TRI Starsea

Tested at 100€. U can get it from HIFI-GO
INTRO & SPECS.

TRI, sub-brand of KBEAR, presents this hybrid configuration fitted on a resin capsule, with a couple of tuning switches to present different signatures. The capsule got a small vent in one of the sides, and you can see the drivers with they custom tunnels putting there to carry the sound to the ear separately.
Driver. 8mm Bio-Composite Silicon Diaphgram | Knowles ED29689 Balance Armature | Customized TRI-HI-A Balance Armature
Cable. 1.2m Silver Plated | 2pin connector | 3.5mm jack
Sen & Imp. 106+2dB/mW | 9.5Ω
Capsule. Resin

FIT & TUNING.
I tend to prefer resin capsules over the metal ones, the starsea are really comfortable to my ears, not being enormous, and giving a medium isolation. U can wear them for hours, and the cable provided feels nice on the ear.
The tuning is a typical U-Shape coming from KBEAR, with some sparkle on highs.

LOWs.
Punchy, giving some texture, and being soft enough to not affect so much on mids.
Maybe it is not the most subbass focused iem on the market, but for sure is fun.
Its an all rounder bass, almost any genre of music suits with this tunning.

MIDs.
The presence of the mids for an U-shape tuning is really nice, they are really nice placed on the center, not being harassed by the highs or low.
The Timbre starts to go crazy sometimes, nothing to worry about, but feels metallic with some blur in vocal focused music.

HIGHs.
The excessive sparkle could be a little bit agressive in some genres, but the detail it provided, plus the bass texture, make this iem very analytical.
U are not going to feel the highs on your face, but they are there, having much presence over the mids.

TECH & STAGE.

Really nice stage, wide as high, coherent, and giving that 3D effect.
Nice for gaming, the OST are going to sound nice, and the layering is over-average.

OUTRO & EVALUATION
Hybrid configurations always being a win-win, I really like that team between Dynamic and BA. TRI really knows how to tune an iem to make them fun, detailed and superb quality construction.
If you want to start a collection with a consolidated Hybrid IEM, I can´t tell you the best alternative at this price range. The all-rounder capabilities of this iem, make a perfect purchase for 100€ bracket.
If u are concern about clarity, timbre, and centered on vocal genres, the lack of neutrality and the presence of some "noises" make them a no-no for you.

Trying my first attempt at reviewing iems. Starting off with the TRI Starseas!

Introduction:
I’ve been looking for a pair under $200 at the time and the Starseas were the ones suggested to me because I wanted to try something different to my previous Moondrop Aria.

Packaging & Accessories: 5/5
The box is quite big and hefty for what’s inside, but at least makes for a good unboxing experience. The stock cable is good enough but my only gripe with it is the chin slider is so the thing that trying to adjust is a pain. The included case is nice and can fit the iems with a bulkier cable, I even find myself fiddling with the case from time to time. They also include a microfiber cloth for cleaning purposes. It also comes with 2 pairs of Foam tips and a couple of your standard silicone tips. Note to the stock tips that it’s quite sticky and one of the foam tips I had started to break. The other tips are decent for using stock but I suggest using the Tanchjim T-APB tips (I’ll focus on why later)



Build Quality, Design, & Fit: 3.8/5
The TRI Starsea is made of 3d-printed resin. The iems are light yet durable. The design looks like painted brush strokes with a mixture of complementing colors primarily purple. The iems fit nicely to my ear as it has your typically pseudo-custom iem shape most resin iems have. The problem with these iems is that it reportedly has pressure build-up and driver flex issues which I experienced like most who made reviews on this set. The driver flex issue isn’t really a problem for me, unlike the pressure build. One of our members suggested using the Tanchjim T-APB tips as they are made to relieve some of the pressure which it did, but still not ideal imo.


Now onto sound

Bass: 4.5/5
Bass is thumpy, fast, and with impact but not too much. If you’re looking for a subbass set, this ain't it chief. Bass is tamed enough that it doesn’t veil much of other frequencies.

Midrange: 4.8/5
The midrange on these is really nice, it has presence even though the bass and treble are can overshadow it in some instances but doesn’t fall behind too much. Vocals are good but can feel “too full” like what Timmy Vangtan’s said in his review but it depends on the singer and the music playing really.

Treble: 4.3/5
Treble on these is elevated like the bass. Some may find this set as bright because of the subbass and having elevated treble. I myself as a self-proclaimed treble sensitive person and it's only on rare occasions that I find it too bright because of the music I was playing.

Imaging: 4.4/5
Imaging on here is good, I can pin-point instruments and I can feel the proximity of instruments on which is closer and which is farther away

Soundstage: 4.5/5
Soundstage on here is quite wide but not wide as the Moondrop Aria I feel, but still wide enough to not have a “in your head” feeling on your music.

Conclusion:
These are a nice set if you want something livelier than Harman-tuning or if your coming from the Aria’s but want more energy. I haven’t tried anything around this price point so I can only compare to my closest priced iem which is the Aria. These are a nice set for the price if you can deal with the issues like the pressure build-up and being too bright for some.

TRI Starsea is a triple Driver (2 BA, 1DD. 1 Knowles ED-29689 for mids & 1 custom designed BA for highs & a single 8mm Dynamic Driver for the low end.) IEM that retails for a pretty affordable 130 USD!
The build quality is excellent, The German imported Resin housing looks absolutely amazing and it fits nicely! and the fact that it comes with 2 tuning switches with 4 different sound signature option is an added bonus!
I'll try to keep the review short and sweet!


Packaging:

It comes in a lovely premium box that includes

-Hardshell carrying case.
-8 core silver plated pure ofc copper cable.
-Cleaning cloth.
-9 pairs of silicone eartips ( 3 different types in 3 pairs).
-2 pairs of foam eartips.
-Warranty card and Documentation
-A tool for changing the tuning


Sound profile:

The TRI Starsea comes with two switches that can make the IEM sing differently! The Settings are:
1. The Exquisite tone ( The Brightest one, both switches down )
2. Balanced Tuning ( The flattest and most neutral tuning, both switches up)
3. Amazing Bass ( The fun sounding profile, Slightly V shaped tone, Switch 1 up, Switch 2 down)
4. Beautiful Vocals ( It pushes the mids more forward, Switch 1 down, Switch 2 up)

I loved using the Balanced tuning, though the V shaped tuning sounds great and I think most of the people with prefer that!

My review is written using the Balanced tuning.


Sound Quality:

The Bass: (4/5)
If you want something that kicks your head like crazy and thumps you heart up, this is not the IEM!
The bass is clean, clear and some of the best under 200$ if you like a balanced sound!
The bass here is well controlled, And done just right!
The amount is adequate, The texture is good, the bass is not sloppy at all, It's agile and nimble, the texturing is done really well!
There is no bass bleed on the mids.
It shines on the mid bass while it lacks some sub bass ( The amazing bass settings helps overcoming this, but again, the the deepest)

The Mids: (4.3/5)
The mids on Starsea is absolutely amazing, It is forward and it sounds lush and weighty, specially if you pair it with a warm sounding source.
The detail and the clarity is superb for the price!

The Treble: (4.5/5)
The treble is where Starsea shines!
The extension is excellent, it sounds natural, not fatiguing at all.
It sounds airy and it got enough spacing that nothing sounds crowded!
The treble is sparkly without having noticable sibilance.




Final Verdict:
If you are looking for a great sounding IEM without busting the bank, this is it!

The only downside is it can be source picky.
So better get a warm sounding DAC+AMP with it, or use it with a DAP!
And sometimes it gives this air tight feeling.
But for 130$ this is a no brainer!

Photos: