SPECS:
    No written spec was found for the UMI-BTA9
 
 
 
WHERE TO BUY / COST:
 
http://amzn.to/2h6jhkA
$69.99 new ( often heavily discounted down to $25 or less )
 
OVERVIEW
Happy Chinese New Year! I am giving one last Chinese IEM a review because it's important to review not only the good headphones, but to cover some of the bad ones too. The UMI-BTA9 from UMIDIGI rests somewhere in between because there are aspects of it that I love and some that flat out are unforgivable. The UMI-BTA9 Bluetooth IEM is an in-ear built for lifting, exercising, and chatting on the move. It is advertised as a bassy IEM with “Noise Cancelling for class-leading wireless audio and optimal sound quality.” Does it deliver?
 
AESTHETICS

The BTA9 is simply designed and packed with features. It looks and feels solid although a tad light. The earhooks are comfortable, the cable only mildly microphonic, and the button layout superb. The IEM body that houses the electronics does feel cheap and I worry that the plastic may crack over time or if dropped onto a hard surface. The accessories are few with only small, medium, and large silicone tips available. I would have liked to see some Comply foam included as I had some discomfort and seal issues with the default tips due to the nozzle angle and a pair of foam tips would have solved the problem.

Everyone needed to get going is shipped with the BTA9 including the charge cable, tips, but sadly no hard case for travel. Attached to the IEM cable is a cable cinch which is must if you plan on exercising with any IEM. The nozzle bodies are small and only due to the angle did they become uncomfortable.

ACOUSTICS
With the primary concerns for comfort out of the way I tested the sound. Advertised as a bassy IEM I was expecting some serious bass bloat and distortion. Immediately the bass felt overwhelming, but that could just be because I am nowhere near a basshead. I spent extra time listening to the BTA9 because if you ignore the bass boost the mids and treble are good. The midrange, although 10% recessed for my taste, sounded clear and just about all of my hi-fi tracks kept me interested. The treble is rolled-off, but surprisingly mildly compared to other IEM’s that tout such serious bass like the Brainwavz M100. The bass on the BTA9 is boomy, but not as distorted and disruptive as the M100. Listening to Chateau Marmont by Maison Klaus from the Solar Apex –EP was engaging, fun, and only lightly rumbly. I never felt overwhelmed by a wall of bass from the BTA9 on this track.
 
I moved to Insible Sun’s Baby Deli the Police track to further test the bass and distortion. At 1:50 into the track the bass does distort and blur the midrange and treble making this track hard to listen to for more than a few seconds. Remarkably the treble was clear and only the upper registries distorting. Speaking of treble how did Peter Murhy’s Time Has Got Noothing To Do With It sound out of the BTA9? Surprisingly the chimes remained clear and only due to the recessed sound signature did the BTA9 fall short. Some tracks were just plain toe-tappingly fun with the BTA9. Muddy Waters’ Good Morning Little School Girl track made me focus on the rhythm and his voice and only once in a while did I realize how out of control the bass really sounds.
 
Other tracks like Rob McCoury’s Sugar Creek revealed the weaknesses of the BTA9. The bass simply overwhelms the rest of the instruments becoming fatiguing at times. It is the schism between good and bad bass that makes the BTA9 tricky to enjoy.
 

MIC TESTING
I always test the mic when included. So many cheap IEM makers decide to include a mic and so many fall flat on their face. The BTA9 is sadly a poor communication device because the mic is distorted and distant. The audio from the other person on the line comes through muddled and choppy. The MIC is not the best feature of the BTA9.
 
DURABILITY
I see not major flaws in the design other than the cheap plastic housing. Everything else including the cable feels well-made and durable. The lack of carrying case is a bummer because it not only protects the IEM’s during travel, but makes them easier to find and unsnag.
 
CONCLUSION
With no spec to compare against, no carrying case, and some serious issues with the mic I really do not recommend paying full price for the BTA9. At the time of this review it is on Amazon for under $25 which is good considering it delivers a Bluetooth IEM, a mic, all built for exercise or on-the-move listeners. Would I recommend it as a reference IEM, well no. It has too many flaws with distortion and accentuated bass to be considered hi-fi, but due to the quality of the bass boost I do recommend it over IEM’s like the M100 from Brainwavz because the bass I implemented well for a boosted IEM. The wireless range is small at about 15 ft through no doors. I found the signal dropping out just two rooms away with no doors closed. I think this is a non-issue for most people because most people will use it with the phone / portable nearby, but I do like to see longer range wireless in my Bluetooth devices. The bass for me was too fatiguing to listen for more than an hour and I worry about long-term hearing problems using such a bassy IEM. The BTA9 is certainly bassy and it does it pretty well for an IEM found under $25 much of the time.

 
 
SPECS:
Drivers                      Single Balanced Armature
Rated Impedance     30 Ω
Frequency Range     16 Hz ~ 22 kHz
Sensitivity                 105 dB at 1 mW
Cable                        1.3 m Y-Cord, Over the ear, OFC Copper
Plug                          3.5 mm, Gold plated
Warranty                  (24 month warranty)
 
http://www.brainwavzaudio.com/collections/earphones/products/b150-balanced-armature-in-ear-earphone
 
$109 new
 
OVERVIEW
Happy New Year and welcome to 2017. This year brings some new gear among this the Brainwavz B150 which is a single-driver balanced armature IEM. The B150 delivers deep impactful bass, an enjoyable and up-front midrange, with enough extension into the treble to reproduce cymbals and chimes without hiding them or killing them off.
 
AESTHETICS

The B150 keeps the usual Brainwavz benefits. A cable cinch, a shirt clip, the 45-degree angled jackplug, and many tips including a pair of red Comply foam tips. Also included is a hard carrying case that can fit easily into a large pocket or a backpack. What I enjoy the most about the aesthetic design is the small driver body and narrow nozzles which make it one of the most comfortable IEMs I have reviewed. If you have large ears you may find the fit difficult because the housings are small.
 
The cable splits into a Y about 8 inches from the IEMs and this is where the cable cinch is hidden. Stemming out of each IEM is a 2-inch strip of memory cable which adds to the durability and makes wrapping the cable up and around the ear easy. I had no problems plugging the jack plug into any of my devices including an iPod Touch and various adapters. The cable is also minimally microphonic. This is quietest cable I have seen from Brainwavz.
 
ACOUSTICS
I hesitated to review the B150 because the M100 sounded terrible and made me lose faith in Brainwavz. Quality Control should have easily prevented the M100 from reaching market. It was too bassy, no upper treble, and included a terrible mic. It was so bad that I felt obligated to review it and keep people from investing in such a poorly made / designed IEM. The B150 I can proudly report has none of the aforementioned issues.

Unamped: Oddly some IEMs sound better unamped. Perhaps this is because it allows the IEM’s sound signature to be over-emphasized which if done well is great when listening to a portable. Travel is rarely the ideal place to conduct critical listening so I prefer a little emphasis on the bass and treble without overbearingly messing with the midrange. The B150 does sound more fun unamped. The bass is more loose and impactful, but the midrange develops some uneveness unamped so it is a definite trade off. Luckily the treble extends enough to catch the metallic sound of a guitar string, cymbals, and chimes. The IEM does not lose that all important detail.
 
I grabbed my iPod Touch and immediately turned on Cateau Marmount by Masion Klaus from the Solar Apex –EP. Something did not sound right so I slowly crept up the volume and at about 50% volume this track came alive. It remained engaging and the detail of the guitar, the up-front midrange, and treble all delivered the emotional response that this track encompasses. The B150 is like the Sennheiser HD650 and D600 in that it needs a little more volume to sound its best so be sure to turn it up a bit to get the most out of it!
 
How low does the B150 rumble? Kick on Unearthly by Mahoroba on the Space Fly. Vol, 1 –A Magic Chill Trip ( by Frank Borell ) to find out. The low notes will give your ears a nice refreshing oscillation. Perhaps too up-front for some listeners the B150 may sound fatiguing at higher volumes with certain tracks, but nothing that cannot be attenuated with a click of the volume button.
 
Does it deliver a distortion-free midrange? For this I turn to Maroon’s Can’t Stop on the It Won’t Be Soon Before Long album. This track I always use to test midrange issues especially on multidriver IEMs. If there’s a crossover issues or there is excessive distortion this track will reveal it. I am happy to report that it sounds clear albeit a wall of sound, but no distortion detected!
 
Now, how about the treble? Lose the chimes? In Entry into the Great Hall / The Banquest from the Harry Potter Soundtrack the chimes are easily heard over the rest of orchestra. Even some of the reverb is picked up which is unusual for a bassy IEM like the B150. You are not going to be missing much on the high end with this IEM so be sure to throw any type of music at it.

Amped: I drove the B150 with the BUDA amp fed via a Schiit Bifrost DAC. This is my end game setup as I found it performs at extremely high levels. I first selected low gain mode because the impedance is only 30 Ohms and the sensitivity a healthy 105dB / mW. Strangely I found the volume knob creeping up almost to 50% with most reference tracks. I wonder if the sensitivity is not a little lower than Brainwavz is reporting because at 105dB / mW the volume should not need to be this high.
 
Listening to Damien Rice’s O (Deluxe Version) on the Older Chests album reveals harshness in the midrange not heard on a portable. Swapping to medium gain smooths out the midrange issues and adds some fun to the bass. I recommend playing with the gain settings on your amp to get the most out of the B150 especially if you prefer a more fun-sounding IEM over something more critical. Certainly there are times for either.
 
I do prefer the B150 from a portable, but it does sound good enough to be trusted through a good amp. I would not hesitate to listen to it in either instance, but if you are after a more fun sound go portable.
 
DURABILITY
I find it relevant to mention possible durability issues with the B150. Although it does attempt to strain relieve the cable both at the jackplug and IEM body I feel that the there should be more reinforcement in these areas for a $100+ IEM. I fear that users on the move may snag the IEM a few times and ruin the cable which is sadly the fate of so many good sounding IEMs. The design is unlikely to change so I really would like to see the price fall to $75 where I find the B150 more suited due to the durability concerns, but the sound is well worth the $109 price tag.
 
CONCLUSION
If like me you were burned by the Brainwavz M100 and hesitate to give anything new a try the B150 should be on your “last try” list. With its wonderfully fun and balanced sound signature, although mildly bassy at times, it competes well against IEMs at twice its price like the Telos Acoustics Fujisan. The tip selection is excellent and accessories thought out. No mic is included so even though you cannot make calls with the B150 you also do not have to worry about trying to communicate with a bad mic. The B150 is a music lovers IEM. If you are extra hard on your gear you may want to shy away from the B150 as it does feel light in the durability department, but if you take care of them and keep them gently tucked away in the hard case when not in use I see no reason they will not last a few years.

 
SPECS:
Driver Type                      8mm Dynamic
Plug Type                        3.5mm Gold-plated
Cord Length                    1.3m Y
Frequency Response     12 Hz – 22 kHz
Impedance                      32 Ohms
Sensitivity                       110dB / mW @ 1kHz
Remote                           Android and Apple compatible
 
WHERE TO BUY / COST:
$89.50
 
OVERVIEW
The M100 is a new IEM from Brainwavz that has a goal of sounding great amped. Amping any headphone can provide better control of the driver by damping which essentially removes unwanted distortion caused by ringing in the driver. An amp also provides enough power to overcome the needs of low sensitivity headphones where a portable source or on-board soundcard might lack in power. Lastly, amping a headphone can play around with impedance matching conditions between the output of the amp and the headphone impedance which in many cases is not always linear. In this review I will look not only into the sonics of the M100, but compare it amped and unamped and conclude if the M100 is truly designed to sound better amped.
 
AESTHETICS

Being the most recent iteration the M100 is sleek having metal housings, an angled jack-plug, in-line remote, and a ton of tip selections. The carrying case is hard and acts as quick storage of the IEMs and tips. The much needed shirt clip is also included. Most IEMs these days have noticeable microphonics in the cable and the M100 is no exception. The shirt clip removes the excess noise generated by the microphonic cable.
 

As you see there are several tips to choose from including a pair of Comply foam tips which I find a must with IEMs. The carrying cause is robust enough to keep your precious IEMs safe, but it is small enough to easily tuck away in a small pocket of a backpack. The jack-plug is angled at 45-degrees making it slip into all of the portables I tested including an Android phone and an Apple iPod both of which were in their cases.
 
The M100 is well accessories. Well done Brainwavz!
 
ACOUSTICS
Being so new at the time of this review I contacted Brainwavz inquiring about the specs and any recommendations they had regarding sonics. With a sensitivity of 110dB / mW this IEM is super easy to drive which made me scratch my noodle a bit because when I think about amping a headphone I immediately think low efficiency. Keeping an open mind I started my listening tests using an amp. Both the VA2 from SMSL and the BUDA from HeadRoom have output gain switches which alter the output impedance along with the output voltage. This is handy when testing headphones that have impedance curves that are not flat like the Shure SE315 or any multi-driver IEM for that matter. The M100 has a single dynamic driver so I suspect its impedance is quite flat, but at the time of this review I did not have the impedance measurements
 
Amped: Plugging the M100 into the low-gain jack on the VA2 amp, turning up Arye’s Pink Noise track from their Irrational, but Efficacious test album, and listening to the general sound signature revealed ann immediate emphasis on the bass, some unevenness in the treble, and definite to severe treble roll-off. This is a bassy IEM.
 
