BLON BL03 II: A Huge Leap of Improvement

This review article will be more special as this product has some connection with its well-known predecessor which somehow intertwined with yours truly on why I became an audio reviewer in the first place. My path of being a reviewer starts with annoyance, frustration and a feeling that I got duped by the audio community.

The story starts with the original BL03 on how it was marketed and at the same time that its fame spread across the audio community like a wildfire about tuning of this one as it was rated as “excellent”. At first, someone in the audio community declared that it has a similar tuning with the great TANCHJIM Oxygen, which I'm really a fan of (that unit was priced at almost US$300 at that time) but I can't afford to buy one at that moment. After I received some information about this product, I saved up and bought the BL03 on pre-order from an e-vendor in an online shopping app. When I received this unit with a gleeful smile to my face, after a few hours of testing. It leads to the downward spiral as my expectation was shattered on how bad this set was.

First was its design choice and fitting, while it was quite compact, I don't see it as ergonomically designed due to the length of nozzles as it is one of the most atrocious fitting that I've encountered in an IEM earphone. I tried to buy some third party ear tips like the spinfits but to no avail as it doesn't seal well into my lugholes.  Second one is tuning itself, while it was marketed and  disseminated in the audio community as a cheap and budget-friendly alternative to the Oxygen as allegedly it was tuned by the same tuner, but no, I really disagree on this take. Bloated bass response, recessed and veiled midrange presentation, dark and too smooth treble response, and I will also add, terrible technical performance. I tried not to give up as I invested in upgraded cables as it might improve its tonal performance (heck, I even became a cable believer due to being in a state of distress and desperation ), but no, it didn't help out. With my sheer frustration, I threw the unit out of anger as I already spent some dosh on it and yet it didn't work. And then, I put it in an old cabinet in our storeroom and after that I didn't find it anymore as someone probably took it as the storeroom was repurposed into a transit room rental business.

After almost 6 years since the BL03 debacle , an audio distributor offered to do a review on its successor model. At first, I'm in a state of quandary as I'm very sceptical about the product due to my great displeasure on its preceding model, however I change my mind as I decided  give another change on this unit and also I'm also an audio reviewer too in my own right. After all, It was the BL03 on why I became a portable audio reviewer in the first place, so I technically owed my calling to that product.

What I have here is BLON BL03 II and this one is a successor model of that famous IEM in the late 2010s. Like its predecessor, it still has a single driver that was crammed in a compact irregular oval shape metal shell chassis but BLON did some slight improvements of this model.

The transducer that this set uses is an improved 10mm dynamic driver with a carbon diaphragm as BLON promises are more responsive performance with deeper and dynamic bass, rich and clean midrange and a clear treble quality. The driver was then encased in a compact irregular oval-shaped zinc-alloy shell chassis with a still short nozzle length just like the the original BL03, but there are some difference as the current iteration has now a matte-like surface for less fingerprint magnet and some resistant to nicks and scratches, thought you can still have the gun metal as it is an alternate colourway option. Another slight change that BLON did for this model is the implementation of the interlocking mechanism as it uses a more standard 0.78mm 2-pin connector which is a better choice in my opinion rather than the original's type-B  bi-pin connector which is quite uncommon.

In terms of fitting and comfort, to be honest this one is still atrocious just like the original BL03 as it won't be sealed properly due to loose fitting that causes some wobble on every head movement. But it can be solved via third party options and since I have a good collection of different types of ear tips, I can recommend some. In my ears, Dunu SNS, TANGZU Sancai Balanced bore, Divinus (both balanced and wide bored variants) and the stock double-flange silicone eartips from Pula Audio ANVIL 114 are the best choices as it seals well while having a decent passive noise isolation from the outside surroundings.

The stock cable that was included here is a two-core silver-plated copper wires that were coated with PVC insulators and it has a 3.5mm single ended termination plug on its end. While the quality of the cable itself is quite supple and flexible with a smooth and glossy surface, and also less prone from entanglement. This is indeed a big improvement over the stock cable of the original BL03 in terms of quality and ergonomics.

The BLON BL03 II product packaging is rather minimalist and on how its accessories were organised in a similar fashion just like the original BL03. For its current price of US$34/£27, this one is pretty well-packed with inclusions.

