[malvinviriya]

I think the EX1000 form factor for me is very comfortable, fit very snuggly (better than Z5). I remember headfonics also claimed that the EX1000 has the best form factor for an in ear.
For the EQability, this is the first time for me to hear it about the EX1000. Could you give me some EQ(or links to and thread) so that I can find out more about it. Thanks!

Unfortunately last time I didn't save my EQ, but it's a pretty simple low-shelf with somewhat of a small Q factor on the subbass region at around 100Hz. I remembered adding a 10dB boost on one time and I immediately noticed that it gives me that tight, but really hefty punch. Other IEMs like my 18+ or the HS1551 basically turned to mush or just gives a really unnatural and boomy presentation when given the same treatment. This one just eats it like a champ. Barely distorting at all, if any. I haven't really experimented with tuning it to a specific target curve though because frankly I'm really happy with the stock sound without the foam dampers. And tuning it to a specific frequency will need me to get a better gear than just a $16 mic

Comparing it with the iSine 10 last time the EX1000 can deliver significantly better punch quality and sounds much more natural. Also it really doesn't have to rely too much on EQ like the iSInes do.

I've trawled a bit for threads talking about EQing EX1000 but unfortunately it's always mentioned in passing on the EX1000 official thread. Can't really help you on that I'm sorry

 

[UncleGrandpa]

Unfortunately last time I didn't save my EQ, but it's a pretty simple low-shelf with somewhat of a small Q factor on the subbass region at around 100Hz. I remembered adding a 10dB boost on one time and I immediately noticed that it gives me that tight, but really hefty punch. Other IEMs like my 18+ or the HS1551 basically turned to mush or just gives a really unnatural and boomy presentation when given the same treatment. This one just eats it like a champ. Barely distorting at all, if any. I haven't really experimented with tuning it to a specific target curve though because frankly I'm really happy with the stock sound without the foam dampers. And tuning it to a specific frequency will need me to get a better gear than just a $16 mic

Comparing it with the iSine 10 last time the EX1000 can deliver significantly better punch quality and sounds much more natural. Also it really doesn't have to rely too much on EQ like the iSInes do.

I've trawled a bit for threads talking about EQing EX1000 but unfortunately it's always mentioned in passing on the EX1000 official thread. Can't really help you on that I'm sorry

You have nothing to sorry at all lul. About the iSine, I'm using the iSine 20 now and I can say that it stands toe-to-toe to the iSine. But about the EQ on the iSine, the iSine was designed to used with EQ, because forcing such a large 30mm to send sound through a small tube makes sound tuning hard. But after applying the EQ, the iSine delivers a great 3D soundstage, deep punchy bass that is way more energetic than the EX1000. For me, the iSine is like a pair of headphone to use when you feel energetic and want to dance, while the EX1000 is for more serious listening sessions with that very-technical sound, just like a pair of near field monitor

 

[Colors]

EX1000 must be one of the most uncomfortable IEMs to wear though.

On the contrary, having owned the Andromeda, EX1000 and many other IEMs, the EX1000 is actually one of the most comfortable IEMs (along with MDR7550) I’ve ever worn. It looks like a contrived apparatus but it’s actually the opposite in a usage experience. It’s so lightweight and the hooks are mega comfortable. It’s actually very easy and quick to put it on and it stays on.

The Andromeda is actually the weird one with its shape and weight. Keeping it in my ears with a good seal was a challenge and the weight got to me after an hour or so of listening.

I’m sure other EX1000 owners can come in.

 

[FUYU]

On the contrary, having owned the Andromeda, EX1000 and many other IEMs, the EX1000 is actually one of the most comfortable IEMs (along with MDR7550) I’ve ever worn. It looks like a contrived apparatus but it’s actually the opposite in a usage experience. It’s so lightweight and the hooks are mega comfortable. It’s actually very easy and quick to put it on and it stays on.

The Andromeda is actually the weird one with its shape and weight. Keeping it in my ears with a good seal was a challenge and the weight got to me after an hour or so of listening.

I’m sure other EX1000 owners can come in.

