TinHiFi T4 PLUS Universal 10mm CNT Dynamic Driver IEM

Disclaimer

I bought this iem with my own money. This review is completely subjective.

Accessories

T4 Plus comes with a leather carrying case, really good quality eartips, cable and iem itself. Pretty good accessories.




Build

T4 Plus is fully made out of metal and comes with a good quality 3.5mm cable. Really really good build quality.



Sound-Tonality and Technicalities

Man… I just love this iem. Overall tonality is so fun and unique to listen. I used this iem like 1 year and i can’t forget this iem. This thing have a big, rumbly, punchy sub-bass and mid-bass response with a enough amount of treble. Midrange is excellent for the price and instrument separation is really good for a old iem… Dynamics are very decent for this price range too. Soundstage is not the widest in this price range but have good depth and a good imaging performance. Air frequencies are so lively and feels good to listen to.



Conclusion

If you like fun sound signatures and lively non-fatiguing treble range, this is a perfect pair of IEM’s for you. But in 2024, you have better options for overall sound. But for me, this iem is only option if you want to have fun and enjoy listening for 100-120 dollars, go get a T4 Plus.

Sometimes I need something different, can’t use the open-back because they are too noisy, the closed backs are too heavy, the Blessing 2 dusks hurt my ears. I need something light and easy

I bought this iem with my own money. My opinions are my own.

You can buy this on Amazon or Linsoul or Hifigo. These are listed here for convenience only.


Product Features

Song Choice: Tidal list here:
I listen to a wide variety of music. I pick the songs because of various reasons. But I picture myself locked away like Andy Dufresne from Shawshank blasting music and shut off from the world. It’s a blissful image.
The Marriage of Figaro -The opera song from Shawshank Redemption, terrible recording but fun and gets me in the mood to listen to music.
O mio Babino caro -This is a modern less operatic version but a song with great female vocals.
Video Rigoletto - “La donna e mobile” Sung by one of the three Tenors, great song for high-performing male vocals. Pavarotti is the greatest classic singer maybe ever. Fight me!
Iron man - The sound at the beginning is hard to make sound great, great drums, and cymbals, and if done right it feels like an old-school band.
I Will Survive (1981 recording, I like her voice, and the old vocals, the drums, and various natural instruments really make this a favorite for me.
There is a light That never goes out - Smiths ( A classic, I just love it. It’s mellow, and I can tell a lot of the tuning if this song is done right.)
Jump (I like how the sound effects are in this!)
Star Child Someone recommended this song to me, and I like how funky it sounds and has nice vocals and a mix of music and things going on.
Dicke Titten Ramstein The beginning is amazing and the bass hits hard. Great song. I love rock and metal. The German language fascinates me
Master of Puppets: Very fast song. Helps me determine if the driver can keep up.


Shell - This shell is very good-looking. It’s extremely light, durable, and I really enjoy the easy going feel it has on my ears. I can wear them all day. It is harder to get a fit with them, as I find other iems will be easier to get a good fit with, but it’s nice and comfortable. It’s easy to get out of my ears.





Case- A nice case. It’s a bit bland, but functional and quality made. It adds to the value of the iem at $120 dollars, and it’s one of the better cases out there.


Cable- The cable is very nice. I really like the feeling of it. It’s premium, with just enough color. It’s a fantastic cable, that you won’t need to buy another Truthear Hola to recable this iem. It’s tangle free and easy to use. While I am not one to believe that a cable will change how an iem sounds, it is important, as a bad or cheap cable feels that they take away from the experience. This cable adds value to the package.

Tip Selection - I really enjoy the tips on this. I would highly recommend them.


Comparison: The 100-dollar market is very tough. While this iem does compete, it is not an immediate recommendation for everyone. The customized yellow ear tips are very nice. I highly recommend to try them sometime. They are very special, and comfortable.


Quick-Fire Comparisons

In this section, I'll quickly compare the MK2 to other relevant IEMs in its price bracket, plus the other SA6 models.

Tin Hifi T4 Plus VS. Truthear Hexa
Overall Tuning: Hexa
Details: Truthear Hexa

Tin HifiT4 Plus VS. Aria
Overall Tuning: Tied
Details: Tin Hifi T4 Plus

Tin Hifi T4 Plus VS. Legato 7hz
Overall Tuning: Tin Hifi T4 Plus
Details: Tied

Value: I like a great deal about this iem, but I don’t find it a great value. I think it is a tad bit expensive and should be priced at around 80.

Graph: This graph has been brought to you by Supereviews.


Bass

The Tin HifiT4 Plus’s bass is medium to strong, with a good mid-bass thump. The CNT driver does something well and some things poorly, bass is very ok. I don’t find the extra bases cases mud at all, and find it fairly clear for the price.

Midrange

The Tin HifiT4 Plus has a mid-range that is smooth and natural, it’s Timbre is a little bit off and feels a bit like your music is coming out of tin can. But it’s enjoyable, just not perfect.

Treble

The treble is my favorite part of this set, as it’s fast and it seems everything instrumental is perfect coming out of this iem.

Gifting/who is it for: For your family who don’t want a traditional iem due to the size. It’s tough at $120 but it’s a nice package and well worth it. It’s classy, for someone who wants something different.

Pairing: I used a Quidelix 5k and a Topping DX1 dac through a SMSL SH-8s AMP. I don’t find the pairing to matter too much, but it certainly can.

Recommended EQ: I recommend a slight bump down in the 64 Hx of about -2, 125 HZ -4, and the 250 Hz -5. I feel it sounds a little more natural and is easier going.

Summary: This iem is like squirrel girl, she serves a purpose, but wouldn’t be your first pick for many jobs. You don’t always need the best, you need fun, you need effective an enjoyable. As Squirlegirl is silly and fun to be, so is this iem. At 120 it might not be my pick for every situation, it is still a competitive iem to have a part of your collection. It's a specialist, not one that you would want to have if you only had one eq and never equed. The driver is definatly a special one.




Thanks for reading. Any feedback is welcome. I’ll be posting my preference list of iems, dacs, and headphones soon. It’s in process.

Introduction

TinHiFi, on the market since 2017, sticks to the simplicity of the names, but adding that Plus. As a programmer, I prefer versions - how about V1, 2, 3 and so on? The surnames Plus, MK, Pro, Ultra and the like, boggle my mind. But that's not a criticism either, just a personal opinion. Well, here TiHiFi is back with the Plus version of its T4. That is, the current product is called... TiHiFi T4 Plus. Good! Who could say that this is the new version of the T4, but it is. It is in a similar price range and is based on the original design, but put in the sun. The T4 Plus has been darkened to gold. The outer plate has changed and a mahogany-coloured stabilised wood panel is now used. The cable has followed the same dye, but with the advantage of having moved from the MMCX connection to the 2Pin 0.78mm connection. Well done TinHiFi!
In line with the brand's latest models, the packaging has been compacted and has a particular imagery: "Space Station". My head doesn't go any further and I don't know what the space motif of the T4 Plus is. But it is also worth noting that these recent IEMS have a new third-generation carbon nanotube diaphragm technology. The copper-clad aluminium voice coil has been reduced by 28%. An N54 super external magnetic circuit design has been added. The cable adopts four strands of high-purity silver-plated enamelled wires. It is accompanied by a thick, soft leather case and foam-filled tips, in true Mandarine style.



Specifications

• Driver Type: 10mm magnetic CNT dynamic driver.
• Frequency Response: 10-20kHz.
• Sensitivity: 106±dB@1kHz 0.179V.
• Impedance: 32Ω±15%.
• Maximum power: 5mW.
• Jack Connector: 3.5mm.
• Capsule Connection Type: gold-plated 0.78mm 2Pin.
• Capsule Weight: about 4g.
• Cable Material: 4 strands of 270C mixed silver-copper PVC.

