Blon B20 vs Denon D7000

Headphones Headphone Discussion / Help
1

Hello, there.

First of all, thanks to Z and DMS and others for providing this platform.

That being said, I’m in a strange position. I’m more of a speakers guy but because of the Covid-19 situation me and my wife will be living in a small apartment (~100m²) for at at least for the next 9 to 12 months (I live in São Paulo, Brazil, that’s “small” by our standards). We’re nowhere near our peak.

Anyway. I’d being listening to my headphones more than I like and I have a pair of Denon D7000, DT 770 (both old and new revision), 2x Sony 7056, some Superlux and a MH751 for work. I like warm, V-shaped and U-shaped headphones but detailed headphones and until now my old D7000 was serving me more than well enough. Despite that, I’m very sensitve to sibilant highs but like my details. I can have my cake and eat it too with my speakers. But anyway…

I have an offer for an used 9,5/10 pair of Blon B20 for a very, very good price (~US$350, that’s VERY cheap going by our offerings, trust me; that would be like US$150 for you guys in US). I could stretch to an used LCD-2F for about 3x the price but I’m not sure.

I have other options but I’d love to try some planars. I listen to 50% to old grind/noise/crunch/punk albuns (think of Utopia Banished era Napalm Death) and 50% to bebop jazz. I have an extensive amount of audio gear so amp, dac, etc., is not a problem. Also, we have a very small selection of gear down here so some “exotic” sugestions won’t be an option (HD660S is “exotic” around here…)

Would my old, trusty, Foster 481842 based D7000 be up to the task against these?

Thanks in advance and sorry for my broken English.

Edit: for reference, I hate the Klipisch house sound. My main speakers are Elac Carina stereo and center and old Polk S series for side and rear.

2

Well i heard the D7200 has a more muffled sound. I think the D700 might be the same. maybe warmer darker sound? And the Blon B20 is the opposite. its really good in the highes but not too painfull. I would go with the Blon B20. detail is awesome on these and if the treble is too much put toilet paper in them or use an equalizer. But the bass on the D7200 should be awesome. which might be good for metal and jazz. you could try to just EQ them also. maybe open them up and take out some of the filters?

3

I love my Blon B20 but it has some faults… that I’ve found myself to live with. What amp/dac do you ahve @Caparroz?

4

Thanks for the sugestions. I’ve heard the D7200 in a showroom (hardly the place for a critical listening) and they’re much better than my D7000. If you think the D7200 are muffled, wait till you listen to a pair of D7000. :slight_smile:

What about the Blon B20 bass? I’m not a basshead but I like to hear my kickdrums (good planars should be good at that I think) but I like to follow the “contrabaixo” line (can’t figure the name in English; the tall acoustic bass); the D7000 excells in that but it “bleeds” a lot into low-mids.

5

Oh they have nice bass. np

6

I’m afraid to think what you think is nice bass then. I would not call the B20 “bassy” by any means.

7

My main amp/dac is an ADI-2 FS. I have more powerful amps like the Jutenheim 2.

8

Well the B20 is a V shaped headphone. so yeah… The bass is nice lol. Good slam

9

Ok, only issue with B20 is that the treble might sound a hair thin there but overall I think you’ll like B20 sound. Just warning. there’s a few issues with all the Sendy Aiva clones, a lot have had a driver issue pop up so make sure that isn’t the case when you get them (channel balance test). Anything where people speak like a review with someone talking… you’ll hear a faint metallic echo/timbre thing.

Positives, slam is good. Anything with a lot of pops will REALLY stand out. While I like the bass on the B20, it does leave you wanting for something a bit deeper and fuller for some EDM songs. What you will appreciate is how fast those drivers are and how aggressive they can be. IMO, I enjoy my B20 and for that price it’s a steal. Do it.

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10

I vote B20. Crazy good headphone. But the D7000 are more bassy and satisfying that way. more natural sounding. the B20 is more a fun headphone

11

I like my bass tight and “secure” but I’m a not a basshead by any means. BTW, are you from Brazil, Argentina or Uruguai? Loved your pic with a “mate” while researching.

12

I am NOT from there, I’m American born and bred but I do enjoy my morning Mate with Rosamante Special and the B20 are a great “wake up and enjoy the Mate” headphones.

Fun thing with the B20, you REALLY need to listen to blues with them. “Riding with the King” with BB King and Eric Clapton sound SO GOOD on those headphones. They really do enjoy a mildly dark amp and sound source. Your RME should be ok but the Jotunheim might make the B20 thin (based on reviews and comparing the experience to my RNHP amp). But… JDS Labs Element, Schiit Heresy, Atom, etc… will fix that issue fast if really an issue.

B20 compared to the Sendy Aiva, they’re a wider sound stage. You won’t need swap pads on them. They’re comfortable enough I’ve worn them for 8 hours straight in a day without much issue besides a little bit of heat build up. Strap makes some noise as you move around sometimes but that’s about it. If you get a chance to listen to them on a balanced AMP, you may really enjoy them or it won’t sound any different.

13

Buying from a “music lover fried”. I hate “audiophile”. It sounds like a disease. Thanks a lot for your input! :slight_smile:

14

You’re going to love some music with these you may not have been the biggest fan of previously on the B20. I can’t speak for the D7200 unfortunately. But treating yourself to some of the finest ChiFi is worth it.

15

Wow! Thanks for your input guys. I research a lot before buying anything and while I like Z a lot, it’s great to have others’ opinions. I think for the prices here in Brazil, I think the Blon B20 is a great complementary phone for my D7000.

One last question if you don’t mind. I have an option (both used from well trusted friends) for buying a Focal Elex for about 3,5x the price of the Blon B20. I’ve watched and read every review of them. Are they worth it for almost 4x as much?

16

I don’t have a single Focal headphone. The Elex’s have a good following for many good reasons. But… I see they sold off after some time as well. I think the Elex’s would be a safer purchase, but the B20 does a great job of demonstrating some key aspects of planar if you have never heard one before. And the ONLY way I recommend buying a B20 is at a discount so I think the price made your mind up for you.

Oh… and the B20 looks SO MUCH better with Mate. They’re stupidly photogenic.

17

I thought as much. I’ve heard to some planars but again, I don’t rely or listen to them as much as I do on my speakers. I’ll make an offer on those Blon B20. I trust the guy since I bought used gear from him in the past.

Dago, as soon as get my hands on it I’ll get on doing some headphone pron. I’m out of my nikkors but I promess it to you.

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Photo in question for reference.

IMG_20200205_115921
IMG_20200205_1159214000×3000 2.19 MB

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19

Audeze for reference this time! Price to photo quality < Blon.

IMG_20200228_124453
IMG_20200228_1244534000×3000 3.15 MB

20

What do you eat with your leaves?