[paulindss]

they have bad instrument separation, a slow and boomy bass, and yet everyone who never listened to the more expensive offerings claims they are superior based on graphs vOv.

That's simply not true... And i will not extend my argument.

 

[darmanastartes]

I think it'd be more fair to say that the blon has too much bass, that is slow and boomy, but that it can be worked around somewhat with the right choice of tips (narrow bore)

There's really too much hype over this iems, good Lord.

The cable, connector and tips suck, the fit is not great due to short nozzle, they have bad instrument separation, a slow and boomy bass, and yet everyone who never listened to the more expensive offerings claims they are superior based on graphs vOv.

They have good timbre and a somewhat "wow" effect due to forward mids and monster sub but there's more needed to make a "timeless" great iems.

We'll see in 3 months what ppl say.

I agree with most of your criticisms of it, at least to some extent. The cable is fine, I don't know why so many people dislike it so strongly. The connector being a unique shape and length makes finding replacement cables more difficult that it should be. The fit is not great because of how short the nozzle is.
I would not call its instrument separation "bad" or the bass "slow and boomy." The bass is not as fast as the driver diaphragm type would suggest, and is a little elevated over what I would call "true neutral."
However, the reason they're so hyped is because the tuning is incredible for a sub-$30 IEM. They're fun-sounding without being impolite, with more realistic timbre than just about anything else I've heard under $50.
I've heard better IEMs, but most people don't need to spend 10 times as much for a 30% improvement in sound quality.

 

[RikudouGoku]

I have the blon-03 and KPE and there's a huge difference in sound, the blons are ok and probably some of the best for their price, but they aren't all that great and in 3 months everyone will be praising another "giant killer" and have forgotten them imo, which I very much doubt will be the case with KPE, kxxs, oxygen etc.

Their main issues are they don't sound "effortless" so they get tiring quickly, they have too much bass to be a good all-rounder, and bad instrument separation in busy tracks they are quickly overwhelmed.

They have ok timbre accuracy which is rare at that price, but I doubt the competition will close shop because it's over, the blon is everything anyone needs, close the forums and internets lol.

Same was said of the T2 when it came out.

Imo, with HiFi one gets what he pays for, up to a degree at least, and while cheap gear is making huge progress, it's still an "investment" to buy at least good mid-tier iems.

Good speakers don't really become outdated either, Yamaha still sells the MSP5 I saved for to afford about 20 years ago, they've been on almost 24/7 since that time and still work and sound great, I doubt that'd be the case with 1998 Behringer "giant killers".

The reason why I recommend the blons over the KXXS/KPE/Oxygen is the fact that if you are starting from zero, the same amount of cash will get you the blon+shanling m0 dap+ spinfits/spiral dots+ upgrade cable. and with the other you only get the iems. And even if you already have a dap, cables and tips. Is the instrument separation which I find to be almost equal really worth spending 160 usd more?

 

[RikudouGoku]

@citral23 Keep in mind that since the KXXS and the others costs that much more than the blon, placebo is something that might happen to you. "this one costs 6 times more so it must be better" suppressing that thought can be hard and I admit that I suffer from that. Why? Because it means that I have wasted 190 usd on something that sounds about the same as 30 usd

 

[redrol]

I like the blon better than the KPE. my personal preference

 

[dharmasteve]

Surely everybody knows that if we buy ChiFi IEMs then there is a chance of buying one that isn't up to Quality Control or other factors. It should become clear that if thirty people think an IEM is excellent and four or five think otherwise, it may well be you have a sub standard unit. I've had it. Others have had it. That's reality. Often there is some empirical reason your IEM is substandard. Of course we all have different hearing and assessments, but do bear in mind you may have, in reality, a poorly made or even slightly substandard unit.

 

[durwood]

I think it'd be more fair to say that the blon has too much bass, that is slow and boomy, but that it can be worked around somewhat with the right choice of tips (narrow bore)

I keep trying to figure out what is going on with the bass, to me they are bipolar. On some songs it is a little slow sounding (not M6/DMG slowness but still...), sometimes it floats in front of the rest of the mix, and other times it sounds just right. I find it sounds a bit tubby or boomy most of the time, which gives the impression of slowness, maybe there is extra harmonic distortion that leads to the extra thickness.

I like the BLON, the tonal signature is great the timbre is great, soundstage is average, resolution is good, there is an organic nature to these. Definitely checks off a ton of boxes. Its definitely hard to fault them at the $30 price tag, this is another case of MH755. Extreme value and near great acceptance. Everyone has their preferences and some put more weight behind the preferences that will elevate something.
I think I like the BLON more than Kanas Pro, but it I think it is the tonal signature, timbre that I find more pleasant.

 

[crabdog]

I agree with most of your criticisms of it, at least to some extent. The cable is fine, I don't know why so many people dislike it so strongly. The connector being a unique shape and length makes finding replacement cables more difficult that it should be. The fit is not great because of how short the nozzle is.
I would not call its instrument separation "bad" or the bass "slow and boomy." The bass is not as fast as the driver diaphragm type would suggest, and is a little elevated over what I would call "true neutral."
However, the reason they're so hyped is because the tuning is incredible for a sub-$30 IEM. They're fun-sounding without being impolite, with more realistic timbre than just about anything else I've heard under $50.
I've heard better IEMs, but most people don't need to spend 10 times as much for a 30% improvement in sound quality.

