My utterly non-prepared take and talking out of my ass here (I don’t even have the set with me so literally out of my ass) is that tonal balanced is skewed and female vocals have some sorte of nasally feeling to them.
Cymbal strikes and electric guitars are slightly off due to 3k pinna rise vs lower treble dip and then some energy past 10k to fall off again.
This pinna is also affecting the sense of stage added to the late bass correction.
Again, out of my ass.
Everything you say might be true to you though. Ears are weird that way
And before pitchforks find me:
My opinion might change, I was in a rush and going from Helios to MMk2 to Meteor to Cadenza.
I was really curious. Everyone has the same opinion as you so far, so I’m probably the one in the wrong here.
Also, Cadenza’s nice but it’s definitely stepping down from the sets that preceded it. That’s bringing a steak knife to a gunfight.
I’ll do a listen to those tracks you just posted and give a fresh take
On The Curse 3:10-3:33, when you get the harmonic dueling vocals, including the one that goes up an octave, they both pitch very bright (almost, ALMOST too intense), but where Olina does it better is more in the soundstage being a little better so it’s like a quarter-step (some subjective amount) less present. The tonality are pretty much equal to me, it’s just Olina handles it a little better technically.
On Adele, the song has a bit more bass on the drum and is warmer on Cadenza (not Fan 2 warm, but a touch warmer than Olina) so there might be a minute coloring of husk on Adele’s voice. Olina is notably more bass neutral on this one but a little closer to too energetic for me. Olina’s resolution is definitely better than Cadenza during the chorus. Adele’s lyrics get jumbled in the track for me on both sets but there’s a little more clarity on Olina, but only JUST a little.
Can I just say The Speedwalker is a fun AF song. I really enjoyed that, just to listen and not be critical. Olina was actually ALMOST too analytical on this. It’s a live song and I’m listening to it thinking “I hear the crowd but did they actually record this in a controlled environment cause it sounds SO clean”. Cadenza sounded a little bit more organic. Olina’s soundstage smokes Cadenza. The drums are sharper on Olina but more impactful on Cadenza. The guitar work sounded fantastic in timbre on both, but the separation and layering on Olina made the bass guitar in the middle stand out in a really pleasant way even though the mid-bass should be “equal” on both.
Olina is “better” but when in my full grades, I score Cadenza as 96% of Olina, I mean that, as subjectively as I can say it.
Between Speedwalker and Polyphia, you’ve given me some fun ass mid-centric stuff to chill with
Yet again, you proved that your reviewer skills are getting sharper and sharper - nice write up, man!
The food analogy strikes again! I love arroz con frijoles as I eat it pretty much half the week (the beautiful wife is Mexican, it’s in my blood now!).
The cadenza seems like a very promising, balanced with a bass emphasis set. I’d be hard pressed to find something I’d prefer over it under $100 it seems … while the Hexa has found its way into my heart, when daft punk or Deadmau5 or Swedish House Mafia hit the shuffle playlist, I admittedly hit skip as the mid bass is lacking. Textured and present with fantastic quality, but lacking none the less.
I think one day, the Cadenza may just replace all of my budget sets and I can pass them along to others if I were to go that route. Definitely looking forward to hearing them when we meet up!
Also @nymz - you’re just being a good guy, man - I love the constructive criticism - a little bit of tough love goes a long way.
Speaking about sweep, do you plan on getting a coupler of some sort? I think it would make your reviews from great to awesome.
I never really comment on your reviews, but I think it time: I love your style. Having inter-titles being sings is genius (even if I don’t recognise most of it), food analogy is fun, and your global writing style is very fluid. And last but not least, I find the length of your reviews is spot on: we get all the necessary details without having to go through a wall of text.
Thanks for the comment and input. I don’t know if/when I’d get a coupler. Have I thought about? Sure, cause that would a neat toy to play with. But I honestly do any reviews because I like listening to different sets, like sharing my opinions, and get good writing practice to keep my skills sharp.
The fact that anybody cares or values what I write is a bonus because I am NOT an authority on anything, so I love any of y’all that read along. Comments or not.
But I do this for fun as a hobby. I may go deeper in time, but I’m not trying to invest in this like I’m doing it for profit (money or review sets). I just use my free time on this because I want to, and I like the community here (I don’t post on head-fi).
