Brainwavz Delta

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Brainwavz Delta is a well-built, good sounding earphone that thrives on the harmony of its average properties and its outstanding timbre. And it constitutes very good value.


INTRODUCTION

The single dynamic driver (DD) is a dying breed in the new age of balanced-armature (BA) driver earphones. Once expensive, manufacturers now stuff new generations of cheaply produced BAs into large, flashy shells and compete on the number of drivers as their marketing gimmick and price reference. These large shells leave enough space for detachable cables which created an additional market for accessories and therefore even more revenue.

Many manufacturers discontinued their sidelined single DDs similar to record companies getting rid of vinyl in the late 1980s in favour of digital technology. What has not been considered by consumers and manufacturers alike is that single DDs have one huge advantage over the BAs: they sound more organic and natural. As somebody once wrote: when comparing iems with images, BAs are like overpixelated photos and DDs look like analog prints.

The Deltas are dinosaurs on the market having survived since 2013, I could only think of some Sennheiser and Etymotic models having been offered for longer.


SPECIFICATIONS

Drivers: Dynamic, 8 mm
Rated Impedance: 16Ω
Frequency Range: 20 Hz ~ 20 kHz
Sensitivity: 100 dB at 1 mW
Rated Input Power: 20 mW
Cable: 1.3 m Y-Cord, Copper
Plug: 3.5 mm, Gold plated

Price: $27.50 (list)…I saw them for $20 CAD


IN THE BOX…

…are the earphones, three pairs of wide-bore silicone tips, one pair of Comply foam tips, cable tie, shirt clip, user guide, and the classic sturdy hard case (the same that comes with the Koel, B200, and B400). Generous!





PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, HAPTIC, AND BUILD QUALITY

The earpieces are well-made of light metal, they feel and appear sturdy and look somewhat non-descript (don’t judge the book by its cover). The cable is reminiscent of thin speaker cable, it is robust and worked for me. And it is red, which sets the Deltas apart from their competition…looks distinct and good. Strains reliefs are fine, and the jack is the classic Brainwavz 45 degree angled designed found on the company’s other cables. The chin slider comes in very handy. In summary, everything is of good quality, nothing to complain about.


ERGONOMICS, COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT

As with most of barrel-shaped dynamic in-ears, the Deltas fit very well. Isolation is good, especially when combined with the deep-bass punch (see below). I barely heard street noise and recommend these for the daily commute.


SOURCE AND EARTIPS

The largest included wide-bore eartips worked well for me, but I wished Brainwavz had included narrow bores, too (which tame down treble and move the treble peaks to slightly lower frequencies, as depicted HERE). The Deltas were easily driven by my iPhone SE.


TONALITY

JK’s tonal preference and testing practice

The big picture: The Delta is a warm, smooth sounding earphone with a natural timbre and good resolution.



Raw frequency response of the Brainwavz Delta.


The details: The Delta has a linear frequency response that is forward inclined between 50 Hz and 1.5 kHz, that is the output decreases at an approximately uniform rate with increasing frequency. The bass is well-extended and only starts rolling off slightly at 50 Hz while not getting fuzzy downwards. Bass is not as fast as of a single BA, but is ok. The low end is punchy and the main impact comes from deep down at the transition to the sub-bass. The bass peak is broad and extends upwards into the mid-bass, which can become boomy at times. Yes the bass slam is still far enough away from the lower midrange not to smudge substantially into male vocals of the lower midrange, which maximizes clarity in this segment and minimizes the perception of the slight recession. There is no punch at 200 Hz (so typical for budget DDs) that excavates my eardrums…very pleasant.

The lower (250 to 500 Hz) and upper midrange (2 to 4 kHz, the most sensitive frequency range for the human ear) are slighty recessed and truly linear with no shouty peaks and no harshness or hardness (in contrast to many KZ earphones such as the ZSN or AS10). This is a real strength of the Deltas and the basis of their pleasant sound. The lower midrange is warm, darkish, natural, and smooth. In the upper midrange, high female vocals stay slightly behind and deserve a bit more sheen.

