BLON B50

SenyorC

100+ Head-Fier
As we move up in frequency, we move down in quality...
Pros: Built to withstand almost anything, cable is decent...
Cons: Basically no adjustment, heavy, not a sound that I am a fan of...
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The Blon B50 were sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. Linsoul have not made any requests or comments and I will do my usual best to be as sincere and unbiased in this review as possible.

You can find the B50, via Linsoul, by visiting the version of this review published on my blog (link at the end of this post).

As always, it is a non-affiliate link.

To avoid being repetetive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews

Intro…

I have actually had the Blon B50 for some time but haven’t really gotten around to them until now. As the temperatures start to climb rapidly here, hitting between 30 and 35C every day, I decided it was best to focus on testing these closed back headphones before the heat starts to get, let’s say, uncomfortable.

The B50 are a set of budget oriented headphones by the brand that is more known for its IEMs than over ears, although they do have a few models of headphones, none of which I have tried. This specific set is available for just under 120€ on Linsoul at the time of putting together this review, which, in my opinion, is a very reasonable price for a set of headphones… if they are decent that is.

So, after using the B50 at my desk, finding that they are easily powered by anything with a headphone jack, here are my opinions on these headphones.

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Presentation…

I have to say that I was very surprised by the packaging of the BL50, which arrives without even being in a box! The normal brown shipping box used by Linsoul opened to reveal a rectangular semi-rigid storage case just sitting inside.

Opening the case didn’t get any better either. The interior of the case is just an empty space inside which the headphones were placed in a clear zip-lock bag, with the included cable in another zip-lock bag, and a simple warranty/info card.

That is it. I would say that the presentation being sparse would be a bit of an understatement but they do at least give us a storage case and if the savings are spent on the headphones themselves, then I am all for saving on packaging where possible.

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Build and aesthetics…

Let’s get the aesthetics out of the way first, I am not really a fan. They have a bit of a retro look going on but, honestly, I think it makes them look more “cheap” than “retro”. I think the main thing that turns me off as far as looks are those large gold diamonds with blue text and decor. These are mounted on solid metal cups that are a darkish grey colour which is not terrible but doesn’t match the metal used on the headband either, making it look like it was put together with random parts.

Moving on to build quality, credit should be given where credit is deserved. There is no shortage of metal used on the B50, with metal cups, yokes and headband, all seeming well assembled and looking like they would withstand quite a bit of abuse. When fully extended, there is a bit of play in the part that extends but it is not bad and I would say that, for 120€, these are very well built.

As far as comfort, this is obviously going to vary from one person to the next but personally I found them to be very comfortable. There isn’t much in the way of adjustment, just some tilt (very little) to the cups and the extension of the headband but in my case they fit well. They are also on the heavy side, which is understandable due to them being completely made of metal, but I didn’t find them tiring, mainly due to the soft pads, decent clamp and the (faux) leather headstrap that just all click into place with my personal anatomy. Again, this is going to be very different for each and every one of us, so it is worth noting that there is no swivel or really much adjustment at all, they will either be comfortable on your head or they won't.

Before moving on, I have to say tha the included cable is quite nice, being superior to many cables received with other headphones at price points above these. It is a simple fabric covered twist which then divides into single 3.5mm connectors, one for each side. It is a lightweight cable that isn’t prone to tangling (or having a life of its own) and, while it may not be a boutique cable, I like it.

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Sound…

All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)

Now on to the important part, how does it does it perform in the audio realm. Well, I’m afraid that it doesn’t do great. There is a strange overall presentation of music with the B50 that is difficult to explain but I will try.

First off, as always, the graph:

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I have included the HD6XX just for comparison's sake so you can get a reference as to what the basic frequency response is like. Now it is not really fair to compare the measurements of a closed back headphone against an open back as closed backs rarely measure well (at least the ones that I have measured) and while sometimes the measurements look rather weird, it is possible that the sound is not as weird as the graph would suggest.

As an example, here is another graph comparing the the B50 to the Beyerdynamic Custom Studio, which is another closed back headphone:

B50%20vs%20CS%20(pos%202).jpg


In this case, you can see that the CS measurements are also all over the place in comparison to an open back but these are a set of closed back headphones that I actually find myself using when I need over ear isolation. No, they are not the best sounding headphones I have but they are not terrible either.

But anyway, enough of the squiggly lines and let’s get to how I find the B50 to perform in my subjective opinion, starting off with the subbass.

