TIN HiFi has made its name on delivering high-quality headphones for budget prices. Over the last year, they’ve ventured into new spaces with the higher-priced TIN T4s and planar magnetic P1s. Today, they’re launching their first-ever wireless headphone to IndieGoGo with the T2000 True Wireless Headphones. Featuring dual dynamic drivers, a hybrid wired/wireless modes, and a UV sterilizing case (with fast charging!), are TIN’s first true wireless headphones worth your $79?
Specifications
- Current Price: $79 (IndieGoGo)
- Key Features:
- Wired or Wireless Mode
- Dual Acoustic Chambers
- Dual Drivers
- UV Sterilization
- Hi-Fi Sound
- Fast Charging (Case)
- Drivers
- 8mm Nitinol Diaphragm Dynamic (Beryllium Coated)
- 9mm Nitinol Diaphragm Dynamic (Beryllium Coated)
- Frequency Response: 5Hz-18kHz
- Impedance: 16 + 21ohms
- Sensitivity
- Low-Mid Freq. 103-+2dB
- Mid-high Freq. 96-+2dB
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0
- Chip: RTL8763BFP
- Bluetooth Range: 12 Meters
- Earbud Battery: 40mAh, 3.7v (3-4 hours)
- Stand-by Time: 120 Hours
- Case Battery: 600mAh, 3.7v (5 recharges)
The true wireless market has exploded over the last two years. When I first began covering it in 2018, already late to the game as we expanded into audio coverage here at MMO, true wireless was still plagued with problems: connectivity was inconsistent, battery life was poor, the earbuds were oversized, and for the privilege, you would often pay upwards of $150. How times have changed.
Today, we have the TIN HiFi T2000s that offer high-end audio with dual drivers in each earbud for only $79. Since the audience most likely to support these buds is also the one most likely to second-guess true wireless, they’ve designed them to with both wireless and wired HiFi modes. Each earbud comes equipped with its own battery and ability to connect over Bluetooth 5.0 and has subtle MMCX connections built into each end for quick connectivity. The cable can even fit into the charging case on a removable spool, so if you ever find yourself without battery and connecting to a PC without Bluetooth, you can quickly swap to wired mode.
It’s a great solution to make the most out of the earbuds and enjoy TIN’s new IEMs no matter your preference. I personally enjoyed the ability to go wireless while up and moving and then swap to connect wired with desktop audio setup. The presence of the spool has made the charging case quite large, however. It’s easily the largest I’ve ever used, big and boxy, and more than twice size of my Jabra Elite 75t charging case. It’s one to keep in a page, not a pocket. I do like the included cable, however. It’s 4-core oxygen-free copper and is lightweight and flexible. It has a tendency to tangle coming off the spool (which may have more to do with my winding ability) but doesn’t have the memory of many other cables and hangs smoothly without kinks.
The T2000s harken back to the T2s with their dual-driver design. Unlike many multi-driver IEMs, TIN isn’t mixing and matching driver types and is instead going with two dynamic drivers. These drivers are each moderately sized for an IEM, 8mm and 9mm respectively, so they’re each able to get quite loud and offer a very full, encompassing sound. TIN is using a new Nitinol diaphragm design here, named for its composition of Nickel and Titanium, and each has a beryllium coating. According to TIN, this allows the drivers to have an “ultra-fast membrane response” that “normal dynamic drivers are simply incapable of.” The manual also indicates that TIN is using dual acoustic chambers for better frequency separation, a boon to layering and the overall clarity of the soundscape. I’ll speak to this more in the Sound Impressions section, but I’ll say now that T2000s sound great and do have a much tighter bass response than I’m used to from dynamic drivers.
Like the case, the earbuds are on the larger side. Presumably, this is to accommodate the two large drivers and their separated chambers, but it does mean they’ll stick out slightly more from your ears and that it’s more important to find the right tips so they stay secure. That said, these headphones don’t have an IP rating that I can find, so you should avoid the kind of vigorous sweat-inducing exercise you might take on with an active earbud. For walking around, biking, and normal listening, they stayed in place without trouble. TIN includes small, medium, and large silicone tips, plus a pair of double-flanges to give you a bit of extra reach and isolation.
Controlling the buds is easy if you’ve ever used true wireless before, and quick to wrap your head around if not. Both earbuds feature and single face button, and either can be single- or double-clicked to play or pause music/skip or repeat tracks. Triple clicking will call your smart assistant. Holding each button for two seconds will turn the volume up or down. It’s intuitive and I was able to figure everything out without consulting the manual.
The T2000s support Bluetooth 5.0 and feature strong antennas. I was able to walk a good 25 feet and three walls from my Samsung Note 9 before the signal started to cut out. Without those walls in open air, I was able to walk about 33 feet away before clipping set in. You can also use each earbud independently, which is very useful if you take calls or listen to podcasts with only one ear; when one battery dies, you can swap over.
Battery life on the earbuds is decent at 3-4 hours each. They get quite loud, so I was able to keep my volume closer to 60% and clock in close to the four-hour mark (usually, I listen at about 80% volume). The case is good for about four recharges and supports fast charging. Interestingly, the case also supports UV sterilization using six high-powered bulbs. In today’s climate, this is a nice add-on feature.
Sound Impressions: Music and Gaming
I’ve spent more than a week using the T2000s as my daily driver and have definitely enjoyed them. As you might guess from the 5 - 18,000Hz frequency response, these are headphones that lean into bass but not at the expense of mids or highs. If you want to experience them at their best, you’ll need to connect the wire since they don’t support any advanced codecs like AptX or LDAC, but even without, they still sound great.
Dynamic drivers are larger and naturally suited to low-end, excellent for movies and games, but can sound fat and muddy when not tuned correctly. Here, TIN’s Nitinol drivers provide a tight, controlled bass that seems to underline the rest of what you’re listening to. I’ve been on a Dance Gavin Dance kick this week, a group whose progressive leanings moving from pounding bass to almost nothing at all. The way these headphones ascend and descend that scale is nothing short of impressive.
At the same time, the mids and highs are well represented, coming through crystal clear without being fatiguing. Vocals are dropped right into the middle of the mix and highs and slightly pulled back. These headphones feel easy if that makes sense. You can hear everything you need to, but nothing is overdone or too far forward. They’re great for longer listening sessions where you might be enjoying different types of content.
The dual dynamics, each in their own acoustic chamber, also do a wonderful job with layering different sounds. It’s an odd thing to describe if you’ve never heard it before; often, the cheaper department store earbuds you’ll find under $30 (the headphones I used regularly until 5 years or so ago), will mush all of the sounds together into one mass. Here, it’s as if your sound sources have height on top of stereo positioning. You can discern each piece of the audio submarine.
For that reason, I actually found them great for gaming and catching up on Netflix too. The excellent bass response is perfect for action games, and the layering is wonderful for all genres. I especially enjoyed playing Divinity: Original Sin 2 on these. Their versatility to use wired also means you can easily connect them with a console or computer that doesn’t support Bluetooth. If you’re using them for gaming, just be sure to enable Windows Sonic or Dolby Atmos to widen the soundstage.
Final Thoughts
The TIN T2000s are a great IEM, no doubt about it. At $79, they offer some of the best sound that you’ll find in a wireless headphone at that price. That said, they’re not without their sacrifices. The case is large, the battery life is only decent, and without an IPX rating, you’ll want to take care not to use them in the rain. Still, for the cost savings, hybrid listening modes, and excellent acoustics, they’re absolutely worth the cost of entry. If you’d like to know more, or would like to secure a pair for yourself, head over to the IndieGoGo campaign which is active now.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for the purpose of review.