[Ocelitgol]

Hello everyone,

I have not been a member for long but I can't express how much this place has opened my eyes/ears. Today, after 2 weeks of testing using my own equipment and money, I nearly finish the project and want to post it here as a starting guide for anyone interested.

Long intro: I'm a college student so I always move around for school and work. A recent change of employer forbade anyone to have a dangling wire within the facility so I turned to true wireless. While sound quality is indeed better now with the likes of RHA, Sennheiser, M&D, etc. I still find them lacking in some area. [and using BT cable is also unacceptable for my use case].

Around 3 weeks ago, thanks to a random suggestion from @james444 in True wireless thread https://www.head-fi.org/threads/goi...-too-soon-or-are-we-there-yet.861024/page-173 ..... and then I sought out more information from https://www.head-fi.org/threads/knowledge-zenith-kz-impressions-thread.698148/page-2533

Thanks to the folks over KZ thread and the TRN BT20 adapter gave me an idea - why not go beyond that and make it a complete package? (i.e. fix its flaws).

In this mod guide, I believe this combo of accessories will check most tick-boxes and I do welcome any better suggestion

Equipment:

1. Your choice of IEM (need MMCX or 2 pin) (I tested with Fiio FH5, SE425, Xelento and SE846)
2. TRN BT20 Adapter (you can get from Ebay or Aliexpress)
3. Mophie Power Capsule (Amazon): I've looked into other alternatives but Mophie gives the most battery and the case itself is good quality. You can get any battery case but make sure it has a USB port inside (i.e. removable cable inside)
4. NetDot microUSB magnetic adapters (Amazon)....I used this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076QBPYMV/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
5. The TRN BT20 should come with a USB with 2 miroUSB heads, if not you can get one for cheap on Amazon

Steps:

1. Plug IEM into TRN BT20
2. Pair the bluetooth modules to each other (you can also check KZ Thread how to do it) and pair with your source
3. Plug in NetDot adapter parts to corresponding usb heads and TRN modules charging ports
4. Profit!

Pros:

• True Wireless (light and easy AND no need to position left or right)
• Your choice of IEM, easily replaceable
• Long battery (TRN lasts around 9hrs per charge and Mophie can charge it around 4-5 times)
• Does not lose a lot of sound quality (but don't expect wired quality, but close though)
• Good call quality + Siri/Google Assistant capability

Cons:

• Limited control (no volume, no skip tracks) - wasn't a big deal to me since my source is always in my pocket
• [verified] Can only connect to one device at a time. Will have to disconnect device #1 and reconnect to device #2
• Battery case is still a little bit bigger than True Wireless ones

So now, whenever you need to charge, just guide the TRN modules toward the 2 heads and they will magnetically connect. It doesn't need to be right or left, either will work. Press charge button on the bottom of Mophie and the case will start charging + the modules will automatically disconnect from your source.

Notes:
To my fellows with Xelento (or any different shape IEM): the connector on TRN is right angled so using it with straight plug type like Xelento will lead to some strange placement. I compensated it with longer tips on Xelento. Also, TRN seems to make it a little bit brighter so I opted for comply foam. You can also use the bigger size stock tips (I normally use medium but used XL for this mod) because the nozzle won't reach as close to our ear canal like normal.

The nature of the adapter makes it perfect for budget IEM in my opinion (I'm still using it with my SE846 though)

Credits:
@csglinux for his expert advice on sound (from Xelento to Shure SE846) so I can check for the project's flaws
@szore for letting me test with Shure SE846 and Andromeda along with A&K Jr.
@ those in KZ thread that discovered the TRN BT20 (I couldn't find out exactly who)
@ anyone that deserves the credit if I didn't remember

This project is just to satisfy my specific needs and by no means a new discovery. I hope it will be of help to some of you .....Sorry for bad English

Spoiler: Pics

 

[szore]

Nice job!!!!!!

 

[markdjr]

This was an awesome post, good info. I am wondering if anyone knows of an app the could pump ambient noise through the BT20 microphone? It seems there could be a secondary app running in the background to manage this since it isn't baked into the BT20 themselves. Thanks for any info.

 

[randytsuch]

Very nice, thanks for posting.
I was going to ask for pics, then I found the spoiler button lol


Randy

 

[randytsuch]

So I bought the Morphie case (cheap on ebay) and the 3 pack of NetDot microUSB magnetic adapters.
Its really nice to have a battery case for my BT20's, and the mag adapters make it much easier to charge them.
Now need some more mag adapters for my UTWS1's. So buy another 3 pack or move them lol.

I also haven't been able to bring myself to cut off the little rubber covers, so they just kind of stick out right now.

Thanks again for posting this, will use them more as a result.