BQEYZ Summer

BQEYZ has been in the audio gear game for quite some time now specializing in high-resolution IEMs and cables. While the brand focuses primarily on the budget segment of audio gears, they grabbed a lot of attention for the Spring series of in-ear monitors. The series got two products, Spring 1 and Spring 2. Both of which are quite identical with premium metallic shells and a tribrid driver configuration. Both the pairs received multiple positive feedbacks for their excellent performance around the 200$ price range. But the Spring series was just the first chapter of the Seasons series by BQEYZ. Earlier this year BQEYZ announced the second chapter in the Season series, the BQEYZ Summer.



BQEYZ Summer is the latest IEM set featuring a tribrid driver configuration consisting of a 13mm DD unit, a BA unit, and a five-layered piezo-electric unit. This driver configuration is similar to that on the Spring series only difference being the Piezo driver in Spring 1/2 has a 9 layer configuration while the one in Summer has five layers. Other than this the primary difference between Summer and Spring is the shell material, Summer features simple acrylic resin ear shells while Spring features full metallic shells. This also resulted in a lower cost for Summer, It is available to purchase from BQEYZ Store on Aliexpress for just 129$. Where does the Summer stand in the industry? Is it worth the 129$? Well, we are gonna find out today.

Disclaimer:-

I was provided this unit of BQEYZ Summer free of cost in return for my honest opinion by Elle Zhou from BQEYZ Audio. I would like to thank her for this opportunity, all thoughts in this review are completely my own based on my own experience with the pair over the past few weeks.



Packaging & Accessories:-

Summer comes in simple packaging with a light purple slip-on cover over a black box. The slip-on has BQEYZ Summer branding on the front and detailed technical specifications on the back. Below this slip-on cover, we have a book-open style shimmery black box with BQEYZ branding on the top. Inside we have BQEYZ Summer earphones sitting on the top portion of the box in a simple foam layer. The lower portion is being covered by a plain black sheet below which lies the BQEYZ branded carry case. While the cable is inside the carry case, ear tips are placed right below the earphone layer. The packaging is quite simple yet reflects the Summer season with the light purple cool tone of the outer slip-on cover.



Package Contents:-

>BQEYZ Summer earphones.

>One Two-pin connector cable with a 3.5mm termination plug.

>Six pairs of silicone tips(three black, three greys).

>Cleaning brush.

>Quality Certificate.

>User guide.



Build Quality & Fit:-

The earpieces here have a very simple look with acrylic Resin material cavities and a metallic nozzle. They look finely built with a slight bit of transparency inside the shell(when in a properly lit situation). I got the purplish-black color of Summer that looks pretty elegant. On the top we have recessed two-pin connectors, face panels have an elevated pattern that looks like fish gills. The right earpiece has Summer printed at the bottom, the left one has BQEYZ printed at the same place. In terms of build quality, the resin shells come nowhere near the premium, rich finish of the metallic shells in the Spring 1/2, but at their own place, they are built quite decently with a perfect finish.







The pair has an ergonomic shape with lightweight aesthetics that allows the pair to sit firmly in my ears and provide a very comfortable fit. With the included tips the fit was okayish, I find my perfect fit on the Summer with Final Audio Type-E ear tips. They cover my ear canal completely and block all the outside noise providing a good level of noise isolation. I once used them while riding my scooter at around average volume level, the pair blocked environmental noises quite effectively.

Bringing The Sun Up(Powering The Summer):-

With a low impedance rating of 32 ohms and a high sensitivity rating of 107dB/mW, the Summer is very easy to power. It can be driven right off a smartphone such as Honor View 10(though needs to be pushed to near full volume). For the purpose of this review, I used my Cayin N3 Pro and Shanling M3X to power up the Summer.



BQEYZ Summer & Shanling M3X:-

Shanling M3X drives the Summer at an adequate listening level at around 65/100 volume on low gain mode. The pair has a clean presentation here with no noticeable background hiss, pretty good extensions, and good clarity between the instruments.



BQEYZ Summer & Cayin N3 Pro:-

Cayin N3 Pro features three different sound modes, Tube UL, Tube Triode, and Solid-State. I mostly use UL tube mode for most of my sessions and my impressions are based on that. Summer shows a warm tonality here(taste of N3 Pro), it is easily driven at like 51/100 volume level on medium gain, I like the thick tonal touch to the instruments and vocals by N3 Pro here.

I also tried it with my Honor View 10 smartphone just to check how it performs with regular smartphones, the pair was driven easily at my adequate listening level though at full volume on the phone. But as always I recommend using portable USB DAC/AMPs or Digital Audio Players for best output quality.

Sound Quality:-

There are only a few IEMs that leave an impact on the very first song we play on them, the BQEYZ Summer is one of them. On my first listen I played my favorite track, Hotel California by Eagles from their Hell Freezes Over album, the acoustic guitar during the first 30 seconds was legendary. During my first sessions with the pair, It held me onto it with excellent detailing, punchy deep bass, spacious soundstage. While most of the time the pair sounded smooth to me but I felt the treble portion to have a slight bit of extra sparkle in some complex tracks such as In The End by Linkin Park. It was not piercing but it was being noticed easily. I gave the pair a suggested burn-in period of 100 hours(8-9 hours random music playback for the next 10-12 days).



After this burn-in period, I can’t say much whether it is a placebo effect or an actual effect on the pair, but I find it to have a smoother response than my initial listen with it. Now the presentation is actually much smoother. Summer has an intimate, engaging presentation with a W-shape sound profile. I personally loved its punchy bass response that hits right at the moment, feels so energetic and engaging. Vocals, both male and female have a full-bodied presentation with a hint of warmth. The Piezo ceramic driver does its magic with a sparkly treble response that shows good detail retrieval. Now let’s discuss the frequency-wise sound response of Summer.

Bass:-

As stated earlier, Summer leaves its impact with every single bass drop in the music. No it’s not overpowering that would please a bass head but it is fast, it is deep, and it hits hard. Billie Eilish is such a bliss to listen with the Summer with its wonderful mid-bass slams and powerful sub-bass rumble. I always enjoy a deep, punchy bass response, and I get it with the Summer. It is an instant favorite for me.

Mids:-

Mid frequencies have a smooth presentation. The vocals are rich and full-bodied. Instruments such as acoustic guitar, bass guitar, piano have a good tonality and a natural timbre. I like this engaging presentation of instruments that makes the music sound lively and exciting. I couldn’t hear any muddiness. When I listen to acoustic guitar in Tell Her You Love Her By Echosmith & Mat Kearney, the separation between the strings being played can be felt with a good sense of weight for each string.

Treble:-

Summer delivers a sparkly treble frequency response with a bright tonality. Every instrument is presented clearly with good energy. Electric guitars, violins, cymbals have a neutral, detailed, and properly extended presentation. The piezo ceramic driver is doing its magic here. Treble-oriented tracks such as Californication or Hey Oh by Red Hot Chilli Pepper sound engaging shows good dynamics and separation of instruments on the pair. While everything else is perfect there is a brightness to the treble region that might trouble treble sensitive people especially with bright sources such as a Topping NX4. I am also sensitive to harsh treble, but both my sources, N3 Pro and Shanling M3X have warm and neutral tonality that provides a good smooth synergy with the Summer.

Soundstage & Separation:-

BQEYZ Summer produces a wide soundstage with a good sense of depth and height. It gives ample space for our music to shine even for complex tracks such as Crawling by Linkin Park where multiple instruments and vocals are being presented at the same time. The separation of instruments is pretty good, they also show good layering and detail.



