4-Way Chifi IEM Fight – BLON BL-05, YinYoo V2, Revonext QT3, Revonext QT2 IEMs Review
Today’s review will focus on the entry-level chifi, and it features BLON BL-05, priced at about 50 USD, depending on the configuration, which will be compared to KZ AS10, Final Audio E3000, and paired with HIDIZS AP80, YinYoo V2 priced at 40 USD, which will be compared to BGVP DS1 PRO, and paired with Shanling M0, and Revonext QT2 and QT3, which are really similar to each other, priced at 30 and 40 USD, and which will be compared to Shozy HIBIKI MK II, and which will be paired with FiiO M3 PRO, and FiiO M5.
Introduction
The best part about Chifi at this moment is how affordable they are, and how friendly the shops selling them are. I had the bad luck of getting in touch with some of the factories at some points, for example, I did have a change of mails with the guys at BGVP, and man, I prefer working and talking with the shops rather than the companies producing them, so just like Linsoul is a really nice shop, the one providing the articles for today is. The name is AK Audio Store, and man, they have a nice offer with their product range. If you’re looking for more expensive IEMs, or even DAPs, they have it all, and they are even more friendly than most shops I worked with, although coming from China, and working in the entry-level area, where things can get really competitive, it is expected to see top quality service. They also have a LOT of sales going on, if you have a rush from getting a good price, on what already had a good price / performance ratio.
It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with AK Audio, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I’d like to thank AK Audio Store for providing the sample for this review. This review reflects my personal experience with Revonext QT2, QT3, YinYoo V2, and BLON BL-05. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in Revonext QT2, QT3, YinYoo V2, and BLON BL-05 find their next music companion.
About me
https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/p/about.html
Shop Links
YinYoo V2: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32949232131.html
Revonext QT3: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32898251950.html
Revonext QT2: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32867228334.html
BLON BL-05: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000932019151.html
Packaging
First things first, let’s get the packaging out of the way:
Revonext QT2
Simple, practical
The package is quite simple. You get the cable, 3 sets of tips, and the IEMs. Also the paperwork. Honestly, for this price point the package is okay, there’s not much else you could have asked for, and the whole IEM is well made, including the cable, but don’t expect to be impressed by this one.
Revnoext QT3
Simple, Practical V3
The package is exactly the same as the one for QT2, no big differences. The cables seem slightly different on the pairs that I received, but the package itself is the same.
YinYoo V2
Better package
YinYoo V2 has a case included, so it is instantly better than both QT2 and QT3 in terms of packaging. Actually, given the case and all, it is better packaged than the likes of KZ AS10, KZ ZS10 and even better than Shozy Hibiki MK 2. The box itself is slightly different from the box of Tin Audio, so while the IEM feels and sounds a bit like a copy of the Tin series, the package is actually really nice.
BLON BL-05
Time for Fashion
The package for BL-05 is fashionable, it glows in many colors, and the IEMs are presented really nicely. There’s also a good amount of contents, including a pouch type of carrying case, and of course, there’s the cable and a good selection of tips. Not disappointing at all for their 50 USD price point. The pouch in particular has an artistic, painting cloth feeling to it.
What to look for when purchasing a entry-level earphone
https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/p/what-to-lookl.html
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort
Revonext QT2 and QT3
The QT3 and QT2 are pretty much the same IEM, give or take. They may have some slight differences, for example, the shell has a different design, but if we are being practical, the fit, comfort and eventually aesthetics are too similar to consider them two different IEMs.
The comfort is actually fairly good, and despite them going for an edgy-aggressive design, they fit well for large ears. The inner part is the key, and the actual key is making that inner part as rounded and smooth as possible, instead of corner-y. This being said, for small and medium-sized ears, both may create discomfort after long periods of wear. Neither hasn’t got any driver flex, and both have a bit of microphonic noise, despite the over-the-ear design.
The cables are fairly similar, both have good quality cables that don’t look like they may break any time soon, but both cables came with kinks from the package, and have a memory effect, which makes them a bit impractical. The passive noise isolation is around 10 dB for both, and overall, they are in the good to great tiers for build quality, as both are made of metal and not likely to break any time soon. The cables of both are fairly tangle-prone too, and will tangle badly if you wind them in a circle and leave them in your pockets.