So how steep is the treble roll-off? I moved to my treble test tracks and selected Entry Into the Great Hall / The Banquet from the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). At the beginning there are some chimes along with bells that are easily discerned with the HE-400i I use as a reference, but they are faint with the M100. I am not surprised, but I had hopes that the pink noise test was missing something. Sadly, the micro-details found in the treble are hidden away behind the bass. I would really like to see Brainwavz increase the treble extension to at least 7 kHz before the drop and increase the amplitude 4dB to provide a more spacious-sounding and detailed IEM.
 
Does the M100 have the sweet midrange that Brainwavz is known for? Yes, it sure does. It is not laid back at all, but it also is not so up-front that it causes listening fatigue. The M100 is easy on the ears.
 
Amped I did notice some distortion develop on busy-sounding tracks like Fallin' & Flyin' from the Crazy Heart: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The lack of separation and extra bass distorts the driver and muddies up the clarity of tracks like this one.
 

Unamped: I test all headphones amped and unamped and because the M100 is being marketed as amp-friendly I started with amped listening. Let’s look at how it sounds unamped, notice the strengths, and list some of the problems that develop.
 
I immediately booted up my iPop touch and selected Te Veo Nena by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico from the Arroz Con Habichuela album. I like this track because it instantly tells how well a headphone can separate instrumentation in busy beats. Unfortunately the M100 exhibits distortion on this track from the beginning. The horns in particular sound crunchy like the smooth sinusoidal notes are becoming jagged and square. The distortion reduces using an amp, but persists.
 
Amped it was easy to find tracks that were fun to listen to with the M100. Unamped it is much more difficult. The bass boom overwhelms the clarity of tracks like Blockhead’s Insomniac Olympics track from their Music By Cavelight album. The overlaying downtempo bass suffocates the nuances of horns and piano
 
I figured the M100 would sound good with electronic music with all of its bass emphasis and laid back sound, but even Dub Sessions 1 (Nadja Lind Sickness of the Mind Remix) by Universal Language & Nadja Lind from the Golden Karma - Finest Selection of Relaxing Chill out, Yoga Flow, Deep Electronic Ambient and Binaural Meditation is simply too bassy to be enjoyed. I did like the extras on tracks like Great Big Sea’s Summer on their Something Beautiful album. The lack of treble does make the echoes and instrument separation hard to discern, but the smooth-sounding bass is sublime.
 
The M100 has an in-line mic which I tested. To all callers it sounded muffled and distant which is a shame because some people will really enjoy the bassy M100. The poor quality mic makes the M100 less utilitarian and more about just being a fun, albeit, boomy IEM.
 
CONCLUSION
In hopes that Brainwavz lowers the bass by 3dB and improves the treble by the same amount I suggest waiting on future iterations of the M100. I found this IEM does sound its best amped so Brainwavz has achieved that goal, but it would make more sense to make it sound even better through a portable which is where I suspect most users are going to use it. Many of the design features make the M100 hard to shy away from because you get a wonderful selection of tips, a shirt clip, and a tough carrying case. The built-in cable cinch is a nice touch too. If getting the best sound from an IEM is your goal I suggest going with a different IEM, but if you enjoy extra bass and comfort then the M100 is worth a try. To me it was too colored to be called hi-fi and due to the excessive treble roll off it become almost unlistenable at times.

 
SPECS:
VMV VA2
http://smsl360.com/SMSL%20VMV%20VA2
 
SMSL H8
http://smsl360.com/SMSL%20M8
 
Linear Power Supply ( PSU )
No site found
 
WHERE To BUY / COST:
Amazon, Newegg, SMSL
 
OVERVIEW
I own the SD-793ii from SMSL and wanted to check out a more pro-grade setup. I stumbled upon the M8/VA2/PSU stack and placed an order. You get a DAC capable of DSD playback which I did not test. You also get a headphone amp that has both low and high gain outputs, and a linear power supply to clean up the power to both. Also provided are all of the cables necessary as well as the individual power supplies for the amp and DAC just in case you want to not use the linear power supply.
 
AESTHETICS

All three pieces are constructed from machined aluminum and feel very well made. The volume knob on the VA2 amp is smooth and not loose or cheap-feeling. Some users complain how bright the blue LED is on the amp, which is bright, but resting on my desk it did not distract. Perhaps in a dark room or by your bedside the LED might be too bright, but nothing a piece of tape couldn’t cover. The buttons on the M8 DAC are low-profile and also made from aluminum. The power cord, jacks, and various inputs/outputs feel well made and are of high-grade materials.
 


 
ACOUSTICS
I really did not know what to expect. I remember Zeos over at z review that he felt the VA2 would not power the Fostex T50RP MK3 headphones. I find it powers the HE-400i with no problem and even on low gain it gets plenty loud for my taste. I will say that the output does not feel very linear because I get most of the volume in the first half or quarter of the volume range and then as the knob rotates further the volume does go up, but not as drastically as in the first half-turn.
 
I am glad it can drive every can I own including the Audio Technica ATH-R70x which has a peak impedance of over 1 kOhms and my HJ Audio 10x3 Pro IEM’s.
 
At first listen the VA2 has some serious brightness. Harshness in amps is one thing I look for in a poorly designed amp. On the other hand some high-end amps sound bright to me like the HeadAmp GS-X MK2. The harmonica and vocals in Angus & Julia Stone’s Hush on the Down the Way album proves to be fatiguing at moderate listening levels. I feel my ear muscles tense to try to protect the bones in my ear and this tensing leads to fatigue. My guess is that the VA2 has poor transient response and is developing peaks in the treble as the output changes amplitude. The brightness of the VA2 is my one major criticism. If it sounded more laid back and was easier on my ears I would highly recommend this little amp, but as it stands I would say look elsewhere unless you want a detail-oriented amp, because the treble very well extended.
 
One test I did with the VA2 amp was to run Ayre Acoustic’s Pink Noise track into it and listen for any peaks. Tyll Hertsens taught me this trick for finding problem areas of audio equipment in general not just amps, but headphones too. Sure enough there is unevenness to the pink noise sounding like emphasis on the midrange and at least one major peak in the treble. I’ll see if Tyll has time to measure this amp.
 
CONCLUSION
The 3-piece stack can be found for under $500 which gets you well placed into the hi-fi playback realm. The M8 DAC is superb, the linear power supply excellent, but the VA2 could use a little work to draw down its uneven and bright sound. The VA2 does have enough power to supply more than adequate listening levels to a wide range of headphones and because it has both a low and high gain stage it is suited for IEM’s as well. The build quality is excellent and the DAC is very easy to setup and get playing especially so if you use the optical input.

For power hungry cans the high gain jack sound more even, has better control of the bass, and in just sounds clearer. Some of the harshness is still present, but with the HE-400i the improvement is noteworthy going from the low and then to the high gain output. Be sure to experiment with both headphone outputs to get the best sound from the VA2.

 
SPECS: ( from Music Hall )
 
OVERVIEW
Years ago I borrowed a Music Hall 15.2 and compared it to the HeadRoom Ultra Desktop amp/DAC I had at the time. I enjoyed its sound and build quality so much that it stuck in my mind for years. I’ve been through a ton of gear since and want to revisit Music Hall’s products to see how they compare. My current setup consists of a Grace Design m903 amp/DAC, Schiit Bifrost 4490 DAC, and a HeadRoom Balanced Ultra Desktop Amp.
 
AESTHETICS

One great thing about the 25.3 is that you can plug just about any digital source into it. I tested the Optical and USB inputs and made quick comparisons against the Grace m903. Using Windows 10 I found no problems installing the USB driver. This cannot be said for USB DACs from companies like Schiit. I still haven’t been able to install their drivers.
 
Immediately I noticed that there is harshness to the treble using both a pair of HiFiMAN HE-400i and Audio Technica ATM-R70x headphones. Going back and forth between the Grace’s USB input and the 25.3’s it was evident that the 25.3 was harsher in the treble. Treble peaks in guitar and voices were piercing. After 20 minutes the 25.3 mellowed out and sounded much closer to the Grace so perhaps it was added distortion from the tube warming up.
 
One of my favorite things about the 25.3 is the feel of the housing and the volume knob. Both are extremely well-made and have an industrial feel to them. They do not feel cheap. Even though the unit weighs 8 pounds it actually feels light considering how sturdy it is. Everything is labeled on the unit making connectivity a cinch. Bright blue LEDs light up the front selectors and switching between sources is easily accomplish by a touch of a button.
 
ACOUSTICS
I am relieved that the output impedance of unit is .3 Ohms making this amp ideal for any just about any dynamic or planar headphone out there. My Audio Technica ATH-R70x was easily driven and controlled by the Music Hall which is surprising considering that the impedance of this headphone is over 1000 Ohms at the fundamental resonance of the driver. Next I tried HiFiMAN’s HE-400i which is a planar magnetic driver with a 25 Ohm impedance, but a low sensitivity of 93dB whereas the R70x is 99dB. I am pleased to say that the Music Hall drives both headphones with ease.
 
I am disappointed in how the unit sounds. Using the HE-400i, which has very linear bass, most tracks sound bass light as if the driver is not being controlled adequately. One characteristics of a good amp is how well it can tame bass at volume. The HE-400i should sound even and impactful from 100Hz down, but with the 25.3 it sounded anemic and lifeless. I am not sure if this is because the solid state portion of the amp has some impedance issues or the tube is getting in the way of the output. The tube is inserted as a buffer which adds a bit of tube filtering the sound signature without sitting directly on the output of the amp. It is this buffer that I blame for the inadequate bass reproduction. This is such a shame because the amp and DAC sounds great from the 25.3 if it were not for the weak bass.
 
I checked the lack of bass against both the Grace m903 and Balanced Ultra Desktop Amp ( BUDA ) and both of these amps brought the bass back to where I expected it to be. I think it is in the best interests of this amp if Music Hall removed the tube from the amp and stuck with a solid state design.
 
CONCLUSION
If you are in the $600 and below amp/DAC market and do not mind an amp coloring the sound of your music then the Music Hall 25.3 is a great option. Its build quality, ease of use, and power make it an easy choice. Used this amp/DAC can be found below $400. It would be great if the unit came with a 5 ft USB cable and 5 ft optical cable to allow users to get started using it without having to purchase cables.
 
If you are looking for an amp/DAC combo that is true to your music I suggest moving onto something like the Schiit Stack consisting of the Modi 2 Uber and Magni Uber which together cost under $300 and will definitely get you very close to the true sound of your music.
 
The Music Hall 25.3 is a fun-sounding unit with emphasis on detail over realistic sound production. It has a dead-quiet noise floor, awesome volume control, and inputs for just about any type of situation. If the bass did not roll off I would easily recommend this unit, but as it stands I provide a caveat to those wanting uncolored sound.

VAFEE'S QCY QY11: A VERSATILE IEM
 

 
SPECS:
http://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Cancelling-Sweatproof-Headphones-Hands-free/dp/B019TTSYOG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1455685619&sr=8-4&keywords=vafee
 
Bluetooth Version:                       V4.1+ EDR
Chip:                                            CSR8645
Operation range:                         10m
Wrap around cable length:          60.0cm
Weight:                                        0.65oz 
Battery capacity:                         90mAh
Charging time:                            1-2 hours
Talking time:                                7-8 hours
Standby time:                              180 hours
Mic:                                             Yes
Carrying Case:                            No
 
WHERE TO BUY / COST:
http://www.amazon.com/headphones-Cancelling-Sweatproof-Headphones-Hands-free/dp/B019TTSYOG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1456715581&sr=8-3&keywords=qy11
$99.00 new ( Can often be found under $50 )
 
OVERVIEW
Laura Jia from Vafee reached out to me to see if I wanted to conduct a review of the QCY QY11 Bluetooth IEM. I have a ton of experience with IEMs and the QY11 intrigued me because of the behind the ear ear-hooks and the enigmatic company. Laura provided the IEMs for this review. My primary focus is always on acoustics, but I do compare it to another Bluetooth IEM in my collection. The QY11 aims at “sounding balanced in pitch from bass, alto, to treble.” They also deliver a “premium sound to propel you through a vigorous workout.” How does the QY11 meet these goals?
 
AESTHETICS
The QY11 is an exercise friendly IEM that comes with everything needed to get listening. The 8 different sized tips make finding the best seal easy and they are soft so no major discomfort should occur. I had to use two different sizes due to the soundstage shifting to the left if I left the default tips on. This was mainly due to the larger eartips bunching up in my ear canal and blocking the seal. Be sure to experiment with all of the eartips and find the best seal along with a middle of the head soundstage.
 
Also provided is a very short USB to mico USB charging cable and a cleverly designed cable cinch. In-line is a 3-button remote and mic that allows for easy connecting to a Bluetooth device like an iPod or Andoid phone. For a Bluetooth IEM the QY11 is surprisingly comfortable and light. Other IEMs, like Brainwavz’s BLU-200 are difficult to fit and have larger driver nozzles adding to ear discomfort.
As you can see the nozzles are angled and have a small diameter. The driver body is round so no sharp edges push against the ear. Due to the angled nozzles and tip selection the QY11 is one of the best sealing IEMs I have tested. I ran my vacuum just to see if it could handle that level of noise and it blocked out 90% of it! If you want something to seal beyond reason the QY11 is the way to go.
 
