BLON BL-A8 Review

 

BL-A8 BOX

Blon is well known brand in audio community, needs no introduction. They have recently released their new IEM named Blon-A8 (prometheus).

They have attempted a unique design & eye catching IEM around 80$ price which is a flagship approach too. Let’s see other description ……..  

Build & Design:

BL-A8 Package and accessories

The unboxing experience here has been formal. Prometheus comes with a big white box with 3d printed IEM itself.

Package inside, there is a traditional pouch, two types of ear tips, an user guide, a high-purity 2 pin silver-plated cable and a pair of hollow carved designed IEM.

BL-A8 ON WOOD

Here i can say about the design is enormously beautiful and unique. It would attractive to anyone without difficulty.

 

Beside this time stock cable is also superior.

BL-A8 CABLE

In fact, cable is tangle free, soft & premium TBH.

I have tried this cable in other IEMs (aria 2021,blon 05s,blon 03), I would say this cable performed very well and its improved overall. If this cable would sell in locally in our country, it would be definitely 20$-25$ worthy. Overall build quality is robust too. No complain at accessories, though stock ear tips are still same crap like before.

Fittings & Isolation:

BL-A8 connected with cable besides flower

Being a metal carved finished shell, it’s not the ultra light things, but their ergonomic design along with perfect cable make it much lighter and comfortable on ear which  bring good isolation too. I have tried them at long time listening, it doesn’t feel hurt or bulky on my ear.

One thing i must admit that blon's done good work on their construction field undoubtedly.

BL-A8 ON PAPAER

Driveability:

Prometheus is very easy drivable, you can even drive it through a smart phone easily.

I have tested through 

An evergreen apple dongle &most hoped CX-pro + mi 8se,

My beloved LG V30+ (with a 47 ohm impedance adapter) & Shanling m0.

BL-A8 connected with music player

Point to be noted that BL- A8 has wide bore and it's very much tips sensitive.

I have tried KZ reverse starline, BGVP A07, final E series, JVC spiral dot, Spinfit cp100 and cp145.

Only two of them works properly which are Cp145>JVC spiral dot.

Without the right ear tips bass could be more bloated, less textured, upper mids cloud be shouty, overall sounds could be more bright-ish IMO.

Typical 50 hours burning is not essential, I have tried them habitually.

So did they really notice on tuning?

As they have earned lots of respect in audio community by their lord blon-03 along with blon-05s.

BL-A8 ON WOOD -2

Tonality:

It’s basically V shaped sound signature, mids are not really recessed here, so this could be sound alike w shaped also. It's energetic, forward, bass & fun sounding IEM.

 

Bass has added weight and warmth to let it fuller and engaged but it’s less textured.

Bass thump make it boomy shape, where mid bass is strong enough to enjoy and sub bass is boosted and foggy. May be that's why it slightly suffer from definition and separation on the other bass decay is moderately fast.

Still it’s enjoyable if someone looking for quantity and deeper presentation.

In a word, bass are massively exists on BL-A8.

 

Mids are clear and forward, as a result it didn’t feel recessed except some lower parts of it.  Another good thing is sibilance which I didn’t hear in BL-A8. Very often sub bass makes little shadow on acoustic instruments consequently timbres got little color as well.

Still, lack of resolving in this price bracket is a miss IMO.

Besides vocals are enough weighty and engaging and also mids are slightly bright-ish flavored.

Here, upper mids are clean and well controlled, actually slightly shoutyness is almost tamed by ear tips in my case. Moreover, BL-A8 mids has an energetic vibe.

 

Treble is well extended but thinner. Treble control is admirable for not to being sharp or picky. Alongside bit bright sounding due to lack of air. But it didn’t suffer from harshness. 

I would appreciate more if it added bit airy in this region including better micro resolution. It could be little laid back and focus on tonal balance for my taste.

 Technicalities:

Soundstage is average in width more likely BL-03, BL-mini but surprisingly better in height and depth. Imaging is also average it’s not pin pointing fact. Timbres are slightly hollow and artificial. Clarity and separation was as a whole....not the monster at details retrieval.Given Score out of 10

Build, Fit, Design --9

Tonality --7

Technicalities --6.8

BL-A8 vs Oppoties (Briefly)

BL-A8,BL-03,Oppoties earphones

 

 

If I’m looking for similar tonality in oppoty gangs it could be match much with BL-mini.

