Reviewed by Redcarmoose
:
Great note-weight and musicality
A somehow balanced style of romantic thickness
A cable that reintroduces what is possible at this price point
Built like a tank
Fun and relaxing
Instant authority
Makes your thinner files sound musical
A very special feel in hand when connected to cable, never felt anything exactly like it
Choice of gold (18K) or dark blue
:
Missing some technicalities regardless of price point
Could be too bass heavy for some
PRaT is adversely effected by bass quantity
One of the heaver if not the heaviest IEM (in my experience) so far this year at 12 grams a piece
BLON X HBB Z300
For just a penny under $40.00 we have a both pleasant build and even/correct tone. Seemingly joining forces with past luminary BLON, and on-going phenomena HBB to collaborate in making something fun. This is suppose to be a review, so you expecting some critical talk, and we will get there. Except there are very few ideas and build consequences to take offense with. As with many HBB collaborations we have the HBB signature, that while slightly varying from product to product still showcases his ideas of (correct) sound. And in fact the Z300 does do rock-n-roll to the finest, it’s not a one trick pony either, showing itself to be wonderfully well rounded in other genres. Has BLON redeemed itself through this collaboration, well if your wondering if this is better than the Z200…….yes, but unfortunately I haven’t heard BLON’s claim to fame, the BL03.
We can still go back in time, to a time of innocence when Chinese production lines were a tiny-bit slower. When a then unheard of manufacture made a mark. Well more than a mark, it was truly a party. A party because many found the BL03 is satisfy their wanting for a new IEM, a lusting after improved sound. And the BLON BL03 was there for the taking……in early September of 2019 a new contender for the budget realm arrived. A 10mm carbon diaphragm dynamic driver affair for all of $39.99. In todays money $39.99 (from September 2019) is worth $47.25.
Build:
So what do we have today?
The Z300 is slightly heavy with these medium size (vibration absorbing) solid metal shells, coming in at 12 grams a piece. 12 grams a piece, that’s twice the weight of my normal medium weight IEMs.........yes, Jimmy you’re right. Yet, when you fully get them in place a unification takes hold, due to the cable ear-guides, the size and shape and the partial semi-custom build. I would report here (right here) if there was any cause for weight concern! Though you may encounter surprise when holding the Z300 in your hands for the first time, as they are heavy. Due to the form of everything the Z300 sit inside your ear, balanced and feel great!
You as the consumer have a choice of either black or gold. Supposedly 18K gold, ahh you have to love marketing script, you’re actually reading it now. The dragon design which embellishes the faceplate is a mirror image from right to left. Both dragons are identical except for a small magical symbol difference, almost not seen. Secret magic?
The cable:
The cable…….since the very start of this review (a few lines up) I wanted to blab about the cable include. Yep, that’s what this hobby is about……the feel goods. We are in fact paying for junk (well not really junk) in order to experience pleasure. And pleasure it is, as reported by others, this cable should not come with a IEM priced like this? The cable is nothing short of spectacular. A pure copper affair seemingly holding world-class ergonomics and tone? The cable in simply nice, asking to be commandeered into use (quite possibly) with every IEM you listen to?
1) Tripowin Piccolo IEM Black
2) SIMGOT EW100P Silver/gray
3) BLON X HBB Z300 Copper
Technical Details
MODEL BLON x HBB Z300
DRIVERS 10mm Silicone diaphragm
SENSITIVITY 115dB
IMPEDANCE 28ohm
CASE COLOR Gold (with 18K gold-plated case); Matte blue (with spray-painting case)
CABLE 3.5mm 4-core high purity copper cable (no microphone version)/3.5mm silver-plated cable (microphone version, with single button)
CONNECTOR 0.78mm 2-pin
CABLE LENGTH 1.2m±5%
The packaging:
While nothing outrageous, the cable is outrageous, in fact transferring the cable to other IEMs confirmed just how lucky I was to own this fabulous cable. As one example placing it momentarily on the Triptowin Piccolo IEM arrived at a noticeable increase in fidelity from the (before) included Triptowin Piccolo cable. The only issue is the Piccolo qdc 2 Pins are slightly too short for it to stay on in regular use........though keep in mind this cable is fine for use with pretty much every other IEM you own. It's just that nice, both in construction and choice of materials.
One set of ear-tips comes placed onto the IEMs.
The sound:
Offering a thick yet provocative lower midrange, a few years ago many of use found this was the key to doing Rock. Believe it or not ear-tips make a huge difference with how the midrange and upper midrange are perceived here. As using the Softears shown in the pictures, I was able to obtain a perfect air-tight fit, but things after a while sounded off. Meaning there can be very subtle differences between ear-tips that can throw you for a loop. First-off, I am in full-agreement that most reading this review have purchased another IEM before, and own the IEM ear-tips that came with that IEM to experiment with. While the included ear-tips are nice, and the Z300 fits great regardless of ear-tips, most of the time, still I encourage experimentation. As for me after a lunch break, and a tip-change-out to (regularly used) wide-bore silicone ear-tips, all was well. The slight tonal/timbrall issues somehow aligned into their subsequent correct nature? Ear-tips are the only thing between you and the IEM. They focus the tone, and can add soundstage perception (with width) also they can change bass perception, with narrow hole tips. The ear-tip can allow a better fit due to materials as well as shape. Each ear-tip is actually a different length which creates a subtly different distance from the driver to your ear-drum. Such distances actually change the sound-waves maturity and area of impact. So maybe I’m just too into my regular ear-tips? Whatever the reason, there is a message here. That at first if you have an issue with the tonal response into which way the midrange and upper-midrange is perceived, go ahead and take the freedom to experiment with different ear-tips. Much of the time this will not be about getting air-tight fit, though that can be a concern with using different ear-tips. Though the point of this rambling is to address the tonal perception and (for what ever reason) it seemed to be tip-sensitive, more sensitive than you would believe.
Sequencing:
The other factor is sequencing. This means trying a $39.99 IEM directly after trying a $1000.00 IEM will sometimes lead to trouble. As reviewers we are attempting to gain as much objectivity as possible, to arrive at the correct assessment of an IEMs build and sonic performance. And while the Z300 is slightly technically challenged, I was able to understand just what could be of value to the under $100.00 realm of this hobby. That’s the thing, a $39.99 IEM is never going to bring the realism of a $2000 IEM to your ears. But there can be a style of listenability to happen.............when there are no sonic mishaps to take offense with. Meaning there is a chance that the $39.99 actually offers a smoother and more accessible tonal response and is quite possibly more enjoyable than an off-toned $1000.00 IEM. This is why they say that frequency response is 80% of the game, because it is. You are more prone to enjoying (your) frequency response over technical attributes. This is exactly what HBB was trying to do when he invented the Z300.
The tuning thing:
While tone can come in many colors and flavors, I would like to state that the Z300 does many things correctly. This tone is readily accessible the moment you put the Z300 in your ears. As with many IEMs there will be a lop-sided attention to an aspect of the tuning. Meaning they get 50% of the equation right, but drop the ball on the other 50%. Here we are gifted with a 100% balanced signature. Where yes, it’s bass heavy but the forwardness of the mids and the spice in the treble provide balance. This was still present with my wrong ear-tip experience, it is just that even, correct and complete tone…….needs to be just that, even, correct and complete. We find this out by rotating in a variation of sources and musical genres. Yep, eventually the cream rises to the top, and this here, this Z300 offers some smooth response to those asking for a ride.
Bass:
While blended together to a point, our main issue is the pace found. While this 10mm is getting down and exploring the lower realms with adequacy, there is a PRaT issue that after a while you learn to ignore. This is a technical issue with the driver and is partially due what we are asking the driver to do, at the threshold of its abilities. Other IEMs like the SIMGOT EW100P offer a faster more technically clean bass, though where you lose is the EW100P is missing that emotional displacement from the warm tone arrived at with the Z300. Also the issue with such bass personalities as the SIMGOT EW100P, is we are not given the foundation to battle any forwardness obtained by the upper midrange. Such unbalanced sound is very crucial in that as a whole the SIMGOT signature is balanced, only due to this lack of lower emphasis, comes off upper-mid forward and leaving such frequencies out in the open to hear and take offense to. Where the BLON X HBB Z300 may not have the most even upper frequencies, yet they are supported by the overall balance and whatever imperfections are there are slightly buried.
Meaning there is a guilty pleasure that HBB was going for a night-out-on-the-town, style of sinfulness. Such an IEM tonal choice exemplifies mood and musicality, offering note-weight and smoothness which by itself conquers many a subtle issue.
Mids:
In many ways this tune showcases exactly what HBB is I think? Meaning if you glanced at his target curve you would be remiss to guess this IEM in tuned any different. It’s just target curves aren’t everything, and often IEMs don’t sound exactly like they measure. Though I can’t help but think this is equal to Crinacle's 7Hz Salnotes Zero. Not at all the midrange of the Zero, please don’t get that impression. But the embodiment of a luminarie’s ideas put forth into a sound reality. And it is those technicalities that go along with the FR to bring about success. So with the above stated, Crinacle's $19.99 Zero is more my cup of tea. But that is just because I enjoy the (Zero) midrange more, and seem to gravitate to more subdued bass?
