Overview (TL/DR)

The NX8Ti is a balanced soft U-shaped IEM with a very energetic and engaging sound that, PZT timbre aside, will offer you comfort, detail and immersion, with one of its major downsides being that is a Limited Edition, which means that they will eventually run out of stock, so, if you are looking for a comfortable early endgame pick, you might want to check those.

With a present low end that packs a deep-reaching sub-bass rumble along an authoritative, agile and clean mid-bass punch; a fairly present mid-range that offers consistent male vocals and lively female vocals; and a well extended treble, that packs a impactful bite and immersive detail while still being somewhat controlled, NX8Ti is great, though, it might be a bit too much for treble sensitive people.

\----------

WOULD RECOMMEND:

* For people that like more energetic and slightly bassy sound signatures.

* For people that want very good quality of bass but don’t want a bassy IEM.

* For people who want a mostly balanced sound on an IEM.

* For people that want a sturdy and durable IEM.

* For people looking for a very comfortable and lightweight IEM, either for small ears or for long use sessions,

* A direct technical upgrade coming from the OG NX8, and a great next step from cheaper PZT-using IEMs like Simgot EW300.

* For people that like to do EQ, since it works well with it.

* For people looking for a decent assortment of stock accessories.

* I personally enjoyed it for Electronic music and some Pop/K-Pop.

/----------/

WOULD NOT RECOMMEND:

* Not for people that like very thick and very full (lush) vocals.

* Not for people that like more warm/bassy or relaxed sound signatures.

* Not for people looking for an excellent “performance to price” ratio.

* People who are very sensitive to treble should be cautious with this set (even with EQ).

* If you struggle with the PZT driver timbre, better consider other options.

* People that use iems at high volumes should be cautious with this set.

* IMO, the treble amount and PZT timbre doesn’t work the best for Rock genres.

----------
----------

Full disclosure, this set WAS provided by NiceHCK, I did NOT buy it with my own money, but the opinions, as always, were given without any brand’s editorial direction, and on my own accord.

----------
----------

I will leave the official links here given the product right now is on its pre-sale period, and, with this code: 【NNX8TI】 you can get the price down to $359 on AliExpress, It expires on May 20th.

AliExpress Store Link (Click Here).

Official NiceHCK Page (Click Here).

----------
----------

REVIEW

INTRO

As a somewhat seasoned reviewer there is nothing more frustrating than reviewing an IEM that you just genuinely love but it has an specific detail that makes it complicated for you to easily recommend it, and despite how much I appreciate NiceHCK because it feels like they genuinely care for good sound, It also would be great if they could make my “job” easier for recommending their stuff.

So, when I tried the NX8 I felt like it had potential that ended in nothing remarkable, now with the revamped NX8Ti, they fixed nearly everything: better performance, better sound, even better comfort, is genuinely great, however, preference will always play a huge role on enjoyment, and it will depend on if its sound works for you, so, before making a choice, let me tell you about it.

----------

Fit and Drivability

I, 9/10 times, struggle with fit because, apparently, i have weird ears, however, NX8Ti just goes in like a glove, you just need to know what eartips to pick, and with the 4 different sets of included eartips, 2 pairs for each size, plus the ergonomic, small and relatively light weight shell of the NX8Ti, you have near 0 chances of struggling with getting a good seal, which is always extremely welcome.

Besides the very ergonomic fit of the IEM, the Ti on its name stands for “Titanium” which you can find in the sturdy “Titanium Alloy Laser-Etched” face-plates that makes the set feel more premium and durable while keeping the weight at a minimum, an upgrade compared to the basic NX8. Also, for the record, I will be using the (Kbear-style) NiceHCK 07 and 08 included eartips, both on its small size for this review.

Now, after all the good stuff, is time to mention one of the major catches that NX8Ti has: those are kind of power-hungry, they definitely do better with more power, so, take the advice from this clown that asked for a 3.5mm cable and do not, I repeat, DO NOT get NX8Ti with the 3.5mm cable, just get the 4.4mm version and plug it on the most powerful DAC you have around.

As for what’s recommended to be used for power delivery, despite its 112.3dBs sensitivity and 18 ohm impedance specs, which aren’t particularly heavy on paper, I do recommend the use of a DAC, like a CX31993 dongle with 60mW of power output, as the bare minimum, that said, my best experience using NX8Ti was with the NiceHCK Octave in its 4.4mm connection which offers 550mw of power output.

----------

THE BIAS.

Before the sound review, I need to mention a few things about me: Bear in mind that every person perceives sound in a different way, and those differences are key to understand what each person does or doesn’t like, and how that will translate into a review.

My preference is a “neutral with bass boost” type of tuning, I don’t like too boosted treble, however, I can handle intense upper treble quite a bit, so, what is not too bright, too treble forward for me, could actually come as harsh for you, and what is bassy enough for me, could be too bassy or even muddy for you.

I’m also a bit susceptible to IEMs with boosting on the upper mid-range and the lower treble area of the sound (around 4Khz-6Khz), which affects things like high pitched vocals and instruments. Having boost peaks in those areas makes the sound be a bit too intense and harsh for me, so, when I say that the sound could be “shouty,” or too intense in treble or vocals for some, I’m mostly talking about this.

Last thing is that I usually don’t struggle with iems with the called “Metallic / BA / Planar” Timbre that some people can’t really enjoy, I normally don’t have problems with neither of those, but I do struggle with PZT driver timbre.

----------

SOUND

Bass

Despite the NX8Ti being an overall balanced-sounding IEM, it is packing enough low end that it could be considered slightly bassy, which works well given its strong yet responsive bass quality, making it engaging without turning overbearing, plus the overall bass presentation is pretty clean, with just an small amount of bleed into the mid-range.

For the sub-bass, it has a deep reaching an enveloping presentation, with a fairly present vibrating rumble that is almost on part with the mid-bass punch however, this just stands ever so slightly over the rest of the sound without getting on the way, so it is only heard when the music calls for it, plus, it has a nice texture to it.

On the side of the mid-bass, it is everything you could ask for, it is very punchy, with a nice degree of physicality to it, while keeping an agile, fairly fast response, which lets it adapt well to different music genres, being forward when needed, or just keeping a sense of rhythm when the music requires so, is not a basshead amount of bass, but it is a decent amount of it nonetheless.

----------

Mid-range (vocals)

As I said on the TL/DR, the NX8Ti is a soft U-shaped IEM, which means that vocals, do take an small hit and, while the overall presentation is fine, natural-ish and kind of present, they aren’t the most lush or the most accurate, specially thanks to the PZT driver which, at least for me, always makes female vocals sound a bit off.

The lower mid-range, where general instruments and most male vocals are prevalent, is decently present overall, but still a bit “on the background” for the very low area of mid-range, it doesn’t have the most body, is just acceptable, especially with the extra “warmness” coming from the bass, so male vocals doesn’t feel too “thin” outright.

In terms of upper mid-range, were most high pitched vocals / instruments exist, MX8Ti presents a more lively side, however, vocals still aren’t the fullest feeling, also, because of the PZT driver timbre, high-pitched vocals could feel a bit odd at times, like with a hint of a “lisp”, besides, if you are very sensitive to boosted upper mid-range, there is a chance the vocals could feel borderline shouty on a few songs.

