BGVP EST12

Rating: 8.9
Sound: 8.7



Intro
The BGVP EST12 (8*BA & 4*EST) together with the V12 (12*BA) currently represents the flagship of BGVP. No less than 12 drivers try to harmonize together, which in my opinion works very well. The EST12 can be tonally influenced with the help of 3 dip-switches and we are not talking about slight nuances, but about real signature changes. This makes the EST12 of course quite versatile, but you should also have a certain preference for the basic signature, because as much as you can influence the sound, the basic characteristics of the individual drivers are of course not changeable. Apart from that, not every setting is really a musical enrichment, but more about that later. Nevertheless, the EST12 won't appeal to everyone's taste, but I also think the EST12 doesn't want to appeal to the masses. This is already taken care of by the much cheaper models, which are not only accessible to a wider mass, but are also a bit more mass-compatible in terms of sound.



Handling
Unlike its smaller siblings, the EST12 comes with a 2-pin connector. Up to now BGVP has only used MMCX.

The scope of delivery is almost the same for all models in the ArtMagic series. Only the cable varies and also the included transport case. Otherwise there is a pair of foam tips, standard, vocal and bass silicone tips, as well as a cleaning tool. In this case the cable is taken from the DM7/VG4, which is one of my favorites from BGVP.

Due to the long and somewhat narrower sound openings, the EST12 in its semi-custom design is incredibly comfortable to wear and you can also reach for shorter tips, while maintaining the same seal, to further enhance the wearing comfort.
Apart from that, the EST12 is already a small humming machine and even outdoes the rather bulky DM7. But well, 12 drivers also need space and when they are integrated as well and ergonomically as here, it's remarkable. Also the board with the 3 dip-switches has to find its place.

The isolation is excellent and that in both directions. This advantage results of course from the completely closed construction.



Sound
The BGVP EST12 is so far the most versatile IEM I can review when it comes to tuning possibilities using dip switches. 3 switches make 8 combinations in total. So here the signature can be manipulated with a variety of variants. The VG4 also has 3 switches, but the differences are not as serious as with the EST12, where you can have an influence up to +-8dB. For the review I choose the standard setting, with which the EST12 is delivered and which is in my opinion the most balanced and linear. Of course, I will also briefly discuss the individual switches, but not the combination of them. This would go beyond the scope of this article and if you get the chance to listen to the EST12 you can play a little bit yourself.

The bass of the EST12 is really great. I'm talking about the neutral setting (000), as well as the bass-emphasized combinations (010, 011 etc.). You can squeeze up to 6 dB more out of the bass and still it doesn't tend to overdrive. The bass has a satisfactory depth, even if it doesn't reach the pressure found with a SHURE SE846, but is in no way inferior in quality. Fast, dry, detailed and textured. And it can also turn up the heat when it's needed, especially when you pull the lever. It's a pity, however, that there is no confioguration where only the sub-bass is emphasized, but instead the whole bass range gets a proper boost. Nevertheless, I evaluate the bass tuning of the basic setting and here it presents itself well balanced, to the point and naturally, as one is used to from reference earphones, without excessive testosterone. Nothing for bassheads, but for the lovers of fine bass nuances.

The mids are extremely detailed, but also a bit tricky. In and of itself they are of the warmer type, sound mostly natural, but sometimes a bit tough and somehow slightly tonal off track. The impression is rather subjective, as the mids, with their smooth nature, don't emphasize a few things as separated and sharply as one is used to from the VG4, for example. Concerned are for example electric guitars, which lack a bit of power and freshness. Voices step out of the mix and are presented with a natural timbre. Rarely, however, male voices can sound a bit more distanced and not quite so lively. Women have a slight advantage here. With the mids you can play properly and depending on the switch setting, the signature can be shaped from warm/neutral, to classic V, light W, up to the bass-dominant L-signature. Of course, this has a strong effect on the midrange presentation. Nevertheless, I notice that the mids have a lot of quality, but for my taste they still deliver the "weakest" performance in the trio, but still on a very high level. No matter which setting you choose, you can't rob the mids of their warmth and softness, which is why rock music, for example, sometimes doesn't sound crisp enough for me, so that some elements are felt to be swallowed, even if they are present when listening closer. The mellowness of the mids takes some getting used to, but in the end they know how to convince me. But I can also understand if someone can't do anything with them and if the mids are too dull and/or lifeless.