The ear-hooks large and clunky, but comparing them to the ear-hooks of the BLU-200 from Brainwavz, which go inside the ear, reveals how secure and comfortable an external hook can be. They secured the QY11 so well that I could not find a sane way to knock them out of my ears.
 
Quite simply the most secure fit you can find in an IEM without going custom. The external ear-hooks are wonderfully comfortable, the angled nozzles make the seal aggressive, and the light weight design allows them to be used for exercise without getting in the way of the workout.
 
One caveat is that after an hour or more the inside of my Tragus started to hurt because the body, although round, protrudes directly into it.
 
ACOUSTICS
This is a Bluetooth only IEM so no amped testing was conducted. I used my iPod touch for the acoustic testing as it is my travel companion and exercise music source. I start with some standard hi-fi tracks to test the initial fidelity and then place it on random within the hi-fi playlist and start working out, moving around, and getting to know the sound.
The ear-hooks large and clunky, but comparing them to the ear-hooks of the BLU-200 from Brainwavz, which go inside the ear, reveals how secure and comfortable an external hook can be. They secured the QY11 so well that I could not find a sane way to knock them out of my ears.
 
Quite simply the most secure fit you can find in an IEM without going custom. The external ear-hooks are wonderfully comfortable, the angled nozzles make the seal aggressive, and the light weight design allows them to be used for exercise without getting in the way of the workout.
 
One caveat is that after an hour or more the inside of my Tragus started to hurt because the body, although round, protrudes directly into it.
 
ACOUSTICS
This is a Bluetooth only IEM so no amped testing was conducted. I used my iPod touch for the acoustic testing as it is my travel companion and exercise music source. I start with some standard hi-fi tracks to test the initial fidelity and then place it on random within the hi-fi playlist and start working out, moving around, and getting to know the sound.
 
I know a lot of you are concerned about the bass response and I want to cover it in detail. Most IEMS in the $50-$100 price range have silly amounts of bass making it boomy, bloated, and very sloppy on the low end. The QY11 is more neutral than IEMs known for their heavy bass, but they do sound bassy at times. Take The Gorillaz’s Kids With Guns track. The bass line is thick and vibrant and due to the excellent seal the QY11 can deliver fun bass. Rest assured the QY11 has the bass covered, but is not going to render your eardrums numb.
 
The range of the Bluetooth signal stretches to 10 meters, but does run into issues going through doors and thick walls. I put it just below the BLU-200 from Brainwavz in regards to range and would not fault it for not having the best range as it is excellent, but not quite as good as some other Bluetooth gear I have tested.
 
COMPARISON
I pit the QY11 against the Brainwavz BLU-200 because they in the same price point, are Bluetooth, and sound clear and fun. Both are designed with exercise in mind, but I find the QY11 trumps the BLU-200 in stability due to the external ear-hooks. The smaller driver body on the BLU-200 gives it the edge for comfort. Both are slightly laid back with the QY11 being more up-front and in your face sounding. Listening to Arne Domnetrus’ Limehouse Blues from the Jazz at the Pawnshop reveals the BLU-200 is too bassy leading to a blurred midrange and unpleasant amount of oomph on the low end. They both sound too bassy to be considered hi-fi, but I found myself preferring the QY11 with this track because it has a more even sound signature. The BLU-200 sounds tinny in comparison with a strange dip in the frequency response appearing in the upper midrange. The QY11 is more efficient and is louder at the same volume level which will provide you with more headroom. The cable on the QY11 is quieter while exercising.
 
For general listening, where you never know what track is coming up next, I easily give the edge to the QY11 because its more even sound and laid back nature at lower volumes. The bass with the BLU-200 is richer and more airy so if it is bass you are after stick with it. Both are great and have their strengths, but it comes down to comfort and sound signature preference. The BLU-200 is much more comfortable because its driver body is smaller. The QY11 has less prominent bass and lends itself to a much more even sound signature.
 
The QY11 comes with an in-line mic so I tested it making a few calls on my Android phone. Clarity is excellent and the mic’s location is close enough to the mouth to not sound distant or muddled. Voices sound up-front, clear, and articulate. The mic is well above average for an IEM in this price point.
 
CONCLUSION
If you are looking for a good-sounding IEM that seals ridiculously well and refuses to move during exercise the QY11 is for you! The sound signature is easy on the ears without being bright or harsh making it easy to listen to at higher volumes which tends to be the case when on the go. Some users may find the driver bodies uncomfortable after an hour or two, but with a little adjusting my ears would be freed from the discomfort. The Bluetooth range is good enough to not tie you down to your player and the lack of cable noise makes the QY11 get out of the way of a workout.

BRAINWAVZ BLU-200: LONG LASTING WIRELESS COMFORT
 

 
SPECS:
http://www.brainwavzaudio.com/products/blu-200-bluetooth-4-0-aptx-earphones
 
Driver Type                      9.2mm Dynamic
Wireless Range              10 meters   
Cord Length                    N/A
Frequency Response       20 Hz – 20 kHz
Impedance                      16 Ohms
Sensitivity                       96dB / mW @ 1kHz
 
WHERE TO BUY / COST:
http://www.brainwavzaudio.com/products/blu-200-bluetooth-4-0-aptx-earphones
$54.50 new
 
OVERVIEW
After reviewing the Brainwavz BLU-100 I thought it natural to review the BLU-200 and do a direct comparison. Both utilize a dynamic driver, have a 10 meter wireless range, and come with a slew of tips for added comfort and for obtaining the best seal. “The BLU-200 is designed for mobility, tangle free listening, taking listening to an all new exciting level.”
 
AESTHETICS
Following the design of the BLU-100 the updated 200 alters both the sound signature and physical design. There is now a chamfered driver body and flange-style ear hooks. Also included are an in-line mic and 3-button remote, USB to USB mini charging cable, and carrying case. Everything you need to get listening.
One of my favorite things about the tips are the green inner cores. The added color sets it apart from other IEMs on the market. Brainwavz includes a set of Comply foam tips which I found to be absolutely necessary as the other tips did not supply an adequate seal. The tips are very easy to swap out and the ear hooks add extra support for on-the-move listeners. Three tip sizes should cover just about all listeners so be sure to try a few out to optimize the fit and seal as both will drastically alter the sound quality. You should hear the background noise go to almost complete silence if you have the proper seal.
 
The ear hooks made the fit more robust when I went running or lifting, but I did find the BLU-200 to stay put without them. Taking a closer look at the driver body you can see the new chamfer which adds comfort over the BLU-100 which has a cylindrical body.
 
The 200’s body  is also longer making it protrude outside the ear more than the 100. They look a little like the neck bolts of Frankenstein’s monster, but the extra space houses the batteries and Bluetooth electronics. I found the 10 meter range of the Bluetooth to be accurate and roamed around all rooms of my house with the player in the office and never lost connection. This makes the BLU-200 a great IEM for work because it strips away the cords and provides enough range to actually move around and work.
 
ACOUSTICS
The BLU-200 keeps the slightly bassy, up-front midrange, and rolled off treble of most of their IEMs. It adds a more laid back sound compared to the sometimes bright BLU-100. For long listening sessions I found the BLU-200 easier on the ears and more even from bass to treble. The BLU-100 has more detail in the midrange so if you enjoy the upper frequencies more than bass go with those instead of the 200.
 
The sound signature of the 200 is fun and dynamic and kept me in beat while working out. The tinny nature of the 100 is gone and there is plenty of bass rumble in the 200 to wake up a basshead or two.
Tracks like Lindsay Stirling’s Elements ( Orchestral Version ) were fun, but due to the lack of detail in the treble made me want a brighter IEM for critical listening. Other tracks like Michael Jackson’s The Girl Is Mine from The Essential Michael Jackson album were punchy on the low end, soft throughout as to not cause fatigue or sibilance, and up-front enough to be able to really groove to the vocals and guitar. The laid back sound of the BLU-200 makes it very listenable and I think if there are listeners out there sensitive to treble this IEM is an excellent choice.
The soundstage is excellent for lacking some treble. Neal Davis’ track next to You from the Rendezvous album reveals excellent instrument separation and space. Sure the 200 is not going to move all music outside of your head, but if the track adds space the 200 will provide an adequate soundstage and not drown out the special details with bass.
 
As with all IEMs that come with an in-line mic I ran the 200 through the paces. For this I moved the cables to the front rather than behind my back. This moves the mic much closer to the mouth for added clarity. The mic is clear and up-front sounding without being harsh or too distant and muddy. It is one of the best mics I have tested in any IEM perhaps only bested by the Telos Acoustics Fujisan which is $250. If you need a mic the BLU-200 has you covered!
 
CONCLUSION
Finding a great exercise IEM is difficult because of the needs of an extra secure fit, awesome seal, and dynamic enough sound signature to get you moving. The BLU-200 by Brainwavz brings excellence into this market without sacrificing build quality or sound clarity. With its ease to connect via Bluetooth, its 10 meter wireless range, and up-front sound signature the 200 is one of the most listener friendly wireless IEMs I have reviewed. I do think that achieving an excellent seal is critical in making the BLU-200 sounds its best so extra time should be taken finding the correct tips. The soft-natured sound signature makes it easy on the ears for hours on end and due to its lack of sibilance and brightness there are no worries about treble fatigue.

SPECS:
http://www.brainwavzaudio.com/products/xfit-xf200-noise-isolating-sport-iem-earphones-w-3-button-remote-microphone
 
Driver Type                     9mm Dynamic ( bass ported )
Plug Type                       3.5mm
Cord Length                   1.4m Y
Frequency Response     20 Hz – 20 kHz
Impedance                     16 Ohms
Sensitivity                       95dB / mW @ 1kHz
 
WHERE TO BUY / COST:
 
http://www.brainwavzaudio.com/products/xfit-xf200-noise-isolating-sport-iem-earphones-w-3-button-remote-microphone
 
$25.00 new
 
OVERVIEW
Brainwavz has quite a few IEMs on the market now and their products reach a wide audience because of the giant variety and cost. With the introduction of the XF200, their truly exercise friendly IEM, Brainwavz appeals to those on the move. This IEM aims for ”egonomics, a secure fit, and a crisp, clear, and bold sound.”
 
AESTHETICS

 
The design on the XF200 is the first wrap around style IEM that Brainwavz has made. As seen in this photo you can see the IEM body is square, the driver nozzles angled, and stiff memory shielding placed in the first few inches from the earpieces to allow form-fitting around the ear placement. The cable feels robust and there is strain relief at the jack plug as well as each ear piece. In-line is a mic and 3-button remote. A cable cinch is also provided to help secure the IEMs and remove any microphonics heard in the cable during movement.
Plenty of tip sizes are available including a set of Comply foam tips. The shirt clip is also a nice touch considering these are designed for active listeners.
It took me a minute or two to get the correct fit due to the square driver body, but once in place I found them comfortable. Listeners might want to play around with different tip sizes to achieve the best seal as this really helped the sound. If one channel seems louder than the other change out the tip on the weak channel.
 
The driver nozzles are just the right length allowing for an adequate seal as well as lasting comfort. The jack plug is angled at 45 degrees allowing easy insertion into a portable device like an iPod or phone. The cable is 1.4m long making it easy to tunnel under clothing during exercise. Overall the aesthetics are excellent for a $25 IEM and I found no shortfalls or immediate problems.
 
ACOUSTICS
Familiar with the Brainwavz house sound I was eager to see if the up-front and slightly bassy signature remained intact with the XF200. The great news is that the house sound is present and due to the great seal the soundstage appears to be expanded compared to other IEMs offered by Brainwavz such as the M1 and Omega.
 
Unamped: Having a sensitivity of 95dB/mW one would think that the XF200 would be difficult to drive, but in my case I found the sensitivity to be more in the 105dB / mW range both amped and unamped. There are no worries for those wanting to use this unamped. The impedance is low reaching 16 Ohms so those who have an older tube-amp may want to try a higher impedance IEM, but the XF200 ran fine out of my solid state desktop rig.
 
Unamped the XF200 has a wonderfully clear midrange, bass emphasis, and gently rolled off treble avoiding fatigue. I also found the bass to not deliver too much pressure during long listening sessions which was a relief. This IEM has a touch too much roll-off in the treble to be considered for critical listening, but it really wasn’t designed for that anyway. A few tracks like Aes Dana’s Memory Shell ( Lost Radio Ed-dit ) provided too much bass for my liking and caused the bass to drown out the midrange. Not so much so that the midrange was completely gone, but the focus moved to the bass rather than the midrange which is where I consider Brainwavz IEMs do fantastically well. Overall unamped listening proved enjoyable especially when I was working out or out for a run.
Amped: I test all of my headphones amped and unamped because the performance is often quite different. Portables typically have cleaner power, but limited voltage. Desktop amps have plenty of voltage, but can have current issues. The Brainwavz XF200 sounds good unamped, but amped it starts to sound congested and uneven. Moving to medium gain adds a little color the sound signature bringing the bass more forward and pushing the mids back.
 
Listening to John Mayer’s Vultures track from the Continuum album reveals the overly bassy presentation of the XF200. Focals become hidden behind the wall of bass. This is one reason that overly bassy IEMs are so hard to recommend.
 
