Sound Quality

My sample of the AIAIAI TMA-2 came equipped with the S05 speaker drivers, which AIAIAI describes as "engineered with a speaker diaphragm made from stiff Bio-Cellulose for more defined high-frequency details, more pronounced mid-range, better dynamics, and more natural tonality". As all other speaker units offered by AIAIAI, these are 40-millimeter dynamic drivers, marketed as "detailed" by the manufacturer. According to the frequency response chart available on the TMA-2 Builder website, a combination of E08 (Alcantara) ear pads and S05 speaker units should offer a balanced performance with no pronunciation of any part of the frequency range. If you play around with other options while keeping the ear pads the same, you'll notice that the S04 speaker units (marketed as "vibrant") offer boosted bass and treble and a recessed mid-range—the classic V-shaped sound signature; S03 units ("Warm") have boosted bass, neutral mids, and recessed highs, and so on. As I didn't get a chance to try any speaker units other than the S05 ones, I cannot comment on those assessments being true or not.

It's worth repeating that my sample of the AIAIAI TMA-2 came with the S05 ("detailed") speaker units and E08 (memory foam and Alcantara) ear pads. I also got the H04 headband, so my pair doesn't offer wireless connectivity. I used the C15 hi-fi cable to connect them to various DAC/amps at my disposal. Here's a complete list.

iFi Audio hip-dac

FiiO E10K Olympus 2

Astell&Kern ACRO L1000

Audiolab M-DAC

EVGA NU Audio Pro

As I've stated earlier in the review, the build materials used for the AIAIAI TMA-2 are nowhere near what you'd hope for when dishing out almost €300 for a pair of headphones. Fortunately, what they lack in visual and tangible luxury, they give back in sound quality. When AIAIAI describes the S05 speaker drivers as balanced and detailed, they're not lying. Not a single part of the frequency range sounds overcooked. The bass smoothly transitions into the mid-range without any sluggishness or overhang, and the mid-range is stitchlessly connected to the higher frequencies. That makes the AIAIAI TMA-2 extremely genre agnostic. I had a good time listening to anything I threw at them: rock, metal, rap, jazz, classical, EDM, or ambient music—you name it.

These are by no means bass monsters. If you like your bass bloated into oblivion or crave substantial sub-bass rumble, the TMA-2 won't do it for you. That's not to say they're lacking in the bass department. The bass is pleasantly meaty, decently textured, and quite snappy. It does a good job of keeping the delivery lively and fun. If your DAC/amp offers a bass boost switch or you're connecting these headphones to a sound card with an equalizer, you might feel inclined to slightly boost the bass depending on your listening preferences. It's worth mentioning that the S05 speaker units will happily handle such tweaks, creating no distortion or unwanted resonances if you do. The S05 drivers don't audibly distort when assaulted by high listening volumes either, so you're welcome to play around with it for as much as the rest of your system allows.

While I like the bass of the TMA-2, the mids and highs are really what makes me like these headphones. They do a lovely job with vocal delivery and instrument separation. Thanks to that, you'll be able to hear various subtle details in your favorite songs, such as background guitar plucking or multi-layered vocals, which would otherwise go by unnoticed. All this excellent detail retrieval comes with no excessive brightness; I had no issues with ear fatigue over longer listening sessions.

In terms of power requirements, the AIAIAI TMA-2 aren't demanding. All of my DAC/amps drove them with ease. I was even able to play them loud enough with the Sharkoon Mobile DAC (reviewed here), although without the tightness, meatiness, and clarity you'd get from a higher quality source.