KZ Ling Long
The KZ Linglong arrived at my door a couple weeks ago and I have listened to them quite a lot in that time frame. Ya know, I can’t help but notice that KZ is really stepping into a whole new version of themselves. Gone are the days of piercing treble and overblown bass. No sir, the new KZ is doing things much different than they used to. Please don’t get me wrong, KZ is what began my chifi journey and no matter what anyone has to say it was this company that taught me what good sound could be had at ultra-budget prices. Anymore, KZ may be creating ultra-budget sets, but the tuning is on another level, the build quality is on another level and their audience is maturing.
I cannot begin to list all the KZ earphones I’ve owned or tried over the years. It’s been quite a lot. However, it’s the newer sets which kind of form a line of delineation between the new and old. KZ really hit the ground running as they must have decided to step up their game because we are certainly seeing tuning styles which are much more audiophile than we have heard before. You could almost call it “New KZ” and “Old KZ”. The set I am reviewing today is a perfect display of these newer tuning choices, material choices, build quality choices and the cost is not any more than they used to be. Basically, you are definitely getting your money’s worth. I’d venture to say that this is exactly what KZ is going for. Friends, the KZ Ling Long….
Ling Long Pros
-Price
-Build Quality
-Great look
-Perfect for smaller ears
-Great for students
-Open back design gives an airier presentation
-Sub-bass has some rumble
-Nicely done V-shaped iem
-Mids are nicely done
-Soundstage
-Tone & Timbre
-A great carrying case
Ling Long Cons
-Fixed cable
-Nothing else at this price
Gear used
Packaging
There really isn’t much to jot down here concerning the packaging. The box is a simple one with a picture of the Ling Long earphones adorned on the front and that is about it. The first thing I noticed when opening the box up was something that I certainly wasn’t expecting… a case?!! So cool, more on that later. You also will find the Ling Long themselves as well as the eartips. I wouldn’t and shouldn’t expect some bounty of accessories and truthfully the fact that KZ added a case is a step up from everyone else at this price.
Build / Design / Internals / Fit
Build & Design
The Ling Long are a really fantastically built set of bullet style earphones. They are tiny, they feel very durable in hand, and they have a perfectly cylindrical shape from the open back vent to the taper at the nozzles. The design is absolutely awesome at this price. What a nice-looking little set! The open-back vent is a nice addition rather than going with traditional smaller vent holes. The idea is to promote a more visceral slam in the low end and to kind of balance out the spectrum a bit. The result is a more open sounding earphone much of the time. All things considered I’d say that KZ knocked this one out of the park. I realize I may be going a little hard on this but it’s nice to see that even those who have little in the way of money can afford something that is nice to look at and will last a long time.
Cable
The attached cable is also very nice. I never thought I would’ve said something like that. It has almost a silicone, soft rubber material in a whitish/clear color which is very pliable in hand. What I enjoy the most is that when I wind it up in my hand it mostly holds its form. It doesn’t bounce and bound all over the place in a spiderweb style mess. The Ling Long cable does also carry the option for a microphone, but I do not have that style, much to my preference. The cable feels nice in hand and isn’t microphonic and stays in its rolled-up shape so… It’s a winner.
Internals
KZ apted for the Xun-6 external magnet dynamic driver with a four-layer voice coil. I admittedly don’t know a ton about this driver but as far as I can tell there is a certain quality to it. That’s all I got, later I’ll speak on the sound.
Fit
I will venture to say that if you can’t get a good fit with the Ling Long then nothing can fit you, or, you don’t have ears. These bullet style earphones simply get pushed right in and so long as your tips selection suits your ears you should be golden. I have a perfect seal in my ears with the Ling Long and you should too. As far as isolation is concerned, the Ling Long don’t exactly suppress all outside noises, however in the same sentence I would say that they isolate about average. Some sound also gets released to the outside world as well. Nothing you shouldn’t expect.
Drivability
The Ling Long is rated at 25+3 ohms with a sensitivity of 103+3 db’s so they would seem to be fairly easy to drive from most any source. This is not completely true. For instance, I found that the IPad 6th generation was able to bring the Ling Long to volume yet struggled to really bring out the best in these lil baddies. These guys want good output power to shine. Doing so will empower the midrange a bit, moving them more forward and less recessed and it’ll tighten up the bass region.
Moving onto the IFi Go Blu was a major improvement, both in stage and dynamism. Of course, there is a warmer hue to the IFi Go Blu, so I tried out the Qudelix 5k which sounded the best between my bluetooth mobile options while using the Linglong. I also listened quite a lot with the Shanling M6 Ultra dap and I gotta tell you, the Ling Long really opened up and had fantastic synergy with this pairing, especially on high gain. In the end, I would try to use a decently powerful Dongle Dac with pretty good output power.
Quick Sound Impressions
The Ling Long is an open sounding, full sounding, rich sounding, warmish iem with a mature profile and an emphasis in the low-end, as well as a lightly graded rise to a taller peak in the upper midrange and lower treble. The Linglong is an open sounding set which has a warmth to its playback in such a way that doesn’t bring on that cramped feeling in the staging. It is not your run of the mill popular V-shape but rather a very mature sound in a tiny package.
