Current testing methodology is v1.2
September 17, 2022
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3.8g (each earphone)
The brand BGVP has been a mainstay in the Chi-Fi scene for a while now.
If you’re familiar with brands like Fearless Audio, Magaosi, or the more popular Moondrop, then you’ve probably heard about BGVP at some point.
It was in no time from their founding year in 2015 that they paved a reputation and have since been making reliable products with great audio performance. One good example is the BGVP Scale.
BGVP Scale
Unparalleled audio bliss for $20.
TL:DR;
The BGVP Scale is a dual dynamic driver in-ear monitor instantly recognizable with its dragon scale faceplate.
Having a warm V-shaped signature with excellent low-end performance, a sweet midrange, and a sparkly upper end with good air, it has carved a spot in the cutthroat arena of the $20 price range that keeps getting new competitors every year.
While it’s not as popular as other sets, the BGVP scale is worth considering.
The Specs
- Driver: 10mm, 6mm Dual Dynamic Driver
- Frequency response: 20Hz-20,000Hz
- Impedance: 29Ω
- Sensitivity: 110db/mw
What’s in the Box?
- BGVP Scale earphones
- 3.5mm jack MMCX cable
- Cable clip
- 12 x black and white stock tips
- Black felt bag
- User manual
Stuff I like
- Addicting warmth and sweet high notes
- Above-average sound separation
- Deep sub bass and lively midrange
- Scales with source
- Good soundstage
Stuff I like less
- Bass bleed
Where to get it
Comparable products to consider
The BLON BL-03 earphones are budget-friendly yet impressive, offering a balanced sound and solid build quality.
First Impressions
The BGVP Scale comes in a blue packaging box with the brand name printed all over it in cursive font. The corner of the box bears the BGVP logo in silver.
The packaging has a somewhat premium feel to it. Looking at the box, you wouldn’t have guessed that it contains audio gear unless you check the back side where you’d see some information about the product.
Upon opening the box, you’d find the earphones in a cardboard mold and the accessories underneath it.
The BGVP Scale comes in a typical IEM shape and has a pattern on the shell, reminiscent of a dragon scale, plus the brand name. The earphones look good but it would’ve been better if the “BGVP” letters stood out better from the pattern.
The accessories were quite good and I like how you get a lot considering this was only around $20.
I listened to the Scale in my dorm along with other sets. It was turning dark outside, and it was the calmest time to enjoy testing out new gear. I popped them in, played a song, and minutes in, I found myself smiling.
It was very warm sounding, with a good midrange presence and an excellent treble range. It was reminiscent of the BLON BL-03’s warmth, which I reference a lot in my reviews because of its rich warmth.
Although the BGVP Scale isn’t perfect, I can wholeheartedly say that I don’t care. It’s a great set and I love it.
Build Quality
The BGVP Scale has an all-plastic build and a smoked housing for the drivers. It’s light and feels very substantial to hold in the hand.
I picked the black variant to get that crispy dragon scale aesthetic and I can honestly say that I have no regrets.
The cable is an MMCX and though I prefer a 2-pin connection, I’m starting to like how secure an MMCX termination feels. The cable is on the lighter side and is unfortunately very susceptible to microphonics.
Due to the pre-formed hooks though, you won’t be experiencing any microphonics, but still, I think it’s best if you’d go for an upgrade cable for more comfort.
All in all, I love the Scale’s build.
Fit and Comfort
The fit on the BGVP Scale is generally good, but there are a few things to consider.
The Scale’s nozzle is a little shorter than most IEMs and does well with bigger ear tips to level out the depth in which you wear the earphones.
The stock ear tips don’t give a great seal and I’ve found swapping them out with Azla Sedna’s to be a good decision. Apart from this, the Scale is light to wear and is quite comfortable.
Sound Quality
To live up to the legends of obliterating competitors in hellfire, the BGVP Scale bears its greatest arsenal: its tuning.
It’s tuned to be a warm V-shaped signature.
It has an impressive sub-bass with great levels of depth that’ll satisfy and serve the most discerning of bass heads. Plus it has a mid-bass that’s speedy and has good timbral characteristics.
The midrange has a good presence – it’s not in your face but it’s not distant either. The lower midrange is energetic and musical while the upper midrange has good energy but isn’t sibilant.
