Another day, another Oppoty!
I was offered the BL-T3 for review by Sunny at Better Audio US via Amazon.com. Here is the product link: https://www.amazon.com/Earphone-Composite-Diaphragm-Dynamic-Detachable/dp/B08L33KY4T
Here is my opinion of it:
BLON BL-T3
Following on from the recent release of the BL-05s and the purple BL-03, BLON now offers the BL-T3. Sporting a new 11mm dynamic driver and a “Diamond mirror” finish, it is priced in the more affordable end of the price range. It has non-detachable cables which are worn cable down and comes in a choice of silver or gunmetal colours.
The earpieces are teardrop-shaped and have a long “stalk” out of which the cable emerges. There is channel identification on the inner surface and four small vents along the top of the earpiece. There is a straight metal 3.5mm plug marked with a BLON logo and an in-line microphone and there is no chin slider.
The new 11mm dynamic driver has a composite diaphragm and a CCAW coil. The quoted impedance is 16 ohms with a sensitivity of 108dB.
The earphones come presented in a small rectangular box similar to that supplied by KZ, CCA, etc., but it has a clear lid bearing the now famous BLON acronym, BELIEF, LET MUSIC BURN, OPPOTY, NEVERGIVEUP, and below, “Annotation and Driams”. The box contains:
- BL-T3 earphones with fixed cable
- Three pairs grey silicone tips, medium bore
- Two pairs conical silicone tips (S, M)
- Velcro cable tie
- Documentation
It is a fairly basic presentation but acceptable at the price.
The BL-T3’s fit was similar to the BL-03 in that the short nozzles, smooth and shiny finish and weight distribution resulted in some insecurity. The pre-fitted conical tips afforded little grip and it was necessary to fit the largest of the wide bore tips to ensure the IEMs remained in place. However, the cable down wearing style did help here. Isolation was not perfect but it was adequate.
The BL-T3 was tested using an Xduoo X20 DAP. A burn in time of 100 hours was carried out. Initially the sound was heavily biased towards the low frequencies with powerful sub bass, a lift in the mid bass and a significant roll-off in the treble. After burn in and having changed the tips to Spiral Dots, the upper frequencies improved. The profile was now V shaped with recessed mids. There was still limited treble extension, a slightly thin quality to the upper mids and lower treble and also occasional sibilance. The detail retrieval was modest with a somewhat distant feel to the presentation and soft transients.
Bass
The bass was probably the best feature of the T3. Sub bass was fairly elevated with a gentle attack. Mid bass was more prominent and did bleed a little into the mids.
Alexei Zakharov’s “Above the Stars” has a deep bass foundation and this did dominate the track with the details in the upper frequencies overpowered. There was good texture and the ambience of the piece was well-rendered with the reverb possessing plenty of space.
“Castilla” from “Suite Espanola” by Albeniz, conducted by Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos is a lively transcription with brilliant orchestration. The orchestral bass drum showed nice timbre and good impact but perhaps with a softened initial strike. There was a warmth to the overall presentation which, although attractive, was perhaps not totally natural.
In “Cluster One” from Pink Floyd’s “Division Bell” the atmosphere of the introduction was well-handled. Rick Wright’s keyboard drone was nicely textured but Nick Mason’s impressive bass drum did lose a little impact with the transients being soft.
Mids
As befits a V shaped profile, the mids were recessed. The lower mids suffered from a little bass bleed but timbre was good and not dissimilar to the BL-03. The upper mids were less impressive, lacking detail and impact, and the presence region was subdued. There was occasional sharpness in the upper mids/lower treble.
Reinhold Lakomy’s “Capoliveri” from the album “Aer” lost some of its appeal with the strong melody softened by the bass bleed and recessed mids. There was a distant feel to the production which could have benefited from being pushed forward a little.
“Morning” from “Four Sea Interludes” by Britten also would have improved with a bit more bite. The syncopated introduction with strings, brass and woodwind was softened and although the timbre was generally authentic, Andre Previn’s wonderful performance lost a little of its excitement.