Agreed. Most of the weight is distributed across not the shell, but the cable hook. It almost floats by your ear, which is comfortable, although fools you in believing that you have achieved an ideal seal. IMO, the EX1000 (similar to the Etymotic) really requires to be inserted as deep as possible. I had to play around the insertion angle and use various eartips to get the position I wanted. Once done, usability is second to none.

 

[Colors]

Agreed. Most of the weight is distributed across not the shell, but the cable hook. It almost floats by your ear, which is comfortable, although fools you in believing that you have achieved an ideal seal. IMO, the EX1000 (similar to the Etymotic) really requires to be inserted as deep as possible. I had to play around the insertion angle and use various eartips to get the position I wanted. Once done, usability is second to none.

What tips do you use? I’m current using JVC Spiral Dots for a shallow fit and my preferred sound.

 

[FUYU]

What tips do you use? I’m current using JVC Spiral Dots for a shallow fit and my preferred sound.

Sony Hybrid LL size. My earcanals are jumbo sized in diameter.

 

[Aink]

On the contrary, having owned the Andromeda, EX1000 and many other IEMs, the EX1000 is actually one of the most comfortable IEMs (along with MDR7550) I’ve ever worn. It looks like a contrived apparatus but it’s actually the opposite in a usage experience. It’s so lightweight and the hooks are mega comfortable. It’s actually very easy and quick to put it on and it stays on.

The Andromeda is actually the weird one with its shape and weight. Keeping it in my ears with a good seal was a challenge and the weight got to me after an hour or so of listening.

I’m sure other EX1000 owners can come in.

I am fine with Andro's shape, but it is really way too heavy for me to keep them on my ear for a long time.

 

[malvinviriya]

You have nothing to sorry at all lul. About the iSine, I'm using the iSine 20 now and I can say that it stands toe-to-toe to the iSine. But about the EQ on the iSine, the iSine was designed to used with EQ, because forcing such a large 30mm to send sound through a small tube makes sound tuning hard. But after applying the EQ, the iSine delivers a great 3D soundstage, deep punchy bass that is way more energetic than the EX1000. For me, the iSine is like a pair of headphone to use when you feel energetic and want to dance, while the EX1000 is for more serious listening sessions with that very-technical sound, just like a pair of near field monitor

I can definitely agree with the last statement. And as for my experience with the iSine, perhaps because I was using the lesser iSine 10 the feeling wasn't really there for me. The 10 is quite competent especially after EQing but I find the EX1k still capable of delivering more punch especially after EQ. With the iSine 20s and its stronger magnet I suppose the punch should be more apparent. The 10 felt like it was reaching its driver excursion limit for some reason (Should've been unlikely but maybe my unit was a bit screwed?). When i hit it with enough bass the left side seems to be buzzing badly for me.

Anyway, I did some fun with EQing the iSine last time and since I got my mic, I used what basically was Crin's old setup and tried to get what I would say a nice sounding EQ profile for myself. Probably the setup is not the best for doing this, and the mic's far from industry standard but I kinda felt the end result was nice

Here's the album in question: https://imgur.com/a/bqoZj

P.S: The Cipher/Reveal EQ doesn't really resonate to me i feel. Harman curve is really not for me maybe

 

[crinacle]

BGVP DMG Review​

Introduction

I've been burned by hype before. In my near-decade in this hobby and 7 years on this site, there are very few things that I'd say have withstood the tests of time. VSonic's GR07, Etymotic's ER4, FitEar's 334, Sony's EX1000, just to name a few. The rest are hardly ever of spoken of and yet people still listen to these hype train conductors despite their abysmal track record. So when I heard of yet another Flavour of the Month IEM making its rounds, I got curious. I was absolutely itching to write something critical so this could be quite the exercise.

This BGVP DMG is a review unit provided by Linsoul Audio (no affliation). As per usual, no talking about fit, build, accessories or whatever; I'll leave that to the others. Just a straight analysis of the sound as y'all like it.

Purchase from Amazon
Purchase from AliExpress
(I do not earn any revenue from these links.)