I'm surprised that so many find the nozzle length is the cause of their fit problems with the BLON. Once I changed the cable the fit was fantastic with any of my standard tips. Maybe it's because I use large tips with shallow insertion. Regardless, I still think it's one of the best sounding sub $100 iems.

 

[ozziecook]

That's simply not true... And i will not extend my argument.

Haha. That made me laugh.
Like many here I prefer Blon to KPE too.
I couldn’t see what other people did at the time the KPE came out. The fit, the mod, the thinnish upper mids.etc etc.

Why is it that so many people on Headfi are bassphobic? It’s what bass is. Bassy.
It’s strong, visceral and often meant as the male to the female treble. Has anyone ever been to a gig at all? Where you can really feel the bass?
There’s no way Blon is a basshead iem either. It’s a 7/10 strength. Maybe there are some fit and QC issues...

 

[mbwilson111]

Now I always do a phase test on any new iem.

Recently I took out one of my older ones..one I had never listened to much and discovered it is out of phase. Too late now to return. If it is possible to open it without ruining the purple metallic finish my husband will try to recable and correct the polatity.

 

[PhonoPhi]

I'm surprised that so many find the nozzle length is the cause of their fit problems with the BLON. Once I changed the cable the fit was fantastic with any of my standard tips. Maybe it's because I use large tips with shallow insertion. Regardless, I still think it's one of the best sounding sub $100 iems.

Exactly, using wider shallow tips worked very well for me in securing the seal and assuring the tight fit - definitely perfect for walking, perhaps less for running.
Also the wider bores give well defined bass and nicely extended treble.
Very enjoyable!

 

[mbwilson111]

I'm surprised that so many find the nozzle length is the cause of their fit problems with the BLON. Once I changed the cable the fit was fantastic with any of my standard tips. Maybe it's because I use large tips with shallow insertion. Regardless, I still think it's one of the best sounding sub $100 iems.

Exactly, using wider shallow tips worked very well for me in securing the seal and assuring the tight fit - definitely perfect for walking, perhaps less for running.
Also the wider bores give well defined bass and nicely extended treble.
Very enjoyable!

Same for me. I do not want the body of the Blon to protrude from my ears. I want a snug cozy fit. I would not get that with a longer nozzle. Also, now that I have decided to wear them cable down, they nestle in like an earbud. So comfortable. Using medium Symbio Peels in either case...down or over ear.

 

[silverfishla]

Haha. That made me laugh.
Like many here I prefer Blon to KPE too.
I couldn’t see what other people did at the time the KPE came out. The fit, the mod, the thinnish upper mids.etc etc.

Why is it that so many people on Headfi are bassphobic? It’s what bass is. Bassy.
It’s strong, visceral and often meant as the male to the female treble. Has anyone ever been to a gig at all? Where you can really feel the bass?
There’s no way Blon is a basshead iem either. It’s a 7/10 strength. Maybe there are some fit and QC issues...

I agree with you wholeheartedly about the bass. As I have and always will say, bass shakes windows. IEMs that claim neutral are usually bass light. Those present bass as hearable tones but not visceral energy or proper amount to suffice as counter melody.

 

[FastAndClean]

it is funny but one of my pairs that is different from the others, sound like the KP

 

[citral23]

@citral23 Keep in mind that since the KXXS and the others costs that much more than the blon, placebo is something that might happen to you. "this one costs 6 times more so it must be better" suppressing that thought can be hard and I admit that I suffer from that. Why? Because it means that I have wasted 190 usd on something that sounds about the same as 30 usd

I've carefully considered that point. When I got the BLON the first thing I fired was the Ella Fitzgerald "Clap hands, here comes Charlie" album. Oh man, I was blown away. The voice timbre was just crazy good and it saddened me that I had paid 166€ for the KPE, which I put on the same tracks and found the mids quite thin in comparison (but tonaly correct).

Then I started to fire some be-bop and found the blon inadequate, it all sounded like a mess, nothing was defined, I couldn't "feel the swing" of the tracks. Back to KPE everything swinged again.

I tried to find out what it was that made the blon sound like soup on those tracks and discerned it was instrument separation and slow bass. For some people it might be totally adequate mind you, I'm spoiled by the technical aspect of some really fast earbuds at the moment.

I think many are not getting my point, it's not that the blon is bad per se, it's that it does not, in my opinion, make the mid-tier iems obsolete.

If I had to keep only one it would still be the KPE because of its technical abilities to resolve everything quick, and I don't regret paying for them, at all. I would frankly say so otherwise, and it may be the case in the future.

As I have the 2 I chose the blon for ballads and hip-hop, to me they are more enjoyable for that kind of music, the KPE for anything bop, and otherwise busy/fast tracks.

Is it possible I have a dud? Yes, absolutely. I don't want to pay again to verify. If they had perfect fit, looked beautiful, and I was sure I would get 30% improvement and not 5% I'd do it.

But as it is, better wait for the bl-04 anyway, that will probably make everyone forget the bl-03 in a few months, don't think they will stand the test of time all that great but we'll see.

Also the T4 is coming. There's always something around the corner in cheapo land. But a good mid-tier is a keeper, imo.