HiFi Mai Tai

The TRN VX Pro+ is an updated (possibly upgraded) version of the TRN VX Pro. Amongst budget IEMs there does seem to be an idea that longer names are better IEMs. It won’t be long before they are all named after printers. The TRN VX Pro+ cost me £32 significantly less than the quoted retail price that they likely have never been listed at. So these are cheap but not in that ultra budget category. Lets get into the Bartender’s TRN VX Pro+ Review.

TRN VX Pro+ Review – The Cocktail:

Likely to please those at the beginning of their audio journey (It certainly pleases me), TRN have packed in a huge number of drivers. The TRN VX Pro+ are a hybrid arrangement designed definitely to be competitive at top trumps (do people still play this game?).

Rightly, or wrongly I always find myself viewing a dynamic driver 4 BA arrangement as the quintessential hybrid arrangement. It just a pleasing structure to look at when written on paper and it turns out a single dynamic driver and 8BA is just as appealing when written down. I suspect this might just be me. But if you also find yourself judging IEMs by a weird preference for certain numbers then make sure you share this review and show the world your weirdness. It would be nice to know I am not alone in this.

The rest of the specifications are fairly typical.

Drivers: 10mm beryllium-plated diaphragm unit & Customized 50060 mid-frequency Balanced Armature Units X4 & Customized 30095 high-frequency Balanced Armature Units X4
Frequency: 7 to 40000 Hz
Impedence: 32 Ω
Sensitivity: 106 dB

TRN VX Pro+ Review – The Taste Test Setup:

The taste test was conducted using the same set up as for the KZ ZA12. Again, just as was the case for the review of that cocktail, I feel this setup is reflective of how they may actually be used. Certainly, these are not to be treated as family heirlooms, guarded under lock and key with a dragon for that extra security. Equally they probably aren’t for running in the rain.

The TRN VX Pro+ certainly benefit from use of a DAC/AMP. The extra power (particularly when using a balanced connection) sharpens the bass and makes it sound faster and more dynamic.

I didn’t test the TRN VX Pro+ with any eartips other those the came with and I didn’t use the bass tips. With the wonderful luxury of hindsight I should have given proper consideration to the provided bass tips. Without giving too much a way the bass was of good quality but lacked volume and eartips focused on delivery more bass may have addressed this issue.

DAC/AMP: Moondrop Dawn Pro 2
Cable: 4.4mm Tripowin Zonie
Eartips: Stock (Silicon)

TRN VX Pro+ Review – The Non-Audio:

The IEM package is sparse. Nothing really worth talking about. Whilst this does count against the TRN VX Pro+ in my overall scoring, it is not surprising at this price point. Really I am always surprised that they do come in a box with some eartips and a cable. The cable is not great. The selection of eartips is not bad but none of the eartips have established pedigree.

Style is a big failing of the TRN VX Pro+. They are just boring. I think they wanted to look effortlessly understated. A really simple old school Rolex rather than a diamond encrusted, works on the moon, bullet proof watch made by a company founded in 2002 but claiming to have ancient watch making heritage. I am getting side tracked. The point is these are ultimately just nothing to look at. A silver painted puddle that enjoys collecting fingerprints.

The build of the TRN VX Pro+ is not much better. I have used these quite a lot (spoiler I like the sound) and nothing has gone wrong yet. But they do not feel sturdy. They are really light. They are an all plastic build. But they don’t feel like a Lego brick. They feel more delicate. If I was built like this I would certainly fear a light refreshing breeze. I would take up chess instead of rugby. I would probably never go outside.

Comfort wise the TRN VX Pro+ are good. Here the small & light build is an advantage. There is some shaping (maybe best described as a small wing). It is this shaping that prevents the comfort from achieving perfection. These are comfortable. I can wear them for a long time. But I have experienced better (Though not an awful lot better). These should be okay for people with smaller ears.

Accessories: Drink Only (Nothing Else Worth Talking About)
Style: Undrinkable (Not Understated. Just Boring)
Build: Hand Wash Only (Light & Plastic. But Nothing Has Gone Wrong Yet)
Comfort: Sat in the Booths (The Small ‘Wings’ Hold It Back From Perfection)

TRN VX Pro+ Review – The Audio:

The first thing to point out is that I think these sound quite a lot like the KZ ZA12. That is one way of saying good but I will try to expand.

Like the KZ ZA12 the bass is present, certainly can be heard and does have some slam but is not the star of the show. To me the bass is very similar. During testing, including back-2-back testing I thought I had a slight preference for the bass of the TRN VX Pro+ but this was not reflected in the final scores (though its close). This result does really make me question what I am doing but its to late to stop now. I am a bartender and therefore it is my sworn duty to for the good of humanity assess the quality of audio of cocktails (what a sentence).

Back to the review. The emphasis is all in the treble with the mids benefiting from a fairly good sized sound stage and lots of clarity across the board. This is again the same approach taken by the KZ ZA12. Overall, there is little chose between the two.

Continuing with the comparison TRN VX Pro+ is also detailed. It perhaps does not force its details in the same way as the KZA12 particularly in the treble. The KZ ZA12 is harsher and sharper but that can also be a could thing sometimes. It was very impressed by how detailed the KZA12 was and the TRN VX Pro+ cannot match that detail but to some it will be all the better for this failure being easier to listen to and perhaps, for lack of a better phase, more ‘natural’.

Like the KZ ZA12 the TRN VX Pro+ does not significantly favor either male or female vocals but vocals are one of the biggest differences between these two IEMS. The TRN VX Pro+ pushes the vocals a little bit further forward often resulting in them sounding slightly more prominent in the mix. This is the biggest difference but it is not a huge difference. However, if you’re a vocal lover (these probably aren’t for you) you will appreciate the difference.

The Base Spirit (Bass): 69.26% (A Large Single Shot. But Not a Double)
The Modifier (Mids): 76.52% (The Satisfying First Drink After A Hard Days Work)
The Sweetener (Treble): 84.65% (A Well Earned Second Pint)
The VocalsVocals: 79.00% (Something to Shout About)
The Garnish (Details): 86.30% (Bring Out the Umbrella Straws)
The Presentation (Technicals): 77.10% (Room to Throw Your Arms Around)

TRN VX Pro+ Review – Overall:

This is the bit where the rap breaks down! No that’s not right. This is the bit where the comparisons would go. As I progress with documenting more of my taste tests I will make sure to add something here in future reviews. I certainly won’t be forgetting the TRN VX Pro+ so expect future cocktail reviews to included comparisons back to this IEM. So make sure to check out future reviews (Once I have got round to writing them).

The TRN VX Pro+ are easy to recommend when compared to the KZ ZA12. I do consider only the Vocals of the TRN VX Pro+ an improvement over the KZ ZA12 however it is worth remembering that I paid significantly less for the TRN VX Pro+. If style is the most important thing to you then don’t even considering the TRN VX Pro+ just looking at them may have an adverse effect on your health. But if style is all you care about then perhaps try a hobby such as fashion rather than audio (That sounded less mean in my head. Sorry).