----------

Treble

With PZT drivers treble is always a mixed bag, depending on your tolerance of timbre and the recording quality of the song, you might or might not get a bit of a “noisy” sense of treble overall, but with well recorded audio in general, is usually not a problem at all, included the “lispy” vocals mentioned earlier and, compared to the original NX8, in the Ti version this PZT timbre is a lot more controlled.

On the lower treble, the area that could make some vocals feel “shouty”, is, as said before, fairly controlled with decent presence that adds some bite to the music, although at times it could feel a bit too intense for sensitive people like me, it is overall fine, giving good energy and sense of detail to the music.

As for upper treble, it is well extended and detailed, with some sparkle, and enough feeling of air, but back with the PZT driver, depending on your tolerance of the timbre, it could feel a bit too much on some songs, it also depends on the mixing of the music, for music that has controlled treble and makes vocals or bass stand out, it won’t get on the way, but if the mixing makes treble stand out, it will give it to you.

----------

Technical performance

Now, the NX8Ti normal price is about $400usd, but is down to $359usd for launch/pre-release period, also, with the PZT driver timbre on top, is a bit harder to properly judge this IEM, there is always a degree of subjectivity involved, so, in my opinion, technical performance, for a $400 IEM, is fine but not the most impressive, however, one has to bear in mind that part of the price is also because is a limited edition.

Resolution: Resolution is often what can impress more people out of the gate and, with a very crisp and clear resolution, the NX8Ti definitely offers a good performance for $400usd.

Detail retrieval: The capacity of convey detail is good for an IEM around $400, however, depending of the eartips used, detail could be a little less obvious based on how much the selected eartips affect bass and treble presence.

Note-weight: This NX8Ti, as said before, packs some bite, so note-weight is more on the strong side, but nothing too aggressive, just enough so the music feels more energetic, with more body.

Soundstage: Is more on the open, expansive side, but I wouldn’t call it too wide, it really depends on your audio and eartips of choice, still, it’s a reasonably open soundstage for its price.

Imaging: The imaging is very precise and lets you follow the sound around pretty well, so if you were worried about it, it does offer a very competitive performance in this area.

Separation: Separation is decent but, given the extra presence of treble thanks to the tuning and the PZT driver timbre, sounds could get a bit “blurry” on very complex tracks like with some Rock music genres.

Replay: With NX8ti it really is all about the replay, if your audio is not the best recorded or produced, it might not play well in this IEM, especially if it has too much treble, but well done tracks sound excellent in it.

Harshness control: For harshness control PZT timbre is never my favorite, if you often listen to music that you feel it could sound harsh, and listen at high volume on top, the treble on NX8Ti might be a bit too intense for your ears.

Sibilance: So far for me, all PZT drivers I have tried have this extra… “zing” in the sound that can feel like hints of sibilance, so, the NX8ti doesn’t deal with recorded sibilance the best for me, and that can be a major downside if your music struggles with it.

----------

Overall sound

The NX8Ti is a balanced soft U-shaped IEM with a very energetic and engaging sound that, as long you don’t mind the PZT driver timbre on the treble, will offer you comfort, detail and immersion into your music, with one of its major downsides being that is a Limited Edition model, which means that the price won’t change much over time, and they will eventually run out of stock, so, if you are looking for a comfortable early endgame, you might want to get it while you can.

With a present low end that packs a deep-reaching sub-bass rumble along an authoritative, agile and clean mid-bass punch; a fairly present mid-range that offers consistent male vocals and lively female vocals; and a well extended treble, that packs a impactful bite and immersive detail while still being somewhat controlled, though, it might be a bit too much for treble sensitive people.

I personally think that, if you are kind of a treblehead, and want something comfortable, detailed and engaging, this is by far one of the safest choices to pick, with also a very good sober-looking and sturdy build quality, my only gripe being the cable and the “Limited Edition” status, but with Dunu candy eartips, those might become my personal daily drivers.

----------

Now, 3 quick comparisons so you can grasp were this IEM lands:

First, versus the Dunu DN242 (And DN142), for me, the NX8Ti is like an in-between the Dunu twins in terms of tuning, a more energetic 242, or a more controlled 142, with a performance that sometimes stands out over them, but being the comfort the major point that NX8Ti has, still, I personally like 242 a bit more because is the more natural-sounding for me.

Then, versus the NiceHCK NX8 (OG), what else can I say? As stated in the intro, is better at everything the OG NX8 does, and easily a “double the price double the performance” upgrade, great next step if you liked the OG but wanted more, also, it could, too, be considered an upgrade coming from other PZT IEMs like the EW300.

And versus the Dunu DK3001BD, In this case the $100 extra does make a notable difference, DKBD remains unbeatable in openness, detail and texture, but characteristics like an extended sub-bass and treble, the NX8Ti does has its moments of brilliance where it wants to rival more expensive stuff, especially in resolution.

----------

----------

Accessories

The unboxing of the NX8Ti is very premium but not everything is perfect, as I mentioned before, you have a great assortment of accessories… except for the cable that is, IMO, a miss for the product, either way, it is usable, so the package ensures a good user experience overall.

/-----/

• The cable included is a thick, sturdy but also not that flexible, ash-blue (gray) color, 0.78mm 2-pin “7N Single-Crystal copper custom cable” cable formed by 2 thick strands, and embellished by “Titanium Alloy components” like the chin slider.

Honestly, this cable makes me kind of upset, is not even the fact that for something over $200 we still don’t get interchangeable nozzles that, let’s be real, it should be a must at this point, but even the right side of the cable is market by a random elastic red O-ring in the cable? I just don’t think this cable belongs with this IEM, period.

/-----/

• On a good note, NX8Ti includes 4 different sets, with 2 pairs of each size, of eartips, that offer the well liked (Kbear) NiceHCK 07 and the comfortable 08 models, as well as some NiceHCK C04 tips and some generic black eartips.

I don’t have much to say, besides the black stock tips, all the others fit comfortable and work fine with the IEM, good on NiceHCK for not only give us a good assortment of tip options, but also include spares just in case, love to see it.

/-----/

• You can also find in the box a round “NICEHCK EBX25Ti Earphone” carrying case.

I honestly liked the larger stock case of the OG NX8 better, with that thick cable included it feels too crammed, but either way, it works fine, it will protect your iems.

/-----/

• Finally, in the package comes a plastic, black brush for cleaning the IEMS, a pair of tuning nozzles than barely change sound (mostly some more treble), 2 pairs of replacement filters for said nozzles, and some sort of “connection guards”, called “pin covers”, that are supposed to help protect the 2-pin connections.

There is a lot of interesting and useful extra stuff to ensure durability and ease of use and for that I still compliment NiceHCK on the accessories.

/-----/

So yeah, for a $400 price-tag, the inclusions are as fine as it gets, no nonsense like uncomfortable eartips, plus replacements for anything that might could worn down overtime, besides the cable, NiceHCK has done a great job for the accessories.

----------

----------

Conclusions

My struggles with PZT drivers might affect to some degree my perception of this IEM, my brother which is kind of a treble-head LOVES the NX8Ti, I can’t seem to agree in its sound supremacy but, to be fair, for a limited edition product, despite the, just a bit, steep price IMO, is hard to lose if you bet on this IEM if you are looking for a daily driver end-game and like treble detail.

After some testing around in these past days, the NX8Ti, with Dunu candy tips, might as well become my daily driver for once, because it has everything, good performance, great comfort, and the PZT doesn’t bother me unless with certain songs, it really is a good set overall, but preference is always king.

