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Blon BL-03
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TheMusicalMystic
New Head-Fier
Pros: 1. Sound quality for the price
2. Build like a tank
3. Comfort (Subjective)
4. Versatile sound signature
2. Build like a tank
3. Comfort (Subjective)
4. Versatile sound signature
Cons: 1. Cable on the flimsy side
2. Lack of tight bass impact (subjective)
3. Eartips
2. Lack of tight bass impact (subjective)
3. Eartips
The BLON-03 in-ear monitors (IEMs) had quite a buzz in the audio community, and after spending some quality time with them, it's time to weigh in on the excitement. Let's dive in, shall we?
These tiny beasts pack a punch in the clarity department. The BLON-03's 8mm dynamic driver delivers a pristine listening experience. You can expect to hear every note crystal clear, making them perfect for audiophiles craving intricate details. The ergonomic design is like a snug, audio-hugging pillow for your ears. The fit is secure, even during long listening sessions, and they're incredibly lightweight, so you won't be doing the IEM shuffle.
For their price, the BLON-03 offer excellent value for money. You won't have to break the bank to enjoy high-quality sound. These IEMs are well-suited for a variety of music genres, thanks to a warmish sound signature. They can rock out with the best of them, but also lend themselves to mellower tracks.
But there is main con, The cable that comes with the BLON-03 could use an upgrade. It's a bit on the flimsy side, so you might want to invest in a sturdier option.
If you're a basshead looking for earth-shattering lows, these may not be your jam. The bass is present and accounted for but stays well-behaved.
In conclusion, the BLON-03 IEMs are a delightful surprise for the budget-conscious audiophile. With their clarity, comfort, and versatility, they punch above their weight. However, if you demand premium build quality and thunderous bass, you might want to look elsewhere like QKZ X HBB, 7Hz Legato or Ikko OH10. For those on the hunt for a sonic adventure without emptying your wallet, the BLON-03 are a solid choice. Happy listening!
Songs I used to test -
These tiny beasts pack a punch in the clarity department. The BLON-03's 8mm dynamic driver delivers a pristine listening experience. You can expect to hear every note crystal clear, making them perfect for audiophiles craving intricate details. The ergonomic design is like a snug, audio-hugging pillow for your ears. The fit is secure, even during long listening sessions, and they're incredibly lightweight, so you won't be doing the IEM shuffle.
For their price, the BLON-03 offer excellent value for money. You won't have to break the bank to enjoy high-quality sound. These IEMs are well-suited for a variety of music genres, thanks to a warmish sound signature. They can rock out with the best of them, but also lend themselves to mellower tracks.
But there is main con, The cable that comes with the BLON-03 could use an upgrade. It's a bit on the flimsy side, so you might want to invest in a sturdier option.
If you're a basshead looking for earth-shattering lows, these may not be your jam. The bass is present and accounted for but stays well-behaved.
In conclusion, the BLON-03 IEMs are a delightful surprise for the budget-conscious audiophile. With their clarity, comfort, and versatility, they punch above their weight. However, if you demand premium build quality and thunderous bass, you might want to look elsewhere like QKZ X HBB, 7Hz Legato or Ikko OH10. For those on the hunt for a sonic adventure without emptying your wallet, the BLON-03 are a solid choice. Happy listening!
Songs I used to test -
- "Tere Bina" (from the movie "Guru") by A. R. Rahman"Kandisa" by Indian Ocean"Tum Itna Jo Muskura Rahe Ho" by Jagjit Singh"Raabta" (Unplugged) by Arijit Singh"Teri Deewani" by Kailash Kher"Raga Jog" by Ravi Shankar"Breathless" by Shankar Mahadevan"Nayan Tarse" (from the movie "Dev D") by Amit Trivedi"Sun Saathiya" (from the movie "ABCD 2") by Shreya Ghoshal
nofacemonsterThis proves that you really don't have to sell a kidney to get some good sound....! damn good pair of IEM's.Lebot
New Head-Fier
Cozy Pros: Price
Decent soundstage
Very present Bass
Warm and natural mids
Vocals never get shouty
Build qualityCons: Stock cable
Stock tips
Imaging
FitAt this point i guess i don't have to explain what's Blon, right?
"What's Blon?"
Dude, do you live under a rock?
Ok, i'll (try) to explain for you.
Blon is an chinese headphone brand that became very popular after release the Bl 03.
The Bl 03 are cheap iems that quickly became very popular in the audio comunity.
"Why?"
I gonna explain in this review, be patient.
Build quality and fit
The Blons are made in metal, so they feel pretty solid, but due the metal they are a bit heavy.
The conectors are an weird kind of 0.78 2 pins.
The fit is terrible.
The shells themselves are not the problem.
The main problem is the nozzles, that are too short, then the fit is pretty shallow and some people can't get an good seal.
Fortunately, this can be fixed with aftermark eartips, like spinfits.
As we're talking about eartips, lets talk about the stock eartips and cable.
It comes with 6 pairs of silicone tips.
The eartips are really bad, i can't get a decent seal with they, so i can't talk about how they sound, but the materials aren't good.
Feels very fragile and not well made.
Sadly (not at all) i've lost most part of the tips, so i can't show them.
The cable is also bad, but not due to the wires themselves, and due to the earhooks.
The earhooks are molded in a weird shape and with a stiff plastic that have a "spring" effect.
The cable itself isn't that bad, actually IMO is better than the old Kz brown cables, but it tangles a lot.
The sound
This is the reason of these little guys are so famous.
They have an warm sound signature, with focus on the bass.
The bass is strong but i would not call this a basshead iem.
It's on the relaxed side, so it sounds very organic and natural, with a good impact and decent texture.
Due to the more relaxed kind, the bass isn't the fastest, then for complexe tracks i would not recommend the Blons.
The mids are my favorite part about this iem.
They sound a bit veiled, but due to the naturality i can forgive it.
The mids are on the warmer side, vocals sound pretty smooth and never gets shouty.
Instruments sounds very correct and wont be agressive like some other cheap iems.
The treble is the worst part of the Blons.
They aren't bad, but at the sabe time aren't as good as the bass and mids.
It lacks air and sound a bit lifeless sometimes.
Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage is actually decent, but the imaging isn't the best.
You can distinguish if the sound comes from the left, right, back or front, but you can't pickpoint.
Details
The details are fine, not bad but not amazing, just ok.
Conclusion
For the price, the Blons are good, they sound very natural and fun, but it can suffer in busy songs though.
If you don't listen to very complex tracks, it will be an decent option under 30$.
Sorry if my english sucks, english isn't my first language, i'm learning.
Last edited:stevenhertzbergI have found that the tangle prone stock cable actually sounded better with these drivers than a few after markets. As long as you let the cable hang down and not around your ear it’s a symbiotic match.However, I can’t help you with the tangles. Once you get them to seal properly and feed them with a lot of power they are amazing and not just for the price. Very underrated in my opinion.Oaudio
New Head-Fier
benjamaestro
New Head-Fier
The Dark Horse of Chi-Fi Pros: Best price to performance ratio in the entire Chi-Fi Market thus far
IMHO, can compete with sub $500 IEMs (Hybrids/Tribrids/Planars)
Deep digging bass with strongest punch/thump I have ever heard in an IEM
Excellent Sub Bass with luscious slow and thick decay
Forward sounding mids where male and female vocals sound airy, crisp and warm
Sparkling yet non fatiguing highs and treble
Holographic Soundstage
Tight
Organic sound signature
Most musically coherent IEM in Chi-Fi history yet
Good for all genres of music
Revealing yet not analytic
Coloured yet not over the top
Dark sounding yet complementing the lows
TOTL Midbass punch/thump
Really fun to listen to
Give Life Back To MusicCons: Quality Check (QC) of BLON BL-03 could be better
Unit arrived with earpiece right side connector looser than left side connector
Led to sound imbalance
Not for people who seek neutrality (boring and analytic) over musicality (organic coherence)
Not for people who think the price to performance ratio is unbelievable
Not for people who think BLON BL-03's 1 Dynamic Driver is synonymous with subpar technicalitiesBLON BL-03 (Silver) Review by Benjamaestro
These Dynamic-Driver (DD) In Ear Monitors (IEMs) are among the best bang-for-buck DD IEMs in the Chinese Hifi (Chi-Fi) market. Before I go into reviewing the BL-03, I would like to state that I purchased the IEM from Linsoul Audio, and am in no way sponsored to write this post.
First up, these cost me 22.99USD, which equates to $31.50. That’s about the cost of 2 plates of pasta, or a ride hail from east to west locally. The BL-03 buds are the most
value for money buds in the Chi-Fi market.
Review begins here:
Build Quality: My pair of BL-03s came in Gunmetal Silver. Has a nice classy look and feel to it. The gunmetal finish gives it a premium feel.
However my gripe is that of the right channel connector of the BL-03s. These BL-03s I received were somewhat faulty, as the right connector is looser than the left connector. It led to slightly imbalanced sound, but with some physical tweaking, the sound became balanced on both right and left channels. Don’t let this flaw prevent you from enjoying what I call “Basshead Auditory Nirvana”. Kindly read on to get what I mean.
Lows: The lows are most probably tuned to bassheads’ liking. The midbass is of a thumping and hard-hitting nature (biggest mid bass thump in any iem I ever tried), but not to the point of being fatiguing. The creation of BL-03 has many bassheads having a field day. Snare drums and hi hats sound organic and warm, very natural.
The sub bass is equally pleasant, luscious and rich like cocoa butter. Bass notes from Khruangbin’s Time (You and I) are coloured and enjoyable to savour.
The attack of both sub and mid bass are fast and even though there is slow and thicc decay, it does not bleed into the mids/make muddy the mids, and this is one of the winning qualities of BL-03, which places it into IEM price brackets I dare say 10-15 times the price, in the Sub $500 IEM price region. This speaks quality, and I mean dollops of it.
Mids:
Ah, the mids. It goes without saying that BL-03 is acclaimed because of its mids as well. Mids are forward sounding and coloured, and it is a formidable powerhouse, tonally pleasing and ever poised for coherent musicality. When considering the mids, everything else falls into its rightful place. Mids are not recessed at all, which speaks volumes of the BLON sound engineers’ knowledge when creating the BL-03s. Upper mids have clarity in spades. Male and female vocals sound airy, crisp and warm, but not to the point of sibilance. BLON BL-03 is truly a gem in the aspect of mids, easily overthrowing mids of higher priced iems out there.
Highs/Treble
The highs are wonderful. There is lots of sparkle in the highs, and highs are non fatiguing as well, which make for enjoyable listens. The highs sound a tad dark, so this might not be for listeners who like bright sounding highs. What is not the highs: it is not hot, it is not sharp and piercing, it is not
Imaging:
Forward sounding imaging, when I close my eyes I can visualise the band and vocalists in a small studio.
Soundstage:
These buds have holographic and 3D soundstage and in my humble opinion, I dare say are a better listen when compared to higher priced iems that I own.
Separation:
The BL-03 has a great deal of instrumental and vocal separation. Everything is just so… tight, and that’s a precursor to being a good IEM that punches way above its price class.
Conclusion:
This is by far the most musical sounding IEM in the market sub $500, albeit not the most analytical. Don’t expect it to be a kilobuck annihilator, but have the frame of mind that this could be a cheap thrill into the utopian realms of auditory nirvana in the sub $500 price bracket. I know, some may criticise and think: To compare with sub-$500? Are you out of your mind?! Hold up, let me clarify your doubts. The BL-03s handle almost all kinds of genres very well, and are not antithesis to driver demanding genres such as EDM/Electro/Dubstep and the odd one out of the genres, Metal. It is revealing yet not analytic, coloured but not over the top, dark sounding yet complementing the lows, Top Of The Line (TOTL) midbass thump ever seen in a DD IEM, and lastly, engaging and musical. BL-03’s sound signature simply has me mesmerised. In my humble opinion, the But as far as it goes, the BL-03 is indeed a legend in the history of Chi-Fi books for its unbeatable price performance ratio.
Now on to the cons: The Quality Check (QC) could be better.
On my BL-03 unit, it’s right side 0.78 2-pin connector is looser than the left, hence leading to sound imbalance on the right at times.
Next, no product is perfect, the flaws is that it is by no means your run-of-the-mill IEM, but is special.
And it being special will make people hate it as they possibly could not possibly fathom why such utopian sound can be had for the price of a ride hail/2 pastas.
It will offend people who seek neutrality (boring and analytic) over musicality (organic coherence)
It will offend people who think that at SGD $31.50, it is to good to be true a deal.
It will offend people who snobs at the BL-03’s humble 10mm Carbon Diaphragm and compares it with Hybrids, Tribids and Planar IEMs, and go as far as to label BL-03 as possessing subpar technicalities.
Last but not least, it will offend people who hate tangly wires and forsake microphonic issues by being in the “wireless earbud user” category.
P.S: -
The BL-03s are by far the most musically coherent earphone I’ve ever heard, with respect to all genres, especially EDM/Electro tracks, and makes me feel like I’m in a nightclub. That makes it have S (Superb) grade from me. It is the dark horse of Chi-Fi in all respects. Some Head-Fi users commented it gives an analogue feel. I wholeheartedly agree. To add on, vinyl (which is analogue in nature) provides the highest resolution of music, as it is true to live music reproduction. If you’re looking to enter the world of Chi-Fi as a budding beginner, what are you waiting for? At a mere SGD $31.50, enter the BLON BL-03: for it is the beginning of your path to a pristinely paved auditory paradise. With that in mind, do get the BL-03, because in the famous BLON slogan, it’s high time we “LETMUSICBURN”.
