Tripowin TC01 Review
The $45 wonder.
Pros: – Overall performance much higher than the price point
– Very enjoyable tuning
– Bass well extended
– Good detail retrieval
– Wide soundstage
– Non fatiguing
– Very comfortable , lightweight and discreet
– Good build quality
– Good quality cable
– Hard carrying case
Cons: – Treble sounds somewhat artificial
Disclaimer and introduction
To be honest I wasn’t aware of the Tripowin brand until Linsoul suggested that I should review TC-01 and oh boy I was glad that they did.
The TC-01 was kindly provided free of charge and as always I am going to share my subjective and honest evaluation of it.
The Tripowin is a Linsoul exclusive brand and the TC-01 is a budget in-ear monitor that costs $49.
You can get it directly from Linsoul – https://www.linsoul.com/collections/tripowin/products/tripowin-tc-01?sca_ref=674901.cTrnEkOCqr
Technical
The TC-01 is Tripowin’s first dynamic driver earphone, which is built with a 10mm large size dynamic driver.
The driver is a diaphragm with silicon coated on PU.
This is an advanced and superb technique to present a favorable sound quality.
The housing is a semi open design with one venting port at the back of it.
The TC-01 is rated at 16Ω with a sensitivity of 104dB SPL/mW.
Housing and fit
The housing is made from mirror polished metal and it is available in pure silver and silver with purple accents.
The mirror surface is shiny under the light and it is very beautiful with a modern and minimal design.
Build quality is top notch and the TC-01 looks very sturdy and able to withstand everyday use.
The Tripowin logo is printed at the faceplate but there are no left and right markings.
The shape is designed based on the ears anatomy to best fit the majority of the users.
It is very small and discreet with a snug and perfect fit.
The TC-01 is very lightweight and extremely comfortable so we used it for an extended period of time without any hint of discomfort.
Passive noise attenuation is very good and above average.
Cable
Tripowin is a brand with rich experience in manufacturing professional HiFi cables.
For example the Zonie, C8 and Nucool that are quite popular among the community.
Thus the TC-01 comes with a 1.2m detachable 0.78mm-2Pin cable not only for durability but also for functionality.
You can either change it for a new one or upgrade it for a better one.
The cable is a braided design with two strands per channel ending in a 3.5mm plug.
Build quality is very good and the connectors plug firmly.
Our only complaint is that the cable is a little bit smelly.
Accessories
Despite being a $49 the package includes 3 pairs of silicone eartips and a good quality hard carrying case.
Moreover a hanger is included for the case so that you can hang it on your bag or anywhere you want.
Sound impressions
The TC-01 is readily enjoyable from mobile phones but our listening tests dictated that at least an entry level dac/amp is needed to get the most out of it.
Since this is a $49 iem it felt natural to test it with budget options like the iBasso DC03 , FiiO BTR3K and SoundMAGIC A30.
Give the TC-01 a few minutes of listening time and you will be immediately surprised by it’s immensely appealing sound signature which is quite easy for the ear and very enjoyable with all musical genres.
It is a tastefully done V shaped tuning following more or less the Harman Target and it resembles very much the FiiO FD5 tuning.
The TC-01 is a fast and agile sounding iem with good overall clarity that can pass all the needed information.
It is not a lean presentation but you can’t call it very full bodied either with an acceptable decay that is a bit faster than the ideal.
Bass is well extended to the sub domain with the whole region tuned with an extra emphasis above the target curve.
This is not an overly bass heavy iem and it will please audiophile purists and heavy users alike.
It has a good body to it and a quite tight presentation with satisfying clarity and adept layering.
There is a certain amount of masking so in heavy loaded passages some instruments/notes might get lost in the whole.
Dynamics are good although they lack in ultimate slam and due to the small and hollow housing we can’t hear reverb and echo as we would like to.
Mids are well balanced and clear although a touch restrained but still have enough dedicated space to let them shine.
Voices breathe well and sound very realistic but don’t expect them to be the star of the show.
Highs are cleverly extended to aid with clarity and separation but without sounding overly boosted or hyped to become harsh and annoying.
Listening is fatigue free and detail retrieval is very satisfying for an entry level iem and can challenge a lot of higher priced rivals.
Timbre is quite good but there are certain elements of a metallic aftertaste to them while they do sound a little coarse compared to higher priced rivals.
Another thing that should be noted is that the louder you push the listening levels the brighter will sound especially if it is underpowered so as noted above a basic dac/amp is mandatory.
The TC-01 soundstage is surprisingly above average regarding it’s width with enough air and good space allocation.
Placing is more or the less accurate with correct positioning cues but there are no such things as depth layering or 3d sounding effects.
At the end
Color us impressed and very happy for reviewing the Tripowin TC-01 as it is a surprisingly good sounding iem not to be expected at this price point.
This is the budget friendly audiophiles dream with a performance not to be expected and as that we are very happy to crown the TC-01 the King of the category reigning supreme and not that far apart from higher priced rivals.
The awarded rating reflects price to performance ratio.
Qobuz testing playlist – http://open.qobuz.com/playlist/5669033
Copyright – Laskis Petros 2021