Introduction
TRN is one of the most popular brands in the Chi-Fi industry mainly because of the fact that they were the biggest competitors of KZ when the market wasn’t as big as it is nowadays.
Their MT budget series started a few years ago and they are now at the 4th IEM of the series, of which I’ll be reviewing the Pro model which sport a (very common nowadays) 2DD setup.
Disclaimer: the TRN MT4 Pro were sent me from TRN for a highly discounted price (4$) so that I could write a honest review. This review represents my personal opinion on the set and it is by no means a promotional or paid content.
At the time of the review, the TRN MT4 Pro were on sale for about 17$ on Aliexpress’ official TRN Store.
Technical Specifications
- Driver Configuration → 2 x DD (1x10mm DLC diaphragm DD + 1x6mm titanium-plated DD)
- Sensitivity → 113 dB
- Impedance → 40 Ω
- Frequency Response Range → 20Hz-20kHz
- Cable → 1,20m silver plated copper cable with 0.78mm 2-PIN QDC connectors
- Plug Type → L-type gold plated 3,5mm jack connector
Packaging
The packaging is simple and with very few things inside:
- The TRN MT4 Pro
- The detachable 3.5mm cable with 0.78mm 2-PIN QDC connectors
- One pair of T-Tips in M size (even though the website says it’s a complete T-tips set) + One set of bass tips (S, M, L) + One pair of memory foam tips (M size)
- User manual
Design and Build Quality
The MT4 Pro look pretty good honestly, but it’s easy to distinguish these from more premium looking IEMs as they still have a sort of “cheap stuff look”. In terms of feeling, though, the MT4 Pro are no slouch with a nice resin shell and a zinc alloy faceplate that looks rather clean and minimal.
There is a small pressure vent on the ear-facing side of the shell just in front of the dynamic driver and the nozzle is of average size.
Note that someone have posted online some photos of MT4 Pro samples showing the HBB collab logo on one side, and I want to specify that this sample doesn’t have anything like that on the shell.
Cable
The stock cable is nothing to write home about as I have seen better stock cables for this price. It’s still enough and definitely usable, but I think TRN should think about including a slightly better stock cable in the box.
Comfort and Isolation
Comfort is good overall even though the shell wing could lead to discomfort if you have very small ears (just like any other wing-ed IEM, except for AFUL the MagicOne that are smaller).
With some tips, though, I found out there were some small pressure issues which I solved with some tip rolling. This issue may not be found on other units so it’s just my sample maybe.
Isolation is just average and not the best for outdoor listening sessions, so one may need to use a slightly higher average volume in very noisy environments.
TRN should have included a set of T-Tips, but I only found one pair of M-Size T-Tips. The other set of tips provided is mediocre at best, so one may need other spare tips to try some tip rolling.
Sound
GEAR USED FOR THE TEST
- DAC: Topping E30
- AMP: Topping L30
- Mobile phones: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Xiaomi Mi A3
- Dongle: Apple Type-C dongle, Truthear SHIO
- Portable DAPs: Benjie S8/AGPTEK M30B
- Other sources: Presonus AudioBox iONE, ElGato Wave XLR, KZ AZ10
Do they need an amplifier?
The TRN MT4 Pro don’t strictly need an amplifier, but they don’t play very loud on weak sources for sure. A simple type-c dongle is a safe recommendation.
Sound signature
The TRN MT4 Pro follow the Harman target more or less, with a bit more bass, slightly less upper-mids and presence and a tad more air on top.
SMALL (YET IMPORTANT) SIDENOTE
I noticed that my sound was strange at first and in fact my sample had polarity issues on the 2-PIN connectors. Connecting the cable in the opposite direction (making them impossible to wear without cutting the pre-made hooks) reveals their true sound. Not really a minor QC fault…
Lows
The sub-bass is well reproduced with a nice and controlled extension with a good rumble.
The bass shelf gives the MT4 Pro some character when reproducing kickdrums even though the bass is not the fastest around. The bass is punchy and could have been slightly faster, but it’s pretty tight and does its job for most genres although it’s not most textured around.
I think the low-end is the best part of MT4 Pro’s sound hands down, especially in terms of punch and impact, and I think those who love bass will like the MT4 Pro.
Mids
The mids are recessed even though not dramatically so. It’s a typical U-shaped tuning midrange recession that does not hurt but the instruments are more laidback and soft for sure with. The lower midrange is nice with male vocals being reproduced fairly well and instruments having a natural timbre overall. The upper midrange is borderline hot sometimes and a few sibilance episodes are not uncommon, but female vocals satisfy the listener by sounding very energetic and intimate.
