BGVP PO5 Review
BGVP P05
Intro
Hello this is my full written review of one of
BGVP‘s latest single Dynamic Driver earphones, the
BGVP P05. I want to thank
HiFiGo for the opportunity to review this set in exchange for a full review and feature at
Mobileaudiophile.com. To be honest (as always) this is one set that I was looking forward to getting a closer look at. I saw the promotional images with the internal cavity and the internal pressurization arrows coursing through the front and back internally and I gotta say… That was enough to hook me. Of course, I am pretty easy these days. I’m just a big kid and these are my toys, aren’t we all?
Anywhoo, the under $60 market is huge in the Audio scene. Truly an ocean of iems fight to keep their heads above the water. I personally have always enjoyed this price point (around $35-$60) as there is a ton of competition and price to performance is becoming ridiculous. Look at some of the sets we’ve seen over the course of the last couple years, it’s been a bloodbath! One after the other and many of these iems are very well tuned. In fact, we are beginning to sound like broken records. So much so that BGVP had to go and add, not just a set of Nozzle filters. No, that would be too easy, too commonplace. Instead, they threw caution to the wind and decided to add in some backside ventilation filters as well! Did anyone tell BGVP this is supposed to be an under $50 iem? We may want to get on that. That’s BGVP for you though, here’s a small snippet about the company…
BGVP
Founded in 2015,
BGVP is a name that many audio enthusiasts will likely know, and many have also likely tried out or even owned a set or two from them. BGVP operates at many price points specializing in earbuds, earphones and other electronic products from the casual hobbyist to the professional performer. Headquartered in ChangPing in Dongguan City, BGVP conducts their own research & development and creates their products from their own engineering team which ultimately helps the consumer as BGVP boasts excellent earphones in every price point. Now, they’ve had some duds. I think we are grown enough to admit that. In fact, BGVP needs a good win if you ask me. They just haven’t been a big player over the last year or two. So, it is very good to see them doin’ their thang again. A good BGVP is good for the hobby.
As I said, the price that the P05 rests at ($45) is an extremely competitive price point and by the looks of the P05 and the tech involved it’s quite easy to see that my words ring true. A few years ago, you could never get a set built this well, with both vent filters and nozzle filters under $150. Times have changed very quickly my friends. I suppose I have to find out whether these filters are gimmicks or if they actually change up the sound. I’m also very curious what route BGVP took with this tuning. I suppose that we shall see. Well friends, I’m ready to jump into the review, the BGVP P05 everyone…
The BGVP P05 synergizes very well with the velvet sound of the Shanling M6 Ultra.
Left to right: Moondrop Dawn 4.4 / Hidizs S9 Pro / iBasso DX240 / Shanling M6 Ultra / Ifi Go Blu
Gear used for testing
–
Ifi Go Blu
–
Hidizs S9 Pro
–
Moondrop Dawn 4.4
–
iBasso DX240 with
Amp8 MK2
–
Shanling M6 Ultra
Packaging / Accessories
Unboxing
I was actually very impressed by the unboxing experience while opening the fairly large sized box of the P05. The P05 opens up and you’ll straight away see the cool looking P05 staring back at you along with the eartips and the case, as they are all arranged in the same plane while seated in foam cut-outs. Friends BGVP truly offers more than most audio companies as far as accessories goes. I would liken this unboxing to at least a $100 earphone. Inside the zipper case you’ll find the small plastic case of filters as well as the cable. Truly a nice thing for those who can barely afford the P05, as they will be getting an assortment of tips (I’ll cover next) and some very nicely laid out extras. Great job BGVP!
Eartips
It isn’t that BGVP offers a million tips, although seven pairs are very nice at $45. It is the quality of the tips which I enjoy and like to see. BGVP provides three pairs of “Bass” tips (S, M, L), three pairs of “Vocal” tips (S, M, L) as well as one pair of memory foam tips.
I do have to mention one thing, I think BGVP must’ve packaged the actual tips backwards as I found the Vocal tips to be darn near identical to the KBear 07 tips, I mean… identical. The Bass tips are actually shallow fit wide-bore tips… Hmm. I can promise at least the “BASS” tips are not correct because shallow fit, wide bore, flimsy flange…
does not translate to more bass. Perhaps they could’ve named these the “Treble” tips. I’m thinking they got that backwards. I’ve been in this game quite a long time and tip rolling is one of the most important aspects of my journey. I can tell you straight up that wide bore, flimsy flange, shallow fit and flimsy stem don’t add up to bigger bass… Usually. Just for clarification I checked multiple times and most certainly the bass is bigger in the 07 style tips that they offer. A punchier & deliberate bass can be felt with a touch more gusto.
