TANGZU Princess Chang Le

TANGZU PRINCESS CHANG LE
The bullet that sooths your music.

Pros:
+ Inoffensive, laid-back tuning.
+ Sufficient note-weight.
+ Solidly built with art in mind.
+ Very comfy to wear.
+ Affordable.

Cons:
- Not the most control bassline.
- A gleams of upper-mids shout.
- Treble can be abit too dark.
- Lacks micro-dynamics.
- Non-detachable cable.
- Surprisingly hard to drive.

[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 PRINCESS CHANG LE 2.5 ★

SOUND-SIGNATURE :
In general it is neutral with a bass boost that is tuned to be more musical than analytical. The bassline is definitely more sub-bass oriented with a nice glide which extends ever so slightly onto the lower-mid-range. The mid-range is threading on the line of neutral that is not overly forward nor recess with a linear roll-off treble response.

BASS (LOW-END)
The 6mm DD offers a swift but gentle transient phase with a decay that is on the slower side. It’s got decent rumble extension but can sound a bit too boomy on bass heavy tracks, lacking control which is quite a let-down. Fortunately, the shyer mid-bass presence doesn’t seem to slack in impact. The sensation of thump, kick and slam are agreeable for the most part and should be adequate for most genres. The bass presence allows it to capture background ambience rather well. And ghetto bass rendering is not bad either. Mind you, with this level of bass control, tip-rolling plays a major role in tightening the bass response. Otherwise, you will high likely to suffer from boominess or muddiness which is not great. The overall bass quality is definitely not the best in its class but acceptable for the tier it’s in.

MID-RANGE/VOCAL
If you’re looking for an intimate mid-range/vocal rendering then this set is not for you. It doesn’t sound recess but slightly pushed back. Even so, the vocals sounded lush but in a relaxing manner. Both male and female vocalist seems to deliver a comparable level of performance on stage. Having said that, it does trades vocals clarity for euphony. Thus, some of the vocal textures are smoothed out. The upside is, it’s doesn’t affect the naturalness of vocal transient which void of any edginess or metallic character. Depending on your ear sensitivity, you might detect a hint of shout on female vocals but it is very minimal. Most of the instruments in this region have good level of note weight but lacks incisiveness or distinction on note impact.

TREBLE (HIGHS)
The treble is definitely on the darker side of the spectrum. It is quite tame and very inoffensive across all genres. As a result, it is not the most engaging performing treble in its class. The treble just lacks a touch of spark and air to complement its bassline nature. Regardledss, this degree of treble presence will be a treat for those treble sensitive people. Instrument like cymbals and hi-hats may sound abit blunted but not entirely muted. It doesn’t have any degrading qualities such as grains, haze, harshness, distortion or even sibilance that could ruin your music experience. All and all it’s a relaxing, smooth, pleasant listen with decent treble quality and quantity for the tuning its at.

TECHNICALITIES

- The sound-field is average at best. It does have more width than height and depth with adequate dimension to not sound compress or claustrophobic.

- The spatial cues/imaging prowess is decent. It is not pin-point sharp but well-judged to trace the direction of sound.

- Detail handling is definitely not it’s forte. It’s layering and separation is not the best as it tends to struggle and starts to jumble everything together in the
background when trying to reproduce a highly complex track which is perfectly normal for the asking price.

- At the very least, its overall instrument timbre is quite pleasing. They have good note weight with natural decay but may lack in terms of attack definition which contribute to that overall laid-back tonality.

SYNERGY, VOL.SCALING, POTENTIAL TWEAKS.
- DAC/AMP : it is best to pair with a bright-neutral source to liven up the treble just a tad. It’s scale well with better AMP as it requires more power to achieve average listening volume.

- Eartips : I’d recommend using Acoustune AET06 Double Flange eartips or something with medium bore, it helps to control the bass while improving its treble transient. Be sure to do tip-rolling or else it can sound very underwhelming or too boomy.

- Volume scaling: Once you’ve found the right eartips or synergy in general, it can really play high volume with no sign of distortion or fatigue issue.

HEAD-2-HEAD


vs TANCHJIM ZERO
- Right off the bat, the Zero will sound more intimate and livelier.
- It has significantly less sub-bass presence but in trade, it rewards you with a very satisfying mid to upper bass thump, kick and slam. The bass hits are so much more visceral yet tight and precise. The texture and layering are definitely a step up.
- The mid-range/vocal is more forward in the zero. They sounded richer, fuller in body yet more transparent in texture. The notes are just better defined with realistic decay. However, the more energetic upper-mids can make instrument sound a tad too loud on region while vocals can come across quite shouty which can be fatiguing especially when you listen loudly.
- The treble performance far exceed the one on Chang Le. It has more sparkle and air presence up top which gives it a better treble definition and bite to the instrument.
- In terms of detail handling, the Zero is a league above the Chang Le thanks to its superior separation prowess and dynamic transient capabilities.
- When it comes to head-stage and spatial cues, they do trade blows. The differences are very minute.

If you like a more dynamic presentation and you don’t crank the volume up high, the Tanchjim Zero does it better. However, if you seek a sub-bassy, laid-back, smoother presentation and listen to music loudly, you might want to consider the Chang Le. Both of them are flawed, so pick the one that you can compromise with the cons or just buy both since they complement each other rather well.

FINAL WORDS
At 1st I didn’t quite impress by the Chang Le, it’s sounded quite dull in dynamics and detail retrieval is below my minimum standards but I wasn’t being fair since I was coming from a long listening session of the more expensive set. The next day, I reset my ears and began my day with the Chang Le while trying to understand what it wants to be. After hours and hours of listening, I realised the strength of the Chang Le lies in delivering your music in a musical way. You often get carried away by its natural timbre and laid-back character especially when playing a slow pace, vocal acoustic songs. I nearly slept on this set but I’m glad I gave it a chance. For the price, there isn’t much to complaint about really.

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

Disclaimer:
This unit was sent by Tang Zu. Big thanks to them for making this review possible.
Please visit for further details : https://tangzu.net/

Do take my words for what it’s worth. Afterall, I am just one man.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! HAVE A GOOD DAY WHEREVER YOU ARE! TAKE CARE!

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Tangzu Chang Le

The Tangzu Princess Chang Le have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. Linsoul have made no requests and, as always, I will do my best to be as sincere and unbiased as possible.

You can find the Princess Chang Le via Linsoul by visiting the version of this review published on my blog. As always, it is a non-affiliate link.

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



Intro…

Tangzu are a brand that I have had good experiences with in the past and, in fact, the Wan’er are a 15€ set of IEMs that I think are very good and place well on my list of favourites under 50€. Today we have the Princess Chang Le which are even cheaper, coming in at around 10€, which is less than a McDonalds menu!

They even arrived with 3 sets of Tangzu Tang Sancai tips (which increases the price of the Princess Chang Le by about 0.80€) which are valued at 8€ on their own (and are actually decent tips that I have found work well on certain headphones).

But, as Tangzu (and other companies) has proven in the past, cheap does not mean it has to sound bad, so let’s see if we can really get decent sound for 10€.



Presentation…

The box keeps up the classic Chinese decor that Tanzu (and T Force before them) has used in the past. The packaging reminds me of a gift you would get at a local Chinese restaurant but is far superior to what we should expect for the price. Just a box is more than we should expect!

Inside the box we get the IEMs with their permanently attached cable, three sets of silicone tips and that’s it. But again, what do we expect!?! The Tang Sacai tips arrive packed separately.



Build and aesthetics…

The IEMs are very small bullet style IEMs similar in size to something like the Final Audio E series. However, the shells are metal and there is quite a lot of detail in the design of the decoration. The shells are silver in colour, with engraved patterns all around them, and the back plates are of a gold colour, with a design in black.

The attached cable is a simple silver cable but it also uses metal hardware and there are two small metal rings (one red and one blue) where the cable attaches to the IEMs which is a nice touch.

As far as comfort, well, it will depend on the tips as that will be the only part of the IEMs that touches your ears.

I have to say that the aesthetics and build of these IEMs, whether you like the design, is amazing for the price. The only negative I have with build quality is that the cable is very microphonic, and I mean “very”. Each small movement of your body is heard through the cable and tapping on it will sound like a bass drum in your ears.



Sound…

Here is the graph of the Princess Chang Le in comparison to my usual preference target for reference:



The general presentation of these IEMs is quite warm and more towards the “fun” side of things than presenting detail.

I am not overly fond of the tuning and things like “Crazy” can become fatiguing to my ears due to that excessive midbass and a slight lack of clarity, but they are certainly not terrible. I usually find that sets that are midbass boosted and lack clarity and definition, will make me fatigued and even nauseous after a short while but that hasn’t really been the case with these IEMs.

I did use them for extended listening sessions and I quite enjoyed them, as long as I kept still. The issue is with the microphonics of the cable, which takes away from the enjoyment.

The upper ranges are not the focus of the IEMs but they are not absent, in fact, these IEMs have no right to sound as good as they do at this price.

Detail, as I already said, is not the strong point, yet it sort of works well with the general tuning, making them a relaxed and smooth/fun listen.



Conclusion…

I know this is a very short review but I have a lot of things waiting to be tested and seriously, these IEMs are surprisingly well built, have plenty of detail in the aesthetics (more than in the music itself lol) and are very comfortable. They even include a microphone!

