Sonic Compass · Mojo Review · IEM (universal) · Session Review
Tangzu Li Zhi
A flagship single 10mm diamond-diaphragm dynamic driver IEM with deep, tight, well separated bass, natural and emotional mids, and a transparent, non-sibilant treble that stays fatigue-free.
A heavy, beautifully made single diamond-diaphragm dynamic driver IEM with deep, fast, separated bass, natural emotional mids and a transparent treble that I found fatigue-free. The stage is decent, not huge.
- Single 10mm diamond-diaphragm dynamic driver
- Deep, tight, separated bass
- Natural, emotional mids
- Transparent, non-sibilant treble
- Premium unboxing, cable and shell
Where it sits
Sonic Compass does not score gear out of ten. Gear and listeners are plotted on the same seven axes, so a review tells you where a product sits — and you can see how far that is from where you sit. A position is a description, not a grade.
- Tone ColourWarm · 62%
- Texture DetailVery detailed · 90%
- Dynamics JumpVery punchy · 85%
- Space & ImagingSpacious · 72%
- Timing & FlowVery rhythmic · 80%
- Comfort & FatigueVery easy-going · 80%
- Emotional EngagementVery immersive · 88%
Defined warm authority in the bass, natural mids and a transparent treble. Placed a little warm of centre (high = warm on this scale).
Bass is tight, tactile and texturally dense; exceptional micro detail up top, trailing edges of plucks and the breath of a vocalist; very separated.
Fast decay, sharp and snappy transients, deep powerful bass that slams without bleed.
Wide, deep, natural dome-shaped stage with excellent separation inside it, but round rather than huge and drops off earlier than he expected on One.
Bass decay so fast it leaves no bloat; nothing bleeds between layers even with many guitars playing together; cohesive despite the separation.
Treble never sibilant and described as entirely fatigue-free over long sessions. No remark on fit beyond that it fits his ears well, so placed on that evidence only.
Vocals that can give goosebumps, a sense of being serenaded, and a realism that makes him smile and feel he is with the band.
Sonic Compass does not grade gear. We plot gear and listeners on the same seven axes, so a review tells you where a product sits and you can see how far that is from where you sit.
The Tangzu Li Zhi is the maker's flagship IEM, built around a single 10mm dynamic driver with a diamond crystal diaphragm. The pair was sent by Tangzu for review. I listened from a Nipo N2 DAC, using the 4.4mm balanced cable that came with it.
Before this I had reviewed a US$60 pair of IEMs and liked them a lot, so part of the question is what the extra money buys.
Listening journey
Bass — Tight, tactile and dense. Sub-bass goes right down with ease, but the decay is fast and there is no bloat into the lower mids. On a cover of a Soundgarden song the sub-bass went medieval deep while the piano and backing vocals carried on untouched, as if the layers had been pulled apart, and I had it loud without any hint of distortion or muddiness. On Tunnel Vision by Restricted and Nick Sits the beat slams and I feel like I am sitting under a 50-inch subwoofer at a rave. It is one of the best bass responses I have heard on an IEM, though I would still not call them bass cannons.
Midrange — The crown jewel. Male and female vocals are powerful, natural and highly emotional, with a sense of being serenaded, not sung at. Acoustic and vocal-led music has a realism that can give goosebumps. On You Can't Kill My Rock and Roll by Hardcore Superstar the singer sits out front with a gritty wail, but not in my face, with the band supporting him. Piano is clean and percussive but rich, and notes are crisp at the start and linger properly.
Treble — Transparent and resolving without crossing into sibilance. I can hear the trailing edges of guitar plucks and the breath of a vocalist, and it stays fatigue-free over long sessions. On the very treble-heavy Sad Girls by Bebe Rexha and David Guetta her voice never sounds plastic. It is detailed but not overdone.
Staging — Decent. It is wide, deep and a natural, cohesive, dome shape, but not class-leading. On Metallica's One the choppers circle wide and go behind my neck and out to the right, but they drop off a little earlier than I expected. The stage is round rather than huge. What it does very well is separate sounds within it, and that is where the lifelike realism comes from. On Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven and Hot Dog everything is separated inside and outside my head, and I feel like I am with the band.
| Track | Position | Note |
|---|---|---|
| One | 70% | Choppers circle wide and behind the neck, but drop off a little early |
| Stairway to Heaven | 85% | Realistic, everything separated inside and outside the head |
Critical observations
Where the Li Zhi sits — A clean, dense, fast single dynamic driver sound. Bass has warm authority, mids are natural and emotional, treble is transparent. Strongest axes are Texture and Detail, Dynamics and Emotional Engagement. Space is decent rather than a headline.