The cables have unusually long pins for the 2-Pin connection, but testing them with aftermarket cables reveals that they work just fine, so while I tested them with Dunu Hulk, I don’t really expect you to use them with a 300-USD cable, given their about 40-USD cost.
YinYoo V2
This one is slightly different, because it goes for what I could safely consider a copy of Tin T2, or Tin T3. Anywhere in between, but it actually has slightly worse cables than both T2 and T3. I generally liked the sound of YinYoo V2 a bit more than both T2 and T3, but given that it is still in the same ballpark sonically, it doesn’t make much sense to purchase unless you tested T2 or T3 and felt they lacked bass, because YinYoo v2 has more bass than those two Tins. The cables are not that tangle-prone, happily it is not quite as problematic as QT3 and QT2.
The comfort is fair, will work well for medium and large ears, but may feel too uncomfortable for small ears, and the comfort was marginally better for YinYoo V2, but I wasn’t able to identify exactly why it is more comfortable, as it looks like the shell used was pretty much identical.
There’s no driver flex, no void, no comfort issues. It picks up hiss rather easily, like QT2, QT3, and BLON BL-05, so avoid hissy sources like Hiby R6 with all of them.
Blon BL-05
This one is the most recent of the bunch, and although I can guarantee you will be able to find all of them on the internet, you will find more sales and promos going on for the BL-05.
There’s a good amount of comfort with this one, and contrary to the QT3 and QT2, which still have angles in their build, the BL-05 is smooth and round as it gets. Not only that, but it is really really ergonomic, there’s nothing impeding the comfort. The cable is not as good as that of YinYoo V2, but more or less on the same level as the cables found on QT2 and QT3. This being said, the store selling them has more high-quality cables in their offer, and some of them for a really good price, like this one and this one.
BL-05 has slightly more passive noise isolation than V2 and QT series, but that comes at the cost of slightly less comfort in terms of void, because where the others are fairly good at rejecting void, the BL-05 has a bit of void.
Sound Quality
Flavors of V-Shaped, every single one of them. This pretty much sums it up, they all are flavours of V-Shaped sound, and all of them pretty tasty. They each vary a bit, but it feels like either they were factory tuned to sound similar, and to sound good for commercial music, or like they were tuned by the same engineer, who tried to give them each a personality, but still follow the V-Shaped sound type.
Revnoext QT2
I actually want to start with this one, because it may be the best sounding of this list, save for YinYoo V2, which sounds really good. It has the more balanced sound from this list, and it has a pretty good soundstage width and overall detail.
The bass is pretty deep and well extended, and for 40 USD, you get a bass that is appropriate for pop music, especially for more punchy and pushy songs. The extension is good enough, although it lacks control and refinement compared to more expensive options like IT-01S from ibasso. This being said, comparing them to something that is also about 50 USD reveals that the bass is also quite good. For example, they have better extension, punch and depth than Shozy Hibiki MK II.
The midrange is recessed, and without hesitation I can confirm that I’m hearing a V-Shaped sound with a slightly unnatural presentation, but compared to QT3, it is actually fairly natural and honest. The mids have a good amount of macro-detail, but they lack refinement and micro-details. This being said, compared to Shozy Hibiki MK II, which is a mid-forward IEM, the QT2 has less presence, but better refinement, textures and detail. The soundstage is also fairly wide, although it doesn’t have the best depth.
When it comes to the treble, it is actually quite good. The extension is fair, and it goes up to 12 kHz or so, which is great for a 40-USD IEM, I can hear a somewhat harsh, but not unnaturally sparkly treble, with good presence, and a good overall detail. The revealing abilities are good for a 40-USD IEM, although the QT3 has better overall revealing abilities. When it comes to dynamics, it is fairly dynamic, and it works well for rock, pop, EDM, electro and dance music. It won’t fare so well with metal, atmospheric, classical or Jazz, because it lacks the technical ability, refinement and it also lacks the depth to picture those styles well.
Revonext QT3
The overall signature of QT3 is the same as QT2, but there’s a pretty hot spike in the upper midrange / lower treble, which makes the entire sound quite hot and harsh, and it can be fatiguing for those who aren’t used to a treble-happy signature. I’m not particularly against this type of signature, but for those of you who are sensitive to treble, it will be piercing and won’t work well if you’re planning on relaxing to some light tunes.
