TANGZU AUDIO Wan'er S.G. Studio Edition

This is my personal review of the Tangzu Waner Studio Edition. I bought this set online for around 20$. My review won't be as detailed as some of the good people in this platform did, but I hope it can give you a general sense of how this set sounds. First, I will tackle with some non-audio stuff, and then into how it sounds. Please enjoy reading my review

---

Packaging and Accessories
Tangzu Waner SE comes in a medium sized box and feels quite fancy for its price. Inside, you will find a piece of fabric cloth with identical artwork as the front of the box. The drivers are placed in a foam cutout and beneath it you will find the cable and eartips inside individual boxes. No case or pouch provided, probably as a cost saving measure.



The shell is made from semi translucent plastic. It feels light and hollow, but for the price, I think it’s acceptable. The faceplate looks great, with an obsidian-like pattern and gold accent.



Eartips
Tangzu provided 7 pairs of silicone eartips:

• 3 pair narrow bore tips (S, M, L)
• 4 pair wide bore tips (S, M, L, XL)

The narrow bore eartips have softer stems than the wide bore eartips, the dome feels quite similar in terms of softness and texture.



Cable
The cable is honestly not good. It’s flexible but easily tangled. The material feels decent, however, the ear hooks are terrible. It’s a kind of earhook with a flexible guide, which is adjustable. However, it is quite difficult to mold it into a comfortable shape to wear, and you kind of have to readjust the shape every time you use the IEM.

---

Fit and Comfort
The shell is medium size, and I can fit it in my ears comfortably without any pressure point. Although as mentioned before, the ear hooks are not great.

Personally, the narrow bore eartips provided better seal and comfort than the wide bore eartips. I can use this IEM for a long period of time without any significant discomfort.

---

Sound and Technicalities
Tangzu Waner SE sound signature can be described as neutral with a slightly bright tilt. Somewhat boring in the initial listening, but quite enjoyable for a long listening session. More detail on how it sounds below:

Lows/Bass
The bass feels quite lean and tame, but it’s clean and doesn’t bleed into the midrange at all. Unless you’re someone who likes neutral signatures, the bass might not be satisfying for you.

Sub bass is more focused than the midbass, you can feel the sub bass rumble, with a long decay and a somewhat okay texture for the price. Quantity wise, it’s just enough to provide some needed rumble on the lower frequencies, but not that deep, which I think is appropriate for this kind of tuning.

Mid bass is not punchy and probably won’t be satisfying for a lot of people, it doesn’t have the slam and impact, which again, is expected for this kind of sound signature. On some tracks, the mid bass can feel slightly dull and lifeless. It’s still there, but kind of blends in the background.

Overall, bass isn’t really a strong point on this IEM, but for a neutrally tuned IEM, it still feels adequate.

Mid Range/Vocal
Lower mid feels clean, without a hint of muddy-ness. There’s a slight scoop on the lower mids which can make the vocals sound thin.

Despite the slightly thin note weight on the vocal, the vocal still feels natural and smooth. As for the quantity, there’s a balanced amount between female and male vocals. Vocal sounds are positioned right in the middle, not pushed back or forward. Upper mids can lack a little bit of energy, but it’s safe from shouty-ness.

Vocal and instrument sound, although sounds natural and smooth, can feel somewhat flat on some tracks. There isn’t much detail on the vocal, and not a lot of dynamics in instrument sound.

Highs/Treble
Overall treble presentation is pretty smooth. There’s a decent amount of sparkle and detail, however the extension is a little toned down, thus it doesn’t feel quite airy. Although the treble overall feels smooth, there’s a little bit of peaky-ness when it reaches the upper treble area, which can sound harsh on some tracks.

Compared to the lows and mids, the treble has slightly more energy and dynamics, making it a little bit more resolving and adding a little bit of spice into an otherwise neutral presentation.

Technicalities
Technical performance on this IEM is quite average for the price. Separation feels okay-ish, but not really good on busy tracks. Soundstage are just average in terms of width and height, and slightly better in terms of depth perception. Micro detail is actually decent, especially on higher frequencies. Imaging, on the other hand, feels a little bit off and quite hard to pinpoint the positioning of instruments.

---

Comparison

• VS Tangzu Waner SG

The original Waner is a more balanced, warmer, lusher sounding set. Both of them are quite an all-rounder set, but the tuning on the original Waner is probably more enjoyable for a lot of people.

