When comes to Chi-Fi, BQEYZ is now a well-known brand. BQEYZ KB100 was a massive hit. Some other good budget IEMs from BQEYZ are KB1 & KC2. Recently BQEYZ released its flagship Spring 1 IEM which is also getting a good response. I have tried BQEYZ KB100 and KB1 earlier and now it’s time for BQEYZ K1. I would like to thank Penon Audio for sending me this unit for review.
Specifications Of BQEYZ K1
- Driver unit – 2 Dynamic hybrid drivers + 1 Balanced Armature,
- Frequency response – 7-40KHZ,
- Impedance – 15Ω,
- Sensitivity – 105 dB / mW,
- Plug – 3.5mm,
- Cable Length – 1.2m,
- Connector – 2pin 0.78mm,
- Weight – 25 + 5g.
What’s inside the Box Of BQEYZ K1?
- BQEYZ K1 earphone,
- 3 pairs of silicone ear tips (Medium Bore) (S/M/L),
- User Manual.
Buying Link – Here
Tracks/ Albums used to evaluate BQEYZ K1
- Tales of America – J.S. Ondara,
- 25 – Adele,
- Brothers in Arms – Dire Straits,
- Daft Punk – Random Access Memories,
- Ed Sheeran – ÷ (Deluxe),
- Fleetwood Mac – Rumours,
- Fleetwood Mac – Tango In The Night (Deluxe),
- Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of The Moon (2011 – Remaster),
- Back To Black – Amy Winehouse,
- The Beatles – Abbey Road (Remastered),
- The Best Of Nina Simone – Nina Simone,
- This Is Acting – Sia.
Unboxing Of BQEYZ K1
All BQEYZ budget IEM boxes are the same, so nothing new. A small 3” X 3.5 “black box and everything packed inside. BQEYZ branding on the front of the box and specifications back of the box, so unboxing experience is simple. Again no carry case or shirt clip included with the IEM, but you can’t expect so many accessories for that asking price.
Build & Design
The most promising feature of BQEYZ IEMs is their build quality. Whether it is 30$ or 50$, the outer shell always made out of metal. They may get more profit by making their budget IEM using ABS plastic or resins but no; it’s always made out of metal.
BQEYZ K1 is no exception and totally made out of metal but still lightweight. Most of the BQEYZ IEMs share the same kind of outer design, only their KC series is a bit different. The main distinction they have in their IEM is the faceplate design. In BQEYZ K1 a water drop shaped faceplate has been applied.
The entire shell has been painted with matt black color. The words ‘R’, ‘L’, model name & ‘hybrid technology’ painted with white ink in their appropriate places. The half circular design and non-sharp edges turned BQEYZ K1 into a comfortable IEM too. The only design flaw I can see is the lack of tip lip in the nozzle area.
Cable
Cable quality is decent, 4 cores nicely woven till Y splitter. It is a detachable 2 pin 0.78 mm cable with L type 3.5 mm plug, soft and no sign of microphonics. A small chin slider, Velcro cable tie and memory foam used for ease of usage.
Tips
Supplied ear tips are also decent. BQEYZ always include this same ear tips with their budget IEMs. These tips are soft hence comfortable, still, I have used Spinfit CP240 for an even better seal and comfort.
Source, Comfort, Noise Isolation & Tip Selection
BQEYZ K1 is only 15Ω and very easy to drive, worked fine with almost all of my sources like RalMe C2 phone, Cain N3, Fiio M3K, Audioquest Dragonfly Black and Penon type C earphone DAC cum Cable.
Comfort and noise isolation are too good once you choose perfect ear tips for you. Supplied tips are good enough. Surprisingly tip rolling also changing the sound of KB1 but most of the time I have used wide bore tips for this review.
Sound
The driver configuration of K1 is 2 dynamic drivers and 1 balanced armature. One Dynamic driver for low frequency, another dynamic driver for mids. The BA driver has been used for highs. BQEYZ K1 is overall a warm sounding IEM, still, the balance over the whole frequency is there. Let’s dig more into it.
Bass
Without any doubt, the strongest part of BQEYZ K1 is it’s lower frequency part. The emphasis on the Mids-bass section is clearly noticeable; the rumble in the sub-bass section is also quite strong. Bass is fast and almost accurate. In BQEYZ K1 the harmony between Sub-bass and Mid-bass is totally amazing. Good depth and textures are also present in K1’s lower frequency part.
For example with songs like ‘Family Man (Original)’ by Fleetwood Mac or, ‘I Miss You’ by Adele, the presence of lower frequency and it’s speed is unbelievably good. Each and every hit on the drum strikes the senses like they are actually placed inside my ear.
Mids
Mids have enough clarity but a bit recessed to me. Though there is no bass bleed into mids, still a touch of softness is there which sometimes feels annoying. Upper-mids slightly elevated than lower-mids and that is the reason female vocals sound sharper than male vocals.
With the Spinfit Double flange tips, K1 recover upper-mids and become more natural. Solo vocals are crisp but K1 suffers most when there are a lot of things going on the background.
Songs like ‘American Dream’ by J. S. Ondara or ‘I Put a Spell on You’ by Nina Simone sound almost neutral where songs like ‘House On Fire’ by Sia feels a bit congested. If you think about the price of BQEYZ K1 then this little con is acceptable. Please note that some other IEMs in this price range are inferior to K1.
Treble
The BA driver is doing its job nicely. With this BA driver, BQEYZ played a safe game again. The lower frequency part is moderately detailed, airy and balanced. Sibilance nowhere near. Treble is much more relaxed and not extended. This relaxed tone also helps K1 to be Ideal for treble sensitive music lovers.
The albums like ‘Brothers in Arms’ by Dire Straits feels more soothing and forgiving with BQEYZ K1. Combined with Penon Type C earphone DAC cable K1 recovered the crispiness in the treble area and now sounding more sparkling.
Soundstage, Imaging & Instrument separation
Both soundstage and Imaging are above average. The soundstage is not super wide. Imaging is also good and every instrument can be clearly identified. So for such a low price, BQEYZ K1 performed really well without compromising the soundstage, Imaging and instrument separation. I could have appreciated BQEYZ K1 more if it could have defeated BQEYZ KB100 in this part but it seems K1 is not in that mood.
Comparisons
BQEYZ K1 VS BQEYZ KB1 VS BQEYZ K100
BQEYZ KB1 is a ‘V’ sounding IEM, but K1 is almost balanced. Both these models have priced the same but they would suit different people’s tastes. Mids where KB1 is totally recessed and perfect for electronic music, but K1 is tuned keeping in mind most of the genres. KB100 and KB1 feel almost the same but a little lift in lower-mids and soundstage makes KB100 much more balanced than K1.
I had left BQEYZ K1 to burn-in for 25 hours before the review, so K1 may open up further after 100 hours of bun-in. Treble area where K1 is better than KB100 and feels airier. I think BQEYZ K1 is a mixture of KB1 and KB100 at lower prices.
Conclusion
BQEYZ K1 is another good product from BQEYZ. Well priced, overall good sounding and comfortable too. When you have a tight budget and don’t want to spend much, K1 is definitely a great choice out there. If KB100 doesn’t suit your taste due to its soft treble area then K1 is a must-try. I could easily recommend BQEYZ K1 over treble bleeding KZ IEM anytime.
Graphic Designer by Profession, and Music is my hobby. Can’t recall when I had started digging the Audiophile rabbit hole, but this Website was created in 2019 to showcase my passion for music. I am not an Audiophile, I call myself a Music Enthusiasts and my goal is to pass that enthusiasm to my readers.