Current testing methodology is v1.2
June 12, 2020
Price not available
2.46 oz
4.02 x 2.87 x 1.34 in
For months, I’ve been on the lookout for another bullet-style IEM and more bassy IEMs, and with the TRN M10, it’s like hitting two birds with one stone.
Released in 2020, the TRN M10 follows a bullet-style design similar to Moondrop Quarks and Tanchjim Zero.
These IEMs are around $20 and for this price, there are so many models available out there that offer great quality. So why should you consider this? I’ll tell you in this review.
TRN M10
A versatile set that bass heads would appreciate.
TL:DR;
The TRN M10 is a hybrid driver IEM with more of a W-shaped sound signature rather than a V-shape.
These IEMs works well with almost any music genre, including those for easy listening, but it has substantial bass that makes it great for more energetic tracks.
The bass presence in these IEMs is weighty and massive, which makes this somewhat of a bass cannon set.
Its bullet-style design initially stuck with me and when I started using it intensively, I gravitated towards it more than my other sets. If that’s not enough proof that I enjoyed these IEMs, I don’t know what is
The Specs
- Driver: 1 Balanced Armature + 1 Dynamic Driver
- Cable: 3.5mm plug/ 0.75mm pin
- Frequency: 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz
- Impedance: 16Ω
- Sensitivity: 106db
What’s in the Box?
- TRN M10 earphones
- 3 x pairs of silicone ear tips
- 2-pin detachable cable
- User guide
Stuff I like
- Bass presence is moderately boomy and punchy
- Clear and crisp treble
- Excellent clarity and detail retrieval
- Compact and ergonomic
Stuff I like less
- Treble peaks
- Lack of body in the mids
- Weird tonality
Where to get it
Comparable products to consider
The Tanchjim Zero features a more relaxed and neutral tuning compared to most IEMs and is overall a decent set.
First Impressions
The TRN M10 comes in pretty standard TRN packaging – a cardboard box with the product’s graphic on the front and extra details on the back and the sides.
Once you pull out the inner box that contains the earphones, you can see that the IEMs are presented nicely.
I love the bullet design of the TRN M10 mixed with its metallic finish. It nails the typical bullet-style look, which is both simple and classy.
Inside the box are two extra pairs of TRN silicone ear tips and a 2-pin detachable cable with a custom pin designed specifically for the bullet-style design of the IEMs. The detachable cable surprised me as most bullet-style IEMs have a non-detachable one, making it a problem once the cable gets damaged.
With the TRN M10, changing cables is fine, although it might be difficult to look for a replacement cable in a similar design.
Build Quality
The TRN MT1 has a metal construction that’s much more durable than the typical resin shell that most IEMs have.
It appears rigid, and I believe these IEMs can withstand heavy use. The custom-fitted cable was of excellent quality, which is very surprising for something in this price range.
The TRN M10 has a minimalist and durable design that would probably last longer than expected. I got mine for around $10 on sale so the build quality is really impressive for this price.
Fit and Comfort
Since the TRN M10 has a bullet-style design, how it fits will boil down to the ear tips you’ll use. Personally, the silicone ear tips provided a snug fit and sound isolation for my ears.
Its bullet-style design allows for easy wear as it’s much quicker to put on and remove whenever you want, unlike the typical IEM design with ear hooks on their cables that go around your ear.
The TRN M10 was also very light and relatively small, and I have no doubts that this will fit most ear shapes and sizes with no problem.
The cable also was pretty light in the ears, and I haven’t experienced any noise or stethoscopic effects when they rubbed against my shirt, which is a massive plus.
Sound Quality
Upon listening to the TRN M10, I immediately noticed how huge the bass presence is. The bass is very forward in the mix and has decent detail.
In some cases, the bass frequencies drown out the mids and the highs because of their heft, which can be a real deal-breaker.
Bass
The bass of the TRN M10 stands out the most compared to other frequencies. It has a deep and balanced tonality, plus a punchy and boomy response.
