TL;DR: Buttery smooth - a new easy to recommend IEM for starters (that can afford to drop the extra $)
Overview/History
Hi all. Welcome to another probably long winded review. Going to plaster the disclaimer early!
Disclaimers: I've followed HBB on YT and other forums since I've gotten back into the audio game and I typically find that HBB's sound preference matches mine.
Suffice to say, I really like this set so if you're already tired of reading, my summary is that "This be good, buy not be bad idea" and you should consider it if you're looking for a smooth ~$100 IEM.
The Xuan NV is a new collaboration between TangZu and HBB (aka Hawaii Bad Boy aka Bad Guy Good Audio). They are a 2 DD set with, according to linsoul's website, integrates 'ceramic and PU + LCP diaphragms to produce a rich, detailed sound profile' which may not mean a lot to everyone that's newer to the hobby but there you go. From prior videos and history, the Xuan NV was meant to come out around the same time as the QKZ x HBB Hades so you'd be getting a "blue pill or red pill" option at the same time. Obviously, considering the Xuan NV didn't start hitting the retailers until months after the Hades, this didn't line up according to plan. But, c'est la vie. Onto the photo dump!
Build Quality, Comfort and Accessories
Photo dump time!
My goodness, they're freaking gorgeous. This is my second TangZu IEM that I've ever handled with the first being the Fudu Verse 1 which were super stealthy looking. That was a great unboxing/presentation/accessory filled release and I'm happy to point out that TangZu knocked it out of the park on this one too.
One underrated aspect to the Xuan NV is that while the nozzle feels larger, the overall size of the IEM isn't too much and they fit extremely well in my ears. YMMV.
You get a nice cable (very soft and I could see people thinking it feels flimsy but I find it very pliable/agreeable) and a small travel case.
One underrated aspect to the Xuan NV is that while the nozzle feels larger, the overall size of the IEM isn't too much and they fit extremely well in my ears. YMMV.
You get a nice cable (very soft and I could see people thinking it feels flimsy but I find it very pliable/agreeable) and a small travel case.
You also get TangZu Sanchai Tips
They've included 2 different sets - Wide Bore would reduce base and open up vocals/treble while Balanced is... balanced.
You also get 3 different sizes so you can find the best fit.
Tip Rolling
Taking a moment to talk about tips, this is the first time that I really enjoyed the stock tips! They had a set of white tips that were already on there and I think they brought the character of the IEMs that TangZu/HBB wanted you to experience.
That being said, I did try out the TangZu Sanchai tips vs my own flight of tips as well. I typically rotate between the Final Audio Type E, the Dunu S&S and the SpinFit W1.
Stock Tips: Absolutely solid. I'm usually not a fan because they don't fit me perfectly but these sealed well and provided a similar experience to the Final Audio Type E.
TangZu Sanchai Tips - Wide Bore: Not a fan. Bass was gone while the mids/highs felt too inflated. Soundstage was great on these though. Maybe these aren't the best on the Xuan NV.
TangZu Sanchai Tips - Balanced: Balanced. I don't know how else to put them. They sound solid. My only issue was that they felt more intimate/closed compared to the stock tips or the others.
SpinFit W1: I think a bassier version of the Wide Bore tips but with more natural mid/highs. I still didn't prefer these tips on the Xuan NV.
Dunu S&S: Because the Xuan NV have chonkier nozzle, I was expecting my go to Chonky Nozzle dominators (the Dunu S&S) to be my preferred. They work extremely well on the Truthear Zero Reds. But, while they worked well in this set up, they were a runner up the Stock/Final tips.
Final Type E Clear/Reds: Not only does the colors work in this case, but they sound amazing together. Final Type E are usually my go to ear tips (preferred over Divinus). I will say, though, that while I think the overall sound presentation with the Type Es are my favorite, the white stock tips actually worked very well. I don't know why but they do.
Cable
The cable is very nice and soft. It does borderline feel almost flimsy but I think that works in certain situations especially if you're using these on the go. I do have some Xinhs cables (two different ones, Rainbow one is a bit stiffer vs the black/silver balanced one that I have) and Tripowin Zonie and I think the Xuan NV's cable is right up there for different reasons.
Sound
But, how do these sound? Overall, smooth. Don't be fooled by the Squig; the bass is there and it's not anemic at all. This would probably skew towards the 'warm neutral' sound signature (which is a total cop out summary). You can listen to anything with these and be satisfied. This is a good all rounder, IMO, and is easily my new benchmark for the price point.
Gear Tested On: Primarily streamed music via either dedicated Streamer, Laptop or Phone
Phone chain: Pixel 8 Pro -> Abigail Dongle
Streamed Music Chain Workstation: Laptop -> Fiio K11
Streamed Music chain: WiiM Mini -> JDS Labs Atom DAC+ -> JDS Labs OL Switcher -> Geshelli Labs Archel 3 Pro.
Lows/Bass: The low end for the Xuan NV is warm. I would not call it a bassy set (mainly because I do have a basshead set that is probably my reference point to bassy) but I think it's important to note that the Squigs available online make this set seem anemic when it's fuller than you'd think. I think the nature of the IEM (where it's not as sensitive and needs more power) help drive this home.
There isn't a lot of mid-bass because this isn't the intention with this set; this is supposed to be an opposite, in a way, to the Hades which is sub/mid-bass boosted for bassheads.
I would say that bass here is like a warm blanket on a cool evening; enough to make you feel comfortable without needing to grab anything else (like EQing, etc.) - could you grab more and further tune it? Yes, absolutely. But, that's not tuning choice in these. And, if you want to tune/EQ it to have the deeper sub-bass/mid-bass hit, there are a lot of options to provide those hits out the gate (Legato, Hades, QKZ x HBB, etc.).
