Brainwavz S5 IEM Headphones Review
Jul 29, 2014 at 1:51 PM Post #376 of 728
I hear my pair of S5 slightly bright ( slightly) that's what me feel RE-400 were veiled fractionally in comparison. Still a thick note weight in general compared to a B2 or Altone200 but slightly cool tilted.

Congrats on your new C3,

Yeah, sure - that s5 can make a lot of iem sound veiled. Honestly, if I didn't know and the bass was flatter and a bit tighter I would think it has BA drivers. I'll be burning it and tip rolling, so won't rush to conclusions but I would say its note presentation is a bit on the thin side but add the brightness to it and the clarity is top notch. I hear a lot of potential.
 
Jul 29, 2014 at 1:57 PM Post #377 of 728
Yeah, sure - that s5 can make a lot of iem sound veiled. Honestly, if I didn't know and the bass was flatter and a bit tighter I would think it has BA drivers. I'll be burning it and tip rolling, so won't rush to conclusions but I would say its note presentation is a bit on the thin side but add the brightness to it and the clarity is top notch. I hear a lot of potential.


Haha at the balanced armature comments, if you read through the thread and my review I said it a few times. Not bad for a dynamic driver. Probably the closest dynamic I've heard that shares a resemblance.

Take them in mate, enjoy them.
 
Jul 29, 2014 at 2:05 PM Post #378 of 728
Haha at the balanced armature comments, if you read through the thread and my review I said it a few times. Not bad for a dynamic driver. Probably the closest dynamic I've heard that shares a resemblance.

Take them in mate, enjoy them.

To be honest haven't been reading much of the thread, just kinda skimmed through some of the reviews, . And yeah, definitely not bad for a single dynamic driver. Also hurried with the very first impressions and kinda forgot these are only 99 bucks - I'm sure with the right tips this will impress quite a bit.
 
edit: I'll just leave it on the burn-in station for now. Probably will give it a listen in a day to see if there is any change but I'll leave it to cook for a few days. Might do some tip rolling also - haven't used shure olives in a while and now I'm thinking these might be great with some de-cored olives
 
Jul 29, 2014 at 8:57 PM Post #379 of 728
  Have to admit the S5 doesn't really sounds as I expected. And I don't remember who said these were dark but don't see how this will happen after any amount of burn-in. Right away the brightness is quite noticeable with plenty of sparkle and shimmer but I'll definitely be doing a lot of tip rolling after I burn them in.
edit: and I definitely have some remarks and notes on the design as these literally feel and fit like big B2s

 
Check my findings here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/725340/brainwavz-s5-iem-headphones-review/330#post_10735721
 
Initially my S5 sounded quite bright, but after tips rolling, especially with the tri-flanges, no more excessive brightness. Treble drop like around 4 dB which is quite a lot. Go back to the stock grey tips, I can't reproduce the treble brightness anymore.  This is after 2 days burn-in + 1 day heavy use.
 
Jul 29, 2014 at 8:59 PM Post #380 of 728
  To be honest haven't been reading much of the thread, just kinda skimmed through some of the reviews, . And yeah, definitely not bad for a single dynamic driver. Also hurried with the very first impressions and kinda forgot these are only 99 bucks - I'm sure with the right tips this will impress quite a bit.
 
edit: I'll just leave it on the burn-in station for now. Probably will give it a listen in a day to see if there is any change but I'll leave it to cook for a few days. Might do some tip rolling also - haven't used shure olives in a while and now I'm thinking these might be great with some de-cored olives

 
They sound quite differently on every player, so do try various players and DACs.
I found them greatly match with Dragonfly DAC.  Immersive 3D imaging.
Also very good match with Fiio X3.
 
Jul 30, 2014 at 12:03 AM Post #381 of 728
They sound quite differently on every player, so do try various players and DACs.
I found them greatly match with Dragonfly DAC.  Immersive 3D imaging.
Also very good match with Fiio X3.
That is not a good thing though, I find them unusually fussy re system matching, which is an element most people seem to be missing...
 
