No need to travel to China to catch a dragon. The TRN Azure Dragon from TRN flew to me recently — a flagship wired in-ear earphones featuring a single 14.6 mm planar driver and a modular cable.
TRN is positions them as a high-quality model:
- Second revision of the 14.6 mm magneto-planar driver.
- Ultra thin 0.02mm driver diaphragm.
- Powerful N52 neodymium magnets in the driver construction.
- Unique dragon inspired design, made of aluminium using CNC machines.
- Modular cable with 2.5mm, 3.5mm, and 4.5mm connectors.
- Set of filters: includes three sound tuning options for personalized listening.
- Various eartips for better sound and comfortable wear.
TRN Azure Dragon Sound
Planar headphones are always demanding on sources. Avoid using them with smartphones or weak dongles as they won’t do justice to the sound. High-current amplifiers or powerful players are recommended.
Filter Options:
- Transparent Filter (Black ring): The most open filter, filled with high frequencies.
- Reference Filter (Green ring): Reduces upper mids and highs by 2 dB.
- Atmospheric Filter (Red ring): Maintains low frequencies, further reducing mids and highs, making highs quieter and less clear.
I used the Transparent filter for the review.
Soundstage, Details, and Naturalness:
- Overall Impression: Headphones with good resolution and accents typical of planar headphones. The sound tone leans towards the bright side, emotional and detailed.
- Lows: Dried-up bass, fairly textured, with good starts and quick fading. Not massive or extended. I felt a lack of sub-bass and mid-bass.
- Mids: Melodic and weighty. Dominant over the lows, they are tonal and sculptural. Male baritones, female sopranos, and mezzo-sopranos shine with overtones. Strings and brass instruments sound very close to natural, though high notes of brass instruments can be unnaturally loud and sharp.
- Highs: Sharp, accented, dry, bright, sometimes piercing. Volume-wise, they are well-matched with the mids.
- Detail retrieval: High level, capturing even the slightest imperfections in the recording, the liveliness of instruments and artists.
- Soundstage and Depth: The soundstage is notably wide, more than half, though depth is not sufficiently revealed.
- Conclusion on the sound: The sound is airy, leaning towards the bright side. Suitable for lovers of male and female vocals, string arrangements, and brass compositions. Classical, jazz, opera fans, and those who can listen to highs for hours will be pleased. Not suitable for bass heads.
Sound in games and movies:
- Sound in games – felt a lack of bass.
- Sound in movies – felt a lack of bass and a predominance of mids and highs.
TRN Azure Dragon – Conclusion on Sound:
- Sound for its price up to $500 – 7.5 out of 10.
- Sound for its price up to $1000 – 6 out of 10.
Comparison with Competitors
Compared to other planar headphones I’ve tried, the sound in the Tin Hifi P1 max feels more constrained and massive than in the TRN Azure Dragon. The Azure Dragon lacks low frequencies but has a brighter and less V-shaped presentation than the P1. The headphones sound more articulate due to a more pronounced high-frequency range. Mids are open and tonal.
Design and Comfort of TRN Azure Dragon
The headphones come in a large, beautiful dark blue box with an image of the faceplates on the front. Inside, you’ll find the headphones, a modular cable in a case, three types of filters on an aluminum plate, and a set of branded eartips.
- Headphones: Holding the headphones, you can see the significant focus on design. The faceplates are beautifully crafted, though they resemble a bike helmet more than a dragon, which is also quite charming. The shells are unusual. The earphones look large but sit comfortably in the ear. The sound tubes have the right angle, and with the branded TRN eartips, they cover the ear canal tightly, protecting it from external sounds. Being open-back, they are not moisture-resistant, so avoid using them in humid environments to prevent damage.
- Cable: Modular, with interchangeable 2.5mm, 3.5mm, and 4.4mm connectors. In my opinion, it has insufficient gauge; I recommend a more sensitive cable with a larger gauge.
- Leather Case: I liked it a lot. It’s large but has the advantage of a magnetic clasp rather than a zipper, as seen in other brands.
- Eartips: The manufacturer included their best eartips in the flagship set.
- Durability: With proper use, the headphones should last long.
- Build Quality: 8 out of 10
- Design: 9 out of 10
- Comfort: 9 out of 10
TRN Azure Dragon Specifications:
- Driver: 14.6 mm planar magnetic
- Impedance: 32Ω
- Sensitivity: 108 dB
- Frequency Range: 7Hz – 40kHz
- Connector Type: 2.5mm + 3.5mm + 4.4mm
What’s in the box?
- Headphones
- Cable
- Three pairs of filters
- Set of eartips — 8 pairs
- Case
- Manual translated from Chinese to English
Overall Verdict on TRN Azure Dragon
The headphones have a very presentable look and sound worthy of their price. They are suitable for vocal and high-frequency enthusiasts (they lack sufficient bass for its fans). Excellent for jazz and classical music, light rock, and string parts in metal. However, they are not ideal for rap and electronic music with heavy bass. I would gladly add them to my collection, but the price is a bit high for me.
