[FastAndClean]

The NiceHCK NX7 is a more grown up KZ ZSX

yeah right

 

[Hawaiibadboy]

Just to say, nothing that you are hearing with your Blon 03s match my experience of them. Of course we all have different ears and brains but is it possible you have a duff pair?

I have all the hyped chifi DD sets of the past year and BLON 03 is the best IMO. The $35 price is making folks say stuff about "in it's price range". Nah I got the set some in the hobby are calling the best (maybe) single DD ever (JVC modded) and i got that. I like the BLON better. i bought mine from the site that cannot be mentioned.

 

[ozziecook]

I think it'd be more fair to say that the blon has too much bass, that is slow and boomy, but that it can be worked around somewhat with the right choice of tips (narrow bore)

There's really too much hype over this iems, good Lord.

The cable, connector and tips suck, the fit is not great due to short nozzle, they have bad instrument separation, a slow and boomy bass, and yet everyone who never listened to the more expensive offerings claims they are superior based on graphs vOv.

They have good timbre and a somewhat "wow" effect due to forward mids and monster sub but there's more needed to make a "timeless" great iems.

We'll see in 3 months what ppl say.

I think you’re generalising about people who never listened to more expensive offerings, my friend.

 

[citral23]

Just to say, nothing that you are hearing with your Blon 03s match my experience of them. Of course we all have different ears and brains but is it possible you have a duff pair?

This is what I hear (all flac but I'll link the songs) on 2 busy jazz tracks and 1 impactful hip-hop track :



Blon
Great pleasing Sax tone
Boomy slow bass
Cymbal unclear
Swing feeling is getting completely lost because of the slow decay on bass and bad instruments separation, sounds a bit like a soup where everything is mixed together. I'm lost in the track.

ZS7
Sax tone a bit metallic
Contrabass too much sub and not enough definition in strings attacks
Wide soundstage
Decent instrument separation
Swing feeling retained, but lacks bass definition (too much sub, not enough mid-bass for contrabass)

KPE
Sax tone perfect
Begs to crank the volume and dance
Perfect instruments separation
Woody bass that swings really hard with good decay
Ok to good soundstage, but nothig amazing



from 40 seconds on :

Blon
Clear cymbals, good detail
Ok bass, esp in upper notes, gets confused in lower notes
No soundstage at all
Great sax and guitar timbre
Swing feeling is getting a bit lost, sounds a bit like a broth

ZS7
Sax sounds a bit harsh
Cymbals are clear and bright without sounding overly harsh, but it's on the verge
Clear instruments separation
Good soundstage
Great swing feeling
Bass sounds dark, and not enough like a contrabass

KPE
Most natural timbre
Mids more recessed than other 2, sounds more laid back and "effortless" in its presentation but doesn't have the most clarity
Good soundstage
Perfect instruments separation, guitar really stands out even when just comping in the background
Bass is fast, well defined, with clear string attack (sounds woody)
More "crystal, airy" treble than others, the peak must be higher, could have a little more treble body
0 fatigue
Swings hard



Blon
Incredible sub, jeeeeezzzzzz
Bleeds a bit in the mids tho
Engaging energetic sound that doesn't become fatiguing like ZSN/ZS10 pro
Overall "wow" effect

ZS7
Impactful bass, a bit fatiguing
Less separation between sub and mid-bass than blon
A hint of sibilence, great clarity otherwise
Less bass bleed into mids than blon
Begs to turn the volume down

KPE
Average bass (not in a bad way) : what one would expect, no surprise, good impact and rumble
No sibilance
No bleeed in the mids
Sounds a bit boring maybe, good for long sessions, not so much for a kick in the butt

As you can see, the blon in my opinion has some really interesting pros for its price (mostly timbre), but quickly loses on technical aspects for some material (mostly decay), while it has an edge on some other (this includes female voices that are really gorgeous with it)

Is it the uniersal IEM anyone needs and the end game of chifi? As long as I'll be listening to be-bop, no.

Is it raising up the bar of budget iems? Regarding timbre, yes, 1000x yes.

Bonus : pictures of the iems used for this comparison

 

[requal]

@citral23 Maybe you have out of phase cable. Qdc is inverted.

 

[peter123]

Anyone want to help me spend some money? Lol.

Selling my Bog Oak Hifiman 560s and a few other things so I can buy one or two new sets of IEMs.

Here's the criteria.

I don't want to use a DAP or an amp, unless it's some sort of OTG cable thing. It's too much hassle for me. I know I know.

