Introduction
I first got to know the company few months ago, when I was looking for a portable amplifier. They were about to release or they have just released the Brainwavz AP001 portable amp, so this was my starting point. I then visited their website http://www.yourbrainwavz.com/index.php, became interested with their products and decided to buy some and try them. The Brainwavz Delta made quite an impression on me as I can define them as a great all-rounder, they have everything you might need from your earphones in the low price segment. Or at least I can place them there, I don’t know about the head gear market research teams. With their price of $22.50 (I got mine from http://www.mp4nation.net) I believe they are targeting people who would not like to spare a lot on a new pair of earphones or just like to get something that will be easily sacrificed in the fitness center or lost during your morning run. However, I suggest you don’t underestimate these earphones, because they can compete with some pricier offers out there.
First Impressions
As you might guess, I get my first impressions on the box before opening.
The Brainwavz Delta earphones come in a nicely designed standard plastic case. A fine touch is the company’s logo on the tamper proof stickers. You can see the producer’s promise for “Clear Instruments & Vocals”, as well as a “Balanced Bass & All Metal Housing” on the front side of the package. From the rear sides you will learn that there’s a “12 Months Warranty” and that the box “Includes COMPLY Premium Earphone Tips”. Of course you have the specs as it follows:
Drivers: Dynamic, 8 mm
Rated Impedance: 16 ohms
Frequency Range: 20 – 20,000 Hz
Sensitivity: 100dB @ 1 mW
Rated Input Power: 20 mW
Cable: 1.3 m Y-cord, Copper
Plug: 3.5 mm, gold-plated.
Rated Impedance: 16 ohms
Frequency Range: 20 – 20,000 Hz
Sensitivity: 100dB @ 1 mW
Rated Input Power: 20 mW
Cable: 1.3 m Y-cord, Copper
Plug: 3.5 mm, gold-plated.
On the back of the box you can read that “The Brainwavz Delta produce vocals and instruments with detailed clarity, letting your music sounds as good as their artists intended. These all metal housed earphones are tuned to sound good with any genre of music.” OK, that’s a powerful promise, if you like to see if I agree with it, I’m afraid you have to read my whole review.
Also on the back is stated that these earphones are compatible with different sources of sound signal, i.e. you can easily hook them to your mobile phone, music player, computer, etc., as you might be expecting, and you can get some information about the contents and accessories. So, let’s look what’s inside!
A Closer Look (and Feel)
Inside the box you will find the earphones themselves, 3 sets of silicone tips (S, M, L), a set of Comply foam tips (S-400, to be precise), a nice velcro strap so you can keep the cable winded if you like to, and a brief instruction manual with the warranty printed on its back.
I have to say that these earphones look very well made and I also find them to be very beautiful.
First thing I’m noticing is the metal housing, yes they are all metal, even the pretty red caps. To me, this looks and feels really nice, more expensive and it speaks quality. The earphones are small, lightweight and I find them very comfortable. I can easily put them on and off, they have a good grip and there’s no need to pull them out by the cable. There’s also a nice, soft elastic strain relief that will not bump against your ears. The silicone tips are of a good quality too, they fit well and they will not fall off or remain in your ear (yes, I experienced that on some other earphones). The S size are the smallest eartips I have ever seen and I believe that will please those with small ears. As for me, I’m OK with the large size. Of course, you can always get some other tips, there’s plenty of shapes, colours and sizes, or you can try the Comply foam tips that come in the package. They are medium size and don’t fit my ears quite well, but will fit most. You can check them online, http://www.complyfoam.com/, they come in different size and shapes, so these have to be the Sport series, size M. As you could see their price ($9 for 2 pairs), you will probably appreciate this gift from Brainwavz. Just be careful if you decide to try them, as the foam comes unstuck from the core when you put them off your earphones.
I also like the cable of the Deltas, it’s very soft silicone cable, feels great in touch and the best thing is it doesn’t tangle. The plug is gold plated, angled at 60 degrees which is very practical for me, and it has a well made strain relief, very flexible. Some would say the cable splitter is bulky, but I find it interesting and it doesn’t bother me at all; it’s flat enough so no problem to put it under your shirt. There is a neck strap and the Brainwavz logo is printed on the splitter. Now this might be very handy, as there is no embossed markings on the eartips to show you which is the right and which is the left in the dark. Yes, there’s the R and L letters, but you have to turn the lights on to see them. So, what you have to do is just touch the splitter and feel the round logo that has to be face up, the other side is smooth. Now you can easily find what’s right and what’s left.
Sound
OK, I do believe this has to be the most important part of an earphones review and yet I find it very subjective. It depends on the reviewer perception, preferences, even expectations, on the device they are hooked to. I have read reviews on the same thing, stating completely different things about the sound picture. So I will be giving you my points on the subject and hope they will be helpful to you.
Here I have to say I totally agree with the manufacturer’s promise on the box. I am very, very pleasantly surprised by the sound of those babies. What do you normally expect of a low priced pair of earphones? A V-shaped sound with a very boosted bass that will overcome all the other frequency ranges and will blanch the total sound picture. I believe there’s a reason for that, first impressions of the mass customer will be: “Oh, great bass, it sounds so much better then the TV or my laptop built-in speakers, I can hear so much more!”; the truth is that you can’t as the artificial bass is masking everything else and even if it wasn’t, the mids and treble would be represented with a poor quality.
The thing I love about the Brainwavz Delta and makes them stand out in the crowd is the fact that you can actually hear everything. They don’t sound flat, it’s a slightly V-shaped signature sound and there’s nothing wrong with that, usually that’s how the EQ of a music device is set, you’re not listening to a telephone after all. The bass is there, it’s punchy and it has an edge and I believe it will also please the sworn bassheads out there. As a bass player, I would say there’s enough bass and you know we’re never happy with the amount of bass. The bass is not as muddy as you will hear it on most of the low priced earphones, so it will not blunt your perception of the other frequencies. The mids are great represented, vocals are very clear and beautiful and you can hear all the details; me, for example, I don’t need to boost the mids on the EQ when I’m watching a movie on my computer as I usually do. Same thing with the treble, clarity and detail, that’s what I can say. You can really hear sounds you never did before and the high frequencies are not irritatingly hissing. There’s also this spatial perception you get with these earphones, I believe it’s because of the clarity of the sound; not talking about reverb or a digital surround sound effect, it’s just like a band is playing in front of you and not inside of your head which is the common feeling when you’re listening to some cheap products.
Summary and Final Thoughts
At the end I can conclude that I will definitely recommend the Brainwavz Delta as my first choice when it comes to spending $10 to $30 on a new set of earphones. If you’re used to earphones in that price range and you don’t think of changing them, I would also recommend you to spend some $20 on these and you will be very happy with your investment. Why I feel so positive about that? Well, there’s great value, outstanding build quality that surpass this price range, clear and realistic sound, that’s what you need and that’s what these babies got.
My choice was black, but you can also get them in silver colour, there’s an optional microphone and remote control. You can check where to get them on the manufacturer’s website http://www.yourbrainwavz.com/buy.html, probably there’s a retailer near you, or you can order them online, don’t forget to look up for discount or bundle offers as well.
I really hope this review would be useful to you, I will appreciate your feedback very much, please do read and watch some others because there’s a lot of opinions out there.