Other tracks like Buddy and Julie Miller’s One Part, Two Part from the Written in Chalk album shows how large the soundstage can sound with this IEM, but at times I did feel that the treble was bright and too sharp.
 
Upon further investigation I noticed an open bass port on the inside of the earpieces. This looks like an open hole which is difficult to see on the all black body. I quickly placed a piece of tape over the hole and gave another listen. The bass bloat was greatly attenuated and the treble extended. The midrange developed a light tinny sound, but due to the much needed bass control I highly suggest closing the bass port on this IEM. A tiny piece of Kapton take or a small drop of fingernail polish does the trick.
 
With the bass ports open I recommend the XF200 for only portable listening as desktop rigs will tend to reveal the flaws of the sound signature making it hard to critically listen to.
As with all headphones that come with a mic I test them via phone call. Many have clarity issues by either sounding distant, muddy, or both. The XF200 mic does sound muddy and it would be wonderful if the mic from Brainwavz’s Omega was transplanted onto the XF200 brining its clarity on par with better sounding IEMs. The mic is usable, but certainly not the best for conferences or long critical conversations.
 
CONCLUSION
Brainwavz brings the XF200 to the exercise market by making a very solid IEM. It is constructed and designed with abuse in mind. Due to the poor mic sound quality and uneven sound signature with the bass ports open, critical listening is just not enjoyable, but with the ports closed this $25 IEM is easily recommended. If you plan on using the mic a ton you may want to see if Brainwavz updates the mic before purchasing the XF200. Otherwise with the bass ports closed off I highly recommend trying the XF200 be it for exercise or general listening.
 
Update
There is an open bass port seen on the inside of each earpiece that can be plugged to attenuate the bass and extend the treble. I used some fingernail polish, but you could use something like Kapton tape. My only recommendation is you use something more on the super sticky side and not use basic tape because this could come loose inside your ear and cause infection. Plugging the bass ports moves this IEM to easily 4-stars.

SPECS:
http://www.edifier.com/us/en/headphones-earphones/p293-handfree-tpewire
 
Driver Type                      10mm Dynamic
Plug Type                        3.5mm
Cord Length                     1.3m Y
Frequency Response        20 Hz – 20 kHz
Impedance                       32 Ohms
Sensitivity                        106dB / mW @ 1kHz
 
 
WHERE TO BUY / COST:
http://www.edifier.com/us/en/headphones-earphones/p293-handfree-tpewire
$59.99 new
 
OVERVIEW
Edifier has been making audio products since the 90’s and their aim remains the same now as it was then: “Taking pride in exceptional design and quality yet remaining affordable for listeners from around the world.” With the introduction of the P293, a design-forward and exercise friendly IEM, they achieve these goals and bring to the market a uniquely sleek and stylish in-ear.
 
AESTHETICS

The accessories are complete with small/medium/large tips, cable cinch, shirt clip, carrying pouch, and an extra 3.5mm adapter. I gotta say that the accessories are very well thought out especially the adapter and the low profile pouch. A ton of the IEMs I review have a large carrying case that cannot fit easily into a pants pocket, but this case is sleek enough to tuck away. The only thing I would change is elongate the shirt clip so the alligator jaws extend to twice as long. This gives the clip an easier time attaching to clothes while retaining the cable.
 
Aesthetically the P293 is simple with a stylish silver backplate on each earcup. Edifier offers three color choices for the IEM including a cool-looking green. The cable is strain relieved at the jack plug and earpieces which is huge when you plow through IEMs like snowballs in a snowfight. The cable and mic feel cheap, but avoid tangling. The cable is long enough to tuck a portable player in a pocket and still run the cable under a shirt or behind your back. The addition of the adapter, which goes unexplained, prevents the cable from breaking as the adapter beefs up the connection between the IEM and a portable device. Hopefully this prevents a snag from ruining your IEM cable. It also gives you another mini cable for a line-out if you need it.
 
The driver nozzles are angled making it more comfortable than a direct nozzle approach. The tips can be easily swapped out with no trouble or worry.
One minor issue I had is the nozzle is so short that the very large driver housing pressed against the inside of the Tragus. This is one of the biggest problems with just about every IEM I have tested so it is not unusual, but wearing an IEM for hours should be comfortable. The pressure here is not so great that it is unbearable, but it does cause my ears to fatigue after an hour or so leading me to adjust the angle alleviating the pressure.
 
ACOUSTICS
From the front of the package I was worried that the phrase “MEGABASS” would place the P293 into the unlistenable category. Luckily this IEM is not full of ridiculous bass and is quite pleasant. For a 10mm dynamic driver the P293 delivers very clear bass, an up-front midrange, and treble extension not found it IEMs in this price point.
 
Unamped: Having a sensitivity of 106dB/mW makes the P293 very easy to drive and due to the 32 Ohm impedance there are no worries about current limiting. I stayed below 50% volume on my iPod touch.
 
The sound unamped is full and even from bass to treble with a hint of bass emphasis. The bass quality and treble extension are what caught my focus because the bass, although slightly emphasized, is very tight and well defined. Most IEMs that achieve this drop the treble or the bass simply covers it up. Not in the case of the P293 which extends the treble enough to appear accurate in the upper registries although with some tracks it did sound a tinny.
 
I found that during unamped listening, especially at loud listening levels where I evaluate headphones, the P293 became fatiguing due to the bass energy. This is in part because the IEM seals so well which is a plus for exercise, but take heed if you listen at loud volumes for longer than an hour! The unamped experience was a huge surprise and these might end up as my top recommendation due to price, performance, and quality.
 
Amped: Not every IEM sounds good amped with some sounding lean and others sounding too bassy. In most cases a bassy IEM will tighten up the bass during desktop amp evaluation and the P293 is no exception. The bass fatigue heard unamped is completely gone and the clarity on a whole kicks it up a notch becoming even more fun and engaging. I found myself grooving along with my music.
 
When I participated in Big Sound 2015 I found Sade’s  (pronounced Sha-day ) Smooth Operator track to be very useful in finding flaws in a headphone because is dynamic, has all the instruments that I use to test headphones in it, and should sound awesome with a hi-fi system. Many IEMs I test struggle to make this track engaging and do not replicate what the hi-end gear did to it during my session with Tyll. The P293 is the first IEM below $100 that I have heard that brings that experience back although the treble is bright on some tracks so if you are sensitive to bright headphones that be warned.
 
The P293 also comes with an in-line mic so it can be used for remote conversing. The mic, although feeling cheaply made, is actually very good. It is placed perfectly and picks up voice tremendously well delivering an up-front sound that allows the person on the other end to easily hear you speak. The mic is one of the best I have found in an IEM so if you want something for chatting on the phone or conference calls rest assured the P293 has you covered.
 
CONCLUSION
Not many affordable IEMs get my attention these days and the Edifier P293 brought some much needed energy back into my hi-fi tracks. It has a clean sound and remains well extended at both ends of the frequency response, but the brightness may be too much for some listeners. The accessories are complete and the cable should be durable enough to get a few years of use especially with the cable adapter in place. The only thing the Edifier needs to make it more listenable is to vent the sound through the tips avoiding the bass fatigue. If you are in the market for a wonderful IEM be it for general listening or exercise then the P293 is a great choice.
 
January 2016 Update
After auditioning these at a local head-fi meet there general feedback is that these sounds good, but can be bright with some music. That was my finding as well so if you are at all sensitive to bright headphones perhaps stay away from the P293, but I really do enjoy the overall sound.

 
 
 
SPECS:
http://www.brainwavzaudio.com/products/omega-iem-noise-isolating-earphones-with-microphone-remote
 
Driver Type                   6mm Dynamic
Plug Type                     3.5mm
Cord Length                 1.2m Y
Frequency Response   20 Hz – 20 kHz
Impedance                   16 Ohms
Sensitivity                     98 dB / mW @ 1kHz
 
WHERE TO BUY / COST:
http://www.brainwavzaudio.com/products/omega-iem-noise-isolating-earphones-with-microphone-remote
$15.00 new
 
OVERVIEW
With over 7 years of IEM experience Brainwavz has developed a ton of IEMs. From one of my favorites, the M1, to the very affordable Omega they are reaching out to the headphone market and listening to their customers. The Omega is a low-cost addition to their affordable lineup. “A crisp and clean sound, sharp high definition audio, and a slim, sleek design” are the goals for the Omega. Let’s see how it stands up.
 
AESTHETICS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Brainwavz packed a ton of functionality into the Omega. It has a mic and volume control, very comfortable and narrow driver nozzles, three sizes of tips including a set of Comply foam tips, a shirt clip, and a cable cinch. These are all great features that make the Omega useful for calls, conferences, general listening, and even exercise. The jack plug is angled at 45 degrees and slim enough to fit easily around my phone and iPod cases. They provide three color options including white, black, and a red/blue blend.
 
Aesthetically they are very clean-looking and the steel driver housings feel well-made for how light they are. I would like to see some reinforcement around where the cable connects to each earpiece as the cable, split from the Y-connector, is extremely thin and without relief these will surely pull apart after a few snags. The biggest need I see in IEM community is durability and if Brainwavz adds some serious strain relief here I see these lasting a lot longer.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Each earpiece is labeled with the appropriate letter for left and right. As with almost all other IEMs from Brainwavz the cable is microphonic, but the shirt clip takes care of that easily enough. The tips are comfortable and because the nozzles are small in diameter they irritate my ear much less than larger bodied IEMs like the M1. These can be listened to for hour with no ear fatigue. Overall I really like the looks and feel of the Omega with the exception of a lack of strain relief at the cable/earpiece interface.
 
ACOUSTICS
Most IEMs from Brainwavz tend to be bassy having a very clear midrange and slightly rolled off treble. The Omega takes these attributes with perhaps a touch too much bass for critical listening. I test all my equipment both amped and umamped in order to see how headphones perform in a variety of situations.
 
Unamped: Having a sensitivity of 98dB/mW makes this IEM very easy to drive. Out of my iPod touch I stayed around 50% volume and with some classical that increased to 60% so there will be plenty of headphone if you plan on listening to the Omega unamped. During portable listening expect fun bass, a clear midrange, and an up-front sound signature. Due to the lack of treble detail the soundstage is very closed and not overly resolving so I do not recommend the Omega for portable critical listening. On some tracks the Omega is a blast to listen to. Take Magic Sound Fabric’s Photonic Phonic track. It is very full sounding with a captivating midrange and bass rhythm. I suggest not listening to extra bassy music as the emphasis here will be too much to enjoy the rest of the music. If you really dig bass then you will enjoy the low end on the Omega with just about anything.
 
Amped: Some IEMs scale well with amping while others appear not to change much. The Omega does change for the better using a good amp. The bass tightens up, the separation and thus resolution increases with the slightly extended treble, and the overall amped presentation is more neutral although be it bassy. Listening to Peter Murphy’s Time Has Nothing To Do With It reveals the much needed treble extension. The metallic sound of the chimes is completely drowned out by the midrange and bass. There could still be much more treble in the Omega which keeps it from becoming an audiophile-grade IEM, but at $15 I really did not expect it to be.
 
It should be noted that because the impedance of the Omega is just 16 Ohms some amps will not drive them correctly and will sound flat and bothersome. If you have a variable gain amp be sure to keep it on the lowest setting to better match the low impedance of this IEM. Poorly controlling the Omega will result in it sounded bad.
 
Even though I amped the Omega it still struggled in the soundstage department. Due to the slight increase in treble clarity the soundstage does increase amped, but because the overall emphasis on the midrange and bass outweighs the treble the soundstage still struggles to deliver anything more than an overly simple image. Listening to Sara K.’s Oh Well from Chesky Records 10 Best should sound open and full with the drums echoing and distant, but with the narrow field generated by the Omega this is just not the case. The track still sounds nice, but there should be much more detail and space to enjoy.
 
In both situations I noticed the Omega having some harshness around the 1 kHz area which made certain tracks sound sibilant. Others would sound tinny, but not so much so to be apparent during general listening. I hoped the Omega would be the $15 IEM that crushed all other general-fit IEMs, but it remains well-placed in its price point.
 
I did test the mic on the Omega as most microphones on IEMs are not ideal for remote communication. They sound distant, attenuate the voice so make it makes it almost inaudible, and they are usually an afterthought when it comes to getting the product to the market. The Omega has a clear-sounding mic and it remains well above average especially considering the price point. It can sound a bit distant, but because the clarity is top notch, conversations can be had without having to turn up the volume ludicrously loud. This mic is not as clear as the Telos Acoustics' Fujisan which remains my personal favorite for remote conversations.
 
CONCLUSION
Regardless of cost the Omega is a good-sounding bassy IEM. Its features are well thought out and both portable and amped listening will be enjoyable. Unamped I found it to be a bit too bassy for my taste. Amped it is much more tame and listenable. With extra strain relief around the cable/earpiece junction these would be easily recommended, but as it stands I can say these are better than most $15 IEMs on the market, but I do suspect that a few snags will pull the cables out of the earpieces. If you are extra hard on IEMs I would look elsewhere, but if you tend to take care of your gear then these are a great bassy option that can be used for calls and general listening.

