Brainwavz BLU-300

Brainwavz has always prided themselves as being the alpha male when it comes to 3rd party earpads since most would think that when you say Brainwavz, it’s automatically, Earpads. So when they offered me to realview a divergence from the usual line that I realview from them, then and there I agreed. That divergence came in the form of a Bluetooth earphones, the Brainwavz BLU-300.

The Brainwavz BLU-300 is a wireless Bluetooth sports earphone designed and made as the perfect exercise partner. It features Bluetooth 4.1, 10mm Dynamic driver, IPX7 water resistant rating, inline mic controls, magnetic earphone clasps and an 8-Hr battery life.With the BLU-300 utilizing Bluetooth 4.1 which allows for a guaranteed stability for a 10m connection range and a 24MBs connection speed which I hope will hold its ground later. The Brainwavz BLU-300 is priced for only $39.50 which at the moment is currently on a holiday season sale for just $33.58, you can head out to the Brainwavz Official Site and their Brainwavz Amazon and Brainwavz Amazon UK counterparts to check out the BLU-300 and their other audiophile offerings.


Brainwavz BLU-300 Spec sheet:

• Drivers : Dynamic, 10mm
• Rated Impedance : 16Ω
• Frequency Range : 20Hz ~ 20kHz
• Sensitivity : 102 dB at 1 mW
• Rated Input Power : 5 mW
• Bluetooth Version: 4.1
• Pairing : Single & Dual Pairing
• Operating Range : Up-to 10 meters
• Voice Prompt : Yes
• Play Time : ~6-8 hours
• Standby Time : ~250 hours
• Charge Time : 1-2 hours

BLU-300 Accessory set, basic.
The Brainwavz BLU-300 came in a simple white cardboard box white the BLU-300 silhouette printed on the front and the products’ specifications with bullet points to highlight its most notable features. Opening the box immediately reveals the BLU-300 which is stored appropriately in a way that doesn’t stress the neckband and protects the actual earphones and the inline mic controls, this is probably the only time I can remember now which the BLU-300 has been stored since I started using it. The accessory is as basic as its gets with only coming with a set of silicon ear tips(S, M, and L) and the charging cable.


BLU on Green
Marketed as the perfect exercise partner, the Brainwavz BLU-300 is mostly made of smooth matte rubber with touches of metal for the magnetic clasps and then an unverified hard plastic or maybe metal earphone housing and inline mic controls housing. No other color option is available and anyone is stuck with black which might push away the trendy and flashy gym bods and audiophiles.

The neckband utilizes the flat rubber cable which isn’t sticky and did great when used with a collared shirt as it contours well with the curves and when used with sports jerseys leaves a lighter impression on the neck although it is indeed very light as opposed to a round cable even when lightweight. It also allows for an easier storage solution since braided cables are welcome to be absent on sports earphones after all.

The BLU-300 utilizes a neckband design to house the inline mic control via a standard 3-button configuration, one used to turn on/off the BLU-300,initiate pairing, activate “hey google”, play/pause while the other 2 buttons are for the usual volume controls as well as doing the forward/previous controls. The buttons are easy to spot and has good identifiable shapes which worked really great, I didn’t find any issues with navigating the numerous BLU-300 features with it.


Brainwavz BLU-300 Bluetooth 4.1 x OnePlus 3T.
Utilizing the already old 2014 released Bluetooth 4.1 for its connectivity needs and you might be wondering why the choice and we’ll dig into that. The BLU-300 features a single LED light indicator which toggles between red and blue. Charging is signified red while battery full is blue, turned on is a quick blue blinking, turned off is quick red blinking. Pairing mode is with quick red/blue blinking while intermittent blue blinks at around 8 second interval signifies paired and connected mode and volume changes doesn’t have LED light indicators although it uses a 15-step volume control independent from the source which was great when adjusting an already locked volume source.

