This is my review for the new S3 from Brainwavz. Nicknamed the silver bullet for it's silver color and long slender shape. Thanks to Brainwavz for the S3 review sample. I have previously had the S0, S1, and S5 models. The S3 is rumored to be last in the S series line and now brings the Clearwavz remote and mic for Apple iOS products. The S3 retails for $79.50. The S3 can be found here: http://www.brainwavzaudio.com/collections/earphones/products/brainwavz-s3-earphones
Specifications
The familiar front Brainwavz packaging. It opens to reveal this...
...showing the Brainwavz zip case and the earphone features.
The S3 accessories.
The S3 has the Clearwavz remote and mic. A well done job here. Silicone covered gives a good grip, raised portion to also aid in grip and easy button ID. For me the height of the unit is just right and the unit works just as it should with Apple products with good clarity and SQ with calls. The only real issue is with the flat cable exiting the housing sideways, it places the remote unit sideways to the body. Not an issue with the remote but more the cable. Easy fix with the included clip or twisting the left earpiece around will train it(the mic side) to face toward the body/mouth more than away from it.
Build and Fit
We have the usual Brainwavz build quality, that is to say quite good. Pretty well tested and reputed to hold up well. I have had a Delta fail on me after some use but none of the three S series have given me any issues.
The S3 have the rubberized, sturdy flat cable, beefy strains all around, all metal housings, and a straight plug. I leave it to the reader as far as one's flat or round cable and straight or L plug preference. Even with the remote unit they seem to be lighter than other S series like the S1 and S5 by a small amount. They are in the middle range as far as their weightiness. They won't be pulling themselves out of your ear nor will you forget they are in there.
In the third to last picture above you can see the vent hole in the top side of the housing which is a concern as far as rain/moisture and wind noise unless you wear the S3 over the ear style.
Fit is subjective but I find them very average here. The slightly longer and straight housings can lead to some closing off of the ear canal hurting sound at times. I seem to like a more shallow fit. Of the three people that tried this pair of S3, the comfort was rated as just OK by two(me included) and one not very comfortable. I think that Brainwavz should adopt the 15 degree angle nozzles so many use can eliminate these issues. Even if this is the last S model they should think about using it in future models. More comfort and easier fit for a better sound.
Sound Quality
I settled on the medium red core stock tips and used three players to put the S3 through it's paces. A Sony S639, Xuelin 770C, and Lanhui E109 were the players used to test. The Sony is a bit warmer and consumer sounding, the Xuelin is audiophile sound, and the Lanhui is in between those two. YMMV some as to what you have and exactly how much it influences the final result. The S3 are a bit more bassy with an S639 and a bit more neutral and open sounding with the 770C. I tend to like the middle of my road match with the S3 and E109 quite a bit
Fit is pretty key to the sound here. I experienced a too deep highest seal type fit to be both less comfortable and hurt the clarity and speed and muck the S3 up a bit. Too loose a fit and you do lose isolation and some low bass reach. The wide selection of tips provided is good here to increase the chances of one getting the optimal sound quality.
Each of the S series earphones have had a slightly different sound signature. S0 is airy and balanced, S1 is thick, bassy and warm, and the S5 is V shaped being bassy and brighter on the ends. The new S3 is a bit of S0 and S5. It is balanced like the S0 but it more extended and resolves more like the S5. It has brighter treble and more detailed bass like the S5 but both ends are toned down some. The S3 lacks some low bass extension vs. the S5 and with the right fit that preserves the most bass reach. I have no issue at their current price point, yet sub-bass reach is not the S3's strong suit. Overall range of the frequency response is good though. The longer housing seems to be adding some depth to the stage like the S5 and better than the S0 and S1 models. Stage has depth, width, but is a bit narrower from top to bottom. Wider bore tips are recommended to get the best as far as height.
As stated before, the detail and resolution is up closer towards S5 levels and the clean and balanced signature lets you hear things quite easily. The added high end over the S0 and S1 also seems to give more detail. The leaner bass is tight and pretty quick combining with the treble for a lively sound that may not be as much fun w/o more bass like the S5 but it is technically proficient with good separation and speed and mids that are more level with the bass and treble.
The S3 bass has somewhat muted levels of mid, low, and sub bass which causes them to roll off a bit. As if they shelved the whole bass range some to balance them out. Overall frequency balance with no mid-bass humps, some tightness, quickness, and clarity in exchange for sub-bass reach. Bass detail and texture is solid. Comparing to pricier phones they hold up pretty well even if they may lose. The narrower stage and lessened bass really differentiate the S3 from the S5 which certainly kicks the bass up as notch. The bass area does seem to appreciate more output power to get the best out of it.
