This sample was provided for review by Gina of Senlee at Amazon.co.uk.
Product link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Earphones-Headphones-Senlee-Monitor-Detachable-Black/dp/B08B4DCKNF
Introduction
The M10 is the newest release from TRN. Following the more upmarket BA5 and VX models, it is a more affordable dual driver hybrid, 1DD + 1BA. It comes in traditional TRN /KZ/CCA packaging, a small rectangular box with a red TRN logo and a line drawing of the IEMs on the front, with specifications printed on the rear. Sliding open the box reveals the earpieces in a cardboard former and under this you will find the 2-pin cable, spare tips and documentation.
The dynamic driver is a micro-driver with a diameter of 8mm and the BA is the familiar 30095 unit. The earpieces are bullet-shaped and only 20mm long, constructed from CNC machined aluminium and appear to be very well-made. My example was finished in "College Blue" (Phantom Black and Moonlight Silver are also available). There is a raised 2-pin socket. On one side is written "hybrid technology" and "DD1 + BA1" is written on the other. Channel identification and a small pinhole vent can be found on the underside. The cable is a black braided 4-core OFC type with type C connectors. It has a good quality straight metal 3.5mm plug and a plastic Y-split but there is no chin slider and it is prone to tangling. It is difficult to see the "L" and "R" markings on the clear plastic of the plugs and it is important to make sure the polarity is right. I found that it was correct when the indicators on the plugs were facing me when looking at the earpieces from the front. This packaging is simple but acceptable at the price.
First Impressions
The IEMs were auditioned using an Xduoo X20 DAP as the primary source. I also used a Huawei smartphone and a CD player. There was plenty of volume available, even from weaker sources. The earpieces were very comfortable and I obtained a good seal and deep insertion with the supplied tips and cable. It was very liberating to wear an IEM cable down after many recent cable up designs!
The 8mm driver delivered a powerful and deep bass with good extension and weight, with the sub-bass having a satisfying rumble. Mid-bass was punchy and there was very little bass bleed. As a result the lower mids were clean and clear with good projection. Upper mids were more forward and this trend continued into the treble which was well-extended. There was a rise in mid-treble and a further emphasis in the extreme HF giving sparkle and detail. The overall effect was of a near-neutral or mild W or V signature. There was a marked improvement in the sound after a lengthy burn in period (100 hours).
Bass
The bass reached deep with a good sub-bass presence and was impressive for the 8mm driver. John Harles's "Silencium" begins with deep bass drum and female vocals overlaid with a cello part. The bass drum was resonant and powerful and the decay had good texture. The cello displayed good timbre and transient attack.
Philip Riley and Jayne Ellison's "Visions and Voices" is an album of Celtic-inspired pieces which feature wordless female vocals and multi-instrumental textures. In "Awakening" the plucked strings displayed good transient attack. The track also includes a prominent part for bodhran. The initial strike was clean and was followed by a very long decay. At the conclusion, five unaccompanied strikes are played with space in between allowing the sound to dissipate gradually. These were presented very well.
Al Stewart's "On the Border" is underpinned by a superb bass line. During the complex production by Alan Parsons, the bass guitar was well balanced and easily distinguished from the bass drum played simultaneously.
Mids
The lower midrange was smooth and largely free from bass bleed and had good detail and the effect was pleasant and easy to listen to. The strings in Ernest Moeran's beautiful tone poem "Lonely Waters" were nicely reproduced and the cor anglais solo near the conclusion was well done, standing out nicely from the accompaniment.
The lead synth line in Erik Wollo's " Little Dream in Turquoise" was clean and incisive and the other parts showed good layering above the interweaving bass lines. It was easy to follow the individual elements in the production.
"After the Goldrush" by Prelude is an a capella piece featuring female lead vocals and multi-track chorus. The voices were very well enunciated, breath sounds apparent and the ambience of the studio was extremely clear.
