BGVP NS9 – Review

Sound performance

For this review, I mostly used the EarMen Eagle, my go-to for anyone who needs a small/affordable USB-DAC on the go. For good measure, I also paired the DM8 with the EarMen Sparrow, my faithful Sennheiser HDVD800, and the (superb) Shanling M6 21 I got a few weeks ago. Sources? Qobuz, Amazon, and the (in)famous Spotify.

Overall signature

Sound-wise, BGVP almost never deceived me, but the NS9 will be very polarizing I think. 

The tonal balance clearly favors the bass, even with the high-frequency filters mounted on. It kinda reminds me of my old Ultimate Ears SuperFi 5 Extended bass and its V-shaped sound signature.

Bass is deep, powerful, and if you like heavy lows, this IEM should immediately be on the top of your list. Even if Balanced Armature drivers offer tighter lows, dynamics drivers give a lot more sound pressure, enough to create that chest-hitting sensation, even when you listen at low volume.

But, on the other hand, it appears that the mids seemed overwhelmed by the lows. On Redbone from Childish Gambino, I could distinctly hear the kicks at the beginning, followed by the hi-hats and synth, but when the voice came out at 00:30, the singer seemed to be in the background compared to the rest of the group.

A sensation less prominent with old-school tracks like Plastic Love from Mariya Takeuchi, or soft tracks like Finest Actor from A Girl Called Eddy, but still, the NS9 couldn’t match the clarity found inIEM like the TRN BA8, or the FiiO FH3, my gold standard in this price range. 

Fortunately, it’s always on-point and, the driver was carefully tuned to match each other. You get fast decay, no saturation at any given volume and once I tuned down the lows, with an EQ, the NS9 managed to distillate a very full sound.

Dynamic range is very good, but again, the bass remained too prominent, drowning out the rest of the spectrum. Again, even entry-level models like the FiiO FH3 or the AudioSense DT200 are able to push music to higher levels now. 

Highs are crisps and inoffensive, blending nicely with the upper-mids, and acoustic tracks like Bassically from Tei Shi are wondrous to listen to. Truthfully, once you tone down the bass, the IEM sounds good, but I’d be hard-pressed to distinguish this one and the previous DMS for example. If too loud, the bass is also the strong point of the NS9, like a Damocles sword: so much paaaawer.

Speaking of power, if my MacBook gave good results, it’s still an in-ear that will require a DAC/Amp or DAP to be fully enjoyable. I liked the ddHifi TC35b, especially when plugged through my computer but I’d go for something a bit beefier like an Eagle or a Sparrow. Highs will be more acute, mids smoother and, overall, it’s just a better experience through and through.

And, if you want to enjoy the best of that ear, get a DAP and lower the bass through the EQ, a simple -3dB already makes a big difference in my opinion.

Tonality

Highs : crisp and clean. If the super-tweeter looks like snake oil for me, I have to admit that BGVP did a good job tuning the NS9 highs. The NS9 delivers rich trebles and a good level of details, once paired with a good source. Fed through the Shanling M6 21, results were more than impressive.

Good test-track : Doctor doctor – The English Gentlemen (Just jack remix)

Mediums: felt and distant. Definitely the weak point of the NS9, the midrange is too discreet and stands way behind the highs and lows. And that’s a shame, because, once more, acoustic or vocal jazz sounds superb on this IEM. ASDR is great and if you can plug a good source like the Shanling M6 Pro or FiiO M11 Pro, you will be fully immersed in your music, if you can live with the…  

Good test-track: Go – Esches

Lows: impressive but oppressive. I expected deep bass, and boy did I get served. The new dual-woofer exhibited flamboyant lows, with earth-shattering rumbles… so much that it took over the rest of the spectrum. On old tracks, it’s not a big issue, but on modern tracks, it can easily be overwhelming.

Good test-Track: I’ll stay – The RH Factor ft. D’Angelo

Conclusion

The BGVP NS9 packs a lot of nice features – shell in a shell design, powerful low driver, various filters – but suffers from its best feature: overwhelming bass. If you like your lows, super lows, and want some IEM that can punch you right in the gut, when you want some extra kick, that’s the one.

But, if you want a versatile In-ear, I’d advise you to pick another model from the brand, like the DM6 or DM7. And if you want an IEM with lots of drivers, but much more balanced, check the TRN BA8.

Page 1: about the brand

Page 2: Design, bundle, comfort

Page 3: Specifications

Page 4: Sound performances, conclusion