RikudouGoku
Member of the Trade: RikuBuds
Yes, I think it was a: 1 dd + 4 Ba (knowles) + 9 layer piezo driver setup
BQEYZ in-ear monitors Impressions Thread
zenki
500+ Head-Fier
LOL.
BQEYZ ripoff somewhere or the other way around
BQEYZ ripoff somewhere or the other way around
RikudouGoku
Member of the Trade: RikuBuds
They are very different in design and the lz a6 came out earlier than the spring 1. So a7 might have been In development earlier than the spring 2.
illumidata
100+ Head-Fier
My hot take on the Spring II...Percussive Perfection.
All impressions with JVC Spiral Dots (wide bore tips are a must to get the most out of these as @jibberish pointed out, I also liked Azla Sedna shorts for a little more sub bass extension at the expense of some mid bass, air and soundstage; couldn’t get a seal with Whirlwinds, stem not quite long enough to get a proper insertion in my elephant ears).
Build. Fit and finish are great, isolation is below average because of all the vents. I am going to get a new cable (a very specific one, more on this below) but the one included is definitely well made and actually has a workable chin adjuster. Not sure why this is such a hard thing to achieve for so many other cables. Much easier to drive than expected, plenty of volume from my phone, but scales well when using a cleaner, more powerful source. I’ve been using the Faaeal copper litz as an interim solution.
Overall tuning is bordering on neutral with lifted but linear bass, only slightly forward, evenly weighted mids and the best treble I’ve heard (fwiw) - airy yet impactful, lightning fast, crystal clear. Overall impressions are of a lot of energy and control, increasing as you go up the frequencies with note weight being the trade-off. Coherence improved a lot with time, there are definitely still tonality changes between the drivers but I can’t hear the difference between the BA and piezo any more, the latter having lost the hint of brittleness I sensed at the beginning.
Treble - remarkable for how evenly it’s balanced from lower to upper, percussion sounds magnificent, impactful but perfectly poised, attack is very fast - details everywhere without any veiling or smoothing yet completely fatigue free. This is an area I now realise all my other sets are taking a much more conservative approach to. The Springs are pulling off something very special here. Tonality is neutral to cold.
Mids are more of the same with a touch more note weight and warmth, slightly centre weighted in the soundstage, still keeping the sensation of air and clarity thanks to the gentle push forward (side note - this set is super revealing of poor vocal technique and mastering, but makes the good stuff sound even better. Again there’s a distinct lack of veiling contributing to the overall energy levels.
Bass - it’s linear but you can tweak it with tips and push for some sub bass emphasis as needed - even so this is not a bass centric iem in any way, there’s noticeable extension no further then 30/40hz (more on this in track comparisons). I have tried to set mine up to sound as tight and fast as possible with minimum decay to match the feel of the other drivers. We’re at the warmest end of the spectrum now and note texture is smoothest, which makes it harder to track all those lovely bass nuances. If there’s a weakness on the “technical” front it’s here, but I’m 99% sure I can fix it with a new cable (the ISN d10 had a similar issue, some Neotech copper gave it back a ton of detail and tension, I’m hoping for similar results here). This may be the cause of the sense of congestion mentioned by others, though wide bores are definitely an easy fix for the top end. Just to clarify though, this is in comparison with much more expensive sets, and we’re talking 95% of the performance of Dunu’s flashy beryllium DD in the dk2001, with some improvements over it in other areas.
Some musical musings...I really like it when a new set brings something exceptional and unique to the table (t800s’ depth and lushness, dk2001s’ dimensionality and bass, the Diamonds’ analogue tone, everyone knows how this works)!
Anyway, of the stuff I’ve given a serious listen to with them, it’s been Santana’s Caravanserai that’s really been elevated by the Springs. I’ve been listening to this album since I was 16 (several versions, from cassette to DSD), and it hasn’t elicited this level of visceral excitement in me since I first heard it 33 years ago. Somehow, the Springs push it into overdrive, pulling out the most incredible layering and separation from the white magic maelstrom of drums and percussion that envelopes the bass, guitars and vocals. The smoothness of the bass is almost a virtue here, giving the foundations a gorgeous acoustic quality, electric guitar runs spiralling all over the mix (production is extraordinarily advanced for the era, the stereo field is clearly constructed with balance and geometry in mind...). Anyway, you get the picture, transcendental musicianship revealed in a lot of glory.
