[baskingshark]

So been listening to Blon 03 and Blon 05 using the same 16 core cable that DD had included as an unordered extra.
Tracks
Tears Inside Ornette Coleman
Gnossiene 5 Zaida Salace
Wild Horses Rolling Stones
Groove Attack Infected Mushroom
Reckoner Radiohead
Offering Chant Lama Dorje
Whisky in the Jar Thin LizzieTony
The Stable Song Gregory Alan Isakov
Closer to the Truth Tony Joe White
Familiar Agnes Obel
Would I Lie to You Charles and Eddie
Landslide Fleetwood Mac
Anthem Without Nation Nitin Sawhney
Video Games Lana Del Rey
Ghost Town Katie Melhua
Woodstock Joni Michell
Invocation The Kirtaniyas
East of Gary Darrell Scott
Amanke Dionte Ablaye Cissoko
Tamiditin Tan Ufrawan Tinariwen
The Supernatural Peter Green
Ambitionz Az A Ridah 2PAC
Tribute John Newman
The Night They Drove * Joan Baez
Devil Eyes Hippie Sabotage

Some I only listened to parts I knew well.

Timbre and tone like Blon 03, the Blon 05 does perfectly. The Bass has been slightly reduced, noticeably in the Sub Bass.....but the bass is quite less boomy and does not compete with the midrange. The loss of some bass make the midrange sit well in it's own space and stand out in a good way. I quite liked the big bass of the Blon 03 and on tracks like Ambitionz Az A Ridah, 2PAC, and Groove Attack by Infected Mushroom, the 03 has more impact. The Blon 05 has one great improvement on the 03 which may be due to the lessened bass....... it has an almost holographic soundstage which is exceptional. The 05 has a very slightly thinner sound than the 03 but not in a bad way. Cymbals and High Hats sound natural and accurate, guitars full and musical. Vocals stand out more on Blon 05, both male and female. Highs have no sibilance and may be very slightly more forward in the presentation. A tiny bit more 'technical' but not like a BA. The 05 has the excellent rhythmic characteristics that the Blon 03 has

Fit is 100% better on the 05 and that may be reason enough on it own to go for it. I haven't even untied the cable because it has no interest to me and the supplied tips are bog standard and not all that. Can it be called better than the 05....I think for some yes. For me they have enough of a different sound and I would recommend the more holographic presentation of the 05, but all in all they are equals. Are theh worth the money....YES. Are they worth spending a little more on a cable and tips...YES. They are well made and there is tiny writing on the metal wall that needs a magnifying glass to see.

Somehow Blon have made changes which are noticeable, but without losing the natural timbre of instruments. Is it an upgrade? In a number of ways ways yes, fit and holographic soundstage yes, but the Blon 03 is still a fantastically musical IEM.

Thanks for your impressions!

I wonder how the BL-05 compares to a modded (Slater mod) BL-03 with filters removed.

 

[dharmasteve]

Thanks for your impressions!

I wonder how the BL-05 compares to a modded (Slater mod) BL-03 with filters removed.

I'm not much of a modder, I don't trust myself to delicacies of tiny bits and pieces. I think when the price settles and some get a second pair, then the modding will happen. As is, I think Blon have done a good job and the 05 will be the direct 'upgrade' now that the Piezo driver has been abandoned.

 

[DynamicEars]

Thanks for your impressions!

I wonder how the BL-05 compares to a modded (Slater mod) BL-03 with filters removed.

I want to know this as well if anyone have modded BL03

 

[RikudouGoku]

I want to know this as well if anyone have modded BL03

Probably getting my 05 in a month or so lol. Too bad I only have the modded 03 and not both unmodded and modded. So I can only compare with the modded 03.

 

[DynamicEars]

Probably getting my 05 in a month or so lol. Too bad I only have the modded 03 and not both unmodded and modded. So I can only compare with the modded 03.

Waiting the result if they worth for upgrading since modded bl03 is great. Im more concern of the 05 technicalities.
I dont know if I need them actually. The KZ Z1 (TWS) is on my queue list currently. Looks like TWS with real sound of wired (hopefully)
I will patiently waiting for your comparison if youre getting the 05

 

[RikudouGoku]

Waiting the result if they worth for upgrading since modded bl03 is great. Im more concern of the 05 technicalities.
I dont know if I need them actually. The KZ Z1 (TWS) is on my queue list currently. Looks like TWS with real sound of wired (hopefully)
I will patiently waiting for your comparison if youre getting the 05

Its been shipped out today.