Packaging

I like small packaging more and more. And TinHiFi know how to keep it small. The T4 Plus come in a small black rectangular box, size 109x110x69mm. The main side is decorated with space motifs. Actually, this is the capsule of the T4 Plus, which has different uses: it is a space satellite and also a rocket. There are astronauts and some flying saucers. In the upper left corner is the name T4 PLUS and below, in larger letters, you can read "Space Station". On the top there is a plastic band to hang the box on a guide. On the back side there are only some QR codes, the company name and the web address. Removed from the cardboard is a black box with somewhat sinister motifs: it could be a labyrinth or swastikas. In the centre, the brand logo and name in white ink. When the lid is opened, the capsules are encased in a thick foam mould. Below it is another level containing the light brown leather case and the rest of the contents. In a nutshell:

• The two TinHiFi T4 Plus capsules.
• One four-stranded cable, with 3.5mm SE connector and 2Pin 0.78mm interface.
• Three pairs of foam-filled silicone tips, sizes SxMxL.
• Three pairs of grey silicone tips, with red core, sizes SxMxL.
• Three pairs of black silicone tips, sizes SxMxL.
• One warranty card.
• One instruction manual.

Each of the accessories comes in an individual plastic bag. While the foam-filled silicone tips come in a special case.
Again, I really like the minimalist packaging, the case, the cable and the three sets of tips. Especially the Mandarine tips. Very nice.



Construction and Design

It goes without saying that the design is based on the previous T4 model. The capsules have a double cylinder design, coupled at 90° to the rear. In detail, the body of the IEM is a thick cylinder with a diameter of 12mm and a total length of 20mm. At its rear is another cylinder, attached to a 90° ring, which surrounds the capsule. Inside, the 2Pin 0.78mm connector is embedded, with gold-plated contacts and a red or transparent base, to indicate the channel. There is also a blue dot to indicate polarity. In the very centre of the junction between the connector cylinder and the ring, there is a hole. Above it, on the same vertical, at the base of the nozzles, there is another hole. They are on a rounded base and have a length of about 4 mm. The smallest diameter is 5.4mm and the outer ring is 6mm. Inside is a metal grid. The back face consists of a stabilised wooden plate surrounded by a gold-plated ring.
The cable consists of 4 strands, with 3.5mm SE connector and 2Pin 0.78mm interface. The wires are enamelled and plated with high purity silver. Its colour is dark copper. The metal parts also have a similar, but brighter colour. The sleeve of the 3.5mm SE connector is metallic with three longitudinal spiral grooves. The pattern is repeated on the splitter piece, but with half the size. The sleeves of the 2Pin connectors have only one ring. The bases of these pins match the shape and colour of their counterparts on the capsules. The pin is made of a disc with two through holes on its edge, which has the brand logo in white ink. Finally, the cable has a Velcro strap for tucking in, with the brand name logo, also in white ink.
The differences between its predecessor are based on the colour, the 2pin connection and the stabilised wooden outer plate. I actually prefer the current design because it is more discreet.




Adjustment and Ergonomics

Literally, I repeat what I said about the ergonomics of the T4: The capsules, although the connector cylinder is a 90° piece, are of a classic cylindrical design. Thus, the ergonomics are quite simple. The design has ensured that these connectors do not bother or rub against other parts of the ear, at least in my case. I can rotate the capsules at will to find the best insertion, which, on the other hand, is quite perpendicular. Ergonomically speaking, there is no greater fit than the direct coupling, which may limit its adjustment, depending on one's morphology. In my case, I consider that I have quite normal ears and I hardly have any problems with the IEMS. Neither do I have any problems with the T4 Plus, which means that I find the fit easy and relatively comfortable. The over-ear cable doesn't bother me and barely rubs, hanging quite freely and unnoticeably. The best fit will depend on the tips used, as the IEMS don't hold anywhere. The insertion is superficial, and bi- or tri-flange tips can be used for a deeper insertion, but, perhaps, the straight design is not the most appropriate for this type of insertion, although everything is to try, depending on the morphology of each one.
In fact, everything I've said so far is still quite valid, but with a few objections: the choice of tips is not as trivial as with the semi-custom capsules. And my foam-filled silicone tips, which are bigger than the standard ones, don't fit me well. Neither do the foam-filled ones that come with it. I got the best ergonomics and the best sound with spherical silicone tips, size L, with a narrow core.



Sound

Profile

The profile of the TinHiFi T4 Plus is "deceiving". At least, it does to me. From its FR it looks more bassist than it really is. I think it is more balanced than it looks. It even seems sharper than I see it. Maybe it's because of the capsule type, its smaller size and the cylindrical design seems to generate less body. The result is a U-V profile with a slight prominence in the mid-highs and first treble, due to that classic plateau that is fashionable among the latest TinHiFi models. It feels like the brand has found a formula and is exploiting it, both in the C-series and the T-series. The variations are subtle in the bass and are more visible from the upper-mid range onwards, but they start from a similar pattern.



Bass

In my opinion, the bass is a little above neutral, but without dominating the sound. Its relationship with the treble is friendly, both ranges feel well represented. The punch is not very voluminous, though it is deep. The level of physicality is acceptable and rounds out a bit towards the mid-bass, but without feeling bloated. The amount of body seems to fade like the volume of its capsule and I miss it occupying a larger space within the music. Although this may all be because I feel I haven't found the right tips, to achieve the fullest sound with these IEMS. When I try to find a higher level of presence, I find myself turning up the volume a little too loud and noticing that the other bands are also present. Still, I persist in my idea that the depth is quite noticeable, as well as being a generally clean tuning with the mids. The drop towards the centre band is slight and there is a good linearity in its pattern. But the bass type leans towards the soft and not too descriptive side, without much roughness and an average texture, with a tendency towards smoothness. It performs well in heavy line and complex bass settings, but doesn't demonstrate particular skill in the sense of definition or precision. Of course, it doesn't smear, but both the smooth feel and the softness of the surface produce a result of a simple character, without much analytical skill, which fails to represent the bass in a richer, fuller and rougher way than other models. It stays on the surface, without doing badly, but without being too representative in this aspect. It stands up well to sound pressure, but has a tendency to simplify complex passages into a performance that is more elementary than rich or prodigious.
The reproduction of pure tones is quite realistic and well executed. It seems to be even better than a fuller bass representation, which indicates a point of technical limitation. The sonority is natural, I don't notice any colouration and you can feel how it easily reaches the LFOs without paling and sounding nice and even.
The hit is tight, quite fast and has a good level of recovery.
For my taste, it stays in a middle ground that does not manage to make me enjoy it, neither for skill nor for presence. Maybe that's why I think of its neutrality.



Mids

The mids have the same physical level as the bass. I perceive the first half of the range as relatively thin, rather lean and with a light bodily feel. The result is a rather clean lower-midrange. Again, the graph deceives me and I thought that this initial part was going to be more dense and prominent. But it is not, because I find it also more neutral. In this way, the presence of the male voices is not as full and I feel a slight predominance of the higher notes in them. This is compounded by their mid-distance positioning. The female voices are more predominant and receive the favour of a more emphasised second half, but without overstepping the hot line of the sibilance. On the other hand, the neutrality of the range also allows the sonority to be less dense and opulent, with a more open and expansive feel. This lightness allows for a more relaxed listening in this respect, which also benefits from a more explicit exposition of detail, but without reaching a micro, analytical or cold level. As the second half is more exposed, the sense of clarity and transparency is more obvious, the nuances are more striking and appear close, without becoming persistent or too much of a protagonist. But, it is true that they are there, at a good level of presence, which has a tendency to match voices and instruments. In this way, I feel that the level of musicality is lost a little, in favour of a more scrupulous development of the nuances, without becoming spicy, but with more brilliance than poise. The result is a more emancipated mid-high range, luminous, demanding prominence, without being abrupt or harsh, but with a situation beyond neutrality, which can become insistent with the passing of the hours, for those ears more sensitive to this frequency zone.



