On the topic of moon drop they have been so far the most consistent hype brand in the budget range to really be actually good and have even adessed issue int he past like with the filters on the starfield and keep constantly pushing specific budgets by taking more expensive iems and making them cheaper. Will also add if you have $12 to spare to check out new moon drop the hype on the cheap little quarks is pretty well deserved imo and is probably my favorite sub $30 right now purely due to the smooth and relatively balanced sound kinda replaced the mh 755 for me which is my long time sub $30 favorite.
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@Alan_Cronin I’ll be curious to hear your thoughts on the Mele here since I’m a fan of the BL-03.
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Just saw his vid on the BLON BL MAX. It looks interesting…2DD on a budget IEM.
I’m not much of a reviewer so take this with a pint of salt.
The Mele is a good IEM. I haven’t heard any BLON IEMs but I hear that the Mele is targeted at that segment, both in terms of price and tuning.
Build / Cable / Fit
The build is fantastic, it feels really solid with the shell being made of metal and the face plate being designed by Reecho & Peacock (I think). The entire thing looks great and far more expensive than a €50 product.
The cable is light and does not tangle, you can get an upgraded version but the stock one is fine as is.
The overall weight is light and does not put any pressure on any one part of the ear, granted everyone’s ears are different. I was wearing them for hours without discomfort.
These are easy enough to drive as well and don’t require an amplifier.
Bass
This is where the Mele focuses most of it’s attention. The bass is not impactful but has a speed to it that allows you to discern various bass instruments from each other. It extends well down into the sub bass region and does not muddy the mids. It reminds me of a good planar where it can hit hard enough but still be quick.
Mids
Instruments such as guitars and vocals are present and are not overwhelmed by the bass, they are clear and distinct. The mid frequencies do not sound compressed but the dynamics in this area is not the best.
Highs
There is not much extension to the highs, but for this IEM I don’t think there is supposed to be. Cymbal strikes and upper registries of vocals do not come through. This is the are where electret or BA drivers fill in the space.
Due to this I have not experienced any fatigue with these IEMs, there is no large peak that starts to agitate long listening sessions. These can be work for hours without trouble.
Soundstage / Imaging
The soundstage is a bit larger than your head and there is plenty of room for the instruments to separate so they are not too crowded.
Imaging is not great, it feels like the soundstage was favoured over the precision of the elements in the sound. Each sound comes from a rough area instead of a precise location as with other IEMs / headphones.
Detail Retrieval
There is enough detail retrieval to enjoy the music but it is not going to beat out anything at a higher price point such as IEMs like the Mangird Tea / Blessing 2 Dusk.
Conclusion
These IEMs have some shortcomings however they are excellent for the price. They are worth way more than €50, the build alone is worth that much. A lot of headphones / IEMs are tuned for a specific sound, for example Grados are fantastic at vocals and acoustic music and they have that kind of Grado sound throughout their line up (at least the ones I have listened to). For this IEM it is tuned for rock music. Something with a lot of congested instruments or heavy use of bass guitars and drums. The tuning for this is spot on, if you listen to rock / metal then these are definitely worth checking out. For the price of €50 it is worth getting them as something that can be thrown into a bag and enjoyed where ever.
These are not analytic IEMs but they allow you to enjoy the music, especially with the bass region emphasized they become fun. I have been wearing them while writing this and I don’t feel the need to reach for anything else once finished.
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It’s a shame for me since I probably would’ve tried these out if it didn’t mean giving bggar money 
You’ll be looking in the second hand market then. 
Yeah I may end up doing that, although I do want some other stuff that’s higher tier too
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This won’t beat IEMs that are higher tier but for the price it is a very good IEM. It all comes down to if you think you will get use out of it.
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Oh yeah, I love my little SSRs, gonna be seeing how it is on my p6p soon 
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Just posting here cause why not but def agree the teas are solid for the money
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Must say the Starfields are still the pinacle of my setup, albeit I don’t have anywhere near as much as you guys do. They were basically my first proper entry into the hobby and are still the top of what I think are the best sounding things I have, I dont use them all that often tbh but I purely think thats because I like using them for when im actually just sitting and listening rather than doing other things. I enjoy them more than anything I have. My new Q accoustics may come in close but due to the nature of speakers my room just isnt up to the task i assume as I have no accoustic treatment and it is quite bad tbh. But back onto the Starfields, Ive had 0 issues day one im currently on some spinfits as they really do make a decent difference but apart from that nothing. No paint chipping, even came with removable filters (assuming I got the revision to the first model) I also most likely hit the nail on the head with their sound signature with what I listen to they just power through it like no other. Defo worth the cost imo
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Can’t speak to whether they’re actually good or not but I just came across Chinese knock off Voxitiv drivers. Yikes.
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My two favourite IEMs are chi-fi:
- Letshuoer S12
- Unique Melody MEXT
I love them both and i think the S12 is an awesome bang for the buck.
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I just sold all my other IEMs (minus the two Thieaudio ones), so my current favorites remain:
- Goldplanar GL-AMT16
- Softears Twilight
- QDC 8SL
- LZ A6 & LZ A7
The AMT16 on foams with the fully open nozzle configuration is easily the most resolving IEM I’ve listened to, kind of ridiculous. With the UTWS5 it’s like having a fullsize planar on-the-go (even though it’s AMT.)
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Simgot SuperMix 4. My new favourite IEM. £130 Iish, v-shaped, engaging, brings drums out, spacious and surprisingly holographic. Good imaging, great for gaming. Needs 20 ISH hours burn in. Pairs well with original Mojo.
I hear this IEM the same as this guy: https://youtu.be/MyNhdj_BIu4?si=0gxq7ffY7KuyJnAW
Listen to some Toto with these 
Very true! Lampizator was a modder with basically a blog page before he went into proprietary development. I remember the website Pacific Valve and Electric which I always thought sounded like a utility company, sold nothing but ChiFi brands like MHZS (one of my first CD players) and Lampizator would rip them apart, explain how poorly they were designed and mod them to be better. That was a looooong time ago
Interesting distinguishing the term “ChiFi” as just the lower-tiered questionable quality stuff. I can dig that. I just always lumped anything from China as ChiFi, but to peoples’ point here, brands like Cayin, HiFiMan and Line Magnetic rise above that.
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Have had this long enough and listened to it plenty. Blon Z300 is worth your ~£25. And I’m not saying that because the of the price, nice metal housing, or nice cable… This sound great. Warm and bassy, but not too much of either. I really do not like bloat, so warm and bassy is not something I typically seek out, but these walk that line well.
Qobuz > SU-1 > Chord Mojo > Z300 (foam tips)
I have just randomly stuck on David Gilmore’s new album ‘Luck and Strange’ and it has been a brilliant experience. I thought this IEM was nice enough when I first got it. The build quality was surprisingly good… But it does everything so well. It even stages well, something I didn’t pick up on when I first got it.
It’s not a world-beater, but it is certainly “Chi-fi that’s Actually Good”.
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Lol the return of oppoty and letmusicburn
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I love equipment like this, and to boot those look great too 
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Don’t forget Driams
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