I am using a Samsung S9 but will be getting an S10+ in a few months.

I am also using UAPP, which I love.

I love my LZ A4s and LZ A5s, but you know, time for an upgrade.

I'm looking at the Tin P1s, Shuoer Tapes, BLON BL-03s and a few other random things.... Budget is probably €200-300...i suppose I could go higher... But I'd prefer not too.

Open to any and all suggestions.

I will use them for a bit of critical listening... And for a LOT of listening to modern sounding pop. Though my other main genre is... Classical.... So... I know.

And btw I went through my box of KZs... I have 30 pairs of KZ headphones... Lol... What was I thinking.

If you like the A4 and A5 the A6 seems like a natural contender. Fwiw they're my all time favorite IEM's.

The BL-03 has nothing to do in the price range you're looking for in my highly subjective opinion

 

[Light - Man]

Hey Citral @citral23 I see that you are using silicone tips. Have you tried dense foam tips yet?

I am using Flare Audio foam tips which have the densest foam that I can find. I reckon that they should dramatically reduce mid bass bleed into the midrange and tighten up the bass.

I use the large version. I found the medium too small, even my wife who has small ears found them too small to stay in.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flare-Audio®-Replacement-Universal-Earfoams®/dp/B07N1PY132

 

[baskingshark]

Anyone want to help me spend some money? Lol.

Selling my Bog Oak Hifiman 560s and a few other things so I can buy one or two new sets of IEMs.

Here's the criteria.

I don't want to use a DAP or an amp, unless it's some sort of OTG cable thing. It's too much hassle for me. I know I know.

I am using a Samsung S9 but will be getting an S10+ in a few months.

I am also using UAPP, which I love.

I love my LZ A4s and LZ A5s, but you know, time for an upgrade.

I'm looking at the Tin P1s, Shuoer Tapes, BLON BL-03s and a few other random things.... Budget is probably €200-300...i suppose I could go higher... But I'd prefer not too.

Open to any and all suggestions.

I will use them for a bit of critical listening... And for a LOT of listening to modern sounding pop. Though my other main genre is... Classical.... So... I know.

And btw I went through my box of KZs... I have 30 pairs of KZ headphones... Lol... What was I thinking.

Honestly, if u want a set for critical listening, it isn't the BLON BL-03's strongest suit. You'd probably be better off getting a multi BA/hybrid type of IEM for this purpose. As per the previous posts by myself and others, even some other single DD IEMs have better instrument separation/clarity/details than the BLON.
The BLON does most areas well, but its area of "speciality" is in coherency, timbre and tonality. Hence it is very good for music genres that incorporate acoustic type instruments. I find it very good for classical music, which I listen to occasionally, u can hear the real timbre of a violin and flute, unlike some multi BA sets. However, the BLON is tuned harmanish and purists of classical music will want a flat neutral set for this, ideally with no troughs/peaks in the frequency response. But I think it will do well with pop. YMMV.

My go to end game multi BA IEM for critical listening is the Audiosense T800 (8 knowles BA), u can check out more in the dedicated Audiosense thread on headfi. It has excellent details, clarity and instrument separation and imaging. And though it is suited for critical listening, it has great bass that makes it not sterile or boring for general music listening. It is quite bright though, so not the best if u are treble sensitive (though there are knowles filter mods, cable/tip change that can attenuate the treble). It is also U shaped, so maybe not the best option for classical music per se, and the timbre on the T800 is not as good as some dedicated single DD sets. But I find it quite good for most music genres. Unfortunately, it is quite source picky. If u are just using a simple smart phone with no high end DAC chip or DAC/AMP, it won't extract as much details/dynamics as if u had driven it with a good source. For instance, the KZ ZS10 Pro is not too far away in sound quality from the T800 if both are compared A/B with just a low end android phone.

Another possible option that is good for classical is the Hisenior B5+ IMHO. 5 BA knowles, midcentric (which is quite atypical in tuning from the usual CHIFI fare). Good timbre/tonality, though it won't beat a dedicated DD in timbre. It has good instrument separation, imaging, details and is quite good for critical listening, though the Audiosense T800 trumps it in this area due to the tuning and extra 3 drivers. Due to its midcentric tuning, it will be better for vocals, acoustic, classical, jazz type genres. If u need more bass forward music like EDM, it may not be the best option, unless if u consider EQing.

 

[citral23]

Hey Citral @citral23 I see that you are using silicone tips. Have you tried dense foam tips yet?

