BQEYZ Spring II

Right time to the full review of the BQEYZ Spring 2. listen to them now for a couple of days now. “Non” stop without using any other IEM’s in between like I always try to do to give you unbiased or cloud my brain and ears by another IEM. Packing a BA, 13mm bionic diaphragm dynamic driver, 9 layers of nano piezoelectric ceramics. I had little issue at first finding the right size of tips to get a proper seal. but after a while looking into my watch box. I landed on Penon Liquer Black in a M size. Where I normally have to grab a S. It seems these are gonna work better in a shallow fit then a Deep fit the shell doesn't really allow the deep fit to happen. Okay let's jump a little deeper shall we.
The Spring 2 was submitted by BQEYZ for review. This doesn’t mean i’m not objective about but always say it when something comes in by the Brands themselves.


Specs:
Driver Config: 9-layers piezoelectric ceramic sheet + 13mm Bionic diaphragm dynamic driver + 1 balanced armature
Impedance: 32 Ω
Sensitivity: 110dB±3dB (@1k)
Frequency response: 7-40kHz
Earphone single weight: 13.3g±5g

Sources Tips and chain of sources i used.
Source: M11plus or KA17 and my Phone.
Tips: Stock tips (reference) Divinus Veltes, Penon Liqueurs Black.
Cables: i was going back and forth from their stock cable to a Xinhs upgrade cable in 4.4.
Playback was local files or Tidal.

Tonality: I felt like it was more of a W shape with the emphasis on the Mid bass and the highs then the sub bass. The DD was nice and controlled. The Piezo unit I had to get really used to hadn't heard much. Outside the GK10s left a bitter taste in my mouth to be honest. But this has been depleted by the Springs. The Ba seems to jump just fine.


Bass: Well the focus is laid up on the mid bass in this set which gives a guide a lot of warmth into the lower mids. What makes the Male vocals get their organic feeling back. I found that the bleeding is quite minimal. Even in my little envelope test that I do both with a bass and acoustic guitar the decay and attack were average, not the speediest I have heard so far. But still good enough. Wished it had it a little more to be honest the sub bass lacks that little humph.

Mids: the lower mids are a little lifted but it was quite okay they didn’t overshadow other notes. Within the mix of music some might like that the lower mids are a bit lifted some don’t. The layering of instruments and separation are good. That is where the Piezo unit comes in and helps in that case. Male vocals got the organic feeling back. Female vocals are good but sometimes they were a little too much especially if they were in the higher octaves. But overall the Vocals were very accurate and details in the presentation were a little forwarded that some might not like that much.



Treble: This is the domain of which Piezo is in control. They are very detailed and clean. A poor recording is gonna be punished by it. It might be for some be fatigue after a while it jumps out quite a bit. But for me it felt more analytical sound wise than a fatiguing sound. I know for experience in the loudspeaker work a Piezo unit can be Sharp and Shouty as well. I think that BQEYZ has done a good job here to find the middle group between detail and shoutiness.

Timbre: The ba timbre is okay, nothing bad, The Piezo is something you have to get used to if you haven’t heard a piezo before. Just gonna give a quick example you will know little buzzers that are being used well those are Piezo’s as well. I have to say they did a wonderful job on staying on the safe side. The 13mm DD well is good organic just like in their Autumn it scales well with current you give it but then the Piezo shows his sharpness and starts to overpower the other unit.



Technicals and Soundstage: the soundstage has decent depth and height. The richness is really gonna depend on the recording of the overall technicals i have to say above average. Some notes were a little light and some others were a little over emphasized. That's the fine line you walk by using a Piezo element. Once you find the right volume you're golden and you need to get used to it.


All said and done if you have a library that heavily leans on mid bass and needs that sparkles back on top this is till a very good set even if it is an older one. We as a community have a tendency to jump from hype to hype and and some iem’s get lost in the mix due to a multitude of reasons. is the lack of exposure to your favorite (guy/girl) who said that they are “bad”. The Spring 2 comes in at around 150 euro ish. If you want a sound that is somewhere in between Fun and Analytical I think this holds its own like no questions asked. I enjoyed my time with the set. It is a keeper for me. It goes next to their Autumn in my watch box. It’s still a good one to have in your collection but beware the Piezo driver can really really wear on you if you don't set it up in the right way.

