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Tin HiFi P1 Plus IEM Review: Planar Magnetic Revisited!!

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Tin HiFi P1 Plus is the latest iteration of planar magnetic in-ear monitors from Tin HiFi. It is a successor to the award-winning P1 featuring the same shell design but…
Tin HiFi P1 Plus-9

Tin HiFi P1 Plus is the latest iteration of planar magnetic in-ear monitors from Tin HiFi. It is a successor to the award-winning P1 featuring the same shell design but an upgraded driver and tuning. I personally never experienced the P1 hands-on but have listened to its praises from my friends and have a long-term ownership experience with the Flagship P2 from the same brand. P1 Plus is said to have a lower power requirement in comparison to the other planar magnetic earphones from Tin HiFi(P1 and P2). I am using the P1 Plus for about the past ten days as my daily driver, so now is the time to share my impressions and review the same with you all. Before wasting any more time, let’s begin.

Tin HiFi P1 Plus-1

Disclaimer:-

This is a review sample unit of P1 Plus that I got from HiFiGo. I would like to thank them for this opportunity. All the opinions and impressions in this review article are completely my own based on my own usage with the pair without any interference from HiFiGo or Tin HiFi. If interested you can buy it from the HiFiGo store from the link below(Not affiliated).

TinHiFi P1 Plus 10mm Planar-diaphragm Driver In-Ear Earphones — HiFiGo

Package & Accessories:-

I asked HiFiGo to ship the P1 Plus without the retail packaging as my package had a few items that I purchased from them(More reviews incoming) to save up on custom duty tax in my country. But they shipped the pair with all the stock accessories that include several pairs of ear tips both foam and silicone, a carry case, and the stock cable. Included accessories are good for their part, I love they included foam tips too in the package(Was there in P2 too). The case here is a beige-colored leather magnetic case. I would say T5 had a better case for them or P2 for that matter, but this one also does its job.

Tin HiFi P1 Plus-2

Package Contents:-

>TIn HiFi P1 Plus earphones.

>Stock cable with MMCX connectors and 3.5mm termination plug.

>Two pairs of foam ear tips(Grey).

>Six pairs of silicone ear tips(three Grey+three White).

>Carry case.

Design, Build Quality & Aesthetics:-

As per the brand, the P1 Plus shape and design are very similar to the original P1(Images of P1 show the pair almost identical to the P1 Plus). P1 Plus has rich metallic cavities with a mirror finish and triangular shape. They are quite compact and small with a short but wide ear nozzle. If you compare P1 Plus with resin cavities that house multi-driver combinations(like the Kinera Skuld in the image below), the P1 Plus looks like a baby. But believe me, this baby is an elephant when it comes to sound performance which we will discuss soon obviously. About the earpieces, they house standard MMCX connectors at the top, are compact and lightweight. They are lighter than the P2 which I used to own previously. The overall finish on the ear cavities is well done with a chrome finish.

Tin HiFi P1 Plus-3

The cable included is a standard 4-core copper cable with memory ear hooks near the MMCX connectors. It has an earphone matching chrome finished chin slider, MMCX connector shielding, and Y-splitter. The termination plug has a Carbon Fiber type pattern printed on the metallic shielding, termination is obviously standard 3.5mm. Other accessories included such as the ear tips, earphone case are also of pretty decent quality.

Fit & Noise Isolation:-

With its compact form factor and lightweight design, the P1 Plus provides an extremely comfortable wearing experience for me. Obviously, they feel comfier than bigger resin cavities though isolation gets affected a bit due to this(I have medium-sized ears, I am pretty sure people with small ears will get good isolation). Also, I use Large-sized ear tips with the pair(I usually use Medium) they provide better isolation for me. I would say the pair has average isolation.

Driving Up The P1 Plus:-

One of the key upgrades that Tin HiFi equipped the P1 Plus is its easier driveability than the previous Planar Magnetic In-Ear Monitors from the brand. Since I have no experience with P1 but have used P2 extensively. I would say yes, the P1 Plus can be driven easier than the P2. P2 demanded a desktop-level amplifier for its best performance. Though P1 Plus can’t be powered straight out of a smartphone. I tested the pair with my Samsung S6 Lite Tablet, and the output even at full volume levels is nowhere what the P1 Plus is actually capable of. So what does it need to sound at its true potential? A simple answer to this question is a decently powerful digital audio player will suffice.

I personally tested the P1 Plus with Cayin N6ii(A01+A02), Topping NX4, HiBy R6 2020. And I would say all these sources are capable of powering the pair well. I used R6 2020 the most during my usage, I never saw myself pushing volume above 55/100 on the medium gain level here. With the Samsung tablet, the output was just not acceptable. I just used it during the burn-in period of the IEM. I will highly recommend you to get a decently powerful DAP or Portable DAC/AMP because once you feed the P1 plus well, the result is simply magnificent.

Sound Quality:-

Before I begin on the sound quality department, I would recommend one to burn in the P1 Plus for at least 100 hours. Straight out of the box the pair had a slight bit of sibilance in the output, but that settled down for me after about 70-80 hours of burn-in period. For this, I just connected it to my Samsung tablet every night for about 10-12 hours for about 7-8 days. Now, no sibilance, no harshness, a pleasing sound with the pair.

