TTPOD T1 High Fidelity Definition Dual Dynamic Professional In-ear Earphone Transparent White

   I have just purchased after reading possitive feedbacks. I am glad to see they are right.
 
+ Classical & Jazz & Blues & Rock lovers definetely should give a shot with this price tag. It can be used as reference. Most people who read reviews are especially interested in bass response. I am a bass head tend to like deep balanced bass.It should be not in front not laid back. Bass is something like saturation in pictures. It makes music lively and saturated but too much of it ruins soundstage.TTPOD T1 has flat like bass response. It is not punchy not forward just right amount in most cases and genres.T1 is somewhere between flat to V-shape but true to the performance objective may be the definition of its main character.
 
 
-  Tangle free cord is a must , its cable seems to have memory and wooden case for drivers would be better for resonance.

Introduction – The TTPOD T1 is a recent entry into the growing market of dual-dynamic earphones. Selling for only $35 at Penon Audio, the T1’s are the cheapest of all current dual-dynamic IEMs on the market and fall right within the budget category. With tough competition from the likes of the Havi B3 Pro-1’s, the MOE Audio SS01 (which shares a similar design), and the much more expensive Brainwavz R3 the T1’s seem a little out of place comparatively. But low cost doesn’t equal low value which is exactly the case here - they proved to be worth more than their price would suggest even next to other highly respected, high-performance headphones. But they will suit some more than others and that will depend entirely on taste. To see if they suit you, read on and find out! 
 
Disclaimer – These are the standard T1’s, not to be confused with the pricier, “enhanced” T1-E. My pair was purchased at discount in exchange for this review. I am not affiliated with TTPOD or Penon Audio and will be as unbiased as possible in this review. All images are mine.
 
 
Specifications:
- 6.2mm dynamic drivers (dual/unilateral)
- Impedance: 12 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 104db at 1 KHz/mW
- Frequency range: 8Hz – 26 KHz
- Cable: 18 core 0.05mm OFC Silver Plated Cable
- Cable length: 1.3m/4.25ft
- Connector: 3.5mm gold-plated plug
- Weight: 19g
 
 
Packaging & Accessories: The T1’s come packaged within a sturdy brown box with a silver logo on the front and specifications on the back, which were off center for some reason. Once the box is open you’ll find an opaque TTPOD cover that prepares you for the earphones inside. Beyond it lays each earpiece and two pairs of white ear tips which are presented above a Chinese logo. Opening the box was quite pleasant as you must get through multiple layers to remove all the contents of the box. Included is an all Chinese warranty card and user manual, a soft grey carrying pouch, a shirt clip, and 9 pairs of ear tips all of varying sizes and materials. The standard white silicone tips come in three sizes at two different lengths making for 6 pairs while the red, blue, and yellow tips utilize a stiffer, seemingly hybrid design. Kudos to TTPOD for making such a simplistic well thought out package.
 
 
Build & Design: It becomes obvious upon first inspection that the design of the T1 is highly reminiscent of the Sennheiser IE800, except for the obvious size difference. That said, the T1’s are made from solid, lightweight plastic and feel very sturdy in the hand. The transparent colors available for the T1’s make it easy to view the drivers and wiring inside each housing which is most apparent in a clear/translucent pair like mine. Inside, each driver sits divided against the nozzle where both frequency bands meet. The silver cable compliments the clear housings and is rugged and well relieved at every end. However, it can be a little unwieldy in use and while in rarely retains kinks it twists anytime it’s unraveled. Overall, the T1 is a very stylish earphone with excellent build quality to boot.
 
 
Comfort & Fit: Due to their large housings and short nozzles the T1’s can cause some discomfort in the ear. The size of your ear will affect comfort more than anything as smaller ears will result in a shallow fit and moderate soreness while larger ears will have the exact opposite effect.  The main source of discomfort is caused by the small hump on the housing facing the antitragus in the outer-ear. This particular area can be upset when pressure is applied for long periods of time, but again, will only affect those wish small ears if anyone at all, so not a huge knock on comfort. The only negative is that they cannot be worn over-ear unless the left & right channels are switched.
 
Isolation & Microphonics: Since they are meant to born cable-down the T1 can become a little noisy when in motion. The included cinch prevents the cable from bouncing around but it doesn’t prevent rubbing noises that distract at times. The noisiest part of the cable, in fact, is the cinch itself which is most obvious when sliding it up & down. Isolation, on the other hand, is about average, only blocking out some ambient noise. Outdoor environments will not disappear when wearing the T1’s but should be safe for commuting and make it very easy to communicate when worn. This should come as no surprise considering their shallow insertion depth and hollow housings. Overall the T1’s provide satisfactory (and safe) noise isolation and acceptable microphonics for everyday use.  
 