Auditory Rating:
Build Quality Rating: 7.5/10 (QC could be better)
Sound Rating: 9.5/10 (Organic and coherent)
Value for Money Rating : 10/10 (Sub $500)
Final Grade: 9/10
Don’t wait, NEVERGIVEUP, BELIEF and seize the “OPPOTY” (Opportunity).
Peace.7keysI agree with your assessment of this IEM. I had it for about a week trying all kinds of tips and I thought it was the worst earphone I'd ever tried.......then I found an old two pin cable I had in a junk drawer and it changed my impression of this IEM. The tone is perfect. There's something about the soundstage, tone, separation, that makes this IEM special. The presentation is unique, the singer is in your head while the instruments are outside of your head.WAON303Proudly sponsored by the 2019 BLON-03 cult.nofacemonsterAgreed. Love the sound of it. Gave away all my other iems to buddies, yep i am a minimalist.jagujetas72
Head-Fier
Blon BL03: A Classic Revisited Pros: • Natural Timbre
• Excellent Vocal Tonality
• Thick, Full-Bodied BassCons: • Stupendously Tricky Fit (It can make or break your entire experience)
At a Glance:
Overall Rating: A+ (S+ to C-)
Category: C (20-100 USD), MSRP: 25 USD, Acquired: Tour Unit
Diclaimer:
This unit was provided to me in a tour by another HiFi enthusiast (Raymond Roque). I have not been paid any money to make this review, nor does BLON have any influence over what I write. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Overview:
The BL03 is undoubtedly Blon’s most famous release, and perhaps the most famous IEM of all time alongside the Tin T2. It features a single 10mm Carbon Diaphragm Dynamic Driver housed in a coated metal shell. It’s tuned to a bass-heavy L-shaped sound signature with loads of subbass.
Inclusions: N/A
This unit was provided as part of a review tour, and I only received the driver. As such, this entire review will be done without anything stock. It should be noted that the BL03 is noted for having a bad stock cable and eartips out of the box.
Build: A
The IEM drivers themselves are made out of a metal alloy finished in a reflective mirror coating that is rather aesthetically pleasing when clean but both a scratch and fingerprint magnet at all other times. The shells have a single vent on the part that faces your ear but I do have to note that the left driver on my unit happened to have some driver flex. The connectors are a protruding 2-pin connector that fit into the rectangle recession of an NX7/TFZ connector. However, it must be noted that a regular NX7/TFZ cable will not seat properly thanks to the nature of the protrusion, it is too long. Therefore, if you are aesthetically picky, you must find a cable with the correct connector otherwise the fit will not be seamless.
I have to dedicate an entire section to the nozzle and fit, because it is absolutely terrible. The nozzle is incredible narrow and rather short which means the finding tips that will seat properly is an incredibly difficult affair. The small, elongated shells do not help in any way shape or form to seat the IEM in your auricle, meaning that fit is almost entirely tip dependent. Any form of wide bore tip will just slide straight down and prevent you from getting a comfortable insertion depth. The loose hold will also likely mean that your eartips are very likely to get stuck in your ear canal. People have had success using an O-ring to help tighten the grip of wider bore tips, if your preference lies there. After rolling around 10+ different eartips I finally settled on the Final E eartips which had a nozzle narrow and are grippy enough to seat correctly on the nozzle. I should note though that those tips alone can cost ¼ of what this IEM costs in total at retail price. Considering that everyone’s ears are different, your mileage may vary.
Sound Review Conditions:
- NICEHCK C8-1 Cable in NX7 was used
- Final E Black – L Size
- JCALLY JM20, CX31993 dongles
Sound:
Bass: S-
This IEM’s bass is incredibly heavy and present with good extension down to the subbass and a taper-off to the midbass all the way down to the midrange. The weight and extension to the bass lends itself to incredibly heavy note weight and bass that can be described as heavily thumpy. However, this means that the middle and upper registers of the bass region can get drowned out by the subbass, especially considering that the bass speed is quite slow, which means that it lacks the agility to define notes properly in busier tracks. The mediocre texture and articulation to the rest of the bass region means that bass can sound “one note” in many tracks which can lead to it getting boring in EDM and such. The relative focus on the subbass does mean that this somewhat circumvents the usual issue of bassy IEMs, bass bleed but again at the cost of bass texture. Overall, the bass is quite good, and loads of fun despite the lacking texture.
Mids: S-
This IEM has a somewhat recessed midrange thanks to the presence of the heavy subbass region, the staging also puts vocals in particular towards the back of your head making them seem even more recessed. However, the actual quality of the midrange is quite good, both male and female vocals are relatively balanced in terms of presence. The focus on subbass instead of midbass thankfully means that this IEM doesn’t have the “warm veil” that typically pervades the upper register, which means that despite the lower mids and male vocals being properly warm and thick the upper mids do still have the “bite” that prevents them from being too laid back in the mix and helps the midrange stay present despite it’s recession. The good balance between the lower and upper registers makes this IEM quite versatile in terms of midrange, and although more presence and less recession would have been ideal for the asking price this is very good.
Treble: A
This IEM has an relatively unremarkable treble presentation with usual present, slightly spiky treble that rolls off after the 8-12kHz region. This means that lower treble, most cymbal snaps and such are decently presented and audible, thereby preventing this IEM from being too dark and balancing out the rather forward bass somewhat. However, what the heavy rolloff/lack of extension means that this IEM lacks air and shimmer to the upper treble. The lack of significant treble in the upper registers also means that the presence of detail is blunted and it makes this IEM sound fairly lacking in that respect. The lower treble snap also lacks decay thanks to the same issue so even if the snap is good the rattle could have been done better. Overall, the treble tuning is not bad, and not good. It’s just something seen in a lot of cheaper single driver IEMs, a lack of extension in one or both sides of the graph.
Technicalities: A-
This IEM has a mixed bag in terms of it’s technical qualities. The timbre is praised by plenty of people and rightly so, it’s warm, thick and slow where it needs to be in the lower region whilst the upper registers still have their necessary transient bite to sound fun and engaging. However, the tuning and “detached” sound within the frequency ranges does mean that imaging sounds, for lack of a better word “awkward”. The imaging of vocals slightly to the rear for example is a knock on the otherwise great sound while the percussion instruments have a tendency to get blurred and blunted. However, soundstage is quite wide for an IEM at this price, and it’s decently deep and holographic. Detail retrieval is just ok, it doesn’t suffer too much thanks to the subbass focus but the lack of upper range extension does hurt it. Overall, this IEM has about par for the course technical performance when compared to it’s competitors.
Conclusion:
This IEM is an incredibly popular one and it has gained a lot of fame as being a standard for Chi-FI audio and it’s indeed quite a good IEM. The fact that it was released so long ago and is still tonally relevant today in it’s highly competitive price bracket is a testament to the quality of it’s tuning and likely the validity of it’s hype. However, the tricky fit that requires plenty of tip-rolling and all the negative things I’ve heard about it’s cable make me hesitate to recommend this to a new person in the hobby, especially when IEMs like it’s partner the Tin T2 or other IEMs like the Moondrop SSP exist, which have far more compelling OOTB quality. Recommended with reservations.
brunch
New Head-Fier
Enter the Rabbit Hole Pros: Well-balanced, inoffensive tonality
Natural timbre
Attractive buildCons: Blunt attack
Bloated bass
Bad stock accessoriesI've been an armchair hobbyist for a number of years, spending more time than is probably healthy watching YouTube content creators, bloggers, and publications give their opinions on things I have an interest in like cars, tech, clothes, and other material things, living vicariously through them. Last year I decided I'd take a step - albeit a small one - into the audiophile hobby, and purchased the Blon BL-03 on the recommendation of some of the reviewers I've come to trust. It's been about a year since I received the Blons. I've used them daily as my one and only piece of audio gear, and I like to think I've become familiar enough with them to give a somewhat informed opinion on how well they perform as a product, so I'll try my best to do so.
Build, Accessories, Fit, Comfort, Isolation
The shells are teardrop shaped, and made of a metal alloy. They come in either a polished silver or gunmetal, or a metallic purple finish. Mine are the polished silver variant. They have a decent heft for how compact they are, and combined with the polished finish impart a premium feel that you wouldn't think would come in a $27 product. The shells themselves sit well in the concha of my ears, and don't cause me any particular discomfort.
Okay, that's all the nice stuff out of the way. Everything else in stock form is pretty garbo, not gonna lie.
The best thing I can say about the provided cable is that it's functional. It worked out of the box. You can connect it to the earpieces, and they will produce sound, no problem. That said, the cable is a kinky, thin, tangly mess. Many others say the preformed earhooks are shaped too aggressively, which wasn't really a problem for me personally, but this cable wanted to tangle, no matter what. No matter how neatly I tried to wrap it, or if I lay it out flat, it always ended up in the shape of spaghetti-tumbleweed-toddler-scribbling. I know everyone says to buy aftermarket tips and a cable for these, and my recommendation is the same. If not for fit issues, at least for peace of mind from tangle city. I went with the Tripowin Zonie, but there are a number of other nice 0.78mm 2pin cables to choose from that will get the job done just as well.
I have a hard time finding much to say about the stock tips. They fit me 'okay' in that I was able to get the Blons into my ears with them without them ever fallng out while I used them, but they didn't provide a sufficient seal, and never gave me the sense that they couldn't fall out of my ears, so I went tip-rolling. I first went with the Spinfit CP100 tips, which provided a better seal and more secure fit than stock, but would more often than I'd like detach from the nozzle when removing the Blons from my ears, and get stuck in my ear canal, which was incredibly annoying. I then opted for AZLA's Xelastec eartips, which provided what I would imagine is the best seal, and most secure fit of any eartip on the market, but the tackiness of the eartip meant that they got dirty very easily, and owing to the nature of TPE, eventually deform. The last eartips that I tried, and the ones I've been using to this day are AZLA's Earfit Light tips, which have provided me with the best combination of seal, comfort, and security.
Another thing contributing to the poor fit of the Blons is the short nozzle. Following the advice of some of the folks on /g/'s /iemg/, reddit, and some head-fiers, I bought small silicone gaskets to fit over the Blon's nozzles to give the eartips some extra insertion depth for a better fit.
All that to say the Blon BL-03's out of the box user experience is not good. Sure, you might not expect to have your mind blown for $27, but I've had freebie earphones that have better ergonomics.
"lol shut up dude just get to how it sounds"
I will in just a sec, but I've written so much about fit and ergonomics, eartips in particular, because changing eartips affects the sound signature. From my understanding, the bore size of an eartip affects the treble response of an IEM, and consequently, affects the overall tonal balance, and possibly the soundstaging and imaging capabilities. It might not make a night and day difference, but it makes a difference nonetheless. So entering the sound quality section of this review, I need to make a disclaimer that my Blon BL-03s are using an aftermarket cable (for those that believe cables change the sound), aftermarket tips, and needed gaskets fitted at the bottom of the nozzles to help provide proper insertion depth. On top of the $27 I spent on the Blons initially, all the extra accessories I experimented with amount to a cost of around $75 making my overall investment into the Blons a little over $100. Not everyone is going to need to spend that much to get the best experience with the Blons, after all, everyone's ears are shaped differently, but for those looking to purchase the Blons, understand that you may have to invest extra money to get the best out of them.
Sound Quality (with the caveat that my set is NOT the stock experience)
The overall tonality of the Blon BL-03s can be described as either a warm v-shape, or maybe a bassy take on a neutral signature. There's a strong general bass emphasis that lends authority to bass guitar, upright bass, and cellos, but unfortunately bleeds a bit into the lower mids which consequently causes male vocals to sometimes sound a bit recessed in some busy tracks, and some orchestral pieces with prominent cello sections can sound kinda mushy. I wouldn't call it muddy, as it seems to mostly be track dependent, more...syrupy. The upper mids provide piano, female vocals, and violins with enough energy to stand out when needed while never coming across as shouty, and the treble strikes a good balance with no harshness or sibilance when reproducing consonant sounds or cymbal crashes. I find the Blons to be sufficiently airy, only really rolling off after about 15kHz when listening to sine sweeps after which I credit inaudibility to my hearing cutting off at 17.8kHz. Overall I find the Blons to be a good all-rounder tonality-wise. It plays well with pretty much any genre, only stumbling every now and then when dealing with tracks with already sufficient warmth.
The Blons have excellent timbre owing to its strong tonal balance and natural pattern of decay. I never get the sense that an instrument sounds unnatural, nor do I get any metallic zing or graininess. Texture errs a little too much on the side of smoothness. Attack on things like plucked strings or percussive hits often sound more muted than I would expect them to be, and paired with the decay being a bit on the longer side, causes the notes to sometimes smear into each other, becoming a problem on especially busy tracks. The Blons stage are wider than deep sounding, and sound, like another reviewer said, like you're in one of the front rows of a small concert hall. Imaging is good between front, left, and right, with front left and front right being a little less distinct.
Some Listening Impressions
Ichiko Aoba - Asleep Among Endives
This track displays the Blon's stong points well. Acoustic guitar sounds warm and natural, and Ichiko's wispy, melancholic voice is reproduced faithfully. The room reverberates a bit as Ichiko sings longingly, and she's placed a small distance away directly in front. I didn't actually include this song because I wanted to give my impressions of the Blons so much as I wanted to simp for Ichiko, sorry.
Danger Doom - Crosshairs
The bass immediately sounds bloated and indistinct, causing DOOM's voice to sound recessed, and generally overpowering the other samples in the song. I can still make out DOOM's vocals, but with the bassline being so blobby it wasn't ideal.
Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts - Tank!
