[Tonymac136]

The bass does improve slightly with increased power -- comparing, say, single-ended ES100 output to balanced ES100 output. But not dramatically, in my experience. And this is not specific to the BL03, it's common with dynamics.

Anyway, if you have amps, use them; I certainly do. (I love my portable amps). But I think the power requirements of the BL03 are often overstated, compared to actually hard to drive IEMs like the Advanced GT3 Superbass, source-picky IEMs like the BQEYZ Spring 1, or planar sets. I think power/source matching the BL03 is of relatively low concern, especially compared to getting tips and cable that enable a good fit.

If the source is actively bad, the BL03 will not make it sound good, but at the same time I don't think it's such a revealing IEM that it will exacerbate it. But I don't listen with really bad sources, so maybe I'm wrong about that.

Between SE and Balanced output on the ES100 is a smallish difference. Between my phone and the SE output of the ES100 it's a much, much bigger difference. Given little power, it achieves volume but the bass is flabby and wooly and the transients are flat. Given plentiful power and it tightens up and gets a real sense of rhythm. It's not the hardest to drive by a long way but feed it with a poor source and it really doesn't shine.

 

[kukkurovaca]

Between SE and Balanced output on the ES100 is a smallish difference. Between my phone and the SE output of the ES100 it's a much, much bigger difference. Given little power, it achieves volume but the bass is flabby and wooly and the transients are flat. Given plentiful power and it tightens up and gets a real sense of rhythm. It's not the hardest to drive by a long way but feed it with a poor source and it really doesn't shine.

Out of curiosity, have you confirmed that the ES100 SE has significantly more power than your phone?

 

[dharmasteve]

To say the Blon 03 cannot be driven well by a phone is too generalized. I mostly use a LG V30 for my music nowadays. Anybody with that phone knows it's capability.

 

[olivierhacking]

Thanks for all the responses! This is why I like these forums for any matters audio - related
I will look into a portable USB DAC instead of using onboard audio for my Phantom Master 4's.
Still curious about the difference in sound quality between these two IEMs.

 

[SilverEars]

To say the Blon 03 cannot be driven well by a phone is too generalized. I mostly use a LG V30 for my music nowadays. Anybody with that phone knows it's capability.

I had the V40 and know it's capability is why I got rid of it. I was hoping for harder drive as I have the Kanas Pro, but wasn't that strong as I like for it to be driven. As far as I see it, it's not that much of an improvement from a ordinary phone. I think the fact that it has the audio chip inside makes people think it's, but there's other better capable stuff out there that doesn't have to advertise a chip. I'm one of those people can hear Sabre sound on certain products, although not all has it, and I hear it on LG phones. That tells me, it's a simple chip implementation.

 

[dharmasteve]

I had the V40 and know it's capability is why I got rid of it. I was hoping for harder drive as I have the Kanas Pro, but wasn't that strong as I like for it to be driven. As far as I see it, it's not that much of an improvement from a ordinary phone. I think the fact that it has the audio chip inside makes people think it's, but there's other better capable stuff out there that doesn't have to advertise a chip. I'm one of those people can hear Sabre sound on certain products, although not all has it, and I hear it on LG phones. That tells me, it's a simple chip implementation.

I've got the FiiO M9, M6, and had a Hiby R6 for a while. The V30 is better sounding IMHO, although there are 2 tricks to increase the output of the V30. (One little known one is a little app that sends the V30 into 50 ohm mode..not just basic quad DAC mode). The iBasso DX160 definitely sounds better, but had almost unusable Bluetooth which was a deal breaker for me, so I returned it. .

 

[Barusu Lamperouge]

To say the Blon 03 cannot be driven well by a phone is too generalized. I mostly use a LG V30 for my music nowadays. Anybody with that phone knows it's capability.

I agree, I'm easily able to drive my Blons from my rooted Redmi K20 Pro with Qualcomm's flagship WCD9340 DAC chip. But for ones who don't own a phone with decent DACs might struggle to optimally drive Blons.

 

[Arjey]

This is a graph of the Blon from Bad Guy Good Audio Reviews (YouTube)

And this is a crinacle graph..

