- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Design
- Sound
- Isolation
- Microphone
- Active Features
- Connectivity
- In the box
- Compared
- Conclusion
- Discussions
TIN Audio T3
HEADPHONES REVIEW
Test Benches:
- 1.2: Winter 2018
- 1.1: Summer 2017
- 1.0: Winter 2017
- 0.9: Winter 2016
- 25% Critical Listening
- 25% Office
- 25% Commute/Travel
- 10% Sports/Fitness
- 9% Gaming
- 6% TV
- 80% Sound
- 10% Build Quality
- 7% Comfort
- 3% Breathability
- 24% Noise Isolation
- 14% Sound
- 11% Portability
- 10% Comfort
- 9% Build Quality
- 9% Battery
- 6% Wireless Range
- 4% Controls
- 4% Breathability
- 4% Leakage
- 3% Microphone
- 1% Multi-Device Pairing
- 1% NFC Pairing
- 24% Stability
- 23% Portability
- 11% Sound
- 10% Breathability
- 8% Comfort
- 6% Wireless Range
- 5% Controls
- 5% Battery
- 4% Noise Isolation
- 4% Leakage
- 24% Comfort
- 21% Sound
- 16% Noise Isolation
- 8% Leakage
- 7% Battery
- 7% Wireless Range
- 5% Breathability
- 4% Build Quality
- 4% Microphone
- 2% Controls
- <1% Multi-Device Pairing
- <1% USB Audio
- <1% PC Compatible
- <1% Latency
- <1% Analog Audio
- <1% Line In
- <1% USB Input
- <1% PC Compatible
- <1% Power Supply
- <1% Dock Charging
- 22% Sound
- 17% Comfort
- 15% Default Latency
- 10% Wireless Range
- 5% Breathability
- 5% Build Quality
- 4% Optical Input
- 3% Battery
- 3% Analog Audio
- 3% Leakage
- 2% Noise Isolation
- 2% RCA Input
- 2% Multi-Device Pairing
- 2% Line In
- 2% Line Out
- 2% Power Supply
- 1% Dock Charging
- 20% Sound
- 20% Default Latency
- 15% Comfort
- 12% Microphone
- 5% Breathability
- 5% Battery
- 5% Base/Dock
- 3% Build Quality
- 3% Wireless Range
- 3% Microphone Control
- 2% Channel Mixing
- 2% Wired
- 2% Volume Control
- 2% App Support
- 1% Bluetooth
The TIN HiFi Audio T3 are decent critical listening in-ears that have a great build quality with a detachable and replaceable cable. This model resembles the previous TIN Audio T2 headphones, and they perform quite similarly, but with noticeably more bass. They are also made to be worn with an ear-hook design. They can be decently comfortable if you can find the right tip option for you and come with foam tips as well. They isolate better than the T2s, which makes them slightly more versatile for commuting and at the office. Unfortunately, they don’t have any control scheme as they lack an in-line remote, but their wired connection is great for watching video content without any latency issues.
| Design | 7.0 |
| Sound | 6.6 |
| Isolation | 8.7 |
| Microphone | 0 |
| Active Features | 0 |
| Connectivity | 4.8 |
- Durable build with detachable cables.
- Great isolation performance.
- Minimal leakage.
- In-ear fit might not be for everyone.
- No in-line remote and microphone.
Check Price
Design
- 28% Comfort
- 5% Controls
- 10% Breathability
- 12% Portability
- 4% Case
- 29% Build Quality
- 12% Stability
The TIN Audio T3 are well-designed in-ear headphones, but they aren’t the most comfortable to wear for long periods of time, but they do come with multiple tip options, including foam tips. They have a different fit than the previous T2, but their design is pretty much the same. The earbuds are made out of metal and are very solid, but are ever so slightly bigger. Like the previous T2, these headphones don’t have an in-line remote with controls. On the upside, their cable is very thick and feels durable, and you can also easily replace it if it gets damaged.
The T3 are very similar to the T2 model in style, but don’t come with flashy blue foam tips that add color to the design. However, the overall feel is the same with nice looking metal earbuds that have a high-end design. The braided cable is transparent with gold accents, which gives a nice premium finish to the headphones.
The TIN Audio T3 aren’t the most comfortable in-ears we’ve reviewed so far. You can wear these headphones with the cable hanging down or hanging over your ears. However, they have a different fit than the previous T2 model. They come with a good variety of tip options, including foam tips, which most people seem to find more comfortable. Unfortunately, the nozzle of the headphones is still larger than average, and some may feel it as they enter your ear canal.
- 21% Ease of use
- 21% Feedback
- 14% Call/Music Control
- 14% Volume Control
- 10% Microphone Control
- 5% Channel Mixing
- 10% Noise Canceling Control
- 5% Talk-Through
These headphones do not have an in-line remote or a control scheme.
- 100% Avg.Temp.Difference
- 20% Volume
- 80% Transmitter required
These headphones don’t come with a case to protect them when you’re on the move.