If it wasn’t for the microphonics of the cable, I would say that these are a perfect “keep in my bag” set to always have around and just pull out and connect to your phone. As it is, with that cable, I can’t suggest using these while out and about unless you are sitting still on a bench somewhere, the microphonics would just drive me crazy.

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

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

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

Changle or Li Lizhi was an ancient Chinese imperial princess during the Tang dynasty era. She was a daughter of Li Shimin also known as Emperor Taizong, the second emperor of the said dynasty and according to some accounts, She was known to be a beautiful woman with high intelligence. She was also an accomplished painter but to some illness due to some genetic disorder, her life was cut short. Her tomb still exists to this day somewhere in modern Xianyang city in Shaanxi Province.

Click to expand...

Bullet-type earphones are one of the form factors that was designed for ease of use to its users. With its smaller and slimmer profile on its shell chassis and a built-in microphone to receive calls and also use for a voice command to do simple tasks.



This is Princess Changle, the latest earphone from TANGZU Audio for the ultra-budget segment. With a small and slimmer profile, its shell chassis are made of aluminium alloy with an aesthetics inspired from some traditional Chinese geometrical patterns that were engraved on it. These shells encase a 6mm micro dynamic driver that were usually found on other products of the same form factor. While it has a non-detachable design like most IEMs that I usually reviewed here, it uses an OFC silver plated cable with built-in mic and a 3.5mm termination plug for listening to music and also for receiving calls.



Like all bullet-type earphones, it rests well with my lugholes and for an all metal alloy build, it is quite light that I was able to wear them in some activities like brisk walking and doing some chores. Its passive noise isolation is somehow decent as it was able block some noises from the outside surroundings.



Along with Princess Changle earphones, I also received the latest ear tips from TANGZU,The Tang Sancai Eartips. It has a balanced bore that will slightly add some boost on the bass particularly on the mid bass part and a noticeable improvement on treble quality as it sounds more open and a tad more energetic. (It still depends on the IEMs if they will respond accordingly on ear tip rolling). They are made of medical grade silicone with skin-friendly properties, non-toxic and a hypoallergenic one. It also has matte-like finish texture on its outer layer to give that good grip and more secured fitting inside in our lugholes. Inside of its bores, there are a series of grooves that reduces some unwanted frequencies and better flow of sound waves to give that natural sound reproduction and a more open sounding one. There are three pairs on this set of ear tips with colour-coded sizes, yellow for small, green for medium and blue for large. These ear tips are sold separately and you can order it to your favourite e-commerce stores.



Princess Changle's product packaging is rather simple and the presentation is quite acceptable despite a smaller quantity of inclusions. It was packed in a flat square-shaped box with a beautiful artistic rendition of the princess at the front and basic specifications of the product at the back.



Here are the included accessories inside the box:

■ Princess Changle earphones with a microphone and a 3.5mm termination plug.
■ 3 pairs of white-coloured balanced bore ear tips in coloured-coded sizes similar to San Cai ear tips.
■ 3 pairs of white-coloured narrow bore ear tips in different standard sizes.



As for amplification, like almost sets with micro dynamic drivers sets that I've tested, Changle is no different as they are quite demanding on power output as I need to add more volume steps just to deliver a sufficient sonic intensity. But putting them on sources with better sources like DAPs and USB dongles which has more power will surely improve its amplitude rating with better dynamics.



When it comes to tonality, Princess Changle is more of a warm U-shaped sound signature as it has more emphasis on bass and treble and a linear midrange.


LOWS/BASS:

It has a noticeable elevation on low frequencies but it presents a well-balanced bass response that both sub-bass and mid-bass are able to deliver.

It has a good rumble as I was able to perceive it when I play some sub bass-focus tracks with synthesisers, low tuned bass guitar lines and drum machines. Mid bass has an ample texture to deliver a voluble and sufficient punchy response as I was able to hear earthy yet hollow bass guitars, a gloomy bass kicks drums and a less dense bass-baritone vocals. It is also noted that there are some noticeable slight bass smears that come across towards midrange.


MIDRANGE:

The midrange presentation is unquestionably a bit recessed on this one but due to bass bleeding from the lows, it gives that warmth to add liveliness on vocals and some instruments.

On vocals, it gives a more weight and depth on tones on baritones, contraltos and some lower mezzo-sopranos, particularly dramatic ones to have that warm, velvety and smoky vocal qualities. It seems that it also give a decent vocal qualities in tenors and sopranos as former has that brassy quality and a more silky tone on the latter one especially in dramatic ones like Alison Krauss but when it comes to lyric and coloratura, it won't give you that opened and more vivid tone as it is rather a tad intimate in my liking

In regards to the instruments, it gives a more buttery and midrangey tone on acoustic guitars, a solemn and calm sound on violins and a balance-warm tone on pianos. On brasses, trumpets sound usually rounded while trombones sound dark but have that softness on it. Woodwinds like flutes have a mellow and soft tone while saxophones have that velvety and hollow sounds. Meanwhile on percussive likes snares, field drum and toms, snares have this clattering sound while field drums have a sombre and tad boomy sound, then on toms, they have this warm and mellow sound from them.


HIGHS/TREBLE:

Despite the accentuated upper mids, it's on a safer and balanced side of treble tuning. It is also noticeable that there's enough clarity and detail on it and neither sibilance nor harshness are ever present.

But there are some caveats on this one as there is a lack of a sparkle and a rather modest amount as you will notice it on the cymbals and other percussion instruments. Cymbals sound a bit soughing and dry, while hi-hats have these shortened dull sounds in my liking while gongs sound full and rounded on this one.


SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:

On sound/speaker stage, it presents an average width, a decent height reach and enough depth that gives me a decent head room within my aural sphere. Imaging-wise, it shows a two-dimensional stereo presentation with decent instruments and vocals on each side of the channel. Layering is rather rudimentary to show the tonal layers of instruments as it won't fare well on more complex, multi-instrumental tracks.

As for coherency, it delivers a decent performance as we are all aware of the limitation of micro dynamic drivers. In resolution capability, it has more emphasis on macro-dynamics as it has more fuller and weight on it albeit a bit soft while micro-detail is rather sufficient to show some nuances from the sonic background though it has blunted definition and also a bit compress.


PEER COMPARISONS:


KZ LINGLONG

● Both have similar form profiles but it has more plain looking shells compared to a more ornate-looking Princess Changle. Unfortunately, it has driver flex that is quite bothersome whenever I use it in a more physical activity like brisk walking. But the good thing that LINGLONG has over Changle was the inclusion of an IEM storage case.

● Tonality-wise, LINGLONG has a U-shape balanced-warmish tuning that truly stand out on the time of its release, it has more punchy bass response, a more texture and warmer midrange and an less attenuated upper mids but still retains a balanced and safe treble. Both have similar technical capabilities from sound/speaker stage size to coherency performance though Changle has a bit better detail retrieval.



TANCHJIM TANYA DSP

● While both have a bullet-type earphone design, TANYA has a bit larger form factor to accommodate its 7mm driver and also has a built-in DSP on its type-C connector, Different sets for different types of plug output. TANYA is a bit pricier as it has more inclusions inside of its packaging box. Both are prone to microphonics.

● As for tonality, it takes a familiar U-shape type of tuning curve, a modified Harman curve. It has more solid and impacting bass response, a more rounded and detailed midrange and a more refined treble register as it has good amount of sparkle albeit it was still less airy in my opinion. Technicality-wise, TANYA is more superior than Changle, better sound/speaker stage dimensions, better separation and a more solid note on macro-dynamics and perhaps even better detail retrieval. Although, the DSP on TANYA has limitation on decoding some lossless format like DSD and higher bitrate/ sampling rate.


As I assess this set for a few days, I still wonder why TANGZU released this product despite a tighter competition from other audio companies with similar build and even pricing. The existence of its erstwhile sister, Wa'ner has a better price to performance proposition that makes it a bit redundant. Well, here's some of my insights, I think that TANGZU is still aware of some audio enthusiasts who are on a tight budget but want a versatile set with good tonality, an even compact design and can be used in daily activity like receiving calls that Changle is able to offer. For sure that it won't garner awards when it comes of technical performance but its elegant and ornament shells make it more to purchase.


TANGZU Princess Changle is currently available to purchase in all known e-commerce sites. Here are the unaffiliated links you find down below:


★★TANGZU PRINCESS CHANGLE - OFFICIAL★★


★★TANGZU PRINCESS CHANGLE - ALIEXPRESS★★



And also, you can check out my reviews on other TANGZU sets.


◆ TFORCE/TANGZU YUAN LI

◆ TANGZU WAN'ER S.G.

SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: TANGZU PRINCESS CHANGLE
IMPEDANCE: 16Ω
SENSITIVITY: 95dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz – 20KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.2M
PIN TYPE: NON-APPLICABLE
PLUG TYPE: 3.5MM
DRIVER UNIT(S): 1 DYNAMIC DRIVER


Some Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)

Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *
Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**
Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **
Mountain - Mississippi Queen *
Queen - Killer Queen **
Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'
Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'
Pearl Jam - Daughter **
Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *
Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*
Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *
New Order - Blue Monday *
The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *
The Madness- Buggy Trousers *
Metallica - Motorbreath **
Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *
Destiny's Child - Say My Name *
Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *
Mozart - Lacrimosa *
New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *
Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*
Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *
Exciter - Violence and Force *
Diana Krall - Stop This World **
Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*
The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection**
Suzanne Vega – Luka **
Lauren Christy – Steep *
Ottoman Mehter - Hucum Marsi *
Diana Damrau - Mozart: Die Zauberflöte*
Type O Negative - Black No.1 *
Felix Ayo - Vivaldi: Presto **


P.S.

I am not affiliated to TANGZU AUDIO nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.

Once again, I would like to send my gratitude to the TANGZU team for sending this review unit. I truly appreciate their generosity and trust towards me and other reviewers.

TANGZU Princess Chang Le

Pros:
$12.00 set of Tang Sancai ear-tips for $1 when you purchase the TANGZU Princess Chang Le from Linsoul
Small size, yet big sound due to open-back design
Nice note-weight
Natural sounding
Scales-up with better equipment amazingly enough

Cons:
Permanently attached cable
Cable micriphonics
Not the most detailed but wonderfully musical
Hard to drive
Cable not able to be coiled without cable tie

TANGZU
The TANGZU Wan'er S.G single DD and the TANGZU Wu Zetian Planer IEMs were some of my very most favorite IEMs out of China for 2022.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/th...ar-in-ear-monitors.26114/reviews#review-29383
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/tangzu-waner-s-g.26236/reviews#review-29952

The Wan'er S.G gained a full 5 star score and the original Wu Zetian getting 4.5 stars. If I could possibly add up the demeanor of all three into a single word it would be natural.

Natural

TANGZU Princess Chang Le:
And in many ways this review is going to surprise many. Just the fact that the TANGZU Princess Chang Le is probably way different than you expect. One reason is they are actually a little difficult to drive properly. And two, they sound way bigger and of better quality than you would ever guess. Yep, after a short listen I jumped over to the full-on desktop rig to see what the scale potential is. Now everything started to get a little surreal here. It really was strange. An expensive set of TANGZU ear-tips optional, the simple and tiny $15.00 Princess Chang Le 6mm IEMs, then hooked up to an over $3000.00 desktop rig? Checking prices when the Princess Chang Le arrived it was actually 99 cents less than the price of these new Tang Sancai ear-tips? Yep. Pricing was….if I remember correctly $14.99 for the Princess Chang Le and $15.99 for the new Tang Sancai ear-tips. Now while they have changed prices slightly, to make it seem a little better balanced.

$12.00
https://www.linsoul.com/products/tangzu-tang-sancai?variant=43929461522649

$15.00
https://www.linsoul.com/products/tangzu-princess-chang-le?variant=43945950707929

My point is actually that both are of value. While I’m very set in my ways with ear-tips in use, these new Tang Sancai were really great. In addition the Princess Chang Le isn’t too shabby herself?

Just in! July 27th, 2023
Now here’s the kicker:
TANGZU has pulled a fast one on us. Yep, if you now get both the Ear-tips and the IEM together they are only $1 more than getting the Princess Chang Le on her own. That’s right, almost free ear-tips!




Princess Chang Le IEM:
The fact is the Princess Chang Le IEM is so good it inspired me to write this review first. You see that’s how it is. As a reviewer you get groupings of IEM in the mail and every once in a while something interesting comes along. What I mean by interesting is I’m listening to the Princess Chang Le with the L size Tang Sancai ear-tips hooked up to a desktop and it’s truly like nothing I could have expected.



Big sounding, way bigger than you would guess by looking at the form factor. And the crazy part was you would normally think that such an IEM would skimp somewhere, like especially the bass? That’s the thing this little $16.00 IEM doesn’t sound anywhere near $16.00? And of course it still worked with my DAPs but I had to turn the volume way up. And sure enough they worked well from a Samsung phone except you really needed to crank it. Where am I going with this? Scalability, that’s where. The surprising thing is as an audiophile normally you don’t don’t give little tiny $16.00 IEMs that much credit. You view them with skeptical eyes and they really need to prove their worth. At least this was the case for me, as the prior TANGZU Wan'er S.G came with a grand reputation preceding it. Same as the Planar Wu Zetian, they were both pretty much famous before I got a chance to hear them.

A Dongle:
So this leaves me with a predicament. But a really good predicament. What truth finally ends up rearing its head is a Dongle. Yep, this was maybe how it was envisioned to extract the most from the Princess Chang Le?

Ahhhhh we are home. Home sweet home! It’s perfect!

Yep, hooking up the Princess Chang Le to the Shanling UA3 Dongle was the trick, I mean really that or a DAP works fine. Due to the character of the Princess Chang Le, it’s almost a waste trying to get dynamics from her straight out of a phone. She is a demanding Princess, but if you cater to her whims she delivers in spades. The truth is at times Dongles are even more powerful than DAPs nowadays. Just pointing that out.




Build:
TANGZU Princess Chang Le
6mm Dynamic Driver Metal Shell HiFi Earphone

• HiFi Quality & 6mm Micro Dynamic Driver
• 4-Axis CNC Craving Aluminum Alloy Shell
• Traditional Chinese Aesthetic Design
• OFC Silver Plated Wire

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
Driver Spec 6mm Dynamic Driver
Distortion Rate <0.5%
Sensitivity 95.5dB + 1dB(1kHz)
Channel Difference 1dB(1KHz)
Impedence 16 ohm
FR range 20Hz-20kHz
Cable Type OFC Silver Plated Wire
Cable Length 1.2±5%
Plug 3.5mm

Build and Wires?
They were really thinking when they went with non-detachable wires. While if the cord breaks so does your IEM, but yet the connection is better and we don’t have to worry about a 2Pin or MMCX getting in the way of our smallness at hand. Small? Yep these may be the very smallest IEMs I’ve ever tried, smaller than the Sony XBA-100, smaller than anything I can remember? But they are open-back, so that is where the big sound comes from. Yep, those back-plates are a pattern, but inside that pattern is a screen which lets the back pressure out. Due to the CNC production we are gifted with a robust nozzle tip holder. Such a feature truly holds these Tang Sancai ear-tips on in a special way. You would have to see it to believe it. Just that there is a slight battle to taking the tips on and off, just slight, except in a good way, in a permanent way that builds confidence that you will never lose the tips when out and about. Funny thing too, they fit my giant wide-bore tips as shown in the photos here. And that is kind-of how fit is with these, as there is no contact from anything else which means you can choose a wide range of ear-tips. Inside the nozzle you are given a set-back plate with holes drilled in it acting as a screen. Such a procedure is a little more precise than a regular wire screen and gains the feel of quality.

The interesting part is each of the Tang Dynasty line of IEMs are totally and completely different. Earlier I described the sound as being natural, but it’s more than just warm and natural, there is note weight here, at least note weight is present in all three that I tried? But the reason I bring all this up is the builds are all totally different, almost opposite. The ZETIAN WU a Planar with aluminum like faceplate and 3D printed resin inside, Wan'er S.G all resin with a single 10mm DD. The Shimin Li, Yuan Li I have no experience with but research shows they are 1) a metal construction Shimin Li, and 2) the Yuan Li, the $119.00 TOTL Flagship of DLC 10mm construction. Again, see where I’m going with this, they never make the same IEM twice. Construction is different each time. Except for the HBB tuning (light blue version) of the ZETIAN WU. Yet in size this Princess is obviously the smallest and most low weight. Also it is guaranteed to fit the most people, as nothing touches the rest of your ear. With the low weight and small size working together along with the ergonomic cable, a style of comfortable realization is achieved.



The Pattern:
Such surfacing also gives you grip to hold onto when grabbing hold of the Chang Le, but also imbues a classic two-tone design. There is a small air-port near the base of the nozzle. While at the other end there are red and blue cable-attachment mounts. Such markers are made of aluminum and go to make sure the cable avoids being fatally bent.



The cable:
When taken out from the box the cable is attached to the IEMs and is neatly coiled-up in a bag. Now the amusing part is you will never again see the cable so well mannered. I mean yes, you can get one of those extra cable ties and everything will go back to picture perfect. Heck, you can even reuse the fastener they gave you if you want to go full-ghetto. But normally you would not imagine such a small cable to act in such a way, as you can see once it’s unleashed, it has a way of its own. Lol


Photograph courtesy of TANGZU

Here is an actual product photograph from TANGZU showing not only the fabulous (small yellow) Tang Sancai ear-tips in action, but included is something else? That’s right a black cable tie not included with your order. No biggie if you happen to have one laying around, but note the photographer needed the tie assistance in helping coil the cable.

Now the thing is I really like this cable and in a way you can disregard anything I said about it in the two previous paragraphs. Only this is a product review and part of my job is to include a description of the included cable. This thing is, the way the cable is stiff yet thin provides a great usability when out and about. The cable always stays somewhat straight and gains ergonomics, even if they are surprising ergonomics at the start. Though keep in mind the structure of the cable also can provide cable microphonics when brushed-up against stuff.

