Tanchjim is one of the boutique earphones companies from China that has been churning out quality earphones since 2015 and they have debuted with a bang with their legendary release of the ever famous Oxygen that has been widely praised for being one of the best single dynamic driver IEM. They have been quite hard working in recent times by releasing products such as Oxygen, Zero, One, Hana, Space dongle and they have finally ready for a hybrid comeback after a hiatus since the launch of Prism a while back, thus the Kara comes into the picture. Red Ape headphones store has kindly lent us a sample of Kara for feedback on their performance and we are grateful for the opportunity. How will Kara perform in this saturated IEM game? We shall find out.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the Tanchjim Kara;
- Drivers: 1x9mm DMT3 Dynamic(PEEK+PU) + 2xCustomised High Range BA + 2xSonion 2389D
- Shell type: Imported Medical-Grade Resin Material Shells.
- Crossover: Three-Way Analog Frequency Division Architecture.
- Cable: High-Purity 6N Oxygen-Free Copper Silver-Plated Cable With Litz Wire Structure.
- Impedance: 27Ω±10%.
- Sensitivity: 115dB/Vrms.
- Frequency Response Range: 7Hz-40kHz.
- THD+N: <0.8%@1kHz.
- Termination Plug: 3.5mm With 2-pin 0.78mm Plugs
Retail Price & Where to Get
The Tanchjim Kara can be purchased at from Red Ape Headphones Store as they are an official Tanchjim reseller here in Malaysia.
Shopee : https://invl.io/cljoc5p
Packaging & Accessories
Exquisitely packaged with a premium aura emanating inside and out as usual of Tanchjim’s style. They are packaged in beige white theme all around and they aren’t holding back with the accessories as they are complete. Inside we will find 6 pairs of Tanchjim T-APB eartips which consist of the bass and treble version in 3 sizes each, a very well made straight cable, a beautiful white PU leather pouch, plenty of documentation and the IEM itself. Certainly pleasing and worthy of a premium product.
Design
The design here made me reminisce the era of a see through gameboy as the faceplate has a similar look to them. They are very built with a high quality, medical grade clear resin that is casted very well with a DLP 3D casting technique. The Kara do have a long vent at the side that is covered with a metal mesh and the acoustic tubes are professionally made to match the drivers. The whole IEM is rather small and lightweight giving a comfy fit for my ears and suitable for those with smaller ears. The Kara have a similar slightly recessed 0.78mm plug and similar to the Oxygen.
The Kara is a 5 driver hybrid IEM that is equipped with a 3rd generation 9mm DMT PU+PEEK(polyurethane + polyether ether ketone) diaphragm dynamic driver for the bass region, 2 custom made balanced armature for the ultra high frequency and Sonion 2389D for the high and midrange frequencies and they have a 3 way analog crossover funnelled into 3 sound tube at the nozzle. The intricate crossover is visible at the faceplate and they look very well made.
Cable included is a beautiful silver plated 6N OFC with a Litz structure cable that is thin and flexible but they are quite robust with stainless steel metal sliders, Y-splitter and plugs. The cable actually sounds pretty good with great clarity and a wide sound signature even when used on my other IEMs.
The cables are terminated with a standard 0.78mm plug on the IEM side with a 3.5mm single ended plug and they are gold plated.
Overall, the build quality is amazing with a great stock cable and feels very well designed. 2 thumbs up.
Gears Used for Comparisons
FiiO M17
FiiO BTR7
Questyle M15
Hiby FC6
Dunu EST112
Unique Melody 3DT
Rose Technics QT9 MK2
Moondrop A8
Tangzu WuZeTian Heyday
Ucotech RE2
Intime Sho DD
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The Kara is a well balanced, mild boosted bass signature that has a darker tone that is warm and smooth to listen to. It has great bass extension along with a thick midrange and a buttery smooth, inoffensive high range. They are a highly musical pair of IEM that sounds organic and fun while possessing great detail retrieval capabilities. The Kara do have a slight coloration in their midrange but they don’t sound unnatural but they do lack some accuracy here making the Kara not so suitable as a monitoring IEM. Their overall technicalities are great as they possess great clarity, resolution and details in all the frequencies but in this price range they are up against stiff competitors.
Soundstage
The Soundstage of the Kara is quite expansive but honestly mediocre for the price paid. They possess an average height but possess a good width in their overall soundstage. They aren’t boxy nor sounded too small for music to be unenjoyable. They are tuned more towards an intimate sound that is more immersive and they are actually more enjoyable for EDM, acoustics and metal genres, not really suitable for live performances or classicals. Headroom they provide is a medium sized headroom and doesn’t feel claustrophobically small but in this price range, users might expect a bigger headroom.
