BQEYZ BQ-10

Hi to you all!,

First of all, a shoutout to BQEYZ AUDIO, thanks to them for giving me this set for my honest and sincere review. The impressions and opinions are on my own, with the only bias in place being my own musical and tuning tastes.

The BQEYZ BQ-10 is the new IEM by BQEYZ with a MSRP of 30 USD and you can get it at Aliexpress in their official store or in other retailers online.
The BQ-10 is driven by a 12 mm PET Dynamic Driver who delivers a mix between an old school vibe and a pretty neutral tuning, with a bassy, musical and inmersive experience into Hi-Fi without breaking the bank.

TDLR; A mix between a neutral and natural tuning and an organic sound presentation who delivers a grateful experience.

The BQ-10 comes in a nice box in which the front image shows the gorgeous faceplate with the brand’s logo and a little vent hole. My unit come with the cable with a 3.5 mm singled ended plug and the same 0.78 mm 2 pin connection.

Technical Specifications

• Driver Type: 12mm Dual-Cavity Dynamic Driver
• Impedance: 40Ω
• Sensitivity: 113 dB
• Frequency Response Range: 5Hz – 40kHz
• Cable Length: 1.2m
• Connector Type: 0.78mm 2-pin
• Plug Type: 3.5mm (standard) or Type-C (DSP version with microphone)

The BQ-10 has a good impedance and sensitivity to be easily driven with plenty of devices, its “big” 12 mm PET DD comes with the PET goodness of a stiff diaphragm to delivering a neutral and organic sound with a well-rounded extension into the bass and treble.


This is a more than great package:

• A fake leather and rounded carrying case.
• 2 types of silicon ear tips (balanced and wide bore, dark gray and white with light purple center respectively).
• A 3.5 mm single end plug and 0.78 mm 2 pin connection, 2 cores twisted cable.
• The IEMs themselves (resin shell with metallic faceplates and nozzles):
  • 15 mm Width
  • 22 mm Length
  • 17 mm Height
  • Nozzle:
    • 5 mm Height
    • 6 mm Diameter
    • Lip diameter 8 mm

Personally I loved the stock cable, is beautiful, matches perfectly the IEMs, is well-built, doesn’t tangle and looks with quality, I don’t feel the need to change it. The included eartips are more than enough for it, I’m using it with the dark gray M size ones for the test. The included case is a nice touch who complements a more than great package for its price.

The IEMs themselves has a well-built and quality resin material with those aluminum faceplates in which you can see a little vent who complements the well vented and dampened front of the driver and the two vents for the back of the driver providing that wide soundstage and extension into the bass and treble without missing details. The IEMs are pretty lightweight, its nozzle is not big and with its 6 mm of diameter provides a nice fit into average sized ears with zero fatigue for long sessions.

How’s the sound of the BQ-10?:

The BQ-10 is bassy, with enough sub-bass and mid-bass who extents into the low frequencies, is fast, boomy and thumpy but not bloated, its qualities extends and bleeds enough into the lower mids providing a naturalness into the male vocals and bass kick without veiling the mids, songs like “Angel” by Massive Attack and “The less I know the better” by Tame Impala shows that extension and enjoyable presentation of drops and bass kick, distinguishing the bass guitar details.

The mids in the BQ-10 are the other strong part in it, nice presence, noteweight and cleanness, both male and female vocals are forwarded and not sibilant, the instruments in this region of the frequencies are nice presented, songs like “Night or Day” by Franz Ferdinand and “You know I’m not good” by Amy Winehouse shows how the vocals of Alex Capranos and Amy Winehouse respectively are a delightful, and you are gladfully lost in the music, music or video games you are playing.

The treble is well extended, also got that organic and natural presentation who excels into an immersive listening, but sometimes tends to be sharp with certain tracks with a sibilant mix like “The Twisted Nails of Faith” by Cradle of Filth and “Kingslayer (Feat. BABYMETAL)” by Bring me the Horizon, so is necessary sometimes to lower the volume to not get fatigued easily.

Technically capable, with a wide soundstage but not so much width, its focus is not into the imaging but it got enough of it, same with the sound separation, offering a nice 3d layering and with that an immersive experience to use in music, videos and movies watching, and video games. With songs like “Mediterranean Sundance” from the album “Saturday Night in San Francisco” by Al Di Meola, John MacLaughlin and Paco De Lucia and “No leaf Clover” by Metallica you can get all the live scenario in your head, the guitars and drums with enough micro and macrodetails presentation.

So, is the BQEYZ BQ-10 worth buying? (And why it is a 3.5/5 to me):
In my opinion, it is worth trying for those who like a bassy, neutral and natural with an organic presentation of sound in an IEM with a slightly relaxed sound. At a price of 30 USD, it is quite worth what you get and competes with its pairs with a more than great package overall, a quality and beautiful cable included and who delivers a joyful entry into the Hi-Fi world.

