TANCHJlM 4U DMT-4Ultra Double-chamber Dynamic Driver In-Ear Monitors

Just a few weeks ago I was PM’ed to be part of the HiFiGO Tour which is a big honor and quite the undertaking for a simple Minnesota Farm kid. So, first I’d like to thank Neil and Will for making this happen without you guys I wouldn’t be sitting in this great spot right now, so thanks. Secondly let’s start this review with me telling you that this is my opinion and my opinion only and I'll try paint a nice pretty picture for all of you hobbyists, part time pursuers, and full-blown Audiophiles about the sonics of the 4U. The Tanchjim 4U (69.00) is exclusively sold on HiFiGO. It just showed up in my mailbox one sunny afternoon as part of the HiFiGO tour and it really hasn’t left my ears since, I’m here to tell you why.

The 4u is Tanchjim’s latest release. Tanchjim has been in the IEM game since 2015 and have had great success with units like the well know OXYGEN and their follow up the ORIGIN. I’ve been interested in getting my hands on the ORIGIN since its release. I would call their house sound neutral and natural, so as a lover of neutral and natural the 4U was a set I couldn’t wait to get in my ears. The 4U consists of a single dynamic double-magnet circuit driver. Titled the DMT 4Ultra the driver consists of a PU suspended edge, LCP dome composite diaphragm. The DMT has a total harmonic distortion of .05@1kHz, 94dB and impedance of 32ohm’s with a sensitivity of 122dB. It is hard to drive and will require a dongle for it to perform at its best. The cable consists of Litz copper silver-plated braid, plus a shielding layer. The cable has a clear outer coating and silver foil that’s braided into the wire giving it a shiny silver and sparkly look. The cable is a 2 pin .78 with a 3.5 termination and sadly doesn’t come with a 4.4 balanced option.



The first thing you will notice about the Tanchjim 4U when handling them is their weight. Not that they are heavy, they just have a very nice premium feel consisting of A all-metal housing. They are perceived to be very well-constructed. It comes with a grey/silver finish and a polished chrome front panel with 4U on the left and Tanchjim on the right printed in a grey/silver lettering that matches the shell. The shell size of the 4U is small in form factor and will accommodate most ears very comfortably with its smoothed over corners and ergonomic shape. The nozzle is on the longer side and all metal with a good size lip to keep tips on securely.

The 4U can be inserted shallowly or very deeply if you’re into that kind of thing. Kinky! The Tanchjim 4U comes with two styles of tips, wide bore for a brighter, wider less bassy presence. The narrow bore tips add a nice heft to the bass but knock back the width of the stage and treble a tiny bit. The tips come in 3 sizes, S, M, L. The wide bore tips I couldn’t get a proper seal with my large ear holes so I can’t comment on those accurately. Sorry, I tried my darndest but just couldn’t get a proper fit. The wide bore tip is more of a medium large than a large if you ask me. On the other hand, the large narrow bore tips fit perfectly, and I used them for most of my review and found they work best. So good job Tanchjim on the narrow bore tips they are great. I tried tip rolling but found myself coming back to the stock tips and that’s very rare for me unless I’m reviewing. The Tanchjim 4U has very natural timbre with great technicalities in macro and micro details while sporting a very clean/natural and quick bass response with black background. The 4U follows Tanchjims house sound of natural and natural while reproducing sonics accurately as possible. Now let’s move on to my favorite part of the 4U, the switch!




Finally, a switch I can live with! The Tanchjim 4U has a 4-Level sound adjustment switch that’s located on the inner side of the IEM. The 4U comes with its own custom machined flathead screwdriver included with a hole on the end of the shank you can slip onto your keychain, so you are never losing it. Personally, I wish they would have gone cheaper on the screwdriver and supplied a better case than cheesy grey jewelry bag with the work Tanchjim inscribed on it. A zipper case and a cheaper screwdriver would have been a better trade-off for everyday carry. Back to the switch! The switch is just technically an adjustment filter that doesn’t do anything crazy but adjust the bass and sub-bass presence. It comes in four flavors Atmosphere “stock setting” (reference sound), Monitoring, Natural, and Pop. Yah man! Let’s start with the monitoring mode sound impression.