Packaging:
It’s almost looked over that in-fact the Chang Le comes with a huge selection of ear-tips of it’s own. Surprisingly six pairs of really good, even exceptional ear-tips come already provided, very different in construction from the extra set medical grade silicone ear-tips provided if you choose the $1 dollar Tang Sancai option. I mean I would go for the Tang Sancai option, as they may not only fit the Chang Le, but could come in handy with other IEMs too?

Sound:
Really this is the best part. Reason being is these sound way different than you think is possible by looking at them. They are very complete and entertaining, and may very much be a pair of IEMs you listen to even when you have much more expensive choices on hand. I mean call me crazy, but out of my desktop system these scale up into some of the very best under $20 IEMs I’ve ever heard. Now they even go to challenge the $100.00 bracket in some areas, but I’ll stop here so as to not lose face.



E-Mantra
Pale Blue Dot
Pillars Of Creation
44.1 kHz - 16 bit

MacBook Air/Shanling UA3/Princess Chang Le

The first thing that comes to mind with a song like this on these is the actual tonal separation. What I mean is, as part of the audiophile consumer group we are conditioned to think that there may not be enough here to garner our attention. We fear lack of audiophile qualities in action. When in truth this lead-up is nice, it is open and holds the sonic charms that were maybe envisioned by the creator? It’s really the echoes here that are so natural and that a song like this is built off of reverb as its thing. While slightly missing some of the details like you start to achieve with $200 IEMs we are still provided with nothing to be angry about. It is more about holding the vibe and musicality present. And even saying that they sell these short, because in this song there are tiny little off-shoots of high pitched synthesizer that are enchanting and captivating. Little amounts of ringing that if you put this song on and placed these into some random person’s ears at a Head-fi Meet, they would not be able to guess the cost.

Rewind:
Even at the very, very start the deepness of synth is shown, the drama and these funny little knockity-knocks, it reminds me of a Pink Floyd song at the start. Finally some squelched air sounds and we now know we are inside the song. I mean this almost is not a true song by any ideas of song structure. It is a memory of a song that once lived, but is now gone. Outros or intros are the same as they hold the same job, yet if there is any substance here, we seem to have found it as a flowing wind and something that is really a lead-in to the rest of the album. As E-Mantra gains confidence over the years he is able to proclaim the beauty in this as a rolling and almost infinite example of what is possible with the imagination of sound design. And while this song holds a level of completeness, I can’t help but think it’s not more of an appetizer for what is next. Yet of course there is a completeness to the sound and a satisfaction to it all…….like we have all we came for.



Pale Blue Dot:
First-off really the Princess Chang Le is a bedtime snack. Comfort food for the ears and soul. I can see myself sleeping in these. The best part of the start of this song is the high pitched chimes that surprise you in that you were not expecting the technicalities of these to pull-off, but it goes down fluidly. Yet those chimes are in every possible way inviting and digestible. Once the bass hits it’s the very first time on the album. While the bass is not that delineated, it is deep enough for our goals and also does the trick of placement in the song.



Ludwig Goransson
Oppenheimer OST
Gravity Swallows Light
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
Nice string intro bringing drama and the heavies. Next a thunderstorm or maybe something else as I haven’t seen the move. The deepness here is bringing me chills, it really is. Quite the accomplishment for these little guys. As bass has nice authority for what it is, but it is also conveying that this is an actual audiophile soundtrack. Cellos have a great presence in their playful nature. At 02:47 there is the sound like a burst of air that takes you by surprise, and it’s not the pitch or anything, it’s that it has placement in the stage and that it is a sound not yet encountered in the song. At 03:04 there is an exquisite bass drop that is totally entertaining, now obviously a single 6mm driver can do only so much, but there is something more on offer here, it’s maybe showing correct timbre in its own pure way? And…….at 03:04 the cellos start-up with their playful antics. In all honesty this could be all I need for a night of entertainment.





Ludwig Goransson
Oppenheimer OST
The Trial
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
A perfect song due to the robustness found in sonics contained. The song starts at the 00:00 mark with a 3 item mix of elements…..a bass, a set of plucks of a string instrument with echos, and what sounds almost like a Geiger–Müller counter, but I’m not sure, though it is definably sounding like radiation present. At 01:30 the strings start-up, then the lows, the very much depth of it all at 02:14. Finally at 02:30 another major drop hits…..to show the song is now progressing on. At 03:24 the real semblance of a song structure takes place with chords and a message for us, yet just as fast to be gone leaving us with more loud effects and string washes.




Conclusion:
Coming in at less than a meal out for two, the Princess Chang Le aims to please, and please she does. While not as dramatic as even the payback of the Wan'er S.G, we are not trying for such accolades. This is more about cohesiveness and correctness. It’s about subtle maturity and poise, about getting it all right regardless of driver size or surrounding structure. What shows up is a more relaxed replay, but don’t take that relaxedness for inability, because the Princess Chang Le holds onto such charms even though (they are) a little closer distance to home. The thrill is still in big bass drops due to the open-back airiness and open staging due to the same. There is a simple yet pure quality to the Princess Chang Le that comes to play actually right from the start. The fact that at first listen you know her, you know her ways and what to expect. There is this supreme naturalness that prevails no matter how you choose to listen to her, or what music genre you choose. Just the fact that a very cool set of ear-tips are included makes this purchase a no-brainer. That's just the facts that the Tang Sancai tips used to be 99 cents more than the Princess Chang Le by themselves, yet now they can be added to your Princess order for just $1 dollar more. And lastly, the TANGZU Princess Chang Le scales up. She scales more than the Wan'er S.G or the ZETIAN WU. Now that doesn’t mean she beats the ZETIAN WU in performance, only scaling abilities. Where this enigma takes place is in low-end separation and pace, call it clarity or whatever, it’s there and noticeable. Yet the Princess Chang Le plays fine from a DAP or Dongle too. With phone use she is simply very simple and less vivid, unless you have a more powerful than normal phone, then she’s fine.

Really it’s an audiophile IEM for a value price that can come with extra new ear-tips for $1 dollar more. TANGZU continues the magic and value performance, as I can add a third IEM to my list of respectful items. And really in the end that is what it is, in a ocean of cheaper sounding products you would be forgiven for underestimating the TANGZU Princess Chang Le. But just like the Wan'er S.G and ZETIAN WU, the TANGZU Princess Chang Le delivers the goods on a multitude of levels. TANGZU is simply making the impossible possible, that's all.

Linsoul website: https://www.linsoul.com/
Linsoul Aliexpress Store: https://ddaudio.aliexpress.com/store/2894006
Linsoul USA Amazon Store link: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=merchant-items&me=A267P2DT104U3C

Disclaimer:
I want to thank Kareena of Linsoul for the love and the TANGZU Princess Chang Le review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one persons ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 3.5mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 3.5mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
Shanling UA3 Dongle DAC/Amplifier 3.5mm

DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank Tangzu for providing this review unit. The Tangzu Princess Changle can be gotten here (no affiliate links): https://aliexpress.com/item/1005005641061788.html




SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver configuration: 6 mm micro dynamic driver
• Impedance: 16 Ohms
• Frequency response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz
• Sensitivity: 95.5 dB
• Cable: non-detachable, 4N OFC silver-plated cable, 3.5 mm
• Tested at $15 USD

ACCESSORIES

Unlike the run-of-the-mill waifu to greet us, Tangzu graces us with a more mature and elegant portrait of Princess Changle on the packaging.



In keeping with Tangzu naming their IEMs after Tang Dynasty legendary figures, Princess Changle was a real figure of historic times. Changle was a minor princess, and was renowned as a famous painter, and praised for her intelligence and beauty. Sadly, she passed away at just 21 years old, due to a lung disease.


Apart from the IEM, these are included:
- 3 pairs of wide-bore silicone eartips
- 3 pairs of narrow-bore silicone eartips

Considering the Changle is cheaper than a restaurant meal, the accessories are quite generous, and expecting a wider plethora of goodies would be downright unreasonable.




The included wide-bore tips provide greater air and upper frequencies with improved soundstage, whereas the narrow-bore tips boost bass but compress the soundstage.

The Changle's cable is non-detachable, which is not surprising for an ultra-budget pair. It has a mic, and this makes the IEM useful for online meetings and phone calls, which may suit lay consumers who aren't diehard audiophiles. This cable is a 4N OFC silver-plated wire, and it is unfortunately thin with microphonics. The cable also tends to unwind and doesn't hold itself in place; it doesn't come with a chin cinch too.

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


BUILD/COMFORT

The Changle's shells are bullet-shaped, and this IEM is meant to be worn cable down. Fashioned from 4-axis CNC aluminum alloy, the housings are rock solid.



The shells come in a nice amalgamation of silver and gold, with intricate Chinese motif carvings. Indeed, it is an extremely elegant chassis, belying it's cheap $15 entrance fee, and living up to the beauty of the historical Princess Changle that this IEM is named after. There are red and blue markings on the cable insertion, to delineate the right and left sides respectively, as per universal convention.

Comfort is great, and I've no complaints on this front. I did not find any driver flex too.

Isolation is below average, but the Changle should be usable outdoors.