The S3 mids I find quite nice. They fit in well and are clean and clear. Neither dry nor wet to any real big degree they are transparent and have nice detail and separation. Vocals are above average as far as intelligibility and male and female seemingly done equally well with no real favorites here. Mids are staged and positioned well and are just a hair more transparent than the bass and treble notes. That is the only things that makes them stand out in the otherwise well integrated nature of the S3.
The S3 treble is nicely extended and fairly lively and bright. Not very bright nor is it peaky or sibilant. Reigned in enough and this can be adjusted with tip choice to be slightly less or slightly more. Cymbals sound nice with the right amount of decay. Treble notes have some air between them. the lack of height hurts here but, while not airy, neither is the S3's treble constricted or congested. A nice amount of detail comes from the high end unless you use the wrong tips or a bad fit cuts it too much. Other than tending to hide sometimes with fit the treble is well behaved and nicely straddles the line between smooth and bright.
The S3 exhibits the usually bass and treble tone that seems to come from the driver/housing combination of the whole series. Mids are pretty transparent here but the bass and treble notes have that sound that them that makes them sound like a Brainwavz S series phone and either you will like or dislike it. Hard to exactly describe it but it does differentiate these from higher end products including Brainwavz own B2 and others. Not losing any points here but someone stated something to the effect of them not being very audiophile sounding and not that accurate. I'm sure this is part of that complaint but these are not $100 plus phones and are consumer sounding just so you know what you are getting. They are touted to be generally balanced and clear but yet they will still have the S series house sound to them. Etymotic or higher end monitor sound is not the promise here.
Conclusion
This may be the last member of the S series and probably should be. Not many signature changes left and the only really new thing is the remote. I do like the S3 however. Probably my favorite of the S as far as signature though I like the S0 fit better. The strong build is still there, plenty of accessories, a signature I like combined with better technical ability than lower Brainwavz models. Points taken away for a little more difficulty to find the best fit for sound and the average comfort level. Another solid effort but time for a change hopefully that will include some new designs including cable style and angled sound nozzles.
Specifications
- Drivers: Dynamic, 8 mm
- Rated Impedance: 16 Ω
- Frequency Range: 16 Hz ~ 22 kHz
- Sensitivity: 96 dB at 1 mW
- Rated Input Power: 10 mW
- Cable: 1.3 m Y-Cord, Copper
- Plug: 3.5 mm, Gold Plated
Included Accessories:
- Earphone Hard Case
- 6 sets of Silicone Ear Tips (S/M/L)
- 1 set of Comply™ Foam Tips T-400
- 1 Shirt Clip
- 1 set of Silicone Bi-Flange Eartips
- 1 set of Silicone Tri-Flange Eartips
- Velcro Cable Tie
- Instruction Manual & Warranty Card (24 month warranty)
The familiar front Brainwavz packaging. It opens to reveal this...
...showing the Brainwavz zip case and the earphone features.
The S3 accessories.
The S3 has the Clearwavz remote and mic. A well done job here. Silicone covered gives a good grip, raised portion to also aid in grip and easy button ID. For me the height of the unit is just right and the unit works just as it should with Apple products with good clarity and SQ with calls. The only real issue is with the flat cable exiting the housing sideways, it places the remote unit sideways to the body. Not an issue with the remote but more the cable. Easy fix with the included clip or twisting the left earpiece around will train it(the mic side) to face toward the body/mouth more than away from it.
Build and Fit
We have the usual Brainwavz build quality, that is to say quite good. Pretty well tested and reputed to hold up well. I have had a Delta fail on me after some use but none of the three S series have given me any issues.
The S3 have the rubberized, sturdy flat cable, beefy strains all around, all metal housings, and a straight plug. I leave it to the reader as far as one's flat or round cable and straight or L plug preference. Even with the remote unit they seem to be lighter than other S series like the S1 and S5 by a small amount. They are in the middle range as far as their weightiness. They won't be pulling themselves out of your ear nor will you forget they are in there.
In the third to last picture above you can see the vent hole in the top side of the housing which is a concern as far as rain/moisture and wind noise unless you wear the S3 over the ear style.
Fit is subjective but I find them very average here. The slightly longer and straight housings can lead to some closing off of the ear canal hurting sound at times. I seem to like a more shallow fit. Of the three people that tried this pair of S3, the comfort was rated as just OK by two(me included) and one not very comfortable. I think that Brainwavz should adopt the 15 degree angle nozzles so many use can eliminate these issues. Even if this is the last S model they should think about using it in future models. More comfort and easier fit for a better sound.