This was a good test of the Blon's imaging chops, which I found it to pass fairly admirably. While I couldn't pinpoint exactly where every instrument in the band was as the song got busier and more sections of the band became involved, there was good enough directionality and instrument separation to where I felt immersed in the music. Gritty brass section, upright bass, drums, bongos, and saxophone all had their place in the mix and none of them overpowered another.
Tatsuro Yamashita - Love Space
Another strong showing from the Blons. Tatsuro's vocals are front and center, bassline is well controlled, drums are present and have good snap with no sharpness, electric guitar to the right providing a consistent groove, adequate space in the stage for the saxophone solo, and for Tatsuro to belt out his lovely high notes into the heavens.
Radiohead - Glass Eyes
Thom's vocals are intimate and clear, filtered panning piano arpeggios have a slight bloom in the low end, but has an overall pleasant effect. The Blons handle imaging of the orchestra very well. I was able to pinpoint specific violins and cellos, while the bass section came off as more of an all-encompassing wall of low hums. Swelling string crescendos are replayed nicely, again with a slight bloom in that transition from mid-bass to lower mids, but I found the effect pleasant in this case.
Conclusion
Overall I'd say I like the Blons. Well, I'd have to if I've kept them as my only earphone for the last year, but it's honestly kind of hard for me to recommend them. Sure, once I'd gotten mine all tuned up with new tips, cable, and gasket, they performed great to my ears, but that really shouldn't have to be necessary, and for the money I've invested in them I probably could have gotten another IEM that performs just as well, but that's just speculation, since the Blons are pretty much my only frame of reference. Whether or not they are the budget world-beaters they're purported to be is TBD until I hear some more expensive sets.Devicharan
New Head-Fier
Vocals and soundstage beast. Pros: Superb bass texture.
Smooth treble.
Forward vocals.
Male vocals have dense body and female vocals are sweet and airy.
Note weight is thicker than neutral.
Transients are usually fast.
Soundstage while not very wide, has a roomy 3d presentation. ( I really enjoy this)
Imaging is quite fluid.
Fatigue free listeningCons: Instrument separation is average.
Macro details drown in busy tracks.
Top end extension is lacking and noticeable in few tracks.Have been using this for so long, i would describe the sound of blons like full, open & lush.
Super addictive.
Edit: so it's near end of December 2022, it's been over 2years of daily driving blons. Intrigued by their midrange and soundstage .i choose to get some neutral / bright classics under 50, expecting they would out do blon especially in midrange. so I got HeartMirror and tin t2.
Now, one thing is clear. Blon's sound is not normal compared to these similarly priced iems. It doesn't at all sound like in-ears to me. All iems i tried(not many) have this tunnel like sound where sound is just in the head or just slightly OOH(in few tracks). With blon every song has this 3d effect(only with few eartips thou, cp100 is just ok, but if the stock fake spinfits fit you, they are the best match to bl03).
Note: few tweaks that improve the sound of blons.
1. Remove the mesh filter, don't remove the tuning filter.(highs sound clearer, slightly).
2. Make sure the vent just next to 2-pin connector is not clogged/blocked by cable.( Ppl complaing about slow bass may have had this vent clogged).Last edited:Harisankar
New Head-Fier
Inexpensive Sonic Excellence Pros: 1) Very good bass response
2) Clear mids and highs
3) Warm and smooth sound signature
4) Detachable two pin cables
5) Included carry caseCons: 1) Fit may be problematic for some (I personally had no problem with the fit)
2) Soundstage though very good for the price can most probably be easily beaten by higher priced iems.I have finally zeroed in on BLON BLO3 as my chifi iem of choice after considering a number of options including CCA C10 and some KZ iems . It is safe to say that these earphones did not disappoint me in the slightest.On the contrary they even exceeded my expectations especially when it came to fit and comfort. The sound profile of these earphones can be described as balanced with a prominent low end. The bass is very engaging and powerful here without overpowering other frequencies The most exceptional characteristic of these iems is there expansive soundstage (especially considering the price and these being single dynamic driver earphones). The build quality and design is also pretty good.
My music setup
Smartphone: Oneplus7Pro
USB Dac: Shanling UA1(ESS 9218P Dac chip)
Music Player: USB Audio Player Pro
These can be really considered as some of the best entry level options into the audiophile world. Just make sure to pair them with a good dac and you are good to go.Attachments
War Penguin
New Head-Fier
Astounding! Pros: Beautiful Natural Timbre
Deep Rich Extended Bass
Interesting Soundstage
Premium build
Coherence throughout the frequenciesCons: Fit can be hit or miss
TLDR: An absolutely amazing IEM with a very warm and extremely pleasant sound signature. Worth every penny of the asking price and then some, aside from a few potential quirks with the comfort it is an absolutely revolutionary product that I urge everyone to at least try!
Comfort
I had to try a bunch of ear tips before I found the right ones. Although I must say the stock tips worked surprisingly well for my ears and sealed fine, they just weren't all that comfortable in the long run. Though I am sure given a couple of hours they'd soften up, however, I must mention after giving the pair to some others to try they found it wouldn't fit no matter what. I blame this on the shorter nozzle and overall shape. It can be resolved by placing some washers at the base of the nozzle to prevent the eartip from sinking all the way down. For me, these are perfectly comfortable out of the box and the nozzle length is just right. I can wear them for the entire day without any fatigue or need to adjust (seated at my desk where I use any wired headset). All this is to say in terms of comfort your mileage may vary.
The tips I ended up using were the stock tips that came with my Panasonic RPHJE120K. These tips had the perfect insertion depth for my ears and were plenty soft and made a great seal. I tried various tips such as the foam tips provided with the WF-1000XM3 as well as the ones provided with the WF-1000X. I also tried about 10 different silicone tips from all sorts of other earphones but settled on the Panasonic ones as they were the best for my ears (Consistently are on almost every headphone I use with a few exceptions). Overall the seal on the headphones is average and lets in a fair bit of sound most likely due to the shape of the enclosures.
The cable is not great, it feels flimsy and tangles easily. I had no comfort issues with it and did not find the hooks too stiff. It is plenty light and perfectly serviceable. I have ordered a replacement cable which I am yet to receive. I will update the review as to whether the cable makes any difference to sound quality after receiving it.
Build
Build quality is excellent these headphones feel truly premium and sturdy. They have a very appealing design in my opinion are very unique. The finish gives off a mirror-like effect, I have no doubt that the shell will last the test of time. Whether the drivers hold up, in the long run, remains to be seen. After a month of using them, I cannot see any scratches or flaws in the finish. The two-pin connectors feel adequate and not likely to break off, the nozzle is made of the same kirsite material as the body and is seamless with the body ensuring rigidity. There is a decent weight to the unit so as to not feel cheap in the hand but not heavy in the ears either. The included pouch is a nice touch and can be used to keep the unit in scratch-free condition. While the pouch is nothing to rave about it serves its purpose well. Overall I have no complaints about the build quality. It is well-built while being both nice to look at and wear.
Sound
Wow, this IEM is truly magical! It has a luscious warm sound that manages to bring plenty of detail and space to songs without ever sounding harsh or sibilant. Typically headphones with a similar signature tend to have a veiled top end or boomy bass but to my ears, all is balanced well. The sound never gets fatiguing and can be listened to at relatively low volumes without really feeling the need to crank it. The highs are well controlled, female vocals offer just enough air without sounding sibilant. Male vocals have grunt and depth when needed. Treble may not extend as much as your typical monitor headphone but this is a good thing in my book as this ensures they are pleasant to listen to across a multitude of genres. Mids are very full-bodied and clear in the mix offering a well-controlled natural timbre, they are well resolved and forward usually taking center stage. There is an exception to this unfortunately as the bass can sometimes muddy up the midrange on complex tracks that would benefit from a faster and tighter bass response. Instances, where this happens, are few and far between in the music I listen to. Aside from this, the bass is very smooth and deep but never rattles the unit. It never feels tiring or boomy like many other headphones with similar tuning. What you get is not especially tight or fast but overall suits the signature of the headphone and adds to the overall warmth. The soundstage is large and extends well past your head, vocals are close up and intimate. The rest of the mix takes a step back with subtleties filling more than just your headspace. I wouldn't call the imaging perfectly accurate but what you get keeps it sounding interesting and fun. The sound space has verticality and 3 Dimensionality. Sounds travel out and around your head, it's honestly quite unique and I haven't heard anything quite like it in any other IEM. Separation is good with instruments being distinguishable from each other, but thanks to the diffuse soundstage it can sound a bit odd at times with some instruments or even vocals coming from seemingly behind or above (Happens pretty rarely but for an example, Country Road [Violin Version] by Yoko Honna starts with the vocal a bit higher than I am used to). Micro/Macro detail is sufficiently present but won't stand out nearly as many headphones tuned to have a more elevated treble response. Instruments sound excellent with real weight and impact to them. The only exception would be cymbal crashes sometimes sounding a little unnatural as the tuning doesn't allow for enough decay. Overall it's an extremely pleasant sound suitable for long hours of listening. No other headphone I have heard offers such a cohesive and balanced sound while offering the amount of warmth and depth that this does.
I listen to a variety of music genres such as indie, pop, folk, rock, country and Vocaloid to name a few I will briefly list off a few songs alongside things I noticed when listening to these headphones.
R A Y - Ethereal Dreams (Good separation, a neutral presentation with a full-bodied sound)
Alaina Castillo - Ocean Waves (Authorative bass, clean and clear. Great separation with sounds coming from all over. Vocals very forward and well detailed)
Susan Wong - Vincent (Clear and detailed vocals with an almost live presentation. Deep and clean bassline with a very nice backing track. Great overall balance)
CYN - I'll Still Have Me (Sounds great with plenty of high-frequency energy. clean, open, clear presentation)
Aquilo - Thin (Nice natural sound, with a decent amount of detail. Bass, is punchy and tight, vocals are somewhat veiled)
Ella Vos - Little Brother (Sounds pleasant but bass lacks the punch required and seems to be bleeding into the vocals. The track lacks the typical energetic presentation it usually has)
Eric Clapton - Signe (Decent soundstage with instruments separated well, imaging is a little lackluster and a lot of the main instruments get pushed towards the center. Lacks detail and authority in the bass. An overall pleasing and enjoyable listen, just not very technically accurate)
Angus Stone/Julia Stone - Santa Monica Dream - All details present with a decent soundstage and clear vocals. This song does not stand out too much as the vocals here do sound a bit veiled, not unnatural in any way just a little muffled.
Low Roar - Bones (This song is usually very hard to get right and typically has the vocals sounding very muffled on a lot of gear I've tried it on. Not with the BL03, clean and clear vocals with great texture and detail the bassline that follows is authoritative and clean, decay is a little bit quicker than it should be but everything about the bassline is done right)
Dillon Francis - Bruk Bruk (I Need Your Lovin) - Powerful, well-controlled, and defined bass. Energetic treble presentation with a lot of finer detail present. A little bit laidback than what this song should sound but not unpleasant in the slightest.
FINNEAS - I Lost a Friend (Perhaps the best I've heard his voice sound, very natural timbre with all the micro detail present. One of the better sounding tracks on the BL03)
N-buna/Sarah Furukawa - Silence (Expansive soundstage with sounds coming from the far corners. Powerful but not particularly defined bassline. Focus on the vocals without overpowering the rest of the track)
Yorushika - Eat The Wind (Large soundstage, good detail throughout with fast and clean bass response. Vocals can sound a bit veiled but still very natural)
Yorushika - Hitchcock (Unlike the previous song vocals are extremely forward and well detailed and very lively sounding. The song has plenty of energy with a wide and open presentation. Great balance of bass and highs that never overpower the vocals. An overall very good sounding song on the BL03)
Deco*27/Hatsune Miku - Heart A La Mode (Wide presentation with tight and clean bass, clear focus on vocals)
Kotringo - Kanashiku te Yarikirenai (Good sense of space, clear and intelligible vocals. Lacks some resolution therefore vocals come off sounding slightly veiled.)
Wow for $200 these really hold their own against all the other similarly priced headphones I've used. Wait only they aren't $200, They are $26!!! At this price, they are a no-brainer, and even if you own much more expensive equipment I urge you to try this set, it has a signature that is extremely hard to match at any price point. Don't get me wrong they don't have the technical ability of more expensive headphones or even some other budget offerings. When A/B testing you could easily point out their flaws, whether it be the comparatively flabby bass response or the lack of extension in the high frequencies leading to a loss in perceived resolution. The BLON-03 are not perfect, but then again no headphone is. What they lack in technical ability they more than makeup for in enjoyability. This to me is the right combination of compromises to give a completely engrossing and unique experience. The fact that these only cost $26 is astonishing and when reviewing these I completely put aside the price point and looked at them objectively, yet they held their own. These are the perfect entry point into the world of hi-fidelity sound and well worth the asking price. A truly remarkable achievement at this price point. The only thing to be wary of is the fit as there is a chance they won't fit your ears as well as they fit mine (Which can be remedied with a bit of extra effort). To put it in perspective I have a couple of open-back headphones that I use such as the DT990 Pro and AKG K612 yet I find myself wanting to reach for these instead, and finding it much more difficult to stop listening once they are on. I honestly cannot stress enough how good these sound and absolutely recommend these IEMs!
Equipment Used
I tested the headphones on various devices to see how they faired and I can confidently say they never sounded bad. For the purposes of this review, I primarily ran them from the Line Out of a Creative Soundblaster X G6 as it was the most natural and clean sounding out of all the sources I tried.
Creative Soundblaster X G6 Headphone Out (Low Gain) - The headphone out on this unit can be hit or miss as it is not transparent. The bass almost doubled in output which for a headphone that has plenty of bass energy was somewhat unnecessary. This aggregated the issue of muddying the mid-range and made smaller details harder to hear. The vocals leaped forward and became very prominent.
