BLON MINI Review – Holy Macaroni!!!
Pros
Excellent fit and good built. Unique housing that works!
Good isolation.
Above average technicalities.
2 pin connector – better lifespan than MMCX in general.
Easy to drive.
Cons
Overly boomy/nebulous bass with midbass bleed.
7 kHz area can be hot with some sibilance.
Timbral accuracy issues.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The BLON MINI is a V shaped budget set with above average technicalities, but has some slight issues in timbre and tonality. It thankfully fixes the fit issues of previous BLON iterations. The BLON MINI looks weird, but actually has a very good fit and isolation to boot.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver configuration: 6 mm Dynamic Driver
- Frequency response: 20Hz – 20000Hz
- Impedance: 16Ω
- Sensitivity: 115 dB
- Cable: 2 pin
- Tested at $29.99 USD
ACCESSORIES
Other than the IEM, the BLON MINI packaging comes with:
- Silver plated cable- on the thin side, but very usable OOTB sonic wise. No microphonics.
- Silicone ear tips of various sizes.
- Sackcloth pouch – similar to previous BLON iterations!
Accessories wise, nothing groundbreaking and pretty similar to the usual BLON iterations of the past. Everything is rather usable OOTB, so no need to mess with getting aftermarket tips and cables, which can add to costs (looking at you BLON BL-03).
I know some others would prefer aftermarket cables and eartips. But for the purposes of this review, the stock cable and tips were used, so as not to change the sound signature with aftermarket gear.
BUILD/COMFORT
The BLON MINI’s shell is super unconventional to say the least, so let’s discuss about this big elephant in the room. The BLON MINI is affectionately called the BLON macaroni in some audio forums. Some would even call the shell shape weird and dare I say, obscene, but to my surprise, the BLON MINI’s fit is actually very ergonomic and comfortable, so don’t judge a macaroni by its housing book by its cover. The BLON MINI is light and I’ve had not had any discomfort despite using it for a few hours at a time. It definitely has a better fit than the BLON BL-01 and BLON BL-03 for me. I think of the BLON siblings I have, only the BLON Cardinal (which features a shell that is similar to the BGVP DM6 and looks like a semi custom resin type shell) has better fit.
Thus far, the reputation for BLON IEM housings/fit in audio forums isn’t the best, there’s even memes about the fit, just see the number of complaints and hoops that people have to go through, just to secure a good fit with the legendary BLON BL-03. I’m glad to report here, that despite (or perhaps in spite of the weird housing shape), BLON has finally gotten a good fitting IEM without needing to mess around with aftermarket tips, so whatever R&D they are doing for fitting purposes and ergonomics has hit a home run.
I didn’t find any driver flex for myself for the BLON MINI (but YMMV, as this is somewhat dependent on ear anatomy and types of ear tips used).
I liked that the BLON MINI uses 2 pin connectors, as I’m not a fan of MMCX connectors in general, as they tend to have shorter longevity especially if cables are swapped too much.
ISOLATION
The BLON MINI has good isolation, and is indeed, one of the better isolating single DD sets. This came as a pleasant surprise, and coupled with its easy drivability (see next section), this set can be easily used outdoors or on the train.
DRIVABILITY
I tested the BLON MINI with a Khadas Tone Board -> Topping L30 amp, Sony NW A-55 DAP (DMP-A50 FEv2 Classic Mr Walkman Mod), smartphone, Shanling Q1 DAP, Tempotec Sonata HD Pro, ESS ES9280C PRO DAC/AMP, and a Khadas Tone Board -> Fiio A3 Amp.
The BLON MINI is easy to drive, it can run off almost any weak source. It scales just slightly better with amping. Amping can increase dynamics, soundstage and perhaps microdetails, and also tightens the bass a tinge, but no biggie if you just have a non LGV smartphone as a source, as the returns for amping is not really that big.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
The BLON MINI has a classical CHIFI V shaped tuning.
For the bass department, the BLON MINI is just a level shy of true basshead quantities. The bass is definitely north of neutral with a great punch in the midbass. Subbass is more pronounced in quantity and decay than the midbass, this set can extend very well in subbass extension, and should please most bassheads. Bass quality wise, unfortunately due to the copious amounts of bass, there is midbass bleed, and the bass isn’t the most textured. The subbass rumble also decays quite slowly and can leave a hanging tail in subbass heavy tracks, this may impinge upon the mids and treble in some tracks. Of course subbass perception is to an extent dependent on eartips used, and how well the IEM seals, so YMMV as usual.
