So these showed up today. Terrible branding and SEO aside, the Tiandirenhe TD06 (at least I think that's what it's called, i.e. the one with the tuning nozzles) are really punching way above what their $24 pricetag would suggest. These are tons of fun to listen to. Warm, bassy signature with a thumping, throbbing sub-bass when the track calls for it, but stops short of sounding dark. Pictured with KZ stock cable and MH750 tips.
Three hours have gone by in a flash and I still can't set these down.
I totally don't need these iems at all, but I really want the purple ones. That iridescent look is pretty sweet. Wish their logo/name wasn't so Chinglish. Some of these manufacturers should pay some US or European 20-something like $15 an hour to come up with better names haha!
I totally don't need these iems at all, but I really want the purple ones. That iridescent look is pretty sweet. Wish their logo/name wasn't so Chinglish. Some of these manufacturers should pay some US or European 20-something like $15 an hour to come up with better names haha!
The whole look and sound of the name slowly looses that non-appeal after awhile? IMO It is what it is in the end. Funny, I’m not sure I’ve seen IEMs this color before, but you would think it would be common?
Anybody know where I can get legit Galaxy AKG earphones that comes with Samsung galaxy S phones? I really like them, and I don't know who sells legit ones? I need to stock up on them.
Do you think the sellers on Aliexpress will give you some sort of discount or even an undisclosed amount of money if you review one of their IEMs or cables? I mean not a written review, but an in-depth video review.
Like, what would I say? "Hi I did a review on YouTube on one of your IEMs, please give me a discount"...??
Would that even work? And does that count as being sponsored? What does getting sponsored even imply? Sorry I'm totally new to this.
Do you think the sellers on Aliexpress will give you some sort of discount or even an undisclosed amount of money if you review one of their IEMs or cables? I mean not a written review, but an in-depth video review.
Like, what would I say? "Hi I did a review on YouTube on one of your IEMs, please give me a discount"...??
Would that even work? And does that count as being sponsored? What does getting sponsored even imply? Sorry I'm totally new to this.
Do you think the sellers on Aliexpress will give you some sort of discount or even an undisclosed amount of money if you review one of their IEMs or cables? I mean not a written review, but an in-depth video review.
Like, what would I say? "Hi I did a review on YouTube on one of your IEMs, please give me a discount"...??
Would that even work? And does that count as being sponsored? What does getting sponsored even imply? Sorry I'm totally new to this.
Review products are looked at as a loan, even if not asked to return them. Some view them as possibly being asked for back at any time. There are people who solicit companies who make products they are interested in. Maybe a company has ideas that the prospective reviewer likes, or the reviewer has liked their products before. I’ve never approached a company for a review product, but many reviewers do, as well as intermingle with owners/reps at shows and meets.
A “free to use product” lends itself to a multitude of questions....like. “Does the reviewer think he will get more gear from ignoring issues and giving a 10/10 review?” Or...”Does the entire review site give out 8.7 scores to all the free stuff they get, so they get more free stuff and get lookers and continue the ball rolling?” “Does getting free gear have that “gift” effect on the reviewer to be less critical?”
At the end of the day, many reviewers simply don’t have the money to be continually buying gear, or would never buy the gear they review. Many reviewers are enthusiasts who are genuinely curious about IEMs and their quality.
The best reviews try and objectively delineate any issues but can still point out good characteristics. Yet still the question remains as to what the true reviewer motivation is. Yet if the review IS accurate then it serves the intended purpose honestly, regardless of motivations.
You get IEMs from on-line stores, manufacturers or tours started by stores/manufacturers. People borrow friend’s IEMs, or purchase them. There is also nothing wrong with writing your complete subjective opinion. Many reviewers think it’s their goal to try and find an objective truth which will be the end-all reality of an IEM. The other side of the coin is if you truly love an IEM, express that, but write that the review is your personal take on the IEM, which may be non-critical and off.
The concept of product reviews really began as a form of consumer advocacy. Back in the day, companies routinely engaged in questionable marketing practices and sometimes even offer products that posed undisclosed dangers to the end-user. Unfortunately, the incentive structures surrounding product reviews and those who write them are nowadays corrupted beyond belief and we are more dependent on personal integrity than ever, which I'm sure everybody knows is a rare commodity.
Addendum:
Around 5-10 years ago I was involved in writing reviews of mobile phones. Obviously nobody can afford to purchase every new mobile phone that comes out on Day 1, so we would build relationships with the companies' PR teams to obtain review samples on a loan basis. These PR teams typically worked for an agency and not the company offering the product. We would have to return these samples after a couple of weeks and stood to gain nothing except being invited to media events once in a while. We weren't in business with any sellers, distributors or other outfits that would constitute a conflict of interest. Even then, the pressure was always there to not burn bridges. I can't imagine working under the conditions in which today's view-crazy, attention-seeking, hype-beast, seller-representing reviewers seem to be fine with. Or maybe I'm just cynical and tired. Whatever.
