Tangzu Wan’er S.Gs are the entry level IEMs of Tangzu, the Wonderkid of Chifi last year. Well as I mentioned earlier in my Tangzu Zetian Wu Review, which you can read here, they are not really inexperienced but after changing their name they became more active and aggressive. Anyway Wan’ers are priced at 19$, although they are all over the place since last two months there were a lot of sales and promotions.
Pros
- Tuning Masterclass
- No Real Sibilance unless the Recording is Sibilant
- Forward mids like other Tangzu earphones
- Lovely Packaging at this price
Cons
- Technically Average
- KZ-like cable
Disclaimers
Without boring you too much, I don’t necessarily have a sound preference. I tend to enjoy different sound profiles as long as they do well at what they intend to do. I try to be critic in my reviews but I might be somewhat biased one way or another (Recency bias, buyer’s bias etc.). Please keep these in mind. I bought Tangzu Wan’er S.Gs with my own money. Other iems mentioned here are my own which I also bought with my own money. If a unit I reviewed is given or loaned to me in the future, I will say so here.
Build, Comfort and Trivia
I dwelled upon Tangzu’s past in my Zetian Wu Review earlier. They like to name their IEMs after Tang Dynasty members. Wan’er S.Gs are, being the budget members they are, named after the secretary and advisor of Empress Wu Zetian; Shangguan Wan’er, hence Wan’er S.G. Clever I say, Shangguan is hard to spell and even harder to pronounce I assume.
Buildwise, there is nothing to write home about Wan’ers. They are made of plastic and build a lot like cheap KZ and similar stuff. Cable is removable with 0.78 mm 2 pin QDC connection. Usual 2 pin cables work but they stick out a lot and ear hooks can get uncomfortable. I could also use my TFZ cable so wanted to make note of it.
They come with two colors: black and white. Both colors have different patterns and to be honest and I love them both. In the end I ordered both colors and sent the black ones to Mahir after taking some photos. Accessories are decent too in this price range. Stock tips include one of my favorite tips, 07s and another set of black generic tips with narrower bores. There is also a handkerchief with a picture of Lady Wan’er S.G herself. And that’s all for the packaging and accessories. While it is better than most of the IEMs in their price range, there is nothing really much to say.
Sound
Tangzu Wan’er S.Gs are exceptionally tuned IEMs with satisfying bass, lovely mids and vocals, both male and female and decent treble. I’d say they are a product of Tuning Masterclass. However, like everything in the world, they are not perfect. Let’s take a look.
Bass
I really don’t want to start on a low note so I’d say Bass on Wan’ers tuned great, for a more expensive IEM than they are. Man, bass makes this IEM but also almost broke it. While 7hz Salnotes Zero praised highly by many, they were also critised for their lean tonality. Wan’ers took a leap of faith and loved by even more people. Bass, in the sense of quantity, is just right. They extend deep and have good rumble. Wan’ers are impactful and engaging in the lows. However, driver is cheap, there is no denying that and it can only do so much. Bass is loose and uncontrolled. While in isolation, it is a great experience listening to Wan’ers. But when you start to dig a bit, you feel the drivers drag their feet and hamper the overall technical capability of the set. I think guys at the 7hz didn’t want to go there but Tangzu apparently though otherwise. Long story short, the attack is good, the decay is lacking.
Mids
Mids on Wan’ers are the classic Tangzu sound. At least that’s what I think. They might not have a house sound yet, but they always put the utmost care at mids. Yes, again Wan’ers mids are forward, which I like. I don’t think anyone would be bothered by them since they are not as pushed as Shimin li mids. Unfortunately, bass bleeds into the mids a bit, not because of their quantity, but their lack of quality. However being forward and all harm is minimal. Both male and female vocals have good energy.
Treble
Treble amount is just right on Wan’ers. They didn’t come as fatiguing in the period I used them. If you find 7hz Salnotes Zeros’ treble a bit too much, Wan’ers might suit you better. They aren’t too splashy and sound very neutral. If I didn’t know better, I’d say there should be more treble to balance out the bass but that is not really the case here. They also extend pretty good for a single dynamic driver pair.
Technical Performance
I’d say everything about technical performance of Wan’er S.Gs is average at best. They are not bad per se, but we all are spoiled by 7hz Salnotes Zeros. But if you are after technicalities, there is nothing you can do about it but spend more.
Wan’ers have average headstage and decent imaging but not great. Layering is also lacking a little. They don’t particularly sound blunted but not very resolving and detailed either. Again, like I said, a cheap driver with this kind of bass only can do so much so it is really up to the listener to choose their path.
Comparison with 7hz Salnotes Zero
Zeros are harder to drive.
Zeros are leaner and dryer, Wan’ers are warmer and wetter.
Bass is more powerful and rumbly on Wan’er but also looser.
Mids, especially vocals are more forward on Wan’er.
Neither is sibilant, S, T and Sh sounds are emphasized similarly. Maybe Zeros are a bit more prone to sibilance but there is not really a big difference.
7hz Zeros sound more even and neutral. In the Hours of Wealth by Opeth (one of my favorite songs) Ambient Sound masked guitar plucks a little bit more on Wan’ers.
Treble is similar but Zeros might have a bit more treble also sound splashier. Then again it might also be contributed to the higher amount of bass on Wan’er is balancing out the treble more evenly.
Technically Zeros are superior IEMs almost in every aspect. Imaging and separation are better on 7hz Salnotes Zeros. Perceived sounstage or headstage is also a little bit wider and deeper. Detail and Resolution is noticeably better on Zeros. Timbre is more natural on Zeros, at least to my ears. Wan’ers sound fuller and a bit hazier compared to that.
Conclusion
I like Tangzu Wan’er S.Gs a lot. But they are not perfect, nothing is. People criticized Zeros for not having enough bass, but those guys knew what they did by not wanting to risk overall sound quality. Tangzu took that risk, sacrificed some of the qualities that made Zeros great, but loved by more people. I can totally understand that. While I think Zeros sound cleaner and technically are superior, in isolation Wan’ers give a more enjoyable listening experience. The audience of this price segment don’t have the luxury of having multiple iems and compare them, so they would probably be more happy if they got Wan’er S.Gs.