TangZu Audio Zetian Wu Heyday Edition

TANGZU x HBB Wu Heyday Edition​

One of the better planar….

Pros:
- Mid-centric tuning.
- Impressive detail handling with great technical performance.
- One of the cleanest sounding planar.
- Great price : performance value. Generous packaging!
- Minimal planar timbre.

Cons:
- Works best with warmer DAC/AMP.
- Potential treble fatigue on higher volume or brighter source.
- Crispy note hits but light on note-weight/density.
- Lacks musical factor. Can sound soulless at times.
- Rather unforgiving on bad mastering/recorded tracks.

[MY PERSONAL HEAD-FI GRADING]
1 ★ - Appalling! Please Avoid This!
2 ★★ Subpar Offering, There Are Better Options Out There!
3 ★★★ Decent With Some Caveats! You Should Consider This !
4 ★★★★ Solid ! This Should Be In Your Shortlist
5 ★★★★★ Class Leading! You Should Go Right Ahead & Buy One!

TANGZU x HBB Wu Heyday Edition 3 ★★★​

SOUND-SIGNATURE:​

It is quite hard to pin-point it’s native sound signature as it is quite transparent on the source you’re using. It can be some kind of a cold mild v-shaped or neutral bright-ish in sound. Overall, it is quite a balance sounding set. The bass is definitely elevated but within the realm of cold-neutral. The mid-range is much more forward in the mix. The treble is leaning on the bright side of the spectrum but not overly bright as some of it's rival. Timbre wise, the planar traits are still present but very minimal.

BASS:​

Being one of the more mid-centric planar set in the market, the bassline is noticeably fast, soft-punchy yet well judged in it's response. The bass sounded slightly more mid-bassy with polite amount of sub-bass presence. The demeanor of the bass is quite cold, lacking that touch of warmth which gives heft to your music. The bass attack is rather soft and the decay is on the quicker side of the tempo. I’d prefer it to linger just a tad longer just so that it can sound more natural. As a result, the sub-bass rumble and boom are present but they fade away too quickly . The mid-bass thump just lacks physicality to the hits. It just doesn't slam, kick or punch as hard as you'd like it to be. The bass just sounded too fast and too soft. In short, this level of bass quality and quantity will definitely not impress a hardcore bass-head but shouldn't be a deal breaker for most listeners. At the very least, there is no sign of bass-bleed, muddiness or bloat is heard.

MIDS/VOCALS:​

The mid-range is quite intimate/forward in the mix versus the rest of the frequencies with good level of transparency. It does a great job on highlighting the texture on the vocals but fall short on retrieving those reverb/echo which add a sense immersion on vocal replay. It sounds more analytical than musical in its approach. The overall tone is quite lean, almost thin sounding especially when connected to bright leaning source. Seemingly, male vocals lose of some that fullness and richness to the voices. The lows just didn't provide enough warmth and body that it needs. The female vocals on the other hand, offers a much more satisfying performance on stage. They have very good presence and they never seem to lack in extension. Other than the vocals being on the dryer side of the scale, it tends to highlight those grit or harshness on vocals, especially on poorly recorded tracks, thanks to its elevated lower treble/presence region. As for instrument like guitar, piano and strings they have good sense of crisps on the initial bite but sadly the note weight is abit light on its replay.

TREBLE:​

It is one of the cleaner sounding planar sets I've heard. Tonal-wise, like any other planar, the treble does lean towards on the bright-side. It offers a smooth treble response with good extension up top. It has plenty amount of air presence that gives a nice sense of openness to the stage. The top-end haze is very minimal but the treble can come across a bit too sharp, highlighting unnecessary treble elements/artifact which is not welcome. Instrument like constant hi-hats or cymbals can sound a tad too pronounce in the mix especially when pairing with a bright source. As result, on many instances, the treble can bleed onto lower registry, affecting the vocals/mid-range which can be distracting. But among the planar, it has to be one of the finer tuned treble execution in its class. It sounded less intense and more relaxing for more of the time versus some of Its rival. It is void of unwanted peaks and grains with just a hint of bearable sibilance. As good as it is, the treble response will never be as natural sounding as well tuned dynamic driver. The planar magnetic timbre is still inherently present but at a minor degree.

TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE:​

- The head-stage of the Heyday is pretty open sounding. It is above average, it's got good width, decent depth and height with adequate sense of spaces between elements. The vocals will be more forward in the mix versus the rest of the instruments which is great.
- Stereo Imaging is not bad either. It is not laser-sharp but it is quite precise to say the least. It is potent enough to tell the direction of each sound elements when you closed your eyes.
- The overall macro/micro-detail retrieval are pretty impressive, seemingly on par with most of its planar counter-part. It's resolving power are commendable. It carries good speed with great consistency on all tracks. The elements of vocals and each instrument are thoroughly separated between them, no matter how complex your music gets.
- As mentioned briefly, the overall instrument timbre/note weight are very crispy on the attack but they tend to roll-off ever so slight too quickly. The trailing end of notes are rather weak. And it lacks weight and density to the notes most of the time. These traits do translate on vocal replay as well. As for the dynamic ambience, it is pretty shy. Any sense of reverb or echo that are rightfully present in the background are almost muted.

SYNERGY/VOLUME SCALING​

To my ears, owning a warm and dark DAC/AMP is a must have option just to run the Heyday properly. I find it truly fatiguing when pairing it with colder or brighter source which tend to trigger its planar metallic timbre. And not to mention, less forgiving to sibilance as well. On top of that, it will also give rise to overly sharp, edgy vocal presence with thinner note weight which will come across unnatural. As for the tips, it is best to use a wider-bore ear-tips as that will help to mitigate some of the treble quirks. Swapping it with a warmer sounding cable will definitely helps to improve it's tone and timbre. When everything is set and done, you should be able to dial up the volume and enjoy your Heyday to the fullest with no distortion.

HEAD-2-HEAD​

VS 7HZ TIMELESS FEAT. KINERA LEYDING.​

+ Timeless bassline is warmer and thicker in tone. It has better sub-bass presence, fatter mid-bass body. More pronounce ghetto bass. Slightly more natural on the decay.
+ Timeless male/female vocal have better sense body and warmth. It sounded fuller yet more natural, less sharp/edgy on the vocals with a hint of bearable sibilance.
+ Timeless treble is definitely brighter with better extension but thanks to the warmer low-end, it creates a better balance between the lows and the highs.
+ The overall instrument-replay on the Timeless is truer to life. They have more realistic attack & decay, contributing to a more accurate timbre.
+ Artificial sounds like electronics sounded more pleasing on the Timeless as it is less piercing with more rounded edge to them.
+ Overall transient on the timeless is still soft but slightly more incisive than Heyday.

- Heyday overall sounded cleaner from top to bottom, the treble is less hazy.
- Heyday bassline is definitely faster, less forward in the mix and the mid-bass has better controlled when the tracks gets busy. Whereas the Timeless can get slightly congest on complex passages.
- Heyday still remains to be the more mid-centric set among the two. The mid-range resolution is definitely a step up. The vocals are more forward in the mix while giving it a better sense of texturing and transparency to them. They sound crispier but sadly not as full or lush sounding as the one on the Timeless. As a result, the tonality of the vocals is more euphonic on the Timeless.
- On certain songs, the Heyday treble can sound more relaxing which is nice sometime.
- The overall instrument on the Heyday will sounds crispy on the attack but it lacks the overall fullness or note weight of the Timeless.
- Heyday has slightly wider stage and better depth. The height is nigh identical.
- As for layering and separation, the vocals and instruments has clearer separation on the heyday and I find heyday to be more consistent in maintaining the border of each element of sound.
- Sound localization prowess between channels is ever so slightly sharper and more accurate on the Heyday.
- Overall build packaging is definitely generous on the Heyday, you do get alot more for your money.

I'd still pick the Timeless x Leyding over the stock Heyday. Although , it doesn't sound as clean nor as technical as the Heyday, the vocals and instrument timbre on the Timeless are more realistic overall. The warmer bassline is more to my liking. The lower treble is less fatiguing and it is tonally more pleasing to listen to. Don’t get me wrong, the Heyday is surprisingly competent for a planar. But on its pursuit being the more clinical and technical set, it loses sight of musicality. The Timeless just rewards you with more fun and its more pleasing to my ears for more of the time. It’s makes the Heyday sound a bit soulless at times. Though it would be interesting to see how the Heyday x Leyding would performs. But unfortunately I don't have a 2-Pin Kinera Leyding on deck.#snakeoilgang you know what I'm saying. Having said that, I am not sure if I would prefer the stock Timeless over stock Heyday... Hmmmph.

Click to expand...

CONCLUSION:​

It is undoubtedly, one of the best planar on the market only if you get the right synergy. If you managed that, the price: performance value is just insane. And I can see why this set gets a lot praise and hype when it was first released. It's technical performance is on par with those well-tuned hybrids which cost way higher. But on the pursuit of that, it does sacrifice some of those musical traits which is why, it is not going to work on everyone’s favor. Like myself. I cannot deny that it is very impressive from a technical standpoint, but I can’t seem to enjoy listening to it. It can be too cold and soulless at times. I respect it as a technical set but I just don’t love it as much, especially having heard the Timeless x Kinera Leyding and the stock BQEYZ Winter recently. Those two sets on the other hand, managed to be musical yet highly technical which rewards you the best of both worlds.

SOURCE & GEARS​

Native FLAC Files [44.1Khz 16bits-96Khz 24bits]
Foobar2000 [Laptop] [Ugreen USB C Adapter]
Huawei P20 PRO [Phone][ App- Foobar2000]
Dongle DAC/AMP only :
Moondrop DAWN 4.4
Tanchjim SPACE
Tempotec Sonata E44

PLAYLIST (AS TESTED)​

1982 Chicago - Greatest Hits (album) - Hard to say I'm sorry.
2009 Greatest Maksim (album) – Exodus
2010 Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou (OST) - Kokoro no Oku De Ha
2012 To Love-Ru Darkness OP - Ray - RAKUEN PROJECT
2014 Grabbitz - Here with you now.
2019 Blade & Soul (OST) - Half-Moon Lake
2021 OWV - CHASER (album) Fifth Season.
2021 SELECTION PROJECT Vol.1 - Only one yell -天沢灯ソロver.-
2022 Belle (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Million Miles Away (ENG vers.)
2022 rei (E-girls) - Just Wanna Sing (album) – IDNY, Dark Hero.
2022 SHINEPOST TINGS - Yellow Rose
2022 I can fly (Special Edition) - Bleecker Chrome - You will shine
2022 I can fly (Special Edition) - YOSHIKI EZAKI x Bleecker Chrome - UP
2022 BEAST TAMER (OST) - じんわり感じている幸せ
2023 La prière - Sweet Dreams
2023 Bungou Stray Dogs 4th Season ED - Luck Life - しるし

[IEM-SCORING-BOARD]​

RATING
1: Trash (F)
2: Horrible (E)
3: Bad (D)
4: Subpar (C)
5: Decent/Average (B)
6: Good (A-)
7: Great (A)
8: Superb. (A+)
9: Masterclass/Top-Drawer (S)
10: Perfection (P)

7HZ TIMELESS + [PLANAR]

Tuning: 6/10 (Warmish Mild-V)
= Tonality =
Bass: 6.5/10 Mids: 6/10 Treble: 5.5/10
Male : Female : 6:6
= Technicalities =
Detail : Resolve: 7 : 6.5
Timbre/Note Weight: 7.5/10
Layering & Separation: 6/10
Head-stage: 5.5/10
Dynamics/Transient: 6/10
Stereo Imaging 5.5/10
Ambience : 6/10
Cleanliness: 7/10
Build : Comfort: 6:9
Value: 8/10
Personal Enjoyment: 6.5/10

Cons:

• Potential fatigue on longer listen.
• Only work best with warmer dac/amp.
• Prominent planar timbre.
• Perculiar head-stage (lacking depth)
• Tend to congest on complex tracks.