Intro​

Disclaimer: This review set is a demo graciously lent to me by Daniel at Oardio. This review is written of my own accord and all thoughts here are my own. The BQEYZ Summer is available for purchase from Oardio through their website should you find yourself interested in a pair. For more reviews like this, do check out our website!

After a rather pleasant experience with the Summer, I manage to get the chance to review the earlier-released Spring II, many thanks to Daniel at Oardio Singapore. This is the second iteration of the Spring Tri-brids by BQEYZ and is supposed to fix many of the issues that people experienced with the Spring I. I have never tried the Spring I so I will be approaching this pair with fresh eyes. Without further ado, let’s get right into it.

Accessories and Build Quality (Score: 8.5/10)​

Excellent. I love the contrast that the orange/red trimmings have against the matte black aluminium shell. The overall build just screams quality and everything is just so many tiers above what we saw with the BQEYZ Summer. Accessories are just enough to get you going and the selection of tips are decent. However, I still struggled to get a fit with the silicone tips provided.

The stock cable is one of the better stock cables I’ve seen as well and befitting of its price tag. It has quality connectors and Y-splits with pretty thick cores. BQEYZ markets it to have 4 strands hand woven single crystal copper cable with up to 224 cores. This is similar to the FAAEAL Copper Cable that has been touted as one of the best value copper cables. The cable has a 4-wire braid and is also available for purchase on its own in some stores at around US$29.90.

Fit (Score: 6.0/10)​

The fit wasn’t great, coupled with the numerous vents on the earbuds, leading to a certain occasional feeling of a loss of seal. The nozzle is a little short. The size of the buds are good and fit smaller ears. The shape doesn’t sit snugly against the contours of the ears and weight distribution sometimes causes the IEMs to slip out if the tips are not ideal. I have heard that the fit has been a great improvement but I’ve not tried the Spring I so these are my standalone opinions.

Sound (Score: 8.2/10)​

Sources

• Lotoo Paw S1
• Hiby R5
• SMSL M200/Schiit Magnius

Music listened to

• Chicago Symphony Orchestra – Beethoven Symphony 7
• Boston Symphony Orchestra – The Nutcracker Suite
• The Vamps – Cherry Blossom
• Stevie Wonder – In the Key of Life
• Bastille – All This Bad Blood
• The Lumineers
• Paul Kim
• X Ambassadors
• Børns – Blue Madonna
• Gryffin
• Avicii
• Amy Winehouse

Bass
The bass resolution could be improved. Overall, the Spring II is rather bass light. I found myself craving a little more sub-bass extension, to the point that it sometimes made me subconsciously feel I wasn’t getting a good seal. Would prefer a better low end to support the intense upper mids and treble. Otherwise, the quantity of bass leading into the midbass was well balanced, and a good alternative to bassy earphones which seem to have dominated the chifi market.

There is sufficient punch and presence listening to Avicii, so the bass isn’t exactly anaemic, which is great.

Mids
Vocals are very articulate and detailed, presented rather forward without getting too intense or shouty.

Listening to Valerie by Amy Winehouse. The overall sense of space and layering juxtaposed with the brilliant vocals was a joy to listen to. The crisp texture of the shakers in the background was also a nice touch and display of the Spring II’s technical ability.

Instruments like trumpets and Horns have a very nice natural timbre to them. What really impressed me was how smooth the upper mids were and their execution. It nicely dodges all sibilance with no off peaks in the 5-8k frequency regions.

Treble
The lower treble is very present and revealing. The Spring II is not at all forgiving of poorly recorded tracks but also grants that extra edge of detail over cheaper sets. A nice air and space in the upper treble region as it extends very well thanks to the piezoelectric treble. It’s a tad more well done and controlled than the BQEYZ Summer, possibly due to the 7-layer instead of 5-layer in the Summer. It is noticeably less peaky and fatiguing. In fact, I was able to enjoy the Spring II for longer periods at a time.