• VS 7hz Salnotes Zero

Both have a similar neutral to bright signature, but Salzero has a little bit more energy and bite in its overall sound presentation. Treble on the Salzero feels a little bit more extended. Technically speaking, Salzero has a slightly wider soundstage and better imaging.

• VS 7hz Salnotes Zero 2

Salzero 2 has a warmer signature, more bass, and less treble. It feels more dynamic and fun, unlike a more neutral and tamer Waner SE. Technical performance on both of them are somewhat similar.

• VS Tanchjim Bunny

Again, similar neutral to bright signature, but Bunny definitely feels more dynamic in its bass. Vocal feels more lively and clear on Bunny. Treble is quite similar in both of them. Bunny is definitely better in terms of technicalities, especially in soundstage and separation.

---

Conclusion
If we’re talking about a neutrally tuned IEM under 30$, Waner SE can be an interesting option. I said it was interesting, because among all the ultra budget IEM with similar tuning, I think Waner SE is the most neutral, without too much coloration in its sound presentation.

In terms of enjoyment while listening to this IEM, it might take some adjustment for some people, especially for someone who isn't accustomed to a neutral signature. It’s definitely not for someone who’s new into Chifi, expecting something more energetic, more bassy, and more dynamic. But if you just want something smooth, transparent, without too much coloration, then it might be suitable for you.

My only gripe about this set is the ugly and annoying cable. Especially when adjusting the earhook. Aftermarket cable is a must in my opinion. Other than that, I think it’s a solid option for its price.

DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank Tangzu Audio for providing this review unit.

The Tangzu Wan'er Studio Edition can be gotten here: https://tangzu.net/products/tangzu-...n-single-dynamic-driver-in-ear-hifi-earphones (no affiliate links).




SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver configuration: 10 mm PET diaphragm dynamic driver
• Frequency response: 5 Hz - 40000 Hz
• Impedance: 16 Ω
• Sensitivity: 105 dB
• Cable: 2-pin 0.78 mm; 4-core mixed oxygen-free copper silver-plated cable; 3.5 mm termination
• Tested at: $21 USD

ACCESSORIES

Other than the IEM, these are included:
- 3 pairs of narrow-bore silicone eartips (S/M/L)
- 4 pairs of wide-bore silicone eartips (S/M/L/XL)
- Cleaning cloth
- Cable

For a $20ish set, the accessory spread is actually decent enough.




No foam tips are included, but we have 2 variants of silicone tips: the narrow-bore ones boost bass but compress soundstage, whereas the wide-bore ones open up staging and treble sparkle.




Unfortunately, the Wan'er Studio Edition has one of the worst stock cables in the industry. It is thin and tangly, and has stiff earhooks, which causes discomfort due to the earhooks pulling the IEM against the concha of the ear. There is a chin cinch, but microphonics are also present. Thus, the cable is a disappointment, but thankfully, the earhooks can be snipped off, or no biggie swapping out for another cable.

No case or storage pouch is provided, which is par for the course for an ultra-budget IEM.

To make up for this, Tangzu has provided a cleaning cloth, which has 2 unique waifu pictures on the front and back. Yes, it isn't one of those underaged Moond**p anime types, but something more mature looking!





The rest of this review was done with the stock cable and stock wide-bore eartips. No aftermarket accessories were used, so as not to add any confounders to the sound.


BUILD/COMFORT



The housings are fashioned from plastic, with a transparent interior to visualize the internals. When placing an order, one can opt for a white or black faceplate.

Comfort is agreeable - with smooth innards - and the shells are light, so the IEM can be used for longer sessions, assuming the horrible stock cable earhooks are gotten rid of.



I did not find any driver flex on my pair, which is a sign of good airflow design. The Wan'er Studio Edition has average isolation and can be used in noisier environments.




INTERNALS

This IEM's engine is a 10 mm PET diaphragm dynamic driver, together with N52 dual magnets housed in dual acoustic chambers.


DRIVABILITY

I tested the Wan'er Studio Edition with the following sources:
- Apple dongle
- Cayin RU7
- Chord Mojo 2
- Fiio KA11 dongle
- Fiio KA17 dongle
- Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 amp
- Onix Alpha XI1 dongle
- Questyle M15 DAC/AMP dongle
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One Neutral Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW WM1A DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Smartphone

This IEM is relatively easy to drive, with no hard requirements for amplification.


