Pros: Great Sound for the price, Good Battery Life
Cons: Bluetooth connection sometimes pitches up songs and is not the most reliable
Usability – You can use these headphones as any other IEM, you just pair them to your phone and then take them out of the case when you need to use them. One charge will last you around 2-3 hours and you can get 5 charges at least out of the case. The case will then charge up quickly, to provide you more juice to your in ear headphones. Sometimes the Bluetooth connection dropped and the pitch of the songs changed, but I’m unsure whether this is a phone or TWS problem (I’d assume it’s from the QCY implementation, since other Bluetooth headphones, like the MPOW H7 did not suffer from this issue).
Sound quality – V shaped sound. Bass goes down well, with nice rumble and quick punch, but not the most detailed bass. How much impact the bass has is very dependant on the seal you get with the eartips, so beware with how you insert the in ears. The mids are there to complement the sound signature more than actually be the focus, but they are pretty competent. The highs once again make sure cymbals on your favourite rap song hit and are noticed, but not sharp enough to hurt your ears from the hiss. The soundstage is pretty two dimensional. If I had to compare it with a wired headphone, I’d say the QCY QS2 sound pretty similar to a Xiaomi Piston 3, with a little more bass and little less detail.
Bottom line – They work the way they are intended to, easy to pair, no wires to mess up your training. The lack of IP certification might make them last less in the gym than ideal, but for the cheap price, it is a great pickup to just throw on your bag for everyday tasks.
The short but sweet review of these is that they are a decently built pair of wireless IEM that doesn't break the bank but doesn't impress either. Perfect for a beater pair you can throw in your gym bag and listen to for around 6-8 hours in between charges. Sound is V-Shaped, without any astounding detail quality, and the lack of aptX doesn't help.
Still, for 20 bucks, makes for an excellent gym beater since they aren't tonally bad souding!
Cons: If bass isn't your thing, they might be too muffled. Not audiophile grade sound.
So I've published this review in video form as always in the vid down below:
But if you prefer this review in a short written format I'll do my best.
Starting with the packaging, this is a sub 30$/€ headphone, which means you do not expect much. That is confirmed when you open up the packaging and find a 3.5to3.5mm male audio cable, a micro-USB for charging and a welcomed velour pouch (with cloth lining in the interior), which is always a plus for when you are going to travel with the headphones in a backpack, for example.
Going onto the quality of the headphones, the build quality is actually really appropriate for the price, the plastics seem durable enough and although the button quality is passable (they don't seem the most sturdy and don't have any engraving on them, making their use a bit difficult), overall the Mpow H7 certainly surprise with the insides of the headband in metal and overall sturdiness.
The comfort is also a nice plus, because the clamping force isn't too overwhelming and the nice big leather earcups make sure that your ears stay inside for a more comfortable fit. But the weaker clamping force means that this headphone might slip off during gym use for example.
Now onto the sound. These are clearly made for EDM and rap, as the thumping bass shows. And while you might be thinking that this is just some cheap mid-bass thump, it actually manages to deliver some good amount of subbass. But all this bass comes at the price of reduced clarity, for both mids and highs, which is to be expected with the target demographic of this headphone. This is not an audiophile can in any way, so the timbre and decay that you get from it are just below average. But what the Mpow H7 can certainly do is to be a fun headphone for the gym, as those Dre beats will keep you pumping hard throughout your workout. And at a price of just 25€, you can afford to replace them if they eventually break.
Pros: Sound signature is balanced and not bass heavy at all.
Comfort is really good.
Excellent Battery life
Cons: Bass heads might not enjoy this type of sound signature.
I've published the review in video format below:
A brief summary of these headphones quality is the following:
Excellent packaging as we've grown to know from Xiaomi, with a really good and sturdy packaging case. The build quality of the Mi Sports is also up to par with the Piston line from Xiaomi and, if I had to pinpoint a similar sound to the one you have in these, I would say the Piston 3 would come pretty close to it. The neutral, polite and correct sound signature.
As for comfort, you can use for pretty lenghty periods of time with absolutely no issue, since they are really comfortable. The isolation isn't the best, which I suppose is to prevent runners becoming too isolated from the outside world.
For their price of around 20€ on Gearbest, I can easily recommend them if you want Sports in ear monitors that have a more neutral sound signature than the one you are used to find in common, bass-heavy models.
The previous KZ iem I reviewed was the very acknowledged ZS5, which was supposed to be good and well known. But today I’m gonna write about a little less known and cheaper KZ product, the KZ ZSE. We have dual dynamic drivers in the inside with some vents for under 10$ and we know that KZ can do well done dynamic IEM, such as the KZ ATE. But are the ZSE good enough to be remembered? That is what I’m going to show you.