Overall, the midrange is not as recessed as on other typical budget KZ or TRN and the vocal reproduction is good on average, but I think the upper midrange could have been a touch less aggressive.
Highs
The highs are slightly emphasized and because of this treble sensitive people should maybe look for something else as cymbals may become annoying at higher volumes.
Even though the lower treble is emphasized, it’s not fatiguing, but the upper treble has some peaks here and there that make them fatiguing during long listening sessions. For sure that upper treble is there to prevent these from sounding closed-in, but at the same time this kind of treble tuning makes them a bit fatiguing and contributes in making the MT4 Pro sibilant in certain tracks.
Soundstage has decent width and average depth and height, and the
imaging is average as well. Let’s say it’s average for the price range, that’s all.
Some comparisons:
TRN MT4 Pro vs Truthear Hola
Both are around 20$ and both offer pretty good sound quality for the money.
The low-end is slightly more accurate and controlled on the Hola, even though the TRN MT4 Pro have more bass impact and rumble. The midrange is warmer on the Hola whereas the MT4 feels a bit more recessed. In terms of vocals, the Hola perform slightly more natural whereas the MT4 Pro have a bit more energy and bite during female vocals reproduction (evne though this comes at a cost of some episodes of sibilance). The treble is instead more polite and less airy on the Hola, with the MT4 Pro taking the lead in details and sparkle and sounding more fun overall, although the latter sound more fatiguing and aggressive overall. Neither of the two sound particularly spacious as the soundstage is just average on both, but if there’s a winner in imaging then it’s the Hola.
Overall, the Hola sound more correct from a tone and timbre standpoint, but the TRN MT4 Pro are more fun and energetic so it really comes down to personal preference.
Build quality is very good on both, but the Hola are more unique in terms of design. Comfort-wise, the Hola have a pretty short nozzle and even though could be more comfortable than the MT4 Pro, since the latter have a more protruding shell wing, they end up being equally comfortable. Isolation is slightly better while wearing the Hola.
Both are shipped with average stock cables but Hola’s cable is a bit softer and more comfortable (and versatile since their PINs are not covered by any kind of plastic).
TRN MT4 Pro vs Celest Wyvern Pro
These are slightly different.
The low-end is punchier and a bit more full bodied on the MT4 Pro, but the Wyvern Pro have faster, more controlled and textured bass that is of higher quality. When it comes to the midrange, the Wyvern Pro reveal more details in the instruments and portray female vocals in a more energetic way (even though they can be become borderline hot here and there). Male vocals are better on the MT4 Pro. The treble is overall more detailed on the Wyvern Pro, with better perceived resolution and a less aggressive treble.
From a technical point of view, the Wyvern Pro don’t impress when it comes to soundstage just like the MT4 Pro, but the imaging is way better on the Wyvern Pro.
The Wyvern Pro are built in a better way and they also look more refined and premium overall. The cable is of different type (the Wyvern Pro come with a boom-mic cable, whereas the MT4 Pro come with a standard cable) but the one shipped with the Wyvern Pro is better overall. Isolation goes for the Wyvern Pro, while comfort is generally better with the MT4 Pro since the protruding wing may be more annoying on the Wyvern Pro.
Final Thoughts
The TRN MT4 Pro sound fine: very punchy and satisfying low-end, a slightly recessed midrange and some sparkle in the treble region, along with energetic and forward vocals (that are also a bit borderline hot and sometimes sibilant). It’s not a technical set, nor does it surprise the listener with the most open, airy and detailed sound, but sounds more than decent at the end.
What bothers me about the MT4 Pro? Well, they are just “another budget IEM” with no real added value with respect to other sets in the same price range.
Nowadays we have the 7Hz x Salnotes Zero 2, the Moondrop Chu II, the KZ Castor, the Truthear Hola, and so on, and the more I mention IEMs the more I think that the MT4 Pro should have been more unique. Their Harman-ish tuning (which is very common nowadays), along with their average technical performance, just makes them something that exists rather than something that’s easy to recommend. If we also add to this the fact that the polarity was inverted on the 2-PIN connectors, well, it wasn’t what I was expecting from TRN.
TRN used to come up with very unique and disruptive sets like the TRN V80 in the past (which really screamed “hey, I am the one to beat”, and they truly were the ones to beat), but it seems like these budget IEMs are just trying to catch other brands’ offerings.
Even though the MT4 Pro aren’t bad by any means, I think it’s very hard to recommend them at their full price: someone will enjoy them for sure, but I think a serious price decrease is necessary to make these truly appealing.
Hopefully the next TRN IEMs that I will try will surprise me as because this was a sort of letdown considering what others brands are actually doing.
