Brainwavz B100 Balanced Armature Earphone

I´m a 38 year old father of 2 children who has a wife that is totally against anything that isn´t music out of the car stereo. I have been forced to sell my HIFI from Cerwin Vega, B&W and KEF speakers and move to portable audio and headphones to save my marriage. 
I was given the chance to review the Brainwavz B100 and this review is based on my subjective listening experience and is not influenced by anything but the gear I have at my disposal and the music I´m listing too.

In this review, and all reviews I do, I use the same tracklist and listen for specific things in the tracks. I listen to different genres and try to keep a good mix of different types of music and sounds. All tracks are FLAC. The tracklist is as following;
 
⦁    Sun Kil Moon – Third and Seneca
⦁    In Flames – Ropes
⦁    Fleet Foxes – White winter hymnial
⦁    The Middle East – Blood
⦁    Niki and the Dove – Love to the test
⦁    Queen – Innuendo
⦁    A tribe called quest – Get a hold
⦁    Yanni – Adagio in C minor
⦁    Elvis Costello – Alison
⦁    Dave Matthews Band – Grey street
⦁    Etherwood – Cast away
⦁    Rage against the Machine - Vietnow 
 
This review will be very close to the B150 review as both models are very much packaged the same was with very similar looks. What will differ will, hopefully, be the soundcharacteristic section…
 
Specifications
⦁    Price: $59.50
⦁    Driver: 1x BA per side
⦁    Impedance: 50 Ω
⦁    Frequency Range: 15 Hz ~ 22 kHz
⦁    Sensitivity: 110 dB at 1 mW
⦁    Cable: 1.3 m Y-Cord, Over the ear, OFC Copper
⦁    Plug: 3.5 mm, Gold plated
 
The box
 
My review set of The Brainwavz B100 came with the retail box as shown on the picture below (not my picture as my box had had a rough time through shipping). 
 

 
 
 
What you do get on the inside is a lot of extra accessories and they are also very good for the price. You get; 
 
3 x Pairs of Sony hybrid lookalike tips (S, M, L)
3 x Pairs of Brainwavz own tips (S, M, L)
1 x Comply foam tips (these alone are like $13US in Sweden for the pair…)
1 x Shirtclip
1 x Velcro cable strap
1 x Branded Brainwavz earphone case
1 x User guide
 

 
 
Build and Design
 
The Brainwavz B100 are, just like the B150, made out of black lightweight plastic and are shaped to look like they are custom built to fit in the . They are not branded with “BRAINWAVZ” on the side like the S5 and they look a bit small at first. I´ll get back to this later in the review. They look a bit basic as they are all black. They look very elegant and “neat”. They do feel very solid and that is also how I would describe their looks.

Taking a look at the cable, it´s black and braided half way (to the Y-split). I immediately get flashbacks to the Brainwavz M100 which has a very nice too. The braided OFC cable has some memory and tangles a bit at first but after some use it smoothens out. Above the y-split the B100 comes with a basic rubber sheathed, thin strand of cable.
 

 

 

There is no remote on the cable, and to be honest, that´s not the end of the world for me. The cable also has excellent strain reliefs at all the danger areas so all in all I find the design ok. They are made to be worn over-ear and they can´t be worn cable down. The cable is not removable which otherwise seems to be a trend and I personally like.
 
Comfort and Isolation
I like iems and earbuds. I have about 30 in my possession at the moment and they range from small microdriver units to big bulky universals that cover your whole concha and will hurt your tragus badly. I haven´t tried customs and I´m not sure I ever will…

My main issue with iems are usually that I can´t get a good seal. I have BIG ears and well above average sized ear channels. Tip rolling is not something I do on occasion with new iems, I do it everytime and sometimes for hours to get that perfect seal and sound. 

I don´t know what it is about Braniwavz iems but they really are easy for me to get an excellent seal with. I put on the standard large sized tips and they just loved me. We come together in perfect harmony. For me, the B100 are the one of the most comfortable earphones I have ever used. I honestly forget about them after wearing them for a while. They are smaller in size compared to my average iems but they are sooo comfortable. I wear them over-ear, of course, and the cable lays snug around the back of my ears. Isolation is also among the best I´ve ever tried. For me, they are very close to the isolation I get when using Comply and my Shure SE535. 

