TForce Audio Yuan Li

Review Of The TForce Yuan Li​

Introduction​

In the low-mid fi electroacoustics, Tforce, a Chinese business, has made waves after changing its name to TangZu. Numerous audiophiles have given this company's founding, as well as their initial model, the Yuan Li, high praise. Tforce (now TangZu) has always been committed to giving its supporters the impression of high fidelity, which has helped the company flourish to this day. Although they listed a dual and tribid IEM as three separate product introductions, I was unable to obtain any additional information. Today I'll be reviewing their first product, the Yuan Li, but let's first go over a few things I need to cover.

Disclaimer​

*Since this unit tour was organised by the people at HiFinage, I am grateful to them. And 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 "Yuan Li."
*I am using different Ear-tips for convenience and better versatility.
*Finally, I will only evaluate the Yuan Li based on their performance, even though I will explain how it feels and seems physically and aesthetically.

Specification​

Each side of the Yuan Li houses a single dynamic driver, a 10mm dynamic driver with a carbon diaphragm that resembles a diamond. The shells are composed of aluminum, have a silver colour, and appear to be glossy. They feel solid and reliable. The TForce logo is on the faceplate. The cable, which is a 6N OCC soft and high-quality cable with 0.78mm 2-pin connections and a 3.5mm straight plug, is created and made available in association with TACables. Along with the IEM and cable, the kit includes three balanced silicon tip pairs and three vocal tip pairs, all of which available in small, medium, and large sizes. A leather case with a magnetic flap and a pair of foam tips are also included. The impedance is 32 Ohms, and the sensitivity is 103.5 dB, to go technical. The frequency range where the total harmonic distortion is less than 0.5% is between 20Hz and 20kHz.

Sound​

The Yuan Li offers a true V-shape sound, with the entire response emphasising the lower treble and upper midrange. With such high peaks from 1.5 kHz to 5 kHz encompassing the upper mid range and the lower treble, based on what I have seen, I anticipated that these may sound offensive, but I am surprised to find that nothing seems unbalanced or obnoxious. The lower treble, upper midrange, and sub bass all have a focus on energy, with the lower treble being the most prominent. Overall, the presentation came across as easygoing and seamless. Let's explore the sound thoroughly.

Treble​

Since the lower treble is where most of the energy is lost, the lower treble is where the treble is most affected. The top treble is weirdly tuned because, despite the fact that I can hear the extension and sense the airy presence, they seem to shy away from the mix or leave me unimpressed. I couldn't really tell if the vocals are stretched out and seeming lengthy, but I can sort of hear the instruments, like cymbal smashes. For this reason, I think the upper treble still has presence. I'm generally perplexed as to what I grasp in the upper treble because of the ups and downs in this range. When it comes to the lower treble, it sounds shockingly forward in the mix while also being smooth. Both the vocals and the instruments are quite clear and have lots of subtle subtleties; neither seem obnoxious. Overall, the treble energy's presentation is interestingly calibrated, lively, and devoid of any overtly irritating tones.

Mid Range​

While I find them silky and expressive, especially in the upper mid range, the upper mid range holds wonderful forward approach. The mid range is smooth and relaxed. There are no signs of sibilance, hotness, or metallic characteristics in the vocals, which sound pleasant and silky smooth. As an example, having recessed lower midrange and upscaled upper midrange and lower treble may sound a little unnatural and lean, but that is not the case in this case as I do not hear odd or unevenness in the sound. Usually the differences between upper and lower midrange determine how they will sound in the higher frequency. The vocals are clearer and more energising in the upper mid range, although the instruments have a strong grasp of their tone and sound forward. In general, the upper mid range sounds the same as the lower treble. Both voices and instruments have a unique place in the mix, and occasionally they each have their own emphasis and sound distinct from the rest of the presentation. The response pulls back the lower treble as the vocals sound flat and uninteresting and the instruments lack note weight and richness. The most of the parts have a disorganised presentation, but the bass line has just enough weight to sound correct. Overall, the mid range region has a forward, silky tone that is unoffensive and separated from the rest of the response.

Bass​

The bass is most likely the best element of the entire composition because it is well-textured and controlled. The deep resonant sub bass packs great punches and rumbles sufficiently to generate the sensation in the mix without messing up the balance. The emphasis is on the sub bass region, which sounds pleasantly extended. The punches are not strong hitting and the slams are something that doesn't keep value as the bass cuts off at 200Hz and shaves of the mid range sounds weak. However, the control over the bass region makes it sound enough to represent the low frequencies and dissolves fast. Although the mid bass has presence, I think it is inadequate and unrefined. The bass notes are rich and contain good detail, although they are played in an awkward manner. However, the overall sound of the bass region is good, with powerful and rumbling sensations that maintain the whole mix clear and undisturbed.

Technical Performance​

In comparison to its competitors, where Yuan Li excels in some areas while the others thrive in others, the technical performance is average. The separation sounds a touch jumbled, yet the stage is sufficiently large to sound spacious. Perhaps the imaging was better. The speed is brisk but not faster than its rivals, and the resolution is adequate but not outstanding.

Soundstage, Sound Imaging & Separation​

The stage has a decent feeling of width and depth, which keeps it seeming spacious—not overly so, but just enough to sound fine. Although it sounds clear, the imaging might have been clearer and sharper. Elements sound distinctive yet unusually far apart, indicating that the separation is a touch odd.

Speed & Resolution​

The details are artfully presented, and I find them to be easily approachable, yet the resolution of this IEM is better than I had anticipated. Although fast paced, the attack and decay of notes are not particularly striking. However, the technological aspects do their part to make it distinctive in the eyes of audiophiles.

Sound Impressions​

Sources​

Tempotec V6 - The response changed dramatically when paired with the V6, with the high treble feeling more alive and the lower and upper midrange having the same vigour. The mid bass felt more depleted, while the lower mid range remained unchanged. However, the sub bass region had a punchier and more textured sound. The way the soundstage is presented changes, becoming more expansive and having greater depth. The imaging was crisper and the elements were better separated, but no further technical advancement was noticed. The Yuan Li performed at its peak when combined with a V6. It suits my tastes, I think.

iFi Hipdac - The Yuan Li sounded less detailed but tonally more expressive when paired with the Hipdac. The upper treble appears dark and distant from the mix, while the bottom treble sounds forward and full of life. The transition between lower and upper frequencies smooths out the mid-range. While keeping the same sub bass, the mid bass portion of the bass sounds meatier. Only the soundstage seemed to have altered because everything sounded closer together, but other technical characteristics remain essentially unchanged. The coupling with Hipdac struck me as amusing and humorous. I enjoy it.

Tracks Used​

Earth, Wind & Fire - September
Earth, Wind & Fire - Let's Groove
Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere(Remastered)
Toto - Africa
The Police - Every Breath You Take
Daft Punk - Tron Legacy (End Titles)
GOJIRA - Amazonia
Fergie - Glamorous
50 Cent - In Da Club
Skrillex - XENA
Skrillex - Torture You
The Neighbourhood - Sweater Weather
Luna Haruna - Overfly
Blck Cobrv - Candy Shop
LMYM - 0 (zero)
Indila - Love Story
Marina Hoiuchi - Mizukagami no Sekai
Wayne - Not Enough

Conclusion​

I agree that the Yuan Li is a solid IEM with good tonal and technical qualities. It is a capable IEM that directs an audiophile's head to a unique tuning that may seem enjoyable to listen to because of its mid centric focus and sub bass emphasis. But if anyone is interested, please give these a shot first.

Disclaimer:-

I received the Yuan Li as a part of the review tour being organized here by by HiFinage India. My thoughts are based on my usage for a week and by no means this is a professional review. I'm a rookie who is trying to understand the world of audiophile.
Thanks to @gadgetgod for including me in the tour.

If interested, you can buy from HiFinage website from the link below.

https://hifinage.com/collections/t-force/products/t-force-yuan-li

Introduction:
TForce Audio(Now Tangzu) was a very new name in audio community when their first IEM Yuan-Li was launched. Fast forward, they are now one of the acclaimed and trusted audio company in Chi-Fi industry. Goes to say they have been making great IEMs and Yuani-Li is no exception.

Yuan Li is targeted at 100$ budget segment, a highly competitive segment. IMO Yuan li is one of top performer in this segment.

Build/Fit/Package:
Yuan li is made of full metal shell and has a smooth finish all around with no sharp edge that pokes or causes any discomfort. Solid build quality.
Yuan Li has got good fit overall and can be worn for long hours. But to me personally the ear grooves gets bit bothersome after few hours. Not just on this IEM but in general I prefer a clean design IEM without the grooves.
One of the things that separate Tangzu from competitors is their package, they come loaded with tips and a beautiful case. Placement of tips, case and overall unboxing experience is great. Special mention about the case that is included, it is pretty sturdy and has good space to stuff in a dongle, extra cable and also looks sleek.
Personally I did not use the stock tips but they look like acostune 07 clones. They seem fine.
The included 2 pin cable is pure copper and it is decent enough, no complaints.



Sources Used:
Qudelix 5k
Shanling UP4
Avani
Abigail

~Though Yuan Li being 32 ohms can be run on low powered sources, it would shine better with little extra power such as Q5k

SOUND:
Yuan li has a balanced sound signature, slightly boosted low end with fairly neutral warmish overall tonality.



Bass:
Yuan Li has excellent low end, well controlled punchy bass. The mid bass has a decent slam, a tad bit lower than what I would prefer but i wouldn't notice it unless I look for it. It could also be good in a way that it could contribute to cleaner mids. Even though the sub bass is not boosted too much, it provides good rumble when called for( slightly recessed mid could be the reason). Overall a well done clean and not overwhelming bass.

Mids:
Mid range on this is the main focus. The vocals are presented front and sounds natural the way I like it. Both male and female vocals sound lively and fuller. They are presented in smooth manner that it takes the center stage. The instruments has above average note weight and it's a bliss to listen to.

Treble:
Treble is mostly smooth and has a slight bite to it when powered enough. No sibilance or harshness experienced. Even poorly recorded or known sibilant tracks sounded smooth to my ears. Has enough air and extension to enjoy.

Soundstage, imaging, separation are commendable.

Comparison:
Olina SE: First thing to notice with Olina SE is that it has got a tad bit more sub bass and mid bass slam. Mind you Yuan li is no slouch when it comes to low end, and yuan li seems to have slightly better texture on low end. Mids on olina SE is bit more clean and thin(maybe it sounds cleaner due to the thin vocals/notes) than Yuan li. Treble is better on Yuan li, has a bite that gives good feel to it.
Olina SE was my fav in this segment before I listened to Yuan li. Now I'm torn haha. I feel Yuan Li is more fun type and olina bit more analytical.

Conclusion:
Yuan li, being the debut IEM of Tangzu and would say still relevant for someone looking for a safe daily driver.

T-force (now Tangzu) Launched their first IEM as Yuan Li, This is meant to focusing primarily on the $100 price segment which in my opinion the most competitive segment. It’s a Single dynamic driver configuration earphone that houses a 10mm DLC dynamic driver unit on each side that is tuned to deliver a neutral and balanced sound output. This is my own opinion on T-force Yuan Li.



Disclaimer:-
T-force Yuan Li was provided free of cost as a part of a review tour organized in my country by HiFinage in India. I have no monetary benefit with this review, neither I am influenced by anyone to write positive or negative about the pair. All thoughts are based on my usage with the pair for about 7 days. I am no professional reviewer, just sharing my thoughts. If interested, you can check out more information on the HiFinage website from the link below(non-affiliated).

https://hifinage.com/collections/t-force/products/t-force-yuan-li

Design & Build:-
Yuan Li at looks very premium IEM, the shell is made of Premium Aluminium Ear Cavities with Unique design which looks very good and upmarket. The shell feel solid and very dense in hand and they are shaped like some of the resin iems to fit better. There is vent hole next to the nozzle to eliminate pressure and eliminate any driver flex. Vent on the beck to help with the bass. They are also quite lightweight. They sit comfortably in my ear with a good seal and got a decent isolation with the pair. It includes a Pure copper cable with 3.5mm terminated single-ended cable. They also, come with 3 set of Narrow bore and 3 set of Wide boar tips. Overall, very good build, superb comfort, and decent isolation.