The bass is the same as QT2, although the overall tonality change by increasing the treble makes the bass feel lighter and the reach may feel shallower, especially because your attention will focus more on the impact rather than the depth and deep rumble.
The midrange is also different, as a direct cause, because female voices are sharper, the overall tonality is slightly more serious, almost like when going from a more easy-going headphone like Sennheiser HD660S, to a more serious-sounding one like Sennheiser HD800. The overall resolution is improved compared to QT2, and it has a better micro-detail retrieval, but this in return leads to less refinement, and the sound can be quite harsh and aggressive.
The treble is quite hot, and if you’re someone who tolerates treble well, you will like the QT3, but otherwise you may feel it is a hot-sounding IEM with a pretty bright tuning that may not work well for natural-sounding music like Jazz, but will work fairly well for pop, EDM, and certain rock songs, where having a bright treble doesn’t sound forced.
YinYoo V2
Also a V-Shaped sound, the V2 from YinYoo is pretty much a totally different figure from what Tin T2 was. T2 was pretty neutral without a lot of bass, but YinYoo V2, while looking just like Tin T2, sounds like a V-Shaped IEM, like pretty much [pick your favorite V-Shaped IEM.
The bass is presented more forward, compared to the midrange and the treble, there’s a good amount of bass, and extension, but the bass is less detailed than BLON BL-05, and less detailed than QT2. The bass is better in both detail, quantity and sounds more natural compared to Tin T3, Tin T2, and QT3.
The midrange is not exceptionally detailed, but it is fairly natural in tonality, without a lot of peaks and valleys that could make it sound unnatural, like QT3. In fact, YinYoo V2 sounds more natural in the mids than Tin T2, but it has a more intimate soundstage, despite being pretty much open-back in design, or at least looking the part. The instrument separation is better than on Tin T2, as the sound sounds less vague, and the dynamics are more pronounced, thanks to the V-Shaped sound. In general the mids are warm in tonality, and the bass is focused on the mid-bass, which colours the midrange too, making the entire sound a touch thick, which saves YinYoo V2 from sounding shouty at any time.
The treble is slightly recessed compared to the bass, which is warm and thick, and although the midrange is even more recessed, the treble is nowhere near as piercing and hot as that of QT3. In fact, for YinYoo V2, it sounds so different from Tin T3 and Tin T2, that you should forgive the fact they look similar, you will have an entirely different experience. The sound can be a bit compressed dynamically, but the pretty natural-colored tonality makes it much easier to enjoy YinYoo V2 compared to the other QT IEMs, despite the less technical presentation.
BLON BL-05
The BLON BL-05 does not sound so great, and although it is the best-looking IEM in the 40 USD area, it sounds pretty odd, the midrange has an off-timbre presentation, the bass can be muddy and slow at times, almost sticky, and the treble can be a bit sharp and hot. It is not all bad, as it has good dynamics and a punchy sound, but a fair stage as well.
The bass is what I would call a mixed bag. It has a good reach, but the speed is average to slow, so it ends up being slightly muddy and sticky even sticky. The rumble is good, especially as the bass is focused on the sub-lows, rather than the mid bass. This provides good weight to each musical note, and everything has good substance and volume.
The midrange is very colored, with a lot of peaks and bumps, which results in a pretty unnatural sounding mid, which works well for electronic music, but does not work for voice-driven music, especially Jazz being at a strong disadvantage here. Happy music like Trance and Trancecore sounds fairly good, and even metal can sound good, if you’re into Grind and Grindcore, but for older rock, the mid is too colored.
The treble is a bit piercing here and there, and a bit hot, since the upper midrange is forward, but I am a bit judgemental, because for 40 USD, it does fairly well, even compared to most of the competition. Instruments can be a bit thin, but not splashy enough for my taste, so the character of the treble is not wet enough for it to hide the aggressiveness. The extension is not great, and while it is enough for it to work for a superficial engagement, it lacks refinement and true sparkle / air, there’s no detail in the treble, which for 40 USD is a fair thing, but if you’re used to more pricey models, may not feel that great.
