[boneburglar]

Nice review Precog.

I liked the Be even if it's really warm, but the Ti is pretty bad in my opinion.

The Be goes on sale for $150ish where in my opinion it's fair game - Ti at any price is pretty bad though.

One correction though - the L/R indicators are on the grills of the IEM! The red grill indicates right. Doesn't really save the sound (red sounds faster!) but it's a cool idea in my opinion.

 

[Precogvision]

BLON BL-03

Spoiler: FR Graph

I know, I know. I’m really late to this party. (Something-something) about me being a cheapskate and not really having high expectations, so thanks to Super* Review for loaning me the BL-03 and a few other IEMs. Now for some context, the BL-03 was touted as something of a giant-killer; I say was because we also all know how these things tend to turn out. And alas, reality is often disappointing, if not predictable in this context.

The BL-03’s overall tuning can be considered simply warm. To this end, it has quite a lot of bass, about equal parts sub-and-mid bass. I like this type of low-end tuning, I really do. The problem lies in the intangibles. Mid-bass has some bloat to it, and it’s a hollow type of bloat at that. Despite adequate texturing, the bass transients simply lack density, and framing bias or not, it reminds me a lot of my “scarfing a Big Mac off the street” analogy. Satisfying...but also, not really.

It doesn’t help that the bloat negatively impacts the lower-midrange which I find has a tendency to sound slightly scooped or overshadowed; there’s not enough meat for vocals to push through. And while the upper-midrange graphs with a dip which should theoretically lead to the stage depth I enjoy on IEMs like the U12t and Andro 2020, well, it isn’t there on the BL-03 - it just sounds, again, scooped. I will say, however, that the midrange is pretty inoffensive left to its own devices. Treble is also fairly rolled off without any peaks to my ears. Make no mistake: The BL03 is not a poorly tuned IEM.

My issues with the BL-03 are mainly a product of its technical performance which is, to put bluntly, mediocre. You can really hear just how slow the dynamic driver is; there's a distinctive smearing to the decay of the midrange which does no favors for the bloated bass and rolled-off treble. Imaging also doesn’t get any better than 3-blob (left/right/center) much less diffuse adequately enough to shape the stage for my tastes. It follows that layering has insufficient air between instruments, and the claustrophobic effect that results from stage crampedness and rolled-off treble is present. Overall resolving capability...yeah, you probably know what I’m going to say. Either way, the BL-03 most definitely does not punch beyond its price point - at all - in this respect.

At the end of the day, though, I don’t dislike the BL-03. While it’s not a giant killer, as with most things that get hyped this much, there’s some merit to that hype. If all you care about is tonality, it’s decent enough. Nonetheless, I'm hard-pressed to recommend it having recently heard a Sony MH750. While I only got in a quick listening session, hot damn, the thing is excellent if you're into bass and want a budget beater. I have an order in for the MH750, and you can bet that'll be getting a review.

Score: 4/10

Among other news, and amiss a series of delays, the EE Odin should finally - finally! - be arriving tomorrow.

 

[gLer]

If all you care about is tonality, it’s decent enough.

Nice review man. I must be the only one who bought the 03 with the sole intent of smashing the hype, and actually ended up keeping it because I think it's really good - especially for all day, easy going, easy listening. Of course I upgraded mine with a balanced Forza Audioworks cable and tips that cost more than the IEM, but that's what you really have to do to get the level of sound that justifies the hype. I'll go as far as to say if I used stock tips and stock cable and plugged it in single ended (which I tried for about 1 minute before tossing the stock rubbish in the bin), I'd reach the same conclusion as you. The secret to the 03 is that it SCALES, and that's what most people miss. Mine is worth nearly $200 with the upgrades, and it easily matches anything I've heard in this price range. Heck it has better tonality, to my ears, than the original Andromeda - I know because I ABd them! As always, YMMV, but this is one case where you need to know how to unlock the potential to actually hear it.

Among other news, and amiss a series of delays, the EE Odin should finally - finally! - be arriving tomorrow.