Like the mids, the highs are very experimental and adaptable. On the one hand, the high frequencies can be influenced with the 1st and 3rd switch, although actually all settings are indirectly influenced by changing the weighting. However, this is most noticeable with the 3rd switch. Out-Of-The-Box the trebles sound wonderfully transparent and also bring an airiness that not only opens the stage horizontally but also opens up a wide space in width. Compared to the VG4, the trebles are a bit more secure and relaxed, although they have more presence in the lower high frequencies of the EST12, but roll off a bit earlier. This makes the VG4 sound slightly more defined, but the EST12, despite its lightness, brings more content across without kneading. Easiness, or relaxation is also the keyword here, because without using the 3rd switch, I have almost no problems with sibilants, or unpleasant stinging etc., which also improves the audibility. Sometimes the ES12 is too well-behaved in the high frequencies and I have to be a bit more careful not to miss anything.

The stage is one of the absolute strengths of the EST12. It feels very spatial without seeming lost, but thanks to the good voice positioning, it can still provide a free but intimate feeling.

100: Usually dip switches push a certain frequency range, with the 1st switch this is exactly the other way around, which makes it more interesting in combination with the other two switches. It attenuates the range from 200 to over 4kHz by up to 3 dB. This gives the bass more presence, as well as the high frequencies. So we get a slight V-signature where the mids retreat a bit, sound thinner and, to be honest, the EST12 is robbed of its liveliness in the mids.

010: Hello bass! Hello warmth! The 2nd switch boosts the bass and mids up to 6 dB. I like bass and the bass of the EST12 technically offers a lot of quality, but this setting doesn't work for me on every track. This setting does noticeably discolour the otherwise quite natural reproduction of voices and sometimes makes the sound too fat for me. Since the EST12 is not the most crisp, it sounds slightly washed out with this setting. But well, if you need bass you can get it, but unfortunately not separately (at least not in this setting), but only together with the midrange boost. But you get used to it, it's a big change only when changing directly from the basic setting.

001: If there is too little level in the high frequencies and you are not deterred by an increased sibilant emphasis, you will get used to the 3rd switch. It gives the EST12 a brighter and more transparent signature and lets the sound clearer. In itself I like this setting, also in combination with the 2nd switch, but here it depends on the song whether I can cope with the celebrities in the high frequencies in the long run. However, it's easier for me to localize details and subjectively I get more out of it.

111: This setting is actually one of the most fun, in a W-signature. Fat bass, mids that can exist next to the bass boost and pushed highs so that the signature doesn't become too dull, bass-heavy and dark, like at 110 for example. Sometimes a bit overloaded, but also powerful and driving.



Outro
The mids, with their gentle, "sweet" character, and the highs, with their rather earlier roll-off, give the EST12 a technical edge, as these characteristics cannot be changed. The bass, on the other hand, doesn't play quite as low as for example the BA bass of the SHURE SE846, but it's on par in terms of quality. It is a bit softer and warmer, but on the other hand more transparent, dynamic and versatile (no one-note bass).

For me the price jump from the VG4 is too high though, because I don't know why I should spend more than 1000 € more. Yes, we have slightly improved ergonomics, but the ear size has to fit. Of course, we also use a more expensive driver technology, and that in total also in a triple amount compared to the VG4. I also have more versatile sound adjustment possibilities and I am more variable in the signature. Only the EST12 does not quite live up to its flagship claim in terms of sound for my taste when I consult the other cheaper BGVP models. Taste is of course the keyword here, because with its soft, detailed, matter-of-fact, fatigue-free (without 3rd switch) and warm nature, owning the EST12 is certainly a fairly mature tuning, as many of the other BGVP models are rather playful and excitingly tuned, with the exception of the DM7, or perhaps a more straightforward VG4.
But I think that the potential of the drivers, even in their number, is not yet fully exhausted, the EST12 needs some getting used to and in the end is certainly not an IEM for the masses, if you ignore the price tag.
The BGVP EST12 is an excellent and extremely versatile neutral/warm IEM (basic signature), but it can't quite live up to my expectations and doesn't quite set an exclamation mark in its price range, because with many big players you would have to dig a lot deeper into your pockets when it comes to driver selection, implementation and number, but sometimes less is more when it's not technical features but sound!

