This is my review of the Brainwavz Jive (Black)
http://www.brainwavzaudio.com/collections/earphones/products/jive-noise-isolating-iem-earphones-w-3-button-remote-microphone-black
Brainwavz have been on the market for some time now, and producing great earphones (Brainwavz M1 is still a reference in the 40-50$ range). They released the Jive model in 2015, and even though it’s pretty recent, this model keeps on getting good reviews and taking it’s place in the 30-40$ price range.
Disclaimer: I received this product for free/discounted however this in no way influenced my review. I only write honest reviews regardless of whether I purchased a product at full price, at a discount, or received it free. I thank Brainwavz for this opportunity.
I am an avid fan of music (many styles, but a lot of rock) and headphones / earphones. I am not an audiophile, but I have a quest to find the best headphone / earphone for my tastes and I like to test new gear a lot. I owned / tried more than 120 headphones / earphones, so my ears are pretty trained, even though I am not a graph fan or as qualified as other more technical listeners. I rely on my ears, my gut and my pleasure to move forward. I just hope to help other people find nice gems that will suit their taste and their budget. Enjoy!
--
I had no big expectations with the Brainwavz Jive. It retails at 28.00, so it’s a low budget offering, and it promises “High Fidelity Audio + lively sound in a sleek and stylish All-Metal housing”. After taking some time to let it grow on me, I must say that Brainwavz delivered as promised one more time, considering the price.
Specs
· Drivers : Dynamic, 9 mm
· Rated Impedance : 16 Ω
· Frequency Range : 20 Hz ~ 20 kHz
· Sensitivity : 98 dB @ 1 mW
· Rated Input Power : 20 mW
· Plug : 3.5 mm, Gold-Plated
· Cable : 1.3 m, Copper
Accessories
· Earphone Hardcase (wide)
· 3 sets of Silicone Ear Tips (S M L)
· 1 set of Comply™ Foam Tips S-400
· 1 Shirt Clip
· Velcro Cable Tie
· Instruction Manual
· Warranty Card (24 month warranty)
The Jive earphone comes in a small plastic box with the picture of the product on it, but the Brainwavz people remain really generous to their customers and they are able to fit all of these nice accessories in their must-have hardcase. Just for the accessories, it pushes the product above the selling price, adding to the value.
Built
Functionality
The Jive is equipped with a very good microphone and a 3-button remote that provides clear phone calls option with most devices, and audio player + volume control.
The housings are on the small size, so easy to insert and almost forget. They also can be used wire down, or over the ear. Isolation is really good. I don’t hear anything when they are plugged in.
Sound Review
I tested the Jive with my iPod Classic 160gb unamped, and then amped with the Fiio E6. Also, I tested it on my Asus laptop amplified with the Nuforce U-DAC 3. I usually test the earphones activating the shuffle on my iPod so I hear a variety of music that can go from Diana Krall to Rage Against the Machine to Depeche Mode to In Flames.
The Jive are pretty easy to drive out of any device, but like/prefer the little upgrade in sound provided by the Fiio E6.
The Jive offers a fairly dark sound, with deep bass, but still delivers nice detailed midrange and treble. They benefit a lot (IMHO) of wider bore tips (like the JVC Spiral Dots). Wider bore tips tend to open up the sound a bit more, as well as the mid and high frequencies. I really prefer them vs stock tips in this case.
I would say that the sound is v-shaped, but not by much. I like the slight balance it provides. Stereo imaging is pretty good, and instrument separation is above average, but soundstage is average, which could be their main weakness. Still, for the price… you cannot get everything.
Lows / mids / treble
Bass hits pretty deep. To me, it seems the sub-bass is stronger than mid-bass. I like it. Bass is not fast and it wraps the sound nicely, slowing the attack. It’s not muddy and I don’t find it fatiguing as it does not seem to bleed much in other frequencies.
Midrange is smooth, helped by the sub-bass. It offers good details, but smooth. Vocals sound clear, sometimes slightly behind with the light v-shaped sound, but very lovely. I noticed that the clarity of vocals and midrange really depends on recordings.
Treble has nice extension and provides very good details for price. Impressive, I would say. I have not heard a lot of headphones below 40$ that offer this quality in the high frequencies. Still, there is no sibilance or fatigue with these, for me.
Comparisons to other iems in the price range
Brainwavz Jive vs Vsonic VSD1S
About in the same price range, the Vsonic VSD1S were (and may still are) praised for their high quality offering vs their price tag. I liked the VSD1S, but for me, it had the same problem as the VSD3: sibilance (and a hard one to control). The design and sound was nice in general, but the Jive offer better details and clarity + more relaxed sound. And, it feels and should be much more durable (VSD1S has documented durability issues).
Brainwavz Jive vs Sennheiser CX 300 II
Even though I respect Sennheiser a lot, and their CX 300 II model will sell at a higher price in most stores, I have to say it’s a no contest here. The veiled sound of the CX 300 and its uneven v-shaped sound (bassy, missing details and midrange) loses on all points vs the Jive. At this budget level, Brainwavz give Sennheiser and other more known companies a lesson.
Conclusion
I take my hat off to Brainwavz for this product. To be able to offer such quality below 30$ is awesome and almost unbelievable. The market keeps on boiling and the battle rages on. You really need to try stuff and compare to get the best for your money. In this case, you get way more than you paid for. Honestly, I would be ok to pay twice the price for these earphones, considering my experience.
The Brainwavz Jive are probably my top choice for a budget earphone under 40$ and I easily recommend it on the go (with the remote / phone call option) but also to relax, enjoying your music. You can even sleep with these on, as they are small enough and comfortable.
http://www.brainwavzaudio.com/collections/earphones/products/jive-noise-isolating-iem-earphones-w-3-button-remote-microphone-black
Brainwavz have been on the market for some time now, and producing great earphones (Brainwavz M1 is still a reference in the 40-50$ range). They released the Jive model in 2015, and even though it’s pretty recent, this model keeps on getting good reviews and taking it’s place in the 30-40$ price range.