Pros:

• Pleasantly warm yet engaging.
• Great note weight and density.
• Good technical performer. Except for the staging.
• Comfortable light-weight shell.

SETUP (As tested)

• Kinera Leyding 4.4BAL
• No-brand 2-flange/medium-widebore tips.
• Moondrop DAWN 4.4

TANGZU HEYDAY [PLANAR]

Tuning: 7/10 (Bright-Mild V)
= Tonality =
Bass: 6/10 Mids: 6/10 Treble: 6/10
Male : Female: 5.5 : 5.5
= Technicalities =
Timbre/Note Weight: 6.5/10
Detail : Resolve: 7 : 7
Layering & Separation: 7/10
Head-stage: 6.5/10
Transient/Attack: 6/10
Stereo Imaging 6.5/10
Ambience : 5/10
Cleanliness: 4.5/5
Build : Comfort: 7 : 8
Value: 8/10
Personal Enjoyment: 6/10

Cons:
- Works best with warmer DAC/AMP.
- Potential treble fatigue on higher volume or brighter source.
- Crispy note hits but light on note-weight/density.
- Lacks musical factor. Can sound soulless at times.
- Rather unforgiving on bad mastering/recorded tracks.

Pros:
- Mid-centric tuning.
- Impressive detail handling with great technical performance.
- One of the cleanest sounding planar.
- Great price : performance value. Generous packaging!
- Minimal planar timbre.

SETUP (As tested)
- Stock Silver-plated Cable : 4.4 BAL.
- No-brand 2-flange/medium-widebore tips.
- Moondrop DAWN 4.4



THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!!

Tangzu x HBB Zetian Wu Heyday Edition is the collaboration version of the now discontinued Tangzu Zetian Wu between Tangzu and the popular reviewer Hawaii Bad Boy (A.K.A. Bad Guy Good Audio Reviews). I reviewed the Original Zetian Wu and it took its place among my all-time favorites. In case of Heyday, personally I find HBB’s preference very safe and likeable. Heyday comes at 199$ and a Linsoul exclusive item. You can also read the full review as well as my other reviews at mobileaudiophile.com and check out my IEM measurements at https://fahryst.squig.link/

​

Zetian Wu Heyday Edition

Disclaimers​

Without boring you too much, I don’t necessarily have a sound preference. I tend to enjoy different sound profiles as long as they do well at what they intend to do. I try to be critic in my reviews but I might be somewhat biased one way or another (Recency bias, buyer’s bias etc.). Please keep these in mind. Also, I bought Tangzu Zetian Wu Heyday Edition as well as other headphones mentioned here with my own money. If a unit I reviewed is given or loaned to me in the future, I will say so here.

Company Info, Build and Comfort​

Sorry for my laziness but I had given every bit of info about Queen Wu Zetian and Tangzu as a company so I’m copying them here.

Company Info​

Zetian Wu or Wu Zetian as Chinese use family names before their given names, was the only female ruler of China History. The Empress belonged to Tang Dynasty, which also gave the name of the brand Tangzu. However, Tangzu was named T-Force before they changed their name. Yuan Li was their first entry to IEM market, although they were relatively experienced driver producers and sourced driver to many other brands.

Yuan Li started, what they call Dynasty Trilogy, as they name their IEMs after Tang Dynasty Emperors. Shimin Li was their second entry to the dynasty trilogy. Then they released very successful iems like Original Zetian Wu, Wan’er S.G and Zetian Wu Heyday Edition. Original Shimin Li got mixed reviews so Tangzu decided to collaborate with SeeAudio and released Shimin Li Encounter Edition. Apparently SeeAudio added their twist to the tuning without moving too far away from the original.



Zetian Wu Heyday Edition Box and Accessories

Build, Comfort and Packaging​

Zetian Wu, like every Tangzu (T-Force) product, has expectional packaging and accessories in its price range. Actually, they are pretty much the same with the Original Zetian Wu. Carrying case is same that came with the Zetian Wu, only now it is black and feels more premium. It is quite large, not very suitable for carrying IEMs. However, in my experience, none of the IEM case really is. In my review of the OG Zetian Wu, a criticized the cable and Tangzu listened. Well not me but all the fans. Cable has a pretty baby blue color and modular termination. There are 7 pair of tips in the package, which are the same as 7hz H07 and H08 tips. Also, a black pair is on the IEMs which makes it a total of 8 pair.

The most notable improvement on Heyday is the shells. Now they have a full metal build. Shape and size looks the same but strangely OG Zetian Wu stays in my ears more safely. Still they are pretty comfortable even for my weirdly shaped small ears.

Technical Specifications​

• Driver Size: 14.5 mm
• Frequency Response: 20 – 20.000 Hz
• Sensitivity: 100dB (1kHz)
• Impedance: 16 ohm
• Channel Difference: 1dB (1kHz)

Zetian Wu Heyday Edition and Original Zetian Wu

Sound​

Tuning on Heyday didn’t change much from the Original Zetian Wu. The most notable adjustments HBB made is lowering the subbass and upper mids. They still have the same non-fatiguing treble tuning. Now they are fairly neutral IEMs. Several times I forgot that I was listening a recording, it sounds very very natural. In the end they became more suitable for loud listening.

Bass​

Heyday’s bass is probably the biggest difference HBB made on its tuning. Surprisingly now they have become a fairly neutral pair of IEMs. They are not devoid of any bass but I found it was not very satisfying with genres like EDM and Hip-Hop. Midbass is lighter than most other planars on the market but still pack a decent punch. Subbass is although behind the Original Zetian Wu, Heyday still has some decent rumble.

Mids​

Thanks to the bass tuning, mids on Heyday is clean but not necessarily lean. Lots of sets are warmer than Heyday. Vocals don’t feel too much up and close, presentation is fairly natural. Heyday also doesn’t share the whispy nature of most of the mid-centric iems.

Treble​

Treble is just right. Original Zetian Wu was famous for its treble tuning and control; and Heyday is more or less the same. Again, cymbals and high hats are not splashy and sibilance is nowhere to be found on Heyday. In the end they don’t feel congested as much as the Original Zetian Wu.

Technical Performance​

Heyday has exceptional resolving capability as you would expect from a planar. It also layers and separates different instruments without breaking a sweat. Perceived soundstage is probably one of the wider IEMs I’ve heard and depth is also great. Timbre is also more natural than most of the planars.



Zetian Wu Heyday Edition and Timeless

Comparisons​

Since Heyday is a collaboration IEM that is based on an existing product, a comparison with the Original was unavoidable. I also used Timeless which is still considered one of the best planars and has not exactly been surpassed yet.

Original Zetian Wu vs. Zetian Wu Heyday Edition​

• OG Zetian Wu fits and seals better in my ears, probably due to their different vents.
• OG has more vocal presence
• OG is a touch warmer and has more impactful and satisfying bass. Heyday is cleaner therefore it emphasizes bass guitars more instead of drums and other lower bass notes.
• Heyday feels just a little bit wider and airier.
• Neither is sibilant but Heyday feels like it emphasizes “S”s a little more. If you turn up the volume it might become an issue more easily. This also might be caused by their different fit in my ears.
• Treble tuning is more or less the same in isolation but when other parts of the frequency range, Heyday sounds a little more prominent in the treble.
• In the sense of driver’s resolving capability, I don’t think they are different. That said, I won’t deny Heyday’s more neutral frequency response and cleaner presentation helps it show more details. Also, in my review of the OG Zetian Wu, I didn’t agree to the people that found Zetian Wu congested. However, Heyday is noticeably airier and maybe a little wider but much deeper. Imaging is on par. In short Heyday is technically superior to the OG Zetian Wu.

Zetian Wu Heyday vs Original Zetian Wu

7Hz Timeless vs. Zetian Wu Heyday Edition​

• Timeless again have a more comfortable fit in my ears.
• They are more similar than different.
• Timeless is more prominent in the subbass and midbass therefore leaves a more powerful impression. Also listening to EDM and Hip-Hop is more fun with Timeless.
• To be honest I’ve never found Timeless harsh like some other people. But still, they are slightly edgier and also warmer, borderline boomy. Heyday in comparison sounds cleaner with just enough bass and lower mid energy.
• Vocals are a little more in your face on Timeless while Heyday present them in a more natural way.
• Neither is sibilant but, Timeless is a little more relaxed in the sibilance region.
• Timeless felt wider and deeper. Imaging is similarly decent on both.
• Because of its cleaner presentation Heyday may come as cleaner but their resolving capabilities are on par. Timeless might even be a hair superior but it is hard to tell. Heyday’s timbre is a tad more natural.

Zetian Wu Heyday vs Timeless

Conclusion​

This review comes after the initial hype of the Zetian Wu Heyday Edition so I didn’t rush it either. I took my time with it. Now I can confidently say there wasn’t too much of an exaggeration. They are not suitable for all genres that’s for sure and that would be my only nitpick about them. For genres like EDM and Hip-Hop or simply for more excitement I’d suggest the Original Zetian Wu, which is now discontinued by the time I wrote this review unfortunately, or other planars on the market. That said, for pure, clean and neutral planar goodness, that is also non-fatuguing and suitable for loud listening Zetian Wu Heyday Edition is probably the best choice right now.

INTRODUCTION:
Alright, this is going to be my third review of Tangzu, formerly known as Tforce, and I must admit, I'm struggling to come up with a fresh introduction for the company. It's starting to feel like déjà vu.

I began my Tangzu journey with their IEM, the Tforce Yuan li, which laid the groundwork for the company. It quickly became a fan favorite, a hit with the crowd. Next up was Shimin Li, a budget offering which, to be honest, didn't quite tickle my fancy in the long run. I even took a beating for hyping it up, and during that time, the market was flooded with low-cost audio gear. The community wasn't yet ready for the likes of $50 gears that sound fantastic, but that's just the way it goes. Following that, Waner arrived, and by now, people were getting used to entry-level gear that narrowed the gap with mid-levels. Finally, Tangzu jumped into the planar wars with the OG Zetian Wu, which I reviewed. I have to be frank - I still wasn't convinced that planars could be effectively implemented on IEMs at this time.

Another day, another collaboration - this time between Tangzu and the Hawaiian Bad Boy, HBB. But wait, haven't we had enough of these collabs already? Anyway, back to the topic at hand. The OG Zetian Wu didn't quite hit the spot for me, as I found it to be a bit too bass-heavy for my taste. So, when the Heyday edition was released, I wasn't particularly intrigued. But, did Tangzu manage to prove me wrong? Only one way to find out, old chap - keep on reading!

FOREWORD:​

• The gear on hand has undergone at least 10-15 hours of use before it was assessed.
• No EQ is ever applied in my reviews.
• For the sake of convenience, I try my best to use a stock setup. Not everyone has access to personal ear tips or cables. If personal ear tips, cables, or accessories are used, you will be notified.
• As I try to be objective, my claims inevitably will be subjective and biased to my personal preference. I cannot stress more that you should take this with a grain of salt for we have different perceptions to sound and what we hear.
• Stock cable and ear tips were used for the entirety of this review. In particular, the tips placed in the “foams” section, which is not foam tips at all. Wide bored and stiff stem.

SPECIFICATIONS:​

Configuration: 1 x 14.5mm planar
Impedance: 16ohms
Sensitivity: 100db
Freq response: 20hz - 20khz

PACKAGING:​

The packaging of the Tangzu Heyday edition IEMs reminded me of the Yuan li. The company has kept a consistent style both inside and out, and their packaging impressed the community when they released the Yuan li. While I have no complaints, personally, I find the style a bit dated now, and it doesn't mesmerize me as it used to. Please don't take offense, though. The front of the box features the Empress, the only empress in China's history. However, I won't go into a historical lecture on this, as many other reviewers have already done so.



