This is a review of the Brainwavz Jive earphones in army green with IOS controls.  I strictly tested it using the iPhone 6 Plus. 

 


 
Packaging and accessories are quite nice considering these sell for under thirty bucks.  Three pairs of silicon tips, pair of Comply’s, cable clip and a new version of their excellent hard case. 
 
Build feels top notch.  Metal housings that are light and small enough to almost disappear into the ears.  Strain reliefs look and feel solid and seems to be able to take some abuse.  Cable feels a happy medium between slippery and rubbery. 
 
IOS remote works as designed functionality-wise and the buttons are positioned well and press easily. 
 
One word to describe the sound would be clarity.  I can hear why Brainwavz direction in tuning went for an armature driver. 
 
Bass is tight, has good impact and keeps excellent speed.  Definitely sounds dynamic so those who fear armature bass don’t need to be scared off. 
 
Vocals sound upfront without being forward if this makes sense.  Vocal range leans more toward the mid to upper frequencies so it lacks some bottom heft.  No sibilance detected after initial burn in and daily use for a couple of weeks. 
 
Treble packs good spark and is very crisp.  Went from somewhat edgy on open box to sounding fine after use.  Armature type clarity seems to be closely achieved by this tuning. 
 
Another great sounding Brainwavz earphone.  To me this might be their best sound to price ratio product they’ve ever released.  Well done. 

Axgio Sprint comes in a simple box with a USB charging cable, 4 sets if silicon tips and 3 pairs of nice quality foam tips.  No case or pouch is provided. 
 
Design, fit and comfort
 
The earphone is entirely made of plastic as far as I can tell.  Build feels solid and is very light weight.  Design is excellent and fits perfectly.  Memory wire ear guides are stiff and bends to shape very well to keep a snug fit.  Nice added feature is a cable clip built in to tighten the cable if needed. 
 
Functionality
 
The earphone is equipped with a 3 button remote on the right side.  I didn’t have any problems skipping tracks, turning up the volume, answering calls, etc.  Only gripe is that the buttons are a little stiff.  Bluetooth connectivity was a breeze.  Both my iMac and iPhone 6 Plus connected immediately.  Volume using my iMac was no issue but when pairing with my iPhone 6 Plus, max volume wasn’t very loud but loud enough to be able to use when exercising.  I was able to hear well enough while mowing the lawn. I used them for 1-2 hours a day for 4 days before the battery completely drained.  8 hours of usage time seems pretty accurate.  The female British voice that prompts the functions are a nice touch.  
 
Sound
 
Overall sound of the earphone is quite balanced though tilted towards the warmer side.  Separation is pretty good and there’s good depth to the sound.  I did not detect any part of the sound frequency that felt lacking or overbearing.  Very nice sound all around. 
Bass reaches to the sub levels nicely.  Not much in the mid-bass region for added punch.  With proper fit, these do not lack bass whatsoever.  I used Sony Hybrid tips for best sound.  For those looking for shear bass impact, these might not satisfy since bass is a bit soft impact wise.  For those who like the bass not to intrude into other frequencies then these should fit the bill. 
Midrange is very present and vocals sound fantastic.  Vocals sound sweet and lush.  Quite nice considering this is with Bluetooth connectivity.  Both male and female vocals excel but sounds extra nice with female vocals. 
Treble is smooth with good detail.  There is zero sibilance.  Works well with the rest of the sound for a balanced listening experience. 
Only criticism to the sound if I were to nitpick would be to tighten up the bass and add just a slight increase in treble. 
 
Only other Bluetooth earphones I’ve heard before auditioning the Axgio Sprint was the Meelectronics AF72 and Brainwavz Blu-100.  Besides the build quality which I would give to the Blu-100, Axgio Sprint comes out on top for comfort and sound. 
 

 

 

Brainwavz has consistently provided great value to performance iem's and the BLU-100 is no different. This is their first bluetooth earphone and I would say they did an excellent job.

