Heyo! Fresh off the stove, here’s my impressions on the latest collaboration between Hawaii Bad Boy/BGGAR and Tangzu Audio, the Xuan NV. This is a $70 2DD set that is stunning and I’m very eager to talk about it, so let’s get to it!
In Tangzu fashion, the packaging of the Xuan NV is absolutely stunning. It ain’t your traditional waifu, instead a very beautiful illustration that could genuinely be hung or displayed in a museum. I can’t fathom the effort the artists make on the packaging of Tangzu products, but I’m so glad they do.
But the beauty doesn’t stop there, you open the box and you see that you’re given a total of 6 pairs of Tangzu Sancai tips! To be more specific, 3 pairs of Sancai Balanced and 3 pairs of Sancai Wide. I know many of you love the Sancai (including me) and that’s truly a treat to have! You also get your usual Tangzu black cable on 3.5mm and a leather button case.
Man, the Xuan NV is a beautiful, full stop. The red compliments the gold and black motifs so well, and it’s not your cheap resin instead feels quite premium to the touch. It’s no premium metal construction, but it’s longer lasting thanks to that. Fit is also pretty good, although you may want to tip roll as it’s quite tip-sensitive both in fit and in sound.
But let’s finally talk about sound. The Xuan NV is probably the peak of the HBB sound signature on a budget. This has the perfect balance of clean but warm low end, soothing vocal presentation, and a very inoffensive treble. If you listen to anything with male vocals, want deep and rich-sounding low-frequency instruments or are sensitive, this set is absolutely fantastic! However, due to its warmer nature, don’t expect this to be a detail or tech king. Transients are softer than what I usually expect for the price, the bass isn’t the most tactile and separation isn’t the cleanest. But you see, that’s not what the Xuan NV is trying to do. This is a smooth, relaxed listening that I’ve spent hours since getting in my ears just because of how good this is for long listening sessions. And honestly, most genres I throw at it sound good due to the superb timbre and tonal balance that makes everything I listen to sound soothing and smooth.
Such a smooth yet refined sound is hard to find in the budget realm with only 1 or 2 other sets I know that have gotten that down. And knowing HBB, he made sure it was exactly this kind of sound that the Xuan NV provided. It’s a very interesting blend of warmth and neutrality that I don’t usually find in budget sets, usually compromising low midrange timbre by coloring it too much. But the Xuan NV doesn’t sound bloated nor does it sound overly warm. In a way, it’s the ideal HBB IEM in a nutshell!
FULL REVIEW COMING SOON!
Thank you for reading my impressions on the Tangzu x HBB Xuan NV. If you would like to order one, consider using the non-affiliated link below: https://www.linsoul.com/products/tangzu-xuannv
