BGVP DH5

Disclaimer:

DH5 has been sent by BGVP in exchange for my honest opinions. The following review is a summary of my subjective thoughts and listening experience.



The First-ever BGVP that I experienced was the DM6, which I loved very much, then came DM7, again a good product, DN2 (a controversial iem at the time), and now DH5. This one has a hybrid setup with 4 BA plus 1 DD. On paper, the setup is good enough, but in the real world, how good is it?



Technical Specifications and Features:

• Powerful five-driver hybrid configuration.
• 10mm beryllium-plated diaphragm dynamic driver unit.
• Four high-performance Balanced Armature drivers(2 from Knowles+2 custom BA units).
• Three-way frequency distribution for distortion-free, clean sound reproduction.
• 3D-printed medical-grade resin ear shells.
• Wooden face covers.
• High-purity 6N silver-plated OCC cable.
• Impedance: 19 ohm.
• Sensitivity: 119dB/mW.
• Standard 2-pin 0.78mm connectors.
• Frequency response range: 10Hz-40kHz.
• THD+N: ≤0.5%.
• Rated power: 8mW.

Build and Fit:

The resin-built shells are lightweight and sturdy. The fit was good for me and the isolation was OK.



Sound Impressions:

Lows:

Test Tracks:

• Raavan by Amit Trivedi (
  )
• Little Little From Atrangi Re (
  )
• Srivalli From Puspha – The Rise (
  )
• Tha Kar Ke From Golmaal Returns (
  )
• Bheega Bheega From Chocolate (
  )

So…the 10mm Beryllium Driver is responsible for the lows in DH5 and sadly, the lows aren't what I expected. I am not sure why, but the Beryllium driver is not tuned like one. The last BE driver that I heard was Kbear Believe and that was impressive.

Track 1 is full of hard-hitting Bass and the DH5 is unable to catch up with it. DH5 sounds hollow on this one. No Sub-bass, the decay is slow and the punch lacks the energy.

Track 2 current favorite these days and the same continues here. The mid-bass has the same feel as the sub-bass. I am not sure what tuning has been the target here. No Rumble at the near end of the tacks when the dhol comes into the play.

Tracks 3,4 and 5 have the same story.



Mids:

Test Tracks:

• Ek Taraf Uska Ghar By Pankaj Udhas (
  )
• Chandi Jaisa Rang (Live In India, 1984) By Pankaj Udhas (
  )
• Tu Nahin To Zindagi Me Aur kya By Chitra Singh (
  )
• Zindagi Jab Bhi From Umrao Jaan (
  )
• Aye-Dil-E-Nadan, PT 1 From Razia Sultan (
  )

Now… After Lows, comes the Mids. I felt these were muzzled and muddy. Vocals take backstage for me. The imaging is sub-par and Separation is also average. The whole tonality is weird and the natural tone which I look for in an iem, is missing on DH5. Micro-dynamics is also not here.

Mids, overall, have a weird tuning. They sometimes sound clear and sometimes, they are muzzled. The Bas responsible for the Mids are totally missing the point.



Highs:

Test Tracks:

Highs have energy present and so far the only good thing for me has been the highs…The extensions are enough. However, that is the only thing that is good. There was a lot more that DH5 could have accomplished.



Conclusions:

In 75$ range, I will pick TinHifi t3 Plus, or HZ Sound Heartmirror as they have a lot better things to offer despite them being a Single DD-based IEM.

BGVP Acoustics is a well-recognized brand from China. They specialize in HiFi In-Ear Monitors with multiple successful models such as DM6, DN3, and more. Quite recently they released their five driver hybrid IEM in the affordable price segment(Under 100$), called the BGVP DH5. DH5 is said to feature a 10mm BE plated dynamic driver with four BA units(2 from Knowles and 2 Custom-tuned). The drivers are arranged in a three-way frequency crossover. The pair features 3D-printed resin cavities with wooden face covers. I got the DH5 for audition courtesy of a review tour being organized in my country by BGVP. I have spent the past few days exploring the sound of DH5 with a variety of sources and music. Today, I am going to share my impressions on the same, so without any further ado, let’s begin.

Disclaimer:-

I got the pair for an audition for about 10 days as a part of the review tour organized by BGVP. I will be 100% honest in my impressions of the same. If you are interested you can purchase the BGVP DH5 from HiFiGo from the link below.

Unboxing & Accessories:-

BGVP has featured a designer-looking slip-on cover over a plain black cardboard box for the DH5. The slip-on cover has the BGVP DH5 branding logo printed right on the front along with the Knowles logo and Hi-Res sticker. On the backside we have the technical specifications of the pair printed in English and Chinese languages. The contents are placed inside the black box right under this slip-on. There are six pairs of silicone ear tips, one pair of memory foam ear tips, one carry case, and a cleaning brush in the package. Quite commendable to BGVP for offering so many accessories even for the budget earphones.

Package Contents:-

>One pair of BGVP DH5 IEMs.

>One two-pin cable with 3.5mm termination plug.

>Three pairs of Vocal ear tips.

>Three pairs of Bass ear tips.

>One pair of Memory foam ear tips.

>Cleaning brush.

>Zipper carry case.

>User guide and Warranty card.

Design & Build Quality:-

BGVP DH5 ear shells are made up of medical-grade resin material. They are translucent in nature and have designer faceplates. The faceplates have a unique design with small fragments of wood arranged in different colors. There’s also a shiny silver BGVP logo placed at the side of the faceplates. The cavities are quite light in weight, they are also small in size so they fit with them is quite good. I don’t find any issues in terms of fit with the DH5 though I have to use “L” type ear tips for proper isolation as the shell size is small(I usually use “M”). Overall I would say DH5 is a neatly designed set with solid resin shells. The stock cable looks well-built. It has a Rose Gold and White texture. The cable has 2-pin QDC connectors and a 3.5mm termination plug.

Driving The BGVP DH5:-

BGVP DH5 is quite a sensitive set with a low impedance rating of just 19Ω and high sensitivity of 119dB/mW. It runs great straight off a smartphone(Tested with my Redmi Note 10 Pro). I tested the pair with Redmi Note 10 Pro, Luxury & Precision W2, and HiBy RS6, I can assure you the pair is fairly easy to drive.

Sound Impressions:-

Tuning wise the DH5 is not a nicely tuned IEM I would say. It has a V-shape profile where bass and treble are elevated and mid-range takes a step backward. My previous interactions with BGVP have been with the DM6, DM7, DM8, and even the recently launched DN3, all these were amazing sounding IEMs but the DH5 has a strange tuning to it. Mid-bass sounds boosted, too boosted for my taste that I find it boomy in some tracks, Midrange is being overshadowed by the elevated mid-bass response. The treble region sometimes has a smooth inoffensive tone and then all of a sudden for cymbals and flutes it becomes sparkly.

Lower-end/Bass:-

As I mentioned above, the lower end has a main emphasis on the mid-bass region. The slams go deep, leaving an impact with every single beat in our music. Sub-bass presence can be felt but it is hidden under the punchy mid-bass response of the DH5. DH5’s lower end can be described as fast and punchy, with decent extensions.

Mid-range:-

In order to protect the output from muddiness caused by boomy lower end, the midrange takes a step back with a recessed V-shape presentation on the DH5. Vocals and acoustic instruments sound crisp with a warmer than neutral tone to them. Both the male and female vocals have a clean presentation with good clarity. Though my take here is that vocals sound too distant for my taste.

Treble:-

Treble presentation is elevated and detailed. The pair retrieves good details but with an added sense of sparkle and punch. Instruments such as Flutes, cymbals sound splashy, especially in the high notes. But the good part here is that the Treble rolls off quite early in the upper treble region presenting an inoffensive tuning for most of the tracks.

