BGVP Phantom

The BGVP Phantom was a real treat to audition. I have not experienced many IEM’s in this price range. My experience with the Phantom was an eye opening experience going into the next tier of the hobby. With that said, I want to thank the team at Audio Geek Brotherhood for working so diligently with quality manufacturers for the members to hear great products. The Phantom is certainly one of them.

Regarding all the specifications, packaging, etc, I think that’s been covered by others reviews. All I can say is: BGVP did a wonderful job putting together a fantastic package. Everything one needs is available in a premium presentation.





I’d like to comment on the initial impression when first listening to the Phantom. For me this was a WOW moment!

Equipment: MacBook Pro using Roon (upsampled to DSD 256) > Audioquest Coffee USB Cable > ifi Audio iPurifier > Denafrips Ares 2 > Moon Audio Dragon Blue XLR to 4.4 > Woo Audio WA11 Topaz

Diane Krall - Superstar

As I’m listening to this and writing. Diane’s voice is amazingly present with every movement of her lips captured with realism as if she is in the room. The strings are nicely laid out showing what you would expect sitting center front. The violins are on the left side and as you move towards the cello’s, the positioning over to the right, just off my shoulder. This is an extremely good soundstaging IEM.

Diane Krall - Walk On By

This is a song I like to listen to so I can gauge the horns when she says Walk On By (second time through). I don’t know the actual horn(s) being played, although they sound like French Horns; however, the positioning is out from my face and to the right. The space on the horns is far more isolated, layered far more distinctly that I’ve heard before, in my system. Additionally, in a part of the song (about midway) the drummer is moving around touching the cymbals. It appears as if he has multiple ride cymbals. The drummer touches nicely on one side of the ride, then moves to the other side of the ride. I’ve noticed this in the song; however, not with this distinction. Next, the drummer moves over to the right, on another ride cymbal. Previously, I couldn’t tell they were two different ride cymbals, through the Phantoms, it’s clear that the drummer is using two different ride cymbals as you can hear the difference in the size of the them. Remarkable! All these cymbals appear to be a solid foot from the front of my face. More importantly, the decay, from the cymbals is extremely impressive. The decay expresses itself down and away from the cymbal.

I will say… the Phantom reveals these spatial cues remarkable well. In fact, I haven’t heard this level of clarity before. Now, I am getting a tad bit of sibilance; however, my suspicion is that the Phantoms are revealing a weakness in a cable, most likely between my DAC and Amp. I’m trying to get an adapter to try a different interconnect (update this part once I get a new cable in place).

I did have an issue with the tips coming off in my ear; however, as I understand, BGVP has released an update to correct this.

I’d like to call out something extremely important. I’ve been in the Audio hobby for 40+ years and have a process as I venture down this trail. I’m new to using IEM’s and have listened to a number of them in the $350 range and lower. My key characteristics in an IEM is soundstaging. With the right equipment and the right set of IEM’s, you can get phenomenal spatial cues within the soundstage. Speaking about these spatial cues is extremely important to me, more-so than speaking about treble, mids, and bass. When a proper system is configured, these spatial cues can make or break how involved I get in the music.

My reference has been the Project M (I own them) and I continue to say they have a very mature sound; however, the Phantom has taken this to another level. I wouldn’t say that the Phantom trounces the Project M in sound staging; however, they do everything with presence that exceeds the Project M in maturity, musicality, and naturalness.

For anyone that’s looking for an under 1K IEM that provides a top tier sound, please take a moment to try the BVGP Phantom!



Small complaint…. That compartment is a dust magnet…

DISCLAIMER: The BGVP Phantom was sent to me as part of the Audio Geek "Brother_Hood of Audiophiles" US Tour. Many thanks to Audio Geek and BGVP for the opportunity to give these a listen and share my thoughts!

A BIT ABOUT ME: I’ve been in the hobby for many years, starting out with old-school DAPs like the iRiver IHP120 and Rio Karma and IEM like the Shure E2c and E3c. Over the years, I’ve maintained a focus on portable audio, and my setup has evolved to mainly dongle DACs and mid-tier IEM. I mainly listen to classic rock, electronic, and metal. While I can appreciate many different flavors of sound, I avoid setups which provide too much upper mids and lower treble.

WHAT’S INCLUDED: IEM, 3 types of silicon tips + foam tips, modular cable, case.

SPECIFICATIONS:


MY THOUGHTS:
Accessories: The accessory package is fine, with a solid white pleather case, plenty of tips, and a modular (3.5 + 4.4) SPC cable. My only nitpicks are personal preference. For instance, I’d prefer a darker colored case to help prevent stains as the white case is tossed into bags. And for some reason, the font on the 3.5 and 4.4 plugs wasn’t the same. Perhaps it’s because this is a tour unit. If not, I’d expect consistency in the font across box, case, IEM, and cable for any IEM but especially those at this price point.











