BGVP, a famous chinese audio manufacturer doesn’t need introduction at all since they are one of the bog giants in the chifi industry. They have produced high end renowned ear monitors like the DM8 etc. The latest offering is the NS9 which is a hybrid driver system consisting of 9 drivers per side. In this review let;s see whether this NS9 competes in its price range with its competitors.
SPECIFICATIONS:
>Powerful nine-driver hybrid configuration.
>Seven high-performance Knowles & Sonion BA drivers.
>Two Powerful dynamic drivers.
>Three pairs of tuning filters.
>Composite Titanium-plated silicone diaphragm material.
>3D-printed acoustic structure.
>Four-way electronic crossover.
>CNC machined ear cavities made using Aviation-grade aluminum alloy.
>High-quality silver-plated braided cable.
>Hi-Res Certified.
>Impedance:20 ohms.
>Sensitivity: 107dB/mW.
>Frequency Response: 10Hz-40kHz.
>Channel Difference: <1dB(20-10kHz).
>Distortion: <0.5%(1kHz).
Credits: HiFiGo
CONTENTS:
The box comes in a white sleeve with the NS9 image and the branding on it. Inside the sleeve there is the box and after opening it we are welcomed with the earpieces embedded in the foam tray, above it there are the different pairs of eartips. The included square case is sturdier and inside they contain the cable for the NS9. A pair of foam tips and the replaceable filters are also placed inside the case.
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the NS9 looks very similar to that of the FH5 where the stripes has the same resemblance. The faceplate is gold coloured while the body remains balck. The colours are matted out hence fingerprints and the sweats don’t engage here. The iem also comes in different colours like in full grey, blue. The full construction is made out of aviation grade aluminium and looks very sturdier and doesn’t feel heavy at all in the hands and ears. They provide nice subtle weight factor and the premium feel in the hanD. The mmcx connectors are nicely tucked inside the body and don’t protrude outside.
The faceplate and the body are seamlessly attached thus providing a nice seamless finish. They have two pressure vents, one on the inside and one on the side. The filters are interchangeable and BGVP provided balck, white and gold filters to change according to the user’s sound preference.
The filters are screwable and fit nicely alongside the nozzle. The eartips get securely engaged in the nozzle adapting to the filters. Sometimes while adjusting the eartips the filters get disengaged so the care should be taken when adjusting the eartips.
They have provided 3 pairs of Bass tips and 3 Pairs of vocal tips. For this review I found that bass tips work fine for me and sonically I can’t find a big difference in between them.
The included cable is very high quality. The cable is nice and heavy as usual by the BGVP standard and comes with the 3.5MM termination.
SOUND:
The sound profile of the NS9 is not the usual V shaped instead this is kind of L shaped sound to me. The bass is emphasized more than the midrange and the highs. The whole sound appears to be pretty dark and intimate. Let’s dive into each frequency in detail.
SOURCE: iPhone + Zorloo Ztella MQA Dac
Since this is rated at 25 OHMS and 105 dB this is pretty easy to drive and can be easily run via any underpowered sources like any smartphones. For the purpose of this review I have used the Zorloo Ztella DAC.
In this review I have used the Black filters which sounds better to my ears and frankly the filters don’t change the sound of the NS9 much and the difference is pretty negligible.
LOW END:
The low end is pretty powerful and it’s the star show here. Both the mid bass and the sub bass is emphasized a lot with enough quantity.
Decay: The bass has very slow decay hence the rumble can be felt evidently. Especially when listening to tracks like Hans Zimmer and OST’s the rumble is very nice here
The slam and the attack is lacking in the NS9. The overall bass appears to be very loose when the track is busy. If the track has less instruments in the background then the bass control is very good. The attack is sloppier and the resolution is average. The separation in the low end is kind of average for me.