Treble
The upper register was smooth and clean without harshness with the 30095 BA's tonality slightly rolled off and less aggressive than in some other models. "Natural Light" is the title track from the album by Steven Halpern and Dallas Smith. Halpern's shimmering keyboards dovetailed with Smith's filigree Lyricon work and produced an almost hypnotic effect with the electronic woodwind displaying excellent extension.
The solo saxophone in "It must be Love" by Madness had lots of character and excellent texture and timbre. The pizzicato string accompaniment was crisp and clear and percussion sparkled.
Soundstage
Initially, the soundstage was somewhat narrow but after a lengthy burn-in period it expanded considerably and became airy and spacious. This showed well in Richard Burmer's "A Story from the Rain" where the positioning of the various percussion effects formed a spherical space around the head extending just beyond the ears.
The introduction to "The Enchanted Lake" by Liadov features bass trombones and tuba, harps and brass, contrasting with the string section. The panoramic spread of the orchestra was very effectively portrayed in the beautiful performance conducted by Charles Gerhardt.
Conclusion
After enjoying the bold V-shaped V90, the fast and exciting VX and the nicely-balanced BA5, I was eager to hear what TRN could do with a lower-tier model. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with the performance of such an affordable model. The bass was powerful and clean, midrange and treble were open and expressive and the soundstage possessed equal dimensions in width, depth and height. It is very well constructed and comfortable to wear. It does most things very well although competition is fierce in this sector.
Comparisons
The CVJ CSA, at around the same price of £15 has a similar balanced tuning. The bass is a bit tighter, mids are a little more forward and detailed and the treble airier and more extended. It also has a very good soundstage. The M10 sounded smoother in the midrange and very natural.
TRN's own ST1 is more V-shaped with recessed mids and brighter treble but also has a good soundstage courtesy of the vented enclosure. The bass is slightly looser from the 10mm driver and overall lacks the M10's more balanced presentation.
KBEAR has recently released the KS2 which is a strongly V-shaped IEM with a warm "fun" signature and an expansive soundstage. It is a quite different tuning from the M10.
Verdict
The M10 is a well balanced earphone with a neat form factor which is comfortable and very listenable. If you are in the market for an entry-level dual hybrid, it should be on your short list as it performs well with no major shortcomings and is excellent value.
Product link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Earphones-Headphones-Senlee-Monitor-Detachable-Black/dp/B08B4DCKNF
Introduction
The M10 is the newest release from TRN. Following the more upmarket BA5 and VX models, it is a more affordable dual driver hybrid, 1DD + 1BA. It comes in traditional TRN /KZ/CCA packaging, a small rectangular box with a red TRN logo and a line drawing of the IEMs on the front, with specifications printed on the rear. Sliding open the box reveals the earpieces in a cardboard former and under this you will find the 2-pin cable, spare tips and documentation.
The dynamic driver is a micro-driver with a diameter of 8mm and the BA is the familiar 30095 unit. The earpieces are bullet-shaped and only 20mm long, constructed from CNC machined aluminium and appear to be very well-made. My example was finished in "College Blue" (Phantom Black and Moonlight Silver are also available). There is a raised 2-pin socket. On one side is written "hybrid technology" and "DD1 + BA1" is written on the other. Channel identification and a small pinhole vent can be found on the underside. The cable is a black braided 4-core OFC type with type C connectors. It has a good quality straight metal 3.5mm plug and a plastic Y-split but there is no chin slider and it is prone to tangling. It is difficult to see the "L" and "R" markings on the clear plastic of the plugs and it is important to make sure the polarity is right. I found that it was correct when the indicators on the plugs were facing me when looking at the earpieces from the front. This packaging is simple but acceptable at the price.
First Impressions
The IEMs were auditioned using an Xduoo X20 DAP as the primary source. I also used a Huawei smartphone and a CD player. There was plenty of volume available, even from weaker sources. The earpieces were very comfortable and I obtained a good seal and deep insertion with the supplied tips and cable. It was very liberating to wear an IEM cable down after many recent cable up designs!