I have a pressure-free chance to own the Fan 2 again, alongside whatever I’m making my EDC… the insertion/nozzle is deep, so it has to be small tips. I found with the Final E, mids were recessed/lacked bite… so the next thing I tried is small W01 tips, and the sound is fantastic.
Some time with the Sony N3 taught me that even if there are specific cases where I feel like the sub-bass is more outlined than reproduced, in the majority of tracks that’s not a problem with excellent tuning. Like the N3 the Fan 2 has a very natural sounding result, even with a warm lilt. To my ears, a warm lilt is almost necessary for a truly natural sound… the world around me doesn’t sound as sterile as “reference” targeted sound wants me to believe.
The extreme blessing/ generosity is that the Fan 2 was for free. I don’t mind sharing the donor if they don’t mind, but I’m incredibly grateful. I can keep something complimentary to the Serial without stressing about it. I’ve also become a little less particular about my audio just in the last few weeks. If I can happily listen to a variety of music on shuffle without thinking about it (apart from occasionally thinking “wow” or bobbing my head) then I don’t want to over-analyze.
The NA3 is a set I can keep listening to without concerns. The Fan 2 seems like it is a set I can keep listening to without concerns. Of course the Serial is too (except in contrast with the other two, I have noticed that I make more volume adjustments with them. If something acoustic or thinner (like The Smiths for example) comes on I have to turn it up).
So it’ll be an interesting elimination time.
BTW if I ever part with the Serial, you would get the first offer at a special mate rate. I’d love for you to hear them and see where they fit amongst other sets.
I was wondering if I could have a Serial tuning affordably as a side listen via the Cadenza, maybe the Tin C3 can provide that. In which case either N3 or F2 might end up being the default plug-and-play for sheer versatility, bringing in a Serial tuning occasionally, or the times I really do miss what it does for bass.
Something like Lonely Soul by UNKLE (BANGER) is definitely a different hit on the Serial than the other two, as one example. Still haven’t anything that does the sub/mid bass combo the same way, and it’s not a quantity thing.
Man, this was awesome to read, I’m happy for you, brother. The C3 has some similarities with the Serial for sure (According to HBBs Squig of both, I haven’t heard either). There’s like 1 maybe 2 dB difference between them up until 2k where the differences do seem more discernible. I’m surprised though that you said the Cadenza is a touch wonky to you, I wonder what is causing that?
I think for me, this is the number one thing I go for. 95% of my music listening is on shuffle, or picking My Soundtrack playlist on Amazon music. I straight up gravitate to sets that let me listen to everything without hitting the forward/skip or volume up/down buttons. Fan 2 is a peach, for that. I don’t know the Serial sound to be able to say whether Cadenza or C3 can fill that space (HBB dropping bread crumbs for you says a lot about C3), but Fan 2 is the absolute shit for having a neutral tuning that isn’t analytical or flat-out cold. I’m loving it!
RE a Serial sale: SHUT. UP. LOL If you ever gave that up, you have my attention, brother! I’d even put in a right of first refusal for you, if you missed it and needed it back. I’d look out for you
Well also if I have a set/s I am happy enough with for the most part, as you’re in the US I should set up a loan sometime. We can PM.
TANGZU Wan’er S.G or Has the Picking of Nits Has Gotten Out of Control?
Coming off of the previous review, I don’t know if this is insanely fair, or insanely unreasonable to go directly into another $20 killer. But it’s absolutely poetic that the Wan’er is coming right behind my stellar feelings about the Kiwi Ears Cadenza, because with the plethora of options at the Sound Table, it’s worth figuring out if you need ANOTHER budget set or not. So with that in mind, let’s not even waste much time and jump right into talking about the TANGZU Wan’er S.G.
Songs to Listen to and Follow Along:
As usual, I’m going to write my thoughts in generalities, but I’ll give you a sample of songs that I listen to, that will relate to the concepts I write about. Feel free to ask for specifics, if you don’t keep up with my thought processes.
Vertigo - Alice Merton (For bass elements, female vocals, clarity)
I Can’t Give You Anything But Love - Red Garland (For piano tonality, layering, note weight)
All Comes Crashing - Metric (For imaging, clarity and resolution, mids performance)
Holdin’ Onto Your Silence - Jozels (For female vocals, imaging and layering, bass response)
Going, Going, Gone - Wires and Lights (For male vocals, drum and guitar elements, treble response and resolution)
You Either Lay Down or You Stay Down; What’s It Gonna Be?