Well, well, well, what do we have here? A cable thick enough to choke someone (oops, did I say that out loud?)! And the color...oh, the color! Powder blue, really? At first, I was thinking, "Who in their right mind would make a cable in powder blue?" But hey, I'm not one to judge. After all, I'm no fashionista, and I'm certainly not here to start a cable color trend. Anyway, after some time, I learned to appreciate its pastel nature, and I have to say, it's growing on me. On the bright side, the cable comes with modular plugs - 4.4mm and 2.5mm balanced, and a single-ended 3.5mm. For this review, I opted for the single-ended 3.5mm plug, and it served me well - 90% of the time, at least.


The ear tips come in the usual categories of balanced, bass enhanced, and "foam" tips, which are not actually made of foam, but their actual composition is unknown. It would be helpful to know what kind of tips are included in the "foam" section. The Heyday comes with a pair of black ear tips that are wide bore and super soft. While I typically prefer these types of ear tips, I found that they produced a very lean and thin sound and even caused some borderline sibilance issues.

In the box:​

• a pair of Heyday IEMs
• cable and modular plugs
• 3 pairs of balanced ear tips in S, M, and L
• 3 pairs of bass-enhanced ear tips in S, M, and L
• parchment welcoming paper
• a pair of foam tips (whatever that is)
• a pair of black wide bore and soft ear tips

SOUND IMPRESSIONS:​

Alright, let's dive right into the most important part of this review. I'll give you a little spoiler - the Heyday blew me away that I ended up buying a pair for myself. In fact, my personal unit arrived just yesterday and I'm still grinning from ear to ear. Let’s start with the technicalities…

Describing soundstage in IEMs can be a bit tricky, as they're meant to be placed inside our ears and not necessarily deliver a spacious presentation unlike headphones and ear buds. However, I must say that the Heyday pleasantly surprised me with its discernable stage that feels almost holographic. It's ideal for gaming and movies, as it adds to the overall immersive experience. As for music, I can confidently say that Heyday checks the box in this aspect as well, with a good sense of headspace in terms of depth, height, and width.

When it comes to sound quality, resolution and texture are crucial in delivering a high fidelity experience. With the Heyday, you can expect intimate details in guitars, rich tones in bass, crisp notes in pianos and cymbals, and nuanced sounds in percussion. The orchestral instruments are also impressive and perform as expected of a planar driver.

The Heyday's imaging and separation are impressively precise, aided by its spacious sound stage. Each instrument has its own distinct place in the mix, making it a valuable tool for a musician like myself. As a member of a cover band, we strive to replicate songs as faithfully as possible, and the Heyday has consistently delivered when it comes to capturing subtle chord changes and vocal harmonies that I need to delegate to my bandmates.

After listening to several planar IEMs, I must say that the Heyday's tonality and timbre are spot on. The sound is natural and realistic, and it is one of the most commendable planar IEMs that I have come across. Although, there are still some nitpicks to discuss. For instance, drum snares can sound just a bit unnatural with that "planar sheen." I noticed this on the track "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" by Hall and Oates at the 1:57 mark. When compared to dynamic driver counterparts, the drum snares sounded more natural.

Planar drivers are known for their excellent transient response, but sometimes this strength can be overdone. The Heyday is not immune to this issue, especially when it comes to percussive instruments. For example, in David Benoit's "Take a Look Inside my Heart," the piano sounded fine, but the drum toms at the timestamp 1:12 had an "unrealistic" quality to them. The decays were too abrupt, lacking the natural tail end that supposes to make them sound more authentic. As a pianist who grew up listening to Benoit's music and has been heavily influenced by his style, this was a noticeable flaw to me.

Now, let’s break down the sound profile…

The Heyday's bass presentation is primarily focused on the mid-bass and presented almost neutrally, with some extension to the sub-bass that is not overpowering. It's evident that bass isn't the top priority for this IEM, but when a track demands it, the Heyday reproduces it with tightness and punch. This makes it a versatile choice for any genre, although rock music may not be its strong suit. Rock enthusiasts may want to consider other options unless they are neutral heads. On the other hand, if you are a bass enthusiast, you may not find the Heyday to be suitable. In such cases, the OG Zetian Wu might be a better option, although I personally found the bass boost on the OG Zetian Wu to be a drawback for my personal taste. Quality over quantity is the name of the game here.

When it comes to the midrange, the strength of this IEM lies predominantly in how it reproduces vocals. Female vocals, in particular, are favored over their male counterparts, but overall, vocals are rendered exceptionally well. To describe the experience, I would use the words "engaging" and "immersive."

The Heyday’s midrange also excels in reproducing the weight and density of instruments such as cellos, violins, flutes, pianos, and guitars, as well as any acoustic instruments. Additionally, the sound is characterized by a pleasant warmth. However, there are some tracks, particularly those featuring trumpets, that can sometimes sound borderline shouty.

The treble region of the Heyday inherits the genes of the midrange. Warm and pleasing to the ear without any hint of veil or dullness. The overtones from drums, cymbals, and hi-hats are clearly audible, but not excessively bright. The extension to ultra-high frequencies has a noticeable roll off resulting in a safe and non-fatiguing sound signature. For those who enjoy a more energetic treble, the Heyday might still deliver satisfying energy at the top. What impresses me most is how refined the tuning is, striking a balance between being safe and not being boring or uninteresting.

Heyday produces an even more pleasing sound when used in conjunction with a balanced output, which suggests that they are receptive to an increase in power. The entire sound profile has a feeling of more weight, and the sound stage is felt more. Therefore, there is no reason to hold back from utilizing those modular connections.

Driving the Heyday is relatively easy even with my not-so-powerful dap the Hiby RS2 and I reached my desired listening level at around 65-70 out of 100, depending on the track. However, compared to my other IEMs, I’ve noticed I have to add around 3-5 notches for two gears to match the same output. Pairing Heyday with my Centrance Dacport HD that sports 4vrms of power and switching to high gain gave me the most blissful listening experience.

It should be noted that Heyday is reasonably responsive to its sources. Having said that, neutral sources present the technical prowess of Heyday, whereas sources with a more organic sound depict a more balanced sound profile.

COMFORT AND FIT:​

It may come as a surprise that Heyday's medium-sized casings are pleasant to wear, but they don't simply vanish into the ears the way that some lighter IEMs do. Although the build quality remains lightweight, the cable has a timge heft to it and can occasionally cause minor discomfort due to a subtle pull. A good fit is reasonably simple to achieve, with insertion falling somewhere in the middle. Getting a good seal is easy, and you won't have to mess with the fit too much.

SOURCES USED:​

• Ovidius B1 dongle
• Hiby RS2 DAP
• Questyle QP2R
• LG V30 quad dac with Centrance Dacport via Hiby music app
• Oppo A94 with Centrance Dacport via Hiby music app
• Oppo A94 with Ifi Hipdac v2 via Hiby music app
• Macbook pro 2011 with Centrance Dacport via Foobar
• Macbook pro 2011 with Ifi Hipdac v2 via Foobar
• Tidal Masters
• Qobuz Studio
• Apple Music

COMPARISONS:​

vs Letshuoer S12​

I adored the S12 and thought it was one of the finest planar IEM releases. Despite the fact that I no longer have the S12, please consider this comparison with a grain of salt as I will be drawing it from memory as best I can.

The S12 and Heyday both have a natural sound profile. To summarize, the S12 has more low-frequency quantity, and while I'm not a fan of elevated lows, the S12 impressed me with how clean the presentation is in this domain. The S12 does, however, have a tendency for hotness in the upper midrange, which the Heyday does not have. The S12 is also lacking in note definition and has a bit less attack.

Nonetheless, choosing between the two comes down to personal preference, with the S12 offering more realistic transients and the Heyday emphasizing agility and precision.

vs Bqeyz Winter​

Now, let's compare the Heyday to the Winter, my top-ranked IEM. Despite the fact that we are comparing apples and oranges and that Winter is equipped with a different driver setup (a DD with bone conduction), please hearken.

When it comes to natural timbre and tonality, the Winter is still the clear winner. Period. However, Heyday has some tricks up their sleeves, specifically in terms of precision, note definition, attack, and overall technicality. Although the Heyday are excellent natural-sounding planar IEMs, they fall short on timbre in some instruments, most notably drum snares. The Heyday's transient response is insanely fast and occasionally emits some unrealism, particularly with percussions. Conversely, the Heyday depicting engagement nails the vocal presentation. It's worth noting that the lows on Bqeyz Winter are more pronounced, whereas Heyday has a more neutral sound profile.

As far as tonality is concerned, the Bqeyz Winter remains at the top of my ranking. The Heyday is close behind in the second position. I prefer the Winter for its musical involvement and the Heyday for its technical prowess.

TEST TRACKS:​

Here are some tracks I usually listen to when reviewing:

That’s the way of the World by EWF
Africa by TOTO
The Girl in the Other Room by Diana Kral
Balmorhea album All is wild, All is Silent
Sila by Sud
Smooth Escape by D’Sound
Never too Much by Luther Vandross
P.Y.T by Michael Jackson
Ain’t no Sunshine by Eva Cassidy
Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC
Another one bites the Dust by Queen
Good times bad times by Edie Brickell
Alice in Wonderland by Bill Evans
Ain’t it Fun by Paramore
Redefine by Incubus
Far Away by Nickelback
Lovesong by Adele
Lingus by Snarky Puppy
Harvest for the World by Vanessa Williams
Love Bites by Def Leppard
No Such Thing by John Mayer
As by Stevie Wonder
Whip Appeal by Babyface
Ain’t Nobody by Chaka Khan
Futures by Prep
Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
Every Summertime by NIKI
SADE tracks
AC/DC tracks
Queen tracks


And many more… I always listen to High resolution format, being the least quality 16bit/44khz FLACS be it offline or online.

VERDICT:​

Heyday impressed me so much that I agreed to purchase my own unit. They are extremely beneficial to my needs as a musician, breaking down chordal and vocal harmonies and capturing the subtleties that I impart to my band. And, while there are minuscule flaws in timbre and tonality, as well as unrealistic transient responses, none of them are deal breakers. The overall sound profile, which is close to neutral and aimed at more mature listeners, is right up my alley.

I would highly suggest these to those who have a lot of vocal tracks on their playlist, especially female vocals; those who appreciate details and nuances; and those who dissect songs like a musician or a vocalist. The separation of instruments is something to brag about.

The planar wars have ceased as the Heyday is worthy to inherit the throne. Bend the knee and hail to the Queen of planars!

Disclaimer - I bought these with my own hard-earned cash. These thoughts are my own - I promise no one has a gun to my head forcing me to write this.

Build - Slick black, fully metal shells. They feel like a solid improvement over the original Wu Zetian, which had a plastic shell fitted with a metal faceplate. The Heyday feels markedly more premium, whereas the original felt cheap and had sharp edges where the metal faceplate met the plastic shells. Even the driver used is different as far as I know!

Sound - When one thinks of planar IEMs, chances are planar timbre might be the first thing to come to mind. Most planar IEMs I've tried to date have a strange, artificial timbre and incisiveness that doesn't sound quite natural. You get all the details, but the music sounds slightly off. This means that planars are a great choice for detail heads on a budget, but for those who prefer something that sounds more realistic and natural, it has been wise to stick to IEMs with driver configs that use some combination of DDs and BAs. I can say that this is not the case with Heyday! If you told me this was a single DD, I likely would have believed you!

Bass - Bass on the Heyday is textured and extends deep. It also outperforms some of your more run-of-the-mill DDs in impact, which is quite surprising! It rumbles down low in the subbass region and punches in the midbass region. Bass texture is quite good, and while the decay is quicker, it still feels pretty meaty and substantial. Very satisfying and perhaps only missing that last leg of physicality that a very good DD implementation can have.