YouTube
Technical Data
Talking about technical data and specifications, nothing like using the specifications provided by amazon:
Connectivity : Wired
Application: Apple iOS and Android
Sensitivity: 100dB
Impedance: 16ohms
Frequency range: 20Hz-45000Hz
Microphone: option(with mic or without mic)
Cable Length: 120cm
Audio Jack: 3.5mm
Color: clear
All in all some interesting specs, but the lack of official specifications may mean you should look somewhere else for legit info.
Packaging
The packaging used here is the same used in the compact version of the ZS5. We got a simple package with a clear window that allows for the ZSE to be seen. Other than that, we got the ZSE name on the package.
The backside of the ZSE is the exact same as the one from the ZS5 since both versions are mic versions. This allows for KZ to have lower costs due to uniform packaging.
Build Quality and overall look
These are the KZ ZSE, a pair of IEM that are available in this clear casing with vents on the back. The dynamic drivers that are included are of 8mm and 6.8mm respectively and can be seen through the shell. The vents allow for the drivers to breathe and also help reducing the driver flex.
In this picture we can take a closer looks at the drivers on the casing.
Without the included tip we see the included paper filter on the tip to prevent earwax reaching the drivers.
Going down to the cable, we find a 90 degree angled TTRS gold plated 3.5 jack. We also have a microphone and single button controls that allow you to skip tracks, pause music and answer calls. The cable used is the rubbery one that KZ headphone owners already know, which is relatively durable.
To better understand why these are some durable in ear monitors (even though I would have liked to see some more durable stress reliefs on the housings), is the example of the Y-split which is sturdy and well built.
To finish with a single look on the ZSE, the housing is in pill shaped form, and we see that we have the side indicator on the strain relief.
While not shown, the accessories included are just 3 pairs of tips and an instruction manual which, like in the ZS5 case, is the bare minimum acceptable.
Comfort/Isolation
For a lot of folks that use their sound equipment for long durations during the day, comfort is rated pretty highly on their list, whenever they are looking for some new equipment. Since these are IEM’s, the things that should weigh the most would be the housing shape and weight, alongside the fit you can get with the tips compatible with them.
The KZ ZSE are honestly one of the most comfortable IEM I’ve used in the last year. The fact that they have a pill shaped form, means you can use them while on your side on your bed without much hassle. You can only use them cable down, but even then, if you don’t move much, the microphonics aren’t bad. The weight isn’t an issue as well, because the form of the IEM helps distributing it evenly across your ear. The included tips are the usual KZ silicone tips and they might slide out for some, making an upgrade to fake Hybrid tips a good upgrade route (foams muddy up the sound too much).
Regarding isolation, being vented, these don’t isolate as much as the ZS5, but put on a bit of music and you feel yourself isolated from the outside world. Even the leakage isn’t bad, so I’d advise these for everyday use more than the ZS5.
As always, before using starting to review these, I let them play a variety of music for about 50 hours (having tried them when they first arrived). Nothing too much happened, just a bit of tightening over the lower frequencies and faster response.
We should start by describing their overall sound signature. The sound out of the ZSE is clearly dark with emphasis on the bass, making these a welcomed change from the V shaped sound of the ZS5.
Lets start with the low end. The fact that these are a dual dynamic driver IEM makes you think that most of the emphasis of the sound should be focused towards the lower frequencies… and behold you are right! While the ZSE are not the most responsive nor the most detailed bass producers out there, they can easily bring out some sexy rumble to your ears. The bass goes low, to about 30hz, while having the kick frequencies also emphasized. All in all, these make trap music sound really good, but quicker bass genres might be a tad too much if you want a fast bass decay.
The mids are just alright, since they are a bit recessed due to the overall darker tone of the ZSE. This means that while vocals sound alright, they are harmless and don’t leave you wanting a more intimate experience with the singer. You can listen to acoustic albums, but you will be left wanting that sweet touch of a warmer IEM.
Talking about the treble now, it is once again a bit recessed and harmless which means you can throw pretty much any record at the ZSE and you won’t be hurt due to improper mastering since these are very forgiving of lesser quality records. The cymbals are present but miss any crystalline spark to them, making the treble a “meh” for lack of expression.
Talking now about the soundstage, this is one of their good features, since the vented design allows you to have a sense of width being able to pinpoint the general direction of instruments.
The dual driver design of the ZSE makes them a bit tigher once amped but the overall sound you get out of them doesn’t really justify you carrying an amplifier.
The microphone and controls work pretty well on Android and I don’t have anything bad to say about them.
