Tangzu x HBB Xuan NV

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Disclaimer:

• I don’t read FR graphs. I only use my ears, as earphones should be used.
• Linsoul sent this unit to me in an exchange for an honest, transparent 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:

• - Non-HiFi smartphone (Infinix Note 12 G96), PC.
• - Tanchjim Space DAC
• - Hidizs S9 Pro DAC
• - Aiwa XP-V710C CD Player (12 sec. EASS)
• - Sony Xperia X Compact
• -Local Files via Foobar, YouTube Music, Deezer, and Qobuz with UAPP.

IEM/Earbud/Setup configuration: Stock TangZu Sancai Medium Eartips, any form of EQ or MSEB off, 40-60% volume.

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Sound signature:

• This is quite unusual when compared to most HBB-influenced IEMs in terms of the overall sound signature. It isn’t as bassy nor nowhere near basshead level compared to his other collab IEMs. The Tangzu Xuan NV exhibits a neutral-warm sound signature, wherein the bass is mildly elevated and does not bleed on other frequencies that much.

Lows:

• As I have mentioned earlier, I wouldn’t call this a basshead set as this does not have the “head-shaking bass” that we are used to seeing (or hearing, rather) on his collabs. The bass here is mildly elevated, thick, punchy, and nearly clean. It is midbass-focused, and is quite fast in terms of attack and decay. This doesn’t mean that this lacks bass on his preferred genres at all though. Most genres, particularly the hip hop and EDM tracks are still very enjoyable and do not get mushy at all on this set.

Mids:

• As for the mids, it falls within the “neutral” to my ears, in terms of position and elevation. It isn’t too forward for me to call it nasal, but does not also suffer any recession as well for me to call it drowned or subdued. Lower mids exhibit a little bit of midbass bleed to keep things warm, but isn’t very noticeable and will only show itself when you compare it to a flat-sounding IEM. Lower mids show a bit of thickness and smoothness, which results for a thicker sounding vocals and instruments in this region. Upper mids are present, clear, have a decent air, and quite smoothened out to my liking. This also means that this does not suffer any unnatural harshness and peaks, which can be a good thing for those people with ears that are sensitive to upper frequencies.

Highs:

• Moving on to the treble, it is decently extended, still in the “neutral” category in my book in terms of elevation, and free from any harshness nor sibilance. Some people, particularly those people who prefer brighter sound signatures may find the extension of the treble of this IEM a little bit “lacking”, but this is nowhere near dark in my humble opinion. I’d call this “safe” in terms of extension and air, but never lacking for most people. Detail retrieval is average and does the job really well on microdetails, but nowhere near clinical.

Soundstage, Imaging, and separation:

• Technicalities isn't Xuan NV’s forte, but I can confidently say that it is no slouch either. The soundstage is decently wide, with a good amount of height and depth. Separation is very good on most tracks in terms of handling them but can still get mild congestion on very busy tracks. Layering and imaging is surprisingly good on this set and got me turning my head on certain tracks as it is very precise and clear, even on FPS games.

Other IEM Comparisons!

VS Simgot EW200

• The Simgot EW200 is lighter in bass, wider in soundstage, and brighter in sound when compared. The Xuan NV is thicker in sound and safer in upper frequencies.

VS QKZ X HBB: Hades

• The Hades definitely has the bass in terms of quantity, but lacks the refinement that the Xuan NV has. Mids on the Xuan NV does not suffer any excessive midbass bleed. The treble on the Hades is darker and safer when compared in expense for a less detailed upper frequencies. Technical performance on the Hades is more prone to congestion when compared to the Xuan NV. Both are fairly hard to drive for an IEM.

VS Simgot EA500 LM (Stock Brass Nozzle)

• The EA500 LM is a slightly brighter option/competitor when compared to the Xuan NV. The EA500 LM is also an excellent technical performer under 100 USD in my own opinion, while Xuan NV aims for a more musical, smooth tonal performance. The EA500 LM is also easier to drive when compared.

VS Etymotic ER3SE

• They Etymotic ER3SE is a flatter, uncoloured sound when compared. The Xuan NV exhibits better bass presentation due to its driver configuration, while the ER3SE presents itself in a clinical manner.

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Pros:

• One of HBB’s “best collab” in terms of overall sound! (personal take, subjective)
• A well-tuned, neutral-warm sounding IEM!
• Well, controlled, punchy, bass quality.
• Lush, smooth, thick mids.
• Non-fatiguing upper frequencies.
• Very good technical performance for its price, particularly on layering and imaging.
• Beautiful, visually-pleasing, vibrant IEM shells!
• Very good comfort, fit and isolation!
• No “driver flex” unlike some resin-based IEMs! (I appreciate this a lot)
• Very good included accessories in terms of quality!
• Scales well with a fairly powerful source.

