Brainwavz B400 - Quad Balanced Armature Earphones

this review originally posted at www.hifitrends.com

Amazing soundstage and imaging put you in your own private concert.

My first experience with Brainwavz was a few years back when I read a glowing review about their Delta earbuds, a product considered by some to be the best sounding earphones under $50. The Delta, with its combination of well thought out features and generous accessory package, all for about $25, represents their strategy of providing a lot for a little.

The B200 Dual Balanced Armature IEM ($120), which came out in 2017, and the B400 Quad Balanced Armature IEM which came out last year at $200, follow a similar value/price proposition, albeit at higher price points with different driver tech. The B400, like the Delta, comes with a nice accessory package, along with good sound and features for the price, but at a whole other (higher, of course) level of performance.

Build/Features:
The B400 is a pro-style IEM, which as its name implies, has four Balanced Armature drivers within each earpiece. The earpieces have 3D printed translucent housings with standard MMCX connectors. This means cables are replaceable, and there are in fact two 1.3m cables that come standard in the box. One has an inline remote with a mic plus volume and track controls, and the other is a straight cable with a 45-degree angle plug at the end.

The remote worked flawlessly with my LGV40, but I did have a bugaboo with the buttons, which were so narrow that it was hard to press them. However, once pressed they felt very solid and responsive, and the metal housing of the remote looked very slick and polished.

Overall, both cables are of good quality, with nice flex, and a sturdy black jacket running the length of them. Both cables have pre-formed tubes slipped over the wire on the earphone side, which hooks over the ears comfortably and keeps the IEMs securely in place. Brainwavz also has upgrade cables available on their website.

The B400 has a very simple clean look, and comes in six translucent colors including the Aqua color I have. I like the minimalist look and the earpieces are quite small considering the amount of drivers inside. The combination of their smooth exterior and what Brainwavz calls the “ergonomic shape” makes them extremely comfortable. I wore them for hours with very minimal discomfort.

As mentioned earlier, they come with a pretty nice accessory package which includes the standard S,M,L silicone ear tips, some Comply T-100 foam tips, a mic/remote cable, the straight cable, a nice black/red zip up hard case which is something of a signature for Brainwavz, plus two velcro cable wraps, and a shirt clip. I was impressed by the quality of all the accessories.

Noise isolation is very good, especially since they don’t fit very deep, which is another testament to the ergonomics of the earpieces. They are also very easy to drive, sounding great with my LG V40 phone. However, I actually thought they sounded even better with some good amplification, responding favorably to the output from the iFi xDSD headphone amp/DAC.

Sound:
All my sound tests were done with TIDAL Hi-Fi, streaming from the LG V40 phone, and from the HP ENVY x360 laptop connected to a iFi xDSD headphone amp/DAC. The xBass and 3D+ sound enhancements were turned off on the xDSD.

So when you talk about having four balanced armatures in an IEM, of course you have some high expectations regarding the sound. While it sounds like a slam dunk to have all those separate drivers handling the different parts of the audio spectrum, it’s actually difficult to properly blend the sound coming from all those little tiny speakers in such a small space. That being said, Brainwavz has done a great job with the tuning on these earphones. I gravitate towards warm headphones, and the B400 fall within that category.

They are mid-centric, with a tad bit of rolloff at both extremes of the audioband, which gives them a very smooth, easygoing sound. I’m very sensitive to bright earphones, so I actually liked this sound signature. This doesn’t mean there is a lack of detail, there is plenty of detail here from top to bottom, especially in the mids, but there is also nice detail in the presence region which keeps the sound clear up top. However, if you like a lot of extra sparkle at the top end, or extreme bass you should probably listen to these before you buy.

I personally like headphone/earphones that get the mids right since that is where a good part of the musical information is, and these definitely do that. Vocals are awesome, sounding very delicate and transparent. When I listened to Luciana Souza’s “Down To You” from her album The New Bossa Nova, her vocals were crisp without any harshness, and I also loved how the strings were reproduced with tons of vibrancy.

Live recordings also really shine on these earphones. The multiple drivers layer sounds so well, creating a wide and deep soundstage that made me feel like I was in the room when I listened to “How Deep Is Your Love” from PJ Morton’s Gumbo Unplugged. The background singers popped out of the background off to the left, and PJ was up front and center singing and directing the action. But the magic happens when the featured singer Yebba explodes from the right, bringing the performance home. PJ’s piano playing also sounds so natural. The separation of instruments and performers gives you almost a 3D sound, it is so realistic.

Conclusion:
The B400s sound quality alone easily puts them at the top of the heap for $200 earphones. You would have to spend a lot more to get much better sound than what they offer. The deep soundstage is nothing short of amazing, and the imaging is very focused and precise. With a good live recording, they actually give you a “you are there” performance. Throw in great comfort and build quality, and you have a definite winner here.

BRAINWAVZ B400 REVIEW :



SOUND: 8/10
CONSTRUCTION: 8/10
DESIGN: 9/10
VALUE: 8/10




It make a long time I do not listen to Brainwavz earphones, lot of water have pass under the bridge since there first models that include S0, S1 single drivers and the nice sounding but complicate to wear Dual drivers R3 I buy in the past.

So, after hearing they lauch Multi BA’S universal custom models, I getvery interested and wait and wait and well, finally decide to try them after reading positive impressions about all B lineup, wich include B100 single BA, B200 dual BA’s and B400 quadruple BA’s. All them have housing construction made from 3D prints technology using liquid resin 3 pinters. I was sceptical about the benifit from such housing technology, but can confirm it achieve a degree of comfort that I rarely if ever wear with any unversal custom shaped iem.

The four BA’s of B400 are ‘’Made in USA’’and no, we will not know more than this. Is it Knowels or Optoma or what? One thing sure, these BA’s sound very good, never harsh or overly textured like china BA’s find in KZ, TRN and such more low budget oriented Multi drivers iem. Now, let’s see if the Brainwavz B400 is a good buy for the 200$ price.



CONSTRUCTION, DESIGN & ACCESSORIES :



When Unboxing the B400, you know this is a serious audio products you have. The presentation is really nice as it come in an elangant greay box that you don’t wanna put in garbage after...so find a use to it, like, storing your 50 iem, jewelery or gold plated denture.



In this box we have a good lot of accessories, wich I appreciate at this price range. We have a nice quality protective case, good lot of eatips inluding foam tips, and more importantly 2 mmxc cable-one with mic and other being standard. Again, all look of irreprochable quality.



Now, about the B400 housing, first thing is how small they are for a 4BA’s, wich explain too the level of comfort we get. The resin plastic is very slippy and fit perfectly any ears. The nozzle tough, have a rough look and no mesh, wich make it worrysome for unwanted particule or dust entering it, perhaps finding a eartips with mesh will prevent that. As well, the 3D resin printing make the housing trasparent at some place and opaque at other, for esthetical aspect thats a little disapointing because they would be so more beautifull if all perfectly translucide. MMCX connection is well implemented in housing and will must likely never brea. So, about durability i’m not that worry, perhaps the plastic can crack if beaten up, can’t tell for now.



As said, this are slippy iem, because the form design have an organic shape, wich is perfact for comfort and fitting, but can make connecting MMCX cable a little clumsy….but this is not really an issue. Just don’t change mmcx cable in front of a pool, a fire or a cliff, that’s all.


OVERALL SOUND IMPRESSIONS :



Having mostly heard cheaper multi BA’s earphones, I was a little worry that the Brainwavz B400 will sound either too sharp, harsh, bass anemic or unbalanced. In fact, I was begining loosing hope in multi BA’s budget earphones, wich explain why I decide to try slightly more expensive model. At 200$ the B400 must be well tuned right?? Well, i’m happy to say it is! At very first listen I know it was from another league of any sub-100$ iem I try, wich is why an audiophile will invest this amount of money that still is in the budget range as we know nowadays price can go above 1K as if its something normal (it isn’t). So, B400 offer a very well layered and revealing sound with good thick punch, well rendered sub timbre and energy, very present and immersive mids and nice highs sparkle without any invasive treble peaks. Its a very musical, balanced sound that is on the soft side without feeling warm due to well controled frequencies response.



AMPING isn’t really needed even if the B400 are 32ohm. Sound pressure being very high, any audio source will do, but again, I suggest a good one with ultimate clarity, like the Xduoo X20.

SOUNDSIGNATURE is W shape with emphasis on mid bass and extra resolution inmids section and lower highs, all that with an overall smoth treble presentation that do not push fowards texture.

SOUNDSTAGE is deeper than wider, being more intimate in an holographic way than airy and around your head. Itsthe trasparency of smooth sound layers that help overall definition. With pristine recorded track playing trough ultra clear audio source, you will be utterly impress by level of imaging this B400 can achieve.


SUB BASS have good timbre and separation, its not the rumbly type and will perhaps lack some ‘’humph’’ for the serious basshead that will must likely tend towards boomy bass as here the sub stay in its right spot and have good resolution and extension, it just isnt pumped up really. I do not feel bass player lack body, in fact, it just feel right to me. Anyway, when sub is pushed fowards like with the tracks ‘’Pick Six’’ from Gila, its far from sounding thin and have plenty of body, quite incredible for a BA performance really even if I still believe only dynamic drivers can move enough air to make sub more alive.


MID BASS punch is where the energic part come, its well rounded and nicely impactfull without being ultra textured or too fowards and bright, it have some softness to it wich make it refrain from mids bleeding, attack isn’t the fastest-tighest but resolution and separation compensate for that. Compared to must single dynamic or cheaper hybrids iem, it deal well with complex tracks and never struggle whatever how fast or intense is drums playing in middle of multiple instruments as we can find in fast jazz rock or power rock. Sure some extra weight would help for extra energy, but the punch have good liveliness nonetheless.


MIDS have soft timbre with good body and grip to it, it float above all rest of sound spectrum making them the more fowarded frequencies range even if we are far from an overly textured or bright presentation. I find all instrument in this range to have great agility and benifit from extra transparency, so we can either hear naturally the background instrument of a front signer or other instrument in classical quatuor or symphony. Madeleine Peyroux voice in ‘’Blue Alert’’ song is too die for, but that’s not all, the whole track feel very balanced and spot on, with every instrument righly placed without overly emphased peaks. As the sounstage is more on the intimate side, it’s perfect for a song like this because of great layering potential. With very complex overcrowded music, B400 will struggle to have as much definition than with pop, folk, jazz or classical, we talk about music that have multiple layers of electronic instruments with particular texture like electric guitar or distorted synth or pads, wich B400 do not like to deal with.


HIGHS aren’t overly emphased and I don’t think we are in analytical territory, here, its more the timbre and tone that give extra visibility instruments, as well as lower ranges tranparencies from low to upper mids. There a whole relaxed but agile presentation with the B400 that is hard to describe, like snare, hit hat or percussion are tigh but not particularly sparkly. This will be perhaps problematic for solo harpsichord or music style that benefit a hall like vast presentation, wich even B200 can do to some extend, but it will be less a good all arounder. I do not feel there real treble roll off before 15khz and I prefer it this way : smooth, well resolved and musical without too much echo that can veil lower frequencies or distract the ears. To me, the B400 is a very well tuned 4 balanced armature and the treble is excellent for this type of drivers that can be too sharp ,and it deliver plenty of microdetails in upper region to enjoy. Sure, perfection would be to have extra texture in some there and there….but, its perhaps to compensate an utopia that will make the cymbals sound splashy in they end wich is not the case here.


COMPARAISONS :



VS Final Audio Design E4000 (130$) :

Braiwavz B400 cost 50$ more than E4000 and have a 4BA’S configuration compared to single 6.4mm drivers of E4000.

Soundsignature are somewhat in same family but tuned differently, it tend towards neutral and balanced with slight bump in mid bass and mids, but the B400 have some bump in sub bass and treble too wich make them overall a hint brighter and sharper.

Soundstage is more holographic with the B400 while the E4000 feel more frontal and little wider with more transparent layer compared to a more hall like withe extra echo of B400.

Amping isn’t needed for B400 as they are more easy to drive even at 32ohm, E4000 benifit from powefull dap or extra amping due to low sound pressure.

BASS of B400 have more sub presence than the E4000 and slightly less mid bass punch and resolution, here E4000 show how even if smooth sounding he can have realistic timbre that give subtle extra body to kick and help a clearer separation with low bass. Sub bass of B400 is thicker and weightier wich will benifit for electronic music while the E4000 bass will benefit rock and jazz.

MIDS are more fowarded with the B400 and have more texture especially in upper mid range, wich give more grip to violin and clearer separation in not too complex music that do not have too much sub bass and highs emphasis. Overall mids timbre of E4000 feel more natural and transparent, but more in center stage too, wich can feel recessed for some.
HIGHS are more sparkly and have more decay with B400, being more fowards and sharp as well, there no treble roll off with these compared to E4000 tamed upper treble wich give more balance and neutrality to overall sound to the cost of softing the dynamic energy. B400 can sound sometime too sharp as well as unbalanced with for example complex jazz were the percussion can feel too fowards, but I think it will be a plus for some listener searching for extra sparkle and details.



VS NiceHCK M6 (130$) :

The M6 have a configuration of 1 dual dynamic drivers plus 4BA’s and is one of my favorite iem right now and an incredible sound value.

Soundsignature is more U shape with extra sub bass push while the W sounding B400 have someextra punch and mids.

Being more bassy, the M6 bass feel more weighty and pumped up insub bass, anddig surely deeper as well, its more bodied but the resolution is so so and it can mix up with midbass will the B400 have more natural timbre and control.

There some bass bleed from M6 giving extra warm to the mids that are more recessed than B400, where again, it have better resolution even if less treble emphasis than M6. Mids are better layered and have more clarity as well as amore balanced presentation with B400, where M6 can sometime have slight upper harshness, B400 feel more natural and transparent.

With the M6 we have more micro details, but more harshness too, percussion and snare are more fowards and linear sounding with rest of spectrum, again, B400 show its talent with a more mature tuning that do not have crazy treble peaks.

Soundstage of M6 is more around your head and wider, but can feel veiled by bass sometime, so the B400 have a deeper presentation.

Construction of M6 will surely survive any type of mistreatment, its very TOTL looking iem for the price, while the B400 look a little delicate. For accessories, M6 come with one cable and B400 with 2, both are standard quality, nothing phenomenal.





CONCLUSION :


The Brainwavz B400 is a great achievement in multiple BA’S tuning, transient response feeling very natural and lively, never too sharp or peaky, we have here a very musical sounding universal custom that is as confortable to wear than to listen to for long hours.