Mids: The midrange is very full as expected based on the tuning/squig presentations. There is no deficiency when it comes to vocals (either male or female) and I think the smoothness of the mid-range accentuates the music you're listening to.
I would say that the mid-range is on par with a lot of it's competition and presented in a very musical manner that further makes this set a natural all-rounder.
Treble: Smooth and inoffensive. There isn't a lot of extension and energy but, again, that makes this set something you can listen to for hours and blends well with the bass/mids.
There isn't a lot to really say about the highs beyond that I think the tuning choice makes sense given what TangZu and HBB were trying to accomplish here and they found the best balance without making it boring.
Specific songs listened to and other Etc.:
I listened to a lot of my library but here's some key highlights. Without breaking down each track, I think the Xuan NV did great on a lot of tracks with some standing out (marked by an asterisk).
Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child of Mine*
Death Cab for Cutie - Everything's a Ceiling*
Fleetwood Mac - Dreams
Black Keys - Gold on the Ceiling*
Queen & David Bowie - Under Pressure
Jackie Wilson - Higher & Higher (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me)*
Coconut Records - It's Not You It's Me
SEATBELTS - Gotta Knock a Little Higher*
Earth, Wind and Fire - September
Camille - Le Festin*
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Three Little Birds*
I would say that my music taste is extremely eclectic and there wasn't a lack of anything found in my listening.
The Xuan NV sound extremely natural with it's timbre, there is no extra highlight of any one aspect of the sound balance but this isn't really meant to be a detail monster.
Soundstage is very adequate on the right source and gear. They scale very well with power so the better the equipment, the more you get out of them. Details are there and while not brought to the forefront, I don't think you're missing out on anything. Imaging/Layering is all extremely competent but not leading in it's price point.
Other Things to be aware of:
At this time, there's two things to be aware of. My order was delayed due to there being a lot of pre-orders so I was anticipating getting this sooner than I did. I'm not sure if the stock has finally caught up and there's an availability now but hopefully, if you're interested, you don't have any long delays.
The other thing is that some squigs have shown some channel imbalance; I don't have a measuring rig (as I don't want to be fully colored/influenced by utilizing one myself) but I will say that I did not notice any imbalance on my set. Just something to be aware of.
Another thing to note, these are very power hungry and I do find that I have to increase the power/volume more than the Kato to get to the similar volume. They also pair very well with good sources/equipment. As prior mentioned, the Abigail dongle does an adequate job with them but playing them on the Fiio K11 and my Archel 3 Pro really opened them up. They respond very well to power.
I also used balanced cables on these with the K11; it helped a bit with sound separation (and I do mean just a little bit but it could be a placebo effect) and meant I don't have to ramp up the volume but I didn't notice any fully audible change in sound.
Last thing to note is where this IEM falls in the current market place.
IMO, this is a Jack of all Trades type of IEM and while it won't lead in class in any particular one aspect of it's sound, I don't think you'd be able to find any negatives with it.
I've listened to the Zero RED (extensively as this was one of those IEMs that everyone recommended as a first/starter) and I own a Moondrop Kato. The Xuan NV feels right in between there like if you took the Zero RED, gave it a bit more tactile bass, gave it a bit more details/vocal warmth and then went in between the Kato and Zero RED size.
That being said, the Zero RED does exist and is comparable; you'd basically have to figure out do you want a similar sounding (albeit a little bit better) Zero RED in a more comfortable package? There would be no reason to sidegrade if you're already feeling fine about the Zero RED. Other IEMs in this price bracket (ones that I've tried include Fudu Verse 1, Kiwi Ears Melody, Singolo, Galileo) each bring something different to the field to warrant consideration vs the Zero RED whether it's better bass, better vocals, etc. so I would say that the Xuan NV not going to bring something definitively better than it's competition. The competition each have different drawbacks to me while there was none really found here. How much you're willing to spend on an all-rounder really depends on you.
But, honestly, that's a winning aspect to me where you get a very good/warm/balanced sound signature but in a much more comfortable shell so I would consider this right in my ballpark and what I was looking for to add to my collection.
Conclusion:
This is an absolutely smooth operator. Based on the balanced yet warm sound, the amount of accessories you get and the overall looks, TangZu and HBB went out of their way to provide an amazing package at a relatively affordable price.
This is pure conjecture but, in thinking about HBB's intent with the Xuan NV/Hades combo, it felt like HBB saw what Crinacle had done with his Truthear Zero/Zero RED and decided:
While the Zero/Zero RED are different, they still have aspects that are closely aligned to each other while HBB decided that he wanted a sibling set that was drastically different from each other. Each serves a different crowd. You have one for people that want that subwoofer in their ear rattling and another for the people that want a smooth/buttery sound that helps them relax with their music. But, at the end of the day, you're going to enjoy your music with either one so pick your 'Blue Pill' or 'Red Pill'.
I would go so far to say that I think the Xuan NV is such a compelling package that it would be my go-to set that I would shill if someone was interested in trying out IEMs in the first place (and could afford to save up more vs the Zero RED or other budget options). This would be a great set to show someone the evolution of how far IEMs have come, how much more capable they are vs some random wireless earbuds that are lossy and not tuned well and even allow them to further tune via tip rolling.
Consider me got by the Red Pill.
Thanks for reading!
I would go so far to say that I think the Xuan NV is such a compelling package that it would be my go-to set that I would shill if someone was interested in trying out IEMs in the first place (and could afford to save up more vs the Zero RED or other budget options). This would be a great set to show someone the evolution of how far IEMs have come, how much more capable they are vs some random wireless earbuds that are lossy and not tuned well and even allow them to further tune via tip rolling.
Consider me got by the Red Pill.
Thanks for reading!