BLON BL-Mini

General Information

BLON BL-Mini​

HiFi Dynamic Driver Earphone - Blon has swept the global audio market with its affordable yet incredible sounding headphones and in-ear monitors in the recent years. Prioritizing sound quality and budget-friendly prices, Blon aims to make high-fidelity audio accessible to all. At Blon, we will never stop surprising you with the limitless opportunities the world of HiFi audio has to offer.

The Encore​

The Blon Mini was crafted in reminiscence of the incredibly popular BL-03, but designed with a more ergonomic fit. Utilizing an all new 6mm dynamic driver, the Mini offers a similar Hi-Fi tuning, but with a greater emphasis on sub-bass impact and speed. Tuned with precision, the perfect mid and treble frequency playback was achieved to match the natural perceived hearing of the human ear. Both seasoned audiophiles and ordinary music lovers can now enjoy the powerful sub-bass yet articulate and detailed sparkles that the Mini has to offer. A huge leap from similarly priced earphones and in-ear monitors, the Blon Mini will take your music to the next level of high-fidelity audio resolution.

Comfort and Durability​

The Blon Mini is crafted from solid zinc alloy to achieve a lightweight yet extremely durable construction. Designed with daily use in mind, the Mini is ready to bring you HiFi music wherever you go. Additionally, taking community inputs from the BL-03 predecessor, the housing of the Mini was completely redesigned to be more comfortable and have a more secure fit. The curvature and shape of the Mini was calculated using AI Learning based on an ear shape database to match the contour of the human ear. Through this redesigned housing, the Mini offers a deeper fit inside the ear, providing greater fit and security, as well as sound isolation matching that of professional custom-fit in-ear monitors. Through this innovation, the Blon Mini is now perfect for both on the go casual music listening, as well as stage performance monitoring.

Cable Options​

The Blon Mini comes standard with a new plated-copper cable that was chosen to enhance audio resolution, as well as a tangle-free handling. The cable is available either with or without a dedicated microphone.


1.Product name:BLON BL-mini

2.Brand: BLON

3.Model: BL-mini

4.Impedance: 16Ω

5.Sensitivity: 20Hz-20000Hz

6.Interface: 3.5mm

7.Cable length:1.2m silver cable

8.Color: Gun/Silver

9.Whether with mic: Optional

10.Driver:6mm dynamic driver


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Latest reviews

SHOOTINGTECHIE

100+ Head-Fier
BLON BL-MINI- THE MACARONY OF BLONS
Pros: 1) Wider head stage and stage depth and layering
2) Better controlled bass
3) No midbass bleed (Blons had it a slight amount, without mod and tips)
4) More inter-notes separation
5) Slightly more details and transparency than Blon 03
Cons: 1) Seems compressed (change of cable)
2) Bass needs more punch
3) Fit might be an issue
BLON BL-MINI- THE MACARONY OF BLONS

BLON
as a chifi company needs no introduction. The blons 03 made a huge wave in the audiophile world and it still is a great option. But now they have moved to newer models and hence comes from the bean (aka Blons 03😉) to macaroni (aka BLON – MINI 😄). So today we have The Macaroni among Blon Familia in for review- THE BLON-BL-MINI”.

DISCLAIMER- THIS IS A LOANED UNIT FROM MY FRIEND AND ALSO OWNER OF THEAUDIO STORE AND ALL THANKS TO HIM TO LET ME TRY IT AND YOU CAN FIND MORE ON THE PRICE HERE

UNBOXING-

It is a simple cardboard box and rest the pics will dictate 😁
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SPECIFICATIONS-
  • One 6mm DD
  • Impedance: 16Ω
  • Sensitivity: 20Hz-20000Hz
  • Interface: 3.5mm
  • Cable length:1.2m silver cable
  • Mic optional – mine had it
  • Driver: 6mm dynamic driver
BUILD AND FIT-
Seems like a stainless-steel build with the shape of macaroni. It fit me fine with the stock tips but I would suggest to change tips. But after long hours (ahmm 1 hour), it did become slightly uncomfy with stock tips and hence I changed tips to what I use with blons (can’t remember the name of it though, but its good tips). Still, I needed to reinsert after an hour to prevent my ears. But it isn’t a bad fit just needs some getting used to that’s all.