Like the T2s, the T3s are very well-built headphones. They look and feel premium thanks to their metal buds which shouldn’t get damaged if accidentally dropped. Also, their cable is braided and detachable, making it easy to replace it if it gets damaged. It is also a bit thicker than the T2's cable, giving it a sturdier feel. They have a high-end build and the replaceable parts make them even more durable.
These headphones are very stable, especially since the main difference in design between the T2 and T3 is that the orientation of the T3 buds indicates you should be wearing them with an ear-hook design. There is also a coating around the cable near the earbuds, which encourages the ear-hook fit. They shouldn’t pop out of your ears during physical activity, but you might find their cable to be in your way sometimes. Also, since the cable isn’t easily detachable, the headphones can still be yanked out of your ears if it gets stuck on something.
Sound
- 21% Bass
- 20% Mid
- 19% Treble
- 5% Frequency Response Consistency
- 9% Imaging
- 20% Soundstage
- 6% Total Harmonic Distortion
The TIN Audio T3 are decent sounding, closed-back, in-ear headphones. They have an extended, powerful, and consistent bass and a well-balanced mid-range, but their treble tends to be overly sharp on S and T sounds (sibilant). Also, their bass is slightly thumpy, which some may like, and a bit boomy. The mid-range is also a bit overemphasized, which brings a bit of thickness and clutter to vocals. When compared to the T2 model, the T3 have noticeably more bass with the silicone tips. To achieve these bass results on the T2 you had to block their ports, or you would get less bass.
- 90% Std. Err.
- 10% Low-Frequency Extension
The bass performance of the TIN Audio T3 is great. LFE (low-frequency extension) is down to 10Hz, which is great. The response throughout the range is flat and even, but it is slightly hyped and overdone. The 3dB overemphasis in low-bass will make it slightly more thumpy, which some people may prefer. Mid-bass, responsible for the body of bass guitar and kick instruments, is well-balanced, but high-bass is hyped by more than 3dB, which will add a bit of boominess to the bass.
- 100% Std. Err.
The T3's mid-range is great. The response is very even and flat throughout the range, which results in a well-balanced reproduction of vocals and lead instruments. However, low-mid is overemphasized by about 2dB, which is the continuation of the overemphasis in high-bass. This adds a bit of thickness to the vocals and a bit of clutter to the overall mix.
- 100% Std. Err.
The treble performance of the T3s is okay. The response before the 8kHz region is flat and even but gets overly sharp and piercing (sibilant) around 10kHz. This will be most noticeable on vocals, lead instruments, and especially cymbals.
- 100% Avg. Std. Deviation
The frequency response consistency is excellent. If the user can achieve a proper fit and an air-tight seal using the assortment of tips that come with the headphones, then they should be able to get consistent bass and treble delivery every time they use the headphones.
The stereo imaging is excellent. Their weighted group delay is at 0.12, which is very low. The group delay graph also shows that the entire response is well below the audibility threshold. This ensures a tight bass and a transparent treble reproduction. Also, the L/R drivers of our test unit were well-matched in frequency, amplitude, and phase response. This is important for the accurate placement and localization of objects (voices, instruments, video game effects) in the stereo image. However, these results are only valid for our unit and yours may perform differently.
- 15% PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
- 15% PRTF Size (Avg.)
- 30% PRTF Distance
- 20% Openness
- 10% Acoustic Space Excitation
- 10% Correlated Crosstalk
The soundstage is poor. This is because creating an out-of-head and speaker-like soundstage is largely dependent on activating the resonances of the pinna (outer ear). The design of in-ears and earbuds is in such a way that fully bypasses the pinna and doesn't interact with it. Also, because these headphones have a closed-back enclosure, their soundstage won't be perceived to be as open as that of open-back earbuds like the Apple AirPods, Google Pixel Buds, or the Bose SoundSport Free.
- 50% Weighted THD @ 90
- 50% Weighted THD @ 100
The THD performance of the TIN Audio T3 is great. The amount of distortion is within very good limits through the different ranges, but there are some peaks around 1.1kHz, 3kHz and 5kHz which could make these frequencies harsh and brittle. On the upside, there is no big jump in THD at higher volumes, which is good.
Isolation
The TIN Audio T3 passively isolate better than some noise cancelling headphones we've tested so far. Their in-ear fit goes deep into the ear canal and creates a good seal that doesn't leak and blocks a good amount of noise. Also, since they barely leak, you can mask even more noise by playing your music at higher volumes without distracting the people around you. This makes them a great choice for noise sensitive environments like being at the office, and for loud, noisy conditions like being on a plane or commuting.
- 29% Bass
- 29% Mid
- 28% Treble
- 14% Self-Noise
The isolation performance of the T3 is great. They surprisingly performed much better than the similar T2, especially against bass noises. In the bass range, where the rumble of airplanes and bus engines sit, they achieved more than 8dB of isolation, which is okay. In the mid-range, important for blocking out speech, they reduce outside noise by more than 22dB, which is very good. In the treble range, occupied by sharp S and T sounds and air conditioning noise, they isolate by more than 51dB, which is remarkable.
