BLON BL07

Disclaimer : This unit was won on a raffle between my audio peers. No money was involved during this review, rest assured that everything written on this review will be unbiased.

BLON has been around ever since I started this hobby and the BL-03 is the first BLON unit I had way back the late 2018s and I honestly liked my BL-03s before. Now, in my hands is the BL-07 which had a very unique design and I really like its color.
BLON also found ways to improve their packaging, I remember the BL-03 having some kind of gibberish and alien words on the package like the infamous "oppoty" and "driams". Anyways enough of the overview and let's start the review.

PACKAGING
The Packaging is smaller and has a generous amount of accessories that includes a pouch which is similar to the older models, an instruction manual, three pairs of silicone eartips, cable, and two cone-shaped eartips. These cone-shaped eartips makes way for deeper
insertion and the capability to fit into smaller ears compared to the regular silicone eartips. Overall, the eartips is still low-quality. I am currently using a BGVP A08 tips. As forthe cable, this is a great improvement compared to the BL-03.



SOUND :
Lows
Lows are definitely the star of the show here and is a very bassy IEM. The decay has average length, bass has good dynamics with deep reaching sub-bass and thick midbass. Compared to the BL-03, the BL-07s lows are more controlled and the over all sound
is not as dark as its older brother.

Mids
Mids are surpisingly clear and natural. I don't recognize any harsh experiences with the higher mids, vocals are lush and forward.
I am actually impressed with the mids of the BL-07 considering it is a bassy IEM, then again I cannot vouch that this is a bass heavy IEM which explains why the midrange still has good tonality.

Highs
Highs are well-presented with good clear and detailed resolution. No sibilance is observed and no harsh peaky instances. The highs has good amount of air distributing a fair amount of space for instruments and vocals.

Soundstage
The soundstage of the BL-07 is above average. Better than most IEMs for its competing price.


Imaging
BL-07 has good imaging, micro-details can be heard on some tracks in my experience. Instruments and vocals are well-placed.

Pros
Best overall sound within its price-range
Above-average details
Punchy lows
Clear mids
Great treble extension

Cons
Sound? At this price-point none (subjectively speaking)
Accessories? Yes, eartips are horrible

Disclaimer:

• KeepHiFi sent over this unit to me in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. Rest assured that the following observations and findings will be away from bias/es as much as possible.
• The following remarks and observations shall be made and owned only by me.
• No monetary compensation is/was involved before, during, and after the period of creation of this review.
• Your mileage may (and always, will) vary.

Burn-in time: 5-10 hours per day, 4 days.

Source/s used:

• Hidizs AP80
• Not-By-VE Avani Realtek Dongle
• Samsung Galaxy S3 (WM1811 DAC)
• Non-HiFi smartphone (realme 5i)
• Local Files via Foobar and Roon, YouTube Music, Deezer, and Qobuz with UAPP.

IEM and configuration: Stock rounded medium eartips, stock cable, any form of EQ or MSEB off, 40-60% volume, both high and low gain.

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Sound signature:

• U-shaped warm sound signature. Can sometimes sound W or U-shaped on some sources. Soft rumbly bass, recessed or sometimes linear mids, slightly elevated highs.

Lows:

• Lows are elevated and soft. Subbass has greater quantity than the midbass The decay is slightly slower than normal, and the texture is medium to below average. Overall, the lows are present, packs a good sub-bass rumble, and can cater EDM and bass-heavy tracks quite well.

Mids:

• The mids are mostly recessed, with rare instances of linearity on particular songs and sources. There is a presence of midbass bleed on the lower mids, making the presentation warm and bodied for male vocals. Upper mids are much elevated compared to the BL Max but not as elevated and aggressive compared to BL05s. which makes the presentation warm and bodied for male vocals. Upper mids are substantially higher than on the BL Max, but not as high or aggressive as on the BL05s. As a consequence, the upper mids have superb clarity and sparkle, with occasional peaks on select tracks, notably Ariana Grande's and K-Pop. tracks. Overall, the mids on the BL07 are warm, nice, and maybe the "best" mids from a BLON IEM (I haven't personally experienced the A8 Prometheus yet, so there's that) among all of the BLON IEMs I've tried and reviewed.

Highs:

• When compared to the competition, the highs are boosted with a tinge of brightness. It is well-extended and has a good amount of air. Detail retrieval is just adequate, but it will be enough for most individuals who listen to music casually. Despite the fact that it is raised, the presentation is smooth and has just the proper amount of presence. In terms of quality, the treble on the BL07 is "just right" given the asking price. It's not as aggressive as the BL05s, but it's also not as mellow as the BL-Max.

Soundstage, Imaging, and separation:

• The soundstage is wide, with average expansion. It is wider than deep. Separation is also average, with instances of congestion in busy tracks, particularly in JPop and Metal tracks. Imaging is also average, accurate, and can present instrument and vocal positioning decently.

Pros:

• Decent sound quality for its asking price
• Rumbly sub-bass
• Very good mids in terms of presentation
• Sparkly and clear upper mids
• Smooth treble extension without being too mellow
• Wide soundstage for an IEM in this price point
• Very good fit and isolation, better than any of their offering I’ve personally tried before
• Hefty metal shell (subjective)
• Finally, its connectors aren’t Blon proprietary. You can use an NX7/NiceHCK/TFZ cable with it (see pictures)
• Easy to drive, can be fully driven with a smartphone/non-hifi source.

