• Jan 17, 2026
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Tangzu YuXuanJi Review: Good Bass Texture

Reviewed by trippleed

 

Pros

* Clear and Forward Vocals: Vocals are a standout with good clarity, balance between male and female voices, and a sweet, airy presentation.
* Good Bass Texture: Despite being a moderate bass response, it has good texture and avoids sounding hollow.
* Sturdy Build Quality: Full metal construction with a premium finish makes it durable and aesthetically pleasing.
* Comfortable Fit: The included Sancai tips provide a comfortable and secure fit for many users.
* Easy to Drive: Can be easily driven by low-powered sources like smartphones and portable music players.

Cons:

* Sibilance: The 8kHz boost can lead to noticeable sibilance, especially with certain eartips.
* Thin Vocals: Vocals can sound slightly thin due to a dip in the midrange and a lack of body.
* Limited Soundstage Depth: While wide, the soundstage lacks depth and height, making it feel somewhat flat.
* Less Energetic Midrange and Treble: A dip in the midrange and lower treble can make instruments sound less energetic and dynamic.
* Average Technical Performance: Resolution, detail retrieval, and transient response are not exceptional compared to competitors in the same price range.



Intro:



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I borrowed this IEM from Mr. Eduard Sutiono. Thanks to him for lending me this IEM.

The packaging is quite decent. The front of the box has a picture of a Chinese waifu, but unfortunately, it doesn't look like Dilraba from the old Waner days.

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The accessories are quite complete for a single DD IEM. It includes 3 pairs of medium bore Sancai tips and 3 pairs of regular gray-red stock tips. The cable has a neat braid with good quality. There's a soft case similar to the Truthear soft case.

What I like about this IEM is the sturdy, handsome, and solid housing. Made of full metal with a neat and well-finished paint job. Not like those cheap brands that easily peel off.
In this review, I'm using the full stock configuration because the Xuan Ji's full stock setup is already good. No need to change anything. I'm using size M Sancai tips, which fit comfortably in my ears. This IEM is also easy to drive with low-powered sources like phones and cheap dongles.



Sound Impression:


Bass:


The Xuan Ji has a neutral-warm sound signature with a slight sub-bass boost. The bass quantity is not large, rather thin with moderate mid-bass impact. The sub-bass extension is quite deep, and the sub-bass rumble is decent.

What I like about the Xuan Ji is that the bass texture is quite good and doesn't sound hollow, even though the bass is more focused on the sub-bass.

Unfortunately, the bass speed is average, not very fast. The bass dynamics are also standard. Fortunately, the bass control is good, not bleeding into the midrange and treble.


Midrange:


The midrange position is quite forward, and besides the sub-bass, this sector feels more dominant than the others, especially in vocals. The clarity of the vocals is immediately noticeable, but surprisingly, both male and female vocals are balanced. Furthermore, the vocals sound sweet, smooth, and somewhat airy. No shoutiness here.

Unfortunately, the weight of the vocals is a bit thin, although not extremely thin. Due to the significant boost at 8kHz, the vocals from the Xuan Ji have some sibilance. This sibilance becomes more noticeable when you switch to tips other than Sancai.

The dip in the 3.5kHz to 6kHz lower treble region also makes the midrange instruments sound less energetic. As a result, the energy of electric guitar distortion is reduced and smoothed out, although not excessively.


Treble:


Due to the dip in the 3.5kHz to 6kHz region, the treble presentation also sounds less energetic and smoothed out. Cymbal crashes sound a bit thin, but in the 7kHz to 8kHz mid-treble region, it sounds slightly grainy and peaky due to a significant boost in that area. This is something I find quite unfortunate as it makes the tonality less balanced.

Fortunately, the treble in the Xuan Ji still retains its energy, although the extension is standard and rolls off quickly. Overall, I prefer the treble of the Xuan NV, which sounds more maturely tuned and has better extension.



Technical Performance:


This is where I want to discuss something that might differ from others who say this sector makes the Xuan Ji an overpriced IEM.

Starting with the soundstage, the semi-open back housing creates a wide soundstage. However, this is not accompanied by good depth and height, making the Xuan Ji's soundstage presentation somewhat flat and less spacious.

Furthermore, due to the lack of depth, the layering of instruments from front to back feels less defined. This is also accompanied by less precise instrument imaging, even though I feel the Xuan Ji could have good imaging if the soundstage were more balanced.

For resolution, detail, and micro-detail, I think it's only on par with Kefine Klean and Inawaken Dawn MS. Slightly below Sonus, Soratune Yi01, and Singlo. Due to the dip in the 3.5kHz and 6kHz regions, some details are smoothed out in certain songs, and the dynamics of this IEM also feel less energetic and somewhat sluggish. Compared to the Xuan NV, which is actually warmer, the Xuan NV has better dynamics.

The transient speed also feels average and slower than its older sibling, the Xuan NV. Fortunately, the clarity is clear with good instrument separation. Scalability is also quite good when changing cables, tips, and sources, although it doesn't completely eliminate its shortcomings.


Outro:


What initially captivated me about this IEM was its clear clarity and forward, balanced vocals, although the weight is slightly thin.

However, after further exploration and comparisons, I found that this IEM has some shortcomings that make me feel that it is indeed priced appropriately.
The driver itself has potential, but the main problem I perceive lies in the rather sharp dip from the 3.5kHz to 6kHz region and then a sudden sharp rise to the 8kHz region.

This makes the tonal balance of the Xuan Ji somewhat less pleasing to my ears and feels a bit strange in its tuning. For technical performance, I don't have many complaints, as the main factor is indeed the tuning, which limits the maximum output of its technical capabilities. And overall, the Xuan NV, although more expensive, sounds better and has more refined tuning than the Xuan Ji.

The Xuan Ji is clearly not yet capable of competing with my top 3 single DD IEMs under a million Rupiah, such as Sivga Que, Titan S2, and Kiwiears Singlo, which I will review later. Stay grounded, Tangzu.

That's all for my review. I apologize for any errors in my writing and for the late release of this review. 


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