Cons: - Most of the tuning sounds unnatural especially vocals
- Treble peaks
- Soft bass impact
- Average details, imaging, and soundstage
DISCLAIMER
The review I'm about to share reflects my personal experience and provides an honest evaluation regarding this set. I am completely unaffiliated from the brands I review. I did not receive (or will receive) any financial or monetary incentives in exchange for writing this review, I wrote this review of my own free will and all of the opinions you'll read are my own.
INTRODUCTION
Tanchjim has been one of my favorite brands. I have owned the regular Ola for three years now, and it is still my top neutral-bright pick in the ultra-budget price range. I have also tried many good sets from them, including the Oxygen, Origin, and Kara. However, I find the 4U a bit indifferent—not in its tuning, but in its overall sound performance and quality.
For this review, I'll only talk mostly about the Tanchjim 4U's sound performance. Here are the gears I have used to review the Tanchjim 4U:
DAC/Dongle: Jcally JM7l, Fiio Q3 MQA, Fosi SK02, and Fosi PH05
Phone/Device: Either my iPhone XR or my laptop
Music player: Spotify, Tidal, and Apple Music
THE TANCHJIM 4U's TUNING(s)
The Tanchjim 4U uses four different bass filters, which can be easily adjusted using the screwdriver-like tool included in the packaging. Tanchjim describes this technology as a "Four-Way Adjustable Circuit Filter System" for its DMT4 Dynamic Driver, allowing users to significantly change the bass response at each stage.
(Courtesy to SuperReview for the graph and measurements)
In general, this IEM has a neutral tuning with added brightness in the upper frequencies, which rubbed me the wrong way. Now, having a neutral-bright tuning isn't uncommon for Tanchjim. Looking at the IEMs I’ve listed above as examples, Tanchjim has produced many great sets with their usual tuning—but the Tanchjim 4U is different, and not in a good way.
Let me talk about the midrange up to the upper treble, as I feel it sounds almost identical—except for the monitoring mode, which I will discuss last. The 4U’s mids sound good and slightly colored for the most part, but I feel the upper mids are overshadowed and laid-back. Vocals sound a little veiled, especially female vocals. The treble region comes across as weird and unnatural. To put it bluntly, the 4U is bright, but mostly in the wrong areas. The upper treble has certain peaks that can be ear-piercing. While it is not sibilant, it can sometimes be intolerable.
For the different bass profiles (sort of), here are my thoughts and experiences:
Atmosphere
The 'Atmosphere' mode has the most sub-bass out of the four tunings. It is also the most natural-sounding and has a slightly more tonal balance compared to the other three. The bass is present, but its quality leans toward a softer and smoother character, making it sound a bit too relaxed. It lacks texture and detail, giving it a somewhat muffled and congested feel. Both the sub-bass and mid-bass feel very linear, with nothing particularly noteworthy.
Pop
Contrary to the graphs, I feel that the 'Atmosphere' and 'Pop' modes sound the most similar, despite showing a significant difference in the lower sub-bass regions in measurements. To me, they sound almost identical. 'Pop' has slightly less bass rumble and is only slightly less full-bodied compared to 'Atmosphere'.
Natural
Now, here's where the tuning gets a little weird. Despite its name, this tuning sounds unnatural. There is almost no sub-bass presence, yet it somehow retains a minimal bass punch from the mid-bass. This is strange because the overall sound is thin and hollow. There’s a punch, but it lacks any real impact.
Monitoring
It’s quite ironic because I never thought this mode would be good for monitoring lmao. The treble sounds very isolated, super thin, and grainy. Though the graph suggests that the treble region is similar to the other modes, the 'Monitoring' mode sounds noticeably brighter and peakier. Why didn’t I mention the bass, you ask? Because there’s nothing to talk about—there’s literally no bass
Details, Imaging, and Soundstage
Average imaging and soundstage for the price; there are many better options if you're looking for an IEM in this price range with great imaging and soundstage. The imaging and soundstage will do, but if you're being critical and want the best within your budget, steer clear of the 4U.
As for detail retrieval, it's pretty average across the bass and mids, but the treble region stands out a bit more. While the treble offers more detail, it sounds thin and grainy, which makes it come across as unnatural.
CONCLUSION
In my opinion, the Tanchjim 4U is clearly one of Tanchjim's weakest sets in terms of sound quality, and it could possibly be the worst I've tried from them. Please note that this review may be heavily influenced by my subjective preferences. After all, the 4U's tuning is quite niche, so it might still work for others. It might be for you, but it certainly isn’t for me (pun very much intended).
Pros: Pros:
-Really good treble quality sound, its not harsh and very detail in the price range
-Good soundstage and separation
-Nice bass texture
-Have 4 Filter, each filter will increase bass quantity
-You get a fancy screwdriver!
Cons: Cons:
-Unique housing shape, less comfort for long usage
-Too detail sounding, make you tired on long listening session
-Cable feel cheap
-Bright IEM, DON'T hope anything from low frequency
This time i'll write a review for Tanchjim 4U. I got this unit from Harmoko Lie . Thanks to Harmoko Lie, HiFiGo , and Audio Geek "Brother_Hood of Audiophiles" for support. So, Tanchjim 4U, is it really for you?
