Fit and Comfort

Seen above are the two types of ear tips that come with the TinHiFi T2 Evo, in size M, installed on the right ear bud and inserted into an artificial ear mold. I have average-sized ears, and the ear mold above represents my own experiences well enough as a proxy. Size M silicone tips are my go-to for testing since foam tips are not included by some, although I would in this case rate the best fit in terms of isolation, fit, and even sound signature to be with the memory foam tips. Note that in all the marketing images, TinHiFi has the cable coming almost straight up to where the ear hook does not fully go behind the pinna, although this does feel uncomfortable and unnatural to me. The rounded nature of the shells allows for such experimentation to be sure, since there isn't much of a molded design to fit into the concha as with most IEMs. The pre-formed ear hooks in the cables are stiffer than I would like, however, so the ideal position is somewhere between the two shown types of fit. These relatively tiny IEMs will fit inside pretty much any ear, so that's a good thing for those with smaller ears. Each ear bud also weighs ~6 g, which is again below average, so there is minimal physical fatigue.

Audio Performance

Audio Hardware

TinHiFi has a single dynamic driver implementation here, using a 10 mm carbon molecule composite diaphragm—a carbon coating on a Mylar base, perhaps. The company markets this for moderate bass in volume with a "sense of dimension," which usually means we get an atypical tuning. Driving the hardware is not too hard with the average impedance of 32 Ω, although the sensitivity is rated as 93 dB/0.126 Vrms, so it is not trivial to compare to others as-is. In practice, it's just fine with most mobile devices, and a portable DAC/amp will suit your needs perfectly for when you find yourself without an available 3.5 mm audio jack when on the go. If not, the shorter cable included with IEMs might be a potential handicap if connecting to a PC as the audio source.

Frequency Measurement and Listening

I will mention that I have a general preference for a warm neutral signature emphasizing a slightly elevated bass and smooth treble range with detailed mids and good tonal separation. I also generally prefer instrumental music over vocals, with favored genres including jazz and classical music.


Our reproducible testing methodology begins with a calibrated IEC711 audio coupler/artificial ear that IEM buds can feed into enough for decent isolation similar to real ears. The audio coupler feeds into a USB sound card, which in turn goes to a laptop that has ARTA and REW running and the earphones connected to the laptop through the sound card. I begin with an impulse measurement to test for signal fidelity, calibrate the sound card and channel output, account for floor noise, and finally test the frequency response of each channel separately. Octave smoothing is at the 1/6th setting, which nets a good balance of detail and noise not being identified as useful data. Also, the default tuning was used for testing, and no app-based settings were chosen unless specifically mentioned. Each sample of interest is tested thrice with separate mounts to account for any fit issues, and an average is taken of the three individual measurements for statistical accuracy. For IEMs, I am also using the appropriate ear mold fitted to the audio coupler for a separate test to compare how the IEMs fare when installed in a pinna geometry and not just the audio coupler. The raw data is then exported from REW and plotted in OriginPro for easier comparison.


The IEC711 is such that you can't really compare these results with most other test setups, especially those using a head and torso simulator (HATS). The raw dB numbers are also quite contingent on the set volume, gain levels, and sensitivity of the system. What is more useful information is how the left and right channels work across the rated frequency response in the TinHiFi T2 Evo, or at least the useful part. The left channel was separately tested from the right one, and colored differently for contrast. I did my best to ensure an identical fit for both inside the IEC711 orifice, so note how the two channels are nearly identical through the bass and mids, and within +/- 1 dB throughout the measured 20 Hz to 20 kHz range. There wasn't much of a burn-in effect either with pretty much what you get unboxed it after even 50 hours of music and a mix of white/pink noise going through the IEMs. The response with the artificial pinna in place is also quite impressive for how similar it is to the coupler itself, with a slightly darker roll-off in the upper treble there.

Look, there's no getting around the tuning of the TinHiFi T2 Evo being divisive. This is a treble-heavy set of IEMs, which is all the more interesting given the single dynamic driver. The company itself acknowledges in the marketing that the bass response is moderate on volume, and this by itself is not an issue if executed well. Think of the bass, and even mids, as a NY-style pizza then, with substance filling out the thin crust base. It just so happens that the cheese is actually mascarpone, and you can taste nothing else once that is in your mouth.

I could go on about how this tuning clashes a lot with the marketing talk, and why TinHiFi should clarify things further. See, after the TinHiFi T5 review was published, I was informed that the tuning there catered to the Japanese market first and foremost. Think of old-school Japanese jazz, which I only recently learned was even a thing, one I am quickly learning to appreciate. Between that and more contemporary east Asian music that is high on music in more ways than one, I have a better understanding of the treble-focused tuning TinHiFi has been going for recently. My issue is the poor communication thus, with subtle points on the product page, such as "T2 Plus or T2 is recommended for high-frequency sensitive people," an understatement, and missed by many looking at this globally. The bass and mids are fine, even well-executed compared to the to me unnaturally elevated treble response that is shrilly and distorting with more western music genres, as well as bass guitar-heavy eastern pop.


Here's a good example of what I mean, wherein the previous T5 comes off more balanced even though it wasn't to my liking. The T2 Evo takes things further down this route, so much so that the only other IEM I have in the same price range is a complete stranger with its aggressive V-shaped tuning. I already know some who appreciate the tuning of the T2 Evo, and that is great. So while I do think TinHiFi needs to make it more clear in the marketing, I also acknowledge that this is simply not to my personal liking, and I don't feel qualified enough to judge it based on the intended tuning. What I can say is that the technical aspects are still lacking, and this is only partly related to the tonality. There is little sense of imaging, with a general haze over vocals meaning they don't get their moment to shine. Male vocals fare better relatively, with adequate resolution and tonal separation compared to the rest. There is no slam in the lows either, all of which ultimately makes the TinHiFi T2 Evo an extremely specific set of IEMs. Nothing wrong with that necessarily, it is definitely something to be aware of.