Disclaimers
This Hobby is very subjective, and we have different tastes and likes for our sound.
I want to thank Sir Kent Alfonso, Sir Law loo, and Tangzu Audio for arranging this tour and allowing me to test this unit.
I don't consider myself a professional but a casual guy who likes his Hobby.
I didn't gain any form of reward in this review. Everything I say is all based on me.
Since I don't have a balanced source, my review will focus more on the 3.5mm cable.
Introduction
Hello everyone, welcome to my Iem Review; I will review a product from Tangzu Audio, and it's called the Zetian Wu. So without further ado, let us start. My experience with this brand is fantastic. I have one of their products, the Shimin-li, which is a good pair for its price and is also one of my recommendations. Recently in the audio Hobby, there has been a new trend: the Planar Driver. Many brands started to use this driver this year, although Planar Driver already existed. I asked my fellow reviewer what the first audio company to adapt the planar driver setup he said it was, Audeze, followed by TinHifi. I want to discuss the two mentioned brands, but this review is not about them. It's about Zetian wu, a new product of Tangzu Audio. The Zetian Wu reminds me of my favorite anime series, and that name is Ya boy kong ming. It's about the emperor's royalties, and the main character is a general revived in the modern era of living. I want to explain the anime more, but this is not an anime review. It's an audio review.
History Facts of the pair
The pair's name originated in the Dynasty of china and it's called the tang dynasty. If you want to learn more about it, there are books and documentaries about it.
Background about me and personal taste in music.
I am a student and, currently, a hobbyist in the audio world. My sound library Comprises more anime songs and Jpop artists (but not all artists). To all my fellow anime fans, even otaku or weeb, expect me to put anime references in my reviews.
Personal Sound Preference
After experiencing a variety of Iems that I own, I love a mid-centric style with colorful and lush mids that remain neutral.
Packaging
Since this is a touring unit, I can only explain what is included in the tour. It has a Huge case, and the default cable is balanced. Still, Tangzu didn't make the Cable modular for versatility in sources.
Build Design and Cable.
At default, it has a balanced cable and the connector of is 2-pin. Good thing it has a removable Cable since not all have access to the balance source. Since all my equipment has a 3.5mm output, I expect my sound impression to be different because I use my custom cable in this review. The balanced Cable of the pair is excellent. It has a feel of being premium and very durable too. In terms of design, it has a cloud style engraved on the faceplate. According to Tangzu Audio, they wanted to give the pair a vibe of the empress, so they decided to use the color purple for the color of the faceplate. Regarding the overall build, Tangzu Audio chose to use the 4th Gen of DLP 3D Printing technology in the body of the iem. For the faceplate, they use CNC material.
Fit and comfort
In terms of the Fit of this pair, for me, it's very comfortable, and it goes well with my ear.
Setup Configuration
Before I describe the sound components of the Zetian Wu, here is my setup for this review.
Abigail Dac - 15-20%
ES-Pro 9318- 16-22%
Roon Music Player-Exclusive Mode
Kbear-07 ear tips
Xinhs Custom 2-Pin Cable
OPPO A95 with UAPP- 50-100%
Regarding sound enhancers or EQ, I don't use them in my reviews since it alters the authentic sound of the IEM and makes it saturated. Now, let's dissect the Bass, Mids, Treble, and Technicalities.
Drivability and Driver configuration
In terms of driveability, for a planar driver, This is very easy to drive, and my Abigail dongle manages to unleash Zetian Wu's authentic sound. While doing this review, many asked me if smartphones can use it. My answer to that question will be. It can power the Zetian Wu decently. The volume percentage in my phone is around 50-100% since, at higher volume, it can boost the loudness too much. In general, smartphones can use the Zetian Wu. Still, I highly recommend using some USB Dac Dongles like the Abigail and others since Usb Dac Dongles can improve the sound of Zetian Wu.
Sound Signature
From my perspective and hearing, this has Balance-neutral with a bit of emphasis on the vocals. Honestly, for me, this does remind me of the Shimin-li. Still, the difference is that the Zetian Wu has fuller mids compared to Shimin-li, which mainly focuses on vocals. Both are good, but when it comes to personal preferences, my rotation will be Zetian wu and followed by Shimin-li.
Bass
From my perspective and hearing, the bass is more balanced, making both mid-bass and sub-bass shine. It still has that punch and rumble in the track. But after using the Zetian Wu for a long time, even though it has balanced bass, the sub-bass has a hint of being dominant compared to the mid-bass. This type of bass is undoubtedly well suited for me since I like both mid-bass and sub-bass. Now the question is it suited for bass lovers? My answer to that question will be that it is not suited for bass lovers since they might feel it lacks that heavy punch and rumble that bass lovers need.