DRIVABILITY

I tested the Princess Changle with the following sources:
- Apple dongle
- Cayin RU7
- Colorfly CDA M1 DAC/AMP dongle
- Creative Sound Blaster X5
- E1DA DAC/AMP dongle
- Hiby R3 Pro Saber 2022 DAP
- Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 amp
- Khadas Tone Board -> Topping L30 amp
- Questyle M15 DAC/AMP dongle
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One Neutral Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW WM1A DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Smartphone

With a spec sheet quoting a sensitivity of 95.5 dB, the Changle is actually rather difficult to drive. While one can get adequate volume with a weak source, amplification is recommended to improve soundstage, dynamics and bass tightness.


INTERNALS

The Changle's engine is a 6 mm micro dynamic driver.


SOUND & TECHNICALITIES


Graph of the Princess Changle via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler artefact peak.

The Changle sports a warm V-shaped profile, that is pretty consumer-friendly to suit most music genres.

This IEM is sub-bass focused. Bass is north of neutral and descends quite low with decent rumble. In terms of quality, bass speed is moderate, though the bass isn't too textured and may sound one-noted with some smearing found on complex bass tracks. There's smatterings of mid-bass bleeding heard too.

The lower midrange is depressed as per the V-shaped profile. The mid-bass bleed adds some warmth to the lower mids, though at the expense of transparency and clarity. The upper mids have a 9 dB ear gain, pushing vocals forwards. However, this leads to occasional shoutiness in this region, especially at louder volumes.

The lower treble continues on from the 3 kHz region boost of the upper mids, and thereafter the treble drops off quite early. The Changle is not sparkly or airy as such, though it should be a safe choice for treble sensitive consumers. There's minimal sibilance, though resolution takes a hit due to this tuning choice.

The Changle has authentic timbre accuracy as per its single DD roots; acoustic instruments sound very natural.

This IEM falls short in technicalities. The Changle is not too detailed, lacking clarity. Soundstage is compressed in all 3 dimensions. Imaging is fuzzy and instrument separation is muddy, especially when complex instrumentation comes out to play.


COMPARISONS

Comparisons were made with other ultra budget $20ish and below single DDs. Planars, hybrids and pure BA types were left out of the equation as the different transducers have their pros and cons.


7Hz Salnotes Zero

The Salnotes Zero is tuned neutral bright, in contrast to the V-shaped Changle.

The Salnotes Zero has lesser bass amounts, but the bass is much cleaner and tighter, with no mid-bass bleed and better texturing. The Zero has much more sparkle and air with greater treble extension, though there is slightly more sibilance. The upper midrange is not as shouty on the Zero.

The Salnotes Zero has superior technical chops, and is a league ahead in imaging, instrument separation, clarity and micro-detailing. The Zero also has a detachable cable, and has less driving requirements.


Tangzu Wan'er

The Wan'er is the older sibling of the Changle in Tangzu's stable, and the former is tuned warm neutral. The Wan'er has lesser bass, though the bass is of higher quality. The Wan'er is also less zealous in the upper mids and smoother in this region.

The Wan'er beats its younger sister in technical prowess, with improved imaging, instrument separation and layering.

The Wan'er comes with a detachable cable and is easier to drive.


Simgot EW100P

The EW100P is a U-shaped set with lesser bass. The EW100P's bass is cleaner and faster. It also has a detachable cable, and is easier to drive, unlike the Changle.

The EW100P has a more expansive soundstage, and boasts slightly better micro-detailing, imaging and instrument separation.


CONCLUSIONS

Retailing at $15 USD, the Changle has good price-to-performance ratio. The packaging and aesthetics are tasteful, in keeping with the refined and graceful Tang Dynasty's Princess Changle namesake. Comfort and build are impeccable, and the Changle showcases an organic timbre with a consumer-friendly V-shaped signature.



Although the Changle is equipped with a non-detachable microphonic cable, it has a mic to assist with calls or online meetings, thus increasing its utility beyond pure music enjoyment.

With a lowish sensitivity, the Changle is hard to drive, and there is occasional glare at the upper mids. Technically, the Changle is below average, though the other departments it performs well in does make up for these flaws, to some extent.

Ultimately, the Changle is a beginner set for folks who are new to the hobby. It may even make a fine gift for friends and relatives who are not crazy audiophiles, due to the intricate and elegant aesthetics. Indeed, saving up on a Big Mac meal or two might allow one to get their paws on this beautifully designed IEM. However, seasoned CHIFI aficionados who own higher end single DDs might want to keep their powder dry for a more substantial upgrade down the line.

Introduction​

After the big success of the Wan’er and the so-so launch of the Shimin-Li Encounter Edition, TangZu is back on the market with a new set, and this time it is a pair of bullet shaped earphones.
The market is becoming more and more competitive, so will this new small set be up to par?

Disclaimer: the TangZu Princess Chang Le were provided by TangZu free of charge as a review sample in order to write some impressions. I do not represent TangZu in any way and this is not promotional content.
At the time of the review, the TangZu Chang Le were on sale for 15$ on TangZu’s official webshop.

Technical Specifications​

• Configuration → 1 x 6mm DD
• Sensitivity → 95.5 ± 1 dB
• Impedance → 16 Ω
• Frequency Response → 20 Hz – 20000 Hz
• Cable → 1,2m OFC Silver Plated fixed cable
• Plug Type → Straight gold plated 3,5mm jack

Packaging​

The box is identical to the one in which the previous KBEAR Ink were shipped, and also contains the same stuff. Precisely:

• The TangZu Princess Chang Le
• A set of wide bore balanced silicone eartips in 3 different sizes
• A set of narrow bore low-frequency silicone eartips in 3 different sizes
• User manual

Design and Build Quality​

Princess Chang Le small bullet shells are built of aluminum alloy and the overall assembly is more than decent. We are not speaking about the best build quality around, but these are still pretty solid for the price while staying compact and lightweight.
The carved design on the faceplate takes inspiration from traditional chinese mythology and we all know this is a distinctive trait of TangZu since every product from them refers to that particular topic (they’re creating a sort of “lore” in their series of products).

Cable​

The cable is non-detachable and it’s not the worst around, but there’s some annoying microphonics that could have been managed by sporting a chin slider (which is not preset on the cable).

Comfort and Isolation​

The small shell makes the Chang Le very easy to fit and wear for long sessions, and they are also more than usable outside even though the isolation is not the strongest around. The included tips are good too.

Sound​

GEAR USED FOR THE TEST
DAC: Topping E30
AMP: Topping L30
Mobile phones: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Dongle: Apple Type-C dongle, Truthear SHIO
Portable DAPs: Benjie S8/AGPTEK M30B
Other sources: Presonus AudioBox iONE

Do they need an amplifier?
No, they don’t strictly need an amplifier.

Sound signature
The Chang Le follow the Harman target curve with a bit less energy in the upper midrange and a less “linear” treble.

Lows: the lows are slightly boosted with more focus in the sub-bass region. The low-medium speed of the bass gives a good body to the low-end even though the textures are just average. This is not a basshead set but the quantity of low-end can easily satisfy most listeners with a very dynamic low-end and punchy bass.

Mids: the mids are just a tad behind the low-end (just like every Harman tuned set) with warm male vocals. Female vocals come out slightly veiled with a warmer-than-average timbre, which makes me want more energy. Sibilance is not a thing, which is good news.
Acoustic instruments benefit from the warm lower mids, whereas instruments such as electric guitars could sound a bit muted at times.

Highs: the highs are very safe, non fatiguing and with average details.
That said, the upper end sounds too safe and limited on top most of the time and the overall timbre isn’t always on point due to this, but I guess this was intentional considering the tuning. There’s a “hole” in the treble around 10 kHz that cuts off some sparkle and in fact a very slight EQ really helps with timbre, details and spatiality.
Note: thanks to Fahrettin from MobileChifiAudiophile for the EQ preset.

Soundstage is average and so is imaging, let’s say “no praise or blame” considering the price.

Some comparisons​

TangZu Princess Chang Le vs Moondrop Quarks​

Straight into the sound, these two sound very different due to the different tunings.
While the Chang Le follow the Harman target curve, Quark’s approach is more towards the Diffuse Field target with a bass lift.
The sub-bass is much more present on the Chang Le with more body, whereas the Quarks are faster and more controlled. The midrange is warmer on the Chang Le whereas the Quarks are more neutral with more energy in the upper-midrange: this leads to better female vocals on the Quarks and slightly warmer and deeper male vocals on the Chang Le. Acoustic instruments benefit from Chang Le’s warmth while the neutrality of the Quarks makes every instrument sound more true to life and natural, even if sometimes on the dry side. The highs are better on the quarks in terms of details and sparkle, whereas they are less fatiguing and safer on the Chang Le. Soundstage and imaging are slightly better on the Quarks.
The build quality of the Chang Le is better and they also come with better stock tips; the cable is different but of the same level of quality (more flexible on the Quarks, stiffer and more “resistant” on the Chang Le).
Overall, Chang Le is safer, warmer, bassier and safer, while Quarks are more neutral, more detailed and sounds more open and lively.