Nice Tips!
Now, the KBear 07 or BGVP 07 tips will help in the mids to upper mids as well by bringing the midrange a hair more forward, so I could see them calling these “Vocal” tips I suppose. However, that isn’t all that they do. The 07’s will add a crisp punch to the bass region and in some cases add emphasis down low. Still, very nice tips that are very useful. This is in no way a complaint. In fact, I applaud BGVP for offering as much as they do and for the quality that they provided at this price. I happily used the KBear 07 style tips and believe they bring out the best in the P05 for my tastes, as far as the included tips are concerned anyways.
Cable
The included cable is an MMCX, 3.5 single ended white (almost opaque) colored two strand 6N OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) Silver-plated cable with multiple layers of shielding. The included cable is very slim, very light, and very easy to work with. This is not some fat, heavy and thick cable, which I assume was done on purpose. The P05 are extremely light and so they needed an extremely light cable that won’t pull on the P05. Also, since this set can be worn “cable-down” as well as “over-ear” I do believe it was a strategic cable addition. Honestly, it’s a decent cable. For any single ended usage, it’s perfect. Despite that, for use with any of my balanced sources I did swap cables for the
KBear 8-Core Silver Plated Copper cable cable which you can see pictured in some of my shots. Really it is a perfect cable for these purposes. I’m an over-ear guy.
The included cable is not microphonic as I don’t hear the cable rubbing on my shirt. I enjoy that the cable that BGVP provides will also very easily wrap up and not become a spiderweb of cable mess the second I take my hand off of it. These are the small things that I really appreciate friends. So, the included cable serves its purpose and does so strategically. You won’t even feel this thing.
Build / Design / Internals / Fit
Build Quality
The P05 reminds me of a few sets, namely some from the Tin Hifi series like the
TinHifi T2,
TinHifi T2 DLC (in fact it’s almost identical minus the filters) and so on. Shaped very similar to those the P05 is a tiny set which is built from front to back out of CNC machined aviation-grade aluminum alloy. Thus, this set is ultra-light! Weighing in at only 3.4 grams the P05 truly is feather lite. However, because of the material this also means that the P05 is very durable, which can be easily visualized and felt when they are in hand. The P05 has a cylindrical body and acoustic cavity and a very nicely shaped build made by way of machining, polishing, sandblasting, oxidizing and fine carving. The entire body is built very well and for the price is one of the better builds out there.
Two ways to wear em’
I realize I just spoke on this, but it bares repeating… one nice benefit to the build is that you can wear the P05 either straight down or over the ear. The Tin Hifi T2 and a couple others could also be worn both ways which is nice depending on how you like to listen. Like I said, I tried both ways, but I will always like the feel of the cable over my ear and a snug fit. That’s just me though, I’m sure some of you like the ability to wear straight down.
Design
I am a sucker for a set like this. So small yet so intricately designed. Straight modern angles, 90°, 45°, and clean looking. Personally, I feel the P05 is a freaking DOPE looking set! No question about it! The cylindrical look, the filters on both sides, the ultra-simple yet sleek look is so understated yet also such a class act. I love something that appears undecorated, unadorned, unpretentious and un-elaborate while at the exact same time is slick with trendy lines and a fresh-looking swagger. Did I go too far? Eh, who cares? I like what I like. The P05 was created well and yes, the design resembles some other great sets to a slight degree but if it’s good… It’s good.
Delicate & Exquisite Design:–
BGVP has crafted the P05 IEMs with exquisite craftsmanship. It has high-quality 6-series aviation-grade aluminum alloy material. The pair has a cylindrical cavity shape which is made using a high-precision CNC machining process. It is built through complex technologies such as polishing, sandblasting, oxidation, and fine carving. The resulting look and finish of the pair are simply exquisite.
BGVP Promotional
Internals
BGVP chose upon a patented 10mm single Dynamic Driver with a PU+Ceramic Diaphragm inside this cylindrical acoustic cavity. The internal acoustic properties which BGVP adopted are referred to as a sound loop system. It is a simplistic design as far as tech is concerned yet pretty complex in construction. As you can see in the pictures the acoustic cavity is designed to be offset by the filter system. I think it’s a cool design and I love the thought and care that went into it.