I have to state this again. I find the Brainwavz B100, just like the B150, S5 and M100 to be extremely comfortable and a pleasure to wear.
 

 
 
Audio quality
 
I´ll be using a FiiO X7 with AM3 module as source and I´ll also hook up a VE Runabout 2.0 amp too. I also have an Oppo HA-2 dac/amp which I will pair with my Oneplus3 smartphone.
After reviewing the B150 earlier, I´m trying to keep my hopes down to a normal level, as I absolutely loved them. Straight out of the box the B100 show their worth. They focus on mids and treble and are very capable in the low end. Bass is present but not prominent. In my book just the right amount too. They sound fun which can be interpreted as “V”-shaped by many. I don´t think it´s fair to conclude anything out of the box so I had the B100 play music out my MacBook pro for about 50 hours. No special music just a random playlist and no “pink noise burn in”.
 
Mids

The detail and clarity in the mids are very very good. Compared to the B150 I feel the B100 are more revealing in this area. Vocals, especially female are sweet as sugar. They have warmth but not too much. I especially like how good it sounds with acoustic music from my tracklist above. 
 
Bass

Bass is OK but compared to the B150 and for example the Brainwavz S5 they are a little lacking and not as “fun”. I will not choose the B100 for Trance or House music. I´m not saying it´s bad or so it´s just that the bass does not extend so much. It does not lack speed and has no some problem “keeping up”. It just lacks that “oomph” (I´d compare it to the Havi B3Pro1 bass). I tried it with my Oppo HA-2 DAC which has bassboost and that brought the B100 to a whole new level.
 
Treble

I´m very sensitive to sibilance, I´ll just add that right away. The B100´s gave me no issues or problem whatsoever. Not fatiguing at all. Smooth and detailed.
 
Soundstage

I´m a sucker for huge soundstage and airy atmosphere in music. The B100, like the B150, are OK and average.. I´d say it´s above average (like 5/10) and when I add an amp the B100 really does not benefit from it. They are easy to drive anyway both straight out of my phone and my FiiO X7.
 

 
 
Conclusion

I feel like I´m repeating myself but, like always, Brainwavz deliver a very pleasant surprise! Just like the B150, I really think that Brainwavz have a gem here. They are well tuned, balanced and neutral and doesn´t add to much of its own signature to the music. I´d say these are an excellent buy for someone who wants a pair of iems that can reveal detail in music, especially acoustic and music without to prominent bass. There is no need for an amp so they should be interesting for a vast number of people. If you have large ears and feel fatigue wearing different iems these might just be the ones for you. For $60US they are a safe and excellent purchase both when it comes to quality and sound.

 
Brainwavz is a company that should be well known by now to anyone who's familiar with Head-Fi. Known for their excellent build quality and reasonable prices, Brainwavz should always be on your list of manufacturers to keep track of. Today I'll be looking at their recently released B100 single Balanced Armature over ear earphones.
 
Disclaimer:
 
This product was sent to me for the purpose of an honest review. All opinions and observations here are my own, based on my experience with the product. I'd like to thank Brainwavz and Pandora for the opportunity to test the B100.
 
*Note that this is the pre-release version of the B100. The sound tuning is final but the release version will have an upgraded cable, black ear-tips and more polished physical finish.
 
Brainwavz website
 
Product page

 

Specifications:

1. Drivers : Single Balanced Armature
2. Rated Impedance : 50 Ω
3. Frequency Range : 15 Hz ~ 22 kHz
4. Sensitivity : 110 dB at 1 mW
5. Cable : 1.3 m Y-Cord, Over the ear, OFC Copper
6. Plug : 3.5 mm, Gold plated

 
Packaging and accessories:
 
The B100 comes with the usual array of accessories that Brainwavz provides with each release including:
 

1. Earphone Hard case
2. 6 sets of Silicone Ear Tips (S M L)
3. 1 set of Comply Foam Tips T-100
4. 1 Shirt Clip
5. Velcro Cable Tie
6. Instruction Manual & Warranty Card (24 month warranty)

 
*Because this is the pre-production version the earphones did not come in retail packaging.
 