Power Requirements:-
Yuan Li is highly sensitive and have be driven with literally anything. With my Ifi Zendac V2 I was able to drive them with just 15 percent on low gain on it and with Xduoo Link2bal, I was able to drive them with just 25 percent power on low gain. I’ve done most of my listening with Stock white tips and Xinhs 8 core silver + Copper cable with the Zendac’s 4.4 balanced out.

Sound Impressions:-
Tangzu did a fantastic job in tuning their first IEM with the Yuan li with fantastic balance across the Frequency range. It has got a precise lower end with fast bass response. It transitions smoothly into the midrange, with good energy in the upper mids. Vocals are upfront and got good texture, and a rich tone. As soon as we get to the treble response, Gumiho delivers a solid performance again with its rich, detailed and airy treble region with wide Soundstage.



Bass has got an speedy response with the very good details. It gives the overall sound a good body sub-bass has got a lot of texture and the speedy bass response gives it a very engaging factor. The lower midrange is a little recessed and a little thin, but as soon as we transition into the upper mids, the presentation gets lively. Both Female and Male Vocals sound very rich. Instruments have got good separation and clarity. Yuan Li shows solid dynamic performance. The soundstage, imaging, and instrument separation are solid.

Yuan Li has got a good amount of details as well. Soundstage is wide with good amount of depth. Imaging could’ve been a little better but can’t complaint at this price tag. Tangzu has done a fantastic job tuning these and it’s surprising how much performance you can squize out every last bit from 10 mm Dynamic driver at this price range.


T-force Yuan Li vs Tangzu Shimin Li
Both are very similarly tuned but Yuan li takes everything refines it further and pushes the overall fantastic experience of Shimin Li to next level. Yuan Li sounds better in everything except the soundstage but this is totally subjective.

Tangzu Yuan Li vs Etymotic ER2XR
In terms of Technicalities ER2XR is the champion in this price range delivering extreme levels of refinement and clarity but Yuan Li edges it out in terms of bass performance and pure engaging factor.



Tangzu Yuan Li vs Tripowin Olina SE
Olina SE is a very well balanced IEM with great technical performance but Yuan Li edges it out in terms of engaging and fun factor. Yuan Li sounds rich with better bass performance on the other hadn Olina SE could get boring after a while



Final Words: -
Tangzu has done a fantastic job with their first IEM, making it one of the best offering in this price segment delivering excellent performance all across the Frequency response. It goes with pretty much every genre you listen on these from classic to hip-hop. It one of the easiest recommendations in this price range and even a little above.

Specification:

MODEL: TFORCE YUAN LI
SENSITIVITY：103.5dB
CABLE LENGTH：1.2m
IMPEDANCE：32Ω
PLUG TYPE：3.5mm
FREQUENCY RANGE RESPONSE: 20Hz - 20 kHz
TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION：0.2%
DRIVER CONFIGURATON: 1 DYNAMIC DRIVER
PIN TYPE: 2-PIN CONNECTOR



Source Used:
Acoustic Research AR-M200
XDuoo X3 (CS4398)
Realme 6 paired with externa DAC ( Avani, Abigail, JCally JA21)
Foobar2000
Tidal, Spotify,Qobuz, & Apple Music
(MP3 320kbps, FLAC 16bit,FLAC 24bit,WAV,DSD256)


Build and Packaging: Tforce Yuan Li provides a massive freebies and a quality unboxing experience from the design of the packaging down to the freebie accessories. It also comes with a faux leather case which is a great storage for carrying and protecting the iem. It also comes with 6 pairs of eartips and it has 6N OCC Copper cable which looks minimalist from the traditional braided cables which I like. The shell is made of aluminum and the edges feel ergonomic and sooth which provides a good fitting to my medium ears. I has a tforce logo on the faceplate side and has a gold plated nozzle. Due to its smooth/shiny design, sometimes it is a fingerprint magnet but its not a bigdeal for me. I also love the hardwares of the 2-pin cable from the plugs to connector. My only issue is I hope they make the plug much thicker, but its just my nitpicked opinion.
Sound Quality;

Lows: The lows in the tforce yuan li sounded balanced and controlled. It doesn’t sound lacking and too much so it surpassed my preference as a bass head. Precise and accurate subbass rumble lets me enjoy my favorite EDM tracks specially those dubstep tracks. I also notice the tforce yuan li scales depending on the source and the bass sound much better when I’ve tried listening to it on powerful source.

Mids: The mids has a warmish approach which compromise the good lower end of this iem. I love the natural tonality on the mids without sacrificing the bass. It has a smooth clear mids which amazed me despite of its price range. Mid bass has also impactful and satisfying specially for 808 kicks or even double pedal drums . Guitars also sounded satisfying, it has a rich and lively presentation which I like.

Treble: Treble has enough extension to provide extra details and enough shimmer to enjoy your favorite tracks. On this part, treble is just okay, average I’d say. Hi hats is not piercing and doesn’t sound sibilance but sometimes female vocals sounded sibilant specially those busy tracks.

Soundstage & Imaging: Soundstage has a good depth extension which let you enjoy those bass heavy tracks. The instrument and vocals placement sounded natural and it doesn’t sound too far or too narrow. I think it will sound better if they added a little width on the soundstage, but in my case, I am already satisfied pairing it with balanced cable which makes it sounds wider.


Conclusion: Tforce Yuan Li makes a good introduction to the chifi market. I recommend it to peeps who are looking for an all arounder IEM, because of the build quality and freebies it provides which makes it bang for the buck for its price range, unlike those IEM which needs a replacement cables and eartips to make it sound better which will cost you a extra bucks.

Test Tracks
Getting Older - Billie Eilish
Foxey Lady- Jimi Hendrix
First of the Year - Skrillex
The Husk - Rings of Saturn
Airplane Mode - Cory Wong
The Crying Machine - Steve Vai
Take the "A" Train - Nikki Yanofsky
A Little Piece of Heaven - Avenged Sevenfold
PLUR POLICE (Jauz Remix) - Knife Party
It's Oh So Quiet – Björk
My playlist:

Tonality: 5.6/9
Technicalities: 6/9
Preference: 6/9
Overall: 5.8/9 (B-)
(this is useless but to give an idea - star rating is the price to performance)

my preferred signature is neutral with or without a bass boost, with an exception for a little warm-tilted, or mild V-shaped but honestly, I'm a "signature agnostic" because anything can work. I listen to mostly everything but currently lusting more on the modern sub-genres of Jazz, Progressive Rock & Metal, Drone, Noise Rock, No Wave, Minimalism, Totalism, modern recording of Chamber, Orchestra, Concerto, or Modern Classical at large. I’m a musician myself and very passionate about music & music reproduction.

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(total 6 mins read)

Intro
first of all, I feel like this is the first ChiFi IEM that truly represents 'China' or 'ChiFi of the people of China' that I’ve ever come across. as we can see, they really put some thought into naming the brand, the product, and the design-making rather than just randomizing everything, and I can say that they quite nailed it. the whole presentation is bold with full of character and I totally dig that.

like GS Audio, TForce Audio has made a good move by actually selling their own creation as a complete product rather than just being an OEM/ODM company. as a debut release (part 1 of the “Trilogy”), it’s admirable that Yuan Li has received rave reviews and praises within the community, but I didn't bother that much.

Yuan Li is a single 10mm DLC dynamic driver IEM with an asking price of $119 which seems fair for today’s market. the whole package presentation is pretty neat but I’m not going to elaborate more on that now. so, does Yuan Li worth the hype?

*please bear in mind that I’m trying my best to impartially write my thoughts even with the usage of some unusual audio terms. I might sound like nitpicking hard on this one but seriously this is more like a preferential complaint so please take it with a grain of salt as always. spoiler: Yuan Li is plain-balanced-good.



Yuan Li frequency response measurement courtesy of Bad Guy Good Audio Reviews


Signature
the signature of Yuan Li can be described as neutral with a slight bass boost that may tilt towards a little warm and bright at the same time. it's not wholly warm or bright, rather it has a warmer low region while the upper register is brighter. I’d call it balanced-neutral because to my ears, it sits in between the usually-warm dynamic driver and the speedy-bright balanced armature character. I think this is one of the most balanced tunings I’ve ever heard in an IEM. (I admit it took some time to comprehend the sound)

FR & Tonality
mind you that it sounds 'weak' with mobile phones or DAPs. it needs to be amplified just to be 'alive'. when amplified, it’s another different kind of beast with thundering bass and a better-textured mid-range. the treble remains smooth and neutral with no sign of shoutiness nor sibilance. for this reason, I’m using Aune X7s & Musical Paradise MP-301 for most of the review.

being a part-time neutral-head, I appreciate the amount and the quality of the lows in here. other neutral-heads or treble-heads might call Yuan Li a ‘bassy’ set with its sub-bass emphasize that feels “boosted” rather than a natural extension of the tuning, yet it doesn’t taste artificial in any way. there is a little hint of excellent rumble & thump in the sub-bass not like many other neutral-with-bass-boost IEMs, though in my opinion, it lacks proper depth. it is warm up to the mid-bass but not to the level to be considered as ‘muddy’ or bloat to the mid-range. the punch and slams are pretty good too although it feels a little loose and less controlled.

the mid-range can be ‘forward’ or a step back depending on the music. I think it's properly tuned and not overly done nor deficient. Scott Walker’s Corps De Blah shows a thoroughly balanced presentation of the mids up to the treble with full-bodied texture and realistic timbre. the note-weight is about right, even with the aluminum guitar and aluminum bass guitar on My Disco’s A Christ Pendant Comfort Her Neck are sonically correct.

the treble might be one of the best examples of what a good tuning should sound like. meaning, it doesn’t have to be shouty to have a good resolution. it’s amply spacious & airy accompanied by smooth natural decays albeit the lack of the upper treble extension. there is no sibilance or harshness in the vocal or cymbal crash. every instrument sounds natural and organic. in general, there’s not much to complain about Yuan Li’s frequency response & tonality. it's exceptionally well-balanced and matured in tuning.





Technicalities +
one of the first keys I notice about the bass is the amount and its tactility as can be heard on fast-paced tracks like Mastodon’s The Wolf Is Loose. this type of response is quite uncommon for a boosted sub-bass to have a speedy attack, especially on a single dynamic driver at this price.

while the attack is fast, it’s not as super sharp or extremely precise. the decays are natural on many tracks yet occasionally, it can sound a tiny bit blunt on the bass in comparison to the Blessing 2 Dusk. for example, Eddie Daniels’ Baião Malandro’s intro speedy bass plucking and kick drum combo should sound a little ‘snappier’ and tighter but it’s a tiny bit sloppy in the sub-bass region. it's not overall ‘sloppy’ in terms of transients, but more like smoothed on the edges that could make the crowded passages & fast-tempo lines a tiny bit congested & grainy. yes, it’s an unfair comparison but simply to give the idea of how it should sound like.

the detail retrieval is considerably very good although not the cleanest. it boasts full-bodied, textured micro details that somewhat could use a tad more clarity in the tuning for better separation and layering. but it’s no slouch either. the imaging is pretty good although not to the pin-point accuracy nor 3 dimensional.

Yuan Li’s sound stage is average in terms of width and height that’s also lacking in depth. it is commonly what to be expected from a single dynamic driver IEM but the recently released Moondrop KATO has proved otherwise.

KATO’s sound stage is as wide as the stereo field can stretch, and that results in better separation and layering on KATO while retaining thick imaging as Yuan Li’s. I find KATO is overall more delicate in timbre especially when the brass nozzle is attached, but Yuan Li has a better dynamic range as in Stevie Ray Vaughan’s dynamic guitar playing on Tin Pan Alley. yes, the macro & microdynamics of Yuan Li are truly impressive. therefore, there’s no absolute superiority as both of these new dynamic driver IEMs are trading blows here and there. while the KATO subjectively seems like a ‘better’ set to many, Yuan Li is $70 cheaper, and substantially a more neutral and natural monitor from my perspective.

despite all the complaints and nitpicks, I still think the technicalities of Yuan Li are near-excellent for a single dynamic driver. it's extremely balanced in terms of tonal & technical performance and for that, I think it should be a new balanced-neutral standard for the $100-150 price point.





of unimportance
the build is perfect but I don’t find myself wearing aesthetically flashy or mirror-like IEMs that much outside. the shell is on the average size, weighty but not heavy, and it’s very comfortable with a superb fit (YMMV). it's definitely fingerprint and scratch-prone, thus a matte or a more low-profile finish option would be another additional good selling point.

the stock 6N OCC cable is not bad but I'd prefer the Faaeal Hibiscus cable for a better ‘body’ and sound stage width. I think Yuan Li would benefit more with silver-plated copper cable as my Litz 5N OCC gives more upper treble extension to the response. there is a variety of ear tips but none of them sonically work for me except my favorite Azla Sedna Earfit Light. the black faux-leather carrying case is nicely made and is one of the nicest-looking carrying cases that comes with a magnetic lid.