I mean.. they are Completely different.. how so??

 

[SilverEars]

This is a graph of the Blon from Bad Guy Good Audio Reviews (YouTube)

And this is a crinacle graph..I mean.. they are Completely different.. how so??

Sample variance, smoothing, etc..

 

[Arjey]

Sample variance, smoothing, etc..

I know, but still..
8k dip followed by peak, then small dip, mini peak, big dip vs
8k peak, big dip, mini peak...
That's Very different..

 

[SilverEars]

I know, but still..
8k dip followed by peak, then small dip, mini peak, big dip vs
8k peak, big dip, mini peak...
That's Very different..

They are not very different if you consider the vertical scale. If they use different tips for measurements that can effect frequencies near 10k.

If Crin decides higher smoothing that valley is not as prominent.

In this industry, there would be slight sample variance to be expected, but also there are other variables that makes graphs looking slightly different.

 

[Slater]

I know, but still..
8k dip followed by peak, then small dip, mini peak, big dip vs
8k peak, big dip, mini peak...
That's Very different..

They are not very different if you consider the vertical scale. If they use different tips for measurements that can effect frequencies near 10k.

If Crin decides higher smoothing that valley is not as prominent.

In this industry, there would be slight sample variance to be expected, but also there are other variables that makes graphs looking slightly different.

Also, you can’t compare 2 different earphones, measured on 2 different hardware rigs that aren’t IEC compliant, using 2 different microphones, with 2 different software packages, with 2 different configuration/graph settings, by 2 different people, on 2 different days, in 2 different physical areas of the world.

There’s 3 dozen different variables that come into play, any and all of which can affect the graph.

 

[chickenmoon]

They are not very different if you consider the vertical scale. If they use different tips for measurements that can effect frequencies near 10k.

If Crin decides higher smoothing that valley is not as prominent.

In this industry, there would be slight sample variance to be expected, but also there are other variables that makes graphs looking slightly different.

Such as resonant peak due to tubing which is at ~8khz on Crinacle graphs but will be located elsewhere on someone else's measurement. From my own experiments, the smaller the tubing diameter, the higher the frequency of this peak and the less distance between mic and earphone nozzle the lower its amplitude.

 

[SilverEars]

Such as resonant peak due to tubing which is at ~8khz on Crinacle graphs but will be located elsewhere on someone else's measurement. From my own experiments, the smaller the tubing diameter, the higher the frequency of this peak and the less distance between mic and earphone nozzle the lower its amplitude.

Yes, near 10k can vary due to tip insertion depth. Somebody told me Crin just places the peak at a certain frequency for insertion depth to be consistant.

Hmmm. I thought it was related to canal length because it's called insertion depth. Or how far the edge of tip is from the other end. The bend inside out ear canal varies as well(some have hardly any bend and other bend a lot), and can cause peak at a lower frequency I believe. The new GRAS couplers got rid of the 711's mechanical shape chracteristic peaks, now called high res couplers. So, those peaks were actually characteristic of the coupler, and not translate to our ear's actual peaks.

 

[chickenmoon]

Yes, near 10k can vary due to tip insertion depth. Somebody told me Crin just places the peak at a certain frequency for insertion depth to be consistant.

Hmmm. I thought it was related to canal length because it's called insertion depth. Or how far the edge of tip is from the other end. The bend inside out ear canal varies as well(some have hardly any bend and other bend a lot), and can cause peak at a lower frequency I believe. The new GRAS couplers got rid of the 711's mechanical shape chracteristic peaks, now called high res couplers. So, those peaks were actually characteristic of the coupler, and not translate to our ear's actual peaks.

Just what I found out out with my limited experiments with DIY coupling and a Dayton mic. Another thing I noticed is that it's very easy for the mic to pick up ambient low frequency vibrations through physical contact and with slope starting at around 100hz. It is my belief that many measurements we see online suffer from this and have quite inaccurate bass measurement (too much of it).

As for our ears own peaks, they'll be different for everybody and IMHO unnoticeable, I certainly don't hear any peaky frequency when listening to the world around me.