Thanks to OARDIO for the review unit.
https://www.oardio.com/bgvp-es12-artmagic.html


___________________________________________________________
More reviews: CHI-FIEAR
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My background.
I am a professional musician, producer and audio engineer with experience in the performing, recording and pro-audio industry. I test products on a technical and musical level and try to write reviews as simple as possible from a music fan’s perspective.

Genre preferences.
I majorly listen to rock, acoustic, pop, metal, and occasionally popular EDM songs.

Disclaimer.
The products were provided free of charge to test and review. I am not affiliated with the company or its sellers in any way and write this review with my best unbiased opinion regardless of how the review turns out.
Official BGVP Factory Store (AliExpress) – BGVP EST12



About BGVP - BGVP is a company based out of Dongguan, China. They manufacture and sell a wide range of products like in-ear monitors, earbuds, cables, cases, etc. They came into prominence with successful products like DMG and DM6.

Now, they’ve launched an even wider range of products including EST hybrids ES12 (4EST+8BA) and ES8 (2EST+6BA), V12 (12 BA), DM7 (6BA), VG4 (4BA) and DH3 (2BA + 1DD).

Today I have something very cool for you. I'll be checking out their flagship EST-hybrid, EST12.



Technical Specifications

• Drivers: 4 ESTs + 8 BA “Knowles & Sonion”
• Switches: 3 Tuning Switches (9 style options)
• Sensitivity: >110dB SPL/MW
• Impedance: 30Ω
• Frequency Response: 10Hz – 40kHz
• Distortion Rate: > 0.5 % (1kHz)
• Channel Difference: <1dB
• Related Power: 10mW

Included in the box - Since BGVP sent me a couple of their earphones together, I had them ship it to me without branded packaging for ease of sending them in one box. As a result, earphones along with all accessories were sent to me in cute little earphones cases. I was surprised to see that they fit everything in their small rectangular cases.

Here is a list of everything I got, most of which will be available in the official package as well.

• Earphones
• 8 -core Furukawa OCC + silver-plated mixed braided cable
• Black silicone ear tips – SML
• Grey silicone ear tips – SML
• Blue silicone ear tips – SML
• Foam ear tips – 1 pair
• Cleaning tool
• Carry case
• Manual and warranty card

Official Packaging -


Picture courtesy - BGVP

Build Quality - According to the company’s description, all the shells are developed using German Envision TEC 3D-printing equipment and use PMMA acrylic fiber (resin) made of medical grade materials.

To my surprise, BGVP sent me customized shells (different from default stock shells) and I dig them quite a lot. The craftsmanship, attention to detail and quality are all very high, one of the finest I’ve tested recently. The shell curves are ultra-smooth and are designed to snugly fit the shape of the concha. The faceplate and shell integration is so smooth that you can’t differentiate them being 2 parts that are glued together. My EST12 has a translucent black shell with a brushed metal style charcoal grey faceplate. They also have a metal nozzle which was probably used to fine tune the sound.

- Sockets – BGVP decided to go with 2-pin sockets for EST12, contrary to their go-to favorite MMCX sockets. The 2-pin sockets are surface mounted instead of recessed. They are very smooth yet nice and tight, grabbing onto the connector pins well. BGVP chose good quality ergonomic sockets which makes swapping cables a breeze.

- Cable – EST12 comes with BGVP’s 8-core cable Furukawa OCC + silver-plated mixed braided cable. It’s a looker and feels ultra-soft and flexible but sadly this is the same cable that comes with DM7 and VG4 too, which are way cheaper than EST12. I would’ve loved it if BGVP would’ve provide a nice UP-OCC Litz cable in the package instead.




Fit and Comfort - EST12 has semi-custom shaped shells. In short, EST12 has the best fit out of my semi-custom shaped IEM collection. They have a metal nozzle which helps most ear tips fit well. They are very comfortable for long periods and isolate outside noise very well too.