But I expect that the biggest improvement will be the fit, with the sound being similar but with little bit less bass quantity (based on @dharmasteve)

Although I am crying over that we cant get the green jade color anymore.....

 

[noobandroid]

today i tried MQA on PC, to the blon-03, and man it's good

 

[FastAndClean]

 

[Slater]

I haven't even untied the cable because it has no interest to me and the supplied tips are bog standard and not all that.

I would at least test it with the stock tips and stock cable, because that was something that a lot of people really complained about with the BL-03.

I think the BL-03 introduced a lot of new users to the hobby, who maybe only ever owned crap like URBeats and Skullcandy before. Well, even though better tips and upgraded cable is really a no brainer to us, people were saying things like “you have to buy it for $30 but then spend an extra $20 on tips and cables so it’s $50 blah blah”. So I think this was a foreign and undesirable idea to many, and apparently a big source of contention.

I can easily see the same thing happening with the BL-05 (“you have to buy it for $50 and spend another $20 on a cable and tips so now it’s $70 blah blah.”)

Again, upgrading a stock cable and swapping to better fitting tips is like the most basic audiophile 101 move, but to some people it is a really big deal (and I understand why, as $70 isn’t exactly cheap so that will be a very valid point).

That’s why I would at least try out the BL-05 with the stock stuff, because you are the 1st person to get the final retail BL-05 so a lot of people are waiting on your impressions.

 

[dharmasteve]

I would at least test it with the stock tips and stock cable, because that was something that a lot of people really complained about with the BL-03.

I think the BL-03 introduced a lot of new users to the hobby, who maybe only ever owned crap like URBeats and Skullcandy before. Well, even though better tips and upgraded cable is really a no brainer to us, people were saying things like “you have to buy it for $30 but then spend an extra $20 on tips and cables so it’s $50 blah blah”. So I think this was a foreign and undesirable idea to many, and apparently a big source of contention.

I can easily see the same thing happening with the BL-05 (“you have to buy it for $50 and spend another $20 on a cable and tips so now it’s $70 blah blah.”)

Again, upgrading a stock cable and swapping to better fitting tips is like the most basic audiophile 101 move, but to some people it is a really big deal (and I understand why, as $70 isn’t exactly cheap so that will be a very valid point).

That’s why I would at least try out the BL-05 with the stock stuff, because you are the 1st person to get the final retail BL-05 so a lot of people are waiting on your impressions.

Out of fairness to others I will have a listen with the stock cable and post some comment. With the Blon 03, it wasn't even the sound that put me off, it was as much texture and feel and for sure the tips were the major down point of the stock package. As we get more understanding of what affects the sound of an IEM, tips and their fit are so important. But I will give it a go with stock everything.
As an aside, listening to the Stones new Lockdown single Living in a Ghost Town it is so clear that the Blon 03 emphasises the bass guitar so much compared to the 05.

 

[dharmasteve]

Blon 05 with stock cable and stock L tips.

 

[dharmasteve]

So I listened to the aforementioned Stones, Living in a Ghost Town using the stock cable with a) Stock Tips, b) Spiral Dot L.
With the stock tips it sounds thin and rubbish, with the Spiral Dots it sounds fantastic. There seems to actually a bit more bass than with the other cables and the bass is not boomy....it's well defined. May well be my imagination, but I'll have a proper listen later.

 

[Slater]

Blon 05 with stock cable and stock L tips.

Are the stock tips the same as the early BL-03, or the later BL-03?

The early BL-03 tips were cone shaped. They were the ones that everyone complained about. The later tips were the olive shaped tips, that are more standard style tips.

 

[dharmasteve]

Are the stock tips the same as the early BL-03, or the later BL-03?

The early BL-03 tips were cone shaped. They were the ones that everyone complained about. The later tips were the olive shaped tips, that are more standard style tips.

Stock tips....one cone shaped, one the usual.

 

[dharmasteve]

Stock tips....one cone shaped, one the usual.

In fairness the stock cable sounds very good. So for anybody who does not want to upgrade the cable it's fine. The stock tips degrade the sound a lot though. I doubt if anyone would be satisfied with them and they could give a false picture of the Blon 05 sound quality.