Hey y’all, just caught a bullet. The Tanchjim Zero Ultima is the latest iteration of Tanch’s Zero line, and the Zero was already my go-to recommendation for a pair of budget reference-earphones. I always thought the OG Zeros were great for people that wanted a budget set to mix music with, given their way-above average resolution for under 20 bucks and neutral-bright tuning. Budget sets with crazy resolution has been Tanchjim’s thing for a while now between the original Zero and the Bunny. Those tasty little DMT-4 dynamic drivers pull a lot of weight.

But the OG Zeros weren’t exactly a “fun” time. I think of them as a low-cost workhorse, but the Ultima is here to show us the Zero line can do more than just whinny and neigh. Ultima has a fun and balanced presentation that never overstays its welcome or becomes “too much”. It’s tastefully accentuated bass and treble put to shame many of the “big v” sets it competes with in its price range. This is a budget boi for audiophiles, a brother to the Bunny, and a little taste of Tanchjim’s finest wares. A big thanks to Tanchjim for sending a review copy so I could share my thoughts on their new bullet. Spoiler alert: It’s a bang’r (sorry). Let’s check it out.

# Look and Feel

The Zero Ultima comes with fairly modest packaging that’s pretty reflective of its price point of $16.99. And while the packaging is modest, it still retains an understated elegance that’s emblematic of Tanchjim’s design philosophy. Minimalistic yet premium, at a low cost. Given the garish designs that usually populate this price point, the styling is a breath of fresh air for me. In the box we get 2 sets of silicone eartips (bass and treble), a faux-suade pouch, and the set itself with its cable attached to the earphones.

The earphones themselves employ this same minimalistic design with a simple housing with just a bit bigger than the dynamic driver itself, visible through the transparent shell. A mirrored flat metallic plate brands the back of the earphones in a very compact package. The cable is constructed in a similar vein to the shell, with clear plastic encasing a silvery metallic core. The cable itself keeps surprisingly little memory given its form factor and never became overly tangly. The parallel two-core design is usually a mark of budget earphones, but it’s very well done in this instance and less plasticky than its budget counterparts.

I have a few friends that simply hate the way the wire feels on the back of their ears while wearing IEMs. That’s why bullets exist. No-no, I’m not talking purge, it’s because the bullet-style earphone eliminates this issue completely while allowing you to maintain audio-superiority over those unfortunate enough to use flat-head earbuds. I can report that the stock eartips included with the set complement the bullet style perfectly with a sturdy, bulbous construction. I didn’t feel the need to tip-roll, so stock tips were used for testing. The nozzle measured at 6.5mm, but this is less of an issue with the bullet style due it it’s more shallow fit.

# Sound Impressions

The reason I’m reviewing the Zero Ultima today is actually because I love the Tanchjim Bunny. It’s become my favorite budget beater set and I heard that the Ultima was a Bunny in bullet form.

The Zero Ultima is a major departure from the original Zero, and a monumental leap towards Bunnyhood. The two sets have a substantially similar tuning along with the exact same dynamic driver, so any fan of a soft v-shaped sound now has a perfect bullet-styled option. The biggest departure is a slightly elevated upper midrange, but it’s a subtle difference I really don’t mind at all. Zero Ultima has a lot going for it from my perspective.

**Bass**

The star of Zero Ultima’s low end is its mid bass kick. It’s not here to steal the whole show (that belongs to the midrange), but it plays a vital role in the Ultima’s balanced presentation. I did say this was a bullet for audiophiles, and those guys tend to give pretty equal weight to every part of the sound spectrum. The mid bass gives us an impactful, but controlled kick to contrast against the soft rumble of the sub bass. Both the sub bass and mid bass are slightly elevated with a sub bass shelf just slightly elevated over the mid bass.

The deft tuning ensures that the sub bass never overwhelms or colors other frequencies. That’s a major drawback of most single dynamic driver budget sets, but the Zero Ultima handles it with aplomb. This is absolutely not a set for bassheads, look elsewhere if you’re seeking tons of low-end. But if you favor texture over tonnage, you’re going to enjoy the bass presentation.

**Mids**

Despite the gentle bass and treble accentuation, vocals take a front seat when listening to the Ultima. I’ve never heard such a well resolved and detailed midrange for less than 20 USD, at least not since the Bunny. The lower midrange is warm and open, and the slight mid bass boost leads us to rich, detailed male vocals that have more depth and presence than they have any right to at this price point, with this tuning. I did mention a slight mid range spike before in contrast with the bunny, but the spite this slight spike hasn’t led to any hollow or nasally male vocals. But the spike has had an effect. Stringed instruments have a slightly edgier sound and the female vocals certainly benefit.

The female vocals sound sweet and holographic. It’s insane how dynamic the female vocal range can feel at times, I can hear minute details and air escaping the singers mouth in a way I’m not used to for 17 bucks. I’m not trying to give you the impression that these bullets perform like $100+ sets, but you’ll be surprised at the midrange vocal performance if you have experience with lots of budget IEMs. Usually I have some sort of major drawback or trade off in the midrange for this price, but the midrange isn’t hollow, recessed , thin or shouty. I sorta can’t get over it, it may have the Bunny beat. I’m listening to “Show Me How” by Men I Trust right now and it’s like angels are whispering into both ears. Ok I gotta stop.

**Treble**

The treble on the Zero Ultima does much what the bass does, play its role extremely well. I measured both the Bunny and the Zero Ultima on my IEC711 clone and you can see both have a bit of a dip at 11 kHz before jumping back up and further extending the treble (graphs for the Zero Ultima, Bunny, and OG Zero in the album). The result is a controlled treble that never becomes overbearing or splashy. Cymbals and high hats ring clear and true. 

The set has no roll off and plenty of air, but zero sizzle. The treble is a bit more accentuated than on the Bunny. Both have good detail retrieval but sacrifice a bit of texture for comfort. Extremely well done budget treble.

**Techs**

I think at the heart of what impresses me about the Tanchjim budget sets is the sheer ability of their DMT-4 dynamic drivers. This tech uses two magnets instead of one to oscillate the diaphragm of the dynamic driver back and forth, allowing for more speed and precision in the drivers movements. To top it off, Tanchjim is using a titanium coated LCP diaphragm that helps provide the noteweight and tonality that other budget sets can’t match. It’s a far cry from the typical one magnet, LCP diaphragm setup most cheapies use.

Given its bullet style, the soundstage isn’t particularly wide, but I did find it fairly deep and dynamic. Imaging is good, but tends to be better in a traditional-style IEM. Passive noise isolation was better than expected, but once again pales in comparison to a larger set that would block your pinna from picking up sound.

# Final Thoughts

This is tied with the Bunny as my favorite budget set. When compared to the other neutral-ish budget sets it competes with like the Truthear Gate or the Tangzu Wan’er SG2, the Zero Ultima and Bunny have better treble extention and a tuning I vastly prefer. I used to use apple app2’s to wear to bed as they’re less intrusive than my high-end IEMs. But I realized I actually do need treble extension in my sleep, and these bullets have been coming to bed with me since. The DMT-4 driver is raising the bar for the budget segment and I’m not sure everyone’s gotten the memo yet.

The Zero Ultima is an easy recommendation for a budget bullet set with a safe-yet-fun tuning that will appeal to most people. Unless you’re a basshead, then you do you boo. This actually is the best balanced budget bullet boi around as far as I’m concerned, and it gives you a nice entrance-way into Tanchjim’s house sound.

Thanks for checking out the set with me, hope to catch you on the next one.

The Tanchjim Zero Ultima- The Best Balanced Budget Bullet Boi (an unboxing and review)