Tuning Filters
I will be brief in my explanations about these sound filters. To be completely honest, sound filters are usually a reviewer’s worst friend as they make the review process that much longer and more arduous. Especially for those of us who love to write our reviews. So, I’ll keep it simple which is probably the best way to go about it.
Anyways, BGVP decided upon two sets of Nozzle filters which they call “front cavity tuning tubes” as well as two sets of rear vent filters that are labeled “rear cavity tuning tubes”. Now, BGVP gives you two designed tuning methods involving both the front and rear filters. One tuning scheme is called the “Equalization Filter” using the red rear vent filter and the gold nozzle filter. The other tuning scheme is labeled the “Bass Filter” which uses the silver rear vent and the silver front nozzle. Leave it up to me to go with something entirely different for this review as I primarily used the silver rear filter and the gold nozzle filter. I just think this will give you the best sound, but I’ll let you decide what is best for you.
Silver Rear-Silver Front
Using this method will give you the warmest sound of all. The bass is lifted, and the treble is less emphasized. Please don’t confuse this with basshead because it surely isn’t. It is the bassiest the P05 can get using the included methods. Add in some narrow bore tips with a firm stem and you’ll get a decent bass from it. However, I digress, this setup isn’t bad, but I don’t get the air up top I personally enjoy. I’m sure many will like this setup as most definitely there is a sub-bass biased lift down low and honestly there is still enough air and treble energy for a nice sounding earphone.
Red Rear-Silver Front
This is the least energetic style of listening of the bunch. You’ll hear a reduced bass region and a reduced treble region for probably the most balanced approach on paper. I don’t think that translates in real world listening though. Still a nice sound yet just a bit more relaxed I’d say. The bass really doesn’t have that firm boom to it with this setup and the highs are pretty tame. Not my favorite.
Red Rear-Gold Front
This combination of filters will provide the most treble lifted sound of them all. Again, not my favorite. However, when I was listening, I was trying to decide if I’d like each sound if I couldn’t swap filters and each was a stick tuning. I still think you get a very clean sound with great detail retrieval with this setup. The bass lacks punch and boom and there is much less warmth with this setup. The sound is at its thinnest with this arrangement too. So, to answer my own quarry I would not enjoy a set with this combo. I’m not you though and possibly you’d love it.
Silver Rear-Gold Front
This was the last combo that when I checked it out easily became my favorite of the bunch. What I like about this arrangement is that you get that bass end lift and boom with a nice punch and some good warmth. You also get the rise up top which adds needed levity to the sound for some decent air and technical abilities. This also happens to be the most V-shaped of the bunch, but I still probably wouldn’t call this set V-shaped if I were to label the sound. I just think this setup gives you the best energy, although the mids are slightly further back. Still, the mids aren’t very much recessed as it is so I’m not losing much. This setup happens to be what I used conducting my review.
So, there you go; my generalized and very condensed tell on what the filter combinations will give you. I think BGVP did a nice job of creating a filter system which isn’t just a gimmick or a marketing tactic. As you can see the sound does change quite a lot. I wouldn’t say you are getting four different earphones in one, but you are at least “almost” getting two slight variations of two different earphones. Great job on this one BGVP!
Graph courtesy of Ian Fann, thank you very much!
The P05 attached to the Moondrop Dawn is a nice combo.
Drivability
I realize these sections are probably of no use to most people reading but I add this section in to hopefully give someone a gauge on how the P05 or any set in any of my reviews will react to different gear. I purposely use differently tuned and totally different gear (if I can) to the extent that I can. In the case of the P05 I honestly don’t think it matters as much what type of gear you use as the tuning is one that adapts well to most sources. The sound isn’t hyper energetic, it’s pretty well dynamically balanced and closer to neutral than not. There’re no exaggerated and undue peaks up top that a warmer and lusher source could help with. The only thing that I think would make a pretty nice difference is if the source you use had a titch more low-end presence or coloration.