A big thanks to NiceHCK and Da Bao for the opportunity to test this exciting model, and I hope NiceHCK keeps giving us more and better IEM bangers in the years to come.

----------

Thanks a lot for reading, the Budget Knight bids farewell, wishing you the best, good luck. – O.E.

Overview (TL/DR)

The NX8Ti is a balanced soft U-shaped IEM with a very energetic and engaging sound that, PZT timbre aside, will offer you comfort, detail and immersion, with one of its major downsides being that is a Limited Edition, which means that they will eventually run out of stock, so, if you are looking for a comfortable early endgame pick, you might want to check those.

With a present low end that packs a deep-reaching sub-bass rumble along an authoritative, agile and clean mid-bass punch; a fairly present mid-range that offers consistent male vocals and lively female vocals; and a well extended treble, that packs a impactful bite and immersive detail while still being somewhat controlled, NX8Ti is great, though, it might be a bit too much for treble sensitive people.

\----------

WOULD RECOMMEND:

* For people that like more energetic and slightly bassy sound signatures.

* For people that want very good quality of bass but don’t want a bassy IEM.

* For people who want a mostly balanced sound on an IEM.

* For people that want a sturdy and durable IEM.

* For people looking for a very comfortable and lightweight IEM, either for small ears or for long use sessions,

* A direct technical upgrade coming from the OG NX8, and a great next step from cheaper PZT-using IEMs like Simgot EW300.

* For people that like to do EQ, since it works well with it.

* For people looking for a decent assortment of stock accessories.

* I personally enjoyed it for Electronic music and some Pop/K-Pop.

/----------/

WOULD NOT RECOMMEND:

* Not for people that like very thick and very full (lush) vocals.

* Not for people that like more warm/bassy or relaxed sound signatures.

* Not for people looking for an excellent “performance to price” ratio.

* People who are very sensitive to treble should be cautious with this set (even with EQ).

* If you struggle with the PZT driver timbre, better consider other options.

* People that use iems at high volumes should be cautious with this set.

* IMO, the treble amount and PZT timbre doesn’t work the best for Rock genres.

----------
----------

Full disclosure, this set WAS provided by NiceHCK, I did NOT buy it with my own money, but the opinions, as always, were given without any brand’s editorial direction, and on my own accord.

----------
----------

I will leave the official links here given the product right now is on its pre-sale period, and, with this code: 【NNX8TI】 you can get the price down to $359 on AliExpress, It expires on May 20th.

AliExpress Store Link (Click Here).

Official NiceHCK Page (Click Here).

----------
----------

REVIEW

INTRO

As a somewhat seasoned reviewer there is nothing more frustrating than reviewing an IEM that you just genuinely love but it has an specific detail that makes it complicated for you to easily recommend it, and despite how much I appreciate NiceHCK because it feels like they genuinely care for good sound, It also would be great if they could make my “job” easier for recommending their stuff.

So, when I tried the NX8 I felt like it had potential that ended in nothing remarkable, now with the revamped NX8Ti, they fixed nearly everything: better performance, better sound, even better comfort, is genuinely great, however, preference will always play a huge role on enjoyment, and it will depend on if its sound works for you, so, before making a choice, let me tell you about it.

----------

Fit and Drivability

I, 9/10 times, struggle with fit because, apparently, i have weird ears, however, NX8Ti just goes in like a glove, you just need to know what eartips to pick, and with the 4 different sets of included eartips, 2 pairs for each size, plus the ergonomic, small and relatively light weight shell of the NX8Ti, you have near 0 chances of struggling with getting a good seal, which is always extremely welcome.

Besides the very ergonomic fit of the IEM, the Ti on its name stands for “Titanium” which you can find in the sturdy “Titanium Alloy Laser-Etched” face-plates that makes the set feel more premium and durable while keeping the weight at a minimum, an upgrade compared to the basic NX8. Also, for the record, I will be using the (Kbear-style) NiceHCK 07 and 08 included eartips, both on its small size for this review.

Now, after all the good stuff, is time to mention one of the major catches that NX8Ti has: those are kind of power-hungry, they definitely do better with more power, so, take the advice from this clown that asked for a 3.5mm cable and do not, I repeat, DO NOT get NX8Ti with the 3.5mm cable, just get the 4.4mm version and plug it on the most powerful DAC you have around.

As for what’s recommended to be used for power delivery, despite its 112.3dBs sensitivity and 18 ohm impedance specs, which aren’t particularly heavy on paper, I do recommend the use of a DAC, like a CX31993 dongle with 60mW of power output, as the bare minimum, that said, my best experience using NX8Ti was with the NiceHCK Octave in its 4.4mm connection which offers 550mw of power output.

----------

THE BIAS.

Before the sound review, I need to mention a few things about me: Bear in mind that every person perceives sound in a different way, and those differences are key to understand what each person does or doesn’t like, and how that will translate into a review.

My preference is a “neutral with bass boost” type of tuning, I don’t like too boosted treble, however, I can handle intense upper treble quite a bit, so, what is not too bright, too treble forward for me, could actually come as harsh for you, and what is bassy enough for me, could be too bassy or even muddy for you.

I’m also a bit susceptible to IEMs with boosting on the upper mid-range and the lower treble area of the sound (around 4Khz-6Khz), which affects things like high pitched vocals and instruments. Having boost peaks in those areas makes the sound be a bit too intense and harsh for me, so, when I say that the sound could be “shouty,” or too intense in treble or vocals for some, I’m mostly talking about this.

Last thing is that I usually don’t struggle with iems with the called “Metallic / BA / Planar” Timbre that some people can’t really enjoy, I normally don’t have problems with neither of those, but I do struggle with PZT driver timbre.

----------

SOUND

Bass

Despite the NX8Ti being an overall balanced-sounding IEM, it is packing enough low end that it could be considered slightly bassy, which works well given its strong yet responsive bass quality, making it engaging without turning overbearing, plus the overall bass presentation is pretty clean, with just an small amount of bleed into the mid-range.

For the sub-bass, it has a deep reaching an enveloping presentation, with a fairly present vibrating rumble that is almost on part with the mid-bass punch however, this just stands ever so slightly over the rest of the sound without getting on the way, so it is only heard when the music calls for it, plus, it has a nice texture to it.

On the side of the mid-bass, it is everything you could ask for, it is very punchy, with a nice degree of physicality to it, while keeping an agile, fairly fast response, which lets it adapt well to different music genres, being forward when needed, or just keeping a sense of rhythm when the music requires so, is not a basshead amount of bass, but it is a decent amount of it nonetheless.

----------

Mid-range (vocals)

As I said on the TL/DR, the NX8Ti is a soft U-shaped IEM, which means that vocals, do take an small hit and, while the overall presentation is fine, natural-ish and kind of present, they aren’t the most lush or the most accurate, specially thanks to the PZT driver which, at least for me, always makes female vocals sound a bit off.

The lower mid-range, where general instruments and most male vocals are prevalent, is decently present overall, but still a bit “on the background” for the very low area of mid-range, it doesn’t have the most body, is just acceptable, especially with the extra “warmness” coming from the bass, so male vocals doesn’t feel too “thin” outright.

In terms of upper mid-range, were most high pitched vocals / instruments exist, MX8Ti presents a more lively side, however, vocals still aren’t the fullest feeling, also, because of the PZT driver timbre, high-pitched vocals could feel a bit odd at times, like with a hint of a “lisp”, besides, if you are very sensitive to boosted upper mid-range, there is a chance the vocals could feel borderline shouty on a few songs.

