INTRODUCTION
We all know that MP3/4 players, tablets, cellular phones and basically pretty much every portable device that is capable of reproducing media files comes with earphones bundled in the same box (even tape/CD/MD players had one) which are just but basic/low-cost pairs. For good or bad to most people that specific pair will be more than just enough (especially since it comes at almost no cost) but audio enthusiasts and generally people who always want the best they can afford will certainly search the market for something better with the name of one of the well-known manufacturers in the field such as Sennheiser, Sony and others. Honestly that was also the path i used to take up to around 5-6 years ago but after having tested many earphones by quite a few of the lesser known manufacturers i no longer pay much attention on brand names but rather on the product itself. Thinksound is one such manufacturer and ever since i received and tested their TS02+Mic earset roughly two years ago i consider them to be amongst the very few manufacturers that actually hit the sweet spot between audio quality and price without sacrificing build quality, quite the opposite actually. So for the past month we've been testing their brand new MS01 8mm in-ear monitor with passive noise isolation to see if it walks on the same successful path as the TS02+Mic.
Thinksound™ was founded by Aaron Fournier and Mike Tunney, who met while working for Tivoli Audio. At Tivoli Audio, Aaron was an audio engineer, and Mike was the creative director. The duo then collaborated on the launch of Sapphire Audio, where Aaron had the opportunity to work with industry legend Cary Christie (cofounder of Infinity and founder of Artison). Following that, Aaron was a Project Leader at Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports Magazine. His experience in reviewing and testing audio equipment is vital to the strict quality control process at thinksound. After serving as Director of Engineering and Chief Sound Engineer at V-MODA, where he voiced and helped design some of the best-selling headphones on the market, Aaron re-teamed with Mike and began developing what would eventually become the first two products offered by thinksound, rain and ts01 in-ear headphones. With the firm belief that our products should be designed and manufactured responsibly, without sacrificing quality or price, thinksound was launched. Clear sound with a clearer conscience is what we believe in.
What makes the MS08 8mm in-ear monitor set unique compared to other similarly priced (and even more expensive) earsets is the use of wood for the main housing (most earsets are made by plastic and/or metal) taken from pear trees which in turn produces a more accurate, natural and warm sound. Aside the "green" nature of the product however the drivers of the MS01 in-ear monitor set although the same in size with the ones used with the TS02+Mic are further improved and so this time over Thinksound has given them a frequency response of 18Hz to 20kHz (compared to the 20Hz/20KHz of the TS02). Specifications however do not always reflect on the end product and although based on the improved frequency response the MS01 8mm in-ear monitor set should be better compared to its predecessor our job is to find out if that's the case or not after extensive testing and that's exactly what we did.
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS
Just like the TS02+Mic the new MS01 are shipped in the same brown cardboard box made by recycled materials.
A few words about the product along with its specifications list can be seen at the rear of the box.
Both the earphones and the rest of the bundle are placed inside a thick piece of recycled cardboard.
Aside the MS01 8mm in-ear monitor earphones you are also getting a carrying pouch made by recycled fabric, 6 extra eartips (s/m/l), a cord clip, user's manual and two extra active earhooks for use while running or exercising.
THE MS01
Thinksound is perhaps the only manufacturer that provides extra active earhooks for people who like listening to music while running or exercising without worrying about the earphones falling off.
The MS01 8mm earphones come in just one color combination, gunmetal/chocolate (metal/wood).
With the default eartips the MS01 earphones measure 25mm in length (just a tad larger than the TS02).
At the center of the Thinksound logo located at the rear of each piece we see a small hole which allows air to escape so the driver can move (and perform) more freely.
Unlike most earphones around the same price range the MS01 feature a protective front grill.
The company name is placed exactly where the cable splits into two.
Aside using a Kevlar reinforced PVC-free cable (137cm in length) Thinksound has also used a gold plated mini-jack.
CONCLUSION
Prior to start testing we had the MS01 8mm in-ear monitor set burn-in (some refer to it as break-in) for a total of 40 hours and although that might not be nearly enough to get the best possible results and i know that many people seem to disagree with this entire procedure but i just feel that by following this procedure we can get a more accurate result. So during the entire month of testing we used the MS01 with an iPod, 2 Apacer MP3/4 players, an iPhone 4S, the Logitech Squeezebox Touch and my two Yamaha A/V amplifiers (with the help of an 6.35mm gold plated adapter). First of all the MS01 produced natural, deep and warm bass just like Thinksound claims in just about everything we threw at it from heavy metal, rock and jazz songs to movies and even games (they actually do listen to their earphones prior to releasing them). Midrange response was also natural but also accurate, rich and crisp so no problems here either (A+). Highs were not just as accurate but at least with the content we used we were quite pleased with the result, besides i have yet to find an earphone set which is perfect across the board so i guess that can't be helped. Quality wise there's not really much to say except that the wooden/metal housing along with the Kevlar reinforced cable should guarantee a long life span for the MS01. Perhaps the sole thing missing from the bundle is a 6.35mm adapter but i doubt many people would find use for it so i guess Thinksound was right to keep the cost from increasing.
Usually when a manufacturer releases a professional grade product you always expect it to cost quite much but even though Thinksound classifies the MS01 as a studio monitor set the price is actually quite low and currently set at USD99.99 inside the USA (either from their own online store or eBay). Unfortunately the MS01 8mm in-ear monitor set is not available inside the EU as we speak but Thinksound does ship it overseas so if you really want to own them that's your best shot right now. Personally i can't really say if the MS01 is rightfully reported as a studio monitor set (i can't claim that my ears are the best out there) but it managed to become my primary/favorite daily earphone set in just under a month (the AirJax Titanium 2 by Atomic Floyd were my favorite till this day) so i guess that speaks for itself and because of that it receives our Platinum award.
PROS
- Build Quality (Wood/Metal)
- Audio Quality (Natural/Deep/Warm Bass And Accurate Midrange/Vocals)
- Kevlar Reinforced 137cm Long Cable
- Green Product (Friendly To The Environment)
- Active Earhooks
- Price (For Some)
CONS
- Highs Accuracy