Nothing much can be said for TangZu China as their fame in the audiophile community for their enthusiasm is off the charts by providing us with unique yet high performance products in a variety of price range. From their entry level WanEr all the way up to the flagship Bajie and the upcoming WuKong, they are known to provide one of the best sound in their range.
Recently they have dabbled in reviving their top selling entry IEM, WanEr with the new second generation and TangZu has graciously sent us a pair for an evaluation which is generous of them. The WanEr 2 now comes in hot with upgraded tuning, better cable option, a standard flush 0.78mm 2 pin and inclusion of the balanced Tang Sancai eartips to sweeten the deal even more. The cost? A meagre 19 USD or circa RM80 which is crazy but given the tightly contested budget throne, will the WanEr 2 be the one to sit on this coveted throne? We shall find out here.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the TangZu WanEr 2 taken from their site;
UNIT CONFIGURATlON : Single 10mm PET dynamic driver
SENSITIVITY : 113.5 dB @ ] kHz
IMPEDANCE : 19 Ω @ 1kHz 20%
FREOUENCY RANGE : 20 Hz-20 kHz
CABLE MATERIAL: 100*0.08+250D silver plated copper
CABLE LENGTH : 1.2 m 5%
SOCKET INTERFACE : 0.78 2-Pin Flat socket
The TangZu WanEr 2 can be purchased directly from their website as well as other platforms worldwide.
Packaging & Accessories
The packaging here is actually pretty good for the price paid. It is well designed with the usual Chinese kingdom theme with illustrations of the Chinese poet, Wan Er. It is packaged in a small square solid paper box. Inside we do find the IEM itself, a cable, and 6 pairs of eartips where 3 pairs of them are the Tang Sancai balanced eartips which is priced at 9 USD or RM40 boosting their value significantly.
Design
The design here has normal plastic casing but it is UV treated for a more glossy finish. There is some thickness to the shell which gives more durability. The shell does look slightly cheap but given the asking price, it is more than acceptable. They have a metal faceplate within the plastic shell which has a wavy design with their logo stamped onto the plate. The WanEr 2 comes in 2 colours, clear and black. Fit here is great with their CIEM style shell but they slightly are on the bigger size side.
Inside the WanEr 2 is an updated 10mm PET diaphragm similar to the 1st version but with better rigidity and a new tuning to provide better overall details. They claim that the improved diaphragm also reduces distortion and minimizes resonance.
The nozzle here is metal built with a medium sized diameter with 5 mm maximum width and they have a good length with a lip in the middle. There is a black fabric mesh covering to prevent dust or sweat from entering. There are 2 vent holes on the inner side of the IEM and there isn’t any driver flex present which indicates a well vented system.
The 0.78mm is now standard flush 2 pin 0.78mm connector as per requested by many users instead of the QDC style reversed 2 pin which provides more cable rolling options. A small yet big step in my opinion as the flush 2 pin does seems like the meta socket for this age.
Cable has also been improved with a better looking but still basic cable with 100 strands of 0.08mm silver plated copper. They now have an extra 4.4mm balanced cable and again as requested by users alongside USB C cable with mic, 3.5mm with mic and normal 3.5mm. The cable does look better but it is thin and a little rubbery but again, given their price, it is just nitpicking and TangZu actually listens to the user’s requests which means a lot by itself.
Gears Used for Comparisons
FiiO Q7
Hiby FC6
FiiO BTR7
Hidizs S8 Pro Robin
BQEYZ BQ10
KZ EDC Pro
Hidizs ST2 Nebula
Intime Sho DD
Rose Technics Star City 5 Pro
TangZu YuXuan Ji
Truthear Zero
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The tone here is a neutral bright presentation with a rather balanced sound signature that has a mild emphasis on the higher frequency and they have a full dynamic sound range. The tuning here is actually spot on and they have a slight warmth in them which gives better musicality for a more enjoyable listening. Overall sound here isn’t as safe or polite as the 1st version and they have a more engaging, energetic sound profile while still preserving a clean and balanced sound. The technicalities here punches way above the asking price which is the ‘wow’ factor on these IEM.
Soundstage
Soundstage here is decent with a wide and tall sound that matches their price range. They also do have sufficient air on both ends of the spectrum and they have a good 3D spatial accuracy which makes them suitable even for gaming. The soundstage here isn’t too intimate and they are quite immersive suiting movies as well.
Separation and Timbre
Separation here is superb and being a single dynamic driver IEM, they are able to produce a cohesive sound without any gaps and crosstalk from left to right separation is good giving a decent stereo width. Timbre here is bright with a piercy sound while being quite accurate in their sound reproduction.
Drivability
Rated at 19 ohms with a 113.5 db sensitivity, they are relatively easy to drive with any source with ample loudness. Scalability here is good with a cleaner source that gives them more refinements in the low end and a smoother high range. For their balanced neutral sound signature, they are a flexible IEM when it comes to pairing but a warm source will match them better and will increase their musicality further. The WanEr 2 is actually a set that actually shows some flaws in bad recordings which is great for simple monitoring although not the perfect one for studio usage.
The Bass (Low)
The bass has a flat bass presentation but still has a mild lift in the mid bass that gives a full sounding bass. They do have an accurate bass with great clarity and amazing detail retrieval capabilities but the bass is slightly on a polite side that doesn’t suit basshead. Impact here is good with a tight and fast pace that is suitable for a wide range of genres. The bass do have a resolving sound but they lack texture and may sound a little loose when on bass heavy tracks. Transparency here is great with a natural, accurate bass amount and no bleed is present here. Sub-bass have a slow roll off that gives the overall bass a good airy feel with a decent amount of rumble.
