[Fat Larry]

I think BL-05s may be the BL-03 without most of the BL-03's pitfalls like

1. I find it a bit too bassy, even bassier than what I'm personally used to (not just midbass as lots of people would like to claim either, I find it very subbassy too).

2. Mesh is hydrophilic . Although every single IEM I've used suffers from this (yes, every single IEM I had eventually muffles due to caught moisture, the BL-03 was no exception either, or I lend it to my big brother and when he returns it... why is it like completely clogged in earwax? and then I can't remove it because it's stuck to said cloth), it's probably easier to list which ones use non cloth dustproof networks, or otherwise hydrophobic ones. I ripped the mesh out of my BL-03 and made a ring of cotton to put it as a replacement.

3. Looks like a weird cross between an earbud and an IEM which may have made it ideal to wear cable down, but comes with a cable that is only usable over ear (atrocious ear mold at that). This along with the short nozzle makes the fit of this kinda horrible. First time took me almost 3 minutes to get any decent fit. I'm down to about 20 seconds and I'm still improving this time nearly 4 months later. I ordered some Sednaearfits since they're long tips and supposedly able to seal with a shallow insertion and the Zonie so it hopefully doesn't tug the BL-03 out of my ears like stock cable does.

4. I don't own it, but from what I hear it's the ATH-M40x of IEM. Very tonally correct, little micro detailing capabilities as well as non existent imaging capabilities, making both vintage sounding. Soundstage in an IEM is still an alien concept to me so what do I know about IEMs. Right?

Best and also most flawed piece of audio equipment I've put on my ears is probably what I'd like to describe my experience with the BL-03 so far.

Jeez that doesn't sound promising.

Reading your post i realised i was talking about the ATH-M40x not the V-Moda's. Can't stand the M40x's sound.

 

[JEHL]

Jeez that doesn't sound promising.

Reading your post i realised i was talking about the ATH-M40x not the V-Moda's. Can't stand the M40x's sound.

Hopefully I don't offend you... I've read probably over 100 pages about the ATH-M40x and this is the ONLY time I ever seen anyone calling M40x bright. But again I have yet to find a way to audition it.

My BL-03 experience goes something like this. Big, sustained boost from 35Hz to 70Hz that slowly decays until 400Hz, followed by a slight shout at 2kHz and then from there is: Dip, spike at 5kHz, dip, spike at 9kHz, big dip, smaller spike at 13kHz and then just rolls off at around 14.5kHz or so.

And I wonder if it sounds like I'm just trashing the BL-03 here and or that its treble performance is all over the place... But I don't have enough experience to know if these spikes are intentional or accidental, and again still better than anything I've had up to this point anyway.

Does that line with you ATH-M40x experience?

 

[Fat Larry]

Hopefully I don't offend you... I've read probably over 100 pages about the ATH-M40x and this is the ONLY time I ever seen anyone calling M40x bright. But again I have yet to find a way to audition it.

My BL-03 experience goes something like this. Big, sustained boost from 35Hz to 70Hz that slowly decays until 400Hz, followed by a slight shout at 2kHz and then from there is: Dip, spike at 5kHz, dip, spike at 9kHz, big dip, smaller spike at 13kHz and then just rolls off at around 14.5kHz or so.

And I wonder if it sounds like I'm just trashing the BL-03 here and or that its treble performance is all over the place... But I don't have enough experience to know if these spikes are intentional or accidental, and again still better than anything I've had up to this point anyway.

Does that line with you ATH-M40x experience?

Honestly i tried them once, years ago. It was like being stabbed in the hearing. Couldn't stand them and never gave them another chance.

BL-03 impressions seems quite checkered. Some people claiming they're $30 iems that can keep up with $3000 iems and some saying the fit is difficult and sound is just fairly good if you can get them to fit.

 

[JEHL]

Honestly i tried them once, years ago. It was like being stabbed in the hearing. Couldn't stand them and never gave them another chance.

