Hello everyone
These are my quick impressions of the TRN ST7. I stumbled upon the TRN ST7 in this very thread. Curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to give it a try.
Priced affordably, this IEM offers a remarkable sound quality, especially when paired with a budget dongle like the FiiO KA11.
Pros:
- Budget-friendly price point
- Comfortable fit, average nozzle size
- Good bass performance, though I prefer more sub-bass and mid-bass
- Detailed male and female vocals
- Excellent treble performance, detailed cymbal strikes
- Impressive technical abilities and detail retrieval
- I found that using my own ear tips improved the sound isolation, making it suitable for use in loud environments.
Cons:
- Male vocals may sound a bit lean
- Higher pitched vocals and instruments (like electric guitars and trumpets) are a bit emphasized and can be slightly shouty with certain songs
- Connector design similar to QDC connector (maybe it is QDC)
- No carrying case but that is expected at this price
- A microphone would be nice at this price
A/B testing with the DUNU Titian S left me shocked; the ST7 outperformed it in many areas. The ST7 also sounded smoother, particularly noticeable with vocals, drum kicks, cymbal strikes, and live music.
Overall, the TRN ST7 is an excellent choice for a budget IEM with exceptional technical performance and detail retrieval. If I am buying an IEM for $60 or more, I could see myself looking at other options for different tuning as well, especially when IEMs go on sale.
While the budget segment of the market has seen significant improvements, I've also noticed that the mid-range and high-end segments have improved as well. In fact, I feel that many IEMs in the $60 to $80 price range sound much better than the ST7.
This is just my opinion.
Check out the pictures and frequency response measurement below for a closer look at the TRN ST7.