Introduction
EPZ from China might not ring a bell for you but they are actually quite well known in China for their IEM and dongles as well as one of the main OEM makers for some companies out there, so needless to say that they do have the expertise in this business. They are actually known for their multi driver IEM such as the 530, 630, TP20, TP30 dongles and many many more, do check out their AliExpress store and have a look, but what has caught my attention was the newly released Q5 that possesses a single dynamic driver that looks great on the graph as well as some positive reviews coming out, so will it be a hidden gem? Yes the design might be controversial, but what’s more important for me is the sound itself. EPZ has kindly sent us a sample of the Q5 for an evaluation and we are grateful for the opportunity given. How will they fare in their performance? We shall find out here.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the EPZ Q5;
- Driver: 10MM Dual Magnetic Circuit, Dual Cavity With Ceramic Carbon Nano Piezoelectric Horn
- Shell: 3D Printed Resin
- Cable: 4 Core OCC, 0.78MM Type Connectors To 3.5mm
- Eartips : 3 pairs small bore eartips and 3 pairs short eartips
- Frequency Range: 20hz – 20khz
- Impedance: 26 ohms @ 1hz
- Sensitivity: 109dB/mW
The EPZ Q5 can be purchased from EPZ AliExpress store exclusively and it took less than a week to arrive and do check out their store for more amazing products;
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mtEl5im
EPZ Official Store
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mKMtOLM
Packaging & Accessories
Packaging here is amazingly professional and unique with a black paper box with gold fonts and they are opened up like a premium book. Given the low asking price, EPZ should be patted on the back for this great job of unboxing experience as they are packed and feel like a premium, top shelf product. They are also packed with all the necessities like 6 pairs of eartips, a beautiful matching cable, a PU leather case, paperworks and a polishing cloth for the cherry on top. Amazingly packaged indeed and for the price paid, truly the best packaged IEM.
Design
The design is somewhat of a controversy as they are ever so similar to Meze Advar with their black resin shell with a recessed circular gold faceplate but that doesn’t bother me as their sound is what matters to me. They are a little different in their shape with a slightly longer shell with a longer nozzle that is similar to a Westone IEM shape. They have MMCX pins that are tight and solidly implemented. I do find the design a true eye candy with a solid build and they are supremely comfortable to wear with their round, edgeless body with a lightweight shell. The faceplate has a small vent and they possess no flex as they are a very well vented IEM.
They are a 3D printed resin shell and do look better on hands. The body might look simple but they feel solid and very well built. The nozzle is made of aluminium metal in gold colour and they are fitted with metal mesh on the tip.
Inside the Q5 we have a 10mm dual magnetic circuit, dual cavity design with ceramic carbon nano piezoelectric horn, not a piezo driver and they are a coating on the diaphragm. They come with a rectangular PU leather case that is useful and quite a good quality one.
The cable that comes with the Q5 is a beautiful MMCX 2 core silver plated OFC cable that has gold metal parts that matches the IEM very well. They are soft, pliable and seem durable with their gold plated points. They do have a focus on their high range and sounded bright when tested on my other gears. Overall, the cable is perfect in their looks and sounds great, which make the Q5 an even better value.
Gears Used for Comparisons
FiiO M17
Questyle M15
Hiby FC6
FiiO BTR7
FiiO FD11
FiiO FH11
Letshuoer D13
FloAudio Lily
Tangzu Heyday
BQEYZ Winter
Hidizs MD4
Moondrop A8
Unique Melody 3DT
Dunu EST112
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The tone of the Q5 is a neutral balanced sounding IEM that has a silky warm natural tone to it and they have a true dynamic sound with no slouch in their technicalities. They possess great overall details with a decent clarity and transparency for a dynamic driver. They do have a sound that punches well above their asking price without any major flaws in their performance. They aren’t a clinically inclined IEM but instead they are a fun, smooth and warm sounding IEM that doesn’t hold back in their performance.
Soundstage
The Q5 possesses an expansive soundstage that is wide and tall for their asking price, besting most IEM in this price range. Their soundstage is wider than it’s taller and they give a spacious sound that has great sound placements. They are suitable for gaming for their accurate placements and for movies as well for their immersion. Headroom size is an average medium sized room but for their asking price, they are actually quite good.
