BQEYZ BQ3: They won’t leave you feeling blue
Written by ngoshawk
Published 2 minutes ago

Pros – Pleasant sound.
A CASE (pouch).
Good build quality.
Good looking.

Cons – Cable tangles.
The “case” is a pouch.
Not vibrant enough for some?
Too affordable?

BQEYZ BQ3 ($68.99): They won’t leave you feeling blue.

There has been some good hype surrounding the BQ3. I call this iteration the fourth wave of Chi-Fi. The first was exploring the market viability for inexpensive IEM’s. The second was the production of second-gen IEM’s, which followed the first (markedly better in sound and quality). The third was the push by many Chinese audio companies into the mid-fi market and will good success. This, the fourth marks a filling in of the lower end of mid-fi (upper end of low-fi). Regardless, Chinese audio companies have grown profoundly in the last 4-5 years, gaining upon their experiences in build and sound. Some have fallen because of false-tactics (18 drivers per side!!! And of course, 6 of them actually work). But some have grown and matured quite well. I will also openly admit that I have never heard any BQ models, this is the first.

Moving a bit upscale, the BQ3 is the new “flagship” model from BQ, and as such it had better perform. If the build and color alone are any indication, the process is working. A note here as well. There has been a bit of smoke surrounding what exactly Chi-Fi consists of, and how some look at it. I would openly state it does not matter. Period. After all isn’t our hobby about hearing and finding something we like? Whether that be our $2400 CTM’s or sub$100 Chi-Fi. If we like it, then who cares what others think, and that is our version of this hobby. Listen to what you want, enjoy what you want. The heck with other opinions.

Thanks for Elle and BQEYZ for providing the BQ3 review sample. An open honest evaluation is what we agreed upon. It is also an understanding that the review sample is mine to keep but may be asked for at any time deemed worthy by either party.

Gear used/compared:

All prices in USD, unless noted otherwise

TinAudio T3 ($69)
Simgot MT3 ($59)
CCA C16 ($99)

XDuoo X10t ii/iFi Pro iDSD
Shanling M5s
MacBook Pro/Burson Fun


Songs used:

Too bloody many to list all, but you want songs, so there you go:

Coldplay-All I Can think About Is You
Coldplay-A Message
Coldplay-White Shadows
Dona Onete-Sonos de Adolescente
Los Lonely Boys- Heaven (en Espanol)
twenty one pilots-Trees
twenty one pilots-Car Radio
twenty one pilots-Heathens
Damian Marley-Everybody Wants To Be Somebody
Damian Marley-So A Child May Follow
Damian Marley-The Struggle Discontinues
Ziggy Marley-Lighthouse
Ziggy Marely-See Dem Fake Leaders
Mark Knopfler-Laughs And Jokes And Drinks And Smokes
Santana w/ Mana- Corazon Espinado
The new twenty one pilots album, Trench
Tedeschi Trucks Band…anything
Mark Knopfler-Down The Road Wherever


Specs/etc galore:

Color:With Mic Blue

Great sound meets ergonomic design
BQEYZBQ3 Series in-ear headphones deliver stunning audio clarity and Two Driver In-Ear Headphones combines its unrivaled design standards , for a perfect fit and a tight acoustic seal.

10 drivers earphone :
Three balanced armatures and two separate dynamic drivers create a spacious and transparent feeling of having nothing between you and music. The armatures are uniquely inset with durable silicone covers for lasting performance, while two outer layers of PET greatly increase bass and midrange response time.

10 drivers：BQEYZBQ3, 3 Balanced armature&2 Dynamic per side Simple,total10 drivers earphone: Dual Balanced Armature provide high-intensity resolution, rich sense of quality and full of vocals to give you pure listening experience; Independent research and development dynamic driver to strengthen bass texture to show you a shocking bass

High-definition sound
A bespoke dynamic driver provides high-definition sound, full-range audio clarity and rich bass that is
powerful yet controlled, resulting in natural, open and detailed acoustics.

Perfected Ergonomics
The aluminum alloy earpieces are ergonomically designed with oblique angles that match your ear canals so you can enjoy your music in total comfort. different sets of ear tips ensure you get a proper seal in your ear for the full range of sound.