The lowest frequencies are actually not bad, they do have a bit of a roll off in the lowest frequencies but manage to stay from being too boomy in that low end. My usual “Chameleon” test track is a long way from being the cleanest I have heard but they are still fairly decent in these lower ranges. If you are looking for an extreme rumble in the lowest frequencies then they aren’t going to give you that but seeing that they stay coherent, I can’t really complain.

Midbass actually seems a little hollow, without much presence, which is again not a bad thing. I would rather there be some absence of midbass than an overly bloated mess that some other closed backs have in this area. Although there is a dip around the 200Hz mark, they don’t actually sound like the lower notes are too detached from the mids, avoiding that “separate subwoofer” feeling that I have found with some other sets that have a similar dip.

Unfortunately, as we move up from this range, things get progressively worse moving through the mids and then into the upper ranges. The B50 give a sensation of having holes in the frequency response, with certain groups of frequencies being elevated while others are just not there. This gives a very unrealistic timbre to acoustic instruments and, when listening to more electronic focused music, gives the impression that a DJ has been playing with his effects and forgot to turn the knobs back to neutral.

Vocals somehow manage to be recessed yet peaky and harsh at the same time, going from not being quite upfront to attacking you, all at the same time. This is the case with both female and male vocals, however, females can portray the harshness much more than in the case of males.

Sibilance is present but doesn’t really stand out as much as it would if there weren't other harsher things going on around it. Again, the impression that I get is that some kind of effect has been activated and not removed, this can make certain parts of songs in the upper ranges actually quite painful. I did find myself removing the headphones on occasions until I could change tracks.

Soundstage is actually not too bad for a closed back set of headphones and if it wasn’t for the weirdness in sound, I think imaging would be fairly decent also, but as it stands, it is difficult to locate things accurately due to those dips and peaks in both music and vocals.

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Conclusion…

I can’t see the point in going deeper into this review as the Blon B50 just don’t agree with me. I am not sure what went on with the tuning of these headphones but the outcome is… strange.

While I would love to say that they are a good alternative for a specific use case or genre, I’m afraid that I haven’t found it personally. They are comfortable and seem like they will withstand abuse, meaning that you could probably throw these about in a bag and not worry about them but, to be brutally honest, I’m not sure that the weight would be worth it.

_____

As always, this review is also available in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)

SherryLion

New Head-Fier
Worth the price ? The Blon B50
Pros: 1. Premium Build
2. Fun and Engaging sound
3. Well controlled response
Cons: 1. Weird Tonality
2. Average Technicalities

Review OF The Blon B50


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Introduction


It is nothing new to see Blon, a Chinese company that specialises in making IEMs like the Blon 03, Blon 05, etc., release a headphone. As a result of the numerous affordable headphones they've produced and the warm reception they've gotten for them. However, they recently unveiled the Blon B50, a closed-back headphone that is one of the more reasonably priced options on the market. Let's determine if they are worth their value or not, but before we do, let's clarify a few things.

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Disclaimer


*Since this unit tour was organised by the kindly people at Linsoul, I am grateful to them. And as I've said in all of my evaluations, the same is true for this one: all of the concepts I've expressed below are entirely my own, original ideas that haven't been influenced by anyone else. If interested, go to this link.

*I am not associated with the connection, and I receive no financial assistance from anyone.

*For the remainder of the review, I will refer to these IEMs as "B50."

*Finally, I will only evaluate the B50 based on their performance, even though I will explain how it feels and seems physically and aesthetically.



Specification


A 50mm composite diaphragm connected to a 3.5mm connection is used in the Blon B50 closed-back dynamic driver headphones. The headphones feel substantial and high-quality in the hand, but they are larger than they appear because I did not need to adjust the scales on either side of the band. The head cup's supporting bars are made of steel and die-cast zinc alloy, and the head cup is made of anodized CNC aluminum. The entire body is made of metal. Under the metal head frame, there is a leather strap. Additionally, L and R are printed under the earpads so it is clear which one is left and which one is right. The earpads are plush and feel premium, so wearing them doesn't make you uncomfortable during extended listening sessions. Although I expected it to be a little lighter than what is advertised, I must say that these headphones are built incredibly well for the price. Other than that, using these with my LG G8X and Samsung S8 is very convenient. The supplied cable has 3.5mm connections on both sides and resembles the FAAEAL HFM02, which in my opinion is a really great cable. The connection to the headphones has a separate 3.5mm jack for the left and right channel, and the termination jack is an L-shaped 3.5mm. However, the termination plug on the headphones was broken when I got them, so I had to solder a different 3.5mm jack to the cable to make it work. The B50 comes with just a cable and a sturdy case as accessories. In terms of technical specifications, the frequency response ranges from 20Hz to 20kHz, and the impedance is 32 Ohms. The sensitivity is 117 dB.

