Introduction
Tangzu has been an inspiration for many audiophiles around the globe,myself included, as they are able to provide high quality products that are infused with their innovative spirit with a deep enthusiasm for everyone to enjoy all in a superb price versus performance index. With in-ears such as the venerable WuZeTian, Wan Er, Shi Min Li, Chang Le and all the way back to the TForce Yuan Li have been products that is well praised all around the globe for their solid sound signature and unique design all named after the royals of the Tang Zu era in China. They have now decided it’s time for a new chapter, a new verse for a product with a new configuration that they have never implemented, a hybrid in-ears and the all new FuDu enter into the picture. It is equipped with a single dynamic driver with dual balanced armature and with a collaboration with Divinus from Korea to include their signature Velvet eartips with the in-ears.
A huge thanks for the guys at TangZu for providing a sample for us to review and I am stoked for this new sound flavour from them. How will they perform? We shall find out here.
P/S : Fu Du or Du Fu is a famous Chinese poet from the Tang dynasty, arguably the best poet in the long history of China.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the TangZu X Divinus FuDu;
- Drivers: (1) 10mm Dynamic Driver + (2) Balanced Armature
- Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20KHz
- Cable: 4 Core Silver Plated OFC at 1.25M Length, 25 strands @ 0.05mm each core
- Pin Type: 0.78mm 2-PIN
- Plug Type: 4.4mm or 3.5mm
- Impedance: 16Ω
- Sensitivity: 106dB
Retail Price & Where to Get
The TangZu Fu Du can be purchased from their store;
Packaging & Accessories
Packaging here is the usual unique style of a premium product that is professionally packaged with a dynasty theme design in a rather large rectangular shaped paper box and honestly, it is refreshing to see a serious, professional box design away from the current trend of waifu anime theme. The FuDu is packaged complete with all the accessories included like a soft Pu leather case, a cable, 3 pairs of Tang Sancai balanced eartips, 3 pairs of Divinus Velvet eartips, a normal generic eartips and the in-ears itself. The inclusion of the Divinus eartips is truly divine as they are a high end type of eartips that cost almost a third of the FuDu retail price.
The Divinus Velvet eartips is a soft medical grade silicone with a special coating that makes the outer layer of the eartips velvety smooth and they are shaped in a bulging head like a pear for a snugger fit. They have a rather balanced sound with great improvement in their soundstage and they do give a little more air in their sound.
Design The design is unique in a way at least for TangZu as they are indeed the smallest over ear earphones produced by them. They have an all black theme including the cable which I am a fan of with a semi translucent black resin body with a CNC milled aluminium faceplate with a triangular design that is lightweight and comfortable. The left side is imprinted with Divinus while the right side is TangZu to showcase their collaboration. Very well designed in-ears as they feel solid on hands and elegant to the eyes.
Inside the FuDu we have a 10mm dynamic driver with 2 custom tuned balanced armature with a 2 way crossover implementation. The nozzle is in a brass coloured metal with metal mesh and they are slightly long for a deeper insertion.
They come with a soft PU leather case with gold zippers that is useful and quite a good quality one but a hard case like the WuZeTian or something smaller is much more useful in protecting the in-ears.
Gears Used for Comparisons
Cayin N6ii Titanium
Questyle M15
Hiby FC6
FiiO BTR7
FiiO FD11
FiiO FH11
Letshuoer D13
Kinera Idun Gold 2.0
Tangzu Heyday
BQEYZ Winter
Hidizs MD4
Moondrop A8
Unique Melody 3DT
Dunu EST112
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The tone of the FuDu is a U shaped signature with an analogue signature that is warm and immersive. They have a slightly dark sound that sounds lush, organic and lively at the same time with a smooth, inoffensive sound. The FuDu has a slight emphasis on the bass amount and a rather strong high range that makes the midrange slightly recessed. The overall tuning of the FuDu is actually quite unique for me as it is tuned towards a dense, analogue signature with a full sound that has a wide spectrum veering away from the usual Harman based set.
Soundstage
The possesses an expansive soundstage that is wide and tall for their asking price, besting most IEM in this price range. Their soundstage is wider than it’s taller and they give a spacious sound that has great sound placements. They are suitable for gaming for their accurate placements and for movies as well for their immersion. Headroom size is an average medium sized room but for their asking price, they are actually quite good.
Separation and Timbre
For a hybrid driver IEM, their separation is actually quite solid with no crosstalk present or incohesion and they have a great imaging. Timbre is natural, intimate and organic with relaxing, inoffensive sound that is full sounding. They do not sound cold or dry in any way but they present a warm, immersive sound that has decent clarity with an old school analogue sound that is quite rare nowadays. The FuDu is not tuned towards a clinical sound, instead they sound intimately warm with a wide sound spectrum.
