WATCH REVIEW HERE:
PROS:
- Beautiful faceplate
- One of the most comfortable IEMs under $100
- Very clean Harman-tuned sound
- Clean, tight but deep-reaching bass
- Clean and open vocals
- Very energetic and nuanced vocals
- Well-extended and detailed treble
- Clean instrument separation
CONS:
- Shout tendencies
- Thin lower mids
- Not the most technical sounding set
- Lacking bass tactility and impact
WHO THIS SET IS FOR
- Harman lovers
- People who want a clean and open sounding set
- People who want a upper midrange vocal centric set
- People who want a very comfortable and stable fit
WHO THIS SET ISN’T FOR
- Shout sensitive people
- People who want a thicker and richer sound
- People who a more engaging sound
- People who want the most technical sounding set
RECOMMENDED GENRES
- Vocal Pop
- Instrumentals
- Warm funk
SHORT REVIEW:
The Q1 Pro is a very consistent IEM from EPZ repertoire with a familiar Harman tone that sounds clean and energetic. Harman lovers will adore this style of IEM, but those who complain about the Harmanification of IEMs today will find this IEM rather unoriginal. The fit and aesthetics arguably save the Q1 Pro and make it a rather comfy recommendations under $50. RECOMMENDED WITH CAVEATS!
FULL REVIEW:
Consistency is one of the most important things for any kind of company to achieve. This means that their audience would feel confident that whatever product they release, they’ll follow a standard that they can trust. But is consistency always a good thing? Can a product that follows the general guideline that the company has set work against the way the company is perceived?
This is a very common occurrence in audio. The infamous “house sound” is something that many attribute to certain brands. Whether that’d be Moondrop’s VSDF or Simgot’s Classic Target, there are those that critique brands for following a target for most of their sets and sounding “samey”. EPZ has recently been criticized for the same thing, but is it really a bad thing? Let’s find out in today’s review of the EPZ Q1 Pro!
DISCLAIMER:
The Q1 Pro was sent over by EPZ in exchange for my honest thoughts. Rest assured all my thoughts and opinions are my own and I was not compensated or paid to say anything about the product.
THE Q FACTOR!
EPZ is well known for their solid value IEMs with rather beautiful looking shells. Their Q series is one of their most well-received product line-up with the Q5 leading the charge. The Q1 Pro is an update to the Q1 and shifts the tonality completely from its predecessor. And for $40, these keep the status quo of good value and good sound. Or does it? Let’s start with the unboxing!
UNBOXING
The unboxing of the Q1 Pro is pretty basic overall. It comes in a very boxy black box that is easy to open and discover all the treasures deep within.
Here is the full list of accessories:
- EPZ Q1 Pro
- 3.5mm 2-pin cable
- 3 pairs of eartips
- Paperwork
The accessory list reminds me of the EW200 a LOT. Basic cloth pouch and some decent tips on top of the IEMs and cable. Not a lot to talk about since the cloth pouch provides very basic protection and the tips are 07 style ear tips.
BUILD & FIT
The Q1 Pro, hands down, is one of the best fitting IEMs I’ve ever worn. No, not under $50, not under $100. Ever. The fit is GENUINELY so perfect in my ear even with the stock tips and gets even better when using better eartips. Stability is virtually perfect, seal is fantastic and the size is just right to give it a snug but fatigue free fit.
This is aesthetically one of the better looking IEMs in this price. It doesn’t really try to do anything new or weird but it achieves such a simple design with finesse and beauty. The shade of blue genuinely looks like the sky on a good day and it just feels so refreshing to look at. Of course, you wouldn’t expect this to be the most premium feeling set in the world. But as a reason build, it is well-built.
Internally, it doesn’t complicate things either. Using a single LCP+PU 10mm Dynamic Driver, it stays true to the tried and tested configuration that many have used before.
The cable is also very impressive for the price, but not a cable I’d personally use on a daily. It’s braided nicely and looks very pretty, but it’s quite stiff and very tangle prone. The cable is also not behave which makes these an absolute pain in the butt to take photos of. Despite looking more premium, I’d honestly take the Q5 cable over this.
SOUND
Sound Signature
The Q1 Pro features a bright U-shaped sound signature with extra upper midrange energy. This is basically the bog standard Harman sound, all the way to the upper treble rolling off in a smooth way.
Source Pairing
The Q1 Pro is a relatively easy-to-drive IEM that sounds good even through cheaper sources. It gets marginally better with better sources, but it’s perfectly enjoyable on my Huawei Nova 7 SE. The Q1 Pro favors warmer sources over neutral or brighter sources.
Bass:
Probably the most unremarkable part of the Q1 Pro, the bass is lean, and clean and extends well but lacks impact and life in most tracks. It does provide a sufficient amount of rumble and low end when the tracks call for it, but it sounds tame and light by default. This has the benefit of the bass sounding very tight and does not color the midrange at all.
Listening to tracks with heavier midbass by default like Hey Barbara by IV of Spades sounds very clean on the Q1 Pro at provides a better balance in the overall mix. Each note is cleaner and better defined with the Q1 Pro.
Mids
As you might expect from a Harman mids, the lower mids are basically pushed back to the point of sounding a little thin and distant. Thankfully, the treble complements the mids to not sound too thin or distant and somehow keeps the midrange sounding well defined, albeit lacking body. It’s an odd mix of thin yet nuanced that most sets are not able to do. This does however make the lower mids unengaging and occasionally lifeless. The upper mids on the other hand bear the mark of the Harman by being forward, engaging and very nuanced. Vocals sound very well defined with superb crispiness and clarity without sounding overly skewed to the upper mids and sounding unnatural. Shout sensitives beware as this definitely has the tendency to be a tad bit too forward in some tracks, especially poorly mixed ones.
