The TD-III is one of Xears' flagship in-ears. This is the revised version.
Specs:
Driver: Dynamic
Frequency Response: 6Hz~28KHz
Impedance: 124Ω
Sensitivity: N/A
Cord Length: 1.2m
Sensitivity: N/A
Cord Length: 1.2m
Plug Type: Straight Plug
Packaging / Accessories:
About packaging.. Xears have no packaging. The company minimizes the cost of shipping by mailing everything in a small envelope. When I received the envelope I was actually unaware that it was my Xears, leading to a pleasant surprise when I opened them. The accessories include 3 pairs of single-flanged tips, 2 pairs of bi-flanges, a pair of foam tips and a soft carrying pouch.
Build Quality / Appearance / Cable:
Build quality is decent but there has been many reports of quality control issues. The TD-III V2 Pro is made of wood and really just look like wooden Monster Turbines with the straight barrel design. Although the quality of the housing seems solid, the layer of coating over the wood feels quite plasticky. After 2 months with my Xears, the silver ring around the casing has become loose and swivels around. Out of the box, there was noticeable driver flex, but it has since completely disappeared. The TD-III V2 have a fabric-sleeved cable in a j-cord configuration. Surprisingly, microphonics is low, which has not been the case for all the other fabric cables I've tried. The cable, however, too hard for my liking and retains memory very well. The strain reliefs are also all very rigid. In fact, this is a rare instance where the strain reliefs are too rugged.
Comfort / Isolation:
They were very snug and comfortable in my ear. My only complaint regarding comfort is the roughness of the cord on parts where it graze my skin. Isolation is a only average - it's nothing to complain about but often I would still have to turn up the volume to block out chatter and ambient noises.
Sound:
Lows: The bass extends very low and can really make a track rumble. Not only is the bass deep, it is also hard hitting with lots of impact. Attack and decay times are highly enjoyable, although it can cause the bass to seem just a little slow during faster tracks. Notes have an added hint of thickness and warmth. Compared to the MetroFi 220 (another bass heavy earphone), the bass on the TD-III v2 is much quicker, cleaner, and more detailed. In addition to the abundance of sub-bass, the mid-bass is clearly emphasized. Although there is a large quantity of bass, the quality is there too.
Mids: The mids are very smooth, forward, sweet and lush. Detail retrieval is good but bass bleed into the mids and thickness of notes does reduce the clarity. It can also sound quite veiled as a result.
Treble: Laid back and a bit rolled off. When listening to strings, notes are thicker and the driver sounds like its gasping for air in the higher frequencies. However, it is smooth, not too bright nor overly edgy.
Soundstage: The soundstage is quite big with good width and depth. Instrumental separation is average and imaging could be better. The TD-III V2 is very good at presenting intimacy but does not possess the pinpoint positioning more commonly found on balanced armatures IEMs. Tonally, these are just a little dark.
Summary:
The Xears TD-III V2 Pro Blackwood is a very dynamic and exciting earphone that has a lot of bass power, liquid-sounding mids and a large soundstage. The amount of space produced by this woody is commendable as is its ability to present distance. It can give you the "in the club" feeling and for people who tolerate the emphasized bass, they are great for casual listening.
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