 
Equipment & Background – For the sound portion of this review I will be using an Audinst HUD-MX1 amp/DAC combo as my primary “reference” source, a Topping NX-1 portable amplifier, and a Sansa Fuze as a portable source. All my impressions are done indoors with an over-ear headphone for added isolation resulting in almost silent listening with no audible distractions. My library consists of FLAC and high bit-rate MP3 files. The T1’s were also burned-in over 100hrs before review.
 
Bass: The T1’s have a mid-forward and somewhat bright sound signature with moderately energetic bass. Lows are not very powerful, lacking weight with bassy music but still very neural with adequate impact. Since they’re not warm or enhanced this prevents bleed into the midrange but also keeps the upper-bass shy, making male vocals a little thin. Extension is good but still limited with noticeable roll-off into sub-bass regions. The result of all this means bass is fast, well textured, and moderately punchy when necessary with excellent control. There is also no mid-bass hump typical with most earphones on the market. This may or may not please heavier music lovers especially those who listen to metal, EDM, rap, hip-hop, etc. The T1’s simply provide more detail than raw power and never grab your attention like the mids or highs.
Bass is definitely not the focus of the T1’s sound but it is well balanced and high quality enough for most listeners, just not for bass-heads.
 
Midrange: Following the bass, the mids are forward and upfront. Midrange presence is the primary focus of the T1’s sound with treble not far behind. The result is a very clear, vocal enhanced sound that displays incredible clarity throughout. This is mostly due to an upper-mid lift (and lack of lower-mid warmth) that allows for excellent vocal intelligibility while sometimes causing the T1 to sound artificial and thin for male vocals (brought on by lack of upper-bass as well) and a little bright for female vocals. The upper-mid lift and boosted clarity also leads to a somewhat harsh sound that can become fatiguing over long periods of time or at loud volumes. But this is not to say the midrange is bad, to the contrary it’s the exact opposite. The T1’s midrange is much higher quality than $35 would get you - especially as mid forward sets are hard to come by. The T1’s are best suited for mid-focused/acoustic genres, which is not easy to say at this price range.
 
Treble: Much like the midrange, treble is enhanced reflecting some of the same characteristics found with the added clarity in the upper-mids. Treble is, thus, high in clarity and good in detail but, again, mostly due to enhancement. Highs maintain a generally non-sibilant nature but are a little splashy at times especially with percussive instruments such as crash cymbals. Treble doesn’t extended very high with some roll-off into the upper-treble but is still airy enough to avoid sounding congested or closed-in. Highs are too grainy to every be called smooth and can become a little shrill at times (and harsh with brighter recordings too). Despite having good sparkle the T1’s don’t display the most accurate tonal characteristics with harshness setting in whenever treble is demanded too much. And while timbre isn’t perfect the T1’s are generally more accurate than darker sets that are too recessed and lifeless up top to call natural. So while treble is very present and engaging it does suffer slightly with brighter music but should easily appeal to treble lovers.
 
Presentation: The T1’s soundstage “dimensions” are best described as having very good width, good height, and decent depth. Despite the lack of depth, layering is surprisingly good making it easy to differentiate between close and distant instruments in a recording. Music will never sound too far away, however, due to the forward, “in-your-face” nature of the mids and treble. This gives the impression of sitting close to performers on stage and puts you in the front row with music being generally being closer to you than far away. However, there is still a decent amount of space surrounding instruments and fairly wide projection of spatial cues. The T1’s are not the most detailed, despite their excellent clarity, leaving micro-details behind a little. Overall, the T1’s forward signature blends well with its intimate presentation and would complement a warmer, more laid-back headphone very well.
 
Power, Sensitivity, and Source Performance: Being such a high sensitivity and low impedance earphone the T1 is drivable by any source be it a portable DAP, tablet, phone, or dedicated amplifier. The T1’s don’t improve dramatically with amplification either. However, as I discovered they are sensitive to hiss so choosing an appropriate source can become a little tricky. While potential hiss won’t be too loud or distracting, I’d suggest using a low-output device and not a separate amplifier unless it has been designed for high-sensitivity IEMs. Otherwise, the T1’s are very usable and easy to drive.    
 
Value: With so many V-shaped sets being so common the TTPOD T1 presents excellent value and a unique presentation for the price. Excellent packaging, plentiful accessories, great build, stylish design, fantastic color selection and high quality sound makes the T1 very special and an excellent value proposition, even if their signature doesn’t suit everyone. Most buyers will be hard pressed to find a quality mid-forward earphone at only $35. I recommend them to anyone searching for a non-traditional earphone or anyone who wishes to discover if a mid-forward signature is for them. If not, they’re still worth trying out! 
 
 
P.S. If you want the perfect complement to the TTPOD T1, I’d recommend meeting its “fun” sibling, the TTPOD T1-E.     
 
I hope this review will be useful to those who read through it. Please leave any suggestions or advice you may have in the comments below.  Everyone’s input will help me improve my reviews and make it easier to adapt my reviews for as wide an audience as possible. Thanks for reading and happy listening!