Fiio BL35

Review Fiio BL35 3.5mm Male to 2.5mm Female Balanced Adapter


The Company / What about Fiio?

As i did before in a review i want to point it out when a company is caring about their customers and provide a very good support along with their products. This is one of the most important properties of a company to give the customer a good feeling. In these times this experience is not self-evident.

Its a great thing to have a friendly and helpful personal contact in the head-fi forum. Good job Fiio.


Optics:

Black & Beautiful Adapter. Fits well with headphone cables from the darkside using black connectors and wiring.

The plastic inserts of the connector-barrels are red colored. I personally would have chosen a black color to make it a complete Black Beauty.

Many headphone cables are made in a white/transparent style.

*** Note to Fiio: Lets bring out a color-variation of the adapter so it will also fit the bright side of headphonecables. But Don't use red as a color for the plugs plastic barrel. Don't use blue, yellow or green colors. The "gaming" industry is threatening us enough with this color combinations. Stay classic in regard of color design of adapters and cables and other accessories. An example: The small ring of the volume control wheel of my AK70 MKII player is blue colored. Blue and red. Thats a no-go.If the barrel of the BL35 was black it could be comnined to everything colorwise. ***

Build Quality:

Fiio did a great job with this cable. The old Phililips slogan „Lets make things better“ fits perfectly here.

Fiio listened to the customers and improved the predecessor L26 and brought us the BL35.

The total length of my adapter is 15,2 cm and 8,5cm measured without the connectors.

The wires are surrounded by a rubber jacket thats bends nicely but still provide good protection against over-bending the cable.

Quality of the connectors is very good. The tiny black spacers between T(ip), R(ing) and S(leeve) are worked very precise. The 3.5mm plug connects tight and secure to your devices. The 2.5mm female connector also holds the plug of your headphone cable save and secure.

The overall build of the adapter is very sturdy and promissing for a long lifetime and feels good.

The adapter does not look bulky when attached to a headphone cable and it is also lightweight.


Compatibilty:

The BL35 3.5mm plug works flawlessly and fits perfectly with:

- smartphones & tablets from apple & other brands with 3.5mm output
- all (highres-)players with 3.5mm output

To make it short. It fits well with any device that comes with a common 3.5mm TRS output.

The 2.5mm female connector of the BL35 fits with every 2.5mm TRRS balanced connector of a headphonecable.


Microfonics:

I can wiggle and scratch any part of the adapter. No audible microfonics with attached 2.5mm TRRS headphonecable into a closed overear-headphone.


Sound Quality:

No distortion or unwanted interferences detectable. The adapter harmonizes perfectly together with my balanced headphone cable and doesn't change the soundsignature. No snakeoil here. Just good quality components that are working well together.

My ears are happy and like what they hear.


Conclusion:

Awesome black adapter.

Is it worth the money? Yes absolutely. There are some two-ended adapter-plugs available without an additional cabel between the male & female connector but they are three times the price. Holding the BL35 in my hands and experience them in action i appreciate the haptics and design.

Im totally happy with my purchase.

If you got devices with 2.5mm and 3.5 mm outputs and want to use your one precious 2.5mm TRRS balanced cable with all of them than go for the BL35 adapter. Definitely a Must-Have item for our audiophile hobby inventory.


Visuals:

The Fiio-carton is a bit crumbled. This was provided by a creative postman who folded and pushed the package into my mailbox giving it a stylish used-look.

Enjoy...