I can't wait for your impressions on Odin, especially compared to your baby, the U12t. Hope you focus as much on tonality as technicalities, because obviously it's going to be a technical beast, but it's tonality that ultimately gets my ear time.

 

[Damz87]

Nice review man. I must be the only one who bought the 03 with the sole intent of smashing the hype, and actually ended up keeping it because I think it's really good - especially for all day, easy going, easy listening. Of course I upgraded mine with a balanced Forza Audioworks cable and tips that cost more than the IEM, but that's what you really have to do to get the level of sound that justifies the hype. I'll go as far as to say if I used stock tips and stock cable and plugged it in single ended (which I tried for about 1 minute before tossing the stock rubbish in the bin), I'd reach the same conclusion as you. The secret to the 03 is that it SCALES, and that's what most people miss. Mine is worth nearly $200 with the upgrades, and it easily matches anything I've heard in this price range. Heck it has better tonality, to my ears, than the original Andromeda - I know because I ABd them! As always, YMMV, but this is one case where you need to know how to unlock the potential to actually hear it.



I can't wait for your impressions on Odin, especially compared to your baby, the U12t. Hope you focus as much on tonality as technicalities, because obviously it's going to be a technical beast, but it's tonality that ultimately gets my ear time.

It’s true, the bl-03’s need quite a bit of power to sound decent from a technicality standpoint. I’m really digging the new green bl-05s. Worth checking out if you haven’t already

@Precogvision have you tried/reviewed the MH755? I’ve got a spare one sitting in my drawer that you can have if you want it

 

[Precogvision]

Nice review man. I must be the only one who bought the 03 with the sole intent of smashing the hype, and actually ended up keeping it because I think it's really good - especially for all day, easy going, easy listening.

I can't wait for your impressions on Odin, especially compared to your baby, the U12t. Hope you focus as much on tonality as technicalities, because obviously it's going to be a technical beast, but it's tonality that ultimately gets my ear time.

Yea man, I noticed you had a link to reviews in your signature! Doesn’t seem to load for me, though, is that something you’re working on setting up? And RE Odin, yes, I’ll give tonality some more focus, as I concur that I likely won’t have much bone to pick technicality-wise.

It’s true, the bl-03’s need quite a bit of power to sound decent from a technicality standpoint. I’m really digging the new green bl-05s. Worth checking out if you haven’t already

@Precogvision have you tried/reviewed the MH755? I’ve got a spare one sitting in my drawer that you can have if you want it

I’d love to hear it, but wouldn’t want you to have to ship intl for something so cheap unless it’s no trouble on your end. Thank you for the offer!

 

[RikudouGoku]

@Precogvision
FIY: The newer batches of the Sony MH750 is the same as the MH755, only with a longer cable and with a mic.

It has no right to sound as good as it does for that price. But I do think the mesh modded blon bl-03 is better than it.

 

[IEMusic]

Nice review man. I must be the only one who bought the 03 with the sole intent of smashing the hype, and actually ended up keeping it because I think it's really good - especially for all day, easy going, easy listening.

You’re certainly not the only one. I bought it b/c it’s so inexpensive, and I was just curious what the fuss was all about. While I wasn’t specifically intending to smash the hype, I figured it would be relegated to a drawer rather quickly. I wasn‘t at all expecting to be so entranced by the sound/tuning. I found it enjoyable with the stock cable and 3rd party tips, but was quite pleased at how it scales well with better accessories. It’s not the giant killer some make it out to be, but for a fun, relaxing listen, it’s hard to beat. Personally, I think 5/10 is fair in the grand scheme of all IEMs, but would rate it higher if considering just budget (<$100) IEMs.

It’s true, the bl-03’s need quite a bit of power to sound decent from a technicality standpoint. I’m really digging the new green bl-05s. Worth checking out if you haven’t already

I find it very refreshing to see you, with all of your TOTLs, still enjoying the BL03 and BL05s! Again, for what it is. An EE LX it most certainly is not.