Looks: Phantom shells have thermochromic pigmentation which allow them to change color depending on temperature. At room temperature, they’re blue-black. At increasingly higher temperatures, they take on lighter shades of blue.

Comfort/Ergonomics: The shells are on the small side and well-rounded, so comfort wasn’t an issue. The only real issue I had was that the nozzles don’t have a lip for tips to grab onto. This meant that tips can come off the nozzle, remaining in your ear. The newer BGVP Phantom SE has overcome this issue by including a metal sheath with a lip around the nozzles, ensuring that tips stay on. A quick look at the FR graphs leads me to believe that the sound isn’t altered much with that change.



Sound: I’d characterize the sound as dynamic and spacious with sub over mid bass (more or less depending on tips), neutral mids (drier or sweeter depending on tips), fairly prominent upper mids (brightness depends on tips), and crisp treble (control depends on tips). Depending on the source, the soundstage can become holographic. There is clear separation of sonic elements that I found was an inherent characteristic of the IEM and less source dependent that soundstage. Preference-wise, I’d prefer equal amounts of sub and mid bass, warmer mids, and less bright upper mids. However, sonic characteristics were malleable, allowing it to be fine-tuned with tips and source. I expect cable rolling would also help fine-tune the sound, but I don’t have MMCX cables in my collection and wasn’t able to confirm this.

The one major con for me is sibilance. I experienced a sharp, metallic sibilance with hard consonants which is unlike sibilance I’ve experienced with other IEM. I was able to lessen this with tips and source, but it remained an issue for me. I spoke with others who’ve auditioned the same IEM, and they didn’t experience this issue. So while most people won’t experience this, I feel compelled to mention it just in case. I also heard the same type of sibilance with BGVP DMA, so I suspect it’s an interaction of my anatomy with their bone conductor implementation.

Tips: I tried many tips to fine-tune the sound and try to eliminate sibilance.

• BGVP vocal tips maintain sub over mid bass and leaner lower mids but help control brightness and sibilance.
• BGVP bass tips increase mid bass and warm up lower mids a bit but sibilance is more prominent and treble gets a bit splashy. These slip off the nozzles quite easily.
• BGVP balanced tips combine bass of vocal tips but with upper end of bass tips.
• Divinus Velvet tips are similar to BGVP vocal tips but with a bit more restrained upper mids and treble for an overall more mature sound but not enough mid bass for my tastes. These slip off the nozzles quite easily.
• Dunu S&S tips worked very well for me with the lower end of the BGVP bass tips and upper end of the BGVP vocal tips. These stayed on the nozzles.
• Tangzu Sancai were similar to Dunu S&S but had drier mids and brighter upper mids. These slip off the nozzles quite easily.
• Tangzu Sancai Wide have generous sub bass, lighter mid bass, sweeter mids, bright but not overly bright upper mids, and crisp but nicely controlled treble. These slip off the nozzles quite easily.

Cables: I wasn’t able to test this since I don’t have MMCX cables in my collection.

Sources: I preferred a warmer source with these IEM. I skipped my dongles and listened mainly with Chord Mojo with or without KAEI TAP-2 (a hybrid transportable tube amp). With Mojo, the sound was nicely resolving with good dynamics, but the soundstage was like a deep yet narrow hall which isn’t my preference. With Mojo + TAP-2, dynamics and increased with harder hitting bass and a much more holographic soundstage which made this my preferred combination for listening to these IEM.

CONCLUSION: Looking over BGVP’s page for this IEM, they combined several technologies to showcase their house sound with deep controlled bass, smooth mids, mature airy treble, and increased details, separation, and soundstage from the bone conductors. I’d say they nailed their goals very well with Phantom and would recommend it for people who prioritize separation and soundstage along with a less colored sound that still maintains good bass presence with a high degree of control due to the sub over mid bass approach. The degree to which this can be fine-tuned with tips and source allows it to be very flexible with respect to musical genres, although I would prefer more balanced sub and mid bass for electronic music and warmer lower mids for male vocals. If it weren’t for the seemingly rare sibilance issue I have with these, they’d definitely be on my purchase list for the wonderful separation and soundstage which is quite impressive. Great job BGVP!

**BGVP PHANTOM IEM Review**

I recently had the opportunity to test the BGVP Phantom, a tour unit received through the Audio Geek Brotherhood group of India. My sincere thanks to Anand Subramanian for arranging this tour for the Indian audiophile community.

**Package:**
The BGVP PHANTOM IEM comes with a premium looking, beautifully designed carrying case though it might be slightly impractical for everyday use due to its elongated shape size.