Conclusion
I admit that I had very little expectation & excitement about Yuan Li earlier. as an inoffensive monitor, it didn’t ‘wow’ me at first but after about 9 hours of casual listening, plus amplification, it made me sit down and listen. the conclusion: I think Yuan Li can easily be misunderstood at 'introduction', but I'm confirming that it's the most balanced single dynamic driver tuning I’ve ever heard, period.

it’s arguably hard to find a speedy & technically competent IEM with an organic timbre, let alone excellent tonal balance, especially in the $100-$150 price range. in the real world of performance, Yuan Li may stumble in the technical departments but it’s really not that critical in the grand scheme of things. what more important is the fine balance between the tonality & technicalities and the coalescence as a whole that what makes it an excellent earphone.

with this kind of production & performance, I have to place a higher bet on the upcoming 2nd & 3rd parts of the Trilogy. and to answer the earlier question, yes, TForce Audio Yuan Li is definitely worth the hype and it’s going to last forever as long as they keep producing it with strict QC practice. (and maybe add a non-shiny finish as an option too)

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**this review unit is provided by TForce Audio as part of their TForce Yuan Li review tour and I thank Bryan and TForce Audio for including me in the tour. all words are mine and I’m not compensated by any party.

purchase Yuan Li here
(non-affiliated)

key songs:
Será Una Noche – Taquito Militar
Eddie Daniels – Baião Malandro
Patricia Petibon - Mozart: Der Zauberflöte – Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen

Sinne Eeg – We've Just Begun
Jean Frye Sidwell – I Left My Heart in San Francisco
Spellling – Boys at School

Muddy Waters – Big Leg Woman
Stevie Ray Vaughan – Tin Pan Alley
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Red Right Hand

Scott Walker – Corps De Blah
Swans – Lunacy
Zu - Carbon

My Disco – A Christ Pendant Comfort Her Neck
Arab On Radar - God is Dad
Shellac - Crow

Mastodon – The Wolf Is Loose
Fear Before the March of Flames – High as a Horse
Botch - Japam


tools: Tidal & FLACs via foobar2000/UAPP
Topping EX5
Aune X7s
Musical Paradise MP-301 MK3
LG G7
Ovidius B1
Hidizs S9 Pro

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INTRODUCTION:

TForce Audio is a newly established brand in the ChiFi Audio industry and as a first step into this giant industry they released their first product Yuan Li. From the aspect of the looks they appear bold, elegant, they priced it right and in this review let’s see whether this Yuan Li has that same characteristics in the sound too.



DISCLAIMER:

This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by TForce Audio and thanks to the team and Indranil Mitra for giving me this opportunity to review this product. I have not been influenced by the brand by any means to manipulate this review hence the whole views are my own and it’s based on my experience and observations with this product. The views might differ from one person to another since it depends upon the source used to test out the gear.

SPECIFICATIONS:

>Large 10mm Dynamic Driver with DLC Diaphragm.

>Standard 2-pin 0.78mm connectors.

>Impedance: 32Ω.

>Sensitivity: 103.5dB.

>Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-20kHz.

>THD+N: 0.2%

PACKAGE:

Yuan Li is bundled with a custom-made leather earphone carry case, 6N OCC copper cable, six pairs of silicone ear tips

DESIGN AND FIT:

The design of the Yuan Li is ergonomic and smooth. The whole build is made out of aluminium shell and the edges are smooth and curvy. Silver colour trim is given for the whole earpiece and the faceplate has the TForce Audio logo in it. The 2 Pin connector area is nicely recessed and doesn’t protrude outside. The whole body is not a unibody design rather the faceplate has a connection to the remaining part of the body. The joints are seamlessly finished and the whole surface looks shiny and smooth. The disadvantage of this shiny property is that they attract a hell lot of fingerprints and are very prone to scratch up. It Would have been better if they gave a matt finished look to it. The nozzle area is good in length and has enough width, the nozzle is also gold plated and is attached well to the body.

The cable is pretty good, which is a 2 core 6N OCC Copper cable ending with the 3.5mm termination. The cable looks very sleek and good and has that nice supple texture. The connector, termination and the splitter are everything made of metal hence looks very premium and will definitely last a long.



SOUND:

The sound profile of the Yuan Li is pretty balanced and in specific they are mid centric earphones with one of the best in terms of tonality and vocals. The mid range is very good and the other frequencies are above average too. Initially I was not happy with the Yuan Li but after feeding it some power now I can realise the potential of the product. In this review let’s see how this thing sounds and compares against the competitors.

SOURCE: iPhone + Zorloo Ztella + Zen Can

LOW END:

The low end in the Yuan Li is what i describe to be the accurate or precise. The control, weight and the texture are very good but the thing that locks in the low end are the depth and weight. Of Course these can be mostly seen in only the basshead level earphones but still a slight improvement in these areas would have made this earphone my great pick overall.

The bass here is pretty linear and balanced, from the sub bass to the mid bass the transition is smooth and linear. The bass is clean and doesn’t bleed into the midrange. The control and the texture are exceptional for the price. The sub bass only calls when the track call for it, especially in the track “TAKE IT – SEIGE”, the sub bass drop can be felt evidently but in the track “WHY DO WE FALL – HANS ZIMMER”, here the sub bass presence is very light and thin. The Yuan Li wont give you that rumble type of sub bass instead it would be very clean and minimal.

The mid bass is pretty good too. The overall background of the Yuan li is slightly warmer due to that nice mid bass presence. It gives that essential body and warmth to the midrange and vocals. The kick drums feel very tighter and the timbre is very natural and realistic. In the track “OUT FOR BLOOD – SUM 41”, the kick drums and the electric guitar presence is portrayed very well and especially the timbre of the instruments are very realistic and natural but as i told before it lacks in the weight and the depth of the bass. It’s good but it lacks that energy. It’s pretty good for a midcentric earphone and overall the low end is pretty satisfying. Being a complex track the Yuan Li was able to bring out some great separation and clarity in the low end. Yeah the Yuan Li can handle the faster and complex tracks well.

MIDRANGE:

The midrange in the Yuan Li is the star show here. The vocals especially have that nice tonality and they appear completely natural overall. The warmth of the mid bass continues along with the vocals making them very pleasant to listen to and the tonality is the best aspect here which is pretty natural.

The lower mids are very nice to listen to. The male vocals especially have that nice body and warmth overall and the fullness in the vocals can be clearly appreciated. Especially in the track “EVERY LITTLE THING – ERIC CLAPTON”, his voice sounds very natural and the fullness is very much nice. The mid bass linearly continues along with the lower mid giving that smooth transition.

In another track “BLOWER’S DAUGHTER – DAMIEN RICE”, his voice is the same again with near to natural sounding along with that natural timbre of those instruments. The guitar and the piano notes sound very smooth and clean.

For female vocals, in the track “BLANK SPACE – TAYLOR SWIFT”, her voice sounds non-sibilant and very natural. The upper mid region has no sort of harshness and sounds pretty smooth with natural tonality.

The instrument separation and the detail retrieval are above average. In the track “SULTANS OF SWING – DIRE STRAITS”, the guitar string separation is presented very well and the detail retrieval is really good for the price. The transition of the instruments from channel to channel appears very smooth and cohesive.

The texture, separation and the detail retrieval are very good in the Yuan Li especially in the midrange section. The tonality and timbre are exceptional too. Overall I'm pretty impressed with Yuan Li in the Midrange.

TREBLE:

The treble in the Yuan Li is average in my opinion where they show the roll off evidently thus the sparkle in the top end can't be expected. The trade off gave the smoothness to the Yuan Li thus making this a very good pair for non fatiguing listening. The treble clarity and smoothness is top notch while the details and the extension drops out a bit.

In the track “JACK OF SPEED – STEELY DAN '', the clarity is nice and the instruments are well separated and the layering is also good. The transition of the instruments appears great but the thing is the sparkle and openness! The Yuan Li sounds slightly darker or warmer in background thus the sparkle and the open sounding nature is lacking here. They sound slightly intimate and rounded rather than wider. Overall it's very good but could have been great if the background is slightly brighter and open sounding.

In another track “DREAMS – FLEETWOOD MAC”, the cymbal crashes are very good and smooth. The attack and the decay are precise thus they don’t sound harsh or sibilant rather its very smooth sounding and pleasant.

In another track “MR.BRIGHTSIDE – THE KILLERS '', it's a very complex track where a lot of instruments are played in the background even then Yuan Li was able to portray the separation at best and the overall clarity is presented very well.



TECHNICALITIES:

SOUNDSTAGE: The staging of the Yuan Li is not the widest but it's well rounded and not that intimate. The vocal placement is done mostly forward and the presentation is average in staging. The height is good with average depth. If the sub bass reach is a little bit more than the depth of the staging could have been made better.

IMAGING: The imaging is pretty clean and precise. The instruments can be easily pointed out since the presentation is smooth and clear. The sweeping of the instruments from one channel to the other is pretty smooth and the transition is done very well.

The detail retrieval and the resolution are above average for the price. The coherent sound of the Yuan Li is what makes this a special among its competitors. It just does everything good rather than excelling in one aspect and compromising the other.

VERDICT:

Yuan Li, the latest flagship and the only offering from the emerging chifi audio brand TFORCE is a good starter mid tier package for the audiophiles out there. From the aspect of the build to the sound they got you! The sound is very good for the price especially if you love the vocals and the midrange then this is the pair you need to get. It demands some power though but if you feed them then it will show its true potential. The balanced addictive sound has a nice and smooth midrange which is the biggest strength of this earphone. The neutral tonality of this earphone is another big strength.

The tonality and the timbre are another exceptional aspect of this earphone where they are very natural and realistic. A slight brightness and the wider soundstage could have been better but overall this still sounds very good for the price. The coherent sound is very addictive to listen to and the smoothness it provides is just at the level of peak!

I am an earphone enthusiast from Hong Kong, and love to surf some headfi forums in my local community. There are tons of threads regarding this IEM, T force Audio Li Yuan, which triggers me to purchase it from Taobao. Its price range is about 120 usd.


Key Info of Li Yuan:
⁃ 10mm Single Dynamic Driver (DLC Diaphragm)
⁃ 2-pin 0.78mm Connectors
⁃ 6N OCC Copper Cable


Source:
⁃ MOOV (Music Streaming Service in HK)
⁃ iPhone
⁃ Hakugei Adapter (C100 MFI Licensed Chips)



Impressions:
⁃ With KBEAR 07 eartips, and 40-hour burn-in.
⁃ Scalability: The lower bound of Li Yuan’s performance is high, which it’s okay to drive using a iPhone with adapter. When it is well-driven, it can has a better detail retrieval, and less congested on complex tracks.
⁃ Bass: Punchy and well-textured, which I prefer its quantity can slightly be decreased. Also, the drum sounds elastic.
⁃ Vocal: Strength of Li Yuan, forward and full bodied. Its performance of male vocals is better than that of female vocals. The sibilance is not that noticeable.
⁃ Treble: Smooth, and these instruments (piano, violin, or guitar) will not be too prominent. Yet, it has a slightly sibilant sound in some songs (with hi-hat).
⁃ Details retrieval, soundstage, and separation are average, when compared with similar-priced products.


Comparison with NF Audio NM2:
⁃ The sound signature of NM2 is V-shaped tuning, which emphasizes on bass and treble extension. Its strengths are better details retrieval, as well as a wider horizontal soundstage. While the weakness is vocal thickness, especially male vocal is quite thin.
⁃ The sound signature of Li Yuan is vocal-focused, and it will not sound dull, because of the sufficient bass impact and quantity, also some treble extension. When compared with NM2, Li Yuan’s horizontal soundstage is narrower, a similar details retrieval, and a less bass impact. In short, it can provide a fatigue-free experience to users.


Conclusion:
Although Li Yuan is positioned as entry-level (which is priced around 120 usd), it uses aluminum housing, as well as rich accessories, including leather case and copper cable. Also, its tuning is quite fun and engaging, with a warm tonality, vocal focused, sufficient bass impact and quantity, and bright treble. In my opinion, Li Yuan is suitable to those who are new to this hobby.

