Tin HiFi T2 Evo Review: A Worthy Sequel!

The T2s have been one of the most hyped IEMs that I've ever seen. From the way they sound, the way they look, construction, the tips, the cable, and the price, the hype did have merit. Fast forward a couple of years, Tin has released a bunch of other IEMs in both the T-family, which now they call the Tank Family because they're built like tanks, as well as other categories like the P1, which is to date my favorite pair of IEMs.

In my roster, it stays at the top rank. Today, we're taking a look at what's supposed to be the literal evolution of the original T2s. This is the T2 Evo. And by the very little that you guys have seen about them so far, they are very similar to the originals.

But, there's just something that's nice about a new version coming out having the same price as the original one don't you think? Granted, if the original one wasn't overpriced, which thankfully isn't the case here. I know what you guys are going to say.

The MSRP of the T2 Evo is $60, while the original T2s can still be bought for about $50 (prices may change). But in all fairness, you guys are going to be paying about $50 (prices may change) for the Evo just the same, so that's the actual price. Again, this is new stuff, but same price.

Speaking of new stuff, they might look identical at first, but there are some changes to the build.

To be honest, the box is just like the previous T2s box as far as I can remember. They're simple, they're nice, there are foam inserts for the IEM, and pretty much nothing else.

The IEMs themselves are slightly different with the original ones being a brushed matte metal, and the new ones being brushed, but a lot shinier and have more silver.

There are also these two color-coded markings on the outer edge of the Evo's housing as well. However, they're just that; they're markings. They're not vents. They're not grills. It's nothing like that. It's just there to help you figure out which one is the right or the left more easily.

We still get a very nice cable, one set of silicone tips, and a pair of blue foam tips that are like the original ones, but they are bluer, smaller, and doesn't get back into shape fast enough.

This time, we also get a little carry pouch, finally.

Other than that, the new cable has every single connection and termination in the same brushed metal design as the IEMs.

It also comes with a silicon hook at the ear level, which the older one didn't have.

Comfort wise, they're pretty much identical. Sometimes, I did like to use my original T2s with the cable hanging straight down, which is not possible with these cables. But since there are MMCX connectors and they are universal, it's just a matter of switching up the cables between them.

I guess you could say the original cable was a little bit more versatile in this sense, but again, comfort is identical, so I have no complaints.

There's something else that's changed, although not that much, are the power requirements because both the T2 and the Evo are still pretty easy to drive, but the Evo does require a little bit more juice to get to the same level of volume at least, about 3:00 against 1:30 on my UNCLEAR while both are being pushed at low gain.

What sets them apart is the sound, and I'm not exactly surprised about there being a difference because the T2s used a 10mm dynamic woofer plus a 6mm dynamic tweeter per ear. The new Evo uses a single carbon molecule diaphragm, which is a 10mm driver again.

With the different driver composition and technology, it was to be expected that they would have different sounding IEMs. It makes sense to try to build upon what the T2 already brought to the table and deliver something that sounds like an improvement. Fortunately, that's just what they did.

The original T2 was a bit warm. It was neutral. It was very relaxed. It had a good impact to the low end and a nice rumble to it.

The highs were a tad recessed and had good detail, but with a little bit of a persistent S area, and the mid range was frankly phenomenal. They had a wide stage. They were airy sounding that had fantastic three-dimensional imaging and separation, and great timbre.

The delivery was balanced and smooth. These are all things that made me say that the T2 was very good. The Evo isn't an evolution in terms of getting all of what was good with the T2s and improving upon that while fixing potential issues. Because in fact, they ended up actually changing a bit of how the T2s used to do things.

Some of these changes do sound really good to me while others don't, but the balance is not really in favor of the Evo, at least not just yet.

For example, the low end on the Evo has more impact. It slaps harder than it did before, but it loses a bit of its presence and a bit of the rumble that it used to have. The treble didn't only have that sibilant S-area sorted out, which is great that it did, but the entire region was pushed forward, which in turn, even though it's not by much adds a lot of sparkle to it, which is not something that everybody likes.

It means that it brightens up an area and brings out details that were otherwise a little bit obscured before. And I really liked that. I think it adds to the experience just as the more vibrant and excited sound signature and overall presentation of the Evo.

And even though I did really enjoy the super relaxed approach of the original T2s, I don't really think that this is that much out of character, so to speak. Even though they apparently didn't aim to change the soundstage, this much more closed often stealthy approach didn't work for me in terms of an improvement on top of what we had before.

So it does behave differently from the original T2s, even if it keeps the same overall flavor in timbre, which is great. Granted, I do still feel like the Evo, just as the T2s, are very lacking in low end and presence, if you're not using foam tips.

And since I know a bunch of you guys, either don't like to, or can't use foam tips, they can sound quite underwhelming.

And perhaps even more than the T2s used to for a bunch of people because of that more shy approach to the bass notes. And I also got a little bit of a metallic sounding characteristic on some frequencies that I didn't before. If you are a Silicon tip type of person, do take that into consideration.

Does the T2 Evo improve upon the original T2s? Well, not really. The original T2s are still better IEMs at least to my preferences because of the way that they handle sound and the overall balance that they bring. It's more my style.

And even though the Evos do bring better treble and that more energetic presentation to the sound, the scales do kind of tilt towards the original T2s because of the more airy sound stage as well as the better presence in the low end.

But again, those are my personal preferences and comparing them in quick succession to one another, do exacerbate those differences.

When I'm just sitting and listening to the T2 EVOS, I'm just really enjoying the experience because there isn't anything objectively bad or aggressive or lacking, or poorly defined area with them. Again, this is while using foam tips, at least.

On their own, they are a very good pair of IEMs for about $50 (prices may change). But unlike when the original T2s launched, I'm not going to tell you guys that these are some of the best items that you can get your hands on until you get to the $100 or $150 mark. Because the right now, at least from $50 to $100, there are several other options that are in fact better.

Please stay tuned because we're going to take a look at some of these options really soon on the channel. But yeah, these are an excellent pair of IEMs for about $50 (prices may change). And if you've ever wanted a pair of T2s that has more for treble and a bit less sub-bass, these are going to hit the right spot.

That's it! I hope you guys enjoyed it. Thanks a lot for watching, and I'll catch you guys later.