Disclaimer:-
I received the Yuan Li as a part of the review tour being organized here by by HiFinage India. My thoughts are based on my usage for a week and by no means this is a professional review. I'm a rookie who is trying to understand the world of audiophile.
Thanks to
@gadgetgod for including me in the tour.
If interested, you can buy from HiFinage website from the link below.
https://hifinage.com/collections/t-force/products/t-force-yuan-li
Introduction:
TForce Audio(Now Tangzu) was a very new name in audio community when their first IEM Yuan-Li was launched. Fast forward, they are now one of the acclaimed and trusted audio company in Chi-Fi industry. Goes to say they have been making great IEMs and Yuani-Li is no exception.
Yuan Li is targeted at 100$ budget segment, a highly competitive segment. IMO Yuan li is one of top performer in this segment.
Build/Fit/Package:
Yuan li is made of full metal shell and has a smooth finish all around with no sharp edge that pokes or causes any discomfort. Solid build quality.
Yuan Li has got good fit overall and can be worn for long hours. But to me personally the ear grooves gets bit bothersome after few hours. Not just on this IEM but in general I prefer a clean design IEM without the grooves.
One of the things that separate Tangzu from competitors is their package, they come loaded with tips and a beautiful case. Placement of tips, case and overall unboxing experience is great. Special mention about the case that is included, it is pretty sturdy and has good space to stuff in a dongle, extra cable and also looks sleek.
Personally I did not use the stock tips but they look like acostune 07 clones. They seem fine.
The included 2 pin cable is pure copper and it is decent enough, no complaints.
Sources Used:
Qudelix 5k
Shanling UP4
Avani
Abigail
~Though Yuan Li being 32 ohms can be run on low powered sources, it would shine better with little extra power such as Q5k
SOUND:
Yuan li has a balanced sound signature, slightly boosted low end with fairly neutral warmish overall tonality.
Bass:
Yuan Li has excellent low end, well controlled punchy bass. The mid bass has a decent slam, a tad bit lower than what I would prefer but i wouldn't notice it unless I look for it. It could also be good in a way that it could contribute to cleaner mids. Even though the sub bass is not boosted too much, it provides good rumble when called for( slightly recessed mid could be the reason). Overall a well done clean and not overwhelming bass.
Mids:
Mid range on this is the main focus. The vocals are presented front and sounds natural the way I like it. Both male and female vocals sound lively and fuller. They are presented in smooth manner that it takes the center stage. The instruments has above average note weight and it's a bliss to listen to.
Treble:
Treble is mostly smooth and has a slight bite to it when powered enough. No sibilance or harshness experienced. Even poorly recorded or known sibilant tracks sounded smooth to my ears. Has enough air and extension to enjoy.
Soundstage, imaging, separation are commendable.
Comparison:
Olina SE: First thing to notice with Olina SE is that it has got a tad bit more sub bass and mid bass slam. Mind you Yuan li is no slouch when it comes to low end, and yuan li seems to have slightly better texture on low end. Mids on olina SE is bit more clean and thin(maybe it sounds cleaner due to the thin vocals/notes) than Yuan li. Treble is better on Yuan li, has a bite that gives good feel to it.
Olina SE was my fav in this segment before I listened to Yuan li. Now I'm torn haha. I feel Yuan Li is more fun type and olina bit more analytical.
Conclusion:
Yuan li, being the debut IEM of Tangzu and would say still relevant for someone looking for a safe daily driver.