The treble is done well and a particular thing I liked with the Scale too. The high notes sound lush and sweet, and you can hear them apart from other frequencies.
Having the 6mm to handle the treble alone turned out to be a good idea. The 10mm was left to handle the bass and the mids, and this had effects of its own.
There’s noticeable bass bleed into the lower midrange, but I only noticed it after hours of testing.
I was trying to grasp the breaths and the nuances on the vocals when I started feeling a little tripped out at how I was having difficulty hearing them. I raised the volume and in effect, raised the gain on everything else – and then I found the issue.
There was a good amount of bass bleeding into the midrange, creating some sort of a subtle veil on the edge of the vocals. This irked me because I loved how the BGVP Scale executed its overall sound.
Was it a deal breaker? Not at all. But it was a primary reason why I didn’t kneel and crown the Scale above all my sets.
I would’ve liked even three decibels of roll-off from the mid-bass and oftentimes, I sit and wonder what those 3DBs of refinement can do in terms of sculpting the sound more towards my preference.
Technicality-wise, the Scale is no slouch. It exhibits a soundstage with good width and decent depth, but not so much with height. This reels back the listener by a few notches. This isn’t the most binaurally wide set but it performs beautifully given that it sits on the $20 price bracket.
Imaging on the Scale is decent and you can roughly tell where the instruments are on the spread. The transients are speedy and have good splash and timbre.
Overall, you can tell that the BGVP Scale packs some weight with its skill set.
Bass
The bass of the BGVP Scale isn’t overly boosted if you look at its graph, but you can see that the sub-bass to mid-bass doesn’t change all that much. I think this is why it sounds so weighty and big.
It’s got great depth without sounding bloated. It lacks some definition, but I think it manages to nail down the texture and tonality right. The mid-bass has good speed and slam dynamics, making for very fast and enjoyable drum sequences.
The bass is both the largest upside and downside of the Scale. It’s nothing extreme but while the bass does lend the whole tuning an ample amount of warmth that makes it lush and sweet, it compromises the expressiveness that the lower midrange can give.
And it’s not a question of capability, because on vocal-centric tracks, the air in the vocals is very audible. A lot of the nuances of the breathing techniques used in vocals matter, even if they’re lost on some listeners.
We don’t always hear the effects of these small nuances, but they collectively contribute to the experience.
Midrange
The midrange on the BGVP Scale is amazing. They strike a good balance on presence, neither sounding too forward nor too distant in the soundscape.
They’re very lush and expressive and have great timbre and tonality.
The texture on the vocals is also on point and in many instances is showcased by the grunge and growls in aggressive and stylized singing. Although I have pointed out that I’d like a little more clarity towards the lower midrange, I still do think highly of the frequency band as a whole.
The higher midrange is energetic and splashy. It manages to perform well without any sibilance issues. This is due to the very precise boosting of frequencies and goes to show BGVP’s extensive expertise and skill in handling tuning.
Treble
The treble I must commend because it’s just one of the best ones I have in my collection of IEMs so far. It isn’t even tuned for clarity like the Heart Mirror but it sounds mellow and sweet.
On songs where there’s vocal doubling or layered stacks on top of the main vocal, the higher octave takes are heard. It’s like they’re a completely different entity from the main track and you can hear them very clearly.
This pays credence to the soundstage as well as contributes to a lot of the expression of air within the frequency.
Conclusion
The BGVP Scale is a wonderful pair of earphones that’s addictively warm, lush, and expressive.
I’d like to say it’s an easy feat but it’s worth noting that there aren’t a lot of brands that succeed in trying to pull off dual dynamic drivers and end up with this kind of level of cohesion and performance.
From the packaging, the build, and with the way the tuning is executed, the BGVP Scale is very impressive.
It’s the sole dragon holding down the fort against all the invaders sieging for the glory of the $20 price bracket.
Gavin is a college student who has a lot going on. From collecting IEMs and modding mechanical keyboards, to different hobbies like digital drawing, music mastering and cooking. It is safe to say he is a complete multi-faceted geek (and he's kinda cool too)
This post was last updated on 2024-11-05 / Some images from Amazon Product API & some links may be affiliate links which may earn us a commission from purchases.