TRI i3

| 10mm Planar Magnetic | Balanced Armature | 8mm Dynamic Driver |

? TRI i3, the top-tier IEM from TRI with insane specs for the price.

The TRI I3 features a premium triple driver configuration with 3 different types of drivers: planar magnetic, balanced armature and dynamic driver. This is a combination of drivers types that is quite unusual to see on the market right now.

Specifically, the TRI I3 has inside each earpiece a 10mm planar magnetic driver, a single balanced armature driver and an 8mm dynamic driver.

The housings of the TRI i3 have a metallic, mirror-alike finish similar to earphones such as:

The TRI i3 is usually seen under KBEAR brand but this IEM is actually part of a different company, TRI Audio.

Nonetheless, there is a clear connection between both brands as you can see TRI products promoted/listed by KBEAR and as you can see on the KBEAR Hi7, the packaging & accessories are nearly identical.

Despite, the “3” in the naming of the TRI I3, this is not the 3rd generation of a series. Instead, the TRI I series include a, confusingly named, TRI I4 model that was released before the TRI I3 and that is placed below the I3 model – both spec-wise and price-wise.

If you haven’t heard before of TRI as a brand, you might not be alone, as this is a very young company that has just emerged on the budget Asian HiFi world.

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Accessories & Packaging

The TRI i3 unboxing results in a pair of foam eartips, a nice soft pouch, a Velcro cable organizer, a detachable cable and 6 extra pair of eartips.

The packaging is a medium-sized rectangular box with a mainly dark design.

^9_/10

Cable

The cable of the TRI i3 is a 4-core single crystal copper silver-plated type with MMCX connectors.

The cable design has a double helix before the cable bifurcation with a soft and rubberized finish while the section after the bifurcation has a very tight helix design with rougher feel.

Besides a transparent resin spehere that is used as a cable tightener, the rest of the details inline are made of metal – including both connectors ends.

The 3.5mm stereo connector has a straight shape and a mixed design with silver metal and carbon fiber (pattern).

Weight

TRI i3 weight in Ounces and TRI i3 weight in grams.

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Construction Quality and Build

The TRI I3 has aluminum alloy shells, that feel and look durable. Users should expect a rugged feel, somewhat inline with the:

Bass & Sub Bass

The Tri i3 shows an energetic bass response that can cover most genres without lacking power but will be able to conserve an envyingly clean sub-bass that will not submerge the sound signature into a bass-only tuning.

On the other hand, it is fair to note that for high-demanding audiophiles, their upper bass could sound somewhat more bouncy than on other refined planar magnetic headphones. Yet, this adds a layer of fun and entertaining flavor to it’s sound profile.

Applying an EQ, mid-bass and sub-bass can be pushed into a very noticeably punchier and deeper response that will allow listeners to boost both when bass-heavier tracks are being listened to.

^_8.5_/10

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Mids & Vocals

The TRI I3 have a noticeably warm midrange with relaxed male vocals and acceptable congestion over their lower mids.

Despite this, their lower vocals do not sound distant nor suffer from an overly busy sound if tracks are not too bass-intense.

Higher mids will tend to a smooth flavor, yet being able to offer sufficient crispness on most songs. This less upper-mids boosted tuning will make their harshness and peaks less-frequent than sharp and overly crisp headphones.

Listeners looking for a warm sounding planar magnetic headphone with cozy sound will probably like the midrange of the TRI i3.

A custom EQ can provide the midrange of the TRI i3 an impressively cleaner sound with perfect reduction of any congestion and a much crispier and more organized upper mids that will lower a bit of their warmth tint – while conserving a tolerably harsh upper midrange.

^₈_/10

Highs & Treble

The TRI i3 is a very capable IEM resolving detail while keeping their highs and treble sufficiently bright, yet not fatiguing.

Despite the dedicated balanced armature driver to take care of their highs, users will not suffer from exaggerated brightness nor a forward upper end that could become piercing and annoying – still, the TRI i3 might show sibilance from time to time and depending on the track’s sibilance tendency.

The highs of the TRI i3 keep a logical tuning with their overall sound signature, being gentle and pleasing but not lacking sufficient brightness nor detail as to cover most listening sessions.

Using an EQ, the TRI I3 showed incredible results (similar to their midrange), allowing their highs and treble to unleash a much more detailed and bright sound that will also feel way more spacious.

^8.25_/10

Sound Leak

The sound leaking out of the TRI i3 is slightly lower than on most normal earphones, allowing to crank up the volume a small bit more than most earphones before being too audible.

^7.25_/10

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Sound Isolation

The sound isolation provided by the TRI i3 is significantly more efficient than most average headphones.

Partial isolation will be felt right away with a fairly easy potential to achieve absolute isolation by dialing up the volume of the music listening sessions.

^8_/10

Comfort

The TRI i3 has been created with a custom-IEM styled form factor that has curvy edges and no sharp nor pointy angles.

