Pros:
- Pleasing warm sound signature
- Fatigue free listening experience
- As always, decent and clean packaging
- Scales well with additional power
- Lush and rich mids (subjective)
- Decently built shells
- Simple but elegant design
- Very nice cable inclusion
Cons:
- Shallow fit. Small ears might struggle finding the optimum seal
- Average isolation. Finding the right size of tip is a must
- Speed of drivers is somewhat on the borderline of being slow (subjective)
- Lack of energy on top might not be for everyone
INTRODUCTION:
BQEYZ will always be a special brand/company to me. Their KC2 is what got me started in this hobby. Thanks to Eiji Romero.
After KC2, I bought the Autumn. A well-received gear and with a unique tuning execution, the magnets. Bqeyz is also known for releasing patented technology and they like to explore new tech on their products.
And we now have Topaz. If you want to hear my impressions and perspective, as a musician, pls do read on…
DISCLAIMER:
My opinions here are completely my own. I am NOT in any way influenced by any form of incentive. This is purely my honest, subjective impressions and experience with the gear on hand. I cannot stress more that you should take this as a grain of salt for we have different perception to sound and what we hear. I always try my best to stick with the stock accessories that come with the gear by default. You are free to try other methods such as tip rolling or cable rolling. Below are worth noting before concluding on what I say here:
My reviews are more on how music sounds in my ears. The technical stuff like frequency graphs and the physics behind the tech and drivers used, I leave to other reviewers.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Configuration: 1 x coaxial dual cavity dynamic driver with 9 layers Piezoelectric
Impedance: 32ohms
Sensitivity: 108db
Freq response: 5-40khz
PACKAGING:
The box is medium size. Neatly presented. Colored in light blue or purple and white. Bqeyz always gives this minimalist style of design that is very pleasing to the eyes. This is my 3rd product from them and the way they design their packaging somewhat became a pattern. Below are the inclusions:
For the entirety of this review, I used a balanced 2.5mm termination, and L size wide bore tips. Main source is offline hi-res files on my Hidizs Ap80 pro.
Now let us dive into how Topaz sounds..
LOWS:
The lows have a lean and mature character. More importantly, lows have that round sound. It has that thump and punch, but the roundness is prominent. It has good reach in the sub area. Mid bass has a nice presentation that I personally prefer over the sub. The lows doesn't linger long, and have good decay. This results in minimal bleeds to other frequencies. The attack though, is somewhat laid back. Resulting in a less punchy lows presentation. As I am accustomed to fast drivers, and to be honest a BA guy, I was first let down by this nature. But as 4 days passed, the lows are still very very commendable. Bass oriented tracks will still give you good rumbling. Busy tracks struggle a bit in the lows department but I am being nitpicky here.
Conclusively, what I loved about the lows here is its lean and mature nature. And its round character. My only caveat here is the speed and attack. To my liking, the lows lack that aggressiveness that I personally prefer.
MIDS:
The mids is Topaz' strength. Mids are lush, rich, weighty and have good body. Elements and instruments are very rich and desirable. Guitars both acoustic and electric, are very whole and weighty. Male vocals are favored but by just a small margin. Pianos, rhodes, organs, strings, orchestra all sounded very natural and organic. Female vocals are still very commendable but lack energy and air for my liking. To be honest, the mids reminded me of KC2. No recessed mids here. So expect a lot of elements to have a forward nature. Vocals are always presented with a forward nature and smooth flow. It is worthy to claim that Topaz' key strength is its vocal presentation.
