Tangzu x HBB Xuan NV

Review Of The TangZu X HBB Xuan NV​

Introduction​

It has been a while since I reviewed any new TangZu products; the ones I was able to check out were the ones that were recommended at the time of its introduction, such as TangZu Wan'er, Shimin Li Encounter, FUDU Verse, and so on, with FUDU Verse and NehZa being the most recent. The firm was founded not long ago, but it has only just gained traction. Originally known as T-Force, the Chinese company was later renamed TangZu. The company launched the XUAN WU GATE shortly after NehZa, which I was unable to review; however, they just released another IEM known as the Xuan NV, which I was lucky enough to obtain for review. Before starting, I would want to clarify a few things.

Disclaimer​

*Since this unit tour was organised by the kindly people at Linsoul, I am grateful to them. As I've said in all of my evaluations, the same is true for this one: all of the concepts I've expressed below are entirely my own, original ideas that haven't been influenced by anyone else. If interested, go to this link.
*I am not associated with the connection, and I receive no financial assistance from anyone.
*For the remainder of the review, I will refer to these IEMs as “Xuan.”
*I am using different Ear-tips for convenience and better versatility.
*Finally, I will only evaluate the Xuan based on their performance, even though I will explain how it feels and seems physically and aesthetically.
*For source I relied on the Sony WM1A and Apple Dongle for my review.

Specification​

The Xuan features a dual driver system that consists of two dynamic drivers, one 10mm ceramic and the other 8mm PU+LCP. The shells are constructed of medical-grade resin with red highlights all over the body, and to be honest, they are one of the most gorgeous shells I've ever seen. The red semi-transparent shell with a faceplate with a butterfly-inspired gold design is incredibly attractive and artistic. Though the shell body is larger than any other IEM, the fit was a bit difficult for me to obtain, but with smaller eartips, I was able to achieve a decent grip and isolation while being comfortable. The cable included with the IEM is the same one used with the FUDU VERSE and maybe the SHIMIN LI ENCOUNTER. The cable has a rubbery feel to it and appears to be quite flexible, making it ideal for use with any IEM. The cable features a two-pin connector on one end and a straight 3.5mm termination plug. Aside from the cable, the accessories include three pairs of wide Sanchai ear-tips, balanced Sanchai ear-tips, one pair of medium ear-tips, and a carrying pouch. Technical characteristics include an impedance of 8.5 ohms and a sensitivity of 98 dB. The frequency response ranges from 7Hz to 20kHz.

Sound​

I'll come right out and say that the Xuan is the most cohesive and resolved IEM among its rivals, including the SIMGOT EA500 series, the new Kefine Delci, and even the EPZ Q5. In comparison, when it comes to the Xuan, the response throughout the region is the most fluid and transparent. Although I find that the response is not as forthright as the other, it raises questions about its clarity and detail understanding, which may not be its strong strength. The balance of all regions helps bring everything to the table, making it sufficiently comprehensive and illuminating. The intensity of the notes in the upper frequencies prevents fatigue or harshness in the mix, so I was able to listen to these for a whole day without having to remove them once. The strangest thing is that I slept while listening, which may be the magic of dynamic drivers. The bass is done very cleanly, and it does not provide a lively engaging response like the Delci, nor does it produce a bright neutral sound in the mix like the EA500LM, but rather a warm-neutral presentation that maintains the whole response sounding extremely safe, coherent, and silky. Let's go further into the sound and learn more about it.

Treble​

While observing responses objectively, I observed that most of the IEMs that I'm comparing Xuan to other IEMs in this price bracket, such as Delci and EA500, have the similar response, with just the energy variable, but the peaks and troughs are almost identical. Though, personally, I find the treble region laid-back but not dark sounding, the response adds enough energy to keep the region seem engaging and fascinating. The high treble has good air and extension, allowing vocals to sound more complete and full-bodied; the same can be said for the instruments, although on busier songs, chimes and cymbals are overwhelmed by thick note response. The lower treble has more energy and results in a more forward response from the vocals and instruments, while also being correct in note weight and density. The notes are vivid and expressive, but the mix lacks sparkle and openness; yet, the cohesive response makes it sound quite calming and comfortable while sounding complete. Tracks like ANLY's Sukinishinayo sound fuller while also revealing; her voice adds soft textured notes, resulting in a more natural presentation overall, while the instrumentation mixes in and complements the vocals without drowning them out. Tracks like Kenka by Kujira Yumemi bring the chimes and sparkle forward, with the voices correcting in terms of tone quality, making the response sound richer yet very natural sounding; when listening to Xuan, I think this track sounds better. As a result, the overall presentation of the treble area is appealing, relaxed, and smooth-sounding.