The BLU-100's come with the best earphone case I've come across. I buy these cases for my other earphones as well. Hard shell case has enough room for the earphones and accessories as well. BLU-100's, three pairs of silicon tips, ear guides, pair of Comply tips and the USB cable all fit without issue.
Build quality of the earphone seem very durable. Housings are made of metal attached by a flat rubbery cable and the three button remote on the right side. The USB charging port is on the right earpiece and it's simple to open and use. Charge time was between one to two hours and play time lasted close to 4 hours.
Button functionality is simple and worked flawlessly for me. Middle button for play/pause. Top button for forward and bottom for rewind. Short press of the top and bottom buttons increase and decrease volume. Long press skips forward or reverses the tracks. Middle button long press turns on or off the earphones. Pairing with my iPhone 6 Plus and my Mac computers was a breeze and after the first pairing, each additional sessions, the source remembered the BLU-100's and pairing was automatic.

Overall sound impressions of this earphone is mostly positive. Slightly v-shaped sound but vocals are not sucked out. Mid-bass emphasis that's not obtrusive to my ears and treble that is sparkly and crisp but lacks some refinement. Not bad considering this is a bluetooth earphone currently priced under $40. More in-depth sound impressions.
Bass depending on fit can be mid-bassy or neutral with a looser fit. I found both signatures quite enjoyable but with a correct fit, these will have a lift in the mid-bass but there is good control and texture. There is no looseness with the bass. When called for, bass does reach well into sub-bass.
Midrange is slightly recessed compared to the bass and treble but vocals come out nicely free of sibilance and grain.
Treble is quite sparkly and crisp but lacks refinement. I hear some graininess at higher volumes but performs better at low to mid volume levels.
The BLU-100's sound seems better controlled at low to mid volume levels but at higher levels it loses some control.
Staging isn't wide or deep but what you hear is well rounded.

Comparing to the Meelectronics Air-Fi Metro2 which retails for $59.99, the BLU-100's 3 buttons are easier to use since it's just better laid out and built. Build goes to the BLU-100's since the Meelectronics is plastic. Housings are also a little smaller on the Brainwavz but fit is similar on both. Sound impressions are that the Meelectronics is more even in the frequencies while the Brainwavz is slightly more v-shaped. Both actually sound quite good for bluetooth earphones but the BLU-100's is the better value in my opinion since it's better built, easier to control and sound is quite competent.

I was provide a review sample and would like to thank Salsera and Brainwavz/MP4Nation.  
 
The R3 V.2 is a dual dynamic barrel shaped iem from Brainwavz.  Probably the oddest looking earphone on the market but surprisingly, I had no problem with fit.  The shape actually works well with the looping over ear design and the earphones stay in place without much issue.  The housings look and feel of aluminum and are light in weight.  They are actually very comfortable while in use.  Cables are rather thick especially from Y-split down to the 3.5mm jack.  From the Y-split up to the housings have been redesigned and are much better than the original version.  Cables seem to stay in place quite well around the ears and the thickness wasn’t much of a bother for me.  The 3.5mm jack has a nice 45 degree angle in which I have come to appreciate in design.  Only gripe although minor is the overall thickness of the cable and bigger than average Y-split. 
 
Moving on to the sound, these have a nice balanced signature.  Bass doesn’t hit with great impact, won’t reach to the lowest of the lows or hit you with forceful mid-bass punch.  Bass has good presence but isn’t the tightest and sounds a bit soft from what I’m use to.  The S5 from Brainwavz reaches lower, has bigger impact and makes a much greater presence in the music.  For those who find the S5 to have too much bass, the R3 might be more appealing.  Overall, I find the bass to fit with the signature these earphones are going for.  These earphones have a wide and deep soundstage, some of the biggest I’ve heard.  This can be good or bad on the vocals, depending on preference.  The staging distances the vocals several rows back so it isn’t up front.  I find them a little recessed and I mean little because they can be clearly heard and is not hidden from the rest of the music.  I honestly couldn’t nitpick if male or female vocals sounded better since both sounded just fine for me.  But, vocal trance sounded quite nice.  Treble is very relaxed and there isn’t even a hint of fatigue, sibilance or the dreaded “sss” in the vocal region.  Treble is smooth and possibly could use a little more for added sparkle.  Somewhere between the R3 and S5 would be lovely.  The smooth and non-fatiguing treble still clearly presents the details in the music.  Instrument placement can be best pictured as if the listener is sitting in a large theatre compared to say a small intimate club.  This is more of a surround sound listening experience. 
 
