WG T-One Review

TESTED AT $94 USD

WHERE TO BUY

WG is a Chinese company that manufactures in-ear monitors. Today, I’m checking out the WG T-One, a single dynamic driver earphone with a patented Tesla Magnetic Group Dynamic Driver and dual-cavity drive unit with speaker effect. Sounds interesting right? Let’s dig a little deeper to see what impact these features have.

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.

Pros

Robust construction

High-quality detachable cable
Punchy bass
Small, comfortable earpieces

Cons

Cymbals can be a bit splashy

Package and Accessories

The WG T-One makes a good first impression with its simple but nicely styled box. On the front is an image of the earpieces on a mottled grey background. Over on the back of the box are some specifications and a frequency response graph.

Inside the box is pretty standard fare with a black foam insert holding the T-One and all the accessories beneath the foam. So, what’s in the box?

WG T-One earphones
8-Core OFC Silver-Plated Cable

Vinyl carry pouch
3 pairs of narrow-bore silicone eartips
3 pairs of wide-bore silicone eartips

1 pair of foam eartips
User guide/warranty

Break Tradition
Future Begins
WG

Build Quality and Design

My first thought when I saw the WG T-One were that the shells and cable remind me of TFZ earphones. The shells are quite similar in look and feel to the TFZ Queen and the cable is similar to the one that came with the TFZ Balance 2M. That’s probably useless trivia for 99% of the people reading this. You’re welcome!

T-One’s shells are quite small but the CNC crafted metal earpieces have a nice heft and feel extremely robust. This material not only makes the shells strong but also helps to minimize any unwanted vibrations and resonance to maintain a clearer sound.

The faceplates have a smooth, wavy texture on them that adds some interest but maintains a low-key appearance. On the rear edge of the shell is a pinhole vent and there is an additional vent near the base of the nozzle. There is an L or R printed in white on the inner shell for the left and right sides respectively, along with the T-One model name.

The slightly angled nozzles are also metal and have a proper ridge to securely hold eartips in place. In addition, there is a protective metal mesh covering the nozzle opening to keep wax and detritus from penetrating the shells.

On the top of the shells are the MMCX connectors which are colour coded to help you easily identify the left and right sides. Overall, this is a very nicely built earphone with no visible flaws and a high-quality finish.

Comfort and Noise Isolation

Despite (or maybe because of) the body’s simplistic design, the T-One is a very comfortable earphone. The shells are small and they have a low profile and once in place, it’s easy to forget they’re there at all. The entire body of each earpiece is rounded with curves and a silky-smooth matte finish.

Noise isolation is about average and you can still hear external noise with the earpieces in place. However, once you start playing music the outside noise mostly fades away. These earphones are perfectly suitable for daily commutes and normal environments.

Cable

Included with the WG T-One is a high-quality 8-core OFC silver-plated cable. While it may not be the most aesthetically pleasing cable, this one is definitely above average in quality. It handles well, has minimal microphonics and is tangle resistant.

At the top are polished metal MMCX connector housings followed by pre-formed ear guides. The Y-split is polished metal, as is the termination which is a straight 3.5mm plug with good strain relief.

Sound

Sources used for testing:

Earstudio HUD100

When it comes to drivability, T-One is an efficient iem, works great straight out of a smartphone and doesn’t require extra amplification.

The WG T-One has a slightly V-shaped signature with a moderate emphasis on the upper midrange and lower treble. It has warm a warm foundation with a splash of brightness up top. Moreover, it has very good clarity, above-average detail retrieval and solid end-to-end extension.

Bass

The WG T-One’s warm signature starts with its bass. It’s not what I would consider aggressive but it has good impact and natural weight. Slightly north of neutral, the bass feels plentiful but is quite fast, resulting in a punchy, controlled but meaty sound.

The transition from sub-bass to upper-bass is very linear and not far from neutral. Where the WG T-One gets its warmth and authority is from its bass extension and natural decay. Although it’s not a big bass in terms of quantity, the T-One feels big, largely due to its sub-bass which digs deep and has a pleasing, subterranean rumble.

That low-end reach can be felt as well as heard in Hidden Orchestra’s “East London Street – Edit“. Playing through this track really shows the T-Ones bass chops.

Mids

WG T-One has a somewhat forward midrange despite its light V-shaped signature. This comes from a reasonably linear transition from the upper bass to the lower mids. As a result, the lower midrange is quite thick and imbued with ample warmth.

An elevated upper midrange (and lower treble) give a nice lift and additional presence to vocals, guitars and piano. In contrast, the lower midrange is thicker which makes the stage dimensions more intimate. Not only that but vocals have a warm, natural tone and sound very smooth.

In Gazpacho’s “Hell Freezes Over I“, Jan-Henrik Ohme’s vocals are quite upfront and abound with presence. Those, in addition to the violins, are full-bodied and have a natural resonance.

