TANSIO MIRAI Feat

The TANSIO MIRARI FEAT



Preamble:
This is probably one of the best turn-arounds found with any IEM I have reviewed this year. Meaning OTB the TSMR FEAT was good, but it wasn’t super-great. What took place after 7 days of burn-in and getting acquainted with the FEAT was nothing short of remarkable! Here are words to document the experience.

TSMR short for TANSIO MIRAI:
So anyway, here we are again smack-dab in the middle of another Redcarmoose Labs adventure. Yep, today we are looking at the TSMR FEAT IEM. Normally I will include a list of all the (other)15 other TSMR IEMs they make and talk a little about TSMR history. But you know at times all that extra stuff is not needed. Yes TSMR has been around since 2016, yes………..they primarily specialize in Hybrid IEMs and all BA IEMs. Every IEM they have ever made has had those DIP-switch tuning adjustment switches……..but this one doesn’t. Also this is a new day in that TSMR are ditching the regular Audiophile Style tune and going for a warmer and more musical adventure. TSMR IEMs normally cost substantially more than the FEAT. Yet while not the end-all end-all in detail………….the tuning works. It works for me anyway.

FEAT
I’m not sure the exact meaning of the name FEAT, but typically it means an an achievement that requires great courage, skill, or strength. So maybe TSMR are actually showing off that they can build such a device and retail it at this low cost of $239.00?

To me the names means For EATing.
FEAT= For EATing and of course drinking


Yep, this little compact and bass laden creature can go on dog walks, or to a restaurant where you would never think of taking expensive gear.

The included cable:
I’m not saying the FEAT with its included cable is bad…….it is just that all of us here……….all of us reading are looking for synergy. And sure Penon just came out with this T-OCC new style of cable, and to be honest the FEAT and T-OCC came to me together in the same envelope. But the ISN T-OCC is miles better than the included cable. Now really there is nothing wrong with the included cable, as TSMR must have ordered two truck loads of this particular cable? Reviewing 5 different TSMR IEMs…..…4 of them came with this exact cable……………and sure I have seen many more inclusions of this cable with TSMR IEMs in reviews.

While polite and proper, the included cable has great balance, only except for this added 5kHz to 7kHz peak. As such this cable kinda makes music a little sterile and almost too correct and thin. With the TSMR Land IEM and the TSMR Sands IEM I had to fully jettison this cable, only because the 5kHz to 7kHz peak was amplifying the already pushed upper midrange and treble.

So both Dsnuts and I agree this included cable is not the very best for many of the TSMR creations, that a warmer/smoother cable seems to help them. Now in a change of pace the two latest IEMs introduced by TSMR actually somewhat work with the included cable. Meaning if you were to buy the TSMR-X or the FEAT, sure use the included cable, but always remember there are better choices even for as little money as the $119.00 ISN T-OCC or the ISN CS02 at $69.90?






The ISN T-OCC:

The ISN T-OCC or ISN CS02 is changing the FEAT’s stage, they broaden it…….they also add harmonic complexity to playback. Funny too, as you would not think the extra bass resulting from the T-OCC wouldn’t jive with the added bass of the FEAT............especially in relation to past TSMR products. See that’s the thing……..the ISN T-OCC adds fullness and image size/density and greater note-weight. I know I sound like a cable maniac……….because a big part of this hobby is cables for me.

The get-to-know-you-period:
On first listen, before 7 days of burn-in ………….the FEAT with the included cable was good but not great. Our relationship was like two ships passing in the night. One ship to go one way, and the other ship (the other way) on a separate journey. I missed that personal connection, where it was just an IEM making sound in my ears?

Now maybe many of you are going to question this burn-in process. And let me tell you the results are not always so dramatic as with the FEAT. But remember the FEAT has two big 8mm DDs for the lows. What that means (in common sense) is burn-in is 2 times more important than a single 8mm Dynamic Driver. So after 7 days of burn-in the magic started to take place, and the additive of the T-OCC combined made the bass a little less technical, but it brought soul and life to the experience.

Oh I almost forgot! A big part of the fun was the Penon Orange Liqueur Ear-tips.



Brand: TANSIO MIRAI
Model: Feat
Driver: 2 Balanced armature + 2 Dynamic driver
2 x 8mm dynamic driver hollow coaxial carbon element diaphragm for low-frequency
2 x Knowles balanced armature for mid & high frequency
Impedance : 10 ohm
Sensitivity: 104dB
Frequency response range: 10 ~ 20kHz.

Sound, soundstage and bass:

Dreamland
Robert Miles
Children
44.1 kHz - 16bit

Soundstage!

The bass is traveling outward between our ears, and making the stage wide, forward and back............and top to bottom.

Here we are experiencing the bass traveling about, and really a wash of bass frequencies, thus panning onto the stage……….though what makes it here is not exactly (just) the stage, there is both both the warm and deep renditions of the basic drop, but that the drop is showcased from many angles (and view-points) inside the stage, and with each angle there lives vibrant with an amazing woody warmth.

Now you may guess that this bass replay is somehow overpowering, or even distracting at least……..but no. That is the magic here……….that the piano notes when they come are still showcased (by the BAs) into their very own place on the stage. At 02:20 when the big major beat hits (it’s a climax early on)………..now we are grooving fully to this number……and truly there is all we need.

Bass and musicality:
Musicality is a funny subject, as many can’t nail-down all the reasons for it. I will try to guess what it means to me personally with the TSMR FEAT. There is an evenness where there is not an off-tone, or sound sticking out to off-smear the overall frequency.

A correctness of balance, that within the constraints of personality and character, instruments and vocals still sound relatively balanced. And finally the resulting tones own pace and note-weight. There needs to be a dance and play to the rhythm, that this music is not an exact science or a distilled formula. But we know some types of songs instantly have this special magic……this dance of pace………and the FEAT IEM is able to grab onto that pace and reveal its character.

Is it that two Isobaric 8mm DDs are better at a rhythm focus and better than a single bass provider? I’m not sure, except the more surface area of 8mm X 2 means we have the surface area of a 16mm DD. Only the 16mm would be lumbered by size and the results much slower.

Here we are greeted with the deep tone of a 16mm, and the stage size and involvement of a 16mm, only we obtain the pace of an 8mm. That is my only answer to what I’m hearing? Why? Well because there is nothing missing in the lows. I mean sure the FEAT is not everything……….it’s a $239.00 IEM, for crying out loud.

Yet if you don’t know it yet, $239.00 buys a lot of IEM sound nowadays…….the big and controlled sound of 2 Isobaric 8mm DDs……..that is what $239.00 buys.

The rhythm and tone-timbre:
Look, a lot has changed in the IEM marketplace. And included with your purchase are two little silver shinny boxes. These boxes contain Knowles BAs, two of them per side……… 4 all together. These mid and high frequency transducers have faster transients than DDs can do. Now normally there is a trade-off of a questionable timbre to become emitted by these little guys. Using tiny reeds of metal, the reeds are surrounded by magnetic energy which pulsates to the incoming signal. As such this allows the reed to vibrate back-and-forth. This movement is faster than DDs, but does not create air-pressure...........and that’s why we rely on DDs.