In conclusion, I find the R3 V2 to be an even keeled sounding earphone that really doesn’t have much fault.  Nothing to really complain about, even with the thick cable and all.  I’m not too much of a nitpicker but I would think most would find this earphone to sound just fine.  No huge bass to complain about or peaky treble or too recessed vocals.  Fit’s fine if people can ignore the odd design and give it a try. 

 
I was provided a review sample and appreciate the generosity and opportunity to listen and review the Brainwavz S5.
 
I've owned many Brainwavz earphones ranging from the Beta through the B2 and enjoyed them all except the B2.  I find Brainwavz to produce excellent value to performance so I was quite excited to hear the new S5.
 
Packaging and accessories are well presented and generous.  To keep this part of the review short, I give it an A grading.
 
Build, aesthetics and ergonomics:  The earphones are built to last.  From the jack to the earphones, all parts feel and look heavy duty.  Housings are all metal and the cable is thick.  Strain reliefs and the jack are minimal in size compared to the rest of the earphone but feel strong.  Aesthetically, the earphones themselves look great.  All black housing that is on the bigger side but fit excellent either over the ear or hanging down.  The only major drawback is the thick flat cable and monstrous y-split.  The cable is very microphonic wearing down but wearing over ear can alleviate this.  Plus side of things is that it is built like a tank so it should take a lot of abuse and keep ticking.  Overall grade, B
 
Sound:  Overall sound has a pretty good balance with emphasis on bass and treble.  The bass has great kick with some emphasis in mid-bass.  After some days of burn-in, the sub-bass came out which balances out nicely with the mid-bass.  This earphone will make any bass lover happy.  Bass is controlled quite well and does not sound loose and overall quantity stays shy of basshead levels.  Well done in my book.  Vocals do take a backseat to the bass and treble but is not recessed by any means.  Voices are clearly heard and there is an added sparkle in vocals that allows female vocals to shine.  One part to note is that somewhere in the lower treble region, I did detect slight sibilance, which ended up going away for the most part after a couple hundred hours of burn-in but is still present.  Treble is very sparkly and top heavy.  Upper registers of the treble are tuned without piercing your ears with needles but come close.  This should please the treble lover.  I actually prefer a smoother treble but do not find the S5’s treble to be much of an issue.  Occasionally I’ll hear cymbal hits getting close to cringing levels but thankfully stays just below that level unless the volume is turned up loud.  Soundstage isn’t any sort of out of head experience but there’s good spaciousness and placement is quite good.  Overall grade on sound, B+
 
When I look back and try and remember every Brainwavz earphone’s I’ve had, I can’t think of one that sounds as good as the S5.  The S5 sounds like the bigger brother to the S1 and if Brainwavz can tweak this sound a little better and fix that cable while keeping the price within the same range, I think they’ll have a major contender. 
 
 

This is my first purchase of a higher end set of cans.  I consider over $100 to be high end.  The most expensive earphones I've purchased before was the $80 in ear phones from apple w/microphone.  I didn't think they sounded that bad until I purchased the Grado's.  I read a bunch of reviews and did some research before I decided on the Grado's.  I went to a local audio store and decided to have a listen.  I tested out the SR60's through the SR325's.  Though they all sounded great, I could tell the difference between all of them.  Without going into details, I can tell you that the sound stage gets a little better with each step up.  My plan was going into the store to buy the SR60's because I wanted to stay under $100.  As I listened to each set over and over again, I kept going back to the SR225's because of the fullness and amazing details I was hearing.  I really enjoyed the SR325's because there was little more bass, but I couldn't justify the $300 price tag.  I've been listening to the SR225's for a couple of weeks now and can't believe what I've been missing until now.  These cans are truly amazing and I would gladly pay $200 or more for good set of cans.  Now, I'm looking into something more on the bass end, like the DT770's or something from Ultrasone.