TRN Conch - Unrivaled Accessories
5 ⭐️
+ Tuning nozzles add variability
+ Modular cable!
+ Build quality of shells and cable
+ "Reference" nozzle tuning should be appealing to most listeners
+ Comes with 7 sets of tips and a case
+ Price
- 2 of the nozzles sound almost identical
- Wish the cable had standard 2 pin rather than QDC connectors
- Thin note weight
- Some sibilance
thaslaya's star rating system:
☆☆☆☆☆ - Fantastic!
☆☆☆☆ - Recommended
☆☆☆ - There are buyers but not for me
☆☆ - Can't see the appeal
☆ - Product is a failure
Gear used:
●LG v30+
●Samsung Galaxy s22 Ultra
●Samsung dongle
●Hiby FC4
●Kiwi Ears Allegro
Source:
●Listening was done through Amazon Music HD or Ultra HD.
Introduction:
TRN has been a player in the budget iem market for a few years. The Conch is one of their more recent sets and features an absolutely crazy amount of accessories for the low price of $35. It utilizes a single 10mm DLC dynamic driver. The ultra-budget tier is growing everyday with releases from companies like KZ/CCA and newcomers alike. Let's see how the value of the Conch stacks up in today's market.
Build, fit, ergonomics:
The Conch has a pretty great unboxing experience for the price. Once opened, the iems can be seen seated in the foam insert and the puck style case contains the modular cable. Under the foam, you'll find 7 sets of tips, the modular terminations for the cable, and the metal holder with attached tuning nozzles. That's a lot of accessories for a set costing less than $100 and almost unheard of for a set under $50. The shells are made from machined stainless steel and have a very hearty build quality. They are shaped like a Conch shell (ingenius) and have a nice weight balance. My only complaint is that the mirror finish is prone to fingerprints and scratches. The stock cable is great and the fact that it's modular and comes with 3 terminations is quite surprising at this price. It is well braided, soft, and doesn't tangle easily. I do wish that it utilized a standard 2 pin connection over the QDC style though so it could be used with a greater number of iems. The Conch come equipped with the "Reference" nozzle and the other 2 pairs are attached to the metal card for easy storage. The metal hockey puck case is not my favorite carrying solution but even having a case at this price is an added bonus. One pair of tips is foam, three pairs of the tips are the generic silicone style, and the other three pairs are TRN's own T-Ear tips, which are really great for getting a good seal. There is really nothing to complain about when it comes to the fit for me either. The insertion depth is adequate and the large T-Ear tips provided a good seal. Overall the quality of everything in the box is exceptional.
Sound impressions:
My listening impressions were made using the "Reference" tuning nozzle, a U-shaped frequency response with elevated bass and upper mids/ lower treble. This is the nozzle that I found most enjoyable for my preferences, if not a little on the bright side. I'll briefly describe the other 2 nozzles as well. The "Transparency" nozzle is mostly the same as Reference but with a touch more brightness, which was too much for me. The "Atmospheric immersion" nozzle sounded a bit boring and flat due to the reduced upper mids/lower treble but still exhibited some sibilance from the upper treble which I definitely didn't like. Using the "Reference" nozzle, I found the soundstage to be average in width with nothing sticking out of place or congested. The note seperation and detail retrieval are just OK, falling behind some other similarly priced sets like the Simgot EW200. Things can get congested on busier tracks. The note weight is a bit on the thinner side but not too bad overall. More warmth would have been welcome but again that aligns more with my personal taste.
●Lows - Bass won't jump out and grab you but it's definitely present when called for. The bass does extend fairly deep but the mid bass is missing thump leading to a more sub bass focused presentation. There is a fairly fast attack but the decay lingers a bit too long in my opinion and has a somewhat unnatural reverberation. This can lead to the timbre sounding odd and the bass presenting as unkempt and messy with at times especially on busy tracks. I was really missing that mid bass weight in a lot of testing. There is no bleed but the midbass just doesn't have enough presence for me and sounds a bit anemic.
●Mid - Vocals have enough separation to be clearly heard but I wouldn't say they are necessarily pushed forward nor are they recessed. To my ear they sound on the same level as the bass and treble and everything has a great balance. Guitar, piano, and other instruments have a realistic timbre and sound correct. Both male and female vocals sound great overall but are slightly on the thinner side. Some more lushness and warmth would help here in my opinion.
●Highs - My main complaint with the Conch is that the treble can be a bit hot and fatiguing. To be fair I consider myself more sensitive than most in this department so YMMV. To my ear, there is some slight sibilance on "t" and "s" notes as well as snares, high hats, cymbals, and claps. It is definitely not the worst offender I've ever heard in this department so I can forgive the tuning a bit. The treble does seem to roll off earlier than I'd like and it loses a bit of airiness but not too much. Because of this, some of those higher notes (cymbals, high hats, and snares) can sound a bit blunted. Overall the treble is well done if not slightly bright for my preference.
Summary:
If you can find the Conch on sale for ~$25, just hit the buy button! The overall value here is pretty insane. A modular cable and 3 tuning nozzles for under $50 is already unheard of but for half that price? It's a no brainer. The cable is nicely braided, supple, and doesn't tangle easily. Buying the Conch for the modular cable alone is worth it and you could consider the iem itself to be an added bonus. My only real complaint is the QDC connectors which limits the other iems that you can use the cable with. There are also 3 tuning nozzles but realistically only offering 2 distinct tunings. However, for only ~$25, it's worth it just to have an ultra budget set that offers tuning variety. The "Reference" tuning is no slouch though. It's has a nice musical balance and is really great for those that listen to a bit lower volume to avoid any troublesome treble peaks. I give the Conch a very strong recommendation! They are worth a purchase just to have a decent set for traveling, commuting, taking on walks or to the gym, really anywhere you wouldn't fret losing more expensive iems.
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