BQEYZ LIN

BQEYZ Lin offers a sound signature that could be described as neutral, leaning slightly towards technical performance. The bass is tight and controlled, the mids are clear, and the treble is energetic and comes across as distinctly separated. Thanks to these characteristics, it delivers a surprisingly detailed performance for its price. It has enough power for IEMs and can also drive many over-ear headphones. It was able to power my power-hungry earphones like the Pinnacle P1 quite comfortably at around 70% volume.

Today we are featuring the BQEYZ Lin dongle DAC/AMP. I have a simple yet effective plan worked out on how to present this cute little item.

One of the critical aspects of dongles is the fact they, well, dongle and cause stress on your USB-C port of your phone/tablet/laptop. And Lin is much better! ... Yeah, not quite, it's obviously no different from others. It feels well built and the cable is good looking, but it isn't the supplest of dongles, the Tiandirenhe T8 is better in this regard where the cable is much looser and certainly causes less stress on the USB-C port.



All of the comparisons will be done by reaching for my most source-sensitive IEM, the DITA Mecha. That should reveal any tonal and technical differences between them. Since I am sure by now that my most neutral sounding source is the iBasso DX180, I will first compare the Lin with that one, but of course, I do not expect this dongle that can get lost in a medium-sized pocket to be able to compete with the ~500USD DAP in any category, so it's mostly a tonality test. Next, I will compare it to Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini and aforementioned Tiandirenhe T8.

Without further ado, here comes the tonal comparison with the DX180 after listening to Mecha on both, shuffling through my Review tracks. Right from the get go, Are We Lost? by Millenium is a wonderful track that reveals so much. Despite promising I'll be limiting my comparison between these two to nothing but tonality, I cannot avoid mentioning just how much more technical everything gets switching from Lin to DX180. Surprising, I know. Lin is a warmer source than the DX180, but not by much. I appreciate how the Lin remains at least slightly truthful to neutrality – later comparisons with its competitors somewhat prove me wrong, though. Either way, nothing feels left out. Besides having a thicker bodied low-end (which does get a tad boomy with songs that require careful midbass control), it slightly tames the highs, but not overly so. Mecha's midrange is still beautifully placed just as it's said to be. So after touching upon the tonality, I cannot avoid mentioning the biggest difference between these two which is the layering capability of the DX180 that is absent with Lin which instead provides a much more 2D listening experience.



Against the T8, the Lin actually falls a bit behind in low-end control and precision, but does better with making the bass feel grander and more rounded. In layering, soundstage, imaging there are no significant changes I pick up on. Next difference that sticks out is the treble which is smoother on the Lin, but also better nuanced and microdetailed, whereas the T8 sounds more clumsy and veiled. The midrange is the decider. T8 has the more forward midrange also in part due to less bass. It makes strings livelier and more vivid. Male vocals are fuller and meatier on the Lin, which has the thicker note weight overall. The openness and sense of space is actually interesting. Lin provides a bigger image on a taller stage, but T8 is wider. Similarly, female vocals are more bodied on the Lin and thus less shouty or shrill when songs are on that edge, like I Miss You by Adele. Piano is my ultimate midrange decider and none of these two do the piano any justice once you've heard it through a better source, but if I had to pick the winner, it's the more natural Lin.

Versus a totally differently shaped Allegro Mini these were my findings. I really struggle picking up on any significant midrange changes, but where it does vary is the bass which is once more not Lin's strong suit in this comparison because Allegro Mini is much more mature, less boomy, and more refined especially in that midbass. Equally, treble on the Allegro Mini is a step above by its lesser sibilance and better treble separation and microdetail. I declare the Allegro Mini the winner, despite thoroughly disliking its form factor, at least for on-the-go phone use.

QUICK SUM UP

Essentially, the Lin is a good looking and well built dongle in a sea of dongles. It does not separate itself from others by all that much. What I am really trying to say is, if you already have a relatively recent dongle, there is no need to change it for the Lin.

