Tin P1 Plus Impressions/Review




The all-new P1 Plus is the latest in the P-series of planar in-ear monitors from Tin Hifi, and comes up against some very tough competition with the very good and recently released 7HZ Timeless. The P1 Plus was provided by Linsoul for review and retails for $159 USD, which is actually less than the previous P1 and P2 models.

Find the product here: https://www.linsoul.com/collections/all/products/tinhifi-p1-plus

Visually, the P1 Plus looks just like the P1 and P2 models with a stainless steel mirrored-finish housing that has a rounded triangle shape. The unit continues to include a 10mm planar magnetic driver and uses MMCX connectors. The cable is a braided-copper color with metal connectors.

Sound Impressions

Internally, I don't know if anything really changed, besides whatever was used for tuning. The P1 Plus is tuned differently, and is perhaps the best tuned IEM of all of Tin's product lines. I found the P1 Plus to have a laid-back and warm tuning, which has a dipped upper-mid range and treble, but with plenty of treble extension. The bass range is linear and extended, and not as elevated in the mid-bass as the other P-series IEMs.



When I first put the P1 Plus on, I felt it was pretty mediocre, in that it was tonally acceptable, but technically not. As with the other P-series, the fit was pretty challenging for me, and getting a proper seal and secured fit in my ears was difficult. I tried several tips, with varying degrees of success. Some caused extreme sibilance due to poor fit, and some just did not want to stay in when I moved. I ended up sticking with the included large foam tips that Tin supplies with this IEM.

With the foam tips, I was able to both get most of the sound issues out of the way, and I did not have any problems walking around and worrying about them falling out. With the foam tips, I'm sure it also helped with a some of the upper treble issues I was experiencing while using other tips, though not all of it went away.

One of my biggest issues with many of the Tin products is that they are brighter than my preferences. In the cases of their dynamic driver T-series, this was mostly in the upper-mids and lower-treble range being a little more exaggerated than I'd like to varying degrees, with the recent T2 Evo being the worst offender. In the P1 and P2, my troubles were set primarily in the upper treble.

For relatively budget IEMs, having upper treble output is not always a given, as many of them, at least until more recently, cut off sound at below 10KHz, making some upper-harmonic sounds very muted. High strings and cymbals sound more deadened than usual, so having upper-treble really makes these instruments sound alive, but too much can make them piercing and fatiguing. Such was the case with the P1 and P2.

These previous generation planar IEMs from Tin Hifi's biggest knock, tonally, was that they did not filter out these higher frequencies well enough, and in many of the music I listened to, caused quite a bit of ear pain. Sharp strings, extra splashy cymbals and hi-hats, and sibilant female vocals in poorly compressed pop music, amongst other audio artifacts. 

With the P1 Plus, I found that the tonal balance was improved. The sibilance and upper harshness was reduced. It is still there, especially when I was using silicone tips and paired with my Sony NW-A55 digital audio player, but swapping to foam tips and using these alongside the Chord Mojo + Poly player, I found most of the harshness to disappear surprisingly.

The P1 Plus reduces the amount of mid-bass from the previous efforts with a more linear bass response that I prefer. There's no muddiness while listening to this set, and this along with the lower upper mid-range produces a warmer and thicker sound that still doesn't sound off. It's a richer experience than most Tin Hifi products with the reduced pinna compensation, but one that I find good for non-fatiguing listen. Of course, this is dependent on how much the upper treble bothers you.



Technical Musings and Comparisons


On the more technical side, the P1 Plus isn't stand-out performer in this price-range. It shares many of the same things I found lacking in the P1 and P2, and when directly compared to the newly released Timeless planar IEM, it really shows its technical limitations. The Timeless costs a bit more, roughly $60 more, so budgets need to be taken into consideration of course, but I'll go over some of the areas where I find the P1 Plus and Timeless differ in technical performance.

I listened to a variety of jazz music from Go Go Penguin and Bill Laurence to Avishai Cohen and Joey Aleaxander, as well as the psychedelic guitar play of Tash Sultara, and soul music from Jorja Smith and Celeste during the music sessions between the two IEMs. 

The main points that I came away with outside of just their tonal differences is that the Timeless has a larger presentation, more refinement, improved resolution, micro and macrodynamic abilities, and speed. In other words, it's a much more technical beast than the P1 Plus is.

The P1 Plus seemed to lack resolution, and in some cases quite a bit of it in some passages of Tash Sultara's latest album, "Terra Firma." Some of the small intricate guitar play just seemed like it was lost in the mix. In other areas, the P1 Plus seemed a bit sluggish in its transient speed and this probably contributes to the loss of refinement and resolution.

While the P1 Plus is warm and pleasing, it doesn't have the slam and rumble that the Timeless presents as well. The dynamics are also missing in general, as I found the P1 Plus's ability to clearly depict quiet and loud parts of some of my jazz tracks to be a bit lackluster. In general, most instruments and passages all sounded forward and close. There wasn't a large gradient or softness to parts of music that needed it. Instead, everything was a bit more in your face. I don't think this was as bad as the original P1, not even close, but it isn't the best I've heard at $159.



Overall


The P1 Plus isn't a bad IEM actually, despite its limitations. At $159, it is alright. It has a easy to listen to tonality, and for the most part sounds accurate. I found its technical ability to be just about average to perhaps slightly below at its price point, and that along with its kind of challenging fit, I don't necessarily recommend this for everyone. It's a decent IEM, and I won't fault someone for wanting it. I just find that there may be better ones around for the same, less, or slightly more money.


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