Well, here I am again with my latest review. Thiis time it’s the BLON BL-05. There seem to be quite varying opinions on these, but here is my take on them:
The BLON BL-05 is the much-anticipated successor to the BL-03 which took the earphone world by storm with its advanced carbon nanotube diaphragm and natural timbre. The design has been updated to improve the fit and a new “second generation” 10mm dynamic driver has been used.
The BL-05 shares the same packaging as the earlier model, and is presented in a long white box with the IEMs displayed in a plastic tray above a plain white box bearing the BLON logo and the acronym, BELIEF – LETMUSICBURN - OPPOTY - NEVERGIVEUP. There is also the legend “Annotation, music and driams”. It is perhaps surprising that this bizarre and somewhat risible idea was retained for the new model! This box contains a linen-finish pouch with a blue BLON logo containing the detachable 0.78mm 2-pin cable and six spare eartips plus some documentation.
The earpieces are finished in a shiny gunmetal colour. (a silver option is also available). The faceplate has a circular gold part marked with the channel identification and a gold bar bears the BLON logo. The lug bearing the 2-pin socket has a narrow angled rake and there is a small vent on the inner face of the earpieces. The overall appearance is a bit “steampunk”, and somewhat reminiscent of the Revonext QT5. The weight distribution was perfect whereas the BL-03’s earpieces concentrated their weight in the bulbous part and became insecure.
The supplied cable is the same as that supplied with the BL-03 and has tightly curved ear guides and shielded connecting pins and appears a little cheap. I found it uncomfortable to wear. The supplied silicone tips are quite long and did not provide a good seal or comfort.
The earphones were left burning in for over 100 hours before testing. After this the principal source was my Xduoo X20 DAP. In addition to the default Xduoo X20, sources included a CD player, smartphone, USB memory stick and FM radio.
Initially I used the stock cable and tips. In this configuration, the sound was bright and lacked bass. The midrange was forward and the treble very bright with noticeable peaks. I therefore changed the cable to a Faaeal Hibiscus copper type and replaced the tips with JVC Spiral Dots (size M). I have to say that this effected a remarkable transformation. (I found a similar thing happened with the earlier model). The earpieces fitted flush with the ears and the comfort was excellent and a remarkably good fit and seal was obtained.
The overall effect was now much more balanced with the midrange somewhat forward and a slightly brighter than neutral treble with good extension. The bass now had depth and extension and good texture. The overaall profile was mildly V or W shaped and the immediate impression was of a “fast” and “clean” delivery. Detail retrieval and transient response were very good and texture was well-rendered. Layering in electronic music was especially good and the balanced nature of this presentation suited most genres.
Bass
Once fitted with suitable replacement cable and tips, the BL-05’s bass was nicely contoured. Sub-bass displayed excellent depth and detail with resolution on point. Mid bass was at a lower level and produced a clean effect with good transient response. Frank Steiner Jr’s “Out There” from his album “Momentum” begins with powerful drum beats. These are bolstered by a deep sub-bass drone and a piano solo reminiscent of Antonio Carlos Jobim runs attractively over the top. The whole piece was very effective and the solid bass foundation possessed excellent texture. The wonderful orchestral bass drums and tuba in Holst’s “Uranus”, in a classic EMI recording by the LSO under Andre Previn once again showed the BL-05’s ability to reproduce bass frequencies accurately. Decay was impressive and the hall ambience nicely rendered. The characteristic fat, breathy tones of the tuba came over very well indeed. In “Private Investigations” by Dire Straits, the impact of the drums following the central guitar solo was very effective and exciting. Bass guitar had a nice texture and was easy to distinguish alongside the percussion.
Mids
There was little or no bleed into the mids and the forward nature of the BL-05’s midrange allowed vocals to feature well against the accompanying instrumentation. Astrud Gilberto’s characterful rendition of “The Girl from Ipanema” was a perfect example of this. Her solo voice blended beautifully with the guitar and piano backing and Stan Getz’s superb sax solo also impressed with an almost tactile, breathy quality. The solo guitar break in Andreas Vollenweider’s “Hirzel” had excellent attack and soared above the complex arrangement. The delicacy and detail of the electric harp in this piece was also a notable feature. Classical music also fared well with the solo guitar in Richard Harvey’s “Concerto Antiquo” possessing excellent timbre and the detail of fingering and the natural resonance of the guitar coming over well. John Williams’s solo instrument was nicely balanced with the orchestral accompaniment and the contrast between the lyrical and more percussive aspects of the guitar was handled well.
Treble
With a bright, yet clean treble delivery and good extension, the BL-05 was able to pick out fine levels of detail, and only occasionally displayed any harshness or sibilance. The introduction to Eric Triger’s “Arcangeles” from “Guardian Angels” features a lead melody in the upper register and the fine detail here was clean and precise. Set against multi-layered synthesiser chords, the solo parts were presented clearly above the accompaniment. Similarly, in classical music, the solo flute in Vaughan Williams’s “Fantasia on Greensleeves”, performed by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under Neville Marriner, stood out impressively above the supporting harp and strings and was naturally balanced with the timbre of the flute nicely depicted. The airy sounds backing 10cc’s “I’m not in Love” cut through the production and remained in harmony with the lead vocals. The sense of density in the layering came over very clearly, reminding me what a great piece of production this is.
Soundstage
With a brighter treble and more forward midrange, the BL-05 displayed a more expansive stage than the BL-03, which has a more intimate presentation. Width was greater than depth and there was also a decent impression of height. Layering was probably its strong suit with imaging and placement also above average. Orchestral positioning was very pleasing. In “An English Elegy” by Roland Roberts, the solo violin placed centrally was well presented above the accompaniment, with the woodwind and string sections all occupying their assigned positions. The expansive nature of the hall ambience in this recording added to the effect. Andreas Vollenweider’s “Airdance” begins with breath sounds and other sound effects which partner the harp and sax instrumentation. These had the requisite clarity and character to place them in a believable acoustic and produce a very entertaining result. “It dread inna Inglan” by Linton Kwesi Johnson begins with the sounds of a public rally which segues into an impressive dub-style piece. Supported by the excellent Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, the lead vocals remained clear and full of meaning. The well rendered rhythmic keyboard “skanking” added an authentic atmosphere.
Conclusion
The BL-03 displayed a V-shaped profile with mid bass emphasis, smooth well-tuned mids and a relaxed treble, which resulted in an attractive “analogue” tonality. The BL-05, on the other hand, has a more prominent sub bass, forward mids and a brighter top end and its more incisive neutral/bright overall sound somewhat resembles that of the Tin T4, TRN BA5 and CVJ CSN. I do have reservations recommending the BL-05 in stock form, as the basic sound as supplied does have some issues (this may explain the varying opinions in online reviews), but with a good cable and suitable tips, it is capable of excellent performance. Perhaps next time with the BL-07 we could have a better cable and tips and smarter packaging. I think this would be well-received. Of course, this extra outlay must be factored in, but I feel it is worth the trouble. The enhanced detail, speed and resolution over the BL-03 justify the additional cost. However, the combined price does begin to approach the next tier where we find such models as the Tin T4 and KBEAR Diamond, which offer a higher quality reproduction and more refinement.
Disclaimer
This product was supplied for review by Sunny of Better Audio US at Amazon.com at a substantial discount.
Product link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08732X7VGref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