Jul 30, 2014 at 12:20 AM Post #382 of 728
That is not a good thing though, I find them unusually fussy re system matching, which is an element most people seem to be missing...


IMHO not necessarily a bad thing, most high-end gears are quite picky with system matching. It's just an indication that S5 is actually quite transparent, and has the ability to reveal source sonic character. So it scales up with good gears (not necessarily expensive gears).
 
Jul 30, 2014 at 12:39 AM Post #383 of 728
  the best thing about s5 is it can adopt to any eq and even if the sq varies a bit , it does good with every dap .
 
Jul 30, 2014 at 12:48 AM Post #384 of 728
Have to admit the S5 doesn't really sounds as I expected. And I don't remember who said these were dark but don't see how this will happen after any amount of burn-in. Right away the brightness is quite noticeable with plenty of sparkle and shimmer but I'll definitely be doing a lot of tip rolling after I burn them in.
edit: and I definitely have some remarks and notes on the design as these literally feel and fit like big B2s


Yeah this is what I expected from you (sparkle from initial listen in the first place) but then yeah I dont have the B2s but S1....
 
Jul 30, 2014 at 12:25 PM Post #385 of 728
Here you go:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/728730/review-brainwavz-s5-smooth-and-balanced
 
Jul 31, 2014 at 3:31 AM Post #386 of 728
Just posted mine here:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/brainwavz-s5-in-ear-headphones/reviews/11370
 
 
A copy of the review:
 
 

 
This is my first Brainwavz earphones, many thanks to Brainwavz for the review sample!
 
When I wrote this review, I have used it for almost 2 weeks, around 2 hours daily. A happy ending journey, that was started with a not so happy beginning.
 
Out of the box, first impression, S5 sounded bright to me. Rather too bright for my liking. Owning some other bright headphones and earphones, I thought S5 is tuned as a clear and bright sounding IEM. Then i let it burn-in for about 2 days.
 
After 2 days burn-in, i didn't hear any improvement, basically still bright sounding. 'V' shape sounding that is more like a checkmark '✓ ' shape, where the treble boost around 5-7 kHz is much more pronounced than the bass boost. I brought it to office, to let a friend of mine who is a sound engineer, to try it. After a few hours with S5, same impression, S5 was too bright for him as well. I started to wonders, as some other reviewers here didn't hear S5 as bright earphones.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/725340/brainwavz-s5-iem-headphones-review/330#post_10735721
 
The next day, i tried different eartips. First, the tri-flanges.  Wow wow wow!  I was really surprised with the changes. The S5 now sounds very balanced, not bright anymore. I let my friend tried it again; he thought i gave him a different set of earphones. We were really surprised with the changes.
 
Curious with the drastic changes, i tried back the stock grey tips, and no more excessive treble...! What was wrong initially??? We did feel proper seal, and the slightly boosted bass confirming that it wasn't seal problem. but initially the treble was too much. After eartips replacement, the sound became balanced, and i couldn't reproduce the bright sound character anymore. Was it because the grey eartips were not properly fitted from the factory, or S5 suddenly changed its tonal balance after around 3 days of burn-in and use?  I'm not sure what was the cause of the 4-5 dB excessive treble initially, and what caused the sudden changed of the treble level. It remains a mystery to me and my friend.
 
From a review by [color=rgb(34, 34, 156)]shotgunshane[/color] here:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/brainwavz-s5-in-ear-headphones/reviews/11349 
I have the impression that his S5 is also the bright sounding one, and still bright sounding.  While my S5 has changed its tonality becoming a more balanced sounding IEM.
 
From my experience, if it happens that you feel your S5 is bright sounding, I suggest the following:
1. Try different eartips.
2. Continuous burn-In for around 3-4 days.
 
Now, with all the supplied eartips, S5 sound signature is relatively balanced, only slightly bright. Best sound achieved with the tri-flanges, which sound SO MUCH better than other eartips. I've read many other reviews of Brainwavz S5, and some impressions are varied quite significantly. So 'Your Millage Might Vary'. To be fair to Brainwavz, my evaluation in this review will be based on the best performance the S5 can achieve during the evaluation period.
 