This sounds perfect on Laufey. One of the best sets under $50 to do so as it keeps the lowest of lows present but cleans up the mids to make Laufey’s vocals sound a little cleaner and more nuanced. Listening to a track like Dreamer on the Q1 Pro feels like a dream with how clean and dreamy Laufey’s vocals sounded.
Treble
The Q1 Pro’s treble is surprisingly tame despite what its overall sound signature may show it to be. The energy in the upper midrange tones down when it reaches the lower treble and keeps it consistent. There is a very distinct sparkle that provides a lot of energy in the upper frequencies that make cymbals, air instruments, and sopranos sound very energetic and lively. It does occasionally sound a little grainy and edgy at times, but I never found it to sound sibilant or stabbing in my ears. The air, while not the most extended, perfectly tops of the treble with a natural sense of extension that doesn’t sound overly airy or choked.
Listening to tracks from An Evening with Silk Sonic with the rather soft attack on the percussive and air instruments, the Q1 Pro can give extra life in the top end without pushing back the rest of the mix. I found the warmer mix of the album to sound perfect with the tuning of the Q1 Pro, similar to how I felt when listening to Laufey and Samara Joy’s tracks with their warmer tone giving their vocals much-needed airiness.
Technicalities
Technically speaking, the Q1 Pro is average overall. Nothing stands out besides a decently clean separation. Imaging, headstage, dynamics and resolving ability were all average, especially for the price. It doesn’t stand out like the Q5 which is $10 more or the EW200 which is the same price. But for what it does well, it does quite well. Separation of instruments sound very clean with very little to muddy the overall mix.
REAL WORLD USAGE
Casual Use
The Q1 Pro tells two stories when it comes to real world usage. It’s perfect in some ways but undesirable in others. Starting with the fit, this has got to be one of the most comfortable IEMs to wear on long listening periods and when going out for walks. The fit is both comfy and stable and it ticks everything I want in an IEM when it comes to comfort. However, I’m not a big fan of its sound when consuming media. It’s a little too thin on most content and the midrange can get quite shouty when there are a lot of midrange presence. This is its Achilles’ Heel as it’s a wonderfully fitting and comfortable set barred by a rather thin tuning
Gaming Use
The same can be said for gaming. It’s very comfortable for long gaming sessions but the tuning might fatigue you over time, especially when there are a lot of things happening in the upper mids section like in action games. Valorant is the exception to this rule as you bring out a lot of the minute details quite well due to the shout, but the lack of midbass makes it quite hard to hear the footsteps and the like.
COMPARISONS
vs Simgot EW200
Both sets follow the Harman target quite faithfully, but the EW200 does it just a little bit better in everything. The bass is more tactile, engaging and impactful, the mids doesn’t sound as thin, the treble has cleaner details and better extension and the EW200 is the more technical set overall. The only reason I’d pick the Q1 Pro is if I’m specifically listening to Laufey or Samara Joy and I want a VERY well fitting IEM. Otherwise, I’d take the EW200
vs EPZ Q5
The older and more expensive brother still remains as the better set between the two for the main reason that the Q5 has a cleaner yet more technical sound that has more bass to make the overall sound more engaging. The Q1 Pro, however, has better and more secure fitting with an objectively better cable than the Q5.
vs Zhulinniao Qingluan Z4
Two sets that have a similar, vocal sound signature and technical ability, the Q1 Pro is the more fun and engaging set overall but also has a thinner sounding midrange compared to the Z4. The Z4 is considerably more bass shy and lacks the low end engagement than the Q1 Pro has just a little bit more of to make it a better all-rounder set. However, the Z4 features the better overall value due to the build being metal and features interchangable nozzles, a better case and better tips
vs Simgot EW100P
An odd comparison considering the EW100P being half the price, but a valid one because I think the EW100P is 95% of what the Q1 Pro is. That 5% is the very slight improvement in the overall refinement of sound that the Q1 Pro has that the EW100P doesn’t, but everything else is basically the same.
CONCLUSION
The Q1 Pro is a very consistent IEM in EPZ’s lineup of Harman-based releases which can be seen both in a good and bad way. Consistency is great when you can maintain a level of quality in your releases that allows your buyers to know that their next purchase from your brand will be as good as they expect it to be. The Q1 Pro achieves that expectation, no problem.
However, it’s also consistency where a brand starts to stagnate and forces them to try something different or die off. I don’t doubt that EPZ is unaware of this issue as I know they’ve been releasing sets that vary in turning. However, the Q1 Pro is positioned at a very unfortunate positioning of being $10 cheaper than a set that can compete with sub $100 sets but itself compete at its own price. That guarantees this won’t be a bad set to get, especially if you care about fit and comfort like I do, but if you wanted something that performs like the most expensive Q5, this set is not for you.
The Q1 Pro is a Harman-based set with bass that hits when needed to but remains tame to keep the rest of the soundscape clean and snappy without overblowing the treble at the cost of being a little thin and shouty on some tracks. It’s a very comfortable set that many would absolutely adore, but a set that specifically looks for those who puts the Harman sound to heart and want something safe to get in that regard.
Thank you for reading my review on the EPZ Q1 Pro. If you would like to order one, consider using the non-affiliated link below:
