HOW DOES THIS SOUNDS:-
The TSMR 2 comes two BA driver enhanced with tuning switches. You can tune the output of the earphone to your liking. You can boost bass, mid or treble region as per your liking. The sound signature is a bit bright and fairly neutral.
Speaking about the overall sound quality, the TSMR 2 has very good amount of details across the spectrum and respond very well to the switches.
I have burned the TSMR2 for more than 80hrs and am using my galaxy M30s and Plenue R for this review.
I will try to focus a bit on the effect of the switches and how do they affect the sound quality.
TECHNICALITY AND TUNING:-
The TSMR 2 has a fairly low impedance of 14 ohm and is easily drivable out of mobile phones and thanks to 110db sensitivity it gets very loud without much problem.
I do not find the TSMR 2 gaining much when driven out of more powerful DAPs as it is not power hungry or demanding. It does take the base quality of the DAP but the extra power is not much helping here. It is not much picky about the source either. Feel free to drive it out of the latest generation of Mobile phones without missing out much.
Using a DAP obviously helps with a bit more separation and notes accuracy but the difference is not huge.
There are not many earphones in this price range which has tuning switches. We will talk about them here.
There are 3 switches. Don’t worry, you don’t need to come here every time to know what does what. There is a manual for that. In their words you can have 7 different sound modes and all the positions have a number assigned to them. The switches are numbered 1, 2 and 3 from left to right. On is on the left side and KE to the right side. If the switch to the up, it is said to be on and the carries the number of the switch, if a switch is off it is denoted by 0. If all the switches are on the position number is 123 and if all of them are off it is 000.
The first switch (the 1 switch) is for bass boost. The middle switch is for balance and the last switch is for mid range and treble elevation. It is slightly tricky for the first time but it is not difficult once you get a hold of it.
Now the 000 position is not a valid position and the sound in this position is very limited. You are supposed to keep one switch on, always.
If you think the switches bring a lot of difference to the sound, you might be a little disappointed. They do bring good amount of changes to the sound. Turning the bass switch on won’t make it bass head level bassy. Expect changes, just don’t expect a lot of it.
Switches in 100 position does bring good amount of sub-bass and extension compared to the 003 position.
Thanks to the switches the TSMR 2 can be flat, mid forward and can deliver healthy amount of bass with a few flicks of switches. That is a lot of versatility there, and the best part is, unlike tuning filters, the sound doesn’t feel veiled or unnatural with any of those 7 switch positions.
I am going to review the TSMR 2 in 123 positions (all switches on). All guns blazing.
Quoted from penon:-
“Tuning mode instruction
0 means off (down) ,1/2/3 means on (switch position up)
Mode 1:
100:- Bass enhancement mode
120:- Mixed tuning
Mode 2:
020:All balanced mode
103: Mixed tuning
Mode 3:
003: Mid-treble enhancement mode
023: Mixed tuning
123: Mixed tuning (lowest impedance)”
BASS:-
Just to clear the air, let me tell you that the there isn’t a huge difference with the bass switch turned on or off but turning the switch on does add some bass body. The extension feels more natural and the sub-bass gets better energy. Biggest difference between both the positions is the sub-bass rumble.
The TSMR 2 has a single BA driver for bass department and it delivers better bass than some earphones with two BA drivers. Notes are very well defined and have good slam to them, it moves acceptable amount of air too. Comparable to something like Fibae 3, the bass has very good amount of sub-bass presence. I cannot say that it has the amount of definition and resolution as the Fibae 3 but quantity and quality of the sub-bass is similar. Compared to the Braniwavz B400 which has 4 BA drivers the TSMR 2 has better sub-bass and fuller mid bass.
Mid bass is nicely rounded, has more volume than most of the BA based earphones. Upper bass has good amount of energy and makes its presence felt. Mid bass body is bigger than sub-bass and upper bass body is similar to the sub-bass.
The decay speed is typical of BA drivers. It is faster than dynamic drivers and delivers accurate notes thickness. Compared to the B400, it is slightly slower with more accurate notes thickness, this slowness gives it better precipitation and make it more enjoyable.
Does the bass switch turn the TSMR 2 to a bass lovers delight? Not really, but if you like good amount of details and love some bass to your music, it will do it with pleasure.
MID RANGE:-
The TSMR 2 has one driver for both mid range and treble region, one might feel it is not adequate but let me tell you it does better than it sounds. It delivers a very detailed and engaging sound.
Transition from upper bass to lower mid range is nicely done without much problem. It retains good amount of forwardness and energy considering the lack of dedicated drivers. It still is not as good as what more expensive earphones like the Secret Garden 3 and Avara AV3 can deliver but things are not better than this in its class.
What really impresses me is the amount of clarity and transparency it delivers without being overly sharp or analytical. I am impressed the way it maintains air between instruments and keeps them clean. Layering and separation is better than what other earphones like Brainwavz B400 and EN700 pro can deliver, the TSMR 2 definitely feels a notch above the class in this department. You are not going to miss much when it comes to micro details. The density and distribution of instrument doesn’t leave much scope for complains. Notes have accurate body to them, finishing of notes is better than the TSMR 3 (not pro) and there is little to no graininess. You cannot expect it to be as clean as Fibae 4 or SD5 though.
Vocals sound very clear thanks to a bit more forwardness compared to rest of the mid range. Tonality is fairly good with just a hint of dryness to it, especially with male vocals. Female vocals sound sharp and aptly accurate. It is not lush or smooth but is loaded with plenty of details and clarity. There are no sharper notes or sibilance to worry about.
Stage size is bigger than most in this price range. Very close to what secret garden 3 delivers. The width and height is very good, it lacks a bit of depth.
The Mid range is very impressive, loaded with details and clarity, considering there is only one driver working overtime for treble section too.
TREBLE:-
The TSMR 2 maintains very good amount of sharpness across the spectrum and it holds true for the treble section too. It doesn’t shy away from a sparkly and energetic presentation filled with plenty of details and class leading transparency. The last gen TSMR 3 (not pro) was bad with treble, lacked extension and energy with a clumsy stage size, it felt cramped. Not the TSMR 2, the TSMR 2 has far better stage size and the treble extension is as good as it gets in this price range. It maintains good amount of energy till the end. Compared to the Brainwavz B400 the TSMR 2 feels fuller, more agile and healthier with notes body and depth.
As the same driver is responsible for both treble and mid range, the transition from upper mid range to lower treble region is nicely done. There is no loss of energy with very good amount of details. The level of sharpness helps the TSMR 2 in maintaining plenty of air between instruments. Layering and separation is class leading too.
Even when the presentation is mariginally on the aggressive side to keep good amount of sharpness intact, it doesn’t get sibilant. If you are sensitive to treble, you might find the TSMR 2 biting a bit harder and if you enjoy shining instruments you will love what this earphone has to offer.
