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Sound General
The Tanchjim Origin offers a sound signature that is both familiar and reliable, providing a cohesive listening experience with a notable emphasis on the mid-range frequencies. Its slightly warm tuning, coupled with a mid-centric and somewhat darker sound profile, sets the stage for an engaging audio experience. The Origin boasts a well-rounded presentation, characterized by good-quality bass and soft treble, ensuring a pleasant and easy-to-like sound that resonates with listeners.
Notably, the Origin excels in its tonality and timbre reproduction, delivering accurate and natural instrument rendering that enhances the overall musicality of the sound. With its clean presentation, commendable dynamism, and lively pace, the Origin captivates with its musical and engaging performance, making it a versatile companion for various genres and listening preferences.
Sound Classics
The bass response of the Tanchjim Origin strikes a balance between tightness and control, offering a well-rounded performance that leans towards the mid-bass region. While the impact of the bass is perceptible, the extension into the lower frequencies is not particularly remarkable, resulting in a lack of significant depth. The focus remains on the instrument timbre, with a mid-bass orientation that highlights the richness of the sound.
What sets the bass apart is its relatively fast and controlled nature, contributing to a cohesive and balanced audio experience. Despite its punchiness, the bass maintains discipline and precision, ensuring that it does not encroach upon the mids or overshadow other frequency ranges. However, it seems that this control comes at the expense of maximizing the bass potential, as it feels somewhat restrained within predefined boundaries to prevent any bloating or excessive prominence.
Nevertheless, this restrained bass performance creates ample room for the mid-range to shine, offering listeners a spacious and airy presentation. While the texture of the bass may not stand out due to the aforementioned limitations, the commendable control and tightness of the bass deserve recognition. This controlled bass response ensures that the mid-range remains clear and unobstructed, allowing for a nuanced and detailed listening experience. Overall, while the bass may not excel in texture, its disciplined nature contributes to a well-balanced sound signature that emphasizes clarity and precision in the mid-range frequencies.
The standout feature of the Origin lies in its exceptional mid-range reproduction. For enthusiasts seeking a mid-centric sound with impressive resolution and focus, this IEM stands as a compelling option. The upper midrange segment demonstrates good control, injecting just the right amount of energy to maintain excitement without veering into excess. However, it’s worth noting that the upper midrange can exhibit a hint of shoutiness, particularly evident when navigating complex recordings. In such instances, the upper midrange may become somewhat congested and lose a degree of control, detracting slightly from an otherwise good performance.
In the treble range, the Tanchjim Origin delivers a presentation characterized by softness and control, mirroring its approach in the bass section. The frequency response is notably rolled off, resulting in limited extension similar to what is observed in the bass, further solidifying the IEM’s mid-focused nature as mentioned earlier.
Despite the restricted extension, the Origin offers a relaxed and spacious treble presentation that feels natural and coherent. However, enthusiasts with a penchant for heightened treble may find the roll-off to be excessive for their preferences. Nevertheless, the Origin excels in maintaining a smooth and controlled treble response without any harshness or discomfort—a feat that eludes many IEMs in this price range. This ability to strike a delicate balance between control and comfort ensures an enjoyable listening experience across a wide range of genres.
While the treble reproduction of the Tanchjim Origin boasts a commendable level of energy, detail, and clarity, it maintains a smooth and non-fatiguing character throughout the frequency range. Even in the highest octave, the treble maintains its composure, devoid of any harshness or sibilance. The presentation is characterized by excellent definition, with fundamental harmonics presented with precision and accuracy.
However, it’s worth noting that the treble extension is somewhat limited, marked by an evident roll-off that may not appeal to enthusiasts seeking a bright, open, and extended presentation. This restrained treble performance may not cater to individuals who prioritize an airy and sparkling treble response or those commonly referred to as “trebleheads.” Nonetheless, for listeners who value a balanced and controlled treble presentation that prioritizes smoothness and coherence, the Tanchjim Origin remains a compelling option.
Technical Performance & Pairing
I found the Tanchjim Origin to exhibit consistency and dynamism across the entire frequency spectrum, with a particular highlight on its coherence, a trait that single dynamic driver IEMs often excel at. The imaging capability of the Origin is noteworthy, offering precise imaging and accurate instrument positioning that enhances the overall listening experience. Moreover, its staging performance is commendable for its price point, boasting ample air between instruments thanks to its spacious presentation.
However, it’s important to note that the limited bass depth and treble extension may lead to a sound signature that feels overly focused on the mid-range, potentially compromising the overall staging. Despite this limitation, the Origin manages to maintain a sense of spaciousness, coupled with good clarity and instrument separation, contributing to an enjoyable listening experience overall.
The Tanchjim Origin is built upon a solid technical foundation that fuels its lively and engaging performance. With its quick attack and decay, along with sharp and distinct transients, the Origin exhibits impressive agility and a rhythmic quality that enhances the listening experience. However, it falls short in managing congestion, particularly during complex passages involving multiple instruments. While the layering is well-executed, it doesn’t quite reach perfection.
In terms of driving and pairing, the Origin is relatively easy to power and achieve optimal performance. Nonetheless, as mentioned earlier, the absence of a 4.4mm cable or adapter limits its compatibility with modern sources featuring balanced outputs.
Page 1: Tanchjim Audio, The Origin, Packaging, Design & Fit
Page 3: Ear Tips, Comparisons, Conclusion
Rinjani
How is origin compared to softears volume?