INTRO:-
Nguyen Customs, the Vietnamese IEM maker has made a different name for itself within the community, they have their NCM NC5 v2 and NCM Bella leading the way for them, but they have full array of earphones, starting from single BA NC-1 to 9 driver hybrid systems the Bellas, Bellas as there is the new Bella V2, which differs to the V1 with a slightly different tuning and changes to the build.
The Bella V2 is available in both custom and universal shells, prices for both options is exactly same at $1099, both can be ordered with customizable shells colors and back plates.
The Bella houses 9 drivers for the heavy lifting, one 10mm dynamic driver takes care of the bass and 8ba drivers for mids and highs in a 4way crossover setup channeled through 3 stainless steel bores.
Being the Flagship the Bella bears the performance pressure, specially from the likes of other flagships. What I am going to compare the Bella with The Hyla TE-5B and the Shozy Pola.
Contact here to place an order for the Bella V2:-
info@nguyencustoms.com
ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING:-
The Bella V2 comes in a pelican style hard sided large carry case. Perfect for performers or those who travel a lot. There is zipper case stuck to the upper flap with the help of Velcro strap. It’s a very good arrangement as everything can be kept in that pouch. Things you can find the box are 4 pairs of ear tips of various types, a wax pick, draw string carry pouch, a 6.5mm adapter, leather cable tie and silica gel.
Keeping all the things in the pouch keeps the arrangement clean.
BUILD QUALITY:-
I find the build quality of the Bella V2 to be very solid. It looks sturdy and durable. The NC5 v2 I had reviewed earlier had slightly inferior build. The shell of the Bella V2 looks stronger and more sturdy. The back plate is nicely fused into the body. Unless you decide to use extensive force, the Bella V2 won't break.
The clear shell of my unit shows plenty of details of the internals. There are 3 stainless steel bores, one for the dynamic driver, one for mid range and one for treble. There is a bass vent for the DD. The vent is smaller than the NC5 V2. the nozzle is longer and it doesn’t feel shallow, giving it a more secure fit.
Even if you order universal shell, one can customize the shell color, faceplate color and faceplate design. One can even get a 2.5mm cable instead of the stock 3.5mm cable if willing to spend some more.
CABLE:-
I opted for the 2.5mm cable instead of the stock 3.5mm cable. The 2.5mm cable is of average quality. It is 4 core copper cable. Its supple, doesn’t bouce and doesn’t have much memory of its own. there is no cable guide of any type. There is little to no microphonics to worry about.
The 2pin socket and 3.5mm jack look strong and the wooden cable slider adds some character to it.
I am slightly disappointed with this cable. It is a $1000+ earphone after all, and the cable is equal to something one can buy for as much as $30. A bit more premium cable will add class to the Bella V2.
COMFORT, ERGONOMICS AND SEAL :-
The Bella V2 with its wide and longer nozzle is fairly comfortable in the ear thanks to its ergonomics. It is more ergonomic compared to the Hyla TE-5B and Shozy Pola. The shells get nice traction inside the ear and feels sturdy.
The housing is big, and it has a fair reason to be big, there are 9 drivers inside it but it's not uncomfortable.
Bella V2 seals very well with silicone tips and is very good with foam tips.
CAUTION:- don’t use earphones where you have to be aware of your surroundings like driving and walking on the road, stay home and enjoy your music or at gym.
SOUND QUALITY:-
The official word sets the V1 apart from the V2 with a few mm longer nozzle, less prominent bass presence, more forward mid and treble with a slightly smaller stage size.
What I can tell you that the V2 has loads and loads of details, its has oodles of details and some more. A month ago I had a chance to spend some time with the Lime ears Model X, which is in the same price bracket. The model X was good, the tonality and everything was fantastic but the level of details and treble extension fell considerably short when compared to the Bella V2.
The tonality of the Bella V2 is fairly neutral. There is some brightness to it, but that’s it. The overall tonality is very true to the characters. there is little to no coloration.