The Brainwavz carry cases are above average quality and I have always liked them a lot. This case is elongated and has ample room for the earphones and provided accessories. Brainwavz is one of the few manufacturers whose Large ear-tips are actually large enough for my ears and for that I'm eternally grateful. It's just as well too because the B100 has very slender nozzles which could make tip rolling a bit tricky. Fortunately the included tips are very good and give me a perfect seal. The tips on the production model will actually be black.
 

      ​

 
Build, comfort and isolation:
 
The B100 IEMs are a small, lightweight plastic in the form of a conch type shape. At first glance I thought it might be difficult regarding fit but I couldn't have been more wrong. This is an extremely comfortable IEM that slips into my ears as though it was custom made just for me. The angle of the nozzle and cable connections are perfect (again for me) and I can easily forget I'm wearing earphones. This is by far the most comfortable over-ear IEM in my collection (along with the B150 which has the same housing).
 
The cable is rubberized, similar to previous Brainwavz models but this one is twisted below the Y-splitter which seems to have made it more supple/manageable and it feels of a higher quality too. There's a chin-slider above the Y-splitter which can be used to get a more secure fit. Strain reliefs are excellent from top to bottom, offering good protection against wear. The cable terminates in a 45 degree angled plug that has a convex curve on it and makes it very easy to grip when removing the plug. The top few inches of the cables have a plastic sheath and are preformed to fit over your ears and again Brainwavz seems to have nailed it with this aspect as it's super secure and comfortable at the same time.
 
With a proper seal from the ear-tips and the shape of the IEMs the noise isolation is above average for my ears and blocks out a good deal of outside noise.
 

 
Sound:
 
Sources:
 
PC/MusicBee > Audinst HUD-MX2
FiiO X1ii
Benjie X1
Galaxy Note 5
 
This single BA sounded great from all the sources I tested and in my opinion does not need amping. Even the Galaxy Note 5 pairs well with the B100 and was able to provide a clear and detailed sound at a good level where many other IEMs require near maximum volume and come out a little muddy from this device.
 
Bass is somewhat light but I wouldn't say it's thin as it has great texture with a cheeky dose of punch.  The quality of the bass is really very good. It's fast and accurate and deceptively full-bodied for a single BA driver. I usually have preference for elevated bass, particularly in the sub-bass regions but strangely I don't feel that I miss it when listening to the B100. There's some kind of voodoo crafted into this IEM that brings life and fullness out of a bass that is presented at a rather mature and conservative level. Mid-bass is a little reduced in quantity which really brings out the edge in kick drums and then there's a sub-bass that's ever so slightly emphasized with good extension and capable of bringing a bit of subtle rumble into the mix.
 
The midrange of this B100 maintains the balanced approach that it does with its bass with a touch of added warmth. Detail and separation are impressive and don't show any signs of congestion. There's clarity aplenty with crisp, well defined notes throughout. The B100 tackles all genres with ease from the energetic pace of NWA's "100 Miles and Runnin'" to the velvety smooth "Your Love is King" by Sade, though in the latter the vocals are presented slightly behind the percussion instruments. Natural tones abound and is another area where this IEM excels.
 
Treble has a liveliness and sense of air about it but never gets strident or fatiguing. It's energetic but smooth at the same time and I haven't experienced any piercing highs during my time with the B100.
 
Soundstage is not the most vast out there but it's not too shabby at all and never feels confined or too intimate. It can give the impression of an open space when called upon and can fairly accurately lay out the position of elements within the music.
 
Comparison:
 
B100 vs Brainwavz B150 ($109 USD):
 
Physically these two are identical and also very similar when it comes to their sound. The treble of the B100 has a little more extension giving it a hint more energy while the B150 has less treble and more body in the midrange. Bass on both is similar again though the B150 has a little extra tilt towards the mid-bass giving it an overall impression of more fullness and darker sound (though both have excellent detail and separation). Given that these are so similar if I were to make a recommendation it would be for the B100 unless you absolutely want that extra bit of girth in the lower mids.
 
