TRN BA5 Review- (1) Pity the Fool
A Sides:
- The mid to upper BA’s do a fantastic job and no weird tonality tuning
- Precise upper end devoid of sibilance AND pierce but exciting
- Solid shells
- Holographic layering
B Sides:
- The thin and distracting bass.
Intro:
The TRN BA5 is the first all BA model from TRN, and they are not as shouty as the KZ AS10 all BA, I don’t have the CA16 or BA10 from CCA and KZ to compare to. They seem to use the same or similar shell to the TFZ King Edition.
Cosmetics I don’t really comment on other than the shell molds look a bit rushed- there are grooves in the shell where perfectionists might take offense, however they do not impact fitment so that is the important thing to keep in mind. The paint is smooth just like the TRN V90. The shell is larger than the V90 and nozzle seems longer. Here we can see the BA5 vs the V90 and the TFZ King Pro.
My biggest issue is with the TRN BA5 bass drivers that seem out of phase (reversed polarity perhaps) with the rest of the drivers. It gives the bass a floating sensation or discontinuity from everything else. Vocals sound thin, specifically males. It’s either a result of too low of a tuning for the BA driver or it just has a gap in the crossover. It’s possible this was on purpose to try and avoid mid-bass bleed which it definitely does not have. I would love to test this by opening them up and reversing the wiring on the BA bass drivers only or trying another pair. It is such a weird sensation. I notice it is the only set I have measured that shows a phase shift in the upper bass/lower mids. There is some sub-bass pressure to them when listening to tracks with infrasonic bass going on, but it sounds like it is huffing a puffing to make it happen.
Treble takes on a heightened sense of detail/brightness for cymbal work and strings. Timbre is good, does not come across metallic at all. It is missing sibilance which is good. The signature is sort of opposite of a Harman treble where it continues to rise up towards the upper end instead of peaking early and slowly dissipating.
On the soundstage front, the TRN BA5 is more intimate sounding, everything sounds very precise, quick decay, no congestion, it seems balanced towards width and depth. The missing body in the mids subtracts from the extra treble energy that might make the soundstage feel bigger. The boosted mid treble gives it height. There is something with these that have a more 3D holographic imaging than many other sets I own, it adds a sense of spaciousness that will make other sets sound flat with their instrument layering.
Outro:
I am impressed that TRN has improved their treble with the last few offerings. I wonder how they have pulled this off. Lately many budget offerings have greatly improved their treble BA drivers. My only gripe is the disconnected bass which is a deal breaker for me, for some this might not bother you. I wanted to like them, and they lean towards details without pierce, but fail to connect all the dots to satisfy my bass needs. If you were choosing between the KZ AS10 and the TRN BA5 however, the TRN is the clear winner to me with its smoother presentation and 3D holographic fun.
MY VERDICT
You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.
DISCLAIMER
Specimen was borrowed from Loomis Johnson (who had bought it himself).
Our generic standard disclaimer.
You find an INDEX of our most relevant technical articles HERE.
RELATED…
GRAPHS
- TRN BA5 L & R
- TRN BA5 vs KZ AS10
- 30Hz Square wave
- 300Hz Square wave
- Impedance/phase