The treble is well extended. A narrow peak at 6.5 kHz adds brightness to the image. I taped the nozzles off with micropore tape to remove this peak temporarily [instructions], and this not only darkened the image but also removed much of its life, as depicted HERE. This peak adds the icing to cymbals and high piano notes, but it also introduces the occasional borderline sibilance and may be too sharp for sensitive ears. The treble starts rolling off at 6.5 kHz, which means it is well extended, and a secondary peak at 14 kHz adds the perception of added resolution, clarity, sparkle and airiness.


Correlation of frequency response and sound.


Clarity and detail resolution are generally good and so are instrument separation and layering. The timbre is natural and beats many much higher priced hybrid iems (which resolve better and have a deeper and taller soundstage).

The soundstage is wider than deep and not very tall, typical for a budget single-DD earphone, which is just fine.

In summary, the Deltas’ sound is different from so many other single DDs in its class by having the bass attack deep and no annoying upper midrange peak (“not the classic V-shape”). The price to pay for the latter is an added lower treble peak that area (reportedly) strident to some ears. Overall, the Deltas sound enjoyable to me and I could not find any noteworthy weakness.


CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Brainwavz Delta is the classic, simple, rugged, well-built budget DD earphone that holds its marketplace whereas many of its competitors have been sacrificed for flashier BA or hybrid models. Kudos to Brainwavz for that — as the Deltas are well worth it. And while they don’t break any world record, they sound good, have not a single flaw, come with a great case, and are shipped fast. The Deltas are yet another example that a good sound does not have to be expensive. I enjoyed testing them.


DISCLAIMER

The Deltas were selected and provided by Brainwavz upon my request for reviewing an interesting single dynamic-driver earphone and I thank them for that. The fast communication with Brainwavz is once again appreciated. The sole purpose of this review was to independently test the Deltas’ technical and practical capabilities.

Note: I don't like the stars scheme offered as it is not consistent between reviewers and not even internally consistent within a single reviewer. I added 1/2 star for the quality accessories.

My generic standard disclaimer

About our measurements

Intro
The BRAINWAVZ DELTA have been in business for several years now. Does that make them worse in comparison? No, they can still keep up with today's offers and do not belong to the most sold models of the company for nothing, but there is a lot of competition around 20€, which has largely passed by (unbeatable the **** ****). The company has made a name for itself in the Hi-Fi world with the B200 (2*BA) and B400 (4*BA).

Handling
Let's start with the company's claim regarding the supplied equipment and it's not from bad parents. For a good 25 € we get a very robust, high-quality hard case with compartments, where the in-ears are packed including a pair of comply tips, 3 pairs of silicone tips and a T-shirt clip.

Otherwise the quality of workmanship is commensurate with the price, and due to the full metal housing even more than that. Even if it feels as light as plastic, the "tooth test" proves the opposite.

The design is usual, slim and very comfortable (cable down). The cable noise is a bit of a nuisance. The problem can be solved by placing the cable over the ear. As the cable gets shorter, the Remote/Mic isn't really useful anymore and the cable can easily slip off the ear due to the missing reinforcement. This trick also works with all other in-ears with cable noise, if they are not already worn over the ear as standard.

With the Comply-Tips one achieves a very good isolation, but also with the Silicone-Tips this is satisfactory.

Sound
The BRAINWAVZ DELTA is warm, relaxed and balances with a sometimes stronger, sometimes less subjectively perceptible V-signature.

The bass has enough power and punch to suit any genre. But it's not always accurate and can sometimes overpower, making it booming. The DELTA cuts a better figure in the sub-bass, even if the extension is not the biggest. It brings some warmth to the signature. It has to be said that this varies from recording to recording and depends strongly on the quality. If you put a little more steam under the DELTA's butt, the bass becomes tighter and cleaner, but still not perfect. It plays slightly above average with a nice kick. Bass guitars can stand out positively if they are well mixed/removed.

The mids sound quite balanced and fall off towards the top. I wish they were more crisp and direct. They line up at the back of the signature, but lack clarity, which would make them more noticeable, and so they just swim along. That doesn't make them screeching or unpleasant, but they can go a bit more forward as far as I'm concerned. They are very soft and relaxed, but also slightly dark coloured. Especially women's voices sound a bit dark.

