𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
As I said in gaming reviews weeks ago, I love receiving this type of products. This is my field. For musical aspects, there are colleagues with more experience who offer very good work.
As I said, in the end, my experience in video games and being knowledgeable about assets and engines and knowing how and where each element should sound makes it much easier for me to analyze all types of headphones for that purpose. How will Tangzu’s Xue Tao behave? We’ll see later.
𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬:
𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝:
In terms of ergonomics, they are very comfortable. It must be acknowledged that the fit is considerably exceptional. I have spent many consecutive hours wearing them without feeling heaviness or uncomfortable areas.
The ear tips, both sets of very high quality, help the insertion be cushioned and sufficiently deep, without sacrificing the seal, which is notably very good.
The negative point comes with the cable, which has the habit of coiling itself. Its ability to slide over the desk is insufficient. I recommend stretching the cable well before use and putting the IEMs in your ears without creating any twist in it.
The quality is acceptable for this price range, but I would have preferred another type of materials.
The same goes for the construction of the capsules, made of plastic, giving the feeling of being faced with a cheaper product and not one at the stipulated official price. Nevertheless, I forgive it, because if I value everything together, the ear tips and the microphone are very good and that adds value.
Even so, I could not notice defects in the sealing of both parts of the shells.
As for aesthetics, from my personal perspective, I don’t really like either the color combination or that “gaming vibe.” But this is totally subjective. Surely most people like it.
𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬:
𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬:
For all tests I used my FiiO K11 with filter #5, which is the most neutral, without adding coloration or modifying the sound. Xue Tao itself is an IEM that tends toward warmth, so letting it express itself as it is was the best option.
I used the Sancai Balanced ear tips for single-player aiming to obtain a boost in the low area that approached my personal taste, and the stock liquid silicone ones to reduce this area and avoid dulling the mids, allowing me to distinguish a better soundstage and elements.
Gain was medium for single-player and low for multi-player.
𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞:
The sound signature of the Xue Tao is balanced with a tilt towards a warm and friendly listening. It offers a clean, stable, and easy-to-enjoy sound, without annoying peaks or fatigue. It does not seek to impress with extreme detail, but does maintain a coherent and pleasant presentation. Resolution is correct, although it could be somewhat more refined, and the stage is not especially wide, but the overall result is comfortable and appealing for long sessions.
𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞-𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬:
Always seeking the most cinematic experience possible, tested in narrative and intensive action titles. Check my blog to see the specific games and audio analysis conditions in video games. Source used: FiiO K11 with filter #5 (neutral), stock Sancai Balanced ear tips, and medium gain.
★ 𝔸𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: feels with good weight and presence, providing impact and physical sensation in intense and necessary moments. It’s not an especially crushing experience, but maintains a solid and immersive base that accompanies well without saturating, yet is fully satisfying.
★ 𝔻𝕚𝕒𝕝𝕠𝕘𝕦𝕖𝕤: voices are clear and well-positioned, facilitating following the story even in crowded scenes. They do not stand out for exceptional richness in naturalness, timbre, or articulation, but they perform resolutely and with good intelligibility by occupying a logical plane in scenes.
★ 𝕀𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟: environmental sounds are well-integrated and provide context naturally. They are not especially striking, but constant and coherent, which helps maintain a sense of a stable, alive, and immersive environment, which is what we are looking for.
★ 𝕃𝕒𝕪𝕖𝕣 𝕤𝕖𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: correct, functional, allowing distinguishing different elements effortlessly. In very dense scenes, it may feel slightly closed, but never confusing, permitting showing a certain amount of detail.
★ 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕘𝕖: the soundstage offers a moderate spatial sense, with good lateral coherence, above all. It does not stand out for width or depth, but maintains an orderly presentation that facilitates orientation within the environment.
★ 𝕊𝕚𝕓𝕚𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖: I could perceive that it is well-controlled and rarely appears annoyingly. The sound remains smooth even in brighter moments, favoring long sessions without feeling ear fatigue.
★ ℙ𝕠𝕤𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘: stable and quite reliable, allowing clear placement of sound sources. Not surgical, but precise enough to follow the action without getting disoriented.
𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬:
Always seeking the most analytical experience of the stage possible, tested in competitive shooter titles. Check my blog for the specific shooter games and audio analysis conditions in video games. Source used: FiiO K11 with filter #5 (neutral), stock liquid silicone ear tips, and low gain.
The Tangzu Xue Tao feels quite comfortable in competitive shooters. The first thing you notice is that the direction of sounds is reliable: you can locate where events come from without getting lost, even when everything becomes a chaos of shots and explosions. It is not an IEM that shows every tiny hidden detail, but the essentials are clear and stable, which means you don’t have to strain your focus to react.
Sound separation fulfills its function. In very crowded moments, some things may feel a little close, as if everything is slightly nearer than it actually is, but never to the point of confusion. The good thing is that the most important elements are always distinguishable, and you can mentally follow the action without problems.
The soundstage is orderly and coherent, although it does not give that giant feeling of horizontal, vertical, and depth amplitude. Still, it allows you to move intuitively within the space without getting lost, and listening remains comfortable and stable even in long sessions.
In short, these monitors do not aim to be surgical or overly analytical, but fulfill the essentials: clarity, reliable positioning, and comfort. They are one of those IEMs that let you focus on playing, interpret sound without much effort, and enjoy action without your ears tiring. Not perfect, not a wallhacker, but does what really matters and is essential in a solid and reliable way.
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:
At this point, I have to recognize that performance for all types of video games was sufficient and capable of pleasing most single-player gamers, which I consider the area where its greatest strength lies, approaching a fully cinematic experience, only being able to reproach a bit more naturalness in voices and a more detailed living and immersive world experience. But if what you are looking for is a set of monitors with strength in the most intense moments, that does not hurt with excessive treble peaks, and prioritizes comfort during long sessions, Xue Tao is for you.
On the other hand, if online gaming is your thing, I affirm that its performance is gratifying if you are a casual player, with simple aspirations like just having fun. In the end, its warm signature is not optimal despite reducing sub-bass presence and improving decay with the liquid silicone ear tips.
Sound events are favorably placed, positioning is really good, truly, but the narrow stage and not dissecting the most crowded or chaotic scenes does not help you feel an advantage over your rivals, which may frustrate the more advanced in these games.
As a general assessment, I find a correct product, fairly priced, versatile, very much for all audiences looking to distract themselves and enjoy, nothing more.
Of course, Xue Tao is better than any gaming headset. Yes, any.
If you’ve made it this far, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠.
More reviews on my blog.
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𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫:
This set of monitors was sent by 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to try one of their products at no cost and without any conditions imposed when preparing this analysis.
Despite this, my priority is to be as impartial as possible within the subjectivity involved in analyzing an audio product. My opinion belongs only to me and is developed around the perception of my ears. If you have a different one, it is equally valid. Please, feel free to share it.
𝐌𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬:
Spend Less Enjoy HIFI
