Technical Performance
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This section was written with the 0-0-0 setting.
The BGVP EST8 has good technicalities overall, despite it’s very apparent mid-bass focused warm tuning. The sound-stage is good in terms of depth but not that much impressive in width. However, the 3D feel is present and the instruments have good positioning. Stereo-imaging is good with good enough background blackness.
The resolution part could’ve been better to be honest, as well as the transparency. The detail retrieval is also not excellent, as you need to focus a bit hard to hear the nuances and little details in the sound. Separation is good for this type of a tuning but I think it could’ve had a bit more sense of space and air overall.
Comparisons
Here are some selected comparisons before the conclusion.
Fearless Roland
The Roland is also a warm sounding IEM with good harmonics and fullness. However its frequency response is more impressive over the EST8 with better mid reproduction and slightly better bass control.
They both have good tonality, whilst the Roland doing it with a bit better resolution. The Roland overall is also better in terms of staging performance, coherence and control.
Fearless HyperS12
The Fearless S12 is a very different IEM with a much more specious sound presentation with a lighter approach to the sound versus the warm and full EST8. The BGVP presents a fuller and stronger bass, better tonality and harmonics. The S12 has better resolution and transparency with much more sense of space and air in the treble region.
The S12 also has a bigger sound-stage, especially in width. It also has better bass control but its texture lacks when compared to the EST8. So from a technical standpoint, the S12 has clear advantages. But the EST8’s full and bold response might be your cup of tea with its obvious tonality advantage.
Kinera Odin
Kinera ODIN
The Kinera ODIN is a very musical IEM with a sweet mid range and forgiving approach. So they’re pretty close in terms of warmth but the EST8 is even warmer in that regard. The EST8 has a more impressive bass response with a fuller and bolder mid-range. Mid presentation in the ODIN is excellent though, as I stated in its own review. The EST8 can not touch that musicality in my opinion.
The ODIN has a slightly bigger stage and separation, while the EST8 does a better job in tonality just a notch. Their treble presentation is similar to me in terms of accentuation, but the EST8 feels a bit more natural in treble. Both are very good, musical and warm IEMs, but the ODIN edges out for me.
Final Audio B Series
Final Audio B3
A very similar story as the S12 comparison, but this time the Final Audio B3 has a lesser bass quantity and kick but with good speed, texture and control. It once again has better resolution and transparency than the EST8 just like the S12 does. However the B3 does not have that much of a staging magnitude and sense of space as the S12.
BGVP has a better control over the spectrum with a bit better tonality to my ears. So once again it comes down to your preference. Final B3 has a better resolution with a flatter response, whilst the BGVP has better tonality with a softer and warmer sound with fullness. Overall the B3 wins for me, but that’s only from the technical side.
Conclusion
BGVP has implemented the EST drivers into their lineup which is a good decision as they follow the trend. However the treble presentation is not that impressive to me, although having good extension and timbre. Also, the mid-bass is a bit too much sometimes, especially when you flick the switch.
BGVP EST8
The adjustable tuning concept doesn’t add much, as you get the best sound when they’re all switched-off. They could just get rid of the switches and instead focus on creating the best possible tuning at once. They can also gain some physical space inside the shells while doing that. I’m of course not the one who’s calling the shots here, but the EST8 has a promising configuration with great tonality and musicality. It just needs better technicalities to shine and show its abilities more completely.
However if you like listening to popular music like Pop, RnB and EDM etc., you can do so with the EST8 on a very high level.