Comparisons:-

See Audio Anou/Yume Vs BQEYZ Summer:-

See Audio Anou(Mainland China version of Yume) used to be my default recommendation for the under 200$ price segment just because of its rich tonality. The only issue I had with it was the fact that it lacks somewhat of an impact in the lower end. Here is my comparison of BQEYZ Summer and See Audio Anou(Anou is from my memory I reviewed it earlier this year).

>BQEYZ Summer produces a much better lower-end response, great speed, great punch.

>Micro-detailing was better on Anou but I find the energy of Summer to be better.

>Sound presentation of Summer is more intimate, engaging, & lively in comparison to Anou.

>Summer has a brighter tonality out of the two.

>While both the pairs produce a wide spacious soundstage, Anou sounded has an airier presentation.



Final Words:-

BQEYS Summer has quite an engaging and smooth presentation that keeps one hooked on to it for hours. My previous recommendation around this budget used to be the See Audio Yume, but the Summer improves over it with a better lower-end response. I love how it handles different genres played on it with good clarity and precise detail retrieval. This is gonna be my default recommendation for the 150-200$ price range!! Loved it.

disclaimer: I was sent the BQEYZ Summer for purposes of reviewing it by BQYEZ. I have no financial interest in BQEYZ nor have I been provided with any remuneration beyond the earphone itself for this review. If you have an interest in BQYEZ, I recommend you check out their facebook page, or to purchase BQEYZ products shop their Aliexpress store.

Unboxing / Packaging:

The Summer ships in a slipcover with summer on the front and specifications in Chinese and English on the reverse. Removing the slip-cover reveals a black book-fold box with BQEYZ in silver. Opening the box reveals the earpieces in foam in the main compartment. A cardstock flap covers the soft case which houses the cable as well but not the tips. You’d be forgiven for not thinking any were provided as there is no indicator that the foam the earpieces sits in has another layer under it that contains 6 sets of silcone tips. Tips in 2 styles are provided with one listing as reference tuning and the other as a more bass-forward option. Kit is pretty standard at this price point but the included items are good quality which I would rather see than more lesser quality stuff being thrown in just to say it has extras.





Build/Fit:

Unlike the previous seasons (spring 1 & 2) the shell of the summer is acrylic rather than aluminum but dimensions and shape are largely the same with the addition of a small spur to the rear of the inner shell. The result is a slightly lighter medium sized shell with a more ornate face-plate as the previous models are smooth surfaced where the Summer has 3 stylized ripples in the outer surface. Currently two colors are available which are listed as blue and black. The model I received is listed as black but is actually a very dark shade of purple as can be seen in the better lit photos. It looks black in average light, but shows a purple/blue color in bright light. Shells are 3 part with an acrylic face and inner shell and aluminum nozzles. Nozzles have a forward rake and a pronounced lip for tip retention. Shells have a vent immediately behind the nozzle and another pair nearer the rear edge of the inner surface. The bi-pin connectors have a slight recess rather than using a hooded connector. I found the shells comfortable and had no problem with extended wear. I also found the mid-sized stock black (reference tips) worked well so didn’t have to spend long getting tips sorted out like I sometimes do.






Internals:

All of the seasons so far have been tri-brid models with a 13mm dynamic driver, a single balanced armature, and a piezo electric element. The summer is no different as it too uses a 13mm dynamic driver, a single armature, and a piezo, but all three elements have been updated since the Spring 2. The dynamic driver is faster responding with a new PU+LCP diaphragm. The balanced armature has been retuned for better linearity, and the piezo has been reduced from nine(9) layers in the spring 2 to five(5) in the Summer. Impedance is listed as 32Ω with a nominal sensitivity of 107 dB/mW which puts the summer somewhere between Spring1 (43/108) and Spring2 (32/110). I found the summer worked well from dongle dacs and while it needs a little power to do its best, it will work from a cell phone on high output mode (LG) or from one of the various dongles for phones and tablets without need for a dedicated amp.





Cable:

If people feel the shell is a step back from the Spring models, the cable certainly is not. The cable provided with the Summer in an eight (8) strand braid of silver plated single crystal oxygen free copper up to the splitter and 4 strand braids above that. the Jack, splitter, and connectors are all brushed aluminum with a pinched waist. Even the chin slider is brushed aluminum with the same style. Bi-pin connectors are 0.78mm type and fit into slight recesses in the shell rather than opting for a hooded type. The cables do have pre-formed hooks without memory wire and the connectors have L/R clearly marked on the exterior. The end user has the choice of 3.5mm single-ended, 2.5mm balanced or 4.4mm balanced at time of purchase or additional cables can be bought from the Aliexpress store. I think the cable is a large step forward from the original BQEYZ models and applaud their progress. I would purchase this as a replacement cable for some of my other bi-pin in-ears as it has little or no tendency to tangle and is pliable with little weight felt on the ear and almost no microphonics.





Tips:

The summer comes with two styles of tips, one a clear tip with a blue core (atmosphere) and the other a solid grey (reference). I found the two tips do make a difference and prefer the reference for their more balanced presentation. Those looking to get more bass out of the Summer may wish to try the atmosphere (blue-core) tips as they do increase the bass at the expense of a little clarity in the lows. The one omission here is the Spring2 shipped with foams in addition to the two types of silicones while the summer does not ship with any foam tips in the kit.





Sound:





Bass:

The summer has the best bass of the seasons so far but that doesn’t mean it is going to please everyone. Sub-bass has some thump when called upon but rolls off in the upper 20s so doesn’t have as much impact as it might with a bit more depth. Overall, mid-bass seems more elevated in spite of what the FR chart would suggest with sub-bass being well controlled but not overly prominent. Mid-bass is fast with good attack speed and natural decay giving a nice clean sound but at the same time I can’t help but feel the texture could be a little better. At times, you hear elements that let you know the driver is capable of producing good texture but at others it feels restrained. It may be that the tuning went a little too safe here and lost a little texture in favor of keeping the linearity and balance instead. Overall, the bass is well matched to the rest of the signature, has good speed, and a natural tonality, so the knock on texture is probably nitpicking considering the price point.


Mids:

There is very slight mid-bass bleed and it contributes some warmth to the lower mids and a bit of weight. Bass guitar and male vocals both have good note weight and timbre with lead guitar having slightly less weight than its brother. Growl is good with sharp lead edge and good energy. Mids have good clarity and detail and are improved over the Spring2 in the lower registers but about even with the spring2 as we move into the upper-mids. Strings have good energy and tonality so that trend continues as well. Female vocals are a bit forward of their male counterparts but not so much so as to be unnatural sounding, it is more that female vocals cut through the mix while male vocals stand between instruments.


Treble:

This was probably the most polarizing feature of the Spring models and quite frankly it will likely continue to be on the summer as well. I felt the treble on the Springs was good for the most part but did occasionally cross into hot territory. With a peak in the 9kHz range, the Summer is capable of that same behavior. During most of my listening, I was not bothered at all, but then a particular passage would trigger that spike and I would find it piercing, then it was gone again as quickly as it came. Lower treble has good energy and detail and gives snare rattle a nice realism, but hi-hat can be metallic and clicky (its right on that border). I think this just shows that the peizo elements are still a work in progress and while the BQEYZ models are doing a good job harnessing them, there is still some work to be done to perfect it.