But in use the Knowles BAs own a specific rhythm to the beat, faster and more agile than DDs……….but also infinitely faster made transient responses. These treble and midrange responses are pushing the imaging and separation into the visibility. As such our stage is created, but it also owns a rhythm and dance. This dance is acceptable because it has not only great timbre, but it’s never hot or strident. If you could only hear my favorite thing that happens when you place all this together, the hidden bass effect.



Dreamland
Robert Miles
Children
44.1kHz - 16bit
One of the joys of IEMs happens with hidden bass, sure loudspeakers have it too. Really this just means fast bass. What hidden bass is comes around only ever so often. Meaning it is one of those found acts that is rare, but it is repeatable. Meaning if you found it with a set-up before, you can always use that exact same set-up, and find the piece of music then replay it to find this hidden bass again. So in a way it is not exactly hidden, you just need to know where to look for it.



Hidden Bass:
Hidden bass is normally a feature of bass Balanced Armatures, As we are dealing with the transient edge, the transient bass-note-edge in a certain low-end replay…………..this has often been described as..........coming out of nowhere.

Basically it's speed of bass response. At 04:04 (in Children) there is a breakdown where no beat is provided. This quiet-zone is needed for hidden bass to emerge………..no drum frequencies to jump into the way………yes, also turning it up adds to the experience. As such this becomes simply another part of the magic of utilized Isobaric 2X 8mm DDs. Now this effect is also at times dependent on stage. Yep, this means the bass needs to be bigger and slightly separated too……….again……..from out of nowhere…….offering a nice surprise when hidden bass pounces.




Kaveh Cohen, Michael Nielsen
Forza Motorsport OST
Brotherhood
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
This is the style of music I never would've guessed I would like. While maybe boring it serves a purpose. This is music for a video racing game to provide a mood of traveling inside an imaginary virtual racing world. We are kind-of pushed along with this music pace provider, and while simply background music………..it can’t be too distracting. I use this song often as there are a few important features to showcase. What is interesting, I can hear a faint disclosure of BA timbre here. This is the price you pay for the style of instantaneous treble and midrange the BA transducers provide. And sure early on in this review I said it was close to perfect, because I heard zero off-timbre. Yet there is a taste in the keys showing up at 00:08 in. Really not a big deal, yet it is there and heard at times, where if you never heard this song before, you may not even recognize it.

A little BA timbre:
This is just a simply fact of life. Yet, Hybrids are still my favorite way to go. Sonion as a BA manufacture may have a leg up over Knowles with this BA timbre thing? And who knows……..as to why they chose Knowles. But in the IEM world there is really Knowles and Sonion as the major providers of BA hardware. But beyond BA timbre, it is really about the overall tune. Meaning you are hearing this onslaught of information, and if only a small section is represented as an off-timbre, and only at certain times, with certain styles of music…….it just is what it is.

What manufacturers are doing now is simply getting a bigger stage footprint with modern IEMs. Newly designed BAs and DDs are allowing a budget IEM to gain the sonic ground previously only reserved for the big-boys of the IEM world. This is why there has been a steady upswing to the popularity of value IEMs in the last few years. Yet, all-of-a-sudden budget DAPs are now making their way into the hobby. Yep, just the right thing to combine with your budget IEM………and our budget cable.

What this means in immersion, immersion into a place never dreamed accessible in 2016. I mean sure nothing is perfect, yet now there is a lot more perfection than you would guess!

Probably (for me) the best part of this song is how the instrumentation is fully sequestered into its own little areas. Sure life is unpredictable, but at least we have music to focus on. Music that has a style of organization, of perfect pace. And…….the songs we remember. Songs like this one never fails to amaze...........with the style of production, especially in the lows. The best way I can describe the FEAT is offering a thickness held inside of the lower midrange and a smoothness held in the midrange and treble areas, that becomes of balance……………while still showcasing a very accessible and fun character.

Where somehow I found the TSMR-X to be incredibly polite, the X showcases more technicalities, and for the price it should go forward to give you those added features, yet I will probably be using the FEAT more? I’m a little stupid that way?

While the two are brothers, they both show as having 2xDDs in action, where the X holds simply more realistic regenerations of past musical events due to two Knowles BAs and the addition of two Sonion BAs. Where we also have a style of 2x8mm DDs, the bass contained in the FEAT is to me bigger, yet not as technical. This bass canister for the FEAT is orange plastic, the X has a metal drum with two 8mm DDs inside.



Cable rolls:
Top-down
1) Penon OSG: $299.00 High purity single crystal copper silver-plated wire mixed with graphene
2) ISN T-OCC: $119.00 2 Shares Triple Copper Hybrid
3) ISN CS02: $69.90 2 Shares Copper Silver Alloy & OFC
4) Penon Vocal: $69.90 4 Shares 60 Cores OCC Silver-plated Plus Gold Foil
5) Included TSMR Cable: $49.90 2 Strands OCC Silver-plated
6) SMGOT LC7: $69.00 732 cores of pure OFC

Laughingly I disclose, I didn’t start out to review all these cables with the FEAT!

Cable introduction:
See the FEAT is wonderful, but not exactly what you would call a perfectly even tune. Where this review started more simple, only using a few cables and sources, then it blossomed into all the words and photos you see. I take a more organic/results oriented schedule to reviewing.

Sometimes a review is more simple, sometimes not! This means that even after a week starting with first impressions, then 7 days of burn-in, then critical listening…….I may come up with new ideas as to a possible final sound. Where cable review examples numbered only two at the start, I found out through experience that more cable examples were needed.

If anything, more cable rolls help us to learn about the TSMR FEAT and its signature. We are looking for new and valuable reactions to new cable change-outs. Reason being you can start out with ideas, then at times more music played will give clues to the total personality to an IEM. So………using cables is a way to get closer to what an IEM ultimately is.

I’m looking deeper and farther for a way in, a way to offer corrections and well-roundedness. Meaning the included cable only goes so far, as it is fine, but didn’t offer the image density of the new ISN T-OCC. So now I’m taking a few hours and rotating in a few more random (cable choices)…………and not so random cable ideas as a way to discover what more is to be found inside the FEAT.

Cable rolls all in 4.4mm balanced:

1) Penon OSG: $299.00
So after a day and a whole night with the T-OCC and TSMR FEAT I started to get curious as to the change-out to the Penon OSG. Sure this is slightly crazy, that the Penon OSG is more money than the TSMR FEAT. But what if, what if it made the FEAT special and subsequently more valuable?

That would be worth a gander right? This instinctual wandering is what makes the audiophile individual play……………………really curiosity is what it is.

End results:
Wait, I’m onto something, my instincts were right. The OSG does the stage expansion of the T-OCC, but it’s cleaner and ultimately more clear. Why? Well…..gone is that woody copper density and replaced with graphene lightness. Where my biggest gripe with the T-OCC was vocal placement and midrange positioning……..the ISN T-OCC enhanced the warmth to almost an overly excessive point. Really at the end of the day the T-OCC is great, and a guilty pleasure, where the OSG is more straight forward and even, more complete while still holding that character that IS the FEAT in the end. Now we are romancing big reverberations and note weight, opening the stage like a new room to walk into……….the vocals now are newly found…………they were both too thin with the TSMR included cable, and too behind the scenes with the T-OCC.