Treble

The upper range has a good initial punch, with a sparkle balanced in extension, presence and lift. The treble is fine enough to demonstrate a crisp brightness, without being piercing or predominant, but rather a good balance between power and persistence. They expand until they reach the air zone, where they begin their irremediable fall. I think the extension and tuning are remarkable, they have a fairly light roll-off zone, which allows to soften the pressure and incidence, but without losing personality or authority. It is not an eminently high-pitched sound, but it does show richness in this range, as well as a sonority that I feel natural, as well as vivid and pleasant. In this way, the zone is dynamic, luminous, with a good level of resolution and definition, but remaining at a height that allows the treble to be enjoyable, musical, yet expressive and slightly striking. One of the best of the three ranges.



Soundstage, Separation

Maybe it's the size of the capsule, the association of the tips to my particular morphology... But I feel that I have not been able to extract the full potential of the T4 Plus. And, in particular, the size of the scene that is drawn in my head is not as wide as it should be. Depth is quite good and the laterality/stereo feel remarkable. But the height is average and the expansion is not very high. The scene is oval, frontal, spread out to a 180 degrees, but it's not very big. Some volume is required for the image to grow and the separation to widen. The level of transparency and clarity of the sound helps to open up the gap between the notes, but its neutral analytical ability coheses the sound, without ever showing itself to be fully outlined, articulate, meticulous or with a more discernible, darker background.
The positioning is adequate, without being too marked or exact. The presentation is simple but natural.
The level of detail is remarkable, without being excellent. It is easy to distinguish macro nuances and achieves a more than acceptable micro level. It is quite easy to appreciate the descriptive level that the T4 Plus is able to offer, with little effort. In this way, there is a curious mix of softness in the scene, combined with a level of detail that is superior to the initial impression, but without being excellent.



Comparisons

KiiBOOM Allure

As I say in the title of the review, the TinHifi T4 Plus are the third in line to join the elite club formed by the Dunu Kima and the KiiBOOM Allure. This club is not meant to be general because I know that there are many other models in this price range. But it is true that it is my favourite of the IEMS that I have been able to review.
All three move in a similar price range and the ones that most closely match my preference are the Allure. But seeing the resemblance between their FR and the present T4 Plus, I had a preconceived idea about the sound of the TinHifi.
In terms of design, the two IEMS are quite different, but both are of a high standard. The T4 Plus has a cylindrical shape and the Allure is a semi-custom type, very comfortable. The similarity between them is in the use of stabilised wood for their outer panel. In the cable I prefer the copper of the TinHiFi over the slightly stiffer textile coating of the KiiBOOM. The difference in packaging size between the two is big: compared to the complete minimalism of the T4 Plus, to the overflowing size of the Allure's case... I'll stick with the TinHiFi.
In terms of sound, the main difference is in that wall-of-sound feel that the Allure's exhibit, versus the leaner, thinner, brighter presentation of the T4 Plus. The Allure's move easier than the T4 Plus.
Despite the similarity of the graphics in the bass area, there is no comparison between the presence, power, physicality, punch, texture and grandeur of the bass of the Allure and the T4 Plus. The KiiBOOMs are pure fun, they have a point of viscerality and roughness that makes them very attractive to my ears. Perhaps the Allure has more bite and the TiHiFi are more concrete, but they are also softer, with a smoother texture, less roughness and descriptiveness. They also seem less agile, despite being slightly tighter and quicker to recover. But they don't have the fun factor of the Allure.
In the mid-range, the T4 Plus are leaner, lighter and thinner. The wall-of-sound feel persists in the first half of the midrange in the Allure, achieving a fullness, density and body that I miss in the T4 Plus. There is more light in the second half of the TinHiFi's, more clarity and a more exposed sense of brightness and detail. The Allure's are drier, but seem more defined, even their bottom end seems darker. The timbre is more subdued, warmer, but also less forced. The prominence of the music is where it plays. Whereas the T4 Plus extends more into the light and treble. It is in that range that they are the boldest. But nevertheless, the KiiBOOMs strive to give the sound a richness of nuance and detail, bringing a sweetness, beauty and lushness that the TinHiFi's do not.
The sense of a wide, deep soundstage is more pronounced in the Allure, the wall of sound is larger and more expansive. The T4 Plus are more intimate, with a good stereo feel, but without filling the room in the way the KiiBOOMs do. Despite the good resolution of the T4 Plus, the separation is more apparent in the Allure, with a more concrete and defined sound. The TinHiFi's don't manage to profile the music as well as the Allure's do.
The main problem with the TinHiFi T4 Plus is that there are options like the Dunu Kima and the KiiBOOM Allure. In terms of tuning they are in the middle, but in terms of quality they are third.



Conclusion

The TinHiFi T4 Plus takes the design of the first version and moves away from the warm, yet analytical sound of those early T4s. Although the variations are minimal, the wooden outer panel and the 2Pin 0.78mm connection are welcome. The compact and fairly complete packaging is entirely welcome and the spatial imagery, which moves away from waifu over-exploitation, is also a big plus. Ergonomics can be a little trickier and the pairing with the tips to find the fullest sound that the T4 Plus can give is perhaps more entertaining than you might think at first. In terms of sound, I could say that the profile aims for a slim neutrality where the bass is tilted towards the low end. They are characteristically clean and relatively fast, without much body, yet smooth in both texture and punch. The first half of the midrange is lean, while the second half is more present and incisive. This gives the sound a greater transparency and clarity, as well as a clear favouring of the female voices and an accent on detail. In my opinion, the treble is probably the best of the whole set and mixes expressiveness with controlled presence, a good level of extension, brightness, sparkle, definition, resolution and character.
Overall, the TinHiFi T4 Plus are a remarkable set of IEMS, which only encounter problems in the face of fierce competition in their range. But they are undoubtedly a great alternative in profile and sound to the other IEMS in their price range.



Sources Used During the Analysis

• Aune X8 XVIII Magic DAC + iFi Zen Can.
• TempoTec Serenade X + iFi Zen Can.
• Earmen Angel.
• TempoTec Variations V6.
• ACMEE MF02s.
• xDuoo XD05 BAL.

Ratings

• Construction and Design: 75
• Adjustment/Ergonomics: 68
• Accessories: 84
• Bass: 80
• Mids: 80
• Treble: 83
• Separation: 72
• Soundstage: 75
• Quality/Price: 80

Purchase Link



You can read the full review in Spanish here

Tin HiFi T4 Plus​

INTRODUCTION AND DISCLAIMER:​

The TinHiFi T4 Plus is an in-ear monitor (IEM) featuring one 10mm carbon nanotube dynamic driver per housing. The T4 Plus retails for $119.99. I am not receiving any compensation, financial or otherwise, for writing this review.

SOURCES:​

I have used the TinHiFi T4 Plus with the following sources:

• Qudelix 5K
• Truthear Shio

MUSIC:​

I tested these headphones with local FLAC and Spotify Premium. Visit my last.fm page to get an idea of what I listen to:

XenosBroodLord’s Library | Last.fm

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES:​

The TinHiFi T4 Plus comes in a square black cardboard box with a black slipcover. The slipcover displays an image of a satellite that resembles TinHiFi’s iconic tube-shaped IEM design. I’m grateful for the refreshing change from the now-commonly featured anime waifu illustrations on IEM packaging. The rear face of the slipcover features several scannable Quick-Response (QR) codes that link to TinHiFi’s social media profiles.




The IEMs are securely held in place under the box lid, via a white foam mounting sheet. The T4 Plus comes with nine pairs of eartips — three each of generic silicone eartips with black and red cores (in sizes S, M, and L), as well as three pairs of Symbio-like hybrid silicone-foam eartips (also in sizes S, M, and L). The hybrid eartips come packaged in a sturdy, transparent plastic container, whereas the generic eartips come in a clear plastic bag. The T4 Plus comes with a card with quick response (QR) codes that link to TinHiFi’s Twitter and Facebook pages, as well as a user manual written in both Chinese and English. The T4 also includes a semi-rigid pleather carry case with a magnetic closure.