Monitoring mode: With the Thinnest timbre and note weight and least bass presence. The tradeoff is more clarity and a flat response. I really like this setting after work and I’m out walking my dog, Stevie. It's just perfect when I just want a little background noise and decompressing after a long day of work. So, the monitoring mode has the least bass, more clarity and best imaging. It's also the brightest because of its thin flat response. I don’t really find it all that great for monitoring and find it’s less smooth and more edgy in the treble and less refined than all the other modes. This is my least favorite of the 4 modes for my preference.



Natural Mode: I'll just get it out of the way and tell you this is my second favorite mode. Natural mode is third in line for the least bass presence and sub bass extension compared to the other 4. Natural mode is just that, natural sounding with accurate timbre and ample amount of bass. Genres like coffeehouse and acoustic shine with brilinace. The mids are very tasty, clean, and timber is accurate and realistic. It’s a very relaxing and balanced listening. Jack Johnson’s Brushfire and fairytales is a real treat with its setting. The bells and cymbals on track 2 Middle Man are realistically precise. If you’re a natural lover but not a big fan of bass, then this setting is for you. The high-range including the snap of the snare drum are addictive and mesmerizing without ever becoming unwelcome or wanting for more. The new tune from Richard Thompson “The old Pack Mule” is as natural as natural can get! So fun!



Pop Mode: Falling pretty darn close to natural mode Pop mode has more subbass presence. This little bit of added sub-bass adds a nice warmth to the overall sound. Because of this sub-bass boost the background isn’t as black as natural mode so it adds a bit of fun musicality and warmth to the vocals and instruments. The sub-bass digs deep when called upon and mid bass has a nice clean kick. Mids are more forward in presence in pop mode making most instruments stand out more because they are slightly more forward sounding in the mix. Pop mode is great with genres like rock, pop, soul, indie, jazz, and dance. Sadly, the 4U doesn’t do that great with newer hip hop and just can’t dig that low in the sub-bass region to keep up. In the end it comes off as a loose and flabby sound to me. Pop mode might be my second to last favorite and I will tell you why. Atmosphere mode!



Atmosphere Mode: By far my favorite of the four settings. Bring on the bass! The atmosphere setting is the 4U’s reference setting and comes set to this right out of the box. This is the setting Tanchjim is most proud of, and it shows. It has a super clean and fast bass response with a nice subbass rumble that goes deep into your chest when called for. Marilyn Manson’s track Killing Strangers from the album The Pale Empire hits with authority and the tail end of the bass hit trails off nicely with a nice clean texture and resonance. As some of you may know I’m a big Metal Head and the answer is no! No, the 4U doesn’t do well with Speed Metal, it’s just far too slow. It has a tough time keeping up to the classics like Korn, Slipknot, Pantera, and Fear Factory. It does just fine with slower styles of Metal and Hard Rock such as Clutch, Hatebreed, Deftones, and Metallica. The 4U in Atmosphere mode has the biggest head stage in width and depth out of the other four settings. There is no mid bass bleed or any bleed as a matter of fact. The mid bass has a nice clean rubbery bounce and punch with the stock narrow bore tips. Listening to Metallica’s Shadows Follow which is a great test track to check mid bass attack. At the beginning of the track the bass guitar line matches kick drum, so the mid bass has extra texture oomph. It sounds fantastic on the 4U. It’s a fun riff check it out. Atmosphere mode to me is the definition of the 4U’s sound profile and could also be debated as a ‘set it and forget it’ setting for most people. It's nice to have versatility but there is only one 4U setting most people are going to use, that’s the Atmosphere mode. It is the most fun and musical.



The 4U midrange tuning is natural with very nicely done upper mid frequencies that never become offensive or overly bright and are very natural by nature. The 4U remains organic in resolution and natural in timber so instruments such as string and saxophone remain true to the source. From string pluck to breath, the 4U mimics each instrument and voice with accuracy and finesse. The 4u can play most musical styles without any issues. I find the 4U does peculiarly well with older and poorer recordings because of its natural tuning. But can it play Led Zeppelin? “Hell, yah it can play some Zep”. All the classics from The Cars to Ramones the 4U sounds fantastic the 4U is great for all the classics. Joe Cockers “With a Little Help from my Friend” is a real treat Joes vocals really shine on the 4U because it renders vocal very well and” of course” the theme here, naturally. So yes, the 4U renders vocals naturally and realistically.