The fact it’s packed up with lot of accessories is another plus that justify the 200$ price as I think this earphones is a great all arounder that sound very good with lot of different music style too making it a keeper in the long term unlike other iem that will be more picky with sound rendering.

If you search for a soft but punchy, mid centric multi BA’S earphone, that give excellent imaging in an intimate ultra layered soundstage with great deepness to it, I think the B400 is an excellent choice.

Brainwavz B400 Review: The Emptier of Wallets
Brainwavz has a long track record of building compelling IEMs for the audiophile market, mostly on the budget end of the spectrum. This has officially changed with the release of their B-series: a lineup of balanced-armature high-fidelity IEMs. Today I’ll be taking a look at their flagship offering, the B400. It features a 3D-printed build and four BA drivers.

You can find the B400 for sale here, for $200.

About My Preferences: Heads up, I’m a person! As such, these words are my opinion, and they are tinged by my personal preferences. While I try to mitigate this as much as possible during my review process, I’d be lying if I said my biases are completely erased. So for you, my readers, keep this in mind:

• My ideal sound signature would be an extended sub-bass with a leveled, but textured, mid-bass.
• I have a mild treble sensitivity.

Source: The B400 was powered like so:

HTC U11 -> USB-C adapter -> earphones

or

Hidizs AP100 3.5mm out -> FiiO A5 3.5mm out -> earphones

or

HiFiMAN SuperMini -> earphones

or

PC optical out -> HiFiMe SPDIF 9018 Sabre DAC 3.5mm out -> earphones

All music was served as MP3 @320Kbps or as FLAC.

Tech Specs

• Drivers: Quad Balanced Armature
• Rated Impedance: 30Ω
• Frequency Range: 10 Hz — 40 kHz
• Sensitivity : 115dB

Sound Signature
Sonic Overview:

The B400 features a gentle, though non-linear, sound signature. There’s a small emphasis in the bass, with the 100Hz range being the most notable. The midrange is fairly linear, with a mild rising of the lower-midrange and a slight recession of the upper midrange. Bass extension is very good. Treble slowly trends up in emphasis and is very cohesive. There’s no distortion on “disconnect” that one might hear on a worse-made multi-BA earphone. After letting my ears adjust, the B400’s sound signature, which is somewhat uncommon, sounded pretty well-balanced and relatively natural-sounding.

Treble: Songs used: In One Ear, Midnight City, Outlands, Satisfy, Little One

Treble isn’t peaky or washed out. It maintains clarity and precision in the majority of the songs I listened to, articulating a large number of very small details. The kicker to the B400’s treble is less its detail retrieval, and more its ability to maintain notable levels of detail without ever losing its tonality and timbre.

Rock songs really benefit from the B400’s approach to treble. High-hats and cymbals are consistently well-defined with a lively and fairly realistic timbre. Attack and decay are above average when compared to your standard dynamic-driver IEM, but on the slower side when compared to other BA IEMs. I enjoy B400’s speed though: it feels far more realistic than the clinical speed that other BA’s offer.

I had not one experience with sibilant across any song. This includes all of my worst offenders such as Satisfy and White Flag.

Midrange: Songs used: Flagpole Sitta, Jacked Up, I Am The Highway, Dreams, Too Close, Little Black Submarines

The B400’s midrange is the most polarizing component in its sound signature. The upper-midrange is recessed further than the lower midrange, and as such, can sound “stuffy” or “thick”. This was definitely my experience up-front, both when I demoed it at CanJam and when I got it in for review. But after consistently listening for about four days, my ears adapted to it and I began to appreciate it, something I really didn’t expect.

Tone aside, the recession in the upper midrange can make warmly-mastered songs a little too thick for my tastes. While these instances were rare in my music library, they did exist. But for every other song, I often found myself getting lost in the cohesive instrumental presentation that the B400’s mids so often displayed. And much like the treble, the mids have a respectable level of detail retrieval, even relative to other IEMs at this price point.

Guitars and drums sound lively and come off as naturally-sounding. String instrumentation sounded great as well, with the B400 capturing a lot of texture in its articulation. And in spite of its recession, the upper midrange blends naturally in with the treble. Electric guitars have a satisfying crunch to them and each individual instrument feels like it has a lot of sonic depth.

Male vocals don’t quite have the same presence or articulation as female vocals, though both types were still above-average in intelligibility.

Bass: Songs used: Moth, Gold Dust, In For The Kill (Skream Remix), War Pigs (Celldweller Remix)

The B400’s bass signature is super refined. The midbass has just enough of a presence to provide punch and impact but never becomes offensively prominent or overbearing. Furthermore, its blending with the sub-bass is nearly seamless. The midbass is polite and well-behaved too; it never overwhelms the midrange.

Speaking of sub-bass, the B400’s lowest frequencies are quite expressive. They extend well enough to fully articulate the bass drop in In For The Kill. And while the sub-bass is prominent enough to create rumble (even at low volumes), it is never strong enough to feel particularly visceral. Sorry, bassheads.

Packaging / Unboxing
Build
Construction Quality

The B400’s shell is made from a 3D-printed resin. It’s easy to mistake the shell for having a rough texture when looking at it online, but don’t let the frosty tone fool you, it’s very smooth. The surface is polished, making it reflect a bit in sunlight.

The MMCX ports are set firmly in the top of the shell and they sit flush with their surroundings.

The B400 comes with two cables: one TRS cable and on TRRS cable with inline controls. The TRRS cable is pretty sturdy. Its wire is a 4-core twisted geometry wrapped with some tough plastic covering it. The Y-splitter, chin-slider, jack housing, and in-line controls are all made of a reflective metal that is fairly scratch resistant. Sensible stress-relief gives me confidence about the longevity of it as well.

The second cable is quite robust. Its wire is identical to the first cable. The MMCX jacks, Y-splitter, chin slider, and 3.5mm jack are all housed in a touch semi-matte plastic. The cable is terminated with a 45-degree jack though, which is not a very good choice in terms of drop resistance. Swapping it for a right-angle jack or straight one would better suit it in terms of durability, though given that I’d chalk this up to being used as a replacement or backup cable most of the time, I’m not really too upset about such a choice.

Comfort

The B400’s nozzle is thin and the shell is relatively small. This makes it good at achieving a deep insertion which was pretty comfortable for me. I found myself wishing for slightly larger foam eartips though, as the included ones didn’t get me as solid of a seal as I was looking for. That said, swapping to larger silicone did help me out a bit.

The shell’s material is very light making it very easy to wear for long periods of time. The B400 can be worn to bed, though I don’t recommend laying on your side with it.

Accessories

Inside the box you’ll find:

• 1x pair of Comply foam eartips
• 5x pairs of silicone eartips
• 1x shirt clip
• 1x semi-hard carrying case

These accessories all feel high quality and get the job done. There’s no glaring omissions and no real revisions I feel necessary to help the accessories better suite the B400, other than the inclusion of larger foam eartips.

Comparisons
1: Brainwavz B150 ($70)

I’m doing this comparison simply because it’s interesting. How does the flagship B-series IEM compare to its midrange sibling? Well, they have very different sound signatures. The B400 feels much fuller than the B150, owing mostly to the B400’s recessed upper-mids. The B150 in comparison sounds a bit hollow after listening to the B400, though they both boast some pretty phenomenal detail-retrieval at their respective price ranges.

As far as build quality goes, the B400 is far and away the superior choice. From the quality of the molding on the shells to the durability of the cables, the B400 outpaces the B150. But you know, that’s really to be expected when it costs nearly three times as much. Interestingly though, I found that the B150 sealed better in my ear and remained completely comfortable for longer periods of time than the B400 did.

2: HiFiBOY OS V3 ($160)

The OS V3 makes use of driver configuration that’s quite different from the B400. Instead of using four BA drivers it goes with two BA drivers and a single dynamic driver. Furthermore, it has a very different signature from the B400, leaning more towards the B150’s style of presentation. Where the B400 has recessed upper-mids and linear lower-mids, the OS V3 has a recessed lower midrange and elevated upper midrange and lower treble. In fact, the OS V3 has a significantly more elevated treble than the B400 which does give it a more sharp tonality. Bass response of the OS V3 is also slightly weaker with more sub-bass roll-off. Overall detail retrieval is much better on the B400 though.

The OS V3 is easier to listen when coming from a traditional V-shaped IEM as its midrange generally conforms to the norm for V-shaped sound signatures.

As far as build goes, the B400 is neck-and-neck with the OS V3. Their cables, while different, each has good levels of durability. Their shells, while again quite different, are about equal in quality and fit. The B400 did come with Comply though, so I was able to get a better seal with it than the OS V3.

3: 1More Quad-Driver ($200)

The B400 and the Quad Driver are direct competitors. They have the same number of drivers, the same price, and the same target audience. The most immediately noticeable difference when comparing the B400 and the Quad Driver’s sound signatures is the midrange. The lower-mids of the Quad Driver are much less prominent than those in the B400, and the upper-mids are more linear. The Quad Driver’s midbass is also much more pronounced, washing away the lower-mids a bit. It’s a very different presentation from the B400, and one that I definitely like less. So while the B400 does sound “thicker” than the Quad Driver, it doesn’t feel like any part of the sound-signature is straight-up missing like it does with the Quad Driver.

The B400’s treble is also much better toned. It captures more details and has a more accurate timbre, especially when dealing with high-hats.

The B400’s 3D-printed shells are quite different from the Quad Driver’s metallic ones. While I think the Quad Drivers would survive a “crushing” scenario better, I don’t think they’ll fare as well as the B400 will in wear-and-tear scenarios. It also doesn’t feature removable cables; a huge no-no if you want to keep your IEMs working for several years.

Summary
The B400 is an impressive IEM when taken at face-value, and is even more impressive when taken as the very first flagship made by Brainwavz. Competitive clarity, smooth articulation, and a relatively natural tonality all synthesize the B400 into a very compelling product. For what it aims to be, you’d be hard-pressed to outdo the B400 at this price-point, and even more so whenever it goes on sale! So if you haven’t heard the B400, I suggest you go try it. You may fall in love.

As always, happy listening!

Introduction

Brainwavz Audio is Hong Kong based company that specializes in making in-ear monitors (IEMs), headphones and other audio products. I would like to thank Brainwavz Audio for the review unit of B400. At the moment, you can purchase the B400 from https://www.brainwavzaudio.com/products/b400-quad-balanced-armature-earphones .



Specifications

• Drivers Configuration: 4 Balanced Armature
• Impedance: 30Ω
• Frequency Range: 10 Hz – 40 kHz
• Sensitivity: 115dB,

Unboxing & Accessories

The B400 comes in a grey package with a white protective cover that sports the brand name and model name. Inside the grey package, there is a retangular semi-hard carrying case with circular edges. The case is black and red in colour. After unzipping the case, there are the iem, MMCX 3.5mm cable with In-Line Microphone and Remote, 6 sets of silicone ear tips (S M L), 1 set of Comply™ foam tips T-100, 1 shirt clip and velcro cable tie. There are MMCX 3.5mm cable, cleansing wipes and instruction manual.





IEM Build & Design

The B400’s shells are printed from liquid resin 3D printers. There is a smooth surface to it. On the faceplate on each side, there is the brand name printed. The shell has a frosty clear color. On the inside of the iem, there are L & R markings on the left and right side respectively. The nozzle is slightly angled with metal mesh. The iem utilizes MMCX connectors. The B400 has an ergonomic design with a comfortable fit. The overall build quality is good.









Cable Build & Design

The cable is not braided and is black in color. It uses MMCX connectors with a opaque black housing. On the MMCX connectors, there are L & R markings to differentiate between left and right respectively. There is a memory wire area section in which the cable is enclosed in a opaque black heat shrink tube. On the left side of the cable, there is a microphone. The chin slider and y splitter are black in color. The y-splitter sports the brand name and there is strain relief. The jack is 3.5mm gold plated straight and the housing is black in color too with the brand name printed on it. There is strain relief.



Sound Analysis

Lows

The B400 extends it sub-bass well and there is a natural rumble. The quantity is moderate. The decay is fairly quick and it is able to bring some impact. The mid-bass on the B400 has a nice quantity and the slam is presented unoffensively. Bass texture on the B400 is very smooth. The dynamics has a moderate level. Each bass note is being articulated with precision and the level of details retrieval is good. The attack is consistent although at times, there may be a lack of punch for an engaging performance. There is a good overall definition and the full-bodied approach brings with it a good sense of musicality.

Mids

The midrange operates in a rather balanced manner and there is a smooth approach. There is a good amount of body which helps to accentuate the delivery flow. It is neither thin nor thick. There is an appropriate amount which does the midrange justice. The lower mids has a moderate quantity and male vocals are presented well without any signs of them being hollow or dry. Likewise, the upper mids has a moderate quantity and female vocals are conveyed in a smooth and intimate manner. There is great finesse and the midrange showcases definition.

Highs

The treble is presented in a detailed manner and there is no sibilance and harshness. It is extended moderately without sounding aggressive. The smooth nature of the treble ensures a fatigue-free listening session. There is a good amount of air rendered which helps to give space at the top end. This gives an airier feeling and complements the vocals presentation. There is a lack of sparkle. The treble is soothing in general and can be improved with more excitement.

Soundstage

The B400 has a great expansion and it operates with naturalness. The width magnitude has a high level which results in an immense soundstage. The depth has a moderate amount of space and it is not closed in. Positioning of vocals and instruments is good and there is accuracy.



Comparisons

Brainwavz B400 vs Hifi Boy OS V3

The B400 has less sub-bass quantity than the OS V3. There is a greater extension from the OS V3. Each bass note on the OS V3 is articulated with a stronger hit which helps to improve the engagement level. The mid-bass on the B400 has slightly more weight than the OS V3 but the OS V3 is able to present it with more agility. The slam presented by the OS V3 has a greater impact. Bass texture on the B400 is smoother while OS V3 edges ahead for bass decay. The lower mids on the B400 has more quantity than the OS V3 and male vocals sound fuller. The upper mids on the OS V3 has extra forwardness and female vocals are presented with intimacy. The midrange definition on both is good and shows a high level of details retrieval. Next, the treble on the OS V3 is extended with more magnitude and it has an added crisp. The B400 presents its treble in a smoother manner. Lastly, for the soundstage, the B400 has a more natural expansion with slightly greater width. In terms of depth, the OS V3 is less closed in. Positioning of vocals and instruments on both is fairly accurate.