Review unit sent by T-Force.



T Force Yuan Li is the first set from T Force. I initially did not have any expectation on this set. Though, it actually blew me away with the tuning and how great it is. This set belongs to a few rare IEMs that I actually adore. Something that is very easy to listen and carry the emotion that I like it to have.

Source: SMSL Sanskrit 10th MK2 + iFi xCan

Signature: Balance

bass: A-
Nimble with density. Doesn't dig into the sub but has enough overall bass to be punchy and fun. This is not a basshead set either as I think the overall harmonic is balanced and non of them being annoyingly dip or peak. The speed of the overall attack is moderate to above average. The decay doesn't linger and this is the trait to have to counter the mids section.

mids: S-
Full and meaty without being bloaty. Probably one of the perfect note weights I've heard to date sitting with higher end sets. It is nowhere thick nor thin. Deliver with excellent lifelike timbre and perfect weight.

vocals: S
This is the one of the best I've heard. It has the lifelike DD timbre, correct note weight, sounds perfect all across male to female vocals, even on compressed tracks. No glare or grain. Vocal is fully textured and well separated from overall frequency (no bloat) but well blend with the instruments. Meaning it is coherent and at the same time no bloat. Yuan Li can be one of the top performers for someone who seeks for an analog vocal without being muddy nor overly smooth.

Highs: A
very smooth and quite extended. No weird artifacts or grain that usually from a DD. Liquid sound as it flows beautifully. Could be a bit too smooth for someone who is treble head but I find myself liking this a lot.

Comparison

Oxygen:
Oxygen has a lot more energy up top. Vocals do sound sweeter on oxygen but Yuan Li can sound more euphoric as you dial up the volume even better. Oxygen can sound shouty in comparison and Yuan Li is more balanced across the sound spectrum. Detail wise probably a little edge on Oxygen but don't expect much. Yuan Li has an edge regarding width and depth

Conclusion:
It is obvious that I like Yuan Li. It has the signature that is very rare to see in this era of bright and bassy IEMs. T-Force meanwhile tuned the Yuan Li to be balance. I could pledge this set to be one of the sets that I like to recommend if you are someone who likes balanced signature with lifelike timbre. The vocals do shine on this set!

Gallery:

Tforce is a new name in the audiophile game. Yuan Li is their first offering. Tforce has been the OEM for many IEM brands in the Game, this has enabled them to come up with a strong first entry in the market.

This review is a part of a review tour organized by Tforce in India and the impressions are based on my own sensibilities.

Specifications:

• Large 10mm Dynamic Driver with DLC Diaphragm.
• Premium Aluminium Ear Cavities.
• Rich Set of Accessories.
• Comfortable Ergonomic Design.
• Balanced & Neutral Sound Tuning With Bass Boost.
• Standard 2-pin 0.78mm connectors.

Build and Fit:

The shells of Yuan Li are made of Aviation Grade Aluminum, this gives them a sturdy yet light feel to it. The Design is ergonomically fit in nature and you will not feel the weight of the shells over longer listening hours.



Source:

• Ifi Nano BL
• Nobsound TDA 1387
• Samsung Dongle DAC
• Samsung Galaxy S10
• Sony Discman

Sound:

Lows:

Test Tracks:

• Raavan By Amit Trivedi (
  )
• Cold Heart (PNAU Remix) By Elton John & Dua Lipa (
  )
• Chandralekha By A R Rahman (
  )
• Spirit Of Rangeela By A R Rahman (
  )

The lows on the Yuan Li sound balanced. There is not an extra ounce of bass felt while you experience

Yuan Li. And it is the best part, while the DD enables the bass to be fast and accurate, it also gives a punch to the bass. The presentation of the bass includes a tightly controlled bass that oozes with quality. Track number 1 is my go-to track to measure the bass response and I found it to be satisfactory. The “Spirit of Rangeela” Is a track by God himself, if has so much energy in it that it is hard to track it but Yuan Li does a decent job here as well.

Overall, the lower-end presentation is excellent.

Mids:

Test Tracks:

• Bombay Theme by A R Rahman (
  )
• Wo Khat Ke Purze Uda Raha Tha By Jagjit Singh (
  )
• Yeh Kya Jagah Hi Doston By Asha Bhosle (
  )
• Dikhai Diye Yun By Lata Mangeshkar (
  )
• Aye Dil-E-Nadan by Lata Mangeshkar (
  )

Mids…O My love, how sweet art thou! The warmth enables the mids to be as sweet as possible. Both Male and Female vocals are presented in equally delicious manner. The ghazals that I have shared earlier…please give it a try, you will see what I mean. The texture…the instrumentation…the lush vocals…all of them come together to give you goosebumps.

Mids are the strongest point on Yuan Li.

Highs:

Test Tracks:

• Aaromale By A R Rahman (
  )
• Sadda Haq by A R Rahman (
  )
• Naadan Parinde By A R Rahman (
  )
• In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel (
  )

Highs have a smooth presentation. There is a roll-off experienced in Yuan Li. There is no sudden peak, no sibilance. Since I mostly used warm sources, I did not experience any harshness as well. This however will vary from listener to listener and from source to source.

Overall…Highs are a safe bet on Yuan Li.



Soundstage and technical presentation:

The staging is pretty decent and for me, the perceived depth was more than the perceived height on Yan Li.

Imaging is also presented with sufficient details. There was no clutter observed and that surprised me very well…as this being a single DD, I assumed, this would be a task for Yuan Li to accomplish with a bit of work, but there was no sweat at all.



Closing statement:

Yuan Li is a very strong “first statement” made by TForce. The near “Reference-level” presentation took me with surprise and now I am looking towards the second entry from the company.

INTRODUCTION



Tforce is a new company in the world of audio. They have experienced personnel in tuning and producing quality products. And Yuan Li is a solid contender in the sea of IEMS in the chi-fi world. Something that gained respect and love in the community. As a gigging musician, mainly a pianist and a saxophone player, I found this pair very enjoyable, flexible and an easy-pick to listen to. I listen mostly to almost any genre, but minimal rock and almost to none metal. So if you are trying to find if Yuan li performs well on metal music, I might not be the person to tell you that.



SPECIFICATIONS:



Driver: 10mm DLC (single dynamic driver)

Impedance: 32 ohms

Sensitivity: 103.5db

FR range: 20hz-20khz

DISCLAIMER:

I did not buy this product. It was provided as a review unit for the Philippines reviewer circle tour. Much thanks to Tforce audio for providing us one. We are not compensated in any way. My thoughts and opinion here are not influenced by any form of incentive.



Manage your expectations as what works for me, might not work for you. We all have different perception when it comes to sound. My setup and gears may not be the same as yours, and that plays a big role in what I hear. So, as we reviewers always say, take this as a grain of salt.

INCLUSIONS and PACKAGING:



As a review unit, we were fortunate to receive the official package. So far, this pair has the most premium unboxing experience for me. I was like a kid, hyped and excited, opening a Christmas present.





The box has that Chinese art and is decently big for an IEM. Very nice to look at with contemplating colors. It almost like looking at those big Chinese paintings that you’ll see on hotels. After removing the sleeve, a very simple yet elegant logo of Tforce greets you on the main box. Opening the magnetic flip, you’ll see this.


The pouch and the IEM itself.

The pouch is very simple, synthetic leather I think, with a magnetic flip. And is quite thick. It won’t fit in your pockets. It is sturdy though, and won’t be squeezed so easily, thus protecting your IEMs.



And inside the pouch you’ll find the cable. 6N OCC copper. Nice colored. Though I find it cumbersome sometimes as it stays the shape how you store it. Cable interface is 2-pin.



Beneath the IEM holders, you’ll find 7 pairs of tips. 3 balanced, 3 bass enhanced, and 1 pair foam tips. I used the M size bass enhanced tips, the balance tips are just too soft for me. Foam tips, they are just not for me.



At the bottom of the box, the warranty, thank you card, and a parchment paper with Chinese art that gives you an added authentic feel of a chi-fi purchase.



THE SHELL:







The build is made of top-grade aluminum with the right weight. No-fatigue for long listening hours. Very shiny and elegant looking. It is as if you are wearing an earing when you have it plugged in your ears. It is scratch, print, and smudge magnet though. Extra effort on taking care of it will be very beneficial in the long run.



Now on to how it sounds…


TREBLE – 4.2/5



I tested the final version of Yuan li and I find it a bit tamed but not lacking. This will favor treble sensitives. It did favor me when I tried listening to really loud rock songs. I find no sibilance here. As a detail freak, I sometimes look for that air and shimmer on top but again this is subjective. I perceive this is what they fixed compared to the pre-released version. Hihats, cymbals are yet still enjoyable on this final variant. Treble heads might be a tad bit wanting more. Nonetheless, depending on how a track was mix, Yuan li provided remarkable reproduction for trebles.



BASS - 4.5/5



Surprisingly, for a DD driver setup, Yuan li presented controlled lows and on the smooth side. Right on my alley. Never bloated and no bleeds. Sub bass is present on bass heavy tracks, very subtle and decays quickly. On some classic tracks like Earth Wind and Fire’s – Can’t Hide Love, neutrality was on point. Mid bass is close to perfection. Grit and bass string attacks are very natural and true. Punchiness if there is the track calls for it. Safe to say, this one is not for bass heads.

MIDS - 4/5



Mids are nicely textured and well rounded. Instruments like pianos, cellos, violins, organs, guitars, Rhodes and many others sounded natural and organic. I prefer my mids forward, and I find the mids here a bit pushed back but very rarely. Quite often, I liked how guitars were presented a bit more than pianos. Instruments have a good balance and contrast with the vocals.



VOCALS - 4.7/5



Vocals is Yuan li’s key strength for me. Be it female or male. Ok a bit more bias on the female voice. It has exceptional vocal tracking and layering. Harmonies are well presented on the ranges of vocals. Clarity and intimacy is on point.



SOUNDSTAGE AND IMAGING – 4.2/5



The stage is decently good here. I sense the depth more than the height. Imaging is also very commendable. Panning of elements is enjoyable. But not too far to sacrifice details. Note on this, I perceived Yuan li’s soundstage effectiveness when I listened using Hiby Music player app. In the case of Diana Krall’s The Girl in the Other Room, the stage was widened noticeably.



FITTING/ISOLATION – 4/5



Fitting is very nice here with above average isolation. Never felt any discomfort. It never fell off my ears on different situations like on-stage performance, studio work, or just listening at home. Even while washing the dishes. LOL

Here are some TRACKS that I used for reference. Allow me to share you some notes I’ve taken.



1. Redefine by Incubus – 16 bit FLAC, Deezer Hifi

• Drum kicks has desirable punchiness and has weight.
• Distortion guitars are thick and never felt sibilant.
• Detail retrieval is top notch. Popping sound from a vinyl is audible even so subtle.
• Bass guitar and slap bass are well textured. One of the highlights on this track is the solo bass in the middle with drums. Just phenomenal.
• Dj work of Incubus’ DJ is well placed on the stage.
• Yuan-li’s fast performance driver shines here. Even for a busy track, it never felt congested.
• Vocals is very intimate here. Specially on the verse part.

2. Chunky by Bruno Mars – 16 bit FLAC, Deezer Hifi

• Synth in the beginning is well detailed and sits nicely on the stage.
• Vocals again are very intimate. Sits right at the center. Female backing vocals are well placed and sexy.
• Bass guitar is punchy, rounded and has a nice weight. Retaining details is heard on the mid bass section.
• Drums is well presented specially the claps.
• Instrument placing and separation is very gratifying.

3. Africa by TOTO – offline FLAC, 24/48, via Hiby Music Player

• Drum are punchy yet controlled.
• Bass guitar smooth and rounded.
• Keyboards synth brass is forward and rounded.
• Vocal layering is superb.
• Drum toms are well placed in the stage.
• Vocals are a bit pushed back. Airy and has a lot of head room.
• Cymbals are well placed across the imaging platform.
• Guitars are way pushed back. This is a keyboard-oriented track so I think it was mixed that way.
• Keyboard solo is forward and well textured.
• Percussions are well detailed, placed and presented across the imaging plane.