The 8mm driver delivered a powerful and deep bass with good extension and weight, with the sub-bass having a satisfying rumble. Mid-bass was punchy and there was very little bass bleed. As a result the lower mids were clean and clear with good projection. Upper mids were more forward and this trend continued into the treble which was well-extended. There was a rise in mid-treble and a further emphasis in the extreme HF giving sparkle and detail. The overall effect was of a near-neutral or mild W or V signature. There was a marked improvement in the sound after a lengthy burn in period (100 hours).
Bass
The bass reached deep with a good sub-bass presence and was impressive for the 8mm driver. John Harles's "Silencium" begins with deep bass drum and female vocals overlaid with a cello part. The bass drum was resonant and powerful and the decay had good texture. The cello displayed good timbre and transient attack.
Philip Riley and Jayne Ellison's "Visions and Voices" is an album of Celtic-inspired pieces which feature wordless female vocals and multi-instrumental textures. In "Awakening" the plucked strings displayed good transient attack. The track also includes a prominent part for bodhran. The initial strike was clean and was followed by a very long decay. At the conclusion, five unaccompanied strikes are played with space in between allowing the sound to dissipate gradually. These were presented very well.
Al Stewart's "On the Border" is underpinned by a superb bass line. During the complex production by Alan Parsons, the bass guitar was well balanced and easily distinguished from the bass drum played simultaneously.
Mids
The lower midrange was smooth and largely free from bass bleed and had good detail and the effect was pleasant and easy to listen to. The strings in Ernest Moeran's beautiful tone poem "Lonely Waters" were nicely reproduced and the cor anglais solo near the conclusion was well done, standing out nicely from the accompaniment.
The lead synth line in Erik Wollo's " Little Dream in Turquoise" was clean and incisive and the other parts showed good layering above the interweaving bass lines. It was easy to follow the individual elements in the production.
"After the Goldrush" by Prelude is an a capella piece featuring female lead vocals and multi-track chorus. The voices were very well enunciated, breath sounds apparent and the ambience of the studio was extremely clear.
Treble
The upper register was smooth and clean without harshness with the 30095 BA's tonality slightly rolled off and less aggressive than in some other models. "Natural Light" is the title track from the album by Steven Halpern and Dallas Smith. Halpern's shimmering keyboards dovetailed with Smith's filigree Lyricon work and produced an almost hypnotic effect with the electronic woodwind displaying excellent extension.
The solo saxophone in "It must be Love" by Madness had lots of character and excellent texture and timbre. The pizzicato string accompaniment was crisp and clear and percussion sparkled.
Soundstage
Initially, the soundstage was somewhat narrow but after a lengthy burn-in period it expanded considerably and became airy and spacious. This showed well in Richard Burmer's "A Story from the Rain" where the positioning of the various percussion effects formed a spherical space around the head extending just beyond the ears.
The introduction to "The Enchanted Lake" by Liadov features bass trombones and tuba, harps and brass, contrasting with the string section. The panoramic spread of the orchestra was very effectively portrayed in the beautiful performance conducted by Charles Gerhardt.
Conclusion
After enjoying the bold V-shaped V90, the fast and exciting VX and the nicely-balanced BA5, I was eager to hear what TRN could do with a lower-tier model. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with the performance of such an affordable model. The bass was powerful and clean, midrange and treble were open and expressive and the soundstage possessed equal dimensions in width, depth and height. It is very well constructed and comfortable to wear. It does most things very well although competition is fierce in this sector.
Comparisons
The CVJ CSA, at around the same price of £15 has a similar balanced tuning. The bass is a bit tighter, mids are a little more forward and detailed and the treble airier and more extended. It also has a very good soundstage. The M10 sounded smoother in the midrange and very natural.
TRN's own ST1 is more V-shaped with recessed mids and brighter treble but also has a good soundstage courtesy of the vented enclosure. The bass is slightly looser from the 10mm driver and overall lacks the M10's more balanced presentation.
