The 2pin design is customized, it’s safer but more of a proprietary design, leaving the consumer with less third party options. Luckily the stock cable is good enough. It isn’t as good as I would expect from a 69$ price tag, having something like a tin audio t3 in mind. The cable feels durable but has a strong tendency of tangling, it tangles on the pocket, in the hand, anywhere. This is something forgettable on a KZ AS06 or ZS7, which has virtually the same cable, as the wires are the same.

SOUND

Bass has a good impact and level of dynamics for a budget BA. Of course it's not a dynamic, and it shouldn’t be. Compared to my KZ AS06 - which is already very good, the tripowin has considerably better low end neutrality, and agility, what particularly impressed me, it has better extension and less mid bass colouring. It has a good level of details and cleanliness, being able to get through complex sounds very well. It's fairly flat, with a sub-bass roll off, the mid bass isn't very dominant like you would expect from a warm IEM. Attack and decay is fast. Bass is there just to build a foundation for the song, it never gets to be the star of the show nor impresses, it does a good job being as fast as the rest of the sound, maintaining the cleanliness of the overall picture.



Mids are recessed, not because of the bass, as this signature doesn't fell anyway like a V, but because of the upper treble. This is a IEM that favors female voices and guitars - if i would say such thing. Voices lack body and the emotions aren't quite well rendered because of the lack of bassier regions. It lacks a little bit of warmth and body. Mids seems flat until it gets to the mid-treble region, where the TP10 starts building up until upper treble. The higher notes get razorblade sharp - the majority of the time, in a good manner, details are in your face. I don't feel any sibilance with this IEM, however, one just can't say that the mid treble isn’t pronounced. The good side is that this results in a very airy presentation, it's super clean and open. You are trading warmth and musicality to clinical details and airyness. The soundstage lacks depth and dynamics overall, everything sounds to ethereal and unrealistic compared to a good soundstage.

COMPARISIONS

vs TENHZ P4 pro (120$)

The p4 it's considerably pricier, but at 120$ it's about the best bang for the buck when referring to full BA chi-fi in my humble opinion. Compared to the TP10, the p4 pro has more body throughout the whole sound, being considerably warmer, the soundstage has superior definition, layering and depth. Bass has more impact and decay is longer, the mid-range is more intimate and voices have more drama, emotions are conveyed in a more natural way. All in all, it's clearly another league of earphone, meaning that the TP10 is nowhere near a giant killer. Treble extension goes further on TP10 as well and microdetais have more attention, the sound is airier as well, almost feeling like a earbud in openess when compared to the p4 pro.

vs TIN AUDIO T3 (69$)

The DD driver on the T3 has more impact and decay is considerably longer, the bass sounds boomier, but not in a negative way, it is still technically capable. The tin audio has more energy and gets to the sub bass with more agility, the TP10 feels more strained and lean overall. Speed on the BA is obviously better, the TP10 makes up in speed while T3 makes up in impact and naturalness. The soundstage on the T3 better defined, with superior stereo imaging because the TP10, while open, sounds too ethereal and without any depth. Mid range is clearer and sparkler on the TP10, having more warmth, intimacy and emotions on T3. Treble is more emphasized on the TP10, being overemphasized, however, it manages to get some naturalness and detail, on the T3 the only balanced armadure sound more strained and has some strange peaks. The TP10 also has less tendency to sibilance than T3 on my ears. Build and cables are clearly superior on the Tin Audio. The T3 are a better all arounder, the only caveat being the treble, macrodynamics, timbre, stage capabilities and bass goes to the Tin Audio.



OPINION

I was reading some of the reviews and opinions on the tripowin, and they were mainly negative, people have been wondering wich place in the market this IEM can occupy, as at the first glance, it looks pretty much generic.

I am not the most treble sensitive person, being used to a good amount of energy on the brighter notes, and that’s a huge part of me not thinking that this is isn’t exactly just a terrible IEM. So take that in mind.

