Intro
Blon also known as WGZBLON is a well-established audio company from Dongguan city in China where they famous for producing hyped budget product with awesome performance that is well received in the audiophile community. Earphones releases such as the BL-03, Bl-05, Mini and many other products has been rocking the community with their highly sought-after sound, their wallet friendly price along with their cool but sometimes strange design, have now put their design works to new heights with their latest flagship release, the BL-A8 Prometheus. It is a real piece of artwork that has been garnering attention worldwide. Intrigued by the looks, I really hope that the BL-A8 will have a good performance in their sound.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here the specifications if the BL-A8 :
| Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz |
| Sensitivity: 115dB |
| Driver: 10mm New Lightweight Diaphragm |
| Standard 2-pin 0.78mm connectors |
| 3.5mm gold-plated straight termination plug |
| Technical Specifications: – |
| Impedance: 32 Ohm |
Retail Price & Where To Get
The Blon BL-A8 can be purchased at Hill Audio
HillAudio Shopee : https://invol.co/cl4xcu2
This is my favourite audio store in Shopee and a big shoutout to Vincent from Hill Audio for the review unit.
Let’s go!
Packaging & Accessories
Blon packaging has always been very basic for their earphones line up. It consists of a small box with 6 pairs of silicone ear tips, a fabric pouch, the earphone and a cool cable for the earphone. The package is minimalistic and its fine for me as I value the design and performance of the earphones I buy and making less waste is also a good thing for mother earth.
There are 2 types of ear tips included, a bullet style tip and normal round tips wit 3 sizes for each type of tips and I quite like the bullet ear tips for the A8 as it is comfortable and gives out a more focused sound for me.
The cable beautiful to simply put it. It only has 2 cores of silver-plated OFC copper but it feels and sounds like a dream. It is light, very flexible, soft, not bulky and very comfortable to wear. It is the best cable that comes stock amongst all the Blon’s earphones and my one of my favourite stock cables that comes with an earphone.
Design
The main attraction for this earphone for me is the design of the BL-A8. A 3D printed housing that is just a work of art, very high end implemented and a bold statement is words I would like to describe the design of the BL-A8. It is designed to fit humans ear’s auricle providing a snuggier fit and it really feels comfortable in my ears even for long listening sessions. In my humble opinion it is the most beautfiul design I have ever encountered in the earphones industry. It looks more like a piece of jewelry, feels solid, well made and it has a little weight onto it. It is made from zinc alloy and its feel durable. It is available in gun metal black and silver colour. Really well done Blon, a solid 2 thumbs up for the design.
For the drivers, Blon are famous for their single dynamic driver for all of their earphones as they provide a good coherency and tuning them to sound good is what they are known for. It houses a new type of 10mm lightweight diaphragm with Blon signature house sound encased in a sophisticatedly tuned chamber to give a lifelike sound experience for users.
Gears Used for Comparisons
- Fiio Q5 with AM3D module
- Hidizs S9 PRO
- JVC HA-FW01
- HZ Sound Heart Mirror
- Intime Kira
- Hidizs MS1 Rainbow
- Blon BL-03
- BQEYZ Summer
Song list
Soundstage
The Prometheus does give out a good soundstage for the price paid. It possesses a great depth in their presentation and it gives out a true natural interpretation of the music being played. Width is acceptable and it is not mind-boggling wide in any sense but still sound larger than its competition especially balanced armature-based IEMs.
Separation and Timbre
Separation and timbre are where the Prometheus excels. One can truly hear every single note being expressed clearly without any veil and instruments are portrayed well making it easy to distinguish. There is a sense of music being able to express themselves making it a very musical journey for me.
Tone and Presentation
Energising, joyful and slightly bright is what I would describe the Prometheus. The tone is very fun to listen especially on fast tracks such as EDM and rock genres. It is truly a toe-tapping experience for the time I spent with this IEM. The energy pushed out by this IEM is a little aggressive, which is something that I fan of, a touch of musicality with a hint of aggression in the music. To me it is a very fun tone to listen to, similar to the BL-03 but it is smoother overall especially in the treble region. Neutral sound lovers might not find this IEM not accurate enough but no doubt it is an entertaining and thrilling journey for me.
Drivability
Prometheus is an easy IEM to drive as they are rated as a standard 32ohms impedance. Smartphones users can just add a decent dongle and you are good to go. Scaling up with some high-end DAC and amplifiers does some justice to the Prometheus but it is not much. It certainly is just good sounding with a simple setup as in a good high-end setup.
The Bass (Low)
The bass is a delight and I really do feel it is the star of the show for this IEM. Impactful, tight, fast and clear bass is what you will get with the Prometheus. It is a true step-up from its younger sibling, the BL-03 by making it tighter and punchier without any bloat to the sound signature. It is almost there for bass heads but still able in giving out a truly high-quality bass. The slam is perfect in my opinion as it hits with authority without any bleed but still able to hold up a clear bass. They are able to go deep with a decent sub-bass presence. A true quality with quantity situation here in my opinion and they are truly worth for the asking price beating out the other competitors.
The Mids
Mids here is slightly forward especially in the vocals area. It is thick and lush, perfect for male and female vocals alike. Vocals sounded very organic and natural but I do feel it needs a little more clarity especially in the mids to highs area. Details in the mids region is decent and the Prometheus is able to push out some micro details in certain tracks. It is another region where I feel it improves from the infamous V-shaped BL-03 and bringing up the mids to mix in well for a more balanced sound. Smooth and thick like a good cup of espresso.