Creative Soundblaster X G6 Line out fed into Fiio E12K - Mids were very forward, the detail was well presented and the bass was well controlled. However, they lacked a level of warmth found in other sources and were a little dry for my taste. Still a very nice presentation and perhaps a better presentation for those looking for a more articulate sound.
Topping D10 Line out fed into Fiio E12K - Clear and concise, plenty of detail but a somewhat dryer sound than what I have come to expect out of the BL03.
Tempotec Sonata - Accentuated highs but good overall balance in all other frequencies. Soundstage remained wide and open and is honestly not a bad option for portable use.
Realtek Desktop Motherboard (ALC887) - Clear reduction in resolution and soundstage collapses to be mostly 2 dimensional. Tonally very satisfying and much of the details are preserved.
Samsung Galaxy S10 (Exynos) - V-shaped sound signature with the vocals being really highlighted, the soundstage is still wide but even more diffuse. Tonally very pleasant but leaning towards bright.Attachments
Darkeye999H
Head-Fier
Bloated Hype Pros: Juicy vocal performance and timbre
Nice and fresh cymbals
Strong and punchy mid-bass
Wide soundstage
Nice and resistant metal shells
Can reach basshead levelsCons: Poor treble and upper-treble extension
Dark and laid back sound signature (can be a con or pro)
Considerable mid-bass bleed
Bloated and slow mid-bass response in faster and busier tracks
Not so articulate sub-bass execution
Below average separation and detail retrieval
Isolation is extremely tip-dependent
Terrible fit and comfort
Awful stock cable
Driver flex
Not so easy to driveImpedance 32 Ohms Sensitivity 102 DB/MW Frequency response 20–20KHz Plug type 3.5 Mm Gold-Plated L-Type Cable length 3.9 Ft (1.2 M) Connector 0.78 Mm 2-Pin Jack Driver Single dinamic, 10mm, carbon
Veredict
Blon BL-03 is a warm sounding IEM that made it's name thanks to its excellent vocal tonality, great impact in the lower regions and, of course, hyped reviewers. All of that for a very good price, but the BL-03 put it all to waste with it's imprecise and overdone mid-bass articulation and lack of response in higher frequencies, resulting in a muddy sound especially in busier tracks.
Lows: 6,0
Mid-bass: 6,0
Mids: 6,5
Treble: 6,0
Soundstage: 6,5
Resolution: 6,0
Fit and comfort: 4,5
Sound isolation: 5,5
Build quality: 7,0Last edited:KKrucozHi, what is your source? I ask for that because these sounds completly different if you use a smartphone or a good DAC!
Whith my smartphone, these are what you said, but with a good amp (like a shanling UA2) it is a different story, really!
As many earphones, they need a good powered source and good recordings.Darkeye999H@Krucoz Hi! Thanks your reply! I am using the Fiio BTR5 and LG V50 for now. They are not bad IEMs by any means, they just lack treble and upper treble response for my taste. There's an annoying peak at 2k, that I think also contributes to cloak the treble and its already premature roll-off. And unfortunately, the mid-bass bleed just helps to veil the sound spectrum for good.Nimweth
Headphoneus Supremus
Purple BL-03: A better fit Pros: Natural midrange timbre
Musical presentation
Good soundstage and imaging
Balanced overall profileCons: Mid bass hump
Bass bleed
Some lack of detail in mids and treble
Problematic fit, short nozzles
Poor cable; tips not fit for purposeBack in August last year I received the original BL-03 (gunmetal) for review. I appreciated its natural tonality and overall balance but was unable to obtain a secure fit. The unusual shaped tips and short nozzles proved problematic and the supplied cable with its angled connectors tended to pull the IEMs out of my ears. In addition, the very smooth and shiny finish afforded no grip and the uneven weight distribution added to the problem. Some of these issues were solved by using a replacement cable and changing the tips. However, some instability remained which impacted my ability to fully appreciate the potential of these earphones and I did not join the legion of fans singing its praises.
I have now received the latest version of the BL-03 clothed in an attractive dark purple colour. I found the new paint finish afforded more grip than the shiny metal did, and I obtained a very stable and acceptable fit and consequently an improved performance from the BL-03. Below is the amended version of my original review:
The BLON BL-03 is an IEM with a 10mm carbon nanotube (CNT) diaphragm dynamic driver. The earpieces are teardrop-shaped and finished in a highly-polished zinc alloy called "Kersite" and are finished in a dark purple colour with gold speckled accents. The build quality is impressive with a high-quality smooth finish.
It comes in a long white box with the IEMs displayed above a plain white box bearing the BLON logo and the bizarre acwronym, BELIEF – LETMUSICBURN - OPPOTY - NEVERGIVEUP. This box contains a linen-finish pouch with a blue BLON logo and the spare eartips plus some documentation.
The BL-03 features a detachable 4-core braided cable which has tightly curved ear guides and angled, shielded 2-pin connectors. I found this to be tangly and uncomfortable to wear and it tended to make the earpieces unstable. In addition, the short nozzles and unusual cone-shaped tips failed to provide a secure fit. I therefore changed the cable for a Hifi Hear 16 core cable with straight connectors and the tips were replaced by JVC Spiral Dots, large size. The fit was now snug, secure and comfortable.
The earphones were left burning in for over 100 hours before testing. During this time I found that the BL-03 benefited from extra power, so after this I used an Xduoo X20 DAP with a Fiio A5 amplifier via line out, for evaluation.
The overall profile was well-balanced with a robust bass output centred on the mid bass but still possessing good sub bass depth. There was some bass bleed but the transition to the mids was generally smooth. Timbre was very attractive and natural. The treble was nicely contoured and gently rolled off. Transient response was very good and texture was well-rendered. Layering in electronic music was especially notable. The balanced nature of this presentation suited most types of music.
Bass
The bass was on the warm side of neutral with an emphasis in the mid bass which endowed this region with a "cuddly" quality which was attractive but did dominate on some material and slightly blunted the resolution and texture. The sub bass had good impact and with a good sense of weight.
“Missing” from the album “Themes” by Vangelis, demonstrated the quality of the BL-03's bass performance. The Greek keyboard master's characteristic synth patches came over with impact and the drums and bass synthesiser parts in the climax possessed satisfying weight and power, but the leading edges were occasionally just a little soft.
Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” is a perfect test track for evaluating bass depth and power. In the version by the Eos Orchestra conducted by Jonathan Schaffer, the bass drum showed impressive depth with the rebound of the skin being easy to discern although the initial strike could have been crisper. Timpani had excellent timbre and air which resulted in an exhilarating performance.
Mids
The midrange displayed a very natural timbre with an overall warm cast which reproduced acoustic instruments very well. There was a good deal of space which allowed directional cues to be heard clearly. Soundstage was very impressive with the stereo imaging also of high quality. In addition, the layering was very good. The detail retrieval could have been greater, however. This midrange profile has been described by some as "vintage" or "analogue" and I would agree with this description.
This showed up well in Ray Lynch’s “Tiny Geometries” from his “Deep Breakfast” album. The complex percussive elements danced across the soundstage with the synth layering and accompaniment all combining to provide a perfect backdrop for the lead melody. The whole piece displayed great coherence, no doubt the result of good single-driver implementation.
Vocal performance was impressive, too. Al Stewart’s delicate vocal style came across faithfully in “Time Passages”. The lyrics were clear and well-enunciated and the natural timbre of the acoustic guitar and sax solos provided a perfect foil for the vocal line.
Holst’s “Moorside Suite”, in a string arrangement conducted by David Lloyd-Jones, was very engaging. The principal melody line and lively counterpoint were clear and crisp and layering was beautifully portrayed. The climaxes had great immediacy with the timbre of the various string sections reproduced accurately and possessing an attractive warmth or glow.
Treble
The BL-03 produced a solid treble performance. Tonality was excellent in the lower region and remained smooth throughout. It was just a little polite with a gentle roll-off in the upper treble but even so the extension appeared very good and there were no harsh peaks. In the upper region a mild lift imparted this region with clarity and a pleasant depiction of 'air'.
The dense electronic percussion in Isao Tomita’s “Daphnis and Chloe”, from “The Ravel Album” was a good example of this with each element separate yet well-integrated. At no time did the treble become too dominant, but the overall tonality was just a little softer than neutral.
The delicate fingering of Lavinia Meijer in her harp arrangement of Ludovico Einaudi’s “Le Onde” had a feather-light touch where the finest detail contrasted well with the fast transient attack in the more dynamic passages. The timbre of the harp was very realistic.
Conclusion
The BLON BL-03 is a very articulate single dynamic driver IEM. If a secure and comfortable fit can be obtained, it is capable of an excellent musical performance unexpected at this price level.
It is well-made, has a notable natural tonality in the midrange and an expansive, three-dimensional soundstage. It is not perfect; there is a mid bass hump and some bass bleed. There is also an occasional veiling in the mids and a roll-off in the treble which rob it of some detail. In addition, for most, the cost of a good cable and replacement tips must be factored in.
When the BL-03 was first released, it was unchallenged but it now faces stiff competition from newer single DD models such as the Tin Hifi T2 plus, BLON's own BL-05s and the excellent Smabat NCO, all of which possess a similar natural timbre and a generally superior treble performance. However its warm, inviting tonality still marks it out as an outstanding performer in its price range and it has, quite rightly, achieved almost legendary status. Highly recommended.
NimwethIt is very powerful and is slightly warmer than neutral. It is very well made and has a good battery life.F700I second the statement about the A5, nice little amp with warm yet engaging sound and good battery life. Distortion is kept to the minimum in my experience. Recommended as a very correct price/performance ratio amplification solution. Beware the pairing due to the coloration, though.NimwethYes, I use my Topping NX1a on warmer IEMs and the A5 with brighter earphones.dragonx64
Head-Fier
BLON BL-03 : Bass Galore! Pros: Decent sound for its price
Breaks down bass lines well
Good quality bass
Good build qualityCons: Bass might be too much for some
Mids lacks the bite/attack
Isolation not the bestDisclaimer : This unit was borrowed from my friend who purchased it as his own personal unit
INTRO
BLON has garnered a lot of hype in recent months due to its BL-03 model. It has been rated very highly by many earphone reviewers for having incredible price to performance ratio. I have also only heard of this earphone this year and seeing the ton of positive reviews, I had to hear what the hype was all about.
QUICK SUMMARY
Sound : Bass-focused with mids and highs being more laid back
Driver : 10mm Carbon Diaphragm dynamic driver
Socket : 2-pin (0.78mm)
Price : 39 USD
Where to buy it : Aliexpress
Suitable genres : Jazz or songs with interesting bass lines that you want to hear closely
WHAT'S IN THE BOX
Inside the box we get the following :
2 sets of eartips of different sizes (S, M, L)
1 x Earphone canvas pouch
1 x BLON BL-03 earphone
1 x 2 pin (0.78mm) earphone cable
1 x User manual
The accessories included are very standard stuff however, it is still a very complete set. I really appreciate it when companies include carrying cases/pouch because not everyone has one to safely transport their earphones around. So props to them for including this simple item and making the package complete.
BUILD QUALITY
The earphone does not look much but it's build quality is good. Its shell is made of metal and it weighs quite a bit, giving it a premium feel to it which I prefer. On my unit, the socket holds the pins very snugly and it definitely wouldn't drop off. The rubber sleeves protecting the 2 pins on the cable are rigid but also has some elasticity to it that allows you to press into it slightly.
I think the only problem that I have with the earphones are that it has a chrome finishing, which makes it very prone to scratches and fingerprints. Also, the seams on it are very obvious and though it isn't a deal-breaker, it does looks weird when looking at it for a period of time.
Overall, the earphone has a premium build and feel to it though the chrome finishing and seams deducts some points off the build quality. Also, several people have noted that there might be some variance between units in the sound quality (just thought that I should leave it here under this segment).
COMFORT AND ISOLATION
Due to the earphone having rounded edges, I find that it is quite comfortable in the ears at least for me. However, I believe that an earphone with such a weight might cause some fit issues for people with smaller ear canals as the earphone might fall out. To mitigate this, I think getting third party eartips such as the Azla Sedna earfit eartips might help.
Isolation on the other hand isn't the best, I still hear slight sounds from the outside while using it. As my left ear is slightly smaller than my right, I find that the seal on the left are alright while the sound leaks slightly on the right while using the largest eartips. Switching it over to my Azla Sedna earfit eartips seemed to have helped with the seal slightly but I still hear outside noises. While listening to music on it, I could still hear my Telegram notifications from my speakers.
One thing to note is that the thing most people had issue with the earphone was with its stock eartips, they aren't the best as it's too soft and unable to maintain a good seal.
SOUND
When I first put on these earphones, the bass instantly stands out. It is a bass-centric earphone with a decreasing emphasis in mids and highs in this order. Mids seem to be a bit more forward as compared to the highs and female vocals on these lack the usual brightness that I would prefer. Mids also lack that impact that I like, for instance, the impact of a snare drum or chucking sounds of electric guitars in funk genres. Highs sound too distant and on some songs they decay away too quickly.
This review will be done on my Cayin N6ii (T01 Module) with the included cable and eartips.
Highs
Treble is airy and but I find that it decays too quickly. The quality of the highs are decent enough for its price but my gripe with it is that it does not have enough presence for certain genres of music to be enjoyable such as rock.
Listening to rock songs on it makes cymbal crashes and high hats sound very weak; they lack that energy that gets the listener excited for what's to come. Instead, they shine just enough for it to be noticed but that's about it. This is particularly obvious when listening to Frederic's "Kanashi Ureshi" where all the cymbals and high hats lack that sparkle and energy to it. However surprisingly, the electronic beat (around the last minute of the song) and shakers are pretty much present still.
