WATCH FULL REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/2z3M06tlHV8
PRICE: $40
PROS:
- Comes with a LOT of accessories
- Bamboo Eartips
- Superb build quality
- Interchangeable nozzles (for modding capabilities)
- Clean, bright neutral sound
- Good technicalities for the price
- Crisp and nuanced vocals
- Smooth yet detailed treble
CONS:
- Not the best fitting
- Other nozzle doesn’t sound that good
- Not the most dynamic-sounding set
- Can get a little hot on some tracks
WHO THIS SET IS FOR:
- Trebleheads
- Neutralheads
- People who want a vocal centric set that isn’t grainy or edgy
- People who want a VERY well built IEM
- People who want a complete package
WHO THIS SET ISN’T FOR:
- Bassheads
- People who want a set that fits like a glove (personal)
- People who want a more dynamic sound
- Shout sensitive/treble sensitive people
- People who want a more subtle design
RECOMMENDED GENRES:
- Jazz
- Instrumental
- Classic
- Vocal-Pop
SHORT REVIEW:
Zhulinniao Qingluan Z4 is a solid bright-neutral set that packs a treasure trove of accessories with it. While it may lack a bit of dynamics, might come across too bright sounding and not fit that well, the overall package and how smooth it sounds for being bright neutral is very impressive for $40. Well built, well accessorized and a bright neutral sound make this an absolutely must have for vocal lovers who want a complete package. RECOMMENDED!
FULL REVIEW
Every once in a while, you get a brand that is known for weird and interesting IEMs creating such a conventionally good IEM that it makes you question whether they have the capability of creating a masterpiece. That is me with Zhulinniao. From all the reviews that I’ve seen of their previous products, I have not seen a single one that was positive besides one. And that is today’s topic of discussion. Let’s talk about the Zhulinniao QingLuan Z4
PROUDLY CHINESE!
Zhulinniao is unsurprisingly a Chinese brand that offers in-ear monitors and pretty awesome eartips. As I’ve mentioned, their previous releases have not been very stellar in the market and they’re more known for the Bamboo or the Zhu Rythme tips. But this $40 Z4 seems to have captured the hearts of some and I’m here to find out whether it’s worth your hard-earned $40 or not. Let’s start with the unboxing.
UNBOXING:
Don’t let the somewhat boring-looking exterior fool you, what’s packed into this $40 set is a plethora of accessories that rival $100 sets. This is only matched by the qually ridiculous TRN Conch as that set also features a plethora of accessories.
Here is a full list of the inclusions:
- Zhulinniao Z4 IEMs
- 3.5mm Cable
- 9 pairs of eartips
- 3 Vocal
- 3 Balanced
- 3 Bamboo
- Tuning Nozzles
- Carrying Case
- Paperowrk
Boy, where do we begin? The case included is a pretty normal-looking case but is quite spacious on the inside. It reminds me a lot of the KBEar/HZSound Case that I so dearly love and I appreciate them adding a net inside to place your little accessories. I put the extra nozzles in there as it’s secure enough in my opinion.
Where the Z4 really shines, however, are the eartips. You have basic normal and slightly wider bored eartips, but then you have 3 pairs of their patented Zhu Rythme or “Bamboo” eartips. These cost $10 per pack and are a very good pair of eartip. It reminds me of the Springtips mixed in with the S&S and Azla Sednafit. They are tapered and they are VERY grippy. They feel really good and using them IEMs with longer nozzles is an absolute treat. Unfortunately, it does not fit the Qingluan Z4 at all which was truly a shame.
BUILD & FIT
The Z4 features a single 5th Generation DLC Dynamic Driver housed in an aluminum housing, detachable nozzles, and a 0.78 2-pin connector
Let’s take a moment to appreciate this $40 set is one of the most premium feeling IEMs I’ve held under $100. Seriously, the craftmanship on this IEM is unlike anything I’ve seen before. Brushed, somewhat textured metal paired with an intricate faceplate AND interchangeable nozzles for $40 is insane.
Unfortunately, the fit is not as good. I didn’t like how short and stubby the fit of the Z4 was, especially when using the patented Bamboo eartips. It just wouldn’t seal properly, and the only eartips that I found to work right with the Z4 were, surprise surprise, the S&S. Other tips just slip off, have no seal, or are just uncomfortable.
