Introduction
TinHifi China has been making waves since their awesome classic T2 that has been a legend in the audiophile community. Since then, the T series has been well extended into a family of well priced earphones with a superb sonic performance along with a design that is amazing, paving a way for other companies to keep up with their great job. Releases such as the T1 Plus, T3, T2 Plus, T4, T5 and the latest T2EVO have been a treat for the audiophile community for their awesome sound with a price tag that is reachable for all users. They have now decided to extend the lineage of the T3 series with a resin moulded shell, a first for TinHifi products that ensures a better fit for users, increasing the isolation for the in-ears and probably an increase in their performance as well. Though the T3Plus has just been released, they have already had praises for their sound quality from the early birds and they are truly impressed. TinHifi has kindly sent us a pair of the T3Plus in exchange for an honest review and we thank them for the opportunity. How will the T3Plus fare? We shall find out.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the TimHifi T3 Plus;
- Driver: Latest generation 10mm dynamic driver with LCP diaphragm.
- Acoustic structure: Double-cavity design with built-in high-performance magnetic architecture.
- Shell: Skin-friendly resin ear shells with marble texture face covers.
- Impedance: 32Ω±15%.
- Sensitivity: 105±3dB.
- Frequency response range: 10Hz-20kHz.
- Cable: 2pin 0.78mm 4 core OFC cable
- Termination plug: 3.5mm gold-plated plug.
- Rated power: 3mW.
- Max power: 5mW.
- Max distortion: 1%@1kHz.
Retail Price & Where To Get
The TinHifi T3 Plus can be purchased at TinHiFi’s Aliexpress Official Store :
Purchase Link :TinHiFi T3 Plus : https://invol.co/cl7oxz7
Packaging & Accessories
The T3Plus comes in a medium sized white box that is mediocre but looks quite neat and I do feel that the packaging is the best in the T series as. Inside we will find all the necessities like the cable, paperworks and eartips included are 6 pairs of eartips with various sizes where 3 pairs are slightly stiffer and 3 pairs are softer to the touch. Also included is a fabric pouch with a TinHifi brand on it. Overall it is quite decent for the price paid.
Design
The design of the T3Plus is a very welcomed resin type with an aluminum nozzle that is a first attempt of TinHifi embracing a resin shell. Though resin type shells are already a common design by many brands, I really do love the T3Plus design and it is very well executed with a beautiful marble faceplate with TinHifi’s logo embossed on it. They are solidly built and feel quite premium on hand. For the resin design, I would say it is better late than never for TinHifi to try out this resin design and to see the feedback they will get as it may be rewarding. The nozzle is made out of gold coloured aluminum metal with a steel mesh to prevent dust from entering. On the in-ears we will have a common flat 2pin 0.78mm connectors and the second product in TinHifi after the T5 from the usual MMCX in the T series or QDC type found in the latest P series. The 0.78mm is known for their durability but the MMCX provides a more tight fit. Overall, the design and build in my eyes is amazing.
The cable provided is a 4 core OFC cable without a microphone that is quite thin but it feels great. It is very flexible and it is a little soft to the touch. The jacks, splitter and chin slider are made from metal with a gold plated 3.5mm as well as the 2 pins similar to the stock cable from the T5. Soundwise, it has a slight warm feel even when used with other in-ears.
Gears Used for Comparisons
- FiiO M11Plus LTD
- Questyle M12
- Hidizs S9 Pro
- Beyerdynamics Xelento
- Intime Kira
- Moondrop A8
- Smabat Proto 1.0
- HZSound Heart Mirror
- KBear Aurora
- Blon A8 Prometheus
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The T3Plus sound signature is a very well balanced type of sound with excellent extension from top to bottom. Details and clarity is superb with an organic warm take on the sound presented. Sub-bass on these in-ears are present and adequate with a slow roll-off on the bass which provides an airy sound reproduction. The tone it possesses is silky smooth and warm without any harshness present and it is suitable for a daily driver or even for a sleeping in-ears as it is also very comfortable to wear for a long listening session. It is not a fast paced or bright in-ears but a warm dynamic sounding in-ears. TinHifi certainly has tuned the T3Plus in a very mature way and they sounded awesome right out of the box.