Drivability
On their spec sheet, the FuDu is rated at 16 ohms at 106 db sensitivity and they are easily driven by any source with adequate loudness. A good source will increase their clarity and add some extra details into the music. They do sound better from a good source which shows that the FuDu has great scalability ability and they are quite picky in the files played as a well mastered track to perform at the best abilities. In the types of bitrates files, they are quite forgiving but they do sound a lot better on full DSD or a lossless playback with greater depth and clarity.
The Bass (Low)
The bass present here on the FuDu is amazing as they are a true dynamic bass that is full, clean and immersive. They are a well balanced bass with a slightly lifted mid bass response that gives a some bite in their bass without any overpowering issues. Their quantity in the bass is actually above the average but isn’t suitable for users that seek a super string bass response. They have great clarity and details are all intact without any bleed into the other frequencies. Bass possesses a good texture with a clean and well layered bass response that sounds clear. Extension in their overall bass presentation is great with a touch of air for some added spaciousness. Sub-bass here is actually a strength of the FuDu as they do extend deep with a great clean and clear rumble that has the perfect amount that sounds fun.
The Mids
Midrange here is a flat midrange that has a slightly recessed sound that has a warm, lush sound that has a slight thickness to them. Clarity and transparency here is average but adequate and certainly not their strength as the FuDu mids are tuned towards a more intimate, analogue feel that is quite unique. They do excel in their macro details but do lack a good micro details retrieving capabilities. Resolution is good with a vivid sound that is organic and natural. Vocals sound sweet, warm and lush veering away from those brilliance, clinical driven vocal performance which is quite unique and very enjoyable as they provide a unique, analogue sound similar to a vinyl feel. Instruments sound great as well with a soulful presentation but on some high staccato, they do suffer a little as they lack brilliance. Overall, a nice vinyl-esque midrange that sounds intimately warm and full with soul but does lack a technical performance.
The Highs
High range here is a laid-back high range that has a smooth overall sound but still able to possess a great presence. They have a good clarity and details in this frequency along with a decent sparkle but they do lack a crisp decay and brilliance presentation that gives music a livelier feel. The FuDu do sound a tad bit dark here but they are certainly fatigue free and do not possess any hiss nor sibilance which is suitable for treble sensitive users.
They have a decent extension along with a slight airy presence and with a great brighter pairing of source, they actually sound quite great. Treble here is a lower intensity that contributes to a relaxing sound that is inoffensive. They do not possess any metallic timbre highs of a typical balanced armature set and they do sound natural and organic. Overall, the high range is velvety smooth and suitable for a long listening session but not suited for high intensity treble lovers as they lack bite for a livelier presentation.
Comparisons
VS Kinera Idun Gold 2.0
The Idun 2.0 is a similar configuration of a single dynamic driver and 2 balanced armature set that sounds very balanced with a neutral tone while possessing good technicalities for a hybrid. They are actually priced almost twice the asking price of FuDu but the Idun 2.0 has a more beautiful design with their hand painted faceplate.
High range
Highs on the FuDu are smoother and extend slightly better. The Idun 2.0 highs are livelier, more sparkly and have a crisper presentation. Treble on the Idun 2.0 has more energy versus the laid-back style of FuDu. Details and clarity on the high range is better on the Idun 2.0.
Midrange
The FuDu sound thicker here with a tad bit wider midrange that sounds lusher and more intimate. The Idun 2.0 mods have clearer, cleaner mids with better transparency. Resolution on both is similar but the Idun 2.0 does have the edge in details and clarity. Vocals on Idun 2.0 sounds livelier while the FuDu sound more intimately analogue.
Bass
Bass on the FuDu has the edge with a tighter slam and a bigger sub-bass presence. The Idun 2.0 bass is flatter but they do sound cleaner and clearer overall. Details and clarity is slightly better on the Idun 2.0. Bass extension on FuDu is deeper and wider.
Soundstage
The soundstage on Idun 2.0 is wider and taller but the Fudu is not far behind. Both possess a medium sized headroom worthy of their asking price.
VS Letshuoer DZ4
The DZ4 is a recently released triple dynamic driver in-ears along with a passive radiator that is priced similarly to the FuDu. They have a clean neutral sound with a flat response that sounds naturally good for most genres. Build on both is superb but the FuDu does feel more comfy due to their smaller size.
High region
The highs on D13 have better extension and air along with a more present sparkle and a crisper highs. Details and clarity on the DZ4 is slightly better but the FuDu high is a smoother, more laid-back style that is inoffensive. Extension on the FuDu is a tad bit wider.
