Brainwavz S1

I own 3 pairs of different Brainwavz earphones, the R3, S1 and S0.
The R3 are my favorite and while I try as much as I can to like the Brainwavz S1 I just can't convince myself to use them much, they really do not complement well my portable player (Ibasso Dx90) and even if they sound better with my Ipod touch, I will never suggest them as an all-arounder for anybody.
 
The Brainwavz S1 doesn't sound cheap tough, they are VERY detailed, but their sound signature is really a Love or Hate affair I think and your gear will surely have a big weight in your appreciation of this well crafted in-ear. I listen to them right now and make some strange grimace as it pierce my ears so it's not a good sign. The frequencies are over tweaked in this earphones and it interfere with the music for the better (rarely) and the worse (frequently). The harshness of the sound can cause distortion in sub bass as well as in some vocals mids, if you listening to Hi res music it will be less apparent than Mp3 but still: it will happen.
In few words, the bass is there, punchy but somewhat clumsy, the mids are fowards but congested, and the high are artificially pumped up. Soundstage feel akward and too bright, but the energic sound can be good with well recorded jazz or chamber classical, with complex tracks the Brainwavz S1 show his limit fastly.
 
In the positive side, the construction is sturdy and it include lot of extra accesoiries.
The price is very low too and if I take that in relativity it will be hard to don't conclude it's a good buy.
 
If you are into Bright and analytical sound, you might really like this earphones as everybody have different ears, this sound signature is just not my type and I can't lie about it.

[Originally posted at Basshead.Club]

 

Inexpensive, stylish, dynamic-driver based earphones that satisfy the budget-conscious basshead in me. The Brainwavz S1 is better than I expected for a price that doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket.

Brainwavz S1 In the Box

1. Brainwavz S1 Earphones
2. Eartips: Comply S-Series (x1), Standard S,M,L (x6), Bi-Flange (x1), Tri-Flange (x1)
3. Hard Case
4. Manual, Warranty (12 Months)

Brainwavz S1 Impressions

Brainwavz is a company I’ve been aware of for a while now, but I’ve never heard any of their headphones. Instead, I’ve purchased several of their HM5 replacement earpads to use with my tall guy ears (I love circumaural headphones, and 99% of around-the-ear headphones I try are on-the-ear without the Brainwavz HM5 pads).

I contacted Brainwavz to see which of their earphones they would recommend for a basshead, and they suggested both the S0 and S1. The S1 has a bigger driver, so I opted to try these out (thanks go out to Brainwavz for providing a review loaner to Basshead.Club).

The default sound signature is one part bassy combined with sparkly, delivering a v-shape that many of us have become familiar with over the past several years. The treble sometimes peaks a bit sharply for my taste, and the bass is more balanced than I am after, so (as I do with all headphones) I went ahead and pulled out the equalizer and Cayin C5 bass boost to see what the Brainwavz S1 would be capable of.

They are capable indeed. Pushed with EQ, the S1 reaches basshead levels without distortion. I pulled the peaks down a bit so I could punch the volume up without any harshness. I look for a couple of sensations when deciding if an in-ear is basshead level, including if I can feel deep sub-bass in my chest and powerful bass impacts in my right foot (weird, I know, but the human body is weird). It can check off both boxes, though at a reduced rate compared to the Aurisonics ASG-2.5 (way more expensive) or Pioneer SE-CX8 (uses a proprietary Bass Exciter to cause tactile impact).

The Brainwavz S1 feel well built and look great. They come with more than enough eartips, including Comply foam tips that so many people love. They are light and comfortable, although I tend to dislike flat cables for over-ear wear. If you’re looking for earphones to use on the go with your mobile phone, be aware that the cable does not include a microphone. Reviews elsewhere talk about one of the earpieces giving out after several months of use, which I wouldn’t be entirely surprised about because both sides have driver flex when I put them in my ears.

That said, these are a solid value and better than most other offerings in the price range (currently ~$55 on Amazon). They are similar in sound signature and superior in build quality and included accessories compared to the less expensive NarMoo S1 (currently ~$34 on Amazon), and less basshead-worthy and harsher sounding than the more expensive Sony XB90EX (currently ~$73 on Amazon). If you are unwilling or unable to EQ, these only slightly favor bass and the treble can get fatiguing, but with EQ the Brainwavz S1 becomes a stylish basshead earphone that is better than others I’ve heard at ~$50.

Brainwavz S1 Frequency Response Graph

This curve was generated using a Dayton Audio EMM-6 Electret Measurement Microphone, Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 audio interface, and Room EQ Wizard. The mic calibration file was provided by Dayton Audio and the output calibration file was generated using the program itself (3.5mm out on PC to 1/4″ input on Scarlett 2i4).

Brainwavz S1 Specifications

1. Drivers: Dynamic, 10mm
2. Rated Impedance: 16 Ω
3. Frequency Range: 20Hz – ˜20kHz
4. Sensitivity: 93 dB @ 1 mW
5. Max Input Power: 2 mW
6. Cable: 1.3m, Y-Cord OFC Copper
7. Plug: 3.5mm Gold Plated
8. Fitting: Over Ear Style

Brainwavz S1

$80 MSRP - $55 Street

BASS IMPACT

7/10​

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BASS DEPTH

7/10​

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OVERALL SOUND

7/10​

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BUILD QUALITY

7.5/10​

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REVIEWER BIAS

7/10​

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PROS

1. - Solid bass with EQ
2. - Good initial build quality
3. - Attractive and stylish
4. - Tons of included eartips
5. - Decent overall value

CONS

1. - Driver flex issues
2. - Strange angle on connector
3. - I don't like flat cables for over-ear
4. - No mic for mobile users
5. - Unknown longevity

announced price of $60, discount price of $30-37, umm, classic pricing strategy from brainwavz-mp4nation...

let's take a look at what brainwavz says for it's own product, two words comes forward: "powerful bass" and "sweet vocals". we can pass the vocals part very quickly, there's nothing special about it's vocals. ifor the powerful bass, i can do nothing but to agree. it's bass performance is one of the top performers for the price. thanks to it's wide acoustic, the bass does not interferes with other frequencies (unlike the M5) and it's very good both with the punches and the total deep bass output. 
 
for the treble and mids... please kindly take a look at my S5 review. for me, 8khz reduction works well with treble performances, but unfortunately i forgot to try it with S1 and sold the device. but as i said in the S5 review, if it reacts the same, then we can say something good about it's treble performance. and for the mids, again as i said in the S5 review it does not incorporates the best soundstage ever, but it's better than M2-M4-M5 like circular shaped, congested acoustics.
 
my sold S1 reported dead after 2 months of use, mp4nation took care of that fortunately. despite the looks, it seems brainwavz still experiencing issues with producing durable products but at least their warranty services are fine. in conclusion, only for the discount price, S1 is ok. it offers good bass and treble performance for the expense of the acoustics. for me, i'll take the something with better acoustics but i can't say i'm not going to miss the clarity level of S1-S5's treble.
 
visit my table for further comparisons and informations:
http://www.head-fi.org/a/table-of-earphocalypse