In-Ear Fidelity

Tansio Mirai TSMR-12 “Zodiac”: Unboxing

Table of Contents

Introduction

Tansio Mirai is a Chinese company based in Beijing. Yep, TSMR despite its very Japanese name, isn’t a Japanese company.

I’ve talked briefly about their TSMR-3 Pro, but overall TSMR IEMs don’t really get a lot of press in the Western market. Along with the 3, they also have the $170 TSMR-2, the $320 TSMR-4 Pro, $430 TSMR-5, and the $530 TSMR-6. And beyond the 6, the TSMR product line jumps straight into the kilobuck range, with the 12BA TSMR-12 also named the “Zodiac”.

The Zodiac seems to be TMSR’s first foray into the high-end market, fighting with veterans like 64 Audio, Sony and even QDC. Does TSMR have what it takes to play with the big boys?

Product page: https://www.linsoul.com/products/tansio-mirai-zodiac

MSRP: $1,330

Driver configuration: 12BA

This Zodiac was kindly provided by Linsoul.

Non-audio Opinions

My unboxing posts are pretty much the only times I’ll ever talk about build quality, accessories and the like. I’m not really the person to ask about these things as I don’t really care about them that much.

Accessories:

  • Case
  • Tips
  • Switch tool

Cable: 8-core round braid. Pretty tight and compact braid, soft feel, no kinks.

Connection: flush 2-pin. Typical weaknesses apply (connection only held together by 2 thin metal pins)

Build: acrylic shell. Nothing out of the ordinary otherwise.

Fit: pseudo-custom, looks like the same mould as the A8/S8.

Isolation: fully sealed without venting, no complaints in terms of raw isolating ability.

Initial Impressions

  • The “003” setting is my favourite (third switch flipped only).
  • Signature ranges from V-shaped (most settings) to somewhat bright-neutral (003).
  • Tonality is most “accurate” at 003 setting, with the other settings being more warm (almost cloyingly so for certain ones)
    • Tonality on the 003 setting is still a little off, with a slight nasalness and shrillness to the notes
    • Treble edges into sibilance territory at times
  • Resolution is in the higher tiers
  • Imaging capabilities are above average

Measurements

Comparison courtesy of the Graph Comparison Tool
Visit the graph page for dedicated graphs

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