As for some songs that the KZ ZSE do really well I’ll leave two below:
Aero Chord - Surface – The bass in this song doesn’t really need any introductions and the ZSE pump it out nicely
Kavinsky – Nightcall – The overall slow rhythm of the song fits the ZSE well and the fact that the vocals also have the slow pace makes the ZSE a nice fit
Conclusion
Build Quality: 4/5
Accessories: 2/5
Comfort: 4/5
Isolation: 4/5
Sound Quality (bang for buck): 3.5/5
The ZSE are an excellent choice for this Christmas Bag for everyone around the world. The top down factor, non polarizing sound signature and elevated bass make these a pretty much guaranteed hit with everyone, especially those who listen to lower quality music with sources from YouTube and such, since they are so forgiving. Or you might want to grab these to listen to some audiobooks before bed, due to their amazing format. But if you are looking for purely best bang for your buck in a sound quality area, it just isn’t here. These are dark sounding IEM that you have a lot in this price bracket, but they fail to offer something special like the Monk or even the original ATE offered. These are pretty good to try out, since you can get them for under 10$ all the time. Make these your disposable IEM, I’m sure they will last a while and it doesn’t hurt trying them out!
I would like to thank Gearbest for the opportunity to review and publish my unbiased opinion about these IEM, it has been a fantastic experience working with you.
Pros: - Tight, extended bass with crispy treble on top
- Price is amazing
- Removable Cables
Cons: - Mids might be recessed for some
Today I’m here to talk to you about KZ iems. You might already know the brand Knowledge Zenith as one of the primary budget IEM maker from China, made popular mainly by the KZ ATE. Well the model that I have today for reviewing is the KZ ZS5, technically the version 2 from what I read about the sound signature. This is a quad driver per earbud: two dynamic drivers and two balanced armatures, which technically should offer a really good sound on a budget. They also have detachable cables which should improve on the durability.
Technical Data
Talking about technical data and specifications, nothing like using the specifications provided by amazon:
Connectivity : Wired
Application: Apple iOS and Android
Driver: 10mm*2pcs,6.4mm*2pcs
Sensitivity: 106dB
DC resistance: 16 ohms
Frequency range: 20Hz-20000Hz
Maximum power :10mw
Microphone: Have
Cable length: 3.9 foot
All in all some interesting specs, but the lack of official specifications may mean you should look somewhere else for legit info.
YouTube
Packaging
Talking about the packaging, we can clearly see that this is the smaller version used for overseas shipping (since KZ have a bigger one used in the domestic market). Being smaller, we also don’t have anything interesting and on the front part of it we can read the model of the IEM while seeing them.
Seeing them on the back, we have a picture of a brass instrument and the mic logo, which means this is the smartphone compatible version (which has a cable with a microphone and a single button).
Talking about included accessories (excluding the cable, since it is detachable), we have a user guide alongside S/L tips. That’s it really, so nothing to talk home about, it would be good to see at least a hardshell case to carry the ZS5. Anyway this means that the IEM are cheaper, so lets hope the rest of the IEM are well made.
Build Quality and overall look
These are the KZ ZS5 in one of the many available colors. We got the grey ones and as you might be able to notice, we got an housing that’s a bit bulkier than usual, but the normal size for multi driver IEM’s. On the housing we got the Four Drivers image, alongside the ZS5 on the underside of the housing.
Here we have both sides together and we can see a little vent near the right size nozzle (for the dynamic drivers). The housing material is some kind of plastic that has a metalized look to it .
This version we received is the mic version, which means the detachable cable included is the one with a microphone (as it would be expected), alongside one button for play/pause.
The 3.5mm gold plated jack is a right angled one, but the most important part is that you can pick any 2 pin cable to pick one to your likings.
The nozzle without a tip lets us see that it is quite a lengthy one(in comparison with dynamics), so it might be hard to find tips that retain the original sound. It looks study so it might handle some abuse.
The housings have the entrance for these 2 pin cables which I would try and be careful with (and avoid lots of cable changing in order to ensure the connectors last).
Here we see the stock cable. The fit with the housing is tight and snug and won’t come out during use.
Overall we are really satisfied with the overall build quality and looks of the ZS5, hopefully they keep on impressing in the remaining areas!
Comfort/Isolation
For a lot of folks that use their sound equipment for long durations during the day, comfort is rated pretty highly on their list, whenever they are looking for some new equipment. Since these are IEM’s, the things that should weigh the most would be the housing shape and weight, alongside the fit you can get with the tips compatible with them.
