[xxxfbsxxx]

   
If you don't have the constant sibilance problem like xxxfbsxxx ,you may change your mind after a couple of days of burn-in and listening to it (exclusively) for a couple of more days.
The bass will clean up even more, and the mids will step a little forward.
The only reason you think the soundstage is "unnaturally big", is because you are aware that this a 15$ earbud and not a 1500$ full-size headphone.
You would love this soundstage if it was coming from HD800.
 
TG-38S kills at classical and acoustic, hip-hop isn't a great match - it's usually badly mastered.
 
Also keep in mind, that the source is critical - TG-38S sounds decent out of HTC One X, but only reaches its full potential with a good DAC and amp.
It's easy to drive, but an amp still helps.

too bad....im happening to have a HD800 as well, and i think i know exactly what supposed to be "transparent" or "huge sound stage"
just to remind this, i tend to judge sound based on its price bracket and type, in this case im still comparing it with other dasetn earbuds, blox m2c and my biggest impressive experience the philips she 9800(also known as sharp KCM)
i had very high expectation before received it due to some peoples review and it turns out to be quite sour experience...

 

[BenF]

  not the normal sibilant feeling like scratching on mirror, it happened due to the "extremely thin sound" like you hear the last whisper from every single note/word out of singers mouth, therefore the more resolution your dac is, the worse sound you get from this tingo
combined with the very "limited height", flat sound stage with no depth and too incoherent it make my ear fatigue after only few minutes

I think your hearing may be too good for your own good. You are too sensitive to treble - your brain overprocesses the high frequencies.
You can try purchasing another one from Aliexpress just to make sure it wasn't really a faulty earbud, but I'm not optimistic about you getting different results.
Your best bet is with Dasetn M760 - it will cure your treble troubles.
 
For me, TG-38S' sound is the opposite of fatiguing - it's embracing me into the music and relaxes me.

 

[BenF]

  too bad....im happening to have a HD800 as well, and i think i know exactly what supposed to be "transparent" or "huge sound stage"
just to remind this, i tend to judge sound based on its price bracket and type, in this case im still comparing it with other dasetn earbuds, blox m2c and my biggest impressive experience the philips she 9800(also known as sharp KCM)
i had very high expectation before received it due to some peoples review and it turns out to be quite sour experience...

When you see a huge open headphone, your brain fully expects a huge soundstage - and processes it accordingly.
When you see a small earbud, your brain expects a small soundstage - and improperly processes the audio cues coming from it.
 
If you can't detach yourself from the image of the headphone, your brain will keep hurting you.
Expectation bias is very hard to get through.

 

[jrazmar]

Ben what's up with your JL1? Has the sound changed since day 1? does your latest earbuds ranking still stand?

 

[xxxfbsxxx]

 
When you see a huge open headphone, your brain fully expects a huge soundstage - and processes it accordingly.
When you see a small earbud, your brain expects a small soundstage - and improperly processes the audio cues coming from it.
 
If you can't detach yourself from the image of the headphone, your brain will keep hurting you.
Expectation bias is very hard to get through

thanks for your comment, this should be my last comment though
i have strange hobby to collect different cheap chinese iems or earbuds <$50 so im familiar with trying them, my normal portable combo nowadays is sony x+pk2 diy from dasetn so i dont think that the "seeing factor" affects me.
Anw, hearing difference so you got your point and i got mine, thus you can trust your ranking and i went with mine.

 

[Danneq]

  i think everybody love huge sound stage but the trouble is it must have some kind of connection, in this case i can hear some thing on the right and then a very long empty distance then some thing coming from the left...very annoying

Like I wrote before, I haven't received my Tingo TG-38S yet, but from reading about other people's impressions here, they appear to sound similar to Dasetn M1 (with a tendency for sharper highs). Haven't heard the HD800, except for a quick try at a Yodobashi electrics store in Tokyo, so I cannot compare. I only use headphones when I listen to music on the go, otherwise I prefer speakers (although my stereo setup isn't much to write home about...). My only big headphones are the portable Sennheiser HD25 and Audio Technica ES10 and none of them have very big soundstages. The Dasetn M1/MX1 has got a soundstage that's pretty wide and tall, and very deep. On other earbuds, I often miss the depth. Aiwa HP-D9 is the only earbuds I've heard that have beaten the Dasetn M1/MX1 when it comes to soundstage. Clarity, detail, instrument separation and layering are amazing. Unfortunately, the D9 are very bass aenemic, so you need to boost bass quite a lot. The M1/MX1 are more balanced and have a less tall soundstage.

Anyway, I might just be talking to myself since I haven't heard the TG-38S. I am hoping for good depth in the soundstage, i.e. that I can hear instruments or percussion at different distances in front of me in a sort of 3D way.

 

[mtruong34]

I'd describe the TG-38S as cousins to Monster Dre Beats.  However this cousin over-emphasizes treble rather than bass to make a splashy presentation.  If one is used to only listening to stock buds or if neutral and balanced is not your preferred sound signature, then I can see how the TG-38S can give you that amazing and wow factor.  Hyperextension of the high frequencies can give an impression of detail and clarity.  I've listened to these buds every day for over a week so far trying to give them a chance to settle in or to "train" my ear to accept the sound as BenF suggests, but I'm sorry, I just flat out don't like them.  Can't listen to them for more than a few songs before I find them annoyingly bright.
 