SOUND & TECHNICALITIES


Graph of the Tangzu Wan'er Studio Edition via IEC711 coupler.

Tonally, the Wan'er Studio Edition is rather neutral, as per its "Studio" namesake. In fact, this IEM sounds much closer to a Moondrop type VSDF tuning instead of the lusher and darkish Tangzu house sound. This will actually suit purists to a tee, as we hear a very uncoloured soundscape. Admittedly, it may be too bland for our basshead and treblehead brethren, but this IEM would be a suitable budget option for audio work and stage monitoring.

The bass shelf is just 4 dB north of neutral, with a sub-bass preponderance. We have a tickle of rumble on bassy tracks, albeit with some sub-bass roll-off. In terms of bass quality, texturing is average, though it lies on the speedy side, with not an ounce of mid-bass bleed.

The lower midrange is transparent and clear, aided by no mid-bass encroachment. With 9 dB ear gain, vocals are forwards without veering too much to shouty territory, especially when the Wan'er Studio Edition is used at low to moderate volumes, as per the Fletcher Munson curve.

Treble extension is decent, though with a roll-off in the upper treble. Sibilance is kept to a minimum, but this set is not one for the treblehead-inclined, due to some lack of air.

Timbre is quite natural, though note weight lies on the thinner side.

In technical performance, if we consider its $20ish entrance fee, the Wan'er Studio Edition fares decently. Soundstage is above average in all 3 dimensions. Imaging isn't the tightest, though instrument separation is okay on busier tracks. This IEM isn't the most micro-detailed in its price bracket though.


COMPARISONS

The Wan'er Studio Edition will be compared against other ultra-budget single DDs. Planars, pure BAs and hybrids are left out of the comparisons as the different transducer types have their own pros and cons.


Tangzu Wan'er OG


Graph of the Tangzu Wan'er Studio Edition versus the Original via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler artefact peak.

The venerable OG Wan'er was considered one of the benchmarks of the ultra-budget single DD game for the past few years. It was lauded for its smooth and laid-back thicc tonality.

The Studio Edition is definitely not a chip off the old block, as it is not as warm as the OG, with the former having a tamer bass and more clarity in the upper mids and treble. Note weight is leaner, but we have improved technicalities in the Studio Edition, in imaging, micro-detailing and soundstage. Treble is more extended than the OG Wan'er too.


Salnotes Zero 1


Graph of the Tangzu Wan'er Studio Edition versus the Salnotes Zero 1 via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler artefact peak.

The Salnotes Zero 1 (original version) is a neutral-bright single DD. It has an even thinner lower midrange and sounds more sterile than the Wan'er Studio Edition. The Salnotes Zero has more sub-bass extension and a tamer upper mids, but has more treble and sibilance.

The Salnotes Zero has a more metallic timbre and can be more fatiguing to use for longer sessions.

In technicalities, the Salnotes Zero has slightly better imaging. Soundstage is superior on the Wan'er Studio Edition though.

Of note, the Salnotes Zero is quite uncomfortable to use, due to perpendicular poky edges in the earpieces, whereas the Wan'er Studio Edition is more ergonomic.


CONCLUSIONS



There are not many "neutral" ultra budget sets to be found nowadays, with most manufacturers chasing after the "safer" Harman curve. Thus, the Wan'er Studio Edition has a niche foothold here, espousing an uncoloured and purist-approved flatish tonality.

Ergonomics and drivability are pros, and the accessory spread is quite generous other than a poor stock cable, which has very stiff earhooks. The Wan'er Studio Edition also combines good timbre with a decent sprinkling of technical prowess at its modest price.

Bassheads and trebleheads might want to look elsewhere though, as this IEM may be a touch bland for these subset of users.

The Wan'er Studio Edition is actually quite different from its predecessor - the OG Wan'er - as it showcases improved technicalities within a leaner profile, and may even be a suitable ultra budget option for studio work or stage monitoring. Oh, did I also mention that it comes with a mature waifu reversible cleaning cloth?

TANGZU as an audio company has its own moment in the audio market as it releases some of the most interesting products from its three years of existence like the Yuan Li, Zetian Wu, Zetian Wu Heyday and their first midrange set, the XuanWu Gate. But the most popular product that really really gives them more recognition is the Wan'er Shang Guan or Wan'er S.G., an entry-level single DD set that gives a pleasing coloured tuning to budget-tightened audio enthusiasts.



