BQEYZ Topaz

Disclaimer:​

The concerned IEM is the BQEYZ TOPAZ; although being a bit out of date, its internal piezo technology makes it quite intriguing.


At last, I get to review a product that BQEYZ graciously decided to provide me.


The review will be impartial and entirely truthful, nevertheless.


I’m simply a person that enjoys testing out various IEMs and DACs and loves to listen to music a lot. I’m not an audiophile.


Thus, while I won’t be reviewing it in highly technical terms, I will try to explain it.

BQEYZ Topaz Tech Specs:​

• Impedance: 32ohm
• Sensitivity: 108db
• Frequency Response: 5hz – 40khz
• Cable Length: 1.2m
• Pin Type: 2Pin Connector (0.78mm)
• Plug Type: 3.5mm
• Driver Unit(S): (1) Dynamic Driver + (1) Piezoelectric Driver
• Price: 89 USD

BQEYZ Topaz Packaging:​

The BQEYZ Topaz packaging is quite complete, in myopinion:, a high-quality box with all the accessories you need and a nice-quality cable included.


Inside, we find various accessories, such as:

• Storage bag
• 4-Core OCC Silver-plated Cable 3.5MM (Available in other terminations)
• 6 pairs of tips
• Cleaning Brush
• Manual and Warranty

BQEYZ Topaz Design/Build quality:​

The BQEYZ Topaz IEM is really well made. The faceplate is made of 5-axis anodized aluminum, and the body is made of high-quality resin. I must say that I like the design; it conveys robustness. The resin allows you to glimpse the enormous 13mm driver coupled with the piezo inside.


The nozzle is made of metal and has large dimensions, but with the right tips, it should not create problems. One breathing hole on the faceplate and three others on the opposite side are visible on the Topaz. I haven’t come across any information about the driver’s use of them. The included cable is very good and is also available with other jacks. The tips should work for most customers, but trying aftermarket tips is always a good thing.

BQEYZ Topaz Built-in technology:​

The BQEYZ earphones have been famous for their piezoelectric technology. Topaz is equipped with the second-generation piezoelectric ceramic driver with nine layers paired with a huge 13MM LCP DD.




What is meant by “piezoelectric” is the characteristic of certain materials, which is known as “piezoelectricity.”


The ability of some crystalline materials to polarize—that is, to produce a difference in electrical potential—when they undergo mechanical deformation and, conversely, to deform elastically in response to an electrical voltage is known as piezoelectricity.


An audio speaker known as a piezoelectric uses a unique piezoelectric crystal that is coupled to a moveable diaphragm to “generate” sound.


Being my first headphones equipped with a piezoelectric driver, it is difficult for me to describe it precisely, but I would say that I like the result much more than many DD+BA combinations. In my opinion, the sound is more pleasant and less cold.

BQEYZ Topaz Comfort/Fit:​

Despite having a somewhat traditional style, the BQEYZ Topaz causes me some positioning issues. Nothing major; just experiment a little to get the ideal seal. It’s now simpler to locate the ideal position once I updated the tips to the Nicehck 07 White model. Comfort is total once on, even after a few hours.

Initial sound impression:​

I could definitely feel some energy coming from the BQYEZ Topaz, but I wasn’t initially impressed by its sound. On more difficult trails, they appeared balanced but a bit unclean. I burned it for fifty hours at a high volume. I know a lot of people believe it’s pointless, and they are probably right. Most likely, the hearing and mind adjust.

BQEYZ Topaz Final sound impression:​

Equipment used for testing above.

Device:​

• iMac
• Redmi Note 7 (MIUI-Based)

Software:​

• Foobar2000 24bit 192khz (iMac)
• Amazon music UHD 24bit 96khz (Both)

DAC:​

• Less Da1 (AK) Best result
• Less Da2 (AK) Best result
• F.audio KS01 (ESS)
• EPZ TP20 3.5 mm (Dual Cirrus)
• Hidizs XO
• EPZ TP30 (Dual ESS)

I’m not listing the tracks because they’re too many, but the BQYEZ Topaz is suitable for all genres due to his W-Shaped and balanced tuning! My impressions are given using just the original accessories.