Comparisons: Test track Karate: If you can hold your breath

Aful Magic one:

The Aful Magic one is also using a similar natural tuning of the 4U. The Magic one is a very natural sounding set and is brighter in comparison with less bass presence because of its single BA and resonance chamber, and I notice that straight away. The mid bass isn’t as punchy and present as the Magic one. In fact, bass is less present letting the midrange shine more. Vocals are very similarly placed, and the highs have more of an edge and are sharper in clarity. The naturalness and tonal balance of each set is similar. The 4U sounds warmer, more natural, and slightly warmer. The Magic one has the 4U bet in clarity buy a little bit. I find vocals are more realistic on the 4U and can be slightly sibilant and sharper on the Magic one. Both are great sets for natural tuning but with the harder to drive Magic one I will have to recommend the 4U out of the two. If you ever get a chance to try a Magic one, I recommend you do so.



Kefine Delci:

The Delci has been making waves in the market for some time now with tons of rave reviews. I can attest to this; I bought it and enjoy it frequently. So, this is a Hard one comparison using both sets stock narrow bore tips and cables. The 4U already has the upper hand with tuning options in its price range but it carries no weight if you're just going to stick to one tuning. The Delci is easier to drive then the 4u which deserves a dongle to show its true potential. The Bass on the Delci isn’t as tight and clean and is just a bit boomy in comparison to the 4U’s bass. The highs have a bit more extension but don’t have as much control, making it sound less natural. The bass also has more air and less definition with the Delci. The mid bass thump also hits a little harder on the Delci but missing some texture that shows on the 4U. The subbass isn’t felt as much on the 4U but better texture can be heard. Vocals can be a bit more prone to shout on the Delci with its slightly brighter and less warm and natural tuning. The timber is super close on each set, but I must give it to the Delci in the timbre department because of its slightly brighter tuning. Instruments sound a little more accurate than the more natural sound of the 4U which is a tish on the warm side. The Delci can come off as a bit shouty and sibilant at times in comparison to the 4U which never loses its cool and is all na-tu-ral! The Delci’s tuning also makes more micro detail pop! Not that it can’t be heard on the 4U, it just that its warm tilt hides the details in the background a little more. The clear winner for older and poor recordings is the 4U. With the tighter bass and more natural tuning I prefer the 4U for my own personal reasons and you can’t go wrong with either as they seem to share the same genetics.



Simgot EA500LM:

Using stock tips and cable the EA500 is notably brighter and less natural similar to more mid-bass kick and slightly smaller stage in width and height. The EA500lm excels in comparison to the 4U in imaging separation. This is very noticeable right from the get-go. This is all due to its brighter tuning with upper mid-range more focus. Many people will find The EA500LM too bright so I will recommend the 4U over the EA500LM. For detail and clarity, the EA500LM and takes the cake and eats it too! The 4U may come off as dull sounding in comparison for some people when compared to the 4U. Both are gate keepers at the 70.00 to 100.00 mark so pick your poison. All Na-tur-al 4U or bright and hyper detailed EA500LM.



Sources:

Topping G5:

The 4U paired with the Topping G5 combo is the setup I did most of my critical listening on. The G5 “one of my personal favorites” for its neutral and uncolored mid-range. It's a darn near perfect match and they really complement each other with both of their neutral approach. The G5 can be a little bright on certain IEM’s but that’s not the case on the 4U. Because of its bright tuning it helps to pull out some nice details on the 4U and adds some nice width and depth. Two neutrals do make a right with the G5 and 4U combo. The bass is nice and punchy and digs deep into the sub-bass region. The G5 and the 4U are my favorite combination I have on hand; everything just sounds correct and accurate.