TangZu Princess Chang Le vs Kinera TYR​

There’s a pretty big difference in terms of overall refinement in this case, and the first thing to say is that the Chang Le are a much more refined product.
The Chang Le do a better job controlling the bass while remaining full bodied, and they also sound less annoying in female vocals (even though not letting them shine as they should). Treble is warmer on the Chang Le with slightly more details whereas upper treble is limited on both sets.
Build quality and cable of the Chang Le are better, but the TYR come with Final E-tips which are very good and more expensive than Chang Le’s stock tips.
The Chang Le are more comfortable but insulate less than the TYR.
Overall the TYR is not something I’d buy in 2023, whereas the Chang Le are more “on par” with nowadays’ standards for the budget range.

TangZu Princess Chang Le vs Tanchjim Tanya​

The Tanya are more expensive than Chang Le but they are also different in terms of sound presentation.
The low-end, in fact, is more focused on the bass, rather than sub-bass, if we speak about the Tanya. Bass textures are better than on the Chang Le, which instead focuses more on sub-bass and less on the punch. Midrange is warmer on the Chang Le, whereas it is a tad more recessed on the Tanya. Male vocals sound slightly deeper on the Chang Le, whereas female vocals are better on the Tanya. Instruments sound more distant on the Tanya due to their better depth rendition, while the Chang Le places them in front of the listener. The lower treble is a bit more prominent on the Chang Le (even though not to the point of being fatiguing) whereas the Tanya have better details, air and treble extension (we’re still far from having a very “open” set though).
Soundstage and imaging are better on the Tanya and so is instrument separation.
The build quality is similar, but the Chang Le have a more refined and unique design. They also come with better stock tips but the Tanchjim Tanya come with spare filters which are very useful to fine-tune other IEMs too. The cable is still average on both, but Tanya’s cable is slightly more flexible.
Comfort and isolation are better with the Chang Le in the ears (especially isolation considering that Tanya are weak in that regard).
Overall, there are both technical and tonal differences, but there’s also a jump in price. The Chang Le could be bought for around 12$-13$, while the Tanya are still around the 20$ price tag. If you are willing to spend about 50% more for the Tanya then you’re getting better technicalities and a more versatile (yet let less safe) tuning, but if you prefer saving those 6$-7$ then the Chang Le are a very compelling, comfortable and safe set with full bodied low-end a relaxed upper range (and a very unique design).

Final Thoughts​

TangZu has proven once again that they can make interesting products. The Chang Le are very refined, they are comfortable and come with a nice set of tips and decent tuning out of the box.
I still think that the tuning has something “off” in the treble region, maybe because of that hole near 10 kHz that makes some instruments and vocals sound muted, resulting in a set that is only using 90% of its potential. It’s certainly a tuning choice, but in my opinion this is just keeping the set from being more lively and open sounding, and the EQ by Fahrettin proves that.

Overall, I still think I’d recommend the Chang Le to those who search for a comfortable, safe and warm set that does not break the bank and also comes with a good variety of tips, but the people to whom I suggest this set should also know that there are other very interesting bullet IEMs around the 20$ price mark that could suit them better (since there is a lot of competition nowadays).

Review OF The Tangzu Chang Li ​

Introduction​

Only after changing their brand name, Tangzu, a company that was formerly known as Tforce, started releasing their products frequently, including The Tangzu Wu Zetian and Wan'er S.G., which received a lot of praise and love from the audiophile community. Previously, only one IEM with the Yuan Li and Yuan Li Dark Edition editions was released under the Tforce brand. Along with releasing their own products, they also worked with Seeaudio, another Chinese company, to create Shimin Li Encounter, a variant of their Shimin Li model. But today I'll be reviewing one of their most affordable products, the Tangzu Princess Chang Le, which was just released. But first, allow me to make a few points clear.

Disclaimer​

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

Specification​

The Chang Le is an IEM with a single 6mm micro dynamic driver and a bullet-shaped design. The shell is made of aluminum alloy and CNC-carved to give it a distinctive and lovely design. It also has a semi-open design, which means that the mesh in the back is just visible under the designed back cap. Although the cable that terminates in a 3.5mm plug nevertheless has a stubborn shape, the Chang Le feels very light and attractive in the hand. Additionally, the cable is non-detachable and features a microphone and a single multipurpose button. The package also contains two different types of eartips in three different sizes in addition to the IEM. The Tang Sancai, their new eartips, is currently available alongside the Chang Le, but I was unable to obtain one. The sensitivity is 95.5 dB, and the impedance is 16 ohms, according to the technical specifications. The distortion rate is less than 0.5%, and the frequency response ranges from 20Hz to 20kHz.

Sound​

Regarding the sound quality of the Chang Le, I was apprehensive about whether they could top the similarly priced Wan'er S.G., another Tangzu product that received favourable reviews from many audiophiles. But the path I took was incorrect; in my opinion, this IEM was designed to satisfy consumers who prefer a warmer, more immersive sound. In my opinion, the Chang Le sounds more lively and warm with good details in the mix, whereas the Wan'er has a more balanced sound. The treble has an upbeat sound, while the midrange gives vocals and instruments more than enough impression. What really stood out to me was the bass, which has a great sub bass boost and just enough mid bass to make it sound somewhat whole and complete. Let's discuss the sound in more detail.

Treble​

Although the Chang Le's treble isn't very detailed or extensive, the way it's presented makes up for this by sounding collectively detailed and airy, which makes the vocals and instruments sound fuller. I'm not so sure about the upper treble's laid-back presentation of details, but it does leave enough room for the vocals to stretch and sound clean and natural. The same is true for the instruments. Although the details of the instruments are dull and less expressive, they still sound fuller overall and keep the mix flowing. The vocals and instruments are sufficiently forward in the lower treble, but in this case the instruments stand out in search of attention. The vocals sound attractive and come across as powerful, and neither the instruments nor the vocals themselves disintegrate into any repulsive noises. It is true that the existence of the elements has a strong significant foundation. Overall, the treble region is presented in a slick, clear, and enjoyable way.

Mid Range​

When it comes to the mid range, the energy suffers a little because the vocals and instruments aren't as forward in this range, especially the upper mid range. I am definitely engaged by the response's intensity and clarity, but I still think the roundness and natural aspects of the mix are a little laid back. The upper mid range doesn't have the same energy in the mix as the lower treble, but it gives the vocals and instruments enough presence to sound a little open in my opinion. I should also add that the vocals don't sound very revealing because the instruments shine more than they do. The presentation is intense because of how the lower treble moves the energy around, and some of it flows into the upper midrange, but I'm not satisfied because the vocals and instruments lack the ability to sound more forward in the mix. primarily because of the notion I came up with about the Chang Le based on my prior impressions of IEMs with bullet-styled drivers, such as the Quarks, E500, etc. One thing is for certain, though: the presentation keeps its non offensive, natural timbre. Vocals and instruments sound shaky and hazy in the lower mid range, which is dull and dense. Even so, the bass guitar contributes some heavy notes that stand out in the mix. The mid range is presented in an orderly, organic, and relaxed manner overall.

Bass​

The bass is the last section, and I was waiting for it because of how intriguing it is. What really got me excited was the bass area. The bass is tuned perfectly; the mid bass induces a thump and slam while the sub bass is sufficient to give ears a pounding with a clean expression. Of course, it should also be taken into account how a little of the lower midrange is leaked in to make the sound warmer, which reverberates throughout the entire mix. After my first listening, it's obvious that the sub bass is the focus, but the mid bass also has a strong presence. The listening experience is made wholesome by the way the sub bass and mid bass balance each other and keep everything in check. Although the rumble sensation resonates nicely and tactfully, the sub bass doesn't extend all that deep. The punches impact strongly and retract quickly as well. Although they occasionally overpower the mix when the vocals and bass come together, the mid bass gives the impression that the slam hits are strong. However, with substantional bass power and presence, they do a great job of entertaining. Although the texture and details of the bass aren't fully revealed, the bass maintains its flow of a naturalistic vibe. Overall, the presentation on the bass region is influential, fulfilling, and wholesome.

Technical Performance​

I must dispel any preconceived notions I may have about the Change Le. In terms of its technical specifications, it is not as technical as its rivals. Its signature and trend are also distinct from those of other IEMs. For a bullet style IEM, the separation and soundstage are expansive and immersive. The resolution and details aren't its strongest points, and the imaging and layering could have been improved. Despite the good resolving speed.

Soundstage, Sound Imaging & Separation​

I didn't expect this IEM to impress me with its soundstage, and while it didn't, it performed better than I had anticipated given that the soundstage is wide and immersive. Although it is not particularly wide, it is wide enough to contain all of the mix and prevent it from tumbling around. Thanks to such a presentation, the separation is excellent as well; even though some of the notes aren't particularly distinct, the space between them prevents the mix from clumping together, so I can identify the source of each sound. Despite not being particularly clear or sharp, the imaging could be better.

Speed & Resolution​

As was already mentioned, the resolution and details aren't its strongest suits, but they do the job of bringing enough information to light to keep the engagement going. Although the pace of the notes' attack and decay is surprisingly well-paced.

Sound Impressions​

Sources​

Tempotec V6 - When used with the V6, the Chang Le had a wider, cleaner, and more expressive sound. The midrange sounded the same, but the treble was clearer and more revealing. However, the bass was more restrained and textured. Technically speaking, I only noticed an improvement in the soundstage and imaging; everything else felt unchanged. I wasn't satisfied with the pairing with the V6.



iFi Hipdac - in combination with the Hipdac, With the exception of the midrange and bass feeling more alive and enthused, the Chang Le sounded somewhat similar. The mid range made the vocals stand out more, which prevented the instruments from being overemphasised in the mix. The mid bass had more presence, which gave the bass a stronger feeling. I didn't notice any changes in the technical area aside from the IEM becoming a little less detail-oriented.

