Picked up my Blons from the post office this morning. First impression, with my new standard tips and a balanced 8-core Kinboofi cable on the stellar E1DA 9038S USB DAC: 25€?! ... you must be kiddin' me!
Can't remember the last time any phone wowed me right out of the box like those critters. I took some hours off, went through a good number of test tracks and they sound like they've been just made for my ears - tonality, bass, clarity, soundstage, imaging and layering even with busy tracks, everything sounds just so effortless and natural and the rather analytical 9038s seems to help quite a bit to let those DDs shine that way.
From the nitpicking department:
- on the Sonata DAC or headphone outputs of my PC or smartphones the bass gets a bit bloaty with the low freq structures and imaging suffering, no such issues on the powerful low-impedance output (~0.05 Ohm) of the 9038S - these membranes apparently need some tight control to really shine.
- some ever so slightly shouty upper mids on the phones and the Sonata but that's gone on the 9038S as well.
- some of the worst driver flex of any of my IEMs even if I insert them very carefully (pulled down earlobes)
- those plastic connectors. Damnit, why not stick with a standard, time tested two-pin design???
Other than that color me seriously impressed, now it's on to the burn-in, or rather extended listening time since I enjoy them that much already.
Thanks to everyone here who recommended them - much appreciated!
BTW ... couldn't help it and ordered a third set - shoot them while they last.