Pros: -Large wings give a comfortable fit
-Cable is nicer than KZ's cheap one (almost feels like the KZ upgrade cable TBH)
-Very tight, accurate bass with little bleed
-Good soundstage and imaging'
-Can be found for $5 on sale on aliexpress
Cons: -Tips are not up to TRN standards, with an annoying little ridge in the mould that kinda hurts
-Mids are so scooped that it's distracting
-Detail in the upper mid and treble is severely lacking
-Competition in the $10-20 range has just exploded in 2022-2023, leaving these behind.
I don't hate TRN. Their T-tips are by a wide margin my absolute favorite eartips, I like the weird Xuan'wu energy, and I've ordered the new rosefinch to check out.
I'm comparing these to most of the big players in the $10-20 field: CCA CRA, Moondrop Chu, Moondrop Quark, 7hz Zero, and Truthear Hola.
These are a fun, energetic V shape that unfortunately just can't play with the price sector anymore. I paid $5 on aliexpress and was impressed with the build quality. For that money, they are honestly not a bad choice, but the dollar-for-dollar improvement here can't be overstated. The cable is honestly worth $5 and I'd say an upgrade to the stock KZ cable. The fit is okay but not great. I like the "custom fit" wings design, though they are a little extreme, I think the profile of the Truthear Hola is better
Imaging and soundstage are perfectly acceptable in the pack, I use "big sur moon" by buckethead to test this, and I hear good in/out separation with some amount of sound moving behind and in front, but not above. Not claustrophobic at all - the only one in this pack that fails is the moondrop chu, which makes me physically ill after only a few minutes. The Chu's are so bad in this regard that I disqualify them from everything, words can't describe how much I hate those things.
Bass is standout, well controlled, with great thump in the mid, balanced the sub, very little bleed and great speed. I'd be happy with this bass at $50.
Treble is a little sparkly and not fatiguing, but the detail in the low treble and upper mid is abysmal. Cymbals just sound bad, they have no ring or shimmer, just crash-nothing.
Mids are the real failing. I like me a good V shape. But these scooped the mids so hard that some songs and details sound like they're underwater. Everything just sounds thin and distant. Even my weird Xuan'wu's and their wonky everything feel "cohesive" in a way that these just don't.
Overall, if this was 3 years ago and my only IEM's were KZ ATE's, I'd say that for $15, there's a lot of IEM for the money and I would be a LOT less harsh (more in line with the other reviewers, who did these in 2021). But everything else in the segment apart from the chu's just demolishes them now. If you want V shape, the CCA CRA does every single thing better in the tuning and technicals, with the same soundstage and imaging. The quarks and truthear holas are more jack-of-all-trades and the 7hz zero's are brighter, less bass focused fun with lots of soundstage.
Pros: Can be driven from mobile devices with ease , decent build and comfort, sound is a safe but fun tuning.
Cons: Nothing at its price
This is going to be a simple review the box is the typical lower price box containing a image and information. Inside a cable and 3 size tips are provided. It should be noted TRN tips are decent for stock quality.
The unit itself is simple consisting of a plastic body and metal nozzle, the shape is ergonomic and familiar to IEM fans. I found it decent for the price and comfortable for long term use.
Sound:
We will start at the bottom ...
Bass: Bass provides a detailed and Balanced presentation it is very natural and has adequate depth and speed but does ever so slightly bleed into the lower mids, that said it has little effect on them to my ears other than some lower warmth.
Mids; are presented neutral and full with details and clarity, vocals are pleasant and though recession is not heard neither is a push forward, they feel organic in position.
Treble: is slightly forward and has emphases, giving the CS2 a nice sparkle and detail to the top end but no harshness
was detected.
Soundstage and imaging was good perhaps better than average, I found them accurate and tuning while safe was very pleasant.
In conclusion : Its a good buy for beginners on a budget or anyone looking for a great value. Its a fun and engaging IEM for the money its a solid buy.
i'de put 2 layers of low density tuning foam in the nozel and seems to "improve" it or reduced the uper-mid and lower treble to a more tolerable level and seem to improve the transparency by the tiniest bit and made it more fun to listen to the bass is abit more pronounced
Pros: Easy to drive
Good Timbral accuracy
Reverberation
Good value
Cons: Can be very loud
Intro
The CS2, is an affordable product from the TRN brand. I am new to the TRN brand so I can only say, I am told that the CS2 has the same sound quality as the MT1 (which I have yet to hear) but with more bass. I had no previous experience with TRN, so this is my discovery of the brand. Here I describe the sound I hear.