I could pretend this is going to go any other way, or I can just admit this is going to turn into a long-form comparison to the Cadenza and just be done with it. Especially with the small firestorm that has come out of comparing some of these budget sets, it’s pretty important to get these comparisons out. In this way, Wan’er coming right after is perfect, because this is another point of evidence as to why Cadenza is the Head of the Table. In terms of form factor, they’re pretty even; both sets are relatively small and disappear in my ears. I’d say the Cadenza has a slight advantage, being just a little bit smaller with a snug fit. They pass the “laying down in bed” test with just a little less pressing into the ear canal than Wan’er, but neither set gives me trouble with fit for long listening sessions.
Their bass profiles are similar in magnitude but I think have differences in perceived experience. Both sets share a clean, unmuddy, bass with a good thump. It’s not going to satisfy the bassheads (but they are almost never satisfied anyway, bless their hearts). In giving more A/B time between them, I am picking up that Wan’er can play a more impactful bass with more volume (to the point of getting a little loose and boomy). I don’t know if I can explain why it feels this way so easily but I think it might have to do with two factors that I will get to later on. The performance of the lower midrange is hard to differentiate. In terms of tonality and timbre, both of these sets are unimpeachable in their reproduction of the lower parts of the frequency. I could take either and be satisfied. Everything I said about the Cadenza applies here.
Where we diverge, and where Cadenza puts its foot down, is in the performance in the upper midrange. Don’t get me wrong when I say that, because Wan’er is quite capable in this area. But the difference between them is refinement; Wan’er goes for an energetic, forward presentation compared to Cadenza. Even though graphs may not say it’s a large difference in measurement, to the ear it plays much bigger. Cadenza never has a moment where I feel like I might need to turn the volume down, but Wan’er can make the bass get boomy and make vocals and harmonics living in the upper midrange touch the line of what I want to tolerate. I don’t necessarily have to turn them down, but the sense of fatigue can start to come in after too long with Wan’er. Another issue I have with Wan’er, once I’ve heard Cadenza, is that treble is fine, maybe even good really, but it comes just a TOUCH short in clarity compared to Cadenza, for my taste. The last drawback between the two comes to soundstage. I find that Wan’er is just a little bit squeezed in the width of the soundstage. So I think this is where those small differences in their frequency responses play out; The fact that there is just a little less space for the sound to play in, makes the vocals stand out two steps forward instead of one and it just plays A LITTLE BIT too intense sometimes. This is where the differing experiences in the bass comes back to focus; I think why Wan’er feels like it has a bigger sound comes back to the forward upper-mids and how that can affect the soundstage. Wan’er’s compressed soundstage (with a more forward presentation) seems to make Wan’er more intense to me. It’s a good set, but it now stands against a set that makes no false steps. Once you know the difference exists, you can’t unhear it.
But Why Aren’t You as Good as the 7Hz Zero?
In the case of the Zero versus the Wan’er, it depends on what you are looking for in some ways. The Wan’er has a better bass response than Zero. I like the weight and thump you get in the Wan’er, even if you would call Zero more neutral or accurate. The note weight ends up not being as correct to my ear and that is always a sticking point for me with Zero. $20 tuning has really come a long way in producing a great midrange without compromise. You could be satisfied with either set, going through the lower midrange. In the upper midrange, it comes down to taste again. I think both sets have a similar kind of energy through the upper midrange but the Wan’er has that slightly forward presentation that isn’t present in Zero. If you want vocals and those harmonics in that area in your face, Wan’er is a slightly better choice. I’m more in the camp that wants it to be a little more accurately placed than that. The other major difference, again, comes in the treble. Zero has a bit more energy and presence in the treble, but only just a bit. It is enough, however, to win me over most days. The times I want a little bit more of a V-shape (and I mean only a little, this is still an extremely balanced set), I’d think to pick up the Wan’er. Most days though, I’d lean towards the Zero.