To my ears, besides the peaky graphs that this IEM make, the treble can even sound coherent, however, it’s aggressiveness aren’t for everyone and demands a not so sensitive ear, as it also prohibits longer listening sessions with louder volumes. This is defnitely a bright IEM, fact is, If a was a newcomer on the market, I would not think it a good idea to start with a generic design and a tuning so focused on a niche.

Of course it would be easier to recommend the IEM and find a space in the market for them if he’d given us a faultless sound signature, and frankly, it’s not the case. It didn’t mean that these earphones are objectively bad. To my ears, once you adapt to them, the tripowin TP10 can even manage to sing nicely, it has a flat yet well extended and detailed bass response, present mids although on the thin side, and lots of clarity upper end.

Considering the whole package thought, what strikes me negatively is that the music can often sound one dimensional, with the help of shouty vocals, the music lacks a lot of macro dynamics as all the focus that your brain get’s is beetwen the mids and the highs; the soundstage although open, feels weird and inexistent, you get the feeling of hearing in a vacuum, too much airiness. In that case, you start to understand that the incredible detail and instrument separation starts to be not a plus, but a part of the problem.



All in All, my experience with the TP10 is a rollercoaster, at first I thought, wow, this sounds vivid and can pack a punch, even if a bit too shouty, then I read the reviews, then I took a critical listen, then I reconsidered, and then, and then, and then.

My conclusion is that The TP10 is more of a miss then it’s a hit, with some filtering on the nozzle maybe they can get to the point – and I am probably going to do it, but with this tuning, all you got is some wow factor, that then turns out in a wut factor, then to realize that your music is probably sounding off. It’s not a specific peak, it’s not sibilance, to my ears the tonal balance is just too much on the bright side. It’s off and hard to recommend, given that they manage to deprive the music, with its lack of macro dynamics as a result of the low treble dominance. If you are really, really into bright earphones, I can safely recommend the tp10, but I don’t think that this public it’s really a thing.

To conclude, I think that the tp10 has one of the best 20hz-1khz I’ve heard at any KZ’s related earphone’s, these iem’s could have gone really good, but at that way, they are only mediocre. The incredible detail and air gets overly dominant on the presentation, harming the dynamics, feeling, and drama of the musicality. In the end, the final picture is so vibrant that you miss the original intention of the artist. Let's keep an eye open and see what the future of tripowin can give us. See you there.

Special thanks to Linsoul Audio Store, for the opportunity to give this unbiased review.

Review of the Knowledge Zenith AS16 and Tripowin TP10


The latest IEMs from Knowledge Zenith and KZ-Spinoff Tripowin are the AS16 and the TP10 models. These two models have a lot of similarities so I’ll be comparing them together in this comparision review. Both of these models were provided for review by Linsoul (http://www.Linsoul.com) and both items can be found on their website directly, or through Amazon.

The AS16 features 8 balanced armatures per shell with 2 designated for bass, 2 for mids, and 4 for treble. The TP10 reduces the count to 5 BAs with 1 bass, 2 mids and 2 treble. Both share the same shell design, which is very large, has a translucent inner shell, and a metallic faceplate. Within the shells are the BA drivers as well as a white cover, which I assume is a dampener of some sort right below the nozzle. The layout is identical for both shells internally, sans the 2 additional drivers in the AS16.

The shell design is quite big, and is even larger than my Campfire Solaris. This makes the fit quite uncomfortable to wear for me for long periods of time. I never really found a tip combination I felt comfortable in with this design, and therefore had a frustrating time using these two.

Both share the same KZ-style cable, though the TP10 comes with a straight 3.5mm connector, while the AS16 comes with a right angle connector. Accessories are identical, as well as box packaging, and even the manual wording.




Neutral-like Sound
Both of these IEMs seem to be targeting a diffuse-field target, similar to how Etymotics approaches sound signature. The glaring differences in both of these is the lack of bass quantity, and overly extended treble, making them rather lean, bright, and pretty dull and boring sounding.




The TP10 actually has a more extended subbass and bass quantity in general, but also more elevated treble peaks. The KZ AS16, on the other hand, does have pretty glaringly missing bass response but a much smoother upper-mids and treble experience. The TP10’s bass is more weight and impactful than the AS16, but both fall well short of anything else I’ve tried, ever. They’re bass response is more reminiscent of classic ear bud designs.