Cons:

• Despite having a very good technical performance in my book, this isn’t the IEM you may want to look at first if you are looking for a highly-technical IEM under 100 USD.
• A bit harder to drive properly than usual; has the same volume needed of the HBB Hades using the same setup.
• Shell can be a bit chunky to smaller ears.
• Cable is not “up to par” in terms of overall material quality for its asking price.
• They did include a pouch, but a hard case would’ve been nice since this is a resin-based IEM (definitely a nitpick)

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The Tangzu Xuan NV is quite different, or unusual to see (and hear, of course) when we are talking about HBB’s IEM collabs, in terms of overall sound quality and presentation. This IEM differs from the other HBB collabs by steering away from the usual boosted, bassy sound and focused on achieving the “all-rounder” IEM title. In my own opinion, the Tangzu Xuan NV and the Zu Weitan Heyday are the only two HBB IEMs I find excellent and versatile for its asking price. If we’re going to look at the bigger picture, the Xuan NV holds up really well, and even competes with the recent IEMs under 100 USD, due to its versatile, smooth, lush presentation. I wholeheartedly recommend the Tangzu Xuan NV for those people who want a versatile IEM in terms of sound without sacrificing too much of the technical chops. Highly recommended!

Pairing recommendation/s:

• Source: This IEM needs at least 2vrms of power from the source to sound best. I recommend neutral-sounding dongles for this one.
• Eartips: The eartips are more than enough and really good in quality from their own house. You may still use your own eartips.
• Cable: The cable is quite flimsy and sticky. You may use your preferred cable.

Thank you for reading!

Non-affiliated link here: https://www.linsoul.com/products/tangzu-xuannv

Additional Photos Here:

Introduction!
Hello friends!
Today in review we’ll look at dynamic headphones from Tangzu in collaboration with Bad Guy Audio.
They come in a small box with a very nice design, and two dynamic drivers here are responsible for the sound, one with a diameter of 10mm and the other 8mm, but what else is interesting here is their very low impedance of 8.5 ohms and the sensitivity here is 98 dB, which you will agree is quite rare, therefore You definitely won’t be able to listen to these headphones with a smartphone, as they are not so easy to drive.


Let's take a look at what's included!
- Headphones
- Two sets of Tangzu branded silicone ear tips
- Tangzu leatherette bag
- Convenient but simple cable with 2 pin connectors and a 3.5 jack plug

The headphones here are made of transparent red resin with a golden design of the front panel in the form of a butterfly, next to it there is a 2-pin connector for connecting the cable and the first compensation hole, and by the way there are only three of them, two more are located on the inside of the case where those are very clearly visible the most dynamic drivers, one a little larger than the other, a little smaller, and the sound guide here is quite elongated with a small side so that the ear pads can be fixed normally, so with the fit, everything is fine here, as well as with sound insulation, both with the supplied ear tips and with others of the divinus type.


How do these headphones sound?

