Tanchjim Zero Ultima's Review - Great budget banger!

 

General/Packaging/Build/Comfort

Tanchjim is back with another budget banger this time with Zero Ultima, a single dynamic driver. There are two variants of Zero Ultima, one is the standard 3.5mm and another one is with the Type C’s cable with DSP. Packaging is well within expectation given the asking price, the bundled accessories are quite generous for the asking price in my opinion, build quality is good and in terms of comfort, the nozzle is more or less similar with the OG Zero, hence a little too short for me and i resort to using Spinfit’s Neo for better seal and fit.

Gears used for this review

• Fiio JM21

• iPod Classic 4

• Dunu DTC 480

• Aune S9c Pro Reference Dac Amp

• Tanchjim Zero Ultima with Spinfit Neo Eartips

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Foreword

My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impression

Zero Ultima is quite a fun sounding set compared to OG Zero.There are some who find that the Zero is too flat but there are also certain audiences who like the neutrality that Zero offers. I would say the Ultima’s sound profile is slightly U shaped with good note weight and natural timbre

Bass

• Bass quality is good on the Zero Ultima and has adequate quantity for me

• The sub bass does rumble when it’s called for but nowhere near basshead territory

• Mid bass has good slam and punch to it and it is really really very commendable for its price point

• Good texture and speed as it is evident on tracks like Slipknot’s People = Shit, it’s keeping up and doesn’t sound muddy at all, it doesn’t even bleed into the mids

• This is for 3.5mm version, i do not have the Type C’s version, but i am sure that Tanchjim has taken that into consideration and the Type C’s version is able to extract everybit of performance out of the Zero Ultima with a certain degree of customisation

Mids

• The mids has good note weight to me when listening to Imperial March by Wiener Philharmoniker, John Williams

• Vocal positioning is slightly recessed but not to the point where it sounded very far away from you

• Both male and female vocal has pleasant texture and weight to the vocals, they’re not thin sounding

• Upper mids are safe and no where near shouty

Treble

• Treble has got enough energy and never harsh nor sibilant, not overly smooth and certainly not peaky

• Extension is alright for the asking price

• Nothing much to comment here as the implementation is generally good

• Something’s got to give right? Well, detail retrieval is average i would say, not really a con but rather nitpicking 

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is slightly out of your head, good depth and height for the asking price.

• Imaging is good with the ability to pinpoint instruments easilyw

Driveability

• Zero Ultima is not hard to drive but of course when you feed it with a better source, it does perform better in terms of bass control and dynamics

Comparison (7Hz Zero 2)

• More bass quantity and slightly more focused on mid bass, Zero Ultima has slightly better sub bass response

• Slightly better treble response, in terms of quantity and extension, whereas Zero Ultima’s treble is more on the smoother side of the spectrum

• Timbre quality and note weight are more or less on par for both

• Soundstage sizing is more or less similar on both

• Overall, the Zero 2 and Zero Ultima are quite close in terms of sonic performance, edging out each other slightly from the bass, treble, mids as well as technicalities, it all boils down to fit and comfort which i think most will also be looking at, Zero 2 and Zero Ultima both have short nozzle which might not fit well for some

Final Thoughts

Not gonna say much but if someone asks me if they should get Tanchjim’s Zero Ultima as their first starter IEM or even a daily driver? I’m more than happy to tell them yes, even seasoned audiophiles will like this I'm sure. I for one like them, I take em out and just put them on with my DAP and listen to music without caring much for technicalities or seeking to hear every single detail in that particular track. It is just something that I wear and I listen to music and completely indulge myself into it. An easy rec for Tanchjim Zero Ultima in terms of sound and high price performance ratio.

*Zero Ultima is sent to me from Tanchjim in exchange for this review. I am in no way under any influence nor do I receive any monetary compensation for this review. All thoughts are of my own