~Zhulinniao Qing Luan Review~
Pros:
- Premium looking shell with sturdy material.
- Generous amount of accessories with signature bamboo tips.
- Tuning nozzles suits different preferences.
- Clean, transparent and smooth vocals.
- Natural and silky timbre.
- Energetic trebles without fatiguing.
- Vocal centric tuning.
- Good separation and layering of sound.
Cons:
- Small size that might not fit bigger ears.
- Bass shy.
- Tamed treble, making it less airy and snappy.
- Resolution takes a toll.
- Average soundstage.
Overall rating: 3/5
Aesthetic:
Build Quality: 3/5
Design: 4/5
Accessories: 3.5/5
Sound Rating:
Timbre: 3/5
Bass: 2.5/5
Midrange: 3/5
Treble: 3/5
Technicalities: 2.5/5
DISCLAIMER
- This is a review unit sent by Hidizs Official for the review tour in Malaysia. Regardless, all opinions remain original ideas, thus there is zero influence from any 3rd party or external opinions.
- No EQ or filter presets were used during the entire review period.
- Sound evaluations are kept neutral and does not include 3rd party accessories (ie; eartips, cable, reversible mods).
- Burn-in was done for 80 hours prior to review.
Introduction:
It is been some time that we have heard Zhulinniao has released any IEM after the debut of Zhulinniao Jing Hong in 2023. When the Qing Luan is released, it gets under the radar even in the native Chinese market. Therefore, I am here to introduce you their latest IEM available, the Zhulinniao Qing Luan.
Qing Luan is released around June in 2023. It is still their most expensive set ever released and it is sold for around 259 RMB ($36). I have to say, for the price you paid, you will have some seriously good accessories and IEM with decent build.
Unboxing and accessories:
The first glance on the box, I have no clue that this is priced at $36. The black coloured outer box is embossed with the rose gold colour branding, with the big Chinese calligraphy characters “青鸾” that enhances the Chinese aesthetic design intentions. Behind the box stated the specifications of the Qing Luan, which I will post it later on. Open up the outer box and the magnetic cover, the IEM and accessories are presented in an exquisite way.
What’s in the box?
- Zhulinniao signature bamboo tips (S, M, L)
- Balanced ear tips (S, M, L)
- Vocals ear tips (S, M, L)
- Leatherette carrying case with suede inner
- Silver tuning nozzle.
- 2 strands silver plated cable (3.5mm/4.4mm)
Not to forget to mention, the instruction and product background paperwork are presented with index tabs, which is a creative way to celebrate the minor stuffs that people will be overlooked.
Build quality & design:
The zinc alloy made Qing Luan is fascinating to look at, while providing a sturdier material for it to last long. The overall shell and half of the faceplate is frosted, to prevent fingerprint smudges and easier to grip. The Qing Luan has a aerodynamic shape, which matches the design concept of a flying bird. The juxtaposition between modern industry elements and ancient Chinese artistry is something always look interesting and fresh.
The shape of the Qing Luan is a bit on the smaller side, and this may cause some fit issue with bigger ears. Fit wise, it is okay for me as it does not protrude or weird feeling inside my ears. The lightweight shell allows me to wear it for a couple hours with ease.
Drivability:
Driving the Qing Luan is worry free, as it is easy to drive and it will also benefit other better sources with better power output to amplify this set in a more dynamic and full-range sounding. I do recommend getting warm sounding DAC like Colorfly M1P or EPZ TP50 to pair with it.
My music (don’t judge me xD) :
- Yoasobi - idol (24bit/96khz)
- Joji Nectar Album (24bit/96 kHz)
- Kamado Tanjiro no Uta (16bit/44.1 kHz)
- ReoNa - Human, Alive, Seimeisen, till the end (24/96 khz)
- Taylor Swift - We are never ever getting back together (DSD 5644kbps/ 2.8MHz)
- Radwimps - Suzume (24bit/96 kHz)
- And whole album of Kessoku Band
- G.E.M – GLORIA (24bit/96 kHz)
- Martin Garrix – In the Name of Love (24bit/44.1kHz)
- Jacky Cheung – Kiss goodbye (24bit/96kHz)
- Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra - "Kimetsu no Yaiba" Orchestra concert -Kimetsu no Kanade- (24bit/96 kHz)
- Taylor Swift “1989” album (24bit/48 kHZ)
- La La Land Soundtrack album (24bit/ 44.1kHz)
Source used:
- EPZ TP50 into Android Phone
- Aune Yuki plugged into iPad Air
- Aune S9C Pro plugged into PC
- Fiio KA17 (D.mode) plugged into PC
- Fiio KA11 plugged into PC
- Astell & Kern SR25 Dap
Tuning nozzle:
Qing Luan has 2 different tuning nozzles, which are the preinstalled transparent nozzle and red ring nozzle. After tested with my test tracks, I find it is as advertised, which the red nozzle has treble boost with snappier upper treble bite.
