Tanchjim x Effect Audio Force's Review - Indeed a Force to be reckoned

 

General/Packaging/Build/Comfort

Tanchjim is a brand that needs no introduction to the community. They have released several products that remain popular till today, namely the Oxygen as well as the highly regarded budget IEM Zero, Origin included as well as the recent release which is the Fission. I have the Force with me today, a collaboration between Tanchjim and Effect Audio.

Packaging is very premium looking, which is mostly similar across Tanchjim’s flagship,  and the bundled eartips are Tanchjim’s very own APB eartips, one is the wide bore and another one with narrow bore, the storage case is also very high quality and roomy, the cable is a modular cable with swappable plug of 4.4, 3.5, as well as Type C DSP plug that is customisable via Tanchjim’s app. I believe Tanchjim is listening to the customers because previously even the Origin is bundled only with 3.5mm terminated cable, now, even the Fission comes with modular cable, which is very good in my opinion.

Build quality is very solid, and it is the open backed faceplate, so when you are listening to it, it might not

The shell size is neither small or big and very comfortable when i’m wearing it, doesn’t feel weigh down by it, no protruding edges either, also don’t have any issues listening them for several hours

Gears used for this review

• ddHifi TC44 Pro E3

• ddHifi TC44 Grip

• Aune S9c Pro Dac Amp

• xDuoo Link 10

• Tanchjim x EA Force stock cable and APB bass eartips

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 

The overall tuning is leaning towards neutral with a slight warm and a slight lift on the sub bass. Treble has good amount of energy but not fatiguing and harsh at any time

Nothing to fault in terms of timbre, very natural sounding overall which is expected from Tanchjim. 

Bass

• Compared to Origin, the Force definitely has more thump and warmth on the lows, certainly a very refreshing change, i am enjoying it

• Good note weight in the bass range

• Bass is tight and quick

• Sub bass has good rumble and not overly done

• Mid bass is punchy and it doesn’t bleed into the mids

Mids

• Timbre sounds correct to me and the midrange is actually quite lush

• Vocal doesn’t sound recessed, both male and female vocal has good texture to it, and it doesn’t sound thin at all

• Upper mids has steady gain and it is definitely not forward, for those who are sensitive to upper mids, you’re in good hands

• Very good clarity in the mid range

Treble

• The treble has good amount of energy with great detail retrieval capability, but not to the point where it is harsh and sibilant

• Detail retrieval is very good for its class, very detailed yet it doesn’t sound clinical and overly analytical

• Good amount of air that contributes the expansive soundstage, i believe partly due to the open backed nature

• Extension in this range is very good as well

Soundstage/Imaging

• The soundstage is wide, tall and has good depth, in terms of HRTF, it does have the out of your head kind of perception

• Imaging is good whereby the instruments can be pinpointed easily but not exceptional, good for the asking price i would say

Driveability

• Force is not hard to drive, but it does benefit from more power for better control in terms of bass as well soundstage

• Pairing it with warm source such as Aune’s S9c Pro gives the Force a very laid back listening experience, warmish but at the same time not losing the details

• Feel free to experiment with different sources to have the kind of synergy that you are looking for, personally i prefer it to be paired with iFi’s source as it add a bit more warmth and body to the overall presentation

Comparison (Kiwi Ears Septet Quad Brid)

• I know this is not a fair comparison in terms of driver setup, but i am comparing the Force and Septet because of the price point

• The overall tonality of Septet is slightly cooler due to a more pronounced and energetic treble presentation

• In terms of power, i do find that the Septet does requires more volume step in order to reach my usual listening volume, compared to Force which only requires say 25/60, compared to Septet at 31/60, but Septet can definitely take in more power compared to Force

• In terms of technicalities, Septet is better compared to Force, that is to be expected due to the multi driver configuration

• In terms of musicality, Force is definitely more musical compared to Septet, but then again, this is all down to personal preference

Notable Feature (Type C Plug)

• The Type C plug that came with the cable does have DSP built in, and it can be customised with Tanchjim’s app, there are multiple profiles/preset available that you can choose or you can manually define the parameters according to your preferences

• Using the Type C plug with Force, i noticed that it is quite battery friendly, in the sense where it does not drain that much battery from my Pixel 9 Pro XL

• Sound wise, i would say it is actually as good as entry level/budget dongle where it kind of have good synergy with the Force and also adequate power for casual listening on the go

Cable Rolling (Effect Audio SS II Cadmus Lite)

• With the EA SS II Cadmus Lite, the extension on both the lows and highs seems to improve more

• Sub bass doesn’t roll off that fast as well as the highs

• A bit more crips on the highs

• Soundstage wise, not much changes

• The vocal on the other hand, is slightly being pushed back, compared to stock cable which is a little more forward

Final Thoughts

I liked the Origin, but Force to me is something else because of its tuning, slightly warmer than Origin, a more expansive soundstage and slightly smoother highs which pulls you into the music, not saying that the Origin is bad, it is a very capable IEM, a very solid dynamic driver. Tanchjim is definitely having a remarkable year, consistently delivering high-quality products. I eagerly anticipate their upcoming releases, as for the Force, highly recommended without any doubt!

*The Force is sent over by Tanchjim for the purpose of this review. I thank them for the support and opportunity as always

Tanchjim x Effect Audio Force’s Dealer Store Link - Non Affiliated