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TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - TRN XuanWu
The TRN XuanWu were sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. They did not make any specific requests, therefore, I will be as sincere and unbiased as I can, following my usual approach.
The Xuanwu can be found on Linsoul here: https://www.linsoul.com/products/trn-xuanwu
As always, the above is a non-affiliate link.
Intro…
I have had the XuanWu since sometime around the early part of December. I have actually tested them on a few different occasions, which I will get to in a moment, but haven’t made it to the review part until now.
These are a set of hybrid IEMs, featuring a 10mm planar driver along with a custom BA driver, all for just over 30€ (at the time of this review). I am not sure if this makes them the cheapest set of IEMs with a planar driver but they are certainly well inside the extreme budget category.
Presentation…
Presented in a black box with gold highlights and images of the IEMs on the cover, it opens to reveal the IEMs sitting in the cutouts at the top of the box with a cardboard cover that is removed to reveal the accessories at the bottom.
Other than the IEMs we receive the cable (with recessed two pin style connectors) and 7 sets of silicone eartips, one of which is sort of a mix between regular silicone tips and the spring tips by Moondrop. Apart from that, we get the usual warranty card and paperwork. We really can’t expect much more at this price.
Build and aesthetics…
While the IEMs have some originality to their aesthetics, they are mentioned (in the publicity) as being aluminium face plates, yet these are the most plastic looking (and feeling) aluminium that I have seen. If it wasn’t for the advertising saying otherwise, I would have had no doubt that they are plastic.
That doesn’t mean they are not well built, I don’t see any specific build issues and I don’t have any complaints about them at this price range. I don’t find them to be the most comfortable of IEMs but they are not bad, they just don’t “disappear” like other models do.
Aesthetics are good in my opinion, looking like something that would retail for a higher price point than they do, even if they do look like they are 100% plastic.
Sound…
I am going to be brief in this review as I really don’t get on well with the sound of the XuanWu. As I said in the intro, I have tried these IEMs on multiple occasions and kept leaving them to come back and try them later, this is mainly because I just do not enjoy them. However, I will share my opinions, even if they are in an abbreviated form.
Here is the graph of the TRN XuanWu in comparison to my usual preference target:
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While the graph already points us towards me not enjoying these IEMs, there are actually other sets that have a similar (although not quite as exaggerated) tuning that I enjoy, that is mostly because of the way those (other) sets of IEMs perform.
I find that the XuanWu is not only exaggerated in the bass regions, it can also sound distorted and the IEMs (driver?) struggle to keep up with anything that is over a moderate pace, especially if the music in question is bass heavy. I just feel that low end lacks the speed that we should be able to expect from a planar and at the same time makes bass heavy tracks seem “dirty” in the low end.
At the other end of the spectrum, there is a very uneven high range that tries to counter the boosted low end but only manages to come across as harsh and irritating, to my ears at least. sibilance is very present, as is an upper sheen that is just uncomfortable.
I could continue but to be honest, those two factors just make the IEMs something that I can’t enjoy, I struggle to move my focus away from the bass and treble.
Conclusion…
As I said, this is a very brief review as I haven’t really spent too much time with the XuanWu. I have tried on various occasions to use them over a longer period but I just don’t enjoy them and seeing that I have so many things backed up, I would rather move on that spend time going deeper into a set that I clearly do not like.
This does not mean that they won’t be for anyone, as I always say, audio is very subjective and these may be something that fit your tastes perfectly, I just can’t suggest them amongst so many other sets that I enjoy in this price range.
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
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