The mids are recessed on both models, but I’d say a little less so than more KZ models. Both the mids and treble region are surprisingly detailed and clean. Imaging isn’t super great but soundstage is wide and open. They both present a very bright, airy sound signature, which is noticeably brighter and airy than the Etymotics Studio series. Even when compared to Tin Audio T2, or KZ ZSN’s or some other popular budget IEMs, these still seem quite bright. That said, I never found either of these to be sibilant, which is a bit of a surprise.

I found that these two do well for very specific genres, and I’d recommend staying clear from anything that needs a proper bassline, punch, impact, or anything with any semblance of bass required. That really kicks off the island anything EDM, most rock, pop, hip hop, rap, and a slew of other genres. It does do well for piano music, and some lighter jazz fares. It also isn’t bad for acoustic songs where bass and impactful drums are needed. You will still get a slightly brighter than normal presentation, but the lack of the low end is less effective here.

In the end, I find that neither of these are good all-around IEMS.

The AS16 is massively overpriced at $149, and you really are paying for marketing fluff and driver count. They do bring out a lot of detail and actually sound very clean, but at the asking price, I’d highly recommend at Etymotics ER2 or ER3 series, the Moondrop Kanas Pro, or a variety of other IEMs that do it better.

The Tripowin TP10 is priced more reasonable. It actually has better bass performance than the AS16 and in general, sounds similarly spacious and detailed, however it may have some occasional spikes of harshness. But at the $69 asking price, it can become a little more acceptable if you’re looking for a genre specific IEM or really like a bright diffuse tuning. But again, there are much better all-arounder options at this price point, starting with the Tin Audio T3 and the lower priced T2 and KZ ZS10 Pro.

Tripowin TP10

disclaimer: arrived 6/25. I was approached by Tripowin to review the new TP10 model. I was provided the TP10 and an upgrade cable for it by Tripowin for purposes of this review and have no other affiliation or financial interest in Tripowin. If you are interested, the TP10 can be purchased on Amazon here and the upgrade cable is available at this link.



Unboxing / Accessories:

Ok, lets just start with the elephant in the room, Tripowin is obviously either another offshoot of the KZ family, or is having KZ OEM for them as everything from the packaging to the drivers used is KZ. No, they have not come out and said as much, but you could not have copied KZ stylistically with any more precision if you had set out to clone one. We start with the slip cover style white box with graphics on front and data on back. Inside the clear plastic shield with the earpieces shown and the bagged cable and tips underneath great us. All very familiar somehow, albeit with a different brand name. The package includes 3 sets of tips, the cable, warranty card, and earpieces. Pretty standard at this price level. No case is provided.




Build/Fit:

The TP10 uses a metal outer shell with a clear plastic inner shell allowing the user to see some of the internals. Size wise, the shells are fairly large so may cause fit issues for small ears. I found them to be roughly the same size as the As06 or Zs10. the main body is fairly thin, although the nozzle is on a peaked portion of the shell which fits into the ear canal and means I end up using a size smaller tip than usual because of the shape. Connectors are the raised bi-pin design as has become common recently and when paired with the provided cable, tip up wear is the only option.




Internals:

The TP10 uses 5 BA drivers with a 3dd printed “sound guide” instead of using sound bores. This is becoming popular as less fitting and handwork is required with this design. The Drivers are a 22955 for low frequencies, and a pair of 29689 for mids, with a pair of 30095 high frequency drivers rounding out the group. Nominal impedance is listed as 15Ω with a sensitivity of 98dB/mW. I suspect the sensitivity is rated a bit low as I had no trouble getting the TP10 to perform without external amplification from a phone and didn’t detect much of any scaling when it was used with higher power sources.


