Intro
TRI is no stranger to the audio community. They are also KBEAR’s sister brand. They’ve had several popular models namely the TRI L3 and also TRI Starsea. Meteor is a hybrid IEM which consists of a beryllium plated dynamic driver and a balanced armature.
Packaging
The unboxing experience is very good. The design looks premium in my opinion. Wide range of tips bundled. A solid carrying case. Pretty good unboxing experience so far. At least matching with the asking price.
Build and Comfort
Build quality of Meteor feels average, resin based, but the faceplate is very beautiful no doubt about it. The fit is good and i don’t have any sort of discomfort throughout my listening session.
Source
Foobar2k -> RHA DACAMP L1 Lineout Cayin C5 -> TRI Meteor
Apple’s Type C Dongle -> TRI Meteor
Tidal MQA -> Audirect Beam 3 Pro - Tri Meteor
Sound
Balanced sounding and fairly natural timbre to my ears. No signs of BA timbre to be heard here. Soundstage is a little narrow in my opinion. Slightly warm tonality and I wished for a little bit more on the top end region to give Meteor a little bit more energy and dynamism.
Bass
Bass is very accurate and fast, very very good response to fast track.
No bass bleed
Good amount of thump and rumble, or rather accurate if i were to put it
Not an IEM that a basshead should be looking at
In my opinion, this is the right amount and quality bass that we’re getting
This is not to say that the bass quantity is lacking at all
Bass is tight and have a good texture to it
Mids
I would say the mids are just okay, smooth but doesn’t stand out
Vocal for both male and female has got a good texture to it. Doesn’t sound thin nor veiled
Despite the mids doesn’t stand out, I do think that the bass and the mids kinda complement each other very well, in terms of the transitioning.
Treble
Treble is smooth and non fatiguing
Non sibilant
Due to its smooth nature, there’s a slight roll off on the upper treble region
Technicality is quite good for its price point
Despite the roll off that i mentioned earlier, it is nowhere near dark, so no worries about that
Soundstage/Imaging
Soundstage is rather intimate to me,slightly out of head but still small
Imaging is very good as the instruments can be pinpointed easily
Doesn’t get congested during busy track, layering is very good
Driveability
Easy to drive and you will get acceptable volume level even off smartphone, but of course not to its best performance
Benefit from better source/dac/amp
-Amping does open up the sound more, more controlled bass and slightly better soundstage
Comparison (IKKO OH1s)
I know it’s not fair to compare both of them due to the price point, however they both shares the same config, so i will share my experience on what are the pros and cons between them
Detail and technicality wise, OH1s is on another different level, highly resolving and superb imaging and also very detailed
Better suited for critical listening
TRI Meteor is more suited towards a laid back and long listening session as OH1s can be a little fatiguing after some time due to it highly resolving nature (Personal preference of course)
Bass response on the Meteor has got more texture and quantity, It is slightly lean on the OH1s or what we would refer to as audiophile’s bass.
A very easy recommendation if you like highly resolving IEM (OH1s), if you prefer a more laid back approach (Meteor)
Final Thoughts
Well, based on my preference, it is very easy to like the Meteor due to its tuning. Fairly detailed at this price point and also suitable for various genres of music, I'd say it's very versatile. The highs left me longing for more, if the highs are slightly boosted, I believe it will be a very very competitive model, not that it isn’t right now.
I personally think that the hybrid market is very competitive, if the price of Meteor can be slightly lowered, I believe it will pretty much trump the competition in terms of pricing.
*A big thanks to TRI for offering a discount for my unit in exchange for this review. However, I am free to express my thoughts and opinions and not restricted to any obligations.
If you guys are interested, head over to TRI’s store to grab this unit! There’s a Christmas sale happening currently in the store. Don’t miss out on this opportunity.
Comments