TELOS ACOUSTICS FUJISAN: A Great Sounding Scalable IEM
 

 
SPECS:
http://www.headphone.com/products/telos-acoustics-fujisan-premium-in-ear-headphone
 
Driver Type                      Dynamic
Plug Type                        3.5mm
Cord Length                    1.3m
Frequency Response      20 Hz – 20 kHz
Impedance                      16 Ohms
Sensitivity                        100 dB / mW @ 1kHz
 
 
 
WHERE TO BUY / COST:
http://www.headphone.com/products/telos-acoustics-fujisan-premium-in-ear-headphone
$299 new
 
OVERVIEW
Around the holidays I travel back to Bozeman, Montana to visit family and friends. During a recent trip I managed to catch up with headphone.com’s Jamey Warren and he showed me the Telos Acoustics Fujisan that he was involved with during its Kickstarter campaign. He kindly sent me home with a pair for review. The goals of the Fujisan are to deliver an “audiophile-grade in-ear with athletic stability and a naturally comfortable design.”
 
AESTHETICS

 
Already impressed by the packaging, abundance of eartips, and simple design, I look deeper into the aesthetics of the Fufisan. The jack plug is machined aluminum as is the mic housing. The shirt clip has extra-long alligator jaws making it more practical than short jawed clips that I see. The eartips are comfortable although it would be great to see different densities in the silicone from color to color. Different densities could help alleviate some of the discomfort I felt wearing the Fujisan for long periods. The housing nozzle is shorter than I prefer and as such may cause some discomfort during long listening sessions because it rests harshly against the ear. The Klipsch Image S4i has a longer housing nozzle and is smaller in diameter making the risk of discomfort minimal. Overall the Fujisan is very comfortable and can be adjusted if discomfort develops.
 

 
I did notice that the left/right channel markings are hard to locate because the print is small and black ink on a black background, but having orange tips made labeling the right channel super easy. The driver housing and body is oval-shaped and forms a direct path to the ear canal. Many other IEMs deliver audio by taking a bounce after the driver and then entering the ear canal. The housing bodies stem down attaching the cable to the earpiece and strain relieving the solder joints.
 
The Y-split on the cable is microphonic, but the cable clip alleviates this during movement. At 1.3m the cable is perfectly lengthened for both portable and home listening. The jack plug easily slips passed my iPod and phone case allowing perfect insertion into the audio jack. Many IEMs have issues with this because the jack plugs interfere with cases. The cable itself feels well insulated and locations where I would expect weaknesses have been strain relieved.
 
ACOUSTICS
I first tested the Fujisan unamped because most IEMs in this price point and of this design are developed with portable listening in mind. I did amp them with my HeadRoom BUDA and describe the differences between portable and desktop listening.
 
Unamped: Having a sensitivity above 100dB/mW makes this IEM very easy to drive. Every portable device I had in the room drives the Fujisan to extremely loud levels. If you take a look at the frequency response spec you notice that this IEM claims a response of 20 Hz – 20 kHz. Why manufacturers provide this type of range baffles me because it does not tell where the peaks are, how rolled off the bass and treble are, and where and dips in the frequency response occur. Luckily inside the cover of the box resides the target frequency response.
 

 
I found this target to be on par with what I hear. You can see the slight mid-bass emphasis, smooth midrange, and gently rolled off treble. Having the driver so close to the eardrum pretty much makes brightness a killer. The treble is very present, but avoids becoming piercing and fatiguing. Listening to Chet Baker’s Thank Heaven for Little Girls is smooth, detailed, and only exhibits a slight lack of metallic nature to the cymbals. This is where the scalability of the Fujisan comes in. At medium to low volumes it sounds good, but at higher volumes it comes alive bringing the bass and treble more in line with each other. Due to the up-front midrange vocals, strings, and guitar are not buried behind the bass and even Chris Jones’ Long After You’re Gone  sounds fun with nothing appearing out of place.
 
Amped: Most IEMs do not scale well with desktop amping because they are designed for portable use. The Fujisan is no exception. Some IEMs do have super low impedances which can cause issues with amps that have output impedance above 10 Ohms, but the Fujisan avoids this issue by having an impedance of 16 Ohms. I found the sound signature to even out more amped and sound more analytical compared to unamped listening.
 
The microphone is also excellent. Tested against the competent Klipsch Image S4i the Fujisan comes is clearer, has less noise, as well as renders voices coming in with more clarity. There is no cable cinch for the Fujisan which would make exercise and chat more comfortable and free the cable up from microphonics, but the mic performs very well without it.
 
CONCLUSION
Thank goodness the Telos Acoustics Fujisan is here because it sounds awesome, has well thought out design features, and it feels like a $300 IEM. One should consider that at this price point there is competition including the Etymotic Research ER4P-T and Westone W20 both of which sound great. The benefits the Fufisan has over these is that the build quality is higher and the sound quality more even and less bright than the ER4P-T. It has a smoother sound signature making it easy to listen to for hours. I find it more comfortable as well.
 
LINKS
Telos Acoustics
Measurements
 
COMPARISONS
The Brainwavz M1 is my base reference IEM for reviews because it is affordable, sounds excellent for the price, and is built well. The Fujisan bests it in every way by being sturdier, more even sounding from bass to treble, less tinny in the midrange, and more comfortable.

Brainwavz HM2: A Sleek Bass Headphone
 

 
SPECS
http://www.brainwavzaudio.com/collections/headphones/products/hm2-headphones?variant=6644195525
Driver Type                     Dynamic ( 40 mm )
Plug Type                       3.5 mm TRRS
Cord Length                   1.2 m Flat and 1.2 m with in-line remote
Frequency Response     10 Hz – 20 kHz
Impedance                      32 Ohms
Sensitivity                       104 dB / mW @ 1kHz

 
WHERE TO BUY / COST:
http://www.brainwavzaudio.com/collections/headphones/products/hm2-headphones
$49.50 new
 
OVERVIEW
I have been working with Brainwavz for a while now reviewing a ton of their IEMs and a few of their headphones. I must say this is the first headphone they have produced that caught my eye right out of the box. The HM2 is a wonderfully compact, sleek-looking, simply designed headphone. Brainwavz claims to have captured a “smooth sound with punchy bass” as well as producing a very comfortable headphone. Let’s take a look if they meet these goals.
 
AESTHETICS

I really appreciate how Brainwavz is not shy of improvement and innovation. So many companies design a headphone and call it good. Brainwavz appears to be listening to their customers and trying to make gear designed for its listeners. The HM2 is no exception in that it is a very clean-looking headphone that keeps comfort at the forefront. The earcups go completely around my ears making the HM2 more comfortable than my more expensive go to portable, the noontec ZORO II HD. The headband easily adjusts and the left/right indicators are easily visible. Thanks! The earcups swivel and contour nicely to the shape the head. The cables are detachable making them easily replaced. My one immediate gripe is the lack of a headband pad. The curve is great, but because our heads vary in shape and size, the lack of pad causes some discomfort. Hopefully we will see a version with a pad that spans the width and length of the headband…at least down to the hinges.

The exterior of the headphone looks and feels well made with no obvious signs of cost cutting. The earcups can be replaced and simply pull off. I will note that these are closed headphones and tend to seal around the ears such that they can become very warm. The heat from your head will not easily escape the seal. It is not like they are sweat magnets, but they tend to keep my ears very warm.

Provided are two cables. One is flat terminated at both ends with the TRRS 3.5 mm jack plugs. The other is a round cable that holds the remote. The remote is simple. It only has a slider for volume control and a single stop/play button. The flac cable comes with a mic. The remote itself feels cheaply made making me wonder how long it will last in particular the slider, but I had no issues with it during my time with the HM2. The flat cable also feels cheaply made and long-term reliability is a concern, but neither cord posed any problems, save some tangling issues with the flat cable, during testing.
 
ACOUSTICS
Sonically the HM2 meets the goals of having punchy bass as well as a kind sound that is not harsh or fatiguing. I tested the HM2 both amped an unamped.
 
Unamped: With a sensitivity of 104 dB SPL / mW the HM2 is easily driven by portable devices and my iPod touch remained at the 50% volume level for most of my listening. The HM2 is detailed enough unamped to reveal the echoes in Peter Murphy’s My Last Two Weeks on the Love Hysteria album. The bass rumbles, treble is clear, and the midrange stays in check most of the time. I did find that the HM2 sounds tinny from the sub-bass to 1 kHz making the midrange sound unnatural at times. In Chick Corea’s Three Ghouls, Part 1 from the Ultimate Adventure album, is enjoyable and fun, but the woodwind instruments sound flat and lack the detail to bring out the sound of the air flowing through them. On other tracks like Kate Havnerik’s So:Lo on the So:Lo – Single, the HM2 sounds enjoyably. The bass is deep and impactful without drowning out vocals and the treble. I would say that the HM2 sounds better with clean and bassy tracks like jazz and electronic.
 
Amped: Playing pink noise immediately reveals how bassy the HM2 is. The lower registries are definitely emphasized with obvious bass boost and midrange unevenness. Musically the HM2 becomes more alive amped. The bass tightens up and the soundstage moves up making this headphone much more up-front sounding than in the portable case. The kind nature remains intact and the HM2 is not fatiguing amped, but perhaps too bassy for some. Listening to Quentin Durardin’s 1977 track from the Putumayo Presents World Yoga album, the tinny midrange is easily discernible. The lack of reverberation and abundance of coloration in the midrange makes guitar tracks like this hard to listen to. They sound unnatural. Not to say one could not listen to tracks like this, but if the HM2 is compared to more neutral headphones obvious signs of the colored sound signature become apparent. This is one reason amping a headphone is important even if it can easily be driven by a portable device. Doing so often reveals the true sound signature while portable listening tends to hide some of the more delicate and hidden features of the sound signature. Surprisingly this headphone sounds great listening to The City of Prague Philharmonic’s Sute for Orchestra No. 1 in C Major, BWV 1066: on the Sunday Morning Classics: Sunday Morning With Bach album. The bass is definite and clear. The midrange is fun and engaging with clarity on the violins and harpsichord.
 
The HM2 did work with my XBOX ONE stereo adapter so it can be used as a gaming headset. The sound during gaming was rendered full with the bass emphasis. The mic volume both via phone and XBOX was very faint. The resting position of the mic locates it too far away from the mouth leading to the poor mic volume. I think the mic is decent, but due to its location, is not ideal for conversing. I would like to see the mic functionality reviewed by Brainwavz and enhanced so it sounds more clear and louder during calls or gaming.
 
It should be noted that the HM2 is sensitive to earcup position and the sound signature changes as the earcups are moved. The seal is also very important for clean bass reproduction. If the sound signature is not to your liking move them around a little and see if that clears things up.
 
CONCLUSION
Brainwavz meets their goals of producing a very listenable headphone with thought out bass emphasis. The around the ear seal is excellent making them one of the most comfortable headphones I have worn, but it should be noted that my ears are small and larger ears may find the earcups tight. Aesthetically the HM2 is clean and well-built although a headband pad would be awesome! The remote is easy to use and functions perfectly. At $49.50 the HM2 is a great headphone especially for bass lovers and people that want something that is portable without major compromises.

HiFiMAN HE-400i:  A Low Cost Neutral Planar
 

 
SPECS:
http://www.hifiman.com/products/detail/178
Driver Type                       Single-sided Planar
Plug Type                         3.5mm with 7.5mm adapter ( dual 2.5mm into the earcups )
Cord Length                     1.5m
Frequency Response       20 Hz – 35 kHz
Impedance                       35 Ohms
Sensitivity                         93 dB / mW @ 1kHz
Weight                              370g
 
WHERE TO BUY / COST:
http://store.hifiman.com/index.php/headphones/he-400i.html
$399 new
 
OVERVIEW
Being familiar with planars from Audeze, Fostex, and MrSpeakers I want to report how the HE-400i from HiFiMAN stacks up. HiFiMAN aims at delivering a comfortable headphone with tight bass while still keeping the planar sound signature. They also strive for the HE-400i to be easily driven by portables and we will investigate the efficiency along with the acoustics.
 
The initial impression is that the packaging, headphone, and cable all make one cohesive bundle with the exception of the right-angled jack plug on the end of the cable. I see no reason for a right-angled jack plug. This and all of my other headphones all have a straight jack plug. It appears to be an attempt to make it more portable, but the headphones themselves are so large it is unlikely that anyone is going to wear these away from their home rig. HiFiMAN did replace the screw in connectors that attach the cable to the headphone with 2.5mm stereo jacks making connecting the cable a cinch. Yay!
 
AESTHETICS

First of all the box is really well packaged. Adequate foam is placed during shipping and the headphone is neatly tucked inside the shaped compartment foam so they do not bounce around during shipment. The accessories are minimal including a single cable, 3.5mm to 7.5mm adapter, and the headphones. It would be nice to see a 3m cable included that has the straight jack plug, but the short cable was not a problem for my desktop setup.
 
The finish is dark blue with a metallic sheen. The grills are free of defects and add a hi-end look to the headphone. The gimbals, temples, and headband are all cohesive and because the earcups can swivel to completely flat, fit issues are minimal. The headband and head-size adjustment systems are one of the best I have seen in any headphone. They are superior to headphones like AKG and Audeze because they are easier to adjust and simpler. The earpads are pleather with a thin ring of felt on the part that rests against the ear/head. This allows for some air venting and typically tightens up the bass. It also adds to comfort. The earpads are angled with the thickest part of the pad designed to rest at the back of the head tilting the driver towards the ear canal. The earpads can be removed by gently deforming one side and pressing inward towards the center of the earpad and then bending the pad slightly. This reveals clips that hold the pad to the earcup. With the earpads removed one can replace them with other pads and play with the angle. To me this was an absolute must because the default angle for the pads made listening too fatiguing because the angle was too direct for my ears.

