Inexpensive IEM Roundup Part Two

Audio: Listen to this article.

Five Budget ($50 or less) IEM Roundup: CCZ Coffee Bean, Simgot EW100P, GK GS-10, CCZ Melody, BLON X HBB Z300, and Tripowin Piccolo

Since writing my first budget IEM comparison review and a bonus review on my Club TBVO blog, I’ve been recommended or stumbled upon several other sub-$50 IEMs that seem worthy of consideration based on user reviews, measurements, or both.

The Kiwi Ears Cadenza, which retails for scant $35, was the runaway winner of that first affordable IEM showdown. Nothing in the intervening three months has shaken my enthusiasm for the Cadenza. While it’s not the most resolving IEM I own, its balanced frequency response, realistic tonality, and solid resolution make the Cadenza ridiculously good for the price. Even when much pricier IEMs are at hand, I still find myself popping them in my ears for nighttime listening.

It seems that the Cadenza’s reputation has been spreading, too. A Headphones.com staffer posted a video in which three of his non-audiophile friends listened to five IEMs ranging from less than $50 up to $1,000. All three picked the Cadenza as their favorite.

The New Contenders

Given the Cadenza’s status as the knockout sub-$50 IEM, the new contenders will be judged against the Cadenza. What are those new contenders? Ordered by price in USD from low high, they are:

• CCZ Coffee Bean - $17 (Amazon)
• Simgot EW100P - $20 (Linsoul)
• GK GS-10 - $20 (Amazon)
• CCZ Melody - $21 (Amazon)
• BLON X HBB Z300 - $35 (Linsoul)
• Tripowin Piccolo - $35 (Linsoul)

CCZ Coffee Bean Overview

While it seems that CCZ has a handful of IEMs on the market, like many Chinese hi-fi companies, it’s hard to find much information about it online. Because of this, purchasers likely need to rely on the retailer for any customer service duties. How much this matters for a $17 IEM depends on one’s perspective.

The Coffee Bean is a dual-magnet 10mm single dynamic driver IEM. According to CCZ, the driver creates “better energy efficiency and transient response for its low impedance and high sensitivity PU+PEEK composite diaphragm makes the low frequency more elastic and textured [high-end] resolution more accurate and details more rich.”

The Coffee Bean is spec’d at an 18 ohm impedance and a 111 dB sensitivity.

Unsurprisingly, given the name, the Coffee Bean’s shells feature either light- or dark-brown polished faceplates, which also feature a thin curved vent. The rear of the Coffee Bean’s acrylic shell is a semi-transparent brown, allowing for a nice peek at the IEM’s insides. The one interesting feature on the Coffee Bean’s exterior is what the company refers to as an “ear fin” made of “TPE crescent material,” which it claims is “skin-friendly and non-allergic.” This fin is located at the rear edge of the IEM, near the spot where an IEM is most likely to rub against the concha. True to CCZ’s billing, this fin does seem to feel nice against the ear, and overall comfort is one of the Coffee Bean’s strong suits. The Coffee Bean’s nozzle is a brass-colored metal, which terminates in a mesh screen. Its connectors are of the “male/female” two-pin variety, with the shell providing the “male” half. This style of two-pin connector is more durable than the flush variety but can make finding aftermarket cables a bit more difficult (not that many folks are buying aftermarket cables for a $17 IEM).

The Coffee Bean’s accessories are virtually nonexistent, but (again) I can’t say I had high expectations at $17. The three pairs of silicone-like TPE tips included aren’t very good, but they’re also not the worst I’ve seen. Meanwhile, the cable is a little above average for the price. It’s a bit stiff, but it doesn’t exhibit any microphonics.

Simgot EW100P Overview

Founded in 2015, the Shenzen-based Simgot is one of the more well-established Chinese IEM companies. With a portfolio of products that can reach the mid-three figures, the EW100P is the company’s current budget IEM. Impressively for an IEM at this price, Simgot offers its own one-year warranty, which is duplicated by Linsoul’s one-year warranty on all IEMs it sells. (I don’t have any personal experience with Simgot’s customer service, but Linsoul’s is responsive.)

Like the Coffee Bean, the EW100P features a single 10mm dynamic driver. According to Simgot, it’s “quipped with dual-layer Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) diaphragms” to “produce strong, powerful sound with the excellent transient response and reduced distortion.”

The EW100P is spec’d at a 32 ohm impedance and a 122 dB sensitivity.