**Design:**
The design of the PHANTOM is visually appealing with a subtle green marble pattern. The nozzle is a unibody resin material. I would suggest to go with the newly introduced metal nozzle for better grip to the tips. The included cable is not only beautiful but also well-crafted, adding to the overall premium look of the IEMs.

**Fit:**
BGVP provides plenty of ear tips for different sound signatures (Balanced, Bass & Vocal). The PHANTOM fits perfectly in my ears. They are not overly big like other multi-driver iems.

**Bass:**
The bass is impactful, with a satisfying thump in every beat. It's a quality bass you don't have to tune it further. It doesn't bleed in the other frequencies.

**Mids / Vocals:**
Vocals are crisp and clear, positioned prominently at the center of the stage. However, there is a slight whistling sound in the vocals that may be noticeable during certain tracks.

**Treble:**
The treble is clean and detailed, contributing to the overall clarity without being harsh or fatiguing. The micro details are impressive and pronounced well in the mix.

**Imaging:**
Imaging is one of the standout features of the PHANTOM. It is precise and spot-on, allowing for an immersive sound and well-defined instrument positioning.

**Soundstage & Depth:**
The PHANTOM excels in creating a 3D atmospheric experience, with a wide soundstage and impressive depth. The space between instruments is really addictive. It really felt like someone had turned the 3D switch on. I was enjoying my regular songs with the added depth once again.

**Conclusion:**
The BGVP PHANTOM IEM is a solid performer with a beautiful design. It delivers a detailed and immersive audio experience with impressive imaging and soundstage. While the slight whistling in the vocals might be a minor flaw, the overall performance makes the PHANTOM a great choice for those seeking a well-rounded matured sounding IEM.

BGVP has been in the game since 2015. They manufacture from China and make many very balanced and wonderful-sounding items. They have multiple offerings, but I have been exposed to only a few, like DM7, DM8, and NS9. I have been looking forward to more similar opportunities, and when I was given the opportunity, I humbly accepted it.

Disclaimer: This review is part of a BGVP- organised tour in India, and I have not received any compensation for my thoughts. I am grateful to BGVP, the Audiogeek team, and @hitchhiker for including me in this tour. You can find more from here.

PACKAGING-
You can't take any packaging lightly, as this makes or breaks an item during shipping. BGVP has been doing a great job with what contents should be present. The entire thing is in a hard cardboard box, with foam inserts for the iems but no foam covering for them which might lead to unwanted damages. But the rest of the setup is perfect, with a white synthetic leather covering for the cable and many tips, including a pair of foam tips. Even a grill cleaner brush was added. I love that they still give a lot of things to help you on your first journey. Plus, all the tips are properly labelled on the prongs, making keeping track much easier.



BUILD-
It’s a resin build with an excellent small shape that would change colour with temperature (thermochromic pigment) and doesn’t cause pressure at all on the ears. They have been made nicely but need to be handled carefully.

CABLE-
The cable is beautifully made, and I love the construction. This is a 6N single copper silver-plated upgrade cable, and it is interchangeable with 4.4mm and 3.5mm plugs. MMCX connectors btw which are tight, but I don’t like them much as they loosen over time.

SPECIFICATIONS-
> 8 Driver unit-
Sonion EST x2
Sonion BA x1
Knowles BA x1
Double DC VF+ Graphene VF DD x2
Sonion BC Driver x2
>Impedance: 12Ω.
>Sensitivity: 107dB/mW.
>Frequency Response Range: 10Hz-40kHz.
>THD+N: <2%.
>Max Rated Power: 179mW.

Price- 899.99$

POWER REQUIREMENT-
The power requirement in PAW S1 is in High Gain – 20-25 volume, which shows that it can be used with almost anything.

NOTE—This review is done with Paw S1, ONIX Mystic XP1, and default tips, as shown in the picture. They fit the best.

SOUND IMPRESSIONS-
SUBBASS-

This tiny thing works wonders in this department. There is everything to like here. Tonality is neutral and is spot on, there is good impact with good rumbling going on after the note decays. Coming on to that, the attack and decay is quite fast, but it lingers slightly longer which makes it more enjoyable to listen to. The notes are thicker at the base and the body but tapering off fast in the stage. The individual notes are though quite different and are beautifully separated. Dynamics are great in the sub-bass region. It goes quite deep, and the reverberations run through your head easy. I love it.

BASS-
The bass retains and works well with the sub-bass. Its impactful and the dynamics fill the room easily. The tonality feels slightly warmer and is well defined too. The air inside the instruments are also easily felt too which make it feel tight or hollow. Notes have bigger base and smaller body similar to sub-bass. Fast and slow hits are easily identified given the fast decay and fast attack of the notes. The bass presence is quite good in the headstage too with wider presence and also a little below the vocals giving it good depth. The separation from the other instruments and vocals are also quite well defined, giving it wonderful presence. I would love to hear this on the go. This feels like it should be how the music is supposed to be- no excess no too much.


