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BQEYZ Spring 1 Review – Split

Pros – 

Excellent bass quality, Clean treble transients, Engaging yet balanced signature, Excellent value tribrid setup

Cons –

Mediocre noise isolation, Slightly thin midrange, Limited fit depth

Verdict – 

The Spring 1 excels in its careful modulation of engagement and smoothness to deliver strong tri-frequency contrast while upholding a tasteful tone and midrange voicing.


Introduction –

Though BQEYZ doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, the company is another ChiFi hit who I somewhat remiss not involving myself with sooner. The company is new, but not at all inexperienced and similar to other now prominent players such as Kinera, they’ve been working as an earphone and headphone OEM for over 20-years. The Spring 1 showcases their experience and prowess, possessing a peculiar tribrid driver setup not dissimilar to much more expensive IEMs. Alongside a custom 13mm dynamic driver, the BQEYZ has a custom-tuned balanced armature driver handling mids and highs with an additional 7-layer piezoelectric super tweeter. No sir, this is no generic earphone and, at a modest $139 USD, it’s no surprise that it’s become such a staple. You can read more about the BQEYZ and treat yourself to one on BQEYZ’s Aliexpress page and on HiFiGO.

Disclaimer – 

I would like to thank Elle from BQEYZ very much for her quick communication and for providing me with the Spring 1 for the purpose of review. All words are my own and there is no monetary incentive for a positive review. Despite receiving the earphones free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation.

Specs – 

Driver unit: 1 Coaxial dynamic driver+7 Layers piezoelectric+1 Balanced armature
Impedance: 43Ω
Sensitivity: 108dB
Frequency: 7-40KHz
Cable Length: 1.2m
Pin Type: 0.78mm 2 Pin
Plug Type: 3.5mm jack adapter
Cable Length: 120cm
Whether with Mic: No

The Pitch –

Custom-tuned drivers

With their manufacturing processes developed over their 20 years of experience, BQEYZ is able to custom tune and manufacture all of their drivers in-house. This grants them great control over both the tuning and quality of the sound in addition to minimising the cost of more sophisticated driver setups as observed on the Spring 1.

Ceramic super-tweeter

Those watching the high-end IEM space might have seen Sonion’s new EST drivers pop up in a few models to much elation and critique. Electrostatic drivers provide much lower distortion and greater high-frequency extension than BA drivers, however, as they can only be driven at high-voltages, they require a transformer making them highly inefficient. This is compounded upon by their inability to reproduce low frequencies, necessitating the addition of dynamic or balanced armature drivers with much higher sensitivity. In addition to their exorbitant cost, you can already see just how difficult the tuning process becomes.

Spring-1_English_04

Source: BQEYZ Aliexpress product page

Ceramic tweeters are functionally similar to EST drivers but substitute a charged mylar film with ceramic. They are considerably cheaper and easier to pair with other driver types while bringing similar characteristics with regards to extension and distortion, if to a lesser extent. The Piezo driver has its own problem, a ceramic resonance at 10KHz which made first-generation ceramic earphones sound thin and sharp. By implementing a multi-layer design and optimising the sound cavity, a few later designs from high-end manufacturers like Noble and Hyla successfully shifted this resonance into more palatable ranges. Though the ceramic implementation is not nearly as refined, the Spring 1 implements the same design and takes cost-efficiency one step further with a unibody dynamic + ceramic design that represents the same key qualities at a significantly lower price.

Accessories – 

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The Spring 1 has a pleasing unboxing experience and has a comprehensive accessory set. Inside the box, users will be greeted by a leatherette zippered carrying case, the earphones themselves alongside a silver-plated removable cable. There’s a lovely metal tip selector that sits comfortably within the case with 2 sets of tips featuring reference and atmospheric sound profiles. A pair of foam tips are also included to bolster isolation.

Design –

I was impressed to hear that BQEYZ have their own CNC workshop that specialises in IEM production. It should then come as no surprise that the Spring 1 has an entirely metal enclosure. Though the design is simple, the finish is on par with a pricier model. Its seams are imperceptible by touch while edges are rounded and perfect. The black model has gorgeous dark gold accents that complement their shape and form. They are of quite a unique shape; however, they are reasonably sized and ergonomically contoured.

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The cable utilises 0.78mm 2-pin connectors. It’s a beefy 8-core unit with silver-plated conductors and smooth plastic insulation. The cable is supple with zero memory, coiling easily for storage. It produces minimal microphonic noise in culmination with an over-ear fit and feels very beefy and built to last. Gunmetal BQEYZ inscribed terminations provide a premium impression alongside the case-friendly 3.5mm plug and ample strain relief. The cable has pre-moulded ear guides that weren’t perfectly suited to my ear shape but provided comfortable wear, nonetheless.

Fit & Isolation –

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As the housings are reasonably compact, I didn’t find them to contact much of the outer ear nor form hotspots over extended listening. The nozzles are on the longer side and angled to position them neutrally, aiding wearing comfort. Meanwhile, the crescent-housings follow the natural curves of the outer ear, providing good stability if not the same locked-in sensation of faux custom earphones. Numerous vents are clearly visible on the inner face of the earphones, making them quite open and without vacuum-like seal. As they’re on the inner face, wind noise isn’t prevalent when wearing the earphones outdoors, however, isolation is only mediocre which may limit appeal for commute yet alone travel. Due to the large nozzles, fit depth is on the shallower side and I was unable to increase this by sizing down tips.

Next Page: Sound, Comparisons & Verdict

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ABOUT AUTHOR

Ryan Soo

Ryan Soo

Avid writer, passionate photographer and sleep-deprived medical student, Ryan has an ongoing desire to bring quality products to the regular reader.

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