The problem with the above analogy is Crinacle's Zero IEM is almost all midrange, a neutral exploration into just what value priced midrange can be. So we are ordering two fully different styles of meat from the restaurant here. One is roasted chicken and the other prime-rib. Where I will get to it more later, but the Z300 has even more of a finite treble allocation, needed to balance out and show texture into the treble. So to put the two into perceptive, the midrange makes the Z300 more contrasty and in-a-way more vibrant. But what comes with that is a slight steeliness that the Crinacle's Zero bypasses. I mean the Zero’s treble is way more rolled-off and subdued. And for those looking to bask in contrasty affairs............ the sound Z300 provides. This in-fact makes the Zero and Z300 1,000,000 times complementary in nature. Yep they are opposites, total opposites, as only a L shape response, and subtle neutral could be. Z300 vocals gain just enough positioning outside into the stage holding both separation positionally and frequency wise.
Treble:
Probably the most surprising thing occurs in that there really is a form of detail up here. Regardless of any trashing I have done to the Z300 up to this point in time the treble is nice for a $39.00 IEM. Still this area also holds the most partial uneven tonally. Ahh I must get to it…….I must disclose the truth here. There is a slight (ever-so-slight) hollowness to the upper-midrange and lower treble. Though I will have to say, this is a creature-feature that you can almost get over, almost. Meaning the more you listen, the more you can start to forget about this issue. As complex as perception can be, this one feature can almost go away then return with certain styles of music. To discover it, go ahead and find real instruments and have real instruments played in a song you know, forward and backwards, there is a good chance it will show-up, but only slightly.
The 7Hz Salnotes Zero:
In many ways the 7Hz Salnotes Zero is the opposite of the Z300. This is perceived by the way the Salnotes Zero is all midrange and the Z300 an exploration of a L or V shaped response. While the Z300 offers slightly more clarity in the treble, you will note a very slight steeliness present which gets covered-up by the Zero in its note-weight and roll-off. Nether is wrong just different ways of tuning, and while missing is much of the Zero low-end, we have almost more than we need with the Z300. It is a question of what style of evening your after and what your goals are. Personally the 7Hz Salnotes Zero can't be beat and even though maybe missing some bass presence, it just goes to show how balance isn't always everything. That politeness and resolvability can come into play deciding for you what you want. Such timbral success is allowed to be heard for just what it is, without excessive bass in the way.
From left to right, the Triptowin Piccolo, the SIMGOT EW100P and BLON X HBB Z300.
Contemporary comparisons:
While maybe not being a phenomena release like the 7Hz Salnotes Zero was in August of 2022, obviously time will tell. But my money is still on the 7Hz Zero to out shine these contemporary offerings. With the subjectivity encased in this hobby, it may mean that you will pick a different flavor? And while coming-out at almost the same time, all are priced under $40.00.
35% OFF:
https://keephifi.com/discount/z300-blog?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Fwgzblon-shu-dual-dynamic-driver-in-ear-monitors-hifi-iem-earphones-%E5%89%AF%E6%9C%AC
With such differences, I would put the Tripowin Piccolo and the Z300 closer to the same and the odd man out the EW100P. The SIMGOT EW100P showcasing a lighter almost non-existant bottom end in comparison. While that affords a more midrange focus found, the Tripown Piccolo is probably my actual choice of the three? It’s simply more my tune….more to come in my Piccolo review to follow this one. The Piccolo offering a thinker note-weight than the EW100P, yet also adding midrange over the Z300. But remember I’m just a guy on the internet, and just like back-sides, everyone has one same as opinions.
Conclusion:
While arriving just when you had some pocket-change to unload, the BLON X HBB Z300 is built tough, the cable is a dream-come-true, and fit and finish aren’t too shabby either. Slightly on the dark-side, the treble still balances the sonic bass proportions all the while giving the midrange its due. Does it get my recommendation? Sure! And while not exactly bringing anything new to the table (except the cable add) the Z300 performs in such a way as to not cause trouble. If you asked a friend to try the BLON X HBB Z300, they would smile coming to realize the vibrant bass and treble this L or V shape signature provides. While not the most technical, it is smooth and the Z300 finds itself a rewarding listen.
Disclaimer:
I want to thank Kareena of Linsoul for the love and the BLON-X-HBB Z300 Universal IEM review sample.
Disclaimer:
These are one persons ideas and concepts, your results may vary.
Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 3.5mm and 4.4mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 3.5mm and 4.4mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
Shanling UA3 Dongle DAC/Amplifier 3.5mm and 4.4mm
Samsung Android Smartphone 3.5mm output
