BGVP-DMG-changeable for you and your taste.
A quick couple of years ago, changeable filters in an IEM were not that prevalent. Or relevant for that matter. Then the Lendmeurears FLC8 & S came along changing what some never thought needed to be changed. Filters for fine tuning and personalization. I took the bait, purchased a second-hand set of the FLC8S, ordered another cable off of eBay, and have not looked back since. Originally used as my go-to sport IEM (don’t ask…), the FLC8S is now the standard by which I judge other models with interchangeable filters. I used it in the Advanced Sound Group GT3 review and will use both here for comparative purposes. Not really a fair fight, knowing the price difference, but this will be a good way to discern how far filtration systems have come in the last “couple of years.”
I want to thank Lillian for providing the DMG for review purposes. It is my understanding that Linsoul only want an honest review and can ask for the unit back at any time. I again, would not have it any other way.
The unit has had a minimum of 150hrs burn in, while my queue cleared. This is done to provide the reader with what a pair might sound like six months down the road, which could be different than brand new. It may not, but that is the way I do it, so tough.
Linsoul ($139usd):
Specs:
· DMG IEMs features four balanced-armature drivers and two dynamic drivers and a 4-way passive crossover
· 10 dB @ 1mW sensitivity
· 15Hz – 45kHz frequency response
· impedance of 18 ohms @ 1kHz
· Detachable 5N OCC SILVER PLATED MIXED 1.2 m (3.9′) cable, with MMCX connectors
· 4 proprietary BA drivers composed of the 31736 dual BA for ultra-high frequencies, the 10006 for mid and high frequencies matched in 4-way passive crossover with a dual-dynamic driver
· Channel Difference: </= 1dB
· Distortion: </= 1%
· Rated Power: 10mW
Gear used/compared:
All prices in USD, unless noted otherwise
FLC8S ($239ish)
Advanced Sound Group GT3 ($199)
Advanced Sound Group GT3 Super Bass ($199)
Kinera iDun (same price range, $139)
Thebit Opus #2
Macbook Pro/iFi xCAN
Shanling M5
Shanling M3s
Aune M1s
Songs used:
Too bloody many to list all, but you want songs, so there you go:
Coldplay-All I Can think About Is You
Coldplay-A Message
Coldplay-White Shadows
Dona Onete-Sonos de Adolescente
Los Lonely Boys- Heaven (en Espanol)
twenty one pilots-Trees
twenty one pilots-Car Radio
twenty one pilots-Heathens
Damian Marley-Everybody Wants To Be Somebody
Damian Marley-So A Child May Follow
Damian Marley-The Struggle Discontinues
Ziggy Marley-Lighthouse
Ziggy Marely-See Dem Fake Leaders
Mark Knopfler-Laughs And Jokes And Drinks And Smokes
Santana w/ Mana- Corazon Espinado
The new twenty one pilots album, Trench
![[IMG]](https://i.imgur.com/zbWao0c.jpg)
Unboxing:
Coming in a tastefully smaller box, the presentation is one of simplicity. I like it. Included are ear tips of various sizes, as well as
Fit-N-Finish:
The DMG is an easy IEM to wear, even when you need to tip roll. Falling back to my standard choice of Comply’s, the isolation was quite good, with good fit. I have no problem listening to the DMG for extended periods of time. Made of aluminum, the 6-driver unit fits well in the ear. The MMCX cable ties itself well to over-ear use, and a long bent protective sleeve, holds the critter in place. A very pleasant experience in the fit department. Plus, with three sets of silicon tips included, you can tailor the sound to your pleasure. I will say that the black and gray filters opened the sound over the foam, but the sound became claustrophobic to me. And I left one of the gray tips in my ear upon removal. I stopped using the silicon’s as a result.
With a brushed blue finish, the look is not as garish as I had imagined. In fact, I rather enjoy the blue hue, which is an understated “bright.” With a plain silver cable, the understated look continues. I prefer understated. Very nice so far. A change from. Many of recent review is a 90-degree bend on the jack, which is a departure from the straight jacks of late. With a lower profile as a result, one need not worry about having that extra length grab on to anything. No, instead the 90-degree bend might. But not really. Made of two halves, there is an organic bean shape to the DMG, which looks very respectable. No protruding edges, or extra nib on the inside to promote “fit,” when actually those perturbances are an annoyance on anything less than custom. Thank you BGVP!
Is thee worthy of thyne hype?