Brainwavz B400 vs Mee Audio Pinnacle P1

The B400 has greater sub-bass quantity than the P1 and the P1 is able to extend its sub-bass deeper. There is a more musicality from the B400. The P1 has an edge for the bass decay with slightly more agility. Bass texture on the B400 is smoother. The mid-bass on the B400 is fuller and the slam has a weighted feel. Each bass note on the P1 is articulated with extra definition. There is lack in punch on both. The lower mids on the B400 has more quantity and the body helps to tackle male vocals better. The upper mids on the P1 is slightly forward but lacks in body when compared to the B400. The B400 is capable of producing an organic vocals presentation. The treble on the B400 showcases finesse and the smoothness helps in ensuring a fatigue-free presentation. There is no sibilance and harshness. The P1 has more air and the sparkle helps to inject some excitement. The B400 has a higher level of control. Lastly, for the soundstage, the B400 has a more natural expansion. There is a fuller impact from the B400. The width is around the same. The depth of P1 is slightly better.

Brainwavz B400 vs TFZ King Pro

The King Pro has more sub-bass quantity than the B400 and the extension is greater. There is better impact from the King Pro and it is able to deliver more punch. Bass decay on the King Pro is quicker while the B400 has a smoother bass texture. The mid-bass on the King Pro has more body and there is a greater slam. There is more warmth from the King Pro. Each bass note on the King Pro is articulated with a stronger hit. The lower mids on the B400 sounds slightly fuller and it does not sound dry or hollow. Male vocals are expressed better. The upper mids on the King Pro has more body and the forwardness increases the intimacy of female vocals. The B400 is slightly more detailed than the King Pro. The treble on both has similar extension. There is no sibilance and harshness. The King Pro is able to display extra air while the B400 has more control. There is more crisp on the King Pro. Lastly, both have a natural expansion while the B400 has greater width. The depth is around the same.

Conclusion

The B400 is a smooth detailed sounding iem that is able to produce a fatigue-free sound with an immense soundstage. There is a great balance of technicality and musicality and the presentation is clean. In addition, it has an ergonomic design with detachable MMCX cable. The Brainwavz B400 is an outstanding iem from Brainwavz and presents great value.



For more reviews, visit https://audio123blog.wordpress.com/ .

Preamble:

Originally posted on my German audio review site, the "Kopfhörer-Lounge", here comes the re-post of my review of the Brainwavz B400 with the fantastic colour called "Green Rage". Definitely a worthy addition to Brainwavz' already great B series of Balanced Armature in-ears.


Introduction:

Some years ago, the well-known Asian audio company mainly known for their affordable but (in most cases) rather nice sounding in-ears, Brainwavz, had one product in their range – the B2. It was a dual-BA in-ear tuned for a quite flat, neutral sound, and was their only Balanced Armature-based in-ear at that time.
After it got discontinued, years with only dynamic driver in-ears followed.

It was not until late 2016 when Brainwavz revealed that they were about to release in-ears with Balanced Armature drivers again, starting with single-driver models, but some multi-BA models were also in the makes.
The result was definitely a success, since their single-BA in-ear B100 as well as their dual-BA model B200 offer great sound and performance at very affordable prices.

Now Brainwavz have released the B400, a quad-BA in-ear. Despite its amount of drivers and replaceable cables, its base price is set below $200 – yes, that’s right, below $200, which makes it probably the most affordable quad-BA in-ear monitor on the market (the ridiculously cheap clearance sale of the Logitech/Ultimate Ears UE900 doesn’t count since its original and MSRP were quite a bit higher).



To those who are wondering why the B400’s price starts below $200 although the B200’s MSRP was $199: Brainwavz have now drastically reduced the B200’s price down to $119.50, which makes it even more of a great deal than it already was at its original price point.

Anyway, back to the B400: Brainwavz originally intended to make injection-moulded metal shells for the housings, however things didn’t go as intended and the design they had in mind was not possible to accomplish with that technique. So they had two choices – either to re-design the shells, or to get large industrial 3D printers that would allow manufacturing the in-ears with the original shell design.
They opted for the latter and invested in the 3D printer, with the underlying idea of long-term use, which should also enable more as well as more creative design options for future models.
However, the best aspect about this move is that the originally calculated and announced retail price of the metal shell version of between $300 and $400 could be dropped to below $200. Oh boy, this is going to get really interesting.


How does the B400 perform? And does it manage to continue the path of very good sound at affordable prices that the B100 and B200 have paved? Well, that’s what I find out and summarise in this very review.


Full disclosure: Brainwavz contacted me and asked whether I would like to review their upcoming B400. Of course I did. So some time later, the in-ear was sent to me, free of charge. Nevertheless my review is, as always, honest, unbiased, unpaid, and last but not least not influenced by the manufacturer.



Technical Specifications:

Price: $189.50 (clear “Stay Frosty” shells, standard 3.5 mm cable + standard 2.5 mm balanced cable), +$30 for coloured shells, +$30 to $55 for twisted upgrade cables (3.5 mm single-ended and/or 2.5 mm TRRS balanced)
Type: In-Ear
Drivers: Balanced Armature
Drivers per Side: 4x BA
Cable: removable, MMCX
Impedance: 30 Ohms
Frequency Response: 10 Hz – 40 kHz
Sensitivity: 115 dB


Delivery Content:

The visual appearance of the packaging the B400 arrives in differs somewhat from the familiar and typical Brainwavz packaging – black and red are no longer the dominating colours. Instead, a bold, black “B400” is present on a plain white background.

Underneath it is a grey-brown cardboard box with a smooth, haptically very pleasantly coated surface and a magnetically closed lid.



Inside, one can find the in-ears, Brainwavz’ typical storage case, three different sizes of single-flange silicone tips (with two pairs of each size), one pair of red Comply Foam tips, the usual paper stuff, the well-known Brainwavz-branded Velcro cable tie, some cleaning wipes, some cleaning brushes, and, depending on what combination was chosen, the cables.




Looks, Feels, Build Quality:

The shells are actually a bit larger and bulkier than I expected (somewhat larger than the Westone W4R’s shells) although still small enough to fit the majority of people. They take up upon the other B-series in-ears’ design as well as to some degree Shure’s and Westone’s shells, however with adding their own touches to the shells wherefore the B400 has got a rather unique design.

There is a small hole on the inner side of ech shell. According to Brainwavz it is there because of how the 3D-printed shells are being finished.



As someone who likes in-ears with a non-boring colour scheme, I am very delighted to see Brainwavz offering a wide range of different colours, with many of them being rather unique and rare in the in-ear business.

A colour called “Green Rage” is also offered, which was kindly sent to me on request instead of the transparent “Stay Frosty” shells that were originally intended to be sent to me. That colour could, in my opinion, also be described as “lime green” and looks very vibrant and beautiful.

Build quality of the shells I received is unfortunately merely okay, however that might be because the review sample I received is a hand-finished in-ear, although with the final components and tuning, in contrast to the mass production models where the shells might be finished differently.

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When one of the optional cable upgrades is selected, one will receive the more premium cable with twisted conductors compared to the stock cable with regular conductors and insulation.

I was sent the 3.5 mm TRS “Frosty” cable along with the 2.5 mm TRRS “Candy Cane” cable wherefore I cannot comment on the stock cable’s quality. It is quite likely that it is not much different to the B200’s average-ish cable though.



The “Frosty” cable will look familiar to many people, which is because it is the popular, professional, very flexible and trustworthy Plastics One cable that is always a reliable and good cable that is commonly used for more expensive and professional in-ears.

The “Candy Cane” balanced cable has got side-markers that are “naturally” integrated since the “hot” wires have got coloured insulation (red for the right side and blue for the left). Its four conductors are twisted as well, however they don’t really add much thickness (the Candy Cane cable is about comparable to my UERMs’ cable in terms of twisting and thickness). It is super flexible and feels premium, professional and trustworthy as well. In contrast to the “Frosty” Plastics One cable, it does not have any memory wire at the MMCX plugs and its audio plug is straight instead of angled.


Comfort, Isolation:

Due to the shell design, ergonomics should be really good for the vast majority of people and finding a good seal as well as fit should be easy, too – I certainly do, however that’s almost always the case in my large ears.

The B400 has to be worn with the cables around the ears, which is the more professional way and can be found in about any in-ear in the medium and high price range with the exception of only very few models. This improves the fit and reduces microphonics (cable noise) that are pretty much not present at all with the Candy Cane and Frosty cable.



Noise isolation is relatively good, as expected, but doesn’t fully reach the level of the best-isolating multi-BA in-ears (the small hole in the shells might slightly contribute to that).


Sound:

It were mainly the iBasso DX200 (equipped with the AMP1 module), Cowon Plenue 2 and my iBasso DX90 that served as source devices for listening.

The ear tips I used were the largest included single-flange silicone tips.

By the way, my frequency response measurements can be found here: frequency-response.blogspot.com

Tonality:

The B400 picks up on where Brainwavz started with their Balanced Armature line and presents a very smooth, balanced, tendentially warm and just slightly dark tonality with a very coherent sound that lacks any sterility, sudden peaks or dips.

A thin, mid-focussed and bass-light sound is definitely not what you get from the B400, however real bassheads, medium bassheads or people who want a whole lot of warmth won’t be satisfied either.

Although I personally hate to use this reference, “analogue” is probably what some people would refer to the B400’s tuning and sound in general.

Anyway: from the lower midrange down to the sub-bass the B400’s tuning is virtually identical to the B200’s.

It has got a somewhat forward bottom-end that is a bit more on the stronger side if you are used to a strictly flat in-ear, coming in at around 8 dB north of what would be neutral based on the diffuse-field target (that for example the Etymotic ER-4S and ER-4SR are following in the lows), but is still quite balanced compared to other in-ears that are generally accepted as sounding quite neutral in the bass. Therefore it can address the “case of the missing 6 dB” (https://www.etymotic.com/media/publications/erl-0137-1982.pdf) plus a little extra quantity on top, meaning that the bass quantity and warmth are not too much north of a balanced sound at all.

The upper bass can definitely kick and has some authority without ever becoming dominant, and the midbass carries the same amount of weight when the recording goes down the frequency ladder. The sub-bass doesn’t roll off and is present when called upon on the recording, with just very little less absolute quantity compared to the midbass.

The midrange heads somewhat more into the warmer direction, with a full and rather warm root that does however not feel bloated or unnatural, but rather cosy, intimate and inviting.

Some extra body is added to lower male vocals and instruments such as bass guitars and contrabasses that step more into the foreground, albeit without getting an unnatural timbre. Instruments gain a pleasant body due to this as well.

Female vocals are a bit more on the fuller and warmer side, too, however without becoming dark which is because there is a clever tuning trick going on in the midrange – around 2 kHz is a slight drop that adds a little relaxation, while the slight but broad bump around 4 kHz (those things are only really audible using a sine generator though), which can still be counted to the presence range, doesn’t let them drown and doesn’t rob any overtones. Therefore vocals also have some nice closeness although without becoming obtrusive or playing fully “in your face”.

Above that, the highs are just a little in the background compared to a neutral in-ear – the B400 is certainly no dark sounding in-ear and really just features a grain of darkness.

What’s remarkable though is how smooth and even the treble is. No peaks, no dips. Just a harmonious, very even tuning that contributes a lot to the smooth, somewhat laid-back appearing, cosy and “analogue” sound. This is really marvellous for the price and often only achieved by multi-BA in-ears that retail for clearly above $200.

While this is objectively really good, the only small subjective little gripe I have with this is that as a result, cymbals become a little softer sounding and don’t appear as focussed or snappy compared to the B200 that has a little more bite to it.

Extension past 10 kHz is good and doesn’t lack at all which can also be heard using sine sweeps, although that area is a bit more in the background (for example, the B200 has got more subtle sparkle in the super highs).

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Um, yeah, so I can definitely say that the tuning is really nicely done, super coherent and smooth, balanced, with a nice dose of warmth and great evenness that is quite remarkable for the price. Tuning-wise, I can definitely see why the initially planned metal shell version of the B400 was set to be priced at almost twice as much.

Resolution:

The B400, with the basic cable option, is priced below $200, which is a pretty good deal for the overall performance it delivers. The question is though: Would it have been a good performer close to the $400 mark in terms of pure technical capabilities? Honestly no, not fully when compared to models such as the UE900 and W4R. And it only sees comparatively little land compared to the NocturnaL Atlantis (to be fully fair though, the Atlantis costs a good bit more and has got a technical performance that is more worthy of a four-digit price tag). There are just things like note separation and instrument separation where the B400 is good but cannot fully compete with those models and appears less focused and blurrier, softer in comparison. But would it have been an adequately- to well-performing in-ear if its price was closer to the $300 mark? Yes, yes it would definitely be.

Performance-wise, it sits right between the B200 and W4R with somewhat closer proximity to the B200, which means that is a really good performer although it does not belong to the technically most capable models – but its price point doesn’t suggest otherwise anyway, so there is absolutely nothing to complain about.

The bass is well-controlled and tight, and only shows some really minor softness in terms of attack compared to some of the more expensive multi-BA offerings.
Where it really shines are things like definition as well as control, layering and details where it can indeed compete with models such as the W4R.
Fast single- and multi-bass-lines are rendered with ease, speed and good separation with well-controlled and -defined punches.

When it comes to midrange resolution and speech intelligibility, the B400 once again shows that it is a good performer. Nonetheless it lacks a little behind the UE900 and W4R in this area while it puts out somewhat more micro details than the B200.

High notes are rendered realistically and details are certainly there although the presentation and attack here appear a little soft, which however fits really nicely to the tuning and smoothness. As a little drawback, note separation takes a slight step back as well and feels a bit soft, too, while it doesn’t appear blurry or bad.



To wrap it up, the B400 performs really well for an in-ear starting from less than $200 although it cannot fully compete with models in the $400 range when it purely comes to micro details and note separation.

Soundstage:

The B400’s imaginary soundstage is neither especially large nor any congested and a little more spacious than average when it comes to expansion to the sides wherefore it is able to already leave the base between my ears.

Overall, the presentation feels a little more wide than deep although there is some spatial depth (albeit the B400 is not as three-dimensional or spacious as models such as the Pai Audio MR3).

Separation of single instruments is plenty good for the price, and notes, single instruments or musicians don’t stick together but are separated rather nicely and cleanly, even when busier tracks with many musicians are played, although the presentation doesn’t appear as clean or well-done when compared to several more expensive models.

A few layers can be perceived although they appear to rather blend into each other than to be precisely separated and distinguishable.