Portable Usage
The portable usage for all of those IEMs is good, all of them are fairly easy to drive, and all of them have a good overall sonic performance even with less pricey sources, but for all of them I would suggest using warmer, more smooth sources, like Shanling M0, or HIDIZS DH1000, or iBasso DC01, rather than relying on more neutral sources like FiiO M7.
They also all pick up hiss a bit too well, because they all have a slightly low impedance, so it is recommended to not use any of them with Hiby R6 or hiss-prone sources. Most smartphones should do just fine, and they shouldn’t have too much hiss, but there are much better options out there, even if you want something small, like FiiO BTR5 and BTR3K.
If you want to bring big guns, you could use something like xDuoo X20, or a modest-priced but good-sounding DAC/AMP, like The Beam, or even an Earmen TR-AMP.
Youtube Video
YinYoo V2 Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4838CIw_t6k
Comparisons
The comparison list includes KZ AS10, Final E3000, BGVP DS1 PRO, and Shozy Hibiki MK II. All of those are within the same price range, and all of them make good competitors for the champs in today’s review.
YinYoo V2 vs vs BGVP DS1 PRO (40 USD vs 40 USD) – The comfort is slightly better for DS1 PRO, but the cable is better for YinYoo V2. The overall isolation is better for DS1 PRO. Both are fairly easy to drive, but DS1 PRO is slightly easier to drive, and picks up slightly more hiss. DS 1 PRO sounds thicker, has less treble emphasis than YinYoo V2, so it will come off as thicker, but also more punchy, more impactful. This affects the midrange too, which is colored by the bass emphasis, where V2 is still warm, but is more balanced in general, has a more natural sound, especially in the midrange, and it has a larger soundstage, with more space between instruments. From the two, DS1PRO works well if you’re a basshead, while V2 works well if you prefer a more traditional V-Shaped sound with a sweet midrange.
BLON BL-05 vs KZ AS10 (50 USD vs 50 USD) – AS10 was a really bassy and even mid-forward IEM, with a thick and pretty punchy sound, but lacked treble, and in the end lacked the resolution and technical ability to be a general-use IEM. BLON BL-05 is more colored in the midrange, and has a more V-Shaped sound, but a more unnatural midrange, but BL-05 works much better with EDM, Electronic, Pop and dance music. AS10 works better with Hip-Hop, but that’s pretty much it, in general I prefer the sound of BL-05 where voices are not involved, where for AS10, the lack of treble makes it a bit dull for most music styles. I greatly prefer the comfort, cables, and ergonomics of BL-05 too.
BLON BL-05 vs Final E3000 (40 USD vs 50 USD) – E3000 has better fit and ergonomics than BL-05, but leaks so much more, and in the end, the cables are not as solid as those of BL-05. I prefer the sound of E3000 in general, it has a much more natural midrange, although BL-05 works better for EDM and Electronic, it has more sparkle, is more dynamic, and sounds more vivid / open. E3000 is a bit more dull, but wherever voices are involved, e3000 simply provides a more natural tonality that makes music easier to enjoy. E3000 leaks a lot of sound, where BL-05 doesn’t leak at all. E3000 is harder to drive than BL-05 in practice, despite fairly similar specifications.
Revonext QT2 vs Shozy Hibiki MK II (30 USD vs 50 USD) – Shozy Hibiki MKII did not have a great fit, and as a few reviewers pointed out that there are differences in how we hear them because they fit differently for everyone, I will go ahead and say that QT2 has a better comfort. This being said, the QT3 has an even better comfort and fit than QT2, but sonically it is more fair to compare QT2 to the Hibiki. The sound is more mid-forward for Hibiki, the stage is more narrow, and the overall technical ability is better on QT2, which is more V-Shaped and sounds more balanced across all ranges and music styles. All in all, both are fairly enjoyable, but Hibiki, if you prefer a mid forward sound, where QT2 if you like a balanced, or a moderately V-Shaped sound.
Recommended Pairings
The pairings will include pairings with HIDIZS AP80, FiiO M3PRO, FiiO M5, and Shanling M0. All of those are entry-level sources, and while there are DAC/AMPs that would do a great job out there, especially FiiO BTR5, FiiO BTR3K, and other mini sources, you can rely on those DAPs to form a complete listening setup.