Soundstage & Dynamics:-

Soundstage with the DH5 has good width and height but average depth. Dynamics such as layering, imaging, spaciousness, are decent enough with the pair.

A Few Final Words:-

BGVP DH5 excels in build and accessories, the wooden fragments in the faceplates look extremely beautiful. But the tuning on DH5 needs improvements. If only the mid-bass was a little bit controlled the scenario for the DH5 would’ve been entirely different. Currently, most of the sound signature is being controlled by the powerful mid-bass response on the pair. Being a fan of the DM6, DM8, I think BGVP could tune the DH5 for a better experience for the users.

Intro​

Disclaimer: This review set is a demo lent to me as part of a Singapore review tour. This review is written on my own accord and all thoughts and opinions here are my own. For more reviews like this, do check out our website!

BGVP released a 5-driver hybrid at an eye-catching price of $75. This is a competitive price range, dominated mostly by single dynamic drivers at the moment. The DH5 features a combination of 2 Knowles and 2 Custom Balanced Armature Drivers, complemented by a Beryllium Alloy Dynamic Driver. Let’s see if BGVP can break into this competitive sub $100 bracket.

Accessories (Score: 8/10)​

I applaud BGVP’s consistency with providing a pleasant unboxing experience, with all the necessary accessories and more. I really like their zippered hard case and the selection of silicone tips (Bass and Vocal). While not of much importance to me, this is certainly a nice touch to anyone getting their first IEM.

​

Build Quality and Fit (Score: 8/10)​

The build and aesthetics of the DH5 are excellent for the price. It is relatively small-sized for its driver count and has a resin shelled. The cable is really pretty and well-built as well. Everything is looking promising so far. The faceplate sports a playful yet understated rainbow mosaic-like pattern.

The really like the fit. I didn’t get any driver flex and the buds are well-rounded and light, effectively disappearing in the ear once worn.

Sound (Score: 5.0/10)​

Sources

• Lotoo Paw S1
• Hiby R5

Music listened to

• NEEDTOBREATHE
• Greenday
• Joscho Stephan
• Linkin Park
• Akdong Musician
• Mumford & Sons
• Dyan – Looking for Knives

Bass
The bass quantity and quality are decent on the DH5. It has a tasteful punch and a natural decay so that the midbass isn’t too boomy. The amount of bass was just nice to give tunes a nice warmth without overdoing things, and I enjoyed the low end on Dyan’s Looking for Knives. There is little bleed and it was quite pleasant on the low end for what it’s worth.

Mids
Mids is really where the music’s soul is at and the DH5 just can’t seem to get it right. Tonality is wayyy off and everything sounds so nasal it’s as though it’s being resonated in a tin can. Vocals are once again nasal, especially female vocals. The presentation in the midrange is awkward as well, with instrumentals and vocals sounding warped with weird imaging.

Treble
Treble tonality is quite off although there is a decent amount of extension. The resonance of high hats, cymbals all sound like they’re being played from a tin can. I felt like there was potential as the highs extended well and wasn’t harsh or anything. A wasted potential at that.

Overall
It’s really quite a pity that the tonality of the DH5 is so off as it seems to have a good amount of detail retrieval and punch in the bass. However, the warp in tonality is so jarring it’s simply hard to enjoy music as it is. Soundstage is on the intimate side.

Conclusion​

The DH5 is pretty much of a lemon IEM to me as I find it hard to enjoy most of my music library on it. I don’t think anyone should have to pay US$75 and face such flaws in tonality. This was a project that should be sent back to the drawing board instead of being released. This is a timely reminder of how driver count does not equate to performance. If this was from a $10 IEM, maybe I would find this excusable due to the limitations of what one can achieve while keeping costs down. To those considering the DH5, I suggest sitting this one out.

Overall Grade: D​

Click HERE for our grading list for earphones

INTRODUCTION:

The BGVP, a big player in the chifi audio industry needs no introduction. The DM6 is their first legendary success product which delivered an amazing sound without using any DD’s which is quite impressive by the team. Now they have released the DH5 with a five driver configuration with a Be DD. Previously they were not able to make a noise with the Be Dynamic Driver with their DN3 and now to relive the project they have launched the DH5. In this review let's check out if they really stack up in the competition.



DISCLAIMER:

This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review by the BGVP and I have not been influenced by the brand to manipulate this review. The views are subjective since it varies from person to person based on the gears and sources used to test out.

SPECIFICATIONS:

>10mm beryllium-plated diaphragm dynamic driver unit.

>Four high-performance Balanced Armature drivers(2 from Knowles+2 custom BA units).

>Impedance: 19 ohm.

>Sensitivity: 119dB/mW.

>Standard 2-pin 0.78mm connectors.

>Frequency response range: 10Hz-40kHz.

>THD+N: ≤0.5%.

>Rated power: 8mW

DESIGN AND FIT:

The earpieces are completely made out of resin which is lightweight. The faceplate has a dark signature with some dark glitters. The side of the earpiece has a vent and the unusual thing is the qdc! Why not the simple 2 pin connection?!



The fit is average and even though they are quite small the noise isolation they provide is just mediocre. The cable they have provided is nice which has that premium look. They are 2 core braided and have that nice supple feel in the hands. The splitter and the termination area are metal plated.

The given eartips are good and do help in attaining the good fit and isolation.

SOUND:

The sound signature of the DH5 is very difficult to interpret since they are completely weird to me. They sound very open and have a very forward presentation. The low end and the treble are mostly pushed back hence the engagement and the energy just simply lacking in this set. In this review let’s dive into the complete sectioning of the audio.



LOW END:

BGVP says that they have used the Be driver in this but frankly this just doesn’t sound like a Be! The last model DN3 sounded the same Non-Be nature even though they had it. The same sound is followed in the DH5 too! The bass just doesn’t sound like what Be usually sounds.

SUB BASS: The sub bass feels completely lacking and bassheads beware of this earphone! The sub bass presence feels null and even in some bass heavy tracks with strong sub bass presence the DH5 fails to represent them. Both in terms of quantity and the quality they feel completely lacking.

MID BASS: Same as the sub bass but the presence can be felt slightly. The quality however is definitely underwhelming. The mid bass lacks the attack and the weight. The kick drums don't have that strong impact in the DH5 thus they sound very loose and broken.

The low end lacks the tightness, slam and weight. The attack is pretty fast and the clarity is fine since they don’t sound heavier. Since it lacks that rumble, stage presence and the slam they just feel lacklustre and null low end. The mid bass being very lean they don’t mingle with the mid range much hence in that regard they are not an issue.

Being a faster driver the low end feels lean and the presence feels negligible. Even though they can handle some faster tracks the impact that it creates is not worthy. Overall the low end is pretty disappointing and doesn’t prove that they have used a Be driver.

Tracks Used:

1. Bigfoot – MALFNKTION
2. Take It – Seige
3. Instant Crush – Daft Punk

MID RANGE:

The most weird part in the DH5 is the midrange. They felt very open and the forward presentation made it one of the most hazy and cloudy midranges I have ever heard. The openness is not in a controlled manner and in that regards a laidback presentation would have been better instead they have gone with the most forward positioning which made the whole presentation hazy and cloudy.

The tonality appears neutral but the positioning of the instruments and the vocals just doesn’t feel correct. The technicalities aspect in the midrange feels not the best and does the job. The detail retrieval is just mediocre. The guitar strings and the piano notes appear natural but as i said before, they lack the impact and the presence. The notes are very monotonous to hear and sometimes the too forward positioning of the vocals just pushes the instrumentals way backward.