Cable:

Here we hit a real dichotomy. The standard cable is again pretty standard KZ. Not bad, but nothing out of the ordinary with a tendency to tangle and some corners were obviously cut to save cost. Strain reliefs are minimal, the one button mic is passable, but again not anything out of the ordinary and susceptible to wind noise and rubbing on clothing. The hooded bi-pin is a nice touch but semi-proprietary. The Upgrade cable on the other hand is exactly what I have been hoping for. Well made, quality materials, and very pliable, with the hooded bi-pin connectors, this has a lot to like. I had been hoping manufacturers would come out with some solid upgrade options for the hooded style connectors and this the first I’ve had the pleasure of getting my hands on. If the rest of the package were as good as the upgrade cable, I’d be shouting from the rafters. As it stands, this would be a great upgrade cable for any of the hooded bi-pin style KZs or CCAs and I recommend purchasing the upgraded cable for sure.






Sound:





Bass:

Sub-bass is present but well behind mid-bass in the overall and comes off feeling fairly lean as roll off is fairly pronounced below about 75Hz. s Mid-bass has good thump with quick attack and decay to help keep it clean and more texture than expected. I think this is common for BA bass drivers as they tend to trade low end extension for cleaner, tighter, mid-bass. The upside is there is no tendency to get muddy as tracks get faster and more complex. The downside is bassheads will probably want to look elsewhere as bass is near neutral and certainly wont please that crowd.



Mids:

The lower mids transition smoothly and linearly from the mid-bass and then begin to climb forward as you move up. True mids are forward of the bass and upper mids and lower treble are both very forward. Vocals cut through the rest of the signature quite easily as a result, but come across as strident at times and do show a tendency to sibilance if given and provocation at all. Guitar comes across with an almost assault like quality that while fun at times, is unrealistic at others. Overall, timbre is not quite on and as a result the TP10 sounds unnatural at times.



Treble:

The overly aggressive nature of the mids continues into the Treble and comes across as splashy and harsh. I found the TP10 to be quite fatiguing which limited listening time even at modest volumes. The upside is the detail level in the treble is really quite good, the downside, the TP10 comes across as having too much top end and sparkle turns to metallic quickly. The treble shy will want to avoid the TP10 as even with EQ its signature remains bright as it is simply tuned that way.



Soundstage / Imaging:

Sound stage is wider than deep with limited height as is very typical of items at this price point. Imaging is solid with good instrument separation and seating the orchestra is fairly good although at times things that should be front/back are beside. Layering is also quite good and I found no tendency to get muddy or congested as complexity increased.



Thoughts / Conclusion:

The TP10 is a great example of a good effort that is marred by a singular flaw. In this case, the flaw is tuning. Starting with the upper mids, the TP10 is way too forward and the treble gets outright harsh at times. Diligent EQ can help, but does not completely remedy this and as such unless you just really like an aggressively bright sound, these are probably best left on the shelf. The upgrade cable on the other hand, I highly recommend for anyone looking for an improved design for iems with the now popular hooded bi-pin style connector.

INTRODUCTION/DISCLAIMER:

The Tripowin TP10 is an in-ear monitor with five balanced armature drivers per side. Tripowin is a KZ-affiliated brand and bears more than a passing resemblance to the CCA-A10. The TP10 retails for $69.99 on Amazon at the time of this review. The TP10 was provided to me by Linsoul Audio in exchange for a fair and objective review.

SOURCES:

I have used the Tripowin TP10 with the following sources:

Windows 10 PC > JDS Labs The Element > Tripowin TP10
Pixel 3 > Fiio BTR1K (Bluetooth Apt-X) > Tripowin TP10
Windows 10 PC > Fiio BTR1K (USB-DAC) > Tripowin TP10
Pixel 3 > Apple USB-C to 3.5mm dongle > Tripowin TP10
Mlais M52 Red Note > Tripowin TP10
Kingone 2-in-1 USB-C to 3.5mm Audio/Charge Adapter > Tripowin TP10

I have tested these headphones with local FLAC and Spotify Premium. Visit my last.fm page to get an idea of what I listen to.

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES:

The Tripowin TP10 comes in a small rectangular white box, very similar to the one the CCA-C10 came in. The slip cover pictures the TP10 on the front and gives the manufacturer’s contact information and technical specifications for the IEM on the back. The IEMs are held in a white foam mounting sheet underneath a clear plastic cover. Behind the mounting sheet are translucent white plastic bags containing the detachable .75mm 2-pin cable, 3 pairs of KZ Starline-type eartips (S, M, L), a user guide, and a warranty card. The TP10 does not come with a carry bag or case.