Pairing and connecting the BLU-300 was an easy task and had never encountered any issues with connecting and pairing for the full month I used it daily to pair with my mobile phone, laptop and DAP. Stability was also top-notch, all daily tasks that required an earphone that I do regularly was improved when using the BLU-300 from watching movies, streams, taking in calls and listening to music. The advertised 10m range was on point and only encountered hiccups when I moved to a room separated by a concrete wall, the 10m was to be found but audio was cutting out already. Taking out for a jog was also a joy although the neckband bouncing around was a bit annoying but not straining to the neck. It did well with backing its IPX7 rating although the rubber flap protecting the charging slot wasn’t as snug as I would expect.

The BLU-300 was advertised to pump out 6-8 hours of wireless audio connectivity and it is accurate, my average usage time for the BLU-300 clocked in at 5 to 6.5 hours with source swapping at around 4-6 times and at 9-12 volume steps. 8 hours was to be achieved if you stick with a single source and at 5-9 volume steps. Charging time was an average 2 hours maximum which I’m fine with given it was very stable and was really able to eke out all the minutes worth my charge.

The BLU-300 was never marketed to give an overall excellent sound experience but a powerful bass was marketed. With a dynamic driver to its name,I gave it all the time in the world for a full burn-n which after around the 100-hour mark indeed showcased a great fat bass response which although lacks in attack delivery was compensated by a soft decay presence that doesn’t congest the midrange but instead complimented it. The midrange performance of the BLU-300 was its best aspect soundwise which is just perfect for those voice call quality and video watching session, not to mention that latency was great and no delay was too great for the BLU-300. The midrange was natural sounding with a touch of the subtle lower frequency bleed. Timbre is a tad off with a lean towards the lower spectrum. The Highs are mediocre and at this rate is already no-brainer since minute details are still distinguishable enough to say yeah, there’s those highs.

The Brainwavz BLU-300, although not the perfect exercise partner, scratched off all my Bluetooth 4.1 worries away, this wireless earphone is the perfect example of a greatly implemented BT4.1 with zero connection and stability issues and still provide a sound quality that is both warm and smooth sounding. The build quality is top-notch and the choice of the flat cable neckband is a standard to be observed, round cables just doesn’t sit right on the neck. Did I mention that the 6-8hour battery life is already just an added bonus for how stable the wireless connection was? Yeah, you got that right, the Brainwavz BLU-300 is and will be staying on my neck from now on.

More realviews on my site, http://audiorealviews.site/

Brainwavz HM100 Headphones & BLU-300 BT IEMs Review - Two Hands, Two Great



Brainwavz HM100 is a dynamic headphone, priced at 140 USD, while BLU-300 is priced at 40 USD. They will be compared with 1More Triple Driver, ESS 422H, and with AIWA ARC-1, all of which are pretty close in price to HM100. There aren't many BT IEMS in the 40 USD price range, so BLU-300 won't get comparisons this time around. Pairings with iBasso DX120, FiiO M6, and HIDIZS AP80 will be included as well. For HM-100, I included an EQ profile that should work well with all of the pairings that have an EQ built-in, and which should make their sound a bit better.



Introduction

Brainwavz is one of the most popular companies from USA, and they are actually one of my favorites after having reviewed their Alara headphones, which have proven to be a real gem, and since they often go on sale, and have a really good price / performance ratio, I kept a close eye on Brainwavz. HM100 is a headphone they have been planning for a long time, and since it is a wooden headphone, but priced so low, it makes everyone wonder if they should skip more expensive models like Meze 99 Classics, and get the cheaper, yet similarly good looking HM100. The company itself is stellar, quick response, reliable support, and overall a great one. You can get a headphone from them, but here's a quick tip: Those sell so quick, you have to keep a close eye on the stocks, they really have gained popularity lately, and no one returned to complain that Brainwavz isn't good enough as a company.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Brainwavz, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank Brainwavz for providing the sample for this review. This review reflects my personal experience with Brainwavz HM100 and BLU-300. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in Brainwavz HM100 and BLU-300 find their next music companion.