And FYI, the sibilance is pretty much occurring all the time, especially female vocals, high hat, cymbals.  The least offensive tracks occur with perhaps solo instruments like guitar or very mellow solo voice.

 

[BenF]

  I'd describe the TG-38S as cousins to Monster Dre Beats
...

Ouch!

 

[BloodyPenguin]

I think the big issue with the TG-38s is that it is not a natural sounding earbud. Too much work either with DACs/Amps or Sources to get something "Good" out of them.

Earbuds for me are great for on the go, either working out, travel or for me... while I wash dishes. I have my HD650 to use when I am sitting still and want the best quality sound (that I can afford).


So, that leaves me with wanting to find earbuds that can easily be used in my Sansa Clip, Samsung Galaxy S3 and through my Hisense Sero 7 Pro > FiiO E07K. Also using any source (MP3, MP4, FLAC or ALAC) I throw at them. So far only the BEB 328R and PK3 DIY have the sound signature that works with all of that. (Though as I sad before, both my PK3 DIY died and I will not be replacing them).

I will be gifting my TG-38s to my uncle. I am sure he will love them. They will not be thrown away. I love trying new earphones/earbuds and they never go to waste. Always a family member or friend that will want and use them.


~ Justin

..

 

[mtruong34]

Justin,

I think you should give the Dasetn M760 a try. They are my favorite of the budget Chinese buds so far. Easy to drive, balanced sound, excellent soundstage.

 

[BloodyPenguin]

Justin,



I think you should give the Dasetn M760 a try. They are my favorite of the budget Chinese buds so far. Easy to drive, balanced sound, excellent soundstage.

 


Funny you should say that! I was just about to order a pair of the M760! Had my eye on them for a while.

..

 

[mtruong34]

Cool! I recommend ordering 2 pair. Many have reported QC problems although both pair I ordered sound great. Happy listenin!

 

[jenia1]

since i have ordered by mistake 3 pairs of Tingo- 38S instead of two for me and my gf im selling now the other one in the exact same price 16 usd+ shipping im living in Germany,
yes it will cost a bit more because of the shipping, but if you want a fast safe shipping inside the EU i think it would be worth it
cheers.

 

[ForceMajeure]

 
Like I wrote before, I haven't received my Tingo TG-38S yet, but from reading about other people's impressions here, they appear to sound similar to Dasetn M1 (with a tendency for sharper highs). Haven't heard the HD800, except for a quick try at a Yodobashi electrics store in Tokyo, so I cannot compare. I only use headphones when I listen to music on the go, otherwise I prefer speakers (although my stereo setup isn't much to write home about...). My only big headphones are the portable Sennheiser HD25 and Audio Technica ES10 and none of them have very big soundstages. The Dasetn M1/MX1 has got a soundstage that's pretty wide and tall, and very deep. On other earbuds, I often miss the depth. Aiwa HP-D9 is the only earbuds I've heard that have beaten the Dasetn M1/MX1 when it comes to soundstage. Clarity, detail, instrument separation and layering are amazing. Unfortunately, the D9 are very bass aenemic, so you need to boost bass quite a lot. The M1/MX1 are more balanced and have a less tall soundstage.

Anyway, I might just be talking to myself since I haven't heard the TG-38S. I am hoping for good depth in the soundstage, i.e. that I can hear instruments or percussion at different distances in front of me in a sort of 3D way.

You will get that with the Tingo for sure,
These are good earbuds no doubt, especially for 15 bucks.
The cons with them are :
1. The highs are a bit strong and can sound on the verge of distortions when there is too much going on in the music, on cymbals and voices harmonies. It mainly occurs if the music wasn't perfectly recorded. 
2. The somewhat artificial soundstage which in my opinion is quite nice but takes a moment to get used to. Once you get it you will pay attention of how 3d sounding the Tingo sounds, adding another layer to the separation, this is a double edge kinda con - either you will appreciate it or you won't .
 
IMO the main gripe is not the soundstage but the high which are a bit prominent and can sometimes be on the verge of distorion giving an overall artificial sound to cymbals, as i said in my impressions it can sound a bit "splashy".
 
In comparaisons the Blox M2c are a bit congested sounding and one dimensional have less bass and much less highs but are way less fatiguing.

 

[swmkdr]

I think the big issue with the TG-38s is that it is not a natural sounding earbud. Too much work either with DACs/Amps or Sources to get something "Good" out of them.

Earbuds for me are great for on the go, either working out, travel or for me... while I wash dishes. I have my HD650 to use when I am sitting still and want the best quality sound (that I can afford).

This is exactly how I feel at this point. I've gone back and forth with these but have finally realised that $15 dollar earbuds shouldn't require this much effort for my uses which are exactly the same as yours. They're never going to be 'hi-fi' so I'd rather go with earbuds that are reliable and sound good with everything.  Occasionally I find a track that makes me think the Tingos are excellent but I have to go back to my original statement that they are artificial and unnatural, especially in the highs. They're excellent for the price but I have now definitively sidelined them in favour of Blox and the Dasetn M1/M760.
 
I also have the new Blox earbuds on their way to me courtesy of Smith. So, if anyone wants some Tingos I'll let you have them for the cost of shipping (PM me).