TIN HiFi P2 Planar IEM Review
TIN HiFi P2 IEM Review
Introduction:
TIN HiFi (Zhongshan Dongting Electronics Technology CO. Ltd.) is a Chinese company located in Guangdong Province in China and is specialized in the production, design and development of portable audio products like In-Ear Monitor.
- TIN HiFi Official Website: http://www.tinhifi.com/
The P2 is the successor of the P1 In-Ear Monitor and is the new flagship product of the company. The P2 features a 12mm diameter Planar Magnetic Driver and comes with a detachable cable that sports 2-Pin QDC connectors.
Disclaimer:
I would like to thank TIN HiFi for providing me the P2 In-Ear Monitor as review sample. I am not affiliated with TIN HiFi or any third person beyond this review and all these words reflect my true, unaltered opinions about the product.
The Price:
The MSRP price for the TIN HiFi P2 is $ 369,00 USD and can be purchased under the link below;
- TIN HiFi Store : http://www.tinhifi.com/shop/
- TIN HiFi AliExpress : https://www.aliexpress.com/store/5144048
Package and Accessories:
My TINHiFi P2 review unit came with an early retrial package that means that the final packaging will be different.
My sample came with the following items/accessories;
- 1 pair x TIN HiFi P2 In-Ear Monitors
- 1 piece x 2-Pin Detachable Cable With 2.5mm Balanced Plug
- 1 piece x 2.5mm TRRS to 4.4mm Pantaconn Balanced Adaptor
- 1 piece x 2.5mm TRRS to 3.5mm Single Ended Adaptor
- 3 pairs x White Silicone Ear Tips
- 3 pairs x Dark Grey Silicone Ear Tips
- 3 pairs x Grey Foam Ear Tips
- 1 pair x White Foam Ear Tips
Design and Build Quality:
The monitor shell of the TIN HiFi P2 is made of Stainless Steel Material in silver color with a unique triangular shape, which is pretty comfortable. The P2 is a very well-crafted In-Ear Monitor and doesn’t show any noticeable imperfections like burrs or gaps.
The Monitor shell is made of 2 (two) main parts, which are the front (also called as faceplate) and the rear panel.
The center of the front part is has a rough surface that gives the P2 a nice appearance. The outer part of on the other hand shows a semi gloss smooth surface that is in harmony with the rest of the front part/faceplate.
The rear body is the location where the sound nozzle, bass vent and the L (Left) & R (Right) markings are located.
The sound nozzle is slightly angled and features a filter in white color to prevent the insertion of particles like dust, earwax, etc.
On the top of each monitor shell is the 0.78mm diameter 2-Pin connector for QDC type of male connectors.
The TIN HiFi P2 comes with a detachable cable with QDC type of 2-Pin male connectors, which is a recessed connector with 2 pins that are located behind the plastic housing.
The cable is made of high purity N6 OCC (Ohno Continuous Casting) Single Crystal Copper Wire material with a 8 core braided design that comes with a pretty soft and flexible PVC insulation in orange (copper) color that offers a very low amount of microphonic effects.
Near the left and right connectors are transparent heat-shrink ear guides for extra comfort on the go. There cable has a metal Y splitter and transparent plastic chin slider that looks quit esthetic.
The cable features a 2.5mm TRRS balanced headphone jack with a straight profiled metal housing that has a nice carbon fiber pattern on it. The overall build quality of the cable is pretty good!
The 2.5mm Balanced Headphone plug can be converted in 3.5mm Single-ended and 4.4mm Balanced outputs with the 2.5mm TRRS to 4.4mm Pantaconn Balanced Adaptor and 2.5mm TRRS to 3.5mm Single Ended Adaptor which are included in the accessory package.
Comfort and Isolation:
The all-metal housing of the TIN HiFi P2 offers a pretty comfortable wearing experience for my medium sized ears and I didn’t faced any discomfort in my ear concha.
The performance of the P2 in terms of noise isolation is on an average level and is quite acceptable for the use in relative noisy environments like metro, bus or train.