After the hours of burnout, the situation seems to have definitely improved and lived up to expectations. He gets a little slurred on very complex tracks. I don’t recommend them with Rock. The tuning that BQYEZ Topaz achieved seems to be well balanced, with a slight emphasis on low frequencies (only if the track requires it). The mids are quite present but slightly veiled, while as regards the highs, they are on par with the rest, warm and not harsh but with good detail. We could certainly have been more daring, but this way they can certainly please a lot more people.

Bass​

The bass is strong, punchy, quick, and clear with the BQYEZ Topaz. The sub-bass is easily sensed in the ear canal, practically tangible if the track calls for it. It’s not a set for bassheads, but I have to admit that it’s rather enjoyable.

Mids​

Even if it lacks a hint of brightness or airiness in this region, the mids are not so far back; rather, the voices are distinctly well-represented, and the tone is more fitting for masculine voices than feminine ones. They seem a little flat on certain songs, as if there’s a hint of silkiness lacking. Nothing major, particularly in light of the fact that this is just my own view.

Treble​

The highs are consistently enjoyable, never tiring, and incredibly smooth. Without going overboard, the macro and micro details are decent given the tuning; they’re not remarkable, but they may definitely appeal to a much larger audience. It would have been nice to have had a bit more air and brightness because I can personally handle much higher frequencies.

Soundstage and Imaging​

I’d venture to say that the outcome is great! He does not go excessive. However, the result is still pleasing; even though it’s intimate, I can still tell which instruments are which. Regarding the image, the track plays a major role. You will experience some congestion if the music is particularly complex.

Comparison:​

vs EPZ Q5




The EPZ Q5 is currently one of the best single-DD IEMs on the market. It offers a very respectable sound experience for a decidedly low cost. The Topaz has a more balanced, smoother tuning and is probably more suitable for different genres. However, it seems that on slightly complex songs, the congestion is less on the EPZ Q5. For its price, it remains the best entry-level buy.


vs MS3




The Hidizs MS3 costs a little more than the BQYEZ Topaz and is also a much newer model. Its general performance is better; macro and micro details are very present; voices are well represented; and the bass is impactful, even if slightly slower. The image is more defined, and the soundstage is decidedly wider. They are two decidedly different products, but both are good.


vs DZ4




The Letshourer DZ4 is positioned at the same price, and the technology inside is one of the most interesting of the last period! W-shaped tuning but requires a certain source with some power to stand out best. Despite everything, the performances are in favor of BQEYZ Topaz. In complex tracks, they perform better, but the overall tonality is also more consistent for the genres of music I’ve listened to.

Conclusion:​

I’m now able to claim that I tried and enjoyed my first pair of piezoelectric IEMs! I must admit that I was taken by surprise by the quality of the BQEYZ Topaz headphones, which I also received to review. Every hour that goes by, the topaz sounds better in my ears; perhaps I’m just getting used to their sound. They are an incredibly adaptable set that work well with nearly any style of music. Their performances are unquestionably better than what they are asking for; the accessories are flawless and the build is excellent. After a little tip rolling, I was able to overcome the placement issue that was causing me problems in finding insulation.

Where to Buy:

• Official BQEYZ Aliexpress

Source(s)

• Truthear Shio
  • Only source I have that has a 4.4 balanced output.
    • The Topaz that was borrowed to me is using the stock 4.4 cable
  • Doesn't have the best synergy since the Topaz is a little warm already, but it still smoothens out the peak a little bit.

Ear tips

• Acoustune AET07
  • Fairly neutral ear tips with a decently hard stem for a comfortable fit.

Packaging

• Borrowed unit, so I can't comment too much on the original packaging.
• Stock cable are EXCELLENT, can compete against more premium offering's stock cable, might even be better than Letshuoer's already great stock cable!

Build Quality

• Lightweight.
• Solid build quality

Fit

• Nozzle width is average and length is a little short.
• Shell has a large fin on it, may cause the fit to be not as deep, but overall it is quite a comfortable experience even after long hours.

Tonality

• Warm, mild V-shaped.