Conclusively, mids here pleased me greatly. As a mid centric that I am, Topaz is for those who like their elements to be heard. Lushful and rich. If there is something I am going to nitpick, it is that the mids lack texture. Actually this is a characteristic of the whole sound that Topaz lacks. Moving on…
TREBLES:
Ok, this is a critical part. First off, treble sensitives, now is the time to rejoice!! This one is definitely for you!! Trebles are relaxed and laid back. For some reason I cannot call it veiled because it does not turn me off considering that somewhat, I am in between a sensitive and a treble head. The funny and weird thing here is, once I plug Topaz in my ears, the laid back nature is noticeable. But just after a few minutes, my brain or hearing will accept this sound positively. But one thing is constant, cymbal strikes. They are lacking. The grit and bite that I look for, is not here. But this is nothing to put me off completely. I tell you, the trebles here are tamed, yes, but the details are still audible. Air and openness could have been more, but I still cannot hate the trebles here. The Topaz put me in a jaded circumstance here to be honest. Its like purposely hanging me for more, but then later on realize, hey, I like it. I do hope you get what I am saying. Lol
FIT & ISOLATION
This department is Topaz' weakness. As my third product from Bqeyz, the fitting has become a norm at some point. Shallow. Don't get me wrong. The fitting is nowhere near to be despised. But if you prefer a deeper fit, you might need some time to adjust here. Still the fit is pleasing for me. A benefit from this is, say goodbye to ear pressure. Isolation is average. This is very subjective and actually, it is quite good too if you hear some outside noise, especially if you are on the streets. So that you are aware of your surroundings. When I used M sized tips, the isolation was just horrible. My peers from our review circle suggested I switch to L size and that solved everything. The sound, seal, fit and isolation. If the stock tips don't fit you, I hope you are into tip rolling somehow.
TECHNICALITIES:
The tricky part. After a good 4 days of continuous listening with Topaz, these are my impressions on technicalities.
To start off, Topaz is overall average on technicalities. A hit and miss here and there.
Staging is somewhat between intimate and wide. A good sense of headspace is there. Depending on the track of course but a good width and depth is readily available if the track will call for it. There is this one time of how good the depth is. I was listening to an instrumental track, and there was a part in the track where a passage of vocals shouted. It was so well placed, that I turned my head around as if as though someone was calling my attention. I ended up laughing to myself. Lol.
Separation and imaging is average here. Nothing to hate here but for its price point, it could be better. Imaging is somewhat a hit and miss on this one. A bit on the blurry side. Less accurate. Separation is still very decent. But this is the reason why I cannot claim the Topaz to be analytical.
Texture is another weakness here. Be noted I am nitpicking now. Most of the time, the texture of elements that I am used hearing, falls short by a small margin. Not enough to put me off but it is noticeable. It is negligible.
One more weakness is speed. This is a laid back set folks. Manage your expectations. I prefer speedy drivers, but to be honest, the speed of the drivers here, is still adequate even though it is on the slow side. It is all about mind set. Lol.
COMPARISONS:
This is gonna be exciting. Again I don't do comparisons much. But I am trying to incorporate this to my reviews and make it a habit.
Tonality will be assessed in both quality and quantity. Technicalities will be simpler. We will use the > and < approach. Pls do note, this part is very subjective. This is based on my own preference.
Vs Bqeyz Autumn: on neutral filter magnets
Bass quantity: Topaz>Autumn
Bass quality: Autumn=Topaz
Mids quantity: Topaz>Autumn
Mids quality: Topaz>Autumn
Treble quantity: Autumn>Topaz
Treble quality: Autumn>Topaz
Soundstage: Autumn>Topaz
Imaging: Autumn>Topaz
Separation: Autumn>Topaz
Speed: Autumn>Topaz
Vs Tangzu Shimin li:
Bass quantity: Shiminli>Topaz
Bass quality: Topaz>Shiminli
Mids quantity: Topaz>Shiminli
Mids quality: Topaz>Shiminli
Treble quantity: Shiminli>Topaz
Treble quality: Topaz>Shiminli
Soundstage: Shiminli>Topaz
Imaging:Shiminli>Topaz
Separation: Topaz>Shiminli
Speed: Shiminli>Topaz
Vs Kinera Idun Golden 2.0
Bass quantity: Topaz>Idun
Bass quality: Idun>Topaz
Mids quantity: Topaz>Idun
Mids quality: Idun>Topaz
Treble quantity: Idun>Topaz
Treble quality: Idun>Topaz
Soundstage: Idun>Topaz
Imaging:Idun>Topaz
Separation: Idun>Topaz
Speed: Idun>Topaz
Again these comparisons are all based on my personal preference. If you have these sets, your mileage will most likely vary.
PAIRING:
I will recommend a neutral or bright source for Topaz. My Hidizs Ap80 compliments Topaz, being Ap80 a neutral source. A neutral source will somehow help the tamed trebles. A warm source will make Topaz too veiled like with my LG V30.