Overall the midrange is just a weird tuning. The upper mids and the lower mids have that equal emphasis but still then the presentation and the tuning feels out of balance. The BA’s that they have implemented definitely don’t do the job here as per the plan it seems.

Tracks Used:

1. Perfect – Ed Sheeran
2. Every Little Thing – Eric Clapton
3. When you say nothing at all – Susan Wong

TREBLE:

The treble lacks the extension thus they sound not that exciting. Even though they have that brightness in the whole presentation still they lack that engaging and energetic experience. The separation and the airiness feel fine. The sibilance is kept under control. The lower treble emphasis is good but again the brilliance is not that nicely tuned out.

The shimmer and sparkle in the top end is just missing which makes this a dull sounding pair. When it comes to the technicalities they are not that great in terms of detail retrieval and clarity. The only good thing in the DH5 is that the very open sound which again is also a con where it pushed back the instrumentals very much backward.

Tracks Used:

1. Something Happened On The Way To Heaven – Phill Collins
2. Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
3. Jack Of Speed – Steely Dan

TECHNICALITIES:

STAGING: Weird.... The width and the depth are just mediocre while the height being the greatest. I don’t know why they are not symmetrical! Since the height being the largest they sound different. Everything appears coming up from the top and sometimes even feels claustrophobic. Overall not impressed a bit

IMAGING: Nothing fancy here. The pointing out of instruments is not that nice and easy. The thing is since the presentation is hazy the positioning of the instruments itself got messy. The transient response is lacking and the channel sweep is not good at all. Everything looks boxed out and in my frank opinion this is just disappointment in terms of technicalities.

Detail retrieval, resolution are just mediocre, nothing to brag about.

Tracks Used:

1. Hideaway – Jacob Collier
2. Hotel California – Eagles

VERDICT:

DH5, the latest offering from the BGVP, is mediocre in my opinion. The sound curve follows the same as that of the DN3 if not it's worse than that. I don’t know why BGVP is still sticking with the Be driver since the last product with that driver lost in the competition. Apart from the DM6,DMS and DMG most of the products tend to be a let down for me. Had a big hope for this product but again this is just a let down again. Even with the hybrid setup the DH5 just fails to deliver what they are meant to.

Talking about the sound, this definitely doesn’t have the character of a Be! The bass is just weightless, impactless, dull and loose. Literally they done have any soul or expression in them, just a dull and loose mid bass which has no liveliness in them (no slam). The mid range is completely weird where the positioning of the instruments is completely off and the whole presentation feels hazy and cloudy. The highs don't have that clarity and the brilliance instead they feel boring and lacklustre.

The only advantage I can see here is the Soundstage height which is definitely not symmetrical in relation to the depth and the width. Again if you are a fan of this kind of sound then this might be the pick for you and it's better to audition this unit before the purchase. Based on my experience this is a let down and I would pick the TIN T3 PLUS over this anyday and it's far better in all the aspects. The DH5 again shows that it's another STALE project from the house of BGVP.

Hello , I'm Ah Hui aka Mr Wong. I'm a K-pop fan and audiophile from Malaysia.

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to BGVP for lending me this review unit and giving me the opportunity to review the BGVP DH5 .
This is my second time reviewing a BGVP product .I am very excited as I have always wanted to try out different brands that I have yet to try. it sports a 1DD+4BA driver configuration, with 1 beryllium plated diaphragm , 2 BGVP 30042 BA , and 2 Knowles RAF 32873.

Details of Packaging :





Specification from BGVP official aliexpress store :
Frequency Response:10Hz-40kHz
Cable Length:1.2m±5%
Input Impedance：19Ω
Distortion Rate：≤0.5%(1kHz)
Sensitivity：≥119dB SPL/MW
Rated Power：8mW
Distorting ： Beryllium Alloys DD+4BA（Knowels+Custom Made）
Channel Difference：≤1dB
Standard accessories:
Storage box*1
Cleaning brush*1
Vocal Ear Tips S,M,L
Balanced Ear Tips S,M,L

PACKAGING
premium box , Inside consists of the IEM , accessories include a earphone pouch , operating manual ,warranty card 1 vocal eartips S,M,L and 1 balanced eartips S,M,L .

Comfort: Comfort is great. It fits securely in my ears and I dont feel any sort of fatigue after long hours .Isolation also decent !

Design : premium like design colourful faceplate . Typical Custom-like IEM design .

PRO:
punchy mid-bass , treble good clarity , soundstage deeper .

CONS:
Plasticky timbre

BASS:solid bass ,mid-bass is punchy and fast When I listen to OH MY GIRL - REMEMBER ME I can feel the sub bass fast and rumbly, mid-bass is punchy and thin However, I think the bass is good layered .

MIDS :Laid-back mids presentation with some unnatural mids timbre When i listen to JO YURI - GLASSY , I really enjoyed the good and laid back vocals here. You can feel the vocal of girls member is sweeter on the songs. However, timbre isn't the best as female vocals do sound a bit unnatural here. How about male vocal ? male vocal also decent without mid-bass bleeding ! it is laidback and well bodied. I very enjoyed the vocal presentation here when listen Weeekly - Butterfly .

HIGH : treble feels well extended with good clarity of treble . When I listen Pat Metheny - And I Love her I feel the treble is good clarity but with some unnatural timbre .

SOUNDSTAGE : it is wide and deep. When listening to Lovelyz - Rewind, I can feel the sense of space and the wide soundstage

IMAGING : i can pinpoint the instrument and the singer on stage .It has good stereo positioning. When I listen Modern Talking - Ribbons Of Blue, you can pinpoint the singer on your right ears and the instrument between your left and right ears .

Details : detail retrieval here is about decent. When I listen to some tracks, I can pick up on the micro-details .

Overall I think it's good treble clarity and good vocal presentation but I feel the timbre is unnatural .if you like some soundsignature like this I will recommend you . if not, you can just skip this

suggestion : exchange the eartips to BGVP VG4(vocal ear tips ) with good power DAP/AMP .

disclaimer : This review done by BGVP VG4 eartips and stock cable with Fiio X1 ii dap .

interesting to buy ?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003191573101.html

Disclaimer : The unit was sent by BGVP as a part of a review tour but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Build & Fit
Typical of resin shell earphones, the shells are practically weightless, even though they house 5 drivers inside each. Faceplate looks fancy with its (colored?) wood flecks. The build quality of the cable is very nice, paired with an uncommon intertwined peach and white weaving. Spec sheet says its a 6N OCC silver plated cable. Fit is also pretty typical of this shape of earphones i.e very nice. BGVP supplies their usual collection of nice quality tips which alter the sound significantly. I used the blue ones for listening.



Amp Needs
Very easy to power, it has a max rated power of only 8mW. Enjoy it off your phone directly. No need to scout the amp camp for this.



Sound Quality
Things get a bit dicey here. The tuning is going to be a hit or miss for buyers. It is a very polite, laid back and smooth sound. I like me-self a smooth sound but this kinda maybe sounds a bit...boring? I mean, it has a strong BA timbre about it. Which is to be expected (?) due to the 4BA inside? Yeah, you get a lot of texture in the sound but the transients are definitely smeared and overall image clarity seems to be rounded off significantly. This results in one good thing though : coherence. The bass, midrange and treble are stitched together seamlessly and there is no award kink in the spectrum, or some unusually boosted region sticking out like a sore thumb. But to me it feels like too much of a good thing? I would have liked harder hitting dynamics, a more vibrant and livelier presentation of sound. Timbre, apart from having the BA nature, is pretty much on point for the most point. Nothing really stands out in any way or form listening to these .It appears as if there is a translucent veil between you and the music. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the listener. People allergic to anything but a non-fatiguing smooth sound should most definitely shortlist this one. Usually BA designs have strong technicalities and the same is seen here in the DH5, good separation and layering.