BLON BL-05 + HIDIZS AP80 (50 USD + 150 USD) – The advantage of AP80 is that it has a pretty potent EQ, so you could EQ the BL-05 to sound more natural, although I should warn you that it will take some time to get it sounding right. AP 80 has a good price, is very portable, and also has a nice display, powers BL-05 to sound fairly clean and punchy, with good dynamics too.
Revonext QT2 + FiiO M3 PRO (30 USD + 80 USD) – M3 PRO is more dry, pairing QT2 with it results in a more detailed sound, with better overall clarity and technical resolution that a DAP that is less dry, like Shanling M0. M3PRO does not have bluetooth or other bells and whistles, but for 80 USD, it does a beautiful job for driving QT2, and could even push some easier to drive headphones, like Ultrasone Signature DXP.
Revonext QT3 + FiiO M5 (40 USD + 100 USD) – The M5 is easier to recommend for QT3, because QT3 is quite colored, and M5 has a slightly thicker sound than M3 PRO, which should be able to balance out some of that treble spike in the QT3. Furthermore, M5 is very small and ergonomic, and it has enough power, just like M3, for most IEMs and portable headphones which are easy to drive.
YinYoo V2 + Shanling M0 (40 USD + 110 USD) – Shanling M 0 is a nice alternative to M5, and I chose it to go for this pairing because if you’re going for YinYoo V2, you probably enjoy a warmer midrange, and MZero being a tad warm itself, the pairing sounds quite enjoyable, has good dynamics and punch, while the mid is sweet and the stage is fairly well rounded having similar width and depth.
Value and Conclusion
The value is the strong point for all the IEMs in today’s review, and all of them make great purchase options if you want to stay on a budget. None of them isn’t perfect, and nowhere near perfect, and no IEM in the sub-50 USD price range is, but none of them made it to Audiophile-Heaven’s Hall Of Fame either, since all of them have slightly odd sounds in practice.
The one closest to making it to my personal Hall Of Fame is YinYoo V2, along with QT2, as both sounded pretty good and were easy to enjoy, despite the shortcomings.
The build quality was good for all four today, but both Revonext IEMs have an odd body with not such a great cable, it is tangle prone, and has kinks right out of the package. Yinyoo V2 has a very similar build to Tin T2, so there’s enough info about it on the T2 review, while BLON BL-05 has excellent build quality and makes a very good overall purchase.
Don’t forget that I am not affiliated with any shop right now, there is no gain for me if you use the purchase link in this review, and it is provided to help you find the product page quicker, so feel free to click on the links with no strings attached.
At the end of this review,
If you’re looking for a comfortable, and colored-sounding IEM, if you don’t mind a slower bass, and love bass extension, if you listen to a ton of EDM and love to dance, BLON BL05 is a really great option, and you can always order it from AK Audio Store here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000932019151.html
If you’re looking for a moderately comfortable IEM, with a fairly natural sound, moderately V-Shaped, but with good bass, good treble, and a fairly natural midrange, which has the only downside in the fit, which works best for medium and large ears, then the QT2 from Revonext makes a great option, and you can always order it from AK Audio Store here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32867228334.html
On the other hand, if you prefer a more technically capable IEM, and don’t mind a stronger treble, the Revonext QT3 will serve you well, and you can always order it from AK Audio Store here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32898251950.html
And, in the very end, if you want a warmer-sounding IEM, with a clean sound, good overall ergonomics, and if you don’t mind that it looks like a copy of Tin T2 and Tin T3, but with a warmer, V-Shaped sound, YinYoo V2 will be plenty fun to use for years to come, and you can order it from AK Audio Store here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32949232131.html
The same store has tons of sales going on, if you’re the type to get a rush for getting a 50 USD IEM for 40 USD, so keep a close watch if there’s something you plan on purhcasing, they may run a sale on it the next day.
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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Excellent review! Would love to see some more on entry-level products when you have the time and will…
Excellent to see some chifi here too. I know you do them a lot on yout Yt channel, but I like to read better.
More Chifi! More Chifi! Please…..
Nice article! Loving to see some Chifi reviews too, they are totally worth of love