Tracks Used​

Luna Haruna - Glory days
Luna Haruna - Overfly
Rokudenashi - The Flame of Love
LMYK - 0 (zero)
ORESKABAND - Jitensya
Marina Horiuchi - Mizukagami no Sekai
RADWIMPS - Suzume
Indila - Love Story
Indila - Tourner dans le vide
Earth, Wind & Fire - September
Tom Petty - Free Fallin'
Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Blue Oyester Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper
Guns 'N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine
The Police - Every Breath You Take
Gojira - Amazonia
TV on the radio - Wolf Like Me
Bring Me To The Horizon - Can You Feel My Heart
Bring Me To The Horizon - sTraNgeRs
Avril Lavigne - Dare To Love Me
Travis - Love Will Come Through
Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know
DJ Shadows - Six Days (Remix) [feat. Mos Def]
Lady Gaga - Just Dance
Lil Wayne - Lollipop
Flo Rida - Low
Sebastian Lopez & Flug - Electronic Measures
Federico Mecozzi - Blue (Da Ba Dee)
Wayve - Not Enough
Kai Wachi & TeZATalks - Ghost
NGHTMRE, Zeds Dead & Tori Levett - Shady Intentions
Zeds Dead, DNMO & GG Magree - Save My Grave
Skrillex, Noisia, josh pan & Dylan Brady - Supersonic
Skrillex & Nai Barghouti - Xena
Skrillex, Missy Elliott & Mr. Oizo - RATATA
Kaifi Khalil, Eva B & Wahab Bugti - Kana Yaari
A.R. Rahman, Javed Ali & Mohit Chauhan - Kun Faya Kun

Conclusion​

As I wrap up this review, I'm confident that these are a better Tangzu product than I had initially thought, with a good overall V-Shape tuning and respectable details. I can heartily recommend this IEM to anyone looking for a compact design, a more practical method, and, of course, a sound signature that won't tire you out. Also, these are not the IEMs for you if you want a vocal-oriented IEM, but you are welcome to give them a shot.

(Fun fact: Princess Changle, born Li Lizhi; (621 – September 28, 643) was a princess of the Tang dynasty. According to her epitaph, Li Lizhi was a smart lady, with a bright personality and beautiful appearance. She was favored by her parents, Taizong and Empress Zhangsun. Li Lizhi was also a painter. Li Lizhi died on September 28, 643, probably of genetic respiratory disease, the same cause as her mother.) (Source: Wikipedia)

Disclaimer:

• I don’t read and read FR graphs. I only use my ears, as how earphones should be used.
• Tangzu sent this unit to me in an exchange for an honest, unbiased review. Rest assured that this review will do its best to devoid from any bias/es as much as possible.
• The following remarks and observations shall be made and owned only by me.
• No monetary compensation is/was involved before, during, and after the period of creation of this review.
• Your mileage may (and always, will) vary.

Burn-in time: 4-8 hours per day, 5 days.

Source/s used:

• Hiby R3 Pro Saber
• Fosi Audio DS1
• Non-HiFi smartphone (Infinix Note 12 G96), PC.
• Local Files via Foobar, YouTube Music, Deezer, and Qobuz with UAPP.

IEM/Earbud/Setup configuration: stock small white eartips, any form of EQ or MSEB off, 40-60% volume, low gain and high gain.

Sound signature:

• The Tangzu Princess Chang Le exhibits a warm, fun, u-shaped sound signature. According to some graphs posted by other reviewers, it somewhat follows the Harman Target Curve. It is also somewhat similar to the Sony MH755 in terms of sound signature, but with better technicalities.

Lows:

• The lows are elevated and somewhat thick. It is a bit soft to my liking and is midbass focused. Its speed and decay are average and rarely get sloppy during my tests. In a nutshell, the lows of the Chang Le is fun and is able to deliver a satisfying bass experience, particularly for those bassheads on a budget.

Mids:

• Despite not being too forward, the mids of the Chang Le is probably the highlight of this IEM in my humble opinion. It sounds so open, natural, and engaging despite exhibiting a slight midbass bleed enough to keep things warm. Lower mids show a good amount of weight and texture without getting drowned. Upper mids are elevated and shows a very good amount of clarity, air, and sparkle. Instances of unrefined, grainy peaks are preset on sibilant prone tracks, making the upper mids a bit thin to my liking despite exhibiting really good definition. This isn’t really a big deal for a budget IEM, but should be noted by those people who are sensitive to upper frequencies.

Highs:

• As for the highs, it isn’t too bright nor dark - it is just right in terms of presence. It also exhibits a good amount of air and clarity and is evident on cymbal crashes and splashes. Detail retrieval is average and is able to render the major details just fine.

Soundstage, Imaging, and separation:

• The technical performance in a nutshell of the Princess Chang Le is average at best and nothing to write home about. It isn’t too bad nor too good - it is just alright and acceptable for its asking price. Soundstage is average with a good amount of height, width, and depth. Separation is average with some instances of congestion on very busy tracks. Imaging is accurate and is able to render vocal and instrument positioning just right.

Comparisons!

VS Tanchjim Zero:

• The Tanchjim Zero is definitely less colored and more neutral than the Chang Le. It also slightly edges out the Chang Le in the technicalities, probably because of the lighter bass response.

VS Tanchjim Tanya:

• The Tanchjim Tanya is harder to drive when compared and is also more warm than the Chang Le. The mids are more open on the Chang Le. Upper mids and treble is also more clear and airy on the Chang Le.

VS Moondrop Quarks:

• The Quarks is harder to drive and is more mellow-sounding when compared. Mids are also less engaging when compared to the Chang Le. Clarity is also better on the Chang Le.

VS Whizzer BS1

• This is the Tangzu Chang Le, but with better technicalities, and with a more balanced, engaging sound. I prefer this more than the Chang Le.

VS KZ Ling Long:

• The KZ Ling Long is a more fun, warmer sounding IEM. Mids are more engaging on the Tangzu Chang Le and is less recessed when compared. Technicalities are a bit better on the Ling Long. There is a driver flex present on the KZ Ling Long due to the lack of vents, whereas the latter does not have. Both are hard to drive.

VS Moondrop Quarks DSP, Tanchjim Tanya DSP, or any DSP-based IEMs existed under 20 USD

• I haven’t tried any of those.

Pros:

• One of the best mids I’ve heard under 20 USD.
• Follows the Harman Target Curve. (subjective)
• Warm, fun sound signature.
• Thick, elevated bass.
• Open, nearly natural mids.
• Non-fatiguing upper frequencies.
• Very good mic quality.
• No venting pressure/ driver problem present.
• Tangle-free cable.
• Very good fit, build quality, and isolation.
• Very good eartips quality. Comes in two sets!
• Minimal cable microphonics!
• Beautiful box art!

Cons:

• Upper mids are unrefined, have slight peaks, and may be perceived as “grainy”.
• There is a slight midbass bleed and is evident only on very busy passages.
• It is a bit hard to drive for its price.
• Cable is somewhat “springy” or stubborn to be kept easily.
• A pouch or a cable winder would’ve been a good treat to anybody.

Source(s)

• Truthear Shio
  • Adds some warmth and body to vocals, making them sound a little fuller.
• Conexant (CX-Pro) CX31993
  • Adds a little brightness and making the Chang Le sounds more balanced.
  • Had a rough time powering the Chang Le
    • Reaches 90% on my laptop
    • Reaches 8/10 on my Samsung Galaxy S21

Ear tips

• TRI Clarion
  • Boosts a little forwardness in vocals, and brightness in treble.

Packaging

• Comes with a decent amount of accessories

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2598816374113975871/7657524975563705497#







Build Quality

• Lightweight.
• Aluminium alloy body.
• Unique carving on the body.
• Overall, solid build quality.

Fit

• Nozzle is quite narrow and short.
• Overall, it fits quite well into my ears without me feeling anything throughout my listening sessions.

Tonality

• V shaped.
• Warm, pleasant, relaxing tonality.

Bass

• Well balanced bass, with a very slight emphasis on the mid bass.
• Quite well controlled, with only minimal bass bleeds.
• The bass has a good amount of rumble, slam, impact and depth.
• However, the quality of the bass is average at best, which lacks a little bit in the texture and definition department.
• The quantity of bass is very sufficient though, which makes it quite exciting and fun to listen to.

Midrange

• The midrange comes with some warmth, which makes it fairly pleasing and easy to listen to.
• Male vocals sounds a little recessed but it has a good natural lushness to it that came from the warmth, which makes it sound quite bodied and natural.
• Female vocals are leaning towards the relaxing side, but still engaging and forward enough to not make it sound dull and lifeless.
• Instruments sound organic and natural, and texture is surprisingly decent, without sounding too congested or blended.

Treble

• Treble is quite relaxed with minimal peaks, but comes across as a little uneven or grainy sometimes.
• There is decent energy and sparkle up until the mid treble, but it lacks a fair bit of extension in the upper treble, which does cause a little lacking on the sense of space and air.
• Details in the treble are surprisingly decent.... for the price, at least.

