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Sept. 2016
$89
9.5g
Rain3
UPDATE [March 2022]: This product is no longer in production. You’ll find alternatives on our best earbuds roundup.
The Thinksound Rain2 headphones received plenty of praise from reviewers all over the web, and if it ain’t broke don’t fix it right? The Rain 3s are the newest pair of ‘buds from the company and they haven’t made any major changes. They have a similar design, similar sound, and even similar flaws. So then what’s new about them?
What’s inside
When you open the box you’ll get the headphones, a note from Thinksound, four extra pairs of silicone ear tips, a cable management clip, and an eco-friendly carrying pouch. The Rain3s are also nicely tied up with an eco-friendly string which is a nice touch instead of the plastic tie we normally see with headphones.
Build & Design
Thinksound is known for adding wood to their products, and they haven’t strayed away from that with the Rain3 headphones. In fact, there isn’t much difference from the Rain 2s if you’re looking at the earbuds. The 8mm drivers are still encased in wood with metal trims which Thinksound claims will give you a more accurate representation of sound. The cable is still made of tangle resistant PVC and ends in a 45 degree connector, just like the Rain 2. One thing you will notice if you look close enough is that the connector has a more square-ish design this time around.
Thankfully, these are also sweatproof so if you’re looking to use these at the gym you shouldn’t have a problem. I had no problems with getting these to stay in, but just in case you do it does come with four extra sizes of ear tips. The cable is also 4 feet long, which is a few inches longer than the usual 1.2m but I kind of like it. All headphones should make this the new standard just because you have more to work with.
Connection
As we already mentioned, these end in a 3.5mm jack. At least for now, this does seem to still be the standard so you should be able to use them with any of your devices. One thing that I wish Thinksound would have added are some playback controls and a microphone.
‘Buds like these are particularly great for portability (especially thanks to the tangle-free cable) but no playback controls or microphone means they’re not ideal for anyone on the go. The lack of playback controls is particularly unfortunate since you probably won’t want to be reaching for your phone all the time if you do end up using these for exercise.
Sound Quality
Lows
It could be due to the wood or the large drivers or a combination of both, but the low end was pretty strong in the Rain 3s. It’s not exactly a bad thing, but if you lean more towards an accurate bass then these aren’t for you. That’s not to say that it’s messy and all over the place, in fact it’s the opposite. It’s big sounding, but very controlled and barely bleeds into the mids. That said, it’ll probably make bass-lovers very happy.
Mids
I enjoyed the mids a lot just because of how nicely they sat on top of the bass. That said, they are lacking in detail and background synth elements of “You’re On” by Madeon do get a little lost during the chorus.
Highs
Cymbals and high synth elements tend to get a little painful when the volume is maxed out, but on the bright side they keep a good amount of detail. I actually prefer this because you can just lower the volume slightly to enjoy the full sound. The jingle of the bells in “Generator ^ Second Floor” by Freelance Whales has just the right amount of reverb and airyness to them.
Soundstage is also fairly decent for a pair of ‘buds. You’re not going to be turning your head towards the source of hi-hats or a snare hit, but you do get the sense that the sound isn’t coming entirely from the same direction which I consider a win for a pair of sub-$100 in-ears.
Conclusion
When it comes down to it the most important question about any product is, “Should I buy it?” When it comes to the Rain3 headphones I have to say it depends, but mostly no. If you already have a pair of Rain 2s, it’s definitely not worth the upgrade. You’re not really getting any features that you don’t already have. That said if you don’t already own the Rain 2s and were looking for a good pair of earbuds these are definitely a great buy, but they come with a few ifs. IF you don’t need any playback controls, IF you never answer phone calls, IF you like a somewhat strong bass, then yes you should get these. Don’t get me wrong the sound quality is still good, but it’s not drastically better than the Rain2 headphones. One positive is that these do have better isolation and soundstage over the previous model, but whether or not that’s worth the extra $20 is up to you.