Drivability & Pairing/Synergy:
The TIN HiFi P2 is not an easy to drive In-Ear Monitor with a sensitivity of 90dB, even If it has a fairly low impedance of 32Ω. The 12mm diameter Planar Magnetic Driver inside the P2 needs a lot more juice compared to IEM’s with Dynamic or Balanced Armature Drivers that do share similar specs.
My Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus was not able to driver the P2, while much more powerful sources like the xDuoo XD05 Plus and FiiO Q5s or DAP’s like the iBasso DX220 MAX, DX150 & QLS QA361 do offer a much better pairing.
The TIN HiFi P2 shows the best synergy with sources that do have a warm tonality like the iBasso DX220 MAX and DX150 or xDuoo XD05 Pro.
Technical Specifications:
- Driver : 12.0mm Diameter Planar Magnetic Driver
- Frequency Response : 7-40KHz
- Impedance : 32Ω±15%
- Rated power : 5mW
- Max power : 10mW
- Max distortion : 1%@1kHz 0.179v
- Interface : Gold-plated 2-Pin connector
- Plug : 2.5mm gold-plated plug
- Cable length : 1.25m
- Cable material : 8 core 0.08/16C 6N OCC PVC cable
- Housing material : Stainless Steel
Sources:
- a) In Ear Monitor’s : TIN HiFi P2, Final Audio B2, Sennheiser IE400 PRO
- b) DAP/DAC/AMP’s : iBasso DX220 MAX, QLS HiFi QA361, FiiO M11 Pro, xDuoo XD05 Plus
Albums & Tracks used for this review:
- Sonya Yoncheva – (Giuseppe Verdi) II Trovatore, ActI (Flac 24bit/44kHz)
- Dionne Warwick – Walk On By (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Randy Crawford – On Day I Will Fly Away (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Edith Piaf – Non Je Ne Regrette Rien (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Diana Krall – So Wonderful (DSF)
- Sertap Erener – Aşk (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Casey Abrams – Robot Lovers (Spotify)
- Barry White – Just The Way You Are (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Isaac Hayes – Walk On By (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Sting – Englishman in New York – (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Elton John – Rocket Man (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Chopin – Nocturn No. 20 In C-Sharp Minor (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Fazıl Say – Nazım Oratoryosu (Live) (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Vivaldi – Le QuarttroStagioni “The Four Season” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- Otto Liebert& Luna Negra – The River (Spotify)
- Gogo Penguin – Raven (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Armin Van Buuren – Vini Vici (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Lorde – Royal (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Massive Attack – Angel (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Twerl – Lishu (Spotify)
- U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Portishead – The Hidden Camera (MP3 320kpbs)
- Metallica – Sad but True (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- Rush’s – Leave That Thing Alone (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Slayer – Angel of Death (Spotify)
- Tom Player – Resonace Theory “Album” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Acid Rain (Spotify)
The Sound:
The TIN HiFi P2 shows a close to neutral, slightly bright tonality with a highlighted upper treble response. The bass of the P2 is fast, deep and controlled; the midrange is airy and offers a decent amount of clarity and detail retrieval, while the treble range strongly pronounced with a pick in the upper treble area that shows a good level of extension.
This review of the TIN HiFi P2 is written after a burn-in process of approx. 55 – 60 hours. I have used the stock dark grey silicone ear tips that were included in the standard package.
A) Bass:
The lower frequency region of the TIN HiFi P2 shows in general a linear character with a fast response and good level of resolution.
Depth:
The subbass region of the TIN HiFi P2 offers a good depth, extension and intensity. The subbass response of the P2 is in general quite controlled and doesn’t sound too dominant or overwhelming. The rumble is not on a basshead level, but should satisfy most listeners with a variety of genres.
Speed:
One important parameter that does directly affect the resolution & detail in the lower frequency area is the speed, especially while listen to genres with complex bass passages. The speed of the P2 was pretty successful, while I have listen to instruments like the contrabass, drums and bass guitar. It was also very tasteful to listen and follow fast cross drums hits/strikes in metal music.