4. September by Earth Wind and Fire – offline 24/48 FLAC via Hiby Music Player

• Muted and rhythm guitar are nicely detailed and well placed.
• Superb and excellent vocal layering.
• Brasses are pushed back here yet well controlled. Never felt shouty.
• Drum kicks sound very natural and has the right amount of weight from an 80’s track.
• Bass guitar plays on the mid bass section. Textured, detailed and well controlled.
• Strings are pushed back but well placed on the stage as a supporting role.
• Excellent instrument placement and separation.

There are so much more tracks I’ve tested but this 4 will do.





SOURCES AND GEARS



On this review, I have switch from Iphone to Android. I am now using a well-equipped DAC phone, the LG V30.

• LG V30 mostly in high impedance mode
• Deezer hifi
• Offline FLACS via Hiby music player app

VERDICT



The Yuan li is one of those gems, that is unique, enjoyable and very hard to put down. To be honest, I was not blown away on the spot. It grew on me and its flexibility just kept on impressing me. Many reviewers say it has that organic and classic sound which I totally agree. It is very hard to describe and claim where category it falls. And for its price, you won’t go wrong on this one. Unless you are a bass head. It markets more on mature listening and hard-core audiophiles. I have used it on my work as a musician. On stage, in the studio, studying songs and casual listening. Indeed, a true all-rounder. I enjoyed almost every track that I throw at it and it appealed quite nicely to me. A must-have for casual and analytical listeners and musicians.

As with all my reviews, this is also available in Spanish on my blog and on YouTube, links are at the end of this review.



The T Force Yuan Li were kindly sent to me free of charge by HiFiGo in exchange for this review. The only request they have made is that I also publish my review on Reddit in addition to the usual places I publish my reviews.

They have not requested anything else and my opinions will be, as always, as sincere and unbiased as possible, however, it is always good to consider that these IEMs have been given to me as a gift.

Although I do not use affiliate links, I still refrain from posting them on sites where I am just a guest, therefore, I have left the link to the Yuan Li via HiFiGo in the version of this review published on my blog.

Intro…

T Force is a new brand in the IEM world, with the Yuan Li being their first producto, so I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I received them. The IEMs use a single dynamic driver with a DLC diaphragm, are spec’d with a sensitivity of 103.5dB at 32 Ohms and retail for just over 100€. That is basically all of the information I had about the Yuan Li before I opened the box.



Presentation…

The presentation is actually quite surprising. I mean, 100€ is not a super economic set of IEMs but it is a long way from being expensive in comparison to so many other models.

The box that it arrives in is on the larger side for IEMs, covered by a sleeve that is decorated in a very traditional Chinese way, with classical drawings of a dragon and Chinese letters, more reminiscent of something I would expect in a Chinese restaurant than IEM packaging. The sleeve also states that these are “Trilogy Part 1”, so I am expecting another 2 models from the brand but I have no idea what they will be.

From inside the sleeve slides out a black flip top box, with the T Force logo in Gold, inside of which we find plenty of content. First are the warranty card and a thank you card from the brand, which sit on top of another traditionally decorated sheet of transparent paper, under which the interesting contents are located.

At the top sit the IEMs, in cutouts surrounded by foam and with the IEMs actually being covered with peel off plastic, to make sure they arrive free of fingerprints. Under this tray we find a rather large selection of tips, all laid out in more cutouts and labeled with “Balanced Eartips” above the clear silicone tips, “Bass enhanced Eartips” above the darker silicone tips with a smaller and more rigid core, and “Foams” above the, well, foam tips. We get 3 sets of each of the silicone sets, with an additional “Bass enhanced” set installed, and one set of foam tips.

The bottom half of the box holds a large imitation leather carrying case with a flip up top and magnetic closure. The included cable is found inside the carrying pouch.



Build and aesthetics…

Starting with the IEMs, they are aluminium, small and very light weight. They have a nice mirrored finish to them, with the T Force logo in the center, however, they do collect fingerprints very easily. I guess this is why they came covered in plastic film (a nice touch by the way). I find them to be very comfortable and are small enough to insert quite deep into the ear, allowing me to use smaller tips and even lay on my side without too much discomfort.

The included cable is a simple twisted two core cable, which is not the most exciting cable in the world but is more than adequate for the IEMs. It doesn’t tangle and has nice mirrored hardware to match the IEMs, which of course also matches as far as fingerprints.

The carrying case is very classical, as far as aesthetics, in my opinion. The (faux) leather has a kind of snakeskin effect to it that reminds me of some of the cases my grandfather had for his photography equipment. It seems to be well built and is certainly a nice touch to include it rather than the typical small zippered cases found with many IEMs, not to mention those that don’t include a case at all.

As far as tips, I am not really keen on the clear silicone tips, I find them too soft and thin for my liking, however, the included “Bass enhanced” tips I find rather comfortable. In fact, I have mainly used these IEMs (except for some testing) with the tips that came preinstalled. Although they are smaller than my usual tip size, as the IEMs fit quite deep in my ears, they give me a good seal and are very comfortable.

I really don’t have any complaints about build, comfort or aesthetics, although these last two are obviously very personal.



Sound…

As I said, I had no idea what to expect when putting these in my ears for the first time. Let me say that I was very pleasantly surprised. My first listen was only for a few minutes (as usual) using the Apple Dongle but I found them to be very pleasant and was looking forward to giving them more time.

After the usual burn-in time, I came back to them and found that they were just as pleasant, in fact, the sound signature (with the stock tips) matches my preferences pretty closely. The following opinions are using the stock tips, the ones that actually came installed on the IEMs.

Starting off with the subbass, there is enough for me not to notice any roll off but at the same time it is not overly boosted, nor in the sub bass nor in the remaining bass. Tracks that have low bass notes are well presented, clean and articulate. If you are looking for a really rumbling low end, I don’t think these are your thing, but if you are someone who, like me, appreciates presence without too much boost and more than anything, cleanliness and articulation, the Yuan Li delivers.

The remaining bass frequencies, mid and higher bass, are also very clean and detailed, again, without putting too much emphasis on them. It is easy to appreciate bass lines, presenting them in a way that allows me to enjoy them but without them taking a front line in the mix. I enjoyed many songs with bass guitar content, however, it may not be the most adequate choice for electronic bass content. Not that it does a bad job of it, hip hop and EDM are very listenable on these IEMs, it is just not something that will draw in those looking for big bass drops. For example, “All Eyez on Me” by Tupac may come across as a little lean in the bass department, as can “Sun is Shining” by Robin Schultz & Bob Marley, which are both tracks where the bass is focused in the high subbass to mid bass regions. However, moving to tracks that are more instrument orientated, the cleanliness of the bass guitar /both electric and upright) is very pleasurable to say the least. Even more pop orientated tracks, such as “Don’t Start Now”, work very well in the low ranges.

While on the subject of bass, I did find that a swap to the Final Audio tips brought the level up slightly without having any negative effect on the performance and cleanliness. Personally I don’t have an issue with the stock tips but I can see the Final Audio tips being more to the liking of the majority (even though it is still not a very prominent bass set, at least not as far as rumble is concerned). My personal choice would depend on the kind of music I am listening to, probably keeping the stock tips for my acoustic and general instrument based music, where I would opt for the Final Audio tips in the case of listening to hip-hop. Please remember that, as I have stated many times before, I am a neutral bass fan, not a huge lover of boosted bass (except when in certain moods).

Moving back to the stock tips, the transition into the mids is very clean, without anything seeming bloated or muddy at all. The lower end of the mids is kept just as clean and articulate as the bass regions. There is a lower presence in the lower mids, which helps keep the transition clean, but it does not come across as recessed and the mids are very smooth in general as they climb towards the peak that is in the higher mids, around the usual 3kHz mark.

The mids are in fact very good in my opinion, they do a good job of giving voices (and instruments) the necessary presence without overdoing it. The peak at 3kHz is plenty to make sure vocals are up front but they do a very good job of avoiding harshness. From Dua Lipa to Daniela Andrade, vocals are kept very clean and detailed. I would say that the mids are definitely one of the highlights of the Yuan Li, doing a great job without stealing the spotlight.

As we move into the high regions, sibilance is avoided without becoming overly dull. “Code Cool”, which is my usual test track of choice, is not offensive and can be listened to without being irritating but you can still tell that Patricia Barber is on the verge of sibilance throughout the track.

The extension of the treble is not spectacular, but when is it ever in a review of a single DD by me? However, the roll off is gradual enough to not make it seem like it is missing a lot in the high treble. There is enough air to make music feel open and clear and even though I wouldn’t say that more extension wouldn’t be great, I don’t really have any complaints about the treble, which is quite an achievement in my book.

The soundstage is actually also above average in my opinion. I find that almost all IEMs are average, with very few being above that average. In the case of the Yuan Li, ok, they are not a set of open back planar magnetic headphones, but I still find them to have a decent spaciousness to them. They also do a good job of working with this space, placing images in a very clear and defined manner, using this to their advantage to make the soundstage seem bigger than it probably is.



Conclusion…

I am very surprised by the Yuan Li. I do believe that it is one of the best single dynamic drivers I have heard at this price point and actually much prefer it to the Moondrop Aria or Starfield (which come in at just under or over the Yuan Li in price, respectively). I feel that this is a very coherent set of IEMs that is very fairly priced at 100€. Could it be better? Well of course it could. It also won’t be the correct choice for everyone, especially those looking for more in the bass department, but for me to put it above the Aria (or the Starfield) is quite a bit of praise in my opinion, as the Aria is my daily driver when out and about.

As I said, it is not perfect, there are things that can be improved, but I am not sure I have heard those at this price range, and certainly not without gaining in one factor while losing in another. Things that are easy to improve, such as the tips and cable, are things that I can quite easily live with, I have a drawer full of both.

I am very grateful that HiFiGo sent me this, as I wouldn’t have heard it, or probably even taken a second glance at it, if they hadn’t. As it stands, I think I have found a set of IEMs that is a set to beat for 100€ or less.

www.achoreviews.com

www.youtube.com/achoreviews

Although Tforce is a relative newcomer to the market, their single DD offering Yuan-Li has already left me impressed. A few adjustments to some tuning and changes to the packaging will make them a strong competitor in the 100 dollar segment.

Packaging and build quality:

The packaging the IEM comes in is bespoke. The design, use of subtle artwork and the style of packaging all point to calmness and balance - something that is reflected well in the sound signature as well. The packaging also points towards Tforce’s pride in their Chinese heritage. It was refreshing to see brands moving on from emulating the western designs and embracing what they really are.

Good things about the packaging continue to the provided case. The leather case with alligator pattern looks absolutely fabulous in an 80s way. The cable provided is also decent in quality, but the stiffness and tendency to coil up threw me off somewhat. There are three types of tips, foam, bassy and balanced. Essentially the balanced tips are just wider bored than the bassy ones, nothing more.



Here comes the bad thing about this IEM. They do provide in total 7 pairs of tips in various sizes and build, but all of them are extremely flimsy. I almost hate to say this, but the price of the IEM demands the tips to be at least KZ starline quality, which they are not. The cable could also have been better, we have seen better cables with KBear offerings at half the price.

The buds themselves are however in a different league in terms of materials used and quality of craftsmanship. The shells are so polished that it is impossible to take a photo of them without reflection and glare, the mirror finish is bound to attract attention. They do weigh quite a bit, but the fit is excellent enough for most of the users to never notice it. The nozzle length is decent and even shorter tips will have no trouble providing a solid seal.

Sound signature:

As many others have already pointed out, the signature is a mild V but the bass is more elevated than the treble side of things. However the buds cannot be called bassy, more of a warm L shaped frequency response is what you will get out of them. Perhaps this is why they added the alligator skin-patterned carrying case, a reminder that this is a headphone for that 80s and 70s sound signature.

Testing equipment and tracks:

iFi Hipdac, Topping NX4s DAC/Amps
PC/Mobile phone both as source

Songs/Albums (All 24bit, 96khz FLAC unless otherwise mentioned)

Refused - The shape of punk to come
Led Zeppelin - IV
Dr Dre - The Chronic
Madonna - Confessions on a dance floor (44.1/16)
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Daft Punk - Random access memories
Deep Purple - Who do we think we are (DSD)
Manowar - Warriors of the world (DSD)
Slayer - Reign in blood



Notice the shine, you can clearly see my phone, wall color, ceiling fan and even a small part of my head.