About me

https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/p/about.html



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:

When it comes to BLU-300, though, the package is fair for their price tag. You get the essentials, but nothing special, and the package itself is not that interesting either.













It is something to appreciate that besides the eartips of different sizes, they also throw in an USB cable, but other than that, the thing that suprises me the most about them can only be observed when wearing them.



What to look for when purchasing an Entry-Level Headphone / IEM

https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/p/what-to-lookl.html



Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

The BLU-300 is one of those around-the-neck Bluetooth earbuds that made it to people's hearts just like Sennheiser Momentum M2 IEBT.



The BLU-300 runs on BT 4.1. The neck design means that the IEM ends up being much lighter than most TWS designs, like the Master & Dynamic MW07, or the 1More Stylish TWS IEMs. It takes them 2 hours to charge, which is not exactly quick. The battery life measures 6-8 hours of usage, which is not exactly a lot, when there are TWS IEMs that provide more than that, on a single charge, not considering the battery life of the carrying case.

The back of BLU-300 is magnetic, and they connect to each other, making some kind of neckband, which is both pretty cute, and provides a longer life, if you'll be using them while doing more serious physical activity.



This is actually the big selling point of BLU-300, they are intended for physical activity, and you probably won't be using them while at home.

The Bluetooth connection is very stable, and for the 40 USD price point, you won't mind the fact they only have SBC codecs, and that aptX codecs are not present



I noticed some driver flex with BLU-300, and while that won't affect how long they last, it will have some effect on your comfort while wearing them, and sadly, especially when using them for sports and physical activities, where you move a lot, you will notice that driver flex.



Sound Quality

The thick, warm and satisfying sound of BLU-300 actually reminds me of the Westone WX Wireless IEMs, which, despite having a single BA configuration, had one of the thickest, most satisfying low ends I have heard at that date.



The same can be said by BLU-300, and the bass dominates the sound for them, so if you're looking for something that can really deliver a low end impact without feeling shy, this may be the one for you. On the other hand, the mids are thick, dark, and not the clearest out there. For workout music, and for dubstep, EDM and electronic in general, it works well, but if you're looking for an IEM that plays rock and metal well, there are better options, at this price range, like KZ AS10 and such, although those aren't Bluetooth.

You can hear the SBC codec and the quality loss over the BLU-300 not having aptX pretty clearly. This being said, it probably would not had had much better detail and resolution otherwise either, but with aptX and LDAC enabled IEMS, you get less reduction in the midrange detail, and you get a larger stage, considerably more dynamics, and more micro-details. Those are the things that Bluetooth usually erases, and with BLU-300, you get a pretty limited sound, dynamically, but that works okay for its price. In fact, if it was any more expensive, I probably would had complained, but for the 40 USD you're paying, this is a fair performance.



Portable Usage

Given the fact that both headphones are in a price range most people will be taking them outdoors, I think that you're best knowing that both are fairly average for portable usage.

HM100 is great because it has a great deal of passive noise isolation, it is fairly easy to drive, but it also gets really warm during normal wearing, and you won't have such a great time if you're wearing them in full blown summer.



A Bluetooth Receiver / DAC like FiiO BTR5 can totally drive HM-100, and you won't have to worry about HM 1000 not having enough dynamics or punch. This being said, BTR5 sounds best while on wired, so there'll still be a clip attached to the end of the cable, unless FiiO decides to make something like the BTA10 for HM100.

On the other hand, if you connect HM100 to a Mytek Brooklyn DAC+, Aune S6PRO, or iFi xCan, you will notice that they scale a lot with the source, so you may want to get them even if you have a pretty high-end setup already, tro have a wooden headphone as a backup.



BLU-300, on the other hand, managed to keep its connection strong at all times, but it has some driver flex, so if you'll be wearing them while out and about, especially while running, they may make a yoyo kind of movement with your ear and eardrum.