The shell of the EW100P is semi-transparent grey-tinted plastic. It has a copper-colored aluminum faceplate with the brand and model information. While the EW100P isn’t going to win any design awards, I prefer the EW100P’s unassuming style to the garish look of some budget IEMs. One of the more notable design choices on the EW100P is the nozzle. Like the shell, it’s molded plastic. However, it’s placed at a 45-degree angle from the body of the IEM. Depending on one’s ear anatomy, this angle could be more or less comfortable than the nearly 90-degree angle of the Cadenza’s nozzle, for example. For me, the EW100P’s nozzle wasn’t particularly comfortable, though it was tolerable. On the positive side, the combination of the EW100P’s weight and nozzle angle helps to keep them secure in my ears. The EW100P’s connector is of the standards two-pin variety, though the body of the IEM has a slight recess around the input that helps to keep the cable slightly more stable than a flush-mounted option.

For the price, I’d classify the included silicone tips as average quality and the EW100P’s cable as above average quality. The EW100P doesn’t include a case, and the packaging it too flimsy to serve as one in a pinch.

GK GS-10 Overview

GK was founded in 2015 as a sub-brand of KZ. Short for “Knowledge Zenith,” the company is, according to its site, “the brand name under which the Guangdong-based Shenzhen Yuan Ze Electronics Co. operates [and] was founded in 2008, making it a legacy brand by Chi-Fi standards. The founders are Keith Yue, a former Audio-Technica engineer, and Zen Li, a Western-trained classical musician.” I reviewed the KZ ZS10 Pro in the last budget IEM roundup and overall I was impressed by its price-to-quality ratio.

In a list dominated by single-DD IEMs, the GS-10 is interesting in that it’s a 4 BA+1DD IEM, which is a far more complicated construction than is usually seen at this price point. It consists of two 30095 high frequency balance armature drivers, two 50060 medium frequency balanced armature drivers, and a 10 mm dual-magnetic dynamic driver.

The GS-10 is spec’d at a 30 ohm impedance and a 111 dB sensitivity.

For $20, the build and style of the GS-10 is way above average. The IEM's body is made of a transparent plastic or resin. Given the GS-10's plentiful drivers, it’s nice to get a look at the GS-10's innards. But what really sets it apart at this price point is the metal faceplate, which looks and feels premium. The GK logo is cut out of the faceplate, with the inside of the letters containing a mesh-covered vent. Overall, I found the GS-10 to be stylish and comfortable. My only minor complaint is that its metal nozzle is perhaps a big too long, which may impact comfort for some wearers. Its connectors are a slightly taller version of the M/F two-pin kind used by the Coffee Bean.

The GS-10's box is flimsy, and it doesn’t include a case, which is no surprise for a scant $20. The three pairs of included silicone tips feel below average to me. However, the cable is good for the price.

CCZ Melody Overview

The Melody is the second CCZ entrant in this budget IEM showdown. Whereas the Coffee Bean is a single-DD driver, the Melody is a hybrid, with one 10 mm dynamic driver and one balanced armature driver.

The Melody is spec’d at a 16 ohm impedance and a 110 dB sensitivity.

Physically, the Melody shares some similarities with the Coffee Bean. Like the Coffee Bean, its shell is resin, and the rear is partly or wholly transparent, depending on which color option one chooses. The Melody also uses the same M/F two-pin connector as the Coffee Bean and a similar brass-colored metal nozzle. It also includes CCZ’s “ear fins.” The main physical difference between the Melody and the Coffee Bean is the faceplate, which is flat and unvented. Overall, I found the Melody to be of similar comfort to the Coffee Bean, which is to say that it’s very comfortable.

The accessories are nothing to write home about. It has a solid cable for the price, but the included TPE tips are below-average, and the box is flimsy.

BLON X HBB Z300 Overview

Despite having a fairly extensive line of products, information about the China-based BLON is a bit difficult to come by. In this case, though, the company is collaborating with well-known IEM reviewer and blogger “Hawaii Bad Boy.” As with any of the IEMs that can be purchase from Linsoul, I’d rely on their warranty.

The Z300 features a single 10 mm dynamic driver. What sets it apart, though, is its diaphragm’s composition: silicone. According to BLON, “it is engineered to be both rigid and flexible at the same time, with a balance between stiffness and pliability that produces sound with incredible accuracy and detail. It strikes the perfect balance between crispness and power, delivering an authentic and nuanced sound that captures every detail from the highs to the lows.”

