Closer Examination

The cable for the TinHiFi T5 punches above its class, especially once you realize the price these IEMs are going for. It uses 40/0.05 oxygen-free copper in four strands that get a Kevlar plating (DuPont 200D Kevlar fabric), which works really well by allowing a sturdy, strong, and ductile finish. The 4-core conductor is sufficient for the electrical connector while keeping things light, and the Kevlar adds more than sufficient electrical isolation. If that were not enough, there is a black PU sheathing you actually see in person, which starts at the gunmetal gray aluminium housing for the gold-plated 3.5 mm TRS plug, goes on to the Y-splitter in the middle hosting the truncated company logo and covers the shaped, curved end sections terminating in two 0.78 mm 2-pin plugs. These are also gold-plated for added oxidation resistance, and L/R markings on the housing and a clear/red support around the plugs marks the left and right channels respectively.


The two earbuds of the TinHi T5 come separately packed without the cable or any ear tips installed—perfect for me to get a closer look at the most important guest at this specific party. We see a similar aluminium construction for the shell as with the housing on the cable above, and in a similar gunmetal gray color. TinHiFi claims to use "aviation grade aluminium," which is no different from the aircraft-grade aluminium (alloy) keyboard manufacturers love to flaunt. This means the shells likely use an alloy as well, but it ultimately comes down to a lightweight (~7.5 g each) and strong construction nonetheless. The shells employ a three-piece composition with a face plate, an upper housing, and lower housing, the latter of which goes to the gold-colored nozzle itself.


TinHiFi also claims machine learning was used in developing the shell design, with ergonomics in mind based on simulations involving several ear shapes, and—spoiler alert—it worked! We'll see more on the next page, but there is a clear ergonomic design with contoured surfaces that are chiseled to match the typical ear opening. The face plate is quite smooth and has a semi-glossy finish, which makes photographing the TinHiFi etched into it harder than you would think. The branding is really subtle in person, and the clean aesthetics are carried over from the packaging as well. There is a lighter color trim that distinguishes where the face plate ends and the upper housing begins, in the same color as the writing itself. The upper housing hosts a vent on top, and we see another vent on the lower housing that directly touches your ear as well, which should make for a comfortable fit that is not too hot but still isolating. L or R here ensure you know which ear the buds go in. The 0.78 mm 2-pin connectors plug into a recessed port by the side, which hides most of the red/clear base around the plugs. At the bottom is a stubbier-than-average nozzle with a relatively large bore at ~5.6 mm, where we also see the pre-installed but replaceable mesh filters.


Fitting the ear tips is trivial since the nozzle is pretty cylindrical at the contact point; simply push in the core of the ear tip you want to use until it catches in place, and make sure it is in fully all around. Seen above are the white foam tip and the grippy bore silicone tip, both in size M. The silicone is a safe bet for those who don't like the squishier feeling of foam, which can be more isolating and allows for a more secure fit, but may cause some skin allergies to flare up. Notice again how the opening on the foam tips is larger than the grippy bore silicone tips, making the foam tip more like the traditional tips TinHiFi also includes in that regard.


Attaching the cable is trivial since there are only two possible orientations for each connection, and it quickly becomes obvious which is the correct one based on the memory wire design that has the cable go over and around your ears when installed properly. Remember to use the colored base and markings on the cable as well as the etchings on the shells if you are unsure of which goes where, and once done, you can see how the stock black cable matches this gunmetal gray set of ear buds quite well. A 90° angled adapter for the 3.5 mm plug would have been nice, but this is not a dealbreaker by any means. I know there are many who prefer to use IEMs throughout, but I like to use over-ear headphones when sitting down and IEMs/TWS earbuds on the go. In the absence of other options at this time, I hence chose to use them primarily with my trusty FiiO E17.