Mid Range​

The mid-range is properly elevated while sounding as thick and natural as possible, with no peaky or shouty noises introduced into the mix. When I compare Xuan to Delci, I feel that Delci has a less energetic but more refined response owing to more energy in the treble region. The same may be stated for the EA500LM and Xuan, however, the EA500LM is more pronounced in the high frequencies, whilst the Xuan is only noticeable between 3kHz and 4kHz. The upper mid-range has strong heft and energy, which allows the vocals to be more revealing and forward, while the instruments complement them. The notes have nice note weight and depth, bringing a natural timbre over the region, although the thick notes might obscure the voices' expression slightly, despite the fact that the instruments sound just acceptable. The lower mid-range has a clean and dense response, whereas the instruments and vocals have a thick response that sounds like mumbling and drowning. Tracks like AURORA's Black Water Lilies have a very upfront vocal presentation, but they lack airier and open-sounding vocals, while the instrumentation sounds quite calming and excellent in terms of cleanliness and resolution. The voices stretch nicely but lose their charm. However, tracks like Hall of Fame by Script sound really well matched in terms of voice timbre and note reveal. The voices have a strong grasp of the mix and do not drown or get overwhelmed by the instrument's impact, while the notes are mild, allowing for genuine expressions overall. As a result, the overall presentation of the mid-range is expressive, warm, and expressive-sounding, even if the voices are occasionally muffled on busier tracks.

Bass​

Allow me to explain why the bass does not sound like one based on its appearance in the graph. Even though the emphasis is on sub-bass, the bass response leans toward a pleasing sound. Whether sub-bass or mid-bass, the presence and impact are subtle, but they enhance when listening to bass-heavy tracks. One thing I particularly like about the bass is how smooth and warm it is, without being overly analytical. The bass of the EA500LM is textured and articulated, which I enjoy, but it is not as fulfilling as the natural warm-sounding bass of Delci or Xuan. The sub-bass is deep, but only enough to provide a faint rumbling and discernible punches. When it comes to slams and thumps, I feel slams to be more obvious, but thumps are more like presence rather than impact or influence in the mix. Tracks like Kool-Aid by Bring Me The Horizon sound clean and rich because the notes have a substantial warm presence, making the response seem fuller and more engaging. The vocals are not drowned out, but the bass notes from the kick drums have a significant presence and impact without being authoritative. The same can be stated for TOOL's track Vicarious, since the vocals and bass notes are far apart and do not interfere; in fact, the kick drums are prominent but not overpowering, maintaining a superb balance between all instruments and, of course, vocals. And when the bass guitar notes come over, they sound incredibly clean and fluid, with vigour and decent note weight, resulting in quite realistic sound. Overall, the bass response is warm, rich, and satisfying to listen to.

Technical Performance​

In terms of technical specifications, the Xuan is a moderately performing IEM when compared to its peers, particularly the technical monster EA500LM. To be honest, with such a response, I never expected a very technically proficient IEM, so I find it slightly below its peers but better in some technical aspects. Let's be more specific.

Soundstage, Sound Imaging & Separation​

The soundstage takes a closer approach with a decent holographic response, resulting in good note separation, but it is not particularly distinctive; the imaging is not very exact or clear, so the quality of the note projection is not sharp or immaculate. However, I like the separation of the notes to the Delci.

Speed & Resolution​

In terms of resolution, I find the presentation to be revealing, but only in the sense that the macro subtleties are simple to grasp, whilst minute nuances are hardly noticeable. The attack and decay of the notes are more organically controlled, resulting in a natural sound.