The Z300 is spec’d at a 28 ohm impedance and a 115 dB sensitivity.

The other unique feature of the Z300, beyond its driver material, is its build quality. The IEM’s housing is Zinc alloy. In the case of the gold-colored body, which is the one I have, it’s plated in an 18K gold. There’s also a matte blue finish, which is painted onto the Zinc alloy. Which you prefer probably depends on your appetite for bling. While I tend to go for the understated, in this case the gold is so stylish that I prefer it to the blue finish. Both color options have a neat dragon design on the faceplate. The Z300’s nozzle is of a piece with the back half of the Z300’s housing, and it terminates in a mesh screen. The connector is the M/F two-pin variety, and the stem that protrudes from the IEM is of the taller sort, like the GS-10. Physically, the Z300 looks and feels much more expensive than the $15 difference between it and the IEMs profiled above. True, the choice of Zinc alloy for the body adds some weight, but I never found the Z300 to be uncomfortable. Indeed, I actually think it’s more comfortable than my beloved Cadenza.

The Z300’s more premium feel extends to its accessories. While the Z300’s packaging is fairly insubstantial, it includes six pairs of solidly average-quality (i.e. usable) silicone tips, a nice drawstring bag, and a superb cable. The standard cable is “four-strand braided high-purity copper wire.” It’s simply the nicest cable I’ve seen for an IEM at this price. Buyers can also choose a silver-plated cable for an addition $5 and can select between 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm and microphone (or not) at no extra cost. My unit is the standard 3.5 mm cable without a mic.

Tripowin Piccolo Overview

Established in 2019, Tripowin is one of the brands associated with the aforementioned well-known Chinese retailer Linsoul.

The Piccolo is a based on a single 11 mm dynamic driver. According to Tripowin, the Piccolo uses a “third generation liquid crystal polymer (LCP) diaphragm. Despite its name, LCP is a solid material formed by an intensive processing of polymer film sheets for crystallization and crosslinking of the polymers. Our LCP diaphragms undergo the same process and utilize similar material used in Kevlar. In the past, LCP diaphragms were favored due to their high transient speeds, but suffered from lower resolving power and harsh treble sibilance. The latest generation of LCP diaphragm has been designed to be thinner, measuring at a mere couple dozen micrometers thick, while maintaining the same density. This allows even greater diaphragm responsiveness at lower total harmonic distortion.”

The Piccolo is spec’d at a 32 ohm impedance and a 110 dB sensitivity.

The Piccolo has an all-metal body, which is available in either shiny silver or textured matte black. Mine is the latter style. The Piccolo’s faceplate has an interesting undulating pattern. Overall, I’m impressed by both the look at feel of the Piccolo for a $35 IEM. In fact, I think its style is my favorite of the IEMs reviewed here. Like many of the IEMs in this matchup, the Piccolo has the short M/F two-pin connector. Its nozzle is a copper-colored metal, terminated in a silver mesh. My one complaint is that the nozzle is relatively short, which made it a bit hard to get the Piccolo seated properly, at least for my ear anatomy. However, once it was in, I found the Piccolo to be very comfortable.

The Piccolo’s box is relatively sturdy and could serve as a case in a pinch. The included cable is “high-purity OCC copper.” The Piccolo’s cable is soft, pliable, and impressive for the price, though I’d put it just behind the Z300’s in terms of overall quality. The Piccolo comes with three pairs of “meh” tips, which I’d also place somewhat behind those included with the Z300.

Measurements

Measurements of most of these IEMs can be found elsewhere, and potential buyers are always encouraged to consult multiple data points rather than trusting any one measurement. However, I wanted to present my own comparative measurements of all of the IEMs under review.

These measurements were taken with my MiniDSP EARS fixture. I calibrated my EARS with an IEM-adjusted version of Marv from SBAF’s compensation curve, where a perceptually flat frequency response is represented by a flat line. It’s also worth noting that because the EARS don’t have a properly modeled ear canal, doing IEM measurements with it can be tricky. My strategy was to try to get a consistent insertion depth across all of the IEMs and to take repeated measurements until the results were repeatable and presented each IEM in the most favorable light.

