In this article, I’m reviewing the BQEYZ Topaz earphones. The Topaz is a hybrid dual-driver IEM with 1 dynamic driver and 1 piezoelectric driver. It’s priced at $89.
Disclaimer: This sample was provided by BQEYZ for an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own based on my experience with the product.
BQEYZ Topaz
Specifications
- Impedance: 32Ω
- Sensitivity: 108dB
- Frequency: 5-40kHz
- Driver: 13mm dynamic driver + 9-layer piezoelectric driver
- Price: $89
What’s In the Box
- BQEYZ Topaz IEMs
- Detachable 4-core SPC 2-pin cable
- 3x pairs of “Reference” silicone eartips
- 3x pairs of “Atmosphere” silicone eartips
- Carrying case
Design
The Topaz has acrylic shells and aluminium faceplates. Its shells are really lightweight but the build quality looks good. BQEYZ chose standard 0.78mm 2-pin sockets for the Topaz so they’re compatible with a wide range of third-party cables.
You probably won’t want to change the cable though because the stock silver-plated OFC one is good quality. All of the cable components are matching aluminium. The 4-cores are braided and the cable is flexible and drapes well. There’s virtually zero cable noise (microphonics) present.
In terms of comfort, the Topaz is great. Due to its ergonomic shape and being so lightweight, you hardly notice the shells in your ears. The passive noise isolation is average and I don’t feel any cabin pressure when using the earphones.
The cable has matching aluminium components, including a chin slider. It’s supple and resistant to tangles and in addition, has practically no cable noise whatsoever. This is one of the best stock cables I’ve seen at this price point.
Sound
Gear used for testing includes the Shanling UA3, iFi Micro iDSD Signature and Soundaware M2Pro.
The BQEYZ Topaz is easy to drive so you can plug it straight into a smartphone, laptop or basic dongle DAC.
The Topaz is the latest of several DD+piezo IEMs from BQEYZ. In the past, these hybrid IEMs have been known for their clarity but also for the signature ‘piezo ring’ caused by the piezoelectric driver. That ringing is still present in the Topaz but it’s much less noticeable here, although I still have some misgivings about it.
Topaz’s sound signature is characterized by its warm tone and 8kHz peak (more on this later). It’s fairly balanced in regards to the level of bass, mids and treble and overall achieves good coherency between the 2 driver types.
Bass
The bass is probably my favourite aspect of Topaz’s sound. It bears all the hallmarks of quality bass like speed, power and definition. There’s a nice blend of thump and slam plus a good relation between the mid-bass and sub-bass i.e. you get a good amount of both. The Topaz gives you the satisfaction of a powerful bass while managing to avoid the common pitfalls of having said powerful bass.
Sub-bass notes rumble with satisfying gusto and authority. When I talk about bass extension and reach, this would be a perfect example. It has a large presence without overshadowing the mids or treble or dominating the sonic scene.
On top of the physical sub-bass, you get mid-bass notes that are punchy and delivered with impact. But the bass is also textured and layered and perhaps most importantly, it’s clean. There’s minimal lingering resonance but a natural trailing thickness. The Topaz’s bass is delivered with confidence and agility. In short, the bass might not be the best scoring in technical terms but it’s a lot of fun. So fire up Aes Dana’s “Befallen”, wait until around the 2:05 mark and enjoy the ride!
Midrange
Topaz’s lower midrange is imbued with warmth courtesy of a slow upper bass roll-off. This is in contrast to the upper mids which are rather forward and bright. Note thickness is fairly neutral for both instruments and vocals albeit thicker in the lower mids.
Brighter female vocals like the ones in Utada Hikaru’s “Traveling” can become nasally and sharp. However, for the most part, vocals are intimate and articulated.
Treble
So here we are at the treble and this has been the most contentious aspect of recent BQEYZ IEMs for me. I can appreciate the benefits of the piezo drivers, such as treble extension, speed and clarity. However, at the same time, the drivers have negative points too.
Certain crash cymbals don’t sound quite right in terms of timbre. Whether that’s purely because of the driver or a matter of tuning is hard to say. There is some sizzle in hi-hats and cymbals but only on occasion. The same can be said of sibilance: it’s not always there but the Topaz is sternly unforgiving of poorly recorded/mastered tracks
In this regard, the Topaz’s piezo treble isn’t perfect but it’s the best implementation I’ve heard from BQEYZ thus far. I’m still not convinced it’s a technology that we need in IEMs. But if anyone can change my opinion on this in the future, it’s likely to be BQEYZ for its dogged persistence and experience with these drivers.
Soundstage and Technicalities
The soundstage has a rounded shape with slightly more width than depth. The position of the stage is forward with intimate vocals. This limits the space around the centre image, however, the sense of height in the soundstage is above average.
The instrument separation is moderate and slightly lessened by the thickness in the lower midrange. Having said that, the mids don’t sound congested and the overall clarity is good. Detail retrieval is an area where piezoelectric drivers excel. As a result, Topaz is adept at picking up micro-details and nuances.
Verdict
The BQEYZ Topaz has the brand’s best implementation of the piezoelectric driver so far. Compared to the Spring II and Summer IEMs, Topaz’s treble sounds more natural and smoother on the ears while still maintaining good levels of clarity and precision.
With its invigorated, textured bass, warm midrange and crisp treble, the Topaz is a good all-rounder. If you’re looking for something that’s smooth but still has good details, this one is worth checking out.