With a nominal impedance of 31ohm at 1k, it can be driven out of a mobile device but not to its fullest, a DAP will do justice to the Bella V2.
I have burned the V2 for more than 150 hours, and is using the Plenue R for this review.
BASS:-
The Bass region is very well defined and paced with plenty of precision and details, it has good amount of energy to the notes and has more body to it when compared to the Fibae 3.
The Bella V2 uses a dedicated dynamic driver for bass. Thanks to the dynamic driver, the bella has better bass presence compared to typical BA based earphones, like EM-5H or AF1120.
The V2 move good amount of air and the slam is accurate, the bass body is nicely rounded and delivers a fuller notes. When compared to the likes of Ee Bravado the Bella V2 feels more balanced and much more detailed.
The bass of the Bella V2 is very accurate, one of the most accurate I have ever seen in long long time. Its not overly excited as the Hyla 5B or as flat as the EM-5H. It manages to strike a very good balance between being flat and being over exaggerated. The Sub-bass has acceptable amount of reach, not as deep as the Model X but as good as the 5H. The best part is the decay, I love the decay of the V2. It is one of the most accurate IEMs when it comes to decay. It neither let the speed to be a bit too slow to make it sound heavy nor lets the bass note vanish into thin air like the audiofly AF1120.
Mid bass is slightly more forward when compared to the sub-bass and it gives good amount of body to it. There is no upper bass anomaly to worry about.
Notes are very well defined. Notes weight and fullness is better than the fibae 3. It is not as dry as the 4P or not as heavy as the Bravado, it lies closer to the Fibae 3 though. There is no compromises made when it comes to the amount of details and imaging. The level of accuracy, resolution and amount of resolving details is very good.
The Bella V2 cannot be called a bassy earphone by a long shot.
MID RANGE:-
The Bella has 8 BA drivers for both Mids and treble, but the number of driver dedicated for mid range and treble are not defined, I assume it has 4 for mid range. The Mid range is slightly more forward compared to the bass region. The level of balance maintained by the mid range is outstanding.
The transition from upper bass region to lower mid range has a small dip in energy, keeping the bass region clear of the mids. From there on the amount of energy maintained from lower mid range to the upper mid is very consistent, through the whole mid range, the Bella V2 maintains exactly equal amount of energy, which is a very rare feat even at this price range.
Earphones do tend to have a certain frequency delivering more energy than the other but that is not the case with the Bella V2, even a few spikes it has have equally same amount of reach and energy.
The level of transparency and resolution the Bella V2 exhibits is class leading, better than Model X, Shozy pola and even the Andromeda. Its crystal clear and has very good amount of accuracy to the notes. Both male and female vocals are as clear as they get, none of them have any kind of edge over other (imagine the accuracy, transparency and level of energy maintained by the Bella V2) and both are very accurate.
Instruments too have equal amount of energy and notes accuracy to them, they are as thick or as thin as they need to be. Unlike the EM-5H which has very good sharpness bad lacked accurate thickness and depth and the Model X which lacked a bit of transparency, micro details and had a lower than average notes depth. The extra bit of transparency makes it difficult to take the mind away from the Bella V2. The upper mid range too maintains equal amount energy, it neither dips not gets elevated. There are no sibilance but the amount of transparency can bite a bit..
Layering and separation, thanks to the level of transparency and resolution is very good.
The only point where the Bella V2 loses some points is at the stage size, it has equal amount of width and height as the Fibae 3 but the fibae has a deeper depth. And compared to competition the stage size of the V2 is smaller.
HIGHS:-
The transition from upper mid range to the lower treble region is flawless. It has the exact amount of energy right through, the crossover is flawless. The number of drivers doing the lifting here is not defined but I assume there are 4 of them.
Just like the Mid range the treble section too has fantastic amount of energy to them. There is plenty of spark and details to them. The amount of extension is very good.