Tracks​

Millet - Anytime Anywhere
Anri - I can’t stop the loneliness
Kohana Lam - A Few Sentimental
Kohana Lam - Loving Me, Loving You
Uru - Kimino Shiawasewo
Uru - Kamihitoe
Kujira Yumemi - Kenka
Majiko - Kokoronashi
Anly - Sukinishinayo
Kohama Lam - A Few Sentimental
Kohana Lam - Loving Me, Loving You
Miliyah - Kono Yumega Samerumade
Rokudenashi - The Flame Of Love
Yu-Peng Chen - A New Day with Hope
Yu-Peng Chen - Another Hopeful Tomorrow
Yu-Peng Chen - For Riddles, for Wonders
Valentino Khan - Satellite
Kai Wachi - Happier By Now
Jawns - Erotica
ISOxo - how2fly
Weeknd - Popular
YUNGBLUD - When We Die(Can We Still Get High)
Bring Me The Horizon - Kool-Aid
Middle Kids - Bend
FLETCHER - Leads Me On
Loathe - Aggressive Evolution
The Weeknd - Save Your Tears
Sigrid - Burning Bridges
AURORA - Black Water Lilies
AURORA - Runaway
X Ambassadors - Renegades
Lupe Fiasco - Words I Never Said
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Can’t Hold Us
Goyte - Somebody That I Used To Know
Script - Hall of Fame
Jay-Z - Run This Town
Lady Gaga - Poker Face
Lady Gaga - Just Dance
Ladytron - Ghost
Travis - Love Will Come Through
LINKIN PARK - Somewhere I Belong
DJ Shadow - Six Days (Remix)
Hoobastank - The Reason
Ricky Martin - I Don’t Care
Tool - 7empest
Tool - Vicarious
A Flock Of Seagulls - Space Age Love Song
Zack Hemsey - Vengeance
Elton John - I’m Still Standing
The Moody Blues - Nights In White Satin
Micheal Sembello - Maniac
Guns N’ Roses - Sweet Child O’ Mine
A.R. Rahman - Kun Faya Kun

Conclusion​

To conclude this review, I must state that Tangzu adopted a new approach this time around, providing a superb sounding IEM to a different target audience. Xuan delivers a warm-neutral sound with excellent treble extension, full-bodied and natural mids, and a warm but organic bass response. This IEM bridges the gap for folks who desire outstanding treble yet have dark-sounding IEMs. I honestly feel Tangzu did an excellent job of presenting a safe alternative in the 80USD pricing range. So my recommendation goes to folks who seek the smoothest and most cohesive sounding IEM under 80 USD that provides superb treble without sounding harsh, lean, or bright, and I would advise people who want a detailed and clear sounding IEM to try Xuan first.

The Tangzu X HBB Xuan NV have been sent to me by Linsoul for me to try them out and to publish my opinions in this review. Linsoul have not made any requests, they never do, and I will do my usual best to be as unbiased as possible in my review.

The Tangzu X HBB Xuan NV can be found via Linsoul here: https://www.linsoul.com/products/tangzu-xuannv

As always, this is a non-affiliate link.

To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews



Intro…

Can anyone say for sure how many collaborations HBB has? Can HBB even name them all without looking them up? I know that I lost track many moons ago

Seriously though, I don’t think HBB or his collaborations need any introduction at this point in time and the Xuan NV is his latest (or maybe not?) with the brand Tangzu, who he already collaborated with in the past. While I didn’t get to listen to the Heyday, his previous Tangzu collab, I do know that there were plenty of people who enjoyed it. This time, we have moved from the planar in the Heyday to a dual dynamic driver in the Xuan NV and the price has also dropped from 190€ to around 70€ for this model.

We are used to collaborations from HBB being very different from previous models, so, what do we get with the Xuan NV?



Presentation…

Tangzu have a habit of using classic looking artwork on their packaging and the Xuan NV is no different, with a box cover that is still anime inspired but more traditional in its intent. The reference to HBB is also quite subtle, with just his logo appearing on the bottom right corner, without further reference to him on the packaging. The back of the packaging shares some basic specs of the IEMs and plenty of QR codes to scan.

Opening the box we get the IEMs, a pouch style storage case, 6 sets if Tang Sancai tips (3x balanced and 3x wide), plus a set of simple white silicone tips installed and the cable. Nothing extraordinary but plenty to allow us to enjoy the IEMs.



Build and aesthetics…

The shells are 3D printed in medical grade resin, with a transparent red colour to them and gold design on the faceplate to represent a butterfly wing on each IEM. If you look very closely, you will see HBB in lettering on one wing and Tangzu on the other, although you will have to look very very closely, as it is very hard to make out.

The internals contain 2x dynamic drivers, one 10mm ceramic and the other an 8mm PU+LCP. The overall impedance of these drivers is quite low, 8.5 Ohms, but so is the sensitivity at 98dB. I have found that these IEMs do need quite a bit of power to get them to my usual listening levels, so those of you who listen loud (the majority listen louder than me), will need to make sure you have a decent dongle or amplifier, I don’t suggest trying to run these from a phone.

