Tri Starlight 4 Review – Electrostatic Fun

The TRI Starlight 4 was something I really looked forward to. To be honest I even had a bit of a hard time falling asleep the night before they arrived. Sold for 799 USD on HifiGo, they include 4 electrostatic units + 2 balanced armature and a 10mm dynamic driver for the low end. And that is per unit, so a total of 14 superb quality drivers! 

I already own the Kinera Nanna 2.0 and after Z Reviews said that the Starlight 4 is even more fun to listen to, getting these was an easy choice. They both offer a similar array of drivers and share a lot of common qualities, so comparing the two was like an endless journey into the smallest details music. This review will be focused on the Starlight 4, but I will be making comparisons to create a better reference of what the Starlight 4 is all about.

Unboxing & Build

The unboxing of the Tri Starlight 4 was exactly what you would expect from a 799 dollar IEM. It comes in a beautiful black box which includes a stunning silver case. There are plenty of tips to choose from so you can find the best match for your ears. It is important to note that the memory foam tips that came with these are the only memory foam tips I can actually use and enjoy. Foam tips never work for me, but these ones are much better.

On the negative side, the physical feel of the IEM’s and the cable could be improved considering the price range. I am sure the IEM’s have been built very well, but its close competitor Kinera Nanna feels more “expensive” in your hand.

Sound

Getting such an electrostatic set-up for this price will offer you an amazing experience. Electrostatic drivers open up a whole new world of stereo depth and imaging. Suddenly sounds can be incredibly intimate and unbelievably large at the same time. Dynamic and planar magnetic headphones are usually limited to sounding intimate and precise OR large and immersive. With electrostatic drivers you can have both. But electrostatic drivers have their downsides as well – they have a limited frequency response and tend to lack in bass and high frequencies.

I feel that with the Starlight 4, the engineers have quite successfully solved some of the problems of the electrostatic driver but at the same time have also sacrificed some of the properties that make them unique. Let’s dive in…

Bass

Coming from an audiophile perspective – they have quite a lot of bass. A lot in the sense that they are really fun to listen to. The amount and presentation of bass that the dynamic driver offers feels like a perfect and powerful bottom line for the rest of the music. It sits beautifully below all other frequencies and does its own thing without disturbing anything else. Powerful, yet very elegant.

I first thought that I was getting a bass heavy in ear monitor, but it does not feel like that at all. In case of softer music the bass will feel like a gentle cushion in the background. And if you are listening to punchy music then the punch is guaranteed to bring a big smile to your face.

The Kinera Nanna 2.0 has a 7mm dynamic driver while the Starlight 4 has a 10mm. The bass of the Nanna feels a smaller, but also tighter. It has a sharper punch. The bass presentation of the Starlight feels wider and more immersive and blends more with the rest of the music.

Midrange

I feel a conscious decision has been made here. The Starlight 4 feels slightly V shaped, meaning the mids are slightly recessed compared to the highs and bass frequencies.

Like I mentioned before, electrostatic drivers are able to sound unbelievably defined and magical in the midrange, but are famous for rolling of both in the bass region and higher frequencies. This “dark” sound signature of the electrostatic driver is a big part of what allows them to present stereo imaging and depth like no other type of driver, but at the same time not everyone enjoys this sound signature.

I feel the goal of the engineers of the Starlight 4 has been to take advantage of the unmatched stereo & dynamic capabilities of the electrostatic drivers, while also giving the IEMs more power in the bass region and extra brightness in the high frequencies. This makes them sound more natural, but is also a bit of a sacrifice as far as the unique tight feel of the electrostatic drivers is concerned.

High frequencies

The response is very fast and detailed, as you can expect from any electrostatic driver. With four of them in both driver units these IEMs have a very nice feeling of air and spaciousness to the high frequencies. Sometimes I find myself missing the “darkness” and tightness of similar earphones such as the Kinera Nanna, but at the same time the Starlight 4 does offer a more natural representation of the highs which is probably suitable for a wider audience.

Imaging & Soundstage

I feel my opinion is divided here. First – because of the driver set up you are still getting spectacular imaging and soundstage. Your music can sound big, small, immersive, tight, multilayered, beautifully blended – all of those things at the same time.

But my other favourite – the Kinera Nanna is just a tiny bit better in all of that. The Starlight V4 sounds more spacious and a percent larger than life. This wider, more immersive sound has somewhat decreased its capability for a truly intimate ASMR kind of music-touching-you experience.

Are they amp dependant?

Oh yes. More than anything I have heard. These are not meant for listening with your phone – the bass will sound sloppy and the highs will sound tense. But thats what you can expect from a 4 Electrostatic + 2 BA + 1DD set up. It will be power hungry. However, even with my FiiO BTR5 they sound great, so if you do not have a headphone amp then it’s an easy upgrade!

Conclusion & Final thoughts

This is a beautiful IEM offering excellent value for its price. You can expect superbly articulate details with a bit more air and brightness to the high frequencies than other earphones with similar driver set ups. They will sound clear, powerful & immersive at the same time. If you have not experienced an electrostatic driver before, expect to be blown away.

At the same time, I feel the engineering and tuning on the Kinera Nanna is on another level. The Nanna will definitely spark opposing opinions as they have chosen to stay true to the dark, tight sound signature while the Starlight 4 has been tuned for a wider audience.

But as much as I love the Kinera Nanna, I do believe the Starlight 4 is overall a more flexible IEM. The Nanna sounds like a work of art in perfect listening conditions. But once you go for a walk or listen to music anywhere in a public place the gentle tuning loses its magic. So another important thought here – if you are looking for electrostatic IEMs that you can enjoy outside your perfect room – choose the Tri Starlight V4. I make them a birthday gift to my girlfriend and I am sure they will take her experience to the next level!

Gear used for testing:

Samsung Galaxy S20

2020 Macbook Pro

FiiO BTR5

Focusrite Scarlett 6i6

Author:Henri Liiv

Henri Liiv is an Estonian producer, DJ, festival organizer and audio engineer with almost 15 years of experience in audio & sound. After building his first few studios he became very passionate about all kinds of audio gear. He loves to explore different headphones, speakers, amplifiers and digital instruments. Over the years he has developed excellent attention to musical detail. Hopefully his experience will help you make the right decisions when buying new gear!