EPZ TP50:

The EPZ is an easy recommendation for all its functions and power on tap for its price range. My only gripe with the TP50 is that it tends to make an already bright IEM, brighter. This could be good, and this can also be bad and in the result, you could end up with a sibilance IEM with shouty vocals and upper Mids. The TP50 even with the NON-OS filter was still a little bright so the Slow LL filter was my favorite, and it added a nice punchy bass compared to the Slow PC filter and is a great combination for leaning bright with detail and extra bass punch. The TP50 also has no issue powering the 4U on high gain with the 3.5 mm termination. It's brighter in the upper mids than the G5 but is a great combination, none to less it's just a little on the too bright side to my ears and my preference. The G5 was a more relaxed listen.



TempoTec V6:

The TempoTec V6 is one of my first DAP’s I purchased and remains one of my favorites no matter the price range. It has that slightly colored mid-range that tilts a tiny bit on the warm side, adding some musicality to the 4U. I grew up on this type of sound so its very familiar to me. The V6 is also a little bass boosted so it adds a little extra mid bass kick and sub bass presence. On the 4U the bass boost is very welcoming in atmosphere mode. When I wasn’t critical listening or at my desk this was my preferred way of listening to the 4U because of its bass boost and warmer tilt in the midrange, adding an overall more musical sound to the entire experience. Highly addictive combo!




Conclusion:

The Tanchjim 4U isn’t perfect but for its price range and natural tuning I prefer it over anything I’ve heard. The 4U pulls out all the stops in technicalities and natural timbre with 4 unique sound Modes. The Switch really works! The form factor is comfortable, and I don’t even notice it's there. I do wish it came with a hardshell case and not a cheesy jewelry sack. Tips and cable a great but I would recommend upgrading at some point to 4.4 balanced pure copper cable for more power and warmth. The 4U is a great set that’s technically capable for most genres of music and stays true to the nature of the songs. I Highly recommend it for Classic Rock and more natural music and not electronic or speedy metal. If you are a natural and neutral lover, I highly recommend you pick up this set if you have the power from a dongle to drive it as it is hard it drives IEM. I liked the 4U so much I will be picking up a set myself as I prefer it over the Delci, EA500 and Magic One. Good job Tanchjim the 4U is one heck of a set!

Tanchjim 4U (T-APB bass)

Typical Tanchjim boxing and accessory, WITHOUT T-ABP eartips, fit can be hit or miss

If you're interested in graph comparison, here's the Link

+ i'm a normal asian dude with some music producing background
+ i like clean balanced sound signature with focus on sub bass and lower treble, especially looking for a good dynamism and harmonic playthrough, i like vocal, not necessary mid dominant, can consider myself as treblehead
+ 60-68db listening session
+ Avarage score 4/10 (Quarks/ 7hz Zero) Middle score 6/10 (Tanchjim Kara)
+ Bias score is i like it or not, doesn't sum on overall score

Click to expand...

- Bass (7.5/10): Basically match my favorite tuning with roll off bass, even at the "Atmosphere" it isn't sounds really deep, like roll off before 70hz. The bass overall is very punchy, very tactile and detail is really good.
- Mid (6.8/10): Natural, kinda ... normal? Overall the mid is pretty smooth and detail, separation is okay, sounds too analytical.
- Vocals (6.8/10): weird a** vocals with "Atmosphere", other modes is good, vocals is clear, natural and very foward, can be too safe with some songs.
- Treble (7/10): highly highly neutral, very detail, shimmering and sparkle is really good and smooth.
- Detail (6.8/10): Macro (6.5/10), Micro (7/10)
- Soundstage (7/10): Hall like soundstage with somewhat holographic (not "Atmosphere")
- Imaging (6.5/10): Good overall, good height placement, still kinda blurry
Bias (10/10): Tanchjim shill go bruh bruh
Overall : 6.9/10

Introduction​

Tanchjim is a well known brand in the chi-fi industry and almost everyone knows at least one of their most popular products (such as Oxygen and Tanya, just to mention a few).
During the latest year, the market has seen so many sets featuring tuning switches, tuning filters and similar features, which provide for more versatility and more chances for a product to suit everyone’s taste, and the 4U from Tanchjim kind-of follows this trend.
In fact, the 4U sport a bass tuning screw with which the end-user can adjust the amount of low-end (and it’s called 4U because there are 4 different positions of the screw, hence 4 different bass tunings).
With no further ado, let’s get into the review.

