TRN V90s First Impressions And Measurements – Bringing Peace To My Heart And Soul

October 17, 2020 KopiOkaya (Singapore)

[Estimated read time: 3 minutes]

TRN V-series has always been very close to my heart. After all, I tuned almost all of their earlier models starting from the TRN V20 till last year’s TRN V90. I have to confess, TRN V90 wasn’t my intended tuning, the upper-midrange still sounded too lean, too trebly. Of course, it still sounded way better than the eardrums stabbing “icepick” V80 from 2018.

HERE OUR FULL REVIEW OF THE TRN V90s:

TRN V90S Review – Rosso Corsa

I am happy to proclaim TRN V90s, the successor to TRN V90, is the sound I have always wanted the V90 to be. So, is TRN V90s a worthy successor to the popular V90? My answer is a definite “YES”!

The latest TRN V90s manages to avoid all the harshness and shrillness that plagued most of earlier versions of TRN, as well as the recent BA8. The new tuning sounds a lot smoother and fuller than its predecessors. TRN finally took my advice seriously. I didn’t tune the TRN V90s, by the way.

Soundstage is taller, wider, and deeper. Imaging is more distinct. The entire presentation is more laid-back. Overall, a soothing and relaxing musical experience compared to its predecessor, which I find can be quite forward-sounding if fed with heavily-compressed music.

Comfort-wise, however, I find the original TRN V90 fits my ears better. Of course, fit is a very subjective matter. Everybody’s ear anatomy is different. For my ears, the housings of the original TRN V90 are slightly more contoured, thus they sit inside my ears more securely. With suitable eartips both TRN V90 and TRN V90s isolate noise equally well.

TRN V90 Review: Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?

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If I were to nitpick a flaw, it would be that the upper-midrange can be a tad bit recessed, BUT doing so the TRN V90s managed to avoid sounding edgy and piercing at higher SPL caused by loudness changes at different frequencies based on Fletcher Munson curves. Meaning, you can enjoy the TRN V90s at higher volume without puncturing your eardrums.

To bring out the recessed upper mids, I find the original Azla SednaEarFit eartips work beautifully. Due to its longer than normal nozzle stem, SednaEarFits solve my fitting problem at the same time.

Experimenting with various cables has led me to conclude that silver-plated copper (SPC) sounds best with the V90s. Pure copper thickens the upper-bass, low-mids which slow down the pacing too much for my liking. For my listening enjoyment, a fast and definite bass punch with a good amount of heft is a must.

As we speak, I wish to remind everyone that hybrid earphones can never be compared to dynamic-driver earphones in terms of timbre quality. Earphones with balanced armature drivers will forever register that bright metallic, artificial sheen in the upper-midrange and treble region. Both V90s and V90 inherit this steely timbre.

I had a chat with the tuner. He is none other than Ming – TRN’s number 2. Ming told me he just adopted my final tuning of the V90 submitted to him back in July 2019 (yes, the one got rejected by their number 1). In other words, just like BLON BL-05s is supposed to be BLON BL-05… What a déjà vu!

Besides the V90s, TRN also sent me their current flagship, the BA8 for my honest opinion. And honest I will be. Because of its higher price tag and lackluster performance, I am reluctant to recommend it to anyone except TRN fanboys. Whereas, TRN V90s offers much better value and sound performance overall… Even non-fanboys will agree.

TRN V90s, with its wallet-friendly price, engaging yet gentle tones help soothes our hearts and soul, bringing peace and harmony that attain musical nirvana.

Full reviews by others to follow on this blog.

MEASUREMENTS

All measurements were performed with an IEC711 compatible coupler.

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Author

KopiOkaya (Singapore)
A Head-Fier since 2008, KopiOkaya is a name that often prompts the question: "Who are you?" His typical response: "Just a nobody." Yet this "nobody" has a history with audio stretching back to the mid-1970s, when his father brought home a Sansui-Luxman-Coral system. He was instantly captivated, and his passion began. Formerly a news journalist, he is now a freelance writer and occasional multimedia producer, seeking to shift his focus to his true love: hi-fi audio. Over the years, Kopi amassed considerable high-end equipment and accessories, until 2009, when he discovered Chi-Fi (Chinese HiFi). This was a revelation; the sound he'd been searching for, despite having spent thousands on established, highly-rated brands. He sold almost everything (keeping a few choice cables) and significantly scaled back his setup. So, who is KopiOkaya? In Singapore, where he is based, "kopi O" is strong black coffee, and "kaya" is a sweet coconut-based spread often served with toast for breakfast across Southeast Asia, which is no surprise, his favourite meal to start the day.
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