Soundstage / Imaging:

This is where the Summer steps out of the shadows of the Spring 1&2 and owns it. The stage is improved over both of its predecessors by more than a little bit. Stage is still a little wider than deep but depth is improved and height has as well with the Summer stopping just short of 3d. Seating the orchestra is straight forward with no overlaps or gaps and seating feels natural without the absurd width you get with the original Spring1. Instrument separation and stereo separation are both quite good as well which helps the Summer as well. Imaging is good as well but not exceptional as spatial cues show good movement but perhaps a bit less precision than it could have. Layering was impressive as I expected to trip up the dynamic with some of the busier passages but found only very mild compression even with the worst tracks.



Comparisons:

I’ve pretty much covered the territory of comparing spring models to summer all the way through the review so will settle for posting the comparison graph here. I have included the three models Spring 1, Spring 2, and Summer FR below for comparison.





Thoughts / Conclusion:

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Spring models and find BQEYZ consistently one of the better values on the market today so I expected good things from the Summer. Yes, its a step back in materials from the Spring, but about 75% of all in-ears are made from some form of acrylic so its hard to knock it for that and the price is lower as well so it isn’t like they lessened materials to make a bigger profit. Inside, they have improved the dynamic driver with faster transients, redesigned the peizo element with fewer moving parts and better coherency, and improved the armature in between. The tuning is very similar to the spring models from the lowest note up through the lower treble and then it departs a bit. For me that departure is not necessarily a welcome change as there is more emphasis in the 8-9kHz range which some will find opens up the sound and it probably is responsible for some of the improvements in the stage dimensions, but others will find it can be harsh and will need some EQ in that area to prevent fatigue. I do think the summer represents very good value as it has a lot of positive points, but we also have to remember not to expect miracles the budget price range and that some trade offs like loss of a little bit of texture in the lows and an occasional harsh note in the treble can still be expected.

The BQEYZ Summer is the the "second act" to BQEYZ's Seasons Series...

the question now is: "Is the BQEYZ Summer the best all-rounder hybrid IEM under $200usd?"
Read on further to find out...

INTRODUCTION:​

BQEYZ Summer is a $129usd triple hybrid IEM consisting of 1DD for bass, 1BA for mids, and 1 5-layer piezoelectric unit for highs. Its box comes with a generous amount of accessories; with 2 different types of ear tips, a leather carrying case, a cleaning brush, a beautiful 8-core SPC cable, and the IEM itself.

Regarding the 2 provided tips (1 being black and the other being white), I find the black one to be warmer and smoother sounding, while the white one to be tighter and has more bite up top. Personally, I find the white one to sound better so that is what I'll be using for this review.

With that out of the way, let's start the review.

PROS

:​

• Very versatile and fun tuning. Best way to describe the sound signature here is that it is slightly warm, with a slight W to mild V shaped tuning. Generally smooth and non-fatiguing sounding.
• Bass is dominant, full-bodied, thick, warm, and punchy. It also extends well with satisfying sub-bass rumble.
• Midrange is open, forward, musical, weighty, and slightly warm.
• Detail retrieval is good with great control. Never once have I felt fatigued or overwhelmed with too many microdetails. Yes, I do agree that its microdetail retrieval could be better, but the amount of microdetail (or lack thereof) is what gives the Summer that smooth and non-fatiguing sound.
  
  Don't get me wrong, the Summer is NOT at all lacking in detail, it is actually pretty detailed for the price. It's just that there are more detailed IEMs out there at around this price. Problem is, those IEMs are nowhere near Summer's level of smoothness and control.
• As expected from a smooth and non-fatiguing sound, no hint of sibilance or shoutiness can be detected.
• Timbre here is warm and pretty natural sounding for a BA. Really impressed with the timbre here.
• The Piezo highs here is just… amazing. The best way to describe the highs here is that it is sparkly, airy, splashy, with a good amount of bite… and it is able to achieve all that, while still retaining its overall smooth sound signature (a recurring theme). Although the treble here is bright and slightly emphasized, it is never peaky or uncontrolled.
  
  Even if you are treble sensitive, I wouldn't worry about the treble here at all as it is tuned amazingly.
• Not to mention, the piezo treble here sounds one of a kind. If you have not heard piezo highs, IMO you must give it a try.
• Soundstage is also very good for the price. Soundstage here has great width, with decent height and adequate depth.
• Image separation is also great, thanks to the open midrange and great soundstage.
• Left right positional imaging is great too. However, I do find front back imaging to be slightly lacking.
• The IEM shell is light and well built. Fit is great and comfortable for long hours, with one small caveat (see cons).
• 2 different types of tips provided - 1 black and 1 white. Black one for smoother more laid-back listens. White for tighter bass and more bite.
• Very good accessory set. Great cable, great case.

CONS

:​

• Not the most coherent sounding IEM (Quite coherent for a hybrid at this price, but will lose when compared to single driver IEMs).
• Soundstage depth could be better.
• Front back imaging could be better.
• Not a micro-detail monster (I find this to be a pro, but your mileage may vary)
• Lacks texture, especially bass
• Stock tips are quite stiff out of the box. Have to break them in a bit to be usable (especially the white ones).
• Regarding comfort, the shell's fin is slightly sharp. Would prefer it if the fin is more smoothed out.

CONCLUSION:​

In conclusion, the BQEYZ Summer is a great hybrid IEM that is super versatile and well-tuned. BQEYZ did an amazing job tuning the Summer as I find the Summer to be one of the best all-rounder Hybrid IEM you can get for under $200usd.

If someone is asking me to recommend them a balanced sounding hybrid IEM that can work for all genres at around the $150usd price range… heck, even at around the $200usd price range, the BQEYZ Summer would definitely be the first thing that comes to mind. Its versatile tuning, good technicalities, and competitive price is what makes me recommend the BQEYZ Summer so highly.

So... have you tried the Summer? Let me know down in the comments! Would love to hear your thoughts

BQEYZ SUMMER - Shines ONLY with proper Amping & Upgrade Cable

Disclaimer:

This unit was supplied to me by BQEYZ through GEARS FOR EARS for the purpose of an honest review. Everything mentioned in this review are purely my own based on my experiences with the IEM.

Introduction:

BQEYZ is a Chinese brand from Guangdong. They have continued to iterate their triple hybrid model since the Spring models. this time they have shifted from the SPRING naming convention and named it: BQEYZ Summer. The external differences are obvious: compared to the Spring models, they have moved from a metal capsule to resin, which weighs only 4.2 grams. Internally, three different drivers are still used: a 13mm dynamic driver, whose diaphragm is made of a PU+LCP composite material and a second-generation BA driver, redesigned exclusively for this model.



Specifications:

- Dynamic Driver: 13mm
- Impedance: 32 Ω
- Sensitivity: 107dB
- Frequency: 7-40KHz
- Cable Length: 1.2m
- Pin Type: 0.78mm-2 Pin
- Plug Type: 4.4mm
- Driver units: 5-layer piezoelectric unit, Coaxial 13mm dynamic driver with PU+LCP diaphragm, and new version balanced armature customized unit
- Contents: Summer earphone, Cable, Carrying Case, Brush, Silicone ear tips (S/M/L)of 2 types of tips in different sizes.
- Price: $129



Design & Build Quality:


Though the IEM has good ergonomics - but the resin build doesn't seem as durable or premium as the ones found in IEMs of this price range. The best part is likely that the IEM is very light and fits comfortably into the ears. There are vents in the IEM body as you can notice which helps to release the pressure. Hence, you can listen to this very comfortably for longer hours.