Going up the spectrum, energy with the notes are maintained, instruments exhibit class leading details and transparency. Let it be pianos, trumpets or cymbals, they have the very good amount of sharpness and the finishing of the note, along with the presentation is very good. Let it be resolution, clarity or imaging, the Bella V2 doesn’t hold back. The level of imaging delivered is cleaner and clearer.
The Bella V2 has very good amoutn of energy, transparency and resolution to it, it can feel a bit more forward but Nguyen doesn’t try to dial it back which is admirable.
COMPARISONS:-
VS Hyla TE-5B:-
The Hyla has bigger bass size, better sub-bass rumble and body. It has better sonicality and has a bigger stage size. The level of details is not as high as the Bella V2, it doesn’t have the level of transparency either. Both have similar treble extension.
Bella V2 has better details and clarity, layering and separation is equally good on both but 5B feels airier.
TE-5B has a superior cable.
VS Shozy Pola:-
The Pola is very similar to the TE-5B. The difference comes with sound signature. The Pola lacks the amount of detail and is less forward compared to the Bella V2 treble and vocal region. Both have similar treble extension. Pola doesn’t sound as transparent either.
The Pola has bigger bass impact and body, both have similar bass extension. The stage size of Pola is bigger.
Pola too has a better cable.
CONCLUSION:-
The Bella V2 has is one of the most detailed and transparent sounding earphone irrespective of the price bracket. It just delivers all there is. There is no note in the spectrum which doesn’t make its presence felt, that too with tonal accuracy. There is good amount of bass body, fantastic mid range clarity and forwardness and equally impressive treble range, everything about the Bella V2 is either class leading or class worthy except the stage size, which is smaller than average for the class.
Build quality is fantastic too.
What they need to change immediately is the cable. It needs a more premium cable to match others in the price range. Everything else about the Bella V2 is exceptional.
If you are in the market looking for an upgrade to your ER-4P or want something with mind boggling amount of details, the Bella V2 will deliver with its eyes closed.
Thanks for reading guys, have a nice day enjoy!!
Nguyen Customs, the Vietnamese IEM maker has made a different name for itself within the community, they have their NCM NC5 v2 and NCM Bella leading the way for them, but they have full array of earphones, starting from single BA NC-1 to 9 driver hybrid systems the Bellas, Bellas as there is the new Bella V2, which differs to the V1 with a slightly different tuning and changes to the build.
The Bella V2 is available in both custom and universal shells, prices for both options is exactly same at $1099, both can be ordered with customizable shells colors and back plates.
The Bella houses 9 drivers for the heavy lifting, one 10mm dynamic driver takes care of the bass and 8ba drivers for mids and highs in a 4way crossover setup channeled through 3 stainless steel bores.
Being the Flagship the Bella bears the performance pressure, specially from the likes of other flagships. What I am going to compare the Bella with The Hyla TE-5B and the Shozy Pola.
Contact here to place an order for the Bella V2:-
info@nguyencustoms.com
ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING:-
The Bella V2 comes in a pelican style hard sided large carry case. Perfect for performers or those who travel a lot. There is zipper case stuck to the upper flap with the help of Velcro strap. It’s a very good arrangement as everything can be kept in that pouch. Things you can find the box are 4 pairs of ear tips of various types, a wax pick, draw string carry pouch, a 6.5mm adapter, leather cable tie and silica gel.
Keeping all the things in the pouch keeps the arrangement clean.
BUILD QUALITY:-
I find the build quality of the Bella V2 to be very solid. It looks sturdy and durable. The NC5 v2 I had reviewed earlier had slightly inferior build. The shell of the Bella V2 looks stronger and more sturdy. The back plate is nicely fused into the body. Unless you decide to use extensive force, the Bella V2 won't break.
The clear shell of my unit shows plenty of details of the internals. There are 3 stainless steel bores, one for the dynamic driver, one for mid range and one for treble. There is a bass vent for the DD. The vent is smaller than the NC5 V2. the nozzle is longer and it doesn’t feel shallow, giving it a more secure fit.