Sound Analysis – EST12 has become one of my favorite IEMs from my collection. It is one of the cleanest, resolving and versatile IEMs I’ve heard in this segment, not just because of its sound signature but also because of the added advantage of the 3 switches that add substantial color, changing the signature tastefully (more than any other earphone with switches that I’ve tested).

Because of the versatility of the switches, I’d like to break off from the standard format of my reviews and explain the sound based on the switch combinations and their addition of color. I’ve arranged it in the order that makes most sense for an easy explanation as per my tests.

- Stock (000) – Right out of the box, EST12 comes with all switches off. I like to call this ‘000’ switch combination as the CLEAN. It sounds exactly like that. It is as if you’re listening to the song in an extremely well treated pro-studio with neutral/reference style monitors. The resolution is so high that you can hear the boundaries of the reverbs used in the track.

Bass – Kicks and bass guitar sound very classy and have high resolution, enabling you to clearly focus on their character. Imagine badass music playing in the background with the bassist and the drummer both dressed up in James Bond style suits. Lol! Jokes apart, bass is very tight and has good speed but it’s not your typical BA bass. It can bring in good punch and impact when the song demands it. Bass extends down low to the lowest and mid-bass based bass tones shine through very well. High bass is also well presented and you can hear the overtones and the fresh string sparkle in the bass guitar when the bass is playing prominently. Overall, bass sounds very refined and classy.

Mids – Lower mids are very neutral and in control. There is no bass bleed nor are the lower mids too emphasized, hence always sounding very CLEAN and avoiding muddiness and boxiness at all times. It lets all the parts in the lower mid spectrum like baritone vocals and overall body of the instruments likes snares, shine clearly. As for upper mids, EST12 luckily does not have the typical peaky Chi-fi 3kHz bump. Instead, the upper mids are very tastefully tuned where all instruments are portrayed with equal poise and refinement. Be it orchestral instruments, acoustic guitars or drums, all of them have their own individuality and have natural tonality and timbre.

I don’t want to use the words loosely but vocals do sound very organic and life-like. Not the boosted-sparkly kind but the kind you hear when a singer sings right in front of you in a concert with a nice delay and reverb. Just listen to Chris Cornell or Bryan Adams’ live unplugged songs with decent volume and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Treble – Again, treble is very very well done, doesn’t have any erratic peaks, sounds very refined and has high resolution following the clean character of the IEM to the T. It is very airy and open yet smooth and never harsh. If you like upping the volume to enjoy the song, treble or upper mids are not going to come in the way. Be it listening at lower or higher levels, the IEM always sounds very CLEAN, clear and comfortable. Treble also keeps the tonality of the instruments intact and adds a nice sheen to the top, keeping stringed instruments, cymbals and vocals sounding absolutely life-like.

- Switch 2 (020) – If you feel you need to fill up the bass and mids to give instruments more body and intimacy, flip Switch 2 up! It also makes the sound warmer. It is so tasteful that I kept switching it on and off to see which mode I liked more in every song. Honestly, even though I’d ideally like to sway towards the 000 mode more, Switch 2 simply made some songs sound more fun with its bass and lower mids energy.

- Switch (023) – Now if you feel that 020 made the IEM a little warm but you still need the bass and lower mids body, flip Switch 3 up! It adds more treble clarity and sheen to make up for Switch 2’s body, hence giving the IEM a completely new sound identity. I like to call this mode RICH and ENERGETIC.

- Switch 3 (003) – Switch 3 switched on in isolation can make the sound a little trebly but could help in songs which are mixed a bit too warm. Also, results may vary according to one’s liking and preferences.

- Switch 1 (100 or 123) – Switch 1 adds a small boost around 60-80Hz affecting the lower bass in a tasteful way. It rounds off the thump of the kick and bottom of the bass. It is relatively subtle but can be magical in some songs. It works well in both scenarios of 000 and 023.




Soundstage, Imaging and Separation - EST12 has a nice big soundstage which is both wide and deep, dare I say very holographic. Imaging is spectacularly spot on, very precise! Separation and resolution is one of the best I’ve come across recently in this price segment. I had a funny realization when I was listening to Green Day’s Jesus of Suburbia with the EST12. Even though ‘American Idiot’ is one of my favorite albums, I had never really realized in full awareness that the drums in the ‘Dearly beloved’ section of Jesus of Suburbia were hard panned completely left, with voice in the center and acoustic guitar hard panned on the right. I know that it is quite obvious now if you listen to it having read this paragraph, but honestly it grabbed my attention and the awareness of precise placement came with EST12’s wide soundstage, resolution and precise imaging. This shows how good EST12 is and how aware it makes you of all the instruments even when you’re completely lost in the song.


