[IEMusic]

Depth is still a mystery for me

It was a mystery for me for a while, as there are not too many IEMs that create good enough layering and instrument separation to give a good sense of depth, at least for me. Of the IEMs that I’ve heard, the TA Legacy 3, Mangird Tea, ISN D02, and UM MEST provide me with a decent to great sense of depth.

 

[Ziggomatic]

It was a mystery for me for a while, as there are not too many IEMs that create good enough layering and instrument separation to give a good sense of depth, at least for me. Of the IEMs that I’ve heard, the TA Legacy 3, Mangird Tea, ISN D02, and UM MEST provide me with a decent to great sense of depth.

Same here. And I agree good depth is pretty rare: this sense that the music is coming from out in front of you rather than merely from between your ears. I didn't see the light until I heard the Flare Pro 2 HD last year. Other examples (for me): Penon Orb, NF Audio NM2+, Final e5000 and iBasso IT04.

 

[jailhouselounge]

What would be considered as an upgrade to tin t2 plus sound signature with good fit up to $150?

 

[baskingshark]

What would be considered as an upgrade to tin t2 plus sound signature with good fit up to $150?

You can read about these, these are the normal prices, might be cheaper during sales (11/11 is coming!!!)



1) TRI I3 ($147 USD)

TRI I3 is U shaped, balanced and coherent and smooth despite the weird 1 BA + 1 DD + 1 planar config. There's a small 3 kHz peak that can get jarring sometimes at louder volumes or in poorly recorded material, but otherwise it is very smooth and analoguish. Imaging is superb on this set, and it has one of the best soundstages for $100ish USD when amped.
The TRI I3 needs an amp to shine though. The planars handling the mids are pretty power hungry. With amping then the sweet mids and excellent soundstage appears. With just a low powered smartphone, it sounds meh.

Treble is also bordering on dark and not the most extended or airy on the TRI I3, so best to give it a miss if you are a treblehead looking for many microdetails.

Timbre is good for a hybrid.

It has poor isolation so not the best option for outdoor use. And the shells are heavy and large and a fingerprint magnet. I find the fit so so. But sound is very nice, I would describe it as "grand sounding" when amped.

There's a 2 pin variant of the TRI I3 that just released, I would suggest u to get it instead of the older MMCX version (they are same price). My TRI I3 was one of the older batch and the MMCX is a bit weak.



2) Audiosense DT200 ($149 USD)

2 BA set, warm neutral. It has very nice tonality and is non fatiguing, treble borders on dark. Very well fitting and superb isolation and comfortable. Smooth but not the best in technicalities as is a limitation for a 2 BA set.



3) TRI Starsea ($129 USD)

2BA + 1 DD set, has 4 tuning switches to make the sound V shaped to U shaped to neutralish bright. Timbre is not the best in the BA frequencies, and some tuning switches can be hot in the upper mids/lower treble. Technicalities and fit are excellent. It is very versatile in view of the 4 different possible tuning switches, I see it like a poor man's LZ A7, A7 definitely is better in technical performance and versatility (A7 has more tuning options) and A7 has better timbre and tuning, but we are looking at a 3x difference in price. As per all things in this hobby, diminishing returns are real, and the LZ A7 is not 3x better than the TRI Starsea.

On the balanced switch it may sound similar in tonality to the Tin T2 Plus. Note weight is thin and it is isn't very dynamic sounding, but it sounds quite audiophile tuned and can even be a stage monitor in view of the excellent technical performance. Bass is very fast and tight for a DD bass, it actually sounds more like a BA bass (and is quite basslite even on the bassiest config). This is not a "fun" sounding set, but more for something to be technically accurate in the music.


Good luck in your search!

 

[jailhouselounge]

You can read about these, these are the normal prices, might be cheaper during sales (11/11 is coming!!!)



1) TRI I3 ($147 USD)

TRI I3 is U shaped, balanced and coherent and smooth despite the weird 1 BA + 1 DD + 1 planar config. There's a small 3 kHz peak that can get jarring sometimes at louder volumes or in poorly recorded material, but otherwise it is very smooth and analoguish. Imaging is superb on this set, and it has one of the best soundstages for $100ish USD when amped.
The TRI I3 needs an amp to shine though. The planars handling the mids are pretty power hungry. With amping then the sweet mids and excellent soundstage appears. With just a low powered smartphone, it sounds meh.

Treble is also bordering on dark and not the most extended or airy on the TRI I3, so best to give it a miss if you are a treblehead looking for many microdetails.

Timbre is good for a hybrid.

It has poor isolation so not the best option for outdoor use. And the shells are heavy and large and a fingerprint magnet. I find the fit so so. But sound is very nice, I would describe it as "grand sounding" when amped.