But there is more……..weightlessness hovering outside the sage formations………this is one of the very best results I have had the experience of witnessing with the OSG cable, and the best the FEAT has sounded so far. More well rounded of a performer…….that and just more correct in styles of playback. Now this wouldn’t be such a big deal, except these results are both in tune (frequency response) and technicalities.

Where there is this grey area, where technicalities and tune overlap, and can either promote a better tune, or go against it, the OSG is a total win-win.

I’m using the Sony WM1A and the OSG cable with the FEAT and Penon Orange Liqueur ear-tips.

2) ISN T-OCC: $119.00
In my journey with the FEAT the new ISN T-OCC became a thrill. While really the very idea of a guilty pleasure, the T-OCC was the antithesis of the cable the FEAT came with, yep. Where the included cable was balanced and polite with a 5kHz to 7kHz boost, it was holding back the FEAT note-weight that could be found like gold laying on the ground. Sure, a quick T-OCC change (from stock) and the stage with the T-OCC was bigger and more immersive……more emotional. There is a rhythm and groove that is probably better than the Penon OSG I just gushed over……….and that is why it is a guilty pleasure. The triple copper not only does thickness…….but pace……..and that is where the soul of Rock is found. Only here in the comparisons the vocals were slightly more forward with the OSG……….I mean you get what you pay for here. Really both cables were a blast and made the FEAT that much more special…….I almost can’t choose……..and in reviewing, that is actually a good thing!

I personally believe the difference in sound between these two cables with the FEAT can not ever be approached with simple EQ changes. That in many ways the OSG and the T-OCC have their own value present and work with the FEAT, even having both would end in fabulous playback, with both almost highlighting the opposite?

3) ISN CS02: $69.90
OK, listen, I put this CS02 purposely behind the T-OCC. Why? Well the T-OCC sports an Oxygen Free Solid Copper plug, and OFC 2Pins. As such the modular version of these weigh 7 grams for a 4.4mm plug, opposed to the 4 gram regular plug. But this ISN CS02 is also sporting a Rhodium plug in your choice of 2.5mm, 4.4mm or 3.5mm. Rhodium typically offers a brighter sound than pure copper or the most common, a gold plated plug. I’m rooting for the CS02 underdog!

The CS02 results........
Well this is surprising and took about 3 back and forth side-by-sides to figure out. Where the CS02 and T-OCC are very close to the same. Though when the T-OCC starts to pull away is due to note density. Really both are fine with the FEAT, and even work out better with a mid forward DAP like the SONY WM1A adding to the push-up of mids. But the bottom line is the Rhodium is maybe responsible for making the ISN CS02 just slightly less of a bass heavy cable, where the T-OCC is full-on thickness, and that thickness adding note-weight and stage drama.

When the T-OCC vocals come in they are just more substantial and dense. But really if you just purchased the CS02, I'm not sure unless they were side-by-side............this question of differences would be anything to cry over? Oh and of course I have to say…….this playback with either T-OCC or ISN CS02 was the cat’s meow, I could write another paragraph or two…….but you get the message. The T-OCC solid copper plug and 2Pins is adding density here, and the T-OCC cable is a mix of three Hybrid coppers.

4) Penon Vocal: $69.90
This should be fun. Reason being there is room for the vocals, though what I am worried about is this Vocal cable goes best with IEMs that have a receded vocal positioning. Let’s see? What fun…….I am always reminded why this cable is a phenomena, it is a value for what it does. Just a giant, giant stage……man! Big........and the vocals, well they are more out front and in your face than ever before.

Though there may be a price for this luster of sorts, where all this pushing of tones out and about could be considered color……….but seriously the BA’s didn’t tweek-out on me. Meaning somehow the BAs responded with a purity and composure taking this to the very next level.

Bass is partially set back, as how could perception of it even approach the ISN T-OCC or ISN CS02? But in reality, I would suggest this as a single aftermarket purchase if you like big vocals and want that bigger stage than the included cable…..and value relay of size……like we took a magnifying glass to the whole operation here.

Wow, actually I love this, I have ran through a few songs and this is quite the tone?

What is happening is we have been moved from the outside into this bigger stage with imaging taking place on all sides now! I’m going to stop........stop while I’m ahead. But if you see people joining the Penon Vocal Cable with the FEAT in photos, you will know what they are up to!

5) Included TSMR FEAT Cable: $49.90 or Freeeeeeee!
Well this is a nice match to go right after the Vocal cable. First off, there is nothing wrong with this cable. If you were on a budget you could keep this cable in use and not feel that you were missing that much. But what is wild is the Vocal cable has a rearrangement of the 5kHz to 7kHz tones that is just better. The bass is warmer with the Vocal cable, heck everything is warmer and brighter.........these ultimate Vocal Cable contrasts........if that even makes sense?

6) SMGOT LC7: $69.00
Using the SIMGOT Audio LC7 with the 4.4mm modular plug. In many ways this will be fun as I want to see how this compares to the included cable.

Results:
Bigger bass, more lush. Though not as tight, but better and a bass increase. Smoother not showing those 5kHz to 7kHz boosts. Here we are really fine, though very by the books. Meaning this may be how many want it. A clear transfer of signal with added warmth, yet none of the personality of the Vocal, the T-OCC or CS02? Yet there is nothing wrong with this playback. It makes me want to revisit the OSG. Where the OSG is going to be more vocal forward, more bass sculptured, a clearer stage.......even holding more detail………….and on and on…but there is nothing at all wrong with this style of playback, just a little grainy, but look at the price. The LC7 is a workhorse, and I keep it at arms length daily.



IEM side-by-sides:
Top row left to right: TSMR FEAT and TSMR-X
Bottom row: ISN Neo 5

TSMR FEAT (2DDx1BA) $239.00
TSMR-X 10th Anniversary Edition (2DDx4BAx1CFRD) $399.00
ISN Neo 5 (4BAx1DD) $289.00

The choices:
Here I’m choosing two other recent editions to the audiophile community. As such TSMR-X was just released by TSMR showcasing what a new style of semi-solid 3D printing can do. As well as showcasing the Isobaric X2 8mm DDs in a configuration. The addition of 2 BA Knowles mids and 2 BA Sonion treble providers was rounded off by a Custom Film Retarding Driver. As such this test was performed with the standard setting of DIP-switches at 020. The final test subject is the ISN Neo 5. Kind of a phenomenon, the Neo 5 started to somehow gain preference here at Redcarmoose Labs even more after it was reviewed. The start was a change of cable as the original cable included was the ISN S8, only to be switched to the more controlling and clear ISN S4 cable, newly included from Penon. Yet, with more listening a magic started to form, the vocals started to move forward and the stage became larger with try out of included cables, namely the ISN CS02.

Today's set-up will be……The Sony WM1A with MrWalkman’s firmware. No EQ, and the ISN CS02 cable as a tribute to past uses with the Neo 5. On the Neo 5 I’m using my regular wide-bore silicone ear-tips and on the two TSMR IEMs I’m using longer wide-bore clear silicone ear-tips…….as such it helps with fitment due to the TSMR nozzle length.