Build and fit — The box is a miniature wooden briefcase holding a leather carrying case and 18 pairs of tips (the maker lists Tang Sancai tips, Sonic tips and Divinus Prism tips). The faceplate is zinc alloy with an embossed golden dragon, and the inner cavity is multi-layer electroformed stainless steel. It is heavy and dense, feels like artisanal craft, and fits my ears well. The shell is loud and flamboyant. The supplied cable is a heavy-duty hand-woven rope, supple with no memory, and one of the nicest I have used with IEMs.
The driver — The maker describes it as a genuine evaporated diamond crystal diaphragm, claiming 40% more rigidity than traditional DLC coatings. I took that as the maker's claim and have not tested it. It is the same acoustic setup as their Wu Kong Tribrid, here running solo.
Against the ARTPICAL Lunar Ring (a little cheaper, reviewed earlier) — The Lunar Ring also have a wonderful sense of resolution, and their bass is powerful and separated from the mid-bass and mids. The Li Zhi bass is a tad fuller and more prominent. If I had not compared the two I would have called the mids and treble on both excellent, but side by side the Lunar Ring has vocals that are a little forward for me and not quite as refined. I prefer the Li Zhi. Unboxing is lovely on both, but not quite as grand on the Lunar Ring.
Against the US$60 pair — If US$60 is your budget, the pair I reviewed earlier is perfect for you. If your budget stretches to US$600, I do not think you will regret these. The sense of realism is not something I have found in the mass market at any price. Whether they are ten times better is for you to decide. I think they are much better, and I have heard better in the three to five thousand dollar tiers, so it depends on your budget and tastes.
Read this against your own profile — I like a coherent, realistic single dynamic driver with real bass impact and natural vocals, and I do not need the largest stage. If that is you, this fits. If you want a huge, out-of-head stage, or a multi-driver presentation, check that first.
Honest limits — The pair was supplied by the maker, and the maker asked for it back. By ear only, with no measurements, from one DAC. The Lunar Ring comparison is from memory of an earlier review and is not level-matched. Tangzu's own figures are used for specs.
- OneMetallica
- Stairway to HeavenLed Zeppelin
- Hot DogLed Zeppelin
- Sad GirlsBebe Rexha and David Guetta
- You Can't Kill My Rock and RollHardcore Superstar
- Driver Configuration
- Single 10mm dynamic driver with a diamond diaphragm (Tangzu)
- Driver Details
- Diamond crystal evaporated diaphragm, claimed 40% more rigid than traditional DLC coatings (Tangzu); sensitivity 107.5dB at 1kHz; impedance 18 ohms; frequency range 20Hz to 20kHz
- Weight
- Not stated on the maker page
- Build Materials
- Vacuum-plated matte zinc alloy faceplate with embossed golden dragon; multi-layer electroformed stainless steel cavity (Tangzu)
- Cable Connectors
- Detachable 0.78mm 2-pin. Cable 1.2m: Furukawa silver-copper alloy with silver-copper alloy strands and tensile yarn, hand-woven with Zephone (Tangzu). My pair was terminated in a 4.4mm balanced plug
- Isolation Leakage
- Not stated
- Power Requirements
- Not applicable
- Accessories
- Cable, leather carrying case, and a range of tips including Tang Sancai, Sonic and Divinus Prism (Tangzu)
- Build Quality Notes
- Heavy and dense, feels like artisanal craft. Price: US$579 (Tangzu list price). Photos: Tangzu.
A heavy, beautifully made single diamond-diaphragm dynamic driver IEM with deep, fast, separated bass, natural emotional mids and a transparent treble that I found fatigue-free. The stage is decent, not huge.
<p><strong>Buy it if</strong>… you want a coherent single dynamic driver with bass that is deep, tight and well separated; you value natural, emotional vocals and acoustic realism; and you want a premium unboxing and a cable and shell that feel like craft.</p><p><strong>Skip it if</strong>… your budget is closer to US$60 and the step up is not worth it to you; you want the biggest possible out-of-head stage; or you prefer a multi-driver presentation.</p>