This sample was provided for review by Gina of Senlee at Amazon.co.uk.
Product link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Earphones-Headphones-Senlee-Monitor-Detachable-Black/dp/B08B4DCKNF
Introduction
The M10 is the newest release from TRN. Following the more upmarket BA5 and VX models, it is a more affordable dual driver hybrid, 1DD + 1BA. It comes in traditional TRN /KZ/CCA packaging, a small rectangular box with a red TRN logo and a line drawing of the IEMs on the front, with specifications printed on the rear. Sliding open the box reveals the earpieces in a cardboard former and under this you will find the 2-pin cable, spare tips and documentation.
The dynamic driver is a micro-driver with a diameter of 8mm and the BA is the familiar 30095 unit. The earpieces are bullet-shaped and only 20mm long, constructed from CNC machined aluminium and appear to be very well-made. My example was finished in "College Blue" (Phantom Black and Moonlight Silver are also available). There is a raised 2-pin socket. On one side is written "hybrid technology" and "DD1 + BA1" is written on the other. Channel identification and a small pinhole vent can be found on the underside. The cable is a black braided 4-core OFC type with type C connectors. It has a good quality straight metal 3.5mm plug and a plastic Y-split but there is no chin slider and it is prone to tangling. It is difficult to see the "L" and "R" markings on the clear plastic of the plugs and it is important to make sure the polarity is right. I found that it was correct when the indicators on the plugs were facing me when looking at the earpieces from the front. This packaging is simple but acceptable at the price.
First Impressions
The IEMs were auditioned using an Xduoo X20 DAP as the primary source. I also used a Huawei smartphone and a CD player. There was plenty of volume available, even from weaker sources. The earpieces were very comfortable and I obtained a good seal and deep insertion with the supplied tips and cable. It was very liberating to wear an IEM cable down after many recent cable up designs!
The 8mm driver delivered a powerful and deep bass with good extension and weight, with the sub-bass having a satisfying rumble. Mid-bass was punchy and there was very little bass bleed. As a result the lower mids were clean and clear with good projection. Upper mids were more forward and this trend continued into the treble which was well-extended. There was a rise in mid-treble and a further emphasis in the extreme HF giving sparkle and detail. The overall effect was of a near-neutral or mild W or V signature. There was a marked improvement in the sound after a lengthy burn in period (100 hours).
Bass
The bass reached deep with a good sub-bass presence and was impressive for the 8mm driver. John Harles's "Silencium" begins with deep bass drum and female vocals overlaid with a cello part. The bass drum was resonant and powerful and the decay had good texture. The cello displayed good timbre and transient attack.
Philip Riley and Jayne Ellison's "Visions and Voices" is an album of Celtic-inspired pieces which feature wordless female vocals and multi-instrumental textures. In "Awakening" the plucked strings displayed good transient attack. The track also includes a prominent part for bodhran. The initial strike was clean and was followed by a very long decay. At the conclusion, five unaccompanied strikes are played with space in between allowing the sound to dissipate gradually. These were presented very well.
Al Stewart's "On the Border" is underpinned by a superb bass line. During the complex production by Alan Parsons, the bass guitar was well balanced and easily distinguished from the bass drum played simultaneously.
Mids
The lower midrange was smooth and largely free from bass bleed and had good detail and the effect was pleasant and easy to listen to. The strings in Ernest Moeran's beautiful tone poem "Lonely Waters" were nicely reproduced and the cor anglais solo near the conclusion was well done, standing out nicely from the accompaniment.
The lead synth line in Erik Wollo's " Little Dream in Turquoise" was clean and incisive and the other parts showed good layering above the interweaving bass lines. It was easy to follow the individual elements in the production.
"After the Goldrush" by Prelude is an a capella piece featuring female lead vocals and multi-track chorus. The voices were very well enunciated, breath sounds apparent and the ambience of the studio was extremely clear.
Treble
The upper register was smooth and clean without harshness with the 30095 BA's tonality slightly rolled off and less aggressive than in some other models. "Natural Light" is the title track from the album by Steven Halpern and Dallas Smith. Halpern's shimmering keyboards dovetailed with Smith's filigree Lyricon work and produced an almost hypnotic effect with the electronic woodwind displaying excellent extension.
The solo saxophone in "It must be Love" by Madness had lots of character and excellent texture and timbre. The pizzicato string accompaniment was crisp and clear and percussion sparkled.
Soundstage
Initially, the soundstage was somewhat narrow but after a lengthy burn-in period it expanded considerably and became airy and spacious. This showed well in Richard Burmer's "A Story from the Rain" where the positioning of the various percussion effects formed a spherical space around the head extending just beyond the ears.
The introduction to "The Enchanted Lake" by Liadov features bass trombones and tuba, harps and brass, contrasting with the string section. The panoramic spread of the orchestra was very effectively portrayed in the beautiful performance conducted by Charles Gerhardt.
Conclusion
After enjoying the bold V-shaped V90, the fast and exciting VX and the nicely-balanced BA5, I was eager to hear what TRN could do with a lower-tier model. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with the performance of such an affordable model. The bass was powerful and clean, midrange and treble were open and expressive and the soundstage possessed equal dimensions in width, depth and height. It is very well constructed and comfortable to wear. It does most things very well although competition is fierce in this sector.
Comparisons
The CVJ CSA, at around the same price of £15 has a similar balanced tuning. The bass is a bit tighter, mids are a little more forward and detailed and the treble airier and more extended. It also has a very good soundstage. The M10 sounded smoother in the midrange and very natural.
TRN's own ST1 is more V-shaped with recessed mids and brighter treble but also has a good soundstage courtesy of the vented enclosure. The bass is slightly looser from the 10mm driver and overall lacks the M10's more balanced presentation.
KBEAR has recently released the KS2 which is a strongly V-shaped IEM with a warm "fun" signature and an expansive soundstage. It is a quite different tuning from the M10.
Verdict
The M10 is a well balanced earphone with a neat form factor which is comfortable and very listenable. If you are in the market for an entry-level dual hybrid, it should be on your short list as it performs well with no major shortcomings and is excellent value.