Separation and Timbre
For a single dynamic driver IEM, their separation is amazing with no crosstalk present and they have a great imaging with a cohesive sound reproduction. Timbre is natural, intimate and organic with a rather relaxing, inoffensive sound that is full sounding. They do not sound cold or dry in any way but instead a warm, immersive sound that has great clarity and a touch of fun in the presentation.
Drivability
In their spec sheet, the Q5 is rated at 26 ohms at 109 db sensitivity and they are easily driven by any source with adequate volume. A good source will increase their clarity but not majorly as they do not scale up very much. They sounded good from any source that I have tested but they are picky in the files played as a well mastered track will sound way better. In the types of bitrates, I do find they are forgiving in this area as they sounded great on streaming and a full DSD playback, though a full DSD might have the perks of being more vivid and clear but they are minor.
The Bass (Low)
The bass present here on the Q5 is amazing as they are full, clean and impactful. They are a slightly lifted mid bass response that gives a more fun bass without sounding overwhelming in any way but instead they are clean, tight and natural, typical of a well tuned dynamic driver bass response. They have great clarity and details are all intact without any veil or bleed present. Bass texture is good but not great as they are a little fuzzy at the lower end but it is very minor and only audible on certain bass heavy music. Bass extension is great and they have adequate air in them. Sub-bass extension is superb with a deep response along with a clean rumble that is suitable for a wide range of genres. They aren’t a bass cannon for bassheads, but they are for bass lovers who enjoy a punchy, dynamic bass that is accurate and pleasingly fun to listen to.
The Mids
Midrange here is a neutral midrange that has a well balanced tuning and they are capable of delivering a clear response that has great detail retrieval abilities. Their macro detail is superb while the micro detail retrieval is average but very competent in their price range. They have a slight thickness and warmth in their midrange and they provide a spacious mids that is enjoyably lush. Resolution wise they are average but still very competitive in their price range. Transparency is good with music sounding clear without any haze or veil. Vocals are great as they have a lush and sweet sound that makes vocals sound rather intimate along with some breath of air to give some life into vocals. Instruments wise, they do excel better on bass oriented instruments but not really well on higher tone ones like violins or guitar as they may lack some brilliance but they are still audibly good for their price. There isn’t any major coloration present in the midrange which makes the mids rather natural and accurate.
The Highs
High range here is a laid-back high range that has a slight bump in their middle frequency which contributes to slightly sharper highs but still sound smooth to listen to. They have a minor roll off at the end which makes the highs a little lacking in the extension and air. They have a good clarity and details in this whole frequency without being lifeless. The Q5 do have an average sparkle sound that might sound a little dark but they do have a great crisp decay which is quite pleasing. They do not sound sibilant or shouty and do not possess any hiss in my listening experience but I, as a treble head, do find them a little lacking in the top end brilliance and intensity. This type of high range is actually quite suitable for an easy listening as they do not incur any fatigue while still able to deliver a lifely high range.Comparisons
Comparisons
VS FiiO FD11
The recently released single dynamic driver IEM from FiiO with a special conch shape that I have truly grown into as they are a full, immersive, bass oriented IEM that has good overall technicalities for their price along with a solid build. They are priced quite similarly, but the package that the Q5 came with is more complete and packed way more premium. Build is more solid on the FD11 as they are metal based but the Q5 is more comfortable as they are lighter. Both have a quite similar sound with a slight V shaped sound.
High range
Highs on the Q5 have a slight edge quantity with a crisper sound. Details and clarity on both is similar but the Q5 sounded slightly clearer. Extension on the high range is better on the FD11 and with more sparkly highs.
Midrange
The FD11 has a thicker midrange and they are tuned more toward an intimate sound versus the slightly more spacious mids on the Q5. The midrange details and clarity is slightly better on the Q5 along with better resolution. Both midranges are lush, sweet and closer to the ears type of sound but the Q5 seems more natural with less coloration.
Bass
Bass on the FD11 has the edge in quantity but in terms of quality, the Q5 is better as they are cleaner, leaner and more accurate. Sub-bass extension is better on the FD11 with a deeper rumble. Details and clarity is mostly the same but the FD11 bass has better air to them.
Soundstage
The soundstage on both is very similar with an adequate width and height along with a medium sized headroom. Both of them punch above their asking price in terms of overall value and if users want a more exciting sound go for the FD11 while the Q5 is a more balanced overall sound.
VS Letshuoer D13
The D13 is a single DLC dynamic driver from Letshuoer and they are one of my favourites when it comes to a single dynamic IEM. They have tuning nozzles with full metal body and they are priced at twice the asking price of the Q5.