As with any metal earphone, the earpieces will get cold in winter season or freezing locations; though the main comfort “issue” might be the itself that could become a bit uncomfortable on the loop section that sits behind the ears (this might vary according to each owner’s ears)

^8.25_/10

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Response to Equalization

The response to EQ of the TRI I3 showed impressive retuning potential of their midrange, male and female vocals while the EQ response to highs and treble frequencies was equally efficient to add brightness and detail.

^9_/10

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Exclusive TRI i3 Coupon for ThePhonograph readers

IMPORTANT!

How to use ThePhonograph Exclusive Coupons at Aliexpress:

NOTE:

Coupon has to be written on the “Message” field and not the “Coupon Code” field
Users buying from Aliexpress website directly and not using the Aliexpress app have to click on “Switch to full-page version” to access the Message field to write the Coupon

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Frequency Response (raw)

TRI i3 Frequency Response Curve

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TRI i3 Technical Specifications

Specifications

Type	Triple hybrid
Driver Unit	Planar magnetic + BA + DD
Sensitivity	103dB/mW
Power Capacity	Unknown
Impedance	15 ohms
Frequency Response	20-40,000Hz


Cord	Y-type, MMCX
Cord Length	1.2m
Plug	Stereo mini plug
Weight	Approx. 45g
Supplied Accessories	7x Earphone tips; cable; pouch

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Scores

TRI i3 Scores

Accessories - 9/10
9/10
Design - 8.25/10
8.3/10
Bass - 8.5/10
8.5/10
Mids - 8/10
8/10
Highs - 8.25/10
8.3/10
Sound Leak - 7.25/10
7.3/10
Sound Isolation - 8/10
8/10
Comfort - 8.25/10
8.3/10
Response to EQ - 9/10
9/10
Value for Money - 9/10
9/10

Summary

AWARDS

Pros

✅ Fun but non-overwhelming bass

✅ Warm mids

✅ Good detail and brightness

✅ Outstanding response to EQ

✅ Good variety of bundled accessories

✅ MMCX detachable cables

✅ Rugged all-metal build

✅ Insane value for money

✅ Premium driver configuration

Cons

❌ Mirror-alike finish can expose fingerprints

❌ Metal earpieces will get cold in winter (as with any metal earphone)

Conclusion

The TRI I3 offers an insane bang for buck with it's premium driver configuration and an affordable price for the high-class specs provided.

Audio enthusiasts dreaming with this level of driver's technology can now have access to it without needing to get a loan - good times for audiophile collectionists on a budget!

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ThePhonograph COUPONS

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8.4/10

Buy it from:

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Exclusive TRI i3 Coupon for ThePhonograph readers

IMPORTANT!

How to use ThePhonograph Exclusive Coupons at Aliexpress:

NOTE:

Coupon has to be written on the “Message” field and not the “Coupon Code” field
Users buying from Aliexpress website directly and not using the Aliexpress app have to click on “Switch to full-page version” to access the Message field to write the Coupon

COUPONS for ThePhonograph readers

Aliexpress Coupons

Amazon Coupons

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FAQ

TRI i3 FAQ

How many drivers does the TRI i3 have?

The TRI i3 is a triple driver headphone. Which means that the TRI i3 has 3 drivers per side.

What type of headphone is the TRI i3?

The TRI i3 is an in-ear headphone.

The TRI i3 is an open, semi-open or closed back headphone?

The TRI i3 is a closed back headphone.

Does the TRI i3 have a microphone?

The TRI i3 does not have a microphone and a remote.

What is the price of the TRI i3?

You can check the most up-to-date price of the TRI i3 by following THIS LINK.

Where can I buy the TRI i3?

You can buy the TRI i3 HERE

Which TRI i3 colors are available?

The colors available for the TRI i3 are: silver

What cable do the TRI i3 have?

The TRI i3 have a detachable, Y-type cable.

What cable connection does the TRI i3 have?

The TRI i3 cable connection has a MMCX interface.

Are there replacement cables for the TRI i3 ?

The TRI i3 cables can be replaced with compatible MMCX replacement cables.

Are there upgrade cables for the TRI i3 ?

The TRI i3 uses MMCX cables which are very popular standard cables. You can buy any cable with an MMCX connector to upgrade the cable.

Does the TRI i3 have Bluetooth / The TRI i3 is a wireless headphone?

The TRI i3 does not have Bluetooth but you can buy Bluetooth cables to make the TRI i3 Bluetooth-enabled headphones. Or you can buy adapters such as the FiiO BTR3 to make it wireless Bluetooth.

Is the TRI i3 compatible with Apple devices?

The TRI i3 is fully compatible with Apple devices.

Is the TRI i3 compatible with Android devices?

The TRI i3 is fully compatible with Android devices.

Photos

TRI i3 Photos

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TRI I3

8.4

SCORE

8.4/10

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TRI i3 – Review

Accessories & Packaging

Cable

Weight

Construction Quality and Build

Bass & Sub Bass

Mids & Vocals

Highs & Treble

Sound Leak

Sound Isolation

Comfort

Response to Equalization

TRI i3 Frequency Response Curve

TRI i3 Technical Specifications

TRI i3 Scores

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