MIDS-
Vocals are wonderful to say the least. They are beautifully done with quite great tonality and great separation from the vocals with instruments going around the vocalists. The male vocals have their own thicker voice but wider at the base of the notes than the body and endings. The female vocals have similar notes, but tonality is more like females. The dynamism is beautiful, but the female vocals reach the head stage easily and some more room in the head stage would make it much better. Small nuances like air, lip smacks etc. come up easily, even roughness in certain male vocalists’ voices are easily heard too.

Instruments in the mids especially piano love their own presentation here in this iem. They are wider at the entire notes but with good tonal differences to feel between key presses. Notes have a wonderful dynamism and tonality is little warm here. The separation and placement of instruments are also quite apt with a surrounding feel around the vocalist. The notes are also quite defined and go quite high in the head stage. Guitar is lovely here with reverberations going slightly longer than in other areas. Individual string pulls are so beautifully done wow. There is some amount of spaciousness among the instruments that helps with the presentation too and make it feel wider and cohesive. Small nuances of instruments are also easily noticed albeit at a little higher volume but not uncomfortable area at all. Plus, dynamism in the nuances and very corner instruments are also felt and give off their presence in a grandeur way.

TREBLE-

The treble is energetic and quick. Fast decay and fast attack makes it and also beautifies it. Since unlike treble heavy iems, the energy is quite apt while not making it heavy on the ears, hence a longer listening time too. The placement of the instruments around the headstage is also beautiful giving off a grand appearance. There is dynamism in the notes too with air coming through too. But the energy is epic and quite catches you off guard if you are asleep while listening to the music . Violins are quite beautiful with each string strike easily felt along with the movement too. Saxophones presentations are also apt and tonally accurate, a little more air might be better but they are still present when asked for. Love it overall and a good departure from treble heavy iems I am accustomed to.

VERDICT-
This iem is really good and given the sound I will surely recommend it. This is an all rounder for best portable experience.

So background on me, I’m an audiophile of 20 years started in 2 channel then merged into personal audio about 7 years ago. I listen to all genres except country and any of the Pops. I am uniquely atuned to bass, mids and spatial cues so I may not prioritize preferences that a treble head, vocal deviant or a timber junkie might. However I appreciate the full spectrum and I lean towards a non sterile sound.
I believe once you cross a certain threshold in iems the basics are going to be there, ie. resolution and details in varying degrees but to spend time talking about is it resolving? is it not resolving? which one has more details? Is more of a budget conversation. I personally think even budgets set have details and are resolving so - accordingly I’ll focus on the particular presentation portrayed by this iem, For me.

Gear used for this assessment of the phantom are the
WM1A2
The Hugo2 with 2go module and PW adapter
The mojo original with the Poly and PW adapter
The yinlumei W0

The BGVP Phantom was kind of a thrill to put on, with the right tracks it immediately surrounds you. After the initial wow moments experienced with the stage. I noticed it’s well-balanced you hear everything in the spectrum. It’s spaced well; not so close that you feel like you need take a step back if you wanted to ‘look’ at the whole image and the placement of the various instruments. Its wide enough to not miss much compared to the Mest Mkii and the Mest is crazy wide. So the caveat for the stage is going to be eartips - Tangzu Sencai Wide Bores. Just do it!

I have the Mest mkii, the Spartacus and the multiverse (as well as the phantom - yeah I bought one). So I have a decent reference point of what BCDs can do. All the above iems present very differently the Multiverse is as though all sounds are eminating from you and panning out wider and deeper than anything I've heard. The Mest MKii pans very wide, to where it wraps behind your ears and phantom are nearly as wide as the Mest only falling short in terms of behind your ears, however it's much deeper than the Mest and on the right source nearly as deep as the Multiverse. The most shocking caveat for the staging and imaging is that for me the Phantom is more precise and sharp in where the objects appear in the stage.
Lastly the reason I mention the other IEMs at all is that I feel like the Phantom offers a unique value proposition, to hear staging and balance like this you need to spend double or quadruple the entry price of the Phantom IMO - All have a similar out-of-head stage; the Phantom however presents the location of some sounds so differently - I was listening to a playlist I made specifically for spatial cues and on a number of tracks, during the panning; front to back passages - the sound would traverse from behind my shoulders, then up my neck, going forward over my head and then down to rest directly in my line of site. Mind you I was casually listening and just getting up off the couch and as I stood I heard it -I stood FROZON just to focus and experience it. Truly EPIC.

Thats worth the price of admission for me. It does need sencai wide bore tips, it volume/gear scales well and out of the cables I rolled on it I actually prefer the stock cable presentation the most.