The vocal projection in Al Stewart’s “On the Border” from “Year of the Cat” was somewhat set back and did display some sibilance. The string and guitar accompaniment was pleasantly depicted but the castanet details were not as crisp as they could have been and the soft nature of the presentation robbed the track of some life.
Treble
The treble was quite reserved and “polite” with a reduced amount of detail. There was a lift in the mid-treble after which it rolled off quite rapidly resulting in a lack of “air”. Surprisingly, taking this into account, the soundstage was quite spacious.
“World of Colours” is an inventive and melodic album of electronic music by Alexey Sobol. The title track contrasts a solid bass foundation with colourful flourishes in the treble. The bass dominated once more affecting the balance of the piece. Timbre was once more very good but the detail in the treble was not as prominent as it could have been.
The fine details of the drums and percussion in Jacques Loussier’s version of Bach’s “Air on a G String” were more difficult to discern with the delicate brush work largely missing in action. The upper notes of the piano were more forward with occasional harshness on climaxes. The piece did lose a little of its coherence as a result.
Dave Brubeck’s “Unsquare Dance” fared better with the handclaps and rim work on the drums more forward than expected. The infectious rhythm was nicely presented and this was a very enjoyable track. The balance here was much better with perhaps only a small reduction in transient attack which slightly blunted the urgency of the performance.
Soundstage
Considering the recessed mids and polite treble, I was expecting a poor soundstage but was pleasantly surprised. There was plenty of space with a spherical staging and a good reproduction of hall ambience.
Frank Bridge’s beautiful “There is a Willow grows aslant a Brook” received a wonderful reading in the recording by the Bournemouth Sinfonietta. The atmosphere of the recording venue is particularly well captured in this version and the BL-T3 reproduced this authentically. The orchestral placing and Norman del Mar’s subtle direction were realistically conveyed.
“Antarctic Echoes” by Vangelis is an electronic soundscape with a particularly open staging. The BL-T3 did well here, with good height and depth and perhaps just a little less width. The reverberating electronic effects decayed nicely and the atmosphere of the piece was nicely preserved. There was some harshness in the upper mids which cut through.
“Riu Riu” is a 1978 single by Chorale. It begins with a drum and gentle female vocals. Gradually the production builds with male vocals, percussion and deep synthesised bass. The spatial qualities of the recording came over nicely on the T3 with climaxes well portrayed and the voices fading into silence at the conclusion.
Comparisons
The BL-T3 finds itself in a crowded marketplace. Below I list some excellent performers in this price range which offer a more accurate and lively sound. There is also the new BL-01 which I have not heard yet.
CVJ’s CSA is a dual hybrid which bucks the trend of affordable V-shaped models, instead presenting an accurate, well-balanced neutralish profile. Detail retrieval far exceeds that of the T3, with a faster more detailed bass, forward mids and a more extended top end. It has a detachable cable.
The TRN M10 is another dual hybrid to consider. Worn cable down like the T3, it is very compact and comfortable. Its sound is well balanced with a gentle U or V shaping, good mids and once more, improved detail capability. Its detachable cable is a proprietary design.
The KZ ED9 has to be a contender in this price range. A single DD, worn with its fixed cable down, it has a choice of tunings with its two tuning nozzles, the gold nozzle giving a bass-focused V shaping and the brass one producing a well balanced nicely detailed response. It is more dynamic than the T3 and is more fun in both its configurations.
BLON’s own legendary BL-03 at around twice the price is famous for its natural timbre and easy musicality. Like the T3 it does have a mid bass boost but is much better with detail and the treble is not as rolled off. It does have issues with fit, however, and many consider that the cable and tips need replacing.
Conclusion
The BL-T3 does some things well, and offers a relaxing, inoffensive sound. V-shaped with a bass emphasis, it does lack excitement due to its recessed mids, rolled off treble and soft transients but does have a good soundstage and a natural timbre not dissimilar to its big brother, the BL-03. Worn cable down, it does still have minor fit issues but a change of tips will solve this.
The BL-T3 does struggle a little in comparison to its rivals in this price range which are more accomplished, but if you are looking for a relaxing, undemanding and affordable “plug and play” IEM, then this might just fill the bill.