Disclaimer: the Tanchjim 4U were sent to me by HiFiGO so that I could write an honest review. This review represents my personal opinion on the set, it isn't promotional or paid content and I don’t get any revenue from the sales of this product.
At the time of the review, the Tanchjim 4U were on sale for 69$ at HiFiGO.

Technical Specifications​

• Driver Configuration → Dual Chamber DMT-4 LCP Diaphragm Dynamic Driver with 4-level adjustable circuit filter system (bass filter)
• Impedance → 32Ω
• Sensitivity → 122 dB/Vrms
• Frequency Response Range → 8Hz-48kHz (that’s the theoretical response, the effective response should be the usual 20Hz-20kHz)
• Total Harmonics Distortion → <0,05%@1kHz, 94dB
• Cable → Silver-Plated Copper (SPC) cable with 0.78mm 2-PIN connectors
• Plug Type → straight gold plated 3.5mm TRS

Packaging​

The packaging is good looking and contains:

• The Tanchjim 4U
• The detachable cable
• 1 x set of wide bore silicone tips + 1 x set of narrow bore silicon tips
• A soft carry pouch
• A small tool for the bass screw
• User manual

Design, Build Quality, Comfort and Isolation​

The Tanchjim 4U are well built and use solid and kinda small metal shells. Their design is so close to the Moondrop Lan that at first I really thought they were using the same shell, then taking a closer look shows that they are not identical.
The ear-facing part of the shell shows a screw (which is a bass-filter) and a pressure vent near the nozzle, whereas the faceplate is elegant and minimalistic and only shows the 4U/Tanchjim logos.
The nozzle has a lip to secure the fits and looks pretty wide from a first look.



Comfort-wise, the 4U are generally easy to keep in the ears for long listening sessions, even though some parts of the shells can push on the tragus and antitragus zones, leading to some discomfort if you have very small ears.
Isolation is average instead, nothing to write home about yet not bad as well.

Cable​

The cable looks and feels nice and it’s in-line with the price range. It sports a chin slider, it has a gold plated straight 3.5mm jack plug and it doesn’t tangle easily.

Sound​

GEAR USED FOR THE TEST

• DAC: Topping E30
• AMP: Topping L30, Fiio A3
• Mobile phones: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Xiaomi Mi A3, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
• Moondrop May’s DSP cable with PEQ=0
• Dongle: Apple Type-C dongle, Fosi DS2, Hidizs XO
• Portable DAPs: Benjie S8/AGPTEK M30B
• Bluetooth Adapters: KBEAR S1, KZ AZ10
• Other sources: Presonus AudioBox iONE, Elgato Wave XLR

Do they need an amplifier?
They don’t strictly need an amplifier as they are relatively easy to drive, but I’ve noticed that a bit more juice slightly improves the overall dynamics.It’s a very small difference yet worth mentioning.

Sound signature
The Tanchjim 4U are warm-neutral in their stock screw position, but there are 4 different bass profiles (in descending level of bass order):

• Atmosphere: it’s the stock setting, the screw arrow points towards the nozzle. This is the setting with the best low-end extension and body;
• Pop: less low-end than Atmosphere, from here the sub-bass starts rolling-off too early and the overall timbre becomes slightly thinner yet not in a bad way;
• Natural: less bass than Pop, and even less sub-bass extension, the lower midrange starts losing warmth;
• Monitoring: this is the setting with the least amount of low-end and best overall clarity, with thinner timbre and basically no perceived low-end extension;

Since I feel like the Atmosphere tuning is the most balanced between them (and since it’s the stock position of the screw as the 4U come that way out of the box), I have decided to use it for the review.

Lows
The amount of low-end is not for bassheads, especially when it comes to the sub-bass which is very controlled and doesn’t really “rumble” as bassheads usually like.
The bass is punchy, and even though not the most textured around it sounds clean and controlled as well without bleeding into the mids. When it comes to the overall speed and transients, it’s not the fastest sounding driver in the sub-100$ category, but it’s still fine for most situations and it’s generally capable of managing fast basslines.

