BQEYZ Autumn Review
Autumn Sonata
Pros: + Balanced and natural tuning
+ Organic and musical timbre
+ Great bass technicalities
+ Very effective tuning system
+ Open and spacious soundstage
+ Excellent build quality
+ Great looks and fit
+ Good quality cable
+ Plenty of accessories
Cons: – Not the last word in treble extension
– Not that resolving and refined
– Treble tuning filter is not that effective
– Moderate passive noise attenuation
– Needs some amping
The review sample was kindly provided by BQEYZ in exchange for a honest review which reflects my own subjective opinion without any intervention from the manufacturer.
I didn’t receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don’t use affiliate links.
The price is €189 and you can order yours from here.
BQEYZ Autumn
Following the success of the Spring and Summer earphones, BQEYZ has introduced the third season of earphones, the brand new BQEYZ Autumn.
Unlike the previous two seasons, the latest Autumn features a single dynamic driver configuration housing a large 13mm dynamic driver with a dual-cavity structure on each side.
With this structure, it can effectively control the air pressure, increase amplitude of the diaphragm and improve the longitudinal soundstage by more than 50%.
Replaceable Magnetic Tuning Filter
The biggest feature of BQEYZ Autumn earphones is the replaceable magnetic tuning filters that are essentially back tuning vents with different diameters.
Unlike the front sound tubes that attenuate the higher frequencies, these side tuning vents bring changes only to the bass/mid-bass.
It comes with three filters with different colors for easily distinguishing between them.
Gray for bass, Gold for normal and Silver for treble tuning.
Switching is done very easily thanks to the magnetic stylus that is provided with the earphones.
The filters are magnetically attached to a metallic tray and the only thing you have to do is to use the stylus for attaching or removing them from the earshell and the tray.
A very novel design that I like a lot and worked much easier than the screw replaceable sound tubes of other earphones.
Moreover, the magnetic force of the tuner makes the dynamic driver get double magnetic force to enhance the transverse soundstage of the earphone.
According to BQEYZ the bass mode is suitable for warmer music such as electronic music, dance, DJ, symphony, lyrical oldies songs and drums.
The normal mode is quite neutral, warmer and balanced, suitable for POP and for most kinds of music while in the treble mode the vocals are cold so it is more suitable for those songs with cool elements.
Design and fit
The shell of BQEYZ Autumn earphones is made through a 5-axis CNC milling process.
Build quality is excellent, as for looks they are neat and elegant with a contemporary styling while the two cupped spots on the faceplate are very unique.
The ear shells are lightweight and the fit is extremely comfortable, stable and stress free but with the minus of the moderate noise isolation.
They are available in three different colors, green, blue and purple.
Cable
The Autumn uses a detachable 0.78mm, 2pin connector cable that is made from a mix of four high quality copper and four silver-plated copper strands.
The build quality of the cable is great, it is well made, it offers good handling experience and low microphonic noise while all the plugs are made from high quality aluminium.
You can order the Autumn with either a 4.4mm, 2.5mm or 3.5mm cable.
Accessories
The Autumn comes well packed in a beautiful black and orange box which includes the cable, the three filters magnetically attached to a metallic trace, the magnetic stylus, three pairs of eartips in two different styles, a brush and a very nice carrying case.
Listening impressions
With a 46Ω of impedance and 110 dB/mW of sensitivity the Autumn is not that difficult to drive but it really benefits from some quality amping.
Most USB DAC dongles will do the job except the really weak ones.
My sample came with a 4.4mm cable and I have used various USB sources, including FiiO KA3, iFi Go bar, Shanling UA3 and my two trusty DAPs, the FiiO M11 Plus ESS and iBasso DX240.
Normal tuning filter
With the “normal” tuning filter attached, the Autumn has a balanced frequency response.
Sub-bass is quite extended, followed then by an almost neutral bass to mid-bass tuning with just a touch of bass emphasis.
The mid-range is evenly tuned, just mildly forward in the upper part of the register while the treble is adequately extended and mostly controlled without any seriously alarming peaks, except an upper treble one.
Treble is not bright or harsh and it doesn’t cause any listening fatigue until you raise the volume too much.
At normal listening volumes it should be considered mostly smooth with good amounts of sparkle and airiness but not that vivid and extended.
The texture is not the most refined while the timbre is quite natural but a little dry and metallic.
Body weight is good, the sound is not thin but higher pitched percussion instruments fade away a touch faster than the ideal and as a result certain instruments like cymbals or bells sound a bit anemic without extra bite.
Nonetheless, treble performance is mostly good and Autumn doesn’t sound boring, dull or slow.
The mid-range has a musical personality with a more natural timbre than the treble, voices especially sound lifelike with plenty of harmonic saturation.
Articulation is also finer and of higher quality with a full bodied texture and great separation between the inner lines.
Additionally the high quality bass doesn’t cloud the mid-range and allows plenty of space for it.
The “normal” filter bass tuning is well balanced between adequate sub-bass quantity and excellent bass linearity with a mild emphasis while mid-bass stays clear and well defined.
The good technicalities result in a detailed and resolving bass line with excellent layering where nothing gets masked behind the lines and every bass instrument is clearly heard.
The overall quality is good as it combines speed, control, precision and tightness with intense body weight and sufficient dynamics.
It is not the most visceral or impactful presentation but still a realistic performer.
The overall sound signature of the Autumn is musical and organic, it may not be the last word in technicalities and transparency, especially in the treble, but at the end of the day, is an engaging earphone suitable for everyday listening with most kinds of music.
And although it wouldn’t be my first choice for critically listening to classical music, I very much enjoyed my favorite baroque tunes during a weekend seaside trip.
The tuning system is very effective at successfully altering the bass frequency response, adding great versatility thanks to the three distinguishable sound profiles.
Bass tuning filter
The “bass” tuning filter raises the sub-bass to about +5db and then the curve starts gently downsloping, reaching zero level at about 250 Hz.
So we are effectively talking about a more intense bass response giving the Autumn a considerable edge for bassy tunes without severely affecting technicalities and mostly without masking the mid-range.
There is some loss in clarity and mid-bass definition plus some lack of control but still very good and technically adequate bass performance that doesn’t cloud the rest of the frequencies.
Treble tuning filter
The “treble” filter on the other hand mildly attenuates the bass starting at about -3db for the sub-bass and stays almost linear up to the lower mids.
This is the least effective filter because it essentially doesn’t bring any real benefits for the treble which stays the same regarding both frequency response and technicalities but it gets the “placebo” like effect of being more prominent due to the bass reduction.
With this filter, there is a chance that you may find the bass as lackluster for most kinds of music without worthy improvements for the treble.
Autumn offers an expanded and airy soundstage with surprisingly good depth for the category and good but not class-leading imaging.
The effect gets better with the “normal” tuning filter which offers the most open and holographic recreation of the recording venue.
In the end
The Autumn might not be the last word in technicalities and treble resolution but in the end it is a well tuned and enjoyable earphone with an organic and natural timbre without any serious tonal shifts.
The magnetic tuning system is truly effective, especially for raising the bass response without negatively affecting the rest of the sound qualities, so we have at our hands a versatile and engaging earphone that is a great companion for everyday listening with most kinds of music.
Copyright – Petros Laskis 2022.