Comparisons to other stuff in the context of some other pieces of music. T800s’ decay, fullness and shelved upper mids really weren’t suited to Santana, but show up the Springs’ relative lack of note weight and sub bass extension on something like the Bladerunner soundtrack (another much loved staple). Springs do a great job, but it’s more a studio monitor view of proceedings rather than the full cinema surround sound experience.
Springs also excel with electronica, certainly the harmonically simpler type that I like, but can’t quite replicate the soundstage depth (though they’re better on width and height) and bass technicalities of the dk-2001 (though that last may improve with a similar quality cable).
Set all that off against the price, especially if you catch one in a sale, and the fantastic treble and mid performance and they really feel like a great deal, especially as I didn’t have anything like a ‘neutral’ set in my collection, other than the venerable er4p, which I never listen to because despite its wonderful tonality its complete lack of bass and soundstage just can’t compete with chi-if sets when it comes to an engaging presentation of sound.
Score: best value set I own.
All impressions with JVC Spiral Dots (wide bore tips are a must to get the most out of these as @jibberish pointed out, I also liked Azla Sedna shorts for a little more sub bass extension at the expense of some mid bass, air and soundstage; couldn’t get a seal with Whirlwinds, stem not quite long enough to get a proper insertion in my elephant ears).
Build. Fit and finish are great, isolation is below average because of all the vents. I am going to get a new cable (a very specific one, more on this below) but the one included is definitely well made and actually has a workable chin adjuster. Not sure why this is such a hard thing to achieve for so many other cables. Much easier to drive than expected, plenty of volume from my phone, but scales well when using a cleaner, more powerful source. I’ve been using the Faaeal copper litz as an interim solution.
Overall tuning is bordering on neutral with lifted but linear bass, only slightly forward, evenly weighted mids and the best treble I’ve heard (fwiw) - airy yet impactful, lightning fast, crystal clear. Overall impressions are of a lot of energy and control, increasing as you go up the frequencies with note weight being the trade-off. Coherence improved a lot with time, there are definitely still tonality changes between the drivers but I can’t hear the difference between the BA and piezo any more, the latter having lost the hint of brittleness I sensed at the beginning.
Treble - remarkable for how evenly it’s balanced from lower to upper, percussion sounds magnificent, impactful but perfectly poised, attack is very fast - details everywhere without any veiling or smoothing yet completely fatigue free. This is an area I now realise all my other sets are taking a much more conservative approach to. The Springs are pulling off something very special here. Tonality is neutral to cold.
Mids are more of the same with a touch more note weight and warmth, slightly centre weighted in the soundstage, still keeping the sensation of air and clarity thanks to the gentle push forward (side note - this set is super revealing of poor vocal technique and mastering, but makes the good stuff sound even better. Again there’s a distinct lack of veiling contributing to the overall energy levels.
Bass - it’s linear but you can tweak it with tips and push for some sub bass emphasis as needed - even so this is not a bass centric iem in any way, there’s noticeable extension no further then 30/40hz (more on this in track comparisons). I have tried to set mine up to sound as tight and fast as possible with minimum decay to match the feel of the other drivers. We’re at the warmest end of the spectrum now and note texture is smoothest, which makes it harder to track all those lovely bass nuances. If there’s a weakness on the “technical” front it’s here, but I’m 99% sure I can fix it with a new cable (the ISN d10 had a similar issue, some Neotech copper gave it back a ton of detail and tension, I’m hoping for similar results here). This may be the cause of the sense of congestion mentioned by others, though wide bores are definitely an easy fix for the top end. Just to clarify though, this is in comparison with much more expensive sets, and we’re talking 95% of the performance of Dunu’s flashy beryllium DD in the dk2001, with some improvements over it in other areas.
Some musical musings...I really like it when a new set brings something exceptional and unique to the table (t800s’ depth and lushness, dk2001s’ dimensionality and bass, the Diamonds’ analogue tone, everyone knows how this works)!
