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Blox M2C Audition Thread
Nov 22, 2011 at 7:42 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 50
ClieOS

ClieOS

IEM Reviewer Extraordinaire
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Thanks to kanonathena, I have been given the chance to listen to his well burnt-in pair of M2c (800hr+) as well as receiving a brand new pair from Blox for comparison and review. However, Blox is willing to sponsor an even wider audition / review program and kanonathena has agreed to loan his pair out to allow more people to have a listen to both. Basically, you will need to write down a review / impression on the M2c if you agree to join the audition. For the effort, each reviewer will receive a free pair of M2c from Blox. Here are the rules:

[Prerequisite]
To be eligible for the audition, you need to (1) have a minimum of 100 in post count, (2) join the forum for at least 1 year and (3) write at least one review or impression on earphone before (please link).

[Requirement]
You must agree to (1) post a honest review (or at least an impression) on M2c in the forum and (2) pay for the registered postage to send both M2c over to the next reviewer. Though not a hard rule, please try not to keep the earbuds for over 7 days (14 days at max). This is to make sure more people will have the chance to audition the M2c.

[Detail]
You will receive two pair of M2c. The pair that has been marked 'old' belongs to kanonathena with over 800hrs+ of burn-in. The pair that has been marked 'new' is brand new, or received whatever burn-in from the reviewing process. You are not required to write comparison of both, but you should at least write an impression on the new pair.

[To Join]
Please leave a post below saying you are interested, as well as your location. kanonathena will be the one to organize the list of applicant as well as who is going to get the priority (this is mainly determined by your location and it is meant to shorten the transfer time between reviewers).

Note: Both kanonathena and I are not working for Blox. We are helping Blox to organize this audition / review program because we both believe M2c deserves the attention. Plus, Blox doesn't feel that they are quite ready to interact with the forum just yet so we'll help out.
 
Nov 22, 2011 at 3:41 PM Post #4 of 50
Nov 28, 2011 at 4:16 PM Post #6 of 50
I'm interested as well. New York, USA. I think I still have a 328R around, the still slightly better original Starsonic HDSS, the even better(surprise there) PMX680, and even better still KPH13. Interested to see how the M2C stacks up against the latter two.
 
A review link...http://www.head-fi.org/t/473583/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-the-story-of-the-sennheiser-mx880-premium-earphones 
 
Thanks for the consideration guys!
 
Dec 5, 2011 at 9:11 PM Post #7 of 50
Great idea, I just received my Blox [M]anufacturer 2 [C]onsumer, it is written 11/18/11 on tongue of the lid of my box. I love how they sound unamplified and I plan on burning them well.
 
I am using them with the included foam pads for the reason that they are more comfortable with them and that they help in distributing the sound more evenly inside my ears that aren't evenly (one have too much room for fitting a bud, leaving it unstable, and the other is too small, making is uncomfortable, hence, foams pads are great for me). Doesn't sound too muffled or bassy at all.
 
Dec 13, 2011 at 2:42 PM Post #8 of 50
Dec 27, 2011 at 3:54 PM Post #9 of 50
First and foremost thanks to ClieOS and kanonathena for organizing this tour of the Blox M2c Earbuds!

My Review/Impressions

I listened to these for around a total of 7 hours, the last hour I compared them to the PK3, MX580 PAA-1, and the included burned in M2C.  I won't give a blow by blow as to how they all compared as most have heard all the others and will provide a summary of what I heard.
 
Lets start with the good stuff.

Sound

They are very surprisingly detailed, snare drums in tracks really stand out and snap, cymbals are very crisp and accurate.  I love the sound of these for classical which is what I primarily listen to.  However I did listen to a lot of mainstream rock type music for the review.  The vocals are heard up above the instruments and don't take a back seat.  When I listened to Pink Floyd I was amazed at the amount of detail retrieval that these are capable of as well as the amount of texture in the vocals and acoustic guitar.  The bass is present, controlled and tight, never boomy, a surprising amount for such a detail oriented ear-bud.  The sound-stage is fairly wide and instrument placement is very good, recordings that were made in an intimate setting with close mic placement really shine on these.  Overall they have a very neutral detail oriented presentation that is non-fatiguing.  For my musical preferences these are the clear winner from what I compared them to: PK3, Senn MX580, and the PAA-1
When compared to the "old" burned in pair which showed no signs of wear on the housing or on the cable, they did have a more open sound, mids were up forward a bit more as well as having a touch more clarity to them.
 