Conclusion
The DH5 plays with a safe tuning, and the competition in this range is fierce. People who can only appreciate a smooth non-fatiguing sound will probably like the DH5, others will want more vibrancy and energy off its presentation.

Introduction:
BGVP is a company from China that produces portable audio gears including in-ear monitors and earbuds. They have released quite a lot of IEMs already with different driver configurations. The DH5 is the second product in their DH series of IEMs. The DH3 came with tuning switches, so it's surprising that BGVP decided to completely remove it now with the DH5. The DH5 currently retails for 85 USD, and The Philippine circle of reviewers received one unit of the DH5 provided by BGVP as a part of their international tour.

International purchase link

Specifications:
Driver units: 1 10 mm dynamic, beryllium diaphragm + 4 balanced armature (2 Knowles and 2 BGVP's custom BA)
Impedance: 19 ohms
Sensitivity: 119 dB
Frequency response range: 10 Hz - 40 kHz

Source:
Poco X3 paired with FiiO KA3, iBasso DC03, Shanling UA1, Tempotec Sonata E35 and Zishan U1

Test tracks:
Africano - Earth Wind and Fire
Dark Necessities - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Gurenge - Lisa
The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
Monsters - All Time Low
Ours - Taylor Swift
Stay - Mayday Parade
Snuff - Slipknot
Yesterday Once More - Carpenters
So Slow - Freestyle
Aurora Sunrise - Franco
Attention - Pentatonix
Blue Bird - Ikimono-gakari
You're Still The One - Shania Twain
Anyone Who Knows What Love Is(Will Understand) - Irma Thomas
Salamin - Slapshock
AOV - Slipknot
Hey Jude - The Beatles
The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson
...and a lot more.

Unboxing and Accessories:
The DH5 comes in a rather large sleeved box. Removing the sleeve and the lid will reveal the earphones inserted in a big block of dense foam. Right next to the DH5 are three sets of different eartips. 3 pairs of "vocal" eartips with a wider sized bore, 3 pairs of "bass" eartips with regular sized bore, and a single pair of memory foam tips. There is also a different eartip already attached to the DH5 with a shorter than normal stem. Below is the cloth carrying case that contains the cable with velcro strap and plastic plug cap, and a cleaning tool. There is also a small envelope that contains the warranty card, instruction manual, and other paperworks.

Build:
The shells are made of 3D-printed medical-grade translucent resin. The faceplates are decorated with small pieces wood in different colors, with the BGVP branding to the side. At the top of the shell, there is a large, oval shaped vent with a metal filter. At the side, right below the female 2 pin connectors, there is another smaller vent that is connected to the dynamic driver through a tube. And upon closer inspection, the balanced armature drivers have a tube as well going to the nozzle of the shell. The nozzles has a lip to hold eartips in place, with a recessed metal filter with elongated holes.

The cable is a twisted 2-core 6N OCC silver plated copper. It is on the thicker side and has some weight to it, while being moderately stiff. The angled 0.78 mm 2 pin connectors are made of plastic, while the splitter, chin slider, and the 3.5 mm gold plated plug are all made of metal.

Now let's get to the sound.

Lows:
The lows are upfront and big sounding. Subbass is sufficiently deep but with a tight, quicker than average decay. Midbass is more dominant than the subbass, with its thickness being above average that audibly lingers in the background for longer than necessary and sometimes bleeds into the mids.

Overall, the lows feel and sound bloated most of the time. On its own, it's not necessarily a bad thing, but when it starts to tarnish the neighboring frequencies especially the female vocals, the vibrancy of the music is considerably reduced.

Mids:
The mids sound confined and boxy. The clarity and transparency in this section is below average. Male and female vocals are distinctively thick and sound nasal most of the time. There is a noticeable lack of space in-between the instruments, and there is a peak somewhere in the upper mids that results in shoutiness.

Overall, this is definitely the area that needs the most improvement. Even in acoustic tracks where the midbass bleed is not a problem, vocals still feel lacking in resolution.

Highs:
The highs have a slightly relaxed approach. The reach in the treble is somewhat adequate, accompanied by a decay with a partial emphasis. Just like the mids, the highs can get overshadowed sometimes by the presence of the midbass.

Overall, the highs of the DH5 are tuned for treble sensitive people. Fatigue will never be an issue in this section but trebleheads will definitely be left wanting for more.

Soundstage and Imaging:
The stage of the DH5 has an average expansion. The width obviously expands more than the height. Imaging accuracy is below average due to the interference of the midbass and the lack of transparency in the mids. Instrument separation and layering are adequate but definitely has a lot of room for improvements. As for congestion, there is a fair amount of it in every track.

Comparisons:
BGVP DH5 (4 BA + 1 DD, 85 USD) vs. TinHIFI T3 Plus (1 DD, 69 USD)
The T3 Plus has more impact in the subbass, as well as a slightly longer decay. The DH5's midbass is more forward, thicker, and hits harder. In the mids, the T3 Plus is cleaner and clearer by a huge margin. Instruments are better defined in the T3 Plus and vocals sound more natural and lively. With the highs, the DH5 has a bit more bite in the upper region, but they are identical in terms of the decay. The T3 Plus has clearer definition in the imaging, and instruments are separated in a more spacious manner. In the soundstage, they are identical in the depth, but the DH5 has a slight edge in the width.

Conclusion:
The BGVP DH5 is a classic example of having more drivers doesn't automatically translate to better sound. It's all in the implementation. BGVP surely made some questionable decisions with how they tuned the DH5, especially if we consider how well-received the DH3 was in the community at the time of its launch.

BGVP DH5 Review

Tl;dr : 75 USD. Balanced sound signature. Lean bass. Lean mids with a tinge of boxiness in the vocals. Extended treble that gets a bit too much with certain recordings.

Disclaimer:
BGVP sent this DH5 as a unit to review and evaluate, rest assured they won’t influence my review. I hope my criticisms can be used to improve BGVP’s future releases and current ones, and guide some curious consumers. You can buy the DH5 @ BGVP!

Packaging:

· The DH5 came in a box that is opened in two parts with a paper cover that has all the marketing and info printed on.
Inside the box, the case, detached IEMs and 2 S-M-L sets of different tips are placed inside a lined foam cutout with warranty, instruction and misc. info papers inside.
The IEM case contains the cable inside and a small cleaning brush for nozzle cleaning.
The 2 types of tips consist of medium bored tips with a hard stem and the second one which looks like a Frankenstein bootleg of a small bore Spinfit tip with a rotatable short and soft stem. I think this is packaged well beyond 75 USD in my opinion.

Build:

· The shape of the shells are custom-like and quite small to my ears, and the nozzle is pretty short. The overall build of the shell is light, made of resin with the faceplates designed with pieces of colorful wood chips and the BGVP logo. The shell features two vents, one big meshed one for the backside of the dynamic driver and another small one near the nozzle soundtube that exits from the side of the QDC connectors.

Regarding the insides of the IEM, it looks like the sound tubes and venting were 3D printed or drilled with a machine and I don’t see a damper for the BAs, which will be a potential cause of problem (or not? Probably intentional?) in the Sound section...

The cable consists of shiny metal wares with 2 core setup wires that consists of 2.0mm OD wires with a swirling copper/silver plated copper pattern. You might be familiar with this cable if you tried the TForce Yuan Li (I also reviewed it, here’s the link!).

Overall it is great looking and built well within tolerances but I don’t agree with the longevity of the QDC connectors, so beware with that.

