Pros: - Energetic variant of Yuan Li
- Very easy to drive
- Beautifully designed shells
- Sturdy stock cable
- Very decent tip inclusions
- Organic and musical just like its brother Yuan Li
- Comfortable fit and wear
- Very decent speed DD's
Cons: - No carrying case (as expected at this price range)
- Near borderline shoutiness. Treble sensitive might want to consider before taking the leap
- Technicalities somewhat left me cliff hanged (subjective)
INTRODUCTION:
Tangzu, formerly known as Tforce, had made quite a mark on the audio community, with their release of Yuan li. An epic start for their "emperor series/trilogy". With Shimin li, they aim for entry level. Does Shimin li live up to its brother Yuan li? Pls do read on..
DISCLAIMER:
My opinions here are completely my own. I am NOT in any way influenced by any form of incentive. This is purely my honest, subjective impressions and experience with the gear on hand. I cannot stress more that you should take this as a grain of salt for we have different perception to sound and what we hear. I always try my best to stick with the stock accessories that come with the gear by default. You are free to try other methods such as tip rolling or cable rolling. Below are worth noting before concluding on what I say here:
1. DAP (digital audio player, be it phone, laptop, mobile, or stationary setup)
2. DAC or dongle or any external amp
3. Ear Tips
4. Cables
5. Source of audio file be it offline FLACS or streaming services like Deezer, Apple music, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify and the likes..
6. Your playlist. It matters and is worth to be considered when reading from a reviewer's perspective. It is apparent that you get to know your favorite reviewer and what they are listening to leisurely and critically.
My reviews are more on how music sounds in my ears. The technical stuff like frequency graphs and the physics behind the tech and drivers used, I leave to other reviewers.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Configuration: 10mm dynamic driver
Impedance: 18 ohms
Sensitivity: 109+/- 1db
Freq response: 20hz - 20khz
PACKAGING:
Packaging and inclusions are good here. Can't complain about the asking price. But if I have to nitpick, I wish it came with a simple carrying pouch/case. Inclusions below.
1. A set of Shimin li iem
2. 5n OFC cable
3. 4 sets of balanced ear tips
4. 3 set of bass ear tips
Now let us dive into how Shimin Li sounds..
LOWS:
Ok.. the biggest difference compared to Yuan Li, is the lows. The lows here are slightly more elevated than Yuan li's. Now I am not a basshead myself. Yet lows here are quick, punchy, tight and clean. I can see myself picking this any day, when I am in the mood for that extra punch in the lows. If you have been following me, I tend to trainy ears to remain in the neutral side of things. As I mix tracks and I have to keep my ears railed to be neutraly correct as much as possible. Kicks and bass guitars never felt out of sync and always compliment each other. Floor toms are punchy and meaty. Sub bass has a good reach and does not linger long to muddy your listening experience. Shimin li's lows gives me that satisfaction when I am listening to my rock tracks like Linkin Park and Rage Against the Machine that my neutral sets can't give.
Conclusively, the lows here are still a bit too much if I will use it for the purpose of referencing. Shimin Li is not for that. The lows are very engaging and lively giving me that added flavor to enjoy my playlist. I had no hint of muddiness or bloat and almost none bleeds to other frequencies. The elevation on the lows makes Shimin li a good set for enjoying movies and games.
MIDS:
The mids are very prominent on this set. Showing no signs of recessed nature. Instruments that need to be forward are well placed. Vocals, just like its brother Yuan Li, have commendable presentations. Although Shimin Li performs vocals well on both genders, this set favors female vocals by a small margin. Mids have good weight and body compared to Yuan li. I have one caveat though. The upper mids have a shouty nature. My tracks from Incubus, Linkin Park and some j-pop tracks have borderline shoutiness. And this is something treble sensitives should strongly consider. I notice that I often encounter this shoutiness in the rock genre. Especially on distortion or overdrive guitars. Well rock heads might be able to endure this as I assume, rock heads have more tolerance on shouty tracks.