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Sound


The sound of the B50 is weirdly fun, it is not that anyone can accept out of an closed back headphone but the tuning is off for most of the time. The treble sounds like sparkly yet feels like something is missing, The mid range sounds it is gonna break through and come forward and yet shatters any of my expectation. The bass is one thing that I love about them which is punchy and deep with no slack offs with the slams. The overall performance may bring people to feel cool and non engaging sound and I agree with that. Though there is more to it, as after a long time listening and observing them, I'd like to speak more about them rather than sliding them off with just uneven tuning, I mean I won't be unless these weren't these cheap. So let's explore more about the sound.

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Treble


Right off the bat the treble sounds transparent yet hollow, everything feels almost incomplete or under achieved. The treble doesn't come out as a listener may anticipate. But the headphones brings around the surround presentation where I cannot excuse the fact that the vocals and instruments sound extensive even they they have lost their weight in the process. The upper treble sounds lean and extensive, the vocals seems to stretch over a nice extend where as the instruments sound shimmery and too clean which may dissolve into singular notes and cause sibilance over top notes. I am sufficed enough to listen to them because the bass brings over the balance and ease the offensiveness in the treble. The vocals have a sharp tone to them even though they don't come to sound sibilant, the female vocals sometimes become too sharp. The air and space around the head feels really nice if can get used to it as it gives more pronounced details of vocals and instruments but whether it suffice you or not is on you. The same goes for the whole response of the mix. The lower treble seems to have good energy and doesn't sound too crisp and come to sound offensive. The vocals can be vivid while the instruments brings out the best of of it even though there still characteristics of being lean and weightless. By the word weightless I don't mean if they are light or blissful but they have no sense of tonal friendliness towards the response, which means they have a sweet and metallic timbre to it. The approach of these vocals and the instruments isn't even forward, though I'd appreciate it if they did It would've been unlistenable. Well the overall presentation of the treble is too clean, weightless and sibilant.

Mid Range


The mid range is somewhat more manageable than the treble response, the presentation may bring out less effective approach to your sense of how the balance between tone and timbre should be but they have more to spoken about. The upper mid range sounds a little artificial, the vocals and the instruments tends to be expressive even though they don't present themselves forward in the mix. They feel a little laidback, as the vocals especially the female vocals do not come across very well and established. The instruments try to hold off such response and brings out more energy with a more natural way. Yet they still sound different and all their effort seems to fail with a vague and diminishing response. It is not that they don't sound energetic or subdued by any other frequency, they only sound like they have no reason to be their and can achieve more. The lower mid range is to blame if what I observed is right because they don't have a proper body, a foundation to sound fuller and richer. The lower mid range sounds well recessed with no dense approach in the mix. The vocals and instruments only sound pushed back but doesn't bring the warmth or the note weight to the upper frequencies. the basslines not even sound right. They bring out the lean signature, I have been listening to, the whole time in the treble region. All in all the presentation of the mid range is underwhelming, artificial and lean in nature.

Bass


The bass response is only what I can accept with my heart, as the response is really clean and controlled. I must also add that the bass doesn't sound warm and welcoming, it is quite the opposite. The sub bass extension is nice and deep where the punches and rumble comes across properly, like I expected it to. The bass goes deep and keeps the impact controlled and gives a little body to the whole response. Even though mid bass presence is felt, the effect is not felt promising as the slam doesn't hit hard enough with the response being clean and subdued. The tacky and clinging approach of the sub bass sometimes feels engaging with bass heavy tracks though, well expected from a closed back headphone especially a headphone under this price range. I must also add that their is no unevenness or off weird tuning in this region. Usually closed back dynamic driver headphone sound fulfilling with their warm and dense approach, resulting in a rounded and soft response. The B50 should've been more versatile and tactile with it's response too, I mean this is what I feel the reason behind such tuning, yet it wasn't successful. Otherwise they weren't able to with such incompetent drivers. Well I liked the bass with good and behaved response. The overall response of the Bass region is tactile, punchy and rumbles deep with good control over it.

Technical Performance


Coming to the technical performance, to perform with such traits the B50 which is a closed back headphone is quite impressive. The stage is wide enough to sound spacious and the imaging is quite well clean. The separation is distinctive but not enough distant to bring a more better positioned elements. The resolution is not that great though the detail retrieval is nice. The speed of resolving such notes is fairly paced.