Personally still, I do not enjoy the highs that much and wish that they had more presence though the quality of the highs are decent. Some earphones overdo the treble and it gets too sibilant. Hence, if you're sensitive to highs/treble, you definitely have no need to worry here!
Mids
My go-to genre to test out mids are usually vocals based songs and my usual rock songs. Vocals are definitely perform better than electric guitars and drums in this area.
Starting off with my usual rock/metal genres, electric guitars and drums lack that bite/attack to it as compared to the other earphones I have such as the Spring 1 and even the T2 Plus. Similarly to the highs, its presence is just enough for it to be heard, but just a bit more for it to be felt.
However, as this earphone has decent separation, one can still tell apart the sounds within the midrange with relative ease which makes the mids a bit more enjoyable. You can tell apart the lead and rhythm guitars and drums usually and that's great for me. Listening to "JET" by POLKADOT STINGRAY, I was able to discern the different instruments with relative ease, making the mids a bit more pleasant as I can focus on whichever I prefer.
Moving onto vocals, male vocals in general are pleasant, they sound rather natural. For female vocals I found that there's a slight difference in how they might sound if you are listening to a vocals that are higher pitched versus lower pitched. Diana Krall's "Cry Me a River" is really relaxing to listen to and I thoroughly enjoy it. The overall feel of the song here is great, vocals are natural sounding and the elevated bass adds to the overall ambiance of the song. However when listening to songs with higher pitched vocals such as LeAnn Rimes' "Blue", vocals sound too airy which makes it sound too holographic and slightly artificial. In POLKADOT STINGRAY's "JET", the vocals in this song sounds a bit too airy or nasally here, which makes it sound a bit off. Trying it against other earphones, I know that her voice is quite clear and doesn't sound like that.
During my initial phases of testing, I thought it would have been suitable for rap but I realized that the core of rap songs are mostly mids, as you would need the vocals to be fast and snappy while having the impact that provides the rhythm such as kick drums or electronic beats. Thus, I have removed rap as one of the suitable genres from my review.
Overall, the mids are more enjoyable than the highs as you can tell apart the different layers rather easily. Mids do lack that impact to it which makes it less suitable for funk and rock genres. Vocals on a whole are natural but take note that it might not be that great for higher-pitched vocals as it sounds more nasally.
Lows
This is the most enjoyable aspect of the earphone; bass on this is one of the best I've heard compared to other earphones in its price range. This is due in part to it utilizing a dynamic driver, giving the bass more texture and rumble. Bass has the majority of the presence in this unit but does not go too deep. It has just enough impact for it to be heard and felt but does not throw a ton of it in your face to overwhelm you.
I found the bass on this to work really well when you need to listen out for songs with complicated bass lines. Listening to "FREE" from POLKADOT STINGRAY, you can clearly hear the complicated bass lines, where the bassist plays all around the bass guitar and it is really enjoyable! I found myself revisiting songs which have interesting bass lines such as Frederic's "Tarinai eye" and even "LIPS" by THE ORAL CIGARETTES. It makes me really appreciate the bass lines on my music much more.
I tried this out with jazz songs too and found this to be very enjoyable too. Diana Krall's "Besame Mucho" and Michale Buble's "Call Me Irresponsible" were a real treat to listen to. Given the elevated bass, natural vocals and light treble, I found this to be a very good combination to provide a relaxing ambiance when listening to such songs. These jazz songs have a very light touch, making it really enjoyable!
Bass is really where this earphone shines as it is able to reproduce it with much detail and I doubt other earphones of the same price would come close to this kind of bass quality.
OTHER NOTES
Soundstage on these earphones are fairly wide, giving the listener an "out of head" experience. The wideness of the sound is comparable to listening to music in a small hall.
Separation is done fairly well, regardless of slow or fast paced music. It does not struggle as much as compared to other single dynamic driver earphones that I have heard in the past.
I found nothing special in the imaging section, feel that it doesn't do very well in this. At most times, the sound just seems to come out as a whole instead of having a very good layering. I usually can't tell the distance between instruments or hear it to be in any particular direction, just the usual left and right channels at most. In Chon's "Can't Wait", high hats were in the top region of the space (inside and above my head) and one guitar was on the left and another on the right, but that's about it.
I think the Tin Hifi T2 Plus is also a close competitor to this unit and comparing the two, I personally prefer the T2 Plus as they have more emphasis on the highs which I prefer. Vocals are more natural on the T2 Plus and bass isn't that forward on the T2 Plus which makes the T2 Plus more comfortable for longer hours of listening. I get a slight ache in my ears listening on the BLON BL-03 but it may be also due to me being more sensitive to bass.
CONCLUSION
I can understand why this earphone garnered so much hype : Good bass with decent mids and highs at a budget price, most listeners listen out for an earphone with good bass too. Though the mids and highs are somewhat laid back and sound distant, I still find myself appreciating the bass of songs very much. This earphone would surely appeal to most bass heads out there and people who want to better appreciate bass lines. Given the right genre of songs such as jazz, I believe that this pair of earphones can be very enjoyable. I guess sometimes you just need to find the right genre for an earphone for it to shine. Thus, if you want an earphone that is easy on the wallet with good quality bass, give the BLON BL-03 a go!
If you like my reviews, check out my site here and follow my instagram hereFastAndCleanBlobPlumbus the WiseGreat review. But why is the graph showing highs in the left and lows on the right?microiden
New Head-Fier
Pros: Balanced soundCons: Bad fit, little bit to much bassFirst impression was bad.
Changed tips to JVC Spiral Dots.
Changed cable to Dunnu Hulk (had it layin around).
changed the set completely.
New headphones...
Still like my Thieaudio Legacy 3, and Empire Ears Legend X, better, but at this price range they’re unbeatableAibo
Head-Fier
Pros: - Lively, exacting sound
- clean edges
- bass controlCons: - elevated bass
- slightly depleted lower mid-rangeERGONOMICS AND BUILD
Let's start off with build and fit. From these few days, I spend with them build looks nice and sturdy, so does the cable which doesn't tangle much, unlike KZ cables and Tin Audio cables that are quite annoying. I heard a lot of complaints about the fit but I didn't notice any. In fact, BL-03s don't seem picky when it comes to ear-tips and frequency response stays fairly similar no matter which ones I choose, unlike some other models (TinAudio T2 for example). They're also much less bulky than most of the KZs, so points for that too.
SOUND QUALITY
Overall clarity, sound stage, and separation is in line with the best of the class - Tin T2, but these are wrapped in a bit different sound signature that you might like or not. Frequency response is slightly V-shaped with emphasis on the bass much more than on the highs (so it's not really a compliantly symmetrical V). That said the bass is fast, precise and punchy most of the time, showing it's unnaturally high presence mostly with acoustic bass notes. Up the frequency range we have nice, detailed mids and vocals with plenty of textures and nice leading edges. They do lack some body because of the lower mid-range depletion. So if you favor music with strong, prominent, natural-sounding vocals - I'd go for T2s instead. That said, vocals are still rendered better than on any KZ model I heard so far, best of them being KZ ZSX. Highs are again crisp and not overly pronounced, making these detailed but pleasurable listen for longer periods of time. KZ should be worrying because BL-03 beat them at their own game. They're altering natural balance to sound more muscly and fun, but they're doing it in a better way, without ear-piercing emphasis on upper mid-range and lower highs.
CONCLUSION
If you're looking for a lively, dynamic, energetic sound with plenty of details - these have it all. Just be sure that you don't mind elevated bass and a bit thinned out vocals. Personally I still deem Tin Audio T2s to be the king of the hill under $50 bucks due to their more natural bass and lower mids. But if you're a fan of the bassy sound and you put a bit of fun over natural balance - there's absolutely nothing wrong with choosing these BLONs.
...
You can check out my website for more reviews - iiwireviews.com
I made a video review too:
kmmbd
500+ Head-Fier
Pros: Sound quality that puts many higher-priced IEMs to shame
- Price-to-performance ratio through the roof
- Good positional cues
- Natural/Life-like vocal tonality and timbreCons: Terrible fitment
- Poor accessories and unusable stock eartips
- 2-pin connector protrudes outside and is prone to breakage
- Mid-bass can become overzealousDid someone say Flavor-of-the-month? Well, the BLON BL-03 has been the FOTM for a few months running, so maybe, just maybe, there’s a gem in the hiding.
The BL-03 uses a Carbon (nanotube?) driver, and is one of the cheapest, if not the cheapest IEM to use such tech inside the housings. The first CNT driver IEM that I recall was Dunu Falcon C, and that thing had a price-tag of over $200. The “trickle-down-effect” has done its wonders indeed and so we have a strictly budget IEM that aims to take a shot at the big boys.
Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. Definitely the expectations from a $15 IEM won’t be the same as a $150 one, and that’s the approach taken while assigning scores. I bought the IEMs with my own funds, still, Disclaimer
Sources used: LG G7, Questyle QP1R, Yulong DAART Canary, VE Odyssey, Apple USB-C to 3.5mm dongle, iPhone SE
Build: The BL-03’s housings are made of “Kirsite” alloy, which apparently is a variant of Zinc alloy. Irrespective of the metal used, they feel really solid in hand, and there is no roughness around the seams. The mirrored finish does not attract fingerprints or smudges easily, which is a plus. My biggest complaint would be the protruding 2-pin connector, where using 3rd-party cables will put unnecessary strain on the connectors and this might be a potential point of failure in the long run.
4/5
Accessories: The accessory set is pretty complete in terms of the amount of stuff you get: 6 pairs of eartips, a 2-pin cable and a carry-pouch. However, the tips are practically useless as they are shaped in an oblong manner, thus not getting a good seal. Moreover, the cable is really tangly and worst of all — that memory wire is absolutely atrocious. Buy a separate cable to make life easier (you can find cheap ones under $10 on AliExpress). That leaves the only usable thing that you get with the box — the carrying pouch. Sigh.
2.5/5
Comfort: The Achilles’ Heel of these IEMs would be how awkward their fit is. In fact, it is one of the most fit/eartip-dependent IEM I’ve come across in quite a while. Just changing from Final E-type tips to Spinfits bring about drastic changes. The nozzle size is the culprit here as it’s too short and thus the IEMs often dangle about. The only way to get a good seal is to use double/triple-flange tips, or using Final E-type/Spinfit tips that bend into your ear-canal. I’ve personally used Spinfit CP-500 tips throughout the course of this review. Another thing to note would be the driver-flex as these IEM exhibit that phenomenon quite often.
2.5/5
Now, on to the sound:
Lows: The bass response on BL-03 depends on the type of tips used and how deep an insertion you’re going for. For the usual shallow-insertion, the bass is neither overpowering nor lacking in any sense. It mostly gives you a faint sub-bass kick and that’s about it. Bass decay is faster than the usual dynamic-driver IEMs, which gives a pacy “rhythm” to every song you play that has a punchy bass-line. On Fort Minor’s Where’d You Go, the heavy baseline never overshadows the mids, nor does the bass distort in high SPL (volume).
It won’t be enough for bass-heads, but it’s quality bass indeed.
4.5/5
Mids: Vocals are slightly accentuated, with high-pitched vocals being given more emphasis than lower-pitched/baritone ones. The comparatively leaner sounding male vocals might be the only point of contention with BL-03’s midrange as the rest of it is just sublime. Acoustic guitars and string instruments have a very natural attack and decay, with mostly spot-on tonality and timbre. I find that acoustic guitars/piano tend to sound a bit brighter than reference, but it’s nothing too noticeable unless you’re A/B-ing and it’s mostly a matter of taste. Micro-detail retrieval is where it will fall short, but that’s the only time when you’ll realize that you’re listening to a budget device. Instrument separation is excellent.
All in all — some great mid-range performance here, and not just “for-the-price”.
4.5/5
Treble: Treble is neither on-your-face, nor is it veiled. Balanced — the word that best describes it. There is enough emphasis around the presence (5/6KHz) region to keep things exciting, while the 8–10KHz region is tuned down even further with some peak around 13KHz or so to introduce more air into the treble. This makes cymbals sound more distant than reference, and the initial cymbal hits are less exciting than they should be. It’s just nitpicking at this point though, as BL-03’s treble performance is more than adequate, if not outright great.
4/5
Soundstage: Soundstage width and depth is above-average, while the height is just about average. Nothing to write home about here.
3.5/5
Imaging: Imaging, on the other hand, is exemplary. Yosi Horikawa’s Crossing is a good song to test out imaging performance, and here the BL-03 just shines. The motorcycle going from left to the right, the ambient noises that pop up every now and then throughout the whole track — everything is in the right place. Tool’s Chocolate Chip Trip is another song where you can point out the general direction of every single drum hit.
4/5
Bang-for-buck: Outstanding, in one word.
5/5
Source and Amping: BL-03 sounds good outta everything, or at least out of most decent sources. It sounded as it should out of both iPhone SE and LG G7. Obviously plugging into a good external amp makes everything sound better, but it’s a complete overkill for such a budget device. If you have a good DAP, however, that will bring the best out of these, just that it’s not necessary and more of a luxury.