The Bad

The bass. Yes you heard me, the part that seemingly everyone else praises. The bass is emphasised and heavily skewed towards the midbass. Subbass rumble is present though overshadowed by thump and slam. The issue with the DMG's bass is that there is very little definition to it all. It's fuzzy and slow, the attack is dulled and it has quite the tendency to bleed into the lower mids. You can't even call the bass fatiguing due to the how soft the impact is; sure, there is a lot of it, but it feels more like the driver shoving a pillow in your face than throwing a proper punch. There's too much smearing in the bass notes so the moment you head into a genre like metal, you can clearly hear the percussions overlapping over one another and almost turning into one indistinguishable blob of general "slam". Now on the other hand, at least it's DD bass so I'd personally still pick it over any pure BA IEM, but it's just... not good DD bass.

For comparison, the other $100 contenders I have with me at this moment is the Periodic Mg and the FiiO F9, both of whom are superior to the DMG's bass in overall resolution and decay control. Perhaps if the midbass was dialed down a tad (while maintaining the subbass) and the lower transients tightened up, it'd have a fair fighting chance. But that's all hypothetical.

The Surprising

Preface: my favourite filter is the gold which has the least mids and treble. This review will be based on that filter, though the difference between all of them are within 3dB of each other. Comparison graph here.

Alright, so now that most of the fanboys have clicked away after I said something bad about their baby, here's the real meat of the meeting. Considering the price point and even the underperforming bass, the DMG is good. Surprisingly good.

My review process is as follows. Put in an IEM, identify every bad thing I can hear and only then do I move into the positives. Now, the bad (not horrible, just bad) bass came out to me immediately so that was easy. As I moved onto the mids and treble, I struggled. The tonality of instruments weren't particularly skewed towards any side of the frequency response despite the big bass emphasis. The timbre was fine; nothing sounded out of place or particularly wrong. The vocals, while slightly recessed, was pretty much neutral, favouring neither males or females strongly. Again, I'd really appreciate a reduction in midbass/lower mids just to clear up the air of the stage a little, but that's probably nitpicking for personal preference than in any objectively critical way.

The treble has enough emphasis but also appropriately rolled off where it counts. There's good speed and it hardly ever gets harsh or sharp (for me at least). It isn't really any more forward as compared to the midrange so I'd describe the overall signature of the DMG as "L-shaped" (emphasised bass in front of mids and treble), or more accurately it's just "bassy". For that kind of sound, the DMG ain't half bad at all.

The DMG also has one of the better imaging competencies that I've heard. Not excellent or EX1000-tier, mind you, but definitely above average. There is decent width, not quite diffusing beyond the pinna but at least strays away from the ever-common "in your head" effect. Positional ability is a little weak; the wall of bass sort of messes with the instrument placement a little but it's nothing too drastic. If you sort of ignore the position of the bassline (which is almost always wrong on the DMG), the rest of the instruments are pretty accurate.

Choice comparisons

FiiO F9

The F9 very clearly has the better bass response. The midbass is much cleaner, the subbass is better balanced with the midbass and is better separated from the mids as a whole. As a bass connoisseur, this aspect is basically a no-contest in favour of the F9.

Now, the tonality of the F9 has always been my issue. The notes are a little too thin and skewed to the higher frequencies, which does boost perceived detail and clarity quite a bit but at the cost of the "naturality" of the instruments. In other words, the timbre of the F9 also takes a significant hit, especially for the lower registers like alto and baritone. In comparison, the DMG definitely sounds a lot more correct for a much wider range of instruments and vocals and as such I enjoy it more on a personal level.

A known weakness of the F9 is its characteristic treble pierce. This might be a preference thing, but I can't stand the F9 being rather sensitive to the higher frequencies myself. The DMG is much better controlled and easier to listen to, and without odd spikes to mess with overtones and harmonics. 2 for 1 win for the DMG.

Periodic Mg

The bass of the Mg isn't as clean as the F9 but it is certainly cleaner than the DMG. It's a close fight at least, but the extra emphasis of the DMG just makes it a lot harder to control for.

The Mg is also quite a bit warmer, its tonality skewing more towards the lower frequencies as compared to the DMG. There's a lot of smoothness and richness, perhaps masking some essential detail that the DMG displays without any issues. The Mg sounds better on bassy instruments like bass guitar and cello, though it has its weaknesses on the other spectrum of instruments. On the other hand, the DMG is a better all-rounder for instrumentals.