Thanks for reading and stay wonderful.

Headphone amp dongle adapters became a must have contraption that a modern tech consumer should have either for casual listening on their favourite music or for watching video podcasts. We are already aware why these devices were constructed due to some tech company’s initiative to remove the analogue jack as they try to slim down the design profile of their phone and also, to promote wireless connectivity that they are also selling their own wireless headphone/earphone solutions for their consumers. But as an audio enthusiast, I still believe that wired connection is the better solution to enjoy high quality audio and thankfully that some audio companies are heeding the call of the audio community by releasing these conducive audio solutions.



This review article will be a shorter one as this one features a single-ended headphone amp dongle from BQEYZ. This product is the first one of the said audio brands in the audio market as some of its competitors already release similar product formats prior to this model.



This is BQEYZ LIN DSP dongle, it has a single stereo output jack which this model features a 3.5mm single ended but you can order a 4.4mm balanced version of this one upon ordering. It uses a DAC IC from Conexant, the CX31993 which is quite a standard DAC chip that was also utilised by other budget entry level DAC/Amp dongles but this one is quite capable for audio processing. This chip is capable to deliver a power output of 60 mW in 32Ω with signal-to-noise rating at 105dB and also it can decode audio sample up to 32-bit/384kHz on PCM format but it doesn't have a native DSD support that makes it quite limited for its overall performance.


The design profile of this one is quite compact yet solidly built as it has an aluminium alloy output rack in a cylindrical shape with gun-metal finish on its surface and a gold-plated headphone port. The USB type-C connector frame in which the DAC chip was also situated also has gun-metal finish on its surface and usb connector itself is also gold-plated as this coating process will ensure corrosive-resistance and better conductivity along with a short 2-core multi-strand silver-plated copper wires with a PVC sheath insulator which is quite sturdy and flexible.



The product packaging is rather elementary as it only includes the dongle itself and a Q.C. stub.



In terms of connectivity, the LIN can be used on devices with USB-C ports like smartphones, laptops, tablets, PCs and other tech apparatuses as long as it supports USB audio. It also has universal support to major software platforms as it is compatible with the major OSes in both mobile and desktop configuration. On the mobile OS, it supports both Android and iOS, and then on the desktop OS, it can be used on Windows, MacOS and Linux.



In this product assessment, I’m using the LIN on Android and Linux OS, here are the following devices that I have been used on this one:

• LG G7 (Android 9)
• LG V40 (Android 10)
• LG V50 (Android 11)
• LG V60 (Android 13)
• HIBY R6 PRO II (Android 13)
• LENOVO laptop (Linux Mint)

Software applications used:

ANDROID

• HiBy Music App
• USB Audio Player Pro (UAPP)
• Neutron Music App

LINUX

• Strawberry Music App
• DeadBeef Music App

The LIN outputs a bit neutral-ish bright sound profile as low frequency and midrange frequency were presented in linear and neutral presentation with a slight lift on the high frequencies to give a clean, clear and crisp sound on its overall sound.

Headgears that were used:

• BQEYZ FROST
• BQEYZ CLOUD
• LETSHUOER EJ07
• LETSHUOER EJ09
• DITA AUDIO PROJECT M
• KOTORI AUDIO ZEPHYR
• PULA ANVIL 114
• SIVGA QUE

LOWS/BASS:

The bass presentation of this one is rather flat, tight and precise as I don't hear any improvements from IEMs even with IEMs with moderate punchy and impactful bass response. It simply delivers clean, resonant and detailed notes on bass-clef instruments and low-pitched male vocals which sound calm, gravely yet assertive.


MIDRANGE:

The midrange presentation of this one conveys a neutral, clean and transparent sound without adding colouration. The vocals remain to sound clear, tidy and graceful especially on female voice types and then, smooth and rich male vocals. Furthermore, the instruments retain a crisp, crystalline and clarity on their respective tonal colour mainly on strings, woodwinds and percussives.