DCD
Anastasis
Kiko
44.1 - 24bit
Before we start just be informed when comparing these three IEMs here I have already prepared by using the HiBy R3 II as well as the Sony WM1A, and went through a number of tracks to kind-of look for a middle ground, a song that would showcase the intrinsic qualities and become somewhat fair, while at the same time becoming a tool to let the characteristics of each transducer shine through. What was interesting prior to this final test…………….the TSMR-X had a slight personal re-focus on the 2x8mm DDs, and the subsequent rhythm they produce. This quality is talked about in other reviews, yet it was just a given (additional) focus here due their stunts performed with the X.



The TSMR FEAT v TSMR-X:
Revisiting the X gives me confidence in the ear-tip use and a good feeling of placement. Depending on the angle here the nozzles of the FEAT and X can seem confusing. At certain angles both IEM nozzles look longer than (in) other pictures. Yet regardless of 2D photos……….rest assured (that for me at least) fitment with these wide-bore-longer silicone ear-tips produces consistent results. Wow, the X is really showcasing the fact that it does have a few other tricks up its sleeve. Cleaner, more focused affair, and the vocals………..the vocals are more forward holding a style of both texture and detail..........the FEAT could only dream about.

Part of this cleanliness was due to reduced lower midrange lessening levels, just a faster more 3D pace. A pace built on technicalities and clarity. Where in no way is the FEAT sleepy in pace, it is not lumbering, the FEAT just does not have this reality of midrange pushing through into imaging of items............exposing themselves to make clarity……………….To where this set-up is insanely correct for the X.

The ISN CS02 is adding density to playback, in-fact slightly hindering the FEAT at work. And really I’m OK with that. Taking a Penon $299.00 cable to bring the FEAT a little closer to its 10th Anniversary brother totally makes sense here.

Yet obviously the IEM encounter of the X is always going to be more, because while a cable only does so much………we already knew the X would simply be better in every way. Still they are Apples against Oranges here…….were in 020 DIP-switch setting the X is simply bigger in stage and immersion, finding the small gifts of sound recreation spread out farther and holding a more realistic recreation of life. I could go on………but we are going down a rabbit hole. If we are not already down it, deep inside?



The TSMR FEAT v ISN Neo 5
For the first time, maybe the single DD the Neo 5 is sporting doesn’t sound as clean or consolidated as the 2 DDs of the FEAT. It’s a little less controlled in the bass department, which is surprising, but part of this could be me. I don’t know if you have been reading reports on both the X and FEAT drivers, but you slowly get an improved understanding to their intrinsic bass properties the longer you listen to them, and being this is near the end of the review, I have spent considerable amount of time listening to both the FEAT and the X.

Except?
There is this ISN/Penon midrange………as such this is a both smooth and realistic phenomena that’s hard to fight against. Let me just say that these stage drop-offs had me even choosing the Neo 5 over the X when I heard it. And once again the ISN CS02 actualizes the tone too close to perfection here. Yes the Neo 5 bass is slightly less tight and lumbering, but just like always...........it is the overall tonal balance that means the most in the end. The FEAT is cleaner and tighter..........even more polite, the Neo 5 is the person who was wild in school who you never really saw that much, because they were skipping class and being adults already.





Build:
Do you see that cute little orfi? Yep the tiny hole coming off the nozzle-end? That little tiny (new to the IEM world hole) is a tuned bass port. And the larger opening is equipped with a Knowles filter to tune the BAs. Yep, just like that, only two nozzle openings. As such the faceplate (looking microscopically) close has those 3D striations. Not the fibers, those blue fibers you see from after but somehow around and inside of those fibers is the 3D printing construction? The FEAT is the perfect medium small build size, and as such the FEAT is a traditional build, meaning it is not solid or semi-solid like the X construction. Weighing in at a stealth 4 grams, the air-space inside the FEAT cavity is remarkably large, and surprisingly spacious. This space, vented by a red vent for the left and blue vent for the right, is responsible for the woody full tones we are experiencing in the lower midrange and bass. Only it is clear bass and tighter due to the 2 8mm DDs showing faster cleaner response, yet holding the surface area of a 16mm woofer. That this little chamber is surrounded in orange plastic to only let the major bass frequencies out the top, with the fall-out reverberating from the second DD going through the sides and into the resonant chamber. Lucky for us there are no confusing DIP-switches, a first for TSMR, and at the far end the build are located two unspecified Knowles BAs for midrange and treble. For me to do my due diligence here with construction, I have to reiterate about nozzle positioning and shape. The 2D pictures can have two separate sizes perceived. From one angle the nozzles look short, then from another angle the nozzles look long. Now I do need slightly longer silicone wide-bore ear-tips to get fitment, except the FEAT fits me slightly better than even the X. So if you have “normal” sized ears, whatever that means? With a little moment of tip-rolling you should end-up with a consistent level of fitment……….at least I did. The medium small form-factor and 4 gram weight means the FEAT is perfect for out-and-about.




Cell phone use:
You have gotta be kidding me?

If you have been reading all through this review I don’t want to break your heart, but the FEAT is on the difficult side of the street to drive. Yet, that doesn’t mean exactly what it used to in 2016. Nope, because in the old days IEMs could sound small and thin from a phone. Yep, bass action was held a different way. Nowadays the market is packed with deep bass findings……..only very few are exactly like what we find with the FEAT out of a traditional Samsung phone.

I only have one word for this phone experience PARADISE!

Why? Well many of us don’t want to take a DAP outside, we need the IEM to do all the sonic providing. What that is is harmonic enhancement and stage size. Listen, I spent the good part of time writing this review listening to a phone drive the FEAT. And maybe in some ways TSMR got the idea to name the FEAT due to simple phone use? As it is a feat what the FEAT does with a phone signal! I mean I have not read any review on the FEAT prior, maybe a sentence or two, but if the reviewer didn’t include phone use with this particular IEM, they have left out a big part of the user experience. Why? Remember the hidden bass feature that I was talking about, well it’s not as vibrant from phone use, but the bass quality and dimension into the width inside the stage is still there. Not only that, but the overall tonal balance is just exactly right off your phone. It is this satisfying bass action, mixed with the Hybrid separation (into the stage) of the easy to drive 2X Knowles BAs that clinches this deal. I know this sounds over the top, but this is singularly maybe the best phone sounding IEM I have heard this year………..and I will leave it at that. You don’t need a lot of parts to make a phone sound wonderful, you need correct tuning. The weight, the fitment and the price of the FEAT make it the perfect portable phone IEM in my book, so much better than I have heard TWS sound, ever…….and less complicated than having to charge TWS, have the TWS drop a connection, or fall out (onto the pavement) into infinity………none of those shenanigans here.

Quite simply …………..the FEAT is made for the desktop audiophile experience, the DAP audiophile experience and finally the regular phone audiophile experience.

Due to these phone volume levels being just enough…………….this feature makes the FEAT the perfect choice (to protect hearing)…………..as a gift for your significant other.

Packaging:
The FEAT comes with a full-size box opening experience, same as the up-line TSMR offerings, no skimping here. Included is a new style of zipper (hard-hard) case, 6 pairs of actually usable ear-tips, the included $49.90 TSMR Cable, and a cleaning tool. Interestingly my FEAT came with a full instruction manual with the build date of 03-17-2024 stamped as date of production. I need to mention this new case…….two zippers on either end, a velvet style interior lining, and a top and bottom made of a hard protective plastic…….a far cry from what is normally included at this price-point. This box opening experience is really TSMR’s way of showing you are are dealing with a first rate company, not really leaving out a thing.

