Speaking about eartips and such, can anyone recommend tips for the BL-05s besides the AZLA Sednafit wide-bore tips?
I have lots of eartips on-hand, but not that brand. I've got AliExpress T400 foams, T500, Comply, Insmaa, Spinfits, NewBee, CCA 5mm, Flare AudioPhile Earfoams, and MH755.
Right now, I'm using the stock Spinfit-style tips, but if there's anything better in my inventory, I'd prefer to use that.
Totally agree - Blon and Tin really stand out among Chi-Fi IEM makers in managing to make IEMs that, while lacking in outright detail, make up for it with alarmingly good musicality.
To my ears even the worse offerings from both companies have some really nice aspects.
Thanks. Currently, I'm testing Spinfit CP145 on the BL-05s as I type this. They are pretty decent for seal, pleasant musicality, but they add a bit of brightness/shoutiness/peaks for me. Poor isolation. [Worse than stock in that respect.]
Do you think the following tips are good examples of fake Sony Chi-Brids?
Yes, when I see reviews like this I have to try and guess as to how and why the outcome. If a detective was to come up with a file on a question that was supplied, that detective would give facts. So due to everyone having their own opinion due to perceived facts then you simply have to agree with them, and understand their sincerity. Obviously he has not left anything out of his methodology. My few questions are..........I wonder why he is against cable changes? I mean he himself must have other cables? He himself must have other tips? He is giving a perfectly correct review of how the BLON BL-01 sounds with the wrong cable, wrong (non airtight) fit and wrong amp. Sound is subjective and all of us perceive what would be considered correct or off tone. But in a way that’s all Head-Fi is, is people expressing how they like a tone or response. The crazy part is I experienced 100% what he experienced with the BL-01; that’s how I see his honest review.
My question is if I would really want money put into tips and a cable for a $23 IEM? I would rather the IEM itself have the cost, so I could change cables/tips. But still again maybe the sound of the BL-01 is not for everyone even with the different cable, amp and tips?
Still here I am absolutely loving the IEM. Though I use an expensive SPC cable, inverted tips, and the 1Z in high gain with MrWalkman DMP-Z1 MK1 aftermarket firmware. The end result is always the total add-up of everything..........like cooking.
He fully described how he didn’t have proper fit, then went on to tell a tale of the sound quality of improper fit.....like it was an IEM with proper fit? That’s like eating cold food that’s supposed to be eaten hot and complaining that it doesn’t taste right. When you know and have read by others beforehand that the food is supposed to be hot.
The BLON does not fit well to some people due to the nozzle length and the BL-01 needs steps taken to use long tips or inverted tips to extend the nozzle.
I simply wish folks would find joy in this spectacular $23 IEM. That’s what the world needs....a $23 flagship.
Some will not like the signature, some will not get fit. The story never changes. Yet I listened to one album three times over with the BLON last night!
Yes, when I see reviews like this I have to try and guess as to how and why the outcome. If a detective was to come up with a file on a question that was supplied, that detective would give facts. So due to everyone having their own opinion due to perceived facts then you simply have to agree with them, and understand their sincerity. Obviously he has not left anything out of his methodology. My few questions are..........I wonder why he is against cable changes? I mean he himself must have other cables? He himself must have other tips? He is giving a perfectly correct review of how the BLON BL-01 sounds with the wrong cable, wrong (non airtight) fit and wrong amp. Sound is subjective and all of us perceive what would be considered correct or off tone. But in a way that’s all Head-Fi is, is people expressing how they like a tone or response. The crazy part is I experienced 100% what he experienced with the BL-01; that’s how I see his honest review.
My question is if I would really want money put into tips and a cable for a $23 IEM? I would rather the IEM itself have the cost, so I could change cables/tips. But still again maybe the sound of the BL-01 is not for everyone even with the different cable, amp and tips?
Still here I am absolutely loving the IEM. Though I use an expensive SPC cable, inverted tips, and the 1Z in high gain with MrWalkman DMP-Z1 MK1 aftermarket firmware. The end result is always the total add-up of everything..........like cooking.
He fully described how he didn’t have proper fit, then went on to tell a tale of the sound quality of improper fit.....like it was an IEM with proper fit? That’s like eating cold food that’s supposed to be eaten hot and complaining that it doesn’t taste right. When you know and have read by others beforehand that the food is supposed to be hot.
The BLON does not fit well to some people due to the nozzle length and the BL-01 needs steps taken to use long tips or inverted tips to extend the nozzle.
I simply wish folks would find joy in this spectacular $23 IEM. That’s what the world needs....a $23 flagship.
Some will not like the signature, some will not get fit. The story never changes. Yet I listened to one album three times over with the BLON last night!