Fit and isolation:

· They fit my ears really well with the large size Frankenstein spinfit bootleg tips, I needed the larger ones because the short nozzle means shallower fit. Isolation wise, it is above average despite the venting, I hear background noise but it is faint with the isolation of this IEM.

Sound:

A bit of background for the source, I used my Meizu DAC and Zishan U1 (on my phone and laptop) and my Huawei Y9 Pro 2019 for the testing.
You could drive this well with a smartphone and gets loud easily but improvements are noticeable on amp usage but not really drastic that I would require them all the time.
My library consists of MP3 and FLAC albums on 16/44khz and few 24bit ones and also streaming on Spotify since I prefer its convenience. Here is my lastfm account to see what I listen to: https://www.last.fm/user/varia_ble

- Bass: It is not lifted compared to the other BGVP model I’ve tried but this one is considerably lean. There is still sub-bass but not much, more of a mid-bass focus than anything. Thanks to its lean presentation, texturing is decent although the decay and snaps could be better. There is no bass bleed whatsoever. Bass-leaning people could be left wanting more of a meaty sub-bass kick with the DH5 though.

- Mids: Lean with minimal warmth. Vocals seem to have some form of body with the mostly lean presentation but the vocals come out a bit boxy in my ears. A problem with the DH5 is the occasional upper-mid hotness because it does get a bit over the top sometimes, but only appears with tracks/albums of dubious mastering quality.

- Treble: Well extended but almost borderline. The treble seems to focus on the 3k - 5khz and some peaks beyond. Cymbals and such have a shimmer but feels metallic to me. The peaks especially the 5khz can be problematic with some recordings and it almost became overbearing to me, and BGVP needs to fix this because it also seems like they didn’t put a damper on the sound tube, just that mere filter to even out the peaks.

- Soundstage, Imaging and Separation: The soundstaging is average, but more on width than depth.
Imaging is okay, it can distinguish those elements but direction/movement of those elements seems limited.
Separation is very good, with various elements layered well, thanks to the lower-upper treble presence.

Thoughts:

BGVP is in a tight position here, given the price range as it competes with the likes of Moondrop Aria and other similarly priced hypetrains. Unfortunately, BGVP still gave us a signature that is pretty prevalent on even cheaper sets nowadays. There’s also the problem peak on the 5 khz which sometimes reminds me of similarly sibilant sets at the cheaper range with certain tracks.
With a safer treble, it could’ve avoided the metallic timbre issue that hybrids or BA sets of this budget range mostly possesses, and with that, I can’t recommend these pairs to people looking for a new pair of 80 USD IEMs or even someone who is looking for a different flavour profile. You have to look somewhere else.

But nonetheless, I enjoyed my stay with the DH5 with some electronic tracks. On the positive side of things, the DH5 handled well with speedy breakbeat smacked albums such as Goreshit’s my love feels all wrong. digipack with speed and just enough boom for the lingering kicks. I hope you enjoy the music as much as I do!

Thanks for reading!

BGVP DH5 ($84.99): Does the affordable BGVP follow it's older siblings?

DH5



Intro: The unit was provided as part of a US tour. As such, the unit will be forwarded once my time is up. As the first recipient, I burned the unit in for over 100hrs. After an initial listen, the unit was left alone for a long weekend. What follows is my honest assessment (yes, really) of the unit. I will state that I have read some initial impressions from the Asian sector. Some are satisfied, others are disappointed. Since I have reviewed several BGVP units, I can gauge the progress of this against those. I will also state that I am a fan of the brand and considered it at the forefront of the Chinese injection into the mainstream market, but with a western tune so to speak.

*You will note the other two reviews below are from the Far East contingent of the tour. As such, one may rightly (or wrongly) posit that the musical tastes may differ between groups. As such, what other may dislike, some will like and vice versa. There has been a bit of diametrically opposing views on several items of late, and this difference of tastes MAY play into the reviews. I posit that the warranted tastes of the differing markets could in fact make this difference in review marks. As reviewers we owe it to the readers (you) to note our preferred signature tastes along with whom the item may or may not be good for. As such, I have adjusted my "style" (or lack thereof) to note for whom the item may be good for and who may not like it. I do feel we should all do this as opposed to simply stating "good," "bad," etc. Please take these considerations into play as you read the varying views.

Cheers.



Specs:

Impedance: 19 ohm.
Sensitivity: 119dB/mW.
Standard 2-pin 0.78mm connectors.
Frequency response range: 10Hz-40kHz.
THD+N: ≤0.5%.
Rated power: 8mW.
Cable: 6N OCC silver-plated


In The Box:

BGVP DH5
Zippered soft case, square
Vocal ear tips (s, m, l)
Bass ear tips, (s, m, l x2)
Memory foam tips
Instruction manual


Gear Used/Compared:

BQEYZ Summer ($129)
Thinksound in20 ($89)
Thieaudio Legacy 2 ($99)
VE BIE Pro ($69)

HiBy R3 Pro Sabre
EarMen Eagle/MBP
IKKO Zerda (ITM01)/MBP


Songs:

Alex Fox
Pink Floyd
Buena Vista Social Club
Elton John
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Shane Hennessy
Jeff Beck
Dave Matthews



Unboxing:

The DH5 comes in a nice smaller black boxed package, complete with a colorful, ornate sleeve. De rigor for the day is an anime character on some, but the BGVP is laden with organic shapes, which mimic the stabilized wood and swirls below the main lettering. Kind of illusionary, but I like the subtlety of the box.

Opening the box, you are met with the typical choice of tips in silicon and a nice addition; a set of foam tips on the top. Between the tips and the square case, the IEM’s are mounted in individual inserts, protected well. The case holds the cable inside nicely. This is a typical unboxing, and nothing comes across as spectacular, but understated.



Build/Fit/Finish:

I have yet to run into a BGVP product that is below par in the build factor as well as fit. The telling sign here is the incorporated “wood flecks,” which differ from the now de rigor stabilized wood. Don’t get me wrong, stabilized wood is fabulously beautiful, but a departure from that is appreciated sometimes. The faceplate has a certain 1970’s wallpaper look to it, from a hip San Francisco Haight-Ashbury hill home. Subtle, but cool.

The 3D-printed German resin of the shell is top quality and one does not promote where your resin comes from unless it is meant to show quality. And it does. With an almost custom look to it, the black shell comes across as sublime, not garish. Fit is good, but again the knob does hit my concha as well as having a longer nozzle. Foam tips work well, but silicon’s might give a better fit, for less irritation.

The 2-pin connection works without fuss, and the over ear guide lays nicely with my glasses as well as not pinching like some. The cable is of two-wire wind, but with ½ colors of copper and silver, giving a candy cane look to it. Not overly tight or loose, it lays well with zero microphonics. Silver colored Y-splitter, cable cinch, and jack seem almost out of place, giving the DH5 a cheaper look to me. I would have opted for a rose gold color to it. Even if that is the choice of iPhones of late. No worry though, the overall fit and look are what you should expect at this price and above. Done well it is.



Technicals:

Coming with five drivers (1-DD, 4-BA’s), the DH5 is considered a hybrid. The new 10mm single dynamic driver promotes a dual sound cavity, which is said to reduce distortion while enhance a cleaner, faster decay with the Beryllium coating. Fast decay leads towards a tight bass response, sometimes with a more analytical sound, while slower decay lends towards a rich, warm signature. The bass is definitely fast.