BUILD QUALITY / DESIGN:

The Tripowin TP10 is similar to the CCA-C10 and other recent KZ-affiliated IEMs in its design, with a metal faceplate and a clear acrylic body. The housing is a crescent-wedge shape. The inner acrylic face of the housing gently slopes into the nozzle. The TRIPOWIN logo is printed on the faceplate along with the total driver count. “10 Units balanced armature” are printed on the top of each housing. The nozzles are metal, with a small lip for securing eartips.

Each earpiece has one tiny circular vent on the inner face of the housing, and one slightly larger circular vent on the metal faceplate in the bottom corner. As this is an all-BA design, there are no issues with driver flex.

The 2-pin connectors use the latest KZ “type-C” recessed connector. The cable is braided copper with clear plastic housings for the 2-pin connections and a straight black metal housing for the 3.5mm jack. The 2-pin connectors have raised markings to indicate left and right. The cable has pre-formed ear-guides without memory wire. There is no chin-adjustment choker. The cable is less tangle-prone than the CCA-C10’s cable, but still tangles easily. While there is some strain-relief above the 3.5mm jack, there is none at the Y-split.

COMFORT / FIT / ISOLATION:

The Tripowin TP10 is intended to be worn cable-up only. Comfort is good despite the large housings, but I experienced the same nozzle migration I encountered with the C10s. That said, getting a good initial seal is easier than with the CCA-C10 because the nozzle is at a more natural angle. Isolation is very good.

SOUND:

The TP10 has a bright tuning with a strong upper-mid emphasis.

Sub-bass has excellent extension, but the bass region as a whole is de-emphasized. There is a hint of rumble and no slam. Despite this, the bass is well articulated and quite textured.

There is not enough bass to bleed into the lower mids, and the lower mids themselves are strongly recessed. Upper mids are front-and-center. There is too much presence for comfort and sibilance is a constant risk.

Treble is intense, with an aggressive lower-treble region. Clarity is outstanding and detail retrieval is exceptional for a sub-$100 IEM. There is a good amount of air, and transients are quick and agile. There an over-emphasis on sparkle. Timbre is less artificial and plasticky than the KZ AS10, but not as natural as the CCA-C10.

The tuning is unforgiving to poorly recorded music, emphasizing the harshest production elements.

Imaging is okay. Instrument separation is above average. Soundstage is average for a multi-BA design.

MEASUREMENTS:

My measurements were conducted with a Dayton iMM-6 microphone using a vinyl tubing coupler and a calibrated USB sound interface. The measurements use a compensation file derived from comparing my raw measurements with Crinacle’s published measurements. The measurements are presented with 1/24th smoothing. There is a resonant peak at 8k. Measurements above 10k are not reliable.

EQ:

The following EQ settings will give the bass more weight and take the edge off the upper midrange while preserving detail and clarity.


AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND SOURCE PAIRING:

Despite a sensitivity of 98dB, I do not feel the TP10 benefits noticeably from dedicated amplification. I found it very easy to drive even with smartphone headphone jacks and dongles. However, thanks to an impedance of 15ohms, the TP10 will hiss with noisy source devices.

COMPARISONS:

Tripowin TP10 (5BA) [$70 on Amazon] vs CCA-C10 (1DD+4BA) [$40 on Amazon]

The CCA-C10 is a more balanced-sounding IEM. The two IEMs have similar sub-bass extension, but the C10 has more bass out of the box. The TP10 has quicker bass articulation but the C10 has better bass texture. The C10 avoids mid-bass bleed despite having more bass and a less recessed lower midrange. The C10 has a warmer, more natural sounding lower midrange. The TP10 has a more forward upper midrange. The C10 has a much smoother treble response while retaining a good amount of air. The TP10 is more sibilant and unforgiving. The TP10 has much more clarity and more impressive detail retrieval. The C10 has a more natural timbre. The C10’s soundstage is larger. The TP10 has slightly better instrument separation. The C10 is slightly more comfortable but a secure fit and good seal are more difficult to achieve. The TP10’s cable is slightly less tangle-prone and does not accumulate static electricity like the C10’s cable.