Fairly sensitive
The P05 is rated at 34 ohms and a sensitivity of 105 db’s which makes them fairly easy to drive. However, if I’m comparing it to something like the Simgot EA500 for example, the P05 takes more power and actual volume steps to bringing it to volume. Or take something like the EPZ Q5 which jumps to volume a hair easier. It doesn’t require a ton
more power than other sets in its price range, just a hair more. Still, it’s easy to see that the P05 scales both to the power of a unit as well as the auditory ability of a unit. Can it be used with underpowered sources? Ya sure. I can tell you this, I didn’t like it with my iPad, but I was able to get good volume with it. I’m assuming most of you have a dongle dac at the least and most any of those will likely drive the P05 just fine, I’m sure. At this price point you will usually see iems which can be effectively driven with weaker sources.
Mobile listening
Using the
IFi Go Blu with 4.4 balanced was a treat as I was able to use the bass boost function (I know, I know it’s cheating). Yet even without the P05 sounded great paired with its
CS43131 dac and nice amp section. The
Hidizs S9 Pro actually was the best of my dongles in my opinion with the P05. The way it reacted with the S9 Pro’s
ESS9038Q2M chip and resolving overall sound worked great and synergized nicely. The
Moondrop Dawn 4.4 was also pretty nice, but I simply think the S9 Pro has a bit more energy down low for the P05. I used a few other dongle dacs (Fiio KA3, Shanling UA2 etc.) that I have at my disposal, but no others made sense to report on.
Daps
Moving onto my Dap situation and something with more raw power and a higher fidelity source I used both the
iBasso DX240 which carries a beast of a dac hip in the
ES9038Pro and the
Shanling M6 Ultra which also has a flagship dac in the
AK4493SEQ chip. I realize much more goes into the sound other than dac chips but it’s nice to have some references to tonality and pedigree, so to speak. Anyways, the DX240 and the M6 Ultra performed very well. However, of the two I like the M6 Ultra a bit more paired with the P05. I just feel the warm resolve of the M6 Ultra synergized better. Not to take away anything from the DX240 as it is amazing for the price.
In the end all you truly NEED is a simple dongle dac of decent power ratings. Nothing crazy. I would assume most folks in the hobby who are considering something like the P05 probably have some sort of a source better than a simple smartphone. Still, if a phone is all you have, the P05 can be driven fairly well. BGVP did a nice job on this set and most anyone can enjoy it.
A great combo, the P05 with the Shanling M6 Ultra using a KBear SPC Balanced cable
Sound Impressions
The P05 is one of those sets which are all about cleanliness. The sound is polished for under $50 and very close to what I would call “Natural”. Despite that, it’s also not the most
dynamic in presentation. Don’t expect a beefy V-shaped dynamo like you usually see at this price. Instead, the P05 is a pretty well balanced iem with good resolve for the price and a decent technical ability. I think the greatest benefit of the P05’s tuning lies in its tonality. There’s an engaging and organic quality to this iem. Not ultra vivacious, but in the same breath not at all flat or dull either. Tonally the P05 is closer to neutral (than anything else) without a lot of tonal coloration to the sound. Perhaps you could say warm/neutral as well. I would call the P05 a product of the “Harman era”, yet with slight variations due to the filter situation that you go with.
Between the 20’s- quick overview…
What we have is quality over quantity as far as the bass is concerned. This is not even scratching the surface of basshead territory. It’s relatively tight, decently fast in transient response and moderately boosted with a decent punch to it. The midrange is not too recessed with males sitting a tinge behind females. I hear a nicely melodic sounding midrange. Also decently detailed as well. The treble is safe in my opinion, but it still has okay treble presence. There’s enough treble rise to elevate the spectrum and add some good levity throughout. Technically the P05 is better off than many in its price point as details are fairly easy to discern. Imaging is also very good.
Bass Region
Starting off with the low-end, the P05 is not a set that is going to really give bassheads the time of their lives. At the very most the P05 is moderately emphasized and has decent extension. Using the “silver-rear/gold-front” filter combo you can achieve an adequate thump and punch down low for most hobbyists. Using the “silver-rear/silver-front” combo will yield the bassiest sound of all due to raising of the sub-bass and the lowering of the upper-mid/lower-treble area. However, I’m speaking of the silver/gold arrangement which suited my tastes the best. With this combo I am actually quite satisfied with the bass activity as it really is a quality bass for the price. It’s snappiness over boom and speed over rumble. If a track has a bigger bass element, then the P05 can rise to the occasion and represent pretty well but won’t color the sound at all.