The following contents inside of its packaging box:

• A pair of BLON BL03 II IEM transducers.
• Stock cable
• Sack cloth storage pouch.
• Three (3) pairs of narrow-bored silicone ear tips in different standard sizes.
• Three (3) pairs of balanced-bored silicone ear tips in different standard sizes.
• Three (3) pairs of wide-bored silicone ear tips in different standard sizes.
• User's manual

As for amplification requirements, this set is fairly sensitive that it could be driven by source devices with a normal gain output but surprisingly it also scales well better with good quality sources like DAPs and headphone DAC/Amp dongles. With a sufficient power output that was fed on this one, it delivers a full range and a very dynamic sound.

The tonality of this one is quite a departure from its predecessor, this set has a bright u-shaped sound profile due to more emphasis on the low frequency and on the upper mids  up to the presence section on the high frequency.

LOWS/BASS:

The bass response of this one is rumbly, incisive with an ample punchiness that makes the bass quality of this one more cleaner. So this one is more focused on a sub bass presence which is very contrasting to its precedent model which has a more gist on mid bass bloom.

The sub bass presence of this one has its physicality as I really felt the reverberations and grumbling feedback generated from sub bass-focused instruments  such as from the strings instruments like bass guitars, double-basses and octobasses that were tuned in low octave, synthesisers and drum machines. The mid bass quality of this one is clearly sufficient just to give enough and consistent  note textures on bass-clef instruments and  deep male vocals. Bass guitars sound resonant while double-basses have more rasping albeit both of these strings have a bit hollowness on them, and then, the bass kick drums sound rumbling and soft to deliver that impact on their drum heads. For male vocals like bass and bass-baritones, they have a deep reverberating quality on their voices but apparently they lack volume, dark tone  and weight to deliver a heft and dusky sound.

MIDRANGE:

The midrange presentation of this one is obviously recessed but it doesn't sound too lean as it has some warmth presence on it while having a clear and energetic sound. This type of midrange tuning will contribute the note body of male vocals and brass instruments while energetic nature will emphasize the clarity of female vocals, a crispness of strings and a radiating sound on woodwinds.

On male vocals, baritones have smooth vocals while tenors have dazzling sound from their voices, and countertenors have that vocal agility and feathery sound from their falsetto voices. As for female vocals, contraltos have rich but less heft from their chesty vocals, mezzo-sopranos have that fiery and golden sound to give that emotive voice and sopranos have a gleaming and silvery quality from their vocals.

When it comes to instruments, on strings ones, guitars sound bright and crisp while violins have a vibrant and lively sound on every gripping on its bowstrings, and cellos have these clear and bit incisiveness on their sound. The brass instruments with the likes of trumpets, trombones and horns, in corresponding order, sound vivid, blaring and tempestuous. In regards to woodwinds, piccolos have bright sound, concert flutes sound light and brilliant, clarinets sound fiery and saxophones have that reedy and brassy sound. The percussion instruments such as snares, tom-toms, field drums and kettledrums, they sound bright, resonant, reverberating and rumbling respectively, while the pianos seem to have a clean, clear and vibrant tone from its bright sound.

HIGHS/TREBLE:

Another tonal aspect that this set differentiated itself from its predecessor was its treble register. This one was tuned brightly and shimmery as it culminates the clarity and definition on some vocals and attack on instruments as I surely perceived the accentuated parts on the upper mids and presence sections on its treble region. Despite its bright tuning, any possibility of sibilance and harshness were kept under control.

On the brilliance section, there’s a reasonable amount of air that this one is able to exhibit as it also has some intensity on its sparkle. Cymbals have a glistening sound while hi-hats have a dry yet resonant tone from its chick-y sound, and celestas have a gleaming sound as the other percussive like glockenspiel have a brilliance characteristic with it.

SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING & OTHER TECHNICALITIES:

When it comes to  perceived sound/speaker stage dimensions, this set is capable of projecting an average to above-average size in both lateral width span and height reach, and it also has a good grasp of its depth level as it gave me an adequate headroom into my aural sphere. The stereo imaging of this one conveys a rather linear two-dimensional presentation with just a modest layering and a decent separation of its vocals and instruments in a soundscape as it seems that's struggles a bit on playing back some of the more complex multi-instrumental tracks. But a least this one is  evidently an improvement over the original BL03 which really fare awfully on this department.