Regarding weight, I would have to say that while looking at them I was afraid that the KZ ZS5 would be heavier than I thought. I was pleasantly surprised when I put them on with the memory cable and I found out that even during larger sessions I had absolutely no issue with fatigue regarding weight. While they can be worn not over the ear, I really wouldn’t recommend it because they will fall over time. And this is the other issue I have: as time goes by, the insertion is lost a bit so you find yourself readjusting them more often than you would like. This is fixed with the help of some foam tips, for example. The included cable is a bit microphonic for on the go use, but there are custom cables with a lot less microphonics, such as the KZ silver cable, which might be something worth to add while buying these.
Talking about the included tips, they are simple rubber tips that don’t have anything special about them but do their work of keeping the KZ ZS5 inside your ears nicely with a decent seal. This seal really helps make the ZS5 one of the most isolating IEM I’ve used lately, so they might be a bit too isolating if you plan to wear them on a crowded street. This is really nice for places where you need to be concentrated though, such as a library for example.
As always, before using starting to review these, I let them play a variety of music for about 50 hours (having tried them when they first arrived). Nothing too much happened, just a bit of tightening over the lower frequencies.
We should start by describing their overall sound signature. While only including silicone eartips, I’ve tried on the KZ ZS5 with foam tips and found out that they attenuate some of the bright highs, for those of you that don’t enjoy a bright sound (think Beyerdynamic). Still, the review will be done with the stock tips both because I think that is fair (you get the IEM as is) and because I enjoy a little extra sparkle in my music (DT990 owner here). The sound out of the KZ ZS5 is v-shaped with the emphasis being more towards the high end of the spectrum than pumping out bass. All in all, a good signature for electronic music and to listen to dakr recordings preferably with quality recording quality.
Lets start with the low end , I was impressed by the sub bass quality of these IEM, most with fast dark electronic genres like psy trance. The bass goes low and doesn’t distort much, although bass kick lovers might be unimpressed because there is more sub bass than the usual midbass. Proper seal is needed for maximum subbass goodness, so make sure you spend some time trying to find the correct tip size. The bass also has some texture to it, although it isn’t the most detailed I’ve heard (but keep in mind you can get these for around 20$).
The mids shine mostly with male vocals and instruments, because there isn’t that intimate touch that you usually have with balanced armature IEM and female vocals (DBA MKII still do vocals like no other). This is due to the mids being slightly recessed and not quite in your face. Even then, strings sound nice and lively with adequate resolution. Comparing with the original KZ ATE which was warmer and sweeter, I’d say that I prefered that more intimate presentation. Still, the ZS5 do mids quite nicely for the price point and for various genres.
Now for the most polarizing part of the ZS5, the treble, I can clearly listen to why it might be a bit much for some. There is definitively a lot of detail for the price, but it is also the most elevated part of the sound spectrum. Cymbals are sparkly and tonal correct, making them really fun for trance and drum and bass. There isn’t enough accuracy overall for orchestral recording because they sound a bit congested due a not broad soundstage. The treble also extends quite high and even if you don’t like it, you can easily EQ it out, or just use foam tips to reduce some harshness. Overall you still get plenty microdetail and way more than you thought it would be possible while remaining musical.
Now the soundstage, like I said, definitively isn’t the widest I’ve heard, making more complex pieces of music sound a bit congested due to lack of space. This is due to the good seal and lack of venting I think, but this isn’t quite a big issue because the amount of space you have is quite accurate in terms of 2D directions.
Bottom line about these KZ ZS5 is that they will handle pretty nicely about anyting you throw at them, but just make sure you don’t mind a treble happy sound. They excel in darker genres of music and make hip hop sound amazing due to their bass capabilities.
Another thing is that I relly found out that the ZS5 benefit being amped, but I’m unsure whether that is due to the weak DAC on my Vernee Thor or just a requirement for them to sound their best. The O2 really brings out some fine details in recordings and makes the ZS5 sound tighter overall.
The microphone addition is decent for people that will be using the ZS5 with smartphones, but I really want to try out the silver cable that KZ offers in the future, because lots of people are saying it improves the sound a lot. In terms of compatibility , the microphone remote worked perfectly with Android smartphones.
As for some songs that the KZ ZS5 do really well I’ll leave two below:
Infected Mushroom – Becoming Insane– With the Sitar notes coming out really crisp through the ZS5's, the quick sub bass never leaves the ZS5 breathing for air, making quite the impact during the track.
Kanye West – Mercy – The bass is once again the main focus of this track and the ZS5's do it flawlessly and when the hats kick in you can really feel the crispness to them (even while not as clear as one would hear in the DT990's).
