Unboxing

• Tang Sancai Noble (4 Sizes)
• Divinus Prism Wide Bore (3 Sizes)
• Azla SednaFit Origin (3 Sizes including Adapters)
• Flash Acoustics Cable
• TangZu Carry Case
• Tang Sancai Wide Bores (3 Sizes)
• Tang Sancai (3 Sizes)
• Tang Sancai Narrow Bore (3 Sizes)

To access the compartment below, use the pull tab on the right side. The compartment contains a carry case that is similar to other Tangzu IEMs and more Sancai Eartips. Opening up the included case reveals the included Flash Acoustic Cables.

Design, Fitment, and Comfort

Due to its high driver count, The Wukong is definitely on the larger side. However, the design is slightly understated so it probably won’t attract too much attention. I really like the finishing on the shell, even though I seem to notice some off spots. Quick fun fact, I actually didn’t know that it was made of Titanium until a coworker mentioned it. While it is on the larger side, I am quite surprised to find them fit rather nicely in my ears. Perhaps the tall stature can be quite uncomfortable after a while but I guess it all depends on which eartips you are using. On smaller ears, The Wukong might have some difficulties fitting in, but if you have medium to large ears they would fit okay. I personally would love to see a more compact design in the future so it can fit a lot of ears as good as 64Audio’s IEMs.

For me, I can only wear the Wukong for around 2 hours tops and I am not quite sure if it is because my ears are fatigued after the 2025 PAPI show or if it is the Wukong; maybe it could be a combination of both, but perhaps the often overlooked variable for comfort is the sound. How does the Wukong sound ?

Sound

The Wukong is a rather energetic sounding IEM with quite a big bass. Tuningwise it might not be as safe as most Flagships, but I guess it is nice so it works with various people across genres.

Source used to write this part: HiBy R6Pro MAX

Bass

As previously mentioned, the bass is rather huge, perhaps it is slightly leaning towards midbassy kind of bass, but depending on what eartips you are pairing the Wukong with, the Bass characteristics may change accordingly, the first time I listened to them, I was using the included Azla Sedna Origin, I find the bass rather lacking in rumble. Changing the eartips to a pair of Final Type E makes the sound a little rumblier and I also like what it is doing to the upper midrange to treble area. But what I would pair with the Wukong is perhaps a pair of Eletech Baroques, as the bass feels a lot more balanced with a little more texturing on the upper midrange to treble area. It seems like the separation is also nicer when combined with The Eletech Baroques.

Back to how the Wukong sounds, I like how the bass still comes out clean, well textured, and well separated even with the rather big emphasis. That combined with its bass dynamics made the Wukong suitable across genres. The decay also feels nice creating some sense of grandness in the presentation.

Mids

Per usual, mids are separated between upper midrange and lower midrange, usually somewhere in the midrange is where vocals, instruments and many other sounds reside. The lower midrange is where lower pitched sound lives, while the upper midrange is where the higher pitched sound lives. The Monkey King seems to have a slightly recessed lower midrange, this results in the Monkey King presentation to have a slightly thicker body with a little sense of space for some vocals or instruments in the lower midrange. Pairing the Wukong with either the included Sedna Origin or other eartips that tends to boost the midrange presentation,may result in a sweeter vocals.

Which brings us to the upper midrange, the upper midrange is on the energetic side, you could make out some of that sparkle on higher female vocals, the sweetness combined with the treble, may cause fatigue over longer listening sessions. The upper midrange is also rather textured.

Listening to Polyphia, Sungha Jung, and other strings with this set is a bliss. I guess you could say that this set has quite a natural sounding midrange.

Treble

While the treble might not be the most extended or as extended as the MEMS-3S 2025 I reviewed a while ago, I think the treble presentation is still rather nice, cymbals have quite the presence with nice quick transients. The Wukong can be counted as a bright IEM as the treble response pushes a lot of that clarity and details, perhaps for some they are not necessarily the airiest but for me, I quite enjoy how they perform. One could also argue that the Wukong is a little too bright for them, causing fatigue over longer listening sessions. For me, they are just at the borderline of being a little too bright for my taste, but I think with how the rest of the frequencies are, it is nice to have a little brilliance on the top end.

Technicalities

The Monkey King exhibits a great sense of technicalities with fast transients, high detail, and wide soundstaging. One could argue that it is not as wide as other IEMs such as the MEMS-3S 2025 I reviewed earlier, but what is also special with the Monkey King is the perceived heights on the imaging. Changing your eartips to the included Sednafit Origin also improves the perceived width and depth of the soundstaging. The first thing I noticed in my mind is Tangzu may have done something with its acoustic chamber. Their detail retrieval seems to also be good as the Wukong exhibits a lot of nuance across listening sessions. I enjoy a bunch of orchestral, movie and games soundtracks with the Wukong.