Mids - Heyday has a decent amount of midbass, contributing to a fairly decent note weight that is slightly leaner but not thin. This helps the mids sound more substantial and meaty compared to the S12 where the mids take a clear backseat. Planars (the S12 included) can sometimes have a thin nasally sound to the mids. I'm happy to say that this is not the case with the Heyday. Mids here are pleasant and clear!

Treble - Smooth and well extended. Fairly airy and sparkly without being too much. No offensive peaks or sibilance here - just a pleasant listening experience. Snares and cymbals have a nice timbre to them without being too accentuated.

Techs - Soundstage is fairly average for an IEM; it's neither large nor claustrophobic - just don't expect an expansive sound. Imaging performance is decent, as is separation. Detail pick-up is very good - not as in-your-face resolving as some planars can be, but the tradeoff here is much-improved timbre over other planars. I'm a card-carrying member of the tonality-over-tech club, and if something sounds tonally off to me, I don't quite care as much for how technical it is. Good transients. Fairly dynamic. Did I mention that the timbre on the Heyday is quite good?

Closing thoughts - The Tangzu Wu Zetian Heyday Edition is very well-tuned, has great technical chops, and does very little wrong. At the time of this writing, I think this is the best planar available and is among the best IEM choices (if not the best choice) under $500 USD. If you've been waiting for someone to solve the age-old problem of tuning a planar well, look no further - that day has come! Build quality is top-notch, timbre is surprisingly good for a planar IEM. A marked improvement over the original Wu Zetian. In light of the recent announcement that the OG Wu will be discontinued, I honestly believe there was a missed opportunity to name this something else to prevent cannibalization of sales - build quality, sound quality are all greatly improved over the original - they don't even share the same driver! If you are considering spending $200, or even up to $300 on an IEM, look no further!

About me -
I don't think I have particularly good ears, but I do enjoy listening to music and trying new gear. I listen to a very wide range of music genres (folk, indie, EDM, jazz, blues, punk, classic rock, classical, trip hop, pop, kpop, mandopop, ballads, metal, rock, you name it, I listen to it) and thus prefer gear that can render a wide variety of music well. I prefer a balanced/neutral signature (not to be confused with boring). Gear that leans heavily into one certain aspect doesn't make too much sense to me. This also means that any gear with noticeable deficiencies or dips that affect certain vocal ranges or instruments doesn't really appeal to me. Keep in mind, these thoughts are mine alone. Our preferences may not align and I respect that, you should too.
Ranking lists of the things I have tried in recent memory with shorter form descriptions can be found here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...WS7nQ6nJ19ghZt3c9U0OnnOrs/edit#gid=2131069758

Tangzu x HBB Zetian Wu - Heyday Edition Reviewer: Empressive First Planar


|| Introduction ||


The Tanzu x HBB Zetian Wu - Heyday Edition, or simply the Heyday is the newest planar in Tangzu’s lineup after its predecessor the Zetian Wu, which made waves in the IEM scene with its planar performance.

Named after the only empress China ever had named Wu Zetian, one can see this as a “Special Edition” of some sort that is sold and in production along with the OG Zetian Wu Planar IEM released prior.

Priced at around $200 dollars, sporting the same driver type as its predecessor(Planar Drivers), a collab with a known IEM reviewer (HBB a.k.a HawaiianBadBoy) and a new color variant, does the Heyday perform as well if not better than the highly praised Zetian Wu?

Disclaimers:

I don’t consider myself as an audiophile or an enthusiast, therefore the terminology and the overall review will be more mainstream.

• I like to keep my reviews simple without too much confusing and lingo
  
  
• This review set is a part of a review tour and was sent free of charge in exchange for an honest review. There is no material or financial incentive for me to do this review. I guarantee no exchange has been done by both parties to influence or sway my opinions on this product.

• My thoughts and opinions are of my own. My experience will entirely differ from everybody else. The contents of this review should not be considered factual as this hobby heavily leans on subjectivity. YMMV.

**Huge thanks to Sir Kent Aldriann Alfonso for making it possible for me to be part of the tour group for this IEM**


| Packaging |

It comes with a fairly large box with a nice illustration of what appears to be the empress the IEM were named upon, the being Wu Zetian. It also has multiple Tangzu and HBB branding with what seems to be Chinese text scattered around.

The box also has your typical spec sheet and additional information about the product and the manufacturer.


| Unboxing |

The unboxing experience is a breeze and pretty straightforward. Tangzu definitely didn’t skimp on the materials used for this product.

There is also thin sheet of printed paper with a message from Tangzu thanking the buyer for the purchase of this product
All the accessories and the IEM shells are encased with padding for protection and a gold accent piece with text in between the IEMs are placed.

The Heyday comes with multiple sets of classified ear tips with all the common sizes (S, M, L). It also comes with a single pair of foam tips for those who prefer that. The stock cable is a 2-pin sky blue 4-core modular cable with 2.5mm, 3.5mm, and 4.5mm termination plugs to cover one’s needs.

The included black case is quite large but feels nice to the hand. Not to mention the build it mold to allow you to store the IEMs in a pretty neat way while looking pristine. There are also mesh compartments on the case to allow you to store excess tips and the modular plugs in it.

| Build |

The Heyday has the same oriental engraving as its predecessor, the OG Zetian but in a different color of which is gunmetal gray. It is built with a CNC'd aluminum shell that feels nice to the touch and light enough for it not to feel cheap.


I really like the materials used here for having a nice mix of heft and lightness but do be cautious as the coating on the Heyday can attract fingerprints and be prone to scratches if not taken care of properly.
You can see a couple of vents around the driver shells and a Tangzu x HBB logo on each side and a somewhat protruded wing, so people who are particularly sensitive to those might want to try this one first before purchasing this set.


| Isolation |

This set isolates as good as most IEMs out there considering you get a good fit. It does block some sound passively but if you want total eradication of noise then most IEMs won't fit that description and go with TWS or full-sized headphones.

| Comfort |

This set sits nice and snug into my ears but needs me to readjust or let my ears rest after a couple of hours using it probably because of the aforementioned protruded wing poking my ears too much. This part is very subjective as your experience will not be identical to mine.



**I’ve used and tested this set primarily on desktop with the Zishan U1 with a Tanchjim TAPB narrow-bore eartips**

|| Sound ||

I found this set pretty neutral with a hint of warmth. The sound signature of this one greatly appeals to my playlist of various mix and match genres.


| Drivability |

This is a planar set so it is pretty well given that this can be more difficult and power-hungry than other driver technologies but these don't seem to be particularly hard to drive for a planar, but better sources are always advisable.

| Bass |

The subbass is present and the midbass has a nice punch but not massive amounts. Grit and texture are very well executed and don't smear over the midrange frequencies. This is not a basshead set, so if you consider yourself as one then this set can or can’t satisfy you with your idea of acceptable bass as a basshead.

| Mids |

The midrange of this set is well executed with instruments being rich and precise while sounding fully-bodied. Vocals sound full and not nasally and just a real tiny tinge of dryness with my experience on some artists for some reason.

| Highs |

High frequencies on the Heyday are well-extended and don't feel unnaturally cut-off and a nice air to it. I do however notice a bit of sibilance but it’s not as annoying and harsh as with my experience with the BQEYZ Winter I reviewer previously but I like the performance of the Highs on the Heyday very much. The Heyday is a very revealing set and is one of the most detailed sets I’ve tried to date.

| Technicalities |

The layering on the Heyday is pretty well segregated so that source of sound doesn’t muddied up the sound. Imaging is a pinpoint that I can identify which comes where but the soundstage for me sounded more wide than tall and has a pretty defined staging area that it sort of feels like it’s boxy.


|| Conclusion ||

The Heyday is the first planar set I’ve tried so I never had an experience. I can compare this set with other planar sets to measure things like drivability and the alleged “planar timbre” going around with some planar sets.

I enjoyed my time with this set very much and wouldn’t mind the minor nitpicks I had for this set for how much it caters with my playlist. Heyday being a nice yet engaging set with only a handful of dismissable cons makes it one of the sets I’ll recommend to someone looking for a planar, or just a good IEM in general.

Disclaimer
The unit was sent as a part of a review tour in my country, but I am not being paid or compensated otherwise for the review.



Build quality
zetian wu heyday is a chunky iem but remarkably comfortable to my ears. it seats well and even after hours of listening there is no discomfort at any point. However, it may be too big for small ears. It is built like a tank and the materials and quality are substantial. The quality of accessories are really premium, specially the carry case, which is rare to see at this price point. I would have liked the cable more if it were thinner as it adds noticeable weight to the earphone when using.



Sound quality
The bass is tight and clean and very deep extension with a slight boost in midbass that is tastefully done. The resolution is excellent in all regions of the sound. The midrange is natural, dense enough and well centered with clean transparent clarity and great layering. The top end is very airy and extremely detailed and it offers a clean and neutral presentation that always keeps the sound engaging. the soundstage is wide and deep with laser sharp imaging. dynamics may not be the strong point of this iem and it may be overtaken with some dd iems in this market. Compared to the OG Zetian Wu, the Heyday version sounds more natural and has a better tuning overall. It is a more polished and better tuned iem than the OG Zetian Wu.



Conclusion
The Zetian Wu Heyday is a better tuned iem than OG Zetian Wu and it provides an amazing tuning aided with a highly technical performance which is unheard of in this price range.

Introduction:

TangZu is one of many growing Chi-fi company out there. They were previously known as T-Force with their Yuan-Li model, before they officially change their name to TangZu. They were then release several iems like the Wan'er, Shimili and their first planar: Zetian Wu.
As of the time writing this review, the “Zetian Wu Heyday Edition” is the most expensive iem in their lineup. The Heyday version - a collab project with HBB (Hawaiian Bad boy)- can be seen as an updated/revamp version of OG Zetian Wu which has purple faceplate.
This is my review for the Heyday

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Linsoul or Tangzu. I bought this unit with my own money. Everything I said in this review is my subjective opinion only.

Packaging

Per usual, Tangzu really knows how to do a visual presentation for their iem, from their entry level Wan’er SG, to their OG Zetian Wu, to the Heyday. On the cover is a very artistic illustrator with a very mature art style. Many people will easily enjoy this as it’s a very beautiful yet non offensive type of asthetic.

Inside the box, you can see the iem itself and a very generous amount of accessories, which include: 4 pairs of white eartips (same as Kbear 07 tips) and 3 pairs of blue eartips (same as Kbear 08 tips), a very nice black leather carrying case and a THICC blue, silver plated modular cable. Even though it said “foam tips”, there was none to be found.
The carrying case is very well design. Outside of it is made from some type of thick synthetic leather. The interior is upholstered in soft velvet. There's so much space inside that you can easily fit many other gears that you're gonna need for your listening session like DAP, portable amplifier, many dongles and accessories. However, i like to be minimal most of the time so i usually only need my iem and my dongle which takes very little space. That's why i don't reach for these case that often eventhough it's the most premium carrying case that i had.


Here's a side by side comparison with my usual, on the go carrying case.

They also give me a mousepad with the same visual as the outer box. This is a bonus for those who purchase early on Linsoul.

This is one of the best unboxing experience that I’ve had, although I must admit the overall package can be smaller for, you know, enviromental reason.

Design/Build quality/Comfort

Using 5-Axis CNC machine, Tangzu give the Heyday a very ergonomic and smooth housing. The housing is a little bit above average in size, but it’s not too big. I think many people can easily fit this. The faceplate features a very intricate design pattern, same as the OG Zetian Wu, but this time comes in a gun metal color instead of bright purple.


