Just received a TRN TA2 review unit.
Accessories are very generous for TRN standards, I've seen their previous flagships include less stuff, so this is a marked improvement.
Included are:
1) TRN TA2 IEM
2) Round hard case
3) 1/4 inch jack
4) Cable - 2-pin 4 core silver plated OFC cable, thin and microphonic. The L/R markings on the distal terminal are also very small, so those with poorer eyesight might have difficulty identifying the sides! The cable disappointingly has no chin cinch.
5) Array of silicone and foam tips
The TRN TA2 is easy to
drive, no amping is required.
Isolation is good. The shells are quite wicked looking, this set is
comfortable and ergonomic.
Graph courtesy of KopiOKaya from Audioreviews (IEC711 compliant coupler). 8 kHZ area is probably a resonance peak.
In a nutshell, this is an L shaped
basshead set. Quite a far cry from the usual banshee shouty steroid infused treblehead TRN multi driver behemoths.
Bass wise, this set is midbass focused. The bass quantities are at basshead levels, with the subbass extending quite deep with a big visceral rumble. Unfortunately, bass quality is lacking, with the bass slow as a snail and the midbass bleeding quite a fair bit. This bleed encroaches into the other frequencies. The bass is one-noted and lacks texture. In view of the copious midbass bleed, the tuning is quite incoherent as the bass seems to be a step or 2 slower than the upper frequencies handled by the BA drivers.
Mids are depressed, with the upper mids featuring a 9 dB pinna gain. This set is not shouty at the upper mids, and this is quite atypical from the usual banshee TRN upper mids.
Treble is dark on this set and veiled. It lacks extension, with clarity and sparkle missing. Sibilance is minimal as such, but the lack of air suffocates music and microdetails are missing, and the TRN TA2 sounds quite analogue-like. So treble-sensitive brethren will like this, but trebleheads best stay far away.
BA
timbre is also present in the upper frequencies.
Technicalities wise, soundstage is below average in all 3 dimensions. Imaging, instrument separation and micro details are below average too, this is not aided by the compressed soundstage.
TLDR: TRN has tamed their usual shouty banshee tuning and gone 180 degrees with a basshead non-fatiguing dark set. Bassheads and treble sensitive folk will probably feel at home, but for the others, the tuning might be too niche. Between a sawtooth fatiguing inducing set and a dark analoguish midbass bleeding set, I'd still take the latter. Unfortunately, technical performance on the TRN TA2 is below average, and I think this model might be forgotten in a few weeks' time, such is the speed of how fast the budget CHIFI industry moves.
Off hand, a similarly priced competitor, the KBEAR Robin, is also a bassy set with midbass bleeding, but the Robin has more treble air and better technicalities. Nevertheless, will burn in the TRN TA2, do tip rolling and report back, will try not to give up on it yet.