Overall
The soundstage is relatively broad and while the tuning is rather balanced, it’s is on the brighter side. It is analytical yet not fatiguing and offers a good break from bassy IEMs. However, the

That said, the fit of the Spring II was a real issue for me and I couldn’t properly enjoy it. Tuning wise, I personally would have preferred a more supported lower mids region to support the forward and brighter upper mids and treble. It led to some tracks in my playlist sounding a little top-heavy at times.

Comparison​

BQEYZ Summer


I hate to admit it but the Summer is more comfortable despite the less premium choice of materials. The tuning approach is very different in the Summer and contrasts well with the Spring, playing well into the four seasons theme.

The bass is very much more present, dynamic, punchy in the Summer, so this should help you decide if you’re more of a Spring or Summer person. Or you could get both if diversity is your thing. It takes on a more typical V-shaped tuning. My biggest gripe with the Summer is the treble region, which is a step down from what we saw on the Spring II. The treble on the Summer is rougher along the edges and gets sibilant at times.

Conclusion​

The Spring II is a well-tuned tribrid piezoelectric earphone, especially at its release. It’s a little bit of a veteran now and the price bracket it lies in has become increasingly competitive within the last year. With brilliant releases like the Thieaudio Legacy 4, Audio Lokahi and Seeaudio Yume, I find it hard to see the value and make a solid case for the Spring II.

Evaluating it as a whole, it does have a premium build (though not so great fit), with a decent tuning catering to a more analytical crowd. It doesn’t have the most organic tuning nor the most natural timbre. That said, the price is a little steep for what it puts out.

Overall Grade: B-​

Click HERE for our grading list for earphones

Tips Used During Review: Final E Tips, BGVP W01, Stock Atmosphere Tips
Sources Used During Review: Hiby R5 Saber DAP, Shanling UA1 Dongle
Cables Used During Review: Stock Spring 2 Cable, Faaeal Hibiscus 4.4 mm Cable

Disclaimer: I was provided with a review unit by Gears For Ears, which will be returned to the, upon the compilation of this review. it is always my goal to provide a completely neutral & bias free review for the readers. This review is of course fully subjective. Although I have tried to my best to test a wide range of genres during the review period but our opinions on this IEM may vary due to the difference of our taste in music.

Introduction: Spring 2 is Bqeyz’s sequel to their well-received IEM Spring 1, which also I have reviewed previously. Just like its predecessor before it, Spring 2 utilizes a tr-brid setup, a revised 9-layer piezoelectric driver for the highs, a balanced armature (BA) driver for the mids & a 13mm dynamic driver for the lows. Spring 2 has an impedance of 32Ω & sensitivity of 110dB±3dB which means it requires some power to shine. It has an MRP of $169, but is it worth the extra money compared to Spring 1? Let’s find out!




Packaging & Accessories

Spring 2’s standard retail box contains the following:
- Spring 2
- Hard zipper carrying case
- Cleaning brush
- 4 Core Single Crystal Copper cable with 224 strands (you can choose the plug when ordering, 3.5/2.5/4.4mm)
- 1x pair foam ear-tips (inside of a plastic box)
- 1x S/M/L Reference ear-tips
- 1x S/M/L Atmosphere ear-tips
Overall standard packaging & accessories as per the asking price, the only standout feature here is the ability to choose between a 3.5/2.5/4.4mm cable. IEM’s from other brands generally offers us a 3.5mm jack cable by default in this price bracket, with no other options to choose from.



