BQEYZ KB1 Review: Good but not great, great but not stellar
INTRO
I was just looking for some BQEYZ products on eBay one day, and I found the KB1 to be selling for as cheap as CAD $43 (US $32). And luckily eBay had a limited time 15% off coupon on that day so I took advantage of that and got the price all the way down to CAD $28 (US $20). Knowing that the majority of BQEYZ IEMs are tuned very similarly to the QT2, I was curious to see how well the entry-level KB1 stacks up to my QT2.
UNBOXING
Just your typical standard box from BQEYZ with minimal accessories.
BUILD QUALITY AND DESIGN
The KB1 sports a metal build with chamfered edges that gives it a really premium look. In the ears, it feels much more comfortable to wear than my QT2. The braided cable also feels nice and definitely feels more high quality than your typical generic soft flaccid cables.
THE SOUND
Quite frankly, these almost sound like the QT2 tonality-wise, but with a much more controlled bass, more upfront high-mids, and a less aggressive top end.
BASS
If you weren't a fan of QT2's big boomy bass, then you will find yourself at home here. Bass on the KB1 has good punch and excellent depth/extension, just enough to satisfy those who like their bass tuned for fun (as opposed to neutral), but far from enough for bassheads (as if the QT2 would either). Its texture is more solid as opposed to fluid. Unlike the QT2, the KB1's bass never leaks into the mids, thus making the mids sound a touch lighter than the QT2. Overall it is a pretty balanced and conservative bass response, and it fits well with the rest of the sound signature. People who are used to bassy sound signatures will find these lacking, though.
MIDS
The mids on the KB1 retains the same natural timbre found on the QT2, but is made much more slimmer and leaner due to the lack of warmth from the bass. Not only that, but their higher-mids are also much more forward than the QT2, making vocals and cymbals sound more brighter (but not richer). Because of this, there's an obvious contrast with its lower mids and higher-mids (i.e. no sense of unity and integration). This tuning approach thus results in the loss of that smooth and creamy texture that I really love from the QT2. So to summarize, the KB1 definitely has some excellent sounding mids, but they just lack the smoothness and harmony of the QT2.
HIGHS
There's really nothing much to mention here. The highs are practically a tamed version of the QT2, though you could already tame QT2's highs using wide-bore tips. I personally like the tamed highs on the QT2 more as you get more detail and brilliance and a sense of airiness. And also the highs on the QT2 have a more natural timbre, these sound a tad bit metallic in comparison. Overall the highs aren't bad, they just have nothing really special to offer (e.g. sparkle, microdetails).
SOUNDSTAGE AND IMAGING
The soundstage is almost identical to the QT2, just slightly more intimate. Its dimensions are spherical with a good sense of width and depth, but poor sense of height. However, the QT2 trumps the KB1 in both three-dimensional imaging and the precision of instrument placement. Overall, the KB1's soundstage can be generally described as being above average. Don't expect any sort of "holographic" sound; they are open sounding but still falling into intimacy.
VERDICT
I think it's important to note that price is such an influential factor when it comes to making opinions about a product. If Beats Solo was sold for only 10 bucks, people would be lauding them like crazy, but of course their real price is 10 times of that. The same thing applies for the KB1. Although I got the KB1 at a ridiculously low price of US $20 using an ephemeral eBay coupon, I can't ignore the fact that their original price (~US $40) puts them way up there with IEMs such as the renowned Tin T2 and KZ AS06. Even BQEYZ's more premium offering, the KC2, has recently been selling for even less than US $40! And with all of that in my mind, the KB1 leaves me feeling rather unimpressed, not because it's a mediocre product, but because I expected more for what it's priced at. And also because it did not outshine my beloved QT2.
Assuming Aliexpress is the default market for chi-fi, I think it is obvious that there are more IEMs worth considering at that price point than the KB1. And if the KB1's sound seems appealing to you, just get the KC2! I mean, why wouldn't you? It's basically just a more refined version of the KB1 in every way, for the same price or less.
So final verdict, I do not recommend these
UNLESS their price drops down to US $20 or even less. But if you absolutely must buy them for some odd reason, please don't use Aliexpress, you can find them for much cheaper (US $31) on eBay. Down below are links to the KB1 sold by three different eBay sellers:
- https://www.ebay.com/itm/BQEYZ-KB1-...BA-2DD-Hybrid-Dynamic-HIFI-C3O6/202608237100?
- https://www.ebay.com/itm/BQEYZ-KB1-...BA-2DD-Hybrid-Dynamic-HIFI-B0Q2/113664636394?
- https://www.ebay.com/itm/BQEYZ-KB1-...BA-2DD-Hybrid-Dynamic-HIFI-V6M0/223420907705?