Soundstage
Soundstage on the T3Plus is truly great and they are the strong point of the product as they possess a big headroom even though it is an in-ear type. It portrays music with an average height but they are very wide for an in-ears and they are able in making music sound very holographic. The T3Plus sounded quite airy and intimate making the listening experience truly enjoyable. Two thumbs up for the soundstage.
Separation and Timbre
As the T3Plus is equipped with a single dynamic driver, the separation on these are great and everything sounded in harmony without any congestion. Timbre on these in-ears are superb as they sounded truly natural and organic with every note sounded just as they are with a very mild colouration making them slightly warm sounding.
Drivability
At 32ohms, the T3Plus is very easy to drive and very forgiving on your sources. They sounded great even from a simple dongle setup and straight from a laptop source. They are low in sensitivity and their sound background is black in nature making them not prone to picking up any noise. With a dedicated digital music player or a DAC/amplifier, they sounded a little more polished but scaling on these in-ears are average.
The Bass (Low)
Bass on the T3Plus is a meaty, juicy slightly loose type of bass. It has a mild boost in their presentation but still manages to sound balanced and goes well with their overall presentation. The impact of the slam is good, they rumble when called upon and the bass is able to go very deep. Bass has all the details embedded on it and they do not sound bloated nor possess any bleed into the other frequency. Bass is slightly on the strong side almost for a basshead but they do not sound overpowering at all. Quantity of the bass in my opinion is just the right amount but some purists might not like the strong bass response of these in-ears. Sub-bass on these are great and they extend quite deep with an adequate rumble. They are suitable for EDM and jazz music as they sounded very soulful.
The Mids
Midrange on the T3Plus is thick, warm and has a forward take to it blending well with the bass. Mids sounded very intimate due to their forwardness and for vocals, they are excellent as male or female vocals sounded very emotional and lush. Midrange details are very well intact and the micro details are present even on busy tracks. Resolution on the T3Plus midrange are quite decent and they have a good transparency in their presentation making them clear sounding without any veiling. They are also slightly coloured in their midrange tone but still manage to sound natural and organic.
The Highs
The high range of the T3Plus is a smooth, inoffensive type of high range but they do not sound recessed in any manner. They have a great presence and they do have the sparkle in their high range tone. They sounded great without any harshness or shout present. They are suitable for long listening sessions as they do not incur any fatigue in this region. They also have a crisp tone to it and high staccato drum snare on these are great. Treble on the T3Plus is great as well with vocals and instruments sounding spot on and natural without any metallic nature to it. As a treble head myself, personally I would like a little boost on this region, but that’s just nitpicking.
Comparisons
VS KBear Aurora
The latest flagship offering from KBear houses a single titanium plated dynamic driver that has a mild V shaped sound signature that has a very good sub-bass response all inside a shiny metal shell. They cost double the price of the T3Plus and they look beautiful but both are solidly built.
The High region on the T3Plus has a better presence and they are more crisp than the slightly polite treble of the Aurora. T3Plus has a sharper attack on the treble and they sounded more detailed. The Aurora high region is smoother overall and both have the same amount of details here.
Midrange of the T3Plus is thicker and more forward than the slightly recessed midrange of the Aurora. Aurora midrange has a slight edge in clarity but details are the same. Vocals on T3Plus are more intimate and vocals on Aurora have a more relaxed signature.
Bass on the Aurora has the better quality in terms of impact and details. Slam on the T3Plus in stronger and slightly tighter. Sub-bass presence is similar but the extension on Aurora is better by a small margin.
Soundstage on the T3Plus is wider but their height is similar.
VS Blon A8 Prometheus
Flagship in-ears by Blon and they are a fun W-shaped signature but lack the technicalities. Both are similarly priced in-ears and both have a single dynamic driver. Design on the A8 is simply unbeatable in my eyes but the T3Plus feels more comfortable to wear.
Highs on the T3Plus are more polished and smoother to listen to than the aggressive thighs on the A8. Details on the T3Plus treble is better and accurate while the A8 treble is more on the fun side.
