The BGVP NS10 was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for an honest review. I didn’t receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don’t use affiliate links. The price of the BGVP NS10 is $169 and you can buy it from the BGVP AliExpress official store or directly fromBGVP.
BGVP
BGVP is a pro headset brand founded in 2015 and the subordinate brand of Dongguan Nengjiang technology limited company which is located in ChangPing Town, Dongguan City. BGVP mainly produces and customizes various high-end HIFI earbuds, earphones and other electronic products. In the process of development, BGVP has never forgotten to master the core technology capabilities, independent research, development and sales. BGVP is committed to providing high-quality HIFI headsets for consumers around the world.
Sounds familiar? Another earphones maker from the far east but let’s find out what this one has to offer. Their catalog is quite extended, they have plenty of models both wired and wireless with various configurations of drivers, from single DD to hybrids with a mix of electrostatic, BA and dynamic drivers. Their flagship is the $1446 ES12 but they are not short of entry level models like the $20 Scale.
BGVP NS10
Featured in this review is the BGVP NS10, a hybrid earphone consisting of 2DD and 8BA units. A dual composite NFK-70817 driver independently developed by BGVP for the treble and super tweeter, two classical RAF drivers by Knowles for the treble, two Sonion 2300 and two customized FDK-60718 for the mid-range and coaxial dual DC dynamic driver for the bass. The drivers are combined by the means of a sophisticated 4-way crossover with eight precision Samsung capacitors and Samsung resistors. More information about the NS10 is available on the BGVP website.
Interchangeable tuning filters
The BGVP NS10 adopts an interchangeable screw brass filter that can effectively suppress harmonic vibration and is available in three sizes that will slightly alter the frequency response, offering three different types of tuning. The silver has a touch more bass and smoother treble, the red is the balanced one and the gold will emphasize a little the upper treble.
Design and user experience
The BGVP NS10 earshells are made from a single piece of aluminum that is processed by a CNC machine. It is available in two colors, silver and gray, build quality and finish are really excellent, the NS10 is very elegant and luxurious looking with a minimalistic industrial design.
The BGVP NS10 is lightweight with an ergonomic shape that helps a lot with the fit which is actually very comfortable, even after prolonged time of use. The sound nozzle is a little swallow so people with deeper ear cavities might need double or triple flange ear-tips to achieve a good fit.
Cable
The BGVP NS10 comes standard with a high purity 6N OCC silver plated cable with MMCX connectors and interchangeable plugs. The cable is absolutely great, it is well made and durable, it is relatively lightweight, soft to the touch, it doesn’t get tangled and has zero microphonic noise. All the plugs and the slider are aluminum made and you can change the termination between 3.5mm, 2.5mm and 4.4mm plugs. If there is something to criticize is the length of the plug which is rather long.
Accessories
The BGVP NS10 comes with the cable, three tuning filters, 6 pairs of silicone ear-tips (vocal and bass), one pair of memory foam ear-tips and a luxurious looking and well made carrying case in white color.
Power requirements and associated gear
The BGVP NS10 is rated at 12Ω with 110dB/mW of sensitivity and it is very easy to drive while it is quite sensitive to source noise so you better use something with a low noise floor. Good quality USB DAC dongles should do the trick but battery powered sources, like the FiiO BTR7 and the EarMen Colibri yielded better results. As per usual practice the NS10 was left playing music for about 100 hours before listening evaluation.
Listening impressions
You don’t have to listen a lot in order to understand that the BGVP NS10 has a tuning that favors the low-end by tastefully boosting the bass and mid-bass. The overall sound signature is mildly V-shaped and quite close to the Harman target.
Sub-bass extension is very good and the bass is a little boosted but not that much to overpower the rest of the frequencies. This is a tuning that favors electronic music and everything else where strict low-end accuracy is not of a priority. Acoustic instruments, like the cello or the bassoon may sound slightly out of tune and not that well defined when things start to get busy but on the other hand the bass quantity is there to add plenty of satisfaction with various other genres but without clouding the rest of the audio spectrum. The bass is just a little muffled and not that well defined but it is very impactful, controlled, fast, tight and super dynamic. The full bodied and rumbling bass provides a modern, youthful, engaging and satisfying listening experience for listening to stuff like Dua Lipa but you can easily throw some acoustic music in the mix without too much of a compromise as long as you are not in a critical listening mood.