Sub-bass
The sub-bass is actually pretty well extended into the lowest of lows in the silver-gold setup. There is some haptic feel to the sound listening to the track “
Groove” by
Ray Wylie Hubbard (a track I reference often in reviews) and kinda proves that what you feed the P05, it’ll try to emulate. “
Abracadabra” by
Young Thug was another surprise as there is some decent tactility, texture and rumble. Again, not the beefiest, but also… it doesn’t have to be. Not everyone wants some obese low-end activity. Some folks want to enjoy a tightly controlled bass which can use its agility to
“dance” through some of the more complex bass arrangements or boom
only when needed. I perceive a semi-tight transient attack from the leading edge through sustain for the most part. It certainly isn’t a slow bass. Note definition comes across fairly dense and compact yet with the faintest of fuzziness at note outlines down low. It sounds nice folks.
Mid-bass
The mid-bass shares around the same emphasis but comes across less exuberant to the ear. What the mid-bass is able to do is come and go pretty quickly without clogging up the mix. You have almost no detrimental spill over into the midrange and really nice timbre in this region. Macro-details are very easy to detect and perceive. “
Talk’N That crap!” is a flat-out BANGER from
Killer Mike which shows off his effortless flow and this track absolutely requires at least moderate levels on plangent slam. While I wouldn’t say the P05 “KILLS IT”, I will say that the P05 does the song decent justice. However, this is only referring to rumble and boom. If we get into actual bass skill, nimbleness, dexterity and finesse in a budget single DD form than we’d have to look at other tracks…
Mid-bass cont…
In comes the track “
Dumdrum” by
Django Django. There is a multitude of different bass slaps and bumps that move along at a very quick pace. What I love about the P05 is its ability to actually attack-decay-sustain with a nicely crisp and palpable leading edge, decent body and then release and move on, all the while two other beats are in the process of doing the same thing. Multiple basslines are no problem at all for the P05 and speed seems like it isn’t a concern. Let’s put it this way, the P05 has a more timberally accurate and organic bass than any BA set in this price range by far, yet the P05 speeds along with the same relative speed. Remember I’m talking about a $45 iem here so please keep your expectations in check.
Downsides to the bass region
If I were to speak on some issues or subjective gripes; the most glaring issue would likely be the
quantity of bass… for some hobbyists anyways. I imagine that some folks would want more of an emphasis in this region. Bass guitar doesn’t have that plump and guttural growl that we like all the time (depending on recording), kick drums fall a hair flat, bass singers come across a hint artificial without a very sonorous bass backing up the body of their notes. These are simply subtle nitpicks that added bass quantity would likely accommodate. Now, it truly isn’t as drastic as I think I’ve let on to but the P05 is a hint lite in this region. Certainly not basshead, in fact the P05 doesn’t even sniff Bass-Boi levels. In the end I would like to see some added warmth for the midrange, which is somewhat lacking, but I’ll cover that next. All things considered, the low-end is quite nice and very clean, very resolute, nicely detailed and able to keep up with most any complicated bass tracks.
Midrange
The midrange is one which has good timbre qualities yet come across a hint thin, especially in the upper midrange. However, this is not completely indicative of the mids as a whole. Truthfully BGVP did a nice job with this set as male and female vocalists aren’t too recessed for my liking and actually are quite pleasant to my ears. The P05 isn’t the most musical of iems yet at the same time they can really carry a nice tune. They are still melodic for what they are and the price they are being sold for. Also, the mids have good detail retrieval and good separation listening to non-complicated tracks. Imaging is also spot-on in this region to my ears.
Lower-midrange
Male vocals are neither thin nor thick and kind of dance in the middle somewhere. Thus, they aren’t bad at all. Actually, a number of male vocalists sound really nice with the P05. “
Flying Over Water” by
Jason Isbell is a perfect voice for this set as his voice doesn’t need that richness of a warm replay. Some males however like
Foy Vance in “
Time Stand Still” almost sounds a bit hollow in presence. He has a bit of a gravelly texture to his voice which comes through great, but you lack the body to his voice. So, texture doesn’t lack at all in this area of the mix but if there was just a bit more warmth it’d be great. Of course, these issues are few and far in between as 85% of all males I listened to sounds fantastic. They sound resolving and crisp and pretty mellifluous.
Upper-Midrange
The upper parts of the midrange are certainly more forward than the lower parts. Females come across pretty even keeled with a nice amount of vivaciousness. I hear very nicely composed tunefulness of female vocalists listening with the P05. Honestly, females usually sound beautiful with this set. Take the track “
How Long Will I Love You” by
Ellie Goulding. I mean,
good Lawd she sounds wonderful on the P05. Such a sweet and melodious song deserves a set that can adequately replay it. In comes the P05. The inflection in her voice is so honeyed on the P05 as nothing is overdone, no real coloration to exaggerate the delicate serenading this woman is doing on this track. Females don’t have the most robust body to them but the flowery sound more than makes up for that.