Build

The housing of the  bud is the same as a PAA-1 or Senn MX400 the review samples had donut foam pads on them.  The cable is standard and symmetrical, the fit was comfortable for me. 
 

Equipment

I used a clip with no amp, using files that range from VBR -0 to Flac, I have a couple 192kbps classical music pod-cast files in there as well.
 
 
Dec 27, 2011 at 5:40 PM Post #10 of 50
I also give kudos to ClieOS and kanonathena for helping to make the audition thread possible.
 
I currently have had the M2C since Friday. I have had several MX400 since they were once the go to stock buds for more than a few audio players. Always had fit issues with my right ear. They would start to work their way out every five minutes or so depending if I was walking around or not. I do have some Breppies now which do solve the problem and gift a very stable comfy fit. They look like this...

 
OLD and NEW
 
I have the new pair with the most hours on them now. Not much to say here. Half the difference in sound I hear between the two comes from the foamies they have on them being slightly different. They are pretty close at this point. I hear the same more open and neutral sound dziendobry described since the gray donuts keep the drivers a bit further away than the black donuts on the old pair. Some bass escapes out the sides making them a bit more neutral and clear sounding. With the same pads on each there is less of a difference. Can't say how many hours the first two(at least) testers put on them. Looks like they will darken slightly with the bass moving a bit up more in the mix. A fairly small difference between them at this point to my ears.
 
THE SOUND
 
Another owner of the M2C and also the PK2 described the two as similar with the M2C being a bit better sounding. I have previously owned the PK2 and the M2C might be described as a better PK2 or a mature more refined PK2. On both the mids are the best part of the spectrum but the M2C brings the bass and treble up more forward, reaches further on the high end, and adds more detail/refinement. I think they are better than the PK2 and other phones like the BeB 328R, and the Starsonic HDSS 888's. Other phones like the MX580, MX880, and PAA-1 are also not up to the level of the M2C.
 
So, the M2C are mid-oriented and slightly mid-forward phones with very nice levels of detail, clarity, and transparency. They have a large stage with nice amounts of separation between instruments.
 
I hear them with well rounded bass that is fairly tight and closer to headphone bass than other earbuds provide. The bass extension is not the best but is fine for the price. I'm sure they are saving that for there flagship. You can only expect so much for under $50. The bass is well detailed. I feel that while tight the bass has a little bit of warmth and thickness that tends to disappear when you are outside in the world. 
 
The mids are the star of the show. They are most forward in the mix and the most clear and transparent part of the spectrum. Very well imaged and separated with the right balance between thick and thin. Not lush or creamy but yet not thin or lacking. Most should be impressed with them.
 
The treble has nice extension and detail but is a bit subdued and behind the mids and bass. It is extended better than the bass is but it is not emphasized. It smooths instead of sparkles. Maybe they planned it that way. Out and about with all the external noises which cancels out some of the bass, the M2C treble comes out to play and you have a more neutral phone with easier to pick out detailing that is still smooth sounding and no thin sounding. Something like a K319 or CM700 start off too thin and can become too thin or harsh out in the real world.
 
The M2C is very natural sounding and realistic. The tone and timbre is quite good. Spot on in the mids, and seemingly a bit less on either end until again, outside where the balance gets better.
 
AMPING
 
 
Like many others, I have found the M2C to benefit very little from amping. The bass may become a bit tighter and more agile and the treble may become slightly more evident. Very small changes unless the amp is coloring the sound. IMO, a low single digit percent change at most. The M2C is not really going to benefit from an amp.
 
EQ
 
IME, the M2C responds well to EQ. Even if you would also find them more neutral outside they will take more bass very nicely. Or if you like your treble sparkle and think they may be a bit tame you can give them that as well. the tight bass takes some boost well. As said before they are smoothing and that helps when adding treble to them. They are pretty far from harsh or strident and have room to work with. And the mids being forward never let them get buried when adding either or both bass/treble.
 