Select Comparisons
vs TinAudio T2: Tin T2 is perhaps the most well-known chi-fi IEM at under $50, and for very good reasons. It sounded unlike anything under $50 in the chi-fi realm back in the day. Pitted against the BL-03, it holds its grounds when it comes to sheer details, and I would say that T2 out-resolves the BL-03 in terms of sheer resolution. However, the bass response is far superior on the BL-03, and the mid-range tuning is more “mature”. The treble is also more even-handed on the BLONs, without the often annoying peaks of the T2. Soundstage is wider on T2 while BL-03 has better imaging. Build quality is about the same while T2 is slightly more comfortable. Both have terrible cables and stock tips, so it’s mostly a home-run for the BLONs.
vs KZ ZSX: KZ ZSX has more treble detail and bass quantity, but BL-03 has far better bass quality and treble tuning. Midrange is where KZ ZSX falls apart, just like every other KZ IEM before it (and probably in the foreseeable future). It just sounds completely off in terms of tonality. Moreover, there is the infamous “BA Timbre” that’s on full display here. Comfort and soundstage width goes to KZ’s way for once, but it’s handily beaten in terms of overall sound quality.
vs Fiio FH1: Fiio FH1 only has better build and cable/accessories. It doesn’t even register as a competition elsewhere. Sorry guys, but this thing was overpriced to begin with and now is getting handily beaten by IEMs that cost ~70% lower.
vs Sennheiser IE40 Pro: Now this is more like it! IE40 Pro is one of the best IEMs you can buy under $150. Compared to the BLONs, it has more accentuated mid-bass while the sub-bass extends even deeper. Vocals are slightly better on the IE40, esp male vocals. Cymbals also hit harder and has more authority in the mix.
Rest of it is pretty much back and forth though, with imaging being about par on both and the IE40 having a wider soundstage at the cost of having the vocals sound more distant.
The best part about this comparison though is that if you prefer a mid-forward signature, the BL-03 would surely be the one you’d pick after a blind audition, provided you can get a good fit (an area where the Sennheiser absolutely shines). Overall, the IE40 is the better IEM if you consider every single facet, but the BL-03 is the better buy due to the off-the-charts price-to-performance ratio.
Conclusion:
BLON BL-03 has officially changed the status-quo of budget IEMs, at least for me. It absolutely shames some of the popular IEMs with a much higher price-tag, and it does it all in such an unassuming manner that it boggles your mind. Why can’t Fiio do something like this with far more resource at their disposal? Why can’t KZ still figure out something an obscure company has managed to do with aplomb?
The poor eartips/cables, and the short nozzles that further compound the awkward-at-best fit aside, this thing aces everything else. This is not a flavor-of-the-month, rather a flavor-of-the-year.
Moondrop Crescent, before its discontinuation, was my singular recommendation if you were looking for an IEM under $50. I don’t know how long the BL-03 will survive, but it’s on sale as of today, so grab a pair while you can. Don’t forget to get a pair of SpinFits/double-flange eartips though (mandatory), while getting some decent cable (I’m using this one) will help in the long run.
The BLON BL-03 demands a recommendation of the highest order, and that’s what it’s gonna get. I wait with bated breath to see what BLON comes up with as a successor.
#Recommended
Test tracks (as YouTube playlist, often updated):
Please check out my blog: https://www.medium.com/@kmmbdLast edited:F700For most of us, there will be "a before" and "an after" BL-03 very good impressions! Thanksactivatorfly
1000+ Head-Fier
Pros: Authentic vocal rendering & micro-detail retrieval
Refined treble response
Gorgeous mid-centric sound signature
Accurate bass/sub-bass
Non-fatiguing – ideal for prolonged listening sessions
Ample deep/wide sound-stageCons: Slightly recessed bass/sub-bass
Occasional seal adjustment is required due to very shallow nozzle/tip protrusion.
Confusing & obscure graphics on packaging
Average stock cable and tipsI acquired this amazing set from the very friendly AK Audio store (URL link here) the iems were dispatched quickly with no delivery issues!
I became aware of Blon BL-03 subsequent to watching the video review & glowing recommendation of Tanchjim Oxygen by ‘Bad Guy Good Reviews.' Out of the box, it’s apparent that the accessories stock cable and tips are useable but probably need upgrading to make the Blon truly shine.
In order to attain their optimum listening experience I changed stock with a balanced 8-core SPC silver cable. Also, I attached wider bore tips: JVC Spiral Dots - this combination helping to add a feeling of “air.” Any further modding is not required, additionally they appear to open up and benefit from a burn in period.
The Blon sound truly awesome with any source: whether laptop, DAP/DAC or android smartphone. For the latter I’ve been using an app: Max Volume Booster.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cool.volume.sound.booster&hl=en_GB
The Blon respond extremely well to being amped, especially via a warmer source. When switching on a high gain selector to boost all frequencies – emphasis of mids & treble response is very noticeable, plus bass and sub-bass rumble can be effectively be extended further with additional EQ.
Their only caveat appears to be the short nozzle – this was also a shortcoming of the much more expensive Tanchjim Oxygen.
Build:
The extremely light Blon shells are constructed with very durable metal – the stunning gunmetal finish leave a premium impression. The small form factor & excellent build quality are faultless!
Listening preferences:
Ambient Internet Radio (NTS) / Electronica LP’s / Binaural Soundscapes / Live Gigs & Events / Vocal/Classical/Jazz & Soundtracks.
Sources:
Balanced output:
I find the best synergy is attained listening to FLAC files with Sony NW-ZX300a (bluetooth receiver mode.) The Sony DAP remains distortion-free at max volume.
SE output: Xiaomi Mi 9T smartphone
&: iPad Air3 / Laptop /Cayin N3 & NX4 DSD/DAC (- gain switch increases all frequencies plus the quantity of bass slam and the rumble of sub-bass.) Volume level needs to be limited to just over halfway for optimum clarity.
Fit:
Amazing fit which is ergonomically streamlined to the ear....however the shorter nozzle does require experimenting with suitable tips, in order to achieve perfect seal. This certainly excludes any possibility of being worn down securely. Over-ear wearing has no such problems – especially when using wider bore tips.
Tuning / Sound Signature:
The DD driver renders timbres of instruments amazingly well, adding to the authentic signature. Their warm tonality is analogue rather than cold or analytical. Not overly bright, details are transparent & revealing, whilst retaining an energetic presentation. The smoothed out treble extension manages to avoid any peak transients.
Modding:
8-core silver SPC balanced 2.5mm cable, plus wide-bore JVC Spiral Dots tips.
Soundstage:
For electronica and binaural recordings, Blon are wide and deep enough to render tracks with an expansive aural vista admirably! Not overly congested or too intimate, however they’re not quite at 3D holophonic level. Modifications can be implemented to reveal a greater sense of air - helping with stage and micro detail retrieval.
Highs:
The DD driver does a fine job rendering the timbre of instruments and percussion, making them sound extremely authentic, whilst never succumbing to being sibilant, shouty or shrill. Any transient peaks are kept at bay - so even for the treble sensitive....the Blon never become fatiguing.
Mids:
The real star of the show are the truly sublime mids. They’re well extended and lush, adding to the addictive nature of the sound signature. Alas sometimes, low-end mids can be perceived to overshadow bass and sub-bass – this is an area for future improvement which would further help with image separation and instrument layering.
Bass:
Once a good seal is achieved there is a enough quantity of bass/sub-bass, however this is slightly compromise by the short nozzle. Switching from silver to more expensive 16-core copper cable, there is a perceptible improvement in bass, which in turn slightly reduces the treble.
Amp Scalability:
The set attains a chi-fi sweet spot very easily, responding well to being amped with a warm source (SE or balanced output.) Once frequencies are duly bolstered, the mids become totally engrossing, in turn, eking out extra micro details, thus totally engaging and encompassing the listener.
EQ response:
I found that by increasing bandwidths <1 KHz had an overall beneficial effect on boosting bass and sub-bass. However, any adjustments are very much trial and error - susceptible to producing muddy bass. In such cases exchanging the cable to copper might be a better option. Fortunately, the Blon don’t really require any additional EQ boost in the 1-16KHz frequency range.
Musicality:
An extremely accurate timbre organically renders any genres you audition them with!...the Blon are not just limited to appreciation of Jazz/Classical/Vocal genres- they also excel at electronica allowing tracks to breathe with a “live” feel. Tuning is warm, coupled with an energetic refined presentation - hence a unique experience.
Additionally, the superb mids generate an overall incredibly musical signature….LP’s that traverse a wide gamut of styles e.g. Floating Points - Late Night Tales…do sound especially awesome!
Comparisons:
NX7: The three-way hybrid configuration presents an extra level of energy compared to the Blon, the piezoelectric of the NX7 boosts the bass, treble, and detail retrieval. The single DD driver doesn’t match their energy, but the treble is smoothed out to avoid transient peaks. Coupled with the mid-centric presentation, this results in a more refined TOTL level set.
DB3: Where the DB3 deliver in extra bass, the single DD driver of the Blon excel at pushing the mids upfront, extending them way more forward. This helps to really appreciate the timbre of instruments, improving their separation and layering - but alas can perceptibly be noticed on some tracks, at the cost of bass response.
Conclusion:
A fraction of the cost of Tanchjim….the Blon are simply stunning value – imho they are the best bang for buck. The fact that the Tanchjim currently retail at £210 make this set an absolute no brainer imho!
At the paltry sum of £23 - have Blon achieved TOTL level of experience??…..no question undoubtedly!
The single dynamic driver is tuned to absolute perfection. The next iteration will no doubt boost bass & sub-bass frequency responses, & address the issue of having a more extended nozzle.
I’ll be looking forward to comparing this set with Shuoer Tape during the 11/11 sales. It will be interesting to discover if the DD driver of Blon competes with the new tech: “Low-Voltage Electrostatic Dynamic Driver.”
Ultimately, the Blon manages to magically sound both energetic and refined, it seems almost impossible to be fatigued by their signature - they easily deliver a balanced TOTL performance - which is very addictive indeed!
For this reason, they have now become my go-to reference set, brilliant with all genres & excel especially whilst listening to my favourite electronica tracks!
Ratings:
- Build: 90
- Fit: 82
- Accessories: 55
- Bass: 80
- Mids: 95
- Treble: 85
- Imaging/Layering: 87
- Soundstage: 80
- Price: 95
activatorflyThanks!.....in comparison the Blon are not a definitely not a downgrade!RomanRiseOk, will keep that in mind. Thanks againactivatorflyTo boost bass/sub-bass further try out this mod: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-discovery-thread.586909/page-2964#post-15279189baskingshark
Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Excellent timbre, natural dynamics and coherent tonality - great for jazz, classical, acoustic genres
Analogue sound signature, like from old school vintage vinyl recordings
Non fatiguing
Light and comfortable
Airy, open sound
Above average soundstage
Great midbass kick
Cheap - sub $30 USDCons: Slightly below average isolation
Stock cables and eartips are poorly fitting, will need a longer nozzle aftermarket eartip or spacer mods
Clarity/instrument separation/details not as good as some dedicated multi BA/hybrid IEMs
Slight distortion at higher volumes at midbass frequencies with a lowend source - can be fixed with good source/amp.
Drivable from low end sources/smartphone, but is quite power hungry and truly needs an amp to improve dynamics, details, soundstage and tighten the bassDisclaimer #1:
I bought the BLON BL-03 from Aliexpress at my own expense.
Disclaimer #2:
The stock eartips and cables are very poorly fitting (not only for myself but based on lots of feedback on headfi). My review is based on pairing with aftermarket eartips and cables (specifically spinfits and 8 core copper cable) and the sound signature may change with different eartips and cables,YMMV. I suspect some users who do not do tiprolling may think the sound quality of this set is poor out of the box.
Introduction:
The latest CHIFI hypetrain single DD IEM, the BLON BL-03, has rave reviews on headfi the past few weeks (as of the time of writing). Some headfiers and reviewers have said the BLON BL-03 is not too far away in sound quality from more established and more expensive DD sets like the Moondrop KXXS, Tanchjim Oxygen and JVC HA FDX01 (though I haven't heard these more expensive IEMs).
So does it live up to the hype, or will the hypetrain be derailed?
IMHO, I think this IEM may not suit all users. But for audiophiles that can appreciate its strengths, and can do tiprolling or cable changing, it will truly reward the effort put in. In a flood of bright CHIFI IEMs with a 2 - 4kHz harsh peak, the BLON BL-03 sports a truly refreshing tuning, with very natural timbre, tonality and dynamics.
Specifications:
- Driver: 10 mm carbon diaphragm dynamic driver
- Sensitivity: 102dB
- Cable: 2 pin detachable cable
- Frequency response: 20Hz - 20kHz
- Impedence: 32Ω
Accessories:
In addition to the IEM, it comes with:
- Sackcloth pouch
- Detachable 3.5 mm stock cable
- Multiple silicone tips
Pictured here is the BLON BL-03 with spinfit eartips and a NICEHCK 8 core copper cable, as the stock tips and cables were not optimal IMHO.
Forgive the spelling errors, but this was the stuff printed on the box. Indeed if you didn't give up with the BLON BL-03's stock tips and cables department, a musical dreamland will be revealed with your persistence!
Build/comfort:
So as per the above, the stock eartips won't do the BLON BL-03 any justice, as the nozzle of the IEM is short, so most headfiers and myself had poor sound and fit with the stock short tips OOTB. From the headfi CHIFI forums, longer nozzle eartips or a spacer mod seems to fix this issue. Indeed, out of the box with the stock tips, I thought the sound quality was subpar, but I got a magical sound once I attached spinfits to the BLON BL-03. YMMV.
The stock cable also is not too optimal for the BLON BL-03 as the earhooks are stiff and tend to yank the IEM out of the ears. From the CHIFI forums, there are other aftermarket 2 pin cables one can opt for to improve the fit, and some are even resorting to mods like cutting open the earhook or heating and reforming cables.
*From feedback from headfi forums, the stock eartips seem to be more problematic than the stock cables. Some folks have no issue with the stock cables, but it seems majority do have issues with the stock tips. So my suggestion is to get a set first and see if the stock cables suit you, but definitely have some standby eartips around. It seems later batches of the BLON BL-03 come with a grey stock tip instead of the older black ones, and the grey ones have longer nozzles, and it may be better fitting, YMMV.