----------

Treble

With PZT drivers treble is always a mixed bag, depending on your tolerance of timbre and the recording quality of the song, you might or might not get a bit of a “noisy” sense of treble overall, but with well recorded audio in general, is usually not a problem at all, included the “lispy” vocals mentioned earlier and, compared to the original NX8, in the Ti version this PZT timbre is a lot more controlled.

On the lower treble, the area that could make some vocals feel “shouty”, is, as said before, fairly controlled with decent presence that adds some bite to the music, although at times it could feel a bit too intense for sensitive people like me, it is overall fine, giving good energy and sense of detail to the music.

As for upper treble, it is well extended and detailed, with some sparkle, and enough feeling of air, but back with the PZT driver, depending on your tolerance of the timbre, it could feel a bit too much on some songs, it also depends on the mixing of the music, for music that has controlled treble and makes vocals or bass stand out, it won’t get on the way, but if the mixing makes treble stand out, it will give it to you.

----------

Technical performance

Now, the NX8Ti normal price is about $400usd, but is down to $359usd for launch/pre-release period, also, with the PZT driver timbre on top, is a bit harder to properly judge this IEM, there is always a degree of subjectivity involved, so, in my opinion, technical performance, for a $400 IEM, is fine but not the most impressive, however, one has to bear in mind that part of the price is also because is a limited edition.

Resolution: Resolution is often what can impress more people out of the gate and, with a very crisp and clear resolution, the NX8Ti definitely offers a good performance for $400usd.

Detail retrieval: The capacity of convey detail is good for an IEM around $400, however, depending of the eartips used, detail could be a little less obvious based on how much the selected eartips affect bass and treble presence.

Note-weight: This NX8Ti, as said before, packs some bite, so note-weight is more on the strong side, but nothing too aggressive, just enough so the music feels more energetic, with more body.

Soundstage: Is more on the open, expansive side, but I wouldn’t call it too wide, it really depends on your audio and eartips of choice, still, it’s a reasonably open soundstage for its price.

Imaging: The imaging is very precise and lets you follow the sound around pretty well, so if you were worried about it, it does offer a very competitive performance in this area.

Separation: Separation is decent but, given the extra presence of treble thanks to the tuning and the PZT driver timbre, sounds could get a bit “blurry” on very complex tracks like with some Rock music genres.

Replay: With NX8ti it really is all about the replay, if your audio is not the best recorded or produced, it might not play well in this IEM, especially if it has too much treble, but well done tracks sound excellent in it.

Harshness control: For harshness control PZT timbre is never my favorite, if you often listen to music that you feel it could sound harsh, and listen at high volume on top, the treble on NX8Ti might be a bit too intense for your ears.

Sibilance: So far for me, all PZT drivers I have tried have this extra… “zing” in the sound that can feel like hints of sibilance, so, the NX8ti doesn’t deal with recorded sibilance the best for me, and that can be a major downside if your music struggles with it.

----------

Overall sound

The NX8Ti is a balanced soft U-shaped IEM with a very energetic and engaging sound that, as long you don’t mind the PZT driver timbre on the treble, will offer you comfort, detail and immersion into your music, with one of its major downsides being that is a Limited Edition model, which means that the price won’t change much over time, and they will eventually run out of stock, so, if you are looking for a comfortable early endgame, you might want to get it while you can.

With a present low end that packs a deep-reaching sub-bass rumble along an authoritative, agile and clean mid-bass punch; a fairly present mid-range that offers consistent male vocals and lively female vocals; and a well extended treble, that packs a impactful bite and immersive detail while still being somewhat controlled, though, it might be a bit too much for treble sensitive people.

I personally think that, if you are kind of a treblehead, and want something comfortable, detailed and engaging, this is by far one of the safest choices to pick, with also a very good sober-looking and sturdy build quality, my only gripe being the cable and the “Limited Edition” status, but with Dunu candy eartips, those might become my personal daily drivers.

----------

Now, 3 quick comparisons so you can grasp were this IEM lands:

First, versus the Dunu DN242 (And DN142), for me, the NX8Ti is like an in-between the Dunu twins in terms of tuning, a more energetic 242, or a more controlled 142, with a performance that sometimes stands out over them, but being the comfort the major point that NX8Ti has, still, I personally like 242 a bit more because is the more natural-sounding for me.

Then, versus the NiceHCK NX8 (OG), what else can I say? As stated in the intro, is better at everything the OG NX8 does, and easily a “double the price double the performance” upgrade, great next step if you liked the OG but wanted more, also, it could, too, be considered an upgrade coming from other PZT IEMs like the EW300.

And versus the Dunu DK3001BD, In this case the $100 extra does make a notable difference, DKBD remains unbeatable in openness, detail and texture, but characteristics like an extended sub-bass and treble, the NX8Ti does has its moments of brilliance where it wants to rival more expensive stuff, especially in resolution.

----------

----------

Accessories

The unboxing of the NX8Ti is very premium but not everything is perfect, as I mentioned before, you have a great assortment of accessories… except for the cable that is, IMO, a miss for the product, either way, it is usable, so the package ensures a good user experience overall.

/-----/

• The cable included is a thick, sturdy but also not that flexible, ash-blue (gray) color, 0.78mm 2-pin “7N Single-Crystal copper custom cable” cable formed by 2 thick strands, and embellished by “Titanium Alloy components” like the chin slider.

Honestly, this cable makes me kind of upset, is not even the fact that for something over $200 we still don’t get interchangeable nozzles that, let’s be real, it should be a must at this point, but even the right side of the cable is market by a random elastic red O-ring in the cable? I just don’t think this cable belongs with this IEM, period.

/-----/

• On a good note, NX8Ti includes 4 different sets, with 2 pairs of each size, of eartips, that offer the well liked (Kbear) NiceHCK 07 and the comfortable 08 models, as well as some NiceHCK C04 tips and some generic black eartips.

I don’t have much to say, besides the black stock tips, all the others fit comfortable and work fine with the IEM, good on NiceHCK for not only give us a good assortment of tip options, but also include spares just in case, love to see it.

/-----/

• You can also find in the box a round “NICEHCK EBX25Ti Earphone” carrying case.

I honestly liked the larger stock case of the OG NX8 better, with that thick cable included it feels too crammed, but either way, it works fine, it will protect your iems.

/-----/

• Finally, in the package comes a plastic, black brush for cleaning the IEMS, a pair of tuning nozzles than barely change sound (mostly some more treble), 2 pairs of replacement filters for said nozzles, and some sort of “connection guards”, called “pin covers”, that are supposed to help protect the 2-pin connections.

There is a lot of interesting and useful extra stuff to ensure durability and ease of use and for that I still compliment NiceHCK on the accessories.

/-----/

So yeah, for a $400 price-tag, the inclusions are as fine as it gets, no nonsense like uncomfortable eartips, plus replacements for anything that might could worn down overtime, besides the cable, NiceHCK has done a great job for the accessories.

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Conclusions

My struggles with PZT drivers might affect to some degree my perception of this IEM, my brother which is kind of a treble-head LOVES the NX8Ti, I can’t seem to agree in its sound supremacy but, to be fair, for a limited edition product, despite the, just a bit, steep price IMO, is hard to lose if you bet on this IEM if you are looking for a daily driver end-game and like treble detail.