Conclusion:
 
The B100 really surprised me with its sound presentation as I was expecting something more analytical but in fact its very musical and welcoming. Another wonderment was how incredibly comfortable it is. Its easy to forget you're wearing earphones and to get lost in the music. Its super light weight and preformed cable ends (not memory wire) work in harmony with the shape to practically disappear in your ears. Unless you're a basshead and "need" that extra weighted low end, for the asking price of $59.50 I wouldn't hesitate recommending these to anyone after a detailed and engaging IEM. This should be on your wish list.
 

This is a report about a new IEM from Brainwavz.  The B100

Specifications:

1. Drivers : Single Balanced Armature
   
2. Rated Impedance : 50 Ω
   
3. Frequency Range : 15 Hz ~ 22 kHz
   
4. Sensitivity : 110 dB at 1 mW
   
5. Cable : 1.3 m Y-Cord, Over the ear, OFC Copper
   
6. Plug : 3.5 mm, Gold plated
   

 
Shout out to @Salsara of Brainwavz for the review sample of the B100s.
A set of B100s were provided to me for my thoughts of them. I have used them exclusively for the past month and I have to say these have surprised me in many ways.
 
I remember opening them and while I am a firm believer of burn in on all phones I review. I always like to hear them on open listen just to get a feeling of what type of sound we are dealing with. Well lets just say I was not very impressed with the open box sound of these. In fact I was very puzzled. However this was not the final word of the B100s.
 
They come with your standard Brainwavz package. What I noticed that was new to me was their included brainwavz case. It is your standard semi hard shell with pockets and zipper but now more rectangle in shape vs the squares I have gotten in the past. I feel this is an improvement from previous square shaped cases simply due to the fact that it feels much less cramped than the older square ones they have provided. Makes more sense for storing your earphones. So improvements there. These come with standard 6 pairs of silicon tips in various sizes a clip and a pair of medium sized complys.  

When assessing earphones I always give a good thorough run in of music before getting an end conclusive sound.  I noticed though the various earphones I have owned and reviewed. They all vary as to  how they respond to various ways of getting the end state of the sound of the earphones. What I mean by this. There is a common thought that BAs do no need burn in. I have to strongly disagree with this view. From my own experiences of various BA based earphones I own. Sure they don’t change in sonics to a drastic degree. I have noticed some BA actually do open up in sound.
 
Case in point. The B100 out of box sounded like I was listening to music through a tin can.  Vocals especially male sounded completely off. Sound was about as flat with absolutely no discernable sense of depth or stage for that matter. I remember reaching out to a few friends on the forums if I am hearing these things right.  Long story short. I started a several week long process of not only burn in but tried out my large variety of tips I use on various other earphones.
 
About a 100 hours into the process. The sound not only changed but has bloomed to something that left a sour state of impression on me to something entirely different.
 
COMFORT FIT and BUILD:  
I feel comfort goes a long ways for sound enjoyment. I have personally encountered fantastic sounding earphones that for some reason if the fit or comfort is not right, will throw a wrench on how much enjoyment one gets out of their music. The housing is relatively small conch shell type shape sits very comfortably in the outer canal with an over the ear fit. Which eliminates microphonics. So good design for the housing. Isolation is average for in ears. Build is fairly solid but has a noodle like quality to the cord that gets half as thin after the Y split up to the housing themselves. I would say build is good but not great. I do like the 45 degree angle connector which  gives some confidence that it will not break apart at the connector any time soon.


 
SOUND:
BA earphone sound in the past that I have owned or heard all have a common strength and weakness. Detail, precision, speed which all lead to a great sense of mids and treble presence.  It is usually the bass area the suffers the most as compared to an equally comparable dynamic counterpart. Which is one of the main reasons for the myriad of hybrids in the markets now a days.   
 
The B100 does a solid job at a complete sound profile that is surprisingly satisfactory given it’s price point.  I feel it is one of the better single BAs I have heard in this regard. I can understand the reason for multiple BA earphones to fill the gap in between the sonics that a single BA has a hard time reproducing. Hence the myriad top end earphones with 5 plus more BAs. But these actually don’t sound like they are missing much if at all from your tunes.
 