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CABLE-
It’s difficult but the cable is pretty good for me & it wasn’t microphonic at all. Though if you live in a humid climate this might stick to your skin a bit. The mic is okayish, it picks up a lot of background noise. Though using better cables would be a better idea since the stock cable compresses the dynamics a lot.

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ACCESSORIES-
  • A WHITE typical blon cloth bag
  • Tips 3 of those normal ones
  • 1 ‘M’ pair of a slightly longer CP800 type tip
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PRICE- 1890 INR

NOTE- MY SOURCE IS-

1) PORTABLE -N6II R01, BTR5 AND LG G8X
2) DESKTOP- DAC- N6II WITH T01 LINEOUT
3) AMP- TOPPING A30 MODDED WITH BURSON V5I D OR TOPPING L30 OR XDUOO MT602(NOT USED HERE FOR REVIEW BUT HEY IT DOES HELP TO ADD A BIT OF TUBE TOUCH)
4)Would like to add that my DAP N6ii ran it on Med gain at 30-40 on volume and on Topping a30s- low gain just 7-9 ‘O’ clock on volume wheel
5) The tips I used are the ones that came with Blon-MINI AKA Stock tips and also the tips that I use with Blon-03, I liked it more with my blon tips.


SOUND IMPRESSIONS- THIS IS SUBJECTIVE AND YOUR OPINIONS MIGHT NOT MATCH MINE-

BASS AND SUB-BASS-

This small 6mm DD iem really keep everything in check with a good deal of punch in the mids. The midbass and sub-bass have both great tonality and feel like a good-bodied DD sound, still feels a slight missing in that impact. They have too much controlled midbass with good energy and texture. The dynamics lack a bit and the inter-notes separation is okay for its price. The inter-instrumental separation is average though even for its price. The rumble is great of the sub-bass and I didn’t feel anything lacking. The bass though is tight lacks timbre and a natural decay, but for this price it seems to do good.

MIDS-
The mids are lovely. There's good tonality slightly on the neutral side with average but good for its price timbre. The dynamics lack a bit but they do have good enough separation. The decay is fast and transparency is good for its price. The microdetails are better than what I heard in this price. The notes have good beginning but the ends and body seems to be a bit lacking. The staging is great which gives it a small sense of layering but there is not much space among the instruments. I would like to see more changes in the heights of the instrument notes and more separation but at this price, I should not actually haha!!!

The vocals both male and female are decent. The vocals timbre is great and small microdetails albeit not many but they do come up. Air in the voice also comes up along with texture, not in a musical way though. They don’t feel lush but they have good presence and balance, so that I wouldn’t call them lean either. The different tonality when multiple singers are singing is presented pretty well altogether for the price.

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TREBLE-
The treble has some good air and tonality in them. They do lack a bit of separation but for their price they seem really good. The tonality is okay but sometimes, the lower treble and mid treble becomes a little too bright. There is decent decay but timbre is too metallic for some instruments especially the bells. Treble don’t lack energy and has pretty good sparkle too. There is good dynamics here but still feels limited to some extent. There is okayish treble extension, but the detailed nature makes up for it and also the transparency helps. Overall, a very good experience for the price.

HEADSTAGE, RESOLUTION, SEPARATION AND IMAGING-
Head stage is good. There is good amount of width and stage depth but depth (-y-as if the bass is coming at you from your chin) is lacking. There is also very less height which makes this feel compressed (would suggest cable change here and tips change here). Notes height also are very less separated which makes it feel less dynamic. The separation is average even though it has a wide soundstage, the instruments feel like they are way too close to each other. The imaging is good though, its diffuse but the transparency helps here. The resolution is great everything it portrays comes up pretty nicely and there is good number of details for its price. All in all head stage is “V” shaped.

