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TANCHJIM One IEM Review

Rate this IEM:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 5 2.7%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 52 28.3%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 124 67.4%

  • Total voters
    184
hello all,

sorry, silly confirmation pls ...
I'm trying to get the Tanchjim One, usb c connection AND mic ...

On Amazon or Aliexpress, there are always 3 models listed as (ordered in increasing price):
- no mic
- mic
- DSP

is it fair to assume the last one, "DSP", has the DSP (in the usb c part) AND a mic ?

I've got the mic version (not sure why..) , that is with the 3.5mm connection :-(
I'll send it back and get the DSP version - if you tell me that it'll have both things :)

many thanks !
Chris
 
is it fair to assume the last one, "DSP", has the DSP (in the usb c part) AND a mic ?
The One DSP has the same mic:
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When I listened to these headphones, they sounded very flat, and their high frequencies grated the ear, unlike my favorite 7hz x crinacle zero 2. The “flatness” of the sound was very evident when playing Counter Strike 2. I just couldn’t understand who and where it shoots from. And the shots themselves did not sound like shots, but sharp injections. In this case, my source is good enough for the headphones to sound adequately. Topping dx5 + topping a70pro.
 
After owning them for more than a month here's my recommendation: change the tips and put SpinFit W1, in my case the MS version. I've tried some eartips and by far this is the best one making them great without eq, the sound is exactly the same as the experiences I've got with the best IEM's I've tried, concretly 2 IEM's. With stock ear tips and other ear tips I've tried it's good, they sound good, but the bass when it drops it sound strange and with W1 that problem is fixed, at least for me. :) Note: in my case I'm using jack 3.5 version.
 
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I noticed with the DSP version you can compare old and new Crinacle mids via stock presets. On the previous page three people stated a preference for "Balanced", me included, so maybe Crinacle needs to go back to the drawing board hehe.
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How do these (non DSP version) compare to the 7Hz x Crinacle: Zero2?

I really like my Zero2 with some slight PEQ tweaking on the Qudelix 5K.
But for office use the cable around the ear is bothersome with glasses...

Edit: Just read above that nickylucker found them to be inferior to the Zero2. Probably an insulation issue?
Any one else having both?
 
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How do these (non DSP version) compare to the 7Hz x Crinacle: Zero2?

I really like my Zero2 with some slight PEQ tweaking on the Qudelix 5K.
But for office use the cable around the ear is bothersome with glasses...

Edit: Just read above that nickylucker found them to be inferior to the Zero2. Probably an insulation issue?
Any one else having both?
I have both as well as One-DSP. But you mention the Qudelix 5K… Both are easily EQ-able, so what differences would you expect?
Fit is another (completely different) story: I like the cable-down option from One.
 
I noticed with the DSP version you can compare old and new Crinacle mids via stock presets. On the previous page three people stated a preference for "Balanced", me included, so maybe Crinacle needs to go back to the drawing board hehe.
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There is barely any difference in the tuning except for the sub bass boost in the balanced tuning. Crinacle's ief doesn't even have a subbass shelf as indicated in the graph. People just leave the <150hz of the default tuning. Even if you autoeq it to the Harman ie 2019 curve like what Amir does, you'll get a boosted subbass to balance out the treble around 3k-5k which the preference curves like soundguys, crinacle, hp and others say is bright in the long term which I agree. It's nice to see so many cheap iems sound good by default.
 
I have both as well as One-DSP. But you mention the Qudelix 5K… Both are easily EQ-able, so what differences would you expect?
Fit is another (completely different) story: I like the cable-down option from One.
I might be wrong, or maybe don't have enough experience with EQ, but I feel some of the initial sound tuning remains, also with applied EQ.
 
I might be wrong, or maybe don't have enough experience with EQ, but I feel some of the initial sound tuning remains, also with applied EQ.
Freq. response is like 90% (making that up) of the perceived difference between two IEMs. Zero2 and One have low enough distortion to easily EQ-ing them to whatever you like. Then your left with… what? Possible narrow-band resonances? IMD? Nothing I could unequivocally distinguish from the normal subjective, “perceived” difference (I don’t know how to do a valid ABX comparison between two iEMs).

That being said, fit on IEMs is a huge deal IMO, and there are very significant differences! Tanchjim One works great for me… but Zero2 is fine as well (again, for me!)
 