BQEYZ BQ-10: A great option for $30...



Intro
Before starting this review, I would like to thank 'BQEYZ AUDIO' who sent this unit for review.

First, for the completeness, this iem gets 6 pairs of eartips, 1 cable, 1 hardcase & the iem itself. For the quality of the accessories, for me, this is quite good, from the eartips which are quite comfortable in the ears, the quality of the cable which has a good appearance, thick but still flexible to the case which is quite okay. Well, at least the stock accessories can be used directly without having to replace aftermarket accessories.

For the quality of the iem, it is still standard chifi, which is made of plastic with a faceplate made of metal. The finishing is quite neat & the weight is also good, it doesn't feel hollow like cheap iems. Lastly, this iem is still quite light, I tested it using FIIO KA15 using only 40-50% power at low gain. So it's still safe or you could say it's not fussy with the source. But still my suggestion, IEM will be better if plugged into a better source.

Sound quality
Bass:
First of all, this iem has a bass quantity that can be said to be sufficient with a greater focus on the midbass. The subbass has a sufficient extension, not too deep.

For the midbass, the presentation of the beat is quite solid with a fairly good texture. In addition, there is a soft sensation on the beat that makes this iem feel good.

For the control, it is also quite good so the bass has minimal bleed to the mids. In addition, the speed is still quite fast, although not as fast as the C2, Conch, especially the plannar iem.

Mid:
For the mid, it is positioned slightly back behind the bass. The mid has the right weight, not thick but not thin either. The vocal portion is also balanced between male and female vocals.

The vocal presentation itself for this IEM is typically smooth, swinging, natural & there is no sibilance or peak. Yes, you could say it is a good vocal type for long listening. It's just that for my personal taste, the vocals are a little less energetic & less free, especially in the female vocals.

For the timbre, it is still safe, feels natural from the piano sound to the guitar strumming. Everything is presented well & there is no strange impression.

Treble:
For the treble, it's the same as the vocals, this iem is a typical iem that is suitable for long listening. It has a treble that is presented smoothly but not too smooth or loses its treble. The cymbal strikes can still be felt even though the sensation is not very crisp or energetic.

For the impression of peak or grainy, it's safe here. Yes, overall the treble may feel lacking for trebleheads, but for those who are sensitive to treble, this iem is worth a try.

Technical:
For the technical, for the price it's still okay. For the stage it's medium, not too wide or too narrow, besides the depth & height are also sufficient.

For the separation it's good, it feels separate between the instruments. For the resolution & clarity, especially in the vocal area, it's okay even though it's not the typical clear or very clear like conch or dfi. For the details it also still feels okay, like the details of the instruments or backing vocals can still be noticed.

Yes, overall for the price of $30, the technical is okay in some parts even though it's not included in the very good category. Because this iem is more prominent in tone, especially in the vocals than in the technical.

Comparison
BQEYZ BQ-10 vs Tanchjim Zero Ultima:
For the bass, both are not the type of IEM that stands out in this sector, only the midbass presentation I prefer on the BQ-10, it feels more punchy so there is a slightly more fun impression.

For the vocals, both are the same type, only the vocals feel more weighty & more balanced between the male & female vocals on the Zero Ultima. Only on the other hand, the BQ-10 feels the vocals are a little clearer & more transparent. Both are safe from sibilance or shouty for the vocals.

For the treble, I like the presentation a little more on the Zero Ultima. Is a little more energetic & more extended for the treble.

For the technicalities, both are balanced or you could say they are still equal because both rely more on their tonalities than their technicalities.

Conclusion
BQEYZ BQ-10 is the latest entry IEM (actually it's been out for a long time, but I just got my hands on it) from BQEYZ Audio. This IEM is quite interesting in terms of its tone, it has a fairly good mid presentation with good vocal presentation. In addition, other sectors are also still quite okay even though it is quite segmented in the bass & treble areas.

In terms of technology, it is also quite okay even though this IEM is not a very good one technically, but what is presented is enough for me.

In addition, in terms of packaging, the price is also quite good where all the accessories can be used directly without having to replace aftermarket accessories.

So is this IEM worth buying? In my opinion, it is worth trying for those who need an IEM for long listening or who like a slightly relaxed sound. At a price of $ 29, it is quite worth what you get.

INTRODUCTION

BQYEZ BQ10 is one of the newest under $50 contenders in the recent audiophile scene. (1) But what makes it different from other options like G1, ELUA, Bunny, Aurora? Is this another IEM that came to make the market more saturated or (2) is it any budget defining IEM that needs your attention? The answer is a bit more complicated than I thought initially & let’s discuss that.

I compared a lot of budget IEMs in my recent YouTube video, here is the link –

Do give it a watch before purchasing, you knew IEM, but leaving this said, let’s discuss what is different with the BQ10.


