TRI earphone impressions - I4 and I3, Starlight, NEW Starsea
Sep 16, 2020 at 5:00 AM Post #616 of 3,865
@WendyLi, thank you for your response on the Lark.

We are now making a specific request for a specific model which we all want from TRI. As above 3 driver unit, made up of a Beryllium Dynamic Driver, a Planar magnetic driver and EST drivers.

The community has made this request to let you know that if well tuned (as with all TRI models so far) and reasonably well fitting and reasonably priced, you have willing buyers here.

We would be grateful if you could pass on our message to the decision makers at TRI/KBEAR.

Thank you and we look forward to your response.
If this comes to fruition we will have some IEM. Even if it was a Beryllium DD, Planar and Sonion BA (only way it would be in my price range), there would be an affordable move towards perfection. It wouldn't be good to move it solely into the rich man's price range because of most of us are 'Poor Boys'. 'What else can a poor boy do', ( Jerry Lynn Williams - Running on Faith covered by Eric Clapton). All sentient beings are brothers and sisters.
 
Sep 16, 2020 at 5:08 AM Post #617 of 3,865
If this comes to fruition we will have some IEM. Even if it was a Beryllium DD, Planar and Sonion BA (only way it would be in my price range), there would be an affordable move towards perfection. It wouldn't be good to move it solely into the rich man's price range because of most of us are 'Poor Boys'. 'What else can a poor boy do', ( Jerry Lynn Williams - Running on Faith covered by Eric Clapton). All sentient beings are brothers and sisters.
I think replacing the EST with piezo drivers should make it cheaper but still somewhat similar.
From what I know, piezo´s are like poor mans EST. :joy:
 
Sep 16, 2020 at 6:45 AM Post #618 of 3,865
I think replacing the EST with piezo drivers should make it cheaper but still somewhat similar.
From what I know, piezo´s are like poor mans EST. :joy:

Piezos do bring some benefits like airiness and better technicalities to the table, but of the piezos I've tried, they sometimes have a quite artificial timbre, probably cause they make transients so fast that sometimes decay and other stuff sound unnaturally fast and brittle.
 
Sep 16, 2020 at 6:51 AM Post #619 of 3,865
Piezos do bring some benefits like airiness and better technicalities to the table, but of the piezos I've tried, they sometimes have a quite artificial timbre, probably cause they make transients so fast that sometimes decay and other stuff sound unnaturally fast and brittle.
Yeah, piezos do have their own "flavor" lol. But I am assuming it is somewhat similar to EST drivers in that.
 
Sep 16, 2020 at 8:46 AM Post #620 of 3,865
I think replacing the EST with piezo drivers should make it cheaper but still somewhat similar.
From what I know, piezo´s are like poor mans EST. :joy:
actually that a good idea, as you said piezo is the poor men's EST, if well implemented, they can have smooth yet detail, for example on BQEYZ Spring 2. THeir piezo sounded natural, and the best implementation and tuning of piezo from what I heard, that banned duo, spring 1 also good but spring 2 better, nicehck NX7 pro, LZ A6 mini

Piezos do bring some benefits like airiness and better technicalities to the table, but of the piezos I've tried, they sometimes have a quite artificial timbre, probably cause they make transients so fast that sometimes decay and other stuff sound unnaturally fast and brittle.

yes like its hard to implement/ to tune it, but from all piezos I tried, Spring 2 is quite there with piezo benefit, but with better timbre than others because of great tuning.

I compared the piezo on Spring 1 and EST on mofasest Trio (new Sonion EST similar to higher end driver), and result is same smoothness, the EST may have better extension but differences are subtle, and the EST on Trio from my experience, not giving the best EST can show maybe because of the tuning. For me i would like to have more "bite", more sharp transient, the EST on Trio is too smooth, details are there but too far floating off out there. Crinacle also have similar experience with many EST drivers. Fro me the Trio dip is too deep on 6khz, they need more details there. A lot manufacturer tune the EST and result are too soft, maybe they scare of harshness but seems like tuning on the similar FR, these EST produces much smoother result that needed to be a bit boosted than tuning BAs or piezo.
EST is smooth yes but I have more details and similar smoothness (through Sony's damping method) with my M7. And I like the M7 treble better actually. No doubt sony new BAs are great, but seems like I was hoping too much with EST. they are great and smooth but not perfect. Again tuning and implementation plays bigger part here.
 