There's a 2 pin variant of the TRI I3 that just released, I would suggest u to get it instead of the older MMCX version (they are same price). My TRI I3 was one of the older batch and the MMCX is a bit weak.



2) Audiosense DT200 ($149 USD)

2 BA set, warm neutral. It has very nice tonality and is non fatiguing, treble borders on dark. Very well fitting and superb isolation and comfortable. Smooth but not the best in technicalities as is a limitation for a 2 BA set.



3) TRI Starsea ($129 USD)

2BA + 1 DD set, has 4 tuning switches to make the sound V shaped to U shaped to neutralish bright. Timbre is not the best in the BA frequencies, and some tuning switches can be hot in the upper mids/lower treble. Technicalities and fit are excellent. It is very versatile in view of the 4 different possible tuning switches, I see it like a poor man's LZ A7, A7 is better in technical performance and versatility and timbre and tuning, but we are looking at a 3x difference in price. As per all things in this hobby, diminishing returns are real, and the LZ A7 is not 3x better than the TRI Starsea.

On the balanced switch it may sound similar in tonality to the Tin T2 Plus. Note weight is thin and it is isn't very dynamic sounding, but it sounds quite audiophile tuned and can even be a stage monitor in view of the excellent technical performance. Bass is very fast and tight for a DD bass, it actually sounds more like a BA bass (and is quite basslite even on the bassiest config).


Good luck in your search!

Thank you, I'll check em out!

 

[unifutomaki]

TRI Starsea ($129 USD)

How is the isolation on the Starsea? Would it stand up to subway or bus listening?

 

[theguy69]

I’d seriously consider the Jade Audio EA1, if it’s available where you are. It has good, but not overpowering bass, with good definition (beryllium coated driver), the upper midrange is a bit pronounced, but I don’t find it harsh, the treble is smooth, but not really well extended. It is a good all-purpose IEM IMO (if it truly sounds the same as the FiiO FD1).

Thanks for the suggestion mate! Unfortunately its not available where I live ; The FiiO FD1 is but its out of my budget. Can you suggest between the zsn pro x and the zst x?

 

[unifutomaki]

Thanks for the suggestion mate! Unfortunately its not available where I live ; The FiiO FD1 is but its out of my budget. Can you suggest between the zsn pro x and the zst x?

There's really not much between the two. Basically do you want a metal faceplate? If so, get the ZSN Pro X. Or actually, if you're considering the ZSN Pro X, just get the ZSN Pro or even the original ZSN because you get to save a few dollars while still getting the metal build.

Edit 2: Personally I find that the ridges on the ZSN Pro and X are overly sharp and irritate my outer ear. YMMV.

 

[theguy69]

There's really not much between the two. Basically do you want a metal faceplate? If so, get the ZSN Pro X. Or actually, if you're considering the ZSN Pro X, just get the ZSN Pro or even the original ZSN because you get to save a few dollars while still getting the metal build.

Thank you might probaby go with zst x with its slightly better highs

 

[baskingshark]

How is the isolation on the Starsea? Would it stand up to subway or bus listening?

Isolation of the Starsea is above average but not as good as a pure BA set which are usually unvented (the Starsea is vented for the DD bass, so the vent lets in sound). I think it will do an okay job for subway or bus listening, it is still better than the Tin T2 Plus that you have in comparison in isolation.

The other issue is that the Starsea is bass lite (even on the bassiest config it is just north of neutral but not a basshead set). So bass is usually the first frequency lost in a noisy environment like the subway, and in a basslite set, that is a bad combination. That may make us be tempted to jack up the volume to compensate for the bass loss, and this will make the upper mids get very hot in certain configs of the Starsea (eg Pure tone and Vocal config).

 

[Nimweth]

Thanks mate, I don't need isolation or easy drivability and my budget is around 40 usd. It's a damn shame everything is sooo v-shaped these days

You could do worse than the CVJ CSA. Very good value, decent accessories and has a neutral profile. Review here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/bes...sions-sharing-reference-list.805930/page-1626

 

[theguy69]

You could do worse than the CVJ CSA. Very good value, decent accessories and has a neutral profile. Review here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/bes...sions-sharing-reference-list.805930/page-1626

What do you think about the blon bl03 compared to the kz and the cj csa?

 

[Nimweth]

What do you think about the blon bl03 compared to the kz and the cj csa?

BL-03 is very V shaped but has good timbre. You probably will need to factor in the cost of a replacement cable and tips. Which KZ did you have in mind?

 

[theguy69]

BL-03 is very V shaped but has good timbre. You probably will need to factor in the cost of a replacement cable and tips. Which KZ did you have in mind?

zst x or zsn pro x

 

[Nimweth]

zst x or zsn pro x

Unfortunately I have not heard either of those, sorry.