The resolution capability of this one is fairly resolving as there’s a good sense of contrast between macro-dynamics and micro-dynamics as the former was able to balanced the varying degrees of quietest up to the loudness of its volume section of both instrumental passage and chorale line, while the latter is able retrieve a fair amount of micro-details, nuances and subtleties from an audio track with a decently sharp definition on it. The driver performance of this one is more of an huge improvement over its predecessor in terms of coherency as I notice faster transient response notably on the bass notes while maintaining some clarity and detail on the rest of the frequency range.

PEER COMPARISONS:

BLON BL03

• The predecessor of the BL03 II and like its successor, it has a similar driver configuration and build of its shell structure.
• It has a single 10mm dynamic driver with Carbon Nanotube diaphragm and it was encased in a zinc-alloy shell chassis.
• On its interlocking mechanism, it uses a slightly modified bi-pin connector.
• It has a sufficient amount of inclusions that can be used although the cable is rather mediocre.
• It has a very coloured sound profile as it has bloated bass response, recessed and too warm midrange presentation and a bit dark treble presentation with lack of airiness on it.
• Compared to the BL03II, the technical performance of this one is very abysmal in my opinion as it has a very compressed head room presentation, poor layering and separation and inadequate resolution capabilities.

SIVGA QUE

• SIVGA’s first IEM model and like the BL03 II, it has a single driver set-up inside of its composite shell chassis.
• It uses a 10mm dynamic driver with a beryllium-coating on its diaphragm.
• The composite shell structure of this one is quite uncommon as it has a zinc-alloy  cavity base and wood panel faceplate.
• This one is quite well-packed with quality accessories inside of its packaging box and among its included accessories is a premium-quality cable and also a leatherette storage case.
• This one has a bright U-shaped sound signature as it has rumbly and punchy bass response, a bit recessed  yet sufficiently warm midrange with detailed sound on vocals and instruments and bright and clear treble response with good amount of airy extension on it.
• This set has good technical aspects like above-average sound/speaker stage size, commendable separation, adequately layered soundscape presentation and pretty resolving.

7HZ G1

• 7Hz’s latest entry-level single dynamic driver and like the BL03 II, it also has a metal shell casing albeit it was designed differently.
• It sports a 10mm DLC-diaphragm dynamic driver and it was enclosed in an aluminium alloy shell.
• This one is also well-packed with accessories including an uncommon type of storage case.
• Aside from the storage case, it also included a good quality stock cable.
• This one has a bright U-shaped sound signature as it has a more rumbly yet tighter bass response, a leaner, transparent and energetic midrange presentation, and then a bright and airy treble presence.
• Technicalities would be this set’s strongest asset as it projects a reasonably roomy spatial head room, a well-layered soundscape with acceptable separation capability and good micro-detail retrieval.

TANGZU WAN’ER S.E.

• TANGZU’s latest variant of their highly popular entry-level model wonder, and it also has single driver configuration.
• On its transducer, it uses a newer generation of PET dynamic driver that was also similarly implemented on the original WAN’ER S.G.
• The dynamic driver was encapsulated in a PVC shell chassis and it uses a QDC-type bi-pin connector as its interlocking mechanism for its detachable cable.
• This one is fairly packed with inclusions although it doesn't have any kind of carrying case that could be used as an IEM storage.
• This one has a neutral sound profile as it has tighter and incisive bass response, a well-balanced, clean and transparent midrange presentation, and then, a smooth, even and airy treble presentation.
• The overall technical of this one is quite competent as it was able to present a moderately roomy sound/speaker stage, a decently layered soundscape and a good resolution capability on both macro-dynamics and micro-dynamics respectively.

TANCHJIM BUNNY

• TANCHJIM’s latest entry-level model and this one also has a single driver configuration.
• It uses a proprietary dynamic driver like most current TANCHJIM sets, a latest version of their DMT which also has PET diaphragm with a titanium powder coating on it.
• Unlike the BL03 II, it has a polycarbonate plastic shell with a metal alloy faceplate on its bunny-inspired shell design.
• This one is also pretty well-stocked with accessories just like the BL03 II in which also includes a velvety cloth storage pouch.
• This one has a mild U-shaped sound signature due to a more balanced bass response as it has punchy and reverberating sound, a tad warmer yet clean midrange presentation and a smoother treble presentation.
• On its technical performance, while it presents a rather two-dimensional stereo imaging, it has an ample soundstage size from width to depth, good layering and separation, and just a modest resolution capability.