Quantity / Intensity:
While the bass amount of TIN HiFi P2 varies quite a lot to the source (AMP or DAP) that is used, it has in general an amount and emphasis that is slightly above neutral. In this respect, I can say that the amount of bass should be quite sufficient for most listeners. The midbass of the P2 shows more intensity compared to the subbass area.
Control & Tightness:
I do always prefer a controlled and tight bass character that doesn’t leak into the midrange that can hold down this area. The bass of the TIN HiFi P2 is in general pretty agile, controlled, and dynamic and does not get out of control even in fast bass passages.
The TIN HiFi P2 can briefly be defined as an IEM with a bass character that is quite controlled, agile and sufficiently powerful in its presentation, with an overall bass quantity that is slightly above natural.
B) Midrange:
The TIN HiFi P2 has a fairly neutral, balanced and transparent midrange presentation that is neither to thin nor too bold in its tonality.
Vocals:
Both male and female vocals do sound crisp, clear and lively with the TIN HiFi P2, without to show any negative situations like a muddy or veiled presentation. Apart from these, I would like that male vocals do sound a touch fuller in tonality.
The upper midrange emphasis and intensity of female vocal is on a good level and I liked the P2 in terms of emphasis, control, and detail retrieval while listen to of soprano female vocals that do climbed and decreased at the same speed in a controlled manner.
Sonya Yoncheva’s performance in Giuseppe Verdi’s II Trovatore is a good example. The rising and extension of her voice to the upper midrange and again, the descending from the upper midrange to the midrange and finally to the lower midrange region was amazing. The TIN HiFi P2 reproduced the details and the neutral / bright tonality very good.
To summarize, the TIN HiFi P2 was quite successful in terms of clarity, transparency and detail retrieval of the vocals, with tiny exception of male voices that could have a slightly bolder/fuller tonality. However, to be honest, the soprano female vocal performance of the TIN HiFi P2 is solid!
Instruments:
I can say that the general instrument tonality of the TIN HiFi P2 is neither thin nor too thick/bold. The instrument presentation of the P2 is slightly bright, quite neutral / natural and clear.
The TIN HiFi P2 is a very successful In-Ear Monitor in terms of detail retrieval and airiness, aswell distinction and clarity of the instruments. Pianos are slightly bright and pronounced, acoustic guitars are natural, transparent and fast. Violins on the other hand do sound a bit bright, while violas do sound pretty good with exception of a slightly lack of warmth, weight and body.
The TIN HiFi P2 offers a fairly accurate instrument and vocal placement with an above average performance in terms separation of vocals and instruments.
C) Upper Midrange & Treble:
TIN HiFi P2 shows a strong upper midrange emphasis and the tonality in this area is in general quite transparent and neutral. The upper midrange of the P2 is more highlighted compared to the lower midrange area, and performs quite well in terms of control and detail when the instruments do play with high distortion.
Violins are slightly bright and the extension is pretty successful. Pianos on the other hand don’t show any loss of upper midrange intensity en extension.
The TIN HiFi P2 shows a very airy, detailed and highly energetic treble presentation, while this general treble character can sound a bit too bright or even harsh to some listeners with certain genres and bad recorded albums. The emphasis of the upper treble range is a bit too high and can tire the ears over time.
The upper treble region of the TIN HiFi P2 is more highlighted compared to the lower treble (presence) area. This is a somewhat surprising choice of the company since most IEM’s on the market I have listened before do generally increased the lower treble area and do show less presence or a roll-off in the upper treble register. This tuning makes the P2 at this point to an extraordinary In-Ear Monitor that can be hated or loved.
The Tin HiFi P2 offers an above average performance when it comes to the treble extension, sharpness, airiness and detail retrieval.
The cymbals in metal music are distinct and very easy audible to count. Crash cymbals for example do sound pretty fast and highlighted, while they can sound a bit too bright and sharp in certain track. The P2 tends to sibilance and sharpens in treble intensive genres like metal music due to the highly emphasized upper treble tuning, while other genres like jazz music doesn’t show any mixings when the piano accelerates, the music notes are clear and distinct.
