Can a pair of IEM’s costing less than a tenner be any good? What do they sound like? Are they comfortable? I have been keeping an eye on TRN audio a lot recently, I approached them for a review, but yet to hear back, but scrolling through AliExpress (as you do) I spotted these MT1 IEM’s for around £5. So, I decided to purchase to test them out and write a review.
TRN have a dedicated following on social media with audio lovers, and the MT1’s have gained a lot of noise in regards to the incredible price TRN are offering them at.
You get a 10mm dual magnet dynamic driver in each pair, a silicon crystal composite biocellulose diaphragm, all in an imported environment-friendly polycarbonate housing. You can utilise any cable too, TRN do supply a 2Pin 0.75mm cable, with many options including USB-C and both with and without an in-built microphone. I chose the option without a microphone and with a standard 3.5mm jack plug.
Packaging and Contents.
The TRN MT1 IEM’s come packaged in a cardboard box, which shows product images and specifications printed on it. The box measures 10.0cm x 7.0cm x 3.0cm and weighs 69G.
Inside the box you’ll find the following: 1x Pair of IEM’s, 1x Cable, 2x Additional Pairs of Tips, 1x English/Chinese User Guide.
TRN MT1 IEM’s.
The TRN MT1 IEM’s measure 22.5mm x 16.5mm x 24.5mm and weigh just 4g each. You get three different sized silicone ear tips too, these measure:
- Small: 10.0mm Diameter
- Medium: 11.0mm Diameter
- Large: 12.0mm Diameter
You’re free to use any standard silicon tips if you need smaller/larger tips.
You get so many colour and plug options for the TRN MT1 IEM’s. Choose from black, grey, green, white, and clear. You can also select an in-built microphone or from a USB-C plug too. I chose the green, no mic and with a standard 3.5mm jack plug.
The supplied cable measures a generous 125.0cm and features a 2-pin gold-plated TRS (Tip Ring Sleeve) angled jack plug. Any 2-pin cable will work if you fancy an upgrade too, including any with an in-built microphone if you wish.
Comfort.
OK, I wasn’t expecting much for a pair of IEM’s for under a tenner. I’ve reviewed budget IEM’s before and fully expected the usual ear fatigue that comes with it, but that’s not an issue with these TRN MT1’s. The polycarbonate shell sits comfortably in your outer area, the ear-tip angle is also perfect for my ears too. I literally had no uncomforting feelings wearing the MT1’s at all, even for prolonged periods of time. The over ear hooked area sits perfectly over the top of your ear too, with no chaffing being experienced.
I found the medium (11.0mm) ear tip the perfect size for me too. The tip sits tight on each IEM, another issue I found on budget IEM’s is the tips come loose, but no such issue with the TRN MT1’s.
Sound Quality.
So, surprisingly the TRN MT1 IEM’s are comfortable, so perhaps the sound is crud? That was my initial thought. But, how wrong I was. Obviously, they’re a budget pair of IEM’s, so they’re not going to blow you away. But they sound much better than I was expecting, bass tones are average, but overall the sound quality is quite good. I’ve reviewed audio gear worth hundreds that have sounded a lot worse than the MT1’s.
I couldn’t detect any distortion at all, even when volume was towards maximum. Noise isolation is above average with very little sound leakage, you also get above average background environmental noise cancellation too, again not bad for a pair of budget IEM’s.
Overall, I was surprised with the sound quality, was expecting the worst, but experienced better than expected.
Technical Specifications.
- Brand: TRN
- Model: MT1
- Manufacturer Code: N/A
- Manufacturer Reference: N/A
- EAN: 6973712458985
- ASIN: B0BFJLDVR8
- Driver: 10.0mm dynamic driver
- Frequency Response Range: 20Hz – 20,000 Hz
- Impedance: 22Ω
- Sensitivity: 106dB
- Compliance: N/A
Conclusion.
I’m very impressed with the TRN MT1 IEM’s. I wasn’t expecting too much but gained a much better than expected experience.
Seriously, for a pair of IEM’s for under tenner, these are brilliant, if you’re after a decent pair of budget IEM’s for everyday use, you’d be pleasantly surprised with the MT1’s too.
If you’d like to purchase this item, please check out the purchasing options below. The RRP for this product is £6.35.
AliExpress Best Option | Amazon | eBay |
Product sample purchased with my own funds.
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