The leakage performance is excellent. They basically do not leak, so there's no need to worry about disturbing people around with your music, even if you listen at very loud volumes. With the music at 100dB SPL, the leakage at 1 foot away averages at 21dB SPL and peaks at 25dB SPL, which is roughly as loud as a whisper and way below the noise floor of an average office.
Microphone
- 50% Recording Quality
- 50% Noise Handling
These headphones do not have a microphone, but since their cable is detachable, you could find a third-party MMCX cable with an in-line remote and microphone.
- 20% LFE
- 25% FR Std. Dev.
- 30% HFE
- 20% Weighted THD
- 5% Gain
These headphones do not have a microphone.
- 100% SpNR
These headphones do not have a microphone.
Active Features
- 90% Battery
- 10% App Support
The TIN Audio T3 are passive headphones that do not require a battery and are not compatible with an app to enhance your listening experience.
- 60% Battery Life
- 25% Charge Time
- 10% Power Saving Feature
- 5% Audio while charging
They do not have a battery.
They don’t have a companion app to customize the sound to your liking.
Connectivity
The TIN Audio T3 are straightforward wired in-ears that can’t be used wirelessly. They can be used with any platform that has the appropriate 1/8” audio jack. They don’t have any wireless range and you’ll be limited by their cable’ length, but their wired connection means you won’t have any delay for video content, which is great.
- 80% Multi-Device Pairing
- 20% NFC Pairing
The TIN Audio T3 are wired headphones and aren’t Bluetooth compatible.
- 13% Analog Audio
- 9% USB Audio
- 26% PS4 Compatible
- 26% Xbox One Compatible
- 26% PC Compatible
The headphones have a 1/8” TRS connection and only provide audio when connected to different platforms since they do not have a microphone.
- 5% Optical Input
- 22% Line In
- 5% Line Out
- 22% USB Input
- 4% RCA Input
- 9% PS4 Compatible
- 9% Xbox One Compatible
- 9% PC Compatible
- 2% Power Supply
- 13% Dock Charging
These headphones don’t have a dock or a base. For gaming headsets with one, you can look at the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless for a dock with customization options, or look at the Astro A50 if you want a charging dock. However, they won’t be as portable as the T3.
- 77% Obstructed Range
- 23% Line of Sight Range
The TIN Audio T3 are wired in-ears and don’t have a wireless range. You will be limited by their cable’s length.
- 34% Default Latency
- 33% aptX Latency
- 33% aptX(LL) Latency
Since they have a wired connection, these headphones practically don’t have any latency and will be suitable for gaming and watching video content without any delay.
In the box
- TIN Audio T3 headphones
- 6 silicone tip options
- 2 foam tip options
- Manuals
Compared to other Headphones
The TIN HiFi Audio T3 are decent critical listening headphones that are fairly versatile and stand out due to their great and durable build. However, their audio reproduction isn’t the best and they can be somewhat awkward to fit inside some ears. We suggest looking at our recommendations for best sounding wireless earbuds, the best wireless earbuds under $50, and best earbuds and in-ears.
The TIN Audio T3 and TIN Audio T2 models are very similar with slight differences. The T3’s cable is noticeably thicker and it encourages an ear-hook fit, while the T2’s is thinner and can be worn normally, hanging down from your ears. Also, the T3 get noticeably more bass if you don’t block the ports on the T2. Additionally, they isolate a bit more ambient noise than the T2. On the other hand, the T2 are less sibilant in high treble, but that’s about it. Overall, the two models are very similar.
The KZ ZS-10 are better critical listening headphones than the TIN Audio T3. Their audio reproduction is more accurate, and you’ll be able to wear these headphones for a longer period of time due to their fairly comfortable design. On the other hand, if you want to listen to music during your commute, the T3s isolate more ambient noise, so they might be the better option for traveling.
The 1More Triple Driver In-Ear have a better sound than the TIN Audio T3, and are also more convenient as they have an in-line remote with controls and a microphone. Their audio quality is decent and neutral. On the other hand, the T3 are better-built headphones and feel more durable than the 1More. They also isolate more ambient noise and will be better suited for commuting.
The TIN Audio T3 might be a slightly better option than the BGVP DM6 for people who prefer an exciting sound. The DM6 has bass roll-off, while the T3’s bass is slightly overemphasized. Both headphones perform similarly in pretty much every category. The DM6 are very comfortable if you can find a good fit, which is difficult for some. They also have a unique style and come in multiple colors, but they are slightly more expensive.
If you like bass-heavy music, the TIN Audio T3 will be a better choice than the Sennheiser IE 40 PRO. Their sound profiles are fairly similar, but the low-bass of the T3 is more accurate and doesn’t lack thump like the IE 40 PROs. The TIN Audio T3 are also better-built and feel more durable. Their bud design creates a better air-tight seal and will isolate against ambient noise very well.
The Beats urBeats3 are better wired in-ears than the TIN Audio T3. They don’t sound as sharp as the T3, and they have an in-line remote with controls and a microphone, which the T3 is lacking. The stability fins of the urBeats3 could be helpful for a more secure fit inside the ear for sports activities. On the other hand, the TIN Audio headphones are better-built and their detachable cable is a nice feature since it's easy to replace if broken.