Conclusion:
Well there you have it. Another TSMR invention. Really uniquely different from the other 5 TANSIO MIRAI IEMs I have had the opportunity to hear. The difference is the FEAT tune, I can’t help but look into the shell of the FEAT and see how it is constructed……………to be a very different animal. You see this is a mainstream tuning, one that could find the general public arriving in droves to check out. Different from the mainstream audiophile, the general public have been nurtured by car audio and movie houses……this is what they feel is good sound, because it is in a way. For me anyway this construction starts with 2X 8mm drivers. This differs from the TSMR-X in that X is a semi-solid 3D build, and the FEAT is conventional construction. Yep, the X is cleaner because there is less resonant chamber with the DDs and BAs accessing two different height levels inside the X shell……..the BAs in the X are submerged in solid 3D resin, and the DDs vent off the top, under the faceplate. Where the FEAT has regular full-hollow construction, with the 3D printing only making the thin faceplate. Really the TSMR-X and FEAT are complementary, where the X owns the upper hand in technicalities, for the audiophiles in the room. The FEAT goes about its day owning up a more thorough and forward lower midrange…..yes a little more carless…….but that carelessness is where the magic happens……..and the love starts to occur. Sure it’s less technical than the X.

2 less BAs than the X, and one less sound tube out of the FEAT nozzle, that is unless you count the support for the X’s 1 X CFRD (Custom Film Retardation Driver)…………if you even regard that as a driver at all?

Still in the end it is uncanny how much both the FEAT and X’s twin 8mm Isobaric Drivers speak the very same language, how they both offer this hidden bass, that is surprising and simultaneously rewarding! This is one of the single features which separates the FEAT and X from the complete TSMR (TANSIO MIRAI) history. And if you have ever owned or own a TSMR IEM, I can guarantee you the X and the FEAT are completely different sounding than the other past 14 IEMs the company has made. You see this IEM building technology is advancing. Not only is it advancing, it is offering more choices and chances to get involved with the music. Because at the end-of-the-day all we really want is musical involvement. This musical involvement is why I consider the FEAT and the X as equals. Where sure if you want better technicalities the X delivers, but if you were just going out of the house and needed a friend to deliver that low-end that takes your emotion, and makes being outside fun, well for the money this in-fact may be the perfect choice?

$239.00
https://penonaudio.com/TANSIO-MIRAI-FEAT


Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for the love and for the TSMR FEAT review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm balanced
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm balanced
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03 4.4mm balanced
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
HiBy R3 II DAP 4.4mm balanced
ifi GO bar Dongle in 4.4mm balanced
Samsung Phone 3.5mm

TONALITY: 9/10
TECHNICALITIES: 8.5/10
TIMBRE: 9.5/10
SOUNDSTAGE: 8.2/10
IMAGING: 7.5/10
MUSICALITY (subjective): 9.5/10
CONSTRUCTION: 9/10
ACCESSORIES: 9/10
SOUND VALUE: 8.8/10

INTRO

Tansio Mirai (abbreviated TSMR) is an experienced yet rather obscure IEM company from China that began as an OEM maker in 2014 and began making their own IEM once they were confident enough about their experience.

This is how they present themself:

‘’The brand name is taken from the Tang and Song dynasties when the ancient Chinese economy and culture were at their peak.

"未来" represents a vision for the continuation of prosperity in the past and the present.
TANSIO MIRAI started to develop earphone-related products in 2014, and later established Beijing Tang Song Boyuan Technology Co., LTD in 2016.
Earphone design and production team from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, adhering to the high level of production technology, improve the custom earphone aesthetic standards.
After several years of precipitation, the company began to officially release custom earphones and universal mold earphones in 2018. To sound first, to beauty for constant.
We adhere to the use of high-quality materials, gradually accumulate and develop more mature and more characteristic tunings, and constantly surpass ourselves.
For the future, we will continue to innovate and forge ahead to find our own positioning and brand characteristics.’’

I get aware of this company when I read positive reception of their highest end IEM which are the RGB (9BA+8EST) and Halo (8BA+4EST), yet I was wrongly thinking TSMR only specialize in kilobuck earphones and don’t follow much their newer release until the TSMR X begin to be praise everywhere….then some weeks after the Feat come in and I decide to contact Penon to review them.

Why? Because of the special dual dynamic driver it uses which is something i never heard and was the main selling point for the X in my case. It’s no mystery I'm a bass lover and find this frequency range very hard to achieve properly, i mean when we seek the sweet spot between bass quality and quantity.

So when I read this for the X:

‘’Hollow coaxial structure dual dynamic driver, the rear driver through the hollow’s hole complete sounding, and produce a certain push-pull force on the front driver, not only to ensure sufficient energy, but also to provide a richer sense of layer, so that the quality and quantity of low frequency are greatly improved.’’

I was already sold. The Penon Quattro already infected me with dual DD dual push bass promise so it was time to try an ‘’entry level’’ set that can please basshead that don’t want to feel too guilty in terms of tonal balance….

Priced 240$, the Feat promise exactly that and use ‘’2 x 8mm dynamic driver hollow coaxial carbon element diaphragm for low + 2 x Knowles balanced armature for mid & high’’ for delivering a rich bassy and lush musicality that will both be fun, versatile, and i hope fatigue free.

Let's see in this review if the Feat will Fit your needs and is worth being called a ‘’must have’’ for bass lovers with limited budget.

CONSTRUCTION&ACCESSORIES



The Feat is made of thick resin plastic that feels invincible. Size while chunky is quite small for a 4 drivers IEM. It has a triangular shape without a hard angle. Plastic is soft and smooth and half transparent so you can admire what's hidden in Feat belly.Front of the shell has an ergonomic shape based on ear modeling, then the nozzle is super short and a bit large. This mean the Feat are solely meant to be inserted with shallow fit, so for those using only deep fit IEM and using foam ear tips, it might be a con. For me, it’s a plus since I'm a ‘’shallow fit’’ kinda guy.



On top we have a 2 pin connector that isn’t recessed, this means most 2pin cable will match it too.

The back plate has a very beautiful sparkly blue lining pattern ,which is a joy to look at under light.

All in all, excellent construction and very comfortable (shallow!) fit.


When it comes to cable quality, we are very spoiled here yet…there is no specification or info about cable material. Which seem very similar to the Simgot LC7 cable I adore but LC7 seem to have more cores and thicker strand (18awg).
This one is very thick and smooth, it’s surely a high purity OFC silver plated cable too, and you can select the plug you want (2.5mm bal, 3.5mm se or 4.4mm bal).
Excellent cable that is very welcome.


The packaging comes in a small minimalist but good looking box. Apart from the excellent cable, we have 6 pairs of silicone eartips and an IEM case I find ridiculously small since the cable dont even fit in. That's the only drawback I can pinpoint, so this mini case might have other use potential for when you have very minimal space.

All in all, great construction, great cable, OK accessories.




SOUND IMPRESSIONS



Let’s begin by saying that the TSMR Feat spell on me is very hard to break so I need to always report the review, even after 2 weeks of daily listen….I have numerous attempts that solve into: drowning in their luscious musicality. These are just so musical and immersive within a lush and bassy warm musicality that you drown in it slowly, like in honey…

This means it’s not a clinical or analytical set, otherwise, my emotional side wouldn’t be as invested, making cerebral perception easier for critical listening.

