TANGZU XUAN NV: A Smooth Analogue Tonality

Xuan Nv is a celestial benevolent deity of Taoism as she is the goddess that taught the Yellow Emperor with some esoteric military arts to aid his cosmic conquest in the war of heaven. She is also known to be a divine entity that propagates the knowledge of Feng Shui, craftsmanship, shamanism, sexcraft and alchemy arts. In older texts, she was described as a woman with a body of a bird and will sometimes appear to help some heroes in need for protection.

It is quite unusual that TANGZU didn't name a model after a historical personality or an event in Tang dynasty era but rather to a Taoist deity. But I think that I get the general idea on why they named a set after this traditional philosophical-religious movement as Taoism became one of the major religions in Tang China along with Confucianism and Buddhism and all the imperial family claimed to be a descendant of Lao Tzu, the founder of the said religion.

This is TANGZU XUAN NV and this is their latest entry-level offering and their first model that features dual dynamic driver set-up. This product is also the second collaboration project with Chris Ballard a.k.a. H.B.B. (Hawaiian Bad Boy) which is a well-renowned audio reviewer in the YouTube space.

Inside XUAN NV, it has dual dynamic drivers of asymmetrical size as it consists of 10mm ceramic dynamic driver and an 8mm dynamic driver with a composite diaphragm made up of PU (Polyurethane) and LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer). The combination of the two dynamic drivers brings out a cohesive sound that is clear, lush, smooth and detailed quality but there's a caveat, Ceramic dynamic drivers are known for their rigidity and strength that requires even more power output similar to some planar magnetics (cough..cough...RHA CL1 and SIMPHONIO VR1).

The drivers were encapsulated in a 3D-moulded UIEM-style hypoallergenic resin shell chassis with a red colourway and a gold print of a butterfly wing on its faceplate. The design of its shell structure is quite ergonomic on how it fits to my lug holes and its aesthetics exudes a classy and sophistication as red and gold are one of the best colour combinations that makes it eye-pleasing. It is a good decision that XUAN NV implemented a 0.78mm bi-pin connector mechanism on this set as it makes cable swapping easier.

In regards to fitting, the XUAN NV provides a comfortable wear as it rests well into my lug holes without any issues and it also gives a proper sealing for better passive noise isolation.

The included stock cable of the XUAN NV is somehow decently good in my opinion as I've some pricey entry-level sets which have a mediocre stock cable. The cable consists of a Litz oxygen-free copper wire that was grouped and braided into 4-core structure with a straight gold-plated 3.5mm single ended termination plug. The cable itself will convey a seamless transmission of audio signal.

For an entry-level set, The XUAN NV is pretty well accessorised and TANGZU products are known for its well-designed packaging box. It elevates the unboxing experience of the TANGZU product to let their customers know that their choice who bought their product was well spent.

Here are the following contents inside of TANGZU XUAN NV's packaging box:

• Pair of TANGZU XUAN NV IEM transducers.
• Stock cable
• 3 pairs of TANG SANCAI wide bore ear tips in different standard sizes.
• 3 pairs of TANG SANCAI narrow bore ear tips in different standard sizes.
• PU storage case
• User's manual

As for its required amplification, I mentioned a while ago about the ceramic drivers and this set is definitely hard to drive as it really requires more power output just to power up its ceramic dynamic driver. To achieve an optimal power output to drive this set to its fullest potential, either we will use a USB DAC/Amp dongle, a DAP (Digital Audio Player) with medium and high gain mode, or desktop DAC amplifier.

The XUAN NV has a mild u-shaped sound signature with balanced-warmish tonality that makes it a more analogue-ish profile that will have a warm and smooth sound across its frequency spectrum.

LOWS/BASS:

This set has some characteristics to be a bassy one but a well-done bass emphasis which is absolutely coherent and authoritative not a muddy mess. It delivers a punchy, incisive and rumbly bass response that it complements well with its warm, analogue-ish tuning.

Certainly that there's a sub bass presence as I clearly perceived those resonance effects that were generated by some instruments like low tuned bass guitars and double bass, octobasses, drum machines and synthesisers. The mid bass is definitely well-textured that it gives a sufficient note weight on instruments and deep male vocals. The bass guitars have a definitive growl as they sound weight, sombre and broad that also shares with double basses too. Bass kick drums have those authoritative sounds as they sound full and sonorous. Male vocals like basses and bass-baritones have sufficient thickness, depth and warmer sound with rumbling and darker tone on their voices.