The four balanced armatures come in two packages of dual BA’s, for different sound frequencies. The upper mids are handled by an RAF 32873 Knowles unit, which promotes a crisper, solid sound. The upper frequencies come through the second-generation BGVP 30042 Phoenix in-house drivers, promoting a natural extension with good density, but also transparency. To me this means there is good weight to the notes, but not at the expense of a realistic tone. Keeping with an almost now traditional sound tube for each set of drivers, the DH5 does come across as somewhat bright, but without too much bother. It would be nice to see BGVP incorporate what many other manufacturers are doing with a “sound chamber” where all comes together nicely, much like your listening room at home. Nonetheless, the triple tube technology plays well in my ears.

Coupled with a triple crossover to manage all of that, and you might expect a fairly antiseptic sound to come through. Thankfully, BGVP has kept to their historical richer side of the signature.



Sound:

Summary:

Still a fairly new feature to me, this is a way of garnering my take on the individual unit so if you read this and skip to comparisons it will not hurt my feelings. That said, more detail is wrought from the longer version.

The DH5 promotes itself as a smooth signatured-sound and I would agree. But there is an upper-mid push to me, which keeps it from being a boringly smooth signature. That upper mid push does lend a bit of artificiality to percussive instruments in that range such as maracas or others of that genre. Not bad mind you, but I can hear it. This does not distract from my liking, though. Bass is taught and quick as evidenced on Acoustic Alchemy’s Lazeez, which is a fast-energetic song. Not the lightning quick of much Spanish guitar work, but sufficiently speedy to where you can note if a driver cannot keep up. The DD does keep time well, without bleed into the mids. Piano staccato comes across nicely realistic as a result when you transition. I find the signature pleasantly taut with enough energy to keep your interest. here is also a slight lift at about 10kHz, which to me comes across as a certain brightness to counter the smoothness everywhere else. Not really a bother, and to many this is the sweet spot for any lifting of sound in the treble region.

More:

Sometimes when you have a hybrid, the dual drivers tend to try and outcompete each other. DD’s are typically used for the bass while the BA’s are used for mids and high tones. In doing so, there are many out there that espouse the virtues of “new drivers” or “better drivers” or “ultra-coated drivers” at the expense of a more synergistic approach. This usually comes at the expense of too much bass or not enough and the DD to me suffers that wrath more often than the other way. There is a fine line between over competing within the shell and that synergy of working in concert together. The DH5 does a very nice job of the synergistic side, without diminishing either.

The more I listen to the DH5, the easier it is to understand the three-way drivers working together to make for a thoroughly enjoyable package. To me, nothing oversteps boundaries, while also providing the necessities of a quite tolerable sound. Bass comes across as fairly taut and strong, with little bleed into the mids, making for not only distinct tones but clearly defined limitations as well. This is not a bass-thumping unit nor was it meant to be.

Those mids are controlled by the RAF Knowles dual unit with aplomb (one of my favorite words ever since it was used to describe my 1996 Jetta GLX...man what a car), with plenty of space between the notes helping set forth a decently wide soundstage as well. Succinct of tone, there is an almost staccato-like precision to the sounds emanating from those Knowles drivers. Male vocals come across without clouds, and detail is well within a reasonable effort for this price. Running through my iPhone 13 Pro Max and the IKKO Zerda ITM01, Deep Reiver Blues from Tommy Emmanuel & Jason Isbell just makes me want to tap my toes. Blending into the in-house Phoenix (fitting...) BA’s up top, the higher note of acoustic guitar and vocals sing sweetly from within. Treble neither reaches too high (to me), nor is it sibilant in nature or grating. Shake from Jesse Cook, another current favorite I play over and over highlights this “just enough” reach up top. The tambourine comes across cleanly, if a slight bit overexuberant, but his solo acoustic work is superb. Through in that intoxicating Violin solo in the middle of the song and I am easily lost in song through the trio mentioned above.

If this is what BGVP has become, then they have succeeded yet again. And yes, I am already a fan having reviewed several others, but that necessitates a finer-toothed comb look into the guts of the DH5. Clean, clear and crisp the DH5 provides me with what I want, when I want: to listen and not worry about whether this song or that song is accurate of reproduction. Sometimes to feel the music is all you need.

Plus, as mentioned, the soundstage is fairly deep with excellent height. Width accommodates as well making for a larger soundstage without feeling too cavernous. The result is very good separation of note, lending to good clarity and detail. Placing of instruments is accurate as a result, but not distinct to the point of being analytical. I would not call the signature warm, but there is a certain richness to the tonality that pervades some songs.



Comparisons:

BGVP DH5 ($89) v BQEYZ Summer ($129):

Following on the footsteps of one of my current favorites, the Spring; the Summer comes across as a bit more melodic and laid back than the Spring. Against the DH5 it can seem almost boring, but it certainly isn’t. There is a bit cleaner treble response in the Summer, but the signature is more of a V-shape than the DH5, and that extra push of the treble does not come across as well to me.

Mind you the Summer is still good, and on the aforementioned Shake gives a different vibrancy to the sound than the DH5, with a deeper reach of bass; but that comes at the expense of synergy to me. The bass bleeds into the mids, which are slightly covered as a result. The Summer would be good for that late evening listen where the DH5 is the pick-me-up needed before a busy meeting-filled day. Or classroom lessons-galore experience in my case.


BGVP DH5 ($89) v Thinksound in20 ($89):

I am a huge unadulterated fan of Thinksound and wish everyone had a chance to hear the ON2. An absolute gem in on-ear closed-back headphones. I am lucky to have a pair. Lamenting the loss of the company, when this came across as a pre-purchase, I jumped. It will not be everyone’s cup of stereo, but I am a fan. Providing a much darker and warmer signature, the bass is as intoxicating to me as it gets this side of my Hero and Legend X (and yes, I desperately want a Legend EVO), surpassing the DH5. But this comes at the expense of a more even overall signature. This is definitely not for those who want a more linear approach. But I still love the in20, nonetheless.


BGVP DH5 ($89) v Thieaudio Legacy 2 ($99):

Following on the excellent Legacy 4, the Legacy 2 continues the Thieaudio tradition of providing the listener with a thoroughly engaging sound. I am impressed with the synergy of bass, mids and treble. There is enough bass to satisfy your needs and the treble comes across a detailed with enough crispness as well. The mids are a bit too smooth for this unit to me, though. On the tribute song Wish You Were Here, Satriani’s guitar work is splendid, but the vocals seem a bit flat in comparison to both the DH5 and Legacy 4. This is certainly not a knock against the L2, but rather that some do this aspect better. I do still like the L2 very much, though.


BGVP DH5 ($89) v VE BIE Pro ($69):

The BIE Pro was a purchase to defend the integrity of the VE brand. I have been a fan since the original Monk and own probably 10 iterations of the Monk. In talking with Lee (a very good conversationist) we talked about many things, but privy to our conversation. Of note though was my liking of the Bonus IE and BIE Pro. Meant to promote his vision of an affordable bullet-shaped IEM, which promotes superb bass, the BIE Pro does indeed to that. But, it also provides very good tone across the board. Much harder to drive than the others, the BIE Pro needs some juice to shine. Put plenty of power through the Pro and it shines. When we talk about ear-to-ear grins there are not many that come close. If you can tolerate mids, which fall behind but are still quite tolerable; purchase it for the bass. For a more even tone across the board, the DH5 does win out here, though.



Finale:

When offered the chance to review a BGVP model among others (more items on the way), I jumped in knowing I already liked the marque. That can be good and bad. Some will say that since there is already a positive vibe for the manufacturer, the end result may not reflect a true natural production of word. Well, yes that can be; but I posit that because of that history, there is a certain level of trust for the marque and that the dissecting is of a much more strenuous nature as a result. Having had such good luck, the anticipatory set is high. Anything below previous experience would of course be judged of its own merit; but also, could be disappointing. I am here to state that the DH5 does indeed fill in nicely a missing niche in the BGVP line up and for that it should be applauded on its sound merits. Having to fill the shoes of a DM7 or other model comes with that double-edge of success/failure.