Now, friends, we have come to the most important part of the review, namely the analysis of the sound of the tangzu xuan nv dynamic headphones, and let's start, as usual, with an analysis of their tuning, which is presented here in the form of an excellent neutrality and warm tonality familiar to me with an increase in low frequencies by 10 decibels and with a parity emphasis on the upper middle, that is, so that this area does not take a lot of attention , they didn’t amplify it unnecessarily here, and I approve of this, and the high frequencies, as part of the use of two dynamic emitters, turned out to be very long, in my opinion, at least there is no sharp cutoff, but on the contrary, at the edge of the range after 15 kHz they fade very smoothly, then As far as possible they were handed to us here and these headphones definitely cannot be called deaf, since there are enough high frequencies here.
Low Frequencies:
And as you probably already guessed, with low frequencies things are going well here since we have a weighty and deep weight of sub bass notes with a very neat strengthening of the mid bass, but I’ll say right away that there is no kind of bloat and excessive booming bassheadness here, since the image The bass is perceived as extremely precise and focused on the impact with a very smooth transition to the midrange.
And with the reproduction of the texture and audibility of the saturation of all these harmonics, everything is fine here, the bass is clearly defined, textured in perception and quite transparent, and I would even call it literally outlined in the mix and there is no blurring of its image, and I think that its quantity should definitely be enough for most listeners, especially in the electronic or hip-hop genres; after all, this neat, precise shelf with a very noticeable gain of 10 decibels is done here very accurately and under control, that a clear and a familiar proven plan.
Mid Frequencies:
But the mid-frequencies here are presented in a neutral, airy way with a little extra energy in the vocal part and weight in the drums, due to which here we have not boring but, on the contrary, more exciting, and most importantly a transparent and driving presentation without any dryness or cold monitoring, which well reveals the instrumental, vocal or rock music, since everything actually sounds with a very pleasant warm tone without any aggression or an incomprehensible crooked timbre that happens, for example, with inexpensive armature headphones ,and I think
It’s good that they decided to use exactly two dynamic emitters, since their timbres are usually more natural in perception without any color or pseudo resolution, and sewing them together is much easier, so the output is more uniform and correct, yes and it’s good that they didn’t take the model into the backlit brightness, but made everything very familiar to us that we’ve seen in both Tangzu Fudu and Tanzu Wan'er, and I think you still remember these headphones very well, and maybe someone still owns them.
High Frequencies:
And the high frequencies here are presented as very neutral with good duration, with a slight pleasant smoothness without any excessive harshness of sibilants and additional improvement in detail by enhancing this area and as a result, it is felt by ear as a very warm and neat pleasant warm presentation with good and open resolution and intelligibility of cymbals and percussions of various aftertones and residual trails , and the amount of air here is surprisingly very sufficient, so it’s much easier to analyze and parse musical compositions since all the images and plans are more easily separated from each other and you don’t get the feeling that everything is close and squeezed or concentrated in one place.
What also pleased me is that the headphones here have a good bias towards technicality and speed, due to which they cope well with heavier instrumental tracks and are especially well suited for something acoustic or classical music, and in general this It turned out to be a very all-genre model.
My conclusion on this headphones:
Tangzu Xuan NV are very pleasant dynamic headphones with a neutral, not at all bright and not tiring tuning, with a good boost of low frequencies, which should already be enough for most listeners, of course, except for the very fierce bassheads, but for everyone else this will be enough to hear those deep and booming sounds well bass notes complemented by pleasantly warm and very transparent mids and detailed highs.
Aliexpress DD-Audio Store:https://aliexpress.ru/item/1005006808421987.html
Linsoul:https://www.linsoul.com/products/tangzu-xuannv
I will be glad if you subscribe to my YouTube channel and watch this full review on Tangzu x HBB Xuan Nv!

The TANGZU x HBB Xuan Nv Universal IEM
Redcarmoose Labs May 23rd, 2024



Many don’t realize the very first made IEMs were collaborations in a way. As such IEM maker Chris Lindrop in the 1980s made IEMs for Steve Wonder, yet they were not for sale to the public. In 1995 Jerry Harvey’s IEMs were a first multi driver CIEM for Alex Van Halen, who was looking for something to neutralize the SPLs of the band's sound system.

Some of these IEM side benefits for these musicians were being able to customize the mix, hearing protection……..even the artist could (jump around) and hear the mix clearly wherever they were. If the musician was inside or outside, the mix coming through the IEMs was the same. A big thing is use of the IEM on stage reduces the possibility for amplifier feedback.

So nowadays Youtube luminaries get extra pocket change from putting their name and tuning skills to work in the creation of Chinese In Ear Monitors. And if they hit it big with a (popular) model the extra money may become substantial. Of course all this is just a logical guess on my part……..really those guys talk about everything under-the-sun, yet they keep any profits made tight-lipped. In the end it’s none of our business. Though a concern arises if we are paying (too much) extra for this collaboration, and if so are the IEMs still a value?

The value of the actual IEM tune:
Many tuning ideas have been put forth. At Head-Fi intense curiosity over IEM graph curves. Hence the almost over-inflated concern over graph curves. And due to the fact that we are trying to get objective (graph) ideas about a complex and convoluted subject………such as recreation of a live musical event through ear-speakers, it does make sense to try and gain all the information possible. Though often an IEM will get avoided due to the horror of a particular graph.



https://hbb.squig.link/?share=Bad_G...p_Target,Tangzu_X_Hbb_Xuan_Nv,Samyz,Sample_BL

Now what I wanted to show I was able to show with just three HBB collaborations.

Yep, here is a graph that shows how the BLON X HBB Z300 measures, the QKZ x HBB Hades measures and our IEM in question today, how the TANGZU XUAN NV measures.

In fact there will be a total of 5 other IEMs besides the TANGZU XUAN NV in my IEM comparisons shortly. And sure enough the BLON X HBB Z300 and QKZ x HBB Hades will be a big part of those side-by-sides. Yet I’m posting this graph right-off to kind-of get an idea of what part of town we are driving to. Look at the graph. Really I already knew of this relationship between the three IEMs before the graph, though it is always a little heart warming when you pull-up a graph and it will go to substantiate what you are hearing. There is much sense to having the graph come after the first impressions, if you are so enabled, by having the IEM on hand.

