EPZ Q5: New Single DD King under $50?

Pros

• Complete set of good accessories
• Decent cable 
• Very comfortable and lightweight fit
• Tight, punchy bass
• Clean lower midrange
• Very forward and engaging upper midrange
• Treble has ample of sparkle and details
• Decent treble extension  
• Impressive technicalities 

Cons

• Subpar MMCX connector
• Slightly thin midrange
• Light note weight
• Aggressive upper midrange 
• Fatiguing treble presentation 

Disclaimer

• Please take this review with only a grain of salt, as everyone's hearing, fit, and gears may differ, so our experience may be different.

Price(MSRP)

• ~$50

Source(s)

• Truthear Shio
• FiiO KA13
• Jcally JM6 Pro

Ear tips

• Dunu S&S

Packaging

• IEM.
• Hard case with a really nice texture and feel to it
• Good selection of ear tips.
• 3 pairs of  wide bore silicone ear tips (S, M, L)
• 3 pairs of  small bore silicone ear tips (S, M, L)
• Cleaning cloth
• 4-core single crystal copper plated with silver 
• Not sure if its only my unit, but I can't connect the left side properly in place, it gets loose and drop off fairly easily from time to time.

Build Quality

• Resin finish and very lightweight. Feels slightly cheap though.

Fit

• Nozzle width is average but slightly longer than average.
• Probably one of the most comfortable IEMs I have used, ever. Felt almost nothing when I'm wearing it.

Tonality

• Bright leaning mild V shaped

Bass

• Sub bass is slightly more prominent compared to the mid bass, but it is quite balanced overall.
• Has decent slam, punch and impact, with good speed and definition.
• However, if I had to nitpick, the bass may be a little lacking in body and deep rumble
• Other than that, the bass is fantastic, snappy and satisfying bass.
  
• Quantity is just sufficient, just enough to be engaging but definitely not for bass heads.

Midrange

• Lower midrange is clean, slightly recessed, with a slight touch of warmth to it.
• Male vocals sound a little thin and dry, lacking a bit of lushness
• Upper midrange is very energetic and forward.
• Female vocals can easily get too shouty in my case
• Due to the thinner lower midrange and the brightness of the upper midrange and treble, the overall note weight is noticeably on the lighter side.
• Surprisingly, most instruments in the midrange do sound good and natural without any oddities.

Treble

• Treble is overall very sparkly and energetic, especially in the lower and mid treble region, which makes everything sound super crispy. 
• However, this also introduces sibilance. Personally, I find it to be quite sibilant and fatiguing considering that this doesn't have the smoothest treble presentation too.
• Details on the other hand, can be perceived very easily thanks to the extra sparkle and forwardness.
• Upper treble is extended quite well, slightly toned down from the overly energetic lower and mid treble, which sounds just airy enough without being unnatural.

Technicalities

Resolution

• Resolution and detail retrieval is excellent. Punches well above its price point and competes with a lot of IEMs that are under $100, or even $150. 
• The emphasis on treble also further boosts this aspect in particular.  

Soundstage

• Soundstage is noticeably wide and expansive but fairly average in terms of height and depth.

Imaging

• Imaging and accuracy is decent, I can track and pinpoint where the sound is coming from most of the time.

Separation

• Separation and layering is very good. Instruments and vocals is well layered and separated among each other even on busy tracks.

Conclusion

• In my opinion, the Q5 is a very solid competitor in the $50 price range. It has a clean, bright signature without losing out too much fun and very impressive technicalities for the price.
• However, it is not a no brainer pick. The Q5 is not recommended to people who are sensitive to fatiguing treble and shout.
• The EPZ Q5 also reminds me about the Moondrop Aria in many ways, except that the Q5 is cleaner and brighter with similar or even better technicalities while the Aria is more balanced and natural.

Thanks for reading!