Separation and Timbre
As being a multi driver hybrid, a well implemented crossover is a must to prevent coherency issues and Kara certainly does a good job in this department as the drivers does a great job producing a sound in harmony without any cohesion problems. The bass blends well into the midrange so they don’t sound too distant to each other and same to be said going in the high range. Timbre is organic, lively and sounded intimately musical while accuracy is fine without any typical balanced armature metallic tint.
Drivability
Rated at 27 ohms at a 115 db sensitivity, the Kara does need some juice to be driven and they certainly do need a louder volume than usual to sound right. A usual dongle might be sufficient to drive them to a loud listening level but I do feel that their dynamics is a little suppressed and they do scale pretty well with a powerful source with better overall clarity with a livelier high range. They are also picky with the type of players as they in my opinion match a neutral bright source to sound their best and some warmer source might make them sound a little too dark or veil. They are not picky in the type of files played but a well mastered track will give the Kara better overall clarity in the midrange but it is quite mild as the Kara is a forgiving type of IEM.
The Bass
Being equipped with Tanchjim DMT3 dynamic driver, the bass that the Kara produces is actually quite amazing as they do have great clarity with all the details intact without skipping a beat. They have a mild mid bass lift that gives music more aggression and energy without overpowering issues, but that being said, they aren’t for bassheads as they do not have an earth shaking bass capabilities. Bass impact is tight and slam is good with a great texture making them perform well with EDM, jazz and any genres that need high quality low end. Bass bleed isn’t present here and they are very well extended with a slight air in their decay. Sub-bass is also great with a great deep extension that possesses a good clear rumble. Overall, I do find the bass rather pleasing as they have the quality and quantity to sound full for music to have more soul but they aren’t enough for a basshead user.
The Mids
Midrange present on the Kara is a neutral type of midrange that is thick, warm and they do lean toward the lower midrange, blending well with the bass frequency. They are a little on the darker side of the spectrum and they sound quite intimate which makes the Kara suitable for instrumentals but not so much for vocal lovers as they do lack a lively midrange for vocals to shine but they do sound spacious and have accurate placement of sound. Details here are good with a decent macro detailing but their micro details capabilities are amazing as they are able to pick out minute sound with ease. Transparency here is mediocre due to their slightly dark signature but they are acceptable. Resolution is great which is typical of a Sonion based midrange driver and they do sound vivid without any veil present. Coloration is present but in a minor way without sacrificing their accuracy but they are certainly not for monitoring, instead tuned towards a fun, casual listening to unwind and immerse yourself into the music.
The Highs
The high range for me is a hit or miss for certain users as they have a mildly dark tone with a smooth signature that have a slow roll off that lacks some extension and air but they are still very present. They have adequate details but clarity isn’t great and they do lack energy therefore will make some music a little dull at times but a bright source matching will fix this to a certain extent. Sparkle is great though even for their dark signature as they do shine when called upon giving a lively sparkle with crisp highs which is great as they do provide some energy and some bite into the music played. Their treble has a low intensity to provide a smooth, inoffensive sound that is fatigue free and suitable for a long listening session. Hiss or sibilance is not present here and treble sensitive users will find the high range acceptable. Overall, the high range here is unique as they have a slow roll off with a slightly dark tone but they are still a capable, smooth high range that possess great sparkle.
Comparisons
VS Rose Technics QT9 MK2
The QT9 MK2 is a rarely mentioned pair of 5 driver hybrids from Rose Technics that has similar specs with the Kara and they are indeed my favourite pair of hybrids as they are very technically inclined with an amazing bass response with a very well balanced tuning. They do cost almost double the asking price of the Kara and the Kara has better packaging and built.
The High region on QT9 MK2 has a more present, brighter high range and it extends better. The high range of Kara is smoother and more inoffensive. Details are better on the QT9 MK2 with better clarity as well. Sparkle on the Kara is more enjoyable and slightly more crisp.
Midrange on both of these IEM is similar with a thick, warm and forward signature but the QT9 MK2 sounded brighter and clearer with better transparency. Resolution on both is on par with each other. Vocals sound fuller on the QT9 MK2 with better accuracy and spaciousness.
Bass on both of these units are very similar in amount and quantity which is surprising. Bass slam is tighter on the QT9 MK2 and they are slightly better textured along with better details. Sub-bass extension on the Kara is a tad bit deeper.
Soundstage on QT9 MK2 is wider and taller with a bigger headroom than Kara.
VS Hidizs MD4
The Hidizs MD4 is a 4 balanced armature IEM that has tuning switches to make them suit more types of music. They are priced similarly and the MD4 has a neutral warm signature that is also very well balanced.