Storage pouch
To keep C5 Series 2 safe, we’ve included a stylish storage pouch that fits perfectly into your pocket or bag when you’re not using your headphones.

Key features
Weight: 25±5g
Cable Length: 1.2m
Plug Type: 3.5mm
Pin Type: 0.78mm
Frequency: 7-40KHz
Impedance: 22Ω
Sensitivity: 95dB

In da box:

IEM (blue)
3 sets of silicon tips (s/m/l)
Instruction manual
4-wire cable, w/ mic
A CASE!!!! Err, rather a cloth bag. But it’s still something!

What of this flagship?…

Listening the The Ending from Tedeschi Trucks, you get Susan’s rough sensuous voice, and one can do nothing but sit back and marvel. She is a musical spectacle. One that should be experienced in small venues everywhere. A phenomenal concert to be had. Find their group, listen and enjoy. But here you get the intimacy matching that small venue, without the extraneous noise. It is you with Susan singing in your ears. And it is grand.

The BQ3 imbues a solid bass line (with some bleed into the mids) but untamed. There is an overpowering to it, that needs to be controlled better. It is good mind you, but a bit too much. I do like it, though. The two dynamic drivers give that sense of bass and help to reach fairly deep. There is a small bit of rumble, but not like the Atlas (not much can…). Still good mind you. But, getting back to Susan’s vocals, they are sublime. Her deeper voice gives a good sense of the lower mid frequencies. Sensuous and beautiful, there is a good note of which to judge. But first, more on the critter itself…


Unboxing/Build/Fit-n-Finish:

Coming in a small box reminiscent of KZ, the wasted space is limited. Excess material multiplied by hundreds of thousands of units mounts up. Here the small sized-nature is appreciated. Sliding the cover off you are met with a hard foam insert up top with the IEM (mine are blue!), with the three sets of tips (one mounted) below inline. The lower “half” holds the cable in a rectangular tube sleeve as well as the cloth “case.” Nothing fancy, nothing missed, nothing unappreciated.

With an oblong shape, but a teardrop “fender” cutout, the IEM itself sits nicely in-ear, and is decent enough looking. Nothing spectacular, but nothing in wretched excess either. With a long nozzle one might think fit would suffer. It doesn’t. It is not one of those large diameter nozzles but is just right. The plastic housing over the 2-pin cable fits snug and tight. There is even a label on both the housing and cable, so simply match L-L and R-R. A long-shrink-wrapped plastic works as memory wire, but with too much bend for my tastes. This is another of the wrap around glasses style. This does not make for easy ingress/egress…

Tightly wound machine-processed cables are efficient, tight and do not create any sound. A bit thin for my tastes though, it simply works. With a clear plastic cinch, and a splitter housing labeled with the BQEYZ letters, the weight hangs nicely. Not often is it said, but proper weighting from where the cable hangs down (directly at the ear, and from the spittle) can be a huge benefit for comfort. The BQ3 does not disappoint. Weighted just about perfectly, this is made for hours of wearing without strain. The cable is a bit thin above the splitter to me, though. A right angle (slightly more than…) jack rounds out the unit, replete with SOFT Velcro wrap. Often the tie strap is made of Velcro and catches on darn near everything. Here it is soft and does not catch on nary a thing.

A pleasant package and one in which I have no qualms.

Sound:

Listening to Mark Knopfler’s Just A Boy Away From Home, you can clearly hear the Liverpool theme of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” during the song. I’m not sure if that is on purpose, or happenstance, but it is clear as day. Fitting as Liverpool played in the Champions League final against that dreadful Sp*rs team…Go Pool. And the BQ3 represents the sound faithfully. Cymbal clashes are held in place. Vocals are fairly clear and concise. Detail is what you would expect from something in this price range, but ahead of some at this price. The level of clarity would punch slightly above for it is good. I’m always loath to do that, for the critter in Q should be judged on its own merits, not against something above. Compare in the same class? Good. Compare as “world beater” or punches way above its weight?” Bad.

