BLON BL-03 review – ready for fun

BL-03 from Blon received a lot of attention lately. I was curious to find out what was the fuss all about so here we are. Without dragging this too much, let’s get right into it.

BUILD AND ERGONOMICS 

Design is a matter of taste but I liked this simplistic approach Blon’s using here. Buds are completely made of highly polished aluminum. They feel very sturdy too and I’m really not afraid to drop these or handle them roughly. Regarding cable, I have nothing special to say. It doesn’t tangle much in my experience and that’s nice. 

Ergonomically, these are on the smaller side. When I’m using their default tips, they are reaching quite shallow into my ear canal. I’m not a fan of around the ear hook either as it’s rigidity usually tends to pull my in-ears out more than it is preventing them to fall out. You got the gist, securing these properly in my ears was not easy. That’s very person dependent but it’s certainly something to be aware of.

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SOUND QUALITY

When BL-03 fits as they should, you’re treated with very energetic and exciting sound. Starting from bass notes, they are weighty and punchy. Bass is definitely pronounced more than the rest of the frequency range but it is well controlled and rarely feels overwhelming. Going up we find a crisp and clean midrange that is not particularly full. The reason for that lean character is a slight depletion of the lower midrange tones. This lets higher midsection to dominate this part, giving you crisp edges but without much midrange density and weight. High frequencies are pretty much in level with that upper part of midrange. It’s again very detailed and revealing without being too much. There is no excessive brightness and sharpness that I can hear. 

To finish this part about frequency response, it is some form of U shaped affair I believe. It’s just not as aggressively U shaped as some others so your perception of this may vary depending on what you’re used to. But no matter what letter describes it the best, depletion of the lower midrange is a thing here. So if you like your vocals really full and with plenty of body, look for it elsewhere. 

Sound appears decently spacious. Instruments are well separated and have plenty of room to breathe. No in-ear model will ever be a champion in this category but BL-03s are as good as I ever heard an in-ear to be. 

COMPARISON 

At the moment of this review, I had both Tin Audio T2 and Senfer DT6 at hand so I’ll compare BL-03 with those. Starting with T2, they are definitely rocking flatter frequency response. Bass lovers may call T2’s bass a bit shy but I think it’s present enough, fast and precise. BL-03 bass line is definitely much more pronounced. The midrange, on the other hand, is clearly superior on T2s, creating fuller and more prominent vocals. High frequencies are just a bit more pronounced on T2s, adding more spark and brightness to the sound. Overall, I preferred the T2s sound signature to BL-03s. 

Senfer DT6, another great in-ear model, is balanced very similar to T2s. These do offer slightly warmer and less analytical signature. They are again better balanced in terms of frequency response than BL-03. On critical listen DT6s are not as resolving in the upper midrange and the higher region as T2s and BL-03s, but what DT6 lack in the sheer insight they will return in really well balanced and smooth sound. 

CONCLUSION

Blon BL-03s are well made and nice looking earphones. The fit might be problematic for some as it was for me. If you get it right they’ll treat you with a lively and punchy sound that is more concerned to bring fun than to sound realistic. You can certainly decide for yourself if those are qualities you like in your earphones.