What I have here that will be featured in this review article is its latest variant of the Wan'er S.G., The Wan'er S.G. Studio Edition. Like its forebear model, it still retains a single driver set-up but there are some noticeable tweaking that makes this IEM earphone that will set apart to have its own profile.

The Wan'er S.G. Studio Edition uses a revamp design of the previous 10mm PET dynamic driver in a dual chambered neodymium magnets with a lighter diaphragm to deliver a faster transient response and accurate sound that offers clarity, highly detailed sound of its overall frequency range and low distortion rating. The driver is then encapsulated in a polycarbonate plastic shell which has a smaller frame profile with a beautifully designed shell chassis that gives some sophistication and elegance to its overall aesthetics. It still uses a QDC-type connector as its interlocking mechanism for its detachable cable.



Its compact shell size offers a comfortable fitting as I can wear it for a long listening session without any discomfort. It even gives a good passive noise isolation into my lug holes that it is able to block some unwanted noises from the outside.



The stock cable of this one is an OFC braided 2-core cable with memory ear hooks which I think is quite a bit unreliable to mould based on the contours of our ears.



For an entry-level set, this set is fairly accessorised in terms of product packaging and well-presented and organised as we encountered it during unboxing.



Here are the following contents inside of its packaging box:

• Pair of TANGZU WAN'ER S.G. Studio Edition IEM transducers.
• Stock cable
• Extra silicone ear tips in different standard sizes.
• Cleaning cloth

This set is quite sensitive that it can be driven with sources with decent power output like smartphones, laptops and tablets. The sufficient power requirement is enough that this set can deliver a full range sound with good dynamics on it.



The Wan'er S.G. Studio Edition tonality is quite pretty neutral sounding as it presents a linear and flat frequency response which will be better on audio recording for accuracy for audio mixing and tweaking.


(FR graph was provided by [USER=575648]@mars chan[/USER] , credits to him)


LOWS/BASS:

Given how this set was tuned, the bass quality and quantity of this one is rather precise and tight enough to give some incisive and tactual response. It gives a clean bass response as it was able to segregate this particular frequency section from other frequency parts.

It has a good sub bass presence that this one is capable of producing a clear reverberation and rumble generated from some instruments with the likes of synthesisers, drum machines and low tuned bass guitars and double bass. The mid bass texture of this set is rather sufficient enough to give some note weight on some bass-centric instruments like bass guitars, double basses and bass kick drums, and also on male vocals such as bass and bass-baritones. Both bass guitars and double basses have a sustaining and resonant sound while bass kick drums have enough thud with rumbling sound on them. On bass and bass-baritone vocals, while they don't have that exact weight that their voices should have, they have that faster vibrato with a good deep resonating and rumbling quality on them.


MIDRANGE:

The midrange is probably the star feature on this one on how it presents a neutral, transparent and clean with sufficient energetic sound on its confined frequency range spectrum. But to think that it doesn't sound too lean nor too linear as it has enough warmth for texturing on certain types of vocals and instruments.

On male vocals, baritones have plush and smooth voices while tenors have brassy and spiciness on their voices, and then countertenors have tender, mild and expressive vocal characteristics. As for female vocals, contraltos have rich and smoky sound but it seems that it has lacking of depth on it, mezzo-sopranos have smooth and fiery sound and lastly, sopranos have silvery and gleaming sound that all types of this vocal category from dramatic soprano up to the coloratura soprano.

When it comes to instruments, on string ones, guitars have an ample crisp and balanced sound, cellos have these cantabile and vibrant sounds, and then violins seem to sound sensuous and clear on every motion on its bowstring. Brass instruments like trumpets, trombones and horns have these rounded, full and mellow sounds respectively. On woodwinds, piccolos sound brilliant while concert flutes have silvery sound on them. Then clarinets have lustrous sound and saxophones have full and incisive sound that pairs well with other brass instruments for thematic and emotive solos in the orchestra. As for percussives, a warm and resonant sound of tom-toms, a hard and crackling sound of snare drums, a venerable sound of field drums and a resonant sounding kettledrums.


HIGHS/TREBLE:

While it's a bit on a brighter side of tuning, it maintains a well-balanced, smooth and airy treble response. There is a noticeable slightly accentuated upper-mids up to presence part just to give some sense of clarity and definition on vocals and attack of instruments. The sibilance was kept under control and there's not a hint of stridency on its overall sound quality.