 
ACOUSTICS
After a long listen I determined that the peak extending from 3.5 kHz to 7.5 kHz is too fatiguing for my ears without moving the pads around. I reversed the tilt placing the thickest part of the pads to the front and thus the thinnest at the back. This drastically mellowed the troublesome peak and made the headphone much more listenable. It also shifted the soundstage from a back of your head experience to a more speaker-like sound. The bass is airy and renders very low bass notes. The mids remain extremely neutral and the treble keeps its rolled-off nature. If the HE-400i is too fatiguing for you try flipping the pads. Pro Tip: Some positions are not favorable and tend to negatively color the sound. I found the best positions are with the thickest parts of the pads either to the front or back. Having them up or down alters the sound too much.
 
Unamped: With an efficiency of 93 dB / mW the HE-400i does need a decent voltage swing to get loud enough. To achieve 110 dB SPL a voltage of 1.3 volts RMS is needed which should be fine for most devices. Acoustically, portable listening is superb. The bass is crisp and tight, the mids clear and mellow, and treble well extended be it a tad rolled off in the upper-most frequencies. This slight roll-off makes for a more enjoyable experience by not being bright. The treble is not so rolled off to the point of being colored or greatly attenuated, just rolled off into good balance. Chick Corea’s Three Ghouls, Part 1 sounds very even from bass to treble. The chimes and triangle are easily discernible without being drowned out by the midrange and bass. The bass is airy and engaging. Perhaps a touch of air is removed from the woodwinds, but the track sounds excellent in all other regards with the HE-400i.
 
Amped: Amping the HE-400i reveals how inefficient it is. Right away I had to go to the hi-gain setting on my desktop amp. Almost all other headphones run on medium gain A good tube amp, like Schiit’s Valhalla 2, will further mellow the somewhat direct sound of the HE-400i and provide plenty of voltage into this voltage hungry can.
 
Being very neutral the HE-400i reveals flaws in your music. It will not enhance an already neutral sounding track and some music among my hi-fi tracks fell flat. Take Dion’s Crossroads from his Bronx in Blue album. The midrange is very harsh and hard to listen to. The mix is just that way on this track and with a less neutral can it can be hard to catch. Others like Benni Chawes’ Always on My Mind from the Bang and Olufsen concert prove sublime. The bass is clear, but not overwhelming, Benni's voice is up-front and delicate and the brush strokes on the drums clearly audible. Amped the HE-400i sounds better with electronic and jazz over rock and metal, but once your brain adapts to its sound signature it becomes very competent at just about anything you throw at it.
 
Switching to the other amp in my setup, the Grace m903, I found the HE-400i to be more detailed, smoother in the midrange, and equally even in the bass compared to the BUDA. The BUDA sounds a bit colored with the HE-400i having too much bass and not enough detail in the upper treble. This leads me to think that finding a great amp synergy will allow the HE-400i to sound even better, but any reputable amp will suffice as long as it can swing the voltage. In fact I found the HE-400i to sound great from portables and my desktop amps.
 
CONCLUSION
There is no doubt that HiFiMAN is coming out with some great gear. The HE-400 and HE-500 are old favorites in the planar community, but with the new releases like the 400i and HE-1000 it is clear that HiFiMAN is picking up on improving their already great sound. The HE-400i, with the pads in the stock configuration, proved too up-front for my tastes. Perhaps I am just sensitive to the 3.5 kHz and 7.0 kHz peak as others have not really picked up on this issue, but to me it is important to mention that the pads can be moved. I have found that there are very few stock headphones that perfectly match ones preference. No surprise considering even our physiology is different. That said applying slight EQ or in the case of the HE-400i moving the pads around fixed any problems I found. It is definitely an awesome sounding headphone. Due to its neutral sound signature be sure to allow adequate time for your brain to adjust.
 
I think HiHiMAN met the goals of making a light, easy to drive, improved sound quality headphone that many, like myself, will thoroughly enjoy.
 
LINKS
Measurements
 
COMPARISONS
I have received a few requests to compare the the HE-400i to the AKG K712 Pro.
 
The AKG K712 Pro is one of my favorite dynamic headphones and I am intimately familiar with it. Through several iterations of upgrading I found it to be the most revealing headphone under $800. It does fall flat on its face when it comes to aesthetics because it feels cheap and does not have a great headband adjustment system. The HE-400i on the other hand is has a better design and is more comfortable. The HE-400i rests perfectly on my ears at the appropriate level while the AKG sits low and too loose. Both headbands are very comfortable, but the materials on the HE-400i just feel better made and thought out. The cables are both nice with the HE-400i being much shorter. The AKG K712 Pro cannot really be balanced without serious modification while the HiFiMAN can be easily balanced which is a plus if you have a fully balanced setup. The AKG’s finish is not a fingerprint magnet like the HE-400i which I know a few of you will enjoy, but how often do you look at the outside of your headphones anyway?
 
Sonically the two are similar being somewhat neutral and mid-centric. The AKG is more tinny sounding in the midrange compared to the HE-400i. Both generate bass well with the AKG sounding more airy and open while the HiFiMAN quick and direct. What I love about both is how they reproduce horns, drums, vocals, and especially guitar. Listening to Something To It by Great Big Sea on their Rant and Roar album shows how each sounds even. The HE-400i on this track can clearly be dissected into its various components. Bass, mids, treble separate out nicely giving each a very speaker-like presentation. The AKG focuses more on vocals and scopes in on the airy details like the slight echo in the room and the reverb of the drums. The AKG muddles up the soundstage and makes it harder to enjoy each instrument separately. The upper treble is easily discerned with the HE-400i compared to the AKG because of the muddling effect. I prefer the HE-400i because it sounds like the more competent headphone and is much more speaker-like.

INTRO
Audio-Technica has been in the business of making great audio gear for over 40 years. They have several headphones available including this new flagship, the ATH-R70x. Being very familiar with the ATH-M50 I wanted to review their newest headphone because I was curious to see if they have improved on their already stellar M50. I also have listened to the ATH-AD700 which was my gaming recommendation for a few years because it had wonderful instrument separation, directionality, and treble. Let’s dig in and find out how it sounds, how it’s different from their other headphones, and if there any shortfalls.

SPECS
Type Open-back reference
Driver Diameter 45 mm
Frequency Response 5 - 40,000 Hz
Maximum Input Power 1,000 mW at 1 kHz
Sensitivity 99 dB
Impedance 470 ohms ( 1,000 Ohms peak )
Weight 210 g (7.4 oz), without cable and connector
Cable Length 3m ( 10 ft )

OVERVIEW
The ATH-R70x is considered a flagship headphone. Typically when I see this mentioned in the product literature I look for explicit goals laid out by the company for the headphone. A company might say it is designed for studio use, has extended bass, or may even talk about comfort issues that the new flagship addresses. In this case the R70x strives for accurate and extended treble along with prolonged comfort. If you have heard a few of Audio-Technica’s headphones then you know that their headphones can sound bright especially if they are an open-design headphone. The R70x is the most open headphone I have seen. It is also one of the lightest. These two facts make large strides in accomplishing their goals.



AESTHETICS
As you can see the driver is very exposed and by the large amount of venting on the back this headphone is extremely open. The earcups are comfortable, but perhaps a bit shallow for larger ears. I have small ears and have no fit issues of any kind. For 45mm diameter driver the R70x is wonderfully light. It weighs a mere 7.5 oz and is currently one of the lightest headphones in my collection. The wing fit system for the headband is superbly executed and alleviates pressure points that tend to develop at the top of the head. A few other headphones out there use this type headband, but it has not caught on fully. I find it unique and a welcome improvement.

The headphones are labeled for left and right, but the labels are on the inside of the headband and etched in as black on a black background making them difficult to spot. I would like to see this changed by making the color white for the labels and by moving the labels to the outside of the headband. The cable is unique in that it does not matter which side of the headphone cable you use for a particular earcup. The left and right channel separation will always match. This is accomplished by sending both channels to each side of the headphone connectors and selecting the necessary channel from within the headphone earcup. Pretty cool! One drawback is you cannot use a different cable with these headphones. The cable is too long for my taste at over 3m. It is too unruly for portable use which is shame because the R70x sounds great from a portable. Including two cables, one 3m and one 1.5m, should be considered in any flagship package.

The earcups swivel and contour nicely to the face and the pads are very comfortable. I found no comfort issues, but a few users report having the pads being too shallow and feel the driver cover to resting on their ears. Aesthetically these are awesome! I did notice the stitching on the earpads is very light and the longevity of the stitch comes into question.

ACOUSTICS
Sonically the R70x comes in as slightly bright sounding with a smooth and even midrange. The bass is impactful at times, but does not go as deep as the closed ATH-M50. I would like to see 3dB more emphasis from 20-100 Hz to beef up the low end. The midrange is clear without being too up-front sounding. The treble extends very well and is capable of revealing detail in music not easily recognize with other headphones. The chimes in John Williams’ Double Trouble from the Harry Potter Soundtrack are easily discernable. The boom of the bass drum is airy and the instrument separation is excellent. I do hear some roll-off to each side of the frequency spectrum which is typical of extremely open headphones.

The R70x is rated at 99 dB making it efficient enough to be used on a portable player. At 470 Ohms ( 1,000 Ohms peak! ) many will wonder if it is possible to drive it with a portable, but it is more about the sensitivity than the impedance. I found that in order to get 110 dB SPL of loudness I needed over 3 volts RMS and had to run my BUDA amp on medium or high gain. A higher impedance indicates more wire wraps in the coil as an attempt to generate higher field strengths for better control of the driver. I found no loose sounding drivers or sibilance. I would like to see the impedance of the R70x be at a peak of 300 Ohms making it less amp picky.

Compared to the AKG K712 Pro I had at my desk the R70x sounds a bit more laid back and pleasant. The R70x has a smaller soundstage, but this was expected due to the treble roll-off. The R70x was much less sibilant in the treble and smoothed out the harsh treble of the K712. The bass actually reminds me a bit of a planar in that is it is very quick. The K712 is sluggish compared to the R70x.

The R70x does especially well with jazz, acoustic, and due to its soft sound signature even rock. Tony Rice & Peter Rowan’s Shady Grove reveals how fun and exciting the R70x can become. One caveat I have is that due to its extremely open design louder than usual volumes must be used to get the full potential out of this headphone. This can cause listening fatigue during busy music like rock and metal, but for almost all of my reference material the R70x sounded easy on the ears.

The R70x has some very cool features. The headphone itself is ridiculously light and the earcups are some of the most comfortable I have had the pleasure to review. The headband can be worn for hours. I hardly knew I had them on. The sound is dynamic, bassy enough to get you moving, and extends enough into the treble to be revealing and resolving. It is not as bassy or boomy as the closed M50, but the R70x remains a more even-sounding headphone. The slight roll-off in the treble contracts the soundstage, but the open design makes the R70x sound spacious. The midrange is up-front as to not hide vocals. The Audio-Technica signature remains intact, but they could use a bit more bass extension as I found them to roll-off steeply below 60 Hz. The bass is impactful and full sounding spite this fact.

CONCLUSION
Having one of the highest impedances for any headphone I have tested makes it a bit amp picky. As found in Big Sound 2015 the higher the impedance of a headphone the more it tends to reveal the flaws of an amp’s design. The bass can become boomy making a headphone sound sloppy, but the R70x does very well unamped and sounds a bit more boomy which can make it sound more fun. A good tube amp should make these sound even better. The R70x is easily one of the coolest headphone designs I have seen in a while and add in the sound quality I have no problems recommending it.

SUGGESTED CHANGES
After using the R70x for a few weeks I realized there could be some excellent tweaks made to the headphone to make it even better.

1.) Increase the thickness of the pads to at least 3.5 cm at the thickest point and then taper it towards the front of the head. This should smooth out the bass response as well as provide more room for larger ears.

2.) Make the pads easy to install as it took me a lot of time and a little frustration to get the pads seated properly. This may involve allowing the earcup gimbals to swivel more than just a few degrees so better access is granted during the install process. I challenge any sales person at Audio Technica to change the pads in under a minute each.