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COMPARISON-

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BLON –BL- MINI – THE BRO WHICH EVOLVED TO MACARONI 😂
PROS-

Wider head stage and stage depth and layering
Better controlled bass
No midbass bleed (Blons had it a slight amount, without mod and tips)
More inter-notes separation
Slightly more details and transparency than Blon 03 not E1000C

BLON – 03 - THE BIG BROTHER YET A BEAN 🤣 (modded with slaters mod and uses a KBEAR mic cable + some tips I don’t remember the name of 😅)
PROS-

More musical
More dynamic
Better bass
Taller and thicker notes with good depth.
Better air
Better vocals
More natural timbre and tonality

FINAL E1000C – THE BOY WHO CAN’T BE DETACHED😉
PROS-

Much wider soundstage
More detailed and balanced than either of this
More stage depth and depth
Better transparency
Better imaging
Less dynamic overall
No detachable cables and better tips.

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SUMMARY-

Without the presence of BL03, I would have probably loved this more. But with that there and also E1000c, I would just choose them since BL03 is more fun and E1000 is more technical, this is like in between them. But at this price, any of the three would be pretty good for any beginner who wants both fun and some technical. Just try to find a good fit.😉
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DemolitionMan
DemolitionMan
BL03 or EarStudio HE100 for a bullet type IEM. Own KZ x Crinacle CRN for neutral sound signature, KBear OS1 Pro for cheap "fun" sound. Would either BL03 or HE100 add "something" to the stable other than just adding a bullet style?

notaris

Head-Fier
BLON Mini: Affordable pleasure
Pros: Balanced, natural and quite transparent sound; good soundstage, image and separation; particularly good dynamics; alive and fun presentation; great overall quality and a price that you cannot beat.
Cons: Maybe some better eartips, but at this price you cannot complain.
Introduction

I have heard a lot about BLON IEMs, in particular, BL-03, BL-05 and its upgrade BL-05s; each of these three models has its own fans. I really cannot tell you which one I would like myself, as I never had the chance to try anyone of the three; however, BLON products were always in my radar.

I was quite impressed by the people standing behind this young company, which counts less than 10 years, since 2014; these are either people envying traditional Chinese art culture and modern music or experienced engineers, who combined forces to create some headsets that do not necessarily follow foreign manufacturers, but instead inherit Chinese cultural elements. It is very interesting that BLON are the initials of “Building the Legend Of Nobles”.

In BLON Mini’s User Manual there is mentioned that “Although BLON has not achieved great success,…”; well, I am not sure about that, because maybe with the Mini the time of (great) success has come! This is how good is the IEM that I am going to describe you, which I do believe that everyone should at least try. But let’s take things from the beginning.


Description

The first thing that attracts your attention about the Mini is its peculiar shape; it looks like a pipe that was bent and then turned on the one end; some would say it is a kind of a macaroni again turned on the one end. Whatever you say regarding its shape, it is certainly interesting, I would say nice looking and very comfortable. It is made from a Zinc alloy, which is quite rigid and at the same time quite lightweight, at least compared to stainless steel, and it comes in two nice colors, gunmetal and silver, referred to by BLON as “Light Colour” and “White Steel”.

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The Mini’s diaphragm is a 6 mm one made of Poly Ether Ether Ketone (PEEK) + Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). Although both are considered humble and quite inexpensive materials, the combination of PEEK+PET has proven to be very successful for use as a driver diaphragm, and with the right tuning it can give excellent results. It is enough to mention that the new f-CORE DU Final driver, used in the Final A3000 and A4000 IEMs (for a description of it see my review at https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/final-audio-a4000.24731/reviews#review-25928), has a diaphragm made of PET, and it is simply amazing.