On Road of Resistance (10 Babymetal Budokan)

With the Sedna Origin on, I find the overall sound presentation a little on the leaner side. However, the technicalities are present with that perceived heights on the Imaging, wide staging, depth, and layering. There are a lot of micro-details to be picked up during listening sessions with The Wukong. Changing the eartips to the Nobles accentuate the upper mids to treble response, giving a sense of presence in the overall presentation, while I think it sacrifices a little bit of that natural midrange timbre. Overall, I think the Wukong is an immersive set of IEM with good technicalities.

Gaming and Movies with The Wukong

I got a chance to try a game with Wukong during my test. I find the Wukong performs just okay on competitive games, it seems like it doesn’t really give you the competitive advantage of other more budget choices like the Blessing. However if you are into a more immersive experience, perhaps the Wukong can deliver that nicely as movies and TV shows sound great with the Wukong.

Vs. Icelab Spectrumica

Icelab Spectrumica is a rather interesting entry in the boutique IEM scene, I would like to compare the Wukong to a more popular set like the U12T, however, I couldn’t get my hands on one at the time of writing, so the Spectrumica will do.

Compared to the Spectrumica, the Wukong seems to be a lot darker. There is more bass texture compared to the Wukong. Perhaps it is the Bone Conduction doing its thing, but at the same time, I feel like the Spectrumica can feel quite hollow at times. The sense of depth and layering is not as pronounced on the Spectrumica, but I feel like the bass presentation of the Spectrumica carries a lot of the positive notes for me, but for other frequencies and the overall presentation, I think I would prefer the Wukong over the Spectrumica. As for the technical side of things, I might prefer the Wukong over the Spectrumica.

Vs. Elysian Apostle

The Elysian Apostle is another boutique entry that originates from the SEA region. Costing around $200 dollars less, the Apostle seems to be slightly forward and a little bit cleaner in the midrange presentation. Compared to the Wukong, The Apostle is also slightly less both in the bass rumble and punch. I would say that the Apostle has a slightly safer, calmer tuning compared to the Wukong. Transient Speed seems to be slightly faster with the apostle, perhaps it is just a perceived speed as the Apostle’s bass is slightly subdued compared to the Wukong. At the end of the day, the choice ultimately comes down to your preference. I think I would slightly prefer the Apostle over The Wukong solely for the less energetic treble presentation.

Some other thoughts on the Wukong

Being their first 2000 dollar IEM, I find myself asking the important question of “Can a brand known for value-oriented releases stand amongst other High-End entries?”. The Wukong marks a significant leap for TangZu into the Ultra-Premium price bracket. I would definitely say that it is perhaps a courageous leap to take, as TangZu is previously known for their accessible and value-oriented products. The good news is that The Wukong holds its own, delivering a confident, well executed tuning that would compete against other flagships and boutique entries in the market. I think their biggest hurdle is not necessarily in its quality or tuning, but it might be of perception. It may take time for the community to fully embrace Tangzu as a true high-end player, but the Wukong marks a confident step in that direction.

TL;DR

Costing around 2000 dollars at the time of writing, the Wukong is definitely a bold entry from TangZu Audio.

The sound presentation is bold and energetic, with its prominent, yet clean and dynamic bass. Its slightly recessed lower midrange and energetic upper midrange creates a rather energetic, yet natural, textured sound. Treble is on the bright and detailed side, pushing clarity without being overly piercing. Although, depending on your preference or benchmark, you might find the Wukong fatiguing. For me it can be quite fatiguing on longer and louder listening sessions. In the technical side of things, The Wukong exhibits fast transients, high detail, good amount of width in the soundstaging, and impressive perceived heights in the imaging.

Despite its well-executed sound competing with other flagships, its $2000 price point from a value-oriented brand like TangZu may raise some questions about its market positioning. It could just need a little time for people to get used to it, or perhaps Tangzu will need to work a bit harder to shift their brand perception. Either way, I think this is truly a bold first step from Tangzu.

As for the ratings, I give the Wukong an A- for tonality and an A for Technicalities.

Huge thanks to TangZu for providing the unit for our tour. Thank you for the opportunity to coordinate such a tour and for the opportunity to review The Wukong. What do you think about The Wukong ? What other 2000 dollar IEM would you compare to the Wukong ? Let me know in the comments section. Thank you all for reading, have a great day!

Video Review: Watch Here!