Even if you order universal shell, one can customize the shell color, faceplate color and faceplate design. One can even get a 2.5mm cable instead of the stock 3.5mm cable if willing to spend some more.
CABLE:-
I opted for the 2.5mm cable instead of the stock 3.5mm cable. The 2.5mm cable is of average quality. It is 4 core copper cable. Its supple, doesn’t bouce and doesn’t have much memory of its own. there is no cable guide of any type. There is little to no microphonics to worry about.
The 2pin socket and 3.5mm jack look strong and the wooden cable slider adds some character to it.
I am slightly disappointed with this cable. It is a $1000+ earphone after all, and the cable is equal to something one can buy for as much as $30. A bit more premium cable will add class to the Bella V2.
COMFORT, ERGONOMICS AND SEAL :-
The Bella V2 with its wide and longer nozzle is fairly comfortable in the ear thanks to its ergonomics. It is more ergonomic compared to the Hyla TE-5B and Shozy Pola. The shells get nice traction inside the ear and feels sturdy.
The housing is big, and it has a fair reason to be big, there are 9 drivers inside it but it's not uncomfortable.
Bella V2 seals very well with silicone tips and is very good with foam tips.
CAUTION:- don’t use earphones where you have to be aware of your surroundings like driving and walking on the road, stay home and enjoy your music or at gym.
SOUND QUALITY:-
The official word sets the V1 apart from the V2 with a few mm longer nozzle, less prominent bass presence, more forward mid and treble with a slightly smaller stage size.
What I can tell you that the V2 has loads and loads of details, its has oodles of details and some more. A month ago I had a chance to spend some time with the Lime ears Model X, which is in the same price bracket. The model X was good, the tonality and everything was fantastic but the level of details and treble extension fell considerably short when compared to the Bella V2.
The tonality of the Bella V2 is fairly neutral. There is some brightness to it, but that’s it. The overall tonality is very true to the characters. there is little to no coloration.
With a nominal impedance of 31ohm at 1k, it can be driven out of a mobile device but not to its fullest, a DAP will do justice to the Bella V2.
I have burned the V2 for more than 150 hours, and is using the Plenue R for this review.
BASS:-
The Bass region is very well defined and paced with plenty of precision and details, it has good amount of energy to the notes and has more body to it when compared to the Fibae 3.
The Bella V2 uses a dedicated dynamic driver for bass. Thanks to the dynamic driver, the bella has better bass presence compared to typical BA based earphones, like EM-5H or AF1120.
The V2 move good amount of air and the slam is accurate, the bass body is nicely rounded and delivers a fuller notes. When compared to the likes of Ee Bravado the Bella V2 feels more balanced and much more detailed.
The bass of the Bella V2 is very accurate, one of the most accurate I have ever seen in long long time. Its not overly excited as the Hyla 5B or as flat as the EM-5H. It manages to strike a very good balance between being flat and being over exaggerated. The Sub-bass has acceptable amount of reach, not as deep as the Model X but as good as the 5H. The best part is the decay, I love the decay of the V2. It is one of the most accurate IEMs when it comes to decay. It neither let the speed to be a bit too slow to make it sound heavy nor lets the bass note vanish into thin air like the audiofly AF1120.
Mid bass is slightly more forward when compared to the sub-bass and it gives good amount of body to it. There is no upper bass anomaly to worry about.
Notes are very well defined. Notes weight and fullness is better than the fibae 3. It is not as dry as the 4P or not as heavy as the Bravado, it lies closer to the Fibae 3 though. There is no compromises made when it comes to the amount of details and imaging. The level of accuracy, resolution and amount of resolving details is very good.
The Bella V2 cannot be called a bassy earphone by a long shot.
MID RANGE:-
The Bella has 8 BA drivers for both Mids and treble, but the number of driver dedicated for mid range and treble are not defined, I assume it has 4 for mid range. The Mid range is slightly more forward compared to the bass region. The level of balance maintained by the mid range is outstanding.