After some testing around in these past days, the NX8Ti, with Dunu candy tips, might as well become my daily driver for once, because it has everything, good performance, great comfort, and the PZT doesn’t bother me unless with certain songs, it really is a good set overall, but preference is always king.

A big thanks to NiceHCK and Da Bao for the opportunity to test this exciting model, and I hope NiceHCK keeps giving us more and better IEM bangers in the years to come.

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Thanks a lot for reading, the Budget Knight bids farewell, wishing you the best, good luck. – O.E.

Overview (TL/DR)

The NX8Ti is a balanced soft U-shaped IEM with a very energetic and engaging sound that, PZT timbre aside, will offer you comfort, detail and immersion, with one of its major downsides being that is a Limited Edition, which means that they will eventually run out of stock, so, if you are looking for a comfortable early endgame pick, you might want to check those.

With a present low end that packs a deep-reaching sub-bass rumble along an authoritative, agile and clean mid-bass punch; a fairly present mid-range that offers consistent male vocals and lively female vocals; and a well extended treble, that packs a impactful bite and immersive detail while still being somewhat controlled, NX8Ti is great, though, it might be a bit too much for treble sensitive people.

\----------

WOULD RECOMMEND:

* For people that like more energetic and slightly bassy sound signatures.

* For people that want very good quality of bass but don’t want a bassy IEM.

* For people who want a mostly balanced sound on an IEM.

* For people that want a sturdy and durable IEM.

* For people looking for a very comfortable and lightweight IEM, either for small ears or for long use sessions,

* A direct technical upgrade coming from the OG NX8, and a great next step from cheaper PZT-using IEMs like Simgot EW300.

* For people that like to do EQ, since it works well with it.

* For people looking for a decent assortment of stock accessories.

* I personally enjoyed it for Electronic music and some Pop/K-Pop.

/----------/

WOULD NOT RECOMMEND:

* Not for people that like very thick and very full (lush) vocals.

* Not for people that like more warm/bassy or relaxed sound signatures.

* Not for people looking for an excellent “performance to price” ratio.

* People who are very sensitive to treble should be cautious with this set (even with EQ).

* If you struggle with the PZT driver timbre, better consider other options.

* People that use iems at high volumes should be cautious with this set.

* IMO, the treble amount and PZT timbre doesn’t work the best for Rock genres.

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Full disclosure, this set WAS provided by NiceHCK, I did NOT buy it with my own money, but the opinions, as always, were given without any brand’s editorial direction, and on my own accord.

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I will leave the official links here given the product right now is on its pre-sale period, and, with this code: 【NNX8TI】 you can get the price down to $359 on AliExpress, It expires on May 20th.

AliExpress Store Link (Click Here).

Official NiceHCK Page (Click Here).

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REVIEW

INTRO

As a somewhat seasoned reviewer there is nothing more frustrating than reviewing an IEM that you just genuinely love but it has an specific detail that makes it complicated for you to easily recommend it, and despite how much I appreciate NiceHCK because it feels like they genuinely care for good sound, It also would be great if they could make my “job” easier for recommending their stuff.

So, when I tried the NX8 I felt like it had potential that ended in nothing remarkable, now with the revamped NX8Ti, they fixed nearly everything: better performance, better sound, even better comfort, is genuinely great, however, preference will always play a huge role on enjoyment, and it will depend on if its sound works for you, so, before making a choice, let me tell you about it.

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Fit and Drivability

I, 9/10 times, struggle with fit because, apparently, i have weird ears, however, NX8Ti just goes in like a glove, you just need to know what eartips to pick, and with the 4 different sets of included eartips, 2 pairs for each size, plus the ergonomic, small and relatively light weight shell of the NX8Ti, you have near 0 chances of struggling with getting a good seal, which is always extremely welcome.

Besides the very ergonomic fit of the IEM, the Ti on its name stands for “Titanium” which you can find in the sturdy “Titanium Alloy Laser-Etched” face-plates that makes the set feel more premium and durable while keeping the weight at a minimum, an upgrade compared to the basic NX8. Also, for the record, I will be using the (Kbear-style) NiceHCK 07 and 08 included eartips, both on its small size for this review.

Now, after all the good stuff, is time to mention one of the major catches that NX8Ti has: those are kind of power-hungry, they definitely do better with more power, so, take the advice from this clown that asked for a 3.5mm cable and do not, I repeat, DO NOT get NX8Ti with the 3.5mm cable, just get the 4.4mm version and plug it on the most powerful DAC you have around.

As for what’s recommended to be used for power delivery, despite its 112.3dBs sensitivity and 18 ohm impedance specs, which aren’t particularly heavy on paper, I do recommend the use of a DAC, like a CX31993 dongle with 60mW of power output, as the bare minimum, that said, my best experience using NX8Ti was with the NiceHCK Octave in its 4.4mm connection which offers 550mw of power output.

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THE BIAS.

Before the sound review, I need to mention a few things about me: Bear in mind that every person perceives sound in a different way, and those differences are key to understand what each person does or doesn’t like, and how that will translate into a review.

My preference is a “neutral with bass boost” type of tuning, I don’t like too boosted treble, however, I can handle intense upper treble quite a bit, so, what is not too bright, too treble forward for me, could actually come as harsh for you, and what is bassy enough for me, could be too bassy or even muddy for you.

I’m also a bit susceptible to IEMs with boosting on the upper mid-range and the lower treble area of the sound (around 4Khz-6Khz), which affects things like high pitched vocals and instruments. Having boost peaks in those areas makes the sound be a bit too intense and harsh for me, so, when I say that the sound could be “shouty,” or too intense in treble or vocals for some, I’m mostly talking about this.

Last thing is that I usually don’t struggle with iems with the called “Metallic / BA / Planar” Timbre that some people can’t really enjoy, I normally don’t have problems with neither of those, but I do struggle with PZT driver timbre.

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SOUND

Bass

Despite the NX8Ti being an overall balanced-sounding IEM, it is packing enough low end that it could be considered slightly bassy, which works well given its strong yet responsive bass quality, making it engaging without turning overbearing, plus the overall bass presentation is pretty clean, with just an small amount of bleed into the mid-range.

For the sub-bass, it has a deep reaching an enveloping presentation, with a fairly present vibrating rumble that is almost on part with the mid-bass punch however, this just stands ever so slightly over the rest of the sound without getting on the way, so it is only heard when the music calls for it, plus, it has a nice texture to it.

On the side of the mid-bass, it is everything you could ask for, it is very punchy, with a nice degree of physicality to it, while keeping an agile, fairly fast response, which lets it adapt well to different music genres, being forward when needed, or just keeping a sense of rhythm when the music requires so, is not a basshead amount of bass, but it is a decent amount of it nonetheless.

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Mid-range (vocals)

As I said on the TL/DR, the NX8Ti is a soft U-shaped IEM, which means that vocals, do take an small hit and, while the overall presentation is fine, natural-ish and kind of present, they aren’t the most lush or the most accurate, specially thanks to the PZT driver which, at least for me, always makes female vocals sound a bit off.

The lower mid-range, where general instruments and most male vocals are prevalent, is decently present overall, but still a bit “on the background” for the very low area of mid-range, it doesn’t have the most body, is just acceptable, especially with the extra “warmness” coming from the bass, so male vocals doesn’t feel too “thin” outright.

