TINHiFi T3 Plus Review
A step forward
Pros: + Balanced and engaging
+ Well extended and controlled bass
+ Crystal clear and detailed
+ Mostly natural timbre
+ Open soundstage
+ Excellent fit
+ Great build quality
+ Good cable
+ Plenty of ear tips and a cloth pouch
Cons: – Not the best in technicalities nor the most resolving
– Potentially shouty and bright
– Bass is lacking in texture and dynamics
– Flat soundstage
– Fierce competition
TINHIFI contacted me in order to suggest a T3 Plus review.
The sample was kindly provided free of charge and this is my honest and subjective evaluation of it.
The regular selling price is $69 but you can always find a better deal.
You can buy it directly from TINHIFI using the following, not affiliate link
TINHIFI.
Description and technical specifications
The T3 Plus is a new addition to the TINHIFI T series of earphones.
It uses a 10mm dynamic driver, with a double – cavity design and built in high performance magnets.
The new material, Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) diaphragm design, improves the membrane’s responsiveness and surface tension using a more integrative carbon network structure within the polymer compound.
This results in greater resolution in the sound with faster attacks and reduced harmonic distortion levels.
The T3 Plus has an impedance of 32Ω with a sensitivity of 105dB/mW@1kHz.
Design and build quality
The shell of T3 Plus is made of resin material using 3D printing process, and selected exquisite marble texture panel, hand polished and finished by UV treatment process.
Each IEM is meticulously crafted and hand-made.
Build quality is very good and I have nothing further to comment.
Appearance is contemporary with good aesthetics, a beautiful looking earphone.
Fit and isolation
The T3 Plus uses 3D printing technology to simulate human ears through a computer simulation database to match the best engineering of the human body.
This technology allows T3 Plus to achieve a perfect fit, even if you wear it for a long time, you will not feel tired and uncomfortable.
The sound tube is quite extended and the truth is that I was able to get a very comfortable and stable fit without any discomfort feeling even after a couple of hours of continuous use.
The T3 Plus is also discreet and the passive noise attenuation is good.
It doesn’t have an IPX or sweat proof rating but thanks to the tight fit, it stays stable and is suitable for use during exercise.
Cable and accessories
The T3 Plus comes with a high quality 2.8mm diameter 40 / 0.05 oxygen free copper audiophile cable that is insulated by layers of 200D Kevlar.
The cable is detachable, utilizing the 0.78mm 2-pin system and is terminated in a standard 3.5mm plug to be used with any mobile device.
The cable is better than some of the competition, it doesn’t get easily tangled and has low microphonic noise.
The earphone comes packed with 9 pairs of ear tips (3 white and 3 black), including 3 pairs of TINHIFI blue foam tips and a cloth carrying pouch.
Sound impressions
As per usual practice, prior to listening tests, I have left the T3 Plus playing music for about 100 hours.
The manufacturer suggested about 48 hours and clearly specified to me that any further burning is not a big influence factor.
The T3 Plus is quite easy to drive and you can just use your phone’s 3.5mm output but I would strongly suggest a USB DAC dongle like the iBasso DC05 and the FiiO KA3.
The overall tuning of the T3 Plus is quite Harman-like with good bass extension, a touch of forward mids, some treble sparkle and top notch clarity.
Nothing stands out in the wrong way and the sound presentation has a good factor of musicality with a fairly balanced and natural timbre.
Bass extension is very good and I didn’t miss much in quantity while listening to most genres of music.
Not a sub – bass monster but definitely adequate unless you are seeking for boosted lows.
Clarity is excellent and the sound is absent of any unwanted mid – bass bloat or muddiness.
The bass is tight and fast, the low end gets easily resolved but the listener will not fail to notice the lack of layering and texture complexity.
The T3 Plus doesn’t have the sharpest attack nor the most convincing macro dynamics but it gets the job done and there is enough contrast for the music to sound realistic.
Mids are balanced and engaging, slightly accentuated but not too forward to become the dominant force.
Voices are present and well articulated with harmonic wealth but there are a few instances when they can become a little shouty and a touch harsh.
This phenomenon gets more noticeable with voices and instruments at a tessitura venturing into the lower treble.
Anyway, timbre is quite natural and nothing gets too prominent in order to sound piercing or annoying.
The treble is mostly smooth and controlled but there is a slight emphasis at the lower treble / presence area that can lead into elevated brightness with certain recordings.
Still nothing too severe to cause listener fatigue although some treble sensitive users may not be too happy with the tuning.
Extension is good with a fair amount of energy while detail retrieval is satisfying and above the norm in quantity but somewhat lacking in finesse and texture quality.
Treble texture is less intense and weightless when compared to the rest of the frequency band, with a faster than the ideal decay.
The soundstage is up to the modern standards, fairly wide with plenty of air and precise imaging but absent of any significant depth.
The T3 Plus never sounds congested but it struggles to communicate the ambience of the recording place.
Compared to the T2 EVO
The T3 Plus leaps ahead with much better and improved tuning that is considerably more balanced and natural sounding.
Technicalities are also far better from every perspective and the T3 Plus is the clear winner deserving all the extra money rightfully so.
The T2 EVO is of course more compact and discreet so it can add as a second pair where portability and discretion are desired.
In the end
Truth is that this is a heavily populated category with some intense competition from all the brands and it would be time consuming to compare with the most known rivals like the Moondrop Aria 2, the Jade Audio JH3 or the FiiO FD1.
The thing is that the T3 Plus is equally competitive and a great step into the right direction, bringing the TINHIFI back to the game.
With a mostly balanced tuning, acceptable technicalities, good build quality and comfortable fit, the T3 Plus is a great option from TINHIFI.
Copyright – Laskis Petros 2022