When the Emperor Speaks, We Must Listen
EQUIPMENT
Topping a50s Headphone Amplifier
Xduoo MT-602 Hybrid Tube Headphone Amplifier (Sylvania 5654 Tubes)
SMSL Sanskrit 10th MK2 DAC
TempoTec E44 , Apogee Groove & EIDA 9038S Dongles
iFi Hip-Dac
Eartips: Final Audio E (2020 Version), Stock Wide Bore
Cable: Stock Cable & NiceHck Silver LitzPS 4.4mm Balanced
Sources: Flac Files From my Personal Collection / Apple Music
SPECS
10mm Dynamic Driver with DLC Diaphragm
Aluminum Shell
Impedance: 32Ω.
Sensitivity: 103.5dB.
Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-20kHz.
Standard 2-pin 0.78mm connectors
THD+N: 0.2%.
Price At Time Of Review: $119USD
NOTES
This review will be longer than usual with added pics of some of the music used to evaluate this fantastic iem. The TForce Yuan Li is, at least spec wise, an unassuming product. It sports a single Dynamic Driver fashioned out of of the very common DLC diaphragm material. The Yuan Li offers a balanced tuning with a splattering of warmth. It does not show any excess throughout the frequency spectrum. I left the Yuan Li to burn in for 48h and listened to it for may more hours than that before writing this review. The details though is what matters and in this regard Tforce has a hit on their hands and rightfully so. From it's premium packaging and unboxing experience to the very impressive sonic performance, the Yuan Li is a definite force. The Yuan Li scales incredibly well with more powerful sources and thrives on more capable sources and high power. Using it with a cellphone or lower powered DAP/Dongle will rob you of the experience of what this earphone is really capable of. Feed it and it will roar.
BUILD, QUALITY & FIT
Build quality is excellent. I could stop this section right there. Everything about this products says quality. There is really not much more to say. For it's asking price of $119USD the package, presentation and included accessories shows the great thought that went into a product that they obviously believe in. Kudos the TForce as well since they retuned the release version vs the pre-release based on the comments and suggestions of the community. Fit is good even though the iems themselves do have some weight to them and are the larger side of medium in size. They do sit in the ear very well and are comfortable for long listening sessions, which will naturally happen as the sound is so engaging to begin with. The included cable has a smooth texture and does not get tangled easily. The included eartips look and feel like 3rd party aftermarket items on their own. Well done from A to Z.
:SOUND:
BASS:
Bass goes deep and has reasonable rumble when called for. There is a richness to it that is quite pleasing. If one word could be used to describe the bass it would be "Balanced". Not too loose & not overly tight, speed is adequate but not slow, texture is good and detail is very satisfying, but not microscopic. Listen very closely to how the Yuan Li produces bass and it becomes apparent that it achieves a level of organic presence and quality that may not be immediately obvious. Bass here really serves and a great foundation to everything else the Yuan Li does as you move up the frequency range. It is also neither overpowered nor laid back, once again being proportionate to the rest of the sonic range. Mid-bass is very clean with good punch, but once again balanced and controlled in a very organic way. "Circumstance" by Wayman Tisdale showed the Yuan Li's ability to render bass lines in a well controlled and rich manner while still allowing the listener to hear the different textures and detail elements. "Protection" by Massive attack highlighted ability of the Yuan Li to present the bass as an engaging driving element of a track without overpowering the wonderful vocals or other aspects of the production. In essence the Yuan Li offers bass that beautifully compliments the rest of the frequency range without getting in the way while stepping up when called for. Very well done.
