INTRODUCTION

   Listening to music when working out or while on the go has always been my thing and so I’ve always enjoyed testing both wired and wireless in-ear headphones. Just like most wireless devices however wireless headphones can't produce the same level of quality (audio/sound in this particular case) and also need to be recharged quite often. On the other hand wired headphones may offer superior audio quality but some people don't like the "complexity" of wires. Personally i think that wires are a small price to pay when you can get superior audio quality while on the go but at the same time I’ve always found myself using wireless models when working out so at the end of the day both versions have their target audiences. Thinksound has been behind several award winning headphones in the past and since they recently launched their TS03+mic in-ear model i just had to take a look for myself.

   We started thinksound™ to make headphones that we would want to listen to; and we’re not easily satisfied. They not only had to sound amazing; they had to look good, feel comfortable in your ears and be designed and manufactured responsibly too. We gave ourselves quite the challenge. Back when we set out to do this; it was unheard of in the audio industry. Over the years, other companies have taken notice. They’ve copied the design, the packaging, the accessories, and even have taken text directly from our website and catalog. While these companies and their headphones may try to look similar; it’s only skin deep. The sound, what matters most, just doesn’t compare. Don’t take our word for it either; read the reviews on our site. We’re a small company. We work hard to make extraordinary products and offer them at affordable prices and we back all of this with unmatched customer service. We’re not happy accepting “good enough” and honestly you shouldn’t be either. Thank you for supporting thinksound.

   Thinksound has always liked to use medium-sized 8mm stereo dynamic drivers (for rich bass) with their headphones and the TS03+mic is no exception to that. This time however according to thinksound the 8mm dynamic drivers used (feature a frequency response of 20Hz-20KHz with 16Ohm impedance and 99dB +-43dB sensitivity) have been acoustically enhanced (tuned by Aaron Fournier) to offer more accurate sound reproduction and a wide sound-stage. The TS03+mic also features a housing made out of gunmetal aluminum and walnut stained sustainable wood (for controlled bass response, smooth midrange and natural resonance), built-in microphone with a single button (answer/end call and play/pause track), passive noise isolation, Kevlar reinforced and tangle resistant PVC-free cable and a 45 degrees angled gold plated 3.5mm plug. In terms of specifications and features the brand new TS03+mic may not be words apart compared to let’s say the TS02+mic but thinksound has made some improvements so let's check it out and see just how good these improvements really are.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Unlike previous models which came in regular cardboard boxes the TS03+mic comes inside a small aluminum case that has a product picture at the top.

The product specifications are printed at the bottom of the box right next to contact information for thinksound.

All pieces of the bundle are nicely arranged inside the case.

Along with the TS03+mic headphones inside the box you will also find a limited warranty statement, thank you note, cotton carrying pouch, 4 sets of ear fittings (5 with the already mounted ones) and a cord shirt clip.

THE TS03+MIC

With a total of 5 sets of ear fittings (4 showcased above) there's no doubt thinksound has you covered.

Once again the cotton carrying pouch is a good touch.

The 1.2 meter long Kevlar reinforced PVC free cable is quite longer than what most similar in-ear models offer.

Thinksound likes to combine aluminum with sustainable wood and we've always liked the end result.

Both pieces have the thinksound logo painted at the rear right over the two vents.

Left and right markings are placed at the base of both pieces as seen above.

Some people have asked us about the reason manufacturers place these vents at the rear of their headphones and the reason is very simple, richer bass.

The 8mm dynamic drivers are placed right past this mesh and although not the largest ones we've seen to date they do produce good bass levels.

There's also an in-line microphone available that features a single button to answer/end calls and play/pause tracks.

Thinksound has placed their logo on the cable splitter.

The 45 degrees angled 3.5mm plug is gold plated for increased clarity and durability.

CONCLUSION

   Having tested pretty much every single headphone released by thinksound to date i wasn't surprised with the performance of their brand new TS03+mic. Sure due to the rather small size of the drivers there are always limitations at what a pair of in-ear headphones can do especially when it comes to volume levels (always when compared to over the ear models) but that being said the TS03+mic offer plenty of bass with very warm and detailed mids and highs. The aluminum and sustainable wood housings are as expected also of top quality but as i've pointed out in the past it would be nice if thinksound also released some aluminum only in-ear models since some people don't seem to like wood that much (personally i think it's the color that they don't like and not so much the material itself). Now i would also like to see at least a pair or two of foam ear fittings alongside the silicon ones since i think they would fit some ears better but once again i guess we can't have it all.

   High quality almost always comes at a cost and although thinksound has followed a very aggressive pricing policy for their products with a current price tag set at USD119.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 102Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) the TS03+mic HD headphones is not what we'd call affordable. Still you will have a very hard time finding a pair of in-ear headphones with the same build and audio quality as the TS03+mic even if you climb even higher in price and that speaks volume about both this product and thinksound. Certainly the TS03+mic is not the perfect set of in-ear headphones but it's still a very balanced high quality product and for that it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Very Good Build Quality (Sustainable Wood/Aluminum)
- Audio Quality (Rich Bass And Detailed Mids/Highs)
- Kevlar Reinforced & Tangle resistant 1.2m Long Cable
- 45 Degrees Angled Gold Plated 3.5mm Plug
- Cotton Carrying Pouch
- 5 Sets Of Silicon Ear Fittings

CONS

- Price (For Some)