Plus, making a more affordable model than previous marks can have some thinking that the company may have run out of ideas. This is neither the case nor merited for using an in-house new BA as well as the trusted maker Knowles shows BGVP is serious in their desire to compete at the forefront of the sub-$100 market. And largely the DH5 does. I wish it had a bit more bass, and a bit stronger treble dissection of sound (funny that I say that with my deficiencies up top...). But those are minor quibbles in an overall pleasing unit. The DH5 can and does fit well into the insanely packet sub-$100 market. And by insane, I mean literally cutthroat insanity. This seems to be the jumping on point of many coming into this hobby of ours and the product had better be good to excellent in order to not get trampled.

The DH5 is a very fine unit, that can hold the moniker of the BGVP brand on its own merits and at that sink or swim price point. And it does so with enough going for it, to make many happy. To me while not perfect, it is a perfectly acceptable alternative to many of those of which it competes against. And as such is a recommended listen to me.

I thank BGVP for sending the unit out on loan and it will be off to the next lucky person tomorrow in the post. BGVP continues to impress me. Well done.

Disclaimer *
I am part of a touring group based in Singapore, me and my team were send this pair of IEM in exchange for review, and I am not paid to do this nor am I associated with the company, this review is done to my very best without any bias

Build
In order to ensure a comfortable listening experience, BGVP has used third-gen DLP 3D-printing technology to craft the beautiful earpieces for DH5. The cavities are made of high-quality medical-grade resin material. The design and looks of the pair are complemented by elegant wooden face covers.

Sound
Bass (4/10)
Not the best sounding bass for a hybrid driver IEM, sound wise bass is thick and wobbly while bass attack is slow and sub bass is boomy

Midrange (2/10)
Sound wise mids are warm and very airy sounding, mids for me is particularly not my favourite as when it comes to vocals, sound wise it sounds very closed off and boxy sounding especially female vocals however with the provided vocal tips vocals do sound a little open and smooth sounding while the upper mids where more detail, however because of how airy the midrange sound it makes the mids very cloudy

Treble (5/10)
Treble I feel is where it did it's best sound of the treble is definitely present with a touch of airiness, easy to listen with no peak however treble timbre sounded a little coloured to me

Technically (4/10)
Tall sounding soundstage but does not have enough depth and width, and average imaging

sound overall
fun sounding but definitely not for audio purist overall its balance sounding with a touch of warm but still not my cup of tea


Package content
IEM
IEM cable
Hard case
3 sizes for vocal tips
3 sizes for bass tips
1 size for memory foam tips

Specifications
driver: single beryllium alloy DD + quad BA (dual knowles + dual custom BA)
Impedance: 19 ohm.
Sensitivity: 119dB/mW.
Standard 2-pin 0.78mm connectors.
Frequency response range: 10Hz-40kHz.
THD+N: ≤0.5%.
Rated power: 8mW.

Gear used
iFI Audio IDSD nano black label
2020 MacBook Pro
Source
Apple Music lossless ALAC upsample 176kHz 24-bits

Hello mates and welcome to my another review here in Head-fi and I want to introduce to you about latest product offering from BGVP.

As we look on BGVP HiFi, what are their particular products that impresses you so much? BGVP DMG? BGVP DM6? Their Art Magic series?

I've done some reviews on their previous product before and most of them, I rated them a passing grade on both tonality and technicalities. But, I'm still hoping for BGVP to keep improving its product quality.



BGVP DH5 is a hybrid driver IEM with one (1) dynamic driver and four (4) balanced armatures.They are part of the Art Magic series, their entry-level to midrange offering with hybrid driver set-up. The dynamic driver is coated with Beryllium to provide strength, better bass response and less distortion compare to the regular dynamic driver. Once again, BGVP impress me again as they put a two (2) Knowles Balanced armature drivers (RAF-32873) and two (2) custom BA that tailored for BGVP's needs (I have a hunch that this somewhat similar to "Phoenix" BA that was implemented on their BGVP DN2).




Another surprising turn on BGVP in regard of this product is the switching from MMCX to 2-pin QDC type connector. We all know that all BGVP products are usually implemented a MMCX connector but the decision on using 2-pin QDC type connector is an unforeseen to me.

The shell is medium-size in my ears and made of medical grade resin with a wood faceplate thats looks pleasing to my ears.They are amazing fit well into my lug holes without any discomfort and soreness that I can likely wear them for long listening session. BGVP also put an electronic crossover board that acts as a capacitor and also to provide better seperation on segments of audio frequency spectrum.



The BGVP DH5 pricing is currently around US$85/£62 with its packaging box along with its contents inside. The sleeve of the box has different shades of blue-grey with sprinkle of gold and golden stylized calligraphy of a word "DH5" at the front and some information of specification and company's addresses with contact number at the rear.

The contents included inside are:

- Pair of DH5 IEMs.
- 6N OCC SPC bi-colour cable with QDC type connector and 3.5mm termination jack encapsulated with metal jacket.
- a black square circle IEM case.
- 3 pairs of blue ear tips for vocals-centric in different sizes.
- 3 pairs of white ear tips for bass-focus in different sizes.
- a pair of memory foam eartips.
- a cleaning tool.
- some paperworks like a instruction manuals, warranty card , quality control card and a gratitude and info card.



Scalability-wise, BGVP DH5 needs an ample sources to drive it properly for its high sensitivity and low impedance rating. if you want to BGVP DH5 to show its fullest potential, a good DAC/Amp is a must to deliver a better output and fuller dynamics. Both of my LG phones can drive them properly as it show its good dynamics and the coherency of its hybrid drivers performs properly.



The tonality of the BGVP DH5 is more leaning towards on U-shape tuning as it has some boost in the bass, more linear and neutral mids and elevated treble.

These are the sound characteristics of BGVP DH5 in each segment of audio frequency spectrum based on my hearing perception.

LOWS/BASS:

It is a punchy, precise and deliver a coherent quality. It's more on moderate speed as its transient pacing affects the gradual decay that as some people might perceive it as loose and lax if they are looking for more tighter bass, despite of its lax nature, it doesn't bleed across the audio frequency spectrum that will ruin the overall sound quality (still it doesnt quantify as a bass bloat).

It has a fair sub-bass reach as I hear some faint rumbling in the depth. Midbass has a good texture that it will give a thudding sound of a bass kick albeit its more on a leaner and hollow, a mellow yet sustaining growl of a bass guitar and a leaner sounding bass-baritone vocals.


MIDS:

The mids has a linear, clean and substantially added some warmth on it. Vocals on both gender are presented more affront and pronounce more resolution and detail. Take note that there are some particular female vocals that sound almost limp and feels boxy and a little bit constricted (take note on Debbie Gibson and Mariah Carey vocals.) Detail retrieval and clarity somehow rated at above average, its just decent not the best performance of presenting a well-delineate vocal quality. I don't have particular issues on male vocals as it has decent note texture to sound distinctly strong, deep and thick from bass up to tenor vocal ranges. In regards of vocal quality quality, they perform decently with some miniscule of compromises.

All instruments sounds natural and seemingly put up an accurate timbre quality of each specific instruments from melodious and warm sounding of an acoustic guitar to precise and rattling sound of a snare drum. For me, the quality of these instruments performs well as it was well-presented of a good harmonious respond on both vocals and instrument in the mix given to its pricing and value.