MIDS
Organic, full, natural, clean, detailed with great separation. The mid-range on the Yuan Li is neutral with a touch of warmth. There is great transparency with marvelous layer separation and air. There is a moderate elevation as we move towards the upper mids but it is absolutely moderate compared to many competitors and lends itself to a more natural and organic sound. This in no small part, explains why extended listening sessions are very easy to enjoy on the TForce Yuan Li. Transients are crisp with believable attack and decay. Sibilance and harshness thankfully is non existent. Vocals, both Male & Female , sound natural and unstrained. Cleo Sol's "When I'm In Your Arms" came across as incredibly natural and very engaging. The Yuan Li is also surprisingly forgiving of less than stellar recordings. This is surprising in that for an IEM so capable of laying bare sonic nuances, these poorer recording don't suffer as much as I would have believed. There are competitors who can offer more micro details, but they usually fall short of the mature, organic presentation of the TForce Yual Li. With respect to timber, the Yuan li also shines again offering a natural sounding sonic experience. Again, very very well done.
Treble
Airy, controlled, natural. The treble on the Yuan Li just sounds right. It is reasonably extended with a roll-off at the extreme frequencies. Treble also has a believable shimmer to it without undue exaggeration which can lead to fatigue. A smooth natural presentation which lends it self to long hours of listening. In terms of absolute detail retrieval, the Yuan Li is quite good but may be bested by some. Again, as in the mids, the mature presentation is something that most other fail to achieve and imho makes for a more engaging listening experience. This coming from myself, a treble snob and lover.
IMAGING & SOUNDSTAGE
The TForce Yuan Li projects an immersive soundstage with pinpoint imaging. This is helped in no small way to the excellent layering. Again the operative word here is "Natural". No one aspect is overdone or unduly emphasized as in too many competing products. The image is solid with stable placement and believable dimensions. There is also palpable space between the instruments and singers.
VERSUS
- HZsound Heart-Mirror
The Heart-Mirror is the darling of so many, including myself, but is outclassed in most metrics by the TForce Yual Li. Bass is a solid win for the Yual Li even though the bass from the Heart-Mirror may be faster, it falls behind on richness, power and natural sound. Midrange is also a clear win by the Yuan li. The Heart-Mirror is more recessed and thinner in weight. The Yuan Li has a richness and power to the midrange that combined with its organic nature just bests the Heart-Mirror. In terms of absolute detail retrieval the Heart-Mirror may have a slight edge, but not enough to make up for the other qualities that the Yuan Li brings to the table. The Heart-Mirror in the treble is brighter with arguably more detail but again falls short on the mature tuning of the Yuan Li. Treble transients also sound more natural on the Yuan Li with much better decay. Overall the Heart-Mirror is an excellent earphone, in particular considering its price, but the Yuan Li is just more "Musical".
- KBear BElieve
The KBear Blieve is an incredible earphone with which the Yuan Li competes quite well. both sound best when properly driven by lots of clean power but the BElieve was more picky when it came to tip/cable rolling. That being said the bass on either set is deep, expressive and full. Having to choose I would say the Yuan Li comes out on top with a richer slightly more controlled bass. With respect to the midrange, each is extremely satisfying. Excellent layering and separation is something they have in common. The Yuan Li is just a touch more open in particular in the upper mids but just slightly. Both have great detail retrieval yes still posses that analogue, organic sound that is so pleasing for long immersive sessions. Treble is where the Yuan Li bests the BElieve. Both offer a smooth experience with the BElieve on the odd occasion sounding a little metallic or constrained as compared to the Yuan Li. This is not an Apples To Oranges difference, but it was there nonetheless. Both earphones are keepers in my opinion. They are more similar than different and each can assure the user of extended hours of musical enjoyment.
CONCLUSION
If it isn't obvious already, I believe the TForce Yuan Li to be a wonderful achievement. An auspicious first product from a new company that actually listens to its user base. From the premium unboxing experience, very high quality contents and beautiful sonics the Yuan Li gets my strongest recommendation. On a number of occasions while putting together this review, I stopped being critical and just listened to the music for the sake of enjoyment. At times I had to force myself to pull the TForce Yuan Li out of my ears. This in of itself is super high praise from me. The TForce Yuan Li offers a balanced, mature and organic tuning that really lends itself to every genre of music. It is a Tour De Force and has placed TForce Audio on the map. Go get one!
Simply amazing :D