Tour & Design
The Sony Triqiis are a set of on-ears with foam padding and not many features.
The ear cups have foam padding, which is a staple of inexpensive headphones and not one of our favorites.
The plug is just a regular ol' 1/8-inch.
There's really not much to these things, so instead of reaching for a few more sentences like this one that needlessly pad out the word count, let's get right to the HATS pictures and get this review started.
In The Box
In the Triqiis' box you'll find a pouch. The headphones are also in there, but that's about it.
These headphones seem durable enough. They have a thick cord, not a lot of moving parts, and there's not a whole lot that can break. Best of all, if they do, they're super inexpensive to replace! When you can replace a set of headphones 10 times for the price of a decent set of Sennheisers, durability isn't as much of an issue.
For a set of $30 headphones, these aren't bad. The hornet color scheme will be sure to elicit some primordial fear in the hearts of others, which is always a plus, but the headphones also don't sit 100% correctly on the head, which can look a bit silly if anyone even notices it. The cups felt like both were twisted a few degrees counter clockwise.
Regardless, these headphones look like a nice, if cheap, pair of headphones.
Sound Quality
About our testing:
For more information on our tests, read this article.
**Frequency Response** (*7.19**)*
What we found:
The Sony Triqii has a decent frequency response. The boost in the middle is a bit rare to see, but not crazy out of the ordinary. The boost doesn't come on too strongAll in all, the headphones did a good job staying within the limits and didn't have any abrupt shifts. So far the Triqiis are performing at a level much, much higher than their purchase price would indicate.
How the Sony Triqii compares:
What is frequency response?
Your headphones' frequency response describes how they emphasize certain frequencies. Some headphones actively crank up or dampen frequencies to provide a dynamic, unique sound. Some headphones strive for accuracy, trying to alter emphasis as little as possible.
How the test works:
To read more about this test, click here.
What we found:
Oh.
This is what can happen with foam pads: grossly distorted bass. Foam doesn't form a good seal with the side of your head, and the resulting permeation can really do bad things to your playback's sound.
How the Sony Triqii compares:
**What is distortion?
**Distortion refers to any changes the headphones make to your playback. Typically this is unwanted, but several 'hip' genres employ distortion filters heavily. If you are one of the cool kids who listens to this sort of music, then distortion probably won't be a huge problem for you. If you're a classy individual who likes classical music and barbershop quartet-style a capella, the distortion will likely cause your top hat to spring clear off your head.
How the test works:
To read more about this test, click here.
What we found:
Nothing worth complaining about, really. There's a bit of error towards the higher frequencies, but overall the tracking is even. Again, we're giving the Triqiis a certain amount of leeway because they're dirt cheap, but the 4dB shift towards 6kHz isn't going to be so outrageous you'll pop your monocle.
How the Sony Triqii compares:
**What is tracking?
**Tracking is a slightly unintuitive term that means 'the degree to which both channels are outputting the same volume level.' Basically, if your left ear is getting blasted every time a 1kHz frequency comes through the headphones, the headphones have bad tracking. If they're playing exactly the same decibel level across the entire frequency spectrum, then they have magically ideal tracking.
How the test works:
To read more about this test, click here.
Isolation
**Maximum Usable Volume** (7.86)
What we found:
The headphones had a decent maximum usable volume. We were able to pump them up to 111dB without getting a high level of distortion. This is a great level of volume and it's just shy of the volume that would give you permanent hearing loss!
What is maximum usable volume?
Most headphones are capable of meeting your volume needs. Turn the volume up enough and they'll blast your ear drums to sweet oblivion. The real question is whether or not you can deafen youself with a relatively low distortion level. When volume is increased, distortion gets exacerbated.
How the test works:
This test is a series of distortion tests. We increment the distortion level each time until the overall distortion levels exceed 3%. If you'd like more of an explanation, read our 'How We Test' article, here.
What we found:
The Triqiis have foam padding, which allows a ton of permeation. They isolate about as well as holding your hands 1/2 inch away from your ears.
How the Sony Triqii compares:
What is isolation?
Isolation refers to the amount of noise a set of headphones are capable of blocking out. There are currently two technologies on teh market for isolation: active cancellation and passive isolation. Active cancellation uses super science power to actually negate incoming sound. The headphones have a microphone and listen to incoming sound. They then play back the same sound at an inverse amplitude. This process is typically power-intensive and requires auxiliary battery power. The second isolation strategy can be accomplished by simply virtue of being solid. Passive isolation means something is physically blocking your ear.
How the test works:
To read more about this test, click here.
What we found:
Even though the Triqiis let a lot of sound in, they do a pretty good job at corralling their own sound. While they weren't totally silent, unless you're in a very quiet room listening to very loud music, you shouldn't run into any issues. We found that a slight whisper was all that was audible in a quiet room.
What is leakage?
Leakage refers to any sound that's audible outside of the ear-headphones junction. Leakage is typically bad, because it's annoying to everyone around you. In a private setting, no one will care if your headphones leak.
How the test works:
Our leakage test involves a microphone set up a few inches away from HATS, which is outfitted with the headphones. The headphones play back some pink noise, and the external microphone picks up anything that's audible.
