Skip to main content

Thinksound ts02 Review

Thinksound ts02
Thinksound ts02
MSRP $79.99
“Audio enthusiasts should find the Thinksound ts02 earbuds sound great with most, if not all music genres.”
Pros
  • Strong bass
  • Warm, deep midrange
  • Well-balanced highs
Cons
  • We would like more accessories
  • We miss the clear softer silicone tips

Five months ago we reviewed the Thinksound ts02+mic earbuds and were impressed with their sound quality, nice warm mids and very deep tight bass. Today we are reviewing the Thinksound ts02 canal phones which are essentially the same product minus the microphone and cell phone compatibility.

Touted as “high definition” headphones, the ts02 canal phones feature an 8mm driver housed in a wooden enclosure. Thinksound claims the wooden enclosure helps to provide a natural and accurate music reproduction. Add the hemp-looking cloth bag, the recycled packaging materials combined with the wooden enclosure, and you have a pretty good marketing story right?

Thinksound ts02What separates the ts02 from the other canal phones in the company’s arsenal is a smaller-sized 8mm driver (the rain micros use a 9mm driver and the larger ts01’s use a 10mm driver) which featurs a solid 20Hz to 20kHz frequency response.

Priced at $79 MSRP, you can purchase the ts02 canal phones from the Thinksound directly or from other online retailers.

Features and Design

The ts02 canal phones come with four different silicon tips to fit any ear size, a 3.5mm (standard-sized) gold plated plug, cord clip and carrying case. Thinksound has increased the warranty since the last pair of headphones we reviewed, to an impressive one year. While the packaging and overall presentation would suggest a pair of canal phones that might fall in the “value” category found at your local Target store, make no mistake, these are high-end canal phones and their $79 price tag should give that away.

Fit and finish of the canal phones themselves are above average, with a high-quality wood stain on the ear pieces and soft silicon tips. Accessories we would have liked to have seen (and which are becoming typical fare lately) would include an audio splitter and airline adapter.

Thinksound ts02Testing and Use

We tested the ts02 canal phones using an Apple iPod nano and an Apple iPhone 4. Music in our tests included Phoenix’s Wolfgang Amadeus, Broken Bells’ The High Road and Johnny Cash’s The Legend of Johnny Cash. We broke the ts02’s in for more than 40 hours before testing.

True to advertising, the ts02 exhibit exceptional bass which although tight and deep, can become overwhelming at times. Midrange audio and vocals are a step back from the front of the soundstage, but are still not drowned out and provide a warm, enveloping feel. Acoustic and vocal tracks in general feel full sounding. Those into hip hop will enjoy the deep bass; we didn’t experience any muddiness in our tests.

After prolonged use, we didn’t experience any major ear fatigue either (read: sore ears) thanks to the softer-than-normal silicon ear tips.

Conclusion

Thinksound has a solid winner on their hands with the ts02’s. Audio enthusiasts should find these ear buds sound great with most, if not all music genres; imaging and a warm midrange really make the ts02’s stand out. Bass is a tad on the heavy side, and may not appeal to audio purists.

The $79 price tag is also a little high, we feel. The sweet spot here should be in the $60-70 range. Overall, the Thinksound ts02 canal phones will definitely be appealing to people wanting a good set of headphones for their music player. Staying true to form, Thinksound did not disappoint.

Highs:

  • Strong bass
  • Warm, deep midrange
  • Well-balanced highs

Lows:

  • We would like more accessories
  • We miss the clear softer silicone tips

Editors' Recommendations

Ian Bell
I work with the best people in the world and get paid to play with gadgets. What's not to like?
This JBL waterproof Bluetooth speaker is 43% off right now
JBL Xtreme 2 on a beach.

Bring the party with you wherever you go with a portable Bluetooth speaker like the JBL Xtreme 2, which is currently on sale from Best Buy at 43% off. From its original price of $350, it's down to a more affordable $200 for savings of $150. We're not sure how much time is remaining for you to take advantage of this offer though, so if you're interested, you're going to have to proceed with the transaction as soon as possible. The bargain may be gone by tomorrow, so complete the purchase today if you can.

Why you should buy the JBL Xtreme 2 Bluetooth speaker
JBL is one of the best speaker brands with portable audio as its calling card, so it's not a surprise that there are multiple JBL devices in our roundup of the best Bluetooth speakers. The JBL Xtreme 2 isn't the latest version in its line -- the JBL Xtreme 4 has already been released -- but it's still a fantastic Bluetooth speaker by today's standards with powerful audio using your mobile device as the source. If you prefer a wired connection over Bluetooth, the JBL Xtreme 2 also offers auxiliary audio input.

Read more
Apple’s AirPods Pro earbuds are back at their cheapest-ever price
Apple AirPods Pro 2 inside their charging case, near iPhone 14.

The second-generation Apple AirPods Pro with USB-C are back down to their cheapest-ever price of $189 on Amazon, for savings of $60 on their sticker price of $249. If you don't own the wireless earbuds yet, or if you're thinking about upgrading from an older model, here's another chance at this discount. However, like with most AirPods deals, we don't think it will last long, so if you want to take advantage of the bargain, you're going to have to proceed with the purchase right away.

Why you should buy the Apple AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C are featured in our list of the best wireless earbuds as the top choice for Apple fans, partly because of how easy it is to pair them with an iPhone or iPad. Just open their charging case, hold it close to your device, and you're done after a few taps. The Apple AirPods Pro 2 also offer solid audio quality with the capability for wireless lossless audio and Apple's immersive Spatial Audio, so you'll enjoy your favorite music even more.

Read more
Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are back at their Black Friday price
Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones seen in silver.

Here's a highly recommended offer from Crutchfield if you're on the lookout for headphone deals -- the Sony WH-1000XM5 for $328, which is what they were going for during last year's Black Friday. If you weren't able to buy them for this cheap for any reason, here's another chance at the $70 discount on their original price of $398. We're not sure how long stocks will last though, so if you want to buy these wireless headphones for a more affordable price, you're going to have to add them to your cart and check out as soon as possible.

Why you should buy the Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones
There are multiple reasons why the Sony WH-1000XM5 reign supreme in our roundup of the best headphones, but it all begins with its impressive active noise cancellation that allows them to stand out among other wireless headphones. They're very comfortable to wear, so you'll be able to maximize their long battery life of up to 30 hours on a single charge with ANC activated and up to 40 hours without it, and they'll allow you to call up Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant through voice commands.

Read more