Overall sound impressions:

The signature really flatters the older tracks. Thriller, Who do we think we are, IV and the rest really shine through the Yuan-Li. The slight roll off in the upper treble is exactly how these tracks were meant to be heard at the time, and I was instantly reminded of the large AIWA component system we had when I was a child. The punch of the snare drums, bass rhythm and the weight of the wailing guitar solos all landed brilliantly through the IEM. In this budget, this is the best I have heard, period.

Things continue to be smooth through the Chronic as well. Hip hop always synergizes well with DD IEMs, this is no exception. However the elevated bass response did drown out some of the mids, and that was concerning. Some people love hiphop to just shake their skulls, I however enjoy a punchy beat with clear and understandable lyrics.

Things start to go downhill as we go towards the newest offerings. Confessions on a dance floor and Random Access Memories really depend on upper mids and treble regions to show their technicalities and sparkle, which as we know is not where this IEM shines. The best way to describe the sound is taking away the tweeters from a bookshelf system, everything just sounds more heavy. Still a great sound, but I do not feel electronic music synergizes well with the Yuan-Li.

I left Shape of punk to come and Reign in blood for last because these albums really love torturing less technical IEMs. With the exception of the upper mids and treble sparkle, Yuan-Li passes with flying colors here too. The midbass bleed did not cause a major issue like it did with hip-hop.

Scores:

Bass: 4/5. Some bloating and loss in the midbass to sub-bass transition phase was observed.
Mids: 4.5/5. The warm timbre really works with classic rock, metal and acoustic tracks. Clear and precise. Female vocals sound more lower pitched than they should.
Treble: 3.5/5. This is where the Yuan-Li really suffers. Perhaps I do not like warm tuning like many others.

Overall, 4.5/5

Soundstage, imaging and layering/technicalities:

Yuan-Li sounds wider than a sealed DD would hint at. The staging is not as holographic or accurate as an open back would be, but that would be unfair to even expect. The stage is slightly larger than the headspace you would be listening in, and the stage is more horizontally oriented than vertical. Good enough.

Imaging of instruments is very good, you will not find one instrument hiding behind another. Which brings us to layering and technicalities, which is where Yuan-Li falters with hi-hats and cymbals. Otherwise, every other non-treble instruments are given their own stage to shine in.

Overall, 3.75/5

Closing statements:

The price is going to be a major deciding factor here. Do you already own some good tips, such as Sony or Finals will make the fit excellent, but a pair of Spinfit CP145 or JBL Spiral Dots will help with the bass bleed and upper treble regions. Just do not rely on the included tips. However, a fleet of good tips should be at your disposal regardless of what IEMs you are buying.

The cable is good enough to be useful, but I felt a change to something more pliable and soft increases comfort a lot more. Perhaps a future upgrade?

Overall, the sound and package TForce Yuan-Li provides is excellent for $119 is really good value. Just remember to add cost of a good pair of tips in case you do not have any already.

TForce Audio is a new entry into the world of high-fidelity IEMs, where the brand has debuted with its very first pair of single dynamic driver IEMs, the TForce Audio Yuan Li. TForce Audio is founded by experienced audio engineers with years of experience in the industry. They planned and based their debutant IEMs on the legendary Chinese Dynasty. Yuan Li their very debutant IEM is named after the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty in China. This shiny beauty houses a 10mm dynamic driver with DLC(Diamond-Like Carbon) diaphragm coil. I am a sucker for single dynamic driver IEMs with my favorites being FiiO FD5, DUNU Zen, KBEar Believe, and many more. So when I got to know TForce is planning on organizing a review tour for Yuan Li in my country, I instantly grabbed the opportunity to be a part of the tour. Let’s check out whether this beauty marks a good entry point for TForce or not?? I will be answering at the end of this review.

Disclaimer:-

I received the Yuan Li as a part of the review tour being organized here in my country by TForce themselves. I am in no way associated with TForce to write positive or negative about Yuan Li all the impressions in this blog are completely my own based on my own usage with the product over the past week. I will be shipping the unit ahead to the next reviewer after this review is complete. If you are interested, you can buy the TForce Yuan Li from HiFiGo Store for just 119$ from here(Not affiliated).

Design, Build Quality, Fit:-

Yuan Li has full metallic CNC machined earpieces with a shiny mirror finish to them. Despite being full metallic, the pair is quite light in weight. The earpieces have a T-Force branding logo printed at the center of the earpieces close to which we have an air pressure vent. Another air pressure vent is located at the inner side close to the ear nozzle. The ear nozzle here is also fully metallic and has a golden finish to it. The earpieces feel solid and sturdy to hold. It looks like they will withstand a fall without breaking a sweat at all. Though with a full metallic, shiny mirror finish, the earpieces are fingerprints magnets, every time I hold them, I see myself rubbing them against a cloth or something to clean. Overall the design, look, and build quality of the pair is pretty good.

I received the pair with its original carry case, which is a Faux Leather case. It is extremely good, has enough space for another spare cable even with the Yuan Li with its stock cable and a few pairs of ear tips. I received seven pairs of ear tips, three pairs of white silicone(thin material and wide bore), three pairs of grey silicone(narrow bore, high-quality), and one pair of memory foam ear tips. The stock cable with the Yuan Li is a copper cable with two-pin connectors and 3.5mm termination. The carry case is the best part among the accessories of Yuan Li.

In terms of fit, the pair is ergonomic & lightweight. I find no issues in fit even for long listening sessions(Up to 4-5 hours on a single sitting). The pair covers my entire ear canal blocking any external noises(with M size ear tips). Isolation and fit-wise, Yuan Li has no errors.

Ear Tip Rolling:-

I had some issues with earpieces slipping out of my ears on stock white silicone ear tips, plus the Vocals were too into the face with their wide bore design. I tried and found the Yuan Li best with Spinfit CP100 tips. They have a medium bore with better silicone quality than the stock white ones. Spinfit CP100 also improved the bass response with better rumbles and better depth extension. I mainly used CP100 with Yuan Li and would recommend everyone to use it.

Final Audio Type-E is also an excellent pair to try on the Yuan Li. Its narrow bore increases the bass response even further. Personally, I find the pair sound best with the CP100.

Driving The Yuan Li:-

I don’t find Yuan Li to be a demanding set at all. It performed quite decently straight out of my Samsung Tab S6 Lite. The pair was sounding adequately loud for me at around 60-65% volume level. Though I will say the pair misses out on its capabilities such as bass punch and overall clarity with the S6 Lite. Once you plug the pair into a half-decent source such as a USB Dongle DAC such as Audirect Atom 2, the pair scales well enough. I personally paired the TForce Yuan Li with S6 Lite, S6Lite + Atom 2, Cayin N6ii(A01), and Cayin N6ii(A02)+Topping NX4.


I would say, the pair sounds decent enough straight out of regular smartphone output, but pairing it with better sources rewards a better punch in the lower end, wider stage, and better overall dynamics. Even adding a small Audirect Atom brought Yuan Li to improved dynamics, so I would recommend using at least a Dongle DAC/AMP or Hi-Res Player for taking the full benefit of Yuan Li.

Sound Impressions:-

Yuan Li has a sweet musical tonality to its sound. It delivers a quick and punchy lower end whenever called upon, sweet & melodious vocals, and a wide soundstage. Tforce has done a safe, smooth treble response for its debutant IEM. It doesn’t have any harshness or sibilance to itself. It looks like the pair has a slow roll-off in the upper treble region. This though benefits the users by maintaining good energy in the output without it being fatiguing or harsh at all. Yuan Li’s sweet tonality, the warm powerful presentation make one appreciates and enjoy their music for countless hours. I would say, the pair has a dead silent noise floor with no noticeable hiss or background noise. Pitch dark background allows the music to be more enjoyable for the listener.

Lower End:-

Yuan Li delivers a well-extended fast and punchy bass response. The lower end has a good body with fast slams and a tightly controlled presentation. No, the pair doesn’t feel overpowering in the lower end. In fact, the pair maintains a well-defined presentation in the lower end. I would say mid-bass slams have a slight prominence in the lower end as compared to the sub-bass region. Though that doesn’t mean it lacks rumble or power, the pair will surprise you with its lower-end response even in quick tracks such as Dance Monkey by Tones & I or Billie Jean by the legend MJ. Super satisfied with the lower-end response of Yuan Li(for the best experience I would recommend CP100 ear tips and a decent source(like Shanling M3X or maybe a Dongle DAC such as Lotoo Paw S1).

Mids:-

Yuan Li holds its magic in its mid-range. The presentation here is slightly forward with a warm melodious tone to vocals and instruments. I love the well-textured presentation of both male and female vocals with the pair. They sound sweet, listening to vocal-based tracks such as “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor, “Cannon Ball” by Damien Rice, is a mesmerizing experience. Acoustic instruments have a good sense of air between them. I would say the Tonality and presentation of midrange with the Yuan Li are exceptional for the price segment.

Treble:-

TForce has Gove with a safe bet for the treble region. It has a smooth, non-fatiguing presentation with a slow roll-off in the upper treble region. Treble extension for the price is good, there are no sudden spikes or peaks in the treble that might make the pair sound harsh or fatiguing. There is no noticeable sibilance to any of the instruments such as Violins, Electric Guitars. All-in-all a smooth presentation.

Soundstage, Layering, Instrument Separation, & Imaging:-

In terms of soundstage, the TForce Yuan Li excels with a deep & wide soundstage. It has enough air to provide a good separation between the vocalist and instruments. Imaging is average for the price segment. One can identify different instruments in a track, but pin-pointing them on the stage is sometimes not possible with fast & complex tracks such as “Dark Necessities” by RHCP.

TForce Yuan Li vs Hisenior T2 Classic:-

Both the IEMs are priced at 119$. I have Both right now with me. Yuan Li is the debutant product for TForce, Similarly T2 Classic is one of the first universal IEM from Hisenior launched recently. Here’s my take between these two:-

>Yuan Li has a more fun tuning while Hisenior has a dead-neutral tuning.

>While Yuan Li has a slightly forward presentation for the mid-range, Hisenior has no emphasis on any particular frequency.

>Soundfield has better width & depth with the Yuan Li, Hisenior has an average soundstage presentation.

>Yuan Li has a warm, sweet tonality, Hisenior T2 Classic has a completely natural tone.

>As per me Hisenior is more suitable for professionals with a taste for natural, neutral sound, Tforce Yuan Li is suitable for end consumers with a sweet and melodious sound.

A Few Final Words:-

To explain the TForce Audio in a few words, It’s an absolutely brilliant set starting off the journey for TForce Audio worldwide. I loved its musical tonality, Sweet vocals, and wide soundstage presentation. The lower end & the mid-range are the charms here. Treble extension could have been slightly better here. And while the included carry case is extremely good, the ear tips are not up to the mark in quality especially the white silicone ones. I preferred using CP100 with the pair. Once you get it right with the ear tips, You are in for a great time with the TForce Yuan Li!!

Today we are taking a look at the Yuan Li from T Force. The Yuan Li is T Force Audio debut model and is part 1 of their trilogy. It is a Single Dynamic Driver IEM made with a DLC Diaphragm and is 10mm in diameter.

This unit of the Yuan Li was provided by Oardio for a review tour in Singapore. You can purchase the Yuan Li from Oardio if you are interested. It currently retails for $160SGD and $120USD. It can also be purchased online at HiFiGO. I will do this review unbiasedly and state my honest opinion.

As my camera is damaged, I won't be able to take pictures, but since there are many images of the Yuan Li online by now, I hope it will be okay to do without the Images. I will include some from HifiGO.

The Yuan Li has a very nice packaging and abundant accessories. The shells are made of metal and has a mirror finishing. It is durable, and definiely can't take a few knocks. However, due to its shiny surface, I am concerned it might be a fingerprint magnet and scratch magnet.

Accessories:

In the box you will get 6 Pairs of Ear-Tips with 2 different types. You also get a very nice cable which doesn't tangle easily and a case which looks awesome.


Sound:
My first impressions of the Yuan Li is that it is a balanced set. It is very fun and it's well tuned. One of the best IEMs in it's price range and a very competitive set. Good control in the bass, lush mids, well extended treble.

Bass:
The bass response on the Yuan Li is fantastic. It is punch, deep and well extended. There is no midbass bleed, and it is very well controlled so it doesn't make the midrange muddy. Subbass rumble is also very good. It also has got good texture and layering. The decay in the bass also sounds very natural and nothing out of the ordinary. The bass however might come across as too smoothed over for those who like something more analytical but it has still got fantastic resolution and detailing.