SOURCES AND GEARS:
Here are some tracks I usually listen to when reviewing:
That’s the way of the World by EWF
Africa by TOTO
The Girl in the Other Room by Diana Kral
Balmorhea album All is wild, All is Silent
Sila by Sud
Smooth Escape by D’Sound
Never too Much by Luther Vandross
P.Y.T by Michael Jackson
Ain’t no Sunshine by Eva Cassidy
Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC
Another one bites the Dust by Queen
Good times bad times by Edie Brickell
Alice in Wonderland by Bill Evans
Ain’t it Fun by Paramore
Redefine by Incubus
Far Away by Nickelback
Lovesong by Adele
Lingus by Snarky Puppy
Harvest for the World by Vanessa Williams
Love Bites by Def Leppard
No Such Thing by John Mayer
As by Stevie Wonder
Whip Appeal by Babyface
Ain’t Nobody by Chaka Khan
Futures by Prep
Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
Every Summertime by NIKI
SADE tracks
AC/DC tracks
Queen tracks
And many more… I always listen to High resolution format, being the least quality 16bit/44khz FLACS be it offline or online.
VERDICT:
This is yet another particular release from Bqeyz. An IEM good in its own right. Standing on its own character. There are some flaws here, especially on the technical side, but very very minimal. The scenario here is Topaz manages to please me not on the initial listen, but as we bond along with my songs. Which is very very charming and mysterious in a way.
So who is Topaz for?
A warm sound signature is not my preference anymore. Well at least not on the top of my list, but the Topaz is a worthy set to be considered for this sound character. There are ways to make that treble shine more, but I love it just the way it is. Technical side is on the lighter side of things but nothing to be despised or hated here. This is definitely a keeper for me and for its price point, and if you have reached this point and quite agree with my impressions and have a similar setup, by all means, pull the trigger on this one.
My most personal comment on Topaz is that it always takes me into a mysterious journey. At first listen, I am not blown away. This is every time I plug them in my ears. But after a few songs, it will begin to give me a particular sense of satisfaction. It's almost like it is alive continuously and consistently trying to brainwash me with its charisma. And this feeling alone is mesmerizing and bizarre. It surprises me and keeps me on my toes. And the result is a strange and peculiar audio nirvana.
Again, our hearing differs. Not one has the same hearing. Just like a fingerprint. So please take this as a grain of salt. Your mileage may and always most likely vary. Cheers and catch you on the next one!!
BQEYZ will always be a special brand/company to me. Their KC2 is what got me started in this hobby. Thanks to Eiji Romero.
After KC2, I bought the Autumn. A well-received gear and with a unique tuning execution, the magnets. Bqeyz is also known for releasing patented technology and they like to explore new tech on their products.
And we now have Topaz. If you want to hear my impressions and perspective, as a musician, pls do read on…
DISCLAIMER:
My opinions here are completely my own. I am NOT in any way influenced by any form of incentive. This is purely my honest, subjective impressions and experience with the gear on hand. I cannot stress more that you should take this as a grain of salt for we have different perception to sound and what we hear. I always try my best to stick with the stock accessories that come with the gear by default. You are free to try other methods such as tip rolling or cable rolling. Below are worth noting before concluding on what I say here:
My reviews are more on how music sounds in my ears. The technical stuff like frequency graphs and the physics behind the tech and drivers used, I leave to other reviewers.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Configuration: 1 x coaxial dual cavity dynamic driver with 9 layers Piezoelectric
Impedance: 32ohms
Sensitivity: 108db
Freq response: 5-40khz
PACKAGING:
The box is medium size. Neatly presented. Colored in light blue or purple and white. Bqeyz always gives this minimalist style of design that is very pleasing to the eyes. This is my 3rd product from them and the way they design their packaging somewhat became a pattern. Below are the inclusions:
For the entirety of this review, I used a balanced 2.5mm termination, and L size wide bore tips. Main source is offline hi-res files on my Hidizs Ap80 pro.
Now let us dive into how Topaz sounds..