Mids
The midrange is relatively neutral with a bit of added warmth in the lower midrange and some nice energy in the upper mids. Instruments don’t sound “off” but there are some other sets in which they can sound even more natural than on the 4U. The good news is that they never become shouty or fatiguing, and there wasn’t a single case of sibilance from my testing, which is good news. However, some female vocals would like a bit more upper-midrange gain and a tad more upper-treble extension to sound slightly airier and more energetic, but this is a minor complaint. Those who don’t like the average ear-gain from Harman IEMs will surely like this one instead.

Highs
The highs pack a good amount of details even though the 4U aren’t class-leading when it comes to micro-detailing: in fact, the smallest nuances aren’t always obvious and there are some IEMs that can outperform them in this regard (even for cheaper).
There is some energy here and there and the treble comes across as present and vivid, yet it never sounds very open nor super airy due to the limited upper-end extension. It’s not a “dull” sounding nor a claustrophobic set, but with some added upper-treble everything would have become a bit more natural and open sounding.

The soundstage is of average size, imaging in-line with the price range.

Some comparisons:​

Tanchjim 4U (Atmosphere) vs Moondrop May (3.5mm stock tuning)
May has better sub-bass extension, better female vocals, a more natural timbre and similar technicalities with even less upper treble.
The 4U, on the other hand, is slightly better when it comes to detail retrieval (very small difference) and sound slightly more vivid in the treble.
The May is more versatile if the Type-C cable is used, since the DSP settings rely on that, whereas the 4U have a physical screw that provides for more versatility in the low-end (even though, being honest, the Atmosphere setting is the one that’s more likely to be used by most people).
The build quality of the 4U is superior, the comfort is slightly better on the May and the isolation is very similar. The stock cables are not comparable (Type-C vs 3.5mm TRS), but I can say both are of good quality.
The May are more natural and they also come with a Type-C cable that one can use with other IEMs as well. The 4U are slightly more exciting and provide for a leaner presentation, and the bass filter doesn’t need any cable to “adjust” the sound signature.
I think the two products are comparable overall so it all comes down to personal preference: my favorite one is the May.

Tanchjim 4U (Atmosphere) vs Simgot EW200
The 4U are less bright and much more appealing to those who can’t stand bright treble IEMs, and they’re overall warmer and more relaxed. The Simgot EW200, instead, are better when it comes to detail retrieval, vocal energy, treble extension and imaging, even though the soundstage is not among their strengths.
The build quality is great on both sets, both are comfortable even though the 4U are smaller and may suit some folks in a better way and isolation is better on the 4U.
What should one pick? Well, the EW200 are technically superior, no doubts, but they are also pretty bright and some may find them fatiguing over time. The 4U are leaner and less technically appealing, but they have a more controlled and safe tuning that will probably work for most people.
My favourite pick? EW200, but I like brighter IEMs so this was kind-of expected.

Tanchjim 4U (Atmosphere) vs Moondrop Lan
They are VERY similar in terms of signature, with the 4U having just a tad more weight in the low-end, a slightly more emphasized upper-treble and a few more details here and there. The Lan, on the other hand, sound more more natural with a smoother transition from the low-end to the midrange and with more forward female vocals, followed by slightly more presence/lower treble than the 4U and a smoother entrance in the mid-treble region.
The soundstage is comparable whereas the imaging is better on the 4U.
Comfort and isolation are basically the same also, as the shell size, shape and materials are very similar between the two.
I would pick the LAN for the overall timbre, even though the 4U is slightly better in terms of technicalities and boasts a more full-bodied low-end.

Final Thoughts​

The Tanchjim 4U are a solid set for sure, and the bass-tuning screw is a very cool idea that I hope to see again in Tanchjim’s future products.
The driver also performs well, but the technicalities are just average and there isn’t anything that “stands out”. Its biggest weakness is probably this overly “safe” approach, with which Tanchjim managed to strike a good balance: the 4U do many things well and very little wrong but they struggle to excel in something particular.

Maybe it would have been even better if they provided a “basshead” setting, a neutral setting, and a treble-head setting, as in its current state this set cannot provide bassheads what they search for and most of the tunings won’t be for everyone. The Atmosphere tuning, however, is very solid and safe for almost everybody, and I think that with some discounts this will be an easy-to-like set for many folks out there, especially those who usually love some warmth yet without sacrificing a neutral signature.