 
 

 
 
Summary (based on Tri-flanges eartips)

Balanced & transparent is the best way to describe Brainwavz S5 tonality. Brainwavz S5 is neither warm sounding, nor analytical. Tonality sounds quite natural, slightly V shape, in between warm and analytical, lean slightly to the analytical side. I don't hear any annoying peaks and dips on the tonality, pretty smooth from bass to treble. Bass has good power and punch, mids and treble are clean, clear, and transparent.  Detail and clarity are good, no veil at all, music always sound clear and detailed, although S5 is not yet into the level of ultra-revealing IEM. 
 
With tri-flanges eartips, imaging is quite wide and spacious. Almost at the level of ATH-IM02 wide and spacious imaging. With other eartips, imaging is not as spacious, but still reasonably spacious and never sound congested.
 
Tri-flanges eartip is the absolute necessity to get the highest level of sound quality from S5.
 
Though relatively easy to drive, S5 does require gear matching to sounds best, and scales up pretty well with good sources.
 
In summary, Brainwavz S5 strikes a good balanced in tonality, and has very good dynamic, detail, and imaging. A balanced, transparent, and musical sounding earphones, that is simply an excellent all-rounder in its class.
 
 
Performance score for sub $100 IEM category:
4.5 stars out of 5 stars at its best performance, with the tri-flanges eartips and matching players.
3.5 stars out of 5 stars at its worst performance.
 
 
 
Equipment
 
 

 
Centrance DACport: DAC + HeadAmp combo. Very organic and musical sounding. very smooth sounding treble, pretty close to AD8599. Always match very well with bright or analytical sounding earphones & headphones.
Audioquest Dragonfly v1.0c: DAC + HeadAmp combo. Marvelous little DAC. Transparent, airy, and powerful. Slightly lean to analytical sounding.
Light Harmonic Geek Out 450 v10.02: DAC + HeadAmp combo. Newest mini DAC in my arsenal, very powerful and detailed sounding. Sound signature is closer to the Dragonfly than to DACport. Lean a little bit to sterile sounding.
iBasso DX90: Portable player. Natural sounding, not warm and not analytical. Good dynamic, detail and resolution.
Fiio X5: Portable player. Natural warm, very smooth & musical. Sounds a tad warmer than DX90. Good dynamic, detail and resolution.
Fiio X3: Portable player. Powerful, balanced sounding with good bass and sparkling treble.
 
 
 
Sound Signature (using Tri-flanges eartips & AudioQuest Dragonfly 1.0c)
 
S5 Clarity and detail are very good, although not yet at the level of highly revealing IEM. Clarity and transparency varies significantly between players and DACs, best transparency I heard is from AudioQuest Dragonfly. But even with the lowest transparency setup, clarity and detail are not lacking. I do prefer more detail when listening to Chesky binaural recordings, so Dragonfly will be my DAC of choice. But for other close miked modern recordings, I might pair it with warmer sounding DAC such as the DACport. As a single dynamic driver, S5 clarity and detail is better than my ATH-IM50 and ATH-IM70. That is a very good achievement from a single dynamic driver. Paired with Dragonfly, detail and clarity almost reaching the level of detail & clarity of BA drivers IEMs such as ATH-IM02 or DUNU DN-1000.  I consider the level of detail and clarity of S5 are excellent at this price category.
 
Imaging is wide and spacious, sounds more spacious than ATH-IM50, ATH-IM70, and TDK IE800. But not as spacious as ATH-IM02, DUNU DN-1000, and DUNU DN-2000. Especially using the tri-flanges, imaging and spaciousness are pretty awesome. Although other eatips don't sound as spacious, S5 never sounds congested.
 