BLON Mini driver .png


The cable is a 2-Pin connector, following the highest versatility φ0.78 standard, made of oxygen-free copper (OFC) and silver plated. It is anti-tensile and anti-interference, and that way it can eliminate short circuit problems, it has a faster transmission rate and more transparent sound, while being more durable at the same time. At the point where the cable connects to the earpiece has an earhook, which is very helpful for keeping the earpiece on the ear.

All the above might seem pretty standard for a mid-range priced IEM, but what about if I tell you that Mini’s MSRP is $29.99-$30.99, depending whether it is without or with a microphone? Amazing? Amazing, but true!

Before I go on with the sound impression, let me mention that Mini is an easy load, having an impedance of 16 Ω, which is a good thing; however, it is also quite sensitive, having a sensitivity of 115 dB, which is not always an advantage.

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The sound

The sound of Mini is balanced and natural, while I could not really find cases where I would call it sterile. The bass is mostly mid-bass, with a small dose of sub-bass, which is certainly not much; so, if you are a bass-head, then the Mini is not for you. However, both the sub- and mid-bass is tight and very well controlled. The Mids are very nice, and both female and male vocals are presented as they are supposed to, without any forwardness or recession. The tremble is also very good; it is not extremely extended, but not it is not in shortage either. Mini is very clean and, for an IEM having a 6 mm driver, it is quite transparent. It is not the most detailed IEM that I have heard, but I did not feel that some information was missing; so, the resolution is not top, but it is more than adequate. The soundstage is better than average; it is not really big, both in width and depth, by any means, but you don’t call it small either; there are IEMs which are better in this department, but this is an unfair criticism for an IEM costing $30.00. Mini’s image and separation are both good good, and what made an impression for me is its dynamics, which is one of Mini’s strong points. Overall, the presentation is very articulate, alive and fun, and I want to stress this last point, as it makes Mini a really enjoyable set. In some musical pieces, one might get the impression that the sound signature is what we call “U shape”, but this is not usually the case.

In testing Mini, I used more or less the musical pieces that I most usually choose. I started with the classic songs “The Look of Love” by Diana Krall, from the album with the same name, Verve, “Baby Can I Hold You” by Tracy Chapman from the album Fast Car, Elektra/Asylum Records, “You’ve Got a Friend” by James Taylor from the album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon, Warner Records Inc., and “One More Second” by Matt Berninger from the album Serpentine Prison, Concord Records. All these beautiful vocals were performed by Mini very nicely, and although in the past I have certainly experienced better performances, there was not much about which I could complain in Mini’s presentation. “Move” by Hiromi (Uehara), from the album with the same name, Telarc International, is an very complex piece, with Hiromi on piano, Anthony Jackson on bass, and Simon Phillips on drums. It is very difficult to catch the powerful and fast playing of Hiromi, and Mini played the fast passages with ease. The same was the case with “Fanfare for the Volunteer” by Mark O’Connor, from the album with the same name, Sony Classical. This is a beautiful Orchestral piece composed by O’Connor, and played by him on the violin and London Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Steven Mercurio. It is another demanding piece with many ups and downs, which is very common in Orchestral music. Mini went through all these sound level alterations without any problem, proving that on top of everything else it is fast and a wonderful all-rounder.


Selected comparisons

One of the IEMs that I am reviewing this period is the CCZ Coffee Bean, having an MSRP of $19.99. It utilizes a single 10 mm dynamic driver, operating on a dual magnetic circuit, which makes it more energy efficient. Its diaphragm is composed of a combination of Polyurethane and Polyether Ether Ketone. So, Coffee Bean’s driver is much bigger than that of the Mini, with a diaphragm similar in composition, and it is designed to provide rich, detailed audio. On the other hand, Coffee Bean’s housing is plastic and rather conventional in shape, while Mini’s housing is from a Zinc alloy with a shape which, whether you like it or not, it certainly does not go unnoticed. Both IEMs have a a 2-Pin connector cable, with Mini’s cable appearing to be of better quality. The sound of Coffee Bean is sufficiently detailed; it is not more than that of Mini, but it is not much behind either. The problem with Coffee Bean’s (sound) signature is that it is really heavy on bass; a lot of sub-bass and plenty of mid-bass, to the point that in some musical pieces the presentation is rather booming compared to the beautifully balanced performance of the Mini. Coffee Bean is clearly a set designed for bass-heads. Although I don’t like sterilize sound, and I do appreciate some warmth in an IEM’s tuning, Coffee Bean’s signature is not for me, and given the choice, I would certainly pay the extra $10.00 for the Mini.