I actually find the highs most successful in the DELTA. They are smooth, but not as discoloured as the mids. You manage to give the DELTA some lightness and to suggest details. So they save the DELTA from the darkness and even have a nice extension of 10 kHz without becoming clinking.

The separation is in the good range. The highs in particular are a real help to the mid-range, which, on their own, can easily throw the instruments a bit overboard. But with their help a picture is created which is quite appropriate for the price, especially if it gets quieter.

Outro
Even after more than 5 years, the BRAINWAVZ DELTA is still convincing when it comes to a balanced V-signature. However, they do not move mountains. They play an appropriate role in their price segment, but do not set any accents. Those who like it relaxed and prefer the softer sound rather than the direct, fast and brighter sound can access it without hesitation. In addition, there is a nice bass kick and a trouble-free listening session when it comes to peaks. But the resolution suffers from this.

https://www.brainwavzaudio.com/collections/earphones/products/delta-black-with-mic-remote

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Introduction: Brainwavz Audio is a well known audio company that produces IEMs, headphones and audio accessories and have been doing so since 2008 giving them time and effort towards becoming an established name in the industry. They currently have quite a few entries in the budget IEM department but what I'll be reviewing today is one of their best sellers and yet, one of their oldest design as well, the Brainwavz Audio Delta.

I would like to thank Brainwavz Audio for providing me with a review sample in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. You can purchase the Brainwavz Delta on their official website or locally if your retailer has them in stock.



Specification:
Driver: 8mm Dynamic
Sensitivity: 100dB at 1 mW
Frequency response: 20-20kHz
Impedance: 16Ω
Rated input power: 20 mW
Cable length: 1.3 m Y-Cord, Copper
Plug: 3.5 mm, Gold plated

The Brainwavz Delta packs a modest 8mm dynamic driver that's easy to drive at 16Ω, not that it's surprising since it is targeted towards mobile phone users with the built-in microphone and call button. The max volume on my Xperia gets the Delta pretty loud but not to the point of being unlistenable, given that most other phones will be able to power and drive the Delta up to very loud volumes. The Delta does scales moderately with the source though it sounds pretty good even on a budget mobile smartphones. Note that if you buy from their website, there is a 24 month warranty for it.



Unboxing: The Delta comes in a nice sturdy little cardboard box with a hook hole, it's pretty compact and has near zero waste in space. Details and information are found around the box (above Specification). Inside, you will find the following:

Brainwavz Audio Earphone
Earphone Hard Case
3x Sets of Silicone Ear Tips (S M L)
Set of Comply Foam Tips T-400
Shirt Clip
Velcro Cable Tie
Instruction Manual
Warranty Card

The overall package is pretty generous, the hard case alone is a neat container that has ample space for your Delta and then some. The 3 pairs of silicone tips that come with the Delta are soft, wide and comfortable, add a fresh pair of Comply foam tips and you have an assortment of tips for fitting most ears. Overall this accessory set is a winner.





Cable/Build/Design: The cable of the Delta is a bit on the rubbery side though it also makes it pretty tough. There is a little bit of microphonics to the cable, so if you plan on using the Delta in a more sporty fashion, you might want to use the included shirt clip to help reduce the effects. The gold plated 3.5mm is at 45 degree angle and and made of rigid rubber with an adequate strain relief at it's end. The Y-splitter is made of the same material and also has a strain relief at the plug side, there is a chin adjuster that's basically a thin bar. The microphone unit is made of a more solid plastic and houses a single button for accepting calls and activating voice control. The microphone is sensitive and clear for calls with no issue on the voice quality on the receiving end whether its a mobile call or an internet call.

The Delta shells are made of a strong metal housing that is ergonomic and feels smooth, there are no visible vents and this does equate to a bit of driver flex when inserting them inappropriately in one's ear. There is a good strain relief at the bottom of the Delta, and there is a fine mesh at the nozzle end that helps prevent dirt, debris and earwax to enter the IEM. The tip lip is prominent and all the tips I've used on it stay securely on the Delta. There is are visible left and right markings on the shell and the end cap of the Delta carries the logo.