Thank you to BGVP and Audio Geek US tours for this opportunity to demo it. Truly excellent people to work with and really fun set to try out.

TONALITY: 8.5/10
TECHNICALITIES: 9.2/10
TIMBRE: 8/10
SOUNDSTAGE: 7.5/10
IMAGING: 9/10
MUSICALITY (subjective): 8/10
CONSTRUCTION: 8/10
SOUND VALUE: 8/10

BGVP is a well experienced IEM company from China that was founded in 2015 and has release diversify IEMs from multi BA DM7 to tribrid with EST DM9 to tribrid with Bone conduction like the DMA i review lately that truely blow my mind with it's sound value and fun bass musicality.

In the past, BGVP release IEMs that was hit or miss in term of tonal balance, yet always try to push sound bundaries value with new tech implementation. Since 2 years, their experience pay off and they improve alot in tuning balance even if they seem to have a sweet spot for bright and energic tonality that highlight technical prowess of their IEMs.

Today I will review the big brother of this DMA i'm so afound off, it's the BGVP Phantom, an 8 drivers using for different type of drivers in dual mode: 2DD+2 knowles BA+2sonion BCD+2sonion EST. All this at a very competitive price of 900$, but if you seek for deals ou might get it for 800$ easily.

My level of excitation was sky high about these due to my intense love of Unique Melody Mest MK3 which i consider as my end game, if i was that excited it's due to my high end sound value quest and the Phantom seem only sub-1000$ IEM using both bone conduction and electrostat drivers.

Yes i'm obsess about the bone conduction driver when implemented in hybrid configuration, in facct this Phantom is my sixth IEM with BC. In term of price range, those are in direct competition with UM Mext that i own too and will compare in this review.

Let see if the Phantom fullfill it's promise of delivering among highest resolution possible. Yet, did musicality will be appealing too? Let see in this review.

CONSTRUCTION&DESIGN




The construction of Phantom is all made of medical grade resin plastic and seem mold in one piece. The plastic is soft and smooth and thick, it feel very sturdy and i personaly prefer this material over metal shell for lighter weight, the fact it can't go cold and its less prompt for easy scratching.

Yet, BGVP upgrade this shell design for a very good reason: the nozzle is very thick and it's shaped like a volcano and like a volcano it throw out the eartips you try to put on cause of lack of nozzle lip. In all honnesty, this is biggest con of my whole Phantom story and this explain i struggle doing this review until i find the savior: Penon Liqueur black. Still, comfort wasn't the best due to the fact we need precise fit that is deep and need to touch temporal skin for proper bone conduction.




As said, i've just been unlucky here since the new version look like this:



Anyway, if you own older version, i urge you to get those Penon Liqueur. Inside of eartips need to have a sticky meterial to hold off plastic conic nozzle.

The on top of the housing we have MMCX connector, this isn't most popular connector and 2pin would have been more judicious choice. Personaly I like it like this because the IEM can swivel for more precise fit. To note: all BGVP IEMs are MMCX.

If you wonder why my pics seem to have different color it's because the Phantom use a special thermochromic died wood shell that change color with heat should it be 30 degree sun like today or your skin that has around 34 degree of temperature.



Ok so overall the construction quality is excellent, the thermochromic is an interesting feature and well, BGVP was fast to upgrade the design issue that make ear tips fit very cumbersome.




The included cable is of excellent quality, it s a modular cable with changeable plug in 3.5mm and 4.4mm. Its a high purity 6N copper silver plated cable with 4 cores. It's thick and sturdy and flexible. It would have been nice to get a 2.5mm balanced plug too, but their none.



The packaging is excellent. It come in small glossy box and it's fullfill with goodies. As it should with flagship IEM of this price range, yet their alot of companies being rubbish in term of accessories, which isn't the case at all here.
We have a nice quality carrying case enough spacious. 9 pairs of silicone eartips in different model. 1 pair of memory foams. A cleaning brush and the excellent modular cable.

All in all everything is great here apart the thick conic nozzle which has been modify for newes batch of Phantom.


SOUND IMPRESSIONS




The overall tonality of Phantom is balanced bright W shape. It’s both bassy and technical and even lean towards analytical due to greatly boosted sense of resolution that bone conduction and electrostat drivers achieve. We have notable boosts in mid bass, upper mids and upper treble. Sense of speed and macro dynamic energy is magnified yet avoid fatiguing harshness as well as macro muddyness due to excellent sound layering capacity of these 8 drivers used.

In term of musicality, the experience is crisp, intimate and holographic, your suck up into an incredibly rich holographic soundscape with infinite amount of micro details that are effortlessly deliver but not forced on listener apart vocal and instrument presence which is extremely focused on a center stage your part of and not pull away from.