For a single DD set, this set has a good airy presence with proper intensity on its sparkle that affects some tonal colours of some selected treble-clef instruments. Cymbals have a glistening sound while hi-hats have its typical short buzzing sound. Celestas have its shimmering sound and glockenspiels have its brilliant sound to give that bell-like sound.


SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:

Again, for a single dynamic driver IEM, this one is quite competent in terms of overall technical capabilities as it has a perceived above-average width span, good depth and height on its sound/speaker stage within my head room as I find it moderately spacious.

On stereo imaging, it somehow projects a more concave two-dimensional stereo presentation in a decently layered tones and frequencies section of instruments and vocals with some good separation on them that I am able to locate them but not in that precise manner but for an entry-level set, this is very acceptable in my opinion.

The driver aspect of this one is quite coherent and homogenous in regards to performance; out of phase and distortion issues are quite unlikely to be encountered on how it has fluid transient speed response. This set is also quite a resolving one in both macro-dynamics and micro-dynamics in that facet as it shows some concrete compression on its note while having a good micro-detail retrieval.


PEER COMPARISONS:

TANGZU WAN'ER S.G. Regular

• Like its successor model, it has a single dynamic driver set-up with similar driver technology.
• Shells are made of good polycarbonate plastic and utilise a QDC-type 2-pin connector.
• Similar product packaging albeit it has a different stock cable which is a bit shorter.
• It has a warmish-balanced U-shaped sound profile that makes it more coloured sounding.
• It has more punchy and impactful bass response, a recessed and warmer midrange and a smooth and less airy treble response.
• On its technical capabilities, it has an average size on its sound/speaker stage size, a typical two-dimensional stereo presentation, a bog standard separation and layering and less resolving particularly on micro-dynamics.

7HZ ZERO II

• One of 7Hz's single DD wonder sets, it has a 10mm dynamic driver with composite diaphragm.
• The shell of this one has a rather angular shape and it is also a composite material made of metal alloy on its faceplate and an acrylic resin on its cavity base.
• While its product package is somewhat spartan but it offers more eartips to choose from.
• It has a mild U-shaped sound profile that has some similar characteristics with warmish-neutral tuning.
• It has almost similar bass response with Wan'er S.G. Studio Edition, a tad warmer midrange and less brighter and modest airy extension in its treble response.
• Overall, it has on par technical capabilities with Wan'er S.G. Studio Edition as it also has an above average sound/speaker stage size, very coherent driver performance and similar resolution capabilities but the difference is that Zero II projects a more linear two-dimensional stereo imaging.

In my conclusion in this product review, this one proves the continuous evolution and refinement of TANGZU's on their tuning capabilities on how they will cater to all types of audio enthusiasts whether some listeners who simply want a fun and engaging sound or connoisseurs of analytical and technical sound profile. This set is rather unique in the budget entry-level as I rarely encounter a very neutral sound in this price point as it is quite a surprise for a neutral head like me. No doubt that I highly recommend this set as it aligns well with one of my preferred tuning profiles, that its overall tonal and technical performance for this one will give some experience to some budget-minded audio enthusiasts on what a neutral sound signature will sound like.

TANGZU WAN'ER SG STUDIO EDITION is now available in TANGZU's official store. And I will also provide some unaffiliated links from other online audio distributors below.

TANGZU OFFICIAL STORE

LINK: https://tangzu.net/products/tangzu-shangguan-waner-studio-edition-single-dynamic-driver-in-ear-hifi-earphones

LINSOUL

LINK: https://www.linsoul.com/products/tangzu-waner-s-g-studio-edition

HIFIGO

LINK: https://hifigo.com/products/tangzu-waner-se




For more TANGZU product reviews, just click the provided links below.

■ TANGZU/TFORCE YUAN LI

■ TANGZU WAN'ER SG

■ TANGZU PRINCESS CHANGLE

■ TANGZU FU DU VR.1

■ TANGZU XUANWU GATE


SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: TANGZU WAN'ER S.G. STUDIO EDITION
IMPEDANCE: 16Ω
SENSITIVITY: 105dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz – 20KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.35m
PIN TYPE: QDC-TYPE 0.75mm 2-PIN CONNECTOR
PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm
DRIVER UNIT(S): (1) DYNAMIC DRIVER


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 **


P.S.

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