Sound Analysis: The first time I tried the Brainwavz Delta, I knew it was good especially considering the asking price, and though it all sounded good on the 3 base parameters of bass, mids and treble, there are nuances with the Delta that could either show where the corners were cut or other hidden gems of the design. One thing to note is that these are one of the few IEMs that comes with a very good set of tips, where the stock tips were nearly as wide as JVC Spiral Dots, and almost as comfortable if a bit on the stubby side. So in this review, I stuck with the stock tips and did my review after running music through it for over 200+ hours and listening to various devices but mostly with my WM1a as the main testing device.

Bass: There's an above average level of sub-bass extension with the Delta, it gives drum slams from Way Down Deep, a good feeling in your ear as it reaches the lower depths of your hearing and feeling. The decay is average in speed, but it feels and sounds natural in resolution which gives it a nice rumble, this is in comparison to the a bit faster decay when I first tried it. Lose Yourself to Dance shows a good amount of control and quantity of the bass as the constant bass slam does not sound dissonant or out of proportion to the song but enhances the song well. The bass slam is on the above average side when the seal is good, it is satisfying and engaging, like the bass riffs in Lithium that sounds on the crunchy side as the strings sound clear and the rumble feels full of energy. Overall, the bass of the Delta feels and sounds good, in terms of impact, resolution, speed and control, and though this isn't the main focus of the Delta, it's one part of the sound that is easily lovable.



Mids: On the lower mids of the Delta, there is a little bit of forwardness with a little above average thickness and warmth in the tone to make male vocals in Photograph and Bohemian Rhapsody sound near emotive. On the upper mids, female vocals and instruments are a little more forward than the lower mids which presents Diana Krall with The Look of Love in a more intimate fashion. There is a bit more clarity on the upper mids as it loses some of the lower mid thickness coupled with a more airy upper mids. Overall the detail retrieval and clarity of mids are on the average side and though separation is not spacious, the Delta avoids being congested even with busy tracks and keeps individual sounds distinct but melodious, giving a good performance that is quite pleasant and never harsh.

Treble: There is a little above average extension to the treble that sounds good to the ear for the airiness and reach it provides, the harmonics from Silent Lucidity's acoustic guitar string impart a bit of crisp, a little bit of sparkle into the song and has quite a good level of clarity. Hit the Lights has a lot of treble and they sounded natural and clear, even the cymbal crashes sounded pretty good and close to what you'd expect them to sound, playing well with the music and never being swallowed by the rest of the frequencies or harsh. There is a bit of brightness that adds to the overall airiness and a bit of sibilance on very prone songs like Come Round Soon and Silent Lucidity. Overall the treble is good with details and separation and provides an energy to the music that is not fatiguing or harsh.

Soundstage: The Brainwavz Delta's soundstage is wider than it is taller with a natural expansion in sound, though it would be more on the average size, Symphony No. 3 In A Minor, Op. 56, MWV N 18 - "Scottish" : 1. Andante con moto - Allegro un poco agitato - Assai animato - Andante come prima (Berliner Philharmonic) sounded nice with the instruments playing at the levels they should but could benefit from a bit more width though it is adequate as is and it's not intimate or compressed. The layering is more on the average side as exemplified by the mids, the sounds are rather distinct and separated but could benefit from more space in between notes. Imaging is good and accurate enough.



Conclusion: The Brainwavz Delta despite it's age, is one of their best sellers for good reason, with the price of admission, you get an all around mobile friendly IEM that has good thumpy bass, a lightly forwarded mid-range that has good details, a nice and light treble, adequate stage, a durable yet trendy build and a good selection of accessories that come with the package. The Delta plays well with almost any genre, specially the popular music of this time that seems skewed to benefit V shaped sound signatures. If you want an IEM you can use for calls and listen to tunes on the go or on trips, this is definitely a good choice and worth your consideration.





Sound testing was done using a Sony WM1a (Primarily), a Hiby R6, Zishan Z1(for comparison), Audirect Beam (for computer convenience) and a phone (for checking driveability) volume matched to 90.X db of max volume for safe hearing below 8 hours of use and calibrated using a 1kh tone on a dedicated DB Meter, all sources patched through a switcher. More information will be available on the About Me page (once I find the time to write it up.)

Before I start, I am no audiophile and have very, very limited experience with good headphones/earphones. This review is more of just my impressions as someone with almost nothing better to compare it with.
 