Ling Long rumbles deep down low my friends, almost to Bass Boi levels yet stopping just short. Make no mistake, I’m sure the Bass Bois won’t be disappointed. Most of this bass rise is centered in the sub-bass area with a pretty clean mid-bass. Anyways, the Ling Long carries a hefty note weight in the lower midrange with a smoother and more relaxed presentation and some slight shimmer in the upper midrange. I wouldn’t say they are too recessed either as there is certainly some good & forward energy there. The treble region is not the most engaging, but it is pretty well transparent for the price tag and for the tuning. It is a warmer climate, yet the Ling Long definitely has enough up top to uplift the mix as a whole.
Bass Region
In any earphone review one of the first things, I check is the bass region and that did not change with this little bullet shaped bad boy. There is a definite rise in the sub-bass area which I do believe had to be done as the Ling Long is using a micro driver. Still, the sub-bass is very deep as seen in Faith No More‘s “Pristina“. The Ling Long takes this haunting sub-rumble and gives it meat and density which is way more than I expected. The sub-bass is deep enough, extended quite a bit and it growls.
The mid-bass has some slam to it but for the most part there is a mid-bass roll-off so to keep a cleaner and mud free midrange. Which is very much understandable. Even with the downward slope in this region there is still plenty of oomph and guttural appeal for bass guitars. I hear a decently well textured low-end that hits pretty darn hard. I’d even venture to say that the Ling Long is damn near close to basshead levels. It almost makes the moniker but misses on account of just the slightest held back presence down low.
All things considered the Ling Long’s low end is quality for its size. The bass is clean and well kempt and isn’t overdone or muddy. It strikes with good force and isn’t hollow, pillowy or lean. The attack edge isn’t the most concrete, but I don’t think it has to be and the decay is above average but enough to add some atmospheric musicality to my music.
Midrange
The midrange is recessed only slightly yet with good presence making vocals and instruments sound as though they are placed well within the stage. The sound isn’t veiled which is really saying something for a low-end heavy iem at this low price point. Males come across with some slight warmth but are mostly clean with adequate note weight. “Time Stands Still” by Foy Vance plays very well on the Ling Long as his voice is well. Separated from the rest of the melody and his grizzly voice comes through nicely resolute with and engaging sound.
Females have a certain smoothness as the upper midrange does have a bit of a rise. Females aren’t exactly sparkly or shimmery but there is some shimmer here. Sabrina Claudio in “IOU” sounds very melodic on the Ling Long. What Linglong does is capture the emotional aspects of a female voice very well. The upper midrange has a lusher presence than most while still feeling uplifted enough to sound energetic when they need to.
I don’t hear any sibilance or any nasty timbre. In fact, I’d say the Ling Long has a nice sounding timbre and tonality. Of course, it sits on the warmer side of things, but it isn’t bad at all. Now, the sound isn’t super open and airy, but I also wouldn’t call it congested either. There is nice separation for instruments and voices which is nice to see at this price. I keep going back to the price because the Ling Long really outshines the price tag in my opinion. The midrange is all together smoother yet still crisp, it’s warmer yet still tidy and clean.
Treble Region
The treble region is actually done very well. There is a nice elevation, yet it is free of any ear gouging peaks which would cause me to throw these things out of my ears. I actually hear a nice and airy presentation which isn’t bogged down in veil. Detail retrieval is actually pretty darn good too. Due to the open back nature of the Ling Long I find there is plenty openness which gives plenty of space for macro and micro details to emerge.
The transient response is on the quicker side with a snappy type of treble and enough rise in the presence region to add nice levity to the replay. Secondary harmonics of cymbal strikes, and hi-hats have a nice trail-off and don’t come across with any Tizz but have a solid body to them. Other percussion seems to follow suit on the Ling Long. All in all, I like the more breathable treble coupled with the nice slam down low.
Technicalities
Soundstage
The Ling Long does surprise a bit. I actually hear a wider than average soundstage with about average height and even some depth to the sound. There is a feeling of space to the stage and nothing feeling or sounding cramped or closed in. It’s quite a surprise to see such a small set of earphones actually provide a decent sized stage. I think of it as a well-rounded stage that is appropriate to my music library.
Separation / Imaging
The Ling Long has a nicely wide stage, tighter than normal transient attack and decay along with a pretty clean sound and that all translates to good separation of elements within a psycho-acoustic stage. Perhaps the only caveat would be if I am listening to a very congested track with a lot of commotion going on, in that instance it can trip up the Ling Long. However, anything simpler and the replay is great. Imaging follows the exact same story line. Left to right is spot on, there is depth here for some slight layering and for the most part all instruments and voices stay in their place. Again, the only caveat is how complicated the music is that is being played.
Details
Macro details come through with relative ease on the Ling Long as it has pretty good resolution and a decently clean replay. Micro details aren’t bad either as there are some subtleties which can be picked up on, but I wouldn’t call the Ling Long a detail king. This is simply not how this set is tuned. I’d say for the tuning and the price you are getting a clean and fun replay which can even pick up on some smaller details as well. Not bad by any stretch of the imagination.