With that said, here are the results:

This graph above aligns all of the IEMs at the industry standard 500 Hz. I’ve also zoomed the graph a bit more than normal to make the differences between these six IEMs a bit more visible. Based on this alignment, we can see about a 7 dB difference in response at 50 Hz, a 6 dB difference around 2 kHz, and an almost 12 kHz range between 5 and 6 kHz. (The varying spikes around 12 kHz should be taken with a huge grain of salt, if not outright ignored.)

That said, as I’ve noted in previous reviews, I don’t know that normalizing graphs to 500 Hz corresponds with my subjective listening experience. I tend to try to reach a certain level of bass, only backing off prematurely if something in the treble becomes too piercing. Given that, here’s what the above graph would look like normalized to 200 Hz:

The overarching thing I take from this graph is that some of the IEMs under review, such as the Coffee Bean, have a notably V-shaped sound signature, whereas others, like the Z300 and Piccolo, come closer to what I’d describe as neutral.

Given the business of the graph above and the fact that all are going to be evaluated against the benchmark of the Kiwi Cadenza, I thought it would be worth it to plot each against the reigning budget champ.

Coffee Bean:

Here, the Coffee Bean’s V-shape is clear. Its bass and lower treble is elevated relative to the upper midrange. For many listeners, this equates to a “fun” sound signature. It also approximates what the “loudness” button did on old-school stereo receivers. IEMs with this sound signature might sound better than competitors at low volumes, but somewhat “off” when level matched.

EW100P:

Based on the graph, the EW100P hews fairly close to the Cadenza, but with a bit less low end a bit more energy from the upper mids through the lower treble.

GS-10:

The GS-10 tracks the Cadenza almost perfectly up through about 2 kHz, at which point we can see the GS-10’s elevated treble.

Melody:

The Melody falls somewhere between “neutral with a treble boost” and “mild V.” The dip between 1 kHz and 3 kHz puts that area below the rest of the frequency range, but the bass isn’t elevated like the Coffee Bean’s.

Z300:

I’d categorize the Z300 as a bright or lean-sounding neutral based on the graph. However, as noted below, I did my critical listening before I took the measurements, and to my ears the Z300 has more low end than the measurements suggest. Overall, I’d say it’s close to neutral.

Piccolo:

The Piccolo’s frequency response shows both less bass and a bit more upper-midrange energy than the Cadenza. In many ways, it’s similar to the Z300, but with both less low end and less high end.

In order to get a sense of the practical differences in drivability and make it easier for me to do level-matched listening comparisons, I used pink noise to bring the Kiwi Cadenza up to the EARS’ recommended 84 dB baseline, then measured the other IEMs’ output. All of the IEMs under review here are as, or more, sensitive than the Cadenza.

• Kiwi Cadenza – 84db
• BLON X HBB Z300 – 84db
• Simgot EW100P - 84.5
• Tripowin Piccolo – 87.5
• GK GS-10 – 89
• CCZ Melody – 89.5
• CCZ Coffee Bean – 90

Subjective Impressions:

For my subjective listening, I used my (previously reviewed) Matrix X-SABRE Pro (XSP) DAC and my Benchmark HPA4 amp. The latter allows for precise volume adjustment so that I can level match the IEMs using the above pink noise data. When taking measurements, I used Tin’s light blue memory foam tips for, because they seem to work best with the EARS fixture. But I used Moondrop’s excellent Spring Tips for my critical listening sessions because I think that they subjectively present each IEM in a better light.

I chose two primary test tracks for my listening, then added a third as a tie breaker. My first primary track is “Maggie May,” from the 2018 Japanese CD reissue of Rod Stewart’s Every Picture Tells a Story. The second is “Daughter” from the hi-resolution remaster of Pearl Jam’s 1993 album, Vs. In situations where I struggled to find a clear winner between the IEM under review and the reigning budget champ Cadenza, I added the hi-resolution version of “Falling” from HAIM’s 2013 album, Days Are Gone. I chose these three for their range of instrumentation, mix complexity, and compression.

To get a baseline, I started by jotting down my impressions of “Maggie May” and “Daughter” through the Kiwi Cadenza. As I cycled through the IEMs under review, I returned to the Cadenza as an aural palette cleanser, then toggled back-and-forth between the Cadenza and the IEM being evaluated.