Received my Tanchjim Ones (standard 3.5mm no mic) yesterday and have to say they are amazing. I was a little unsure as to how well they would stay in as my Crinacle Zeros are a little tricky to keep in for long periods, I feel, but using the fitted tips they are a perfect fit and are much more comfortable than the Zeros.
I'm using them mainly with my phone (Oppo Find X5 Pro) with a Fiio JA11 dongle and for a combined cost of £35 they are phenomenal!!
 
Freq. response is like 90% (making that up) of the perceived difference between two IEMs. Zero2 and One have low enough distortion to easily EQ-ing them to whatever you like. Then your left with… what? Possible narrow-band resonances? IMD? Nothing I could unequivocally distinguish from the normal subjective, “perceived” difference (I don’t know how to do a valid ABX comparison between two iEMs).

That being said, fit on IEMs is a huge deal IMO, and there are very significant differences! Tanchjim One works great for me… but Zero2 is fine as well (again, for me!)
In theory likeable IEMs converge around a similar FR, and some do. At the same time numerous IEM that are broadly liked appear to have a non-average curve graphed. Additionally, two IEMs can measure alike, but not sound alike. That suggest that while FR is likely everything, it's harder to correlate graphed FR with individual and statistical preference. In the end he likes his Tachnjim One and I think it's a pretty good IEM too.
 
Reading a couple of posts regarding replacing the cables, I was wondering why people are doing so?
I like the supplied cable as it doesn't seem to tangle as easily as some, but it does seem to have a slight 'microphone' effect when it moves around.
Has anyone else found this or am I just being too fussy?
 
Reading a couple of posts regarding replacing the cables, I was wondering why people are doing so?
I like the supplied cable as it doesn't seem to tangle as easily as some, but it does seem to have a slight 'microphone' effect when it moves around.
Has anyone else found this or am I just being too fussy?
The supplied cable is fine for me. But the cable, for an IEM, can be a fit/comfort item, so there are reasons to replace it (+ the aesthetics). For the One, it’s probably less important if you wear it cable down than over-the-ear.

You said you use the Tanchjim One with a FiiO JA11. Why didn’t you buy the DSP variant of the Tanchjim One?
 
The supplied cable is fine for me. But the cable, for an IEM, can be a fit/comfort item, so there are reasons to replace it (+ the aesthetics). For the One, it’s probably less important if you wear it cable down than over-the-ear.

You said you use the Tanchjim One with a FiiO JA11. Why didn’t you buy the DSP variant of the Tanchjim One?
I opted for the standard 3.5mm version as I will also use them with my desktop amp(s) and will probably buy a more powerful dongle in the near future (Tanchjim Space, Moondrop Dawn Pro or Qudelix 5k) which can hopefully drive my Sennheiser 560s as well.
The JA11 was basically just to replace my previous cheapo dongle, the fact it has EQ is a bit of a bonus.
I'm not really fussed about the aesthetics of the cable, I just find it a little more noisy than my other headphone cables, but it is not a big deal, by any means.
 
I’ve got a pair on the way. The last couple of weeks have been extremely humid here in Denmark which has lead me to use iems. Headphones simply melt my cabeza.
I’ve been on the hunt for some more normal designed iems where I don’t have to place the cables around my ears. These indeed look like the ticket.
 
I’ve got a pair on the way. The last couple of weeks have been extremely humid here in Denmark which has lead me to use iems. Headphones simply melt my cabeza.
I’ve been on the hunt for some more normal designed iems where I don’t have to place the cables around my ears. These indeed look like the ticket.
Top tip. If you slice the earhook tubing off the Chu2 cable you can wear them upside down bud style if your ears are the right shape. Use a tip wider than you use for normal wear.

Far prefer that to the One
 
The DSP version is a much better buy than the 3.5mm version

First I tested it with PEQ set to all 0dB so hopefully that should be giving the same graph as the 3.5mm version. It just sounds weird compared to any of the manufacturer EQ.

Next I tried the the manufacturer EQs just to hear how the Harman target sounds like. Then after confirming I hate the Harman targets, I gave it the good ol' "put your speakers on the table sound" treatment. No shelf filter? With a low-enough Q value any peak filter can become a shelf filter.
 
The DSP version is a much better buy than the 3.5mm version

First I tested it with PEQ set to all 0dB so hopefully that should be giving the same graph as the 3.5mm version. It just sounds weird compared to any of the manufacturer EQ.

Next I tried the the manufacturer EQs just to hear how the Harman target sounds like. Then after confirming I hate the Harman targets, I gave it the good ol' "put your speakers on the table sound" treatment. No shelf filter? With a low-enough Q value any peak filter can become a shelf filter.
Do you find the power output sufficient with the DSP version? I suppose that would be my only concern.
 
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