Overall, the IEMs look decent enough, they are very lightweight and I find them to be comfortable even for long listening sessions.



Sound…

All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
As I said a moment ago, HBB has a lot of collaborations and also has the habit of each one being different. I am not sure if he is trying to collect tunings like Pokemon but here is a quick recap of the tunings he has had so far (and I am probably missing quite a few):



Well, the Xuan NV manages to find yet another variation in tuning, so call HBB whatever you want but he certainly isn’t boring when it comes to choosing a tuning:



So, to put this into perspective against my usual preference curve that I use as a reference, this is what it looks like:



So let’s start off with “Chameleon” as usual and talk about subbass. There is plenty of rumble for my tastes although it is not the cleanest of low notes that I have heard. By that I don’t mean it does a bad job, far from it, it is controlled but it does seem to blend the subbass notes together slightly when this track is at its fullest. To be honest, it is a brutal test for IEMs anyway, as there is a lot of low end there and the Xuan NV don’t fall apart. I have heard better but I have heard many sets that are much worse.

With something a little less overloaded, like “No Sanctuary Here”, there is more clarity, things don’t suffer quite as much. I still wouldn’t say it is amazing in the lowest notes but it is certainly decent enough. There can be just a little too much going on in “Royals” but if we move to something more midbass focused, such as “Sun Is Shining”, then things get a lot better.

Mids are pretty decent and if we don’t overload the lowest registers, the tonality and performance of the mids is more than acceptable. There is a rather large boost around the 3kHz mark which serves well to counteract the subbass but can leave things a little harsh when we take tracks that are not really bass focused, such as acoustic songs like “Tears in Heaven”.

I find that it works much better for some of the older hip hop tracks that are not overly heavy in the subbass but still have enough in the bass department for the vocals to not be overly harsh due to that 3k boost.

One thing I will say is that there is absolutely no harshness to my ears from that 5kHz region, something that I really appreciate. To me a boosted 3kHz is much more tolerable than a 5kHz peak, although each person is sensitive to different frequencies, so your mileage may vary.

Sibilance is also kept in check, or reduced rather, with no sign of sibilance in the usual suspects like Patricia Barber in “Code Cool”.

The treble extension is not great, with a noticeable roll off that does give a sensation of lacking air. This interacts with the overall signature to present a rather laid back presentation that is not the most detailed.



Conclusion…

I seem to have tried out quite a few IEMs lately that have a “relaxed and laid back” presentation, some more than others. In the case of the Xuan NV, it is an enjoyable set of IEMs for the most part, although I do find it to be lacking detail retrieval in general and it can also become a little overwhelming if we pump overly (sub)bassy music into it.

While I don’t have any specific issues with the Xuan NV, I really don’t find it to stand out above other similar alternatives at similar price points. This is not to say that you won’t enjoy it, if you are looking for a presentation that is of this style, then I think that you will enjoy it, I just feel that there are other alternatives with a similar laid back style that can compete.

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As always, this review is also available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)

All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link

All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

Here is my thoughts on this Tangzu X HBB Xuan NV

The Shell is a nice all resin design it is both attractive and comfortable with good isolation for me and they are light.
The tips are unique, and I must say I like them. The cable is not bad quality per say but is a very sticky kind of rubber that catches easily on my clothes and attracts lint, hairs, ETC. it comes with a kind of case pouch thingy like some of the Truethears.


The Xuan NV Sound:

It presents with a neutral-warm signature.
Bass: is punchy and Sub-Bass has a nice rumble and decay. Mid-Bass punches quickly and both are well tectured with excellent control.
Midrange: Mids offer a thick lush presentation with good vocals particularly male but that's not to say female dont sound good as well. vocals have a good potion and clarity this IEM in my opinion leans more towards a U shape tuning.
Treble: The highs offer an almost totally Neutral presentation with good sparkle and air but zero harshness. The highs are smooth and safely tuned so even treble sensitive should find them well tuned. Details are average and the smooth non fatiguing highs are not for treble heads.

Soundstage: The stage is accurate with good placement but less deep than it is wide. While not a technical wounder it does do a decent job for a dual dynamic IEM.

In a nutshell: The neutral-warm signature and relaxing nature of the Xuan NV make a perfect all-around everyday IEM for me I love the enjoyable and fun tone.