Pros:
The cable is an 8-core silver plated OCC litz which is braided fairly tight. It is soft and doesn't weigh that much. The male MMCX connectors are made of metal with huge left and right side indicators. The splitter and chin slider are made of plastic, while the gold plated 3.5 mm plug is made of metal.
- Fatigue free signature
Cons:
- Extension on both ends could use some improvements
- Hint of darkness in the mids
Introduction:
Hisenior is a company from China that produces in-ear monitors. They specialize in making CIEMs (custom in-ear monitors) intended for musicians but all models they have can also be bought in universal fit. The T2 Classic is their upgrade to the T2U which was released last year, and currently retails for 119 USD. The Philippine circle of reviewers received one unit of the T2 Classic provided by Hisenior as a part of their international tour.
Specifications:
Driver units: 2 Knowles balanced armature
Impedance: 18 ohms
Sensitivity: 105 dB
Frequency response range: 20 Hz - 20 kHz
Source:
Poco X3 paired with iBasso DC03, Shanling UA1, Tempotec Sonata E35 and Zishan U1
Test tracks:
Africano - Earth Wind and Fire
Dark Necessities - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Gurenge - Lisa
The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
Monsters - All Time Low
Ours - Taylor Swift
Stay - Mayday Parade
Snuff - Slipknot
Yesterday Once More - Carpenters
So Slow - Freestyle
Aurora Sunrise - Franco
Attention - Pentatonix
Blue Bird - Ikimono-gakari
You're Still The One - Shania Twain
Anyone Who Knows What Love Is(Will Understand) - Irma Thomas
Salamin - Slapshock
AOV - Slipknot
Hey Jude - The Beatles
The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson
...and a lot more.
Unboxing and Accessories:
The T2 Classic unit that we received does not come with the retail box and complete accessories. It only comes with a plastic hard case, 4 pairs of silicone tips, and 1 pair of foam tips.
Build:
The shells are made of Egger allergy free resin. It is smooth to the touch and has a shiny finish. It is also translucent so you can see the balanced armature drivers and other internal stuff if you shine a light on the shells. The faceplates are decorated with golden "febos" cursive lettering. The are no vents on any part of the shells which improves the noise isolation. The nozzles are a bit short but I didn't have any problems with the fit. The nozzles also have a lip to hold eartips in place and a metal mesh filter to keep dust out.
Now let's get to the sound.
Lows:
The lows are reproduced in a relaxed manner. Subbass depth is slightly below average and has a bit of a weak rumble that also dissipates quickly. Midbass is also toned down, with a note weight that is on the thin side.
Overall, the lows doesn't have much presence here but the good thing is that it doesn't lack body. The transition going to the lower and upper mids receives sufficient support from the lows for the mids to not sound thin.
Mids:
The mids have a neutral position. The articulation and clarity in this section feels lacking a bit. Vocals, especially female ones, sound a bit dark. It seems as if something's blocking it; making it sound slightly unnatural. Instruments are also noticeably affected by this.
Overall, the mids doesn't have that liveliness that I'm looking for. The veil in the sound is not that much noticeable on male vocals, but it becomes really troublesome on female vocals.
Highs:
The highs are placed at the center of the mix. Treble reach is just adequate, and just like the lows, the decay of the treble is quick. On some tracks, the extension might feel a little lacking. And as expected, fatigue will never be a problem with the T2 Classic because of the said tuning of the highs.
Overall, there is a rolloff in the treble just like the bass. But thankfully, the bass is tamed so the presence of the treble is not affected by it, and the subtleties in each track are still fairly appreciated.
Soundstage and Imaging:
The stage has a slightly below average expansion. The width expands marginally better than the height. Imaging is good, but can definitely be improved if not for that hint of darkness in the mids. Layering is average as well as the instrument separation, while there is a fair amount of congestion on complex tracks.
Conclusion:
The T2 Classic can get the job done if it's going to be used for its intended purpose; and that's for stage monitoring. It's well built, with a shape and size that will definitely fit most ears. But in an audiophile perspective, the T2 Classic might leave you wanting for more especially the extension on both ends of the spectrum, and its resolution and clarity in the midrange.
Tags:
In-Ear Monitors