Review on BQEYZ BQ3 HiFi Earbuds Metal Housing Sport Headset 3 Balanced Armature 2 Dynamic Drivers Earphone (Blue Without Mic) by Gina Moore

I'll start by telling you right away that the BQ3 is completely different from the BQEYZ siblings I own (K2, KC2 and KB100). The machined aluminum earcups have an understated elegance, but it's the BQ3's sonic signature that sets it apart from its siblings. Let's take a look at the unboxing before we dive into the audio signature. As usual, the BQEYZ packaging is simple. There's no rich unboxing or a choir of angels here, but the BQ3 is packaged slightly better than the K2, KC2 or KB100. I usually store my in-ear headphones in zippered clamshell cases. As long as the contents of the box are safe during transit, I don't put too much weight on the packaging. the presentation can breathe as much as possible. The medium-diameter ear tips that come with the BQEYZ provide a good seal for me, but remember that a good seal is only part of the equation. I have shallow ear canals so Tennmak pegs work well for me, but a few years ago I bought a 20 set box of the universal wide-mouth headphones you see in the photo. These are very hard to find now so ordering them when they were available turned out to be one of the best decisions given the number of headphones I've worn. These particular earbuds are fairly flexible, but despite their wide bore design, the BQ3 still delivered a thick presentation in my opinion. 2-Prong Cable: The detachable cable that BQEYZ included with the BQ3 is a decent cable that's flexible enough to avoid kinking. and features a well-designed 90° elbow on the 3.5mm jack. In addition, it features a strong aluminum Y-connection bracket and pre-formed ear hooks with plastic housings for 2-pin 0.78mm plugs. I've already talked about it, but I'd like to see how BQEYZ implements or develops rectangular aluminum cases for their 2-pin connectors. For well-designed BQEYZ headphones, the plastic feels a bit cheap. Loudspeaker boxes: My BQ3 boxes are finished in the same beautiful blue as my KB100s. The machined aluminum earbuds feature elegant beveled bezels with an aluminum finish. It suits the shape of my ears well. Sound: The BQ3 has received a lot of positive feedback from several respected members of the Head-Fi Chi-Fi community. It's a 2DD (Dynamic Driver) + 3BA (Balanced Armature) configuration and, in typical BQEYZ fashion, trimmed for comfort. If you could describe BQ3 in one word, that word would be smooth. In my opinion, the BQ3 is the IEM for those who shy away from headphones that produce an analytical and/or face-to-face sound signature. In many ways, the BQ3 is the polar opposite of BQEYZ's own KB100.Errrr., which came out wrong. I'll be more specific. In my opinion, the BQ3 makes things convenient by keeping everything at a distance, rather than direct and personal. Soundstage width is average and the BQ3 has a medium soundstage depth (as is common with all initial BQEYZ offerings), but the instrumentation and vocals in the BQ3 have a more rounded or softer presentation. More specifically, when you hear the difference between the presentation of silicone ear tips and foam ear tips, the BQ3 sounds like it's being shipped through foam ear tips. Foam headphones are highly recommended when using balanced armature headphones as they tend to dull the analytical nature of the balanced armature, particularly in the upper mids and highs. Although the BQ3 is a 2+3 hybrid, it doesn't sound like it. In my opinion, you would never suspect that these are hybrid in-ear headphones, because the balanced fittings are tame beyond recognition. I've never heard of a hybrid that's so smooth. In fact, I would even say that the BQ3 would have the best synergy with a bright sound source. I don't recommend using them with velvety presentation DAPs (Fiio X5iii etc) as the combination of Warm Slope DAP and Warm Tone BQ3 gives too smooth and almost dark presentation. Most if not all of BQEYZ's initial issuance has fallen off the upper highs to avoid a risky rally. The BQ3 is no exception, and as you soften and warm it up, you'll find that a brightly directional sound source offers the best synergy with the BQ3's sonic signature. I use the BQ3 when I want to listen to some of the albums in my collection that tend to go beyond the upper mids and lower highs. Let's not start with the high frequencies, but with the mids. Mids: When it comes to "pushing the limits” in the mids, two albums immediately spring to mind: Bruce Springsteen's Born In The USA and Pat Benatar's Crimes Of Passion. ". In my opinion, both albums were recorded with an emphasis on the upper half of the frequency range. BQ3 makes these records a little more appealing to listen to because it smooths out the sounds so you can crank the volume up a bit. I usually listen to music at a very modest volume , but sometimes I like to have fun Same goes for Pat Benatar's song "Better Run" Give BQ3 a problem solved BQ3 lets me spin music until I'm completely satisfied No nervous behavior prevents me from enjoying both albums Another example is the very last song Johnny Cash recorded before (he died. man in black) covered Nine Inch Nails' 1995 Grammy-nominated single "Hurt." This is truly an epic record because Cash put his own stamp on such a dark song, the recording itself will show why I decided to do such e Listen to recordings on BQ3. It sounds like this session is recording a single mic, but the mic just isn't right. When listening to a track with KB100, KC2, ZS6, BA10 (or some other remotely analytical