KBEAR has recently released the KS2 which is a strongly V-shaped IEM with a warm "fun" signature and an expansive soundstage. It is a quite different tuning from the M10.
Verdict
The M10 is a well balanced earphone with a neat form factor which is comfortable and very listenable. If you are in the market for an entry-level dual hybrid, it should be on your short list as it performs well with no major shortcomings and is excellent value.
TRN M10 Review
Good, but not really.
INTRODUCTION
TRN is no foreigner in the budget IEM game, but is its new $13 M10 a gem or just another average budget IEM? Well, the title basically says it all, but let me explain everything.
UNBOXING
▲ Comes in the typical TRN box, nothing fancy but I like it. ▲
▲ I like how its presented. ▲
▲ Inside the box you get a typical TRN braided cable, a set a standard tips, and the usual leaflets. Note that the cable uses a custom 2-pin design so it will only be compatible with the M10. ▲
BUILD AND DESIGN
The design was honestly the main incentive for me to buy it. I LOVE bullet-shaped designs, and this is no exception. Like the FA E300, it sports a beautifully polished aluminum housing, so I was curious to see whether the sound was good enough to justify its nice design.
FIT AND ISOLATION
Of course, as a result of its bullet-shaped design, the fit is perfect and comfortable, and isolation is a bit above average.
SOUND QUALITY
TONALITY
Okay lets talk about the elephant in the room. This IEM obviously has a very weird tuning OOTB. I mean, its not a bad tuning, it's just a weird one. I don't really know how to explain it. It almost feels like as if there's a specific dip in frequency range, I just don't know where. Anywho, the weird tonality overall just makes the M10 sound a bit immature and unrefined.
BASS
The bass comes off as fairly lean and balanced, with a moderate mid-bass punch that compliments but doesn't overtake the entire sound. If I could describe the bass with one word, it would be bouncy. Also, the bass seems very dependent on source or the music you listen to. With a warm source (e.g. LG V30), the bass is never lacking, but on some colder sources the bass is sometimes nonexistent.
MIDS
The mids clearly lack body and therefore sound thin. This is most prominent in vocal music, where female vocals sound more rich and full on IEMs like the KZ ED9 than on the M10. It also generally just makes your music sound hollow. Perhaps the lack in mids is what is causing the odd tonality. Either that or a huge dip in lower treble (6Khz).
TREBLE
On the other hand, the treble is pretty nice. It is sharp and crisp around the (supposedly) 11-12Khz area, offering lots of body and definition to the treble, while also revealing some nuanced details within that area. And depending on what you listen to, it could be a bit too bright and piercing. Tonality-wise, the treble has more of a artificial quality to it than a natural one.
TECHNICALITIES
Soudstage is where the M10 takes a toll on. It has that intimate "in your head" sort of feel, with sounds barely extending outwards in terms of left-to-right width, but in terms of depth it's actually surprisingly deep.
Imaging is actually not bad either. It doesn't provide holographically precise imaging, but its able to portray the location of sounds in a believable way.
What did impress me though is the M10's instrument separation. It's actually pretty decent at separating instruments from each other and handling multiple layers of sounds in a spacious manner.
COMPARISONS
VS Final Audio E3000
VERDICT
Overall the M10 isn't a bad IEM, but it's nothing remarkable. The main Achilles heel of the M10 is its hollowed out mids plagued by its odd unnatural tonality. So if you like your mids, the M10 will only disappoint. I'd recommend spending a few dollars more to get something like the KZ ZSN Pro, or spend even less and get the much better KZ ED9.
Good, but not really.
INTRODUCTION
TRN is no foreigner in the budget IEM game, but is its new $13 M10 a gem or just another average budget IEM? Well, the title basically says it all, but let me explain everything.