You can see the HBB trademark logo very clearly

Let’s talk about the cable. The cable feels thick, plush yet soft at the same time. It is not microphonics at all. The braids are tightly knitted together. The termination is made out of steel (judging from touch). The only down side about this cable is that the interchangeable connectors are on a long side. I do hope it was shorter, but I can live with it.
This cable just screams premium on hands. This is one of the best cable that I’ve had in my collection. I can easily see this selling seperately for at least 50$.

Build wise, because the iem is made from full aluminum, it has a hefty weight to it. The Heyday just feels like a tank on hand. It feels very sturdy and robust to the touch. The smooth and glossy finish does attract lots of fingerprint.
.
Comfort wise, it’s good. Eventhough it’s on a heavy side compare to many other iem, because it has such a snug fit, its weight doesn’t bother me. Depending on tips, it also affects the total comfort of the iem. With the original white tips or with Fiio HS18 tips, I have no problem listening to this for many hours straight. However, with Spinfit W1, I have some pain spots on the concha. Your situation maybe different.

Sound impression
*Test gear
Source: Poco F3
Dongle: 7hz 71, Hiby FC4
Eartips: Kbear 07, Fiio HS18, Spinfit W1

Tonality: Harman-ish, balance, analytical.

Bass: 7/10

It’s good. The bass here well elevated above neutral. Subbass are well extended yet not too overwhelming. Midbass slams are well performed with good enough texture and weight to it. It doesn’t feel bloated or sluggish due to the fast transient and responsive characteristic of planar. Bass guitar sounds correct, kick drum sounds a bit soft on the attack, but not a deal breaker. On those busy track, it’s easy to distinguished many lower octave instruments that was performed simutaniously. The overall bass just sound clean

I do find the overall quantity of bass a bit lacking, too relax for my taste. It has this sort of “lean” dynamic I might say. EDM, pop doesn’t feel as fun or as engaging. Instruments like cello, trumpet or bass doesn’t have that bite or note weight to it. It’s there, just not enough for my taste. Bass head will definitely not find the Heyday’s bass satisfying.

Case in point: 20 first seconds of “Mighty Down Fall”: You can hear all the bass guitar, kick drums; can feel all that slam but it just doesn’t feel rumbly and authorative enough.

Mids: 8/10

With a clean and well seperated bass, there’s no or very little sense of muddiness or bass bleed so male vocal in the lower mids sounds clean and precise. Male vocal like Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra sounds lush with nice body to it. Female vocal sounds forward and energetic. Taylor Swift and Maiko Fujita’s voice sounds lively, smooth and not shouty. The Heyday just hit that balance zone in terms of vocal quality and positioning: Not too present, yet not too recessed. Instruments registered in the midrange has a natural timbre with a clean and concise characteristic. Some people may find the overall presentation of the midrange is on a safe or lean side, like it doesn’t have that “wow” factor, which is why I only put it as 8/10.

Test songs: “Fly me to the moon” by Frank Sinatra, “Feeling good” by Michael Buble, “22” by Taylor Swift, “Nee” by Maiko Fujita

Treble: 8.5/10

I love the treble on these. Treble extension was phenominal. It just sounds so clean, crisp and packs a lot of details with sparkly tonality to it. It doesn’t feel peaky or grainy. Cymbal strikes, hi hats sound natural. Instruments in this region may come upon as too forward, depending on some tracks. Detail retrieval is also top notch. The objectively “lean” bass does have an effect on shifting our focus to the treble region, so you can easily pick up all those microdetails and nuances in this region, which in turns may gave an impression of the Heyday being too analytical.

People with treble sensitive or those that doesn’t like that sense of brightness, sibilance or metallic charateristc will easily enjoy this set. I have no problem enjoying these over a long period of time with mid to high volume.

I was quite surprise to see very little of the typical planar sheen so that’s a bonus point

Technicalities: 8.5/10

Soundstage is awesome. It has a lot of width and depth with sufficient height. Due to it literally sits inside your ear, you won’t have that “out of your head” experience, however it still feels very spacious and expansive compare to many other iem. The overall 3D imaging is very accurate. Resolution, instrumental seperation and layering is also top notch. It just adds to the overall immersiveness brought by the soundstage. Fast pace and multi instrumental music genre was handle with ease on the Heyday.

Driveability: I find it’s harder to drive than some typical 1DD iem out there, but it’s not too bad.

Using Hiby FC4 as a source to test if there’s any different in sound quality between 3.5mm and 4.4mm, I do feel like the Heyday benefits from more power to sound fuller with better dynamics.

That being said, the 7hz 71 can drive the Heyday adequately.

Comparison

Vs Zetian Wu OG

I can see why many people would prefer this over the Heyday. The bass profile of the OG feels fuller, richer and rumblier. Many people said the OG Wu’s bass reminded them of dynamic driver type of bass and I would agree. The upper mids are boosted a bit, but it’s negligible in my ears. The overall timbre of the OG Wu feels denser in comparison. That being said, the Heyday feels more refined, more analitical, more immersive with better technical performance (in terms of imaging and detail retrieval) compare to the OG Wu.

If you like a fun, more musical type of iem, the one that brings some sort of color to your music then I think you’d rather pick the OG Wu. That being said, if you afraid that you’d break the OG Wu because it’s made of 3D printing resin, you should look for some thing else (or you can just EQ up the Heyday). As for me, because my playlist has a variety of type of music (most of it being orchestra, multi-instrument type), I’d like to find a “one for all” type of tuning with good technicalities, which is what the Heyday brings.

Vs KZ PR1 Pro

Battle between expensive vs cheap. In my case, it’s a battle between 200$ vs 40$.

Hands down, the Heyday beat the PR1 Pro in so many different ways. The Heyday has way less planar sheen, more natural and immersive timbre, more balance tuning with league better technicalitites. Female vocal on the Heyday feels especially smoother. It doesn’t have that rough edge, that raspiness that the PR1 Pro brings. The KZ PR1 Pro has too much treble and feels sharper as a whole. I’m not particularly treble sensitive, but all the instruments in the treble region just sound so fake. One thing I like more about the KZ is that it’s more bassy, more rumble and more “fun” compare to the Heyday.

Would the Heyday be an upgrade to the PR1 Pro if you already have it? Yes, in terms of refinement and technicalities. Would you lose out much if you can only afford the PR1 Pro? By 25% atmost to be honest. Although it may not be the best out there, you can enjoy it with some EQ. You can also tame the treble by adding foam in the nozzle, change to 3rd party filter, using foam tips,… ymmv. That being said, if you already dig the sound signature of the PR1 Pro but you want something better in terms of technicalities, build quality while doesn’t cost as much as the Heyday, look no further than the Shuoer S12/S12 Pro.

Vs Olina SE

The Oline SE and the Heyday’s FR has quite a lot of similarities so I thought It would be logical to compare the two. It sounds more different than I thought. The most noticeable difference is the bass region. The Olina’s bass just sound more natural to me. Although the midbass hit harder on the Heyday compare to the Olina SE; the Olina SE feels rumblier, like the bass kind of linger around a bit more. I think this is more of a difference of physicality/timbre between planar vs DD, rather than between tuning. The lower mids and upper mids sounds almost the same to my ear. Treble wise, Heyday edges out the Olina SE in terms of microdetails. In terms of technicalities, the Heyday takes the win completely against the Olina SE. It has a wider sense of soundstage, better resolution (due to better detail retrieval), instruments seperation and layering. Imaging feel a bit better on the Heyday, but not by a lot.

Fit wise, I enjoy the Heyday’s way more. The Olina SE keeps slipping out of my ear, so much that I’d have to readjust it every 20 minutes or something. Not to mention, the Heyday has NO condensation issue so I can use it for many hours straight without having to worry about the filter being blocked. Driveability, the Olina SE is easier to drive compare to the Heyday

Conclusion

Heyday is a very good planar. To me, this is my endgame in terms of planar iem already. It performs way better than expected for a 200$ iem. It offers such immersiveness, clean tonality with such good resolution, suitable for many type of music library. If you’re looking for a “one to rule them all” iem then I think this is a very good contender for it.

That being said, 200$ is slightly on an expensive side in the grand scheme of things, considering you can get both the Shuoer S12 and Tinhifi P1 Max/P1 Plus when it’s on sale. But, the top tier quality modular cable as well as a sturdy, ergonomic housing makes up for it.

Would I recommend this? Absolutely, although I think you should wait for these to go on sale to get a much better value for your money.

Hi all! What is the secret of successful headphones? In a detailed and high-quality sound, you will say, and you will be right, but only partly. The secret of successful headphones lies in many factors, such as: attractive packaging and excellent presentation, delivery set, unexpected advertising, the appearance of the headphones and quality accessories, price / quality, and most importantly - great sound. With all these factors, manufacturers are trying to draw attention to their products, but unfortunately it does not always work out as intended.
In today's review, I would like to talk about another planar novelty corresponding to the concept of successful headphones, especially this time tuned according to the precepts of the "Bad Guy". What did Tangzu end up with, I propose to find out from the review of in-ear magnetic planar headphones Tangzu ZeTian Wu Heyday Edition.

Specifications:

Emitter: magnetic planar, 14.5 mm in diameter
Allowable distortion: <1%
Frequency response: 20Hz - 20kHz
Impedance (resistance): 16Ω
Sensitivity: 100 dB (1 kHz)
Channel Difference: 1dB (1kHz)
Connector: 2Pin 0.78mm
Plug type (Jack): 3.5 Se + 2.5 Ballance + 4.4 Ballance Pentaconn
Cable: 5N OFC
Cable length: 1.2m + 5%

Packing and scope of delivery:

Headphones come in a large and beautiful cardboard box. On the front side of the dust jacket, we will find an image of an attractive Asian girl in traditional attire. Immediately, in the upper left corner we will see the logo of the "Bad Guy", and at the very bottom, under the beautiful young lady, the name of the model of the updated headphones. On the reverse side of the dust jacket we find the technical characteristics of the novelty.


Having removed the beautiful dust jacket, we will find a dense black cardboard box with the company logo and a magnetic lock.

Inside the package we are greeted with:

Headphones with ear pads on

Large quality case made of eco-leather

Modular cable with three plugs: 3.5 Se, 2.5 Bal, 4.4 Bal

Set of ear pads 3 types



The appearance of the headphones and ergonomics:

The headphone cases are a simple, rounded shape on all sides with a peculiar pattern on the faceplates. Headphones have a closed design. Inside the body of the novelty, the same large planar emitter with a diameter of 14.5 mm is hidden, as in the original model, the review of which was on our YouTube channel a few months ago. Only unlike the original model, where only the faceplates were metal, the updated headphones even have shells made of metal or metallized plastic. The headphones are assembled with high quality, the joints between the shell and the faceplate are perfectly even, the metal perforated plates are glued neatly and evenly. The headphones are painted in black metallic, which is abundantly collecting fingerprints.

On the shells, we find 3 compensation holes, a pair of which are located next to a slightly recessed socket of two-pin connectors, and one compensation hole each on the bottom of the shell, next to the letter marking of the channels. From the end of the shells we will see the name of the company and the logo of the "Bad Guy". At the same time, the sound guides are of medium length, at the end of which there is a noticeable rim to hold the ear cushions.

An incredibly beautiful complete four-wire silver-plated copper cable deserves special mention. It is medium in softness, slightly tans in the cold, is not prone to tangling and lacks a microphonic effect. The cable stands out not only for its spectacular appearance, but also for its high-quality metal fittings with three types of removable plugs. The cable and plugs are connected using a four-pin male connector.



But as a true audiophile, having a soft fat copper modular cable from IVIPQ in my collection, I could not deny myself the pleasure of using it and checking whether the sound of the headphones changes with a different cable or not. For better or worse, the third-party cable did not bring any audible changes to the sound quality.



I would like to say a few more words about a very cool large case for carrying and storing headphones. It is made of dense leatherette, pleasant to the touch, upholstered in soft velvet or rather even velveteen. At the same time, there is so much space inside that in addition to your headphones, portable DAC and cable, even a rather large player or portable amplifier will fit there.


