Truly Deserving of the Crown
PROS:
natural sounding for a planar
Impeccable imaging and separation
Close to neutral sound reproduction (subjective)
Clean and precision
Inclusions
Elegant faceplate design
Details and texture
Price point
Comfort and fit
Modular cable
Scales well with added amplification
CONS:
Planar sheen still occasionally present
Unrealistic decays still present on rare instances
Source plug a bit long and big prone to damage if handled carelessly
INTRODUCTION:
Alright, this is going to be my third review of Tangzu, formerly known as Tforce, and I must admit, I'm struggling to come up with a fresh introduction for the company. It's starting to feel like déjà vu.
I began my Tangzu journey with their IEM, the Tforce Yuan li, which laid the groundwork for the company. It quickly became a fan favorite, a hit with the crowd. Next up was Shimin Li, a budget offering which, to be honest, didn't quite tickle my fancy in the long run. I even took a beating for hyping it up, and during that time, the market was flooded with low-cost audio gear. The community wasn't yet ready for the likes of $50 gears that sound fantastic, but that's just the way it goes. Following that, Waner arrived, and by now, people were getting used to entry-level gear that narrowed the gap with mid-levels. Finally, Tangzu jumped into the planar wars with the OG Zetian Wu, which I reviewed. I have to be frank - I still wasn't convinced that planars could be effectively implemented on IEMs at this time.
Another day, another collaboration - this time between Tangzu and the Hawaiian Bad Boy, HBB. But wait, haven't we had enough of these collabs already? Anyway, back to the topic at hand. The OG Zetian Wu didn't quite hit the spot for me, as I found it to be a bit too bass-heavy for my taste. So, when the Heyday edition was released, I wasn't particularly intrigued. But, did Tangzu manage to prove me wrong? Only one way to find out, old chap - keep on reading!
FOREWORD:
The gear on hand has undergone at least 10-15 hours of use before it was assessed.
No EQ is ever applied in my reviews.
For the sake of convenience, I try my best to use a stock setup. Not everyone has access to personal ear tips or cables. If personal ear tips, cables, or accessories are used, you will be notified.
As I try to be objective, my claims inevitably will be subjective and biased to my personal preference. I cannot stress more that you should take this with a grain of salt for we have different perceptions to sound and what we hear.
Stock cable and ear tips were used for the entirety of this review. In particular, the tips placed in the “foams” section, which is not foam tips at all. Wide bored and stiff stem.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Configuration: 1 x 14.5mm planar
Impedance: 16ohms
Sensitivity: 100db
Freq response: 20hz - 20khz
PACKAGING:
The packaging of the Tangzu Heyday edition IEMs reminded me of the Yuan li. The company has kept a consistent style both inside and out, and their packaging impressed the community when they released the Yuan li. While I have no complaints, personally, I find the style a bit dated now, and it doesn't mesmerize me as it used to. Please don't take offense, though. The front of the box features the Empress, the only empress in China's history. However, I won't go into a historical lecture on this, as many other reviewers have already done so.
The ear tips come in the usual categories of balanced, bass enhanced, and "foam" tips, which are not actually made of foam, but their actual composition is unknown. It would be helpful to know what kind of tips are included in the "foam" section. The Heyday comes with a pair of black ear tips that are wide bore and super soft. While I typically prefer these types of ear tips, I found that they produced a very lean and thin sound and even caused some borderline sibilance issues.
In the box:
a pair of Heyday IEMs
cable and modular plugs
3 pairs of balanced ear tips in S, M, and L
3 pairs of bass-enhanced ear tips in S, M, and L
parchment welcoming paper
a pair of foam tips (whatever that is)
a pair of black wide bore and soft ear tips
Alright, let's dive right into the most important part of this review. I'll give you a little spoiler - the Heyday blew me away that I ended up buying a pair for myself. In fact, my personal unit arrived just yesterday and I'm still grinning from ear to ear. Let’s start with the technicalities…
Describing soundstage in IEMs can be a bit tricky, as they're meant to be placed inside our ears and not necessarily deliver a spacious presentation unlike headphones and ear buds. However, I must say that the Heyday pleasantly surprised me with its discernable stage that feels almost holographic. It's ideal for gaming and movies, as it adds to the overall immersive experience. As for music, I can confidently say that Heyday checks the box in this aspect as well, with a good sense of headspace in terms of depth, height, and width.
