TinHiFi T5 Review

I have used the TinHiFi T5 with the following sources:

The TinHiFi T5 comes in a large rectangular white cardboard box. This box is largely unmarked apart from TinHiFi branding on five of its six sides. There is a faintly raised pattern that spans the entire surface of the box, which I thought was a subtle yet unique touch. Inside the box, the IEMs and the included carry case are held in foam mounting sheets along with the included tips and other accessories. The package includes a detachable 2-pin cable and 14 eartips in three varieties. There are three pairs of conventional silicone eartips (S, M, L), three pairs of Sony-esque grippy black eartips with brightly colored stems (S, M, L), and one pair of TinHiFi foam eartips (M). The package also includes a small cleaning brush, a set of six replacement nozzle filters, and a tool to install them with. In terms of documentation, the T5 includes a user manual written in English and Chinese and a contact card.

The included carry case has a clamshell design with a magnetic latch. The case appears to use a presumably synthetic white leather for the bulk of its construction, with the interior surface lined with white fabric. The front of the case has a stainless steel stamp emblazoned with the TinHiFi logo. The stitching is well-done and the leather material avoids feeling cheap or tacky. One thing I did not like about the case is the top lip of the bottom half, which blocks off roughly a third of the case volume around the edges. It would have made more sense to me to omit this lip to make it easier to stow the IEMs.

The TinHiFi T5 uses a three-part shell design consisting of a faceplate, upper housing, and lower housing. Each shell component is built with gunmetal grey aluminum, polished to a near-mirror sheen. The teardrop-shaped faceplate is set into the top half of the housing body. The text “TINHiFi” is etched into each of the faceplates. The housing as a whole has an ergonomic, pseudo-custom fit. “L” and “R” indicators are marked in white in the center of the ear-facing surface of the lower housing. There is a small circular vent on the top of the upper housing as well as on the bottom housing, slightly offset from the nozzle. The T5 has brass nozzles with perforated metal mesh nozzle covers and sizable lips for securing eartips. The recessed 2-pin connector housing is bisected by the seam between the upper and lower housings.

The oxygen-free cable included with the T5 is light, flexible, and not prone to tangling. The cable strands are wrapped in a spiral pattern below the Y-split and follow a double helix pattern above it. The straight 3.5mm jack hardware, the Y-split hardware, and the greatly appreciated chin-adjustment slider are also made from a shiny gunmetal grey aluminum that matches the housing materials. There is strain relief above the jack but not at the Y-split. The 2-pin housings have “L” and “R” indicators printed in white, and the Y-split hardware is marked with the TinHiFi logo. The cable has pre-formed clear plastic earguides.

The TinHiFi T5 is intended to be worn cable-up. They have a shallow insertion depth, and I found them to be extremely comfortable to wear for extended periods. I did not have issues with the housings migrating out of my ears with the included foam eartips. Isolation is below average. There is very slight driver flex even with foam eartips.

Some of my measurements, including those referenced in this review, can also be found on my expanding squig.link database:

Note: My impressions are based on use with the included pair of foam eartips.

The TinHiFi T5 is a bright-sounding IEM with a broadly elevated bass response.

The TinHiFi T5’s bass tuning is somewhere between a mid-bass hump and a sub-bass shelf, but more closely resembles the first. However, the T5’s tuning produces none of the benefits of fully committing to either approach. There is not enough sub-bass or mid-bass to produce visceral rumble or tangible slam. Instead, the T5 generates sonic mud. There is an appalling lack of internal resolution in the bass response for an IEM above the $100 price point. While musical notes are distinct from each other, and the T5’s instrument separation and soundstage size are impressive overall, there is little insight into the character of individual notes. The T5’s bass has little texture. The speed at which notes are delivered is adequate for faster musical passages, but they arrive with an unsatisfying thud.

While not congested, the TinHiFi T5 has a thin, tinny midrange that suffers from both shout and shrillness. There is little warmth or body in the lower midrange, and the overall character of the T5’s midrange is somewhere between chilly and frigid. Vocal intelligibility is excellent for both male and female vocals. However, female vocals are too far forward and easily transgress the boundary between vibrancy and sibilance. Similarly, while midrange clarity is excellent, the presence region is perforated by a harsh peak which makes electronic music in particular difficult to endure without discomfort. Male vocal intelligibility can suffer during busy musical passages but remains adequate in most cases. Timbre is a mixed bag. There is a hint of metallic harshness throughout the T5’s frequency response, but I suspect this is related to the IEM’s frequency response and not the intrinsic qualities of its driver.

The TinHiFi T5’s treble is the least troubled segment of its frequency response. It seems to fall evenly from the presence region without presenting any egregious peaks and is well balanced against the elevated upper midrange. It is crisp and detailed without being harsh to my ears. There is a bit of extra energy around 10 kHz that gives cymbals some additional splash. This may cross the line into artificiality for some, as it is worth noting I prefer more mid-treble emphasis than many. There is a healthy amount of air, and transient delivery seems realistic. Imaging is adequate.

The TinHiFi T2 Plus is easier to listen to with a wider variety of musical genres than the T5. This is primarily due to its more restrained upper midrange. The T2 Plus avoids the shout and shrillness of the T5 but is too restrained in terms of ear gain for my tastes. Vocals sound a bit flat to my ears with the T2 Plus, especially after switching from the T5. The T5 offers much greater vocal clarity and intelligibility than the T2 Plus, though this comes with the costs I described earlier. Ideally, I would prefer something in between the two IEMS in terms of ear gain and presence. The T2 Plus has better internal bass note resolution and texture than the T5, whereas the T5 has more detailed and resolving treble. Interestingly, the T5 does not exhibit the treble ringing phenomenon I sometimes experienced with the T2 Plus. The T2 Plus has a less noticeably metallic timbre than the T5. The T5 offers slightly better soundstage width than the T2 Plus, but vastly greater soundstage depth and instrument separation.

The Moondrop Aria more closely approximates the Harman target than the TinHiFi T5, with a greater emphasis on sub-bass and a more deliberate upper midrange presentation. The greater sub-bass emphasis combined with the absence of the T5’s extreme presence peak makes the Aria a much better choice for electronic music. The Aria’s upper midrange is also much smoother than the T5’s while retaining a healthy amount of ear gain. Female vocals come across as more evenly balanced with the rest of the frequency response on the Aria. The T5 has more sparkle and less air than the Aria. The T5 has a larger soundstage than the Aria but worse instrument separation and imaging. The T5 has more premium construction and a better-fitting shell design. I also prefer the T5’s included cable to the one included with the Aria.

The TinHiFi T5 can be readily driven with modest sources. I did not notice hiss with any of my sources.

The TinHiFi T5 is uncompetitive at its price point and fails to definitively eclipse more affordable models within TinHiFi’s own lineup. Not recommended.

The TinHiFi T5 can be purchased below:

Related posts:

There are a ton of tools and libraries available for React v React Native! Here’s a quick rundown of some of the most popular ones:- - Redux:- A state management library that helps you manage and…

Some tips to lose weight faster and lose weight are to exercise regularly and eat slowly, as they help speed up metabolism and control hunger throughout the day, favoring weight loss. In addition, it…

Just like a photograph captures a physical moment, a story photograph captures a moment that happens inside our heart… In my blog series Story Photographs, I’ll be capturing a subtle but dear moment…