BL-03 impressions seems quite checkered. Some people claiming they're $30 iems that can keep up with $3000 iems and some saying the fit is difficult and sound is just fairly good if you can get them to fit.

I wonder if there's an accurate EQ for windows out there, I think with an EQ I could try flattening the 5kHz and 9kHz spikes, but I dunno what EQ would allow me to flatten spikes without affecting the surrounding dips and cause it to sound dark in return.

I remember Slater telling me to EQ my BL-03 until I percieve it as true neutral and then search from there. I don't think I know an EQ precise enough for this purpose.

Did I mention the BL-03 is the least bright headgear I've put in my ears despite said spikes? That being said idiot me let go the only chance to audition the Sennheiser HD600. Could have been the most neutral thing I've ever heard for all I know.

Edit: Also feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here, but from what I read the ATH-M40x seems to also have fit issues with most people like the BL-03. So those spikes could be from me not getting a good coupling rather than just being designed that way.

I think JVC Spiral Dots make amazing anti spike eartips as well, so maybe your BL-03 should work great with them... Just a wild guess though. I'm going with Sednaearfits myself.

 

[chinmie]

I've only tried my friend's M40X a few years ago, and not for a long period of time (just a couple of songs), but i remember thinking it's quite good for the price, and i didn't remember finding any annoying frequency spikes anywhere.. quite flat-ish/balanced.

 

[PhonoPhi]

Well, what your post suggested to me is that your ears work

Because the V90 is precise, it has great bass, real thump and power behind it. The treble is modest. But that's the thing, I think they went a little too far in making the treble "polite." Or it is just slanted towards the bass tuning.

Looking back, the initial reviews posted on Head-Fi seem to be accurate. They accurately characterize the strengths of the V90, which are many. But they talk about "dryness" and how the upper register is "thin."

I agree, and think that it's really an issue with that part of the register. The bass is plenty soul-ful.

Back then, lots of people were talking about it being a killer bass performer at the price, which is still true. But some people were also saying that they use it as a generalist IEM, that it could function as their one and only IEM.

I was like, "what?" I can see how it was one of the best choices at $32 and if that was all you had. But I could never use it for most acoustic music. So I thought that there was a tendency to overlook a less-than-natural upper tuning. This persisted.

Go look at the reviews for it on this site. I think they capture it accurately, including the thin upper register. I tend to watch and read a variety of reviewers and websites in order to get a more three-dimensional understanding of the IEMs. [Four-dimensional if we factor in time, and looking back.]

C10s and BL-03s are still great. I'm hoping the BL-05s will be the better-fitting BL-03.

I'm not sure what, if anything, has replaced the V90. Maybe the CA16 is that good, but I just need that one to be better than C10 or ZS-10 Pro. The ZAX or whatever is said to be highly capable, but I know very little about it.

EDIT: BTW I'm still fairly new to IEMs myself, but I had a similar experience with the V90 as you indicate.

CA16 is definitely a great improvement on C10 to my ears (and being newer, about twice the price, and more drivers - it logically should). CA16 has the same as gentle as possible treble with still resolving mids plus a very smooth DD/BA transition (the best feature to me).
Now ZAX is a twin of CA16 with a slightly more treble. The above-mentioned BGGR prefers CA16 (not surprisingly to me).

Newer generation of ZS10 pro is C10 pro, both are V, and the treble is rich.

Given the same driver count and similar original price, the difference from ZS10 pro to C10 pro is not night and day (as with CA16 vs. C10).

 

[Fat Larry]

He's quite convincing. It was his review that convinced me to get the BL-03s, though they were on my radar. Now the CA16's and maybe c12s are entering the my sights... I might hold off for a while and maybe grab them on a sale if one comes up.

I need to get my JH Roxannes reshelled and save up for some Xelentos that i've wanted for ages, not mess about more chifi sets, even if they're fun... and so cheap.. ok maybe just one more...

 

[Rigatake5]

Is there a decent wireless cable for my Zs 10 pro and Blon 03? Because these earphones Are used mostly when I’m doing physical activity. Most reviews of these kind of cables are awful.