In terms of upper mid-range, were most high pitched vocals / instruments exist, MX8Ti presents a more lively side, however, vocals still aren’t the fullest feeling, also, because of the PZT driver timbre, high-pitched vocals could feel a bit odd at times, like with a hint of a “lisp”, besides, if you are very sensitive to boosted upper mid-range, there is a chance the vocals could feel borderline shouty on a few songs.

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Treble

With PZT drivers treble is always a mixed bag, depending on your tolerance of timbre and the recording quality of the song, you might or might not get a bit of a “noisy” sense of treble overall, but with well recorded audio in general, is usually not a problem at all, included the “lispy” vocals mentioned earlier and, compared to the original NX8, in the Ti version this PZT timbre is a lot more controlled.

On the lower treble, the area that could make some vocals feel “shouty”, is, as said before, fairly controlled with decent presence that adds some bite to the music, although at times it could feel a bit too intense for sensitive people like me, it is overall fine, giving good energy and sense of detail to the music.

As for upper treble, it is well extended and detailed, with some sparkle, and enough feeling of air, but back with the PZT driver, depending on your tolerance of the timbre, it could feel a bit too much on some songs, it also depends on the mixing of the music, for music that has controlled treble and makes vocals or bass stand out, it won’t get on the way, but if the mixing makes treble stand out, it will give it to you.

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Technical performance

Now, the NX8Ti normal price is about $400usd, but is down to $359usd for launch/pre-release period, also, with the PZT driver timbre on top, is a bit harder to properly judge this IEM, there is always a degree of subjectivity involved, so, in my opinion, technical performance, for a $400 IEM, is fine but not the most impressive, however, one has to bear in mind that part of the price is also because is a limited edition.

Resolution: Resolution is often what can impress more people out of the gate and, with a very crisp and clear resolution, the NX8Ti definitely offers a good performance for $400usd.

Detail retrieval: The capacity of convey detail is good for an IEM around $400, however, depending of the eartips used, detail could be a little less obvious based on how much the selected eartips affect bass and treble presence.

Note-weight: This NX8Ti, as said before, packs some bite, so note-weight is more on the strong side, but nothing too aggressive, just enough so the music feels more energetic, with more body.

Soundstage: Is more on the open, expansive side, but I wouldn’t call it too wide, it really depends on your audio and eartips of choice, still, it’s a reasonably open soundstage for its price.

Imaging: The imaging is very precise and lets you follow the sound around pretty well, so if you were worried about it, it does offer a very competitive performance in this area.

Separation: Separation is decent but, given the extra presence of treble thanks to the tuning and the PZT driver timbre, sounds could get a bit “blurry” on very complex tracks like with some Rock music genres.

Replay: With NX8ti it really is all about the replay, if your audio is not the best recorded or produced, it might not play well in this IEM, especially if it has too much treble, but well done tracks sound excellent in it.

Harshness control: For harshness control PZT timbre is never my favorite, if you often listen to music that you feel it could sound harsh, and listen at high volume on top, the treble on NX8Ti might be a bit too intense for your ears.

Sibilance: So far for me, all PZT drivers I have tried have this extra… “zing” in the sound that can feel like hints of sibilance, so, the NX8ti doesn’t deal with recorded sibilance the best for me, and that can be a major downside if your music struggles with it.

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Overall sound

The NX8Ti is a balanced soft U-shaped IEM with a very energetic and engaging sound that, as long you don’t mind the PZT driver timbre on the treble, will offer you comfort, detail and immersion into your music, with one of its major downsides being that is a Limited Edition model, which means that the price won’t change much over time, and they will eventually run out of stock, so, if you are looking for a comfortable early endgame, you might want to get it while you can.

With a present low end that packs a deep-reaching sub-bass rumble along an authoritative, agile and clean mid-bass punch; a fairly present mid-range that offers consistent male vocals and lively female vocals; and a well extended treble, that packs a impactful bite and immersive detail while still being somewhat controlled, though, it might be a bit too much for treble sensitive people.

I personally think that, if you are kind of a treblehead, and want something comfortable, detailed and engaging, this is by far one of the safest choices to pick, with also a very good sober-looking and sturdy build quality, my only gripe being the cable and the “Limited Edition” status, but with Dunu candy eartips, those might become my personal daily drivers.

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Now, 3 quick comparisons so you can grasp were this IEM lands:

First, versus the Dunu DN242 (And DN142), for me, the NX8Ti is like an in-between the Dunu twins in terms of tuning, a more energetic 242, or a more controlled 142, with a performance that sometimes stands out over them, but being the comfort the major point that NX8Ti has, still, I personally like 242 a bit more because is the more natural-sounding for me.

Then, versus the NiceHCK NX8 (OG), what else can I say? As stated in the intro, is better at everything the OG NX8 does, and easily a “double the price double the performance” upgrade, great next step if you liked the OG but wanted more, also, it could, too, be considered an upgrade coming from other PZT IEMs like the EW300.

And versus the Dunu DK3001BD, In this case the $100 extra does make a notable difference, DKBD remains unbeatable in openness, detail and texture, but characteristics like an extended sub-bass and treble, the NX8Ti does has its moments of brilliance where it wants to rival more expensive stuff, especially in resolution.

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Accessories

The unboxing of the NX8Ti is very premium but not everything is perfect, as I mentioned before, you have a great assortment of accessories… except for the cable that is, IMO, a miss for the product, either way, it is usable, so the package ensures a good user experience overall.

/-----/

• The cable included is a thick, sturdy but also not that flexible, ash-blue (gray) color, 0.78mm 2-pin “7N Single-Crystal copper custom cable” cable formed by 2 thick strands, and embellished by “Titanium Alloy components” like the chin slider.

Honestly, this cable makes me kind of upset, is not even the fact that for something over $200 we still don’t get interchangeable nozzles that, let’s be real, it should be a must at this point, but even the right side of the cable is market by a random elastic red O-ring in the cable? I just don’t think this cable belongs with this IEM, period.

/-----/

• On a good note, NX8Ti includes 4 different sets, with 2 pairs of each size, of eartips, that offer the well liked (Kbear) NiceHCK 07 and the comfortable 08 models, as well as some NiceHCK C04 tips and some generic black eartips.

I don’t have much to say, besides the black stock tips, all the others fit comfortable and work fine with the IEM, good on NiceHCK for not only give us a good assortment of tip options, but also include spares just in case, love to see it.

/-----/

• You can also find in the box a round “NICEHCK EBX25Ti Earphone” carrying case.

I honestly liked the larger stock case of the OG NX8 better, with that thick cable included it feels too crammed, but either way, it works fine, it will protect your iems.

/-----/

• Finally, in the package comes a plastic, black brush for cleaning the IEMS, a pair of tuning nozzles than barely change sound (mostly some more treble), 2 pairs of replacement filters for said nozzles, and some sort of “connection guards”, called “pin covers”, that are supposed to help protect the 2-pin connections.

There is a lot of interesting and useful extra stuff to ensure durability and ease of use and for that I still compliment NiceHCK on the accessories.

/-----/

So yeah, for a $400 price-tag, the inclusions are as fine as it gets, no nonsense like uncomfortable eartips, plus replacements for anything that might could worn down overtime, besides the cable, NiceHCK has done a great job for the accessories.