When it comes to sound quality, resolution and texture are crucial in delivering a high fidelity experience. With the Heyday, you can expect intimate details in guitars, rich tones in bass, crisp notes in pianos and cymbals, and nuanced sounds in percussion. The orchestral instruments are also impressive and perform as expected of a planar driver.
The Heyday's imaging and separation are impressively precise, aided by its spacious sound stage. Each instrument has its own distinct place in the mix, making it a valuable tool for a musician like myself. As a member of a cover band, we strive to replicate songs as faithfully as possible, and the Heyday has consistently delivered when it comes to capturing subtle chord changes and vocal harmonies that I need to delegate to my bandmates.
After listening to several planar IEMs, I must say that the Heyday's tonality and timbre are spot on. The sound is natural and realistic, and it is one of the most commendable planar IEMs that I have come across. Although, there are still some nitpicks to discuss. For instance, drum snares can sound just a bit unnatural with that "planar sheen." I noticed this on the track "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" by Hall and Oates at the 1:57 mark. When compared to dynamic driver counterparts, the drum snares sounded more natural.
Planar drivers are known for their excellent transient response, but sometimes this strength can be overdone. The Heyday is not immune to this issue, especially when it comes to percussive instruments. For example, in David Benoit's "Take a Look Inside my Heart," the piano sounded fine, but the drum toms at the timestamp 1:12 had an "unrealistic" quality to them. The decays were too abrupt, lacking the natural tail end that supposes to make them sound more authentic. As a pianist who grew up listening to Benoit's music and has been heavily influenced by his style, this was a noticeable flaw to me.
Now, let’s break down the sound profile…
The Heyday's bass presentation is primarily focused on the mid-bass and presented almost neutrally, with some extension to the sub-bass that is not overpowering. It's evident that bass isn't the top priority for this IEM, but when a track demands it, the Heyday reproduces it with tightness and punch. This makes it a versatile choice for any genre, although rock music may not be its strong suit. Rock enthusiasts may want to consider other options unless they are neutral heads. On the other hand, if you are a bass enthusiast, you may not find the Heyday to be suitable. In such cases, the OG Zetian Wu might be a better option, although I personally found the bass boost on the OG Zetian Wu to be a drawback for my personal taste. Quality over quantity is the name of the game here.
When it comes to the midrange, the strength of this IEM lies predominantly in how it reproduces vocals. Female vocals, in particular, are favored over their male counterparts, but overall, vocals are rendered exceptionally well. To describe the experience, I would use the words "engaging" and "immersive."
The Heyday’s midrange also excels in reproducing the weight and density of instruments such as cellos, violins, flutes, pianos, and guitars, as well as any acoustic instruments. Additionally, the sound is characterized by a pleasant warmth. However, there are some tracks, particularly those featuring trumpets, that can sometimes sound borderline shouty.
The treble region of the Heyday inherits the genes of the midrange. Warm and pleasing to the ear without any hint of veil or dullness. The overtones from drums, cymbals, and hi-hats are clearly audible, but not excessively bright. The extension to ultra-high frequencies has a noticeable roll off resulting in a safe and non-fatiguing sound signature. For those who enjoy a more energetic treble, the Heyday might still deliver satisfying energy at the top. What impresses me most is how refined the tuning is, striking a balance between being safe and not being boring or uninteresting.
Heyday produces an even more pleasing sound when used in conjunction with a balanced output, which suggests that they are receptive to an increase in power. The entire sound profile has a feeling of more weight, and the sound stage is felt more. Therefore, there is no reason to hold back from utilizing those modular connections.