Anyway, of the stuff I’ve given a serious listen to with them, it’s been Santana’s Caravanserai that’s really been elevated by the Springs. I’ve been listening to this album since I was 16 (several versions, from cassette to DSD), and it hasn’t elicited this level of visceral excitement in me since I first heard it 33 years ago. Somehow, the Springs push it into overdrive, pulling out the most incredible layering and separation from the white magic maelstrom of drums and percussion that envelopes the bass, guitars and vocals. The smoothness of the bass is almost a virtue here, giving the foundations a gorgeous acoustic quality, electric guitar runs spiralling all over the mix (production is extraordinarily advanced for the era, the stereo field is clearly constructed with balance and geometry in mind...). Anyway, you get the picture, transcendental musicianship revealed in a lot of glory.
Comparisons to other stuff in the context of some other pieces of music. T800s’ decay, fullness and shelved upper mids really weren’t suited to Santana, but show up the Springs’ relative lack of note weight and sub bass extension on something like the Bladerunner soundtrack (another much loved staple). Springs do a great job, but it’s more a studio monitor view of proceedings rather than the full cinema surround sound experience.
Springs also excel with electronica, certainly the harmonically simpler type that I like, but can’t quite replicate the soundstage depth (though they’re better on width and height) and bass technicalities of the dk-2001 (though that last may improve with a similar quality cable).
Set all that off against the price, especially if you catch one in a sale, and the fantastic treble and mid performance and they really feel like a great deal, especially as I didn’t have anything like a ‘neutral’ set in my collection, other than the venerable er4p, which I never listen to because despite its wonderful tonality its complete lack of bass and soundstage just can’t compete with chi-if sets when it comes to an engaging presentation of sound.
Score: best value set I own.
Nice write up! I think that you and I have very similar impressions of Spring 2.My hot take on the Spring II...Percussive Perfection.
All impressions with JVC Spiral Dots (wide bore tips are a must to get the most out of these as @jibberish pointed out, I also liked Azla Sedna shorts for a little more sub bass extension at the expense of some mid bass, air and soundstage; couldn’t get a seal with Whirlwinds, stem not quite long enough to get a proper insertion in my elephant ears).
Build. Fit and finish are great, isolation is below average because of all the vents. I am going to get a new cable (a very specific one, more on this below) but the one included is definitely well made and actually has a workable chin adjuster. Not sure why this is such a hard thing to achieve for so many other cables. Much easier to drive than expected, plenty of volume from my phone, but scales well when using a cleaner, more powerful source. I’ve been using the Faaeal copper litz as an interim solution.
Overall tuning is bordering on neutral with lifted but linear bass, only slightly forward, evenly weighted mids and the best treble I’ve heard (fwiw) - airy yet impactful, lightning fast, crystal clear. Overall impressions are of a lot of energy and control, increasing as you go up the frequencies with note weight being the trade-off. Coherence improved a lot with time, there are definitely still tonality changes between the drivers but I can’t hear the difference between the BA and piezo any more, the latter having lost the hint of brittleness I sensed at the beginning.
Treble - remarkable for how evenly it’s balanced from lower to upper, percussion sounds magnificent, impactful but perfectly poised, attack is very fast - details everywhere without any veiling or smoothing yet completely fatigue free. This is an area I now realise all my other sets are taking a much more conservative approach to. The Springs are pulling off something very special here. Tonality is neutral to cold.
Mids are more of the same with a touch more note weight and warmth, slightly centre weighted in the soundstage, still keeping the sensation of air and clarity thanks to the gentle push forward (side note - this set is super revealing of poor vocal technique and mastering, but makes the good stuff sound even better. Again there’s a distinct lack of veiling contributing to the overall energy levels.
Bass - it’s linear but you can tweak it with tips and push for some sub bass emphasis as needed - even so this is not a bass centric iem in any way, there’s noticeable extension no further then 30/40hz (more on this in track comparisons). I have tried to set mine up to sound as tight and fast as possible with minimum decay to match the feel of the other drivers. We’re at the warmest end of the spectrum now and note texture is smoothest, which makes it harder to track all those lovely bass nuances. If there’s a weakness on the “technical” front it’s here, but I’m 99% sure I can fix it with a new cable (the ISN d10 had a similar issue, some Neotech copper gave it back a ton of detail and tension, I’m hoping for similar results here). This may be the cause of the sense of congestion mentioned by others, though wide bores are definitely an easy fix for the top end. Just to clarify though, this is in comparison with much more expensive sets, and we’re talking 95% of the performance of Dunu’s flashy beryllium DD in the dk2001, with some improvements over it in other areas.