“looky here”

The graph shows the TANGZU XUAN NV to have the least bass of the three, and also a prominent vocal display. Well what do you know? Also will you look at how the XUAN NV drastically runs away from the BAD GUY’s target curve. Really and truly that is the main information that I wanted to get across early in this review. That for once we are meeting-up with a change of pace, in fact an increase in pace. That and no-way are we submitting ourselves to the bass DOMINATRIX of the HBB Hades.

I mean sure the world is full of all types, and I gave the Hades a good score, but at first listen, I didn’t want to. In fact it took me a few days to reset my hearing from the devastating trauma inflicted by her fiery bass whip.

So you may think I find this new TANGZU XUAN NV to be the best thing ever from the HBB camp…….and yes it is. Almost a month ago I did first impressions and that is what came up. Now we are both encountering more vocals and due to the reduction in bass, those vocals become even more clear.




Review prospective summary and side-by-side comparisons:
Really here at Redcarmoose Labs there is no better way to figure out what the personality is of a new IEM, other than side-by-sides. Yep, easy as it is, I will simply use the WM1A with the Tangzu Tang Sancai wide-bores and the OC849 cable with every test vehicle. After that I will do a music review, talking about how the XUAN NV plays back tunes, then show packaging and construction, then wind-up this little review with a conclusion, with purchasing links. You may question why I’m using an aftermarket cable, and the reason is it is in 4.4mm, where the included cable was not. What is nice is at $79.00 they even included the Tangzu Tang Sancai wide-bores and a complete set of Tangzu Tang Sancai balanced-bore ear-tips.


Left to right:
Top row:
TANGZU XUAN NV $79.00 = 2DD 1 8mm PU X 11mm LCP
Kiwi ears Singolo x Crinacle $79.00 = 1X 11mm LCP DD

Middle row:
QKZ x HBB Hades $49.99 = 2X9mm DD
TINHIFI T5S $129.00 = 1X 10mm DOC DD

Third row:
TINHIFI C2 $29.00 = 1X 10mm PU+LCP DD
BLON X HBB Z300 $35.00 = 1X 10mm Silicone diaphragm


Music used:


DCD
Anastasis
Kiko
44.1 - 24bit
Now the thing is, this song seems to enhance all the IEMs. Yet I’m using the song here because I like it, and it is well recorded. It really brings out the best of every IEM in the test. And you know, I’m OK with that, because I have had the TANGZU XUAN NV almost a full month and I have listened to a gambit of musical styles, plus I already did reviews of the competitors with even more music. To narrow this song down, it has well produced cymbals that are easy to itemize in the stage, there is a specific fall-off and reverberations to everything, there are female vocals at the right place, and the vocals are recorded well. There are heavy bass qualities to the keys and heavy drums which if done well are well spaced apart. This song even holds examples of timbre response (as most all songs do) but since I use this song a few times a week I know it like the back of my hand, and that counts for something.

After listening to the TANGZU XUAN NV, I quickly switched to the The Kiwi ears Singolo X Crinacle.

Kiwi ears Singolo x Crinacle:
Really even and complete is how I note the Singolo, free from any off frequency, thus coming across as clean. Clean is the word for what this IEM does 24/7. And while in this review I partake of the TINHIFI C2 and the TINHIFI T5S, really the two and the Singolo could be viewed as riding in the very same automobile. Yep, to where the Singolo takes that midrange luster and profound delineation and runs slightly farther than the C2 (due to technicalities) and the T5S due to a more forward tuning. Yep, to where the Singolo makes the T5S sound almost sleepy and it is far from asleep at all. So you may be wondering why I’m not comparing the TANGZU XUAN NV yet. Well it is easy to get a handle on what the TANGZU XUAN NV is about. Really in so many ways it is the exact opposite of the Singolo. More Singolo forward vocals, less bass action and still holding a giant stage. Stage is a funny thing because I believe it is both from frequency and technicalities, Yep. And the Singolo has the combined effect of the two going on in unison. What makes the music as such become lifted off the ground into the midrange, forgetting the grounding taking place in the XUAN NV at all. Nope, we are flying slightly higher off the ground. Cruising with our buddies in a low-rider 1962 Impala, yet we are Head-Fi geeks too, so it is a midrange car stereo taking place minus the heavy bass kickers of the XUAN NV.

