I found the tin t2 to be less bright than my zsn pro’s. Maybe due to the fact that the tin is a dual dynamic driver. I find the balanced armature drivers to be brighter. I use the eq in my es100 to tame the brightness of the kz’s.
Some budget sets I can recommend that are pretty good for the price:
1) **** - around $16 - 17 USD. Triple driver hybrid. Poor isolation but good soundstage and spatiality. Rather balanced in tuning, good instrument separation, clarity, details. Timbre a bit artificial but it is only apparent for genres that use acoustic instruments. If it's mostly EDM, rock, pop genres, it is a very cheap and good set. It can be driven from a smartphone based on specs, but does better with amping, with the treble being brighter and more detailed/dynamic with amping (the piezo drivers used for the treble frequency do appreciate more juice).
2) TRN IM2 - around $15 - 20 USD. 1 BA + 1 DD hybrid. Built like a tank (nice resin shell), great isolation and comfort. V shaped, good details and clarity and instrument separation. My only complaints are it is too V shaped, so mids are a bit sucked out and the timbre is artificial like the above ****. Non fatiguing treble.
3) BLON BL-03 - if u can up your budget a bit, it is around $25 USD. Single DD, not exactly a hybrid. Great timbre/tonality, good for acoustic instrument predominant genres. Also a big hypetrain on CHIFI headfi thread now. It isn't that good in technicals, so not the best for complex instrumentation/multiple competing instruments or those wanting a more analytical sound. But the tuning is excellent, harmanish with midbass boost. Isolation lacking and it has poor stock tips +/- cables, so will need some aftermarket tips for most westerners due to the too short nozzle. As such, it may not be the best recommendation for new IEM users who don't know how to tiproll. But if u can switch tips/cables, the sound can compete with some $100 USD IEMs IMHO.
That's the only TRN model I tried under 20 euros. There's a TRN V90, about $29 USD that has excellent reviews on headfi, V shaped, good technicalities. I don't own it but a lot of headfiers are praising it, so worth a check.
If u want something with better technicalities (ie clarity, instrument separation, clarity and details), then go for the TRN IM2 or ****.
If u want something with better timbre/tonality and accurate reproduction of acoustic instruments, then go for the BLON BL-03.
So it depends on the predominant music genres u listen to. At the budget segment, it is hard to find something that excels at every department. The good thing is CHIFI is relatively affordable nowadays, so u can even get a few sets with different strengths to rotate in your collection.
Never tried the CCA C10, but reviews seem to be generally good about it, and most users say the treble is more tamed than the successor CCA C12, which has better technicalities but a harsher treble.
If u can get both, they would be complementary sets, the C10 for details/technicalities and the BL-03 for timbre/tonality.
BTW they are frequently on sale, I think there is an Aliexpress midyear sale coming on 14 June 2020, so if u can wait a few weeks, they might be cheaper. In addition, there's a successor to the BLON BL-03 called BL-05 that just came out, so in all likelihood, prices of the BL-03 might drop in a few weeks time as the sellers might try to clear the older model.
If u can get both, they would be complementary sets, the C10 for details/technicalities and the BL-03 for timbre/tonality.
BTW they are frequently on sale, I think there is an Aliexpress midyear sale coming on 14 June 2020, so if u can wait a few weeks, they might be cheaper. In addition, there's a successor to the BLON BL-03 called BL-05 that just came out, so in all likelihood, prices of the BL-03 might drop in a few weeks time as the sellers might try to clear the older model.
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