Pros
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Improved fit over previous model -
Very decent build-quality for the price
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Bass seems neutral and “accurate”
Cons
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Cable is still a bit ‘meh’ -
Overall tonality has become brighter, more apparent treble peak(s)
Bottom Line
Table of Contents
Specs
- Driver configuration : 10mm carbon-nanotube diaphragm dynamic driver
- Frequency response : 20 – 20kHz
- Impedance : 32-ohm
- Sensitivity : 108 dB
- Weight : 8.5g per earpiece / 28g total (incl. eartips and cable)
Design
At first glance, it’s immediately obvious that the BL-05 is quite a bit different to the BL-03. Whilst we still get a metal housing, and even the cable seems to be identical, there are a number of design changes on offer here. The overall shape and certain design queues look somewhat similar to the Devialet Phantom line of premium wireless speakers.
The gold trimming along with the silver-metal colour makes the BL-05 look perhaps a bit more premium than what the price-tag would suggest. Compared to the BL-03, the -05 has a seemingly more intricate design, one which has resulted in a very particular improvement over the -03.
If I think back to my review of the -03, along with numerous other reviews twitch can be found online, the most common issue had to do with the fit. Whilst the BL-03 wasn’t uncomfortable, it just didn’t sit very securely in the ear, which meant that the eartips couldn’t maintain a proper seal, and thus it was difficult to just sit back and listen to the music without having to readjust them every now and then. I’m happy to report that the BL-05 avoids this issue completely. Provided that you use the correct size of eartips for your specific ears, this new housing design allows for the nozzle to just slip into the ear and stay there. And perhaps better yet is that this has been accomplished without making it uncomfortable to wear for long periods either.
Perhaps the only issue here is that, because the surface finishing is so shiny, this sometimes does show fingerprints and other oily residues fairly quickly, this may also mean that scuff marks and other signs of wear could become quite obvious over slightly longer periods of use.
One thing which hasn’t changed is the cable, as we’re getting the same generic cable as on the BL-03, and so it suffers from the issue of being prone to getting a bit tangled up with itself. It’s not terrible, but something a bit more premium certainly would be appreciated.
Sound
As far as the sound is concerned, the BL-03 has become somewhat of a default recommendation for pretty much anyone who wants a good-sounding pair of IEMs without having to spend more than $50. Heck, in some cases it could even be the best value out there for under $100.
Given that, the BL-05 had some pretty big shoes to fill considering that it’s a follow-up to the BL-03 rather than a replacement. So, surely, the BL-05 ought to be better, right? Well, let’s take a look at the response graph.
As was the case with the BL-03, the BL-05 does favour the bass region, but much less so than what the BL-03 did. Generally-speaking, it appears to be reasonably well-balanced to some extent, whereas the introduction of some after-market eartips can alter the sound slightly to offer a seemingly more subdued and warmer signature. Just looking at the graph, it’s not immediately obvious that there is just a little bit of a problem here, and to see what I’m talking about we need to look at the graph of the BL-03.
As mentioned before, the BL-05 does favour the bass region a lot less than what the BL-03 does, but it also adds in a peak at just beyond 2kHz, as well as a higher peak in the upper treble. Those factors combined mean that the BL-05 sounds quite different to the BL-03.
Unfortunately, that smooth and organic quality of the BL-03 has been replaced by something quite a bit more forward and aggressive. That’s OK if what you want is something more forward and aggressive, but I feel that the very essence of what made the BL-03 so popular is completely lost in the BL-05.
The BL-03 was by no means perfect – not even close – but what we have in the BL-05 is what seems to be an over-correction. The bass has been reeled in to what I think is a good level, but instead of becoming more neutral overall whilst retaining that organic smoothness, instead we are given something that seems to go in the opposite direction.
Value
I think it would come as no surprise, then, that the Bl-05 just doesn’t hold the same value as the Bl-03 did, especially considering that it also costs slightly more. Yes, the issue of the fit has been addressed and corrected in phenomenal fashion, but a subpar sound signature is just never going to sound great regardless of how comfortable the IEM is.
It’s a real shame, because there was just so much potential here. Heck, if the signature of the BL-03 was left exactly as it is, and that was slapped into this housing design, that would’ve immediately made the BL-05 a complete and utter runaway success.
Don’t get me wrong, I obviously couldn’t even begin to expect the best of everything at this price-point, but I am disappointed that the BL-05 doesn’t perform at least as good as the BL-03 did.
Again, this is simply my experience, and yours may very well be completely different. You might compare these to the -03, or any other IEMs for that matter, and the BL-05 might hit that perfect Goldilocks sweet-spot for you. If that is the case, that’s great and I hope you enjoy them for many more years to come.
But for me, the BL-03 was always going to be a tough act to follow, so maybe a true objective sonic improvement will be realised in the form of a BL-07, or maybe an -09. But, as it stands, the -05 just doesn’t offer me a sound signature which I could prefer or recommend over the BL-03.