The Mids
Midrange here has a neutral balanced sound with a mild lean towards the upper midrange that gives the WanEr 2 a bright sound signature. The midrange has a good positioning and has a spacious sound that has an accurate sound placement. The mids here do sound a touch thin but can be remedied with a warm source. Details and clarity here is superb as they sound clean and clear with a great amount of macro and micro detail retrieving capabilities. Resolution here is average with no coloration present that gives the mids a sterile sound but the transparency here is great as they do sound accurate without any artificial sound added. The WanEr 2 does vocals quite well with female vocals sounds lively with a good brilliance from their upper mids while male vocals do lack depth and body but they are clear with great accuracy. Instruments like strings, violins, guitar perform well but on some bass instruments like oboe, bass strings lack body and may sound a tad dry.
The Highs
The high range has a neutral presentation with a good extended range that has a good amount of air and they do have a slow roll off a good decay. Their amount here is actually slightly boosted but they are smooth while having a good energy for a lively sound. Detail retrieving capabilities are great and they sounded natural with a crisp and great sparkle. Clarity here is superb with a fast pace of sound but they do tend to sound a little spicy on fast tracks like metal or hard rock making them a little piercy but in a small margin. Trebleheads may find the highs quite fun and energetic while users who want a more relaxed treble may find these a little aggressive in this region. Resolution in the high range is great with a vivid sparkle that is accurate and natural free of any metallic timbre. Treble here has an intense treble that gives a rather lively high range with superb clarity.
Comparisons
VS BQEYZ BQ10
The recently released BQEYZ BQ10 is the most recent release from them and they are a budget performer indeed with their balanced neutral sound with a great build quality. They do cost more than the WanEr 2 coming in at 30 USD or circa RM120 but they do come with a case and a better overall build.
High range on the WanEr 2 does have more in quantity but they do sound a little more peaky. Details and clarity on both are rather similar and WanEr 2 does have better transparency and they are more accurate. Treble on the WanEr 2 is more intense while the BQ10 has a smoother extended treble that is more pleasing.
Midrange on the BQ10 has a better body and sounded more balanced versus the upper midrange focus on the WanEr 2. Clarity on the WanEr 2 is clearer but details on both are similar. BQ10 resolves better with similar transparency.
Bass quantity on the BQ10 is bigger with a more apparent mid bass lift albeit marginally. Sub-bass on the BQ10 is deeper with a better rumble but bass on the WanEr 2 does sound cleaner and clearer with better accuracy.
Soundstage on the BQ10 does sound wider but height and air is similar.
My pick: BQEYZ BQ10
Vs KZ EDC Pro
The venerable KZ EDC Pro that might be the best value product from KZ with a price of just around 8 USD or around RM30 and they have a rather balanced sound signature that has a smooth overall sound but as per usual of KZ packaging, they are lackluster to day the least. With the inclusion of the Tang Sancai eartips, the WanEr 2 does trade blows with the EDC Pro in terms of value.
The high range of the EDC Pro has a more relaxed treble but they are extended like the WanEr 2. Amount of sparkle and crispness on the WanEr 2 is livelier along with a clearer. Details on the WanEr 2 is better with a cleaner high range.
Midrange on the EDC Pro has a better body with a slightly thicker and forward midrange versus the WanEr 2. Details and clarity does sound better on the WanEr 2 with better transparency but the EDC Pro is more resolving.
Bass on the EDC Pro has a bigger volume with a thicker mid bass lift but the texture and clarity here goes to the WanEr 2. Sub-bass on both dives quite deep but the rumble on the EDC Pro is more evident.
Soundstage of the WanEr does sound wider but only marginally and the same does for air.
My pick: WanEr 2
Synergy
The WanEr 2 actually is an easy match for a warmer source for their bright-ish sound signature but a neutral balanced source will give them better technicalities but all these are just marginal as the WanEr 2 doesn’t really scale up significantly. A bright source like usual Sabre based DACs may incur some fatigue in the higher region with their known Sabre glare.
Good matching: Hiby FC6, 7hz Artemis39, Hidizs S8 Pro, FiiO Q7, Qudelix T71, Moondrop MIAD01, Questyle M15
Not so good matching: FiiO KA5, FiiO Q7, EPZ TP30
Who Is It For?
Suitable usage: Light monitoring, details and clarity lovers, treble heads, neutral sound lovers, workouts, someone who is new into this hobby and gamers.
Suitable genres: Classicals, acoustics, vocals, rock, pop
Not suitable: Relaxation, warm analogue sound, treble sensitive users, bassheads, movies.
Not suitable genres: Metal, EDM, Jpop, hip-hop
Final words
What TangZu has done here is actually pretty amazing as firstly they have increased the overall value from the 1st version and most importantly listened to what users wanted like the now standard flush 2 pin, a better cable with 4.4mm option and the inclusion of the Tang Sancai balanced eartips. This product is an easy recommendation for beginners and also for those who want a rough usage of IEM that still can be considered as a high quality sounding set. Though the sound needs some refinements in the upper midrange and highs, they are still an off the charts value product that stands their ground in the ultra budget realm.
I would rate this product a 4 stars.
Pros
- Decent overall technicalities
- Decent design
- Great fit with good isolation
- Good unboxing experience for the price
- Tang Sancai balanced eartips
- More musical than the 1st version
- Great overall details
- Accurate timbre
- Good clarity and detail retrieval capabilities
- Airy overall sound
- Good transparency
- Easy to drive
- Superb value
- Better cable with 4.4mm and standard flush 0.78mm 2 pins.
Cons
- Slightly peaky upper mids
- Not for bassheads
- Shell do feel a little cheap (nitpick)
- Big shell
- Midrange a tad thin
- High range can be sibilant
- Average cable quality (nitpick)
- No case/pouch (nitpick)