PRICEPOINT

Although the price point of the IEM is in the budget range, but they didn’t aim for the ultra-budget where there is a lot less competition than the budget range, this shows the commitment and confidence of the BQYEZ.

In this price point we have behemoths like 7hz Zero Series and Tangzu Wan’er, and they still stand the test of time due to the evolutionary tonality that they brought to the budget IEM scene.

Or is it a technically capable IEM like Moondrop Chu series and 7hz G1?

(3) Where does the BQYEZ BQ10 stand?

TONALITY

Let’s start with the tonality of BQ10, which I think is the strongest point of the BQ10.



SOUND: SUBJECTIVE

The overall signature of BQ10 is natural warm. It has a decent number of bass to offer, that does extend to a point which gives the mids a bit of warmth. The treble is on the safer side of things for the most part, but there is a subtle elevation of the upper treble which gives it a certain enhanced psychoacoustic flavour that increases detail perception.

The tuning is unique, and I haven’t seen this kind of tonality in budget IEMs. This reminds me a lot of Softears Twilight (Not comparing, not even the slightest). This is the main reason why you should listen to this, IEM even if you decide to go with other IEMs.



SUB-BASS

The sub-bass of this IEM is not great. There is a softness that goes well with the rest of the frequency, but it is not close to being proper for a bass-head or anyone who likes sub-bass. It can reach deep, but the authority and rumble weren’t that well controlled. Especially with these two tracks.



I use this track with almost all my IEMs to test the authority of the sub-bass and how well they can control the low-end. This track makes it so easy to judge an IEM’s sub-bass performance.


I use this track to check the actual presentation of subbass that the IEM will reproduce in most cases if there is enough low-end information in the files.



MID-BASS

The mid-bass on BQ10 is extremely good. There is an analogy in nature in the presentation that makes it super addictive to listen to. The attack and decay are very natural and not fast enough to give it a digital feeling. The thing that comes to my mind after listening to BQ10 is how naturally rich and full it is. On the contrary, the details and resolution are not that great. The textural information can be felt missing for the most part and can overtake the mid-section a bit too.



I use this track to test two things, 1. The thump, attack and decay of the bass get a full projection by this track revealing all the hidden features 2. How the bass affects the mid-range, if it is making the lower-mids too thick or scoop is making the mid-bass lean & lifeless.


I use this track to test the absolute terminal point of the IEMs bass. This song pushes the driver so hard that even the slightest bit of impetence can be noticeable. The low-end and upper-mids are very pronounced in this song, indicating how fun an IEM can be if it is pushed to the limit.



LOWER-MIDRANGE

Lower midrange means a lot to me. It bridges everything in the music, from timbre to tonality, everything for me depends on a lot in the mid-range. Especially lower-mids where a lot of instruments that I like live. Male vocals on the BQ10 are amazing. It will give you warmth, forwardness, fullness & chesty voice. Zero sense of thinning or artificial nasalises. It is not neutral though, and people sensitive to bass might find it a bit too much at some point. The ornamentation might not be the strongest point, but it sure does exude a good tonality to make me forget the trade-offs.



I use this song primarily to check the lower mids, it gives me a great sense of amplitude. Slightly scooped and elevated lower mids can make this song very different.


I use this song primarily to check for the ornamentation like resolution, details and texturing.



UPPER-MIDRANGE

The upper-mids also exude a great sense of safer quality in the tonal characteristics. The edges are defined but not pushed in front, maintains a very well refined across the range. Never felt harsh or coarse. Enough is detailed and articulate. Seriously, there is nothing faulty about the tonality of BQ10 in the whole midrange area. The female vocals are not that sparkly and shiny, but witha good sense of resolution and airiness.



I use this song to test the presentation of female vocals, which gives me a solid sense of the tuning of the IEM.


I use this song to get the sense of ornamentation in the upper registers. Texturing, details, trailing edges etc.



TREBLE

Treble on BQ10 is not that great to begin with. This is not what I can say refined. Sometimes the tone gets abrupt in the flow. I love quality treble, but this is not one of them. The other factors like speed and transience are good though. Most of the time, good quality recordings sounded coarse and unrefined.



This track is the holy grail of treble testing. This track can tip the IEM apart and present you the treble qualities in a plate. Where every aspect will be visible in a vivid fashion.



TECHNICALITIES

BQ10 is not a technically capable IEM. The soundstage and imaging are not great. The resolution is surprisingly great, but I would not buy it for the technical qualities. There are way better IEMs like Tachjhim Bunny at lower cost.




This IEM might divide audiophiles, some might love it to death, but some might not get the hang of it. The sole reason you should get this IEM, is the midrange. And I recommend this IEM to someone who wants a different tonality from the general budget IEM options.

All Comparisons are done on my YouTube Video