This is not desirable, and there are other, better options out there for sports, like the 1More Stylish TWS IEMs, or iBasso IT01S connected to a FiiO BTR3 or BTR5.



Of course, if you really want a TWS IEM, Master & Dynamic also makes their MW07, but they are considerably more expensive than BLU 300, and everything I can recommend that is better is also more expensive than the BLU300, so if you're on a budget, those are a great deal.



Value and Conclusion

When talking about Brainwavz products you can't miss the value, because every single one of their products is top value. This includes the Brainwavz Alara, which was one of those planars that took on the Sundara, but was on a different sonic direction. HM100 is also an incredible value, and there's been an invasion of wooden earcups headphones at this price point, but none with the accessory list and package of HM100.



The BLU-300 is priced very low by itself, and for just 40 USD you get a neckband earbud that's fun to use, you can take to gym and which should last a long time.

The package is great for HM100, but pretty basic for BLU-300. The comfort is great for both though, although I recall having some driver flex with BLU-300, which made them not exactly ideal for gym and sports usage. HM-100, on the other hand, was pretty solid, and although it scaled a lot with the source, was very easy to drive.



The sound was boomy, dark, but had some treble air and sparkle for HM100. BLU-300 was one of those really thick and warm sports earbuds that had a really ferocious bottom end. They lack air and treble extension though, and you're not likely to get too much out of them if you were looking for a more neutral performance.



On the other hand, at the end of this review, if you're looking for a really solid headphone, and if you don't mind it sounding a bit boomy, or if you have the patience to use some EQ, HM100 would make a great long-lasting companion for you, if you manage to find some still in store, and if you keep an eye close to the stocks and catch one while they are available.



As for BLU-300, if you need a really affordable sports around-the-neck BT IEM, and if you like a thick and bassy sound with a strong low-end impact, it should make a great running, jogging and even weight lifting companion.



Full Playlist used for this review

While we listened to considerably more songs than those named in this playlist, those are excellent for identifying certain aspects of the sound, like PRaT, Texturization, Detail, Resolution, Dynamics, Impact, and overall tonality. We recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you're searching for new most, most of them being rather catchy.

Youtube Playlist



Tidal Playlist

https://listen.tidal.com/playlist/64555551-ec3c-4279-ae44-248fdfcf6c4b

Song List

Bats - Gamma Ray Burst: Second Date
Eskimo Callboy - Frances
Incubus - Summer Romance
Electric Six - Dager! High Voltage
Kishida Cult - High School Of The Dead
Dimmu Borgir - Dimmu Borgir
Breaking Benjamin - I Will Not Bow
Thousand Foot Krutch - The Flame In All Of Us
Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.
Infected Mushroom - Song Pong
Attack Attack - Kissed A Girl
Doctor P - Bulletproof
Maximum The Hormone - Rock n Roll Chainsaw
Rob Zombie - Werewolf, Baby!
Escape The Fate - Gorgeous Nightmare
SOAD - Chop Suey
Ken Ashcorp - Absolute Territory
Machinae Supremacy - Need For Steve
Ozzy Osbourne - I Don't Wanna Stop
Crow'sclaw - Loudness War
Eminem - Rap God
Stromae - Humain À L'eau
Sonata Arctica - My Selene
Justin Timberlake - Sexy Back
Metallica - Fuel
Veil Of Maya - Unbreakable
Masa Works - Golden Japang
REOL - Luvoratorrrrry
Dope - Addiction
Korn - Word Up!
Papa Roach - ... To be Loved
Fever The Ghost - Source
Fall Out Boy - Immortals
Green Day - Know The Enemy
Mindless Self Indulgence - London Bridge
A static Lullaby - Toxic
Royal Republic - Addictive
Astronautalis - The River, The Woods
We Came As Romans - My Love
Skillet - What I Believe
Man With A Mission - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Yasuda Rei - Mirror
Mojo Juju - Must Be Desire
Falling Up - Falling In Love
Manafest - Retro Love
Rodrigo Y Grabriela - Paris
Zomboy - Lights Out
Muse - Resistance
T.A.T.U & Rammstein - Mosaku
Grey Daze - Anything, Anything
Katy Perry - Who Am I Living For
Maroon 5 - Lucky Strike
Machinae Supremacy - Killer Instinct
Pendulum - Propane Nightmares
Sirenia - Lithium And A Lover
Saving Abel - Addicted
Hollywood Undead - Levitate
The Offspring - Special Delivery
Escape The Fate - Smooth
Samsara Blues Experiment - One With The Universe
Dope - Rebel Yell
Crazy Town - Butterfly
Silverstein - My Heroine
Memphis May Fire - Not Over Yet