S5 has very good dynamic to make music sounds realistic. Better than TDK IE800 and Fostex TE-05 dynamic, but not yet at the level of ATH-CKR9 dynamic. Listening to 'Mombasa', movie soundtrack from Inception, I heard much better bass impact and dynamic on S5 than TE-05. About the same level of dynamic as UE TF10, and only slightly less when compared to ATH-IM50 and ATH-IM70. When it comes to dynamic it's hard to beat the dual dynamic drivers IEMs from Audio Technica, such as the IM50, IM70, CKR9, and CKR10 that I've reviewed earlier. But having said that, the single dynamic in S5 is no slouch either, and could deliver pretty good level of dynamic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUwszL6J81I
 
Bass is slightly on the upper side of what often perceived as neutral. To me this is the bass level that I like, realistic bass, not bland and boring bass. I don't like bass level that is lower than S5 bass level. Bass has pretty good power and punch, but not extraordinary tight and punchy. Bass doesn't colour the midrange and nicely blends with the mids. S5 is not considered as a bassy IEM. Bass level is not as strong as ATH-IM50 and ATH-IM70 bass. Bass lover may better go with ATH-IM50 and ATH-IM70. S5 bass is more or less pretty close to UE TF10 bass level, but bass emphasis is on different area. TF10 emphasizes more on mid-bass, S5 more on bass to low bass area. S5 low bass extension is very good. I tested using my 20Hz - 60Hz Risset-Drum beats I created using Audacity, S5 performs flawlessly. Clean and clear down to 20 Hz. Very good quality bass.
 
Midrange is smooth and clear. Slightly on the lean side of natural, vocal sounds smooth and clear, instead of warm and full bodied. When we are used to IEM with warm and full bodied mids, S5 midrange might sounds a little recessed. But those from the analytical side might consider S5 mids level quite natural. The good thing is, the mids sounds quite smooth & natural, without any annoying peaks and dips on its spectrum. And that is very important. I won't bother to review and spend my time on any IEM with highly coloured midrange. Smooth and relatively natural sounding midrange is the first criteria for me to choose an IEM, and S5 pass with pretty good result.
 
Treble is sparkling rich, with very good transparency. I use classical music to evaluate transparency, and usually avoid any IEM that is lacking in transparency for classical music. S5 transparency is excellent for classical music. Enough air and upper treble extension for classical music to be enjoyable. S5 transparency is better than TDK IE800, ATH-IM50 and ATH-IM70, but may not as transparent as ATH-IM02. Somewhere in between, pretty close to ATH-IM02. Tri-flanges eartips greatly improves S5 transparency and clarity, better than other eartips.
 
Probably one of the most important topic for treble is sibilance. For those who have Celine Dion album 'All the Way...A Decade of Song', might agree that the mix is quite bright, and better played using slightly dark and warm sounding IEM. Surprisingly, S5 with the tri-flanges, while still renders the transparency of the mix quite well, also manage the high level of treble really well without sounding ear-piercing. Only mild sibilance with 'vibrant treble' recordings. Amazing! But expect higher level of sibilance with other eartips.
After the treble metamorphosis mentioned earlier, S5 treble is more towards the silky smooth type of treble rather than the metallic and ear-piercing type. With tri-flanges eartips, S5 treble always clear and transparent with excellent sibilance management.
 
Comfort and noise isolation:
Comfort is good from my perspective. I always wear it over the ears, although it is possible to wear them straight down. I don't find any comfort issue so far, though I think round cable is nicer than the rather big flat cable. Cable microphonics is minimum when worn over the ears.
Most of the time I use tri-flanges eatips with no comfort issue.
Noise isolation is very good, better than average I would say. Maybe also due to the tri-flanges eartips that I use.
 