Comfort:

I found this IEM to be very very comfortable and suitable for longer use.



The Stock Cable:

The cable by the looks seem quite durable and is tangle free and comfortable. But when it comes to sound this is just not the best cable for this IEM and IEMs at this price range comes with better quality cables.

Amp-ing Requirements:

I have found that this IEM sounds very thin and doesn't sound good without amping.
However, with proper amp-ing this IEM can shine quite a bit.

NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SOUND....

Items used for this review:

DAC/AMP: Shanling UA2, IFI IDSD Black Label
DAP/Source : Fiio M3 Pro, Laptop & iPad
Streaming Source: QOBUZ
Upgrade Cable: CEMA Electro Acousti 6N OCC + OCC Silver plating 26AWG single crystal copper cable with balanced 2.5mm connector
Ear Tips: Final E series Black tips



Tracks Used:
The tracks I have used can be found from the below playlist that I have used and generally use for most reviews...



The BASS:

Though the bass felt very clear with clear nuances from lower ranges... The quantity of bass was more overwhelming for my taste than quality. the texture and layering seemed lacking while the beat & slam was there.

The MIDS:

Midrange felt good and felt quite textured and detailed unlike the bass. Guitars & violins has good vibrations - piano had reasonably good decay. In terms of human voices the male vocals seemed slightly more forward than the female vocals.

The TREBLE:

While the overall treble seemed good & clear there were however some peaks in the treble which felt fatiguing specially in tracks like "California - Joni Mitchell" or "Rickover's dream - Michael Hedges" .

The SOUNDSTAGE:

Soundstage is above average if amped adequately and is great for this price range.

Imaging & Timbre:

While the imaging was good and the direction of the instruments could be clearly identified... when it came to Timbre... it seemed rather flat and lacking texture and layers

Conclusion:

I've found the BQEYZ Summer to be quite good when paired with a good upgrade cable and proper amping. While pairing with the IFI IDSD Black Label the peaks in the treble region seemed minimized and it was quite enjoyable and musical.

Introduction

The BQEYZ brand from Dongguan (China) continues to iterate its triple hybrid model. This time, it's time to move to the summer season. This is the name of this new model: BQEYZ Summer. The external differences are obvious: compared to the Spring models, they have moved from a metal capsule to one made of resin, which weighs only 4.2 grams. Internally, three different drivers are still used: a 13mm dynamic driver, whose diaphragm is made of a PU+LCP composite material. A second-generation BA driver, redesigned exclusively for this model, provides a greater sense of air, more clarity in vocals and acoustic development, as well as a larger soundstage. Last but not least, the piezo unit has 5 layers, which are intended to make the sound free of undesirable sibilance and improve the level of resolution. Finally, the Summer comes with a new 8-strand cable, consisting of 0.08x18 cores of silver-plated monocrystalline copper wire.
In the following review we will see how all these new improvements help this new model in its main function, which is to play music in the best possible way.



Specifications

• Driver Type: 1 x 13mm coaxial dynamic driver, 1 x 5-layer piezoelectric driver, 1 x balanced armature driver.
• Frequency Response: 7Hz-40kHz
• Sensitivity: 107dB
• Impedance: 32Ω
• Jack Connector: Choice of 2.5mm/3.5mm/4.4mm
• Cartridge connection type: 2Pin 0.78mm
• Cable length: 1.2m

Packaging

The BQEYZ Summer comes in a clear blue box, dimensions 167x103x56mm. The main face is very simple, in the centre is the word "SUMMER", in partly white and very clear blue letters. At the top left is the brand name, in a smaller, white font. On the back are the specifications, in Chinese and English, the contents and address of the headquarters, as well as their e-mail address. After removing the cardboard, a black box, with a silver brand logo in the centre, is visible. After lifting the lid, as if it were a book, you can read the phrase "Best Quality Earphone for You" on the back, a phrase that makes up most of the brand's acronym. On the right side of the case is a cardboard insert, repeating the name of the model and the brand, which also contains a small window at the top, allowing the blue capsules to be seen. Underneath is a square, grey, zippered case with the logo in the centre. It appears to be made of imitation leather, which is very pleasant to the touch. The capsules are encased in a foam mould and underneath are two sets of silicone tips, among other things. Inside the case are the rest of the accessories. In summary, the complete contents are as follows:

• The 2 capsules.
• 1 2Pin 0.78mm 8-strand cable, consisting of 0.08x18 cores of silver-plated monocrystalline copper wire, with 2.5mm balanced connector.
• 1 zippered case.
• Cleaning brush.
• 1 set of clear silicone tips and blue core, sizes, SxMxL.
• 1 set of black silicone tips and blue core, sizes, SxMxL.
• Warranty certificate.
• Instruction manual.

The relatively tall, square case is perfect for storing the product, as the cable is a little thick and a smaller case would complicate the storage operation. The cleaning brush is appreciated, as are the two sets of tips, although some foam tips are missing.
On the other hand, the possibility to choose between 2.5mm/4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm SE connectors is a detail that should be a general trend in all IEMS, as balanced output is becoming more and more popular among sources.



Construction and Design

The Summer can be chosen in two colours, black and blue. You can also choose between the three cable types 2.5mm/3.5mm/4.4mm. The connection of the capsules is 2Pin 0.78mm. This time, they are made of translucent, skin-friendly resin. Each capsule weighs only 4.2 grams. The outer face has a wave pattern. Through it you can see inside, the dynamic driver and its connections. The shape of this side does not have the classic almond-shaped silhouette, but has two subtle vertices. The maximum width is less than 23mm and the height is less than 17mm. As for the thickness, at the lower level it is no more than 14mm and with the complete mouthpiece it is 23mm. The inner side has a protuberance at one end, which serves as an anchor for the upper part of the ear. Near it, there is a small indentation with a hole. Near the base of the mouthpiece, there is another hole. The mouthpiece is made of metal and has three distinct parts. The total length is 5.5mm. Its base has a diameter of 7.4mm, the central part of 5.2 and the crown of 5.80mm. The inside is protected by a perforated metal grid. They are extremely light at 4.2 grams and there are no noticeable flaws in their construction. On the rim of the right capsule you can read "Summer" and on the left "BQEYZ".
The cable consists of 8 strands, and is composed of 0.08x18 cores of silver-plated monocrystalline copper wire. They have an ear-shaped sheath, 2Pin 0.78mm connectors. The metal parts of the cable, connector sleeves, splitter piece and pin are of a shiny silver colour, which has a micro roughness. The sleeves have a cylindrical shape, which narrows in the middle. On the 2Pin connectors, there are letters R and L to identify each channel. The cable is relatively thick, but is flexible and has a low stiffness. The pin fits well and stays in place tightly. There is a Velcro strap for tucking it away. The cable doesn't seem to need to be replaced and I find it appropriate for the price and quality. Also, due to the Summer's profile, I find it appropriate that it is silver plated, with the intention of improving the clarity of the sound.
The capsules, now in resin, are inevitably less striking and elegant than those of the Spring models. In this respect, I have no complaints about the construction, but metal is always tougher. And although the shape is nice, I find this new model less attractive.