Otherwise this IEM is actually very ergonomic, comfortable and light. I can wear it for hours without issues.
I did not note any driver flex.
Isolation:
Slightly below average compared to my other CHIFIs. I have tested it on the subway and buses and I would suggest to stick to home use with this. In fact, with strong wind blowing in my ears, there is a whirling sound heard. Perhaps foam tips may improve the isolation, but I have tried several pairs of silicon tips with not much improvement in the isolation department.
Sound:
I tested the BLON BL-03 with a Desktop -> Khadas Tone Board -> Fiio A3 and Ziku HK-X9. The BLON BL-03 is drivable from smart phones but definitely scales better with a DAC/AMP. It is quite a power hungry little beast despite the specs on paper, with amping improving the details, soundstage, dynamics and tightening up the bass. Also distortion in the BLON BL-03 is decreased with amping (see details in the bass section).
I didn't have any hiss with this IEM on laptops/PC/smartphones.
The BLON BL-03 has a slight L shaped tuning, with boosted bass, very slightly recessed lower mids, with some light roll off at the upper treble. I didn't notice any awkward peaks or troughs in the FR. I found the clarity, instrument separation and details to be good for a single DD driver, but it won't trump a dedicated multi BA/hybrid IEM in this aspect and it also loses in these areas to some single DD IEMs I have. With very complex instrumentation or in music with lots of competing riffs/melodies going on, the BLON BL-03 does have a bit of difficulty keeping up.
Neverthless, imaging is quite accurate in the BLON BL-03.
The best aspect of the BLON BL-03 has to be its excellent timbre, natural dynamics and very coherent tonality. It really paints the music very naturally and organically. My previous gold standard in timbre was the Toneking Ninetails, and the BLON BL-03 beats the Ninetails. Coming from multi BAs/hybrids with their occasional artificial timbre of acoustic instruments (like woodwinds, strings, and brasses), I was pleasantly surprised that the BLON BL-03 could recreate the sound of these instruments almost perfectly (I'm quite OCD about timbre as I've been studying music and playing in a band since my teenage years). With the BLON BL-03, I can truly imagine the sound of the horsehairs on the violin bow being bowed, the reedy sound of woodwinds being blown, and the waa waa of trumpets and trombones in my music.
As such, I would say that the BLON BL-03 would excel at slower genres which incorporate a lot of acoustic instruments, such as in classical, jazz and acoustic genres. Its strengths may not be so apparent if your choice of music uses synthetic instruments like in electronic/EDM, or if you wanted a hyperdetailed analytical signature.
In fact I gave away my **** and KZ ZS10 Pro after a few days with the BLON BL-03 as even though they were excellent in details and clarity, they lacked in the timbre department, and my mainstay music genres were jazz and acoustic.
Overall, the sound of the BLON is very analogue sounding compared to the usual sterile/surgical precision of the multi BA/hybrids out there, it's really as though it was an old school vinyl recording played thru tube amps.
Bass:
It is very typical of a well tuned DD driver, with good subbass extension and displacement of air. Bass is slow and bleeds a bit. Subbass has a very slight roll off compared to midbass. It has good timbre and quantity, but I wouldn't classify it at basshead levels. Nevertheless, I'm a basshead and I find that the bass was of adequate amount to not necessitate any EQing. I noted that in some songs with very complex bass movements, it generally managed to keep up with good control and details, but had occasional smearing.
I did notice a slight midbass bleed, but this seems to be quite source dependent as per some feedback on headfi. Indeed on my desktop setup (Khadas tone board -> Fiio A3) I had minimal midbass bleed, but I had some midbass bleed on my smartphone and Ziku HK-X9 DAP. Nevertheless, I felt the midbass bleed adds a bit of warmth to the lower mids which creates an "analogue" sound that can aid in classical and jazz genres. YMMV.
One thing to note is that some headfiers and myself found slight distortion at higher volumes at the midbass frequencies with a lowend source on the BLON BL-03. It can be fixed with a good source/amp, and in general for home usage, I wouldn't foresee most of us turning up the volume so much anyway.
Mids:
Very slightly recessed in lower mids. Note weight/density is very good and natural compared to most other multi BA/hybrid setups. The upper mids are slightly brighter than lower mids, hence female voices sound more forward than male ones. The BLON BL-03 doesn't have the typical 2 - 4 kHz harsh CHIFI peak and hence it is non fatiguing. The mids are detailed with good clarity and instrument separation, although dedicated multi BA/hybrid setups will trump the BLON BL-03 in these areas.
Treble:
Treble is smooth with no fatigue/harshness/sibilance. Very good for listening for long sessions and having a relaxing listen. Cymbals sound very authentic compared to the usual splashy cymbals heard in some budget CHIFI sets. I would class the treble as safe compared to the usual bright CHIFI treble tuning, and it extends quite well but has a slight rolloff at the upper treble. The lower treble is slightly boosted but not harsh. Overall, I didn't notice any spikes, and neither did I notice any grain on the treble.
Technicalities:
Below average in terms of clarity, instrument separation and details. Imaging is okay, but this set is not an analytical or technical set, but more for relaxing and chilling. Soundstage is just average.
Comparisons:
As detailed above, the BLON BL-03 won't beat most multi BA/hybrids in the clarity and details department by virtue of it being a single DD IEM. So I have compared it to a few other single DD IEMs that I currently own (TFZ No. 3, Semkarch SKC CNT1, Toneking Ninetails, Sony MH755):
1) Isolation
TFZ No.3 > Semkarch SKC CNT1 > BLON BL-03 > Toneking Ninetails > Sony MH755
2) Timbre + Tonality + Note weight
BLON BL-03 > Toneking Ninetails > Sony MH755 > Semkarch SKC CNT1 > TFZ No.3
3) Comfort/fit
All equally good fitting/comfortable IMHO (with aftermarket tips/cables for some of them). None causes any irritation or discomfort with long usage.
4) Clarity/instrument separation/details
TFZ No.3 > Semkarch SKC CNT1 = Toneking Ninetails > BLON BL-03 > Sony MH755
5) Soundstage width
Toneking Ninetails > BLON BL-03 > Sony MH755 > TFZ No.3 = Semkarch SKC CNT1
6) Bass (quantity)
TFZ No.3 > Semkarch SKC CNT1 (black filter) = Toneking Ninetails (both red bass filters on) > BLON BL-03 > Sony MH755
7) Sound signature
TFZ No. 3 - U shaped, most basshead of these single DD IEMs, with great subbass extension and quantity. Has elevated 2 - 3 kHz and 8 kHz frequencies, but has treble roll off at higher treble frequencies. Lower mids are recessed compared to higher mids.
Semkarch SKC CNT1 - V shaped, recessed mids. Has 2 tuning filter options, one for bassier sound, one for less bassier/more neutralish tuning. Lower mids more forward than higher mids. Also has higher treble roll off but better control of dynamic range than TFZ No. 3 with no obvious peaks/troughs. Non fatiguing. Subbass extension and quantity less than TFZ No. 3 with bass filters on.
Toneking Ninetails - 9 potential tuning filter configurations (front and back filters), from basshead to V shaped to more neutralish sound signature. Mids recessed on all configurations. Also has high treble roll off and is non fatiguing.
Sony MH755 - harmanish tuning
BLON BL-03 - L shaped as above (see sound section)
Conclusion:
So if you have read till this point, does the BLON BL-03 live up to its hype?
I guess it depends on what you look for in your music, and what are your music genre preferences. It probably will not be the cup of tea for everyone. It does most things well, but there will be other sets that excel at certain other areas compared to the BLON BL-03.
The BLON BL-03's best aspect is it's tonality, timbre and natural dynamics, and I would 100% recommend it for aficionados of jazz, classical and acoustic music. It has above average clarity/details/instrument separation (not comparing it with dedicated multi BA/hybrids of course) and it is non fatiguing with an atypical tuning compared to the usual CHIFI fare out there.
The sound of the BLON BL-03 really harkens back to an old school vintage "analogue" sound like in vinyl recordings, that's how I can best summarize it.
For those looking for a hyperdetailed analytical sound with brightness, you would be better off looking elsewhere for a multi BA/hybrid IEM. And perhaps if EDM and electronic music is your staple genre, other IEMs may fare better. Also it requires the effort to tiproll and possibly get another aftermarket cable, only then will you be rewarded with it's magical coherent sound signature.
Nevertheless, the BLON BL-03 does well in most areas, and for its price of $28 USD, it would be a good affordable entry IEM for those wanting a natural and coherent sound.Last edited:skepticalThese kinds of reviews are priceless with short and yet to the point compare. Have you heard anything else with more subbass amount than Tfz No 3? What about Isn audio D10, they are in the same price range and they were recommended by penonaudio, not to mention how pretty they are.baskingsharkI haven't heard the D10, but I've read many favourable reviews about it, especially on the subbass. It's on my wishlist for sure, let us know if u get it.
Subbass wise, I think the Jade Audio EA3 and DUNU DM-480 may have about equivalent or just slightly less subbass quantity/extension, but they also have leaner midbass, so the midbass thump isn't as prominent as TFZ No. 3.FcConstruct
Sponsor: Headphones.com
Pros: Great bass quality
Natural sounding timbre
Non-fatiguing treble
Good resolution
Superb valueCons: Awkward fit
Treble lightThis is a review of the BLON BL-03, a recent $40 IEM that features a 10mm carbon diaphragm dynamic driver. I got this as a review unit from Linsoul. If you're interested in it after reading this review, you can grab one here.
Overall Sound Signature: The BL-03 has a bassy sound signature that is fun, colored, and inoffensive. It shines with slower well-recorded tracks while stumbles a little on faster-paced music that has an emphasis on the hats and cymbals.
Bass: Without a doubt, the bass is front and center of this IEM and is surprisingly very good considering the BL-03's budget status. The BL-03's DD is nuanced without the one-notedness of its competitors, being able to show off the underlying note and timbre complexities in well-recorded tracks. The BL-03's DD is also fairly balanced to me, without too short or long of a decay, having a realistic DD timbre that isn't too punchy nor bloomy. There is a minor roll-off in the subbass compared to the midbass but both are present in spades. The subbass rumbles cleanly while the midbass adds plenty of color to tracks, be it quick bass guitar lines or the thump of the kick. Even though the BL-03 is bass heavy, it doesn't come off as overly boomy to me. The only complaint I have with the bass is that it can come off as a little soft at times compared to something like the enormous subbass slam that comes with the (in)famous MH755.
Mids: The BL-03's mids are a little on the thick side thanks to the emphasized low end of the IEM. However, I don't get a sense of muddiness from the BL-03, something that is rare to find in bass-heavy budget IEMs. Similarly to the midbass, the lower mids of the BL-03 very colored. Backing synths pads fill out tracks more fully while electric guitars take on exaggerated grittiness. Vocals are slightly warm and are well presented, neither recessed nor too forward. For the fun, colored sound signature the BL-03 shoots for, the mids serve their part just fine.
Treble: The BL-03 is a little treble light, lacking both the airiness of upper treble extension and the energy that comes with the lower treble. While there is good individual note definition in slow, well-recorded tracks, its DD cannot keep up with hats/cymbals in faster tracks and becomes trashy quickly, a common issue with many IEMs. Thankfully, however, the BL-03 doesn't have any treble peaks, keeping it from ever sounding sibilant, fatiguing, or having strange timbre.
Staging and Imaging: The soundstage is a touch above average, with stage depth but lacking stage height. Imaging is fairly decent with a couple more "steps" horizontally rather than the standard 3 blobs of left-center-right but can feel vague.
Resolution and Separation: Resolution is solidly above average for the <$100 range while instrument separation is good as the BL-03 doesn't feel congested even with so much going on in its lower range.
Build and Fit: The BL-03 sports a shiny, all-metal shell that's meant to be worn over-ear. The included 2-pin cable isn't great but is serviceable. It has a very shallow fit, leading to low isolation and an often awkward fit and seal. The included tips have a spinfit-like mechanism as you can see here, the short and narrow flexible region between the stem and the tip head. This is necessary for extending the length of the tip to compensate for the short nozzle. If you have larger ears, the BL-03 may not fit as I needed to move up from medium tips to large and even then I feel like I could go up a size to get a better seal. Something to keep in mind when thinking of purchasing.
Should you buy it?: For $40, the BLON BL-03 is definitely worth its price tag. I was surprised listening to it as I expected another bassy, low-res boom monster but instead got a fun sounding IEM that's rather clean with an outstanding budget-fi dynamic driver. This should be a superb IEM for most genres except for fast-paced technical tracks.Attachments
Otto Motor
Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Natural timbre and dynamics; good clarity; spatial cues; incredible value.Cons: Poor accessories; needs tinkering with tips and cable to unleash its full potential; a bit bright; short nozzles.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Blon BL-03 is a neutral to slightly warm, marginally bright single dynamic driver earphone that excels by its tonal accuracy, natural dynamics, clarity, authentic soundstage, and spatial cues that gives you the feeling of sitting in the first row of a concert.
Note: i'd give this earphone 5 stars if it worked ootb.
You find the full review with all the usual blablabla here: https://www.audioreviews.org/blon-bl-03-review/
This version is abbreviated in order not to be repetitive with the other reviews and to make sure to stay within the posting guidelines.
...
TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES
JK’s tonal preference and testing practice
The Blon BL-03 is neutral with a tendency towards bright that excels by its clarity, good speed, tonal accuracy and homogeneity/balance. The sound details depends a lot on eartips used so that results may vary between listeners. Hence, please also look at the other quality reviews out there.