 
 
Gears and Music selection

Brainwavz S5 is generally a good all-rounder, pretty good performer from classical to modern genres recordings. But players or sources also play a great role here. With Light Harmonic Geek Out 450 and Centrance DACport for example, I have better impressions with modern genres recordings, especially those close miked recordings, like for pops, my Stockfisch albums, and other guitar-oriented recordings. With those DACs, Acoustic guitar sounds naturally sparkling and detailed without getting to the level of fatiguing. Simply beautiful. But with those DACs, S5 might not transparent enough for classical and binaural recordings (at least for my preferences). Paired with AudioQuest Dragonfly, S5 sounds clearer and more transparent, maybe a bit too clear for pop albums, but much better for binaural recordings like the Chesky binaural albums, and classical recordings. So I mix and match the DACs and the recordings, to get the most optimum sonic performance from Brainwavz S5. When gears and recording properly match, sonic performance is nothing short of amazing. I have the tendency to use S5 more for orchestral works and binaural recordings, I like the transparency and the immersive 3D imaging properties of S5, especially when using tri-flanges and AudioQuest Dragonfly.
 
From the 3 DACs I used in this review, Dragonfly is my favorite for Brainwavz S5. Open and spacious sounding, with immersive 3D imaging. The level of 3D imaging on this setup is quite remarkable, almost unbelievable from a $99.9 IEM. From memory, this 3D imaging is pretty close to ATH-IM02.  I bought my Dragonfly 1.0c from Amazon for $99, so this is simply one of the best 3D imaging performance I could get from a $200 setup. Amazing!
 
 

 
With the DAPs, I found Fiio X3 and iBasso DX90 have good synergy with Brainwavz S5. I vote for Fiio X3 + Brainwavz S5 (using the Tri-flanges) to be one of the best $300 portable setup, especially for those looking for natural, lively, clear and transparent sound signature.
 
 

 
 
 
Eartips
 
 

From my experience and observation, eartips play a great role in IEM sound quality. It is absolutely necessary to find the right eartips that sound best and give maximum comfort. Brainwavz S5 has 4.5 mm nozzle neck diameter. Quite a standard size for generic eartips replacement.
Understand that tri-flanges tip is quite big and long, and might not fit everyone ear canal, so impressions with other eartips are also important. Comparisons below is using the tri-flanges as the reference.
 
 
Tri-flanges
Ultimate best sound quality for Brainwavz S5. It brings S5 sound quality above Fostex TE-05 and TDK IE800. Detail and clarity exceed ATH-IM50 and ATH-IM70. S5 sound quality leaps up with the tri-flanges, as compared to other eartips in the package.
 
 

 
Bi-flanges
Tonality not so much different than tri-flanges, but the upper treble extension and low bass extension are not as extended as the tri-flanges. Overall tonality is less airy and imaging is less spacious, a bit congested as compared to the tri-flanges. The bi-flanges also slightly more prone to sibilance
 
 

 
Mono-flange grey
Like the bi-flanges, the stock grey eartips also have less lower bass and upper treble extension, less airy, and less spacious, lacking of depth. Not only that, the level of detail and clarity also reduce, especially midrange detail, and even more prone to sibilance than the bi-flanges. Bi-flanges is slightly better than the grey eartips.
 
 

 
Mono-flange black
IMHO the black tips sounds worse than the rest. Tonality is less natural, midrange a bit veiled, and then suddenly the treble peaks that makes the black tips the most sibilant eartips.
 
 

 
Comply T-400
Foam tips usually have good properties to manage sibilance. But with S5, T-400 has higher level of sibilance than the tri-flanges, about the same level as the grey tips. Also lacking of spaciousness and depth. Bass level is the lowest on T-400. I still prefer the grey tips as compared to the T-400.
 
 

 
 
Comparisons
 
 

 
For this comparison, I used AudioQuest Dragonfly DAC v1.0c. Low output impedance headphone output from the Dragonfly is required especially for UE TF10. TF10 hates high output impedance output, it makes TF10 sounds muddy and lacking in clarity.
 
Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10 (stock eartips)
S5 sound rather V shape when compared to UE TF10. UE TF 10 has better and fuller midrange body. As expected, TF10 vocal sounds fuller and slightly warmer. Although less full bodied, I don't consider S5 midrange as recessed. S5 mids still sounds natural, but on the leaner side of natural. S5 with the tri-flanges has airier presentation than TF10, which is slightly better for classical orchestra.
TF10 has more and punchier mid-bass, but not too much different. While low bass extension is about the same, slightly better on S5. As mentioned before, for bass, TF10 emphasizes more on mid-bass, S5 more on bass to low bass area.
Clarity, about the same for S5 with tri-flanges. When using the grey tips, TF10 has better clarity.
Treble level and quality is about the same level. Slightly better and more transparent treble on S5, when using tri-flanges eartips.
Overall sound quality of the S5 with tri-flanges eartips is not far behind TF10. Only different character, mainly on the level of midrange. But S5 sound performance decreases with different eartips. 
Personal preference: I like both equally.
 
Fostex TE-05 (stock eartips)
TE-05 has smoother midrange, but that's about it. Everything else S5 sounds better to my ears. Bass is much better on S5, more powerful with better texture & dynamic. Midrange is smoother and slightly fuller on TE-05, while S5 has clearer and more transparent mids. S5 with tri-flanges has better treble clarity and upper treble extension, sounds more open and transparent. TE-05 treble is slightly softer, less bright. TE-05 has poor noise isolation, S5 noise isolation is much better. But what S5 excels most comparing to TE-05 is the dynamic. I hear much better dynamic on S5, much wider range of dynamic from soft to louder part of the recording. Overall, music sounds more realistic on S5. I guess I haven't found the right eartips for TE-05. TE-05 does benefit from S5 tri-flanges eartips, improve isolation and dynamic, but the tonality not so good with the tri-flanges, too much mids. At least with its standard stock eartips, TE-05 doesn't sound better than S5.
Personal preference: Brainwavz S5.
 
Audio Technica ATH-IM70 (stock eartips)
IM70 has bigger bass (not much), thicker mids, and softer treble, less clarity. S5 sounds clearer and more transparent, better upper treble extension. In this comparison, I think S5 sounds closer to natural sound. S5 also sounds more spacious than IM70. Between the 2, my general sonic preferences is actually closer to the S5 sonic character, more spacious, open and transparent sound. But depending on the recordings. Those looking for warm and intimate sounding vocal would probably prefer the IM70. Both are really good in their own way.
Personal preference: I like both equally, for different type of recordings.
 
TDK IE800 (RHA eartips, larger bore to improve clarity)
S5 sounds more open, spacious, and transparent than TDK IE800. Switching from IE800 to S5, the S5 sounds rather bright. The other way around, once I get used to S5, switching to IE800 I feel IE800 is lacking in clarity and transparency. In fact they just have different level of treble, around 4 dB difference around 7 kHz onward. IE800 overall sounds smoother, more refined, with fuller midrange. S5 sounds clearer, more transparent, more spacious sounding, and a bit more lively. S5 has better bass than IE800, better level, better low bass extension, and better dynamic. S5 also sounds more lively with better dynamic, while IE800 sounds a bit compressed in comparison. IE800 requires much higher voltage to drive it, and S5 is easier to drive. This is important for smartphone that has low voltage swing. For me, I tend to like the S5 lively, open and transparent sounds better. But that's just my personal preference since I listen a lot to classical. For some 'rather bright' recordings, IE800 might be a better choice.
Personal preference: Brainwavz S5.
 
 
 
Pros:
Very nice blend of balanced tonality, transparency, detail, and dynamic.
No Driver Flex.
Various eartips included for flexible sound tuning and maximum comfort.
 
Cons:
Requires the tri-flanges eartips to sound best, which might not suit smaller ear canals.
Left and Right marking is too small and not clear. No left dot / dimple to identify the left driver in dimly lit environment.
The rounded back housing shape makes it a bit difficult to push the IEM into the ear canal while pulling ear's pinna with one hand.
 
 

 
 
Suggestion for improvement:
Bass punch and tightness.
Slightly warmer mids would be nice.
To achieve the sound quality as when using the tri-flanges eartips, with the regular mono-flange eartips.
To include more sizes of the tri-flanges eartips.
Round shape cable seems more user friendly for over the ear wearing style.
Clearer Left and Right marking, and to include Left dot / dimple for easy identification in dimly lit environment.
Flat back housing (like Brainwavz S1) for easier insertion to the ear canal.
 
