TIMSOK TS-316 Single Dynamic In-Ear Reference Headphone

Simply great, a big step up in sound quality from the rest of the item’s I own. Very natural and organic sound to my ears. Only downside is the weight of the shells, they are small but still manage to make my ears sore after a couple of hours. Cable looks nice but is stiff as others have mentioned, I’m trying to see if they break in and get softer before I switch them out for a softer, less stiff cable that won’t pull them out of my ears when I move my head. But these sound incredible and bring a level of fidelity that I didn’t think possible without spending thousands $$.

First I wanted to say that the emails I sent have been answered quickly and thank you for the help now with respect sound I have taken my time to be able to burn them a little (50 hours) to be able to listen to them critically, in addition to finding some tips that make me a good seal the ones that I liked the most were the Azla crystal, JVC spiral dot ++, Symbio w peel, and to change the original cable because it is a little stiff and made it come out of my ear I changed it for my cable effect audio great much more comfortable good the sound as in the title it seems to me that it is a reference and a very balanced all frequencies with all-terrain in all frequencies with a good body without losing the details, they have a good rumble of the sub bass the bass hit the drums and the bass strongly distinguish very well with a good body the male and female voices sound real they are not hidden they are almost I hope to make a review in head fi to be able to explain something more about my experience with these excellent iem

I really liked the Timsok TS-316. I waited a while to do this little review, just to enjoy it thoroughly. It offers, in my opinion, a realistic, natural, complete, organic sound...in a word spectacular. Tested with the iBasso DX180 dap it amazed me on all fronts. I recommend this IEM, as I recommend MusiTek, an excellent seller, attentive to customer needs and always ready to satisfy the buyer's requests. Thanks to Andrew and Leonardo.

Pros:
High quality metal build
Small and comfortable shells
Resolving and energetic sound
Good dynamics
Fast and deep bass
Clear and open midrange
Well extended and detailed treble
Soundstage larger than average
Nice packaging and accessories

Cons:
Upper mids is forward, but also great for detail
Could have liked longer nozzles
White cable stains more easy and is slightly microphonic
Metal shells get scratches or fingerprints easy

I have truly enjoyed my time with TS-316, it is both musical and technical. It has enough warmth to the body to balance the energetic upper range, in return you get a successful formula that can take music with excellence. Musicteck has taken in a very solid IEM here, both the quality of the IEM and the sound is more than worth its price.

Easy 5star for the money.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/timsok-ts-316.26963/reviews#review-32705

Pros:
😊 Build quality, metal shells have some weight to them, but are on the smaller side of medium and fit my ears well. (Subjective)
😊 Upscale packaging with nice accessory complement.
😊 Classy looking 4.4mm, 2 pin, fabric wrapped OCC copper cable.
4.4mm to 3.5mm adapter included.
😊 Warmer, balanced sound signature.
😊 Natural tonality and timbre.
😊 Nice note weight.
😊 Warm smooth bass.
😊 Smooth mids.
😊 Bright, airy upper mids and treble.

Cons:
😔 Ear pieces are fingerprint magnets.
😔 Fabric wrap on cable prone to micro-phonics. (a consideration for those who are active while listening)
😔 Bass would benefit with a bit more definition and texture.
😔 Enough detail to warrant “reference” designation??

Equipment:
-TIMSOK TS-316 Reference IEM, aged 120+ hours.
-Astell & Kern SP2000T, OP amp mode, 4.4mm out.
-Stock 4.4mm OOC copper cable.
-Sedna Xelastec wide bore ear tips.
*I prefer TS-316 on a more resolving source device.

Sound:
-Bass is thick and warm and it carry’s that warmth across the head space.
Playing a dedicated sub bass test track, TS-316 pulls reasonably low with a nice rumble, but playing random tracks from my catalogue the bass presents somewhat one dimensional and “boomy with authoritative thump”.
It’s an enjoyable, somewhat analog sounding bass, but I feel it would benefit if it had more texture and better definition between sub and mid bass.

-Mids are warmed and smoothed by the bass, but they rise through and present with good detail and clarity. They are neither forward nor elevated to much degree. Bass fills the gaps in the mids making the stage feel more intimate than expansive.

-Highs start to roll off early, most of the top end energy is in the upper mids.
Instruments like electric guitar, flute, and violin sacrifice some of there very top end bite. A blessing perhaps for the treble sensitive, treble fans may be left wanting.
Cymbals and high hats do manage a recovery and add a dose of sparkle and air.

Head stage:
-Fills the head space, but is pretty much confined to within the head.
It’s close, intimate, and warm, but clean and clear enough to allow for decent imaging and layering.

Summary:
For me the TS-316 has a touch of old school analog nostalgia. It offers a warm, smooth, and most often relaxed, listening experience.

I do, however, question if the “Reference” designation is qualified.
I don’t find the technical prowess of the TS-316 to be at the reference level.

I find TS-316 a very enjoyable IEM for late night, or anytime chill listening.
It has a nice meaty note weight that works well with most genres that don’t demand extreme detail playback.

My library is a blend of Rock, Blues, Jazz, Pop, Rap, R&B, Electronic, Country, and Acoustic.
TS-316 worked well will all other than some Jazz and Electronic tracks that demand highly technical detail reproduction.