I hope my review is helpful to you!

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INTRO:-

Unless you were living in a cave for some years, everyone has heard about Brainwavz and most of us have owned them too. The are one of the most active brands in the market. With plethora of products under their belt they have reach from $15 earphones to $250 earphone. Let have multiple flagships let it be their DD or BA earphones or Headphones. They usually target the mass market with mouth watering prices. Tempting to the limit and maybe beyond when in sale.

Their BLU series has seen couple of very successful earphones. The BLU-100 left everyone awe inspired when launched with a lowly price tag and the BLU-200 improved on the 100.

Here I will look into the BLU-300, the 3rd and the cheapest member of the lineup. With an mop of just under $40 it looks sleek and has a neck bend design with a magnetic clasp and with its IPX7 rating it is bound to get attention from gym goers and everyone else.

The market is flooded with plenty of BT earphones in this price, but we will look into a couple of other BT modules to see if the BLU-300 is really worth it or not.

You can get yours from here:-

https://www.brainwavzaudio.com/products/blu-300-wireless-sports-earphones

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07J5RZG8V

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J5RZG8V

P.S. I am not a BT guy, but I will be very lenient with my words.

ACCESSORIES:-

The BLU-300 is very lowly when it comes to accessories too. It doesn’t come with the trademark Brainwavz red/black case, there is no carry case in the box, and only one pair of tips. The charging cable and warranty card sums up the list of accessories.

Possibly because it will not fit into the box, but putting in some tips is something they could have done.




BUILD QUALITY, CABLE AND MIC:-

The BLU-300 is built very well, it feels very sturdy and solid in hand. The all metal housing brings plenty of confidence about its durability. The neck bend rest on the collar and is built with good quality plastic, unless you go hard at it, it will last anyone for couple of years at least. One has to take a bit of care of the cables, as they are the biggest reason why BT earphones fail. (few years ago I suggested Brainwavz to go Removable cables, but it went in vain).

The cable is long enough and is fairly comfortable. The remote is well built too. This time around it has separated power and volume buttons. The bigger power/call answer/end button is easy to reach and operate.

The power button works as answer/cut for calls, does work for pause and play for music too, but one has to manually initiate the music app first. The volume buttons work as usual. Holding the volume buttons for a couple of seconds changes the song.






USAGE:-

It nearly takes 90 to 120 minutes to charge from battery low to full. It shows red lightly while charging and blue lightly when charged. Holding the power button for a couple of seconds turns the device on, a blue light starts blinking, holding it for another two seconds initiates the pairing mode, blue and red light blink simultaneously.

The range is said to be 10m and it is around 8m even with a wall in between, the reception quality has improved considerably and the amount of lag has recued too.

I will never be able to test the Stand by time, but the playback time is respectable at around 7 and half hours depending on the volume. Calling will reduce the life by a couple of hours. I can't be on call for that long to test it, so.. bite it.

You cannot pair another device while streaming from another. If a call comes from the other device, the music will stop and will resume once the call is disconnected.

The MIC quality is good with good amount of clarity, picks plenty of back ground sounds too.