I got this for less than £10, which was an amazing steal, considering how good they are. The packaging is nothing special, just typical retail type mostly-transparent small plastic box. Mine came with foam tips already on the earphones, and the rest of the silicone tips (just s,m,l single tips) in a separate bit of the box. Design wise they look pretty cool, mine are black with a small amount of red which works quite nicely. The earphone shape is similar to the RE400 I think, and is pretty small, but depending on how deep you insert, the back end of the "barrel" can rub against the edge of my ear (though this can be fixed by inserting it deeper). I'd never used foam tips before, so it's awesome that you get a pair free with these (especially awesome considering the price of a pack of 3 pairs of foam tips costs £15...), and I'll never go back to silicone tips. The little bit of time spent fiddling with them to compress and insert well is worth it for the comfort and seal. the cable is very nice, it's actually very tangle resistant and nice and smooth. There is a great strain relief on the plug, and decent strain relief on the ear pieces and y-split. I have no doubt this will last a very long time.
 
The sound, like I expected, is pretty neutral. All I have to compare these with is my Superlux 681-EVO - the EVO cost about double these earphones, at roughly £21. Honestly I feel like the delta is a bit more accurate, specifically with mids. It just sounds so much better than I expected, and is perfect with my clip+. The 681 evo obviously has a wider soundstage, and has more of a "big" sound. The bass goes a bit deeper and has a bit more rumble and seperation than the delta, but the delta still has good impact and accuracy.
 
I can't really comment on a lot else sound-wise since I have so little experience it would all be wrong and misleading to people reading this review. I find myself sometimes switching from my 681 evo to the deltas when I get tired of having big plastic-y headphones on my head, and I do prefer certain genres of music with them (Folk stuff, with lots of vocals. Angel olsen for example, sounds better in my deltas.)
 
The deltas retail for closer to £12 or £15, instead of the £9 I got mine open-box for, but that is still definitely worth it and I would 100% recommend these to anyone wanting good cheap earphones.

While the high end IEM market has more options than ever, the sub $20 market is largely full of mediocre products, save for a few gems like the Xiaomi Pistons and LG Quadbeats. Last year, before the Xiaomi fever, Brainwavz released their own contenders: the Deltas. I reviewed these a while ago, but I guess I never uploaded the review before my computer decided to crash, so this is my short rewritten review.
 
The packaging is basic, coming in a plastic box most sub-$20 big box IEMs come in, but don’t let that discourage their quality. Sadly, the Deltas don’t come with a case (not too surprising, but I wish they did), but they do come with three pairs of silicone tips and a pair of Comply tips. Their build is fantastic for such a cheap pair of IEM’s. Their cable is somewhat thin, but not any worse than the typical low end JVC offering. Their Y-splitter is obnoxiously large though. The housing is metal, which is somewhat uncommon for such little money. Overall, I’m pretty happy with their build; they make fantastic workout IEMs because their housings are small enough to stay in my ear and their cable is sturdy enough to survive the occasional snag.
 
It’s been a while since I’ve heard a Piston, and I’m too cheap to buy a pair because they’d see little use, so I’m going to avoid comparisons. But from what I do remember, the Pistons are slightly better at the cost of not staying in my ears nearly as well as the Deltas.
 
The Deltas are clearly tuned to be bass heavy, as most budget IEMs are. But like most budget IEMs, I wish the bass was a little more controlled. I hesitate to call it muddy, but it’s definitely not refined—kind of like brown sugar, if that makes sense. It doesn’t extend down to 20hz, but it can hold its own with tracks that require deep bass.
 
Midrange is usually where cheaper IEMs stumble. The Delta has a slight RE400esque tone to it, if a little but more laidback than the RE400 (I’ve only ever heard the RE400 balanced, so I may or may not be off  in that aspect). I heard the slightest bit of edge to it when I first used them, but after hours of running with them on, I either got used to it or it magically disappeared.
 
Their treble is probably the Deltas’ weakest point. It just doesn’t sound very coherent in the upper end.  There is a bit of a 10k peak that gets a little fatiguing for me after using them for over an hour, but I think I’m abnormally sensitive in that region because the W1000X has a similar peak and I that headphone actually gave me headaches.
 