BUILD QUALITY AND DESIGN:​

The TinHiFi T4 Plus largely resembles the iconic TinHiFi T2. The IEM is composed of a three-part polished copper assembly, featuring a circular faceplate with a faux-wood grain finish. At the base of the nozzle and the middle housing section, where the two housing sections meet, there are small ventilation holes. The nozzles are equipped with perforated metal covers and robust lips that ensure a secure fit for eartips. The 2-pin ports are fitted flush into a circular base that matches the diameter of the pin connector base on the cable side. This base is marked with a dab of blue paint to indicate polarity. The base of the right-hand side IEM connector and the base of the 2-pin connector of the corresponding cable are red plastic. The corresponding left-hand side bases are composed of clear resin. The housings otherwise lack directional indicators. In fact, the housings lack any branding or text whatsoever.


The only TinHiFi branding on the T4 Plus is found on the metal chin-adjustment choker on the cable, which bears TinHiFi’s logo. I appreciate this subtle approach to branding. I’m always impressed with the aesthetics and quality of the stock cables TinHiFi includes with IEMs at this price point, and this cable is no exception. It uses a quad-braid below the Y-split and double-helix patterns above the Y-split. The metal 3.5mm jack hardware, Y-split hardware, chin-adjustment choker, and 2-pin housings are all similar in appearance to the coppery alloy used for the IEM shells. The jack and Y-Split hardware feature an intriguing fluted pattern engraved onto them. There is strain relief above the 3.5mm jack, but not above or below the Y-split. The cable has pre-formed heat-shrink earguides. The 2-pin housings have “L” and “R” indicators printed in white. The cable is moderately microphonic even with the use of the chin-adjustment choker.

COMFORT, FIT, AND ISOLATION:​

The TinHiFi T4 Plus is intended to be worn cable-up. The earpieces have a moderate-to-deep insertion depth. The T4 Plus is neither comfortable nor securely fitting. The housings are on the larger side, which, combined with the deepish insertion depth, makes the user acutely aware that they are using IEMs. Isolation is average. The housings also frequently need to be pushed back into the ear canal. I did not experience driver flex with the T4 Plus.

MEASUREMENTS:​

My measurements of the TinHiFi T4 Plus can be found on my expanding squig.link database:

TinHiFi T4 Plus — Squiglink by Bedrock Reviews

SOUND:​

The TinHiFi T4 Plus has a V-shaped sound signature that places more emphasis on bass than treble.

The T4 Plus has excellent bass technicalities, managing to strike a good balance between staying nimble in articulation yet still having impact. Bass is adequately resolving for the price and highly textured. There is ample sub-bass rumble. However, I do feel there is too much mid-bass, particularly between 100–200 Hz, which clouds the lower midrange. Midrange clarity is not great. Fast analog percussion, down-tuned and distorted electric guitars, and harsh male vocals can blur together. Combined with the T4 Plus’s limited soundstage, this creates a sense of vertical compression.

The T4 Plus centers its pinna gain region at roughly 2.5 kHz. I find that this causes the vocals and midrange instruments to blend together more than I would prefer. Male vocals do have plenty of warmth, grit, and body. Male vocal intelligibility is moderate. Female vocals enjoy notably better intelligibility and separation from the rest of the frequency response compared to male vocals. However, female vocals do sound a little husky. Midrange timbre is natural-sounding overall.

The T4 Plus has a subdued and unremarkable treble region. There is less in the way of sparkle or air than the T4 Plus’s measured frequency response would suggest. Overall detail retrieval is not quite up to the standard I would expect for this price. As mentioned above, instrument separation and soundstage are quite limited as well.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND SOURCE PAIRING:​

The TinHiFi T4 Plus can be powered by the Apple dongle, though I needed to set the volume on my Pixel 7 to 21/25 to reach my usual listening level when Spotify Normalization was set to “Normal.” Depending on your typical listening volume, music player of choice, and feelings on volume normalization when using a streaming service, you may have more leeway when using the Apple dongle than I do. I did not notice hiss with any of my devices.

CLOSING WORDS:​

The TinHiFi T4 Plus is not a bad IEM, but it is overpriced given what it brings to the table. If you are dead-set on a warm, bassy IEM under $150 and are more interested in strong bass technicalities than other performance aspects, it may be worth considering. Otherwise, I would look elsewhere.

The TinHiFi T4 Plus can be purchased below:

TINHIFI T4 PLUS Space Station

TINHIFI T4 PLUS 10mm Magnetic CNT Driver In Ear Monitor — Linsoul Audio

TONALITY: 7.8/10
TECHNICALITIES: 7.5/10
CONSTRUCTION: 8.5/10
SOUND VALUE: 7.5/10

INTRO

Tinhifi doesn't need introduction for Chifi lover, they have been around for more than 6 years and have gain tremendous success mostly from their Tinhifi T2 IEM. They have launch other successful IEM like T3plus. Personaly, I love T2plus and my favorite IEM from them is the P1plus planar IEM which represent insanely high sound value at today price (around 100$).

While the T4 receive acclaim from Crin, it didn't met it's deserved popularity. I've read lot of good thing about those but didn't have the chance to test them. They seem to offer bright neutral tonality, and the T4plus don't follow this tuning target, which can question us why it's call this way.

Priced 120$, the T4plus use a new generation ''carbon nano tube'' diaphragm dynamic driver and promise improved transient response and performance.
Let see in this review if this IEM can stand out in overcrownded sub-150$ IEM market.

CONSTRUCTION & ACCESSORIES



While I can't say the design is surprising, I can say construction feel very good and sturdy. These use very same design as T2-T3-T4, which isn't the best for fit and comfort due to short nozzle and non ergonomic shape. Yet, they choose to use a 2pin connector, for durability this is a plus but for fit it can't swivle for more custom fit.
Other design change is the use of a wood backplate, which give an elegant and unique look. Inner housing is suppose to use brass, but this doesn't translate into more heavy IEM.



The cable included is OK. its very similar to the Salnotes Dioko cable. Its a silver plated copper cable, and it's single ended. It would have been nicer to have possibilities to select type of cable we want.

As seen, Tinhifi include surprise ear tips. I don't think it's original Symbio eartips, but they are very similar in quality and sure a very welcome addition to my ear tips collection. It sell about 3.50$ a pair here on ALI: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003536153502.html


So, while the packaging come in a small box, number of accessories are quite generous. The leather carrying case is decent. Cable is decent. And 9 pairs of ear tips is nice, especially those Symbio OEM. But well, I still use KB07 ear tips with those IEM.

SOUND IMPRESSIONS


At first listening of these, it was a mixed bag....since ive just review the Kiwi Ears Cadenza before and it was another harman target inspire tuning like this T4plus. Yet, the T4plus is tuned in a funnier bassier way and the technicalities are slightly superior too, this explain why it gently but surely grow on me. Within its limit of appeal.If i dig into my memories, the T4plus remind me the QOA Gimlet but 2 times pricier way.
Its these kind of IEM that sound warm at low volume and suddenly wake up and go brighter at higher volume, both bass and treble gaining in dynamic and presence.

Like with all harman target inspired tuning, pinna gain in upper mid range,lower treble is rather high, but do it's best to avoid sibilance, which make vocal and instrument presence feel foward and clear. Harman target is an ideal of musicality coloration, and it try to achieve a smooth clarity with decent timbre. When their good amount of mid bass this can become an appealing soundsignature since it will help both dynamic heft and lower range instrument and vocal fullness.

This is what T4plus try to achieve, in a sometime clumsy way. In the sens it doesn't fully avoid shoutyness and doesnt fully achieve the much needed anti-harman bass punch.

The bass do offer slam and bass boost, not radical basshead way, but sure i-want-to-shake-my-head way. I don't know if it's just my psychacoustic obsession about bass impact definition that bias my bass punch perception, but their something pillowy about it. This tamed natural impact loudness make me check inside the nozzle, and i discover what I expect: a foam loudness filter. This slow the bass response but stole some texture definition too, random way. So, the kick feel muffled yet boosted in heavyness. It drop like melting icecream, so, we have creamy low end, thick, with a short chunky vibrant rumble. The air is compressed within the slam. This do affect lot of tone subtilities, yet, smoothen the whole dynamic. In busy track its hard to follow bass line which feel loose and mix up with kick resonance. For slow music its less problematic, unless the bass line should have long clean decay or need lot of texture. Toms will sound out of control with these and tend to mix their resonance badly. All in all, i have nothing good to write about the bass performance of T4plus.