Tested with a variety of daps and dac amps I keep at my sound station at home. Varying from my Fiio daps X1, X3, X3ii, Ibasso DX90, Pono, Aundinst MX1, Meridian explorer 1, and Geek pulse. Fiio 12A and Cayin C5,These sounded good to fantastic on all of it however I did notice that amping these don’t necessarily yield a more expansive sound. On a side note I did notice these have the best synergy to warmer sounding daps like my original X3, which makes sense due to the source having a wamer tone and fuller mids.
 
The B100 has a fairly balanced sound signature but has a slight V shaped profile which is typical of Brainwavz house sound I have heard from other Brianwavz earphones. So while typical BA sound signatures should in theory cater more to a mid forward signature it actually makes sense to tune to the weakness of a single BA being bass and then treble emphasis.

 
TREBLE SIZZLE:
The trebles of the B100 is very capable of representing the region and does have good clarity, definition and agility to it. Brainwavz did a great job of having a good balanced treble here but it does lack some in tonality, depth and smoothness in the region. But again for a single BA not much is missing and does have an airy lift to upper  treble that don’t make your highs sound boring or incomplete. Control of the treble region has enough dynamic qualities to be satisfying, accurate while not being strident.  
 
MIDDLE FIDDLE FADDLE:
The mids of the B100 take a slight step back from the treble and bass but due to ample clarity and detail in the region. It does good with vocals and has an exemplary ability for sound separation and agility given the price point.  However It lacks a bit of lushness, fullness and depth of  higher end earphones.   
 
If I was a betting man the higher priced B150 will have a more enveloping fuller mid range but for what is on here it does an excellent job of imagery and that clarity which does a lot for the B100 to satisfy the meat of your tunes. Quick transients and instrument edge has your full attention which again shows the strength of the BA integration.  
 
Somehow if Brainwavz got this exact sound tuning with even more depth and width of stage it would jump from being an entry level BA to a mid fi level easily. This being said it is hard to nit pick from the sound of these as truely lacking.
 
LOW LOWs:
The bass of the B100 is emphasized which is what you have to do with BAs. It is definitely above neutral but is no where near bloat ville and monotone. Sound balancing is a fine art much like how one crafts beer or wine. You over cook some elements while undercooking another to find a balance of sound satisfaction to suit peoples tastes. Overcook the bass as your gonna have a warm tilt to the tone or worse a hump that shows it’s ugly head in every tune. Undercook and you get music that will not engage or interact with why your listening to them in the first place. Bass is the one aspect of BAs that lets be frank just don’t cut it. Compared to a well tuned dynamic driver,  BAs can lack that texture that layering and sheer power in them Low lows. If you like your Bass massage your inner ears. These will not satisfy. But if your a balance head and want a decent representation of accurate bass in a detailed BA sound. These are gonna be worth your cash.
 
They do exhibit a bass roll off like most single BAs I have heard, but subbass does remain in the 30 hz region with decent texture and good layering. I have yet to hear a single BA phone that can do subbass quite like Final Audio earphones but these are about par with what you will get with a single BAs ability in the region.  They do have a somewhat soft sub bass texture but does not sound lacking. Even with my hip hop tracks which require a good amount of bass acumin. I came away thinking it didn’t sound bad at all. Which was a surprise for a single BA earphone.  Trance actually sound like Trance. RnB sounds very nice actually and shows its true strengths in Jazz tracks..
 
Sure these aren’t gonna win any awards for trunk of funk but hey for a single BA I will gladly take it.
 
IN THE END.
Brainwavz did an excellent job with these earphones. If you have never had a chance to hear a solidly tuned BA earphone before. I would give these a try. The value is about as good as it gets on these and to me their solid comfort and good build makes them an easy phone to pick up while going for a walk or on your comute. Really about a complete a sound your gonna get from a single BA. And that to me is what makes the B100 and excellent entry level earphone. Well done Brainwavz. While sound is a subjective thing these do a lot right and has a lot to like about them. GIve them a go if your in the market for a more grown up sound from your earphones.