Sound Impressions – Lows
Let us now go over the sound which matters everything after all. Since the nature of this IEM, this time the sound impression will be describing the overall feel and impressions of Traillii Ti before progressing to an extensive comparison with the original Traillii JP.
I’d like to first talk about the bass. Traillii Ti hands-down creates the best quality bass I’ve heard from a full-BA setup. Or one of the finest and greatest bass responses I’ve heard from an IEM in general. The Traillii JP was also known for its quality bass though after all that statement is true only if we give a handicap for being a full-BA IEM. Meanwhile, Traillii Ti has overcome the stereotype of “full-BA bass”.
Interestingly enough, Traillii Ti is not only superior to other full-BA IEMs. The quality of the bass surpasses even those that use dynamic drivers or planars. Although there were occasions where I’ve felt an IEM’s full-BA bass plays nearly as well as a dynamic driver, Traillii Ti is the first time that I was actually convinced that the quality of bass has surpassed the bass of a dynamic driver. The bass oozes with natural harmonics that surround the headroom extensively.
The bass is warm yet very clear. The deep vibrations of the string instruments feel surreal and large in scale. It’s quite interesting that the bass doesn’t get dull or baggy yet the bass still carries out thick resonance and harmonics with such cleanliness. The bass presence is very significant and vibrant while keeping the reverbs perfectly controlled. The clarity and cleanliness of the bass are even more evident as I compared it with Traillii JP. Unlike Traillii JP, the edges of the reverbs don’t get loose and blurry. Traillii Ti keeps the reverbs tight and precise.
The ultra lows also scream precision in wide extension, texture, and reverb presentation. The overall feel and nuance of the bass pour out a classy, premium feel. It’s a coexistence of a dynamic driver’s warm coziness and a BA driver’s iconic snappy, tactical precision.
Sound Impressions – Mids
Vocals are positioned quite close to the ears. It’s also vast at the same time. As if playing a full concert for the one person sitting in the front middle seat, the scale and liveliness of the vocals feel amazing. The realness of the vocals would likely be an obvious find even for those who aren’t used to listening to audiophile IEMs.
Another major charm of the vocals is that they sound incredibly tasteful. Transparent, airy vocals stretch out powerfully and soulfully yet it doesn’t fatigue the ears. Lush, streamlined vocal and consistent mid-range flows would just naturally make your ears concentrate.
Mellow, sonorous vocal timbre was a key feature of Traillii JP, and Traillii Ti empowered this signature tone to sing even better. The vocals are now larger without the cavelike echo. The density is even higher actually. Switching back to Traillii JP or other IEMs makes the vocals sound hollow and empty. The sibilance range is also executed perfectly and seamlessly. It’s mildly surprising how Traillii Ti manages to house both warmness and coolness in one sound signature – the deep, warm bass and the cool, open-ended vocals.
Sound Impressions – Highs, etc.
Now for the high-ends. The ornate trebles pour down with a strong presence yet in harmony with the overall music. Despite the vibrant emphasis, trebles are free of fatigue and don’t turn into a mess. Emphasizing all details strongly could easily turn the music into chaos, yet Traillii Ti still keeps the trebles in such an orderly manner. Highs are transparent and highly resolving while not delivering spikes to the ears. Trebles also sound breathable and well in control of the dynamics, once again creating a lively headroom.
Would an IEM be qualified as being a “treble machine” only if it brings out so much quantity? By treble machine, I mean an IEM that plays the highs incredibly well. I’d say not. Bringing out every bit of detail without excessively boosting the quantity is a true treble machine in my book. The small tingles and micro treble instrument details can be heard from the tracks I’m used to listening to with other IEMs. Or those details haven’t been heard this clearly until now. Traillii Ti brings out more details with less fatigue. That’s a skill.
Just like the mids, highs also sound streamlined as they don’t feel rigid or make dumb-straight penetration to the ears. They breathe and cooperate with the music, knowing when to hit straight or make curve balls, or knowing when to be agile or take time.
Next Page: Comparisons with Traillii JP & Rhapsodio Supreme V3