A very resolving dual driver IEM - the new TRN TA1 Max - featuring a 2 way crossover dynamic driver and custom BA (balanced armature driver (Knowles 3351). 

 

The TRN TA1 Max has a bullet style design - reminiscent of a metal watering can - and constructed entirely of smooth brushed out aluminum, including the thick nozzle and metal mesh guard. The grille mesh faceplate has a semi open back design, which widens the soundstage and makes the sound more natural and clear.

The TRN TA1 Max earphones weigh 5 grams each, while the cable weighs 13 grams making it a total combined weight of 23 grams. The stock cable that comes with the TRN TA1 Max has a beautiful premium design. It is a four core silver-plated OFC copper wiring with pre-shaped ear hooks made with thick silicone tubing. 

 

The 2 pin plug enclosures are made of thick translucent rubber with an aluminum ring accent. The recessed pin design is always a plus, keeping the pins safely tucked inside and prevent accidentally bending the pins. The ergonomic curvature of the 2 pin enclosure is also a nice touch, improving fit and comfort.

The TRN TA1 Max cable 3.5mm plug has a classic right angle gun design made of aluminum and reinforced with a thick rubber strain relief. The 3.5mm connector is gold plated and guarded with a protruding stopper to prevent the plug from rubbing against the port. Inline the cable, there is a see-through rubber Y-splitter located 40cm down the cable. 

 

The cable has a rope twist braid style that looks like interlinking chain-links but you can actually untwist the braid by twisting the cable the opposite direction. 

Accessories include a storage case, a gold plated 6.3mm male to 3.5mm female adapter and a bunch of standard bowl shaped silicone tips. The TA1 Max earphones come pre-fitted with a set of custom silicone tips, which have an extra thick bore and soft flange, making them comfortable to wear inside the ear canal. The extra thick bore helps create a tighter seal inside the ear canal, which increases passive noise isolation and bass response.

The TA1 Max storage case is the exact same container you get with the TRN TA1, which looks a lot like a travel makeup powder container. The storage case has a hard shell metal alloy construction and an unhinged lid. The storage case has a snug rubber o-ring closure, which makes it fully water resistant and dustproof. The storage case weighs 53 grams.

 

The TRN TA1 Max is similarly priced to its predecessor - the TRN TA2 - and share similar style features too. It's a hard choice between the two. Both have strong selling points. The TRN TA2 has a triple driver setup and comes with a pair of comply foam tips and, it is availlable in four colorways. 

 

The TRN TA1 Max doesn't come with foam tips and it is not available in different colors but the TA1 Max has a very exciting selling point - a dual magnetic circuit dynamic driver - which effectively makes the TA1 Max perform like a triple driver. 

 

This is all possible by the nifty two-way crossover system integrated in the TA1 Max 10mm Beryllium-plated dynamic driver, which splits the higher tones from the lower tones, allowing the TA1 Max to be just as resolving/detailed (if no more) than the TRN TA2 triple driver IEM. Check the volume test for both the TA1 Max and TA2 IEM.

 

The TRN TA1 Max has low impedance (22 ohms) and high sensitivity (118dB) so, it is very easy to drive from a smartphone. The TA1 Max sound signature is V shaped; hence the bass and treble are more elevated over the midrange. The bass is detailed and controlled with very good sub-bass and mid bass slam. The 2 way crossover circuit works well separating the bass frequencies, allowing the midrange to sound rich and natural. 

 

The treble is bright but controlled with a natural roll off so, the bass is not fatiguing. You can buy the TRN TA1 Max from Linsoul and amazon. Check out the review of the Tripowin TC-01,--- CCA CKX, ---- Shanling ME80, ---- Tin Hifi T1S ---Tin Hifi T3 Plus