Frequency response of the Blon BL-03 measured with an IEC711 coupler. Diagram courtesy of KopiOkaya.
The Blon BL-03 has a rather subtle, balanced sound signature with my setup and for my ears with a tendency to a forward upper midrange, which gives it a margially brightish flavour….it is certainly a far cry from the previous generations of V-shaped single DDs. Nothing punches (too much) from the low end or pierces at the high end. It is a polite and refined earphone all around. The Blon BL-03 is primarily an earphone for “audiophiles” imo and only secondary for rockers and dance music fans as its strength lies in the authenticity of sonic reproduction. It largely lacks perfume: the bass is rather natural in quality and quantity…and not substantially boosted to prefer certain musical genres with a hard beat. Fitting to the low end, the dynamics are rather natural, too. Further, the stage is quite authentic (wider than deep, including a good height), and the spatial cues is good, too, so that you really think you are in the first row of a concert.https://www.audioreviews.org/blon-bl-03-review/
With the tips used, the bass is well extended and has the aforementioned decent but not unnaturally strong punch, it is well textured and adds subtle warmth to the image. It can be a bit slow at times but is never thick. A subtle sub-bass rumble is pleasant on my ears. Overall, bass is tastefully dosed. The midrange is clean and clear, organic, energetic, and maybe a bit on the bright side because of a lift in the upper midrange. It has good air but not as much density as the more expensive Drop + JVC HA-FDX1. There is no congestion anywhere, including the upper midrange. Treble is very well extended, well resolving, and never strident (but not smooth either). Cymbals are surprisingly realistic sounding as transients are surprisingly natural. Stage is rather wide and high with enough depth. Resolution and instrument placement on stage are almost incredible for a budget earphone. 3-D impression is very good. And then there is the timbre, which is absolutely spot on. No budget hybrid can keep up with the Blon BL-03, although the TRN V90 gives it a good try.
Condensing all these observations, the Blon BL-03 cater particularly to fans of classical music, folk, and jazz. I don’t usually give music examples (as most people don’t have access to them) but have a look at the recent John Williams re-recordings by the London Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. A very fluid listening experience.
COMPARISONS
See https://www.audioreviews.org/blon-bl-03-review/
Keep on listening!Ollie the bear“neutral to slightly warm, marginally bright” this is a new standard of how to contradict yourself twice in a half a sentenceOtto MotorThis is not a contradiction: slightly warm refers to a bass above neutral and marginally bright refers to a boosted upper midrange. But overall, the sound is close to neutral. You may wonder what neutral means: diffuse field or Harman Target? In this case, it is more Harman Target. Note the words "slightly" and "marginal": the world is not black and white.audioblog18
New Head-Fier
Pros: High price to performance ratio
- Deep and textured sub bass
- Punchy Mid bass
- Smooth and full sounding Midrange
- Airy Treble
- Spacious sound stage
- Solid Build
- Has carrying pouch
- Good fit and isolationCons: So-so cable and ear tips
- Short Nozzle
- A bit loose bass
- Slightly lacks treble sparkle
- Weird PackagingThis review unit was provided free of charge, it doesn’t affect the honesty and integrity of this review.
The Company
There’s really few information about BLON but they are making audio gears for 5 years already, as far as I know they started out with a headphone named BossHifi B8 then this year they suddenly became much more aggressive releasing their first IEM as well as a Planar Headphone. The box they are shipping out is still unripe with very confusing words imprinted on it but the inclusion feels good enough.
The BLON BL03
The BL03 is a single Dynamic Driver and has a metal shell (stainless steel) which feels kinda heavy yet rigid. I can easilt say that the material used and the level of durability should be on par or even better with the likes of BQEYZ BQ3 and Tin Audio T3. The 2 pin female which I think is a 0.78 mm is level with the surface of the IEM and there’s a space around to insert the 2 pin male which is recessed, the connection feels a lot better than KZs since it is recessed and feels secured. There’s no information about the material used for cable but it is coated with black plastic, it is quite decent for me but the ear guides/hooks feels too aggressive nonetheless it is manageable.
Technical specifications:
- Impedance: 32Ω
- Earphone sensitivity: 102dB/mW
- Frequency response range: 20-20KHz
- Plug Type: 3.5mm Gold Plated L Type
- Earphone interface: 2 pin connector
- Driver unit: 10mm Carbon Diaphragm Dynamic Driver
The packaging resembles the TFZ Series 2, the rectangular body is made out of card board while the cover is a printed transparent acetate/plastic. The problem for me is the message above, it feels sketchy for me but at least there’s a lot inside and the IEM sounded spectacular (considering the price of course). There’s a manual, 3 pairs of useless ear tips, cable and a nice pouch. To be honest the stock tips are next to useless, they are very thin and doesn’t give any resistance when inserted to the ears resulting to a poor comfort and isolation. Luckily, when tried with other trusted ear tips, it has a very good isolation (very minimal outside noise when on commute) and fits very well. I can compare the fit with an advanced Model 3, the weight doesn’t bother me in any way so I can say that it is comfortable indeed. Overall, the packaging is more than decent for a sub 2000 Php (40USD) IEM, in fact it is a notch better than the packaging of KZs.
Sound
I love IEMs and earbuds with midcentric to flat sound signature as I really love listening to vocals rather than instruments. My genre ranges from heavy rock, alternative rock, pop rock, acoustic, pop, jazz and folk. Majority of my test tracks are in 16 bit – 44 khz and 24 bit – 48 khz FLAC file and here is the list of my commom test tracks.
- Reese Lansangan – For the Fickle (background, female vocals and upper mids)
- Foo Fighters – Bridge Burning (Imaging, Layering, Coherence, Sub bass and Mid bass, Mids, Treble)
- Jensen and the Flips – Come Closer (Mid Bass, Mids)
- Ed Sheeran – Dive (Mid bass, Lower Mids)
- Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why (Upper Mids and Instruments)
- Paramore – Hard Times (Imaging, Layering, Coherence, Sub bass and Mid bass, Mids, Treble)
- Utada Hikaru ft. Skrillex – Face My Fears (Imaging Layering, Bass, Mids, Treble, Coherence, Quickness)
- Passenger – Coins in a Fountain (Mid bass, Layering, Imaging, Instruments, Lower mids, Treble)
- Tori Kelly – Hollow (Background, Upper mids)
- Ariana Grande – Raindrops (Background, Upper mids)
Sub bass goes deep and has excellent texture for the price it is far from being too smooth. It decays pretty quick and easily picks more than enough amount of details, rumbles and riffs feels very present. Mid bass has moderate tightness it isn’t the most rounded and tight bass out there, but it is speedy especially it is a single DD IEM, it is quite smooth but the body of mid bass is very engaging and enjoyable, it is slightly coloured but heck playing Bad Guy by Billie Eilish is just euphoric, I can confidently say that the bass of this guy can beat even the likes of ZS10 Pros and BQEYZ BQ3 which is double the price.
Midrange
Lower midrange sits a little bit behind the bass, it has moderate warmth to keep male vocals and guitar strums realistic and far from being dry or hollow. Playing Spies by Coldplay, the strings sounded natural and has enough body, same goes to vocals, it has more than decent details and it still sounds full and quite smooth. Listening to Birdy’s Beautiful Lies, it sounds quite dull since her vocals isn’t that thin and pitchy compared to other Pop singers but it sounds natural and far from being sibilant, the upper midrange has more forward positioning than the lower midrange, I love the right amount of warmth here, I’d say that it has moderate amount of transparency and body for it to sound versatile with various artist and instruments, the details feels sufficient but not overflowing.
Treble
Playing Asphyxia by Co Shu Nie, despite complex presentation, the treble sounded airy and smooth I’d say that it is placed quite neutrally, the treble never sounded aggressive with my tracks. Decay speed is good enough, it lacks sparkle and definition at times but that makes the BL03 easy to listen and can be listen with for number of hours. Details is just decent since the tuning seems to focus with smoothness and air, nonetheless it extends quite well.
Sound Stage and Resolution
Sound Stage feels spacious, there’s more than enough depth, width and height seriously I didn’t expect this to sound this good. There’s a slight peak between 5k and 10k and that must helped the stage to sound more open. Imaging and layering is pretty impressive for the price, in fact I never expected a sub 2000 Php (40 USD) IEM to sound this good especially from BLON since this is their very first venture in IEMs. Resolution isn’t spectacular but from sub bass to upper midrange it is above decent, it is quite smooth but there’s still enough resolution.
Sound Signature and Synergy
The Sound Signature of the BLON BL03 leans on warm to slightly U shaped, there’s ample of warmth and that helped in making the IEM sound energetic and natural in timbre. Sub bass and midbass is slightly prominent because of the extra fullness but it doesn’t sound too warm in my preference. I’d love pairing it with neutral sources or a slightly analytical one to slightly give more sparkle at the treble.
Hiby R3
Hiby R3 is slightly warm, I’d say it is one of the best DAPs that I’ve tried under 20,000 Php (400 USD) in terms of fullness. This pairing isn’t too warm at all I expected it to sound dark but it didn’t, in fact there’s just ample amount of mid bass emphasis and midrange still sounded clear enough for it not to sound muddy. The treble sounded less sparkly but still it is airy and quite smooth. Sound stage still sounds spacious, not as huge as when using the Micro but still it sounds expansive especially once I used the Satin Audio Kraken 4x. Details doesn’t feel overpowering but it is there especially on the lower end of the spectrum. Vocals sounds stellar with this pairing, I never expected something like this under 2000 Php.
iFi iDSD micro LE
With great power comes better staging, more natural timbre and better resolution. Playing it with micro (Ultra sensitive on) it sounded cleaner and leaner in comparison with Hiby R3, bass is still punchy and has good amount of body but it is more controlled and is tighter. Midrange sounds as meaty as with the R3 but it is cleaner here, it is more transparent and natural. Treble still sounded smooth ans airy but now with better extension and better presence. Again, the stage feels more spacious, layering and imaging feels more accurate as well. There’s a slight improvement in resolution especially on the treble but it isn’t humongous compared to Hiby R3 balanced.
Smartphone (Huawei Mate 10)
As what you’ll expect from a smartphone, there’s a reduction in terms of dynamics, resolution, coherence, transparency and staging but that’s given. The phone made the BLON BL03 slightly thinner and sweeter especially on the upper mids, there’s less bass emphasis and the treble sounded slightly more forward as what I’ve expected from a bright sounding source. Nonetheless the BL03 can be easily used with smartphones and that’s a plus.
Comparison
Final Audio E1000
They sounded similar for me except that the E1000 sounded more linear and has more treble presence. Sub bass feels smoother and less extended on the E1000, the BL03 on the other hand sounds more textured and has better depth and decay speed. The Midbass of the two sounds almost identical with almost same level of emphasis but the BL03 has slightly better control and speed over the E1000. Lower mids sounds a bit more forward on the E1000, they are both warmish I’ll give the win to E1000 since it is less recessed. Upper mids goes to BL03 due to sweeter presentation, the E1000s is too warm resulting to bland upper midrange. The treble sounds better on the BL03, slightly more sparkly and well extended as compared to the E1000, there’s some peak above 8k on tbe BL03 which actually helped for the sound stage. Sound stage seems to go with the BL03, though it is a very close match, the BL03 snatched the win due to its deeper stage and slightly better imaging and layering. Resolution goes to the BL03 as well but the difference isn’t tremendous.
KZ ZS10 Pro
Sub bass depth and texture easily goes to BL03, no question it goes deeper and has better texture in it. Mid bass goes to BL03 too again though the ZS10 Pro sounds tighter, the punch and body of the BL03 is just superior over the ZS10 Pro. Lower midrange still snatched by the BL03 it sounds fuller, less hallow and has more natural timbre compared to the ZS10 Pro, clarity and resolution is on par as well. Upper mid range of the ZS10 Pro sounds cleaner and more intimate but it sounds unnatural when pitted against the BL03, so I’ll give it a draw. Treble goes to ZS10 Pro since it has better sparkle and extension, it packs more details as well. Sound stage goes to the Bl03, the treble actually helped as well as the airy presentation. Resolution may go either way since for the upper midrange to treble I hear more details with ZS10 Pro while for the bass and lower midrange, the BL03 sounded more detailed.
Hill Audio Altair Lite
The Altair Lite sounds darker for me, it has more sub bass and mid bass punch maybe because of how it is designed, I’ll give the bass to the Altair Lite. Lower midrange and upper midrange both sounds way more natural and less recessed with the BL03, it packs more details and clarity too so it’s an obvious win for the Bl03. The treble goes to the BL03 too with airier presentation and better sparkle, extension is greater with the BL03 too. Sound stage still snatched by the BL03, the Altair Lite sounded intimate due to the design I think (lack of vent). As for the resolution, the BL03 has more details from midrange to treble while they are almost on par on the bass, therefore it is a close win for the BL03.
Conclusion
I was very amazed with the BL03, I never expected to have the same feeling as when I tried the lovely HS1551 CU as I first tried the BLON BL03, don’t misunderstand me, the BL03 obviously isn’t as detailed, wide, coherent and clear as the former but what I’m trying to say is that they have the same “wow factor” the moment you try it. It has very good bass with deep and textured presentation. Midrange sounds natural with commendable timbre. Treble has good amount of air and sparkle without slowing it down. Sound stage sounds more open as compared to the KZ counterpart and it is a very good start from a company that’s still on its first few steps. I can easily recommend this one even under the 5000 Php (100 USD) range since picking the likes of ZS10 Pro or Tin Audio T3 won’t really be a major leap from the BLON BL03. I never thought budget IEMs to sound this good, honestly.