General Info (Packaging/Build/Comfort)
TinHifi has been teasing the T2 DLC for quite some time I believe, finally gotten my hands on them, courtesy of Linsoul. This time they are using a 2 pin connector instead of mmcx like the predecessor, also upgraded the driver to DLC, hence its called T2 DLC.
The packaging is the usual TinHifi styled packaging, you get a box containing the iem itself, several pairs of eartips and a pair of foam tip, also the cable which i’m sure most will be familiar with if they owned the T2 series before, just that the connector is 2 pin instead of mmcx, this time we’re missing the storage/carrying pouch, not sure why they decide to omit the pouch.
The shell is made out of aluminium and the size and design remains the same as the predecessor, so the fit remains the same, which is a hit or miss for some. I find that the stock cable’s earhook is the one contributing to the fitment issue, i had the same cable from T2 Evo, I trimmed the ear hook away and since then the fit is good for me. You can try to trim the earhook away if you are having issues with the fit.
Once u have the right fit, comfort isn’t really an issue anymore, the iem itself is light weight and the bundled eartips are soft and comfortable, no issues for me wearing them a few hours straight (2-3 hours).
Source
Macbook Air M2 Apple Music/Tidal -> T2 DLC
Macbook Air M2 -> Dunu DTC 500 -> T2 DLC
Macbook Air M2 -> iFi Zen Dac -> T2 DLC
Tempotec V6 -> T2 DLC
Sound
Prior to writing this review, the T2 DLC has gone through >30 hours of ageing process (burn in). Upon listening to the T2 DLC, it reminds me a little of Dunu’s Titan S, to me, T2 DLC is something like a Titan S but with a slightly bigger soundstage and better bass quantity, also a slightly energetic top end. To my ears, T2 DLC is just a tad warm and has a U shaped sound signature to my ears, timbre is quite natural to my ears.
Bass
Bass has got good control and sounds relatively tight
Bass quantity is just right from a non basshead’s perspective, this set is definitely not for basshead
Bass has got good body and doesn’t sound thin at all
Pretty fast bass because it handled Slipknot’s People = Shit like a champ, doesn’t sound muddy and bleed into the mids
Sub bass is a little rolled off to my ears, evident in EDM track such as Tiesto’s Traffic, still sufficient to enjoy EDM
Mids
The mids are actually quite lush to my ears
The timbre of instruments in the midrange is quite realistic/natural, also it carries sufficient note weight to it, Violin and Piano has got a good note weight and warmth to it, i like how they sound in Imperial March by Wiener Philharmoniker and John Williams
I’d picture the vocal positioning as a few steps from my face?
Female vocal has got decent weight and texture to it, Faye Wong and Anita Mui sounds amazing with this set
Male vocal has got good texture and weight to it as well, Zhao Peng’s low baritone voice sounds thick and very pleasant to listen to
Instruments and vocal are well layered
A little energy on the upper mids, but not to the point where it’s fatiguing to listen to
Treble
Treble on the T2 DLC is a little boosted but not to the point where it’s harsh nor fatiguing, just a little boost for a slightly energetic presentation. Their previous model T2 Pro has got a very bad treble presentation, outright harsh and sibilant (That’s how/what i perceive as bad treble presentation)
The amount of air is just enough to prevent instruments from overlapping each other
Overall treble presentation is good and justifiable for the asking price
Driveability
Fairly easy to drive, you can get decent amount of volume from your phone’s 3.5mm jack
Source pairing is quite important in my opinion, T2 DLC works well with a warmer source such as iFi’s Zen Dac, but i like how the presentation is on the Dunu’s DTC 500 and also Tempotec V6, if you prefer a tamer top end, pair it with warmer source, if you like as it is, you can pair it with a neutral source, just not a cooler source
It does benefit from amping it but not required (Bigger soundstage and tighter bass (From Xduoo’s MT-602 Hybrid Amp) )
Final Thoughts
In the market where it is already saturated with plenty of single DD at similar price range, where does the T2 DLC position itself at? I personally think that they do well in terms of technicalities and also the pricing, no, it doesn’t go head to head with other IEM thats 2-3x more than T2 DLC’s price, but it does offer a balanced and good price performance ratio for those who are in the look out for a new pair of IEM with only 60$ to spend.
They sound good out of the box, bundled cable is alright, several pairs of eartips for you to try and see which one fits you. You don’t have to swap out the eartips, cables to make it sound better, of course you can if you already have extra cables and ear tips lying around. For those who are on a budget and want something that sounds good right out the box, T2 DLC will work for them.
*T2 DLC is sent over by Linsoul F.O.C in exchange for this review. I received no monetary compensation nor was I influenced to produce this review. All thoughts are of my own.
If you are interested to purchase T2 DLC, head over to Linsoul’s store to get one
TinHifi T2 DLC - Non Affiliated
