Tin Hifi T2 Plus Review (1) – Very Fine Dining
Pros — Tonal accuracy; tonal accuracy; tonal…; balance/homogeneity; ergonomics; value.
Cons — A bit polite; still MMCX connectors; no container included.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Tin Hifi T2 Plus is a very well-made warm-neutral, well-balanced, crisp but never aggressive sounding earphone with outstanding timbre challenging the company’s more expensive offerings. The T2 Plus’s money is in:
- the build quality
- the ergonomics
- the tonal accuracy
INTRODUCTION
TinHifi T2, T2 Pro, T3, T4…and now T2 Plus? Tin Hifi has come a long way in the last 3 years. Making a name for themselves in 2017 with their uniquely neutral however somewhat sterile budget favourite “T2”, they ventured through a few “screamers” into more “musical” territory with their current, highly acclaimed T4. Tin Hifi continue their journey with the strangely non-chronologically labelled T2 Plus into the fields of balance and timbre. To give it away already: the T2 Plus are superb earphones for anybody seeking the combination of balance and tonal accuracy – and they are unchallenged in these virtues in their class and quite a bit beyond.
Watch the accompanying video.
SPECIFICATIONS
Driver unit: 10 mm woofer
Impedance: 32 Ω ±15%
Sensitivity: 104 ± 3 dB @1 kHzV 0.126V dB/mW
Frequency range: 20 – 20000 Hz
Cable/Connector: MMCX, gold plated
Tested at: $49
Purchase Link: Wooeasy Earphones Store Get it for $45: make an unpaid order and write “audioreviews” in the comments section and the price will be adjusted. Or try voucher code “T2PLUS”.
PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY
Tin Hifi fixed a few things in their T2 Plus. First, the cable: it is very pliable and tightly braided, and not rubbery like the one that comes with the T4. A great four-core silver-plated copper cable it is. Sadly, Tin Hifi hold on to the MMCX connectors which had caused grief in their previous models. They also addressed the strange fit of the T4: the T2 Plus’ earpieces are rounded with no peaky corners at all, they look like Lima beans and fit me fabulously. They sit flush in my ears and I can lie on the side in bed with them listening to music. Very comfortable for hours on end, however isolation is only average for me.
Build is impeccable. The shells are made of aviation-grade aluminium alloy and feel great between my fingers. Design and finish are not only of high quality but absolutely beautiful. And despite all improvements and changes, the T2 Plus are easily recognizable as a Tin Hifi product.
The company obviously put all their money in build and sound and the price did not allow for including a bag or case. Two identical sets of eartips (S/M/L) and one set of foams are in the box. The largest tips did it for me and I drove the T2 Plus easily with my iPhone SE (2016).
TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES
My tonal preference and testing practice
The Tin Hifi T2 certainly has the warmest low end of the Tin Hifi iems I have analyzed. It is as tight as in the T4 but a tad emphasized, which adds some warmth to the image; however the low end remains well dosed, articulate, textured, and speedy – with good sub-bass extension. I find the low end absolutely superb.
I ascribe a similar high quality to the vocals. The lower midrange gets a slight boost from the upper bass, but it does not get over-energized by the upper midrange. People who decried the T4’s shoutiness may be very pleased – it’s essentially gone. While the note weight in the vocals department is still not sumptuous, it is adequate imo: voices, male and female, are natural and intimate and not recessed, they are well sculptured and get a breath of air while fitting perfectly in the mix. And while they experience some brightness, they are never glassy as in the TRN-VX. Some of the T4’s upper midrange (the 2 kHz peak) has been shaved off in the T2 Plus and high piano notes sound relatively moderate in comparison.
The treble is a bit of an oddball, it appears to roll off early compared to the T4 – and there is zero sibilance in the T2 Plus – but the cymbals appear a bit tizzy sometimes, fuelled by that 10 kHz peak (?), which could be at least partially the product of resonance. In any case is there nothing annoying at the high end.