This doesn’t mean these are underwhelming technically, if you can accept it’s warm DNA, as well as important yet well balanced juicy bass boost.

And it’s where all begin, their no doubt the dual coaxial DD bass is what captivate and wow the listener at first, even anti basshead couldn’t say these are bad in bass department, just perhaps not to their taste in balance dominancy cohabiting within a coherent, lush and lively way. Yes, we are in this guilty pleasure solace where bass quality and quantity embrace each other in a flexible impactful dynamic, with colorful dense timbre.

But let’s begin with the overall TONALITY: these are warm and darkish W shapes in balance, with a focus on bass and treble. They are smooth and buttery, with thick bass and vocals. These are not for treble heads, nor those that want thin mids with brighten presence. The dynamic is muscular and hefty, but not edgy. Upper mids sensitive will not endure shouty or sibilance even if mids are lively and loud, we aren’t in overly safe territory since both bass and mids jump at the listener and wanna kiss you.

Then if I summarize technicalities, it would be about attack impact which is speedy and weighty, but not edgy. The transient of note is fast in a multi layered way that doesn't boost readability of imaging, it’s no monitor, it’s colored. The bass is ‘oddly’’ the technical beast here, due to fast attack with great transient flexibility that digs very deep while treble goes roll off after 10 kHz due to 2 balanced armature limitations as well as damping of their energy spike. Feat is an IEM that favors lower harmonics yet can cover the full range of most instruments and vocalists.

If you love BASS, the Feat will be an intense love story for sure. We have both sub and mids bass boost here, with a wide and elastic attack impact and release. These are basshead, but not hardcore hard hitting one since the sound pressure of impact isn’t poking eardrum, as well, it’s not a V shape that would make the mids recessed, it warms them but with coherency due to multi drivers use.
The bass boost is about 12db, I don't care about graphs but I know this. 10 db bass boost rarely gets the basshead tag, while 20db is hardcore basshead to me and can create hearing fatigue and even headache which isn’t the case as noted here.
The sub bass rumble is dense, vibrant and deep, it can extract bass line presence envelope gloriously in a way it favors the flesh and tone before the texture grain and presence cutting. It’s not a one tone oomph we get with the Feat, it’s the whole tone being amplified in physical presence.
The cello sound superb, you just can’t unfocus from it, sure if this have to cohabit with piano it might stole the attention of it due to lush grunt and round forward presence of low end, yet, you will be able to follow the piano too due to an organic layering that is effortless.
Then when it comes to kick drum, digital one will have more weight and bulbous presence envelope than acoustic one which will have a darkened edge and mellower impact, yet, kick never sounds thin or plain flat like more U shape bassy IEM we find nowadays.
This is a very flexible bass response that keep its vibrant air density down to it's sub bass extension, bass line are both physical and well rounded, while these go big slam it don't create hard hitting sound pressure due to slightly warmed and tamed mid bass. Flavorfull bass like this is very rare, especially when we got a thick but not muddy presentation.

Keywords: muscular, dense, thick vibrant rumble sustain, bodied bass line, elastic attack, natural warm tone, balanced basshead.

This means the MIDS are warm and forwards, with slightly dark definition sharpness and dense and lush timbre.
It’s not the kinda mids that have an edgy attack stroke that will make the violin abrasive and bright, nor improve the resolution of their attack timing and energy. In this case, slower cello fit more like a glove tonaly wise, and feel less forced in coloration.
The mids benefit more wind instrument and vocals than tapping and slapping attack lead, the sustain in attack chain is warmed and this densifies the timbre of both male and female vocalist. Unless the highest pitch soprano, the naturalness of the vocal is boosted by lushness and has more tone info than anharmonic texture info. This is all sugar for their ears, which explains how addictive these can become. This means that articulation-intelligibility of words will not be sharpened in vowels too, this can make some lyrics less easy to follow if speedy singing but even as a french speaker i don’t really struggle (unless bad recording).
Vocals are sibilance and shouting free, the dynamic is frontal and lively, it jumps at the listener in a sensual way not a bully all upper mids boost way. You melt into it and presence is wide due to lower register being complete, the air flow in vibrancy, breathy vocal like Sabrina Claudio don’t get the breathy texture extracted wrongly, which happen often with harman tuned IEM, i can’t handle her vocal which sound boxy, thin and plain artificial with so much IEM! Yet, I find the one to get kissed by, Sabrina being a paroxysm of sensuality, she deserves gourmet lushness that the Feat delivers in plentiness.
These are intimate mids you mix in, so in that regard it might lack crisp openness for some even if layering is on top of chunky bass.
Thin mids lover should look somewhere else.
The Feat render piano in dense, weighty but mellow way, saxo in a warm full of flowing air way that add dynamic to the blowing flow, trumpet never sound screamy nor boxy top, which again is quite rare with IEMs unless super flattened in dynamic release.
Ok i will say it, to my ears the Feat got the mids the Quattro should have gone for, which means the pinna gain and upper mids boost isn’t overly safe, it does have minimal crunch to it, the sound envelope of the instrument isn’t too liquid nor too flat.
We are in gourmet mid range territory, where the word refinement will be adequate for those who love tone richness that fulfill the soul not just the mind with forced sound info.

Keywords: Lush, fully bodied, natural timbre, wide vocal and instrument presence, softed definition edge without going too dark, weighty note impact, warmed resolution, not crisp nor airy, thin and recessed.


Now when it comes to TREBLE, this isn't the prime focus of the Feat and we are in slightly dark territory, without the dullness and crumpled spatiality that would come with it if it was a single DD, BA or planar for ex.
It’s mostly smooth with just a hint of upper mids and treble crunchiness that permit attack to not go sloppy or definition don’t go too abstract.
Think about Final E3K-E4K-E5K kind of highs and you’ll have a good idea of the type of sugary refinement we get with Feat highs.
We have the high instrument tone and presence material without the hard edge to cut up their presence crisply. It’s not the type of highs that will permit you to follow ultra fast percussion with bat-like ears. Lazy ears will not be happy with the Feat, as noted it’s not for treble head, but the percussions are there and well layered, they never go splashy nor spiky.
Roll off it is and the sidekick of this is lack of sparkle and brilliance as well as perceivable air.
But this means you're never distracted from bass and mids too, you suck up in music, you don’t chase for micro details butterflies nor don’t get attacked by unpleasant higns mosquitoes with the Feat that highlights all goodness of music for long listening pleasure without ear damage risk.
Would I wish the Feat to add 2EST or 2 extra BA for treble extension? Yes, but I would still want mid treble to be smooth and polished like it is.

Keywords: smooth, refined, creamy, full and natural percussion, minimal crunch and rolled off ultra highs.


When it come to SOUNDSTAGE, the Feat offer very wide and tall 3D holographic spatiality, with a sense of openness that is vibrant with moving air that affect cleaness of background and sense of depth due to center stage and mids instruments-vocal putting their substance forwards.

This means Feat is no master of IMAGING even if the spacious multi layering is well articulated. Those sound layers are thick and not fully transparent, you can’t perceive air silence between them, this makes the tuning more cohesive in a round meaty way that avoids messy macro muteness due to great technical performance of its 4 drivers.