Well, hype is the way the audio world seems to work now. Following suit from such lovable as Cabbage Patch dolls and Tickle Me Elmo is not the path I would choose when promoting a new audio “toy,” but to each their own. That said, in good conscience, BGVP did nothing of the sort. And to be honest most audio companies do not. For if they do and the product is not the best, then said company fades into the quagmire of old companies. Thankfully, BGVP let the sound speak for their product.
I respect companies more when they simply promote the product, and then let others decide. Much can be said for starting humbly while letting reviewers and especially owners derive thoughts and verbiage of quality. Another company, which does provide some good quality IEM’s approaches another way, almost opposite of BGVP. And I wish they would not, for their sound is very decent and worth a look based upon its own merit. Another time, another story…
The DM6 seems to be the one, which garners all of the hype from BGVP, but a comparison to that will have to wait as I have that enroute. So, the DMG will stand upon its own merit, and that is the way it should.
I tried all three filters upon arrival. The gold and silver filters, while good did not provide me the bass I wanted, so I stuck with the blue for the remainder of the test. I was quite happy with that choice as well. And of course, it matched the blue of the IEM.
Listening to Morph from the Trenches album through the Black Label gives the DMG that added bass. You there is a bit of artificiality, but the sound, which emanates from the IEM is quite good. Not boomy bass like the Simgot EN700 Pro (which I also like as well), but more tamed, with a deep reach as well. Just nice. Treble comes across as lifted. By that I mean it is there, almost offering a pedestal look and feel. Elevated might be a better descriptor. Clean for the most part, the treble does not inhibit the overall quality.
Lost in thought, the DMG happily comes along for the ride. Still hooked to the Black Label, the sound is inviting and full. Rich and detailed. Slightly warm, with a bit of mixing, the separation falls slightly behind others in this range. But as I stated above, I am using the “bass” filters. When using the more detail-focused filters, that goes away.
There is a more laidback mid sound than some of my more recent offerings. A nice change from the almost “in your face” presentation of those mids. Some might call this a boring mid, but I would call it a “mature” mid. Solid sound and foundational support give the mids that cool-jive sound, which I appreciate. They are neither grating, nor forward of vocal. With a slight move towards the back of the presentation, the mids let you know they are there, just not shouty-there.
As some have mentioned, the treble is solid. Not overly bright, sparkly or sibilant; the treble is again very pleasant. They do not reach the height of say an old Dunu Titan1, or MEE audio Pinnacle 1, but rather play nicely with the other frequencies. Don’t get me wrong, the details are clearly present with good air, but again they do not shout at you. Some have likened the overall character as a mild-U shape and I would concur based upon what I hear through the blue filter.
With the added bass of the blue filter, I would state that the shape is akin to a “U” with more on the left.
Soundstage/Isolation:
There is good width to the soundstage, with a slightly out of head experience. On Neil Young’s No Wonder, you get the sense of width like he speaks of the prairie. Good height provides a rich hall-like sound. Add in good depth and you have one of the better soundstages of late. A nice exception to some of late. Wide, but only as expansive as your imagination will make it. Isolation is very good with either Comply or silicon’s. Plus, with no microphonics, you can listen without the added drama.
Separation/Instrumentation/Layering:
That depth of sound provides the listener with good separation. Neil’s voice is front and center. His guitar is slightly below the center line, just like he would hold it. Drums behind dead-center, and support cast on both sides. From that good separation, you get good layering from which you can make out where each instrument is, as mentioned.
I like how the guitar can seem delicate and well placed, as can the piano on Far From Home. Then the horns come in, bringing you back to the scene. This is a very good sound presentation.
Comparisons:
BGVP DMG ($139) vs Simgot EN700 Pro ($139):
A current favorite on the scene, the DMG falls a bit behind the DM6 in the hype department and I think it is unwarranted. With changeable filters, the DMG brings affordability to the current fad (phase?) of IEM’s, which can use different filters. Personally, I cannot tell much difference here, but that is for obvious reasons. Younger, more acute ears may certainly hear a difference. As for the sound? The Simgot has better clarity and detail retrieval, to me. The DMG has a warmer sound, which can be changed by the filters (I used the bass filter), which can tailor to a more high-frequency sound if warranted, so that may be a wash. The DMG provides a richer sound as a result of that warm nature. If you prefer EDM, Hip Hop, Dance and that more bass, then the Simgot wins. If you favor rock, blues, mellow sounds and want a rich, warmer, full sound the DMG may be your flavor. Both represent well here, but you pick your flavor based upon your listening habits.