Mid range is smoothen in shoutyness, thanks to this foam filter, but this create timbral imbalance too so while upper mids are super softed, their micro part of texture that can feel out of place, should it be with violin or female vocal which sound often recessed. Male vocal are thicker and have full bodied presence but not very well layered. Saxophone sound good, full, dense and wide in presence while piano is scooped in definition, have decent note weight but short decay which is warmed-fogged. Sometime i find the mids bright other time warm, so their something imprevisible with the rendering, especialy with acoustic instruments that need texture to sound right. Timbre wise, it's darken in texture and densify in a blurry way, it's realist and a hint euphonic but not very appealing to my ears. Resolution of mids is blurry and lack sens of clean openess, it does affect whole imaging negatively too. Again, nothing impressive. Its a mid range that try to sound lush but fail to.

Now, this strange treble part, to be honnest, the T4plus is one of those IEM i find hard to review, it's so colored and the dynamic is very instable. So we have a treble that sound dry with a strange upper treble spike that struggle to add air so it extract part of micro details and texture. It tend to extract part of percussions presence in a crisp way, yet the lead of attack isn't really there. So, it's near snappy but fail to. But this isn't overly dark treble and detailing is quite decent. It's a bit thin sounding and lack proper brilliance and again natural resonance-decay. Control is fast in sustain so it avoid splashyness and harshness. Safe yet energic enough and mostly good apart for electric guitar or instrument or sound that need full texture richness.

The Soundstage is rather gigantic but lack depth.

The imaging is bellow average, its foggy in separation and the layering feel compressed.


COMPARISONS

VS PENON VORTEX (1DD-220$)

Ok, the Vortex is pricier but it's evident why at very first secondes of comparisons: technical performance are from another league but in dynamic livelyness, attack speed, imaging and resolution.
So, it feel more of a vividly balanced W shape, with more punch even if less bassy and hint brighter.
Bass it way faster and harder due to better definition of mid bass impact, which feel warmer and more sloppy with the T4plus, bass line are harder to follow with T4plus too due to resonance bloom, so we have more sub bass quantity but lower quality, its more boomy and instable in impact thant more textured and well define bass impact of Vortex. Mid range is warmer and more blurry with the T4plus, male vocal sound fuller and smoother but not as textured in presence while female vocal are more upfront and clean with the Vortex. Overall resolution of mid range is sharper with the Vortex and we have more impact natural resonance like for piano its better define and have longer proper decay where it feel blunted-warmer with the T4plus. Now, for treble, the Vortex have more bite which will benefit guitar (acoustic and electric) as well as violin, so definition of attack is notably better as well as texture and fullness, with T4plus the violin feel tamed in dynamic and overly softed in definition edge. Simply put Vortex have sharper edgier highs with more snap and better attack control and it seem to extend more, offer more sparkle and air, while the T4plus have leaner fuller treble that begin to roll off fast after 10khz, so its dryer, more tamed in dynamic so it sound like a package without well define percussions and micro details like the Vortex, and its more prompt to timbral imbalance.
Spatiality wise, the Vortex is more intimate, less wide and tall but deeper. Imaging is cleaner and sharper with Vortex too, separation of instrument is less blurry in space so it's more precise in overall positioning.

All in all, you pay for what you get here and the Vortex is superior both in engaging tonal balance and technical performance accuracy and control.

VS TRIPOWIN OLINA

Now, we have 2 IEMs selling about same price and following a similar harman inspired signature. Yet, technical performance superiority of the Olina hit hard at very first listen again. Resolution is cleaner crisper, imaging and layering is excellent and single instrument definition is less foggy. The bass is most similar part, it have a mellow hit but calmer more linear extension so less sub bass boost, dryer more technical sounding bass, it lack mid punch definition but since it doesn't wanna hit hard i forgive the Olina, not the T4plus. Then the mid range is way more resolved, more transparent and higher in resolution yet perhaps even smoother, it sound more open and airy too, you don't struggle to separate other mids instruments unlike the more colored mid range of T4plus. Treble is notably richer and more extended with the Olina, we have way more sound info and micro details yet it's not very bright. T4plus sound dull and distant in high range, lacking definition edge and important texture details. Again, i can't understand why but soundstage is bigger with T4plus, its perhaps due to scooped mid range loudness that amplify a sens of fake airyness. Imaging as said its intensely superior with the Olina, more transparent layering and sharper positioning.

All in all, Olina destroy the T4plus in both tonal fullness balance and technicalities.

CONCLUSION


The Tinhifi T4plus is among best IEM from this company, yet, it's far from being a mesmerizing listen once we enter critical mode.
The technical performance are just decent for the price and if you like big headroom, the wide and tall spatiality will sure please you.
In term of balance, we have mellow brightish V shape with lean overall smooth mids, questionnable bass impact and delicate but crisp enough treble.
These are the kind of IEM that i would call ''Jack of all trades, master of none'', a bassier Tripowin Olina with inferior technicalities. It's not an inspired nor an inspiring tuning and surely something that follow 2022 craze about Harman meet DF neutral obsession, bassy way.
Number of IEM that the T4plus remind me is insane, Kiwi Ears Cadenza, Tripowin Lea, Moondrop Aria and even their T3plus....and I don't think it's something to applause acoustic creativity wise.

So, let's just hope that in 2023, Tinhifi will find back it's tuning creativity that give birth to something like the P1plus marvellous planar IEM.

Half cooked IEM=Half-recommended!

---------
PS: I want to thanks Linsoul for sending me this review sample out of the blue. I'm not affiliated nor pushed to write positive review for this honest audio distributor. I wish i can say this for all distributor, but people will find out which one are truely passionate about audio communities.

You can order the Tinhifi T4plus for 119$ here (non-affiliated link):https://www.linsoul.com/products/tinhifi-t4-plus

The Tin Hifi T4 Plus have been sent to me by Linsoul for me to test and evaluate by means of this review. No specific comments or requests have been made and I will, as always, do my best to be as unbiased as possible. However, please remember that I did not have to purchase these IEMs.

The non-affiliate link to the T4+ via Linsoul can be found in the version of this review published on my blog (link at the end of this post).



Intro…

Todays review is the last of the Tin Hifi marathon, which has featured the C2, the C3 and the T4 Plus one after the other. All of these were sent to me by Linsoul at the same time and I decided I would do them in ascending numerical order, just because

Saying that, while I have done these reviews in succession and I did compare the C2 and C3 when reviewing the C3, the T4 Plus is from a completely different series of IEMs so there is no reason to actually compare the three.

The T4 Plus uses a sigle dynamic driver and is currently priced at just under 120€ on Linsoul, which places it well out of the extreme budget options I have been looking at lately, although it is still not exactly an expensive set of IEMs (in comparison to many other models out there).



Presentation…

The box of the T4 Plus features cartoon artwork of the IEMs in outer space, with the text “Space Station” written across the bottom. I have absolutely no idea where this space reference comes from but at I guess it is a break from both the plain white boxes we usually receive from Tin (except for the recent robot). I can’t say that the box is something that attracts me but the packaging is the least of my worries when testing IEMs.

Removing the outer packaging reveals a box that is much more reminiscent of Tin Hifi (similar in finish to the T3 buds) inside of which we find the IEMs sitting in felt covered cutouts.

Beneath the top layer we find the accessories which are a bit of a change from the usual T series contents. We get a cable, a nice storage/carrying case, 3 sizes of 3 different types of tips and a clear plastic case in which one of the type of tips is stored.

While two of the types of tips are similar to those found in many models, the third type is something different. With previous editions of the T2 and T3 series (I don’t know about the OGT4 as I didn’t try those), Tin usually included at least one set of foam tips. In the case of the T4 Plus, we don’t get the foam tips but we get 3 sizes of hybrid foam/silicone tips. These are tips that have a soft memory foam style interior with a silicone cover over them. It is not the first time I have come across these tips but I can’t remember another set including them.