Through the Cadenza, “Henry” — the nickname for Martin Quittenton’s unaccompanied acoustic guitar piece that begins “Maggie May” — sounds balanced and lifelike. The Cadenza resolves well enough that you can even hear some tape print-through before the mandolin enters to begin “Maggie May” proper. When Stewart starts singing, there’s some unmistakable compression on his voice, which tends to accentuate his natural rasp. Ian McLagan’s organ, which is buried deep in the mix, is clearly audible and creates a nice sense of front-to-back depth. Micky Waller’s drums, which are mixed far left, sound tonally accurate, and the Cadenza conveys a nice sense of the Morgan Studios’ ambiance. Ronnie Wood’s walking, almost meandering, electric bass in the right channel is somewhat difficult to hear but has good string articulation. Meanwhile, Wood’s DI-sounding electric guitar solo has good clarity. Finally, Pete Sears’s celesta has nice sparkle, but doesn’t seem to bright or over-accentuated.

Switching to “Daughter,” Stone Gossard’s opening acoustic guitar sounds just right through the Cadenza, with a nice balance of strings and body. Dave Abbruzzese’s hi-hat sounds realistic, and the clarity of the Cadenza accentuates how Brendan O'Brien shifts the hi-hat from the center to the right channel just before the band kicks in. Eddie Vedder’s voice is incredibly lifelike, and the Cadenza evinces good balance and bite on the Gossard and Mike McCready’s layered electric guitars. The Cadenza displays nice soundstage depth and width, making it easy to pick apart the mix. For example, the echo on Vedder’s vocal during the “holds the hand the holds her down” line is fully discernable. While, as noted above, the Cadenza isn’t the last word on detail relative to some pricier IEMs, it just has a certain rightness to its tonal balance, which is what makes it such a killer budget IEM.

How do these tracks sound through the CCZ Coffee Bean? Despite the V-shape evident in the Coffee Bean’s measurements, Quittenton’s “Henry” opening to “Maggie May” sounds relatively balanced, with decent detail and low end. However, the print through that was easily audible through the Cadenza is almost completely missing through the Coffee Bean, pointing to some flaws in its tonal balance, raw resolution, or both. It’s when the band kicks in that the Coffee Bean’s flaws become even more apparent. Stewart’s vocal is rendered with an odd combination of sibilance and dullness. Wood’s bass has good thump, but very little definition. Likewise, Waller’s kick is forceful, but his snare is completely washed out, and his cymbals are an amorphous “shhh.” After honing in on the drums, I wrote in my notes (and, again, this is before the measurements were taken), “The Coffee Bean is definitely V-shaped.” This missing midrange also makes McLagan’s organ virtually disappear. In terms of technicalities beyond tonal balance, the Coffee Bean has nice width and depth, but not much detail.

If the Coffee Bean was not ideal, but passable, on “Maggie May,” then “Daughter” starkly reveals its flaws. Gossard’s opening acoustic is clearly on the boxy side of normal, Abbruzzese’s hi-hat is too bright, and Vedder’s voice sounds subdued. When Abbruzzese’s kick and Jeff Ament’s bass enter, they’re a boomy mess. Meanwhile, McCready’s electric in the right channel almost disappears. As I wrote in my notes, “no bite, no nothing.”

In short, the Coffee Bean poses no threat to the Cadenza’s budget IEM crown. But for $17, one could probably do worse.

Moving up in price, let’s take a listen to the $20 Simgot EW100P. Quittenton’s “Henry” opening to “Maggie May” sounds relatively balanced, though a bit inarticulate. However, the print-through that had disappeared through the Coffee Bean is audible again. Likewise, McLagan’s organ is where it should be, suggesting (as the measurements confirm) that the EW100P has a much more neutral tonal balance than the Coffee Bean did. Stewart’s vocal is solid, but a little more sibilant than through the Cadenza. The room ambiance on Waller’s drum kit is nice, but his snare sounds a bit boxy to my ears. Finally, Wood’s bass is neither articulate, nor present, which points to the EW100P’s low-end roll-off and suggests that the string noise falls somewhere in the nadir of one of the EW100P’s moderate treble dips.

Switching to “Daughter,” Gossard’s acoustic sounds just a bit rolled-off to my ears but the EW100P still shows solid detail. The panning of the hi-hat, for example, is obvious. That said, the EW100P’s resolution still isn’t up to the Cadenza’s standard. While Vedder’s vocal sounds pretty solid tonally, the EW100P just doesn’t showcase the subtle details in his voice as well as the Cadenza does. At this point, it’s clear that the EW100P isn’t going to dethrone the Cadenza, but it’s still holding its own. However, when the full band kicks in, the EW100P falls apart. It just doesn’t have the speed or resolution to clearly delineate individual elements when the mix gets busy, something that wasn’t as obvious on the sparser “Maggie May.” Plus, when I tried to zero in on some individual elements, I noticed individual flaws. Abbruzzese’s snare comes across as a bit boxy, Ament’s bass sounds both a bit low and kind of tubby, and the bite on the electric guitars that enter in the pre-chorus is missing.