As such these images of midrange, like a few to follow make the Kiwi ears Singolo x Crinacle the perfect complementary IEM to a XUAN NV purchase. I mean there is no denying the Singolo is great, just how great compared to the more sloppy XUAN NV could be a matter of taste, or the time of day, or mood you found yourself in.

QKZ x HBB Hades:
Can you say bass. Even if you open your window and yell B A S S outside your house, listeners may think you’re crazy, but they still won’t be illuminated as to how much bad-as Bass the Hades truly has, Yep it is that much. Where it took me a month to write this XUAN NV review, it took me almost that long to reset my hearing after visiting Hades. OK, all joking aside, the Hades actually got a great review from me, and you know why? Stage, a giant stage, bigger than the TANGZU XUAN NV and maybe one of the biggest here today. Yet a part of that is the bass stage, to where the following T5S is cleaner and more strict as to TINHIFI’s idea of correctness. It is like this Hades represents the bass needy…….those low frequency vagabonds who are jonesing for more than their fair share of bass material. But the truth riddle of Hades is how after listening to it for a while this extra bass becomes almost normal? To where if any IEM could lead you over to the Dark Side then the Hades could. Just like a drug dealer handing out fun free samples to try, only to permanently mess-you-up in the end.

TINHIFI T5S:
Look, this is my favorite IEM on this list. I chose it for a few reasons, yes it is way more money than the TANGZU XUAN NV, except what I’m attempting to do is show the diminishing returns per dollar spent, but also there was another reason. The T5 came out in May of 2021, almost exactly 3 years ago. It reviewed very badly, the T5 was just too bass light, that and with the treble and midrange that were even amplified more by this whacky balance. So to have this T5S just recently show-up and be my favorite TIN out of everything, well that is sentimental. OK the T5S is better in many ways from the TANGZU XUAN NV, but they are different too…….let me explain why. First off we can start to hear the TINHIFI sound. This sound is a no-playing around totally organized and scheduled intent of sonics. A proposed venture into TINs commander ruthless careful idea of just how they think IEMs should sound. Imagine the little $29.00 IEM to follow in this review and start adding on accessories. Where the C2 is in its underwear, the T5S is in so many ways a mature and complete sound, that while the C2 has less bass, there is a smoother and harmonically rich embellishment into which we interpret the full-throttle approach of the T5S. I know I said I was going to compare the XUAN NV, and I will. Yet hearing the C2 really drove home what TIN is doing here. That really the C2 and the T5S are tuned and technicalities wise are driving in the same direction. Big expanded mids of clarity in proportion to the XUAN NV. Yep, so imagine the C2 as the younger weaker sibling and the T5S going all out. Sure it is more IEM and fighting (the XUAN NV) here is like a bodybuilder taking a slug during a bar fight at a drunk unsuspecting Mesomorph! Yet while yes, there is way more detail held in what the T5S does, and sure it is considerably more change, still just like the C2, this T5S ends being complementary to owning the XUAN NV? Where the XUAN NV is more relaxing and quirky. Yep……there I said it. I was waiting this whole review to drop the word quirky on you. As in relation to back-to-backs the XUAN NV is a little less dressed up-for-a-wedding than the T5S. Sloppier and more casual in technicalities. Maybe a tad blurry even. Where TINHIFI are like a military IEM, the XUAN NV is cutting school and ***-off.

It may be how the T5S does technical bass, but this warmth, a first for TINHIFI that combines with the mid technicalities to create a winner in my book. A 5 out of 5 score. Hooray!

TINHIFI C2:
What a $29.00 addition to the battle? HA, the little C2 is exactly $100.00 less dinero than the TINHIFI T5S. And really it was out and around so I saw it, and thought that it would be good to contrast what you get. Showing-up right at the very end of 2022, the C2 wins points for being a cool design, and I really like metal IEMs if they are done right. But the question here is what does less than half the money of the TANGZU XUAN NV get you? God I love this little guy. Look at it as a full hiccup in TINHIFI design. They must have let the junior engineers out for a session in design. Does any IEM in the history of TINHIFI look like a metal robot ear? No, and the song playing is fabulous for the money. None of that brittleness like what is found in the BLON X HBB Z300 to follow. Yet we are working with a very up-front and thinner posture than what the XUAN NV is about. Where what becomes of this is higher relief into how the midrange is spread out into luxurious fashion. No it does not hold the overall micro or macro density of the XUAN NV, yet who is complaining here. I am not complaining! Bigger more vibrant details in the upper midrange and treble. As such those factors are pushed even farther into reality by lesser bass action too. Really this style of playback, believe it or not, becomes complimentary to the XUAN NV. Enough said! Word for today is Windex Spray!