For us in this hobby, for sure we have aftermarket cables and tips to play with to give better synergy with some IEMs. I also try not to give up on an IEM until I pair at least 5 cables/tips with an IEM. But probably majority of lay consumers and those new to the hobby won't know about tip rolling and cable rolling and will just use what is OOTB, more so in the budget segment, where most of the new ones to the hobby will enter from.
So that begs the question, does it make sense to spend almost as much as the IEM itself on aftermarket cables and tips, for a budget IEM? The BLON BL-03 was a famous example of actually retailing at $23 USD. But most folks needed an aftermarket longer nozzle +/- cables to get a better fit, and that brought the price to closer to $40 - 50 USD.
For your question about reviewers using aftermarket tips/cables, I actually do agree with this review that reviews should be with just the stock cables/tips and whatever is inside the box, as that is the best apples to apples comparison for others to read. If a reviewer uses some aftermarket gear, then whatever is in the review may not apply to others who are using different accessories, the sound may be very different. More so since tips are as personal as shoes, we have different ear anatomies and what fits someone may not fit you. Just my 2 cents, nothing right or wrong, but when it comes to reviews, I feel things should be equalized as much as possible, so no apples to oranges comparisons if possible. Eartips can very much affect the FR, in addition to soundstage. For general music appreciation, yes, we can customize everything to suit our personal preferences/sonic preferences. I know there are different view points about this, and I do respect all views points!
The review then represents an example if the IEM was taken out of the box by the general public and attempted to be used. And on many levels this does show the actual value of the video review.
So in contrast to other IEMs in the price bracket it shows the BL-01 for truly what it is at that level. I agree.
For us in this hobby, for sure we have aftermarket cables and tips to play with to give better synergy with some IEMs. I also try not to give up on an IEM until I pair at least 5 cables/tips with an IEM. But probably majority of lay consumers and those new to the hobby won't know about tip rolling and cable rolling and will just use what is OOTB, more so in the budget segment, where most of the new ones to the hobby will enter from.
So that begs the question, does it make sense to spend almost as much as the IEM itself on aftermarket cables and tips, for a budget IEM? The BLON BL-03 was a famous example of actually retailing at $23 USD. But most folks needed an aftermarket longer nozzle +/- cables to get a better fit, and that brought the price to closer to $40 - 50 USD.
For your question about reviewers using aftermarket tips/cables, I actually do agree with this review that reviews should be with just the stock cables/tips and whatever is inside the box, as that is the best apples to apples comparison for others to read. If a reviewer uses some aftermarket gear, then whatever is in the review may not apply to others who are using different accessories, the sound may be very different. More so since tips are as personal as shoes, we have different ear anatomies and what fits someone may not fit you. Just my 2 cents, nothing right or wrong, but when it comes to reviews, I feel things should be equalized as much as possible, so no apples to oranges comparisons if possible. Eartips can very much affect the FR, in addition to soundstage. For general music appreciation, yes, we can customize everything to suit our personal preferences/sonic preferences. I know there are different view points about this, and I do respect all views points!
I’ve never really understood why such a big deal is made about the cable and tips.
A $3 copper KZ cable, 30 seconds with a nail file to get it to fit, and anywhere from free to $0.80 for a pair of FlipTip Starlines, and the Blons are transformed into something that sounds many times better than its price.
The only wild parallel to this would be some cheap paper full-range speaker.
The audiophile enthusiasts would take the $80 full range driver and spend a month making a giant plywood enclosure. They would then break out a low power tube amp (that the general public doesn’t have) then praise the extraordinary values at hand in scale ability!
Yet the if the regular guy on the street purchased the driver and took it home and connected it to his high current cinema amp he would not find the same magic. The fact that the BL-01 needs to be catered to.
For us in this hobby, for sure we have aftermarket cables and tips to play with to give better synergy with some IEMs. I also try not to give up on an IEM until I pair at least 5 cables/tips with an IEM. But probably majority of lay consumers and those new to the hobby won't know about tip rolling and cable rolling and will just use what is OOTB, more so in the budget segment, where most of the new ones to the hobby will enter from.
So that begs the question, does it make sense to spend almost as much as the IEM itself on aftermarket cables and tips, for a budget IEM? The BLON BL-03 was a famous example of actually retailing at $23 USD. But most folks needed an aftermarket longer nozzle +/- cables to get a better fit, and that brought the price to closer to $40 - 50 USD.
For your question about reviewers using aftermarket tips/cables, I actually do agree with this review that reviews should be with just the stock cables/tips and whatever is inside the box, as that is the best apples to apples comparison for others to read. If a reviewer uses some aftermarket gear, then whatever is in the review may not apply to others who are using different accessories, the sound may be very different. More so since tips are as personal as shoes, we have different ear anatomies and what fits someone may not fit you. Just my 2 cents, nothing right or wrong, but when it comes to reviews, I feel things should be equalized as much as possible, so no apples to oranges comparisons if possible. Eartips can very much affect the FR, in addition to soundstage. For general music appreciation, yes, we can customize everything to suit our personal preferences/sonic preferences. I know there are different view points about this, and I do respect all views points!