LOWS:
The lows have a lean and mature character. More importantly, lows have that round sound. It has that thump and punch, but the roundness is prominent. It has good reach in the sub area. Mid bass has a nice presentation that I personally prefer over the sub. The lows doesn't linger long, and have good decay. This results in minimal bleeds to other frequencies. The attack though, is somewhat laid back. Resulting in a less punchy lows presentation. As I am accustomed to fast drivers, and to be honest a BA guy, I was first let down by this nature. But as 4 days passed, the lows are still very very commendable. Bass oriented tracks will still give you good rumbling. Busy tracks struggle a bit in the lows department but I am being nitpicky here.
Conclusively, what I loved about the lows here is its lean and mature nature. And its round character. My only caveat here is the speed and attack. To my liking, the lows lack that aggressiveness that I personally prefer.
MIDS:
The mids is Topaz' strength. Mids are lush, rich, weighty and have good body. Elements and instruments are very rich and desirable. Guitars both acoustic and electric, are very whole and weighty. Male vocals are favored but by just a small margin. Pianos, rhodes, organs, strings, orchestra all sounded very natural and organic. Female vocals are still very commendable but lack energy and air for my liking. To be honest, the mids reminded me of KC2. No recessed mids here. So expect a lot of elements to have a forward nature. Vocals are always presented with a forward nature and smooth flow. It is worthy to claim that Topaz' key strength is its vocal presentation.
Conclusively, mids here pleased me greatly. As a mid centric that I am, Topaz is for those who like their elements to be heard. Lushful and rich. If there is something I am going to nitpick, it is that the mids lack texture. Actually this is a characteristic of the whole sound that Topaz lacks. Moving on…
TREBLES:
Ok, this is a critical part. First off, treble sensitives, now is the time to rejoice!! This one is definitely for you!! Trebles are relaxed and laid back. For some reason I cannot call it veiled because it does not turn me off considering that somewhat, I am in between a sensitive and a treble head. The funny and weird thing here is, once I plug Topaz in my ears, the laid back nature is noticeable. But just after a few minutes, my brain or hearing will accept this sound positively. But one thing is constant, cymbal strikes. They are lacking. The grit and bite that I look for, is not here. But this is nothing to put me off completely. I tell you, the trebles here are tamed, yes, but the details are still audible. Air and openness could have been more, but I still cannot hate the trebles here. The Topaz put me in a jaded circumstance here to be honest. Its like purposely hanging me for more, but then later on realize, hey, I like it. I do hope you get what I am saying. Lol
FIT & ISOLATION
This department is Topaz' weakness. As my third product from Bqeyz, the fitting has become a norm at some point. Shallow. Don't get me wrong. The fitting is nowhere near to be despised. But if you prefer a deeper fit, you might need some time to adjust here. Still the fit is pleasing for me. A benefit from this is, say goodbye to ear pressure. Isolation is average. This is very subjective and actually, it is quite good too if you hear some outside noise, especially if you are on the streets. So that you are aware of your surroundings. When I used M sized tips, the isolation was just horrible. My peers from our review circle suggested I switch to L size and that solved everything. The sound, seal, fit and isolation. If the stock tips don't fit you, I hope you are into tip rolling somehow.
TECHNICALITIES:
The tricky part. After a good 4 days of continuous listening with Topaz, these are my impressions on technicalities.
To start off, Topaz is overall average on technicalities. A hit and miss here and there.
Staging is somewhat between intimate and wide. A good sense of headspace is there. Depending on the track of course but a good width and depth is readily available if the track will call for it. There is this one time of how good the depth is. I was listening to an instrumental track, and there was a part in the track where a passage of vocals shouted. It was so well placed, that I turned my head around as if as though someone was calling my attention. I ended up laughing to myself. Lol.
Separation and imaging is average here. Nothing to hate here but for its price point, it could be better. Imaging is somewhat a hit and miss on this one. A bit on the blurry side. Less accurate. Separation is still very decent. But this is the reason why I cannot claim the Topaz to be analytical.
Texture is another weakness here. Be noted I am nitpicking now. Most of the time, the texture of elements that I am used hearing, falls short by a small margin. Not enough to put me off but it is noticeable. It is negligible.
One more weakness is speed. This is a laid back set folks. Manage your expectations. I prefer speedy drivers, but to be honest, the speed of the drivers here, is still adequate even though it is on the slow side. It is all about mind set. Lol.
COMPARISONS:
This is gonna be exciting. Again I don't do comparisons much. But I am trying to incorporate this to my reviews and make it a habit.
