TinGo TC200 (in TinGo TG38S Shells) Earbud

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written by: Ferdie A.




Introduction

With my previous review’s release, I pray that my novice and simple evaluation of the TinGo TC200 will be received with the same amount of gusto .

Disclosure

This review was made possible via the assistance of several individuals from the Walnut and Zishan Enthusiasts Facebook group. I did not receive any form of payment from Burson, TinGo, and Walnut in exchange for this review. The Burson V5i-D Op Amp and Walnut V2S DAP have been fully paid for and are currently owned by me. The TinGo TC200 was generously provided by Vince Pascual specifically for this review.

About me

Musically, I prefer listening to mostly classic rock, blues and instrumental jazz fusion music. From time to time, I also listen to alternative rock, progressive metal, and meticulously chosen pop songs.

Reviewing the Basics

  • Packaging/Accessories

I received the TinGo TC200 from Vince around 2 to 3 weeks ago during a meeting that we had to test his newly arrived stocks for his online business. The TinGo TC200 included the following:
- flat black earphone case
- 2 pairs of solid black foam

The TC200 was housed in the TinGo TG38s’ shells that were made of plastic. The original TC200’s shell shape was similar to the Toneking Tomahawk but a tad slimmer. The cables were made of copper and housed in some kind of soft silicon that didn’t take on any shape from being wound and stored. There was pretty good relief at the plug’s end, but the same worrisome relief from the drivers’ side of the line. It’s a $10 earbud anyway, so no complaints here.

Based on how the ads online introduced this earbud as the TC200 but stated in the description that it is also the TG38s, it’s logically apparent that they are the same. Unfortunately, I have no way to trace mine to where it truly came from. In this regard, we’ll just go with what’s written on the y-splitter - TC200. 

  • Tech Specs

Driver - Dynamic driver
Impedance - 9Ω
Headphone sensitivity - 95±3dB
Frequency range - 20 to 22000Hz
Interface - 3.5mm
Cable length - 1.2m
Weight - between 10g to 15g

  • Sonic Review

    • Gear used - Walnut V2S with the Burson V5i-D; TinGo TC200 earbuds with attached donut-hole foam pads, and a total burn-in of 61 hours and 25 minutes at the time this article was written and finalized.
    • Track used - Chick Corea and Bobby Mcferrin - Spain (Live); FLAC 16-bit 44.1kHz
    • Track Highlights
As an individual who highly appreciates the blues as much as the next instrumental jazz song, I could not isolate any one track highlight. This song has been well-regarded as a jazz standard that combines both elements of jazz and classical music. 
One highlight that I repeatedly listened to was Chick Corea’s powerful musical opening of the album, Light as a Feather’s, version of Spain. After which, it transitioned into Bobby Mcferrin's vocal rendition of the original version's slow tempo (adagio) jazz guitar lines, and finally moved up to a faster samba tempo into the track’s main theme. Undoubtedly, this made the TC200 appropriate for this track and all related genres. 

The original version included 6 instruments on stage, but these two legendary jazz artists took it to another level and created a performance that was at par with Mr. Corea's original Spain track. The TC200 was able to handle the dynamic transitions satisfactorily. This completely made me enjoy the song without worrying about whether the next part’s going to sound muddy or incoherent. I’ve got to be honest, I'm a bit biased with the highlights since I truly enjoy the ever so eloquent instrumental runs in any jazz, blues, or rock tracks.

    • Highs - Each time Bobby and Chick went for the higher octaves of the main theme, as well as the improvisation parts, the sound presented was smooth and clean. Unfortunately, some distortion appeared whenever I adjusted the Walnut’s gain level to increase and enhance the track’s engagement with my brain’s parietal lobe (the part of the brain that appreciates music). However, it doesn’t mean that the bud’s higher end of the sonic spectrum wasn’t enjoyable. You’d be able to listen longer with these buds due to its non-fatiguing, as well as refined treble. 
    • Mids - This was pretty much laid back. Bobby’s vocals were slightly in the middle of the mix but forward enough to deliver the message to me without having to sound like he’s shouting just to get my attention. Those dynamic mid-range attacks by the piano and the vocals were pretty punchy, albeit still a bit soft. This had a more balanced sound compared to the Sharp MD, but still lacking when compared to the Qian69. 
    • Lows - The low end was just a bit slow with pretty fast decay. As with the higher sonic ranges, the bass had great extension but slightly experienced issues when the gain level went above 40%.
    • Soundstage - In reference to the Sharp MD earbud, this had a much better soundstage with regard to its width, height, and depth. I could clearly imagine Chick’s piano facing the audience with a slight angle to my right. Bobby is sitting just to the left holding his mic while performing his vocal improvisation, while I’m just around 7 to 10 feet away from the front-side stage intently looking up at them.
  • Instrument Separation - The instrument separation was pretty clear for this track. In addition to the instruments, I also included the audience’s applause and found that there was more than enough space in between everyone involved. However, any playback involving more instruments with more than slightly overdriven tones can make the earbud sound cramped. I’ve tried this for a couple of minutes while listening to ACDC’s Back in Black and Dream Theater’s Acid Rain tracks. Both of which are fast-paced and highly-distorted classic and progressive rock tunes. It just doesn’t work.
  • Other Observations - From out-of-the-box up to its 60th hour of burn-in, the TC200 went from totally boring to slightly interesting with minute but very discernible changes regarding its transparency and clarity. Although discernible, it still wasn’t enough to provide a more natural nor a musical sound compared to Vido, Sharp MD, and Qian69.


Overall Musicality

Even though it wasn’t as musical as the Qian69, the TC200 was still able to provide enough enjoyable sound for it to achieve enough regard to be appropriately used for such genres as jazz, blues, and classical music. It was enjoyable enough for me to be able to relax and feel quite content with the song while traversing the city’s bustling roads. 


Overall Imaging

I experienced no issues identifying where each instrument is coming from. It was such a laid back track that was beautifully recorded live. There were also no concerns relating to missing parts from the vocal, as well as the piano sides.

The piano’s lower register was coming in from the left side and blended into the center as it moved up the measure, while the higher end took care of the right side. Bobby’s vocal improvisation masterfully took care of each spot that needed to be filled. This dynamic combination of clean tones made a complex mixture of notes simple enough to be appreciated and enjoyed.


Summary and Recommendations

The TinGo TC200 is a good earbud. It’s not bad, but it’s not great as well. It doesn’t perform well at high-volume levels on all sections of the spectrum. It won’t be able to achieve the same level of clarity and detail that can be achieved by Sharp MD, nor will it be able to trump Vido’s claim for supremacy in the low-end department, as well as be at par with Qian69’s musicality. 

To be able to maximize its potential, I’d suggest going between 30% to 40% of the volume level to locate that sweet spot just before breaking up.

Regardless of it being pretty much an average earbud, it’s actually perfect for those long commutes within and outside the city while listening to jazz, blues, and any other clean-toned genre. 

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