Disclaimer: I received this product for free/discounted however this in no way influenced my review. I only write honest reviews regardless of whether I purchased a product at full price, at a discount, or received it free. I thank Brainwavz for this opportunity.
I am an avid fan of music (many styles, but a lot of rock) and headphones / earphones. I am not an audiophile, but I have a quest to find the best headphone / earphone for my tastes and I like to test new gear a lot. I owned / tried more than 120 headphones / earphones, so my ears are pretty trained, even though I am not a graph fan or as qualified as other more technical listeners. I rely on my ears, my gut and my pleasure to move forward. I just hope to help other people find nice gems that will suit their taste and their budget. Enjoy!
--
I had no big expectations with the Brainwavz Jive. It retails at 28.00, so it’s a low budget offering, and it promises “High Fidelity Audio + lively sound in a sleek and stylish All-Metal housing”. After taking some time to let it grow on me, I must say that Brainwavz delivered as promised one more time, considering the price.
Specs
· Drivers : Dynamic, 9 mm
· Rated Impedance : 16 Ω
· Frequency Range : 20 Hz ~ 20 kHz
· Sensitivity : 98 dB @ 1 mW
· Rated Input Power : 20 mW
· Plug : 3.5 mm, Gold-Plated
· Cable : 1.3 m, Copper
Accessories
· Earphone Hardcase (wide)
· 3 sets of Silicone Ear Tips (S M L)
· 1 set of Comply™ Foam Tips S-400
· 1 Shirt Clip
· Velcro Cable Tie
· Instruction Manual
· Warranty Card (24 month warranty)
The Jive earphone comes in a small plastic box with the picture of the product on it, but the Brainwavz people remain really generous to their customers and they are able to fit all of these nice accessories in their must-have hardcase. Just for the accessories, it pushes the product above the selling price, adding to the value.
Built
- Housings: The housings are fairly small and comfortable, and the sleek aluminium makes them much more sturdy than what you paid them for.
- Cable: The cable is thick (mainly below Y-splitter), with strong strain-reliefs. It does not tangle easily and provides low microphonics. Still, I always wear them over the ear to eliminate any trace of it, but also because I prefer it that way.
Functionality
The Jive is equipped with a very good microphone and a 3-button remote that provides clear phone calls option with most devices, and audio player + volume control.
The housings are on the small size, so easy to insert and almost forget. They also can be used wire down, or over the ear. Isolation is really good. I don’t hear anything when they are plugged in.
Sound Review
I tested the Jive with my iPod Classic 160gb unamped, and then amped with the Fiio E6. Also, I tested it on my Asus laptop amplified with the Nuforce U-DAC 3. I usually test the earphones activating the shuffle on my iPod so I hear a variety of music that can go from Diana Krall to Rage Against the Machine to Depeche Mode to In Flames.
The Jive are pretty easy to drive out of any device, but like/prefer the little upgrade in sound provided by the Fiio E6.
The Jive offers a fairly dark sound, with deep bass, but still delivers nice detailed midrange and treble. They benefit a lot (IMHO) of wider bore tips (like the JVC Spiral Dots). Wider bore tips tend to open up the sound a bit more, as well as the mid and high frequencies. I really prefer them vs stock tips in this case.
I would say that the sound is v-shaped, but not by much. I like the slight balance it provides. Stereo imaging is pretty good, and instrument separation is above average, but soundstage is average, which could be their main weakness. Still, for the price… you cannot get everything.
Lows / mids / treble
Bass hits pretty deep. To me, it seems the sub-bass is stronger than mid-bass. I like it. Bass is not fast and it wraps the sound nicely, slowing the attack. It’s not muddy and I don’t find it fatiguing as it does not seem to bleed much in other frequencies.
Midrange is smooth, helped by the sub-bass. It offers good details, but smooth. Vocals sound clear, sometimes slightly behind with the light v-shaped sound, but very lovely. I noticed that the clarity of vocals and midrange really depends on recordings.
Treble has nice extension and provides very good details for price. Impressive, I would say. I have not heard a lot of headphones below 40$ that offer this quality in the high frequencies. Still, there is no sibilance or fatigue with these, for me.
Comparisons to other iems in the price range
Brainwavz Jive vs Vsonic VSD1S
About in the same price range, the Vsonic VSD1S were (and may still are) praised for their high quality offering vs their price tag. I liked the VSD1S, but for me, it had the same problem as the VSD3: sibilance (and a hard one to control). The design and sound was nice in general, but the Jive offer better details and clarity + more relaxed sound. And, it feels and should be much more durable (VSD1S has documented durability issues).
Brainwavz Jive vs Sennheiser CX 300 II
Even though I respect Sennheiser a lot, and their CX 300 II model will sell at a higher price in most stores, I have to say it’s a no contest here. The veiled sound of the CX 300 and its uneven v-shaped sound (bassy, missing details and midrange) loses on all points vs the Jive. At this budget level, Brainwavz give Sennheiser and other more known companies a lesson.
Conclusion
I take my hat off to Brainwavz for this product. To be able to offer such quality below 30$ is awesome and almost unbelievable. The market keeps on boiling and the battle rages on. You really need to try stuff and compare to get the best for your money. In this case, you get way more than you paid for. Honestly, I would be ok to pay twice the price for these earphones, considering my experience.
The Brainwavz Jive are probably my top choice for a budget earphone under 40$ and I easily recommend it on the go (with the remote / phone call option) but also to relax, enjoying your music. You can even sleep with these on, as they are small enough and comfortable.