MIDRANGE:

The midrange presentation of this set is slightly recessed, but it has warmth, well-textured and richness on it that will give more plush and smoothness on vocals and instruments. The way it was tuned will give a more pleasant and organic timbre to some listeners who adhere more towards analogue-ish type of tuning.

Male vocals like baritones have smooth and lushness on their voices while tenors have brassy and ringing voice quality but I wish some tad of brightness for lighter tenors like leggero and lyric types. Countertenors seem to have a tender, smooth and light vocal characteristic on them similar to some mezzo-sopranos. On female vocals, contraltos will benefit more on how this set was tuned as it gives more rich, full and smoky voice while mezzo-sopranos have a tender and sensitive vocals to give that coppery characteristic. And then, sopranos have that satiny, sweet and sultry vocals in which are more suitable on dramatic and spinto which have emotive and rich voices rather on lyric and coloratura types which need more energetic and bright sound.

As for instruments, brasses and percussives will sound better on this set as it gives a full and rounded sound on trumpets, a brassy and full sound on trombones, and a velvety and warm on horns while on percussives, warm and resonant sound on tom-toms, a tad boomy and sombre sound on field drums, a hard and a tad muffled sound on snares and lastly, a boomy and substantial sound on kettle drums. String instruments sound a bit smooth and warm  as it is quite noticeable that guitars have this meaty and “buttery” sound on them while violins sound full and austere, and then cellos have warm, weighty and sonorous sound on them. Woodwinds like concert flutes, piccolos and clarinets have mellow, soft and rich sound respectively but lack airiness and shimmer on them. Pianos have a warm and mellow tone as it sounds sweet and rich but some might perceive it as dull and veiled.

HIGHS/TREBLE:

The treble response of this set is definitely smooth, even and satiny that I can assure that not a hint of harshness nor sibilance will occur on this type of tuning. It has a slight elevation on the upper mids and presence treble region enough to have an ample clarity and finesse on attack of both percussives rhythmic instruments.

The presence of airy extension on the brilliance part of the treble region is quite modest in my opinion as it also has a barely sparkle on it.  Cymbals have a lustrous and undulating sound in them while hi-hats have a proper sound which has a short buzzing one albeit with an added warmth on it. Celestas have a velvety and soft sound, then glockenspiels have a lustrous and warm sound than the usual bright and shimmering sound that these instruments should have.

SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:

It appears that the overall technical capabilities of XUAN NV is more of an above-average in terms of performance-wise. It doesn't have that spacious sound/speaker stage as it presents a more intimate presentation with an average width span, above-average height reach and good depth. The stereo imaging  on this one projects a concave-like presentation in a sufficiently layered soundscape with surprisingly good separation of instruments and vocals for a dual dynamic driver set.

The cohesive performance of its dual dynamic drivers is pretty responsive and flexible that it executes a fast, fluid transient speed without any sort of issues like detached sound or distortion. And for resolution capabilities, as I don't consider it superbly resolving especially on micro-detail aspect as it doesn't have that sharp definition on retrieving some nuances and details in an audio track but it has a pretty solid on macro-dynamics after all.

PEER COMPARISONS:

TINHIFI T2 MK.II

• While T2 MK.II also has dual dynamic driver but it was encased in a rounded metal alloy chassis and it uses a MMCX-type of connector. While it doesn't have any storage case or pouch included, it has a decent cable and more choices of ear tips to choose from.
• This set has a neutral ish-bright sound signature which is quite in contrast with XUAN NV warmer sound profile. It has tighter bass response, neutral and transparent midrange and brighter and more airy treble presentation compared to the XUAN NV but it might sound too lean to some listeners and probably less-friendly to some treble-sensitive folk out there. Technical performance-wise, the T2 MK.II is a bit ahead on sound field dimension size and resolving capabilities compared to XUAN NV as it has a tad wider lateral span and more clearer and delineating micro-dynamics. And another thing is that the T2 MK.II is even easier to drive.

QKZ X HBB KHAN

• Another set that is also part of HBB's product collaboration, but this time with QKZ. Like the XUAN NV, it also has a dual dynamic driver set-up but it was also encased in a metal alloy shell. It also has a decent amount of accessories that we can choose from and a cloth sack storage pouch.
• QKZ KHAN like the previous models with HBB collaboration, it shares similar sound profiles, a V-shaped with a very warm tonality on it. Compared to its “half-sister”, The XUAN NV, it has an even warmer sound as it has more boomy and authoritative bass response but it really have a noticeable bass bleed across the mids, midrange  presentation appears has warmth but a tad hollow sound vocals and instruments and a smooth and less sparkling treble response. On technical capabilities, KHAN is quite inferior compared to XUAN NV in all technical aspect categories from soundstage size up to the resolution capability but KHAN is easier to drive as it can be used on devices with decent power output.