Adjustment and Ergonomics

However, the Summer's ergonomics are superior. Their minimal weight and precise fit mean that they do not move or rotate, producing an excellent fit. However, it should be noted that the thickness of their mouthpieces may be more critical for those with a narrow ear canal. This is not my case, but quite the opposite. Thus, the insertion can be shallow to medium, depending on the tips used. The isolation will depend on the chosen set, but basically, it is quite good.
The cable is comfortable and the over-ear guide does not bother. There is no microphony and the weight of the set is good.
In this sense, this section is superior to previous models.



Sound

Profile

The profile of the BQEYZ Summer could be fitted into a soft crescent W. It has a linear, slightly emphasised bass, with a slightly recessed and balanced first half in the middle, where the second half rises gently to gain clarity. Finally, the now typical flash produced by the piezoelectric driver. It is true that my measurement system generates a resonance peak around 8kHz, but it is clear that this effect is "helped" by this driver, as it happened in the Spring models. The result is a slightly polarised profile, although more vivid than the previous Spring models, where the bass is more striking and the clarity also feels improved.



Bass

The feeling is that the bass is quite linear, from the sub-bass to the mid-bass, with a good extension towards the mids, due to its moderate roll-off. Although the sub-bass is quite audible at the start, it doesn't feel as deep and there is a slightly higher intensity in the mid-bass. Thus, the range has a predominance that can become clear in bass-heavy genres. However, I don't think that the BQEYZ can fall into bass-heavy territory. The definition is quite good, even their punch has a good amount of energy and power. Its texture is relatively smooth, there isn't much descriptive ability and perhaps this is the negative point of the equation, which limits the appeal of a zone that doesn't quite have the punch to grab a bass lover like me, although the effort made with respect to its previous model, in providing a richer and more influential range in the sound, is much appreciated.
If one continues with the technical aspects of the lower range, one can comment that in terms of speed they are remarkable, with a decay to match. The result is a rather dry stroke, as I said, with a good dose of power and air movement, but somewhat bland in its execution. Perhaps, too, its good accuracy and resolving ability detracts from its power of surprise or that more raw character I sometimes look for. But there is no denying that the zone is very capable, skilful in the recreation of planes and in the execution of notes, perhaps more to the audiophile taste, though clearly vitaminised.



Mids

The mid-range is slightly warm and drags some weight from the lower area, due to the fact that the transition is quite smooth. In this way, both the percussions and the bass guitars have an important presence and body, even more so than the male voices. As a result, in this first half, the instrumentation receives a favourable treatment over other elements.
The presentation of the area persists in that idea of softness and calmness, characteristic of the Spring model. But there is certainly an improvement in clarity, detail, dynamics and vibrancy, thanks to a slight emphasis on some key points in the upper mids. This slight breeze adds a superior benefit to the range, bringing a subtly brighter and more cheerful edge, reviving the mids and moving them away from the neutrality, flatness and a certain apathy of the previous model, though without being definitive. Moreover, thanks to this boost, the female voices stand out in presence, but without sounding persistent or sibilant, always within that safe margin.
Although this phase is perceived as quite complete, it is not dense, overwhelming or characterised by too much information. In this sense, the profile remains pleasant and musical, without being demanding on the listener or overwhelming him with an overexposure of details and nuances. It is clear that restraint continues to predominate, making these monitors very suitable for long, relaxed listening.
The timbre is maintained in a neutrality that leans towards warmth, where the tone is presented as faintly dark. It's curious, because I associate Spring and Summer with light and brightness, while I perceive both models more as a sunset or a change towards autumn.
The definition is high, without this quantity implying an analytical sound. Although it is true that, along with the remarkable level of resolution and the new sparkle, there is a slight perception of a more defined and technical sound. In contrast, the texture is smoother and less descriptive, with hardly any roughness in the vocals, something that detracts from the mid-range's appeal, losing punch and soul.



Treble

The high end of the Summer has two faces, the friendly and the insolent. The piezo driver continues to play this double game when it suits it best. To begin with, these IEMS are not eminently sharp, especially in the first part. However, it is true that there are some more penetrating phases, which provide that rebellious tone, non-existent in the previous ranges. This rebelliousness is not always well understood, even though its intentions are good, sometimes it is slightly incongruous. Most of the time, gentleness predominates and the treble sounds delicate, fine, subtle, fast, defined, even quite well extended, without sounding overemphasised or overexposed.
Despite all this, it cannot be denied that its sonority remains particular and one feels that its provenance gives it that distinctive nature, which adds a generally superior quality. It doesn't need to elevate its presence above everything else to stand out in terms of definition and resolution, without completely losing its naturalness. It seems that the piezo driver is becoming more refined, especially in many areas of its timbre and tonality.



Soundstage, Separation

Perhaps one of the most improved aspects of this new model is the soundstage. In addition to the traditional width, a more pronounced lateral sensation has been added, capable of extending the sound in a more semicircular, or even superior, manner. In this way, both the instruments and the voices, especially the female voices, are able to occupy a large part of the stage, covering both the side areas and the zenithal positions, giving it an immersive character, and also providing it with a good height and presence in the upper area. It is thus possible to achieve a sensation of incipient three-dimensionality, which lacks a point of greater depth to generate a more complete semispherical dome.
However, the separation is not on a par with the scene, perhaps betrayed by homogeneity, balance or the lack of greater dynamics in the sound. Despite the good level of detail and resolution, in the distance between elements, there is not enough space to distinguish the darkness from the silence or the transparency of the tiniest micro details or nuances, remaining at a level more remarkable than superior.



Comparisons

BQEYZ Spring II

Starting with the obvious, the capsules of the Spring IIs are smaller, in the shape of their outer face, and also slightly less bulky. It is clear that the metal construction outweighs the durability of resin, although the weight is higher. The Summer's anchorage makes its fit more durable and its ergonomics fit the anatomy of the ears better.
The Spring II's wire is 4-strand copper, while the Summer's wire is 8-strand silver-plated. The copper wire is subtly stiffer, with a slightly greater tendency to take shape. The connectors and sleeves are the same, the difference is in the pin.
The Spring IIs are more sensitive and that's something you notice - you get more volume for the same power.
Sonically, the new Summer has a more emphasised low end, which is comparatively unbalanced compared to the homogeneous mid-range of the Spring IIs. In the old model the vocals remain more prominent than the bass. In the new Summer, the low end dominates the vocals. Their more powerful sub-bass gives them a different warmth, as well as a higher fun factor. However, if you prefer more prominent vocals, you'll have to turn to the Spring IIs, basically because of the bass' greater respect for their presence. But going back to the low end, in addition to a lower incidence, the bass is slower in the Spring IIs. Both their power and ability to move air is lower, and that lower impact also reduces their texture, making them feel smoother. The Summer has the ability to make the bass rumble in our ears, a sensation that is reduced with the Spring IIs. At first glance, one might think that the technique falls on the side of the previous model. But with the Summer, you don't feel a loss of resolution or definition, as the higher speed and decay contribute to the sonic improvement of this range.
The mid-range of the Spring IIs, although more balanced in sound, feels a little more backward. In my opinion, there is a slight perception of a comparative veil, which in the Summer has disappeared, mainly thanks to the greater sparkle in the upper mids. Now, the voices are more dynamic, even that more light, brings their presence and details closer. On the Spring IIs, they feel denser and wider, but also more opaque and somewhat darker. Although they sound thinner on the Summer, they definitely have a more realistic timbre, as well as being more vivid and clear, with more air and clarity, which is a step forward in this new model. With the midrange instrumentation, it's much the same, although it's not always so obvious. The greater density and more muted sound can benefit some genres or songs. But the Summer's superior sparkle, combined with its greater clarity and transparency, gains in dynamics, nuance and brightness, something that moves the sound of this new model away from the flatness and greater apathy of its predecessor.
The treble starts in the same vein. Whereas in the Spring IIs they feel more nuanced and soft, as if displaced, in the Summer they have a more real colour, with a more accurate timbre. Again, the dynamics are superior, even the speed. In this way, the tone is more in tune with reality, without the silkier patina of the Spring IIs. The Summer's treble is sharper, rising higher, with an improved verve, again giving it that extra edge in the enjoyment factor. It's true that the area is more secure on the Spring II, but, again, it's haunted by that more boring, dull tendency that, thankfully, has disappeared on the Summer.
The Spring II scene is more like a homogeneous, continuous wall, set in the middle distance. The Summer sounds more splashy and its greater dynamics give it a more agile sound, where the movement translates into a sense of greater freedom, which expands the music in all directions. There is no longer that mutual anchorage between all the elements of the Spring IIs, but more space and transparency in Summer. The result is a larger, more ethereal, more three-dimensional scene, as opposed to the flatter, more compact width of the Spring IIs. Likewise, details are more easily distinguishable, thanks to the more explicit detail in the Summer.



