Quick Test: Tripowin H1

Author: Roderick

Information:

• Publication year: 2021
• 1. Price: 189 USD + VAT (headphones are not sold, at least for now, in Europe)
• 2. Design: open, over ear
• 3. Dynamic driver: 50 mm 3-layer Carbon Polymer
• Impedance: 32 ohm
• Sensitivity: 105 dB/mW
• 4. Weight: Not known, but in my estimation, at most 350 g
• Connector type: 2 x 3.5 mm
• 5. Cable: 1.5 meter cable with a 3.5 mm connector

Review sample: Self-purchased product

6. Chinese Tripowin is known for its affordable in-ear headphones and cables, but now the manufacturer has also released its first full-size headphone model, which has been named 7. H1. 8. . According to Tripowin, the headphones feature ”hybrid tuning,” which is a combination of the frequency responses of other manufacturers' most popular and expensive headphones. Based on their research, Tripowin states they have created headphones whose reproduction is as close as possible to the original recording. Such sound should therefore be available for about 200 euros.

9. Equipment used in the review: Astell & Kern SR15 | PC > Tidal > Schiit Yggdrasil A1 gen5 usb > SPL Phonitor 2

Structure and comfort

10. I don't consider headphone packaging a very important thing, but it's a bit hard for me to digest that the H1 headphones were packed in bubble wrap and a brown cardboard box. So, this is not an actual product package, but an ordinary cardboard box. When headphones cost almost 200 euros, it would be desirable to invest at least a little in the packaging. The only accessory included was a pouch for carrying the headphones.

11. The headphone headband structure is an obvious copy of Denon AH-D5200/D7200/D9200 headphones. The headband feels quite high-quality for headphones in this price range, but it attaches too loosely to the headphones. The cups rattle in their mounts, and on my unit, one side squeaks like an ungreased hinge.

12. The head strap is not bad, but the padding material inside it feels cheap, as if shredded paper had been used instead of foam. The ear pads imitate the shape of Denon headphones but are mediocre in quality. The height adjustment mechanism is also copied from Denon. Although I don't like copying, it must be admitted that Tripowin could have copied worse headphones. The stepped height adjustment, in fact, works excellently on these headphones.

14. The H1's cable is ordinary. It does its job, but I am still a bit disappointed that Tripowin, which has profiled itself as a cable manufacturer, has included such a boring cable with its headphones. The most striking feature in the appearance of the headphones are the large perforated metal plates on the cups – they are nice to look at, but not to touch. The finish of the plates is really poor, and the corners are sharp. I even almost cut off a piece of my fingernail while carelessly handling the headphones.

Kuulokkeiden käyttömukavuus on kokonaisuutena kohtuullisen hyvä. Korvamusteet ja pääpanta tuntuvat hieman kovilta, mutta koska puristusta ei ole liikaa ja kuulokkeet ovat suhteellisen kevyet, ei pehmusteiden heikko laatu muodostu ongelmaksi. Käyttömukavuuteen kannattaa kuitenkin suhtautua varauksella, koska kuulokkeiden pannan keskikohta on erikoisesti muotoiltu, ja se aiheuttanee varmasti joillakin käyttäjillä ongelmia.

Sound quality

As a reader, you might wonder why the review is titled a quick test. This is because the Tripowin H1's reproduction is so flawed that I couldn't listen to it any longer. In my opinion, writing a longer review of these headphones is not necessary at all.

Technically, the Tripowin H1 is good enough for its price. The soundstage is reasonably wide, and instrument placement is functional. Small details emerge nicely from the music, and there's nothing to complain about in terms of macrodynamics, as long as it's not dependent on bass reproduction. The headphones' biggest weakness is indeed in bass reproduction: the H1 barely reproduces any bass at all.

To my ears, the bass reproduction is even fainter than what could be inferred from the frequency response measurements. I tried to improve the situation by experimenting with different modifications to the headphones, and I also examined their driver more closely. The headphone diaphragm is thick and stiff, so I tried to soften it by playing bass-heavy music – however, I didn't achieve any improvement with this kind of break-in.

In addition to the driver, another problem is the poorly designed earpad attachment. Both the faceplate used for attaching the earpads and the edges of the earpads are made of thin material. Because of this, the earpads do not tighten sufficiently into place, which leads to bass leaking out of the headphones through the thin material at the bottom edge of the earpads. When I put Blu-Tack under the earpads, I was able to improve the seal – however, it was still not entirely sufficient to compensate for the headphones' bass deficiency. At the same time, problems with the upper frequencies became more pronounced than before.

The headphones' only somewhat positive aspect is found in the mid-frequencies, as their reproduction is clean and articulate. However, the tuning that emphasizes the upper midrange makes the sound thin. This thin sound is characterized by clear vocals and speech. The reproduction is not natural in any way, and I cannot say that the Tripowin H1's mid-frequency reproduction is particularly exemplary in itself, but it is exceptionally clear.

The H1's treble reproduction cannot be praised. The lower treble sounds prominently detached from other frequencies, and the upper frequencies lack air. The sound is therefore both bright and subdued at the same time.

Summary

The problems with the headphones' midrange and treble could have been overlooked if the headphones performed at least reasonably well in the lower frequencies. There would be nothing wrong with headphones having a little bass. However, if there is almost no bass at all, like with the Tripowin H1, I believe we can speak of a faulty product. To mention a few headphones, at least the Beyerdynamic DT880, Hifiman HE400se, AKG K701, and Philips Fidelio X2 sound clearly better and are more affordable. They are also available in Europe, so warranty issues are handled more easily. My imagination is not enough to come up with any features for the H1 that would allow me to recommend it to anyone on any basis.