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In Comparison with other In-Ears:

Westone W4R:

The W4R has got slightly more quantity in the upper root/lower midrange wherefore it is the somewhat fuller sounding in-ear out of the two, while midbass quantity is comparable. The Westone however rolls more off towards the sub-bass, leaving it with more of a midbass hump compared to the B400 that has got a more even bass distribution.

The W4R has got the more relaxed appearing midrange and middle treble which is mainly due to its 5 kHz recession. In the upper highs and with cymbals though, it is the Brainwavz that appears softer and more reserved in comparison.

When it comes to micro details in the mids and highs, the Westone reproduces the somewhat higher transparency and resolution and appears more focused in comparison.

Bass definition is quite similarly good, which also goes for the control, while the W4R seems slightly faster.

The Westone’s soundstage is even somewhat wider but lacks spatial depth whereas the B400 has got some. In terms of instrument separation, it is the W4R that somewhat outperforms the Brainwavz with the higher cleanness.

NocturnaL Audio Atlantis (UIEM):

To make it short, when it comes to detail retrieval, note separation, soundstage expansion as well as spatial precision, the Atlantis is a whole different beast that can compete with models costing a good bit more.

The reason why I chose the more expensive and technically much more capable Atlantis for this comparison is because things like the smoothness, pleasant fullness, naturalness and balance are areas that it shares with the B400, just as it already did when compared to the B200.

From the central mids down to the sub-bass, both in-ears are tuned almost identically. In the presence range, it is the Brainwavz that is a bit more pronounced. The B400 is somewhat darker and more relaxed in the following treble. Super treble extension past 10 kHz is somewhat better on the Brainwavz.

Logitech/Ultimate Ears UE900:

The Brainwavz has got the somewhat stronger bass elevation by ca. 3 dB.

The UE’s (upper) midrange is a bit darker mainly due to the presence range showing a downslope.

At 4 and 5 kHz it is the UE that is a bit more relaxed while it shows more energy around 6 and 8 kHz albeit without any real emphasis (the level doesn’t cross the ground line) wherefore it sounds more focused and “snappier”.

Bass speed, bass control and tightness are where both in-ears are pretty much on the same level while the B400 appears to have got the somewhat higher low-end definition.

In terms of midrange and treble details though, the UE900 sports the somewhat higher amount of micro details and cleaner note separation.

When it comes to soundstage, both in-ears reproduce about the same amount of width whereas the B400 has got a bit more depth. However, the UE900 separates instruments a bit more precisely.

Brainwavz B200:

Both in-ears have got a similar bass response and central midrange while the B400 is more forward in the presence range, making vocals gain some proximity compared to the B200 that is more laid-back in the middle and lower highs.

While the B200 is even a little more relaxed in the middle and upper treble, it sounds crisper and “snappier” than the B400 which is because the quadruple-driver in-ear has got the softer appearing treble attack while ultimately having somewhat more details.

When it comes to super treble extension, both extend similarly well however the B200 showcases somewhat more subtle sparkle which is due to it being more forward in this range.

Micro details are good and present on the B400 although presented rather subtly and smoothly – which fits perfectly to the entire presentation. Without direct comparison or switching between both in-ears, I honestly did not really think that there was much – if any – of a difference between the B400 and B200 when it comes to detail retrieval, but switching from one to the other made it clear: the B400 sounds somewhat more transparent and is cleaner when it comes to small details, which is especially noticeable with rather busy tracks were small things remain better separated from each other and where small nuances are rendered somewhat more cleanly on the quad-BA in-ear. It’s not like a totally different class upgrade though, but still that plus in details is what makes the difference – the B400 can “pull it off” more easily and has got more reserves/headroom.

Bass definition, control and low-end details are slightly higher on the B400 as well.

So yes, the B400 is playing somewhat above the already really good B200 when it comes to detail retrieval and bass definition, although I wouldn’t describe it as a large difference but rather a medium one.

When it comes to soundstage, the B400 appears somewhat more open sounding with a bit more spatial width while there is no real difference in terms of spatial precision.


Conclusion:

The Brainwavz B400 is a smooth, balanced, (in a positive way) soft and inoffensive in-ear with a



remarkably even and harmonious tuning (some people would refer to it as being “analogue”) that picks up on the B-series’ house sound while adding somewhat more micro details and definition compared to the already really good B200.

While the originally planned price of up to 400$ might have been just a little too ambitious judged by the technical performance given other contenders in this area (although it might have probably been justifiable due to the super smooth, even and harmonious tonal tuning), in its current price range ($190 to $275 depending on colour and cable choices) there are only few in-ears that are playing in the same league as the B400 (and most of them are exotic).


Once again, Brainwavz have shown that the introduction of the B-Series was a really good idea.

First off I would like to thank Brainwavz for allowing me to review the B400. The unit I have was sent to me free of charge in exchange for my honest review of the earphone.

About a year ago I was asked if I would like to review Brainwavz re-entry into the BA arena in the form of the B100. I remember at the time I wasn't sure I was interested as I had found myself less and less interested in BA based IEM's focusing more on dynamic and hybrid designs. But I was curious enough I bit and was pleasantly surprised at how good the B100 sounded. It was slightly better than the Klipsch X7 in my opinion, and at a fraction of the cost was very easy to recommend for anyone wanting to try a BA based IEM.

When I heard about the B400 I was very curious see what Brainwavz could accomplish with a 4 BA model. Could it be as good or better than the other BA based IEM's I have owned such as the Ultimate Ears UE900, Earsonic's SM3, Sony XBA3 and others? How would it compete with new hybrid model's like the 1More Quad or Sony XBA-Z5?

So this time I actually reached out to Brainwavz to see if I could scratch my curiosity itch. Luckily things worked out in my favor and a pair was on it's way for me to put through it's paces.


When the package arrived I was impressed with the quality of the packaging and the thoroughness of the kit. I was genuinely surprised by little things like the cleaning wipes for hearing aids and the cleaning tools that went a bit above other BA based IEM's I have bought. As usual Brainwavz included an nice sturdy carrying case and a nice wide assortment of tips including 1 pair of Comply tips for the lovers of foamies.


Both stock cables looked and felt awesome. I have to admit I prefer a smartphone designed cable as I do the majority of listening from my phone for convenience sake. But the stock cable has really won me over even after trying some other smartphone enabled MMCX cables I had lying around. The stock cable may lack a mic and controls but offers one of the better memory wire designs I have tried and had no micro-phonics and it's cinch worked well in conjunction with the clip to help reduce distracting cable movement. I also like the strain reliefs on the jack and the hard plastic base of the MMCX connector which seems to give good stability while allowing for a comfortable spin of the IEM which aids in inserting the IEM.

I played with all of the included tips in the kit that made sense for me including the Comply tips. In the end I stuck with the silicone tips as the Comply is slightly to small for my ears. But I can say the silicone tips offered the best treble response and almost as good a bass response as the comply tips. I also played with some other tips such as the Shure Olives and a pair of Sony hybrids. The Shure Olives offered the best bass response with the least effect on the treble for me while the Sony hybrid tips really didn't work as they subdued the treble even more than the foam tips. In the end I went back to the stock silicone tips and haven't felt the need to keep switching around with other tips.

Before I get into the meat of this review I want to establish some things about my listening preferences and the equipment I used during the review. I have a very eclectic music taste ranging from Classical music, to select country, Celtic, classic rock, psychedelic rock, Jazz, and more. About the only thing I don't listen to is Club Music and modern genres like Dubstep and the even more modern variants of electronic music. I also do not listen to loud music preferring to keep the volume levels down to between 10-30% on most of my devices with 45% being on the extreme end for me unless using a headphone that needs higher volumes due to their design.

All of my listening has been done from my LG V20 phone or my Pono in balanced or single ended mode. My music files are almost all FLAC based with about 25% of them being high resolution 192/24 bit based.

So now that I have given the usual disclaimers and talked about the basics lets get down to the important aspect of any IEM. How doe they sound and how do they feel?

Comfort and ergonomics - 5/5
The B400 has a 3D printed shell that is perfectly designed fitting my ears more comfortably than any IEM I have owned including other bean shaped IEM's like the SE215. The shell is slightly bigger than the B100 but still fit my ear like a glove. I also appreciated the easy swivel of the IEM to help navigate around the memory wire which can be tricky. The fit was then aided by an easy effective cable clip and sufficiently tight cinch. Once everything was inserted I would find myself going for hours without thinking about the IEM or feeling the need to adjust it even when walking around.

Isolation and micro-phonics - 5/5
You really don't know how much good isolation can be until you have GOOD ISOLATION! The B400 is indeed GOOD! I have been amazed when using these on the train as I sometimes go for the entire trip and then realize I never heard anything around me even to the point of missing my stop once! So one of the usual downsides to this type of isolation is micro-phonic issues, especially foot falls and cable rubbing. The B400 suffers from ZERO cable rubbing and only very faint footfall noise that can only be heard when listening to very soft music with silent spaces.

Bass - 4/5
The B400 offers a nice full bass that reaches quite low into the sub bass regions. But while it goes low I felt myself missing a bit of slam and air movement from the bass. But I have to admit this is because I have grown used to dynamic based bass and overblown bass at that. But if I look past my preference in this area the bass is balanced and fully their when required and nicely detailed and textured.

Midrange - 5/5
If the bass isn't quite my cup of tea the midrange more than makes up for it! Vocals have plenty of detail and emotion without coming across as to forward or excessive. I find the B400 performs equally well for male and female vocals which is a rare feet in my experience. I also found myself really enjoying guitar riffs with the B400.

Treble - 4/5
The B400 offers a nicely detailed treble that is never strident or sibilant but unfortunately comes across as slightly too "safe" for me. If you have issues with fatigue this will be a blessing but some may find the treble just a bit to soft when it comes to cymbal crashes and other percussive hits that are like that.

Sound Stage, 3D Imaging, and instrument separation - 4/5
One of the downsides of such a good isolating IEM is a smaller sound stage and the B400 does suffer from this. The sound stage is still bigger than average but not on the same scale as some of the better dynamic and hybrid IEM's on the market with a more typical in-head feel to it. 3D imaging is similarly impacted requiring more effort hear it. Instrument separation while compact in distance is good though with no instruments bleeding together. I found myself easily drawn into genre's like Jazz, Orchestral music, and older rock music as they felt like the instruments were in the right place if not quite as widely spaced as I have grown accustomed to.

So now that I have quantified the basic sections or areas of the IEM how does it all fit together? If I could use only one word to describe the sound it would be "immersive". So what this means is I found myself not having a whole lot of WOW moments when using the B400 but I would get caught up in the music for hours of time and having lots of moments where I realized I had not heard the outside world for an extended period of time.

So how do these compare to other BA based IEM's?

B400 vs UE900
The UE900 offered a more mid/treble centric experience for me with slightly less bass extension. The B400 in comparison is more balanced sounding going slightly deeper while not suffering from the fatigue I found the UE900 caused. Sound stage is similar between the 2 IEM's. The B400 is more isolation and comfortable to wear.

B400 vs Sony XBA3
The XBA3 was a deeper harder hitting IEM with more sub bass extension and a stronger mid bass, a warm midrange, and sparkly treble giving it a strong V shaped signature as compared to the more balanced signature of the B400. Isolation was good but no where as complete as the B400 and fit was OK but not as stable as the B400.

B400 vs Earsonics SM3
The SM3 was very much a midrange centric IEM offering bass that was not very extended and treble that was also on the polite side. The B400 is similar in the regard but offers a deeper bass extension and slightly brighter treble as well. The SM3 had a very unique sound stage that place you in the position of the singer which was very unique, the B400 in comparison gives a more traditional sound stage. The SM3 was not as isolating and more finicky in fit and was a very fragile IEM.

Comparison to hybrid IEM's offers an interesting swing in musical styling and signature preferences. Almost every hybrid offers more bass but not always in a positive way.

B400 vs Sony XBA-Z5
The Z5 is the most unfair comparison in this review as it is my favorite IEM I have ever owned. In comparison to the B400 it offers a massive deep bass that is still textured and detailed, a warmer midrange that is detailed and compelling, and extended treble that is actually very similar to the B400. The Z5 offered an uncanny outside of the head 3D sound stage that is unique among all of the IEM's I have owned. But while all that sounds good they come at a cost. The Z5 in comparison offers only 50% less in regards to isolation, and a Frankensteinian and finicky fit. Plus the Z5 only sounded it's best when played from a balanced device like a Pono Player and was closer to pedestrian in sound from my phone. Plus it was FRAGILE dying on me twice (once in warranty). Both failures being on the MMCX connections. The failures might have been livable if the IEM had a reasonable cost but at $700 you just expect more...

B400 vs 1More Quad
This comparison is more appropriate as this IEM is in the same price range as the B400. But aside from the obvious increase of bass I find the B400 slays the Quad in every way. The B400 has more texture and detail in all areas from bass to treble and is simply the more audiophile grade IEM. The Quad does offer slightly more 3D imaging though and has a slightly larger sound stage dues to it's shallower fit and ports on the IEM, but this is at the cost of isolation. The Quad offers a similar level of comfort but in a completely different fashion. Funnily enough the Quad is more micro-phonic than the B400 unless warn in an unconventional over ear fashion that it is not designed for even though it is a shallower less isolation IEM.

So who should buy the B400?

Anyone who is thinking about buying a BA based IEM should have this on their short list. It is as well made as anything I have owned and considering it's price to performance ratio it's simply a no brainer.

If on the other hand your a bass lover some of the hybrid IEM's might be pretty compelling but only if you can afford the difference in cost and/or are willing to accept the compromises such an IEM offers. The Sony XBA-Z5 will cost you 3-4 times the B400 for example and will require an additional expense in regards to a balanced DAP to meet it's full potential as compared to the B400 needing nothing more than a good phone for a source. Personally I think a person should have both!

Behold the newest development from Brainwavz, the B400 which by all regards would seem their best yet.

My style of review is more 'straight from the heart'. I believe in transparency in this hobby, as to encourage both innovation from the manufacturers, and to allow fellow hobbyists to get the most out of their quest for the perfect sound. With my 'no frills' style I try to be objective as possible, but many of my views are subjective, as I suppose is with anyone that by nature each of us tend to gravitate towards certain sonic preferences. I try to take into account not only scientific methods / concepts, but sometimes my impressions can be taken several ways, since I also put an emphasis on the personal experience with abstract emotional descriptors and adjectives.

My star ranking is based almost solely on sound, which to me is the ultimate factor.