Bass

• Surprisingly, the sub bass is quite prominent, but the mid bass isn't lacking in any way too.
• Has very good rumble and impact, decent slam, depth, texture and definition.
• Overall, it also has a really nice fullness and physicality to it, making the bass sounds bodied.
• However, the speed is average and the decay is a little bit slow, causing it to sound a little mushy sometimes.
• It is also not the most well controlled bass, which bleeds a little bit into the midrange but not necessarily a bad thing.
• Good amount of bass, very satisfying but never too overpowering.

Midrange

• Midrange is very warm, full and thick, most unique aspect of the IEM in my opinion.
• Male vocals sound very lush and bodied, and quite forward with very decent texture as well.
• Female vocals on the other hand, is a bit more pushed backward, and sounds somewhat veiled and muffled.
• Instruments sound extra thick due to the heavy note weight and density.
• This warmth throughout the midrange does affect the clarity of the midrange heavily, causing it to be very colored.
• Overall, the midrange is a hit or miss, you'll either really love it or hate it due to that special touch of warmth.
• Unfortunately, I did not like it as much as the timbre isn't natural to my ears.

Treble

• Treble is relaxing and laid back overall but there are sharpness in certain frequencies.
• Due to the peaks, there will be a ringing or zinging sensation for certain tracks, but it is not often for me.
• It also lacks a fair bit of airiness since it doesn't extends well into the upper region.
• However, details in the treble department is decent.

Technicalities

Resolution

• Resolution is decent and competent for the price despite having such a warm and relaxed signature.

Soundstage

• Soundstage is decent, staging is on the wider side but quite average in terms of depth.

Imaging

• Imaging and accuracy is alright, I am able to tell where the instruments and vocals quite well from left/right but struggle a little in other directions.
• Gaming:
  • Apex Legends: Similar situation, I'm able to judge the sound of footsteps and gunfire in terms of left and right really well but not other directions and distances.

Separation

• Separation and layering is average, instruments and vocals are a little mushed together in the lower end but layering is quite decent on the upper end.

Conclusion

• Overall, I think that the BQEYZ Topaz is truly a unique, special, but also niche offering.
• Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the Topaz as much, as the timbre mostly sounds way too off for me, but there are a few people that I know who really enjoy this type of very smooth, warm, and lush signature.
• However, I can safely say that this is definitely one of the, if not the most special IEM that I have tried in a while, but it is not up to my preference.
• If you have the chance, this is very well worth to demo to see if this signature is suitable for you, as this is truly one of its kind especially for only $89.

Thanks for reading!

𝐁𝐐𝐄𝐘𝐙 𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐀𝐙 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐝𝐝 𝐎𝐧𝐞’𝐬 𝐎𝐮𝐭


𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:

BQEYZ is no stranger in the chi-fi scene with their well-received season-themed series of IEMs such as the Summer 1 & 2 as well as the Autumn. They are also known for sporting a piezo-electric driver on their IEMs which is somewhat rare in the sea of IEMs commonly with Balanced Armature and Dynamic Drivers as well as the recent boom of Planar Drivers.
Today BQEYZ offers the Topaz(A type of Mineral) for the $100 price range sporting their signature piezo-electric driver and a Liquid Crystal Polymer(LCP) driver akin to other popular IEMs in the price segment and see how it performs for the asking price and whether or not it deserves to receive similar recognition to its predecessors.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬:

I don’t consider myself as an audiophile or an enthusiast, therefore the terminology and the overall review will be more mainstream.

• I like to keep my reviews simple without too much confusing and lingo
• This review set is a part of a review tour and was sent free of charge in exchange for an honest review. There is no material or financial incentive for me to do this review. I guarantee no exchange has been done by both parties to influence or sway my opinions on this product.
• My thoughts and opinions are of my own. My experience will entirely differ from everybody else. The contents of this review should not be considered factual as this hobby heavily leans on subjectivity. YMMV.

𝑯𝒖𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑴𝒔. 𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒆 𝒁𝒉𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒊𝒓 𝑬𝒊𝒋𝒊 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒑 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒆’𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚.
𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠:
The Topaz comes with a no frills, compact split-type box that has the name of the product, brand and other text. The back of the box sports the technical specifications for the IEM and other text that aren’t really relevant to most folks.