Treble is similar in that they both have the same spike-to-rolloff tuning, but I'd give the resolution edge to the DMG.

Conclusion

Went in hatin', came out likin'. The DMG is certainly competent and a solid bassy IEM for $140. Though, I'd recommend you not buying these for the bass despite its tuning.

Final ranking: B- Adjusted C+ on 06/01/19

 

[popof94]

Hi @crinacle, do you think you will be able to listen the CL2, the planar from RHA. I would be happy to have your return, thank you.

 

[ncristia]

On the contrary, having owned the Andromeda, EX1000 and many other IEMs, the EX1000 is actually one of the most comfortable IEMs (along with MDR7550) I’ve ever worn. It looks like a contrived apparatus but it’s actually the opposite in a usage experience. It’s so lightweight and the hooks are mega comfortable. It’s actually very easy and quick to put it on and it stays on.

The Andromeda is actually the weird one with its shape and weight. Keeping it in my ears with a good seal was a challenge and the weight got to me after an hour or so of listening.

I’m sure other EX1000 owners can come in.

Spot on!

 

[bassct]

@crinacle
Appreciate all the hard and extensive work you`ve put in in all these measurements. Those graphs are a great tool and point of reference. Question i have is how does recently tested GT3 SuberBass compares to other bassy IEMs. Its supposed to have a thin diaphragm ( although of an unknown diameter and material ). Just wonder how competent that IEM is. If you could just point out its overall sound signature. Thanks.

 

[antdroid]

BGVP DMG Review​

Introduction

I've been burned by hype before. In my near-decade in this hobby and 7 years on this site, there are very few things that I'd say have withstood the tests of time. VSonic's GR07, Etymotic's ER4, FitEar's 334, Sony's EX1000, just to name a few. The rest are hardly ever of spoken of and yet people still listen to these hype train conductors despite their abysmal track record. So when I heard of yet another Flavour of the Month IEM making its rounds, I got curious. I was absolutely itching to write something critical so this could be quite the exercise.

This BGVP DMG is a review unit provided by Linsoul Audio. As per usual, no talking about fit, build, accessories or whatever; I'll leave that to the others. Just a straight analysis of the sound as y'all like it.

The Bad

The bass. Yes you heard me, the part that seemingly everyone else praises. The bass is emphasised and heavily skewed towards the midbass. Subbass rumble is present though overshadowed by thump and slam. The issue with the DMG's bass is that there is very little definition to it all. It's fuzzy and slow, the attack is dulled and it has quite the tendency to bleed into the lower mids. You can't even call the bass fatiguing due to the how soft the impact is; sure, there is a lot of it, but it feels more like the driver shoving a pillow in your face than throwing a proper punch. There's too much smearing in the bass notes so the moment you head into a genre like metal, you can clearly hear the percussions overlapping over one another and almost turning into one indistinguishable blob of general "slam". Now on the other hand, at least it's DD bass so I'd personally still pick it over any pure BA IEM, but it's just... not good DD bass.

For comparison, the other $100 contenders I have with me at this moment is the Periodic Mg and the FiiO F9, both of whom are superior to the DMG's bass in overall resolution and decay control. Perhaps if the midbass was dialed down a tad (while maintaining the subbass) and the lower transients tightened up, it'd have a fair fighting chance. But that's all hypothetical.

The Surprising

Preface: my favourite filter is the gold which has the least mids and treble. This review will be based on that filter, though the difference between all of them are within 3dB of each other. Comparison graph here.

Alright, so now that most of the fanboys have clicked away after I said something bad about their baby, here's the real meat of the meeting. Considering the price point and even the underperforming bass, the DMG is good. Surprisingly good.

My review process is as follows. Put in an IEM, identify every bad thing I can hear and only then do I move into the positives. Now, the bad (not horrible, just bad) bass came out to me immediately so that was easy. As I moved onto the mids and treble, I struggled. The tonality of instruments weren't particularly skewed towards any side of the frequency response despite the big bass emphasis. The timbre was fine; nothing sounded out of place or particularly wrong. The vocals, while slightly recessed, was pretty much neutral, favouring neither males or females strongly. Again, I'd really appreciate a reduction in midbass/lower mids just to clear up the air of the stage a little, but that's probably nitpicking for personal preference than in any objectively critical way.