Tripowin TP10 (5BA) [$70] vs Simgot MT3 (1 DD) [$70]

The MT3 is a more balanced-sounding IEM. The two IEMs have similar sub-bass extension, but the MT3 has more bass out of the box. The TP10 has better bass articulation. The MT3 has a less recessed lower midrange and a less forward upper midrange. The TP10 has a much more aggressive lower treble region and faster treble transients. The TP10 has much more clarity and more impressive detail retrieval. The MT3 has more air. The TP10 has a larger soundstage and better instrument separation. The MT3 is slightly harder to drive but does not hiss. The MT3 is more comfortable and is easier to get a good seal and secure fit with. The MT3 has more premium packaging and a more expansive accessory selection, including a better detachable cable.

CLOSING WORDS:

Though fast and detailed, the TP10 is hard to recommend because of its harsh, unbalanced tuning. The lackluster accessory selection is also difficult to accept at this price point.

Greetings,

Today we're check out a release from yet another KZ spinoff brand, the Tripowin TP10.

So what is the TP10 all about? Well, it features a pure balanced armature driver line up, five per side. It uses the same shell we recently saw with the AS16, though the ornate face plate has been replaced with something much more plain. I'm a little confused as to why KZ is diluting their already complicated brand like this, and by “like this” I mean releasing competing products under different brand names. The TP10 doesn't help since on a surface level it brings literally nothing new to the table.

Let's take a closer look.

Disclaimer:

Thanks to Lillian with Linsoul Audio for providing a sample of the TP10 for the purposes of review. The thoughts within are my own subjective impressions based on time listening to the product. They do not represent Tripowin, Linsoul, or any other entity. At the time of writing the TP10 was retailing for 69.99 USD: https://www.linsoul.com/product-page/Tripowin-TP10-IEM

Personal Preference:

I listen primarily to various EDM sub-genres (liquid drum and bass, breakbeat, drumstep, etc.), hip hop, and classic rock. My preferences for earphone tuning are quite relaxed and as such their is no one signature I look for. The HiFiMAN RE800, Brainwavz B400, and Massdrop x MeeAudio Planamic are examples of earphones with wildly varied signatures that are enjoyable for different reasons. I generally listen at very low volumes, so keep this in mind when perusing my thoughts on how an earphone sounds.

Sources:

Mobile: Shanling M0 with the Periodic Audio Nickel amp, or, ZiShan DSD by itself
@home: ZiShan DSD or Asus FX53V laptop plugged into a TEAC HA-501 desktop amp

While it has lower than average sensitivity (i.e. below 100dB), I never found the TP10 difficult to bring up to volume. Adding in an amplifier does really seem to do anything to boost performance either.

Specifications:

• Driver: 5 balanced armatures per side
• Impedance: 15 ohms
• Sensitivity: 98dB/mW
• Frequency Response: 20Hz to 40kHz

Packaging and Accessories:



If the TP10's packaging looks familiar to you, you're not alone. Swap out KZ or CCA branding, toss on Tripowin, and you're got yourself the TP10's box. The white exterior sleeve has a nice colour image of the TP10 on the front showing off the ear pieces and 2-pin setup, as well as the usual branding and model details. On the back you have contact information for Tripowin as well as specification info.

Slide off the sleeve and you find the earpieces nestled in a cardboard coated foam insert, protected by a transparent plastic cover. Thankfully the Tripowin version of this cover has a plastic pull tab built in, something commonly missing on the KZ versions. It's a real pain to lift out without that tab, unless you have long nails. Lifting out the plastic cover and foam insert you find a manual and included accessories. In all you get:

• TP10 earphones
• Copper braided cable
• Single flange 'Starline” silicone tips (s/m/l)

Yup, this is the same accessory kit pretty much all KZ and CCA models come with. Enough to get you going and nothing more. I don't understand why Tripowin needs to exist when even the packaging and accessories are redundant with it's parent brand. CCA already does that.