Mids on the A8 have a more forward sound but the T3Plus sounded thicker here. T3Plus midrange is more balanced and lusher. Details here on the T3Plus are better than sounded clearer.
Bass on the A8 is tighter and slam is more apparent. Bass on the T3Plus is more natural and has more clarity. Sub-bass on the T3Plus has the edge by sounding fuller and extends deeper.
Soundstage of the T3Plus is wider and taller than the A8.
VS HZ Sound Heart Mirror
The now legendary single dynamic budget in-ears from HZSound, the Heart Mirror. They sounded super clean and are packed with details from top to bottom but might sound a little thin in their bass and midrange. They cost around 30% less than the T3 Plus depending on the deals you can get.
Bass on the T3Plus has the edge by sounding fuller and has a better presence than the thin bass response of the Heart Mirror. Details and clarity are quite similar on both. Sub-bass response on the T3Plus has the presence and extends deeper than the Heart Mirror.
The Midrange of the Heart Mirror has better transparency and sounds more detailed. Though slightly thinner than the T3 Plus, they are more accurate. T3Plus midrange sounded more intimate and lusher.
High range on the Heart Mirror has more quantity and the sparkle more. Crispness on the T3Plus is better and more enjoyable and they are smoother overall.
Soundstage in the T3Plus is wider and taller than the Heart Mirror by a small margin
Synergy
FiiO M11Plus LTD
The now rare and almost discontinued FiiO M11Plus LTD that houses a pair of now almost depleted AKM AK4497EQ and has the benefits of THX amplifications. With this pairing, the T3Plus sounded more refined with their high range extended and smoothes out a little. Midrange on the T3Plus sounded a little clearer and balanced with details added especially on the macro details. Bass has a tighter impact and they sounded clearer. Sub-bass extends deeper while retaining the same amount. Soundstage on this pairing is amazing as they sounded much wider and taller making genres such as acoustics and instrumentals sound sublime. A great pairing overall and they sounded top notch.
Questyle M12
The M12 is a MQA certified dongle that is small in size but has a big performance to go with it. They are a Sabre ESS9281AC with Questyle’s signature current amplification module embedded in it and they sounded really superb. High range on the T3Plus has more sparkle and sounded more crisp. The improvement on treble is amazing on this pairing as they sounded more full and they sparkled on this pairing. Midrange has more details and clarity while retaining their thickness. Bass is a tad bit tighter and has more details. Sub-bass remains almost the same in quality and quantity. Soundstage sounded a little wider but not taller. Overall, they are my go-to pairing for portability and they sounded awesome.
Who Is It For?
TinHifi’s T3Plus is an easy recommendation for anyone who wants great sonic abilities with a smooth, velvety sound, great ergonomics in-ears without breaking the bank as they are priced quite low and they truly punch well above the asking price. With an adequate bass quantity and quality, they are quite suitable for bass lovers out there. Details and clarity in these in-ears are great but they are not a detailed monster as they are more towards a smooth, warm sound signature. For critical listening, they are not really suitable as they are towards a sound enjoyment but they are no slouch in their accuracy as well.
Final words
TinHifi has truly created a gem of an in-ears in my opinion and they truly surpass any T series in-ears in terms of performance and a value that punches well above their asking price. With this new resin type, they are comfortable, built very well and a beautiful faceplate to go with it. They sounded very fun and emotional without sacrificing any details or accuracy. They simply tick all the boxes, from a great deep bass, thick juicy mids and a velvety high range, they are a very balanced performer and not to mention their expansive soundstage to go with their presentation. They have replaced my current T series favourite, the T2 Plus as the T3 Plus are way more fun and organic sounding than the more neutral T2 Plus. Back when I started this hobby of portable audio 15 years back, to get a sound like the T3Plus, I would have needed to fork out 5 times or more the amount of the T3Plus asking price and I am glad to be able to enjoy the sound quality for their mere asking price. Congratulations to TinHifi for their achievement in this product and I do hope they will keep producing products like this.
I would rate this product a solid 
(5 / 5) and an AudioMonsta seal of approval for their amazing price versus performance ratio.