BLON X HBB Z300:
Why did I include this one? Primarily due to it being a HBB collaboration, it also very much defined my point in relation to this new direction in XUAN NV bass curtailment. Very clean, meaning one single 10mm driver in a solid anti-resonance shell will emit a clarity and absorption of off frequencies and lesser harmonic resonances at times. This directness is in contrast to what the TANGZU XUAN NV is about, the XUAN NV is actually a little softer due to the 2X DD fighting. Yet this purity of the HBB Z300 has its merits. Thinner on all counts despite what the added mid-bass does. I hope this makes sense, that there is more mid-bass and lower midrange held in HBB Z300 playback, and a lesser push at 3kHz, yet for whatever reason the forwardness is both more brittle and over-all sounds a hint more sterile? I mean I looked at the graph and while the graph makes sense, this is one IEM that contradicts some of the graph, and makes a reality that 8kHz peak energy oppose from it being just measurement resonances. As such that forward energy combined with the rest makes this IEM way less musical in the end, in comparison to the XUAN NV! Sure it is good for the money, but will ask for less volume levels in playback due to such strict Nurse Ratched character!



Music Tests:
Yes, I chose the same song to start as in the IEM comparison section. All tests with Sony WM1A in 4.4mm balanced with Tangzu Tang Sancai wide-bore ear-tips and OC849 aftermarket cable.





DCD
Anastasis
Kiko
44.1 - 24bit
Timestamps are only on the digital file, not the included video. Probably the first thing that comes to mind is the sheer size of the drums. That while the drum holds authority, it is also the cymbals that take the cake, this show of clarity and details. At 00:18 this show of bass note emphasis is positioned in a new part of the stage, an area where we didn’t know sound could be placed. At 00:27 we realize that all these instruments are in correct timbre as there are no BAs involved. It is in fact this stage, this big stage that has us stop for a second to realize this is an under $100.00 IEM doing its thing? Where, yes the stage is primarily wide, there is ample front and back plus top to bottom, too. After 160 hours of burn-in the bass is sounding…….really everything is coming off more fluid and effortless? At 00:38 a yangqin (a Chinese hammered dulcimer) shows offing of a higher frequency and positioning out-front. And the thing is this dulcimer instrument has also been fully drawn-out through effects to fall into multi-points of interest upon the stage. There is panning back and forth, and then what sounds like a flute, but it is keyboards. At exactly 01:14 Lisa Gerrard makes her entrance. That while entering we get a good idea of where she will sit in the stage, and frequency wise. See that’s the thing, her voice is neither too forward or too back-set. This idea of vocals has me a believer, and none of that vocal sitting malarky previous from HBB. I don’t mean to make fun of past HBB creations……cuz I haven’t heard them all, but from what I have heard, vocals are not the strong point in the past. Maybe TANGZU said, wait a second, we want some vocals here? And the deal is of course all the components heard from the vocals……….more subtle details than you would guess, the reverberations, the panning from right to left and back again, really the overall vocal textures are better than I was prepared for? Really as far as vocals go, they have gone done it with the correct positioning and frequency to allow exquisite details and realness. With many HBB ideas we have had the female voice seem like an afterthought, but no not here, really not here!



Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch
Blade Runner 2049 OST
Wallace
44.1kHz - 16bit
Here we are entering the atmosphere, and while the bass is strong it is also fast and tight. At 00:14 to 00:15 there are treble details, which due to high frequency are unidentifiable. Yet being at the very threshold of hearing are just barely there, yet there. These show floating on an ocean of bass ambiance. Same as the backwards which sound like faint singing at 01:54……yet we are in a giant room, a space delineated by the various synths……all deep and all very processed, yet showing the spatial area inwhich they each exist into the stage. This room we are visiting is just that, a separate place into which sonics creates a space. It is the fact that this stage is produced wide, tall and front to back that we are enveloped inside such an effect, that low frequencies are still able to observe changes quickly into new striations.