NF Audio NM2

The NM2s are one of my references in the $100 range, and NF Audio has been able to extract a lot of potential from their dynamic drivers. This time, it's their turn to take on a triple hybrid driver. And the first thing you notice about the NM2s is their enormous sensitivity, they move very easily, bringing a sense of power superior to the Summer. As for their profile, the NM2s have a more pronounced W, with an even more powerful bass and a more noticeable upper-mid range, where the treble feels more explicit. However, no one should see the bass power of the NM2s as a drop in quality, because that is not the case. The NM2s have more impact, a clear and rough texture, a thunderous tremble, a very deep sub-bass and a lot of energy. Technically, it seems unlikely that they would perform as well as the Summer, but they do. What more could you ask for? On the bass side, little else.
The midrange of the NM2s is more recessed, due to the polarisation and higher emphasis, in the adjoining ranges. The female voices, though, feel close, but thinner, less complete and with a sharper timbre than in the Summer. The BQEYZ come across as flatter and wider, with a fainter light, but more homogeneous. It is clear that they sound smoother and quieter, with a better blend between the elements of this midrange. They also offer a larger and more compact body. Meanwhile, the NM2s feel more uneven, as if the V feels sharper: on the one hand, the power of the low end can overpower the upper midrange. On the other, the high mids can make the details more perceptible than the fundamental of the notes. In this way, the Summer, with its greater calmness and gentleness, presents a more balanced, pleasant and rounder zone.
In the upper part of the NM2s everything is more blatant and present, the difference in brightness is very clear and explicit. This makes the sound feel sharper, crisper and brighter. But, technically, the treble on the Summer is quite good, even if it does feel quiet and smooth. The only downside is their rebellious side, something the NM2s don't have, being more coherent with their more prominent and extended presentation, especially in the first half.
The more polarised and energetic sound of the NM2s makes them more fun for short listens. Meanwhile, the Summer allows for longer listening, thanks to its friendlier and less penetrating treble. But, of course, this will also depend on individual tastes.
The NM2s offer more explicit detail, but at the level of micro nuances, there is little difference, being at a similar level. They seem more dynamic, something that gives a sense of greater separation, as their notes seem sharper and more isolated. But the stage is slightly superior on the Summer, with that more ethereal, vaporous, three-dimensional feel more perceptible.
In terms of construction, both are similar, made of translucent resin. The NM2s have a more streamlined shape, but lack the Summer's anchorage. Thus, the NM2s can rotate slightly inside the ears. The insertion is very similar and except for the above detail, the fit is similar, as is the feeling of isolation. The difference may be in the diameter of the nozzles, which is larger in the Summer, something that may be noticed by those with a narrower ear canal.
Overall, compared to the larger IEMS, the BQEYZ Summer is a winner, providing different skills and very good qualities that surpass, in some respects, the NM2.



Conclusion

BQEYZ has improved practically every aspect of the sound in this new model. Starting with a subtle variation in the tuning, which seeks a greater enjoyment factor, but without falling into a classical tendency and without losing the personality of their previous models, the Summer's enhance those fragile points, which previously hindered the quality of the Spring models. With more emphasis on the low end and high mids, the sound has gained in dynamics and speed, but also in stage and three-dimensionality. In addition, the aesthetic changes are noticeable: the capsules switch from metal to resin, gaining in lightness, but losing in durability. And in the cable, silver replaces copper and the number of strands is doubled, even improving flexibility and reducing rigidity. There is no doubt that BQEYZ has made some concessions, but with the idea of improving the most important thing: the sound. The best thing is that it succeeds.



Sources Used During the Analysis

• Xuelin H7
• S.M.S.L Sanskrit 10th MKII + iFi ZEN CAN
• Earmen Sparrow
• Hiby R3 Pro
• Hidizs DH80S

Ratings

• Construction and Design: 84
• Adjustment/Ergonomics: 91
• Accessories: 70
• Bass: 86
• Mids: 88
• Treble: 84
• Separation: 85
• Soundstage: 90
• Quality/Price: 88

You can read the full review in Spanish here:

https://hiendportable.com/2021/05/02/bqeyz-summer-review/

Hi, you can call me is Berry White and im a new audio gear reviewer but has a quite a lengthy exposure on these kind of gear for a long time mainly for leisure and video editing.

I am not paid nor have any affiliations with BQEYZ but was lucky enough to be sent with both Spring 1 and Summer. I also own a Spring 2 to compare it with.

Im not gonna dwell mostly on the unboxing and specifications which are typically found on the internet and I would like to save them for my Youtube chanel which should be more informative.

I will focus mainly on my impressions instead and will do my best to be transparent and just in every way possible.

Summer is yet another budget tribrid set up from BQEYZ Flagship line. Uses 5 Layers of Piezoelectric + 13mm PU LCP Soft Diaphragm DD and a custom tuned BA, quite affordable for that set up, right?

Warm and clear just like the beaches you imagine. Sounds like the biggest party I remember. Fun sounding and still has a sense of being technical. Initially was impressed with how the bass responses to low frequencies. Its soft diaphragm does all the magic specially to Aimer's Even Heaven and Mercury: Retrogade by Ghostmane, 2 of the most insane bass tracks I have for testing. It smoothens the bass lines which can not be done by most IEMs in the market, at least in the ones I have.

Next thing that blew me off was the soundstage, to me it was wide and I even recall KC2 for being holographic. Spatial pannings are excellent and the imaging is well implemented by having quite accurate placing with a generous amount of distance between instruments. Timbre is quite good too specially with its good amount of treble extensions too.

Mids on the other hand showed potential even though for me it felt U or mildly V Shaped, they still managed to keep the mids on an acceptable level. Was able to pull off Stonesour, Suede, Robert Plant and even some newer artists like Adelle and Billie Eilish who doesn't use autotunes. But to me having a preference for mid centric to bright neutralish IEMs it felt that it lacks quantity or texture, do not get me wrong, Summer is excellently tuned but just didn't quite fit my genres and preference specially on the mids section.

To compare it with:
Spring 2 is neutral-bright and can be very clinical for its micro details which I use very well in editing videos

Spring 1 is quite balanced and has great Mids texture. Specially with a little bit of push using 4.4 balanced output, shows that it can hold more power into it while being a bit warm.