I am using Flare Audio foam tips which have the densest foam that I can find. I reckon that they should dramatically reduce mid bass bleed into the midrange and tighten up the bass.

I use the large version. I found the medium too small, even my wife who has small ears found them too small to stay in.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flare-Audio®-Replacement-Universal-Earfoams®/dp/B07N1PY132

I'm sure it would be a great improvement, but unfortunately foam gives me herpes, can't stand even touching it :/

I'll argue that if an iem needs much fumbling and tip-rolling and whatnot to sound good it's flawed in the first place... KPEs sound great with any tips.

But I don't want to sound too dismissive on the Blon, if you love to listen to Norah Jones or Ella Fitzgerald ballads and don't want to spend much, I totally rec them. Even if you want to spend much, you'd might be better off with the blon for those genres.

If you like Bop, Death Metal and otherwise fast music that needs quick decay, look elsewhere imo. what's not to like? There's something for everyone out there.

It's possible that my unit has QC issues, maybe an overly soft membrane, to reach this price there must be compromises on tolerances and QC ofc.

 

[dharmasteve]

This is what I hear (all flac but I'll link the songs) on 2 busy jazz tracks and 1 impactful hip-hop track :



Blon
Great pleasing Sax tone
Boomy slow bass
Cymbal unclear
Swing feeling is getting completely lost because of the slow decay on bass and bad instruments separation, sounds a bit like a soup where everything is mixed together. I'm lost in the track.

ZS7
Sax tone a bit metallic
Contrabass too much sub and not enough definition in strings attacks
Wide soundstage
Decent instrument separation
Swing feeling retained, but lacks bass definition (too much sub, not enough mid-bass for contrabass)

KPE
Sax tone perfect
Begs to crank the volume and dance
Perfect instruments separation
Woody bass that swings really hard with good decay
Ok to good soundstage, but nothig amazing



from 40 seconds on :

Blon
Clear cymbals, good detail
Ok bass, esp in upper notes, gets confused in lower notes
No soundstage at all
Great sax and guitar timbre
Swing feeling is getting a bit lost, sounds a bit like a broth

ZS7
Sax sounds a bit harsh
Cymbals are clear and bright without sounding overly harsh, but it's on the verge
Clear instruments separation
Good soundstage
Great swing feeling
Bass sounds dark, and not enough like a contrabass

KPE
Most natural timbre
Mids more recessed than other 2, sounds more laid back and "effortless" in its presentation but doesn't have the most clarity
Good soundstage
Perfect instruments separation, guitar really stands out even when just comping in the background
Bass is fast, well defined, with clear string attack (sounds woody)
More "crystal, airy" treble than others, the peak must be higher, could have a little more treble body
0 fatigue
Swings hard



Blon
Incredible sub, jeeeeezzzzzz
Bleeds a bit in the mids tho
Engaging energetic sound that doesn't become fatiguing like ZSN/ZS10 pro
Overall "wow" effect

ZS7
Impactful bass, a bit fatiguing
Less separation between sub and mid-bass than blon
A hint of sibilence, great clarity otherwise
Less bass bleed into mids than blon
Begs to turn the volume down

KPE
Average bass (not in a bad way) : what one would expect, no surprise, good impact and rumble
No sibilance
No bleeed in the mids
Sounds a bit boring maybe, good for long sessions, not so much for a kick in the butt

As you can see, the blon in my opinion has some really interesting pros for its price (mostly timbre), but quickly loses on technical aspects for some material (mostly decay), while it has an edge on some other (this includes female voices that are really gorgeous with it)

Is it the uniersal IEM anyone needs and the end game of chifi? As long as I'll be listening to be-bop, no.

Is it raising up the bar of budget iems? Regarding timbre, yes, 1000x yes.

Bonus : pictures of the iems used for this comparison

Listened to 'The Bridge' on youtube on both my Samsung S9 plus Exynos and on New Pipe (youtube front end) on my Fiio M9. Immediately the quality of the soundstage was apparent...enough width and very clear depth for the drums. Very 'alive' track. Good feel of being there. Bass notes were differentiated. Good separation. It sounded good. Some others maybe comment on this track. Maybe it's 'ears' but I have a feeling your pair are not as they should be. Thanks for the tracks though...good taste in music.