Build, Comfort, and Isolation:

The build is virtually identical to the KZ AS16, therefore, it is outstanding. High quality acrylics. A weight aluminum alloy faceplate. A neatly integrated metal nozzle with an oddly stylish protective steel screen. A protruding 2-pin 0.75mm input that is screwed in place, not glued. A wonderful 3D printed insert that holds the drivers securely in place and acts as directional tubes for the sound. There is a well-soldered crossover present out back too, somewhat hidden by '10 Units Balanced Armature' printed on the shell. Sub 100 USD earphones simply aren't built like this, but KZ/CCA/Tripowins are.

The cable is the same braided option KZ has been using for a while now. It's flexible, doesn't transmit much noise when rubbing against your clothing, and has been proven quite durable. The hardware used by Tripowin is probably my least favourite of that used by the KZ trifecta. The preformed ear guides and 2-pin plugs are fine since they're shared with the ZSN. The y-split is a tiny, completely unrelieved aluminum and plastic cylinder and I suspect will be a weak point. The jack is a simple straight cylinder as well with a small rubber relief. It is quite still and short, and as such offers a level of protection that falls well short of what KZ and CCA provide for essentially the same cable. And then of course the y-split is still set way too low resulting in the slender wires above tangling way too easily.

Comfort is pretty good. The TP10 is heavier than your average plastic bodied iem, but it doesn’t do anything to hinder fit. Neither do all the smooth curves and rounded edges. All this combined with the nicely formed ear guides leads to something I can wear for quite a while without experiencing discomfort.

Isolation is solid as well, and reminiscent of the experience provided by the AS06. Right now we still have quite a bit of construction going on in the area as they are resurfacing a number of parking lots. The TP10 effectively dulls the constant rumbling going on outside, even without any music playing. These should be fine for those planning to take them on the bus or subway.


Sound Quality:

Tips: To my borked ears the TP10 benefits from small to medium bore tips with a very soft silicone, such as Sony's Hybrid tips or Spinfit's CP100. Foam tips are also great because they soften the peaks slightly and make the TP10 more listenable. Not a fan of the stock Starlines with this earphone. The stiff silicone and medium bore do nothing to hide the peaks in the mids and treble.

The TP10 is a bright, mid-rangy earphone with a fairly reserved low end and a lean, airy nature.

Treble is peaky and aggressive which makes it quite a tiring listen, even at the low volumes my listening sessions inhabit. It feels like there are fairly aggressive peaks in both presence and brilliance regions because the TP10 can come across both quite harsh and overly sizzly and sparkly. In the TP10's favour, it is a very detailed listen with excellent clarity and plenty of space between notes. These drivers are quick too with notes decaying quite rapidly. Not going to be everyone's cup of tea, especially if you prefer the typically weighty, slower decay of a dynamic driver.

The mid-range, upper mid-range especially, is plenty forward. This is great for keeping vocals at the forefront and away from any mid/upepr-bass bleed, but unfortunately has the side effect of making them shouty and sibilant. Timbre is also off, lighter and leaner than it should be. Instruments simply sound off. That said, I really like how aggressive guitars are as they display plenty of attack and aggression. You also don't have to worry about lyrical coherence.

The TP10's low end is set back and plays a clear supporting role in the overall signature. Listeners wanting deep, thundering sub-bass or full, punchy mid-bass will certainly be left wanting. That said, the quality of bass is quite good. I am routinely impressed with KZ's low range armatures and while I'm not always a fan of the tuning, you can't deny they give Knowles and others a run for their money. Extension is pretty decent with some roll off present as is common with armatures. Texture is stellar with grungy basslines having the right attitude. It is well controlled and quite quick too, easily tackling rapid bass notes with ease.

The TP10 has a fairly intimate default presentation set within a decent sound stage. Imaging is sharp and accurate with clean channel to channel transitions that are free of dead zones or any vague spots. Tracks sound layered keeping instruments and staging dynamic. Instrument separation is quite good too with the TP10 taking on congested tracks with ease.

