Pros: Excellent coherent sound, non-fatiguing, stellar imaging
Cons: mediocre unboxing experience
Longevity or Popularity? It would have been a great if we had both in almost all of our preferred brand. Lately, it’s likely one of the two to which you’d attach you’re preferred brand to. I’ve 1st heard of Custom In Ear Monitors way back 2014 from the likes of Vision Ears, Rhines and Advanced AcousticWerkes which paved the way for me to discover so much more brands in the CIEM game. I wasn’t able to pick up a personal CIEM unit however tried most of the UIEM demo units from the said brands and right around the corner is Hisenior, not praised enough yet not disdained as well. Fast forward to 2019 and here’s Hisenior again, steady and still under the radar in terms of marketability. I finally got the chance to get in-depth with one of their audiophile monitors in the form of the Hisenior T4 UIEM version, which I had a hand in picking the shell and faceplate design.
The Hisenior T4 is a 4 Balanced Driver IEM with a choice of their UIEM and CIEM versions which if you’re familiar already, has tons of customizable options to cater to each and everyone’s aesthetic preference. The Hisenior T4 features a 4way crossover and 3 distinct sound bores for the low-end, midrange and high frequency outputs and utilizes the Knowles CI-22955 for its lows, the CI series of Knowles is “known” to be its largest and most powerful magnetic speakers designed to provide the best optimal low frequency performance. The Midrange and High Frequencies are handled by the Knowles ED-29689(Knowles “most versatile” magnetic speakers) and the Knowles TWFK-30017(dual BA, world’s smallest dual BA made for precise frequency response tuning) to round up the 4 BA driver setup. You’d often see this CI, ED/FED and TWFK series in various BA UIEM and CIEM units so rest assured Hisenior did its part of the deal to provide quality drivers, I’m waiting on a review site that has teardown videos for different IEMs but that is most unlikely since even the biggest audiophile review sites has none of such.
The Hisenior T4 is spec’d out with a 20Hz-20 KHz Frequency Response, 14 Ohm Impedance and a Noise Isolation rating of -22dB for the CIEM version and -18dB for the UIEM version which we have for the realview. Priced at $263 with a MMCX connection and $304 with a 2-pin (.78mm) connection makes the Hisenior T4 worthy of being considered when in the lookout for an audiophile’s next great 4 BA IEM. You can check out their Hisenior AliExpress store for more details and pricing options. With Hisenior’s longstanding under-the-radar performance of never taking the next step towards being the one of the mainstream considerations for UIEM and CIEM options, are they at least bound for that in the long run or stay stuck in mediocrity? I surely hope the Hisenior T4 would shed to us, the general audience, for some light on the answers.
The Hisenior T4 is spec’d out with a 20Hz-20 KHz Frequency Response, 14 Ohm Impedance and a Noise Isolation rating of -22dB for the CIEM version and -18dB for the UIEM version which we have for the realview. Priced at $263 with a MMCX connection and $304 with a 2-pin (.78mm) connection makes the Hisenior T4 worthy of being considered when in the lookout for an audiophile’s next great 4 BA IEM. You can check out their Hisenior AliExpress store for more details and pricing options. With Hisenior’s longstanding under-the-radar performance of never taking the next step towards being the one of the mainstream considerations for UIEM and CIEM options, are they at least bound for that in the long run or stay stuck in mediocrity? I surely hope the Hisenior T4 would shed to us, the general audience, for some light on the answers.
Packaging and Build Quality
i’m hoping that the Hisenior packaging and unboxing wouldn’t be like mine when I had received the sample unit. There was no actual unboxing experience as the Hisenior T4 came directly on a black pseudo-pelican case with its accessory set cramped in it. It came with a single white cleaning cloth, 2 pairs of solid white silicon ear tips (M and L), 2 pairs of translucent silicon ear tips (M and L), 2 pairs of M-sized red-bored grey translucent silicon ear tips, 2 pairs of black silicon ear tips (M and L) and 3 pairs of red, blue and black full foams. The plethora of ear tip choices allowed for a great tip-rolling experience which didn’t only give the Hisenior T4 a fun mix of minute sound changes but also gave me the option to somewhat tinker with different seal and isolation levels.