3.) Include a 1.5 m cable in addition to the long stock cable

4.) Smooth out and attenuate the treble peaks at 3.5 kHz and 7.0 kHz as they make the headphone sound bright / harsh with certain tracks


LINKS
ATH-R70x at Audio-Technica
ATH-R70x Measurements

TRACKS THAT SOUND PARTICULARLY AWESOME WITH THE R70x
Beirut's Santa Fe on The Rip Tide album
Benni Chawes' Always On My Mind from the Bang and Olufsen Benni Chawes concert
Jen Chapin's Master Blaster (Jammin') from the Revisions: The Songs of Stevie Wonder album

January 2016 Update
At a local head-fi meet the ATH-R70x really stood out as an awesome-sounding and very coherent headphone. Not a single listener disliked its signature and almost all of them came back for a second listen. Many commented on the midrange texture especially for female vocals and guitar while others noticed how clear the bass was especially for such an open headphone.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SPECS:
http://www.noontecusa.com/product/noontec-zoro-wireless-stereo-headphones
 
Driver Type                      Dynamic / 40mm
Plug Type                        3.5mm
Cord Length                    1.2m
Frequency Response     13 Hz – 26 kHz
Sensitivity                        108 dB / mW @ 1 kHz
Bluetooth                         2.4G
Max Distance               ~ 10m (33ft)
Charge Time                ~ 3 Hours
Music Playtime            ~ 20 hours
Weight                            170g
 
WHERE TO BUY / COST:
http://www.noontecusa.com/product/noontec-zoro-wireless-stereo-headphones
$149 new
 
TEST TRACKS
Wrapped Around Your Finger by Baby Deli Music is impactful, fun, and balanced from bass to treble. No distortion is heard even at high volumes and instrument separation remains clear.
 
Pink Noise from Ayer’s Irrational, But Efficacious CD  – Tyll Hertsens taught me to listen to pink noise as a starting point for finding issues with the frequency response.  If one area sounds / feels out of place then the headphone is probably not neutral.  The ZORO II Wireless sounds very even with a hint of bass emphasis. No peaks in the midrange or treble were detected.
 
OVERVIEW
Already familiar with the ZORO II HD I decided to review the ZORO II Wireless hoping that it is essentially a wireless headphone that keeps the sound signature of the ZORO II HD. Bluetooth headphones are abundant these days, but finding one that sounds great and has all of the functionality to be easy to use is difficult. The ZORO II Wireless is a very surprising headphone in that it is wonderfully thought out, has awesome audio quality, and is super easy to setup and use. They do so many things right and really do not have any major flaws.
 
AESTHETICS
 

 
 
The looks are clean, simple, and free from any major missteps. The headband is fully padded all and the earcups are firmly cushioned with what feels like memory foam. At 170g they are very light and can be worn for hours. They are offered in black or white giving at least two style options. The brushed steel inlay feels sleek, solid, and is not overbearing. The Bluetooth controls are awesome. Each button has at least two functions making them easy to use and comprehensive. To change the volume just hold the button down, to change the song simply double click and to connect to a device press and hold. Perhaps some will find the location of the controls on the earcups problematic versus having them attached to a dongle, but this keeps any cables from being on a wireless headphone.
 

 
 
ACOUSTICS
Unamped: I tested the ZORO II Wireless using an iPod touch 5^th Gen and my Andoid phone. Unlike many other Bluetooth headphones, these sound almost identical wireless versus wired. Typically I hear noise, a significant drop in bass control, or even a complete loss in clarity when going from wired to wireless. These babies sound awesome via Bluetooth. There is a subtle change is sound signature, which is expected considering that there is no high quality amp driving the headphones while in wireless mode. To me the resolution is slightly decreased and the bass does soften a bit, but these changes are very small.
 
If wired listening is desired the cable is easily attached and comes stock with 3.5mm termination at both ends. Remember that this is a TRRRS mic cable so it does have the extra ring for mic control. All of my gear easily accommodated this feature, but it could cause problems with other devices. The 3.5mm jack fit easily into both my phone and iPod although the cover for the jack comes awfully close to interfering with the cases of both. I would like to see 3mm of recession from the end of the cover to the start of the jack plug, which would ensure that it will not interfere with more protruding cases. iPod listening sounds extremely good keeping detail, bass, and treble extension all in check. The midrange is somewhat up-front sounding which for vocals and guitar is a must, but on other tracks may sound a bit shouty or blunt. I spent hours trying to find something from my reference collection that did not jive with the ZORO II Wireless, but honestly everything sounds great.
 
Testing John Williams’ Double Trouble from the Harry Potter soundstrack does reveal that the treble is slightly rolled off. I find that you either end up with a slightly bassy headphone, which was the case for the ZORO II Wireless, or with a treble emphasized headphone. To me bass is more fun sounding while treble leads to strident listening. The ZORO II Wireless is not the most detailed in the treble making it non-ideal for competitive gaming, although I do use it with my XBOX One and find it is very competent as a general gaming headset.
 
Amped:  Amped the major improvement is in the bass control be it subtle. Having an impedance of just 16 Ohms this was expected. Most headphones that have an impedance above 150 Ohms can be a little device selective, but at 16 Ohms no wild changes in the bass were heard. Having an amp behind the ZORO II Wireless also speeds up the dynamics making it more direct in its sound signature. This sounds like it moves up the soundstage while simultaneously improving instrument separation. I would say do not expect significant improvements amping this headphone.
 
I did compare the ZORO II Wireless to the ZORO II HD. I heard the HD being a bit more even from bass to treble and the Wireless as bass emphasized. The differences were subtle, even in the bass, and may even be driver differences rather than headphone type discrepancies.
 
CONCLUSION
The ZORO II Wireless headphone is one that should be celebrated both by the listener and everyone over at noontec that worked on it. The design, sound quality, and ease of use make it one of my favorite headphones…period. The sound signature is up-front without being annoyingly in your face. The bass is wonderfully clear, midrange gracious to vocals and guitar, and the treble is pleasantly rolled off avoiding the danger zone of being bright. The earcups are extremely comfortable especially considering they rest on your ears. The headband is comfortable and displays no pressure points. As a wireless headphone it does not lose its overall sound signature making it very versatile and listenable. The wireless range is over 20 ft which I tested at this range and through at least one solid wood door. It connects to devices easily and the controls are well thought out. If you are in the market for a wireless headphone with slight bass emphasis this headphone is for you. Well done noontec!

Brainwavz S3:  Coherent Bliss
 

 

 

 


SPECS:
http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-s3-iem-noise-isolating-earphones-with-clearwavz-remote-and-microphone

1. Transducers/Drivers: Dynamic, 8mm
2. Rated Impedance: 16ohms Closed Dynamic
3. Sensitivity: 96dB at 1mW
4. Frequency range: 16Hz ~ 22 KHz
5. Rated input power: 10mW
6. Plug: 3.5 mm gold plated
7. Cable length: 1.3 meters Flat Cable
8. 24 Month warranty

 
WHERE TO BUY / COST:
 
http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-earphones
$79.50 new
 
TEST TRACKS
 
California Girls by The Beach Boys found on Sounds of Summer - The Very Best of The Beach Boys – Track used to test the entire spectrum from bass, mids, to treble. This track is especially useful for testing bright-sounding headphones which tend to be fatiguing with this track.
 
Propeller Seeds by Imogen Heap ( Instrumental ) – Track used to test soundstage and overall presentation of soundstage
 
River Flows in You by Yiruma ( Piano ) – Track utilized to see if the headphone / IEM reproduces piano in a realistic manor
 
Vivaldi Guitar and Lute found in the The Spanish Guitar Music Colección – Track used to hear the metallic sound of strings, echo of environment, and sound signature of the lute and Spanish guitar.
 
OVERVIEW
 
Brainwavz really knocks one out of the park with the S3.  Their targets are clear bass, large soundstage, and sleek comfortable housings.  To me they meet these goals with great success.  The S3 is an earphone that impressed me right out of the box.
 
AESTHETICS
 
The metal housings sing style.  The inside of the tips are colored and the cable sleek.  The jack plug easily sneaks into my iPod and phone.  The strain relief at the housing is also color matched red which adds some subtle style.  The S3 goes a long way from the onyx black of the M1 and S1.  The labels on the remote are legible and each earpiece has a left/right label.  The S3 is one of the more sleek earphones I have come in contact with at this price point.
 
ACOUSTICS
 
Unamped: I tested the S3 using an iPod touch playing the test tracks listed in this review.  Portable listening delves into a few key characteristics.  The first is how portable is the earphone?  Can they be easily plugged in, do their controls make sense, and is the cable length adequate.  Portable devices are also battery powered.  Low efficiency and low impedance headphones can drain the battery very fast.  A second aspect of portable listening I look into is how is the fidelity.  Does portable listening sound hampered in any way?  What limits do I hear that I know the earphone has because of an impedance issue?
 
The S3 does really well with portable listening.  The cable is of an ideal length and my iPod has no issues driving the earphone to very loud levels.  This is a surprise because the impedance of the S3 is 16 Ohms and coupling that with a sensitivity of 96 dB / mW, which is lower than I previously suggested for portables, suggests it would struggle more from a portable.  Expect the S3 to drain your battery a little quicker than other more efficient headphones.  I find adequate listening at 60% volume levels at which point the deliver clear bass, a lush midrange, and a gently rolled-off treble. This roll-ff leads to an uneven clarity going from the midrange to treble as well as contributing to a small soundstage.  One awesome thing about the S3 is with portable listening is that rock sounds pretty darn good.  Rock is hard to listen to with a ton of gear because it tends to be a wall of sound.  Rock is hard on the ears, but with the S3 most rock sounded easy to listen to and fun.
 
The cable is easy to manage and the jack-plug seats snuggle into both my phone and iPod.  The cable is micrphonic, but the included shirt clip takes care of that in a hurry.
 
Overall the S3 sounds good unamped with no major flaws.
 
Amped:  My reference gear is used to test earphone performance that may otherwise have impedance or other sound quality issues.  I am very familiar and trusting of my home desktop setup as it is a result of over 7 years if improvement. I use it to test how a headphone improves using a desktop amplifier and to bring out the true colors of a headphone's sound signature. I set the gain to low on the BUDA because of the low impedance of the S3.
 
The Beach Boys’ California Girls sounds crisp and clean.  I detect slight bass emphasis along with a lack of treble detail on the metallic instruments. I detect a hint of sibilance with this track indicating that although the treble is gently rolled off the S3 suffers from distortion at higher volumes and actually may sound bright  some listeners.
 
Yiruma’s River Flows in You reveals both the softness of the S3 as well as the limits of its detail.  The piano sounds muffled and filtered.  It should sound faster and each key press should sound solid, but the S3 filters some of this out.  This can be wonderful with rock and other intense tracks, but for more instrumental works the S3 is limited.
 
Amped the bass is more controlled and the S3 has more oomph.  The overall sound signature remains the same going from unamped to amped listening.
 
CONCLUSION
 
The S3 was a treat.  It is comfortable, very portable, and the sound signature fun and articulate. The sweetness of the bass and midrange coupled with the great aesthetics make it a wonderful headphone.  The bass clarity is something not found in many earphones at this price point.  The soundstage is also impressive for a headphone with weak treble. I do wish the remote was placed lower on the cable, but due to it housing the mic I can see why it is placed where it is. The more I listen to the S3 the more it is moves towards my preferred Brainwavz product.

Brainwavz KIDWAVZ KV100:  A Step in the Right Direction
 

 

 

 

 

 
SPECS:
 
http://www.yourbrainwavz.com/kv100.html
 
Distortion                         1%
Frequency Range         ~ 2.48 GHz
Mic Sensitivity                 -40dB
Bluetooth                           4.0
Max Distance               ~   10mt(33ft)
Charge Time                ~   3 Hours
Music Playtime            ~   6 Hours
Talk Time                     ~  10 Hours
 
Bluetooth Functions
Microphone
Phone Call Control
Audio Player Control
 
WHERE TO BUY / COST:
 
http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-earphones
$42.50 new
 
TEST TRACKS
 
California Girls by The Beach Boys found on Sounds of Summer - The Very Best of The Beach Boys – Track used to test the entire spectrum from bass, mids, to treble.
 
Propeller Seeds by Imogen Heap ( Instrumental ) – Track used to test soundstage and overall presentation of soundstage
 
River Flows in You by Yiruma ( Piano ) – Track utilized to see if the headphone / IEM reproduces piano in a realistic manor
 
Vivaldi Guitar and Lute found in the The Spanish Guitar Music Colección – Track used to hear the metallic sound of strings, echo of environment, and sound signature of the lute and Spanish guitar.
 
OVERVIEW
 
The release of the Brainwavz KIDWAVZ introduces a new headphone designed for kids that can limit the maximum volume to +85 dB.
 
Pros: Color selection, sound is great using the cable and Bluetooth as longs as the player is decent.  Sound was marginal through my Android phone, but great using my iPod.  Range is excellent exceeding 10 meters.
 
Cons: “Waiting for connection” audio too loud.  When moved the TRS cable crackles both inside the headphone and player.  The USB-mini cable is hard to insert.  No obvious warning when the batteries are low leading to errors and audio breakup once the batteries become low.  Volume controls on the headset did not adjust the volume on my Android phone.
 
AESTHETICS
 
The KIDWAVZ is well designed for its price.  The colors are vibrant, headband comfortable, and earpads thick enough to not cause outer ear pain.  The functionality of the headphone adjustments is minimal, but works perfectly.  I have no problems wearing these for hours.
 
ACOUSTICS
 
Unamped: I tested the KIDWAVZ both through my iPod touch and Android Nexus 4.  The iPod did a much better job at sending a signal to the headphone.  The Android had some serious audio issues sounding flat and noisy at times.  I also tested the phone functionality of the KIDWAVZ which in my opinion is terrible.  The audio is so bad and distant that realistically it should not be used for phone calls.  I would love to see this feature removed and more time spent on securing the other qualities of the headphone like the cable noise and volume limit with the cable attached.
 