Sound Quality
I settled on the medium red core stock tips and used three players to put the S3 through it's paces. A Sony S639, Xuelin 770C, and Lanhui E109 were the players used to test. The Sony is a bit warmer and consumer sounding, the Xuelin is audiophile sound, and the Lanhui is in between those two. YMMV some as to what you have and exactly how much it influences the final result. The S3 are a bit more bassy with an S639 and a bit more neutral and open sounding with the 770C. I tend to like the middle of my road match with the S3 and E109 quite a bit
Fit is pretty key to the sound here. I experienced a too deep highest seal type fit to be both less comfortable and hurt the clarity and speed and muck the S3 up a bit. Too loose a fit and you do lose isolation and some low bass reach. The wide selection of tips provided is good here to increase the chances of one getting the optimal sound quality.
Each of the S series earphones have had a slightly different sound signature. S0 is airy and balanced, S1 is thick, bassy and warm, and the S5 is V shaped being bassy and brighter on the ends. The new S3 is a bit of S0 and S5. It is balanced like the S0 but it more extended and resolves more like the S5. It has brighter treble and more detailed bass like the S5 but both ends are toned down some. The S3 lacks some low bass extension vs. the S5 and with the right fit that preserves the most bass reach. I have no issue at their current price point, yet sub-bass reach is not the S3's strong suit. Overall range of the frequency response is good though. The longer housing seems to be adding some depth to the stage like the S5 and better than the S0 and S1 models. Stage has depth, width, but is a bit narrower from top to bottom. Wider bore tips are recommended to get the best as far as height.
As stated before, the detail and resolution is up closer towards S5 levels and the clean and balanced signature lets you hear things quite easily. The added high end over the S0 and S1 also seems to give more detail. The leaner bass is tight and pretty quick combining with the treble for a lively sound that may not be as much fun w/o more bass like the S5 but it is technically proficient with good separation and speed and mids that are more level with the bass and treble.
The S3 bass has somewhat muted levels of mid, low, and sub bass which causes them to roll off a bit. As if they shelved the whole bass range some to balance them out. Overall frequency balance with no mid-bass humps, some tightness, quickness, and clarity in exchange for sub-bass reach. Bass detail and texture is solid. Comparing to pricier phones they hold up pretty well even if they may lose. The narrower stage and lessened bass really differentiate the S3 from the S5 which certainly kicks the bass up as notch. The bass area does seem to appreciate more output power to get the best out of it.
The S3 mids I find quite nice. They fit in well and are clean and clear. Neither dry nor wet to any real big degree they are transparent and have nice detail and separation. Vocals are above average as far as intelligibility and male and female seemingly done equally well with no real favorites here. Mids are staged and positioned well and are just a hair more transparent than the bass and treble notes. That is the only things that makes them stand out in the otherwise well integrated nature of the S3.
The S3 treble is nicely extended and fairly lively and bright. Not very bright nor is it peaky or sibilant. Reigned in enough and this can be adjusted with tip choice to be slightly less or slightly more. Cymbals sound nice with the right amount of decay. Treble notes have some air between them. the lack of height hurts here but, while not airy, neither is the S3's treble constricted or congested. A nice amount of detail comes from the high end unless you use the wrong tips or a bad fit cuts it too much. Other than tending to hide sometimes with fit the treble is well behaved and nicely straddles the line between smooth and bright.
The S3 exhibits the usually bass and treble tone that seems to come from the driver/housing combination of the whole series. Mids are pretty transparent here but the bass and treble notes have that sound that them that makes them sound like a Brainwavz S series phone and either you will like or dislike it. Hard to exactly describe it but it does differentiate these from higher end products including Brainwavz own B2 and others. Not losing any points here but someone stated something to the effect of them not being very audiophile sounding and not that accurate. I'm sure this is part of that complaint but these are not $100 plus phones and are consumer sounding just so you know what you are getting. They are touted to be generally balanced and clear but yet they will still have the S series house sound to them. Etymotic or higher end monitor sound is not the promise here.
Conclusion
This may be the last member of the S series and probably should be. Not many signature changes left and the only really new thing is the remote. I do like the S3 however. Probably my favorite of the S as far as signature though I like the S0 fit better. The strong build is still there, plenty of accessories, a signature I like combined with better technical ability than lower Brainwavz models. Points taken away for a little more difficulty to find the best fit for sound and the average comfort level. Another solid effort but time for a change hopefully that will include some new designs including cable style and angled sound nozzles.
Updated for wording