The Gold Standard

Here's the second in-depth review out of three for my previous Tanchjim brand history post. We'll be going over the Tanchjim Bunny with detailed measurements and my thoughts on where it belongs.

All measurements should be taken with a grain of salt and should not be viewed in absolute terms; any major consideration for each measurement will be commented on.

The Bunny retails at an MSRP of around $20-$25 (depending on mic and DSP options).

Accessories

The Tanchjim Bunny comes with minimal accessories: two sets of tips (one with narrow bore, one with wide bore and shorter), a Tanchjim branded pouch, and a simple single strand cable that becomes flat after the Y split to the jack. The provided tips are nice and since there are two types, it is possible to find the ideal fit and sound using only these. The cable is fine, nothing special but nothing horrible. It might have some weird memory in the beginning or be a bit hard to handle at times, but I ended up getting used to it.

The accessories are quite good for the price, especially the two sets of tips that allow for good fit optimization.

Build quality and Comfort

Just like the 4U, the shell just works. It's small and will fit most people, and the faceplate won't scratch at all like the 4U. The nozzle lip is around 6.3mm, 4.8mm at the base, and is extended enough to allow for both shallow and deep fit. The 2 pin socket is what I would call semi-recessed: most 2 pin cables, recessed or flat, will actually fit and look nice.

The comfort of the Bunny is excellent. The IEMs practically disappear in the ear, and the mediocre isolation makes it less tiresome to wear. There's no pressure or driver flex or weird sensation. It really is a great little IEM to wear.

Objective sound

The tuning is similar above 1 kHz to the 4U but adopts the tuning choice of the Tanchjim Origin by reducing the sub bass, in turn highlighting the mid bass. The ear gain is located at 2.7 kHz.

The channel matching and unit variation is quite good, with both channels on two units being quite close to one another. The only deviation is below 300 Hz, and the largest difference is around 1.2 dB at 20 Hz; the difference is subtle enough to be at best inaudible, and at worst ever so slightly noticeable.

The insertion depth variation can be seen, and should be taken with a large grain of salt. On my specific unit, there seems to be something that creates a very large treble peak with deeper insertion due to a driver resonance at around 9.9 kHz.

Distortion shows no notable problems or concerns.

Subjective sound quality

The sound of the Bunny is excellent and can be thought of as an introduction to the new Tanchjim house sound. I wouldn't call it a baby Origin, there are some notable differences that make it relatively different than other Origin-like produts.

The bass is mostly charaterized by mid bass punch and tone. The sub bass is dropped a lot and there is little rumble to speak of. Overall, the bass is not the reason to get the Bunny and it is just serviceable. Bass instruments and components can be heard but they will never attract attention. For bass heavy genres, it is sometimes underwhelming. The choice for such a bass profile was likely done to highlight warmth and tone, which are admittedly really good.

The mid range is where the Bunny shines. Combined with the bass and low mids warmth, the Bunny has a very pleasant timbre and vocal presentation. There is enough weight to both female and male vocals that is complimented perfectly with a decent amount of mid range presence, allowing for both tone and nuance to come through. Nothing stands out and nothing sounds wrong, they are just a very comfortable sounding IEM.

The treble is, just like the 4U, average and very similar to other 1DD. It is there but might be unrefined depending on the listener. As seen with the insertion depth measurements, the treble response will vary quite a lot and peaks and dips might appear at good or bad locations. I would say that in my case, the treble was good enough and had enough energy. While I did have some weird timbre issue with high frequency instruments, it wasn't a deal breaker, just something different.

Comparisons

Tripowin Ruta10

Both occupy the same price bracket and both are small and comfortable IEMs. The Ruta10 is made of metal and has a V-shape tuning while the Bunny is more relaxed. The Bunny also has, surprisingly, better quality bass that has more punch and physicality despite the sub bass drop and lack of rumble. Something about the Ruta10 bass feels limp, and the lack of warmth means that the bass overall doesn't have the benefits of the Bunny's.

The rest of the range is a toss up and will depend on preference. The Ruta10 is more forward which highlights overall details while the Bunny is more toned down and cozy to listen to. In both cases, the treble is similar, but the Ruta10 is less likely to have big issues with treble peaks.

Truthear Gate

Just like with the Ruta10, both the Bunny and Gate fit nicely, and both are made of plastic. The accessories on the Gate win simply due to the good cable quality.

The Bunny comes off as being much warmer and more organic than the Gate, which is brighter than the Ruta10. The bass quality on the Gate is good but the quantity isn't much, leading to that brightness. It feels snappy and tight but gets drowned out by the bright mid range. Vocals come off as a bit shouty and sharp at times. Details come forward more, but I still prefer the Bunny due to how pleasing and laid back it is.

Conclusion

As I said in my long Tanchjim history post, I think that the Bunny is a great example of how Tanchjim used the feedback from the Origin's sound and the 4U's shell to craft a perfect budget contender, accompanied by possible DSP/PEQ freedom. If you want the safest introduction to the hobby, this one is it.