EDM and electronic music lovers on the other hand will find what they are looking for with the TIN HiFi P2 because I have not encountered any significant mixings or loss of control.
D) Soundstage & Imaging:
The soundstage of the TIN HiFi P2 is suitable for a quite precise separation and placement of instruments and vocals. The stage has a good width and depth and shows a parallel structure on both directions. The stage of the P2 can be described as quite airy and spacious which is a great benefit for multi-instrumental genres that do need a wide space such as classical music.
Some Comparisons:
TIN HiFi P2 versus Sennheiser IE400 Pro:
The TIN HiFi P2 is a more neutral sounding In-Ear Monitor with a brighter tonality, compared to the Sennheiser IE400 Pro that shows a softer and warmer tonality. Both the midbass and subbass area of the IE400 Pro is more pronounced than those of the P2. The subbass of the IE400 Pro shows more depth and slightly better extension.
The Midrange of both IEM’s is sound lively and transparent, while the TIN HiFi P2 has the upper hand in terms of overall clarity and detail retrieval. The Sennehiser IE400 Pro is successful with female vocals, while the TIN HiFi P2 is suitable for both male and female vocals.
The upper midrange of the TIN HiFi P2 is more highlighted and richer in terms of detail retrieval. The lower treble area of the Sennheiser IE400 Pro sounds slightly more accented and offers additional clarity and definition, while the TIN HiFi P2 is superior in terms of overall treble extension, sparkle and detail retrieval due to the boost in the upper treble area. The treble range of the IE400 Pro shows a smoother character which makes it more ideal for longer listening periods.
The soundstage of both IEM’s offers a sufficient performance in terms of separation & placement of instruments and vocals, while the TIN HiFi P2 is superior when it comes to soundstage width, depth and airiness.
TIN HiFi P2 versus Final Audio B2:
The Final Audio B2 has a slightly warmer tonality compared to the TIN HiFi P2 that shows a brighter and closer to neutral tonality. The subbass of the P2 offers more rumble and depth with slightly better level of extension. The Final Audio B2 has a more linear bass response with moderate depth, speed and extension. The midbass of the TIN HiFi P2 is faster in response and sound also punchier when listen to genres like electronic, edm, pop etc.
The midrange of both In-Ear Monitors sounds pretty detailed and transparent. The lower midrange of both the P2 and the B2 are quite similar in terms clarity and detail retrieval, while the TIN HiFi P2 is superior in term of upper midrange clarity, detail and overall extension. The Final Audio B2 is successful with female vocals, while the TIN HiFi P2 is the better choice if you like to listen to both male and female voices (especially soprano vocals).
Both IEM’s do show a different focal points in the treble range. The Final Audio B2 sounds more highlighted in the lower treble register and offers slightly better resolution and clarity in this area, while the TIN HiFi P2 stands out with its upper treble response. The TIN HiFi P2 offers a better level of upper treble extension and detail retrieval and has also the upper hand when it comes to the overall sparkle and airiness. The Final Audio B2 shows a smoother and more fatigue free character in the upper register, which makes it more ideal for treble sensitive listeners.
The Final Audio B2 shows a pretty good performance in terms of soundstage wideness, while the depth is on an average level. The TIN HiFi P2 is the more successful IEM for both, soundstage depth and wideness, as well as separation of vocals and instruments.
Conclusion:
The TIN HiFi P2 is the successor of the popular P1 In-Ear Monitor and comes with a 12mm Planar Magnetic Driver that was been integrated to a monitor shell with a solid look & feel. The sonic sound characteristics of the P2 are speed, detail and clarity, which are extending to the whole sound spectrum. However, to archive the best result from your P2, you will need a powerful source with the right synergy, especially to tame the peaky upper treble character.
Pros and Cons:
- + Bass Speed & Control
- + Midrange Clarity & Detail Retrieval
- + Treble Extension
- + Design and Build Quality
- + Nice Accessory Package (Cable, Adaptors, etc.)
- – Upper Treble Peak
- – Needs a Powerful Source
- – Maybe too Bright for you in tonality
Thank you for the Read!