Tinaudio T1 Review – Buttons In Your Ears!
Pros — Refined, warm to neutral and spacious natural sound with plenty of midrange. Excellent build and ergonomics. Unique design. Versatile applicability. Stellar value.
Cons — None at this price.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Tinaudio T1 is a single dynamic-driver earphone that features a sleek, modernist industrial design with button-shaped metal housings and a fixed cable with a three-button remote incl. microphone (that appears to work with iphone and Android devices alike).
Sound wise, the T1 strikes the balance between warm and neutral with plenty of vocals and soundstage, and a punchy however not exaggerated bass. The T1 is the warmer, bassier, and cheaper alternative to the popular, more neutrally tuned, class-leadingTinaudio T2 earphone. Ergonomically, it is well suited not only for the sofa but also for the bed or for on the road under a toque or helmet. Overall, it constitutes an outstanding value for money.
DISCLAIMER
I was asked by Jim NiceHCK to review the Tinaudio T1 earphone and purchased it for $0.10 from NiceHCK store. The price at the time of ordering was $36. I was further asked to link to the product: here!
I always test earphones across a section of music that broadly covers the frequency spectrum, including natural sounds generated by voices and orchestral instruments.
INTRODUCTION
Tinaudio, until recently, had offered only a couple of earphone models for export, the older T515 and the popular, acclaimed dual-dynamic-driver T2.
The T2 quickly became the neutrally-tuned reference in the $50 category. Some people, though, found its sound too analytical, and in particular its bass too weak. Many closed the vents with blue tack to create a more V-shaped sound signature. The T1 was introduced to cater to the aficionados of a tonality warmer than the T2’s (at a lower price).
SPECIFICATIONS
- Product Name: Original TIN Audio T1 In-ear
- Earphone Model: TIN Audio T1
- Earphone type: In-ear
- Driver: 12.5 mm single dynamic driver
- Impedance: 16Ω
- Earphone sensitivity: 102 dB
- Frequency response: 18–25000 Hz
- Cable: 1.2 m long; non-detachable
- Remote: three-button with microphone
- Price: $36 at the time of ordering
- Product Link: HERE!
PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES
The T1 comes in the classic blue and white flip-open box known from the T2. Included are two sets of rubber tips in each size (S,M,L) and a manual. Please don’t complain about the lack of an included case at this price, just order one that is right for you for a couple of bucks with the earphones.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, HAPTIC, AND BUILD QUALITY
The small earpieces (and the cable splitter) are made of metal and therefore feel exquisite and luxurious in my hands. They sport a minimalistic yet stylish, modern industrial, somewhat distinctive design: shallow cylinders (“buttons”) with angled nozzles. The fixed, round cable is coated with soft rubber (similar to the one of my much pricier Focal Sphear) and it features a three-button remote that works with my iPhone (and reportedly with Android devices, too). What takes slightly away is the somewhat flimsy appearing strain reliefs.
ERGONOMICS, COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT
The isolation is average and the combination of button-shaped housings with angled nozzles works well for my ears. I literally use “buttons” to push the T1 into my ear canals – handy. These buttons have a very low relief, they don’t stick out of the ears, and are therefore well suited as “bedphones” and for under helmets and toques. The cable is worn over/around the ears and the left strain relief has a small protuberance (”nipple”) for easy distinction of the earpieces in the dark (see first photo). Since there is no memory wire and also no weight to pull the cable down, owners of “Prince-Charles-type” ears may have difficulties keeping the cable in place around them.
SOURCE AND EARTIPS
I used an iPhone 5S and a MacBook Air with the “audioquest dragonfly 1.5 black” dac/amp. The T1 is easily driven even without the dragonfly. The large included tips work well for my ear canals.
TONALITY
The T1 strikes the fine balance between a neutral and warm sounding earphone (it is less neutral sounding than the popular Tinaudio T2 and less warm than the popular iBasso IT01). There are no spikes on the frequency response curve [source: primeaudio.org; thank you Crabbos] between sub-bass and midrange, the upper midrange has a small peak at 2 kHz, and the treble starts rolling off at 5 to 6 kHz. There is no sibilance owing to the lack of an elevated 7-8 kHz region.
The T1 features prominent, neutral sounding mids (reminiscent of the T2’s) with a natural timbre and without any harshness. The 2 kHz peak adds a bit of gloss to the higher voices. The treble is smooth and relaxed with no pierce, Diana Krall’s high piano notes shine, dance, and sparkle. The bass is punchy, never muddy or smudging, well textured (with the dragonfly), and well extended into the lower frequencies. Bass quality can vary depending on the size and shape of your ears because of the inside position of the bass vent.
The image is surprisingly big, soundstage is relatively wide and less (but reasonably) deep. Instrument separation, layering, resolution, and spatial representation are all good. Voices and orchestral instruments sound rather natural.
SELECT COMPARISONS
Fidue A65 ($60): Another single-dynamic-driver earphone of exceptional value. The A65 is warmer, therefore darker, with fuller, richer voices, with a more accurate, deeper, however narrower stage, unbeatable resolution in its class, and a marginally more natural timbre…but at almost twice the price.
Sennheiser CX 5.00 ($90): A single-dynamic-driver brandname earphone with old-school “fun tuning”: solid but rumbly bass, recessed mids with dense voices, healthy sibilance, and a veiled image. It does not strive on detail but on its overall comfortable warmth. The T1 is more accurate and resolving in every respect.
Tinaudio T2 ($50): The more neutral sounding and more analytical older sibling of the T1 with a similar midrange, less bass, and slightly more detail. Whether you want the T2 or T1 hinges mostly on the different bass tuning. Just get them both if in doubt. The T2 product link is here.
Urbanfun Hifi, original issue ($20): Hybrid featuring one balanced-armature and one dynamic driver. One of the 2016/2017 budget kings, respected for its sound and build but not for its looks. The “Urbs” have a stronger, more thumping bass, and a “softer” tonality than the T1. But they have a comparable natural timbre and image size, surprisingly. And they are smooth. These are darn good, too (if you like bass).
Brainwavz B100 ($50): Plastic construction that incorporates a single balanced-armature driver. Warmer, slightly darker, and grainier than the T1 but irresistibly fluid and homogenous – and therefore forgiven for the lack of detail to some extent (the $110 B200 will fix that but is out of contention here).
CONCLUDING REMARKS
The appeal of the Tinaudio T1 is not only its nuanced sound (which alone is good enough to make it thoroughly enjoyable). No, this earphone also excels by its sturdy metal construction and related haptic, as well as by its attractive and functional design, namely the tiny, button-shaped earpieces, which sit flat in the ear. This does not just look good, it is also very practical in constricted environments such as beds or under hats…or wherever you stick your head in. Its versatility and modest pricing not only distinguish the T1 from its (mostly more expensive) competitors but also create its own market niche.
The T1 can be purchased from NiceHCK store here. And no, I don’t get a cut.
