Pros: Inoffensive Warm Tuning, Value for the Sound Quality, Vocal Timbre

Cons: Detail, Big Bass Boost, Fixed Cable

Driver Setup: 7mm Micro-Dynamic Driver

Price: US$24

Intro

Disclaimer: I received the Tanchjim Tanya at no charge from Daniel at Oardio to test out. This review, however, is written of my own accord and all thoughts and impressions here are my own. Should you find yourself interested in a pair, you may check it out here.

I will always have a soft spot for the Tanchjim brand ever since trying out their Oxygen Earphones. The Oxygen reflected Tanchjim’s ability to whisk magic into a single dynamic driver. The Tanya is their latest, and cheapest, IEM in their line-up, featuring a single dynamic driver. It is a typical bullet-style earphone that most people should be familiar with.

Accessories and Build Quality (Score: 8.0/10)

The Tanchjim is packaged pretty simply but also comes with a generous spread of accessories. It comes with 2 sets of S/M/L silicone tips. One set is wide bored while the other is the regular narrower one. I assume the wide-bore tips will suit your better if you prefer a less bass-focused sound. On top of that, you also get a Tanchjim-branded felt pouch, the same ones that come with their pricier earphones, the Blues. There are also extra filters included in case the ones that come pre-installed get clogged to ensure the longevity of your earphones.

The build quality is simple but well-thought-out. The cable is springy but well-protected with a sleeving and feels durable in the hand. It should be able to take a beating, especially for daily use. The plugs, Y-split, and earbuds themselves all have a minimalistic vibe to them yet carry a certain premium vibe. Perfect for the image-conscious professional for use in the office without costing a bomb if you ask me.

Fit (Score: 8.0/10)

Despite its typical bullet-style shape and fixed cable, the fit was quite comfortable. I have used this for Discord calls while gaming, and for Zoom meetings as well. In both of these, some of which lasted hours at a time, I never had any issues with comfort. The buds felt weightless in the ear and stayed sealed snugly in my ears throughout. Despite the vents at the rear of the buds, these isolate outside noise quite well too.

Sound (Score: 7.2/10)

Frequency Response Graph of the Tanya

Sources

• Lotoo Paw S1
• Hiby R5

Music listened to

• Chicago Symphony Orchestra – Beethoven Symphony 7
• The Vamps – Cherry Blossom
• Stevie Wonder – In the Key of Life
• Bastille – All This Bad Blood
• The Lumineers
• Paul Kim
• X Ambassadors
• BØRNS – Blue Madonna
• 10cm – 4.0
• Scary Pockets

Bass (Score: 7.0/10)

The bass, especially the mid-bass, just jumps out at you. Changing the tips may reduce it slightly if you’re not a fan of a more present bass. That said, the timbre of the bass is reasonably well-done for its price. It has sufficient depth, providing a rich and lush base for the overall sound. It can be a little loose and unrefined when comparing up to more expensive and better-performing earphones. Listening to instrumentals, double bass parts lack the sharpness and articulation of each pluck I would have liked to hear.

Mids (Score: 7.0/10)

What the Tanya did extremely well was the timbre of the mids. It is not overly recessed and has a nice body to it. Instruments like guitars and violins, and vocals, are appropriately forward and juxtaposed with the bassline. This synergy prevented the bass from drowning the mids out and kept me enjoying the warm yet luscious tuning of the Tanya. There was quite a lot of energy in the melody lines in songs by BØRNS and they hit a sweet spot. The clarity achieved here is better than that in the midbass.

Treble (Score: 7.0/10)

Treble is rolled off early, which contributes to the easy-going and relaxed tuning that won’t fatigue you when using them for hours on end. However, this means you’d be missing out on some of that higher-end extension and microdetail retrieval. That said, I think this is in line with the tuning they were aiming for so the tonality here is good and there are no weird or sharp peaks. Just don’t expect an overly analytical performance.

Overall

The Tanya boasts a great overall tuning though I personally would’ve preferred a leaner lower end. The mids are smooth and forward without getting shouty. On top of that, the timbre is rather organic, which is lovely to see at this price range. The soundstage and imaging are pretty okay, and I don’t have any gripes with them. 

Comparison

Final Audio E2000

Frequency Response Graph comparing Final E2000 and Tanchjim Tanya

The Tanchjim Tanya shares many similarities in build and sound with the lower end models in Final Audio E-series earphones. I thought to compare them to the E2000 since I own them. As much as the Tanya was dark-sounding, it was not as dark as the E2000 as its upper-midrange were not as prominent and forward as the Tanya. Both have a warm tuning with rich mids and are enjoyable for casual listening. In terms of comfort, both of these are equally great and feel quite similar. I would say the Tanyas are built better than the E2000. The E2000 costs roughly US$45, and I can safely say the Tanya does the same, if not better job for less. The only advantage I would give the Final Audio would be that it comes with the Final Eartips which are rather good quality silicone tips.

Conclusion

Coming into the review, I had no idea what to expect, especially from a basic looking bullet-style earphone that looked like a run off the mill, no-frills earphone. That said, I have to say I am impressed with the overall package of what you’re getting here from Tanchjim. The tuning is enjoyable, and everything just comes together as functional and well-built. I have no doubt these earphones will serve their target consumers well.

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