Quick cap: Midrange Instruments
Instruments in the midrange can come across just a bit unnaturally as far as the structure or the body of notes at times. However, tonally the P05 is spot on and closer to organic than they aren’t. The harmonics which come from strings mostly sound really nice though the initial fundamental note may be a bit dull. This is squarely subjective as I can guarantee most folks will never even pay attention to it. Percussion has snappiness and punch. Drums have a nice and hollowed kick with a wetted edge. Cymbals have enough vibrance to carry a well rendered “chisk” without coming across recessed, attenuated or too flat. Piano is also a hint thin for me in some areas of the mix. This thinness mostly shows up closer to the low-mids. All other instruments sound well separated, airy, and clean.
Downsides to the Midrange
The issues in the midrange aren’t actually issues at all but more like subjective preferences which don’t perfectly align. As far as the actual sound there isn’t anything to complain about. Subjectively I’d like a bit more body in the mids. I could use more warmth which would really help this set to sound very natural. As it is they have a hint of artificial timbre in some areas. Of course, name me the sets that don’t in this price range. There is some slight sibilance in some prone tracks but not even close to the point that I’d label it a “con”. What you don’t get is any glare or shoutiness at all as the pinna gain has a decent rise and there are no negative peaks in the treble that would affect the midrange in this respect. Also, the mids are well detailed, clean but not sterile, musical enough to sound songfull and mellifluous. All things considered the mids are nice to my ears.
Treble Region
The treble is a bit laid back and won’t exactly bring the treble heads out of the woodwork. You won’t hear an ultra-emphasized treble region but don’t confuse that with bad or un-emphasized. The P05 still has enough of a lift to properly represent a nice balance across the mix. There isn’t that ultra-airiness & separation that I like to hear but they are musical, and they do carry nice overtones and tone color up top. Certainly, they aren’t dark, they aren’t flat, and they definitely aren’t peaky either. No saw blades here. You won’t hear a very punchy treble and the treble does lack some of that enticing treble bite. However, the most important thing is that the treble is coherent and uplifted against the rest of the frequency. I actually like the tuning here. It won’t win any awards for its treble energy & detail but in a blown-up view of the tuning as a whole… the treble is good at under $50.
Decent Details
I hear average to slightly above average detail retrieval up top with a smoother overall body to notes. There is some crispness but that is mainly an artifact of certain recordings. Mostly the treble remains smooth and probably not as separated as some would like. On more congested tracks there is a hint of blending of sounds up top. However, on less complicated songs the P05 actually is able to bring out some of the subtleties in my music, or some of the finer details. It really all depends on how complex the song is and the quality of the recording.
Solid at its price
Listening to
Billy Strings in “
Secrets” the P05 actually does a nice job of keeping up with the breakneck banjo play of this band. It nails the timbre and musicality of this track too.
Technically there are a handful of sets that may perform a bit better in the price point. Maybe? Be that as it may…
for me… “timbre and tone”
trumps “technicalities” every day of the week. The beauty of the P05 is how everything comes together as a whole. The treble in and of itself isn’t anything that will blow your mind, but step back and look at the treble placed alongside the rest of the mix.
Downsides of the treble region
The downsides have pretty much been laid out already, but I’ll remind you… There is an emphasis in the treble, but simply not enough crisp bite to add to treble note definition. Also, it isn’t the most separated treble region I’ve ever heard, but still good in the overall picture.
Understand, I usually wouldn’t even bring some of this stuff up, but I do believe the P05 is a very well-tuned iem at its price point and has the potential to be a top 3 under $50. The truth is, most iems in this price segment do the exact same thing and all struggle in similar ways. They are under $50 iems! It’s a give-and-take situation my friends. Still, if you are looking to purchase a set in this price region I wouldn’t get hung up on these slight drawbacks because the P05 is a very well done iem.