Tonality will be assessed in both quality and quantity. Technicalities will be simpler. We will use the > and < approach. Pls do note, this part is very subjective. This is based on my own preference.
Vs Bqeyz Autumn: on neutral filter magnets
Bass quantity: Topaz>Autumn
Bass quality: Autumn=Topaz
Mids quantity: Topaz>Autumn
Mids quality: Topaz>Autumn
Treble quantity: Autumn>Topaz
Treble quality: Autumn>Topaz
Soundstage: Autumn>Topaz
Imaging: Autumn>Topaz
Separation: Autumn>Topaz
Speed: Autumn>Topaz
Vs Tangzu Shimin li:
Bass quantity: Shiminli>Topaz
Bass quality: Topaz>Shiminli
Mids quantity: Topaz>Shiminli
Mids quality: Topaz>Shiminli
Treble quantity: Shiminli>Topaz
Treble quality: Topaz>Shiminli
Soundstage: Shiminli>Topaz
Imaging:Shiminli>Topaz
Separation: Topaz>Shiminli
Speed: Shiminli>Topaz
Vs Kinera Idun Golden 2.0
Bass quantity: Topaz>Idun
Bass quality: Idun>Topaz
Mids quantity: Topaz>Idun
Mids quality: Idun>Topaz
Treble quantity: Idun>Topaz
Treble quality: Idun>Topaz
Soundstage: Idun>Topaz
Imaging:Idun>Topaz
Separation: Idun>Topaz
Speed: Idun>Topaz
Again these comparisons are all based on my personal preference. If you have these sets, your mileage will most likely vary.
PAIRING:
I will recommend a neutral or bright source for Topaz. My Hidizs Ap80 compliments Topaz, being Ap80 a neutral source. A neutral source will somehow help the tamed trebles. A warm source will make Topaz too veiled like with my LG V30.
SOURCES AND GEARS:
Here are some tracks I usually listen to when reviewing:
That’s the way of the World by EWF
Africa by TOTO
The Girl in the Other Room by Diana Kral
Balmorhea album All is wild, All is Silent
Sila by Sud
Smooth Escape by D’Sound
Never too Much by Luther Vandross
P.Y.T by Michael Jackson
Ain’t no Sunshine by Eva Cassidy
Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC
Another one bites the Dust by Queen
Good times bad times by Edie Brickell
Alice in Wonderland by Bill Evans
Ain’t it Fun by Paramore
Redefine by Incubus
Far Away by Nickelback
Lovesong by Adele
Lingus by Snarky Puppy
Harvest for the World by Vanessa Williams
Love Bites by Def Leppard
No Such Thing by John Mayer
As by Stevie Wonder
Whip Appeal by Babyface
Ain’t Nobody by Chaka Khan
Futures by Prep
Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
Every Summertime by NIKI
SADE tracks
AC/DC tracks
Queen tracks
And many more… I always listen to High resolution format, being the least quality 16bit/44khz FLACS be it offline or online.
VERDICT:
This is yet another particular release from Bqeyz. An IEM good in its own right. Standing on its own character. There are some flaws here, especially on the technical side, but very very minimal. The scenario here is Topaz manages to please me not on the initial listen, but as we bond along with my songs. Which is very very charming and mysterious in a way.
So who is Topaz for?
A warm sound signature is not my preference anymore. Well at least not on the top of my list, but the Topaz is a worthy set to be considered for this sound character. There are ways to make that treble shine more, but I love it just the way it is. Technical side is on the lighter side of things but nothing to be despised or hated here. This is definitely a keeper for me and for its price point, and if you have reached this point and quite agree with my impressions and have a similar setup, by all means, pull the trigger on this one.
My most personal comment on Topaz is that it always takes me into a mysterious journey. At first listen, I am not blown away. This is every time I plug them in my ears. But after a few songs, it will begin to give me a particular sense of satisfaction. It's almost like it is alive continuously and consistently trying to brainwash me with its charisma. And this feeling alone is mesmerizing and bizarre. It surprises me and keeps me on my toes. And the result is a strange and peculiar audio nirvana.
Again, our hearing differs. Not one has the same hearing. Just like a fingerprint. So please take this as a grain of salt. Your mileage may and always most likely vary. Cheers and catch you on the next one!!
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