Hans Zimmer
Inception
Old Souls
44.1kHz - 16bit
Look, I use this song every week to test IEMs. And sure the bass is well done, and the piano placement at 00:23 sounds natural but it is not as forward or separated as encountered by Hybrids. Still the tone is correct, not showing even a hint of off-timbre. As I really start to understand the goals that TANGZU had in regards to both tuning and technicalities. Where the overall mood is very analogue (whatever that means) but that while the attack holds considerable weight at our first 00:54 bass drop. It is this attack which shows a style of quality in that yes, the bass is not terribly forward, yet totally separate found into the stage, inhabiting its own private zone. Such a zone is smooth and round, yet not the very most vibrant I have heard, yet there is no denying it is possibly even more correct here. Meaning this song excels at finding each and every one of the known sound constituents alive and real sounding, but more than that, found in their natural space inside the stage. And I’m sorry to say, that this song sounds like an IEM made it that was exactly like one in the TANGZU XUAN NV supplied graph here. What I’m trying to say is the XUAN NV really holds balance, that it is a form of a correct tune, also even and complete. You see I’m learning that it is the most balanced I have heard HBB involved with. Now sure I knew such things at the start of the review, yet such a confirmation is double confirmed when hearing a song like this in action. It is what it is……that’s all.

Music conclusion:
To summarize the sound, we are basking in this stage, really the stage can’t be over emphasized as it is a value here. And while not holding BA Hybrid pin-point details, the TANGZU XUAN NV makes-up for that with correct timbre and realness. As such there are finite detail examples in playback, those examples are not always pushed forward like what a Hybrid would do. This flatness of relief gets made inconsequential due to the great vocals, both in frequency and stage positioning. This overbearing cohesiveness that is almost always par for the course with DDs, becomes that much more endearing when we realize we are experiencing pace too! That must be one thing that 2X DDs do better than one? We have one 8mm PU DD and one 11mm LCP DD which go about their day offering well defined pace. I mean as I was listening I could almost hear a small section of the music offer better transients than what a single full-range DD would do, and I like that. This small section (of sound) I’m talking about is not the most defined I have ever heard, that it makes points with the use of layers, though even those layers are not separated despite the stage size. There becomes this blending, yet when full-on vocals take place they are created alive, in living color, holding details, textures and transient abilities far above the asking price. It is just this replay character can only do so much to itemize the far up treble details……that we are met with a more compact upper stage, missing that itemization that Hybrids do with their eyes closed. We are offered corrected timbre, in fact uncanny correct timbre.

Packaging:
One of the greatest surprises here is the inclusion of both styles of the Tangzu Tang Sancai ear-tips.

Cable:
The cable was fine. Though LOL…..look at the photograph. Here I tried to use the photo to really explain the character of this 4 core Litz configuration. I mean Yes, I used it in testing and TANGZU XUAN NV had a warm smooth sound. I truly try not to be a cable snob, because it isn’t everyone's choice to combine a 4.4mm GUCCI cable with a $79.00 IEM, I understand that fact of life. But later in the review you will learn that 3.5mm from a regular phone doesn’t cut the mustard. Nope, the TANGZU XUAN NV needs just slightly more power. I had to check this a few times, because I was surprised how much juice this little sucker drank-up? So you are fine taking this to a Dongle, just realize that only if you are a super low-volume listener, or a medium low volume listener, would a regular phone work-out. It is just not loud enough, that’s all. But in the photos here I’m using a $99.90 dollar cable, just because I feel this is an IEM that at its price-point benefits from 4.4mm balanced out-put, and the TANGZU XUAN NV scales up with a better built cable. Though keep in mind this is not in any way a cable review. As such we as readers can reach a conflict of interest concentrating on aftermarket cables in a review of an IEM. The important part is to find an aftermarket cable that simply does not color the original sound. That lets the soul of the IEM become transferred, let cable enthusiasts pick a colored cable later if they so desire. We are only looking for an increase in stage (maybe pace) and a cleaning-up of sorts compared to the included cable, with the full character of the TANGZU x HBB Xuan Nv coming through.



Ear-tips:
So the Xuan Nv comes with a generic simple white small ear-tip on the IEM to protect the 3D printed nozzle. Of the 6 other pairs, they are 3 pairs of Tangzu Tang Sancai wide-bores, and 3 pairs of Tangzu Tang Sancai balanced-bore ear-tips. Let me just say, these tips are amazing. They went and put friction grabbing surface design just like car tires, yep to all six pairs. The great part is yes the large balanced-bore gets me better fitment, yet the wide-bores get the best stage and imaging size.


