BQEYZ Winter IEM Review

Introduction:

BQEYZ is a Chinese brand that is well known in the Chi-Fi scene with their affordable and pretty well tuned In-Ear Monitors such like the Spring/Spring 2, Summer and Autumn.

The BQEYZ Winter is the flagship IEM of the company that features a quite interesting driver setup, which is a combination of 1x 12mm dia. PAR Diaphragm Dual Cavity Dynamic Driver + 1x 11.6mm diameter PZT Bone Conduction Unit, which are located inside solid looking CNC machined aluminum housing with 2-Pin connectors on the top. The Winter comes with a 4 core Silver Plated Single Crystal Copper wire detachable cable that is available with 3.5mm SE, 2.5mm Balanced and 4.4mm Balanced plugs.

Disclaimer:

I would like to thank BQEYZ for providing me the Winter Universal IEM sample for review purposes. I am not affiliated with BQEYZ beyond this review and these words reflect my true and unaltered opinions about the product.

Price & Availability:

The actual price of the BQEYZ Winter is approx. 239.00 US$. More information’s can be found under the links below;

• BQEYZ Winter Universal IEM

Package & Accessories:

The BQEYZ Winter comes inside a rectangular box with some brandings on the top and technical details at the rear side.

Inside the box the are following items & accessories; 

• 1 x BQEYZ Winter In-Ear Monitor
• 1 x 4core Detachable Cable with 0.78mm 2-Pin Connector
• 3 x pairs of Black “Atmosphere” Silicone Ear Tips
• 3 x pairs of Grey “Reference” Silicone Ear Tips
• 3 x pairs of Black Regular Silicone Ear Tips
• 1x pair of Foam Ear Tips
• 1 x PU Protective Case with Zipper
• 1 x Cleaning Brush
• 1 x Print Material (Quick Start Guide & Warranty Card)

Design & Build Quality:

The BQEYZ Winter has a beautiful monitor design that is made from 5-axis processed aluminum alloy material. The monitors do have a sandblasted surface and are treated with a special anodizing process in order to create a corrosion resistant surface. The BQEYZ Winter is available in two different colors which are silver and the one in black same like my review unit.

The Winter features a quite interesting driver configuration, which is a combination of 1x 12mm dia. PAR Diaphragm Dual Cavity Dynamic Driver + 1x 11.6mm diameter PZT Bone Conduction Unit. The Bone Conductor has been developed by BQEYZ that is responsible for the highs and ultra highs. This driver is integrated right behind the dynamic driver that is producing the lows and mids.

Both faceplates do share nice pattern in form of a wave, while the edges of the black model does have a green tint that looks very classy.

The inner surface of each monitor features a slightly angled sound nozzle with a silver finish, two openings and L (Left) or R (Right) markings that are engraved in to the housing. The sound nozzle has a black mesh on the top in order to prevent the insertion of particles such like dust or earwax.

On the top of the monitor housing is the 0.78mm diameter 2-Pin female connector that offers a fairly tight connection.

The rear surface of the left monitor sports the Winter logo, while the left earpice has the BQEYZ branding.

The overall build quality of both the housing and connectors is of rock solid, same like with all BQEYZ products I have tested before.

Cable:

The BQEYZ Winter comes with a 4 core Silver Plated Single Crystal Copper wire cable that has 196 strands (0.06mm dia. 7 * 7 = 49 *4 core) in total.

The cable utilizes a soft TPU coating in grey color that shows a pretty low amount of microphonic effect.

The 0.78mm dia. 2-Pin male connectors are protected with a metal housing that do have a silver finish with Left/Right markings on their surface. Near the connectors are transparent heat-shrink ear guides for extra comfort on the go.

This cable features also a stylish metal y-splitter with BQEYZ branding and a chin slider in the same silver finish like the connector housings.

This cable can be ordered with 3 different headphone plugs, which are 3.5mm (TRS), 2.5mm (TRRS) balanced and 4.4mm (TRRRS) balanced variants.

The headphone plug comes with a straight profiled metal housing with the same silver finish, which sports the BQEYZ brand logo on the top.

Fit, Comfort & Passive Isolation:

The BQEYZ Winter has a fairly ergonomic semi custom like inner shape that fits relative good to my ears with an average sized ear concha when used with the right ear tips. The passive noise isolation on the other hand is on an average level, which is efficient enough for the use in relative noisy environments such like a metro, bus or train, while it won’t work very well on louder environments such like a stage.