The included stock cable was a black 4core 6N OCC cable and had a 3.5mm gold-plated straight plug, a chin slider is present and all joints had enough strain reliefs, the memory wire that aids for over ear usage was very aggressive with its fold retaining features that getting a decent shot with it was hard but with stood out in terms of usability and function which made it great overall, better a functioning design than a non-functioning aesthetic feature. Hisenior has options for users to pick either MMCX or .78mm 2pin interface for their stock cables and so far the stock cable had almost zero microphonic noise. It’s not the best cable but it does its job great for a stock cable in UIEM factors.
The UIEM shell had no unwanted kinks and dents, the surface was smooth all over and the nozzle terminated with a silver metal mesh which was unlike the other UIEMs that I've tried which had an open bore design. There was minimal opacity on the shell which allowed for some minor peeks on the internals. It is an overall sturdy build.
Tonality
Exhibiting an overall warm tonality with a distinct dark background, the Hisenior T4 provides a more clinical and analytical experience rather than a lively and enjoyable feel. Hisenior also recommended that the T4 suits more the audiophiles with a preference for the accuracy of the instrumental tones of the bass guitar, guitar, drums and keyboard rather than a focus on the vocal timbre and prowess. The Hisenior T4 was driven by the Xduoo x3ii and the Sony CAS-1 desktop setup off an MSI GF 62 8RE laptop via Foobar2000 v1.4 for the whole realview.
Lows
The Hisenior T4 gives out a good sub bass rumble with moderate depth and extension. Anathema’s “Distant Satellite’s” in 16/44 FLAC shows that the Hisenior T4 can cater to a craving of punchy bass with a texture that leans on being smoothly delivered. Not being a basshead myself made me enjoy the way the lows are handled by the Hisenior T4, clean and easy to feel.
Midrange
A less than forward approach was the eventual outcome I had with the Hisenior T4. The lower midrange ability is great and made the male vocals sound full. Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One” in 16/44 FLAC had great midrange clarity and the intelligibility of the vocals are distinct and no off timbre phases was observed. There is a sense of smoothness in the delivery with a nice touch of air. The upper midrange had great control and resolution was on point. An overall relax and smooth performance on the Hisenior T4 on this aspect.
Highs
The absence of harshness and sibilance is great news for the Hisenior T4, treble extension is great as well as depth. The upper midrange delivery allows for a higher frequency entry that although lacks a definite sense of sparkle was still able to give great detail retrieval and definition. Santana’s “Smooth” in 16/44 FLAC fitted the bill perfectly when I was rummaging through his “Magic of Santana” collection. It exhibit how the highs and the interactions it had with the frequencies being spot-on with its timing and precision. An enjoyable treble bite capped it off and made my day.Soundstage and Imaging
Intimate and specific. A more depth focused soundstage with clear cut limitation on width, there is no sense of unwanted extension that leaves a false wide soundstage yet devoid of harmonic presence. Imaging is stellar and vocal and instrument positioning performed great as well. Left to right panning is observable yet fleeting. This a VVIP experience, ever tried entering a precious stones and jewelry boutique? This is reminiscent of such
Conclusion
Knock on Wood but the Hisenior T4 is just plain great, no overstatement and exaggeration needed. They’ve been around for long and have managed to stayed afloat and have even expanded their portfolio. An under-the-radar approach, strategic pricing, stellar sound quality and minimal client dissatisfaction positioned Hisenior to last on this uber competitive UIEM and CIEM game. Their T4 offering is a testament to that, a lackluster unboxing experience but packing a great sounding set of UIEMs that retains the basics of cable specifications and design (remember the days when all UIEMs and CIEMs rocked black stock cables?) with a price that is easily backed up by a choice of quality Knowles drivers and a sturdy hard case. I’m glad I picked the gold glitter faceplate and shell design for the Hisenior T4, it might not be the prettiest looking UIEM out there but man does it keep you from coveting the prettier (pricier) options.
Check Origina Mr Johnny Mac Head-fi review for T4 at below：