I’ve never really understood why such a big deal is made about the cable and tips.
A $3 copper KZ cable, 30 seconds with a nail file to get it to fit, and anywhere from free to $0.80 for a pair of FlipTip Starlines, and the Blons are transformed into something that sounds many times better than its price.
But the point is that we here are the outliers. That 90% of people will not even care or know about Head-Fi. That our personal view is actually myopic here, which.......it is.
For us in this hobby, for sure we have aftermarket cables and tips to play with to give better synergy with some IEMs. I also try not to give up on an IEM until I pair at least 5 cables/tips with an IEM. But probably majority of lay consumers and those new to the hobby won't know about tip rolling and cable rolling and will just use what is OOTB, more so in the budget segment, where most of the new ones to the hobby will enter from.
So that begs the question, does it make sense to spend almost as much as the IEM itself on aftermarket cables and tips, for a budget IEM? The BLON BL-03 was a famous example of actually retailing at $23 USD. But most folks needed an aftermarket longer nozzle +/- cables to get a better fit, and that brought the price to closer to $40 - 50 USD.
For your question about reviewers using aftermarket tips/cables, I actually do agree with this review that reviews should be with just the stock cables/tips and whatever is inside the box, as that is the best apples to apples comparison for others to read. If a reviewer uses some aftermarket gear, then whatever is in the review may not apply to others who are using different accessories, the sound may be very different. More so since tips are as personal as shoes, we have different ear anatomies and what fits someone may not fit you. Just my 2 cents, nothing right or wrong, but when it comes to reviews, I feel things should be equalized as much as possible, so no apples to oranges comparisons if possible. Eartips can very much affect the FR, in addition to soundstage. For general music appreciation, yes, we can customize everything to suit our personal preferences/sonic preferences. I know there are different view points about this, and I do respect all views points!
But the point is that we here are the outliers. That 90% of people will not even care or know about Head-Fi. That our personal view is actually myopic here, which.......it is.
Then again, if those reviews are targeted for the really common consumers, those people could basically be content with anything, so long as it has enough volume and bass..even full seal concept might be foreign for them.. and they probably would even heard of Blon anyway, as they would probably pick anything available from their phones, or anything on the shelves sold in malls. my wife is a living proof of this, so do my brothers and in-laws.
that's why for audio enthusiasts, i personally prefer that there's an option to buy earphones at their most bare minimum: just the unit itself..no cables, no eartips, case, etc. that would cut down the price, less waste, and doesn't leave us with stocks of unopened cables and tips sitting in the closet.
if they targeted those reviews for even the new audio enthusiasts however, they should test those with aftermarket tips (and cables, if necessary) too.
besides, them using stock tips and cables but still running them through DACs, DAPs and amps other than ordinary phones is already kind of biased
Then again, if those reviews are targeted for the really common consumers, those people could basically be content with anything, so long as it has enough volume and bass..even full seal concept might be foreign for them.. and they probably would even heard of Blon anyway, as they would probably pick anything available from their phones, or anything on the shelves sold in malls. my wife is a living proof of this, so do my brothers and in-laws.
that's why for audio enthusiasts, i personally prefer that there's an option to buy earphones at their most bare minimum: just the unit itself..no cables, no eartips, case, etc. that would cut down the price, less waste, and doesn't leave us with stocks of unopened cables and tips sitting in the closet.
if they targeted those reviews for even the new audio enthusiasts however, they should test those with aftermarket tips (and cables, if necessary) too.
besides, them using stock tips and cables but still running them through DACs, DAPs and amps other than ordinary phones is already kind of biased
Partially why budget CHIFI give crap accessories/cables in the packaging is to save costs. And it may be good for us, so they save costs here and give a better IEM/tuning. I won't open the aftermarket cable changing sound can of worms, but we can all agree that aftermarket eartips can definitely affect the sound signature, in addition to providing good isolation/fit (which influences bass response). So sometimes these manufacturers shoot themselves in the foot by giving a bad fitting eartip eg BLON BL-03, and I've have seen a lot of forum reports of people thinking the BLON BL-03 sounded crap (they didn't appear to have used aftermarket longer tips/spacer mods/flip tips). Also with regard to eartips, there'll always be outliers no matter what tips are included inside the box. Can't please everyone, someone will for sure find a fitting issue with even the best eartip provided, we all have different ear anatomies.
If I had a choice, I would agree with you and also prefer that the IEM is just sold without accessories since most of us in this hobby have our preferred aftermarket tips/cables. But as @Redcarmoose said, we are the minority, and there'll be some folks who will be unhappy that there are no accessories. Maybe shops can sell 2 versions, a cheaper version without accessories, and one fully accessorized at a higher price? I've seen that happen in the past, for example the BLON Cardinal was sold in the above 2 versions (before they ran out of production).