Comfort
We thought the Triqiis had a fine enough fit. They weren't uncomfortable, but they definitely weren't comfortable. They're just stiff padding under a softer foam cover. Check out the innards pictured below, and you can probably guess how these things would feel against your head.
Not much changed over time. They didn't get less comfortable and they didn't get more comfortable. That's the purgatorial power of foam padding.
There isn't a whole lot you can do with customization. The Triqiis have an extending band, but that's about it.
Usability
**Cable Connectivity** (3.11*)*
The Triqiis' cord is just shy of four feet in length. The cable should be a good length for hooking up to a media player in your pocket.
The Triqiis are decently portable considering their form factor. Their cord is a bit long, but they're light enough otherwise.
Unlike most on/over-ear headphones, the Triqiis don't allow for much disassembly, unless you want to bother with ungluing and regluing things. You can remove the ear padding. That's it. Just buy another pair. You're worth it, friend!
Battery Dependency
The Triqiis don't require batteries, which is definitely better than the alternative. Batteries are lame and can die at inopportune times. Thanks, Triqiis. You guys are the greatest.
Apple iPhone 3G S Headphones Comparison
Both sets of headphones are a bit blah. The Apple headphoens are white and clean and were once chic. Now their charm has been laid to waste by their rampant proliferation. The Triqiis are decent enough, but don't have any flair to them.
In terms of durability, the Triqiis win this match-up by a long shot.
The Triqiis are a bit more erratic than the Apple iPhone headphones, but not to their detriment. If you like a more dynamic sound, the Triqiis are the better headphones.
Both sets of headphones have some issues with their bass.
Both headphones have roughly the same tracking results.
Neither set of headphones had decent isolation.
The Triqiis stay at roughly the same level of comfort, regardless of how long you're wearing them for. The Apple headphones constantly feel like they're going to pop out, and then they do, and that's really annoying.
The Triqiis are about on par with the Apple iPhone headphones, but are a lot easier to wear. The Apple iPhone headphones pull out at the slightest tug, which gets annoying over time.
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Comparison
The DT770s look better than the Triqiis and have a slightly better construction overall. There're really not much more to say than that.
Both headphones have a steady bass, but get a bit jumpy towards the high end. Neither is bad; you'll have to listen to either and decide which sound you prefer.
The Triqiis have quite a bit of bass distortion; the DT 770s barely have any.
The Triqiis score a win here, with a much more even kiel to their tracking.
The DT 770s do isolate better than the Triqiis, but we wouldn't say they were particularly stellar in that regard.
We thought the DT 770s were more comfortable. Their padding was soft and the fit was much better.
If you're looking for audio quality, the DT 770s are a much better set of cans due to their ridiculously low distortion levels. You'll definitely pay for their audio performance and sturdy construction, however. If you don't care so much about the fit or having the greatest audio quality, however, the Triqiis are a fine buy.
Shure SE115 Comparison
The SE 115s, as a set of black in-ears, are much more subtle set of headphones. Both headphones are probably about the same in terms of durability: the SE115s have some solid construction and the Triqiis—which should be much more substantial—don't exactly come off as rugged.
The SE115s have a bit of an issue with their high end, while the Triqiis have an odd, though not necessarily bad, frequency response.
The Triqiis have a crazy amount of bass distortion. The SE115s barely have any at any point in the spectrum.
Both sets of headphones have about the same tracking. Ignore the spike towards the end of the SE115s' graph: it's from one of our older graphs, which included some data that was outside an acceptible accuracy range.
If isolation is what you're after, the SE115s are the way to go.
Most of the comfort/discomfort will come from the differing form factors. The Triqiis' on-ear design boasts foam ear pads, which felt a bit rough on our sensitive skin. The SE115s' in-ear design mandates wrapping the cord around the back of your ear.
Overall, the SE115s are a better set of portable headphones, but their compact form and low distortion is going to cost you a bit more than the Triqiis.
Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9 Comparison
The ATH-ESW9s are swanky looking and feature a slightly better construction overall.
The ATH-ESW9s go a bit out of the boundaries of our chart, deemphasizing some of the higher frequencies. While we're assuming that volume dip has something to do with how beautiful they are, we don't like how that range is underemphasized. The Triqiis have a bit of a rolling emphasis as well, but nothing is overly dampened or boosted.
The Triqiis have quite a lot of low-end distortion.
Both sets of headphones have about the same quality of distortion (the ATH-ESW9s use an older version of our graph that shows some junk data at the end).
Neither set of headphones do this very well.
Neither set of headphones is particularly comfortable, but both are unlikely to cause you serious injury. The Triqiis have foam pads, which are a bit scratchy. The ATH-ESW9s don't have padding that's as thick as it should be for how tight they are.
Unless you're looking for incredible audio quality, we'd recommend the Triqiis. The ATH-ESW9s are swanky, but they don't have the greatest audio quality. If you're a fine gentleman who enjoys fine things, the ATH-ESW9s are going to win this comparison hands-down. If you aren't, save yourself the rent money and buy the Triqiis.
Conclusion
Ratings & Specs
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Meet the tester
Mark Brezinski works on the Home Team, reviewing refrigerators, minifridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, air purifiers, and fans.
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