Comparisons
KBear Dumpling
The KBear Dumpling (My Dumpling Review HERE) is also a more recent bullet style iem which comes without a detachable cable and does very well for its price. They come with a single 6mm Composite Diaphragm Driver and have a very nice build. Much like the Ling Long actually. Of course, between the two I’d say the Ling Long have them beat. The Ling Long is closer to neutral and more open sounding to the Dumpling’s more closed in and bassy sound.
Differences
When it comes to straight up build quality, the two of these iems go toe-to-toe. Both are made with an all-metal design, both are tiny, and both look pretty damn cool. If I had to give an edge to one of them it would definitely be the Ling Long. I love the shiny cylinder with the open back clearly visible. That said, the Dumpling have a very unique shape too and look pretty sharp.
Sound differences
The key sound differences here is the sound balance, resolution and sound cleanliness. The Dumpling have a warmer and more veiled approach to the sound. The Ling Long are much more open and cleaner without such a veil. The Dumpling do have a bit more slam down low, but it is also more pillowy and softer at the note edges. Whereas the Ling Long has a tight slam which is pronounced and more exact in its authority. Less in quantity but more in quality.
Midrange
The Ling Long has a more forward and airier midrange which doesn’t come across veiled at all. Males aren’t as cloaked in a warm wet blanket as they don’t have the burden of a huge amount of bass warming up the region. The Ling Long has better note definition which comes across more crisp and less blunted. However, the Dumpling has a more robust sound with thicker vocals in this area. Females have much more of a shimmer on the Ling Long while the Dumpling have a hint of better note weight and smoothness. Of the two the Ling Long is much more engaging with a much more enthralling presence to them.
Treble Region
The treble region of both sets has a nice extension with plenty of rise up top which does help tremendously in adding some light and bright energy. Still, I would say that the Ling Long is more composed and with a snappier treble and attack bite. Not a world of difference here but enough to bring out small details a lot better in my opinion.
Ratings (0-10)
*All ratings are judged by the price point as well as design style (bullet, hybrid, singleDD) listed above and all are very much subjective to my taste. Please keep in mind that a “5.0” is exactly average per the price point. In the case of the Ling Long the price point ranges from ($10-$25) and has to be bullet style.
Aesthetic
Build: 9.5 Build Quality per the price point
Design/Style: 9.5 Cosmetic/Aesthetic look & appeal
Overall: 9.5
Sonics
Timbre: 8.5 Timbre & tonality
Bass: 8.8 Bass quality per the price point
Midrange: 8.5 Midrange replay as a whole
Treble: 8.0 Treble replay as a whole
Technicalities: 7.5 Stage/details/Imaging/separation
P2P: 10.0 Price to performance
Overall: 8.6🔥🔥🔥🔥☄️
Is it worth the asking price?
The Ling Long is a very good set for its design style, build, sound, as well as that cool case. However, case or no case the Ling Long can stand on its merits as far as auditory abilities are concerned. I think the Ling Long is priced well, it’s priced appropriately. I don’t think it necessarily punches above its price point but it’s very well-tuned and sound very good with barely any issues.
You have to remember what is right above the price of the Ling Long. You have heavy hitters lined up ready to pounce. There are bona fide studs for a few bucks more. I believe the Ling Long is priced correctly and for the money you would be getting a high quality iem. The only disparaging thing here is that for a couple bucks more you could have the QKZ X-HBB for instance, with a removable cable. I could name quite a few more after that. Still, I maintain that for the asking price the Ling Long is a solid choice.
Top in its class
I could take things a layer further. If bullet style iems are the only thing you enjoy, then the Ling Long is top in its class in my opinion. Nothing touches it at this price. It’s cheap and it’s built rock solid with a very nicely balanced and mature tuning. I really do enjoy the sound quite a bit. Does it take out the other style iems $10 more or double the price more, probably not. However, for a student on a tiny income who just needs a solid set to throw in their bookbag and pull out whenever they just need to hear their favorite jam, the Ling Long is the best choice I’ve heard. KZ did a wonderful job here and it shows how far they’ve come as a company and brand when their rock bottom set does this well. Really KZ, you did a phenomenal job here!
Conclusion
As I conclude my full review of the KZ Ling Long I want to thank the good people of KZ and Tyvan Lam for providing this set in exchange for a fair and honest review. As always, I haven’t been asked to say a word, no coercing, no payments. My integrity is all that I have anymore, and I wouldn’t sell it for a $17 iem. The words I have spoken here are my tried-and-true feelings, nothing more and nothing less. So, thank you KZ for this review sample, it means a lot.
Also, please take in other perspectives and listen to, watch, or read other reviews from other people. I am only me and I am the only one of me as none two humans are exactly alike. We all have different likes and dislikes, different gear, our hearing can be different and the audio journey that we have been on can be completely different. Please seek out other thoughts as well as mine. With that, I also want to thank you, for reading any of my words. I truly love to write about this hobby as it brings me great joy and I am glad to share that with you all. Who knows, maybe one of these days I’ll start to get decent at it… Lol. Please take good care and try to stay as safe as possible.