Conclusively, I loved the body and forwardness of the mids here. My only con is the upper mids. It does get a bit too hot on my ears. Surprisingly, I can still last a good 2 hours listening even though this set can be fatiguing on longer listening sessions.
TREBLES:
Here at the top, this set did not give me sibilance. Cymbal strikes have good impact and grit without making me grin. Though I must say, it is not the best set in terms of treble. Personally, treble sounded lacking in terms of openness. Yet, details and reach here are very decent and not compromised. Nonetheless, my brass sections on tracks from Earth, wind and Fire are very very desirable. It is just my personal preference that I wanted more openness on top.
Conclusively, the trebles are a lot like yuan li. Just a tad bit "more". Texture and details are still intact and sibilance free.
FIT & ISOLATION
Fit and wear is very comfortable. Shimin Li has a decent weight. Heavier than Yuan li. But it never felt like it would fall from my ears. It effectively hugs and stays in place on the ears. Isolation is also very decent. Shutting outside noise effectively leaves you and your music in you own small world.
TECHNICALITIES:
Now this is where it gets a bit.. tricky. To be honest, at this price, I cannot find any fault. So I am going to be nitpicky here.
Staging is not spectacular. The fact that we are in the IEM domain, staging is not the widest to start with. But I did notice, Shimin li exhibits a good sense of depth which I rarely hear ony other sets. A lot of elements are somewhat presented at the back of my head. Depth is prominent compared to height and width. For me, this is a different kind of treat, and honestly I find it amusing. Comparing the stage to my other IEM, I can safely say Shimin li has an intimate sound stage. Separation is not bad either but I have other sets that perform better on this. As a musician, this is a must for me. Separation is very constructive to me when it comes to the nature of my work. Elements did not have that distinct individual space of their own. Imaging is average. Panning of instruments are existent but must I say, not as pinpoint as my other sets that are in the 100$ price range. Speed of the driver is very very capable. Shimin Li was able to keep up with my busy and quick tracks from the likes of Dirty Loops. Stress by Pain of Salvation has really quick drum rolls and this set did not disappoint.
Conclusively, the technicalities of this set is average and to be honest, for a 35$ set, it is very acceptable.
COMPARISONS:
I don't do comparisons that much. As I tend to embrace each gear with their own character. But for the sake of argument, I will be comparing this set to its older brother, the Yuan li.
1. Yuan li has a more mature approach.
2. Lows are more elevated on Shimin li.
3. Shimin li offers richer and fuller sound.
4. Yuan li has an edge on technicalities.
5. Upper mids are more controlled on Yuan li. Shimin li tends to be shouty here.
6. Trebles are almost the same on both sets.
7. Shimin li has a better vocal presentation. By a small margin.
8. Shimin li have better cable inclusion.
SOURCES AND GEARS:
LG V30 hifi dac (high impedance mode)
Hiby Music player
UAPP app (USB Audio Player Pro)
Tidal Masters subscription
offline FLACS
Hidizs AP80 pro
Deezer Hifi subscription
Here are some tracks I usually listen to when reviewing:
That’s the way of the World by EWF
Africa by TOTO
The Girl in the Other Room by Diana Kral
Balmorhea album All is wild, All is Silent
Sila by Sud
Smooth Escape by D’Sound
Never too Much by Luther Vandross
P.Y.T by Michael Jackson
Ain’t no Sunshine by Eva Cassidy
Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC
Another one bites the Dust by Queen
Good times bad times by Edie Brickell
Alice in Wonderland by Bill Evans
Ain’t it Fun by Paramore
Redefine by Incubus
Far Away by Nickelback
Lovesong by Adele
Lingus by Snarky Puppy
Harvest for the World by Vanessa Williams
Love Bites by Def Leppard
No Such Thing by John Mayer
As by Stevie Wonder
Whip Appeal by Babyface
Ain’t Nobody by Chaka Khan
Futures by Prep
Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
Every Summertime by NIKI
SADE tracks
AC/DC tracks
Queen tracks
And many more… I always listen to High resolution format, being the least quality 16bit/44khz FLACS be it offline or online.
