Tin HiFi T3 IEM Review

There’s been a lot of chatter in the audiophile world about this little company, which has been producing high quality sound for cheap. But this is my first experience with Tin HiFi, so I was very curious to test out the T3. How well does it perform? And will it suit your listening style? Let’s find out in this Tin HiFi T3 IEM Review.

Tin HiFi T3 IEM Review

IN the BOX

FIT

The T3 comes out of the box dressed with white foam tips. Foam is definitely the preferred choice with this model for reasons that I’ll explain below. But I suggest changing to a better foam tip. The foam didn’t do a great job of molding against the contours of my ear canals. The tips also quickly disintegrate once you start cleaning them. And it actually made quite a difference in sound when I changed to Dekoni foam tips. So, I highly recommend the upgrade. But I do have to say, despite their appearance, the T3 is very light, and I found them comfortable to wear for long listening sessions. The sound isolation is excellent as well.

DESIGN

Tin HiFi’s website is hard to read if you don’t understand Chinese. And I actually had trouble even opening the webpage. But we do know that the T3 employs a hybrid setup with a dynamic driver for the lows and a balanced armature for the higher frequencies.

The cable looks interesting. With it’s multicolored design, it reminds me of a bracelet my little nephew made for me. But it’s thick, soft and easily malleable. The MMCX connectors look sturdy, and I though the connection is secure, I didn’t have trouble detaching them with my tiny fingers. And the termination looks solid, while sporting some nice bling.

Finally, these buds are easy to drive, and even death metal fans should get enough volume to cause tinnitus.

SOUND

Lows

At first glance, T3’s lows are somewhat on the neutral side. Tight, fast and grippy, the bass lends great energy to pop tracks. But don’t expect a yuge bass presence and punch. At the same time, these buds do get pretty subby when listening to hip-hop. The low end also gives a little warmth to rock songs while remaining clean and well separated from the higher frequencies. And string instruments in this range revealed an impressive amount of substance for an IEM at this price point.

Mids

Some of my colleagues called the sound signature V shaped. But although there may be bits scooped out in this range, overall, I felt a good amount of presence here. And the relatively even mids mean that big rock and pop-rock hooks sound full-bodied and all-encompassing. Vocals avoid sitting artificially forward, so there’s no harshness or sense of imbalance. But the level of separation is also impressive, with even heavy arrangements sounding clean, and well delineated. And guitar strums and picks have tons of crystal-like definition, making them great for folk and bluegrass as well. But my favorite thing about the T3 is how tight and fast it sounds. Rock tracks with heavy snares, for example, have crazy energy and attack.

Highs

Now, here’s where you want to be careful. The highs get pretty bright. And with silicone tips, the sharpness may prove too much. So, as mentioned, I suggest using the foam tips to moderate the peaks and bring out some more warmth in the low end. With the foam tips, percussion sounds super snappy while avoiding any sizzle. And transparency is decent in this range as well, with strings and brass revealing a good amount of nuance and resolve, especially for the price.

Soundstage

You can expect plenty of height, while gradations in width feel super precise. I could have use a little more depth. But, in general, it’s an impressively spacious and multidimensional soundscape.

SUMMARY

In terms of performance, the T3 may be one of the best IEMs I’ve tested in this price range. Tight, snappy and clean with some impressive subbiness, these are fun buds that work for pretty much any genre. But I should warn those who are sensitive to high frequencies, that T3 does get pretty bright. So, it’s not the most forgiving sound signature. Still, considering the quality of sound, the $70 T3 is a steal.

A touch less brightness, and I would have given it the full five skulls.

You can find the T3 for the best price here:

Linsoul TIN HiFi T3 Premium Single Knowles BA Single PU+PEK Dynamic Hybrid Driver InEar Earphones, CNC-machined Metal Design, Detachable Gold-Plated OFC SPC MMCX Cables

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Gabby Bloch

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