Source
For this review I used the highly acclaimed new DAP called Onkyo DP-X1A, which uses twin Sabre 9018K2M chips, isolated DAC / amp sections, and a true balanced output. My source test tracks were in lossless FLAC format, of a variety of electronic, pop and rock genres. I used the same test songs which I am deeply familiar with, having heard hundreds of times including with many top-tier desktop rigs with highly acclaimed DACs, SS and tube amps, and numerous flagship headphones. (so I can pinpoint exactly how these songs should sound or if any nuances are missing).

SHIPPING
My unit arrived with an almost supernatural speed, especially considering that I'm temporarily in a far flung Asian country (Laos) where they have never shipped to before. It took only 4 days to arrive at the local post office from Hong Kong, via HongKongPost, which I believe may be their preferred shipping partner. I've heard several others have received their unit surprisingly fast too, from New Zealand to the U.S. alike.


Body
The B400's have a very distinctive look with stunning, almost futuristic looking curves, and especially look distinctive with the Blue Knight color I ordered, which I would call a deep blue with a nice shiny polish, and an overall robust look. This color is non-transparent, leaving that for the Stay Frosty version.

Cables
I also ordered mine with the Candy Cane 2.5mm balanced cable + Frosty Premium standard 3.5mm cable. With the Candy Cane cable, you get a super pretty array of red, blue and silver colors in a very lightweight package. The Frosty cable is is equally radiant, perhaps enough to get a compliment from a fellow passenger. Both are ultra flexible and lightweight, and have virtually 0 microphonics, or at least not noticeable to cause any concern. Surprisingly, the balanced Candy Cane cable is about the same thickness as than the Frosty cable, if even possibly a nuance thinner.

Eartips
Included were what appears to be 2 pairs of 3 sizes of silicone eartips S / M / L, plus Comply T-100 red.

Fit
Being a very well designed universal-fit IEM, these should have no problem sliding into most people's ears. They feel very smooth and almost as if 'invisible', however after 2+ hours of consistent use my ears do start feeling somewhat sore - as is with many IEMs too.


EXTERNAL VARIABLES

Eartips (sound)
The pre-installed eartips (small perhaps) worked best for me from the ones included, but after trying all sizes somehow none of them were getting an optimal seal for my ear-shape, indicative of my hearing a void where the bass should be. Tried on the Comply tips and got a fuller bass, yet as mentioned by others and as I have observed on numerous occasions - foam tips have a tendency to mess with or 'smear' the treble. Also as I've experienced with a variety of foam tips they also mess with the bass giving a somewhat overtly laid back / un-detailed sound - at the cost of more balanced isolation. Next I tried a pair of standard silicon round Spinfit eartips, and much to my surprise these did NOT gel well at all with the B400's. Somehow either the angle of the nozzle or somewhat shallow insertion depth of the B400's did not allow these to seal at all. Although it may be possible standard Spin fit tips could fit another's ear depending on their shape, or that another Spinfit model such as their dual-flange version which I would ascertain may be better. Luckily I also brought along a small collection of assorted generic eartips from other IEMs models, and was able to secure a very good seal and level of isolation (photo with preferred tips below).

Considering the B400's already have a fairly thin nozzle, I recommend that using eartips with a slightly wider bore width would improve the sound somewhat. Indeed I was definitely hearing a somewhat fuller and overall more resolving sound with the chosen generic eartips from another brand, which may have been not only due to the wider bore, but also from what seems to be a perfect seal.

Cables (sound)
I didn't notice much of a difference in comparing the 3.5mm standard to the balanced cables. This was somewhat of a surprise to me, especially considering the staggering difference I heard previously when upgrading to a balanced cable on another IEM model using the same source; of which results were improved dynamics, realism, soundstage and texture on an unwavering and repeatable basis. Due to difficulty of removing the MMCX cables on this unit, I won't be comparing these two types since I will likely be leaving on my balanced cables.

OVERALL SOUND IMPRESSIONS
I would describe the sound of the B400's as laid back and non fatiguing. Slightly dark and mid-centric leaning with a nice seductive lushness. These are by no stretch of the imagination 'analytical' such as the Ultimate Ears 18 with 6 drivers per side nor the HD-800 full size 'cans, but rather mellow and pleasing for nice long listening sessions. The sound is moderately vivid, but with less realism and 'slam' than other IEMs I've heard. I would compare their sound with the full size Sennheier HD-650 headphones, but slightly more 'front row' sounding.

Bass
A main reason for my calling these laid back is because of their bass definition, which in my tests has shown to be quite boomy and boxy, or somewhat 'muddy' and quite lacking in texture. Hence also the reason I mention somewhat mid-centric, because to my ears at least, the sub-bass has a certain roll-off in the lower registers. Interestingly the FR graph below shows it to be very well extended, but no matter how perfect of a seal I was able to get or by EQ'ing the low frequencies, I seemed to be unable to get any 'subterranean rumble', as they call it; lower sounds that were evident to me on several of my comparison IEMs mentioned below.

On the positive side however, its' bass has a certain quality that can be fairly pleasing to the ear, in a somewhat 'fun' way, and can still sound quite good especially for a semi-bright recording. After the multi-hour listening session above and coming back later in the day for a fresh listen, it becomes clear to me that the only reason I had noticed anything even slightly off about the bass is because I had been a little, well... spoiled (Lol) with other IEMs to compare it to. A casual listen may not reveal anything untoward with the bass, until after directly comparing it to other models which I noticed a more resolving / fast and well textured bass by contrast.

Mids
The mids seem to be their strength, giving a very pleasing, tonally correct reproduction and a nice 'voluptuous' lushness. These also make vocals sound very nice.

Highs
The highs are very organic and natural sounding, and linear meaning not boosted or recessed. They do however sound to be rolled off somewhat early in the higher regions, losing some of the upper shimmer and detail.

Soundstage
The soundstage is acceptable - definitely larger than almost any straight-form bullet-shape earphone I've tried, but about equal to the average IEM. I am however hearing a decent amount of depth as well as width.

Dynamics
To me, this is one of their weak points. The transient response seems somewhat slow, and I'm not hearing the same amount of 'snap / attack' as with other headphones and IEMs. Certain drum sounds are hard to discern in the mix, which are easy to pinpoint on other systems. Myself also a great fan of electronic music, the drums generally don't have enough 'kick' to sound correct, but can sound pleasing depending on the recording.

Stereo width / realism
While the actual stereo width is not an issue nor stereo imaging, in my tests I seemed to notice something a bit off kilter in it's reproduction of stereo sound, almost as if an artificial stereo expansion effect was applied, and sounds moderately congested. The other somewhat related factor is what I call 'realism', referring to how 'lifelike', realistic or natural of a sound; and otherwise how much 'energy' and 3D extrusion it has, as I call it. While I can provide no input on how to design an IEM these attributes differently, I can only say that this is one area where it's fairly lacking, contributing largely to the laidback sound. (more on comparisons below).

Complexity
The B400's have an outstanding ability to handle complex recordings, most likely in large part from their quad drivers. It handles the most complex recording I threw at it with great finesse.


RHA T20 (non-mic version) ($192)
The RHA has a more liquid, sweet, detailed and organic sound, and overall brighter. Mids that are more vivid and textured, vs. lush mids of the B400. Dynamics are punchier and bass extends deeper. Treble however being more extended is at fault here, with a somewhat artificial quality, whereas the B400 has a more proper tonality.


TFZ Exclusive 1 ($45)
The TFZ has an unmistakably tighter transient response / dynamics, detail retrieval and imaging - all on the order of 2x more than the B400. The bass extends noticeably deeper into the sub-bass realm, and has an amazingly realistic 3D extrusion with layers that jump out at you. The simple, unassuming design of the Exclusive 1 packs a mighty punch with ultra realism, spot-on imaging, superb detail, transparency and buckets of sonic texture that can even invoke an emotional response. It is a completely different signature than the B400, being notably brighter / faster / more extended; the B400 sounds more pleasing for pure vocals, and for brighter recordings. Bearing the "HD resolution" label, this is a rare entry into its' price-point. Occasionally the highs can be moderately fatiguing, but that's more because of the balanced silver cable I'm using, whereas with the stock cable the sound is slightly warmer. I also tried the TFZ Exclusive 2 and 3 but found them quite unbalanced FR-wise. Size of soundstage is similar on both.


Advanced M4 ($40)
Comparable to the B400, but with a different overall presentation. Bass seems to extend to a similar depth as the B400, but with slightly less mid-bass hump. Detail and imaging are also similar to the B400. Treble is nice yet not extremely extended, and dynamics are punchier. Overall a more 'dry', flat and slightly anemic sound than the B400. The M4 sounds quite pleasant with rhythmic electronic music... so does the B400, in a more laid back, tonally correct and lush kind of way.
These are quite similar in price, form and sound to the Zero Audio ZH DX240CI.



Focal Sphear ($89)
Compared to the B400, these had an artificial quality to the treble and mids, though modetly faster transient response, and possibly smaller soundstage. Very shallow insertion, making fit difficult.

Ortofon e-Q5 ($210)
These Ortofons were to me an absolute abomination to the hi-fi hobby with destructively non-detailed, muddy, congested nasal sound and major steps back in every aspect especially detail. The B400's are light years ahead of this one.

JVC HA FW03 'woodies' ($220)
Quite brighter and 'faster' than the B400's with a more vivid, colored almost 'euphonic' tone, with improved bass definition and overall texture, however perhaps too bright, and seal was near impossible due to very shallow insertion. I liked this one better than all the other JVC 'woodies'

Radius NHR31 ($140)
Rare find with sweet, fluidic, smooth mids & treble, well extended bass and very lifelike and punchy. Shallow insertion also made seal quite difficult, and may have had a slightly 'off' tonality. Further testing required, yet this one was to me the best of the entire Radius line including their higher models. B400 isolates much better.

The B400 is a remarkable entry into the mid-tier BA (balanced armature) market, yielding a nice heft to the mid-bass in a very non-fatiguing, soft and laid back manner, and by all accounts far better than most BA models I've heard. Voicing and mids are hard to beat.

I've also recently had the rare chance to audition approximately 250 IEMs of all brands spanning several days at some of the world's largest earphone shops in both Osaka and Tokyo, so I can attest to the fact that the B400's compete quite well around the $200 range, with perhaps 1-2 extremely rare fluke exceptions that may surpass their performance. As with headphones, no IEM does everything absolutely perfect, even including the TFZ 1.

Greetings!

Today we're checking out one of Brainwavz's newest balanced armature (BA) only creation, the quad-driver B400.

When I first heard last year that Brainwavz was jumping back into BA-based earphones, I was pretty excited. At that point I was lucky to have experienced and enjoyed a number of their products. Given their reputation for high quality, wallet-friendly gear and my relative inexperience with balanced armatures, I was hoping I'd have the chance to hear these new models. To my great appreciation they sent over the B100 and B150, both of which utilized a single full-ranged armature. While they certainly sounded similar, the B150 offered up a warmer, bassier signature. Deep into 2017 Brainwavz is back with the B400. After spending a month with it, I can safely say that Brainwavz is on their game. I had high expectations going in based on my experiences with the babies of the lineup, but I wasn't quite prepared for what the B400 brought to the table.

The B400 earphone utilizes Knowles sourced BA drivers with one handling the low end, two covering the mid-range, and one pulling treble duty. The housings are fully 3D printed and assembled by the Brainwavz team in Hong Kong, though the printer and resin are sourced from the United States. The Litz wire used in the housings themselves is sourced from a premium cable manufacturer out of the Netherlands while the Kester solder used to tie it all together is made in the United States. The only components made in China are the case, which if you know Brainwavz is amazing, the tips, and the packaging materials. The entire process of printing and assembling, burn-in, quality checks, and finally packaging the B400 takes over 28 hours. It's not a simple and straightforward process making the B400's more than reasonable performance and price all that much more impressive to me.

Enough preamble. Let's get this show on the road and check out the reason you're here; the B400.

Disclaimer:

A huge thanks to Raz for reaching out to see if I would be interested in reviewing the B400 in preparation for it's release. This unit was provided free of charge in exchange for a fair and impartial review. While the B400 does not need to be returned, all thoughts and opinions within are my own and do not represent Brainwavz or any other entity. There is no financial incentive for writing this review.

At the time of this review the B400 retailed for 189.50 USD: https://www.brainwavzaudio.com/products/b400-quad-balanced-armature-earphones

The Candy Cane cable retailed for 45.00 USD: https://www.brainwavzaudio.com/coll...-balaned-cable-with-mmcx-connector-2-5mm-jack

The Frosty Silver cable retailed for 45 USD: https://www.brainwavzaudio.com/coll...arphone-cable-with-mmcx-connector-3-5-mm-jack

The upgrade cables can be purchased alongside the B400 at a discounted rate, or separately at the above-mentioned prices.

Source:

For at home use the B400 was powered by a TEAC HA-501 desktop amp or straight out of an Asus FX53 gaming laptop. Since the B400 has low power requirements, I didn't feel there was any benefit in amping. Besides, when running the B400 through the Walnut F1 in balanced there was a lot of hissing. My LG G5 and the HiFi E.T. MA8 also produced readily apparent background noise. Through the HiFiMan MegaMini and Shanling M1 the B400 was silent and could easily be driven to ear-blistering volumes, if that's your thing.

Personal Preferences:

I listen primarily to various EDM sub-genres (liquid drum and bass, breakbeat, drumstep, etc.), hip hop, and classic rock. While I enjoy a variety of signatures in my headphones I generally lean towards slightly warm with elevated treble and sub-bass, an even and natural mid-range response, with reduced mid-bass. The HiFiMan RE800 and thinksound On2 offer up a couple examples of signatures I enjoy.

Specifications:

• Drivers: Quad Balanced Armature
• Rated Impedance: 30Ω
• Frequency Range: 10 Hz - 40 kHz
• Sensitivity: 115dB
• Cable: Detachable MMCX in balanced 2.5mm or standard 3.5mm formats

Accessories:

Since the sample I was sent did not come with retail packaging or the standard accessory kit, here is a list of what you get, as pulled from the B400 product page linked above.

• 3.5mm Standard MMCX Stereo Cable
• 2.5mm Standard MMCX Balanced Cable
• Earphone Hard case
• 1 Set earphone cleaning kit
• 6 sets of Silicone Ear Tips (S M L)
• 1 set of Comply™ Foam Tips T-100 Red
• 2 Earphone sanitary wipes
• 1 Shirt Clip
• Velcro Cable Tie
• Instruction Manual & Warranty Card (24 month warranty)

I was sent a set of upgraded cables in the form of Brainwavz's new silver-coated Candy Cane balanced 2.5mm cable and OFC copper Frosty Silver 3.5mm cable. Should you choose to upgrade your cables at the time of purchase, these are fantastic options.