The soundstage is abnormally large for such a cheap IEM, which is a pleasant surprise. It might be the treble peak that allows for a little more airiness than most other budget IEMs, so some people may enjoy that.
 
For $19.50, Brainwavz did  fantastic job at providing respectable sound in a great housing, but, as many of you know, Xiaomi did a better job at fitting great sound in a $25 package. Of course, I never got the best fit with the Xiaomi, so for now, I’ll keep my Deltas and be happy I actually have something that I can stand to listen to while exercising without wanting to cry if sweat eventually breaks them.

Now let me start by saying that at the time I purchased these Delta's, I was looking for a step up to my Philips SHE3580's to get a better quality budget iem. I have just sold my JVC FX40's and my Sennheiser CX215. This before I bought the Vsonic VSD1S, GR99, or the LG Quadbeats. i was researching through head-fi for a budget bump in quality. The Delta's were getting a bit of positive press, so for $20.00, I took the dive. I was excited to receive my newest go to IEM. When i go them in the mail, I hurried home and did the mandatory 2 hour burn in with sweeps and noise at moderate levels before listening to them. Then I popped them in using my Sansa Fuze and E11 amp, and well...ummm....what's up with this "balanced bass"?? it was muddy and forward. The highs were nicely presented, but the mids were grainy and instrument separation was less than the SHE3580's. Ok so maybe they need some decent burn in time? I put a loop on my computer with the E11 amp, playing SKREAM! A few hours later i took them off the burn loop, and put them in again. This time I switched between the Sansa, my Sony 475, and iPod Touch. Though clarity improved and the highs were fairly refined and extended, the bass was still very unruly and unrefined. The grain in the mids was still present, taking away from the smoothness of the presentation, and the reported balance just wasn't there. These turned out to be bass forward/mid forward IEM's, where the bass simply wasn't refined enough to pull off a high end budget presentation like the SHE3580's or the LG Quadbeats. Even the JVC FX40's had better instrument separation and clearer mids than the Deltas. The biggest problem i was was that I had to turn the bass EQ down to get decent clarity, and flat, the grain in the mids really shown as these struggled to present instrument separation with average soundstage and definitely budget imaging. Even the GR99's excelled over the Brainwavz Delta's in these categories. Then there's the question of the mild but still noticeable driver flex from the shape of the aluminum housings. They are very small, and lightweight, and as such, with the design of the driver housing, driver flex tends to happen from the seal being moved within the ear canal from the housing construct. These are most definitely a $20.00 IEM, and no, IMHO they do not perform outside and above their price range. They perform right at the price they fetch. There are many budget IEM's that perform better and brighter at the price range, and exceed their domain. Several are mentioned above. 
 
Now build quality is definitely a plus. These things are pretty, built like a tank, and the high quality cord is free of most microphonics and tangling. They also have a nice angled jack, and lovely strain relief. Gorgeous design...and BUDGET sound. 

     first thing first ,       
     if you have doubts , please let me clear them , these are some of the best $20 phones in this world .
 
     secondly , thanks to razzer001 , thanks man , for this review unit , love these phones .
 
     i got these phones 2 weeks ago , and to make things clear these are burned in for nearly 90 hrs , before burning , bass was nearly non existent , every thing else was a bit unclear , more grainy sounding and lagged a bit more , and i was like is this it ? while listening to dispatch - circle around the sun and many other songs , it felt like stopping at times , for micro seconds , it feels like that till now but not much , but this phone lags with house music and busy songs ( could be just mine only but not likely ) , for something like james blunt and the passenger , this phone's performance is flaw less for its price .
 
     lets start with the package and miscs , mine came with nothing else but a pair of m size ear tip and the phone itself , but the retail package comes with few more tips , and a pair of comply foam tips , you can't ask for a carry case at this price but a carry pouch and more easily a cable clip will do good , unlike ha-fx40 , these are microphonic , so please add a cable clip .
     striking design , beautiful looking phones i must say , nice aluminum shells , white and red is not for everyone but are beautiful . L R marking is hard to find , they are on the side wall of the ear pieces , written in white hence making it hard to see under low light conditions , its not a big deal but these small things are frustration at times .
 
