TRI Starsea is a fresh iem under the radar. Depeloped after i3 and i4, driving is easy. No amp needed. We thank TRI for supplying us the iem in exchange of a honest review.
Box, TRI Starsea and Cable
A sizable and eye appealing indigo box with plenty of details at both fronts. Interior is okay for its price. Besides gray carrying case, card explaining tuning settings is a nice addition
Cable is thick like Limpid cable of KBear and plenty of metal work is applied on it. Double stress relief transparent circles are well thought and because of it
Starsea is a Hybrid of 2 BA and 1 DD. Body of the iem is huge yet fitting your M sized cocha with ease. 1 venting hole.
- Driver type: High-frequency balanced armature: Customized TRI-HI-A, Three-frequencies balanced armature: Knowles ED-29689, Low frequency dynamic driver: 8 mm composite silicon crystal biological diaphragm.
- Frequency range: 20 Hz – 20kHz.
- Impedance: 9.5 Ω
- Sensitivity: 106 ± 2dB.
Sound
If this iem was a creature with attitude, Gentle Giant would be its name. Playing effortlessly, giving out an open headphone feeling though the iem has a closed back. Sound section will be throughly examined given its 4 seperate tuning switches.
Standart Setting
Strong and puchy bass with body. Punching heavily. Can’t dive deep but you slighly feel when sub bass is called. A mature tuning. Dark timbre. A relaxed forward sound. Fine clarity and 3d imaging. Okay layering. Better than okay positioning.
Seperation is fine. Stage width is decent. Depth is pretty okay. Much more than decent at the stadium width stage. Mids are not oppressed. No sibilance or fatiguing sound. A sound full of fun at https://tidal.com/track/89670562 and imagine the rest 🙂
Balanced Setting (Balanced Tuning)
Body and mature tuning remains. So does dark timbre too. And somewhat dryness is noticable. Bass level is reduced. Both bass and sub bass doesn’t dive deep. Yet the “vibration” of sub bass remains. Mids are forwarder. So brightness moved in when we set 2nd setting. Can reach higher with blown instruments. Layering is definitely better than the 1st setting. But not great in the end. Clarity was already at between ok and high, reached higher now.
NO
No sibilance or treble fatigue. Extensions are evolved into something to speak of. And seperation is truly better now. 3d image is best (vivid and edgy) at 3rd setting according to this review. Empty space between instruments are noticable. 2nd tuning setting reminded us of an advanced Hidizs Mermaid Ms1.
Amazing Vocals Setting
https://tidal.com/track/1223742 vocals are above all. You hear violins in full imaging and 3d after 05:00 and the song evolved into an art feast after 06:00 where blown joined the scene. Great layering and giving shivers near 08:00.
Amazing Bass Setting
Layering is worse than amazing vocals. So is 3d imaging. Bassdrop moments is solid. But frankly bass was better at the standart sound setting. Better is spacious and because of it, joy is apparent.
AMPING: Totally unnecessary as 50/100 is like %70 volume at G7 at this masterpiece:
TRI Starsea Review Conclusions
Even with the bold nature of Starsea and it’s mature tuning, mids are essential to its nature. Tuning selector pins increase / decrease certain frequencies. And thus 2nd setting named Balanced is while frankly its name implies, makes us expect and find balance in it’s bodied and forwardy presentation.
