BLON Z200 : Can It Compete?

We are going to review another earphone from BLON. This is the third BLON I am able to use. BLON has released a few IEMs up to now, and some have been quite controversial in the Chi-Fi community. Each release had some major setbacks, quality issues, inconsistencies, and many more. 

Each release is also a surprise after another when it comes to design. BLON doesn't follow conventional IEM design like some Chi-Fi companies do. What we have here is the Z200. How will it fare with me? Let's see.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with BLON in any way. Keephifi has provided this unit. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review. As always, this will be an honest and unbiased review.

Pros: 

• Good bass response
• Crisp highs
• Affordable price
• Comfortable to wear but has its downsides (see cons)

Cons:

• Recessed mids
• Bad fit due to shorter nozzles
• Non-removable cable
• Eartips are bad, as usual

The BLON Z200 is BLON's latest release in the sub-$20 range. It is one of the cheapest offerings from BLON; it is a 1DD IEM with a non-removable cable.

/ packaging /

The package is straightforward and simple. It has the usual packaging with everything spelled correctly (going to miss that Oppoty and Driams) and this time they offered a minimal number of eartips compared to the usual package: 

• BLON Z200
• 3 pairs of silicone eartips
• Pouch
• User manual

/ sound /

Sound is obviously V-shaped, and within this price range, I am not surprised. 

Tested Tracks:

• Wilderness - Explosion In The Sky
• Helplessly Hoping - Crosby, Stills & Nash
• Paper Trails - Darkside
• You've Got To Have Freedom - Pharoah Sanders
• Pepas - Farruko
• Pepas (Benny Benassi Remix)
• Pepas (David Guetta Remix)
• Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
• Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
• In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins
• Heroes - David Bowie
• Chandelier - Sia
• The Days - Avicii
• Drinks - Cyn
• asphyxia - Co Shu Nie

BASS : Bass is present, powerful, and emphasized. Sub-bass rumbling can be felt as deep and satisfying. Mid-bass is somehow decent with those thumps and kicks. However, mid-bass bleeds into the mids, which makes the lower midrange occassionally undesirable. It's not the best, but I personally like the bass on this pair. This unit's bass may appeal to bassheads.

MIDS : These pairs have recessed mids. Male vocals might benefit from this tuning as it makes male voices thicker and warmer. A male with a high-pitched voice sounds harsh and uncomfortable at times. Female voices are kind of shouty and harsh, which I do not like. Vocals become a mess when tracks get busy, and they have the tendency to be less engaging to the listener. 

Instruments fall short due to the receding midrange and extended bass. Too bad, but I do not like the tuning of the mids.

TREBLE : Elevated and bright. The sparkles and crispiness are present. It sounds unnatural and harsh, but if you can tolerate a bit of treble extension on this particular unit, then be my guest. There is little to no sibilance present, which is somehow a redeeming quality of this unit's treble section.

SOUNDSTAGE AND IMAGING : The Z200 falls short when it comes to technicalities. Try to blast some busy tracks on the Z200 and you'll hear how chaotic the resolution of this pair. Soundstage is average and might experience congestion at times. Imaging has good vocal and instrument placement, which is surprising for such a low-cost IEM.

COMPARISONS:

BLON BL03 - sound signature is similar. Both are V-shaped except BLON BL-03 has a detachable cable. Both unit has deep bass response with both bleeding on the midrange. Midrange are both recessed but somehow the Z200 is less muddy compared to BL-03s resolution. Z200s treble response is a bit hotter than BL-03 but the difference is miniscule.

BLON BL07 - it's unfair to compare Z200 to BL07 but since they both came from the same company it won't hurt to at least compare the two. BL07's bass is elevated as well but with a more tamed dynamic and minimal to no bleeding on the mids.  Vocals are lush and forward than Z200. The highs has better amount of air distributing a fair amount of space for instruments and vocals.

CCA CRA - the closest competitor of the Z200 but better. First, detachable cables, you are freed of any worries in any case your cables wear out. Bass is lesser on the CRA but has more clarity on the midrange and treble region. A bit sparkly and harsh than Z200 but with more resolution all throughout.

Final E1000 - both are budget friendly, both don't have detachable cables, Final E1000 is the oldest comparison to Z200 but their difference to sound is huge. Final E1000 is more neutral, tamed, and has better resolution compared to Z200. The only downside of E1000 compared to Z200 is durability. Final E1000 is made of plastic and the cable is pretty standard and thin. Sound-wise, the Final E1000 wins.

FINAL RATING

With the tough competition in the sub-$20 segment in the Chi-Fi market, BLON Z200 will face a tough battle against its competitors, and I am going to bet this pair will fall to the same demise as the BL01 , BLON-MAX, and the macaroni-looking BLON that did not gain traction and attention and were completely forgotten despite their cheap price tag. I praised the BL07 and marked it as the best BLON I tried. This is not the case with the Z200 for a variety of reasons. The design is outdated and doesn't offer interchangeable cables. Once these cables fall apart, say goodbye to your Z200. Unless you know how to modify it on your own. I wouldn't recommend spending this much on this IEM. Aside from its design, there are other options to consider sound-wise. It just did not stand out to me when it came to sound quality and felt like another sub-standard V-shaped IEM. I was hoping BLON would do good this time, but it seems like they are still experiencing difficulties when it comes to CONSISTENCY.