The transition from upper bass region to lower mid range has a small dip in energy, keeping the bass region clear of the mids. From there on the amount of energy maintained from lower mid range to the upper mid is very consistent, through the whole mid range, the Bella V2 maintains exactly equal amount of energy, which is a very rare feat even at this price range.
Earphones do tend to have a certain frequency delivering more energy than the other but that is not the case with the Bella V2, even a few spikes it has have equally same amount of reach and energy.
The level of transparency and resolution the Bella V2 exhibits is class leading, better than Model X, Shozy pola and even the Andromeda. Its crystal clear and has very good amount of accuracy to the notes. Both male and female vocals are as clear as they get, none of them have any kind of edge over other (imagine the accuracy, transparency and level of energy maintained by the Bella V2) and both are very accurate.
Instruments too have equal amount of energy and notes accuracy to them, they are as thick or as thin as they need to be. Unlike the EM-5H which has very good sharpness bad lacked accurate thickness and depth and the Model X which lacked a bit of transparency, micro details and had a lower than average notes depth. The extra bit of transparency makes it difficult to take the mind away from the Bella V2. The upper mid range too maintains equal amount energy, it neither dips not gets elevated. There are no sibilance but the amount of transparency can bite a bit..
Layering and separation, thanks to the level of transparency and resolution is very good.
The only point where the Bella V2 loses some points is at the stage size, it has equal amount of width and height as the Fibae 3 but the fibae has a deeper depth. And compared to competition the stage size of the V2 is smaller.
HIGHS:-
The transition from upper mid range to the lower treble region is flawless. It has the exact amount of energy right through, the crossover is flawless. The number of drivers doing the lifting here is not defined but I assume there are 4 of them.
Just like the Mid range the treble section too has fantastic amount of energy to them. There is plenty of spark and details to them. The amount of extension is very good.
Going up the spectrum, energy with the notes are maintained, instruments exhibit class leading details and transparency. Let it be pianos, trumpets or cymbals, they have the very good amount of sharpness and the finishing of the note, along with the presentation is very good. Let it be resolution, clarity or imaging, the Bella V2 doesn’t hold back. The level of imaging delivered is cleaner and clearer.
The Bella V2 has very good amoutn of energy, transparency and resolution to it, it can feel a bit more forward but Nguyen doesn’t try to dial it back which is admirable.
COMPARISONS:-
VS Hyla TE-5B:-
The Hyla has bigger bass size, better sub-bass rumble and body. It has better sonicality and has a bigger stage size. The level of details is not as high as the Bella V2, it doesn’t have the level of transparency either. Both have similar treble extension.
Bella V2 has better details and clarity, layering and separation is equally good on both but 5B feels airier.
TE-5B has a superior cable.
VS Shozy Pola:-
The Pola is very similar to the TE-5B. The difference comes with sound signature. The Pola lacks the amount of detail and is less forward compared to the Bella V2 treble and vocal region. Both have similar treble extension. Pola doesn’t sound as transparent either.
The Pola has bigger bass impact and body, both have similar bass extension. The stage size of Pola is bigger.
Pola too has a better cable.
CONCLUSION:-
The Bella V2 has is one of the most detailed and transparent sounding earphone irrespective of the price bracket. It just delivers all there is. There is no note in the spectrum which doesn’t make its presence felt, that too with tonal accuracy. There is good amount of bass body, fantastic mid range clarity and forwardness and equally impressive treble range, everything about the Bella V2 is either class leading or class worthy except the stage size, which is smaller than average for the class.
Build quality is fantastic too.
What they need to change immediately is the cable. It needs a more premium cable to match others in the price range. Everything else about the Bella V2 is exceptional.
If you are in the market looking for an upgrade to your ER-4P or want something with mind boggling amount of details, the Bella V2 will deliver with its eyes closed.
Thanks for reading guys, have a nice day enjoy!!