 

[TimeSnow]

Honestly, if u want a set for critical listening, it isn't the BLON BL-03's strongest suit. You'd probably be better off getting a multi BA/hybrid type of IEM for this purpose. As per the previous posts by myself and others, even some other single DD IEMs have better instrument separation/clarity/details than the BLON.
The BLON does most areas well, but its area of "speciality" is in coherency, timbre and tonality. Hence it is very good for music genres that incorporate acoustic type instruments. I find it very good for classical music, which I listen to occasionally, u can hear the real timbre of a violin and flute, unlike some multi BA sets. However, the BLON is tuned harmanish and purists of classical music will want a flat neutral set for this, ideally with no troughs/peaks in the frequency response. But I think it will do well with pop. YMMV.

My go to end game multi BA IEM for critical listening is the Audiosense T800 (8 knowles BA), u can check out more in the dedicated Audiosense thread on headfi. It has excellent details, clarity and instrument separation and imaging. And though it is suited for critical listening, it has great bass that makes it not sterile or boring for general music listening. It is quite bright though, so not the best if u are treble sensitive (though there are knowles filter mods, cable/tip change that can attenuate the treble). It is also U shaped, so maybe not the best option for classical music per se, and the timbre on the T800 is not as good as some dedicated single DD sets. But I find it quite good for most music genres. Unfortunately, it is quite source picky. If u are just using a simple smart phone with no high end DAC chip or DAC/AMP, it won't extract as much details/dynamics as if u had driven it with a good source. For instance, the KZ ZS10 Pro is not too far away in sound quality from the T800 if both are compared A/B with just a low end android phone.

Another possible option that is good for classical is the Hisenior B5+ IMHO. 5 BA knowles, midcentric (which is quite atypical in tuning from the usual CHIFI fare). Good timbre/tonality, though it won't beat a dedicated DD in timbre. It has good instrument separation, imaging, details and is quite good for critical listening, though the Audiosense T800 trumps it in this area due to the tuning and extra 3 drivers. Due to its midcentric tuning, it will be better for vocals, acoustic, classical, jazz type genres. If u need more bass forward music like EDM, it may not be the best option, unless if u consider EQing.

The t800s seem like a total steal... But all the reviews make them sound extremely picky re amp. And other than an OTG amp cable thing I don't want to go back down that road for my situation.

But I GREATLY appreciate your advice!

 

[Slater]

I'll argue that if an iem needs much fumbling and tip-rolling and whatnot to sound good it's flawed in the first place... KPEs sound great with any tips.

Well I’ll argue that if an IEM fits perfectly right out of the box, using the stock eartips, and doesn’t provide a single benefit from tip rolling etc then that is not a flaw but rather a rare exception and not the norm.

You just got lucky that the KPE fit you perfectly with the included stock tips. There are people that the KPE doesn’t fit perfectly, and who do need to change the tips for a better fit, or improve the seal, improve the sound, etc. Does that make the KPE “flawed” for those people?

Everyone’s ears and ear canals are different, and universal IEMs are just that - universal. That is why there are so many different tip shapes and sizes available in the first place. Because there are over 7 billion people in the world, and it is a statistical impossibility, not a flaw, that someone could make an IEM that would fit all 7 billion people perfectly.

 

[Cevisi]

Well I’ll argue that if an IEM fits perfectly right out of the box, using the stock eartips, and doesn’t provide a single benefit from tip rolling etc then that is not a flaw but rather a rare exception and not the norm.

You just got lucky that the KPE fit you perfectly with the included stock tips. There are people that the KPE doesn’t fit perfectly, and who do need to change the tips for a better fit, or improve the seal, improve the sound, etc. Does that make the KPE “flawed” for those people?

Everyone’s ears and ear canals are different, and universal IEMs are just that - universal. That is why there are so many different tip shapes and sizes available in the first place. Because there are over 7 billion people in the world, and it is a statistical impossibility, not a flaw, that someone could make an IEM that would fit all 7 billion people perfectly.

I had alot of issues getting the kxxs fit

But i have to say there are iems that fit every one better then any chinese iem i i ever seen (sennheiser momentum ,jbl tws 120, sony mh755.) Everyone of these just flops into my ear

 

[darmanastartes]

The NiceHCK NX7 is a more grown up KZ ZSX

I strongly disagree. I would take the ZSX over the NX7 any day of the week.

The NX7 is designed for detail retrieval at the expense of fatigue-free listening. I couldn't listen to them without EQ or mesh filter tips.

 

[HungryPanda]

All I know is listening side by side the KZ ZSX gets a bit high in the treble so is a bright iem whereas the NX7 goes deeper in the bass. I'm glad I have both.