Comparisons - I’ll be comparing EST12 with all switches in off position (000) and add pointers wherever required.


- 64 Audio U12t ($2000) – Build wise, U12t has a metal shell while EST12 has resin based shells. I dig the shells of EST12 more since they are semi-custom shaped and fit my ears like a perfect glove. Also, EST12 has numerous customization options where sky’s the limit and you can even go for them as a CIEM. As for U12t, you need to order the A12t if you want the customized CIEM version and IMO, U12t and A12t sound slightly different from each other. Sound wise, both are very clean sounding IEMs. For me, I like EST12’s bass presentation better than U12t as it is tighter, more refined and precise. U12t’s bass is more the fun kind as it has good sub-bass presence and rumble but drops off post 100Hz or so and ends up sounding warmer of the two. As for mids, both U12t and EST12 have very good, clean and detailed lower mids but U12t sounds more scooped (v-shaped) in comparison. Upper mids presentation is very good in both and I can’t decide which one I like more, maybe EST12 as it tickles my personal preferences better. Both have peaks around 2.5kHz but U12t has the second peak around 5kHz whereas EST12 has it around 4kHz. As for treble, EST12 has it cleaner and natural, plus can offers flexibility with its switch combinations whereas U12t’s treble is slightly more energetic, thinner with more sizzle up top. With EST12 in 000 mode, both IEM’s soundstages are very wide. Maybe U12t sounds wider in some songs but I can’t say for sure as they’re both pretty wide. EST12’s soundstage reduces very slightly in 020 mode as compared to 000 because of fuller mids in 020. Both have very good resolution, imaging and separation between instruments.


- 64 Audio A6t ($1299) – A6t has 6 BAs and like the U12t comes with Tia and Apex tech. A6t has good sub-bass presence but EST12 does low-bass and mid-bass better, where A6t starts a V-shape fall off. Both are very clean, impactful but EST12’s bass is more defined and refined. Mids are a strong suit of both but EST12 mids have higher resolution and sound more life-like. Both do treble really well but EST12’s treble is natural and lively with more resolution whereas A6t’s lower treble is cool with nice sparkle in the 6-7.5kHz region. A6t has a nice soundstage but EST12 has a holographic soundstage with it being both wider and deeper.


- Custom Art Fibae 7 (€1100) – Fibae 7 has 7BAs and uses tech which enables it to have flat impedance and phase. FYI, FIBAE stands for Flat Impedance Balanced Armature Earphone. Both Fibae 7 and EST12 are very impressive in the first listen and have a wide and deep soundstage. Fibae 7’s bass has good slam and is slightly more present compared to EST12's stock 000 tuning. EST12’s bass on the other hand is tighter with equally good definition and increases with switch 1 and/or 2 enabled. Fibae 7’s mids are more forward with lower mids being warmer. EST12’s lower mids are relatively neutral and upper mids are not as forward. EST12’s treble has more clarity and definition whereas Fibae 7’s treble slowly rolls off but still sounds very clear.


- Campfire Audio Andromeda ($1099) – Andromeda has 5 BAs and is Campfire Audio’s most successful product. It is a widely loved IEM. Build wise, Andromeda has a metal shell whereas EST12 has semi-custom resin shells. Resin shells are not a con, they’re just different.

Tech wise, EST12 is a hybrid and has many more drivers. Both have a clean, refined and tight bass presentation but EST12’s bass can go from classy to raunchy with its versatility of switches and has more poise, refinement and definition. Mids in both again are very clean and detailed where Andromeda’s lower are slightly fuller in comparison but EST12’s lower mids and upper mids are presented more accurately. EST12’s mids overall can again be altered from clean to fuller with Switch 2 and they sound more natural, refined and have more resolution. Andromeda’s upper mids and treble have a unique presentation with sizzle in the 7-10kHz region but not much in the 4-7kHz region whereas EST12’s treble is crispy, clean and clear all to the top and is more natural and tonally accurate in the 2-10kHz region. Both have a nice soundstage but EST12’s is more holographic.