     lets start the sq with bass , wont go deep down the spectrum , but manageable , not much resolution in there , detail is okay , fall behind competition in this department , pny midtown 200 and ha-fx40 are more resolving and has batter bass presence in them , ha-fx40 is deeper in the spectrum . a bit dry but fast enough , never muddy , decay is really nice . and never gets into mids at all .
 
     mids does have a back seat , remember these phones have a v shaped sound sig , but not as big as ha-fx40 , fx40 are really deep into that V , even so delta is clear enough , as clear as eu400/500 , vocals are really clear thanks to the bass , instruments are nicely emphasized , you can hear even tiniest tingle of instruments clearly , top notch imaging , instruments are not much separable but are good enough , layering is not bad at all but you can not expect good layering at this price point , still you can clearly hear the background singers and instruments . sounds a bit unnatural , feels like the sound is coming form a a tin can , but its not a problem at all . overall this phone has beautiful mids and is par with many mid range phones . sound stage is really good , deep , not much wide , and feels hollow . overall imaging is just awesome , but overall clarity falls behind ha-fx40 due to its grainy sounding nature . you can hear nearly everything , but they are not clearer .
 
    now comes the highs , in this phone , this part of the spectrum has most amount of detail , and are emphasized nicely , this spectrum drives the whole sound sig , peaky , but i love it , i love high end
spark , shining instruments , thanks to a mid-high bump , cymbals shines , and oh god i love this sharpness , cuts like a knife on butter , decay not to say at these are sharp enough , is fabulous . simply put , beautiful highs .
 
    finally , sound sig , these might not please some , cuz at budget , most people want bass , pounding nonsense muddy kind of bass , but if you are not a bass fan boy , welcome to a more balanced treble oriented sound sig . with clear mids , not too dark , not too bright , slightly dry sounding phone . and not to forget a bit grainy .
 
    some changes i would like to see is , some more bass , and a cable clip , please , a cable clip .
 

 
as it reads , sample unit .
 

 
 
    
    so this is , brainwavz delta , the best non bass oriented / clarity oriented entry level phone . and can be a nice gift for your dear one .
 
    have a nice holiday ahead , enjoy , good day .

Finally! A solid performer from Brainwavz in both SQ and price! The Delta's lead time has been a bother for those of us who pre-ordered, however, rest assured the wait is worth it. There are plenty of budget bracket IEMs out there (believe me, I've heard a lot of them) and these are among the best. 
 
Out of the box, the red and white color scheme certainly is eye-catching, along with the aluminum housing. They have solid strain reliefs, sturdy cable, and metal housing. No durability issues on the horizon here. The included tips will do the trick, however, replacements may be tricky as they have a very large nozzle. I was a little disappointed in the fact that they didn't come with a case, but for $20 what can you expect?
 
Upon first listen, I was less than impressed, however, they've grown on me. A lot. First impression consisted of a decent midrange surrounded by thin bass and lackluster treble extension. To be fair, I gave them a little time with my DX50 and I'm certainly glad I did.
 
The treble has extended much more, making me feel much better about the potential detail retrieval. They certainly aren't trebly enough to ever be considered sibilant, but they offer enough extension that I don't consciously want more. 
 
The mids remind me of a diet RE400 (actually, come to think of it, the whole package reminds me of a diet RE400...). They're filled out nicely without being too aggressive or recessed. [cue Forrest Gump]. That's all I have to say about that.
 
The bass has improved with mental burn-in. I wouldn't say it offers a lot of slam but its presence is there when called for. I can enjoy Mingus equally as well as Macklemore. Granted there isn't a ton of sub bass, but the extension is plenty for a $20 IEM. 
 
It also bears mentioning that the soundstage on these guys is impressive. The first time I realized that they deserved more attention was upon listening to a live Brubeck recording. As the upright solo started, I was looking over my shoulder to locate the sound of something I thought was behind me! That's not exaggeration. Perhaps the large nozzle helps with this, but the Delta's positioning and sense of space is good. Period.
 
The only aspect in which I'd like to see a change is the color scheme. Yes the red and white is cool and little different. But honest if the red OR white was changed to black, I think they'd be a lot easier on the eyes.
 