The concept of product reviews really began as a form of consumer advocacy. Back in the day, companies routinely engaged in questionable marketing practices and sometimes even offer products that posed undisclosed dangers to the end-user. Unfortunately, the incentive structures surrounding product reviews and those who write them are nowadays corrupted beyond belief and we are more dependent on personal integrity than ever, which I'm sure everybody knows is a rare commodity.
Addendum:
Around 5-10 years ago I was involved in writing reviews of mobile phones. Obviously nobody can afford to purchase every new mobile phone that comes out on Day 1, so we would build relationships with the companies' PR teams to obtain review samples on a loan basis. These PR teams typically worked for an agency and not the company offering the product. We would have to return these samples after a couple of weeks and stood to gain nothing except being invited to media events once in a while. We weren't in business with any sellers, distributors or other outfits that would constitute a conflict of interest. Even then, the pressure was always there to not burn bridges. I can't imagine working under the conditions in which today's view-crazy, attention-seeking, hype-beast, seller-representing reviewers seem to be fine with. Or maybe I'm just cynical and tired. Whatever.
My most expensive IEM purchase ($1850).....was inspired by a single review. In fact......on a listening session I may have overlooked it? The reviewer (beforehand) contacted the maker and simply asked for a sample! That’s the power of a review; to give the consumer a story which he/she can relate with. In the review I understood the sound he was describing..........due to his understanding of the IEM.
Review products are looked at as a loan, even if not asked to return them. Some view them as possibly being asked for back at any time. There are people who solicit companies who make products they are interested in. Maybe a company has ideas that the prospective reviewer likes, or the reviewer has liked their products before. I’ve never approached a company for a review product, but many reviewers do, as well as intermingle with owners/reps at shows and meets.
A “free to use product” lends itself to a multitude of questions....like. “Does the reviewer think he will get more gear from ignoring issues and giving a 10/10 review?” Or...”Does the entire review site give out 8.7 scores to all the free stuff they get, so they get more free stuff and get lookers and continue the ball rolling?” “Does getting free gear have that “gift” effect on the reviewer to be less critical?”
At the end of the day, many reviewers simply don’t have the money to be continually buying gear, or would never buy the gear they review. Many reviewers are enthusiasts who are genuinely curious about IEMs and their quality.
The best reviews try and objectively delineate any issues but can still point out good characteristics. Yet still the question remains as to what the true reviewer motivation is. Yet if the review IS accurate then it serves the intended purpose honestly, regardless of motivations.
You get IEMs from on-line stores, manufacturers or tours started by stores/manufacturers. People borrow friend’s IEMs, or purchase them. There is also nothing wrong with writing your complete subjective opinion. Many reviewers think it’s their goal to try and find an objective truth which will be the end-all reality of an IEM. The other side of the coin is if you truly love an IEM, express that, but write that the review is your personal take on the IEM, which may be non-critical and off.
Thanks for the clarification. I definitely fall more into the category of people that buy and review as a personal hobby and not as a profession, and I'm sure most people here belong to this category as well. Lately I've been somewhat spoiling myself with expensive IEMs, for personal enjoyment obviously. But this "burning passion" also drives me to make some cool video reviews, regardless whether I'm being paid or sponsored or not. I've honestly never really considered reviews as "money-driven", to me I just make reviews for fun (i.e. passion-driven).
Mainly, I think the reason why I asked that is because every chi-fi reviewer nowadays seems to be getting free review units. I'm not against purchasing it with my own money, it's my hobby anyways, but I'm not super rich so getting a discount or a "loan" unit would be quite nice once in a while, especially for expensive sets. But I guess for now I'll just keep on building my reputation as a reviewer first.
Been continuing to listen and experiment with the TD06 today. Comfort and isolation is impressive for a dynamic-driver IEM as it is meant to sit flush in one's outer ear and there is only one pinhole-sized vent on the top. The typical roar of the underground subway is hardly noticeable when music is playing, and I barely have to crank up the volume when travelling from indoor to outdoor environments. The default black tuning is the most "balanced" while the blue and red nozzles boost the bass by adding damping behind the dust filter (red > blue). So far, the blue nozzles hit the spot for me.
These are by no means a class leader in terms of sub-$50 technicalities (the SSP remains my pick there) but their relative warmth and bass-forward nature makes the TD06 excellent for commuting and other noisy environments. They have an agreeable timbre and don't sound at all low-res despite the prominent lows, which is more than can be said for other, way more expensive attempts at this tuning.
