We have another 1st right here on Audio Realviews, this time from BGVP. I still wonder what does BGVP stands for since there is absolutely no mention of it everywhere, maybe in another language, I’ll never know. What we have to realview specifically is their recent hybrid offering, the BGVP DMG, thanks to DDAudio/Linsould for sending a sample unit in exchange for an honest review. Currently priced at $139 which you can grab a pair at either Amazon or AliExpress. The BGVP DMG is offered in 2 different variations (with and without Mic controls) with 3 colors (Red, Blue and Black). The DMG’s is configured with 4 proprietary BA drivers composed by the 31736 dual BA for Ultra High frequencies and the 10006 Mid and High frequenices matched in 4-way passive crossover with a dual-dynamic driver while also allowing signature changes with its 3 acoustic filter options, silver for treble boost, gold for bass boost and matching housing color (Red, Blue or Black) filter as a reference filter. Spec’d out with a 15-45 KHz Frequency Response, 18 ohms Impedance and a 10dB Sensitivity. Cramping all these specifications at $139 should have its downsides, right? Only one way to know.
Packaging and Build Quality
The DMG’s came in with a brown box within a detailed cover showing the DMG silhouette and specifications, inside the box is 2 black boxes, 1 for the DMG IEMs themselves and the other for the accessories. The accessory set is great which included 1 set of black silicon wide bore tips (S, M and L), 1 set of gray silicon medium bore tips and 1 set of blue silicon small bore tips. Black medium foam tips are also present as well as a shirt clip and black silicon ear guides. There is no pouch though.
The DMG’s housing is made of aluminum-magnesium alloy which feels sturdy when held and has a smooth matte finish, there are 2 vents present, 1 near the MMCX interface and 1 on the back of the faceplate. I find it odd that their photos and the box itself showed a vent on the faceplate itself but the actual IEM doesn’t have any. The contours of the DMG are very comfortable and lasted around 5-6 hours of use and didn’t bother me much when I fell asleep wearing them. The MMCX interface is gold-plated which is already standard nowadays.
The included cable that the DMG’s came with was the non-mic option. It is a %N SPC cable with looks good when paired with the IEM’s themselves. It uses a gold-plated 3.5mm L-plug with the BGVP branding along with a silver barrel type Y-split, a chin slider is also present which made comfort so much better. The male MMCX connectors uses the Red/Blue color coding to act as L/R markings. A memory wire is also present for over ear use which rendered the silicon ear guides a redundant accessory, minimal microphonics were observed, not something that bothers one much.
Tonality
The DMG came out sounding rather warm right out of the box on the OnePlus 3T and was totally driven well at that setup already which was a good sign. I rotated the 3 acoustic filters to get an initial impression without some burn-in and even when using the silver filters, the DMG still gave out a warm tonality. I decided to roll with the reference filters and did a “100hour” burn-in for these using the Sony ZX1’s. We would be using the included black medium foam tips for the duration of the review as well as the Xduoo x3ii and Opus 1.
Lows
An IEM for those seeking some low-end paradise. The DMG’s lower frequency performance was a pleasure to get intimate with. In Daft Punk’s “Game of Love” in 16/44 FLAC, the bass hits were full-bodied and pans out widely in a lingering manner, not the type that is heard but the one that hangs in your head even when the track flows on. The sub bass drops has great weight to it and resonates deep which fully makes you know that there’s a drop in the frequency. It would be rather weird using the gold filters after knowing all these on the reference filter.
Midrange
I’m currently on a roll with reviewing audiophile products and lately they tend to lean on the balanced to warm signature and I was really hoping the DMG’s will break the mold. Pumping out ABBA’s One of Us in 16/44 Flac and I am again greeted with a laid back midrange execution. The lower midrange was the midrange’s most prominent aspect adding up to the already warm signature further. There is almost no upper midrange extension on this and I sincerely hope the silver treble filters will do some heavy lifting even if it was for the upper frequencies, there is however great sense of pace and timing on the midrange. Female vocal timber is natural along with the male vocals, there is minimal air to them as well.
Highs
With a dedicated dual-BA driver to tackle the higher frequencies of the DMG’s, one would be expecting an apparent focus on the highs to be great. I used Supertramp’s Logical Song in 16/44 Flac to try and gauge the DMG’s highs. There is evident snap on the upper frequencies while still being devoid of shrill and sharp peaks. There is minimal treble extension and sparkle is barely found, looking forward to another heavy-lifting by the silver treble boost filters.
Soundstage and Imaging
Finally, soundstage and imaging, the other sound aspect of the DMG which we can consider a strength. There is great separation on these IEMs and it would be an easy task to spot left to right harmonics. The imaging of each distinct instrument presence is quite tangible. The background leans on the darker spectrum accompanied by a slightly intimate but clear soundstage. The DMG didn’t falter when tackling instrument heavy tracks such as Supertramp’s Take the Long Way Home in 16/44 Flac, detail retrieval gets 2 thumbs up.
Acoustic Filters
Getting the overall result of the reference filter performance led me to really grab the featured filters and although changes are minimal it is great to know that they work. The gold bass boost filter was my least favorable filter, not only it amplified the low-end performance, it made the DMG sound almost muddy and bloated, if you like your lows like that then feel free to use it. The silver treble boost filter does the trick for the DMG, the low-end is diffused faster, midrange a tad clearer and upper frequency with the much needed bump. This might sound too much of a change for some but that is just how the DMG sounded with the reference filters at the low-end and highs, enough but lacking.
Conclusion
So at $139 and sporting multiple features and a great accessory set did indeed tuck away some areas of improvement worthy of being acknowledged although the nice-looking stock cable along with a smooth and subdued metal housing was a winner at $139. Greatest of these AOI’s is the noticeable performance of the quad-BA at the upper frequencies which was clearly overpowered by the low-end. One great thing though that BGVP did was it tucked right at the bottom of the package is the silver treble boost filter, DMG be damned if it wasn’t designed to accommodate filters.
