ขายหูฟัง TFZ Series 1S หูฟัง IEM รุ่นล่าสุด บอดี้ metailic สายฉนวนใสแบบใหม่ ประกัน1ปี

Currently China is a bit of an IEM frenzy. Be it an OEM brand wanting a piece of the pie for themselves, college kids who reckon they know a thing or two about sonic design or simply new start ups, attempting to shine in an overpopulated arena. Marketed on plethoras of stores in Chinese marketplaces such as Aliexpress and brought worldwide by eBay and awesome stores such as Penon Audio,  who supplied me with this sample, it really is a tough task working out whats amazing, whats ok… and of course, whats just utter shit. TFZ or The Fragrant Zither were the brand that Penon put forward to me when I asked about their range of exotic new IEMs. If that was what they wanted me to review from such a diverse magnitude then hopefully I will hit the goods. Of course I could just be optimistic and this was the only model they had spare to palm off to me and keep me quiet…. Like many new companies from China they have not set up shop with just one model and TFZ have a Series 1, 3, 5 & 7. Don’t ask, I have no idea what happened to 2/4/6 and it’s not like they are code for something, the 1,3 & 5 just have a single dynamic driver. Series 1 is the cheapest of the three models and comes at the reasonable cost of $39 or for us Brits, around £30.

What’s Your Colour?

Throughout the Series 1 I find a lot of cues that make me feel like this a much more expensive product but then I will find something else that grounds it a little.  Regardless it is clear that TFZ are trying to do something impressive at the thirty quid price tag.

Right from the get go we have an example of the class TFZ are bringing. The box they come in is huge and the presentation along with accessories is really quite impressive. Tips range from foam, to dual flanged and of course the usual collection of different sized silicone and on top of that you also get some ear guides for comfort when wearing. The neatly executed wallet that contains information such as the manual and warranty card is a cute touch as well. The only disappointment through all accessories is the carry pouch which is one of the areas that really does show its price. The little velvet baggie doesn’t offer any protection like a clamshell would.

The theme continues right into the design of the earphone in the simplest of forms. From a distance it looks mighty impressive. The form factor is not a far cry from what Unique Melody have in models such as their Maestro which costs over a grand. You then have the additional design options of which there are 10 to choose from. The decision you have will be not only of faceplate but also a range of shell colours and some alternatives even have a faux carbon fibre or wood front panel. I went relatively simple with “Code – 004” that is a basic clear shell with a red and blue translucent faceplate. I do mean it when I say in a distance or within pictures it looks stellar, I mean the wood option looks like something Heir would churn out in pictures.

So whats the reality? Well, its a combination of things. The form factor is of course good but before that a few design options are a bit so-so. Take the stock pictures which show the TFZ logo on the faceplate for example… these peel off on unboxing (there are a range of stickers to attach if you want)! Then you have what is a classic IEM design, one channel red, one channel blue. In all instances ever, red is for right, blue left. Well, according to TFZ it’s the other round. Not a big issue but still silly in my opinion.

Assembly and build quality is more transparent as well, showing that once again this does have the traits of £30 IEM after all; not those of the Maestro. Faceplates are attached cheaply and there is just something about the acrylic used that feels a bit tacky on closer inspection. I do like looking into see the 12.5mm dynamic driver in all its glory. Apparently used is a dual loop, dual chamber driver?

Disappointingly not removable, the cable seems solid enough, a bit stiff in areas but terminated in a lovely jack, an obvious departure to anything run of the mill.

Obviously a big positive to IEMs with this sort of design is ergonomics and comfort. That is not to say all manufacturers get it right but TFZ seem to have ended up on the right side. This looks like a CIEM in my ear and don’t feel far off in terms of comfort either. BA based earphones also tend to be the better option if you desire isolation as they traditionally don’t need venting like dynamic drivers but the Series 1 will block out most ambient noise, no issue.

Bass….

Oh yes these are a bassy model. As soon as you leave the midrange and move into the sub 500Hz frequencies this just brings you more. The hump in the bass does take over the sound a little when it kicks in but with bass light music I am actually very impressed with the control offered at the price range, something that can be a problem with bassier models. I think that is mainly stemmed from a boosted bass that is surprisingly not sluggish is nature, no it is not armature fast but it gets to the next note without to much hold up and that does a good job of it not washing over the rest of the music.

The biggest problem I find is a recessed lower midrange, taking a hit from both the mid bass and upper mids, which make it come across behind the music and very pitchy and whiney. There is also a slight incoherence between a thinner midrange and treble and the more powerful, thicker nature of the bass, but it doesn’t make the sound bad at all, just is something to note. The problems I find are rather minor for the price range and I get through them quite quickly.

Back to the bass which is the highlight of the show, offering a more obvious mid-bass than anything else but still not slacking in the real depths, reaching there but not with the rumble or visceral presentation that imitates a sub woofer.

The midrange through its problems in male vocals and some recession, actually gains momentum into the upper mids which continues through into the lower treble. This provides clarity and some excitement. While it doesn’t ever behave sibilantly I do something find it a touch on the piercing side. The treble doesn’t hold strongly for long either, rolling off fairly modestly. For that reason it doesn’t insult in any way beyond say 5kHz.The timbre through this area is a little tinny though, not lush and natural even through out its airiness and sense of clarity, and is a little thin on top. There is no layering and texture with this earphone.

For someone who is not a basshead or an individual who likes listening to bassier sounds I think they got the level of boosting spot on. It will satisfy but doesn’t turn the earphone into a mess of sludgy, wallowing tones. Instead it hits in the bass, offers clarity in the mids and is a bit politer in the upper treble, making for an earphone as whole that isn’t to shabby.

A Great Fit for the Price!

If you are on a budget and like a bit of bass then I don’t know how you are going wrong with this earphone. While a completely different sound signature it completely slays the Dynamic Motion DM100E I recently received at a similar price point and the fit, isolation and packaging are all great. While on close inspection it may not impress, from within your ear you could leave people thinking you have some much more exotic in your ears, especially with the insane options at this price. TFZ have done enough with this model to get me very excited for their others, especially the new Series 7 just announced which looks like one of THE single coolest IEMs of all time!

Providing Measurements

Rarely do a company provide measurements but TFZ have frequency response graphs on their website. What they use to make them I have no idea, nor can I read the Chinese on the site but I can understand the graph at least. I screen grabbed it for you guys to have a look.

Of course I used my Vibro Veritas to make some measurements.

While they do show similar curves, especially to 2kHz, after that the Veritas as noted before shows less information of a similar trend. This shows a bass boost of just under 10dB as well as a boost towards 2kHz and again before 5kHz.