These IEMs had bass on all the tracks I’ve listened to, giving off a rather energetic and powerful sound character to these songs.
Overall, I was delighted with the bass presentation of the TRN M10.
Mids
The mids sounded thin at times and had an overall lack of body. I took note of this when listening to more vocal-dominated tracks where the lack of body in the mids resulted in a weird tonality.
Treble
The treble of the TRN M10 is clear and crisp, and it has a good amount of detail retrieval and clarity to them.
Instruments and vocals in this region were presented accurately and with a good amount of clarity. I loved how snappy the higher frequencies were when listening to pop tracks such as NewJeans’ OMG.
Overall, the treble on the TRN M10 has excellent amounts of definition and clarity, and the micro-details are presented well.
Test Tracks
I have tested the TRN M10 on different genres of music to get a proper understanding of how they sound and here are my findings:
- Metal / Rock – The guitars had excellent details and were very present. The instruments in the mid frequencies cut through the mix nicely, resulting in a very forward presentation. The vocals sounded clear and crisp even in conjunction with the distorted guitar parts, attributed to the relatively wide soundstage and sound separation of the M10. Tracks used: Brain Stew (Green Day), Reverie (Polyphia), That’s What You Get (Paramore)
- Pop – The sound imaging capabilities of the TRN M10 worked wonders for this genre. In the test tracks, the sound in the intro has a wide presentation in terms of sound, and the M10 captured the way it slightly bounces around the mix the way it was intended to. Tracks used: Bad Boy (Red Velvet), OMG (NewJeans), Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Tears for Fears)
- Hip-hop – The fluctuating synth intro was evenly spread out in the mix, again due to the sound imaging capabilities of the M10. When the distorted 808s started kicking in, although it was punchy and boomy, it was still able to retain details. To be honest, they had quite a nice rumble to them. Tracks used: Amen (Shanti Dope and Pricetagg), Cash In Cash Out (Pharell Williams ft. 21 Savage & Tyler the Creator). Miss The Rage (Trippie Redd, Playboi Carti)
- Indie – All the instruments in the mix blended well, and the TRN M10 had an accurate presentation of each sound. The drums sounded light, the snare hits and hi-hats didn’t sound harsh on tracks like Show Me How, the guitar parts sounded smooth, and the bass guitar was thumpy. The TRN M10’s sound separation produced the details of the vocal parts with excellent definition. Tracks used: Show Me How (Men I Trust), Space Song (Beach House), Queen of Disaster (Lana Del Rey)
- R&B / Soul – The overall presentation of this genre is a mixture of well-balanced and lively. On tracks like Telepatia, Kali Uchi’s vocals pierced through the track without being too harsh and sharp. Her vocals sounded good together with the instruments. The bass hits nicely and has a good rumble to it. The drums also have a good presentation without sounding too overpowering. Tracks used: Devil in the Details (Mac Ayres), Call Me When You Hear This Song (New West), Telepatia (Kali Uchis)
After a series of tests on the TRN M10, I discovered that its sound signature is versatile.
It can perform very well with almost any genre you throw at it — still, especially energetic tracks to better utilize its bassy tuning.
Conclusion
As something that cost around $20, the TRN M10 performed way above my expectations.
It was one of my few IEM purchases that impressed me a lot.
Even though some people may find its tuning quite weird, the TRN M10 is a very versatile pair of IEMs, and it could perform well with both energetic and more easy listening tracks.
These IEMs have a substantial amount of bass to them, and I’d highly recommend them to bass heads – they might be surprised by what the TRN M10 is packing.
A man of many interests, Querho is passionate about discovering new things that stimulate the mind. When he is not writing about the things he is passionate about, Querho can be found making music at his home studio.
This post was last updated on 2024-10-31 / Some images from Amazon Product API & some links may be affiliate links which may earn us a commission from purchases.