The control is the average thing here especially in the busy tracks they become looser and the impact is very much sloppier and boomy. The mid bass is overly done where they sometimes ruin the listening session due to that excessive boomy mid bass. Especially in tracks with vocals the excessive mid bass makes a lot of disturbance.
The good thing in the low end are the slower decay and the mid bass body which is a legit delight for the Bassheads. The mid bass fulness gives a nice body to the overall track and the whole track appears furnished and pleasant to listen to.
Tracks Used:
- Bigfoot – Malfnktion
- Why Do We Fall – Hans Zimmer
- Smack That – Akon
MID RANGE:
The mid range is nice and forward in the NS9 and is portrayed very well until the mid bass comes into the play. The excessive mid bass ruins the lower mid range where they just get completely engulfed in the mid bass thus they sound very much lackluster and too boomy.
The midrange in bass light tracks are pretty nice and have very good resolution and separation in between the instruments. Both the male and the female vocal sounds natural and pretty nice. The vocals have natural tone hence the tonality is pretty much natural and no timbre issues are found despite having the BA’s.
The piano notes and the drum hits are natural and sound very pleasing to listen to. The mid range is smoother overall thus no harsh or sibilance is observed during my listening sessions. The vocals sound very much fuller and thus lacks the air. The vocals are very warm and that lively feel is lacking, thus the engaging factor in the midrange is absent.
The mid bass bleed into the midrange is pretty much evident in a lot of tracks hence mostly the midrange sounds very boomy and unresolved. The separation gets messier and sounds very dull. The midange is pretty nice with the bass light tracks but with the bass heavy and complex tracks the whole situation gets changed.
Tracks Used:
- The Blowers Daughter – Damien Rice
- Na Mask Aram – Treble Puns
- Me! – Taylor Swift
TREBLE:
The treble is pretty average in the NS9. The airiness and the separation is pretty average and the good thing I can see here is that the detail is very nice with a good amount of retrieval. The treble lacks the sparkle and the extension in the top end.
The top end feels very restricted and limited. The cymbal crashes are pretty natural and sound very nice. The smoothness of the treble can be felt at the instant and harshness is out of the subject in the NS9 sound signature. They are pretty fatigue free and sound warm and smooth.
The electric guitar and the high notes sound very much dull and don’t have that sparkle and aggressiveness. The bite in the electric guitar strings are lacking. This sounds like a very cheap sounding treble section. The treble has a more or less null energy factor.
Tracks Used:
- Trans Europe Express – Kraftwerk
- Red Sea, Black Sea – Shearwater
TECHNICALITIES:
Soundstage: The Soundstage is pretty average too where the width is overall good with moderate in width and the height. The depth is slightly bigger due to that bigger bass body. Overall the soundstage is average in all dimensions except the depth which is above average.
Imaging: The imaging is pretty nice here. The instruments can be easily pointed out even in busy tracks and the precise placement of the instruments makes things pretty much easier in pointing it out. The transient response is very smooth thus the transition of the instruments from one channel to the other is very neatly portrayed without any stutters in the movement.
The separation and the detail retrieval are very dependent on the tracks and they are pretty good if the track is not complex. The tonality is pretty natural with a hint of warmth and the timbre is warm and natural.
VERDICT:
NS9, the latest offering from the BGVP is one of a kind in the BGVP lineup. This may be a good pick for the Bassheads since the bass in this is pretty powerful and has an enormous amount of bass. The low end has nice staging and the slower decay allows for the nice rumble in the low ends while the bass body gives nice fullness to the vocals. The midrange and treble is however average for its price but nothing to complain about, they sound very smoother and relaxed which might be a great pick for relaxing sessions. For my taste I would have liked a bit more aggression and some energy in the midrange and treble.
The stage depth and the imaging are pretty nice. The separation and detail retrieval are good too. Overall for the price it can be recommended for Bassheads who like a very warm tonality and vocals with slow bass and smooth highs. This unique sound makes this NS9 the dark secret of the BGVP.