 

[Precogvision]

Empire Ear's Odin (First Impressions)

Full review can be read here:
https://www.headphones.com/blogs/news/empire-ears-odin-review-laying-claim-to-the-throne

Well, the hype beast has finally arrived, and I have to say...wow, it's pretty damn good. Obligatory disclaimer that these are first impressions and are subject to change as I put more time into my evaluation of the Odin. I'm looking forward to playing with this kilobuck cable heh. Watch out for the full review, some cable memes, and scoring next week.

Spoiler: FR Graph

Empire Ears has never struggled to bestow upon their IEMs the ever-elusive "intangibles," and the Odin bears no exception. Positional cues are rendered to an extremely high degree, rivaling - if not surpassing - my benchmark, the 64 Audio U12t. As a whole, imaging encroaches on breaking the "walls" of the stage, and there's ample center image diffusal despite the absence of a dip (notably, the opposite) to the upper-midrange. This is a likely example of imaging and "depth" being much more than just a product of frequency response. Sheer resolution is also nothing short of excellent, no doubt partly in due to the upper-midrange tilt.

And yes, the polarizing midrange. Well...I really don't think it's that bad. It's poking the hornet's nest, but not at the expense of outright sibilance. The midrange suffers from a slight lack of weight and comes off a tad unnaturally bright, but a lot of the edgy transient behavior that the EE Hero exhibited has also been cleaned up. Treble is smooth if not lacking extension in the utmost highest frequencies; admittedly, I wouldn't have called it if I didn't have a FR graph to go off of. And really, "smooth" is an apt descriptor for the Odin. It is a very cohesive IEM, that is to say well-rounded, indeed.

Now for the bad parts:

• Empire Ear's subwoofer, the W9+, has always been distinctive to me for its bombastic slam - it always felt like it was almost trying too hard. Well, the Odin's tuning neuters this trait and then some, relegating it to the opposite end of the spectrum: Not necessarily lacking, but just...there, and unremarkable if not well-done.
• Dynamic contrast seems somewhat lacking. The transitions are very quick, yes, but the Odin fails to scale as low as the 64 Audio U12t to my ears.
• I could see the Odin being fatiguing. It's a smooth IEM, which the lack of dynamic contrast ironically pays compliment to; however, the upper-midrange tilt borders hot for my tastes.

While the Odin certainly isn't lacking in that "wow" factor, I can already tell - to a good extent - that it's not an IEM that meets my sonic preferences. At the IEM "summit" as I like to call it, I think it mostly comes down to a matter of tonal preference; unfortunately, the Odin doesn't hit mine as close as I'd like.

But I have no trouble asserting that the Odin is a top-tier IEM, one that stands at this summit. In my eyes, a "top-tier" IEM is not necessarily a reflection of price - after all, there's no shortage of flagship IEMs that sound like, well, garbage (in my humble opinion) - but rather, a reflection of an IEM's sound quality on its own merit. So overall, a job very well done by Empire Ears. They seem to have taken the shortcomings of the Wraith (which were quite a few to say the least) to heart and knocked it as close to out of the ballpark as possible.

As crappy as 2020's been, it's been a great year for the IEM world, and the Odin stands as one of the highlights.

 

[ngd3]

Just read your Odin review, well done!

So what is your holographic IEM short list?

 

[Precogvision]

Just read your Odin review, well done!

So what is your holographic IEM short list?

Thanks man! Here's the IEMs I've heard that I would consider holographic to varying degrees:

- Campfire Andromeda and Solaris 2020; the Solaris has more of the holographic quality to my ears, and also larger staging. Positional cues are more murky, though, thanks to all the timbral coloration.
- 64 Audio tia Trio. My guess is this holds for the Fourte as well, but I've not heard it, and it has pretty wonky tonality from what I can see.
- Sony IER-M9, fairly holographic but staging is pretty average to my ears.
- Sony IER-Z1R has a really "grand" quality to its staging where everything is larger than life. That's really the best way I can describe it. I don't know if I'd qualify it as holographic now, though, as it's been so long since I've heard it.