Mids
I am impressed that this feels natural and realistic. I was surprised because I thought its the same with Shimin-li, but this is now an upgrade to the mids of Shimin-li. Now, let us break down the aspects of the mids of Zetian Wu; first of all, the vocals. Usually, when I listen to my library, I see if the songs are pleasing and engaging. This pair emphasizes the female vocals and has a natural way of forwardness, maintaining genuine emotion in the track. Now let's talk about the counterpart of the Female vocals. The male vocals also have natural forwardness, but it still lacks a bit of weight for me. Overall, male vocals are excellent. The things I hear are subjective to me personally. Since there are many instruments in the mids section, I would only describe the instrument that I fully know and have experience with: the violin. I have experience playing the violin, and the experiences I gain will surely help me with a review. Now let's go to the main point of this review. Violin is natural and realistic. I can feel the genuine emotion of the violin; it's like it shows me the movements and message in each note shown in the track. In general, this indeed does make me excited since it does surely match my personal preferences.
Treble
I am also impressed the trebles are so good, and it has natural extension. Now to explain it further from my perspective and hearing, I like how Tangzu Audio manages to give this pair air and openness to the audio spectrum. Since Zetian Wu emphasizes the Female vocals with that mention, the treble provides the female vocals with excellent Air, which is very audible. It's like the Female Vocals has that breathing effect. Let us all talk about the sibilance and peak. First of all, the sibilance factor, in my opinion, I didn't counter any of it. But what I noticed is the brilliance. It tends to be bright, but it is only on my ears and does not affect the whole sound of the pair. Maybe it's on track, but not on the pair itself. Generally, this is safe for people who are sensitive to the treble.
Overall Technicalities
One of the specialties of Zetian Wu is Technicalities. Now let us start with my opinions about the technical aspect of this pair; the soundstage is above average it has above-average depth and great height. The soundstage feels it seem like you are in a concert with the band. The imaging on this pair is average. Locating the instruments is not that bad but needs more improvement since it's hard to identify them correctly in some tracks, like busy tracks. The imaging is somewhat becoming congested, but overall it's decent passable for me. Detail retrieval is above average; micro and macro are prominent and emphasized on the track without sounding harsh to the ears. Resolution since this term is new to me and my first time using this term in my review, I will explain it based on my understanding of the term, so let us start. The Resolution on this pair is excellent. It's clear and clean, but in some tracks, it's not that clear, but it depends on the track's production. In general, the Resolution has the feel of being high-quality.
Conclusion
In my experience with some planar pairs, the Zetian Wu impressed me and pleased me to the point that I almost slept while wearing the pair on my ears. Tangzu Audio did a job well in the Zetian Wu.
SPECIFICATION:
MODEL: TANGZU ZETIAN WU
IMPEDANCE: 16Ω
SENSITIVITY: 100db
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz – 20KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.2M
PIN TYPE: 2-PIN CONNECTOR (0.78mm)
PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm
DRIVER UNIT(S): (1) 14.5mm PLANAR DRIVER
Pros
Great control of the bass
well built balanced Cable
natural forwardness of the mids
Technical capabilities
Pleasing design on the faceplate
great balanced-neutral sounding
For a planar, this is very easy to drive
Very comfortable feel in my ears
Cons
can be hot depending on the track and volume
No modular cable for versatility.
Imaging is not that great on busier tracks.
Test Tracks
Hi-Res=Yellow
CD-Quality=Blue
- chikichikibanban-Queendom[Hi-Res]
- The Queen of white- Date a bullet music [CD-Quality]
- infermata-Spotlight kids[HI-Res]
- Villian Vibes-Amalee and mori calliope. [CD-Quality]
- cha la head cha la- cover by amalee[CD-Quality]
- Gimme X Gimme-Hachioji-P and Giga-P.{CD-quality]
- Inner Urge-Sumire Uesaka[CD-Quality]
- Round and Round-Merm4id[Hi-Res]
- Life Will Change-Cover by Amalee[CD-Quality]
- Yona Yona Journey / TAKU INOUE & Mori Calliope[Hi-Res]
- Tribes by Victory Worship[CD-Quality]
- For your Purpose by Victory worship, Lee Simon Brown[CD-Quality]
- Steep by Lauren Christy[CD-Quality]
- The color of the Night by Lauren Christy[CD-Quality]
- Dragon Night by SEKAI NO OWARI[Hi-Res]
- I swear by Sweet Arms[CD-Quality]
- Trip -innocent of D- Song by Larval Stage Planning[CD-Quality]
- ODD FUTURE-Song by Uverworld[Hi-Res]
Tags
TangZu Audio