The BGVP P05 using a KBear SPC Balanced cable
Technicalities
Soundstage
The stage size is about average all the way around. There isn’t anything at all claustrophobic or congested about the stage size and the stage mostly is pretty well separated. I don’t have anything bad to report here but also nothing stands out as “Grand” in size. The stage is what you should expect… It’s good, it’s average & it’s appropriate to the music. There’s average width left to right, average height and there’s some depth too. It helps that the sound is more balanced and not as bass dominant in this regard because the sound isn’t as thick and congested as it possibly could be. I think the stage size is just fine and without anything to really complain about.
Separation / Imaging
The BGVP P05 is odd, in that different areas of the mix render slightly different results for me. As far as separation is concerned anyways. I feel the bass and midrange sound a bit more distinct and delineated between elements of the stage. Not that the treble is an issue, but it may not be as defined as the other regions. Imaging is very nice. I feel left to right is easy to pick apart individual Instruments providing the song isn’t too complex. I do have many complicated tracks in my “congested” Playlist that the P05 fares pretty well with, but when you have a lot of commotion going on things begin to smear a bit. Anything other than that is great. Layering is about average, not bad but not earth shattering.
Detail retrieval
I’ve pretty much already beaten the details category to death in this review, but I’ll dive in once more. The detail retrieval is not a glowing “pro” of the P05’s auditory game but it certainly isn’t a “con” either. I found the bass to illuminate nice macro-details and the midrange does have a well detailed sound, both in the macro sense and when you look at the finer stuff in a track too. The sound is very well balanced and so naturally this is a benefit for detail emergence. The sound has nice resolution with good note definition in most areas and the stage isn’t cramped. That is a good recipe for some decent details. This won’t blow your mind but for the price the P05 can extract the minutiae very well.
Is it worth the asking price?
This question can usually go one of two ways. Like any set. The answer will always depend on your personal opinions and in this case “my” personal opinion is what I will be exploring. Furthermore, I do need to preface this section by also stating that the P05 will not be for everyone. Anyone who needs a thick and hearty rumble that warms surrounding frequencies will want to look elsewhere. Those who desire a set with energetic and full macro-dynamics and good extension both ways may want to keep looking elsewhere. For those of you who love a sprightly and detailed, crisp and punchy treble with good haptic feel to it will want to keep looking. You may be asking, “well what’s left”? I would answer you… “Quite alot actually”!
The Why…
The P05 has a lot going for it. I mean, look at it. If there already wasn’t a multitude of TinHifi iems with the same basic body style & structure, then the P05 would be one of the more unique sets in the price point. One thing is clear, it is certainly one of the best
built iems, with one of the most complicated acoustic cavities and also… This set has both nozzle
and vent filters!!
That’s bonkers!! What other audio brand is that much of an
overachiever at $45!? The design language is slick and modern, and everything works as intended. Sonically the filters actually effect
some change and do so very well. The build, look, and functionality is all closer to “top class” in the price point in my opinion and I say that without breaking a sweat.
Where the real money’s at…
The place where the P05 earns its salt is in its ability to reproduce my music. Who’da’ thunk it? I love a nicely balanced set, and this is the P05’s calling card. I also adore an iem that has good natural air and separation between instruments as well as good timbre. Again, the P05 nails it. In fact, timbre and tonality are likely its greatest asset and feature. Never mind the filter trickery… It’s all about the music. I really enjoy a clean sound as the P05 is a great change of pace type set for any collection. Especially against some of the warmer, bassier sets that we see so often anymore.
Let’s face it though, there are plenty of good to great iems in this price point and it isn’t some open-shut case with where the P05 stands against the competition. However, the question is whether the BGVP P05 is worth the $45 that they are asking for. Friends, please hear me, if what I’ve described sounds appealing to you; this set is an absolute no brainer at the price. Unless of course you need, want, and desire a heavy bass region or a super airy and bright treble. Those are the only caveats that I can tally. And honestly the treble is actually pretty darn good. Truly BGVP did a phenomenal job in the craftsmanship, design and the tuning of the P05. Of course, it’s worth the asking price.
Competition
The question you have to ask yourself is if the P05 is worth it next to some other sets that are true bangers in the relative price point. Sets like the
Reecho SG-01 Ova,
Simgot EW200 (
Mahir’s EW200 Review HERE),
Tin Hifi T2 DLC (
Mahir’s T2 DLC Review HERE),
EPZ Q5 (
Q5 Review HERE),
KZ X-HBB PR2 (
PR2 Review HERE),
KZ Duo (
Duo Review HERE),
Kiwi Ears Cadenza (
Cadenza Review HERE)
QOA Gimlet (
Gimlet Review HERE)
Fiio FD11,
Fiio FH11 (I’ve yet to listen to the FH11) among many others. There are many many more not mentioned. Let’s also not forget about those sets which cost just a little bit more too. So, the competition is fierce and audio brands really have to have their fingers on the pulse of the community. They also need to really
listen to hobbyists to compete anymore. Take the feedback and get better.
