TANGZU Wan'er S.G. : The Empress' Advisor

Sen here! We are going to review another sub-$20 IEM. BUT! This is no ordinary sub-$20 budget IEM, this is definitely one of the best sounding pair as of this moment. This is the Tangzu Wan'er S.G., Tangzu Audio's latest budget IEM.

DISCLAIMER : This unit is provided by Kent Aldriann Alfonso and Tangzu Audio, in exchange for an honest, no frills review. I am not paid before, during, and after this review. Thank you very much for giving me the chance to review this unit!

Pros:

• overall good value for money
• excellent u-shape sound
• nice and generous amount of eartips
• impactful, but not overpowering bass
• stunning unboxing experience for the price
• lightweight, sleek design

 

Cons:

• the cables
• qdc termination
• average technicalities

TANGZU WAN'ER S.G.

During the November Hi-Fi Show we had samples of the Wan'er in the Chi-Fi booth. Initially, I had no interest in the Wan'er since I expected it to have the usual V-shaped Chifi sound that most earphones in the sub-$20 budget offered. However, I was wrong. Most earphones tend to become so repetitive, and irrelevant that I personally stay away from most models below $20. When I first got my Wan'ers, and put these pairs in my ears for the first time, I was in awe. I am going to describe the sound in the later part of this review. The Wan'ers are a single driver IEM with a distinct faceplate design in a universal fit resin shell. Tangzu outdid themselves on the packaging, and I was so impressed with everything, from the box to the contents, that you wouldn't believe it cost only $20. 6 pairs of eartips, the IEM, and a cloth for cleaning.

Just a short background check, Wan'er S.G.(Shangguan Wan'er) was a Chinese politican, poet, and the leading advisor of Wu Zetian of Zhou. As we know, Tangzu Audio released the Zetian Wu Planar IEM a few months back and know we have the great Empress' advisor, Wan'er. 

SOUND:

"The Wan'er has a U-shaped sound signature with a focus on the bass and treble, allowing for a fun listening experience without sacrificing much of the midrange. I do not recommend using a warm source here, just as I did with my V20, the bass is chunkier but the vocals are dipped, which is not really my preference."

LOWS : The lows are  pronounced but not boomy. It is definitely not a basshead type of bass. The midbass and subbass are balanced and complement each other well, but there are times that the midbass dominates the subbbass. The impact is not the in-your-face type of bass but it isn't lacking in terms of weight, it still has that thumpy, energetic rumble that is somehow satisfying without the need of being too boomy. 

MIDS : The midrange is average at best. Lower mids  are rich and thick. .The vocals are engaging, but depending on the track, there is a slight hint of vocals being recessed, especially on busier tracks. The upper mids are sufficiently crisp and airy.  It did not exhibit harshness, unnecessary peaks, and sibilance. 

HIGHS : The treble is the first thing I noticed when I first inserted these Waners in my ears. It just didn't sound unnatural and metallic to me. It's clean, crisp, and airy. The treble does not offend my ears, it's prone to sibilance, and harsh glares. I can guarantee that these are friendly for any treble-sensitive listeners. However, details are not the absolute best on the treble region of Wan'ers so it is still far for detail retrieval being its strong suit. The treble can sometimes sound dull and less energetic due to its laid-back nature. Nevertheless, the trebles offer an  inoffensive and sufficiently airy and clean treble which makes the Wan'er a good selection for most casual listeners.

TECHNICALITIES: Technicalities are average. Like most budget earphones, technicalities were never their strongest suit. The soundstage has average depth and has a very shallow presentation, it has enough width but not the most spacious that I ever heard, for the budget, it should suffice, and I wouldn't ask for more. Imaging is also average, the separation between vocals and instruments is spot on but may suffer and be harder to distinguish on busy tracks and poorly mastered tracks.

The Wan'er deserved to compete with IEMs noticed for their superior price-to-performance ratio, such as the likes of Salnotes Zero, KZ EDA, and CCA CRA. When I listened to the Wan'ers I would not regret recommending them to any music lovers, or casual listeners looking for an affordable IEM. With just a few tweak, I believe this can even exceed the ShiminLi in terms of performance. Top that with Wan'er's cool looking design, especially the white color, and I have to notice how clean these Wan'ers are, there is no dirt, cloud, or glue residue on the shell, which really makes the quality top-notch. The only flaw that I can give the Wan'ers is the use of QDC connectors, which is a personal hindrance for me. Personally, I dislike protruding pins since they have a high risk of snapping in place. Other than that, I highly recommend the Wan'ers to those who want to invest in an expensive setup or just want an extra pair to go.

"take me out tonight, take me anywhere" - There's A Light That Never Goes Out -The Smiths