Blon, the name that every audiophile knows since the 03 is the beginner IEM for most of the people who started to discover the ChiFi. The Blon got itself a name in the ChiFi audio industry after the super duper hit of the 03. Their exceptional tonality and the nice warm sound gave the customers a nice treat. The mini has been launched in order to follow that legacy in the budget segment. In this review let’s check out whether the MINI is a valid product among the heavier budget competition.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Impedance: 16Ω
Sensitivity: 20Hz-20000Hz
Interface: 3.5mm
Cable length:1.2m silver cable
Color: Gun/Silver
Whether with mic: Optional
Driver:6mm dynamic driver
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of review and thanks to the team COPPLINN for arranging this unit. The whole observation is subjective since these views are based on my sources and pairings hence the view might differ from person to person. I have not been paid or influenced by the brand to manipulate my views and is fully based on my observations with the product.
Table of Contents
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the Mini is just like the shape of a Macaroni. The shape might look like this might not fit but the truth is the isolation is above average and it fits very snugly. The design is minimalistic hence no faceplate designs or any caricature works instead they just went with the minimal silver finish.
The connector area is the 2 pin type same as that of the 03 and the nozzle is of good length. The provided cable is of good quality and comes with a mic and a single button for answering the calls and play/pause the music. The cable is terminated at 3.5mm. The cable is a usual SPC cable and has a nice supple nature and is covered by an outer sheath thus the braiding can’t be felt outside.
The provided tips are nice and do the job. The tips are the same as that of the 03 package.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the Mini is the usual V shaped profile with nice laidback presentation. The technicalities have been slightly improved from the 03 and this does excel in some areas. In this review let’s dive into the in depth sectioning of the audio.
LOW END:
The low end of the mini is mid bass focussed. The sub bass presence is there but not to the level of bass head. The 03 already has some nice low end and the con in that is that it bleeds into the mid range and this issue has been slightly resolved in the mini but not completely.
SUB BASS: It’s tighter, textured and well separated but again the extension is average and those sweet rumbles are subtle in presence. The quality of the sub bass is however good and above average for the price. The sub bass in the 03 is more likeable than the mini for my taste.
Track Used:
- BIGFOOT – MALFNKTION
- TAKE IT – THE SIEGE
MID BASS: The mid bass is thicker, fuller and well separated but lacks the punch and the attack. They follow the traits as that of the 03 but with the exception of the mid bass bleed. The punch and the attack is better in the 03 compared to the mini but other factors like the separation, texture and the thickness were better in the mini. The detail retrieval in the mini is however sub par.
Tracks Used:
- INSTANT CRUSH – DAFT PUNK
- CONTACT – DAFT PUNK
The control and the fastness are pretty good hence they didn’t sound sloppier rather they sound more or less precise in terms of attack and decay.
MID RANGE:
The mid range is not very exciting in the Mini and since being a V shaped there is nothing much expectations going on here. The vocals and the instruments everything are pushed back giving that laidback presentation. The vocals however have that nice tonality and that fuller tone overall.
The weight that it carries from the mid bass is very good, giving nice body to the vocals. The instrument’s timbre is fine but not the best. They appear smoother but at the same time they sometimes appear dry and metallic too. The laidback presentation however gives that nice sense of relaxed listening sessions and no hotness in the upper mid section is seen.
The instrument separation is average since the whole presentation feels slightly cramped out. The spacing feels less and the presence of air is very limited. Hence the detail retrieval is not the best and sub par for the price. Both the male and the female vocals sounds fuller and thicker giving that nice body. The vocals overall sounded fine and didn’t had that in the face presentation but the instruments is what struggled. The instruments are pushed back a lot hence the percussion and the stringed instruments are very difficult to hear in the background. The kick drums however has that nice bite and attack while that piano notes and the acoustic strings take the back seat. A bit more brightness in the mid range would have been appreciated since this sounds too relaxed and dark for me where the female vocals especially lacks that shimmer in the upper mid. The male vocals would have benefited from that extra brightness too but overall the vocals and the midrange will please the listeners who like that relaxed and smoother, darker profile.
Both the upper and the lower mids have that homogenous mix hence nothing overbears the other.
