The TRI Meteor is a hybrid IEM that has a 10mm Beryllium-plated diaphragm dynamic driver and an additional Knowles ED-29689 balanced armature driver to cover the frequency range.
The shells of the TRI Meteor are 3D printed from Austria brand Egger resin which is very high quality and skin-friendly. Although the color of the shells is black it’s perfectly see-through on the bottom side. The faceplate of the shells is painted in a way so they look like a meteor, that was the idea I guess. They look premium for sure.
The Meteor comes with a black 8 core 5N OFC cable, 6 pairs of silicone ear tips, 3 pairs of foam ear tips, a cleaning brush, and the classic leather case which we see in more expensive IEMs like TRI i3 Pro (watch the unboxing video for details).
The cable that comes with Meteor is soft enough so there are no tangle or microphonics issues. The matte black metal connectors look good and make a good combo with the shells.
Specs
Connector: 2pin (0.78mm )
Plug type: 3.5mm
Impedance: 12±2Ω (?)
Sensitivity: 105±3dB SPL/mW
Frequency response：20hz-20KHZ
Driver: Hybrid 10mm Beryllium-plated diaphragm DD and Knowles ED-29689 BA
Shell material: Egger resin
Cable length: 1.2m
Cable material: 5N OFC
I would like to thank Sophia from TRI Audio for providing me with this sample unit.
Price: 109$, TRI Store
Sound
Before I start, I think there were false specs given for the impedance of 12Ohm for the Meteor. This IEM requires power, lots of power. I used TRI’s TK-2 DAC/AMP for testing and the volume knob was always over %50 for my preferred loudness level, so be aware that the testing is done with a powerful source.
I used wide bore ear tips for testing because I think this type gives you the real uncolored sound of the IEM.
Starting with lows, the beryllium-coated dynamic driver that is used in the Meteor does an amazing job. It’s fast and has good control. It handles heavy tracks (lots of fast instruments) very well. The mid-bass has a good kick with a full body and is well textured. Sub-bass is there, goes deep enough but always balanced and very well controlled, never tries to overpower. The bass performance of TRI Meteor hits the bullseye for bass-lovers, considering the price of this IEM.
The transition between lows and mids is quite smooth. The midrange has a neutral timbre, which means both vocals and instruments’ performances are life-like. Warm sounding. I had really so much fun listening to my library which includes lots of blues and instrumental tracks, also classic rock. Meteor has a good level of clarity which makes acoustic tracks shine.
Treble area continues at the same level of lows and mids, very well controlled. No harshness or sibilance, but a good level of spark and tonality. Which means total joy. The highs sound rich, defined, and very well extended.
The Meteor has slightly elevated bass and treble, sounding so good in all ranges of the spectrum for my taste. Not flat, not overly colored, right on the spot, again, bullseye.
What happens when all frequency ranges come along so well together? Perfect imaging happens. The Meteor has one of the best imaging performances that I have heard in this price range. As for the soundstage, it’s average, good in wide, short in depth.
The TRI Meteor is suitable for almost every genre, a perfect all-rounder.
Sum-up
As you see in the unboxing video I have got the Meteor and the TK-2 same time from TRI Audio. To be honest I was more excited to hear the TK-2’s performance. The Meteor seemed to be another 1DD+1BA hybrid IEM for me, this driver configuration was never enough to impress me before even on higher price levels. I’m so glad that the Meteor proved me wrong this time. This again shows how important the tuning is and that you don’t need to pay couple of hundred US dollars to get this kind of level of performance and fun to listen to your music. You get the same level of joy and good accessories for less price with TRI Meteor. I think Meteor is one of the most surprising and best earphones of 2021 in this price range.