Side Notes

This is one of those IEM with both low impedance and sensitivity, while they aren't that hard to drive they benefit from clean powerfull source, something like Fiio KA17 is a great match. So anything with 4vrms and 100mW or above should be enough. These aren't sensitive to the point of creating distortion and the DD love extra power push to be properly bass and reach sub bass naturaly.

Then the ear tips is a bit capricious too since the nozzle is very short, i suggest short wide bore to don't block the 2 nozzle hole and get fully extended soundstage.

Then for cable, yes these can get warmer or brighter depending which one you pair it with, but I feel the stock one is enough and don't justify urgent uprgade need. If so, my suggestion would be Simgot LC7 since it's the one I always finish to use (better imaging and macro dynamic).

COMPARISONS



VS ORIVETI OH700VB (1DD+6BA-700$)

OK, this is a bit of an unfair fight but I can't resist comparing two of my fav IEMs when it comes to bassy lush musicality with capable technical performance.

The Feat is warmer, darker and bassier and tonality is a bit more W shape in the sense we have rounder thicker mid bass punch and thicker fuller mids, it makes the OH700 feel more U shape and a notch thinner in high bass-lower mids which are less warm.

Feat bass performance is superior, it’s more agile and flexible in extension and fuller in tone, cello sound more natural too, rumble has more tactility, its slam is less scooped in roundness and hit harder. OH700 is a notch more texture for electric bass but doesn't offer as fleshy presence, it doesn’t color as much the mids and without bass boost the presentation is notably cleaner and less bleedy.

Mids are darker and thicker with the Feat, timbre is softer, more buttery and both male and female vocal are smoother, less boosted in texture and higher harmonic, more liquid and less well define in presence enveloppe, intelligibility is superior with OH700 as well as resolution and we have more air between layers, timbre being lusher with the Feat i prefer more laid back and fuller in tone vocals but miss the cleaner readability of OH700.

Treble is where the OH700 is evidently superior, it extends further, offers crisper snappier and more brilliant highs as well as greater sound info. It has more air on top too. Macro dynamic is more edgy and note transient as more accent in attack lead and less foggy sustain.

The Soundstage is wider and deeper with the OH700, while taller and more holographic with the Feat, you feel in the middle of music, part of it more.

Imaging is average with both but the OH700 can keep its readability better in busy track, 2BA vs 6BA here sure give the advantage to OH700 in terms of positioning accuracy.

All in all, I love both and can only conclude that these 2 complement each other very well, OH700 being a slight upgrade in technical performance but not offering as lush and natural vocals.

VS Unique Melody 3DT (3DD-400$)

The 3DT is notably brighter, more energetic in treble and less bassy.

The bass is thinner, more textured and defined in presence, has faster and sharper punch but with less weight, sub bass is notably more rolled off and just about presence, complete opposite of Feat bass which is chunkier, rumbler, weighter and lusher. Their zero bleed into mids with the 3DT, kick drum being notably brighter and free of resonance or impact release.

Mids are brighter and harsher, more prompt to fatigue and sibilance, upper mids are sharper, vocals are thinner and more noisy in texture. Mids sound like monitors with boosted treble, clarity is superior than darker lusher and more mid centric Feat.

Treble is way more aggressive and spiky, its more edgy and percussions aren’t missing a hit unlike more foggy highs of Feat, instrument has more bite from violin to guitar to snare, cymbals can go ear damaging splashy so highs are leaner and safer with darker Feat but not as captivating and well define.

Soundstage is wider and taller with Feat, while it’s deeper and more ‘’mono’’ with 3DT.

Imaging is superior with 3DT, positioning is crisper and less mushy.

All in all, 3DT sounds more analytical and technical but has inferior bass response and notably harsher tonal balance, for me Feat musicality is sky highs superior.

CONCLUSION



Ok let's begin by sayin I adore those so much i press 5 stars first then....feel a bit guilty and with a pinch of hearth conclude these are 4.5/5 when we give great importance to technical performance.

Why? Because these aren't technical or analytical sounding at all, it's not the tuning goal here, in term of plain musical enjoyment ill give those a 6/5 in fact!

But does it mean they are bad in that aspect? Absolutely not, because the Feat achieve a very bassy musicality without veiling or recessing the mids, it achieve a fully rounded macro dynamic that feel cohesively warm and not mushy in it's articulation. Thanks to hybrid configuration that permit to layer sound properly as well as mids that are energic enough to open their wide presence and kiss the listener with cello, saxo or vocalist goodness.

Yet this is a very gourmand Feast here, i mean Feat.

There nothing I love more than melting in sweet music free of agressive upper mids or treble spike, free of noisy boosted texture grain, free of thin detached bass, just...well, free and wild like a natural beast running under the warm sun.

Either your a basshead, bass lover, warm balanced tuning lover or even lush mid centric tuning lover, you'll find something addictively tasty in Feat musicality.

Music should embrace you, not punch you in they face or poke you in they eyes....and the Feat wanna spoil music lover first and fore most, it trigger more emotional and physical response than cerebral detachement and jsut for that it worth:

Very Highly Recommended for warm tuning lover!



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PS: I want to thanks Penon for sending me this review sample after my request. As always, their zero $ involved and I don't resell my IEM neither (this is why Comparisons part have pic by the way). I'm irreprocheable of any bias but my own subjective audio opinions and impressions.

You can order the TSMR Feat for 240$ here (check ChiFI Love group, since i might try to get coupon code for the members, these worth it since it's logical upgrade to something like ISN H40!):
https://penonaudio.com/TANSIO-MIRAI-FEAT

TSMR-FEAT is the newest IEM from Tansio MIrai that brings something new and unexpected from the group. What you guys have to understand is that these guys are not really known for their bass driven sound. Nope if there is one trait for the group that stands out. That would be how they tune for trebles more so than the low end. Tansio Mirais sound tuning has traditionally been about the trebles and all the sound aspects that audiophiles enjoy with a full bored treble end. However they have always had good to excellent bass for their IEMs as well.

The TSMR-FEAT uses dual knowles BAs for its mids and trebles and dual 8mm carbon coaxial dynamics for its bass performance. The first thing I noticed beyond just how good looking these IEMs are is that they no longer use the Tansio Mirais switch system they have used on every single IEM they have made till now.

However this one signature they have used on the TSMR-FEAT happens to be a good one. In true hybrid fashion. We get the technical leaning precision and imaging associated with BA performance but then they added these outstanding coaxial dynamics to handle its bass performance.

The new FEAT will be sold at a lower price bracket than the TSMR-X. Safe to say as these are not exactly going for a better TSMR-X. What's interesting here is that I can hear the family resemblance to the TSMR-X especially on the bass boost 1 switch but there are a few aspects about the FEAT that are different.

Folks that have never heard a Tansio Mirai IEM before and you're a bass fan, these might be a good place to start. For the guys that own the TSMR-X do you need to get this one? Nope not really. Well that is unless you feel the need to get a more simpler bass driven version of the TSMR-X for out and about. And or your just a huge fan of what Tansio Mirai has been cooking up lately and have to have them all.