Overall this is an excellent budget IEM from Brainwavz that has earned a spot in my lineup over a handful of others that cost twice as much.

Brainwavz Delta



The Brainwavz Delta is a new benchmark in the budget iem market. For an asking price of $22, you get metal housings, a very pliable but sturdy cable and good strain reliefs all the way around. Size wise the housings are reminiscent of the new Hifiman RE series and they come with a decent selection of tips; I prefer the stock white tips. Wear style is over the ear or down but I prefer them over the ear. While the Deltas do not come with a case or pouch, they really look to be able to take a beating and best of all- they sound fantastic!



The first thing I noticed out of the box is pretty nice balance. Most offerings in this price range tend to be bass first and boomy but not so with the Deltas. That’s not to say they are lean on bass, and in my estimation, they are on the plentiful side. They do have a nice deeper rumble but more of the bass seems to be focused around 200hz without becoming over bearing or over doing it.

The next noticeable aspect is that they have very nice shimmer and sparkle to the treble, which is prominent and fairly balanced to the bass. Dips are 8 and 10k, placing much of the shimmer around 7and 9k. The Delta also appears to have nice extension beyond the typical 10k drop-off.

This description would lead one to believe the Deltas are V shaped but somehow I don’t really get that impression. The midrange stays pretty prominent before taking a moderate dip between 2 and 4k, leaving a somewhat laid back upper midrange but it definitely doesn’t get lost in the presentation.



Comparison to SoundMagic E10 ($35)

The E10 has more sub bass rumble and in general a similar overall bass presence/quantity as the Delta, however both are very satisfying with a rich and rounded note. Both have excellent treble sparkle but the Delta may have the edge here, while I really love the tonality and smoothness of the E10, the Delta doesn’t give up much in tonality to it and seems to have bit more treble articulation/precision. The trade-off is just a touch more occurrence of sibilance from the Delta. Both present vocals fairly similarly, laid back but very clear, with perhaps the Deltas a little more forward. The result is a wider, airier soundstage in the E10 but a taller, more forward soundstage in the Delta.

Conclusion

While the E10 costs $13 or so more, its cable isn’t as robust or as pliable. Also its strain reliefs are not as robust but it does have metal housings. It really is quite an accomplishment for the Delta to offer these qualities at such a reduced retail cost. I’ve only compared the Delta to the E10, as it is the only iem under $50, maybe under $75 I’ve heard that competes with it. The E10 has been my budget benchmark in sound quality and build since its release. I’m happy to say that the Brainwavz has equaled it at an astonishingly cheaper price. You really can’t go wrong with either and I’m happy to be an owner of both.

Thanks to Brainwavz for the review sample.

I received this IEM from the manufacturer to review. I have to admit I was bit excited about this particular IEM because I had a feeling it might be an anomaly in the IEM world in regards to it's signature versus it's price point. Prior to receiving this IEM almost all IEM's at the $20 price point have had a tendency to be really cheaply built or congested bass oriented thumpers that just give me a head-ache. I was very happy to find out my hunch was CORRECT!
 
Out of the box the sound of these little guys has been pleasantly neutral, offering a nice balanced bass line in conjunction with the midrange and treble and they are surprising clear sounding with an average sound stage. If I have one small concern it would the grain I hear in the treble but this issue is not to severe and the treble is still better than anything else I have heard at this price point.
 
I also am very impressed with the build quality as well. These have excellent strain relief a solid feeling cable. The cable is a bit springy but again is better than most IEM's at this price point. They also come with a good selection of tips and an excellent semi hard case for their mere $20 price tag.
 
In regards to isolation these will not win any awards but they average to maybe a bit above average in this regard.
 
All of this adds up to being one of the best bargains I have seen in a good while. The only thing that should stop anyone from buying these is if they WANT a heavy bass response. In which case these will not satisfy and I would recommend something like the Brainwavz S1 instead.
 
All of my listening has been done from my Nokia 920 phone using 256KB MP3 files. The genres I used for the testing were Jazz, classical choral, orchestral, classic rock, Celtic music, and a smattering of country. In all cases the Delta sounded good. I only hit a very small selection of music where I wished I had more bass. In most cases the music sounded nice and balanced without coming across as boring or clinical.