Both cables are very flexible, memory and tangle resistant. Since the Candy Cane cable does not use memory wire or ear guides the lack of strain relief at the plugs is a big oversight when considering long term use, especially given the B400 is for over-ear wear only. The memory wire on the Frosty Silver is very well implemented and holds the shape you set it to. I would have preferred Brainwavz carry over the formed ear guides from the B100 and B150 because they were essentially perfect, but the memory wire works well too. Strain relief is flawlessly implemented at the compact 90 degree angled jack and sturdy y-split. This is easily my preferred cable of the two and gets an easy recommendation, especially since I didn't notice any benefits I could clearly attribute to driving the B400 balanced.

Build, Comfort, and Isolation:

Since Brainwavz chose to roll with 3D printed housings on the B400, I wasn't expecting anything amazing from them in terms of build quality. They're pleasantly well-constructed though. With a couple exceptions at the rear of each housings, the seams between the two halves are clean and tight and can't be felt when running your finger over them. At the back I could feel a slight ridge on each ear piece, but the edge was minimal and faced outwards avoiding issues with discomfort. Since I was sent the 'Stay Frosty' version of the B400, it was nice to see the neatly laid out driver setup and printed channels for directing sound from the armatures to the nozzle. Looking down the nozzle you can see the dampers used; Knowles green and white. I'm sure modders will eventually figure out how to swap them around to adjust the tuning.

Modders probably won't be interested in changing the housing geometry. That's pretty much spot on, just like it was with the B100 and B150. The gentle curvature of the housings conforms naturally to the outer ear. The slender and somewhat short nozzles keeps the tips from protruding too far into the ear canal, which for someone like me who can't use deep insertion iems was a relief. The balance of comfort and stability inherent to this design works exceptionally well and despite the relatively shallow insertion for an earphone of this style, isolation remains top notch.

Even without music playing, I found external noise was nullified quite effectively. Not to the point of near silence, but significantly dulled. Typing was reduced to a light clatter, tire noise a smooth wispy hum, and voices a murmur. I could still carry on a conversation with music off and the B400 in place, but it wasn't easy. Start playing some music and external noise is all but gone, especially with the included foam tips in place. With those the B400's isolation is crazy good.

Overall the B400 is durable feeling and put together well. The design is very ergonomic and as a result comfort levels are stellar. Isolation with the stock silicone tips is effective, made even more impressive with the Comply foam tips in place.

Sound:

Tips: This is one of the few earphones where I didn't hear a significant difference swapping between the silicone and foam tips. The foam tips are more comfortable and better isolating, so I guess those are the best set to use until they wear out and you need new ones. I also squeezed on some NuForce HEM tips but those did nothing but kill any semblance of treble. Advanced Model 3 tips had the same issue. Panasonic HJE-295 tips sounded virtually identical to the stock tips. They are made from a softer silicone and folded over if inserted too far, so they were no good. Lastly, I tried both silicone and foam tips from Shure. The silicone tips were too stiff making it tough to get a seal. The foams? They sounded very similar to Comply's set with maybe a touch less treble presence. Since the comfort and isolation were still there and they've got a built in wax guard, they're be a suitable replacement for when the stock Complys wear out.

I hear the B400 as characterized by a fairly neutral signature with a smooth yet authoritative mid-range. It has amply bass for a BA-based earphone with a fairly reserved yet detailed treble presence. All that sounds well and good, but the signature isn't what makes the B400 a must-buy in my eyes. That honor goes to it's technical prowess which bests earphones that play in a much higher price bracket.

The B400's soundstage is decent in size, giving you a good sense of space and air. What it does within this space gets my blood running and is unlike any other earphone I've tried, which as you'll see later includes some pretty respected company. Imaging is pinpoint accurate as I found out when using the B400 for gaming (PlayerUnknowns' Battlegrounds, Dity Rally, Wipeout Omega Collection, etc.).Sound transitions seamlessly between channels. Instruments and effects layer upon each other with no discernible clutter and prominent space between each. The way every aspect of a track is separated is inspiring. This is about as close to “3D” as I've heard from an in-ear. Detail retrieval overall is quite good too. Nothing sounds veiled or masked. The B400's excellent separation let's minute intricacies stand out clearly.

Aesop Rock's 'Fish Tales' is a fairly low resolution track with lots of grimy textures, layered vocals, and sweeping effects. It doesn't take much for it to sound sloppy and congested. My go at this song with the B400 was eye opening. Bass notes would swoop in from the sides. Aesop's vocals would clearly show up in three places at once. It made for a good showing.

The B400's bass is lightly boosted, especially above what I have come to expect from most BA only offerings. While it doesn't have the extension of an earphone sporting a dynamic driver, I was pleased with the amount of sub-bass they could output when the tracked called for it. It's actually quite reminiscent of my old XBA-2 in that regard. The bass output on that model is one of the reasons it still finds a place in my collection. While the B400's bass is quick as expected, but I found it's decay slower and more realistic than what I've come to expect from balanced armatures. This makes it especially pleasing with my usual EDM tracks.

The mid-range of this earphone has guts, as would be expected from one that uses two armatures to cover those frequencies. Vocals are alive and rife with detail with both male and female vocals sounding truly fantastic. Listening to Paul Williams on Daft Punk's 'Touch' is intoxicating. Guitars are crunchy as heck with amazing texture and wind instruments sound impressively breathy. Pianos have an authoritative body and presence. When you place this mid-range within an earphone with the layering and separation qualities that B400 has, it leads to some truly involving experiences.

The B400's treble extension is adequate with some early roll off that keeps them from fatiguing my ears over longer listening sessions. They are a little lacking in terms of sparkle and shimmer and could benefit from a small bump to both presence and brilliance regions, but then again, I like my earphones on the brighter side of which these are not. Despite the somewhat relaxed treble of the B400, it still feels airy.

Overall the B400's performance is impressive. It's treble verges on dull at times and it's end to end extension could be improved upon (upper ranges in particular), but when you hear the way it moves sound those concerns dissipate. The way this earphones portrays depth and width and everything in between is simply intoxicating and will have you seeking out tracks that push it's limits.

Select Comparisons:

B100: The B100 is thinner sounding with significantly more emphasis in the treble regions. They both have prominent, clear mid-ranges with the B100 lacking the weight and thickness of the B400. The B100's bass extends quite well, however, it's missing the mid- and sub-bass balance of the B400. In terms of soundstage, the B100 sounds larger and more open, but the depth and the way they display sound isn't comparable. The B400's soundstage is much more dynamic.

B150: The B150 and B400 share their general signature. The B400's sound stage is a slight upgrade while it's imaging, layering and separation are notably improved. They both have a warmer signature than the B100 with a more lush, natural mid-range and added mid-bass presence.

Campfire Audio Polaris:The Polaris is notably v-shaped, especially in comparison to the B400. As expected, the Polaris' bass depth is well beyond what the B400 can output without any significant hindrance in speed and texture. The Polaris' mid-range is quite dry with a touch of graininess to it, lacking the forwardness of the B400. The B400's treble is much less sparkly and energetic and does not have the extension of the Polaris. While the Polaris has a larger soundstage and images very well with similar levels of detail retrieval, it doesn't layer or separate nearly to the same extent. The Polaris sounds quite flat in comparison, not what I was expecting when I first pit them against each other.

FLC 8S: Since the 8S has 36 filter combinations, to keep this comparison straightforward I left it in my favorite layout; Gold/Red/Grey. The FLC 8S sounds thinner and less weighty than the B400 but with greater end-to-end extension. The B400 falls short in terms of soundstage size, but ups the FLC in terms of layering and separation. The FLC is better than most of the earphones in my collection but it still can't touch the B400 in this regard. I also found the B400 smoother and more refined with a more organic feel to it's mid-range. That's saying a lot because the FLC 8S has a gorgeous mid-range.

HifiMan RE800: The B400 is more balanced but also lacks the end to end extension of the RE800. Whereas the B400's treble is quite mellow to my ears, the RE800's lower treble spike makes it much more energetic. The RE800's presentation is much thinner, especially in the mid-range, yet at the same time it's also a warmer, more organic sound. The B400 has greater mid-bass presence but less sub-bass, and lacks the extension and rumble the RE800 is capable of outputting. The RE800 seems better with micro details. Combined with it's leaner presentation, to me it has a more typical “Hi-Fi” sound it. Where the B400 has the upper hand is, unsurprisingly, is in it's sound stage presentation. The RE800 is no slouch but despite the smaller soundscape it feels like it does a better job a presenting depth using a greater number of layers.

Final Thoughts:

Back when the B400 was first announced, Brainwavz stated they were gunning to take on earphones in the 300 USD price range. From a company known mostly for their budget gear, such a step up and using BAs only no-less, they had set some lofty goals. Obviously, things changed between then and now as the B400 isn't a 300 USD product, at least not according to the price tag.

Listen to them, however, and you'll understand why I say that you'd be hard pressed to find a better performing earphone for under 200 USD. I certainly haven't found one. Sure, other earphones may have a signature that is more exciting (Polaris) or more organic (RE800) but if you're one that values technical prowess in terms of layering, separation, and a dynamic soundstage, these are an absolute must-listen. Highly, highly recommended.

Thanks for reading and thank you once again to Brainwavz and Raz for the review opportunity.

- B9Scrambler

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Some Test Tunes:

Aesop Rock – The Impossible Kid (Album)
Hail Mary Mallon – Are You Going to Eat That? (Album)
King Crimson – Lark’s Tongues in Aspic (Album)
King Crimson – Starless and Bible Black (Track)
Supertramp – Crime of the Century (Album)
Infected Mushroom – Legend of the Black Shawarma (Album)
Gorillaz – Plastic Beach (Album)
Massive Attack – Mezzanine (Album)
Fleetwood Mac – Rumors (Album)
Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels (Album)
The Prodigy – The Day is My Enemy (Album)
Tobacco – screw*d Up Friends (Album)
Felt – Felt 2 (A Tribute to Lisa Bonet) (Album)
Michael Jackson – Thriller (Album)
The Crystal Method – Grace (feat. LeAnn Rimes) (Track)
Jidenna – Long Live the Chief (Track)
Skrillex – Ragga Bomb (Track)
Big Grams – Run for Your Life (Track)
Funkadelic – Maggot Brain (Track)
Aesop Rock – Fishtales (Track)

INTRODUCTION

I can still remember the headphones and the IEMs that got me into the hobby. The IEMs were the Shure SE420s (later to become the SE425's following some issues with the cable cracking). They were an IEM I still remember fondly, and I even remember the reason for eventually upgrading. They were nicely neutral, but simply didn't have the lower end or upper end extension.

Since then I've been on a bit of a quest of discovery, not only about what is available, but also what moves me personally, and they type of IEM I really enjoy. As part of this journey I got a chance to have a pretty good relationship with a company called Brainwavz, which culminated in me buying their HM5 Headphones and B2 IEMs – both of which I still consider to be absolute value propositions. Since then I've reviewed a lot of samples for them, and some of them have been very good, but they've always had minor issues – whether it was cables, fit, frequency spikes etc. They've come close to achieving brilliance, but something has always been missing or wrong (in my eyes anyway). What they have also been willing to do is listen and adapt.

I haven't been involved in their last few releases (TBH I was unsure if they would ever get it right – probably a little selfish of me). Then Razzer contacted me very recently, said they were working on a new quad – but it was something totally different to their previous releases. He also hinted at returning to the hey-days of the B2, and that is what really sold me. He arranged to send me a pair of prototypes (no packaging) and its these I've been playing with over the last 3-4 weeks.

So has Brainwavz managed to achieve some of their potential with the B400? Read on for my thoughts.

ABOUT BRAINWAVZ

Brainwavz Audio was formed in 2008 as a subsidiary of GPGS Hong Kong. Their goal has always been to develop a full range of audio solutions (mostly earphones and headphones) that cater for a variety of different tastes, uses and price brackets. They originally started with predominantly OEM designs from other companies, and more recently have been working to develop their own stand-alone products.

In their own words:
At Brainwavz we have a simple mission, to produce innovative, high quality audio products with a dedicated focus on high-end sound. Our strength, success and product range is built on the unique relationship with our customers. A relationship that has produced a simple and obvious result, we give real users real sound quality.


DISCLAIMER

The Brainwavz B400 that I’m reviewing today was provided as a review sample (outside normal tours etc). Razzer has asked me for my subjective opinion and feedback, with no restrictions or caveats. Brainwavz have asked me to keep it for my personal use, or for follow up comparisons, and I thank them for this. I do not make any financial gain from this review – it is has been written simply as my way of providing feedback both to the Head-Fi community and also Brainwavz Audio.

I have now had the Brainwavz B400 for almost 4 weeks. The retail price at time of review for the basic model is ~USD 190.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'. (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)


For the purposes of this review - I used the Brainwavz B400 from various sources at my disposal – both straight from the headphone-out socket, and also with further amplification. In the time I have spent with the B400, I have personally noticed no change to the overall sonic presentation.

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

To cut down on postage, and because I live out in the wop-wops (New Zealand is after all just a group of 3 islands in the South Pacific), Razzer simply sent me the small carry case (including some tips) and the IEMs. So I haven't actually had a chance to review the full package. What I can do though is give you a run down on what will be included

The total accessory package appears to include:

• 1 pair B400 IEMs
• 3.5mm upgraded MMCX stereo cable
• 2.5mm upgraded MMCX balanced cable
• Brainwavz carry case
• 1 earphone cleaning kit
• 6 sets of silicone ear tips (S M L)
• 1 set of Comply™ foam tips T-100 Red
• 2 x earphone sanitary wipes
• 1 shirt clip
• 1 x velcro cable tie
• Instruction manual & warranty card (24 month warranty)

I think the only thing I'd personally like to see is maybe an airline adapter (because the isolation on these is really excellent), and the inclusion of some more foam tips (preferably Comply, but even Crystal would be good – the medium were too small for my large canals). Otherwise, a good start.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

FREQUENCY GRAPH

The graph below is generated using the Vibro Veritas coupler and ARTA software. Ken Ball (ALO/Campfire) graciously provided me with measurement data which I have used to recalibrate my Veritas so that it mimics an IEC 711 measurement standard (Ken uses two separate BK ear simulators, we measured the same set of IEMs, and I built my calibration curve from shared data). I do not claim that this data is 100% accurate, but it is very consistent, and is as close as I can get to the IEC 711 standard on my budget. I suspect it is slightly down at around 9-10 kHz, but seems reasonably accurate through the rest of the spectrum.