Especially between $35 to $55! However, in the grand scheme of things, there isn’t a lot the P05 does wrong, and it has all the other intangibles to be a great set. 100% worth every penny. Nice work BGVP!
Ratings (0-10)
Note: all ratings are based upon my subjective judgment. These ratings are garnered against either similarly priced sets or with similar driver implementations or styles with the unique parameters of my choosing. In the case of the BGVP P05 ratings below, that would be $35-$55 iems of any driver configuration. Please remember that “ratings” don’t tell the whole story. This leaves out nuance and a number of other qualities which make an iem what it is. A “5” is exactly average and please take into consideration the “lot” of iems these ratings are gathered against. $35-$55 US is a decent sized scope of iems and so seeing a 9 should probably be pretty special. My ratings are never the same and each set of ratings tells a different story. Each time you read one of my ratings it will be unique to that review. Basically, I create a Rating that makes sense to me.
Aesthetic
-Build Quality: 9.4
-Look: 9.2
-Accessories: 9.2
–Overall: 9.3
Sound Rating
-Timbre: 9.7 The timbre and tonality are fantastic.
-Bass: 7.4 It just needs a hair more in quantity, otherwise great!
-Midrange: 9.5 The mids are nice on this set.
-Treble: 7.0 Sounds great but could be a bit more polished.
-Technicalities: 9.4 Technicalities are well done for $45
–
Overall: 8.6
Ratings Summary:
Looking at the ratings above I’m sure there are a few areas that would behoove me to explain myself a bit. The first is the bass region. I gave the P05 a score of “7.4” against
any and all iems ranging from $35 to $55. Is that fair? I went about the “Bass Rating” taking the unexceptional
quantity of the P05 bass into account, rather than simply Rating the P05 bass on its
quality alone. As it were, I kind of “fused” the two disciplines. It’s the “quality over quantity” or vice-versa. Take every set I listed earlier into account and about ten others and that is the real pool of iems I’m considering. Remember this is all my own opinion based off sets that I’ve actually spent enough time with to even have an opinion.
Summary cont…
However, you shake it “7.4” is pretty damn good considering all the other sets in that range. Anyways, if I simply graded the P05 on bass quality without any regard for the quantity or how that impacts every other frequency then I would likely give it around an “8.5 to 9.0″ish. There are about four other sets that carry better quality in my humble opinion. I’m telling you it’s an arduous process considering all that is out there, to give up an honest account of how I feel. Ratings are not fun.
Next would probably be the treble category. Some may feel a “7.7” is a bit high due to the fact that it isn’t the most detailed treble, and it doesn’t have that nice treble punch and bite all the time. Being that a “5” is average. However, to me the P05’s treble is actually quite musical and just sounds… good. I would never go higher than a “7.7” as that is actually a very good score. Now that my mindless babble is over, I feel my overall scores are spot on because I’ve argued with myself for way too long over them. I truly feel that between all sets from $35 to $55 the P05 is every bit of the “8.7” sound Rating that I gave it, if not better.
Conclusion
To conclude my review of the BGVP P05 I have to say that I really enjoy this set. It grew on me over the course of the last month. If any of you are looking for a set in the price range, I really don’t think you can go wrong with the P05. It truly is a great iem for the price. I want to thank the good people of HiFiGo for providing the P05 in exchange for a full review and feature at Mobileaudiophile.com.
Hifigo has been a constant place to find items within the hobby and they are as professional as it gets as far as company reps are concerned and really make the entire process very easy. So again, thank you.
Friends, please take in other thoughts about the P05 prior to purchase. Not that I don’t trust my own opinion but because it is just that… an opinion. Subjective objectivity. Also, we are all different and this ranges from music taste, gear, auditory preferences, even our hearing abilities may differ. So please do yourself a favor and check out other thoughts about this set. I do have to also add one of my partners, Pietro, reviewed this set at the website already as well and you can see his full review
HERE. Thanks for reading folks, I hope it helps. Take care, stay safe and God Bless.
I wish more people came across this iem.