Conclusion
Build Quality: 4/5
Accessories: 2/5
Comfort: 4/5
Isolation: 4.5/5
Sound Quality (bang for buck): 4.5/5
KZ presents the ZS5 as a major revolution to their lineup (at the time of release, since now you have the ZS6) in order to enter the multi driver IEM arena. With only 20€ you get 4 drivers in each housing, but is more always better? Well you can definitively hear the presence of each one of them, but I still think that two of each might be overkill and just one dynamic and one BA would have been enough if nicely tuned. But all the money went to the drivers because we don't even have a carrying case. Either way, the ZS5 caters to a lot of different music and does just well enough with any of em. I've enjoyed these mostly for psytrance and downtempo or old hip hop instrumentals because the bass weight just packs such a nice punch. These might also interest you if you need IEM with a lot of isolation, due to their form factor and the memory wire to keep them in place.
All in all for 20€ these are an excellent pick if you can handle your high frequencies (so Beyer DT990 fans rejoice), but since we have an ever growing amount of IEM's for this amount of money it becomes a super difficult task to say: "this is the end all of IEM's for this price". So I'll just add my 2 cents and say that for the price you can't really go wrong if you pick these and are looking for tight bass with nice highs (like I said above, a V shaped sound with more emphasis on the highs).
Another end note is to make sure that your phone DAC can drive these well enough, because I found out that these like some amping to sound their best.
And maybe lets hope I get to try the ZS6 because KZ keeps new IEM coming out like they are hot bread!
I would like to thank Gearbest for the opportunity to review and publish my unbiased opinion about these IEM, it has been a fantastic experience working with you.
Pros: Good build quality / bass that extends down low / good soundstage / absolute killer for the price
Cons: Treble can be too sharp / Questionable Aesthetics
Hello! This time I have a completely different review from the ones I’ve been bringing you lately because I’m going to review a full sized headphone! This time we have the Superlux HD681 a full sized circumaural headphone from Taiwan, which reaches on to us with a little help from George from Gearbest! Thank you very much for the chance to review this product and check www.gearbest.com for somewhere to buy this product.
As for a little introduction to the Superlux brand, lets just say that they are a brand with a known reputation for having full size headphones that mimic some popular designs from other brands such as BeyerDynamic or AKG in a much cheaper price. But the catch is the following: they always punch above their weight in terms of sound quality, so this HD681 which can be had for just 20$ will surely surprise a lot of you.
Video Review
Technical Data
Talking about technical data and specifications, nothing like using the specifications provided by Superlux themselves:
Specifications:
GENERAL
Type headphones
Packaged Quantity 1
Weight 7.8 oz
Additional Features gold-plated plug
ManufacturerAvlex Corporation
HEADPHONES
Headphones Type Headphones - binaural
Headphones Form Factor On-ear
Headphones Technology dynamic
Sound Output Mode stereo
Frequency Response 10 - 30000 Hz
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) 0.25% %
Sensitivity 98 dB
Impedance 32 Ohm
Diaphragm 2 in
Magnet Material neodymium
MISCELLANEOUS
Included Accessories headphones pouch
Color Category black
Packaging
The packaging of the HD681 could be defined as Spartan and it is one that could be used to be in exhibition inside a music store. Its design makes it sit nicely in a stand , and we just have some plastic covering the cardboard where the HD681 sits. On the backside we can read some of the more important specifications of these headphones, but overall we can see that this is where Superlux decided to cut costs. Which should be fine if sound quality doesn’t take a hit.
Accessories
For a 20$ set of headphones we see that the included accessories aren’t bad: we get a carrying pouch and a 3.5mm to 6.3 mm adapter, which guarantees that the Superlux HD681 fit pretty much any audio systems. Other than that, we don’t have anything else apart from the headphones themselves, so its time to get a better look at the Superlux HD681.
Build Quality and overall look
These are the Superlux HD681. They sport a black and red color scheme and have a semi open design. As you can tell, they have a circumaural design with big ear cups made out of plastic, as is most of their build.
On the right side you can find the Superlux logo, alongside 8 small vents that allow a bit of sound to leak from the cups. You can also read on the black on black letters “professional monitor” which would let us know that these are good for studio monitoring.
As we go towards the left side, we can find the name HD681 (this model name), alongside an indication of 2x32 ohm, which tells us that each one of the drivers has 32 ohm of impedance.
The cable is pretty well made and it is terminated with a 3.5mm gold plated plug, but here we see it with the 6.35mm screw on adapter. The rubber coating of it makes it feel really decent and that they will last.
Going for the headband we can find the Superlux name on it, being made of some kind of leather, which is comfortable enough for long term use.
The earpads are made out of cheap pleather, which would easily be my main concern with these headphones. While they are comfortable, they will get warm with long term use. But don’t be afraid since there are lots of aftermarket pads that will fit these headphones, such as the velour replacements sold by the manufacturer.
