As for its required amplification, I mentioned a while ago about the ceramic drivers and this set is definitely hard to drive as it really requires more power output just to power up its ceramic dynamic driver. To achieve an optimal power output to drive this set to its fullest potential, either we will use a USB DAC/Amp dongle, a DAP (Digital Audio Player) with medium and high gain mode, or desktop DAC amplifier.
The XUAN NV has a mild u-shaped sound signature with balanced-warmish tonality that makes it a more analogue-ish profile that will have a warm and smooth sound across its frequency spectrum.
This set has some characteristics to be a bassy one but a well-done bass emphasis which is absolutely coherent and authoritative not a muddy mess. It delivers a punchy, incisive and rumbly bass response that it complements well with its warm, analogue-ish tuning.
Certainly that there's a sub bass presence as I clearly perceived those resonance effects that were generated by some instruments like low tuned bass guitars and double bass, octobasses, drum machines and synthesisers. The mid bass is definitely well-textured that it gives a sufficient note weight on instruments and deep male vocals. The bass guitars have a definitive growl as they sound weight, sombre and broad that also shares with double basses too. Bass kick drums have those authoritative sounds as they sound full and sonorous. Male vocals like basses and bass-baritones have sufficient thickness, depth and warmer sound with rumbling and darker tone on their voices.
The midrange presentation of this set is slightly recessed, but it has warmth, well-textured and richness on it that will give more plush and smoothness on vocals and instruments. The way it was tuned will give a more pleasant and organic timbre to some listeners who adhere more towards analogue-ish type of tuning.
Male vocals like baritones have smooth and lushness on their voices while tenors have brassy and ringing voice quality but I wish some tad of brightness for lighter tenors like leggero and lyric types. Countertenors seem to have a tender, smooth and light vocal characteristic on them similar to some mezzo-sopranos. On female vocals, contraltos will benefit more on how this set was tuned as it gives more rich, full and smoky voice while mezzo-sopranos have a tender and sensitive vocals to give that coppery characteristic. And then, sopranos have that satiny, sweet and sultry vocals in which are more suitable on dramatic and spinto which have emotive and rich voices rather on lyric and coloratura types which need more energetic and bright sound.
As for instruments, brasses and percussives will sound better on this set as it gives a full and rounded sound on trumpets, a brassy and full sound on trombones, and a velvety and warm on horns while on percussives, warm and resonant sound on tom-toms, a tad boomy and sombre sound on field drums, a hard and a tad muffled sound on snares and lastly, a boomy and substantial sound on kettle drums. String instruments sound a bit smooth and warm as it is quite noticeable that guitars have this meaty and “buttery” sound on them while violins sound full and austere, and then cellos have warm, weighty and sonorous sound on them. Woodwinds like concert flutes, piccolos and clarinets have mellow, soft and rich sound respectively but lack airiness and shimmer on them. Pianos have a warm and mellow tone as it sounds sweet and rich but some might perceive it as dull and veiled.
The treble response of this set is definitely smooth, even and satiny that I can assure that not a hint of harshness nor sibilance will occur on this type of tuning. It has a slight elevation on the upper mids and presence treble region enough to have an ample clarity and finesse on attack of both percussives rhythmic instruments.
The presence of airy extension on the brilliance part of the treble region is quite modest in my opinion as it also has a barely sparkle on it. Cymbals have a lustrous and undulating sound in them while hi-hats have a proper sound which has a short buzzing one albeit with an added warmth on it. Celestas have a velvety and soft sound, then glockenspiels have a lustrous and warm sound than the usual bright and shimmering sound that these instruments should have.
It appears that the overall technical capabilities of XUAN NV is more of an above-average in terms of performance-wise. It doesn't have that spacious sound/speaker stage as it presents a more intimate presentation with an average width span, above-average height reach and good depth. The stereo imaging on this one projects a concave-like presentation in a sufficiently layered soundscape with surprisingly good separation of instruments and vocals for a dual dynamic driver set.
The cohesive performance of its dual dynamic drivers is pretty responsive and flexible that it executes a fast, fluid transient speed without any sort of issues like detached sound or distortion. And for resolution capabilities, as I don't consider it superbly resolving especially on micro-detail aspect as it doesn't have that sharp definition on retrieving some nuances and details in an audio track but it has a pretty solid on macro-dynamics after all.
TINHIFI T2 MK.II
QKZ X HBB KHAN
CCA DUO
As I put my conclusion on this assessment, this set is one of TANGZU's endeavours to diversify their product offerings as they try to be adaptive as fast as possible as the constant and unpredictable changes in the audio market on the evolving technologies available to utilised. By implementing such dynamic driver technology which has many potentials to deliver an exquisite tonal quality but at the expense of more power output just to drive it properly along with the collaboration with one of the most premier portable audio product reviewer in YouTube, this set truly performs on its intended tonal target as it delivers a smooth, cosy and harmonious sound quality. This is probably one of my favourite HBB collaboration sets for under $100/£80 and I will surely recommend it to audio enthusiasts who want a musical well-balanced IEM with smooth, inoffensive and a well-done colouration on its tonal profile for their listening pleasure.
TANGZU XUAN NV is now available in TANGZU's official store and LINSOUL, For those who are interested to purchase this product, I just put up some unaffiliated links below.
★★TANGZU XUAN NV - OFFICIAL STORE★★
★★TANGZU XUAN NV - LINSOUL★★
For more TANGZU products, you can click the links below.
■ TANGZU/TFORCE YUAN LI
■ TANGZU WAN'ER SG
■ TANGZU PRINCESS CHANGLE
■ TANGZU FU DU VERSE I
■ TANGZU XUANWU GATE
SPECIFICATION:
MODEL: TANGZU XUAN NV
IMPEDANCE: 8.5Ω
SENSITIVITY: 98dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 7Hz – 20KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.25m
PIN TYPE: 0.78mm 2-PIN CONNECTOR
PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm
DRIVER UNIT(S): (2) DYNAMIC DRIVER(S)
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 TEAM TANGZU for sending this review unit. I truly appreciate their generosity and trust towards me and other reviewers.
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