VERDICT:
I have the Yuan li. 2 Yuan li's actually. The OG and the limited edition Dark Soul. At first, I couldn't get the concept of making the second installment of this trilogy, with almost the same sound. But I think the selling point here is firstly, the price difference and secondly, Tangzu wanted to offer an IEM on par with Yuan li but a lot cheaper.
As my title suggests, Shimin li is the playful younger brother of Yuan li. Offering more of everything in the sound department. Richer, more body and weight and energetic. Just like a sibling, both share many traits. Yuan li having a mature approach, Shimin li the energetic nature.
Now as I embark on this audio journey, I started from being a bass head, then mid centric, then lately leaning towards neutrality. Shimin li is far from being neutral, which is my personal preference for special reasons. But I have to admit, there are times that I want a break from the sterile world of neutrality. That sound has a divine purpose for me. And that is for mixing and deciphering harmonies. Music enjoyment, this is where Shimin li comes to play. Be it while travelling or just enjoying your favorite tracks alone on your couch.
So who is Shimin li for? Bass heads might embrace the lows here. Punchy, tight and good extension. But not brain wrecking level kind of lows. Treble sensitive?… hmmm… upper mids do get hot here. I will suggest to hunt for tips to tame that upper mids. Neutral heads, nah… pass on this one. This is no neutral set. Apart from the concerns above, this set I can vouch for to be very versatile. An all round player.
Did not get the chance to have Yuan li? As I believe you cannot get one nowadays. Or nearly impossible. Here you go. The Shimin li is a very very good alternative to Yuan li if you've missed it. And with it, comes a very practical and affordable price tag. Under 50$, this set is something worth considering. Well at least for me.
Conclusively, if you don't mind technicalities that much, and you love Yuan li, this set is worth checking out. Just watch out for the upper mids I mentioned above. For its asking price, I think there is nothing to complain about. It is just a matter of preference.
Please do keep in mind, at the end of the day, your mileage may vary. What works for me, has a possibility that it won't work for you. Do take this as a grain of salt.
Tangzu, formerly known as Tforce, had made quite a mark on the audio community, with their release of Yuan li. An epic start for their "emperor series/trilogy". With Shimin li, they aim for entry level. Does Shimin li live up to its brother Yuan li? Pls do read on..
DISCLAIMER:
My opinions here are completely my own. I am NOT in any way influenced by any form of incentive. This is purely my honest, subjective impressions and experience with the gear on hand. I cannot stress more that you should take this as a grain of salt for we have different perception to sound and what we hear. I always try my best to stick with the stock accessories that come with the gear by default. You are free to try other methods such as tip rolling or cable rolling. Below are worth noting before concluding on what I say here:
1. DAP (digital audio player, be it phone, laptop, mobile, or stationary setup)
2. DAC or dongle or any external amp
3. Ear Tips
4. Cables
5. Source of audio file be it offline FLACS or streaming services like Deezer, Apple music, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify and the likes..
6. Your playlist. It matters and is worth to be considered when reading from a reviewer's perspective. It is apparent that you get to know your favorite reviewer and what they are listening to leisurely and critically.
My reviews are more on how music sounds in my ears. The technical stuff like frequency graphs and the physics behind the tech and drivers used, I leave to other reviewers.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Configuration: 10mm dynamic driver
Impedance: 18 ohms
Sensitivity: 109+/- 1db
Freq response: 20hz - 20khz
PACKAGING:
Packaging and inclusions are good here. Can't complain about the asking price. But if I have to nitpick, I wish it came with a simple carrying pouch/case. Inclusions below.
1. A set of Shimin li iem
2. 5n OFC cable
3. 4 sets of balanced ear tips
4. 3 set of bass ear tips
Now let us dive into how Shimin Li sounds..