High region
The highs on D13 have better extension and air along with a more present sparkle but the Q5 have a crisper highs. Details and clarity on the Q5 is slightly better but the D13 high range sounds fuller.
Midrange
Midrange on the Q5 is thicker and warmer versus the neutral mids of the D13. The D13 has a more accurate midrange while the Q5 is lusher. Details and clarity of the D13 is better along with better resolution. Vocals on D13 are cleaner but Q5 sounds more intimate.
Bass
The amount of bass on the Q5 is bigger and more impactful while the D13 is flatter. Sub-bass extension on the Q5 is deeper. Details and clarity on both is similar but the D13 seemed cleaner and more accurate.
Soundstage
Both have a similar soundstage width but height in the D13 is taller along with a slight edge in air.
Synergy
Questyle M15
The Questyle M15 is my go-to dongle DAC/amplifier as they are able to sound sublime with Questyle’s signature direct current amplification and I have been a fan of this dongle. They are a neutral to bright sounding device for a portable usage with a great extension on both ends and possess none of the usual Sabre chip glare.
Bass sounded cleaner and tighter with details and clarity increased. Their bass is more controlled and has a better texture. Sub-bass depth remained mostly the same but they are cleaner.
Midrange is clearer with better transparency and a slightly more forward than usual while retaining the warmth and thickness. Vocals sound clearer and more brilliance is brought up.
High range has a better sparkle and extension is better but in a small margin. Amount of treble has slightly increased in intensity but still is able to sound smooth.
Soundstage has seen improved depth, width and height but it is not significant.
FiiO M17
The transportable brick of FiiO’s digital audio player line, the M17 with 2 ES9038pro chipset with 2 THX788+ amplification inside and they sound like what a good source should sound like. This pairing will decide the scalability for the Q5.
Bass in terms of their texture is better and they are cleaner, clearer with a tighter response. They have a deeper sub-bass extension with a slightly cleaner rumble. Details on the bass region are more evident as they sound clearer overall.
Midrange has a cleaner performance along with a better transparency. They have a slightly brighter signature and they are able to make the midrange clearer while retaining their lushness. Vocals sound fuller with a better shining brilliance but only marginally.
Highs is a little more forward and has a faster pace along with a little sparkle energy added. Details and clarity increased and they sounded livelier with better extension. Airiness remained mostly the same.
Soundstage height is better with a wider sound overall.
Scalability here is quite good with a more energetic sound overall sound but scalability here is average as the improvements aren’t massive as expected from the M17.
Who Is It For?
The EPZ Q5 is an easy recommendation for those who want top class products with a respectable balanced sound all in a low price range with their warm, lush sound. They have an easy to listen sound with a clean and clear presentation that is inoffensive. Bright and treble head lovers might find them a little lacking as they are tuned towards a warmer tone with a slightly dark treble. They aren’t suited for bassheads as well but dynamic bass lovers will find them attractive as they have a clean, natural bass response. The Q5 works great on a wide range of genres as they are smooth sounding overall but they do lack in the high end energy and brilliance and they might not sound great for female vocals.
Final words
EPZ Q5 has truly caught my ears and heart as they are truly a great IEM in this price range and they punch well above their price range in terms of performance. Though the design might be controversial, the sound of the Q5 isn’t as they are a full sounding IEM with a warm and natural sound that possess great overall technicalities. Though some might find their high range a little lacking in terms of energy and brilliance, in return they are inoffensive and fatigue free. The unboxing of this product is a pleasure as they are packed professionally and they are a complete package along with a beautiful matching cable. The budget segment is getting very competitive nowadays but the disruptor as the Q5 is able to stand out as a valuable product. What a great job EPZ and I hope more products like this will ensue from them.
I would rate this product 4 and half over 5 stars
- Good overall price vs performance
- Great build with a beautiful design
- Comfortable fit
- Amazing unboxing experience
- Fully accessories
- Good balanced tuning
- Warm, natural, inoffensive sound
- Smooth, crisp, laid-back high range
- Solid bass quality
- Sub-bass extension
- Thick and warm midrange
- Great overall clarity
- Great resolution
- Decent soundstage width
- Lack brilliance
- Slightly rolled off high
- May be too lean overall (preference)
- Average micro detail retrieval
- Not enough energy in highs
- Not a clinical performer (preference)