Mids:
I think the mids of the Yuan Li is its strongest trait. The Yuan Li performs really well in the midrange. It is very smooth and just draws you it. Once you start listening, you won't want to stop. It is never harsh or sibilant but very good resolution and is very musical sounding. Details and separation are also very good. On the Yuan Li, male vocals sound fantastic but as it goes up the spectrum, I must say the female vocals do come across as slightly harsh on certain occasions but it should not be an issue if paired with a warm source and copper cable.

Treble:
Lower treble has got quite a bit of energy so cymbals, high hats etc. sound very good. Upper treble though is slightly rolled off so those who like the airy sound, this may not be for you. But realistically, the Yuan Li treble is realistic sounding and not unnatural in my opinion. I would say that treble extension is well above average.

Technical ability:
The Yuan Li's note are a little rounded so it is trading off resolution for musicality which I think is good for those who are just using the Yuan Li as a daily driver and casual listening. That doesn't mean that the Yuan Li has poor resolution. It has quite a good amount of resolution and detailing. It is also quite forgiving on poorly recorded tracks so whatever music you play, you should be fine. Yuan Li has good soundstage width and height, but I think there is more height. Separation is also good. Imaging is pretty accurate on the Yuan Li.

Comparisons:
I think most people would want me to compare the Yuan Li with the the Moondrop line up. Since they are direct competitors. Since the Moondrop Dynamic driver series has almost identical tuning, I will just compare the Yuan Li with the most competent one. The KXXS. I personally found the KXXS to be a bit fatiguing to me due to the upper midrange presence. There is arguably more of it in the KXXS. The KXXS also has a little bit of a shrill metallic timbre due to having more upper treble. It sounds kind of unnatural compared to the Yuan Li. The Yuan Li however has none of that and keeps everything as natural as possible. Technical ability wise I would say they are on par with the KXXS ahead by a bit. Price wise, hands down, the Yuan Li is a better buy. The KXXS use the same driver material as the Yuan Li, and Yuan Li costs $60 less. Tuning aside, they both perform respectably well in their own right and are on par. The Yuan Li accessories are also nicer and more cool in my opinion compared to the KXXS.

Conclusion:
The Yuan Li is a very good IEM especially for a debut model. Not many brands are able to achieve such a incredible tuning on first try. The Yuan Li also is cheap and affordable so it won't cost an arm and leg. But for those who were planning to get an iPhone 13, why not get the 12 instead? Then maybe you can get the Yuan Li. I think I will probably purchase a set for myself because it is so good. Once again, Thanks to those who made this Singapore review tour possible.

Hello , I'm Ah Hui aka Mr Wong. I'm a K-pop fan and audiophile from Malaysia.

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Tforce for lending me this review unit and giving me the opportunity to review the Tforce Yuan li .

This is my first time reviewing a Tforce product .I am very excited as I have always wanted to try out different brands that I have yet to try. Tforce yuanli comes with a DLC(Diamond-Like Carbon) diaphragm configuration. It retails for $119 usd .


Specifications (from Hifigo):
Driver Spec: 10mm DLC (Single Dynamic Driver)
Impedance: 32 ohm.
Sensitivity: 103.5 dB+1dB(1kHz)
Frequency response range: 20 Hz - 20kHz.
Distortion Rate : <0.5%
Cable Type : 6N OCC 0.06*104 wire
Cable length : 1.2m + 5%
interface: 2 pin 0.78

PACKAGING :
Premium box . Inside consists of the IEM , accessories include a several silicone eartips (3 different size balanced ear tips and 3 different size bass enhanced ear tips and 1 foams ear tips ) ,earphone pouch , operating manual and warranty card.

Comfort: fit and isolation are great for me

Design : the IEM face plate design is like Chinese Taiji yin yang .

PRO:
great detailed vocal presentation , deep bass , soundstage deep

CONS:
power hungry need amping to scale .


BASS: deep , punchy and layering sub-bass When I listened to 田馥甄 - 无事生非, I really enjoyed the sub bass rumble , punchy mid bass .You can feel the bass is deep , well-layered .

MIDS : Forward mids with crisp on vocal. When i listen 田馥甄 - 无事生非 . I really enjoyed the crisp and forward vocals here. You can feel the vocal is sweeter on the songs. However, I think vocals can be a bit more laid back it will better .

HIGH : treble feels smooth with good clarity. When I listened to IZ*ONE - Eyes ,you can hear the well-extended treble and smooth treble . Overall, I truly enjoyed the treble performance here .

SOUNDSTAGE : it is deep and wide . When I listened to IZ*ONE - Eyes , I can feel the background is deeper and wide soundstage. I truly like the soundstage performance on Yuan li

IMAGING : it's about average ,I can't pinpoint the instrument as everything is just forward.

Details : detail retrieval here is decent. When I listen to some tracks, I could pick up on the micro-details. However, it isn't the greatest in this price range.

I tried on Zishan Z2 with OPA2604 OP-AMP it's great experience . if you have nice amp it will better .Overall it's great warm smooth tuning on yuan li .

thanks to @bryaudioreviews provides the graph to me !

Disclaimer: This review set is a demo graciously lent to us by Oardio as part of TForce’s Yuan Li Singapore review tour. This review is written of my own accord and all thoughts here are my own. The TForce Yuan Li is available for purchase from Oardio through their website should you find yourself interested in a pair. For more reviews like this, do check out our website!

Accessories and Build Quality


It comes with a generously sized pouch with a faux leather finishing. The magnetic clasp is a nice touch. The cable is very well-made sturdy for a stock cable. It goes well with the overall aesthetic of the IEM so I have no complaints there, in fact, I’m rather impressed with the quality of the accessories you are getting.

The IEM has a mirror finishing that you either love or hate. However, it is very well done and the IEM feels one tier above what you paid for when handling it.

Fit


Despite having an all-metal build, the shell is rather light. It's just the right size for my smaller ears and sits snugly without breaking the seal. It has one of the best fits for a metal shelled IEM. I would pick this shape and fit over the KXXS.

Sound

Sources

• Samsung S10e
• Hiby R5
• Lotoo Paw S1

Music Listened to

• Busted
• The Kid Laroi – Stay
• The Strokes – The New Abnormal
• ELO – Mr- Blue Sky
• Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite– Boston Symphony Orchestra
• Vivaldi’s Bassoon Concertos
• NEEDTOBREATHE
• etc

Bass

The Bass is very pronounced, forward and well-extended. Subbass rumbles well with no midbass bloat to mar things. Bass lovers should like the bass response of the Yuan Li. It does have a decent amount of control in the lower end to not come across as a loose cannon. However, the bass quantity does get a little satiating for me. Switching to wide-bore tips did help in this aspect a bit.

Mids

The midrange was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I’m more of a mids person and there’s just an occasional unnaturalness in the Yuan Li I can’t just pinpoint. That said, there are times where the midrange just come to life, especially instruments like electric guitars and saxophones. They have a very energetic presentation that can be quite refreshing. [The Strokes – The New Abnormal]

However, I have some issues with the midrange tonality, which is especially apparent when listening to specific instruments such as violins. It sounds a little unnatural and congested. If you’re particular about the accuracy of instrumentals or if your music library is full of ensemble repertoire then perhaps this may not suit you most. This bothered me quite a bit as I do listen to quite a bit of strings.

Listening to pop songs generally plays to the strength of the Yuan Li owing to its V-shape tuning. Hence, this colouration or tonality quirk (call it what you might) isn’t as apparent and in fact, the overall tuning keeps things rather engaging, with the focus in the head-banging bass beats and the synths. Presentation is very forward and, in your face, similarly intimate/forward as the Starfield with slightly more breadth but less depth.

Treble

Treble is alright. Nothing spectacular, it’s crisp and tight but timbre can be better. On poorly recorded tracks, the treble grain is really in your face.

Things like drum sets and cymbal strikes sound a little bland and lifeless. Take note, the lower treble is very much present, but overall, the highs could do with a little more air and sparkle. The highs lack a certain je ne sais quoi to complete the instrumental timbre and the Yuan Li seems to miss out on that. It’s not to the extent that it makes the Yuan Li bad but simply an apparent bottleneck.

Overall

Staging has good breadth; however, this is at the expense of imaging accuracy and presentation.

Your mobile phone will get Yuan Li loud enough to listenable levels. However, what I did realise playing around with sources is that it does sound better with better sources, especially in the upper mids and treble. I guess the extra power from the amps seems to help as well. Switching from my S10E to my Lotoo Paw S1 was a world of difference.

Tip rolling does have quite a significant role in the presentation of the sound. The wider bore tips cut back on the bass, albeit at the expense of the upper mids. Tips like the Final E tips would be good for people who prefer a slightly more forward and present bass response.


Comparison

VS Moondrop Aria

The Aria is positioned at an unbelievably low MRSP for the amount of quality it offers, both the build and sound. It's an all-rounder with a safe yet capable tuning to get anyone up and running into the Audiophile hobby. The Yuan Li has a more aggressive V compared to the Aria and comparing the two, Aria may come across as more the more “boring” of the two but I very much prefer the tonal balance and timbre on the Aria. The Yuan Li fits better than the Aria though.

VS Etymotic ER2XR

The Etymotics have a more balanced sound with a better overall timbre. I would give the Yuan Li the edge for its cable construction and perhaps its more forgiving fit. Otherwise, I very much prefer whatever the ER2XR does sonically. The ER2XR is also no slouch in detail retrieval so they bothit and the Yuan Li perform very well at their price points in that respect.

Conclusion


The Yuan Li delivers an all-round experience in both build quality and sonic performance. The single dynamic driver market in this price region is already saturated so competition was going to be stiff from the get-go. While the Yuan Li delivers a solid fun-sounding performance, it is no game-changer by any means. And as a debut IEM, TForce certainly could have done much worse, so kudos to them.

I would be looking forward to the next two IEMs in this trilogy that TForce has teased, hopefully with a variety of target frequency responses to cater to a greater crowd. If it only gets better from here, I am willing to place my bets on TForce to be the next big… force.

Introduction:
TForce is the newest kid on the block, out with a warrior in shining armour - Yuan Li. Single DD, and I do have a newfound interest in Single DD iems after experiencing Fiio FD5 and Dunu Zen. I did not miss the chance to review it when it came knocking at my door, hence.



Specifications:
MODEL: TFORCE YUAN LI
SENSITIVITY：103.5dB
CABLE LENGTH：1.2m
IMPEDANCE：32Ω
PLUG TYPE：3.5mm
FREQUENCY RANGE RESPONSE: 20Hz - 20 kHz
TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION：0.2%
DRIVER CONFIGURATON: 1 DYNAMIC DRIVER
PIN TYPE: 2-PIN CONNECTOR

Disclaimer: I was provided the TForce Yuan Li for an honest review. My opinions recorded here are completely of my own and are not influenced by any form of incentive.

Accesories:
Since it was a review sample, it only came with a solid textured leather case, and 2 types of eartips - one set transparent, one set grey. 3 pairs in each set. The pure copper cable was however very good looking.



Build and Fit:
The solid SS housing invokes a sense of security. The mirror finish invokes awe. It's not a light shell - quite heavy. However, the fit is so amazingly good that it jus tdisappears inside the ears - no weight can be felt!

Source:
Shanlling M3X Balanced out



Sound:
As many have pointed out, Yuan Li requires power! Hence I have decided to skip the stock cable, and instead paired the KBEAR Warmth, because of the balanced connector. Connected it with Shanling M3X through DJ44A, high gain, dual DAC. That's as much power as I could feed it.
The sound signature of Yuan Li is unmistakably warm - which is not something I disapprove of. The warmth is applied with caution, along with the right amount of smoothness so as not to turn the sound into a gooey mess. The v shape can be easily detected.

Low:
There is no restraints here, but also it isn't blown out of proportion. Bass reaches sufficiently deep with very satisfactory body. There is no apparent lack of emphasis in both subbass and midbass. Subbass rumbles are very cleanly produced.
Midbass slams are a bit on the thicker side. However, the control is quite evident here as the midbass slams never gets too strong to cloud the midrange. Decay feels quite natural. Bass here shows a Juicy trait, as opposed to accurate or analytical. That does not mean details are lost, rather the notes are smoothened.

The big drums of Battlestar Galactica Season 2 OST - Prelude To War are reproduced with full force with a full bodied presence. Owing to strong midbass slams with natural decay - the drums feel the way it should be.