HIGHS/TREBLE:

Smooth, crisp and has good airy extension, that's what my initial impression on BGVP DH5's treble quality. It has substantial definition on its detail retrieval and a sparkling to sum it up to be a resolving treble.

Another noticeable thing that I observe in such manner was its very minimal to zero sibilance despite on some peaks on uppermids to presence part of treble as it was controlled the hissing sound appropriately to avoid unpleasant and fatiguing listening experience.

The cymbals, triangle chimes has a shimmer amount of details with a quantifying airy sound while the hi-hats/lo-hats has that snappy and dull sounding that really sounds organic and lively closer like from a live performance.


SOUNDSTAGE AND IMAGING:

Based on my estimation on its dimension on a perceived imaginary sound field, It has an above average soundstage width, a substantial depth and more emphasis on height.

The separation aspect is sufficient as I feel the adequate gaps and spacing of each instrument and singer/s. Layering isn't particular impressive but not to the point that it is a bad one but due on how it display the rows and stacks of each instruments in more linear fashion. Imaging performs good as I can pinpoint accurately the locations and cues on positioning of vocal/s and instruments in a spatial room.

As I end my assessment of BGVP DH5, while this is not the most resolving and the best detail retrieval set in the audio market, BGVP finally provide us an affordable IEM that will give you a good price to value ratio with decent quality that you will only find on more pricey midrange segment as it has a choice Knowles BAs and an impressive built and ornate UIEM shell with considerable quantity of included accessories.





SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: BGVP DH5
IMPEDANCE:19Ω
SENSITIVITY: 119dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 10Hz-40KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.2M
PIN TYPE: 2-PIN CONNECTOR (QDC TYPE)
PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm
DRIVER UNITS: 1 Beryllium-coated DYNAMIC DRIVER + 4 BALANCED ARMATURE DRIVER (Knowles and Custom-BA for BGVP)

Some Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)

Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *
Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**
Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **
Mountain - Mississippi Queen *
Queen - Killer Queen **
Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'
Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'
Pearl Jam - Daughter **
Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *
Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*
Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *
New Order - Blue Monday *
The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *
The Madness- Buggy Trousers *
Metallica - Motorbreath **
Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *
Destiny's Child - Say My Name *
Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *
Mozart - Lacrimosa *
New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *
Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*
Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *
Exciter - Violence and Force *
Diana Krall - Stop This World **
Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*


P.S.

I am not affliated to BGVP HIFI nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.

Once again, I would like to thank to BGVP HIFI for providing this review unit, I truly appreciate on their generosity towards me and other reviewers.

If you are interested this IEM product from BGVP, Just check their FB Page and offiical site links below:

FB: https://m.facebook.com/BGVPaudio/

Official Site: http://www.bgvp-hifi.com/

The BGVP DH5 is BGVP's latest hybrid IEM at the sub-$100usd price range. It comes in at $85usd and rocks a 1DD+4BA hybrid configuration, with 1 beryllium-plated dynamic driver, 2 Knowles RAF BA drivers for the upper mids, and 2 2nd gen Phoenix BA for the treble. Upon opening the box, I am presented with a hardshell case, a 6N OCC 3.5mm cable, a cleaning brush, 3 different types of eartips (3 sets of vocal tips, 3 sets of bass tips, and 1 foam tips), and last but not least, the IEM itself.

In terms of unboxing experience, I find it to be pretty good for the price, so no complaints here.

With that out of the way, let's start the review.

*Disclaimer: This review is done using stock vocal tips and stock cable.

Source used:
1. iFi Zen DAC + iFi Zen CAN (IEMatch + iSilencer Plus + iPurifier3 + iPower + iPowerX + Copper Colour Red USB)
2. Sony A55 (MrW WalkmanOne w/ WM1Z + Normal + J region)
3. Shanling UA2
4. Shanling M3x Limited
5. Monolith USB Dac
6. Apple Dongle
7. Samsung Galaxy S9+ SE out (Exynos)

Drivability:
1. The BGVP DH5 requires amping to shine. Without amping, bass will sound boomy, slow, undetailed. Highly recommend using an amp with the DH5.
2. If you do not have an amp, best to just skip the BGVP DH5.

Click to expand...

PROS :​

• I would describe the sound signature here to be warm U-shaped, with an analogue-ish presentation.
• In terms of bass, it is warm, punchy (when amped), fast (when amped), and thick. However, the bass here needs amping to shine. After amping, bass tightens and bass texture improves. Otherwise, it is pretty loose, wooly, and muddy. I highly recommend amping the DH5 as I do not like how the berry-plated DD bass sounds before amping.
• In terms of mids, it is warm, thick, and slightly recessed. Vocals here, in most cases, sound pretty good with one exception. Male vocals sound great, with a lush and thick presentation. However, female vocals, at times, sound nasal-ly and congested. Not to mention, both vocals and instruments at times can come off as slightly dry.
• In terms of treble, it is smooth and non-fatiguing in most cases. However, treble can come also off as a bit dry and crunchy. There is also a 5kHz peak which can be peaky and splashy at times. In terms of the 5kHz peak, I personally do not find the 5kHz peak to be too much of an issue. I find it to add excitement to an otherwise smooth and dry sounding treble. However, do keep in mind that the 5kHz peak IS present so if you are sensitive to that region, you might want to give the DH5 a listen before you decide to pick it up.
• In terms of timbre, I find it to be pretty decent for a hybrid set. No major complains here other than the nasally female vocals.
• Coherency (when amped) is pretty decent too for a hybrid at this price. However, amping is seriously a must. Without amping, coherency isn't great.
• In terms of soundstage, it is deeper and taller than wide. I find both depth and height to be average while width to be slightly below average.
• In terms of imaging and instrument separation, it is also average at best. BGVP DH5 images narrow and only within the soundstage that it is given.
• Transient speed and decay are fast, with the BA drivers decaying maybe a little bit too fast for my liking. I find the decay here to be almost non-existent, which is probably why the DH5 sounds dry and crunchy up top.
• Overall packaging and accessories are great. Love the 3 different types of included eartips, love the beautiful cable, love the included case.
• Noise isolation and fit are great for me too. Comfort is good. No complaints.

CONS :​

• The 5kHz peak is something to take note of. Things like cymbal crashes can come off as splashy and peaky.
• Decay is a little bit too fast for my taste. Upper mids and treble sound dry.
• Female vocals sound nasally and congested.
• The berry-plated DD driver requires amping. Without amping, bass is boomy and slow. Not pleasant.
• Coherency is bad without amping.
• In terms of detail retrieval, the DH5 isn't the best for a hybrid set at this price range, especially with a 1DD+4BA configuration. It mainly focuses on macrodetails instead of micro. Without isn't what I expect from a Hybrid setup with 4BA to work with. Nonetheless, not an issue for me as I prefer macrodetails anyways, but still worth mentioning as if you are expecting this to be more detailed than your 1DD IEMs, you'll be disappointed.

IN CONCLUSION:​

I quite like the BGVP DH5. I think that it is much better than the BGVP DN3 that was released a few months back. With both selling at around $80usd, I would recommend most to get the DH5 instead. It is better in many ways.

However, it isn't without its issues. The berry-plated DD needs amping, the 5kHz peak, nasally female vocals, dry top end, below average detail retrieval… these are issues that you have to keep in mind while picking up the DH5.

With all that said, I still quite like the DH5. I like its warm U-shaped sound signature, its midrange presentation, its tight punchy thick bass (when amped), and its overall smooth presentation.

Overall, pretty decent for $85usd. Great job BGVP.


This review unit is provided by BGVP in their BGVP DH5 review tour. I am not at all compensated by them and all thoughts and opinions are my own.