With the NS10, you get all the fullness and impact of the low-end but at the same time the mid-range stays crystal clear and transparent, leaving plenty of room for the vocalists and instrumentalists to shine and not get lost in the mix. The timbre is natural with plenty of harmonic variety, the texture is weighty and rounded, the sound signature is smooth and mildly warm despite some upper-mid emphasis. Separation and spaciousness are very good, the NS10 is very articulate and well defined in the mids with great presence despite the V-shaped tuning. Additionally the NS10 is very resolving and refined, both in the mids and the treble, so the listener is rewarded with excellent micro-dynamic contrast, plenty of detail retrieval and all those fine nuances of the music that are presented against a black background given that you are using a good source.
The treble is slightly emphasized in order to counterbalance with the boosted bass and add the necessary sparkle and energy to keep things brilliant enough and avoid darkness and excessive warmth. At the same time it never crosses the borders of brightness and it doesn’t sound harsh or shrill. The timbre is also natural without artificiality while the agile treble adds plenty of airiness and transparency to the sound, always in a smooth and fatigue free manner. What is really great about the BGVP NS10 is the excellent integration of all the ten drivers, the sound is very cohesive and homogeneous with a natural and effortless transition between the various frequency ranges. The BGVP NS10 is open and wide sounding with plenty of air while positioning accuracy is very good and the listener is placed at the center of the stage for a rather intimate and surrounding listening experience.
Fine tuning
You can use the interchangeable brass filters for fine tuning the NS10 but the truth is that they are not that effective and the sound differences are quite subtle. If the red filter is the reference standard, then the silver will add just a touch of extra sub-bass while the gold will give some extra bite with a bit of brilliance to make for a more sparkling and airy sound. Whichever filter you use, the BGVP NS10 is an earphone that doesn’t aim for strict tonal accuracy and it is rather tuned for everyday casual listening without compromising in technicalities so it is very enjoyable with a diversity of music selections that can range from Amy Winehouse to non demanding listening of classical music.
Compared to the FiiO FH15 ($229)
The slightly more expensive FiiO FH15 is a 4 driver earphone with one dynamic and three balanced armature drivers. It is well made and comfortable, it has three interchangeable sound filters and it comes well packed with a modular cable, 6 types of different ear-tips in three sizes each and a plastic carrying case. I found the BGVP NS10 slightly more comfortable and stable than the FiiO FH15 but they are both equally suitable for long listening sessions without causing fatigue.
The overall sound signature of the FH15 is slightly more emphasized in the bass with deeper low-end extension. The mid-bass is just a little clearer and better defined in the BGVP NS10, making it more suitable for acoustic music. The texture is also more visceral and weighty than the drier FH15 which however is a little more tight and controlled in the bass. Mid-range is close enough for both earphones but the FH15 is slightly more forward in the upper-mids and not that refined or resolving as the NS10. The FH15 is also a little more airy, sparkling and energetic in the treble, especially with the treble filter, it can offer deeper detail retrieval and excitement but it is not as natural in the timbre. The BGVP NS10 presents a wider and more open soundstage compared to the slightly narrower FH15. The tuning filters are slightly more effective in the FH15 where they provide the listener with three more distinguishable sound profiles.
In the end
The BGVP NS10 is a well made and very comfortable earphone that adopts a fun and musical tuning while keeping a high level of technicalities. It is the perfect companion for listening to all kinds of music with a touch of a welcomed audiophile essence.
Copyright – Petros Laskis 2023.
+ Fun tuning with plenty of bass and sub-bass + Dynamic and impactful with good technicalities + Engaging and very resolving mid-range + Extended but not fatiguing treble + Great driver integration + Very open sounding with good imaging + Suitable for all kinds of music + Customizable tuning with interchangeable filters + Lightweight and very comfortable + Excellent build quality and great looks + High quality, modular cable + Premium carrying case - The bass is a bit muffled and not that well defined - Not that recommended for critical listening - The tuning filters could be more effective
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