Soundstage is wider than deep, and not as deep as the T4’s. And it is tall. Timbre is absolutely gorgeous, amazing for a $50 earphone. The Tin Hifi T2 Plus lags a bit in detail resolution – but I am applying a very harsh judgement – there is some smudging going on, but this does not matter in my opinion, as it is expected in this class. If you prefer technical ability over timbre and natural appeal, you may get a cheap multi-driver such as the TRN-VX.
TIN HIFI T2 PLUS COMPARED
You find our reviews of all of the compared earphones here.
Compared to the recently reviewed $40 Moondrop SSR, the Tin Hifi T2 Plus are built more lavishly. The Tin Hifi T2 Plus are easier to drive, they have more note weight towards the bottom, they have more bass and less upper midrange, but they also have the splashier cymbals. The Moondrop SSR have the tighter bass and the better coherency at the bottom, and possibly the better detail resolution. But they also have this gigantic 3 kHz peak that may drive sensitive listeners away.
The Tin Hifi T2 Plus have a tonality very similar to the $99 Tin Hifi T4 and are moving even further away from the original T2’s analytical and sterile tonality. It is a bit smoother overall with the T4’s sonic edges trimmed. This increases balance but at the expense of grit: the T4 are livelier, punchier, but less coherent and somewhat shouty, and they have the better 3-D presentation. The T2 Plus’ soundstage is shallower in comparison. And the T2 Plus’s earpieces fit better and come with the haptically superior, non-springy cable.
I was very much surprised when comparing the Tin Hifi T2 Plus to my absolute favourite single-dynamic-driver earphone, the $250 JVC HA-FDX1, available from drop.com. When plugging the JVCs into my ears, the wow effect was missing: the T2 Plus are 90% “there”. Sure, the T2 Plus have a bit of a leaner note weight, they are not as clean, they have a bit lesser detail resolution, and they are splashier in the highs, but they are faster at the low end, and their timbre is right up to speed. The T2 also do not lag in soundstage. The JVCs previous budget equivalent were the modded Hifi Walker A1 but the T2 Plus are more “disciplined” and tonally more accurate imo.
As to the rest of the pack, the <$30 KBEAR KB04 remain the punchy on-the-go solution (the T2 Plus are more for the cultivated armchair indoor listening and have the better timbre by far), and the <$40 Blon BL-03, everybody’s 2019 single DD darling, are grittier, bassier, shoutier, and less balanced but tonally up there, too. The $23 KBEAR KS2 are more on the fun side with their V-shaped signature, they lag in build and cable, but they offer so much more than just good value for the drawer – be surprised – review pending. And the Blon BL-05 are still slumbering in some Canada Post depot.
WHAT WOULD I DO DIFFERENTLY?
Nada! Zilch! Gar nichts!
CONCLUDING REMARKS
The Tin Hifi 2 Plus are fabulous, very enjoyable earphones of great value, especially when picked up on sale. They may not incorporate the greatest ingredients in the big Chi-Fi kitchen, but there were surely some gourmet chefs at work cooking them up. Tin Hifi’s diminishing return starts right here and I would not fork out twice as much on the similar but less balanced and less ergonomic TinHifi T4…although I recently learnt to appreciate the T4 when paired with a warm source.
The Tin Hifi T2 Plus are primarily for mature listeners, for people who appreciate accurate music reproduction. Used at “normal” volumes, the T2 Plus can nicely brush up even older recordings. They do, however, not play out their qualities for adrenaline-driven metalheads and/or bassheads that need an artificial push and exaggerated dynamics to enjoy their music.
I really look forward to what the court of public opinion will have to say about these little jewels.
Until next time…keep on listening!
You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.
DISCLAIMER
The Tin Hifi T2 Plus were supplied unsolicited by Wooeasy Earphones Store. Thank you very much.
Get them at Wooeasy Earphones Store $45 discount price code: TINHIFT2PLUS
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