Midrange
Midrange on the FuDu is thicker and warmer versus the neutral flat mids of the DZ4. The DZ4 has a clearer midrange while the FuDu is lusher and more organic. Details and clarity of the DZ4 is better along with better transparency but equal in terms of resolution. Vocals on DZ4 are cleaner and more spacious while FuDu sounds more intimate and more soulful.
Bass
The amount of bass on the FuDu is bigger and more impactful while the DZ4 is leaner. Sub-bass extension on the FuDu is deeper and possesses a better rumble that is more fun. Details and clarity on both are similar but the FuDu seemed more present and more exciting versus the clinical bass of the DZ4
Soundstage
Both have a similar soundstage width but height in the DZ4 is taller along with a slightly airier presentation. Headroom on both is a similar mid sized headroom.
Synergy
Questyle M15
The Questyle M15 is my favourite dongle DAC/amplifier as they are sublime with Questyle’s signature direct current amplification and I have been a fan of this dongle since day 1. They are a neutral to bright sounding device suitable for a portable usage and they possess a great extension on both ends with none of the usual Sabre chip hump.
Bass sounded cleaner and tighter with details and clarity increased. Their bass is more controlled and has a better texture. Sub-bass depth remained mostly the same but they are cleaner.
Midrange is slightly clearer with better transparency and a more resolving sound than usual while retaining the warmth and thickness. Vocals sound clearer and more brilliance is introduced along with a more spacious feel.
High range has more sparkle and extension along with a slightly crisper sound. Treble has slightly increased in amount but they are still a laid-back, inoffensive sound. Highs also sound slightly more lively and they have a clearer presentation.
Soundstage has seen improved width and height with some air added in the mix.
Cayin N6ii Titanium
The limited edition Cayin DAP has a R2R module fitted into them and they are certainly a warm, organic sound that has great extension and a rather powerful sound for their size. They are a great companion for in-ears as they do pair pretty well with most of my in-ears.
Bass in terms of their texture is better and they are clearer with a tighter bass slam. They have a deeper, cleaner sub-bass extension with a slightly stronger rumble. Details are added and they sound more accurate and clearer overall.
Midrange has a more spacious presentation along with a slightly better, clearer transparency. They have a lusher, more organic feel to them and they do sound very inviting especially with vocals but their brilliance seems to be the same. Details are added especially on the micro details part which is increased slightly.
Highs is a little more forward and has a better extension along with a little sparkle added. Details and clarity increased and they sounded fuller and with an airier presentation. They are still a little laid-back but they possess a more resolving high range overall.
Soundstage height is better with a wider sound overall.
Who Is It For?
The TangZu FuDu is a recommended product for those seeking something different than the usual Harman tuning that sounded warm, intimate and musical. Those who want an organic sound with a wonderful, adequate bass response will love this set. Bassheads and treble freaks might want to pass on this as they have a good amount, not god-like amount. They are also suited for users who want an inoffensive sound that causes no fatigue for a long listening run. They are certainly no clinical performers but rather a laid-back relaxing sound that is intimate and lush. They are also suitable for gaming for their placement accuracy and movies for their immersive sound.
Final words
TangZu has been one of my favourite audio companies as they are certainly enthusiastically infused with workers that are proud and meticulous with their products. They are not afraid to be different as shown with their dynasty theme products and they have shown bravery as the FuDu is their new venture into hybrid territory. With a refreshing analogue signature that is warm, inviting and musical, they actually do sound unique, veering away from Harman targets and not focusing solely on the technical aspects, the FuDu in my opinion is able to stand out from the rest. With the addition of the Divinus Velvet eartips, they are well priced in-ears as the set of Velvet eartips itself cost a third of the asking price of FuDu. While the FuDu might not be technically strong, they are a smooth sounding set like a poetry from a master. Well done yet again Tangzu.
I would rate this product 4 over 5 stars
- Good overall price vs performance
- Great build with minimalistic design
- Comfortable fit
- Decent unboxing experience
- Fully accessories
- Superb Divinus Velvet eartips
- Warm, organic and musical sound
- Overall inoffensive
- Smooth, airy high range
- Solid bass quality
- Great Sub-bass extension
- Thick and warm midrange
- Good resolution
- Decent soundstage width
- Great coherency for a hybrid
- Lack brilliance
- Overall clarity and details lacking
- Sub par midrange transparency
- Mediocre micro detail retrieval
- High range too lean for some
- Not a clinical performer
- While the cable is nice, the sound doesn’t match the set.
- Soft case offers less protection