I do not claim that the measurements are in any way more accurate than anyone else's, but they have been proven to be consistent and I think they should be enough to give a reasonable idea of response - especially if you've followed any of my other reviews. When measuring I usually always use crystal foam tips (so medium bore opening) - and the reason I use them is for very consistent seal and placement depth in the coupler. I use the same amp (E11K) for all my measurements - and output is under 1 ohm. For this measurement I had to use the included Comply tips because of the smaller nozzle.

Any graphs are provided merely as a point of discussion, and later in the review I've included comparisons to other IEMs for similar reference.


The B400 are what I would call a relatively natural, balanced, and well extended overall signature. The bass has very good extension and a natural bass hump (for impact) without ever getting too boomy or bass dominant. The mid-range has a very slight recession relative to both mid-bass and upper mid-range, but doesn't sound recessed because of the relative frequency peaks (it is still an extremely well balanced earphone).

Upper mid-range has a slow rise to a natural peak between 3-4 kHz, and displays great cohesion between lower and upper mid-range with no dissonance or tonality issues. Lower treble shows good extension, but is dialed back a little bit compared to mid-range. If you are a treble lover, you may want to give it a little nudge with EQ at 7-8 kHz.

A couple of things to not in particular with the frequency response graph:
- the absolutely excellent channel matching. It really is superb!
- the matching of peaks and valleys – note the mid-bass hump closely matches the upper-mid peak, and the sub-bass extension closely matches the 1 kHz valley.
This is the sign of an incredibly well tuned IEM.

BUILD AND DESIGN

The Brainwavz B400 has the very traditional peanut or jelly bean ergonomic shape adopted by most manufacturers when they really want a small and completely ergonomic in ear monitor. It reminds me a little of the MEE P1 or Shure standard housings. The model I have is the clear (or frosty) standard shell. It is 3D printed into two halves using the same type of resin usually used for Custom IEMs. These are then populated with the BA drivers, crossovers, filters, MMCX socket and joined to become the final earpiece.

The shell is approx 23mm across, 12mm high and 14mm deep at its widest point. It is also incredibly light, but feels quite tough. The shell on the “frosty edition” is translucent, and you can clearly see the armatures inside. On the exterior of the shell the word “Brainwavz” is printed on both sides. Apart from that, there is no other adornments I can see.

The shell join is pretty seamless over most of the IEM but at the very back of my right earpiece is a small ridge where they haven't quite joined properly. Given this pair is a prototype, and the care Brainwavz has taken with the entire package, I regard this as an exception rather than an issue/rule. Both the internal and external surface areas are well rounded with gentle ridges and valleys designed to perfectly fit with the main contours of your ear.

The nozzle protrudes slightly forward and slightly up from the front of the IEM and extends approx 5mm from the main body. It has an external diameter of approx 4mm, a generous lip, but is very small – and takes a Comply T100 tip. The lip really helps being able to use some larger tip sizes, but overall many of the larger tips I have simply won't fit (more on that later).

At the top rear of the B400 shell is a recessed standard MMCX socket. The socket is brilliantly firm with both included cables and you need to use real force to remove them (a great sign of longevity IMO).

There are 2 cables included, one single ended and one balanced. The single ended is high quality SPC and features formable ear-guides (which work really well), and a twisted pair of SPC wires (with soft PVC sheath) to the y-split. The Y-split is made of flexible clear rubber, with great strain relief and a clear piece of tubing for a cinch (nice touch). Below the Y-split, the two twisted pairs become a heavier twisted pair as the channels are wrapped around each other. The 2.5 mm stereo jack has a black hard plastic casing (with again very good strain relief), is straight, gold plated and again very smart-phone case friendly. The cable itself is made in the Taiwan, is again extremely flexible with no memory, and again is a perfect choice. With both cables there are virtually no microphonics, and any that are present can be eliminated by using the cinch.

Internally the B400 uses a 4 BA set-up, configured 1 low/sub, 2 mid and 1 high. They are Knowles BAs. Razz informs me that they use litz wire (manufactured in Netherlands) inside the earpieces and Kester solder on all joints. The resin for the 3D printing is sourced from the US and all manufacture and assembly is performed by in-house at Brainwavz in Hong Kong The overall quality and attention to detail is very high – and that shows in the graph I posted earlier (the driver matching is incredible). The entire process from printing the housing to final assembly, finishing, burn in, quality checking and packing per earphone takes ~28 hours.

All in all, I would say that the design and build quality is excellent (absolutely no issues apart from the one join – and I don't think we can count that as it was a prototype), and looks very durable.

FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION
Isolation is extremely good with the B400 but ultimately will depend on the tips you use and how good the seal is. I've already used these on a flight, and can definitely say that with a pair of Shure Olives, they were brilliant – eliminating most cabin noise and achieving the same sort of isolation as well fitting Shure IEMs. Turning to fit and comfort, and these thoughts are more subjective, and will vary from person to person, my experience has been one of complete satisfaction. As I mentioned earlier, the B400 has been designed for a completely ergonomic fit. For me they are a perfect fit, sit flush with my outer ear, and basically disappear within a few minutes of wearing (I could forget they are in). I have slept with them intact, and woken hours later with them still there and no discomfort. The lack of hard edges and the smooth finish contribute to an extremely positive experience. The B400 is designed to only be used cable over ear.

The B400 has an excellent lip on the nozzle, but has quite a skinny nozzle width (similar to Shures SE series). I've tried Spiral Dots, Spin-fits, Ostry tuning tips and Sony Isolation tips, and unfortunately while they fit, it was somewhat loose, and I'd leave tips in my ears. The included Comply 100 tips fit the nozzle well, but are too narrow for my big dumbo ear canals. The included silicones would not seal, but I did have plenty of options with a lot of generic small tips I've collected over the years.

The one tip I do have and which tends to fit me extremely well with shallower fitting IEMs is the Shure Olives. They are perfectly sized for the nozzle, long lasting, provide a great seal. For my personal tastes, Olives with the B400 they were made for each other.

SOUND QUALITY

The following is what I hear from the Brainwavz B400. YMMV – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline). Most of the testing at this point (unless otherwise stated) was done with my FiiO X7ii (single ended) no EQ, and large Shure Olive tips. I used the FiiO X7ii simply because it gives me a transparent window to the music with low impedance, and more than enough power. There was no DSP engaged.

For the record – on most tracks, the volume on X7ii was around the 40/120 level which was giving me an average SPL around 65-75 dB. Tracks used were across a variety of genres – and can be viewed in this list http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.17556

Relativities

• Sub-bass – has good extension and even at my lower listening levels the rumble is clearly audible, but is not really visceral or intense (I often find BA bass does not have the same impact as dynamic). Does not dominate at all with tracks like Lorde's Royals, but does give some thump to give a sense of impact without overshadowing vocals, and there is no bleed (or masking) into the lower mid-range. Balanced and quick rather than slamming.
  
• Mid-bass – has a natural mid-bass hump – providing good impact, and sitting elevated over lower mids and sub-bass, and roughly equal with upper mids (so really good balance). Has good impact with tracks like Amy Winehouse's “You know I'm no good”, but never going to be confused for a basshead IEM. To me this is perfect (and natural) bass quantity.
  
• Lower mid-range – there is a slight recession compared to sub and mid-bass, and also the upper mid-range, but does not sound recessed or distant at all. Male vocals do not quite have the same presence as female vocals (bit I don't have the urge to turn the volume up slightly – so I think the balance is pretty good), and they do have enough body to be thoroughly enjoyable.
  
• Upper mid-range – elevated compared to lower mid-range, and there is a gentle rise from 1 kHz to a first peak at just over 3 kHz. The result is a clean and clear vocal range, with very good cohesion and some euphony for female vocals to sound sweet and elevated. There is also good sense of bite with guitars.
  
• Lower treble has good extension, and really is quite even and sustained from about 4 khz through to 10 kHz with just some minor dips. It isn't over-emphasised, remaining at about the same amplitude as the lower mid-range. This presents a reasonable sense of clarity and detail, but without any sign of harshness.
  
• My measuring equipment tends to struggle with accuracy over 10 kHz, and its a hit or miss whether I can actually hear it. Doesn't show any sign of deficiencies to me.

Resolution / Detail / Clarity

• Clarity is good – its something BA's tend to do extremely well, and the B400 is a competent performer in this area. Cymbals are clear and show really natural decay without over-doing things with too much upper harmonics in the 7 kHz area. Tracks like 10CC's “Art for art's sake” display really nice detail without any sign of smearing. If anything I would prefer a small bump at 7-8 kHz, but I acknowledge that is personal preference.
  
• Breaking Benjamin's “Diary of Jayne” is a really good track because there is plenty of high-hat action, but over the top are the vocals and a lot of guitar. The B400 handles it all with aplomb, and there is no sign of smearing, confusion or missing / masked micro detail. These drivers are really quick and very well tuned.
  
• Seether's live version of “Immortality” from their “One Cold Night” live album is a good track for checking the tonality of guitar, and the ability of cymbal decay to come through clearly despite the amount of acoustic guitar presence. The B400 managed this (the tonality overall just has tremendous cohesion and balance), but again I would prefer just a little bump in the 7-8 kHz region.
  
• Overall I feel as though I'm hearing everything in the recordings – and this is even at my lower listening levels. Tonality is really nicely balanced through the frequency spectrum, and would be an ideal platform to add your own colouration requirements via EQ.

Sound-stage and Imaging

• Directional queues are very good – clean and clear, and presentation of stage is just on the periphery of my head space with binaural tracks. The B400 has reasonable sense of perceived head-stage for an IEM, but is not what I would call overly open sounding (nor should it be).
  
• Separation of instruments and imaging is very good, again a benefit of a well tuned BA.
  
• One of the more spherically presented sound-stages I've had with an IEM (is this the mix of balance and incredibly well matched drivers?) – with only a slight L/R dominance, and reasonable sense of depth as well as width.
  
• The applause section of “Dante's Prayer” was extremely well presented with a realistic of flow around me. Does not quite come to the level of more expensive multi-drivers (Dipper/U10), but at a fraction of the price it is not embarrassed in their company. Impressive.
  
• “Let it Rain” was simply fantastic. The track has a wonderfully three-dimensional sense of spatial presentation – it is the way the track was miked. There was virtually no hint of sibilance with Amanda's vocal – and I know its present in the recording – so the slightly subdued upper treble response is toning things down slightly. The track itself though – beautifully presented!

Sonic Strengths

• Overall tonal balance and clarity – while retaining a smoothness in the lower treble
  
• Imaging, and separation, but Ina more intimate total perceived stage.
  
• Both sub and mid-bass have enough impact to sound quite natural but do not dominate otherwise
  
• Very good portrayal of both male and female vocals.
  
• Nicely detailed at low listening levels, and not harsh or abrasive at louder levels
  
• Extremely good transition between lower and upper mid-range

Sonic Weaknesses

• This is a hard one because it doesn't really have any sonic weaknesses as such, but personally I'd like just a little bump at around 7-8 kHz to bring cymbals a little more forward. I acknowledge this is personal preference only. Treble heads or lovers of a brighter signature might want to look elsewhere unless they are OK with EQ.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

The B400 is not a hard IEM to drive with its 30 ohm impedance and 115 dB sensitivity. It was easily driven with all the sources I tried, and this included my iPhone SE and players like FiiO's X1ii (neither are power houses). My iPhone SE only needed about one third of its volume for a comfortable 65-75dB and going to 50% volume was simply to loud for me on most tracks (pushing into the 80-85dB range).

I also went back and forth (volume matching with test tones and fixed volumes using a few different combos – iPhone SE & FiiO Q1ii, X3ii & E17K, and X7ii by itself, and did not notice any appreciable difference between amped and straight out of a DAP.

BALANCED PERFORMANCE

Fortunately I have a couple of balanced sources I can use to test the B400, and I also have a 2.5mm balanced to 3.5mm SE adapter – which makes rapid switching between the two really easy. I've graphed the outputs using both the X7ii, and also the Q1ii.

The graphs may not quite line-up with the graph I used to show default frequency response – and that is because it was created using the Q1ii and X7ii – neither of which are calibrated properly for my main measuring rig. But they both can show relative frequency response – and any changes between the balanced and single-ended output.

As you can see from the graphs – the difference between the two is purely volume / power related, and once you volume match (on my rig anyway) the frequency response is exactly the same. So for anyone comparing the two – I suggest volume matching very carefully. As for my own listening tests – after careful volume matching, I can't tell any difference in bal/SE on either source (Q1ii or X7ii). Both sound fantastic.

If you see people making night and day claims between the two – my advice – take those comments with a rather large grain of salt (and also anything else they say).

RESPONSE TO EQ

I think most people will love these as they are. But for those like me who want perhaps a little tweak in that lower treble – I can definitely recommend it (for my preferences). Using the X7ii, I simply nudged up 8 kHz by about 4dB, then changed the gain to bring it back up to my normal listening level. The end result – cymbals are once again a little more forward in the mix (my preference). Anyway – the B400 responds well to EQ (a sub-bass boost was enough to implement quite a bit of rumble if you prefer that). The versatility of the B400 is impressive.

COMPARISON WITH OTHER IEMS

Its always a hard one to try and pick earphones to compare with – simply because some earphones just hit well above their price point (and the B400 definitely does). So I chose to compare with some very strong contenders in the $150-$500 range, concentrating mainly on multi-driver IEMs.

For the source, I wanted something very neutral, but with a good digital control, to make sure I could volume match. So I chose to use my new work-horse – the FiiO X7ii. No DSP or EQ was used. Gain was low (I didn't need any more). I volume matched using a calibrated SPL meter and fixed 1kHz test tone first. My listening level was set to an average of 75dB.

I chose to compare Simgot Audio's new EN700 Pro ($150), my favourite Alclair Curve ($250), Earsonic's ES2 ($299), and ES3 ($399), and Dunu's DK-3001 ($500).

Brainwavz B400 (~USD 190) vs Simgot EN700 Pro (~USD 150)
I reviewed the EN700 Pro a couple of weeks ago. It should have made the front page IMO – a 5 star IEM in every sense of the word, and especially at its very low price point. The EN700 Pro is a single DD IEM. Both earphones have excellent build, very good quality cables (1 SE in the case of the EN700 Pro), and outstanding comfort. The B400 does have a lot better isolation comparatively.

