Reviewed by NoBordersAudiophile

TONALITY: 7/10
TECHNICALITIES: 7/10
TIMBRE: 8/10
SOUNDSTAGE: 6.5/10
IMAGING: 6.5/10
MUSICALITY (subjective): 6.5/10
CONSTRUCTION: 8/10
ACCESSORIES: 7.5/10
SOUND VALUE: 7/10

TinHifi is an IEM company from China that has been around for near 10 years now, they get moment of fame with budget IEM like T2, T3plus and some planar IEM too, which they specialize in with dynamic drivers making.

Today I will review the C3 MK2, which is suppose to be an upgrade from popular C3 IEM.

The construction is very similar, but smaller and nozzle is not metal but plastic, back plate have extra star on it, dynamic driver is similar to C3, since it use LCP diaphragm too.

In term of accessories, we get basic cable and quite spacious carrying case which is a plus. We get as well 6 apair of black silicone eartips.

Let see in this review if the Tinhifi C3mk2 is a budget IEM that stand apart in term of musicality and performance.

SOUND IMPRESSIONS

Tonality of C3 MK2 is a safe, smooth and balanced mid centric V shape one, with warm mellow punchy bass, forwards but relaxed mids with a focus on vocal and delicate treble with a notch of air and minimal sparkle that isn’t sharp nor attract attention.
In other words, it’s a jack of all trade, leaning towards a softer harman target that feels similar to Tanchjim Origin but with inferior clarity and less mid bass definition and roundness.

To my ears, it’s very close to neutral apart from a slight sub bass boost. It’s not a crisp and clean sounding set, it aims for a calm and open musicality where vocals are the main subject, as well as instruments like violin and saxophone. There is barely any bite to attack which is soften, bass definition is quite hazy too, kick drums have very few texture and sustain color-darken its presence.

The bass is more focus on bass line than kick and punch, it’s no head banger at all, in that regard first C3 was more V shape and dynamic.Transient is rather slow which warm extension of bass line, rumble is hazy and not very wide in release, it’s thick and a bit off tone wise. Cello gets extra warmed while double bass go muddy-foggy in extension. We have minimal slam in R&B but it can feel pillowy and not very textured, nore very well defined in presence. Polite yet bodied bass that add sense of weight to attack, MK2 bass is tempered and warm without much quantity nor impressive quality.

The mid range is the main focus of the show, it has a proper amount of lower mids and has an organic presence free of harshness, sibilance or texture details spike. It sounds relaxed, instruments aren’t biting in attack, the attack lead is damped here so sustain densify instrument presence with euphony. Female vocals while upfront don’t sound shouty, even soprano like Arianna Savall has a creamy presence with restrained sense of loudness release. Very polished, perhaps to the point it lacks micro dynamic rendering, the mids are luscious and dark in texture, breathy vocals goes sirupy instead of velvety (as it should naturally).
Piano notes have weight but no proper clean resonance after attack which is foggy in lead, but at least it doesn't sound dry and thin, nor displeasing….just….without persona and quite lean in dynamic.
With bass less music like folk singers accompanied with an acoustic guitar, C3 MK2 goes less warm, more open sounding and musical, Alice Phoebe Lou and Gillian Welch vocal are clear but not wide and enveloping in presence. Overall mids are quite centered and I tend to prefer instrumental music with C2 to avoid the bass muddiness and darkening warmth.

Treble is subdued, nothing to write about here apart that it’s lean and smooth with extra air on top and just minimum snap and sparkle to make acoustic guitar properly defined in attack and brilliant in release. Percussions aren’t very clear, clean and crisp and can get lost in the mix due to lack of attack energy and presence sharpness. Highs aren’t very textured and micro details level is average at best.
If more grainy, I'll call the highs dry but it’s not, it’s soft sounding, sit behind mids and stay docile, their no harsh spike and percussion release is scooped so not cymbals splashyness nor excitement too. Macro dynamic is relaxed here, so the sense of engagement is low, it’s a contemplative chill musicality that tries to be versatile to the cost of sounding boring in some cases.