Tracks Used:
- DREAM ON – AEROSMITH
- WHEN YOU SAY NOTHING AT ALL – SUSAN WONG
TREBLE:
The treble of the Mini is very smooth and slightly colder in tone. The brightness lacks hence they don’t sound that well open and the presence of air feels very restricted. The extension is average and those minute details in the background struggles to get revealed amidst the complex instruments.
The upper treble has no harshness or hotness hence the overall sibilant range is kept under control. The whole listening experience is smooth and relaxed. The presentation is laidback with average detail retrieval.
The cymbal crashes are very subtle and don’t have that bite and attack. The shimmer in the top end and the sparkle feels lacking hence the energetic and engaging experience feels lacking. The trumpets and the stringed instruments don’t have that energy; rather everything sounds relaxed and smoother. The graininess is not present and overall those who like that relaxed and colder sounding treble region will love the sound of the mini.
The separation felt good and the detail retrieval however felt average. Overall a pretty acceptable treble section for the price range.
Tracks Used:
- SULTANS OF SWING – DIRE STRAITS
- JACK OF SPEED – STEELY DAN
- MR.BRIGHTSIDE
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The staging of the mini is a rounded one. They do excel in any particular axis rather they are well rounded. The width is fine but not the best and that’s the reason why the presentation felt slightly cramped out. The height and the depth are fine and again they don’t excel in particular axis.
LAYERING: The layering however felt really good and the positioning of the instruments and the vocals are done very well. The placement one behind the other is depicted very well without any messing.
IMAGING: Good, the transient response is smooth and the sweeping of sound from one channel to the other is pretty smoother too. The instruments do struggle in the complex tracks where the instruments do get masked out by the other instruments in the background.
The resolution and detail retrieval are average for the price and more or less similar to that of the 03. The layering however felt pretty good in the Mini.
The area where the Mini easily loses against the 03 is the DYNAMISM! The 03 sounded moderately engaging and energetic, while having that nice DYNAMISM but the Mini simply lacks that dynamism thus they sound too cold and smooth.
PROS AND CONS:
Pros:
- Nicely tuned V shaped sound
- Relaxed and Smoother Profile
- Better Technicalities
- Has that same natural tonality of 03
Cons:
- Lacks the Brightness
- Treble openness and airiness
- Cramped out presentation
- Pushed back Mid Range.
VERDICT:
The BL MINI, the latest budget offering from the house of Blon is a very good package. They have made some improvements over the Blon 03 especially in terms of the technicalities. The sound signature is the usual V shaped but now the mid bass bleed has been reduced to some extent. The other areas like the energy and the engaging factor are more present in the 03 when compared to the Mini.
The design is pretty unique and does the job by providing a nice fit and above average noise isolation. The positive sides are the better resolution, detail retrieval and staging when compared to the 03 but the negative sides are the bass impact, mid range presence and the energy which are noticeably better in the 03.
The Mini has been tuned towards the audience who likes that nice, relaxed and smooth sound signature whereas the 03 still takes the cake in terms of value for money. The 03 is more engaging, energetic and the mid range especially are more present along with that nice bass impact which has weight, attack and lushness.
Overall the Mini is a sidegrade to the 03 and people who don’t like the 03 can try out the Mini as it possesses some improvements but for me the 03 still takes the crown and Mini is JUST AN ANOTHER BLON.
This Review is Written By KATHIRAVAN.C
Follow him on – Instagram | Facebook
I’m Kathiravan from Tamilnadu. A budding audiophile here with high love towards music and audio equipment. My first experience of enjoying the hifi audio came when I started to use budget chi-fi gears and now it came all along the way of reviewing the gears with high end stuffs. I love reviewing audio products.
Shubham
Shubham Garg (Editor Shubz.in) is an engineer with a specialization in Mechanical Engineering from AKTU, Uttar Pradesh. Being a mechanical engineer he has always loved to learn the inner working of various machines and consumer electronics. He regularly tests various audio, home appliances, and daily use products, to provide the best advice to readers. He is a wizard that can make your shopping easy, saving you time and stress of figuring out what to buy.
