Introduction
Toneking is a Chinese company that produces in-ear monitors and earbuds. I will be reviewing the Toneking 65 ohms earbud, TO65. I would like to thank Penon Audio and Toneking for this opportunity to review this earbud. At the moment, you can purchase the Toneking 65 ohms earbud at
https://penonaudio.com/TONEKING-65ohm-150ohm-200ohm-Earbud .
Specifications
- Driver unit: 15.4mm Dynamic
- Impedance: 65Ω
- Sensitivity: 112dB/mW
- Frequency range: 15-28000Hz
Unboxing & Accessories
The earbud comes in a simple matte black package with the Toneking brand name in silver on the front. After opening the box, you will see a black soft carrying case sporting the Toneking brand name in black on the front. Inside the case, you will get the Toneking 65 ohms earbud, 1 shirt clip and 8 pairs of foam. There is a wire mesh in the case for separating the earbud and other accessories.
Earbud Build & Design
The earbud has a plastic shell and is silver in colour. There are L and R markings on the left and right shell respectively for differentiation. On each of the shell, there is a silver vent and below it is the Toneking brand name. At the side facing outwards, there is the brand logo and model name printed on it, “TO65”. This earbud features a detachable MMCX cable. The earbud construction is rather good and just like other earbuds, it is lightweight and sits in my ears comfortably. The silver finish on the earbuds gives a sleek feel to it.
Cable Build & Design
The material being used to make this cable is silver-plated oxygen-free copper. The cable is quite flexible and soft. It has a shiny look. There are markings on both connectors to indicate left and right. The y-slider is glossy black with a silver stripe at the bottom of the housing. The jack is a 3.5mm straight gold plated and has a glossy black housing with a silver stripe at the top of the housing. There is strain relief.
Sound Analysis
Lows
The sub-bass extension of the TO65 is rather average. I find the decay to be fast and it is accompanied with a quick rumble that speeds up the overall sound. This helps to create more impact and I find the dynamics face a significant improvement as a result. The mid-bass does not have a huge slam to it. It presents itself in a rather laid back approach so you will not feel it overpowering the other aspects of the frequency range. The quantity may be lacking for some but it has a polite presentation. The transition from bass to lower mids is quite smooth. I find the bass to be fatigue-free as it is enjoyable and the quantity is appropriate.
Mids
The TO65 has a rather smooth and balanced midrange that is quite polite. The lower mids has a rather good amount of body and male vocals does not sound hollow here. Moving on to the upper mids, I personally find it slightly forward and this aids the reproduction of female vocals. It is not the thick and lush kind of midrange but it operates on a rather conservative approach. There is good control with decent level of details retrieval.
Highs
The treble is extended quite decently and it is controlled and tight in its presentation. I find the energy is slightly lacking and the sparkle is minimal. There is no sibilance and harshness in the sound at all. The amount of air presents is not a lot but I feel there is still a good quantity to it. Clarity is rather decent and the details retrieval is quite good. There is lack of crisp at times but the definition is there.
Soundstage
The TO65 has nice width and depth for its soundstage. The width is not the widest I have heard but there is space to minimise the congestion of tracks. Positioning of vocals and instruments are quite good. The depth is quite close in. I find the TO65 soundstage performs up to its price point.
Comparisons
Toneking TO65 vs PMV B01 AOEDE
The TO65 has more sub-bass quantity and extension than the PMV B01 AOEDE. I find the TO65 to have a more exciting approach. The decay on the B01 is much slower and it is shown in tracks which are more pacier. The mid-bass on the B01 has a heavier weight to it and there is more slam which improves the dynamics. I find the bass texture on the B01 to be rendered more smoothly. The bass note on the TO65 is more precise and there is speed. B01 operates on a slower approach. The lower mids on the B01 is slightly more full than the TO65 due to its body. The upper mids on the TO65 is slightly more organic and crisp. Female vocals are presented better on the TO65 with good intimacy while for B01, it excels at male vocals and it sounds thick. Moving on to the treble, I find that both has similar amount of air but the TO65 has a slight edge due to the more space being rendered. TO65 has more details too. B01 treble approaches in a smooth way instead. In terms of soundstage, I find TO65 to have the better width and depth. Vocals and instruments positioning on the TO65 is better. I would say the imaging on the TO65 has a higher standard.
Toneking T065 vs Penon BS1
The BS1 has more sub-bass quantity and extension than the TO65. I feel the BS1 has a better depth as the sub-bass extension stretches way out. The bass quality on both is around the same. I find the mid-bass on the TO65 to have more slam and that it is more controlled. The smooth slam aids in the overall sound presentation. The bass texture on both is very similar. In terms of decay, BS1 is slightly better as each notes presents itself with more attack. The lower mids on both has similar amount of quantity and male vocals are presented rather well but does not sound too thick and lush. For the upper mids, BS1 is more forward and female vocals are more intimate. Next, for the treble section, the BS1 has the edge in its extension coupled with its air and sparkle. I find that details retrieval on the BS1 is better. Lastly, moving on to soundstage, BS1 has the edge in width but TO65 is slightly better in the depth. Vocals and instruments positioning on the BS1 is slightly more accurate and the stage width helps to reduce congestion as well as improve imaging. I find the BS1 resolution to be better.
Toneking TO65 vs Toneking TO150
The TO150 has more sub-bass quantity and extension than the TO65. I find the bass on the TO150 to have more impact and it is superior in the depth. The mid-bass on the TO150 has slightly more slam and this allows dynamics to be better presented. Bass texture on both are rendered somewhat smoothly. Decay on the TO150 is slightly faster and the pace helps to make the sound more exciting. The lower mids on the TO150 has more body and sounds thicker as such. I find the TO150 excels in this department. For the upper mids, I find the TO65 to have a better control and female vocals are being presented smoothly. Moving on to the treble, they are smooth and TO150 has the slight sparkle. TO65 treble is more laid back and it is excellent for slow music as compared to TO150 which is more pacey. In terms of soundstage, TO150 has the edge in width and depth.
Conclusion
The TO65 is a smooth sounding detachable earbud that one can listen to, especially for music with a slower pace. With such a polite sound signature, I find that it is very easy to listen to. The treble is detailed and precise in its articulation. The earbud has good build quality and visual appeal. In addition, it comes with a nice carrying case to store the earbud so you can bring it around.
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