Sonically the two earphones are quite differently tuned, even though they look somewhat similar on a frequency graph. For starters the EN700 Pro's bass is centered more toward the sub-bass, and the DD bass appears warmer with greater impact. Its also a little slower and not as clean as the much quicker and more agile B400 BA drivers. The B400 is also more balanced overall than the comparatively more V shaped and mid-centric EN700 Pro. The B400 simply appears cleaner overall. As far as mid-range goes, the EN700 Pro is quite a bit more coloured and forward (it is quite vividly tuned). Both have a “relaxed” and non-fatiguing lower treble.

This one ultimately comes down to personal preference, and I highly recommend both at their respective price points. For me personally, I've always loved and preferred a well tuned BA based mid-range, and with these two my own personal preference would go with the B400 – but really you can't go wrong with either.

Brainwavz B400 (~USD 190) vs Alclair Curve (~USD 250)
The Curve from Alclair is my go-to IEM for the last couple of years. It is an exquisitely tuned dual BA IEM with one for the most ergonomic designs I've ever encountered. It is also an IEM which deserves far more recognition and one which I will never sell.

Again both earphones have excellent build (resin vs polycarbonite), very good quality cables (again just 1 SE in the case of the Curve), and outstanding comfort (the Curve narrowly slips ahead in a head-to-head on fit and comfort). Both have a fantastic isolation.

These two IEMs are actually very close sonically, sharing a very similar tonality. The B400 is very slightly thicker sounding, and definitely a little smoother. Both have very quick and clean bass, and both are exquisitely balanced. The big difference for me is in the lower treble extension, and this is where the Curve just has a little more emphasis – but it is in balance and not over extended. Picking a winner between these two is not easy, and I know I can simply EQ a little 7-8 kHz on the B400 and get the signature I like. This one is simply too close to call. If I was picking a trifecta or triple crown at 3 price points ($150 / $200 / $250) it would be the 3 IEMs I have so far compared.

Brainwavz B400 (~USD 190) vs Earsonics ES2 (~USD 299)
The Earsonics ES2 is another dual BA IEM which impressed me from the outset by its overall all round ability. Again build quality is very good on both the ES2 and B400, and both are well designed with fit and comfort in mind – although this time it is the B400 which is the more comfortable of the two. Both have good quality removable cables – but with the B400 you get two, and the overall cable quality is better. Isolation is very good on both IEMs – but again the B400 does seem to have a slight edge.

Sonically the two earphones are very similar with bass and lower mid-range, but quite different in their upper mid-range and lower treble. Its not until you compare the two side-by-side that you realise how forward and coloured/vivid the mid-range is on the ES2, and although I still really like it, I'm finding the B400 seems a lot more natural sounding in it's tuning. The ES2 flirts with the tiniest bit of dissonance in comparison, and although it really is crystal clear and very detailed, I am struck by how much more “real” the B400 sounds in comparison. For me personally this is an easy one – I'm more impressed with the B400 and at almost half the price it really is an easy choice.

Brainwavz B400 (~USD 190) vs Earsonics ES3 (~USD 399)
The Earsonics ES3 is a triple BA IEM which in a way sounds reasonably similar to the great Andromeda from CA. Its an IEM which took a while to grow on me, but which has impressed me every time I've heard it. I'll skip past the physical attributes, because ultimately the ES3 has the same build quality and dimensions as the ES2 we've just compared.

These two sound quite different. For starters the ES3 has more sub-bass warmth, but the B400 has more overall mid-bass and resulting fullness and richness of mid-range. The ES3 is comparatively quite flat in the mid-bass area so lacks a little bass impact overall, and because of this sounds very, very clear, and clean. Couple that with the lower treble having a pronounced spike at 7 kHz, and you have a monitor that treble heads will ultimately love. Overall clean, cool, and detailed. The B400 in comparison is just a little richer, more relaxed, and perhaps more natural sounding tonally.

Again they are both really good IEMs, but I'm considering the overall tonality, and knowing what I can do with a bit of EQ in the 7-8 kHz area with the B400. So, I just can't get over the more realistic overall presentation the B400 delivers – at less than half the price. If I had to choose – it would be the B400.

Brainwavz B400 (~USD 190) vs Dunu DK-3001 (~USD 499)
The Dunu DK-3001 is a quad hybrid IEM which was released by Dunu earlier this year, and captivated me from first listen. Its starting to get to the more expensive end of the range, and at close to to $500 is 2-3 times the price of the B400.

Both IEMs have quality builds – sturdy, good material and a nice finish. Both come with good quality single-ended and balanced cables. The big difference in terms of design though is in the ergonomics. The B400 fits exquisitely and disappears when worn. The DK-3001 has hard internal angles, and for me personally becomes painful to wear after an hour (which is a real shame).

The two IEMs are quite different yet both sound quite natural in their own way. With the DK-3001, the bass is tastefully executed, and while it looks close to the B400 on the graph, the DD of the hybrid does give it more overall impact. Switching to the B400 and the first thing you notice with the bass is the missing heft and dynamism. It still sounds great – but the DK-3001 is just in another league. Lower mid-range is very good on both, and both nail male vocals with excellence. The upper mid-range is quite different though, with the DK-3001 being very vivid and definitely more coloured (it is also glorious for a female vocal lover). The other major difference is in the lower treble, and where the B400 is more subdued, the DK-3001 has effortless extension and detail – yet never overdoes things. It is perfect treble for my tastes. The only other IEM which is close is the Big Dipper. If you were summarising in terms of painting, the DK-3001 is an oil based – bright colours, captivating, beautifully balanced and yet still very vivid. The B400 is the water colour – a little more natural in overall tonality, but when you put the two side-by-side your eyes are naturally drawn to the oil painting.

If I could get the DK-3001's overall tonality (maybe a small cut to the first peak) and put it in the body of the B400, I'd simply stop reviewing. There would be no point – you'd have perfection, or very close to it. Unfortunately we can't, and when comparing the two, ultimately the superior comfort (yet still very good tonality) of the B400 beats out the brilliance of the DK-3001. The fact you an do so at less than half the price of the Dunu doesn't hurt either. If Dunu ever combines tonality with ergonomics though – watch out!

VALUE

So how do I see the overall value of the B400? Quite simply, it is unfathomable that you can buy this sort of quality at sub $200. if you'd told me a month ago that the Simgot EN700 Pro or the Alclair Curve would have serious competition in similar brackets I would have raised an eyebrow and said “yeah right” with some skepticism. The B400 from Brainwavz is not just competitive at its price level – its setting a new benchmark. It would be hard to think of any IEM I've tried (apart from the Curve) which not only breaks the old ideas of great value – it shatters it. The B400 can live comfortably with peers at least double its price point, and it does this with ease.

BRAINWAVZ B400 – SUMMARY

If you've got this far, you already know how this part goes, so I'll keep it short. The B400 from Brainwavz heralds anew era for them – one in which they finally have put together a complete package – build quality, fit, comfort, and sound quality – and done so at an incredible price point.

The B400 is made from durable quality materials, and is a joy to wear (very comfortable). It comes with two high quality cables, and if you can get a good seal, you;'re in for a real treat sonically. It provides a very balanced, clean, clear and engaging window to the music, which is smooth and thoroughly enjoyable for long term listening.

It wasn't that long ago that you'd expect to pay $4-500 for this sort of quality, and the fact that you can now get a B400 for less than $200 is really incredible value. With no real flaws there is only one ranking I can give this earphone. 5/5 from me. If you like a balanced and tonally natural signature with a relatively smooth top end, simply look no further.

I just want to close with thanking Razzer for the chance to review the B400. I don't know how he'll follow this though. Brainwavz may have just made a rod for their own back

Intro:
Today I'd like to give a review of the new Brainwavz B400 quad armature earphones. Thanks to Raz from Brainwavz who contacted me to offer me the B400 in exchange for an objective review.

I have heard plenty of Brainwavz earphones from the S series to the R3 to other B series models such as the B2, B150, and B200. I liked the previous lower models B150 and B200 for their fit and smooth, well behaved sound yet thought they were a bit overpriced for their lack of removable cables and overall technical ability at the original prices. You might have seen a post from me applauding Brainwavz for adjusting those models prices lower.

This time around Brainwavz comes pretty strong with a current flagship product that is an evolution of the lower B models. They have upped the comfort/fit, added plenty of color choices, removable cables with options, high technical ability, and started with a very affordable price point!

The B400 can be found here: https://www.brainwavzaudio.com/coll...-quad-balanced-armature-earphones-stay-frosty
Features:

• 4 Balanced armature drivers
• 3D Printed housing
• Ergonomic Design
• Detachable MMCX Cables

Specifications:

• Drivers : Quad Balanced Armature
• Rated Impedance : 30Ω
• Frequency Range : 10 Hz - 40 kHz
• Sensitivity : 115dB
• Cable : Detachable MMCX
• Plug : 3.5 mm, Gold plated

Included Accessories:

• 3.5mm Standard MMCX Stereo Cable
• 2.5mm Standard MMCX Balanced Cable
• Earphone Hard case
• 1 Set earphone cleaning kit
• 6 sets of Silicone Ear Tips (S M L)
• 1 set of Comply™ Foam Tips T-100 Red
• 2 Earphone sanitary wipes
• 1 Shirt Clip
• Velcro Cable Tie
• Instruction Manual & Warranty Card (24 month warranty)

I did receive the B400 w/o the retail packaging so not much of an unboxing experience. Still opening up the case found a very handsome earphone with nice accessories! Here is the B400 in pics:









My B400 came with the Candy Cane 2.5mm balanced and Frosty 3.5mm cables:



Design:
Some info provided to me by Raz...
- Drivers are produced by Knowles
- 3D printer and resin are from/made in the US, printed & assembled in house at Brainwavz
- The silver cable is made in USA by a very well know manufacturer within the IEM industry, high purity, OFC silver plated cable
- The balanced cable is made in Taiwan, high purity, OFC silver plated cable
- The standard cables will be made in Taiwan by the same manufacturer of the balanced cable using OFC copper cable
- The litz wire used within the housing is from Netherlands by a premium litz cable manufacturer
- We are using Kester Solder (made in USA) for soldering the wires within the housing, and soldering the balanced cable and standard cables.
- Comply T-100 tips included (made in USA)
- The only components that are made in China are the earphone case, silicone tips and packaging material.
- The entire earphone is assembled and packed at our workshop in Hong Kong by our own team, so the quality control and attention to detail is very high.
- The entire process from printing the housing to final assembly, finishing, burn in, quality checking and packing per earphone takes 28+ hours.

The Frosty B400 design is excellent. A frost translucent textured finish with an excellent fitting ergonomic shape. The housing seems decently thick and sturdy. It has MMCX connectors that spin free with no locking mechanism for the cable. I have found the connection snaps in nicely and have had no connection issues in my time with them.

The shape fits me wonderfully. Flush, very stable, and extremely comfortably. The Frosty cable has a metal wire memory portion you can shape to fit the ears. I went with more of the squared off bend style which I like.

Looking straight into the B400 bore you don't find any screens or filters right away but further back you'll see two Knowles dampers one green and one white. Like a little speaker with woofer and tweeter then some room in between allowing things to mix and then out the bore/tip and into the ear canal.

Sound Impressions:
Coming off the speaker-like design description, I will describe the sound presentation.

If you have read the B400 thread on Head-Fi you'll have seen that fellow member Brooko posted an early F.R. graph for the B400 and it agrees exactly with how I hear the B400. A bit of a low arched smooth bass hump that rolls slow into the sub 50Hz frequencies and gentle sloping treble with nice reach and a bit of a peak between 3-4K right before that keeping them from being too smooth like the B200 is to my ears. I also hear an excellently matched earphone that delivers wonderfully well edged notes that are sharp clean and super well focused helping the detail and resolution be top notch.

Not a flat earphone nor boosted to really U or V but right at a sweet spot that many will love and others can push in either direction to suit either more neutral or more warm tastes without too much trouble.

The "little speaker" look inside the bore seems to help give then a wonderfully well layered and blended image and soundscape. Like a more speaker presentation on a smaller scale. Stage is a good size and things inside can be placed pretty much anywhere the recording may call for it. Aided by the great channel matching and sharp edged notes from the Knowles drivers the particular set-up can seemingly place things anywhere in that little room/space in front of the dampers and the ears hear a realistic image that is further up the scale from earphone sounding to a more realistic speaker sound than most of the earphones I have heard. Only thing holding back here is the sealed design not being as open or 3D as an earbud or semi-open earphone can be.

Still you are transported to a warm smooth but not dark musical place that really engages with great ability, great balance, and great character or personality. Not a monitor sound here stripping away towards the sterile but a real house sound. The Knowles flavor is there and familiar but a Brainwavz has instilled a house sound or flavor more like a dynamic earphone does and more well done than most any all armature earphone I have come across. Not all the dynamic bass reach or power but impact and some feel is there. In fact notes throughout the range have a good weight and tactile nature making them more 3D in and of themselves.

As for the bass we have a high quality bass with some heft and a bit of warmth. Solid sub reach only bested by TOTL armature models and quality dynamics. I do feel when using the stock silicone tips the note get a little smudged and loss their sharpness and tightness. A bit easier to hear with the ability of the B400. Any loss of that sharp edge in any part of the spectrum is easy for me to pick out. Points to the resolving ability of the B400 and is fixed with tips if ones hears it. The bass mixes with the treble wonderfully for cymbals and drums to form a realistic drum kit that is integrated and positioned accurately. The bass is both very tight and quick enough to keep up with any type of music yet still has good punch and weight. Satisfying armature bass if you will

Mids are airy, clean, wonderfully imaged, and to me the most 3D part of the spectrum. Imaged in front of the drum kit nicely they space out well, are super intelligible, and float wonderfully in thier own space. Revealing and the most well spaced or distinct part of the spectrum. Probably hearing all my familiar tracks the mids stood out most as far as a "hearing them like I haven't heard them before" kind of effect.

The treble is a team player but still excellent. Accurate and clean tones. Just metallic enough, transparent with an accurate decay. Blends in well but still reaches quite high with the polite roll off. Plays well with the whole image popping up to highlight things when called for more than being a constant focus. Real treble detail and not forced, or boosted/exaggerated to give more detail or hear it easier. Lacks only the highest registers as far as reach.

Overall:
The new B400 is a quad done right plain and simple. All the technical ability you'd expect from 4 armatures blended together the right way to give weight, texture, personality, and a wonderfully coherent and immersive presentation. They designed a sturdy housing with one of the better fitting shapes, added an array of color choice and cable options. Then they gave it an extremely fair price and configuration options that don't make you pay for something you don't want or need. Brainwavz took what they started with the B100/150/200 and nearly perfected it! I recommend them heartily!!