HiFi Mai Tai

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September26 Summary – Last of the Summer Sun

Summer is really clinging on. I feel like I always start these summaries with a comment on the weather. Guess I can’t fully escape a British upbringing. Though before you jump to too many stereotypes  just know that I don’t really drink tea and I have no interest in cricket. No idea why it was important to say that. But it felt important. I suppose in my opinion anyone that into cricket should not be trusted in matters of taste and IEM reviewing (particularly the way I do it) is all about taste. I have probably just mildly offended a lot of people with this introduction. It is certainly time to move on. Lets get to the Bartenders September26 Summary.

September26 Summary – The New IEMs

This month only included two reviews with the TRN EMA being an opinion piece only. Despite not fully reviewing the EMA I have included it in the monthly round up. This months cocktails were as follows:

Its been a pretty TRN heavy month. Actually, its probably been a TRN heavy year at the HiFi Mai Tai Beach Bar. Looks like its TRN or KZ that are on track for the most reviews by the end of the year. This is not really surprising as they are two of the biggest budget IEM manufactures.

The TRN EMA and TRN Whale Shark may both be TRN products but they couldn’t be more different. The TRN EMA is a budget single dynamic driver flathead whilst the Whale Shark is one of the brands more expensive hybrid IEMs featuring  3 dynamic drivers and a planar magnetic driver.

As expected the TRN Whale Shark has the vastly superior sound. Its bass is deep and textured perhaps lacking a little slam but all the more shaped and detailed for it. The mids are given room to breath and are more forward than many other IEMs in the price range. And the treble. Well the treble has speed and energy. The Planar Magnetic driver really delivers here. Combine all this with excellent detail across the board and fantastic technical performance and the TRN Whale Shark can very much compete with its peers. As a cherry on top this is an unusual looking and in my opinion very stylish IEM. Unfortunately it is a little bit of a poisoned cherry as these good looks do come at a cost. To accommodate all that style the shells are pretty large and with an all metal construction pretty heavy. This makes them for me at least uncomfortable.

In many ways the TRN EMA are just as uncomfortable but at an ultra budget price this is hardly a deal breaker. The deal breaker is that the TRN EMA are flatheads. Get them to sit right in your ear and they actually sound pretty good. More than a match for other ultra budget IEMs. But getting them to sit right is a challenge and is largely dependent on the shape of your ear. I guess lots of people just weren’t meant for flatheads but if you feel the urge to give them ago then the TRN EMA are a good test opportunity.

And finally, we come to the ECCI YST03. The IEM representing all non TRN IEMs. Unlike the other two these are really comfortable. They are pretty small and very light. They also look pretty good if a lot more conventional than the TRN Whale Shark. The YST03 are a hybrid IEM with 1 dynamic driver and 2 balanced armatures. Their sound for me lacks any real defining character. They are not particularly bass heavy though they do have decent bass presence. They don’t really push the mids and vocals forwards or backwards. They don’t really add warmth or clarity to the mids. They don’t really energize and sharpen the treble. Don’t get me wrong they are definitely some sort of V-shaped tuning so the bass and treble are still boosted its just that none of this is done is such a way that really defines the IEM’s sound. Overall, they are pretty good all-rounder that will deliver for all sorts of music and they do have a good technical performance.

As ever check out the Comparison Page to see how these IEMs and more compare. The Comparison Page is updated at the end of each month to include the IEMs reviewed in that month. Updates to the HiFi Mai Tai Beach Bar also now allow for comparison of performance by budgets, by driver types and by brands.

Easy Recommendation

For my easy recommendation I am going to go with the YST03. For the price these are a decent buy and I am confident that they will work well for most people regardless of their personal audio preferences. If you are already on you musical audiophile journey then you likely don’t need these as they won’t really help refine your audio taste. But if you have yet to set off and are curious as to the sort of audio improvements you can get as you move away from typical earphones then these could be a good place to start.

My Favorite

My favorite of this months IEMs is undoubtedly the TRN Whale Shark. I had a lot of fun writing that review. It was a great opportunity to ramble about sharks and I certainly feel I didn’t waste it (hopefully some of you enjoyed it too). Sharks aside this IEM is a technical marvel that delivers an energetic treble, deep bass and clear mids. Its right up my street. This is my kind of cocktail.

September26 Summary – The One To Beat

The idea behind this section is that at the end of each month my favorite is compared against the one to beat from the previous month with the winner staying on for another month. This comparison does not consider the price or the specifics of the sound. It is simply a new favorite vs my reigning favorite. And only one can survive to the following month.

I debated my options for this for a long time. The BGVP Feather has been ruling for a while now and it has done a really good job. It’s also the IEM I go to the most and that supports its established place as the one to beat. But on the other hand I do think I prefer the sound and style of the TRN Whale Shark. This would suggest that the TRN Whale Shark should be crowned as the one to beat.

As ever though it is far from simple. I do find the Whale Shark heavy and uncomfortable. This limits their use both in terms of how long I can wear them for and when I chose to wear them. Predominantly I use them for short hour stints sat at my desk. This means I am still wearing the BGVP Feather almost every time I leave the house.

See why it’s a hard choice? Well maybe you don’t maybe you have a clear favorite. Maybe you hate them both. Or maybe you just don’t care. Anyway, its my monthly summary and I care.

You know what I am going to have to stick with the BGVP Feather. It would feel wrong to have an IEM with limited use as the one to beat even if I have a slight preference for its sound. Right time to set this conclusion in stone before I change my mind again.

September26 Summary – Upcoming IEMs

Okay so what has the HiFi Mai Tai Beach Bar got coming up? Well there is a whole host of ultra budget IEMs to be reviewed and there is still the intent to redo the Tangzu Waner Red Lion review (probably mention this every month). I will keep an eye out for opportunities to mix it up and escape from the ultra-budget IEM world but as I have bought these IEMs I really should review them. Guess the future is looking cheap (certainly don’t hear that every day).

And that about does it for the September26 Summary. As ever if you have enjoyed your stay at the HiFi Mai Tai Beach Bar then please subscribe to our mailing list and follow us on Instagram.

Enjoy your cocktails!