Disclosure: I’d like to thank Linsoul for sending me the BLON BL-03 II for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and Linsoul had no say or input for the contents of this review. Info and purchase links for the BLON BL-03 II are at the end of the review.

BLON is most known for the original BL-03 IEM released way back in 2019. It was heralded as the ultimate budget IEM with a good balance of sound, comfort, and build quality. 5 years later though we now have the BLON BL-03 II, priced at $32 USD, and obviously the name itself has a lot to live up to for those who have heard the original. The thing is, I haven’t heard the original BL-03, so I will in no way be able to provide a comparison between the two IEMs. This might be a good thing though as almost every review I’ve seen so far for the BL-03 II always compares it to the original. I have no such bias or expectation and will be able to provide a fresh perspective (I hope) on the BL-03 II. I say this here in order to be upfront, so if you were hoping for a comparison between the two I suggest you check out one of the many great reviews already out there. If you want to know purely how the BL-03 II is on its own merits, then read on.

---

---

• BLON BL-03 II IEM
• 1.2 meter silver-plated 0.78mm 2-pin to 3.5mm cable
• Three sets of S, M, L silicone ear tips
• Canvas travel pouch
• Manual

Being a budget IEM, the included accessories are fairly minimal, but good enough for the price in my opinion. The cable is your typical 2-core silver-plated OFC cable that terminates in a 3.5mm connection. It’s light but sturdy enough to retain some memory, and I really like how the 3.5mm connection is reinforced. The metal material and color scheme look great. The ear hooks though are a little aggressive out of the box, I had to straighten them out a bit by hand so that they wouldn’t wrap so tightly around my ear.

The included ear tips are also solid, with one set of black and two sets of transparent. The canvas pouch is rather unique and I’m actually quite fond of the material and size. It won’t protect your IEMs from getting squished in a bag, but it does make them light and portable.

---

The BLON BL-03 II absolutely does not look and feel like a $32 USD IEM, but one that should be priced much higher. The zinc alloy shell is built extremely solid and has a nice matte black color and texture (there is a polished silver version available as well). The color and material mean the BL-03 II does not show fingerprints and is fairly resistant to scratches.

The main issue that some might face with these IEMs is the shell shape. The shells are on the smaller side, and the nozzle is shorter than most IEMs. What this means is that if you use ear tips that are too small the earbuds might not seal effectively and will feel loose. Usually, I need to use small ear tips with most IEMs. For the BL-03 II I needed to step up to the medium size in order to get a secure fit. To add to this the aggressively tight ear hooks of the cable tended to slightly twist the earbuds out of my ear. While replacing the cable did solve the issue here, I also found that straightening them out slightly by hand helped as well.

For me, the shape and fit are mostly fine, so if you’re interested in the BL-03 II but worry about comfort and fit I’d suggest trying them out beforehand if possible.

---

Direct link to the frequency response graph at my Squiglink: https://squig.link/lab/hifi-dawson/?share=BLON_BL-03_II

The BLON BL-03 II uses an enhanced carbon diaphragm for its 10mm dynamic driver. On top of this, the shell cavity is said to have been designed to help achieve the BL-03 II’s sound signature. That sound signature is a U-shaped one with a smooth, engaging, and clean sound. The Bass is detailed and tight, the midrange is clear and detailed, and the treble has lots of energy with excellent extension. This makes the BL-03 II very versatile and sounds great for all genres of music.

Power requirements are pretty minimal here, pretty much anything will drive these IEMs and give you a good, full sound. Better DAPs and DACs I found refine the bass performance a bit, making it sound slightly tighter and cleaner, but it’s not a night and day difference.

Bass

The bass performance is unexpectedly great. There’s good quantity and quality for the sub-bass and mid-bass, giving you slam and impact, as well as some extended rumble. It is by no means bass-heavy or geared towards bassheads, but the BL-03 II doesn’t shy away from it. The bass sounds clean and smooth, with excellent control. Very surprising to get both this kind of bass quality and quantity for this price range.

Midrange

The midrange is overall smooth and clear sounding. It does have a slightly relaxed tuning to it, and an emphasis on the upper midrange. Vocals sound clean and lean towards a natural sound with good weight, though at times I found instruments can overshadow them just a little. There’s lots of detail present here with good layering and resolution, and I found the BL-03 II complimented my test music playlist (linked above) as many of those tracks have a busy midrange.

Treble

The treble is pretty energetic, which I found to be slightly fatiguing at times when listening to tracks that are already bright or peaky, but really this IEM is just bringing out what is present in the track. There is a nice open and airy sound with excellent extension to the upper treble. I found instruments here to sound crisp and refined, and I think the treble very nicely complements the bass performance to give a harmonious sound.

Soundstage and Imaging

The soundstage is just average, which is not to say it is bad, but falls in line with how most IEMs perform, so you have a good sense of width, depth, and height. If you listen to well-recorded live tracks you will be able to pinpoint where each instrument is on the stage. The imaging performance is also average, with sound accurately placed from left to right. I found no issues at all here, especially for the price.

---

Taking into account all of my above observations, I have to say that the BLON BL-03 II is, as of this review, the best-sounding IEM I have heard in the $30 price range. It really gives you a balanced sound, and I feel there’s something for everyone here. Do you like bass? Great, the bass has lots of quantity and great quantity. Want a clear and smooth midrange with good vocal performance? No problem, we got that here. Do you like detailed treble with good extension, some air but not too sibilant? The BL-03 II has you covered there. Even the technicalities are good, and while I didn’t really do too much gaming with them, they perform well even as a gaming IEM. I have a hard time really finding anything wrong with the sound here, my only real issue is with the fit of the earbuds and how much the ear hooks of the cable affect comfort. Otherwise, it’s a perfect IEM for the price for anyone to add to their collection, whether you are just getting into the audio hobby, or you’ve been here a while.

The above links are affiliate links. All commission earned through them goes directly to maintaining this site and bringing you more audio reviews.

---

I’m not always able to cover all the details of a product, both hardware and software, in our reviews. If you have any specific questions you’d like answered about this product please feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly.

Be sure to check out our excellent Buyer’s Guides, as well as our other Reviews.