Ya also agreed the source that everyone uses may influence the sound, especially if it is a coloured amp/DAP. So best is to uses multiple different sources to do reviews, and preferably something neutralish so as not to colour frequencies.
Then again, if those reviews are targeted for the really common consumers, those people could basically be content with anything, so long as it has enough volume and bass..even full seal concept might be foreign for them.. and they probably would even heard of Blon anyway, as they would probably pick anything available from their phones, or anything on the shelves sold in malls. my wife is a living proof of this, so do my brothers and in-laws.
that's why for audio enthusiasts, i personally prefer that there's an option to buy earphones at their most bare minimum: just the unit itself..no cables, no eartips, case, etc. that would cut down the price, less waste, and doesn't leave us with stocks of unopened cables and tips sitting in the closet.
if they targeted those reviews for even the new audio enthusiasts however, they should test those with aftermarket tips (and cables, if necessary) too.
besides, them using stock tips and cables but still running them through DACs, DAPs and amps other than ordinary phones is already kind of biased
I agree. But also keep in mind.....just keep in mind here that there is an ongoing prejudice against audiophile syndrome.
Today we actually have the popularity of backwards audiophile YouTube videos. What I mean is.....there are actual classic audiophile quests blanketed as something else. Old fashioned audiophile terms; no matter how correct or accurate are left for layman emotion and simple innocence on YouTube.
Basically I’m not an audiophile (yet I am) so let’s find out together........oh? This sounds like blah blah blah.....I don’t really know why (just like you don’t) so you like me as we are on this non-audiophile journey together. Everything in dumbed down and simplified, which makes it easy to grasp. The quasi-audiophile (yet truly audiophile) public are talked to like children and they eat it up.
It may be that the entire industry is approaching a shift. 40 years of flowery B.S. which is truly sales speak blanketed as a kind of elitist and seperated science has now reached a public backlash.
People don’t want to hear the audiophile words and don’t want to be sold. What would sell a car in the 1970s and 1980s-90s....doesn’t work today as people are on to it. People want good sound but don’t want to listen to audiophile style or salesman talk. The only thing that works is honesty or super slick carnival side showism.
But the point is that we here are the outliers. That 90% of people will not even care or know about Head-Fi. That our personal view is actually myopic here, which.......it is.
The "common man" doesn't look on AliExpress for cheap IEMs. He/She/They (other pronouns are available) goes to the local supermarket and buys Sennheiser, Sony, Skullcandy or Beats. Sent a friend a pair of NiceHCK DB3, a pair of MH750 and a pair of KZ S1 the other week as his children and cats had happened to every set of IEMs he had in the house. The DB3s are his endgame.
Thanks. Currently, I'm testing Spinfit CP145 on the BL-05s as I type this. They are pretty decent for seal, pleasant musicality, but they add a bit of brightness/shoutiness/peaks for me. Poor isolation. [Worse than stock in that respect.]
Do you think the following tips are good examples of fake Sony Chi-Brids?
I have a set similar to that and they don't sound too bad with a lot of things but dont seal that well with the Blon for me. YMMV. The specific ones I'm referring to are
This is what happens to most of my stock cables and tips, piling up
I am not an audio enthusiast. I started reading head-fi mid last year to get a replacement for my spoiled Samsung S8 stock AKG earbud.
I did buy a KZ ZSN Pro but end up keep reading head-fi then bought the Blon Bl03 and another iem and another ones until now.
I hope your wife, brothers and in-law never read head-fi else they will be like me LOL.
Anyway, I think I am done after I buy either the FD5 or DM8.
The "common man" doesn't look on AliExpress for cheap IEMs. He/She/They (other pronouns are available) goes to the local supermarket and buys Sennheiser, Sony, Skullcandy or Beats. Sent a friend a pair of NiceHCK DB3, a pair of MH750 and a pair of KZ S1 the other week as his children and cats had happened to every set of IEMs he had in the house. The DB3s are his endgame.
I have a set similar to that and they don't sound too bad with a lot of things but dont seal that well with the Blon for me. YMMV. The specific ones I'm referring to are
Agreed.
This is what happens to most of my stock cables and tips, piling up
I am not an audio enthusiast. I started reading head-fi mid last year to get a replacement for my spoiled Samsung S8 stock AKG earbud.
I did buy a KZ ZSN Pro but end up keep reading head-fi then bought the Blon Bl03 and another iem and another ones until now.
I hope your wife, brothers and in-law never read head-fi else they will be like me LOL.
Anyway, I think I am done after I buy either the FD5 or DM8.
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When you know and have read by others beforehand that the food is supposed to be hot.
