BudgetHeadphones/EarphonesWired In ear

BQEYZ – Topaz

disclaimer:  The BQEYZ Topaz was provided to me by BQEYZ for purpose of this review.  I have no financial interest in BQEYZ, or any of its distributors or suppliers.   If you have an interest in BQEYZ, please see their Facebook page or Aliexpress store.

 

Unboxing / Packaging:

The Topaz arrived in a stylized box with purple swirls and the Topaz name in white on the front with the specs on the reverse.   There is no mention of earphone or picture of the in-ear on the front and it is mentioned on the reverse but again no line drawing or photo adorns the box to show the contents.  Lifting the lid reveals the earpieces at top and a gray clam-shell case below.  The cable and two types of tips hide within the case.  There are 6 pairs of tips in total with small, medium and large each in a wide bore and a narrower bore silicone tip.  there are no foams provided.

 

Build/Fit:

My first thought was “oh look, a summer with a metal face-plate” as the two models share more than a passing resemblance in both size and shape.  The colors have changed and the face plate is a new design, but fit is quite similar between the two as well.   For me, that meant grabbing some Comply foams as the Summer tended to shift in my ear a bit and the Topaz does as well.   This is easily cured with the round foams and I found they did little to detract from the signature when compared to the wide bore tips that shipped with the Topaz.    The new machined aluminum face gives the Topaz a unique look and the vent is cleverly hidden in the o so may go unnoticed.   The bi-pin connectors are recessed which while limiting the use of some after-market cables should help strengthen the connection and make it less breakable.    Inner shells are a black resin with L/R designators molded into the resin and a vent immediately above the L/R markings.  Nozzles are brass with a forward rake and the bulk of the body sits behind the ear canal rather than in it.   This limits isolation somewhat but does make for a comfortable long-listening in-ear.    Overall if the summer fits you well, you’ll likely find the Topaz comfortable.  if like me, the summer was small enough to have some play in your ear, a set of foams goes a long way to cement the Topaz into the ear.       Unlike a lot of my reviews, here readers with larger ears are cautioned on fit as it may require some work to get the Topaz to stay in position.

 

Internals:

The heart of the Topaz also bears similarities to earlier models in the family with a 13mm Coaxial dynamic driver and a 9-layer piezoelectric driver in the same housing.   The materials used have evolved from some of the earlier models though with the dynamic driver using a liquid crystal polymer diaphragm and the piezoelectric using a ceramic material to help reduce glare and sharpness in the upper frequencies.    Nominal impedance is listed at 32Ω with a sensitivity of 108 dB/mW which puts the Topaz in a class of easy to drive models that should be usable with most of today’s common sources (dongles, phones, and tablets).   I found that much like the Spring models the Topaz does its best work with a bit more power behind it as the piezo seems to require a bit more current  to function at its highest level.     The Topaz also benefits from better sources qualitatively as the drivers are quite capable of delivering a good bit of detail if present in the source output.

Cable:

The provided cable is a 4-core silver plated oxygen free copper litz braid with a choice of 3.5, 2.5, or 4.4mm connectors.  My test sample arrived with the 3.5mm single ended cable with a straight jack in a brushed natural metal housing and a short strain relief.   The cable is a 4 wire braid up to the splitter and chin-slider which are both metal barrel designs that match the jack.     Above the splitter the cables exit as tight two wire twists with ear-hooks and 0.78mm bi-pin connectors.    Connectors are not hooded, but due to the recessed junction with the earpieces, after-market cables must be chosen carefully.    Each individual strand of wire is composed of seven 0.06mm litz wires for a total of 196 strands.   The result is a very pliable cable that doesn’t have much of a memory and didn’t tend to become tangled when stored in the provided carrying case.

 

Sound:

Bass:

I’m so used to writing about V signature models that defining the shape of the Topaz signature came as a bit more effort than I had anticipated.  It is not completely linear, nor it is a typical V or even a standard W shape.     The low end has a very mild emphasis centered just south of 100 Hz with a very gradual decline as the signature moves into the lower-mids.   With a total difference from peak to trough of only a few dB it is difficult to call the bass elevated or to call the mids recessed.    They just don’t sound like one is particularly emphasized more than the other.   Sub-bass has good rumble with roll-off only evident below about 25Hz.  Mid- bass has good slam as well with more clarity than expected.   Dynamic drivers are expected to be potent but not as clean and crisp as armatures but in this case BQEYZ has done a good job of blurring the line as the Topaz has dynamic slam and rumble with BA speed and clarity.   The give away that the driver isn’t a BA is the lack of the typical plasticity in the mid-bass and the increased body in the same range.       The bass is potent but tight – its a great combination.

 

Mids:

The transition from mid-bass to lower-mids is quite linear with a slight bit of extra warmth contributed by the lows but without obstruction or blurring of the lower-mids.  Lower vocals have good note weight and timbre while being just restrained enough to stand with the instrumentation instead of out in front of it.  Guitars have a nice growl if a little smooth on some of the rasp.    Cello has good tonality as does piano.   As we move up through the mids there is a bit of a push that brings violins and higher voices out to the front and as a result higher voices do stand in front of their lower counterparts in most cases.     Thankfully this push of the upper-mids is only a few dB and at its highest point roughly balances the emphasis in the sub-bass so it isn’t greatly exaggerated as some other models have been and it doesn’t result in a nasal, shouty presentation for higher voices.    Even with this push, the Topaz retains a warm, smooth demeanor.

 

Treble:

The lower treble starts on the same plateau as the upper-mids and stays on a fairly level plane before dropping off as we move into the true treble and then rolling off even more substantially above about 14.5kHz.     Lower treble has good energy and enough detail to keep things interesting if not quite as detailed as the Spring 2 with its more assertive treble.    Snare has good rattle and percussion snap is good if a touch relaxed for my taste.  Cymbals do suffer slightly from a lack of energy above the lower treble and come off sounding a touch flatter than absolutely realistic.   The good news is that step back above 4kHz gives the Topaz a very polite nature with no harsh tone and no tendency toward listener fatigue that too often comes with hotter treble tunings.   There is some air the top, but not as much as previous generations and sparkle is a bit limited as well.

 

Soundstage / Imaging:

Stage is a good bit deeper than wide with some height but overall the feel is sitting in the front couple of rows of a small performance venue.   Most of the sound seems to come from near directly in front of the listener with little spread to the sides.    having said that, the instrument separation is quite good and it keeps the Topaz from sounding congested or overlapped.  Seating the orchestra shows a narrower version than the standard seating chart again with the focus on what is directly in front of the listener.   Imaging is about average as movements are somewhat limited due to stage shape and dimensions but within the area it has to work with positions are well defined and movements easy to track.   The Topaz is an interesting sounding in ear as the warmth and weight would lead one to expect some compression as tracks got busier and more complex but the driver shows very little compression and clarity remains quite good regardless of how complex or fast the track being played gets.

 

Thoughts / Conclusion:

I’ve done some comparison to the Summer along the way and it is easy to view the Topaz as an improved version of the Summer.  It sports a lot of the same tech as earlier models in the seasons series, with a shell very similar in shape and size to the Summer but there are distinct differences in the two as well.   The bass is more linear and tighter on the Topaz than the Summer and the treble extension is a bit better and treble a bit more forward in addition.    It is quite a departure from the Spring that was more assertive and bright with a more relaxed, warmer and smooth presentation.    In ways the Summer started moving in this direction as it had less top-end than the Spring, but it retained a larger low-end and ended up being a bit bass heavy for most of the listening I do.

The Topaz comes much closer to hitting that sweet spot where it has adequate bass impact without sacrificing clarity, good mid timbre without sounding thin or artificial, and enough top end to sound open without sounding harsh.    Sure its a Goldilocks request and for each of us it will likely be a slightly different ask.  No, the Topaz isn’t perfect as I’d love to see just a bit more detail and a touch more air and sparkle to contrast the warmth, but it is the best of the BQEYZ line to date as it provides warmth where needed, detail where its wanted, and enough air to feel open.  Its a good listen.

BQEYZ Topaz

7.2

Packaging

7.5/10

Build Quality

7.5/10

Accessories

6.5/10

Sound Quality

7.1/10
  • 8/10
    Bass - 8/10
  • 8/10
    Mids - 8/10
  • 7/10
    Treble - 7/10
  • 6.5/10
    Soundstage - 6.5/10
  • 6/10
    Imaging - 6/10

Summary

Pros: relaxed, smooth presentation, good energy throughout without getting harsh.

Cons:  stage is a bit narrow,  no foams provided, fit was a bit loose in-ear.