Tin HiFi P1 Plus-4

Tin HiFi P1 Plus has got a balanced and neutral sound tuning. The pair sounds simply amazing with excellent vocals and micro-detail retrieval. Last night, I was listening to “Turn This Love Around” by Armin Van Buuren, Believe me, I could easily pinpoint every single beat in the track. The detail retrieval, clarity, and resolution with the P1 Plus are simply outstanding. Both the male and female vocals have a slightly warm touch to them. They maintain good tonality and clarity. Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” showcases the exceptional tonality of the female vocals with the set. For Male Vocals, I recommend listening to “The Blower’s Daughter” by Damien Rice, I am pretty sure you are gonna fall in love with the male vocals too. Planar Magnetic Driver in the P1 Plus does its magic with a pleasing, rich midrange and highly-resolving yet controlled treble frequencies. Where it lacks will be in the lower-end department. Even though the bass is fast and precise with the P1 Plus, It lacks that lushness of planar bass.

Lower End:-

P1 Plus’s lower-end presentation has good speed and decay. It’s quick and hits smoothly. Yes, it’s kind of the weakest point in P1 Plus, but No it isn’t completely bland. The punches are precise and hits are registered very well. The body and texture on the slams from the mid-bass region are beautiful. Though the depth and extension in the lower end are average and could benefit from some extra quantity adding punch to the output.

Tracks tested for the lower end:-

>Royals by Lorde.

>Billie Jean by Michael Jackson.

>Bad Guy by Billie Eilish.

>Taking Off by Highly Suspect.

>Neon Medusa by The Midnight.

Tin HiFi P1 Plus-10

Midrange:-

Tin HiFi P1 Plus produces a blissful midrange response. The pair has maintains an excellent neutral to warm timbre and tonality for vocals and acoustic instruments. Clarity and resolution for both male and female vocals are exceptionally good. Both the male and female vocals have a pleasing warm tone, They are extremely pleasing to listen to with the P1 Plus. Acoustic instruments such as guitars have good separation and air between them. Overall an excellent mid-range presentation for the pair.

Tracks tested for midrange:-

>Hotel California By Eagles.

>You Should Be Sad by Halsey.

>I’m Yours by Angus & Julia Stone.

>Who Am I by London Grammar.

>Latest Mistake by Mandy Moore.

Tin HiFi P1 Plus-6

High-Frequencies:-

Similar to an exceptional midrange, P1 Plus has an exceptional treble response. The high-frequency region is well-detailed, has an inoffensive tuning. It doesn’t sound harsh or fatiguing or sibilant. Initially, straight out of the box, the pair had some sibilance in the top frequencies, but that got settled down after some burn-in period. Cymbal crashes, violins, and electric guitars all instruments are all presented with good clarity in the treble region. Extensions here in the top-end are also excellent. I would say, P1 Plus delivers a very well-done Treble region.

Tracks tested here for treble:-

>Stockholm Syndrome by Blink-182.

>Black Mass by En Minor.

>Not Dead Yet by Bullet For My Valentine.

>Summer by Imagine Dragons.

>Madness by Muse.

>The Night Creeper by Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats.

Tin HiFi P1 Plus-5

Dynamics(Soundstage, Imaging, & Layering):-

P1 Plus presents a pretty solid soundstage that has good width and above-average depth. It sounds wide sound field with impressive imaging and positioning of instruments. Each instrument can be identified separately in any given track, I would say pretty solid performer in terms of dynamics here. I tested Yosi Horikawa’s Binaural tracks here in this department.

P1 Plus Vs 7Hz Timeless:-

Timeless is the latest talk of the town ever since its release. I loved it too, you can check out my Timeless review on Gizaudio here. Loved the planar bass that set delivered. But how does it compare with the P1 Plus? Here are my thoughts.

7Hz Timeless vs Tin HiFi P1 Plus

>Timeless delivers an excellent bass response. It actually satisfies your hunger with rich planar bass. P1 Plus lacks in this department.

>P1 Plus excels in mid-range. The melodious midrange with neutral to warm timbre and tonality for both vocals and instruments makes the P1 Plus a charmer.

>While I loved the energetic treble of Timeless, the P1 Plus manages to provide an inoffensive treble region with wide extension and detailed response.

>Soundstage depth is better with Timeless.

Both the P1 Plus and 7Hz Timeless are good sounding sets. The Timeless excels in its bass department while the P1 Plus manages to produce the other frequencies well. One can choose among the two as per their personal taste. I would go with the P1 Plus just for its exceptional midrange response.

Tin HiFi P1 Plus-8

Final Words:-

I have heard a lot of praises on the OG P1 that made me all excited and hyped for the P1 Plus. Upon experiencing the P1 Plus, I must say I have personally fallen into love with the set. The pair actually delivers some exceptional vocal performance with an inoffensive yet highly-resolving treble region. One can hear every single beat, every single instrument with great clarity and detail. With all that, the pair also has a natural tone for vocals, smooth and pleasing. Still, the pair needs some amp’ing to sound its best. It still can’t be driven straight off a smartphone, but if you have a decently powerful Hi-Res Player, you are good to go with the set. Would like to thank HiFiGo again for sending me the P1 Plus as a sample unit. You can purchase it from their store here.

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