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Conclusions

My struggles with PZT drivers might affect to some degree my perception of this IEM, my brother which is kind of a treble-head LOVES the NX8Ti, I can’t seem to agree in its sound supremacy but, to be fair, for a limited edition product, despite the, just a bit, steep price IMO, is hard to lose if you bet on this IEM if you are looking for a daily driver end-game and like treble detail.

After some testing around in these past days, the NX8Ti, with Dunu candy tips, might as well become my daily driver for once, because it has everything, good performance, great comfort, and the PZT doesn’t bother me unless with certain songs, it really is a good set overall, but preference is always king.

A big thanks to NiceHCK and Da Bao for the opportunity to test this exciting model, and I hope NiceHCK keeps giving us more and better IEM bangers in the years to come.

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Thanks a lot for reading, the Budget Knight bids farewell, wishing you the best, good luck. – O.E.

Overview (TL/DR)

WhaleShark is an energetic V-shape IEM with plenty of eartips and 3 tuning nozzles that help adjust the sound to your preference. Despite not having the most ergonomic design, the sound and performance WhaleShark offers makes it a valid first option or a nice upgrade point coming from sub $100 sets, specially TRN Shell/WhiteTiger.

With a very present and texturized low end with an authoritative and agile mid-bass punch; a reasonably dipped mid-range presentation with lively female vocals; and a detailed and well extended yet (just) enough controlled treble for an engaging sound, although, it could feel like a bit too much for some.

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WOULD RECOMMEND:

• For people that like more energetic and slightly bassy, or slightly bright, sound signatures.
• For people that want very good quality of bass but don’t want a bassy IEM (depends on the tuning nozzle).
• For people who want a mostly balanced sound on an IEM.
• For people that want an IEM with good technical performance for the price.
• A technical upgrade from IEMs like TRN Shell/WhiteTiger or Pula Unicrom.
• For people that like to do EQ, since it works well with it.
• For people looking for a good assortment of stock accessories.
• I personally enjoyed it for K-Pop and electronic music.

/----------/

WOULD NOT RECOMMEND:

• Not for people that like very thick and very full (lush) vocals (unless with EQ).
• Not for people that like more warm/bassy or relaxed sound signatures.
• Not for people wanting lightweight and tight-fitting IEMs for outdoor use.
• People who are very sensitive to treble should be cautious with this set (unless with EQ).
• People with small ears/ear-canals should be cautious with the comfort and seal of this set.
• People that use iems at high volumes should be cautious with this set.

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Full disclosure, this set WAS provided by TRN, I did NOT buy it with my own money, but the opinions, as always, were given without any brand’s editorial direction, and on my own accord.
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REVIEW

INTRO

For reviewing IEMs, IMO, one should always put preferences aside, focusing mainly on a performance that matches the price-tag, as well as expecting a reasonable sound signature from the set at hand, however, is easy to get overwhelmed when testing around different models, and with that, identifying the ones that could be hard to like on a personal level can become a bad habit, even if we try to enjoy the IEM regardless.

With that said, big was my surprise when I actually found myself genuinely enjoying the WhaleShark (WS) despite my expectations from its V-shaped tuning style. You see, a fair share of recent TRN models had been a bit of an struggle to fit and seal well on my ears, adding on top a performance that didn’t particularly impressed me, but this time, WhaleShark has become a point of redemption for the brand in my eyes, so let me tell you why.

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Fit and Drivability

Let’s get things straight, those shells look endearing, but they are also kind of heavy, full metal build IEMs with those nice-looking face-plates are always welcome, but thanks to the shape and weight of these, they can easily slip out of your ears if you don’t have a great seal and fit, however, for the $130usd or less those go for, you get a few extra benefits…

Besides the sturdy build quality it has, that feels like you can swing those around as a weapon, the WhaleShark comes with 5 different, full 3-size, sets of eartips that almost ensures you will have, at least, a decent fit, specialty thanks to the included foam eartips which I used for the majority of this review.

The Whale Shark also comes with other nice things like a thick cable with interchangeable plugs, a hard plastic carrying case and 3 tuning nozzles that do make a noticeable difference in sound, the green ring nozzle being the more “balanced” classic V-shape of the 3, while the black ring nozzle focus on more clarity over bass presence, and the red ring nozzle with more bass presence over clarity respectively.

In terms of power needs, even with its hybrid configuration of 3 dynamic drivers plus one planar, and its 110dB sensitivity/16 ohm impedance specs, WS is pretty easy to drive, from a phone jack connection to a powerful DAC, sound quality should remain consistent, however, in terms of pure volume, you could use a decent basic dongle DAC of, at least, 65mW of power output, so you ensure you’ll get good volume levels.

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THE BIAS.

Before the sound review, I need to mention a few things about me: Bear in mind that every person perceives sound in a different way, and those differences are key to understand what each person does or doesn’t like, and how that will translate into a review.

My preference is a “neutral with bass boost” type of tuning, I don’t like too boosted treble, however, I can handle intense upper treble quite a bit, so, what is not too bright, too treble forward for me, could actually come as harsh for you, and what is bassy enough for me, could be too bassy or even muddy for you.

I’m also a bit susceptible to IEMs with boosting on the upper mid-range and the lower treble area of the sound (around 4Khz-6Khz), which affects things like high pitched vocals and instruments. Having boost peaks in those areas makes the sound be a bit too intense and harsh for me, so, when I say that the sound could be “shouty,” or too intense in treble or vocals for some, I’m mostly talking about this.

Last thing is that I usually don’t struggle with iems with the called “Metallic / BA / Planar” Timbre that some people can’t really enjoy, I normally don’t have problems with neither of those.

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SOUND

Bass

One of the main reasons I wasn’t so eager to test WhaleShark was because, on previous TRN models, I have found the bass to be a tad less impactful that I would have wanted, though to be fair, I am a basshead, but oh man, WhaleShark shut my trap fast with its impact, which I think is one of the main highlights of its sound.

So, starting from the sub-bass, as long as you have a good seal, it will reach deep and offer appropriate rumble, along with enough texture, without feeling intrusive, of course, this will depend also a lot in which one of the tuning nozzles you use, as the red nozzle could feel like the bass is “masking” the sound just a tiny bit, while the black nozzle could feel like the bass lacks some presence.

As for the mid-bass, it actually stands out a bit over the sub-bass. having great impact along a pretty fast attack, offering a pretty physical and agile punch, and making for an overall dynamic and engaging low end that, if it wasn’t for the fit of the shells, might have made WhaleShark a serious contender for my daily driver IEM.
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Mid-range (vocals)

If you have read the intro you already know that this IEM is a V-shaped one, so vocals and mid-range aren’t the particular focus here, with that in mind, if you like V-shaped stuff you might as well jump over this part, as the mid-range on the WhaleShark is nothing neither impressive nor bad, it just gets the job done.

The lower mid-range, where general instruments and most male vocals are prevalent, is fairly well done, it does feel a bit “on the background”, a bit “thin”, but is from the better ones I have hear on IEMs with this kind of sound tyle, having a bit of “warmness” coming from the bass so vocals doesn’t feel anemic, while also not feeling outright muddy, but as said before, this can be changed depending on what tuning nozzle you use.