Lower mids on the BLON MINI are recessed, but this area contains some warmth from the aforementioned midbass bleed. Upper mids are smooth and not shouty, but I find the upper mids lack a bit of heft, so this isn’t a set for vocal or mid lovers, and is probably a consequence of the V shaped tuning. Nevertheless, the mids are rather transparent.
Treble is not the most extended, the lower treble/upper mids area is smooth, though there’s instances of sibilance, with some splashiness and harshness at the 7ish kHz region on some tracks.
Overall, technicalities in the BLON MINI are above average for a budget single DD, soundstage is good in width, though it is about average in depth and height. Music could at times sound a bit congested on the BLON MINI during very fast tracks or when there were complex instrumentation ongoing. Clarity and imaging are above average, while instrument separation and details are around average at this price range.
Timbral accuracy wise, vocals and acoustic instruments have a bit of an artificial sheen to them, but this perhaps may depend on the usual music genres you listen to. Don’t get me wrong, the timbre on the BLON MINI isn’t as artificial as the garden variety multi BA types in budget CHIFI, but when A/B comparisons are done against some other single DD sets, then the timbre issues do rear its head. This is an area of disappointment for me, as I appreciate that single DD types (in general) give better timbral accuracy than multi BA types, and so far of the other BLON drivers I’ve tried, all of them score high marks in timbre usually.
COMPARISONS
Here are some comparisons with some well regarded $20 – 30 USD single DD types. As hybrids/multi BA have their own strengths and weaknesses compared to single DD types, they were left out of the comparisons.
BLON BL-03 ($25 USD)
The legendary BLON BL-03 is a harmanish set with a midbass bump, boasting superb tonality and timbre at the sub $30 USD region. Compared to the BLON MINI, the BLON BL-03 is less V shaped and has a thicker note weight.
In terms of timbre and soundstage and technicalities, the BLON BL-03 is better, but the BLON MINI beats the BLON BL-03 in fit and isolation. The BLON BL-03 is also more difficult to drive.
Having said that, the BLON BL-03 may be closer to $40 – 50 USD if aftermarket tips/cables are factored in to secure a better fit for the BLON BL-03’s atrocious fit with the stock accessories, whereas the BLON MINI is ready to go OOTB, no need to mess around with aftermarket gear for it.
Tanchjim Tanya ($22 USD)
The Tanchjim Tanya is a new release, featuring a harmanish tuning. The Tanchjim Tanya is worn bullet shape (cable down) and its non detachable cable has some slight microphonics. This non detachable housing may be a deal breaker for some, so YMMV.
The Tanchjim Tanya is much more difficult to drive, though the Tanya has better timbre, better technicalities and layering and imaging. The Tanya has better accessories, though it has weaker isolation. The Tanchjim Tanya is more noticeably laid back in tuning, whereas the BLON MINI is more dynamic.
KBEAR KS1 ($20 USD)
The KBEAR KS1 is another V shaped set, and like the BLON MINI, it has boosted bass that bleeds. The lower mids are recessed in both sets, so they ain’t an ideal set for mid/vocal lovers, though the KBEAR KS1 has a slightly more forward upper mids region than the BLON MINI. Accessories are similar, technicalities are close, though the KBEAR KS1 has poorer isolation. Timbre is a tinge better on the KBEAR KS1.
CONCLUSIONS
The BLON MINI is a V shaped budget set with above average technicalities, but has some slight issues in timbre and tonality. It thankfully fixes the fit issues of previous BLON iterations. The BLON MINI looks weird, but actually has a very good fit and isolation to boot.
The BLON MINI is by itself a decent set, with good price to performance ratio. But the issue here, is that there is very heavy competition at this price bracket. CHIFI gear is being released on a weekly basis, a new hypetrain is hyped in forums almost daily, or maybe that hypetrain is already in transit to your house, even as I am typing this! So, the BLON MINI still needs that special something to stand out from the cut throat competition, some pizzaz that for example the BLON BL-03 had (in having superb tonality and timbre). Perhaps this special thing that the BLON MINI has, is the extremely unconventional design, and this design does work very well, I’m pleased to say, as it aces fit and isolation and comfort. I do commend BLON for finally fixing the fit issues of their previous sets (looking at you, BLON BL-01 and BLON BL-03!), and I do look forward to their next release, which hopefully aces timbre, tonality, technicalities and fit (is this too demanding to ask for hahaha?).
You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.
DISCLAIMER
I would like to thank Ann from KeepHIFI for providing this review unit. It can be gotten here: https://keephifi.com/products/blon-bl-mini-6mm-dynamic-driver-in-ear-earphone-iem-dj-running-headphones-earbuds-2pin-connector-blon-mini-blmini-bl-03-bl-01
Our generic standard disclaimer.
You find an INDEX of our most relevant technical articles HERE.