Soundstage is average and very centered in the middle of spatiality, it’s not holographic and a bit flat, it’s deeper than wider and not tall. It doesn't boost a sense of immersivity.

Imaging is average too due to dark definition of instrument and bass haze. It lacks air between instruments for proper positioning and percussions get lost in the mix so we don't have full sound info rendering. These aren’t for monitoring. Perhaps stage singers will find this interesting because it’s main focus and all the rest goes darker, less dynamic in rendering.

COMPARISONS

VS SIMGOT EW200 (1DD-40$)

EW200 is crisper, more technical and U to W shape in balance.

Bass is less weighty and warm, thinner and lighter in punch, less rounded in mid bass, more texture and transparent as well as speedier and more extended. bass lines are cleaner, better resolved and layered and extend more. It’s less boomy and mushy too.

Mids are sharper, crisper and more open. Resolution is way superior and transparent too. Presence is more textured and focused, upper mids are more aggressive and shouty as well as more prompt to sibilance, vocals aren’t as lush and natural but they are wider. Attack as more bite and micro dynamic is more agile and speedy, fast violin will not sound as muddy in sustain.

Treble is from another league since it extend way further and deliver way more brilliance and sparkle, percussions and clearer, cleaner and sharer in attack while some disappear with C3, it mean it’s more vivid and less lean and smooth too, more aggressive, more technically capable to deal with complex busy track where C3 will go underwhelming in both micro and macro rendering.

SOundstage is notably wider, taller, deeper and cleaner with EW200. No competition here.

Same goes for imaging, way more accurate, sharp and precise, you can monitor with those you won’t with C3.

All in all, musicality of C3 MK2 is lusher and more laid back, darker and notably inferior in anything technical from imaging, to resolution, to transient, to attack control and to both low and highs extension. Still, C3 solves the upper mids issue of EW200 ... .to the cost of sounding dull in musicality and lower than average in technical performance.

VS TIN HIFI T3plus (1DD-70$)

T3 is more V shape, more energetic and bright in upper mids and treble, more punchy and lively in terms of macro dynamic.
MK2 is safer U shape, cleaner, smoother, leaner in dynamic.

Bass is more textured, round, weight and punchy with T3, sub bass is less rumbly, less clean and more euphonic, less extended overall.

Mids are brighter and more upfront, vocal and instruments presence is louder, better defined, more textured but less transparent and organic, less polished in texture grain and attack bite. Instrument presence opens wider, while it feels compressed and more centered with Mk2. Note weight is heavier, attack lead more felt and abrasive with T3.

Highs are crunchier and snappier with T3, percussions have more energy and presence texture, their more risk of splashing at high volume, MK2 is leaner and darker, with notch more crispness for clap, snap, ultra highs, some metallic percussions that gain more brilliance but snare and other percussions are more damped, masked, less sharp and lively making the drum inconsistent in dynamic rendering while T3 do better for rock and electric guitar, Mk2 will do better for delicate acoustic guitar.

Soundstage is wider and taller with T3, cleaner and deeper with MK2.

Imaging of both isn’t good, but sound layers are better articulated and positioned with T3.

All in all, the C3 Mk2 ‘’upgrade’’ remind me of Artti T10 Pro ‘’upgrade’’, it try to improve tuning balance by polishing every dynamic spike to the cost of killing musicality and listening engagement, which is plenty with T3plus but near zero with MK2.

CONCLUSION
The Tinhifi C3 MK2 is a safer, smoother sidegrade of more energic, V shape and fun sounding C3.

It follow the nowaday smooth harman target and don't offer nothing new in term of musicality, which lack persona and macro dynamic engagement.

It's an IEM that exist, a ''jack of all trades, master of none'', not bad, not great, the C3mk2 might struggle to find it's place in overcrowded single DD IEM market which is fullfill with superior contenders.

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PS: Thanks to Tinhifi for sending me this review sample out of the blue.

You can order the C3mk2 for 50$ here:
https://www.tinhifi.com/products/ti...hangeable-iem,-suitable-for-music-enthusiasts