Technicalities

Detail Retrieval

• Resolution is decent overall, but I do find the midrange is a little less detailed than desired. However, it is overall fairly decent for the price, and is certainly good enough for everyday casual listening.

Soundstage

• Soundstage is decent. Just right around the head and not too cramped in any way.

Imaging

• Imaging and accuracy is quite decent, I am able to tell where the instruments and vocals come from.
• Gaming:
  • Apex Legends: Sound of footsteps and gunfire can be judged... pretty well! Surprisingly, I'm able to pinpoint the footsteps and gunshots with decent accuracy.

Separation

• Separation and layering is decent.
• However, don't expect it to perform way above its price point, it's just decently above average for the price.
• Runs busy tracks fine, but it does sounds congested if it gets very busy sometimes.

Conclusion

• Solid $15 option, which competes fairly well against another $15 set, the KZ Ling Long.
  • Minor difference in tuning
    • Chang Le has a more pleasant and relaxed presentation while Ling Long is more clean, energetic and sparkly.
  • Chang Le does not have the driver flex issue at all, but this issue is very much present on the Ling Long.
  • Chang Le has a more unique aesthetic while Ling Long maintains a cleaner and subtle aesthetic.
  • Chang Le comes with a much better box and more ear tips while Ling Long comes with a very nice hard case.
  • Chang Le is harder to drive compared to Ling Long but not by a very large margin (10~ volume on windows).

Thanks for reading!

Intro/disclaimer :​

- This is the latest offering from Tangzu, targeting a wider demographic than the traditional IEM market, at a lower price. The bullet style in-ear earphones are in a full renaissance at the moment, which is understandable because of the comfort advantage.
- This unit was sent to me directly by Tangzu, and even though my opnions are totally my own it should be taken into consideration when reading the article.

- I still have trouble uploading my photos to Head-fi at the moment, so you'll have to rely on Imgur for now until I manage to fix the presentation : https://imgur.com/a/a5nAgiR

First Impressions :​

- The unboxing experience is sparse. The box itself is an artpiece, containing very little. As in, the IEMs and the tips. That's it. The presentation is somewhat polished, with the cardboard holder and the cutouts for the shells, although they're roughly cut. The tips are in a generic plastic bag, which is to be expected for the price point but still underwhelming the experience.

- The size of the shells is excellent, and the cable nice looking albeit made of cheap outer plastic that is sure to degrade disgracefully in a few years. The flair and design of the shells will suit many, especially if you're inclined to traditional Chinese aesthetics. I like that they're easy to insert in the ear, and the flat outer face helps to push them into the ear canal.

Sound :​

- I enjoy the Chang Le tuning from its lows up to the mids. The bass amount is generous without ever getting bloated, albeit being on the warmer side. Sub bass is noticeable, although dependant on amplification (we'll come back to it later). Midbass is well defined, and transitions nicely into the mids. But the upper part of the spectrum isn't as well executed in my opinion. The upper mids are much too present in the mix, causing a very noticeable glare, or shout. After the 8kHz/sibilance region, which is fairly inoffensive, the treble energy just disappears, which really hurts the timbre of all instruments.

If I had to sum up the sound signature, I'd say it's an A shaped curve aimed at vocal music.

Value :​

There isn't a lot of $ to speak of, but a lot of performance to consider. I've had 80$ IEMs that i didn't like nearly as much as this little one (I have the TRI Kai in mind). So overall, I consider it a good value.

## Tonality :​

- The bass region equal to the mids, not subdued but not forward either. There's no tactility to speak of, no deep rumble that tickles your teeth, but you hear every note on the bass or piano just fine, so it feels very engaging.

- The low mids and mids are just about the same, a tad too recessed for my liking in the 600-1k region but pleasant enough as not to deter from the music. I'll say that even though there is now leanness in the lower mids, the sound signature still feels somewhat dry and lifeless.

- Upwards of 1kHz is where things go south. The ear gain region (or pinna gain, call it what you want) is much too emphasized and hurts the overall replay. This excess energy carries over into the presence region, hurting snare hits and electric guitars quite badly. The upper treble being nonexistent further emphasizes the imbalance, giving no air or harmonics to instruments and giving a "lo-fi" impression to everything you're listening to.

- The timbre is okay to mediocre, and suits genres of music without a lot a clutter. Acoustic, chamber music, choirs, are passable. Anything too energetic like rock or electronic will fall apart quite rapidly.

# On amplification :​

- It feels surprising to end up talking sources and amplification on a very budget IEM review, but the point has to be adressed. These Chang Le IEMs are clrearly not as sensitive as other IEMs, and require a ton of juice. This isn't an impedance problem, at just 16 ohms anything can run them with even low wattages.
The thing is they are rated at 95dB @1kHz, but the curve must be far from linear because it gives a very different impression IRL. The sub bass is very, very much affected by the capabilities of your amp : I've tested the Chang Le on 4 different amps, ranging from 300mW to 2W @16ohms, and it never sounded the same. Faster transients, better low end, I made sure to volume match all sources but the conclusion is there.

For an IEM that is made to be used on-the-go, I highly recommend you pair it with the best dongle you have.

# Technicalities :​

- Soundstage is fairly narrow, which is common to most IEMs so it cannot really be faulted here. Nothing of a wow factor, and is quite diffuse/ping-pongy in nature. The sound cues tend to shift to the hard left or right rather than staying in the middle, or having any degree of placement on the stage. I'll quote my very first notes I took during the first listening session "one dimensional sounding, nothing to marvel at".

- Transients are somewhat blunted, in that the dynamic range is limited, especially on lower amplification. The impression of speed is nonexistent.

- Detail retrieval is frankly poor, mostly due to the unimpressive transient response. The "air region" being cut off (even after EQ there is no sound produced after 16.5kHz) also impedes the impression of space and definition of upper harmonics of instruments.

# Conclusion :​

- My final impressions are that it is a product that is thrown into a fierce market, where some products reign supreme for years now (wink wink Final E500), without much to push the scales into its favour. The main advantage is its form factor, its integrated mic, and the ease of use inherent to bullet style IEMs. But in the same category, we find strong offering like the aforementioned E500, the Tanchjim Ola, KZ Ling Long, and a ton more even fiercer in competition if we look at the traditional IEM shapes. These other products are not flat out better, but many of them have a more balanced tonality (The Ling Long being quite enjoyable) and/or much better technicalities (the E500 still stands undefeated in this domain).
- I cannot give a rating above the average, and I even hesitated to lower the score even more but it's important to keep the price tag in mind when evaluating products. At 15$ without sales, the product makes sense and delivers what it sets out to do. So I'll give it a pass, and nothing more than that.

So the conclusion will be that you have to prioritize aspects other than sound quality for this purchase to make sense.

# EQ :​

Preamp: -10.37 dB
13000 Hz Gain 10 dB Q 0.6
10000 Hz Gain 6 dB Q 1.5
8300 Hz Gain -11 dB Q 2
5900 Hz Gain 4 dB Q 2
4500 Hz Gain -3 dB Q 2
3600 Hz Gain 1 dB Q 2
3600 Hz Gain -11.7 dB Q 1.3
1600 Hz Gain 2.5 dB Q 1.4

This is by far the most agressive EQ I've made. Like, for sure. But these needed it in my opinion. The amount of treble having to put back in, the glare to take out, it was a wild ride.
This EQ profile will surely be hot in the treble at first, in contrast to the OG sound signature, but it helps tremendously both the timbre and spatialization. I would advise against pushing the volume to high though, because you're going to hear that 10dB at 13kHz damn fast.

With this EQ the tonality is much more balanced, and I find it infinitely more enjoyable this way. I listen to a lot of rock, but also jazz and classical, where the treble information either plays a ton of importance or is unlistenable when done wrong. So I couldn't recommend this IEM for anyone with my tastes if EQ isn't an easy option for them.

Let's skip the bs and jump straight into how they sound.

Sound​

They sound very similar to the KZ Ling Long (LL) which I will be comparing them with. The Changle is tested using Dunu S&S eartips with JCALLY AP7 and Galaxy Note 9.

Bass​

Sub-bass is more pronounced than mid-bass, just like the LL. In fact, both sound identical in terms of the quality of bass. It does not sound punchy and energetic because of the lack of mid-bass.

Mids​

Midrange is clean and natural sounding. Lower mids are more lush than the LL, by just a bit. There is a boost in upper mids around the 4k range which I don't like.

Treble​

One word - BORING. Treble is quite laid back. Zero sparkle from cymbal crashes. I am extremely treble sensitive and find the treble on the Wan'er to be harsh, but Shimin Li OG to be perfect for my ears. Even with my treble sensitivities these sound dull.

Technicalities​

Detail retrieval are identical to the LL, which are average. Soundstage is unusually poor - they are much narrower than the LL, and details at the center stage sound distant, as if a surround sound mode is turned on (I don't know how to describe what I'm hearing).

Conclusion​

These are worse than the KZ Ling Long in almost every aspect (except the looks) despite being twice as expensive. The Ling Long is 30 MYR ($6.5) while the ChangLe is 60 MYR ($13).