Disclosure
A set of CS2 was sent to me by TRN Official Store on AliExpress for review. All opinions are my own with no influence from anyone. No one has editorial control or influence over the contents of this review. I make an effort to ensure that I give the reader factual information.
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 and the Littlebear B4X tube DAC/Amp, mostly 3.5mm on low gain. I also used Amazon Music, but primarily UAPP music player app.
The CS2 come in a simple cardboard box with the earpieces, a cable and a few tips.
The casing of the earpieces appear to be made of hard and solid feeling plastic. CS2 is a set of universal In Ear Monitors (IEMs) which has added wings for a more contoured fit. They do indeed fit very well. Isolation is above average.
The CS2 have a sizeable 10mm dynamic driver which is described as a “Silicon crystal composite bio cellulose diaphragm for the driver”. TRN offers four colours, Black, grey, blue, and red, the colour I chose. All the earpieces on offer are transparent.
The detachable cable has a 3.5mm singled ended plug, it is not dreadful, but in many ways it is nondescript, as one would expect at this price range, nonetheless a well disciplined tangle-free cable, which clearly does a good job.
The sound
Firstly, a warning: these are so easy to drive their volume has the potential to cause some people harm.
1. Avoid balanced output.
2. Lower your source volume before you insert the earphones;
3. Put any amplification you use on low gain;
4.Start on low volume and increase in small increments to tolerable levels.
5. Remember, you have one set of ears for life, do not destroy them!
I am pleasantly surprised by the good sound quality of the CS2. I cannot express by pleasure that these gave me listening to various genres, and my surprise is that they are sold from approximately £7.00, which is about $9,00. The CS2 is a U-shaped set with slightly elevated bass and treble. I found the mids not too recessed and sometimes they sounded a touch more forward giving a good rendition of both male and female voices.
They sound great fun and incredibly good value for money. However, there are many earphones in the £25 price range, so what makes the CS2 stand out for me? To my ears there is a slight reverberation, which makes them sound quite special.
As a single DD their timbral accuracy is spot on to my ears. Listening to various instruments the decay is wonderfully real, as you would get when you play the instrument or sit next to the instrument. On pianos they sound so good, when a key is struck you hear the long tail or decay of the note just as though you were there.
Bass
The natural sound of the dynamic driver you have the most realistic instrument representation, in effect excellent timbral accuracy. The entire presentation is much more disciplined than that of the Blon BL03, in that to my ears the bass is not bloated and does not bleed into the mids. You get ample sub-bass and plenty mid-bass, which is sufficiently potent for most neutrals to enjoy, whilst not putting off the treble fiends.
Henrik Freischlader - I Loved
Another Woman:
These IEMs give you such a good dynamic range, that you hear as much definition in the bass at the same time you hear details in the instruments all at the same time and they are distinctly audible.
Separation of instruments is good and you get a good indication of the position of instruments in the imaginary space which puts these IEMs way beyond their price range.
Kyama - Long After You Are Gone:
Mids
The CS2 deliver mid treble beautifully, although not forward, you nonetheless get a good amount of the emphasis to enjoy vocals, guitars, piano and saxophones with feeling you have to alter the volume or even use the equaliser to alter any track due to recessed mids. Yes, in comparison to the planars, the mids are not as lush, but the dynamic driver mids are great fun.
Nicolas Cole - Snap:
The track starts with a smooth piece which is effectively the refrain. Your ears are then massaged by a saxophone gently coming all calmly underpinned by a steady and drum rhythm and sprinkling of high hats , cymbals and other percussive instruments. The CS2 are up to the task and deliver what to my ears are a superb and energetic rendition of this track.
Earl Klugh - Calypso Getaway:
Ed Sheeran - Andrea Bocelli - Perfect Symphony:
Highs
These earphones do not hold back on the highs although they not focused on the highs, it does not hold anything back. Of course the tuning does not go as far as to make these V shaped. This is definitely U-shaped and gives you such clarity, nothing at all is lost. What sets these apart is the I4s keep that bubbly laced tones right through the frequencies, so you get a certain additional sparkle at the top.
Tim Bowman - Soul Dreams:
Frederic Chopin - Nocturne in E-Flat Major, Op. 9, No.2:
Conclusion
The CS2 are not to be dismissed, the offer fun tuning, do not let the £7 or $9 price fool you. The tuning is so well done, that you hear details in the treble that go well beyond the price range, while delivering mature, full and well defined bass. The mids are sufficiently full and forward and you get detailed highs within the context of the price range of under $50 USD. The dynamics are superb and so is the stage. They are great fun, and they are more than worth the price.
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