Review - Tin Hifi T1S (sub 50€)

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Also available on YouTube in Spanish: Acho Reviews YouTube

The Tin Hifi T1s have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. They have not made any specific requests but I will leave a link to the T1S via their webstore below, as usual in these cases.

I will do my best to be as sincere and unbiased as possible in this review but it is always worth considering the fact that these IEMs have not cost me anything.

You can find the T1S via Linsoul here: https://www.linsoul.com/products/tinhifi-t1s?variant=42705299865817

(non-affiliate link)

Intro…

I have owned a few Tin Hifi IEMs over the years, with the T2 being one of my first sets back when I started in the realms of IEMs, something that seems like a long long time ago, seeing how many models have been and gone since then.

I have also reviewed a couple of Tin IEMs on Acho Reviews, one of which were the Tin T1 Plus, back in 2020. This set is the T1S and I believe they are an an updated version of the the Plus, although I have done my best to not really know anything about them (as usual, when possible).

I do know that they use a Beryllium plated dynamic driver (according to the spec) and that they come in at less than 20€, placing them firmly inside the sub 50€ category I like to point out.

Presentation…

I got a little smile when opening the T1S as it is basically the same presentation as the T1 Plus, in fact, when sliding the box out from the cardboard sleeve that shows the model and the spec of the T1S, the box actually says T1 Plus on it.

Basically it is a no frills presentation, containing the usual IEMs, cable, a few sets of silicone tips and the warranty card. Nothing special but nothing to complain about at the price.

Actually, after recording the video for this review, while taking photos, I noticed that it is not only the box that has T1 Plus on it, the shells of the IEMs also say T1 Plus on them. So I guess that they are using up what they have in stock left over from the T1 Plus. I have no idea if at some point the T1S will start to have its own name on the shells, I suppose it depends on how much stock they have left and how many T1S are sold.

Build & Aesthetics…

The T1S are available in 4 colours. In my case I received the black which is the only set that features a semi transparent faceplate, with small silver speckles on them. They are completely made of plastic and are (obviously!) the same size and shape as the previous T1+.

This means that they are very comfortable and also very lightweight. They are amongst the lightest sets of IEMs that I have (as are the T1S). There is no discomfort or fatigue from them over long periods, due to the ergonomics (which fit me well, but obviously everyone is different) and the lightness.

The cable is also quite thin and light, and although it does get prone to a little tangling, is not terrible. Nothings special but again, nothing to complain about at the price, it gets the job done. They have also stuck with the use of 2 Pin connectors, something that I personally appreciate.

Sound…

Before commenting on sound, let's take a quick look at the graph comparing the T1+ to the new T1S:

(all measurements are available on achoreviews.squig.link)

You can see that there isn’t a lot of change between the tuning of the two, however, I will say that the small tweaks have been for the better. Now, it is not a night and day difference between the two, but I do find the newer T1S to just be more cohesive overall.

Starting off with sub bass, there is a roll off as we get down into the lowest notes, with even less presence than on the previous set, however, it still gives enough rumble for things to be pleasant enough in the bottom frequency range.

I don’t think these are going to be the pick of those that want a huge rumbling low end, but the boost of the midbass is enough to give the impression of them having quite a presence down low. This gives a warmth and smoothness to electric bass guitars and other instruments sharing the same sonic space, and while it is a little too much for my personal preference, it is by no means offensive nor overpowering.

The midbass boost does roll over into the mids and while it may seem like there is some bleed on the lower end of the mids, it doesn’t really sound too bad, it gives a nice warmth to the lower ranges of vocals, adding a bit of smoothness to male and female vocals.

There is a dip as we get to the middle of the mid section, although it is less pronounced than on the T1+, with the climb towards 3kHz starting a little earlier than on the previous version. This actually makes them sound less V shaped in my opinion (although it is still really a V shaped tuning overall), giving them a little more clarity in the upper ranges of vocals and presence of the notes found in the higher mids.

As we climb into the hr ranges, there isn’t much extension up there, I don’t think anyone is going to consider these “airy” or “extended”. The upper treble does remind me of the typical upper treble found on so many budget IEMs with single dynamic drivers.

The soundstage is pretty much average for a set of IEMs, with nothing spectacular going on. Images are easily located but they are not pinpoint images, more of a general placement that works for things like binaural and panned stereo images, without any real placement of background details.

Speaking of details, they are also nothing extraordinary, although I do feel that they are a step up from the T1+ in this regard. There is nothing that is going to jump out and make you say “wow, I didn’t know that existed”, but at the same time, they don’t make you feel like your music is missing anything.

Conclusion…

I feel that the T1S are more similar to the T1+ than not. There have been some tweaks and these are for the better, in general they are a better set of IEMs, although I don’t think there is anything amazing about them.

When I reviewed the T1+, I said they were more focused on the casual listener than anyone looking to focus on details, and I feel that the T1S are in the same category. They are a set of IEMs with a fairly safe tuning, with a pleasant overall sound that shouldn’t really offend anyone. I can’t see them polarizing opinions.

They are very comfortable (for me) and very lightweight, so if you are looking for a budget set of easy listening IEMs for daily use, then I think you can do a lot worse than the T2S, there is no doubt that they are worth their price tag.