TRN V90 Quickie — Losing Its Virginity To The Tiger?

This is not a review but people are running my door in for my opinion. Haven’t even measured them yet. Here some notes out of my a…damsapple before I write a proper review. Out of the box, the TRN V90 are merely ok as the cable is meh (it works but does not live up to the metal earpieces that feel as smooth as soapstone…great haptic)…and the stock eartips are too small for my Bavarian ear canals. JVC Spiral Dots do wonders in this case: compared to similarly shaped wide-bore tips, they add a good breeze of air.

Full Review FINALLY HERE.

Some photos of the TRN V90 [HERE]…but you probably have already seen them.

My verdict is that these TRN V90 are stellar (after the tinkering described above) — they are capable earphones independent of price. Anybody who has them on order can look forward to a treat. The sound can be characterized as balanced and tepid (warmish)…not quite neutral, maybe Harman Target, but certainly not sterile or dark. The upper midrange, although there is a prominent peak, does not come across as uberenergetic or even screamy.

Their bass builds on the TRN V80 [review HERE]…nicely textured, silky, with a decent, very pleasant kick, but never overbearing…no mid-bass hump. Vocals are very well sculptured, something the TRN V80 and most if not all KZs lack. Truly fun listening to vocals as they don’t get sharpened by overambitious upper harmonics. Treble is smooth…I find the cymbals unusually crisp and clear…while nothing it strident or grainy. Technicalities are also good: stage is wide with a healthy depth…in fact, it goes somewhat towards “cavernous”…very good spatial cues. Good attack at the low end and transients don’t smudge on the high end. Tonal accuracy is also nothing to complain about: works well with classical music (although the Blon BL-03 are a bit more authentic…but those don’t have the V90’s kick). 

In summary, the company threw a bunch of cheap drivers in a pot, stirred well, and out came a very tasty soup that makes one ask for a second serving. The tuning work is excellent. Last but not least, don’t forget: you need Spiral Dots for the sound (at least if your ears are similar to mine) and that 8-core “Tiger” cable as shown in the photo above…for mere vanity. It is called TRN-T1 and is below $10 (0.75 mm and 0.78 mm versions available; the 0.78 mm version works best…according to an Asian reviewer, both fit but one will cause the V90 to lose its virginity, the other just fits but will wiggle after a while). Product page does not exist and I won’t offer product links, as I received the V90 earphone and cable unsolicited from TRN. You have to find that stuff yourself. Happy now?