The unamped sound is clear, from bass to treble with no glaring faults, with a feel of being a bit muddy and sluggish.  None of this is surprising in a kids headphone.  It was a relief to find this headphone is not bassy or bright.  Good job Brainwavz!
 
Amped: Unfortunately the KIDWAVZ is difficult to listen to amped or using the cable in general.  The cable and TRS ends are poorly manufactured / designed.  They fit loosely into the female jacks on every piece of gear I own and when twisted or rotated the audio cuts out and often suffers severe audio degradation.  When the cable is seated just right the audio is pretty sweet.  The sound signature is slightly laid back, but very pleasant.  This headphone is not particular awesome at producing one part of the frequency response well, but it also does not fall short either.  The sound quality is actually very nice for this kind of headphone and with both ends of the TRS cable slid into place properly, which can take quite a while; the sound quality is actually awesome! 
 
If you hear something amiss it is probably a cable fit issue.  Even listening to Mozart’s Quartet in G Major, Op. K.156 I. Presto there were no obvious pitfalls of the KIDWAVZ.
 
CONCLUSION
 
With a few tweaks and quality enhancements the KIDWAVZ could actually become a wonderful headphone that I would have no problems recommending.  As it stands, with the cable issues and phone sound quality, I would wait and see if Brainwavz releases a new version of the KIDWAVZ.  The headphone overall is not bad, but it could be tremendously better with the cable fit issues, the phone functionality removed, and a +85 dB volume limit in place when the cable is used.
 
The audio quality is quite good once the cable is seated correctly, very even from bass to treble with no dip in the midrange.  Perhaps a bit slow and muddy at high volumes, but excellent otherwise.
 
-- Update --
Dropped the overall score to 3-stars because of the lack of fidelity and cheap feel

Brainwavz Jive:  New Looks and New Tuning
 
http://www.yourbrainwavz.com/jive.html
 

 

 

 

 
SPECS:
http://www.yourbrainwavz.com/jive.html
 


 
Special Note:  The Jive’s impedance is 16 Ohms and sensitivity is 98 dB @ 1mW making it tricky to drive at times.
 
 
WHERE TO BUY / COST:
 
http://www.mp4nation.net/headphones/IEMs
$28.00 new
 
TEST TRACKS
 
California Girls by The Beach Boys found on Sounds of Summer - The Very Best of The Beach Boys – Track testing the entire spectrum from bass, mids, to treble
 
Propeller Seeds by Imogen Heap ( Instrumental ) – Track used to test soundstage and overall presentation of soundstage
 
River Flows in You by Yiruma ( Piano ) – Track utilized to see if the headphone / IEM reproduces piano in a realistic manor
 
Vivaldi Guitar and Lute found in the The Spanish Guitar Music Colección – Track used to hear the metallic sound of strings, echo of environment, and sound signature of the lute and Spanish guitar.
 
OVERVIEW
 
The wonderful thing about Brainwavz is that they are not afraid to try something new.  They especially welcome honest reviews which is a big reason I love reviewing their prodjucts.  The Jive is an entry level IEM tuned to sound more like a balanced armature driver ( i.e. lighter in bass ).  They succeeded in this goal without removing the classic Brainwavz sound from the IEM.
 
AESTHETICS
 
The Jive has some great enhancements over their other IEMs.  Color choice, longer earpiece body, and a wonderfully angled and recessed jack plug.  There are plenty of tips to choose from including a pair of Comply foam tips which I think are necessary to save your ears from the hard metal housing.  The jack is nicely angled at 45 degrees and fits easily into my Andoid phone and iPod touch.  The IEMs themselves are metal making them very durable.  The Y-splitter is tailored perfectly.  The accessories come with a shirt clip which is always a nice addition especially if you plan on using the Jive for exercise.  The two cables stemming from the Y-splitter into each IEM is slightly microphonic, but the lower portion, below the Y, is absolutely immune to cable noise.
 
ACOUSTICS
 
Unamped: I tested the Jive using an iPod touch 5^th Gen which remains my musical travel companion.  On the back of the box Brainwavz mentions that these IEMs sound particularly good with rock, jazz, and classical music.  If like me you have a gap somewhere in your IEM collection then the Jive might fill some of these gaps.  I particularly like the Jive with folk, but they do diminish the wall of sound effect that I find most rock music contains. 
 
Some issues did arise when I went through my typical hi-fi playlist.  On California Girls by The Beach the bass was too boomy and some distortion developed in the midrange.  Even River Flows in You by Yiruma contained some strange crossover frequency issues which makes no sense because the Jive is a single driver IEM.  Further investigation revealed that these were all issues due with low sensitivity and impedance of the Jive.  At just 16 Ohms the drivers are a little unruly making portable listening, unamped, a little disappointing.  Coupled with a 98 dB / mW sensitivity you may run into the same issues.  I do enjoy the Jive unamped, but compared to the M1, the Jive is simply outclassed it every way.
 
Amped:  Amping the Jive, especially while using a low gain/ low output impedance setting, tames the beast.  The bass is much less boomy and California Girls by The Beach returns to its former glory.  Propeller Seeds by Imogen Heap shows how capable the Jive can be.  This track is lively, clear, and the soundstage spectacular.  Vivaldi’s Guitar and Lute found in the The Spanish Guitar Music Colección becomes immersive, inviting, and full of bassy fun.  False crossover issue resolved.
 
A fun track to inspect is Rincón de España by Bella Sonus.  If you want to hear how low bass can rumble with an IEM you need to look no further.  The Jive shook my eardrums silly.
 
CONCLUSION
 
The Jive lands near the center of the dartboard for its goals.  It sounds fun with rock, classical, and even folk.  Its strength lies in using it as a gaming IEM because it does very well with separation and positioning.  One benefit I did not expect from a $30 IEM. The aesthetics are also a huge strength because Brainwavz continues to improve each new release.  My only gripe would be that the army green is more blue than green to my eyes and really dark.  I would like to see it more vibrant and in your face, but that all comes down to personal taste.
 
Due to the low sensitivity and impedance as well as its unique sound signature the Jive takes some extra time getting used to.  My brain took a few days to find the correct filter, but once it did the Jive was fun and delicate.  Easy on the ears amped I have no problems recommending it as an entry level IEM.  Perhaps it is not for true audiophile listening, but another solid IEM from Brainwavz.

Brainwavz BLU-100 Bluetooth IEM
 
http://www.yourbrainwavz.com/blu100.html
 

 

 

 

 
SPECS:
 
http://www.yourbrainwavz.com/blu100.html
 
 

 

 
 
WHERE TO BUY / COST:
 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YDVY34Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&keywords=bluetooth+earphones
 
$50 new
 
TEST TRACKS
 
1901 by Birdy – Tests high treble, clarity, and overall feel of a headphone’s fun factor.
 
I Shall Not Be Moved by Damon Fowler – Used to test the punchiness of drums, coherence of the midrange, and vocals.
 
 
OVERVIEW
 
If, like me, you often exercise with IEMs the necessity for simplicity and total functionality is a must.  Brainwavz’s answer to this quest is the BLU-100 bluetooth IEM.  Acoustically a bit bass heavy for my tastes the BLU-100 attempts to satisfy our craving for such a headphone.  It is easy to setup, connected easily to my iPod, and has a range of approximately 6m (20ft) indoors.
 
AESTHETICS
 
The BLU-100 is designed well in that is is colorful, well labeled, and easy to look at.  Nothing pokes out as being poorly made or badly executed.  Both earpieces are joined with a 58cm (23in) cable including a three botton control installed near the right earpiece.
 
The accessory package is much more complete than most any other IEM in its price point.  Brainwavz includes a pair of Comply foam tips and wing-flanges on top of their standard tip selection, a welcomed thought.
 
ACOUSTICS
 
I tested the BLU-100 using an iPod touch 5^th Gen as I use it as my primary travel music companion.  The frequency response is definitely bass shifted, but not so much so that my standard set of test tracks were mismanaged.  When I exercise I am not really doing any critical listening a little more oomph on the low end is welcomed.
 
1901 by Birdy was very enjoyable with noticeable emphasis on the low end and some roll off in the treble.  The midrange remained full, but at times the soundstage became congested end clustered.
 
Now We Are Free reveals some of the limitations of the BLU-100.  The treble is obviously rolled off.  The sizzle and metallic snap of the cymbals is missing along with the hollow sound of the woodwind instruments.  A fun track, but a little treble shy.
 
CONCLUSION
 
With the boom in headphones these days it is very pleasant to see Brainwavz successfully competing in the market.  They keep price and performance in mind not trying to tip either scale, one of the primary reasons I like their products.  The BLU-100 is modeled after a ton of other higher end Bluetooth IEMs, but at almost half the price.  Take the Jaybird BlueBuds X for example.  If a Bluetooth IEM of this type is on your list I have no qualms recommending the BLU-100 from Brainwavz.

noontec ZORO II HD:  Portable Neutrality
 
Website:  http://www.noontec.com/html/us/article_read_278.html
 
 

 
 
 
 

 

SPECS:

 

WHERE TO BUY / COST:
http://www.noontec.com/html/us/article_list_95.html$
 
$90 new
 
TEST TRACKS
1901 by Birdy – Tests high treble, clarity, and overall feel of a headphones fun factor.
 
I Shall Not Be Moved by Damon Fowler – Used to test the punchiness of drums, coherence of the midrange, and vocals.
 
Now We Are Free (From "Gladiator") by The City of Prague Philharmonic – Tests the quickness of a headphone in particular with bells, cymbals, and tambourine.  This track also allows for the examination of how the wooden drums sound be it hollow or otherwise impeded.
 
Pink Noise from Ayer’s Irrational, But Efficacious CD  – Tyll Hertsens taught me to listen to pink noise as a starting point for finding issues with the frequency response.  If one area sounds / feels out of place then the headphone is probably not neutral.  The ZORO does well, but there is some unwanted energy in the treble.
 
OVERVIEW
With the boom in portable headphones noontec released the ZORO II HD as an improvement over their previous model(s).  A headphone needs to be first and foremost comfortable and the ZORO II HD is very especially considering it is an on-ear.  If you are in the market for a neutral-sounding portable for under $100 perhaps the ZORO II HD is for you.
 
AESTHETICS
The ZORO II HD is a sleek-looking headphone consisting of a removable cable, in-line mic, and carrying pouch.  The finish is nice and there are a variety of colors to choose from.  The build quality is fair comprised of plastic, metal inserts on the expansion gimbals, and leatherette material for the earcups.  The cable is flat and the microphone is placed about five inches from one end making it asymmetric.  The headband is padded nicely with a centimeter or so of foam wrapped in leatherette.
After an hour of listening my ears were a bit tired from carrying a padded headphone with discomfort developing on the ridges of my outer ear.  A quick adjustment and the discomfort vanishes.
 
ACOUSTICS
Unamped: I tested the ZORO using an iPod touch 5^th Gen as I use it as my primary travel music companion.  There is a noticeable difference between amped and unamped listening where unamped a loss in impact and clarity is heard.  Unamped the ZORO is not engaging with most tracks and unless the music playing is extremely upfront sounding the lack of emotion and depth becomes apparent.  Not to say that the ZORO is bad sounding, just too neutral and stoic.
 
Klaus Zimmer’s Earth sounds wonderful and detailed, but one dimensional.  The lack of punch and air movement in the low end forces the ZORO to sound boring.  Listening to Angele Dubeau & La Pieta’s Conviction reveals a type of veiled sound.  The clarity is there, but the airy sound needed for orchestral music is missing.  It almost becomes a simplified wave of music instead of a beautiful and musical adventure.  At louder than comfortable listening levels the problems subside and the engagement returns.
 
Amped:  Amped the ZORO II HD is quick, clear, and fun.  Immediately it is clear how neutral this headphone is as there is no major flaw or boost to any part of the frequency response.  The clarity is greater on this headphone over the Philips Cityscape Downtown I tested.  In Damon Fowler’s I Shall Not Be Moved this is obvious.  The sound is more direct, clear, and coherent through the ZORO.
 
On tracks like Bombay Bicycle Club’s Always Like This there is a distinct and immediate impact to the drums.  Punchy yes, bloated no!
 
Using Now We Are Free (From "Gladiator") by The City of Prague Philharmonic some of the limits of the ZORO become apparent.  The soundstage is minimal compared to the AKG K712 tested.  The wooden drums also sound diminished as if some of the hollow nature has been removed.  The piece sounds pleasant, but not engaging as it might on an open headphone with a larger driver.
 
CONCLUSION
The styling and amped sound of the noontec ZORO II HD are something to strive for.  Unamped there are some issues at low volumes, but amped or at louder listening levels this headphone is a wonderful experience.  The clarity, neutral frequency response, and detail take it to a much desired higher level of listening.  Amped the ZORO is better controlled, an easy listen, and not fatiguing.  It is a comfortable and light headphone.  Isolation is great for commuter listening, but I would not suggest using the ZORO for plane rides.  It just will not provide enough isolation to protect hearing.  Long term physical abuse may prove to be the downfall of the design as the plastic does feel cheap and delicate.  With a little care I do not see why the ZORO would not last for years.
 
The measurements, objective experience, and build put it a step above headphones like the Philips Cityscape Downtown.  The ZORO II HD is a good headphone, well placed in its price point, and should not be overlooked or avoided.  It is a fun to listen to, clear, and appealing headphone.