rushofmusic
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2011
- Posts
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Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10
Accessories (4.5/5) – Comes with a nice carrying case, 2 pairs of comply foam tips, 1 pair of small silicone tips, 2 pairs of medium silicone tips, and 1 pair of large silicone tips.
Build Quality (4/5) – The actual housing for the drivers is built very solidly and I have no complaints about them. I have a bit of a gripe with the cord however, which I find to have a little too much memory and is a bit too stiff for my taste. They are also quite tangle prone, especially when you use the carrying case included with the headphones. Some have also reported punctures in units that they just received.
Isolation (4/5) – This is highly variable depending on how good a seal you get with the TF10s. I get a relatively good seal (thankfully) so isolation is pretty good. Not quite as good as the Sony earbuds as I own but still good enough for general use. Blocks out all noise when I walk on campus or ride the bus.
Microphonics (4.5/5) – Over-the-ear design means absolutely no sound from rubbing against clothing or anything of the sort. However, this might be different if you tried the flip mod.
Comfort (3.5/5) – This is what the TF10s are notorious for—being uncomfortable. Many find that they cannot achieve a good seal at all because the TF10 just simply does not fit well enough. Others find it to be extremely uncomfortable. I am fortunate enough to find the TF10s relatively comfortable. At first they really bugged me, they felt intrusive, too large, and left part of my ear tender after using them. Granted I’ve gotten used to using my Sony earbuds for over 3 years, so now that I’ve had the TF10s for about a month and used them quite often, I have become much more accustomed to them and find them relatively comfortable, although I can wear them for only 2 hours tops without feeling discomfort. Unfortunately, they don't insert as deep as one would expect, so they move quite a bit for me (or I might just have large ear canals).
Sound (9/10) – I have always been a believer of burn-in and always felt that my headphones improved after a burn-in of at least 50 hours. With the TF10s I am now a firm proponent of burn-in. When I first got the TF10s, I was absolutely horrified at the sound. They sounded dark, muddy, and the soundstage was extremely narrow. I actually thought about immediately returning them. However, I gave them the benefit of the doubt and allowed them to burn in with music and pink noise for 10 hours. By 6 hours of use, I noticed the sound was clearing up and becoming more open. Thankfully I decided to keep them and after 50 hours, they sounded fantastic. Now to describe the sound:
The TF10s are very well balanced with their notorious V-shaped frequency response. The sound is open and airy and they seem to breathe life into music that sounded flat with other headphones. The soundstage is fantastic and feels very large compared to other IEMs I have tried and imaging is also excellent. Overall, the sound is quite open and airy.
The bass in the TF10s is fast and relatively hard-hitting. I read a lot of debates about the TF10 after I purchased it (I will explain later why I did research after buying them) and noticed a lot of people debating whether the TF10s had a good amount of bass or not enough. After spending quite a bit of time with them, I’ve come to the conclusion that while the bass is not boomy, it is deep. The bass extension is fantastic and very full; bass notes reverberate in your head and feel great. It's quality bass, the type that extend all the way down and are nice and full, not the consumer boominess that most associate with bass. On top of that, the bass can also pack a bit of punch. While I wish that the bass could be a tad bit more boomy, I am still very satisfied by its depth and extension.
The mids on the TF10s are one of its noted problems. Because of the V-shaped frequency response some mids are a bit recessed. I am a classical violinist of 14 years and also an avid classical music fan and I’ve noticed that violins and some other string instruments seem to sit at the very trough of this V and sound very recessed. Electric guitar also doesn’t sound quite as present as I would like. Luckily, the recessed mids can be fixed to some extent with EQ. On the other hand, vocals sound absolutely brilliant. They are nice and forward and have a kind of sparkle to them that breathes life into the music.
The highs are crisp, clean, and detailed. Hi-hats and tambourines and other instruments in high registers sound great and have good presence which is many times lost in lesser headphones such as my Sony earbuds. Some have noted that the highs can be a little sibilant at times. I have found this to be true in a few cases such as whistling, instruments that operate in a very high register, or certain vocal excerpts. However, it is nothing that is unbearable and is not the least bit fatiguing for me.
Overall, the TF10 is very well balanced. It presents the listener with a very open and large sound rather than a warm, intimate sound which has led to some calling it cold sounding. I am a fan of balanced headphones though I must admit I used to be a bit of a basshead. However, the TF10s still sound fantastic to me.
Value and Opinion (10/10 (for me)) (MSRP~ $399.00, Current Price ~ $165, My price ~ $60) – This is where I have to admit how lucky I got with the TF10s. While the price usually hovers around $150-160, I got mine during the Black Friday sale on Amazon during which the price dropped to $94. I also happened to have $35 in gift credit on Amazon so I effectively paid only $60 for these amazing IEMs. I decided to purchase the IEMs on the spot without doing too much research on them because I did not want to pass up on the deal. I dare say this is the best deal I’ve ever picked up on in my life. I am so happy I never turned these headphones in after my initial impression.
These headphones are extremely well-balanced, having great bass that is fast and tight, highs that are crisp and clear, and mids that bring new life to vocals. Admittedly some of the mids are recessed and many may find these IEMs uncomfortable. But for me, they were an amazing deal that has brought me another step in to the world of hi-fi.