BGVP DMG ($139) vs Kinera iDun ($139):
The Kinera iDun is a favorite of mine as this price point. Packing a gorgeous wood finish, and supple cable, the sound had better match that look. Fortunately, it does. A bit more centered of sound, and with detail retrieval on par the iDun is quite a find at this price. The iDun holds its own against the BGVP in the bass department, with better depth and reach, but less controlled. I can tell the bass on the iDun is less controlled, but that adds to its character to me. Making for an almost luscious sound, it has an intoxicating sound, which is hard to beat here. If there had to be a description associated with each, it would be this: The DMG is the one you would not be worried about when you need to be rough and tumble. It can handle the abuse. The iDun is the one with which you would settle in for a winters evening of listening to your favorites, while the weather boils away outside. We are moving in to winter in the Northern Hemisphere, so there is that. I would call this a wash.
BGVP DMG ($139) vs FLC8S ($239ish):
A pioneer in the changeable filter IEM, the FLC has no less than 36 combinations from which you can choose, there is pretty much all you would need…pretty much. I was lucky enough to find a barely used “pre-owned” 8S on eBay and immediately jumped on it. Adding a second cable to the system still brought the price well below the then higher retail price. Since then the price has dropped as the new 8N and 8D have come out. Addressing the Achilles of the 8S, its lack of true bass depth; the new versions correct this. Well, that said I really like the 8S still, and the bass presentation with the correct filters. Tailoring it to the best bass quantity you can with the existing filters, the 8S was my go-to workout IEM for about 6 months. Never a quiver of problem occurred. I thoroughly enjoyed its clarity of detail and sound and accepted the lack of deep bass. I did so, because the 8S is so good in the other departments: sound stage, layering, separation and detail retrieval. A true stalwart of technology from Forrest Wei, the FLC8S deserves its place among the first true filter-changeable IEM’s. With the best bass (even if some think it isn’t the best) of the tested lot, the FLC8S is a true gem and should be sought out as. An addition to your gear set. The “pretty much” part of which I speak is the hot mids. There seems to be not much of a way to tame then down to my liking. Not sibilant in Neil’s voice mind you, but it really does sound like he is in your ear.
BGVP DMG ($139) vs Advanced Sound Group GT3 ($199):
The Advanced Sound Group GT3 is a very competent IEM. Carrying on the latest trend of changeable filters, the GT3 comes with a reference, treble and bass filter. After trying all three, I stick with the bass filter. As my review stated, clarity and detail retrieval are very good. Good without being sibilant. There is what I might call “near sibilance,” but that never arrives. This is a very competent near-neutral sound, which I like very much. That may seem out of character, since I prefer more bass. But, that clarity of sound draws me in and I appreciate the sound. There is definitely more bass on the DMG, and it has a warmer signature as a result. I also think clarity falls behind the GT3 as a result, too. That isn’t bad mind you, since they are a price category apart. Both are good and approach sound differently. The GT3 fits extremely well as either an earbud or IEM, so it does have that going for it. The DMG has that toasty-warm sound, which can draw one in. I call it a wash.
BGVP DMG ($139) vs Advanced Sound Group GT3 Super Bass ($199):
Very similar to the GT3, the GT3 SB comes is stealthy black, which looks really good. Adding an “enhanced” bass tuning with slightly different filter tuning as well, the SB does reach down further than the GT3 above. But I believe it also has a lack of clarity as a result. Much of this can be brought back, by switching filters, but using the bass filter of each gives the SB that deeper reach. Don’t get me wrong, I really like both versions. For clarity, the GT3 is hard to beat. For bass, the GT3 SB is the one to have. Compared to the DMG, the two compete very well with the DMG providing more detail. But the GT3 SB has to me a more intoxicating sound. On the warmish side, this IEM is meant to be used at higher volumes than the DMG. Something to be said for that. Details? Go with the DMG. Bass(y) response? Go with the SB, but only slightly.
Finale:
Listening to Neil Young’s When God Made Me brings this to a close. A ballad about tolerance and living together in all times, this kind of defines the better points of the DMG. Good solid bass (a bit bloated on some songs) along with a nice sound stage highlight a package, which is fairly versatile. That said, this is an IEM that is just as home rocking out or for those evenings where Vivaldi might be your choice. The DMG is just as much at home doing either. Good fit, wonderfully supple cable with a fairly unique look, changeable filters (for those of you with better ears), and an affordable price. This is a fine addition to the sub-$150 IEM market and well worth a look.
I want to thank Lillian from Linsoul Sound for the continued support. You can purchase the BGVP DMG at the links above. Give it a listen, it may just fit your taste. Cheers!
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x19 (h) mm
Weight127g (0.28 Ibs)Warranty period12 months![[IMG]](https://i.imgur.com/vL0Mofz.jpg)
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