[Trizesta]

Hello to one and all! I've been on quite the journey the past couple of years to find an IEM that captivates me as much as the Blon BL-03 has... Perhaps you could point me in the right direction. First, here's a list of IEMs I own or have owned, in order of acquisition:

Sony MDR-EX38ip (no longer own)
Sony MDR-EX61ip (no longer own)
Sony MDR-EX100ip (no longer own)
Sony MDR-EX150ip
Sony MDR-EX650ap
Tin T2
Blon BL-03
Tin T2 Plus
Blon BL-01
Tin T4
Moondrop Aria
Hzsound Heart Mirror
Dunu Titan S
Ikko OH10
7Hz Timeless (no longer own)
Letshuoer S12 (no longer own)

I started getting into IEMs back in the late 2000s and fell in love with Sony's EX house sound... I still occasionally go back to my EX150 for the sake of nostalgia. After feeling somewhat disappointed by the EX650, I decided to enter the world of Chi-Fi during the 2020 lockdown. The comparatively clean sound and high build quality of the Tin T2 convinced me to continue exploring more options. Each one I picked up gave me new perspectives on my music, but I ultimately kept returning to my BL-03.

More recently, I decided to see what all the fuss was about regarding planars. The other hype IEMs I had tried (T2, BL-03, Aria, OH10) I felt each lived up to their hype in different ways, so surely it would be the same with the Timeless, right? Unfortunately, I found it to be rife with tuning issues that no amount of tip-rolling would fix. Given the price, I couldn't justify keeping it, so I sent it back to Amazon. The one thing I did enjoy about the Timeless was it's speed, so I wanted to give planars another shot. I used my refunded credit to pick up the S12... Too aggressively bright for me. I just returned it this morning and am starting to feel like I'm not going to find a path forward. Therefore, I turn to you for help!

This wild ride has taught me several things about my taste in signatures and technicals. I've concluded that I'm seeking something U-shaped with a natural tuning (not too dark or too bright), a relatively thick note weight, a large soundstage, and detailed but not overly analytical technical performance. I've considered the Kato, though I'm not sold on Moondrop's house sound based on the Aria. Most recently, I've been looking at the Tanchjim Oxygen. It graphs extremely close to the BL-03, but it's nowhere to be found on Amazon. I'm willing to consider IEMs up to $350 or even $400 if it's dead-on for my preferences.

Thanks for bearing with this lengthy post. I eagerly await your responses!

 

[Trizesta]

For better or worse, I’m going to give the Kato a chance… It also doesn’t hurt that the new blue shell is quite the looker. I’ll post again after I’ve had some time with it. I’m still open to opinions on higher-priced IEMs that fit my tastes!

 

[baskingshark]

For better or worse, I’m going to give the Kato a chance… It also doesn’t hurt that the new blue shell is quite the looker. I’ll post again after I’ve had some time with it. I’m still open to opinions on higher-priced IEMs that fit my tastes!

If you want an upgrade over the BLON BL-03, the KBEAR Aurora has similar tonality, but has better timbre and technicalities. Also better fitting than the infamous BL-03 short nozzle fit.

A bassier and very chill set is the Sony XBA N3. It has huge soundstage and good layering and even though it has BAs inside, the timbre is very natural. Not the most detailed but it is one of my daily drivers.

The Tanchjim Oxygen is harmanish, excellent timbre, tonality and technicalities. Lesser note weight and brighter than the BL-03. It is also one of my daily drivers and is an excellent midFI single DD.

 

[Trizesta]

Following up on my last post... I love this thing! Very balanced tonality with the hint of a U-shape. I prefer the steel nozzles, as they make my music sound higher resolution compared to the brass ones. The Spring tips pair well but I'm finding the most enjoyment with the Dunu Titan S opaque tips, which broaden the soundstage to OH10 levels. Also terrific with the Kato are the Spinfit CP145 (more energy) and Final Audio Type E clear tips (thicker note weight). This IEM has become my new daily driver and I highly recommend it to anyone with tastes similar to mine!

 

[jmwant]

Ironically, I had the Timeless and to me Kato didn't sound like an upgrade. I think the proper Blon bl03 upgrade is the FiiO FH3.