LOWS:
Ok.. the biggest difference compared to Yuan Li, is the lows. The lows here are slightly more elevated than Yuan li's. Now I am not a basshead myself. Yet lows here are quick, punchy, tight and clean. I can see myself picking this any day, when I am in the mood for that extra punch in the lows. If you have been following me, I tend to trainy ears to remain in the neutral side of things. As I mix tracks and I have to keep my ears railed to be neutraly correct as much as possible. Kicks and bass guitars never felt out of sync and always compliment each other. Floor toms are punchy and meaty. Sub bass has a good reach and does not linger long to muddy your listening experience. Shimin li's lows gives me that satisfaction when I am listening to my rock tracks like Linkin Park and Rage Against the Machine that my neutral sets can't give.
Conclusively, the lows here are still a bit too much if I will use it for the purpose of referencing. Shimin Li is not for that. The lows are very engaging and lively giving me that added flavor to enjoy my playlist. I had no hint of muddiness or bloat and almost none bleeds to other frequencies. The elevation on the lows makes Shimin li a good set for enjoying movies and games.
MIDS:
The mids are very prominent on this set. Showing no signs of recessed nature. Instruments that need to be forward are well placed. Vocals, just like its brother Yuan Li, have commendable presentations. Although Shimin Li performs vocals well on both genders, this set favors female vocals by a small margin. Mids have good weight and body compared to Yuan li. I have one caveat though. The upper mids have a shouty nature. My tracks from Incubus, Linkin Park and some j-pop tracks have borderline shoutiness. And this is something treble sensitives should strongly consider. I notice that I often encounter this shoutiness in the rock genre. Especially on distortion or overdrive guitars. Well rock heads might be able to endure this as I assume, rock heads have more tolerance on shouty tracks.
Conclusively, I loved the body and forwardness of the mids here. My only con is the upper mids. It does get a bit too hot on my ears. Surprisingly, I can still last a good 2 hours listening even though this set can be fatiguing on longer listening sessions.
TREBLES:
Here at the top, this set did not give me sibilance. Cymbal strikes have good impact and grit without making me grin. Though I must say, it is not the best set in terms of treble. Personally, treble sounded lacking in terms of openness. Yet, details and reach here are very decent and not compromised. Nonetheless, my brass sections on tracks from Earth, wind and Fire are very very desirable. It is just my personal preference that I wanted more openness on top.
Conclusively, the trebles are a lot like yuan li. Just a tad bit "more". Texture and details are still intact and sibilance free.
FIT & ISOLATION
Fit and wear is very comfortable. Shimin Li has a decent weight. Heavier than Yuan li. But it never felt like it would fall from my ears. It effectively hugs and stays in place on the ears. Isolation is also very decent. Shutting outside noise effectively leaves you and your music in you own small world.
TECHNICALITIES:
Now this is where it gets a bit.. tricky. To be honest, at this price, I cannot find any fault. So I am going to be nitpicky here.
Staging is not spectacular. The fact that we are in the IEM domain, staging is not the widest to start with. But I did notice, Shimin li exhibits a good sense of depth which I rarely hear ony other sets. A lot of elements are somewhat presented at the back of my head. Depth is prominent compared to height and width. For me, this is a different kind of treat, and honestly I find it amusing. Comparing the stage to my other IEM, I can safely say Shimin li has an intimate sound stage. Separation is not bad either but I have other sets that perform better on this. As a musician, this is a must for me. Separation is very constructive to me when it comes to the nature of my work. Elements did not have that distinct individual space of their own. Imaging is average. Panning of instruments are existent but must I say, not as pinpoint as my other sets that are in the 100$ price range. Speed of the driver is very very capable. Shimin Li was able to keep up with my busy and quick tracks from the likes of Dirty Loops. Stress by Pain of Salvation has really quick drum rolls and this set did not disappoint.
Conclusively, the technicalities of this set is average and to be honest, for a 35$ set, it is very acceptable.