As for ergonomics, for me it is excellent. Headphone cases are smoothed, of medium size, while there is a characteristic anatomical protrusion. In general, in my relatively small ears, the headphones sit well, there is no fatigue even after an hour and a half of listening to music.


Sound:

The sound of the headphones was tested with QLS QA361, Dethonray Prelude DTR1 Plus, Colorfly C10, Shanling M0 Pro players, Topping NX7 portable amplifier and portable DACs: Audirect Atom Mini and Abigail from Venture Electronics.

Headphones love powerful and high-quality sources, with good control of low-frequency and high-frequency ranges. The sound in this case, as it should be for high-quality planars, is fast, accurate and delineated, with excellent elaboration of plans and images. The new headphones turned out to be definitely smoother than the original model, but since we have Asian planar headphones in front of us, accordingly, the sound of the new product has its own nuances, which I propose to talk about in more detail.

Low frequencies

Became more neutral and high-speed, at the same time more biting and outlined. Accordingly, the former depth and slight impressiveness disappeared in the sound. The attacks of the updated model have become noticeably sharper and more accurate. In other words, increased control and quality of low frequencies.

Mid frequencies

Neutral and refined, they attract attention with enviable detail and excellent elaboration of plans and images. However, there are issues with the lower and upper mids on some tracks. In other words, in certain genres saturated with a large number of instruments, I lacked the weight and volume of the lower middle. Because of this, the chic and energetic baritone of the same Disturbed lead singer David Michael Draiman is perceived as somewhat flat and stiff. At the same time, the gasps of electric guitars sound bright, literally on the verge, and almost break into an outright piping. Compared to the original Tangzu ZeTian Wu, the virtual stage of the novelty has become less deep, while the width of the stage has not changed.

High frequencies

Detailed and lengthy. I would not call them frankly smooth, nevertheless they sound much more comfortable than their planar competitors on a similar transducer. Of the minuses, I note some emphasis on whistling and hissing, which is why noticeable sibilants and distortions slip on certain tracks.


Comparisons:

Tangzu ZeTian Wu Heyday Edition vs TRN Kirin:

I don’t know how it happened, but TRN performed surprisingly well last year with its first planar TRN Kirin model. The headphones turned out to be angry, shock and high-speed. Of course, there were also questions about the sound of the model. Low frequencies hit more with mid-bass, and the upper mids turned out to be even brighter than those of the heroes of the review. Nevertheless, high-speed, instrument-rich music sounded even meaner and more voluminous in TRN planars, there was no lack of weight in the lower middle, and high frequencies, despite their some clumsiness, did not suffer from sibilances.

Tangzu Ze Tian Wu Heyday Edition vs Tangzu Ze Tian Wu:

The original Tangzu ZeTian Wu play more V-shaped. The original ZeTian Wu low frequencies are dynamically deeper and more imposing, the lower mids are fatter and more full-bodied, and the high ones are rougher and I would even say dirty. In general, the updated Heyday Edition plays more airy, more neutral, faster, cleaner and, in some moments, more natural.

Conclusion:

What is the result? In order to increase sales of the already very good original version of the headphones, the manufacturer invited me to participate in tweaking the sound of the "Bad Guy", slightly changed the design of the box, added a beautiful modular cable, made the headphone housings completely metal, painted them black metallic and set the price at $ 200. Are the updated headphones better from this? In my opinion, yes rather than no.

Intro
Tangzu audio has collaborated with HBB to come up with the Heyday edition of Zetian Wu iem which is a special edition of their regular Zetian Wu iem. The unit has been sent to me as a part of a review tour but all thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Build
The iem is quite big in size and the associated accessories feel really premium and high quality. The carrying case is quite big and luxurious and so is the included modular cable. overall the build quality is really good and feels very premium


Sound quality
The sound of zetian wu heyday is a stand out among the rest of the iem market, so let's get into it with more detail


Bass
The planar driver here has a lot of detail and resolution but not the deepest slam and punch as found from some dynamic driver iems. but it does have more detail than most of the dd iems i have heard. This is usually expected of planar iems and is no surprise here.

The bass hits deep and hard when called for and it never bleeds into the mids. the overall quantity is sufficient for many except maybe the hardcore bassheads. but there is no denying the amount of detail and quality in this range.


Mids
The midrange is really uncolored and it has a neutral presentation and the amount of detail here is really something worth noting. The driver quality inside is really good as the entire midrange is totally grain free and very clean, bringing out even the smallest micro details. i would say that the upper midrange area associated with female vocals are a bit laid back and polite so the tone is inoffensive and non fatiguing.


Treble
I would characterize the iem as warm sounding and it is due to the laid back presentation of the treble. but the remarkable thing is that it still has tremendous amounts of natural resolution and detail in this region. I have heard details in the very high end that I have not heard before with other iems that are often even brighter than the heyday.

This goes to show that the heyday has lots of natural resolution, thanks to the excellent planar driver inside.


Conclusion
The zetian wu heyday is an amazing iem with loads of detail and resolution that is simply not usually heard of in this price range. The best part is it does all this with a non fatiguing and relaxing sound.

Zetian Wu Heyday arrived to spice up the Planar Wars even more. With the high standards exhibited by competitors, Heyday managed to edge her way to the top crop of the selections. With great sonic qualities to accompany the beautiful looks. Using Heyday is sheer pleasure for me, I am really digging the fine balance between analytical temperament and musical fluidity of Heyday, handling seemingly all type of music genres with ease. Not forgetting the exemplary technical prowess.

However, despite being relatively efficient to drive. Heyday will only shine the best when paired with powerful partners, just like a good Magnetic Planar would behave.

2022 has ended with a lot of collabs from many famous names in the industry. HBB, commonly known as Bad Guy Good Audio Reviews, has been a part of many projects. One of his projects is what I have got here to test, the Tangzu x HBB Zetian Wu Heyday. Originally released earlier in 2022, Zetian Wu is a planar magnetic driver IEM which joined the Planar bandwagon and grabbed some good interest from the community. Tangzu Audio later collaborated with HBB to release a differently tuned version which they named Zetian Wu Heyday. This pair retails for 199$ available across different stores worldwide. I got to try this unit of Zetian Wu Heyday for about 6 days and now I have forwarded the unit to the next reviewer in the chain. Let’s begin with my review.

A short Disclaimer:-

I received the Zetian Wu Heyday as a part of a review tour organized in my country by my friend Machine God. I would like to thank him for this opportunity. A free audition sample doesn’t mean I would be irrational in my review, all the impressions are my own based on my own experience with the pair. The stock cable had some kind of issue, so I reviewed the Zetian Wu with a copper cable that I got with my Symphonium Audio Meteor.

Design & Build Quality:-

The entire shell of Zetian Wu Heyday has a smooth, glossy finish. The shells are made up of aluminum alloy material and they are fingerprint magnets as well. They have a shiny, black finish. Since Tangzu refers to and designs their pairs with reference to Chinese dynasties, the Zetian Wu Heyday has got a beautiful traditional Chinese engraved pattern on the face covers. The pair looks and feels premium. The cavities have a smooth ergonomic shape to them, they provide me with a comfortable wearing experience.

Although I must add here, the best part of Zetian Wu’s design is the stock case. I mean, it’s just fantastic. It’s such a premium big-sized case with velvet-kind inside casing for IEMs. I instantly paid my friend for this case and grabbed it for myself lol. Attaching a pic of the case below as it houses my Meteor now.

Driving the Zetian Wu Heyday:-

Zetian Wu Heyday loves extra juice and power. It sounds good with a dedicated USB DAC/AMP or Digital Audio Player. For my review, I tested it with Hidizs XO USB DAC and SE200 Audio Player. With my smartphone Redmi Note 10 Pro, it felt loud enough but the dynamics were not enough. Dedicated USB DAC and DAP are recommended from my side.

Sound Impressions:-

I tried the OG Zetian Wu for a very short amount of time at an audio meet-up that happened in my city a few months back. I was not impressed with the set as I found it lean and a little sharp as well(I might be wrong because I spend hardly 15-20 minutes with it). And honestly, I was expecting something similar with the Heyday with minor tweaks only. But to my surprise, the Heyday version sounds good. Maybe I must have given some more time to the OG Zetian Wu, because the Heyday edition sounds very good in comparison to those memories of mine. The set has a neutral to slightly warm sound signature. The bass region has got a good punch to it, it sounds clean and shows good rumble in the sub-bass region as well. Mid-bass has a textured, clean response with drum kicks hitting in precisely during the tracks. It’s nicely controlled and doesn’t sound boomy or over-exaggerated at all.

With a clean lower-end response, we get a rich and smooth midrange segment. The Vocals and instruments in the midrange section have good details and clarity to them. They sound clean and show good resolution as well. IMO male vocals sound richer and denser in comparison to female vocals. Don’t get me wrong here, female vocals are still smooth, it’s just I find the male vocals to be a bit richer and denser. Instruments like Piano, Guitar, and Flutes show good control and clarity in the midrange section. Midrange doesn’t sound recessed, in fact vocals have got a good presence on the stage in an upfront manner. But don’t worry, they don’t sound shouty at all.

Treble region on the heyday has a smooth, laid-back presentation. It’s nice and clean, has a good amount of details and doesn’t have any signs of shortness or sibilance. Heyday is a good set to enjoy relaxing musical sessions with its smooth, laid-back treble response.

Zetian Wu Heyday has got good separation, clarity, and resolution for instruments. The stage is quite open and feels dense as well. Zetian Wu Heyday actually produces an immersive, intimate presentation with enough headroom to depict everything clearly and cleanly even in busy tracks like Dark necessities by RHCP. Layering and Imaging, are stars of the show on the heyday, as the pair produces excellent separation.

DUNU Talos Vs Zetian Wu Heyday:-

I had the pleasure to try the DUNU Talos recently, while the Talos had an optional Dual BA mode, the comparison is based on pure Planar mode only. Talos image is from my review on the same on Headfi.

>Talos has a flatter signature in comparison to the Zetian Wu Heyday.

>Heyday has a smoother, relaxed sound in comparison to the Talos.

>Tonally Heyday has a richer, denser sound and punchier bass, while Talos focuses more on getting more details and a cleaner sound.

>With its Dual BA mode, Talos presents improved detailing and resolution.

Final Words for Zetian Wu Heyday:-

Tangzu Zetian Wu Heyday is a great set with a rich sound output. The metallic ear shells, and the smooth, laid-back sound, provide a complete package for people looking for a dose of musical enjoyment. It delivers a clean sound with richer, denser vocals and excellent resolution. I absolutely loved the set and its sound. Well, that’s about the Zetian Wu Heyday from my side, I hope you guys liked my write-up and leave me a like on this blog Feel free to ask me any questions you might have for the Zetian Wu Heyday.

They are quite heavy being all metal but feel very study and solid. Cable is superb in feel and quality. Fit is good to very good.
This is a set for those wanting a clean edge to transients with the bass neatly trimmed of fat. Yet it's not thin or sharp, just neutral with a slight emphasis to the lower treble.

TONALITY: 8.5/10
TECHNICALITIES: 8.8/10
CONSTRUCTION: 9/10
SOUND VALUE: 8.5/10

INTRO
Tangzu is a rather fresh earphones company from China that start 2 years ago with it's first offering the Tforce Yuan Li, at this time, yes, Tangzu was under the brand name Tforce but need to change due to copyright.
The Yuan Li receive good acclaim but fall into oblivion less than a year after it's launch, it was a well balanced smooth and crisp L shape signature that we can call neutral with slight sub bass boost too, clean and transparent.
Yet, my real love affair with Tangzu begin with their first planar offering: the Zetian Wu.
Today, i will review the follow up of these, which are suppose to offer more balanced sound as well as superior technical performance due to the upgraded planar driver used. Oh, and the retune was made in collaboration with HBB aka Hawaiian bad boy aka the guy who was ban on headfi aka Bad Guy Good Audio Review.
Let see in this review if those keep the DNA of original Zetian Wu and push their technical performance even further.