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Soundstage, Sound Imaging & Separation


The soundstage is wide enough to sound spacious, I mean the stage is proper and sufficed me with the depth. The imaging is sharp enough to bring a better welcome details. The separation is not quite distant enough, though the distinctiveness of notes makes it up for it as I am able to bring out from which direction the sound is coming from.

Speed & Resolution


Coming to the resolution it is quite average for a headphone under this price range to bear where as the detail retrieval is nice enough to bring out the sense of what the headphones are trying to do. The attack and decay of notes feels fairly paced but not that impressive.

Sound Impressions


Sources


Tempotec V6 - While pairing with the V6, the sound was not quite to my liking as the treble felt harsh with sibilance where the mid range wasn't much forward, though the bass response was right and impactful. The soundstage was wide enough and the imaging was was good too though the separation was not fulfilling when it comes to the response. The resolution was keeping up and the details were alright too with speed of resolving quick enough to sound not messy.

iFi Hipdac - pairing with the hipdac, the sound became more round and soft, the treble became more sibilant though but a little pulled back which I believe gave the mid range forwardness in the mix, as the response became more fulfilling and the vocals and instruments felt more approachable. The bass became more meatier and the slams felt more realistic with the same punchiness and rumbles sense. The stage felt a little closer with a more filling response where the imaging and separation felt the same. The resolution came to suffer with details coming out vague. The attack of notes felt quick yet the decay wasn't resolving enough. All in all, I liked the pairing with the hipdac more with a more welcoming response.

Aune X7S - When used the amplifier even though the headphones are quite efficient to be used using a mobile. The reponse became more linear though no balance between the region felt tonally, but the technicalities felt changed as the response became more detailed, diverse and effective. Not by much but with this improvement, I am relieved a bit.


Comparision with Sennheiser 6XX


The comparison is unfair and I agree, as not only the 6XX are open back, they're also expensive. I'll try be modest and less harsh on the B50. When compared with the 6XX, the response of the B50 was spacious, a little better staged and better bass control but that is all. The 6XX sounds much better tonally and somewhat technically as well. Though for a headphone being closed back and available under such an affordable price, I must say that I am impressed with the B50.

Tracks Used


Luna Haruna - Glory days

Luna Haruna - Overfly

Rokudenashi - The Flame of Love

LMYK - 0 (zero)

ORESKABAND - Jitensya

Marina Horiuchi - Mizukagami no Sekai

RADWIMPS - Suzume

Indila - Love Story

Indila - Tourner dans le vide

Earth, Wind & Fire - September

Tom Petty - Free Fallin'

Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit

Blue Oyester Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper

Guns 'N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine

The Police - Every Breath You Take

Gojira - Amazonia

TV on the radio - Wolf Like Me

Bring Me To The Horizon - Can You Feel My Heart

Bring Me To The Horizon - sTraNgeRs

Avril Lavigne - Dare To Love Me

Travis - Love Will Come Through

Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know

DJ Shadows - Six Days (Remix) [feat. Mos Def]

Lady Gaga - Just Dance

Lil Wayne - Lollipop

Flo Rida - Low

Sebastian Lopez & Flug - Electronic Measures

Federico Mecozzi - Blue (Da Ba Dee)

Wayve - Not Enough

Kai Wachi & TeZATalks - Ghost

NGHTMRE, Zeds Dead & Tori Levett - Shady Intentions

Zeds Dead, DNMO & GG Magree - Save My Grave

Skrillex, Noisia, josh pan & Dylan Brady - Supersonic

Skrillex & Nai Barghouti - Xena

Skrillex, Missy Elliott & Mr. Oizo - RATATA

Kaifi Khalil, Eva B & Wahab Bugti - Kana Yaari

A.R. Rahman, Javed Ali & Mohit Chauhan - Kun Faya Kun


Conclusion


Coming to the end of the review, I am not sure if I can recommend any one to own these, it is not they are worse or anything, they are acceptable but again I cannot waver off the tonality despite being good with the technicalities. I'd sure ask everyone to at least try these.

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Grim13
Grim13
> The resolution is not that great though the detail retrieval is nice.
How is that? I thought resolution = detail, isn't that right?
S
SherryLion
Not to worry I can see where you're getting confused; when I said "detail retrieval," I meant the expressive presentation of the notes. The resolution as a whole describes the details that are perceived. For me, overall resolution refers to the entire image that is displayed and how it appears, whereas details are the annoyances that give the image high definition. Even though I could be mistaken. Without a doubt, I welcome correction. Even so, I have confidence in my words.
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