IEM), I usually have a hard time enjoying the second half of the song. It starts out clean and clear, but distortions appear as the song progresses. As the track's energy builds, so does the distortion. As a result, the BQ3 is one of the few IEMs I choose when I want to hear less prominent recordings, as the BQ3 tends to flatten out the presentation a bit more than any of my other IEMs. Bass: The BQ3 has a decidedly thick mid-bass response, allowing the punch and kick to be front and center. As I mentioned in the KB100 review: "Too much mid-bass tends to dull the clarity of the headphones; The "air" between the instruments simply disappears because the raised mids or mids seeping into the highs fill the ear canal and then linger a bit. The BQ3's mid-bass is boosted, and to be honest I don't particularly like the boosted mid-bass. Pay special attention to the 44 second mark and then listen to the BQ3 extension and delivery during the drawdown at the 4:40 mark. The BQ3 hit those low notes hard and the impact on the drawdown was strong. The sealing is exceptionally good, and I found the bass punch to be quite thick. You'll find that you can adjust the punch and/or thickness of the bass by twisting the tip; If anything, you'll likely work to reduce mid-bass presence by downsizing the ear cups (from Lrg to Med, or from Med to Sm)." Different earbuds gave me different feedback, but overall the BQ3's bass gets through the word "Tight" defined. Bass isn't as fast-paced as the BQEYZ KB100. They're set up to hit and linger a bit. On Basement Jaxx "Stay Close" I focused on the 54 second mark and the 1:04 mark and again the hit was strong and deep both times The BQ3 is tuned for a strong kick that is thicker than the BQEYZ KB100 and its K2 The BQ3's bass has more impact than the K2's bass, but the K2's bass doesn't interfere with the mids that much.Bass Bottom Line: It digs deep and hits hard (with the right sealing), so you might find the BQ3 satisfactory if you're a "bassist".Treble : Typical mood of all ers tenth six BQEYZ sets: upper treble rolled up to prevent discomfort/punctures. The bottom highs are there, but it's a 'soft' delivery that fits the general presentation of the BQ3. The triangles from the 22 second mark of Tony Braxton's "He Wasn't Man Enough" are smoothed and the result is no shimmer/glitter in the BQ3 presentation. Additionally, "Thinking About Forever" POD features a waterfall-like shimmer in the first five seconds of the track, at the 25 second mark and throughout the track. There is also a brief high note at the 2:42 mark. On the ZS6, these notes give the track an almost ethereal feel. With the BQ3, the waterfall-like flickering is smoothed out, but it's still there. Running the BQ3 through these (subjective) tests showed that the BQ3 is designed to be a "safe" and non-fatiguing setup. The lack of shimmer and shine tendencies gives the BQ3 a less "airy" look, but the picture is good. The increased mid-bass and lowered upper treble contribute to smooth playback, but also help the BQ3 sound a bit average in terms of separation. Midbass steals a sense of clarity and air. Nothing bad, just noticeable when comparing the BQ3 to its siblings. Soundstage: Most of BQEYZ's initial offerings have a decent soundstage width and average soundstage depth. I want BQEYZ to improve the depth of the soundstage to improve imaging, separation and the "airy" feel that takes in-ear headphones from very good IEMs to exceptional IEMs. BQ3 are very good IEMs with thick and comfortable earbuds. More "air" would make them exceptional. The BQ3's soundstage is of medium width (up to the ears or slightly beyond the earlobes) and medium depth. It has good visualization, but the separation is a bit average (mainly due to the average bass). I've been listening to my ZS6 for over a year now and lately I've been leaning more towards clearer and brighter playback, but in the real world I can't use my ZS6 outdoors without risking my long-term hearing. On the other hand, the BQ3 headphones with their "thick and comfortable body" don't endanger my hearing for long, so they will be very useful outdoors. For the past nine months I've been using my ZSRs to listen to music outside. Joking, but last week I switched to a BQ3 for field use instead of my ZSR. Tracks mixed with a lot of bass had too much mid-bass, but the BQ3 did really, really well in everything else. Next time I have to take both IEMs (ZSR and BQ3) and report back. Which in-ear headphones do I prefer? The BQ3's aluminum body is far superior to the ZSR's plastic body, but keep an eye on the results. In the end, the BQ3's fit, isolation, and sound performance were near-perfect for portable headphones, and I recommend them if you're looking. for a great headphone for commuting (isolation was great for me). If you commute to work by train, plane, or bus, be sure to purchase a variety of ear tips to find a set that will give you a complete seal. but I would recommend a bright source. Take this recommendation with grain if salt; I'm very picky about midbass. I like the punch of the mid-bass, but usually prefer a 50:50 (sub:mid) spread in the bass, or at least a less sensitive mid-bass punch and a bit more sub-bass boom. Your preferences may be very different from mine. It seems to me that I'm in the minority when it comes to the overall presentation of BQ3. I like them, but I like a brighter and richer presentation. I'm deducting a star for the boosted mids, but the BQ3 are good in-ear headphones, I just don't like the sound performance. I hope that was helpful. doc