Cons:

• Bass could be punchier (subjective)
• Midbass bleed presence
• Instances of upper mids peak are present on some tracks
• Technicalities, particularly on the separation and imaging could be better in this price point.
• Silver and Gun models may be prone to scratch and smudges just like the previous BLON IEMs.

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Thank you for reading!

Additional Photos:

Introduction:
BLON is a company from China that produces in-ear monitors and headphones. Over a short span of time, BLON released a handful of gears that utilizes dynamic drivers exclusively. The BL-07 is the latest product in their BL series of IEMs, which thankfully now has a more ergonomic shape compared to their previous releases. The BL-07 currently retails for 45 USD, and was provided to me for free by KeepHiFi in exchange for this review.

International purchase link

Specifications:
Driver unit: 10 mm dynamic
Impedance: 16 ohms
Sensitivity: 115 dB
Frequency response range: 20 Hz - 20 kHz

Source:
Poco X3 paired with FiiO KA3, Tempotec Sonata E35 and Zishan U1

Test tracks:
Africano - Earth Wind and Fire
Dark Necessities - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Gurenge - Lisa
The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
Monsters - All Time Low
Ours - Taylor Swift
Stay - Mayday Parade
Snuff - Slipknot
Yesterday Once More - Carpenters
So Slow - Freestyle
Aurora Sunrise - Franco
Attention - Pentatonix
Blue Bird - Ikimono-gakari
You're Still The One - Shania Twain
Anyone Who Knows What Love Is(Will Understand) - Irma Thomas
Salamin - Slapshock
AOV - Slipknot
Hey Jude - The Beatles
The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson
...and a lot more.

Unboxing and Accessories:
The BL-07 comes in the traditional BLON rectangular white box. Opening will reveal the earphones nesting on foams. Right below it is a smaller box that contains the cable, cloth storage pouch, instruction manual, three pairs of regular silicone eartips, and another two pairs of cone shaped silicone eartips.

Build:
The shells are made of metal. It is quite hefty but doesn't feel all that heavy when worn. The variant that I have is the purple one, and the shells are coated in glittery paint with a smooth and glossy finish. At the rear side of the shell, there are two relatively large vents. The nozzle has a lip to hold eartips in place and a mesh filter to keep foreign objects out. It is also worth mentioning that BLON now switched to a more common 2 pin design compared to the one they used in the BL-Max. However, this is not the usual QDC-type design. BLON used the same pin design that TFZ and CCZ use.

The cable is a basic silver plated copper. The cable on each channel is soft and pliable, but it becomes stiff at the main cable, primarily due to its thick insulation. The angled male 2 pin connectors are made of hard rubber, while the splitter and 3.5 mm gold plated plug are made of metal.

Now let's get to the sound.

Lows:
The lows are energetic but shows great control. Subbass has more focus than the midbass and exhibits great depth; it is able to reach those really deep rumbles accompanied by a slightly above average length of decay. Midbass sound thick and impactful but instances of it bleeding into the other frequencies are very minimal.

Overall, BLON finally decided to tone the lows down with the BL-07, especially the midbass which was really bloated in their previous releases. There is still an additional amount of vigor in the subbass, but the midbass is not as bloated as before which is definitely a good thing.

Mids:
The mids have a slightly forward presentation with an average weight. Articulation and clarity is great, instruments sound open and well-defined. However, there is a very slight bump somewhere in the upper mids that may sometimes give a hint of shoutiness but it is pretty minor and negligible most of the time.

Overall, the BL-07 has that clear and natural sounding mids. Voices and instruments are reproduced with a good sense of space. One of the better tuning of the mids I heard from BLON.

Highs:
The highs are reproduced in a clear and crisp manner. Treble reach, along with its decay, are both slightly above average. The highs give a very good amount of air and sense of space in the instruments, and also able to present minor details without difficulties.

Overall, another huge but welcome change by BLON. The highs are now more vibrant and lively than their previous releases. Subtleties in every track are now appreciated with ease and instruments sound more open and airy.

Soundstage and Imaging:
The stage is sufficiently spacious. The width and the height are just about equal in terms of expansion. Imaging has a slightly above average accuracy and clarity. Instruments are pleasingly layered and well separated. Congestion is very minimal even in busy tracks.

Comparisons:
BLON BL-07 (1 DD, 45 USD) vs. BLON BL-Max (2 DD, 37 USD)
The BL-Max has more quantity in the lows. It has a louder rumble and slightly longer decay in the subbass. Midbass also has more weight and more boomy in the BL-Max. Meanwhile, the BL-07 has better depth, texture and control. With the mids, the BL-07 has way better transparency, has more air, and sound more natural than the sometimes nasal and boxy sounding mids of the BL-Max. The BL-07 also has more details, sparkle, and longer decay in the highs. Cymbals and lead guitar sound livelier and more energetic. In terms of the soundstage, the BL-07 is wider and taller. Instruments are separated better and imaging is much clearer in the BL-07.

Conclusion:
BLON has a tendency of being hit or miss with their releases, and with the BL-07, they definitely hit it big time. It's great to see that they are now back to a more ergonomic shell shape, but it's still questionable as to why they did not use the more common female 2 pin designs. Now going back to the sound quality, this is where BLON displayed the biggest improvement over the previous lackluster BL-Max. If BLON can keep this up, while improving other aspects such as the cable and other accessories, they are gonna be the brand to look out for this year.