𝐔𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐧𝐠:

Upon opening the box, another flip up cardboard is there to greet you with a BQEYZ branding and tagline.
Removing the flip up cardboard reveals the IEM themselves and the included circular zipper case with branding containing the 4-core silver cable(2-pin, 3.5 termination) with some paperwork.

Underneath the foam holding the IEMs are the 6 normal bore eartips with all the common sizes (S,M,L) and 6 Wide-bore tips having the 3 sizes. The wide bore tips are somewhat a tad bit smaller compared to the other type of tips provided. It also comes with a termination plug cap, a BQEYZ branded velcro strap and a small brush for cleaning the unit.

Overall a pretty nice unboxing experience despite having a less flashy packaging and a more compact box compared to its competitors in the $100 price range.







𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝:

The Topaz has a universal IEM fit made out of an outer aluminum face plate and a translucent black resin shell for the rest of the body. The outer aluminum shell has hints of gold trimmings and a Topaz text on the left driver and a BQEYZ text on the right. Both the O and Q are used to cleverly hide vents on both drivers neatly.
This unit has quite a number of vents with a total of 4 vents each driver. The plug used for the removable cable is a common 2-pin. The nozzle is golden colored and has ridges to help the tips be more secure. It also has an engraving on both sides near the vents to indicate which is the Left and Right driver with an L and R.
I found the unit pretty lightweight but does not feel cheap on the hand. The cable is pretty soft and nice in the hand for a stock cable while the ear tips are pretty uneventful. Both work and do what they are supposed to do.





𝐈𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:

It isolates well given that you get a good seal with the Topaz. I would also like to note that the occlusion effect(it’s the annoying muted/in your head feeling often associated with in-ear gears) on the Topaz is less than your normal IEM which I find very nice since I’m very sensitive to that sensation. I think it’s due to the substantial amount of vents present on this product compared to others I've tried so far.

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭:

This section of the review is very subjective and varies person to person, but I do find it comfortable and is able to sit in my ear for long periods of time without much adjustment needed.

| 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 |

𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐬:

The bass on the Topaz is definitely the star of the show. It’s textured, well controlled and it has a body. The subbass is more prominent than midbass which offers a nice rumble and warmth to the overall sound whilst the midbass is less prominent but still noticeably present. Midbass bleed is very minimal seeing as this doesn't push midbass front and center.

With this kind of bass some people especially to those accustomed to the Harman-sound or prefers midbass over subbass may find this set to be quite slow on the attack and somewhat soft especially on more modern music that is catered towards midbass.

𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐬:

Mids here are warm and has body and doesn’t sound thin. It may not be as forward as the lows but they’re no slouch either and perform very well. Vocals are warm and lush with nice texture. Male vocals aren’t dry sounding and are more forward than the female vocals. I do think it could’ve used a little more extension to the mids. It’s not that the mids are lackluster, it’s just that I think a little more extension would be nice.

𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐬:

This is the part of the sound that takes a step back. Despite not being as pronounced as the other frequencies, the highs are decent, offers okay-ish detail, and isn’t shouty. I do however find them quite sibilant. However similar to the mids, I do find the highs would have benefited heavily with a little more extension and sparkle and some would even find this set somewhat dark sounding. I understand that this product is supposed to be a more laid-back set, I don’t find it would hurt to have more extension on both highs and mids.

𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬:

Imaging and layering-wise is good in that I can accurately pinpoint sources of sound during playback. Staging is very good in my opinion; the Topaz offers a very unique presentation that I never experienced in IEMs I’ve tried prior to this review. The perceived stage is more open and wide and doesn't feel like it’s congested like most IEMs. The Topaz has surprisingly nice technicalities for a laid-back set and for the price.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧:

I adore this set for what it offers and its asking price. It’s hard to find a unique sounding set in a price point crowded by Harman-esque tuning.This set is warm and full-bodied which I definitely enjoy especially for laid-back listening. It being such a unique experience, this set stands out from the pack of IEMs under the competitive $100 price range.