All that said, I’d handily take the EW100P over the Coffee Bean in terms of sound. It’s just not as good as the $15-more Cadenza.

Next up is the other $20 IEM, the GK GS-10. Beginning, as usual, with “Maggie May,” it’s immediately clear that Quittenton’s acoustic guitar is way too bright with little body at all. In terms of resolution, the aforementioned print-through is barely audible. Unsurprisingly, given how the GS-10 renders the acoustic guitar, Stewart’s voice is very sibilant. Wood’s bass has decent detail but is way too thin. Giving the GS-10 a second chance with “Daughter,” many of the same issues were apparent. Both Gossard’s acoustic and Abbruzzese’s hi-hat border on cringe-inducing. Vedder’s voice falls into the range where the GS-10’s treble spike doesn’t do too much damage. That said, when the bass and kick drum enter, it’s clear that the GS-10’s low end is flabby. On the positive side, the GS-10 presents a nice soundstage and is able to separate complex passages. Overall, though, it’s clear that the Cadenza is head-and-shoulders better than the GS-10.

Moving on to the $21 CCZ Melody, Quittenton’s acoustic “Henry” sounds a bit brighter than normal, but still has good body. The print-through is readily apparent, suggesting solid detail retrieval. Comparing the measurements to my impression of “Maggie May,” I was surprised that the Melody’s spike in the 5 kHz region wasn’t more jarring on this track. Likewise, I felt that the bass roll-off wasn’t quite as dramatic as the measurements indicate. Wood’s bass has good rumble but so-so detail. McLagan’s organ, meanwhile, is almost as inaudible as through the Coffee Bean. Waller’s drums have good thump and solid room sound, but the frequency response sounds off in several ways. In terms of soundstage, the Melody offers good width but little depth. Based on “Maggie May” alone, I’d categorize the Melody as far from audiophile but a reasonable rendering of a “fun” tuning. The Melody fares much worse on “Daughter,” though. Both Gossard’s acoustic and Abbruzzese’s hi-hat sound muffled. Ament’s bass is boomy and inarticulate. Making matters worse, the Melody can’t handle “Daughter” when the band enters and the mix gets more complex. Suddenly, the Melody’s sound is not-so-fun. Needless to say, it can’t compare to the Cadenza.

Shifting up to the Cadenza’s own $35 price bracket, let’s see if the BLON X HBB Z300 can hang with the budget king. Starting with “Maggie May,” Quittenton’s acoustic is almost perfectly rendered in detail and tone. Listening for the print-through, it’s there, but perhaps maybe not quite as clear as through the Cadenza. When “Maggie May” really starts swinging, I’m instantly impressed by the Z300’s dynamics, which seem a more dramatic than the Cadenza’s. Turning to individual instruments, Wood’s bass has a nice balance of thump and articulation. Stewart’s vocals sound natural but with a bit more sibilance than through the Cadenza. Sears’s celesta is a bit too bright for my taste. But Wood’s DI’d electric guitar solo sounds even better through the Z300 than through the Cadenza. Waller’s drums sound perhaps a bit fuzzy, but McLagan’s organ sounds perfect. In terms of soundstage, the Z300’s width and depth are good. At this point, the Z300 seems to have better dynamics than the Cadenza but might be a step behind in terms of overall resolution.

Let’s see if “Daughter” makes it easier to decide between the Z300 and Cadenza. Compared to the Cadenza’s presentation, Gossard’s opening acoustic sounds a bit thinner, leaning more towards the strings and less towards the body of the guitar. When the band kicks in, the Z300’s bass is more apparent than the measurements might suggest. However, despite still being less prominent than the Cadenza’s low end, it doesn’t sound as tight or controlled. Focusing on Gossard and McCready’s layered electric guitars, I noticed a hint of unevenness in the Z300’s treble. Some of the electrics had the bite and definition I’ve come to expect, while others sounded a little muffled. Abbruzzese’s snare also comes across a bit boxy. The Z300 acquits itself better on Vedder’s voice, which sounds balanced. The echo on “holds the hand the holds her down” is obvious, too. That said, it still seems like the Z300 reveals less detail than the Cadenza does. The panning of Abbruzzese’s hi-hat, for example, isn’t nearly as obvious.