For the upper mid-range, were most high pitched vocals / instruments exist, WhaleShark offers lively vocals, specially female ones, with decent body, and acceptable naturalness to its sound too, however, even with the more bassy nozzle on, high pitches vocals could feel borderline “shouty” on specific songs, so, if you are sensitive to it, you should be careful if you plan to pick WhaleShark.
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Treble

Treble is actually the second best thing on this IEM given it is tuned in a way that is energetic and dynamic without being outright harsh, meaning that, unless your music is already harsh on treble, it won’t feel offensive on its own despite not being a “tamed” amount of treble by any means, and depending on the nozzle, could even be in treble-head territory.

Lower treble, that could make some vocals feel “shouty”, is very well controlled without losing presence, just the right amount of “bite” coming from it, giving detail without feeling too intense, however, if you prefer a more “Harman”, more intense kind of lower treble, you probably will be left wanting a bit more from it, especially compared to other V-shaped IEMs that often have this area more boosted.

Upper treble is energetic, extended, with some sparkle, some air, and sufficient detail, however, depending on your tolerance and preferences it could feel a bit too much, but on red nozzle, IMO, is just the right amount for most music, on green or, specially, black nozzle, it could be problematic, something to bear in mind if you are sensitive to treble.
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Technical performance

With the $130usd MSRP price tag, wondering if the performance of the WhaleShark is worth over sub $100 IEMs is totally valid, especially if you add in the equation the existence of other very competitive hybrid IEMs like EW300 or the Defiant, that said, I must give my respects to TRN because, overall, WS did managed to offer an experience that makes sense for the money it cost, and more so if you snatch it on a sale.

Resolution: For resolution WhaleShark has a crisp, clear and resolutive presentation of the sound, totally matching the sub $150usd price.

Detail retrieval: Thanks to the combination of the planar driver plus a plentiful treble, the detail retrieval is good for the price, with nuances being obvious in most songs, though, not to a “technical-head” degree.

Note-weight: Is just how I like it, standing in that sweet middle-ground where the overall sound feels physical and with weight but without being too aggressive or fatiguing on long listening sessions.

Soundstage: It is fine, is slightly on the open side of sound, sufficiently spacious, but, as said before, not technical-head, but it would get the job done.

Imaging: Imaging is also sufficiently good, you can hear the sound coming from the correct places and also follow it when is moving fairly well, however, is not “super-precise” for moving sound in my experience.

Separation: This is from the best parts of WhaleShark, as the instruments feel well organized and easy to identify in the mix, music genres like rock, acoustic or electronic music have an immersive experience with it.

Replay: All in all, nothing to complain in this department, both poorly mixed tracks and very carefully produced music sound pretty good on WhaleShark, with the only exception that music with a lot of treble could sound a bit intense on these.

Harshness control: Despite the more than enough amount of treble, the sound on WhaleShark, mainly with red nozzle, is fairly well controlled, so harshness won’t be a common problem unless you use black nozzle or with specific songs.

Sibilance: Sibilance on WhaleShark is actually respectably controlled, mostly struggling just a bit with tracks with recorded sibilance, but not really showing it on properly recorded music, still, the present treble, sooner or later, could be problematic if you want a very smooth experience.
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Overall sound

The WhaleShark is an energetic V-shape IEM with plenty of accessories and 3 tuning nozzles that help you adjust the sound to your preference. Despite not having the most ergonomic, light or well-fitting design, the sound and performance WhaleShark offers makes it a valid option for purchase, with the only major downside being its treble extension that could feel like a bit too much for some.

With a very present and texturized low end that packs a balanced sub-bass rumble presence along an authoritative and agile, yet clean-ish, mid-bass punch; a reasonable mid-range presentation with a correct timbre of vocals across the board plus lively female vocals; and a detailed and well extended treble, that could come as a bit overly intense for a few people, but being otherwise fairly controlled.

WhaleShark sound is the kind that most people are already used to, the type that feels all dynamic and full of intensity while allowing to boost some volume up for extra enjoyment, is not the most refined or technical sound presentation, but it has nothing to envy to its peers and, with regular TRN price drops on sales, it makes it all the more great.
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Now, 3 quick comparisons so you can grasp were this IEM lands:

First, versus the Tanchjim FOLA, outright FOLA was the better comfort just because is smaller, lighter and overall more ergonomic, it has a bit more natural presentation of vocals and a smoother treble, however, bass just lacks the impact that WS has, and accessories are different but on par so, unless looking for vocals, WS feels like the more reasonable allrounder choice.

Then, versus the NiceHCK NX8, WhaleShark is in general the better pick in my opinion, if it wasn’t for the (at least for me) quite uncomfortable fit, WS would be the total winner, however, with still a decent technical performance and bass quality on NX8, the questions is, you want the daily comfort of NX8? or the momentary energy of WS?.

And versus the Dunu DN 142, is clear that the 142 has the technical upper hand, with a bit more nuanced sub-bass and a more detailed sound, however, with both having not the best fit and also 142 being more boosted treble, if you ever wanted something less intense but as engaging, WhaleShark will be the alternative, and is my preferred tuning.

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Accessories

Here is where TRN stands out, as the unboxing experience and packaging on WhaleShark is akin to $200+ IEMs despite its lower price, something I must praise TRN for.

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• The cable included is a thick, yet flexible, white color, 0.78mm 2-pin “High-quality oxygen-free copper silver-plated and single crystal copper mixed braided” cable formed by 2 strands, each one having “250 high-purity wire conductors”, and it comes with interchangeable 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm balanced jack connections that uses a screwable latch system to stay attached.

Nothing really to complaint about with this cable, is thick, feels durable, the connections work well (maybe a bit too well because you do could struggle a bit to unplug them to change them), so yeah, a win for TRN.

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• Whale Shark also includes a massive 5 different set assortment of eartips, all five sets with 3-size pairs each, with the list including: Premium TRN “T-Tip” silicone tips, premium “Sea Snail” silicone tips, stock black tips, stock white tips and also 3-size pairs of foam tips.

Sadly for me, this great assortment of tips is what I would describe as “surprised but not impressed”, as is always great give more variety to the buyers to try but problem being that, at least for me, only the white stock tips and the foam tips, in small size, just kind of fit me, the other ones doesn’t really work for my ears on WS, you should try all 5 pairs though, you could have better luck.

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• Finally, in the package comes a plastic, black, branded, rigid case that closes with a latch.

The case is sturdy and will withstand rough use but I just personally don’t like those kind of carrying cases because it just feels, for me, that the cable is going to get pinched when closing it, besides, there is really no extra compartments for like the different plugs or even to carry a DAC, so yeah, is fine, not great.

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Maybe is not the most amount of individual accessories but TRN gives you all quality of life you need and specially, you must remember, it is a hybrid IEM that often goes on sale and performs as the price implies, versus other brands, you get more than expected.

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Conclusions

Being real with you, the market is quite saturated with V-shaped IEMs nowadays, especially on the budget segment, however, that doesn’t take away from the fact that WhaleShark offers solid sound for the price, in that sense, I totally recommend it, but that is, as long as it fulfills your audio needs.

I don’t like V-shapes in general, so for me it was quite the big surprise that it could match some of my preferences, however, I keep hoping that TRN would change the inner shape of their IEM shells because they just genuinely doesn’t work for me and, I assume, it can give problems to other people too, which does worries me.

At the end of the day thought, if you come from IEMs like Shell or White Tiger from TRN, you like an energetic and powerful sound, and you like sturdy materials on your IEM, I think WS is just a great IEM, and a valid option to pick, especially on a sale.

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Thanks a lot for reading, the Budget Knight bids farewell, wishing you the best, good luck. – O.E.