People get excited whenever there’s talk of a new earphone from Tin Hifi and with good reason. Over the last few years, they’ve released some major hits including the original T2, the excellent P1 planar and recently the T2 Plus. Today, I’m looking at their first foray into the wireless space with the Tin Hifi T2000 TWS earphones.

The T2000 features dual dynamic drivers (9mm + 8mm), dual listening modes (wireless + wired) plus a nifty charging case with built-in UV Sterilization System. Seems impressive right? Let’s find out.

The Tin Hifi T2000 campaign is currently live on Indiegogo and you can check it out HERE.

Disclaimer: This sample was provided for the purpose of an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own based on my experience with the product.

Tin Hifi T2000 Review

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Package and Accessories

The T2000 come in a standard box with gold accents on the front. The earphones and accessories are all laid out inside and include:

• Tin Hifi T2000 TWS earphones
• Charging case
• MMCX cable
• USB Type-C charging cable
• 2 pairs of double-flange eartips
• 3 pairs of silicone eartips
• User guide

Design

One thing you’ll notice right away about the T2000 is that the earpieces are on the chunky side. In fact, they’re kind of huge. The shells are made of plastic but they feel well-constructed and robust. Inside are dual dynamic drivers, a 9mm and an 8mm working in tandem.

One of the most interesting features of the T2000 is the ability to use them as a wireless earbud or wired using the included cable. It’s not the first time we’ve seen this: BGVP did it with their Quantum 2 TWS a while back. It certainly adds convenience to a degree and it can also make you feel reassured that if the battery dies on you, you’ll still be able to enjoy your music.

There is a single physical button on the faceplate for playback and call controls. I still prefer this type of button over the touch-sensitive ones but I found the buttons on the T2000 to be a little stiff and hard to actuate. The buttons allow you to stop/start playback, skip/rewind tracks and adjust the volume. In addition, they cover the normal call functions too.

Due to the size of the shells and the rather short nozzles, the fit is likely to be hit and miss with the T2000. I personally had to pull out my own extra-large tips to secure a good fit and seal as the included eartips are far too small for my ears.

Using my own tips I actually get a pretty decent fit and find the earphones to be fairly comfortable. However, the large shells do stick well out of your ears making them unsuitable for lying down.

Noise isolation will depend largely on how good a seal you can get with either the included eartips or your own. In my case, I found the isolation to be about average for this type of shell.

Charging Case

The charging case is made of plastic very similar to that of the earphone shells. It’s a pretty big case and can barely fit in smaller pockets. A unique feature of this charging case is its UV Antivirus system. The idea is that by pressing the associated button on the case lid, the UV lights turn on for 60 seconds and sanitize the earbuds. Whether this actually works or is just a gimmick I can’t say for sure but I have my doubts about it.

The case has a USB Type-C port on the back for charging. On the lid, there are 2 buttons: one to activate the UV lights and the other displays the case’s battery level. One thing I LOVE about this case is that it can accommodate even the largest of eartips with ease.

The decision to store the cable in the case is a bit of a catch 22. On one hand, it’s a great convenience to have the cable with you wherever you go. On the other hand, it means that the charging case is a lot bigger than it would need to be otherwise. Furthermore, there’s barely enough space to fit the cable and getting it in or out of the case will test your agility and patience.

Bluetooth Connectivity and Battery Life

Bluetooth connectivity seems to be stable and reliable. I had no problems pairing the earphones with my iPhone and various DAPs. The earphones give you a voice prompt to tell you when they are connected. During my testing, I didn’t experience any dropouts or connection issues whatsoever and the T2000 performed admirably in this area.

The battery life is ordinary by today’s standards at around 4-5 hours from the earphones with an extra 3-4 full charges available from the charging case. That gives you a total of 16-20 hours depending on how loud you play your music.

Cable

The included cable is surprisingly good quality. It handles nicely and seems well-constructed. It has aluminium components and terminates in a straight 3.5mm plug. If you plan on keeping the cable stored in the charging case, make sure you have a good 5 minutes spare every time you want to put it back in because it’s an arduous exercise, to say the least.

Sound

The T2000 has a V-shaped sound that’s is clear, detailed and a little bright. On some songs, these TWS sound great but on others, the treble can be a little aggressive.

Bass

The bass is quite fast with nice clean leading edges and a naturally weighted decay. There’s enough quantity to get your feet tapping and the best part is there’s no bleeding or rogue resonance to be heard.

It’s a controlled but natural bass that fills out the low end and blends well with the lower midrange. The bass in Aaron Park’s “Riddle Me This” sounds fantastic with the T2000. It’s confident but polite, textured and full-bodied.

Mids

The midrange has good clarity with no smearing or interference from the bass. Vocals are lavish and intelligible. Female vocals sound spirited and lively but never shouty. In Alicia Keys’ “When You Really Love Someone” Alicia’s sultry, raspy voice sounds sweet like spiced honey and the piano has an agreeable, pleasing tone.

However, depending on the recording or song, the midrange sometimes sounds recessed. This is mainly due to the forwardness of the treble which often sits in front of the mids.

Treble

Here is where the T2000’s sound quality starts to decline. The treble can be quite aggressive and it’s a bit too forward in the mix, often sitting in front of the midrange. In addition, cymbals often sound brittle and sometimes even shrill.

On a positive note, the elevated treble does provide a lot of detail and a good amount of clarity. In fact, for some music the T2000 sound pretty good but they’re just too inconsistent.

Soundstage

The soundstage has average dimensions but is rather unstable. On some songs, the stage position feels pushed back yet on others, feels almost uncomfortably intimate. Imaging is decent but instrument separation doesn’t hold up too well in complex music.

Conclusion

The Tin Hifi T2000 is an ambitious earphone that aims high but misses the target. On one hand, they actually sound okay, as long as you use the right eartips and get a good fit. In fact, I would venture to say that these are on par with other TWS in this price range in terms of audio quality. Additionally, the Bluetooth connection is consistent and easy to use.

But sadly there are several areas where the T2000 falls short: The case is awkwardly large, the earphones themselves are very large and bulky and the battery life is underwhelming. The effectiveness of the UV Sanitization system is questionable and the cable storage is an exercise in frustration.

Despite its limitations, the T2000 can provide decent audio quality with certain types of music. But overall, there are just too many compromises for me to recommend these earphones.

Specifications

• DRIVERS
  8mm Nitinol diaphragm Dynamic
  9mm Nitinol Diaphragm Dynamic
• CHIP
  RTL8763BFP
• IMPEDANCE
  16 + 21ohms
• SENSITIVITY
  Low-Mid Freq. 103-+2dB
  Mid-high Freq. 96-+2dB
• BLUETOOTH
  Bluetooth 5.0
• BLUETOOTH RANGE
  12 Meters
• EARBUD BATTERY
  40mAh, 3.7v
• CASE BATTERY
  600mAh, 3.7v