The treble has enough emphasis but also appropriately rolled off where it counts. There's good speed and it hardly ever gets harsh or sharp (for me at least). It isn't really any more forward as compared to the midrange so I'd describe the overall signature of the DMG as "L-shaped" (emphasised bass in front of mids and treble), or more accurately it's just "bassy". For that kind of sound, the DMG ain't half bad at all.

The DMG also has one of the better imaging competencies that I've heard. Not excellent or EX1000-tier, mind you, but definitely above average. There is decent width, not quite diffusing beyond the pinna but at least strays away from the ever-common "in your head" effect. Positional ability is a little weak; the wall of bass sort of messes with the instrument placement a little but it's nothing too drastic. If you sort of ignore the position of the bassline (which is almost always wrong on the DMG), the rest of the instruments are pretty accurate.

Choice comparisons

FiiO F9

The F9 very clearly has the better bass response. The midbass is much cleaner, the subbass is better balanced with the midbass and is better separated from the mids as a whole. As a bass connoisseur, this aspect is basically a no-contest in favour of the F9.

Now, the tonality of the F9 has always been my issue. The notes are a little too thin and skewed to the higher frequencies, which does boost perceived detail and clarity quite a bit but at the cost of the "naturality" of the instruments. In other words, the timbre of the F9 also takes a significant hit, especially for the lower registers like alto and baritone. In comparison, the DMG definitely sounds a lot more correct for a much wider range of instruments and vocals and as such I enjoy it more on a personal level.

A known weakness of the F9 is its characteristic treble pierce. This might be a preference thing, but I can't stand the F9 being rather sensitive to the higher frequencies myself. The DMG is much better controlled and easier to listen to, and without odd spikes to mess with overtones and harmonics. 2 for 1 win for the DMG.

Periodic Mg

The bass of the Mg isn't as clean as the F9 but it is certainly cleaner than the DMG. It's a close fight at least, but the extra emphasis of the DMG just makes it a lot harder to control for.

The Mg is also quite a bit warmer, its tonality skewing more towards the lower frequencies as compared to the DMG. There's a lot of smoothness and richness, perhaps masking some essential detail that the DMG displays without any issues. The Mg sounds better on bassy instruments like bass guitar and cello, though it has its weaknesses on the other spectrum of instruments. On the other hand, the DMG is a better all-rounder for instrumentals.

Treble is similar in that they both have the same spike-to-rolloff tuning, but I'd give the resolution edge to the DMG.

Conclusion

Went in hatin', came out likin'. The DMG is certainly competent and a solid bassy IEM for $140. Though, I'd recommend you not buying these for the bass despite its tuning.

Final ranking: B-

Thanks for the review and opinions. What were your thoughts on the silver & normal filters?

Your review points to poor bass performance and wishing you had more air and less mid-bass/lower-mids, but you picked the filter which has the least upper-mids and treble emphasis and more bass emphasis (which can muddy the waters a little bit) so curious if the other filters made it better or did they improve some things and but make others worse than with the gold ones.

I found the gold ones too bassy for my liking and would occasionally muddy up everything. If i were to had reviewed that one, I'd probably rate it lower than I had reviewed with the normal filter.

 

[OnlyHazeRemains]

there was bull here

 

[antdroid]

Regarding the BGVP-DMG:

I was completely underwhelmed at first listen coming from TRNV80 that i bought while waiting for the BGVP Massdrop. I noticed the same distinct "drone" that is situated somewhere in the 80-120Hz region and its kinda drowning out the sub bass. Ive burned them in since, did a bit of tip-rolling and tested out the filters and my impression is that the gold filters, CONTRARY to various IR-graphs floating around, reduce that 80-120Hz drone a bit and emphasize the sub bass. With the stock and silver filters, the mids / and hights, specifically noted with Adelle's "25" album, hurt my ears a bit at my usual listening volume. The gold ones don't do that, so they're kinda the only option if you dont wanna EQ the very nice mid and top end of the IEM's.

So i've helped with a healthy amount of low-end EQ, but feel that rectifies the obvious shortcomings and makes for a really decent sounding IEM.

Will try this when I have some free time. Thanks