TO SUM IT UP
 
The Blox M2C aren't very flashy in their looks or sound signature. What they are is very solid. A good build quality, a good price, and quality in all aspects of their sound. Hard not to put them right near the top of the sub $50 earbuds as they cover all the bases nicely!
 
 
 
 
Dec 28, 2011 at 12:00 PM Post #11 of 50
Impressions: An Earbud Lover's Take on the Blox M2C

INTRODUCTION
First off, I'd like to thank kanonathena and ClieOS for setting up the M2C audition tour!

The following impressions/mini-review is a collection of my thoughts on the Blox M2C. I hesitate to call this a full-fledged review due to the brief time I spent with the earbuds, but it was enough time to form some opinions on their sound and other aspects.



BUILD QUALITY AND COMFORT
The Blox M2C seems to use a housing very similar to that of the now-classic Sennheiser MX300/400/500. As such, the build quality of the buds is good, although I did notice some very slight imperfections in the glitter-containing dark silver paint. The familiar-looking cable is actually a bit more soft than that of the Sennheiser, and hopefully won't harden as quickly. I would prefer an L-shaped plug, but the straight plug on the M2C is well-constructed and relieved.

The two pairs of M2Cs that were lent to me each were equipped with "donut" foams that allowed the center of the driver covering to be exposed. I actually found it a bit curious that these foams were used since there are no holes toward the center the driver covering, but the foams do their job in keeping the bass from Having been accustomed to the fit of the MX500, I had no problems with the comfort and fit of the Blox.

SOUND
While the M2Cs and the old Sennheiser buds look the same, they certainly aren't in the same league when it comes to sound quality. It's clear that Blox spent its money on where it counts.

When I first tried the Blox, the earbuds' unique presentation was a bit surprising. The M2C has excellent separation, but the actual width of the soundstage isn't really that large. Having experienced the impossibly large stage of the Sennheiser MX760, as well as the superlative airiness of the Creative Aurvana Air, I was a bit disappointed as the manufacturer touts the earbud's wide soundstage. Upon further listening I started to understand the imaging characteristics a bit more; specifically, I found the depth of the soundstage to be quite impressive, the best of any earbud I have tried.

The bass of the M2C is nice and full-bodied, though still within the borders of neutrality. It may even be ever so slightly lacking when used outdoors, but the bass quantity is sufficient for indoor listening. It won't give the listener huge impact, but it does reveal good texture. The midrange is easily the best part of the M2C, providing great transparency and detail. This, combined with the forward-projecting sound image, makes these earbuds great for listening to vocals and piano pieces. The treble is smooth and articulate, though I like it more for its non-fatiguing nature rather than its detail level.

The neutrality of the M2C lends well to virtually all genres of music, though I would like to have a bit more width to the sound image when listening to classical music. Fortunately, the M2C does have great instrument separation. The lack of peaks and valleys in the frequencies also make this great earbud to relax to, and there were several instances during my time with the M2Cs where I had forgotten that I was wearing the buds!

CONCLUSION
The M2C's neutral, smooth frequency response makes it a great earphone for long-term, fatigue-free listening, perfect for listening while reading, studying, or other background listening situations. On the flip-side, this means that some may find the M2C a bit too polite and even a bit boring. Though I do prefer earbuds that are more musical (with the Aurvana Air being a prime example), there is certainly a place for a refined, smooth, and easy-listening earbud like the M2C. I'll certainly keep an eye out for future products from the earbud gurus at Blox.
 
Jan 1, 2012 at 8:00 PM Post #13 of 50


Quote:
kanonathena said:
Anyone else interested in trying these out? The package is available right now, otherwise I will have these sent back to me.
Click to expand...



I would like to do it, but I have no earphone reviews, just player reviews and comparisions... :/
 
Jan 1, 2012 at 9:40 PM Post #14 of 50
Honestly kinda surprised there are not more people interested even in just trying them out to write a review. Yes I know they are earbuds but I think they beat any IEM/Headphone < $100 sound wise.
 
Jan 1, 2012 at 10:15 PM Post #15 of 50
I would love to try them, do a review, and pay what's required, but I haven't been here a year yet. I meet all the other qualifications and have written reviews before. Can I join in the fun? I'm in the USA.
 
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