TANGZU OX DEMON KING: Fiery Yet Exciting Sound

Ox King or Niu Mowang is a one of the primary characters in the Ming Dynasty-era folktale novel, Journey to the West, and he is a one of the demon kings and his  realm is the Flaming Mountains. He is also a former sworn blood brother of Sun Wukong that turns into a bitter enemy due to the latter's trickery on his estranged wife, Princess Iron Fan.

TANGZU AUDIO previously known as T-Force Audio is an audio company that was founded in 2021 and they are known for their products with a Tang dynasty-inspired aesthetics that they offered from IEMs and up to recently, headphone as they offered their product in different price segment from budget-friendly Wan'er S.G. with single dynamic driver up to the flagship high-end models like The King Wukong and XuanWu Gate with multi-driver configuration.

This is the OX DEMON KING, TANGZU's first foray on the headphone segment and also their first-ever full-size headphone with planar magnetic driver.  This one sports a pair of large 85mm planar magnetic on each side of the stereo channel as this type of transducer is consisting of a pair of exact matched strong neodymium magnetic arrays that supports a suspended ultra-thin durable diaphragm with thin, flat conductive traces embedded on its surface, and it will respond with consistency and precision through electromagnetic force that it will distribute a flow of electrical current evenly on its conductive traces to provide a low distortion, fast transient, accuracy, exceptional detailed sound with expansive staging projection.

The driver was mounted in a precisely carved CNC-milled anodised aluminium alloy ear cup speaker in an open-back design bracket with a fine metal grill that protects the transducer, as it attains a more balanced weight, and also, it has some metalwork craftsmanship on its overall frame with a Tang era-inspired motif that makes this headphone standout from its peers with its own identity.

It has a leather earpad cushion (yeah it really smells like leather as I also like these premium materials) which is quite supple, soft and offers a better pressure relief in our head that we can enjoy our favourite tracks in a long listening session. The ear cups had a limited rotation and swivel up to 90 degrees in a horizontal axis and it was supported by a flexible metal alloy headband with a leather bounded headband cushion for better fitting and comfort.

This can also have a detached cable and it uses a 3.5mm TRS plug as its interlocking mechanism for each stereo channel and it also includes a good quality high purity oxygen-free copper cable sheathed with fibre-like insulator and it has a 3.5mm single-ended termination. The cable itself has a balanced texture, quite flexible and has a good resistance against entanglement, and it delivers a seamless audio signal transmission for a pure sound quality without signal data loss or distortion, and also, I don't encounter any microphonic effects at all even the cable have a contact with cloth or skin.

But you can use other third-party cables with a matching plug connector that makes this headset flexible for both casual and professional use.

The product packaging on this one is rather pretty basic as it only includes a headphone, detachable cable and 6.3mm adapter for Hi-Fi component and professional use. And this one has a huge packaging box but it doesn't include any storage case but it has a cutout foam in the shape of a headphone rest.

Since this is headphone with planar magnetic driver, it needs a powerful source as this type of transducer requires more amplification power to drive them at optimum level. And so you need at least a DAP or a USB portable headphone DAC/Amp dongle with a medium or high gain mode for portable use or a desktop-grade DAC/Amplifier. Provided with proper amplification power output, this headphone can deliver a full range sound with exceptional dynamics.

As for its tonal profile, this can has a vague U-shaped type of sound signature with a rather warmish-balanced tonality. It has some emphasis on the low frequencies, the upper mids section on midrange and high frequencies that gives some engaging, exciting and musical sound.

Devices that were used on the product testing:

• Questyle Sigma
• Questyle M18i
• Questyle M15
• Questyle M15i
• Hiby R8 II
• Hidisz AP80 PRO MAX
• Fosi Audio SK02

LOWS/BASS:

It has a clear sub bass presence as it has reverberating response that were generated from electronic and low-tuned string instruments like synthesisers, drum machine, bass guitars, cellos and double-basses, along  with an adequately textured mid bass that adds some rich and warmth on bass-clef instruments and deep low-octave vocals that in general, it delivers a reverberant, punchy and precise bass response with control.

On the bass-clef instruments, bass guitars sound resonant and thumpy while double-basses have a broad and raspy sound, and bass kick drums have a thudding and sonorous sound in every kick beat. The low-octave male vocal types like the bass and bass-baritones, have some good deep resonance from their voices as they have some dark tone and weight to sound dense and rich.

MIDRANGE:

The midrange presentation of this one is mildly recessed yet it still sounds pretty balanced as it possesses both warmth and  energy to give that full, engaging and detailed sound on vocals and instruments as they depict them in realistic timbre particularly on strings and woodwinds.

On male vocals, a smooth and rich sound from baritones, a spicy, brassy and clear  sound from tenors and a light and tender sound from countertenors. The female vocals like contraltos have some enough weight from its chesty vocals, while mezzo-sopranos sound a bit coppery and sopranos have sound clear, crystalline and silvery with some spaciousness from them in which lyric and coloratura vocals can project their high voice registry without bounds.

