Brainwavz S3

 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

1. Drivers: Dynamic, 8 mm
2. Rated Impedance: 16 Ω
3. Frequency Range: 16 Hz ~ 22 kHz
4. Sensitivity: 96 dB at 1 mW
5. Rated Input Power: 10 mW
6. Cable: 1.3 m Y-Cord, Copper
7. Plug: 3.5 mm, Gold Plated

 

Included Accessories:

1. Earphone Hard Case
2. 6 sets of Silicone Ear Tips (S/M/L)
3. 1 set of Comply™ Foam Tips T-400
4. 1 Shirt Clip
5. 1 set of Silicone Bi-Flange Eartips
6. 1 set of Silicone Tri-Flange Eartips
7. Velcro Cable Tie
8. 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.  

Brainwavz S3:  Coherent Bliss
 

 

 

 


SPECS:
http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-s3-iem-noise-isolating-earphones-with-clearwavz-remote-and-microphone

1. Transducers/Drivers: Dynamic, 8mm
2. Rated Impedance: 16ohms Closed Dynamic
3. Sensitivity: 96dB at 1mW
4. Frequency range: 16Hz ~ 22 KHz
5. Rated input power: 10mW
6. Plug: 3.5 mm gold plated
7. Cable length: 1.3 meters Flat Cable
8. 24 Month warranty

 
WHERE TO BUY / COST:
 
http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-earphones
$79.50 new
 
TEST TRACKS
 
California Girls by The Beach Boys found on Sounds of Summer - The Very Best of The Beach Boys – Track used to test the entire spectrum from bass, mids, to treble. This track is especially useful for testing bright-sounding headphones which tend to be fatiguing with this track.
 
Propeller Seeds by Imogen Heap ( Instrumental ) – Track used to test soundstage and overall presentation of soundstage
 
River Flows in You by Yiruma ( Piano ) – Track utilized to see if the headphone / IEM reproduces piano in a realistic manor
 
Vivaldi Guitar and Lute found in the The Spanish Guitar Music Colección – Track used to hear the metallic sound of strings, echo of environment, and sound signature of the lute and Spanish guitar.
 
OVERVIEW
 
Brainwavz really knocks one out of the park with the S3.  Their targets are clear bass, large soundstage, and sleek comfortable housings.  To me they meet these goals with great success.  The S3 is an earphone that impressed me right out of the box.
 
AESTHETICS
 
The metal housings sing style.  The inside of the tips are colored and the cable sleek.  The jack plug easily sneaks into my iPod and phone.  The strain relief at the housing is also color matched red which adds some subtle style.  The S3 goes a long way from the onyx black of the M1 and S1.  The labels on the remote are legible and each earpiece has a left/right label.  The S3 is one of the more sleek earphones I have come in contact with at this price point.
 
ACOUSTICS
 
Unamped: I tested the S3 using an iPod touch playing the test tracks listed in this review.  Portable listening delves into a few key characteristics.  The first is how portable is the earphone?  Can they be easily plugged in, do their controls make sense, and is the cable length adequate.  Portable devices are also battery powered.  Low efficiency and low impedance headphones can drain the battery very fast.  A second aspect of portable listening I look into is how is the fidelity.  Does portable listening sound hampered in any way?  What limits do I hear that I know the earphone has because of an impedance issue?
 
The S3 does really well with portable listening.  The cable is of an ideal length and my iPod has no issues driving the earphone to very loud levels.  This is a surprise because the impedance of the S3 is 16 Ohms and coupling that with a sensitivity of 96 dB / mW, which is lower than I previously suggested for portables, suggests it would struggle more from a portable.  Expect the S3 to drain your battery a little quicker than other more efficient headphones.  I find adequate listening at 60% volume levels at which point the deliver clear bass, a lush midrange, and a gently rolled-off treble. This roll-ff leads to an uneven clarity going from the midrange to treble as well as contributing to a small soundstage.  One awesome thing about the S3 is with portable listening is that rock sounds pretty darn good.  Rock is hard to listen to with a ton of gear because it tends to be a wall of sound.  Rock is hard on the ears, but with the S3 most rock sounded easy to listen to and fun.
 
The cable is easy to manage and the jack-plug seats snuggle into both my phone and iPod.  The cable is micrphonic, but the included shirt clip takes care of that in a hurry.
 
Overall the S3 sounds good unamped with no major flaws.
 
Amped:  My reference gear is used to test earphone performance that may otherwise have impedance or other sound quality issues.  I am very familiar and trusting of my home desktop setup as it is a result of over 7 years if improvement. I use it to test how a headphone improves using a desktop amplifier and to bring out the true colors of a headphone's sound signature. I set the gain to low on the BUDA because of the low impedance of the S3.
 
The Beach Boys’ California Girls sounds crisp and clean.  I detect slight bass emphasis along with a lack of treble detail on the metallic instruments. I detect a hint of sibilance with this track indicating that although the treble is gently rolled off the S3 suffers from distortion at higher volumes and actually may sound bright  some listeners.
 
Yiruma’s River Flows in You reveals both the softness of the S3 as well as the limits of its detail.  The piano sounds muffled and filtered.  It should sound faster and each key press should sound solid, but the S3 filters some of this out.  This can be wonderful with rock and other intense tracks, but for more instrumental works the S3 is limited.
 
Amped the bass is more controlled and the S3 has more oomph.  The overall sound signature remains the same going from unamped to amped listening.
 
CONCLUSION
 
The S3 was a treat.  It is comfortable, very portable, and the sound signature fun and articulate. The sweetness of the bass and midrange coupled with the great aesthetics make it a wonderful headphone.  The bass clarity is something not found in many earphones at this price point.  The soundstage is also impressive for a headphone with weak treble. I do wish the remote was placed lower on the cable, but due to it housing the mic I can see why it is placed where it is. The more I listen to the S3 the more it is moves towards my preferred Brainwavz product.