If You Poke Me, I Still May Like It
EQUIPMENT
Topping a50s Headphone Amplifier
Xduoo MT-602 Hybrid Tube Headphone Amplifier (Sylvania 5654 Tubes)
SMSL Sanskrit 10th MK2 DAC
Shanling UA2 Dongle
iFi Hip-Dac
Eartips: Final Audio E & BGVP A07
Cable: Stock Cable & NiceHck Silver LitzPS 4.4mm Balanced
Sources: Flac Files From my Personal Collection / Tidal
SPECS
10mm Dual-Magnet High Flux Dynamic Driver
30095 Custom Balanced Armature
Earphone sensitivity: 107dB/mW
Impedance : 22Ω
Detachable 2 pin Cable
NOTES
The $15 USD TRN ST2 is a dual driver Hybrid earphone utilizing a 10mm Dynamic Driver and a custom 30095 Balanced Armature. It adopts a strong V-Shaped tuning with clearly elevated bass and treble. This tends makes the ST2 sound more forward and aggressive than an earphone which is tuned to be more "balanced". The ST2 definitely benefits from a warmer source and tip/cable rolling. It is very easy to drive and should be at home with most capable phones or daps. As usual with better amplification, there will be some improvements in the sonics, but overall the ST2 isn't as fussy as some others. Black and clear finishes are available as well.
BUILD, QUALITY & FIT
Build quality is good if basic and they do feel nice in the hands. Retail presentation is also pretty basic with a white box adorned by a picture of the earphone. Other than that it is bare bones with little included accessories. A set of eartips and a decent but not memorable cable is all that is included. At the asking price I did not expect more and was just happy that the ST2 was well packaged. Fit was good with one caveat. The shell uses a "wing" seen on other earphones such as the CCA CSN which can be hit or miss depending on how a particular individuals ear auricle is shaped. For me this "wing" was not as aggressively shaped as that of the CSN so I did not find any issue with it. Overall fit turned out to be solid.
:SOUND:
BASS
Bass is elevated with a fairly strong but not overbearing presence. It doesn't reach down to the bottom of that frequency range, but what is there is fairly tight while not being too bloated. What's impressive about the bass, in particular in this price range, is it's its ability to render texture. While echoes of the TRN MT1 exist here, bass on the ST2 is more prominent. I found myself really liking and being surprised a few times with the meatiness and soulfulness of the bass as presented by the ST2. While it can sound bloated occasionally, more often than not it was well textured, tuneful & pleasing to listen to.
MIDS
The midrange is recessed due to the aggressive V-Shaped tuning. Bass bleed is minimal which combined with the recessed nature of the mids can cause male vocals to sound thin at times. Add that with the addition of a clearly elevated upper midrange and some male vocals can take on and overly bright tone. Female vocals benefit from the upper-mid elevation with respect to clarity and presence in the mix but on some tracks this can lead to shoutiness and sibilance. Clarity and detail retrieval here is good, aided in no small part by the elevation. The ST2 never feels closed in, unless driven hard, and has a more open non-congested feel to it. Timbre does suffer, as is the bane of most cheaper hybrid earphones, though not to the extent to be a serious distraction. For lovers of pop, EDM or electronic music there is still much to like here. The ST2 really benefits from a warmer source in order to offset some of it's weaknesses.
Treble
Treble is elevated & fairly extended and with decent sparkle. At low to medium volume the treble, and the midrange as well, offer a good amount of detail retrieval and separation. but this suffers when the music is played loud. Tonality is not perfect and the presentation of elements such as cymbal strikes can sound thin and odd at times. For many musical genres though the clarity and forwardness will be appreciated.
IMAGING & SOUNDSTAGE
With the TRN ST2 I did not have much to complain about. Considering it's price, the soundstage is actually quite good, with above average width, depth and commendable height. The clarity of the ST2 really added to the sense of space, with elements within that space being well fixed. Layering within that soundstage is also good with each element identifiable. This all goes south when the TRN ST2 is pushed. At higher volumes, the stage collapses into a wall of sound accompanied by unfortunate harshness and edginess due to the abundant upper-midrange.
VERSUS
- TRN MT1
Thee two stablemates have a similar bass presentation with the ST2's low end taking a more prominent posture here. This is not at the expense of quality, as the bass from the ST2 is arguable one of its strongest points and is pleasingly detailed. In the midrange the ST2 has better detail and does sound less congested but on the MT1 vocals come across as more natural and realistic without the thinness sometime heard on the ST2. This due in great part to the ST2's more elevated upper mids and treble than offered by the MT1. It really comes down to preference. The MT1 is arguable more natural and balanced white the ST2 is more elevated in the frequency extremes and aggressive.
CONCLUSION
The TRN ST2 brings a lot to the table at it's asking price of $15usd. I have to admit that at the start I was not drawn to the ST2. It initially sounded too aggressive for my taste and this could be partially due to the more "Balanced" earphones I had been listening to lately. With time spent tip rolling and using the "Warm" Hip-Dac as a Dac/Amp I began to really appreciate what under $20 can get you these days. While treble sensitive people may find the sound overly aggressive, there is some value here to those whom treble energy is welcomed. Is the TRN ST2 for everyone? No and nothing is by the way. As long as you are aware of it's limitations and take steps to avoid it's weaknesses, the TRN ST2 can actually be very enjoyable. It's clarity and detail , combined with musical bass can be attention getting. For electronic music the ST2 really shines for example. I have to admit, I actually enjoy the ST2 but whether it's for you will depend on how much the listener appreciates the aggressive V-Shaped tuning and the potential pitfalls that this can bring.
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