The TSMR-FEAT is all about giving the listener a true hybrid presentation. It's not masking the fact that it uses BAs for its clean detailed sound presentation or its push pull coaxial dynamics for its brawny bass end. This is a sound that maximizes what both types of drivers are good at. On one end you get a sound bore connected to the dual BA that throws out the mids to trebles the other sound tube is connected directly to dual 8 mm carbon dynamics that are stacked on top of each other in dual push pull configuration. It looks similar to what the TSMR-X is using for bass with a vent out the back of the shells. I can see tonal and cohesive purists not liking this one as Tansio Mirai is not hiding a damn thing when it comes to what both these types of drivers are doing for the sound here.

One firm warning, the bass end was more than brawny out of the box. It's clearly a sub bass focused sound but had a burly presentation out of the box I was not ready for. I can literally hear the bass end tighten and is starting to get better definition now that I have had 50 hours or so of burn in. The bass end on these definitely needs a good run in before they start to sound correct.

What is interesting about these is that this is Tansio Mirais idea of a fun tuning. For folks that make IEMs dedicated for audiophiles that means these are bassy but also has a clean detailed sound tuning out of the box. Its clarity is on point but is nowhere near what the prior Tansio Mirai Sands or the Lands represent. These are the least treble focused Tansio Mirais to date actually. That bit of extra treble energy Tansio is known for is now focused toward the bass end. The balancing of the treble and the mids are closer to the recent TSMR-X more than anything they have brought out in the past. Where the sound cranks up a notch or two is in the bass department.

Its bass end is burly, rumbly with a slower realistic sub bass decay. They sound like subwoofers in the ears. These are pushing at least 8 dbs if not a bit more so toward the lowest of the lows. It is interesting when I first heard the bass end I could have sworn it was closer to the 1 switch on the TSMR-X but the more I listen to these they are actually tuned a bit like the reference 2 switch than the 1. It might be due to how impactful the sub bass is but it's not shy about bringing the bass. Let me put it that way. I can hear the air pushing the subs to new depths on this one. Before you ask. I don't feel the quality of the bass on the FEAT is up there with the TSMR-X. It has a slightly darker bass tonal character in comparison. Which provides a different contrast from what the TSMR-X bass end is doing. On the opposite end they don't have the same treble emphasis or the extension of the TSMR-X either. Which again brings a bit more attention to the low notes on this one. The good news there is that its bass is cleanly separated from the mids performance, helped out by utilizing a single bass bore to the ears separated from the mids and treble BA.

Let's get this out of the way. Really the TSMR-X is at a different level vs the FEAT in SQ and its overall presentation. The FEAT is priced at $239 for a reason. However it does have its own SQ.

Where the sound is engaging for the TSMR-X the FEAT has this going for it as well. But I can see a bit of a different scenario for the FEAT. TSMR-X is more of a home IEM, more refined and boutique in the way it presents sound. The FEAT on the other hand makes for a perfect out and about companion. Reason why I say this. The bass end on these are wild! Its sub bass performance you have to hear to believe. It is remarkable just how much these sound like real subwoofers. Its passive isolation is above average as well which helps you hear all of its glorious rumbly bass.

The contrast of clean well imaged mids and treble with a full bored sub woofer like sound profile is what the TSMR-FEAT is about. If any of you guys owned the old GR07 back in the day. These are like a modern day version of those but actually has dimensional qualities to the sound profile and not so flat sounding like the GR07. None of the treble spikes associated with that monitor as well..This one is a much more refined experience in comparison.

Audiophile bass IEM? You bet. In a way the FEAT is focusing its sound on some of the better aspects of what the TSMR-X does but using less drivers. Sound is not as airy or as spacious as the TSMR-X, they don't have the same type of sound separation or the detail level either, you have to expect that as it is using 2 less BAs for its sound.. However it shares some similar aspects like balancing, and shares similar tonal qualities. What is surprising here is it retains much of that holographic sound presentation of the TSMR-X, which in turn allows the same ability to be able to pull off accurate acoustic and orchestral listening but is obnoxiously great for EDM, rock metal and hiphop just like the TSMR-X.

The crazy thing about the FEAT is that you can’t tell just how brawny the bass end is until a tune clearly has some subwoofer engagement. Meaning it has some very clear clean mids. Which I don’t think can work with just how much bass these things have from something like a single dynamic using a single sound channel for example. Folks that like clean sound tunings should love these things but then when the subs are engaged. Get ready to rumble!

This bass ability makes for an ideal IEM for out and about not to mention will be ideal for gaming and media watching due to its technical level and bass emphasis.

Bass here is tuned a bit differently than the bass end of the TSMR-X, while both are using carbon based dynamics and both are using that push pull configuration. These sound a bit more closed in by nature and dbs per db actually sounds more impactful, has just a bit more physical nature to its impact and rumble. Don’t know if it is the venting driver that was used on the TSMR-X but these are not quite as well controlled, I don’t feel the bass end here is sloppy on the other hand.

Bass can and does get burly, definitely has more sub bass vs mid bass If I put the bass quality at a 8 out of 10 for the TSMR-X I would put the bass end at a respectable 7 out of 10 for the FEAT. Sub bass on the FEAT is where these become straight smile inducing experience. Its addictive rumble is shocking at times and has a slow decay for its sub bass rumble like a real subwoofer. As brawny as the bass can be, it is once again the control aspect for its bass which is clearly there. The bass for the FEAT has actually grown on me and you know you're dealing with a colored sounding IEM when other IEMs I go back to sound like they have weak bass in comparison.

I think if these came out before the TSMR-X I would have been head over heels over this one but as things stand, the TSMR-X has been making waves and I have a feeling it will be Tansio Mirais most popular IEM to date for a good reason. I do believe the TSMR-FEAT is a younger brother to the TSMR-X and as such there are a lot of striking resemblances to its sound formula.

So how does the TSMR-FEAT slot in the scheme of things? In my guesstimate it gives a good solid 85% sound performance of the TSMR-X and it is sold at a bit over 60% of the price of the Tansio Mirai-X. Which makes them a good value proposition for IEMs. But then it has its own sound going for it.

Its less aggressive treble balancing actually makes for easier listening while maintaining that clean mid-range, Tansio is known for. The mids are positioned very similarly as the TSMR-X and this one is not for folks that like a more forward warmer mids profile. It's more neutral in its mids presence but still has that dimensional quality to the mids that becomes addictive to listen to.
If any of you guys reading this was curious about what the fuss was about on the TSMR-X. This is a very good option to get yourself a legit audiophile bass infused IEM. If your curious about my take on the TSMR-X here is my review of them.

Several negatives on this one, for folks that are curious about them but feel the TSMR-X is a bit too spendy for you. The TSMR-FEAT will make you curious about the TSMR-X. On the other hand it is most definitely competent enough of a sound on its own with its own flavor.

It has two contrasting tonal qualities, clean and dark at the same time. I feel cohesion has improved greatly since burning them in but it would be difficult to have this much dynamic bass emphasis for BAs to jive with tonally. If you have a 2.1 or 5.1 system at home you might get a good idea of how the sound projects in the ears for this one. Short nozzles, yes these have short nozzles. I had to revert to using a double flange which brings forward the mids and trebles a bit forward for better balancing. Otherwise I am waiting to find out what these will be sold for. In the end these are true audiophile bass IEMs. You want your detail and imaging a clean sound signature with a low visceral rumble? That is exactly what the TSMR-FEAT are all about.