One thing that baffled me is how unnatural the timbre has become, and the note weight has become leaner. The best option for me is to listen with the preinstalled nozzle.
Sonic Impression (Based on transparent nozzle):
Zhulinniao focused a lot on the vocal’s presence and tonality, therefore its tuning steered towards the vocal-centric traits.
Bass:
I am happy to say I like the bass that they presented, but everyone will have different preferences as I find it will be lacking for some, especially the bassheads. These do not come with thunderous bass. The Qing Luan is sub-bass focused and it attacks fast and decays early, which produced pleasant textures and quality bass. The bass guitar sounds deep and immersive, suitable for slow rocks and EDM tracks.
Mid-bass is present but does not highlight in the audio spectrum. It behaved nicely without overshadowing the sub-bass and allow space for the midrange to come through. No bass bleed is audible.
Midrange:
The midrange is very prominent, especially the vocals took the limelight of the show. Male vocals sounded raspy with a tinge of warmth tone but does not sound husky, while the female vocals have a sweet tone and smooth without any glaring. The vocals presented quite forward to enhance the upper mids details and weight. Transients are fast and accurate while maintaining its tuning to make it smooth from lower to upper range.
Instruments sound natural and lush, which rendered the background of the tuning to elevate the vocals and create hierarchy. It has velvety tone and note weight despite having not enough dynamics in my opinion.
Treble:
Qing Luan has a tamed and controlled treble to prevent unwanted peakiness, and increases its treble energy at the same time. The treble sounds accurate but lacks transparency, which does not give snappiness. The fast roll off is audible in this case.
Soundstage & Technicalities:
It has a mediocre soundstage which does not sound expansive nor congested. But it is leaning towards the intimate side for sure. Fortunately, the distinctive vocals allow the staging to be deeper, making an oval shape headspace.
Qing Luan is not a technical beast but the main notes and melody are easily captured and presented accurately and naturally. Being less analytical, more fun and pleasant to listen. Midrange has good details and accurate notes, without a lot of sharpening and glaring.
Comparison:
i) EPZ G10
EPZ G10 is one of my favourite IEM under $50. Both have a dynamic driver setup and it is tuned to be harman-balanced. Despite the EPZ G10 does not make the vocals sounds as prominent as the Qing Luan, it has more rumble in the bass region to balanced out the emphasized upper mids. I would say Qing Luan edges the G10 with its warmer tonality and thicker note weight, but EPZ G10 has a much natural treble without losing a lot of details.
Technicalities of G10 is also better, making it a better set for gaming and daily usage. It has better imaging and headspace for the sound distribution. Overall, I am pleased with G10.
ii) CCA Pianist
The $30 CCA Pianist is a 1DD+2BA set, which is also having a lifted upper mids. By comparing them, I can feel the lean upper mids of the Pianist blasting through my ears without mercy. Qing Luan on the other hand, presented its upper mids in a warmer and soothing way to capture most of the notes accurately.
Both have lean bass, but Pianist has better treble response and upper treble extension despite being more likely to have ear fatigue over time. Technicalities on the CCA Pianist is a tad better than the Qing Luan but it is borderline sibilant and treble peakiness is insane. I will prefer the Zhulinniao Qing Luan without hesitation.
Conclusion:
Zhulinniao Qing Luan is one of the overlooked and niche sets in this competitive chifi market, but I will say it is a capable budget vocal focused set. For the price you are paying, you will get high-quality ear tips and carrying case, and delicate tuning for vocals. If you are opting for an IEM for soft pop, ACG music and R&B, this might be the one you can deal with.