Some musical musings...I really like it when a new set brings something exceptional and unique to the table (t800s’ depth and lushness, dk2001s’ dimensionality and bass, the Diamonds’ analogue tone, everyone knows how this works)!
Anyway, of the stuff I’ve given a serious listen to with them, it’s been Santana’s Caravanserai that’s really been elevated by the Springs. I’ve been listening to this album since I was 16 (several versions, from cassette to DSD), and it hasn’t elicited this level of visceral excitement in me since I first heard it 33 years ago. Somehow, the Springs push it into overdrive, pulling out the most incredible layering and separation from the white magic maelstrom of drums and percussion that envelopes the bass, guitars and vocals. The smoothness of the bass is almost a virtue here, giving the foundations a gorgeous acoustic quality, electric guitar runs spiralling all over the mix (production is extraordinarily advanced for the era, the stereo field is clearly constructed with balance and geometry in mind...). Anyway, you get the picture, transcendental musicianship revealed in a lot of glory.
Comparisons to other stuff in the context of some other pieces of music. T800s’ decay, fullness and shelved upper mids really weren’t suited to Santana, but show up the Springs’ relative lack of note weight and sub bass extension on something like the Bladerunner soundtrack (another much loved staple). Springs do a great job, but it’s more a studio monitor view of proceedings rather than the full cinema surround sound experience.
Springs also excel with electronica, certainly the harmonically simpler type that I like, but can’t quite replicate the soundstage depth (though they’re better on width and height) and bass technicalities of the dk-2001 (though that last may improve with a similar quality cable).
Set all that off against the price, especially if you catch one in a sale, and the fantastic treble and mid performance and they really feel like a great deal, especially as I didn’t have anything like a ‘neutral’ set in my collection, other than the venerable er4p, which I never listen to because despite its wonderful tonality its complete lack of bass and soundstage just can’t compete with chi-if sets when it comes to an engaging presentation of sound.
Score: best value set I own.
DynamicEars
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2019
- Posts
- 3,637
- Likes
- 10,178
My hot take on the Spring II...Percussive Perfection.
All impressions with JVC Spiral Dots (wide bore tips are a must to get the most out of these as @jibberish pointed out, I also liked Azla Sedna shorts for a little more sub bass extension at the expense of some mid bass, air and soundstage; couldn’t get a seal with Whirlwinds, stem not quite long enough to get a proper insertion in my elephant ears).
Build. Fit and finish are great, isolation is below average because of all the vents. I am going to get a new cable (a very specific one, more on this below) but the one included is definitely well made and actually has a workable chin adjuster. Not sure why this is such a hard thing to achieve for so many other cables. Much easier to drive than expected, plenty of volume from my phone, but scales well when using a cleaner, more powerful source. I’ve been using the Faaeal copper litz as an interim solution.
Overall tuning is bordering on neutral with lifted but linear bass, only slightly forward, evenly weighted mids and the best treble I’ve heard (fwiw) - airy yet impactful, lightning fast, crystal clear. Overall impressions are of a lot of energy and control, increasing as you go up the frequencies with note weight being the trade-off. Coherence improved a lot with time, there are definitely still tonality changes between the drivers but I can’t hear the difference between the BA and piezo any more, the latter having lost the hint of brittleness I sensed at the beginning.
Treble - remarkable for how evenly it’s balanced from lower to upper, percussion sounds magnificent, impactful but perfectly poised, attack is very fast - details everywhere without any veiling or smoothing yet completely fatigue free. This is an area I now realise all my other sets are taking a much more conservative approach to. The Springs are pulling off something very special here. Tonality is neutral to cold.
Mids are more of the same with a touch more note weight and warmth, slightly centre weighted in the soundstage, still keeping the sensation of air and clarity thanks to the gentle push forward (side note - this set is super revealing of poor vocal technique and mastering, but makes the good stuff sound even better. Again there’s a distinct lack of veiling contributing to the overall energy levels.
