BGVP DX6 - Presence is divine
PROS:
Stellar mids and trebles
Modular cable inclusion
Very decent technicalities
As expected from a bud, an extensive sound stage
generous inclusions
a very nice carrying case
organic and musical tonality and timbre
can be driven on mobile phones but a DAP, DAC, or dongle is still strongly advised
CONS:
drum kicks have a very lean presentation (subjective)
male vocals sound boxy on rare occasions
INTRODUCTION:
This is my very first review and critical observation on earbuds. I mean it is not my first experience. I’m sure that all of us, somewhere in our lives have tried earbuds right? But as a reviewer, this will be the first time. And today I have for the BGVP DX6. I would like to give credit and thanks to Pickup Audio for sending me this one to review. My impressions will be available in written and video format. The link for the video review will be attached at the end of this article when the filming is done. BGVP has been around the audio community and I have one of their releases the DN3. I have also a couple of sets of ear tips namely W01, Y01, and E01.
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| The best experience... |
DISCLAIMER:
My opinions here are entirely my own. Any form of incentive does NOT in any way influence me. This is purely my honest, subjective impressions and experience with the gear on hand. I cannot stress more that you should take this with a grain of salt for we have different perceptions 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:
DAP (digital audio player, be it phone, laptop, mobile, or stationary setup)
DAC or dongle or any external amp
Ear Tips
Cables
Source of audio file be it offline FLACS or streaming services like Deezer, Apple music, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify and the likes..
Your playlist. It matters and is worth to be considered when reading from a reviewer's perspective. It is apparent that you get to know your favorite reviewer and what they are listening to leisurely and critically.
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| Teal is always good |
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:
Impedance: 32ohms
Sensitivity: 122db
Freq response: 10hz - 40khz
PACKAGING:
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| Medium and thick dimension packaging |
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| Documention/user guide |
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| Accessories: Foams and ear hooks |
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Carrying case |
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| Clip |
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| Modular plugs: 2.5mm, 3.5mm, 4.4mm |
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| Modular cable |
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| Metal chassis looks sleek |
The presence of the lows is somewhat lacking in my preference. IEMs go right inside our ear canals and that results in more impactful lows. Earbuds, on the other hand, sit just right outside our ear holes. I find the lows easily drowned by the mids and trebles. Especially drum kicks. I wish that it could have been more for this set to sound a bit more fun. Bass guitars come next as very lean and lacking in presence but not as lacking as the drum kicks. This lack of presence somewhat makes this set leaning toward a bright-neutral sound signature. In terms of music genre, the DX6 has a sweet spot on orchestral and jazz tracks. Rock genre is not its strength in terms of lows. Considering the presentation of the lows, this is absolutely not for bass heads. If you are looking for a thunderous slam and bass, DX6 will let you down.
Moving forward to the mids. Instruments are very well presented here. It is safe to say that mids are the star of the show. It has a good amount of details and very realistic tonality and timbre. DX6 has a sweet spot for guitars be it acoustic or electric or distortion. Pianos and instruments related to orchestra setup are also very commendable. Rich and lush and full of texture. Decent attack and decay is also a trait of the mids that I observed.
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| Looks even better in good lighting |
The trebles have an even performance with the mids. Cymbal strikes are desirable but not piercing. I’ve never encountered a track that sounded sibilant or ever gets hot. The energy here on top is never overbearing or overwhelming but not at the expense of something I can call veiled trebles. Trebles have a smooth presentation yet with crisp and good transparency. Details are still intact even with a shy bit of tamed character. Some instruments worth mentioning that excel in this department are brass sections, horns, trumpets, bells, and small nuances like fret noises and harmonics from a guitar.
Conclusively the overall sound presentation is focused on the presence of the mids and trebles. The lows are lacking in presence and impact that robs this set muscle and creaminess. Nonetheless, the shortcoming of the lows did not prevent me from enjoying this set. As a detail freak as I am, I have embraced DX6’s sound reproduction which is rich in details and presence. I just wished the lows could have been a bit more for this set to be fully enjoyable. Again this is me, coming from my personal sound preference and expectation from these earbuds.
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| Right driver |
I think it is worth noting the impact to sound in a balanced output. DX6 scales well with added power and juice. As we speak, I’m listening through my Questyle M15 dongle, connected to a Macbook, and Foobar playing my offline flacs. There is a good amount of improvement on the sound in terms of dynamics, sound stage, and overall presentation of what I described above. The sound presentation as a whole stayed intact with the lows having an improvement of about 20-25%. That is quite significant if you ask me.
Conclusively, 4.4mm balanced is the way to go if you want to enjoy this more. Though the casual consumer might not be equipped with a 4.4mm termination at his/her disposal, it is still worth the effort.
FIT & ISOLATION
Now we come to an interesting crossroad. Fitting and isolation are totally different from what I am accustomed to which is, as you guessed it, IEMs.
Fitting is the most I have to adjust. Earbuds sit only just outside our ear lugs. So it is natural that I have the feeling that buds will fall out of my ear at any time. Yet surprisingly, even with casual moving around the room and the house, DX6 managed to stay. Of course, jogging will not be suitable here. Get a TWS instead for this.
Isolation is another aspect that earbuds are not that great. Well, the good thing is, I can hear my wife if she is calling me, and not be mad for shouting at me for 5 mins until she gets my attention. She doesn’t need to throw whatever is in her hands just to call me. lol. I think it is unfair to call isolation here poor. Earbuds are meant to be just sitting around our ear lugs. Now as for the sound, I can say that I’m getting what I’m supposed to hear here. For a set of buds, I can say DX6 is in the right size to be catered by most ear sizes including small-eared individuals.
TECHNICALITIES:
Another crossroad here. I will be addressing technicalities here in a different way as earbuds are, well, earbuds. lol.
Sound stage, is one factor, that earbuds boast. If you have noticed, sound stage is one thing that I find hard to describe on IEMs. Here I can freely say that sound stage is very very admirable. Well, physically the drivers are further from my brain and the sound needs to travel more distance than of IEMs. So naturally, sound stage will be widened. The staging here is very admirable as it gives elements extra room to breathe. Depth has an even dimension with the width. Height comes also as a bonus as DX6 gives a good presentation here and some instruments can be perceived in line with height.
Imaging has good precision and elements can be easily followed with good layering. Musicians can benefit from this as they can follow their relevant instruments with ease. Instruments in contrast with the vocals maintained a good sense of direction 95% of the time.
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| Left driver |
Resolution is also very impressive. Instrumental tracks are well-textured and details are easily heard. If you are a detail freak like me, the DX6 won’t disappoint. As we speak, the track playing right now is Spem in Alium by Adam Baldych and the details of the instruments are very impressive.
Conclusively, DX6 is a very capable technical set. Fast, snappy, and quick response for a DD configuration. At some point, I can conclude it can rival some of my favorite IEMs namely Kinera Idun Golden.
SOURCES AND GEARS:
LG V30 hifi dac (high impedance mode)
Hiby Music player
UAPP app (USB Audio Player Pro)
Tidal Masters subscription
offline FLACS
Hidizs AP80 pro
Deezer Hifi subscription
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.
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| Good sized carrying case |
As my first earbuds review, I am very satisfied with my experience with the gear on hand. The DX6 performs well on all terms addressed above. Making it a very competitive set of earbuds. My only caveat is the lack of presence from the lows that I wished could have been more. DX6 satisfied me with all grounds concluded in this review and as I try hard to convince myself, DX6 can be on par with IEMs up to the 200$ mark.
So to whom does DX6 be well appreciated?
neutral heads
to those who love details in their music
to those who love vocal tracks, especially female vocals
to those who are technically oriented listeners
to those who love jazz, instrumental and orchestral tracks
treble heads will love all the details presented here
This experience is an eye-opener for me. This opened a whole new world of exploration and curiosity about earbuds. I find it hard to accept but, earbuds are on a different level in performance, particularly on technicalities. I can hear traits that rival my mid-range IEMs, while DX6 is on the entry-level. This is just beyond what I expected from earbuds. From here on out, earbuds will be something I will be hunting for to review and assess.
This review marks my journey on earbuds, and I will be on the hunt for commendable earbuds from now. As I observed, earbuds have the minority compared to IEMs and I think that they are underrated somehow. If you are willing to explore the world of earbuds and take a break from the ever-insertion character of IEMs, the DX6 is a very good start.
This concludes my impressions on DX6 and I hope that somehow, you enjoyed reading it. Always keep in mind, that your mileage will and most likely vary. Please take this with a grain of salt. Catch you on the next one! Cheers!
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