When it comes to instruments, on the string ones, guitars sound crisp, warm and sustaining, violins sound sweet and vibrant  and then cellos sound warm and sensuous. Regarding the woodwinds, piccolos have delicate and brilliant sound, concert flutes sound airy and bright, clarinets have a rich and dramatic sound, and then saxophones sound sonorous and mild. The brass instruments like the trumpets, trombones and horns, a metallic brilliance from trumpets, a rounded and full sound on trombones, and a velvety and resounding sound from trombones. As for the percussives, snares sound bright and penetrating, while the tom-toms have a warm resonance on every stroke, field drums sound precise and stately, and kettledrums sound rumbly and resonant. About the pianos, they have a balanced tone as they sound rich, sweet and lively.

HIGHS/TREBLE: 

The treble response of this one is tuned on the brighter side of tuning as it has a crisp, shimmering and airy due to its noticeable elevation from the upper mids up to the presence section that gives that a bit too much energetic presentation that might cause some slight discomfort on some treble sensitive folk as it has some potential to sound a bit shrill and piercing for them, but treble-headed audio enthusiasts, this is refined treble response as it is quite clear and detailed.

With its open-back design, it assures that it has a well-extended treble air and a tad intense sparkling on its brilliance section that most planar magnetic drivers are known for. The cymbals sound brilliant and sizzling while the hi-hats with its distinctive chick-y sound have a warm, crisp and resonant tone, glockenspiel have a thin and shimmering, and celestas have silvery and sensitive sound as these type of percussives striking on their respective sound bars mounted on resonators.

SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING & OTHER TECHNICALITIES:

Expected from a planar magnetic driver in an open-back design, it delivers a proficient technical capabilities as it can project a perceived expansive soundstage with a broad lateral span from left to right, good height ceiling reach and an engaging depth distance from left to right as we are at centre point within our aural sphere. The stereo imaging conveys a holographic presentation with a multi-layered and well-defined separation of its musical elements within its acoustic landscape as it delivers a homogeneous sound with full, rich and depth of different harmonic definitions from vocals and instruments’ individual tonal colour, and with those excellent imaging aspect, playing a complex, multi-instrument tracks like orchestral recording and jazz will be a clear-cut and distinct.

The coherency of its driver is remarkable, like this is a planar magnetic driver after all that we are talking about known for its exceptional performance with its low distortion and a fast transient response with clear, accurate, detailed and articulate sound quality. The resolution capability of this one offers a great clarity and detail as it has a firm macro-dynamics that highlights the varying degree of its volume dynamics from the quietest part up to the loudest level on instrumental passages and chorale lines, and on its micro-dynamics part, it has a sharp definition that is able to extract fine details, grains and nuances from a sonic background of an audio track like the vocal delays, notational attacks and instrumental reverb tails.

PEER COMPARISONS:

FOSTEX T40RP MK II (DEMO)

• A closed-back design headphone from Fostex that was released in the 2010s and this one is less cheaper than OX DEMON KING as it was priced around US$200 at the time of its release.
• It has a planar magnetic driver of an older generation, and it was housed in a hard plastic earcup speaker supported by a metal alloy bracket suspended in a headband that allows for adjustment based on the wearer’s head size.
• The earpad cushion of that one isn't the most comfortable that I have worn and tested, a bit too stiff in my liking
• It has a detachable cable that is connected to one side of an earcup channel and it has a locking mechanism to latch upon.
• The overall design of this one is quite unique with some industrial design aesthetics.
• This one has a V-shaped sound profile as it has a bit of a boomy bass response, an apparently recessed and lean midrange presentation, and a brighter but less airy treble response.
• Technicalities of this one is quite subpar for today’s standard as it has a narrow, intimate soundstage size, less defined layering and separation, and a bit veiled resolution capabilities.

HIFIMAN SUNDARA (DEMO)

• An open-back design headphone from HIFIMAN, and considered as one of the best “value for money” headphones at the time of its release due to its reasonable price at less than US$300.
• It has a bit smaller planar magnetic driver size compared to the OX DEMON KING’s transducers, and it was encased in an open-back design earcup speaker made of metal, and they are mounted in a flexible metal alloy headband with a PU-leather head strap beneath it for less pressure clasp.
• The earpad cushion of that one, and if my memory serves right, is a PU-leather one.
• The can also features a detachable cable and also uses a two-channel 3.5mm TRS plug as its interlocking mechanism just like the OX DEMON KING.
• Its overall design profile shares the same design language with previous HIFIMAN headphones in the entry-level segment like the HE400SE but with different colour and the headband-type.
• This one has a mild U-shaped sound signature with some noticeable emphasis on high frequency, the bass response of this one has a rumbly, precise and sufficient slam, a well-balanced, a bit transparent and lively midrange as its gives more crisper and airy sound on instruments like strings and woodwinds, and also, a livelier and more spacious-sounding female vocals particularly sopranos, and a bright treble response in which I noticed its drawbacks when I tested it before that it sounds a bit dry, piercing and shrill-y as it is also susceptible to sibilance especially on sibilant-laden tracks.
• On its technical capabilities, it has rather sufficient soundstage size as it is not too wide nor too narrow but it also has a satisfactory layered soundscape with a competent micro-dynamics that can extract fine details and nuances from an audio track.