Another IEM that I highly value is the Final E2000. This is a tiny IEM, having an MSRP of $44.90. It has a 6.4 mm dynamic driver, with a housing made of aluminum black alumite and a non-detachable cable of very good quality. E2000 has a beautiful balanced tonality, and this is what made it one of my favorite IEMs and a long-time companion. This tonality gives it a very easy going, clean and clear presentation, more clean and clear so than that of Mini. On the other hand, Mini has what I call alive and fun (sound) signature. So, at the end, it is a matter of choice depending on the person and maybe even on the moment; after all, it is good to have choices in life!


Accessories and fit

The Mini comes in a rather long cartoon box, where one would find, besides the two earpieces and their cable, a sufficient variety of eartips, a fabric case and a user manual. My only complaint is that the eartips are rather generic, so I preferred and ended up using Final’s eartips.

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On the other hand, the Mini is lightweight and very comfortable, providing pretty good sound isolation, so ambient noise with Mini was never a problem. Also, the plastic cover, at the end of the cable, helps the user to place the cable over hisears, thus avoiding microphonics.

Finally, the cable is of very good quality for the price of Mini and, although not advertised, it is anti-tangling, as I never had a serious problem with it.he Coffee Bean utilizes a single 10mm dynamic driver operating on a dual magnetic circuit. This provides a unique advantage over otherenergy efficient. This leading


Conclusion

The Mini does so many things right, and you would be hard pressed to find things for which you would complain about. It has a sound that is balanced, natural and quite transparent sound, with good soundstage, image and separation and particularly good dynamics. Overall, the (sound) signature is very articulate, alive and most of all fun. If you add a great overall quality and a price as low as $30.00, then you have nothing else but a clear winner. Highly recommended.


Specifications

Housing: Zinc alloy
Driver: PEEK + PET Dynamic driver
Sensitivity: 115 dB
Impedance: 16 Ω
Frequency response: 20Hz-20 kHz
Connector: 2-pin + 3.5 mm plug to the source
Cable: Oxygen-free copper, silver-plated cable
Cord length: 1.2 m
Price: $29.99-$30.99 (without or with a microphone)

Reviewer’s note: The reviewer is particularly grateful to Mr. Wang Guanzhen from WGZBLON, for supplying a sample of BLON Mini.
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ywheng89

100+ Head-Fier
Blon BL-Mini - Weird looking but functional
Pros: Comfortable
Better and controlled bass quality and quantity
Price performance ratio
Good separation
Cons: Fit might be a problem which has plagued the previous BLONS, i am fine with it
None to nit pick at this price point
Blon BL-Mini - Weird looking but functional

Curious about this new offering from BLON, I decided to make the plunge to try this little bean looking IEM.

Out of the box the impression is very positive,everything just sounds right, but I have decided to let it run for a few hours and listen to it again to see if there will be any audible changes in terms of the sound.

I’m not someone who judges by just looking at the graph and decides that it’s not good without listening to it first. After all, you can’t hear by just looking at the graph without actually listening to the device itself.

We’re here to enjoy music after all but not gear testing or measuring.

*I purchased this item off my own fund without any sponsorship nor getting this as a review unit. I made the plunge so that you guys can decide whether this is for you or not.