The Highs
Highs on the Prometheus is sparkly and quite crisp in my opinion. It has a sense of air in their mix and feels spacious though not good as my Intime Kira, which has the best treble performance in my experience but the Prometheus is still able to give out a good performance in the treble. Extension on the highs is good but it does sounds peaky at certain tracks with female vocals. They do not sound sibilant nor possesses a metallic sound at all and does not induce any fatigue for me as I am a true treble-head but for those treble sensitive users, they might find the treble a little overpowering similar to the BL-03 but it has a better extension and airiness in the Prometheus.
Comparisons
VS HZ Sound Heart Mirror
One of my favourite earphones for their price versus performance. Detailed, clear, wide and accurate is what I will call the Heart Mirror but it lacks the musicality and the jovial heart found in the Prometheus. Performance wise the Heart Mirror has the edge but the Prometheus sounds way more fun to listen to especially on EDM and rock genre. It also sounds thicker overall versus the pureness of Heart Mirror. Clarity on the Heart Mirror is also better but sound a little thinner side by side with the Prometheus and the bass of the Blon is better in the sense of quantity.
VS Hidizs MS1 Rainbow
The MS1 is Hidizs entry level IEM that also has a single dynamic driver. Both has a similar fun, energetic feel to it but the Prometheus is on another level in terms on sound and build quality. The MS1 feel a little cheap on the build whereas the Prometheus is solidly built and their design really snatched my heart. The Prometheus sounds thicker, clearer and more detailed than the MS1. The MS1 is more neutral with a slight bump in the lower region and they sounded leaner than the Prometheus.
VS JVC HA-FW01
The classic woody earphones from JVC that cost 5 times to the Prometheus. The JVC sound is smoother and more laidback compared to the Prometheus. Bass on the JVC is more spacious and has a better response but the Prometheus has a better slam. Mids on the JVC is clearer and sounded just as thick as the Prometheus. Soundstage on JVC is superior and the highs on the JVC is more forgiving as in the Prometheus is more aggressive and slightly peaky. Both has a different signature as JVC is more laidback and the Prometheus more energetic in their presentation.
VS BQEYZ Summer
The latest release of BQEYZ hybrid dynamic + piezoelectric and a single balanced armature. Bass on this 2 is quite similar but the slam is better on the Prometheus and Summer bass is more rumbly. Mids on the Prometheus sounded more natural and thick than Summer. Highs on the Summer is too peaky for my taste and the Promethues trumps Summer in the highs region as it sounded more smooth and polished versus Summer. In my opinion, Prometheus beats BQEYZ Summer in all aspects and do note that Summer cost slighly more.
VS Moondrop A8
An 8 balanced armature masterpiece by Moondrop. The Moondrop A8 sound resolution is better than the Prometheus and it sounded more accurate as well in the Moondrop. The Moondrop A8 is more accurate in their presentation while the Prometheus is tuned to be fun sounding. Bass on Prometheus has a sharper slam while the Monndrop A8 has a bigger and deeper bass response. Mid and highs is more balanced in the Moondrop A8. Coherency is almost the same but I do feel the timbre on Moondrop A8 is slightly more realistic.
Source synergy
FiiO M11PRO
The now discontinued M11PRO. Equipped with a dual AKM4497 with THX789 amplifiers, it provides a warm and accurate sound to your gears. Prometheus pairs well with the M11PRO as it gives a more neutral side to the energising sound of Prometheus. Bass widens out and sub-bass has more rumble, mids now becomes smoother and forward, treble peaks has now almost gone and they became smoother overall. Quite a satisfying pairing in my opinion
FiiO Q5 with AM3D THX amp module
Another FiiO DAC coupled with a THX amp module. Sounded quite similar with the M11PRO but to my ears, this setup has a slight edge in clarity but details on the M11PRO is better. On bass and mids it is quite similar as it gives out a rumblier bass and mids is smoother and more forward. Highs on this setup is not as smooth like the M11PRO but it has more clarity and details.
Ibasso DC03
Ibasso DC03 is a dual CS43131 dongle that is powerful and a little on the bright sounding spectrum. For pairing with the Prometheus is decent but not excellent as it does not smoothen out the highs in the Prometheus. Mids has more clarity in this setup and the bass is slightly wider and clearer. Soundstage sounded more intimate with the DC03 and clarity is pushed up by a small margin.
Hidizs S9PRO
A super powerful DAC/AMP with a slight neutral sound. As for pairing for the Prometheus it is excellent. Bass is clearer and it goes in deeper and gives it more air in the bass. Mids retains thick and smooth but the S9PRO adds in some details and clarity in the mix. As for highs it slightly smoothens the highs and give it more air in the highs. For a truly portable setup, this is now one of my go-to setups.
Who Is It For?
With an acceptable price, top quality metal build, a world class design, a fun and energetic audiophile friendly sound, it is simply for everyone. Whether you are a true audiophile or just a normal music loving person or even someone who appreciate beautiful things, the Prometheus just fits there. It sounded truly fun, though not as accurate and neutral, it is a unique sound that is respectable and puts the joy in enjoying the music. It is for everyone in my opinion except for neutral loving and monitoring folks out there. For those BL-03 fans, this is their bigger and better brother, a true upgrade for the BL-03.
Final words
It is rare that I received something that is a beauty and sounded to my liking like the Blon Prometheus A8. This earphone first catches my eyes when it was released and now it caught my heart. The design of it is truly a work of art and everyone that I showed this earphone truly adored the beautiful design. In my opinion it is the most beautiful earphone design out there. It sounded great, though not as technical as one would like it to be, but it has a joyful and adventurous sound that I really fond of. The package of this earphones is rather simple and basic but for the price with its solid build quality, it is forgiven and also in a way it is more environmentally friendly. I would like it to sound wider in their soundstage and lessen the slight peaks in their highs but that is just me nit-picking. A great product that I will surely buy for my own personal usage.
I rate this Blon Bl-A8 Prometheus a solid 
(4.5 / 5)