Highs of the MD4 extend better and have more air along with slightly more details. Clarity here is on par with each other with the MD4 sounding a little brighter. Sparkle in the Kara is livelier and crisper.
Midrange on the MD4 has a more neutral approach and they sounded more spacious than the intimately tuned Kara. Details and clarity of the MD4 has the edge but the Kara has more immersion. The MD4 has better accuracy while the Kara sounded more fun. Vocal performance on the MD4 is better while the Kara excels in the instruments department.
Bass on the Kara has the edge as being a dynamic driven set, they are fuller and have more energy. Details are on par with each other but the MD4 has better clarity. Sub-bass extension is better on the Kara as well as a more energetic bass response.
Soundstage in the MD4 is wider but the height is actually quite similar. Headroom that the MD4 possesses is bigger by a small margin.
Synergy
FiiO M17
The pocketable desktop DAP of FiiO, the M17 and they are packed with humongous driving power along with all the current high end features. It is a source that boasts a powerful output along with a decent sound for their price and it is great to test the scalability of a product.
The M17 is to give a cleaner, clearer bass response with an increase in their clarity and details. Impact is clearer and they possess a little more air making them more enjoyable. Sub-bass remains the same amount but they have a slight increase in their depth along with a cleaner rumble.
Midrange in the Kara seems to be clearer and slightly brighter than usual with the same immersive sound. Details and clarity has been upgraded to another level as they are more resolving and have better transparency. Vocals sounded livelier and less dull.
High range is extended with a touch of air added but they are still rolled off at the end. Sparkle has a more organic touch to them along with a crisper presentation. Details are more evident along with a clearer sound but they are still a tad bit dark. Smoothness remains but they are more enjoyable due to the added air.
Soundstage has improved with an improved height and a slight increase in headroom.
Overall, the Kara really improved with more power and a good source of music. Their scalability is huge as this pairing does make the Kara perform way better than a low powered dongle.
Hiby FC6
The latest flagship offering from Hiby China, the FC6 dongle that is their top dongle that has been receiving praises all around the community. They are equipped with a R2R ladder DAC aptly named Darwin in miniature sized body and they have a very organic sound that is slightly warm.
Bass has a leaner approach with a more flat response and they actually toned down the bass impact a little making them less aggressive. Details and clarity remain mostly the same as well as the resolution but they do have more body in the overall bass presentation.
Midrange sounded clearer with a touch more resolution and clarity. Mids remain thick and warm with a more analogue sound. Details seem to be the same in the micro details but macro details may be a little lacking here.
Highs are airier and not as sparkly as usual but they have a crisper and more organic sound. Details and clarity is better and their energy in the treble has been tamed down slightly. The dark and slightly dull high range remains.
Soundstage has a better height but only in a small margin along with a same sized headroom.
Who Is It For?
For those who want a smooth sounding signature with a great dynamic bass, thick mids and an inoffensive high range, Kara might be for you. It has decent technicalities for the price paid and it is packaged like a premium, high end IEM, worthy for a special present for your loved one or yourself. It is suitable for gaming and movies as they are immersive and accurate. For those who want extreme details all around, Kara might not be for you as it is rather shy in their high range but suitable for treble sensitive users.
Final words
Tanchjim has been really consistent coming into the year 2023 but the Kara might be a hit or miss for users out there as they are actually quite unique sounding for their asking price as most IEM in this price range are tuned more towards performance. They have a full immersive sound that has all the details intact and they sounded excitingly fun for a hybrid IEM. The high range might be a little shy for treble heads out there but I do find their sparkle is crisp and sweet to listen to along with an excellent bass response and a thick, lush midrange. They are a little pricey, but they are packaged with an uber premium feel that makes them feel like a top shelf product. So, a great smooth sound quality, top class build, superb packaging, beautiful design and a comfortable fit, they are actually worthy of a good product.
I would rate this product 4 over 5 stars.
- Amazing solid, energetic bass
- Beautifully designed with good build quality
- Premium, complete packaging
- Comfortable, lightweight design
- High end sounding cable
- Above average technicalities
- Great resolution
- Immersive sound
- Great overall clarity
- Crisp highs with amazing sparkle
- Sub-bass extension
- Thick, intimate midrange
- Great coherency
- Fun, exciting sound
- Smooth, inoffensive highs
- Slightly dull/dark high range
- Slightly coloured midrange
- Highs clarity a little lacking
- Not accurate enough for monitoring purposes
- Not great in transparency
- Average soundstage for the price
- Stiff competitors in this price range
- Need good pairing and source to shine