Product Specification

Impedance
16ohms (at 1 kHz)

Frequency responses
20–20kHz

Sensitivity
115dB/mW

Drivers Config
6mm Dynamic Driver

Cable
in 1.2m

Plug
3.5mm single-ended

Connectors
2-pin 0.78mm

Housing Material
Zinc Alloy Forming




Packaging and Design

It comes with the usual standard Blon style packaging. Clean white box with standard

silicone eartips and a Blon cloth carrying pouch to store your earphone. Nothing to brag about. Pretty standard. What is different this time is that the bundled cable is of higher quality than 01 and 03. The material and outlook is similar to Moondrop SSP’s stock cable.

The build quality of this definitely doesn’t feel cheap. It has got the premium-ish metal kind of feeling as they are using this material called Zinc Alloy according to BLON.


Comfort and Fit

Wearing it for several hours straight, the fit is pretty good even with the stock cable. I had trouble getting the right fit from 01 and 03 with the stock cable and had to resort to after-market cable in order for them to sit in my ears without jiggling around and having a good seal. Comfort and fit definitely got a major overhaul from BLON. I can even get a good seal with the stock eartip.


Sound

Low
-Not overly emphasized like it was in the 03. Good quality and quantity, but definitely not for basshead. This time around the sub-bass is definitely more controlled and tight. It will not give you the deep rumble that the basshead is looking for but it is sufficient and provides a perceptible sense of “boom boom”. It is also quite punchy rendering Metallica’s Master of Puppet in a very enjoyable manner.

Mid
-Nothing much to brag about the mid. Male and female vocals sounded natural. Timbre sounded fairly natural. However there’s one thing that I dislike about the rendition of the vocal. It feels a bit distant, not the in your face kind of rendition. However, I guess this is quite subjective as some might prefer this kind of rendition over the other.

High
-Not sibilant and fatiguing. I did not feel any perceptible peak from 7khz claimed by some youtube reviewer. Comfortable to listen for long hours. I know its shouty if my ears get fatigue listening to Unravel - TK, an anime opening song(Tokyo Ghoul). I did not feel fatigue at all listening to this track using BLON Mini. It is a lil warm at least to my ears when comparing this with Moondrop’s SSP

Separation and Imaging
-Instruments separation is above average as i can clearly pinpoint the percussion coming from left and right and also the synth riff that blend right in with the electric guitar’s strumming in A Cruel Angel’s Thesis - Yoko Takahashi (Evangelion’s Soundtrack). Quite a busy track i would say but it rendered it without any issue. Sense of imaging is average i would say, you do not get that Final Audio E series’s imaging, but it does give sufficient perception on the width and height.


Driveability

Rated at 16ohms and sensitivity level of 115db/mw, this thing is very very easy to drive even straight out from your mobile phone. However to achieve better audio quality and dynamic range, it is better to plug this into a dedicated DAP or better still a DAC/AMP combo.

Comparison

The closest competition within this price range that i have with me is the Moondrop SSP.
Both are pretty comfortable to wear to long hours. The difference in terms of sound quality is that SSP’s low punch harder and gives more rumble in a good and controlled manner of course. Soundstage is also wider on the SSP and SSP is also brighter. Both are tuned differently for different kinds of audience. It all boils down to what kind of sound signature are you looking for. Analytical or laid back listening session? Both are good in my opinion in their price category.


Source

This time I have decided not to list the tracks as I believe there is no “test” track to actually test your earphone/headphone. I have shifted my perspective in a sense that if you really enjoy your music, you should be able to tell the differences on how each and every earphones or headphones you listened render them.

Windows 10 -> Stoner Acoustics UD130 -> Tidal (MQA/HiFi)

Ipod Classic(5th Gen) Rockboxed

SONY NW-A55 running on MrWalkman’s firmware(A50z)


Conclusion

Based on my own rating from 1 to 10, I would rate this at a 8 based on the sound that it produced and the price that it is asking for. It is definitely not a neutral IEM but more like a fun kind of IEM where you want to just plug in and start enjoying right away, but of course with better gears you will be able to squeeze out a lil bit more from this little macaroni. I will recommend this someone who wants to enjoy music without breaking a hole in their pocket and also seasoned audiophile who intend to replace their daily driver.

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