In conclusion, on my experience on BLON products, while its inaugural product that somehow shook the portable audio community on late 2010s, doesn't really fare well in my daily usage as I have some unpleasant experience on it, this model which its successor is indeed an improvement over the previous one in terms of tonality and technical performance in my opinion. While it still has that issue particularly the choice of its shell design and the length of its nozzle is still a problematic as it is still uses the shell chassis of the original BL03 unless if we resort on using a third party ear tips that give a better fitting into our lugholes, but with BLON’s effort to overhaul some its physical aspects and also a improvement of its tuning, this set appears to more likeable in my preferences but given of the current state of portable audio market in which some audio companies also offers a comparable or even better price to performance IEM products, the BLON BL03 II will have a very challenging competition in this segment.

The BLON BL03II is now currently available at LINSOUL, if interested to purchase this product, I just provided a non-affiliated link below.

LINK: https://www.linsoul.com/products/blon-bl03-ii

MORE BLON PRODUCT REVIEWS:

● BLON Z200

● BLON Z300

● BLON X Z JOJO

● BLON X TDKD V1

SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: BLON BLO3II

IMPEDANCE: 32Ω

SENSITIVITY: 102dB

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz – 20KHz

CABLE LENGTH: 1.2m

PIN TYPE: 0.78 2-PIN CONNECTOR

PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm

DRIVER UNIT(S):  (1)  DYNAMIC DRIVER

PROS:

● A solid yet compact size zinc alloy shell structure.

● Its small profile seems to be more versatile in terms of fitting and comfort.

● Finally, a standard 0.78mm 2-pin connector. 

● A good stock cable which is much better than the BL03’s stock cable 

● It is still fairly packed with inclusions.

● Compared to the BL03, this one is more of an improvement in terms of tonality and technical performance.

● A well-done U-shaped sound profile as it still has a fun and engaging coloured tuning

● A cleaner and well-controlled bass response unlike its predecessor which has more bass bloat.

● It has a less recessed presentation while having a transparent, tidy and a bit energetic midrange while having some warmth on them.

●  A vivid sounding female vocal and vibrant sound on strings instruments.

● Bright and shimmering treble response with some good amount of air. 

● Compared to the BL03, this one is a drastic improvement on its overall technical performance.

CONS:

● Still has an atrocious fitting due to the design of its nozzles.

● You will still need to invest on third party ear tips as its stock ear tips wont work well for fitting and comfort.

● Less punchy and impactful bass response compared to the original BL03.

● if you have the gun metal one, the sackcloth storage pouch with give a protection from small nicks and scratches. 

● While it has an improvement on its technicalities, there are now other sets that offer similar capabilities at a cheaper price.

● If you are a fan of the first BL03’s tuning, this one is verily a drastic departure in terms of sound quality.

TRACKS TESTED: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)

Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *

Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **

Mountain - Mississippi Queen *

Queen - Killer Queen **

Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*

Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'

Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'

Pearl Jam - Daughter **

Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *

Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*

Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *

New Order - Blue Monday *

The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *

Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *

The Madness- Buggy Trousers *

Metallica - Motorbreath **

Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *

Destiny's Child - Say My Name *

Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *

Mozart - Lacrimosa *

New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *

Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*

Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *

Exciter - Violence and Force *

Diana Krall - Stop This World **

Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*

The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection**

Suzanne Vega – Luka **

Lauren Christy – Steep *

Ottoman Mehter - Hucum Marsi *

Diana Damrau - Mozart: Die Zauberflöte*

Type O Negative - Black No.1 *

Felix Ayo - Vivaldi: Presto **

Three Tenors - Nessum Dorma *

Mercyful Fate - Witches' Dance *

P.S.

I am not affiliated to BLON nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.

Once again, I would like to send my gratitude to TEAM LINSOUL for providing this review unit. I truly appreciate their generosity and trust towards me and other reviewers.