Build & Fit (4.5/5): Like the BQEYZ Spring 1 which I have reviewed before, the Spring 2’s come in that same unique a three-part, metallic shell. However, the nozzle on the shells has been improved so they don’t stick out as Spring 1. Comfort is almost the same as Spring 1. It means they’re comfortable & lightweight enough to sleep with. You can choose form two color options when buying the Spring 2, Black or Olive Green. My review unit came in Black & my personal unit which I bought later is the Olive-Green color. Both feature a chrome finish on the edges of the face plate, personally I found the Olive-Green color simply stunning it definitely captures that Spring time vibe. While the black color not bad looking can be a bit boring for those who are looking for an eye catchy color. These 3D CNC shells with metal nozzles give a premium feel while retaining a good level of comfort. The Spring 2 housing comes with a standard 2-pin connector.



Sound

Tuning: The Spring 2 has a W-Shaped profile just like the Spring 1, but this time Bqeyz has managed to add some well needed warmth to the successor, discarding that cold & analytical nature of the Spring 1. The sub-bass quantity has been slightly reduced making the Spring 2 more of a balanced performer with a fun sound. Some might even consider it to have a light V-shaped tuning upon initial impressions.

Highs (4.5/5): The highs are the highlight of the Bqeyz Spring 2, they are quite airy, vivid and has a decent amount of sparkle at the top. The highs are also well extended, revealing plenty of macro & micro details. While being energetic the treble is not sibilant or fatiguing during longer listening sessions. The extension & brilliance of the piezo high’s is source dependent though, using my Shanling UA1 dongle I wasn’t able to get that 9-layer piezo drive to sing, like my Hiby R5s DAP could.

Soundstage & Separation (4/5): The soundstage of the Spring 2 is more wide than deep, at first, I found the stage of the Spring 2 to be above average, but using the BGVP W01 tips the stage became more spacious & holographic. I got an out of head experience using these tips. The separation of instruments is quite good as they don’t overlap each other, but there is a lack of open air between them.

Mids (4.5/5): Mids is another strong point of the Spring 2, vocals are very forward in the mix. They sound thick & lush, I found both male & female vocals to be equally enjoyable on the Spring 2. There is balance between the upper & lower midrange extension, which most IEM’s in this price bracket fail to achieve, usually putting too much emphasis on the upper midrange extension which can lead to shoutyness.

Lows (4/5): The Spring 2 is neither bass heavy or bass light, that’s the best way I could describe its low end. I felt the presence of sub-bass rumble more in bass heavy rather than mid-bass punch. Bass is slightly amp dependent, although not as much as the highs. As I mentioned earlier in the review the sub-bass extension has been slightly cut off compared to the spring 1, probably to achieve a more balanced tuning. The bass doesn’t reach very deep and the slow speed of the driver in noticeable in busier tracks. The low-end performance of the Spring 2 while still impressive keeps it being from being an all rounder & makes it more genre specific.

Drivability: Driving the Spring 2 is easier than the Spring 1. But still if you want to make that 9-layer piezo driver sing you will need a source with plenty of power. Driving the Spring 2 from a 3.5mm jack of your phone or a low-powered dongle simply doesn’t open up its true potential. I would recommend a source with minimum 250mW @32Ω output power for the Spring 2. I found the my Hiby R5 Saber Dap to be able to truly open up the highs & the low end of the Spring 2 on 4.4 mm balanced port, which the shanling UA1 failed to do with from its SE output.



Conclusion: The Spring 2 has a lot of things going for it, the mesmerizing highs, the vivid mids, slightly warm W shaped tuning, all of which makes it an easy recommendation. I bought my personal unit (almost new) at a much lower price than the retail price, but the main question is would I buy it at the full retail asking price of $169? The answer is yes, for me at least. If I did not get that great used deal, I would definitely pay full amount for it & get a new one. It might not be an all rounder performance but the Spring 2 manages to offer most of what I am looking for in an IEM while still providing a great comfort factor.
Comparisons: ??? Right now, I am in the middle of reviewing BQEYZ Spring 1, Summer, Tri Starsea along with Fiio FH3, so I felt it appropriate to review them individually first and then do a massive $100 to $150 range IEM battle, to see who takes the lead! So please stay tuned, like & follow my page The Audio Bloke (https://www.facebook.com/TheAudioBloke) for future updates if you liked this review. Thanks!