I love Thinksound products. The fact that they’re environmentally conscious, made of wood, and tuned by a true music lover all make for great products. I’ve wanted to try the Rain and now the Rain2 for some time and finally got the chance thanks to a friend on Head-Fi – thanks Mark!

Overview

The Rain2 replace the original Rain and are designed to be smooth and enjoyable sounding earphone. At a price of around $160 AUD it is not an expensive earphone in the scheme of things, but sounds great and is easily a competitor for higher priced offerings from other brands.

The specs are pretty lean from the Rain2 (not a criticism) and realistically the only things to know about them is that they cover a frequency range from 18 – 20,000Hz, use a dynamic driver and are really small, just like the other Thinksound IEMs.

Looks

The Rain2 are made from real wood (I’m not sure which one) and they look great. The gunmetal coloured nozzle assembly adds a nice accent to the rich, cherry coloured wood and is mirrored by a gunmetal coloured Y-split on the cable. There’s nothing flashy about the looks of the Rain2 – they just look high quality and stylish.

Feel

Just as they look great, the Rain2 feel great as well. The plug is sturdy and solid, but compact enough to fit phone cases and the like. The cable is a quality rubber affair with good length strain reliefs at the earpieces, and the timber housings with metal nozzles all scream of quality. Even the mesh over the nozzle looks high quality and luxurious. Thinksound could probably charge more for these based purely on how they look, but I’m glad they are pricing them fairly so that lots of people can potentially buy them.

Sound

So, the bit that always matters most… the Rain2 don’t disappoint here either. They sound smooth and lush, just as they’re intended to. They have a beautiful mid-range glow about them, but don’t get stuck sounding thick or slow. Sure, they’re not the last word in speed, but they also don’t feel like the musicians are standing in mud either. The bass is punchy and tight and the treble is smooth and extended, but nothing ever jumps out to take over and that’s what makes the Rain2 so easy to enjoy.

The soundstage is clearly defined, but not huge – a normal effect of smooth, vocal-oriented tuning. It’s a really nice, enveloping presentation that will never get harsh, but will also never get boring. Indeed, these are an earphone you could stick in your ear at any time to listen to anything and you’d be happy.

Those who know the Thinksound On1 headphone (that I love!) can use the On1s as a reference to understand the Rain2 sound. Imagine the dynamic and punchy sound of the On1s with the upper mids pulled back just a bit. The result is a little less dynamic, a bit warmer, but completely enjoyable.

Summary

I wish I had more time to dedicate to reviewing the Rain2, but I hope this will serve as sufficient motivation for anyone on the fence to buy a pair (or at least audition a pair). If you’re looking for a really nice, clean but warm sounding earphone and you’ve got around $150-160 to spend you should definitely look at the Rain2. They sound great from any device and will never fail to be enjoyable.