HIGHS/TREBLE:

Due to some emphasis between the upper-mids and presence section, it slightly adds a hint of glint and shimmer on its overall treble quality. In that regard, it accentuated the clarity, definition and detailed sound for crisper and articulate vocals and a sharper precision attack on instruments. I also noticed that it presents a tad pronouncement on treble response on the IEMs with neutral to bright tuning.


OVERALL TECHNICALITIES:

The LIN simply delivers a clean, pitch-black background on its sonic canvas. It is capable of projecting a well-defined layering and remarkable separation capability especially if it is paired with highly-technical sets in which we are able to locate the placements of vocals and instruments.

It has a good resolution capability as it exhibits a contrasting firmness on its macro-dynamics and a clearness of its micro-dynamics as it highlights its transients and variables of note decays down to quietude level.

As for power delivery, it can drive some low impedance cans and IEMs with planar magnetic driver and ceramic drivers.


PEER COMPARISONS:

VE Abigail

• It shares similar build quality with the LIN but its cable is a straight bit lean on texture.
• It also uses the same DAC chip with LIN as this also uses CX31993 that has the same performance in decoding capability.
• Apparently, while this one registers a neutral-ish bright sound, it’s a bit glaring on the upper-mids up to treble region.
• On technicalities, it delivers a clean and black sonic canvas, with good imaging and quite resolving on its resolution capability.
• It can drive some stubborn IEMs with high impedance requirements and transducers that need more power output.

Apple Dongle (EU variant)

• It has a more compact profile but its output rack and USB-C frame are made of plastic.
• This one uses a customised Cirrus Logic DAC, the CS42L92-CWZR, but Apple modified it so that it could only do a limited decoding up to 24-bit/48kHz at PCM format.
• This one has a warmish-neutral profile as it adds a bit of texture on bass and midrange regions while the treble part remains to sound smooth and even.
• This one can project a clean sonic background but it highlights more on the macro-dynamics on its resolution capability.
• This one is barely able to drive planar magnetic and ceramic dynamic driver IEMs due to its lesser power output. (Well, there are some EU laws that regulate sound volume level in accordance with their Environment Noise Directive by capping some of its audio volume output on audio devices.)

TWISTURA DSP dongle

• It shares the similar form factor with LIN and its cable is also braided.
• This dongle also uses a Conexant CX31993 with identical processing performance with LIN.
• This one has a balanced-neutral sound which adds a bit of texture on bass and midrange to sound more balanced.
• It has a similar technical performance with the LIN but it has a bit less sharper definition on its micro-dynamics.
• At least, it can drive some IEMs that are known to be power-hungry, especially planar magnetic ones at optimum level.
• This one is included on TWISTURA D-MAJOR set.

ROSESELSA RZ550

• It has a black colourway on its overall profile with a straight and a bit lean cable.
• It also has a hi-fi DAC chip inside with a similar Conexant audio IC model but apparently it was capped up to 94kHz.
• This one also has a neutral-ish bright sound profile that also highlights a bit on the upper mids and also in the treble region in general.
• It has an almost identical technical performance with LIN.
• Also has similar driving power output with the LIN.
• This device was included on ROSESELSA AURORA ULTRA.

BQEYZ LIN is a good solution if an audio enthusiast looking for an affordable Hi-Fi dongle that this one is quite compact, well-built with a decent entry-level DAC chip inside and also, that it is universally compatible to all host devices with USB type-C port that also supports USB Audio. This device is relatively simple to use that you carry and just plug and play to your smartphone to enjoy high quality audio.

BQEYZ LIN is now available on selected online stores, I provided some non-affiliated links below.

ALIEXPRESS:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007603044254.html

OFFICIAL SITE:
https://bqeyz.com/lin/

LAZADA:
https://www.lazada.com.ph/shop/bqeyz-audio