CONSTRUCTION&ACCESSORIES



To say the Heyday is a big upgrade in term of construction quality is an understatement, they are next-level going from cheap plastic with cheap ally backplate to all thick alluminium body made with 5 axes high precision CNC machine. The design is sumptuous too, with beautifully engraved chinese pattern. Unlike the fragile Zetian Wu, these promise long term durability and have this metal mirror finish that isn't easy to scratch (yet still easy to finger prints).



Surprisingly, these aren't very heavy and the organic shape is very comfy, but not thinked for deep insertion.



Another big improvment in term of accessories now is the modular cable included. Its a very high quality cable with thick 4 cores and silver plated braids. The interchangeable modular plugs are thick and heavy too, very very sturdy with a tight secure fit. At begining i find them too big and lean to appreciate this reassuring sturdyness.



In term of packaging and accessories, again, it's impressive and well thinked. The imagery cover of the box is tastefull and artfull, way more mature looking than waifu for example and will appeal to wider consumers in term of plain aesthetic. But it's a bit oversized box and could have been 2 time smaller if i have to nitpick something.
The accessories are generous too, just the cable is enough to impress but we have a big carrying case too, perfect for travel since you can put alot of IEMs and cables and dongles in it. As well, we have 6 pairs of nice quality silicone eartips including the KB07 balanced eartips which i use with alot of IEMs with large nozzle. We have a pair of foams eartips too. All in all, very nice unboxing consumers experience.
SOUND IMPRESSIONS
The Heyday are smooth neutral to balanced organic gentle U shape, with great sens of transparency and imaging and a creamy timbre. These aren't for those seeking big fun, yet i would not say they are dead boring. Sure, we are into safe tuning territory, but with a twist. This twist is the treble crispness that add sens of much needed snap and energy, and the fact timbre is natural, not thin nor dry like some harman or DF tuned iem with similar DNA. Imaging an Aria with more mids and your not far from the Heyday.
Their different type of listener, some are impatient and want the fun to start as soon as they press play buton of their music source. The Heyday are rewarding in the long run, like a meditation that make you go deeper in your conscience and see your thoughs passing by in a sharp lucidity. They are mature yet not overly cerebral since they aren't plain lean. You got gentle bass boost, gentle mids boost and hint more audacious treble boost, yet, delicate and meticulous in their presentation.

Are they L shape, U shape or W shape...the balance is so organic and cohesive, so liquide as a whole that it's hard to tell. Thus the neutral terminology. One thing sure, if you own the Zetian Wu, these aren't sounding the same at all, and it's a proof that frequency graph is just half of the story and very overatted in audiophile community. Nobody will say they sound similar in fact, even if yes, tonal balance similarity is perceivable for experienced listener like me. Anyway, i will compare those 2 in this review so let's go back to.…

Bass. Clean and docile, the low end have a sub bass focus with slight mid bass boost, it's more about gentle slam than energic punch. The definition is good but not perfect in separation due to scooped edge that affect mostly the kick drum presence and dynamic. Yet, its a very realist bass experience that can impress with its natural resonance, i mean by that the toms resonance for example, which is well resolve and clean, it's the lead impact that lack proper precision and sharpness in rendering. Texture wise, its good too, but quite a bit juicy and over polished. While not bass head, these aren't what i would call bass ligh, bass roll off or anemic in bass department. Its a U shaped slam we have without lot of mid bass immediacy, and this permit to have good ''oomph'' and enough sub hit vibrancy as well as this natural resonance without problematic bleed in the mids, which sit on it. The Heyday are not fitted for rap, EDM or big beat that need fast punchy boom, i dont think its made for bass lover nor basshead. These are more fitted for slow soul, classical, jazz and well anything that isn't agressive in bass department and will benefit from a mellow punch and thick vibrant rumble.

Mids. Natural, dense enough and well centered with clean transparent clarity and great layering. Creamy and focus, the tone is right and the presence is smoothed yet not recessed. Female vocal sound more bodied and upfront, while male vocal are clean but a hint thin. We don't have the planar timbre noise with those, the texture richness is understated yet not polished to the point of dullness. Sure, i find the mids a bit overly safe, in the sens it doesn't open by itself and feel over centered and even distant in dynamic. Note weight lack authority and definition, so while piano note drop we don't get excited and the natural resonance which could be appealing lack the proper lead hit, so this take you out of it's musicality. Pinna gain isn't overly boosted, quite safe, and I can say the same for upper mids even if a bit more lively than lower mids. Those are soft, liquid mids that have an organic cohesion and laid back presence.

Treble. This is surely the most exciting part of tonality, and it's not as dark as first Zetian, we have air, crispness and even hint of sparkle. For a planar, this already deserve an applause. But imperfection can sometime mean musicality and the Heyday have thinner lower treble than the Zetian, which make the listener focusing in upper treble snap and microdetails, which aren't the most generous and not always fully restitute. This tend to highlight percussions, since it's metallic instrument that will have extra presence and energy, the treble is only freqeuncy range where dynamic feel lively and not too homogeneous in dynamic loudness, yet, we have tamed impact still that will affect natural sens of resonance and decay, this is very evident when listening to clavichord which sound a bit dry and lean, bit distant and not open. In classical or acoustic music the amplitude scaling of dynamic loudness is diversify, way more than pop or digital instrument music, strangely, when violin want to express louder it feel tamed in decibel scaling, making sound projection unrealist and quite boring, this tend to keep all sound layers at same loudness level and making the differentiation of them harder. So, violin lack texture and proper presence definition, it lack substance. I can say that for every acoustic instrument, definition edge is softed so we don't have a vividly crisp and clean resolution. Nonetheless, its a refined treble, delicate and fatigue free, safe with this slight upper treble boost pass 10khz that struggle to fully open the sound as it should but instead add not always well balanced micro part of texture or details. Acoustic guitar sound very sparkly but a bit thin, so the treble magnify crispness over fullness in high pitch instrument and sound rendering.

Now, for the soundstage, it's rather average, but not overly intimate or closed up. Its wide, minimaly tall and just enough deep to make the spatiality U shape since center stage is a bit recessed and more distant but doesnt project mids in this space to make it truely deep.

Imaging is quite improve from first Zetian, yet it's due to more transparent timbre and less resonant-warming bass. I don't think they excell at this price range, due to compressed layering that affect space between instrument. If i complaint about definition edge, it will sure affec proper separation definition too ,which is the case here. But we can explore the condensed sound layer and pinpoint some instrument so it's not plain bad, yet, you will need to give psychoacoustic effort!


COMPARISONS
VS TANGZU ZETIAN WU

Simply put, the Wu are lusher, thicker and bassier with similar overal balance but the bass is more boosted and upper mids too, but it was already safely tuned to the choice to tame upper mids for Heyday is questionnable, this affect dynamic separation alot and favor a lean crispness. So, the Heyday are clean, leaner and more neutral, treble is suddenly more resolved and airy, yet, less textured and crunchy....even if the Wu weren't very agressive in that department. Treble is more extended too, and deliver higher amont of micro details in a effortless way while the Wu focus on whats important to extract but lack sparkle. Bass is more punchy too, and even feel more separated in bodied presence...yet,can go muddy more easily when sub and kick are playing togheter. Strange.
Spatiality have trade off in both case, WU is wider and taller but less deep than the Heyday. Imaging is without a doubt superior with the Heyday, both in layering and clean static positioning.

Overall result of Heyday is a more refined crisp neutral Zetian, with superior resolution and technical performance, yet i do find the musicality of Zetian more appealing and especially more dynamic in rendering, denser in timbre and more versatile for different music genre.

VS Raptgo Hook X HBB

The Hook is more W shape and open sounding, just a slight notch brighter yet still smooth with hint of warmth. Bass is better rounded, more bodied and punchy and rumble is thicker too, it seem faster as well, hint more excited in impact too. Mids are more open and fowards, thicker in timbre, less transparent clean and lean than Heyday, less organic in timbre and have hint more upper mids, thus the slightly brighter perception that benefit attack grip and make both violin and electric guitar have more lead in attack as well as more edgy definition. Mids of Heyday feel darker yet has well or perhaps even better resolve, this is due to overly smoothed edge of definitiona s well as less vivid dynamic that tend to make mids sound more distant, less alive and articulate in presence. Treble while smoother and more liquid with Heyday have hint more brilliance and sparkle, so it's crisper while the Hook is snappier and crunchier as well as less thin sounding and more ''3D'' in highs perception since again, the highs struggle to fully open with the Heyday since they are tamed in loudness scaling.
Spatiality i way taller and wider with the Hook, center stage isn't as deep as the Heyday which feel like a flat imagery that we can dig deeper in it's transparent layers, yet this layering feel more compressed too, not well separated in space and a bit static, unlike the Hook which have holographic spatiality with dense moving sound layers and wider space between instruments. Imaging is a notch superior as a whole with the Hook, in macro perception with more air to flow between instrument, the Heyday migth feel cleaner in layering, yet, they mix togheter to closely and create an organic creamy fog as a whole, only upper treble feel cleanly separated in fact, as well, bass can be hard to position, everything feel overly center staged.

All in all, it's evident that the Hook X HBB are more muscular and engaging in dynamic, less compressed in staging and to my ears superior in both tonality and technicalities.

VS BQEYZ Winter

Ok, these are slightly similar in fact, but again even if near neutral the Winter sound more engaging and lively, with more impactful mid bass and more upfront upper mids. The bass isn't as clear, clean and detailed as the Heyday, more bright in texture but better define in impact. Mids are more rough and less lean and refined and transparent than Heyday, hint more shouty too so overal tonality is brigther and more vivid with the Winter. Now the treble is extremely impressive with the Winter, but suddenly more centered in stage, its faster, crisper and more fully restitute in texture and micro details, it add sens of air too while the highs of Heyday are smoother and daker with sudden brilliance that can occur for metallic instrument, but it feel a bit unbalance, more so than Winter which have a more energic balance that don't suffer from slight brilliance spike poping out of no where.
Spatiality is very different, Heyday is wider and perhaps hint deeper, while Winter offer a strange spatiality, not the most realist, as if we have stereo rendering + extra little speaker for center stage, if feel fake open compared not smoothly open for the Winter. This make the Heyday more competent and accurate in imaging and layering, which is rather bad for bass and mids with the Winter while superior in treble section positioning than Heyday.

All in all, while the Winter is more captivating and offer snappier crisper treble, bass and mids aren't as refined and technicaly competent as the Heyday which make me conclude the Heyday is my favorite one.

VS TINHIFI P1plus:

Ok, the P1plus are even more neutral like an inversed L shape with boosted upper treble that add lot of clean air, snap and sparkle. What it first is how faster is transient response so their no doubt for me technical performance are superior to Heyday. Bass is notably less boosted, yet its more textured for kick drum but sub bass is way more roll off than the Heyday, yet even if less boosted, the punch is better perceive and more tight and edgy. Mids are notably more present and upfront, with higher resolution and better separation and imaging, while more neutral it sound less lean in dynamic too and open up naturaly, we have more note weight in lead impact too, making dynamic less muddy and smoothed. Treble is star of the show of P1plus and from another league i would say, we have faster attack, more snap, more air, more extension and way more micro details that can will fully restitue texture as well as permit a natural well resolve resonance of instrument sustain-decay. Spatiality is a bit less wide but notably deeper, more airy and clean. Imaging is from another league, with faster better separated layering and sharper better resolve positioning.