The bass is more thumpy than thick and sustain in rumble and has excellent layering capacity, it always stays layered behind the mid range due to the bone conduction ‘’cheat’’ i’ll try to explain further in next frequency range section.
It’s this special kind of bass that lifts both sub bass and bass line presence and mid bass dynamic intensity in punch which get a notch warmer when their impact yet feeds the lower mids density to avoid plasticky tone and timbre.
The impact warmth permit to glue bass by behind and avoid the infamous ‘’detached bass’’ that can feel cold and unnatural to some, me included, but it mean it’s isn’t clean and edgy in punch definition too, it’s hard to find the contour or kick drum presence for example even if the dynamic impact is there.
Then for the bass line, it’s different. Even in a complex speedy track it’s easy to track it and it never gets mushy and loose in the mix. Still, I would welcome more texture and fine details because all other drivers are sharper in resolution and not as loose in impact.
The Phantom uses a dual DD that delivers thick round bass slam, it's more tactile in dynamic than informative in texture details, the performance is very good even if mid bass is colored a bit. Both digital and acoustic kick drums don’t lack weight or roundness.
Those aren’t hard hitting nor rumbly enough for basshead purposes, and if it wasn’t for this bass boost I would consider the Phantom monitor neutral.
It’s a balanced bass response that doesn't dominate the mix yet has an extra punch to a bassy track.
Double bass sound quite good-realist, snappy, speedy in attack and with natural resonance to it’s attack release that don’t feel boomy or overdone, while for cello it’s not as realist, it can be confused with violin due to lack of grunt and attack release vibrancy.
All in all, I find the bass cohesive in tonal and timbre balance and that’s quite an achievement, yet it shines more with electronic instruments than acoustic ones in lower range. Phantom adds much needed punch and bass line cues to pop, soul, R&B, EDM, rap, rock and some jazz.



The mids are energic, clean, bright and clear, thanks to bone conduction cheat that sticken extra presence details layers and dynamic intensity that blossom in your head and mix cohesively with out of your head air transmission. This adds extra focus on mid range instruments especially vocal that are sharply extra and articulated, extremely informative in texture and timbre details as well as edgy in presence envelope contour. Think about air transmission doing the draft of music drawing and bone conduction adding meticulous contrast and details.
Sure, the sonion BCD aren’t covering as wide frequencies range as the UM Mest MK3 BC driver and in fact have familiarity with balanced armature, so the result isn’t too heterogeneous in drivers timbre here, BA and BCD covering mid range together fluidly.
But all this driver's mix leads to a clean but closed up and intimate center stage that feels concentrated in your head and in fact upper mids can sound quite loud and intense when it comes to high pitch vocals and instrument, yet this doesn’t induce shouty fatigue, it might create headache at high volume though.
Lower mids aren’t as intense in dynamic so the piano notes are not very weighty, they are tapping fastly but lightly. The note release isn't the longest and I heard a bit of hazy euphony in the release.
The transparency isn’t the greatest and more limpid, yet this mean timbre isn’t too thin too. Instrument presence is colored with a lot of texture details that thicken but compress timbre too.
Nonetheless the macro presentation is very articulated and can keep its sound layers differentiated even with a polyphonic ensemble.
Fans of ambient music with a lot of synth patterns will be in awe here since each layer is wide and multi staged effortlessly with a hint of BA lushness to them, it’s rare that I can appreciate synth patterns that well.
So it seems again electronic instruments will shine even more, with the exception of vocals which this sonion BCD specialize in fact.
The mids never get veiled by bass which stay in the back in its own soundscape stage, this means it doesn't mix into mids harmonic the same way as single or hybrid driver without BC. This stole air and silence around the instrument with subtle resonance and vibrancy especially after a big bass impact but not only. So if you expect open and airy mids, I'll go instead with BGVP DM9 and avoid bone conduction that adds sound info to silence too. I could say this for all IEM using BC, yet in a different way, due to different levels of transparency achieved by different bone conduction technology, again, UM Mest MK3 being the end game of this quest for now but at a very big cost (that worth it).