Versus KBear Aurora - These two sets come in sounding rather similar to each other but there are some major diverging points in their tunings. Aurora has a slight sub-bass roll off but that gives more emphasis to the mid-bass. So while they may have a similar quantity, the spotlight is on the Aurora’s mid-bass and it handles that expertly. It may be fair to say Wan’er has a slightly better lower midrange performance, as Aurora has a slight recession late in the lower mids. But this then is contrasted in the upper midrange; Wan’er and Aurora have a similar amount of energy there but pulling back JUST a little right before the pinna gain helps Aurora maintain a better balance. It is energetic but doesn’t sound as forward as Wan’er. It sounds more correct there. Overall, I’d say Wan’er has a cleaner but more forward presentation, while Aurora has a thicker (maybe muddy to you), energetic but not overly forward presentation. That can come down to preference, but Aurora outclasses Wan’er in technicalities. The soundstage is better, imaging and resolution are superior. Aurora is just better than Wan’er in the non-tuning components.
What Does This All Mean?
What I think this means is more complication for the $20 price bracket, in a couple of ways. First, just within the landscape of $20-and-under sets, the Wan’er has a place at the Table, I make no bones about that. However, is it worth it to pick it up for you, loyal readers? I cannot answer that for you, but I can tell you that you’re not getting much different from the Zeros, CRAs, and QKZs of the world. This set is not a world beater that makes the other sets irrelevant, or stakes its own place that isn’t close to some of the others. I can’t tell you not to buy it, but I also can’t tell you to run out to get it either. It is fine and good.
But it is not Cadenza.
At this point, the budget bracket truly has leveled up. A year ago, we were scuffling for sets that were capable of lasting; now I think we are drowning in options. The concept that you have to pay hundreds of dollars for tuning is truly dead and gone. So if you’ve been on the journey and gone from set to set, like me, and want to try new and different flavors of ice cream go for it. Chocolate isn’t peanut butter, isn’t lavender, isn’t Cape Cod Sand (there’s this one ice cream shop on Cape Cod, MA, USA. That’s a little inside baseball I know, but it sounds exotic, right?). But what I can tell you is that while each of the $20 sets is like a good ice cream that has a milk base, Cadenza is like the first ice cream to try that has light cream as its base. It’s not the most dramatic change, but you know the difference when you have it. Cadenza is on another level that nobody in the $20 bracket is. But back to Wan’er, it is close to the flavor I’d like to have regularly, but it’s just a couple steps off of what would be my ideal. That doesn’t mean it has no place in a collection, and it doesn’t mean that if you have the right circumstances and ingredients you can’t take something just past ideal and make it into something delicious. That’s going to be it for this review. Enjoy your days, and take care till next time!
Rank: B-
Rank With Personal Bias: B-
Rank As a Food: Overripe banana
One side note that I hadn’t really noticed: Wan’er comes with KBear 07 tips. That is…a plus considering I independently ended up on MY KBear 07s as the tip of choice for my listening!
The Tangzu folks seem to be particularly thoughtful about what tips and accessories they include with their IEMs. Many companies will throw in generic tips or some name brand tips just for the brand recognition without any real thought as to how well they pair with the IEMs themselves. Tangzu, based on having owned the Wu myself and what I’m reading about this one from you and others, seems to have pretty obviously put some effort and thought into including tips that pair well. I love it when companies pay attention to the details.
My favorite budget tip since they’re so good on sizing and then when you find your size its so cheap to buy more in the size you need. Even overpaying for convenience on Amazon gets you 5 pair for $10.
I honestly think this is super underrated, in terms of sizing tips for your ears and the IEMs. With both Cadenza and Wan’er, I was going with smalls like I usually do, and was finding times where I wasn’t getting the best seal or wondering why one listening session was a little wonkier than another.
I went to M- and M tips on the 07s for both, and found some of my nitpicks cleaned up right away. Going from smalls to mediums on deep mounts also had an audible impact.
Protip: DON’T ASSUME YOUR NORMAL TIP SIZE WORKS ON EVERY SET. Even if you think you got it right, go up and down a size and just check.
I’ve seen some similar impressions as you on Discord. It could be related to insertion depth. I fit medium W1 instead of large to get a deeper fit. Maybe tip roll a bit
I thought I replied already… Great review. And I agree 100% with you. Very we said.
This is my budget endgame, my tummy is full! And my wallet will stay in my pocket.