All in all, the Superlux HD681 present a pretty solid build quality for the price and, since they are studio monitors, I’m sure they will be able to take a beating and don’t break a sweat, since the plastic used is of good quality. But what is a studio monitor without the sound? So we should progress onto the next section which is how good these headphones sound.
Comfort/Isolation
Like I’ve said before, these are circumaural headphones, which mean that they will completely go around your ears. These kind of headphones are usually more comfortable than headphones which just sit on top of your ears, and, since these are studio headphones, they need to be comfortable for somewhat long periods of time. The earpads are also really important in terms of comfort, and these are not the best. After two hours they really start to get warm which might make you want to take a break. They also won’t be suitable for people in warmer climates to use during long periods of time, since the pleather isn’t breathable. Other than the fact of warming up, they are super comfortable since they are light and easily adjustable to your head.
As for the isolation, these have a semi-open design, which is a lot more open than some of the open headphones I’ve previously tested , making them have a pretty nice soundstage for the price. There is also a downside to this tho which is that they leak a good amount of sound, so they might not be suitable for public quiet places such as libraries, but they won’t bother someone sitting in the same room as you (in opposite sides). Without music playing you are able to tell what is going on in the room and even with music, if you have a television playing in the same room, you will be able to hear it all. But these are made to be worn in the studio so I’m sure that the semi open design choice was a good one.
As always, before using starting to review these, I let them play a variety of music for about 50 hours (having tried them when they first arrived). There wasn’t too much improvement from the burn-in, perhaps the piercing high end was a bit tamed.
We are going to start by describing the HD681 overall sound signature. These are a studio headphone and if I had to compare them to any other headphone it would be the german made Beyerdynamic DT990. Both have heavy V-shaped sound signatures with the Superlux managing to have their treble peak in a place that might bother a lot of people more than the DT990 Pro. So I should start by saying that if you don’t like the DT990 cause you find them too bright, you might have to pass (or equalize) the HD681.
The HD681 possesses a V Shaped sound with some emphasis on the lower and mid bass, alongside a high-end that might be too sharp for some. This kind of sound makes the HD681 perfect for music that might be bass heavy such as electronic music and rap, falling short on more vocal tracks.
Starting with the lower end of the spectrum, I’m really impressed that the sub-bass is present at this extent, which I suppose is due to the big 50mm drivers that really help bring out the rumble. Even though the sub-bass is good, the quantity of bass is mostly centered around 50-100Hz range with some punch in the mid bass as well. The quantity of bass overall is pretty good and spot on with what is needed for a Studio headphone (enough punch and extension).
The mids aren’t really where the Superlux headphones shine, mostly because they are the shadow of some really sparkly treble, but they are able to reproduce vocals decently well. Female vocals sound a bit raspy and you can notice it on tracks from artists like Adele. They are missing a bit of range, so to speak, and sound a bit flat.
The treble is what really stands out in these headphones, because it is so prominent. It’s even harder to go unnoticed than the so claimed “killer treble” DT990 Pro. I think this is because even though the DT990 has lots of treble, it is a crystalline, pure treble, while the HD681 doesn’t achieve the same level of detail. Even then, the treble is pretty good, even more so if you are able to reduce it in an equalizer in order to bring forward the rest of the sound signature. I say this because while these headphones have a pretty good sound signature, it is hidden under the excessive treble. The excessive treble might also make some bad recordings show all of their flaws, such as noise on old records or low quality (bit-rate wise) ones.
Like I said on the isolation part of the review, the fact that they are semi open and leak a bit of sound definitively helps on the soundstage of the HD681, which while detailed and easy to distinguish left and right, is a bit two dimensional. Even then, they are pretty good even to use while gaming.
As for improvements while amping, I found out that the bass becomes more pronounced while amped, but even unamped these are pretty solid headphones and the amplifier certainly isn’t a must have.
As for songs that I really enjoyed with these headphones:
Run The Jewels – Legend Has it – El-P is an excellent producer and the sub bass that these put out while amped is really interesting.
Deadmau5 – 4ware – The progressions sound good even with the big amounts of treble and with a good lower end.
Conclusion
Build Quality: 4/5
Accessories: 4/5
Comfort: 4/5
Isolation: 4/5
Sound Quality (bang for buck): 5/5
The most important thing about the Superlux is that I managed to point out all the flaws as it were a more expensive headphone. And once you put into perspective how much it costs you really wake up to the enormous value of this offering, even though it isn’t the most beautiful or comfortable headphone you can buy. There isn’t anything near the price range (about 20$ in Gearbest) that can offer such a great sound quality and bring joy to your music sessions (barring in ear monitors or earphones). The build quality will also last, which means that the 20$ will most certainly be a wise investment and for the price, even if you hate treble, you should try these out. Worst case scenario you equalize the treble out of them or pass them onto a family member which will surely love your offering. Why get the HD201 if you can get these?