UNBOXING
▲ Comes in the typical TRN box, nothing fancy but I like it. ▲
▲ I like how its presented. ▲
▲ Inside the box you get a typical TRN braided cable, a set a standard tips, and the usual leaflets. Note that the cable uses a custom 2-pin design so it will only be compatible with the M10. ▲
BUILD AND DESIGN
The design was honestly the main incentive for me to buy it. I LOVE bullet-shaped designs, and this is no exception. Like the FA E300, it sports a beautifully polished aluminum housing, so I was curious to see whether the sound was good enough to justify its nice design.
FIT AND ISOLATION
Of course, as a result of its bullet-shaped design, the fit is perfect and comfortable, and isolation is a bit above average.
SOUND QUALITY
TONALITY
Okay lets talk about the elephant in the room. This IEM obviously has a very weird tuning OOTB. I mean, its not a bad tuning, it's just a weird one. I don't really know how to explain it. It almost feels like as if there's a specific dip in frequency range, I just don't know where. Anywho, the weird tonality overall just makes the M10 sound a bit immature and unrefined.
BASS
The bass comes off as fairly lean and balanced, with a moderate mid-bass punch that compliments but doesn't overtake the entire sound. If I could describe the bass with one word, it would be bouncy. Also, the bass seems very dependent on source or the music you listen to. With a warm source (e.g. LG V30), the bass is never lacking, but on some colder sources the bass is sometimes nonexistent.
MIDS
The mids clearly lack body and therefore sound thin. This is most prominent in vocal music, where female vocals sound more rich and full on IEMs like the KZ ED9 than on the M10. It also generally just makes your music sound hollow. Perhaps the lack in mids is what is causing the odd tonality. Either that or a huge dip in lower treble (6Khz).
TREBLE
On the other hand, the treble is pretty nice. It is sharp and crisp around the (supposedly) 11-12Khz area, offering lots of body and definition to the treble, while also revealing some nuanced details within that area. And depending on what you listen to, it could be a bit too bright and piercing. Tonality-wise, the treble has more of a artificial quality to it than a natural one.
TECHNICALITIES
Soudstage is where the M10 takes a toll on. It has that intimate "in your head" sort of feel, with sounds barely extending outwards in terms of left-to-right width, but in terms of depth it's actually surprisingly deep.
Imaging is actually not bad either. It doesn't provide holographically precise imaging, but its able to portray the location of sounds in a believable way.
What did impress me though is the M10's instrument separation. It's actually pretty decent at separating instruments from each other and handling multiple layers of sounds in a spacious manner.
COMPARISONS
VS Final Audio E3000
- While both share a similar metal bullet design, both have completely opposite tuning philosophies. The M10 is more treble-centric, whereas the E3000 is more bass and mid-centric. The E3000 has a much more natural tonality than the M10 with richer mids that makes everything sound much bigger.
- Also sharing a bullet design, the KZ ED9—despite being priced below the M10—absolutely demolishes it. The ED9 has a far more natural tonality and timbre, has more upfront mids, and has outstanding technical abilities such as better resolution and detail, as well as a holographic soundstage. It is simply in another league.
- The V20 is the only other TRN IEM I own, and honestly despite having an awful treble peak, I think I still prefer it over the M10. The V20 has a big punchy bass that the M10 lacks, and has a very natural and transparent midrange. The soundstage is also huge compared to the M10. It overall feels more capable.
VERDICT
Overall the M10 isn't a bad IEM, but it's nothing remarkable. The main Achilles heel of the M10 is its hollowed out mids plagued by its odd unnatural tonality. So if you like your mids, the M10 will only disappoint. I'd recommend spending a few dollars more to get something like the KZ ZSN Pro, or spend even less and get the much better KZ ED9.
DallaPo
Try plugging the cable the other way around on one side. Does it get weirder from the sound, or does it clear up the sound Image? I don't know the M10 myself, but there could be a reversed polarity here.
NeonHD
Yes I believe the weird imaging was partially due to the reversed polarity. I did that already and it sort of cleared the image, but it still remained pretty weird sounding.