 
 
I'm glad I found another reference IEM at this price level.  This IEM is definitely a keeper for me, and I will use it as one of my reference IEM for my future reviews.
Congrats to Brainwavz!
 
 
 
Features: 
 
    All metal housing in a over the ear design. 
    Flat cable for less tangle. 
    Comply foam tips included. 
 
Specifications: 
 
    Transducers/Drivers: 10mm 
    Rated Impedance: 16ohms 
    Sensitivity: 110dB at 1mW 
    Frequency range: 18Hz ~ 24KHz 
    Maximum input power:  40mW 
    Cable length: 1.3m, Y cord, OFC Copper, flat cable. 
    Plug: 3.5mm gold plated, Straight. 
    24 month warranty. 
 
Included Accessories: 
 
    1 x Comply foam T-400 medium series tip 
    6 x Silicone tips 
    1 x Bi-Flage tip 
    1 x Tri-Flange tip 
    1 x 6.3mm audio adapter 
    1 x Earphone carrying case 
    1 x Instruction manual 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
Recordings mostly used in this review:
 
 

 
Jul 31, 2014 at 6:35 AM Post #387 of 728
  Just posted mine here:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/brainwavz-s5-in-ear-headphones/reviews/11370
 
 
A copy of the review:
 
 
Curious with the drastic changes, i tried back the stock grey tips, and no more excessive treble...! What was wrong initially??? We did feel proper seal, and the slightly boosted bass confirming that it wasn't seal problem. but initially the treble was too much. After eartips replacement, the sound became balanced, and i couldn't reproduce the bright sound character anymore. Was it because the grey eartips were not properly fitted from the factory, or S5 suddenly changed its tonal balance after around 3 days of burn-in and use?  I'm not sure what was the cause of the 4-5 dB excessive treble initially, and what caused the sudden changed of the treble level. It remains a mystery to me and my friend.
 
From a review by [color=rgb(34, 34, 156)]shotgunshane[/color] here:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/brainwavz-s5-in-ear-headphones/reviews/11349 
I have the impression that his S5 is also the bright sounding one, and still bright sounding.  While my S5 has changed its tonality becoming a more balanced sounding IEM.
 
From my experience, if it happens that you feel your S5 is bright sounding, I suggest the following:
1. Try different eartips.
2. Continuous burn-In for around 3-4 days.
 

 
 
For what it's worth, my set was run in for 150 hours before starting the review.  It probably has close to 200 now.
 
Regarding triple flange tips: deeper insertion will move treble peaks and resonance points a little further up the frequency response becoming more or less pleasing based on your personal ear geometry.  This is a great way to try and get passed sibilance points in some earphones.
 
Jul 31, 2014 at 6:43 AM Post #388 of 728
   
 
For what it's worth, my set was run in for 150 hours before starting the review.  It probably has close to 200 now.
 
Regarding triple flange tips: deeper insertion will move treble peaks and resonance points a little further up the frequency response becoming more or less pleasing based on your personal ear geometry.  This is a great way to try and get passed sibilance points in some earphones.

 
Right! I think the trick is on the tri-flanges eartips.
 
Jul 31, 2014 at 8:06 AM Post #389 of 728
Right! I think the trick is on the tri-flanges eartips.
Maybe if you have ears like Shrek, those buggers are almost 2 inches long...

Great review though!
 
Jul 31, 2014 at 8:35 AM Post #390 of 728
I feel a little sub-par with my review - which can be found here - I re-wrote it twice (once, I was comparing too literally to a much higher end IEM as requested, and the second time I felt I was being too complimentary) - hopefully, cutting and splicing as I have, I've reached a middle ground, where I'm neither gushing, nor dismissive...

There are definitely some budding, magazine grade reviews sat here, congratulations to both Brainwavz as the manufacturer, and those posters for putting such a lot of time, and dedication into their respective products.

:)
 

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