Bass - it’s linear but you can tweak it with tips and push for some sub bass emphasis as needed - even so this is not a bass centric iem in any way, there’s noticeable extension no further then 30/40hz (more on this in track comparisons). I have tried to set mine up to sound as tight and fast as possible with minimum decay to match the feel of the other drivers. We’re at the warmest end of the spectrum now and note texture is smoothest, which makes it harder to track all those lovely bass nuances. If there’s a weakness on the “technical” front it’s here, but I’m 99% sure I can fix it with a new cable (the ISN d10 had a similar issue, some Neotech copper gave it back a ton of detail and tension, I’m hoping for similar results here). This may be the cause of the sense of congestion mentioned by others, though wide bores are definitely an easy fix for the top end. Just to clarify though, this is in comparison with much more expensive sets, and we’re talking 95% of the performance of Dunu’s flashy beryllium DD in the dk2001, with some improvements over it in other areas.
Some musical musings...I really like it when a new set brings something exceptional and unique to the table (t800s’ depth and lushness, dk2001s’ dimensionality and bass, the Diamonds’ analogue tone, everyone knows how this works)!
Anyway, of the stuff I’ve given a serious listen to with them, it’s been Santana’s Caravanserai that’s really been elevated by the Springs. I’ve been listening to this album since I was 16 (several versions, from cassette to DSD), and it hasn’t elicited this level of visceral excitement in me since I first heard it 33 years ago. Somehow, the Springs push it into overdrive, pulling out the most incredible layering and separation from the white magic maelstrom of drums and percussion that envelopes the bass, guitars and vocals. The smoothness of the bass is almost a virtue here, giving the foundations a gorgeous acoustic quality, electric guitar runs spiralling all over the mix (production is extraordinarily advanced for the era, the stereo field is clearly constructed with balance and geometry in mind...). Anyway, you get the picture, transcendental musicianship revealed in a lot of glory.
Comparisons to other stuff in the context of some other pieces of music. T800s’ decay, fullness and shelved upper mids really weren’t suited to Santana, but show up the Springs’ relative lack of note weight and sub bass extension on something like the Bladerunner soundtrack (another much loved staple). Springs do a great job, but it’s more a studio monitor view of proceedings rather than the full cinema surround sound experience.
Springs also excel with electronica, certainly the harmonically simpler type that I like, but can’t quite replicate the soundstage depth (though they’re better on width and height) and bass technicalities of the dk-2001 (though that last may improve with a similar quality cable).
Set all that off against the price, especially if you catch one in a sale, and the fantastic treble and mid performance and they really feel like a great deal, especially as I didn’t have anything like a ‘neutral’ set in my collection, other than the venerable er4p, which I never listen to because despite its wonderful tonality its complete lack of bass and soundstage just can’t compete with chi-if sets when it comes to an engaging presentation of sound.
Score: best value set I own.
Great take on them! Really cant wait to hear them myself!
illumidata
100+ Head-Fier
Too kind, and I really hope you like them and they find a home in your massive collection! Looking forward to your thoughts.
Jmop
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2014
- Posts
- 3,451
- Likes
- 2,212
Looking to buy the KB100 or at least try it out if anyone is open to lending. Also, what is the “TN Forum” option on Penon’s website that costs an extra $25 on top of the KB100’s original price?
Jmop
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2014
- Posts
- 3,451
- Likes
- 2,212
How is the driver coherency on the KB100? My only experience with hybrids is the ikko OH1 and while tuned well, the pacing felt a bit off.
My graph on Spring 2 
illumidata
100+ Head-Fier
Thanks very much for measuring these. I have to say if I'd seen that graph before I actually bought mine I might have held off - luckily that 8k spike sounds nothing like what I'm hearing (there are a couple of conclusions one could reach based on that, but as far as I know my hearing is fine up to 15k!). The rest looks dead on to what I'm getting from mine (I think my sub bass rolls-off a bit more because of tips).My graph on Spring 2
Fascinating - thanks again.
IEMusic
Headphoneus Supremus
I’m convinced that midrange and treble peaks sound very different than graphs suggest when the sound is produced by magnetostats, electrets, and piezoelectric drivers. Sound produced by DDs and BAs are much more predictable.
I do find a hint of sibilance with that 8k peak, but other than that they are fine
Jmop
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2014
- Posts
- 3,451
- Likes
- 2,212
So many graphs coming out that are so close to ideal..
Users who are viewing this thread