Their no doubt treble is master of the show here, we have all BA, BC and EST to magnify this frequencies range and level of micro details and attack energy and control is very good. Yet, it must be noted the Phantom uses 2EST and those expecting a similar sparkly, air and vivid snappy attack edge of 4EST configuration might feel wanting more like me.
The fact bone conduction stole air around the instrument limited the proper sparkle perception that needed cleaner and crisper spatiality. But be reassured, it’s still more sparkly than most IEMs out there not using EST.
Here the EST add bite to attack so percussions have more intense accent in attack lead, it’s energetic and crunchy, free of splashing, the sense of speed is magnify and induce captivating euphoria to complex rhythmic pattern.
Oddly, the instrument I was truly blown away with was the clavichord, one of hardest keyboard instruments to fully restitute and even if I would like longer brilliance release, each note was super clean,weighty in attack (yes, unlike piano!), fully bodied yet not dry and well extremely realist and well resolve, i can follow more complex Scarlatti or Bach composition played feverishly by Pierre Hantai and nothing mix together, the articulation and layering is top notch, the texture inside sustain release is round and just a notch euphonic, adding natural vibrancy within each note stroke. Truly mind blowing.
Other instruments that shine with Phantom are both electric and acoustic guitar. It seems that IEM loves instruments with metallic strings, pulled way more so than rubbed way since the attack of guitar has more bite than violin which is dryer and leaner even if quite bright and energetic.
Sens of speed and immediacy is boosted with this IEM, but we don't have this extra air that open spatiality, here it's a bit similar to something like Kinera Urd even if the Phantom is a league above in all technical deparment.

The soundstage isn’t the highlight of Phantom especially if you like it very wide and deep, it’s taller than both this aspect in fact and quite intimate. I feel like wearing a VR helmet where i’m part of music but not in a very realistic way spatiality wise. It’s a holographic experience concentrating on the listener's proximity. If I have to draw it, it would look like an equilateral triangle where my head is in the middle touching all 3 sides of the space.

But thanks to bone conduction cheating again, the imaging is excellent. Especially in term of sound layering you can extract freely big presence chunk should it be vocal, bass line, percussions, this is why i consider these near analytical. It's very easy to track percussions too, which has their own space, not far away in a too stretched stereo presentation. I can see this being use as monitor.



SIDE NOTES

At 12ohm of impedance and 107db of sensitivity, the Phantom are rather easy to drive and versatile for wide range of source. Yet, to fully wake up all drivers, i feel it need proper amping so a minimum of at least 100mw is suggested. Clean source with warm timbre but energic and weighty dynamic is suggested, more the source is detailed more the Phantom will show it's true nature too. Bone conduction is very revealing ot timbre texture too, so if too bright and grainy, it will show it, better go for natural and smooth timbre.

In term of cable upgrade, since those are MMCX I don't have true upgrade cable to test, i just know tribrid and BC is sensitive to noise and micro distortion affecting clean clarity, so logically, they will be a good contender for cables flavoring.

Then ear tips, ok, i've already complaint about the nozzle shape and lack of lip to hold ear tips steadily, but if it was so complex of a quest it was to achieve proper sound projection too, for ex, Azla Xelastec don't work well even if they were holding well enough around nozzle, their were a small gap that make the sound boxy, at least for my ear canal shape. Again, from all my 30 model of eartips only Penon Liqueur work andd it's not even hyping here, just fact. Those are stick tips all the way with wide bore (black).



COMPARISONS



VS LETSHUOER CONDUCTOR (1DD+3BA+4EST-1000$)


The Phantom sound more analytical, W shape and bright, while Conductor is crisper, airier and more U shape in balance.

The bass of Conductor has more slam energy and rumble release, its more boosted in sub bass while not as thick and round in mid bass punch which is more textured and punchy with the Phantom but not as airy and clean in definition, bass line feel more opaque and grainy with Phantom..

Mids are more forwards and focus with the Phantom, the bone conduction add presence fullness which make vocal notably richerin texture and wider thicker in presence as well as louder and more intelligible, it’s not as transparent and airy as well upper mids aren’t loud in same way, so this make Conductorr feel a bit shouty and unbalanced in harmonic density. We have more sound info with Phantom, it feel more mid centric and focused, it’s superior in all department but amount of natural air around instrument which has extra presence boost too with Phantom.

The treble is darker in micro details amount with Conductor, yet sparklier, more brilliant and airy too. The Phantom highs will have more crunch that show greater amount of texture richness while Conductor will focus on ultra highs snap and air, offering thinner percussions but with sharper and faster energy, this make acoustic guitar sound more metallic but more scintillant too as well as cleaner, less thicken with whole sound envelope richness. I wish i can have both air and resolution with bone conduction but it add an extra resolution layer, a bit like oversampling but for the psychoacoustic part of hearing.

The the soundstage sure sound more in your head with the Phantom, this is something to note with IEM using bone conduction, it do stole natural air flow. So, in term of spatial perception i can just feem its slightly taller, while COnductor is notably wider and way way deeper, but it’s the center stage their, it’s not that good to be that far.

Imaging is superior with the Phantom due to greater mid range resolution and fuller sound layers presentation that can cohabit a compressed yet very holographic and articulated soundscape.

