TinAudio T1

While not exactly new, by today's standards, many followers asked for my opinion of T2's younger cousin, the T1. Well, what can I say? For such a price I expected something out of this world, considering the tough competition there is in this (and much lower) price range.

However, that's not exactly the case. While the treble has some decency, the lows are weak and the mids are shouty and uncomfortably upfront. Still, they are better than a whole lot of earphones in my collection, just not something I would even consider at this price point.

I'm all for unique and inovative designs, but they are not always necessary, and in this case even somewhat harmful. Although will definitely suit some users, I found the fit to be on the loose side and that might be one of the reasons why the bass response isn't sufficient. Getting a tighter fit was too much of a hassle.

The bass is what I would call "unexciting". Either because of the odd fitting, or because it is just lacking, I can feel almost zero impact coming from these earphones. It's very mild, and kicks sound cold and weak. Folk music sounds lacking in body, while listening to electronic music with these earphones was simply laughable. While some mid-bass is still present, it feels flat and unremarkable.

Although generously present, the mids are perceptually overblown and in-your-face. Listening to vocal-focused songs was a struggle, as the vocalist shouts into your ear, while other frequency ranges seem to be underwhelming in comparison. Horns and trumpets often sound aggressive and uncomfortable.

The upper-treble is delicate and gentle, but underrepresented when combined with the aggressive mids. The amount of detail is just about right, but might seem lacking in extension when compared to high-rated earphones equipped with balanced armatures.