For what it's worth, the manufacturer FR graph is a photo of a testing rig display rather than a KZ cartoon squiggle:
Been continuing to listen and experiment with the TD06 today. Comfort and isolation is impressive for a dynamic-driver IEM as it is meant to sit flush in one's outer ear and there is only one pinhole-sized vent on the top. The typical roar of the underground subway is hardly noticeable when music is playing, and I barely have to crank up the volume when travelling from indoor to outdoor environments. The default black tuning is the most "balanced" while the blue and red nozzles boost the bass by adding damping behind the dust filter (red > blue). So far, the blue nozzles hit the spot for me.
These are by no means a class leader in terms of sub-$50 technicalities (the SSP remains my pick there) but their relative warmth and bass-forward nature makes the TD06 excellent for commuting and other noisy environments. They have an agreeable timbre and don't sound at all low-res despite the prominent lows, which is more than can be said for other, way more expensive attempts at this tuning.
For what it's worth, the manufacturer FR graph is a photo of a testing rig display rather than a KZ cartoon squiggle:
I've spent the past couple of days listening to the $24 TD06 (with blue nozzles fitted) out of my ZX300's single-ended output and comparing it to my KZ ZAX. The TD06 provides a warm tonality that is biased towards the lower frequencies with a noticeable sub-bass extension. In summary, I believe the TD06 is a hidden gem that is underrated and overlooked due to Tiandirenhe's confusing branding and sales page.
I would recommend the TD06 over similarly-priced 1DD+1BA competitors because the harshness and artificiality that is often associated with these hybrid designs is not at all an issue on the TD06. Although the bass-forward sound signature may conjure up concerns about dark-sounding, boomy and muddy crud, the TD06 remains relatively clean and resolving in the mids, upper-mids and lower treble. There is perhaps some mid-bass bloat which can make certain tracks sound congested. Other criticisms that can be levied at the TD06 is its fairly constrained and confined soundstage, basement-level imaging capabilities, and limited treble extension resulting in a general lack of air and microdetail. However, as I explain below, I hardly care.
Specific Track Comparisons
Natsuzora to Soumatou - After the Rain
TD06 provides a prominent, forward bassline, less treble extension, less cymbal splash. ZAX provides less sub-bass, more treble extension, more splashiness, thinner note weight. Vocal presentation is comparable.
The Hudson - Amy MacDonald
TD06 has a more intimate presentation. Prominent guitar notes. Rich, dense, intense vocals. Perhaps a bit congested at times. ZAX is airier and wider sounding, but vocals aren't as emphasised. More technically accurate, but less emotive.
Imploding the Mirage - The Killers
TD06 thumps harder but doesn't quite pull off much depth or height, even though the track itself is mastered with that effect in mind. ZAX is more detailed-sounding and provides a larger albeit somewhat more distant soundscape.
Strangelove - Depeche Mode
TD06 definitely gets the air moving when the bass drops. The ZAX feels tepid in comparison. TD06 delivers each note with greater impact but loses to the ZAX in microdetail. TD06 is also significantly less airy-sounding than the ZAX - think enclosed club versus open-air concert.
Tonight - SCANDAL
Sub-bass emphasis on the TD06 is intoxicating. Cymbals tend to get a bit lost, like the driver is already at capacity in terms of reproducing each element of the track and can't quite move fast enough to capture everything. ZAX turns what would be sub-bass on the TD06 into mid-bass notes instead. It has a significantly brighter, leaner and more detailed sound than the TD06.
Additional Comments
While comparing the TD06 to the ZAX may constitute somewhat of an apples-to-oranges comparison, it was interesting to see these IEMs playing to their strengths. The ZAX eats the TD06 for breakfast, lunch and dinner in terms of detail retrieval, soundstage, imaging and air. Listening to the ZAX is like gazing at an expansive vista - there's so much to take in, and so much to pay attention to. These intangibles are often highly valued attributes among IEMs, and yet the TD06 simply doesn't play that game.
Instead, the TD06 provides a way more fun, engaging and impactful sound than the ZAX, technicalities be damned. I was surprised at how quickly I took to the TD06's presentation despite typically being a technicalities nerd. The TD06 puts you right up front and centre to where the action is taking place and demands your attention. Despite working with far less in terms of price and driver count, the TD06 made me feel the music and feel the emotion that the music was trying to convey. Sure, there's less detail overall, but I was too busy tapping my feet and nodding my head to care.
Of course, there will be times when I will pick up the SSP or the ZAX over the TD06. Critical listening, contemplative moods and quiet evenings call for something a bit more balanced, refined and resolving than the TD06. For commuting, head-banging and rocking out to trashy weeb music, however? The TD06 is my choice.
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