Driving the Heyday is relatively easy even with my not-so-powerful dap the Hiby RS2 and I reached my desired listening level at around 65-70 out of 100, depending on the track. However, compared to my other IEMs, I’ve noticed I have to add around 3-5 notches for two gears to match the same output. Pairing Heyday with my Centrance Dacport HD that sports 4vrms of power and switching to high gain gave me the most blissful listening experience.
It should be noted that Heyday is reasonably responsive to its sources. Having said that, neutral sources present the technical prowess of Heyday, whereas sources with a more organic sound depict a more balanced sound profile.
COMFORT AND FIT:
It may come as a surprise that Heyday's medium-sized casings are pleasant to wear, but they don't simply vanish into the ears the way that some lighter IEMs do. Although the build quality remains lightweight, the cable has a timge heft to it and can occasionally cause minor discomfort due to a subtle pull. A good fit is reasonably simple to achieve, with insertion falling somewhere in the middle. Getting a good seal is easy, and you won't have to mess with the fit too much.
SOURCES USED:
Ovidius B1 dongle
Hiby RS2 DAP
Questyle QP2R
LG V30 quad dac with Centrance Dacport via Hiby music app
Oppo A94 with Centrance Dacport via Hiby music app
Oppo A94 with Ifi Hipdac v2 via Hiby music app
Macbook pro 2011 with Centrance Dacport via Foobar
Macbook pro 2011 with Ifi Hipdac v2 via Foobar
Tidal Masters
Qobuz Studio
Apple Music
COMPARISONS:
vs Letshuoer S12
I adored the S12 and thought it was one of the finest planar IEM releases. Despite the fact that I no longer have the S12, please consider this comparison with a grain of salt as I will be drawing it from memory as best I can.
The S12 and Heyday both have a natural sound profile. To summarize, the S12 has more low-frequency quantity, and while I'm not a fan of elevated lows, the S12 impressed me with how clean the presentation is in this domain. The S12 does, however, have a tendency for hotness in the upper midrange, which the Heyday does not have. The S12 is also lacking in note definition and has a bit less attack.
Nonetheless, choosing between the two comes down to personal preference, with the S12 offering more realistic transients and the Heyday emphasizing agility and precision.
vs Bqeyz Winter
Now, let's compare the Heyday to the Winter, my top-ranked IEM. Despite the fact that we are comparing apples and oranges and that Winter is equipped with a different driver setup (a DD with bone conduction), please hearken.
When it comes to natural timbre and tonality, the Winter is still the clear winner. Period. However, Heyday has some tricks up their sleeves, specifically in terms of precision, note definition, attack, and overall technicality. Although the Heyday are excellent natural-sounding planar IEMs, they fall short on timbre in some instruments, most notably drum snares. The Heyday's transient response is insanely fast and occasionally emits some unrealism, particularly with percussions. Conversely, the Heyday depicting engagement nails the vocal presentation. It's worth noting that the lows on Bqeyz Winter are more pronounced, whereas Heyday has a more neutral sound profile.
As far as tonality is concerned, the Bqeyz Winter remains at the top of my ranking. The Heyday is close behind in the second position. I prefer the Winter for its musical involvement and the Heyday for its technical prowess.
TEST TRACKS:
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:
Heyday impressed me so much that I agreed to purchase my own unit. They are extremely beneficial to my needs as a musician, breaking down chordal and vocal harmonies and capturing the subtleties that I impart to my band. And, while there are minuscule flaws in timbre and tonality, as well as unrealistic transient responses, none of them are deal breakers. The overall sound profile, which is close to neutral and aimed at more mature listeners, is right up my alley.
I would highly suggest these to those who have a lot of vocal tracks on their playlist, especially female vocals; those who appreciate details and nuances; and those who dissect songs like a musician or a vocalist. The separation of instruments is something to brag about.
The planar wars have ceased as the Heyday is worthy to inherit the throne. Bend the knee and hail to the Queen of planars!
Comments
Post a Comment