Sep 16, 2020 at 9:14 AM Post #621 of 3,865
The TRi i3 does need a successor based on a similar formula. The Planar is the central pivot for me. But it really needs to be affordable and that is a real possiblity. If it costs a $1000 there will be no discussion If it costs $180 it will make waves. Good value makes these threads really take off.
 
Sep 16, 2020 at 10:09 AM Post #622 of 3,865
Yep!
A sub 200 dollar Tri3 successor would be an instant buy from me!
Really the only IEM brand i would buy blindly.

The Tri Starlight would be amazing but at 6x the price of my i3 its not an option for me. Its not 6x better than the Tri i3
 
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Sep 16, 2020 at 10:25 AM Post #623 of 3,865
Yep!
A sub 200 dollar Tri3 successor would be an instant buy from me!
Really the only IEM brand i would buy blindly.

The Tri Starlight would be amazing but at 6x the price of my i3 its not an option for me. Its not 6x better than the Tri i3

Yeah point of diminishing return is playing big part in this hobby. The more you go up, the more you need to spend with more little improvement. But once you are used to higher end set that sounded real good (not overpricing items - and thats a lot things like that) its hard to look back again.

But the i3 is one of the best you can get for its price bracket.
Right sucessor below $200, price is more important to have more value.
The EST driver alone cost $100+ so unlikely sub $200 will have EST. Unless using cheaper option like TDK EST or maybe soon we can have chifi own made EST.
But like said on few post before, well implemented piezo also a great option to cut the price.
 
Sep 16, 2020 at 10:57 AM Post #624 of 3,865
I reckon the price could be kept reasonable by changing that treble BA for a different one.
 
Sep 16, 2020 at 10:58 AM Post #625 of 3,865
I'm still prowling around the I3, Spring 2 and Fiio FH3 for my next IEM.

Would my Shanling M6 have sufficient power to properly drive the I3? In high gain mode maybe? All that talk about proper amping makes me nervous, while I'd really like to add a planar IEM to the collection.
 
Sep 16, 2020 at 11:01 AM Post #626 of 3,865
I'm still prowling around the I3, Spring 2 and Fiio FH3 for my next IEM.

Would my Shanling M6 have sufficient power to properly drive the I3? In high gain mode maybe? All that talk about proper amping makes me nervous, while I'd really like to add a planar IEM to the collection.

M6 will be more than enough to drive the planar on i3. Dont worry that is a great DAP
 
Sep 16, 2020 at 11:05 AM Post #627 of 3,865
I'm still prowling around the I3, Spring 2 and Fiio FH3 for my next IEM.

Would my Shanling M6 have sufficient power to properly drive the I3? In high gain mode maybe? All that talk about proper amping makes me nervous, while I'd really like to add a planar IEM to the collection.
My HiBY R5 runs the TRi i3 with lot's to spare. On 4.4mm balanced I have the volume between 28-46 out of 100 steps, high gain, and it sounds good. In bed maybe about 28 and if it's noisy around..... about 40 ish.
 
Sep 16, 2020 at 11:21 AM Post #628 of 3,865
Thanks for letting me know.
Now that means I have to decide between those three. Judging by various reviews and impressions all have something going for them.
Of my current collection, I prefer the sound and performance of the Starfield, and I'd like my next IEM to be better than that. Or rather, better and different so I'm not making the Starfield completely redundant...
 
Sep 16, 2020 at 11:30 AM Post #629 of 3,865
Thanks for letting me know.
Now that means I have to decide between those three. Judging by various reviews and impressions all have something going for them.
Of my current collection, I prefer the sound and performance of the Starfield, and I'd like my next IEM to be better than that. Or rather, better and different so I'm not making the Starfield completely redundant...
The Starfield is a nice sounding IEM, especially when run balanced. It is, however, not very exciting. It's great for quiet listening. Not very good for high octane music. It sounds good.....but a bit bland.
Edit
What I'm saying is....the TRi i3 is better.
 
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Sep 16, 2020 at 11:49 AM Post #630 of 3,865
The Starfield is a nice sounding IEM, especiall when run balanced. It is, however, not very exciting. It's great for quiet listening. Not very good for high octane music. It sounds good.....but a bit bland.
Edit
What I'm saying is....the TRi i3 is better.
So, do I get the I3 or any of the others? I do already have BA/DD hybrids with the KZ ZSX and CA CCA 16 and in a weirdly pokemon way would rather get something I don't have yet (even if the FH3 is leaps and bounds ahead of the hybrids I have apparently).

This is mostly me thinking out loud tho. At the end of the day it's probably down to preferences and what music I listen to (which doesn't really help as there isn't really any kind of music I DON'T listen to...)
 

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