Build:
Achieving a new style of design due to sophisticated 3D printing. Yep, they are now making IEMs dual constructed with only about 1/3 of the shell hollow and the other 2/3rds solid. What this all means in the end is a few IEMs have surfaced this year with seated drivers and 3D printed sound tubes. At only 5 grams a piece in weight, we are seeing through to observe 1/3 top half hollow. Yep, the back section of these two drivers exits into a resonant chamber under the faceplate. It is also vented near the 2Pin insertion point. The 2nd vent as seen in photos off the back and a third near the bass of the nozzle. Typically all these vents would mean stage expansion, and that is with-out a doubt happening here. Almost the greatest thing about the design is the form. Yep, here we are met with a medium-size build, yet offering a gambit of fins and curves. You can tell TANGZU went the extra mile in semi-custom form. Number two the nozzles are not too short. Where sure I will probably get a more secure fit with the regular Tangz Tang Sancai ear-tips, but I have done this review with the wide-bore tips. Where really I would call the regular Tangz Tang Sancai tips medium. But I’m a fanatic for wide-bores and always am endeared when there is enough nozzle length to use them. Yet the phenomenon is donut tips naturally have less barrel to join with your ear canal. Thus with less contact, there becomes an easier way for movement of the cable to pull the IEM into a different place. As long as you understand these issues, all is well, but often wide-bores don’t allow for the firm fitment regularly achieved with longer barrel ear-tips.

Phone use:
These draw some juice. In fact, while sounding great from a regular 3.5mm phone output, they really don’t get loud enough. Where unless you were a super low-volume or maybe medium low volume listener there would be cause for concern while using a phone. I mean it is right on that border where you could want a taste of more volume here. This was while using the included 3.5mm cable. One of the best experiences of the day was casually placing the ifi hip dac 3 in-between the phone and the 3.5mm included cable of the TANGZU XUAN NV. This is my first review in a while where the IEM here needs more power to come alive, where a regular phone just borderline doesn’t cut it. Really it is probably slightly less than medium volume for me, but the regular phone stage means I’m looking for more volume to try and gain interaction?


Conclusion:
While in no way the most detailed for the money, the TANGZU x HBB Xuan Nv is kind-of looking for other aspects in music replay. Where there is close to perfect balance in the tune, that means really that this makes the TANGZU x HBB Xuan Nv very well rounded going with every source and every genre of music. Sure Symphony Lovers may not get their fair share of separation and string luster, but Rock lovers will truly find pace in regular Rock tracks. The totally unexpected thing was the vocals. That sure you can see from the graph that vocal playback was catered to, yet hearing it in action is another story all together. These vocal textures and details are just right. Right and with correct placement into the stage positioning, and of exquisite timbre. Crazy as it may sound, there are great details found in the vocal area too. That as a player the HBB tuned TANGZU x HBB Xuan Nv doesn’t make vocals an afterthought, and for that I am grateful. While the TANGZU x HBB Xuan Nv only gets medium loud from a cell phone, some types are looking for medium loud as a goal, like for slightly more background at the workplace. I can say (that while missing a little of the DAP separation) the warmth an overall tone from a phone was truly moving, holding all those things you look for as emotional triggers, minus the all the DAP stage.

As far as a looker, hah, just look at this IEM? Construction is very well done, with a new style of two-story build. Yep, Some of the IEM is solid resin with no actual (aquarium style) tubes for sound. Such tubes were formed in place by the 3D construction only. As was the top loft under the faceplate allowing for resonances to form, combined with the 3 sound vents and there is no avoiding the stage taking place.

Holding the TANGZU x HBB Xuan Nv in your hands we are welcomed with completely seamless construction, even the faceplate has somehow been fused to the lower body? And while forming a medium size TANGZU went all out with this one creating a semi-custom form. Each nozzle is truly middle length in creating a nozzle that lets me have my ear-tip freedom, freedom to choose longer ear-tips or donut shaped tips. There is even a lip at the nozzle end allowing secure placement of really any tip you choose.

Yet the most exciting thing to surface was the use of only two different sized DDs. Yep that TANGZU went and found creativity in use of an 8mm PU Dynamic Driver and one 11mm LCP Dynamic Driver. That TANGZU in many small ways is climbing closer to a Hybrid sound, as both of these drivers are made very differently. So we find that separation (to a point) of a Hybrid, with none of the off-timbre associated with Hybrid construction. What this ultimately delivers is a form of clarity for all day listening. There are no bright flood lights beaming, and the treble details are found warm and inviting. Let those other IEMs take hold of the bright intensity, because the TANGZU x HBB Xuan Nv simply doesn’t care……nope, the Xuan Nv is going about its day the very best it knows how, proclaiming vocals with uncanny charm and sophistication and a tight controlled bass that still doesn’t let you forget this is a HBB creation in the end.

$79.00
https://www.linsoul.com/products/tangzu-xuannv

Disclaimer:
I would like to thank Kareena from Linsoul for the love and the TANGZU XUAN NV review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

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

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm
Samsung Phone 3.5mm
HiBy R3 II DAP 4.4mm balanced
ifi hip dac DAC/Amplifier 4.4mm balanced