Anyways, take my word with a grain of salt when it comes to this stuff; I've noticed that these qualities vary wildly for different people. At the end of the day, these are all small nuances too. An IEM isn't really going to compete with open-back headphones for this quality specifically, but I guess that's also what makes it so rare when its present to some degree

 

[surfgeorge]

Thanks man! Here's the IEMs I've heard that I would consider holographic to varying degrees:

- Campfire Andromeda and Solaris 2020; the Solaris has more of the holographic quality to my ears, and also larger staging. Positional cues are more murky, though, thanks to all the timbral coloration.
- 64 Audio tia Trio. My guess is this holds for the Fourte as well, but I've not heard it, and it has pretty wonky tonality from what I can see.
- Sony IER-M9, fairly holographic but staging is pretty average to my ears.
- Sony IER-Z1R has a really "grand" quality to its staging where everything is larger than life. That's really the best way I can describe it. I don't know if I'd qualify it as holographic now, though, as it's been so long since I've heard it.

Anyways, take my word with a grain of salt when it comes to this stuff; I've noticed that these qualities vary wildly for different people. At the end of the day, these are all small nuances too. An IEM isn't really going to compete with open-back headphones for this quality specifically, but I guess that's also what makes it so rare when its present to some degree

Just to add to that discussion, I am looking for a headphone that can beat the holographic imaging of the IER-M9, and so far the only one that beat it was the Sennheiser HD800S, with considerably larger soundstag, but similarly if not even a bit better imaging, depth, and detail. M9 keeps impressing me.
Z1R is certainly special too with it’s movie theatre like huge and energetic sound. That is on my wishlist, but I think the M9 beats it in imaging.

 

[IEMusic]

The UM MEST has a good size soundstage, though not the biggest. Imaging, however, is top notch to me. Instrument placement is very discrete and stable, and instrument separation is amazing. The imaging is a bit like multi-channnel audio, in that it encompasses maybe 250 degrees around. With orchestral works it seems like I am in the conductor’s position.

 

[Precogvision]

Drop x JVC HA FDX1 Impressions

Spoiler: FR Graph

Thanks to Super* Review for loaning the FDX1 and a couple other IEMs! I have a post here on Reddit going through a bunch of the other IEMs he lent me.

Right, before I forget - the nozzles. There are three nozzles included (green, blue, and stock) each with varying degrees of dampening. The green...yeah, I'd just stay away. It completely neuters the FDX1's dynamics. I don't really hear much distinction between the stock nozzle and the blue nozzle when it comes to dynamic ability, but the stock nozzle also brings up the upper-midrange a good deal more than I'd like. Too bright, too shouty, so no thanks. All impressions are with the blue nozzle.

The overall tonality of the FDX1 is neutral to my ears. Pretty unremarkable, if not well-done. On the other hand, the intangibles are interesting, particularly in the bass. Transient attack is just...clean. I don't have another way of putting it. But decay does leave something to be desired; it's caught somewhere between a DD and BA. Bass texture and transient density are subsequently lost; dynamic slam has a sort of wet, puckered quality to it on deep drops. Besides throwing me off, it doesn't hit my preferences very closely, and I can't say I'm a fan. Midrange-wise, the FDX1 peaks a bit later at around 4kHz for its ear compensation. My personal preferences lie at around 2-2.5kHz, but it seems fine to me if not somewhat thin, which is done no favors by the quicker decay. The treble of the FDX1 is characterized by mostly lower-to-mid-treble impact. Even then, I don't think it has very much, and it reminds me of my Moondrop KXXS. Probably the biggest "dealbreaker" if there is one, as it sounds a bit muted contrasted to the upper-midrange. I don't really mind, though, and it's not offensive at all. It stands that these are all minor nitpicks, and the FDX1 gets a whole lot more right than it gets wrong.

Technicality-wise, the FDX1 is darn solid. It's not hitting Dunu Luna levels for transient speed, of course, but it's quite resolving; a good step up over the Etymotic ER2XR and Moondrop KXXS. Image incision is within the realm of average; positional cues and center-image diffusal slightly ahead. Macrodynamics are generally skewed downwards, but with enough contrast to be satisfactory. I don't think there's any real standout here, but the FDX1's certainly not lacking anything either.