HIFIMAN  EDITION XS (DEMO)

• Another open-back design headphone from HIFIMAN and this one was priced at over US$400 as far as I remembered.
• It has also a planar magnetic driver similar to OX DEMON KING’s driver and it was housed in a huge ovular earcup speaker with a horizontal series of grills on the outer part.
• The earcup cushion of this one is a hybrid one, a PU-leather and some fabric  in which it offers a comfortable fitting.
• The can also features a detachable cable and also uses a two-channel 3.5mm TRS plug as its interlocking mechanism just like the SUNDARA.
• The overall design of this headphone is different with the other HIFIMAN entry-level and midranger, like the HE400SE and SUNDARA but it follows the design pattern of the ANANDA and ARYA.
• This one has a U-shaped sound signature with a balanced-warmish tonality which quite similar with OX DEMON KING, but it has a bit tighter bass response, a recessed but it has an enough warmth but a bit more energetic tuning on its midrange that benefits the vocal textures and instrumental tonal colour, a bit brighter and energetic treble response with more air and sparkle on its brilliance section on this particular frequency, although the accentuated parts on the upper mids and presence section might be too energetic for some listeners especially treble-sensitive folk.
• Technicality-wise, this one can project an above average-size soundstage but it doesn’t have the best layering and separation, and also I noticed its resolution aspect is more focus on the firmness and scope of its macro-dynamics rather than its micro-dynamics as it has a bit blunted definition for extracting micro-details and nuances.

To summarise my product assessment on the OX DEMON KING, this headphone is quite excellent on both tonal quality and technical performance, and its frame and overall design is quite firm, very solid construction and the choices of its selected materials are of high quality. This one is also a solid and compelling choice for those audio enthusiasts seeking to upgrade their entry-level cans as they will have a sound quality which is cleaner, better clarity and finer details with better technical performance that its level can be found on some high midrange headphones. For sure that it has some downsides like it doesn’t have any storage case, some limitation of the rotation degree on its swiveled earcups speakers and a bit coloured sounding for neutral heads. But if you are an audio enthusiast looking for a musical, engaging and exciting sound profile, this headphone is highly recommended for you to try.

The TANGZU OX DEMON KING is now available at TANGZU’s official online store, check out the link below if you are interested.

LINK:

https://tangzu.net/products/tangzu-ox-demon-king-open-back-planar-magnetic-wired-over-ear-headphones

SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: TANGZU AUDIO OX DEMON KING

IMPEDANCE: 25Ω

SENSITIVITY: 92dB

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 10Hz – 40KHz

CABLE LENGTH: 2m

PIN TYPE: 3.5mm TSR PLUG CONNECTOR

PLUG TYPE:  3.5mm

DRIVER UNIT(S):  (1) PLANAR MAGNETIC DRIVER(S),

PROS:

● Pretty robust and well-constructed frame

● The overall design has an excellent structural integrity with exquisite metal craftsmanship.

● Solid yet flexible headband with a firm swivel mechanism for rotating earcups.

● Detachable cable.

● Its earpad cushions are quite soft and supple for comfortable wear and lessens pressure clamping for long listening sessions.

● Its large planar magnetic drivers deliver an exceptional detailed resolution, snappy transient response and low distortion rating.

● Musical, engaging and exciting yet balanced sound profile

● Fast, punchy, rumbly yet clean bass response.

● For a planar magnetic headphone, it has a deep, rich and fullness on the note weight for bass-clef instruments and low octave male vocals.

● The midrange has a balanced tone with ample warmth and energy for a lively and engaging sound from vocals and instruments.

● Excellent for enjoying the quality  timbre from all vocal types

● Crisp, sustaining and airy sound from some instruments like strings and woodwinds.

● Brassy, full and metallic sound from brasses, and then, a hard, resonant and sharp sound from percussive instruments.

● Bright, shimmering and airy treble response.

● Excellent technical performance from the spacious soundstage up to its crystalline and detailed resolution capabilities.

CONS:

● Since this is a planar magnetic driver, therefore it is quite power hungry that you need a more powerful source to drive this headphone at optimal level of performance.

● Limited swivel rotation.

● Well, open-back design, therefore it has a poor noise isolation as it leaks sound

● It doesn't have any storage case nor carrying pouch for this headphone.

● This one is somewhat a bit too coloured for ardent neutral heads looking for flatter, more balanced with minimal to none colouration of its overall sound profile aiming for accuracy for more faithful sound reproduction without any unnecessary overemphasise boosting on some parts of frequency response.

● A bit energetic tuning that might sound a bit piercing, edgy and tinny in which might exceed the listening threshold of the treble-sensitive folk.

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 **

Three Tenors - Nessum Dorma *

Mercyful Fate - Witches' Dance *

P.S.

I am not affiliated to TANGZU 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  TEAM TANGZU for providing this review unit. I truly appreciate their generosity and trust towards me and other reviewers.