I would like to thank Gearbest for the opportunity to review and publish my unbiased opinion about these Headphones, it has been a fantastic experience working with you.
Pros: Build Quality is amazing as always; more acessories than you can do with
Cons: Needs to be EQ'd to get a decent sound out of it
Hello guys, today we have another review of a new IEM coming from Brainwavz, this time with another new single dynamic driver IEM, the Brainwavz M100. For those of you that might be worried that you won’t have smartphone capabilities, fear not as Brainwavz has included a neat remote into the cable on the M100. As for some details about them, we got metal housings, which make the M100 really durable, alongside a twisted kind of cable, making it sturdier and better suited to the daily abuse. We also got the usual comply Foam tips included, so let’s see what the M100 can offer!
Technical Data
Talking about technical data and specifications, nothing like using the specifications provided by Brainwavz themselves:
Specifications:
Drivers : Dynamic, 8 mm
Rated Impedance : 32 Ω
Frequency Range : 12 Hz ~ 22 kHz
Sensitivity : 110 dB @ 1 mW
Plug : 3.5 mm, Gold-Plated
Cable : Braided 1.3 m OFC Copper
Remote & Mic: 3 Button, Apple & most Android phones compatible
All in all some interesting specs, specially the reduced driver size.
Packaging
The packaging that Brainwavz decided to implement with the M100 is absolutely gorgeous. It’s interesting to see that they picked a minimalist approach to the design (with just the black and white), but it just works so well for the box. We got the Brainwavz name placed in a vertical way alongside the M100 name in the top left of the box.
On the side of the box we got a little information about the 24 month warranty from Brainwavz and a little note telling us that we have comply foam tips included in the packaging as well.
As you open up the beautiful cardboard box you get a tiny plastic tray where you find a Brainwavz Carrying case and nothing else. You might be wondering where all the accessories are included, but a little peek into the case will reveal it…
Well this little carrying case sure can store a lot of stuff! All the included accessories are pictured above, and we have: the M100 In-Ear Headphones, 6 pairs of eartips, 1 pair of Comply T400 Foam tips and one user guide. All in all, Brainwavz never disappoints regarding accessories and packaging.
Accessories
As we start to glance over the included accessories, we can notice that inside the plastic bag there were 6 tips, which, adding the ones already installed in the M100, make 7 pairs of ear tips. Looking at the picture we can easily conclude that in all the packaging we have 2 pairs of each size (S, M and L) alongside one extra pair of Bi-Flange Eartips. And, for the T400, these are already really well known by everyone visiting head-fi, so I’ll skip them and you’ll probably see why in the sound section below. Pro tip? They don’t exactly help the sonic signature of the M100.
Build Quality and overall look
These are the housings of the Brainwavz M100, as you can see the metal really helps making these look sturdy alongside the really well made strain reliefs. The added weight isn’t really that noticeable even more so if you wear them over your ear which reduces the weight even more. The 8mm driver also helps reducing the overall housing size.
Going down the cable(which is twisted and gives it a nice texture), we can find the remote that we’ve previously found in some other Brainwavz models and that offers a really sturdy touch and smartphone (both Apple and Android) capability. On the remote you can also find the microphone in case you want to use these during a call.
Talking now about the Y-Split it is as sturdy as the ones you have previously found in Brainwavz models with the addition of a little Logo on it. We also got a chin slider in order to adjust cable length above this split.
We have now reached the end of the cable which is terminated with a 45 degree angled TTRS gold plated plug, as usual in smartphone compatible IEM. This angled plug provides more durability compared to the usual 0 or 90 degree jacks.
Everything seems to be as sturdy as it usually is with Brainwavz products so lets see what their comfort is all about.
Comfort/Isolation
For a lot of folks that use their sound equipment for long durations during the day, comfort is rated pretty highly on their list, whenever they are looking for some new equipment. Since these are IEM’s, the things that should weigh the most would be the housing shape and weight, alongside the fit you can get with the tips compatible with them.
While one could think that the M100 would be quite a heavy IEM due to its metal construction, further inspection upon having it on your hand you can tell that it is a thin (still sturdy) metal that doesn’t add that much weight to it. Obviously they won’t be as unobtrusive as some small Philips SHE3590, but they are really comfortable. The only downside from them comes in the form of a little driver flex that might be present upon inserting the M100 too deep which might prevent you from getting the best sound (or might prevent you from getting any sound at all). Other than that, pretty good comfort even more so with the Comply tips, even though they don’t help the M100 sound signature at all.