Build and aethetics…

The IEMs are clearly of the T series, maintaining the classic round shape with the connector being located on a barrel style protrusion on one side. They are still all metal, however, they have changed the colour scheme. Instead of the typical silver finish found on previous models, this time Tin Hifi have opted for a finish in various tones of copper. The shells are of a darker copper colour, with a lighter copper ring surrounding the faceplate. The faceplate is of a dark brown colour with some lighter speckles in the finish. The faceplate is not something that excites me but the overall colour scheme of the IEMs is something I like.

The cable also follows the same colour scheme with a two tone brown weave and metal hardware that matches the IEMs. They have kept with their recent conversion to two pin connectors (something I prefer) and also use their typical coloured ring (red right / clear left) to identify the correct side easily.

I really don’t have any complaints about the build or aesthetics of the IEMs but for some reason, I don’t find the fit and comfort as good as I have done on all the previous T series IEMs I have tried. Looking at them, I can’t spot the difference but for some reason, I have struggled to get them to fit easily, especially in my left ear.

I went through all of the included tips and the ones that work the best for me are the large silicone with red center. But even with these, I have to play around a little to get the correct seal. I thought that maybe my anatomy had changed over the Christmas period but I grabbed the T2 DLC and they fit fine, so I really don’t know why I am having issues with them. As always, comfort and fit is something that is 100% personal, so everyone will have a different experience, I just thought I would mention it.



Sound…

All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Spotify, etc.)

I said that I wasn’t going to compare these against the C series but due to the similarities in tuning, I will include the C3 on the graph for our usual look and comparison:



As you can see in the graph, the tuning of these IEMs is very similar to the C3 (or the C3 is similar to these, whichever way you prefer to look at it) except for a few small tweaks. Obviously, seeing that I was fairly positive about the C3, I am not going to hate the tuning on these but those little changes do make quite a difference.

Starting out at the bottom, as always, the subbass has plenty of presence to create that low end rumble in the tracks that call for it. The subbass is quite clean and coherent although it can suffer slightly when pushed too much. This isn’t a problem for me as 99% of the music I usually listen to doesn’t push the subbass enough to make cause problems for the T4 Plus but if you are listening to dubstep at over 100dB, then it is possible you may notice it

The midbass is too present for my liking. The emphasis is not too bad but I do find it tiring when listening to tracks with a lot of focus in the 100Hz to 200Hz range, creating a bit of fatigue over longer sessions. As I have commented many times, I am not someone who likes too much emphasis on the low end, especially when it is mainly focused on the midbass, but if a set of IEMs manages to keep it clean and defined, then I can enjoy it. With the T4 Plus, the cleanliness and definition is not bad, making it ok for a lot of my music choices, yet when there are things that focus in those regions, then it can become tiring for me.

The center of the mids has that slight dip that all of the recent Tin models seem to have. This really isn’t something that is overly noticeable, unless you really look for it. In most music it does not affect the overall sound, only when something specifically resides in that area (mainly some kind of effect in certain electronic productions) is it noticeable, and even then it is not really an issue.

The upper mids and lower treble is actually my preferred out of all the recent Tin models I have tried. There is enough presence to give vocals clarity and definition but without them becoming overly shouty or harsh. Even Beth in “Don't You Worry Child” keeps her natural harshness but doesn’t become overy irritating (which is not something I can say on all IEMs).

The treble extension is also fairly decent for a single dynamic driver, and while it is not 100 smooth, it is still enjoyable. A little bit more sensation of air and openness would have been appreciated but it is still not bad in this regard.

I find the detail retrieval to be fairly good also, with a nice presence of detail and space between layers. These are not competing on the detail level of something like the IE600 but are still above average in my opinion. I actually find that the details in the in the upper mids are more noticeable on the T4 Plus than many other sets I have tried lately.

Soundstage and image placement is more than acceptable, although it is not really a huge soundstage. I did find that the instruments in “La Luna” were less spread out but the rear left guitar did seem to be pushed furher back, giving more space of depth behind me.



The isolation of the T4 Plus is good, well above average in almost all of the frequency ranges. Yes, it still lets low engine rumbles through but anything above the bass range is blocked quite well.



Conclusion…

I don’t have many complaints about the Tin Hifi T4 Plus. The only really irritating thing (to me) is the excessive midbass. Ok, I did have some strange issues with fit but once I got the right combination of tips and placement, they were comfortable enough.

In general they are a good set of IEMs but… and there is always a but… I think that the price may be their biggest flaw. I mean, they are still not exactly an expensive set of IEMs and I know that the race to the bottom in pricing that we have experienced lately distorts the real value of things, but we have some very good options at a fraction of the price.

Even without considering anything outside of Tin Hifi’s own line up, we have the C3 at less than 50€ which may not be quite as good as the T4 Plus but it is close. We also have the T2 DLC wich comes in at just 10€ more than the C3 and, in my opinion, sounds great. So, for the jump up to 120€ that the T4 Plus costs, we get a slight improvement in sound (depending on your tastes), a slight increase in performance (although I would need to do a side by side of the T2 DLC to say just how much) and we get more goodies in the box.

I have no complaints about the T4 Plus as IEMs but if they are worth the extra cash is only something you can decide.

__________________________________________________________
As with all my reviews, this is also available in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)

All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link

All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

Brass rings hold mahogany end-caps in action


TINHIFI T4 PLUS
10mm Magnetic CNT Driver In Ear Monitor

• CNT Diaphragm&Imported CCAW Ultralight Voice Coil
• Accurate and Crystal-Clean
• Remarkable Appearance, 4g Lightweight
• Detachable Silver-copper Mixed Cable

Get them here $119.00
https://www.linsoul.com/products/tinhifi-t4-plus

Linsoul website: https://www.linsoul.com/
Linsoul Aliexpress Store: https://ddaudio.aliexpress.com/store/2894006
Linsoul USA Amazon Store link: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=merchant-items&me=A267P2DT104U3C

Disclaimer:
I want to thank Kareena of Linsoul for the love and the TinHiFi T4 PLUS Universal IEM review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one persons ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
UA3 Dongle DAC/Amplifier 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Samsung Android Smartphone 3.5mm output

History:
There was a day when TinHiFi was truly groundbreaking in out-put. On February 4th, 2019 Z-Reviews did a YouTube video calling the T2 the greatest thing since sliced bread. At the time I had personally already went through my Chinese budget buying phase and was concentrating on more expensive gear. But looking back I wish I could have been a-part of this budget (flavor-of-the-month) phenomena. You can’t just get a pair of T2s now and call it a day, no the past is gone forever. While there are classics in the IEM realm, companies like TinHiFi keep making new stuff and often it is better than what came before, new driver technology ect, ect. Meaning new stuff comes out and is compared to other new stuff and so on and so on. I just received the TinHiFi C3, T4 Plus, the TinHiFi T2 DLC and the C2 Mechanical Warrior. To me all four sound relatively the same. As maybe they should, all being designed by the same company. The first of this “T” family I received back in October of 2022. And the only reason I’m including it here today is it was the first one I received with this “barrel” shape. In the past I have also had examples of the TinHiFi TWS unit, the TinHiFi Tin Buds 3….also the TinHiFi T5.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/tinhifi-tin-buds-3-tws-iems.25964/reviews#review-28909
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/tin-hifi-t5.25136/reviews#review-25821
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/tinhifi-c2.26227/reviews#review-29951

The TinHiFi TWS Tin Buds 3 was truly different as it was wireless, but there was more to it? I must have been the way they did bass quality? In fact I let two friends try the Tin Buds 3 and they both commented on the bass; it was the first thing they talked about? I should mention that TinHiFi also produced the wonderful “Giant Panda” P1 Max Planar IEM. This was my second planar ever last year, and truly a cool invention, at the price they go on-sale for now, they continue to be a sonic bargain!
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/ti...sal-in-ear-monitor.25818/reviews#review-28407