Alas, I'm not quite sure what to say. As a package, the FDX1 is probably the best single-DD IEM I've heard. It has a well-done, balanced tonality and ample technical chops; it's an "objectively" good IEM if there ever was one. And yet...I simply can't get behind it. It sounds boring and uninspired to my ears, lacking in that special sauce the KXXS, ER2XR, heck, even the MH755 all have. From the way the FDX1's transients decay too quickly, to the resulting, ever-so-slightly-off timbre and lackluster bass, it all screams a little pretentious, cold to me. Maybe I'm just not as cultured as I'd like to think when it comes to my sound. Shoot me.

Score: 5/10

Starting from here and going forward, impression posts will simply have a preference score as I generally haven't finalized all my thoughts on the IEM.

 

[RikudouGoku]

Drop x JVC HA FDX1 Impressions

Spoiler: FR Graph

Thanks to Super* Review for loaning the FDX1 and a couple other IEMs! I have a post here on Reddit going through a bunch of the other IEMs he lent me.

Right, before I forget - the nozzles. There are three nozzles included (green, blue, and stock) each with varying degrees of dampening. The green...yeah, I'd just stay away. It completely neuters the FDX1's dynamics. I don't really hear much distinction between the stock nozzle and the blue nozzle when it comes to dynamic ability, but the stock nozzle also brings up the upper-midrange a good deal more than I'd like. Too bright, too shouty, so no thanks. All impressions are with the blue nozzle.

The overall tonality of the FDX1 is neutral to my ears. Pretty unremarkable, if not well-done. On the other hand, the intangibles are interesting, particularly in the bass. Transient attack is just...clean. I don't have another way of putting it. But decay does leave something to be desired; it's caught somewhere between a DD and BA. Bass texture and transient density are subsequently lost; dynamic slam has a sort of wet, puckered quality to it on deep drops. Besides throwing me off, it doesn't hit my preferences very closely, and I can't say I'm a fan. Midrange-wise, the FDX1 peaks a bit later at around 4kHz for its ear compensation. My personal preferences lie at around 2-2.5kHz, but it seems fine to me if not somewhat thin, which is done no favors by the quicker decay. The treble of the FDX1 is characterized by mostly lower-to-mid-treble impact. Even then, I don't think it has very much, and it reminds me of my Moondrop KXXS. Probably the biggest "dealbreaker" if there is one, as it sounds a bit muted contrasted to the upper-midrange. I don't really mind, though, and it's not offensive at all. It stands that these are all minor nitpicks, and the FDX1 gets a whole lot more right than it gets wrong.

Technicality-wise, the FDX1 is darn solid. It's not hitting Dunu Luna levels for transient speed, of course, but it's quite resolving; a good step up over the Etymotic ER2XR and Moondrop KXXS. Image incision is within the realm of average; positional cues and center-image diffusal slightly ahead. Macrodynamics are generally skewed downwards, but with enough contrast to be satisfactory. I don't think there's any real standout here, but the FDX1's certainly not lacking anything either.

Alas, I'm not quite sure what to say. As a package, the FDX1 is probably the best single-DD IEM I've heard. It has a well-done, balanced tonality and ample technical chops; it's an "objectively" good IEM if there ever was one. And yet...I simply can't get behind it. It sounds boring and uninspired to my ears, lacking in that special sauce the KXXS, ER2XR, heck, even the MH755 all have. From the way the FDX1's transients decay too quickly, to the resulting, ever-so-slightly-off timbre and lackluster bass, it all screams a little pretentious, cold to me. Maybe I'm just not as cultured as I'd like to think when it comes to my sound. Shoot me.

Score: 5/10

Starting from here and going forward, impression posts will simply have a preference score as I generally haven't finalized all my thoughts on the IEM.

You should try the Tanchjim Oxygen if you can.

 

[IEMusic]

You should try the Tanchjim Oxygen if you can.

And the NF Audio NM2+, if you can tolerate the upper midrange. Technically, it’s the best single DD I’ve heard thus far, but I haven’t heard the Luna or A8000. Imaging and soundstage are remarkable for a single DD, though reportedly the Oxygen excels here also.