Pros: Bass and Its Extension, Tuning, Tonality

Cons: Clarity, Technicalities

Driver Setup: 2 Dynamic Drivers

Price: US$79

Intro

Disclaimer: The Tangzu Xuan Nv was provided to us at no charge courtesy of Linsoul. However, this was done with the understanding I was to give my honest thoughts and opinions of the Xuan Nv The Tangzu Xuan Nv is available for purchase here should you find yourself interested in a pair, or feel free to use your links.

The last time I reviewed a Tangzu IEM was its first IEM, and the last one I tried was a friend’s Wan Er. Both were really solid products and Tangzu has very quickly created a dependable reputation for itself. The Xuan Nv seems to build upon their expertise with dynamic driver IEMs and since this is a collab with IEM reviewer Hawaiian Bad Boy (HBB) I am expecting it to be significantly bass-focused, which would be interesting with its 2 dynamic driver configuration.

Accessories

Tangzu is quite generous with the accessories. They provided 2 sets of tips, with different bore widths to provide some variance in the tunings. The tips are also quite uniquely textured. The wider bores give a more balanced sound while the narrower ones seem to keep the bass pumping. The included cable is a matte black twisted cable which is quite plain and simple, allowing the visual focus to remain on the bright red IEMs.

Build Quality and Fit

The resin shells are well-rounded and offer a great seal, which is crucial in achieving the best bass performance. They are slightly on the larger side and people with smaller ears might find this quite a tight fit. but they are still quite light and comfortable. Overall no complaints about the build quality, especially at this price point.

Sound

Frequency Response of the Tangzu Xuan Nv

Sources

• Fiio BTR7
• Simgot DEW4X
• Apple USB C Dongle

Music listened to

• Jackson Browne
• Michael Buble
• The Carpenters
• Maroon 5
• Martin Garrix
• Kygo
• Cory Asbury
• NEEDTOBREATHE
• Loud Luxury
• The Eagles
• etc

Bass

Coming from mostly balanced IEMs in my arsenal, the bass boost in this IEM is immediately noticeable. This is not to say I didn’t like it. What surprised me was how quick the bass was and the texture was very enjoyable and the subbass extended well. This meant there was a very nice rumble and not too much midbass bloat or muddiness.

I just love it when an IEM aiming to perform in a niche does it well. The sub-bass focus is pleasant and not off-putting or overbearing in anyway and I found it quite satisfying for pop in my playlists and I can see many enjoying this.

Mids

The best praise I have for the mids is the tonality. There is no weirdness/nasalness or peakiness in the upper mids and the vocals come across as pretty natural and pleasant sounding. There is enough presence and emphasis for it to not be recessed or overpowered by the bass. That said, separation and Layering are below average and could benefit from better technical capabilities.

Highs

The Highs are very tame and do not have any peakiness. It seems to be chopped off in the higher frequencies. This does remove and sparkle and in some tracks, it can sound a little dull in the highs. For trebleheads, this might disappoint in this aspect, though knowing HBB’s playlist, this tuning choice is likely intentional. However, this also meant the Xuan Nv was quite enjoyable for longer listening sessions and not fatiguing.

Overall

The main Achilles heel of the Xuan Nv comes in when tracks are more complicated and there just isn’t enough separation and it can come across as a little congested and claustrophobic at times. Then again, it is nothing unforgivable for its asking price and is still within the acceptable range, and I am mostly nitpicking.

Conclusion

The Xuan Nv certainly has a target audience and aims to please. The bass is very prominent and done in a rather tasteful manner. It is well extended into the sub-bass and does have a very good texture. Its main flaw is the below-average technical performance and detail retrieval. However, it is still within the acceptable range for its asking price and not unforgivable. It is a great overall product that has got all the basics covered and more. Given this is an HBB collab, it has all the DNA that one would expect from a collab IEM from him and if you feel you share similar music tastes and listening preferences as him, I am sure this would be more than a safe recommendation.

Overall Grade: B

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