Despite the fact that I’d still give the Cadenza the edge on both “Maggie May” and “Daughter,” the Z300 has come closest to matching the reigning budget champ. So I decided to break out HAIM’s “Falling.” The track begins with a barrage of drums and bass that seems to mix the live and the synthesized. This sonic wash has more thump and detail through the Cadenza, but sounds thinner through the Z300, which is no surprise given the two IEMs’ divergent low-end responses. The Cadenza just has more thump. When Danielle Haim begins her double-tracked lead vocal, both the Z300 and Cadenza do a good job of separating her vocals and the various elements of the backing track. When the band enters, the Z300’s edge on dynamics is again apparent. That said, the Cadenza still wrings more detail out of the song than the Z300 does. The palm-muted electric guitar in the right channel, for example, sounds less distinct through the Z300, and through the Cadenza, Danielle’s vocals have more of the microdetails that create a sense of realism. “Falling” is a much more complex production than either “Maggie May” or “Daugher,” and thus far the Z300 hasn’t fallen apart like some of the IEMs reviewed so far. However, when the complexity increases mid-song, the Z300 starts to get sluggish. In part, this might have to do with how each of these IEMs render the soundstage. The Cadenza’s stage is much deeper than the relatively flat Z300, which makes the small details in the mix, like the swirling synthesizers, much clearer.

Overall, the Cadenza is a better IEM than the Z300, particularly when it comes to low-end heft and raw detail. That said, folks who prioritize dynamic swings might trade the Cadenza’s strengths for the Z300’s more dramatic rendering.

The final contender is the Tripowin Piccolo. When I first listened to “Maggie May” through the Piccolo, I had a hard time knowing what to make of this IEM. Elements like Quittenton’s acoustic and Wood’s bass have good articulation, but sound kind of thin. Likewise, Waller’s kick has little thump. On the other hand of the spectrum, the mouthy detail on Stewart’s voice sounds rolled-off, and McLagan’s organ is buried. Seeing the Piccolo’s measurements after-the-fact, the subjectively lacking low and high end makes sense.

Switching to “Daughter,” I noted that Gossard’s acoustic guitar seemed to simultaneously have too much string noise while overall sounding a bit muted. Likewise, both Vedder’s voice and Abbruzzese’s snare sound muffled. On the positive side of the ledger, the Piccolo does a nice job of showcasing the bite on the pre-chorus electric guitars, possibly because they fall in the portion of the spectrum where the Piccolo has a bit more energy than the Cadenza does. The Piccolo’s dynamics are above-average. It also projects a wide soundstage. However, its depth is at best average. Abbruzzese’s kit, for example, sounds pulled forward compared to the Cadenza’s placement.

In short, while not a bad IEM, the Piccolo just isn’t as good as the Cadenza.

Conclusion

Of the new IEMs under review here, the $35 BLON X HBB Z300 is the best of the bunch in terms of sound. It doesn’t quite have the Cadenza’s detail retrieval capability or low-end heft, but it doesn’t embarrass itself in those areas, and it does dynamics better than the Cadenza.

Ultimately, it’s a question of trade-offs. I’d still easily take the Cadenza over the Z30 when judged solely on sonics. However, as noted above, the Z300’s build and accessories are head-and-shoulders above anything I’ve seen in this price bracket, including the Cadenza. For some buyers, this may be enough to tip things in favor of the Z300. Indeed, were I purchasing a sub-$50 IEM for someone as a gift, I might lean towards the Z300, which has a “wow” factor that the Cadenza lacks. However, when buying for myself, I’d still pick the Cadenza because detail retrieval and overall tonal balance are the most important factors for me.

In summary, the Cadenza remains the budget IEM champ when it comes to sound, but the Z300 is a worthy overall competitor.

About the Author

Josh Mound has been an audiophile since age 14, when his father played Spirit's "Natures Way" through his Boston Acoustics floorstanders and told Josh to listen closely. Since then, Josh has listened to lots of music, owned lots of gear, and done lots of book learnin'. He's written about music for publications like Filter and Under the Radar and about politics for publications like New Republic, Jacobin, and Dissent. Josh is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Virginia, where he teaches classes on modern U.S. politics and the history of popular music. He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with his wife and two cats.