𝑩𝑳𝑶𝑵 𝑿 𝑯𝑩𝑩 𝒁300: 𝑨𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑶𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒚 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝑺𝒖𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔?
|| 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 ||
BLON, the infamous company that made the BL03 years back, which is highly regarded by many to be a great set and even some claiming it to be TOTL, is now back with a new released together with Bad Guy Good Audio Reviews(HawaiiBadBoy) for a new iteration of their Z series with the all new Z300.
The Z-series of BLON hasn't been receiving positive press as of late with their previous release. Many were disappointed and that includes HBB, which in a weird twist of fate is the one in collaboration with BLON with the product we’re taking a look at today.
Sporting a 10mm silicone diaphragm at an attractive price tag of under $50, let’s see if BLON will make a comeback after being absent from the limelight for so long.
|| 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 ||
I don’t fancy confusing lingo, therefore, the reviews will simple without too much confusing terminologies
This set is sent in exchange for an honest review. There is no material or financial incentive for me to do this review and I guarantee no exchange has been done by both parties to influence or sway our opinions on this product.
My thoughts and opinions are of my own. My experience will entirely differ from everybody else. The contents of this review should not be considered factual as this hobby heavily leans on subjectivity. YMMV.
** 𝐇𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 Linsoul Audio 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰. 𝐃𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨-𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠.**
| 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 |
You can’t expect much for $50, hence the packing on this one is similar to those budget offerings with the same box and layout, only differing in the illustration and branding.
The box is compact and in white with a neat illustration of a dragon, a couple of branding, and the signature tagline BLON had been synonymous with(Oppoty, LetMusicBurn, Dreams)
It’s nice to see for them to embrace this funny mistake even though there are multiple people pointing it out,
| 𝗨𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 |
The unboxing experience is really straight-forward. You’ll be immediately greeted with the IEMs themselves and some text. The IEMs are encased in foam for protection and underneath is the assortment of accessories.
BLON provides a nice looking and great feeling 4-core cable with a chin cinch (albeit kind of tight), 2 sets of normal-bore ear tips(S,M,L) and their signature sack-like pouch for you to store your IEMs in. Great to see BLON changing the cable included from in their offerings as previous releases have cables that were an issue for some people. I also like that they still provide the pouch for this price and at this small of a package.
𝗜𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻:
Paperwork
IEM drivers
4-core High purity copper cable
2 Sets of normal-bore ear tips(S,M,L)
Sack Pouch
| 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 & 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 |
The Z300 is made out of a zinc alloy shell that feels really nice and with a nice amount of heft too. This is what I liked with my previously owned BLON IEMs, a good amount of heft that feels great. The overall shape is of a universal fit without pronounced curves and the faceplate has this rose gold dragon design that is very similar to the box art.
The nozzle seems to be at a proper length this time as this was an issue with some of their models which is nice to see. Speaking of the nozzle, right beside is the only vent on the IEMs, once of each driver.
As for the connection type, one can say that it’s quasi-QDC because of the protrusion, but a weird thing with BLON is that they have this non-standard connection type that looks like QDC, but it actually isn’t. I’ve seen some weird reports of people having to sand down the corners just to make QDC cables fit. 2-pin still works, but that configuration looks fragile as the protrusion and the 2-pin can create a potential weak area. The nearest connection in the market is the NX7 typically used by TFZ products. However, even that doesn’t go the full length of the port.
| 𝗜𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 |
Because of the relatively slim and low-profile form factor the Z300 has, isolation is below average in blocking out outside noise. It does get better with if you try get a deeper insertion depth
| 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 |
I find these comfortable because of the form factor and the great finish it has. I never felt uncomfortable for long periods of time using these and even though it only has one vent, pressure is managed greatly and doesn’t suffer an incredibly bad occlusion effect.
There’s no wing/protrusion on the shape of the IEM hence a much safer fit. Some people may find the weight to be annoying, especially those who are used to plastic or resin-based IEMs.
** 𝑻𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑴𝒐𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒐𝒑 𝑺𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒊𝒑𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒁𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑼1 **
|| 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 ||
At first listen, This reminded me of my beloved BLON BL03. Sound is really meaty with the bass being upfront and center during playback. As much as I appreciate other tunings, my taste for sound definitely changed a lot since first acquiring the BL03 back in 2019. The Z300 however struck me similar to what I experienced at that time and then some.
This type of sound performance may not be for everyone though. Some people may find this a bit too warm for their tastes whilst some will adore this set very much
| 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 |
These are quite efficient in general, however I do sometimes find myself pushing to volume more to make the vocals audible.
| 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝘀 |
The forte of the Z300. As we all know, HBB is a person who tends to like warm sets that have a bass performance that works greatly with his library and this set along with all of the Collab IEMs he’s done also fits the category.
Mid-bass has an amazing body and fast attack and the sub-bass despite being less prominent than the aforementioned Mid-bass, rumble is still present as per my experience. You can clearly hear and feel the note weight on this set purely because of its execution of the low-end.
| 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝘀 |
The mids on these are somewhat reserved despite the sheer amount of low-end present. Instruments though, feel bodied but I do, however, find myself bumping the volume a tad to hear vocals on certain songs.
Male vocals are more forward than their female counterparts with a hint of mild sibilance on both sides and the absence of the ethereal feeling of female vocals in certain occasions. I would also like to say that there was no instance of it being metallic sounding during testing.
| 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘀 |
The treble here is quite decent, it doesn’t sound as sparkly as other sets that could be either a pro or con depending on your stance and tolerance treble. I still hear the harshness of peaks around the 8khz area on this but it is very tolerable. This issue is non-existent during low volume listening. Details are average, allowing to pick them up during playback with no issue and air is also decent but could be better.
This is definitely not the highlight of the Z300, but considering the target market for this kind of tuning and its tuner’s preference, I wouldn't consider this such a deal breaker.
| 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 |
Because of how especially warm it is, you may have a hard time pinpointing audio sources clearly especially in the presence of an instrument or something that generates the tons of low-end, therefore hindering your experience during those types of passages during songs. Layering is decent and the staging is quite intimate than average.
For other uses other than music playback for example, professional audio work or even gaming, the warm signature may deter consumers that are looking for a more analytical set for more involved listening.
|| 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 ||
The BLON x HBB Z300 may not fit my current preferences at the moment, I do believe that it has its place in the market, especially for those looking for a bassy set. This set is clearly made to appease a certain category of people, and to that I do think it delivers quite well.
There are still some areas of improvement though like the seemingly present treble roll-off, the quiet intimate staging and the non-standard connection type.
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