The cable is somewhat basic and reminds me of the kind of cables that Simgot and Moondrop use for their IEMs. It’s not necessarily a bad cable as I still think it’s quite functional and comfortable, but does not match the expressive aesthetics that the IEMs themselves have. Still, decent and usable cable that I’d be happy to use with other IEMs.
SOUND
NOTE: Because the Z4 features tuning nozzles, I will be reviewing the Z4 with the stock nozzles and comparing it later to the red ring nozzle.
Sound Signature
The Z4 has a bright neutral sound signature that borders sounding a bit U-Shaped with clean, tame bass with good enough weight for it to not sound like a dry piece of crap and a LOT of energy in the upper regions. Very airy, sparkly, bright and energetic are just some adjectives I’d honor the Z4.
Drivability:
With an impedance of 32ohms and sensitivity of 108dB, you kind of expect this IEM to be quite easy to drive. Paired with the brighter tuning, this set sounds pretty good on even lower-powered devices. However, where this truly shines is when you throw some power. It smoothens the top end, makes the lower frequencies fuller and vocals overall sound more dynamic and rich despite the energy. Basically, it scales really well and I recommend getting a good source to pair with this.
Bass:
The bass of the Z4 is clean, tight and mature sounding. It doesn’t boost it unnecessarily, but exists when you need it to exist. I will admit, however, that it is quite bass why. Not necessarily rolled off as the subbass is still quite prominent in bass centric tracks, but definitely not the focus of the sound at all. Texture is not the most prominent, but note definition is quite good.
Listening to any kind of bassy tracks, whether it’d be HipHop, Funk or Pop will not get you grooving. But you’ll get to appreciate each note with a sense of maturity and elegance. Listening to something like Do I Wanna Know by Arctic Monkey’s won’t make you stomp on the ground, but it’ll make you appreciate the nuance of the bass notes quite well.
Mids:
The midrange of the Z4 is open, crisp and nuanced with both male and female vocals getting a lot of love. Instruments sound rich but sparkly. I particularly love lighter instruments like flutes, violins in the higher frequencies due to how clean and crisp they sound without any harshness. I will admit that this is not for the shout sensitives as there is a LOT of upper midrange to lower treble energy which affects female vocals, air instruments and percussive instruments. However, if you’re a vocal lover like me, this thing truly sings.
I especially love female vocals on the lower registers like Samara Joy, Laufey and Diana Krall. This is because the lower mids sounds so clean that the usually chesty sounding vocals sounds open and crisp. Especially in the case of Samara Joy’s Linger Awhile, the entire album perfectly matches the neutral bright sound of the Z4.
Treble:
Hot and smooth. Those are the two words I would describe the treble of the Z4. Hot because the energy that the Z4 has in the treble region is honestly treblehead levels, but it’s surprisingly smooth and sibilance free. I expected a thin, edgy sound to the Z4 knowing the past of Zhulinniao. But damn, the treble of this thing is addicting. It’s not the airiest sounding treble I’ve heard, nor is it the most detailed. It straddles the perfect balance of detail and smooth so perfectly. However, I would not in any way recommend this to treble-sensitive people at all.
Anything Jazz just sounds fantastic on the Z4. Throw some Esperanza Spalding or some Samara Joy and hear those cymbals sparkle without any unnecessary bite. Samara’s vocals also sound so energetic and crisp with the Z4, so much so I’m more than willing to say this is probably the best set to listen to specifically Samara Joy under $50. But I digress, it’s just so crisp and smooth.
Technicalities:
This is where it gets tricky. In terms of resolving ability and refinement, the Z4 is great. However, I feel like the Z4 is somewhat limited by the driver not being capable of having the cleanest separation and layering in the top end and tactility bass. I think that’s a perfectly fine compromise, especially at $40 and I still think that this is exceptional for $40. But when you’re competing with the likes of the EW200 at the same price point, it’s hard to just have pretty good technicalities especially when you’re going for a bright neutral sound. Nonetheless, it’s a very capable set at $40.
REAL WORLD USAGE:
Casual Use
As a casual use IEM, I found the Z4s to be satisfactory. Nothing too fantastic, but it looks and feels good to the touch. One thing I do whenever I’m just going about my day and I have nothing else going on, I take my IEM out and just stare at it. And it just so happens that the Z4 has a textured shell that I love to rub my finger against. It’s so satisfying to both touch and look at. However, I really don’t enjoy walking around with these as they often feel like they’re about to slip out. They’re quite stable with the S&S, but I still don’t feel confident in the fit. Plus, brigther IEMs are usually not my go to for media consumption or commutes.
