TRN BA5

7.7

SCORE

7.7/10

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TRN BA5

| 5x Balanced Armature |

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? TRN BA5, a penta-driver in-ear headphone that has been recently released.

The TRN BA5 features 5-drivers per earpiece in an all-balanced armature configuration that includes: 3 balanced armature drivers dedicated to handle high frequencies (model 30095), 1x 29689 midrange BA and low-frequency 22955 balanced armature driver.

This is not the first penta-driver earphone from TRN but, instead of being a 5-driver hybrid model like the TRN V90, the TRN BA5 uses exclusively balanced armature drivers.

The back plate of the TRN BA5 has a metal grid that, according to the manufacturer, acts a vent-flow section; feature that, if true, should result in an open or semi-open back design – we will evaluate this later on during our TRN BA5 soundtests.

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TRN BA5 Review

Table of Contents

Accessories, packaging and unboxing
Cable
Construction quality and build
Weight
Bass and sub-bass
Mids and vocals
Highs and treble
Sound leak
Sound isolation
Comfort and fit
Response to equalization
Frequency response curve
Technical specifications
Scores, awards, pros, cons, summary
Price and Where to buy?
Discount Coupon
Photo gallery

Tests & Scores

Accessories & Packaging

The TRN BA5 unboxing results in a detachable bi-pin cable and 3 pair of eartips – no fancy case nor pouch is included but this is pretty much a normal quantity and type of accessories included with earphones from TRN, KZ, CCA, KBEAR, etc.

The packaging is a small rectangular box, nearly identical to the packaging of earphones of the aforementioned brands.

^7.5_/10

Cable

Different to other bang for buck, ultra-budget models, the cable of the TRN BA5 has all the inline details build in metal instead of plastic.

Indeed, the cable bifurcation section, stereo plug and even the remote/mic are made of metal with a black finish to match the color of the cable.

The connectors on the cable are qdc, which has become an usual standard for budget, rich-featured Asian in-ear monitors.

The cable itself has a braided, helix design with a plastic finish but is not as rubberized as other cables such as this or this.

Weight

TRN BA5 weight in Ounces and TRN BA5 weight in grams.

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Construction Quality and Build

The TRN BA5 is a solidly built earphone thanks to shells entirely made of aviation-grade magnesium alloy and a hefty construction that feels inline with other earphones (or better) such as:

Bass & Sub Bass

Mid-bass on the TRN BA5 is substantially emphasized, giving a very punchy sound but might, as well, become boomy.

Their strong bass can risk to extend too much over the rest of the audio spectrum, adding a busy feel to it’s sound signature.

Sub-bass can reach fair depth, yet this TRN model will not provide a basshead-styled of deep note reproduction.

Overall, users should expect a tuning weighting more to mid-bass than sub-bass.

An EQ can add substantial depth to their sub-bass and some extra punch too but, as expected, their bass may overpower too much their mids and highs.

Through out our extreme bass tests, the TRN BA5 supported up to 50% of a FiiO A5 maximum power. The results presented a drastic increment of punch and depth with subtle rumble but far from reaching basshead impact and rumble as the Pioneer SE-CX8, Sony MDR-EX650 or Elecom EHP-CA3580.

^_7.75_/10

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Mids & Vocals

With the TRN BA5, male vocals are relaxed on most tracks, tending to sound mediumly distant when songs get bass-heavy.

Lower mids are not necessarily unacceptably overcrowded but do show congestion due to mid-bass bleed.

Higher mids are substantially more emphasized than the rest of the midrange, with a sufficiently crisp tuning that, yet, does not become harsh.

The mids of the TRN BA5 may fit listeners enjoying a gentler and very warm midrange.

With an EQ, mids of the TRN BA5 can be noticeably retuned reducing a huge amount of their mid-bass congestion, giving a much cleaner sound and allowing their male vocals to come forward – upper mids should not be boosted to avoid harshness.

^_7.25_/10

Highs & Treble

The TRN BA5 highs are fairly bright but do not provide the most detailed upper end on the market, even more compared with other multi-driver earphones.

Despite this, the highs and treble on the TRN BA5 follow a coherent path with it’s midrange, showing a “pulled-back”/less emphasized tuning that results in a warm/darkish sound signature but also gentler than forward-sounding earphones.

On the other hand, the TRN BA5 can show sibilance on specific sibilant-prone tracks.

Using an EQ, their highs can be helped to sound much brighter and less-busy with, also, some detail added to the mix – yet, do not expect miracles on the detail department.

^7.25_/10

Sound Leak

The TRN BA5 showed strong sound leakage, much stronger than most average earphones. This is clearly consequence of the back plate’s grid, that is an actual vent and results in an open/semi-open back design.

The higher leakage is a normal consequence of open-back headphones acoustical design, as so and as we do with every open-back headphone, this score will not be averaged.

^5.5_/10

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Sound Isolation

Despite the rear grids made for it’s internal airflow, the TRN BA5 does a very good job isolating from the environment.

Utilizing any volume setting above low-moderate will make the TRN BA5 a strong isolating earphone.

^8.25_/10

Comfort

The TRN BA5 has a more solid build, smaller size and better ergonomics than many other 5-driver earphones on the market, such as the:

Moreover, the curved forms and lack of sharp angles result in a form factor similar to custom in-ear monitors, granting excellent fit and comfort.

This custom-styled shape, also, provides a very stable and secure fit to safely withstand all daily activities – the inner shell shares some similarities to the TRN T200 TWS but with a much smaller size.

^8.5_/10

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Response to Equalization

The TRN BA5 showed impressive results over their midrange, helping to obtain a much better performing sound but their response to EQ was not as efficient over their bass and highs.

^7.5_/10

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Frequency Response (raw)

TRN BA5 Frequency Response Curve

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TRN BA5 Technical Specifications

Specifications

Type	BA
Driver Unit	5xBA
Sensitivity	101dB/mW
Power Capacity	Unknown
Impedance	20 ohms
Frequency Response	20-40,000Hz


Cord	Y-type
Cord Length	1.25m
Plug	Stereo mini plug
Weight	Approx. 15g
Supplied Accessories	3x Earphone tips, cable

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Scores

TRN BA5 Scores

Accessories - 7.5/10
7.5/10
Design - 8.75/10
8.8/10
Bass - 7.75/10
7.8/10
Mids - 7.25/10
7.3/10
Highs - 7.25/10
7.3/10
Comfort - 8.5/10
8.5/10
Response to EQ - 7.5/10
7.5/10
Value for Money - 7/10
7/10

Summary

Note: As with every open or semi-open back headphone, Sound Leak and Sound Isolation scores are not weighted for the averaged score.

Pros

✅ Affordable for an all-BA 5-driver

✅ Rugged metal build

✅ Strong isolation

✅ Detachable cable

✅ Very comfortable

✅ Excellent midrange response to EQ

Cons

❌ Leakage

❌ Congestion

Conclusion

The TRN BA5 offers outstanding build and nice looks but despite the complex driver configuration and dedicated drivers, it does not sound as refined as many other multi-driver earphones on the market.

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7.7/10