Pairing & Drivability:

The BQEYZ Winter comes with an impedance of 38Ω and a sensitivity of approx. 113dB. It is relative easy to drive, while it sounds better with a proper source such like a DAP (at least HiBy R3 Sabre, Hidizs AP80 Pro) or USB DAC/Amplifier Dongle (iBasso DC06, ddHiFi TC44C) to show its true potential.

Technical Specifications:

• Model              : Winter
• Driver              : 12mm Dual Cavity Dynamic Driver + 1x 11.6mm Bone Conductor
• Freq. range     : 5 Hz – 40 kHz
• Impedance      : 38Ω
• Sensitivity       : 113dB
• Connector       : 0.78mm 2-Pin
• Cable Specs   : 4 core Silver Plated Single Crystal Copper wire
• Cable length   : about 120cm

Equipment’s used for this review:

• IEM’s              : BQEYZ Winter, Final Audio B2, Meze Audio RAI Solo
• DAP&DAC’s   : iBasso DX170, Hidizs AP80 Pro-X Copper Edition, Quloos QLS MC01

Albums & tracks used for this review:

• Adele – My Little Love (Spotify)
• Randy Crawford – On Day I Will Fly Away (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Hayley Westenra – Odyssey Album (Dezzer HiFi)
• Dionne Warwick – Walk On By (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Sarah McLachlan – Angel (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
• Sertap Erener – Aşk (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Edith Piaf – Non Je Ne Regrette Rien (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Diana Krall – So Wonderful (DSF)
• Aretha Franklin – I Say A Little Payer (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• Sonya Yoncheva – (Giuseppe Verdi) II Trovatore, ActI (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• George Michael – Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• David Bowie – Heroes (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Elton John – Rocket Man ((Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• Barry White – Just The Way You Are (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
• Isaac Hayes – Walk On By (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Sting – Englishman in New York – (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
• Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• B. King – Riding With The King (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Dave Gahan – Kingdom (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Muse – Hysteria (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• Rush – YYZ (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Red Hot Chili Peppers – Nobody Weird Like Me (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
• Bro Safari, UFO! – Drama (Deezer HiFi)
• Armin Van Buuren – Vini Vici (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Daft Punk – Doin’ it Right (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• Jo Blankenburg – Meraki (Spotify)
• Lorde – Royals (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
• Massive Attack – Angel (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
• Toutant – Rebirth (Deezer HiFi)
• Gogo Penguin – Raven (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Gogo Penguin – Murmuration (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Portishead – It Could Be Sweet (Spotify)
• Max Richter – On the Nature of Daylight (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• Charly Antolini – Duwadjuwandadu (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Ferit Odman – Look, Stop & Listen (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Chopin – Nocturn No. 20 In C-Sharp Minor (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Fazıl Say – Nazım Oratoryosu (Live) (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Vivaldi – Le QuarttroStagioni “The Four Season” (Deezer HiFi)
• Otto Liebert& Luna Negra – The River (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Lunatic Soul – The Passage (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Deftones – My Own Summer (Shove it) (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Metallica – Sad but True (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• Opeth – Windowpane (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Rush’s – Leave That Thing Alone (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Slayer – Angel of Death (Spotify)
• Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Acid Rain (Spotify)
• Yosi Horikawa – Bubbles (Spotify)

The Sound:

The BQEYZ Winter shows a quite natural, balanced and airy presentation, with a nice touch of warmness that is not overdone when I do listen to a wide variety of instruments. The level of transparency and resolution that is produced with its DD+BC driver configuration is quite impressive and the overall tuning makes it to a quite versatile IEM while listen to different type of genres.

This review has been written after a burn-in period of approx 55-60 Hours. I have used the stock “Reference” silicone ear tips and the stock cable, which are included to the package. I have paired the BQEYZ Winter mainly with the iBasso DX170 DA, Hidizs AP80 Pro-X Copper Edition and Quloos QLS MC01.

Bass / Midrange / Treble / Soundstage:

The BQEYZ Winter shows a quite linear and balanced bass response that is able to produce a decent level of depth, rumble and impact when called upon. The subbass region is produced with an efficient sense of depth and rumble while listen to songs like Armin Van Buuren’s “Vini Vici” Lorde’s “Royals” or Daft Punk’s “Doin’ it Right”. The decay and extension of this area is pretty good, while it may not satisfy does who are looking for more intensity.

The midbass region is shown with a pretty natural tonality and sufficient level of depth and fullness, while listen to strings like a bass and electro guitar or to percussions like kick and snare drums. The 12mm Dual Cavity Dynamic Driver of the BQEYZ Winter shows an adequate grade of speed and authority while listen to complex songs like “Hysteria” from Muse or to Red Hot Chili Peppers “Nobody Weird Like Me”.