Pie Audio DR2 simply for the bass and soundstage initial reaction but Summer is far better considering its tribrid set up.

Toneking T4 all BA but has a great tonality. Fitting of T4 was superb to my ears comparing with Summer. Tuning in comparuson is night and day being bright and warm.

QoA Adonis same U or mild V shaped tuning with Summer although Adonis had better mids, better rumble and better timbre. Considering the price difference Adonis should win, although im holding some reservations as Adonis is notorious of having driver flexes and can not hold more power as it gets distorted and Summer on the other hand should be able to handle more power as its spring sisters.


My take...Im not really a basshead but I'm actually pleased by this on some tracks that does not require much bass like Lailakomo, View from the afternoon, and some Up Dharma Down tracks. It also showed excellent performance on the Hotel California Hell Freezes over album. Went well too on Leprous, but still lacked shimmer for me though im sure for the younger generations who enjoys jpop, kpop, hiphop, and edm Summer will most definitely prevail.

Gave it 4 stars cause of the fact that it's still a great IEM but was just not for my genres.

Disclaimer:

I would like to thank Ms. Elle Zhou and BQEYZ for providing a review unit of the Summer. Rest assured that my impressions written in this review are my own personal thoughts and opinions and in no way influenced by outside parties.

I am not an expert in this hobby nor claim to be an audiophile. I just love listening to music and am fond of writing articles.


Introduction:

BQEYZ. Best Quality Earphone for You, Zhou (family name of tuner/owner). They’re one of the rare Chi-Fi companies that dedicate time-and-effort for each product that they produce, prioritizing “Research & Development” unlike other companies that release IEMs each and every month for the whole year. Their pace for releasing new products is about 1-2 new IEMs a year. I praise BQEYZ as a company for this act which goes to show that they put first and foremost the satisfaction that their quality IEMs will bring to their customers ahead of other goals. The BQEYZ Summer, a tri-brid IEM with a 13mm coaxial DD, custom BA unit (2nd generation), and a 5-layer piezoelectric driver, all for 129 USD. It is available in black (closer to violet) and blue (like sky), with options for either a 2.5mm, 3.5mm, or 4.4mm stock cable (0.78mm, 2-pin). This is the “second act” of the BQEYZ Seasons series, following the Spring 1 & 2. Will the BQEYZ Summer bring forth warmth to the hearts of its listeners or will it just be too hot to handle?


These were plugged to my iPhone 5s with the SD01 amplifier for the review. As per Ms. Elle Zhou, the Summer is easy-to-drive at 32 ohms of impedance with a sensitivity of 107 dB. I can happily say that this is true and a typical phone should be enough for the listener to enjoy the Summer with 1 Vrms @ 32 ohm and headroom to go louder, though even a cheap external amplifier like the SD01 brings slight improvements to the SQ.







Build and Comfort: Two-piece resin (faceplate & body). It’s light yet feels solid on hand. I got mine in the black colorway, which is closer to violet, really. It’s hard to capture in pictures, but the faceplate has some sort of glittery stuff in it. Pictures don’t really capture it’s beauty, as it’s very captivating in real life. Size is “normal” and shouldn’t be a problem for most ears (has a fin, to note). Nozzle (on the bigger side) is angled and is of the shallow-fitting type for my ear, thus it does not provide the best passive isolation. It also has a total of three vents, so yep… isolation bye-bye. A big pro for me, personally speaking as I prefer non-isolating pairs and value awareness of my surroundings.




Package: Two sets of tips (3 pairs each). Paperwork. QC certificate. Hard case (BQEYZ-branded). Cleaning brush. 8-core cable advertised as SPC, single-crystal copper.


Now, onto sound:

For this review, the IEM was left in stock mode, without mods other than going two-sizes up than usual with the clear, blue stem tips. I don’t prefer the grey tips as they have too relaxed midrange and treble for me. The clear tips have punchier bass and bring more presence to the midrange and treble region.

I can’t emphasize enough that this review was done in stock form. I included a part in the end concerning the changes I made which may “trigger” a few people.

----------

Bass:

Of the warmer side, with minimal sub-bass, having a satisfying weight to kicks and a slight bleed in EDM drops.




Midrange:

The midrange of the BQEYZ Summer is characterized by a relatively relaxed upper midrange, with vocals being presented in a natural and clear manner with a bit of warmth to it, weighty note delivery, and non-existence of sibilance even in badly-recorded tracks. Jacob Collier’s voice sounds amazing in these. Rhythm guitars have really nice heft, though the lead guitar leaves me wanting for more aggressiveness/bite and presence. I can go at least 9 hours straight without experiencing ear fatigue thanks to the tuning at my normal listening volume (low-medium). There was a moment where I even fell asleep while listening to the Summer without noticing .




Treble:

Treble is tuned like it’s a-step-and-a-half away from being considered bright. There is no pierce or peakiness in ear heard, for me. It is also very fast, controlled and has enough sparkle and presence for a musical experience. I would’ve wanted more “air” and “brilliance” with the piezo driver but I guess that wouldn’t have fit the “Summer” theme? Weirdest region of the Summer, as sometimes it sounds relaxed, while other times it’s very energetic.




----------

Timbre: This is the first IEM I’ve listened to that has a driver type other than a dynamic. No metallic midrange whatsoever and strings don’t sound weird for me.

Soundstage, Imaging, and Separation: One of the best aspects of the Summer. No dimension is lacking, and with the accurate imaging and excellent separation, it can handle any track not named EDM (due to the bleed and decay) ichikoro’s Q never sounded congested and instruments had a place of their own and never went over each other.

Detail-retrieval: With the IEM not being tuned to be analytical and having emphasized bass, the good thing is that you still hear detail thanks to the speed of the BA and piezo handling the midrange and treble respectively. For example, in MCR’s Welcome to the Black Parade intro, there’s a very subtle ticking clock that is heard with the Summer. However, in other songs, the bass decay counters this quality of the Summer. Detail-retrieval would be track-dependent to show full potential of the BA and piezo. The good thing is that I don’t usually listen to EDM and bass-heavy tracks

----------

This next part is important as this changes the Summer from 3.5/5 to a 4.5/5. Rated it at 4/5 for this review as the average of the scores. CAUTION: Not for everyone! TRIGGER WARNING IN 3, 2, 1…


Conclusion:

When I approached Ms. Elle Zhou regarding a review unit of a BQEYZ product, I told her that I would be delighted to try out the KC2, which has seen a resurgence in hype among multiple FB communities, lauded as arguably the best price-to-performance IEM under 40 USD, competing with 100 USD IEMs. The BQEYZ Summer sounds like a solid, all-mahogany, dreadnought, acoustic guitar – pleasing, inoffensive, and full-bodied. Makes sense as this accurately represents the season it was named after. The Summer would have been a perfectly tuned IEM in a sense if it had faster bass decay, more upper midrange presence, and a bit more air on top. Good thing there’s the TRN T2 cable for that


UPDATE: Use double-flange eartips and thank me later. Never go wide-bore as it lets through a significant peak in the treble region.

Hello mates and welcome to another review of an IEM that I've been interested and looking forward since it was announced a few weeks ago. I know that you are familar about BQEYZ products in Head-fi as I review their previous offerings like the resurgent popularity of their good old KC2 and their widely acclaimed Spring 2 as I give them a positive rating and highly regarded on their product offerings due to their build quality and mature audiophiliac tuning. As I have patiently waiting the release of this particular product from them and now I have obtain it and very excited to use them and listen to some of my favourite tracks. Now that I will share some of my subjective insights on this product.