COMPARISONS:
I don't do comparisons that much. As I tend to embrace each gear with their own character. But for the sake of argument, I will be comparing this set to its older brother, the Yuan li.
1. Yuan li has a more mature approach.
2. Lows are more elevated on Shimin li.
3. Shimin li offers richer and fuller sound.
4. Yuan li has an edge on technicalities.
5. Upper mids are more controlled on Yuan li. Shimin li tends to be shouty here.
6. Trebles are almost the same on both sets.
7. Shimin li has a better vocal presentation. By a small margin.
8. Shimin li have better cable inclusion.
SOURCES AND GEARS:
LG V30 hifi dac (high impedance mode)
Hiby Music player
UAPP app (USB Audio Player Pro)
Tidal Masters subscription
offline FLACS
Hidizs AP80 pro
Deezer Hifi subscription
Here are some tracks I usually listen to when reviewing:
That’s the way of the World by EWF
Africa by TOTO
The Girl in the Other Room by Diana Kral
Balmorhea album All is wild, All is Silent
Sila by Sud
Smooth Escape by D’Sound
Never too Much by Luther Vandross
P.Y.T by Michael Jackson
Ain’t no Sunshine by Eva Cassidy
Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC
Another one bites the Dust by Queen
Good times bad times by Edie Brickell
Alice in Wonderland by Bill Evans
Ain’t it Fun by Paramore
Redefine by Incubus
Far Away by Nickelback
Lovesong by Adele
Lingus by Snarky Puppy
Harvest for the World by Vanessa Williams
Love Bites by Def Leppard
No Such Thing by John Mayer
As by Stevie Wonder
Whip Appeal by Babyface
Ain’t Nobody by Chaka Khan
Futures by Prep
Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
Every Summertime by NIKI
SADE tracks
AC/DC tracks
Queen tracks
And many more… I always listen to High resolution format, being the least quality 16bit/44khz FLACS be it offline or online.
VERDICT:
I have the Yuan li. 2 Yuan li's actually. The OG and the limited edition Dark Soul. At first, I couldn't get the concept of making the second installment of this trilogy, with almost the same sound. But I think the selling point here is firstly, the price difference and secondly, Tangzu wanted to offer an IEM on par with Yuan li but a lot cheaper.
As my title suggests, Shimin li is the playful younger brother of Yuan li. Offering more of everything in the sound department. Richer, more body and weight and energetic. Just like a sibling, both share many traits. Yuan li having a mature approach, Shimin li the energetic nature.
Now as I embark on this audio journey, I started from being a bass head, then mid centric, then lately leaning towards neutrality. Shimin li is far from being neutral, which is my personal preference for special reasons. But I have to admit, there are times that I want a break from the sterile world of neutrality. That sound has a divine purpose for me. And that is for mixing and deciphering harmonies. Music enjoyment, this is where Shimin li comes to play. Be it while travelling or just enjoying your favorite tracks alone on your couch.
So who is Shimin li for? Bass heads might embrace the lows here. Punchy, tight and good extension. But not brain wrecking level kind of lows. Treble sensitive?… hmmm… upper mids do get hot here. I will suggest to hunt for tips to tame that upper mids. Neutral heads, nah… pass on this one. This is no neutral set. Apart from the concerns above, this set I can vouch for to be very versatile. An all round player.
Did not get the chance to have Yuan li? As I believe you cannot get one nowadays. Or nearly impossible. Here you go. The Shimin li is a very very good alternative to Yuan li if you've missed it. And with it, comes a very practical and affordable price tag. Under 50$, this set is something worth considering. Well at least for me.
Conclusively, if you don't mind technicalities that much, and you love Yuan li, this set is worth checking out. Just watch out for the upper mids I mentioned above. For its asking price, I think there is nothing to complain about. It is just a matter of preference.
Please do keep in mind, at the end of the day, your mileage may vary. What works for me, has a possibility that it won't work for you. Do take this as a grain of salt.
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