And of course it is an upgrade over BL-mini. If you’ve liked mini already, BL-A8 don't disappoint you.

But Prometheus must fight hard, when it comes to oppoty lord Blon 03.

(Blon 03 +Spinfit cp100 + Yinyoo 8 core high purity copper cable)

 

Eventually,

BL-A8 is more ergonomic, comfortable & has better isolation.

BL-A8 has more bass presence and boomy figure.

BL-03 has better balance over the bass.

BL-A8 has forward, clear and energetic mids.

BL-03 has a magical mids that feels more natural and good positional, has better weight and clean background also.

 

BL-A8 is slightly better in treble extension with crispness where BL -03's treble is fuller with good tonal balance.

 

In terms of technicalities,

 

Imaging, timbres, layering, transparency are better in Bl-03.

Soundstage, depth, fun factors are slightly better in BL-A8

 

Surely i don’t have to mention about the winner here.

 

Blon 05s is also worthy pedestrian of oppoty's driams.

(Blon-05s+BGVP A07+Trn 8 core silver plated cable.)

 

Bl-05s has rich and textured bass, though sub bass roll off earlier.

Where Bl-05s is offer more lush mids.

Better airy & refined treble.

Better soundstage, imaging and layering.

Even, better performer in complex music.

 

Sub bass and whoever found of boomy bass could be plus point for Bl-A8. If someone fond of energetic, pumped up mids instead of lush, then BL-A8 is ahead. Better cable included with BL-A8 which is comparatively better than all blon’s stock cable.

BL-A8 vs T2 Galaxy and MY Love Edition (Briefly)

BL-A8,T2 Galaxy,MY LOVE Edition earphones

I select them because of tonality,

Mainly they are not flat, harman-ish, neutral-bright-ish.

 

Start with T2G,

 

Here i found lots of similar tonality.

 

Good clarity over mids, still same energetic feels and equally resolved like Bl-A8, but bass spectrum don’t bother mids while sometimes BL-A8's sub bass could melt with mids.

 

Upper mids are slightly better in Bl-A8 because T2g is bit metallic to my ear.

 

Moreover T2G has punchier bass, less boomy less thumping like BL-A8.

Technically Bl-08 has better soundstage but similar imaging, layering & separation to my ears.

On the other side, T2g's timbres are bit articulate than BL-A8.

 

MLE has a great synergy with LG V series or others LG which has quad DAC option with high impedance facilities.

50ohm king pro drivers inside is needed loads of power of course.

 

If I compare Bl-A8 with MLE by using LG V30+

 

Result; MLE will 2 times better with balance V shaped sound signature.

 

If I compare it by using CX pro or apple dongle, it will be fair enough.

 

Now, bass quantity, fogginess & texture are matched too much in my ear. Though bass separation and control better in MLE.

 

Mids slightly recessed and laid back in MLE while BL-08 is offer more clean and energetic.

 

In the treble section, MLE is more controlled and towards on dark way.

Bl-A8 is crunchier, dry and towards on bright way.

 

Technicalities are matched much, MLE has wider and Bl-08 has taller soundstage. Imaging and separation almost same but layering & resolving better in MLE.

Conclusion:

Since Blon has served massively in audio community by their good tonality in cheap budget. So usually we expect more from them. Actually, I am not disappointed with BlL-A8 but as usual my expectation was high too.

 

You can go for it if you are not most critical listener.

Bass lover, edm, pop, classic music etc. except complex music’s can be suitable for this IEM.

 

This is can be a choice for peoples who are seeking for lively fun factors, fancy looking & easy drivable gears.

 

Markets are getting tough in this budget segment, as a flagship approach it could little better in tonality.

Might be the narrow housing space for a 10 mm DD is impediment to tuning progress.

 

Big Thanks to KEEPHIFI for giving me this beautiful IEM in exchange of my honest impressions.

Blon bl-a8

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