Treble

While it may look a bit unbridled in the graph, the treble plays a positive role in the WG T-One’s tonality. Most of the focus is on the lower treble, peaking at 5kHz before beginning a steady decline. This provides clarity and definition but that boosted 4-6kHz area can sometimes be splashy and irritating.

But it also means that treble notes are quite dense and the sombre upper treble doesn’t have much in the way of sparkle or airiness. Furthermore, it loses some precision and micro-detail retrieval for the sake of smoothness. Overall, I think T-One lands in a stable place between warmth and precision but the treble’s timbre suffers as a result.

Soundstage

The size of the soundstage is fairly average – determined by T-One’s warm tone and gentle upper treble. Width and depth have fairly even proportions creating a rounded space. Separation is good although it can be compromised during busy segments and imaging is reasonably accurate.

Comparisons

Moondrop Starfield ($109 USD)

The Moondrop Starfield (review here) is an earphone with a single carbon nanotube (CNT), dynamic driver. It has a tuning based on the Harman curve and is lighter and airier in nature than the WG T-One.

Starfield’s bass extension is similar but it doesn’t have the deep impact of the T-One due to having less quantity of mid and upper-bass. The T-One delivers more sub-bass rumble and deep-seated authority.

In the midrange, Starfield has less warmth and leaner notes with a more neutral stage position. WG’s T-One, on the other hand, is more upfront and direct. This makes Starfield feel more open with more space between instruments. However, T-One has greater note density and more contrast where the Starfield goes more for outright smoothness.

Treble is more relaxed and rounded on the Starfield, Despite a more pronounced treble roll-off, it sounds more open than the T-One, partly because of the rounded or feathered nature of the notes. T-One, by comparison, is more vivid and has denser hats and cymbals, which combined with a fuller midrange give it a smaller stage but one with more precise imaging.

Tin Hifi T4 ($99)

The Tin Hifi T4 (review here) has a single Carbon Nanotube (CNT) dynamic driver. It has a somewhat similar sound as the T-One but has a slightly smoother overall presentation.

Sub-bass quantity is similar but the T4 has less mid-bass presence. T4’s lower midrange is less forward and slightly thinner than the T-One. When it comes to core midrange, both iems are very similar but the T4 has less upper midrange. This gives percussion instruments a slightly softer attack and vocals are less articulated.

T4’s lower treble or presence region is more subdued which makes the upper mids a touch thicker and gives the T-One the edge in vocal clarity. Upper treble is less favoured by the T4, which has a more significant dip at 10kHz. In some cases, this makes cymbals sound more natural on the T4 where the T-One can get a bit splashy on occasion.

KBEAR Diamond ($79 USD)

The KBEAR Diamond (review here) has a single Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) dynamic driver. It has a V-shaped presentation with a boosted bass and class-leading timbre.

Diamond’s sub-bass and mid-bass are more elevated, giving it a thicker and heavier low-end. It is slightly more recessed in the midrange and also sounds a bit cleaner but less forward. T-Ones vocals are more upfront and have better articulation due to the lifted upper midrange and lower treble. The Diamond’s lower treble is more relaxed, so it’s not as vibrant but its tone sounds a little more natural as a result.

Despite having additional bass quantity and less lower treble, the Diamond sounds airier but at the cost of the vocals and some midrange instruments being slightly thinner and more recessed.

NiceHCK NX7 Pro ($99 USD)

The NICEHCK NX7 Pro (review here) is a 7-driver hybrid earphone and comes with 3 different tuning filters. It has a V-shaped signature with excellent clarity, abundant detail and a forward but smooth treble.

Sub-bass quantity is similar but it has less mid-bass and overall impact. T-Ones bass has better definition and texture. The NX7 Pro’s midrange is slightly recessed with vocals and instruments placed further back on the stage. It’s leaner and slightly cleaner with less note density. Where the NX7 Pro excels is in its separation and detail retrieval which it does better than the T-One.

NX7’s Pro’s treble is forward: not so much by its quantity but rather because of the pulled-back midrange. But boy, it is a very sweet treble with a lovely timbre and lots of air. On the other hand, the WG T-One puts all its eggs in the lower treble basket, making its upper midrange more forward and brighter in the process.

The NX7 Pro has a larger soundstage and imaging: a result of its greater separation and additional treble extension, along with the leaner midrange which leaves more air between instruments.

Conclusion

The WG T-One marks a positive introduction for this new iem brand. It has an impeccable build quality and excellent ergonomics making it very comfortable for prolonged use. Furthermore, it sounds good too and is arguably on the level of other top performers in its price range. We look forward to seeing where WG goes from here. In the meantime, if you’re looking for a warm, clear-sounding iem with vocals that pop then you should consider the WG T-One.