TinHifi C3 Review
TinHiFi C3 Review
Not bad!
Pros: + Balanced and pleasant tuning
+ Loose approach to the Harman target
+ Good bass and smooth treble
+ Warm and engaging mid-range
+ Comfortable fit with good passive noise attenuation
+ Open sounding without congestion
+ Very easy to drive
+ Good quality detachable cable
Cons: – Not the last word in resolution and refinement
– Mostly flat soundstage
– Treble is lacking in presence and extension
– No carrying pouch included
– Only one type of eartips
The review sample was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
I didn’t receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don’t use affiliate links.
The price of C3 is $49 and you can buy it from the TinHifi online shop.
TINHiFi C3
The C2 and C3 are two brand new, budget friendly, earphones by TINHiFi that have been launched simultaneously.
The C3 uses a 10mm PU+LCP composite diaphragm with very strong elasticity.
It realizes higher accurate high-frequency vibration and excellent transient response.
It is also equipped with a KAIKOKU-CCAW 0.035mm light weight sound unit imported from Japan.
lt has the effect of a wide sound range and high-frequency transparency, which optimizes the high-frequency extension of the sound and presents richer detail.
N52 ultra powerful magnet and full internal dual magnetic circuit design provides unmatched low frequency performance and transient response.
Build quality and fit
The C3 earshells are made using 3D-printing technology, capturing the contour of the ear canal in a semi-custom shape through a computer model simulation database of the human ears.
The resin compound that is used is environmentally-friendly and harmless to the skin for long-term contact.
The anatomically shaped earshells are quite compact and lightweight (4.4g each) so they offer a very comfortable and stress free fit that is suitable for long term use with the added benefit of the very good passive noise attenuation.
Build quality is excellent, the earshells have a nice looking black shiny finish with a carbon fiber, gray square, pattern at the front plate.
Cable and accessories
The C3 comes with a 2-pin detachable cable that is made from a 4-core 270C silver-plated wire.
The cable is of high quality and beautiful looking with aluminum plugs and splitter, it has low microphonic noise and it doesn’t get easily tangled.
You also get six pairs of one type of eartips and that’s it, no carrying pouch, no some extra fine-tuning eartips.
Listening impressions
The C3 was left playing music for about 60 hours before listening evaluation.
The impedance of the C3 is 32Ω with a sensitivity of 106dB and they are actually pretty easy to drive even from a phone but as always an entry level USB DAC dongle is highly recommended.
I have mostly used the iFi Go link, FiiO KA1 and iBasso DC03 Pro.
If you are a fan of a looser approach to the Harman target curve then you are going to love the C3 because it is a fine example of such a tuning without overdoing it and in fact it is more tonally correct than hardcore Harman approaches.
Good sub-bass extension, mildly boosted bass without too much of a mid-bass hump, clear and well defined mids that don’t get masked by the low end and a smooth but not subdued treble that has plenty of energy and airiness.
The technicalities are surprisingly good for an entry level earphone, the bass is tight and controlled, fast and precise with good body weight, not dry or lean and with ample dynamics.
Mid-range transparency is also very good, voices and instruments sound crystal clear and well articulated with plenty of harmonic wealth and a natural timbre.
The treble is smooth and fatigue free with an easy going nature without any harshness and brightens but at the same time it can provide plenty of energy and sparkle as to sound lively and airy.
The C3 is mildly warm and very musical sounding without being dark or veiled, an earphone that feels at home with all kinds of music as long as you don’t have very specific expectations.
You can listen to modern stuff but don’t expect a bass-head experience and classical music alike as long as you are willing to forgive some minor lower end tuning inaccuracies and a relative lack of fidelity.
Don’t expect any miracles regarding overall resolution and texture refinement or detail retrieval and the treble is slightly lacking in bite and presence but for the price the C3 is a very good performer and provides an all inclusive and well integrated listening experience.
Soundstage is quite spacious and extended, not that layered or holographic, nor the last word in imaging accuracy but still satisfying enough with large scale works.
I found the C3 quite competent with classical music, at least for the price point, and in fact it sounded more tonally accurate than similarly tuned earphones like the FiiO JD7 when listening to Mozart’s early symphonies.
Compared to the FiiO JD7 ($99)
The price difference between the two earphones is quite substantial, the JD7 is $50 more expensive but in exchange you get a slightly higher quality cable, two sets of different eartips, a pair of memory foam eartips and a hard carrying case.
The JD7 has a full metal construction and is slightly more compact with a rounded profile.
They are both comfortable but the C3 is more effective at blocking outside noise.
Their overall tuning is quite close but the JD7 follows the Harman target curve in a more precise fashion and has slightly deeper sub-bass and a more emphasized bass / mid-bass that makes it the more fun sounding with non acoustic music but at the same time is less accurate in low end tonality.
Mid range and treble are on the same level of transparency, present and smooth with a quite realistic and natural timbre but the JD7 has the upper hand in resolution and texture finesse.
The TinHifi is better suited for critical listening while the JD7 is the party animal.
In the end
The TinHifi is a fine example of a well tuned and balanced sounding earphone that is equally suited for critical and casual listening alike without lacking too much in technicalities.
It could benefit from a couple more eartips and a carrying case but in the end, it’s all about the sound and the C3 is %100 worthy of the asking price.
Copyright – Petros Laskis 2023.