The midrange of the BQEYZ Winter has a mildly warm tonality and shows a decent level of transparency and airiness that was audible both in the lower midrange and upper midrange area. Instruments from violins to pianos are reproduced with a fairly natural timbre and decent sense of clarity and musicality.

The lower midrange is shown with a moderate level of fullness and extension, while listen to male vocals like David Bowie, Sting and Dave Gahan. Instruments on the other hand such like violins, hi-hats or organs are reproduced with an adequate grade of depth and intensity, without to struggle in terms of clarity and resolution.

The upper midrange of the BQEYZ Winter sounds slightly more pronounced and detailed compared to the lower midrange area. Female vocals for example sound pretty lively, and emotional, without to show any remarkable sibilance or harshness thanks to the innovative Bund Conductor Driver. Instruments on the other such like mandolins, flutes or pianos do sound pretty energetic and have a good extension and resolution in this area.

The most interesting part of the BQEYZ Winter is its treble that is produced with a Bone Conductor Driver. The general treble presentation sounds quite vibrant and energetic, while it remains pretty smooth yet detailed. The lower treble region shows a good level of presence, while it is a bit less highlighted and detailed compared to the upper midrange area. The transitions are pretty controlled when instruments such like an electro guitar is played with high level of distortion.

Instruments like organs and pianos are reproduced with a decent sense of clarity and definition thanks to the pretty capable Bone Conductor Driver. The upper treble region is nicely pronounced and shows an audible peak around the 7 – 8 kHz region, which adds the overall presentation a nice sense of airiness and sparkle, when I do listen to instruments like hi-hats, cymbals and snare drums. All in all, the treble performance of the BQEYZ Winter is pretty good thanks to the integrated BC driver, which offers a smooth yet pretty detailed response along with an efficient grade of extension.

The BQEYZ Winter has a fairly expansive and airy soundstage atmosphere that is suitable for relative precise positioning and separation of instruments and vocals. The soundstage shows a decent level of wideness, while the height and depth is on a moderate level.

Comparison: 

BQEYZ Winter versus MEZE RAI Solo:

The BEQYZ Winter has a slightly closer to neutral tonality and in the IEM with a relative more balanced and natural overall presentation.

The subbass region of the BQEYZ Winter shows a bit more rumble and extension, while both IEM’s are pretty close in terms of clarity, authority and the decay of this area. The midbass region of the MEZE RAI Solo sounds slightly fuller and highlighted especially towards the lower midrange area. However, the BQEYZ Winter has the edge when it comes to the clarity, authority and resolution in this area.

The MEZE RAI Solo shows a tad warmer and fuller midrange character, while it is not as transparent and airy in direct comparison to the BQEYZ Winter. The lower midrange of the RAI Solo shows a bit more depth and intensity especially while listen to male voices or to organs and acoustic guitars, while it is missing some clarity and resolution that the Winter has.

The upper midrange of both In-Ear Monitors does offer a good level of clarity and resolution, without to be sibilant or unnatural. However, the BQEYZ Winter shines in terms of authority and with its technical performance. Female vocals do sound a bit more natural and intimate when I do switch to the BQEYZ Winter.

The lower treble range of the MEZE RAI Solo is more highlighted and detailed than does of the BQEYZ Winter, while it is also a bit more prone to sharpness. The RAI Solo shows a quick roll-off towards the upper treble register, which explains why the BQEYZ sounds crisper and detailed while listen to instruments like snare drums, hi-hats and cymbals.

The BQEYZ Winter has the edge when it comes to the separation and placement of instruments and vocals thanks to its slightly more airy and expansive soundstage atmosphere. The soundstage of the RAI Solo is a bit closed in compared to the Winter, which offers a better sense of depth and wideness.

Conclusion:

The BQEYZ Winter is a fancy looking In-Ear Monitor with a very robust craftsmanship that comes with a pretty unique, in-house developed driver configuration, which is a combination of 1x Dynamic + 1x Bone Conductor. The Winter offers a quite natural, balanced and smooth sound profile that is pretty enjoyable with a wide ranch of genres, which make me very curious for products with the relative young Bone Conductor Technology.

Pros & Cons:

• + Good Overall Technical Performance for its Price
• + Natural Bass Response
• + Clarity & Resolution of the Midrange
• + Smooth yet Detailed Treble Presentation thanks to the latest Bone Conductor Technology
• + Robust Build Quality

• – Needs a good source and the right fit (ear tip) to show its true potential
• – Average Passive Noise Isolation

Thank you for the Read!