The subbass rumble in The Dark Knight OST - Why So Serious? from 03:25 exerts the pressure I always expect - strong and atmospheric.



Mid:
Smooth and emotional is the way I would term the mid frequency. Very smooth and musical, the mids instantly engages the listener without the slightest touch of discomfort...up until the upper mid (more on that later). Although smooth, the notes have above average details and separation - does not feel congested in most cases. Male vocals are especially to die for - sounds so smooth yet textured, loved it thoroughly. String instruments, llike acoustic guitar sounds very organic with nice weight to the notes.
However, things change a bit when it gets to upper mid. Although female vocals start with good energy and the right tonality (not overly warm, not overly cold), as it goes up in the spectrum, it suddenly becomes a bit shouty. Which introduces a sudden sizzle/sibilance which is totally unexpected. This breaks the beautiful balance it was showing up until now.

Leonard Cohen's voice did not sound more beautiful, deep, and authoritative in Hallelujah. It was simply a treat.

The snare drums in Battlestar Galactica Season 2 OST - Prelude To War may not sound ver ycrisp due to the smoothness, but they did not sound washed out also.

Yao Si Ting's voice has the energy and silkiness it deserves, but the peaks make the experience slightly less enjoyable as it sounds out of place.



High:
I have mixed reaction here. Lower treble has acceptable amount of energy, so the cymbal crashes sound good, however, the sudden emphasis as mentioned before makes the cymbal crashes sound weird/unnaturally spicy and sizzling on occasions - which I do not like. Apart from that, lower trebe is pretty good, with acceptable amount of energy and right tonality.
Upper treble is rather rolled off though. The ride cymbal rolls sometimes drown while in a busy passage. However, in a not so busy track the highs sound quite beautiful. Extension is above average.

While playing Metallica - The Four Horseman, the peaky cymbal crashes can be easily detected. However, the peak did not occur all the time cymbal played, only when the crashes were lowder than the rest.



Technicalities:
Due to the smoothness, the notes are a bit round, and compromises definition in favour of musicality. However, details are not too washed over, above average I might say.
Soundstage width and height is impressive. Width is not much - the presentation is mostly in the head.
Separation is above average, however, in case of busy tracks like Eluveitie - Inis Mona it becomes a bit mushy.

Comparison:
Vs. 634EARS SARN II - SARN II is around $50 costlier than Yuan Li, and it shows. SARN II boasts a higher leel of clarity, next level details and transparency, much better note definition. It has a considerably brighter tonality, with more energy in the high frequency, but also a more evenly distributed - no sudden emphasis. Compared to SARN II, Yuan Li sounds slightly veiled. Yuan Li is smooth, SARN II is sharp.



Conclusion:
Yuan Li isn't a bad one. I really liked its smooth and warm, forgiving tonality. I would have liked it more if the upper mid/lower treble wasn't tuned in such way. IMO it wasn't really required, the stock tuning has its own strength and it would have retained the balance.
However, as I understood, this is the entry level model for their three model series. I am quite looking forward to the highest tier model in this series.

Introduction:
TForce is a newcomer in the portable audio industry, but like many other companies, the people behind TForce have years of experience. Yuan Li, which is the name of a Chinese emperor who founded the Tang dynasty, is their debut IEM. This is their first in their upcoming trilogy of IEMs, which currently retails for 119 USD. The Philippine circle of reviewers received one unit of the Yuan Li provided by TForce as a part of their international tour.

International purchase link

Specifications:
Driver unit: 1 10 mm dynamic, diamond-like-carbon (DLC) coated diaphragm
Impedance: 32 ohms
Sensitivity: 103.5 dB
Frequency response range: 20 Hz - 20 kHz

Source:
Poco X3 paired with iBasso DC03 and Shanling UA1

Test tracks:
Africano - Earth Wind and Fire
Dark Necessities - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Gurenge - Lisa
The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
Monsters - All Time Low
Ours - Taylor Swift
Stay - Mayday Parade
Snuff - Slipknot
Yesterday Once More - Carpenters
So Slow - Freestyle
Aurora Sunrise - Franco
Attention - Pentatonix
Blue Bird - Ikimono-gakari
You're Still The One - Shania Twain
Anyone Who Knows What Love Is(Will Understand) - Irma Thomas
Salamin - Slapshock
AOV - Slipknot
Hey Jude - The Beatles
The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson
...and a lot more.

Unboxing and Accessories:
The Yuan Li comes in a large, elegant looking sleeved box. Upon removing the sleeve and the magnetic flap, you will see the Yuan Li earphones, and a leather case below it that is spacious and feels really premium. Removing the foams that hold the earphones will reveal the included eartips.

A "balanced" set with wide bores, a "bass enhanced" set with regular size bores, and a single pair of foam tips. At the bottom of the box there is a warranty guide, a thank you card, and a parchment paper with some art and Chinese writings on it.

Build:
The shells are made of aluminum with a highly reflective and shiny finish. The faceplates sport the TForce logo, and right below it is a tiny dot that is color coded to help distinguish the left and right side. At the other side of the shell, there is a single vent. The nozzle, which is a separate piece from the shell is gold in color, has a lip to hold eartips in place and has a cloth mesh filter.

The cable is a twisted 2 core 6N OCC copper. It is very light and soft, but it kind of retains the bends and twists you make when storing them. The male 2 pin connectors are made of metal and have side indicators just like the shells. The splitter, chin slider, and the 3.5mm gold plated plug are also made of metal.

Now let's get to the sound.

Lows:
The lows have a very clean presentation. Subbass has great depth, and it really lets its depth felt when the track demands for it. The rumble here is at a moderate level; not too tight and not too lose, and the same can be said for the decay. Midbass has great control as well with an average amount of thickness.

Overall, the lows may seem to be just average sounding at first. But upon a more critical listen, it can be noticed that the lows of the Yuan Li sound cleaner and better textured than average.

Mids:
The mids are reproduced in a neutral manner. The clarity and transparency in this section is excellent. Both male and female vocals sound very natural and engaging. There is a very, very slight emphasis on the upper mids that adds a hint of shimmer in the female vocals and other instruments that are inside this section.

Overall, the transparency in the Yuan Li's mids is what separates it from the other IEMs in this price range, and that emphasis in the upper mids is like the "cherry on top" for someone like me who likes it that way.

Highs:
The highs, just like the mids, have a neutral reproduction. Although there is a tiny hint of being laid back in its position, the reach in the highs is great, accompanied by a decay that is well extended. That being said, the amount of details present in this section is still very good.

Overall, even though the highs of the Yuan Li is not the sparkly type, it maintains its presence well without the fatiguing factor and does a very good job of presenting the subtleties in each track.

Soundstage and Imaging:
The stage has an average expansion. The height slightly expands more than the width. Even though the stage is not that spacious, the imaging layering, and instrument separation here is outstanding. Different instruments and their positions can be pinpointed with ease, and congestion is hardly ever felt even in complex tracks.

Comparisons:
TForce Yuan Li (1 DD, 119 USD) vs. Moondrop Kanas Pro (1 DD, 190 USD)
The Kanas Pro has more impact in the subbass, while the depth seems to be identical. Midbass is slightly thicker in the Kanas Pro, but Yuan Li has the better texture. The mids also seem to be identical, with both of them having that slight bump in the upper midrange. Meanwhile, with the highs, the Kanas Pro has a bit more reach. The stage of the Kanas Pro has more expansion in the width, but with the instrument separation, imaging and layering, they are both very, very close to each other.

Conclusion:
The Yuan Li is a neutral sounding IEM that some my find boring due to the said neutrality. But for those who have an acquired taste for reference sounding gears, choosing the Yuan Li is a no-brainer. The Yuan Li is the type of IEM that doesn't have a dominant section in the sound, but instead its strength lies in its ability to reproduce all frequencies with great accuracy, and with this release, TForce seem to have started another dynasty.

Intro

When I was asked if I wanted to join in the review tour for TForce Audio Yuan Li, I was a little skeptical at first because I have never heard of this brand. I took the plunge and here I am today. Prior to this, I have heard the pre-released Yuan Li and despite receiving a lot of negative feedback, I actually liked the tuning. It is bright and feels very detailed.

Today i have with me the final and retail version of Yuan Li, which TForce retuned and kinda tamed the aggressive upper mids. Let’s see how does it compare against the pre-released version

Packaging

The unboxing experience is very good. The packaging of Yuan Li feels very premium and it came bundled with Bass Tips, Balanced Tips and Foam tips. The carrying case that came with the IEM looks very premium as well, and looks like faux croc skin leather. Cable is very high quality as well.
10/10 for the packaging


Build and Comfort

Yuan Li’s shell is made out of aluminium and it consists of a 10mm DLC diaphragm dynamic driver. The surface is a fingerprint magnet and you may have to clean it frequently.
Wearing them for several hours in my ears and I pretty much can’t feel them. They’re weightless.
9/10 for build and comfort



Source/Setup

*Dragonfly is powered on Windows PC
Foobar2k -> Audioquest DragonFly Red -> TForce Yuan Li (Silicon Tips+Stock Cable)
Cayin N3 Pro (Solid State) -> TForce Yuan Li (Silicon Tips+Stock Cable)


Sound

Yuan Li’s tonality is warm and balanced. The tuning to me feels very safe and it kinda reminds me of Moondrop’s Aria. Safe kind of tuning, what does that translate into? Pretty much means Yuan Li will be suitable and acceptable by anyone, except those who are looking for more excitement like me, who actually preferred the Pre-released Yuan Li over this due to its more aggressive and energetic tuning. Both are not bad, just different signatures.



Bass

• The bass on Yuan Li is average to my ears
• Definitely nowhere near basshead level of quantity
• Warm and smooth bass
• Punchy and good slams
• Doesn’t bleed to the mids nor it will overpower other frequency range, pretty balanced here
• 7.5/10 for the bass

Mids

• Free of sibilance
• Warm tonality and doesn’t feel shouty at all
• Male vocal sounded very rich and doesn’t feel thin at all
• Female vocal is equally good with rich and warm tonality to it
• The timbre feels very natural and everything in this range just feels very natural
• 8/10 for the mids

Treble

• Treble rendition of Yuan Li has got enough sparkle to give some excitement
• It is sparkly enough but it doesn’t venture into the region of harsh
• Detail retrieval is good, though the perceived detail on the pre-released Yuan Li is better
• Good amount of air
• Warm and fatigue free listening experience, definitely a notch better than the pre-released variant
• 8/10 for the treble

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is good, wide enough to perceive the 3D effect but that big that it gives and out of head experience, very good for the price it’s asking for
• Instrument separation is good and layering is also impressive for the price
• Imaging is good as the instruments can be pinpointed easily, although not laser like accuracy, but at 119$, it’s above average
• 7.5/10 for soundstage and imaging

Driveability

• Despite having a sensitivity rating 103 at 32 Ohm, You may think that It can be powered off dongle easily, yes it can, but not to its full capability
• It does scale pretty well with better source and also power
• Cayin’s N3 Pro at solid state mode at 32oh with 250mw is more than enough to drive it properly

Comparison with Pre Released Yuan Li

• Retail Yuan Li is less shouty and tamed upper mids
• Pre-released Yuan Li is more aggressive sounding and has got more perceived detail due to its aggressive nature
• They share very similar tuning with the final version having a tamed upper mids and a more capable all rounder

Comparison with Ranko RIE-880

• Brighter tonality compared to Yuan Li
• Shared the same aggressive nature of Pre-released Yuan Li
• Retail Yuan Li is smoother and easy to listen to
• Bass response is similar on both the RIE-880 and Yuan Li
• Detail retrieval is excellent
• Very crisp mids compared to Yuan Li’s which is warmer in nature
• Needs amping due to RIE-880’s impedance at 60ohm
• Priced higher than Yuan Li at 140$

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of competition especially in the single DD’s market at this price point. TForce’s debut IEM managed to deliver that. The tuning is pleasant and i’m sure that it will definitely please the community who prefers the tuning as described. As for me, I personally preferred the pre-released Yuan Li due to its more energetic and aggressive nature as this is my personal preference.

A premium packaging coupled with good sounding tuning, its a win.
Head over to HifiGo’s store to get them if you’re interested.

If you noticed the artwork in the box, Yuan Li is part one, so STAY TUNED for an upcoming offer from TForce.

*this unit is part of a review tour organized by TForce. Glad to be a part of it and thanks for including me in this tour.