Budget Gears for Various Personalities, BGVP, is a relatively new company that was founded in 2015. The company is based on Dalang Town, Dongguan Province, in China.
After the DH3, the second IEM of the ArtMagic series from BGVP has now also made it into my hands. It is the middle-class car within this series, so to speak, but it has the technical features to compete even higher. The VG4 is an IEM with wow-effect and knows how to convince with the first notes. Its immediately outstanding features are an extremely expansive stage, wonderful, clear & accurate mids, as well as trebles and a punchy BA bass which, however, has good dynamics. In short, the VG4 is exciting and in my opinion, another highly competitive IEM from BGVP, moving in a more neutral direction with the ArtMagic series, as opposed to the more mainstream DM-series.
BGVP always relies on a quite similar housing in universal “custom” construction for its models. In contrast to the more compact DH3, the VG4 is thicker and larger than its little brother, probably also due to the larger dip-switch panel. It even beats the DM7 in size, but that doesn’t make it any more uncomfortable to wear. It adapts well to the shape of the ear, seals excellently, and, due to its closed design, does not let any noise out.
A range of different colors (transparent or opaque) is also available for the housing selection.
I’ve already mentioned the extensive scope of delivery for BGVP a few times and of course this also applies to the VG4. Vocal, bass and standard silicone tips, as well as a pair of foam tips are standard equipment with BGVP, as is a robust case. To my delight, the wonderful, soft and high-quality cable of the DM7 returns with the VG4.
Furthermore, this time three dip switches are used for sound modification, which also serves as a crossover.
Sound
In contrast to its little brother, the DH3, the VG4 has one more dip-switch, which gives us a total of 8 tuning options. With them you can influence the frequency response in the bass, the mids and the highs, with sometimes more, sometimes less effects. I’ll limit myself to two settings (001 – bass/midrange & 000 – neutral), whereby the primary sound description will refer to setting 001, as I like this setting most due to the additional warmth and body and the resulting more emotional and natural mids.
In contrast to the DH3 the VG4 uses a BA driver for bass and although I prefer a hybrid with a dynamic bass, the bass BA driver is, as with the DM7, really powerful and competent. With the DM7 the bass is a bit softer and more voluminous. With the VG4 it is more direct, punchier and faster. The sub-bass is well covered, however, the mid-bass is in the foreground. Nevertheless, the quantity is quite similar to the DH3, which sounds more dynamic and natural, but has less bite. Depending on the genre I even like the bass of the VG4 a bit better, but in the end both are of equal quality, even if they set a slightly different emphasis.
As with the DH3, the mids are very detailed, transparent and captivate with their clarity and voice reproduction. In contrast to the DM7, they are not quite as warm and voluminous, but are more lively and forward without being uncomfortably prominent. As with the bass, the mids have a positive bite and are extremely accurate. This is also very noticeable in the instrument separation. I personally like the timbre of the VG4 men’s voices a bit better, because women’s voices sometimes radiate a bit too much energy. I prefer the somewhat reserved presentation of the DM7, but the VG4 is more to the point and has a better grip.
The trebles are basically the real improvement over the DH3. They sound more mature and no longer have that unpleasant peak that pops up every now and then with the DH3. Also the sibilants are better controlled, but they are not completely eliminated. On the other hand, the trebles of the VG4 are extremely detailed and are still quite stable even in the absolute high frequencies. But the absolute highlight of the VG4 for me is the expansive stage, where the highs play a big part due to their open and transparent nature. This stage is really remarkable, especially in width, but also in depth. In contrast to the DM7, the stage opens further upwards, making the DM7 look more intimate in comparison. The trebles still have room for improvement, as I think they could be a bit more level-headed, but they fit in very well with the overall sound concept of the VG4, which is designed to bring you on board with clarity, separation, detail and accuracy.
Let’s move on to the neutral setting (000) with which the VG4 is also delivered. This is indeed one of my second favorite configuration.
In this setting the VG4 sounds flatter and more neutral. The frequency response is very linear and no area is really emphasized. As with the DH3, this setting is more for purists and goes in the reference direction. I prefer a little warmer and more voluminous, but this setting is highly recommended for classical music, for example. The mids and highs come more into focus in contrast to 001, which for me leads to fatigue more quickly, but as I said, this setting can be a blessing for some genres.
I deliberately omit the treble boost setting (1st switch), as it increases the presence of the treble and subjectively makes it sound a bit more sophisticated, but also amplifies the sibilants and unnecessarily brightens the signature, which can lead to fatigue. I also find the VG4 sounding more natural without this additional boost. The changes with the 2nd switch (midrange) are quite subtle and only in combination with the 3rd switch (bass) worth mentioning.
Conclusion
The VG4 starts where the DM3 reaches its limits and is an upgrade for me, although not a major one. Basically it stalks on my previous BGVP favorite, the DM7 and pulls even. Both go a different way in tuning, but that’s what makes both so unique, in their own way. The DM7 is the unexcited, stoic all-rounder, which is one of my favorites with its fatigue-free, warm and detailed sound, without annoying overtones. The VG4, on the other hand, is the snappy, clear and transparent audiophile, which is dedicated to the open-mid and high frequencies and comes across more lively, tidy and crisp.
In contrast to the DH3, it has better control of the more or less random sibilants but is not completely free of them.
Due to its detailed, separated, bright and neutral presentation it is (like the DH3) especially good for complex and vocal music, but also as an allrounder it cuts a good figure, but may not always deliver the desired pressure in the absolute low frequencies, but shines more with punch in the mid-bass.
The scope of delivery is without complaint and also the versatile, even if sometimes only subtle tuning possibilities, make the VG4 for about 200 € an outstanding product in its price range.
Buy BGVP Artmagic VG4 for 225$ (206$ next week) from official store