The T2 DLC and T4 PLUS:
Do these two IEMs look the same to you? I’m simply looking at them, they offer this barrel shaped design, the T2 DLC and this new T4 PLUS have a lot in common. They still basically have the same sound when I started to try them back-to-back. Still………what it looks like to me is they took the regular ideas of the T2 DLC and tried to expand them into a slightly different sound. They added a fancy new copper/silver cable, they added a wood resonator as seen in the pictures. Where the T2 DLC is $59.00, the T4 PLUS is $119.00! So double the price. Now there is all kinds of marketing talk about this new driver the T4 PLUS has, and while I don’t question there are different parts in the T4 PLUS, I’m basically more interested in sound. Truly if you take time to read my T2 DLC review I only gave it 3.5 stars out of a possible 5 stars.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/tinhifi-t2-dlc.26064/reviews#review-29412

Why?
Basically the T2 DLC sound (while correct in many ways) is uninspiring and slightly boring. TinHiFi has carefully constructed a tune which follows a very careful line……almost too careful, it just doesn’t take any chances! Such a tune could be considered polite and considerate not to ruffle any feathers but in the end the T2 DLC had no pizzaz, no charm, no sexiness. The life of an IEM “plain-jane” so to speak. Simply being too careful yet also not showing much life as to what was inspiring or what inspired the music in the first place. Could it be harmonic resonances missing? Some reviews said the T2 DLC was too dampened, to held down? I’m not the only reviewer that rated it less than great. As reviewers we walk that line between subjective preference and absolute objectivity. When in reality there is no such thing as an objective review, this business is all subjectivity, still we group in packs and look for common truths in playback which results in some of the opinions as to IEM performance described at Head-Fi. It is when a few reviews start to parallel the same concepts, then we know that we are onto something, that others are experiencing these qualities too. Of course this can go either way, and be qualities that are super good, OK……….or just getting by. They can be bad, super-bad, or indifferent…..and of course this is a generalization, but at times often it’s only one or two components of playback which cause the elements in question. Yet, nothing is perfect, there are IEMs which offer more even, complete and correct playback than others. Within such realms there are also personal sound preferences that state a more warm laid-back sound is preferred or a staunch analytical response is preferred. Neither is wrong or right, it’s just preference. And still with-in those preferences there is still a darker IEM that’s even, complete and correct and a brighter-clearer more even-steven analytical one that is correct, complete and even.



The wood:
I truly would want to see someone disassemble the T4 PLUS to find out at what point does this wood-cap interact with the dynamic driver reverberations/resonances? I’m not in the mood to take my pair apart, but I did take apart one of my Elixir IEMs, just to see in fact if the back faceplate was really open to accepting resonance vibrations. This is not theory, but absolute fact that you can create a resonance chamber inside the IEM to help amplify the tone. Before electricity that was one way they made musical instruments louder. Thus the acoustic guitar string is an energy source with some vibrating, then those same vibrations are amplified and toned by the acoustic resonator which is the body of the guitar. The Cello, the Bass, the Mandolin etc, etc do the same form of amplification and there are numinous variations of such tone due to wood choice, construction etc, etc. But here we are concerned with the new caps, as they appear to be mahogany wood, yet what is important is if the wood is left bare on the inside, to accept the vibrational qualities and respond accordingly. Much of this is still joined with psychology as if you are told the wood character will be dark, you will almost hear dark, same as with new instruments………..in the first year often after you made a purchase the instrument the will sound “off”…..somehow the guitar will sound different from when you bought it in the shop, something changed and it most likely is the your personal tone ideas. The new Allure IEM is a different color remake of the Elixir IEM, and comes in at just $99.00.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/ki...iver-universal-iem.26246/reviews#review-29836

In fact a new member just got them and was PMing me to tell me how he heard the resonances and how they were cool. Basically everything a driver is placed into creates these resonances. If it’s aluminum it’s often bright, brass duller, and all wood….even warmer. Obviously that’s not the whole story, but TinHiFi is attempting a style of harmonic enrichment by adding these wood caps.

So what did I find?
Obviously these differences arrive by trying two IEMs back to back, so maybe not just the wood is doing the magic here? Literally TinHiFi has a list of driver attributes and differences which go along to complete the sound…….

The CCAW Voice Coil
The 10mm CNT Dynamic Driver
Next generation carbon nanotube diaphragm
The N54 magnet
This is the 3rd generation composite diaphragm

But to rewind a little this is a direct comparison between the T2 LCD and the Space Station TinHiFi T4 PLUS. Yep, it’s affectionately called the Space Station.

In testing:
Well it all started with side-by-sides with the same (new Orange) ear-tips as well as the included silver/copper T4 PLUS cable. I found a 40 second piece of music and just kept changing cables an IEMs back and forth until I started to feel I had a handle on the real-life differences here. And to put it simply, there are differences between the two IEMs. But where I started to perceive changes took place inside the soundstage imaging and the note fall-off and note weight. Of course there was added bass but somehow that was not the total area of focus? Now keep in mind these differences are small but I continued with a couple cables to see if I could expand the soundstage even more. After the included cable, I went to my standby the ISN G4……….extra weight was added, and soundstage expanded…….but I needed more, a quick change to the ISN SC4 did the trick, yep……even though the bass was still there…………the ISN SC4 brought up the soundstage and imaging into a clear style of resolution and imaging. The ISN SC4 is one of my very brightest cables and it’s not that the TinHiFi T4 PLUS needs any exact tone change, in fact it’s stubborn to a point to change tone, but what happened was simply soundstage expansion (the Space Station part?) and an added naturalness of elements over the TinHiFi T2 DLC. This driver truly does have extra potential or maybe it is the wood caps, but there was a nice difference. So much difference that I can move my review score up one 1/2 star to give the TinHiFi T4 PLUS a total of 4 stars…….yep, just like that.

4 Stars

Why?

The T4 PLUS experience:
The two IEMs still sound like they are from the same factory, and if you even read my prior review of the TinHiFi C2 Mechanical Warrior, still I had only passing examples of the TinHiFi 4 PLUS replay, and had not really tried to do a full-on review of the T4 PLUS. And while the T4 is not totally a great deal, I do understand why they made it, and I do notice the effort put forth. It’s just that this imaging, musical element fall-off, the note weight is nice! This isn’t exactly my sound signature or even a variation of my sound signature, yet due to the spacial properties it’s interesting and offers a value if this is what you’re looking for. I figure they got feed-back on the past IEMs and tried to make sound improvements where applicable? People probably commented how the prior TinHiFi T2 DLC was too closed-in and didn’t offer the needed soundstage expansion to get interaction and involvement? The cable add is perfect, while yes, I took TinHiFi’s silver cable ideas and took it up another notch (with the ISN C4 cable) still the included cable looks nice, handles nice and adds the imaging and separation needed. There was a lot of trials and cable rolling back-and-forth than I haven’t gone into in the above two paragraphs, just because it’s not needed for the understanding of the results. But basically it’s rolling the TinHiFi T2 DLC into every configuration as the new T4 PLUS and rotating different DAPs signals to find out if they also effect the tone or soundstage. In the end, in fact, I found I enjoyed either the WM1A or the WM1Z. The T4 PLUS showed the change in DAPs, showing the more mid-centric character of the 1A, and showing the treble and bass boosts in the WM1Z.

THE T4 PLUS Experience continues:
In much of the same way this interaction replicates reality………as we want (reproduced) instruments to offer a fuller more realistic style of imaging. Bigger is better, even if it’s a little bit. Such performance was double checked often rolling back to the TinHiFi T2 DLC and while using the same cables, same ear-tips and same DAP. The T2 DLC tone was more forced and generally less separated. The forced sound was maybe the instruments coming together and occupying the same soundstage area, only to be set free with the T4 PLUS…….slightly traveling out into the stage and gaining a hint of realism. While there are others that replay this style of playback, I’m not sure if any offer this same form-factor or fit exactly? This fit thing was really part of the very first uniqueness that folks were buying into back when the T2 landed and created a fuss in 2019. And thoroughly my curiosity is sparked as to how the original T2 would compete against this new T4 PLUS? Though included here are graphs comparing the original T2 and the T2 DLC, it seems they are completely different animals, even though looking quite similar on the outside?