- Fearless Roland ($1000) – Tech wise, Roland is a tri-brid with 1DD + 2BA + 2EST. Honestly Roland being much cheaper than EST12 at $1000 is not the best contender for comparison but is still a very popular IEM, a Chi-fi gem, and I’m sure a lot of people would like to read a comparison between these two as well.

Tech wise, EST12 has many more drivers, is more complex in terms of driver distribution per crossover and surprisingly fits all those drivers in a similar shell depth as Roland. EST12 is slightly wider in dimensions though. Both fit comfortably but I think EST12 fits me better. Sound wise, Roland compared to EST12 is quite different, with Roland serving the dark lord…cough…excuse me, sorry serving a darker signature. Sorry I couldn’t help myself there. EST12 on the other hand has a fun signature, more open and airy. EST12 has better resolution, clarity and a wider soundstage. EST12 is also more versatile because of the switches, more energetic with its presentation and better with instrument separation. Roland is no slouch either. It just serves a different audience which likes nice and smooth presentation. In that it does an excellent job with very nice neutral bass presentation, good balance between the 3 bands, and good resolution and separation based on good tech usage and tuning without using boosted treble for the same.


- ItsFit Fusion ($950) – Fusion is a very cool tri-brid with 1DD + 2BA + 1 Magnetostatic driver from ItsFit Labs, which is a new company, hardly a few months old, and is already making waves in the community. It is also the first I’ve come across which uses a magnetostatic driver. Again, it is much cheaper than EST12 but I thought it'll make for a fun comparison.

Fusion’s has the dynamic driver characteristics with more sub-bass but EST12’s bass has more overall definition, refinement and resolution. As for mids, both do it very well but Fusion’s lower mids are warmer whereas EST12’s lower mids are cleaner and have more detail. Fusion’s upper mids are more upfront but warm whereas EST12’s have more resolution, refinement and sound very natural. EST12’s treble sounds more natural, is clear and airy whereas Fusion’s is energetic, has sizzle and is thinner relatively. EST12 has a wider and deeper soundstage in comparison but Fusion is also very good in this regard for its price point.


Conclusion - As I said before, EST12 has become one of my favorite IEMs and I’ve been enjoying it a lot for the past month or so. BGVP hit it out of the park with this one and I really can’t find anything wrong with it. I took extra time to review it as I wanted to be sure of everything. It is very versatile because of its switches, very clean, detailed, resolving, natural and extremely enjoyable. This one hits very hard and competes toe to toe with the best in its segment. If you’re looking for something in this price segment, you should definitely consider the EST12. I can happily recommend it with all my heart.

All in all, BGVP is coming out with some very cool gear very quickly and their EST hybrids, especially the EST12, is a clear indication of their capability, talent, expertise and craftsmanship. Surely keep an eye out for these when you get a chance.


Gear used for testing and review.

• Macbook Pro with Logic Pro X session with hi-res test tracks played through Universal Audio Apollo audio interface headphone out.
• Hiby R6 Pro
• Oneplus 7 Pro

Reference Songs list.

• Foo Fighters – The Pretender, Best of you & Everlong
• Coldplay – Paradise, Up in flames & Everglow
• Ed Sheeran – Thinking out loud, Bloodstream & Galway Girl
• Chainsmokers – Somebody, Sickboy, This Feeling & Closer
• John Mayer – Slow dancing in a burning room, Stop this Train & Say
• Gavin James – Always & Hearts on fire
• Switchfoot – Meant to live & Dare you to move
• Linkin Park – Papercut, Somewhere I belong & Talking to myself
• Maroon 5 – She will be loved, Payphone & Lost stars
• Lifehouse – All in all & Come back down
• Niall Horan – Slow Hands, Mirrors & The Tide
• Breaking Benjamin – Diary of Jane
• Karnivool – Simple boy & Goliath
• Dead Letter Circus – Real you
• I Am Giant- Purple heart, City limits & Transmission
• Muse – Panic station
• James Bay – Hold back the river