 

[SiggyFraud]

Is there a decent wireless cable for my Zs 10 pro and Blon 03? Because these earphones Are used mostly when I’m doing physical activity. Most reviews of these kind of cables are awful.

Check out the TRN BT 20S Pro modules, or any of their previous versions. They should work just fine for your needs.

 

[pmvaldon]

Good earphone options for a detailed, holographic sound under 100?

 

[tgx78]

Good earphone options for a detailed, holographic sound under 100?

NF Audio NM2
or
ISN Audio D02

 

[IEMusic]

The MMCX connector was a little loose in a housing, and the housing detached. They tried to reinsert the connector, but did so into the nozzle! [The eartip had also detached.] Now, the grille is smashed in.

In this person's defense, they are not familiar with IEMs. This wasn't the T2's fault. I found it to have great fit for a TinHifi product. For the first time, no tip rolling or cable swapping! But I can't bear to hear how it sounds now. I can post my impressions from notes over the past few days of listening, but I may be stuck with a damaged unit for now.

Be warned that n00bs can wreck your Chi-Fi! Anyway, I'll see what I can do.

In defense? How old is that person? If a child, I understand. If an adult, not to be too mean, but how does one have no clue how to match a plug, or at least look before inserting. Sticking things in wrong....ummm....nevermind.

 

[IEMusic]

NF Audio NM2
or
ISN Audio D02

or NF Audio NA2 if wanting a good amount of bass, but not too much. The NA2 is a bit more detailed to me, but I think the D02 images better. Clarity and resolution are equally good on both. The D02 also has potent bass. I’ve yet to hear the NM2/+ though.

 

[Turkleton]

NF Audio NM2
or
ISN Audio D02

Wholeheartedly second this... I got mine 5 days ago and all I can say is "Wow" and "Damn, this site is gonna burn a hole through my wallet."

It's a W shaped iem with a really natural, coherent sound. Detailed highs and vocals with well controlled bass (if you love boomy bass, stay away)

Disclaimer: I'm a noob when it comes to this; I just understood today what metallic treble in BAs can sound like'. I was A/B-ing between ZS10 Pro's and NM2's and the difference (admittedly not upon unboxing) is light and day - i think my brain was used to the ZS10 Pro sound and took some time to adjust.

Vocals are not recessed and don't become shouty even at high volumes. Treble does not get sibilant (some head-fiers like to test with Evanescence - Bring Me To Life, no pain!) I was listening to a live recording of Collective Soul - The World I Know at the Paste Magazine studio and everything was just beautifully clear. Vocals forward and clear; acoustic guitar, natural. When I listened again with my ZS10 Pro's, the vocals were shouty and the guitars slightly sibilant. To clarify, I like to listen at high volume - about 80% to 100% volume on android (LG V30), depending on the track.

I was listening to Lose Somebody by Kygo and One Republic - this is where it hit me on metallic treble and timbre. Ryan Tedder's voice just sounded so melodic and nuanced on the NM2s - my ZS10 Pro's made it sound like exact tones were played to reproduce his voice. It didn't have the right vibration or natural sound.

I must say though, I didn't feel this way after my first listen. It's like if you've been drinking soda all your life, then one week you're forced to drink only water. Suddenly you find sodas to be unbelievably sweet and you just can't enjoy them like you used to. These might not blow you away on day one - listen to them a few days, go back to your old IEMs and then you'll realize just how good you have it with these.

I know that I'm comparing a $100 IEM with a $27 IEM - but it's all I got. My only other $100 IEM was bought three years ago (Musicmaker TK12 - still going for $78 now) and I much prefer the ZS10 Pro's over them.

 

[Rigatake5]

Yes, those are top of my list ( , however, there's a lack of reviews on those

Check out the TRN BT 20S Pro modules, or any of their previous versions. They should work just fine for your needs.

Do you think the TRN BT20S PRO is better than the FIIO UTWS1?