The brown anodization:
Here the brown anodization and wood end-caps give a feeling of warmth and style. The added cable gives another level of added spacial complexity to the sound and adds to the provided aesthetics, being they totally match! The new brown anodization has also been carried over to the new TinHiFi C3 cable, but the actual wires themselves are much different. So in many ways this offers the total upgrade package, being all the ear-tips you get, the included orange and yellow foams (which I ended-up using) as well as the gorgeous magnetic case included.





The complete package:
As consumers we are particular as to the accessories included. They must meet our needs as far as usability to start, the practicalness in application, as well as aesthetics. This entire set seems to go together, and blend as one unit. The way the included tips match the IEMs, the way the cable matches, also the way the case matches……………not sure what else I would want? With this release TinHiFi again departed from the “book-box” design presentation of previous releases, and chose a square box to include all this fun. They then went with the times and drew a crazy cartoon of an IEM “Space Station” on the cover. Maybe to go with the times they could have included a cartoon female on the the box, thankfully we get a space station, which I feel is a clue as to their soundstage goals. Introducing a new sound to into market………….the space station theme was more pertinent to their goals than a waifu maybe?

The cable:

How often have you found an included cable that lays like this?





Treble:
Finding the right ear-tip may actually been part of the success story here. Meaning bass is both authoritative and fast. But in the end fit seemed to enhance soundstage, which went to include treble imaging. In more ways than one, the TinHiFi treble is both a style of warmth and almost equal to the midrange in focus, and while I’m slightly a bass-head, these offer that quite natural balance of bass, midrange and treble. Though it’s the treble and midrange that you reach for the TinHiFi PLUS to achieve……even though these offer an L shape response, I have other IEMs with more bass! Comparing to the previous T2 DLC (besides bass) we come to the realization that there is far more here than previously thought. Bigger cymbals, farther separated hi-hats and small ornamental emphasis in places, making-its way out into the stage. Better fall-off and decays, plus the added warmth of (maybe) what the wood end-caps do? The best part is everything is digestible and truly exciting to perceive much like autumn leaves falling from a tree. And it’s just that, while the changes here are small, yet they are unarguably real and of value. Such is the transparency found that the higher tones WM1Z with its sparkly higher itemizations are fully noted……..yet not always needed, as the mid centric and mid-forward WM1A still provided the details and illusion of real music playback.



Ear-tips:
Yep, this is the place I stop and eat my words. This is the embarrassing part of the review where I disclose that I don’t know it all. The place I disclose that I am human. These new style of ear-tips are something else. They are a foam center, like you took foam ear-tips and put them into a set of silicone tips. The tips are incredibly special and provide the extra support to hold the T4 PLUS in place. This is an incredibly special (firm) fit, that while the ear-pressure is slightly noticeable, just seems to work better than any ear-tip I tried. If you have ever had trouble with this style of IEM shape, these new bright orange tips are the solution. IMO

Driver 10mm magnetic CNT
Impedance 32Ω±15%
Max Power 5mW
Frequency Response 10-20kHz
Sensitivity 106±dB@1kHz 0.179V
Interface gold-plated 0.78mm 2pin
Single Earbud Weight about 4g
Cable Length about 1.25m
Cable Material 4 strands 270C silver-copper mixed wire PVC



The midrange:
What ever new combination of differences TINHIFI made, they paid-off here. They added a brass ring to hold the resonate wood pieces. Supposedly it creates less harmonic distortion and creates air-flow? Still I could see maybe the “brass picture frame” holding the resonate pieces of wood and letting them vibrate only so much. Much of this tech-talk is moving and if true........maybe works, as I’m hearing these advances. They had to do something with the T2 DLC, I mean I didn’t even really give it a full review. Why? Because I actually didn’t really like it, it didn’t move me? Here no matter how the T4 PLUS graphs out, these are very much about midrange values. That’s right, the all important midrange here. I mean I know what the graph looks like, I posted it here. Still I will argue that while vocals are slightly set back, it’s the midrange note weight that really separates this sound from the T2 DLC. Just the fact that it’s involving and entertaining!

Bass:
The bass is a statement, yet I’ve heard way more bass in some IEMs. What I hear is a nice balance, really these are more V sounding than anything. They are on the boarder of L or V, as that treble has to be there to create balance or we are sunk, and we are not sunk. While offering a firm thump, the transient edge is probably average…..as really the whole signature has a slight lack of attack quality which just trickles down as part of a stifled bass attack. That is just the quality of the town we are visiting here, part of the whole experience!

Soundstage:
The soundstage is the best so far that I have heard from the recent release of TinHiFi IEMs, still that’s not saying that much. It should be better as it costs more, right? There is very little imaging forward and back, yet an OK top to bottom. It’s not what you buy these for, yet 100X better involvement in comparison to the TinHiFi DLC. Why? Because stuff is slightly itemized into the light, and not clumped together. When it comes down to it separation is more important than stage, as if there is separation inside of almost any average stage, musical involvement starts to take place.

Conclusion:
The main test of an IEM is if I will use it after a review is written, simple as that. Is there a quality which goes to add personality that I would like to revisit again………and yes the TinHiFi T4 PLUS is a special set. Let’s face it, the world of IEMs is a very different place than when the T2 had success in February of 2019! Many IEMs have stepped up to the plate and many you simply don’t hear about any longer. Look, you know as well as I do TinHiFi is maybe recycling a great design that is a few years past its prime. The have added extras which are real and actually work wonders, but at the same time, maybe the old T2 shape isn’t your cup of tea? There are ways that TinHiFi has made this design still work, though if it is competitive in todays marketplace, I’m not 100% sure? Still I like it, and the sound is fun, yet still far from perfect, but nice and moving none-the-less. Look at the choices nowadays…..the $100 realm is about as fierce as it has ever been, or more so, with new products being added to the bloodbath every day it seems. Does that mean you get the T4 PLUS for sentimental reasons because you have great memories from 2019? Do the improvements add a style of curiosity to your emotions? They did add a level of curiosity for me, yet (those improvements) are subtle, and they took the right ear-tips to truly get a clue as to what was going on. But once I was in (once the ear-tips were in) I was always in the zone. The TinHiFi T4 PLUS has colors all matching, and can be brought to work inside the prettiest of cases. The magnetic latch is truly cool, as is the brown anodization on both the cable hardware and the actual IEMs themselves. The IEMs offer wooden-end-caps which go to enhance the reverberations and sonic resonances obtained through music playback. These “tones” reflect back an add an organic quality that was missing from much of my TinHiFi experiences. Such body is ultimately the essence of magic in music, the little things that give life to lost sound-waves. They give color and character, even though such additives are thought not to be desired here, they are crucial. For this is what makes the music human and real, the note fall-offs, and the desired note-weights.

I can say that for me fit is perfect and not an issue, as with these new ear-tips, they simply go into place and stay there. Now I’m not sure this will be the case for everyone? And to add to that riddle the T4 PLUS has the ability to sound way better than you can imagine once you find that correct fit. It’s because there is no other structure holding the ear-phone at the correct angle, you are 100% dependent on the ear-tip for fit. In a way this is freedom, and people that already know about the TinHiFi idiosyncrasies already know this. This gets 4 stars because it’s no-way near perfect, yet it’s the best I’ve heard TinHiFi sound out of the 6 I’ve heard, so that must mean something? Yet, there is probably better out there for the money……..and that’s where I stand. If you think they look cool, they do, they actually look way better in person than in the photos here. And in many ways they rock and roll, adding a groove and bounce to your daily life…….

I asked a question when I heard the T2 DLC.......it almost seemed like a stepping-stone to greater goals, and in fact the T4 PLUS maybe is that goal? TinHiFi made it to this new paradigm in sound. If you want to partake….it’s up to you!