PACKAGING & ACCESSORIES
The packaging is enough, nothing special. For $60 price range, so many IEM with more special and luxurious packaging.
For accessories, we get 6 pair of white eartips, 2 Pin 3.5mm Jack Cable with silver color, gray fabric pouch, and the most special and weird at the same time, we get a fancy screwdriver!?
The screwdriver function is for switching the filter in Tanchjim 4U, we have 4 filter that each one increase the bass quantity in this IEM. I am using the less bass filter for this review because in my opinion, that filter producing the best sound quality.
SOUND QUALITY
People say that Tanchjim 4U is a Bright IEM, is it really that BRIGHT?
Bass
Yes, they are RIGHT! Tanchjim 4U have “just enough” bass. Remember about bass filter earlier? Even with the biggest bass filter, theq bass still not satisfying enough. That filter even make 4U bass sound worst, it make the bass sound boomy and have less detail.
Eventhough, i still like the bass texture in Tanchjim 4U.
Mid
Tanchjim 4U have sweet and extraordinary mid section. Maybe after treble, this mid section is star in Tanchjim 4U. There no sibilance and shoutiness at all in the song part that vulnerable to that trouble.
Treble
YES, this is a Bright IEM. Guitar strum, violin, cymbal sound loud but still safe and not attacking at all. All the micro detail is well presented. Honestly, for long listening session, this IEM will make you tired with all the treble it have, but for normal usage there will be no problem.
Soundstage dan Separation
Not the widest soundstage in the market, but its already good enough in presenting left-right, upper-bottom, far-nearby position. For separation, this IEM is a champ! Really easy to differentiate the sound of each instrument on the song with this IEM.
COMFORTABILITY
This is very subjective things, but i still have to comment this section, right? So the housing of 4U is unique and honestly this unique shape make my earlobe hurt and sore when using it in a long time.
4U, IS IT REALLY FOR YOU?
Yes, IF you like treble, not sensitive to treble, and satisfied enough with moderately bass.
Pros: Impressive soundstage
The flexibility of being a "Pro-sumer" product
Good Value
Tiny Footprint, Comfortable fitting
Good Detail Retrieval
Cons: Might not be enough bass for bassheads
Questionable tuning switch durability
Can sound quite thin
Just OK, if there's no tuning switch (subjective)
Tanchjim 4U: For You and For Professional You.
Before going into the review, I would like to thank Mr. Harmoko for once again lending me my first IEM from a brand I wanted to check out but haven’t gotten a chance until now. This is the first Tanchjim IEM I reviewed and perhaps the first one I tried too. Disclaimer, this set is loaner and everything I share here is 100% my own opinion on the Tanchjim 4U. Thank you so much Mr. Harmoko for your continuous support.
Unboxing
Starting with the unboxing experience of Tanchjim 4U. The box is surprisingly small, smaller than what I thought it would be. Opening up the box reveals the layers of things included with the 4U. A small folded box that houses your paperworks and IEM pouch. On the next layer is a foam insert with the 4U in them and the last layer is the Cables for the 4U. They also included a tiny metal screwdriver for tuning the 4U. I will talk about this in the dedicated section. Moving on…
Design, Fit, and Comfort
The Design of the 4U is quite beautiful as it has a silver and chrome color scheme to them. The shape is quite small and the weight is quite light, while feeling quite solid due to the metal build of the 4U. The tuning potentiometer is placed in the inside of the 4U, not quite sure on how durable it is since it’s on the rather humid part of ear + it is made of plastic and the tool they included is a metal tool. I think over time the plastic will deteriorate and the included tool might also accelerate the process. It is my concern from the first time seeing the 4U in facebook posts.
Fitting wise, due to the small nature of the 4U, I find them rather comfortable to be worn over a long period of time. The tuning however… Let's talk about it.
Sound
The overall sound of 4U can be Mild V, slight midbassy, less subbass, and no bass. I will talk about this more on the dedicated switch section of the video. Overall, the 4U caters to quite a contrasting listening experience. Most of the time I'm leaning towards the ‘Atmospheric’ tuning, which is the Mild V tuning.
Bass
Perhaps the Atmospheric setting has the most bass compared to other settings, but compared to some of the other IEMs I’ve been trying the last few weeks it feels less bassy. Even though there aren’t a lot of thump and rumble from the 4U, I feel like the bass is pretty adequate to give a slight fun sound to the songs listened with the 4U. With the 4U, I feel like listening to a lot of easier, laidback, and slower songs. Perhaps it is due to my ears starting to fatigue, but it sure is a nice segue to the Midrange performance of the 4U.
Mids
Usually, slower songs like the Jazzy, classical genres, have a lot of instruments that occupy the midrange frequencies. The 4U sounds rather full and natural, something from Laufey or perhaps NIKI Nicole album sounds rather nice and quite relaxing. Perhaps the midrange and vocal presentation isn’t as warm as I would like, but they are quite easy to enjoy. However, the mids can come across as slightly thin with the Tanchjim 4U. I wouldn’t necessarily call this a drawback, as some professional monitoring IEMs can also sound a bit thin and the Tanchjim 4U does have a dedicated “Monitoring” tuning. I’ll address the tuning aspect in another section.