CCA DUO

• This set is still one of my top favourite  dual dynamic driver IEMs out there and also has some good quality dynamic drivers that KZ/CCA implemented there, but the DUO, like all KZ and CCA sets, has a QDC-type connector which I have some doubts on its structural integrity. Don't expect a quality and quantity of accessories on this one as it is quite meagre and its stock cable is pretty basic.
• The DUO has a mild u-shaped sound signature with more sub-bass focused bass response, a clean translucent and energetic midrange and a tad bright and some instances of being shouty and minimal sibilance. On technical performance, compared to the XUAN NV, this set has a bit narrower sound field but it is quite taller and it has more resolving on micro-detail retrieval. And also, the DUO is relatively easy to drive to than the XUAN NV.

As I put my conclusion on this assessment, this set is one of TANGZU's endeavours to diversify their product offerings as they try to be adaptive as fast as possible as the constant and unpredictable changes in the audio market on the evolving technologies available to utilised. By implementing such dynamic driver technology which has many potentials to deliver an exquisite tonal quality but at the expense of more power output just to drive it properly along with the collaboration with one of the most premier portable audio product reviewer in YouTube, this set truly performs on its intended tonal target as it delivers a smooth, cosy and harmonious sound quality. This is probably one of my favourite HBB collaboration sets for under $100/£80 and I will surely recommend it to audio enthusiasts who want a musical well-balanced IEM with smooth, inoffensive and a well-done colouration on its tonal profile for their listening pleasure.

TANGZU XUAN NV is now available in TANGZU's official store and LINSOUL, For those who are interested to purchase this product, I just put up some unaffiliated links below.

★★TANGZU XUAN NV - OFFICIAL STORE★★

★★TANGZU XUAN NV - LINSOUL★★

For more TANGZU products, you can click the links below.

■ TANGZU/TFORCE YUAN LI

■ TANGZU WAN'ER SG

■ TANGZU PRINCESS CHANGLE

■ TANGZU FU DU VERSE I

■ TANGZU XUANWU GATE

SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: TANGZU XUAN NV

IMPEDANCE: 8.5Ω

SENSITIVITY: 98dB

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 7Hz – 20KHz

CABLE LENGTH: 1.25m

PIN TYPE: 0.78mm 2-PIN CONNECTOR

PLUG TYPE:  3.5mm

DRIVER UNIT(S): (2) DYNAMIC DRIVER(S)

PROS:

● Eye-pleasing aesthetics of its shell chassis.

● Comfortable to wear

● For an entry-level set, it is pretty well-accessorised.

● The inclusion of two types of TANGZU's Sancai ear tips.

● Perhaps it has a decent stock cable.

● A pleasant balanced-warmish tuning for an analogue lover.

● Punchy and solid bass response.

● A warm, well-textured midrange presentation

● It has an organic timbre and tonality in almost all types of vocals and instruments, definitely a versatile one.

● Smooth and inoffensive treble presentation.

● Not a hint of sibilance or harshness.

● Stereo imaging and layering seems to be competent for a dual dynamic driver set-up.

CONS:

● Well…ceramic dynamic drivers, these types of drivers are certainly hard to drive as it will respond with more power output.

● Not the most resolving set for a dual dynamic drivers 

● Absolutely not for treble heads as it doesn't have that brightness on its treble response and also, treble air is rather modest in my opinion.

● And definitely not for neutral heads who are into an audiophiliac reference-neutral type of sound profile a.k.a. analytical and neutralish-bright type tonality.

Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)

Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *

Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **

Mountain - Mississippi Queen *

Queen - Killer Queen **

Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*

Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'

Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'

Pearl Jam - Daughter **

Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *

Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*

Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *

New Order - Blue Monday *

The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *

Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *

The Madness- Buggy Trousers *

Metallica - Motorbreath **

Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *

Destiny's Child - Say My Name *

Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *

Mozart - Lacrimosa *

New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *

Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*

Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *

Exciter - Violence and Force *

Diana Krall - Stop This World **

Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*

The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection**

Suzanne Vega – Luka **

Lauren Christy – Steep *

Ottoman Mehter - Hucum Marsi *

Diana Damrau - Mozart: Die Zauberflöte*

Type O Negative - Black No.1 *

Felix Ayo - Vivaldi: Presto **

P.S.

I am not affiliated to TANGZU AUDIO nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.

Once again, I would like to send my gratitude to the TEAM TANGZU for sending this review unit. I truly appreciate their generosity and trust towards me and other reviewers.