Ultimately, their no doubt the Phantom is slightly superior technically, but that doesn’t mean it’s musicality will appeal everybody, the EST benefit is more evident with the Conductor wich is airier, snappier and sparklier, so if you favor transparency and bassy vivid crispness I’ll go Conductor, and if bright analytical neutral with slight mid bass boost is your thing, Phantom is the way to go.


VS UNIQUE MELODY MEXT (1DD+4BA+1 wide range BC-1100$)

The Mext is warmer and darker, more U shape and less analytical and W shape than brighter, crisper and more energetic Phantom.

Bass is faster, tiger and more punchy with the Phantom, punch is warmer and more mellow with Mext and bass line are muddier when kick occurs, bass quality is way higher with Phantom, cleaner, more articulate and resolved, less prompt to euphonic distortion. Another game for this very section, the dual DD used is from another league.

Then the mids are brighter, upper mids is more upfront with the Phantom, here quality of Bone conduction go to Mext in the sens vocal are lusher and wider in presence, less peaky and i will never encounter in head sibilance or shouting at high volume, yet it mean its a notch warmer and less dynamic, leaner than Phantom which as more extracted sound layering with less bass fog darkening macro resolution.

The highs is this time superior with Phantom, the extra EST is the game changer, micro details are more sharply define, percussions too, we have more sparkle and attack snap, it's more air and crisp afterall while more hazy in definition edge with the Mext, which is typical of balanced armature high, in other word treble feel darker and more rolled off with the Mext, less vivid in attack too.

Soundstage is notably wider and more out of your head with the Mext, while it’s taller and deeper with the Phantom.

Imaging is notably better with Phantom due mostly to higher resolution and more multi-layered spatiality. Next feel hazy so accuracy of instrument placement is less sharp and precise.
All in all, Phantom delivers superior technical performance in all departments but mid range due to superior bone conduction of Mext that cover wider frequencies range. Tonaly wise, Phantom is more W shaped and energetic and captivating, while i can find Mext boring, lacking dynamic authority of Phantom.

VS BGVP DMA (1DD+2BA+2BCD-300$)

DMA is bassier, just a notch warmer mids wise and not as crips and snappy and airy in treble.

The bass hits harder and has a chunkier rumble too but not as good layering. Phantom bass is more speedy and tighter, it's cleaner and more edgy too, both these IEM have excellent bass quality so her quality is just slightly superior, this is logical since Phantom uses 2 DD while DMA uses one.

Mids are very very similar since both IEM use very same dual BC, but definition is sharper and crisper with the Phantom, presence is more centered and focused, we have less euphony that can affect layering of instrument too so more refined mids afterall.

The treble is where Phantom is cleaner superior to DMA, but not that much, it’s mostly about brilliance and attack control which is more snappy, percussion is cleaner, crisper, less prompt to hazy sustain-release, less prompt to slight splashing too.

Soundstage is notably wider and more holographic with the DMA, this is surely due to nozzle type but it might be extra bass headroom too, Phantom sound quite ‘’in your head’’ compared to DMA.

Imaging is crisper and sharper and less hazy with the Phantom, these can be used as monitor IEM, while for DMA it's too colored and bassy.

All in all, I was expecting a higher sound benefit difference from Phantom compared to excellent DMA, yet, it only underlines how crazy is the sound value of DMA. Phantom is brighter and more neutral afterall, and more refined in balance as well as cleaner and sparklier, but those extra EST don’t deliver as much sparkle and micro details one should expect so in that regard the diminishing return hit way harder than DMA.
Subjectively, i prefer the more fun, open, holographic and bassy musicality of DMA over more serious sounding Phantom, this is due to the fact im addict to out of your head soundstage as well as lively macro dynamic, so while i would use Phantom for classical and jazz, for anything else with beat, it will be DMA.

CONCLUSION




The BGVP Phantom are true technical monster that achieve it's promise of delivering a very high resolution sound that couldn't be achieve without the help of bone conduction. They achieve this delivering an intimate and energic musicality that is captivating due to it's dual DD punchy and quality bass that dont mix with mids that are superbly layered on top of low end.

While i would prefer a more open, holographic and out of your head spatiality, these doesn't sound compressed but ultra focused on what's going on in your music. It's highly engaging and well, it's even hard to think or concentrate on anything else than music with those imaging and resolution champ.

If you are into bright tonality with slight bass, upper mids and upper treble boost, you'll most likely be blown away by those.....just don't forget to buy the upgrade metal nozzle version as well as sticking this housing on your temporal bone.

Highly recommended.

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PS: I want to thanks BGVP for sending me this review sample, which is now part of my 300 IEMs collection. As always, i'm 100% free minded and not affiliated to any companies nor making any $ with my reviews.

You can order the Phantom on official BGVP Ali store here (non aff link and don't forget to select METAL CONDUCT!....oh, its different price-970$):
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005680853863.html