Gaming Use
This is where I was surprised with the Z4 as it offered the perfect balance of being just vocal forward enough to bring out the higher frequency noises while still not sounding harsh or peaky on really loud setpieces. Obviously, that bass is the mood killer as I prefer a bit of midbass when I game due to footsteps often being in that lower midrange section, but the upper mids are just perfectly tuned to games like Valorant. Immersive or narrative games are also pretty good due to the vocal energy being just perfect for dialogue or small nuances like in Firewatch, but not so much in big set pieces from action-oriented games.
VS RED RING NOZZLE
I’ll be honest, on first listen the Red nozzle sounded kind of good to my ears. The vocal energy was so vibrant and sparkly that whatever I was listening to sounded so crisp. However, longer listening sessions made me realize how much it messes with the timbre, especially with how much the upper midrange masks the lower midrange and bass. So unless you’re listening to specifically upper mids focused genres, the stock nozzle will sound better all the time.
COMPARISONS
vs Simgot EW200
Compared to the Simgot EW200, the EW200 is better in terms of technicalities and detail, but is also more fatiguing and a little bit edgier in the treble. I also find the timbre of the Z4 to be just a tad bit better for specifically Samara Joy, but the bass dynamics and quantity makes the EW200 a considerably more fun IEM overall. The difference lies between the inclusions. The EW200 pales in comparison to the treasure trove that the Z4 offers. But sound wise, they’re quite on par overall but the EW200 edges the Z4 in fun and techs.
vs TRN Conch
Compared to the OG value god, the Conch has a considerably less refined sound despite also sporting a single DLC dynamic driver. The Conch is edgier, more sibilant and less technically capable sounding overall. The only thing they have in common is a very rich set of accessories and a very good build quality. But I would take the TRN Conch
vs Tanchjim One
Compared to the Tanchjim One, the Z4 has an overall cleaner and more open sound while the One is more fun and vibrant sounding. You get more low end impact and body with the One and you get more upper frequency energy with the Z4. Technicalities are better on the Z4 by a bit, but not by a big amount. The big difference, just like the EW200, is inclusions.
vs HZSound Heart Mirror
Compared to my baby love, the Heart Mirror, the Z4 offers a more refined sound but lacking the body that the Heart Mirror has to balance the treble energy. Technicalities are similar between the two and depending on what you listen to, the Heart Mirror might sound better but so can the Z4. The Heart Mirror sounds better on soprano and mezzo soprano vocals like Caity Gyorgy or Norah Jones while the Z4 sounds better on Laufey or Samara Joy. Still, both fantastic sets and will all depend on whether you want something with a little bit more spice or a little bit more accessories (and refinement)
vs CCA Pianist
Compared to the CCA Pianist, boths sets are vocal forward sets with subbass focus. The difference lies with the CCA Pianist having a ridiculously recessed midrange and a very distinct BA timbre that affects the overall timbre that the IEM has. The Z4 sounds considerably more natural while still providing a very similar level of technicalities compared to the Pianist. The Pianist does have a wider headstage thanks to the more open mids, but at the cost of lower midrange emphasis and body.
vs CCA Duo
Compared to the Duo, the Duo has a better tonal balance on both low mids and upper mids compared to the Z4, but the Z4 has a more refined and smoother overall sound with a tilt to the bright side. The body is better on the Duo but the Z4 has a cleaner-sounding upper midrange.
CONCLUSION
The Zhulliniao Qingluan Z4 is a fantastic first experience for me with the Zhulinniao brand. Such a clean-sounding bright-neutral IEM that fits my tastes, especially in jazzy or instrumental genres while offering a very delicious amount of accessories that only 1 IEM can compete against (in all the IEMs I’ve tried). It’s crazy how Zhulliniao was able to provide this much while also providing a very crisp and clean sound, unlike the other set that has a lot of accessories.
However, it is not perfect. The fit is not very good and it doesn’t really separate itself from the competition. There have been other vocal-centric sets that sound absolutely wonderful like the CCA Polaris, KZ D-Fi and my love the Heart Mirror that are all still very competent. The Z4 doesn’t really try to put itself out there sound wise, instead opting to provide a more complete experience than other sets. And for that I have full respect on Zhulliniao and will actively look forward to their upcoming sets.
Thank you for reading my review on the Zhulinniao Qingluan Z4. If you would like to order one, consider using the non-affiliated link below: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805582634689.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt
