BGVP has been around for a while and as far as I know, they used to be known as Sidy, or at least released several earphones/earbuds under that name. So, with that very informative little nugget of information out of the way let’s get into it. Today I’m looking at the BGVP BKYT MRY6, a single dynamic earphone utilizing 9mm titanium composite drivers and from here on will be called the MRY6.
The MRY6 retails for $24.90 at the time of writing and is available from Penon Audio.
This product was provided for the purpose of an honest review. I’m not affiliated with the company and all observations and opinions here are my own.
- Great build and finish on the housings
- Included eartip variety
- Very durable
- Suffers a bit from cable noise
Specifications
- Brand: BGVP
- Model: MRY6
- Driver: 9mm customized dynamic driver
- Sensitivity: 110dB / mW
- Impedance: 16Ω
- Frequency response range: 15-22000Hz
- Plug: 3.5mm stereo gold-plated
- Cable length: 1.1m
Packaging and accessories
Similar to the YSP04, the MRY6 comes in a bare-bones black box enclosed in a black sleeve with the company logo on the front. Opening the box reveals the earphones presented nicely in a black foam cutout with a velvety surface, similar to a jewellery or watch box.
Under the foam are the rest of the accessories which include:
- BGVP BKYT MRY6
- velvet carry pouch
- 3x pairs of red silicone eartips (S, M, L)
- 3x pairs of black silicone eartips (S, M, L)
- 3x pairs of white silicone eartips (S, M, L)
- shirt clip
Overall a pretty simple but satisfactory unboxing and it’s great to see a good selection of different silicone tips provided.
Build, comfort and isolation
The MRY6’s dynamic driver is a CCAV bio-composite diaphragm material. The earphones come in two colours – grey/silver and pink. I received the pink version but that’s okay – I’m not afraid to get in touch with my feminine side! The housings of the MRY6 are crafted from CNC diamond arc-cut alloy and have a sort of bomb or tuna-shaped body.
So you have this barrel shaped housing, which is very smooth and uniform which tapers down to a sort of tail or fin at the back. I don’t know why they added this but I’m guessing it’s to give you something to grip on and make insertion and removal easier. This it achieves very well but I do wish they had made it a little less pronounced as it adds extra length and makes the housings protrude out quite far from your ears. Finish and texture are very nice and belies the low cost of the earphones, similar to the company’s YSP04. On the top of each side are an L or R denoting left and right sides (always appreciate this – thanks!)
On the front section where the nozzle is there’s some printed text which has the model number plus a slogan: “Feel the Difference”. Speaking of the nozzles, they’re a little short but have a very good ridge added to the end which holds the eartips very securely. Inside the nozzle is some steel mesh to keep that nasty ear wax at bay.
There is a small port on the underside near the front but I did still notice some driver flex on the left side, however, it’s only when inserting the IEM so no biggie.
I noticed from pictures online that the silver version appears to have the same cable as the one found on the YSP06 which is an excellent cable indeed. However, the pink version comes with a white cable that is quite different. The 32-core oxygen-free copper cable feels really strong but is a little stiff and bouncy. On the right side, there’s an inline, single-button control and microphone, the same one found on the YSP06.
The plastic Y-split, in this case, matches the colour of the housings, as does the chin slider. The cable terminates in a 45° plug. The plug is the same matching colour as the Y-split. I must say that the strain reliefs from top to bottom are all very good so this should be a really durable cable. There is a bit of microphonics present but that can be alleviated by using a shirt clip, however, I really would have liked to see the same cable from the YSP06 used here.
As is usually the case with these traditionally shaped IEMs they’re very comfortable and can easily be worn for long periods. They’re lightweight and the housings are very smooth so you hardly notice they’re there at all, although it would have been even better if not for the extra length added by the “fin” as I mentioned earlier.
Isolation is about average for a standard IEM and will depend largely on having a good seal with your chosen eartips. The MRY6 is perfectly suited for most noisy environments and public transport.
Sound
Gear used for testing
- Acoustic Research AR-M20
- ATC HDA-DP20
- MusicBee/flac > Arcam irDAC-II
With an impedance of just 16 ohm the MRY6 is very easy to drive and can be paired with any device. No perceptible benefits were gained from extra amplification.
From my previous experience with BGVP I was expecting these to be outright bass cannons but that’s not the case at all. The MRY6 is definitely capable of bringing some thump and rumble but it’s fairly tame in comparison to the YSP06 and has none of the lower midrange bloat of that model either. The MRY6 comes across with much better (IMO) tonal balance. It has a warm sound with a boosted low end, slightly recessed midrange and boosted treble, giving it the common V-shaped signature.
Bass
Bass is solid and has some good weight with a slow attack but is a bit lacking in texture. Compared to the YSP06 the tonal balance of the bass is much more in line with the mids and highs but is rather unremarkable being neither particularly good or bad. Control is there as the bass never sounds loose nor overpowering. Mid-bass is boosted but with more emphasis put on the lower/sub-bass region. Despite the sub-bass boost, the MRY6 isn’t a real skull shaker. It’s more on the mature side of things, never really standing out above the music even in songs like “Wetter” by Twista but finding a good level for itself. Pretty nice.
Mids
The midrange is a bit recessed but sounds more natural and less coloured than the YSP06. There’s some emphasis on the higher mids while the lower midrange is for the most part uncoloured which sometimes results in things sounding a bit thin, however, vocals do sound lifelike and the MRY6 recreates the piano in Helen Jane Long’s “Embers” more convincingly than some others I’ve heard in this price range. Acoustic guitars also sound pretty good here too.
Treble
Treble has good extension, bringing a bit of energy to the high end without becoming strident, harsh or sibilant. Occasionally some treble notes have a slightly metallic edge but for the most part sound lifelike. There’s some airiness to lighten things up and that extended frequency range up top ensures there’s no early roll-off for treble notes.
Soundstage
The soundstage on the MRY6 is not overly wide or spacious but it does contain a sense of depth which keeps things from feeling too closed in. Sound doesn’t really reach outside of the headspace but at the same time never feels too intimate or closed in.
Comparisons
Brainwavz Jive ($28 USD)
The Jive has been featured in so many of my comparisons I feel I could almost copy and paste over whatever I said in the last review! But there’s a good reason for that and that is that the Jive simply excels at it’s price range with an impeccable build quality, very well rounded accessory bundle and accomplished audio properties.
The Jive in comparison to the MRY6 has less mid-bass punch and doesn’t extend as well in the sub-bass but while it has a similarly thin midrange it has better clarity and definition. I feel it also has a slight edge over the MRY6 in the treble which sounds more natural. The soundstage on both of these IEMs is fairly intimate but about what you would expect for less than $30 in most cases.
Conclusion
I feel like these guys are on the verge of making something that truly stands out. Their machining and build quality are very good and they’ve proven that they can make some original designs. Their IEMs seem to use good quality components and drivers and the MRY6 shows that they’re not limited to bass heavy signatures.
The MRY6 is a solid offering for a budget IEM but doesn’t really excel in any particular area, except perhaps the build and finish on the housings which are very good indeed. Having said that it does provide an entertaining listen and I’ve enjoyed my time with it. If you’re shopping around for something in this price range the MRY6 is definitely worth considering, especially if you want something durable with the convenience of an added microphone.