Paired with my Pixel 2 and A7 2016.

SOUND QUALITY:-

The BLU-300 relies on a 10mm dynamic driver for the heavy lifting and BT 4.1 for connecting, it's not the latest and might struggle while streaming Loss-less files. To me, its baseless to stream Loss-less files over BT anyway. For general listening one will be very pleased with the performance.

Its bass heavy sound with good amount of mid range emphasis gives it a very engaging signature. It’s a L shaped signature with plenty of warmth and a bit of coloration.

BASS:-

It’s the driving force of this earphone. Older models were slightly more mid bassy with a slower decay, the 300 focuses on the sub-bass rumble and gives plenty of vibrations at around 60-90hz, it feels pretty satisfying compared to older models.

Bass has a nicely rounded body with a punchy and airy bass. The slam feels more natural thanks to faster decay. Lower end extension is pretty good. One cannot be critical about of details here but the 300 has good amount of details and texture. Notes don’t feel overly attacking or flashy and are well rounded. It has good amount of resolution but as usual density is missing.

Bass is well within limits and delivers a sound signature enjoyable for everyday use. Yes its nearly bass head level of bass, only if it has slightly bigger body, I would have labeled it bass-head.

Mid bass is nicely controlled with good amount of decay speed. Upper bass too is pretty clean. The driver handles the bass like a champ. I will not call it the best but yes It can be the best for an BT earphone in this price.

MID RANGE:-

Whenever I hear BT I lower my expectations considerably. I just simply cant expect it to pick up wired level of micro details and clarity. What I can expect is a signature easy on ears and acceptable levels of transparency.

The 300 is better than 100 and 200 in this regard. It has better details and clarity. The timber feels more natural and notes have better sharpness with more accurate body. And more than everything, it doesn’t sound hollow.

The vocals are the focus here and both male and female vocals sound natural, female vocals sound slightly off, just slightly. They have good amount of texture to them.

Instruments do have some clarity but as we go deeper into the spectrum thighs get more gloomy and they tend to lose intensity. Layering and separation is acceptable. Stage size is better than some wired earphones.

HIGHS:-

The nicer the lesser you talk about it. It's not like it's totally missing but it lacks extension, there is some upper mid energy which extends up to lower highs, but that’s it, over that its muted, lacks enough energy to be clear, but till that slump its got more than enough energy, more than S0 to be precise. And it's not bad, it just lacks much needed extension. Cymbals are okay, guitars are good, but when you get into some fast paced music with some serious instrument work, it falls on its back, everything sounds pretty much veiled, giving up much details, so play some slow jams, with lesser instruments, some POP, trance and house is just okay as they just use synthesizers in the track and it is just fine. If the track has few more things playing in the background, it just feels very bust lacking any focus or transparency.

So stick to pop, and hip-hop, not rock, if rock don’t expect details.

COMPARISON:-

In recent past I have tried some other BT cables from KZ and TRN, the KZ costs around $10 and TRN costs around $18 but they don’t have earpieces, What I can conclude though is that the Brainwavz Has better Reception and Vocal clarity. Trn has slightly better upper mid presence with a bit more extension but that’s it.

The one with best extension is the BLU-Delta, but it sounds thin and lacks the bass thump. Which in a gym session feels very dull and uninspiring.

CONCLUSION:-

If you will ask me, I am satisfied, my last few reviews were some $500 earphones with up to 5 drivers so I simply can't expect that level of performance here.

1. I expected an engaging sound signature, and I got it.

2. I expected very good reception and I got that with very clear voices at both ends for calls.

3. And more than those, I wanted lesser amount of mid-bass, and the BLU-300 delivered in that front.

Yes it doesn’t have much treble presence, you can't expect that from an BT device any way unless you are spending $1000. It is a very good option for gym goers, commuting use, jogging use in the park, and for casual listening to Netflix to Amazon Prime episodes.

That’s it guys, have fun, enjoy, cheers.