$50 SHOOTOUT/REVIEW!!
TangZu Yu Xuan Ji vs
Kinera Celest IgniteX Beast vs
InAwaken Dawn-Ms
So there’s been some hype around Tangzu’s new $50 open back DD. Apparently it uses a quirky driver, and since it’s open back, everyone’s thinking there has to be an improvement in the staging right? And you know they’re half right.
YU XUAN JI SOUND
The Yu Xuan Ji has an airy and more spacious sound compared to other IEMs around its price, however, I do believe that’s mainly due to them boosting the 8-10K like crazy… Because when I taped the vents, there was no change in the sound, and if it was truly open-back you’d expect the bass to go crazy, but it sounds the same.
The other thing is that the isolation is really good, which should not be the case if it’s a true open back as there should be more sound leaking out and going in, and the seal wouldn’t be as tight as it is (you should be able to hear some of your environment like on an open-back headphone).
8-10K PEAK LEGIT?
Now, I know the 8-10K peak looks really scary, but I believe most of it is due to the resonance peak in the coupler because when you’re listening to them it’s not actually that sharp or energetic. The overall sound of the YXJ is balanced, clean, laid back, and airy with a slight emphasis in the treble air region.
Although there is some wispy-ness at higher volumes, and it doesn’t scale the best and works much better as a mid-volume set… However, it’s great if you want something airy around $50 because it’s rather smooth at mid volume even though the peak in the coupler looks really bad.
BASS & VOCALS
Low-end wise there’s enough bass and noteweight for things to sound natural and correct, it gets the job done, there isn’t any mid-bass bleed or congestion, but the texture, tactility, or impact isn’t the Xuan Ji’s strong point - it’s average to me. And neither are the vocals - they’re more laid back, balanced, and doesn’t get highlighted or pushed up, which depending on what you prefer can be a plus or minus.
The scoop starting from 4K helps tame a lot of the energy when it comes to kpop, jpop, and electronic tracks, as I found those genres to be pretty enjoyable since the Xuan Ji gives you the energy from the treble but not too overbearing. But this does mean you do miss some vocal clarity and detail from the tamer uppermids, which if you’re a vocals guy, you’ll probably find the vocals to be too safe and bland, and not powerful and extended enough.
TECH
Tech wise the Xuan Ji sits slightly above the EW200 and behind the EW300, which is good for the price with the separation and transients being its strong point (Again, I am just going off my unit, your experience may vary due to chifi qc and unit variance). So although the open-back design doesn’t really work, it’s still a very good IEM given the price, and if you want something airy without breaking the bank, this would be a unique addition.
KINERA IGNITEX BEAST SOUND
Now our next IEM, the Kinera IgniteX Beast, is a nice contrast to the Xuan Ji. If you’re a vocals kinda guy you’re going to like the Beast better as it has a more all-rounder sound where both the male and female vocals feels more open, vibrant, and powerful as you definitely hear more details in the uppermids versus the Xuan Ji.
Treble and stage wise the beast isn’t as airy and spacious as the Xuan Ji, but instead it’s more dynamic, crispier in the treble with sharper and more pin-point imaging which is better for gaming, and the bass is punchier with more rumble to the low-end.
vs EW200 & TECH
It has a fuller and more engaging sound signature that reminds me of a tamer version of the EW200, well, depending on the unit you get of the EW200… But speaking of the EW200, resolution wise the Beast is around the same as the EW200 but a little cleaner with less low-end, and slightly better in the separation, putting the overall tech around the same as the Xuan Ji.
Both are slightly smoother and ahead of the EW200 when it comes to picking out details since both of their low-ends are less forward allowing more room for instruments to breathe. Although if you already own the EW200 I don’t think the difference is big enough as the bigger jump in performance would be going directly to the Supermix4.
INAWAKEN DAWN-Ms SOUND (vs OG DELCI)
So to recap we have the Xuan Ji with its airy, clean, laid back signature, the beast with its dynamic engaging sound, and then lastly we have our final IEM - the InAwaken Dawn-Ms for that warm bassy goodness.
The DawnMs are actually very similar to the OG Delcis but with more sub-bass rumble, but if you already own the OG Delcis or something similar then they’re a little redundant and it’s not ‘have buy’ unless you want even more low-end than from the OG Delci.
VOCALS & BASS
However, I was actually pleasantly surprised at the clarity of the DawnMs when it came to vocals. Due to its bassy and warm nature I thought the vocals would be too husky or buried, but no, they came across fine and enjoyable, obviously warmer and thicker, heavier in its noteweight for sure, but I didn’t find them to be congested or overly thick. The bass is the most prominent out of the three and very enveloping, so this isn’t a balanced set by any means, but if you want the most bass without going basshead these would be an enjoyable listen.
TECH
The drivers in the DawnMs also holds up well when it comes to the overall resolution, separation, and imaging. They’re not quite on the same level as the Xuan Ji and Beast, but I’d place it around the same as the EW200 with the Dawn-Ms edging it out in-terms of bass texture and scaling, but not as pin-point in the imaging, and not as detailed in the treble - although I think the Dawn-Ms are a nice sidegrade if you already own the EW200s and wanted something warmer and bassier with a thicker tonality that scales better.
CONCLUSION
So overall, 3 different flavours depending on what type of sound you’re looking for, all 3 are solid in their own aspects and worth their asking price, so, give them a shot if you’re interested. Here are the Final Rankings for all 3:
TangZu Yu Xuan Ji:
Tonality: A- (6/10)
Tech: B+ (5.5/10)
Overall: B+ (5.5/10)
Kinera IgniteX Beast:
Tonality: A- (6/10)
Tech: B+ (5.5/10)
Overall: B+ (5.5/10)
InAwaken Dawn-Ms:
Tonality: A- (6/10)
Tech: B (5/10)
Overall: B (5/10)
Thanks for reading 