Moving on to the bouncy Good On You Son, you get the quick punch of synthesizer disco-like. With a quick decay of bass, it does not hinder the following note. With a bit of push up top as well, there is nary a bit of sibilance (another aspect of the 2-4 gen Chi-Fi), and those treble notes do not tangle either. Epitomized by the cymbal and high note of synth, you get a decent amount of layering without too much suffer. A good wide sound stage adds to the overall package, while being average of depth and height; as does a decent instrumentation. I throw all together here, for they intermix well with purpose, and mostly without fuss. Hardly any commotion between the tonalities mentioned, they all mix as a happy family.

If I had to pick, it would be the clarity and instrumentation. It falls a bit behind others, but due to the sound characteristic(s) I do not mind too much. Running the warm Burson Fun on the V6 single Vivid aid in that warmth of sound. I do not miss that precise nature, such as one would find on an IEM, which is almost antiseptic of sound. Analytical, too much can ruin a good package. That does not happen here.

Comparison:


BQEYZ BQ3 ($69) v TinAudio T3 ($69):

As I have previously stated, the T3 is what the T2 Pro should have been. And the T2 Pro is what the T2 should have been. Of the three, I like the T3 the best. It has the most rounded sound of the three. The T2 was clear and concise but left any semblance of a bass sound at the station. The T2 Pro helped alleviate this somewhat, but not completely and in my mind at the expense of that clarity. The T3 melds the best, with a solid bass (not as much quantity as the BQ3 or C16), that gives a hint of rumble. And that is running through the Burson Fun with the warmer V6 Vivid OpAmp. So, it is still a little light.

But there is good sound and good clarity again. Mids sound a bit held back. I hate to use the word veiled, because that would inadequately describe the signature. Held back is a good analogy. For the price it presents good value and would be a competent alternative to the BQ3. Just do not expect the level of bass presence that the BQ3 has.



BQEYZ BQ3 ($69) v Simgot MT3 ($59):

The Simgot has the bass quantity and presence, but not the quality. Sounding like an hourglass shape, the mids seem squeezed and pushed forward compared to the BQ3. Treble is good, but without the quality one would hope for at this price. A decent offering overshadowed by the BQ3 and the others here.

BQEYZ BQ3 ($69) v CCA C16 ($99):

The first and biggest difference between the two is the open sound presented by the CCA. With a push of the higher note, the CCA could not be considered warm when compared to the BQ3. It could very well be slightly warm (that would be a push…), but the mids dominate the sound on the C16. With good bass to back up that mid push (vocals are quite up front), I would say that the sub bass on the C16 is better, but the presentation of the BQ3 is quite equal to the task and adds to that warmth of sound nicely, while going deeper.

Mind you, those with better ears might actually call the BQ3’s bass muddy, but I cannot discern that. They might also state that the C16 is overly bright, with slight sibilance of sound. They would not be wrong, but I do not find the C16 to be harsh. Only much different than the BQ3. There does seem to be a squeezing of the mids on the C16, something I have noticed on other Chi-Fi IEM’s of late. Think of squeezing a balloon from each end. The middle has nowhere to go, but forward. This would be a 3D representation of the C16. Not bad mind you, but different. Good clarity does come with that push, and it is not unpleasant to these middle-aged ears.


Dénouement:

The BQ3 came to me by surprise, and it is much appreciated. For the price, it is a very good value, with decent enough sound to keep you interested. It can compete with the others here of its own accord. As such, it has nothing to be ashamed of, nor hide. It does not have the best treble quality. Mids tend to dominate (but are “covered” a bit), and thus vocals can be a bit forward. Bass is a strong point, but not overpowering.

Taken as a whole, the package is a decent offering, and one which I was glad to try; for it does seem to have a somewhat cult-like following. And after listening, I can see why.

A huge thank you to Elle and BQEYZ for the opportunity to try their wares. It is always nice to try something of which I have read about (and good words they are), but better to hear and discern what has been read and verify. Finishing this with twenty one pilots Cancer seems fitting, as the bass provides that rumble, which seemed to hide on some songs. Almost as if to say, “I’m here, I’m glad you were able to listen to me!”