As for isolation these have about the same isolation as the S5 IEM, which means that without music you will dim the outside noise and with music you won’t be able to hear them (except for maybe, really loud subway noises), so these are advisable to use where you need good isolation, but if you need to be somewhat aware of your environment you should pick something else (as you should never use an IEM, except for maybe vented ones, in those environments). The Comply Foam tips also help isolate a tiny bit more.
As always, before using starting to review these, I let them play a variety of music for about 50 hours (having tried them when they first arrived). The 8mm dynamic driver felt a bit tighter overall, but nothing super dramatic.
We should start by describing their overall sound signature. You need to think that the eartips you choose influence the sound a lot and for my review I have used the standard M flanges because these provided the best balance of seal and low driver flex. The sound out of the M100 is really, really dark, with a sound signature that could be described as bass heavy and with highs so dull that they couldn’t even cut a piece of already cut paper.
Lets start with the low end. This is what gives the M100 its characteristic sound, they have a really thick low end that extends quite well with a decent rumble and tightness. The problem comes with the little mid bass hump that just muddies the sound. The kicks sounds good, but still overall the presentation doesn’t suit most of the music. The 8 mm driver still carries an interesting rumble that suits mostly bass-heavy electronic music, but doesn’t really work anywhere else. Tracks like “Aero Chord – Surface” make the M100 shine, but for anything acoustic or less bass heavy it just doesn’t work.
The mids are warm and kinda recessed due to the mid bass hump, even though voices still sound lovely when they aren’t being covered by bass. As you might have been seeing with my comments, the technical quality of the M100 is there, but they are shadowed by the mid bass hump and the lack of treble spark. Even then all voices sound good when properly equalized, which I shall talk about later.
Talking about the treble now, what treble actually? There is none and the one that is there rolls off quite early. The cymbals are accurate but they are way too recessed, I don’t know what Brainwavz were thinking when they were engineering the overall sound signature, because the M100 can be made so much more interesting with just a little bit of equalizing.
Talking now about the soundstage, once you uncover the mess made by the mid bass and lower mids you will find a surprisingly dynamic soundstage which is accurate as well (but nothing like vented IEM).
While Brainwavz tells us that these gained by being amped, the bulkiness added by an amp (as these are marketed as mobile IEM) isn’t worth the tiny bit better sound that is produced while amped.
The main thing to bring the best of out the M100 is definitively Equalization. You will have to bring down the mid bass region and up the Highs, which should look something like this:
-1 dB at 60Hz
-4 dB at 200Hz
-2 dB at 600Hz
0 dB at 1kHz
+3 dB at 4kHz
+5 dB at 8kHz
+6 dB at 12kHz
With these setting I find that the M100 become much more versatile in different genres of music and these setting allow to unleash the real potential of the M100’s . Every ounce on detail that can be squeezed out of them is now fully capable to be heard, making these now more capable to actually have a sparkle for treble! Rock is now much more enjoyable, even old school trance now delights you with snares.
As for the smartphone addons that we have with the M100 I’m gonna start by stating that the remote on the right side of the cable is really easy to use and the buttons let you know exactly when you pressed them, with an actuation force that will make really hard for you to press them when you don’t mean it. As for compatibility, on my BQ Aquaris X5 I’ve experienced that you can pretty much use every functionality of them and on my Lumia 625 I could also do that, which means these should have a pretty wide compatibility device-wise!
As for the microphone it has a pretty good quality, just about the one you would expect from such a device.
Conclusion
Build Quality: 4/5
Accessories: 4/5
Comfort: 3/5
Isolation: 4/5
Sound Quality (bang for buck): 2.5/5
Brainwavz always manages to impress with its overall build quality and aesthetic but the sound quality always seems to not be up to par with the rest of the package. The M100 are really held back by its sound signature, but with a little tweak you are able to get the best out of them. Even then, for its price, the M100 aren’t the best sound for the price. They do really well in the build quality, accessory and finish department so I think if you want to give them to someone that can tweak the sound quality (i.e. use an equalizer), these might be a nice gift. Else, with their default sound signature, they will just please hard bass EDM lovers.
The M100 can be good if they are reworked for a more neutral sound signature, but until then it is kinda hard to recommend them.
References
Price: RRP (85.00€) on http://www.brainwavzaudio.com/products/brainwavz-m100-earphones
I would like to thank Brainwavz for the opportunity to review and publish my unbiased opinion about these IEM, it has been a fantastic experience working with you.