All in all, Tinhifi P1plus is still the Planar master of technicalities, like the HZsound Mirror it's very hard to detrone even more so at it's 120$ price of nowaday. Yet, its less full sounding and smooth than the Heyday, and it's tonality is more accessible for laid back listening, timbre not being the most charming when it come to P1plus.

CONCLUSION



Tangzu evolution is just mind blowing, I mean....it only make 2 years they are around and already scale up in term of tuning maturity and knowledge. While i adore the first Zetian Wu, there no doubt it's less refined in balance and more of a emotional and fun guilty pleasure that i would never repent off!

While we have a trade off in term of fun factor for the benefit of higher resolution and smoother balance, it's in fact something to applause audiophile wise.

The Heyday offer a clean, crisp, organic and immersive musicality with effortless detailing that few IEMs can achieve in this price range, it's a rich listen that will reward the listener in the long run due to it's revealing transparency.

Sure, the sub bass focus make the punch a bit too mellow for a lively listen, so these are more for audiophile seeking neutral to crisp L shape tonality or fatigue free listen that isn't dark or plain dull sounding.

I already know that the reception of those will be similar to Moondrop Aria, so, if you are like me a fan of the Aria, these are logical upgrade.

Well done Tangzu, and your true potential begin to blossom with the Heyday, so I will sure follow your marvelous evolution.


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PS: I want to thanks Tangzu for sending me this review sample after I manifest my curiosity about them (due to overwhelming love of the Zetian WU). I'm not affiliated and this review is unbiased and 100% honest as always.

You can order the Zetian Wu Heyday Edition directly from this official seller here (non-affiliated link):
https://www.linsoul.com/products/tangzu-x-hbb-wu-heyday

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Disclaimer: Linsoul provided me with a review unit. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Unaffiliated product link.

Introduction & Packaging

TangZu x HBB Wu Zetian Heyday Edition is a collaboration IEM between TangZu Audio and the popular reviewer, HawaiiBadBoy/Bad Guy Good Audio Review. It is currently retailing at $199. TangZu Audio, formerly known as TForce Audio, has been having a pretty hot streak recently with a few well-received releases in the latter half of 2022, most notably the original Wu Zetian, one of the more popular entries to the planar IEM war. The Heyday Edition is TangZu's second attempt at Wu Zetian's lineage, this time bringing a lot of improvement over the original Wu Zetian as they claim.

The IEM housing is now made from aluminium in shiny, electroplated gunmetal black, while originally it was resin with metal plate. That change may be an issue to some people, as the full aluminium shell is noticeably heavier than the original, and also giving a colder sensation compared to the original's resin shell. I personally prefer the metal construction, feeling more premium. Also, the electroplating would mean a more durable coating, so you can worry less about flaking or chipping paint (coughAR*Acough).

The Heyday packaging is largely similar to the original version, typical of TangZu with its excesses: intricately designs on the large outer box, complete set of accessories, spacious carrying case, and for a limited number exclusively for Heyday, a cloth mouse pad featuring the dark Wu Zetian design. There are 3 sets of balanced eartips (S/M/L), 3 sets of bass eartips (S/M/L), another set of silicone eartips that were labeled as foam (not sure why), and a set of standard black eartips attached to the IEMs in the package. The included carrying case is a hard case with integrated cable winder and IEM slots, now in black instead of red in the original. The cable is an improvement over the original: from 4-core OFC single-ended cable to a 4-core SPC modular cable. A small nitpick would be that despite being really robust and solid, the modular termination is relatively longer compared to other modular cable systems. For the packaging and accessories, it's an easy 5/5 for me.





Sound Impression

Sources: Topping D90SE/A90D stack, Fiio M11S, Questyle M15
Setup: Large balanced eartips, stock modular cable with 4.4mm termination
Music Sources: Local FLAC (redbook/hi-res), Tidal Masters, Apple Music Lossless, Spotify

For listening test, I ran everything in balanced whenever possible. The Heyday has undergone a 24-hour burn-in prior to testing. My music library mostly consists of J-pop, city pop, and jazz, as well as occasional orchestral soundtracks, rock, and heavy metal.

Listening impression is a very subjective experience depending on individual ear shape, choice of eartips, music library, and personal preferences, so your experience may vary. I believe that FR graph doesn't tell the whole picture, but it's still useful as a comparative tool. All graphs are courtesy of Ian Fann.

Wu Zetian Heyday Edition tuning can be described as neutral-warm. Bass is very controlled, snappy and yet impactful. Midrange is very clean, very little bass bleed, and a little forward in vocals. The treble has a good extension and smooth. With my usual test tracks, I didn't experience any sibilance issues. It does exhibit some slight timbre issues with a lighter note weight, which is common in planars and all-BA configuration, but I feel the tuning makes up for it by adding an extra meat in the midbass. Talking about technicalities, the Heyday definitely performs well. Similar to other planar IEMs, the soundstage has a lot of width and depth, but little height. Detail reproduction is excellent, but might lack a bit of finesse; all microdetails are presented in somewhat equal intensity, which might be overwhelming (in a good way, to some people). While it is easier to say that "it performs above its price range" probably a year ago, I find it harder to say it now considering that the recent competitions (especially other planar IEMs) within the $100-200 are also getting better and able to challenge the technical performance of Heyday. That said, I would still rank Heyday highly in the $200 class.

In terms of driving requirements, Heyday is quite easily driven with decent dongle DACs. Something like the Questyle M15, with which I did most of the listening test, easily handles Heyday. I did try it with some more affordable options too like the Colorfly CDA-M1 and Shanling UA3 briefly, and I find them satisfactory as well. Even on single-ended, something like a 7Hz 71 dongle can drive it decently. That said, with more power, you get a tighter note and improved resolution.

The planar driver in Heyday is very capable in handling complex tracks, deftly rendering the busy guitar riffs at the beginning of "Sobakasu" by Judy & Mary, as well as separating the interweaving shamisen and electric guitars in "Change" by Monkey Majik and Yoshida Brothers. The Heyday is also no slouch in big orchestral pieces, reproducing the grand feeling in "Baba Yetu" by Christopher Tin and "Dream of Arrakis" by Hans Zimmer. Higher male vocal in "Cintaku" by Chrisye or the deeper one in "Hajimete no Chuu" by Platina Jazz and Niklas Gabrielsson are smooth and forward. Female vocals like Sheena Ringo in "Nagaku Mijikai Matsuri" or Jess Glynne in "Rather Be" are not as forward, but still nevertheless nuanced and textured. In "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes, you can hear the distinct twang of the down-pitched guitar very well, but the drum line is missing some more impact based on my preferences. Overall, it is a very versatile IEM that can play with multiple genres competently.

Bass: Fast, textured, and snappy
Mids: Clean, vocal-forward, detailed
Treble: Smooth, non-fatiguing, well-extended
Technicalities: Great resolution, spacious soundstage, good imaging and separation

Select Comparisons


TangZu Wu Zetian ($149):
As a disclaimer, I have not owned the original Wu Zetian, but I have spent some time trying it thoroughly at a local audio shop for this comparison. My impression of the original Wu Zetian was that it is a completely different IEM than the Heyday. Unlike the other retuned collab IEMs which tend to use the same driver as the original model, Heyday re-did everything from the driver, the housing, and the cable, so the sound is vastly different. In my opinion, the original is a planar IEM that sounds the least like a planar. Note weight is thick like a DD and a very smooth presentation across the entire frequency range, while with the Heyday, you can notice the driver being faster and snappier, giving a more planar timbre but without being too thin. Resolution also went up an entire grade with the Heyday. The original Wu Zetian smoothed out the treble response too much to my liking, while the Heyday has more details to it. Tuning-wise, there might be some people who miss the bass impact of the original, but I still prefer the more textured bass in Heyday. Overall, I can definitely say that the Heyday is just simply a better IEM over the original.


7Hz Timeless ($199)/Timeless AE ($259):
I have owned the original Timeless for quite some time, as well as currently owning the Timeless AE, so I am very familiar with them. The Heyday is very similar to the original Timeless, but with smoother presentation. The Timeless AE added more bass kick, but that means the midrange gets a bit more bass bleed, but it's not a big issue given the Timeless planar driver's speed. Resolution is better with both Timeless versions, but it does have a bit more treble glare compared to the Heyday. Planar timbre is more noticeable with the original Timeless. With the Timeless AE, the treble glare is reduced, but still not as smooth as Heyday. All these gave the Timeless AE a more energetic presentation, which may appeal more to some. While I find the original Wu Zetian has noticeably weaker technical abilities behind Timeless, Heyday brought them up to an equal footing. Against the original Timeless, Heyday offers a better value in terms of accessories and a better tonality. Between Timeless AE and Heyday, it came down to preferences and budget. Heyday with slightly more laid-back presentation and Timeless AE with more impact and kick. I personally prefer the Timeless AE when listening to J-pop or rock, while Heyday is more suited to city pop and jazz. If the Timeless AE was still at its launch discount price, I think it would be a closer competitor in terms of value.

Conclusion

The Heyday Edition may actually be the new gatekeeper of the $200 range. While definitely there are better IEMs at a higher prices out there, the Heyday provided a very good value at its price. While the change in tuning from the original version towards a more neutral direction might be a disappointment to some, I feel that the overall improvement in technical performance easily makes up for it. Good job TangZu, hopefully this would raise the price-to-performance ratio standard yet again for the rest of the IEM market.

Disclaimer: The unit was sent by the brand as a part of a review tour but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Build and Fit
The Zetian Wu Heyday is a big earphone. But it is still comfortable in my small-medium ears. It does stick out a bit, and you are always feeling that you are wearing a big earphone, but never is it uncomfortable. But the redeeming factor is that the design is understated and not totally comprehended until one sees it up close. So, it doesn't seek attention at all. The case although very luxurious is very big and cannot be fitted in any pocket. It is for a bag. The cable is also very luxurious with swappable 2.5mm and 4.4mm plugs, but also quite thick. The Heyday seems to do things big and luxurious!
Let's hope the sound is in the same veins.




Amp Needs
The Zetian Wu Heyday cannot run sufficiently from phone output direct. A dongle dac/amp combo is recommended at the minimum.

Sound Quality
Zetian Wu Heyday has an almost unique advantage that is only found in quite expensive earphones: excellent natural resolution while having a non-aggressive presentation. There is a truckload of resolution to be found here. The microdetails and ambient cues are pouring out of the woodworks, yet the sound never gets harsh, in fact it is on the laid-back side, dare I say a bit smooth. But it will not save a bad recording. Bad recordings do come out as a bit shouty as one would expect from something that is very resolving. When it comes to the bass, there is enough low bass that adds deep weight, but I find a slight lack of midbass attack that would have otherwise enhanced the punch. Maybe I feel that way because the bass here is quite fast and isn't lingering. Top end is on the smooth side, and when it comes air, it is slightly rolled off. I have heard more airy sounding earphones, but they don't come close to resolution. Texture and detail in the midrange are amazing, irrespective of price. I have come to hear background noise and hiss in tracks that I never heard even after years of listening to them. The earphone has real resolution. One can hear the small intricacies in vocals, the inner detail that goes beyond the surface. This is true for everything and not just vocals. Tone of vocals is mostly very nice, although when it comes to female vocals, or a bit shouty vocals, electric guitar screeches, it tends to add a bit of spiciness which leads me to conclude that it is a bit hot in the upper midrange area. Instrument separation is layering is very nice, in fact if one concentrates hard, one can get an idea of what is in front and what is at the back.
Throwing complex and loud passages doesn't throw off the earphone at all and it retains composure throughout. In terms of the sound field, it is sufficiently spacious, and the localization of instruments and vocalists is reasonably good.




Conclusion
The star attraction of the earphone is its effortless resolution that is presented in a non-fatiguing manner. I have rarely seen such resolution with so little drawbacks. Great product.