Overall I'm not really a fan of this tune. It is too harsh, too sibilant, and overall just not that enjoyable... at least for my current preferences. I appreciate the clarity and detail it can output and find the bass quite accomplished. The underlying issue, with the exception of the low range drivers, is they feel like they are tuned to play right at their upper limits. This gives the TP10 a strained presentation at every volume and that can be quite distracting. It's the opposite of effortless.


Select Comparisons (volumes matched with Dayton iMM-6):

TinHiFi T3 (69.99 USD): Where the TP10 is a five driver, armature-only earphone, the T3 is a dual-driver hybrid. Like the TP10, the T3 has elevated treble but it is less peaky, smoother, and better controlled. The TP10 has a more forward midrange. The T3's is more natural sounding and lacks the shouty qualities of the TP10. Bass on the T3 digs deeper and is slightly more impactful, but lacks the speed and texture of the TP10. It's not far off though. The T3 has a wider and deeper sound stage, but it's imaging qualities lack the immediacy of the the TP10's. TP10 also feels slightly better layered and on congested tracks does a better job of separating instruments and effects. Overall I prefer the T3. It's tune feels more balanced and refined, it doesn't display the TP10's sibilance, it's bass is more satisfying, and in general it just sound like the all-round better earphone. Build quality is about on par, though the edge goes to the T3; all-metal shells for durability and Tin's cable is vastly superior.

KZ AS16 (~125 USD: The TP10 and AS16 show of the two brand's familial background beyond more than just how they look. While they have a similar sound, to my ears the TP10 is brighter, has more aggressive mids, is more sibilant, and has a more pronounced low end with better extension and a hint more presence. The AS16 has a wider, deeper sound stage with improved technicals, but not by much. Decay and speed is basically the same. Timbre is improved on the AS16. Personally I think the AS16 is the better product, and it should be given the price, but it's not to the point that I'd say it is worth the extra cost over the TP10. Though if we're being blunt I wouldn't recommend either.

Final Thoughts:

The TP10 isn't a terrible earphone, but it's not a good one either. All positives, like the tight bass and sharp imaging, are countered by undesirable qualities, like sibilance and general treble harshness. It's biggest fault to me though is that it has no identity to call it's own.

This is a KZ in all but name, from the packaging, to the shell, to the drivers, to the KZ-esque sound. It's a further dilution of a brand I held in fairly high regard for their ability to bring good sound to those who traditionally could not afford it. But, ever since the ZST their prices have been increasing, products becoming more complicated, and the lineup ever more confusing, redundant, and congested. CCA appearing didn't help much since it brought little in the way of something new to the market, continuing the trend of tweaking the same basic signature in a refaced package. Tripowin and the TP10 do it again, but not nearly as well.

If you're a treble head and don't mind EQing or modding products to get the most out of them, you might enjoy the TP10. There is a good earphone hidden in there, it's just not that apparent out of the box. For everyone else, there are other, better products to spend your money on.

Thanks for reading!

- B9Scrambler


Some Test Tunes:

Aesop Rock – The Impossible Kid (Album)
Hail Mary Mallon – Are You Going to Eat That? (Album)
King Crimson – Lark’s Tongues in Aspic (Album)
King Crimson – Starless and Bible Black (Track)
Supertramp – Crime of the Century (Album)
Infected Mushroom – Legend of the Black Shawarma (Album)
Gorillaz – Plastic Beach (Album)
Massive Attack – Mezzanine (Album)
Fleetwood Mac – Rumors (Album)
Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels (Album)
The Prodigy – The Day is My Enemy (Album)
Tobacco – screw*d Up Friends (Album)
Felt – Felt 2 (A Tribute to Lisa Bonet) (Album)
Michael Jackson – Thriller (Album)
The Crystal Method – Grace (feat. LeAnn Rimes) (Track)
Jidenna – Long Live the Chief (Track)
Skrillex – Ragga Bomb (Track)
Big Grams – Run for Your Life (Track)
Funkadelic – Maggot Brain (Track)
Aesop Rock – Fishtales (Track)