Treble
Last but not least, the treble performance of the 4U is quite forward and pronounced. Perhaps you could say they are quite bright… perhaps they’re not the brightest out there, but it is enough to give some sparkle to vocals and instruments. Your mileage may vary of course. To be quite honest with you, I’ve been feeling very tired lately and while testing the 4U I feel quite fatigued sometimes. Perhaps it is a good idea to take rest between sessions in general, but the show must go on!
Switches
This is perhaps my reason to get the 4U. It’s not that I like switches now, but I do find the tunings provided by the 4U switches quite intriguing. Truthfully, out of 4 tunings the 4U has I’m only interested in 2. What are those tuning ? Let’s talk about it
Atmospheric
The tuning I used most while assessing the 4U is the Atmospheric setting. I mainly use the 4U for recreation and casual music listening. I prefer this tuning because it offers a balanced mid-bass and sub-bass. It alters the bass characteristics of the 4U, providing the most sub-bass of all the settings. The name suggests that the bass creates an atmospheric feel, which is accurate—it makes the soundstage slightly wider, similar to my experience with the HiSenior Okavango.
Monitoring
My second favorite tuning of the 4U, not because it is the most fun sounding out of the bunch or because it is close to my target preference. However, if I were ever to use it for professional use including youtube video editing. This tuning might be the tuning I choose for the task, I didn’t spend too much time with actual monitoring IEMs. However I feel like it is as close to a monitoring IEM as it can get for something that you could enjoy for regular use and monitoring use… in this price range, because… the Volur exists.
Pop
Other than the 2 mentioned before, honestly I don’t really use this tuning nor the next one. The Pop 2nd most Bass out of the 4 tuning. It slightly lessened the subbass of the 4U, and a little bit of the midbass. I honestly prefer subbass more than Midbass, but I do get that some people would like this tuning. It is quite fun, making pop songs sound fun, engaging, and lifting. Perhaps suitable for those who listens to Taylor Swift, K-Pop, and other Pop songs.
Natural
Natural, the third least bassy setting of the 4U. Perhaps if you like classical or mids centric tuning, the Natural might be for you, as the natural tuning pushes most of the bass while leaving plenty to give some bass to songs.
On Distortion (10 Babymetal Budokan)
The soundstage is reasonably wide—not the widest, but certainly not the narrowest. The imaging is good, with instrument positioning and other elements being fairly pronounced. While it may not be the most resolving IEM available, it certainly offers good value for its price and the other aspects discussed in this review.
Vs. Kefine Delci
I think they have a similar tuning overall, but the 4U might sound a little bit bright and a little bit less bassy. Like most of my comparisons, I can’t really choose between one or the other. The Tanchjim 4U offers the flexibility of tuning and the “Monitoring” setting is quite interesting to me. However, the Kefine Delci is way more fun and relaxing to listen to. I think if you prefer punchy and thumpy bass, the Delci might be a good option for you.
Vs. Zero:Red
Speaking of bass, My Truthear Zero:Red barely gets any mention these days. Since my last review on them, I have changed the cable to EPZ’s Mic Cable from the Q1 Pro. Why ? Because I use the Zero:Red for basically anything. But! I digress… The Zero:Red is also less bassy compared to the Kefine Delci. However it does feel like they are comparable to the Tanchjim 4U. The bass performance of the Zero:Red is quite more refined, giving that “Fast” bass. It is also worth noting that the Zero:Red is a dual Dynamic Driver and the 4U is a single Dynamic Driver, so take it with a grain of salt. On the upper end, the Zero:Red feels a little bit dull and lacking in clarity.
Overview of Comparison
To recap: the 4U is the brightest, the Delci has the most bass, and the Zero
is the most natural. In my opinion, the Tanchjim 4U exhibits the best perceived technicalities of the three and may be the most comfortable.
TL; DW
The Tanchjim 4U is a Single Dynamic Driver IEM that costs around $70 dollars. Fun fact, this is actually the first IEM I reviewed from Tanchjim. It has 4 tuning and can be adjusted with a potentiometer on the inside of the IEMs. I do have concerns about this decision, but… oh well. The tuning affects the bass performance of the 4U. Monitoring has the least bass and Atmospheric has the most.
The Tanchjim 4U has a rather bright, mid forward sound to them. The Bass is adequate for general enjoyment, but perhaps doesn’t suit those who want a lot of bass when listening to music. I quite enjoy the tuning of the 4U and I feel like it is quite an interesting IEM to have. I’m mostly interested in the “monitoring” setting. As for the ratings, I give the Tanchjim 4U a B+ for tonality and another B+ for Technicalities.
Perhaps if you’re looking for a mid centric, mild V tuning IEM with tuning switches, the Tanchjim might be a great candidate 4U.
That is it, that is my review of the Tanchjim 4U. Thank you so much everyone that has supported me to this day. Thank you Mr. Harmoko for lending me the Tanchjim 4U and Kefine Delci in for review. Thank you all for watching and… have a great day!
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