I'm here proudly to introduce their latest product, The BQEYZ Summer. As we know that their previous series were named after a type of season which is Spring and now we have the Summer. It seems that they do name their flagship product line based on seasons, maybe we will expect a Winter or Autumn on their upcoming, future products. We know that BQEYZ is a well-respected Chi-fi brand that gain a good reputation and admiration from audio enthusiast forums due their build quality, a different approach on their implementation of driver in their product like tri-brid which is unusual and very few Chi-fi companies implement them and you can only find them on from top-of-the-line audio brands and outstanding mature tuning but I digress.


Anyways, let's go back to BQEYZ Summer IEM, This set is tri-brid driver consists of their custom BA, a new 13mm DD tech consists of polyurethane (PU) diaphragm and liquid crystal polymer (LCP) film and a new improved 5-layered Piezoelectric driver. This set-up is also found on its previous predecessors like Spring 1 and Spring 2 but this one is tune differently compare to its Spring cousins.
The new 13mm DD is quite interesting as these new material promises a faster bass transient, reduces excess vibration, improving signal process fidelity to be more sound natural and dynamic on both lows and mids, better rigid structural yet less weight. Then the custom BA by BQEYZ and the Piezo are both working in tandem to deliver a transparent, bright, cleaner responses on upper mids and treble. The current price offering of BQEYZ Summer is US$ 129.00 in online stores.



The Summer IEM shell is made of translucent and opaque high quality resin with some small amount of glitters that is robust yet very light. This is the lightest and less chunky shell among the BQEYZ products which is quite suprising on their decision to go in this direction, from premium looking, thick-shelled CNC-milled aluminium to feather weighted, minimalist design resin shell. This IEM has two colour options to choose from, the smoky black one and light blue one. The nozzle of this IEM has average length made of silver coloured brass and its fitting is deep enough and it is very cosy and comfortable to my ears as it sealed well on the outer ear canal which benefit for slight better sound isolation from external noise in the surrounding. As I observe this IEM, I found that it has a 3 pinhole-size vents on it for releasing air pressure from the inside.



The packaging of The Summer comes with medium-size, grayish sky blue cardboard box with small print of BQEYZ in top-left and a medium-size print "Summer" at the center. The contents inside are a pair of the IEMs, a high quality 8-core single crystal SPC white cable, 6 pairs of black and white silicon eartips in three standard sizes and all them are atmospheric eartips that you will found from their previous flagships ( The metal plate eartips organizer is not there anymore), a medium-size grey IEM leatherette case ( quite a downsize from Spring 2's leatherette case), a small brush for cleaning the nozzles, a velcro cable cable lace and some paperworks like warranty card and simple instruction manual.



The stock cable of Summer feels very premium to touch as it is very supple and soft in my hand. It doesnt entangled and very sturdy for daily usage and longevity.



The scalability of the Summer is very easy to drive and adequate enough as it has an average impedance rating of 32Ω and high sensitivity rating that can be driven through low powered source such as smartphones, tablets, PC and laptop though it will be more benefited on high quality hi-fi DACs and amp as it will show its true potential.



The Summer has balanced, mild U-shape tonality with elevated and enhanced bass , balanced to linear mids and some lift and emphasis in treble.



And now, I'll describe the sound characteristics of each audio frequency range based on my hearing perception.

LOWS/BASS:

I describe the bass of this one as very punchy and has well-defined power. It has precision, impact and intensity as it reveal the depth extension on its sub-bass which shows ardently slam and definitive roll and rumble. The midbass quantity has a thick density as it is still sounds balanced as it tends to avoid on being overly excessive that it might bleed on the mids. The bass kicks sounds life-like, pounding and sustaining while bass guitar sounds attested to its tune as it show its broady and resonant nature especially on fretless, tapping, slapping and picking techniques in rock and metal tracks. Bassheads will definitely love the bass quality of this one as it engaging and impactful.

MIDS:

The mids are slightly recess on this one but it is still deliver a forward, clean and still retain its linearity with some warmth on it. The texture density of vocals are on average quantity as both male and female will have different outcome based on their vocal range capacity. The male vocals are a little bit overshadowed compare to the females as the latter taken the advantage technicality due to some emphasis on the upper mids. The male vocals are more on a leaner side and in between or eclipsed in some tracks that percussive and rhythm instruments are more prominent but still retains its resolving details and clarity that harmoniously mix well on the track. The female vocals are more lively and transparent as it show more details and etherealness in the mix. I feel the particularity of high octave vocal range as sonorous and resounding. The rhythm and percussions instrument are even more eminent and distinguishable as I feel the snares hits very intimate and natural. The guitars (both electric and acoustic) sounds more refined and crunchy with tons of detail and air on it as I hear it more convincing toward natural. The piano keys sounds rounded and pleasant. The BQEYZ Summer somehow deliver decent quality on mid segment as it still retain its smooth and precisely characteristic.

HIGHS/TREBLE:

The treble quality of this one is leaning towards bright but somehow I felt some smoothen part (toning down some peaks) somewhere in presence sector on treble region just to avoid the harshness and sibilance. Despite of some soft refining on upper mids/lower treble, it still has that sparkle, clarity and show some good amount of detail retrieval. It still has an airiness and a good extension as I still hear that quality of cymbals strikes as it is convincing to be a natural sounding, snappy as tersive and has that speedy transcient.This will be have a good rating or passable mark by trebleheads and enough to be appreciated by treble-sensitives who still look for a good treble quality in their tracks but still depends on their tolerance.


SOUNDSTAGE AND IMAGING:

This is truly one of the strongest points of Summer. It has that expansive wideness and depth of soundstage as if you will feel that you're in big concert hall ( they are even wider than KC2 and Spring 2). The imaging is superb and highly commedable on this one as I can hear it clearly and accurately to determine the directional panning and dynamic signals, pinpointing the placement of instruments and vocals and sensing the spacing and separation on each instrument and the layering is even precise and detailed in each row. This kind of representation on this technicality give me some spacious, 3d-holographic feel vibe.

As I put my verdict here, BQEYZ Summer offers a different tonality flavour compare to its predecessors, This is indeed very impressive on their part despite of almost the same tri-brid set-up from their previous flagships, BQEYZ managed to overhaul on it to sound distinctly and have a contrasting tonal character. If your looking for a set that is fun and musical tuning then this is what you are looking for. A high-end balanced sounding IEM at affordable and decent price.



P.S.

I am not affliated to BQEYZ nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.

Once again, I would like to thank Elle Zhou for providing this review unit, I truly appreciate on her generosity towards me and other reviewers.

**Note: Changing eartips (from "Atmospheric"(Bassy) stock tips to "Reference"(Vocal tips that was included in Spring 2 but surprising absent on the Summer's included accessories )do some rectification to have some modest improvement on mids **



SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: BQEYZ SUMMER
DYNAMIC DRIVER: 13MM
IMPEDANCE: 32Ω
SENSITIVITY: 107dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 7-40KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.2M
PIN TYPE: 0.78MM 2-PIN CONNECTOR
PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm /2.5mm/4.4mm
DRIVER UNITS: 13MM COAXIAL DYNAMIC DRIVER + 5-LAYERED PIEZO ELECTRIC + CUSTOM BALANCED ARMATURE